Whiplash

2 Years before Patrick's arrival

Equestria

Celestia sat in her bedchambers perched upon the same mat, in front of the same fireplace, just like she always had when performing this task that was now ritual to her.

“So many years of planning,” Celestia mumbled to herself as she gained focus.

“Only one more year until the Nightmare will break the banishment…”

It had taken 999 years to pinpoint everything exactly. To find them all. Over the past millennia, Celestia had viewed the entirety of human history, located the six humans that would be sufficient to hold the Elements of Harmony, and determined which events to manipulate in this six’s past to make them capable of doing so.

But there was one thing Celestia couldn’t do. She couldn’t, in good conscience, do this to these innocent boys without their knowledge of it.

And now, it was time to contact the spirits again.

Celestia slipped into a deep meditative trance, and lifted mortality from her spirit. She opened her mind, welcoming it.

It seemed to have gotten the message, and crossed the bridge from the spirit world to Celestia’s mortal consciousness.

“Hello, again,” the spirit spoke. “I assume you’ve finally finished.”

“Yes,” Celestia responded. “I am finally ready. I know exactly what to do.”

“Let me hear it, then.”

“It’s quite complicated. I don’t think I could explain it all in a brief amount time for you.”

“Just summarize it, then.”

Celestia gathered her thoughts.

“It involves befriending you to five other men your age, growing up with them, but making your life miserable in the process. It is to make you more dependent on these men, who you will see as more than friends. Your family will turn their back on you, you will become a victim of your government, and you will have to watch them die before I bring you here. You are going to have to lose everything to become the human elements. Only if I accomplish manipulating these events, and still allow humanity to end, will we be able to save both your race, and mine.”

“I had a feeling I wasn’t exactly going to like it,” the spirit seemed to sigh. “Am I at least going to be the same person?”

“No,” Celestia answered. “You will be good at heart, and retain your empathetic nature, but your personality will change as these events occur. You will have no knowledge of your former life before I manipulate it into what is needed.”

“How old will I be?”

“Twenty and twenty one.”

“And my family?”

“Your life as you know it will never have happened. You will not marry, nor will your daughter be born.”

The spirit did not respond for a few moments, but then returned to the discussion.

“I don’t care,” the spirit said firmly. “We are all in agreement. All billions and billions of us. I am willing to take that sacrifice, and so is she.”

“Are you absolutely sure?” Celestia asked it. “I am prepared to cast the spell, and once I do, there is no going back.”

“As long as I still exist, I’ll do anything I can in the name of good. For humanity, and for your world.”

“So, do I have permission to ruin your life in the name of the greater good?”

“Do it.”

“As you wish, Patrick.”

“Because!” Jose said. “You just fucked up any chance we had at saving the human race!”

Patrick shrank back after such a blunt statement.

“Was hitting him really that necessary, Jose?” Ryan asked.

Ryan approached Patrick and helped him up.

“Also, hey Patrick.”

“Hey, Ryan,” Patrick groaned, shooting a glare over to Jose. “At least one of my best friends is happy to see me.”

“Sorry,” Jose let out a breath of air. “I know I was just going on about you not controlling you anger.”

“But, I needed that,” he cracked his knuckles.

“Apology… accepted?” Patrick rubbed the side of his head in confusion. “I’m just glad to see you guys.”

Jose turned to acknowledge the group of ponies across the room simply stood in disbelief.

Joe watched Louis open his hands over and over, jog in place, and cock his head side to side, various metals inside his vest clinking together.

“What are you doing?” Joe tapped Louis on the shoulder. “Stop spazzing out.”

“Sorry,” Louis smiled, stripping off the heavy, IOTV tactical vest and body armor that was still worn over his fatigues. He stretched, now able to move freely.

“It’s just that I’ve been dead for thousands of years, and I’m trying to remember what having a body feels like.”

“Hell yeah!” Spencer jumped into the air. “I can breathe! I can walk! Oh, it’s great to be alive! I think this calls for a celebration of sorts, gentlemen.”

Spencer began violently unbuckling the damaged, heavy combat gear worn around his body. Patrick helped him pull his IOTV over his head and tossed it aside.

“You haven’t changed a bit, man,” Patrick hooked an arm around Spencer’s neck. “If you hadn’t have died in Afghanistan, I swear, you would have OD’d or all the punishment you’ve forced your liver to put up with would have killed you.”

“Hey, I am not just some alcoholic junkie,” Spencer argued, beginning to speak with a raunchy, sophisticated accent. “I’ll have you know I’m just an energetic young scholar with a taste for sophisticated women and fine wine. Speaking of alcohol, what’s a guy got to do to get a beer in this place? It’s been so many years since I’ve had a drink that I’ve lost count.”

“Um, alcohol doesn’t exist here, bro,” Patrick smiled sheepishly.

Spencer stared at him in disbelief.

“WHAT?!” He threw his hands into the air. “Oh, this is just great! What’s the point of living, now?”

"You seriously didn't know that?"

“I’m kidding!” Spencer elbowed him in the ribs. “Anyfuckingways, I need to piss like a race horse after being dead that long. ‘Scuse me, sir.”

Spencer felt something brush up against him and turned around, when a bright flash of pink dominated his vision. Pinkie Pie stood mere inches from him, making him snap back in surprise.

“What the- Where did you come from?”

“Hi there, welcome to Equestria!” Pinkie Pie’s mouth ran a mile a minute. “I hope being dead hasn’t made you as much of a grumpy-face as Patrick. Anyway, my name’s Pinkie Pie! What’s yours?”

“Spencer,” he answered.

Pinkie Pie’s hoof shot forward while she beamed ear to ear, and Spencer happily shook it.

“Hey, guys, I think I just met someone as crazy as I am!”

“So what’s it like being dead? Did you see a bright light? Were there clouds everywhere? Ooh! Ooh! Did you meet princess Celestia? Was she sent there? Do humans and ponies go to the same place? Where do turtles go? What about alligators? I have a pet alligator named Gummy. He’s really-“
Spencer looked across the room to Patrick and Ryan, a look of despair in his eyes as he gestured frantically to the friendly pink welcoming party that was so eager to be his friend.

“Alright, sugar cube, don’t overwhelm ‘im,” Applejack silenced Pinkie, turning to Louis.
“Name’s Applejack, pleasure to meatcha’.”

“Louis. Pleasure’s mine, m’am,” he spoke in his slight southern accent, triggering a giant smile across Applejack’s face.

“Well how do ya’ like that,” Applejack took note of his southern accent. It wasn’t as defined as hers, but still audible in his voice. “Maybe we ar’n’t so diff’rent after all.”

Jose watched as a purple unicorn, looking as though she had been crying recently, walked towards him.

“Um, hello,” Twilight approached him. “Are you Jose?”

“Yes,” Jose replied. “I assume you must be Twilight Sparkle. Celestia has told me quite a lot about you.”

Twilight sniffled, forcing herself to clench her face to prevent her from exploding into a fountain of tears.

Jose glanced around, seeing that everyone and everypony was busy speaking to one another and paying them no mind. He knelt down to Twilight’s eye level to console her.

“I’m incredibly sorry that this happened, I know how much she meant to you. You may never understand why Patrick felt like he had to kill her, but he’s only human. And after finding out what she had to do to him to save the world, his mind went kind of, well…”

Jose wagged his finger in a circular motion on the side of his head, gesturing that Patrick had gone a little coo-coo for co-co puffs recently.

She let a tear fall from her face. A rough sleeve of combat fatigues rubbed up against her cheek, wiping it off.

“Hey, don’t be sad. It’s all going to be okay. You won’t really understand until after all this but,” Jose shrugged. “I promise, everything will be okay.”

Twilight remained silent, but cracked a small smile at Jose’s kind, tender words.

“Um, hi,” Fluttershy murmured. Ryan glanced down to see a shy, yellow pegasus pony trying her hardest to be social like everypony else.

“Hello,” he smiled. “So, you’re the element of kindness?”

“Yes,” Fluttershy blushed.

“That’s cool,” Ryan replied. “Me, too.”

“I didn’t know humans came in more than one color,” Rarity studied Joe, noting his significantly darker skin tone than his comrades.

Joe chuckled in his deep, booming voice. “We’re all different shades, shapes, and sizes. Name’s Joseph, call me Joe. Pleasure to meet you, miss…?”

“Rarity,” she shook his large, dominating hand.

“Charmed.”

“And what was it like back then? Did you guys have princesses, too? How did humans raise the sun and moon? Huh? Huh?” Pinkie Pie continued to batter Spencer with questions.

“Oh my god, shut up!” Spencer cupped his hands over his head. “I just got resurrected from the dead, give me a second to breathe!”

“See, that’s how I feel on a day-to-day basis interacting with you,” Louis teased.

“Oh, very funny,” Spencer rolled his eyes. “Hey, how’s about since now you have an ass, I kick your ass?”

“Boys will be boys,” Rarity whispered to Luna. She nodded in agreement.

Patrick looked around the room, watching as each of his friends mingled, chatting and talking with the ponies that bore the elements and brought them back from the afterlife. It was odd, that each of them had hit it off with one another so quickly. It left Patrick all by himself, but not for long.

“So,” Rainbow Dash floated in the air just next to Patrick’s eye level. She couldn’t help but feel as alienated as Patrick, since they were the only two left.

“They all seem to have found something in common.”

“Yep,” Patrick dug his hands in his pockets.

“Did you see how their eyes lit up when we brought them back to life?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Well,” Rainbow Dash said. “Notice how they’re all hanging out with the pony wearing the element with the same color that their eyes lit up?”

“Yeah,” Patrick nodded. “What about me though? My eyes never lit up.”

“Zecora said your eyes were red,” Rainbow Dash stated. Patrick turned to reply, when he saw the color of the necklace she wore.

The necklace was the Element of Loyalty, a red gemstone shaped like a lightning bolt.

“I guess that makes you Loyalty,” Dash smiled.

“I guess so. But I’m still kind of on edge about what Jose said earlier.”

“Yeah,” she scratched the back of her head. “About you messing up your whole race somehow?”

If Patrick could just grab Jose’s attention for a moment, maybe he could finally find out the truth about all these crazy circumstances surrounding all the recent events. He was about to get his wish.

“I see each of you have already met your respective elements,” Luna caught the attention of every sapient being in the throne room. “Greetings, I am Princess Luna, current sole-leader of Equestria.”

“Yeah,” Jose crossed his arms. “We know who you are. And we know what you’ve done to your sister, too.”

“...I’m...sure," Luna guiltily bowed her head. "But, please, this must be a lot to take in, having been resurrected after such a long time. I hate to cut the introductions but we’re very short on time.”

“Oh, right,” Jose replied. “I forgot about that.”

“Yeah, and you still haven’t told me what was up with what you were saying earlier, before you punched me?” Patrick turned to Jose. “I thought the human race was already extinct, how did me killing Celestia fuck us over?”

Jose exchanged nervous glances with the other four humans in the room.

“You may want to sit down. All of you,” Jose gestured to the still-element clad ponies that had revived them.

Before Princess Luna led them into a meeting room adjacent to the throne, each of the revived human soldiers stripped off their heavy, damaged combat gear, leaving a huge pile of helmets, jackets, knee pads, various magazines, and other assorted field tools in front of the throne. Every human and pony sat down to comfortably listen to what Jose had to say.

“Alright,” Patrick crossed his arms in his chair. “Will you please finally just tell me what’s going on? No more secrets? I think I’ve earned that.”

“Fine,” Jose nodded. “It’s not like it’ll make a difference now, anyway.”

“And, uh,” Joe reached across the table and grabbed Patrick’s holstered Glock 23. “You probably shouldn’t have this handy after we tell you this. I’d like your brains to stay inside your head.”

Patrick glared across the table, when Ryan leaned over to whisper in his ear.

“Patrick, please just chill.”

“Fine,” Patrick whispered back.

“Okay.” He clapped his hands. “Shoot.”

Jose took a deep breath, and struggled to find the best way to explain it.

“I can’t really think of any good way to say this, so I’ll just say it.”

Jose cleared his throat.

“The reason we had been keeping so much information from you, why Celestia lied to you and kept her actions a secret, is because you were not allowed to know.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Patrick brushed it off quickly. “But why was I not allowed to know? What does this have to do wi-“

“I’m getting to that, Patrick, just be quiet.”

“Man, I thought we were supposed to be the best BFF’s in the history of friendship. We’re not really setting a good example,” Patrick re-crossed his arms.

Jose scowled for a moment, and continued his explanation.

“Anyway,” Jose went on. “The only way you were going to be powerful enough to defeat the Nightmare was if you decided to help Equestria out of the kindness of your heart. Celestia hid that from you because you’re still good by nature, Pat. You would have helped them without killing Celestia if you never knew she manipulated you life, wouldn’t you?”

“Oh,” Patrick looked to the floor. “Yes. I suppose I would have.”

“That’s good. That means you’re not evil, and that you do have a heart,” he looked Twilight in the eyes as he said this. Twilight understood that question was meant to try to give her some consolement.

Jose then directed his attention to Luna.

“Now, we’ve been watching everything go down since we died. Your sister had discovered quite a bit about the bridge between the spirit world, time, and space. She was even able to find us in the afterlife while she was still alive, which is no small feat, I might add. I could tell you where Equestria came from, and all about ‘those who came before,’ but like you said, Princess,” he said sarcastically. “We’re short of time.”

“Perhaps when this is all over, you can fill me in,” Luna retorted. “Please, tell Patrick what he needs to know, and we must prepare to bring the Nightmare down. Before it’s too late.”

“…If we can,” Jose added.

Luna shifted uncomfortably.

“If?”

“Er- we should be able to, Princess. But we’re getting a little a head of ourselves. Let me get back on track, here.”

“Celestia never spoke to us about her plan that involved Luna’s banishment, and our deaths. But she knew that we’d be watching. After being dead for so long, we finally caught up and saw what Celestia was planning to do. She was finally even able to reach us several days ago, too.”

“In the brief time between your revival and Celestia’s death, did you happen to speak to her in the afterlife?”

Jose bit his lip.

“No. And I already told Patrick, it doesn’t really work like that.”

“How then? How does death work? What defines the afterlife?”

Jose glanced at Patrick, who already knew the answer to that question.

“I couldn’t explain it to you if I tried. I may be mortal again, but I’m still not technically alive. I’m just a spirit inhabiting my repaired body, and I can be killed just as easily as any other mortal. Death is, in itself, still a mystery to even those that have died. It’s just something you have to experience for yourself.”

Luna opened her mouth to ask a question, but Joe shushed her.

“I don’t mean any disrespect,” Joe said. “But that’s all we can tell you about the afterlife, really. Just that it exists.”

“Thanks, Joe,” Jose nodded. “And here’s the part I’ve been dreading to explain for such a long time now.”

Jose paused dramatically.

“Alright, I’m just going to say it, since I’m not really good at sugarcoating anything.”

“Patrick, had you used the Elements of Harmony to save Equestria out of the kindness of your heart and let Celestia live, we would have been able to save this world, as well as give humanity a reboot. Celestia discovered a way to save humanity without preventing Equestria from existing, but we needed the Elements and Celestia’s assitance. But, you killed her, so… Yeah.”

The most overwhelming silence any human or pony in that room had ever experienced hung in the room.

Patrick stood from his chair.

“What?”

“I really hope you feel bad about killing her,” Jose grumbled. “I know you didn’t know, but you just ruined any chance we had to revive our extinct race. Celestia may have manipulated us into the ultimate incarnation of the Elements of Harmony, but we can’t do it without her.”

“Is this true?” Patrick asked his friends.

Four human heads nodded simultaneously.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Patrick shook his head, staring to the floor.

“If you’d have told me that humankind would be saved if I just helped them, I would have done it!”

“Yeah, you would have done it, only IF humanity was saved,” Jose explained. “Not just because it was the right thing to do, and therefore, not out of the kindness of your heart. That’s how these Elements work, Patrick. You can’t fool them. If I’d have told you about humanity being saved, and then we charged off with the Elements to fight the Nightmare, then we’d have been about as effective as a foam noodle in a sword fight. The only way we were going to be powerful enough is if you did this for reasons pure of heart.”

Patrick hung his head in shame. Now he really felt terrible about himself.

“But saving humanity is not pure of heart?” Patrick argued.

“As selfish as it sounds: No. Not in this instance.”

“I killed her for the horrific death you guys had to go through!” Patrick muttered. “I did it for you! And now you’re saying, that’s what screwed over my entire race?”

Jose sighed, walking around the table to put a hand on his shoulder.

“I wish we could have just told you. But had we have done that, we risked everything. There was a chance we could save our people. But it’s the very thing that makes us human that’s killed us twice now.”

“And what would that be?”

“The satisfaction of being right. You can also call that revenge.”

Patrick buried his face in his hands.

“I’m sorry, man,” Jose gave him pat him on the back.

Patrick rose from his chair, heading for the door.

“Patrick, wait,” Luna rose, but Jose motioned for her to stop. Patrick solemnly slunk out of the room.

“Let him go. He just needs a little time, I’ll handle this.”

“How?”

“Trust me, I know him better than anyone. In the meantime, Princess, it’s about time to raise the moon, isn’t it?”

Luna looked at a nearby wall clock and found that it was indeed time for sunset.

“I must tend to the night. We’ll regroup here shortly to discuss how you plan to use the Elements against the Nightmare.”

“Sounds good.”

“And I know I haven’t been too hospitable since your rude awakenings,” Luna addressed her human company. “But please, in the meantime of any action we’re going to take, make yourselves at home.”

“We certainly will. Thank you, Princess,” Jose bowed his head respectfully as she left the room.

“So, what now?” Louis raised.

“Well,” Twilight bit her lip. “I used to live here, I know where they keep some board games.”

Princess Luna landed back on her balcony window, shaking the filthy nighttime dew off her wings. There was so much soot and ash in the air lately, any ponies that decided to take flight would end up covered in pollution.

She found one of the elite Royal Guards waiting for her, which could only mean something bad had happened. He wore an elegantly engraved set of shoulder and breast plates, with a golden helmet to match. It was the same guard Luna had spoken to in Ponyville behind the Nurse’s office, and one of Celestia’s former trusted advisors. However, his shoulder had been bandaged in a sling, with traces of dried blood crusting the outside of the bandages.

“Your highness,” Lieutenant Black Sword bowed. “We have confined the low ranking officers that took part in the incident earlier today to the barracks and covered up all evidence of the assassination, as your orders.”

Luna nodded, exhaustedly swaying back in forth.

“Are you alright, Princess?”

Besides the fact that she had to help Patrick kill her sister, and the fact she hadn’t slept in more than two days, she was fine.

“Yes,” Luna yawned. “Until the situation with the Nightmare is contained, word of Celestia’s death must not reach the public. It would be catastrophic if the Nightmare found out she was no longer alive.”

“I agree, your highness,” Lieutenant Black Sword said. “But… Was there really no other way?”

“There was not, Lieutenant.”

“Right, then. The subject of the Nightmare is also why I’m here.”

“Go on,” Luna nodded.

“The Nightmare has revealed itself freely in Ponyville, and it claims to have a stockpile of weaponry capable of leveling it and Canterlot simultaneously in a single blast.”

Luna’s eyes went wide, and her heart began to speed up.

“So,” she sighed wearily. “It begins.”

“It challenged the Royalty and the ‘human puppet,’ directly, calling for your surrender. The Nightmare declared that it will commence this attack in 24 hours should you not concede.”

“And how long ago was this?”

“Three hours ago.”

Luna could barely even breathe.

“There has been talk amongst the guards,” the Lieutenant explained. “They are contemplating whether this has been a coup for you to seize the throne, or whether this is really for benevolent purposes. I do not question your decision, your majesty, but I felt it was fair to warn you.”

“Understood,” Luna lifted the covers to her bed and nestled her head comfortably against the pillow.

“It’s not like you to sleep during the night,” Lieutenant Black Sword made his way towards the door. “Especially when we have a doomsday scenario on our hooves.”

“Lieutenant, after the message you just delivered, I’m going to need to rest for a moment. Wake me in exactly one hour. In the meantime, please inform the Elements of Harmony of this news.”

“As you wish, your majesty."

Lieutenant Black Sword huffed, cursing the human that begat him this injury. It made everything more difficult. He could still walk with strained steps, but he was no longer fit for regular guard duty, and the lieutenant actually enjoyed his job.

He entered the giant throne room, expecting to see six ponies bearing the Elements of Harmony. Instead, he saw six ponies, and more of those strange two-legged killing machines, all clad in military dress. They sat on pillows and cushions in front of the royal throne, hunched over a board game.

Just next to them was a giant pile of standard issue tactical vests, some with loaded magazines and other assorted equipment still inside, as well as body armor, kneepads, helmets, and other combat gear that was no longer necessary for them to wear.

They stared up at him like he was a parent intruding on a teenager’s personal space.

“What the blue blazes is going on in here?!” Lieutenant Black Sword shouted.

“We’re playing Monopoly: Ponyville Edition,” Rainbow Dash answered.

“I still don’t understand how they stole Monopoly from us,” Joe scratched his head.

“Gotta’ love it,” Joe said.

“There’s more of you?” Black Sword stared at the group of humans in disbelief.

“No. We’ve been dead since before your race even existed ,” Spencer nonchalantly moved a piece across the board. “But Luna and the Elements of Harmony went back in time to get the bodies we died in, and then resurrected us, so here we are.”

Lieutenant Black Sword’s jaw dropped.

Pinkie drew a card, and read it aloud.

“Do you want to buy Sweet Apple Acres for three hundred bits?”

“Hmm,” Spencer stroked his chin, smugly looking over at Applejack. “Sure, why not?”

“Dagnabbit!” Applejack cursed. “Ah wanted that one!”

“Yeah, well now I own your farm. Can I put a house on it?”

“Whady’all mean? S’already got a house, an’ a barn, too.”

“See, this is why rednecks don’t play board games. They’re too stupid and it ruins the fun when they don’t get things that even a suburban eight year old would.”

“Give me a break!” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Ah’ve never played this game a’fore. And mah’ neck ain’t red, what are ya’ color blind?”

While Spencer was arguing with a down-home farmpony, Joe disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled the Beretta holstered on his thigh.

“Joe, I wouldn’t keep messing with your sidearm,” Ryan watched Joe nervously handle the weapon.

Joe inserted a loaded magazine into the receiver, cocking the slide to fill the chamber. He wiped it down with a small piece of cloth. Joe was the only one who’s sidearm wasn’t lost or destroyed after their violent demise.

“Joe, stop waving a loaded weapon everywhere, are you retarded?” Jose affronted.

“What makes you think you can boss me around?”

“I still outrank you,” Jose grinned. “I’m a Specialist, Mr. Private First Class.”

“Oh, you’re really gonna’ pull that card?” Joe snorted. “Well, there isn’t any United States Army anymore, so your argument is invalid.”

“Damn,” Louis rolled the dice, moving his piece across the board respectively. “He got you there, Jose.”

Jose shot a discontented scowl towards Louis and Joe.

“Anyway, relax,” Joe assured. “Look, I’ve already tried it. All the mechanisms and the spring seem to be all right, but the ammo isn’t. It doesn’t even fire, see?”

Joe raised the handgun into the air, and pulled the trigger, causing everyone and everypony to flinch back.

Click.

“See? You guys are just a bunch of babies.“

POP

A flash of light emerged from the Beretta’s muzzle, and it sent a 9mm round right through the ceiling of the throne room, making everyone’s ears ring.

Lieutenant Black Sword dove for cover, having experienced being shot by one of these human weapons recently, and not wanting to go through it again.

“How in Equestria did your military trust you idiots with these weapons?!” Black Sword barked.

“Sometimes,” Jose snatched the pistol out of Joe’s hand. “I ask myself that same question, sir.”

“Of all the times to hang-fire,” Joe muttered to himself.

“Um, I hate to interrupt,” Rainbow Dash interjected. “But do you want to buy Sugarcube Corner for two hundred-fifty bits, Louis?”

“Enough!” Lieutenant Black Sword cried. “The Nightmare is in Ponyville!”

The ponies and humans looked up from their game.

“C-come again?” Twilight stammered.

“That’s right!” Lieutenant Black Sword hollered. “While you’ve all been playing around, the Nightmare set up a charge that it claims will wipe out all of Ponyville, and Canterlot. Which is where we are right now, in case you didn’t know!”
Black sword paced back and forth.

“And in less than 24 hours, it’s going to set it off unless Celestia, Luna, and Patrick surrender!”

The room was silent while Black Sword panted after delivering such a mouthful.

Spencer looked at the board game, and then flipped it into the air. It threw the board across the room and made it rain confetti of fake money and title deeds.

“In the words of the great, almighty Jim Carrey,” Spencer proclaimed. “Allllllllrighty then. It’s show time.”

“Spencer, sometimes you are so fucking stupid it’s unbelievable,” Joe held his face with is palm.

“I will return with Princess Luna in one hour,” Lieutenant Black Sword headed out the door. “And please, this is the Royal throne room, not a playroom! Clean this mess up!”

“Fine,” Spencer called after him. “What a dick.”

“What was that?” Lieutenant Black Sword spun around.

“I said I want a celery stick!”

The Lieutenant growled like a lion being teased at the local zoo, and exited the throne room.

“Humans…” He thought to himself.

“Spencer, even I thought that was random,” Pinkie commended. “That was a good one!”

“Thanks!” Spencer high-fived Pinkie’s hoof. “At least someone appreciates my humor.”

“Okay, seriously though,” Jose stood up. “I guess I better go get Patrick.”

Jose began walking towards the exit.

“And would you guys mind cleaning that up while I go do that?”

“Yeah, it’s the end of the world,” Louis mocked. “Better have a clean throne room.”

“Why are you all so sarcastic? Doesn’t it ever get old?” Rarity asked.

“No,” Spencer shook his head.

“Not really,” Ryan shrugged.

While the rest of the group finished up in the throne room, Jose strolled the Castle halls, wondering where Patrick may have gone. It wasn’t hard for Jose to find him. All he had to do was follow the scent of burning tobacco.

Patrick hung limply on the railing of a balcony window, staring down into the castle courtyards. The entire area had been cordoned off, and Luna was making sure that news of Celestia’s death would not reach the public by having the body privately prepared for burial. The moon lit up the nightscape in an eerie, hazy glow, shining through the dust and ash still circulating through the sky. The stars, just barely visible through it all, twinkled radiantly.

“Hey,” Jose stood next to Patrick.

“Hey…” he replied unenthusiastically.

“You’re almost out of cigarettes, you know,” Jose put his hands in the pockets of his tactical vest, most of the equipment removed so it would be easier to walk.

“Yep,” Patrick opened the pack of cigarettes in his pocket. It was his last pack, with only twelve remaining inside it.

“You feel guilty about killing Celestia now, don’t you?”

Patrick simply stared out into space.

“I didn’t know,” Patrick sighed. “I wouldn’t have done it if I knew.”

“I know you wouldn’t have,” Jose put his hand on Patrick’s shoulder. “I tried to warn you without giving anything away, without directly influencing you. I should have done a better job. It’s my fault, too.”

“I know that you’ve had an eternity to contemplate all this,” said Patrick. “But humanity was still carrying on like normal three weeks ago for me. A year and six months ago, we were still in the desert. I’m… Still not over it.”

They sat in silence for some time.

“Hey, Jose?”

“Yeah?”

“Did it hurt to die?”

“…Yeah.”

“Now, let me ask you something,” Jose said. “Which hurt more: Getting shot, struck by lightning, or nearly bleeding to death?”

Patrick glanced at his right shoulder.

“…The last one. By far.”

Jose nodded to acknowledge him.

“Can I ask you something else?” Patrick questioned.

“Shoot.”

“How long have you guys been keeping an eye on me?”

“Ever since we died.”

“I’d ask how-“

“-And I wouldn’t be able to answer,” Jose interrupted.

“Did you happen to see your funeral?”

“Yes,” Jose looked away. “Most of the souls I’ve met, that had a funeral, actually attend them from the spirit world. Of course, no one really knows they’re there.”

“Did you?”

“Of course,” Jose said. “So were the guys. We were just spectators, which I assume you’re familiar with now.”

Patrick looked to the floor, feeling embarrassed now that his best friends watched him cry like a baby that day.

“We all stood next to you the whole time,” Jose smiled. “When you told the story about the last party we threw before we shipped off, I would have cried, had I been able to.”

“No one thought any less of you. Grief is a natural response to death. You’re only human, Patrick. And when you finally come realize that; that you’re not a bad person, just that you’ve made a few mistakes, you can finally let this all go and start enjoying life again.”

Jose was able to make out a shooting star through the haze.

“Does the entire human race still hate me?”

Jose took a deep breath.

“Yeah, kinda’.”

“Is everyone still going to kick my ass when I die?”

“In a matter of speaking, yes.”

Patrick bowed his head dejectedly.

“I know you feel like shit right now,” Jose looked at the watch strapped on his wrist. “But everything’s about to go down. The Nightmare is in Ponyville and apparently it’s going to blow up everything, including this city, unless they surrender.”

“That sucks,” Patrick muttered.

“It doesn’t know that we’ve been brought back, and it doesn’t know that you killed Celestia. It’s always good to have the element of surprise, you know?”

“Mhmm,” Patrick didn’t even make eye contact.

Frustrated, Jose lifted Patrick up off the railing.

“Alright, come on, we’ve still got a job to do,” he grabbed Patrick by the hand, but he refused.

“What’s the use, Jose?” Patrick moped. “My entire world is gone! The whole human race apparently hates me. And those ponies, that saved my life, might I add, have to deal with the fact that I killed their gentle, all-loving leader. And, on top of all that, I rode my bike off a cliff. How much more could I possibly screw up?”

“Well, Patrick,” Jose looked up to the stars. You could let an entire race of sapient ponies face the greatest genocide the Earth will ever know because you felt so worthless; which you’re not.”

Patrick mulled over the possibility of doing nothing in his head.

“Or…” Jose paused. “You could make up for all that. You can use the Elements of Harmony with us, destroy the Nightmare, and save this world before what happened to the human race happens to them. And, because it’s just the right thing to do.”

“We can still save them?” Patrick asked.

Jose nodded.

“But not mankind?”

Jose shook his head.

“You, personally, have nothing to gain out of this. Therefore, we’d still be powerful enough to fight the Nightmare if you choose to help them for the greater good.”

“Why did all this have to happen to us?”

Patrick looked off into the distance, and then turned around to face Jose. To his surprise, he found four extra faces.

“Because we’ll always be there for each other,” Ryan said.

“Because we’d each take a bullet for each other,” Joe puffed his chest out with pride.

“Because of all the good times we’ve had,” Spencer smiled.

“Because we’re not just friends,” Louis added.

“We’re brothers,” Jose voiced. “Always have been. Always will be. No matter what. Even if we were never supposed to meet.”

Jose locked his hand around Patrick’s forearm, and hesitantly Patrick grabbed his to form a classic war handshake.

“So?” Jose raised an eyebrow. “What’s it going to be?”

Patrick paused. He looked at each of his friends, remembering where they first met. All the sleepovers, all the parties. All the drinking stories and substance abuse. Waking up handcuffed to Jose after getting wasted on top of the school gymnasium and passing out. The time in second grade where Patrick saw Louis beat up the kid who made fun of Joe for his race. Giving Patrick a home and a family when he lost his and needed one most. The list went on and on.

And then there was always BCT. Being there for each other in Basic Combat Training and helping each other through it, as well as the rest of their service cut short. They each made such a remarkable impact on each others lives, that nothing could tear them apart. Not even this entire ordeal.

Patrick couldn’t help but smile when he reflected on all he and his friends had been through. Celestia may have prevented him from having a normal family, but these young men were his real family. These men he grew up with were not his friends.

They were his brothers.

“So?” Jose repeated.

Patrick exhaled, smiling and giving a subtle nod.

“Let’s go fuck this Nightmare’s shit up.”