Shadow and Twilight couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

“Shadow…”

“Twilight…”

Nothing more needed to be said. Tears were flowing freely from their eyes as they embraced each other tightly, that moment feeling like an eternity.

“Twilight, how did you find me all the way out here? I don’t even know where I am.” Shadow said, amazed at his wife’s pure drive and instinct.

“I followed your heart, love. I felt you pulling and calling for me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the entire way here, I kept hearing your voice in my head and my heart. Maybe we have some sort of magical link because we’re married, or both unicorns.”

“I won’t say that’s impossible, but highly farfetched.”

“Maybe so. It didn’t make sense to me at first, But I kind of went with it and it led me here.”
“But that storm last night, it was insane. how did you make it through the night?”

“I, we, have Rarity to thank for that.”

“Rarity? how? why?”

Sensing it was her turn to speak finally, Rarity took it.

“Shadow, you heard the story of me and the diamond dogs, as well as my cutie mark story. I used that same spell to find us a cave to sleep in overnight.” She finished solemnly, trotting slowly up to Shadow.

“Shadow, I’m so, so sorry for what I did. I can never forgive myself, but I honestly hope you will, in time. I knew you weren’t feeling yourself, but I took advantage of it. I’m disgusted with myself.”

“Rarity, even though what happened, did happen, with your direct intervention, you were able to reunite Twilight and Me. Where would our foals be without you helping Twilight make it here safely?”

“But Shadow, I dirtied your honest, good nature for my own gain. That’s hardly something for the element of generosity to brag about.” Rarity said, confused. Shadow seemed gleeful to say the least, even after the catastrophe at their home.

“No, that deed is not something to brag about, but you reuniting us after we could have been permanently done for, is.”

With that, Shadow hugged the misty eyed mare who had, to say the least, been through hell and back, along with Twilight. He didn’t linger too long, but Twilight seemed ok with it, for now.

Walnut had watched the reunion in silence, keeping to himself and leaning easily against the doorway. He had remembered his first, and last big fight with his wife. And he knew exactly where the couple were coming from.

“Well, ladies, is this the pony you were looking for?” Walnut interjected, the lovers still staring deep into each other’s eyes.

“Exactly the one.” Twilight said happily, kissing Shadow long and deep, so long, in fact, that Walnut and Rarity needed to look away for a second.

“Well, I just wouldn’t feel right sending y’all on your way without a hot meal. Would y’all care to join me for dinner tonight?”

Three stomachs grumbled in unison, answering the question for them.
“Well, dinner will probably be ready in about an hour or so. Till, then, make yourself comfortable. There’s not much here, but there is a warm fire and a radio in the next room.”

“Thank you, Walnut.” Shadow said, sparing a momentary glance at the pony.

“I’m not expecting the girls to cook, but you’re a different story, Shadow. I don’t care if she is your wife. Cook for her once in awhile. it does the heart good.”

“Wait what?”

“You heard me. You. Me. Cook Dinner. Clear?”

“Yes, Walnut”

“Good, let’s get a move on. We still have vegetables to pick and clean.”

And so, dinner was made, subsequently eaten, and then tidied up. After all was said and done, Shadow finally noticed the mark he left on Twilight, which stung him more than it did her.

“Did I do that to you, Twilight?” Shadow asked, astonished at his own display of brutality.

“Yes, you did, Shadow. But I didn’t know you did until the girls told me what they had gathered.”

“I’m so sorry honey. So Sorry…” Shadow said, gently caressing the bruise.

“It’s fine, Shadow. You had no choice. I don’t even remember the magical storm. All I remember was confronting you outside of the study, and then, I woke up laying on the reading couch with an Ice Pack on my face and Star dozing off next to me.”

“OH, celestia, Twilight! The boys! are they OK? the foals too? They saw everything..I hope they don’t hate me…” Shadow said, looking downcast at the floor.

“Relax, Shadow, the boys, the foals, they’re OK. I left them in Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie’s hooves.”

“Pinkie, really?” Shadow said skeptically. Why Pinkie, he thought to himself.

“Who better to keep them laughing and happy while we’re both gone?”

“Seems legit.” Shadow shrugged. While Pinkie was far from idea, she was better than most. Her experience with the cake babies helped.

“How are we getting home?” Rarity asked, realizing that they were low on supplies and plus one more pony.

“Well, it so happens I have an old cart in the back field. If we start on it tomorrow morning, we can have it up and running by midafternoon, and we’ll have you all back in Ponyville by suppertime.” Walnut grunted from across the room.

“Back when my son still lived here, and my wife hadn’t passed yet, we were sole providers of potatoes and carrots for the towns to the north and east. While things didn’t fetch as many bits as they do now, it was an easier way of livin’ than trekkin’ back and forth between towns for work. With me getting older in years, Norma passin’ on, and my son doing who knows what, I gave up. Been living off of what I’d managed to save up over the years.

“That’s so tragic, Walnut..” Rarity intoned, listening intently to his every word.

“Aye, so it was...I didn’t have much left in me after She’d passed.

“I don’t think I would either. She sounds like a good mare.”

“Gods above, she was. Put a raunchy young stallion like me on the straight and narrow, and I never looked back. I used to raise all sorts’ a ruckus back when. I would bed a new mare every night if’n i could get away with it…”

At that moment, Shadow snorted back laughter and Rarity gasped, her mouth dropping open.

Shadow’s laughter was halted by a swift forehoof to his right front leg, delivered by Twilight.

“Sorry hon.” Shadow grinned sheepishly.

“Regardless of...how many mares you..” Rarity swallowed hard, and then continued “...bedded…how did a single mare change all of that?” Rarity was a hound for these sorts of sappy romance stories, as vulgar and steamy as they may be at times.

“It was actually really funny and simple. I was on my way to trying my luck with another mare after I had just struck out with her, and she grabbed me by my tail and told me “If you can move that quickly from one mare to the next, how am I to know you’re worth my time you filthy stallion?!?”

“After taking a lashing like that, I couldn’t very well let it be, so I says to her, I says,

“...If you can’t let me go that easily, why should I even try again? you could be squirrel-poop crazy for all I know!” I shouted, and then, she slapped me so hard she knocked my filthy little flank to the ground in front of all my boys!” He laughed. Rarity was still aghast at the entire sequence, but couldn’t walk away.

After Walnut had regained himself, he got back to his story.

“Well, after that night, I couldn’t get that mare out of my mind. I would be thinking about her at work, or at the bar, so, I says to myself, “Walnut, if you let that mare go, you’ll never live down the fact that she whooped you good.”

“And then, things led to things led to things, and before I knew it, we was married and our son was on his way into the world…” A whimsical smile crossed Walnut’s face, and at that, he cried.

Those assembled watched in silence, knowing this was something he hadn’t done in years.

“Gods above, I miss that mare. I really do. Every day, three times a day, I visit her headstone, just to have a chat with her…” Walnut sniffed, wiping his tears. “Shame on you ponies..” Walnut was smiling whimsically once again “Making an old stallion cry like a newborn foal.”

Then, Rarity did something she wouldn’t normally ever do.

“Walnut, you’re a wonderful old stallion, and I wish you many happy years. Norma was very fortunate to have you.” She then approached him, hugging him, like a daughter would her father.

“Do you have a picture of her, Walnut?” Rarity asked, the gears turning in her head.

The hardened old pony sniffled, and then pointed at a single picture of he and his beloved on their wedding day.

“how about some old bedsheets, blankets, anything?”

“In a closet upstairs. I really ever sleep on the couch. Why?”

“If you trust me, you’ll see.”

“What am I gonna do with them?”

Rarity took that as a go ahead sign, and began constructing her latest masterpiece. She was up well into the night, and had retired long after Walnut had dozed off in front of the fire, and the lovebirds had retired to Shadow’s room.”

With a long, deep yawn, Rarity laid the blanket over the old stallion. It was that very picture, of Norma in her wedding dress, that had inspired Rarity. She had used the mare’s image as a template for a large throw blanket that Walnut could wrap up in whenever he felt cold and alone.

Walnut roused briefly, watching Rarity crawl up the stairs, exhausted beyond her limits. He’d wondered why she was still awake, and then realized what had been wrapped around him.

“That Sweet, Sweet mare….” He smiled. “I knew she wasn’t all bad…” He then fell promptly back to sleep. Morning came too early for his liking.

Rarity yawned again, and settled into Walnut and Norma’s old bed, and she slept, heavier than ever, for the first time in days.

***

The next morning dawned bright and clear, with the brilliant blue of the sky, infinite in its’ size.

The Stallions had done most of the work on the cart, repairing wheels, axles, and the like, while Twilight and Rarity had repaired the old canvas top, and even managed to refresh the paint job on the old wooden transport. The group looked upon the transport proudly, and before they knew it, they were homeward bound.

While Shadow and Walnut had chatted up front, the mares were resting in the back, Rarity especially, who had only caught maybe a three hour nap before the morning call of the rooster had woken her. At present, though, Rarity and Shadow had switched places so Twilight could be closer to Shadow. After being so close to losing him, she couldn’t bear the thought of his warm body away from her.

Before long, they had arrived in the very town Twilight and Rarity had passed through, and stopped off for a bite to eat. As Vulgar as he was sometimes, Walnut was an absolute pleasure to have around, and kept the group laughing and happy the whole trip through. As Celestia’s sun was setting, they saw the very path to Ponyville, lit up like bits of colored glass due to the naturally occurring crystals in the cobblestones.

“Everypony, y’all are home.” Walnut announced proudly, the oxen’s hooves’ clicking on the cobbles below.

“I never thought I’d be happier to see Ponyville.” Rarity said, allowing herself a smile.

“Welcome home, My Love.” Twilight said, nuzzling Shadow’s strong neck, which he accepted. No embrace had ever made him happier.

“I’m glad to be home, love.” Shadow’s voice shook slightly, and only Twilight’s warmth against his stopped him from crying.

Even sooner still, they were just arriving at the gate to their home, and who should spy them first, but Shooting Star.

“Shadow, Twilight, you’re home!!” He squeaked ecstatically, plowing into the both of them as hard as he could muster.

“I thought you would never get home, and I would never see you again, and, and…”

Star then burst into tears, soaking Shadow and Twilight’s forelegs within minutes. By now, those assembled had heard the ruckus, and were surrounding the party, bombarding them with questions about who, what, where, why, and how. Even the normally stoic and strong Applejack allowed herself a few tears of joy.

She’d never been happier to see anypony in her whole life, and was surprised, to find out, that she found herself hugging both Twilight and Shadow, cracking their neck vertebrae.

“OW, ow, AJ, too hard” the pair grunted, and they all laughed.

“And who’s this fine young mare, here?” Black Walnut said, indicating the strong orange mare that made Shadow grimace. Everypony had forgotten he was even there.

“Applejack, old timer.” She said, offering her hoof, which was shook.

“Black Walnut at your service, missus.”

“Aren’t you the charmer, stallion?” AJ said, somewhat flattered. He was strong and country, that was for sure, but yet he was a different breed of country.

“Everypony, quiet down, please.” Shadow announced loudly. Shadow didn’t speak much, so if he did, it was important.

“Everypony, this here is Black Walnut. He’s partly responsible for saving me from myself. He’s kept me safe and fed while I cleared my head, and I would like you all to treat him as you do me.”

Assorted hellos and hi’s were said, hooves shaken, and after the introductions were made, the party retreated inside to hear a full recount of the past few days’ events, on all sides of the spectrum.

The reunion was indeed joyous, and Shadow, if nopony else knew, that he had found a guardian angel in the rough old stallion named Black Walnut.

After the events had finally calmed down and most everyone had gone home or to sleep, Shadow and Twilight were dozing happily together in their bedroom, when suddenly, they felt a little lump between the two of them.

“Shadow, are you…?”

“Nope, not me.” Shadow groaned. Then a familiar pair of wings brushed against Shadow’s belly.

“Star, is that you?” Twilight sighed, half asleep. “We’re both very tired. We’ll talk to you more tomorrow, honey.”

“Yes, it’s me…” They heard an adorable little yawn, and then “I missed you guys so much. Can I sleep in here tonight?”

“I suppose. If Twilight’s fine with it.” Shadow said. Frankly, he missed Star as well, and felt he was more his son than his best friend in a pony’s body.

“It’s fine, but if either of you two start snoring, I’ll poof you to the couch.”

“Yes ma’am.” They said in synchronous, both yawning.

“Goodnight, dad.” Star mumbled, finally dozing off.

“Goodnight, my boy.” Shadow grunted, and with that, they were both out cold.

Twilight wasn’t sure what she might have just heard, but she didn’t particularly mind it, either. She was happy to have all of her boys back, be they young, old, or otherwise.

Author's Note

Welp the Shadow and Twilight have been re- *fizzles out then in* oh no you don't! Not this time! But yes they are reunited an-

*fizzles out*

Southpaw’s Corner!
Hey y’all! A lot here, as is my custom. We have two reunions, a d’aww moment, and a new character, Black Walnut, thrown into the mix! How fun is he? And, don’t forget, a GenerRarity moment! Which was kind of adorable. I had loads of fun writing Walnut’s little backstory here, as well as GenerRarity. As much as she fucked up the entire situation, and therefore, directly

affected this entire thing, I couldn’t leave her on a bad note. Even though she’s not exactly one of my favorites, I still like her. Walnut’s role won’t be exactly central to our epic, but, he’s going to be a voice of reason and guidance, with the occasional pervy quip. Shadow could use something like that, eh? And, he seems to fit pretty well in our exceptionally long dramafic.

*fizzles back in*

...What he said...