Shadow's Six Elements

What the hell kind of shipfic is this?

Part 2

Author: Southpawfighter614

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++SugarcubeCorner++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Shadow was in such a rush to get things done this morning, he hadn’t taken a moment yet to eat something. He didn’t realize this until his stomach let out a particularly loud growl of discontent at not being filled yet.

“Hehe, guess I should get something to eat finally, huh stomach?” Shadow said, chuckling. His stomach gurgled in agreement. Just then, he saw the biggest gingerbread house ever, or at least it would have been if it was real gingerbread, but it wouldn’t have lasted long with one particular mare that happened to work there. As Shadow trotted to the front door, pleasantly light and sweet smells danced about his nostrils, making his stomach growl so loud that it made a nearby pony look at him in disgust. “Sorry, Madam” Shadow said with a sheepish grin as he entered the building.

Shadow saw the telltale pink blur of a mare named Pinkie Pie, who was busy making sure all her customers were satisfied with their various treats and drinks. Sugarcube corner was largely a sweets store, but was well known for its muffins, also.

No sooner did Shadow trot up to the counter, then the pink mare was greeting him with a beaming smile and bubbly tone, as was custom of Pinkie Pie.

“Hi Shadow, what would you like today? The usual?” Pinkie asked him, getting ready to tap out his usual order of two extra-blueberry muffins and a cinnamon bun. She usually threw in some sweet tea for the handsome pony, but they’d run out. Shadow was known amongst the usuals of sugarcube corner for his ravenous sweet tooth, and he’d also nearly beaten Pinkie in a cupcake-eating contest a few weeks back. Pinkie liked a stallion that could eat like that and still appear so trim. She was always daydreaming about him and her in the kitchen, getting messy in more ways than one. Pinkie knew she wasn’t an unattractive mare but she could never seem to get his attention, because he was never around after-hours. She was pulled back out of her naughty daydreams by his voice, which was surprisingly light for a pony his size.

“Pinkie? Hullo?” Shadow asked the distracted pink mare. She had that faraway look in her eyes again. Why did mares always get that look around him?

“hello, and wel-“ Pinkie started.

“I’ll just have two apple-cinnamon muffins and a slice of apple pie, Pinkie.” Shadow said. He had the weirdest craving for apples all of a sudden. “And some Apple Juice or Apple Cider, if you’ve got it.”

“Okey Dokey Lokey!” Pinkie said, disappearing into the kitchen in a pink blur that smelled faintly of cotton candy. About twenty minutes or so later, Pinkie returned to Shadow’s table balancing a tray on her flank, which Shadow noticed was kind of shapely. He immediately banished those thoughts. He looked like an outcast and felt that no mare would ever go for him, so he never bothered asking. As long as he had his books and odd jobs around town, he was a happy pony.

While Shadow sat munching happily on his apple-themed buffet, he though about other business he had to attend to. It was only about noon now, so he had plenty of time. He needed to go help Fluttershy with rebuilding some of her birdhouses that had gotten knocked apart in a recent storm, and he also needed to go see Rainbow Dash about some storm damage that the townspeople missed. Shadow was going to take the time out to repair the damage since most everypony else was busy.

Shadow paid his tab as Pinkie was finishing serving up some customers, and before she noticed, he was out the door, on his way to whatever errand he had left to run. Frowning, Pinkie glared at the door, sort of wishing it would turn into cake so she could eat it and chase Shadow.

“Pinkie!” Miss Cake shouted “We’re getting a rush, I need you at the front counter pronto!” Pinkie Glanced at the clock, then at the door, where ponies were beginning to line up for the 12pm rush.

“There goes that idea.” Pinkie said, banishing the thoughts of chasing her unicorn.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Rainbow Dash’s House++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Shadow was trotting toward’s Rainbow’s cloud house, deep in thought. He’d always felt he was an outcast here in ponyville, even if everypony was immensely friendly. He liked being alone sometimes, and never really paid much thought to dating. But still, mares seemed to stare at him with that certain faraway look. He then bumped into Rainbow’s mailbox with an audible grunt.

Looking up, he saw a certain blue pegasus peering down at him, partially hidden in a tuft of cloud she seemed to be napping on.

“Oi, Rainbow, we’ve got work to do!” He shouted up to her. “Only you can see the damage from the sky! And I’ve still got other stuff to do!”

“Yeah, yeah, keep your horseshoes on, ya big palooka!” Rainbow waved a hoof at him. “Don’t get your stripes all ruffled and stuff.” She drifted down lazily next to him, putting on an air of indifference. She wondered how long she could keep it up.

“You’re the one that sleeps all day, Miss Dash.” Shadow said matter of factly.

“Only because I’m up with the crack of dawn every day to keep you groundwalkers happy” She retorted, a little huffy.

“I’ll give you that, but its bad practice to sleep past noon.” Shadow continued, goading her. He knew Rainbow loved few things more than sleep and the wonderbolts, so he enjoyed picking at her about it.

“And who are you, Twilight Sparkle?” Rainbow continued. “We both know I’m not lazy.”

“Never said you were.” Shadow said with a grin. He could feel her getting cross.

“Well then shut your stinkin’ trap!” Rainbow shouted.

“You know you still like me” Shadow said, hugging her, at which she visibly flushed red.

“Get offa me, ya clown” Rainbow pushed him away. She had a reputation to uphold. She couldn’t go around hugging random strange stallions, even though she enjoyed it, especially coming from Shadow. He was tall, strong, and handsome, like a stallion version of Applejack. But she wasn’t a fillyfooler, so she couldn’t very well go that route. But she never had time to ask Shadow out cuz anything they did together was usually work.

“Where to first, Rainbow?” Shadow asked her nonchalantly.

“We should go to the fairgrounds, before the kids get out of school. There’s a lot of broken or loose branches around the playground. I don’t want anypony getting hurt. After that is just shaking loose stuff down from the trees. Nothing big, they just make it look horrible.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Shadow said.

They went back and forth all through the park, collecting loose branches and twigs, and piling them up in a firewood pile for the Summer Sun celebration bonfires. They were taking turns firing insults at each other, which kept the conversation (if you could call it that) constant.

After the work was said and done, Shadow was invited to the bar to sate their thirst. Rainbow got notoriously cheeky when she was drinking, and Shadow wanted none of that. He saw this mare walk up to some strange stallion and start hitting on him one night. That was the first and last night he ever drank with Rainbow, because he ended up having to pull her away from the stallion who was obviously too young to be there. She was a good mare, but she couldn't hold her alcohol very well.

As Shadow trotted off, Rainbow was staring at him with hunger in her eyes. If she could get five minutes with him, she was sure she could make him hers.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Fluttershy’s Cottage+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Shadow still had some sunlight left, which made him immensely happy. This means he could help Fluttershy and actually take his time, since there was no running around to be done for the rest of the day. He liked the meek Pegasus quite a bit, because she was the only one who didn’t drool over him like the rest of the mares in town. If she did, she hid it really well.

He knocked gently on the yellow pegasus’s door, and she answered, partly hidden behind her long pink mane.

“H…Hello, Shadow.” She said softly, afraid to wake her animals.

“Hello there, Fluttershy. How are you this evening?” Shadow asked in the same gentle tone, which completely took Fluttershy by surprise. She didn’t know any stallion could have that soft a voice.

“Oh, I’m fine. Angel Bunny’s been a bit grumpy today.” She said meekly.

“When is he not grumpy?” Shadow asked her, a light chuckle escaping his muzzle.

“That’s true.” Fluttershy smiled at him, turning slightly pink.

“Well, where would you like me to start?” He asked her, eager to get to work. He hated not being busy at times.

“I’ve already had the families temporarily lodged inside here. The birdhouses are all in the shed out back. You’ll find everything you need in there too. Thank you so very much for helping me. I’m not any good with tools. I can barely even control my own wings.” She said with a small smile, happy she was mostly hidden behind her door. Her wings were painfully stiff.

“Any time, Fluttershy. I only live a few feet away so it’s no problem. I’ll hang them back in the trees when I finish.” Shadow said, going around the side of the house.

As Shadow disappeared, Fluttershy let the heat in her wings and face fully rise before she calmed herself down. She wasn’t nearly as promiscuous as Rarity or Rainbow seemed to be, but she had the same urges and needs as any other grown mare. And Shadow was so kind and gentle around her and her animals, Fluttershy would easily let him take her. But she never asked or showed any interest in him, and he seemed always too busy to show interest in her. With a disgruntled huff, she moved on into the kitchen to try and calm a raging Angel Bunny.

“Angel Bunny, stop throwing carrots at the squirrels, if you don’t mind” Fluttershy pleaded with him. With a scowl, he sprayed a mouthful of carrot at one of the squirrel babies. Fluttershy thought to herself “Always the same with him.”

Shadow could hear commotion coming from inside Fluttershy’s kitchen. He hadn’t had yet to interfere with her and her animals, but he might have to if this kept up. Fluttershy didn’t deserve any of the attitude she got from Angel Bunny. His special talent involved calming people down and talking things out, so for some odd reason, his cutie mark manifested as a golden scale with a heart on one side. But that didn’t stop him from helping out with several other things around ponyville.

He fixed three birdhouses out of the 10, before he heard a crash inside. He barged in through the back door and saw a metal colander on Fluttershy’s head, being stomped on by Angel Bunny. Fluttershy was nearly in tears, and if there’s one thing you didn’t do around Shadow, was make Fluttershy cry.

“ANGEL BUNNY.” Shadow bellowed at the small white rabbit. The sheer force of his voice made Fluttershy shriek as she dived under a table, dislodging Angel and the colander. Shadow then grabbed up Angel in a red magical field, and stared him dead in the eyes.

“Why are you being so difficult, today, Angel?” he asked the little white critter.

Some chattering and nose wiggling followed, then vigorous pointing in the direction of his sleeping basket. A hole had been chewed into it by one of the baby squirrels.

“Now, you know I can easily fix that. Why didn’t you just ask me?” Shadow asked Angel. “All you had to do was get my attention. Look.”

Shadow lifted the small basket in a red aura, and the reeds and wicker were fusing back together as if there had been no damage whatsoever. Repairing small plants was easy. Wood couldn’t just be magicked into place. Hence, Shadow had to literally rebuild the birdhouses, instead of fusing them.

“See, that wasn’t that hard, was it?” Shadow gave the somewhat happier quadruped a serene smile.

Angel darted over to his basket, thoroughly examining it before giving his approval.

Glad that’s settled.” Shadow said. “Fluttershy, you can come out. I promise I’m not going to hurt you, and I’m not mad at you.”

Fluttershy peeked out from below the table, and crept out, standing up but hanging her head slightly. “I didn’t know the babies had chewed up his basket. I thought he was mad at them because he might have been jealous.” Fluttershy said sadly.

“That’s fine, Fluttershy. But maybe pay a little more attention next time?” Shadow smiled at her.

“I will Shadow, I promise.” She said softly.

“I’m gonna finish up outside. I’ll be back to say goodbye before I go home.” Shadow went back out through the door he entered, and got back to his work.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Shadow finished up, and he went back to see Fluttershy, and show her the houses he’d fixed. After that was done, Shadow bid Fluttershy and Angel bunny goodnight, and trotted back home to his waiting cottage. A light dinner followed, and he retreated to his bedroom study, to read before he went to sleep. He fell asleep with visions of the day floating about in his head.