Shadow's Enigma

by Note Sketch

33. Finally the Decision is Made

"Ya sure finished your chores in a hurry today Big Mac." Applejack said as she walked next to her brother, both of them carrying a saddle filled with apples, no doubt freshly picked. "Was it so ya could come see Sombra?"

"Eeyup." The red stallion said, the weight of his luggage not showing one bit of strain on his large body.

"You two sure became good friends fast." The farm mare teased as she nudged her brother. "Something ya ain't telling me?"

"Eenope." He said, not amused by the direction his sister was taking the conversation.

"All Ah'm saying is that I've never seen you become such good friends with any pony before." She continued to tease.

"Ah have baby pictures of ya hidden away...the embarrassing kind."

"Ya wouldn't dare."

"Ah would." Big Mac said with a smirk on his face. As the two sent darts at each other with their eyes, they soon came close to a mare who was murmuring to herself.

"So many tests, the amount of dark magic required isn't even that much. As long as I don't over due it, I should be alright." Twilight said to herself in a hushed tone, and oblivious to her friends coming close to her, had red eyes and a devilish smirk. "Yeah, just a little something while Sombra gets better, no harm in that."

Noticing the purple mare, Applejack shouted over to her friend who was facing away from her. "Heya Twi!"

The sudden sound of her friend's voice shocked Twilight, raising her head upright and her eyes returning to their normal purple color. As if waking from a daze, she shook her head and looked at the farm ponies walking up to her. "Oh, hello Applejack. How are you this morning?"

"Just fine. Me and Big Mac are gonna go visit Sombra, see how he's doin'."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate it! I think Pinkie and Fluttershy are driving him crazy."

"How long has he been sick?"

"It's been three days. He keeps saying he isn't sick, but he is sorta weak."

"Think it might be that he's just getting old?" Applejack joked. "Ah mean, he may not look it, but he is over a thousand years old."

Every pony shared laughed as the walked. The two farm ponies invited Twilight back to her home with them to check on Sombra, and soon enough they were finding themselves back at the library's front door. As they entered, they heard rather loud rustling from somewhere inside. The three ponies all glanced at each other before making their way to Sombra's room, and as expected, the closer they got, the louder the sound.

"It's my turn!" They heard Pinkie say from behind the door they all paused on.

"But I'm not done with him yet!" Fluttershy replied. Again, more rustling was heard, but now they also heard the sound of a bed creaking. At once, Applejack and Twilight blushed as their minds rushed to dark places.

"Sombrie wants to play with me next!"

"Sombra needs to stay here in bed!"

Big Mac held a very large grin on his face as he soon realized what the mares were thinking about, chuckling briefly. Twilight, who was a little angered by what Sombra was 'doing', rushed in and shouted out.

"What do you think you're doing with Pinkie and Fluttershy!?" But as the door swung open, they saw a rather different scene than what was in their head. To each side of Sombra's bed stood a mare, pulling at his arms. They would pull him from side to side, Sombra having his eyes half open in silent annoyance. Each time he was pulled to either side of his bed, it would creak.

"Evidently, not being of physical importance." Sombra said, as he continued to swing from side to side. "These mares don't seem to understand that they are tearing my limbs apart." He said in a rather calm voice despite his situation. Pinkie and Fluttershy instantly let go of the stallion, finally allowing them some rest.

"Yer mighty popular it seems." Applejack said with a laugh, stepping in along with her brother.

"Eeyup." Big Mac said with a smirk, one that Sombra took quick notice of. Their eyes locking, he quickly understood his meaning.

"Not by choice." Sombra responded, but it did not seem to convince the red stallion.

"Ah take it these fillies haven't been letting you get much rest?" Applejack asked as she set her saddle down and offering an apple to Sombra, though he quickly raised his hoof to decline the snack. A quick glance at his nightstand soon revealed why. It was full of dirty dishes, mostly bowls no doubt from Fluttershy's homemade soup.

"Not in the slightest."

"I was trying to get you to stay in bed!" Fluttershy said, trying to prove herself innocent.

"To eat and drink more of your home remedies? I believe I have eaten enough to feed three families."

"Well...technically you've eaten enough to help heal five elephants and two leopards..." She responded while looking away, poking her hooves together in a cute fidget.

"That only proves my point."

"Which is why I wanted Sombrie to move around!" Pinkie jumped into the conversation. "He needs to pass down his food."

"But that wouldn't help his condition!"

"Ya think that maybe he just needs some sleep? Ah always feel better after a nap."

"Eeyup."

"Maybe my books have something that can help."

Sombra quietly sat on his bed, not the liking the noise in his once quiet bed quarters, but to make matters worse, they were speaking as if he did not have much choice in the matter. Truth be told, he probably didn't, he has learned that a mare with a plan is....difficult to oppose. As if things couldn't get any better, every pony heard a loud crash at the other side of the room. Sombra's window had been broken by a rainbow colored flash with something white at the end of the streak.

"There you are!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she darted straight to the stallion bound to his bed.

"I haven't left my bedroom since your prank, if you have problems finding me, then I have some bad news for you." Sombra responded, insulting her sense of direction, something all pegasi should be very skilled at.

"Don't try to change the subject!"

"No subject has even been established."

"You're really ticking me off!" Rainbow shouted to the calm stallion. Sombra smiled at the frustrated mare, a small comfort in his meek condition.

"Darling..." Rarity said, getting help from her friends to stand from where Rainbow had crashed in. She had latched on to her friend's tail in an effort to stop her, but instead she was simply dragged along for the ride. "You really must calm down."

"Calm down?! He has our tickets for the Gala! And it's in two days!" Rainbow shouted as she pointed her hoof at him.

"He doesn't have our tickets, he simply has an extra one." Twilight stepped in. "Princess Celestia said we can't have our until he gives one away to a friend so that some pony doesn't end up with two by accident."

"So he just has to choose?"

"Eeyup."

Every pony remained rather quiet as they all turned to look at Sombra. He did not really like being the new center of attention and even less knowing that two particular mares were staring rather intently at him.

"So whatcha waiting for?" Rainbow asked. "Or are you simply not gonna choose so we can't go to the Gala?"

"That isn't my intention." Sombra said as he looked away, though mostly to turn away from the stares Pinkie and Fluttershy were giving him.

"So what's taking so long? Just pick Twilight or something."

"What?!" Twilight asked out as she blushed slightly. "No no no." She said quickly glancing at her friends. "He can't choose me."

But just as Twilight said those words, Sombra quickly found an escape plan for his awkward situation. "Oh?" He added with a smile. "So tell me Sparkle, who should I choose?"

The alicorn froze in place, now she was the center of attention, and she did not like it very much either. "W-What?"

"You choose for me Sparkle, after all, we did have an agreement." He said with a smirk. Twilight suddenly remembered that she had agreed to play 'damage control' for him, and was regretting it.

"Uh..." She said, glancing around the room. "You should pick...." She said as she continued to eye every pony in the room, quickly trying to avoid Pinkie and Fluttershy's puppy eye stare. "Big Mac."

"What?" The red stallion asked out, his eyes, for the first time in a very long time, open wide.

"WHAT?!" Every other mare shouted, just as shocked.

《=●=》

"Nope nope nope nope nope." Big Mac said repeatedly to Sombra as he followed him around Sweet Apple Acres. It was the next day, meaning that the Gala was tomorrow night, and also meaning that Sombra did not have much time to convince him to agree.

"Macingtosh, please. You know of my predicament." Sombra tried to reason with him.

"Nope!" Mac shouted as he gave a hearty kick at a tree, knocking down plenty of apples, more than one of his usual bucks. "Ah ain't gonna be yer date just cause ya don't want to make a hard choice."

"You aren't going to be my date, just my 'plus one'." Sombra said, again trying to find a way to convince his friend to agree.

"That ain't much different!"

"It is! Come now Macingtosh, when was the last time you got off your farm to enjoy yourself?"

"That's besides the point." Big Mac said as he continued with his chores. Sombra also assisted him, thinking that perhaps being helpful would add in his friend's change of heart. Unfortunately, he wasn't in a very good physical state. He struggled to help with much of anything, almost collapsing under the strain he was placing on himself several times.

"Ya don't have to help. Ya ain't gonna change my mind by doing so."

"I have to try." Sombra said as he placed apples in their basket. "One, I hate not doing anything, and two, I really need you to do me this favor. I really don't want to hurt either of those mares."

Big Mac looked over at his tired friend. He was certainly genuine in his actions, and watching him struggle almost made him feel sorry for him. He sighed before placing a hoof to his forehead. "Alright...fine."

Sombra's ears perked up at the sound."Truly? You'll help me and accept the ticket?"

"Eeyup, but ya owe me one."

"Of course!" Sombra said, relieved both physically and emotionally.

"But..." Big Mac said as he came close. He'll be damned if he didn't at least have fun while he was forced to do this.

"Yes?"

"We gotta get ya a nice new outfit. In fact, we should both get new outfits. Ones that match."

"I'm not liking where you're going with this."

"Ah mean, if Ah'm gonna be yer date, we need to have outfits that compliment each other." Big Mac said with a smirk on his face. Instantly Sombra knew he was messing with him, and he didn't like it.

"You aren't my date."

"No need to get shy now Sugarcube." He continued to tease. "Ya already did the hard part of askin'."

"Technically, it was Sparkle." Sombra said as he began to walk away, not wanting to be part of his game. Big Mac began to follow him of course. He wasn't about to let this go.

"Let's go to Rarity's, she'll know how to fix us up all nice and fancy."

"Macingtosh, please stop talking." Sombra said in an annoyed tone.

"So am Ah yer trophy wife now?"

"What does that even mean!?"

《=●=》

Pinkie took long breaths as she prepared herself for what she was about to do. She was on her way to Fluttershy's cottage. She wanted to confront her, finally out everything on the table. Ever since she had realized that perhaps Fluttershy wasn't even aware of the rivalry, she had had a sour taste in her mouth and it was about time to get everything clear.

She soon found herself staring at her friend's front door, now hesitating more than she thought about actually knocking. Pinkie lifted her hoof slowly, but remained motionless as her heart began to beat faster and faster. Slowly putting her hoof back down, she was about to take a step back when the door open on it's own. Fluttershy, who was just as surprised as she was, stared at her before smiling.

"Oh hello Pinkie." She greeted.

"H-Hi Fluttershy."

"Is something wrong?" The pegasus asked, concerned to see her friend out of her usual happy personality.

"Yeah actually. Do you have a minute? I need to talk to you."

"I was about to go to Rarity to get a new dress for the Gala, but sure, come in." Fluttershy said, stepping to the side to allow her friend in. Taking another deep breath, Pinkie walked in. It was now or never. Pinkie and Fluttershy were about to have a good long talk about their relationship with Sombra.

Author's Note:

Finally! The next chapter is the Gala event! I am so excited, I've been wanting to write this since like chapter 19. Be sure that many different things will happen at the Gala!

On a side note, I will say one thing. Sombra will finally choose a mare while at the Gala, who do YOU think it will be? Let's see how many of ya'll are right

Comments

[SeanofTheDead]

Let's see. You were going for unexpected several times. So someone who isn't a current romantic interest. Someone based on the story that we would never expect... Rainbow.

[user123]

4694756
Ha, right when I saw that text I knew it was like the T.A.R.D.I.S.

[asherom]

Oh sweet Celestia. This is going to start a new shipping. Big sombra. Anyhow. The one at the gala might be........ I got a feeling for Rarity or Luna. Dont know why it just feels like its going to be one of them.

[Harmony Charmer]

OH MY GOSH , HAHAHA, BIG MAC'S A TROPHY WIFE!!!

[kniznik]

Just to get this out of the way. I noticed two obvious mistakes. In pinkie ending when she was about to knock and then put a hoof down. You called her a he and hoof a hood.
That being written.
I like where this is going. I hope Twilight doesn't send a letter to Celestia so we could have fun seeing reactions of royal family.
And who's up for ether a cat fight or an aftermath of it in the next chapter?

[kniznik]

Oh, Gala choice. Can I choose a marem hoard? No? Then I go with ether Fluters of Luna. I would also like to throw in a short fling with Celestia, or at the least some hints on her love for alternate Sombra manifesting by watching reformed Sombra. Blueblood can be part of the situation too. No one seen pretty boy date a mare if you know what I mean.

[Aerigim]

lout crash instead of loud crash but that's it, so far so great and I'm casting my vote in the Fluttershy ring.

[Moongaze14]

Great chapter. it was fun to see Fluttershy and Pinkie competing for Sombra's attention and making everybody think that they were doing sexy things to him. I also laughed when Twilight chooses Big Mac as Sombra's companion. I would like it if Fluttershy were to get together with Sombra at the Gala though, if it were possible, I would also like the herd route..

[PinkAndYellow1025]

I definitely see Sombra choosing Flutters.

[Crystal Static]

I am just waiting for a Sombra x Pinkie ship, as that is the logical end result of all of this triangulation...

Also...

Big Macintosh Apple: Professional Trophy Wife

~Crystalline Electrostatic~

[howard035]

If Pinkie's feeling sneaky, she could just confess her feelings towards Sombra... to Fluttershy. We all know how nice she is, she'll probably back off even if she has a crush on him too.

[The Batmane of equestria]

It's gonna be Twilight isn't it?

[Brony4eva]

4696316 maybe time turner/docror Whooves added a little time lord science into it so It could fit more fillies
What if it was RD lol I think its not going to be any of the mane 6 well if it is PINKIE

[TheSuperiorVision]

I new Big Mac was gonna get picked! I wish Sombra did it himself but it was still great! I love Big Mac in this!

[Cocoa Swirl 10201]

oh my gosh! i think i died of laughter! i just have no words right now, every time even mlp gets mentioned, i'll laugh like a maniac!

[A Wild Magikarp]

I have no words for how legen... Wait for it... Dary Mac was in this chapter. Great job.