“Unbelievable.” Shadow rolled her eyes as she sat at the table outside the sundae shop. She swung her fluffy little hind legs under the table, irritably looking over at Central Park.

The whole day had been beautiful and bright since they’d caught the train down here, and now the sun was slipping behind the buildings, signalling that dusk was on the approach. Shadow, who had never seen a city quite as big as this, was enjoying one of her favourite pastimes - pony watching.

Ooooh, she’s fat… She mused, drawing her eyes away from the happy couple in the park and instead focussing on a most rotund madam waddling by. The filly let out a cheeky giggle, sipping on her milkshake and waggling her hind hooves more excitedly than ever. She almost had fat pony bingo!

Ooooh, he is too! Oh, wait...he’s a hippo… Shadow sighed, cocking her head at the absolute cornucopia of gossipy ponies, minotaurs, camels and zebras. So many different cultures, different creatures that she’d never seen before. Of course, she’d tried to ask one or two minotaurs a few questions, but they were clearly far too busy doing minotaur things to pay any attention to her. In this city, it seemed like a little filly like her was always going to be ignored.

I knew the world was fucking huge. Shadow mused, looking up at the hundreds of skyscrapers that loomed over her like monstrous demons. I just can’t remember it ever making me feel so small.

She sighed, sipping her milkshake pensively as she took in the strange city around her. Maybe when she finally went to Celestialand or something the deep philosophical questions she wrestled with would have the courtesy to piss off. After all, questions about her place in the world had no place with awesome rollercoasters and overpriced fast food.

“Piss off, Fox.” She said simply, caught in the shade of a pony she couldn’t see.

“Awww, come on Shadow, I just wanted to get to know you, that’s all!” Fox pouted, trotting around in front of her and dragging a chair up to her table. “Is that so wrong?”

“What makes you think I wanna get to know anypony?” Shadow raised an eyebrow, cradling her drink between her fluffy forehooves and sliding it just out of reach of the would-be milkshake thief.

“Come on, I’ve never met a pony like you before!” Fox said pleadingly, putting his forehooves down on the table. “You’ve never met a pony like me either, have you?”

“Bullshit.” Shadow pouted, sliding her drink just a little further out of reach of the thirsty colt. “I meet a lot of braindead assholes in my line of work.”

Fox’s ears flopped back. “Look, you don’t have to be mean…”

“And you don’t have to be a boneheaded prick, and yet here we are.” Shadow stuck her tongue out, closing her eyes.

They snapped open again when she heard a quiet slurping noise coming from right underneath her muzzle. She glanced down, almost afraid to look and see what was going on. Sure enough, Fox was leaning across the entire table, slurping away at her milkshake.

“EEEEWWWWW!” Shadow yelped, batting him in the face and shuffling so far back in her chair that she bumped into the next table along. “Get the fuck off of it! You’re getting your...your colt germs all over it!”

Fox sat back, grinning triumphantly. “You’re so cute when you’re grossed out!”

“Fuck off! I’m not cute! Get out of it!” Shadow yelped, grabbing the milkshake back and examining it like a morsel that’s been dropped on the floor. Her ears twitched as she tried to establish whether the ten-second rule applies to a milkshake that some nobhead’s gone and wrapped his bloody great lips around it. She eventually declared it unsalvageable, pushing it across the table for Fox to finish off.

Fox took the milkshake, cocking his head as he slurped away. “Are you okay, Shadow?”

“No, I’m not, for your information!” Shadow scowled, crossing her forelegs sulkily. “I was enjoying a perfectly good milkshake and everything was quiet, then you had to come along with your big blundering ass and ruin everything!”

“Aw, come on! I’m not as bad as that!” Fox protested, poking another straw into the milkshake and nudging Shadow’s foreleg hopefully. “Come on, trust me, you’ll think I’m awesome if you just get to know me!”

“I’d rather sodomise myself with a hedgehog on a stick.” Shadow replied evenly, sticking her tongue out. She eyed the second straw with distrust. “Um...what’re you doing?”

“Sharing!” Fox pushed the milkshake back into the centre of the table so that Shadow could reach as well.

“Share...what the hell’s your game, buddy?” She inquired cautiously, cocking an eyebrow.

“I don’t have a game!” Fox said defensively. “You’ve gotta stop being so suspicious of everypony, Shadow! The way you act, anypony would think that you’ve never had a friend before!”

“And this is what friends do, is it?” She grunted. “Share infected milkshakes and make nuisances of themselves?”

“Well, it kinda sounds bad if you say it that way, but kinda, yeah.” Fox shrugged. “You really haven’t had a friend before, have you?”

“You know what? I really don’t need anypony analysing me.” Shadow shook her head. “My sister’s given me everything I ever bloody well need. I don’t need friends, okay? I can take care of myself and her.”

“Everypony needs friends!” Fox squeaked. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve...I’ve never had one before either…”

“I’ll try and contain my amazement.” Shadow deadpanned, her voice dull. “You’re such a nice and really-not-annoying-at-all little colt. How could you not have any friends?”

Fox, unfortunately, failed to pick up on her sarcasm, taking her hoof and squeezing it. “Awww! You’re so sweet, Shadow!”

“Eep!” Shadow blanched, eyes darting from his hoof to his face. If looks could kill, she’d be a mass-murderer.

Fox closed his eyes, beaming as he slurped away at the milkshake. He didn’t seem to have noticed Shadow’s distress, nor would he really have cared if he had.

“Ge...get off of me!” Shadow yelped, trying to pull her hoof away. All she got for her trouble was another friendly squeeze from the young unicorn.

“You know something?” Fox asked. “Fillies don’t really notice me, but you did, even if it was just so you could beat me up!” He scooted his chair a little way around the table, just a tad closer to Shadow. “Nopony’s ever been this nice to me before.”

“You...think I’m nice?” Shadow asked, taken aback.

“Well yeah! I mean, you beat me up, but I kinda started it. You waited until I woke up and offered to fly me back to see my brother again, and then you shared a milkshake with me! I mean, if that’s not nice, then I don’t know what is!” He gave a friendly little squee, opening his eyes.

“O...oh.” Shadow looked down at the table, tilting her head. “Well…you know, you’re welcome for all of that, I guess. Still...you’ve got a really fucked-up idea of what “nice” is.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…” Shadow faltered, realising that she didn’t quite know how to explain it. “I mean...like...nicer than me.”

“But I’ve never met a pony who’s nicer than you!” Fox smiled brightly.

“You really don’t get out much, do you?” She sighed, looking at him incredulously. “You know that there are way nicer ponies than me out there, right?”

“Maybe,” Fox shrugged, “but what’s important is that I met you! I mean, I dunno if you realise it, but this is kind of a big deal for me! I’ve never had any friends before, and I meet one and it’s a filly! This is the luckiest day ever!”

Shadow didn’t rightly know how to respond to that. It was certainly flattering, sure, but she still felt incredibly inclined to grab his ear and twist it until he let her go.

Still...he looks like he’s been lonely for ages. Does his brother even pay attention to him? I could’ve sworn that he’d be hanging out with him...unless he and Sky are still going at it…

She sighed, patting his hoof reassuringly. “Well...that’s pretty nice of you to say, Fox. You know there’s nothing special about me being a filly though, right?”

Fox scooted a little closer, looking her up and down. “Well...I dunno about that. See, I don’t get to talk to many fillies. Um...what’s it like?”

“Great! The hours are sort of shit, but there’s a ton of benefits!” Shadow rolled her eyes. How did he get this close? He wasn’t on this side of the table a minute ago… “Seriously though, it’s really nothing special. Now will you stop treating me like being a girl makes me somehow different, please?”

“But...you’re a friend…and...and you’re a filly…” Fox was right up next to her at this point, the milkshake completely forgotten at this point. He leaned in and nuzzled her cheek hopefully.

You could almost hear the ticking sound as Shadow’s brain put two and two together, taking into account all of her interactions with him up until this point, his comments from the time they’d spent together in the attic, everything that had led to him sitting here with her. He wasn’t taking his eyes off of her, and Shadow could feel her cheeks growing warm again, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

She glanced across at him, meeting his gaze. For a moment - one long, magical moment - her green eyes bored into his amber ones, and the two young ponies seemed to stare into each others’ souls. Shadow bit her lower lip as she extended a shaking forehoof around Fox’s head, leaning closer to him.

It was a perfect moment that regrettably had to end. Shadow chose to end it by slamming Fox’s head into the table, growling viciously.

“Don’t get fresh with me, dipstick-head!” She barked, hopping off of her chair. She spread her wings, not looking back at the dazed little colt as she took off into the chill dusk air.

I thought I said I wasn’t doing this fucking story arc! She frowned as she quickly gained altitude, leaving a blue and brown trail behind her as she picked up speed. Even if he did consider her a friend, Shadow was eager to put as much distance between her and Fox as possible.

That colt ain’t right…

The little filly peeked over the edge of the windowsill into Rat’s hideout, preparing for the worst. Fortunately for her, the hideout was not only free of acts most carnal and deviant, Sky and Rat were actually relaxing together, tucked up in each others’ hooves in the bottom bunk.

Awww, that’s so cute! Shadow smiled softly at her worn-out big sister. Time to ruin it!

The filly floated up before working her way through the shattered window, wary of the shards of broken glass still sticking out of the frame. Fortunately, she just missed the worst of it, tucking in her wings under her torn cloak and trotting over to the bed.

Shadow clambered onto the bed with the two adults, settling down on top of her big sister and lazily batting at her face with a hoof.

“Oi, dipshit! We’ve still got a job to do, now that you’ve finished acting like a complete cock-socket!” She glowered.

“Wha...who…?” Sky scrunched her snout, cracking one eye open and looking up into her sister’s grumpy little face. She’s so fluffy when she’s angry!

“Come on, you’ve had your fun!” Shadow growled, leaning down and biting Sky’s ear. “Courier, super-soldiers, fucking life-and-death situation? Remember?”

“Eep!” Sky whimpered, going completely limp as Shadow’s teeth fastened around her ear. She reached up with a forehoof to shove her off, but she was shivering far too much. Shadow promptly let go. She’d forgotten what happened when you bit Sky there.

“Sorry, sorry…” She held up her hooves defensively. “Look, just get up, okay sis? We need to get this shit done already!”

“Fine, fine…” Sky rubbed her head, ears twitching as she tried to get her senses back. “What’s gotten into you, anyway? You’re bitchier than usual.”

“Look, I’ve just kinda had a shit day, okay?” Shadow sighed. “Now come on, we’re running out of time!”

“Oh, I see…” Sky nodded slyly as she sat up. “It’s that colt, isn’t it?”

“Don’t you fucking start. I’m not in the mood.” Shadow growled.

“Okay, okay! It’s okay Shadow, I see how it is…” Sky giggled, holding up her hooves.

“No! You know what? I don’t think you see how it is at all!” Shadow protested. “You don’t know me and you don’t know him! Stop implying things!”

“I’m not implying anything!” Sky grinned.

“You’re thinking it!”

“Nuh-uh!” Sky was giggling now, unable to appear innocent any longer. Shadow facehoofed, growling irritably.

“Sis...job...needs doing…” She grumbled.

“Yeah, of course. Job first, dating later.” Sky nodded sagely. “So we need a way to find this courier and nick Rolling Thunder’s instructions.”

“Yep!” Shadow nodded, deciding to let the dating comment slide for now. “I guess the trick is going to be getting in touch with somepony who can track him down.”

“I’ve only got a few contacts in this city, and none of them can do that.” Sky frowned. “I guess I could’ve thought this plan ahead a little more.”

“Maybe I can help.” Grunted the stallion next to her, not opening his eyes.

“You’ve already helped enough, thanks!” Sky gave him a friendly smile, patting his shoulder. “I haven’t been able to blow off steam like that in a while!”

“I mean with the courier thing.” Rat shook his head as he woke up. “You need contacts to help you track somepony down in this city, I’m the stallion you wanna talk to.”

“Oh finally, you actually have a use.” Sky rolled her eyes, chuckling. “So you know a few ponies around town that can help us?”

“Yeah. I mean, they’re all mob ponies, but they’re not that bad if you know how to talk to them.” He frowned at Sky, grunting. “We’re gonna need to teach you how to speak the lingo, toots.”

“What do you mean, speak the lingo?” Sky glared. “And who are you calling ‘toots?’”

“I mean that you’ve gotta sound like a Manehattanite, that’s what!” Rat shrugged. “You talk too much like a Canterlot pony. It sounds too...ugh...fancy.”

“Fancy?” Sky and Shadow spoke in unison, glancing at one another in disbelief. It looked like they’d both just been slapped in the face.

“Yeah, like, you sound like you’re from the wrong city. Tommygun doesn’t exactly like outsiders, so we’ve gotta dress you up like one of us.” Rat nodded, grinning.

“Do I have to wear a fedora?” Sky asked suspiciously.

“You can get away with not wearing one in this city, you know.”

“Thank fuck for that.” She sighed with relief. “So who’s this Tommygun guy anyway?”

“He’s the mob boss around these parts. Nothing happens in this city without him knowing. Trust me, get on his good side and he’ll help you track down your little buddy.”

Sky glanced at her little sister again, who shrugged noncommittally. “You could stand to learn about some other cultures, sis.”

“Hey! I’m full of culture! I’ve got culture up to here!” Sky held up her hoof for emphasis.

“Yahuh.” Shadow grinned. “Do you have any zebra friends?”

“I...don’t know any...that’s not the point!” Sky crossed her forelegs grumpily. “I’m totally capable of blending in in this city, just watch!”

“Okay then.” Rat shrugged. “Let’s hear your best Manehattan insult.”

There was a moment of silence as Sky glanced between Shadow and Rat, who were both watching her expectantly.

“Um...shit, wait...er…” She stammered. “E...EY! Whassamatta you, huh? You wanna...wanna...kick in the…” She stopped as Shadow burst out laughing. “Oi! It’s not funny!”

Rat shook his head. “Come on, toots. Get out of bed. I think it’s about time I showed you a thing or two about how we do things in my city.”