Chapter 7: Meeting the family

"Are you sure about this?" Shadow and pinkie pie were waiting at the train station for the express to arrive. The sky was blue, cloudless, but snow still lay about.

Heart's warming was over, and winter wrap up was coming soon, as well as the summer sun celebration (new year's). So pinkie decided this would be the perfect time to introduce shadow to her family. All they knew was that pinkie had a new boyfriend, and that they declared each other soulmates. In her letters to her family, pinkie said that shadow wasn't a fluke like the last two boyfriends she's had. They wrote to pinkie that they should come and visit. So, that's what they are going to do now.

"Of course I'm sure about this shady." Pinkie replied in her bubbly voice. "Besides, i think they will like you too." She nudged him and held his hand. "I know your excited, i just don't want to make a bad first impression. Especially to your parents." Shadow worried.

"Just hold on, shady. keep holding on." As pinkie spoke the train landed in the station. "Well, we will just have to wait and see." Shadow squeezed her hoof tight. Pinkie grinned, and they both climbed aboard.

Later...

They both soon arrived at dull, grey farm. "Welcome to my home." Pinkie made her way through the rubble of the property. "Pinkie couldn't possibly have grown up here." Shadow thought aloud. Pinkie pie turned tward him. " That's what everyone says, but I was raised here. After being adopted." She said as she hopped along. "Yeah," shadow replied as they reached the door," I just can't believe it, I guess."

Pinkie pie nocked 3 times when a old Colt came to the door. "Hi Daddy!" Pinkie pie hugged him. "Hello sweetheart." He hugged her back. The Colt noticed shadow standing behind them.

"So... This is your new boyfriend?" He said,pointing to shadow. "Yep. I'm Shadow." he introduced himself. "I'm Igneous." The Colt replied, shaking shadow's hand. "Come on in." They both followed Igneous to the living room. A mare with glasses was sitting in the couch, organizing rocks with pinkie pie's sister Maud.

"Hello! You must be Pinkie's boyfriend. I'm cloudy quartz." She got up from her place to introduce herself. "Shadow." He looked at Maud. " You must be Maud." "Yep. That's me." She Said slowly,with no emotion. "Where's marble and limestone?" Pinkie asked her mom. " Limestone is harvesting rocks and marble is...well, I don't where she is. You know she likes her privacy." Pinkie beamed. "Thanks Mom! I'll go get limestone!" She turned to Shadow.

"Stay here. Get to know them. Mabye you'll find something in common with them." She smiled. Shadow smiled back. "Whatever you say." They quickly kissed and pinkie pie was off, leaving shadow with her parents and Maud.

"You better not hurt her or else..." Igneous suddenly faced shadow with a defensive look. Shadow gulped. " I won't sir." "Good. Because if you don't-" " Igneous rock pie! Don't scare the young-" quartz stopped midway in confusion. "Hedgehog." Shadow finished for her. Quartz turned her attention back to igneous. "Go easy on him." Igneous sighed and sat down. "So,tell us where your from."

Meanwhile, pinkie pie was looking for limestone. She hopped down to the deeper rock fields. In the distance, limestone was chipping away at the walls for different rock types. " Hi limestone!" Pinkie said enthusiastically and hugged her. Limestone groaned quietly. Then she sighed. "Hi pinkie pie." "I brought my boyfriend over! Would you like to go see him?" Pinkie jumped around excitedly. Limestone kept her back toward pinkie. " No. The last two you brought over were not the friendliest bunch to me." She told her. pinkie laughed. " Don't worry! He's different from both of them. Besides," she put a hoof around limestone. "He's kinda like you." Limestone faced pinkie pie. " Ok." She sighed, and followed pinkie pie back to the house through the snow.

Marble pie was playing in the snow near some jem caves. She had herd that pinkie was coming over and that was always a treat. But she had brought her boyfriend. Marble knew first impressions where everything, so she decided that it might be best to now show knew It was disrespectful. She is just too shy to say or do anything right in front of someone new."mabye it's the right thing to do." She whispered.

Meanwhile back at the house, shadow was telling cloudy and Igneous about himself."you sound a lot like our limestone. She's always grumpy." Cloudy informed him. "Yeah, but pinkie pie has been quite the help,making me be nicer. And the more I hang out with her, the more I find myself being,well, myself." Shadow said. " Pinkie pie has that effect on ponies." Igneous admitted. Suddenly, pinkie pie flung the door open.

" I've got limestone, but I can't find marble anywhere." She pushed limestone into the living room. "She's must be at the gem caves. You know how good the snow is over there." Maud mumbled. " I'll help find her." Shadow offered. Cloudy shook her head. " Thanks for the offer, but marble will come home soon. She doesn't stay out too late. "

shadow stood up." I'm still gonna do it. And if I can't find her, I will at least get a look at your property." And with that, he rushed out the door. "Once he focuses on something, no can stop him." Pinkie sighed and smiled slightly. " I'll go with him. Make sure he doesn't get lost." And pinkie pie rushed off. Igneous and cloudy quartz sighed and looked at each other and grinned weakly. " What are we going to do with her?"

"Marble! Marble pie! Your favorite sister is here!" Pinkie shouted. They where both standing in the snow, out in the middle of nowhere. "Marble!" Shadow yelled. They did this untill shadow had to stop for a rest. "She doesn't venture off this far." Pinkie pie said to herself. As pinkie was talking to herself, shadow saw a silhouette near a cave. He quickly rushed off to see who it was.

" Pinkie pie will never find me in here." Marble said to herself. She was done playing in the snow and didn't want to go back to the house. "Oh really?" Marble herd a voice she didn't recognize. "I'm pretty sure that she could find you here."

Marble spun around to see shadow standing in the entrance of the cave. Marble gasped, And hid behind a rock. Shadow was suprised. "Don't worry," he stepped closer. "I'm not going to hurt you." Marble turned her head to him. " You know, I'm quite suprised that even though you're the youngest, you still don't act like most young teens." Shadow spoke casually, making marble move from her rock. "You know me?" She whispered quietly.

" Your mom and dad told me all about you." He continued. Marble observed him. "What are you?" She finally asked. " I am a hedgehog. My name's shadow." He gave his hand out to her. " I won't hurt you." She stepped tward him. "I'm pinkie pie's boyfriend. " Really?" Marble said, taken aback. " Yep. Hard to believe,right?" Marble shook her head slightly. " I just didn't know Pinkie's boyfriend would be... you." Shadow smirked. " I get that a lot." Marble smiled. "Come on. Let's get back to pinkie pie and the others." They both walked back to the house.

When pinkie pie rushed into the house, she was presently suprised to see her whole family and shadow chattering about their life. She saw that marble was also there, laughing. Pinkie grinned hide.

"Where have you been Marble?" Pinkie giggled and hugged her. " The gem caves. Honestly, I didn't want want to come." "Why not?" Limestone asked her. "I was scared to meet shadow. Considering the last two boyfriends you brought over." She stared at pinkie.

"what?" Pinkie pie said. The room then burst with laughter. " I'm just joking around!" Marble giggled. ,"Oh." Pinkie started to laugh with everyone else. Shadow stood up, a big smile on his face." Let's get some dinner going. I'm craving something right about know. Cloudy quartz stood up and walked to the kitchen with pinkie and shadow.

(Insert cute kitchen montage)

After dinner, everyone went outside to play in the snow. "Thanks for all your help today." Igneous told shadow. "No problem. Anything for family, right?" Shadow ducked a snowball.

"Have you been thinking of tying the knot?" Quartz added. Shadow blushed."I don't know yet. We just need a little more time. I need more time." A snowball hit the back of shadow's head."got you!" Pinkie giggled. Shadow smirked and picked up some snow.

"You're gonna get it this time!" Shadow shouted. They both laughed as shadow chased her around. "I think they're going to be just fine." Cloudy quartz and Igneous said in unison. They smiled.

Shadow pinned Pinkie's Boody on the snow. They both laughed. Pinkie looked up to shadow." Told you'd like it here." She whispered. "I had a feeling." Shadow smirked. They both kissed, their colors literally melting together in the snow.

I hope you liked this chapter! If you have any suggestions for a chapter, please let me know. I'm kind of running out of ideas but I want this story to keep going. Write you later!