Sombra dashed through the halls of the palace, the pulsation urging him to go in several, dizzying directions. Of course, the only thing that made his pursuit for The Shadow difficult was the fact that he himself was being pursued.
"Sombra!" Twilight called out to him as she made her way to the front of the hunting pack, "Come back here! We want answers!"
"And you'll get them!" Sombra shouted over his shoulder, "Just... not right now!"
"Where are you going, anyway?" Applejack exclaimed, "I thought you'd be hiding in the shadows or something malevolent!"
"I'm not here to hurt anypony! I'm here to--"
A series of loud screams interrupted him, the sound of which causing all of them to stop in their tracks. Sombra felt the pulsation within his mind speed up and grow in volume, which meant only one thing: Conscience was injured.
"What was that?" Twilight called out, the first one to question what was happening.
"It's Conscience," Sombra said in a low tone, "something's wrong. The Shadow has gotten him!"
"The Shadow...?" Twilight repeated, then gasped, "Wait a minute, are you saying that you're not...?"
"No," Sombra told her firmly as he readied himself for another sprint, "And believe me when I say that he better not have gotten to Pinkie."
"So you do love her!" Rarity exclaimed gleefully, "I knew you would never hurt her like this!"
Sombra paid her no mind as he resumed his dash through the halls, the five mares and baby dragon rushing after him. Of course, he already knew what he would find. That's what made the nightmare even worse.
* * *
"Sombry?"
Sombra blinked. "Er, sorry, Pinks, what were you saying? My mind keeps wandering."
Pinkie held a confused look for a moment longer, then shrugged before continuing. "I was just telling you how much Marble and Limestone wanted to show you around the farm! I mentioned how you know a lot about crystals and they were so excited!" She gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't make a face! They said they wouldn't fight!"
Sombra arched a brow. "Did they Pinkie Promise?"
Pinkie blinked and she was silent for a moment. Finally, she bonked herself on the head. "I knew I forgot something! Silly me!"
Sombra chuckled. "That's not like you. What's next, your Pinkie Sense being off?"
Pinkie gasped. "Don't say such things! I depend on Pinkie Sense!"
"I'm just kidding with you, Pinks," Sombra assured her before nuzzling her, "when did your sisters say the tour was going to be?"
"After breakfast!" Pinkie proclaimed.
Sombra gave her a deadpan look. "Pinkie, it's after breakfast now."
"Well, I guess now!" She told him, "Go on ahead! I'll catch up!"
Sombra blinked. "You sure? I don't want to start without you."
She waved a hoof. "It's fine! I just gotta tell Mom what's going on so that way she knows where we are!"
Sombra arched a brow in interest, but he decided that questioning Pinkie on family matters wasn't his place. He smiled at her. "Alright. I'll see you then."
And with that, Sombra left, completely unaware of the troubled frown Pinkie wore.
* * *
"Hey, Mom?"
Cloudy Quartz looked to the doorway of her sewing room and blinked in surprise as she saw Pinkie lean in. "Pinkie? What are you doing up here? I thought you and the girls were showing Sombra around the farm."
"They're starting without me," Pinkie said, somewhat troubled, "I came to talk to you about... something."
Cloudy's eyes widened. "Pinkie, I've heard that tone before..." She nodded her head to the door. "Close the door, please?"
Pinkie nodded and did as told. "Mom, I swear, I didn't know until--"
Cloudy held up a hoof. "Pinkie, just tell me that you didn't keep it a secret like last time."
Pinkie frowned. "Mom, I don't even know if it's a secret now!" She sighed. "I just don't know... I've never known, so I can't say for sure..."
Cloudy frowned. "Pinkie, does Sombra know?"
"No," Pinkie said, "and I'm not gonna tell him 'til I know for sure. It's not the first time we've had a scare, you know."
Cloudy's eyes widened. "Never tell your father that. He'd die of a heart attack, or, worse, kill Sombra for it." She frowned. "You two aren't even married, you know that?"
"Neither were you and Dad when you had Maud," Pinkie said, "besides, you were waaaaaay younger than me!"
"Yes, well," Cloudy coughed into a hoof a brush of pink went over her cheeks, "you should know better."
"But, we're engaged, so it's not that big a deal!" Pinkie protested, then immediately went silent.
Cloudy gasped. "Really? Engaged?" A manic grin went over her features. "Did he get a ring? Did he, did he, did he?"
"It's back home." Pinkie shifted sheepishly. "I was scared to bring it because I thought Daddy would get mad... Or that Marble and Limestone would argue over what kind of diamond it is."
Cloudy let out a small squeal of delight. "This is such great news! I'm so happy for you!"
"Mom, you can't tell anyone," Pinkie said in a whisper, "Dad would lose his marbles!"
"Oh, but Pinkie!" Cloudy protested, "This is such good news! Besides, your father is bound to find out sooner or later! What, are you going to tell him after you two tie the knot?" When Pinkie didn't reply, she gaped at her. "That's what you were going to do?!"
"Well?! Last time we had a scare like this, Dad nearly killed Baritone!" Pinkie reminded her, "If he found out that I was engaged and... you know, he'd totally go ballistic! And after that, he probably wouldn't let me live within miles of another stallion!" She gasped. "I wouldn't be able to see Cheesy! Oh, and he was so excited about planning the wedding!"
"You'd hire somepony else to plan your wedding? I figured you'd be all over that!"
"Sombry didn't want me to overwork myself," Pinkie told her, "he calls Cheese in for helping with party planning whenever it's a big party or in this case, a wedding. They're actually pretty good friends."
"I suppose that makes sense... Besides, you wouldn't want to do too much if you're... you know," Cloudy said.
Pinkie nodded. "Yeah. And ever since Sombry started working at the library, he saved up some bits to get us a house next to Sugarcube Corner. A place opened up when Minuette moved to Canterlot to live with her fiancee."
"Oh, who's the lucky stallion?" Cloudy asked, suddenly interested.
"It's fiancee, Mom. With two e's."
"...Oh." She shifted uncomfortably. "Anyway, Sombra seems rather serious about your engagement, so I'm sure your father won't be too upset."
Pinkie frowned. "You said that last time, and that didn't turn out too well either." She cringed. "Sorry. I'm not normally mean like that... I'm just worried about all this..."
Cloudy gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure it'll all be fine. If what Sombra said about watching the Crusaders, I'm sure he'd be a great father!"
Pinkie frowned. "See, you say that..."
* * *
Pinkie heard her bedroom door creak open and the familiar falls of Sombra's hooves. She instantly put a smile on her face. "Hey, Sombry, how was your-- Oh my, gosh!" She put a hoof over her mouth in shock as she took in Sombra's appearance. "What the hay happened to you?"
Sombra frowned at Pinkie, though it did little to take from the fact that he was covered in tree sap and white feathers, making him look like a bad version of Pinkie's old Nightmare Night costume. "Don't. Ask."
Once Pinkie managed to get over her shock, she started to giggle. "Another crusade?"
"Yes," Sombra said crisply as he struggled to walk across the room, leaving spots of sticky, feathery messes. He turned to Pinkie. "Keep Gummy out of the bathroom... And for the love of Celestia, if your shoulder feels even a little achy, tell me."
"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow!" Sombra jerked away from Pinkie. "Careful with the swabbing!"
Pinkie frowned. "Well, maybe you shouldn't have gotten burned so much!"
"You've burned your hooves on the stove more than I've gotten burned in my entire life!" Sombra shot back irritably. He sighed. "Sorry, Pinks, my flank just hurts."
"I noticed," Pinkie commented as she put another pink band aid on Sombra's flank, "where the heck did the Crusaders even get fireworks?"
"Rainbow Dash," Sombra said bitterly, "I can't wait to get her back for this... She's the cause of my flank getting burned for a second time now..."
Pinkie giggled. "Well, at least now you know what it feels like when you treat my burned hooves and get mad when I complain."
"You do it all the time! Wear some mitts, for Tartarus' sakes!" He frowned at her. "And I only get mad at you when you jerk away and make things worse for both of us!"
Pinkie frowned at him before ripping off a band aid.
"Ow!"
Pinkie gave him an innocent look. "Oh, did that hurt?"
Sombra glared at her. "I hate that I love you."
"...So are we not gonna talk about what the girls did today?" Pinkie asked, finally breaking through the lingering silence.
"No, we're not," Sombra answered, "nor will we ever."
Pinkie frowned. "Okie dokie lokie..." She paused. "I think you got lipstick on your teeth..."
Sombra's sparkly pink hoof swiped across his muzzle. "Oh, Tartarus, where?!" He glared at Pinkie when she started giggling. "Oh, that is just great, laugh it up, why don't you?"
Pinkie covered her mouth. "It's not my fault that the girls decided to give you a makeover!"
Indeed, Sombra had been a victim of the girls' attempt at gaining makeup artist cutie marks. His eyelids were caked in Rarity's trademark blue eye shadow and his lids were weighed down by matching fake lashes, thick, heavy lines of black eyeliner running along his waterline. His lips were a bright pink and were sparkly just like his hooves, along with the pink extensions the girls insisted on putting in his mane.
"You're the one who suggested that Sweetie work on her 'technique'!" Sombra argued, "Do you have any idea how long it takes an eight year-old to make matching cat eyes?"
"No," Pinkie said with a giggle.
"It takes forever!" Sombra exclaimed, sounding like Pinkie did when somepony made a Pinkie Promise, "Curse them and their crusading..." He held up his hooves and put on a fake, gleeful face. "'Cutie Mark Crusaders: Makeup Artists!'" He made a deadpan look. "I hate that you mentioned it..."
"Hey, I only brought it up because they wanted to know how clown makeup worked!" Pinkie argued, "You have no idea how hard it is to make it look the right amount of goofy!" She gasped. "Were they going to be clowns?!"
"They tried that a couple weeks ago," Sombra answered, "they quit when they found out that Sweetie had a seriously traumatic experience with them."
Pinkie frowned. "Aw..."
* * *
"That doesn't sound too bad, Pinkie," Cloudy commented, "if anything, he acted like your father did whenever you and the girls did stuff like that."
Pinkie frowned. "So we gave Dad a hooficure while he was sleeping once. He had chipped hooves!"
"I just don't see why you're so worried," Cloudy said. She gave Pinkie a reassuring smile. "Sombra seems like a good stallion and if he makes you happy, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about."
Pinkie looked down. "But, Mom--"
"No 'but's. If there is a possibility that this might be what we think it is, then you're going to have to tell him." She frowned. "You can't go around saying that you gained weight, either."
"Shoot!" Pinkie said to herself, "That was my fallback plan!" She sighed. "Alright, I guess we're going to have to find out, aren't we?"
"Not now, you aren't," Cloudy told her, "you got something to do, remember?"
Pinkie blinked. "Sombry!" She dashed out of the room, a pink streak trailing behind her as she did.
Cloudy sighed. "And so the first phase of Pie pregnancy has started... Forgetfulness."