Between Shadows and Rainbows

Chapters

Chapter 1: Four Years Ago
Chapter 2: Start of a New Beginning
Chapter 3: Friend?
Chapter 4: Dearly Beloved

Chapter 1: Four Years Ago

It was a beautiful starry night. Not a cloud in the sky to obscure the arrangement of stars that Luna masterfully crafted. Sadly, not something I can take in and enjoy. Not right now. I flapped my wings hard, panting and gasping for air between my sobs, not looking back to what I decided to leave behind. I had no idea where I was going, but I knew it would be better than…back there. My tears blurred my vision, but I think I could see…lights in the distance? A town, most likely. My wings were tiring out so I guess I can take a look. It’s getting late, and I need to find someplace to stay, at least for the night. Maybe I can move to this town here…Ponyville, was it? I think that’s the one I’m going to if I was heading in this direction. Anywhere would be good, actually. I just need a place to call home again. Someplace where I can find happiness again. No…perhaps happiness is too much to ask for. Peace…yes, peace will do.

Suddenly a dark, dank, wispy cloud came up in front of me, as if it moved on its own. I crashed into it, immediately dispelling it. I coughed and coughed. Just what in Tartarus was that? I looked behind me and saw nothing anymore. Must've been a stray cloud of some sort. Really strange...but I have no time to think about it right now. I landed near the outskirts of this town, finally giving my sore wings a well-deserved rest. First thing I see is what appears to a relatively large farm. Nice plot of land, littered with trees, crops, and produce. Most of the trees are apple trees, to be precise. I wonder…is this where they make that delectable nectar that is apple cider? Most certainly could be. As I walked pass the orchard, the most notable thing I can see a large, red barn. That must be where they keep their stock. Trotting along, I spot a slightly smaller orange house, guessing that would be the place of residence. Lights are out, though. Not surprising, given the time. Moving along…

I walk down the path that seems to be paved by various ponies and carts in front of this large complex. Must be because it’s a common business place. Farther down the road, my suspicions are cleared. I spot a sign on top of the entranceway. No mistake about it: that’s Sweet Apple Acre’s brand. No wonder the road here is well-worn. I didn’t think it would be located near Ponyville though. Ponyville is still very much a town, not a city like Manehattan. With such a prominent business company like Sweet Apple Acres, one would think the amount of money it receives would bring lots of development for the town. I have to wonder about this quaint little town…then I shake my head. There’s already too much on my mind. I shiver at the thought of revisiting my memories. I can’t complain, and it shall eventually reveal itself why. I turn to head into Ponyville.

Being a town, there’s not much lighting the streets. Not a worry, as Luna’s moon provides just as much light as one would need. I scour around, trying to find some kind of inn or hotel. Before long, something caught my eye. It wasn’t an inn but a house, up for lease. It was a cozy-looking home. I can even spot a small balcony on the side, a welcomed surprise for those like myself who can fly. Not many homes on the ground are built with wings in mind. I look at the price. Shame…I don’t have that kind of-

As I rustled my wings, I felt it. A bag of bits. I almost forgot I had it. It was for…I felt anguish and anger boil from my stomach and filling my throat. I try to take a deep breath, trying not to sob. Water under the bridge, right? Still, it left me with a good amount of bits to use. It just wasn’t only for me…I stomp my right forehoof to try dispelling the sadness, the sound echoing softly in the night. I worked for this. It doesn’t matter if I was going to share it with somepony or not, it’s my bits and mine to use however I wish. I shall keep this place in mind. I look at the details to set up a leasing plan. Have to contact the mayor of this place, huh? A bit unconventional but this is a relatively small town after all.

I turn to my right, spotting something surprising. A tree. Not just any tree. A GIANT tree. And it has windows. And a door. How strange. I see a sign. Golden Oak Library. I chuckle to myself as I recall the legendary “Tree of Knowing” from old folklore. Such a fitting nickname for such a place. Oddly enough, I see the lights are on but only in the upper level. Must double as a home for the residential librarian perhaps. Smiling, I turn once again to roam the streets.

I see a crossroad of sorts. In the middle, there’s a large impressive building. If I had to take a guess, that would be town hall and the subsequent area the town square. No doubt where I would probably find the mayor of this place. That’s nice to know. As I walk over a small bridge, I spot an even more impressive building. Not so much in size as it is…showy. I try to ignore it and find an inn but it keeps pulling my face towards it. I sigh and let my curiosity take over. I walk over to it and look at the sign on top of its door. It’s Carousel Boutique’s mark. This is very odd indeed. Yet another big business makes its home in the quaint little town of Ponyville. Carousel Boutique stands out more than other clothing departments because of its variety and accessibility. The amount of common ponies that wear this place’s clothes is just as big as the amount of Canterlot royals that do. This seems more of a manufacturing building than it is a store, though I can see there are displays on the windows with price tags. Perhaps one can order custom-made outfits here, no doubt for a price, but many would agree to it if it’s Carousel Boutique quality. With my curiosity sated, I walk back on the bridge, for I have reach the end of town before it heads off to someplace else. I don’t quite have the energy or drive to make another trip like I just did before.

I head into town square again and take a different bridge. Nothing really noteworthy on this path. Nothing except the building that looks like it’s made out of food. Wait, what? I quickly spin my head to face what I thought I saw and sure enough, the building is there. I trot a little closer. It’s certainly vibrant. It looks like it’s made out of sweet things like cookies and cupcakes. I suppose that that is its theme, which would mean it’s a restaurant of some kind or perhaps a bakery. A confectionery shop? Interesting and convenient. I always had a bit of a sweet tooth. I looked around it a bit more and found the tell-tale sign. Not really a well-known brand this time around. Perhaps something a bit more local. Sugarcube Corner…definitely not a misnomer. I might decide to come here for breakfast or a snack to see if they have my favorites. Still, not quite what I’m looking for right now. I sigh to myself and continue my search.

This is getting a little ridiculous. As much as I said this town was small, I’m having trouble finding someplace to stay. One might even say a bit lost. I don’t really feel like flying unless I have to. As I was grumbling to myself, I barely noticed that I yet again reached the outskirts of town. Ugh, this is getting a little frustrating to say the least. As I was about to retreat my steps, the house here looked quite different. It was solitary, quaint, maybe a little lonely, and so far away from town even for the outskirts. Lush vegetation grew everywhere, but not because it was unkempt. There was a kind of…natural beauty to it all. All the more striking that, as I looked it over, a dark looming forest was nearby. It was like…next to a completely different world. The Everfree Forest…it’s kind of scary how close this town is to it. I almost forgot this place existed. Maybe Ponyville being just a town isn’t as strange as it seems. Why even start a town here, however? So close to danger, on the brink of it even. Not to mention the pony who lives here. This pony must be exceptionally brave, knowing how close danger can be. As I began to nod off, I realize that standing here isn’t going to be helping me much. I turn back to where I came.

Does this town not have many visitors that they don’t even have a hotel of some kind? I might have to sleep on a bench or something. I guess that what awaits those who don’t plan ahead. Still, how could I have expected this? I had everything I wanted ready and prepared…I had happiness within reach, only for it to be simply like air, transparent and unobtainable. Was that all it was, smoke and mirrors? No, implausible. It was genuine; we both put our hearts on the line. Yet I was the one suffering the most…my heart aches. I turn to look at my flank and scoff. Imagine that: a pony with a heart-shaped Cutie Mark cannot find true love. The irony isn’t lost to me. It’s so easy to help other with their relationships. So many of my friends came to me for relationship advice, even though I never had a lover before. Well, “before then” is what I meant. It’s so easy to understand the hearts of other ponies yet I can’t use that knowledge to help myself somehow. I should be happy being able to make others happy, but I yearn for the same kind of happiness that they have. And I had it! Finally, I get to experience what I helped others achieved. Only to lose it. It wasn’t just any kind of loss. Not only was it my first love, but I had a deep connection with this pony. We both felt it. Like it was meant to be and last forever. What changed? I know it wasn’t completely my fault but I can’t help but blame myself. If only I did things differently…

I look up and I scrunched my face. Speak of the devil, a cloud-house. The memories kept trying to force themselves in my mind. It just won’t stop. Why did it have to be a cloud-house here? It reminds me too much of home. No…it is not my home anymore. It can’t ever be my home again. The one place that holds the source of my sorrows will never be my home. I feel the depression well up inside me. Am I so weak that I can’t even look a house that looks so much like Cloudsdale without crying? My ears and wings droop. What did I honestly expect to achieve coming here? Run away from my problems and never see them again? I can try but the problems will always be there, waiting. No...the problem is within me. It will always be until I learn to confront and overcome it. But wounds take time to heal. Time and care. And rest. I yawned. I’m not going to be able to fix this overnight, but I can at least spend some of that “overnight” resting.

With drowsiness clouding my judgment, I spent the last of my energy flying up to the base of the cloud-house. I tear off a piece just big enough for myself to sleep on, making sure it’s not one of the more important pieces for the foundation. I made it more comfortable for myself and laid it down in the sky, near the cloud-house. I’m not such a coward to take the cloud and sleep farther away. I’m not really hurting anyone and I just really need a place to sleep. If I woke up before whoever lived here, I would put it back where I took it from. If not…well, I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. I yawned once more and let sleep overcome me.

Author's Note

Not really expecting this to go well. It's just a big passion project for me and something I need to get out of my mind and depression. You have no idea how nervous I am about all this. Mostly because I have no idea what all these darn buttons do.

Chapter 2: Start of a New Beginning

“Wake up.”

Ugh, who is that? Can’t they see how tired I am?

“Hey, bozo.”

I scrunched my eyes tighter, thinking it would block out whoever’s voice that is.

“YO!”

My eyes shot open at the exclamation. All there is in my vision is a pair of rose-tinted irises.

“Whoa…anyways, that’s my-”

“WAH!”

I teetered back, kicking the cloud I was on towards the random pegasus.

“Oof!”

I fell backwards, then quickly righting myself up like a cat and spreading my wings to fly off.

“Hey, come back here, you!”

Ah jeez, why did I have to do that? What am I going to do? What am I going to do? I’m such a bucking idiot. I just wanted-

“Where do you think you’re going, punk?”

Suddenly, the pegasus was right in front of me. So fast…how was she so fast? I backpedaled and tried flying the opposite way. I didn’t get far.

“Hey, I asked you a question!”

I felt my tail being pulled as I tried to escape. As I was yanked back, I flailed my limbs but it was no use.

“You have some nerve, tearing off a piece of my cloud, kicking it to my face, and running away like that. No way I’m letting that slide,” I heard her say through clenched teeth, which was holding on to my tail.

Oh Celestia, she’s going to beat to a pulp, isn’t she? I didn’t want to make her any madder if I tried kicking her to fly away. Besides, she already demonstrated how fast she was. Still, I didn’t know what else to do except keep trying to get far away from her as possible.

“Just…calm down! When I said that, I only meant I wanted some answers,” she said, her mouth still keeping me in place.

Eventually, I was tiring myself out quickly and slowed down my spastic movements. I panted and just flapped my wings to keep myself afloat. I felt her loosen her hold on my tail.

“Don’t you try running away now.”

I sighed. “I know…”

“I mean it-huh? Oh ok, good.” She looked a little taken back by my fast compliance.

Now that I wasn’t fearing my life (for now), I gave her a quick glance over. Aside from those startling magenta eyes, she had a light blue coat and a mane with many highlights, like a rainbow. It was predominantly red, orange, and yellow in the front and top of her head, shifting to green, dark blue, and purple as it traveled down her neck. Her tail consisted of all six of her colors. She was strangely familiar.

Her face was in a frown, staring at me with a single eyebrow raised curiously and forelegs crossed in front of her chest. She started to descend slowly, prompting me to follow suit. She must have noticed my fatigue, which I’m grateful for. Must have not slept much. I looked up to the sky. It was a very bright and clear blue. It wasn’t that early but definitely still morning. As we landed on the ground, she spoke up.

“You’re quite something, alright.”

I glanced over to her, giving her a confused look.

“You were literally spitting distance from my cloud-house.”

“Oh, that,” I said. “Yeah, I wasn’t looking to steal it or anything. I just wanted a place to sleep for the night. I was going to put it back once I woke up.”

“What, you couldn’t find a hotel or a place to crash?” she questioned.

“No, not really. It was sudden and really REALLY late,” I answered back. “And I was incredibly tired.” As if to emphasize my point, I yawned.

“You’re not from around here, are you?”

“Are you a psychic now?”

She gave me a not-so-amused expression. “Don’t you try to get all snippy with me, bucko.”

“Sorry. Didn’t really had enough sleep.” I said that a bit too quickly but it seems like she bought it.

“Apparently, seeing as you used a bit of my cloud.”

Now I gave her a not-so-amused look. “Look, I don’t want any problems. I’ll patch it up right now if you want. It’ll be like I wasn’t there. I was just a little desperate.”

“Understandable. Still not cool.”

“I know, I know, I done goofed.” I rubbed my eyes and sighed. I stretched my wings. “So how about I go do that patching job and I’ll be out of your mane.”

“Hey, not so fast. We landed for a reason. You weren’t looking so hot before. There’s no way you could tire out that quickly if you were fine.”

So she did notice. “Yeah…” I looked at my wings before folding them. “Still a little sore from last night’s flight.”

“Which brings me back to my earlier question: you’re not from around here.”

“That wasn’t a question.”

She face-hoofed. “You know what I mean. You’re not a local, since I don’t recognize you. Which means you came from somewhere else. So where?”

“Cloudsdale.”

“Cloudsdale?”

“Did I stutter? Yes…” I shivered. “That place…”

She gave a weird look, but decided not to pursue it. “Wait…you came straight from there to here?”

I nodded.

“Wow…that’s not exactly a short trip. Nothing I myself can’t handle though.”

Dear Celestia, she’s a braggart. “Tell me about it. But it was something that I needed to do.”

“What’s so urgent that you needed to come to Ponyville?”

“It wasn’t so much that I needed to come here as it was that I needed to get away.”

“What?”

I sighed again, looking towards to ground. “I really don’t want to talk about it.”

“Are you some kind of rogue or spy?”

I looked up at her, bemused. “Umm…no?”

She leaned in uncomfortably close, studying me. I leaned my head back as much as I can without taking a step.

Apparently satisfied, she took a step back and my neck returned to its normal posture. So much for “personal space.”

“So what’s your plan for today?” she asked.

“Uh, I was actually thinking about seeing the mayor to ask for the leasing plan of a house I saw last night.”

“Oh, so you’re moving here?”

“I guess so. It’s not like I can go back.”

She opened her mouth as if to question me, but then closed it. She seems quick to catch onto tact. “That’s cool, I suppose. Hey, how about I show you around town?”

“You don’t really need to. I know my way around a bit due to last night’s stroll.”

“Oh no, you’re not getting off that easy. You still need to do my cloud-house. Besides, you need a good recommendation spot for a pick-me-up. C’mon.” She then zoomed ahead of me towards Ponyville.

I shook my head, smiling a bit. She’s certainly a character. I trotted after her, only for her to zoom back.

“Oh yeah, I forgot. Name’s Rainbow Dash. You can call me Kickass McAwesometown.”

I roll my eyes and keep walking. “I’m Shadow Heart. Just call me Heart.”

“Pssh, nah. ‘Shadow’ sounds loads cooler.”

I blinked. “Suit yourself.”

Yup, definitely an interesting character. Not many really called me by first name, much less willingly. I prefer using my least “intimidating” part of my name, due to my appearance.

We kept going towards Ponyville, with Rainbow Dash flying a bit ahead of me on her back.

What a showoff.

Author's Note

This story is going to kill my nerves. Yes, that is a reference to Bucking Nonsense's story. No, that's all it is: a reference. Nothing more. Are these chapters too short? They feel long to me when I write them...yet also short when I read it. The word count isn't helping.

Chapter 3: Friend?

Things were getting a lot busier compared to last night. Ponies everywhere are bustling about, getting to where they needed to go. Rainbow decided to stop flying and walk alongside me.

“We should probably hit the place I’m suggesting before you do your business,” Rainbow inquired. “You look like you’re going to topple over any second now.”

“I’ll be fine…” At that moment, my stomach made a somewhat quiet growl in disagreement. “But I guess it couldn’t hurt.” Rainbow sniggered. “What is this place you keep mentioning anyways?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” she said simply. “C’mon, this way.”

A little too tired to be annoyed by her evading my question, I simply complied and followed her. She’s right though, can’t be trotting all this time for nothing. Besides, it’s not something THAT important that I need to know at the moment. As I followed behind her, I took a look around. Ponies all over giving me a quick glance before going about their business. No surprises there, I’m not exactly the most common type of pony out there. I looked back ahead of me to check where Rainbow is. I almost forgot to check her Cutie Mark. There’s a lot you can infer from one’s Cutie Mark. Her’s being a cloud with a rainbow-colored lightning bolt, not unlike her mane and tail. Interesting…I wonder if she’s a racer of some kind. That would explain that speed before. That cloud has to mean something though.

“Like what you see?”

“Huh?” I blinked. Then I realized what I was doing might have looked like and rapidly stood up tall to try to save face.

She laughed. “Don’t worry, I get that a lot. The best pony just has to have the best body, am I right?”

“Oh dear…” Nice going, just give her more ammo to work with. I shook my head and decided to play her little game to get over my fluster. “Can’t say I disagree with that statement. You are certainly eye-catching.” She just smiled a cheeky grin at me. “Though while I was looking over your goods, I couldn’t help but wonder about your Cutie Mark.”

“This? Just means that I’m awesome and ready to rock your world! Got the speed and the talent. As long as I’m in the air, there’s nothing I can’t do better than everypony else. I didn’t get to be weather manager of Ponyville for no reason. Though that’s mostly a side gig for the time being.”

“Ham it up some more, why don’t you?” Interesting, so she’s a weather manager as well? That explains the cloud. I can totally see that the sky is her playground. I did a short pause. “Wait, ‘just a side gig’? What are you really doing then?”

“Practicing and refining my stunts to earn my deserved place in the Wonderbolts.”

“The Wonderbolts, huh? ‘Deserved’? Aren’t we being a little presumptuous?” She certainly has the speed but…

“Don’t think I got what it takes?” she challenged.

“I just met you. I haven’t seen anything you could do yet. It takes a lot of work to be a part of the Wonderbolts, especially if you’re aiming for the main team.” Something in the back of my mind says that I did saw her do something, but I can’t remember what.

“Oh hoho, you haven’t seen anything yet, you say? Just you wait. If you thought the speed I showed in the morning contained too much excitement, then get ready to have your eyes break from widening in surprise and your jaw fall off your very face when you get a look at the rest of my skills, starring me! The one and only Rainbow Dash!" As she yelled all this, she soared up into the air and spread her wings, holding a single hoof to her chest before floating back on the ground. “All of this free of charge. Just as soon as we’re finished up here and at my house, I’ll show you just how much I deserve that spot.”

This mare certainly likes talking about herself a lot. Not that it’s annoying. It’s actually pretty entertaining. “I just can’t wait,” I said as flatly as I could. This earned me a quick but harmless punch to the shoulder. I chuckled.

“Laugh it up now, pal. You’ll be eating those words, completely and fully. Anyways, we’re here.”

I paused my snickering and looked up. I was barely paying attention to where we were going. We’re in front of a familiar building: Sugarcube Corner. Didn’t think I would be visiting this place so soon. Rainbow moved on ahead of me and headed inside. I followed her and as soon as I got inside, my olfactory system went into overdrive. There was more than sweetness in the air here. There was a smell more permeating than that: the smell of fresh bread, yeast, flour, and dough of all sizes being prepared. My stomach grumbled. I hunger.

The place was compact, but not suffocatingly so. A few tables were place near the windows, some occupied with the residents, either alone or with a couple of associates. There was a large counter near the entrance, showing what they had in store for those that decided to dine here. I saw that Rainbow was walking up to the counter, towards some pink pony. I quickly located myself to her side.

The pink earth pony with a very bouncy-looking mane looked up from the register and waved over to us.

“Dashie!” she exclaimed as she jump over the counter to meet us, or rather Rainbow. Seriously? Isn’t there a rule for proper workplace etiquette?

“Hey, Pinkie.” Rainbow responded before being almost tackled down by the energetic pink blob. Surprisingly, she held her ground and remained upright. She simply hugged this “Pinkie” back, rubbing her withers and mane. I noticed that “Pinkie” had balloons as her Cutie mark.

“It’s been SOOOOOO long since we last saw each other!”

“You mean just yesterday?”

“Too long!” While Pinkie was nuzzling her friend’s mane, she opened her eyes to see me. She just stopped and stared at me.

“Uh…yo.” I awkwardly managed to say.

Rainbow turned her head to me. “Oh yeah. Shadow, this is Pinkie Pie. Pinkie, this is my friend, Shadow Heart. He’s been feeling under the weather and could use one of your special pick-me-up recipes.”

Friend? Really? I extended my forehoof towards the introduced mare. “Just call me Heart. I’m kinda new-”

I was interrupted by a loud gasp. Pinkie jumped, staring at me with wide eyes, her pupils dilated to pinpricks. Then it was almost like she teleported…or something. All there was in her place was a small amount of dust. None of the customers here batted an eye.

I dumbly stood there. “What…did I do?”

I heard an exasperated sigh to my right. “Not sure how else I expected that to go.”

I faced Rainbow. “Is she alright?”

“She’ll be just fine. She just gets really excited when she meets somepony new.”

“Excited? You sure she wasn’t scared?”

“Scared?”

I motioned for her to look at my wings, spreading them only slightly.

“Oh no, we’re not really like that around here. Besides, you’re not all that scary-looking” she said.

I heard a voice call out from what I assumed to be the kitchens. “What happened? I just saw Pinkie ran off and-” A yellow and lanky stallion with an orange mane poked his head out of the kitchens. A couple of freckles adorned his nose. He actually managed to see Pinkie? “Oh, a brand-new face. That explains it.” He stepped out to greet me and I noticed he had three cakes on his flank to represent his talent. “Ahem, welcome to Sugarcube Corner, run by yours truly, Carrot Cake, and my wife, Cup Cake; at your service.” He made a small bow and then tipped his work hat. “What can I do for you, kind sir?”

“Hello, Mr. Cake. I’m Shadow Heart, just call me Heart. I was just looking for a little something-something to get me running.”

“Oh, we pride ourselves in being able to make your day nice and bright. Just take a look at our wares and if something doesn’t catch your fancy, we’ll be able to make a custom order for you, Heart.”

“Thank you very much.” I started my way down the counter, looking over their options.

Searching, searching, search-

I paused. I stared closely to make sure. I can almost physically FEEL a glint in my eyes. I also felt Mr. Cake take a cautionary step back.

I smiled, showing two fangs that I usually keep hidden, as I take out a couple of bits.

“You’re awfully chipper now.” Rainbow said, noting the slight skip in my step as we exited the shop.

“Are you kidding? It’s been a while since I had one of these babies.” I’m almost drooling now, but I have no shame. Maybe this day wasn’t going to be so bad after all. I held the jelly-filled chocolate donut with my wing and moved it to my muzzle and bit onto it. Oh Celestia, it’s true: strawberry! Why is it so hard to find a STRAWBERRY-filled CHOCOLATE donut? It’s always that nasty cream stuff for chocolate instead or simply glazed for strawberry. I felt the sugar seep into my teeth, giving me that zing I haven’t felt for a long time. I shivered and close my eyes, savoring every second.

“Wow, you’re REALLY enjoying that, aren’t you?”

“Aw yeah~ Simply amazing~” I finally bit down after draining the jelly a bit. I took out the small carton of milk I also bought with my other wing and drank a little. Yup, this day isn’t going to be so bad.

“Hurry up, we’re wasting time.”

Maybe it’s too early to say that. “I’m coming, I’m coming. Just let me have this pleasure, alright?” I took another hefty bite, shivering again. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and that apparently includes taste buds. Or maybe the shop is simply THAT good. I hope I never tire from this.

Rainbow rolled her eyes as she watched me. “Let’s just get going to getting you all set up so I won’t feel bad for having you fix my cloud-house.”

“I said I was sorry. If it makes you feel bad, why not let me go?”

“Not a chance.”

I wasn’t really going to just leave if she agreed anyways. Still, it’s better to just joke about this. Better to laugh than to cry, as my mother said. Though there are some things that one doesn’t find funny quite yet. I finally finished my small meal and felt refreshed, even from lack of sleep. It might be just from the sugar rush though, but I’m confident that the sugar crash won’t be as bad.

“Hey, Shadow.”

“Hm?”

“I noticed that I’ve been the one talking the whole time. So I think it’s time that it’s your turn.”

“What do you want to know?”

“I don’t know, just tell me about yourself.”

“Well, I like long walks at the park, my favorite color is red, and I like eating-”

“You think you’re funny, don’t you?”

I shrugged. “I have a sense of humor at least, unlike SOMEPONY.”

“You wouldn’t know funny if it went right up to your face and kicked it in.” She shook her head and starting flying low to the ground. “Seriously though, what’s your story?”

“Oh, where to start…?”

“How about at the beginning? Like, you asked for what my Cutie Mark meant. I’m actually a little curious about yours.”

I looked at the target of interest. I guess it could have been sending mixed messages. It was easier to see now that the sun is out. The redness of the heart stood out prominently against my dark coat. One could see upon closer inspection that the heart had a crack in the middle, held together with a band-aid.

“So are you a doctor or a surgeon or what?”

I chuckled softly. “Not exactly. You could say I’m a love doctor.”

Rainbow raised a single eyebrow.

“Yeah, I mean literally. Anything about relationships, you can ask me. I help bring together all kinds of couples and help fix any problems they might have, if it’s possible or worth keeping. Coltfriends, marefriends, marriages, divorces, young and old, even friendships in some cases. Everything that is anything about love, I’m the stallion most ponies come to. I work as a counselor for most of these situations.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah, given the time, I can even figure out who YOU actually want and maybe set you up with him or her.”

“Hey!”

“I don’t judge. I’ve seen most of it, if not all. Griffons, ponies, diamond dogs, minotaurs, even dragons. Though I wasn’t always a counselor. I actually studied a bit over the physical heart and worked as a medic for a bit. But that didn’t last long, since I don’t like seeing hurt ponies. Still, what I learned about the heart does help at times. If I focus hard enough, I can even tell when somepony’s lying, tired, or scared. There are things about the body that we can’t control, as much as we believe we do.”

“Great, ANOTHER lie detector.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Hey look, we’re here,” announced Rainbow.

Sure enough, I looked up to see the grand Town Hall. Sweet.

“Don’t take too long. We’re burning daylight.”

I snorted. “Technically, it’s still just morning.”

“Move it!” shouted Rainbow as she started pushing me inside the building. “I’ll be just outside when you get out.”

“I’m going, I’m going, jeez...Alright.” I dusted myself off as I walked inside.

The inside was impressive, to say the least. There was a very wide and spacious ground floor. On the walls, slightly higher, sit numerous balconies. Higher still, is a wide array of flags of all sizes and colors. I couldn’t quite make out any unique emblems, if they had any. I wonder if this building is commonly used to hold events. Certainly would make good use of the room. It wasn’t empty either. Numerous pegasi and unicorns were busy with making preparations of some kind, using plywood and fabrics. I spotted a random ladder in the middle of the room and wondered why anypony would need it. I also wondered what the occasion is. I saw a white unicorn mare with a fancy-looking purple mane pointing and guiding the workers to where they were needed. Three gems…they look like diamonds, her Cutie Mark I mean. She must be the organizer of this project here, if not the holder. I trotted up towards her. “Um, excuse me?”

“Hm? Yes-oh, my word…” As she turned to face whoever called her, she faltered slightly when she took a good look at me.

“Hello. I’m just looking for the mayor. Something told me that he or she would be here. Housing plans,” I stated.

“Oh, a new resident? Very well then, you can find Mayor Mare right over there, darling. She would be the pony with the gray mane, collar, and glasses.” She pointed a hoof towards my right, slightly behind me.

I nodded and bowed my head slightly. “Thank you. Sorry to bother you.”

“Not at all, it was my pleasure.”

I made a small bow again and turn to find Mayor Mare as the white mare went back to her duties. Mayor Mare wasn’t too hard to find, seeing as she was surrounded by a few construction ponies with a blueprint in front of her. I really dislike doing stuff like this with everypony being so busy but it’s necessary I suppose.

I cleared my throat. “Mayor Mare?”

The whole group looked up and stared at me. I should be used to this by now, all considering, but it still unsettles me. It’s easier when it’s one or two, but a group like this just makes me feel self-conscious. I can’t let my nerves get the best of me though. Not right now.

“That’ll be me,” piped up the mature-looking mare. “What do you need? I haven’t seen you around before.”

“You’re right. I’m actually new here and looking to move in. Name’s Shadow Heart. Just call me Heart. I already have a place in mind.”

“Oh…very well then.” Mayor Mare turned to the group of construction workers. “Let’s get started on the first part of the plans and meet back here in…let’s say two hours.” The workers nodded and walked off.

As the mayor spun around to face me, I bit my hoof slightly. “You didn’t need to make it that long. It was going to be short and I already have everything.”

She shook her head, waving a single hoof. “No, no, it’s fine. We needed to get started soon anyways. The workers were getting kind of restless, plus I need to check up on how the rest of the preparations are going.”

I still felt guilty but if it’s her decision… “Huh, so what seems to be going on here?”

“Oh, right, you’re new here, Heart. We’re just preparing for our annual Summer Harvest Parade. There’s more to the event than just the parade, and here,” she motioned towards the whole room, “is where we’ll be setting up the rewards of our harvest.”

Ah, so this place is where everyone will gather at the end for the food. This place may be huge but there still has to be some sort of preparation to hold all the townsponies AND the tables or stands.

“Come along now. Let’s get you settled in.” She trotted towards one of the alcoves in the walls. “Oh, you’ll enjoy Ponyville. And you came around just the right time. Now, I know I have the paperwork around here somewhere…”

I followed her, noticing that she had a scroll with a blue ribbon representing her skill. I wonder if she has an affinity for paperwork or something. Then I remembered mayors are encouraged to interact with their community. Hm…maybe a stretch but…speech-making?

“Ah-ha!”

I jumped out of my thoughts, hoping that she wasn’t talking to me. I didn’t need to worry it seemed, since she was busy looking inside a box. When she lifted her head up, she had a set of papers in her mouth and set them down on a nearby table. She dug in again and took out a feather and a bottle of ink.

“Now, Mr. Heart,” she started to say as I stood up straight, “you said you already had a place in mind?”

“Yes, it was,” I put a hoof up to my mouth in though, “it was…near Golden Oaks Library.”

“Ooh, that one. You know I was kind of worried about the balcony extension going to waste, but I see that somepony has taken a liking to it. A bit expensive though, but I’m sure you noticed that on the sign. I’m guessing you want to lease-“

I unceremoniously dumped a heavy bag of bits I set aside for this transaction on the table, making a very audible thud. Maybe that was a little rude of me, but it was kinda heavy. Mayor Mare blinked and lowered her glasses a bit as she studied me with a questioning eyebrow raised.

“Sorry but I was thinking of buying it straight out.”

“That’s…not really common to do. Most just set up payment plans for the property, but that’s usually because it’s a lot of bits to buy it on the spot. Very well, just sign these papers here while I make sure of your…investment.” I noticed a suspicious-looking twitch in her eye as she uttered the last word. I shrugged and got down to writing my signature and dates on the paperwork, holding the feather in my mouth.

I placed the feather down when I finished and saw that Mayor Mare was done, having already got the key and deed to my new home. She handed them over to me, smiling. “Thank you for choosing Ponyville for your place to settle in.”

“No, thank you.”

We both made a small bow towards each other.

“So you know where it is, right?” she asked.

“Of course, no need for you to worry.”

She nodded. “Good, now if you excuse me, I have some important work to get back to.”

“Not at all. I wish you well on your endeavors.”

She smiled back and trotted to wherever she needed to go, with a slight skip in her step. I smiled, shaking my head a little. Some things never change no matter where you go. I tuck my items in my wings and decided to make my way towards the exit.

Just like she said, in a flash, the cyan pegasus was in front of me.

“Got everything taken care of?” Rainbow had a slightly annoyed expression, even though I felt it didn’t took long.

“Yup.”

“Finally! Are you feeling up for flying? I really don’t feel like going at your pace right now.” She gave me a surprisingly concerned look. “You are ok, right?”

I quickly made a short nod. “Feeling loads better. I’m up for flying if you are.”

“Awesome. Just try to keep up with me.”

That’s going to be a bit hard. “Sure.” I spread my wings, sorting out the kinks.

We both soared up in the air. It was refreshing to feel the wind like this again. My enjoyment was short-lived, as Rainbow was already flying towards our destination. I shot myself forward to make up for lost distance.

I’m fairly certain she’s not trying to race, but it’s tough to keep up with her. I never met anypony who was this fast. I’m pretty sure this is her most leisurely pace, yet I can barely keep up. I flap my wings harder, just trying not to be too far behind. She looked behind her shoulder and smiled before rolling on her back and slowing down to me so we’re next to each other.

“You don’t have to try THAT hard, bro.” She had this small smirk that I didn’t really know what to make of.

“Don’t patronize me,” I hissed softly. “You told me to stay close and I’m going to do just that.”

“I didn’t really mean that literally, but ok. I’m actually surprised you can get this far with me.”

Really? Was that…a compliment?

“And yes, that was a compliment. From yours truly. So take that as you will.” She smiled and flew up ahead a bit.

Wait, I didn’t say that out loud, right? No, it must be my expression. I need to keep a lid on that, if I want to at least keep from reliving my memories. That was always my problem; I wear my heart on my sleeves. It’s very easy to know what I’m thinking or feeling because I simply don’t try to hide it. I’m very honest with my feelings. This goes for positive AND negative emotions. I sigh to myself.

Considering how fast we were flying, it’s not really a surprise how quickly we reached Rainbow’s house.

I stared at her home, and feel it again…the betrayal, the pain. I shut my eyes and breathe in deeply. I can’t let this keep happening. I just need…some time to digest what happened last night.

“You’re going to be alright, dude?”

I opened my eyes and turned to Rainbow. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just…I’ll just get right down to doing this.”

“Alright then…” Rainbow doesn’t seem convinced. I’m not really the best of liars, but it’s not really anything she could help with. She doesn’t need to handle my burdens.

As I looked for where the cloud I used was, I heard somepony call out.

“Hey, Dashie!”

We both turned to see that hyperactive pony again. Rainbow turned to me, as if for asking permission, oddly enough. I nodded.

“Go, she called you, not me. Besides, I’ll probably just make her run off again.”

Rainbow nodded and flew down to her friend while I inspected the damages.

It’s nothing too bad. Our small scuffle in the morning made some of the pieces break off, but nothing that couldn’t be done. I gathered all parts of cloud I could see and made sure I got everything. I looked over towards Rainbow and Pinkie.

They seemed to be making plans of some sort, noting their body movements. The pink one was especially excited, though I think she could be excited for watching grass grow, personally. Rainbow sat on her haunches and had a hoof to her mouth in thought as she listened to Pinkie. Pinkie suddenly turned to me and pointed a hoof towards me and Rainbow followed her gaze.

I raised an eyebrow as Rainbow brought down her friend’s hoof. She turned to me and waved her hoof side to side, smiling awkwardly and gesturing that it was nothing important. I shrugged and went back to work. I started patching up the small dent I made and kept prodding and poking until it was exactly how I remembered it.

I turned back to the girls, seeing that Pinkie was already hopping off back to Ponyville and Rainbow flying up towards me.

“Oh hey, you’re done. That’s cool.” She inspected my patchwork quickly. “Listen, there’s someplace I got to be. You got a place to stay, right?”

“Well, yeah, that’s why I came to town hall.” I took out the key the mayor gave me to show Rainbow proof. I then put it back.

“Awesome. Just making sure. I’ll see you later, alright? Nice work, by the way. If there’s anything you need to ask, you can come to me. Bye!”

Barely letting me even have the chance to breathe, she zoomed off towards Ponyville as well, leaving a faint trail of rainbow in her wake.

I wonder what the rush is. Hope it’s not the bad kind of urgency. A little rude but I’m sure she’ll explain it more in detail if I get to see her again. I looked back to her home and snorted. I shouldn’t blame Rainbow for what her home reminds me of. It’s going to take me a while to even visit her without being slightly abrasive.

Wait…visit her? Does that mean we’re…friends? No…more like acquaintances. Still, it’s a start. Much better than how it usually is like when I go to a new school or something. I looked up to the sky, the sun still strong. Maybe I should check on how my home looks like. I flew towards my new house in Ponyville.

Something was very off. The town was…quiet. Still. I can almost hear the wind howling. Where is everypony? This was eerie, not to mention sudden. I feel a chill crawl up my spine. I slowly walked on the cobblestone path towards my house. Why do I feel so apprehensive? I can’t shake it off. I need to get inside. Or at least see ONE pony walking around and tell me what’s going on. As I reached the door, I still haven’t seen a single soul.

What is wrong in this town? I quickly took out my key and put it in the lock.

Then I opened the door.

Author's Note

So as it turned out, I forgot a very important detail that I forgot to add that's paramount in my story back in the first chapter. This bodes well, right? Anyways, the change is in the second paragraph. If you don't know what I changed, it's just the dark cloud thing. Anyone who started reading this AFTER I posted this chapter, don't need to worry. You already read what I added.

I feel really pressed for time. Like I need to update this story with a chapter every 4 days. I know there's no actual deadlines but I feel this way, so that's why I posted this chapter since I was already really far in development (sorry, Flutterpriest :fluttercry: I promise I'll do better).

As always, I'm looking for constructive criticism so I can improve. Don't be shy, give me what you got. Just know there's a difference between "criticism" and "insulting". Also still looking for an artist to do cover art.

Chapter 4: Dearly Beloved

Nothing could have possibly prepared me for this.

“SURPRISE!”

“Jeeze Saint Jeezum!” I cried out as the sheer volume of what came from the door knocked me away, causing me to do a small roll backwards before laying on my back. I groaned and got up to my haunches. I saw a very happy Pinkie smiling widely at the door, along with Rainbow behind her and…is that…a whole town’s worth of ponies?!

Pinkie bounced happily towards me. “Were you surprised?”

She leaned her face towards mine, smiling even wider and obviously expecting an answer. Though due to what just happened, I couldn’t quite give her what she wanted.

“What is this?!” My voice nearly cracked at the shock of it all. It was clear why the town was so quiet now but the sheer absurdity of it all was just too much.

The pink blob stopped hopping, almost suspending in mid-air before landing on the ground and shoving her face into mine until all I saw was her blue eyes.

“It’s your party, silly.”

“Party? For what?”

She backed up and nodded enthusiastically. “Yup, your ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party.” She started hopping again. “Please tell me you were surprised. Are you surprised because I'm surprised that you were surprised since I never heard that expression before so I've never been so surprised, well, except for the time that I saw you walking into our shop and I went,” she made a loud gasping sound not unlike when she first met me, “but I mean really, who could top that kind of reaction?” She finished with just staring at me and blinking twice.

I barely caught anything she said. She was talking so fast and my head was still spinning slightly from my tumble. “What?” I said stupidly. I’m starting to think that “what?” is going to be my favorite word, at least around this pony.

“C’mon, you’re missing your own party!” Pinkie pulled me up and picked me up over her head before throwing me through the door. All the ponies inside just stepped aside from the missile that is myself.

“What the-!” My sentence was cut off as I slammed face-first into what I actually believe to be a bounce-house of some kind. I felt my body bent a little over my head before landing on the floor like limp noodles. My head was quite imbedded into the soft, leathery, and rubbery texture. How did this even get inside? I struggled a little to pull my head out of my party-based prison, but it wasn’t serious enough that I needed help. As I yanked my head back, my vision was once again somewhat dizzy.

As I started to reorient myself, I took in what was inside. So many ponies are around, all smiling and talking with each other, some even waving to me. I waved back sheepishly. Looks like the party officially started with my less-than-grateful reaction and entry. The decorations to the somewhat vacant home were quite extravagant. Streamers of all colors trailed the ceiling. Yellow, blue, pink, red, green, orange, and purple strings all over the place. That’s not counting the draped tables adorned with food and colorful balloons. The opposing red and blue bounce-house being used by the foals was in the middle of the room, making use of the tall space, since the stairs leading upstairs hugged the walls. For something as sudden as a new resident moving in, this was prepared very quickly. Pinkie only saw me this morning and I don’t believe I told her I was planning to stay. Only ones I can remember telling are Rainbow and the mayor. Maybe Rainbow told the excitable pony when I was talking to the mayor? Even then, there wasn’t much time between then and now to set up all of this. I just sat there and staring at everything and everypony.

Then…I just smiled. I smiled and laughed. It didn’t matter if it was possible, because everypony here only meant good. It’s a party after all. I truly never felt so welcomed and so accepted, despite my appearance. I kept laughing as Pinkie walked towards me. She started laughing with me as well, draping her foreleg over my back. I did the same to her with my wing. It was infectious and only served to cause us to laugh that much harder. As I tried to catch my breath, I saw Rainbow joined us along with four other mares. I recognized one of them, the white unicorn from town hall. The other three I don’t think I’ve seen. There was a light orange pony with a very noticeable hat and a blonde mane, having apples on her flank that reminded me of Sweet Apple Acres’ brand. One other was a light purple unicorn mare with dark blue, almost black, mane with pink and purple highlights. She seemed to have some sort of…pink star to represent her talent. As she walked towards us, I noticed that it was surrounded by smaller white stars.

Then there was…I felt my jaw dropped. She was a cream-colored pegasus with a long and light pink mane. Her mane covered one of her cerulean eyes, giving her a very shy and cute look. My shoulders and wings sagged as I couldn’t help but stare at her. Her Cutie Mark looked to be three blue butterflies with wings the same shade of pink as her mane. She lagged a little bit behind the other mares, almost hiding behind them. As our eyes locked for a millisecond, I blinked and shook myself from my thoughts to compose myself. I managed to pull myself together and take complete control of my body as the leading purple mare approached me.

She smiled at me, giggling a little. “I would apologize for Pinkie’s behavior but it seems that you don’t mind at all.”

I shake my head. “Not at all. I’m glad things happened the way they did.” I looked to Pinkie, who had a very satisfied grin on her face. I turned back towards the one who addressed me.

She put a hoof on her mouth, clearing her throat. “Hello, I’m Twilight Sparkle, in charge of Golden Oaks Library.”

Very interesting. “Hello, Twilight. Name’s Shadow Heart. Just call me Heart, everypony does.”

“Very well, Heart. You’re already familiar with Pinkie and Rainbow so I’ll just introduced you to the rest of my friends. This is Applejack.”

The orange mare moved her right foreleg over her left, lifting her head and nose upwards before tipping her hat. “Greetings, pardner. Main head of Sweet Apple Acres, most of the time.”

I imagined so. Most of the time? I wonder if it’s a conjoined effort or something. “Greetings, Applejack.”

“And Rarity, owner of Carousel Boutique,” continued Twilight.

My eyes widened a little as the white unicorn I saw before tossed her well-kept mane a bit with her hoof before speaking up. “Forgive me for not introducing myself when we first met, Heart.”

“It’s fine, Rarity. You were quite busy with the preparations for the Summer Harvest event. Really, it’s understandable,” I responded. Rarity thanked me with a small smile. This Twilight really seems to have connections.

“And last but not least, Fluttershy.” Twilight motioned behind her, the rest of the girls moving aside to reveal the seemingly timid pegasus.

I clammed up as I saw the yellow mare again. She made a small squeak as all of our eyes turned to her. Shivering slightly, body low to the ground, she spoke with a quiet voice. “Um…hello, Heart. I mean, if that’s how you want me to call you. I’m sorry; I can call you by your full name if you like.”

“No, no, no, it’s fine. ‘Heart’ is fine, hehe. Um, hi, Fluttershy.” Oh Celestia, that angelic voice…I felt my cheeks heat up as I get more and more flustered by just being in her presence.

The somewhat awkward silence was cut short when I felt a weight hit the back of my neck. I tip forward before I reared back as to not slam my face on the floor. I caught sight of a cyan hoof to be the blame from my left side.

“So how’s the party, Shadow?” asked Rainbow, her guilty foreleg around the back of my neck.

“Dash, really?!” That outburst came from Twilight.

Rainbow looked at Twilight, genuinely confused. “What?”

I waved my hoof. “It’s ok. I’m ok. Just a little warning next time, Rainbow. I almost ate the floor.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Rainbow rubbed the back of her head sheepishly with her other hoof.

“As for the party, it’s great.” I took another look around, recognizing a few familiar colors I saw this morning, even spotting the mayor and the workers from before. It really does look like the whole town is here.

I heard Rainbow whistled. “This is a nice place you snagged.”

“Yeah, I had a feeling I was going to like it when I first saw it. Plus, I needed a place to stay. So I thought I might as well buy it.”

Rainbow was biting her tongue a little as if to hold back a question, at least until the end of my statement, where her jaw dropped. “Hold up, you straight up BOUGHT this place?”

I nodded. “I had quite a few bits saved up. I wasn’t really going to use them for their original purpose so I just decided on the spot to start over. So I chose here.”

“That’s a bit rash, darling,” piped up Rarity.

“Perhaps, but it’s not like…I could go back to my old home…” I nervously shifted in place, trying to control it. I wasn’t doing a very good job and Rainbow noticed my slight shuffling.

“Yer not like…‘on the run,’ right?” asked Applejack.

“What? No! I just…don’t want to talk about it.” It seems like despite me literally running away from my past, it finds its way to intrude the present no matter what.

Applejack just stared at me for a moment before I cast my eyes to the floor. I quickly glanced up to see Applejack simply nodding to her friends, almost as if saying “it’s fine” for…whatever reason. Was she suspecting me of lying? The air of tension was relieved in the wake of Applejack’s nod. Then Twilight decided to speak up.

“Well, I hope you enjoy your time in Ponyville. If there’s anything you would like to know, just ask me. The same goes for the rest of my friends.” She then turned to everypony else. “Right, girls?”

There were words of agreement and it brightened up my somber mood somewhat, making me smile. “Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind. Now if you excuse me, I’m feeling a little hungry.”

Rainbow lifted her foreleg off of me as I made my way towards the tables.

It’s actually surprising how much food there is that I can eat and drink. I was always a bit of a picky eater. I was thinking of asking Pinkie if this was all a coincidence or if she knew what I would like, but something made me think twice before doing that. But seriously, quesadillas? And with the super-specific kind of ranchero cheese too? I only even saw my mom make these. As curious as I was, I felt that asking would be a very bad idea, mostly for my sanity.

As much as I appreciate what Pinkie did for me, I can’t help but feel guilty about it as well. All the effort she did in such a short time, I just wished I can make the most of it too. I always was just a wallflower, even when it was my own birthday. Always silent in gatherings and celebrations, by my lonesome. Curse my shyness. It’s not like I don’t want to socialize. I just feel I never really have anything to talk about. Anything interesting, at least. I just feel fake or ignorant whenever I try. I’m a good listener, but a conversation is a two-way system. As I was finishing my plate, I looked up to see the six mares I met earlier come towards me. I can’t help but feel a little threatened.

Rainbow looked a little taken aback. “Whoa, calm down, dude.”

I blinked before noticing what my wings were doing. They were slightly spread, in a defensive posture. I fold them back more and turned my head down, muttering an apology.

Rainbow bumped my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. My friends just wanted to ask you something.” What is this sense of foreboding?

“Sorry, darling. We were just wondering what you were doing before coming to Ponyville,” said Rarity. Oh…that.

I grimaced slightly, before quickly wiping that emotion off my face. Hopefully nopony noticed. I turned my head to Rainbow. “You couldn’t tell them?”

Rainbow flew a bit off the ground, putting both her forehooves behind her head. “Well, I just felt you should be the one to tell them.” I wonder if she’s trying to help me make new friends here. Might as well try.

I took a deep breath. “Cloudsdale,” I said curtly before taking a swig of my orange soda.

“Cloudsdale?” asked everypony.

“Cloudsdale,” I repeated.

“Oh wow, did you knew Dashie when you were little?” asked Pinkie.

“Rainbow?” I faced Rainbow. “You were from Clousdale?”

She simply shrugged. “Yeah, I was.” Weird…I wonder why she moved to Ponyville or why she didn’t tell me before…

“Wait a sec…” I studied Rainbow. She shifted her eyes left and right, probably a little unnerved from how I’m inspecting her.

Then it clicked.

“You did the Sonic Rainboom back then.” Now seeing her in the Wonderbolts wasn’t as crazy as it first seemed.

“Uh yeah, I did,” Rainbow responded…nervously? Wait, was she being…bashful? She must have noticed my incredulous look because she then added, “Yup, and I can totally do it again. Just not…now. Need to warm up first, you know? And I’m kinda tired.” Ah, now I understand.

“It’s fine. I believe you,” I stated.

As I finished my orange soda, Pinkie voiced a small “whoop!” and ran off somewhere into the crowd. I turned to everypony and they all simply shrugged. I wonder if she forgotten something. No sooner had I thought that, Pinkie came bouncing back, with a large cake on her head complete with candles. Everypony inside was following Pinkie as well, knowing what was to come.

“Oh Pinkie, you shouldn’t have.”

“No ‘buts,’” Pinkie giggled a bit before adding, “Nothing quite says ‘party’ like having cake.”

I smiled as Pinkie placed the pastry on an empty table. It certainly was big enough for everypony to have a slice. I just hope at least some can stomach the sweetness. It was my favorite, triple chocolate. Everything was chocolate, the filling, the frosting and icing, even the layers. My mouth almost watered. On top of the cake, I saw that red letters (probably strawberry gel or something) formed the phrase “Welcome to Ponyville, Heart!” Under that, was a very cute picture depicting me and Pinkie hoof-bumping.

Pinkie turned to the crowd behind her. “C’mon, everypony! On three! 1, 2-”

“WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!”

I was almost tearing up when I blew the candles. It warmed my heart to see such…friendliness. As the candles went off, everypony cheered. Then the candles came back again. I tried blowing them again only for the flames to come back up. Then everypony laughed, including myself. That’s the first I seen trick candles in effect. So Pinkie is a prankster. As I helped Pinkie take off and turn off the candles, Twilight and Rarity began cutting pieces and serving them. Perhaps staying here was a lucky move on my part.

I managed to get my piece and oh Luna was it delicious. I had cake this tasty before. It was certainly something else, a tier all on its own. The girls were mostly finished with their slices and were talking amongst themselves.

Then Applejack turned to me. “Didn’t take you for one that craves sweets.”

I smiled back. “I get that a lot, surprisingly. Is it so weird that I have a bit of a sweet tooth?”

“Ah reckon it isn’t. But nopony quite likes sweet stuffs like Pinkie does.”

“Somepony say my name?!” In a pink flash, Pinkie was in front of us.

“That’ll be me. Was just telling Heart here that he might be a worthy rival for ya.”

The smile Pinkie had morphed into a slight frown as she glared at me. It felt a little uneasy, seeing her like that, staring at me. But as quickly as it came, it went and she was smiling again. “It’s nice to see somepony else appreciate sugary goodness as much as I do.”

“Hehe, yeah. Hope it’s not too much for everypony else here, though.”

Pinkie waved her hood dismissively. “Don’t worry about it, Shadey. I made sure everypony can enjoy it no matter what.”

I twitched and started choking a bit. Rainbow and the rest of her friends trotted over to me to see if I was fine. I felt Rainbow thump my back to ease up my coughing. As I managed to get the cake dislodged from my windpipe, I looked up to Pinkie, still coughing a bit. “What…did you say?”

Pinkie looked at me innocently. “All I said was to not worry about it, Shadey.”

My ears flicked at the last word. I barely noticed I was shaking. “Nopony…called me that…nopony except…”

I started to take a couple of steps back. I can feel myself becoming overwhelmed by my emotion. Anger, grief, sadness, despair, all piling themselves on me. I started breathing rapidly.

“Heart?” I heard Twilight say.

“Darling, are you alright?” asked Rarity.

“You’re shivering, Mr. Heart-I mean Heart. Are you cold?” whispered Fluttershy.

I was barely paying attention to what everypony was saying, even though my eyes were wide open. I wanted to cry, scream, and destroy all at once. Yet, all I can do was try to keep those feelings at bay. It was a lost cause. I needed to get out of here, away from everypony, lest I hurt them like I hurt…

I’m pretty sure I was hyperventilating. I did the only thing I can think of.

I ran.

As I rocketed towards the sky, I thought I heard a faint “Wait here” from a familiar voice.

I couldn’t stop the tears even if I wanted to. It was just like last night. I was foolish to think it would be so easy. To think it would be fine over a day’s time. Just like last night, I was without destination. All I knew was to be far away from that place, at least for now.

As my vision started to clear, I saw a reflection below me.

Water.

I dove down and landed on the shores of what seems to be a very large lake. I looked at the ever expanding waters. I can see the sun starting to set. That party was going on for a while. That party…

I closed my eyes to force out my tears. I sniffled and wiped my face. As I did, I peered into the water’s edge. It was only disturbed by my tears falling into it but quickly stilled. Such clarity.

I saw two green orbs with black slits looking back at me. I can make out a somewhat unkempt mane on its head…my head. Black with a bright red stripe along the middle, my highlight and just like my tail. I spread my wings, as did my reflection. Large, leathery, almost black, bat-like wings that go along with my coat. At a quick glance, my coat was black, but one can see a reddish tinge on it upon closer inspection, making it have a carmine shade.

Is this what a failure looks like in pony form? A bat pony?

I stared into the lake’s edge some more, before angrily stomping the water, dispelling the clear image. I snorted, my nostrils flaring. Why does this always happen to me? What have I done to deserve this? All I wanted was to find happiness. That’s all I wanted.

I opened my mouth to scream, only for a lump in my throat to block it. Then my wings and shoulders sagged, my head dropping low in shame. How would my parents feel, seeing me throw a tantrum like some foal? My pegasus father and my bat pony mother…what about my little pegasus brother? He would probably be the angriest, seeing me act this way.

I stared into the water again, the water still recovering from my fit and distorting my image. Am I really so weak? Or am I vulnerable? How much was I exposed to…my dearly beloved?

I looked up and spot a small rock formation that acts almost like a dock for this lake. I walked up towards it and went towards the edge. I can feel the soft fresh breeze hit my body and face. It’s so…tranquil here. I just sat there for a while, watching the sun set. Only my breaths and the sounds of the lake’s waters hitting the shores disturbed the silence. I can’t believe my outburst was caused by a simple word, an old nickname…a nickname that was only given to me by one pony, who is no longer mine.

The calmness was broken by the sound of hoofsteps. “Shadow?”

My ears flicked at the sound of my name and I turned around. “Rainbow?”

She was walking towards me, with concern etched across her face. “You going to be ok?”

I turned back towards the setting sun, contemplating my answer. I decided to be honest. “I will be. But am I ok right now? No…I am not.”

I sense her shuffling her hooves, cautious and probably uncomfortable. “Everypony’s worried and I just wanted to make sure you weren’t going to do something stupid. If you want me to leave, I-”

“No,” I interrupted, “it’s…fine. Thanks for finding me. Let’s go back.”

“Oh.” Rainbow seemed a little surprised.

“I haven’t gotten over it yet, but I feel a little better. I don’t want to pretend what happened didn’t happen. But I don’t want to talk about it.” I turned back around and walked towards her.

“Ok.” She was biting her bottom lip, lost in her thoughts most likely. She didn’t even move when I passed her.

“You coming?”

“Yeah…” Rainbow responded slowly. I can’t really tell how she feels, but I’m not going to keep everpony waiting.

I spread my wings as did Rainbow and we took off. As we did, I looked back to the lake. I have a feeling I will return here many times.

I didn’t really measured the time it took to get to the lake, but it was quite far. It felt longer going back. I passed by even the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. I even spotted the small cottage that was bravely situated next to it. I wanted to ask Rainbow about it but I suppose there will be a better time. Nary a word was uttered in our trip back.

As we come closer and closer to home, I was getting more and more nervous. I never really liked having the spotlight on me and no doubt my little episode will bring up questions. Rainbow turned her head towards me and saw the worry in my face.

She backed up a bit to calm me down. “It’s alright, big guy. I’ll take care of it.”

I just gulped and nodded.

As we alighted at the door, I saw a bunch of ponies look up. Five particular mares ran up to us. Well, four actually did. Fluttershy stayed back and crawled at a quick pace.

I shivered and laid my body close to the ground but then Rainbow stood in front of me with her wings spread, blocking them from getting closer. Her friends paused and looked at her, but Rainbow stood firm.

“Not now,” Rainbow stated sternly.

I smiled in thanks and began to stand upright. “It’s fine. You can tell them what I told you but I need to talk with Pinkie.” I saw a pink pair of ears twitch.

Rainbow turned her head to make sure. I nodded and she closed her wings. She motioned her friends to the side. All except for Pinkie.

Pinkie…she…she didn’t all that good. Terrible even. Her coat seemed darker, gloomier. Her normally crazy and curly mane was flattened out, seemingly unnatural despite it being straight. When she lifted her head, I hesitated only for a moment. Her eyes…had such sadness within them. I didn’t expect her to take it so hard, so personally.

“Pinkie…”

“I’m so sorry…”

“Pinkie.”

“If I only knew…”

“Pinkie.”

“I was being so st-”

“Pinkie!”

Pinkie jerked up and stared at me. I let out a deep breath and gave her my most reassuring smile. “It’s fine, Pinkie.”

“But-”

I stopped her before she can continue. “Shh, it’s ok. There are some things even you don’t know about.”

I hugged her head with my wings, trying to soothe her. She rubbed against my wings, feeling them get slightly wet, but I don’t mind.

“Please forgive me…”

“I already did. I just have…bad memories from that name. I’m sure you can come up with a different nickname though.”

“You’re not mad at me?”

“Of course not. I can’t blame you. I’m here now, right? Something like that isn't going to make us not friends anymore. C'mon, cheer up for me. Is there still any cake left? It's a party, isn't it? Nothing says 'party' quite like cake.”

I saw her smile a little, her naturally bright color coming back. Then suddenly her mane blew up like a balloon for a split second before going back to how I recognized it. “Yeah, there is. I’ll go get you some!”

I shake my head with a smile on my face as Pinkie hopped away. She means well. A little eccentric, but with a good heart. Just like everypony here. I turned back to see that Rainbow finished talking to her friends.

She caught my eye and started coming towards me. “You alright, Shadow?” The rest of her friends also started coming up to me, although respectfully slow.

I nodded. “Yeah. Still a little shaken, but I think I’ll be fine for tonight.”

“Just know that ya can always count on us for anything, especially me. Most dependable pony around. Even got a trophy to prove it,” assured Applejack.

I chuckled. A trophy for being dependable? “Thanks everypony. It means a lot to me, truly.” I smiled at my new-found friends as Pinkie appeared at my side with a slice of cake on her head.

The party didn’t last long after the cake was served. It was getting kind of late and there was still much to do for the upcoming Summer Harvest event. As the guest quickly trickled down to just the main six ponies I recently met, I started to get ready for bed. It was surprising how quickly everything was cleaned up. I didn’t even notice when the bounce-house was taken down.

“We’ll see each other soon, Heart,” said Twilight.

“I look forward to it.”

We bid our farewells and g’nights for today. I then closed the door and yawned. It’s funny how exhaustion has a habit of catching up to you after everything is over. Luna’s moon is already in the sky. Time flies whenever you don’t expect it to. I turn to face the living room. It feels empty. Not strange since I barely bought this place. I need to send a letter to my family to help me send my belongings. First thing tomorrow.

I groggily made my way upstairs. When I managed to find the bedroom, I saw a large mattress where I will be sleeping. I need to do some shopping for furniture as well. It’ll do for now. As I clamored my way on top of my bed, I began to notice something. This house is too big. Like this bed. I sighed. It was built for more than a single pony in mind.

I laid myself down and eyed the empty space next to me. I wonder…can I really move on? I have to try. No, I have to succeed. Maybe not overnight, but day by day, I’ll climb out of this pit I dug for myself. If not for me, then for…

Then I feel asleep, with loneliness in my heart.

Author's Note

It's pronounced "Sha-dee".

Fuck procrastination. Fuck parties. Fuck pizza. Fuck the "Read Later" list. Fuck the "Watch Later" list on youtube. Fuck all of this because it was what was preventing me from finishing this chapter and posting it 2 days ago. :raritydespair:

I'm curious about adding the "Sad" tag here. I mean it's about depression, sure, but it's more along the lines of overcoming that depression. So I'm not sure. :unsuresweetie: Let me know what you guys think.