A shadow in the light

Shadow had emptied his saddlebags prior to leaving to allow room for his shopping spree that would soon fill his kitchen storage. The daggers and books were placed in his cupboard drawers and his other equipment lay where one would usually find them; toothbrush next to sink and his cape hanging in his cupboard. Only leaving with enough bits in a bag to ensure he would be able to buy what he needed, he left the house not bothering to lock up as yesterday had proven that to be useless.

After Luna's speech having reinforced Shadow's confidence he headed straight into the market district where he had previously found the overly comfortable Applejack, along with her apple stand as well as other stands all smiling and tempting their customers to indulge in what they offered, or in few cases, pouted as yet another pony passed by too presently preoccupied for the daily paper. Shadow didn't really know what he intended to buy, but while his cottage was located closer the the outskirts of town it gave him time to wonder what was suitable for him.

In the mess hall in the Canterlot castle, the food was often prepared for him allowing his choice to be taken and consumed without a thought of how it was prepared. Oats, toast vegetables and fruit was all Shadow knew within his diet. A healthy and strict regime followed him throughout his later life due to his job as well as not ever being offered such pleasantries as cho-co-late and eye's-cream.

Wonder as he did, until he had seen what was for sale Shadow was unsure of what his new diet would consist of and even if he did know what he wanted it wasn't going to help, as he discovered walking through a side street into the market place. At least he thought it was the market place for the entire area was deserted of any stalls or shops. The busy  shopkeepers had got up and left for no apparent reason leaving the wide dirt road open with a very confused Stallion standing in the middle of it.

'Where is everypony? Aren't there meant to be shops everywhere?' As relieved as he may have been for not having to converse with more towns folk, he was also extremely hungry for not eating yesterday and would have given up his saddlebag for a meal. Shadow wondered the nearby streets, checking and double checking to make sure he was in the right area. All the dirt roads looked the same so the only way one could tell where they were would be to memorize the streets through a map or by using landmarks. Shadow was using the townhall as his land mark and seemed to be in the correct area.

He stood ridged in the middle of the street wondering what he should do before a voice behind him broke his train of thought.

"Excuse meh laddy, but are you lost?" A rough mares voice questioned him from behind.

Shadow stiffened his body at the surprised voice, a little frightened of a conversation he slowly but surely turned to face his fear which happened to look like an old mare with a white mane and green coat. He looked at her straight into her eyes, there was something different about them from the other eyes he'd seen so far. They all had the same judgmental eyes, looking down upon him from their high perches. It had hurt him to no end, but, this mare was different. She looked at him not with hate or disapproving eyes, but with impartiality and equality.

Not wanting to drag out an awkward scene shadow quickly got to the point.

"I'm not lost ma'am but I was hoping to buy some supplies but all the stalls are missing, do you know why?" Shadow blurted out yet followed up with an awkward smile, for no apparent reason, hoping that it looked genuinely friendly.

"Don't cha know almost everyone takes the day off on'a Sunday? Ya really should keep yer wits about ya," She said in a loud voice which caused Shadow to recoil slightly onto his hind legs.

"Oh, thank you ma'am, but do you know where I could grab a bite since all the stalls are gone?" Shadow gave an almost pleading look hoping she would know this town better than he did.

"Of course there is!" She began abruptly. "If ya really want something that'll kick yer gizzard then Sugar cube corner is always a doozy of a winner. It's just down the street if ya wanted to know,"

"Thank you very much ma'am," Shadow replied slightly confuse at her use of words before heading down the road towards this 'Sugar cube corner.'

******************************

It hadn't taken Shadow long to find this Sugared corner. With a two story house seemingly having partially been made from chocolate and other colourful treats such as cream and candles on top, it was an understatement to say that it stood out from the crowed. Being covered in pink, purple and brown sugary delights the only practically built component were the yellow walls aligned with woodwork.

Shadow entranced through the bright pink front door to be met with an overwhelming sudden wave of voices, each trying to gain a decibel over the other. The intoxicating smell of sugar in the air almost caused him to gag at the unfamiliar smell and almost turn around right then and there. At every table was a group of friends trying to hold a conversation without losing their voice.  There was only one big room that contained twelve tables, six on the left and six to the right, each orgnanized neatly close to the walls. The walls were aligned with shelves displaying dozens upon dozens of cupcakes, muffins, cookies, lollies, party bags, chewy treats, doughnuts, candy bars as well as every type of sweet bread you can think of. As the outside of the building had been, the walls were banana yellow with brown floor and woodwork visible, leaving everything else possible to paint, the colour pink. Tables, doors and windows were all visibly pink.

Opening the door to such a large crowd left Shadow paralyzed in the doorway for a second. Only being driven by his hunger alone he stumbled his way to the front counter pushing through every desire to run away from the large crowed to be met with mare. She had a bright blue coat and a pink multi-coloured tail and mane that stuck upwards resembling one of the cakes on display.

"Hello dear, what can I get for you?" She asked.

Shadow had no idea how to respond, it should have been quite straight forward but he hadn't the need of purchasing food in Canterlot for quite some time now and the skill had been lost in the dark corners of his mind. He decided to try and play it as safe as possible letting her do most of the talking while he attempted to formulate how shopping worked.

"What would you recommend ma'am?"

She returned with a small smile. "Just call me Mrs Cake deary, you're not from around here are you?"

Shadow was taken back at the blunt comment. "How did you know? Is it that obvious?"

"Everypony in town has come here at least once before, after some time you get to know each and every one of them. This place is quite famous for winning multiple national dessert competitions," She stated proudly pointing to the wall behind her which was infested with awards stating their winning dish and shop name.

"Err, that's amazing ma'am really, but I am kinda new to the whole dessert thing. I don't know if I've ever had a sweet dish before, so if you could just recommend......."

Mrs Cakes pupils shrunk at his latest statement. She gasped as if in horror, taking in oxygen before reassuring her ears of what they had heard.

"NEVER HAD DESSERT BEFORE?!" She yelled inducing the entire shop to fall silent and turn their heads towards the two at the counter. "Oh, don't worry, it's nothing," She announced to the customers causing them to shrug and go back to conversing about their day.

Shadow on the other hand had had crouched to the ground holding both his hooves over his head in absolute fear. He didn't understand the situation nor ponies very well making him seem almost to have a case of 'Asperger syndrome'. He didn't care too much about what people thought of him, he didn't even care if they shouted at him, but the loud noise and her suddenly quick movements activated a reflex he had taught himself since young. His past had never left him in peace.

"Are you okay deary?" A voice asked sincerely from above. Shadow stood shakily, and gave a weak smile to the concerned pony.

"Y-yes, that was just a-a bit sudden that's all," He lied. "Now what can you recommend for me?"

"Oh, well we have...."

*****************************

Shadow left the shop with his snout smelling the dirt. The scene had reached the voices of the surrounding customers, his sensitive hearing able to collect each state of how strange and different Shadow looked and acted from everypony else. He had glanced around during his exit and saw that same look, everypony had it, the look that had tortured him for most of his lonely life.

But Shadow was stronger than to let some petty remarks get the better of him, shaking the feeling off and reminiscing of Luna's profound pride in him, he continued on thinking the best option was to fill his stomach with confidence and head home to train.

Opening the box he had received from Mrs Cake he looked inside to take a whiff of the static sugary filled air. It tickled his nostrils as if energy itself was slipping through his skin. A shiver slid it's way down his spine tingling his sides causing him to shiver in the warm sunlight, the new sensation rippling through his body time and time again.

He walked over to a bench that sat parallel to a wall and was surrounded to either side by a small flower garden also filled with other shrubs and weeds.

Setting the box down next to him, Shadow judged each item in the box, he had bought one of every type of sweet that would fit. All together he had six different items each to treat his taste buds with. A ginger bread pony, blue berry muffin, swirly rainbow lolly pop, strawberry tart, slice of chocolate mud cake and some gummy worms each sat neatly organized in the box. After some maternal debating Shadow decided his first taste would be of some chocolate since it seemed it was the most common delight everypony had tasted before.

Lifting the slice of cake to his mouth using both his hooves, Shadow took a quick sniff making sure the brown mud was actually edible before touching the end of his tongue to the cake and retracting it into his mouth to receive the sugary goodness that followed. His tongue swirled in his mouth in an endeavor not to lose any smudge of the ecstatic aroma. Before he knew it the overwhelming sensation had forced itself upon him causing every muscle in him body to twitch in the energy. No sooner had he swallowed the cocoa diluted saliva had he stuffed the rest of his dessert into his mouth, well most of it anyway. He had taken a significant amount into his mouth at once almost refusing to chew prior to swallowing to allow his tongue to roam free over his lips and hooves collecting every bit of the brown substance possible in a frenzy.

Shadow's already dark face was now covered in another dark sweet smelling goodness as he sat back on the bench allowing him a moments reprieve from his crazy fury. Closing his eyes and letting his head bend backwards towards the sky, Shadow calmed his senses. He was still able to smell the cho-co-late on his breath. He shivered at the energy the cake was giving off and he could feel his magic accelerate through him trying to break all stillness from within. It took some concentration for him to hold back the flood gates but he knew his magic was relatively stable. Twitching from both the mad outburst and in shame of his behavior he tried to ignore the few surrounding ponies passing by, not wanting to be involved with a strangers problems.

Without opening his eyes Shadow reached for the next dessert awaiting him to devour it, but the moment never came. Reaching to his right he felt around for the box and when he did so he began to feel within it, touching every cardboard surface there was with no success of finding his tasty treats. With confusion interrupting his epileptic sugar overload, he quickly opens his eyes to investigate where his treats had gone only to be met with a pink face an inch away from his own.

Now to say that this surprised Shadow would be an understatement, as would saying that he was completely terrified, stunned and taken off his guard.

The pink blur joyfully began. "HEY THERE! THOSE CAKES WER......"

"AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH" Was the reply she received from the Shadow before he leaped forward running full sprint across town in horror.

"I just wanted to tell him that those cakes were sooooooo yum!" She exclaimed, bouncing her way in the direction he had disappeared off in.

Shadow on the other hand had run at top speed all the way near the other side of town where more houses could be seen. He didn't really know where he was but he knew anywhere would be better than near that pink thing. Slowing down for a moment he stopped in an alley and hid behind some bins. It wasn't the greatest place to stop nor the best smelling, but it would do.

In an attempt to collect himself he sat down and took long deep breaths to calm his nerves and stop his legs from shaking. He wasn't out of breath he was too fit for that, the sudden appearance of the 'in your face' pony had startled him. How she had snuck up to him and even placed her face in his personal space was concerning. Was he losing his skills? Or was she more skilled than she appeared to be?

Tens of thoughts drifted their way through Shadow's head each being rejected as a possibility due to his lack of information.

All of a sudden a rattling noise interrupted his thoughts. He looked to his right to see a bin shiver slightly, then wobble, with each passing second the sound became louder and more ferocious. The silver lid jumping every now and again as if it was being held ajar. Something was trying to get out, that, Shadow was sure of. What it was he didn't know, a drunk pony, changeling, or perhaps somepony had found out his relation to the princesses and had come to take his life for whatever reason. Under the sudden pressure he wasn't able to use a clear head to decipher his own thoughts.

He readied multiple spells a the tip of his horn ready for any situation. Usually his daggers would prove sufficient since his dark magic was unstable most of the time, however they rested in a drawer in his cottage. He ignored the fact that he was unarmed, even if he wasn't strong he could survive at hoof to hoof combat if the need arose.

All at once the lid to the bin came flying off as a figure left the disposal box to reveal; a black coat, white fangs, pointed hears and glowing eyes all moving with force towards Shadow.

"AARRRGGHH" was all he could muster as the little black feline hopped from his head to the ground scattering away leaving Shadow in the dust.

He stood on the spot paralyzed amazed at his own reluctance to cast a spell. He could have ended the pet right then and there. 'This town is really getting to me, I need to relax before I do something I'll regret,' He thought. 'What am I doing here anyway?' He turned to leave the dark musty alley. 'I just need a good book and I'll be ju....'

He never got to finish his train of thought as another bin behind him flew open with no hesitation or warning to unleash the pink pony catastrophe. "THERE YOU ARE!" Was once again the only line she was able to get in before disaster struck.

Shadow turned his head in shock unleashing his built up and readied spell irrationally. The dark aura around his horn lead another pitch black ray towards the cotton candy at an incredible speed denying either one to react to the situation.

The last thing Shadow saw of the pink loud mouth was a great big smile and eyes looking directly at him before the darkness around her accumulated at her legs to form a sort of black and purple portal. The shadow's darkness almost instantly ran up her legs to the tip of her hair before the now black figure dissipated into smoke, leaving Shadow staring at the wall of the house behind her previous location.

Shadow either didn't realize or couldn't comprehend what he had done until a voice from above caught his attention.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST DO?!" A mares voice screamed at him. He looked up to see Rainbow, hovering overhead above the houses, seemingly to have seen the previous events. Her face was a mixture of surprise and disgust.

"N-NO, WIAT, I-I CAN EXPLAIN!" Shadow pleaded that she would stay to listen to his side of the story. He hadn't meant to do what he did, he wouldn't have done it if she hadn't kept popping up everywhere shouting every word in his ear. His pleading words were regrettably ignored by the cyan Pegasus.

"Like hell you can!" Was her response before extending her wings at full stretch, blocking much of the little light entering the alley before contracting every muscle in them to shoot off like a cannon ball riding the air toward another part of town.

"Shit," Where ever she was headed, Shadow knew he was in dire trouble and needed to sort it out as quickly as possible. Where he had sent the unpleasant pink pony he knew it wasn't the greatest place on or even off the earth and time was of the essence for the both of them.

It had only been two days and he had already messed so many things up: Finding his cottage, first contact with townsfolk, disappointing Luna, unable to buy food for the week and now this, sending an innocent to who knows where, for how ever long, and all the town is probably going to try and kill him. What a way to start an adventure.