The sun rose again, illuminating all Equestria and the rest of the world.
A new day for everypony to enjoy. Even though there were many that didn't agree according to their lives or moments.
And that morning, Pinkamena was one of them.

The pink mare opened her eyes, to wake up to a feeling as if she got stricken in the head with a sledgehammer. And every sound around her being the loudest thing she would have heard, making Diane take her hands to her ears seeking protection.
The last night was enjoyable, but the price in the morning was a lesson to be taken, not being her first time on the situation, but about getting free drinks.

"It's on the house, he said..." She grumbled. "Drink all you want, he said..."

Pinka dragged herself out of bed, barely walking straight, battling the hangover and her sore dry throat.
She managed to get the door of her bedroom, to be greeted by Mane with a glass of water in one hand and a pill for her head in the other, which she took with hurry.

"Good morning..?" He said with a funny smile.

"Good morning my ass..." She answered in an angry tone. "And please, no loud sounds..."

"No shit, Diane... Last night was difficult to bring you back home without alerting the squads. But for payoff, was funny to hear you ramble and sing while drunk."

"Fuck you..."

And has soon she finished her curse, Mane grabbed the table in the living room by one side and let It's two legs fall on the floor, delivering a huge sound through the basement, and bang in Pinkamena's head. After flinching for moments, she was about to grab the stallion by the neck.

"AHH! Don't tempt me!" Saying this, she stopped her move and stepped back. "I'll do It again!"

"Please... stop..." She begged while battling her headache.

"Consider this the payback from that time you left me to die slowly in a dark room. I forgive but I didn't forget, silly girl..."

"Mane, please, this is not fu-"

A force in her stomach made her stop from talking, and she rushed to the bathroom covering her mouth, locking the door behind while breathing heavily and loud to be heard in the whole place. Moments later, she let go an obnoxious loud sound, with the company of something falling on the toilet's water.

"Hey!" Said Mane "I'll leave a new pill for your head, another one for your guts and a bottle of water. Once you are finished there, we must talk. I'll give you some hours to rest a bit more... don't worry, I'll make lunch for you."

"O-ok... Thank y-" Interrupted again by her urge to relieve her stomach.

Three hours later, after some sleep and her head more free from the disaster of the morning, Pinkamena left her bedroom in a wobbling walk in her hooves. Opening the door, the smell of fried eggs and salad filled her nose.
The meal was on the table, with an empty glass and steel cutlery, waiting for her to be consumed. On the other side, Mane sitting and waiting patiently, with his arms on the table leaning over It.

"Is the morning good now?" He asked with his eyes fixed on her.

"Feeling a bit better..." She mumbled. "I guess I deserved those moments hours ago, didn't I?"

"Ask that yourself. Remember, you are the responsible of your actions, either they are good or bad..."

"Then I deserved, given the circumstances..." She headed to the chair and sat down, looking at the food, freshly made moments ago. The empty glass caught her attention and the missing drink. "Where are the drinks..?"

Mane pulled a bottle of mead, the considered drink of the Gods and the oldest alcoholic drink in the history. The golden yellow liquid reflected on the light was a beauty to be seen, but Pinkamena looked with disgust at It.

"It looks like piss... besides, please, no more alcohol..." She rambled.

"Just shut up, eat and drink this mead, It helps with hangover." And he poured the drink in the glass. "The eggs also help..."

She thanked for the tips and started eating, letting herself drool with the taste of the food, and a humming of appreciation from the honey based drink. She never had It before, was grateful of the new experience.

"So, you wanted to talk, right? About what?" She started.

"Last night, while you were drinking and chatting, my 'boss' Thunder Fists gave me a brief of a mission, which topics I couldn't deny." Mane drank a bit of mead too. "It seems the Royal geeks created a new weapon. According to Thunder, It's a revolution in military advancement."

"Ok..." She said with her mouth full. "And what is this weapon?"

"There are two, but they are pretty much the same. One is called "pistol" and the other "musket". The differences are, the pistol is for short range and is lighter, and the other is for looooonger distances and is a more heavy, obviously."

"So what is the task here? Steal some models, maybe?"

"No, that's the part that ringed a bell in my head." Mane relaxed and assumed a more serious tone in his voice, while resting now his bck on the chair. "Crystal Empire..."

"Crystal..." She whispered to herself. "I remember now, you're from there!"

"Exactly. Thunder told me they are being smuggled. His informant said there are already lots of copies from these weapons, they are easy to make, among other stuff. And like that, without control on the production, possibly there is no tracking of these weapons, so It's like they disappear once they come out of the vaults, and then, who knows what happens to them..."

Pinkamena finished her meal, and asked him if she could get her some more, complaining she barely could move and her head was still hurting a little. Without hesitation, he picked the plate and went to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, the pink mare started to think, staring at the light bulb at the ceiling, reminding her of Celestia's sun outside in the sky, and how rare It was for her to enjoy It.

Mane returned with the plate full this time.
"It's the last of what I made." He informed.

"Tell me! This means we are gonna travel?" She asked promptly.

"Oh... I have no choice. My place of birth seems to be in danger. I can't refuse this contract."

"Can I go with you?" She asked, in a way as if she was begging, leaving the grey stallion confused.

"Why are you asking? I'll need a extra pair of hands and brains!"

"I guess. It sounded like you were going alone..."

"I would, but I think I could use some company."
"On top of that, a feminine company."

"I can go then?" She asked again more happily.

"Why would I deny? Of course you can! And you will have the chance to visit the my place of origin."

"YES!! Thank you, Mane!"

After ending her last meal, Pinkamena rested on the couch while Mane washed the dishes.
While passing her eyes through the new furniture in the living room, she noticed something on a hanger. His leather jacket.
The thing Pinkamena is NOT allowed to touch...

The mare stood up with some difficulty and slowly walked to the sleeveless coat, picked up in the air and spread It, taking a look into the different colored patches on the front with the names of bands, places, some skulls here and there, and all shorts of different patches.
She turned the jacket and the big patch, red colored, in medium sized letters by the height of Mane's shoulders, the name "Sombra".

What could that mean? It was clearly a name, but of what? Could be something related to the Crystal Empire?
It was her first time that she noticed It, because It has been always covered by Mane's big long hair, and if It was on purpose, It was because he was hiding something.

While thinking in the middle of what was left of her headache, the water tap on the kitchen stopped and was clear Mane was coming.
Pinkamena quickly putted his jacket back in the hanger and jumped at the couch, covering herself with a blanket, and pretended to be sleeping, keeping an eye slightly open.

The grey stallion walked in and saw her "sleeping". He had a strange look in his eyes, as if he was being haunted.
He looked at the jacket and noticed It has been moved, and looks at her again with a blank look. Expecting something, she got ready to say anything in her defense, but instead, Mane dressed back and his state changed in an instant.
And walked away to the workshop...

"What the hell was that about?" She thought. "It's as if that jacket and him are connected. And "Sombra", what kind of name is that..?"