Dear Maria,
I haven't written to you in a few days, sorry about that.
I've been helping Sonic and his friends find the emeralds. We have 4, and we're pretty sure Eggman has one. The less he has the better.
Me and Pinkie have been doing fine. Although, I've been finding myself in more arguments with her recently.
...
I'm worried.
Today we have to babysit the twins while the Cakes are out at a baking competition. It should be no problem.
Hopefully.
Love,
Shadow
"Untie Pinkie! Lookie!"
Pumpkin Cake ran up to the pink mare, whom was sitting on the floor next to Pound Cake. They were all drawing, including Pinkie.
They were all out in the storefront, as today the shop was closed. The Cakes had gone out for the afternoon, and Shadow and Pinkie had to watch them. Although, Shadow was nowhere to be seen in the bakery.
Pinkie beamed at the filly.
"Aw, what a nice drawing Pumpkin!"
Pumpkin smiled back, and sat back down, Pinkie handing her another paper. Pumpkin busily got to work, as Pound flipped his paper over to continue doodling.
Pinkie stood, and glanced at the clock.
'Where is he? He was supposed to be here an hour ago.'
She gave a sigh, and looked back down to the twins.
She quickly herd the door open, and turned to see Shadow carrying a million bags in both hands.
Pinkie smiled, but there was a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"You're late."
Shadow gave an annoyed sigh.
"I would have been back sooner if you didn't use 50% more of your party supplies this month than you were supposed to." Shadow walked in, carefully making his way to the counter.
PInkie groaned, put her hoof on her head.
"Yeah, yeah. Stop reminding me."
Shadow walked behind the counter, and to the stairs. "I'll go put these bags down in the party planning cave, then I'll come back up to watch them. Can you please be more patient?"
Pinkie gave a humph, and Shadow rolled his eyes. He walked up the stairs, leaving Pinkie with the twins.
She looked down at the twins, then to the kitchen door.
'It'll be only a few minutes...'
She looked back to the foals, who were occupied in their art.
Pinkie smiled.
'Yeah. They'll be fine.'
She walked behind the counter, and into the kitchen.
But little children are curious, especially when they manage to flip a latch holding sweet throwables.
(30 minutes later)
Pinkie was carefully piping a flower pattern on the top layer of the 6 teir-cake. It wasn't finished of course, as the cake was still bare of frosting/fondant, excluding the top, which Pinkie was currently working on.
It was a black and white, chocolate and vanilla, tier-cake, and the frosting was going to be the same, white frosting on chocolate, black frosting on vanilla.
She climbed down from what she had dubbed the "confection ladder", and stared the cake, piping bag in her mouth. She was thinking.
And that's when she herd it.
"PINKIE PIE!"
She winced at his yelling voice, and set the bag down. She walked out to the storefront, and gasped.
Everything was covered head to toe in frosting and cake. This included the two cake twins, who had stopped playing around when Shadow shouted. Speaking of..
Shadow was mad. Frustrated, and mad. He turned to Pinkie.
"I thought you were watching them!"
Pinkie's ears drooped.
"I couldn't help it. I just needed to bake something!"
"Didn't I tell you to be patient?! I swear, you never seem to learn, or listen when comes to them!"
Now Pinkie was getting frustrated.
"But you said you'd be here to watch them in a minute, not an hour!"
"Well excuse me! I'm not the one wasting time and money on pointless parties no pony could give damn about!"
Pinkie gasped again. That one hurt. Tears started to pool in her eyes.
"And furthermore, you already know how troublesome the twins can be! What, are you ignoring their needs now?!"
Pinkie sniffed, and closed her eyes.
No. She was not going to take this lying down. She opened her eyes, starting to fill with rage.
"Easy for you to say! You're not the one who has juggle a baking career, party planning career, teaching career, and babysitting on top of all that! So excuse my actual ethic to work!"
"Oh, here we go, there she is, there's the annoying nucisnce I decided to date!"
The two kept arguing, their voices growing louder and louder. The cake twins cringed at the noise, then they started to feel guilty. They looked around the store. Tears appeared in their eyes.
"-And that's beacuse!-"
Two high pitched wails interrupted the argument. The couple blinked, and turned their heads to see the twins crying hysterically.
"Un-Un-"
"UNTIE AND UNKY! WE SORRY!"
"W-we dint want u to fight!"
Pinkie and Shadow suddenly had guilt written all over them. Pinkie ran out from the counter to comfort the fillies.
"Aww, Pumpkin, Pound, we weren't fighting because of you.."
Shadow now felt really bad. he walked up behind Pinkie, who was holding the two little ones in her hooves.
Pound sniffed.
"Are u ok now?"
Pinkie nodded.
"Oh babies, we're okay. We were just a little angry at each other, that's all. Now,"
Pinkie looked up and around the room, then back to the fillies.
"How about we all clean up this mess and have a nice picnic right here, before your nap?"
The twins nodded their heads, their tears starting to dry.
As Shadow stared at Pinkie, the more the gult grew heavy. But he'd have to wait to apologize. Right now, the Twins needed both of them.
...
Pound and Pumpkin cake settled into their respective beds. As part of their daily routine, they look naps in the afternoon and woke up before dinner, about the time the cakes would be home.
"Now you two get some good sleep in, okay?" Pinkie smiled as she tucked Pumpkin in, then went to Pound.
Shadow stood outside the room, near the door.
"Yes unite Pinkie."
She tucked him in, and walked to the light switch, and turned off the light.
She closed the door, and turned to look at Shadow.
Shadow had a huge amount of guilt and regret written on his face. He frowned, and looked down to the floor, closing his eyes. His ears drooped.
"Pinks... I'm sorry. What I said... It was inexcusable."
Pinkie's eyes widened a little at his abrupt apology.
Before she could respond, Shadow looked back up to her, with a stone face. It was clear he was trying to hold back his emotions.
"I'll be in the party cave, if you need me."
Shadow turned, and started to walk away. Pinkie lifted a hoof to follow, but her thoughts interrupted.
Her hoof went back to the floor, and she looked down in thought. She walked away. Pinkie entered the kitchen, and stared at the cake. She sighed, and turned, her destination: The party cave.
As Pinkie entered, she could only gasp. Shadow had organized every nook and cranny; even the party supplies were neatly tucked away in the comers of the room.
Then, she saw him.
Shadow sat at the party planning table, his head resting on it. It was clear that he was still very upset with himself.
Pinkie smiled softly.
"Shadow."
Shadow's head raised up from the table. He didn't turn.
"I thought you'd never want to see me again."
Pinkie took a few steps towards him, smiling.
"Well, we kind of live together, you know? I just can't do that."
Shadow's ears perked up at her chipper mood. He turned his head to hear. Pinkie's smile faded.
"On a serious note, what you said... Really did hurt me."
Shadow frowned, and looked down.
Pinkie walked up to him, and put a hoof on his shoulder.
"But I forgive you."
Shadow's eyes shot up to meet hers.
"But, how can you when I-"
Pinkie placed her hoof on his mouth, and smiled softly.
"I know you, Shadow. You're going to have these irritable off days, when your worst side shows."
Pinkie suddenly hugged Shadow, making him blink in surprise.
"But that's okay. You get over it, and life continues on. We'll become stronger through it."
She slid into his lap, and sat on him.
"Now, watcha working on?"
Shadow was stunned. He thought it would take a while to get on her good side again.
'She's really just going to let it go?'
He glanced down at her.
He smiled softly.
'Yeah. That's like her.'
He placed his arms around her, and gave a sigh of relief. Pinkie sunk into his arms, and the two enjoyed the moment.
After a minute, Shadow had a thought.
His hands detached from her, and he started at his hands.
Pinkie looked up to him.
"Shady?"
Shadow was silent for another moment, before his gaze met hers.
"Can I show you something?"
Pinkie nodded, and slid off him, Shadow standing.
They both made their way to the middle of the room, and sat. Shadow sat in front of Pinkie.
He placed his hands in front of himself, and her.
"You've.. Never seen my hands or feet before."
Pinkie was intrigued.
"Can.. I see them?" She asked, knowing the answer would be yes.
Shadow nodded, and moved his left hand to his right inhibitor ring.
"Unlike Sonic, I do take my shoes and gloves to wash them sometimes."
He slowly twisted it off, a golden light coming off of it and his wrist.
Pinkie looked on in awe. She had never seen him take off his inhibitor rings before.
He twisted the other off, and gently pulled his right glove off, then his left.
The red streaks on his arms went down his hands, and his ring fingers.
Pinkie reached out to grab his right hand. She didn't expect how smooth and soft they were going to be.
On his palm were the initials P.S. and the numbers 002.
Pinkie squinted.
"P.S.? What does that stand for?"
"Project Shadow."
"Oh yeah. I remember you telling me about that."
She turned her attention to the numbers.
"And the 002?"
Shadow looked away.
"I was not the first Ultimate Lifeform project. There was a prototype... But that's a story for another day."
Pinkie nodded, and turned his hand over.
She then noticed a yellow ring of energy around his wrist.
"Is that your blood?"
Shadow shook his head.
"Sort of. It's the chaos energy that flows through me. These parts where the rings are, they tell me how much energy I have in my body right now. I.. do bleed it if someone manages to make me bleed while I'm using Chaos energy."
Pinkie stared at his hands.
"They're beautiful Shadow."
Shadow was surprised to hear this.
"R-Really?"
He didn't mean to stutter, it just really caught him off guard.
"Yeah. And.. I like the way they feel."
Pinkie smiled softly at him, and Shadow gave a small smile back.
He slowly raised his hand to her cheek, and rubbed it with his thumb. Pinkie closed her eyes, and let him pet her.
Shadow moved his hand behind her ear, and scratched it.
Pinkie began to hum, clearly enjoying it.
Then, Shadow began to touch her upper neck.
Pinkie suddenly gave out a pleasure-filled moan, and tilted her head out of instinct.
Shadow immediately blushed, and retracted his hand.
"Did... Did you just moan?"
Pinkie blushed, realizing. She looked down.
"...Yeah. That's never happened before."
Shadow suddenly smirked, and came up close to her, booping her nose.
"Looks like I found your sweet spot."
Pinkie smirked back, and put a hoof to his chest.
"Not so fast, Ultimate Lifeform. You have to wait. Besides, we have a cake to make, and, you haven't shown me your feet yet."
Shadow immediately knew what she was implying by that first sentence, and blushed, scooting away. He began taking off his inhibitors on his ankles.
"Sorry. I'm only a guy after all."
Pinkie spoke as he took off his shoes and socks.
"It's okay. When I feel ready, then I'll tell you."
The red streaks down Shadow's legs went down his feet and to his pinky toe.
Shadow sighed.
"Happy?"
Pinkie stared at his feet. Then she smiled, and stood.
"Very."
Shadow reached to grab his sock when Pinkie stepped on it.
"Hey!"
Pinkie smiled.
"Oh, you're not putting your shoes or gloves on just yet."
...
Shadow finished piping a black, antiquate flower pattern on top of the white fondant of the cake.
Shadow and Pinkie were almost finished working on the black and white tier cake. Shadow was doing the bottom layer, and Pinkie was doing the one above that. They were on opposite sides of the cake.
Shadow was free of his gloves and shoes, taking in the feel of the things around him.
"You know, I almost forget what things really feel like sometimes."
Pinkie giggled.
"You must be glad I got you out of those shoes and gloves then!"
Shadow chuckled. "Yeah." Suddenly, he had a mischievous thought.
He abruptly walked around the cake, and to Pinkie. He dabbed some black icing on her cheek, making her surprised. Before she could say anything, Shadow kissed her cheek, licking it clean. This made Pinkie blush severely.
"S-Shadow!"
Shadow said nothing, he only smirked.
Pinkie soon smiled back, and the couple went back to work.
Soon, the two took a step back to gaze at their marvelous creation.
"Great work Pinks."
Pinkie smiled at Shadow.
"Oh, you helped a lot too Shady, don't shortchange yourself."
Shadow smiled at her complement.
"Thanks, but it's always you."
Shadow patted her head, and Pinkie giggled.
Just then, the couple herd the front door open.
"Pinkie Pie! Mr. Shadow! We're home!"
Mr. And Ms. Cake had arrived back from the competition.
Pinkie smiled, and yelled back.
"I'm coming!"
She turned to Shadow.
"Hey, since our job is done, how about you go out for a run? It's probably been a while since you've felt the ground below your feet."
She nuzzled him, and Shadow smiled. Pinkie walked out the kitchen as Shadow began to think, a smirk appearing on his face.
Pinkie beamed at Mr. And Ms. Cake.
"Hi Mr. and Ms. Cake! How was the competition?"
"We got third." Ms. Cake answered.
"We'll get first place next time."
Pinkie smiled, and nodded.
"You are free to go, Pinkie." Mr. Cake nodded his head, and Pinkie grinned and nodded again.
But before she could say anything, she was swept off her hooves and quickly brought to the front door.
When Pinkie realized what just happened, she looked up.
Shadow held her in his arms, and he smirked.
Pinkie cracked a huge grin.
"So, you are actually fast without those shoes."
Shadow rolled his eyes with a smile, and he ran off, with her in his arms.