Constant Shadow
Pinkie Promise
by ShootingRainbowStar13
=========================================================================
Pinkie peered out from the house she was hiding behind.
Out there in the grassy meadows beyond Ponyville, she could see it. She could see him.
The figure was sitting at the base of an oak tree, leaning against the trunk. It was a cool and lazy afternoon, and it was obvious he was relaxing. His humanoid figure was black and red. His head was tipped forward slightly, onto his furry chest. His legs were stretched out in front of him. His arms were crossed. Even from this distance, Pinkie could see his half-closed red eyes gleaming.
He was alone, as he usually was. Pinkie's heart ached, seeing him like that. Lonely and distant from everyone else. Shut off from the world. No-one should be like that.
Even if they wanted to be like that.
Pinkie pulled her head back behind the wall. A shiver of excitement ran through her. She adjusted the cream-colored box of chocolates hidden in her poofy, pocket-like tail and smiled. It was almost time.
As she composed herself, she recalled first meeting the strange being.
From the moment she saw him, she knew he wasn't like the others from... his world. While the others were at least friendly and sociable people, he was unsmiling and closed off from everyone else. He didn't accept anyone's friendship.
And being Pinkie Pie, she had to put a stop to that.
It was the day before Hearts and Hooves Day. Pinkie had planned a small surprise, to try and help him out of his constant misery.
In one bound, she was out from behind the building. She began to prance sprightly towards the figure, a brilliant beam on her face. Her mane bounced about as she closed in on him.
He could see her coming. Pinkie knew he could. She watched as his relaxed shoulders tensed and his familiar scowl deepened. He eyed her maliciously as she approached.
"Hey there, Shadow!" she shouted.
"Pinkie Pie." Shadow the Hedghog sighed. "What do you want?"
Pinkie stopped in front of him, breathlessly looking down at him. She ran through the rehearsed lines in her head.
"You know which holiday is coming up, riiiiight?" she said in a sing-song voice.
He stiffened slightly. "The pony Valentine's Day?"
"Hearts and Hooves day, silly!"
"Whatever."
"Well, I hereby declare that you do NOT spend this holiday of good will and good cheer and goodness as a lone lonely loner!"
Shadow sat up, and uncrossed his arms. His eyes narrowed. "Says who?"
"I do, of course!" Pinkie tossed her mane.
As rehearsed, she reached back and pulled out the box of chocolate from her tail. This was what she had done to conceal other things before they were needed, seeming like she had pulled it out of of midair.
She held it up in front of him. Her smile faltered slightly when she saw him stare coldly at it. She shook it off, and continued on.
"This is to start you off!" she said.
Shadow studied the white box. "A box of assorted chocolates from Sugar Cube Corner. How wonderful." he said sarcastically.
"Go find yourself a Very Special Somebody, or at least someone to share this with!" Pinkie told him.
Shadow looked at her, bitter and irritated.
"C'mon! I just want you to have a good day with your friends!"
As the words left her mouth, Pinkie wanted to grab them back out of the air. She cringed as she watched Shadow's expression turn as black as thunderclouds. That was the wrong thing to say.
Shadow stood smoothly. He was slightly taller than Pinkie, so he could loom dangerously over her and glare down at her.
"They're not my friends. I don't need friends."
He turned away from her and walked towards Ponyville. Pinkie watched him go.
Her smile drooped and her ears flopped. She had failed her task utterly and miserably. She felt like Shadow had stabbed a hole in her heart.
She had already worked out that he didn't like the topic of friendship. But telling to her face that he didn't need friends... was...
Pinkie stared down at her rejected box of chocolates. She turned and put it carefully back into her tail. Then she walked defeatedly back towards Sugar Cube Corner, trying to hold back tears.
Shadow was angry, to say the least.
Ever since he and the others - Sonic, Tails, Amy and Rouge - had been trapped here, on this pony paradise, he had become increasingly bored and irritated. While the others saw it as a mere unplanned visit, Shadow felt like he was imprisoned. While the others befriended the pony folk, he had sat alone on the sidelines, enjoying only the night, where he could sit apart from the world and be lost in the stars.
So he was already annoyed with Pinkie Pie. The pink pony seemed to have vowed to make him smile. Everywhere he went, she was there, grinning and bouncing and generally being a nuisance. She was like... like a shadow. He couldn't get rid of her.
Shadow had tried to tolerate Pinkie. He really did. But she was pushing him towards the deep end with her increasingly annoying antics. She had to learn that Shadow needed his own space.
Shadow walked through town. He looked at the multicolored horses in distaste. Some were watering their flowers. Some were talking in the streets. All of them were carefree, peaceful smiles on their little pony faces.
They were always happy, always smiley. It was just... sickening. There shouldn't be such a beautiful place, such a peaceful realm. Not after the pain and darkness of his unforgiving world.
No. You're above these feelings.
Shadow took a deep breath. He removed the thoughts from his mind, willing them to drain away, along with his emotions.
He exhaled. He wasn't a weakling.
His mind tried to say more, but he blocked it out.
He walked towards the Golden Oaks Library. Now that Pinkie had chased him out of the meadows outside town, his closest-to-favorite spot to relax, he decided to go to Twilight's dwelling. It was the next best place to be.
But he was hopefully going home soon. He could ask Twilight about it.
He opened the door and stepped inside. It was cool, dark and quiet. The atmosphere was calming and peaceful, with the slightly musty smell of books. Shadow's frown lessened slightly.
Then there were hoofsteps on the stairway. Twilight appeared, smiling welcomingly.
Twilight was one of the only ponies he didn't really mind being around. She understood his need for privacy and usually only greeted him before just leaving him alone when he entered the library. She was less babyish than the others, perhaps because she was royalty.
"Hello, Shadow." She said with a nod of her head. She walked past and began arranging books with her magic. "I'll just tell you that I'm much closer to finding a way home for you."
"Really?" Shadow's spirits lifted. Could he finally get out of this place?
"It might take a while, though. I have no idea how you got here, and sending you back will be possible... but tricky."
Shadow's spirits sank.
Twilight finished arranging the books, and turned to a separate part of the library and gathered some thick volumes. "Here because of Pinkie Pie?" she asked casually.
Shadow grimaced. "You have no idea."
Twilight began to say something, then thought the better of it. It would only annoy the hedgehog. She turned, carrying several books in her magic, and left him to muse on his own.
"Call me if you need me." she said, slightly lamely.
Shadow sniffed, sitting down in the corner of the room - where Twilight had arranged a chair for Shadow's usual visits - and made himself comfortable. He called after her.
"I don't need anyone."
Pinkie was absentmindedly baking muffins in Sugar Cube Corner.
She had gotten over her earlier failure, but her lingering curiosity filled up the space instead. It always came back to her, whenever she was dissed by Shadow.
'Why? Why does he push me away? What happened to him to make him like that?'
Thoughtfully, she poured sugar into the bowl. A little too much sugar.
She remembered the Cranky Doodle incident. The grumpy mule had treated her much like Shadow had. He hadn't wanted her company, he didn't want to be her friend.
But it was only because he had loved someone he thought he had lost. When he found her again he became much nicer, although he was still introverted and quiet. Pinkie had learnt from that lesson. Some people needed their privacy.
She dumped butter and some candy into the bowl without measuring them, and stirred, deep in thought.
But Cranky Doodle had gotten his happy ever after. He was with his Matilda. All he wanted now was to be with her, undisturbed.
Shadow was still living his story. He must be alone and distant because something bad must had happened to him, like it had happened to Cranky. Leaving him alone to wallow in his sorrows was the worst thing Pinkie could do. It would only make him worse.
Pinkie poured the half-stirred batter untidily into little cups, opened the oven and put the finished muffins inside.
'So I'm not going to try and just make Shadow happy. I have to try and find out what happened to him, and what I could do to make it better.'
She wondered what she could do to achieve that. The box of chocolates wasn't good enough. It had to be something bigger, better. Something that would draw him out of his shell.
And right then, the most perfect solution struck.
Pinkie's face split into a grin as the plan unfolded in her head. She began bouncing with excitement, a squeal rising in her throat.
Of course! What was she best at?
PARTIES!!!!
She could throw Shadow a surprise party! He couldn't say no to something like that, something that Pinkie had put so much effort into! Then while he was stunned by Pinkie's thoughtfulness, she could try to get the truth out of him!
And even better! ON HEARTS AND HOOVES DAY!!
Pinkie was already eager to start the planning. She bounced on her hooves, squealing with excitement, going round in circles as her mind was momentarily scrambled.
Then she shot from the room, sending the bar doors flapping madly. She forgot the muffins.
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Ausgezeichnet.
Keep up the good work.
Wait I didn't know Shadow loves Luna in Chaos and Harmony crossing paths.
IM SO LOST
ayyy it's 2015 but nice story so far!
By the way, I'm about to do a fanfic read soon on this.