"Hey! Wait up!" Shadow and Fang dashed out of the house after me. All of my wounds were completely gone, and I felt freaking fantastic. "Slow down!"

"How about you speed up or leave me the fuck alone?!" Shadow snorted behind me. He flared out his wings and flapped them to gain some speed. Soon, he had passed me.

"How about you speed up Steven? Sorry Sharky!" I laughed. I tensed my back a little to check something. Eeyup, Shadow had been next to me long enough for me to copy his wings. I flared them out and flapped to speed myself up as well.

"Here we go!" I was now neck and neck with Shadow, but I pulled to a sudden stop. Shadow rocketed past me. He seemed to notice I wasn't next to him after a few seconds, and he quickly jumped into the air and turned back to me.

"Hey! Why'd you stop?"

"There's no snow!" I guestured to the grassy land around us. It was starting to get dark out, and it appeared as if all the winter wrap up chores were done.

"Yeah... I thought they might be done. Why does it matter so much to you?"

"I wanted to help..."

"Do you even know what winter wrap up is?"

"Huh? Of course I do!"

"How? I thought you were supposed to be from another world or something..."

"Oh uh... Twilight told me about all the celebrations and stuff..."

"Oh, that makes sense. Well, maybe we can still find something... come with me." He started trotting off in the direction of the town.

"Sure! Hey... Thanks for taking care of me while I was hurt..." Shadow slowed to a stop and sighed. He turned back to me.

"Stop being hurt... Please... Also, it wouldn't kill you to visit me when you aren't hurt or need my help..." I flinched.

"I'm sorry Shadow... I really want to spend more time with you, but I've got so many responsibilities now. Unity, my job, my speech lessons with Luna, and I need to spend time with all my other friends too... I still need to take Rarity out to dinner..." Shadow nodded somberly.

"I understand... just... promise you'll get less hurt? You and Applejack are all I have..." I raised my eyebrow.

"Oh, me and Applejack huh? Lemme hear about that." Shadow blushed.

"I-it's nothing..."

"It doesn't sound like nothing."

"J-just forget I s-said anything. A-anyway... Oh yeah! Rarity! That reminds me, all your friends wanted to see you when you woke up!"

"Hmm? Then why weren't they there?"

"They were kinda forced to leave to help with winter wrap up. They said they'd be back as soon as they were done... but..."

"But what?"

"I dunno... Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy sounded especially mad at you..."

"Oh crud... No way in hell I'm dealin' with that!" I thought for a moment. "Hey, how about we do some of that hanging out I owe you? I don't think I'm needed anywhere else right now, and it'll be a whole lot more fun than being yelled at. Wait! Did you say Twilight? She's back already?"

"Yeah! I'd love to finally get to hang out! Oh, and uhh... Twilight said she got into a fight with somepony. She didn't say anything else though..."

"She got in a fight?! Is she hurt?! Oh... She got into a fight with... hehe, that's rich! Ironic considering the guy she fought for will never notice her..."

"No, she's not hurt, it was an argument fight I think... Steven, what are you talking about?"

"Your brother is dead. Don't talk to Steven directly! I bet your parents are dead too!" Shadow's eyes filled with tears.

"D-don't remind me... I k-know what I've lost!"

"Ha! All your family's dead! Da na na na na Sha-dow! Oh geez! He's being mean again isn't he? See? This is what happens when you speak to him directly!"

"I know my f-family's dead!" Tears were falling down Shadow's face. "S-stop talking about it!" Clearly he wasn't listening to the 'no talking to Steven' rule. I knealt down and wrapped him in a hug.

"Calm down. It's ok... Dead family. Ignore whatever Steven says..." I pushed him away slightly and looked into his teary eyes. "Look, I've lost my family too, remember?" He nodded sadly. "But I've got new family now... You, Unity, Fang..." Fang nuzzled Shadow's side as if to prove a point. "And all my other friends too! Sure... I miss my other family." Shadow choked on a sob. "I know it hurts that they're gone, but look at what you have now. Don't let Steven get to you. As long s you have friends, you'll never really be without family. Got it bro?"

"Y-you're right..." He sniffled a few more times then wiped his eyes with a fore hoof. "S-sorry to b-break down on you like that... Normally I'm so busy that I don't have time to think about my family..."

"I know what you mean. I've been so busy since I've come here that I haven't had time to think about much at a--"

"Sharky!!!" I turned to see who was yelling at me, and I saw an angry-looking RD soaring towards me.

"Oh hey RD! We should run."

"Wow, she looks mad..."

"Yeah, I thought so too... Well, maybe she just wants to tal--"

"I'm gonna kill you!"

"Well, I think this would be a good time to... not be here. C'mon Shadow!" I grabbed Shadow and turned to the orchards. Fang was by my side the moment I started moving.

"Good idea!" I risked a quick look over my shoulder as I headed for the woods full-tilt. RD had levelled out about five feet above the ground and was rapidly gaining on me.

"Fang! Think you can slow her down?" Fang nodded at me silently, then skidded to a halt. He turned towards RD, and right as she was about to pass him, he leapt into her charge. She smacked into him, knocking them both out of the air and into a rough landing. RD sat where she landed, momentarily dazed, but Fang sprang back to his paws and took off after me. "Good boy!" I cheered him as he caught back up with me. We disappeared into the trees before RD recovered.

"SHARKY!!!"

"Wow she sounds mad. Don't you think it would have been better to just talk to her?" I looked down at Shadow in my arms and shrugged.

"Maybe, but this is more fun!"

"You're crazy. You know that, right?"

"Yes. So, what do you want to do first?" I reached a section of the trees where the branches overhead were particularly thick overhead. I stopped and placed Shadow back on the ground.

"Uhh... I dunno..."

"Hey, why don't you show me how you take care of the trees? I've been wondering how you do that." Shadow threw me a wide grin.

"Sure! Lets just... wait for a while to make sure it's safe. Then we can go get a few potions from the house!"

"Sweet! Sooo... How long do we wait?"

"Sharky!!! I will find you!" RD cried from above the trees.

"I think we're gonna be here awhile... Great. Stuck in the woods with you losers."

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"Ok... So which potion is this one again?" Shadow, Fang, and I had waited in the orchards for at least an hour before we had stopped hearing angry comments from RD and decided it was safe. I held up a brownish-green potion to Shadow. Apparently the magic elixer was only one step in the tree revitalizing process.

"That's the nutrients. You inject that one right into the roots to make the tree stronger." I picked up a little syringe we had brought with us and filled it with the liquid.

"Ok, so which root?" I held the point of the syringe over the exposed roots of the tree.

"It doesn't really matter, but make sure you choose a nice, thick one."

"That's what she said. Ok, got it." I adjusted my squatting position so that I was standing over the biggest root above ground. I slowly pushed the needle into the root.

"Ah! Careful! You need to be gentle when you inject the nutrients! You don't want to injure the roots."

"Alright, geez... OCD. Just a bit OCD." I pressed the needle further into the root very slowly. After Shadow deemed it fit, I pushed the contents of the syringe into the root. "Ok. So, is this good?"

"Perfect. Now just remove the needle, slowly." I rolled my eyes and pulled the needle out with the speed of an iceberg.

"There, that good enoug-- Ow!" An apple fell out of the tree and hit me in the head as I talked. Shadow tilted his head at me.

"That hurt?"

"Not really, just a reaction. Anyway, how many more potions other than this one?" Shadow grabbed the apple next to me with his mouth then placed it in his saddlebag.

"Just about three more."

"Holy cow! How often do you do this for the trees?!"

"I give them routine potion restorations to ensure the maximum health in each tree. About once every three days. By the time I finish the last checkup, three days have usually passed and I need to start again."

"Geez, you really do work hard don'cha? Well, which potion is next?" He dipped his head into his pouch again and came back up with a vial filled with red liquid. I took it out of his mouth so he could speak.

"This one causes the trees to produce insect-repelling chemicals in their roots. You don't have to inject this one, just pour it near the roots."

"Sweet. Here we go..." I popped the cork out of the vial and tipped the bottle over very carefully so that the liquid started dripping out of it. Shadow rolled his eyes and tipped my hand so that the vial's contents all spilled out at once.

"C'mon not everything is gentle in this process. I said to pour it, not drip it like it's going to explode."

"Right, sorry. I'm just trying to be careful." Shadow gave a short laugh.

"Blade said the same thing... You remind me a lot of him you know."

"Glad I remind you of a dead pony. Well... thanks I guess..."

"Yeah, it's a compliment. Anyway, next we have the insect repellent that takes place in the leaves. This one is a bit more difficult... I think you're too big to do this..."

"That's what she said! Man, I'm on a roll. Really? What do you have to do?"

"Well, for this one--" He pulled another vial out of his bag. This one was filled with purplish liquid. I placed the empty vial back in his bag and pulled the new one out of his mouth. "Has to be injected right into the middle of all the braches. I think you're too big for this part of the job."

"Fair point. Do you need this in the syringe?"

"Yes, hence the word 'inject'."

"Pfft... Sarcastic much..." I popped the cork out of the new vial and filled the syringe. I handed it back to Shadow. "Here ya go." He took the syringe in his mouth and flapped gently into the tree leaves. I looked up at him, quickly losing sight of him amongst the leaves. I absent-mindedly scratched Fang's head as I waited. Then, Fang suddenly sat bolt upright beside me. His ears perked up and he let out a low whimper. "What? What is it Fang?" He squirmed around beside me and got to his paws, but he didn't see what happened to me. All of the sudden, I felt something wrap around my waist. The force whipped me backward, pulling me deeper into the orchards. Fang, who had been looking in the opposite direction that I vanished, didn't notice me. I was too shocked to scream, and I flew back about 40 feet before the force released me, sending me sliding along to a rough stop. I rolled a few times, and ended up lying on my back staring up at the tree tops.

"Good! I got you!" A familiar voice came from my left. I turned my head, and Twilight was standing there. She didn't look happy.

"H-hi Twilight... H-how'd y-you find m-me?"

"I scried for you! Sharky you idiot!" She ran over to me and jumped on my chest. "You got hurt again! How?! You were in Canterlot! You were supposed to be safe!"

"Uh... y-yeah... I had to... pick up some eggs..." Then I noticed that Twilight was crying.

"Don't lie to me! 'Picking up eggs'... Do you know how worried I was for you?! Don't scare me like that Sharky!" I quickly stretched out my arms to get around to her back, then pulled her down to my chest for a hug.

"I'm sorry Twilight. You know I don't mean to scare you..." I could feel her tears on my chest.

"I... I... I want so bad to be mad at you right now... but I'm just so happy you're alive..." Twilight reached her forehooves around my chest and hugged me back. I moved my right hand up to her mane and stroked it comfortingly.

"I'm very sorry Twilight..." She lifted her head off my chest and looked into my eyes.

"I... I can't accept your apology because I know you'll scare me again..." She sighed deeply. "Look, come with me. The others will want to know you're safe..."

"... And yell at me right?"

"Most likely..."

"Stupendous. Lemme get Fang and say bye to Shadow." Twilight nodded affirmatively and I gently removed her from my chest and placed her on the ground. I quickly ran back the way Twilight had pulled me. Fang was sniffing the ground and heading towards me. "Hey boy! Comin' to look for me? Stalker. Maybe just a needy little bitch." He nodded and panted at me. "Good, we'll be leaving in just a second, so stay with me ok?" He nodded.

"Hey! Where'd you two go?!" I heard Shadow yell up ahead. I jogged towards his voice and found him at the base of the tree we had been working on.

"Hi Shadow! Sorry, I just kinda got abducted by Twilight. I have to go and tell my other friends that I'm ok. Do you mind if we finish this lesson later?"

"Not a problem. To be honest, teaching you was slowing me down. I need to get back on schedule now. We should hang out again soon though, ok?"

"You got it! Bye!" I waved at him turned to leave. Then I turned back to him.

"Hey, did Luna call me while I was out?"

"Uhh... No. Why?"

"That's odd... Did she send a bag full of bits?"

"Yeah, Twilight took it back to the library for you."

"Ok, thanks bro. Bye!" This time I turned and started jogging back to Twilight. "Ok. I'm back. Say, why are you back from Canterlot already? Shadow told me that you had been in a fight." Twilight had been sitting exactly where I left her. She leapt to her hooves when she saw me, and flinched when I asked her my question.

"Yeah... I had a little fight... It was an argument really."

"With who?"

"Nopony you need to be concerned about..." I was really curious, but I decided to respect Twilight's privacy. About this time I realized how dark it was outside.

"Ok Twilight, I understand. Well, it's getting really dark... do you wanna save seeing the others for tomorrow?" Twilight nodded happily. "Good. Well, let's get you home... Is Unity at the library?" Twilight shook her head.

"No. He was staying with Fluttershy while you and I were gone, and he's still there now."

"Well... I want to see him... but it's so late by now he's most likely asleep... I'll go get him tomorrow. Let's go home." Twilight smiled at me and nodded.

"I'd like that." Twilight and I turned to walk out of the orchards and headed home. When we reached the door, Twilight turned around and stood in front of the door. "Ok now, close your eyes!"

"Why?"

"I've got a suprise for you~!" She sang. I frowned.

"It's not a party is it?" She frowned.

"Nooo... Why?"

"Cause I hate parties."

"Well... That's news to me... Doesn't matter, it's not a party."

"Ok, I trust you." I closed my eyes tightly. Twilight giggled and I could hear the door open in front of me. She nuzzled my hand up onto her head.

"Here, follow me." I nodded and followed the feel of Twilight's head as she led me into the house. She led me up the stairs. I kicked the bottom step and stumbled, but I didn't fall. Twilight giggled again. "Oops, sorry!" I made it up the stairs and into the bedroom without further incident. I could hear Spike softly snoring off to my left. Twilight pulled me a little further forward, then stopped. "Ok, you can open your eyes now!" I opened my eyes, and on the ledge the held Twilight's bed, there was a huge new bed.

"Whoa! Twilight, did you get this for me?!"

"Of course I did! Do you like it?"

"No! It's horrible. No! I don't want you spending money on me!" Twilight's smile broadened.

"I didn't! I used some of the money from your last hunt! I just saved you a shopping trip!" Now a broad grin crossed my face.

"You did?! Awww! Thanks Twilight!" I climbed the little ledge and jumped into my bed. It had gray blankets and white sheets. There were only two, large, white, fluffy pillows. I laid down on top of the blankets, and the bed was just long enough for me. For the first time, I didn't have to bunch up my legs to sleep! "Wow! This is perfect! Thanks Twilight!" Twilight yawned.

"You're welcome Sharky... Wow, I'm tired..."

"You are? Get some sleep then." I climbed out of my bed. "I've been sleeping for the past four days, so I think I'm gonna stay up for a while before I sleep..."

"Ok... Well..." I leapt out of my bed and jumped down the ledge. I picked up Twilight in a hug.

"Thanks Twilight... This is really cool." Twilight sighed into my right shoulder.

"You're welcome..." I climbed back up the ledge and carried Twilight to her bed. I set her down and tucked her in. Then I bent down and kissed her forehead goodnight.

"Sweet dreams buddy." Twilight closed her eyes and frowned.

"Goodnight." She sounded angry, and she rolled onto her side to face away from me. I tilted my head in confusion at her, then shrugged and went back to my bed. I laid down and sighed in content. Fang bounded up the ledge and jumped into my bed. He curled up next to my feet. I smiled happily. As far as I was concerned, everything was right. However, as the night went on, I began to realize how empty my bed felt without somepony beside me. Then I realized I was thinking somepony rather than someone. Eventually, I fell into an uneasy, lonely sleep.

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February, Friday 1st

Twilight yawned and stretched awake.

"Hi Twilight..."

"Gah! Sharky! You're awake!"

"Eeyup... Twilight, I realized something..."

"Hmm? What?"

"I want a marefriend." Twilight sat bolt upright in her bed and stared at me intently.

"Go on!"

"You see, I feel like it's time for me to move on from my old life fully, and a new relationship is the perfect way to do that."

"Keep talking..."

"Also I feel I need to kind of jumpstart my acceptance of this world by starting a relationship with one of it's female inhabitants."

"Get on with it!"

"Geez! Ok! Twilight... I need to ask you a question..."