“How long was I out, girls?” Twilight asked.

“Best as we can tell, 12 hours or more. I think that magical meltdown drained you, and then Shadow...knocked you out...trying to save your home and yourselves. Spike and Star saw the whole thing. He was crying, Twilight. Shadow never cries. I’ve accidentally dropped a branch as thick as your neck and his tail and he didn’t even flinch. “ Rainbow Dash said, Staring at Twilight.

“I need to find him, girls. I have to. I felt like he was calling, reaching for me. He needs me to tell him I still love him.” Twilight spoke confidently.

“Good luck. It’s been raining so hard, hoofprints are washed away instantly.” Rainbow Dash spoke up. “This is a really freaky Storm. The weather Team can’t control it.”

Without missing a beat, Applejack chimed in; “We have to let it run its course before we can even think about looking for him.”

“Besides, who wants to go look for a pony in this kind of weather anyway. can you say “disasterriffic?” Pinkie added, making sense for once.

“Girls, girls, you’ve made your points quite clear.” Twilight said. “That’s why I’m going to look for him on my own.”

“WHAT?!?” The four mares shouted in unison, realizing they may have just woken up the entire household.

“No, you’re not, Twilight. With you all busted up like you are, you’d be easy prey for any sleazepony between here and the everfree.” Applejack said, stomping her hoof for emphasis.

“And all those mean hydras, cokatrices,chimeras, and manticores out there…” Fluttershy squeaked in terror at the very thought of what’s lurking out in the wide world.

“Besides, how do you know which way to even go, or that you won’t go into total meltdown mode again and level the everfree?”

“Because, behind every good mare is a good stallion, and vice versa. I need to find my husband. I have a gut instinct pulling me to him.”

“Fine...but take somepony with ya, Twi. We don’t need you getting hurt again.”

“I plan to, Applejack. Rarity is coming with me. I need to talk things out with her.”

“you do realize Rarity is afraid of anything and everything dirty, dusty, grimy, wet, muddy, and slushy, right?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Of course. But if she wants to repair our friendship, and, in turn, restore the elements of Harmony to their full potential, she’ll go with me.”

“Still…”

“I’ve got it covered, Dash.”

“At least wait until daylight, eh?” Applejack asked her. “that way we can help you pack up for the trip and see you off the right way.”

“Fine, girls, I”ll wait until daylight. But as soon as first light, I’m leaving.”

“Yes ma’am.” The four chimed in unison.” Once Twilight got something in her head, they all knew it was impossible to stop her

***

Shadow awoke that morning, fur slightly damp from the coolness inside his makeshift apartment. It was far from comfy, but livable. His internal clock told him it was about 9am, and wagered that Walnut was already up and about.
“Morning, Walnut.” Shadow said brightly, trying to hide how bone tired he really was. He trotted to the kitchen where he could smell coffee and breakfast.

“Morning, Shadow. Storm keep you up?” Walnut grunted across the table as he was perusing a newspaper article about recent weather patterns. not a lot of it made sense to him, but he knew “bad weather” in any language.

“Something like that. You?”

“Slept like a foal.”

“Amazing...May I have some of this coffee here?”

“What it’s there for…” Walnut grunted again, flipping a page.

“You’re not a morning pony, huh?” Shadow asked, trying to remain light.

“Never have been. Probably why I make barely enough food to feed me.” At this, Walnut chuckled. It sounded like a pair of trees knocking together, warm and hearty.

“Any breakfast left?”

“A few eggs and some flapjacks. Help yourself, clean your dishes.” Shadow laughed in spite of himself. Walnut sounded so much like Twilight when she was talking to the boys, and he smiled, honestly, for the first time in what seemed like days.

“So what needs doing, Walnut?” Shadow asked, wanting to make good on his promise to help.

“Nothing. This is my day of rest. I don’t do a lot around here, but it gets to the bones and muscles after a while. So all I really do is read the paper, if it comes, and usually play the radio for a bit. I still do basic housework, but not much more than that.”

“Oh. OK. Perhaps you can find something for me to do?”

“Just leave it, son. There’ll be plenty of work to be had after that storm last night. How about you tell me how you ended up sleeping in a mud puddle? Seems an awful lot to go through, when you come from ponyville.”

“I made a huge mistake, and ran away from it.”

“I know that’s not all there is to it. What drives a respectable pony like you away from the comforts of home and into the boonies, where you’re lucky I even found you.”
“Well, I don’t know where to start. I usually wouldn’t tell you about something like that, especially having just met you.”

“Everypony does stupid things. Doesn’t make them a bad pony.”

Well, I was running errands the other day….and I went to see a mare about some bedsheets, or curtains. Hell if I can remember what exactly.”

“MMhm.”

“Then, I sit down to wait for my order to finish, and I started drinking some tea that had been offered.”

“And then, I don’t remember much past that, except that I left her store and had a nagging feeling something had gone horribly, horribly wrong.”

“Ao you drank some jazzed up tea, lost your mind, and went home?”

“Yeah. Pretty much.”

“Doesn’t seem like a horribly smart idea. I wouldn’t believe it if’n I couldn’t tell you were an honest, good pony.”

“Well, I got home, and something clicked. A smell, on me, that wasn't my own. I’m not a dirty pony, honestly, but I don’t choose to smell like lavender-vanilla shampoo.”

“Now, bear in mind, I’m not a particularly stupid stallion. Not usually anyway. Why would I have been in a place much longer than necessary, and not remember why or how?”

“So, weird, unmanly smell, and missing memories...interesting.”

“So, I go to our study, and start reading all sorts of books, trying to figure out what went wrong. I was in there for hours, and found my answer, regrettably.”

“Which was?”

“I may have drank an incredibly strong love potion, shooting right past the love part and into more...carnal things.”

“Carnal?”

Shadow facehooved. Walnut was incredibly dense, at times.

“Sex, Walnut. Stinky dirty pony sex.”

“So, you bedded another mare? big deal. Young stallions like you have no control sometimes. I didn’t used to.” Walnut laughed.

“Yes, it is a big deal, because I’m married to the element of magic herself, Twilight Sparkle, who also happens to be raising our two foals.”

“Oh lord of ponies above!” Walnut spat out his coffee in a most comical fashion.

“So you cheated on your wife, who's probably, if the stories are true, one of the most powerful mares in equestria, with another of her friends?

“How’d you know it was one of her friends?”

“Stories, like this, all too common around here. Stick around a village square long enough, you hear all sorts of raunchy things.”

Shadow blinked twice, breathed deep, and returned to his tirade.

“And so, before I could even try to make things right, my wife figures it out for herself, because she’s bloody brilliant, and confronts me about it. Before I can even say a word, she starts glowing all white and purple, her voice magnifies by tenfold, and she’s going into a magical meltdown, which can only be stopped by a sudden shock to the system.”

“And lemme guess, you had to shock her system, and not in a good way?”

“I slapped her so hard, I think I knocked her out. If I didn’t stop her, she would have blown our home to splinters and dust, killing me, herself, our foals, and the boys, while leveling half of ponyville.”

“Damn, son. That really is horrible. But you did what needed to be done.”

“Even so, I felt so horrible, I left. I blacked out, and woke up here.”

“And now, for all I know, her friends, most of them anyway, want to murder me, she might STILL be out cold, and the boys are all alone with two newborns.”

“Well son, I can’t condone hitting your wife. I never laid a hoof on my Norma in all our years. What I can condone, though, is that you saved several lives, while destroying your own. It takes a real stallion to throw his life away for others.”

“I’m not a real stallion. Just an abusive husband.”

“No, you’re not, Shadow. If you really love Twilight as much as you think you do, and she feels the same, she’ll come around. They always do.”

“But, Walnut, how can you be so sure?”

“Black Walnut may be a lot of things, but I am not a liar, nor a poor judge of character. You wanted to do things even though I told you there was none. You spent hours working on that shed, when, honestly, if you had asked for a room, I’d have given you my son’s, which has been empty for years. You showed determination and backbone. I can respect that.”

“But Walnut…”

“Shut your cornhole, Shadow. You two will come around eventually, come hell or high water. I can see by the light in your eyes how happy she makes you. It’ll be alright. Promise. Just give it time.”

“I guess. It’s all I really can do.”

“And that other mare? I’m sure she feels as horrible as you do. Not many mares in my lifetime have cheated and been happy about it.”

“You know, Walnut. You remind me a lot of my father.”

“How so?”

“Let’s just say, I wasn’t always who I am now.”

“Right…Go make yourself useful. collect some heating wood for your room. it’s upstairs on the left.”

“My room?”

“There’s another storm blowin’ in. I don’t want that shed taking you with if if it blows away or falls apart.”

“Thank you, Walnut, for everything.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m not a sappy pony. Work hard, show your true self, we’ll be just fine.”

With a final, honest grin, Shadow trotted off to his chore. He was surprised that Walnut had such an optimistic feel about him and Twilight. It rubbed off slightly on Shadow. He’d made sure he collected two big piles for his room, and did the same for Walnut’s room and the den where they spent a good part of the night gambling away chores, while the storm raged outside.
***

Rarity and Twilight had spent a major part of their voyage together in awkward silence, each not knowing how to approach the subject that they both knew needed to be discussed.

They had made good progress so far, and had even gotten a fortunate lead from a few weather ponies in the next town over. They had seen Shadow pass through their village in the dead of night, crying and mumbling a name.

“And which way did he go? Twilight asked sternly, needing any bit of information possibly on her husband.

“Oh, Northwest, toward Walnut’s little farm.” But that’s still hours away by hoof. I would highly suggest laying low until the storm passes and the sky gets light.”

“Storm?! What Storm?” Rarity demanded, the first time she’d spoken in hours.

“Oh, there’s a real mean one comin’ up from the southeast, cutting itself a path through the deadlands. Nopony in their right mind will be sleeping tonight, or even outside of a basement.”

“Twilight, we really should stay here tonight. It’s not smart at all to leave.” Rarity said, concerned.

“Stay if you want. I”m going to find my husband come daybreak.”

”Twilight, that’s absolutely ludicrous! I understand how much Shadow means to you, but if you get trapped in that storm, there won’t be much left of you for him to love!”

“I’ll be fine. I have a feeling we’ll be ok.”

“Twilight, you can’t be…!” But before Rarity could finish, Twilight was already well on her way out of the sleepy little town and headed toward the deadlands.

“Celestia preserve us…” Rarity groaned, looking at the welcoming inn, then toward the road that Twilight was moving swiftly along.

“Celestia preserve us all..” Rarity moaned, quickly trotting after Twilight.

A few hours had passed, and sunlight was rapidly fading into the the distance. Rarity and Twilight were on a precarious stretch of path where the mountains and the cliffside met, scarcely leaving room for them to walk abreast.

“Twilight, I’m sorry.” Rarity finally broke the tense silence the pair had shared for much of their Journey.

“Rarity, why did you do such a thing? The element of generosity and one of my best friends slept with my husband… Surely you understand why I’m so incredibly upset with the both of you.”

“I do Twilight, I do. I was married once you know. The same thing happened to me. Except I wasn’t nearly as forgiving as you are.”

“I can’t honestly say, Rarity, that I forgive you. In time I will, but right now, Shadow is my primary concern. The foals, the boys, they all look up to him, Rarity. I can’t just let him go.”

“I know, Twilight. He really in a wonderful Stallion. I’m truly jealous he’s all yours. That’s partly the reason I took advantage of the situation. But he wasn’t acting himself, either; I scarcely see Shadow looking at other mares, much less doing unsavory things with them. He came on so strong and quickly...Like he was under a spell, or a trance.”

“But, you LET it happen, Rarity. You, the model of grace, epitome of conduct and formality...The very soul of propriety. I would never, ever expect it out of you.”

“To be fair, Twilight, all we did was have a cup of tea together while I was reapairing that material for you. But then, it all happened. I don’t remeber anything after drinking that last swallow...of the tea! The tea, Twilight!

“What about the tea, Rarity? It’s one of the most common drinks in ponyville.”

“Don’t you see, Twilight, there was something in it. I don’t know what, but something!”

“How? didn’t you brew it fresh, like always?”

“No! I saw Sweetie and Star using the teapot for some sort of school research project. Or so they told me.”

“And you think, whatever that “project” was, involved you and Shadow…” Twilight couldn’t quite use the words she wanted to just yet.

“I won’t say its the celestial truth, but I’d bet my bottom bit that it helped.”

“Well, what now? all we have is a hunch and three heartbroken ponies.”

“That’s better than no clue at all, dear.”

Then, suddenly, a loud crash echoed above their heads, and a strike of lightning lit up the sky like Celestia’s sunlight itself.

“The storm! I forgot about the Storm!” Twilight shouted in Rarity’s ear. “We need to find somewhere to lay low, fast!”

“Oh dear, where do we go? All I see is wet ground and black cliff!” Rarity shouted back. The rain was pouring upon their heads like a sky-sized water faucet, the thunder echoing loudly off of the surrounding rocks, rattling their bones under their muscles.

“We need to find a cave, or at least an overhang! Trees are too dangerous!” Twilight bellowed over the howling winds.

“My jewel spell!! where there’s jewels, caves aren’t far away!” Rarity screeched, a loud thunderclap exploding above their heads, momentarily disorienting the pair, and leaving a ringing in their ears.

“Great thinking, Rarity! lead the way! I’ll cloak us so we don’t catch a cold or go deaf!”

With that, the pair silenced themselves, pouring every bit of power they could into their respective spells.

After about ten minutes of tense silence, the pair finally collapsed just inside the mouth of a mid-sized grotto, that led about 50 feet into the side of the mountain, far away from the howling maelstrom outside. Thankfully, their saddlebags were more or less dry, and they removed their blankets and other assorted things, being sure it was all well and good.

“Twilight, we have no way to make fire. We’ll freeze to death before we can even leave this dank hole.” Rarity whined, honestly scared for her life.

“Yes we do. look.“ Twilight levitated a brick of material from within her bags proudly.

“Twilight, love, bricks don’t hold flame. They can’t even take flame.” Rarity looked skeptically at the mysterious object in Twilight’s arcane grasp.

“This isn’t a brick, Rarity. It’s hyper-compressed sawdust and cotton. This will stay lit for four hours minimum. more than enough time to dry ourselves and our sleeping gear.” Twilight finished matter-of-factly.

“How ingenious is that?” Rarity asked, Amazed.

“Shadow is a very smart pony. That’s how. He said it’s similar to things they use in his homeland, called “Duraflame” logs. But with a bit of equestrian genius, like me, we improved it to burn longer and hotter.”
“Really now? You and Shadow did all that?”

“Truthfully, we’re waiting on the Princesses’ approval for sale equestria-wide.”

“Twilight, if you gain that approval, you and Shadow will be set for life.”

“That’s what we were hoping. But so long as we can provide for our children for a little while after we’re gone, we’re fine with it.”

“You two are Truly remarkable ponies, Twilight.” Rarity said, tears forming in her eyes. “I’m indefinitely sorry for what I’ve done to you. I hope you’ll forgive me.” She finished, staring into the now lit wonder-log.

“I think everything will be just fine between all of us, Rarity.” Twilight said, hugging Rarity tightly.

“I hope so. And I genuinely wish for Shadow to be alive and well.”

“Something tells me he is.”

***

At that same moment, Shadow was laughing at a particularly raunchy joke the Black Walnut had just told him involving two ponies and a banana.
++++++

Southpaw’s Corner! again!
Hey Everypony, obviously, Southpaw here. OK, a lot happening here, too. Twilight’s more or less OK, and still wants to find Shadow. Rarity has been elected to accompany her on this journey, and Shadow finally reveals how exactly he ended up sleeping in a mud puddle on a spit of land in the middle of bucking nowhere. This chapter was done right around the second

night of working on it, and this chunk is broken up into another 3,000 words and some change. Hopefully, you all are not getting bored on the angst I have woven into this epic, but hey, I’m good with angst. Anyway, please feel free to drop me a line on my user page letting me know just how much you hate, or less likely, love me. And if you really, really like me (insert cheesy emotion-voice) watch me! Once again, happy to be back, missed you guys, Southpaw Out.

Author's Note

So I hope you all liked the update it took Southpaw and I a while to do and we have a message from Southpa-

*connection fizzles out*

Southpaw’s Corner! again!
Hey Everypony, obviously, Southpaw here. OK, a lot happening here, too. Twilight’s more or less OK, and still wants to find Shadow. Rarity has been elected to accompany her on this journey, and Shadow finally reveals how exactly he ended up sleeping in a mud puddle on a spit of land in the middle of bucking nowhere. This chapter was done right around the second night of working on it,