"Rarity and Applejack!" Shade exclaims.

"And the Mayor, and the Flower sisters, a couple of the Wonderbolts, that cherry mare from Apploosa…" Grey bites his lip in thought, "Oh! A few of those Saddle Arabian mares, a couple zebras, Cherilee—" An axe lands in front of him and gets stuck in the stone floor.

"Enough," Shade sneers. Her eyes burn through her tinted goggles. She takes a few deep breaths and regains her composure. "No wonder mum never wants to come home."

"Hey! I have never cheated on your mother when we were together, I'll have you know!" Grey defends.

"You need to learn to keep it in your sheath!"

"But if you don't use it you lose it," Grey remarks.

Shade picks up the axe in her fetlock and peers over the haft, "You use it and you'll lose it."

Grey clears his throat and stands to his hooves. "How about I just don't mate with your friends?"

"Make it all of Equestria and we have a deal," Shade counters.

"I can live with that!" Grey smiles and holds out his right hoof.

Shade accepts her father's hoof and they shake in agreement.

I can't wait to exploit all the loopholes, Grey smirks. "So, whatcha up to now?"

"Going to go home."

"Wait!" Grey runs to his back room and returns moments later with a large cardboard box in his golden magic. "Here. Made some rings and bracelets with those gems you gave me."

"How much of the profit do you want?"

"None." Grey beams, "I just need your love and respect."

Shade harrumphs and takes the box in her magic, "I'll give you 50 percent."

As Shade walks to the front door, Grey calls out, "Love you, too, sweetheart!"

Shade had wondered why he gave her such a large box for just a rings and bracelets but the stallion had made display cases for them along with individual cases. She decides to put everything on display and put the most valuable pieces in individual cases.

Who am I anymore?

Does it matter?

I guess not.

Are you complaining?

No…

I still need to answer Muffin's feelings.

And Fluttershy.

Especially Fluttershy.

And Pinkie Pie.

Especially Pinkie Pie.

Vinyl's cure…

Still needs time to perfect.

Right.

…

Who makes you happy?

Who makes you happy?

Who does make me happy?

"Who will make me happy?"

"I'll certainly try."

Shade opens her eyes to see a grinning pony with sparkling eyes in front of her.

"Good morning, Shadey-wadey," Pinkie whispers.

Shade blinks a few times and a smile slowly pulls her lips. "Heya."

"You were talking in your sleep," Pinkie informs Shade as the ivory tricorn stretches and sits up in bed.

"Oh? What was I talking about?" Shade asks.

"Not telling!" Pinkie chimes and cartwheels out the room where the door seemingly had opened by itself.

A short while later, Shade walks downstairs to join Pinkie in the dinning room.

Shade swallows a bite of waffles and smiles at Pinkie, "With how often you are over here and how great a cook you are, I might have to let you start living here."

Pinkie giggles. "Why? You lonely?"

"Yeah…" Shade answers solemnly before she can stop herself. Shade begins to blush under Pinkie's gaze. "F-forget I said that. I don't even know why I said it," she rambles before stuffing her mouth with more waffles.

"I wouldn't mind being here where you would be less lonely," Pinkie smiles.

Shade gulps down a glass of milk. "I don't know what you're talking about," Shade says dismissively.

She stands up and takes her dishes to the sink to begin washing them. She feels Pinkie wrap her hooves around her in a warm embrace.

"I'm here for you, Shade," Pinkie whispers into Shade's ear, "for whatever you need."

"Th-thanks," Shade manages to choke out.

After a couple more minutes of hugging, Pinkie relents off of Shade. They leave the shop together and walk to the square where they have to split off. Shade, not wanting their embrace to end, wills herself away from Pinkie and heads to Fluttershy's cottage.

Shade chuckles to herself when she hears Fluttershy squeak from behind the door. The top half of the door slowly creeps open where a pair of curious peepers peep from the crack. The door shuts close and swiftly swings open.

"Hello, Shade," Fluttershy greets her friend warmly.

"Morning," Shade smiles. She enters the cottage when Fluttershy motions for her to enter.

"Would you like some tea?" Fluttershy offers.

"If we have the time," Shade replies.

As she follows her host to the dinning room, Shade spots a large bear eating at the dinning table. When the bear looks up, she sees its pupils dialate.

"You look familiar…" Shade muses at the bear.

"Who? Harry?" Fluttershy looks at the bear's rigid body. "I found him just outside the forest, nearly burnt to a crisp several years ago."

"Huh," Shade grunts, "How did that happen?"

"I have no idea." Fluttershy walks over to the bear and pets him lovingly, "The poor dear was absolutely terrified of me and other ponies for the longest time. Especially, white ponies."

"Curious."

"There, there, Harry. See? She won't hurt you. She's a friend," Fluttershy coos.

Harry gulps down his berries as the pony from his nightmares sits across the table from him. Every fiber of his being tells him to bolt out the cottage but he did not want to damage any of Miss Fluttershy's belongings. He opts to eat his food while enjoying Miss Fluttershy's gentle pets.

When the grandfather clock had rang nine times, Fluttershy had remembered the original reason for Shade's visit. The two ponies leave the cottage to go to the market.

Shade and Fluttershy spend about twenty minutes shopping, with Shade handling the haggling and carrying the produce. When they are about to leave, Fluttershy notices a family of ducks trying to cross the street. She helps the duck family cross when Shade notices a bird-lion walk up behind Fluttershy and bump into her.

"Why don't you just watch where you're going, doofus?" she hears the griffon say gruffly as Shade walks over to Fluttershy.

"B-b-b-but I... I..." Fluttershy stammers.

Just as Shade is behind Fluttershy, the griffon releases a roar, which makes Fluttershy cry.

Fluttershy runs away with tears in her eyes and crashes into another pony. She looks up ready to apologize, but notices Shade holding her and wearing a dark expression.

"You have this one chance to apologize, you over grown chicken-cat," Shade growls at the griffon.

"What did you call me, you puny pony?" the griffon retorts, puffing out her chest and wings.

"Apologize. To. Fluttershy." Shade demands.

"And if I don't? Whatcha gonna do about it?" the griffon challenges, brandishing her talons in front of Shade.

Shade grins devilishly as her horns ignite. She picks up the griffon with her magic and brings her face closer. "If you do not apologize; I will pluck your feathers out, break your bones one at at a time, skin and cook you—alive," Shade grimaces.

With no answer and only fear staring back at her, Shade begins to squeeze the griffon, "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"

"I'm... Sorry!" the griffon gurgles and chokes out.

"What are you doing?!" Rainbow Dash shouts from above.

Shade releases her magical grip and the griffon crumples to the ground gasping and coughing.

"This griffon had the audacity to make Fluttershy cry," Shade informs the cyan pegasus when she lands beside the griffon.

"What? No. Gilda wouldn't do that!" Rainbow Dash defends her friend and tries to help her up.

"It's true, Rainbow Dash," Pinkie affirms as she hops forward. "I saw everything. She even scared Granny Smith and ate an apple without paying for it!"

"Is that true, Gilda?" Rainbow Dash confronts the griffon.

"You're gonna believe these lame-os? Did you see what she almost did to me!" Gilda points a talon at the white tricorn.

Rainbow Dash frowns and steps away from Gilda to stand in front of Shade. "These 'lame-os' are my friends. And you're lucky Shade didn't outright snap you in half."

Gilda scoffs. "Whatever. Whenever you're done being a flip-flop, give me a call." She flies off, releasing a hawk like cry and dust in her wake.

Rainbow Dash watches her "friend" fly away and heaves a sigh. She turns around to face Fluttershy and Shade. "I'm sorry. I didn't know how rude she was. And Fluttershy, I'm sorry she made you cry."

Fluttershy walks over to Rainbow Dash and gives her a hug. "You did not know so it is not your fault but her own."

"Thanks, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash hugs back.

Rainbow Dash's magenta eyes lock with Shade's goggles. "Thank you for bringing her true nature to light, Shade."

"Not my original intention," is Shade's remark.

"I kinda figured," Rainbow Dash snickers.

After everything had been said and done, Fluttershy and Shade go back to Fluttershy's cottage to drop off the groceries. Shade decides to go back home and opens up her shop for the rest of the afternoon. Alas, she goes another day without selling anything.

"Maybe I should hand out flyers and put up a sign for a grand opening?" She thinks aloud to herself as she turns the sign on her do to "closed".