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

A portal opened on the other side of the throne. I gave one last glance to Celestia, only to see that she had shaken away her dizziness from my attack. Glaring at me, her horn had begun to glow yellow as she planned to retaliate.

I gasped, "Oh no!" I quickly dashed towards the portal, running as fast I could. As I jumped through, I felt something tingle down my side as I think her magic hit it's mark. "Chaoth Concrol!" The gem glowed as I yelled through the sword in my mouth. The portal closed as I examined my body for anything wrong.

I looked at my hooves. White hoof? No.

Then, I felt my neck. The Scratchies? Not that either.

I turned my head to examine my wings. Extreme molting? Nope.

I gave a sigh of relief as I finally noticed my surroundings. It seemed to be a bedroom of sorts. A huge smile spread across my face when I saw my friends sitting around the room.

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Just then, our jaws dropped as Fluttershy stepped through, carrying Chillrend in her mouth and my yellow Chaos Emerald in her  wing. She walked over and gently laid the weapons on my dresser. Turning around, she gave a huge grin, "Oh, um, h-hey guys! It's been a-!"

Then, without warning, she collapsed. Shocked, I instantly dropped to her side. The band did the same, surrounding her.

"What happened? What's wrong?" I worriedly asked.

The mare weakly replied, "I... I'm j-just a little tired."

That didn't sound good. As she closed her eyes, I could hear her breathing slow down dramatically, getting slower with each passing second. Her breathing became heavy, so I lowered my ear to her chest and listened to her heartbeat.

BUM.

...

BUM.

...

...

BUM.

...

...

...

BUM.

I gasped as I shot up. "SHE'S DYING!! Her body's rapidly shutting down!"

"We have to do something!" Jen exclaimed.

"Can't we call a doctor or vet or something?" Seth asked.

I stroked my hand through my hair. "There's no time..."

I quickly glanced around my room searching for a miracle. Of all the knick-knacks and plushes strewn about my dressers, none seemed to be of any use in this situation. That is, until I saw my acoustic guitar leaning against the wall, forgotten behind my bed.

My brain gave me an idea. It was far-fetched though, and I hoped with all my being that it would work. I grabbed the guitar and scribbled something on a forgotten Chick-Fil-A receipt left to rot on my dresser. I handed it to Jen.

"What's this?" She asked.

"Lyrics." I hastily began explaining. "Look. Equestria was a land filled to the brim with magic. Maybe some of that magic leaked through when we returned... With that in mind, I'm going to play a tune that may just save Fluttershy's life; I just need you to sing those lyrics. The song itself is called the 'Song of Healing'. Hopefully, with my guitar, your voice, and a small remnant of Equestrian magic, Fluttershy won't die today."

She paused. "...Understood." She gave a quick glance at the lyrics, then nodded. "I'm ready."

I started picking the strings on my guitar.

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After a few seconds, Jen began singing the lyrics. "Day to night, dark to light, fall the sands of time... Let the years, like the gears of a clock, unwind..." As I continued playing, everything around Jen, Fluttershy, and I faded, casting darkness around us with only a small light encompassing the three of us, each of us being at an edge of the area. "In your mind, walk through time, back to better days... Memories, like a dream, wash tears away... Like a star in the sky, darkness can't reach you! Light the night... joy is light 'til the new dawn..."

After Jen sang those words, I noticed Fluttershy had become transparent, as if she were fading away...

Jen, noticing this as well, continued nervously, "Cast away your old face; Let go your spite. With this mask, I'll ask to borrow your light..."

After she finished, I threw away the guitar and rushed to Fluttershy's side, placing one hand on her chest and the other behind her head. Although I had thrown away the guitar, the melody I had been playing continued to echo.

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Jen followed me almost immediately. Fluttershy, almost completely faded, mumbled weakly, "Th-Thank y-you..."

With a smile on her face, the pegasus vanished completely, leaving only behind her face and top of her mane, now a simple, plastic mask in my hand. I could feel kindness radiating from it...

The darkness faded as my room reappeared around us. Still holding the mask, I placed it's forehead to mine and started weeping as words rang inside my head:

You got the Kindness Mask! This mask is the essence of the Element of Kindness. Wear it to make animals draw near. While wearing, press the B button to utilize Rage mode.

"W-What happened?!?" Korey asked worriedly.

I gazed up at her, still weeping, "W-We... saved Fluttershy..."

"But..." Jen choked, now with tears forming in her own eyes. "S-She disappeared... That's her face in your hand..."

"I... I know..." I sobbed.

"How is she saved, then?" She asked bitterly.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I replied, "This mask... This mask is her essence... everything she was, it's all in this mask..."

To prove my point, I turned the mask around and placed in on my face. I felt a form of tingling as the mask attached itself to me. As the seconds passed, the tingling grew into a burning sensation, then a scalding one. I couldn't hold it in any longer; I let out a loud, distorted scream as my vision went white.

When I could see again, long strands of pink hair impaired all vision in my right eye. I looked at the band members. They seemed taller than before...

"...F-Fluttershy?!" Jen exclaimed "Is that you?"

"Yes." I answered in a soft, feminine voice.

"Where'd you get Lucas' clothes?" John asked.

"Thing is, I'm still Lucas." I replied. The band gasped, taken aback. Still feeling a little woozy from putting on the mask, I walked into the bathroom one door to the right of my bedroom. I examined myself in the bathroom mirror to understand what John had asked.

I had Fluttershy's body, but was wearing Lucas' green Tony Hawk jacket, eye glasses, Dr. Pepper T-Shirt, blue jeans (with a tail hole in the flank), and DC Shoes with a bullet hole one of them. I also retained the pain of that wound in my back-right foreleg. Taking the weight off of that leg, I hobbled back into my room, only to be greeted by nervous expressions held by Skillet.

"You see," I explained. "Fluttershy started dying. Because the effects of whatever ailed her were so swift, there was little anyone could have done. So, Lucas thought to trap her essence in a mask, before losing her forever. And here we are."

"But wait," Korey spoke, confused. "I thought you WERE Lucas..."

"Well, yes and no." I replied. "With the mask, I'm both fully Fluttershy the pegasus and fully Lucas the human." I gave a slight chuckle. "I guess you could say I'm Lucashy."

The band fell silent. Although we saved Fluttershy, the air fell heavy and gloomy. This had been a grave end to our adventure, indeed.

But as I looked at my yellow hoof, I was reminded of all of Fluttershy's memories.

I was reminded of the sorrow of losing not only her pony friends, but now her animal friends as well... I was reminded of all the ponies she had hurt in her rage form... I was reminded of the callousness Celestia had shown her during their experiments... I was reminded of the loneliness that Fluttershy felt on a daily basis with no hope for escape...

Then, I remembered the happiness she had once shared with her friends before their deaths. I remembered the joy she had felt when she found Lucas back in Equestria. I remembered the excitement she had when seeing Skillet in concert for the first time. I remembered the awe she experienced after winning in the Glitz Pit. I remembered her anger when Celestia sent her friends away, leaving her alone again. I remembered the sweet relief she felt seeing Lucas and Skillet sitting in my bedroom. I remember it all.

As I thought more about Fluttershy's memories, I had begun to cry again, knowing that she was gone.

No.

Lucas and Jen saved her essence in my mask...

In your mind, walk through time, back to better days. Memories, like a dream, wash tears away. Like a star in the sky, darkness can't reach you! Light the night, joy is light, 'til the new dawn.