Determination of the Strong

Chapter 5: … Two Steps Back

Well, Shadow didn't exactly know who to "ask" because let's be honest, who in Equestria would

actually want to go with him? So after asking everyone from the Wonderbolts (think MLP's

version of the Blue Angels) to Rainbow Dash who pretty much…

*door slams*


Me: What the?!

Pinkie: Hiya LoveandStuff! :-D :-D :-D Miss me at all?!

Me: Uh, not really Pinkie. Because you either keep visiting or are in my house every single day.

Pinkie:

ButIwasn'thereinthelastchapterbecauseIneededtogetsuppliesformyguestroomIwasgonnabuildiny

ourhouseincaseIneededtostayoverhereandIPinkiePromisedMrandMrsPiethatIwouldbabysittheirt

winsagainand…

Me: Alright, alright! *sighs and takes a deep breath to calm down* You just freaked me out is

all.

Pinkie: Sorry. I just knew you were gonna write something along the lines of "So after asking

everyone from the Wonderbolts (think MLP's version of the Blue Angels) to Rainbow Dash who

pretty much literally slammed the door on him…" I knew that you could use a nice sound effect

from your bestie pal, Pinkie Pie!

Me: Uh, yeah. Thanks Pinkie. :-D Can I get back to writing though?

Pinkie: Okie Dokie Broskie! :-D :-D :-D I gotta go get supplies for that other project I'm working

on. You're gonna LOVE it because it's soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo EDIFYING!

*proceeds to happily bounce away and gently shuts the door*

Me: Which is why I should be wearing noise-cancelling headphones. Anyhow…


I think you all get the point by now; everyone was either too busy or they just didn't want to show

up. Afterwards, Shadow quickly hovered on back to Sweet Apple Acres where he saw Applejack

drag a tractor tire that was lying flat on the ground with a rope attached to it across her barn

floor.

Shadow was impressed. She was actually pulling the thing, not struggling or flinching, but

pulling it with pure force and power. Shadow

smirked, then tapped Applejack on the shoulder. "May I?" he asked, pointing to the tractor tire

and rope. She jerked the tire right over to her and told Shadow, "Be my guest." Shadow then

looked around the barn. "Is there any way we can take it outside?" he asked her. She then

proceeded to open two extremely large barn doors that were there in case there needed to be a

lot of things stored in there. Shadow then rolled the tire a considerable distance out of the barn.

Applejack followed them until the two of them were at an open field a considerable distance

away from the barn. He then proceeded to go to the end of the rope; but instead of pulling the

tire to him, he swung it around like he would a hammer throw and then let it fly towards the

woods like it was nothing. Shadow smirked and then clapped his hands softly to try and dust

them off. "Well I'll be darned, Shady." Applejack said, clearly impressed with the hammer throw.

"How were you able to do that?" she asked, clearly in awe of the feat. "Let's just say you don't

know everything about me." Shadow replied, "And even if you did, I'm not sure that your puny

strength would be enough for you to convince me to let you come along. If you still want to, that

is." he challenged. Applejack was unphased. She smiled with determination and said, "Oh don't

you worry. I'll be the best decision you'll have ever made!" Shadow just looked at her with

confusion. "Uh, you taking me along with you on this mission, of course. Nothing too crazy now."

she said, nervously attempting to cover that embarrassing moment up. Both of them got into a

fighting stance. "Hmph, this'll be easy." Shadow thought to himself. "I know I'm not gonna

teleport to keep things fair; but I wish my little pony 'friend' would reconsider." Shadow attacked

first, going slower than usual to hold himself back as not to totally knock Applejack out. He went

for a weak (for him, anyway) attempt at a falcon punch to nail Applejack down, but she rolled on

the ground, dodging the attack and quickly standing back up on all fours. Shadow then hovered

slowly over to her face to throw a punch, but before he could throw a punch, Applejack quickly

went 180 on the ground, putting her rear hooves up and kicking Shadow square in the jaw which

sent him careening in the air before he backflipped and landed on all fours like a cat before

getting up. "Now hold on a minute, Shadow?" Applejack asked her competitor, smirking, "How

can I prove to you that I can keep up with you; if all you do is keep holding back?" Shadow then

realized something. She wanted a full-fledged fight. With all the punches, kicks and dodges

galore. No holds barred. She was stubborn enough to get him to at least try her stupid little bet

to begin with; the least he could do, was see it 'til the end. He then smirked. "Maybe that wasn't

me holding back. I can't help that I feel nothing from you." he said, winking at her; prompting the

two to shout, "Bring it!" at the same time before charging faster and harder at each other before

the fight resumed.


Shadow kept throwing punches, but this time he made sure they were hard,

powerful and hit their mark. Applejack toughened through it all and managed to bring some

powerful kicks and bucks on Shadow as well. As the fight continued, both of them had noticed

that they were both stronger than the other had expected. At one time, Applejack tried to buck

Shadow off when he hopped onto her; but realized a little too late that he wasn't trying to hop

on, but rather roll off of her back to easily and unsuspectedly pick up and throw her then

unbalanced body to the ground pro-wrestler style and slam her down. Shadow then expected to

seal the deal by drilling a destructive punch to her ribcage ala falcon-style as he did the first time

around; but Applejack threw her front hooves at his fist to block the punch for a split-second long

enough for her to recover, stand up on all fours, then just trample Shadow on the back once

before she snapped and realized that she might have hurt him. "Oh my goodness gracious!

Shady!" she shouted in shock and worry as she quickly galloped over to him. She saw him

lying still on the ground, apparently unable to move. "I'm so sorry Shady." She said, with tears in

her eyes, on the verge of crying. "I just wanted to impress ya. I didn't know that I was gonna kill

Ya." She then stood over Shadow, crying. A decision she would find out would be a HUGE

mistake. The way she was standing over him, her torso was right below where his legs would

be. And then, she later felt like an axe being used by the universe's strongest being to split a

knotty piece of wood and saw herself get literally launched up in the air like someone really

muscular hitting a high-striker and cracking the bell (if the rock that cracked the bell turned into a

rocket and flew hundreds of feet in the air.) She flew almost touching Cloudsdale and then

started to immediately careen and scream, almost pulling off a Sonic Rainboom (or Sonic Boom,

depending on which universe you like more) before Shadow, who pulled off a hovering start by

going all the way back to Sweet Apple Acres to gain the momentum he would need, hovered,

jumped and caught Applejack flawlessly right when she was about 100 yards off the ground. He

then timed the landing so perfectly, that it practically was like there was almost no gravity at all.

Applejack was startled shocked. First she thought that she killed Shadow, then she gets

launched somehow into the most terrifying in-air experience of her life, and now Shadow just

recovered to pull off that?! She stared at him happily while she received a scowl from him. "Are

you done holding back yet?" he asked. She was about to speak when Shadow noticed that the

sun was coming down. He had to admit, the fight was actually more fun than he anticipated.

Surely she proved that she had what it took to, well, try to keep up with him, he guessed?


However, he didn't wanted what happened to one friend, to happen to any potential other…


Flashback…

Shadow's Fatal Mission…

After receiving coordinates from Captain Oliver, Shadow teleported to the center of Milan and

then brought a map from a tourist guide and hightailed it to the ASST Great Metropolitan

Niguarda (the hospital where Rouge was). A lot of emotion filled inside of his head, and a lot of

memories too. When Shadow first met Rouge; it hardly seemed like the two were going to be

nothing more than distant work relations that would be as opposite as opposite as can be. But

as the two worked closer and closer together, they started to have a mutual relationship until

one day, in Solennia, Rouge finally worked up the nerve to tell him her true feelings for him.

Shadow, feeling like this was a second chance for him to solidify a friendship after the death of

Maria Robotnik (his friend that was there for him through the beginning of his life), he returned

those feelings for her. Although their friendship was extraordinary, he knew that Rouge's

birthday was today and he originally thought that after the mission would be the opportunity to

tell her that he was ready to be more than friends with her and enter a romantic relationship.

And then… she decided to do what she was supposed to do as a G.U.N. agent. Finish the

mission, even if it cost you everything. That's one of many things Shadow admired about her.

And now, he might not get the chance again. As soon as he got to the hospital, he hovered

really fast and practically bulldozed anyone who was going to get in the way of him seeing

Rouge for possibly the last time. When he finally got to the hospital room Rouge was staying in,

the next thing he saw horrified him…


Back to the Present Moment…


"Uh, Shady?" Applejack asked him, snapping him out of his distraction, "Are you ok there,

buddy?" Shadow decided to brush it off and act like nothing was wrong. "It's fine." he said, in his

usual, stern tone. No time to lose his focus now. He had an adventure to go on. "Alright

Applejack, you can come along." he said. After he said that, they both noticed that Applejack's

family was applauding in approval behind them. When Applejack and Shadow stared back at

them, they stopped their cheering and immediately resumed their farm work. Applejack would've

been acting excited too, but now she was too embarrassed by her family to do it. "Listen here

Shadow, I know you've already made a trip around Equestria and I've already packed and

prepared for the trip; but if you don't mind, there's something I need you to do for me." Shadow

looked at her and said, "I'm listening." Applejack then handed him an envelope with Rainbow

Dash's name on it. "Would you mind taking this over to Fluttershy?" she asked him, "I figured

you don't wanna actually take it to Rainbow, but this needs to get to her before I leave. You

should find Fluttershy at her animal shelter." Shadow took the letter and strode off slowly in that

direction. "I know where that is." he then turned back to Applejack for a brief moment. "I just

realized that I have a little unfinished business to take care of as well." he then turned and said,

"I'll meet you back at your place." he said, before teleporting, which utterly shocked and amazed

Applejack. "WOW-wee-WOW!" she exclaimed, "I didn't know he could do that!" she said in

amazement.


ALRIGHT EVERYONE THAT IS IT FOR THIS CHAPTER OF DETERMINATION OF THE

STRONG! NEXT CHAPTER'S GONNA HAVE SHADOW TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AND IN

CASE YOU'RE WONDERING, APPLEJACK TALKING TO HER FAMILY IS GOING TO SERVE

AS A FLASHBACK! YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY LATER! LET ME KNOW IF YOU KNOW WHAT

SONG I REFERENCED IN THE TITLES OF THE LAST

TWO CHAPTERS! AND AS FOR WHY I'M YELLING SO LOUD HERE!

*proceeds to go downstairs*

Me: PINKIE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A "GREAT FANTABULUSO IDEA" IF SHE HAD A

GUEST ROOM TO STAY IN IN CASE SHE CAME OVER! HANG ON A SEC. PINKIE WILL

YOU TURN OFF THE POWER TOOLS?!

Pinkie: Oh yeah, of course you're cool! About 40% cooler in fact! :-D

Me: THANKS PINKIE, BUT I NEED YOU TO TURN OFF YOUR POWER TOOLS!

*noise from table saw stops*

Pinkie: Sorry, I couldn't hear you. I had to turn off my power tools. What were you saying,

LoveandBuddy?

Me: I… Never mind. *facepalms* Ow!

Pinkie: Everything going alright pal? I told you I was going to be getting stuff for a project earlier,

remember?

Me: YES, er I mean, yes. But I didn't realize you were going to be building a guest room down

here… today!

Pinkie: But… I told you I was building a guest room here earlier too.

Me: You did?

*Pinkie nods*

Me: That must have been when you were doing all that fast auctioneer rambling you were doing.

Pinkie: Oooooooh… auctioneer rambling?! WHAT A GREAT IDEA! :-D :-D

Me: Is it?

Pinkie: Of course it is. Your ideas are always great. I just need to

getafewthingstogetherfortheauctionandthenI'llraisethemoneyIneedtobuynewsuppliesformyguestr

Oom! :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

Me: Now THAT I understood. *whispers to the readers* (Does that seem weird for anyone/pony

else?) *shrugs shoulders and turns attention back to Pinkie*

Pinkie: GREAT! And I'll do that right after I finish building with my AWESOME Power Tools!

:-D :-D :-D

Me: No Pinkie, not NOW!

*proceeds to turn the tools back on*

Me: I HATE IT WHEN SHE DOES THAT! ANYHOW, PLEASE SEND A REVIEW ON WHAT

YOU THINK OF THIS STORY SO FAR! NEXT STORY THAT'S GONNA BE UPDATED IS

"DON'T FIDDLE WITH IT" SO THAT ONE'S GONNA BE FUN! NEXT SONIC-MLP STORY

THAT'S GONNA BE UPDATED IS "MORE TO ME THAN THAT"; BUT THAT'S IT FOR NOW,

SO KEEP LOVING, KEEP EDIFYING AND KEEP…

*Pinkie unplugs the power tools*

Me: … LOVEANDEDIFYING! *struggles to catch breath*

Pinkie: I'm sorry I didn't know this earlier LoveyDovey, but you don't look so good. You're out of

breath, I heard you screaming at the top of your lungs over my power tools, your throat looks

sore and you look like you could faint at any second… *gasps* *gets back to being, well, Pinkie*

I KNOW what you need… *proceeds to carry LoveandEdify to his bed* There! Now I'll tuck

you in *procees to* HEY, I DON'T NEED THAT! *so sorry. continue… * and there.

NowI'lljustmakeyousomenicesoupstopbyTwilight'sforsomegoodbooksforyougetyousomethroat

spray AND… use your duplicator to create another pair of noise cancelling headphones like the

ones I've been borrowing for my guest room project so you can rest while I get back to my

power tools! :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D Ooooh, I love you SO much LoveandBuddy! I can't believe I

haven't thought of it sooner! HOLLER IF YOU NEED ME! *happily bounces away*

Me *raspy and exasperated*: If I have any yell left in me… *proceeds to fall fast asleep on the

bed.*