Chapter 23: The Promise (Alternative Ending)

The universe was brought renewed hope and salvation, as Zalgo’s anguished cry of defeat echoed across the universe. Just as this day marks an ending, so too does it herald a new beginning. The nightmare… was over. However, the danger still stands as the gang watched the heavens crumble down. Fractions of the ceiling rained down in an attempt to crush the victors. Above the crumbling ceiling, the upper ceiling in the first floor started to create fissures. The cracks snaked across the whole room, splitting the walls and the ceiling into pieces. With no time to be startled by the face of death, Celestia stared at her loyal subjects. There, all eyes were glued onto Jack’s corpse with Fluttershy holding onto nothing but a hollowed shell of a human.

“Jack! Wake up! Please!” Fluttershy cried out, hoping by some miracle he would wake up once more. Twilight knew that this was a waste of time, as she saw the ceiling started to fall. She stared at the princess with frantic in her eyes.

“Princess Celestia, what are we going to do now?!” Twilight asked in panic. Celestia darted her eyes over to Jack, and then up skywards. With no other choice, she closed her eyes, and opened them back up with a face of resolve. She stared back down to the group, adopting a determined face.

“Everyone, grant me your elemental strengths so that I can teleport us all out of here!” Celestia ordered. Fluttershy took her eyes off of Jack for a moment and looked at the princess.

“W-Wait! What abou-” Fluttershy was about to complete her question, when Celestia interrupted.

“Don’t worry about him! FOCUS NOW!!” Celestia ordered, this time more demanding. Fluttershy looked at Jack for a moment, and realized that sitting here doing nothing wouldn’t help anyone at this moment. Willing to make a cause, Fluttershy, and the other elemental wielders gathered around Celestia, forming a semicircle.

Within their positions, the elemental instruments suddenly flashed into existence. Twilight’s tiara appeared on her head, while the five necklaces appeared around the owner’s necks. All six elemental wielders knew what to do and started meditating. Closing their eyes, the main six concentrated on merging themselves with their proper element. After a few seconds of meditation, all six simultaneously opened their eyes. Their eyes glowed white, blazing with radiating light.

The star jewel on top of Twilight’s tiara begun to generate a pulse of piercing white light, making the jewels on the necklaces respond respectively. Then, the elemental instruments emitted beams in their respective color, which converged on the jewel on Celestia’s tiara. The energy became so bright, it washed out the darkness on the rest of the platform. Not only that, the crumbled pieces of the ceiling slowed their pace, as the energy the elements were emitting managed to seize control over time. Aero could only watch in awe, witnessing such astonishing phenomenon unfolding.

Celestia could feel her depleted energy slowly returning, giving her the energy to perform the teleportation spell. However, something was wrong. The energy she was receiving wasn’t coming as fast enough. Not only that, the beams were becoming more thinner and weaker. Celestia looked at her royal subjects with concern.

“Guh, I need… more energy!” Celestia ordered. To her surprise, she saw the elemental wielders exhausted and fatigued. Their legs shook as they struggled to keep their balances up. With each second, the beams slowly degraded into thinner lines. Twilight grimaced in pressure, trying her best to keep the energy flowing. However, due to Zalgo’s tight grips, their energy was sapped away. Just as they couldn’t go any further, Pinkie Pie’s eyes rolled back and then she fell to her side. In a matter of seconds, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy collapsed consecutively. And finally, when Twilight couldn’t push anymore of her energy, she too fell in defeat. The beams that merged with the gem on Celestia’s tiara vanished, leaving the princess only half the energy she needed to use the spell. With the energy gone, time slowly returned to normal, making the crumbled pieces of the ceiling fall at their normal speed. The girls panted for breath, overwhelmed with fatigue and dizziness.

“W-We can’t… we’re… totally… e-exhausted!” Twilight admitted in shame. Celestia gritted her teeth, as she looked up towards the collapsing heavens.

“T-This can’t be! I-I’m so close!” Celestia growled with a hint of despair. She hung her head down and clinched her eyes shut, while gritting in frustration. “This can’t end here!”

“You’re right, your highness…” Aero spoke up. Everypony’s attention was drawn towards the skeletal stallion. His eyes were closed, yet he had a hopeful grin on his face. Aero opened his eyes and displayed a resolved expression.

“It shouldn’t end here, I say. Take all of my energy your highness.” Aero stated. To their unexpected surprise, everypony gasped. Aero continued as he closed his eyes once more and widen his grin.

“I may not look like I have much but trust me, it will be enough. Take all of it... and my soul will be set free.” Rarity sharply gasped, as she predicted his fatality.

“N-No, darling! You shouldn’t do this!” Rarity protested. During her silent moment, she recollected the memories she shared with Aero, how he wanted to explore the entire globe in pursuit of different passions for art. Not only that, he had been so enthralled by the zebra race that he would give up his life career just to learn the ways of their culture. Realizing that his dreams were about to be drifted away made her heart ache. Plus, the promise Rarity made a while back with Aero also caused her heart to ache more. The promise of meeting with Zecora, and accepting him as her apprentice. Not willing to let go of such sacrifice, Rarity continued with her objection.

“W-We have came this far, a-and you’re w-willing to sacrifi-” Rarity was abruptly cut off by Aero.

“There’s no time, I dare say! The ceiling is about to collapse, which will entomb us all! I must do this for all of you! And besides…” Aero collected himself, as he paused to cease his anxious soul. His eyelids rose slowly, while he gazed at the ground.

“...I’ll finally be with my family again. My lovely wife… and my sweet little children… they’re waiting for me, I say.” Coming to realization, Rarity gasped quietly. She had totally forgotten about his family, thus making her feel guilty of letting her desires get the better of her. Aero lifted his head up and gazed at Rarity’s soaked eyes.

“Please… let me do this, chappete.” Aero pleaded contentedly. Rarity wiped her tears off, smearing her irritated eyes.

“Aero…” Rarity mumbled morosely. With his fate set, Aero turned to the princess and nodded in approval. Celestia stared at his hollowed yet lifeful eyes and returned a nod.

“Thank you, Aero. You have provided this land and to everypony else in Equestria a noble sacrifice. Your honor will never fade away from history. May you rest in peace.” Blessed by her gratitude, Aero smiled and looked at the gang.

“Thank you, your highness. It was a pleasant meeting with you all… farewell.” Aero said nonchalantly with a hint of sadness. Rarity and the others watched as Celestia pointed her horn at Aero. In a matter of seconds, greenish vapor started to emanate from the surface of his skull, and the vapor was being vacuumed into the tip of Celestia’s horn. Aero gave off fainting painful grunts, but he stood his ground, awaiting for death to finally sweep him off the mortal plane and ascend towards the eternal resting place. While this continued, Celestia could feel immense energy being poured into her. She was amazed that Aero had this much energy locked away within him.

Finally, after a couple more seconds, the green vapor that emanated from Aero stopped coming out. With the last of Aero’s energy absorbed within Celestia, the skeletal stallion stood still like a statue. The gleaming green dot irises faded from his hollowed eyes, leaving nothing more than a empty shell of a stallion. Then, his skeletal body collapsed, which disintegrated each bone of his body into smaller fragments. Rarity looked away in shock, holding back her tears.

“Thank you…” Rarity mumbled mournfully. With Celestia recharged, she had enough power to teleport everyone out of this accursed tomb. Celestia gritted her teeth as she stared back up towards their incoming doom.

“Hold on everyone!” Celestia announced loudly. Her horn glowed so brightly, it washed out the darkness around them. The fragments of the ceiling was closing in, they were seconds away from death. Using every ounce of strength within Celestia, she pushed her spell as fast as she could. During the spell casting, Fluttershy managed to crawl her way towards Jack. She placed her hoof on the palm of his hand while staring at his lifeless eyes. The yellow pegasus closed her eyes, and let loose tears. After Celestia had completed the spell, she instantly casted it. Celestia, The Elements of Harmony, and Jack materialized into light, then warped out of the tomb. In a split second after that, the ceiling finally fell onto the platform, causing devastating fissures and crevices. With the cursed tomb now buried, along with Aero’s remains and the scroll containing Zalgo, the nightmare was over.

“Uhh… w-where… am I?” Jack muttered, his eyes fluttered open slowly. As his visions were returning to him, all he saw was pure darkness. The world he once knew… had gone missing. As he was fully conscious, he started to notice something particular odd. Jack looked around his surroundings… yet there was not even a glimmer of light to be seen. Jack slowly lifted himself up from the ground. But as he was standing up, he felt lighter and more energized. Once he was up at his feet, the first thing Jack looked at was himself… only to realize he was completely naked.

“Whah…?” Jack was confused and dumb struck from not only finding out he was in the middle of pure darkness while clothless, but the wounds he suffered during his battle with Zalgo vanished. Not only that, the scars that were on his abdomen and on his slender back were also gone. Jack placed his hand on his stomach and rubbed the smooth surface of his skin.

“Am I… dead?” Jack asked himself. Suddenly, the darkness around him washed away, exposing a new background. Jack took his eyes off of his stomach… and stared in complete awe at where he was. He was standing in the middle of space… surrounded by countless stars, asteroids, shooting stars and other planets. Jack could breathe, he could move freely, and he couldn’t feel any temperature. He looked down, and realized that he was walking on an invisible, yet touchable floor. Jack’s head and eyes wandered around aimlessly, capturing the beauty of the creation of the cosmos. He felt that his own heart was the centerpiece of the entire universe, he could feel things others couldn’t not. It was a spectacular sight to behold, yet overwhelming at the same time.

As Jack took a few steps within the vast emptiness of space, he continued surveying his surroundings. Suddenly, when he took a couple of steps, the bottom of his food made a soothing sound. Jack jolted in surprised, as underneath the bottom of the foot he stepped made glowing white ripples appear. The ripples expanded and started to form a circular platform around him. At the edges of the circular platform, light grey energy poured down from the surface, fading into nothingness when it reached a few feet below. There were unknown symbols scrawled in a formation circle around Jack, glowing profusely white. A few more seconds later, Jack spotted floating transparent steps fading into existence. The series of steps appeared one after another, as they formed a tall stair, leading to a landing on the top.

Jack gripped his fists, making them creek. He was unaware of what might be up there, but he had to know some answers. Slowly but surely, Jack took one step at a time on the stairs. Each step his foot made contact made smaller glowing white ripples appear below his feet, while accompanied by a soothing tone. As he progressed up the stairs, Jack started to feel more peaceful and safe, but at the same time he was also becoming suspicious. Whatever was awaiting on top of the stairs, Jack was already prepared to face his fate.

After a half a minute of climbing up the transparent stairs, he finally reached the landing. As he stepped off of the final step, the stairs faded, trapping Jack in a suspended platform, surrounded by yet more bizarre unknown symbols. Jack walked to the middle of the platform, and stood still in silence, while looking around at his surroundings. Just as the thought of Jack feeling alone passed his mind, a dual toned voice echoed within the nothingness of space.

“Greetings, Jack Armstrong.” Jack gasped slightly, hearing such a divine voice made him shudder. At that moment, a wave of light shot skywards beneath the platform, surrounding Jack and the platform. The lights glittered brightly while soothing sounds emitted all around Jack. Afterwards, the wave of lights glew so bright it forced Jack to shield his eyes. Jack had no weapons nor backup, but he was not afraid of what’s causing such entrance.

Seconds later, harsh gusts of wind blew rapidly around Jack, forming a vortex that headed up into the heavens. Jack felt like he was caught in the eye of a tempest. Though the wind doesn’t have the strength to lift or even budge Jack, he kept his ground and waited for this to stop. Jack couldn’t move, hear or see, and yet his valor remained loyal. After a few seconds, the wind slowly ceased, and the vortex began to fade. At the same time, the wave of light rapidly diminished, signaling Jack to open his eyes. Once everything was quiet, Jack slowly removed his arms from his face, while opening his eyes.

“Who… who are you?!” Jack asked demandingly in a confused tone. At that moment, Jack’s eyes widen in shock, as he witnessed something overwhelmingly breathtaking.

“I am the one responsible for creating the monstrosity you fought so valiantly against.” Standing face to face, Jack was in front of a godly figured titan that was the size of the Earth’s moon. He wore a glimmering white suit armor with intricate gold trimmings, decorated with jewels and beads, and a winged helmet that was topped with a two-ended plume. On his back, he wore a long, flowing silver robe that was adorned with intricate gold lines, and on his shoulders were epaulettes topped with suspending glowing white orbs. The titan stared at Jack with his dazzling glowing white eyes while a white flamed aura emitted around him. After taking a few seconds of understanding what was going on, he realized who he was dealing with.

“Am’Dhaegar the Pure…” Jack said under his awestruck breath. The titan nodded his head in response.

“Indeed. Since the time I’ve sacrificed my existence to imprison Zalgo for the sake of this mortal realm, I have yearned to return one day and lay all of my mistakes to rest for good. And now that he is no longer dwelling within the moral realm, my battle against him has come to an end. Even though I would of ended him for good if Zalgo and I were to be whole again, I believe this would be the fitting end for his reign of terror. As long as the scroll containing him does not see the light of day ever again, your world… will be safe.”

After hearing such news, Jack felt relieved that his only purpose, his only desire, to put an end to Zalgo’s tyranny of torment had finally came to an end. And yet, something inside him still wavers indignantly despite the good news being brought to him. He closed his eyes, gripped his fists, and hung his head slightly.

“So… you’re the one who lives inside of me… right?” Jack asked, filled to the brink of provoking his ire.

“That is correct.” Am’Dhaegar stated neutrally. Jack could only stand in silent, unable to restrain his anger. The memories of his unsuccessful suicide attempts came rushing through his head, reliving his struggle, the pain, and even his audacity of trying to scourge his very being. Jack once thought that he was born as a mistake, that for whatever reason he was destined for unimaginable torture. But now that Jack had witnessed the events, the truths, and the outcome of his destiny, he was ready to unleash his true feelings.

“Then you…” Jack opened his eyes and raised his tone suddenly. “You’re the one responsible for making me live out a hellish life! I’ve dreamed of escaping this horrific world by committing suicide… yet you were the one who refused to let me go! Do you know how much pain and suffering you’ve put me through?! Do you know how long I’ve lived through this wretched life?!”

Am’Dhaegar spoke nothing, but he continued to listen. Jack was on the verge of tears by just looking at the titan’s face. The way the titan’s glowing eyes were staring at him showing no reactions or emotions at all made Jack felt so negligible to him. As his tears started to rush down his cheeks, he swung his arm and directly pointed sharply at Am’Dhaegar the Pure.

“YOU CAUSED ME SO MUCH PAIN ALL THIS TIME!! I understand that you couldn’t let me do it simply because of Zalgo, but I didn’t deserve to be put through this! I’VE NEVER EVEN ASKED FOR ANY OF THIS!! H-How could you do… this to me?! WHY?!” Jack’s rage subsided, as he hung his head down and wept. After listening to Jack, Am’Dhaegar closed his eyes and exhaled quietly.

“Jack… I understand how you feel, and I am deeply sorry that I’ve put you through unimaginable pain and suffering. I have no right to ask for your forgiveness, however; I had to follow this chain of events. As you can see, it was the only road fate had to offer for this to work. Without you, the mortal existence would’ve suffer even worse than you did. Besides, it was the only road that would not only benefit me… but for you too.” Jack ceased his sobbing, as he was stunned by curiosity. He looked back up at the titan with his soaked eyes.

“W-What… what are you talking about?! All I’ve ever received was nothing but loneliness and an agonizing life!” Jack exclaimed. Am’Dhaegar nodded and continued talking.

“I know… but it was neither out of spite nor punishment. Even if the roles were reversed and you were recognized as the hero… you would had still lived out the same painful life, just as Jared did during his time. You were created and brought into existence to fulfil this destiny and you alone had the strength to keep pressing on, even when sometimes when you are at your limits. I knew that you were heading for a harsh life… but because of your enduring travails, you saved the lives of countless innocent mortals… even the ones you cared about.” Jack gasped slightly as he mentioned the ones he cared about. He hung his head to view his chest. Then he placed his hand on his heart and visualized his friends stacking their hooves on top of his hand. Almost instantly, a wave of happiness and joy struck his entire body. Jack couldn’t help but smile from the warmthness he felt after his friends smiled back at him. As Jack felt the everloving bonds within him, Am’Dhaegar continued.

“Yes… that is why fate brought you to the Elements of Harmony. They may not be as mature as you are, but the boundless powers of friendship could be even much greater than my divine presence.” Jack took his hand off of his chest and stared back up.

“You mean… you mean you were leading me not to my destiny… but to making real friends?” Jack asked. The holy titan nodded in response.

“Because of your actions, we were able to defeat an evil so overwhelmingly powerful that not even the foulest of darkness on Earth… or rather the universe, could compete. Your heroic deed will never die out in vain. Those who commend your bravery will cherish your honor for eternity.” After hearing that, Jack felt a little happy to be recognized as a true hero and not some kind of weapon. The earth was spared, its denizens were saved, and his friends were safe and sound. Jack couldn’t had been happier in his life to know he had done such sacred deed. And yet, despite from his success, he could no longer enjoy the life he recently had. Jack’s smile faded as he begun to see where reality lead him now.

“But… now that I’m dead… I won’t ever see them again… will I? My existence… will be gone from reality… right?” Jack asked palely, in a tone that was boarding towards depression. Jack and Am’Dhaegar looked to the right and viewed Earth, which the titan teleported them at instantly. Looking at the calm surface, and the marvelous colors that stood out on the rounded sphere, Am’Dhaegar grinned at the sight of Earth’s beauty. After a silent session of staring at the one place where it all came to an end, Am’Dhaegar turned his attention back to Jack.

“Death has no control over reality and existence, it is just the next phase of life. Reality is that which is true independent of any one person thinking about it. On the other hand, existence is what acts to be real, Jack. As long as Zalgo and I aren’t one, we both won’t fade from reality. So long as I remain trapped within the mortal universe, the avatar’s spirit shall live on in existence.” Jack took his eyes off of Earth and stared back at Am’Dhaegar while he continued talking.

“You have accomplished what I, the Hivemind of Peace, could not. You’ve fixed the mistakes I had wrought to your universe. And you have set all life in this universe back into balance. I cannot thank you enough for your actions, Jack.” Jack floated his eyes to the side and chuckled slightly.

“It’s no big deal… but I just wish I could spend my entire life with my friends, even with… Fluttershy.” Jack spoke dully. Am’Dhaegar closed his glowing eyes and grunted a chuckle.

“I may not have the authority to take or bring back the dead, but I can do something about it.” He said with confidence. Jack looked at Am’Dhaegar in confusion, not knowing what he meant by that.

Outside of the forest, Princess Celestia and the elemental wielders laid on the grassy terrain exhausted and tired. The calm breeze welcomed them, the wind blew ever so calmly across their bodies. The stars were fading out as the sun started to rise up from the horizon, waiting for Celestia’s assistance. Feeling the nightly breeze and breathing the fresh air, the ponies couldn’t of been more happier to be here.

After a few minutes of resting, they eventually regained enough strength to stand on all fours again. Twilight looked at her friends, knowing that they are alright. Then she stared at Princess Celestia.

“It’s over… isn’t it?” Twilight asked, still fatigued from the event. Princess Celestia turned her attention towards the sun hiding behind the mountains. She smiled while nodding her head.

“Yes, Twilight. Our battle is finished…” She said with glee. Hearing her announcing the good news, everypony exhaled in total relief. Their anxious hearts ceased and their minds were at rest. But while this was the time to celebrate, Rarity was preoccupied by her own thoughts. She simply stared into the heavens, eyes fixated on the sunlit cloud.

“Oh Aero… darling. If you can hear me… please rest in peace. I’ll never forget you and your generosity.” Rarity spoke dolefully. She sighed and hung her head low, closing her eyes to allow small amounts of tear to escape. At that moment, Rarity felt a hoof being laid on her shoulder pad. She looked to the side to see Applejack smiling at her. Rarity smiled back as both ponies stared right back at the sunlit cloud.

“Cheer up, Rarity. Aero wouldn’t wanna see ya sad, now would he? Besides, be happy that he’s with his own folks again.” Applejack said with a soothing tone. Rarity sniveled and wiped the tears on her cheeks away. Both ponies floated their eyes on to one another, exchanging comforting smiles.

“Thank you, Applejack.” Rarity replied, and the two hugged each other. When all was quiet for a moment, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but burst out victoriously. She flew into the air, performed several backflip loops, and stroke a victory pose.

“Awww yeah!! We totally owned that Zalgo freak! I feel so pumped up I could go for an all night party!” Dash said excitedly. At that moment, Pinkie perked her left ear up, hearing a certain word to come out. Hearing that word instantly hyped the pink pony.

“Did somepony say PARTY?! Well don’t worry, Dashie! Pinkie’s on the job!” Pinkie exclaimed happily. Rainbow Dash chuckled as she flew towards Pinkie, giving themselves a high hoof. While this was all fine and dandy, Twilight was vexed at the hyperactive duo.

“But… it’s in the middle of morning…” Twilight said blantly. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and grunted.

“Who cares?! I feel like we deserve a party now!” The rainbow pony demanded. Pinkie bounced in happiness while giggling.

“That’s my Dashie for you!” Pinkie stated, making Twilight roll her eyes with a smile. After a few relieving minutes of enjoying the life they had saved, everypony soon calmed down. Everypony turned their attention to Celestia, who smiled gracefully down at her royal subjects.

“I wish to thank each and everyone of you. Not only you’ve shown the true powers of friendship, but you’ve also displayed valor the likes of which no pony could had ever accomplish. Your deeds will forever echo across the countless years to come. You’ve done Equestria, no… the whole world a great deed. Thank you.” Praised by her blessing words, the ponies beamed their faces more proudly than ever.

“We’re glad that we could get it done, your highness!” Twilight responded.

“Woohoo! Let’s head back home and get a party started!” Pinkie exclaimed happily. The ponies faced towards the direction where Ponyville lied. Rainbow Dash chuckled as she turned her head over to Fluttershy.

“Sounds great! Yo Fluttershy, you-” Rainbow Dash paused, as she saw Fluttershy sitting away and alone from the group, staring down at a certain person… Jack. Realizing Jack was still among them, the blue pegasus dropped her smile.

“Oh no…” Rainbow Dash uttered in horror. Princess Celestia and the others turned their attention behind them, realizing what they had ignored all this time. The ponies rushed over to join with Fluttershy and Jack. As they gathered in a circle, all but Twilight looked at Fluttershy, who was staring at Jack’s lifeless eyes with a pale face. Her tears came out of her eyes freely, not wanting to hold them back.

“Fluttershy…?” Twilight said with concern in her voice. Nopony spoke a word, their hearts were intertwined with Fluttershy, expressing sympathy and sorrow. The wind blew quietly through the ponies, adding the mournful atmosphere. When all was quiet, Fluttershy blinked slowly to release her upwelling tears.

“Just… just why?” Fluttershy muttered miserably, induced by the pain of her failure. Looking back at her chance to saving Jack, she could of done something to prevent his gruesome outcome. However; the fact that he’s in this situation, she was frustrated and discouraged of herself from the fear that bounded her during Zalgo’s tyranny of wrath. The pain of failure was too much for Fluttershy, causing tears to rush faster without care. She clinched her eyes shut, trying not to be overwhelmed by her suffering.

“Why couldn’t I save him?! I-I thought I was… I thought I was strong… b-but…” Fluttershy couldn’t complete her sentence, her voice was cracking, and it was difficult to stay calm. She began to weep painfully, causing the others to feel her pain as well. Rainbow Dash slightly sighed, as she placed her hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder pad.

“Fluttershy, don’t blame yourself for this. There was nothing we could of-”

“Yes there was, Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy interruptedly replied, knocking her friend’s arm away. Dash witnessed her anguished teary beat-red eyes that were glaring directly at her.

“Y-You don’t understand… how hard it is… t-to not be so weak and helpless. I’ve tried so hard… t-to fly past my fears… and this is how I-I ended up! Jack s-shouldn’t of… died down there, It should've been me!” Fluttershy grunted painfully to fight back her tears, successfully allowing her to calm down.

“Y-You don’t understand… h-how much I felt… w-when I a-actually felt h-his suffering! I don’t k-know why I’m s-so fixated on him… b-but… but it’s just… t-to painful to ignore it all!” At the end of her sentence, the pain she pushed back returned to her. She closed her eyes and wept loudly. Applejack gazed at the ground griefly, and Rainbow Dash closed her eyes sorrowfully. Pinkie PIe and Rarity had tears flowing down from their eyes, quietly sobbing to themselves. Princess Celestia had a look of sympathy on her face, remembering what Fluttershy was going through during her time at the celebration of Discord’s defeat. Twilight Sparkle, who knew the least about Jack, tried her best to keep her uplifting spirit up.

“Hey Fluttershy, don’t be so harsh on yourself.” Twilight said with a slight cheerful tone. “You did your best… but-” At that moment, Fluttershy interrupted her.

“Just… don’t talk… please!” Fluttershy muttered painfully, sealing Twilight’s lips. Everypony was beyond words now, they couldn’t reply back.

“Fluttershy…” Twilight muttered under her breath. Fluttershy placed both hooves on Jack’s chest, not caring her hooves were being stained by the blood on his shirt. She caressed his chest, up to his cheek. Looking at his lifeless face, Fluttershy’s lips quivered from the thought of the torture he endured. Desperate to ease herself, Fluttershy begun nudging his head.

“Jack… please! Please wake up! I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you! PLEASE… WAKE UP, PLEASE!!” Fluttershy spoke desperately. As much as she want’s to deny the reality of the matter, there was nothing she could do. Jack just laid there motionless, staring at the heavens with no light reflecting on his eyes. The sun broke through the lonely cloud, pouring in flaring rays of sunlight on the group. As the ponies basked within the comforting sunlight, everypony but Fluttershy closed their eyes to mourn his departure. Fluttershy just kept staring at Jack’s lifeless face as the sun shone on his body. Around his body, glittering dusts were calmly dancing within the light. Even though the sight of him basked within the warm light made him look more peaceful, it didn’t changed the fact that Fluttershy could of done something to prevent his demise. All she could do was pray for an eternal happy life for him. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on top of his.

“Jack… I… I’m...” Fluttershy muttered, choking on her words. Then...

“Hey, cheer up, Fluttershy. You’re not weak and helpless… you’re much greater that that.” Spoke a familiar voice. Fluttershy, and the others opened their eyes in surprise. Fluttershy stood up and stared at Jack’s face, yet his expression remained the same. Confused and surprised at the same time, she tapped Jack’s head to be sure she wasn’t going insane.

“Is that really my body? Wow, I didn’t realize I would look like a mess!” The voice spoke again, making everypony gasp. The voice came behind Fluttershy, which everypony turned their direction to. And sure enough, everypony let out a sharp gasp. Fluttershy’s eyes widen in disbelief, hoping that she wasn’t going insane.

“J-Jack…?” Fluttershy called out quietly. Standing just a few feet away was Jack. His appearance was a bit transparent, yet he showed no details to confirm the ponies that he was a spirit. He retained his clothing, but his weapons and pouches were missing. He stood there smiling at his worried friends.

“Hey girls… missed me?” Jack asked. The ponies couldn’t believe what they were seeing. All of the suffering from mourning came to a halt, as they were unsure of what to feel now. However, seeing Jack up and actively healthy made their hearts flutter. Fluttershy’s lips quivered, and her eyes squinted to contain the massive amount of tears she’s holding. Her happiness skyrocketed, perishing any painful feelings she accumulated during the time.

“JACK!!” Fluttershy exclaimed in profound joy, smiling in bliss. She quickly stood up and dashed towards Jack with tears bouncing off her eyes. As she was getting close, Fluttershy leaped forward, extending her arms to prepare herself for a warm welcoming hug. However; as she made contact with Jack, she grabbed on to him, only to realize she was holding nothing. Fluttershy went pass through Jack, crashing on to the ground. Fluttershy pulled herself up, her face was bewildered and confused.

“W-What?! How?!” Fluttershy questioned herself. Jack turned around and made a soft chuckle.

“I’m just a spirit, of course you would passed me.” He stated lightly. At that moment, Pinkie Pie appeared from behind Jack with no indication of her arrival.

“Ooooh! You’re a ghost now? Hmm… lemme try this!” Pinkie said, sounding excited. Jack turned around, not knowing what she was doing.

“P-Pinkie, what are you-” Just before Jack could respond, Pinkie simply stood in her place and...

“Ha! Ha! Ha!” Pinkie laughed, pausing at each note. After she was finish, everyone stood there silently, not knowing what Pinkie just did. After a few more seconds silently passed, Pinkie shrugged and giggled.

“Nope! Only works on mennie ghosts then!” Pinkie stated. Jack raised his eyebrow at Pinkie, looking away from her from the awkwardness.

“Ermmm… right.” Jack uttered confusingly. With Pinkie’s shenanigans out of the way, everypony was right back onto the subject. Rarity walked up to Jack, staring in disbelief at him.

“Darling! Why are you here?! We thought that you were-”

“Gone?” Jack interruptedly replied, finishing her sentence. “Well, you’re half right. Am’Dhaegar the Pure gave me permission to speak to all of you girls for a few minutes. After that, I have to leave for the afterlife.” Stunned to hear the news, everypony sharply gasped.

“Are you serious?!” Twilight questioned exaggeratedly. Ever since Twilight had witnessed Fluttershy’s tenacious desire to aid Jack, she was feeling sentimental. Seeking for solutions, Twilight turned her attention to her mentor.

“I-Is there someway you can revive, Jack?” Twilight asked with a tone full of hope. Sadly, the princess slowly shook her head.

“As much as I want to help him, my energy is barely empty. Plus, from the state his body is in, it’s probably too late. I’m sorry.” She answered solemnly. With no other way to revive Jack, every notion of saving him faded, leaving the ponies hopeless. Fluttershy’s eyes widen in shock, unbelieving as to what she had heard.

“B-But… that’s not fair, Jack! Y-You shouldn’t of died!” She protested. Fluttershy hung her head low, allowing tears to fall to the grass below. During the silent moment, Jack felt culpable about himself, allowing an innocent, light-hearted pony to bear such an ordeal so overwhelmly painful that no other pony could comprehend. He walked over to her, displaying a contrite expression. He kneeled down to her level, and placed his hand on the side of her neck.

“Fluttershy… I know exactly how you feel. But, sometimes life isn’t fair… and sometimes, it might be better off this way. I don’t know if it is truly fair or not, but the answer either of us come up with can’t just be right for you and I. It has to be one that works best for everyone. That includes you, me, our friends… and anybody else.” Fluttershy lifted her head up to make eye contact with Jack.

“But Jack…”

“To be perfectly honest… I’ve felt that this ‘is’ the best way to end from the very beginning.” Jack continued sounding sanguine, putting a certain dogmatic emphasis on the word ‘is’. “And yet, it really bugs me, you know? Something about this just sucks… like this whole situation sounds so unfair. But… I know that this is for the good of everyone.”

“B-But how do you know that?! I still care about you… we still care about you! Why should the world go against you?” Fluttershy protested, confident that her argument was more rightful than his. Before Jack could respond, Applejack couldn’t help herself but to add herself to the conversation.

“Y-Yeah, ya saved us all, and yet this is how it all ends? Concarnet! T’ain fair!” Applejack stated. Everyone paused in silence to compute the whole disputing assertion. During the long silence, everypony pondered about their beliefs. Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash believed that Jack shouldn’t go, while Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Twilight and even the princess herself thought otherwise. It was a debate that was hard to choose.

“Everyone thinks they’re the right one… it’s just so confusing.” Fluttershy stated, breaking the long silence. Jack felt the same way Fluttershy was experiencing, yet; he also thought about the human race. All his life he despised the world for its brutal settings. He was living within those cruel bindings that weighed his existence down. He thought that the monster he had inside of him was the true source of his pain. He felt like… an unwanted living being. But thinking of what Jared said back then, his perspectives on the world started to turn in another direction. The reason why humanity was in peril, was because the Outer Gods were scarring the planet to asunder. If humanity had ever a chance for redemption and salvation, then he would put an end to the millenium quarrel between man and gods. Coming back to his senses, Jack placed a grin on his face.

“Fluttershy…Applejack… I think I know that this is right. I’ve been a plague towards humanity since the very beginning… and I felt that it was all my fault even though it was never intended to be. I’ve caused so much suffering and fear to the world… and I know how humanity feels. Listen, if the world wants to be free from the tyranny of corruption, then this must be how it ends. If it doesn’t then the hatred and pain we humans inherited will never disappear. Do you girls understand?” Jack asked sincerely as he stood back up. Already seeing through his perspective, Applejack and Fluttershy couldn’t help but agree to his belief. Even Rainbow Dash thought that this would be the best route for this world.

“I… I guess so…” Fluttershy replied.

“Yeah… ah suppose so.” Applejack responded. Just as the ponies were slowly feeling heartbroken for his departure, Jack’s body suddenly began to glitter. Jack and the ponies drew their attention to his body; moreover; the glitter that emitted from his aura. Then, the glitters started to fly up into the sky. Jack realized what was going on, and proceed to speed things up.

“My time is almost up. So… I guess this is goodbye then.” Jack stated, making the ponies gasp sharply once more. Their hearts sank to their stomachs as they saw Jack’s transparent body slowly fading in and out from existence. Rainbow Dash flew next to Jack, and stared at him with watery eyes.

“Already?! This is so unfair!” Dash said, her tone slowly becoming frantic. As much as Jack wanted to comfort his friends, he knew that it would be a waste of time. Instead, he attempt to give them all strength to press on forward in life. With little time he has left, he started with the blue pegasus.

“Rainbow Dash, never stop being loyal to those you care about. To be honest, if I never met Fluttershy, I would of just abandoned you all down there. But now, I realized that protecting something dear to you will make you stronger during harsh times. Promise me you’ll never stray towards the path of vengeance… or you’ll just end up like me.” Touched by his speech, Dash wiped her tears away.

“I will… I promise I won’t change.” Dash replied. Next, Jack turned his attention to Rarity, who also was on the brink of tears.

“Rarity, your generosity of helping me out made me a better human being. Always be generous towards others who are in need of comfort. The more you give selflessly, the better you’ll receive in life. There are those who are desperate for help… promise me that you will do whatever you can and help them out in their darkest need.” Rarity nodded, allowing large amount of tears to fall out of her eyes.

“Y-You have my word on it, darling.” Rarity said, containing her composure. After his business with Rarity was done, he turned his attention to Applejack next.

“Applejack, always be honest to everyone you meet, stay true to yourself… and never hide your real emotions. If you lie to yourself, then how can you have friends? How can you trust or be trustworthy? Lies will keep you from ever seeing your true self. I thought that hiding the truths would make bad things go away… sometimes it does… but most of the time they will keep haunting you. I’ve never acknowledged myself, always pretending to be something strong. But in the end, I would of failed. Promise me this, never forsake who you really are.” Applejack’s heart was warmed by his speech, it made the tough cowpony burst into tears she never had before.

“Y-You can count on me, partner!” Applejack replied, her voice slowly cracking up. Jack turned his head to face Pinkie, who looked depressed.

“Pinkie Pie, there will be sadness, grief, and sorrow you will face in the coming days. Do your best to lighten their spirits up and keep them afloat. Because of your joyful personality and lively presence, I’ve had gained so much happiness, that I had the strength to keep my head up high and see a brighter future for myself. Promise me you will continue bringing joy to the lives of everyone you meet.” Unable to contain her emotions no longer, Pinkie began to cry softly, while large amount of tears rushed out of her eyes.

“S-Sure! Making everyone… happy is m-my specialty!” Pinkie responded while her voice cracked. Next up, Jack looked over to Twilight, who was weeping as well.

“Twilight Sparkle, if I haven’t met you or the others, I would of failed indefinitely. Not because I was powerless… but because I would have fallen into pure darkness with Jared. Friendship is mysteriously magic… make sure everyone knows the value of the word ‘friendship’. Promise me you will share your knowledge with those who lack the meaning of friendship.” Feeling motivated and touched at the same time, Twilight swore to herself she wouldn’t give in so easily next time. After wiping her tears away, she looked back at Jack with a smile on her face.

“Y-Yes… I-I will…” Twilight said, struggling to keep her composure. With all five friends accounted for, there was only one left. Jack took a deep breath and exhaled softly, as he turned his attention towards the one who guided him to his redemption… Fluttershy. As he stared at Fluttershy’s red-beat teary eyes, Jack couldn’t help but make tears of his own.

“Fluttershy… I-I want to thank you the most. The kindness you shared with me was the path towards my redemption. There’s something about you… that no other human… or pony could ever possess. Everytime when I’m around you… I feel like I’m in a serene haven… a comforting heaven… and most of all… a real home. You were the only person who came close into knowing the extent of my pain… I couldn’t be more proud and thankful for your help. Please heal other people with your kindness… like you have to me.” Unable to keep her composure anymore, Fluttershy bursted into tears, as she sobbed happily and dolefully. Fluttershy tried to respond back to him, yet she was choking on her words.

“T-Thank you… I-I won’t let you d-down. B-But… Jack? I-I’m s-so sorry for n-not being there with y-you when Za-” Before she could finish, Jack placed two fingers on his lips, silencing her.

“Hey… you weren’t weak and helpless. You did more than just proved your courage… but you also stay true to your word, even when things were starting to become overwhelming for you. What you had… was the guts to never give up. And I am very proud of you for that. Also, it’s okay to feel scared sometimes. Just because you’re shy or scared all the time doesn’t mean you’re weak or helpless… unlike me. No… your personality and kindness are your greatest weapons you could ever possess. I mean, whenever you all were in danger, I was scared to hell! The point of the matter is… do your best to keep not only your courage up, but stay true to yourself.”

Fluttershy was a loss for words, no one in her entire life had given her such wisdom and strength to uplift her spirit. She was very proud of herself to of met Jack and actually save him from tearing himself apart. Taking what Jack had already said to her, she looked back at the times she was at her most vulnerable. Everytime she met with someone, trying to be brave, or even sharing her kindness, she realized she could do more now. By understanding her strengths and weaknesses, it gave her the strength she never had. With all of the heartwarming emotions flooding everywhere inside her, Fluttershy completely refused to let Jack go unappreciative. Etched inside her heart, she placed all the memories she had with Jack, so she would cherish them for the rest of her life. Just as things were starting to become heartwarming, the ponies realized that Jack’s body was fading from existence.

“Looks like my time has come. I guess I’ll finally rest in peace.” Jack stated peacefully. With everything said and done, Jack looked at his friends one more time.

“Everyone… could you all do me a favor?” Jack asked, gaining the attention of everypony. He pointed his finger at his body, and simply smiled.

“Would you bury my body in a quiet place? That would be wonderful…” Everypony looked at his corpse, who looked like it deserved a peaceful resting place. Celestia turned back to Jack and nodded happily.

“You have our word… and our eternal gratitude, Jack Armstrong. We will cherish your memory deep within our hearts, as well as many others for all time. May you rest peacefully…” Celestia spoke soothingly. Suddenly, Jack’s spirit started to ascend skyward. His transparent body was becoming less visible, and the glitter of lights flickered in heartwarming chines. Realizing that Jack’s time was up, Fluttershy shot her forearms up to reach for Jack.

“J-Jack! W-Wait! Don’t go!! I don’t want to see you gone!” Fluttershy frantically pleaded, tears were flowing like a river now. Jack felt the same way, yet he couldn’t look at her distraught face anymore. As he slowly ascends to the heaven, Jack placed a hand on her cheek with a peaceful smile on his face.

“Don’t worry, Fluttershy. Even though my soul is returning to the heavens, my spirit will always be there with you. My courage… shall be your courage. It is your greatest protection… cherish it dearly. And no matter what happens, I will always remain in your heart. And I’ll always be at your side whenever you need to be brave. So promise me this, Fluttershy.” Jack placed his other hand on Fluttershy’s other cheek, looking deeply into her eyes.

“Never forget, or abandon your courage and always show kindness to those you meet. That’s what kept you and your friends alive all this time. So… promise me you will stay strong for others, your friends… and for me, okay?” With no use of trying to deny Jack’s fate, Fluttershy accepted reality as it is. She blinked slowly to release more tears from her eyes.

“I-I will… I promise! T-Thank you... for everything! A-And…” At that moment, Fluttershy placed her hooves onto Jack’s transparent cheeks. After gaining enough composure, she sighed slightly.

“I-I love you, Jack!” Fluttershy finally spoke. Jack’s smile grew brighter, feeling all of his pain, hatred, and suffering going away. He placed his forehead onto her forehead, as he wrapped his arms around her head with his eyes closed.

“I love you too, Fluttershy. And to all of you as well.” Jack said, drawing out his last glittering tear. Fluttershy closed her eyes and embraced Jack’s hug. What felt like seconds, the hug felt like an eternity. Twilight and the others watched with heart warmed and sorrowful hearts. The promises they had been given by Jack will never go in vain. After a few seconds of hugging, Jack’s body starts to fly up into the sky. As they watched him transcend skyward, Jack displayed his heart warming smile to the ponies one last time.

“Goodbye… everypony.” Jack said softly. And then, after he reached to a certain point in the sky, his body faded, and the glittering specks of light along with it. All that remained was the sun rays blessing everypony with the warmth of life. Everypony stared up into the sky, wondering what the future will be now. Life will continue on, yet they will never forget the one who saved not only everyone, but actually honed their personalities to a new level. Fluttershy stared at the dawny sky, while wind blew gently across her face.

“Goodbye… Jack…” Fluttershy mumbled to herself.

The next day, everypony, including the Ponyville residence and even Princess Celestia herself attended to a funeral for one of Equestria’s greatest heroes. Fluttershy and the others were in tears, but not as much as they did back then. Celestia told the whole story of what happened down in the catacombs, who was the one responsible for saving the elements of harmony, actually befriending him, and help defeat an evil that not even the elements and Celestia combined could not of compete.

The way she portrayed Jack in her speech touched the hearts of many ponies. They felt inspired, appreciative, and even sadden to know he was not among the living. As they proceed to give Jack’s body roses and other memorial items, each one of them looked at his face, feeling sorry for his loss. After everypony contributed, Jack’s comfy coffin closed him inside. Then his coffin was gently lowered to the burial hole, where standing above his hole was a special grave marker the ponies erected for him, engraved with an ivy emblem on the front of the marker. Under the ivy emblem, there were inscribed words that said, ‘Here Lies Jack Armstrong, his faithfulness, memory and undying friendship shall live on for eternity.’ After the ponies bid him a final farewell, the hole was filled with dirt, sealing Jack’s body under the earth’s soil for eternity.

Right after the service was done, the ponies also erected a huge monument statue of Jack standing in a water fountain basin, located at one of Ponyville’s busiest streets. Eventually, Princess Celestia created a new stained-glass window for her gallery. The glass depicted of Jack at the bottom center of the window, along side with the elemental wielders and Celestia, holding up the glowing scroll of Zalgo skyward as it levitated on his hand. On the top of the window glass, depicted Zalgo in his amorphous form with his iris black and his single eye colored in red. Inscribed in red inside his iris was the ‘Eye of Eternal Darkness’ symbol staring down at the heroes with his dark tendrils squirming everywhere on his body. Celestia stared at the new stain-glassed window, feeling hopeful and proud of the accomplishments made by the elemental wielders, herself, and mostly Jack.

A few days as passed, and everything was at peace once more. The streets in Ponyville were as busy as ever, going wherever business takes them. Rainbow Dash helped Applejack out with apple harvesting, while Rarity and Pinkie hanged out at Sugarcube Corner. Twilight went over to Fluttershy’s cottage to check up if Fluttershy was doing well. As she approached the door, she noticed that the door was slightly opened. Peering through the slightly ajar door, she spotted Fluttershy sitting on her couch, staring normally at the window with birds walking on her head.

“You okay, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked, exposing herself to her. Fluttershy drew her attention to the door to see her lavender unicorn friend. She smiled and the birds flew off her head.

“Oh, hello Twilight. Yes, I’m fine, thank you. I’m just… sad. But, I’m also happy that he’s finally in a better place. Maybe someday… when my time comes, I’ll be there with him.” Fluttershy said.

“I bet Jack would want the same thing, Fluttershy.” Twilight responded, as she entered her cottage and sat next to Fluttershy. The purple unicorn stared at the ground, pondering quietly to herself.

“You know… now that I think about it, Jack and I are kind of similar.” Twilight thought. Fluttershy raised her eyebrow in confusion.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Well… I grew up with no friends… or even knew the value of the word ‘friendship’. I was even skeptical when I came to Ponyville for the first time, like it was all just a waste of time and my real objective mattered the most. But soon, when I grew fond of you girls, I began to realize what the word ‘friendship’ truly meant. it wasn’t the word that was important… but it was the meaning of it… how much it’s worth protecting.” Twilight closed her eyes to take everything she said and store it all in her heart. After a few silent seconds, she opened her eyes and smiled brightly at Fluttershy.

“If Jack had lived a happy life back then, he would of been more of an expert on friendship than I would of ever had. We six may have the Elements of Harmony and the lessons we learned… but Jack showed us the value of them. And I think that’s what Jack left us here with. We should be grateful for teaching him… and being taught by him the true meaning of friendship. Don’t let his wisdom go in vain.” Fluttershy smiled back at her friend, being filled with hope for a brighter future.

“You're right… but still, I’m just sad that he’s gone.” Fluttershy added, sounding a bit down. Twilight placed her forearm around the yellow pegasus’ back neck and rested her head on to her own.

“Well, I don’t think Jack would want you to be sad for him, now would he?” Twilight replied, making Fluttershy giggle softly.

“Yeah…” Fluttershy replied. For the rest of the day, Twilight and Fluttershy hung out with each other helping animals and moving forward with their lives.

Deep within the Everfree Forest, unexplainable mysteries swarmed the entire woods. The dangerous and unidentified creatures scour between the trees, hiding themselves within the darkness they call home. One thing was certain; no one knows what will happen when those who foolishly venture forth through the dark forest...

“FLUTTERSHY!!!” Twilight screamed frantically, as she was reaching her forearm for Fluttershy. Yet, with all the wounds she received, it was impossible to either move or perform magic. All she could do was watch helplessly, along with Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie who were also in the same condition as Twilight was. Standing in front of the injured group, guarding them against four terrifying Timberwolves was Fluttershy. The timberwolves growled with insatiable hunger, displaying their intimidating razor sharp fangs, while green fumes drifted out of their mouths. The fierce wolves set their daggered eyesights at the innocent and fragile pegasus. Fluttershy hadn’t seen a timberwolf in her life, not alone being faced by a group of them. Twilight witnessed Fluttershy’s tenacity of upholding her bravery, yet she showed signs of fear and despair.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU NEED TO RUN!!” Twilight screamed out once more, but Fluttershy was bound by the fear by the timberwolves. Fluttershy’s eyes were widen in fear, her pupils were as small as peas, and her words were completely clogged up in her throat. The fear was so overwhelming, she didn’t realize tears were escaping her eyes.

“I...I-I…” Fluttershy stuttered, unable to grasp a single shred of composure. Her legs shuttered from the sights of the predator’s eyes and intimidating teeth. While the timberwolves slowly closing in on Fluttershy and the others, Rarity placed her forearm up to her forehead, gasping overly dramatically.

“OH WOE!! IT’S TOO LATE!!” Rarity cried out. Applejack darted her eyes at Rarity, unimpressed and annoyed by her act.

“Consarnet girl! We just had ta bring you along to get some herbs from Zecora, didn’ we?! And now look where we are! If it weren’t for yer obsession of takin’ a shortcut outta this place, we wouldn’t had been in this mess!” Rarity snapped out of her act and glared at the unimpressed cowpony.

“Oh honestly, a lady needs to keep her standards, unlike you ponyfolks!” Rarity threw her head up, producing a disdainful grunt, causing the orange earth pony to snap.

“I. Beg. Your. Pardon?!” Applejack spoke furiously through her gritted teeth. Both the pompous unicorn and the enraged earth pony glared and snarled at one another. Twilight turned her head around to deal with the quarrel they brought about.

“GIRLS! This is no time to fight with each other!” After she settled the two down, she focused on Fluttershy once more. “Fluttershy, JUST RUN, SAVE YOURSELF!!” Yet once more, Fluttershy was still unresponsive. As the timberwolves were growing impatient and restless, they prepared to charge at the defenseless and helpless mare. Fluttershy knew she had the strength to protect her friends, but it wasn’t enough for her. As the fear consumed almost her entire sanity, she shut her eyes to avoid anymore contact with the deadly creatures.

“I-I… uhh…” Fluttershy was on the brink towards insanity. Her heart raced so fast, it was hard for her to breathe. Her legs were about to give up on her, while her blood ran colder by the second. Unable to resist any longer, Fluttershy was ready to burst out frantically into tears, until…

*Pat*!

“...huh?” Fluttershy’s eyes shot wide open, as she felt something soft, warm and smooth on her left shoulder pad. She quickly darted her eyes to whatever touched her, but to her surprise, there was nothing there. She was confused by the mysterious touch… and yet, the feel of it felt familiar to her. Not only that, she felt relieved and relaxed by the touch. Thinking back what she remember, she quickly realized what happened. Even though it wasn’t possible, Fluttershy had regain the strength she had loss. Meanwhile, Twilight stared confusingly at the calm pegasus, hoping she hadn’t gone insane.

“T-That featherbrain, what does she think she’s doing?!” Twilight muttered in complete bewilderment. The huddled ponies were puzzled at Fluttershy’s sudden change of behavior, yet anxious at the same time as the timberwolves were about to leap towards the gentle pegasus. Unable to watch the tragic ending, everypony closed their eyes while they cried out Fluttershy’s name in unison. Fluttershy darted her eyes to the timberwolves dashing towards her, and activated her powerful stare at the vicious beasts.

“Now you listen to me here! I’ll give you all one chance! Never… and I mean NEVER hurt my friends! Or so help me, you will regret it dearly!” Threatened the once gentle natured pegasus, the raw intensity of her fierce tone brought instant fear to the timberwolves. Not only they were intimidated by her tone, but the stare she was using now was far more intense than ever. Staring directly into her new and improved stare would shatter a brave spirit in a matter of seconds. The timberwolves tried to fight back the intimidation, yet they were hopelessly unsuccessful. Every step forward Fluttershy took, the timberwolves obediently took a step back. The ponies were awestrucked to see Fluttershy repelling the fierce beasts all on her own. They just sat there and observed her closely. Once Fluttershy managed to back the timberwolves far enough, Fluttershy closed her eyes. A second later, she shot them wide open to reveal her blood-shot stare, now far more intense than before.

“LEAVE!!” She roared fiercely. The timberwolves immediately retreated back into the forest, yelping in fear. Once Fluttershy couldn’t see them in the distance, she slowly shut her eyes softly, exhaling heavily. After that, everypony was silent. What they had witnessed recently was something unimaginable, far beyond Fluttershy’s capability of performing such act. They were clueless, dumb struck, and puzzled by her unexpected bravery. Desperate for an answer, Twilight slowly stood up and walked over to the yellow pegasus, who was mulling over how on earth did she managed to gain such strength.

“F-Fluttershy… h-how did you…?” Twilight asked in complete dumbstruck, unable to formulate any sentences. Fluttershy turned her head around, looking embarrassed by her actions.

“I… uhh…” Fluttershy tried to explain, but she was too withdrawn to reveal her secret. While the mystery intrigued Twilight, it doesn’t matter to Rainbow Dash, as she was extremely impressed.

“Whoahohoho… Fluttershy! You were AWESOME back there! Nice going!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed happily, as she dashed towards Fluttershy and lifted her overhead. Dash spun her around joyfully in circles, congratulating for her feats. The other ponies shrugged off the unexpected behavior and cheered gratefully for Fluttershy. After a minute of celebrating their victory, Rainbow Dash placed the yellow pegasus down and stared at the group. She stretched her forearms and legs while yawning loudly at the same time.

“Come on guys, let’s head back to Ponyville… I need a nap!” Rarity nodded, as she patted her curled violet mane in a haughty fashion.

“And I need to groom out my mane! Oh, so dreadful!” Rarity said melodramatically. Applejack rolled her eyes in disgust.

“Really, Rarity? Ya’ll can learn how ta toughen up a bit.” Applejack replied. Both Rarity and Applejack resumed glaring each other, while Pinkie giggled thinking they were ribbing one another.

“Oh you guys are so silly!” Pinkie commented lively. As the ponies grouped up, they started to head back home. As they walked together, Twilight noticed that Fluttershy was not among the group. Twilight stopped and turned around, while the others went on their way. She saw Fluttershy staring up at the bright sky with her hoof placed on her left shoulder pad. Twilight tilted her head to the side, puzzled by her behavior.

“Fluttershy? You okay?” Twilight said with concern in her voice. Fluttershy snapped out of her trance and looked over to her friend.

“Huh? O-Oh yeah! Don’t worry about me.” Fluttershy replied. Twilight smiled as she turned her body around, while keeping her eyes on Fluttershy. Twilight beckoned her with her head, signaling to moving out.

“Alright, let’s head back.” Twilight said, turning her attention forward. Fluttershy stood up and nodded.

“Coming…!” She called out. Before she could start walking, Fluttershy slowly faced up to the sky, while caressing her left shoulder pad with her hoof. She smiled brightly at the one who saved her… the one who was always looking after her.

“Thank you… Jack.” Fluttershy spoke softly, as she imaged Jack’s face smiling back at her.

“No matter what happens, I will always remain in your heart. And I’ll always be at your side whenever you need to be brave.” Jack said through Fluttershy’s memories. After a few seconds of embracing his blessing, the yellow pegasus begun to trot over to catch up with the gang.

As the new era of peace buds anew for Equestria, the remnant scars of the past shall always lay within the ruined shadows, forever awaiting recognition and remembrance.

The End.

Author's Note

So sorry it took so long, but here it is! I hope you've all enjoyed my fic. I would be grateful if you would post a comment on which ending you liked better. You don't have to but it helps build up my motivation and self-esteem. Again, sorry for taking too long but it's now finished.