Revenge of Jack

Chapter 6 - It's Time To Man Up

I've quickly walked towards castle. Canterlot is quite a big, but i know already almost most of this place, not even mentioning that it's not hard to find a castle that protrudes over whole city for at least fifty meters. When i entered, guards next to the entrace looked at me with wide eyes.

"Human!? How is that possible, you were dead!" Shout one of them.

"Yeah, i do believe i was. But here i am, and i need to see Celestia." They shared a look with eachother, but after a while they led me into throne room.

When i walked in, i could see Celestia talking with girls about something i couldnt really hear. She looked really sad, and Fluttershy was actualy crying. I couldnt see Luna anywhere here, so i gues she was busy. At the moment i took a few more steps in, everyone's eyes went on me, shock clearly visible at their faces.

"Jack? You're alive!" Twilight shout as she ran to me and grabbed me in crushing hug. Soon everyone else came as well to join group hug, including Celestia.

"Yeah, i do believe i am. Can someone explain me what happend?" Celestia looked at me, her eyes slightly watering.

"Animals died, Jack. We killed almost 80% of the nearest forests populations, and it's nothing to be proud of. Additionaly, before that, Canterlot went throu hell. There was at least hundreds of deaths, and most of buildings are now ruins. But, what's worse... you were the first person who died. You were missing at least half of your head when Applejack bringed you here, Jack. It was a terrible view. It's been three days since that battle. Throu this three days me and Luna were charging power to cast a reviving spell on you. When we finally did it, nothing happend. You were still dead... So we didnt really had any other option. Revive spell is the hardest spell to cast ever knowed. Most of ponies dont even believe it's real, since to bring soul back to body needs a magical power strong enough to blow up whole universe. We were sure it didnt worked, ut then suddenly you came back!" She squeezed me even stronger, i think i could hear actualy one of my bones break. That explains some things, but not everything...

"And what about this castle in the Everfree forest?" They looked at me like i was dumb.

"What castle?" Twilight said at the same moment as another guard entered throne room.

"Princess! Guards report a sudden appearance of a mystery castle in the middle of forest next to Ponyville village!" Oh, so that's actualy a new thing? Everyone in room seemed shocked at that, and quickly trotted outside, as i followed them. Their jaws fell on the floor once they saw it.

"But... if... How? This thing wasnt there a while ago!" Twilight said, looking frustrated.

"Whoever did this, i'm sure he have no friendly intentions toward us. This cant be Discord, he's still in his stone prison, though there's are already a lot of cracks on it, but whoever this is, he's probably linked with the animals attacking cities." Celestia sighed deeply at that.

"Wait... other cities?" I was kinda confused. From what i remember, only Canterlot and Ponyville were attacked.

"Throu these three days, i got from at least five other cities reports about animals attacking them. If i'm right, and this castle is a property of the one who's sending these animals, then this someone must be really powerfull. I'll need someone to explore this castle and see who made it... And, Jack, i have a special request for you." I have a bad feelings about it.

"What is it?" I got a mean look from Twilight. "...Princess?" Her gaze softened. Fuck you Twilight.

"You will get a training from a Shinning Armor. He's a captain of the guard, and he's specialized in training other races."

"No."

"...What?" She was quite surprised at that.

"I dont need a training because i dont plan on fighting, that's simple. If i ever will need to fight, basic rules i've learned back on earth will be enough for me." I shruged. I think i just pissed her off.

"Jack, please trust me, you will need this. We're living in a dangerous times, and you have to be prepared for everything. A bear attacking you from your side - As Applejack described it - cant surprise you."

"Celestia, i trust you want it for my good, but i will be honest with you about one thing." She was quite curious now. "I've decided to move to this world only to have my revenge, and since it's not even sure anymore if anyone ever killed my family" - i could see some ponies were quite shocked at that, except Pinkie who didnt even payed attention to what was happening - " I've planned on leaving this world. Only thing that kept me here for so long was them." I pointed at my pony friends, making them slighly blush, even if still shocked. "But right now, when i have a possibility to die in any minute, i'm going to come back to my world." Everyone were looking at me like they saw a ghost, even Celestia. It didnt lasted too long though, as Celestia smirked and asked me a really important question.

"And how do you plan on doing it?" Fuck. She's right. In original plan, Discord was supoused to bring me back on earth after killing Celestia, but since now i'm working 'kinda' alone, i dont have anybody to send me back. An idea of me staying here forever... I could feel my eyes slighly watering.

"I... i dont know... I dont know if i'm able to even come back anymore..." I could feel a tear going throu my check, but i tried to hide it somehow. I think others noticed that, since their shock turned into concern. Celestia's smirk dissapeared, and now she had a serious face.

"Alright Jack, let's make a deal then. I will send you back to your world, but first you will help us fight with this mystery creature that's possessing animals. Is that fine with you?" Like i have a choice.

"Deal."

"Great. Now, about your training... I do believe you wont want that anyway?"

"Actualy... i might need that. When do we start?"

"Right now." Wait, what? I could see Shinning Armor coming from outside of castle.

"Prepare yourself, human. Your training wont be about doing exacly what i say, i will just learn you how to control your body in fight and you will discover everything you will need by your own. Are you ready to go?"

"Go? Where?"

"We're going to a special training room, only for elite guards.. Walls here are magical, and cant break, so you wont need to worry about crashing this place, not like you could anyway..." The last part he mumbled. Fuck you, even if you're right. "You will need to fight against all kind of enemies we have avaible to let you train with. From animals to even griffons or changelings, so dont expect it to be easy."

"Eh, i think i'll go for it..." What's the worst that could happen? I'll probably know that later, since night is coming already. At this moment i saw Luna coming here.

"Greetings, my little ponies, and... Jack! Jack, you're alive! So this spell worked!"

"Yes, sister, it did worked, and i'm just as happy as you are, but tell me, do you feel better already?" Huh?

"Yes, i'm fine. This revive spell we casted on you was really powerfull, so after casting it at you, Jack, i was really exhausted. It took us three days to charge it, but i do believe you know that already."

"Yes, i do. So, what do we do now?"

"Oh, Twilight and her friends are coming home, and you are staying here."

"Please princess, can he come with us? I'm sure he can train at Ponyville just like he could here!" Oh damn, Rarity actualy care about me. I wonder if it have something to do with a fact everyone thought that i'm dead.

"I'm sorry, but-" Shinning wanted to say something, but Celestia cut him in halfway.

"Excuse me, captain, but i do believe i have an idea. How about we will teleport your training room to ponyville?"

"That... that would work... but what about other guards?"

"I think it wont be a problem for them." She winked at our group, a smile at her face. Everyone shared her smile... everyone except me. I'm forced into a training to be able to beat a crap out of some mystery weirdo. Yes, indeed a reason to be happy about. But oh well, it's still better to be in a village i've been living so far than to move to a half destroyed city.

"Thank you, Celestia. So, i do believe we might go now?" Fuck off Twilight, i'm not calling her princess, she even asked me to not do so.

"Yes, i wont hold you for too long. You can use a chariot to get back to Ponyville, since train station is destroyed..." Her gaze saddened at mention of that.

After a while a chariot took us to Ponyville. Celestia told us that she will teleport room at the place Shinning Armor will show, since he's coming with us as well. He's going to live in Twilight home as well, and every day he's going to train me for at least two hours, after my work of course. When we came back to Ponyville, everyone took a last happy look at me before they walked to their homes. Me, Twilight, Shinning and Spike went to Library. Shinning took a room next to mine, and Spike helped him to pack out. After that, he went outside, probably to look for a safe place to teleport training room. Damn, she's going to teleport a whole room. Magic is great. Anyway, it was middle of the night, so i went straight to bed.

Next day came up rather... interesting. When i opened my eyes, i could see Twilight next to me, with nurse Redheart, talking with eachother.

"...Couldnt wake him up since we came back! It's been a week already!"

"...uhh... What is going on?" Their eyes went to me immediately. Redheart didnt seemed so surprised, but Twilight was looking like she saw a ghost.

"JACK!" A quick hug, some tears and one nurse less later i've get my explanations.

"Well Jack, basicaly you were sleeping for almost a week. When i entered your room, you were lying at the bed, shaking really hard. I've tried to wake you up, but nothing happend! Everyone tried!"

"Uh huh, i see.... Something happend meanwhile?"

"A group of scouts reported that castle from Everfree forest is the same old destroyed princesses castle, it looks like... someone rebuilt it. And, what more, it's mostly rebuilt of... some kind of dark crystals. I think i know already who did that, but i'll keep it for me untill we will find out truth. Also, attacks of animals suddenly stopped. You have no idea how we worried about you, Jack..."

"Dont, i'm fine. Anyway, what's the time?"

"It's eight o'clock in the morning. I think others will be happy when they see you're fine!" She said happily. I shruged and stood up, which actualy was harder than i thought. I needed Twilight to lift me up with magic and put me on the floor, since i couldnt feel my legs. When i was finally standing, i felt somehow strange... stronger i could say, but it is like you were sleeping while exercising like crazy and after that you woke up suddenly stronger. Which also includes fact that my whole body sores.

When i walked downstairs, i could see Twilight friends looking at me, some of them shocked and some of them happy. But mostly happy. As i heard from Twilight, training room have been teleported close to the Ponyville park, so i went straight there after i was done talking with everyone. When i was in front of park, i could see already this room at some kind of a field. It was rather huge, even bigger than town hall. From outside it was all white, without windows, with a single wooden door. When i came in front of it, i could hear some strange noises inside. Eh, fuck it. I opened the door and steped inside.

Inside this room was at least in size of whole Canterlot castle.

Whole place was white inside as well as outside. At the sides of room i could see some kind of a cages with wild creatures in it, they even had a timberwolf or whatever they were called. At the middle of it there was a huge training arena, Shinning Armor standing at the middle of it with a smirk at his face. Except that this whole room was empty. Rather strange, i dont even know where does light comes from. As i went farther into room, Shinning walked toward me.

"Ah, good to know you finaly woke up, Jack. This place is a training room, whole thing is powered by magic, making it at least ten times bigger than it is outside and making it inderstructible. Additonaly, unicorns have increased power in here, so they can create whatever they need to their training. At first place, i will teach you your own fighting stance, so nobody will be able to surprise you."

"I... Kinda know already a fighting stance..." Man, this whole thing is just weird.

"Oh, really? Very well, get into a fighting position and block my attacks. I will go easy on you, dont worry."

I took a typical boxer guard and waited for him. Is really a boxer guard a proper thing to fight against a pony? Before i could anserw that, Shinning made a quick dash behind me, kicked me in back of my knee which made me to fall on the ground, and then he pin me to the floor. Whole thing took him about eight seconds or so. I just lost a fight with a pony. Human race shall be ashamed forever.

"Do you see now what i meant?" He asked as he helped me get up.

"Yeah yeah, i see. I will need to change my guard against a pony, whatever."

"I wish it would be just that simple. I will teach you how to guard against every kind of creature you will ever be able to found on this planet." Wait, what?

"Why should i learn that? I will just get rid of that someone from Everfree and then i'm coming back on earth."

"And this 'someone' controls almost all creatures from the Everfree forest. Are you sure you want to discover on your own what kind of creatures lives there without a training before?"

"I... eh, you have a point. Are you sure you can train a human? I'm rather different from a ponies, as you could notice so far." He smirked at that.

"Oh, please Jack. I've been training every living inteligent race in fighting so far. At least thousand of ponies, another thousand of crystal ponies, at least hundred of griffins and some diamond dogs. I was even training once a changeling." *Whistle*

"You were training a changeling? Wasnt their race, like, enemies of ponies?" I could see his gaze saddened

"They werent before... but then their queen betrayed our land and the war broke out. It's been a hard time for everyone, a lot of families had to move out from Equestria... Luckily, we won this war and drived out changelings from our land. The day this changeling ended his training was two days before war broke out, but he didnt joined it. It looks like not all changelings are betraying scums..." The last part he said throu clenched teeth, but he quickly recovered back to his normal mood. "Anyway, point is that i will train you how to be able to fight against every kind of creature, from animals to even ponies if there will be such need."

We've been training for at least a week, since i somehow was learning every kind of guard really quickly. At some point i was able to beat Shinning Armor flank. And then, a training against changelings came...

"Alright Jack, changelings are very sneaky and agile bastards. Their main weapon is changing their shapes to whatever they want, but there are few ways to distinguish a changeling from others. First one, their blood will be green, no matter what shape they have. Second one, whenever they change their shape to a creature they never been before, they will have a problem to control this form, and in that case their skin will be slighly greenish when they're out on sun. And third, most important one, changelings are very sensitive about light. They can survive at sun, but if they will found themself near some kind of a light source, it mostly ends with epilepsy attack for them. Alright, in this training will help my old student, i think i told you about him once. Come out, Solseek!"

I could see a changeling dude coming out of dark corners - I have no idea why in a fully lighed is a dark corner - and approached us with a smirk on his face. He was all black with a bug-like wings and a visible fangs. His eyes doesnt have pupils, but i somehow was able to tell whenever he looked at me.

"Commander Solseek, at your service. So, you want to train him how to fight against changelings? I have to say, i never saw something like him before, but are you sure he can handle me?"

"I hope so Solseek, but go easy on him, just in case." Ouh. My pride.

"Alrigh then, captain." He turned to face me. "So, what's your name?"

"I'm Jack."

"Jack who?"

"...Jack." Dont push your luck, dude.

"...Alright then Jack, are you ready?"

I took a better position, and tried style against ponies, mixed a little bit with style against crystal ponies. Since changelings are almost the same as them, i do believe this will work. "I'm ready."

I totaly didnt expected that a changeling will kick my ass so hard that i will end in hospital for a three days.

I've been trying my luck against Solseek for at least two weeks. Meanwhile Canterlot was fixed, more researching was made about everfree castle and it came out that Discord is linked somehow with anyone who's living there. Researches says that this castle is mostly made by dark magic, but at least 10% of magic used in making this castle was a chaos magic. But that aside, after a two weeks i finaly found a way how to counter his style of fighting, and was actualy to hit him. In that moment, my fighting styles training was done.

"Alright Jack, you're ready for everything that will happen to you. Your last part of training will test your strength, dexterity and mind. Which test you want to do first?" Hmmmm... This reminds me of something back on earth...

"I want strength test first."

"Alright, this is the simplest one." He created a small metalic box, a small black rubber circle at the one of it's walls. Whole box was a little bit bigger than my head, nothing special. "I want you to hit this black spot on this box."

"I hope it's not just a reason for me to hit a metal with my bare fist as hard as i can to make you laugh." He looked at me, confused.

"Why would i do that? That's stupid. C'mon, hit it." I hit. At least half of my arm went into this thing as i hit it. Shinning's eyes went wide.

"How did you do that?"

"Did what?"

"Your strenght is at least at level of really strong earth pony!"

"...That's good?"

"That's more than good! Earth ponies are the strongest ponies knowed, and a earth pony that's whole life is about exercising might be even stronger than princess Luna or princess Cadance! Right now you're strong enough to knock me out with a single hit... Wait a second... you were going easy all this time?"

"Well... Maybe a little bit..." At this moment i discovered a move called 'Facehoof'. "Alright, so apparently i'm really strong, that's good. What now?"

"This reminds me of something... Twilight told me your body is really sensitive... I think i know already why you're so strong. Do you remember how we thought you were dead and princesses tried to revive you?"

"Yeah, what about that?"

"Since your body is sensitive to magic, that revive spell had probably some additionaly effects to you. So far i can say it made you stronger, but we will need to make rest ot tests to say anything else." And so we did. Dexterity test was about to hold an egg on my nose... for 2 hours... while running... on one leg... I dropped this egg before i could make my first step, so instead of that Shinning created a small jungle and i had to leave it only by moving at the top of trees. It wasnt that hard, and i made it in ten minutes. Mind test was just a few questions. First one was this famous question 'what is this thing that at the beggining of it's life stands on four, in late life stands on two and at the end of it's life stands on three', but changed to pony version. Next questions wasnt any better than this one, so i anserwed all of them.

"Alright Jack, it looks like only your strenght increased. I would say that your inteligence as well, but i dont know how smart you were before. With that, your training is done." Fuck yeah, one step closer to leave this land.

Tommorow me, Twilight and rest of our group left to officialy explore whole castle. I felt really excited at that point. I have already plans of what to do with my ilfe once i will come back. This whole experience helped me a lot. I felt so happy that... What is that strange feeling i have? As we were in front of the Everfree forest, everyone's eyes were on me, a happy looks on their faces.

"....What?"

"You feel it, dont you?" Rarity asked with a smirk.

"Feel what?"

"Magic of music of course! I love singing, mostly when these are really happy songs about how happy i am and-"

"Magic of music? What is that?" Thanks god that shut her up.

"Magic of music is whenever your feelings are so high that you cant control them anymore, and then a magic of music lets you control yourself by singing about what you feel!" Twilight happily explained it. God damn it, i hate singing.

"Ehh... do i have to?"

"Yup!" Anserwed Applejack. Alright, fuck it, this feeling is really annoying. I made a few steps and tried to start singing, when suddenly a music started. It sounded like... guitar? Hell yeah, that's what i like. I took a deep breath and began.

♬ My revenge will be sweet and sour ♬

♬ As i approach you in your last hour ♬

♬ Your mercy begging will do no good ♬

♬ I will reveal what's under your hood ♬

Oh man, i already like it. Looks at the faces of ponies - priceless. I slowly started moving into forest, ponies following me, terrified.

♬ Beware you scum, cause this Jack is big ♬

♬ I gonna slice you like an ugly pig ♬

♬ Your screams and howls will give me joy ♬

♬ From now you shall become my toy ♬

I think Fluttershy peed herself. I feel really bad scaring them like that, but i still have this god forsaken feeling, though i can feel it slowly dissapearing. We were already near this castle, as guitar get for a moment more power.

♬ Your fortress wont protect you from my wrath! ♬

♬ For this moment i have left my path! ♬

♬ Your body will soon end in my hearth! ♬

♬ Which will allow me to come back at earth! ♬

I was already in front of the massive wooden doors of the castle. Ponies didnt even dare to look at me on our way here, and now i think i can see them slowly backing away from me. Music was slowly dying, as my feeling almost totaly dissapeared. With a smirk at my face, i grabbed a door handle.

♬ Here i am, with my crew ♬

♬ I have come for you ♬

Music died as i opened the door. I tried to step inside, but i could feel something poke back of my leg. When i looked behind me, i saw Fluttershy with tears in her eyes, looking at me.

"Maybe you shouldnt go in..."