Lucas Chronicles, the Afterstory Part 2: Monster Behind Mountain Dew Interlude; Of Skillets, Waffles, and Other Things

After a quick Chaos Control, we were all the way back in Cantorlot Castle. In fact, it placed us right in the room where we had left the Holy Sweetroll about a month prior. To my joy, it was where we had left it, causing me to really question the Princess's Royal Guard for not finding the hole we made. At any rate, we happily acquired the desert (by me impaling it with Chillrend), then made our way to Celestia's throne room. Nothing really interesting happened until that point.

When we arrived at the entrance to the throne room, I kicked open the door and shouted, "Hey Celestia! We're back!"

Celestia, poshly seated on her throne, spoke disappointedly, "Ah. So you survived. Pity. Oh well. Since you are back, I assume your mission was a success."

"By Blabberton's Beard, it was!" Bobbery shouted.

"Bobbery." The princess growled.

"'Ello, Princess!" The ghostly Bob-bomb smirked.

"Just sit down and shut up so we can get this over with." The Princess rudely commanded.

I leaned over to the sea-bomb and whispered, "I thought you said you and the Princess go way back? And that she owes you a favor?"

He laughed, "Aye, but I didn't say she liked me! I just saved her from the briny blue on one of my many sea endeavors that didn't exactly go over smoothly with her. Oi, I'll have to tell you about it someti-"

"Did I not make myself clear?" Celestia interrupted with an irritated tone. "Sit down and let's get this over with, shall we?"

I just had to chuckle at how much she hated me. I mean, it's not like I could do anything about it.

"Now," She glared at me, "YOU. Where are the objects I instructed you to gather?"

"Right here!" I smiled as I pulled the Almighty Waffle of Power out of my bag and displayed it in my hands as well as the Chillrend-impaled-Holy Sweetroll.

"I see." The Princess deadpanned as her magic hovered the objects away from me. She slid the Sweetroll off of Chillrend and threw the blade aside. "Now, Skillet, I need you to stand still in front of me."

The band nodded and did as she asked. Celestia closed her eyes and focused her magic. The Holy Sweetroll and Almighty Waffle of Power had begun revolving around the band at a rapid pace. Soon, they were only blurs spinning around the band. A blindingly white light flashed, causing Fluttershy and me to cover our faces.

When the light faded, the band stood there. On two legs.

Human.

They all examined their bodies and smiled. John danced around a bit, brushed his leather jacket and swiped his nose with his thumb, "Aw yeah, baby! Skillet's baaaaaack!~" He sang out.

They high-fived each other with smiles plastered on their faces as Fluttershy and I walked over.

I held a huge smile myself as Fluttershy gave them an examination of her own. A perplexed look washed over her face as she mumbled, "So THIS is what you actually look like..."

John chuckled as he grabbed the insides of his jacket, "Yeah, dude! This is us!"

"I see..." The pegasus muttered. Then, a smile broke across her muzzle as she held her hoof up and squee'd, "That's awesome!"

John laughed as he met his fist with her hoof, "Hey!" He exclaimed, "We can sign something for you both now!"

I gave a huge smile as I raised both fists, "WOO!" I spoke moderately loudly, similarly to how I reacted about a month ago

Fluttershy's jaw dropped in excitement, "You can?!? Oh boy! What should I have you sign? Oh, I hope I'm not imposing to much... It's just... I'm so excited, I could just scream!" She took in a deep breath. "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

She blushed as we all started laughing hysterically about how quiet that actually was.

"Ahem." Celestia interrupted coldly. "I do believe it's time for you to leave."

I cleared my throat as I ceased my laughing, although a giddy grin had remained on my face, "Ah, yes. I believe so to." But I had realized something. While the Holy Sweetroll and the Almighty Waffle of Power were gone, the Not-So-Wandering-Soul of Admiral Bobbery still remained. I raised my eyebrow, "Wait, wasn't Bobbery apart of the things needed to change Skillet back?"

"No." She replied coldy.

"Then why did-"

"I owe him a favor." She turned to Bobbery as her chilling demeanor softened slightly.

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"I plan to lift your curse, and let you leave this existence."

Bobbery stopped all motion, "Aye, that's one heck of a favor, Princess. I don't think I quite deserve it."

"Silence." She commanded as she shook her head. "It's been far too long. It's time for you to reunite with Scarlette."

"Sc-Scarlette?" With that, the sea-bomb stumbled out of of the room. When out of eyesight, I heard him mumble, "Scarlette- my dear Scarlette- I shall be with you soon..."

He returned to the throne room, small tear stains draining into his mustache. He nodded. As a yellow aura surrounded Celestia's horn, Bobbery's ethereal form began to fade. "Thank you. Farewell, my comrades." Now barely visible, his voice echoed, "See you all on the other shore, aye?"

"Aye." We all resounded.

With that, the Great Admiral Bobbery was no more, gone to his wife's embrace forever.

With a heavy sigh, I smiled, "So, how do we get home?"

Celestia's horn glowed again as she detached the Chaos Emerald from my side. "Simple."

I tried to catch it, but wasn't fast enough as it was now suspended right beside the Princess' head. She hissed, cold expression returning. "As you remember, last time you had 'locked' the way through, with the only way to go between world's being this gem. It is still that way, no matter how much I've tried to break through it. Now, this gem is the only key."

"So..." Realizing she wouldn't give my stuff back, my face fell into shadows, "my own lock screwed me over..."

She smirked as she taunted, "Oh, it sure seems that way, does it not? As this is goodbye, I should say it was nice knowing you. Except, it really wasn't. Chaos Control."

The portal opened, back to my room back on earth. Utterly defeated, I turned one last time to the Princess. "But- I- I mean-" It was fruitless, as I couldn't possibly come up with a counter-argument to persuade the Princess to allow me to keep my stuff.

It was then that I noticed Fluttershy standing right behind me, on the edge of tears. "P-P-Please don't go..."

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She closed her eyes as tears started to fall. "I don't want to be alone again..."

Kneeling down to meet her on eye level, I closed my eyes and gave a slight chuckle. I opened my eyes and spoke, "You're never alone Fluttershy. You got someone living with you, right here." I poked her chest where her heart would be. "He's a great Someone to have too, 'cause He won't ever leave you."

She sniffed, "C-Can I come with you guys? I mean, you took Derpy the first time..."

I frowned as I shook my head. "No, and that's the exact reason why. She's still mad about Derpy. If I allow you to come with me, Celestia will be in an outrage. If she ever saw either of us again after that, she'd kill us on the spot."

"But-"

"I'm sorry. But this is how it has to be..." I sighed as I tried to pass a small smile, "It's been really fun y'know, and you were awesome!"

I tried to sound happy, but it didn't really work out. The gravity of this situation weighed down on me too hard. Celestia had taken Chillrend and the Chaos Emerald, Fluttershy was going to be alone again, and, worst of all, I'd never be able to return. Thinking of all the time I spent here, I cringed. When I added it all up, it had been at least a year. And now... Poof. Gone. All up in smoke.

Worthless.

No... Not worthless...

I still had my memories.

I wrapped my arms around the yellow pegasus. She returned the embrace, her tears once again streaming down my back. "...We had some fun times and awesome memories... And that's what you gotta remember. Not the fact that I'm gone, but all the good times we had. That's what really matters." Her chest began heaving large sobs as I pulled away from her embrace. "I guess this is goodbye."

As I stood I up, she cried, "D-Do you have to say it like that?"

"How do you want me to say it?"

"C-Can y-you say it l-like we'll see each other ag-gain? I m-mean... I-If th-that's okay w-with y-you..."

I chuckled. "Alright. See ya around, Fluttershy."

She paused. "...G-Goodbye..."

I nodded to the band. They were ready to go. They walked ahead of me into the portal, one by one. First, John. Then Korey. Then Seth, followed by Jen.

Finally, I reached the portal, a lump forming in my throat. I turned around for one last look. Celestia sat on her with a cold expression while levitating my Chaos Emerald. Chillrend was still lying on the ground where she had tossed it. Fluttershy sat in the same position, frozen. "Hey Fluttershy!" She looked up. I almost choked up giving her my final words. "Have a good life. Do that for me, Fluttershy; Have a fantastic life!"

I didn't see how she reacted. I turned and walked through the portal as it closed behind me.

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As I sat down on my bed, I gave a long sigh and stared at the flat-screen TV that sat on my dresser just under my 'Starry Night' Doctor Who poster.

"What's wrong?" Jen asked as she placed her hand on my shoulder.

"I..." I started. "I spent a lot of time there, y'know? But all things must end. I knew that already, so that's not what I'm sad about. Thing is, you guys remember when I talked about the time with the human Fluttershy right?"

"The giant one?" Seth asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. That one. See, I never was able to fix that problem, but I promised I would help... Worst of all, my car is still at their school! I don't even know exactly where that is! And, ON TOP OF ALL THAT, my iPod and headphones are still at Fluttershy's cottage!"

I slammed my fists on my thighs and gave a defeated sigh as the band remained silent.

Glancing around at all my posters and knick-knacks strewn about my dressers, I wondered if there could've been another way...

And then, a Chaos Control portal opened.