Shadow’s eyes flickered open, and the first thing that struck her was the pain. She felt like someone managed to drop an elephant playing a grand piano onto her head from all the way up in bloody Cloudsdale. Her vision was blurry, the shifting shapes and colours in front of her making the world look like a piece of incredibly bad avant-garde modern art. She shook her head, groaning as a stabbing pain shot through her skull.

“The things I do for that bitch…” She mumbled, looking around as the room came back into focus.

She lay in the same attic as before, her wings splayed out on either side of her while she lay on her back. She was surrounded by shattered wood and roof tiles, such that if she flapped her wings a couple of times she could make a pretty good-looking junk angel. Her body was covered in bruises, her padded armour and hood torn apart by magical blasts. She still smelled of scorched fur, though there didn’t seem to be any permanent damage.

Just as well...the last thing I need right now is to lose my wing like Gimpy the Earth Pony Slut. Shadow thought to herself. Where’s that little conehead asshole who did this to me, anyway?

She raised her head just a little, squeezing her eyes shut and gritting her teeth as another jab of pain shot through her brain. She certainly wasn’t in any condition to fight, at least until she’d had a shower and some bandages, so she kept her hooves crossed that he was still out for the count.

Sure enough, he was. Those sleep darts were pretty potent. The young unicorn was curled up on his side, sucking on one of his forehooves. He looked just as badly bruised as Shadow was, but at least he got to sleep it off. He whinnied softly as he snored, his torn hood flopped back. He had a pretty soft-looking light brown mane that contrasted quite nicely with his light grey fur.

Shadow struggled to her hooves, cringing as her headache worsened. Limping over to the little colt, she pulled his cloak aside.

Let’s see what you’ve got…

A hidden little pouch, stitched into his armour. That was exactly what she wanted to see. Shadow slipped a hoof into the pouch, drawing out a little photo of the little pony standing next to Rat Racer.

I heard him mention that Rat and him were brothers. Does that mean that he’s got the same thing with him that I’ve got with Sky?

She glanced down at the sleeping colt, cocking her head.

Weird. This is trippy, like I’m looking at my parallel universe self...damn, I’m ugly. Shadow mused, slipping the photo back into the pouch and settling down next to him.

“You’re fucking freaky, you know that?” She asked quietly, pushing his mane up out of his eyes. “I mean, the hugging thing was just downright fucking creepy, so I’ll tell you what. If you never do that ever again, I’ll take you home to your little conehead brother.”

“Mmmph…” Fox mumbled, pulling his hoof out of his mouth and frowning irritably. He woke up, just as bleary-eyed as she’d been only a minute earlier. He blinked a few times, gazing up at her as if she was something absolutely fascinating. “Where ‘m I…?”

“If you’re pulling some amnesia shit, I’m gonna pop a dart in your ass.” Shadow growled.

“I...no, I don’t have amnesia. Calm your crotchtits.” Fox shook his head and tried to focus. “Hey, I know you…”

“Yeah, I’m the frou-frou filly who kicked your ass.” Shadow stuck her tongue out. “What’s your name anyway, dildo-face?”

“You...kicked my ass?” Fox blinked a few times as he looked into her bright green eyes. “No way...no way...you’re far to pre…”

“Choose your words carefully, kid. They might be your last.” Shadow narrowed her eyes sternly.

“But you are!” He smiled weakly.

“Wow, I must’ve hit you harder than I thought.” Shadow sighed, waving a hoof in his face. “Either that or you really are as thick as you look.”

“Hey, there’s nothing thick about me.” Fox protested. “I clearly gave you a run for your money earlier.”

“Yeah, all the while being so adorably sexist.” Shadow huffed. “I think that big bony dipstick you’ve got jammed in your head is obstructing the flow of blood to your brain.”

“Yeah, nice to meet you too.” Fox sighed. “Look, it was a good fight, okay? Are you just gonna keep insulting me?”

“Yep!” Shadow nodded, beaming. “I’ve got a great one about your mother being so disappointed in you that she jammed a railroad spike through your head!”

“Wow, that’s not distasteful at all.” Fox rubbed his temples, groaning. “Look, I’m sorry, okay?”

Shadow cocked her head, taken aback. “I...pardon?”

“Look, we clearly got off on the wrong hoof.” Fox shook his head, getting up. “I get that it wasn’t exactly the best start, and it was all because my big brother went and robbed your sister.” He chuckled. “Adults, huh?”

“My big sis isn’t an adult. She’s a big dumb filly wearing a pegasus suit.” Shadow huffed. “But I do not like it when ponies try and shove their sharp pricks where they don’t belong.” She tapped Fox’s horn. “And I especially don’t like it when they start pointing them at my sister. Got me, conehead?”

“All right, all right!” Fox raised his forehooves defensively, sitting back on his haunches. “Look...can we start over? Here, my name’s Fox Chaser. What’s yours?” He held out a forehoof, smiling hopefully.

“Bite me.” Shadow growled, folding her forelegs and sitting back.

“Really?” Fox sighed. “You were kind of impressive back there. I’ve never met a filly who kicks ass like that before. I was kinda hoping you’d tell me where you’d learned all that.”

“I bet you’d love to know that, wouldn’t you?” Shadow said, wrapping her oversized wings around herself and glaring.

“Look, I’m not really interested in arguing with you anymore.” Fox shuffled closer, proffering the hoof again. “I’m trying to introduce myself and apologise for earlier, okay?”

“Introduce yourself to a fucking cheese grater. I’m not interested.” Shadow turned her back on him with a little squeaky growl.

Rat’s ears splayed back. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were gonna blow up at me like that, and I really didn’t mean to make you mad at me. I just wanted to protect my brother. That’s all.” He nudged her back with his nose experimentally, before bowing his head and limping over to the far side of the patch of light, curling up with a whimper again.

Shadow rolled her eyes.

Great, now look what he’s doing! He’s pulling the “wounded little puppy” card! Well, he clearly didn’t count on me! I’m way too badass to waste my time with him!

She glanced back at Fox for a moment to check that he was still there. He was.

“Hey, can’t you just teleport out of here?” She asked. Her voice was just the teeniest bit softer as she spoke.

Fox was repeatedly trying to charge his horn, but it kept powering down before he could actually fire a spell off. “Not with this concussion.” He sighed. “I’m stuck in this attic for a while. That’s why I was trying to make conversation.”

“Oh.” Shadow looked away again. There wasn’t much more that she could say.

Well, he’s fucked. Let’s go back and find Sky so that we can get on with our job. We’ve still gotta find that courier, and we’ve wasted enough time as it is.

She glanced over her shoulder at the pathetic little colt. He’d since given up trying to fire up his horn, curling up and trying to wait out the headache.

Poor little bas...NO! STOP IT! STOP IT RIGHT NOW! She rubbed her forehead grumpily. You are not gonna go soft for this asshole. You’re only allowed to do that with Sky, and only because she doesn’t give you too much shit for it. You can’t just go being nice to unicorns who try and beat you up. That’s crazy!

Shadow’s ears flicked, and she stole one last glance.

Still...he’s not getting back to his big brother without my help…

The filly let out a barely audible long-suffering groan, tucking her wings in by her sides and shuffling over to Fox. She didn’t look at him, instead becoming determinedly interested in the nearby floorboards.

“Um…” She made a very quiet grunting sound.

“Huh?” Fox’s ears perked up, swivelling a little to try and hear her a little better.

“Look, I’m…” Shadow trailed off again, descending into incomprehensible muttering.

“Wanna run that by me one more time?”

“I’m sorry, okay?!” Shadow yelped, looking up and glaring at him again. “I tend to act like a jerk when some asshole tries to blow my head off with a fucking spell, all right?”

“And I tend to act like an asshole when some jerk tackles me off of a fucking building.” Fox didn’t look up at her, but he did let out a tiny little snicker.

Shadow scratched the back of her head awkwardly, smiling. “Well...you started it…”

“Yeah, I guess I did.” He shrugged, rolling over and raising his head to look her in the eye.

“Um...my name’s Shadow.” She said simply, holding out a forehoof.

“Nice to meet you, Shadow. My name’s Fox Chaser.” He reached out, taking her hoof and shaking it.

“You already said that, dumbass.”

“Oh…sorry.”

“Hey, Fox?”

“Hmm?”

“You can let go of my hoof anytime you want.” Shadow said, narrowing her eyes.

“What do you...OH! Erm...sorry…” Fox let go, hiding his muzzle behind his hoof and going a little pink. Shadow contented herself with wiping her hoof on her cloak as if she was scared of catching the colt cooties.

“Yeah...er...no problem.” She smiled awkwardly. “So...yeah...sorry about being a bitch. I was just thinking...you need to get home to your big brother, and I’ve got my wings, so...yeah…”

“Heh, I knew you had a friendly side.” Fox smirked.

Shadow’s smile disappeared as fast as it had come. “Don’t you start, buster! If you think I’m gonna be nice to you just because you wobble your lip and burst into tears, you can fucking tongue-kiss a lathe! I’m just not enough of an asshole to leave a poor little defenceless kid trapped up here alone!”

“Who are you calling a kid?” Fox growled. “You don’t look any older than me!”

“I act older.” Shadow stuck her tongue out.

“Nuh-uh.”

“Ya-huh!”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Ya-huh times infinity!” Shadow crossed her forelegs, pouting.

“You’re cute when you do that.” Fox commented.

“Do what?”

Fox pouted as well, eyes full of mischievous glee.

Shadow pulled her face wrap up over her muzzle, going pink and growling. “You’re really pushing your luck, asswipe.”

“And you’re blushing.” Fox giggled, nudging her chest.

Shadow cringed as his hoof pressed against the scorch mark, and her soft growl grew into an angry snarl. She snapped out her hoof crossbow, cycling in a green dart and jamming it under his chin. ”Shut...up…”

“Admit it Shadow. I’m at least kinda funny!” Fox beamed brightly, looking into Shadow’s eyes without a trace of fright.

“No.” Shadow shook her head, pulling the trigger.

For the second time in as many minutes, Fox was asleep on the floor again, snoring softly with his hoof in his mouth. Shadow paced around him, wondering whether or not she could get away with kicking him in the nadgers a few times while he was down. She considered it for a little longer than she perhaps should have, but thought better of it. She wasn’t a total bitch, after all.

“Great, I’m waking up on a Saturday with a splitting headache next to a colt I don’t know, and I don’t know where the hell I am.” She grumbled, slinging Fox across her back and spreading her wings.

“When did I become my big sister?”

Shadow touched down atop the skyscraper, pulling open the roof access door to the stairwell and trotting down to Rat’s floor. The door was still hanging off of the one chain. She hurried through the aperture as it made another dangerous groaning sound.

“Sis, I’m back!” She called, trotting into the hideout. “Did you sort that asshole out ye…HOLY FUCKING LUNA I’M BLIND!”

Shadow dropped Fox to the floor with a thud, backing up and shielding her eyes with her wing.

Sky glanced up at her little sister. Rat was tied to the bed with a magic suppressor ring wrapped around the base of his horn, panting desperately as at least three unidentified objects buzzed away, strapped to his stallionhood and prostate.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Sky said, raising her forehooves diplomatically. “But I can explain.”

“Go on then! Explain!” Shadow squeaked.

“Well…” Sky began, before faltering a little. For a moment, the only noise in the room was Rat’s laboured breathing, interspersed with soft moans. “Okay, yeah, I can’t explain, but look! I got my diary back!” She beamed, pulling the aged volume out of her saddlebag and holding it up proudly.

Shadow finally drew her wing away from her face, regarding Sky with a mixture of disgust, disbelief...and maybe the tiniest shred of amusement.

“I hate you forever.” She sighed, shaking her head and trotting out of the hideout.

Only when she was clear did she smile just the tiniest little bit. It had been a pretty trying day. Between Sky’s nightmares and the whole mess with the Operatives, she’d been looking for a way to feel better, and beating the crap out of that little colt had certainly done the trick.

Besides, thought she, stepping out into the street in search of ice cream, there are far worse ways to make a new friend.