Shut Up And Dance

by TheVClaw

Chapter Twenty-Six: Shake It Off

“Are you serious?!” asked Butterscotch while staring at Elusive wide-eyed. Even though the last thing he wanted to do was fluster the unicorn any more than he already was, hearing him say such an unexpected confession made it difficult to keep his jaw from hitting the floor. Regardless, Butterscotch was able to take a calming breath before clarifying in a more withheld tone of voice, “I mean… Do you really think that you’re… you know…”

Elusive may have been able to keep his sound-bubble active while he and his friend were inside of it, but he wasn’t sure how when he could barely keep himself or his magic together. His head was hung low while sitting on the ground, and it took everything in him to keep from tearing up at what he admitted. Alas, despite how badly his muscles tensed up to avoid breaking down, Elusive managed to breathe out in a deep (albeit shaky) exhale as he said, “I… I really think I am…”

After that, the white stallion sniffed as he clenched his eyes shut, knowing he couldn’t keep himself from crying for much longer. Butterscotch’s eyes widened when he realized that as well, but he didn’t hesitate to lean in and give his friend a much deserved-hug. A couple hiccuped breaths came out through his nostrils, but Elusive soon started to sob while his muzzle was pressed in tightly against the pegasus’ shoulder. In all the books and movies he watched growing up, a confession of love was usually a joyous occasion meant for celebration or relief; of course, none of those examples tried to dabble into the possibility of falling for a best friend of the same gender, or during a crucially athletic team-based tournament.

“Ssshhhhhh… It’s okay, Elusive,” assured Butterscotch in a sweet and sincere whisper while hugging him securely. Even as he felt the unicorn’s back arch repeatedly against his hooves, the yellow stallion kept a tight grip as he said, “It’s alright… I promise you, there’s nothing wrong with feeling that way.”

“Tha…” Elusive tried to speak up through Butterscotch’s shoulder, but his voice came out in a strained creak. After a strong huff, he pulled himself away from the pegasus’ hug while wiping his cheeks with a hoof. “Th-that’s easy for you to say! But I… I can’t believe I’m actually feeling like that! And… and for HIM, nonetheless!”

“There’s nothing wrong with that!” Butterscotch repeated in a more insistent tone. He tried to grab the unicorn’s hooves as he added, “Elusive, you should know better than most ponies that you can’t choose who you grow feelings for! It just happens! Just like in your romance novels!”

“Oh, this isn’t a bucking novel, Butterscotch!” Elusive exhaled sharply as he threw his hooves aside looked away from him. He could barely even cringe at using that expletive so brashly, but he then said after taking another breath, “I… I just wanted to be a good friend for Rainbow Blitz! And I thought I was by helping him out with his issues! But… But now that we’re so close, it’s like… I just feel like I latched onto him like some colt who found a sick puppy or something!”

Even though he knew what Elusive was trying to say with that comparison, hearing him say something that insensitive was enough to make Butterscotch scowl strongly in response. Meanwhile, Elusive kept ranting while tearing up and looking down at the floor. “I mean… what’s wrong with me?! I wanted to help him, and instead I ended up like this! Like… I’m not upset because he’s a stallion or anything. I’ve always been open-minded about those sorts of things, but I… I can’t believe this happened now! During THIS!!”

“Elusive,” said Butterscotch as he tried to calm him down, “you’re not--”

“I mean, do I just have some affliction with falling for ponies I shouldn’t fall for?! Was I like this when I had feelings for Princess Bluebelle!? Or Trendy Hooves!? Rainbow is one of my best friends, I can’t just be placing him on the same pedestal as those two!”

“Elusive, you--”

“And of all the friends it had to have been, it just HAD to be Mister ‘No Homo’ Rainbow Blitz?! He won’t even share a drinking straw with any of us, and I had to fall in love with HIM?! What the buck am I thinking?!? I might as well try Prench-kissing a cactus!”

“Elusive!”

“Oh my gosh, what will this do to US?! What if this changes the Elements or something!? I mean, aren’t they bonded by our friendship? What if love affects it negatively?! What if this breaks my bond with Blitz?! Do they ALL cancel out because of that!?! Oh Sweet Solaris, I JUST DESTROYED THE ELEMENTS, DIDN’T I?!?”

SMACK!!!

Barb may have not been able to hear that slap Butterscotch delivered to his hysterical friend (or even see it too well through the clouded wall of Elusive’s magic), but the obvious motions she did see were more than enough to make her mouth gape open. Since nopony else were in the halls yet, the drake could only speak to herself while shaking her head with an angered look. “Oh… he better have not…”

Meanwhile inside the bubble, Butterscotch looked absolutely mortified with himself after doing something so unlike him. Granted, Elusive certainly needed something drastic to snap himself out of his rant (and it wasn’t like the pegasus had a glass of water to splash on his face or anything). Unfortunately, it didn’t feel worth it after seeing that pained and shocked reaction gawking back at him. Several seconds of deathly silence passed, with Butterscotch struggling to ponder whether to keep going assertively or to apologize profusely. Elusive was the one to finally break the silence while rubbing his right cheek.

“... OW!!!”

“I’m sorry!” blurted the yellow stallion with both hooves up in assurance, “I am SO sorry I did that! I really am!” Before he could apologize any further than needed, Butterscotched huffed and regrew his stern expression. “But you can NOT be acting like this! And you especially can’t be talking down about yourself or Blitz for how you feel! Rainbow is your friend, and you should be lucky you fell for someone as devoted and special as him!”

It took Elusive a moment to actually reply, still reeling over being smacked like the dame in some outdated black-and-white film. However, after actually processing what Butterscotch said, the unicorn clenched his eyes shut and winced in realization that his friend was right. He may have been undoubtedly unnerved by his emotions, but that was no excuse to be mad-mouthing himself or the stallion he cared so deeply about. After letting out a deep and calming exhale, Elusive finally reopened his eyes and nodded feebly up at the pegasus. “Y… You’re right, Butterscotch. I… I need to keep myself together, shouldn’t I?”

Butterscotch nodded softly while biting his lip, hopeful that Elusive wouldn’t chastise him for that slap. Fortunately, the unicorn kept his tongue in check as he took another breath and asked, “B-But… what am I supposed to do? I mean… I certainly can’t say anything, can I?”

Despite hating secrecy, especially among friends, the yellow stallion felt compelled to shake his head apprehensively to Elusive’s answer. “Well, maybe not right now…”

Before the unicorn could lower his head and sigh painfully, Butterscotch added while pointing at him, “But! I really don’t think you should be so hesitant about letting him know ever! I mean… he is single. And… it’s not like he hasn’t surprised us before.”

Elusive wanted to appreciate his friend’s optimism, but that answer made him openly scoff with a roll of his eyes. “Oh, come on!” he chided with a skeptical glare back at the pegasus. “You can’t seriously believe that he wouldn’t freak out if I were to tell him how I felt, do you?! It was hard enough just getting him to dance with me!”

“That may be so, but he did agree to it!”

“Only because he haaaa…” Elusive quickly paused his retort upon remembering the circumstances, and realizing how ugly things would go if he were to say anything more. Not wanting to break Blitz’s promise, the white stallion sighed and kept himself from mentioning Dusk’s involvement in their deal. “... Ummm… Let’s just say that… the reasons for him agreeing are strictly private. Like… Bubble Berry levels.”

“Ah.” Even though he was curious what his friend was going to say, Butterscotch knew enough about a Bubble Berry Promise to understand the ramifications of breaking it. Probation or not, Elusive would probably get in serious trouble with the pink stallion if he found out about a promise being broken. “Well… I’ll just assume he had a good reason.”

“He did,” assured Elusive with great insistence. “But… that doesn’t change the fact that I don’t think he’d take to something like… this…” The unicorn cringed after emphasizing that vague description without repeating the details. “... with any kind of positive reaction...”

As Elusive’s head hung low while sulking in thought, Butterscotch waited another moment before taking a breath to say, “Well… I’d like to stay optimistic on the matter. I mean… friends grow feelings all the time, don’t they? And…”

It was at that moment that the pegasus began to blush a little. He paused for a second before glancing away from Elusive with a more bashful expression. “And it’s not like… our Elements would become obsolete if two of the bearers got together...”

Not catching his friend’s feeble tone of voice, Elusive merely huffed as he looked back up at him. “Oh, really? And how would you know that?”

As soon as he asked that question, the unicorn’s brows raised as he saw how red Butterscotch’s face became. The yellow stallion bit his lips tightly as he kept his composure in check, and it took a long moment before he replied, “Be… Because if… if it did, then… th-then we would’ve known a while ago…”

Elusive’s muzzle gaped open in shock, not needing any clarification to realize what his friend was trying to confess. And judging by how heavy Butterscotch’s blush became, it seemed that he didn’t learn that from an outside perspective. “R… Really?! Y… You mean…”

Butterscotch closed his eyes with a shaky exhale and nodded hesitantly. “It’s… it’s not exactly love, but… yeah. I’ve done some things, and… it hasn’t affected our Elements yet…”

The unicorn gawked even more in astonishment, and he couldn’t resist asking in a stunned tone of voice, “Wait, who is it?!”

“I’m not telling you,” stated Butterscotch in a surprisingly firm tone the instant that question was asked. He immediately stared back at Elusive sternly and added, “All I’ll say is that we’re not coltfriends. We’re just…” His composure buckled a little as he blushed even deeper and glanced away from his friend with a meager shrug, “We’re kinda… friends with benefits…”

“... Huh…” Elusive had to blink a couple times, needing a moment to process that Butterscotch of all ponies (as well as an unnamed Element) indulged in something that casual. Even though he was rather impressed, as well as curious about who the mystery stallion may be, the unicorn decided to let any further prodding remain silent as he said, “Well… Okay then. I suppose that extinguishes my ‘Elements in danger’ worry quite nicely…”

That caused the two stallions to chuckle weakly within the sound bubble, happy that the awkwardness from earlier was fading rather quickly. After taking another breath, Butterscotch was the first to speak up as he said assuredly, “But, ummm… I really don’t think you should be so dismissive about Rainbow Blitz. I mean, I know he can be a bit headstrong about his masculinity, but… that doesn’t mean he would hate you if he knew you loved him.”

Elusive couldn’t help wincing uncomfortably when he heard how casually Butterscotch used the ‘L’ word out loud. Alas, he also took a calming breath as he realized his friend was probably right. Rainbow may have been the living definition of ‘Bro-Tier’ insecurity, but he also just performed one of the most sensual and beautiful contemporary performances the unicorn had ever seen. And after seeing how sensitive and loving that pony could really be, Elusive couldn’t deny how foolish it would be to let him slip away.

Of course, the fear of losing him from that kind of confession made the pony exhale with a soft groan and wince uncomfortably. “Urgh! I know you’re right, but… I really don’t want to get hurt.”

“I’m not saying to tell him during the competition, but…” Butterscotch was just as worried about the idea as Elusive, even if he was better at now showing his apprehensions. However, after learning from personal experience how important a simple confession could be, the pegasus exhaled in confirmation before saying, “Elusive… do you really think it won’t hurt if you never tell him?”

Of all the things Butterscotch could’ve said, Elusive knew that was the most damning of them all. Even if he hated to admit it, he knew that bottling up his emotions for too long would lead to nothing but self-loathing and regret in the long run. He may have not been willing to confess his feelings to Blitz until the competition ended, but he was willing to at least wait another couple weeks if it meant a less strenuous moment for the both of them. Besides, who knows? Maybe by the time the Canterlot finals were over, Blitz would grow close enough to reciprocate those feelings like in that dream in Las Pegasus…

As he grew a faint and dreamy smile across his muzzle, the unicorn closed his eyes and shook his head silently to his friend’s question. “N… No, Butterscotch. I… I don’t want to hold it in forever.”

The pegasus smiled lovingly and pulled him in for another deep hug. Outside of the bubble, Barb was still watching the two figures with a confused expression. She had absolutely no idea what the two were discussing for all that time, but she had a feeling it was much heavier than anything she’d be ready for. As soon as she saw the unicorn’s horn light back up to dispel the sound-bubble, the drake gasped and ran back into the bathroom so she wouldn’t be seen. Fortunately for her, neither of the stallions realized she was eavesdropping on them as they walked back to the Sky-Box together with nervous smiles.

“You… You won’t tell anypony, will you?” asked Elusive feebly, even though he highly doubted Butterscotch would ever tell a soul.

Without hesitation, the pegasus paused with a warm smile as he made the appropriate motions with his hoof and said, “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

---

During Elusive and Butterscotch’s private discussion, neither them nor Barb noticed Applejack coming out into the halls to find Rainbow Blitz. Even though he noticed the sound-bubble, he knew better than to intrude on somepony else’s business. So instead of trying to guess what was going on like the dragon was, the orange stallion made his way to the elevator in hopes of finding his friend. But as luck would have it, it was the exact same one that Rainbow was riding to meet up with the others.

As soon as the doors slid open, Rainbow jolted a little when he saw Applejack grin ear-to-ear at the sight of him. “Well, shoot!” exclaimed the orange stallion with an exceptionally pleased tone. “Ah was just gonna look for ya!”

Despite the surprise, Blitz quickly smiled back before AJ leaned in and hugged him tightly. “Congratulations, Blitz! That was dang-gone perfect!”

“Oh, come on,” said Rainbow in a dismissive tone while smiling and rolling his eyes. Even though he was happy to hear that kind of praise, he tried to redirect AJ’s attention after the two pulled away. “You know, Elusive was the one who did the choreography and stuff. You should be congratulating him.”

“Hey, don’cha sell yourself short,” said Applejack insistently while pointing to the pegasus’ chest. “He already told me you contributed just as much to that routine.”

Blitz sighed and looked away with a shake of his head, but it was clear he appreciated hearing that by the warm smirk on his muzzle. Nevertheless, it wasn’t long before he glanced back at AJ and asked, “So is he up here? I kinda needed to talk with him about tonight.”

“Actually,” noted the stallion as he motioned towards the hall while Blitz was still in the elevator, “Ah think he’s talkin’ with Scotch ‘bout somethin’ private. Maybe we should wait a bit.”

“Alright, that’s cool.” Rainbow shrugged with his answer, and looked around for a moment before he asked, “So… whad’ya wanna do? I think there’s still a few minutes before the intermission is done.”

“Hmmm…” AJ considered just leading him back to the Sky Box where the others were, but his own thoughts prompted him to make another suggestion. He glanced at his friend with an uneasy skew of his muzzle. “Well… ya mind if we talk a bit too? Like… we could ride the elevator a lil’ bit or somethin’.”

Rainbow’s positive demeanor diminished a bit as he sighed in response, already knowing what Applejack would want to talk about. But instead of saying no, the pegasus simply stepped to the side to let the farmer enter. “Alright, fine,” he said with an apprehensive tilt of his head.

“Thank ya,” replied AJ with a nod before quickly stepping inside. As soon as the elevator doors closed again, the the two stood in that steel box side-by-side, neither of them seemed to mind that the device itself wasn’t moving. Instead, the orange stallion breathed in hesitantly while looking back at the closed doors. After a moment, he finally breathed out and said sheepishly, “Listen, Ah… Ah heard that you, ummm… picked that song?”

Blitz closed his eyes and huffed before stating firmly, “Yeah, I did pick it. But I’d really not talk about that right now, okay? I know what you’re gonna try and say, but… I don’t think now is the right time.”

Applejack nodded and looked back at his friend with an understanding expression. “Alright, that’s fine. But just… just so ya know…”

Blitz’s muzzle wrinkled a little as he kept himself from finishing what he knew his friend was going to say. Even though he kept the skeletons in his closet unseen by the farmer for many reasons (the biggest being how his friend would judge him for how he acted), he also knew that AJ was just wanting to help. So instead of getting too aggravated, the pegasus let him say in a sincere tone of voice, “... If ya ever needed to talk. You know… about anything. You know Ah’ll listen, right? I mean… I know what that’s like…”

Despite knowing for a fact that AJ’s experience with trauma and loss was fairly different from his own, Rainbow still nodded silently in acceptance of his friend’s offer. “Yeah, I… I know, dude. And… thanks.”

“No prob.” Not wanting to be too emotional with his friend, especially when it was clear that Blitz looked a bit apprehensive as it was, Applejack only gave him a one-hoofed hug from the side to give emphasis to his genuine offer. Luckily, Rainbow didn’t seem to reject that gesture like expected. In fact, the pony breathed out shakily and returned the favor, resting his head against the farmer’s chest for a brief moment.

After the two pulled away, Applejack gave him a couple pats on the back before deciding to change the subject. “So, uhhh… what was it ya needed to ask Lucy about?”

“Oh, it’s nothing much,” said Rainbow in dismissal with a wave of his hoof. “I kinda ran into the Hoofingtons downstairs, and…” The pegasus slowly began to grow that same pleased smirk he had earlier on his way up the elevator. “Well… I’m pretty sure Julianne asked me out on a date~”

Applejack’s eyes widened in legit surprise as he gawked for a second. He then smiled wide and smacked his friend on the back. “No apple-buckin’ way! Seriously?! Julianne Hoofington asked ya out?”

“What, you think she wouldn’t?” asked Rainbow with a cocky-looking smirk back at him. “I mean, I am a Wonderbolt, after all. It’s not like I don’t usually fight off mares with a stick.”

Applejack openly scoffed while keeping a playful grin and rolling his eyes. “Oh yeah, sure. The last time Ah saw ya fightin’ off any ponies with a stick was when you thought you triggered the zombie apocalypse with that stupid cookie prank.”

“Oh shut up!” said Blitz as he gave AJ a light punch on the shoulder. He may have hated how far the entire town went to teach him a lesson about his pranks, but the stunt-pony was able to look past it with a smile now. Still, he couldn’t resist pointing out with a hoof pointed at his friend, “That joke could’ve ended way worse than it did, and you know it!”

“Why’d ya think I hid all the gardenin’ tools in my barn?” After taking a moment to shake his head and chuckle at how freaked-out the pegasus acted that night, AJ made sure to add with a sincere smile, “But, uhhh… Gettin’ back to topic, you’re really tellin’ me you’re gonna be datin’ Julianne? I mean, if you are, that’s awesome! I’m just a little surprised, that’s all.”

“Well…” Even though he wanted to keep gloating about his possible date with a top-class dancer and winery owner, the Wonderbolt knew he couldn’t omit any truths from his friend. Especially after having the farmer try and be real with him earlier. So while pausing briefly, Rainbow shrugged his shoulders a bit and added with a smirk, “Wellllll… she may have asked me and Lucy to come with her and Derek to a club. But come on! If you were there, you would’ve seen how much she wanted me! I mean, her tail was practically flagging up when we were flirting!”

AJ’s smile looked much more skeptical as he nodded with raised brows and narrowed eyes. “Uh-huh. Keep tellin’ yourself that, Big-Boy~”

“Shut up!” Blitz huffed and shook his head at Applejack’s obvious disbelief. He decided to lean in with an arrogant grin as he said gloatingly, “You’re just jealous because you haven’t gotten any action, Apple-Dick.”

That just made the farmer laugh and stare cockily at Blitz. He stood on his hind-legs and leaned his back against the elevator wall while peering back at his friend with boastful smirk. “Ah’ll have ya know that Ah do have available options, thank ya very much. Two of ‘em, in fact~”

“Pbbbt!” Rainbow scoffed before he said mockingly, “Your right and left hooves don’t count, dude.”

“Ah don’t care if ya don’t believe me,” replied AJ in a confident tone while giving a shit-eating grin. “Don’t change the fact that Ah get way more action than you, Fly Boy~”

“Oh, whatever!” Blitz wasn’t sure if his friend was bullshitting about his claims (although if he was, his lying abilities have greatly improved recently), but he felt a lot better about his own confidence as he hit the ‘Door Open’ button on the elevator. “You’ll see, dude! By the time the Canterlot Finals come around, I’ll be getting some dancer tail!”

“Wanna bet?~”

That made Rainbow turn right around before the doors could start opening. “Excuse me?”

“Yoy heard me, Mister ‘Mare-Slayer’ Blitz,” stated Applejack as his smirk grew more jaunty. As soon as the doors opened, the orange stallion dropped back down on his front hooves to follow Rainbow out of the elevator. “You’re actin’ so dang-gone confident about your skills, so how ‘bout you prove it? Ah’m willin ta bet fifty bits that you won’t get laid by the time the Canterlot Finals end.”

Blitz’s brows grew immensely, but so did his grin back at AJ. As the two left the elevator to head towards the Sky-Box, the Wonderbolt narrowed his eyes on his friend and retorted in a cocky voice, “Oh yeah? Well, when I do get some action by the finals, you owe me fifty bits, AND you have to tell me who you’re screwing!”

Despite how confident he felt about his bet, Applejack’s smile dropped rather quickly at that last detail. He didn’t want Blitz to think he was lying about his claim, but he really didn’t want to risk exposing his Friends with Benefits without consulting them first. Unfortunately, even though he was put on the spot, he couldn’t resist taking that bet on when he saw just how arrogant and punchable Rainbow’s smirk became. Plus, he was happy that Butterscotch and Elusive were no longer in the hallway while the two were alone in it.

“Nnnnnghhhh… Alright, FINE!” Without thinking too much about the ramifications, the stallion spat on his hoof while Blitz did the same with his own. “Deal!”

With that, the two stallions hoof-bumped in pact of their bet. After they pulled their spit-slathered hooves away from each other, Blitz wiped his hoof against his foreleg while grinning cheekily at his friend. “Ooooooh, you’re gonna regret making that bet~”

“Uh-huh.” Applejack wasn’t too happy about making that kind of bet, but he still jeered back at the pegasus with a smirk of his own, “Keep tellin’ yourself that, Blitzy~.”

---

After all of the faux-glass was cleaned from the stage, it wasn’t long before the competition was back on track for the Semi-Finals. Despite how lavish and roomy the Sky-Boxes were, Applejack decided to head back down to the main stadium to enjoy the rest of the show with his family, as well as Twinkle Toes’ parents. Meanwhile, Rainbow Blitz took full advantage of the amenities, as well as his fellow Wonderbolts’ congratulations, as he got rightfully plastered by the multiple shots given to him by his teammates and coach. Elusive wanted to chastise his partner for drinking so heavily again, but he figured he could let the stallion enjoy his moment for now. After all, Blitz seemed to be drinking out of happiness instead of masking his inner demons. Plus, given how red his own cheeks became from being in the same space as Rainbow, maybe a little inebriation would keep the stunt-pony from growing suspicious as to why.

So instead, the unicorn sat between Barb and Butterscotch in their luxurious seats while watching the remaining routines unfold on the dance-floor. Even though most of them got nines or eights, Elusive couldn’t deny how talented the dancers were becoming. With every near-flawless waltz or foxtrot that graced the stage and made the audience applaud in drones, the stallion became genuinely grateful that he and Blitz were able to secure their position in the finals. Of course, he could only imagine how nervous Apple Buck and his partner were becoming down in the stadium. Especially when the highest score to beat so far was an impressive twenty-seven.

Luckily, the yellow colt was much more well-composed than Twinkle Toes was while they waited backstage. The orange filly hadn’t even gotten out of her bench yet, but her legs were already trembling in immense worry. She tried to tell Apple Buck early on that it was just from practice (which he almost believed since they went over their routine a gajillion times). But as their spot came in closer, it wasn’t long before the colt stood before her with his hooves holding her shoulders. “Twinkle, come on,” he said in an almost pleading tone while trying to get her to look him in the eyes. “Please! You need to at least stand up or somethin’!”

She wanted to feel comforted by Buck, but Twinkle’s lips still trembled as she sat frozen in growing dread. Even the cheerful pop song playing out in the stadium wasn’t enough to quell her overwhelming anxieties. Although, given how that was supposed to be the last performance before their own, it was clear why the filly was growing so unnerved. She wanted to just close her eyes and try to breathe, but even the slightest blink made her think back to that embarrassing blunder back in Las Pegasus.

Buck wanted to shake her like crazy and snap her out of it, but he remembered what his Grampy warned him when it came being physical against a woman. So instead, the colt took a deep breath and closed his eyes, hoping to channel what he learned when he tried to get a yoga cutie mark. He might not be able to twist himself into a pretzel like that instructor lady, but he did manage to bring his heartbeat down enough to exhale less shakedly. Apple Buck then looked Twinkle sternly in the eyes and asked, “Twinkle, Ah need to ask you somethin’, okay?”

Even though her heart was pounding like a jackhammer, the filly nodded her head and looked up at him meekly. “O… Okay…”

“Good,” said the colt with a warmer smile growing across his muzzle. “Now, Ah don’t wanna freak ya out, but… Ah wanna ask you somethin’ hypothetical.”

Twinkle seemed a little worried, but still nodded again while listening patiently. Buck was a little unsure if he should go through with it, since it’d just remind her of what happened last week. However, given how determined she was to undo that mistake, and even had their jive routine set around it, the colt hoped it could get her out of this sudden bout of stagefright. So after a couple seconds of thought, he asked with an awkward tilt of his head. “Lemme just ask you this… What would be the best thing to happen to us when we do this performance?”

“Ummm…” Despite feeling like that idea was fairly far-fetched (especially after seeing so many stellar performances from backstage receive imperfect scores), Twinkle shrugged and answered honestly, “Well, I guess the best thing would be us getting tens like the Hoovingtons. Or Blitz and Elusive.”

“That’s right,” replied Buck with a nod and a smile. However, his muzzle skewed a little as he continued. “Now… what would be the worst thing to happen?”

That question caused the filly’s ears to drop almost instantly, and the color faded from her orange face as she looked down to the floor. “I… I’d fall down again. And… and we’d lose.”

Twinkle breathed out in a fretful shudder while her lips trembled away from Buck’s gaze. Bit before she could start tearing up, she heard him ask, “Well… you fell down last week, remember? And we still made it here.”

She knew what Buck was trying to do, and heard the same thing from both him and her Dads all week leading up to this. But at that moment, all of the worries that were building up inside of her. She was feeling just as nervous as she did before getting her cutie mark, and that worry felt to be boiling over when the song outside reached its end. But regardless of how she may have looked from Apple Buck’s perspective, the colt was determined as he continued in a kind tone. “Besides, even if you did fall, would that mean you’re a bad dancer all of a sudden?”

Twinkle Toes wanted to say yes instantly, but she bit her tongue to make her think it over. That nasty reminder of last week quickly popped up in her head, but so did the applause she and Buck received after their dance was complete. Her thoughts then went back to all the other times she and her partner performed on stage, all with resounding scores and praise from everyone. Before she could say anything else, her eyes peered down at her cutie mark, which she got from proving just how talented her skills really were.

“Well, I…” Twinkle had to close her eyes and sigh sharply as she shook her head, looking a little peeved Buck made that valid point. “No. I… I’ll still be seen as a good dancer.”

“That’s right. And would it make your Dads love ya any less?”

That was a pretty blunt question for him to ask, but it was also a fair one to justify his point. Again, Twinkle shook her head and answered, “No. Th… They’d still be proud of me.”

That was when Buck saw the small smile that came up across the filly’s face, which made him look rather pleased as well. But before he could seal the deal, his hooves rested atop hers to get her utmost focus. “Now lemme ask ya one more question, okay? Now... even if we did lose today, and we ended up goin’ home on that train empty-hoofed… Do ya think I’ll stop dancin’ with you?”

Her eyes widened quite a bit as she looked back up at her partner in stunned silence. Apple Buck may have not been a talent-laden dancer like she was, but his amber eyes showed nothing but the purest sincerity alongside his kind smile. Twinkle had to blink a couple times in realization, making sure that the Cutie Mark Cavalier was being serious. But as soon as she saw that he wasn’t fibbing, her smile trembled a bit as she took a moment to answer him. “You… you wouldn’t?”

“Of course not,” assured the colt as his hoof graced the side of her face. Neither of the two could even hear the announcer’s voice outside, or realize that the routine before theirs ended. But while the judges gave out their high scores, all that Twinkle focused on was Buck as he said truthfully, “Twinkle Toes, if ya think Ah’d just let all this be for nuthin,’ then you’re sillier than a cat jumpin’ in a lake! This… This has been the most fun Ah’ve had in a LONG time! And… And Ah can’t imagine a better friend to do this with than you.”

Twinkle’s eyes beaded a little, but it was clear it wasn’t from feeling upset or nervous anymore. Instead, her smile widened immensely before pulling Apple Buck in for a strong hug, feeling like an unexpected weight was pushed off of her shoulders. Was she still worried they would mess up again? Absolutely. However, as she realized how close of a friend she became with the colt who helped her get her cutie mark, she was able to see his point clear as day; even if they didn’t win, she’d still end up with a friend worth a million trophies.

“Apple Buck? Twinkle Toes?”

The two pulled away with strong crimson hues on their faces, realizing they may have hugged a little longer than expected. The crowds outside were still applauding the scores of the performance before theirs, but the stage-hoof was ready to lead them out to the stadium while holding a clipboard. “You guys are up! Come on…”

Twinkle Toes was still rightfully worried about how this performance would go. But with Buck already on his hooves and smiling back at her, the colt’s optimism was enough to make her nod and hold out her hoof. The CMC member took it without hesitation, and pulled her with relative ease before following the crew-pony in tandem.

---

“Aaaaaaaand for our FINAL performance of the night,” boomed the announcer through the speakers in the stadium. “We have our youngest competitors for the Semi-Finals, performing the Jive! Hailing all the way from Ponyville, here are Apple Buck, and his partner Twinkle Toes!”

As the two kids walked out side-by side onto the dance-floor, the applause was as rampant and energetic as ever. Although the two could definitely hear a few “Dawws” sprinkled all around, undoubtedly from ponies more focused on their appearance than potential talent. Of course, that seemed to ignite the fire in Twinkle even more with each step she took alongside her partner.

Out in the crowds, Applejack and the rest of the family were cheering wildly like hyenas the instant they saw Buck under the spotlight. Silver Bell and Scootaroll were doing the same while holding up their signs, which seemed to be noticed by their friend as he waved at them excitedly. Curtain Call and Press Bar looked just as antsy while seated beside the Apples, eager to see their little girl perform in a routine without the worry of a wardrobe malfunction.

As the two dancers got into their positions on the stage, it seemed that many eyes were peering curiously on the large covered object being floated out by magic to the center. Since it was covered in a thick tarp and spread wide-apart, there was no way of knowing what it was. Meanwhile up in the Sky Box, Bubble Berry bit his lip anxiously and squirmed in his seat. “Ooooohhhh…. I really hope I didn’t make it too thick,” he said out-loud to himself.

Apple Buck made one last glance back at Twinkle as they stood at opposite ends of the covered project. Since a large rope was tied to the top of the tarp and connected to the ceiling, it would only take one nod from the filly before it was raised to reveal their prop. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like she was nearly as frazzled as she was less than ten minutes ago. Especially when she looked back at her partner, and saw how comforting the colt's smile was while pointed at her.

After closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, the filly reopened them with a determined look on her face before nodding her head.

Just as the track began to play, a familiar drum beat echoed throughout the stadium which instantly made ponies think it was one of several possible songs. Meanwhile, the tarp was quickly pulled away to disappear from the spotlights, revealing what looked to be an oversized newspaper. The headline was clearly fake and shown on both sides of the prop, boasting a blown-up photograph of Apple Buck and Twinkle Toes in the middle of their fall in Las Pegasus. While Twinkle was shown tripping over her skirt, the headline above the picture read in bold letters: Disaster in Las Pegasus Dance-Off!

That prop caused quite a few brows to raise in surprise, including all the judges. However, right in the middle of the drum beat, Buck and Twinkle made sure that everyone got a good look before nodding to each other with confident smirks. As soon as the two grabbed hold of the sides of the newspaper, and pulled it hard enough to make the prop tear seamlessly down the middle, the audience cheered as their routine began:

The pop song may have been off the charts for a little while, but it was catchy enough to immediately make the crowd start clapping along with the beat. Fortunately, Buck and Twinkle’s synchronised steps moved just as well with the track as any of the hooves moving off the dance-floor. The two kids carried wide smiles on their faces as they faced each other and held hooves tightly, not even needing to look down at their legs to know that their timed kicks were being executed in perfect tandem with one another.

Twinkle Toes may have been a nervous wreck backstage, but none of her anxieties were able to seen as she danced with such a contagious-looking energy before the judges. It was like an aura of darkness was holding her back before, but was immediately extinguished the instant that spotlight shone down on her to reveal the fireball inside her soul. With each flawless kick and step she made against the hardwood surface, her smile grew stronger as she heard all the excited cheers from all around. She may have just been a filly, but the feeling of elation that flowed through her body made her think back to that fateful day Apple Buck first helped her out, and how wonderfully her flanks tingled to reveal her true destiny.

As for Apple Buck, his movements looked near-identical to Twinkle Toes’, which showcased just how much he improved as a dancer. Of course, despite all the months spent in training and practice, the colt knew that none of his precise kicks or spins would’ve came to be without that filly beside him. The longer he held onto her hooves throughout their dance, or around her waist as he spinned her around in tandem with their song, Buck’s heart pounded harder in realization of how amazing this all felt. Sure, it may have not been as gratifying as helping other ponies understand their cutie marks, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t cherish every second spent in that timeless moment with Twinkle Toes.

Much like the song that was playing, it was clear that any past mistakes were being ‘Shaken Off’ with each swift kick and choreographed movement the two made in pure synchronicity. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Buck and Twinkle’s jive was nothing short of a resurrection of the near miss the two experienced the previous week in Las Pegasus. The filly’s resounding sense of control, combined with her partner’s natural strength and fluidity beside her, made any resemblance to their previous blunder be seen as nothing more than an afterthought. Instead of any scuffed chins or bloody snouts, all that the couple showed of themselves on the dance-floor was pure, concentrated perfection.

Even when Buck held onto Twinkle’s front hooves, allowing her to lean forward on her hind-legs as her partner spun her mere inches from the ground, not a single motion looked to be forced or blundered beneath the stage lights. The two may have been the youngest competitors, but it was clear they were a force to be reckoned with. And unlike a couple other dancers, whose utmost focus showed in their routines with their stern expressions, Apple Buck and Twinkle Toes jived to their track with looks of pure, childlike fun on their faces. And by the time their dance ended with Buck giving his partner a flawless spin and dip, they weren’t the only ponies smiling wide in that stadium.

Like the grand climax in an action-packed film, the audience thundered wildly in applause as the two remained in position for a moment longer. As Buck looked down at the filly in his hooves, his blush deepend just as much as Twinkle’s was. Her lips bit together to try and conceal her smile, but it was still easy to see while being held by her partner so securely. Their families may have not been able to see sparks flying (expect perhaps Macarena and Toffee), but the dancers got back on their own hooves rather quickly the instant they felt the same kind of electricity between them.

“Let’s give it up for Apple Buck and Twinkle Toes!” shouted the announcer as he came back out to the stage, barely giving the crowd the time to slow down their applause before getting right back into it. Applejack’s whistles chirped out clear as day from the stands, which caused Buck to blush in slight embarrassment while looking away from his hooting family. Meanwhile, Twinkle gave a tearful smile and wave up to her Fathers, who both looked just as relieved and prideful as she did. Up in the Sky Box, everyone was joining in on the celebration as well. Elusive and Blitz cheered right up to the window while holding each other side-by-side, hopeful that their competitors’ scores would be high enough to join them in Canterlot.

While the judges looked over their score cards, Twinkle Toes instinctively grabbed Buck’s hoof tightly and bit her lips.

“Now, according to the scores from the rest of the competition,” said the announcer in a more serious tone, “they would need to get a score of at least twenty-eight to advance to the Canterlot finals. You understand?”

Apple Buck tried to look optimistic as he nodded, but he still gulped nervously. After the applause finally died down, the dancers held their breaths as they saw the first score card come up:

“NINE!” shouted the first judge, which caused an uproar of applause. Buck and Twinkle hugged each other giddily, hoping the other scores would be just as good.

“... NINE!” shouted the second, which elicited an even louder round of applause. Even though it left both of the kids smiling wide, they kept themselves from getting too excited just yet. Especially when they saw the blank expression the final judge had, which could’ve easily been hiding underneath another score of nine on the other side of his card.

However, after a long bout of silence, the anticipation reached its boiling point as the card was shown, and the judge’s smile finally appeared. “TEN!”

Twinkle Toes screamed in absolute elation, and the stadium roared in applause for the two dancers. Apple Buck cried out as he hugged his partner tightly, both of them looking absolutely relieved they made it. After all of the practice and anxiety that they had to endure, Buck and Twinkle couldn’t have been happier that they would be joining their friends in Canterlot. Of course, by the time their heads pulled away from each other’s shoulders, their blushes came back a little as they smiled gleefully at each other

After Buck and Twinkle’s families cheered wildly, they rushed their way through the stands to get to the victorious kids. But before any of them could get to the front rows, Twinkle’s face grew tremendously deeper while looking her partner in the eyes. Without even thinking, her smile was accompanied by her eyes closing as she quickly bent in, and laid her lips on top of Apple Buck’s snout for a quick kiss.

Curtain Call and Press Bar stopped dead in their tracks, gawking at their daughter with their eyes almost as wide as Buck’s were. While the sounds of several “Woooos” echoed throughout the applause, Buck’s face became as red as his older sister’s coat. Just as Twinkle pulled away and froze in shock, instantly realizing what she did in the heat of the moment, her partner fell over and dropped like a sack of potatoes on the dance-floor.

That caused a huge uproar of laughter throughout the stadium, as well as a few gasps while Twinkle tried to check on the colt. Meanwhile, Grampy Smith cackled with a shit-eating grin while shuffling past Twinkle’s frozen Dads. “Welp,” he said cheekily, “Ah guess all that practicin’ paid off in more ways than one! Heh heh heh...”

Author's Note:

I'm pretty sure that people familiar with my works will understand the Butterscotch and Applejack subplots. But in case not, I just wanted to point out that this story is connected with a Mature-rated oneshot set in the same R63 Universe: A Zebra's Persuasion.

Comments

[CrackedInkWell]

Tick-tock-tick-tock...

[Vectored Thrust]

Yes! Another update to this fantastic story, and I squeed at Applebuck getting a kiss from Twinkle Toes, that really was sweet.

Can't wait to see the next chapter and eventually seeing Blitz and Elusive locking lips as well