Starting a fire, oh boy, Shade discovers a new game to enthrall her for years to come. She flings the lump of steel at her bags calling the defenseless object a swear word under her breath. She picks up the stick beside her with both hooves and holds the end with a mangled rabbit over the fire.

She almost—almost—had the nerve to eat the damn thing raw, after experiencing difficulties wielding a knife in ones mouth to gut and skin the rabbit. If she had her hands… A sigh escapes her mouth as she stares at her bloody, dirt caked hooves.

She shakes her head. "Gotta make do with what you have," she comforts herself.

After eating her meal, she reclines on to her bags to gaze up at night sky. At least in this world she can see in color and enjoy the stars and nebulae more. Another sigh escapes her.

With technology taking over the world, the night sky was hardly dark enough to see the stars. She reminisces about the days of yore, the centuries as a captain of her own ship and crew on the high seas full of endless adventures, the vast untame wilds of her homeland where beauty abounds. She enjoys the wars the humans waged against each other every century or so.

Until those parasites got smart and stopped shooting each other and turned their guns on her people. Regardless of how powerful her people are those pests had numbers.

A snap sends her on alert and her thoughts away. She slinks away to hide in nearby bushes. She hears someone approaching closer from the other side of the clearing. A pony breaks through the bushes.

The pony is light gray with a dark lavender mane. She wears a blue—outfit of some type which Shade can not describe—and is pulling a wagon. With the aid of the campfire, Shade sees the pony's turquoise eyes scan the camp.

The pony unhitches itself from the wagon. They remove a canteen from the wagon and take a swig before sitting around the fire.

Shade emerges from the bushes and catches the attention of the pony. Her eyes stare at Shade unblinking. Shade stands by her bags and folds her legs under her as she sits keeping her eyes on the pony.

Maud can not help but stare at the ivory earth pony across from her. The pony resembles her sister's friend, with the exception of the horns and cutie mark, the latter not even present. The pony yawns and rests her head on a foreleg facing away from Maud.

Maud had hoped to reach Ghastly Gorge by nightfall but that did not work out. She considers herself lucky to have found somepony else out here in the spooky forest. The pile of bones near the fire unnerves her slightly but she thinks nothing of it as she falls asleep.

A crashing sound jostles Maud awake. Snarling and growling to her left gets her attention. She sees timber wolves leap at the ivory pony who just stomps on their heads with her forehooves. Just as Maud was going to tell the pony to watch out for the wolves behind her, the pony bucks the one that lunges at her, sending it crashing into the other. The pony wears a big smile as she punches another wolf.

The pony turns to look at Maud and her smile disappears. Clicking makes Maud turn around and she sees a timber wolf leap at her. A punch to the face makes the timber wolf break apart. She hears the pony slow down as she walks over to Maud.

The pony smirks at Maud, "Not bad."

"Thank you," is Maud's monotonous reply.

The pony holds out her right hoof, "I am Shade."

Maud shakes the offered hoof, "Maud."

Shade feels somewhat humble that no one knows about her here. By now, she was usually fighting the other person because her father did such and such or because they have heard there is a bounty on her head for being a pirate. Dawn's light begins to filter through the trees.

Shade walks over to her bags and puts them on her back. She looks over her shoulder at Maud. "See you around," Shade says and disappears through the bushes.

"Curious," Shade hums. A curious sight makes Shade tilt her head to the side nearly ninety degrees: railroad tracks.

She walks beside the track heading east which should be the way to Appleloosa, if memory serves her correctly.

Giggling stirs Shade. The cotton candy she was eating sure made a lot of noise… Her eyes shoot open. She has a face full of soft mane and a mouth full of ear.

"Am I that tasty, Shadey-wadey?" Pinkie purrs. Shade throws herself away from Pinkie and her suggestive brow wiggles.

Shade turns to her clock, not only to hide her blushing face but to also check the time.

Pinkie pounces on Shade and growls playfully, "My turn."

Before Shade could voice her objections, Pinkie nibbles on Shade's ear. Shade's body refuses to cooperate with her. Pinkie bites gently and licks Shade's ear. She feels a heat begin to kindle between her legs and her heart pounds against her chest.

Her voice fails but a moan manages to pass her lips. Pinkie stops nibbling the ear and grins at Shade. Shade quickly covers her mouth. Pinkie giggles and hops off of Shade. Before Pinkie closes the door behind her, she winks at Shade.

Shade slumps onto her pillows and can feel her face burning hotly. She sighs somewhat disappointed. She shakes her head and jumps out of bed. Perhaps a shower to cool her off?

Shade taps the counter in growing agitation. Twelve and yet again not a single customer. Four more hours until the "cute-ceañera" for Diamond Tiara. That spoiled little shi—

The front door swings open. Shade places on her practiced clerk smile which transforms to a genuine smile as Muffins walks in. The gray pegasus trots up to the counter grinning from ear to ear as she held a basket in her teeth.

"Hi, Shade," Muffins greets.

"Heya. What brings you here?"

"I need a reason to come see my best friend?" Muffins replies, setting the basket atop the counter.

"Of course not. You're always welcome here, Muffins," Shade smiles.

Muffins slides the basket closer to Shade. "These are for fixing up my house yesterday. Thank you again, Shade."

"I'm always ready to help my friends," is Shade's honest reply.

"Yeah. That's what I love about you," Muffins grins.

The smile, the face, the words—hit Shade like a train. Muffins notices the change in Shade.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel—"

"No," Shade holds up a hoof to stop. "I'm sorry. I can't figure out my feelings and I don't want to feel like I'm leading you on. I want us to just stay friends."

"We'll always be friends, Shade," Muffins smiles. She turns to leave but stops at the door, "And I'll be ready and patient for you."

The door closes and Shade smacks her face on the counter.

"Ow," Shade groans, her face stinging like her heart.