Pinks' eyes widened, as did her smile. "You... You really mean it?"

I nodded, and I felt my own smile getting wider. "Why wouldn't I mean it?"

Next thing I know, Pinks is on top of me. She'd tackled me to the ground in a hug, and she wasn't letting go anytime soon.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! A million times YES!" She kept kissing me on the cheek, and giggling.

"Well, that was the reaction I was expecting."

We both fell over onto our sides, and I felt a sharp pain down my leg. "Ack!"

Pinks let go, and pushed herself away from me. "Oh! I'm sorry! Are you OK?"

I nodded, and stood up, looking at my hind legs. "You know, Pinks, as much as I'd love to keep cuddling with you, I think we'd better get back home so I can put some bandages on my legs. I can deal with the pain, but not with an infection."

Pinks rubbed the back of her head, and smiled sheepishly. "Right... Well, lets get moving then!"

"OK, things are going back to normal again... Just gotta hope things don't go completely nuts. Again. But knowing this place, they will... Oh well. I'm used to it by now."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh MAN that stings. Note to self: Get some real rubbing alcohol, and don't use the whiskey Mr. Cake thinks he's hiding well. Heh. Hiding it behind everything else under the sink... Who does he think he's fooling?" I poured a little more whiskey on a cotton swab, and dabbed it on the wound on my right hind leg. It stung too, but I just ignored it. After that, I sat on my rear end, and wrapped a roll of bandages around each leg.

"Sheesh... It's really bad that I had to learn how to take care of myself. I mean, I couldn't just go to a hospital and say 'Oh, hey, I just got my flank carved up like a cake by mobsters that I owed money to, can I have some help?' Ugh... Well, at least I save money like this. It's way cheaper to just patch yourself up instead of going to a doctor for it all the time."

*Knock knock knock*

I stood up, and opened the door. It was Pinks, and she looked a little worried.

"Shadow, Mr. and Mrs. Cake are coming home. I just saw them at the end of the street!" Mr. and Mrs. Cake were obviously gonna be upset with me still. The only reason I was in Sugarcube Corner is because Pinks had a key, and the Cakes were making a delivery.

"Oh. Dear. Goddesses. This is NOT GOOD! Ah, wait. Duh..."

I closed my eyes and concentrated, and next thing you know, I'm invisible. "I love being able to do that."

Pinks smiled, and headed out of the room to go downstairs and meet the Cakes. "Listen, as much as I'd love for you to play hide-and-seek with them, I think we should just go down there and confront them."

I re-appeared, and shrugged. "Alright, if you say so."

We heard the door open, and Mr. Cake yelled for Pinks. She and I looked at each other, and nodded, and headed down the stairs. I heard them head into the kitchen.

"Ah, Pinkie? Could you give me some help in here?" Mr. Cake popped his head out from the doorway. "We have another delivery-" He stared at me, and I just lowered my head a bit. "What is HE doing here?"

Pinks smiled, and wrapped her hooves around me. "We're back together. I'm letting him stay here. It's wonderful, we-"

Mr. Cake cut her off. "WHAT?! How could you just let him back into your life, after he left you, just..." He did a little motion with his hoof. "Like that? He's no good, I tell you."

Pinks' hair drooped a bit. "But Mr. Cake, we're getting-"

Carrot raised his hoof, and shook his head. "Now listen, young lady, we won't have you going out with some lowlife. Not while you live under our roof."

I glared at him, and furrowed my brow. "Would you just listen to her?"

He shot me a dirty look. "You don't tell me how to run things, mister. Now I suggest you pack your bags, and get out of here."

I let out a sigh, and went to go up the stairs. "Fine. But I just want to let you know one thing."

He cocked his eyebrow. "What's that then?"

I stomped a hoof on the ground, and stared at him, the rage burning in my eyes. "We're getting married. I just proposed to her not a half an hour ago. But if you want me to move out, then fine. I'll go. Whatever." His jaw dropped, and he raised a hoof and opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but no words came out. His eyes were wide, and his pupils were the size of pins.

"Heh. That sure got to him."

I headed up the stairs, and went into Pinks' room to grab my money pouch, and... That's really all I owned. I went to head back out, but Mrs. Cake stepped into the room.

"Is it true? Are you marrying our Pinkie?"

I nodded. "Yes ma'am. And I can understand if I don't get Carrot's blessing, or if you object to it. If you don't want me marrying her, I'll take my stuff, and get out of your lives. I'm sorry for all the trouble, I really am." She took a step back, and had one hoof up. That cut her pretty deep.

"You really think we'd do that?"

I nodded again. "You seemed like you were pretty mad at me when I first came by here. What, don't hate my guts anymore?"

I saw tears building up in the corners of her eyes. "How could you say that? We were just upset because Pinkie was sad as well!"

I rolled my eyes. I wasn't exactly feeling too happy with the Cakes at the moment. "Right... So you took it out on me?"

Mrs. Cake hung her head, and looked up at me. "I guess... I guess we did. Sorry... Well, if you want to stay, I guess you can... I'll just... Leave you alone."

I trotted up to her before she turned around, and placed a hoof on her back. "You said sorry just then, right?"

She looked up to me, and nodded. "That I did..."

I smiled, and gave her a hug. "Then all is forgiven. I can really stay?"

She hugged me back, and I heard her giggle a bit. "You can, Shadow. Or should I say, Son?"

I almost fell over. "She's OK with me marrying Pinks... Wait, what about Carrot?"

"Hey, Mrs. Cake?"

She let go of me, and backed up a bit. "What?"

"Where's Carrot at?"

She dipped her head a bit. She went from happy, to downright sad. "He... Stormed out. He's pretty mad. I think he's going out to drink again. He's been doing that for years now. If he gets stressed out, he just goes out to a bar, and drowns his sorrows in liquor."

"Great... Just like my dad, when he wasn't stabbing himself with a needle."

I slid past Mrs. Cake, and she followed me down the stairs. "Where're you going?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to find your husband and talk some sense into him." She stopped, and I marched out of the door, and down the street, but I heard a voice come from Sugarcube Corner.

"Shadow!" I turned around, and looked. It was Mrs. Cake again.

"Yeah?"

She smiled, and just looked at me for a moment, until she spoke again. "... Thank you. For everything."

I grinned, and waved a hoof dismissively. "No problem."

"I wonder what she means by 'everything...'"

I ignored the thought, and instead focused on finding Mr. Cake, and having a chat with him. Hopefully, it doesn't end in violence.