The Catacombs of Zalgo

by Nintendoboy1000

Rating: mature
Tags: Human, Sad, Main 6, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spike, Adventure, Tragedy, Gore, Princess Celestia, Crossover, Dark
Length: 134687

Fluttershy and the gang are held captive in a god forsaken catacomb. What lurks in these dark halls?

It is been said, confronting emotions at its peak shall conquer one's self in life. However, when they are faced with an even greater level of emotions beyond one's intuition, the spirit shall crumble in defeat upon its overwhelming wake.

In the history of Equestria, Equestrians lived in true peace and harmony. The nature of fear and violence has always been reduced to a minimum point to where Equestrians feel confident and at peace. However, outside the Equestria borders, a greater evil surrounds the ever-lasting tranquility of the land. For soon, the childish creatures shall endure the true meaning... of fear and horror.

After the defeat of Discord, the main six decides to take a pleasant stroll outside of Ponyville. But unexpectedly, they were all knocked out and been seized by ungodly creatures they've never seen before. With Fluttershy now awoken in a dark and terrifying dungeon, she's been unexpectedly saved by a rude yet courageous human who's only purpose is to bring vengeance on his adversary. Now, the two unlikely allies teamed up with each other to confront what lurks deep within these hell's tombs while Fluttershy keeps questioning herself. What has become of her friends? Who is this mysterious human? What place is she in? Only time will tell... when he comes.

Comments about the chapters would be appreciated, helps my motivations a lot :)

Published 2011-11-10 03:09:30 UTC
Last updated 2013-11-20 14:28:25 UTC

Chapter 1: A New Threat

Chapter 1: A New Threat

The sun was setting on Equestria. A breezy wind blew across the skies while the clouds drifted slowly away. The critters crawled to their homes to prepare themselves for slumber. The sun shone across the fields for a few more minutes before sinking below the horizon. The pony residents were wrapping up after the victory party celebrating Discord's defeat. Ever since Ponyville was freed from Discord’s grasp, things were quickly returning to the way they should be. Here, the six element wielders were taking a small stroll outside of Ponyville, having just left the huge party. They all were having a swell time talking to each other. They shared laughs and smiles all around during the walk. All of their determination and tension from the fight had diminished during the passing day.

"Man! We kicked that dopey Discord's butt really good!" Rainbow Dash emphasised her point by performing three frontal loops in midair. She returned to the earth and chuckled.

"I never knew that the Elements of Harmony were that powerful! It was so awesome the way it turned Ponyville back to normal!" Twilight grinned at the rainbow pegasus.

"Well that's how strong our friendship is!” Twilight explained. “The energy was generated by our love for each other as best friends."

“That really is interesting, I say.” Rarity replied. She looked in her saddlebag that she carried along and searched inside, grumbling quietly. She let out a small gasp.

"Oh good heavens! I know I didn't forget something! But it feels like I somehow did…" Applejack eyed Rarity with a smug grin on her face.

"I think ya'll forgot Tom!" She laughed hysterically. Rarity glared at Applejack, blushing. She then turned her head away from Applejack with an obstinate look on her face.

"Such impudence! I thought we agreed to never speak of that again! Hmph!" She grunted. Applejack and the others giggled sheepishly. Rainbow Dash swooped down to Rarity's level and gave her a friendly nudge.

"Aww come on, Rarity. You got to admit he does look pretty sharp!" She said jokingly. Rarity eyed the ground with her face blooming even redder.

"Well… you're right I guess. He did have smooth edges… and a rough surface." Hiding her feelings from her friends, she looked away again, trying to not look too suspicious. The party pony, Pinkie Pie, bounced up and down happily and ecstatically.

"You wanna know what the best part about this whole thing, you guys? Huh? Huh?! That chocolate milk rain tasted sooooo good!" Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing and sighed with a disappointed face.

"But it's too bad that it’s all gone now. Oh well, I guess I can try to make some of my own sometime!" In a split second she was back to her fully joyful self, humming her favorite songs. Fluttershy, who was walking behind the five, had a regretful face on her. Twilight looked behind her and noticed Fluttershy was falling behind..

"Something bothering you, Fluttershy?" She asked with a helping hoof. The four ponies looked at Fluttershy's sorrowful eyes. Fluttershy looked away from her friends, and trailed her eyes towards the grass.

"Twilight… um… a-about earlier this afternoon… when I was… you know… being cruel to you…. I'm sorry…" She said miserably with her eyes closed. The five other ponies looked at each other sympathetically. Bringing up how negative they were earlier that day made them feel the same sorrow Fluttershy was experiencing. A few moments silently passed away and Twilight was the first to attempt to raise their spirits.

"Hey… don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault. I know you wouldn't do that to anypony ever. Forget about the past… it's behind us now." Twilight spoke in a passionate tone. Fluttershy opened her eyes and smiled right at the purple unicorn. Her heart felt warm once again, knowing everything was going to be all right.

"Thank you… I-" At that moment, Fluttershy darted her eyes to the right and her pupils suddenly shrank to the size of peas. Her smile disappeared, leaving a heavy gasp in its wake. Her body shook in fear as if she had seen a ghost. The five ponies looked at her, confused.

"Ya'll right, sugarcube?" Applejack asked. Fluttershy’s only reply was a big gulp. When they all turned around, everyone gasped in horror. Standing in the pathway was a huge, green lindworm. Its eyes glowed bright yellow as it stared down its prey. The lindworm slowly approached the six ponies by slithering in a wavy motion. Its retractable claws sprang out from the beast's sheath fingers. The monster's mouth slowly opened, revealing its horrific slavering jaws. The lindworm produced a loud and a horrible roar that made the ponies’ manes fly back. Twilight glared at the beast, as she prepared herself to charge at it.

"Girls! You with me?!" She yelled. Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie formed a line and waited for Twilight's signal to charge. However, Fluttershy's body was completely frozen. She felt cold like never before, as she witnessed one of the scariest beasts she had ever laid eyes on. Unable to act, she stood there helplessly like a scared puppy. The tip of Twilight's horn began to glow brightly. She then charged at the lindworm, with her friends following behind. The lindworm hissed and charged at the five brave ponies.

Rainbow Dash swooped in and delivered a pounding kick to the lindworm’s face. The lindworm was fazed a little, and was given a bruise on its forehead. The lindworm swung its tail and swatted Rainbow Dash horizontally, sending her tumbling down to the ground. Then, the lindworm aimed itself at Applejack and prepared to pounce on her. The lindworm sprang up with its elastic body and dived down at the cowpony. The beast opened its maw and prepared to dig its razor sharp teeth into her, but just in the nick of time, Applejack leapt to the side, evading the beast's hungry bite. Then, Applejack leaped on top of the lindworm's neck, gripping its horns. Like a bull ride, its head swung from side to side, trying to fling Applejack off. Applejack lifted her hat up in the air.

"Yeeehaww!! That all you got dirtbag?!" She taunted the lindworm. Pinkie Pie was at the end of the beast's tail, tickling its smooth scales. She giggled innocently as her hooves tried to find its sensitive spot.

"Hehehe! I know you got a tickle spot, mister!" She laughed. Rarity rolled her eyes, despite Pinkie’s randomness, and concentrated her magic on small rocks sitting next to the pathway. Her horn glowed a purplish color, emitting humming sounds. Then, the rocks begun to levitate in the air. Like catapults, Rarity threw the rocks one by one at the side of the lindworm. The rocks were very fragile, as they shattered on impact.

"Take that, you ruthless ruffian! Nugh!" She yelled. But despite her every throw, the lindworm's attention didn't fazed it. Twilight was focusing on her magic by shooting magical beams at the beast, hoping that it would knock it out. But with difficulty aiming, the lindworm kept continuing on struggling to shake the cowpony off its back. While the encounter continued, Fluttershy stood there alone and frozen. She still couldn't move a muscle. Her mind couldn’t cooperate with her, as she tried her best to remove the ghastly image out of her head.

Suddenly, the lindworm's eyes spotted the helpless Fluttershy, frozenl in terror. Taking this opportunity to grab an easy meal, the lindworm boosted its speed dramatically. When Applejack's grips couldn't hold her anymore, she was sent hurling through the air. Applejack plummets on the ground hard, knocking the breath out of her.

Now free from the cowpony’s dominate grip, the lindworm made no hesitations and leapt into the air. It lunged straight towards Fluttershy at great speed. Around that same time, Rainbow Dash got back up on her hooves and spotted the lindworm makes a deep dive towards the helpless yellow pegasus. Dash reached her forearm out towards Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy! MOVE!!" Rainbow Dash called out to her. But Fluttershy didn’t respond as she looked at the face of death from above, with a tear trailing down her cheek. The lindworm's shadow grew bigger by every passing second. With no second to waste, Rainbow Dash started to run towards Fluttershy.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?! MOOOOVE!!" She screamed again while her speed increased dramatically. The beast's maw opened wide; revealing hundreds of razor sharp teeth waiting to sink into Fluttershy's skin. At that sight, Fluttershy's eyes rolled up, making her body to tilt towards the side. The fear overwhelmed her, as she almost lost conscious.

Seeing that Fluttershy was on the verge of death, Rainbow Dash immediately took flight, now picking up at maximum speed. In a split second, the lindworm's maw encased Fluttershy and snapping it shut completely. But not until Rainbow Dash barely escaped the jaw of death with Fluttershy being pushed to the side. The two pegasus ponies tumbled down the grassy hill with their bodies bouncing up and down. When the two reached the bottom, they stopped rolling. Rainbow Dash's head tilted from side to side from the dizziness. When she recovered from the dizziness, she glared at Fluttershy who was getting up from the tumble.

"What the hay is wrong with you?! You could've gotten yourself killed!" She cried out angrily. Fluttershy lowered her head and looked in a different direction.

"I… I… I'm so sorry… I was just…" At that moment, she was interrupted by the sound of the lindworm's terrifying roar. Its eyes looked from side to side, and quickly spotted Fluttershy again. The beast was about to make another attempt to lunge at its prey, until Twilight stomped her hoof down, shooting a glare at the lindworm.

"Okay, this has gone on long enough!" She growled. Aiming her horn at the beast, she steadied her shot and blasted a beam. The beam then made a direct hit at the lindworm’s head. The lindworm roared in pain as the force pushed it to the side. But just before it could collapse to the ground, Twilight used her magic to cease the falling. Using the power of her magic on her horn, Twilight focused her thoughts and encased the lindworm in a purple glow. It gently floated ten feet up in the air. Twilight's horn glowed ever so brightly that it made her teeth clenched. A blood vessel rose from her forehead, as pressure was being pushed into her brain. With one mighty yell, Twilight flung her head towards the side and tossed the lindworm flying off to the distance with great speed. The beast's roar echoed as it flew across the borders. Upon the beast’s departure, Pinkie Pie waved her forearm.

"Bye, bye Mr. Lindworm! Hope we get to see you again soon!" She giggled innocently. Rarity rolled her eyes once more at Pinkie's unnatural behavior. After a few seconds of regrouping, every pony looked at Fluttershy, who was whimpering quietly. Rainbow Dash shook her head disappointingly.

"Fluttershy… I know you were scared. But, I was way more scared than you when you were about to be eaten alive. You've got to be stronger than this. You once stood up against a giant red dragon for us. You even stood up against a giant manticore that looked so terrifying, and you showed it kindness. You need to gather your strength and face your fears head on!" Rainbow Dash went up to Fluttershy and gave her a slight hug. Fluttershy's tears trailed down from her cheek, to her friend’s shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Rainbow Dash. I know I should have leaped out of the way. But… I couldn't move. It was one of the most frightening things I've ever seen in my entire life." Fluttershy quietly spoke, weeping away under Dash's head. Applejack gave a short chuckle and stroked Fluttershy's mane.

"Ah know how ya feel, pumpkin. But you're not always alone. We all got each other’s backs and there ain't nothin' that will put us down. If the situation seems hopeless, don’t you go and believe it. You will always have us no matter what situation we're in." Rarity placed her hoof on Fluttershy’s cheek and smiled.

"That's right, sweetie. And no matter what happens, no matter what the situation is, or how scary and frightening it looks, you have to face your fears, darling. We're always here to comfort you in your desperate time of need." Pinkie Pie sits down next to Fluttershy, as she smiled so brightly.

"And don't forget to laugh at anything that scares you! Laughter is the best medicine you could ever ask for!" The party pony exclaimed proudly. Twilight nodded at Pinkie Pie and stared at Fluttershy.

"The point is, Fluttershy… you've got to stand up for yourself and help your friends. I don't know what we would do without you. You've taught us so much about kindness, and we couldn't have gotten this far without your help. We love you so very much." From all the comforting comments being given, Fluttershy's spirit slowly rose. She sniveled and smiled at the gang.

"T-Thank you…" She softly mumbled in happiness. Rainbow Dash released Fluttershy from her grasp and produced a tiresome yawn.

"*Yawn* Alright, why don't we all go back home and… and… WHAT THE?!" Dash suddenly yelled in fright, while looking behind the gang. Every pony was puzzled for a brief moment, before they looked behind each other. At that point, every pony gasped in horror once more. Behind them were three humongous undead brutes, cobbled together with mounds of decayed flesh. Their jaws were almost completely dismembered as the jawbone still dangled on the skin. Handful of intestines hung out of their mouths, with blood leaking out of the throat. They had over bloated muscles with huge hands. Their empty eye sockets bled black blood, as it trailed down their faces. And they had several jagged gaps on parts of the body. The stench was so overwhelmingly horrible, that it almost made the ponies gag.

The three abominations gurgled in a disgusting sound, as they stared down at the ponies with their red piercing eyes. All six ponies were incredibly shocked and horrified from the sight of the hideous creatures. Every pony was shaking uncontrollably from top to bottom. Suddenly, one of the abominations made a powerfully swift punch at Applejack, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash. The fist was so huge, it made contact with all three ponies at once. All three were knocked back a few feet away, while their bodies slid on the ground unconscious. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy looked behind and gasped in shock. But just as they turned back around, the second abomination used both of its grotesque hands and collided Rarity's and Pinkie Pie's head together in a brutal clash. Both ponies grunted in pain for a split second before being knocked out cold.

Fluttershy gasped once more as her remaining friends fell unconsciously. From that moment on, she was left frozen and helpless, while whimpered in fear. Already fresh tears came streaming down her eyes. All three abominations stood over the poor and defenseless pegasus with emotionless expressions. Their cold eyes fractured Fluttershy’s sanity, leaving her wide open for an attack. At that moment, one of the abominations reached over Fluttershy's mane and gripped the scalp of her hair with brute force. Fluttershy screamed in agony as she squirmed to get free. Tear droplets bounced off of her cheeks, while her face swerved from side to side.

The abomination lifted her body up in the air, making the pain much intense. The weight of her body added more stress to her scalp. Suddenly, the abomination delivered a brutal uppercut to her stomach and face. The force of the punch knocked the wind out of her. This silenced the gentle pegasus, making her gag quietly. Blood suddenly ran out of her nostrils and mouth. The pain was so overwhelming, that her conscious started to leave her. At that point, Fluttershy's hearing, feeling, and sights faded.

"Uuuuuhhh… whah…" Fluttershy weakly mumbled, as she began to regain consciousness. Her vision became a blurry picture while her body felt numb. Within a few seconds of letting her body adjust, she could feel the cold temperature surrounding her body. While her body was just being brought back to life, she couldn't remember what in Equestria had just happened.

"What… happened? Where am I…?" She mumbled. Fluttershy tried to see clearly and wondered to herself what had just happened to her at the same time. When her vision starts to become clearer, Fluttershy looked around her surroundings. It was a dark, foggy, eerily, and quiet room. The room was made from ancient brick stones with some rusty dungeon chains attached to the wall, along with a closed wooden door on her right. She also smelled an awful stench surrounding the whole area. On her right was a dried up humanoid corpse that had been chained up on the wall with a little bit of flesh still intact.

Witnessing where she was now, the yellow pegasus started to shiver in fear. Trying to move her body, Fluttershy found her waist strapped on by a huge metal shackle. She also noticed that all four of her legs were strapped on the floor by shackles. Every movement she made, it gave off a burning sensation underneath the shackles. She could feel hundreds of hooks attached to her skin, letting small trails of blood running down her yellow fur coat. She tried her best not to whimper in pain. But it proved to be no use, as Fluttershy begun tearing up. Her heart was racing like a mad bull. Her eyes darted in every direction.

"Oh no… oh no… no no no… where am I?" Fluttershy hyperventilated. She cuddled herself up, closed her eyes, and whimpered as quietly as she could. Her heart sank to her stomach, and her blood ran cold. But at the same time, she thought of her friends. Could they be alright? Or are they hurt? Her thoughts went on all by themselves as the scared pony continued to cry. But just then, she heard squeaking noises coming from the other side of the room. Her eyes shot wide open.

"W-Who's th-there?!" Fluttershy squeaked in fright. When her eyes adjusted to the fog, she spotted a rat on the other side of the room, chewing on an object. Knowing her good talents in making friends with critters and animals, her heart cheered up a bit. Maybe that rat could help her out and keep her company.

"U-Uum… e-excuse me… mister rat? C-Ccould you…" Just before Fluttershy could finish, the rat turned its head around along with the object it was chewing on. It revealed a plagued rat with blackened eyes, decayed skin, and a missing tail. The object the rat was chewing on was the head of another plagued rat, with its vertebral artery still intact with its head. Fluttershy quickly gasped in horror from the disturbing sight. The plagued rat dropped the corpse and slowly stalked towards Fluttershy with a dark hiss. She curled back up and started to whimper again. The rat glared at her with eyes of hunger. Fluttershy’s eyes widened with fear as she stared directly into the hungry predator’s black and lifeless eyes. But just before the rat could move any closer, the wooden door suddenly creaked open. Fluttershy's attention was drawn towards the crack of the door. The plagued rat made a sudden retreat, as it ran back into its hole, along with its meal. Standing at the other side of the door was an obscure humanoid figure looking directly at Fluttershy.

Chapter 2: Jack Armstrong

Chapter 2

The sight of this obscured and mysterious figure gave an eerie chill to Fluttershy's spine. It just stood there staring at her. It was hard to make out what it looked like from the dim light behind it. Fluttershy's heart rate suddenly skyrocketed in a matter of moments. Suddenly, the mysterious figure started to walk towards her. The gentle pony started to develop overwhelming fear, as she prepared herself for any pain that will be inflicted upon her. She closed her eyes tightly, as she whimpered very loudly with more tears coming out of her eyes. All she could think of right now is protecting her very last bit of happiness, and hoped that the pain will only last for a mere second. As the obscured figure took its final step near the chained up pegasus, it kneeled down to her level.

Fluttershy started to hiccup from all the fear she’s developing. She squinted her left eye and took a peek at the figure. There, the figure reached over to Fluttershy's neck. At that time, she sealed her eye again and prepared herself for whatever comes her way. But… all she felt was two soft fingers being pressed onto her neck directly at the carotid artery spot. She could feel and hear her pulse being given out.

"Be quiet… I'm not going to hurt you." The figure spoke out in a rude yet calm tone. Fluttershy paused her whimpering at that moment. The obscure figure let out a simple indignation grunt.

"Hmph… typical. I guess these undead retards are still alive. Idiots, searching for live food is pointless. Oh well, at least I know what I'm up against now." Fluttershy opened her eyes and looked at the figure once more. With a bit of light now shining on the figure's face, it revealed a face of a male human being. However, this human looked nothing like the monsters she saw. He had two katanas strapped onto his back. He also had a brown leather belt with many leather satchels and pouches around it. Two handguns were in their holsters on both sides of his waist. He wore black knee boots, along with an army knife strapped to the side of his left foot. And he wore shabby clothes that looked like it’s been frequently used. He has a very long dark brown hair color, pale green iris color, and appeared to be in his young adult age. The human stood back up and sighed.

"I'm outta here." He said in a vulgar tone. He turned around and walked straight towards the exit. Fluttershy's heart rate went back down in her moment of relief, but she knew that she had to get out of this place. The human didn’t look intimidating to her at all, as she wondered if he was friendly. With a bit of courage left within her, she whimpered again nervously.

"W-Wa… Wait. H-Help… me… p-please." She choked in fear. At that moment, the human stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around with a surprised look on his face.

"Did… did you just talked?" The human perplexed. Fluttershy replied with a slow nod. The human couldn’t believe his eyes; an actual pony talking in english. He eyed down to the floor and back at her.

"Wait… you're from… this place called… Equestria I heard of, correct?" He asked quizzically. Fluttershy gulped down and spoke softly.

"Y-Yes…" The human then rolled his eyes around and grunted.

"Figures… so that place really does exist then." Fluttershy tried to move around, but the burn under the shackles made her squeal in pain. With irritated eyes, she looked at the human once more.

"P-Please… help me. I-I'm so scared… I don't wanna die here! I’m begging you… don’t leave me here!" She said desperately before breaking into more tears. The way Fluttershy cried struck the human’s heart sort of roughly. It was like he was being seduced by cuteness. The human grunted a sigh, while he pinched his nasal root. After a few seconds of silence, he let go of his nasal root and glared at her.

"*Sigh*… fine. You're very lucky I'm not in an angry mood right now… which I should be at this point." The human walked over to Fluttershy again and kneeled down to her level. He then examined the shackles that were placed on her. He then reached into one of his pouches and pulls out a half-diamond pick. Then, he began to work on the keyhole on the waist shackle. It took him twenty seconds to unlock the keyhole and unshackle it. However, after the shackle was released, he noticed that a bunch of hooks were dug into her skin. His eyes narrowed more negative than ever.

"Christ… I guess they wanted you that badly. Just hold still, you got a lot of hooks that I got to extract." He said and went to work. Each hook he extracted stung Fluttershy a bit. She bit her bottom lip while trying her very best not to squeak in pain. Ten minutes later of unshackling and extracting the hooks on her waist and legs, he removed the last hook from her right leg. When he was finished, he exhaled and stood back up.

"There, the hooks shouldn't be infected. So you're free to move as you please." Fluttershy carefully tried to stand up on all four without hurting herself. When she stood up, her back legs were a little wobbly and a few cut marks bled a little bit from the pressure she's putting on. Other than that, she felt normal… almost normal that is. The yellow pegasus looked up at the human and shyly smiled back.

"T-Thank you… m-mister…" She spoke in a shy tone. The human gazed away and stared at the door.

"Whatever. And it's Jack Armstrong to you. I dislike it when someone calls me mister." Jack exasperated himself. He then pointed towards the door and darted his eyes at Fluttershy.

"Just head straight down the south hallway and turn to the right corner. Keep going and you'll find the entrance up some stairs. Okay? Okay. Bye." Jack walked towards the wooden door and prepared to leave the room. Fluttershy was about to go out with him when something suddenly hit her in her mind. She was shown an image of her friends smiling at her. And that's when it occurred to her… she knew that not only she was in danger… but the others as well. She turned from calm to worried in an instant. She let out a silent gasp and placed her hoof on her lips.

Oh no! I totally almost forgot! My friends could be in danger! She thought. Snapping back into reality, she tried to inform Jack.

"W-Wait… miste- I-I mean, Jack!" She stuttered. Jack had his right foot out the door before he paused He then closed his eyes and sighed.

"Yes…?" Jack eyed at Fluttershy and displayed his annoyed facial expression. Fluttershy moved two steps and felt a little pain on her back leg. She ticked in pain but she ignored it.

"Wait… m-my friends… I think those monsters might have captured them too! Please! You’ve got to help them! I'm begging you! That is… if you really want t- n-no… you have to save them!" She pleaded. Jack didn't spoke a word for a few moments. Fluttershy felt a little nervous from this weird moment. After a few silent moments had passed by, Jack eyed at the ground and exhaled quietly.

"What's your name?" He finally spoke out, making Fluttershy gulp nervously.

"F-Flutter…shy. Fluttershy…"

"Fluttershy huh…?" He then squinted his eyelids.

"What a cheesy name…" He said silently and raised his volume back up to normal.

"Well anyways… Fluttershy, hate to break it to you. By now, your friends are probably dead or being slaughtered. This is no ordinary place you're treading in." From the sudden shocking news, Fluttershy couldn't believe what she was hearing. This made her gasp really loudly.

"Wh-what?! No! That can't be true!" She panicked. Jack looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes.

"Believe what you want to believe.” Jack spoke dully, as he looked back at Fluttershy. “I didn't come here to rescue you or your deceased friends. My reasons are my own. There's no point in saving them now. This place defines the true meaning of no mercy. I'm sorry." Unable to stand the horrific news, Fluttershy collapsed to the ground and started weeping. Her heart was breaking into two while another batch of tears were streaming down her eyes.

"No! No! *Wheeze*… I… I can't…*Sniff*…" At this point, she felt lonelier than ever. Fluttershy couldn't control her sorrow, it took control of her. But just before she could break into anymore despair, she remembered something that her friends told her a while back.

"I'm so sorry, Rainbow Dash. I know I should have leaped out of the way. But… I couldn't move. It was one of the most frightening things I've ever seen in my entire life." Fluttershy quietly said, weeping away under Dash's head. Applejack gave a short chuckle and stroked Fluttershy's mane.

"Ah know how ya feel, pumpkin. But you're not always alone. We all got each other’s backs and there ain't nothin' that will put us down. If the situation seems hopeless, don't don’t you go and believe it. You will always have us no matter what situation we're in." She smiled at Fluttershy.

Then she remembered what Twilight spoke. "The point is, Fluttershy… you've got to stand up for yourself and help your friends. I don't know what we do without you. You've taught us so much about kindness. And we couldn't have gotten this far without your help. We love you very much."

After that brief flashback, she stopped her painicing. From what she heard from her friends, it made her think of something. So what if the situation seemed bleak and hopeless? She knew that deep down in her own heart that they're not dead just yet. She knew that her friends are still alive in here, waiting to be rescued. While she's gathering up her loss strength, she wiped away her tears and became a bit more confident.

"N-No… they're not… dead." Her voice started to rise up in anger. Her confidence was boiling up inside of Fluttershy, giving her hidden strength. She raised her head up and eyed at Jack.

"I won't believe it! I will not! They're still alive! I can feel it in my heart that they need help!" She stomped over to Jack while using 'The Stare'. Jack backed up a bit as he stared helplessly into Fluttershy's eyes. He felt very paranoid while looking down in the eyes of the abyss. His mind begun to go mad; picking away pieces of his sanity and his sense of self. Pearls of sweat were trailing down his head as he continued to look at her big pupils. While glaring at Jack, Fluttershy started to trot over to him.

"You will help them! They mean everything to me and I can NOT afford to lose them! YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" She yelled. Jack shut his eyes completely and turned his head to the side. As he faced away Fluttershy, he grunted in pain from the mental recoil. Then, he kneeled down and immediately covered Fluttershy's mouth with his hand. He hushed at her angrily.

"Keep it down… Jesus! Do you want to wake up everything in this fucking place?!" He whispered in rage. Fluttershy snapped out of anger and gasped. Her stare was deactivated and went back into puppy eyes mode. With a sigh of relief, Jack eyed back to Fluttershy.

"Fine… fine! I'll see what I can do. But I will not recover them if they're dead. Do you understand me?" He whispered in annoyance. With one moment of silence, Fluttershy nodded her head. Jack uncovered her mouth and stood back up. Fluttershy looked at the ground as she kicked a small rock.

"I'm sorry… for yelling at you." She apologized innocently. Jack rolled his eyes and sighed.

"It's fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do. Just head straight down and turn to the right corner. Okay? Okay. Bye… again." And with that, he opened the prison door wider and started walking towards the other way. Fluttershy was relieved that there was someone who will help her friends out. However, she was not completely unsure that she can fully trust this mysterious human. What if he forgets? Will he really rescue all five of them? Does he know there are five he must save? And will the others know that he’s not a hostile person? All these questions were filling up her brain, making her unsure and more worried about them. With little time to think, she gasped and went out the prison door to get Jack again.

"Wait! Jack!" She called out quietly. Fluttershy was taking a huge risk of herself for asking him this simple request. Jack stopped immediately and grasped his fists hard. He then growled and looks back.

"What now…?!" He said to himself annoyed. Fluttershy gulped down and tried to spit out her words.

"Um… if… if it's alright with you… c-could… could I come with you? I'm really REALLY worried about my friends and I can't stand doing nothing. Please!" She squeaked. Jack spoke nothing yet again due to the awkward moment. He turned his head the other way and raised his head up a bit.

"Tell me… Fluttershy is it? Which place scares you the most besides right here?" He questioned her. Fluttershy thought of all the places she's been to and she came up with one answer.

"Well umm… th-the Everfree Forest is very scary and very unnatural. There's creepy creatures, the plants grow, animals care of themselves, and the clouds move… all on their own!" She shuttered. Jack could only stand there silently twitching his eyelid with a 'You serious?' expression on his face. The two of them were quiet for a few seconds as the fog moved by. Then, he turned around and stared at her with a blank expression.

"Well… I have some very bad news. This… Everfree Forest you speak of… that place holds only a small fraction of what horrors await in this god-forsaken place. This place was originally named 'R'lyeh, The Lost City of Cthulhu'. It is a place where cults worship and create horrible experiments. But now… it is named, "The Catacombs of Zalgo'. It's literally like hell itself here. Unquestionable terror lurks in every corner of this damned catacomb. A living creature weak as one such as yourself will lose your sanity and psyche in an instant. It's one of the most horrific places the universe has to offer. It's like walking through the face of death a countless number of times. What makes you think you can survive this?" From the horrors of which Jack spoke, Fluttershy couldn't begun to describe how scared she was. She knew that he spoke the truth.

"O-Oh… m-my…" Fluttershy shuddered in fear. She can practically picture of what horrors lie ahead of her. The more she thought about it, the more it sent chills down her spine. She was just about to bail out when she suddenly saw her friends in her mind again smiling at her. Then, she was reminded once more of what her friends said to her.

She remembered what Rainbow Dash said to her. "Fluttershy… I know you were scared. But, I was way more scared than you when you were about to be eaten alive. You've got to be stronger than this. You once stood up against a giant red dragon for us. You even stood up against a giant manticore that looked so terrifying, and you showed it kindness. You need to gather your strength and face your fears head on!" Rainbow Dash went up to Fluttershy and gave her a slight hug. Then she remembered what Rarity said.

"No matter what happens, no matter what the situation is, or how scary and frightening it looks, you have to face your fears, darling. We're always here to comfort you in your disparate time of need." Rarity said, hugging her tightly. And finally, she remembered what Pinkie Pie said.

"And don't forget to laugh at anything that scares you! Laughter is the best medicine you could ever ask for!" The party pony exclaimed proudly.

With all five comforting motivations and spirits rushing through her mind, Fluttershy begun to have second thoughts of hiding. With the strength of her friends backing up, she was determined to face any challenge… even if it meant putting her life at risk. She looked up at Jack and placed her game face on.

"B-Because… because friendship… is worth fighting for! I… I'm up for any challenge that will come my way. Even if I die trying... I'll still stay true to my word! I'm going with you and that's final!" She bravely spoke out, with a bit of fear in her tone. Jack looked into Fluttershy's pupils and noticed that she wasn't all just talk. At that moment, he closed his eyes and sighed briefly.

"You’ve got guts I'll give you that… but for how long is the true question. All right, you can tag along with me. However, I have three very strict rules for you that I will not tolerate you breaking." He struck one finger up.

"One, you stay with me at all costs. You will easily get lost in here and I will not bother to find you again if you do. If I somehow get killed, you're all on your own." Then he stuck up two fingers.

"Two, do exactly as I say when I tell you to without question. No matter what situation it is, or how desperately you need to disobey my order, you WILL and ALWAYS WILL listen to me. I know this place from the start to finish and you will get yourself killed if you’re not careful."

Then, he struck three fingers up.

"And finally, three! The most important thing I will not tolerate is your whining. You are neither my burden nor weight. I do not want to hear you begging to go back… cause there will be no turning back once we venture down deep enough. And please… please try not to make any loud noises. Who knows what lurks within the darkness." Jack sighed and turned around, facing the endless foggy hallway. He pulled out his right katana out of its sheath from his back. As he pulled his katana out of the sheath, it made a cold steel sound that gave Fluttershy the chills. He then pulled out his handgun from his left holster. Once he pulled it out, he pulled the hammer on the handgun, making it click. Jack glanced back at Fluttershy again.

"Last chance... either go home and let me take care of this… or face hell's wrath with me." He said. With little time to think for herself, she looked behind her… and then back to Jack. With one final gulp, she slowly walked towards Jack. She slowly nodded her head at him. Then, Jack returned the nod and stared directly into the hallway of death.

"Alright then… let's get this over with." He said, while cracking his tiring neck from both sides. And so, the two ventured down the halls of the damned. What horrors lie ahead? Only time will tell… soon enough.

Chapter 3: Descending Into Hell

Chapter 3: Descending Into Hell

Deep within the bowels of the ancient catacombs, the two unlikely allies proceeded with caution. The fog was so thick; they could barely see what was up ahead. The deeper they go, the colder it got. It was dead silent… nothing but the sound of foot and hoof steps were heard. Fluttershy was walking really close to Jack while looking around fearfully. The eerie feeling could overwhelm her at anytime now. She eyed at Jack, who looked dead serious on the situation. She wasn't used to this much quietness in her whole life. She attempt to communicate with Jack silently, in order to make things a bit better.

"S-So… umm… Jack? W-Why are you here?" She whispered nervously. Jack lowered his eyebrows a bit and narrowed his eyes.

"Vengeance. You could say I'm here to settle the score. The reasons why are none of your concerns. It's personal for me only." He spoke dully. Fluttershy lowered her head down while looking at him.

"Oh… b-but… what happened here? Why is it called… the umm…" She was about to recall the name but Jack immediately interrupted her.

"Don't repeat his name. It's a curse to anyone speak, hear, or read his name. Don't use that name anywhere. Period. The only safe way to mention his name is inside this catacomb, or if your around his presence. Unspeakable horrors happen if you do so. As for this place… R'lyeh was a sunken city where Cthulhu, a dead malevolent entity, waits dreaming. Here, this is just a simple catacomb inspired by Cthulhu's house of the dead. Humans formed a cult to worship and gain some knowledge from him. One of their main things was to drag innocent lives down here to do rituals, experiments, and sacrifices." Jack closed his eyes and reopened them up.

"I was once forced to be one of cultists. I've worked with them tirelessly for years. Our goal was to find out how to revive Cthulhu from his dream and eradicate all who opposes him and his followers. Everyday was the same… harvesting organs and bones, performing sacrifices and rituals, creating life from our dead victims, experiment thousands of innocent lives, and torture their very existence. It was all nothing but the same routine… except that fateful day. A mysterious person in a black cloak entered our domain and transformed this place into a much darker abyss. Every cultist were either killed or became apart of him. I however, was somehow spared for some reason. I managed to escape ever since and learned that the black-cloaked person was none other than Zalgo himself. He was foolish to let me go and plot my vengeance on him. I had a long and difficult life because of him. And that's why I'm here… to bury my past once and for all… even if I die, it won't matter to me. I can let this world burn for all I care. Vengeance is the only thing that's keeping me alive… nothing more… nothing less."

Despite the fact that Jack was once a murderer, Fluttershy couldn't help herself but feel sorry for him. His story sounded like he had no one to love him… or be friends with him. Fluttershy pitied Jack and looked away.

"I'm sorry your life was hard. But… did you have any friends? O-Or a family that cared about you?" She spoke softly. Jack suddenly ticked and went into enrage mode. He glared at Fluttershy and prepared to backfist her. Fluttershy scooted back and squeaked from the sudden surprise. The two of them stared off at each other silently. One was confused and scared, and the other raging mad. After a few seconds of the dramatic pause, Jack came to realization that Fluttershy didn't know how his past went. He sighed and lowered his fist. Then he faced forward again.

"Just… don't… mention friendship or love. Those two things betrayed me for a very long time. Having friends is nothing but an illusion… and family… they're just pointless. I don't know anything about those two and I attend to do so… because I believe they're just dangerous emotions and distractions." Fluttershy slowly walked back towards Jack.

"I-I'm so sorry… b-but friendship isn't-" Just then, Fluttershy was interrupted by a faint low-pitched moan coming from a faint distance. She let out a small gasp, with her eyes widened, and her face contorted in fear. The two of them paused, darting their eyes around. The sound begun to multiply, thus it could be heard from every direction. Then they heard the sounds of bare flesh being dragged on the ground and frightful moans. The sound of the moans gave a horrific chill in Fluttershy's heart and spine. As if it wasn’t enough for her, they began to hear the sound of hounds growling and gurgling.

The fog surrounded the two; blinding them from what dangers awaited them. Fluttershy begun to sank down, now panicking. She tried her very best to not make a single sound. Jack trailed his eyes from side to side in a calm and tense way. His finger was on the handgun's trigger; ready to be pulled at anytime. At that moment, all the sounds deceased in an instant. Fluttershy slowly hugged herself while eyeing around. She can hear her own heart beating loudly.

"J-J…Jack…?" She quietly whispered in fear. Suddenly, Jack darted his eyes to the left and spotted an incoming attack. Lunging out from the fog was a crude hound zombie. Its coat was replaced by rotting flesh with ripped holes. One of its front paws was dismembered, and the other deformed. There were guts lingering within a jagged gap in its stomach with entrails being tugged. Its eye sockets were oozing black blood with glowing red pupils. It displayed its razor sharp and bloody teeth. And it has several lacerations covering its body. The undead hound was about to sink its rotten teeth in when Jack pointed the end of his handgun and pulled the trigger. The bullet went right through the hound's head. The head bursts open; spraying cold droplets of blood everywhere. Shattered skull pieces went also flying off. Jack then strife to the side as the creature fell to where he was standing. Fluttershy let out a high-pitched scream as the first shot was fired. She ran to the nearby corner of the room and went into a fetal position.

"Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!" She panicked in a voice bordering on hysteria. She just laid there on her side shaking, while her heart was beating nearly out of her chest. She then sealed her eyes shut while covering her ears. At that moment, she began hyperventilating into tears. Fluttershy never encountered this much horror in her life. It was so horrifying, that her sanity was slowly slipping away.

Ooooh! Why did it have to be this way?! I wanna go home! She cried inside her mind. As the fight begun, Jack spotted a humanoid zombie shuffling towards him. Its skull was deformed in many ways, while its emaciated body was more skeletal. The torso was consisted of its bony ribs and spine; displaying no flesh or organs in between the bones and skin. Its mouth was stuffed with bloody entrails, while the jaw was dislocated, only to be dangling on a loose skin socket. Its black and lifeless eye sockets oozed black blood. And it has severely rotten sharp teeth. One arm was dismembered and the other was replaced by a slimy scaled tentacle arm. It made a gurgling pitch sounds as it saw its victim. But Jack swung his katana perpendicularly, decapitating the zombie's head and slicing its arm off.

Right behind him was yet another humanoid zombie that was dead close to sink its teeth into Jack’s neck. But Jack spun around and pulled the trigger, making a huge headshot. Chunks of brain, blood, and shattered skull pieces sprung out like a firework. A small amount of blood splattered on Jack's cheek and cloths. Just when he was about to charge after another humanoid zombie, another zombie hound made a surprising lunge attack from behind. It swiped its sharp claws across his back. It left three huge horizontal lacerations that made Jack grunt in pain. He turned around and shot the hound in the head.

"FUCK YOU!!" He yelled angrily as he transferred his pain into rage. The pack was moving in fast and impatiently. Fluttershy could only hear the sound of the gun being fired, hounds yelping in pain, and Jack’s battle grunts while cursing like mad. She tried her best to picture a happy place inside her mind, away from the noise and danger. But despite her best attempt, it kept being interrupted by Jack's rampage. Deciding to take a peek of the action, she squinted one eye open. But when she barely opened her eye, she saw an incoming undead hound sprinting towards her. She gasped deeply and screamed loudly. She closed her eyes again and awaited the pain to be delivered. But just before the hound could lunge right at her, Jack immediately stepped in and grabbed the hound by its scruff.

"GET OVER HERE YOU FUCKING FURFAG!!" He screamed at the hound in anger. He swung its body over his head, and slammed it hard on the ground, causing the hound to yelp in pain. Then Jack pointed his gun at the head and pulled the trigger. After the hound was put down, Jack sprinted towards the zombie crowd. Fluttershy couldn't believe what's going on. Her heart was skyrocketing like mad. She kept thinking to herself that it's just a nightmare that will eventually go away. A minute has passed by and the fight continued to go on. Fluttershy's life was flashing right before her closed eyes. She remembered the first time she met her friends, how she became the Element of Kindness, going to the grand galloping gala with her friends, and stopping Discord. But just when she was about to continue on… the battle ceased.

Everything went silent after her latest memory of her friends. The gunshots stopped firing and Jack's battle cries went silent. She then became frantic to what had happened. Is the fight over? What if Jack has been killed? Is she now doomed? All these questions were buzzing around her noggin. She slowly uncovered her ears and heard Jack's heavy panting. She didn't dare open her eyes and look at the aftermath. After a few seconds of panting, Jack finally spoke.

"Before you open your eyes… *Wheeze*… are you a hematophobia?" He asked while out of breath. It took about five seconds for Fluttershy to reply.

“Y-Yes...?” Fluttershy stuttered. She continued to shake in terror as Jack finally got his breath back.

"Well… I have some more bad news. Open your eyes." He instructed. Fluttershy couldn't open her eyes. But she had no choice if she wanted to continue on and rescue her friends. Slowly opening her eyes, the blurry vision took but a second to return back to normal. When she can look again, she was unbelievably shocked of what she was witnessing. It was a complete massacre. Puddles and splattered blood were everywhere, which stenched a thousand deceased corpses. About a hundred of body parts were scattered across the room, while a bunch of intestines and organs were all over the place. The smell of death almost made her want to puke. She sees Jack standing there with his katana blade drenched in blood. Smoke was coming out of the barrel from the gun. And bloodstains were on some part of his cloths.

"This is just a taste of what we'll be going through this evening. So get used to this kind of stuff, and that Everfree Forest will be nothing but a joke to you. So get up. Now." He ordered. Fluttershy slowly stood up with hiccups escaping her mouth. She carefully tried to step over the blood and corpses. While Fluttershy was coming towards him, Jack whipped his blade and managed to get some of the blood off. He then reached into one of his pouches, pulled out fresh bullets, and reloads his handgun. When Fluttershy got to Jack, they both continued down the pathway.

A few minutes later, everything was dead quiet once again. This time, the atmosphere got a little bit more eerie. Fluttershy couldn't believe she actually survived that horrific event. She felt a little safer with Jack by the passing minute. Fluttershy lowered her neck and hid her gratitude grin.

"Umm… thank you. For saving me from that creature." She said quietly but kindly. Jack lowered his eyebrows and shotted an annoyed stare at her.

"That was just my anger towards these bastards. Consider it luck to you. Remember, you're neither my burden nor weight." He spoke dully. Fluttershy dropped her grin and looked away disappointingly.

"I-I'm sorry… I'll do better next time. I promise. But still… thank you." She spoke innocently. At that moment, Jack felt agitated from her strange behavior.

"Okay… I just don't get it. Why are you being so nice to me after all the stuff I put you through? It doesn't make sense… you should be frightened and angry at me." He questioned her. Fluttershy faced him and grinned once more.

"Well, it's called Kindness. Showing kindness to someone that's helping others despite their attitude, shows that you're being a good person. I'm glad and thankful that you're helping me. Even though I kind of forced you to do it… it's still a nice thing to do." When he heard the word kindness, it fazed him a bit, making him puzzled.

Kindness… He softly spoke in his head. But then he snapped back into reality and grunted.

"Whatever… let's just keep going. We're wasting our time." He grumbled and pressed forward. The two of them continued down the long hallway in uttermost silence. This time, both Jack and Fluttershy were cautious this time, as they trend down with every step. But that silence came to a complete stop when they suddenly heard someone weeping. The two of them stopped and observed the sound. It was someone in distress, as if someone was in trouble. The sound lead them to a wooden dungeon door. Jack pulled the hammer on his handgun and slowly proceeds to open the wooden door. Fluttershy got behind Jack for protection.

When the door was half way opened, the light from the doorway shined in the dark room. The light crawled along the darkened wall, illuminating what was inside the room. Inside, they spotted a wall shackled rainbow maned pegasus with a blue coat and a rainbow lightning cloud on the flank. Her head was hung low, while tears droplets fell from her eyes.

"R-Ra…Rainbow… Dash?" Fluttershy spoke surprisingly. Rainbow Dash paused her crying and looked up at the yellow pegasus. Her eyes widen, as she couldn't believe her eyes.

"F-Flu…Flutter…shy? FLUTTERSHY!!" She yelled in happiness. Fluttershy ran inside the room and hugged her friend tight. Both were crying with joy as the two friends were reunited and safe.

"Oh Rainbow Dash! I… I thought I'd never see you again!" Fluttershy said emotionally. Rainbow Dash laid her head onto Fluttershy's head

"And I thought I never see you again! Oh, I'm so glad you're alright!" She sobbed. Just as the warm reunion was going well, a wooden chest at the edge of the room started banging abruptly. The chest banged so roughly it begun to convulse violently. The three looked at it surprisingly. Rainbow Dash looked back at Fluttershy and her smile was gone.

"Fluttershy, you got to get me out of here! Some monster chained me up here and placed something in that chest. They said that they're gonna release whatever's inside it and let it eat me alive! I don't want to die!" She said urgently. Fluttershy gasped at the situation and turned to Jack.

"Jack! We got to help her out! Please!" She pleaded. The two pegasus gazed at the death box before them in fear. While the box banged and convulse, both the ponies hugged each other in fear. But Jack on the other hand was having a very strange feeling. He felt very puzzled and eerie on this setup.

Something's not right here… Jack thought. He looked at Rainbow Dash for a minute. He noticed right away that she looked completely unharmed and not a hair disturbed. Then he noticed that her eyes were almost transparent. He then gazed over at the banging chest in the corner. Within the banging chest, another sound could be heard in there. But it was a friendly and yet terrified sound. He walked towards the chest while glaring at it.

"Fluttershy, come over here." He ordered. Fluttershy was puzzled from his behavior. She looked at Rainbow Dash and back to him.

"But… are we-"

"Now!" He exclaimed. Fluttershy flinched and stared at Rainbow Dash disappointingly. She then slowly backed away from her.

"Sorry, Rainbow Dash… I have to do what he says." She informed and apologized, while Dash was struggling to break free. She didn't know what was going on.

"Wait! Where you going?! Don't leave me here!" She panicked. When Fluttershy was right next to Jack, he looked at the chained up Dash, then back at the chest. He placed his hand on the wooden surface.

"Were not leaving you here. We're just going to see who's our little friend in here." Chided Jack. He then looked at the rusty medieval padlock that's almost breakable. Rainbow Dash begun to breath faster as she knew what was about to happen.

"N-No! Don't let whatever that thing is in there out! I-"

"Shut it!" He interrupted her. With one kick on the rusty padlock, the shackle broke with ease. With his gun ready, he slowly opened the chest. Fluttershy prepared herself for whatever is inside it and hid behind Jack. At that moment, Jack made an indignation grunt. Fluttershy heard his reaction and decided to take a peek inside. When she looked inside, she gasped in surprise. There, in that chest was another terrified Rainbow Dash. She was gagged with a cloth while muttering in fright. She was lying on the ground hogtied. She had cuts all over her body, her mane was a complete mess, and tears were coming down from her eyes. Fluttershy stared at her and blinked.

"W-Wait… I-if Rainbow Dash is in here… then who's-" Just before she could finish, the shackled pegasus begun to chuckle darkly. The two of them looked at her alarmed. There, the imposter Rainbow Dash eyed at them sinisterly.

"You're pretty clever, aren't you Jack Armstrong? We've been expecting your arrival for sometime now. You've only come here just to give into your demise. What a pity." Suddenly, the imposter Rainbow Dash's hooves started to melt like candle wax. As it melted, the hooves slipped free from the shackles. Once they were free, the hooves dried up in an instant. The imposter Dash got on all four and prepared to lunge at them.

"Ooooh… I can imagine the reward the master will give to me for bringing in your heads!" The voice suddenly changed into a dark and creepy tone. At that moment, the imposter Dash leaped into full speed and opened her mouth revealing hundreds of razor sharp teeth. Fluttershy screamed and hid behind Jack once more. Jack aimed his gun at the imposter.

"Wrong move." He spoke in an assertive tone, before pulling the trigger. When the bullet went through the imposter's head, it made a high-pitched screeching noise. The imposter fell to the ground and begun to quiver uncontrollably. At that moment, the fake Rainbow Dash’s appearance suddenly transformed itself into a legless and disturbing entity. Its white skin was rotting on its bone, while it had purple blotches on both arms. It also had sharp black claws and skeletal hands. And it has a head shaped humanoid skull while its eye sockets oozes black blood. Its grey tongue lashed out like a snake from the pain it’s receiving.

It continued to screech as it quivered like mad. Annoyed from this, Jack shook his head and slammed his foot on top of the monster's head. It made a sickening crunch as he applied much force to his foot. The screeching came to a complete stop and silence filled the room once more. Fluttershy was disgusted and shocked from seeing and hearing the death of a monster. With the monster out of the way, the two of them looked back inside the chest with the real Rainbow Dash. Jack kneeled down and pulled the army knife from his left black knee boot. He stood up and leaned over the chest. Using the knife, he cut the rope that bonded her legs together. The rope snapped and her legs were free. Then he unwraps the cloth gag. After that, Rainbow Dash immediately sprung out of the chest and pounced on top of Fluttershy, hugging her tightly. She sobbed while trembling in fear.

"Oh! Thank you so much! I'm so scared right now, Fluttershy! I thought I was gonna die in there! I-I…" She choked on her words before crying on Fluttershy's chest. Fluttershy returned the warm hug and hushed her softly.

"Shhh… It's okay. Everything's going to be alright now… you're safe." She whispered gently. The both pegasus shared tears and feelings while Jack rolled his eyes, looking away. After a minute of calming down, Fluttershy helped Rainbow Dash up her hooves. Fluttershy pointed her hoof at Jack and smiled.

"This is Jack Armstrong. He's the one that helped me get to you." She introduced her. Then she looked at Jack.

"Jack, this is one of my best friends, Rainbow Dash." She introduced him. However, Jack didn't look that interested as his back was facing them. He eyed behind him and darted forward again.

"Hi." He said in boredom. Rainbow Dash looked puzzled by his behavior, as she leaned over to Fluttershy's ears.

"Hey, what's his deal?" Rainbow Dash whispered curiously. Fluttershy eyed away while looking disappointed.

"I don't know. But I have to follow and obey him."

"But why?" Dash asked.

"Well… you see-" Just then, Fluttershy was interrupted by Jack.

"Alright, Rainbow Dash… the entrance isn't that far. Just keep heading down the hallway and you will find staircases leading outside this catacomb." Rainbow Dash took one step forward tilting her head in confusion.

"Wait… where are we anyway? A-And…" Then she remembered the ambush a while back and gasped suddenly.

"My friends! Where are they?!" Franticed the rainbow pegasus. Jack turned his head around and faced her.

"They've been captured by those beasts you saw and imprisoned them somewhere in this god forsaken catacomb. Just go home and let me take care of it." Rainbow Dash gasped, as she knew her friends were in danger. Then she stomped her hoof on the ground.

"No way! I'm coming with you guys!" She protested. Surprised, Jack’s face furrowed from the sudden request.

"I don't think so. Dealing with one pony is bad enough, but two?! You're just going to slow me down! I promise you, I will get your friends ba-" At that moment, Jack was cut of by Dash.

"I don't care what you think! I'm not just gonna go back to Ponyville and relax while my friends are in great danger! I'm loyal to my friends no matter what the situation is! Loyalty is not only a promise to your friends, but to yourself! I'll do whatever it takes, even if I die trying! Because I know that my friends are more scared than I am now! I'm sticking with you guys and that is final!" She complained in a loud tone. When that word struck Jack, he fazed out a bit. He looked at the ground while mumbling to himself.

"…Loyalty? Is that… what it truly means?" He whispered to himself. He can still remember the word Kindness still floating around inside his head. Avoiding drifting off even more into this, he snapped back into reality and closed his eyes.

"…Fine. But I have three rules you must follow if we're going to get along. One, stay close to me at all times while carrying your own weight. Two, do exactly as I say without question. And three, there will be absolutely no whining. Obey those three things and we might make this work… relatively speaking. Now if you’re ready to move on, then let's get this done." He loaded his handgun and started walking out of the room. The two pegasus exchanged nods and walked out the room with him. Thus, the trio plunged deeper into the darkness where more horrors lie ahead.

Chapter 4: The Construction Quarter

Chapter 4: The Construction Quarter

Meanwhile in Ponyville, the business activity finally settled down, as the ponies had a long and hard day. Every filly and colts were asleep within their beds, while the mares and stallions enjoyed the beautiful evening. The cold and luscious air breezed through the trees like a serenade melody. The moonlight above the nightly sky illuminated the whole town in a peaceful luminosity. Every pony within the town was in harmony and at peace… except for a frantic baby dragon that's been pacing back and forth. Inside the library tree, Spike restlessly walked around the living room worrying about a certain pony that should have supposedly been here already. Ignoring his bedtime, the purple baby dragon looked out the window and stared at the moon.

"Gosh, Twilight should have been here by now. She needs to write a letter to the princess about Discord. She's never this late before. It’s not like her to just… Ooooh… what if something bad happened to her? What if- n-no… just calm down, Spike. Maybe she went to her friend's house and forgot the time. Yeah…" Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Spike jumped in surprise from the unexpected knock. Thinking that Twilight has returned, Spike ran towards the door. When he got to the door, he opened it and displayed his joyful smile. But his joyful smile disappeared, as it was only the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Ms. Cake, and a white bunny rabbit named Angel who appeared instead.

"Oh… it’s you guys. Can I help you?" Spike asked while sounding disappointedly. Ms. Cake took a peek inside the library, as she hadn't bothered to properly introduced herself mannerly.

"Hello Spike. Sorry for dropping by this hour.” Ms. Cake hastily spoke. “Pinkie Pie isn't at the Bakery and it's really late. I was wondering if she's here?" The red bow filly walked inside the door and looked around the room.

"Mah sis' ain' at the farm either, Spike. I'm so worried about her. Applejack! You in here, sis?! Granny Smith and Big Macintosh are worried sick about you!" She yelled. Sweetie Belle was the next to walk inside.

"Rarity and I were supposed to have a girl’s night. But I never saw her since the ceremony was over." Sweetie Belle frowned. Scootaloo walked up to Sweetie Belle and gave her a friendly hug.

"It's all right, Sweetie Belle. You’re not the only one who has this type of problem. Rainbow Dash promised that she teach me how to fly better. She never let down a promise before. Something awful must of happened to her… I can just feel it. And Angel here is worried about Fluttershy too. Poor little guy…" Scootaloo gloomed over at angel who looked very unpleased instead of apprehensive. Angel had the 'I'm only here because Fluttershy forgot to feed me dinner…' look on his face. Hearing all the suspicious news from Twilight's friends, Spike concluded that something's very fishy was going around here. Spike shrugged his shoulders and gave a desperate sigh.

"No one is here except Owlowiscious and I. Twilight didn't even tell me what she was gonna do after the ceremony. Think… think I should report to the princess about this?" He asked. Ms. Cake shook her head and displayed her fake grin.

"No, No not yet. I'm pretty sure they’ll have a good explanation for being this late. Let's wait for a little longer… maybe they'll come back. But… if they don't show up until then, well… well…" Ms. Cake started to fret concerning the whereabouts of Pinkie. Her mind begun doubting the safety of the party pony and her friends. Hiding her face from the group, she turned her head around and developed a small tear. Spike gloomed at the ground shaking his head.

Twilight… where are you? He thought.

Meanwhile, Jack and his unnecessary allies continued down the damned catacombs. The ruined tomb may have been laid to rest… but the events within the forsaken dungeon had just begun. Down they go, the two pegasus and Jack descended into the everlasting darkness. Every couple of minutes, they encountered a monster or two that deliberately gets slaughtered by the reaper of vengeance. The more blood that's been spilt, the thirstier Jack's intentions on becoming a juggernaut would be inevitable. Thirty minutes had passed by ever since they ran into the misfortunate rescue of Rainbow Dash, and they finally stumbled upon a wide room. The distance was too foggy to see through and the temperature dropped immensely. Before moving ahead any further, Jack turned to his unfortunate companions.

"This is the 'Hall of the Abyss'. In this place, there will no doubt be a whole lot of those ungodly retards. I want absolute silence until we reach a quarter. There are four-quarter rooms or wings in all. First is the Construction Quarter, then The Illusion Quarter, Plague Quarter next, and finally The Necropolis Quarter. Each quarter holds a key fragment that's required to open the fifth and final Quarter… The Chamber of Darkness. Each key fragments are located at the end of each wing and I attend to not screw up. That is my main priority… unless we run into your other friends, no objections is in order. So stay close and keep quiet." Jack sighed and turned around. With all the aggression Jack's been putting out, Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and grunted.

"Yeah, yeah… We're not here for a tour ya know? Let's just get this over with." Exaggerated Rainbow Dash. Jack turned around and eyed at Dash for a moment.

"For once… we have something we both agree on." Grunted Jack and proceeded into the fog. The two followed right behind them. Unlike the previous halls they passed through, this humongous room filled the ponies with dread and horror. Sooner or later, they passed by a dried up fountain. It was filled with humanoid skulls and bones. And it had a huge sculpture at the center of the alabaster basin. The figure had the shape of an octopus, a dragon, and a human caricature. It had a pulpy, tentacle head surmounted a grotesque scaly body with rudimentary wings. The figure was raising both hands in the air as if it's being worshiped. Fluttershy took a good glance at the statue and wondered if that's Cthulhu. She wanted to ask Jack, but it was best not to talk. But just looking at the statue frightened Fluttershy. Three minutes of walking in silence, Jack and the two pegasus reached towards a steel door. There was blood smeared all over the rusty door. And the handle looked a bit rusty. When they got close to the door, Jack turned around and looked at the two seriously.

"We're about to enter the construction quarter. So prepare yourselves for the worst." Rainbow Dash thought up the name for a moment, and was slightly relieved that she will be entering another room that isn't as spooky as the room they were in.

"For the worst, really? The construction quarter doesn't sound so bad. What are they building in there anyway? Weapons? Armor? Catapults?" She asked him. Jack lowered his eyebrows and shook his head.

"You really are full of yourself aren't you? It's the least of what you will expect. Mark my words. As I said before… prepare yourselves." Sighed Jack. He reached over to the door handle and gripped it. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a dark and spine chilling whisper echoed across the hall.

"He is coming… he who waits behind the wall… he who waits to end it all."

"All that you know… all that you are… he will tear it apart and leave you afar."

"He will call on the beast to devour your soul… he will take the whole world and will make it unwhole."

"He comes…"

"He who will sing the end of the earth… such a beautiful song… what a beautiful night… he awaits this night… he awaits darkness."

"He who waits behind the wall… he is the chaotic hivemind… eating my soul… making me unwhole… one with him."

The dark whisper suddenly vanished back into the lifeless dark. The frightening whisper placed both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash in a terrified state. Their pupils were shrunken to the sizes of peas. Both of them were frantically breathing as their bodies were trembling. Fluttershy gulped down, as she looked over to Jack.

"W-W-Whah… what… what was that?" She shuttered. Jack gave a dead look at her before staring up at the ceiling.

"Apparently… that was the source of this god-forsaken place. Someone spoke part of the invocation of Zalgo. That invocation can only be known and spoken by the Avatar of Zalgo." Rainbow Dash stepped forward looking concerned on this subject.

"Who is this Zalgo? What did that invocation meant anyway? Is he really gonna destroy the world?"

"That is part of his desires,” Jack replied. “But the other half… is becoming one with him. We are the ones that will destroy this world. He is nothing but a mythos concept. The Avatar of Zalgo is the one who will sing a certain song that will make all life on this planet die almost simultaneously and become one of those accursed undead we encountered so far. He can easily rip your sanity apart, and crush the very foundations of your psyche. His origins took place a very long time ago when all life forms were still intact. However, I don't know the avatar history of Zalgo… and I don't really care. All I care is letting him know how much I hated him and how much pain I will inflict on him. Now… if we're done, I like to continue on." Jack's hand twisted the handle on the door. He then slowly pulled the door open. A small outburst of wind blew through the doorway, giving an ungodly disgusting odor. The stench was so powerful; it made Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash puke a little inside the mouth. But the smell didn't faze Jack at all. After he adjusted to the smell, he proceeded inside the door with the two ponies following him.

Inside the room was so horrific and so sickening that it took the breath of the two ponies by force. It was a slaughterhouse and a laboratory mixed together. Standing on a catwalk, the two looked below the room and almost threw up. The walls in the whole room were almost completely splattered with putrid blood. There were bits and pieces of various corpses being hung from rusty-chained hooks on the ceiling. The tables and chairs were made of bones and preserved flesh from various victims. Wooden shelves held weathered tomes and scrolls. A vulgar display of organs and sliced up body parts were scattered all over the facility. Bloody sharp medical and construction tools were hung on the decapitated human heads that were nailed to the wall. Several butcher knives and other ruthless equipments were left penetrated on various deceased bodies. And dried up entrails were hanging from the railings and other various places.

The stench grew more overwhelming by the passing second; making the ponies to just puke some more. The room was a bit dim but the flickering lights from the ceiling showed half of the room and another door on the other side of the runway. Jack begun walking on the metal catwalk steps, leaving the two ponies standing still in disgust. He looked behind him and grunted.

"Snap out of it will you two?! We don't have all day… keep up!" He lashed out rudely. Both of them blinked and slowly proceed up the steps. The trio walked along the runway while being prepared for anything. Metal clanking footsteps echoed in the dark room. The lights above them flickered on and off. The whole setting gave off an eerie tension to the ponies. It is like walking into something worse than a nightmare. About halfway across the catwalk, Rainbow Dash couldn't help herself to ask why this is called the construction quarter if the room was displayed as a complete massacre.

"Say umm… Jack. What happened in here anyway? I-I don't understand what caused this mess." She whispered loudly. Continuing to walk, Jack sighed in annoyance.

"Isn't it obvious? The construction quarter is a faculty for building slaves and minions. Its purpose is to create an army for the apocalyptic day when Cthulhu rises and wipes out the whole world. But ever since Zalgo took over this whole place, that day will never come. Creating these monsters requires a great understanding of necromancy and science. Even the capacity to both animate undead and cause supernatural curing to living flesh. It's not an easy task… but if done right, you will create loyal slaves and tremendously powerful warriors. And they will do whatever it takes to get the right materials… even if by using unspeakable methods."

The three finally reached towards the next door and Jack didn’t hesitated to open it. Inside the other room was related to the previous room. Only the lights were a bit brighter and the stench was lighter. Down below, the gang spotted prisoners, locked up in an iron cage. Inside was a very skinny brown cub that had gaping cuts on its side. Then there was an old, emaciated, male human wearing nothing but worn brown trousers. And there was a scrawny fawn with its front left leg severely dismembered. All three of them were at the edge of the iron cage shivering with fear. On the other side of the room were two humanoid cultists, finishing up harvesting a white cow's organs. Seconds later, one of the cultists looked at the terrified senior. Jack and the two pegasus noticed that the cultist's eyes were pitched black, black tears streaming down his cheeks.

"He desires your instrument for his wonderful song." The cultist spoke in a demonic voice. The cultist begun to walk forward towards the iron cage. He placed the key into the keyhole, and twisted it. As it click, he unlocked the cage and reached over towards the senior. While laughing joyfully, he grasped the senior’s white hair and yanked it with force. The old man screamed in agony, as he tried to get free from the cultist's unmerciful grasp.

"N-No! Please! Let me go! I-I don't want to die! Have mercy on me!" The old man begged. But the cultist ignored his every word, and brought the senior over to the cultist's partner. The cultist threw the old man down to his knees and stared at his pitiful existence.

"Death is such a wonderful view. Why deny this path? He shall have you… and you shall be one with him." The other cultist spoke, as he grabbed the senior by the neck and raised his whole body off the ground. The old man struggled to get air while trying to break free. He kept kicking the cultist's stomach with no avail. Suddenly, the cultist holding the senior stuck his free hand up, and drove it down the old man's throat. Gurgling for air while moaning in pain, the cultist dug his hand deeper down to fish out something. Disgusting moist and gooey sounds could be heard throughout part of the room, as he fished inside the man’s body. A few seconds of searching around in there, he managed to grab the withered man's heart.

The senior's eyes were wide open, revealing bloodshot around his sclera. He felt an overwhelming pain coursing inside his body cavity that made his throat burn. After a few seconds of grasping the heart while feeling its beating rhythm, the cultist pulled out his arm from the senior’s throat, along with the heart. His arm was covered in blood and saliva as he reeled in the heart. Even more moist and gooey sounds could be heard from the catwalk. When the heart was extracted from the mouth, several arteries were still connected. The cultist placed his ear next to the heart and listened to its beat.

"Ahhh… that is the rhythm. Such a delightful instrument to listen." He said.

At that moment, he grinned and yanked the beating heart. Like strings, the arteries snapped easily with a bit of blood squirting out. The old man gasped, rolling his teary eyes to the back of his head. He gurgled his last breath and passed away. Blood filled his mouth with a bit of bubbles on the surface. The cultist released the old man’s neck and held the heart in the air. Then he squeezed the heart, producing certain amount of excess excrement. The mess spilt all over his face while his mouth was wide open. In delight, he cherished every bit of drop from the heart's substances. Back up on the catwalk, the two pegasus could only look in absolute horror from the performance they witnessed. Fluttershy begun sobbing while trying to hold her vomit back.

"Wh-why…?! H-How… how could… they?" She sobbed quietly. Rainbow Dash was also crying and disgusted. But at the same time, she was also enraged by the cruelty being displayed. Clenching her teeth hard, she glared at the two cultists.

"Those… sick… freaks! They're gonna pay for that!" Rainbow dash growled. She leaped over the railing and prepared to dash over to the two cultists. But then, she was suddenly stopped by Jack grasping her tail. Rainbow Dash looked behind her while enraged.

"What the hay you doing?! Let me go no-" Suddenly, Jack immediately yanked Dash's tail and sent her back to the ground hard. She grunted in pain from that impact. Then she eyed at Jack who looked more enraged than she was.

"You stay right here you fucking idiot!” Jack whispered angrily. “I don't want us being spotted or known! I know how you feel, but those cultists are more dangerous than you think! Looking deep into their piercing red eyes and you will become one of them! And those cultists aren't like those undead we encountered… they're much more powerful! God… the nerve of you…"Jack slowly released the rainbow tail, making him sigh in exhaustion. Fluttershy looked at the two helpless and frightened critters locked up inside the iron cage.

"W-We got to help those critters! Please, Jack!" She begged. Jack darted his eyes at Fluttershy and shook his head.

"It's no use. They're one foot in the grave and will die soon anyway. Beside, I only agreed on saving your friends… not saving other animals. I'm sorry." Shrewd Jack, as he begun walking forward again. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash looked at each other sorrowfully before walking alongside him. Along the catwalk, there was a door located on the far right corner of the room. Arriving half way towards the left corner of the catwalk, they turned to their right and head straight for the door. While walking there, one of the cultists managed to snag the helpless fawn by the scruff. It yelled in pain, as the cultist gripped harder. Fluttershy heard the distress call and gasped. She looked at the next scene that was about to take place.

"Oh no…" She whispered in terror. The other cultist walked over towards the table and grabbed a bloody hacksaw. Then he walked over to his partner and placed the sharp jagged teeth next to the fawn's neck. He then spoke in delight.

"Hymn the advent anthem of our lord's liberation! Let him listen to the cries of elation!"

The cultist began working the saw back and forth with his hand. Slicing easily through the skin, the fawn begun to cry out in agony. Faster and more brutally, blood spilt out of the throat. Fluttershy couldn't stand to watch and hear this horror anymore. She turned away and wept hard. She was about to make a desperate move to save the fawn from its demise when Jack interrupted her attempt.

"Just… keep… walking!" He whispered threateningly. Trying her hardest, Fluttershy had to obey his every command and ignore the scene from below. Finally, Jack reached towards the door and took a deep breath. The two frightened ponies were ready to face more horrors behind the door. He turned the doorknob and slowly opened it. As the door opened half way, an invisible wire suddenly snapped. It then set off the sound of a huge sawmill. Jack and the two ponies were immediately alarmed. Then, they suddenly heard a familiar scream calling for help. Jack flung the door open revealing a bottomless pit arena room. There were two separate ramps leading upwards towards the central platform that’s located higher up the room. The platform stood over the bottomless pit with a trapdoor at the end of it. After a brief moment to examine the whole room, he suddenly spotted a victim being strapped down on top of the trapdoor while being in line of the sawmill's pathway. It was a white mare unicorn that had a royal purple curls for a mane, and a cutie mark with three blue navy sparklers.

"RARITY!!" Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash yelled out in horror.

Chapter 5: The Beauty of Death

Chapter 5: The Beauty of Death

“WAHAHA!! HEEEEELP!!” Rarity screamed in fear. As Rarity struggled to break loose, the humongous circular saw started to trail over to the restrained unicorn. It was nearly ten feet away from cutting Rarity into two. Looking at this setup, Jack sighed in annoyance as he saw yet another one of Fluttershy’s friends.

“Uuugh… Christ…” Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash gasped in horror as the event started to unfold.

“Hold on Rarity! I’m coming!” Rainbow Dash yelled out as she dashed up towards the platform. Suddenly, she crashed on some sort of invisible barrier surrounding the bottomless pit area. She recoiled herself and gently rubbed her nose.

“Ow! What the hay?!” She quickly observed the invisible barrier and took a few knocks on the surface. It was strong tempered glass that felt like it was bulletproof. Realizing she’s not getting anywhere, Rainbow Dash decided to dash up to the right ramp to rescue Rarity. Fluttershy went into action as she ran after the speedy pegasus. Jack mindlessly ran to the left ramp while keeping his eyes sight on Rarity. The spinning circular saw was drawing closer by one inch per second. Sparks were flying off to the side as the saw head met the gapping sides. Rarity continued to scream for help while struggling to get free. Jack was half up the ramp… when he suddenly heard another sound coming from his left. He slowed down and darted his eyes at the wall where the sound was coming from. On the wall had a lighter colored version of bricks and the depths on the edges were flat. Raising one eyebrow up, he inspected the wall. On the other side of the room, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash finally met up with Rarity. The huge circular saw was now halfway towards its goal. Rarity looked up at her friends while crying joyfully in a hastily way.

“Ho! Oh thank goodness you're here! P-Please! Help me!” Begged the terrified white unicorn. Rainbow Dash went to work as she bit the taut leather strap on Rarity’s left arm and started pulling it. However, the strap was too tough and too thick to set loose. They were held firmly in place. Fluttershy tried to pull the right strap with her teeth, but proved to be useless. All of a sudden, Rarity darted her eyes at the incoming circular saw and gasped.

“WATCH OUT FLUTTERSHY!!” She alarmed her. But at that moment, the sharp disc tore a big wound on Fluttershy’s left flank. Fluttershy squealed in pain and leaped out of the way. Rainbow Dash released her grip on the strap and gasped from the sight of her wound.

“Oh my gosh! Fluttershy! Are you okay?!” Fluttershy clenched her teeth together to resist the pain. Medium amounts of blood oozed from her wound. The blood covered half of her cutie mark butterflies symbol. She quickly looked at her wound and back to Rainbow Dash.

“Nugh… yes. Don’t worry… about me. We need to set Rarity free right away…” Rainbow Dash nodded and went back to work on the leather strap. Back on the other side of the room, Jack took a long look at the mysterious wall. The way it looked seemed so… unreal. He slowly reached over to it and placed his hand on the surface. And that’s when it hit him; the wall was made out of paper. Immediately, he tore off a huge amount of the false wall. Behind the false wall, he let out a small gasp.

“Oh for fuck sakes…” Jack cursed at himself. He spotted another Rarity strapped down in leather bracers. She started to wither frantically while a cloth was gagging her mouth. Above her was a huge circular saw machine lowering itself down towards Rarity’s stomach. She struggled to get free but she was glued down on sturdy planks. She eyed at Jack with tears of fright streaming down her cheeks.

“MMPFH! MMUMMPHUMMPHHHRRRMPHUHMUMM!!” She screamed while gagging on a wrapped cloth. At that moment, Jack immediately grabbed his army knife from his knee boot. He then begun cutting away the leather strap on Rarity’s left hoof. The sharp disc was one foot away from its target. A few seconds later, Jack managed to cut the leather strap off of Rarity’s left hoof. With her hoof free, Rarity pulled off the gag cloth from her mouth and screamed.

“HURRY!! GET ME OFF OF THIS THING!!” At that moment, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash suddenly paused their work and darted their attention to the left side of the room. They now spotted another Rarity in the same situation. They were surprised to see another dilemma. Then, both pegasus gave puzzle looks down at the Rarity they’re saving at the moment. The white unicorn darted her eyes back and forth at the clone and to her friends.

“I-It’s not what you think! I’m the real Rarity! That one is an imposter! You gotta believe me!” She pleaded. But the other Rarity looked up and spotted her clone.

“Girls! Don’t listen to her! I’m the real Rarity! I’m not the imposter! She is!” Rarity yelled out frantically. Both pegasus looked at each other confusingly. They both eyed at the one that was in front of them, and the one that’s on the other side. They couldn’t decide which one was the real Rarity as time is running out. Rainbow Dash placed her hooves on the sides of her head and started to panic.

“Oh horseapples! Which one is the real one?! Oh man, oh man! What are we gonna do, Fluttershy?!” She panicked. Fluttershy was about to go apes when she suddenly spotted an something unusual on the Rarity they’re saving. She noticed that Rarity’s eyes were barely transparent. She remembered the phony Rainbow Dash having transparent eyes too. And that’s when it hit her. She now knows what was going on. From that moment, Rainbow Dash managed to let loose Rarity’s right leg. She let out a small sigh of relief.

“Alright! One down, three to go!” Dash congratulated herself for a short moment. Rarity smiled gladly as one of her legs was free. Dash then proceeds over to the left hoof. She was about to put her teeth on the strap when a yellow forearm blocked her path. Dash looked up and saw Fluttershy looking disapprovingly at her. Dash was puzzled on her behavior.

Back down, Jack got the third leather strap cut loose. He quickly worked on Rarity’s right hoof. About half way done cutting the strap, the circular saw started to cut the surface on Rarity’s stomach area. Rarity suddenly jolted in pain and started screaming in pain. Jack, noticing the saw was now digging into her, rapidly picked up his pace. Finally, the last leather strap snapped off and he immediately pulled Rarity off the wooden plank. She fell flat on her face with a small grunt escaping her mouth.

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash looked at the freed Rarity and gazed back at the other Rarity who was still strapped down. The white unicorn darted her eyes at her clone and gasped. A sudden jolt seemed to impact Rarity, as her eyes were suddenly wider. Her pupils shrunk into tiny black dots with huge bloodshot scattered on both sclera.

“No… NO! FORGIVE ME MASTER!!” The imposter Rarity exposed herself out. At that moment, the huge circular saw finally reached to her side and begun sawing her. The phony Rarity screamed in agony. But it wasn’t long until her voice changed into a high pitched screeching noise. It was the same screech as before. Her body transformed into the same legless and disturbing monster. It withered in pain as the saw worked halfway through its body. Huge amount of blood and intestine parts sprayed into the air showering both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Both scooted back and avoided getting any more blood on their coats. After a few seconds later, the circular saw made it through the monster’s body and the saw came to a complete stop. Blood dripped off the sharp edges of the disc blade. The monster let out its final gurgling breath before it died. Guts and ripped intestine parts presented itself between the halves of the body.

Suddenly, the trapdoor opened and the monster’s remains went falling down into the dark abyss, where at the very bottom were three trapped undead hounds waiting for their next meal. The rest of the monster’s blood and intestines fell out of the insides, as the hands were still shackled. When the undead hounds spotted their meal being splattered down to the ground, they rushed over and fought. Disturbing moist, gooey sounds and growling echoed inside the darkness hole. As the intense scene was over, Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe the outcome of this whole thing. She had no idea that they were saving a phony Rarity all this time. Curious for answers, Dash looked at Fluttershy surprisingly.

“H-How… how did you know?” Asked the puzzled pegasus. Fluttershy eyed at her and gave a small grin.

“My… my heart told me. It never lied to me before… just like when I almost given up hope that all of you were… well… gone.” Dash replied by displaying her friendly smile. But at the corner of her eye, she spotted Rarity getting back up. Both pegasus noticed her and ran over to meet their friend. Rarity curled herself up while sobbing in fear. She bawled and sobbed from the horrors she went through. With Jack’s work completed for the moment, he walked back up the platform, passing the sprinting ponies. Both Dash and Fluttershy hugged and comfort Rarity. Dash softly stroked her mane gently.

“Shhh… it’s okay. It’s over…” Rarity leaned her head against Dash’s chest and wept.

“Uuuhuhuhuuuu!! *Gaaasp* It was just… simply dreadful… just simply horrifying! E-Even worse… my beautiful white coat is ruined! I-It will take WEEKS to get this stain off! Oh woe is mehehehe…” Cried the complaining unicorn. Dash rolled her eyes and laid her head on top of Rarity’s head. Up on the northern part of the room, Jack found a large wooden desk. He went up to it and opened the upper drawer. Inside was a key fragment that had a diamond shaped ruby on top. Jack narrowed his eyes from looking at the treasure he found.

“The Key of Blood.” He whispered to himself. Jack grabbed the key fragment and placed it inside his large satchel on the side. With the first key fragment now in his possession, he walked back down to join the pony group, cracking his tired fingers. Fluttershy saw Jack coming down, and couldn’t resist making puppy eyes.

“W-Why… why would they do this to Rarity? Why did they set this up?” Fluttershy asked woefully. Jack eyed away for a moment.

“Well… death is like a game to them. They don’t cherish their very existence in anyway. They meant to fool you into saving the imposter and strike you down the least you expect it. Those naïve idiots…”

He then eyed at the newest pony. Staring at Rarity, he couldn’t help but pity her a bit. Rarity looked at Jack confusingly and solemnly. Never seeing a human before, she chose her words carefully and spoke.

“Umm… t-thank you… sir. I-“

“No big deal,” Jack interrupted her impassively. “I’m just too agonized by saving fruity fruit ponies like you. *Sigh*… Well… from the look of this situation… it appears that you have no other choice but to tag along with… us.” Jack couldn’t help but blame himself for saying that. He rather do things all on his own. He even begun to regret saving Fluttershy’s life. But putting that aside, he looked at Rarity’s wound on her chest. It wasn’t too deep but it could serve as a problem.

“And on top of that, I guess you need some medical assistance.” He sighed. Rolling his eyes, he reached into his right pouch pack and pulled out his only roll of woven gauze bandage, a syringe, and two insulin vials containing antibiotics. Rarity saw the medical equipment in his hands and gave a courtesy grin.

“Oh… why thank you! That wasn’t what I had in mind but it will simply do! Just look at my beautiful pure white coat, it's getting bloodstains aaaall over my fur! I mean, I just can’t simply live with myself having such a monstrosity cut on me. And-“ As Rarity continued to blather herself, Jack could only twitch his left eyelid.

You can’t be serious… I have to deal… with this too? *Sigh*… just stay calm. You’ll be out of their hairs soon… He spoke in his consciousness. Ignoring Rarity’s endless gossip, Jack unrolled the bandage and aimed at her wound area. But just before the bandage could meet with the wound, Rarity suddenly gasped in horror.

“WAHAHA!! Oh my stars! Fluttershy! Your flank! It’s bleeding so badly!” Fluttershy blinked and looked at her wound from the rescue attempt. Blood trails went down to her hoof, while her leg shook a bit. She looked at Rarity again and smiled at her.

“It’s alright… I-I’m fine… really… ouch…” She said while ticking in pain. In an instant, Rarity’s mind was changed. She wouldn’t let her other friends suffer for her greedy desires. She looked at Jack with a serious face.

“Please, if you would be so graceful, aid Fluttershy’s wound first!” Jack raised his eyebrow while looking puzzled on this strange turn of events.

“But… this is my only roll. It won’t be enough for the two of you. You even said that-“ Rarity interrupted him with a hoof being presented in front of him.

“I know that, darling. Having beauty and exquisiteness is one thing… but character is another. I can’t accept this when my friends need it more than I do. As being the Element of Generosity, no one will go unfair.” Once again, the new word, ‘Generosity’ shot into his head like a bullet. His face went pale for a brief moment.

“Gener…osity…” He mumbled to himself. The new word seemed to penetrate some of his personality traits by little bit. He never knew or felt what generosity could feel like. Rarity was suspicious of his mumbling message as she went up closer.

“What was that, dear?” She asked. Jack snapped back into reality and gave a concern look to her.

“Are you sure… about this?” He asked courteously in a strange way. Rarity closed her eyes and nodded.

“Absolutely! I made up my mind and I’m sticking to it.” She said proudly. Jack looked at Fluttershy and back to Rarity. He then slowly nodded his head.

“Alright…” He said softly and went to work on Fluttershy. While wrapping bandages around her flank, Jack couldn’t help but think about the three words he heard and experienced. They were buzzing around in his head like bees. But aside from that, he continued to wrap the bandage around Fluttershy’s flank. Soon, Jack finally managed to put enough bandage rolls onto her flank. The roll was almost empty as it had enough for two rolls around Rarity’s chest. He then gave Fluttershy some antibiotics on her flank, knowing that the saw had bloodstains from the previous victim. Once that was done, he went over to Rarity and used the last bit of roll to cover her wound. After that he gave her antibiotics. When he was finished, he sighed in relief.

“There… now try to be more careful of where you tread on. This may be the only time I’ll actually come to your aid. Now then… let’s get out of this quarter and head to the next one.” Jack said and stood back up. He placed his medical supplies back into his pouch.

“Let’s go. And Fluttershy… if you would, tell Rarity about my three rules. I don’t want to keep repeating myself everytime I come across another one of your friends.” He spoke dully, then headed towards the exit. The three ponies followed behind him while they whispered to one another. As Jack approached the door, he placed his hand on the door handle and turned it. He opened the door, only to let a sudden gasp escaping his mouth.

“Ahh shit…” He cursed himself again. The three ponies gazed behind the doorway and looked aghast. The two cultists were standing right in front of the pathway grinning at them sinisterly. Behind the two were the three prisoners standing like puppets. The brown cub’s ears and jaw were missing. The headless fawn had several black tendrils popping out of its throat. And the old man had blood and saliva rushing down his mouth like a fountain. Both the old man and the cub had blackened eyes with black blood running out of their eye sockets. The cultist on the left pointed his finger at Jack.

“He comes! The time is nigh, his blessing curse will soon befall upon you interlopers. Become him… serve your true purpose in life. Your existence that which has no meaning will be replenished by our lord’s salvation! Join him… or suffer for all eternity in a never ending cycle of pure hatred and pain!”

Jack could glare only at his forehead, as he couldn’t look directly into the cultist’s eyes. The three ponies shivered in fear from the sight of their appearances. Jack slowly reached over to his handgun while keeping his eyes at the cultist’s forehead.

“Oh yeah? Well tell your master that I have something to say to him directly. Tell him,” At that moment, he suddenly whipped out his handgun and aimed at the cultist’s head.

“That he’ll be the one that will suffer MY endless cycle of pure hatred and pain when I come!” He yelled angrily before he pulled the trigger. The bullet went through the cultist’s forehead; making his head explode like a firework. Inside the cultist’s head was more black tendrils emerging from the throat. Jack placed his handgun away and pulled out both katanas from his back. He charged at the hostile gang at full speed, swinging his blades horizontal and vertically onto each target. The speed of his flurry attacks were incredibly fast that it almost looked like Jack had no arms. Slice by slice, Jack’s speed and power increased, due to the bloodlust he was developing. Once Jack managed to work his way through the group, he stopped his attacks and stood still in his current position. Rainbow Dash dropped her jaw and watched in awe.

“Whoa…” She gawked. The cultists and the three prisoners soon slid into pieces. Dash chuckled and spoke in a voice bordering on envy.

“Well… that was very impressive. But… I could've done bett-“ Dash was cut off by Jack glaring right back at her.

“What are you three still standing there?! These freaks can’t be killed remember?! MOVE!!” He yelled. Like magic, the sliced pieces of each hostile slowly reconstructed themselves. Knowing that this was their cue to run, all three ponies rushed past the hostiles. In a mere couple of seconds, the cultist’s head soon reformed itself. Once his head was fully regenerated, he twisted his head towards the opposite direction slowly. It made sickening cracks while he kept his eyeless sights on the escaping intruders.

“Life is but an illusion. Only in this darkness… there can be no escaping. He’s coming…”

He said in a voice that sounded like a dark whisper and yet overwhelmed the ponies with its volume. The gang ran as fast as they could, daring to not look back. Sprinting across the catwalk, Jack prepared himself to bash the door down. As he made contact with the door, he bashed his body against it. The door swiftly swung open from his bash attack. Ignoring the recoil damage he took, he continued to sprint. Following behind Jack, the three ponies galloped with no intentions of catching their breaths. Their heart raced, never in their lives they were in an overwhelming dilemma. Fluttershy couldn’t help but look behind her.

There, she noticed that the hostile enemies were hot on their tails.Their running animation looked grotesque and disturbingly unsettling. As they ran, they made wheezing sounds that made the ponies’ blood run cold. The old man suddenly grabbed his own arm and tore it clean off. The inside of the ripped arm revealed a huge black tendril. Fluttershy gasped in shock from the horrific act, making her pick pace up. Soon, Jack made it down the end of the catwalk, grabbed the door handle and immediately twists it. He swiftly opens the door and awaited the three ponies to arrive.

When Rarity and Dash made it through, Fluttershy kicked it into high gear, as she was ten feet behind them. When she was almost to the doorway, she leaped forward. At that moment, the old man threw his arm tendril directly at Fluttershy. The tip of the tendril barely made a cut mark on her right shoulder. When Fluttershy made it through the doorway, Jack immediately slammed the door shut. He held the door with his back leaning against it while panting for breath. All the ponies collapsed on the ground while they were out of breath. Strangely, there was no resistance behind the door. It was dead quiet… too quiet. But Jack knew that it wasn’t important right now, as he was busy trying to catch his breath. For the time being, everyone sighed in relief and rested for a bit before moving on.

“Uuuugh! I can’t take it anymore! I can’t just wait here doing nothing while Rainbow Dash could be in trouble!” Scootaloo exclaimed. The three crusaders were sitting in a circle bored and impatiently. Spike walked up to Scootaloo and sighed.

“I know how you feel, but there’s nothing we can do about it. We don’t even know where they went.” Spike stated the obvious. But just then, a light bulb lit up on top of Apple Bloom’s head. She made a wide grin.

“That’s it! The Cutie Mark Crusaders Rescuers!” She happily announced. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle shot their heads up and smiled.

“Yeah! Why didn’t I think of that?” Sweetie Belle exclaimed in happiness, but to only last for a second. “Only… we don’t know where they are.” But in an instant, Scootaloo bloomed her face.

“I know! I bet they’re trapped inside the Everfree Forest! That’s the only explanation!” The other two fillies instantly smiled in excitement. With no time to waste, Apple Bloom started to trot out the door.

“C’me on, crusaders! Let’s get rescuing!” She called them. Suddenly, her path was blocked off by Spike. His arms were blocking the doorway.

“Whoa whoa whoa! That forest is way too dangerous! You could get hurt or worse!” Spike once again stated the obvious. The three fillies’ spirit of adventure suddenly faded. All three gloomed down on the floor depressed from Spike blocking their path. However; Sweetie Belle’s thirst for adventure returned, as she had an idea. Hiding her grin, she gasped and pointed her hoof behind Spike.

“Look! It’s my sister! She’s back!” Acted Sweetie Belle. At that moment, Spike spun around in excitement to see his love returning.

“Rarity?! Where?!” He anxiously said. Right behind Spike, Sweetie Belle lifted her hoof up and whacked his noggin hard, knocking him out cold. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo felt no remorse from what Sweetie Belle has done. As their hunger for adventure begun, the trio went out the door. The three friends went trotting away out in the cold night towards the Everfree Forest.

Chapter 6: The Room of Horrors

Chapter 6: The Room of Horrors

Venturing deeper into hell's territory, Jack and the three ponies were up and ready to face their next challenge. The ruthless images the ponies witnessed still lingered within their minds, as the images were slowly eating away their sanity. But at least, the ponies managed to rescue Rarity from that dreadful trap. While walking towards their next goal, Jack turned his head towards his party members.

"The gory stuff is over for now. But new horrors will await us even further down. So be prepared for anything because…” At that moment, Jack was cut off short by a nearby sinister growl. “Ugh, just a second." He gagged and whipped out his handgun. He aimed at the direction the noise was coming from. Then, out from the dark fog was another undead hound lunging straight towards Jack, displaying its bloody sharp teeth. But Jack didn’t hesitate, as he pulled the trigger and blasted the beast's head to kingdom come. Jack then strife to the side as the creature fell to where he was standing. Rarity was disgusted and shocked from the sight of the monstrosity. Knowing that this was her first time witnessing a real death made her appalled. After that quick draw, Jack put his handgun back into his holster and sighed.

"Anyways, be prepared for anything because the next quarter we're going into will be the greatest challenge you'll ever face in your lives." Jack spoke in a formal manner. Rainbow Dash inquisitively replied back from the way he said it.

"Oh yeah? Which quarter we going to?" Jack turned his head and faced Dash.

"It’s The Illusion Quarter that we’re entering next. Question its name… but its capabilities are not to be underestimated. The Illusion Quarter is used for ruthless interrogations and torturing methods. In the quarter, there are three separate districts. First, I believe we're going to The Room of Horrors, then The Room of Desires, and then The Room of Rage. I'll explain the rest of it once we head inside."

Jack turned his head straightforward again and kept walking in silence. The three ponies looked at each other and shared shrugs. After two minutes of walking silently within the sinister halls, they finally reached a steel door. However, the door had a symbol of an eye scrawled on it with red and black blood. The lines were red, while the sclera was filled with the color black. And on the center of the eye was a red dot. Astounded, Jack took a closer look at the symbol. Something about the symbol rang a bell to him. And just as he finally recalled his memories about that symbol, his eyebrows shot up in a terrified display. Fluttershy tilted her head as she stared at the symbol.

"What is that?" She asked. Jack couldn't reply, as he just kept staring at the center of the eye. Its circle red dot in the center gave Jack a bit of a terror. His pupils reeled in horror as this symbol meant something very important to him. Faint images of that symbol began swarming inside his mind. At that moment, Jack placed his hand on his abdominal, cringing in pain. He could feel a burning and painful sensation on his stomach. This gave off a bit of curiosity to the ponies. Fluttershy, who didn’t get an answer from Jack, eyed away from the symbol and shot a puzzled look at him.

"Jack?" She asked. Fluttershy’s voice managed to break his abstracted state, as Jack once again snapped back into reality, panting a little. Closing his eyes, he shook his head to get the image out of his mind.

"Nugh… it's nothing... really. Just… bad memories… that's all." His tone struggled. Taking one deep inhale, he exhaled and opened his eyes.

"Alright, let's get this done." He spoke firmly. Just as soon as Jack placed his hand on the handle, the same dark and spine chilling whisper echoed across the hall once more.

"Chaos and casualty both bereft… with order without chaos there is no order left."

"He waits for this… he who waits behind the wall… waits for the call… to set him free."

"He will destroy it all… all will be laid to rest… at his hands… he will make it all his… if you let him… you will let him… he will sing the song… the song to end the earth."

"He is the one without eyes… he is the one without shape… he will be the one who lies… he will be the one who will rape… through this shattered world… through my blackened eyes… through this curled fate… through this world's revise."

After that last word, the dark whisper suddenly vanished once again. Rarity was caught off guard from the whisper. She was trembling like she's seen a ghost.

"Ho… ho my! What… what was that dreadful sound?!" She shuttered. Rainbow Dash snarled at the dark voice.

"That Zalgo is the biggest jerk I've ever met… er heard… I mean… DUGH! He's gonna pay for hurting my friends!" She said in a voice bordering on anger. Jack scornfully looked at Rainbow Dash's threat.

"Just let me take care of him. You have enough to worry about. Now let's roll." Jack turned the handle and opened the door. Inside the room was pitch black, but the only thing they can clearly see was a lit up path heading straight towards the room. Their eyes trailed along the path and spotted the path turning a sharp corner to the right. There was also thicker fog swimming on the ground. Jack and the ponies cautiously stepped inside the room. As they all were inside, the door automatically shut itself. Afraid of pitch-black rooms, Fluttershy began to shiver while small whines of fear escaped her mouth. Rarity placed her forearm over Fluttershy's body, and hugged her tightly.

"It's all right… I'm here for you, darling. Now… what is this fog doing in here? It's simply not good for my moisturized face." Rarity spoke while hiding her frightening tone. Jack placed his hand on his handgun; just in case something happens.

"This fog senses the weakness and strengths in the hearts of anyone caught in it,” Jack replied. “And manifests the illusions depending in which room we're trending on. Whether it's dreams, reality, deceased or fantasies, they will appear. Everything will feel so real; you will never know your sanity is slowly slipping away. So… the ONLY thing you need to learn… is to never trust the obvious. No matter how horrific or good it looks or sounds… never… trust the obvious." Jack suddenly paused himself as a single joyful laughter echoed inside the room.

All the ponies froze while they darted their eyes at everything. The laughter sounded familiar… like it was having a good time. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash felt a little tingly inside her noggin from listening to that joyful giggle.

Wait… that laughter… c-could it be? She pondered to herself. Just then, the laughter ceased and silence filled the room. Jack was ready to pull the gun from his holster at anytime. Slowly trailing his eyes around, Jack's conscious was dead silent. The ponies huddled up, their backs turned against each other. Already the room was filling their bodies with terror. But just then…

"HI!" A head of a smiling pink pony with a puffy pink mane emerged from the pitch darkness. Jack jumped in shock, as he pulled out his handgun and aimed at the pony. He was about to pull the trigger when he noticed that the pony didn't look too threatening. Dash suddenly gasped surprisingly at the pony.

"P-Pinkie? PINKIE PIE!!" Dash yelled out in happiness. The pink pony eyed at Dash and giggled.

"Hiya! Did ya miss me? Did ya? Huh? Huh? Huh?!" Spoke the energetic party pony. Jack lowered his gun down and sighed in relief. Both Fluttershy and Rarity also sighed in relief as they returned smiles at their friend.

"You’re okay! You gave us quite a shock there, darling! How are you doing?" Rarity asked. Pinkie pie smiled even more at Rarity.

"Oh I'm just fine! I was soooo lonely here! But now, you guys came! I even played games by myself and they were super duperly fun! Though being in this dark made my eyes really super duperly sore! But that’s okay, cause now you all are here!" Dash was on the verge of tears, as she was very happy. Her wings went up in excitement to see her friend alive and well.

"Oh Pinkie Pie… you… you are so… so random!" Dash emotionally said. Dash suddenly flew straight over to Pinkie Pie for a hug. But all of a sudden, Jack ticked and block the two ponies with his hand.

"Rainbow Dash, wait!" He halted her. Dash suddenly heaved to a complete stop. Looking disappointed and confused, she grunted.

"Hey! What gives dude? This is my friend! Chillax!" Jack raised his eyebrow up and eyed at the party pony. He noticed that a barely visible purple thread was connected to Pinkie and Dash. Giving a few seconds to look at this hyperactive pony, he looked back at Dash.

"Then… then why are you afraid of her the most?" He asked suspiciously. The question suddenly became the topic. Dash tilted her head towards the side; looking even more puzzled than before.

"What are you talking about? Pinkie Pie doesn't…" Just then, she suddenly paused for a brief moment. She thought up of what Jack said to her a while back. After quickly recalling her memories, her eyes were slowly widening.

"W-Wait… what… what room did you say… we were in?" She said in a voice bordering on hysteria. Jack eyed at Pinkie for a brief second, and then back to Dash.

"The Room of Horror…" He slowly responded.

"T-Then… then that means…" At this point, Rainbow Dash was now in full panic mode. She slowly backed away with her eyes widen, as her face contorted in fear. Fluttershy saw the horrified pegasus backing up slowly.

"Rainbow Dash? What's wrong?" She asked. Just then, the pink pony giggled innocently. Everyone looked back at the mystifying party pony.

"Yeah! Why so serious? Aren't you happy to see me? Cause I am!" She spoke in excitement. Suddenly, Pinkie presented a blood stained butcher axe from the pitch-blackness and swung it down. The force of the swing planted the blade on the ground. Small loose pebbles erupted from the cracks. Rainbow Dash saw the planted butcher axe and gasped in horror.

"Oh no…" She gulped. Pinkie Pie giggled some more at Dash; leaving her in aghast.

"Oh yes!" She replied back. Pinkie's full body emerged from the shadows revealing what seems to be a custom made dress. She was wearing a dress quilted from dried skin, emblazoned with different cutie marks, six pegasus wings with each set of different colors, and severed unicorn horns as a necklace. Dash's nightmares came true, as she gasped deeply in horror.

"NOOOOO!!" She screamed. Everyone but Dash was confused from Pinkie's appearance act. But they were more confused by the dress she’s wearing. Rarity gazed at Pinkie's revolting dress and tried to make a complement.

"W-Well… Pinkie dear, l-lovely dress you have. I didn't know you were into making dresses. Though I must say, it does need a little bit of-" Rarity continued, but was interrupted by Dash's scream once again.

"S-STAY AWAY FROM HER YOU GUYS!! That's NOT the real Pinkie! In my nightmare, she's a murderer! S-She… she drugged me and… and made cupcakes out of my insides! H-Her dress… is made out of real pony materials! Please! You gotta believe me!" Dash warned everyone while in a panicking state. Rarity and Fluttershy gasped in awe from Dash's description. Fluttershy slowly turned her attention to Pinkie Pie's innocent smile.

"I-Is… is this true?" She asked cautiously. Pinkie rolled her eyes and grunted.

"Always have to spoil the surprise, don't ya Dashie? Oh well! I guess I can forgive you this time!" She giggled. Not even seeing this event coming, Jack looked at her dress. He was quite disturbed from Dash's description.

Huh… and to think they all were… childish like creatures. I'd be curious to find out what other maturity these ponies developed. Jack said in his consciousness. Pinkie began jumping up and down excitedly.

"You know, those cultists over at the next wing REALLY know how to party! I even learned from them and let me tell you… they had extremely fun ideas! Hehehe! All the things I did to you Dashie, it's gonna be THREE times as fun and delicious! And you know what the best part is? You’ll get to stay awake for the whole thing… FOREVER!! Ooooh this is gonna be soooo much fun!" Pinkie giggled along with a little maniacal tone inside. Dash's heart was pounding so fast, she could pass out at any minute from the fear she's absorbing.

"Uuuhh… uuuuh!!" She was lost for words as the adrenaline of fear overflowed her mind. Many thoughts raced through her mind, as she started to relive the events of that dreadful nightmare. All the pain and horrors she went through in the past started to assault her mind. She felt the pain of her skin being cut away and being peeled off. She also felt the pain of her bones and muscles being saw through by a hacksaw. Even the stinging sensation of burning hot nails being punctured into her skin and bone. And she finally remembered Pinkie telling gory puns, while Dash was dealing with blood loss, as she was forced to listen to the sounds of her own organs being harvest. All of the expenses she felt and heard came crashing down inside her mind all at once. Her mind was scrambled and lost, while her mental process was constantly being smacked around. She broke into tears while she whimpered.

"Y-Y-You… you're not… real! This… this is just all in my head… yeah…" Dash attempted herself to calm down. She kept telling herself that this nightmare was nothing more than an illusion, so that the fake Pinkie would just disappear. But that proved to be useless when Pinkie Pie giggled at Dash's attempt to overpower her own judgment.

"Oh really? Then… think fast!" Alarmed Pinkie, as she threw an unexpected scalpel with such great velocity. The tip of the scalpel wisped past Rainbow Dash's right cheek and penetrated the brick wall behind her. Dash jumped from the sudden movement. She placed her hoof on her right cheek and felt a scratch. She then looked at her hoof to see fresh blood. At that moment, Dash was back into full panic mode.

"No… no, no no no! Pinkie, please don't hurt me! I-I didn't do anything to you! Please!" She burst out crying. But Pinkie only displayed a friendly smile, while her wickedness from the inside drived Dash’s fear.

"Aww, don't feel sad… we won't be alone this time. Look, I even brought along friends that would help out too!" She said, looking at the right side of her. Suddenly, Fluttershy and Rarity's head felt a little tingly. A deep growling noise erupted from the darkness. Emerging from the shadows was the same lindworm from before. It set its eyes down onto Fluttershy once again. Fluttershy choked her gasp, as her worst fear had returned. Pinkie Pie looked to the left side of her and giggled. There were sounds of heavy chains being dragged on the ground. Dark and heavy grunts echoed in the room. Rarity gulped down, as she knew what those sounds were.

Then, out came a huge, headless, and muscle bloated ogre. It had severe whip marks all over its chest, along with rusty chains that were wrapped around its waist. And the ogre wore a thick string around its neck that had a small purple music box on it. The music box had several bloodstains on top of it, while it had a diamond shaped symbol on the front. But the horror didn't stop there, as the ogre was holding something on its left hand. It held an unconscious white unicorn filly, with a purple and pink mixed mane and tail. Rarity gasped in absolute horror as she recalled the filly unicorn's name.

"SWEETIE BEEEEELLE!! AAAAAAAH!!" Rarity screamed at the top of her lungs. Sweetie Belle's mane was severely messed up. Around her neck was coated in her own blood, like it’s been recently scalped. She also has a broken horn, two dislocated legs, and a stitched mark that was located next to her heart area. Rarity began shedding tears from looking at this monstrosity. Her heart banged like a mad drum. Her breathing became difficult and heavy, while her muscles were tensing up. At that point, Rarity couldn't take it anymore. She summoned the last of her sanity and stomped her hoof in anger.

"Y-You! You put my Sweetie Belle down this instant! NOW!!" She thundered. But the ogre didn't respond. All it did was stood there, holding onto Sweetie Belle’s mane. But suddenly, the ogre reached for the music box and pressed the yellow button on the side. The box suddenly opened, as it revealed a clean mirror beneath the lid. The mirror shown Rarity’s horrified face. There was also a filly-sized heart beating slowly within the box. Then, the box started to tune a creepy yet soft rhythm. And then, Sweetie Belle's lifeless head started to rock from side to side slowly by the tune’s rhythm. There, she started to sing softly in a creepy tone.

"III'm… sooo… sweeeeet…"
"Yet yooou… juuust… shoooove… meee."
"III'm… tooo… cuuuuute…"
"Why wooon't… yooou… looove… meee?"

"Huuug… meee… nooow..."
"We wooon't… saaay… gooood… byeee."
"Looove… meee… nooow..."

At that moment, Sweetie Belle's head rose up slowly. When her face was in front view, her face revealed worm filled bloody secretions coming out of her hallowed eye sockets, nose, and her mouth. She also displays a wicked smile at her older sister. Rarity gasped in horror as her beloved sister is nothing more than an abomination.

"Untiiilll… weee… boooth… diiie."

The music box stopped playing and the heart stopped beating. Then the music box lid slowly sunk back down. Jack and the ponies were left speechless. All but Pinkie Pie was giving a hoof of applause.

"Woohoo! That was super duper fabulous, Sweetie Belle! That song almost made me burst into tears! I guess you REALLY love your sister that much! Awwww!” After she was done praising Sweetie Belle, she went back to her casual self.

“Anyway, we also have a VERY special guest joining our party this evening!" Pinkie looked behind her and pointed her hoof straight up at the top right corner of the room. A head light suddenly flashed on revealing a metal platform. And on that metal platform was a strapped down and an unconscious orange mare. She had light orange mane, three red apples for a cutie mark, and a brown cowpony hat. She was presented on a rack formed from a series of wooden planks. Everyone but Jack gasped.

"APPLEJACK!!" All three ponies yelled in unison. At that moment, Applejack regained consciousness. She moaned dully and managed to give a modicum of weak acknowledgement from her friend's call. Her eyes barely opened at that point.

"Whuh… Whut in… tarnation? Where… am I?" She mumbled. Her vision came to full clear after a few seconds. She tried to shake her body but found that a taut of leather straps held it firmly in place. Applejack darted her eyes everywhere while she starting to panic.

"What the hay is goin' on?!" At the corner of her eye, she spotted the gang. Her eyebrows shot up with a big smile of relief.

"GALS!!" She screamed in content. Fluttershy made a gratifying smile back at the cowpony. Her heart was a little relieved from all the tensions being built inside her.

"Don't worry, Applejack! We'll get you down!" She hollered back. The two ponies could only smile at each other in a heartwarming reunion. But that soon came to a complete stop when there were suddenly tiny footsteps walking towards Applejack on the platform. Applejack's attention was brought right in front of her. Looking down, there’s a dark filly figure staring right back at her. Another head light flickered on top of the shaded figure, making Applejack gasp in shock.

"A-Apple…Bloom?!" She stuttered. The young cowpony with a pink bow on top glared deep into her sister's eyes. She then shot a death stare at her with cold and murderous eyes.

"There you are! I've been worried sick about you!" She protested. Applejack sighed in relief to see some good signs.

"Listen, sweetie. Ya'll gotta get me down from here… ple-"

"Shut yer yap!" She rudely interrupted, as she slapped her sister across the cheek. Applejack flinched from the recoil.

"Whuh… now you listen here! That's no way to treat yer big sis-"

"I SAID SHUT YER STUPID YAP OR ELSE!!” She yelled, while she slapped her sister again. “I'm the big sister now! I've had it being the lil' one! How come you gals can go off without permission? How come you gals get to stay up all night?! It's not fair!" Applejack was struck down by her sister's threat. Apple Bloom walked away from Applejack for a moment, as she narrowed her eyes a bit while looking deviously.

"Well no more… I'm takin' the big sister title now! As for my celebration on bein' the big sister, I think I'll eat some apple pie." Suddenly, a sharp kitchen knife was presented right in front of Apple Bloom. She grinned sinisterly.

"If ya'll catch mah drift." She added. Apple Bloom slowly trotted her way over to her defenseless sister. Applejack's breathing began to intensify from the sight of her sister's unusual behavior.

"W-Whuh?! What are ya doin with that?!" She asked in fear. Apple Bloom ignored her question and lifted the knife right next to Applejack's chest. Looking at her sister again, she gave a more sinister look.

"I wonder if you taste like apples." She chortled. With one swift move, Apple Bloom stabbed her chest, cutting a long vertical line down Applejack’s stomach area. Applejack screamed in pain from the blade's intense sensation, as she writhed in agony. Huge amounts of blood began leaking out of the wound. The three ponies gasped in shock from what they're witnessing. Sparing no time, Apple Bloom proceeds herself by dropping the knife and tore the skin open with her two bare hooves. The vertical line cut grew longer from the immense force. Intestines and guts plopped out from Appejack's stomach area with a miniature blood waterfall pouring out of the gap.

At that moment, Apple Bloom licked her lips and dunked her whole face inside the wound. The moist and gooey sounds of organs being moved in places made the three ponies puke in disgust. Fluttershy reeled in horror as the events unfolded.

"APPLEJACK! NOOOO!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. However, Pinkie Pie uttered in admiration from the performance.

"Ooooh! Apple bobbing! My favorite game! GO FOR THE BLADDER! IT'S THE EASIEST ONE!" She cheered for her. Apple Bloom heard her voice and went for the bladder. Applejack's scream in pain went weaker from the source of blood loss and organ disturbances. She even began to cough up blood from her mouth. Tears were rushing down fast from Apple Bloom's chaotic behavior.

"W-Wh…why…?" She sobbed in a weak tone. At that point, Apple Bloom finally bit the bladder and reeled her head out of Applejack’s stomach. The attachments of her bladder snapped with urine spraying everywhere. Applejack yelped in pain from the feeling of an organ removed. Apple Bloom's face was fully drenched in her sister's blood. The three ponies gasped in horror while Pinkie Pie clapped her hooves together in a happy manner.

"Woohoo! You got it! Way to go! Now go for both kidneys! They're a bit tricky!" She giggled. Apple Bloom held Applejack's bladder and gobbled it down in one sitting. She uttered in delight from the taste.

"I was right you do taste like apples! Though it's a little sour… I guess that flavor came from your bad side!" She said and dived her face back into her sister’s stomach like a rabid carnivore. Applejack held her head up high while mumbling in sorrow.

"Appa… Appah… Apple… Bloo…" She weakly responded back. Her eyes rolled up automatically; her visions were starting to fuzz up. Dash couldn't bear to watch anymore, as she was forced to look away. Her tears went rushing down like crazy from seeing her friend dying by her own sibling.

"APPLE BLOOM! PLEASE! STOP!!" Dash begged. But the torture continued. Rarity's jaw dropped immensely from the horror she's witnessing. Fluttershy turned her head away while hiding her tears from the scene. At that point, this scene could go on forever until Jack grunted in annoyance.

"Alright, that's enough." He muttered. He aimed his handgun at Applejack's head and pulled the trigger. The bullet went past through Applejack's head at such blinding speed. But strangely, the bullet didn't affect her head, as it just went right pass through it like a ghost. The shockwave of the bullet made ripples on the image of Applejack, Apple Bloom, the board, the lights and the platform. Then, like a mirage, the scene faded from existence. All the three ponies stopped their series of tears and gasped. They couldn't believe their eyes. All this time it was just another illusionist prank. Jack lowered his handgun down as his eyes narrowed.

"That shit was getting on my nerves." He spoke dully. Ruining the excitement and fun, Pinkie Pie shot a death stare at Jack.

"Awww!! You party-pooper! Why'd you go do something like that?! That wasn't very nice at all!" She grunted. Jack placed his gun in his holster and started walking towards the door.

"Let's go guys, we wasted enough time in here." Jack said. At that point, the three ponies looked into each other’s teary eyes and began to follow Jack without question. They knew they've seen enough horror for one lifetime, so they didn’t bother to ask any questions. However, the lindworm suddenly blocked the doorway. It was growling impatiently and hungrily. Jack and the others immediately stopped. Seeing that they couldn't go just yet, Jack glared at Pinkie Pie who was still smiling in excitement.

"Tell your damn pet to move or I'll make it move!" He threatened her. But Pinkie Pie giggled and pulled the butcher axe from the ground.

"He doesn't want you to leave. And besides, you're not going anywhere, I'm afraid. It was raffle night and apparently all four of your numbers came up. Even yours, Dashie! Your number is waaay overdue!" Pinkie giggled while twirling the butcher axe around. Her eyes were set on to Rainbow Dash.

"So without a further adieu, let's get bakin!!" Pinkie happily announced. She stopped twirling the butcher axe and place the handle in her mouth. Immediately, she lunged straight for Rainbow Dash with no warning. Dash gasped and leaped to the side, avoiding Pinkie's horizontal slice. But with a quick recovery, Pinkie spun around and tore a long but not deep cut on Dash's ribs. Dash grunted in pain from the counter attack. She then leapt high into the air. Using her wings, she flew in midair. Her height was far enough to avoid anymore of Pinkie's attacks. At that moment, Jack and Fluttershy's attentions were drawn back by the lindworm's roar. Fluttershy was instantly paralyzed by fear from the terrifying sound while Jack stood there in defiant. Rarity looked behind her and noticed the ogre twirling Sweetie Belle around by the hair like a flail.

The ogre then swung Sweetie Belle horizontally and whacked Rarity by the neck. The damage made her slide backwards. She didn't even have enough time to dodge the attack since she was up against her own sister. Even worse, her sister was being used as a weapon. She stared at Sweetie Belle, as she knew how much neglect and abuse she had to put up with Rarity all these years. Part of her mind said that she deserved to be punished. While the other part told her to run and live to see the real Sweetie Belle. Unable to make a decision, she was trapped within her own tug of war.

As the encounter between the two sisters commenced, the lindworm made a swift move and lunged its head towards Fluttershy and Jack. Jack reached behind his utility belt, and pulled out what seems to be a collapsible steel tube. He twirled the tube around and both ends expanded. It came out as a collapsible bo-staff. Jack leaped up towards the lindworm and swung his bo-staff horizontally. Its head was smacked away for a brief moment, allowing Jack to make his next move. With great momentum, Jack performed a twirling hook kick to the jaw. He landed on the ground and spun around, performing another horizontal swing to the body. The force knocked the lindworm's body back an inch. At this point, the lindworm became enraged and made a quick attack. The beast opened its mouth and prepared to sink its sharp teeth into Jack. But Jack leaped backwards avoiding the jaws of death. Jack then leaped back again and delivered a crushing double axe handle blow to the head.

Fluttershy could only stand there and watch Jack fight death head on. She wondered if this was what her friends told her about. Fighting her fears and protecting the ones she loved. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Back at Pinkie Pie, she was leaping as high as she could to reach Rainbow Dash. Each failed attempt made her grunt in annoyance. Rainbow Dash stayed airborne while staying calm, as she felt safe from up here. After a few more failed attempts, Pinkie stopped bouncing and made a sudden smile.

"Oh yeah! I totally forgot I could do this!" She said. Suddenly, Pinkie leaped once more into the air producing a boing sound. This time, her height was twice as high. She pounced at Rainbow Dash and they both fell to the ground. Dash landed on her back with Pinkie Pie applying more force. This knocked the wind out of Dash. Forgetting everything about staying calm, she was back into full panic mode. Both eyes met like the opposite magnetic polarity. One was drawn back while the other was pushing closer. Pinkie giggled in joy.

"Gotcha! Now why don't we start making Aunt Pinkie's famous cupcake recipe? And I got all the ingredients right here!" The party pony smiled. Pinkie felt like she’s now dominated Dash. However, Dash was not completely lost inside her head as she made a desperate move. She suddenly spit a bolt of saliva upwards to Pinkie's left eye. Pinkie flinched in pain for a brief moment. Given a slight opportunity, Dash kicked her back hooves upward, pushing Pinkie off of her body. Dash immediately got back up and galloped towards the doorway. Rarity was starting to dodge the ogre's attacks. The more swings it threw at her, the angrier it made her. At the next swing, Rarity summoned enough strength to make her counter attack. Lifting both back hooves up while facing the other way, Rarity prepared to launch her buck kick.

"Forgive me, Sweetie Belle!" She yelled and kicked Sweetie Belle's head hard with a sickening crunch. At that moment, Sweetie Belle's hair slipped out of the ogres grasp. Her body pivoted the ground while she was rolling sideways across the room. Avoiding any regretful remarks, she looked away with a single tear in her eye and ran straight towards the doorway. Jack's bo-staff and the lindworm's teeth were collided in a struggle. Both struggled hard to determine who would win this miniature match. Jack's muscles began to sore from the pressure he's receiving. He eyed at Fluttershy who was still staring at both of them.

"Nugh! Get inside the doorway! NOW!!" He ordered. Fluttershy slowly nodded and sprinted past both of them with Rarity following behind her. Once they arrived at the door, Fluttershy turned the handle with both hooves and swung the door open. Rainbow Dash flew under the struggle between the two forces and went out of the room. With all three ponies in the other room, Fluttershy anxiously waited for Jack to come inside.

"Jack! Hurry!" Fluttershy cried out. Jack grunted with pressure while darted his eyes at the three safe ponies.

"Nugh! What's it… look like I'm… nugh… doing?!" He turned his head to the lindworm and let out a battle cry. He pushed the lindworm back and broke the struggle. He sprinted towards the door and dived forward. Pinkie Pie made one last attempt by throwing the butcher axe at Jack. The axe barely missed Jack's head as it wisped pass across the hallway. Once Jack was through the doorway, Fluttershy closed the door and held it shut with her back. The butcher axe suddenly dissipated into thin air when the door was shut. Taking this moment of opportunity, the group rested for a bit while silence reigned once again.

(Author's note: Sweetie Belle's Song is dedicated to Samara's song from The Ring.)

Chapter 7: The Room of Desires

Chapter 7: The Room of Desires

“Gugh... that… was too much for me.” Rainbow Dash heaved. The group had a few minutes of resting until they were back up to full strength. Rarity was still grieving on her misfortunate event with her younger sister. She feared that if she continued her neglectful ways, she would lose Sweetie Belle. She felt the need to escape this hellish catacomb and comfort her sister right away. But her heart told her to wait as her other friends was still in grave danger. Fluttershy was pressed down by the encounter with the lindworm. She couldn’t help but blame herself for not helping out. She’s encountered a fearful manticore, the horrific nightless steed, and a ferocious red dragon while staying confident to herself. Hiding her shame, she eyed at Jack who was reloading ammo on his handgun.

“Umm… I-I’m sorry… for n-not helping you back ther-“

“I know, it’s fine.” Jack interrupted her. “You weren’t fully prepared to face your greatest fear in your conditioned state. But just remember… if I’m gone… then you’re all on your own… well… relatively speaking.” Rainbow Dash was still getting over her fear with her encounter with Pinkamina Diane Pie. Dash looked at her wound to see how bad it was. But strangely, the wound was gone and nowhere to be found. Puzzled, Dash looked at Jack.

“Hey Jack… how come my injuries are gone?” Dash asked. “I’ve could've sworn Pinkie Pie cut me right here.” Jack shook his head in disbelief.

“Isn’t it obvious? You hallucinated that wound. In these rooms, they only affect you mentally… not physically. If you think of pain, you feel pain. If you think of being killed, you die. That’s the power of illusions. It’s as simple as that. Now… about this… pink friend of yours...” His eyebrows lowered while looking stern.

“How exactly did you manage to think of her doing those things to you?” He asked. Rarity and Fluttershy was suddenly brought interest to his question.

“Yeah. Why would you think Pinkie Pie would do such things?” Fluttershy added. With all eyes set on Rainbow Dash, she came clean and sighed solemnly.

“Well… I-It’s… too random. I never think of Pinkie Pie as a murderer, honest! But… it felt so real… it was just… just…” Dash choked back, beginning to produce tears. She covered her eyes with her hooves and silently wept.

“I-I’m sorry… It’s too much for me to handle. I just can’t…” She said while holding back her tears. Her thoughts couldn’t help but bring back memories of her demise. Bouncing in her head like wild chimpanzees, the blue pegasus felt broken from the inside. Feeling the urge to comfort her, Rarity and Fluttershy went up to Dash and hugged her. The warmth of friendship calmed Dash down a bit.

“It’s alright darling,” Rarity comforted Dash. “A nightmare is just a nightmare. You know Pinkie isn’t like that at all. Besides, she wouldn’t do that to anyone of us… even you. She’s your best friend… and will always be.” Dash was slowly regaining herself piece by piece. With all the friendship being given out, Jack stood there and watched pointlessly to what seems to be a different society for him. He couldn’t understand why they forgive each other and comfort one another. It is as if he’s in some sort of a topsy turvy world he’s in. Before his mind could research any further, the group suddenly heard sounds of clopping steps echoing across the hallway. Everyone swerved their heads to the endless hallway in front of them. A black blob figure was moving towards them. It was hard for them to see with the fog in the way. Jack whipped out his handgun and pulled the hammer.

“Get behind me.” He mumbled to the ponies. They all got back up and went behind Jack. When the figure got closer, the obscure blob started to take shape of a pony with a big hat. Once the figure got close enough, the colors were shown. An orange pony with a light orange mane and a brown cowboy hat appeared from the fog. Immediately, the ponies smiled widely.

“Applejack!” All three ponies cried out in unison. However, Applejack looked different than before. Despite her worn out looks, her eyes were pale green. She was tilting from side to side as if she was intoxicated. Applejack lifted her hat up and greeted her friends.

“Hoooowdy yaaalll! Glaaaad tooo seeee yooou!!” She spoke slowly. The three ponies were suddenly confused by her strange behavior. Rainbow Dash slowly trotted up to AJ cautiously.

“Uuuuh… AJ? You feeling okay there, pal? What’s wrong with your eyes? They’re all green.” Applejack laughed with her voice tone pitching up and down.

“Whyyy noooothin’s wrooong maaate! Uh… I-I mean… paaartneeer!” Her wrong accent tone suddenly slipped out on accident. From that moment, Dash realized that it wasn’t her, for this was the Illusion Quarters. She slowly backed away looking disappointed.

“It’s not her. She’s just another illusion.” Dash announced it to Rarity and Fluttershy. Both ponies suddenly got the picture and nodded. Applejack tilted her head while laughing joyously.

“Whaaaat yeee taaaalkin’ aaabout swaaabie? Err… I mean… paaartneeer? Ooof coooarse I’m Eeeeeppaljeeeeck yaaah bloooody haaalf-wiiiit! Er… striiingbeeean!” From all these obvious flaws being thrown out, the three ponies didn’t buy any of it. Fluttershy sighed and turned her head away.

“Jack… j-just make her go away.” She ghastly spoke silently. Fluttershy suddenly blamed herself for saying such thing to Applejack. Then again, it wasn’t her. Jack looked into the eyes of the cowpony. Rolling his eyes and sighing obnoxiously, he aimed his gun at Applejack and pulled the trigger. But, the bullet didn’t go towards her head. Instead, it was shot through the top of the hat. Suddenly, a loud screeching scream was heard. An invisible figure flung off of Applejack’s back as the screeching scream died off, before turning visible. Lying on the ground was a black and skinny tarantula monster that had eight hairy spider legs, two huge bat wings, glowing green eyes, and a tail of a scorpion. To the ponies’ surprise, they saw the monster lying dead on the ground; face drenched in a green puddle of blood. Applejack’s body laid on the ground like a lifeless puppet. Jack placed his handgun back into his holster and started cracking his tired neck.

“As I said before… never trust the obvious. That’s the only predicament you have to face with.” He said. From this turn of events, the ponies suddenly revisited their curiosity and ran over to Applejack. All three were silent as they awaited any responses from Applejack. And from that moment, a miracle bloomed. They suddenly saw Applejack’s closed eyes squinting. She moaned silently while struggling to lift her eyelids. A few seconds later, her eyelids slowly rose up. They noticed right away that her eyes were back to normal. Every pony happily heaved their breaths in. Applejack heard the sound of her friends and slowly trailed her eyes up towards the ceiling.

“Whuh… what the hay…? Where am I…?” She slowly responded. Gathering back her lost strength, she pulled herself up with her head circling around.

“Nuuuh… Gals?” Meeting eye to eye with her friends, her face lit up in happiness.

“Gals!!” She cheerfully cried out. Everyone then made a tight group hug. Tears of joy and giggles of elation were made. Their fears suddenly dropped immensely as they all were relieved to find Applejack safe and sound. Applejack broke the group hug and beamed at every pony.

“I’m glad to see ya’ll again! Where in Equestria are we?” She asked. But just before they could respond, Jack stepped in.

“You’re in hell’s domain now. You were also possessed by a demonic creature.” He spoke. Applejack eyed at Jack and gave him a confusing look.

“Who are ya?”

“Jack Armstrong. And from the looks of it, you’re sticking with us… unfortunately. You’re other two friends are in grave danger in this catacomb. Either dead or alive, it won’t matter to me.” Applejack suddenly gasped as she remembered the ambush from earlier. She noticed that Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle were missing.

“Aww hay! They’re in danger?! We got to save em’!” Applejack frantic herself. Fluttershy placed her hooves on AJ’s shoulders while looking calm.

“It’s all right. We’re working on it… but… we have to follow his orders. I promise we’ll get them back soon… somehow.” She comforted her. From all this friendship emotions going on, Jack grunted and began walking down the hall. Just like a boy, he couldn’t handle the least bit of sentiment.

“Yeah, yeah. Just keep up will you?” Uttered Jack with a sigh at the end. Looking at him disapprovingly, the four ponies got back up and followed him. AJ started to ponder about this mysterious human. Curious for answers, she leaned her head over to Rainbow Dash.

“What the hay is his problem?” She asked. Rainbow Dash returned with a shrug.

“Beats me… but at least he knows what he’s doing.” Replied Dash. Applejack looked at Jack and gave a concern look at his back.

“He does… huh?” Mumbled Applejack. Down they go, into what seems to be an endless foggy hallway. But they soon found another doorway at the end of the hall. Bracing themselves, the ponies gulped down in fright. When they reached towards the door, Jack faced the ponies.

“The Room of Desires is beyond this door. Any desires or fantasies you dream will automatically present itself in your own image.” Applejack produced a grin from hearing this.

“That sounds mighty wonderful! I wonder if I will see-”

“No, do not be deceived by what you see… for this room has a mind of its own.” Jack interrupted. “To avoid any encounters in there, just keep your eyes down to my feet at all times. That way, the imagery won’t appear unless you look blankly into the foggy abyss. Ignore any noises you hear and we will get pass this room easily. Even though we should have done this in the previous room earlier, you can blame me for that. So keep quiet and ignore the surroundings. Let’s go.” He turned the handle and opened the door.

As they proceed into the room, every pony did as he told them to do and eyed at his walking feet. In the room, it was the same setup as the previous room, except this room was a bit brighter. Cyan light illuminated the whole room and the fogs were now even thicker. Following the lit up pathway, everyone didn’t made a sound. About half way through, Applejack’s brain felt a little wavy. After that, they came across their first unusual sound. It was the sound of a humongous satchel of coinage being dropped from the heavens. Jack spotted the big bag of coins to his left and continued on.

However, Applejack heard that sound and dared not to look up. But her instincts were driving her mad. She tried her best to resist the sound. Then, the bag of coins shook once more making a jingling sound. At that moment, Applejack resisted no longer as the call of money took over her curiosity. She looked up and gasped in admiration. Standing right next to her was a ten-foot long bag of golden bits. Her eyes glimmered so brightly while gazing upon a beautiful sight.

“Oh mah stars! Look at all em’ bits! Why, with that much, I can drum up the business to the Apple Family!” Applejack flabbergasted. Jack suddenly stopped his tracks and swerved his head around to glare at the fooled pony. The others looked back at AJ as well.

“Oh for god sakes, can’t you at least follow a single ord-“ Jack’s sentence was struck silence as an expandable demonic arm suddenly gagged Jack’s mouth from behind. Then the elastic arm yanked Jack and dragged him into the fog almost silently. The other ponies looked behind to notice Jack’s disappearance. All the ponies except the distracted cowpony gasped in surprise. Fluttershy looked around aimlessly.

“J-Jack?! Wh-where are you?!” She shuttered. Not too far away, Jack was being held captive by a human size imp. His hands were tied up by the imp’s elastic arm while the other hand covered up his mouth. The imp grinned sinisterly at Jack.

“Why hello there feeble mortal. Don’t mind me, I’m just a being created from the scrapped thoughts of previous victims. Sit back and enjoy the show! It’s been forever since I’ve seen some insanity action!” He chortled darkly, while Jack glared at the imp. Back at the ponies, all their eyes were wandering blindly. Rainbow Dash didn’t noticed herself slowly walking backwards from the suspense.

“Nugh! Where’d he go? Darn it, Applejack.” She muttered to herself.

“Okay… just stay calm, Dash… everything will be alright if you just-“

“Raaaaainnnboooow…”

A ghastly voice suddenly echoed quietly across the room. She swerved her head from side to side to find out where the sound was coming from. Her brain felt a little wavy from the eerie call. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash caught a glimpse of an obscure figure trotting towards her. When it got close, the figure immediately took shape and color. It was a golden pegasus with a fire colored mane. It wore a blue and yellow outfit, along with flying goggles hanging around by the neck. Dash gaped unexpectedly.

“S-Spitfire?!” Dash blurted out. The famous pegasus of the Wonderbolts walked up to Dash. When she spotted Dash, her face lit up in relief.

“Oh! There you are! We’ve been looking all over for you!” She spoke. Meeting with Spitfire again, Dash’s wings suddenly began to rise.

“Oh my gosh! Y-You’ve been… looking… f-for me?!” Dash’s face lit up in joy as she squeaked like a fan-girl. After the squeak, Dash was suddenly reminded that this place was still an illusion. Her face dropped in disbelief.

“W-Wait… you’re not real… are you?” She inquired. Spitfire tilted her head in confusion.

“What are you talking about? Princess Celestia has ordered me to send a rescue team to search for you six. And now here I am… pretty creepy place isn’t it?” Spitfire informed in a joyful tone. Rainbow Dash nodded.

“But… my other two friends… they’re still in dange-“ Dash was cut off when Spitfire held her hoof in front.

“It’s all right, Dash. Soarin and the other members are taking care of that as we speak. Now… I’ve been meaning to ask you something. Ever since the time at the Grand Galloping Gala… I didn’t have enough time to chat with you. And when you stopped Discord… I couldn’t help but praise you. I mean, that took a lot of guts. So… after we get out of this place… I was wondering... if you would consider being a member of our team? Because I would love to see your performance with you on our side. Especially with that sonic rainboom of yours as our grand finale.” Dash couldn’t believe what she was hearing right now. Rainbow Dash… being one of the Wonderbolts… just like that. Her wings flapped way up while dramatically gasping in joyfulness.

“Oooooh… myyyy… GOSH!! YES!! I’M TOTALLY IN!!” She jumped in happiness. She never felt this happy in all of her life. Spitfire stopped her bouncing by placing her hoof on Dash’s shoulder.

“Easy there, tiger. Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. Now then… with that out of the way… there’s… something I wanted to tell you that I never even dream of asking.”

“What is it?!” Dash excitedly asked. She couldn’t bare herself from all the exciting news. Could it be a chance to be captain of the team? An interview of Dash’s experienced flying skills? No… the only response was a pair of warm and soft lips being locked onto her own. Dash’s pupils shrunk unexpectedly, while her cheeks went rosy almost instantly. She’d never expected this would happen… not even in her lifetime. Being consumed by lust, Dash reeled her eyes upward slowly while her eyes shut. Both of their tongues soon entered each other’s mouths, clashing with one another. Both were giving off the sounds of groaning and pleasurable moaning. Dash was in heaven… her mind was completely shut off. All her tensions… all her worries… suddenly disappeared. After a minute had passed, Spitfire broke the passionate kiss and lustfully looked into Rainbow’s love struck eyes.

“I wanted to say I love you, Dash. I want you to be mine. I couldn’t resist your beautiful mane the moment I first saw you. By just looking at you… you made me feel sooo alive.” She whispered seductively. Dash was positively drooling over the enchanting pegasus. Both Spitfire and Dash’s wings were erected. Spitfire leaned forward over Dash’s ear and whispered,

“Why don’t we go to that corner over there and make some Rainbowfire… if you know what I mean.” Spitfire scolded her. Dash’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. With no objections, Dash dumbly nodded her head and went to the corner of the room with Spitfire. Back at the three remaining victims, Rarity began backing up as well, as her conscious was her only guide. Not knowing that Rainbow Dash has disappeared, she began talking to herself.

“Oh, how simply dreadful! My hair is starting to feel thick, my skin is getting too dry, and Jack is gone missing! And it’s all because of that Applejack and her… ugh! Why must this end this way!?” At that moment, she heard what seems to be a conversation on her left. Her brain felt a little wavy from the sound. She looked over and spots three obscured figures trotting in her direction. With fear swelling up in her, she backed up. But when the fog was see through-able, she stopped backing up and gasped in surprise. Coming out of the fog were three of Equestria’s most famous celebrities. On the left was the famous popstar Sapphire Shores. In the middle was the well-known fashion photographer Photo Finish. And on the right was the legendary fashion critic Hoity Toily.

“And then I said, I say… this can’t be the same designer.” Hoity expressed himself. Suddenly, all three ponies gazed at Rarity and their face lit up. Sapphire Shores shrieked in relief upon seeing her face.

“Well helloooo Miss Rarrity! Glad we found you at last, darling!” She said. Rarity was too dumbstruck to respond. Her only response was her voice in her own head.

Oh mon étoiles! Her legs were shaking in exhilaration, as she couldn’t make out with this. Photo Finish spoke next.

“Jaes! Ve been lookin faeor yew! I, Photo Finish, wus wroung about yew Miss Wrariteh! Fluitashy vus just a saet back! Yew, on ze othear hoof, haeve maede…DA MAJIKS!” She strutted her head up. Hoity adjusted his glasses while he cleared his throat.

“Mmmyes. After your encounter with that dreadful Discord, I couldn’t help notice you had not only pure fashion potential but popularity as well! And oh my, the publicity and the advertisement of your career is just simply fantastico! We would be honored if YOU would join Equestria’s annual award ceremony as a candidate at Canterlot!” Rarity snapped out of her dumbstruck trance and squealed in excitement. She thought this was a dream but it sounded so real to her. Forgetting this was all but an illusion, she foolishly gave herself in.

“YES!” She screamed into the heavens. Meanwhile, Fluttershy was standing all alone in the wild fog. She noticed that Rainbow Dash and Rarity had disappeared into the abyss as well. Her heart was beating wildly from the state of loneliness. She was about to give into the fear and yell for help when a bright light suddenly illuminated off to the distance. It was a soothing light that warmed her coat. Her brain felt a little wavy from this sudden entrance. At the center of the light, a humongous stag appeared. It has a constellational body with moving stars, along with glowing white eyes. Its antlers were fully-grown with green leaves that had different species of birds nesting in them. And green grass sprung to life from the hallowed ground around the stag. Fluttershy couldn’t know what this thing was or if it’s friendly or not. But the glowing white eyes showed some proof that it was harmless. Standing in front of it, she felt like she was facing a deity.

“Fluttershy… ye be not afraid.” The voice spoke in an overwhelming yet soothing tone. Fluttershy gulped her fear down and presented herself firmly. The celestial stag continued.

“Thy name is Faronael, Prince of the Great Forest and protector of all creatures small and big. Ye quest is brutal and fierce… thou seekest to end it. Thou wish for assistance and salvation, Fluttershy?” He asked. Fluttershy slowly nodded her head.

“Umm… yes. My two friends are still in grave danger and… well…”

“Hold thy tongue. Thou shalt sendeth forth aid in this desperate hour. Thus, a condition is in order.” He added. Fluttershy’s heart began to calm down from the great news. She wondered what condition he had in mind.

“A condition? What is it?”

“Become your destiny. Come with thee, and thou shalt be crown Princess of the Great Forest. All animals are in great need and they are waiting for thee. Become princess of all critters and rule thy kingdom in eternal happiness and salvation. Abandon this accursed place… become thy bride and forever uphold peace.” Fluttershy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She never thought of being a princess before in her life. She immediately thought of all the things she could do to help the innocent creatures. It was too good to be true. Her heart was beaming in contentment. Slowly, she trotted nervously towards Faronael. She presented her hoof to him and shy-fully looked away with rosy cheeks. At that moment, something snapped inside her head.

Her consciousness was taking over her thoughts. A deep struggle between right and wrong commenced. She was shown images of her friends being brutally beaten, slain, and killed if she abandons them now. Her mind went mad as her innermost desires were fighting against her promises. And soon, she was brought back into reality with a distorted facial expression. She looked at Faronael and reeled her hoof in. Realizing this is all but a trick; she stood back up and glared at him.

“No… NO!! How dare you mess with my mind! My friends are more valuable than my desires! You're nothing but an illusion… a fake! Go back to where ever you came from and never come back!” She roared out. Faronael took a few steps back and suddenly became enraged. His constellational body began to light up in fury like the sun. His green antlers were set on fire, as the birds were turned into skeletal ravens. His white glowing eyes turned red, and the grass was drying up. Realizing that Fluttershy made a mistake on making him mad, she couldn’t stand here any longer and immediately dashed towards the foggy abyss to try and search for her friends.

On the corner of the whole room, Dash was leaning back against the corner with Spitfire pinning her. Both of them tenderly kissed each other in a romantic setting. They gave each other saliva-swapping kisses as their tongues tangled with one another. Dash made deep moans of pleasure while her head was spinning out of control. Spitfire teased her by rubbing the tip of her nose against hers. Then, both ponies broke the slimy kiss, as a long string of saliva stretched across from the two pegasus’s tongues. Spitfire looked deeply into Dash’s eyes and seductively grinned.

"You taste like so many flavors. Dashie... I want you... I want you to be mine forever."

“Y-Yeah... me too...” She slowly responded back. Dash felt like her dreams have finally come true. But strangely, Spitfire slowly shook her head.

“No Dashie… when I meant forever…” Suddenly, her face slowly moved in closer to Dash’s face. Her pupils slowly became tiny black dots, as huge bloodshots were scattered on both of her sclera. Her grin was so wide it extended to the edges of her face.

“I meant… FOREEEEVEEER!!” Spitfire deeply growled seductively. Dash eyed at Spitfire’s disturbing stare and snapped out of her trances state. She reeled back her head in an unease tension.

“Uuuuh… Spitfire? Why are you staring me like that?” She asked nervously. Then, Spitfire’s forehead met with Dash’s while her black dots suddenly began to shake.

“I WANT you… to fuck me… oh yeeees… make me your bitch! Fuck me like your sex doll… FUCK ME… FUCK MEEEEEE!!” She yelled in a perverted tone. The dramatic change Spitfire developed frighten Dash. Dash was about to scream for help when suddenly…

“YOU LEAVE HER ALONE!!” Fluttershy yelled as she came to the rescue. She grabbed Spitfire by the mane and tossed her whole body back. Spitfire landed on her head and twisted her neck, as it made sickening cracks. Fluttershy stood in front of Dash, as she glared at the imposter.

“You do NOT and I repeat, YOU DO NOT HURT MY FRIEND!!” She yelled angrily. She swerved her head over to Dash.

“F-Fluttershy! Wh-what the heck is going-”?

“No time, we need to get everyone out of here!” She interrupted and alarmed Dash. But just before they could move, Spitfire slowly rose up like a lifeless puppet. Her head twisted and tilted around, making more cracking noises. Once her head and neck was back to normal, her perverted stare darted at the blue pony.

“You’re not going anywhere, Dashie… you’ll be mine forever… MINE… MINE FOREVER!!” Roared the demented pegasus. She quickly lunged right at them like a tiger. Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash ran off to the side avoiding her pounce. Both of the ponies followed the lit up pathway while Spitfire was hot on their trail. On their right they heard Rarity’s scream. They darted their eyes to the sound and they spot Rarity running away from the frenzied celebrities.

“Gaaaah! Get away from me you low class behemoths!” She screamed. Photo Finish growled while keeping her target’s pace.

“GEAT HER! SHAE’S GOWING TA BE MAI NAEXT STAH!” Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy made their move and bashed the three celebrities to the side. All three were knocked back a few feet from the force. Rarity gasped unexpectedly from the arrival of her two friends.

“Girls!” She called out. The three ponies regrouped and continued to run. While running, Rarity noticed that Applejack wasn’t present.

“Where is Applejack?!” She asked. At that moment, her question was answered when they heard her scream.

“There!” Fluttershy answered. They saw Applejack popping out of the fog in front of them. Behind her were thousands of black and plagued beetles chasing Applejack. She spotted the gang and her face lit up in relief.

“Gals! Mighty sorry fer all this! All them bits suddenly turned into these little varmints!” Applejack yelled. The four ponies were reunited once more, as they raced together along the lit up pathway. Following behind them was the perverted Spitfire, three obsessive pony celebrities, the enraged Faronael, and a massive swarm of beetles. The ponies picked up their pace as they saw them hot on their tails. Although they were gaining more speed, they were running blindly into the fog. About a few seconds of sprinting, they suddenly crashed into an object. They fell to the floor, grunting from the impact. All of them rubbed their heads and looked up. It was Jack who looked very disappointed. Rainbow Dash frowned at Jack, while her eyes furrowed.

“Where the hay were you all this time?!” She exclaimed. Dash expected an apology, but Jack’s only response was him presenting a decapitated head of the red imp. Its eyes were closed while its tongue was hanging out. The ponies gasped in disgust from the sight of it.

“Apparently I had troubles of my own.” Jack said. Then his attentions drew him to the distance and saw the hostile crowd coming towards them. He growled and threw the imp’s head at them. He then ran off to the other direction, while he looked back over his shoulders to the collapsed ponies.

“Move it or lose it!” He thundered. Getting back up, the ponies rushed towards the exit with Jack. Almost immediately, they found a steel staircase up ahead with another door on top of the platform. Jack skipped each step as he climbed on the staircases. The ponies also went up with him. The swarm of beetles and Faronael surrounded the staircase with Spitfire and the three celebrity ponies climbing up with them. Jack immediately opened the door and awaited for the ponies to come inside. As they did, Spitfire made one attempt to leap towards her prize.

“YOU CAN’T ESCAPE ME, DASHIE!” She screamed. Jack suddenly slammed the door and Spitfire face planted on the door making a thud sound.

“Owww… that wasn’t fair…” She moaned in pain. Right after that, the room went silent. The sounds of thousands of beetles died out. It was back into dead silence once again. After a minute of resting, the group went back to walking towards the long hallway. Applejack hung her head miserably while her hat hid her face. She sighed and came clear to herself.

“Jack… I’m mighty sorry about that. I promise it won’t happen again.” The cowpony sadly apologized. But Jack replied back in an unhappy tone.

“It better not, otherwise you’ll have to face your demise all on your own next time. Just forget about it and move forward. We’re getting close to our destination.” The group went silent after that as they proceed down the hallway with extra caution.

Chapter 8: The Room of Rage

Chapter 8: The Room of Rage

The ambiance was dead quiet and the temperature began to rise, as they ventured further down the hallway. It was a mystery to the ponies. Usually, the temperature was very cold everywhere else. But in this hallway, the temperature felt like they’re heading inside a regular temperature house. While Jack quietly lead the ponies to the uncertain challenge up ahead, Applejack and Fluttershy had a quiet conversation with one another.

“So that’s basically the whole deal. I don’t know much about him yet.” Fluttershy informed Applejack.

“Ah see… but… do you ever get the feelin’ we shouldn’t be trustin’ him?” Asks the cowpony. Fluttershy looks at her in a contemplative way.

“What makes you think that?” Fluttershy asked.

“Well… it’s not like I’m doubtin’ him or anythin’. But, what if he’s workin’ for them secretly? Like, when we finally get the group back together and stuff… he’ll strike us down like a hungry predator. The point is sugarcube… I don’t trust him.” Applejack eyed at the back of Jack’s head as she furrowed her eyes.

“I’m tellin’ ya, darlin’. Somethin’ ain’t right with this human. I just know it.” She added. Fluttershy blinked her eyes as she had a notion of Applejack’s misgiving statement.

“Well… I-I… I trust him. Sure he can be grouchy sometimes… but I just can’t help it but feel… sorry for him.” Fluttershy mumbled her last words. Applejack shot a puzzle stare at her.

“What in tarnation made ya’ll think about that?” Just before Fluttershy could respond, Jack stopped walking and turned to his companions.

“We’re here.” He announced. Fluttershy leaned her head over to Applejack for a quick reply.

“I’ll tell you later.” She whispered. With everyone quiet, Jack eyed at the door behind him.

“This is it… The Room of Rage. Here, your greatest fury you’ve ever experienced will appear. However, this room is different from the other two rooms we passed. Not only the fog will just sense and manifest the illusions, it will also deplete your rage gauge. By doing so will drain your vigor until you're nothing but a hollowed shell. The trick… is to not let your anger overrule you. All the rage energy that’s been gathered and collected will be divided into two different energies: Fear and Desire. Then those two energies are separated and transported to the two previous rooms. Why those two energies spawn is beyond me. Anyways, you’ll all notice why the temperature has changed so dramatically. It’s not heat… it’s the energy of rage leaking from a cracked wall up in that right corner.” Jack cracked his neck and continued.

“Oh. I almost forgot. It’s no use trying to avoid the fog. Once you step in the fog it’s a race against time. And when I meant that… I mean we need to get the key fragment quickly before… my illusion will appear.” He said looking stern. Rarity noticed that Jack’s fists were shaking with frustration. Out of curiosity, Rarity spoke up.

“Illusion? You mean… you hate someone?” She asked and Jack nodded back slowly.

“I do. And my rage is too great for your minds to comprehend. That’s why we need to get that key as fast as possible. Once we grab that key, we need to escape the illusion quarter quickly. Because… my rage… will kill us all. So be strong and face your challenges head on when they’re present it to you. Or regret everything with your life.” Turning around, he faced the door as he was determined to get this done. He let out a deep sigh and looked over his shoulder towards the ponies.

“You all ready?” He asked every pony. All the ponies nodded their heads in determination. Jack placed his hand on the handle and began the countdown. At that point, everyone was ready to sprint inside the doorway. They lowered their necks and prepared themselves for Jack’s command.

“One… two…” At that moment, Jack pulled down the handle and swiftly swung the door open.

“THREE!” He yelled and dashed inside the room. Following along, the ponies also charged inside the pitched dark room. Down they went on the metal staircases, the temperature rose dramatically. The room was similar to the Room of Horror, but the only difference was the pathway. On the pathway has a series of huge scratched letters that were bolded in red while going horizontally. Each letter lead to the next one until it spelled out a word. One of them spelled, ‘Anger’. Then the next spelled, ‘is’. And the last one was, ‘death!’. Not knowing what that meant, the ponies ignored the words and continued to run. Suddenly, a red thread of semisolid energy beam appeared on Fluttershy’s forehead. Its other end lead to an unknown force within the pitch-black. She gasped unexpectedly as she looked upon her forehead. Fluttershy tried to ignore it, but then she tripped. She found herself ensnared by metal shackles that appeared unexpectedly on each of her legs. Fluttershy screamed in terror from the state she was in.

“GIRLS! HELP ME!!” Cried the gentle pegasus. The other ponies swerved their heads back and spotted Fluttershy in a trap. Rainbow Dash quickly gasped.

“Fluttershy! Hold on!” She cried out. But just before she could act, Jack halted her.

“Leave her! She’ll be alright as long as she doesn’t give in to her anger! Just keep running!” He yelled. But the ponies came to a complete stop after Jack said that. They couldn’t abandon Fluttershy alone in the dark. Applejack gaped in distraught from the command.

“Whah! Now why ya’ll say somethin’ like that! If yer not gonna help Fluttershy darlin’ here, then I will!” Rarity and Rainbow Dash agreed with AJ, as they got her back while they stood firm in defiance.

“Yeah! What gives you the right to say something like tha-“ Rainbow Dash was suddenly interrupted by Jack’s quarrel.

“THEN ALL OF YOU JUST WAIT THERE UNTIL I RETURN!!” He yelled back and kept running. In just a few seconds, Jack had disappeared into the darkness. All they can hear from him was his panting and footsteps. As the ponies looked at Fluttershy forehead, they trailed their eyes along the threaded red beam to the end. But the trail ended within the pitch black that was presented to them. At that sudden moment, the thread began to move. As it moved, a familiar hearty chuckle echoed within the room.

“Ooooh how delightful! And here I thought my time of fun had just ran out!” The mysterious voice spoke. Realizing whose voice that belonged to, the ponies heaved their breaths dramatically. Fluttershy’s pupils shrink in terror, as she knew who it belonged to.

“Oh no…” Murmured Fluttershy. At that moment, a figure emerged from the pitch-blackness. Connected on the other side of the thread was none other than the previous villain they’ve encountered not too long ago… Discord. The other end of the thread was connected to his chest.

“Hello ladies!” Greeted the devious villain. Everyone’s jaw dropped from the unexpected appearance.

“Discord!” All the ponies said in unison. Upon hearing his own name, Discord levitated into the air and laid back in relaxation, crossing his legs with both hands behind his head.

“It’s so wonderful to see all of you back in harmony once more! Oh! I’m sorry… there are four of you! It’s such a misfortune too! Was hoping I could share some… laughter right now. Oh! And of course… a bit of ‘Friendship Magic’ along with it too!” Discord laughed vigorously. But the ponies weren’t amused by his sense of humor. All of them glared at him like the enemy he was. Discord looked at them while he displayed a smirk.

“Oh come now. You don’t really think they’ve been… well you know… pushing up daisies.” He spoke deviously with a few deep chortles at the end. Fluttershy furrowed her eyes at him while she tried to contain her rage.

“Go away. You’re not even real. So why don’t you just leave us alone?” She snarled. Holding back her rage against her greatest enemy proved to be a challenge to her. The red beam thread connected to Fluttershy and Discord slowly lit up a bit. Streams of microscopic cells were transferring from Fluttershy’s head to Discord’s body. Fluttershy suddenly felt a little woozy for a second from the energy that was depleting from her head. While this was occurring, Discord made another chortle.

“Not even real? Hmhmhmhm… do you honestly believe that? I’m a spirit… not an embodiment entity. You think you ponies have defeated me that easily? Tisk tisk tisk… I guess you all need another lesson about chaos and disharmony… wouldn’t you agree? Hmhmhmhm… of course… being in this place for a while has done my job already! But it wouldn’t be fun if I didn’t get to join in!” Discord lifted his eagle claw up in the air and struck it forward towards the group. His eagle claw created a powerful gust that tossed Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack back deep into the darkness. Fluttershy swerved her head around and gasped.

“Girls!” She cried out. But it was no use; her friends were nowhere to be seen. It’s just her and Discord now. With her friends out of the picture, Discord cracked his fingers while chortling.

“Now then Fluttershy, why don’t we start boiling up that little head of yours? We’re gonna cook up some chaos stew with a bit of disharmony for the seasoning!” Discord laughed at his own humor. Not far away, Rainbow Dash got back up to her hooves looking around aimlessly.

“Ooooh! That dopy Discord is gonna get it! I… whah?” She suddenly paused herself as she noticed she had a similar red beam thread that is connected to her forehead. She placed her hoof on the thread and nudged it a bit.

“What the hay is this thing on my head?” She pondered. Trailing down the line from her forehead to the pitch-blackness in front of her, Dash’s heart pressure started to rise. She wondered who was on the other side of the line. Dash has a lot of enemies and bullies she hated in her lifetime. Not knowing who will appear, Dash prepares herself for the worst. Suddenly, there were little trotting steps heading towards her. Sweats trailed down her head from the heavy tension. Dash lowered her head and spoke in an uncomfortable tone.

“W-Who’s there?!” She tried to back up a few steps but found that metal shackles were now ensnared to her four legs. She darted her eyes down and withered her forearms. In her best attempts of escaping, the shackles remained tightly firmed. No use of trying to run away, she eyed back at the sound coming towards Dash and prepared herself. When the trotting steps were close enough, a small orange pegasus filly emerged from the blackness. Dash was relieved and surprised at the same time when she saw the filly.

“Sc-Scootaloo?!” Stuttered Dash. She never thought of hating the little squirt ever. Dash said nothing as the young filly sprung her little wings up while her face beamed.

“Rainbow Dash!” The filly exclaimed excitedly. “I finally found you! I was sooo worried about you!”

“Scoots… h-how did you… n-no… this cannot be real… I…” Dash paused herself right away as she discovered something unusual. She noticed that Scootaloo wasn’t connected to the red beam thread anywhere on her body. The other end of the thread hasn’t presented itself yet.

“What…?! H-How…?” She stuttered in confusion, as she gawked at Scootaloo.

“Where were you?!” Scootaloo replied. “Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and I were looking for you guys! How did you all end up in here?!” Just before Dash could respond to her question, another figure suddenly emerged from the pitch black. The end of the thread finally met Dash.

“Hey flip flop! It’s been awhile…” Spoke a spunky character. Out came a punk griffon with a mean look on her face. Dash noticed right away that the red beam thread was connected to her forehead Right away, Dash gasped dramatically.

“Oh no… Gilda?!” Gilda shot a death stare at Dash.

“That’s right! I’m back! And you’re gonna pay for humiliating me in front of your pathetic friends! I was totally wrong about you… you're not a loser… YOU'RE MUCH LOWER THAN THAT!!” She thundered while strutting over to her. But just as she could go any closer, Scootaloo slid right in front of her pathway.

“Hey! Don’t talk like that to Rainbow Dash! You better leave her alone you big jerk or else!” She threatened Gilda. Standing firmly against the bully, Scootaloo’s eyes were deadlocked on to Gilda’s. Rainbow Dash’s heart started to beat anxiously, because she didn’t want Scootaloo to get involved into this.

“Scoots! D-Don’t do this!” Called out the frantic pegasus. But it was too late, as the enraged Gilda immediately shot a death stare at the little filly. Without warning, Gilda snatched Scootaloo by the throat and brought her up close face to face. She stared into Scootaloo’s frightened eyes with boiling anger.

“What the fuck did you just called me?! I SAID… WHAT THE FUCK… DID YOU JUST CALLED ME?!?!” Screamed the enraged griffon, as she strangled the helpless filly. Squeezing her grip harder, Scootaloo started to gag for air. Her eyes were already upwelling in tears.

“H-Hey… stop that! It hurts! Please, let me go!” She whimpered. Her little legs started swerving around to break free from her grip. But to no avail, it only pleased Gilda’s fuming rage. At that moment, Gilda lifted Scootaloo up even higher and slammed her whole body to the ground. The wind was knocked out of Scootaloo from the pounding force. Rainbow Dash gasped in horror from Gilda’s action.

“Gilda! Leave her alone! She didn’t do anything to y-“ Suddenly, Dash was cut off by Gilda.

“Shut the hell up, you flip flop! It’s bad enough that you made me look bad… but THIS?! Oh no… I’m going to take all my anger on this pathetic loser!” Gilda growled. Resting her fuming rage aside, she eyed at Scootaloo’s watery eyes and smirked sinisterly.

“Scootaloo, huh? Well… let’s see if your name really stands up!” Chortled Gilda. Slowly, her mouth opened as her neck rose up. Something about this gave bad vibes to Dash and Scootaloo. Then, the unthinkable happened. Gilda lunged her head straight down and gripped her sharp teeth into Scootaloo’s right forearm. At that moment, Scootaloo screamed in agony as blood immediately squirted out from her forearm. While her teeth were gripped on the forearm, Gilda savagely shook her head from side to side like a dog would. Almost immediately, the fragile bones on Scootaloo’s right forearm began echoing pops and shattering noises. Hearing her bones cracking, Gilda tugged her head hard as her grip held firmly on the forearm.

One or two jagged bones tore through her forearm, as the orange pony’s skin held. But just as the bones were completely disconnected from her socket, the skin tore away. Scootaloo screamed twice as loud when the pain shot through her whole body. She can feel an overwhelming warm release from her left forearm. Fresh batch of tears were trailing down her cheeks rapidly. Loads of blood flushed out of the torn off forearm socket. Rainbow Dash’s eyes widen with horror as she saw one of her friends being brutally punished.

“SCOOOOTALOOOO!!” She screamed from the top of her lungs. She tried to struggle free from the metal shackles, but to no avail. Gilda took Scootaloo’s ripped off forearm and started to grind her teeth into the skin. Then, she yanked off a piece of flesh and chewed the morsel. She contemplates on the taste of the young filly’s flesh for a moment. Then she nodded in delight.

“Looks like I am right! You do taste like chicken… hehe… how ironic. Want a bite, Dash?” Taunted the malicious griffon. Scootaloo’s eyes were coated in tears as the pain overwhelmed her. She looked at Dash helplessly.

“RAINBOW DASH!! PLEASE!! HELP ME!! IT HURTS!!” Cried out Scootaloo. Dash couldn’t bear to witness anymore of the horrific acts Gilda made. Her head was boiling up in rage, her muscles were tensing up, and her teeth were grinding together. Dash shotted a death stare at Gilda while she struggled to break free.

“GILDA!! I SWEAR, ONCE I’M FREE FROM THIS, YOU’RE GOING TO PAY!!” Thundered the enraged pegasus. The red beam thread on Dash’s forehead glows very brightly. She ignored the waning strength and pressed on her aimless rage. Gilda just sat there looking mischievously.

“Stings, doesn’t it flip flop? You made me do this, Dash. You’re going to experience my hatred I’ve kept bottled up inside of me!” Gilda said and continued to devour the rest of Scootaloo’s arm. On the other side of the room, Applejack encountered a familiar and yet obnoxious unicorn. The unicorn had a blue fur coat with a light blue mane. The unicorn wore a purple magician robe and hat. And the mare had a magic wand for a cutie mark. It was none other than…

“The Great and Powerful Trixie demands vengeance! You and your little band of ruffians are nothing more than irksome gadflies!” Trixie exploded in anger. Her hoof pointed at Applejack, who couldn’t move as metal bracers were shackled to her legs.

“But Trixie guesses that this is a fitting punishment for you. Hehehehe… just like a simple-minded peasant would!” Taunted the magician unicorn. When Applejack heard the phrase, ‘simple-minded peasant’ she tapped into her competitive side. Like pushing a button, Applejack became enraged.

“Oh that does it! Ya’ll gonna get some serious whoppin’ from me!” Yelled Applejack. She tried yanking the chains that bound her hooves, but it wouldn’t break. The red beam thread on her forehead glowed brightly. It was sapping every ounce of energy per second. With Trixie being nourished by the energy, her body size slowly grew. Static of electricity swarmed all over Trixie’s body, as the energy overflowed her body.

“Oh yes! Keep at it, peasant! Trixie demands more punishment for Applejack! Soon, I’ll be more powerful than ever before!” Trixie boasted in a joyful way. Meanwhile, on the darkest side of the room, Rarity pulled herself up from the blast Discord made. Checking to see nothing was wrong with her mane, her heart was back into panic mode. She darted her eyes everywhere to see any faint of light. But the darkness was too heavy.

“Oh my stars! Not this again! I just hope that the girls are alright.” She whispered to herself. She was about to trot off, when suddenly, a red beam thread struck out on her forehead. Metal shackles also appeared under her as it snares Rarity. She gasped and looks down to her hooves.

“What the?! Oh dear…” Shutters Rarity. “Not me too!” Suddenly, a handful of mud flew straight towards Rarity. The mud splattered all over her face. She flinched from the incoming surprise. Rarity gasped in disgust.

“Eeewww! Gross! Gross! GROOOSS! W-Who’s there?! Who threw this dreadful muck at me?!” She cried out in demand. At that moment, she heard a hearty chuckle coming towards her. The red thread slowly reeled itself.

“What’s the matter, Rarity dear? Afraid to get… dirty?” The familiar voice mocked Rarity. Right in front of her, a figure emerged from the darkness. A white unicorn stallion with a well-groomed yellow mane presents itself. Carrying with him was a white saddlebag filled with wet soil. He made a menacing chortle at Rarity.

“We meet again…”

“B-Blueblood?! I-I… No! Not you!” Rarity shudders in anger. Her temper rose from the sight of her greatest antagonism. Blueblood eyed at her with a sly smirk on his face.

“Hmhmhmmyes. Forgive me for throwing this repulsive material at you. I didn’t threw it hard enough.” At that moment, he reached into his saddlebag and flung another chunk of mud at Rarity. It splattered on her neck and chest. Rarity grunted a small pain from the impact, as it nearly damaged her windpipe. Blueblood chortled in delight from the sight of Rarity’s pitiful state.

“Hohoho my! This is entertaining!” He said. Rarity’s anger rose from Blueblood’s actions, as she was forced to relive the horrific events that transpired at the Grand Galloping Galla. Her beautiful mane and coat were now ruined. She looked as though she was homeless. Her face lit up in red with her teeth clenched. Ignoring the red beam thread that was sapping her energy, Rarity shot a death stare at Blueblood.

“Rrruuuuugh!! STOP IT!!” Roared Rarity. But Blueblood kept laughing joyfully and continued to throw wet mud at her. With all four ponies now facing their greatest antagonist, how long will they last until their vigor fully depletes?

Chapter 9: Battling Against Insanity

Chapter 9: Battling Against Insanity

With all four separated ponies being preoccupied with their hatred illusions, Jack was inside the other room. Within the room, Jack tossed papers out of a drawer from an old desk. He recklessly dug through the documents looking for the key.

"Come on, damn it! Where is it?!" He panicked. Jack didn't have enough time to calmly search for it, for his illusion could be well underway. Just when he was about to lose it, Jack suddenly spotted the key. It had an oval shaped amethyst on top with a bit of dust on it. He sighed in relief and grabbed the key fragment.

"Fucking finally. The Key of Insanity is mine." Said Jack, as he placed the key fragment in his left pouch. With his business done in here, Jack turned around and ran towards the door. When he opened the door, Jack sprinted out of the room. Things were looking smoothly for him, as he didn’t run into serious problems yet. That is until he heard Rainbow Dash's screams of anger. He came to a complete stop as he darted his head to the left. He spotted Dash trying to break free from the shackles. In front of her was Gilda smashing Scootaloo's head to the ground. Each time her head smashed to the ground, it made sickening crack noises. Scootaloo was barely breathing and barely conscious. She silently moaned in pain and agony.

"R-Rain…bow… nugh… D-Dash… h-help…" She spoke in a weak voice. Both of her forearms were savagely torn off and her left eye was gouged out. Her fur coat was smeared in her own blood. And her filly wings were bent and broken. Rainbow Dash let out tears of despair and rage.

"GILDA!! STOP IT NOOOOW!!" She screamed in absolute anger. But Gilda ignored her and continued to brutally smash the helpless filly while laughing maniacally. Jack shook his head in disappointment.

"Fool. She will never underst-" Suddenly, Jack flinched in pain. His head felt like it was on fire. He fell down to his knees while he grasped his own head. His eyes widened and his body shook.

"N-No… f-f-fuck no…! Not now…!" Jack whispered to himself in agony. Then, he shot his head up to the ceiling and screamed. The scream was so loud, it echoed across the whole room. While he screamed in agony, the whole room suddenly shook in madness. The darkness within the room began to lift and small fissures trailed under Jack. Everyone in the room paused what they were doing and stared at Jack. They immediately wondered what’s gotten into him. At that moment, a broad thread of red energy shot skywards out from his forehead. As the end of the thread reached the peak of its arc, it came thundering down towards the ground. Then, the end of the huge energy thread splits up into three threads. Each one connected to the shadowy figure that happened to appear in an instant.

When they were connected, the shadowy figures took form. The middle figure transformed into an elderly man wielding a crosier. He was wearing a royal choir dress, a golden miter, and a ruby ecclesiastical ring. Jack's head dropped down in exhaustion after the first figure took form. At this point, the whole room stopped shaking. The room temperature rose dramatically in a matter of moments. Fluttershy saw Jack faint and gasped. Then she looked at the mysterious elder.

Oh no… She spoke consciously. At that moment, Jack slowly regained consciousness as he raised his head up to face his greatest enemy. He furrowed his eyes while he glared at the elder.

"Archbishop Herald Matronly Patio… you son of a bitch." He growled. Herald stared at Jack with a slight grin on his face.

"I see you're still alive. Intriguing… after all these years, I thought you were dead when you ran away from your little city. Tell me… how is your accursed life treating you so far?"

"You shut the hell up!” Jack thundered. “Your one of the main reasons why my life is meaningless!" The main four ponies leaned their heads back in revelation. They were surprised to see who was responsible for the creation of Jack's ruthless personality. Herald shook his head and grunted.

"Naïve fool. From all the torture and pain you suffered your entire lifetime… you still do not understand. You're the Avatar of Zalgo… you were meant to be punished." Jack swerved his arm to the side.

"FUCK YOU!! I'm not the avatar! I came all the way down this hellish place just to get rid of him! You've been torturing the wrong person!" He exclaimed violently. Jack's fists clenched as he shook in anger. His left hand slowly reached towards his handgun. But as his hand was placed on the handgun, Herald grunted a chuckle.

"Your weapon is useless. Attacking an illusion is such a pitiful excuse to hide your shame. All you did back then was clinged to your corrupted life, mewling and hiding. What more can I say? Your morals were never clarified. I should've ordered an execution the very first moment you were born. But no… the avatar had to feel our wrath. The punishment… the contempt… and the pain we inflicted upon you was such a delight. But… that was our biggest mistake we ever made. Because of you… you destroyed us all when we all least expected it." Herald lowered his head and grinned sinisterly while keeping his eyes set on Jack.

"But that… will soon be justified." As he spoke, both of his arms rose. He snapped his left fingers loudly and waited. The shadowy figure on his left spawned two shadowy tendrils. One tendril sprang straight towards Discord and impaled his chest. Discord heaved in pain, as the tendril shot through his stomach. Fresh blood came oozing out of his chest. Fluttershy reeled her head back as she gasped in shock. Discord slowly looked down with his hands shaking in pain.

"Uhgh… s-so… so much… c-chaos…" He gurgled with blood coming out of his mouth. Then, the other tendril launched itself over to Prince Blueblood. The tendril slithered inside the prince's mouth, making him gag instantly. And in that quick moment, it impaled right through the back of Blueblood's neck. Blood immediately filled up his throat. When the blood began to over flood his throat, it trailed down out of the mouth. He gagged and gurgled with his hooves over the shadow tendril. The tendril slowly raised Blueblood off the ground. Rarity could only stare at the horrors unfold, as she breathed heavily. Her pupils shrank to the size of peas, while her jaw quivered in disgust.

At that moment, Herald snapped his right fingers. The shadowy figure on his right spawned two shadowy tendrils. This time, both went after Gilda and Trixie at the same time. The first shadowy tendril that rushed over to Gilda spawned several more tendrils. As the tendril approached her, the miniature tendrils plunged deep into Gilda's eye sockets and nostrils. Her eyeballs were gorged out during the process. She yelled in pain from the intense sensation, as blood ran down her eye sockets and nostrils. Then, one of the spawned tendrils wrapped around Scootaloo's preserved body. It lifted Scootaloo up the ground slowly with blood dripping off. In a blink of an eye, the tendril absorbed her whole body inside the stem. The second shadowy tendril that was sent after Trixie splitted itself into dozens of squirming miniature tendrils. Then the miniature tendrils encased over Trixie in a ball. The dozens of squirming tendrils suddenly wrapped around her legs, neck, and tail. Trixie felt helpless and frightened while being trapped inside. Her heart pounded as her spine felt a chilling sensation.

She tried to muster her strength to use her magic, but another small tendril wrapped around her horn. It canceled out her magic spells; furthermore, Trixie was rendered useless. She tried to scream for help, but the tendrils immediately enclose any gaps around the ball preventing Trixie's voice to be heard. When all four victims were captured and collected, Herald displayed his wide grin at Jack.

"You can't hide from your fate. It is inevitable. May the lord have mercy on your soul." He said in a deep tone. With one clap, Herald's body disintegrates into thin air. His disintegrated particles were absorbed by the two shadowy figures he left behind. At that moment, the left shadowy figure reeled in Discord and Prince Blueblood, while the left one pulled in Gilda and Trixie. Once all four antagonists were reeled in, both of the shadowy figures absorbed their victims. The red beam threads on Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack suddenly dissipated into thin air. But the shackles on their legs still remained.

After the two shadowy figures absorbed their preys, they began to transform once again. The manifestation of the transformation was beyond primitive to the likes of which Jack and the ponies have never seen. The temperature within the room intensified, as shadowy flares circulated across the whole room. And sounds of otherworldly screeches echoed inside of everyone's mind. Half a minute later, the transformation came to a complete stop. The two shadowy figures took on the shape of two distinctive human beings. Both of which were male and female to be exact. Both of their whole bodies were ignited in black flames, as they had separate unholy auras encasing them. The two figures shot a deathly stare at Jack with their glowing demonic red eyes. Jack was almost overwhelmed by the mass and shape of the ungodly demons. He knew who those two were… on the inside.

"Oh… fuck…" Jack cursed himself. The male figure pointed its finger at Jack.

"You… were… the bane… of my… existence." It spoke in a deep yet overwhelming voice. Then the female's aura grew in size. It brightened up the whole room with intense light.

"You've… should've… been… executed… when you… were… brought… into this… world." It spoke angrily. The pressure waves they sent off began enclosing inside Jack's brain. He felt like he was going insane. He screamed in agony and hatred as memories of his past came rushing through his head. The ponies attempt to save Jack; however, they were still shackled. All four of them tried their very best to break free. The more Jack screamed, the more effort they put in. The two shadowy human figures began levitating towards Jack. The closer they got, the more pain Jack suffered. His head swerved in circles from the inexplicable trauma. His teeth clenched together making his gums tense, while his eyes shot skyward. It was clear that it was too much for him to handle. He felt like he was about to shatter any second now. The two shadowy demons drew closer each passing second.

"Abomination…!"

"Demon…!"

"Wretched… peasant…!"

"Murderer…!"

Both figures taunted Jack. The madness that broiled Jack's sense of self was dominating his thoughts and his free will. He felt like he was about to die at this point. Unable to resist anymore of this lunacy, Jack summoned the remaining strength he had and reached into his front pouch. He pulled out what seemed to be a rolled up parchment paper. Jack unwrapped the tie from the scroll and the parchment opened. It revealed written demonic ritual symbols and shapes. After he placed the parchment paper on the ground, he quickly bit the tip of his left thumb. A small donation of blood came out of the cut. He then smeared the blood on his thumb horizontally across the parchment paper. Once that was done with, he lifted his hand up into the air.

"RAKA'NOH Ö MA'KARU!!" He chanted loudly. At that very moment, he slammed his palm on the parchment paper. The black ink on the paper suddenly glowed purple, as it made weird and yet soothing noises. The glowing purple text slowly rose out of the paper. Each symbol and shapes immediately shot across the whole room. All of them wisped towards the shackles that bound the four ponies and zapped them into thin air. The ponies shot their heads back and gasps. All four of their legs were free once more. After the ponies were free, the parchment paper dissipates into flames. The flames then engulfed the shackles that bound Jack's ankles. Instantly, the flames snap the shackles in half. After that, the flames died out almost immediately. The red beam thread that was connected to Jack and the two figures faded from existence. With Jack free, he spent no time congratulating himself. He made his move and sprinted towards the metal staircases. He eyed at each pony he passed while he displayed a frightening look on his face.

"RUN!!" He yelled. The ponies had no time to think and dashed towards the exit with Jack. The two shadowy demons lit up their aura with immense power.

"YOU… WILL SHOW… THE PROPER… RESPECT!!" The male figure thundered loudly. Both demons floated over towards the group at a running pace. Jack jumped up towards the staircases and leaps over the railings. His hand grabbed the door handle and twisted it. The door swung opened so fast that it banged on the railings. He anxiously waited for the ponies catch up. After all four went through the door, Jack immediately slammed the door and continued to run without hesitation. The ponies paused their second break and continued to run with him. About half way through the hallway, the door behind them bursted open in a fiery blaze. The two shadowy demons’ auras lit up the hallway. The figures’ flames turned from black to a solid fire color. The gust of intense heat blew behind them. The temperature felt like they were inside an oven or a burning building. Both of the demons’ red eyes glowed even brighter.

"RUN… LIKE… THE COWARD… YOU ARE!!" Both demons roared in a loud voice. Applejack looked behind her, as the two flaming demons were right on their tails. She then let out a deep, throat-shredding scream.

"Oh horseapples! We need ta pick up the pace, guys! They're right behind us!" Applejack informed. All of their hearts were beating like mad. The air was so thick it became difficult for them to breathe. Soon, they came to the end of the hallway. Jack grasped the door handle and immediately swung the door open. Everyone entered the room and leaped over the railings. Once they landed, they all continued to run for their lives. They followed the lit up pathway that lead towards the other door. As they followed the pathway, the group immediately spotted five mysterious obscured figures from their right. It was difficult to see with the fog in the way. But they knew that they were heading straight towards them. As the figures drew closer to the group, they heard them panting heavily along an eerie sound. The first that came out of the fog was Spitfire. She appeared to be wearing a black leather bondage outfit, while holding a whip stick with her mouth. Her pupils were nothing but black dots as her eyes darted towards Rainbow Dash.

"YOOHOO!! DASHIE!! GET YOUR CANDY ASS OVER HERE!! YOU NAUGHTY LITTLE FILLY YOU!!" She called out while giggling pervertedly. Dash reeled her eyes back and screamed in fright. But at the same time, her cheeks were rosy. Right behind Spitfire were the three celebrity ponies in all of Equestria, Faronael, and a huge swarm of plagued beetles. Jack shot his eyebrows up from the incoming company.

"God damn it!" He muttered in frustration. Just then, the doorway up towards the metal stairway gushed out intense inferno. The two shadowy demons flew out of the flaming doorway and spotted the gang. The whole room illuminated with a brightly color along with the temperature immediately rising. Seconds of running later, Jack and the gang reached towards the other door. Jack grabbed the handle and swung the door open. Everyone went inside and Jack slammed the door shut. They continued to run down the hallway until they reached towards the end.

Once they were at the end, Jack grabbed the handle and swung the door open. Just as every pony went through the doorway, Jack heard the door on the other side of the hallway bust open. At the end of the hallway, the room lit up in a blazing light. Jack felt exasperated by the two demons still hot on their trail. He growled and went inside the door. Just as he slammed the door, a huge pair of hands unexpectedly seized Jack. He jolted in surprise and looked behind him. It was the same lindworm from before, holding Jack hostage. The lindworm glared at him with its cold and murderous eyes. Jack struggled to break free from its grasp, but to no avail. The ponies swerved their heads around to see Jack in the possessions of Fluttershy's worst nightmare. At that sudden moment, Rarity gasped with horror.

"Jack!" She hollered. Rarity rushed towards the lindworm to save Jack; however, an unknown object suddenly smacked Rarity hard across the head. She yelped from the pain she received. The force on the impact flung Rarity a few feet across. Once Rarity absorbed the impact, she saw the headless ogre again twirling Sweetie Belle around like a flail. Applejack's eyes were drawn back from seeing Sweetie Belle being used like that, as she was left bamboozled.

"Whuh… Sweetie… Belle?!" The cowpony stammered. At that moment, a hoof was placed on Applejack's shoulder pad. She jolted in fear and swerved her whole body around. Applejack was once more left bamboozled as she now faced a red stallion wearing a yoke and a cropped tail. Her jaw quivered from the unexpected surprise.

"Big Macintosh! W-What in tarnations you doin' here?" She asked. But despite the unexpected reunion, Big Macintosh didn't quite look normal. His pupils were gray and lifeless. There were ticks and variations of spiders crawling all over his mane. Some parts of his body was covered in mud, while his hooves were stained with blood. Big Macintosh's lifeless eyes slowly trailed down to make eye contact with Applejack. He looked stolid in a way that made Applejack feel uncomfortable.

"Nothin' sis. Just doin' mah job 'ere.” Macintosh replied, as he spoke tepidly. “Getting rid of all the bad apples I can find just like you said. Eeeyep. No sleep, no rest, and nooo disturbances fer me… just the good ol' exterminator." At that moment, he leaned his head over to meet Applejack's forehead. He kept staring at her with his soulless eyes.

"And it appears I found yet another one of them bad apples. Eeeyep! Time to get back to work…" He said with a dull voice. In an instant, Big Macintosh lifted his left hoof and swung at her sister with a hook punch. But Applejack reacted just at the right time to evade the attack by leaping backwards. Applejack lowered her head and positioned herself in a fighting stance.

"Big Macintosh! What in the hay is goin' on in your head?! I'm your sister!" Applejack said with fear developing within her. She hoped that she would get some reasonable answers from him. But Big Macintosh only responded by shaking his head.

"Nnnope! Just a plain ol' rotten apple I see." Spoke the insane stallion. While the two apple relatives stood off against each other, Rainbow Dash was missing out on all the action. Her wings were ready to take flight to save her friend's lives. But just as she was about to take off, the infamous party pony pounced right on top of Dash in a blink of an eye. Dash was held down firmly by Pinkie's weight and couldn't move an inch. Pinkie Pie giggled at her with excitement.

"Ooooh goodie! Your back! You're a slippery little son of a gun aren't ya? Well guess what?! While you were gone, I just made up my VERY OWN THEME SONG!! Wanna listen to it?! Huh?! Huh?! Huh?! Really?! Okie dokey lokie! Here it goes!" Pinkie giggled innocently. Then she heaves her breath and sang.

"Pinkamenia, Pinkamenia!"
"Pinkamenia Diane Pie!"
"Pinkamenia, Pinkamenia!"
"Also known as Pinkie Pie! HORRAY!"

"She's funny, happy, and so nice, She barely can contain it!"
"She will make you laugh and giggle, there is no way to maintain it!"
"To maintain it, To maintain, To maintain, To maintaaaain! YIPPE!"

"Pinkamenia, Pinkamenia!"
"She will bake some cupcakes out of you!"
"Pinkamenia, Pinkamenia!"
"She will gut you up for treats to chew!"
"For when your number comes up today, she will find you and take you away!"
"Pinkamena, here she coooooooooomes!! YEAH!"

At the end of her disturbing song, she laughed and snorted joyfully. Rainbow Dash was left speechless as her heart pounded like mad. With Pinkie Pie staring at Dash with wide eyes, her scalpel was ready to dive into Dash's skin. On the other side of the room, Fluttershy was standing still and stared at her greatest fear once more. Her body was frozen in terror from the lindworm's reappearance. All she could do was watch the lindworm trying to devour Jack in one bite. Jack held and pushed against the beast's mouth; preventing it from devouring him up. Looking at the lindworm's massive mouth, Fluttershy couldn't gaze at it anymore. She turned her head away from the scene and let out a few tears of shame. She felt weak, helpless, and useless. Fluttershy was about to give up on herself until a single memory popped out of nowhere.

"So be strong and face your challenges head on when they present it to you. Or regret everything with your life." Jack's voice lingered in her head. At that moment, Fluttershy shot her eyes open. Her loss of motivation and determination were brought back to life. Realizing the situation, she was the only one that could make a difference. Regaining her strength, Fluttershy turned back to the lindworm bravely. She then shot 'The stare' right at the beast's eyes. Slowly trotting towards her greatest fear, her heart drummed like never before.

"HEY!" She yelled, trying to get the beast’s attention. The lindworm eyed at Fluttershy with its cold threatening eyes. The two stared off each other in a contest. Almost immediately, the lindworm slowly slithered backwards. Its eyes were trembling from the near mental breakdown. Fluttershy's stare seemed to pierce into the target's brain. It began to hiss and growl at Fluttershy. But it didn't affect her at all, as she kept staring at it with her disturbing eyes.

"YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE! You think you can do whatever you want, can you?! Did your mother teach you any manners at all?! What would she say if you were getting into trouble?! If I were her, you would be in a heap of trouble!" She yelled while giving a painful yet cheesy lecture. The lindworm slowly pulled Jack away from its mouth, as it kept hissing at her. Fluttershy stomped her hoof to the ground.

"PUT HIM DOWN… NOW!!" She ordered. With no hesitations, the lindworm released Jack from its grasp. Jack was left bamboozled from Fluttershy's explosive rage. He'd never expect her to snap out like that, let alone face up to her greatest fear with no sign of fright. As much as Jack wants to envy Fluttershy's bravery, his attention was brought back to the door next to him. The door banged really loudly with the sound of cries of desires behind it. In just a split second, the door banged a second time. This time, the door burst open revealing the illusions of desires. And behind them were the two dreaded demons. Spitfire was the first to rush into the room. Right away, she spotted Dash being pinned down to the ground by Pinkie Pie. Pinkie was about to jab the bloody scalpel into Dash's arm when Spitfire bashed Pinkie off to the side.

"Get lost you whore bag! Dash is mine!" She scornfully yelled at Pinkie. She took Pinkie's place and pinned Dash down. Spitfire gazed at Dash with her black pupil dots.

"Oooooh! My pussy is sooo fired up!” Exaggerated Spitfire. “First, I'm gonna punish you naughty filly by whipping you! Mmmmmh… second, you and me… are going to do some extreme intercourses that's been passed down by the Wonderbolts. And finally… oh my… FINALLY… I'll show you Dashie… why my name is Spitfire! Hehehe… I'm gonna enjoy second of this!" She muttered while licking her whip stick. She raised her whip up in the air while aiming towards Dash's chest. She was about to strike when Pinkie Pie returned with a bash of her own. Spitfire pivoted on the ground with her whip rolling off to the side. She got back up and glared at the enraged party pony.

"Hey! I told you to get lost you ass!" She growled at the party pony. Pinkie shook her head violently in disagreement.

"No, no, no, no, no! Dashie and I were gonna make some cupcakes together! How dare you interrupt our fun! I challenge you off to a duel!" At that moment, Spitfire displayed her sinister smirk.

"Well bring it, bitch! Whoever wins gets Dashie all to herself! GO!" Spitfire announced and charged at the pink pony. Pinkie Pie leapt over Dash and sprinted towards Spitfire. They both clashed in a brutal hoof fight. While the two were occupied, Dash got up to her hooves and ran away. Just a few feet away from the catfight, the three celebrity ponies spotted Rarity, locked in combat against the dreaded ogre and Sweetie Belle. Photo Finish held her puke in as she saw how disgusting the ogre looked.

"Uuugh! Zis iz ruining mai tewenty tewenty visioun! Lewk haow preposteruz zat thing is!" Photo Finish said with a grimace look on her face. Sapphire Shores replied back at Photo Finish with a nod.

"I know that feelin' darling. But still, Rarity is what the public needs! We must do something!" Sapphire Shores informed. But as Hoity Toily gazes at the headless brute, he began having repugnant thoughts. He took a few steps back and shivered in disgust.

"Uuuhg! You ladies do whatever you please; I'm not going over there and… get my polished hooves all grimy! After all, Rarity obviously refus-" Hoity Toily was interrupted by Photo Finish's babbling.

"Yew sir, aur jaust disgraceful! Acting like a little baeby! Vhy don't yew show some dighnetey, yew impewdent scoundrael!" Bickers the photographer pony. Hoity Toily gasped at the insult she threw at him.

"Oh! How dare you! I'll have you know I have the instinct of criticizing those that I hate!" Hissed Hoity Toity. Both Photo Finish and Hoity Toily began exchanging insults at each other while Sapphire Shores backed away and watched the two square off. While they were arguing, the headless ogre paused its pursuit. It overheard the two raging ponies argument, as the ogre is using Sweetie Belle’s ears to listen. Since the ogre cannot see, it must hear out its prey. With their voices preoccupying Rarity's breaths, it turned its body around and heads straight towards the celebrity ponies. It stomped loudly over towards the celebrity ponies with Sweetie Belle ready to be bashed around. Sapphire Shores was the only one noticing the ogre was storming over here. She backed up a few steps with her eyes darting from side to side.

"Uuuh… darlings? W-We W-We got company!" She mumbled in intimidation. But the two just simply ignored her and kept babbling with each other. A few feet away from Rarity, Applejack kept evading Big Macintosh's attacks. Applejack never thought that this Macintosh had so much stamina. He wasn't even breaking a sweat. He just kept coming back at her sister with a sadistic mind. Applejack's stamina gauge was wearing off by the passing second. She felt like her strength was just about to give up on her. Finally, after dodging series of attacks, Big Macintosh finally delivered a blow to Applejack's noggin. She pivoted on the ground while her body rolled a few feet.

Big Macintosh slowly trotted over to Applejack. He stared at her with the lifeless expression on his face. When he was next to her sister, Big Macintosh snorted real loudly. Applejack curled her legs to her body. Her heart rate skyrocketed, as things looked bleak for her.

"W-Wait… y-y-you can't do this! I-I'm… I'm your sister!" She spoke in a fearful state. She hoped that she could snap Big Macintosh back into reality. However, the fact that he was nothing but an illusive concept of horror made things look even more hopeless. Big Macintosh snorted again and lifted his right hoof up the ground. He aimed his hoof right towards her defenseless sister. Applejack shut her eyes and prepares herself for pain.

"Yeeouch!" Screamed Big Macintosh in pain. Applejack immediately opened her eyes and spotted a swarm of plague beetles surrounding Big Macintosh. One by one, the plague beetles leaped and latched onto his body. Big Macintosh stood up on two legs and began to retreat backwards. The weight of the beetles made him tip to side to side. After a number of beetles were latched onto Big Macintosh, he fell on his back. At that moment, the army of plagued beetles immediately swarmed all over his entire body. A handful of beetles went inside Big Macintosh's mouth and nostrils. He screamed in agony as the beetles savagely began eating away his insides. Soon, his whole body was engulfed until he was nothing but a black blob. After a few seconds, the beetles devoured his entire body leaving only his skeletal remains.

Applejack screamed in fear from the sights of the beetles doing. She quickly got back up her hooves and ran off to the side. With Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack free from their conflicts, Fluttershy and Jack were up against Faronael and his wicked aura. His raging constellational body gave an uneasy tension in Fluttershy's mind. He glared at his future wife with the tendency of forcing her to marry him.

"Fluttershy… thou must insist. Become who you were meant to be… join me… in an everlasting peace and harmony… or thou shall meet destiny by force!" His voice aggressively rose. With little strength left from standing against the lindworm, Fluttershy declined his offer by swerving her head away from him. From that act, Faronael's constellation body lit up even fiercer. Jack had his hand ready to pull out his collapsible steel bo-staff for when Faronael decide to attack. But all of a sudden, an unknown huge fire projectile immediately shot Faronael’s body. His body disintegrated and turned from a raging celestial entity into a pile of ashes in just a blink of an eye.

Fluttershy and Jack tick their heads in surprise. They both look over to the side and spot the two shadowy demons hovering in midair. The two glared at Jack with their intimidating, red glowing eyes. The male shadowy demon once again as he pointed his finger at Jack.

"You… arrogant… cretin! Such punishment… shall… not… be ignored!" His voice violently rose. The eerie waves they emitted from their aura grew more intense by the passing second. Jack's head started to sweat from the suffocating tension. With his sanity almost depleted, he began to back up slowly. His eyes were locked in a traumatizing state. He felt the rage, the madness, and the chaos burning up inside him. With the tension rising, the shadowy demons commenced a dueling cast. Both were back to back with their heads held up high. The aura slowly formulated into a flaming tornado. Beneath the two was a small maelstrom with an endless sizzling pit in the center. The whole room shook violently. The temperature rose even more dramatically with the feeling of uncontrollable rage. And everyone in the room felt the fear and anger from the demon's unholy aura.

With Jack's last bit of sanity still lingering inside of him, his sanity managed to snap him out of his traumatizing state. He turned around and hurried straight for the exit. Fluttershy slowly backed up from the shadowy demons and went after Jack. While they were heading towards the exit, the room shook more violently. It felt like there's was a cataclysm coming their way. The two demons glared at Jack, as they began to chuckle sinisterly.

"YOUR PAST… SHALL LINGER… WITHIN YOU… FOREVER!!" Both demons yelled in unison. At the exit door, both Fluttershy and Jack saw Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack holding the door for them. They sprinted towards the exit at their maximum speed. At that moment, the aura around the two demons slowly vacuumed the whole area. The gust of wind was so powerful; it felt like the inside of a hurricane. Almost simultaneously, everyone except Fluttershy and Jack were starting to be sucked into the endless maelstrom beneath the two shadowy demons. The air became very thick for them to catch their breaths. While the air was thick, the ground started to make large fissures.

With time almost up, Jack and Fluttershy focused all of their energies into their escape. The wind began to pick up speed, the maelstrom's size increased, and the heat intensified. They both struggled to resist being pulled in the maelstrom. But finally, Fluttershy managed to grab hold of Applejack's hooves. The girls managed to pull her towards the exit, leading her to safety. But just as Fluttershy was out of the room, Jack suddenly tripped himself. At that moment, his memories of his life flashed right before his eyes. It was the end. He felt like it was all over now. All the pain he suffered, the cruelty he faced, and the madness he endured came crashing in his mind all at once.

But just when all hope was lost for Jack, a hoof managed to grab hold onto his hand. He looked up and saw Rainbow Dash holding on to his hand. He felt surprised to see a miracle presented itself. With the ponies helping each other out, they pulled in Jack towards the exit. During that moment, a loud explosion erupted from behind. The two shadowy demons erupted their massive aura into one colossal blast. When they got Jack up to safety, they all immediately slammed the door. At that sudden moment, the explosion sound suddenly faded from existence. The room filled the soundscape with dead silence once more. Everyone was lying on the ground, panting heavily from a near death experience. From all the tensions they've encountered, the ponies felt like getting the hell out of this place. But alas, they rested easily… for now.

(Authors note: Pinkie Pie's theme song is dedicated to Willy Wonka's Welcome theme.)

Chapter 10: The Boy Who Shouldered Scars

Chapter 10: The Boy Who Shouldered Scars

"My god… *Pant*… that… was too close…" Jack said, as he heavily panted for breath. His hands shook from the intensity of his hatred hallucinations. His blood pressure was racing like a maniac. And his body felt sore like never before. But Jack came prepared for any situation. He struggled his way down to his right pouch and pulled out a tablet bottle. He unscrewed the cap and pulled out a blue colored tablet. He placed it in his mouth and swallowed the tablet. After the tablet went down his throat, Jack inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. With the medicine almost immediately kicking in, Jack's muscles begun to relax. Each time he breathed in and breathed out, he felt more and more calm. The ponies got back their strengths from the intense encounter they faced. Applejack sighed in relief as she stood back up.

"Golly… that was the wildest episode I've ever faced! Even… even wilder than the crazy nightmare I had not too long ago. I was strapped on some sort of rack… and… I saw you gals just sittin' there doin' nothin'. And then Apple Bloom came in… with a knife… and… started to eat mah insides… and…" While she tried to recall the memories of her recent nightmares, Rainbow Dash reeled her eyes back in shock.

"W-Wait… you actually were there?! B-But… how?! We thought you were just an illusion back there… how in Equestria did you know all of this?!" Dash asked. Applejack replied with a shrug. At that moment, Jack stood back up and sighed in relaxation. He looked at Applejack with a serious face.

"It's… a bit complicated to explain. But basically, it's like this. While the fog does senses and manifests the illusion on any user, it also comes with a side effect. Some of the illusions we faced were actually... real fractured essences.” As Jack continued, he cracked his tired neck. “In order to form, maintain, and control the personality traits of an appearance of a real living being, the fog must search the exact essence within our world and drag it in the Illusion Quarter, leaving the victim's body unconscious for the full duration until its dismissal. Throughout that process, the essence experiences what transpires within those rooms.

“How the fog responds and reacts to the fractured essence really depends on the user's perspective mind. In other words, whatever real living beings you met in there… they too have experienced it. Your friend… Pinkie Pie, was it? She was shown the vision of the encounter… even when she's conscious or unconscious. Same thing to you too… Applejack. It's all but a nightmare vision you were forced to experience. It's the only flaw we have from using the Illusion Quarter."

The explanation Jack spoke dumbstruck the ponies, leaving them confused and puzzled. After a few seconds to understand it all, Rarity came to a conclusion.

"So… what you're saying is… after all the things Sweetie Belle did in there… did… did she somehow… saw what happened in there? A-and if so… *Gasp*" Rarity gasped in horror after she understood the explanation. She slowly collapsed to the ground and started to weep. The thought of the horrific events Sweetie Belle had to watch made Rarity sick.

"Oh, my poor, poor Sweetie Belle! She didn't deserve this at all! If… if only I were a nicer sister… none of this would've happened! Oh Sweetie Belle… my one and only sister… forgive me!!" Rarity cried out. At that point, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash finally understood what Jack meant and felt the same sorrow Rarity was experiencing now. Dash squinted her eyes as she began upwelling in tears.

"Oh gosh… Scootaloo. I sure hope your doing okay… I… I'm so sorry…" Dash mumbled in sorrow. Then she let her tears come out, before weeping.

At the entrance to the Everfree Forest, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were recently left unconscious by an unknown force. All the three fillies started to regain consciousness after the events that transpired in the Illusion Quarter. Scootaloo's body felt numb from all the pain and fear she endured during her vision. She tried to stand up, but the horror she experienced weighed her down. Tears were already escaping her eyes from the encounter with Gilda. But she wasn't the only one; Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were too in the same state Scootaloo was in. All three fillies curled up their bodies and cried in torment. They cried so hard, they started to develop the hiccups. Apple Bloom sniveled her wet nostrils and stared at her fallen friends.

"I… I had the scariest nightmare! I was eating mah sister… while she begged fer mercy! Why would I wanna dream somethin’ like that?! I wanna go home… *Hic!* I'm so scared…!" Apple Bloom whimpered. Scootaloo stared at Apple Bloom and slowly noded her head in agreement.

"Y-Yeah… me too! A-and I had a nightmare as well! This griffon… was beating me up… while Rainbow Dash… stood there and did nothing to save me… *Hic!*" Scootaloo cried while her lips quivered. Both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo spotted Sweetie Belle weeping away. Her hooves covered her eyes as she cried.

"I… I-I dreamed that… that I was attacking… my sister! The way… I attacked her… it felt scary! I-I… I… waaaaaaahahaaaa!" Sweetie Belle bawled out. At this point, all of the three fillies resumed their cries in fear. The thought of recapping their nightmare memories, made their hearts sank. The louder they cried, the more misery it drove inside their minds. Soon, the feeling of pain, fear, and suffering they've experienced overwhelmed their thoughts. They couldn't help themselves but to continue crying and weeping. It is as though they've felt the extent of their fear. While the fillies helplessly cried, the distant sound of flapping wings became noticeable. A shadow flew passed the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The shadow that loomed over them startled the fillies.

At that moment, they felt like their lives were in jeopardy. They sat perfectly still; their ears perked up as they listened to the sound gradually become louder. They looked up, but found nothing in the sky. Suddenly, a loud thump came from behind them. The Cutie Mark Crusaders swerved their heads around and screamed in terror. However, the screams came to a complete stop. They spotted a cross-eyed grey pegasus with a yellow mane, and bubbles for a cutie mark. The fillies gasped in unison.

"Derpy Hooves!" They yelled out. All three of the fillies scared façade cease when comfort had just arrived. Derpy was a friendly, yet a not so bright pegasus. Her crossed eyes could speak for themselves. And on top of that, there was a banana muffin resting on top of Derpy's head. Her left eye was fixated on the three fillies, while the right eye kept watch on the muffin on top of her head. The grey pegasus smiled at the fillies and saluted to them with her hoof.

"Mission complete, sir! We have found our objective!" Derpy said proudly to herself. Just when she said the word, 'We', it left the Cutie Mark Crusaders confused. Is she not alone? Is someone else with her? The fact that Derpy can be random at sometimes, this leaves the fillies into questioning. Apple Bloom cocked her head while tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

"Whah… we? Who's we?" She asked in confusion. The grey dim-witted pegasus let out a girlishly giggle. She grabbed the muffin that was sitting on her head and present it to the crusaders.

"Why Commander Banana Puff and I, of course! The princess sent us out on a mission to find you girls," Derpy said while bringing the muffin closer to the crusaders. "And boy we were lucky too! He's a good tracker when it comes to a searching mission! Though," Derpy paused herself for a brief moment. She craned her neck over to the side looking a little embarrassed. What has gotten into her mind this time was a complete mystery to the crusaders. Then, Derpy leaned her head about level with them. The cutie mark crusaders carefully perked their ears wide open. Then, Derpy whispered, "He's a bit clumsy sometimes. So don't mention that to him… you'll hurt his feelings."

Derpy raised her head back up to her level and smiled ever so brightly. The three fillies were left dumbstruck from the absolute randomness. Confusion flashed across the crusader's faces. Never in their lives they had experienced this much mystification presented to them. But just as they were getting off the main topic, Scootaloo snapped out of the trance and brought back up the situation.

"Please! Derpy, I can't feel my legs anymore! I wanna go home!" Begged the helpless filly. When Scootaloo brought up the topic again, the other two fillies nodded their heads at Derpy. They all were anxious to return to their homes and pray that their friends and loved ones would soon return. When Derpy heard her cue, she placed the muffin back on top of her head and saluted to herself.

"Righto! Just climb on my back and we will escort you to Ponyville in no time at all!" She said, while looking all pumped up. Once the fillies were loaded on Derpy's back, the grey pegasus took flight and headed straight towards home.

It's been ten minutes since the events in the Illusion Quarter had quiet down. All the horrific memories they had in that atrocious room were now behind them. They all were focused back to the task at hand. With Jack leading the way, the ponies followed after him. While they walked, the ponies whispered to one another. Carrying quiet conversations, it became clear that the volume was too noticeable. Jack was agitated to hear the ponies talking about him. They secretly questioned one another about Jack's rotten attitude and mysterious intentions. Additionally, the volume had become so loud enough; it drove Jack's solitude mind to a boil. He turned his head a little to the side and glared at the ponies behind him.

"Hey, stop whispering. You're giving us away to the enemies around us." Jack whispered back to them irritated. Rainbow Dash was the first to pause herself from the conversation. However; instead of being brought down by Jack's orders like a slave would, she unexpectedly glared at him in return.

"So what?" Dash replied with her volume rising. "We got you to protect us. There's nothing wrong about a little conversation to lift our spirits up just a bit. And besides, I still didn't receive a thanks from you back there." Dash expected him to express his gratitude to her. Jack rolled his eyes and grunted in frustration.

"Thanks. Now be quiet." He spoke in a rude tone. The gratitude he gave out was not what Dash had in mind. It almost sounded like an insult. It sickened her by thinking the trouble she went through to saving his life. But just before Rainbow Dash could raise a grievance about the way she's being treated, Applejack suddenly took her place.

"Now just hold on there, you! Rainbow Dash here saved yer sorry life! And yet, you just shove her to the side like a rag doll! Who do you think you are?!" She thundered, while rage began to boil up inside her head. The way she stood up to Rainbow Dash was very promising. At that moment, Jack came to a complete stop. He just stood there silently, unable to focus on the task at hand. He stared at the ground and curled his fists in. Applejack didn't stop there; she continued her campaign to defend her friend's honor.

"Why, out of all the people I've ever met, you are the most cold hearted person there is!" While Applejack continued her criticism, Jack's fists shook in cold anger.

"Shut up…" He mumbled to himself, containing his rage. Applejack didn't hear his warning and pressed on with the criticism.

"You never care about us, ponies! It's just all about you, isn't it?! Can't you just at least show us a least bit of gratitude and sympathy? It's bad enough that our other two friends are in great danger, but using your ignorant behavior towards us is just too much! But you don't care… you don't even care at all! Face it; you're just a stubborn, disrespectful, arrogant little-" All of a sudden, she was cut off by Jack. He swerved his body around and swung his arm to the side.

"SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP!!" Jack roared in anger. The uproar of rage startled the ponies. It made them back up a few steps. Jack's head was infuriated by the insults he received. His muscles tensed up with a blood vein popping up on his head. Clenching his teeth, he glared in seething rage at the ponies.

"You don't have the right to talk to me like that! You all don't know me… you all will never understand me! I didn't want to save your sorry assess in the first place! I NEVER EVEN ASKED FOR THIS!!" Jack screeched in anger, leaving the ponies frightened by his wrath. All the ponies froze in fear from the outburst of wordless rage. While Jack glared at the ponies, he slowly turned his body back around, giving off pressuring grunts.

"The fact that I'm like this is because my life is a living hell! I lived with no contentment, no grace, and no harmony! I wasn't shown ANY mercy, not even the slightest pity was given! This feeble life that weighs on my shoulders is just too unbearable! Everyday is just the same as always! Just a cold and ruthless world I have to endure…" At that moment, Jack's rage began to wane. His muscles all over his body started to loosen up.

"And… I still don't even know why I'm living. The only thing that's lifting me up… is vengeance. I asked myself, 'Why couldn't I just end myself right now?' countless of times. It’s maddening enough I can't come up with an answer… let alone find a bit of comfort in this god-forsaken world." While Jack has the opportunity to calm down, he did his best to cool his simmering rage. Fluttershy couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She always knew that something was wrong with Jack’s life. And since this could be the perfect time to learn Jack’s life, Fluttershy was prepared to lend him a hoof. She gathered her courage and spoke carefully.

"J-Jack…? What happened? Why is your life so miserable?" She asked, with a bit of dismal. The other ponies were suddenly interested in listening to his pitiful life. No one spoke a word for a few moments. They gave him time to come up clear and clean. When it felt like a minute had passed by, Jack gave a sigh in depression.

"Those… shadowy demons we faced in the Illusion Quarters. They… they were my parents." The ponies gasped from the dramatic twist. After they gasped, Jack continues on.

"Or so I picture them… since I haven't really saw them for a very long time. Oooh… how much I hated them is beyond your imaginings. But, it wasn't just me that they hated… it was also Zalgo. Every hundred of years, on the very beginning of the first of January, Zalgo enters inside the very first infant that's been brought into this world. And when that happens… the people ordered an execution on the infant to prevent an apocalypse." Once more, the ponies gasped in horror. This lead them all into thinking, "Why isn't he killed if he's the avatar that the archbishop claimed?" Just before anypony could ask, Jack immediately continued on.

"You see, I was the first to be born on the first of January. But… miraculously… they let me live for an unknown purpose. But, it wasn't soon that I realize why they did it." Jack sighed and stared at the ceiling.

"I once lived in a town called, 'Graniteville'. It's located within the center of Mild West. Its population was at its standards. It even got its name for the granite they discovered at a nearby mine. Anyways… Graniteville existed for more than four hundred years. It is also where… that damned archbishop used to live. Herald Matronly Patio… one of the worlds famous Archbishop there is. He is the one that baptized me… and also…" As he paused, he gave a depressing sigh. He turned around to face the ponies. Then, he used both hands to grab his shirtwaist. With his arms overlapping each other, he lifted the shirt up. Once the shirtwaist was at his neck level, he held it still. The ponies gasped in shock from what they were seeing.

On Jack's flat abdomen area revealed several hypertrophic scar lines, that all took the shape of an eye symbol. It was the same exact symbol that's been scrawled on the steel door leading to the Illusion Quarter. The scars looked outrageously infected, as if they haven't been treated at all. After a few seconds of showing the symbol that's been engraved on his abdomen, he continued his story.

"He is the one that engraved this on my abdomen during scarification. This symbol represents, 'The Eye of Eternal Darkness' which is the concept of Zalgo. I had this symbol ever since I was first born. The pain was so overwhelming; I can still feel it stinging today." At that moment, Jack turned his body around to reveal his back view. On his slender back had tons of severe scar lines all over it. The scars were a little different from the hypertrophic scars he had on his abdomen. They were a little bit more infected and swollen. Several tiny portions of dried skin hanged over the jagged areas. After another brief moment for the ponies to gasp in shock once more, Jack picked up where he left off.

"These… on the other hand, were given to me every birthday I had in Granitville. Herald used a razor sharp whip to lash my back. Every year, I receive the number of lashes depending on my number of age. As you can see, there are a total of forty-five lashes. Which means, I received nine years of merciless lashing. No one even cared to tend my wounds. I had to deal with those scars by letting them heal on their own." He gave another depressing sigh, letting his shirtwaists go. Once his shirt covered his back, he pressed on with his story.

"Pain… suffering… hatred… fear… sorrow… and despair. Those six things have been torturing my existence ever since. All the comfort in the world was out of my grasp. The children called me horrific names, threw hurtful objects at me, and even beat the living crap out of me. It was just too agonizing to accept my fate. But, the worst part of my life… were my parents. They treated me with contempt and uncaring more than anyone in Graniteville. My mother abused me by painfully thrashing me. And my father tortured me with his vile ways of disdain and cruelty. While fear and suffering overtook my life, deep down, I developed a delirious feeling of anger and hatred over the years towards my parents and everyone that lived within the city. The only comfort I ever received in my life was from my older brother… Jared Armstrong." Jack's fists curled up from mentioning that name.

"Jared… was… what you might say… a stolid person. Jared never expressed any feelings towards me. He always had that dour facial expression on his face, and submissively stared at me every time we make eye contact. But on the brighter note, he was the one that secretly taught me how to walk on my two legs. He also taught me the ways to speak properly, while he sometimes gave me some helpful advice. And he always provided me scraps of food and water. Though, he always talked to me with a tepid attitude. I really never understood Jared's personality… but it didn't concern to me at anyway. Everyday was the same for me. I hid myself from the people, gathered up as much food and water as I could, and survive the outcome. It was a rinse and repeat process… until… that fateful night came."

At that moment, Jack stopped talking. All of his anger, hatred, and frustrations were now simmering down. He just stood there silently as the next words were logged down deep inside of him. His eyelids squint, along with his fists shaking as he was struggling to continue his story. Many memories and thoughts raced through his mind, and he kept reliving the horrible events that transpired at Granitville. It almost felt like an endless cycle of torment to him. While seconds silently went by, Jack just stood there wordlessly. Anxious to listen to more of his past, Rarity leaned her body forward from anticipation.

"What night, darling?" Rarity asked. Then Rainbow Dash supported Rarity's question further.

"Yeah, what happened? What happened on that night, Jack?" Dash asked earnestly. The ponies stood silently, waiting for Jack to continue. It took a few more seconds for them to see him react. When Jack finally had the strength to cough up his words, he stared up at the ceiling again.

"It was the night… of my tenth birthday, and the night of my execution. I was hiding and sleeping inside a secret place only I discovered. The people in Granitville were just about to hunt me down and put me out of my misery… when suddenly, the town started to shriek in terror. When I heard the town's uproar, I awoke and went to see what was going on. When I arrived at the scene, I saw the whole town engulfed in a fiery blaze of madness.” As Jack continued, the ponies were left speechless from this point on. “The people were inexplicably turned against each other in a brutal onslaught. The cries of death echoed across the town, blood colored the streets in a vulgarly display, hundreds of corpses of women and children lied perished on the streets, and the buildings collapsed upon its destructive wake. It was the spitting image of hell's wrath you might say. I asked myself if this was my doing. It was maddening to even believe that the monster inside of me did this. While the town was on the brink of annihilation, I took this opportunity to gather up the supplies I could find and escape from this town. And when I was just about to head out into the cold desert, I spotted my brother." Jack lowered his head and sighed.

"He was on his knees what appears to be crying. His hands covered his bloody eyes. I felt a little worried about his condition. But just as I approached him, he started threatening me. Strangely, I can still remember those words he spoke. He muttered, 'Run away you fool! Live your pathetic life in solitude! Nyarlathotep is coming!'. With no time to think, I ran away from Granitville. As I ran away, I left all my haunted memories there to rot, along with the horrible experiences I have endured. Into the cold and ruthless desert I go, I wandered the endless wasteland aimlessly. I walked hundreds of miles across the desert with little food and water. My aching feet started to weigh me down, while my throat was burning from dehydration. I could barely see where I was going due to my condition. As the days went by, the heat of the sun slowly drove my mind insane. And on top of that, I kept hearing dark whispers inside my head. A demon named Nyarlathotep, the name my brother mentioned, kept whispering about my sins and my demise. And how I am supposed to be what he's searching for. I tried to ignore the maddening whispers, but it slowly fed off pieces of my humanity.

"I was just about to give up myself to death's hands, when I just came across another town. I found relief in myself… but also confusion as well. There was no one around… but… ponies. There were mares and stallions in human cloths, as they walked around the town like normal citizens. Plus, they had the ability to speak English in a western accent. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, but I trusted my instincts that this was no illusion. With bad experiences of meeting and communicating with others, I quietly snuck up aboard what appeared to be an operational train. I hid inside one of the cargoes that carried food and water. I had no idea where the train took me, but I didn't even care. I rode on that train for what seemed to be like two days. Each night, the nightmares of Granitville haunted me. I could barely sleep with myself any longer. Not even crying myself to sleep helped anymore. It is as though this was my eternal punishment." While Jack's story went on, the ponies felt more and more empathy towards him. They came to an understanding conclusion that everything he puts them through wasn't his fault. While they silently pitied him, Jack's story went on uninterrupted.

"Eventually, the train unexpectedly bumped into an object that shook the whole cargo. I fell out the cargo and plummet down a pond below. Luckily, I survived the fall. Once I swam out of the pond, I found myself in the middle of the forest. I felt a little amazed to see something more different than the desert itself. But, I had no time to admire its stunning features, as I had to continue to search for my true salvation. Deep inside the forest, I began to feel that I was lost. The forest grew darker the deeper I went in. For the first time in my life, I felt scared for myself, rather than being scared at anything else. I can already feel myself breaking down inside. Eerie howls of bloodthirsty creatures echoed everywhere I turned. It felt like this forest would be my grave to sleep in. But suddenly, there was a loud sound of explosion. Then, a mysterious sign appeared on the sky. It looked as if it was… some sort of a rainbow sonic boom."

At that moment, the ponies gasped quietly as they knew what he saw. Rainbow Dash heaved her head in surprise.

"My Sonic Rainboom…" Dash quietly recalled to herself. She was recalled the event during her race to defend Fluttershy's honor. She made the legendary Sonic Rainboom, which helped the other main five to get their own Cutie Marks. While Rainbow Dash reminded herself that event, Jack's story continued.

"It was the most breathtaking thing I've ever seen in my entire life. But at the same time, I was also frightened too. The shock of admiration was very new to me. I had no idea that my body would react like that. Desperately, I had to follow the source of that colorful sonic boom. Miraculously, the sonic boom lead me to a small city. It was known as, 'Aerithian City'. It was a filthy and dangerous place to be… even the darkest alleys sent a chill down to my spine. Due to my problems with associating with people, I made myself a home underneath a highway bridge. While I took a tour around the city, I stumbled upon several local school buildings. When the schools were closed, I stole the books and documents from the classrooms. During my time, I studied the fundamentals of English, Math, Writing, Reading, Science, History, and many more necessities to survive the world. I was thankful that I had the ability to grasp new concepts very quickly.

"I've lived in Aerithian City for four years. I felt a little comfort living within the city… but it didn't help with my real life issues. Everything went on as usual… until… the day blackened once more. Buildings were collapsing onto one another; the shrieks of terror echoed all over the streets, and signs of death were everywhere. I thought my nightmares came back to haunt me once more. But, I soon realized this wasn't my doing. I spotted the demon Nyarlathotep coming into the city, and turned everything he saw into his own maddening creation. The way he looked… it was just too overwhelmingly horrific to gaze upon. There were no words to describe his repugnant form. I had to escape the city, even though I might not survive the next trip towards a new home. But just when I had escaped death's grasps once more, I somehow met an unfortunate fate.” Jack paused for a moment, and sighed hollowly.

"It was an ambush, as these guys captured me unexpectedly. It was the cult of Cthulhu that took me inside this place. R'lyeh, The Lost City of Cthulhu' was once its original name. The name was the inspiration for Cthulhu’s sleeping house. Within this hideout, they would harvest souls to sate Cthulhu's endless hunger. And frightenly, I was just about to become one of their victims. However, the cult's supreme overseer, 'Lady Ursula' stepped in and observed me. Her dark eyes stared straight down into my soul… my very being… my very existence. It was one of the most frightening experiences I've ever dealt with. I thought that this would be the end of me. But, Lady Ursula said I had potential and the dedication to become a part of her cult. I was surprised that they didn't decided to kill me back then. And so, over the next four years, I became one of them." Jack stopped for a moment. He lifted his hands up to his chest level, and stared at his palms with a pale face.

"I've been taught many dark things in this place. We’ve captured and killed innocent lives for research, experiments, material supplies, and even for our amusement. But the main priority was to harvest the souls for Cthulhu's resurrection. The feeling of torturing and killing living beings actually felt… good. We've slaughtered animals, monstrous creatures, critters, and even my own kind. For the first time, I felt like I had power. My lust for vengeance was inevitable. All the pain, the hatred, and the suffering I endured in all my life, I inflicted it all upon my victims. It was a satisfying delirious feeling to experience. But… during my time in there… I also felt remorse. It's true that my fetish for pain was a delight, but I couldn't help but think about comparing my life and theirs. Whenever I see a dying victim, I picture myself as that victim. The more innocent lives we killed, the more I blame myself for it. I asked myself, 'Was there lives more severe than mine? Was this all worth for naught? Am I inflicting my wrath upon myself?' All these questions raced through my head like an angry bee swarm, eating away my humanity. While I was driven into the path of despair, I noticed a black-cloaked man walking towards our entrance." At that sudden moment, Jack's fists began shaking in anger once more.

"It was him… the avatar. After all these years, I thought I was that damned monster. His aura of absolute horror shrouded the whole place. In an instant, the cultist's eyes melted out of their eye sockets by the overwhelming waves of terror. Then, their skin slowly decayed from unspeakable hysteria, before they finally died. One by one, everyone slipped into eternal darkness. They've slowly transformed into those undead freaks we've encountered so far. Everyone but me died on that fateful night. I was the only witness during the takeover. Miraculously, Zalgo let me leave the place for an unknown purpose that I still do not understand. He whispered, 'I have witnessed your tenacity over the years. Your resilience is quite admirable, but you are still weak. Your survival means nothing. Your very existence… even less. Either flee to your wretched life, and live your final days in your own pool of sins. Or… prove to me you're more capable of defying death endless of times. Either way, there will be no shelter from my wrath. Your purpose here in this forsaken world is now over'." With Jack's rage now boiling up inside of him, he growled silently.

"Those exact words… drove me to the peak of vengeance. After all these years, I figured out who was the one responsible for ruining my life, yet I still do not know who he was. But anyway, he thought that I was worthless… that my life didn't mean anything. And yet, here I am, holding a selfish purpose to redeem myself.” While Jack continued, he simmered down once more. “After I escaped Zalgo's wrath, I took it upon myself to do something for a change. For the next two years, I've searched around the entire content for the necessary requirements. I've been learning how to do severe martial arts, properly use weapons, and study witchcraft spells to help with my path of vengeance. And now, here I am… stuck with you four… holding me back from achieving my only purpose." At that moment, the ponies were left speechless from Jack's sad and miserable past. They never knew how much suffering he was going through. It was the perfect example of the word 'Disharmony'.

Just then, the ponies suddenly heard Jack quietly weeping away. They let out a small, quiet, shocking gasp as they saw his head held up. Streams of tears ran down his cheeks slowly.

"No one ever cared about me. They think I'm just a waste of space in this world. I couldn't fit into their society… and I even couldn't be accepted as a normal person. It was just me… verses the world. It sickens me why I can't just commit suicide. I've tried countless of times… but something's always keeping me away from that. It is as though I'm being forever punished. If only I weren’t this weak and worthless, I would've made a difference right about now. But... I can’t... I can’t escape my fate... it's… it's not fair! I’m just too scared!" Jack sniveled his final words before weeping in despair. The ponies never expected Jack to break down like that, let alone making a tough person like him cry. After a few seconds of hearing him crying to himself, Jack finally faced towards the group with tearful eyes.

"You all think I'm worthless, huh? That I'm weak… and unable to fit into your kind." He wept towards the ponies. But at that moment, his face paled. He was surprised to see that the quiet ponies were shedding tears of their own. Jack never expected them to look like this. He thought that they were snickering behind them after all this time. While the ponies let out their tears, Fluttershy was the first to shake her head slowly in response.

"No… you're not weak, Jack. I never knew how terrible your life was. The way you saved me and my friends… made me feel more… safer around you." She said emotionally. Rainbow Dash sniffed her wet nose and displayed a friendly grin at Jack.

"Yeah… and the way you took out all those monster… made me think you're more… reliable." Then, Rarity and Applejack nodded their heads in agreement.

"That's right, darling.” Rarity spoke passionately. “It was unfair of us into doubting you. The way you treated Fluttershy's wounds and mine like a professional… was just stunning. It made me feel more comfortable being around you." Applejack nodded her head again.

"And how you knew to deal with situations was simply remarkable. I feel like I should put all mah trust in you. I'm mighty sorry fer makin' rude remarks about you." She said, while wiping her tears off her cheeks. The feelings that they shared had somehow lit a small spark in Jack's heart. During that spark, he felt something he never experienced before… and it felt… nice. However, he also began thinking that this could be a trickery, a set up to mess with Jack's emotions. But, the way they said their feelings towards him… it felt like they weren't lying at all. Unsure about this, Jack looked away from the group, wiping his eyes to prevent any more tears.

"Y-You all are just saying that… just to put me back in line. I'm just a bad person to you all. I can’t do anything right..." Jack murmured. After saying that, he thought that they would exactly say something like that. But, all he saw was Applejack shaking her head.

"Now that ain't true, sugarcube. Listen to me; you are not a bad person. You're a good person… just a little misguided that's all. I know you have bad experiences at communicating with others… and that's completely understandable. But I can tell… deep down inside of you, there's a scared and lost child, waiting to be rescued in there. I already know that you're a trustworthy, friendly, loyal person deep inside of you. What I'm saying is the honest truth." Applejack sniveled. At that moment, Jack's jaw dropped a bit, looking a little surprised. Kindness, Loyalty, Generosity, and now the word 'Honesty' has struck Jack's mind.

No one in his entire life had ever said something thoughtful to him. Deep in Jack's heart, the spark grew more and more brighter. It was giving him strength he never had before. And… new tears he never shed before. Jack wiped the stream of tears off of his cheek and stared at the ponies neutrally.

"A-Applejack… and Rainbow Dash…?" He called their names quietly. Both Dash and Applejack had their full attention to Jack.

"Yeah?" Rainbow Dash and Applejack asked in unison. Jack was about to say something, but it was lodged deep down in his throat.

"I-I… w-well…" He was just about ready to spit his words out, when he turned his head away from the group.

"…Thank you…" He spoke in a quiet, yet friendly tone. Both Dash and Applejack smiled at him after the way he thanked them expressively. Fluttershy and Rarity looked happy to see a little bit of light in him. After that, Jack turned around and started moving forward.

"Let's keep going…" He said submissively. The ponies nodded to one another and continued their journey. While Jack has his back turned towards the group, he managed to do something he never expected. For the very first time in his whole life, he did something he never did before. What he did while hiding his face from the group… was displaying his very first smile of happiness.

Chapter 11: The Plague Quarter

Chapter 11: The Plague Quarter

Meanwhile, at the tree library, there was a small crime scene taking place. Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria, and a few royal guards were discussing the issue at hand. Spike, who awoke from his unconscious state, explained the whole matter to the princess. He explained the disappearances of Twilight and her friends. It was a truly abysmal statement that it left the princess a little shocked and appalled. Then, she was in a pensive mood, due to the topic at hand. She looked over to Spike and made a serious face.

“I see… when was the last time you saw Twilight?” She asked. Spike replied with a shrug.

“I dunno… at the award ceremony? Twilight is never late for anything. I just know it… something bad must of happened to her… and our friends. What if…” Spike suddenly paused himself for a moment. He thought up some possibilities that could have related to this event. And at that single moment, Spike came up with a devastating possibility. He gasped in horror and stared at the princess with fear in his eyes.

“What if Discord might of broken free again?!” Just as Spike thought that his theory could be right, Celestia shook her head.

“Impossible. Discord’s imprisoned body is still in our high security vault. No magic or disharmony can penetrate its barriers. I-“ Just then, the princess was cut off by a few knocks on the door. Spike jumped in fright when the door knocked unannounced. He sighed in relief and opened the door. When he opened the door, he saw Derpy Hooves with the crusaders sleeping on her back. All three had dark bags under their eyes from the dreaded terror they experienced. Spike quietly sighed again in relief to see the crusaders unharmed. Celestia was also relieved to see them safe and sound. Celestia and Spike thanked Derpy kindly for the heroic service she’s done. The princess then used her magic to gently levitate all three fillies into the air. After that, she carefully moved them over to Twilight’s bed that was located in the upper floor room. Once the fillies were laid onto Twilight’s mattress, Celestia animated the blanket and covered their bodies up to their heads.

Spike couldn’t help but feel sorry for their mischief. All they were doing was trying to save their loved ones from any danger. After the fillies were taken care of, Celestia closed the door silently with her magic. Then, she looked over to Derpy and nodded.

“Thank you for your service, Ditzy Doo. You may now return home to your family.” Celestia said. Derpy saluted to Celestia and immediately took off into the night sky. Once Derpy was behind the clouds up in the sky, Spike closed the door and sighed in depression. Even though the crusaders were safe and sound, it still didn’t meant that Twilight and her friends were too. Celestia trotted over to the window and stared at the dark distance night.

“We will find them, Spike. I can promise you that. You just gotta have more faith in them. Like I have… when Twilight and her friends stopped Discord.” She spoke firmly, hinging on a bit of apprehensive in her tone. Spike passively listened to her words of comfort. But his heart wasn’t healing itself due to the qualms he’s having. All he could do now was hope for a miracle to happen.

Back inside the decayed and ruined catacombs, Jack and his companions faced several more undead brutes and hounds along the way, as they were heading straight towards their next goal. The dark fog became heavier and colder the deeper they went in. It is as if death had them completely surrounded. The ambience around them started to intensify. They can hear each other’s hearts beating like a drum and the thrilling breaths the ponies produced. Aside from that, they continued venturing into the unknown when they came across yet another steeled door. When they approached at the door, Jack turned to the group with a serious face.

“Alright then. So far, we managed to get passed the toughest obstacle we could ever face. But don’t congratulate yourselves yet, for there are more horrors that lie ahead.” Jack then turned his head to the door. “What we’re about to enter is the Plague Quarter. Ever since the Zalgo incident happened, a dangerous and deadly chemical accidentally broke out of its container. By now, the whole quarter is airborne with the deadly toxic. One whiff of this chemical, and you will be dead before you know it.” From the warming Jack stated frightened the ponies. Applejack merely tilted her head to the side quizzically.

“Then how are we gonna get in there without gettin’ ourselves killed?” She asked. Jack reached inside his front pouch and obtained another rolled up parchment paper. He presented it to the ponies.

“With this, of course.” Jack said. He unrolled the scroll and it revealed more inscribed demonic ritual symbols and shapes. Then, he placed the paper on the ground; along with a small portion of blood he donated from his thumb and placed it on the center of the paper. He placed his index finger on the center of the paper and stared at the ponies.

“Put your hands… hoofs… on this paper.” He said passively. But Rainbow Dash looked flummoxed as she stared at the paper.

“What is this? What are you going to do?” She asked while looking cautiously. Jack eyed at Rainbow Dash and grunted a heavy sigh.

“Just do it. It’s something we all need to enter through this door.” Jack exasperatedly replied back. With no objections, the ponies put their trust in him and placed their hooves on each corners of the paper. The ponies felt a little unsure about this, as they watched Jack’s antics unfold. Then, Jack closed his eyes for a moment, and then reopened them in an instant.

“Raka’juvu nekrome haush!!” He chanted with such vigor in his tone. The inscribed text on the paper began to glow blue. Then, each text on the entire parchment paper separated into five groups. Each group rushed forward under Jack’s hand and the ponies’ hoofs. The text then absorbed themselves into the ponies’ hoofs and Jack’s hand in an instant. Once the text was absorbed, the ponies start to cough. As the coughed, blue puffs of smoke came out of their mouths. Rarity glared at Jack while coughing out the blue puffs. He looked as though he was calmly breathing in and out through his nose.

“*Cough**Cough*… What did you do to us?! *Ack*!” Rarity gagged. Jack stared at the ponies while keeping his cool.

“*Sigh*… just stop coughing. It won’t work unless you let this chemical channel through your systems. Just relax and do what I’m doing.” He calmly replied. Jack closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Then he exhaled slowly, blowing out the blue smoke through his nose. The ponies got the idea and started to calmly breath in and out through the nose. Each inhale sent a cold sensation inside the ponies’ bodies. They can feel their muscles starting to freeze a little, their bones relaxing, and their minds being cleaned out. After a good thirty seconds of letting the effect go through their bodies, everyone but Jack shivered. Fluttershy’s teeth were chattering as her body felt a little chillier than usual.

“Brrrrr… J-J-Jack? W-W-Why a-am I-I f-f-f-reezing?” Fluttershy asked. Jack turned to Fluttershy and sighed.

“It’s the effect that’s stabilizing your entire body. With it, your immune system should be three times a stronger now. It should be strong enough to protect you from any diseases in there, especially from that deadly airborne toxic in the room. But, this effect will wear off in exactly one hour. So, we must get to the end of this quarter as soon as possible. Without any further questions, let’s go in there and hope that there won’t be any distractions.” Jack stood up and went to the door. As he grabbed the handle, the dark whisper returned, echoing across the hall once again.

“I will sing the song… through me he will sing… sing the song all day long… for him I will bring up these spawns… into this cruel world… of what we tread on… of which we’ve been hurled.”

“I will sing the song… and it will go like this.”

“Serenade the end… with the beat that you all know… the heartbeat of the earth… the song of the soul.”

“Hold on closely to your heart… for it’s the song’s rhythm… everyone is the drum… everyone is the song.”

After the dark whisper spoke, it faded away into the foggy abyss. The chilling whisper sent terror and fear within the ponies. They hardly knew that the invocation would be this frightening. While Applejack was the only one unaware of the dark whisper, the others were determined to get this whole thing over with. Jack squeezed the handle bar in anger from the whisper.

“Before you ask what that was, Applejack, just ignore it. Anyways… are you all ready?” He asked. He turned his head around to see the ponies slowly nodding back at him. Jack slowly nodded in return and turned his head away.

“Alright… let’s go.” He said, holding a bit of anger inside. Jack twisted the handle and pulled the door wide open. Light green fumes came rushing out of the doorway, as its powerful stench gagged everyone. At that moment, everyone proceeded inside the room. After everyone was inside, Jack closed the door behind him and ventured forward. Inside the room was the same structure as the construction quarter. Overflow of test tubes and vials were sitting on rusted tables. On the corner of the room laid an untouched large caldron filled with a blue brew and a few substances, floating on the surface. Bloody medical tools were scattered on one side of the room. A steel bar cage on the other side of the room contained a few dead victims. And there were hundred corpses of decayed cultists on the metal staircase and the railings. It is as if they were trying to escape the inevitable.

As Jack continued walking on the catwalk, he kicked and pushed a few corpses off the railing, just to give him some space. While the ponies observed the vulgar display, Applejack couldn’t help but ask Jack a question.

“Say uh… Jack? What’s the purpose of this whole room?” Applejack asked in curiosity. Jack kicked the last corpse off the catwalk and sighed.

“The Plague Quarter was used to test experiments and mutate victims into unholy creatures. Many unspeakable tests were held in this god-forsaken room. We tried to come up with impossible recipes, such as a potion for eternal life, an elixir with supernatural powers, even the deadliest poisons. We did; however, made one of the world’s deadliest toxic ever created. But, during the Zalgo incident, the container that held the toxic shattered and killed everyone in this Quarter. There isn’t really much to say about this room anymore… since I hate this place the most.”

A few minutes of walking the long catwalk, they reached towards the next door. Jack grabbed the handle and twisted it. The door made an eerie screeching noise as it opened. Inside the other room, the temperature rose almost instantly as they all entered through the doorway. On the bottom of the catwalk was a huge glass container that’s been burst open. There were also scattered and shattered test tubes all around the container. A green and yellow colored slime poured out of the glass container, filling the room with the disgusting scent. Dozen of corpses of cultists laid rotten in the pool of slime. Their skins were melted away, while their bones were bended in an unnatural form. And the blood around the cultists’ bodies became solidified.

At that point, the ponies got a clear idea of what that slime was and didn’t need an explanation. While they entered inside the room, everyone began hearing distressed weeping coming from below. Everyone looked down and spotted a glass dome chamber. Inside the center of the chamber contained a little filly with brown fur and a grey mane, sitting in solitude. Its back was turned away from the group while the filly cried. Jack was surprised to see that there was something still alive in this quarter room. Even for the ponies, as they gasped in horror when they saw the trapped and helpless filly sitting all alone in the chamber. It made their hearts sank to witness a scared and lonely filly. Fluttershy was the first to act as she placed her front hooves over the railing. She stared at the filly with tears ready to be let out.

“H-Hey! Hello in there!! Are you alright in there?!” She hollered with anxiety filling her heart. Almost instant, the filly paused her sobbing and removed her hooves from her eyes.

“W-Whah?! W-Who’s there?!” The filly questioned in a surprised tone. She swerved her head from left and right to see where the comforting voice was coming from. Fluttershy couldn’t resist but to holler once more to get the filly’s attention.

“Up here! Look u-“ Suddenly, Jack covered her mouth with his hands. He turned Fluttershy’s head to his face and hushed her.

“What do you think you're doing?! That filly is already dead! It’s very dangerous to let it know we’re here! We have to keep going and ignore that filly!” Jack whispered in anger, glaring at Fluttershy for her disobedience. Then Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity gasped in horror from what Jack said. They were disgusted and horrified to hear him say something like that. It even made their hearts sank even lower to even suggest such a thing. Applejack was near her limit to hold her tears back. She stomped her hoof in an angrily profound way.

“Whah?! Now you listen to me ‘ere, Jack! Why in the hay would we do such thing?! Watching one of our kind being left behind like this is just too much fer us to handle! I-“ Applejack continued, but was suddenly interrupted by the filly below. The filly spotted the gang from up the catwalk and gasped in happiness. She banged the glass dome, trying to get their attention.

“HEEEEY! HELP ME!! PLEASE!!” The filly cried out. As everyone looked back down at the filly, a shocking and disgusted gasp escaped from everyone’s mouth. The filly’s look was deceiving at first, but then it showed its true appearance. The filly was indeed dead… undead to be exact. She had a reptilian bulging eye on her left, and a swelling blood eye on the right. Her bottom lip was grotesquely distended and malformed, stretched to an absurd length. There are small clumps of hair still attached to her forehead. Parts of her body had jagged gaps on the skin, like they were recently been cut open. And her bottom left leg was bent and malformed. The ponies looked upon true horror; furthermore, their hearts sank to the bottom completely. The little filly continued to bang on the glass dome with her front hooves.

“PLEASE!! LET ME OUT!! I’M SCARED!! I MISS MY MOMMY AND DADDY!!” The filly cried out, with a tear streaming down her left eye. Then, the filly latched her upper lips against the glass dome, and began sucking on it. She revealed hundreds of sharp teeth, with chunks of her own flesh jagged between them. While her breath condensated the glass, her snake-like tongue slided against the glass, leaving a trail of blood and saliva mixed together. It was such a horrific view to behold. The ponies didn’t realize tears were streaming down their cheeks, due to the horror they’re experiencing. Fluttershy was lost of words, as they were clogged in deep within her throat. Only muffled sounds escaped through her mouth. With time running out, Jack snapped his fingers to awaken the ponies traumatized state.

“Hey! Snap out of it will you all?! The more we wait here, the less time our effect will stand! As I said before, let’s ignore the filly and keep moving!” He ordered. Everyone immediately snapped out of their traumatized trance and kept moving forward. The little filly saw the group continuing walking along the catwalk, ignoring her almost completely. The filly then banged the glass dome harder and louder.

“W-WAIT!! DON’T GO!! PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME HERE ALONE!! I WANNA GO HOME!!” She cried out once more, this time with deep profound. Fluttershy, who couldn’t resist a cry of help, immediately stopped walking and whimpered quietly. She looked over at the filly with a bereaved typeface. Then, she darted her eyes over to Jack.

“Jack! I just can’t take it! We have to help this poor thing! I know she looks dangerous, but she needs our help! PLEASE!!” Fluttershy bawled out. At that moment, everyone, including Jack, stopped walking and turned to Fluttershy. She stared at Jack with huge puppy eyes while loads of streaming tears fell out of her eyes. Jack gazed deep into her pleading eyes, with the slightest tension boiling up in his head. He then darted his eyes down to the trapped filly below. The swollen blood eye poured red liquid out of her socket, replacing the watery tears. Her sobbing made everyone feel distress. All the little filly did was stare at Jack helplessly.

“P-P-Please! *Hiup!* H-Help me… Don’t leave me… *Wheeze*… I just want to go home to my… *Wheeze*… m-mommy and d-daddy! I miss them…” The filly cried out in a broken tone. Fluttershy’s lips quivered while more muffle sounds escape her mouth. The tension was just too overwhelming for her. She darted her eyes from the filly to Jack again.

“Please… Jack!” At that very moment, Jack suddenly felt something he never felt before. His sanity starting to brew a maddening sea storm. On one side of his mind, he wanted to ignore the filly and make a run for it. And the other side of his mind was telling him to act now and save the filly. The two decisions collided with one another, building pressure deep inside his brain. While his head hung down, he looked at the ground with a blank stare. If he were to free her, the filly would then go on a killing spree. And if he were to make a run for it, then the ponies would continue to interfere with his escape. It was such a difficult decision to make, and time was of the essence. Finally, as Jack reached towards the eye of the storm, he came to a concluding decision.

Without warning, Jack grabbed his handgun from his holster and headshot the filly. The bullet’s velocity and force was so powerful, it pushed the filly’s body back, while twirling the body in midair. The glass dome shattered into hundred pieces of shards upon the impact. The filly pivoted on the ground, with a few glass shards impaling her skin. The ponies let out a surprising gasp; never predicting this at all. They just stood there frozen like statues, staring blankly at the dead filly.

Their legs were shaking; loud muffles escaped their mouth, leaving them speechless. Slowly, they turned their heads over to Jack. His eyes were covered by the shadows of his forehead hair. He just stood there, pointing the gun at the filly’s corpse with his whole arm shaking. Then, Fluttershy had enough strength to let out one word come cleanly out of her mouth.

“Why…?” She uttered in lament. Jack slowly lowered his arm back down. He raised his head a bit and stared at the gang with a pale face.

“The only home she’s going to… is a peaceful afterlife. I know these types of mutations and experiments. They may think that they’re fine, but their instinct is to feed off of anything in their sight. You may be wondering… that I’m heartless… right? Wrong. That filly reminded me of myself when I was young. Like a trapped and a lonely lost soul, with no comfort to present itself. It sickens me to see fragments of my accursed past revisiting me. I’m sorry… but there was no other way for me to save her. You see… death is the only escape when you’re a part of this type of situation. Now…” Jack placed his gun back into his holster and turned his back towards the group.

“With no more distractions, I would like to get this over with before the effect wears off. Let’s keep moving…” Jack once again walked forward. It took a couple of seconds for the ponies to loosen up and follow Jack. Every pony took one last glance at the filly faced drenched in her puddle of blood, before continuing onward. Fluttershy was still profoundly weeping in bereft, while Applejack held close to her.

It’s been approximately five minutes since the unfortunate encounter, and still no sign of the door yet. The atmosphere darkened with hellish colors. The stench continued to increase with every minute passing. The gas cloud started to lift and Jack could barely see the next door. He could see the expanded catwalk three times its length. Jack was a little relieved to see the final door just up ahead. But at that moment of relief, he heard painful grunts. He quickly spotted a figure moving with only two arms. Jack’s eyebrows shot up in surprise to see an enemy.

He slowly reached over his left shoulder and grabbed the katana, as he was prepared to pull it out. The ponies were fully alert from the distressed sound. They kept their eyes at the legless figure. Just as they got close enough, they could see the figure through the gas cloud. Jack and the ponies gasped in awe as they saw what appears to be another male human. His body was sliced in half up to his pelvis, with his intestines being dragged on his own trail of blood. He had pinkish eyes, with bloodshot scattered on both sclera. Most of his hair was still intact on his head. And he had an outdated gas mask on his face. Jack glanced at the human on the ground, making a shocking gasp.

“Michael?! Is that you?!” He asked surprisingly. The man’s head slowly rose up to face Jack.

“J-Jack…?” He faintly spoke. Jack rushed over to Michael and kneeled down. The ponies sat around Michael’s body, avoiding touching his blood. Michael looked at everyone with furrowed eyes. Then he glared at Jack unexpectedly.

“You s-should of… been dead! L-Like the rest of us… nugh! Where the hell… were you all… this time?!” He thundered, coughing up small amount of blood at the end. Jack furrowed his eyes at Michael and grunted in irritation.

“Like you care. But what happened to your legs? Why haven’t you been turned into one of-“ Jack continued, but was left interrupted by Michael’s grunt.

“Zalgo’s freakish henchmen? Heh… that god… wannabe didn’t… nugh… get me yet. I-I’ve been trapped… here for three… god damn… years, surviving the outcome. G-Getting food f-from outside… w-wasn’t easy t-to get… especially… that little filly I have… t-trapped inside that container.” At that sudden moment, the ponies gasped in horror. They instantly remembered the dead little filly that’s been trapped inside the glass container. The horrific feeling they endured not to long ago came racing back through their minds. Every pony frowned, as their eyes furrowed. They all were just about to snap when Jack intervened.

“I don’t fucking care! Will you tell me what happened to your fucking body or not?!” He barked. Then all of a sudden, a monstrous roar could be heard from the other side of the door. Michael darted his head behind him and stared right back at Jack.

“I-If you're that… interested… then behind this door… ugh… is what happened to me. I couldn’t leave… this place without a fight… ugh… s-so… me and m-my partner m-managed t-to summon a Mi-go… t-to do our biddings. But… during that damn Zalgo’s… invocation… t-that Mi-go… turned against us. Already h-half of myself… made it out of there.” Michael coughed up more blood after he paused for a moment.

“B-but… I know you… hehe… ‘You’… were the cause of this. I sure hope… y-your death… brings… guh… u-unspeakable… pain and… suffering. You… are… forever… NOTHING! You… i-inexcusable… p-peasant…!” He choked on his final words, before he began to laugh his last breaths. The way he laughed at Jack felt very insulting to him. Having Jack’s rage gone up far enough, he slowly reached over his back and grabbed his katana. Pulling out of its sheath, he aims the tip of the blade towards Michael’s head. With one swift move, Jack brutally thrusted his blade into Michael’s head, making the ponies gasp unexpectedly at the same time.

Michael’s laugh died at the very moment the blade penetrated his brain. Warm blood sprayed into the air, sprinkling small portions onto Jack’s face. All of Jack’s anger faded away in an instant, as he felt pleased to end Michael’s life. With no time to savor his delights, Jack pulled the blade out of Michael’s skull. He whipped the sword to the side, making the loose blood slide off the blade. He sighed in relief and looked down at him satisfied.

“I never really liked him… he was just the most obnoxious cultist I’ve ever met. I’m so pleased that he’s dead. I always wanted to murder him without getting caught. How ironic…” Jack said. Then, the terrible roar howled once more behind the door. With no time to waste, Jack rushed towards the door.

“Let’s go!” He yelled. The ponies took one last glimpse of Michael and galloped towards the door. When Jack opened the door, he looked thunderstruck as his pupils shrunk. Standing in the center of a huge square shaped room was a huge Mi-go. It was a very large, pinkish, fungoid, crustacean-like entity that was three times the size of a normal human. The head was convolutedly ellipsoid of pyramided, along with fleshy rings and a covered in antennae. Black squirming tendrils sprout from the ripped holes in the Mi-go’s back. But the most shocking thing they saw was the Mi-go grabbing a hold of something by the hair. It was an unconscious pink pony, with a straight and plain hairstyle dangling motionlessly. And when they saw that pink pony, everyone but Jack yelled in unison,

“PINKIE PIE!!”

Chapter 12: The Wrath of The Mi-go

Chapter 12: The Wrath of The Mi-go

The Mi-go let out a horrific roar towards the group. Inside its maw were thousands of tiny, razor sharp teeth. The sight of the beast’s maw intimidated the ponies almost immediately. With Pinkie Pie being held captive by the grip of the beast, things looked a little bleak for their attempt to rescue her. On the other side of the room was another human cultist. His back was pinned towards the corner of the room. He didn’t make any sudden movement, as he was frozen in fear. Suddenly, his eyes darted over towards Jack. He let out a loud surprising gasp.

“J-Jack?!” He whispered to himself, in a loud tone. At that moment, the Mi-go swerved its head behind and spoted another victim. The cultist let out a yelp in terror, when the beast spotted him. Ignoring Jack and the ponies for a moment, the Mi-go instantly made work of the terrified cultist. The dark tendrils on its back lashed two tendrils over at the terrified cultist. One tendril lashed perpendicularly across the cultist’s body, and the other lashed horizontally on his waist. Blood splattered against the wall behind him upon impact. The cultist flinched in pain, leaving him standing still like a statue. A few seconds later, the lashed pattern on his body started to appear in blood. Then, his whole body slid apart into four parts. Handful of blood spilt and flowed out of him, along with his intestines and guts falling out of him.

Jack’s pupils shrunk in disturbance, as the ponies deeply gasped in horror. The Mi-go’s head twirled back towards the group and began snarling, while Jack stared at the beast fearlessly and anxiously. Jack never thought that the power of Zalgo would go this far, let alone make him uneasy. Suddenly, the Mi-go lifted its head up towards the ceiling. It held Pinkie up over its head, and finally releasing its grasp on her hair. Pinkie’s body dropped like an anvil, as the Mi-go opened its mouth, and catched the pink pony inside the beast’s maw. With Pinkie inside its vicious mouth, the beast slowly swallowed her down, making disgusting gurgling sounds. Everyone’s jaw dropped in an instant, as they gasped in horror. Their hearts went cold the moment they saw their friend got devoured.

“PINKIE PIE! NOOOOOO!!” Rainbow Dash wailed. Tears from before and now were pouring down her face, obscuring her visions. Her throat hurt from the shouting and the intense tension she endured so far. With her anger skyrocketing in a matter of seconds, seething rage exploded from her eyes and mouth. She glared at the Mi-go’s cold-hearted eye.

“YOU BETTER SPIT HER OUT, RIGHT NOW!!” She screamed in anger. Unable to restrain her inner rage, Dash immediately charged at the beast in a barbaric way. Blinded with revenge, she let out a hearty battle cry. Rarity gasped and reached her hoof towards Dash.

“DASH WAIT!!” She called out, then lowering her hoof. “Oh for goodness sakes…” She mumbled and charged in after Dash. Fluttershy and Applejack dashed along side with her at that point. Jack tried to stop the ponies, but they were out of his reach to grab them. He then clenched his teeth and grumbled.

“Oh fuck it…” He mumbled in frustration. Jack reached over his other katana from his back and grabbed the hilt. He pulled out the blade from the sheath, and immediately charged into battle. The Mi-go saw the incoming threat and produced a shrieking cry. The dark tendrils on its back squirmed abruptly. Each one lashed towards the incoming ponies. However, Dash evaded each whip attack with her incredible agility. But the other ponies couldn’t keep up the whip’s velocity, as they were forced to stop and strife to the side. When Dash was in close range at the beast, she leaped up the ground and sidekick towards its upper chest. The force of the kick did push the Mi-go back a bit, but it didn’t faze it one bit.

The Mi-go swoops its hand up, and swatted Rainbow Dash horizontally, sending her rolling on the ground. Applejack had a split second to spot Dash tumbling towards the side, and went back to focusing on her attack. She was just about to make her move, when she spotted a shadowy tendril suddenly lashed right towards her. Applejack reacted fast and slid down on her knees. She leaned back, and watched the tendril swooping past her. The tendril managed to slice a piece of brim on her leather cowboy hat with ease.

Applejack had a second to relieve herself from avoiding the attack. However, she failed to notice that the Mi-go’s hand, that previously knocked Rainbow Dash away, swung back and backhands Applejack across the face. The force sent her tumbling across the floor like a cartwheel. Rarity spotted Applejack tumbling off to the side and gasped. As her focus almost trailed off from her friend’s injury, a dark tendril lashed towards Rarity. She was about to run towards death’s hands, when Fluttershy attempt to intervene the inevitable.

“GET DOWN!!” She cried out, pouncing on top of Rarity. The both of them hit the ground just in time. The tendril barely missed Rarity’s head, but managed to trim a chunk full of her rich, purple mane. When Rarity saw Fluttershy on top of her, she smiled and thanked her. Fluttershy returned the smile at her, as she was glad that Rarity is safe. But the moment was too short, when Rarity spotted yet another tendril coming towards them. Rarity screamed in shock, making Fluttershy twirl her head around to see the attack. At that moment, Fluttershy spotted the tendril, and her life flashed right before her eyes. It felt like this could be it. She thought to herself that she’s about to die. All Fluttershy could do is close her eyes and prepare her demise.

Suddenly, she heard slashing noises coming in front of her. She immediately opened her eyes and spotted Jack charging right past her, slicing the dark tendrils coming his way. His eyes were very perceptive at tracking the movements of the tendrils. Each tendril that came at him, Jack made quick work of them and continued his pathway towards the Mi-go. And his attack pattern with his swords went so smoothly; it looked as though he wasn’t making the slightest difficulty. Closer and closer towards the Mi-go’s body, the beast started to slowly back away. The dark tendrils on its back began to decrease in numbers. Jack’s eyes were fixated on the eye of the beast the whole time, while his senses took care of the tendrils.

When he got close enough, Jack made his move and leaped into the air. Jack made a loud battle cry, and plunged both blades deep into the Mi-go’s eye. Dark red blood sprayed out of the wound, giving out a terrible stench. The Mi-go wailed out in agony, shaking its head violently. Jack held on the hilts the best he could, as he was trying to weaken the monster. The blades that were inside the Mi-go started to cut organic tissues and shift part of the frontal lobe in the brain. The more it struggled, the more pain it received. Jack felt sure he had this one in the bag, but it proved to be a misconception. The Mi-go had enough pain and immediately grabbed Jack’s left ankle with its antenna. The antenna pulled Jack away from the blades, holding him upside down. Then, the Mi-go twirled its head up, reeling the antenna along with it. And then the Mi-go swung its head downward, slamming Jack to the ground in the process. The ground made small fissures and cracks upon the crash. Jack’s impact made him land on his left index and middle fingers on accident. The bones on his fingers snapped out of place, making them dislocated and bruised. Jack fazed in pain, as the sudden impact jolted his body.

The Mi-go twisted its head to the side, reeling Jack towards the wall. He was slammed against the wall face first, then his whole body. Jack let out a painful grunt, as blood rushed out of his mouth. Then, the Mi-go twirled its head back up and down, slamming Jack back on the ground. Jack landed on his back, damaging his spine, and forced him to cough up more blood. Even more cracks and fissures came rushing out from under his body. At this point, his body suddenly started to give up. From all the brutal damage Jack’s been receiving, he felt very numb. He face grimaced in pain, while he bellowed blood curdling moans. All he could do was stare right directly at the Mi-go’s wounded eye.

The Mi-go slowly reeled its antenna up above its head, leaving Jack dangling helplessly. The beast slowly opened its mouth, and released Jack’s ankle. Jack plummeted straight down into the beast’s throat, along with the tiny razor sharp teeth cutting his skin on his body. The ponies saw Jack being swallowed up by the beast, and gasped in unison.

“JACK!!” Every pony cried out. They couldn’t just stand there and let him and their friend, Pinkie Pie, to be devoured for good. They all rose back up to their hooves and charged right back at the Mi-go. The Mi-go bellowed a screeching roar at the ponies. Dark tendrils on the Mi-go’s back immediately sprouted anew, and squirmed abruptly once more. Each tendril swung around the Mi-go’s body, acting as a defensive shield from any incoming attacks. The ponies stopped charging and heaved back. They had no chance at getting close to the Mi-go’s body at this point.

Inside the Mi-go’s throat, Jack’s body began to respond due to the pain he’s receiving from the sharp teeth. His vision were a little blurry, but he was able to see just fine. His body was stuck in the beast’s vertebrate trachea. Saliva and blood streamed down from his jeans to arms. The stench was overwhelming, the air was very thick, and it was almost dark to see. Half of Jack’s body was free, but the trachea constricted his lower half. He tried to pull himself back up the trachea, but the razor sharp teeth punctured deeper into his legs. He was, however; managing himself back up the throat with ease.

But, when his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he spotted a pink object. Then, the pink object started to move and moan painfully. It was Pinkie Pie, but she was in terrible shape. Multiple cuts and bruises were all over her body. She had disgusting chunks of meaty flesh on her hair. And she had dark sandbags hanging under her eyes. She struggled herself to move, but the stress was too much for her to handle.

As her eyes adjust to the darkness, she slowly looked up and spotted Jack hanging upside down. Her head tilted from side to side, as she felt very light headed. Jack stared right back at Pinkie Pie, with the slightest fret expression. With his arms still free, Jack reached towards to Pinkie with his left hand.

“H-Hey… hey you! Grab my hand! Hurry!” He called out towards the pink pony. Soon after, he began to hear sizzling noises from below. He took his eyes off of the pink pony for a moment and noticed right away that the chunks of flesh around Pinkie began to melt away. He silently gasped, as he knew that the digestion system was now activated. He looked back down at Pinkie Pie and reached his hand towards her. But all she did was stare blankly at Jack with her lightless eyes, while her bottom began to fry up.

“WAKE UP!! If you want to live, grab my hand NOW!!” He yelled out. But Pinkie Pie was too weak to answer back. She just continued to sit quietly, while she was starting to be digested. However, a bit of miracle came, as her left forearm started to rise up. Pinkie did her best to reach up towards Jack. The two of them were centimeters away from meeting each other. The digesting system suddenly got stronger, as the flesh on her bottom started to sizzle loudly. With time running out, Jack tried to extend his arm out the best he could to reach Pinkie’s hoof. Finally, Jack managed to grab a hold of Pinkie’s hoof, and immediately hoisted her up. Mustering his strength, he heaved up Pinkie to Jack’s level. While grabbing Pinkie on one hand, his other hand reached back up the trachea tube and grabbed hold on the tube. Pulling himself back up the trachea with his right arm, he brought Pinkie up with him.

But just as he was progressing his way up, he suddenly heard a click. Something was moving down Jack’s shirt, and the object fell out of his collar. He saw a hand grenade falling out with no pin attached to it. Jack let out a surprising gasp, when the grenade hit the ground. With the grenade set, it was about to go off in a couple of seconds. With the instinct to live, Jack mustered all of his remaining strength left and pulled Pinkie up in the tracheal tube with him. He tried to ignore the pain coming from the razor sharp teeth, and squeezed Pinkie inside the tracheal tube.

Back outside of the Mi-go’s body, the beast had all four ponies pinned to a corner. With the dark tendrils ready to be lashed out, the ponies closes their eyes and prepared for the worst. But suddenly, they heard a loud explosion coming from inside its stomach. The explosion was so powerful; it blew up a humongous hole in the stomach area. Blood and entrails flew out of the opening, and splattered all over the ponies. The Mi-go cried out in agony for a moment, before the body tipped over to the side. The beast’s body hit the ground, and gurgled its last breath. The ponies were shocked and disgusted, as blood and the beast’s ruptured organs were all over their bodies. Rarity looked at the other ponies, and to herself. She almost threw up from the gory display. At this point, they all had a moment to brush themselves off with their hooves.

A few seconds later, they noticed something moving within the Mi-go’s throat. They wondered for a second of what was happening in there. But they got their answers as Jack came out while holding onto Pinkie Pie’s barely conscious body. When Jack was out of the beast’s throat, he began to limp away from the body, while dragging Pinkie by the hoof. A few steps later, Jack fell to his knees and gasped for air.

“Son… of… a bitch… nugh…” Jack spoke, while breathing for fresh air. Rainbow Dash spotted Pinkie Pie lying on the ground, and gasped in happiness.

“Pinkie Pie!!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. She rushed over towards Pinkie’s body and lifted her unconscious head. Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy were relieved to see the both of them safe and sound, but more relief to see Pinkie Pie still alive. They all went up to Pinkie Pie and sat around her. Dash tried to wake up Pinkie by wobbling her head.

“Hey! Pinkie Pie! Wake up! It’s me, Rainbow Dash! Please wake up!” She cried out in plea. But only moans of pain were the only responses Pinkie Pie could let out. Their hearts were becoming more anxious by each second passing by. Dash tried shaking Pinkie’s head once more, but to no avail. Seeing Pinkie Pie like this made Dash’s bottom lip quiver. Teardrops began dropping out of Dash’s eyes, landing on Pinkie’s bottom eyelid. Then, Dash’s tears rolled down from Pinkie’s eyelid, making it look like she was crying too. But all hope was not lost, as Rainbow Dash looked at Jack with eyes of desperate need.

“Jack! Please! You got to save her! I’m begging you!” Jack looked over at Pinkie Pie’s barely conscious face, and sighed.

“Alright, alright already. Geeze… just give me a second.” Jack looked at his left hand and saw that both index and middle fingers were bent slightly. He grabbed his index finger with his right hand, and yanked the finger towards straight up. Jack flinched in pain, when the bone cracked into place. The ponies gasped, as they heard the frightful noise. It almost made them sick to their stomachs. After the index finger was back in place, he grabbed his middle finger, and repeats the process. This time, Jack yelped in pain, as he cracked the finger back into place. The pain shot through from his hand to his whole body. It felt just as bad as breaking a bone. Once more, the ponies gasped in fright from Jack’s pain. Rainbow Dash leaned a little closer to view Jack’s fingers.

“Are you alright?” She asked. Jack nodded back at her. When Jack finally got back into shape, he walked on his knees over to Pinkie. He carefully examined her full body. Some of the cuts were severe, but most of them would heal themselves over time. With no time to waste, Jack pulled out a surgical suture, a sewing needle, a needle driver, a capsule containing epinephrine, and a syringe from his pouches. For the next few minutes, he sewed up the badly wounds on Pinkie’s body. Then he cleaned off the blood oozing from the wounds.

After he was finished, he put the sewing supplies away and filled the syringe with epinephrine. Then, he jabbed the needle into the lower part of the pink pony’s spine. He injected the epinephrine, and pulled out the needle. A second or two later, Pinkie’s heart started to pound like crazy. Her eyes shot wide open, and awakened in a frightful gasp.

She sat up quickly, and began shaking in an overwhelming state. The other ponies took action and restrain her forearms and back legs. It only took her a few seconds to settle down. When the adrenaline effect warred off, Pinkie became a bit calm. Her eyes darted from side to side anxiously. Her entire body shook in distress. And she was hyperventilating from the chilling sensation.

“*Heave**Sigh**Heave**Sigh**Heave* W-Wh-What’s g-g-g-going on?! *Heave* Where am I?!” Pinkie said, overwhelmed with confusion and anxiety. Rainbow Dash softly placed her hoof onto Pinkie’s shoulder and leaned her against Dash’s chest. Dash wrapped her forearms around Pinkie, giving her a comforting hug. She slowly stroke Pinkie’s mane from top to bottom in a smooth rhythm.

“Shhhh… I-It’s okay, Pinkie Pie,” Dash softly spoke, sniffing her wet nose. “Take it easy girl. It’s over… you’re safe with us. Just calm down.” When Pinkie heard her friend’s voice, her uncontrollable hysteria ceased. Taking this moment to recover, she began to calm herself down. She saw her friends surrounding her with smiles on their face. When her eyes caught a glimpse of her friends, Pinkie became even calmer.

“G-Girls…” She said with relief. Rainbow Dash hugged Pinkie tighter and wept in happiness. Applejack and Rarity felt the warmth inside their hearts when Pinkie was back to normal. Both of them hugged and cuddled against Pinkie Pie. They too also began to cry in happiness. Fluttershy looks over to Jack with a tearful smile.

“Thank you… *Snivel*… thank you!” She said, and went over to comfort Pinkie Pie. While the ponies were happy to see their friend feeling all-better, Jack began to wonder about their relationships. He felt confused to see them crying, yet, smiling with joy. Something sparked inside Jack’s heart; he felt something like he never felt before. But at the same time, it felt something very scary to him. Unwilling to let this go into his head any further, he looked away from the group and headed over towards a lonely desk table. However, as he was walking, the wounds on his legs began to sting him. Jack grunted in pain, almost making him fall down to his knees. The ponies heard Jack and took their attention off of Pinkie for a moment.

“Jack, yer alright?” Applejack asked. Jack turned his head around and nodded at Applejack.

“Y-Yeah… don’t worry about me.” Jack stood back up, and slowly made his way towards the desk table. When Jack arrived at the table, he slid open the first drawer. There, it contained a new roll of woven gauze bandage, a clean syringe, and an antibiotic insulin vial. There were also old documents under the supplies that looked nothing important. He took the supplies and placed them inside his left pouch. Then, he checked the second drawer, but there were only more documents and a small test tube. He then opened the third drawer, and there it was.

The Key of Apocalypse… Jack said in his consciousness. The key fragment he found had a triangle shaped emerald on top. He grabbed the key and placed it where the other two were resting.

“All I need now is The Key of Death and I’ll soon justify my life and… wait.” Jack suddenly paused himself. He knew that he’d forgotten something very important. At that moment, he saw something coming out of his nose. It was blue smoke steaming out of his nostrils. And that’s when it hit him; he knew that the effect were beginning to wear off. He quickly turned his head over to the ponies.

“Shit! We need to get out of this quarter room now! The effect will wear off in just a few minutes!” He announced shockingly. The ponies gasped; their legs stood up on their own as it hit them. Jack quickly dashed towards the exit, and prepared to open the door. He was just about to open the door, when Fluttershy called out to him.

“Wait! Jack!” She hollered out. “What about Pinkie Pie? She isn’t going to survive the toxic without that chemical thingy you gave us!” Just in time, Jack stopped himself from opening the door. He swerved his head around and looked at Pinkie. It was true that if Pinkie were allowed to roam outside the door for just a few seconds, she would be dead. There was little time left to do the whole process again; plus, he just used his only scroll for this kind of situation. But convenience came when he spotted a barely new gas mask lying on the ground. Jack picked up the gas mask and tossed it over to Pinkie. She caught the gas mask and stared at it with confusion.

“Put that on, and don’t you dare take it off until we reached outside the entrance! Hurry!” Jack said. Pinkie didn’t know whom he was, or what he was. But her friends next to her nodded in agreement. Putting aside her concern, she placed the gas mask on her face, and secured the strap around her head. It was a little crowded in the mask, but she can smell clean oxygen just fine. When she finally had her mask on, the ponies galloped over towards the exit. Jack opened the door, and light green fumes came rushing out of the doorway. At that moment, Jack produced a slight gasp.

“Oh you gotta be fucking kidding me!!” Jack cussed himself again, this time in annoyance. Standing next to the door was the rebirth of Michael. His eyes looked like they’ve been gorged out. Multiple dark tendrils spawned out of his pelvis, giving him the support to stand up. And his white lab coat was almost fully drenched in blood. Michael grinned at Jack sinisterly, as his hallowed eye sockets bled more black blood.

“You know, I never thought that Zalgo would be this generous. This power… coursing through my body… it’s exquisite! I’ve been shown the truth… and my real purpose! Join him… his existence and principle is more powerful than Cthulhu! I have seen what you could not have imagined! Join him…”

At that moment, Jack heard something moist and gooey coming from behind. He turned his head around, and couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. The Mi-go’s blasted hole began repairing itself, moreover; it was regenerating back to its formal form. The skin and carcass it lost during the grenade incident was replaced by the dark tendrils; enclosing the hole completely. Once the whole was fixed up, the Mi-go let out a mighty roar that shook the whole room a bit. And behind the Mi-go was Michael’s lab partner. His severed body animated all on their own, with the help of dark tendrils spawning outside the wounded gaps. Jack turned his head back over to Michael, who was chuckling deeply.

“Or things will get… very brutal.”

Seeing as this was yet another déjà vu, he knew where this was going. With time ticking, Jack had only one answer. He whiped out his handgun and shot Michael right directly on the forehead. His head exploded from the bullet’s impact, as blood and chunks of flesh splattered all over the floor.

“Piss off…” Jack grunted in a scornful tone. He sidekicks Michael’s body off to the side, and immediately dashed off. The ponies looked behind them and spot the Mi-go and Michael’s partner charging towards them. They gasped, and made a run for it. Like a cat chasing a mouse, the gang quickly made haste towards the doorways. The Mi-go slivered its way out and crawled on the ceiling. With each step the Mi-go made, loud thumps shook the whole room. With just one minute until the effect wears off, Jack picked up his pace and sprinted at full speed. Seeing as they could outrun the Mi-go and both cultists made Jack think that they were about to make it out of here alive.

They were just about to pass through the second doorway, when they heard a loud, screeching noise coming from above. Fluttershy was the first to look up. And at that moment, she was pinned to the ground. The gang heard Fluttershy’s yelp, and immediately stopped running. They looked behind them and spotted the young filly once again. The filly was standing on top of Fluttershy’s chest, looking down at her feared eyes. The filly’s eyes were as dark as the shadows can be, as she was transformed by Zalgo as well. The young filly snarled, revealing her sharp and bloody teeth.

“Mommy?! Why did you leave me, Mommy?! Why did you leave me there all alone!?”

The little filly cried out in anger. Pure and seething rage erupted from the filly’s mouth, as her tone rose.

“I’ll be a good girl this time, Mommy! I won’t run off again! Please! Don’t you ever leave me here! Don’t yo-“

At that moment, Jack shot a bullet right directly at the filly’s head. She was sent off twirling into the air by the bullet’s impact. Fluttershy gasped unexpectedly, as she was startled by the gun’s sound. Jack placed the gun back into his holster and sprinted towards the exit.

“LETS GO!” He yelled. Rarity rushed back to Fluttershy and immediately helped her back up to her hooves. After that, they both made a hasty retreat. The Mi-go was barely right on their tails, as Rarity and Fluttershy went through the doorway. The size of the doorway was too small for the Mi-go to fit through. But it didn’t stop the beast, as it barged right through the doorway. The whole wall separating the first and second room began to burst down. The wall cracked, crumbled and collapsed, as pieces of the wall clobbered the catwalk by the force of the Mi-go’s strength. Approximately ten more seconds until the effect wears off and they were about a half a mile away from the exit. Jack and the ponies knew that they weren’t going to make it. Eight seconds passed, and it was time for the effect to diminish. Their hearts pounded like crazy, as the race for survival was on the line. A quarter away from the exit, Jack made a desperate decision. He swerved his head back to the ponies.

“HOLD YOUR BREATHS!!” Jack yelled. Just before the final second had passed by, Jack inhaled whatever he could and held his breath. The ponies also did the same. When that second passed by, their mouth and throat became cold and wet. While running for their lives and holding their breaths at the same time, it felt like it was a difficult task.

The Mi-go swooped its head closer and closer behind the ponies. Its mouth was a few centimeters away from sinking its teeth into one of the ponies’ flanks. Closer and closer towards the exit, their lungs and throat began to build pressure from exhaustion and desperation. They felt like they were gonna exhale at any second now. But just when hope seemed to be lost, Jack finally reached over the door handle. He immediately twisted the door handle and opened it swiftly. He leaped outside, and anxiously awaited for all the ponies to pass through.

Just when Fluttershy’s tail passed through the doorway, Jack pushed the door fast. The Mi-go’s head was just about to reach outside the doorway, when the steel door smashed the beast’s head hard. The Mi-go screamed in agony, as it fell to the second floor. Backing up a few feet away from the door, Jack and the other ponies finally released their breath. Light blue puffs of smoke steamed out of their mouths, as they gasped for air.

Pinkie Pie knew that it was a safe to take off the mask. She yanked the mask off, and began to hyperventilate. She had no idea what was going on, and what in the world was that beast. It frightened her to the brink of insanity. She never faced something this horrific and scaryl in her life. Trying to find some comfort, Pinkie went up to Rainbow Dash and hugged her tightly. Rainbow Dash didn’t expected Pinkie Pie to hug her now. Dash stared at the pink pony, who was now coated in tears.

“Ra-Rainbow… Rainbow Dash… *Wheeze*… I-I’m so s-scared! *Gasp*… W-What kind… of… of…” She tried to cough up her last words, but they were so jammed inside her throat, that it made Pinkie burst into crying. She placed her head against Rainbow’s chest again and wept loudly. Dash felt Pinkie’s fear very clearly, as she too experienced it. She slowly wrapped her forearms around Pinkie and cuddled with her closely.

“Shh… I know Pinkie. It’s going to be all right now… you’re here with us. And… uuuk!” All of a sudden, Dash felt something grumbling in her stomach. Then, she made a loud belch that echoed across the hall. Pinkie looked up, and saw Rainbow Dash with derpy eyes. Blue steams of smoke came out of her mouth, as her head tilted from side to side.

“Uuuugh… I feel weird… *Buuurruuuuup!!*” She spoke in a groggy tone. While Pinkie stared at Dash, her fear and sadness began to wane. The way Dash looked, it almost made Pinkie Pie want to…

“…Heh… Hehe… Hehehe!” Pinkie giggled quietly, with her hoof covering her mouth. Her depression started to loosen up, as she’s feeling a bit brighter than ever. Then, she heard the other ponies belch loudly. She looked over and noticed they too had derpy eyes. Their heads spun in circles, while blue smoke puffed out of their noses. And at that moment, Pinkie’s heart began to beat with joy and happiness.

“PPPFFHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! *Snort!* AHAHAHAHAHA!!” Pinkie laughed with full force. In an instant, her straight mane and tail fluffed back up. She threw herself onto her back and continued her hearty laugh. She pointed her hoof at the gang while doing so.

“HAHAHAHA!! Y-YOU SHOULD SEE YOUR FACES!!” She laughed. The ponies looked at each other’s faces, and instantly began to giggle at one another. This triggered a spark of happiness within each pony. It felt like they haven’t laughed in such a long time. Jack, on the other hand looked disturbed. He was perplexed to see the ponies’ strange behavior. It felt like it wasn’t laughter of mockery… it felt something different. It was like… they were having a good time laughing. Strangely enough, he looked at the ponies’ derpy eyes. For the first time, his stomach began to feel ticklish. His mouth started to quiver upwards, as the laughter continued. And then…

“…h…heh… hehe… ehehehe…” Jack started to giggle so loud, that the ponies just barely heard him. He suddenly stopped giggling and gasped. He quickly placed his hands on his mouth. The new sensational feeling frightened Jack a bit, as he never expected this before. He never knew what laughter felt like. It was like a surprise to him. As his hands covered his mouth, he eyed at the ponies, who were shocked as well. Jack slowly removed his hand from his mouth, and stared at his own two hands.

“Whah… what the hell was that?!” He asked shockingly. Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile at Jack for discovering something special.

“You laughed of course! Laughter cheers everybody up. Even when you feel down or depressed.” Fluttershy said. When Jack heard the word ‘Laughter’, he let out a small gasp. He eyed at Fluttershy looking bewildered.

“I… I did?!” Jack stared at her for a moment, then back to his hands. Both hands shook from the overwhelming sensation of astonishment. Then, he thought to himself the words he learned and experienced back then. Kindness, Loyalty, Generosity, Honesty, and Laughter appeared inside his head. All five of those words were like some sort of puzzle that only he could solve for himself. It felt like there was something missing… something that brings those words together. Unable to find an answer, he set his mind back into reality, and sighed. Jack dropped his hands and turned his back away from the ponies.

“Well… I guess there’s one more place left. Pinkie Pie… you're sticking with us. Let’s move out.” Jack said and proceeded forward. Fluttershy felt a little disappointed that the moment faded. But, she knew that Jack was slowly understanding what friendship really means. With no objections, Fluttershy and the gang followed Jack into the foggy abyss, where their last destination awaited them.

Chapter 13: The Necropolis Quarter

Chapter 13: The Necropolis Quarter

"There's no trace of them yet, your highness!" The royal guard reported. "But rest assure, we will not stop until we have found them!" Princess Celestia nodded her head in approval at the guard. It's thirty minutes passed three, and not a single trace of evidence was to be found. Anxious to find answers to this mysterious disappearance, the princess traits back and forth. She knew Discord's imprisoned body was locked away in a safe vault, encased by a magical barrier. She also knew that nothing… and absolutely nothing would get passed her barrier. However, she had a possible theory that Discord must of planned this before making his move. She had her doubts on that theory. But the more she thought about it, the more it fits in. And if that were the case, where would he hide the mane six? What had become of them now? The more she drove deep into this mystery, the more flummoxed she became. Celestia continued to trait back and forth, struggling to find the answer. She stopped and gazed at the sinking moon.

*Sigh*… just when things were turning back to normal… this happened. She pondered in her mind. I just don't get it, if Discord wasn't involved in this, then who? Who would kidnap the bearers of the elements on short notice? Just then, a gray royal guard trotted through the doorway, panting for breath. Celestia turned around, looking surprised.

"Report, Private Silver." Celestia said. Private Silver took a few seconds to catch his breath before speaking. After that, he stared at the princess with terror in his eyes.

"Your highness, like uhhh, you're not going to believe what we've found! It's something very wicked man!" He spoke in a traumatized state. Celestia's eyes widen, as some evidence was revealed.

"Lead the way!" She ordered. Silver led the princess outside the borders of Ponyville, where two other royal guards were investigating to what seem to be black puddles, with a large footprint on the ground. The stench surrounding the area smelled so dreadful. And there seemed to be a small portion of splattered blood right next to a black puddle. Silver pointed his hoof at the black puddles before him.

"Your highness, like, this black puddle thing here that we like uhhh… ya know found is something out of this world. We placed like a stick in there, and it like turned into ashes in a few seconds! Totally wicked stuff if you ask me. Try not to… ya know put your hoof in there… that stuff ain't normal." Celestia took heed to his cautions, and proceeded over to the black liquid. The stench begun to turn her stomach, making her feel a bit nauseous.

To test this strange liquid's properties, Celestia used her magic to hover a rock. She hovered it over the puddle and dropped the rock, plummeting it into the black puddle. In an instant when the rock hit the puddle, the rock began to break apart. Celestia couldn't believe what she had seen. This type of strange liquid left her bamboozled and bemused. Noticing the splattered blood next to the puddle, her eyes darted something over at the distance, just a few feet away. It looked like a light tango object lying unattended. Her eyes squinted as she spotted the object.

Curiously, Princess Celestia walked over towards the object. When she arrived, she gazed over the strange object. It smelled even worse than the puddle itself. It was some sort of a chunk of ripped flesh, lying rotten with flies swarming it. The guard ponies went over to see what Celestia had found. They looked down, and felt a little disturbed by gazing it. Using her telekinesis magic once more, Celestia lifted the flesh up into the air. She closely observed the hide for any clues.

Right away, she spotted a tiny black dot inscribed on the flesh. It looked as though it was a symbol or some sort. Celestia used her magic to make her eyesights increase, as her visions were slowly analyzing the black dot. Once her eyes were like microscopes, she read the symbol. The symbol had a circle pentagram, with three circles and a few lines overlapping a star. It was a weird symbol, yet to her astonishment, it looked so familiar to her. It was a sign she hadn't seen in a very long time. It only took her a few moments to recollect her memories about this symbol. And that's when it hit her, it wasn't a symbol… it was a sigil. Recollecting her memories, she found out that the sigil represented the Necronomicon Gate.

In a shocking revelation, the princess heaved her head back and gasped in shock. She released the chunk of flesh, and just stood there, staring the face of the void. Her eyes widen with fear while her pupils and iris shrunk. She was left gaping in horror from her discovery.

"W-Why…? O-Of all the places… w-why here?!" She spoke to herself in a dreary tone. A guard pony approached her, displaying a concerned look.

"Your highness? Is everything alright?" He asked. Instantly, Celestia snapped out of her traumatized trance, and darted her eyes at the guard.

"This is bad! Real bad! Captain Thunder Head, notify all the residence in Ponyville about the disappearance of the elemental wielders. Not only that, tell them to lock up all their doors and windows! They are not allowed to leave their homes until further notice!" She ordered in a demanding tone. Captain Thunder Head saluted to Celestia.

“Yes ma’am!” He exclaimed, before taking off into the air. Then she looked over her shoulder at the other two guard ponies.

"Captain Storm Cloud and Private Silver, head back to the castle and send some pegasi captains to patrol around the Everfree Forest! If you spot anything suspicious, report back as soon as possible!" Both of them saluted back at her.

“'Right!” Both said in unison. Both guards immediately took off into the air, and head towards the castle. As soon as the guard ponies were gone, Celestia turned around and glared at the Everfree Forest.

So… they finally came out of hiding and made their move. But why now… why here? She pondered in her mind, as the cold breeze blew past her mane.

"Alright, we should be getting closer now. Keep up." Jack announced. Everyone continued their journey towards the final quarter. The ponies informed Pinkie Pie about the whole thing while they were walking. Strangely enough, Pinkie felt more and more of her joyful self. In fact, the fear she developed not too long ago faded away. She just kept smiling along the way, like it was some sort of Nightmare Night. All but Jack was aware of Pinkie's mysterious behavior. He couldn't figure out why she was so happy all of a sudden, when death continuously surrounds them all. The more he thought about it, the more it felt creepy to him. But aside from that, Jack finally spotted the door yonder. He lowered his head and stared at the door in determination.

"We're here." Jack said. The ponies soon stopped talking to one another and faced the door. When everypony gathered at the door, Jack looked over his shoulder.

"This is it, The Necropolis Quarter," Jack said, while sounding seriously. "Inside this room is where we extract and keep the souls of our victims. Our main purpose was to collect enough souls to feed Cthulhu's hunger during the summoning ritual. Countless of damned souls are locked away in this god forsaken vault, guarded by the Soul Devours." The way he said it sent chills down every pony's spines. Fluttershy gulped down in fear from hearing the monster's name.

"S-S-Soul… D-Devours?" She shuttered. Jack nodded his at Fluttershy.

"Yeah. They're the sentries that patrol around the vault, spotting any soul trying to escape the vault. If they capture a fleeing soul… then… well you know why they're called that. The reason why, is to protect the cults from being possessed by the fleeing spirits. It's a small sacrifice to pay, but losing a soul did not matter for us, because we receive more than ten extracted souls each day. The Soul Devours don't harm the cults… however," Jack turned his body around towards the frightened ponies.

"They do harm intruders. Also, if we do encounter one, avoid looking into their hollowed eyes. That will get them very aggressive, turning them into deadly hostiles. Even worse, when they spot intruders, they make a terrifying screech that alerts the other Soul Devours. Then, we will be swimming in a pile of fuck. It may seem impossible to get pass through here… but there is one way. With this…" Jack reached into his back pouch and pulled out a wooden carved cross with Jesus Christ crucified on it. He showed it to the ponies, leaving them confused. Rarity gazed at the wooden carved Jesus, confused about who he was and what was this strange object Jack's holding.

"What in Equestria is that, Jack? A letter T, with a human on it?" Rarity asked. Jack twitched his eyelid as he stared at her scornfully. But he did not blame Rarity for her naive thoughts, for the ponies knew nothing about the human religions. He sighed heavily and brought the cross closer to Rarity.

"No… it's not a letter T… this is a Christian cross." Everypony looked at each other in confusion, then back at Jack.

"A Christian cross?" Every pony asked in unison. Jack nodded his head once again.

"It's a very long story, but this cross symbolizes protection from evil spirits and demons. I'm not much into Christianity, but I do know some stuff about it. It's said that a holy man named 'Jesus Christ' was crucified and killed by the Romans two thousand years ago. By doing so, he saved us all. This cross represents Jesus Christ shedding his blood for the forgiveness of all of our sins. Therefore, the cross is a symbol of the sacrifice so that the Christians, the followers of Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible, can have the reassurance that they will go to heaven through Christ. With this cross, the evil spirits and the Soul Devours won't be able to harm us. But you must stay close within a 4-yard radius around me for it to work. I won't protect you all if you're neither out of the cross's radius, nor facing against a Soul Devour. Just keep that in mind…" Jack turned his back towards the ponies and faced the door.

Realizing that upon touching the door handle, the avatar's invocation would echo across the hallway. He went up towards the door, and touched the handle with his finger. He looked up in the ceiling and waited for the dark whisper. But strangely, all he heard was eerie breezes and the breath of all ponies. The ponies looked at Jack quizzically, wondering what he was doing. Then they looked at each other confusingly, and then back to Jack. Applejack looked around, but saw nothing strange in particular.

"Somethin' the matter, Jack?" Applejack asked. Jack knew that he's wasting time and that the dark whisper was not coming. He sighed deeply and grasped the door handle.

"No… nothing. Now let's go and stay close to me at all times." Jack said, developing eerie tensions in him. He twisted the handle and opened the door. Inside, the room was pitch black, as heavy fog surrounds the whole room. Coming prepared, Jack reached into his back pouch and pulled out a small LED flashlight. He flicked the switch on, and strong light emitted from the lens. The lumen range was at four hundred, giving off a strong light. When the light illuminated the room, the light revealed several human skulls lying decayed. Proceeding with caution, Jack entered the room with no fear of death, while holding the cross tightly. The ponies gulped in fear, and slowly proceeded inside with Jack. When entering the room, their hearts began to feel cold like never before. The room was so dark, that Fluttershy was just about ready to burst into tears. She could only see Jack with the flashlight.

Suddenly, the door behind them slammed shut unexpectedly. Everyone jumped in surprise, as the shock of the sound electrified the ponies. Fluttershy yelped in fear, and collapsed to the ground, covering her head with her forearms. Her body shivered immensely, while hyperventilating from a sudden heart attack. While she was hyperventilating, weeps were added to the sync. She already felt broken inside. But the other ponies came to her aid and comforted her. Applejack wrapped her forearm around Fluttershy and hugged her.

"It's alright, sugarcube, we're all here fer you. I know you're very scared, like the rest of us, but you gotta stay strong." Applejack unwrapped her forearm around Fluttershy and helped her up.

"Now let's get up. Sittin' here ain' gonna help." She added. With a bit of confidence building up in Fluttershy, along with some courage, she wiped her tears away and stood up looking a bit serious.

"Thank you, Applejack." She said. Once the group was ready, they moved forward into the deep darkness. The only sounds they heard were their own footsteps, heartbeats, and their slight heavy breaths. The temperature of the room was very chilly, almost felt like a snowy night. The air's stench decayed dead skin and undead rats. There were series of rooms with human skulls sitting in the wall sockets, along with burned out candlesticks. Each room had two perpendicular hallways that lead to a series of stone bunks on the walls. Each stone bunks had rotten skeleton corpses lying on their backs.

The ponies kept their eyes out for any Soul Devours patrolling, but there were none so far. Jack eyed around the room, trying to spot anything suspicious. He noticed right away that there was spilt blood lying before him. Jack stopped in front of the blood splattered on the floor, and leaned down. He scooped up a small amount of blood off the ground with his index finger, and observed it closely. The ponies gathered around him, seeing the blood on his finger. Jack knew that this blood was fresh and clean. He also knew that someone was recently here.

He grunted silently and rose back up. Wiping the blood on his jeans, he pressed onward. The ponies looked at the blood on the floor, pondering on whom it belonged to. If Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash knew by now, they'd hope that it wasn't Twilight's blood. Praying that nothings happened to her, they continued following Jack. It took three minutes to get to the end of the hallway. Once they were there, Jack opened the next door and entered through. The room was a bit brighter to see, but the fog was very dense. Something about the room made Jack all tensed up.

Proceeding in with extra caution, Jack slowly entered the room. The ponies followed after him, feeling like this room should be taken very seriously. The ambiance in this room was very dark and sinisterly. The area gave off the stench of it rotting, while dust flowed on the ground. And faint screeches could be heard from a certain distance. Jack puzzled himself, as he tried to figure out what on earth could be making that sound.

His curiosity took the better of him, as he walked a little faster towards the sound. The ponies followed him closely, trying their best to not get out of his range. He was walking aimlessly in a fast pace, when he suddenly realized he had to come to a full stop. He skidded along the ground and stopped along an edge, with dust getting brushed off into the air. There was a huge chasm, with a long ravine going towards the left. Jack never noticed this, nor he was aware of it.

There were a lot of columns and rows of stone bunks heading towards the foggy distance. It was an endless road of rotten corpses on stone bunks. His jaw dropped a little from seeing how many innocent lives were taken. He knew that they killed a lot of people, but this was just stunning. Feeling a little sympathy over of those corpses, Jack eyed away and sighed silently. The ponies' eyes widened in astonishment, to witness such an achievement. Pinkie Pie looked at Jack and frowned.

"Why? Why did you do this?" She asked in a distressing tone. Jack wanted to reply, but found no words to back him up. He knew that killing innocent lives was wrong. And on top of that, he felt the same way Pinkie was feeling right now. Pinkie Pie took her eyes off of Jack for a moment to view the tragic of the befallen victims. Fluttershy displayed her dismal expression at Pinkie.

"It's not his fault entirely, Pinkie. And besides," Fluttershy spoke, but was immediately interrupted by a floating figure hovering in the distance. She squeaked in fear, as she started to work her way up to hyperventilation. The way the floating figure moved began to drain her sanity. With her words now clogged up, the only sounds she could make were loud muffles. Pinkie looked puzzled at Fluttershy, wondering what got her worked up. She looked over towards the direction Fluttershy was staring at and gasped quietly. Her eyes widen with fear, seeing how horrifying that mysterious floating figure was. Just before her words could be clogged up like Fluttershy, she managed to ask a short question.

"U-Umm… J-Jack? Wh-hats… that?" Pinkie stuttered in fear. Jack snapped out of his remorse state from his past deeds and drew his attention over towards the foggy distance. Right away, Jack knew what was coming. He let out a small shocking gasp, causing the ponies to be wary. He slowly backed up, clenching his teeth.

"Shit…" Jack murmured. Knowing what to do, Jack faced his head towards the ponies.

"We need to hide, now!" He spoke in a state of panic, and rushed towards the hallway on the right. The ponies took his advice and made a quick run for it. In the wide hallway, there were piles of skulls, bones, and decayed flesh sitting on rows of shelves. Blue fire torches lit the hallway, making the room a little bit better to see. But the fog was so dense, Jack and the ponies couldn’t make of what's ahead of them. As they were running, the floating figure emitted strange, whale-like noises and moans that sent chills down the ponies' spine. And what's worse, the sound was drawing closer to the group.

They tried looking back, but the fog was too thick to see. All they saw was a dim purple orb of light swerving from side to side. The purple light was glowing brighter by every second passing. Jack was running out of time, as he was aware that the enemy was drawing closer. With a few seconds to think of something, Jack was overwhelmed with suggestions. With only one option that was freely available, Jack strafed to the side and hid behind an ancient sarcophagus.

The ponies followed after Jack, and hid behind the sarcophagus too. Jack immediately flicked the flashlight off and kneeled down. The ponies put their backs against the sarcophagus, trying their best to not be seen by the enemy. After a few seconds, the bright purple light illuminated the area. The floating figure stopped its pursuit, making a dark and broken moan. The ponies ducked their heads into their knees, and went into a fetal position. Quiet whimpers escaped from the ponies' mouths, as the tension was rising.

Jack slowly raised his head, attempting to get a glimpse of the enemy. When Jack had enough height to see, he spotted the enemy. It was a phantom wearing a worn out white cloak, with rusty chains wrapped around its shoulders. Its arms were long, and the hands were like gnarled branches. It had circular hollow eyes, along with sharp and pointy fangs. And it was holding a rusty lantern with a purple sphere of light trapped inside of it. Once Jack got a good look at it, he quickly ducked back down. He confirmed that the floating figure was a Soul Devour.

Damn it, I hoped I'd never had to face those fucking Soul Devours! Jack spoke in his consciousness. The Soul Devour twisted its head around in a three sixty angle, trying to spot the intruders. While it did that, it made bizarre sounds of whining and growls. Judging from the noises it produced, the Soul Devour sounded hungry. The light of the lantern grew and dimmed with every five seconds that passed. The group could hear faint screaming and painful moans coming from the bright purple sphere. The cries of children, women, and men made the ponies feel hearts sunk to their stomachs. After the Soul Devour's head stopped spinning around for about a minute, the phantom turned its attention towards the ancient sarcophagus, where the group was hiding.

Jack saw the phantom's shadow growing darker, knowing that it's coming towards them. His pupils shrunk, as the hungry soul eater drew closer and closer. The ponies had their eyes completely shut. While they cuddled, the ponies cringed dearly to their lives. If the phantom were to spot the group, then it would be all over. The cross Jack held could only handle one phantom, but multiple ones were impossible. He knew that there was no escape. With only one option, Jack was prepared to make another run for it. That is until he spotted a small rock on the ground. Realizing what to do, he picked up the rock, and chucked it across the opposite side of the room. With the rock tumbling across the hall, the Soul Devour's attention was driven by the sound. It made a small wailing noise, as the phantom immediately pursuited the sound.

Determined by the sound's distance, Jack had enough time to outrun the phantom. Once the phantom was gone, Jack peeked up and there was no sign of the Soul Devour. Jack sighed in relief, but he knew that this was no time to rest. He tapped on each ponies' shoulders gently to get their attention.

"Hey, we need to move now!" Jack whispered. Everyone got up, and followed Jack once more. However, just as Jack faced towards the hallway, his face lit up in surprise. The ponies came to a complete halt, and gasped in horror. Jack furrowed his eyebrows in frustration.

"Oh come on!" Jack yelled out in frustration. Right in front of him was another Soul Devour. Right away, the Soul Devour made a loud and wailing noise that ruptured everyone's eardrums. Everyone covered their ears, as the sound was too much for them to handle. The wailing noise sounded so frightening, it fractured a handful portion of the ponies’ sanity. A few seconds later, the loud screech ceased. Jack slowly uncovered his ears, and looked back. The previous Soul Devour appeared again, along with two more behind it. The whole room shined with a deathly luminosity reminiscent of violet. The group was surrounded, as death was right in front of their faces. Each Soul Devour growled sinisterly, as their hallowed eyes were staring into the ponies' souls.

Fluttershy couldn't help but burst into tears. The fear driving her was too overwhelming. Knowing that the horror of a lindworm was originally her number one fear in her book, the Soul Devour immediately took the lindworm's place. And made it her number one newest fear. The level of her sanity made her vision very wrapped up. She could hear her own heart beat loudly, as if it were close to her ear. Her breathing intensified; she couldn't stop looking at the Soul Devour's features.

Slowly, her eyes trailed upwards. Unable to stop herself, she worked her way up towards the hallowed eyes. Then, Fluttershy's sight was looking straight into the eyeless abyss. At that moment, her mind raced like never before. The hallowed eyes on the Soul Devour suddenly gleamed red. Then, the other three Soul Devour's eyes gleamed red. Each one started to grumble violently, as if they were being antagonistic. While they stared at the group with deathly eyes, the Soul Devour's piercing eyes struck the very foundations of Fluttershy's sanity. She was now left standing helplessly, unable to move a single muscle.

The other ponies were scared, but they still had the strength to move about. Applejack gulped a lump, as she was very anxious into getting the hell out of this situation.

"J-J-Ja-ack…?" Applejack stuttered in fear, trying to get Jack's attention. "H-He-elp…?" Jack eyed at Applejack and back to the Soul Devour.

"I know, I'm on it." Jack said, and immediately launches himself towards the phantom in front of him. He strikes the phantom's chest with his cross. This sent the Soul Devour off towards the distance, making a painful wailing noise. But at the cost, the cross recieved a recoil, causing it to shatter into hundreds of pieces from the Soul Devour's presence. Realizing that this was the only window of opportunity, he turned his head towards the group.

"Now's our chance! RUN!" Jack announced. Almost instantly, the ponies took his word and retreats. Jack was just about to run, when he realized that somepony was missing. He swerved his head around and saw Fluttershy not moving. Her fear overtook her entire body, making her vulnerable. Jack turned his body around and swerved his right arm across.

"THE FUCK YOU DOING, FLUTTERSHY?! MOVE!" He yelled. But to no avail, Fluttershy was lost in pure insanity. The other ponies came to a complete stop and skidded along the ground. They turned their heads back and spotted Fluttershy not retreating. Rainbow Dash cried out her name, but found no response. Suddenly, one of the Soul Devours began to inhale, as its stomach inflated with air. Jack knew what was coming, and tried to call out her name once more.

"FLUTTERSHY, GOD DAMN IT! GET OUT OF THERE NOW!" But still no response, Fluttershy just continued to stand there like a statue. Tears easily came rushing out of her eyes, as her visions clouded her. Jack was just about to make a run for it, and forget about her… when something in his stomach blocked him. He struggled to move forward, but his mind over took his whole body.

"D-Damn… Damn it… w-what's wrong with me?! W-Why… do I have… the urge… o-of… n-not running away?!" Jack muttered to himself. He couldn't figure out what's keeping him at bay. But at the same time, something's telling him to do something rather than do nothing.

All of a sudden, the Soul Devour's inhale stopped. Its stomach was the size of another Soul Devour. Ready to fire at the defenseless pegasus, it exhaled a sonic boom roar. Then, out came a beam of darkness from the phantom's mouth. The beam launched itself straight towards her. The roar was so loud, the foundation of the ceiling started to crumble pebbles. Waves and ripples spread out of the beam, as it traveled without losing momentum.

And at that moment, Fluttershy's life flashed right before her very eyes. Every single moment of happiness, sadness, and even joyfulness flashed all in just a mere second. Her eyelids closed themselves, as she awaited death.

At that moment, the beam of darkness made contact and exploded right in front of her. Powerful wind gushed through the hallway, putting out some of the blue fire torches on the ceiling. The ponies embraced for impact, and shielded their eyes with their forearms. While dust and pebbles flew back, the thick fog was pushed away. It only took a few seconds for the gust to cease. The ponies uncovered their eyes and gazed into the dusty scene. Everypony went silent, as they tried to find out what happened, but they couldn't see anything yet. They feared that the blast might of killed Fluttershy and Jack. Rarity was about to call out their names, when the dust began to lift, and they could spot a black figure inside the dust. They couldn't tell who it was.

After the dust partly lifted, they were shocked and surprised. They saw Fluttershy still standing well and alive. No scratches or wounds were anywhere on the yellow pegasus. They were relieved to see her, but that moment soon faded. The dust fully lifted, and it revealed Jack standing right in front of Fluttershy. His arms were crossed, while his head was hiding between his arms. As he shielded himself from that impact, his legs shook. Steams emitted from parts of his body, as if he looked like he was melting. Fluttershy stared at Jack; she didn't expect him to be there at all.

"J-Jack…?" Fluttershy asked silently. Suddenly, Jack grunted silently in pain, and collapsed down to his knees. Then he fell to his stomach, as his face plant first. Lying defeated, Fluttershy gasped in horror.

"JACK!" She cried out. At that moment, Fluttershy heard bizarre sounds of whining and growls. She looked straight and noticed the Soul Devours was still levitating in mid air. Another gasp of horror escaped from Fluttershy's mouth. Her fears began to build up once again. Her eyes widen with fear, as the sanity she gained started to drain. The other ponies prepared themselves to charge after to save Jack and Fluttershy. When suddenly,

"I say, chapettes!" A mysterious voice called out from behind the group. Everypony looked behind them, and there stood an animated skeleton stallion. Gleaming green dots act as irises for his hallowed eyes. The stallion had perfectly good condition clean teeth. And he had ears that were transformed into the same bone minerals. Even though he was an animated corpse, his appearance looked harmless and friendly. He waved his bony hoof towards the group while hiding behind a sharp corner.

"Bring your fellows over here if you chapettes want to live!" The mysterious skeleton stallion called out. He sounded friendly enough, but the group couldn't fully trust him. But they had to do something, because Fluttershy and Jack were on the brink of death. Putting aside the distrust, every pony nodded at each other and charged blindly towards the Soul Devours. The phantoms saw the incoming ponies, and then they began to inhale simultaneously. The ponies knew what was coming next, as they had to hurry. Once they reached towards Fluttershy and Jack, Rainbow Dash and Applejack lifted Jack on top of their backs. Pinkie Pie and Rarity nabbed Fluttershy's neck, and forced her to retreat. The Soul Devours were almost ready to fire their beams of darkness at the ponies. The skeleton stallion waved his hoof back, trying to make them trot faster.

Then, the Soul Devours stopped inhaling… and unleashed their mighty roar at the same time. Three beams of darkness shot across the hallway. The whole room shook violently, as the ceiling started to crumble a lot of pebbles. The beams trailed after the group with such speed. It felt like they could be hit, but they were lucky to reach towards the skeleton stallion. They all leaped towards the side, and hit the deck. A beam barely hit Pinkie Pie's flank, as she yelped in shock. The beams flew past the group, and all three clashed at the end of the hallway. But strangely, the beams dissolved before they made contact with the wall.

The Soul Devours noticed that their attack didn't go off, mainly because it only effected on living beings. At that moment, they began to pursuit the intruders once more. The flying phantoms noticed a sharp right corner. The phantoms went right, and they immediately spotted the group hiding at the end of a square room. The Soul Devours took aim, and flew straight towards the open doorway.

But just then, they were blocked by an invisible force field. Blue energy ripples appeared on the open doorway, making a chiseling sound on impact. The ponies were surprised that a huge glowing circle of rune marks and symbols appeared on the floor. There even were symbols located next to the doorway. The Soul Devours tried to barge in once more, but the force field kept them at bay. The ponies guessed that this room was supposed to be protected by those phantoms. After a few more attempts of barging in, The Soul Devours lost their interests. They backed up, giving one last deadly stare at the intruders, and faded away into the darkness. The ponies inhaled deeply, and then exhaled in relief. With Jack out of commission for now, the ponies took refuge in this room, and prayed that Twilight Sparkle was in no harms way.

Chapter 14: Lamenting

Chapter 14: Lamenting

“What?! What do you mean I have to stay in my house?!” Spike blurted out in front of Captain Thunder Head. “Is something wrong with Twilight? What about my friends?! Are they alright too?! Please, take me too the-” Spike continued, but was interrupted by Captain Thunder Head raising his hoof.

“Ease yourself. Apparently, your friends are being held captive by some unknown enemy. Furthermore, we’re not allowed to let any pony or any dragon to roam around during a crisis on our hooves. This order came straight from Princess Celestia herself. No citizens are authorized to leave their residence until further notice. Fail to comply, and we will use brutal force if necessary.” Spike wanted to do something, but any sympathetic actions would make things worse. Plus, staying up this late really took his toll. After all, he is a baby dragon. With no other choice, Spike closed his eyes and sighed in depression.

“Fine… you guys win.” Spike mumbled. Captain Thunder Head turned around and started trotting away. Spike was about to shut the door, when the captain turned his head one last time.

“Rest assured, we will find your friends.” He added and continued trotting away. Spike’s melancholy became worse now that he wasn’t allowed to do anything. He felt useless, unable to do a thing about it. However, he didn’t felt entirely useless. Spike knew that the Cutie Mark Crusaders were still sleeping soundly in Twilight’s bed. The best he could do now was to watch over the crusaders. With much anxiety going through his head, Spike couldn’t go to sleep. All he could do now was watch over the three fillies.

Fifteen minutes passed since the group escaped the Soul Devours, and Jack was slowly recovering. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash stayed at his side, while the other three were on the other corner with the mysterious animated skeleton pony. Rarity was a little crept out about the way he looked. Even though he doesn’t look intimidating, but undead creatures weren’t Rarity’s things. What crept her out the most was that the skeleton pony’s hollow eye sockets could actually blink like normal eyelids. It was like cartoon physics, but only in reality. Same thing with his bony ears, as they could bend down and up like a normal pony. After a few silent moments had passed by, the stallion finally spoke.

“I say, I never thought I’d see a pair of golly good mares that would come wandering down this bloody place. Especially that incident two years ago!” He spoke in a standard British accent. He eyed at each ponies sitting next to him.

“However did you come across this dreadful place, my good chapettes?” He asked. Applejack felt safe talking to this friendly stallion, as she answered first.

“Well… we don’t know, ta tell you the truth. We’ve been knocked out, and been captured by sum scary folks.” The stallion closed his hallowed eye sockets and sighed.

“Ahh, so you fellows were prisoners too, I see? Heh, I was captured myself by those bloody mongrels a while back. And I must say, it was the most dreadful evening I ever could experience! *Gasp*! Oh my goodness! I have bad manners, I say! I forgot introductions!” The stallion cleared his throat before continuing. “I... am known as Aero Le Spectrum!” He proudly introduced. At that moment, Rarity let out a big surprising gasp. The ponies looked at Rarity, as she was in a bewilderment state. Then, Rarity slowly lifted her hoof up, and pointed it at Aero.

“T-The…The… ‘The’ Aero Le Spectrum?! One of Equestria’s legendary painters of all time?!” Rarity shuddered in astonishment. Her mouth dropped, as her hoof started to shake. Aero chuckled in his pride.

“The one and only, good ol’ lassie! It seems my reputation hasn’t died yet after all! Tell me, my good chapettes, who might you be?” Aero asked them. Just as the reveal of this mysterious stallion’s name came to be, Rarity knew that she was a big fan of his art. Rarity snapped out of her bewilderment trance, and cleared her throat. Knowing Rarity, she tried to look haughty in the most elegant way, attempting to impress Aero.

“I am Rarity, one of Equestria’s famous fashion designers! My reputation with Canterlot is substantial!” Aero looked at Rarity, with a bit of disbelief.

“You don’t say…”

“Indeed I say! And did you know that-“ Rarity continued, but was interrupted by Applejack clearing her throat as well. Rarity glanced over at Applejack, realizing she was getting a little off track. Rarity lets out an unsettled giggle.

“Oh right… hehe,” Then Rarity pointed her hoof at Applejack.

“This is one of my best friends, Applejack!” Applejack lifted her hat up.

“Howdy!” Applejack said. Seeing as things were going as Rarity planned to gain reputation with Aero, Rarity immediately pointed her hoof over to the pink pony.

“And this is yet another one of my dearest friends, Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie Pie let out a childish giggle.

“Hi! I’m gonna nickname you, ‘Boney’!” Aero heaved his back a bit from her awkwardness.

“Pardon?” He aimed a very puzzled look at Pinkie Pie. This sent Rarity into a shocking state. She realized that her reputation with him was already slipping away. To counteract, she produced the most casual laugh, just to play along with Pinkie’s tomfoolery.

“Hehehe… oh that, Pinkie! S-She doesn’t really mea-“ Rarity was interrupted by Pinkie’s babbling.

“It’s funny cause it’s true! It’s like putting the words ‘bone’ and ‘pony’ together! Boney! Hehehe!” Pinkie let out another innocent giggle. Rarity could only glare at Pinkie Pie with an embarrassed look on her face.

“Pinkie Pie… please! Don’t be rude to our-“ Rarity continued to mumble in a threatening tone, but was interrupted again by Aero’s burst of laughter, making him smile.

“Hohohoho! Good show! Jolly good show, I say! I really like that nickname, dear Pinkie! You know, I myself am an exuberant pony as well! True, I do behave in a substantial manner, but nothing makes me happier than to make every pony laugh!” Suddenly, the smile on his face slowly dropped. He sighed in a slight depression, while lowering his head down.

“Ahh… but alas, I dare say that my days were finally taken away from me. I wished I could spend a lot more time with the ones I loved… but then I was captured.” Rarity tilted her head quizzically.

“What happened, darling?” She asked politely. He said nothing for a few seconds, but then he looked up at Rarity.

“Well… I was brutally tortured, experimented on, and even pulverized. I begged for bloody mercy, but they were relentless, I say. Finally, after all those bloody months had passed, I died… but not for long. Those mongrels revived me a few minutes later. They said I was one of their special experiments. It’s an experiment where they transmute skin DNA into osseous tissue. And the ability to manipulate the calcium to act like any other skin. You noticed my hallowed eye sockets can blink… and my ears can flop. But alas, the rest of my body did not make the cut, due to my body’s debilitation. After they were done experimenting on me, I was put to sleep for what felt like a minute or two. I thought the fear of dying would be more suitable for me… than to be this.” Aero used his hooves to observe his body, before letting out another sigh.

“I don’t think my dearest wife would see me like this. Or even my children in that matter. Oh! By the way,” Aero looked at Rarity with interest in his eyes.

“How is the World Pony War One going? Are they still going at it? Who’s winning? Who’s losing, I say? Is my family safe?” At that very moment, all three ponies let out a quiet gasp in shock. The ponies looked away from Aero for a brief moment. This stunned the ponies’ heart, as they realized now how long he was trapped down here. They couldn’t bear to tell him the actual true, but they had to. Aero looked at the mares puzzled, wondering what’s gotten them worked up.

“Did we lose, or did we win?” He asked. Unable to hold the truth in, Rarity eyed at Aero.

“Actually, darling… the World Pony War One ended… two hundred years ago.” Her statement surprised Aero drastically, as his jaw dropped a little. He wanted to disbelieve her, but the way she spoke almost make it sound like it was entirely true.

“S-So… all this time… I-I’ve… been asleep… f-for…” Aero was just about to finish, but Rarity wanted to come clean with him.

“I’m afraid so, darling. We’re really sorry… truly we are.” Applejack and Pinkie Pie slowly nodded their heads. Unable to cope with the truth, Aero drop his head. Every pony went silent for a short while, moaning the sorrow of Aero’s loss. The ponies felt bad about telling Aero the horrible truth, as their hearts sank. But just then, Aero began to turn his frown upside down.

“At least… they’re living in a jolly and peaceful afterlife.” He said, while building back up his contentment. The ponies were left unexpectedly confused from Aero bringing back up his happy characteristic, as he lifted his head back up with a smile.

“At least… they didn’t have the same fate as I did. That saying, I want them to be more happier than I am.” Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity were filled with pure glee. Their hearts fluttered with joy when Aero’s statement hit them. After a couple of seconds of trying to fight back upwelling tears, they began chatting again.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were concern about Jack’s health. His breathing was at a slow pace,and his pulses were racing like mad. During that time, Jack didn’t spoke a single word, not even the slightest sign of reaction. Fluttershy couldn’t help but blame herself for this. She turned her head over to Rainbow Dash and stared at her with regret.

“I’m sorry… this is my fault. If I were strong enough to escape from those monsters, then this wouldn’t happen to him. Sometimes… I feel so weak and helpless… even though I am… but I just wish I couldn’t be sometimes.” Rainbow Dash felt her pain; she knew if she’s been Fluttershy too, she would have been in her shoes back then. Dash placed her hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder pad gently.

“Hey, It wasn’t your fault entirely. I mean, those Soul whatever they’re called were pretty scary to me too. I never knew how ugly they were. Hehe… but look on the bright side, at least we made it here safely. And that’s what’s important now.” Fluttershy looked at the ground for a moment, then back at Dash with a small smile on her face.

“Yeah… thanks. It-“ Suddenly, they heard small and faint moans coming out of Jack’s mouth. Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash drew their full attentions at him.

“*Gasp* Jack!” Fluttershy gasped. Jack slowly opened his eyes, as his vision was blurry. It took a few seconds for his vision to adjust. Once they were adjusted, his whole body immediately jolted for a brief moment. His body felt insanely cold, as he couldn’t move a single muscle. Images of terror and horror flooded his mind. Jack knew what he gotten himself into, as he desperately tried to move, but to no avail. He then stared at the two concerned ponies in front of him.

“Uuuhg… F-F… Flutt…ershy? R…Rain…bow… D-Dash?” He mumbled in pain. Both pegasus leaned in closer.

“Oh good… we thought you weren’t gonna pull through. I’m so glad that you're okay, Jack.” Fluttershy said with relief. Rainbow could only smile at Jack.

“Yeah… I’m glad you're okay, too.” Dash said, while trying to be nonchalant. Jack nodded his head very slowly in response.

“L-Listen… t-theres… n-not… much… t-time. G-grab… my… knife… on my… b-boot…” Jack explained, before shaking his right foot barely. Fluttershy and Dash looked at his right boot and spotted his army knife in its sheath. Fluttershy undid the button, and pulled out the knife. She stared at the knife with mixed feelings of fear and astonishment. Once Jack saw Fluttershy with his knife, he continued.

“A-Alright… n-now… I-I know… t-this may… s-sound… h-horrible… b-but…” While Jack explained slowly, both pegasus had an uneasy feeling that they were going do something awful. The next words Jack spoke shot chills down their spines.

“I… I want… y-you… t-to… stab my hand…” The both of them let out an unexpected gasp. Fluttershy’s forearms started to waddle in horror. It was something that never crossed her mind before. Rainbow Dash held her breath, as she looked helplessly confused.

“W-What...?” Rainbow Dash uttered in shock. Fluttershy’s breathing intensified, as she couldn’t even speak a word. Jack knew that these ponies weren’t into stuff like this. But his body couldn’t move, so he had to put trust into these innocent creatures.

“I-I’m… p-paralyzed… w-with… fear. I c-cant… move… u-unless… I… o-over…come… the fear… w-with… pain. Y-You… must… unders-stand, t-this… is… the sort… o-of ab… bility… that… t-the… Soul… D-Devours… have… t-to… capt…ure… its… prey. Please… h-hurry… b-before… I g-go… into… coma.” Jack stated a good point, but harming someone wasn’t Fluttershy’s idea. But if she doesn’t do something soon, Jack would go into a coma. Summoning all of her bravery, she gulped a huge lump. Fluttershy eyed at Jack’s right hand. He shook it to let her know which one to stab. Slowly, she leaned the tip of the knife over his hand. Pearls of sweat ran down her head as she tried to prepare herself for the worst.

She was also fighting inside her conscious. Inside, there was a rift battle between the right decision, and the guilt decision. For the first time in her life, she was about to produce blood with her own bare hooves. It felt like she was about to pass out from this overwhelming tension. However, her judgment overtook her by surprise, as she made a small attempt to puncture Jack’s hand. She closed her eyes, while she turned her head away. The tip of the blade made contact, but it wasn’t enough force to penetrate his skin. Jack looked at her progress for a brief moment. A tiny wave of pain shot through his hand, but not through his body. He knew that this wouldn’t cut it, as he looked up at Fluttershy again.

“T-That’s… n-not… good enough. P-please… h-hurry…” Jack pleaded in a weak tone. Fluttershy couldn’t take the pressure anymore; she felt like abandoning this task at any moment now. But suddenly, she felt two hooves holding her own hooves. Fluttershy shot her eyes open, and lets out a small gasp. Turning her head back around, she spotted Rainbow Dash looking back at her with determination.

“It’s okay… I’m here with you. We’ll both do it together.” Dash said. The tables were turned around, as she felt a bit stronger. All of Fluttershy’s doubts started to wane the more she looked into her friend’s determined eyes. She knew that it had to be done. With no objections at all, Fluttershy slowly nodded back. She turned her attention back at the task at hand. Dash and Fluttershy slowly lifted the knife up once more. Hearing Jack breathing slower by the second, they realized that they had to act now. Getting ready, Dash gulped a lump down and began counting.

“Okay… 3… 2…” Upon counting, Fluttershy gathered up as much strength as possible.

“…1…” At that moment, Fluttershy looked away, with her eyes sealed shut. And finally,

“Now!” Both Dash and Fluttershy thrust the blade downward. The force was enough to deeply stab Jack’s hand. The pain coursed from his hand, to his entire body in an instant. Jack immediately reacted, his body seized, and his muscles snapped taut. His eyes squinted; he thrusted his head upward, and lets out a painful grunt. Blood leaked out of his wound on his hand, while some sprayed into the air. Fluttershy heard his painful grunt, as she knew that the deed was done. Jack desperately gasped for air since the paralyzing effect wore off. He felt he was back in control. Slowly using his other hand, he reached across his body, and pulled the knife out. While Jack was short on breath, he reached into his pouch on his left, and pulled out a roll of woven gauze bandage, along with the same tablet bottle he used a while back.

After a minute or two of wrapping up his wounded hand and taking two blue tablets, he rested his head against the wall. Feeling a little bit numb, he tried to relax himself. While doing that, he kindly thanked the two pegasus. Fluttershy eyed away from Jack for a moment.

“Umm… w-what you did back there… I… thank you.” She said, with a bit of guilt in her tone. Jack gave her a pale look, as if he’s done something he regretted too. But at the same time, he felt a little bit glad that she didn’t die. It was confusing for him to do such an act, even without knowing his true feelings. Dash observed Jack’s pale eyes, wondering what’s he was thinking about.

“But… Jack? Can I ask you something?” She asked. Jack darted his eyes at Dash. He slowly nodded his head, letting her know he’s listening.

“You said that you wouldn’t protect us if we’re not near your, or facing against those monsters. And yet… you saved Fluttershy with no reason. Why?” Jack knew she would ask that question, and yet, he was still questioning himself why he did such a thing.

“I… I don’t know. My body… it moved on it’s own. There was no time to think. Frankly, I would've done nothing… but… somehow, my mind rejected me. I’m guessing… what my mind is trying to say…” While Jack talked, he lowered his head down in shame.

“Is that you five hold some sort of mysterious connection to me. I don’t know if it’s a bad or good thing… but… from what I’ve seen, it almost makes me feel like that this was my everlasting punishment. And yet, it also makes me feel like I wanted this. It’s so confusing… I…” Judging from what Jack was experiencing, Fluttershy exactly knew what he’s talking about. A sudden smile appeared on her face, as if she had accomplished something.

“I think I understand now, Jack.” She said happily. Jack felt a little surprised to hear her discover something. He looked quizzically at Fluttershy. She closed her eyes and widened her smile a bit.

“I think it’s because you don’t want to be lonely anymore. You’ve been on your own for your entire life. I know what loneliness is… and I can possibly think how much you’re going through right now. Growing up without parents who don’t love you, and not having any friends is just terrible. Nobody deserves to live in a world with fear and violence. It’s like people don’t think you exist… and yet, you want to make yourself appear. So that someone can hear your cries.” While Fluttershy paused, Jack took this time to ask himself questions.

Maybe... maybe that could be it. I mean, how am I different from Fluttershy or the others? Why can’t I experience what they’re experiencing? And is it possible... that I’m... not alone in this world? The answers were quite obvious, but Jack still couldn’t figure it out. Jack had been in darkness for his entire life. Always wanting attention, trying to get rid of his pain and suffering, and viewing the world as a hellish place. He felt stupid, blinded from the obviousness.

Rainbow Dash was getting her message as well, as she started to view Jack in a whole new way. From all the tough talks, from the rotten attitude he developed, and the suffering he was going through made Dash felt profoundly sorry for him. As Dash and Jack listened, Fluttershy opened her eyes, revealing her upwelling tears.

“And now, you have gained my attention. I finally heard your cries inside of you, Jack. You don’t have to be alone anymore. Because, I can tell you… that all you ever needed back then and now… was a f-“ At that very moment, Fluttershy was violently interrupted by a familiar bloodcurdling scream echoing across the hallway. This froze everyone in the room. The sound of that scream rang a bell to the ponies. Rarity stood up with eyes of fright.

“That scream… it couldn’t be! It almost sounded like…” And at that moment, everyone gasped in horror. It was Twilight Sparkles cry for help. Fluttershy gazed at Jack with plea in her eyes.

“Jack, that scream came from our last friend, Twilight Sparkle! Please, we need to help her!” Jack was just about to find out what Fluttershy said to him, but he was snapped out of his thinking trance. He could ponder about that stuff later, but for right now, Jack knew someone was in trouble. Jack stood up, as his body was nearly done recovering from the paralyzing effect. He looked at Fluttershy with determination in his eyes.

“Let’s get going then.” He said. Jack dashed out the doorway and headed right. Every pony followed after him. Rarity looked behind her and waved a farewell to Aero.

“Bye darling! Thanks for your help! It’s been nice knowing you!” She yelled. Aero laughed joyfully while waving his hoof back at her.

“No problem! It’s nice seeing you too, Rarity! And good luck, I say!” He yelled back. Once Rarity was out of sight, Aero dropped his hoof down and let out a depressing sigh. His instincts knew that he was forgetting something very important, something that he had to do.

Down the hallway, Jack sprinted as fast as he could through the thick fog with his flashlight on, with the ponies on his side. The way Twilight screamed sounded dreadful, like her life was on the line. The more they thought about it, the faster the ponies galloped. It only took about thirty seconds to make it across the end of the hallway. And at the other end of the hall was a closed door.

Once Jack reached towards the door, he twisted the handle, and swung the door open. Inside was a torch lit room, where hundreds of neatly stacked jars were sitting on rows of shelves on the walls. Each jar had different glowing colored orbs trapped inside them. In the center of the room looked to be an electric generator with two spiraling lightning antennas that sparked electricity. And there was another doorway on the right of the room.

But the thing that they saw first… was something lying on the center of the floor. A purple unicorn mare with her tongue hanging out, no motion whatsoever on her body; blood leaking from the wound on her chest. Around the unicorn was a circle of green scribed symbols and candlesticks on the ground. To this appalling display, everyone was extremely shocked.

“TWILIGHT!!” All the ponies cried out in unison. On the right of the room, someone appeared out from the shadows. It was another living cultist, wielding a bloody kris dagger. Jack heaved his head back, as he realized who it was.

“Daniel?!” Jack yelled in surprise. The cultist darted at Jack with bloodshot in his eyes.

“It’s you! How dare you return here! You let that stranger in here to destroy us all! We were so close into reviving Cthulhu, and yet that goal was taken away from us!” While pure, seething rage erupting from his mouth, a mischievous chuckle was added. He placed his free hand on a mysterious lever. Then, he produced a wicked smile on his face.

“But now, that goal is obtainable! You thought I’d spend the rest of my life in here doing nothing but clinging to my life?! No… oh no…. I’ve been fulfilling our goal this entire time! With this pony’s worthless soul now added to the collection, we now have the right amount of souls to feed Cthulhu! With one pull on this lever, the ritual will commence, and the world will be under HIS feet for all eternity! AND YOU SHALL BE THE FIRST TO TASTE HIS WRA-“ Suddenly, Jack pulled out his handgun and headshot Daniel. His head exploded from the bullet’s impact, with blood spraying out of it. Daniel’s body collapsed to the floor, only leaving him in his own pool of blood. Jack placed his gun back into his holster.

“That bitch can wait…” He mumbled in annoyance. Turning back to the main situation at hand, the ponies dashed over to Twilight’s body. Every pony gathered around her in a circle, as their hearts began to turn cold. Jack walked up to the group circle and kneeled down to the ponies’ level. Pinkie Pie took her eyes off of Twilight for a moment and stared at Jack with fear dwelling in her.

“Jack! Is she alright?!” Pinkie anxiously asked. Giving the circumstances, things looked mighty bleak for Twilight. With one way to find out if Daniel was telling the truth, he placed two fingers directly at her carotid artery spot. Everyone went silent for a moment. They hoped that Twilight was knocked out or some sort. However; Jack closed his eyes and sighed. Then…

“No pulse… she’s gone.” Jack finally spoke. Every pony gasped heavily from the terrible result. Their hearts sunk, after hearing the terrible news. Applejack hung her head low and removed her hat.

“We’re too late ya’ll…” Her voice trembled. For the first time in their lives, they felt the pain of profound loss. And at that point on, everyone but Jack was in the state of bereavement, crying and moaning Twilight’s unexpected departure.

Chapter 15: The Search

Chapter 15: The Search

Back at Twilight’s house, Spike kept his sights on the three fillies resting in bed peacefully. But at the same time, he kept wondering about the disappearance of Twilight and her friends. He hadn’t felt this much depression since Owlowiscious took Spike’s spot. It was like a living nightmare that he wished he would wake up. Just as he continued to think about Twilight, something inside his heart hit him hard. He felt surprised by this unknown feeling. Placing his hand right next to his own heart, he began to feel an unknown presence of anxiety flowing through him. He never experienced this feeling before, as this began to worry Spike immensely. Judging from the feeling, he knew that something very bad happened to Twilight. He looked out into the starry night, with tears unexpectedly upwelling in his eyes.

“Twilight…” He mumbled depressingly.

Three minutes has passed, and every pony was bursting into tears. Fluttershy and Rarity laid their heads on Twilight’s body, crying and weeping. While Rainbow Dash hung her head down with leaking tears. Pinkie Pie rested her head against Applejack’s chest crying, while Applejack had her forearms wrapped around Pinkie’s body, holding back her own tears.

As the grief and sorrow continued, Jack could only watch them weep out pitifully. But, he also observed each ponies’ reaction and behavior very closely. After learning everypony's personality traits, he began a questionable theory. Is it possible that the things he’s learning from these ponies are making sense to him? From all the deaths he’s seen, and the sadness and sorrow he experienced, how was this reaction seemed so… comprehensible? Jack thought that human emotions were only but confusing deceptions to misjudge a person. And yet, the way he looked at the ponies now was explicable. He never had time to study the emotional traits of living beings, as vengeance and hatred was the only aspects he was interested in. From all their crying so far, Jack began to felt something inside him that never occurred to him. It is as if he felt eagered to do something.

A minute has passed, and the ponies were still at it. Losing someone or somepony from murder was a pretty new experience for them. Rarity gloomed over Twilight’s lifeless face while her eyes were coated in tears.

“*Snivel*… W-Why…? Why did this had to happen?! She didn’t deserve this at all!!” Rarity wailed. Applejack had to agree with Rarity, as she shared her thoughts too.

“I-I know Rarity… b-but… *Sniff*… w-we shouldn’t let this… g-get to us. Twilight was a good and dearest friend to us… b-but…” Suddenly, Applejack was brutally interrupted by Rainbow Dash’s outburst.

“WAS?! How dare you!! She ‘IS’ our good and dearest friend, thank you very much!” Dash screamed at her friend. Then she lifted her forearms skyward into the air and started shouting at the ceiling.

“Guuuaaaahhh! I hate this place so much now… THIS ISN’T FAIR!!” Dash then darted her eyes at Jack after her pointless fuse. He was staring blankly at Twilight. But behind those eyes of his, something was infuriating him. Jack’s eyes were different, but Dash couldn’t notice it. The way he was looking at her made Dash felt angrier.

“If only we would've gotten here sooner,” Dash continued her anger while glaring at Jack. “Then none of this would've happened to her! But just look at yourself… aren’t you concerned or feeling sorry for Twilight at all?! Aren’t you-“ Suddenly, Jack darted at Dash with annoyance.

“Would you shut up?! If I were you, I’d take a better look at this place than pointlessly rant about your feelings!” He yelled. At that point, everypony stopped weeping. They all listened to what Jack had to say, as he continued to speak.

“Besides, I have three reasons why I shouldn’t be wasting my time crying right now! One, I don’t know Twilight Sparkle! Two, you all should have known by now which Quarter room this is!” As he continued, the next sentence Jack spoke left every pony frozen.

“And three, your friend isn’t entirely dead yet!” Every pony held their breaths, as they looked at him in a disbelief way. All of their sadness and sorrow came to a complete pause when Jack said that.

“You all heard me right, she isn’t dead yet!” Jack continued. “If you would recall on Daniel’s last moments before I deliberately blasted that motherfucker’s head to kingdom come, he said that he added her soul to the collection! There is a way to bring her back without messing the circle of life! I can do that kind of stuff… that is if you desperately want her back!” Finally, after Jack made his point, he grunted and stopped talking. They wondered what had gotten him worked up. Naturally, he would care less about situations like this. But aside from that, there was a window of opportunity to revive Twilight. However; they felt that it was wrong to disturb the dead. Even for Applejack, as doing stuff like that wasn’t her cup of tea. Which gave Applejack a slight hint that Jack was trying to make them believe he can do that stuff, just to spare their feelings. She thought that Jack was now starting to develop feelings of his own.

“Listen… Jack.” Applejack replied. “I-I know your trying ta make us feel better, but… I don’t know if it’s right ta mess with the natural order of life. I mean, Twilight is a dearest friend of ours, but I’m not so sure if this is the right thing ta do. And-“ Suddenly, Applejack was rudely cut off by Jack.

“Well in that case, I completely understand your opinion! We can either do three things at this moment! One, leave Twilight in here for all of eternity where she will never rest in peace! Two, either let her be and let someone begin the summoning ritual, where her soul shall be fed to a monstrous god-like being! Or three, get her the fuck out of there and bring her back to life! Either way, there’s no trip to heaven or hell for her!” The way he said those options caught Applejack and the others off guard. It was a no-win situation for Applejack’s opinion. Jack folded his arms and grunted.

“True suffering and loneliness together are more worse than death itself. I’m betting you that Twilight is experiencing that fear right now. I’ve felt dead ever since I got to this place. What made me feel alive was the endless hunger for vengeance. However, the stuff I’m going through with you guys is a totally different feeling. You can say, I’m now blooming twice. Or, I’m just doing this just to shut your goddamn whining. Either way, consider this as a reward for helping me out this far. So…” Jack cocked his head to the side.

“What will it be then?” Applejack was left dumbstruck; she’d never thought Jack would steep down to this level. But more importantly, she knew that Twilight didn’t deserve this fate. As much as it pains her to break the laws of life, she was about to feel guilty by accepting this. The other ponies desperately wanted Twilight back, as they instantaneously implored Jack’s proposal. Knowing them, it would break their hearts even more if Applejack said no. With a deep sigh, Applejack closed her eyes.

“Y…Yes. Please… please bring her back.” She tearfully said, as she felt regretful of saying that. Jack walked over to Applejack, and kneeled down to her level. Both of them eyed at each other very seriously.

“I know it’s wrong to do such thing, but you know, life isn’t welcome in this place.” Jack implied. “Just forget about your doubts of messing the natural order just for this one time. Because this place has no natural order, it’s defined the words chaos and unfairness quite clearly. And with no controllable chaos, there will be no order left. That’s the way Zalgo’s minions view their perspective. So just keep that in mind.” After that, he stood back up. He stared at the ponies that looked determined to do whatever Jack had in mind.

“Alright, listen up,” Jack said. “If you want her back, I’m going to need your guy’s help. For this part, you guys are all on your own.” He shot his arm to the side and pointed his finger at the glowing jars.

“Each of those jars holds the soul of a recent victim. In order to properly satisfy Cthulhu’s hunger, which Daniel was too stupid and too blind to figure out, the souls must be purified in those jars for about a week. It’s like cooking up a raw meat type method. The reasons why they have colors is because they reveal the soul’s personality trait. Just because your friend here is purple, doesn’t mean she might have that type of soul color. For this part, you five will have to search every jar in this room and quietly listen to their voices. If it sounds just like your friend in there, then remove that jar from the shelve and set it next to her body. But there are two things I will warn you about for this part.” Jack raised his hand in front of the ponies and flipped his index finger.

“One, do not wake the soul’s slumber. This is a pain in the ass to find a certain soul if this happens. If one were to wake up, they begin to beg for a release as loud as they can. Thus awakens the other souls’ slumber and it will create a thunderous racket. If that happens, it might alert the Soul Devours to come flying here. It’s impossible to shut those souls up unless I pull the emergency lever. The lever is located on that generator there. What it will do is it will permanently put them back to sleep for a month or so.” Then he flipped his middle finger up, making a two sign.

“And second, make sure not to break open those jars. Breaking those jars will release the soul from its bindings. Knowing those souls, they will desperately try to find and possess the nearest living body, kicking the previous owner’s soul out.” Jack folded his arms back together and sighed.

“Once you managed to find your friend’s soul jar, I’ll take care of the rest. In the meantime, I’m going to look for the last key shard in the other room. Take heed to my warnings, for this is the only way of doing this. Now get to it.” Jack walked around Applejack and headed towards the back door. The ponies nodded at each other, and they spread across the room. Tip hoofing towards the jars; the gang prepared themselves for this task. As Jack left the room, the ponies began their work. They slowly pressed their ears lightly against the colorful lit jars. Inside, they could hear different voices in each jar. Each jar contained the individual sounds of someone either crying, moaning in pain, shear grunts of anger, hyperventilating loudly, or sighs of misery. There were the sounds of children, women, men, elders, and even animals trapped inside each jar.

The ponies felt extremely sorry for their misfortune fate, but they couldn’t do anything about it. Life as they know it felt unfair for them, even in some circumstances. While the ponies quietly did their job, Jack was inside the other room searching for the last key shard. There were a lot of drawers, shelves, and desks containing records of certain victims and cultists. There were also documents of events, schedules, and bills. Jack carelessly tossed out the ancient documents and records to the side, making the whole room a mess. While he searched for the key shard, he began questioning his behavior that happened a minute ago.

“What happened to me back there?” Jack spoke to himself in his mind. “Actually... what’s happening to me right now? That feeling… it just took control over my personality. I wasn’t feeling like myself back there. I think this stress of babysitting those ponies is getting the better of me. Or…” Jack paused his search, and just stood there, looking blankly into his own void.

“What if… those five words are starting to make sense? Maybe they were meant more than just words. What do all of those five words have in common? Fluttershy might be right; maybe I have been lonely for far too long for no one to hear my pain and suffering. Heh… to think that living life was all about taking as much as you can to survive. The more I think about it, the more I feel like a caveman that’s searching for answers. Maybe what she was trying to say was…” Jack snapped out of his thinking trance at that moment.

“Whatever, I’ll figure out that later. Right now, I need to find this last key shard, and face my goal. I just hope these feelings won’t get in the way.” He stopped staring blankly into his own void, and continued his search. Passing through papers and emptying drawers, it didn’t took him long to finally find his prize. Underneath some bills was the last key shard. It had a square shaped sapphire on top. As he stared at the key, he didn’t notice himself smiling in relief. This had been the second time he’s smiled, and yet it didn’t bothered him at all.

With no time to celebrate, Jack reached into his key pouch, and pulled out the other three key shards. Carefully assembling all four pieces together, he managed to form a key statue. The jewels on each key shard twinkled simultaneously, as it made a loud click after fitting them all in. Staring at the key statue for a brief moment, he placed it back into his key pouch. Ready to leave this room, he cracked his fingers and his neck.

“Okay… the moment ha-“ Jack was interrupted by a loud sneeze that echoed from the other room. It sounded like Rarity’s sneeze almost, but in a more squeaky tone. Jack facepalmed himself and grunted in annoyance.

“Uuugh… here we go.” Jack mumbled. Back in the other room, already half of the jars were checked, and there was no sign of Twilight yet. But after Rarity accidentally sneezed, things were gonna get dicey. All of the other ponies held their breaths, as they were surprised by Rarity’s unexpected sneeze. Rarity had her hooves covered her mouth. She stared at the jar with huge frightened eyes, as if something terrible was about to happen. Every pony paused, letting the silence to take over for a brief moment. Then…

“H-Hello?! Is someone there?!” The voice spoke inside the jar, echoing the noise. “Please! Let me out of here! I don’t deserve this at all!” It was the voice of a scared young woman. Rarity tried to hush the soul down, but to no avail. The echoed voice was so loud; it awoke the nearby soul jar on the right.

“Eh! Keep it down, ya losar! Yer ain’t goin’ nowheres, chump!” The other voice spoke in a New Yorker accent. The voice sounded like a middle aged chubby woman that had lung cancer. And once more, the voice has awoken several more souls. After a few seconds, almost half of the room was awaken. And finally, after more seconds later, every soul jar began a loud racket. Some souls yelled and begged for release, while the others just begun chatting away.

“H-Help me! I have a wife and two kids that needs me!”

“What did I ever did to you?!”

“Hey! Let’a me outta here ya rotten bastards!”

“I’m scared! I want my mommy and daddy!”

“LET ME OUT!! PLEASE!! LET! ME! OUT!!”

“Shut up! I’m trying to sleep here dumbasses!”

“Is anyone there?! Please! Let me go!”

“Dental plan!”

“I HATE THIS PLACE! GET ME OUT OF HERE!!”

“If anyone is out there, please! Let me out! I’ll do whatever you want! I promise!”

Then the level of the racket began multiplying, and eventually, it became a crowded stadium. It was so loud; it could be heard from miles away. The ponies began panicking, desperately trying to find Twilight’s voice. They had to press their ear hard against the soul jar to figure out which sound comes out next. While they searched, Jack stormed out of the office with an angry face.

“What the hell happened here?!” Jack yelled as loud as he can, so that the ponies can hear him. Rarity heard Jack, as she faced him first.

“I’m terribly sorry, darling!” Rarity yelled back, trying to project her voice as loud as she could. “I had a bit of an accident with my allergies! It just suddenly slipped out! I couldn’t hold it in!” Jack could only facepalm himself again from her excuse. He knew that they would slip up on this task. So the stress didn’t get to him. Beginning to take action, Jack told Rarity to continue what she was doing, and went over to check the entrance. Almost immediately, Jack spotted the return of the previous Soul Devours flying towards them. With no seconds to lose, Jack gasped and slammed the door shut. Then, he reached over his back pouch, and pulls out a blood vile. Pulling out the cork, he dabs his finger into the vial. Once that was done, he began to scrawl a big circle containing symbols and shapes all over the door as fast as he could.

He could only scrawl the major portions of the spell circle as time was just about up. Using his right hand he stabbed earlier as a donation for blood, he pressed his hand on the center of the door.

“Yak au’kesh izh nevuha!” He chanted in a vulgar tone. The scribed symbols and shapes lit up in a violet glow, making a weird vibe noise. The edges of the door then glowed violet. And at that very second, there was a loud bang on the door. Then the Soul Devours let out a high pitch screech on the other side of the door. He turned his head towards the concerned ponies, as he kept his hand pressed on the door.

“I’ll hold them off! Till then, hurry and find your friend’s soul! I can’t hold them off forever!” Jack yelled out from the top of his lungs. They all nodded in return, and made haste to their search. Seventy five percent of the jars were checked, and still no sign of Twilight yet. They began to feel hopeless that they would never find her. And to top it off, their lives were in danger once more. Every pony never felt this intense before. It felt as if this could be the last moments of their lives.

Every five seconds, the door banged loudly. Each bang caused Jack’s arm to be damaged in recoil. His muscles were tearing themselves apart from the overstress of barricading the door with magic. With forty more soul jars left, the ponies made haste with their survey. Jack knew his arm was about to fall apart. He turned his attention towards the frantic ponies.

“I-I can’t hold it m-much longer! HURRY!” Jack yelled, followed by yet another loud bang on the door. Suddenly, the magical recoil from holding the spell intact tore a long gap on his bicep after the bang. The muscles were so tensed up it shredded the tissues immensely. Jack shrill in pain, as blood leaked out of the gap. His hand almost fell off the door, but he summoned his remaining strength to keep them at bay.

It felt hopeless now, there was no way that Twilight’s soul was to be found in one of these jars. Only five more to go, and the five ponies placed their ears against each jars for one last time. They felt bleak to even try to listen. And all five jars spoke,

“P-Please! Anyone! I-I want out! I hate this place!”

“This is so goddamn stupid! Why did I end up like this?!”

“HELP! HELP! OH GOD, PLEASE HELP ME!”

“If only we’d stayed in Ponyville, none of this would've ever happened!”

“HEEEY! OVER HERE! HELP! LET ME OUT!!”

At that moment, Rainbow Dash gasped heavenly. The other ponies turned their attention to Dash’s beaming face.

“What is it, darling?!” Rarity asked. Dash pressed her ear harder against the blue-lit jar.

“TWILIGHT!! IS THAT YOU?!” She yelled. Right away, the jar responded back.

“R-Rainbow Dash?! Where are you?! What’s going on?! Are the others safe?!” It was safe to assume that this was her soul. The ponies beamed their faces in happiness to finally see a successful task done. All of their sadness turned to joy, all of their anxiety disappeared, and their eyes began upwelling tears. Dash grabbed the soul jar, and wrapped her forearms around it. For the first time, Dash was experiencing the emotion of happiness that’s crossed her limit borders. Her heart bounced up and down, unable to stop this sensation. She let out a hearty giggle, while teardrops bounced off her eyes.

“I-I knew it! I knew you wouldn’t be gone, you lovable egghead! I’m so happy we’ve found you! I-“ Dash continued, but was suddenly interrupted by Jack’s wailing agony.

“GAAAAUAAAUGH!” The final bang on the magical door emited a strong force. It violently hurled Jack’s body back, sending him tumbling on the ground. His right arm was almost covered in blood, as several deep wounds were around his arm. His body slid towards Twilight’s body, smearing blood on his right arm along the ground. With horror, every pony gazed at Jack. They let out a shrilling gasp of terror.

“JACK!!” Fluttershy screamed. At that moment, the symbols and shapes around the circle on the door stopped glowing. Then the symbols and shapes dissipated into thin air. A second later the Soul Devours went through the closed door. The unholy phantoms spotted the helpless victim lying on the floor. Jack raised his head up, and spotted the three Soul Devours floating right towards him. Grunting in pain, he darted his eyes over at the ponies. Right away, he noticed that Rainbow Dash was holding a blue-lit soul jar. Considering that jar has her friend in it, he stept forward to phase two.

“Nugh…! L-LISTEN…” Jack cried out in pain. “P-PULL… T-THE YELLOW… LEVER DOWNWARD… ON… T-THE L-LEFT OF… THE GENER…ATOR… BEHIND ME… HURRY!!” The group darted their eyes over at the strange generator. There, on the left side of the generator was a yellow lever that was pointing up. It looked as though it was a piece of cake to them. But time was running out, as the Soul Devours was circulating around him, preparing to something horrifying. Fluttershy knew that the switch was to silence the ghostly crowd, but she doesn’t know if it would work on those phantoms too. Unable to sit idly around anymore, she decided to take action. Fluttershy dashed towards the generator, while the others tagged along with her. Once they were there, Fluttershy held on to the yellow lever and pulled it down. However; it wouldn’t budge one bit. She tried her hardest to pull it down, but to no avail. She then turned to the group.

“I-It’s no use! It won’t budge!” Fluttershy announced. On the corner of Fluttershy’s eye, she spotted a Soul Devour grabbing Jack’s shirt by the turtleneck. Jack’s head hanged upside down, as he grimaced in pain. Then, the phantom opened and expanded its mouth large and wide, revealing endless rows of razor sharp teeth. And then, the phantom started to inhale strong wind. In seconds, a light blue essence emitted from Jack’s body. Around the same time the tip of his fingers begun to develop a necrosis effect, as it slowly spread upward. Jack cried out in anguish, as it pierced through the heavens. Fluttershy paused herself and watched in horror for a brief moment.

With too much at stake, Fluttershy couldn’t stand around and watch. She had to save Jack from being devoured by the phantom. But just as she was about to let go, the other ponies grabbed hold on the lever and Fluttershy’s hooves. She turned her head around to see the others greeting her with determination. This snapped Fluttershy out of her traumatized state. With a simple nod, every pony proceeded to push down the lever as hard as they could. Both of Jack’s arms were now crippled in necrotic. The light blue essence took the form of Jack’s entire body, making it look like his soul. As the Soul Devour continued to inhale with no end, his soul slowly lifted out of his body. Jack’s cries of anguish were becoming weaker by the second. The ponies pushed down with all their might. It felt like they couldn’t do it. But thinking about letting Jack die like this gave Fluttershy the extra strength she needed.

Suddenly, the lever finally pulled itself down. Every pony collapsed onto one another, as the lever snapped in half. The generator began to vibrate violently, as electricity shot through the air and against the walls. The electric current flowed through the whole room, giving off loud sparks of discharge. A wave of electricity struck the Soul Devours, as they wailed and writhed in agony. The phantom released Jack’s shirt, as his body hit the ground. His soul began to sink back into his body. His skin also began to regenerate itself from the necrosis, due to his essence returning to his body. However, his loss of strength was causing him to black out. His final image was watching the sparks of life fly past through the sky, before darkness engulfed his visions.

Chapter 16: Friends

Chapter 16: Friends

Meanwhile in the royal castle, Princess Celestia walked up and down a corridor with stained-glass windows on both walls. Her mind kept boggling her ever since she discovered the Necronomicon Gate sigil. She’d never expect such a dark conspiracy to slip through within the peaceful borders of Equestria. Outraged, she kept grunting angrily, while she talked to herself in her mind.

For eight hundred years, those sick and twisted wrongdoers hadn’t made their move until now. I’d never imagine they’d return like this. If they’re planning another apocalyptic war, then things will go down gruesomely. I might not know much about the lore of their religious group, but I can tell that this new threat will be too much for us to handle. Sigh… if only I’d destroyed that accursed book when I had the chance back then. While she kept walking up and down the corridor in her train of thought, Private Silver made his appearance at the entrance.

“Uhh, like yer majesty?” Silver called. Celestia stopped walking and turned her attention to Silver.

“Report.” She asked.

“Uhh… like we searched around most of the Everfree Forest, aaaand like, we uuuh haven’t seen somethin’ fishy, ya know?” Silver said, making Celestia sigh.

“Alright then, tell the search team to double check the areas. They have to be in there somewhere. And be sure to locate any unusual hideouts. Also, notify the mayor of Ponyville to set up a town's meeting at Town Hall. There will be a discussion about evacuating the citizens to the Canterlot Keep at sunrise. I’ll be there to inform the details once I’m ready. Now go!”

“Uhh, yes ma’am!” Silver saluted and trotted away. Once he was gone, Celestia continued pacing up and down the corridor.

“Whatever they’re up to, we’ve got to prepare for the worst.” Celestia mumbled, as she was preparing to raise the sun.

“Nuuuh…” Jack mumbled. The darkness in his vision were slowly lifting. He could see five colorful objects looming down at him.

“Guys! Look! He’s waking up!” Pinkie Pie announced. Once Jack’s vision was back to normal, he immediately felt sore on his right arm. Though, the pain he felt before was reduced, yet he still felt numb on his arm. Jack slowly sat back up, while moaning. He looked at the ponies’ welcoming smiles.

“You feelin’ alright, sugarcube? You’ve been out for hours.” Applejack asked. Jack nodded his head slowly.

“Uuuh… yeah. I-“ Jack suddenly flinched in pain. He placed his left hand on his right arm. To his surprise, he felt something different when he placed his hand on his biceps. He looked at his right arm, and noticed that he had a cleaned up arm. The gaps were sewed by suture and the blood was wiped away. Jack gazed at his arm quizzically.

“Huh? Wh-wha-?” He was just about to ponder, when Rarity cutted in.

“That arm of yours was such a dreadful sight. We… we tried to sew your wounds up the best we could.” She put on a smug smile. Right next to Rarity, Pinkie Pie winked at him.

“Yeah, it was fun! Except it was reeeeeally nasty to do! I don’t know if I’d ever do that kind of stuff again! But hey, you worked on my wounds like a professional!” Jack looked at the group who were smiling at him. He then gazed back at his arm, as he displayed his disbelief face.

“So… you all did this?” He asked. Every pony replied with a simple nod. At that moment, Jack started to feel yet another positive emotion brewing inside him. It warmed his heart to see such generosity to be put on him. He closed his eyes and grunted a chuckle.

“Heh… thanks.” He said. Jack stood back up to his feet and cracked his weary neck. He turned around and spotted the blue-lit jar next to Dash. Every pony gazed at the jar with excitement.

“You ready for this, Jack?” Dash asked earnestly. Jack eyed at the jar, then to Dash with a slight nod.

“Alright. Just stand back and let me take care of the rest.” Jack proceeded towards Twilight’s body, while he grabbed the jar. Standing next to her body, he kneeled down and gazed into her lifeless eyes. He placed the jar on the ground that marked a small circle. He noticed that the wound on her chest was already sewed up by the ponies. He felt a little bit of relief to see the work was cut off for him. Checking the green scribed symbols around them, he changed certain symbols by using the green ink beside him. Once he was done, he rearranged the candlesticks to their proper place.

Watching Jack preparing this kind of ritual made the ponies felt nervous. Finally, after the preparations were complete, he sat on his knees and placed both hands palm to palm. He closed his eyes and began chanting softly in a weird language. The ponies just stood there looking eagerly at the climax. They also prayed as hard as they can to hope this event would go well. During ten seconds of chanting quietly, his tone began to roughen up. The suspense was climbing higher than they anticipated.

Suddenly, the candlesticks around the ritual circle lit up simultaneously in a counterclockwise. As the ritual progressed, the symbols and shapes started to glow from green to blue. The symbols gives off a loud bell-like screech that made the ponies felt fuzzy inside. This entire step went on for about thirty seconds until Jack slowly lifted his eyelids about halfway. Then he struck both arms in front of him, facing his palms at Twilight.

“Heralds of the sleepless dead, heed thy command!”
“Open the mortal gate for which I demand!”
“Descend the law of death, upon this lost soul!”
“Arise the act of life, making her all whole!”
“Both body and the soul, being into one!”
“Futile this forceful deed, so it shall be done!”
“Upon this ritual for which I called for!”
“REVIVE THE FALLEN, AND AWAKEN ONCE MORE!!”

At that very second, the runes around twilight lit up brightly. The lights ascended skyward towards the ceiling. Every pony jumped in amazement when they saw the special effects. On Twilight’s chest, a big portal gap appeared. Colorful lights escaped from the portal, giving off weird and soothing noises. Knowing now the time was right, Jack took the soul jar, held it above the portal gap, flipped it upside-down, and unscrewed the safety cap. The blue-lit sphere inside the jar fell out and slowly descended into the portal. As the soul slowly floated downward, Jack tossed the soul jar to the side. The jar shattered into a handful of pieces upon impact.

The ponies watched in awe, as the glowing sphere descended into the portal gap. A few seconds later, the sphere entered Twilight’s body. Jack slowly lifted both arms up above his head and waited a few more seconds. Just when the portal started to blink, Jack swung both arms in front of him, making a loud clap. The portal gap on Twilight’s chest immediately closed, making her body jolt. The ritual circle around both Twilight and Jack stopped glowing. The blue colored shapes and symbols returned to their natural green color. Jack took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.

Now that the ritual was over, the ponies were eager to see the results, as they gathered around Twilight’s body in silence. Everypony stared at her closed eyes in suspense, hoping that the ritual worked. The ponies held their breaths in, as the suspense grew. They spoke nothing for the next few seconds. It felt like the ritual didn’t worked after all until…

“Oh my gosh, look!” Fluttershy quietly gasped. A pair of purple eyelids slowly rose. Very faint groans escaped from the purple unicorn’s mouth. And the sound of a steady heartbeat could be heard from her chest. Everypony bloomed, as they finally saw the results. Twilight slowly eyed her way up to see her friends with huge smiles on their faces.

“G-Girls…?” Twilight faintly spoke. At that moment, all the ponies cried out her name in unison and piled on top of her. They all shared a group hug around Twilight, as they laughed and cried gently. At last, all six ponies were reunited once more. As the feelings of joy and happiness spreads through their hearts, the fears from this place were slowly relinquishing. Every pony shed tears of elation, while their friendship bonds grew stronger. Rainbow Dash wiped away her tear streams and stared at Twilight.

“I knew you wouldn’t be gone forever! I’m so happy that you’re alive again!” Dash emotionally said. Twilight grinned at Dash.

“I’m sorry I scared you all like that. But I’m glad to be back here with you girls. Thank you…”

While the ponies had their time, Jack slowly stood back up to his feet and watched. He felt happy to see all of Fluttershy’s friends were reunited once more. Yet, at the same time, he felt like this feeling of happiness was nothing more than a forlorn emotion to him. He still hadn’t figured out why and how these positive emotions came to him. And on top of that, he knew that he would no longer experience these types of feelings, or even try to contemplate them. Giving up such treasured feelings for one’s only purpose in life made Jack more depressed. Upon these circumstances, Jack almost felt… jealous. Without wasting anymore of his actual time, Jack had to continue his mission. He trailed his eyes over to Fluttershy.

“So… Fluttershy, I take it this is all of your friends correct?” Jack said palely. Fluttershy took her eyes off of Twilight and smiled bigley, while tears kept shedding out of her eyes.

“Y-Yes! Thank you so very much! I don’t know what I’d do without them! It’s because of you; I now have all of my friends back! *Snivel*… Thank you, Jack! Thank you!” Fluttershy spoke emotionally. The other ponies stared at Jack and nodded happily. But suddenly, the ponies’ smiles faded as they saw Jack looking down on the ground emotionlessly. Everypony went silent for the moment. They wondered what was going on in his head right now. The ponies couldn’t help but notice Jack clenching his fists. Concerned, Fluttershy spoke up to get his attention.

“Jack? What’s wrong?” She hoped Jack would fill her in. But Jack just stood there, staring at the floor lugubriously. Fluttershy suddenly had this feeling of guilt boiling up inside her, making her more concerned about him. But just as she was about to call out his name again, Jack raised his head a little and gazed at the ponies in dismal.

“Nothing. Since I’ve helped you find and rescued your friends, there’s no longer a reason for you guys to follow me. Our pathways end here truthfully.” Jack said neutrally, making the ponies gasp. Jack pointed towards the generator behind the ponies.

“Behind that generator is a secret wall passage that leads you up towards the surface. It will lead you to the middle of a forest. There, you will find a small pathway that will lead you out of the forest. Now then, I must be going.” Without anymore words to add, Jack turned around and walked straight for the door. Seeing Jack bailout like that made the ponies’ heart sank. All but Twilight had this feeling, since she doesn’t know who he was. Desperate for answers, Rarity stood up on her hooves.

“W-Wait! What are you going to do, Jack?” She asked sincerely. As Jack continued to walk, he replied.

“I still have my only purpose to fulfill. And I attend to do this solely. If I die or succeed, it won’t even matter to me in the end. I’ll know that this is as far as I go in life.” Jack stopped walking for a moment, as he tried to cough up his regards. “And guys... I-I just want to say...” Jack’s throat started to burn, yet his composure got the better of him. “...thank you for your help. But now, I’m on my own now. Goodbye...” Jack silently grunted, and continued towards the door. Already, the ponies felt his pain. Watching Jack leave like this made Dash stood up eagerly.

“Y-You shouldn’t do this alone! We’re your friends! Let us help you out!” Dash spoke out. Once Jack reached at the doorway, he stopped dead in his tracks. At that moment, he froze completely from hearing what Dash had said. The ponies felt a little surprised to see him frozen like this. Slowly, Jack turned his head around at the ponies. His face was bewildered and shocked at the same time.

“W-Wha… what? Y-You…you’re my… what?” Jack shuttered in confusion. The smiles on the ponies’ faces slowly returned, as they felt like they accomplished something. Dash didn’t hesitate to repeat herself, as she spoke again.

“We’re your friends, aren’t we? Friends stick together to the end. We don’t want you to give up your life for nothing! We care about you, rather than our lives. You know why? It’s because I’m always loyal to those I cherish!” At that point, the rest of the ponies stood up on their hooves. Then, Applejack cut in the chat.

“That’s right, sugarcube! People like you shouldn’t live like this! I know that you’ve been in the dark for far too long, and you always wanted comfort in your life. Even though you attend to hide yer real feelings from us, I still respect you. Besides, I’m honest to those I respect and love!” Then Rarity spoke next.

“Darling, you helped all of us willingly. And since you helped us, we would help you in return! I am after all generous to those who are deemed worthy of being my friend!” Then Pinkie Pie giggled while jumping for joy.

“Hehe! Even though we’ve met for such a short time, you still look like a pretty awesome whatever you are to hang out with! You see, I make my friends and everyone else laugh while keeping them happy!” And finally, Fluttershy stepped in.

“You’ve made me stronger, Jack. I always knew that there was a good side of you just hiding in that lonely corner. There was never any doubt in my mind that you would help all of us. Like I said, all you ever needed back in your life... was a friend... or maybe even friends. I really want to help you get out of that dark and lonely place, because showing kindness to everyone like you and to my friends is what I do!” All of those words the ponies spoke out struck Jack’s heart immensely. His heart began to lift from experiencing this huge emotional feeling. As this feeling grew, he started to understand those five words he learned. This begun to change Jack’s perspective ways of the world, for this emotional feeling he was experiencing now was overwhelming him. He felt like he was about to explode in a massive outbreak of happiness. He opened his mouth to speak, but choked on his own words.

As Twilight felt left out on this, she came to her senses and spoke up.

“I… I don’t know who you are. But, I will give my sincerest gratitude of saving my friends and I. Heh, you’re like me kind of, growing up with no friends or possibly not knowing the true definition of friendship. You see, I didn’t know what friendship was like, until these ponies shared it’s magic with me. And since I have someone or some pony that cares about me, I’ll gladly protect them with my life. Because friendship is worth fighting for.” After Twilight spoke, a sudden message flashed inside Jack’s head.

Magic… and friendship. I... I see... Jack said inside his consciousness. From that point, he finally figured out how those positive emotions work. To know how friendship works was an incredible accomplishment to him. Armed with this newfound knowledge, he could see a new perspective on the ponies’ faces. He found their smiles very heartwarming and comforting. Starting to embrace the positive feeling, his eyes were upwelling tears from seeing their faces smiling.

“S-So… so… all… all of you… are my… friends now?” Jack stuttered. Within a single silent moment, the ponies replied to him with a simple nod. Seeing them nod instantly made Jack’s heart burst out in profound happiness. His lips quivered, as tears begun to stream down his cheeks. The overwhelmingness of happiness started to weighed him down. He collapsed to his knees, covered his eyes with his hands, and began to sob. He tried so hard to obtain his composure back, but his eyes were so heavy that it felt impossible to do so. The ponies looked at each other, realizing that Jack’s heart was now free. They walked over to Jack and sat in a circle around him. Jack slowly removed his hands to see tears on his palms. He felt a little bit confused, since crying was a negative feeling.

“W-Why… why… why am I… crying?” He asked emotionally. “*Snivel*… I… I thought… that… friend…ship… *Heaves*… was… a good thing.” Fluttershy put her hoof on Jack’s shoulder. Jack looked up to see her watery eyes.

“You’re not crying… you’re happy. Does it feel like sadness or depression at all? No… it’s alright to cry if you’re really happy.” All of a sudden, Jack quietly gasped. He knew that he felt something different about this emotion. Giving only a few seconds to realizing this discovery, Fluttershy wrapped her forearms around Jack’s neck and gave him a hug. Jack’s body froze from this sudden feeling. His body felt the warmth and comfort coming from Fluttershy in a way he couldn’t explain.

“Wha… what… what is this? What are... you doing?” He stuttered.

“I’m hugging you, Jack. Don’t you know what a hug is?” Fluttershy asked.

“N...No... I... I never... had this done to me before... what is this hug?” Jack asked innocently. The realization of Jack not knowing how a hug works suddenly made the ponies’ jaws fall agape.

“You don’t know?! Oh that’s terrible!” Fluttershy gasped, before returning to her composure. “Well, a hug is an emotional form for affection and friendship. It makes us feel that we’re not alone anymore. Here, wrap your arms around my neck and squeeze me tightly.” Jack felt a little bit confused at this point. He doesn’t know what to expect from this hug. And yet, it felt so simple to him. Following Fluttershy’s instruction, Jack slowly worked his way to wrapping his arms around her neck. Once Jack had a firm grip on her neck, he suddenly felt a wave of affection hitting inside him. Feeling scared for a brief moment from this sudden emotion being presented to him, his fear relinquished in an instant. This made Jack’s heart burst into more joy.

Embracing this newfound feeling, Jack squeezed tighter around Fluttershy’s neck and wept quietly on her chest. Fluttershy rested her head on top of Jack’s head, and started to shed more tears.

“That’s it... just let it all out Jack...” At this point all the other ponies had tears flowing down their cheeks from watching this heartwarming event. Within Jack’s head, he started to flashback the events of his life. From all the pain he endured, all the fear he went through, and the anger he held inside him had finally lifted. On this day, Jack felt like he was reincarnated into a better life.

The hugging went on for at least a full minute until Jack finally unwrapped his arms around Fluttershy’s neck and went back up to his feet. Still releasing a few streams of tears left, Jack wiped his irritated cheeks with his hand. He inhaled through his wet nose, drying up his nostrils. Then he looked at the group and displayed his actual smile.

“I… I don’t know what to say. Y-You guys… have changed me greatly. In the past, ‘friendship’ was merely a word to me… nothing more, nothing less. But now, since I met with you guys, I realize now that the meaning of that word is now important to me. I can guess that… this world isn’t that half bad after all! And-“ Just as Jack was about to express his overwhelming feelings any further, he held his sentence for a moment and glared above the ceiling. The dark whisper echoed across the hallway once more, bringing chills down the ponies’ spines. But this time, the whisper was more intense than the previous three.

“He waits behind the wall… in a palace of tortured glass… served by legions forged from the tears of the sleepless dead… and clad in armor carved from the suffering of mothers.”

“In his right hand he holds a dead star… and in his left hand he holds the Candle Whose Light Is Shadow.”

“His left hand is stained with the blood of Am Dhaegar.”

“His six mouths speak in different tongues… and the seventh shall sing the song that ends the earth.”

“HE COMES!”

The demonic dark whisper echoed his last two words loudly before silence took over. Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle were completely off guard by the death-chilling whisper, for they had no idea what that was. As the whisper died out, both Pinkie and Twilight began shaking in horror. Twilight tried to talk, but her words were clothed up by the sensation of fear. She attempt to let out a few words, but was roughly cut short by Rainbow Dash.

“Hey! You freakhead! If you're hearing this, you're gonna pay for what you’ve done! You hear me, Zalgo?!” Dash thundered, while clenching her hoof in anger as she shook it at the ceiling. As Twilight was given a bit of courage by Dash, she finally spoke.

“Rainbow Dash? W-Who was that?” She asked. Rainbow Dash dropped her anger for a brief moment and stared at Twilight.

“That’s Zalgo, the biggest jerk head I’ve ever met!” Dash exclaimed while her rage rose. “He’s the one responsible for all of this, and the one who made Jack’s life extremely miserable! I can safely say that he’s much worse than Discord and Nightmare Moon combined!” Given the major details about him, Twilight and Pinkie were a bit astonished about this newcomer villain. Curious, Twilight stepped closer to Rainbow Dash for more answers.

“So… this song… is it really possible to sing a certain song to end the world? A-And… how powerful is he? What did he do to this place? What’s his pur-“ As Twilight was anxiously getting carried away by questioning Dash, Applejack stepped in and interrupted her.

“We don’t know, sugarcube. All we know is that this could be the biggest foe we could ever encounter. From what I’ve seen so far, it’s been extremely crazy!” Rainbow Dash nodded back at her.

“Yeah, we’ve been almost killed countless of times! Without Jack, we wouldn’t be here! Well… I say it’s Zalgo’s turn to be afraid of us, right Jack?!” Rainbow Dash swerved her head at Jack, who was still glaring at the ceiling silently.

“We’re gonna kick his butt together, right?!” She asked earnestly. But Jack didn’t replied back. He kept staring at the ceiling, while thinking about what he would do next. Every pony looked at him quizzically, as they wondered what’s going on in his head right now. It only took a couple of seconds for Jack to display a simple grin. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled softly.

“Where are you guys from anyway?” He finally spoke out. It felt a little off topic for the ponies, but Fluttershy gladly spoke up.

“Well um… we live in a town called Ponyville which is located south from a city called ‘Canterlot’. And well… if you want… well… after this, would you like to come live with us in our town? There are a lot of ponies there that will gladly welcome you. And I promise, it won’t be like Graniteville. You will be able to make more friends there too!” Hearing her offer made Jack’s heart even warmer than ever. Getting a second chance in life felt good to him. He opened his eyes, and stared at the generator.

“I… I would love that.” He responded. Jack suddenly reached inside his back pouch, and pulled out a big scroll. He unwrapped the scroll, and it revealed ancient texts and a huge symbol on the center of the parchment paper. The ponies quizzically gazed at the parchment as they wondered what that was.

“Umm… Jack?” Dash asked. “What is that? Is that gonna help us defeat Zalgo?” Jack kneeled down, and laid the parchment paper flat on the ground.

“You could say that…” Jack confessed. He took out the vial of blood again, pulled out the cork, dipped his finger in, and scribbled certain text on the parchment. The ponies gathered around him and observed his work. They couldn’t understand the ancient symbols he was inscribing, yet it didn’t bothered them. A few seconds of writing blood on the paper, he plugged the cork back in and stored it away. He then gazed at the ponies around him.

“Place your hoofs anywhere on this paper. Trust me.” He spoke confidential. They were puzzled at this, but since there were no doubts to be put on him, the ponies placed their hoofs on the edges of the paper. They looked at each other in confusion. But as the events were being unfolded, the ponies were growing curious by the second. Jack stood back up on his feet and made a weird sign with his right hand. His thumb and index finger stood straight up while his other three fingers closed in. He placed his index finger next to his lips.

“Gavu!” He chanted loudly. Suddenly, the whole parchment glowed blue and hummed a weird vibe. It only lasted two seconds until the paper stopped humming and glowing. The ponies gazed at the parchment puzzled. Then they look back at Jack who dropped his hand.

“I appreciate your help guys…” Jack said, while slowly smiling. “But… I’m afraid I have to do this alone. I’m teleporting you guys back to Ponyville.” At that very moment, the ponies let out a shocking gasp.

“WHAT?!” Everypony yelled in unison. They attempted to remove their hooves off the parchment, but to their surprise, their hooves were glued onto the paper. Each pony pulled their hoofs in an attempt to get free, causing the others to be yanked around. It felt like a six way tug of war to them. No matter how hard they tried, the paper still kept hold of them.

“Wha?! What did you do?!” Rarity desperately asked Jack.

“I added an enchanted spell that glues you six to that paper.” Jack confessed. “The word ‘Gavu’ means ‘Lock’ in R'lyehian, a language we use for the practice for the Cthulhu culture. I knew you guys were going to follow me, and… well… I’d figure I use up my only teleportation scroll, which was meant for me, on to you six.” Every pony looked at him in a disbelief way. Especially Fluttershy, who began to panic on Jack’s decision.

“W-Wait! You said we could help you! And yet you insist on doing this alone! Why?!” Fluttershy made a good standard point, but Jack kept his composure.

“You are helping … by being kept safe from harm. Zalgo insists on destroying all life on earth, making each and every one of you his mindless slaves. Back then, I didn’t even care about this world. I was like the avatar once, wanting all of my hatred and suffering to burn down this world until it’s nothing but ashes. That is, until we became competitors. To see which one of us has the strongest hatred. To figure out which one of us has a stronger existence. And the strongest purpose in life. Even if I die, I’ll die knowing that death was the only path to end all of this madness. But now… I met you guys… and you all saved me. Each and every one of you saved me from my loneliness and my suffering.” Jack looked up at the ceiling as he continued.

“I thought that vengeance was my only motivation to continue to live. But now… I have a new motivation. And that’s to protect those who care about me. And to those who have felt the same pain I had. By giving me this motivation, you also gave me hope. I don’t want anyone to live like me… being all alone and hated. And that’s why, with this new motivation, I feel a lot more stronger and more determined to end Zalgo’s plans. I don’t want to risk losing you six. Cause now, you ponies are the only thing that makes me feel happy to be alive. You guys reflect what I should of had in the first place.” Jack took his eyes off the ceiling and stared at the ponies. At this point, their eyes were coated in tears. Jack closed his eyes and widened his smile.

“Besides, I am confident that I’ll be able to do this. Even if I do somehow put an end to Zalgo, I... I might not be able to return to the surface. For this place marks my tomb. You can say that fate has already made plans for me.” Jack grunted a chuckle from that.

“If only I had more time to spend with you guys… that would be something, wouldn’t it? If only I didn’t have this terrible fate, I would spend the rest of my life with you guys. Oh well…” Jack opened his eyes and stared at Fluttershy. Tears streamed down her irritated cheeks as her heart sank.

“Jack…” She whimpered. Jack slowly lifted both arms up to the side, as he was preparing to do something. He dropped his smile and displayed his serious face.

“I guess this is where we now separate. Make sure not to speak of Zalgo’s name under any circumstances. Otherwise, a terrible curse will befall upon those who hear his name. Also, don’t even mention what has happened down here this evening. I want this place to be forgotten, if this world wants to live free from the tyranny of fear. Please keep this promise… for me.” Every pony except Fluttershy nodded, yet they weren’t unable to speak properly due to the tears.

“Thank you… my friends.” A single tear streamed down Jack’s cheek, but Jack’s smiled brightly due to that.

“Farewell…” He said, and collided both palms together, making a loud clap. At that sudden moment, Fluttershy desperately stretched out her hoof to reach for Jack.

“Jack, wait!! Don’t-“ Suddenly, all the mane six’s bodies dematerialized almost in an instant. Their body particles rushed through the ceiling with such blinding speed, and the spell lead them towards home. At that point, Jack was now alone. He stared at the parchment paper, as the inscribed text and symbols disappeared. This left the parchment paper completely blank. Jack closed his eyes again, inhales slowly, and exhales softly. Seconds later, Jack opened his eyes, and displayed his determined face.

Here I come you fucking bitch! Jack uttered in his mind. He turned towards the doorway, and began running out the exit. As Jack ran towards his inescapable fate, he failed to notice that Aero was hiding behind the door. He placed his hoof on his mouth.

“Oh dear…” He mumbled.

As the sun rised to begin its daily routine, every pony in Ponyville headed straight towards Town Hall. Each and every one of them felt like a zombie, due to waking up extremely early. It only took a few minutes for the crowd to quietly gather in a file line. Spike, who was all night taking care of the crusaders, was in the crowd. And next to him were the sleepy crusaders. Their eyes were half way shut as they kept yawning.

“*Yawn*… What’s the deal here…?” Scootaloo drowsily spoke. Spike wanted to answer, but he thought it would be best to not mention what was really going on. So, he made up a slight lie.

“I’m not sure… *Yawn*… but we shouldn’t worry about it.” Scootaloo gazed at the other drowsy ponies, who were confused as she was.

“If you say so…” She replied. Suddenly, the mayor of Ponyville appeared out of the front doors, and stepped behind a lectern. She banged the gavel to quiet down the mumbling crowd.

“Attention!” The mayor called out. At that moment, the crowd’s mumbling died out. At that point, the mayor was free to speak.

“Welcome everypony! Now then, you all have been summoned here for an important message straight from the Princess herself! Your highness?!” The Mayor called out behind her, and stepped off the lectern. At that moment, Princess Celestia appeared out of the Town Hall building. She stood behind the lectern, and gazed at her people with great concern.

“Good morning, everypony!” Celestia spoke. “I apologize for waking you all up at a such inconvenience time, but I bare a serious message for you all!” This made the ponies murmur to each other quizzically. Spike suddenly had a horrible feeling that this message was going to spell trouble. As the confused murmurs slowly died out, Celestia cleared her throat and went on.

“Now then, as you’re all aware-“ Celestia continued, but was suddenly interrupted by sudden gusts of wind blowing behind the crowd. At that point, every pony turned around, and spotted a blue-glowing ball of energy taking form on the center of the street. The apparition started to grow, making the light radius brighter and the gust stronger. It was so bright, that most ponies shielded their faces with their forearms. Celestia squinted her eyes, as she was puzzled at this sudden event.

“What the...?” Celestia mumbled. At that moment, the ball of energy shrunk back down to a single point, and then bursted to fill the area with a blinding radiance. Once the blinding radiance started to recede, the ponies’ glares subsided to the point for them to un-shield their eyes. Now, standing on the center of the street, were the mane six. Their bodies froze for a mere second, before they could become active again. As they finally moved, Fluttershy resumed her desperate call.

“Do this!!” Fluttershy yelled out. At that sudden moment, Fluttershy realized that the scenery instantly changed. The ponies gasped in surprise, due to this sudden event. They all gazed around anxiously to view their surroundings. They suddenly realized that they were back in Ponyville. This left every pony hopelessly confused.

“What the…?!” Pinkie was the first to break the awkward moment. “Are we…?” She was cut short by a sudden outburst of cheering coming from behind her. The mane six turned around and spotted the crowd cheering in excitement. Spike, the crusaders, the Apple Family, Angel, and the Cakes saw the mane six, as they gasped with enough force to burst a pony’s lungs. The crowd of ponies started to run towards the group with excitement. They surrounded the six, as the cheering grew. The group was unexpectedly astonished to see so many ponies smiling with joy.

Within the crowd, Spike was the first to squeeze through the bunch and headed straight towards Twilight. He called out her name with his arms spread wide, while droplets of tears bounced off of his cheeks. Twilight heard Spikes call, and both collided with one another in a big hug. Spike smeared his face on Twilight’s chest, as he cried.

“I’m so glad your back! I was so worried about you!” Spike tearfully said. Twilight grinned as she placed her hoof on the baby dragon’s head.

“I’m sorry I worried you so much. But I’m here now…” Twilight replied. The Apple family and Apple Bloom rushed over to Applejack in a warming reunion. Sweeite Belle and Rarity hugged each other so tightly, that tears streamed down their faces. Pinkie Pie and the Cakes gave each other a warming hug. Scootaloo cuddled against Rainbow Dash, as the two shared their affections. Princess Celestia sighed in relief that Twilight and her friends were back home safe and sound. She just stood there and smiled at them. Every pony in Ponyville rejoiced for the mane six’s return. They all were happy and joyful… all for except Fluttershy. She just gazed at the ground in depression while Angel greeted her with a welcome hug.

Chapter 18: Returning to The Dark Depths

Chapter 18: Returning to The Dark Depths

As the sun setted, the land darkened, while the moon began to rise. As it rose, the moon ushered its brightening moonlight. Almost every pony was asleep at this point. Dark clouds covered most of the brightening moon up upon the sky, making to believe that the temperature would be a bit cool. The ponies prepared themselves for a cold trip inside the Everfree Forest, as they knew that tonight was going to be chilly. However, the darkness that swarmed over them felt very unusual to the ponies. Usually, the shadows would drop to a chilly degree, but this instead felt different. It was as if the air was stinging their skin in a paranormal way. It wasn’t a cold sensation they felt; it was more on the lines of… a searing temperature of unexplainable presumptions. Twilight would try to conjecture a hypothesis for this mysterious event, but her only answer was the Everfree Forest’s doing. After all, the forest was very unnatural, due to the rumors and facts she heard. But still, this was never mentioned before the previous times she went in here.

Venturing along the path deep within the Everfree Forest, Aero lead the ponies towards their destination. As they walked, Fluttershy explained Jack’s history to Twilight and Pinkie Pie. Never before they felt this much sympathy in their lives towards someone. Alongside with Aero was Rarity, who was interest in his biography. As the questions were shot away, Aero gladly responded to them.

“Ah yes, about that ghastly rumor the ponies were mentioning. I dare say that rumor was not entirely true! In fact, I was an archeologist one time when I was with my pen pal. And the reason why I couldn’t return home was to research the zebra tribes within a mysterious native land.” Aero stated. Rarity gaped in surprise from the unexpected truth.

“You’re kidding! So it wasn’t because you were having an artist angst predicament that you didn’t have the strength to return home. No… it was just an excuse to research them for your future works. Right?” Rarity guessed.

“Hohoho! I say, you read me like a book, Rarity!” Aero laughed. “Indeed I was researching with them. I took my time off to study their way of life. How the zebras perform enchanting spells to help their kind. And their herbalist skills were just fascinating, I say. But I was more fascinated by their work of art. Their artwork inspired me to never give up on my dreams. And that you shouldn’t judge the book by its cover!” At this point, Aero sighed in depression, as he hung his head down.

“Ahhh… but alas, they’re probably instinct by now. Those zebras were so fascinating to research with. I only wish that I could study their culture some more, I say. If only there were a zebra alive that I can chat with.” It felt a little sad to know that Aero wouldn’t had that sort of chance ever again. But convenience came, when Rarity displayed her smirk.

“Well I can tell you this darling. I happen to know a friend who is indeed a zebra. And that this zebra is an enchantress and a herbalist.” Suddenly, Aero lifted his head and shot a disbelief stare at Rarity. He was cut off by Rarity’s words.

“I-I say! That’s impossible!” Flummoxed the skeleton pony. But Rarity kept her smirk, as she stood what she said.

“It most certainly is not! She lives in a tree hut within this forest! If you would recall a while back, you said that you found Fluttershy at a hut. Well, that hut belongs to a zebra named Zecora.” Rarity explained, while using her usual haughty manner. It took a few seconds for the curious stallion to believe what she had said. Armed with this knowledge, it made him all happy inside in an instant.

“My word! If what you say is true, then there really IS a zebra! Hohoho! Jolly good show! I say, after this is all over, would you kindly introduce me to your zebra friend?” Aero asked in excitement. In an instant, Rarity nodded her head.

“But of course! However, we mustn’t lose track of our assignment.” Rarity spoke passionately. Knowing that this mission comes first, Aero nodded his head in agreement.

Finally, after twenty minutes of walking deep into the Everfree forest, the ponies stumbled upon a large underground passage. It was pitch black in the entrance, as the familiar scent of decay once again hit the ponies. They all gulped down in fear from the sight of its unnerving appearance. Knowing what was lurking down deep within the eerie hole, Fluttershy was determined to see through to this. The fear she developed within that hellhole was all but pushed away. However, the fear struck the other ponies, as they begun to develop second thoughts. Rainbow Dash felt the adrenaline the moment the hole howled an eerie tone. She looked over to Fluttershy to see how she was reacting to this. But to her surprise, she only sees her glaring at the hole with no sign of fear.

Whoa… is that Fluttershy? When did she become this tough all of a sudden? Dash thought. As much as she wants to admire her bravery, she had to focus on the task at hand. Knowing that this would smell trouble, she put aside her fears the best she could, and prepared herself for the returning horror. With every pony ready, Aero looked behind the group.

“Alright then, let’s do this, I say.” Aero began to walk down the stone slabs, plummeting down into the eternal blackness. Fluttershy didn’t hesitate to enter the hole next, as her strength guided her. Giving one last look to each other, the other ponies descended into the darkness with Aero.

Down the stone stairs, the familiar rotten stench hit their noses. The reminiscence of this place instinctively brought back haunting images into the ponies’ minds. How they were all affected by the daunting experiences they developed in here made their spines chilly in an instant. It was like revisiting their nightmare head on. This time; however, they had the confidence and the spirit to see through to this.

Passing through Fluttershy’s dungeon room, Fluttershy couldn’t help but revisit her memory. She thought up the memory of meeting up with Jack for the first time. How Jack just stood at the doorway, staring at her with a pale expression on his face made her feel woeful. But she couldn’t let her feelings get the better of her now, as she tried to refocus herself on the rescue mission. The ponies cautiously ventured down the catacombs, as the fog became thicker the deeper they go. There was no sign of Jack or the enemies yet. It is as if the whole place was abandoned completely. Twilight Sparkle, who was still not used to this oppressive atmosphere, was keeping her head low in fear. She frantically darted her eyes from side to side, trying to spot an enemy.

Oh sweet Celestia… this is more frightening than I’ve ever anticipated. Twilight spoke in her conscious. I mean… how is Fluttershy not affected by any of this? If I were her, I would be-

“Uuuruuughuuuhhh…” Out came a nearby dark broken moan. Somewhere within the thick fog that surrounded the ponies came heavy footsteps and the sound of chains being dragged on the ground. The ponies huddled up in a circle, with their backs facing each other. They stood perfectly still; their ears perked up as they listened to the sound of huge footsteps gradually become louder. No pony dared to make a single sound, as they were focused on finding out where the direction the noise was coming from. Suddenly, Twilight spotted the outline of a huge figure in the fog heading towards the group. The massive shape looked partly familiar to Twilight. It is as if she'd knew that shape somewhere before. But she was knocked out of her thoughts when she heard the broken moan again.

“Auughruuugh!” At that moment, Twilight pointed her hoof at the outline shape.

“Girls! There!” Twilight announced quietly. The other ponies looked into her direction, and locked their eyesights on the incoming enemy. They all went into their fighting stance, and prepared themselves for whatever was coming their way.

When the figure was in good sight range, the massive shape revealed itself. It was the same abomination as before when the mane six first encountered them. The undead atrocity gazed its piercing gleaming red eyes at the ponies, as it made yet another broken moan. The sight of this horrific reunion made the ponies tremble in defeat. Each step the abomination made forced the gang to back up slowly.

“Oh horsefeathers, not you again…” Twilight mumbled in fear. With no will to run away from the monster that struck the foundations of their sanity, the ponies faced death itself. Without Jack around, they were helpless and defenseless against this monster. The only thing they could do was collapse to their knees and tremble in fear. Fluttershy couldn’t help but revisit the moment she first encountered this disgusting creature. And the fear she experienced back began to sink into her head. At this point, her sanity began draining away. She developed tears that unexpectedly came out of her eyes. It felt like this could be it, that all of this effort was for nothing. She closed her eyes and began whimpering.

Be strong and face your challenges head on when they’re present it to you. Or regret everything with your life. The voice of Jack echoed in Fluttershy’s consciousness. Fluttershy shot her eyes open when she heard the unexpected message.

Fluttershy… I know you were scared, but you've got to be stronger than this. You need to gather your strength and face your fears head on! The voice of Rainbow Dash rang in her head. At this point, the messages overtook her mind for the moment.

Ah know how ya feel, pumpkin. But you're not always alone. We all got each other’s backs and there ain't nothin' that will put us down. If the situation seems hopeless, don’t you go and believe it. You will always have us no matter what situation we're in.

That's right, sweetie. And no matter what happens, no matter what the situation is, or how scary and frightening it looks, you have to face your fears, darling. We're always here to comfort you in your desperate time of need. At that moment, Fluttershy started to feel warm inside. Something about those lessons was starting to make her feel strange.

Wha… what is this feeling? Fluttershy pondered. It’s like… It’s like I’m getting… stronger. I…

And don't forget to laugh at anything that scares you! Laughter is the best medicine you could ever ask for! Pinkie’s voice echoed in her head.

The point is, Fluttershy… you've got to stand up for yourself and help your friends. I don't know what we would do without you. You've taught us so much about kindness, and we couldn't have gotten this far without your help. We love you so very much. Just then, her own voice could be heard inside her consciousness.

I thought that having friends was enough to live a peaceful life. But now, I know now that friendship wasn’t the only thing I needed. I also needed to become stronger by myself… to believe in myself that one day… just one day… I’ll become stronger like Rainbow Dash. And Jack… he showed me the way.

J-Jack deserves… more t-than friendship. H-He deserves… a second chance in life. S-So that… he can e-experience more things… he hasn’t… c-crossed yet. T-This… this is why… I want… t-to go back! S-So… so it… will be our turn… t-to save him! S-So… that… I can show him… h-how strong he made me! I-I want to save him… l-like a good friend would do! I WANT TO BE STRONG TOO!! When the message struck Fluttershy, the tender pegasus stopped crying.

Fluttershy gasped in surprise when her consciousness reminded her vow. Knowing how tough the challenge would be, she couldn’t know how strong she really was unless she faced the challenge head on. Putting her courage to the test, she slowly stood back up and made eye contact at the abomination.

“That’s right… I did wanted to become strong.” Fluttershy reminded herself. The strength she was developing was unbelievable, she felt like a new pony from the inside that was blooming twice. She couldn’t describe how she was getting this much courage. For this strength flowing through her, it felt like she was on fire. Twilight, who was still trembling on the floor, decided to take a peek from what’s holding back the inevitable. She spotted Fluttershy standing firmly in defiance against the horrific creature.

“F-Fluttershy… w-what are you doing?!” Twilight shuttered. “R-Run! Don’t be the hero! Save your-“

“NO!” Fluttershy screamed. Suddenly, Fluttershy galloped straight towards the abomination. Then, Fluttershy dashed straight between the abomination’s legs and disappeared from sight for a brief moment. The abomination turned its head around to track the yellow pegasus, only to be met with Fluttershy grabbing a hold of it’s head. Then, she made a hart twist that forced the beefy neck around 180 degrees. The spinal column in the abomination’s neck twisted, and snapped loudly. After the spinal column was snapped, Fluttershy performed her finishing blow and jerked the head skywards. To her surprise, the skin around its neck tore off easily, and the head popped out. Black blood flooded out of the monster’s trachea, as blood sprayed into the air.

As the abomination collapsed senseless to the ground, Twilight and the others’ jaw dropped from sheer disbelief, as they witnessed the unprecedented event before them. The ponies gazed at her with an incredulity concept. They viewed her as a totally different Fluttershy. She would never come this high towards violence, let alone slay her first predator. Given a few seconds for this awkward silence to pass, Fluttershy descended down and tossed the decapitated head to the side. Once she landed, she gazed at the defeated abomination with astonishment. She then looked at her own front hooves, as she spotted sprinkles of blood on it.

“I… I don’t…” Fluttershy was too stunned to even finish her sentence, as she viewed her own work. After she was finished looking at her own results, she eyed over to Twilight and the gang.

“Are you all… alright?” Fluttershy asked. Twilight’s irises and pupils quivered in shock.

“I… Flu… H-how…” Twilight tried to speak, but her words were clogged up. The other ponies tried to speak as well, but they were loss of words. As the gang stared at her with pure disbelief in their eyes, Fluttershy looked away in shame.

“I don’t know how… but somehow… I was shown how strong I really am. Maybe… this is what you guys were talking about.” Fluttershy made a smile after that.

“Maybe this is what strength is… to protect the ones you love. I-“ Suddenly, Fluttershy was interrupted by the abomination’s sudden movements. The gang gasped, as the headless abomination rose back up from the dead. Knowing that this monster was already taken controlled over Zalgo, meant that these types were impossible to take down. With no time to waste, Fluttershy went over to help the others rise up. Once they were up, Aero dashed off and lead the way.

“I say, let’s hurry up!” Aero called out. The ponies rushed after Aero, as the abomination begun its search for its missing head. While the group was retreating, Rainbow Dash caught up to Applejack.

“Pst… remind me not to make her mad.” Dash spoke in an unease tone. Applejack couldn’t help but giggle quietly from that. Twenty minutes of galloping later, the group went straight north through the huge hallway and stumbled upon a passageway. As they went through the passageway, Aero realized that he had to make a complete stop. At this point, the gang found themselves in an intersection. The east passageway lead to some series of large shelves filled with books. The west passageway leads to series of bunk beds with pillows on them. And the north passageway was a sealed stone door. The door had perpendicular lines that were intersecting with each other, as it had a key slot at the center of the door where the lines intersect. Seeing as this could be the door leading to The Chamber of Darkness, the group rested easily for now.

“Is this… The Chamber of Darkness, Aero?” Fluttershy asked. Aero observed the sealed door, as he tried to recall his memories. But it didn’t took him long to respond.

“Indeed it is, chapette. And seeing that both security doors are now opened, I believe that Ja-“ Aero was trailed off by the sounds of heavy and hastily footsteps coming towards the west passageway. He realized that something was coming their way. But despite that it could obviously be Jack, Aero couldn’t take any chances, as he had to hide behind the corner. Aero dashed straight towards the corner behind the west passageway and sat down against the wall. He then gave a gesture to come hide with him.

“Psst! Come over here, I say!” Aero whispered loudly. The rest of the gang went over to the wall and hid themselves behind the corner. Once they gotten themselves in position, they awaited for whatever was coming. Everypony was quiet, as they restricted themselves to produce a single sound. All they could do was watch the center of the room. A few seconds later of waiting, the hastily footsteps slowed its pace. They could hear someone panting for breath, as it kept walking towards the center of the intersection. Fluttershy couldn’t resist but to take a small peek. She leaned her head to the left, keeping the rest of her body hidden. Suddenly, Fluttershy gasped quietly from what she saw. Her heart skipped a beat, and her eyes widen. Then… she slowly lit up a big smile.

“J-Jack…!” She happily spoke in a low volume. Standing in the middle of the room was indeed Jack. But he had a few torn holes in his worn out shirt, a few cuts and bruises all around him. Not to mention he had bandages wrapped around his forehead. But other than that, Jack looked perfectly fine. Seeing Jack alive and well made Fluttershy’s heart filled with joy. She was just about to stand up and meet Jack, when Twilight suddenly intervened. She immediately snagged Fluttershy’s body and pulled her back to the corner. She wrapped her left forearm around Fluttershy’s waist, and her right hoof covered her mouth.

“Fluttershy, wait!” Twilight whispered anxiously. The sound of Fluttershy’s sudden squeak alerted Jack. He swerved his head behind him to see where that sound came from. Standing still, he eyed around his sights. He could only see the empty passageway, along with the fog moving about. Seeing as it was nothing for now, Jack glared curiously ahead, and produced a small grunt. He faced forward again and continued walking towards the sealed door. As Jack proceeds towards the door, Twilight slowly leaned her lips next to Fluttershy’s ears.

“I know you want to help him so bad. But,” Twilight paused for a moment before continuing. “You gotta have faith in him. Let him face his own battle alone. And when things look bad for Jack, we’ll do our best to get him out of there. But promise me… promise me you won’t do anything reckless in there. I don’t want you to get hurt… or worse. Understand?” Fluttershy wanted to help Jack so bad, but seeing as Twilight was right, Fluttershy nodded in resignation. Once Fluttershy agreed, Twilight released her body.

At this point, Jack stood in defiance against the large door. He glared at the keyhole, while he clenched his fists. Determined to prove his worth, Jack was ready to give everything he’s got. Jack reached into his left pouch, and pulled out the connected key fragments. Seeing as it fits in the hole, he aligned the key properly for it to fit inside the keyhole and inserted it into the lock. As the key was inserted, it made a loud lock sound. The large stone door began to quiver, as the perpendicular lines on the door lit up in a blazing red color. Then, the stone door slid open in four directions. Each door fragment dragged along a single piece of the key fragment. Once all four stone fragment doors were hidden in the doorway, Jack slowly proceeds into The Chamber of Darkness.

Inside the room was a huge circular room that had the Necronomicon Gate sigil engraved on the center of the floor. On the other side of the room was a colossal sized shelves. Each shelf was stored with ancient totems and books. And standing in front the colossal sized shelves was a huge desk with a quill inside an ink bottle.

Seeing as this place was abandoned, Jack walked towards the center of the room to further investigate. Once he stood above the Necronomicon Gate sigil, he began to observe the room. While Jack was looking around, the ponies made their move and quietly went into the chamber. Just as they were about to enter, Jack could feel the floor shake. Alerted, Jack darted his eyes down, and noticed that the Necronomicon Gate sigil started to sink into the floor. Like a hidden elevator, the sigil circle descended into the floor. The ponies gasped, as the floor around Jack started to descend. They all dashed inside the room and went after Jack. But just as they reached towards them, they noticed that the doorway began to close itself, imprisoning them inside the chamber with Jack. With their hope of ever returning to the surface waned, their only concern was for this confrontation.

As the platform descended into the unknown second floor, Jack observed his surroundings. Everywhere was pitch black, not a single shred of light could be seen. After that, Jack looked below and gasped slightly. Down below was another floor. However, it looked as if it was a huge pillar rising from unseen depths. On the surface of the pillar was the exact replica of Eye of Eternal Darkness symbol. The lines were red and the rest of the pillar was visibly gray. But what struck Jack the most was that he noticed someone standing still near the center of the pillar. It was a shirtless and shoeless buffed male human. He had spiky yellow hair and was wearing a white long cloth trouser. His back was facing towards Jack, while his head hung a little. Once the elevator platform descended to the floor, Jack noticed right away that he was standing on the center of the eye, where the platform fitted perfectly in the slot.

The ponies above the second floor poke their heads over and observed Jack and the mysterious human above the hole. The second floor looked like a long ways down. They could only see the two of them like ants from this distance. Fluttershy gulped down in fear, as the showdown was about to start. Back down to Jack, he gazed at the mysterious human in front of him puzzled. He’d expect the black-cloaked person to be down here. But instead, this human was standing here in its place. Unable to confirm that this human was the avatar of Zalgo, he kept his composure and continued to glare at him. As he stared, Jack felt an unease presence from him. It was as if he wasn’t a normal human being. But just as Jack was about to continue his observation on this guy, the human raised his head up a bit.

“It’s been a while…” The unknown person spoke. At that moment, Jack glared at him with concern.

“Who are you?” He asked suspiciously.

“I am called many things. Things that were, and things that will be. All the same, I am nothing more but truth itself.” The unknown person calmly said. Jack couldn’t understand a single thing this person was saying. But knowing that he’s the only person in this floor, he went on with the actual question.

“So tell me… are you the Avatar of Zalgo?” Jack asked cautiously. But the mysterious human spoke nothing at this point. The two of them stood there silently, as moments slowly went by. Each second passed gave off a slight eerie tension towards Jack. The ponies above the second floor could strangely hear their conversation well. How it was possible was beyond their guessing. Twenty seconds went by, and still no answer. Becoming impatient, Jack clenched his fists harder and was about to ask him again. That is, until the unknown human finally spoke.

“Indeed I am... Jack.” At that moment, Jack slightly jolted his head back in revelation. Not only to his suspicions, but how this person knew his name. Given a few seconds to calm down, Jack went back into staring at the avatar with his cold eyes.

“So… it really is true then. I’m not the avatar of Zalgo after all.” Jack said, confirming himself. But at that moment, the avatar grunted a chortle.

“You are correct… however, you and I are still the same.” After hearing that, Jack was thrown off guard by his words.

“W-What? What do you mean?!” Jack asked anxiously. Once again, the avatar grunted another chuckle.

“Do you want to know the real reason why you were allowed to live?” Suddenly, Jack’s face jolted in shock, as the avatar peeked his interests significantly.

“…What…? The… real… reason?” Jack uttered in confusion.

Chapter 19: The Truth

Chapter 19: The Truth

The ponies from above heaved their heads in revelation, as the avatar’s words unexpectedly caught them off guard as well. Out of all the ponies present here, Fluttershy was left hopelessly confused the most.

“H-Huh? T-The real reason why… Jack was…? Who is this guy?” Fluttershy mumbled to herself. With this sudden suspense brewing up, the ponies anxiously awaited for more answers to come. Back down, Jack was left frozen in a perplexed state. Not letting this overwhelm him, Jack snapped back to reality and glared at him even more ferocious.

“Okay… JUST WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!” Jack thundered. “How did you know about that?! Just what are you?!” Jack stopped his foot and clenched his fists hard. There was a brief pause at that moment. Then the avatar lowered his head.

“Before I tell you that, you will need to know how Zalgo came to be. You may think you know all about yourself… but you're just simply blinded.” He said. Jack was irritated at this point. To think this guy knows Jack’s life better insulted him. However, the way he spoke sounded promising and not just bluffing. Given a few seconds to simmer down, Jack released a sigh. After Jack was calm and ready to listen, the avatar continued.

“Listen carefully… for this may change your perspective on the world… and your life. Long ago, when the universe was still in it’s infancy, the first life forms to come out of existence were the Outer Gods.” As he spoke, the pitch-blackness within the room started to spin. As the room spun around, it began to project stars, planets, nebulas, and asteroids all around whole room. It was simply breathtaking, as Jack felt like he was in the center of the universe. The ponies above were also astounded from what they were witnessing. Around Jack were tiny lit up stars that had microscopic planets around it. What was more amazing, Jack could move the stars and others by simply touching them. It was as if he felt like a titan himself, commanding stars and planets to move. But getting distracted to what really matters, Jack stopped fooling around with his surroundings and focused on what the avatar was saying.

“One of those Outer Gods,” The avatar paused for a brief moment, as he pointed his finger above him. Jack trailed his eyes up and spotted something hideous. So hideous that it made Jack grimace in disturbance. It was a huge, shapeless, malevolent cloud shaped creature that had several shapeless figures dancing around it. While they danced, Jack noticed that they were playing drums and flutes in a maddening tune. As Jack got a good look at whatever he was looking at, the avatar continued.

“…was Azathoth, The Blind Idiot God. Azathoth is seen as all-powerful but not necessarily all-knowing. He was stuck in an endless slumber while served upon by countless lesser deities that play a maddening tune on innumerable drums and flutes to keep Azathoth from awakening. Even today, Azathoth is still slumbering in the centre of the universe. For if he should awaken even for a few moments, the mortal universe will be doomed, as it will signal the ultimate destruction of the universe. But that day… never came to pass.” At that moment, Jack tilted his head quizzically.

“What do you mean?” Jack asked. Once again, the avatar pointed his finger above. This time, it was pointed next to Azathoth. Jack looked up, and saw an incoming asteroid heading towards Azathoth. As the asteroid clashed against the all-powerful god, a piece of his tentacle tore off. As it tore off, the tentacle piece hung tightly around the passing asteroid. After that, the asteroid flew away from Azathoth with such blinding speed. Seconds later, the asteroid crash landed on a faraway planet sized asteroid that looked to be millions of light years away from the centre of the universe. After the asteroid landed, the avatar continued.

“The unexpected asteroid you saw managed to take a chunk of Azathoth’s body, moreover, a piece of his brain. You see, with a piece of Azathoth’s body now gone, he cannot have the power to destroy the universe, even if he is awake. His body must be complete in order to have such power.” After that, the avatar pointed to where the asteroid landed.

“And upon that missing piece, generated a new type of life form. As time passed, those life forms were to be known as Nezperdians, an ancient civilization who hungered for knowledge and mastery over all. The more time passed, the more knowledge they absorbed. And upon that knowledge, they became one of the most powerful warriors that could ever exist.” Just then, the holographic universe zoomed onto the humongous asteroid. There, it revealed several buildings and houses made out of the asteroid material. The citizens appeared to be squid-alien like creatures roaming around the city. After taking a brief moment to observe the inhabitants, the avatar continued where he left off.

“It is said, that the Nezperdians also hunger for war and strife. And that their only motive for fighting was vengeance. They seek to conquer and rule galaxies as far from the centre of the universe. It was a race that grew supremacy over all who dare to commence war against them. Their strength, knowledge, and influence grew exponentially as time passed by. If they’d exist today, then they would've transcend from being gods to even more. But that day also never came, as their downfall started.” At that moment, Jack heard the Nezperdians screaming in agony. Jack looked at the citizens and was horrified of what he was witnessing.

Each Nezperdian citizens started to wail their heads back and forth, as their bodies were dissolving into steam. Then the streams flew above the city, and begun to form into an huge orb of light.

“Their knowledge was growing too rapidly for their mental minds to comprehend. Thus, their hunger led them to merge their consciousnesses into one.” The avatar continued, while the events were unfolding. “Forming the almighty being known as Am Dhaegar, the Nezperdian Hivemind of Order.” After the avatar spoke, the apparition started to grow, making the light radius brighter and the gust stronger. After a few seconds later, the ball of energy shrunk back down to a single point, and then burst the area with a blinding radiance. Once the blinding radiance started to recede, Jack could see something floating in the center of the blinding radiance. Floating above the city was Am Dhaegar, a human-demon like giant deity that had electrical sparks flying around him.

Am Dhaegar’s appeared to be an Indian tribe warrior. His white long hair blew with the breeze, as he looked around his surroundings with his pupiless, glowing grey eyes. On his head displayed huge demonic horns with various glowing runes orbiting around his head that acted like a crown. His heavy armor was clad in a blazing silver color, his shoulders were epaulettes topped with menacing, silver spikes. On his back, he wore a long, and intimidating black cape, engraved with various ancient symbols. The gauntlets were coated in a pure white color, as electricity traveled around them. And his face had facial markings that glowed both white and black.

“Nothing could exist unless he allowed it.” The avatar continued. “With the combined strength of every Nezperdians, he transcended from humanity... into a fierce god. He was so powerful, that he could take down the Outer Gods with ease. As eons passed, Am Dhaegar used his powers to create whatever he wished for. He turned any fantasies into reality in a blink of an eye with his infinite knowledge. However, as his creations were coming into being, Am Dhaegar's downfall was his constant doubt. Despite the many measures he took to try to eliminate it, it only plagued him more. Unable to continue his work uncorrupted, Am Dhaegar tore away his dark self, and his doubting heart, making him free from any corruptivity. Thus, his pure light was born, as he was now known as Am Dhaegar the Pure.” As Jack listened, he watched Am Dhaegar writhe in agony while in midair. While he writhed, he managed to penetrate his chest with his hand and pulled out his own heart. Upon that act, his whole armor, cape, gauntlets, and facial markings turned into a color white.

Once his heart was out of his chest, he casted it off to the distance. But the heart didn’t go far, as it stopped immediately right after it went past the city. Then, the heart summoned a dark vortex behind it. While the dark vortex grew in size, the heart undergoes a transformation of unknown shapes and forms. While it transformed, the avatar continued.

“After that, the heart became a wretched abyss, which gave the birth to Zalgo, the Nezperdian Hivemind of Chaos. Also known as the dark half of Am Dhaegar. It was believed that Zalgo was the mastermind behind the Nezperdian’s endless hunger for knowledge. And that Zalgo was just a small fraction of Azathoth’s influence. Any mortal who mentions his name without being near his presence, shall become a spawn of Zalgo. And upon that transformation, that mortal shall praise him for his influence and deeds.” The avatar paused himself for a moment before continuing. He watched as the dark vortex grew in size.

“As Zalgo took an appearance, he wore a clad of armor carved from the suffering of Nezperdian mothers. In Zalgo’s right hand, he held the bloody heart of Am Dhaegar, which was now a dead star. And on his left hand, he held a candle that flamed and lit darkness. The flame on the candle is also the manifestation of all the Nezperdian’s influences.” Jared paused for a brief moment, as he pointed his finger at both Am Dhaegar the Pure and Zalgo, who were ready to face off against each other. Just as Am Dhaegar the Pure rushed towards Zalgo into battle, Jared continued where he left off.

“So, from that moment on, Zalgo and Am Dhaegar the Pure clashed each other for centuries with no rest. It was a battle of overwhelming and unimaginable strength and proportions. Both of their influences were quite equally matched, but Zalgo's influence gave him the upper hand, as it made him grow stronger. As Zalgo grew stronger, Am Dhaegar the Pure’s doubts of all creation were slowly feeding Zalgo, becoming one with him. In order to prevent Zalgo from truly taking over, Am Dhaegar the Pure sacrificed his existence to imprison Zalgo inside a stone slab, so that he would lay dormant for all of eternity. And on that stone slab he inscribed a description of a certain prophecy.”

At that moment, the stone slab started to soar through the universe with such blinding speed. A few seconds later, the slab managed to make course towards a certain planet. Jack observed the blue and green planet, and knew that it was Earth. While Jack observed Earth, the avatar continued uninterrupted.

“Upon Am Dhaegar the Pure’s demise, he made one final move. By using whatever powers he could release, he plotted the stone slab a course towards Earth, as it was supposed to be kept hidden in the safest place away from Azathoth. As the slab crash landed somewhere around the globe, it laid dormant and untouched by mortal hands. However, a couple of millenniums later, a human managed to stumble upon the stone slab. Upon touching it, the human was transformed into a vessel for Zalgo’s influence, making that human the first Avatar.” After the avatar was finished, he lifted his arm up into the air, making the universe projection disappear. Everything went back to normal, as the pitch-blackness once again surrounded the whole room. Once he was done, the avatar lowered his arm back to his side and continued.

“The terror was so great, it nearly took a full army of humans to bring down the Avatar. And upon that victory, the humans managed to stumble upon the ancient stone slab. Those who slain the first Avatar were given the ability to read Nezperdian language. However, those people do not exist anymore due to age. But they managed to decode the scripture on that slab. It is said, that every Earth century that passes by upon Zalgo’s defeat, he makes another vessel from the first-born child to be awaken on the very beginning of the first of January. If somehow the avatar were allowed to live for a measly twenty Earth years, then Zalgo shall rise again, and bring upon a terrible apocalypse.

“So, to prevent that from happening, the humans managed to warn every single human they could come across and do the only thing they can do. And that was… to kill the first-born child that awakens on the very beginning of the first of January. However, the slab also spoke of another prophecy. It is said that on a certain day, Am Dhaegar the Pure will make his return. For Am Dhaegar the Pure is the only one who can truly put an end to Zalgo’s reign once and for all. It is also said that the only way to know of Am Dhaegar the Pure’s return… was to wait for some mortal being to give birth to two infants on the day of Zalgo’s next vessel. One infant that will inherit the essence of Am Dhaegar the Pure,” The avatar made a brief pause, as he turned his whole body around.

Jack reeled his back in shock, as the avatar revealed his face. The avatar wore white bandages around his eyes. It looked as though he came out of surgery. After taking a good look at the avatar’s face, he continued where he left off.

“And the other… to be born as the next Avatar of Zalgo. As I said before… It’s been a while… Jack Armstrong.” Suddenly, Jack’s face was contorted in a shocking display from the revelation. He was lost of words, as he finally realized who he really was.

“…No… I-I-Imposs…ible…” Jack tried to speak, but his words were clogged up deeply. But just then, he managed to speak a few more words.

“…J…Jared…?! Is that… you?!” Upon hearing that name, the mysterious human grinned ever so menacingly.

“You finally figured it out, haven’t you… brother?” He pointed out. This made every pony from above gasp in shock. Seeing as Jared was not only the real avatar, but also alive as well. They were left hopelessly shocked from the reveal. There were many questions to be asked at this point. Without hesitation, Jack began to anxiously ask the questions.

“B-But… you’re my older brother! You weren’t born from that day, I was!” Jack made a good point, but Jared only chuckled at his stupidity.

“Ah yes… that lie I told you. No… in truth, we both were born on that exact day.” Once again, Jack and the ponies gasped.

“B-But… why?!” Jack asked, as he was wedged with confusion. Jared lowered his grin.

“To prevent you from knowing the truth. The truth that you weren’t the avatar of Zalgo, and that you were the Avatar of Am Dhaegar the Pure!” Once more, Jack and the ponies gasped, as Jack couldn’t achieve a complete anagnorisis yet. He was still in the process of denying and accepting facts Jared threw at him.

“…The Avatar… of… Am Dhaegar… the Pure?” Jack stuttered.

“Yes… the reason why you were allowed to live… was to defeat me! So that the avatar cycle shall cease to exist!” Jared thrashed out in his victory tone, before returning to his composure. “They only see the Avatar of Am Dhaegar the Pure as a divine warrior, a perfect human being to be used as a weapon for war. But moreover, they see that avatar as a hero.” At that moment, Jack thought up something, causing him to be confused.

“But… why… why did they punish me instead? WHY WAS I TREATED LIKE SHIT THE WH-“!? Jack continued, but was interrupted by Jared’s dark chortle. The next words Jared spoke shattered Jack’s world around him.

“Isn’t it obvious? You were framed the whole time.” Jack’s eyes widen in shock from the horrible and twisting truth. It was so obvious the whole time, and yet Jack didn’t even noticed it.

“Yes,” Jared continued. “I… framed you for being the actual avatar of Zalgo. As you see, the roles were reversed. It all started during the baptism rite, where we both were going to be tested to find out which one of us was the holy one… and the unholy one. Even though I was only an infant, Zalgo’s influence gave me the knowledge to know my surroundings and myself. Just before Herald Matronly Patio could place me in that damn pool of water, I managed to transfer Zalgo’s essence into you, making me the holy one. And when you were placed upon the holy water, the whole tub turned from water… into flames. After that shocking performance, Zalgo transferred himself back to me.

“From that day forward, I was acknowledged as the hero and the most perfect human being to ever live. And you… were to be known as the bane of every human’s existence. And when the town folks were busy hunting you down, my powers were awaken undisturbed, and devastated Graniteville upon my destructive wake. That night when my hollowed eyes bled, I saw a whole new world. A world of which no mortal could ever dream of imagining.”

Hearing that type of plot twist made Jack and the ponies feel sick inside. But the one who was suffering the most was Jack, as his perspective on the world started to shift the opposite way.

“S-So… I-If that didn’t happen… would I-“ At that moment, Jared interrupted.

“Yes, Jack. You would have lived a comfortable life. You could say… I merely took the life of which you were meant to have. Just for me to survive with Zalgo.” The room tilted as Jack tried to comprehend what he was told. His mind broke, as he was totally unable to focus on keeping his composure. All the more reasons to find comfort in this world were hidden from Jack this whole time, rather than being out of reach. He wished that the things Jared said were lies, but it sounded too true if he thought about it. If Jared didn’t framed him, then none of this would had ever happened. He would had lived a comfortable life.

Back from above, the ponies were glaring at Jared for his wrongdoings. They couldn’t help themselves from calming down, as their rage was simmering fast.

“That… big… jerk!” Rainbow Dash uttered in rage. She felt herself preparing to fly towards Jared and delivering him the hardest mule kick she could ever produce. But as much as she wanted to do that, she knew that it was Jack’s fight and not hers. Back down, Jack too was tensed up from the rage he developed from his brother.

“You… bastard!” Jack uttered in a murderous tone, while his fists clenched as hard as they could. But Jared hadn't shown any sentiment towards Jack, as his emotions were as dead as they could be.

“Oh come now… do you honestly believe that living like the Avatar of Am Dhaegar the Pure would sustain your life?” Jared asked. Ready to throw out his rage at Jared, Jack swerved his arm to the side.

“YES I DO! I NEVER EVEN DESERVED ANY OF THIS!! I should've known that all those years of helping me WAS TO BRING ME DOWN TO AN EVEN GREATER LEVEL!! It’s just all about you and your FUCKING PUSSY ASS GOD OF YOURS ISN’T IT?!” Despite the attempts to drain his rage by yelling was only escalating it further. While his rage grew in an unstable rate, he couldn’t help restraining himself from reaching over his duel wield katanas. However, just as he grabbed both of this katanas, Jared let out a chortle grunt.

“Do you think that delivering vengeance upon me would solve this confrontation? No… all it is doing is showing your childish behavior. For you see, I do not intend to anger you directly, or ridicule on that matter. There were three reasons why I helped you during those harsh times. One was to carry out our roles in our fate, moreover; our destiny.” Suddenly, Jack froze in confusion, while his anger rose in a steady rate.

“What?! What fate?! What destiny?!” He asked.

“As I said before,” Jared explained. “You and I are still the same. The two of us are like split halves, and that we were once whole. By reuniting with me, we will obtain those unprecedented powers of Am Dhaegar once more. And the second reason why I helped was for you to escape from the demon, Nyarlathotep. Does that name ring a bell?” At that moment, Jack quickly recognized that name. According to Jack’s story, Nyarlathotep was the one that invaded Jack’s mind, saying that he was the one that he was looking for. But for what reason does Nyarlathotep want with Jack? Just before he could ask, Jared had already begun talking.

“You see, Nyarlathotep was sent down to Earth on a mission by his master, Azathoth. A mission to recollect the missing piece of his body, which of course is the both of us. And then refit that missing piece for Azathoth’s true powers to return and devastate the existence of the entire universe. Am Dhaegar was once a whole and divine god that brought equal judgement, but only his light self and Zalgo now exist. For you see, I couldn’t allow you to fall into an enemy’s hand, for I have other purposes for that kind of power. And the third and final reason why I helped you… was for you to embrace of who you really are. Did you honestly believe that surviving death countless of times and meeting me here was just coincidence?

“No… it was fate that guided you here. I played my part of the role as a tester, to measure your knowledge and capacity. I knew that you would pass those trials, even if you had any help. For you see, it is because fate carried you out through those tests, not your instincts. The reason why I tested you is so that you can obtain the thirst for vengeance, so that you can inherit the influences of the Nezperdians, just like I did. After all, their motive for survival… was vengeance. Without awakening the influence of the Nezperdians, the fusion wouldn’t work properly. So that was why… I helped you during those times, nothing more, nothing less. You were born to strive for vengeance, and that’s what lead you here!”

As Jared’s words were slowly sinking into Jack’s head, he couldn’t help but feel regretful for the deeds he has wrought. Remembering what vengeance was and how it felt like suddenly became apparent to him, as a single memory suddenly invaded his mind.

"S-So… umm… Jack? W-Why are you here?" She whispered nervously. Jack lowered his eyebrows a bit and narrowed his eyes.

"Vengeance. You could say I'm going to settle the score. The reasons why are none of your concerns. It's personal for me only." He spoke dully. Then the memories skipped a few minutes later into the future where Jack spoke again.

“I managed to escape ever since and learned that the black-cloaked person was none other than Zalgo himself. He was foolish to let me go and plot my vengeance on him. I had a long and difficult life because of him. And that's why I'm here… to bury my past once and for all… even if I die, it won't matter to me. I can let this world burn for all I care. Vengeance is the only thing that's keeping me alive… nothing more… nothing less." Then the memories blurred to another point in time, where Jack was confessing his feelings towards the ponies.

"I still don't even know why I'm living. The only thing that's lifting me up… is vengeance. I asked myself, 'Why couldn't I just end myself right now?' countless of times. It's maddening enough I can't come up with an answer… let alone find a bit of comfort in this god-forsaken world."

"I've been taught many dark things in this place. We've captured and killed innocent lives for research, experiments, material supplies, and even for our amusement. But the main priority was to harvest the souls for Cthulhu's resurrection. The feeling of torturing and killing living beings actually felt… good. We've slaughtered animals, monstrous creatures, critters, and even my own kind. For the first time, I felt like I had power. My lust for vengeance was inevitable. All the pain, the hatred, and the suffering I endured in all my life, I inflicted it all upon my victims. It was a satisfying delirious feeling to experience.”

"No one ever cared about me. They think I'm just a waste of space in this world. I couldn't fit into their society… and I even couldn't be accepted as a normal person. It was just me… verses the world. It sickens me why I can't just commit suicide. I've tried countless of times… but something's always keeping me away from that. It is as though I'm being forever punished. If only I weren’t this weak and worthless, I would've made a difference right about now. But... I can’t... I can’t escape my fate... it's… it's not fair! I’m just too scared!"

After the memories faded, Jack was brought back into reality. He realized now why he couldn’t commit suicide all this time. It was fate that took control over his judgment. All this time, thinking that living like the Avatar of Am Dhaegar the Pure would make his problems disappear. But to be used as a weapon, and was once a part of a chaotic evil Outer God was just too much for him to bare. All he ever wanted was a normal and happy life, not to play his role for some stupid prophecy or fate. When Jack finally simmered down, he let out a depressing sigh.

“Jared… was there even a shred... of sympathy or sentiment within you while you helped me? Did you even pitied me for my very existence?” Jack said, as depression was weighing down on him. He didn’t expect Jared to confess any hidden feelings, but it felt sort of important to him. At this point, the two of them went silent for a moment. But that moment didn’t last long, as Jared chortled a grunt.

“Feelings? Do you think that this will have any power over me? Emotions are for mortal beings, for I have transcended beyond that.” At that moment, Jack snapped out of his depression and stared at his brother in confusion.

“What are you saying?” He asked critically. After a brief moment of silence, Jared lifted his arms the side, as if he was being praised.

“You see, I was born as a demigod, not a normal human being. All I am is but a malice vessel, moreover; I am an unholy tool fit for a god. And since I’m a demigod, all of my thoughts, beliefs, and perspectives have become the law of nature. And all the truths I’ve laid out have become absolute. Trying to comprehend what I’m saying is meaningless.” And just when Jared said that his truths had become absolute, Jack interrupted him.

“Wait! According to the invocation, you said that Zalgo is the one who will lie! How is everything you're saying right now is the truth?!” Once again, Jack made a good point. But as casual as ever, Jared kept his composure and answered.

“Oh Jack… you and your mortals’ vague perspectives. You see I lie to turn certain realities into mirages. Or to put it simply, all the lies I’ve said have become true. So true, that it would surpass the actual perspective of any reality concepts. It’s just like you actually believed that I cared about you back then. You may think that it was just a mere vague concept, but really… it is all from my influence. However, the truths I’m speaking to you now is reality, untouched and uncorrupted by me. Zalgo’s perspectives and concepts surpass the reality we live in, and that the world we will soon trend in will answer all of our problems and beliefs. That... is Zalgo. That... is his intentions… to destroy the reality we live in and make it all his. And I’m his tool to make it all happen. And the part when I said he will be the one who will rape? Heh… well… let’s just say that’s a misconception. The rape literally means to overwhelm a person’s mind. I can guess Zalgo has a little sense of humor after all.” Hearing Jared speaking like that edged Jack a bit. He felt overwhelmed by his words for a brief moment, but he kept his composure.

“Your twisted, you know that? How could you steep to such level?” Jack asked, with a bit of fright in him. Jared lowered his arms back to his side and chortled.

“If I were twisted, I would have been a mortal. But no… I was born as a demigod, free from any restraints and emotional ties. Like I said, I am nothing but truth itself.” Starting to be crept out, Jack slowly backed a few steps away from Jared. Even the ponies were starting to be crept out from this, as they didn’t dare question Jared’s powers. Twilight, who was still new to this subject, was starting to realize the whole set up. And while observing this set up, she felt scared about the whole thing.

All the enemies we faced so far... I... I just don’t know if we will be able to stand against him. Just... just what kind of world are these humans living in? Twilight spoke to herself in her consciousness. Not knowing how much power she would witness, she could confirm that not even Princesses Luna and Celestia combined wouldn’t stand a chance against him, or Zalgo in that matter.

Back down, Jack slowly started to break apart from the inside. His heart ached, as the truth pressured him. But, he was more concern about the safety of his friends. He’d wish that he wouldn’t have this horrible fate, and that he would spend his whole life with them. But just as he started to think about them, Jared grunted, as he knew what Jack was thinking about.

“Thinking about them now, are we?” The sudden words shocked Jack back to reality.

“Really… do you honestly believe that those insignificant life forms are actually your friends?” Jared asked, with a bit of mockery in his tone. The fact that Jared would bring up the topic of his friends made him all defensive.

“You keep them out of this!” Jack spoke in a threatening tone. But once more, Jared chuckled at his stupidity.

“On the contrary, I’ve already involved them into this setup. I forgot to mention to you the second requirement for the fusion. I knew that you were the Avatar of Am Dhaegar the Pure, and that you needed to embrace his holy influence. So… I simply dragged those weakling ponies down here to awaken that lighter half, for they are the bringers of the Elements of Harmony after all. But just think, would you consider fate and coincidence the same? I think not… and you should know it too.” Suddenly, Jack started to get the picture of this whole setup. He was shocked when he noticed something. What if the friends he made was all but a setup too? Was the word Friendship merely a word after all? The more he thought about it, the more it sickened him.

“…No… It can’t be true…” Jack mumbled. However, just as Jack was going to be brought down to a deep depression state, Jared stepped in.

“But it doesn’t have to end this way, Jack. No… you don’t need them. What you need… is the power of an ultimate god.” At that moment, Jared caught his attentions, as Jack’s eyes shot open a bit.

“Join me brother,” Jared continued. “And together, we can become the very foundations of life and death. We can conquer the far spaces of time itself, dominating as far as the universe can take us. You said you wanted peace and comfort in your life? Well… you can have it all. Consider this as me returning the life you were meant to have. No more with the suffering of being indifferent and shunned, for with the powers that awaits us, you can make everyone praise you, love you, and acknowledge you.” This sparked Jack’s attention to its peak, as he heard what Jared said to him, causing him to be stupefied.

“…What?” Jack uttered. Jared lowered his head a bit, as his face was locked onto his brother through his bandages.

“There is no need to develop any doubts about this… because I can become a pacifist demigod for certain specific reasons. Good and evil cannot survive without one another, for it is their natural way to cycle the ways of life and death. By fusing with me, we can become anything, we can create anything, and we can DO EVERYTHING!! We will finally destroy Azathoth and those disgraceful Outer Gods for being in our presence. What’s more is that we can obtain infinite knowledge that mortals couldn’t even reach. We can transcend the limit boundaries of every mortal being’s emotions, desires, and transverse humanity itself. We can even solve every question known to mortal kind. Questions like, how is it possible to obtain immortality with ease? What’s the secret to life itself? Which religion stands out the most? You see brother; those questions await for us, if you act now and fuse with me! Everything you ever desired is but moments away. So…” At that moment, Jared stretched out his hand to reach Jack.

“What says you?” From that moment, Jack was bewildered by Jared’s proposal. Becoming a god and do whatever he desires… sounded too good to be true. From all the pain and suffering Jack endured throughout his entire life, this could change him forever. As Jack began thinking about this, he hung his head low. Back on top, the ponies begun to worry about him, as he was walking into a very wrong decision. Jared knew Jack all too well, and that his cards were in his favor. While Jack continued to think about this proposal, Aero couldn’t help but tremble in fear.

“Oh dear, it appears this Jared ruffian seems to have the upper hand. Ooooh… I dare not to think about the outcome of this. We got to do something, I say!” Aero mumbled. Applejack nodded her head at Aero.

“Yer right, but… as much as I hate sayin’ this… I don’t think we have the right to butt in and choose for him. He’s been through such a terrible life, and yet, I feel like this should be his decision alone. I mean, who are we to judge his perspectives?” Applejack made a good standard point, but at the same time, it felt so wrong.

“I hope your right darling,” Rarity added. “I’m just worried that he will accept his brother’s offer.” As the group stared down at Jack, Fluttershy prayed and hoped that he will somehow make the right choice. But as obvious as it seemed, she felt very uneasy inside.

Jack… please… don’t… Fluttershy spoke in her consciousness, while her hooves clenched hard. Back down, Jack still had his head hung down, as he solely thought of this. Choosing the life he had with his friends between becoming a god was overwhelming. As he was tugged between two choices, he decided to recap certain memories to become the tiebreaker.

“The feeling of torturing and killing living beings actually felt… good. For the first time, I felt like I had power. My lust for vengeance was inevitable. All the pain, the hatred, and the suffering I endured in all my life, I inflicted it all upon my victims. It was a satisfying delirious feeling to experience. But… during my time in there… I also felt remorse. It's true that my fetish for pain was a delight, but I couldn't help but think about comparing my life and theirs. Whenever I see a dying victim, I picture myself as that victim. The more innocent lives we killed, the more I blame myself for it. I asked myself, 'Was there lives more severe than mine? Was this all worth for naught? Am I inflicting my wrath upon myself?' All these questions raced through my head like an angry bee swarm.” Then the memories flashed forward to the future.

“W-Wait! What are you going to do, Jack?” Rarity asked sincerely. As Jack continued to walk, he replied.

“I still have my only purpose to fulfill. And I attend to do this solely. If I die or succeed, it won’t even matter to me in the end. I’ll know that this is as far as I go in life.” Then Dash stood up eagerly.

“Y-You shouldn’t do this alone! We’re your friends! Let us help you out!”

“W-Wha… what? Y-You…you’re my… what?” Jack shuttered in confusion.

“We’re your friends, aren’t we? Friends stick together to the end. We don’t want you to give up your life for nothing! We care about you, rather than our lives. You know why? It’s because I’m always loyal to those I cherish!”

“That’s right, sugarcube! People like you shouldn’t live like this! I know that you’ve been in the dark for far too long, and always wanted comfort in your life. Even though you attend to hide yer real feelings from us, I still respect you. Besides, I’m honest to those I respect and love!” Applejack said.

“Darling, you helped all of us willingly. And since you helped us, we would help you in return! I am after all generous to those who are deemed worthy of being my friend!” Rarity said.

“Hehe! Even though we’ve met for such a short time, you still look like a pretty awesome whatever you are to hang out with! You see, I make my friends and everyone else laugh while keeping them happy!” Pinkie Pie said.

“You’ve made me stronger, Jack. I always knew that there was a good side of you just hiding in that lonely corner. There was never any doubt in my mind that you would help all of us. Like I said, all you ever needed back in your life... was a friend... or maybe even friends. I really want to help you get out of that dark and lonely place, because showing kindness to everyone like you and to my friends is what I do!” Fluttershy said.

“I… I don’t know who you are. But, I will give my sincerest gratitude of saving my friends and I. Heh, you’re like me kind of, growing up with no friends or possibly not knowing the true definition of friendship. You see, I didn’t know what friendship was like, until these ponies shared it’s magic with me. And since I have someone or some pony that cares about me, I’ll gladly protect them with my life. Because friendship is worth fighting for.” Twilight said, and the memories blared to an image of all six of them smiling down upon Jack.

At that moment, Jack made his final decision. He clenched his fists hard and spoke.

“For years I grew up with no one to comfort me or to protect me. I felt like nothing… nothing but a waste of space in this world. It’s true; I did wanted to forsake the world for its arrogance. I guess… becoming a god would benefit me in some ways.” As Jared heard that, he made a small grin. He thought that Jack was about to accept his offer.

“…But,” Jack continued where he left off, and lit up a hidden smile. At that moment, Jared wiped off his small grin and lowered his arm down.

“There are some things that I will not allow you to change. And one of them,” Suddenly, Jack raised his head up and smiled slightly at his brother. “Is free will. You see, my friends and I share a special bond together, that not even you could ever change. They felt my wounds, and understood my suffering the moment they met me.” While Jack talked, he furrowed his eyes and glared at Jared, as his smile disappeared.

“All along, it wasn’t your doing… it was their will alone that helped me! They helped me discover a brand new world waiting for me to visit. If being a god means taking control of their free will, then it means that they will never accept me for who I am! Fate itself heard my cries and deliberately brought them here to save me from myself! I cherish my friends as if they were my lives! They made me feel happy to be alive, knowing that I wasn’t alone in this world! I will gladly defend those who care about me with my life! Because…” After a brief pause, Jack pulled out both of his katanas out and went into a battle stance.

“Because friendship is worth fighting for!” He exclaimed proudly. The words Jack spoke touched the ponies’ hearts immensely. To think that they doubted him for making the right decision, they felt surprised to see him now understanding the true meaning of friendship. But moreover; they were now extremely happy to know Jack finally bloomed out. All the ponies had tears swelling up in their eyes, as they felt warm inside. But the one who was proud the most was none other than Fluttershy. Her lips quivered uncontrollably, as she stared down at Jack with her tearful eyes.

“Jack… I knew you could do it. Thank goodness… I found you in your deepest need.” Fluttershy whimpered in happiness, as tears dropped down from the hole. Jack also had tears swelling up in his eyes, as he thought of a certain friend.

Fluttershy… thank you… for everything you’ve done. Jack spoke in his consciousness. As Jack shot his death stare into Jared’s blindfolded eyes, Jared displayed his aggravated face.

“Feckless neophyte, if that is your decision… then so be it.” Jared spoke in anger. Then, Jared started to take a few steps backwards. As he walked backwards, Jared continued to talk.

“I didn’t expect you to agree with my proposal. But it doesn’t matter… I’ll just kill you and obtain the manifestation of Am Dhaegar the Pure’s essence by force!” Jared yelled with power behind his tone. At that moment, Jared stopped walking backwards. He reached towards the back of his neck with his right hand, and firmly grasped the surface of the skin. Then, the unthinkable happened, as he drove his fingers deep into his back neck, and grabbed his cervical spine. Blood squirted out of his punctured wounds, when he began to tug on the spine. Strangely, the tremendous pain that was coursing through his body didn’t faze Jared. Jack and the ponies gasped in horror, as Jared’s bizarre antics started to unfold. With one heave, Jared dislocated the ligaments that supported the upper vertebras and yanked out his cervical spine, snapping the spinal cord. Then, he proceeded to pull out the rest of his spine.

The bare skin on his back tore apart, as the spine ripped open a huge gap. Huge amounts of blood splattered out of the gap when his spine was out of his body. Without the spine support, Jared’s body hung forward like a lifeless puppet. Shocked and confused with this, Jack’s eyes widened with bewilderment. He wondered why the hell he would do such a thing at a time like this. But his answers came to him, as the events were resuming. Sprouting out of Jared’s spine gap spawned six huge dark tendrils, along with multiple miniature tendrils. Then, the huge dark tendrils slammed onto the ground, and slowly began to lift Jared, supporting his body in midair. Soon, the lifeless puppet came back to life, as the tendrils inside his body supported his spine.

The spine he ripped out suddenly transformed itself into a weapon, moreover; a sword. Holding the cervical spine as the hilt, the rest of the spine acted as the blade. The edges of the cervical vertebras were unexpectedly sharpened, and the tailbone was straight and pointy. The whole spine looked easily to break, but the blood that coated the spine sword made it hard as steel. Suspending in midair thanks to the support of the large and dark appendages on his back, Jared prepared himself for battle, as his blindfolded eyes were locked on to his brother.

“I’ll toy with you for a bit, just to find out if your motives for fighting is just as great as the Nezperdians was. Let us find out who’s the superior one here. Even if it means killing my own flesh and blood… well… I will gladly see the look on your face when you fail.” And with that, Jack and Jared stood each other’s grounds and prepared themselves for a fight. As the ponies watched from above, the reenactment of the battle between Am Dhaegar the Pure and Zalgo was about to begin.

Chapter 20: Avatar verses Avatar

Chapter 20: Avatar verses Avatar

Both Jack and Jared made a standoff, as both of their eyes were locked onto one another with the instinct to kill. Their motives were set, their consciences were silent, and their focus was crystal clear. The both of them were eagerly awaiting to find out who would make the first move. Jack bared the weight of protecting the ones he treasured, while Jared had the instinct to gain power and destroy whoever stood in his way. The ponies huddle closely to their bodies, as they prepared themselves to witness an apprehension battle from above. Each and every pony’s eyes were broadcasting fear and unease while they kept their eyes on Jack and Jared. Pinkie Pie swallowed hard as the tension was boiling up from the suspension. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy clutched their hooves on the edge of the hole. And the rest of the ponies were grinding their teeth together in an unsteady rhythm.

They kept their anxious eyes fixated on the two, waiting for one of them to make a sudden move. Back down, Jack could feel every fiber being of his body just begging for some action. Pearls of sweats trailed down his head as the standoff wasn’t about to last much longer. But Jared on the other hand kept his natural composure, for he felt sincere about the outcome of this battle.

Suddenly, Jack couldn’t take the unease pressure anymore, as his actions overtook him. He firmly grasped the handles hard, making them click, and charged forward. Jared smirked, as he knew the battle had started. The miniature tendrils acted on their own free will and lunged straight towards Jack. As Jack sprinted towards Jared, he let his instincts took over and attack the incoming tendrils with his katanas. The tendrils rushed forward towards their fate, while Jack delivered the execution blows. Jared leaned his whole body back; just to keep a little distance away from him. Rushing through the blinding speed tendrils, Jack felt that he was about to make contact with Jared. Impressed by Jack’s capacity and awareness so far, Jared felt like taking up a notch.

With no sign of warning, Jared immediately lunged straight towards Jack and prepared to put his spine sword to good use. Jack had a split second to realize the surprise attack, as he raised his blades perpendicular to defend his head. The spine sword swung vertically, making contact with the crossed blades. Sparks lit up from the impact of three blades colliding with each other. Jared and Jack struggled with one another as their swords were locked onto one another. They pushed their bodies forward to overpower one another. Jack clenched his teeth, while Jared kept displaying his normal face. Realizing that Jared had the upper hand in this little clash, Jack had to retreat this wrestle match. He spotted an opening to his bottom left corner, and knew of a technique he could use. Using this opportunity now, Jack broke the sword lock and went on with his next move. He ducked down, leaped towards the opening while avoiding Jared’s attack and rolled around behind Jared. Once positioned behind Jared, Jack stood up, leaped into the air, and performed a spinning attack.

He thought that he would land a blow on Jared, but it proved to be a little more tactical than ever. Jared foresaw his technique, and used the large and dark appendages on his back to reel him away, evading his spinning attack.

“Is that the best you got?” Taunted Jared. “Surely you can do better than that! I surpass… all mortal beings, Jack! Prove to me that you have what it takes to entertain a demigod like me!” Jack swerved his head towards his brother and shot a death stare at him. He grunted in frustration, and planned his next move on him. With the next move in motion, Jack chased him. The tendrils became more aggravated than ever, as they squirmed ever so violently. The miniature tendrils launched themselves towards Jack. But just as before, Jack entrusted his instincts to take care of the tendrils, while his eyes were focused on his brother.

Seconds later of fighting his way towards Jared, Jack was in range and performed his next technique. He leaped forward, while evading the whipping miniature tendrils with his acrobatic dynamics, and swung both swords downwards towards Jared. Seeing as this looks like a weak attempt to strike, Jared easily evaded both blades. However; he failed to notice that Jack threw two small smoke bombs at Jared, as he intentionally missed. When the smoke bombs was at an inch range at Jared’s face, the bombs detonated and clouds of smoke burst out of the sphere.

Clouds of smoke engulfed both Jared and Jack seconds later. The ponies from above couldn’t make out what was going on inside the belly of the smoke cloud. Jack knew that he would have the upper hand for this quick match, as his eyes were trained to be adjustable to smoke. Letting the smoke kick in for a few more seconds, Jack made his move and went straight towards Jared, who looked blinded and defenseless. Jack swung his sword vertically at him, however; Jared unexpectedly blocked his attack with his spine sword. Looking surprised for a split second, he attempt to swing his other sword horizontally. This time, Jared used one of his miniature tendrils to grasp the incoming blade.

“A clever effort, but futile…” Jared pointed out. Starting to become enraged, Jack sidekicked Jared on the chest. And the force of the kick pushes his whole body back a bit. The tendril, that held Jack’s sword firmly, lets go of the blade. Getting back to offensive mode, Jack charged at Jared in full speed. Both Jared and Jack clashed, as they exchanged blows, even parried, blocked, evaded, and missed each other’s attacks. Sparks flew everywhere with each blow they delivered. They even exchanged punches and kicks as well.

The smoke started to disappear, and the ponies could see the two brothers locked in an intense retaliation. There was no sudden pause to each attack, as they just kept exchanging moves instantly and uncontrollably. They have never witnessed, or even dreamed of seeing such an intense concentrated battle in their lives. Each and every pony cheered and rooted for Jack to land a blow on Jared. They were so excited to see such action, but at the same time, they felt scared and bewildered. Back down, both of their flurry attacks were so quick that it was impossible to even make out for the mortal eyes to follow. Jared kept on the defensive, while sending his miniature tendrils to do his bidding. And Jack went all out on the offensive, as he kept his eyes sight on his brother and taking out the incoming tendrils. Though this may seem it could last for a long time, Jack knew that he was wasting energy on this.

After a minute of this burly competition, Jack leaped away from Jared, thus ending the intense match. But the battle still continued, as he put away his left katana and pulled out his handgun from his right holster. With three shots left in each handgun, Jack had to make every shot useful. He pointed his gun at Jared’s head and pulled the trigger. The first two bullets were right on target, but Jared deflected the bullets with his spine sword at a rapid rate. And the third bullet aimed towards his heart. But like before, he deflected it with ease.

“Do not take my blindfolded eyes lightly,” Jared pointed out. “For they see what mortal beings could not.” Knowing that bullets were useless against him, Jack decided to continue using his melee range attacks. He tossed the handgun to the side since he no longer has any use of it, and charged right back at Jared. He firmly grasped his left katana behind him and unsheathed the sword swiftly.

While Jack charged straight towards his brother again, Jared had a firm smirk on his face. How he smirked at Jack looked like trouble. Jared’s left hand began to twitch; along with his fingers. Each twitch made loud cracks and popping noises. Not knowing what trick Jared’s pulling out, Jack made a complete stop. Then, after a few twitches later, Jared’s whole hand ignited in a blazing black fire. He then held his ignited hand in front of him.

“Hellfire’s Shadow! He who holds the candle whose light is shadow... shall bring forth the wrath of eternal hell! Let find out… if you can withstand this!” Jared exclaimed. Jack knew of the flame’s properties, as the intensity of the black fire was fierce enough to become as hot as the sun’s surface. Jack had to be very cautious about this, for things were starting to heat up.

Jared reeled his flamed hand inwards and extended his arm straight in front of him, displaying his palm at Jack. At that moment, the center of his palm shot out a pressurized black stream of flames. It was the same attributes as the flamethrower and a water jet cutter combined. The velocity of the flames acceleration was almost instant and Jack barely had enough time to strafe to the side. However; the fire caught and incinerated the katana’s blade. It only took a mere second for the blade to snap in half due to the intensity of the flames. Jack gazed at his sword, and sees a quarter left of the blade. The remaining was a searing, steaming red-hot blade.

Shit... that was close. I better be careful about this, Jack spoke in his consciousness. One wrong move and I’ll be incinerated in an instant. Jack tossed the broken katana off to the side and glared back at Jared. Realizing that Jack was panting for breath, he knew that he would falter soon.

“I’ve got to end this now before it’s too late. If this move doesn’t work… well, I’ll still use my trump card when the time is right.” Jack mumbled to himself. The ponies from above were nervously shivering. It felt like this could be the final match. All they could do was watch and pray.

Jared smirked at Jack’s current state, knowing he was going to screw up soon. Taking this opportunity to take Jack down now, Jared’s palm shot out black fire one more. Jack gripped the other katana with both hands and charged at his brother with the blade following behind him. He strafed to the left; evading the flame stream’s line of contact. Jared trailed his arm with Jacks motions. The black flame stream chased Jack; making him strafe to the side more. With little time left, Jack had to get near Jared to perform his only optional attack.

Eventually, Jack leaped up and back flipped over the flame stream. Once landed, Jack continued to charge at Jared. But after he landed, the flame stream managed to redirect its line of coarse. Not knowing the stream would redirect at that moment, Jack took a hit on his right shoulder. He flinched and grimaced in pain as the skin on the shoulder suffered a severe third degree burn while a piece of his cloth burned away. A severe skin graft could be seen on his shoulder pad. Warm blood flooded out of the torn flesh and the stinging sensation coursed through his body.

But Jack didn’t stop as he was going strong. The flame stream went right back to direct its way towards Jack. Jared planted his feet to the ground and started to back up slowly, while he tried to keep aiming the center of his palm towards Jack. At that moment, the tension hyphened as the two were drawing closer towards each other. Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Twilight’s eyes cringed as they covered their eyes with their hooves. Fluttershy, Dash, Applejack, and Aero had their eyes pop wide open while sweat trailed down their heads. It was indeed a close moment for the ponies, for they prayed hard for his success.

Jack was about four feet away from reaching Jared, and he prepared to put his technique into action. That is until Jared ceased his attack for a brief moment, aimed his palm at the center of Jack’s pelvis, and shot out dark flames once more. This time, they were widely spread thin flames. It was wide enough to cut Jack’s body in half, and Jack was heading straight towards it. However; Jack made the last second count as he collapsed to his knees and leaned his body back. While he slid on his knees, Jack watched the black flames shoot right above his face. As soon as he slid right next to Jared, Jack elevated his body back up, produced a battle cry, and thrusted his sword towards Jared’s chest. The blade impaled through Jared’s heart area and red blood sprinkled out of the wound. And at that moment, Jared flinched and ceased his fire attack at the same time. Jack held his position while keeping both hands on the handle.

“Got you… bitch.” Jack uttered while he was catching his breath. Jared’s body froze from the struck of the blade. He slowly leaned forward, and then his head hung down along with a final breath. And at that point, the room filled with silence. Jack knew that he won, that he finally killed Jared. All the anger that was boiling up inside Jack vanished after he made a big sigh in relief. At last, Jack finally fulfilled his life’s purpose, and his promise.

Back on top, the ponies sighed in a big relief to know that the fight was over. They also adopted joyful smiles, as Jack emerged victorious. They were proud of him for building his own willpower and strength for his character, due to the promise he made to the ponies. Taking their time to settle down from the intense battle they witnessed, Rainbow Dash was the first to congratulate Jack silently.

“Awesome! I can’t believe he actually did it! That’ll teach that jerk a lesson! Nice job, Jack!” Every pony but Fluttershy nodded at Dash. Fluttershy kept her composure, but felt very happy inside.

“Way to go, Jack.” Fluttershy mumbled, while she grinned at him. Back down, Jack felt a bit exhausted from all the energy he put out to defeat his brother. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and sighed in relief once more.

Finally… it’s over… Jack spoke in his consciousness. Then…

“…hm…hmhmhmhmhm…” At that moment, Jack’s eyes shot open in surprise. He looked back at Jared, and was shocked to see him chortling. His shoulder pads went up and down from each chortle while his head was hung down. Jack and the ponies gasped to see that Jared was still alive. All that effort, and this was the result. Jack couldn’t believe himself that he actually fell for such a possum trick like this. Even so, he never expected this would be an easy battle. Once Jared was done chortling at Jack’s blinding stupidity, he raised his head up and grinned sinisterly.

“How very naïve of you to think that I would fall to such an evidential result such as this.” Boasted Jared. “You can be deceived so easily sometimes, which is just too piteous of you. But don’t be discouraged, I’m impressed by your capabilities. Your motive way for fighting was intriguing; it was indeed a bit stronger than I would anticipate, even more effective than the Nezperdians’s motive. The instinct prowess you developed was most astounding. Truly, you showed no sign of fear or desperation. You should be thankful for the gift you were given, the gift of the Nezperdian’s ability to grasp new concepts very quickly. Yes, you’ve shown yourself that you can surpass any mortal beings. However,” At that moment, Jared started to move himself down the blade with no sign of grimace or hesitation. His feat of strength was out of this world, it was as if he transcended the boundaries of every mortal capabilities. The blade slowly drove itself through Jared’s body, as he moved closer towards Jack. Once Jared’s head met with Jack’s gobsmacked face, he continued.

“Allow me to improve your assumptions, so that you may understand how to recognize what is reality and what is not.” Suddenly, Jared backhanded Jack to the side, sending Jack tumbling on the ground with loud thuds. The ponies gasped at Jack’s critical blow to the face.

“Jack!” Fluttershy exclaimed. When Jack’s body stopped tumbling on the ground, he slowly got back up to his feet. His legs trembled from the recoil and his third degree burn mark on his right shoulder stung like hell. It felt like a thousand sharp needles plunging deep into his skin at once. As Jack stood up, he covered his wound with his left hand, grimacing from the burning sensation on his right shoulder.

Jared smirked; looking down to his chest to see the katana still impaled through his chest. He grabbed the handle with his right hand, and started to pull the blade out of his chest slowly. Yet again, he showed no sign of grimace or hesitation. It’s like he couldn’t feel any pain at all. Once the sword was pulled out, he grabbed the bottom of the blade with his left hand, and presented it in front of Jack.

“Let us say the katana blade represents reality. And the hand I’m holding the blade with represents Zalgo’s assumptions. Here, it’s impossible to crush the blade by using a single mortal hand. It’s just a pure falsity assumption that can neither be obtained nor experienced. No matter how hard you try, or how far you reach, you will only accomplish nothing. In short, it is impossible to obtain powers like mine, for they exist in a fantasy universe. That is one of the realistic impressions of reality. However, those who transcend themselves from the limitary boundaries of reality, and reject the laws of physics by understanding a certain interpretation, that person can bring certain fantasies into reality. Zalgo is the concept of breaking reality and equivocal questions. That… is what we call ‘Reality Warping’.” With no warning, Jared quickly squeezed the blade and the blade snapped in half. The hilt and the rest of the blade fell right in front of Jared’s feet.

Jack and the ponies were utterly shocked and astounded by Jared’s capability. In short, that action caused them to be thrown off guard. Never in their lives they have seen such formidable power, even in the form of a human. But alas, they knew Jared was not normal. Jared held his gripped fist in front of him, and reopened it. Falling out of his grip came small shards and dusts of the shattered blade. After that, Jared dusted his palm against his white long cloth trouser and continued talking.

“Gods exist only to create and maintain the impossible, and leave certain achievable concepts for mortal beings to accomplish. That is how our history of existing goes.” With both swords rendered useless, Jack had but his collapsible bo staff, a grenade, a handgun with three rounds left, his army knife, and his martial art skills to rely on. But Jack knew that those things would be useless against Jared. However, Jack knew that there was one thing that can truly put an end to Zalgo once and for all. But, he knew that he had to use it at the right moment. For now, Jack decided to stay on the defensive for now until that moment arrives. Clenching his fists hard, Jack stared at his brother with determination.

I’m not sure how long I will keep this up, Jack spoke in his consciousness. If that moment doesn’t come soon, then this world is finished. I’ve got to be careful this time… my friends depend on m-

“Just because you adapted your new motive for fighting doesn’t make you invincible.” Jared interrupted Jack’s conversation with himself, causing Jack to snap back into reality.

“Even though you did possess great strength in protecting your friends, it does have its weaknesses and disadvantages. Just how do you know if your friends truly care about you? Sure you had a horrible life, and they feel how much you suffered. But let me tell you something that still exists in reality today. You may think that I’m overlooking this, but what I’m about to tell you is the truth.” Jared grinned as he continued talking.

“It’s a lesson called ‘Pain’. What is pain? How does pain work? What does pain have to do about this? Well… pain is like a teacher… a perspective teacher to be more precise, even a teacher that makes us more mature, receptive, and stronger. There are three terms for pain: loss, loneliness, and suffering. Equestria and its inhabitants have covered themselves in harmony for millenniums. Those childish creatures are incapable of understanding what true pain is, just like your pain for example. It’s because their emotions and perspectives are small and weak. That’s why they are guarded by their Goddess’s divine protection. And that’s why they know so little about us humans. They’re shrouded by a magical force that shelters them from the darkness that surrounds the land.

“You see, outside of Equestria, lands and cities were born and left to bear misery and hatred, while this land is submerged in paradise. There is no such thing as real violence in this land, for they make a fool of themselves into thinking that their level of violence is like the same as ours is. However, as long as there is good, there is also evil. What you don’t know is that shards of our pain sometimes sneak into this land unnoticed and curse the minds on certain living beings. Those shards then take the form of horrific nightmares, and in doing so brings them a vision of what we’re experiencing. The reason for that is with all this suffering we’re all experiencing, this land absorbs the pain, and in doing so plagues the land. We can’t help but think that their era will soon come to an end, and each and every Equestrians will die a horrible death from those horrific images due to overwhelming emotions.”

At that moment, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack knew what he was talking about right there. The nightmares they’ve seen and went through were indeed unexpected. Rainbow Dash experiencing being turned into cupcakes by Pinkie Pie, Rarity abusing her little sister which turned Sweetie Belle into an abomination, and Applejack’s little sister eating her big sister’s insides. Nothing like that ever existed in Equestria, which made them realize that those horrific images must of come from the other side of Equestria that managed to make their way into those three. Even so, they felt more scared into thinking what lies beyond the borders of Equestria. As they kept pondering, Jared continued uninterrupted.

“Do you think it is fair that the inhabitants of Equestria are the only ones allowed to live in true harmony and not us? Well… that’s your choice, but I have no interest in such matters. Regardless, humans outside of Equestria will wage war against this land to obtain harmony for themselves. If that were to happen, then the land of Equestria will just become one huge battlefield. Every single Equestrian will be powerless to stop or escape the bloody onslaught, because they are too naive; they know nothing of absolute fear or true pain. They think they can just make friends with the humans, and they’ll all live happily ever after. This land cannot stay as a child forever, and that is the truth.” Jared paused for a moment to let his words sink into Jack’s head. Jack had his head down, looking on the ground with an emotionless expression on his face. He’s starting to get the picture, and it was slowly burning him from the inside.

“Jack, mark my words…” Jared continued, and Jack faced back up. “For this is and will be a fact. And this will also be your everlasting curse. Your friends will abandon you and so will you too. The more you suffer, the more you feel lost. And the more you become lost, the lonelier you become. And upon the empty space of loneliness, it will breed hatred and indifference. And that… shall be your greatest downfall. Just because your friends know how you feel, doesn’t mean they know the extent of your suffering. If you cannot show them the extent of your pain, then they will never have any mutual understandings with you. You’ll just be a horrible burden to them, and they will start trying to avoid you. The truth is, you’re only fighting for your benefits, not for real friendship.

“The only pain they’ve experienced so far is losing a loved one from a disease or old age. While outside, that is the most common pain we had to suffer. Bloody wars, murders, holocausts, revenge, and sacrifices… these connect to the pain you and others like you outside of Equestria have to endure. There are rarely any shreds of harmony that appear anywhere across the globe. That is why Equestrians fears the outside, for they cannot comprehend our level of pain. And our level of violence is way too much for them to handle. They’re even afraid of dying, no matter how much they want to risk sacrificing their lives against their greatest fears. You’re all living in the middle of such a phenomenon right now. You all know what the past is like, and you all can predict what the future will be.”

From what Jared said so far, it begun to tremble Jack in defeat. He just kept looking at the ground depressed. Not even a single comeback came in mind. He was all alone in his head, thinking of what he’s done and learned.

“Listen, Jack,” Jared continued. “How will your motive for fighting last forever when you have constant doubts clouding your judgment? Or rather, your friends talking behind your back? If you were to lose that motive, what will you have now? What would you live for? Without a purpose in life is the same as being dead. This is why vengeance was created, so it can fill that void of loneliness with power, and it will embrace your existence. Now answer me this… which one is more important to you now? Your friends... or vengeance? I want to hear your answer.” After Jared was done, the room was filled with silence. Jack once again felt alone, and that the truth weighed him down. To think that protecting someone dearly was just a delusion to him.

Is... is protecting someone who doesn’t highly think of me is worth the effort? Jack spoke in his consciousness. He had his doubts and they were swarming all over him.

Back on top, the ponies felt the same way he was experiencing. To think they would live like that this whole time, was just too sad to think about it. Fluttershy wanted to comfort Jack so badly and prove Jared he was wrong. But Fluttershy’s faith still lingered within her.

“I’m so sorry… Jack. B-But that’s not true... you’ve got to believe in us.” Fluttershy quietly muttered. Back down, Jack was fighting himself from the inside. Each doubt damaged his personal characteristics, and in doing so sent him into a horrible traumatized state. He felt like his whole mind was leaving him to rot. Jack desperately tried to find a dependable interpretation, but his doubts kept deterring him from finding an answer. Once again, Jack was trapped within his own mind. He slowly started to astray from all the positive emotions he experienced. All the haunting memories of his past gradually started to rive him apart. It felt like Jack was about to lose it… until a certain voice popped out of nowhere from inside his head.

“I think I understand now, Jack.” The voice of Fluttershy echoed in her consciousness. “I think it’s because you don’t want to be lonely anymore. You’ve been on your own for your entire life. I know what loneliness is… and I can possibly think how much you’re going through right now. Growing up without parents who don’t love you, and not having any friends is just terrible. Nobody deserves to live in a world with fear and violence. It’s like people don’t think you exist… and yet, you want to make yourself appear. So that someone can hear your cries.

“And now, you have gained my attention. I finally heard your cries inside of you, Jack. You don’t have to be alone anymore. Because, I can tell you… that all you ever needed back then and now… was a friend. You’ve made me stronger, Jack. Thank you…”

…Of course… Jack reassured himself in his consciousness. I get it now… Suddenly, Jack returned to his regular composure. His mind ceased fighting against him, since he now knew his answer. He looked back up and furrowed his eyes at Jared.

“Its protecting my friends of coarse! My friends are not weak! If they were able to confront what they’ve been through so far, and are able to contemplate pain like mine, then they will undoubtedly become strong! Real friends don’t care what your cover is! Friendship is a special and powerful feeling that can’t be broken easily! As long as I stay true to myself, then I can continue to forge my own path until I find peace within myself! And as long as there are others that are willing to know my pain, I will know that I will never be alone again! No matter what you say to me, the knowledge of friendship will guide me through anything!” After he was done talking, the ponies were once again touched and motivated. Jack had learned a lot from them, and they felt relieved to know that he was growing strong thanks to their wise sapience. Fluttershy once again had tears streaming down her cheeks as she remembered what she said to her friends.

“J-Jack deserves… more t-than friendship. H-He deserves… a second chance in life. S-So that… he can e-experience more things… he hasn’t… c-crossed yet. T-This… this is why… I want… t-to go back! S-So… so it… will be our turn… t-to save him! S-So… that… I can show him… h-how strong he made me! I-I want to save him… l-like a good friend would do! I WANT TO BE STRONG TOO!!”

Fluttershy wiped her tears away and smiled down at Jack’s determination.

Jack… I can’t thank you enough for what you did. We’ll be right here when you’re in need of trouble… you can count on it! Fluttershy spoke in her consciousness, while looking at her teary friends. Back down, Jared looked irritated at Jack for being obstinate. He knew that truthful harsh words wouldn’t faze him any longer. So… he just made a simple grin.

“Hmph… very well then. I suppose reasoning with you will be a waste of time. Cause after all, it will not matter in just one minute though.” Jared chuckled darkly. Jack raised his eyebrow looking puzzled.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

“Do you know what happens in one minute?” Jared said, raising both hands up to the side. “Today is December 31st… and in one minute, it will be our 20th birthday and a brand new year, Jack. And you know what happens on that day, right?” Given the moment to recap what Jared said, Jack and the ponies quickly realized what was about to happen. Just as they realized what the answer was, Jared went on with explaining.

“It’s the day of Zalgo’s return to the moral universe! Soon, the world shall be engulfed by his influence, and eternal wrath shall be laid upon those who defy his authority! You’ve should have reconsidered my offer Jack… but it’s too late now! You shall be erased from existence, and the manifestation of Am Dhaegar the Pure’s essence will soon belong to Zalgo!” At that moment, one of the dark tendrils snatched Jared’s spine sword out of his hand, and started reconnecting his ripped spine back into place. Once the spine was in place, the tendrils started to reconstruct the dislocated ligaments and the spinal cord, making awful sickening gooey and popping noises. Then, the tendrils slowly sank back into his body, while they stitched up the huge gap on his bareback. After that was done, Jared twisted his neck and back, making lots of cracks and popping noises.

“This is where my role ends here, for I shall not know what your fate will be. But as obvious as this is going to turn out, I will pray that you will try to entertain a real god. Now then…” Ten seconds left before midnight, Jared started to unwrap his bandages around his head. Jack went into his fighting stance, and prepared for the final showdown. Four seconds left, and Jared had the bandages off his head. It revealed that his eyelids were shut the whole time. However, just as he removed his bandages, black tears poured out of his eyes. Two seconds left, and Jared finally revealed his eyes. Both of his scleroses were pitch dark, while his irises and pupils were red as they took the appearance of the ‘Eye of Eternal Darkness’ circular symbol. After two seconds had passed, Jared spoke once more, yet this time he spoke in a duel voice.

"Let us begin... shall we?"

Author's Note

I'll try to get one scene pic per chapter... maybe two. Enjoy.

Chapter 21: He Rises Once More

Chapter 21: He Rises Once More

Jared slowly began ascending into the air, while his body started to transform into unnatural shapes and sizes. Loud cracks and popping noises echoed across the room. Something unnatural was about to happen, and Jack had to stand his ground. Jared levitated backwards and descended into the blackness. Once his body faded into the pitch darkness, the transformation sound effects became louder. Jack could hear Jared’s skin being riven savagely, while he could see Jared’s blood and organs being splattered on the ground. Soon, the blood and organs on the ground faded from existence. At that moment, Jack heard a terrifying roar coming from above.

As it roared, the whole room bursted with absolute fear and despair, sending the feeling of corrupted sanity across the room. The level of intensity was not the same as before. In fact, it’s presence was a lot darker, more intense than ever before. How this feeling existed, none could explain. Just as the transformation went underway, Jack witnessed multiple dark tendrils protruding from the pitch blackness along with an unspeakable unknown figure emerging from bowls of darkness itself. However, he couldn’t vividly see the figure floating in midair, since it was blended in the shadows. The unknown figure was as big as the pillar surface, and the tendrils appeared to be more dangerous than ever.

After a few seconds of staring into this maddening abyssal monstrosity, the figure let out a frightening roar. The roar was so loud and so terrifying; it froze the ponies in their places. Especially Jack, as he felt something inside of him clinging to his will and sanity. For the first time, the ponies saw Jack in a certain state that neither one of them would’ve expected to see. Fear.

Jack’s eyes widen, and his pupils and irises shrunk from the horrifying image he was witnessing. His legs trembled while his arms violently shook. But the terror didn’t stop there, as the unknown entity opened its humongous hallowed eye. Its iris and pupil was red as they took the appearance of the ‘Eye of Eternal Darkness’ circular symbol, just like Jared’s eyes. Then around the hallowed eye spawned seven closed maws surrounding it. Dark cosmic vortexes emerged behind the floating figure, as numerous red glowing symbols circulated around the figure. Then, after a few moments of silence, the maw on the top left opened, and managed to echo a single word into everyone’s mind. Fear. After that, the evil entity spoke.

“At long last, I… am free. Upon this night, the laws of free will shall descend the deceivers into a never-ending cycle of utter torment and despair! The mortal shadows shall burn the weak and the nonbelievers with the passion of hatred and fear! The heavens will crumble and the damned be revised, for reality shall tremble upon my wrath! Hear thy name, and praise the one who will alter your every existence! ZALGO!!”

Upon shouting his name, his mere presence fractured everyone’s sanity. Twilight knew of what he said about mortal shadows burning the weak and nonbelievers, since she had already felt it when she was walking into the Everfree Forest. She knew right away that it wasn’t the forest’s doing, it was the night of his return. But she also knew that it wasn’t important now, as this new feeling she was adopting paralyzed her with immense fear. But she was not the only one paralyzed with fear, for the rest of the ponies were in the same state as she was. A mortal within the presence of a fearful god, it was hard to say that the vibes Zalgo was emitting out was natural.

Back down, Jack had to free himself from the fear that bound his will. But strangely enough, it was an easy task for him as he was free. Taking a good look at Zalgo, he spotted the seven maws.

As I thought… Jack spoke in his consciousness. The seven maws of the apocalypse. Six of which that speaks in six different tongues, and the seventh to sing that accursed song. Good. According to the research I picked up about Zalgo, he sequentially opens one maw after another. They go as Fear, Wrath, Pain, Chaos, Depravity, Despair, and Death. If he activates his seventh maw, the maw of death, then I’ll be able to use ‘that’ weapon. However, I better do it just as soon as his seventh maw opens, otherwise, the song will instantly kill every living creature on this world. I just hope it works… After he conjured up his plan, he stood in defiance against a god. Zalgo spotted Jack, and started to chuckle darkly that echoed his voice loudly.

“Ah… so you are the one that bears my other half. I must say, a mortal being standing in defiance before my presence… I’m amused. Usually, every mortal’s heart stops instantly by just looking at me. However; my powers aren’t fully awakened yet. For when my seventh maw speaks, all shall serve under me for all eternity.”

The way he spoke was just horrifying and disgusting. Each word sent chills down every ponies’ spine. The group tried to get a good look at the horrifying creature, but he was blended within the pitch-blackness. But they managed to see his visible red pupil and iris, and his seven grinning maws.

“S-So… t-this… is Zalgo?” Rainbow Dash sputtered, as she gulped hard. All of her anger towards Zalgo turned into fear by looking at him. She wanted to go down there and give him a piece of her mind, but she was too scared to even move. Pinkie Pie was on the verge of hyperventilating when she was witnessing her greatest fear so far. But Fluttershy placed her hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder pad, letting her know that everything was going to be all right. Back down, Zalgo had his devilish hallowed eye set onto Jack. He observed Jack’s status, his condition, and his equipment. Then he gave out a grunt.

“Jared was correct about you… your capacity is indeed intriguing. However… you are just as stubborn as you’d ever be. I still have some spare time left, so I’ll show you the true meaning of pain first hand. A god verses a mortal being. Heh… this will be interesting. Let’s see how long you are able to withstand against my unquestionable wrath.”

At that moment, the top right maw slowly opened. Once it fully opened, it echoed another single word into everyone’s mind. Wrath. Jack had no choice but to consume time until that moment arrives. He pulled out and twirled his collapsible bo staff, extending both ends out. Ready for combat, Jack glared at the one who was responsible for ruining his life.

“I’ve lived my whole life for this day… this moment!” Jack spoke, while his boiling tone rose. “All this time, I’ve fostered my hatred against you… for one purpose only!” At that moment, Jack started to twirl the staff furiously. Then, he caught the twirling bo staff with his other hand, held the bo staff perpendicularly in front of him.

“TO ERASE YOU FROM MY LIFE!!” Jack roared. Blinded by rage, and clouded by his inevitable vengeance, Jack dashed towards Zalgo with the instinct to kill. Even though killing wasn’t the option, Jack attended to inflict all the pain he had to suffer upon Zalgo. As he ran towards the unspeakable evil, Zalgo sent his tendrils into battle. Jack swung his bo staff to deflect the incoming tendrils’ attacks. However, just as he got close to Zalgo’s unknown shapeable body, a tendril managed to sneak behind Jack and immediately snared his left ankle. Jack tripped and the tendril reeled him up into the air.

Hanging upside down, Jack tried to break loose, but the tendril kept its grip. Then Jack spotted several more tendrils heading straight towards him, ready to impale his body. But that didn’t stop Jack, as he reached towards his right boot and pulled out his army knife. With a few seconds left, Jack crunched upward with the knife in his hand, and slice the tendril that ensnared his ankle. Just in the nick of time, Jack fell to the ground while avoiding the incoming tendril attack with his aerodynamics. Jack landed on his feet, and leaped away Zalgo.

But Zalgo didn’t hesitated to make his next move, as he sent one of his larger tendrils plummeting towards the floor. The tendril slammed itself on the ground, making the whole pillar shake. At that sudden moment, countless pointy tendrils indiscriminately protruded from underground and started pursuing Jack. Jack turned around and raced away from the impending doom. The protruding pointy tendrils were hot on his trails, as they were gaining speed. They were following Jack like a sticky magnet.

Zalgo knew that with Jack’s attempt to escape were growing slim. The protruding pointy tendrils were nearly right behind him. Jack had to think of something, or he would be impaled countless of times. The ponies braced themselves, as they were about to cover their eyes to not witness the inevitable. But luck came in, as Jack finally made a daring move. While he ran away from the tendrils, Jack reached into his left pouch and pulled out his last grenade. Then Jack pulled the pin, and threw it at Zalgo’s humongous eye. After that, he immediately pulled out his gun from his left holster and aimed the gun at the tossed grenade.

He pulled the trigger and fired two bullets at the grenade. But with all this running and difficult aim, the two bullets missed its target. With one bullet left, he prayed that this shot would count and fired the last bullet. Miraculously, the bullet made a direct hit and the grenade exploded. The blast managed to flinch Zalgo in surprise, but not in pain. That caused the protruding pointy tendrils to cease trailing him. The ponies heard the explosion, and decided to take a peek at the battle so far. They all sighed in relief that the tendrils stopped pursuing Jack. Jack knew that if he could hold this up until the final maw opens, he would surely see through to this.

But Jack was unaware of Zalgo’s impatient temper, as he became enraged. This caused the third maw below the first one to be opened, and upon it’s awakening echoed another single word into everyone’s mind. Pain. Knowing that word, Jack knew that things were going to get tougher. But with his expert survival skills, Jack managed to stay calm and alerted. Willing to go on the offensive, Jack rushed over towards Zalgo’s eye. But suddenly, the third maw lashed out it’s tongue at Jack. The speed was too great, that it caught him off guard. The dark tongue wrapped itself around Jack, ensnaring his legs, arms, and body. The tongue raised Jack to Zalgo’s height. Jack tried to struggle free from the powerful grip, but to no avail.

“Guh! Damn it! Let me go!” Jack shouted, while he continued to struggle. Seeing as the battle was settled, Zalgo chortled peculiarly.

“I’m impressed by your substantial abilities of survival. However, you are but a plaything, unfit even to amuse. This has gone on long enough; I shall enjoy your final moments. I shall make your ears bleed from the shrill sounds of your own screams, causing you to deafen yourself! Once you are dead, I shall drag your soul into a realm of eternal torment and fear, where you will be locked inside a maddening maelstrom of pain that shall never cease! Your torture shall continue throughout and beyond the end of time! Farewell mortal cretin!”

At that moment, the dark tongue begun to tighten its grip on Jack. As it got tighter, Jack struggled with all his might to escape this trap. Trying to add fury into his strength proved to be useless as well. But the more he struggled, the tighter it became. Jack could feel his muscles starting to tense from the pressure he was receiving. And the bones slowly started to burn. Blood rushed up towards his head, pressuring his brain with immense force. At this point, Jack began to grunt painfully after each struggle attempt. The tongue slowly squeezed Jack’s body, applying greater pain and pressure. At this certain point, Jack could feel his muscles starting to burn, and most of his bones cracking slightly.

Jack knew that it wouldn’t be long now; he felt like he was ready to be snapped in half. As the grip got even tighter, it became very difficult for him to breath now, since there was barely any more space for him to gasp for air.

Finally, after a minute of slowly squeezing Jack’s body, his left arm snapped, causing Jack to produce a bloodcurdling scream. The ponies gasped in horror as they heard his bone cracked from this far away. But the horror didn’t stop there, as they began hearing popping noises. Jack’s rib cages slowly moved towards each other, making them crack more relentlessly. Jack wailed in utter pain, while his head jerked back and forth.

Within scant seconds, his right arm and left leg snapped. This made Jack scream even louder than before. The immense pain flooded his entire body; he could barely make out what was going on anymore. While he screamed, Zalgo laughed at his suffering.

“Yes! YES! Hymn the advent anthem of my liberation! Let me listen to the cries of elation!” Zalgo exclaimed, as he laughed in a dark tone.

Willing to get more out of Jack, Zalgo decided to speed things up. The dark tongue started to squeeze even harder, in an attempt to cause Jack to scream louder. By doing so, Jack’s ribs started to snap one by one, causing blood to rush out of his mouth. His skin was so tight that it started to rip apart, causing large amounts of blood to escape him. At this time, Jack couldn’t breathe anymore, since it was now impossible to gasp for air. He began to gurgle disgusting sounds, followed by waves of bile and blood vomit as the unearthly pain drowned him. His visions were blacking out from the pressure and the blood loss. Then, the unthinkable happened. Tears were rushing down his eyes, as he was revisited from all the pain he suffered in his life. Unable to speak and beg for mercy, he just kept crying silently, gagged with his vomit of blood.

The ponies watched in disgust, horror, and fear as their new friend was slowly being squeezed to death. Tears streamed down their eyes from listening to Jack’s wailing pain. But not only that, they were crying because fear took over them. They really wanted to help Jack, but they were afraid of going down there and confronting against unspeakable fear. They were breaking down from the inside, as they felt defeated. But the one who was breaking down the most was Fluttershy.

Her cries stabbed the hearts of her other friends, making them cry harder. Fluttershy felt like all of her strength was gone, and she was back to her weak and pitiful self. She desperately wanted to save Jack, but the wall of fear blocked her from doing anything. She grimaced while her head was turned. Tears ran out of her eyes like an angry waterfall.

Jack… I-I’m… s-so… so sorry! Fluttershy cried inside her consciousness. I’m just too scared! Why am I so weak?! Why can’t I help him!? Why can’t I move?! Oh Fluttershy, you’re such a useless pony! I- Just then, her memories came in and assaulted her mind.

She was reminded of what Jared spoke about Equestrians.

“Equestria and its inhabitants have covered themselves in harmony for millenniums. Those childish creatures are incapable of understanding what true pain is, just like your pain for example. It’s because their emotions and perspectives are small and weak. The only pain they’ve experienced so far is losing a loved one from a disease or old age. While outside, that is the most common pain we had to suffer. Bloody wars, murders, holocausts, revenge, and sacrifices… these connect to the pain you and others like you outside of Equestria have to endure. There are rarely any shreds of harmony that appear anywhere across the globe. That is why Equestrians fears the outside, for they cannot comprehend our level of pain. And our level of violence is way too much for them to handle. They’re even afraid of dying, no matter how much they want to risk sacrificing their lives against their greatest fears.”

Then she remembered what Jack said to Jared.

“My friends are not weak! If they were able to confront what they’ve been through so far, and are able to contemplate pain like mine, then they will undoubtedly become strong!”

And then she remembered what her friends said to her after the fight against the lindworm. That she needed to stand up, while facing her fears head on and helping her friends. No matter what situation or how dire things may be, they’ll always have each other.

Finally, she remembered what she said to her friends.

“J-Jack deserves… more t-than friendship. H-He deserves… a second chance in life. S-So that… he can e-experience more things… he hasn’t… c-crossed yet. T-This… this is why… I want… t-to go back! S-So… so it… will be our turn… t-to save him! S-So… that… I can show him… h-how strong he made me! I-I want to save him… l-like a good friend would do! I WANT TO BE STRONG TOO!!”

After that, those messages managed to summarize each other into the main topic. The topic was that Friendship was indeed worth fighting for, even if it means putting herself in the front lines of death.

Thanks to the messages she’s learned, everything became clear to her now. The fear that held her down lifted, and her confidence and determination rose dramatically. But something else was changing as well inside of her. All of Fluttershy’s depression, fear, her doubts slowly begun to fuse together into one category… rage. She couldn’t contain her fury, as it flowed through her like a defenseless river. The more rage she subsume, the more she was eager to help Jack. It didn’t take too long for her to finally snap. Unable to stand by any longer, Fluttershy immediately stood up, giving Zalgo a deathly glare.

Her teary friends saw Fluttershy rising up, attempting to rescue Jack. But just as she was about to dive inside, Twilight grabbed her wing with her hoof.

“Fluttershy! Wait! You can’t go down there! You’ll get killed!” Twilight protested. Fluttershy knew if she were to go down there, she will undoubtedly be killed. But she had no intention of standing here doing nothing while listening to her friend dying horribly.

Zalgo laughed as he was enjoying himself from listening to Jack’s torture. The way he laughed made Fluttershy boil even hotter. The more Jack gurgled and whined, the angrier she became. Twilight saw her friend’s boiling rage, as she pulled her hoof away fearfully. At last, Fluttershy was at the peak of her anger. Her wings extended all the way out, as she prepared herself to dive right in.

“RAAAAAAAUGH! STOP IIIIT!!” She screamed out in pure fury at Zalgo. Fluttershy launched herself down the hole and charged right towards Jack. Rainbow Dash reached after Fluttershy with her forearm.

“FLUTTERSHY NOOOOO!!!” Dash called out. But it was too late, Fluttershy already made her move. Jack was just a few seconds away from blacking out. His mouth was flooded with blood, as air bubbles ascended to the surface. Zalgo looked at his state, and laughed sinisterly.

“I guess it’s time to send you into-“ Just then, he heard Fluttershy’s battle cry.

“What the-?” He pondered, as he looked up to see the source of the screaming.

While Fluttershy dived towards Jack as her frontal hooves were extended to cut the air resistance. In moments, a rounded wave front formed in front of her due to the sheer speed that started to build. With one mighty battle cry, Fluttershy wisped through the dark tongue, cutting the constriction. The dark tongue that binded Jack’s body loosened, as he was free. However, he was now plummeting towards the ground. At that moment, Rainbow Dash sighed and leaped into the hole.

“Well… that’s our cue! C’mon guys!” She called out. Fluttershy spotted Jack plummeting towards the ground and adopted a panicked grimace. She dove after Jack, got under his body, and heaved upwards. But Jack’s weight was too heavy for Fluttershy to lift alone. The both of them were now heading straight down, while Fluttershy tried her best to apply more strength. She felt like she couldn’t make it, that she was about to crash land on the surface. But luck came in just in time, as Jack’s weight suddenly lifted. Fluttershy was hopelessly bewildered, and decided to look up. It was Rainbow Dash, who was giving support to the weight.

While both of the pegasus lowered Jack’s body steadily, Twilight had no other choice but to go and meet up with them. She conjured up a spherical pink force field that enclosed the rest of the gang. Twilight focused on her magic, and descended into the pit with the other ponies. They floated gently down to the pillar where they met Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash sitting next to Jack’s unconscious body. Once Twilight’s spell gently landed the gang to the ground, the force field flattened out and they were free.

The group gathered around Jack’s body and observed the damage. Both of his arms were bent and his shirt was stained with his own blood. Fluttershy lifted Jack’s head, while filled with anxiety.

“J-Jack… Jack…” Fluttershy called out quietly. It looked obvious that all the pain Jack went through, he wouldn’t wake up. But miraculously, Jack coughed slightly and painfully. The sign that Jack was still alive warmed the ponies’ heart. Jack’s visions slowly came back to life, as he moaned pitifully. He could hear someone calling his name, but the sound was muffled. He could see seven fuzzy colored blobs looming down on him. His eyes slowly trailed towards the yellow colored blob. He tried to pick up the details of this mysterious blob. But as mysterious as it is, the voice slowly became a bit clearer and familiar. A few seconds later, his visions started to sharpen up. He could see a familiar face smiling down at him with teary eyes. Given a second to clarify who that was, Jack immediately realized who it was.

“Uuuh… uhg… F-F… Fluh… Flutter… shy…?” Jack responded in a weak voice. Suddenly hearing Jack respond made her feel very happy. Fluttershy flung her head onto his chest, bawling into his shirt. The other ponies, except for Aero, were tearing up. They felt relieved that he was able to talk and even be alive right now. While Fluttershy cried into Jack’s shirt, Jack tried to cough up a few words.

“B…But… what… are… y-you… doing… here? Y-You’ll… be… killed… and-“ Jack continued, but was interrupted by Fluttershy.

“I know… but me and my friends came down here willingly. Because…” Fluttershy removed her face from his shirt, and stared down at Jack.

“Because… we’re here… to rescue you… to help you.” Those words bewildered Jack. But moreover, he felt glad and happy. He couldn’t help but smile slowly.

“R…Real…. Really?” Jack spoke quietly, and Fluttershy nodded back.

“You’ve made me strong remember? When we heard your cries, we came in to help you in your time of need. Jack… we don’t want you to die for nothing. There is still life out there you haven’t seen yet. And I believe you deserve a second chance in life, so you can experience the joys of life. You made us all stronger… and it’s all thanks to you.” A tear rushed out of Jack’s left eye, as he felt the warmth and comfort of his friends. He no longer felt alone in this world, since his beliefs came true after all. He now felt… complete and happy.

But his visions were starting to blur out again, due to the damaged he suffered. He coughed up few amounts of blood, while smiling at his friends.

“Thank… you… Fluttershy… and every… pony… else… b-but... but I... I can’t go on. My body... is broken... b-beyond repaired.” Jack uttered weakly, as he coughed roughly. Instantly, the ponies’ hearts sank from hearing his dreary announcement. Fluttershy gasped, as she brought his head closer to her.

“W-What?! N-No! Don’t say such thing... y-you’re going to get better! D-Don’t”

“F...Flutter...shy...”

“D-Don’t die like this! J-Just hang in there!” At this point, Fluttershy’s tears were coming out rapidly. “You’re going to be alright! L-Let’s just leave this place... a-and”

“Flutter...shy... please... lis-”

“And get you to a nearby hospital! We’re going to fix you Jack, we’re here to save you!” Hearing Fluttershy’s desperate plea made her friend’s hearts sank even lower, as they too were shedding maddening tears of their own. Unable to speak anymore due to the heavy amounts of tears, Fluttershy closed her eyes and wept. As her heart sank, she felt despair and lost. She knew that her words wouldn’t make things better. She felt like a child wanting impossible requests, only to be left disappointed.

I-It’s not fair... Fluttershy started to argue with herself inside her consciousness. People like him shouldn’t die like this, it’s so unfair! F-Fluttershy you idiotic featherbrain! I-If only you would had come to his aid, then none of this would've- Suddenly, Fluttershy felt a warm hand being placed on her cheek. She opened her eyes and stared at Jack’s faint smile.

“F-Fluttershy... y-you already... saved me. Y-You... shown me... the light... and... d-dragged me out... of my dark... place. I-I should be... the one... t-to thank you. *Cough**Cough*... B-But now... you... you all must.... l-leave this place. L-Live out... as m-most... as you... c-can.” As his voice went weaker by the second, the ponies slightly gasped in horror as they saw Jack slowly closing his eyes. Fluttershy placed her other hoof on Jack’s hand, while she shook his head slightly to get him to stay conscious.

“J-Jack! P-Please! S-Stay awake!” Fluttershy’s cried out, as her voice was breaking apart.

“I’m... th-thankful... t-to... m-meet... y-you... guys.”

“Jack! JACK!”

“P...Please... s-stay... safe... e.... e-every... one......” At that single moment, Jack exhaled his final breath and his heart stopped beating. After his final breath, Jack’s hand fell off of Fluttershy’s cheek and landed on the floor. Every pony at this moment was left utterly shocked. Witnessing their friend die from an inescapable battle struck their hearts immensely. Their only objective was lost, and now all they had was despair. Fluttershy looked at Jack’s eyes, watching the light leave from his eyes.

“...No... no...” Fluttershy mumbled in a broken tone. She closed her eyes, she rested her forehead on Jack’s head. Her lips quivered, as she mourned quietly. The other ponies looked away, and gave him a moment of silence. Pinkie Pie and Twilight hugged each other to comfort one another. Rarity latched onto Applejack’s chest and started weeping silently, while Applejack stroke her back. Rainbow Dash fought her hardest to hold back as much tears as possible, while her head hung low. Aero closed his eyes and sighed in depression, while saying his departing words to Jack in his mind. For the second time in their lives, they felt true sorrow.

“Ah… so you meddling fools finally came down here.” Zalgo spoke.

Snapping back into reality, the group swerved their heads around and spotted Zalgo’s unidentifiable body levitating. They were now standing in the presence of a God. With great fear and hatred now brewing up in them, the ponies glared at him while Zalgo talked.

“I’d almost forgotten about you insects. I was too preoccupied crushing the life out of your ‘friend’. However, I knew you weakling mortals would show up. Hmhmhm... I guess it was a bit too late for you though, his fate was already sealed. And now, here you all are, standing next in line to face me. But really… do you honestly think that standing before me shows courage and bravery? All of you are now doing is rushing blindly to your demises. You fools could've cling to your remaining wretched lives, and admire the last moments of your world before submerging into mine.”

At that moment, every pony stood up, and kept glaring at Zalgo. But behind their fury was overwhelming fear. They were standing towards the creator of fear… the central pillar of horror… and the most sinister of all evils, moreover; the embodiment of evil itself. Fluttershy quietly hyperventilated from the fear she was experiencing right now. Her legs shook, and pearls of sweats trailed down her head. But other than that, she kept her ground against fear itself, while rage kept her strong.

“Y…You… you will pay for what… you did… t-to Jack! You monster!” Fluttershy yelled in rage, while stuttering in fear. Hearing Fluttershy talk back to Zalgo gave Rainbow Dash the strength to comment as well.

“Y-Yeah! What you did is… u-unforgivable! I’m going to end you!” Zalgo knew that their threats were nothing, making him laugh at their foolishness.

“Honoring Jack I see? HA! Jack is… and will be nothing more but trash! His purpose in life has ended! The thread of fate that bound us has soaked crimson with his blood! And all of you shall meet your ultimate demises! Your threats are nothing, for you all are just simple... weakling… lovable ponies! WHAT A JOKE!!”

Suddenly, the fourth maw on the right of the third maw slowly opened, and managed to echo another word into everyone’s mind. Chaos. And at that moment, the maw of chaos began conjuring a cosmic sphere. As it began to charge up, the cosmic sphere grew in size. Thus, the ground started to rumble violently. Air circulated around the sphere, while black static discharges circulated around it. While the attack was charging up, Zalgo continued.

“I shall send you all into oblivion! There, you shall join your friend in the darkest abyss of hell! I’ve waited for ten billion years for this moment, and I silence anyone who gets in my way! NOW DIE!!”

At that sudden moment, the maw of chaos fired a cosmic laser straight towards the ponies. The blast was so loud, the foundation of the ceiling started to crumble pebbles. Waves and ripples spread out of the beam, as it traveled without losing momentum. The ponies braced themselves for death to arrive. They all screamed, as they hit the ground while they covered their eyes. It was it; the end had arrived for them. Not to mention the last hope for Earth and the universe. Each and every pony had memories of their lives flashed right before their eyes. All the memories they shared, they experienced, and learned came clashing all at once. Just as they reached their final image, they prepared death. At last, the laser made contact, and the blast erupted in a loud eruption. Smoke erupted from it’s wake, leaving only the sound of silence.

But strangely, the ponies felt nothing. They wondered if they were already dead. They could hear soothing noises coming right in front of them. With a bit of bravery left, the group peeked out, and was immediately left bewildered. They all dropped their jaw in disbelief, while looking hopelessly flabbergasted. Just as the smoke lifted, they saw a sunny yellow force field blocking the sight. It was strange, what just happened? But they immediately got their answer, as they saw something standing right in front of the group. There, standing in front of them was a tall white pony with a longhorn and huge wings. The long mane was coated in a light cerulean, light turquoise, very light cobalt blue, and a pale heliotrope. But what gave it away was the stylized sun for a cutie mark. Knowing who this was, every pony shouted in unison…

“PRINCESS CELESTIA!!” Upon shouting her name, the sunny yellow force field faded. The co-ruler of Equestria turned her head around and smiled at the gang.

“Looks like I just made it. Thank goodness…” Celestia sighed in relief. Already, questions begun swarming around in the ponies’ heads. And Twilight didn’t hesitate to ask those questions.

“B-But… H-how did you-“

“Fluttershy’s pet Angel was a very fast one.” Celestia interrupted. “That white rabbit hopped as fast as he could. He was so fast that he decided to not head towards the library, but towards the royal castle. I knew that the moment Angel arrived something must of gone wrong. And just before you were sent out of the hospital, I managed to put a tracking spell on you, Twilight, so I would know exactly where to teleport. Now why are you all in here and-“ Just before Celestia could finish her sentence, Zalgo interrupted by chortling.

“Ho? So we meet again… Princess Celestia… or should I say… Tia.”

At that moment, Celestia swerved her head around, and gasped in revelation. Then, she furrowed her eyes and shot a death stare at Zalgo.

“You! So it was you that was behind all of this!” She growled. The ponies were surprised to know that she knew Zalgo. They wondered how they first met. But as curiosity overtook them, Pinkie Pie was the first to ask.

“Wait! You know this meenie pants?” Celestia nodded slowly.

“I do. I’ve met him when I was at your girls’ age. My father and mother were fighting against the Avatar. His powers were so mighty, that it looked hopeless to stop him. That is, until my parents finally managed to destroy the Avatar. But in doing so, their powers weakened dramatically. That was one of the reasons why my sister Luna and I had no choice but to rule over Equestria. I’ve should've known that you would return to our world, Zalgo!” It was a bit interesting to know that Celestia and Zalgo had met before, but it was more intriguing to know how Celestia and her sister came to power. But just as Celestia mentioned her sister’s name, Zalgo chuckled once more.

“Ah yes… that Luna dear. How is she holding up so far? My influence must had corrupted her and transformed her into a monster. All she ever wanted was attention and power… but I guess she couldn’t maintain her psyche.”

At that sudden moment, the ponies gasped in revelation. They finally realized who was responsible for the making of Nightmare Moon. They couldn’t believe it, and yet, it sounded too obvious. Enraged at bringing up the topic of her sister, Celestia stomped her hoof down.

“You keep her out of this! You’ve done enough to her as it is! You made me banish my dear and lovable sister to the moon for a thousand years! I can never forgive you for that! And you will pay for this!” Celestia shouted in anger. Everypony stood back up and faced in defiance against Zalgo.

“Yeah! You better prepare yourself, Zalgo! Cause you are going down!” Twilight yelled.

“You will pay for what you have done to Jack!” Fluttershy added, as she looked back at Jack’s body, then back to Zalgo. Seeing the childish creatures confronting the god of fear and pain made Zalgo laugh. While he laughed in a dark tone, the fifth maw underneath the third maw slowly opened. And managed to echo yet another word into everyone’s mind. Depravity. At that sudden moment, Zalgo stopped his laughing and glared down at the ponies.

“You all think you can defeat… ME?! What a childish dream! Once the seventh maw opens, all of you shall bow down before me, and serve me for all of eternity! Come! Show me how strong Jack made you all! Let the unraveling of this world commence!”

The ponies and the Princess prepared themselves to wage battle against a god. With little time they had left to actually save the world, or rather the whole universe from extinction, will they prevail? Only time will tell, as the battle for life and death was about to begin.

Chapter 22: Final Judgement (Part 1)

Chapter 22: Final Judgement

Part 1.

Every pony clinged to whatever sanity they had left, as they stood in defiance against a real god. The whole fate of Equestria, the world, and the universe rested on their shoulders. Not knowing how powerful Zalgo really was, the group was vigilant and could not afford to screw up. They were also watching out for the maw of depravity, as they do not know what would happen.

After a few silent moments of silence, Zalgo made the first move. The maw of depravity suddenly shot out a shadow ball like a cannon. The group watched as the shadow ball exploded at the center of the room. Dark clouds bursted out of the shadow ball, and almost instantly, stood six blob figures in the center. The ponies couldn’t make out what were hiding within the dark clouds, but they could feel bad vibes coming from the mysterious six figures. Once the clouds started to clear up, they noticed that the blob figures transformed themselves into six ponies. When the dark clouds fully disappeared, the group gasped in shock.

Appearing out of the black clouds were the darker versions of the main six. Each and every dark pony had black sclera eyes with red irises and pupils. They all looked like reanimated corpses, since they had rotten skin and deformed bones. The way they grinned struck terror into the living ponies. Especially the darker version of Fluttershy, as she displayed her sharp and bloody teeth. Her body was mostly coated in blood, while she shivered like a maniac.

“HEY FUCKERS!!” Dark Fluttershy yelled. “WHAT’CHA LOOKIN’ AT, HUH?! SINCE YOU ALL LOOKED AT ME THE WRONG WAY, I’MA GONNA FUCKING KILL EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YA!!” Right after dark Fluttershy spoke and made a maniacal laugh; the dark version of Pinkie Pie covered her ears and shot a death stare at dark Fluttershy.

“Would you just SHUT UP?! My god, your laughter really pisses me off! I’ve should've known that having friends was THE WORST THING EVER!!” The way dark Pinkie Pie spoke sent spine-chilling vibes towards the real Pinkie. Right next to dark Pinkie was the dark version of Applejack. Her hat was stained with mud and blood, while she had a noose around her neck for a necklace.

“Ya know Pinkie,” The dark Applejack said while displaying her disturbing poker face. “Friendship ain’ that bad! I mean’ ya’ll can share dem feelings with each other! I once shared mah darkest secrets to them pony folks and look what I got from dem! Aren’t they nice?” The dark Applejack held the end of the rope towards the dark Pinkie. Applejack took a good look at the noose and realized that judging from what dark Applejack had said, she must of told so many harsh lies that she was hung for her wrongdoings.

Next to dark Applejack was the dark version of Rarity. She was sniffing at the ground, like a dog would do. She cringed and flinched with every whiff, while she wore an intestinal tube around her neck like a scarf.

“Organs… ORGANS… WHERE ARE THEY!?” Muttered the dark and greedy Rarity, while her voice was bordering towards the brink of insanity. “I shall have them all! I’ll never stop! I WON’T! *Happily gasps* I’ll even take the princess’s organs when she least expects it! I will have every ponies’ intestinal tube, esophagus, bladder, and oooh so many to choose from! After that, I’ll become the most beautiful creature in all of Equestria!” While dark Rarity sniffed around, the darker version of Rainbow Dash glared at the original ponies. Then she darted her eyes over to the real Dash with a smirk.

“You really should ditch those shitty friends of yours, Dash. They’re nothing more than a horrible weight and burden to you. They’re fucking pathetic and they are holding you back from achieving your dreams! The hell is wrong with you, huh?!” The way she spoke stung Dash’s dignity. She may not know what she acted like since Discord had transformed her, but taking a good look at her darker version made her angry. Not allowing this to slip by, Rainbow Dash stomped her hoof down in rage.

“My friends are everything to me! How dare you call them pathetic! I’m gonna kick you into next week if you keep talking about them like that!”

“Oh yeah? Then how come you aren’t in the Wonderbolts yet?” Dark Rainbow Dash replied, with a devious chuckle. While the two shared hostile glares at each other, Twilight decided to take a glance at her darker version. There, she noticed that her darker version looked very depressed. She just kept looking at the ground emotionlessly while black tears dripped out of her eyes. Twilight wondered why she was acting like that, but that wasn’t her biggest concern, since she was a spawn of Zalgo’s creations. After a brief display of the darker ponies, Zalgo chortled and proceeded with introductions.

“Marvelous aren’t they? These entities are the manifestations of sinful actions created by you ponies. Or to put it more simply, these reflect your darker selves. I’m sure you’re aware of Discord’s ability of reversing your natural behaviors. But really… his powers fail in comparison to mine. These show you your true selves, bound by my reality. Let us see who fares well.”

The corrupted main six stood ready for battle, as they had their eyesights on their counterparts. The original main six, Princess Celestia, and Aero also stood ready for battle. Looking at the odds, this could turn out to be an evenly matched conflict. Just before charging into battle, Celestia had some things to say to the group.

“Girls, I know that this might be the greatest challenge you will ever face in your lives. But do not give into fear; you all need to be strong for this one. I will keep Zalgo busy, while you six defeat your corrupted counterparts. You all got that?” Every pony but Aero nodded their heads. Rarity looked over to Jack’s lifeless body, before giving Aero a serious face.

“Aero darling, I... I know you want to help... but... but it’s just that... tha-” At that moment, Aero lifted his hoof.

“It’s alright, chapette. I understand the situation. I’m not really fit for combat to be honest. I will watch over Jack for you. But please... be careful, I say.” Aero replied. Rarity smiled and nodded back. Fluttershy turned her head around, gazing one last time at a friend she could not save. She closed her eyes and sighed mournfully.

Jack... I’m so sorry... but I will show you how much you’ve changed me. Fluttershy spoke in her consciousness. With the group ready for battle, they went into their fighting stances and prepared to charge at their enemies. Seeing as they were ready, Zalgo looked down at the corruptive ponies.

“Now… GO FORTH AND DESTROY THEM MY MINIONS! SHOW THEM THE TRUE EXTENT OF YOUR EXISTENCE!!” Zalgo commanded in a booming tone.

The corruptive ponies charged forth towards their counterparts, while the originals and Celestia charged into battle. When they all got close to one another, both Rainbow Dashes swooped up into the air and collided with one another. Then the rest of the ponies but Celestia clashed and started fighting their counterparts. Each pony assailants one another by punching, bucking, and kicking. Celestia charged towards Zalgo, as she conjured a beam from her horn and blasted a round towards Zalgo. Then, Zalgo deflected the beam with a dark force field and blasted a beam of his own from his eye towards Celestia. But Celestia deflected the beam with her own force field and fired another beam at Zalgo. This triggered a cycle between deflecting and firing beams at one another.

Each battle was fierce, as the pure faced off against the corruptive foes. Starting at the battle that took into the skies, both Rainbow Dashes flew across the room exchanging mighty blows. Each blow sent a semi-powerful shockwave that barely shook the whole room. As they twirled around one another across the whole room, Dash left a sparkly rainbow contrail while the darker Dash left a grayscale and shadowy contrail. Both raced against the wind as they climbed several yards and dove, streaking downward as fast as they could. While they dove, they kept delivering punches and kicks. Then, they both grabbed onto one another, attempting to pile-drive each other to the ground headfirst. While they were rotating at a ferocious speed, the two of them glared into each other’s eyes.

“You’re pretty good,” Remarked Dark Rainbow Dash, “But you cannot surpass my speed and agility while your pathetic friends are still supporting you. Forget those fucktards, you don’t need them. Get out of here and join the Wonderbolts while you still can!”

“I told you… NOT TO TALK ABOUT THEM LIKE THAT!!” Replied the enraged Rainbow Dash. Seconds before hitting the surface of the pillar, both of them let go of each other. Then their wings flew wide open and they pulled each other up to a sharp 90-degree angle. They wisped passed the counterpart battles that were commencing. Flying right through the battle of the two Pinkie Pies, the two rainbow assailants kept at it. The dark Pinkie Pie evaded the two incoming blue pegasi, making her shake her own hoof at the two of them.

“Hey! Watch where you’re going you dumbasses!” Dark Pinkie Pie yelled with fury, before setting her blazing eyes at her counterpart. Pinkie Pie caught a glimpse of her fury inside, and managed a weakly smile.

“Uuuh… hey! Why are we even fighting? I mean can we just be friends instead?” Pinkie said with a bit of fear in her tone. Hearing the word ‘friend’ triggered an enraged switch inside the dark Pinkie. She started off as a glare, and then gradually elevating seething rage that bloomed from her face.

“Friends…?” She uttered and spoke through grinded teeth. Almost instantly, her face shot a cold deathly glare while rage erupted from Dark Pinkie’s mouth, as she screamed in return.

“FRIENDS?! That word just BOILS ME! You have TOO MANY FRIENDS!! And for what?! Just to make them SMILE AND LAUGH?! BULLSHIT!! THAT’S NOT WHAT FRIENDSHIP IS ABOUT!! Someday, you will meet some pony who will not accept your standards! Mark my words you pink bitch, too many friends will give you more enemies! And don’t think laughter will make things disappear! You think that just laughing in front of spooky and scary monsters will make them go away?! Try laughing right in front of a ‘real’ predator, and that laughter will be replaced by the sound of your haggard screams for mercy! I bet staying on that dreadful farm would have been a better life for you! Not with those goddamn parties, songs, and friends of yours! Face it; you’re just an attention whore!” Stabbed by her corrupted words, Pinkie Pie lost her supporting grin with a gasp and an upwelling of tears. She turned away for a brief moment to attempt to regain her composure, but instead she glared back at her with eyes of fury.

“That’s not true! Making my friends smile gives me the strength to carry on with my life! I’m going to love and tolerate the living out of you!” Pinkie roared, and immediately charged towards her corrupted counterpart. Dark Pinkie displayed her enraged face, as she saw her pure counterpart charging at her filled with rage.

“Now let’s have a ‘real’ party! Shall we?!” Dark Pinkie growled darkly, before charging at her counterpart. Pinkie made the first move, as she attempted to punch her dark self. She thought that she could stand a chance against her dark counterpart, but it proved to be only an illusion. The dark Pinkie easily dodged Pinkie’s attack, and started to wail on Pinkie uncontrollably with flurry kicks and punches. Each delivered blow knocked the senses out of Pinkie. Blood splattered out of her mouth, while the wind was being knocked out of her. At this point, Pinkie felt defeat already, since she realized she was weak against her wrath.

While the two pink ponies fought, not far from where they were, the two Applejacks exchanged blows. Applejack ducked down to avoid dark Applejack’s cleave attack. Preparing to counterattack, Applejack swerved her body around, got on her frontal hooves, and launched a buck kick. But the dark Applejack swerved her body to the side, dodging the fatal blow. At that moment, dark Applejack spun a 360 angle, performing a spinning kick. As the kick managed to deliver a blow across Applejack’s face, her whole body twirled in midair, then landing on the ground with a loud thud. Applejack got back up to her hooves, wiping the trail of blood off of her lips.

“I must say,” Applejack spoke. “You have strong muscles there. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t the real me. You may sound just like me. You may look kind of like me. And you may act like me. But there is no way you are the real deal!” Convinced that the dark Applejack was just an abhorrent and a vulgar copycat, Applejack felt confident that she could defeat this loony copycat. However, the dark Applejack kept her usual and disturbing poker face, while grinning ever so slightly.

“Yer right! However, I’m more realistic than you think! The world we will soon be in will show yer true self! Bein’ honest with ponies can be boring sometimes! I mean we can liven up their lives by makin’ up stories and pranks! It’s like this world is becoming one big deceitful life! What’s the point of tellin’ truths when every pony around you usually deceives one another? You are living in a falsehood partner. You just can’t keep tellin’ truths all the time! And ya can’t believe yer friends and family either. Sooner or later, you’ll know when you have to make up a lie to escape a deadly situation! So far, the biggest lies I’ve encountered were my friends and family! Zalgo here exposes the truths of what they are, and that lies only make things truer! That’s what this rope around my neck means!”

The dark Applejack held the broken end of the noose. Knowing that this was just an obvious attempt to deceive Applejack, the cowpony didn’t buy it at all. She just simply shook her head slowly while she took pity on her darker half.

“Zalgo has brainwashed you well… you sad little victim. Blinded by false truths… how can you tell if you’re just lying to yourself? Just look at you… don’t you even consider yourself trustworthy?” Applejack stated.

“Well… I reckoned we got ourselves a nonbeliever!” The dark Applejack replied. “Don’t ya get it? I’m actually you! I don’t blame ya for not believing me, but you will know soon enough that I ain’t lying! ‘Trust’ me… hehe!” While the two Applejacks fought once more, Princess Celestia and Zalgo dueled each other by demonstrating their magical prowess. Beams of light and darkness flew from one place to another. Zalgo sent his infinite miniature tendrils to lash the princess. But they were also deflected by Celestia’s force field. Not only beams were being used against this duel, but also light and dark orbs were thrown at one another. Each energy orb exploded a devastating shock wave from every contact.

Celestia had never encountered such a powerful foe before, for she was forced to summon every single ounce of strength within her to repel his evil powers. Her eyes were glowing pure white, and her horn was on the brink of overcapacity. Wind gusted below her, while she kept her magical force field up. Each time Zalgo landed a hit, the force field recoiled by crackling sparks of electricity, and the ground Celestia was standing on made small fissures. It looked like an evenly matched between the goddess of harmony and the god of darkness. But in reality, Zalgo was just using small portion of his power to toy with her.

“Surely the goddess hasn’t reached her limit, and is not trying to entertain a real god like me.” Zalgo said, as he was being snide. “Your resistance is insignificant! Do you really believe your powers are equal to mine? Can you actually protect your loyal subjects from every threat that is laid down before you? You, your sister and your parents were fools to submerge your kind in a blinding state of harmony. YOU ALL DON’T KNOW WHAT REAL POWER IS!! FOR SOON, THIS MORTAL REALM WILL BE MINE!!”

“Strength is one thing Zalgo,” Celestia replied. “But character is another! I will defend this world with my life! I will destroy you, even if it means sacrificing myself!” At that moment, Zalgo deeply chuckles.

“Such a naïve concept! Do not harbor false hope. Only those who are bound by true strength are the ones that can rule everything! All creation will be devoured, for I’m the coming of the end! Submit to your fate and mourn the passing of all you have ever known and all that would have been!”

Suddenly, the sixth maw on the right of the fifth maw opened and managed to echo another word into every pony’s mind. Despair. Celestia knew that if the seventh maw were to open, then it would signal the end of the earth. Not abiding this certain fate, Celestia closed her eyes and decided to activate a certain forbidden spell.

It’s no use... I have to use this forbidden spell. Celestia spoke to herself in her consciousness. A spell that could transcend my limits tenfold, surpassing my own physical and mental limits, but at the cost of serving great damage to my body and shortening my lifespan. But with the strength of both of my parents combined, I think I might get some damage to him. However... if I were to stay in that form for too long... I might actually die. Celestia took a moment to view and evaluate her position. Her loyal subjects were fighting to the brink of death, while faced upon a shape-shifting god. Realizing her situation at hand, she closed her eyes for a second before opening them again.

If this is the only way for Earth’s survival, then I welcome death. Celestia spoke again in her consciousness. With her decision made up, she closed her eyes and concentrated.

“Luna… Twilight… and my trustworthy subjects… I’m sorry.” Celestia spoke quietly.

Now taking action, Celestia activated the forbidden spell, withdrew her inner strength, and empowered herself almost to maximum. Her magical barrier grew in size while her beams were much more powerful than ever. Her glowing pure white eyes grew to the size of hockey pucks and her mane glowed a brightening pink. Zalgo was surprised to see her full capacity in action, but he knew that such power was still not enough to go up against his own.

“If this is how you want to end your life, then so be it. But know this when you have perished… HELL BENDS TO MY WILL!!” Zalgo shouted with an uproar of terror. Meanwhile, Aero sat next to Jack while viewing the fight. He was astounded by the ponies’ determination and capacities. He would of never imagine a battle such as this in his lifetime. It almost made him tremble in fear, but it also filled him with amazement.

“My word… such a battle of huge proportions! I’ve never even seen such a brawl in all my life! You really did made them stronger, Jack.” Aero said, before looking at Jack’s corpse with a grin. “If only you could see this now. Oh you would be very proud of their success, I say. And-“ Aero continued, but was suddenly interrupted by a shout coming towards him.

“WAAAH! LOOK OUT, AERO!!” Screamed Fluttershy. Aero looked up, and was immediately greeted by Fluttershy falling down on top of him. As Fluttershy crash-landed on top of Aero’s body, his bone structures scattered all over the place. His skull tumbled across the battlefield, while he made painful grunts. Once he stopped rolling, Aero came to realization that his body had been demolished. Aero glared grumpily at his scattered boney parts.

“Oh bollocks…” He cussed to himself. Fluttershy pushed herself back up to her hooves slowly; while she looked down to see the damage. All but Aero’s rib cage was under her now. She gazed at Aero’s skull with an embarrassed grin.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Fluttershy apologized sincerely. Aero smiled at Fluttershy in return.

“Oh don’t mind me, chapette! I just … BEHIND YOU, I SAY!!” Aero called out. Fluttershy looked behind her, then she was greeted by Dark Fluttershy’s head-butt. Fluttershy took the hit, as she was knocked back a few feet away from Jack’s body. Yet she managed to land on her hooves, instead of tumbling on the ground. She then glared back at her adversary before her. The dark Fluttershy displayed her wicked grin while she kicked Aero’s rib cage to the side.

“Oops! Better be more careful where you land, dumbass!” She laughed.

“You leave him alone!” Fluttershy spoke with threat behind her tone.

“Or what? Use your petty kindness to tolerate me bitch? Haven’t you learned the last lesson of being cruel? Does it not have any value to you? The reason why you are weak is because you have no nerve of bring out the beast within you! Unlike me, you’re just a simple pushover that can’t even withstand a single malice, while I embrace this ideology and become much stronger than you can possibly imagine! Hehe, what a pitiful mistake you’ve become! But it’s not too late to change yourself! Forge your hatred and despise your sentiments! Only then, will you understand power!” Dark Fluttershy trialed her eyes over to Jack’s body that was lying next to her. She nudged Jack’s head with her hoof.

“And to think Jack was the one who gave you strength… how stupid.” Just then, the dark and demented Fluttershy kicked Jack’s rib cage extremely hard.. Fluttershy gasped in shock to see Jack’s body being harmed. Dark Fluttershy spotted her reaction, then adopted a sinister grin.

“Oh what’s the matter? You don’t like it when I hurt your friend?” She taunted with words, before kicking him again. This time, she applied much force into the kick, making his rib cage crack. Watching Jack being tormented like this, especially her dark side, struck her heart. However, she was not driven by anguish, but by anger. Already awoken with anger thanks to Zalgo, she growled at her dark counterpart.

“I’ve had it with you!!” She yelled with anger. Fluttershy charged at her dark counterpart, and dark Fluttershy did the same as well. But as much as Fluttershy wanted to land a blow, her dark counterpart didn’t gave her any chances. Dark Fluttershy mercilessly pulverized the living life out of Fluttershy by punching and kicking furiously. Not far away from the two, both Rarity and her counterpart waged battle on each other. The greedy and psycho Rarity barbarically swung her bloody hooves at Rarity, while desperate for blood and organs.

“MINE!! GIVE IT TO ME!!” Dark Rarity exclaimed. Rarity tried to use her magic to make a force field to protect her, but it proved to be useless since it was weak. All she could do was dodge her attacks and wait for the right moments to counterattack. But she didn’t manage to land a single blow on her dark counterpart ever since they begun. It was a battle for survival for Rarity. While she was on the defensive side, Rarity tried to understand why dark Rarity wanted gore instead of gems or dresses.

“You’re totally insane!” Rarity asked, while dodging her dark counterpart’s attacks. “Why do you want my blood and organs? Isn’t jewels or gemstones not worth anything to you?” After a few seconds, the dark Rarity stopped her pursuit and displayed her maniacal grin.

“Oh darling, don’t you get it?! Gems, jewels, diamonds, even dresses are very common! It’s true, they do show beautiful potential… but the exquisiteness of blood and organs are very unique and gorgeous! Zalgo showed me that they are worth more than any valuable treasure! Pinkamina Diana Pie was a genius when she discovered how to make cupcakes from living ponies! Oh how I delight the sight of red! How I orgasm to the sound of gore! And how I dreamt of swimming in a sea of blood and organs! Death is such a beautiful sight! I want to see it! I want to have it! AND I NEED IT NOW!!”

At that moment, the dark Rarity continued her pursuit. Rarity couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, since Zalgo had poisoned her mind with dark greed. Elsewhere, Twilight stood her ground as she faced off with her dark counterpart. But strangely, dark Twilight didn’t even move ever since they charged at each other and exchanged their first and only blow. She just kept looking at the ground miserably. Twilight couldn’t put her hoof on it, but something about her made Twilight felt eerie. Curious for answers, Twilight tried to get her attention by stomping her hoof on the ground.

“Hey! Aren’t you going to fight me?” She asked. At that moment, the dark Twilight started weeping quietly. Black tears dropped out of her eyes, while the droplets hit the floor. Twilight was surprised to see something unexpected happen. Even more, she knew that her opposite natural behavior was depression. Taking precautions, Twilight slowly walked her way towards the dark Twilight.

“H-Hey… are you al-“

“Why…?” The dark Twilight mumbled. Twilight paused, as soon as she heard her.

“Huh?”

“Why did it have to be this way…?” The dark Twilight lifted her head up and faced Twilight with black teary eyes.

“Why did I make friends? I’ve should've known friendship was a worthless sentiment from the very beginning.” Those words caught Twilight off guard for a moment.

“What the? What are you talking about? Friendship isn’t worthless. It’s-“

“DON’T YOU GET IT?!” Dark Twilight yelled in response. “I’m actually you from the future! We all are from the future! We’ve suffered from the hands of Zalgo! And we’ve been sent here to face our greatest downfalls once more! The horrible truths that corrupted our minds made us what we really are! You and our friends have sealed your own fates! The truth is, friendship destroyed this land and us! It was Princess Celestia and the Elements of Harmony’s fault! But most of all… it was your fault for letting friendship be apart of you! YOU SHOULDN’T HAD CAME TO PONYVILLE!!” Twilight’s mind boggled from the mystifying perspective of her dark counterpart’s story. And at the same time, she started to doubt her thoughts on friendship. She hung her head down, while looking broken.

“No… it can’t be true…” Twilight mumbled in defeat.

“It is true, me!” Dark Twilight continued. “All this time you thought friendship would guide your life to happiness! But now look where it lead you and our friends! A normal life with no friends would be preferable to the loneliness of sorrow and despair! True loneliness is the most painful form of suffering that there is in the world! The fear of losing the ones you love will lead to anger, which then anger will breed hatred, and then hatred will form suffering! And upon that suffering will drag you back to loneliness! Can’t you see? Zalgo brings utter pain and torment to those who have positive emotions! Zalgo is unstoppable! There is no way of destroying him, not even the powers of friendship would be able to beat him! You just set yourselves to an inevitable defeat! AND IT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT!!”

Word by word, they began to sink inside Twilight’s head. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She was the one who had to find lessons about friendship… and it was all just for this. She quickly realized that rescuing Jack could have been the biggest mistake she could ever make. But as much as she wanted to refuse to believe a word her dark counterpart says, her thoughts already begun to tear her mind apart.

This feeling stung her heart cold, making her eyes upwelling with tears. The room tilted around Twilight, as she started to break down inside. She wished that she could of never drag her friends to certain doom. It almost made her feel like a bad pony. And it was all her fault. The unbearable weight of guilt made Twilight collapse to the ground, producing streams of tears. There, she wept quietly, while heavy tears dropped out of her eyes.

“Forgive me… oh forgive me, please! It’s… it’s not my fault… I’m… I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t know... that this would happen! I just don’t know what to do anymore! I didn’t want this to happen!” Twilight wept, as her voice began to break. The dark Twilight walked up to her, and gently stroke on Twilight’s mane. Twilight raised her head and gloomed at her dark counterpart. Both of them were now streaming tears.

“The only way to put an end to this madness… is to die. Let me put you out of your misery, so that we both can rest in peace.” The dark Twilight offered. Knowing that ending Twilight’s life would mean her dark counterpart would cease to exist. Twilight took a moment to view her surroundings. All she could see was her friends battling their future selves in an attempt to seek a pointless victory. From what the darker versions of themselves had gone through, it was clear that their place was already set, a time paradox that will never change. Seeing that there was no hope of defeating Zalgo, Twilight foolishly agreed. Twilight took one last moment to relook at her friends fighting against their counterparts; she hoped that they wouldn’t suffer the same fate the dark counterparts have.

Ready to accept her fate, Twilight kneeled down before her counterpart. The dark Twilight reared up, ready to mash Twilight’s head into the floor. Just before the countdown, Twilight’s memories flashed within her head. She was shown all the happy times she spent with her friends and family. Knowing she would no longer experience any more happy memories, Twilight allowed every single one pass through her head with no sentiment towards them. She closed her eyes, and allowed the remaining tears to come out of her eyes. She was now ready to accept her defeat. Then…

“TWILIGHT! GET UP!!” Celestia called out. At that sudden moment, Twilight shot her eyes wide open. Snapping out of her depression state, Twilight rose back from the ground, dodging dark Twilight’s finishing blow. Twilight looked over and spotted Celestia staring right at her with glowing white eyes.

“P-Princess…?” She mumbled.

“Twilight!” The princess called out in a desperate tone. “Do not listen to another word your dark counterpart says! Don’t give up your life because things are grim and hopeless! If you act now, we all can defeat the darkness and make a brighter future! We all are not meant to have this fate! Remember what you just learned! Friendship is worth fighting for, even if it means die protecting! REMEMBER THAT!!” Her words suddenly struck Twilight immensely. She remembered saying that to her friends, especially at Fluttershy. The other ponies stopped what they were doing and they darted their eyes over at the empowered Celestia. Princess Celestia knew she had to be quick to get back to fighting Zalgo. With careful words, she attempted to motivate her loyal subjects the best she could.

“Friendship is not worthless! It is a blessing! It’s what gives us the strength to get through harsh times! Never give up, fight for what really matters! Fate entrusted you six with the elements of harmony for a reason, don’t let it go to waste! If you all don’t like the hoof fate’s dealt you…then fight for a better one! Don’t let the importance of friendship die in vain! Fight for the ones you love! Fight for Equestria! Fight for the world! AND FIGHT FOR YOURSELVES!!” Celestia’s words drove helplessly into her royal subjects’ heads. Every pony immediately felt the sudden urge to stand up and fight for what they were meant to protect. They knew right there that this was all just a flawed attempt to poison their minds, making them feel weak and defenseless. Feeling motivated to turn things around, every pony faced against their dark counterparts, and went from defense to offense. Twilight wiped her tears away, along with her guilt, and glared at her opponent.

“I’m sorry that this happened to you. But that doesn’t mean I have to just give up on myself. I will make a better future for the both of us. And I will not have you stand in my way!” Twilight growled. Dark Twilight slowly backed up while she was adopting fear.

“B-But… what if you fail?! What if you turn just like me?! Don’t you even care abou-“

“I know that…” Twilight interrupted. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll let that fate take the better of me! I’m forging my own future, NOT YOU!!” At that moment, Twilight conjured up a beam from her horn and blasted dark Twilight. The blast plowed dark Twilight away in just one second flat. Twilight realized right there that this new strength came from her determination of fighting back. Embracing this new strength, Twilight charged right after her counterpart. Thanks to Celestia’s motivation, the real battle was just beginning.

Chapter 22: Final Judgement (Part 2)

Chapter 22: Final Judgement

Part 2

Elsewhere on the battlefield, dark Fluttershy pinned down Fluttershy on the ground. Fluttershy struggled with all of her might to break free, but it proved to be a challenge. The dark Fluttershy thought she had this one in the bag, but just as soon as Fluttershy stopped with her little act, she knew things were about to go badly. Thanks to the motivation Celestia gave to her, Fluttershy’s hidden strength blossomed. In only a matter of seconds, Fluttershy managed to repel her counterpart’s strength, tossing her to the side. At this point, Fluttershy felt like she was on fire, that it gave her power with every second that passed by. She knew that friendship was too important to be forgotten, and that she promised Jack to show how much she had grown.

“Being kind to those will forge very strong bonds!” Fluttershy growled. “As long as there are those that I want to protect, and those who would acknowledge me from the bottom of their heart, I will gladly stand up and face my challenges! I show compassion towards those who have felt the same pain I have, so that they too can be kind to me! And that’s what saved me from my loneliness! Be brutal all you want…” At that moment, Fluttershy’s tone rose with anger. “BUT NO ONE MESSES WITH MY FRIENDS AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!!”

At that moment, Fluttershy sprinted towards dark Fluttershy. However this time, her speed was twice as fast. Dark Fluttershy was immediately shocked by the sudden change. She didn’t had enough time to get out of the way. Just as soon as Fluttershy got near her dark counterpart, she made a brutal uppercut punch to the stomach. Dark Fluttershy’s breath was knocked out, along with a few sprinkles of blood. The force of the punch launched dark Fluttershy flying towards the edge of the pillar.

Knowing dark Fluttershy was about to recover her knock back, Fluttershy was prepared to go all out once more. But just as soon as dark Fluttershy was about to recover herself, she was immediately collided against dark Rainbow Dash, who was sent hurling down fast. Both smashed their heads against each other, making a loud crunch. This knocked them out cold in the process. Falling unconscious, the two of them descended to the unseen depths. Fluttershy was surprised to see something unexpected happen. She looked up and spotted the tired out Rainbow Dash breathing heavily. She had a few cuts and bruises, while her hair was noticeably disheveled. Once Dash had a few seconds to catch her breath, she glared at her opponent falling down to the endless abyss.

“*Pant*… Don’t you… dare… tell me what to do. *Pant*… My friends are more… important… than my dreams! I can… try to join the Wonderbolts… anytime I want. But I will never abandon my friends! NEVER!” She mumbled in a tough tone. Rainbow Dash looked over and spotted her friend. She smiled at her, knowing that they could actually win. Fluttershy felt the hope returning to her, as she smiled back at her friend.

Not far from the two pegasis, Applejack had the upper hand in the battle. Her moves were more vigilant than ever, as she successfully landed every single blow to her adversary. The dark Applejack couldn’t help defending herself, since each blow weakened her. A couple of tooth pieces flung out of Applejack’s mouth, along with blood and saliva with each blow to the face. Her face started to swell up from all the pounding, along with a few scratches on her cheeks.

The dark Applejack could see determination and honesty in Applejack’s eyes. She couldn’t believe that she was being beaten up by the embodiment of her falsehood. And she never knew that friendship could be this powerful. Now knowing that defeating her genuine was a lie, she felt defeat. At this point, the dark Applejack gave up on herself due to all the lies she once grieved on.

Both Applejacks were now close to the edge of the platform. Once Applejack was close enough, she delivered the final blow. She turned around and mule kicked her dark counterpart to the edge of the pillar. The dark Applejack’s body slid off, not before grabbing onto the ledge. Applejack walked over towards the edge, and furrowed her eyes at dark Applejack. Reluctantly, dark Applejack made a disbelief facial expression.

“I… I thought Zalgo said I would win! Why would-?”

“Lying is one thing, but deceiving is another.” Applejack interrupted her. “You can lie all you want, but in the end, no pony will ever think of trusting you, in return, you will never trust anyone. That is a fact. I will never stop being honest to the ponies I love, and that is that.” With that remark said, Applejack made one last move to put her troubled sins to rest. She used her left hoof to push dark Applejack off to the edge. As she fell, dark Applejack screamed in defeat.

“DAMN YOOOOU ZAAAAaaalgooo…” Applejack watched, as her dark counterpart faded into the unseen depths. During those seconds, Applejack prayed for her misfortune fate, hoping she would rest in peace. After that, she turned her attention towards the battlefield. There, she spotted Rarity having a bit of difficulty of defending herself against her dark counterpart. Dark Rarity still had the upper hand, ever since Celestia gave them the motivation to become strong. Her desire for warm blood and organs engrossed her psyche, as she became more unstable with every fail attempt to get her prize. Rarity was on the brink to exhaustion after all the evasions she made, but not dark Rarity for she looked as though she had infinite stamina to keep her going forever.

The two kept going like magnets until dark Rarity finally managed to land a blow across Rarity’s face. Rarity landed on the ground with a loud thump and a painful grunt. Taking seize of this moment, dark Rarity pounced towards Rarity and pinned her forearms to the ground. Dark Rarity gazed into her genuine counterpart’s eyes with the thirst for murder.

“Oh wonderful! Now your organs are all mine! And I will be the prettiest pony in Equestria! And I couldn’t of done it without leaving friendship behind!” Dark Rarity said in an orgasmic way. Rarity gazed up with eyes of fear.

“I just don’t… get it! Isn’t… friendship important to you?!” The dark Rarity chortled maleficently.

“Oh darling… friendship isn’t treasure, it’s more of a distraction! You would give up your dreams just to please your friends with dresses and such? In my world, it’s take or be taken! Friendship doesn’t last forever, but dreams and treasure do, because they are just waiting for you to obtain them! And then you will soon realize that gems, jewels, dresses, and such will not sustain your desires for long. No… you need something exhilarating, something that takes the living breath out of you! Something that fills your heart with excitement and beauty! And something that will leave you bewildered forever! It was Zalgo who gave me the answer! It’s the stuff that lies within living creatures! I cherish greed, it’s what makes me feel so alive!” She made a brief pause, as she made a giant smile that extended almost to the edges of her head.

“Oh if you would have seen it sooner, then you would've given up everything just to experience it forever! With greed, you would feel powerful, and you will witness beauty beyond belief! Such idealism is worth sticking to! And nopony else will stand in my way to gain more of that experience!” Hearing such twisted thoughts, Rarity was consorted in fear. However, she came to realization that maybe she could've done something bigger in her life rather than pleasing her friends.

Rarity thought that her dark counterpart was just a murderous psychopath, but all the same Rarity met with a mutual understanding. Even though she was not into gore, she could understand what she was coming from. Canterlot was the only place she could ever think about. But for what reason did she not decide to leave Ponyville and abandon her friends? She couldn’t find an answer, but hope managed to deliver one to her at that desperate moment.

She was shown an image of her dear sister, Sweetie Belle, smiling up at her sister. Rarity never forgotten the encounter she met at the Room of Horror. It wasn’t the fear of seeing her sweet sister to be turned into something horrifying, but the fear of abandoning such treasured bonds towards Sweetie Belle in exchange for her heart desires. To Rarity, it was such a sad fate for the both of them, but moreover for Sweetie Belle. Now understanding what Celestia really meant, Rarity finally felt the strength to forge her own life the way she want it to be. Snapping back into reality, Rarity changed her eyes from fear to determination.

“I don’t care if I end up being poor or being robbed, but the real treasure is love! They show me how value life can be, and that I should share my experiences with my friends and family! Dreams are indeed important that leads you towards happiness, but cherishing those who would acknowledge you for who you are is more important! I don’t know how twisted you’ve become, but know that I shall never steep to your level!” With one exhale; Rarity kicked her back hooves upward, pushing her dark counterpart off of her body. The kick was so powerful; it literally sent her up a few feet into the air.

Right next to them were the two Pinkies. Dark Pinkie barely has any wounds, while Pinkie was on the verge of defeat. But she kept her smile due to the fact that Celestia motivated her. Pinkie’s dark counterpart was left confused during that point, she wondered why was she still smiling after all this time. By just looking at her weary smile, it made her angrier.

“Why are you still smiling, huh?! Don’t you realize you’re about to lose!? Can’t you see what friendship has done to me?! DESPAIR AND WEEP LIKE A LITTLE BITCH!!” She yelled in anger, attempting to make her cry. But Pinkie kept her cheerful smile. She giggled and wiped the blood off of her lips.

“Ya know, I kind of understand what you mean now. There are times when you feel sad and lonely. We can’t smile all the time… that I do understand. I know I have way too many friends, but as long as they are willingly to show me their smiles, I can feel like I’m never alone. Laughter is not only just for fun, but it gives me the strength to carry on with my life. It’s my friend’s smile and laughter that made me feel alive. It’s what shows me how beautiful life can be, and how much it’s worth protecting. I’m smiling because I have friends that are giving me support. That’s all there it.” After hearing such disgusting idealism, dark Pinkie’s anger rose dramatically.

“You… you are the BIGGEST fool I’ve ever met! I’M GONNA RIP YOU APA-“ Suddenly, dark Pinkie was interrupted by dark Rarity landing right next to her. Dark Rarity’s horn managed to puncture into dark Pinkie’s lower stomach, and tore open a big wound. Almost immediately, blood spilt out of her gap, along with an intestinal tube lingering out. Not feeling any pain, dark Pinkie looked down and shot a death stare at dark Rarity.

“HEY! Watch where you land you whore!” She yelled. Taking a look at the damage she did, dark Pinkie noticed right away that her intestinal tube was hanging out.

“Oh for fuck sake! Look at what you did to me!” Dark Pinkie exclaimed. She grabbed on the tube with her hoof and slapped it across dark Rarity’s face like a whip. Blood splattered across her cheek and hair. But right after dark Rarity felt blood on her cheeks, she awoke with an orgasmic gasp. There, she immediately spotted dark Pinkie’s intestinal tube, along with a pool of blood under her. Her grin extended almost to the edges of her head and her eyes sparkled with pure greed.

“Oooooh Pinkamina! What a lovely tube you have! Such beauty shall be mine!” At that moment, dark Pinkie was disgusted and shocked. She raised her pink hoof to the side, and slapped dark Rarity across the face with brute force. It made her head spin a 180-degree angle, making loud cracks and a hoof mark on her cheek.

“Back off you fucking slut!” Dark Pinkie said in a murderous tone. There was a brief pause for a moment, then came a disturbing giggle from dark Rarity. Her head slowly turned back around, making loud popping noises. Just as her head was turning forward, her grin was a bit more wider than usual. Her freakish teeth were wickedly sharp and her irises and pupils were the size of peas. Both Dark Pinkie and Pinkie Pie were utterly disturbed by her wickedly grin.

“Oh my! Why didn’t I come to you first?! Your organs and blood must be purely exquisite! Momma Rarity needs it! GIVE IT TO ME NOW!” She screamed. Without any warning, Rarity begun swinging her hooves like a barbaric maniac at dark Pinkie. Dark Pinkie dodged most of her furious swings while she was being forced to back up.

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!!” Dark Pinkie threatened angrily, but dark Rarity ignored her threat and kept at it in a desperate pace. Dark Rarity backed dark Pinkie towards the edge of the pillar. While the two were distracted, Pinkie sought this opportunity to dispose the two dark counterparts. She ran over towards the edge, and waited for the both of them to arrive. Just like she predicted, dark Pinkie was coming towards her while dodging dark Rarity’s attacks. Once they were both near the edge, Pinkie extended her left forearm and positioned it behind the both of them.

Finally, dark Pinkie banged her left shin against Pinkie’s forearm, causing her to lose balance. Dark Pinkie then grabbed a hold onto dark Rarity’s hair in attempt to pull her back up, but it only yanked her along with her. Both dark Rarity and Pinkie then fell off the edge, while they continued to struggle with one another. Pinkie watched as the two disappear into the unseen depths with an innocent giggle.

“Have a nice trip, see you next fall!” Pinkie shouted with giggles behind her tone. Now with all five dark counterparts out of the picture, there was only one remaining. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie spotted Twilight standing victorious over her dark counterpart’s body. All five ponies ran over to where Twilight was standing. Once they all met up, every pony’s eyes were set onto Twilight’s dark counterpart, who looked defeated and depressed. Dark Twilight trailed her eyes to each of her previous friends.

“W-Why…” She mumbled with black tears streaming down her cheeks. “Why go so much for Friendship? We barely defeated Discord at his games, but Zalgo was just too much for us. Friendship betrayed us… and yet… you still chose to let it guide you even though this is just an inevitable defeat. Why? It’s useless!”

“Because…” Twilight replied. “Friendship is worth fighting for. You may have given up, but not us. I’m sorry you and the others didn’t have enough strength to fight back, but I can assure you, friendship will never betray us. I promise, I will make a new and brighter future for us. We vow to keep friendship alive and well. Because that’s what the Elements of Harmony do. We are not going to fall into Zalgo’s clutches, and that’s that.” Twilight finished with a sigh, and every pony slowly nodded their heads in approval. Reassuring the value of friendship, they all felt hope once more. But strangely, dark Twilight didn’t buy any of it. She just gloomed back down hopelessly.

“No… you don’t understand…” She said, with her voice breaking apart. They all wondered why she’s still at it. Maybe it was because she needed proof, or that she’s too lost for any compassion. Whatever reason, they didn’t have the chance to ask, as Zalgo interrupted them with a cold and dark laugh.

“I am impressed, my little ponies! You have surpassed your greatest challenge yet! However, this celebration ends now!” Suddenly, all six opened maws lashed out their dark tongues at the ponies. Instantly, each individual tongue wrapped itself around a pony, constricting them in a tightly grip. Each pony struggled their hardest to break loose from the wrap, but the more they struggled, the tighter it got. The dark tongues lifted the both of them up towards Zalgo’s level. Seconds later, dark Twilight went into a fetal position and started crying.

“W-When I said… inevitable defeat… I mean… this is how it ended for us. We thought we could have defeated Zalgo, but we were too late and too powerless to stop him. I told you friendship was worthless… and now you’re all going to die and become like us.” Shocked and terrified, the ponies gasped. Could've this been true? Is this how it’s suppose to end? Slowly, their hope for success started to fade. Sensing their desperation to stop this apocalypse, Zalgo laughed at their petty attempts to do so.

“As I said, reality shall crumble upon my awake! I CONTROL LIFE AND DEATH! AND I CONTROL EVERYTHING! Now then…” Zalgo eyed at dark Twilight, and conjured a dark vortex under her.

“Go back to the realm of torment! Your usefulness has come to an end!” He chortled. While dark Twilight’s body sunk into the dark rift, she whimpered inconsolably.

“I… I wish I can just end my life now…” She mumbled, before her body was fully submerged into the void. The vortex closed, leaving a trail of purple smoke in its wake. The ponies felt extremely sorry for her fate, especially for Twilight in this case. But aside from that, their attention was drawn back to Zalgo once more.

“At last, the seventh maw will now open! LET THE END BEGIN!” All the ponies gasped heavily, and all of their hope was now hanging on a thread. Aero, whose body was still scattered across the pillar, tried to reconstruct himself to help. But it proved to be useless, since he had little time. Zalgo lowered his whole shapeless body to the surface, along with the tongues. The seventh maw underneath his humongous eye slowly opened, as it made horrific sounds. As soon as the seventh maw finally opens, they would feel the true extent of despair.

But Celestia had not given up yet, as she immediately concentrated her remaining strength towards the seventh maw. She quickly conjured up a beam from her horn and fired straight at the maw. Once it made contact, Celestia focused her magic to keep the maw shut. Sure enough, the maw stopped itself from opening. But that didn’t stop the maw’s function to open fully. As seconds passed by, the maw grew stronger from this wrestle.

During her time keeping the maw at bay, she tried to come up with a plan to stop Zalgo. But no ideas came to her head, because her mind was racing against time. At this point, the world rested on Celestia’s shoulders. She now holds the pillar of life itself. If her beam were to end, then the maw would fully open and the world will be under his control for all of eternity. While she continued to keep the maw closed, the dark tongues grip got tighter, making the ponies scream in agony. They can feel their own flesh burn, and their bones tighten. Furthermore, the dark tongues sent subliminal messages of explicable imagery to the ponies’ heads that started to drain their sanity. Celestia knew that the girls were in trouble, but she couldn’t give up what she was doing and help the others. At this point, Celestia was slowly running out of hope. Zalgo kept laughing at Celestia’s pitiful attempt to keep him at bay.

“It’s no use, all your doing is delaying the inevitable! Submit and I shall grant you and the others a swift death. Either way, THIS UNIVERSE BELONGS TO ME!! HAHAHAHAHA!!” At that moment, the maw began to rise a bit faster. Celestia had tears of hopeless running down her cheeks, as her life flashed before her eyes. Not only that, her consciousness was telling her that she failed to protect her loyal subjects. She couldn’t bear the weight of listening to her dearest subjects cry out in agony. She wanted to save them, but she didn’t have enough magic to do so. Every second that passed by, she could feel herself leaving the world of the living. Finally, after fighting a struggle battle of false hope and survival, she made her only decision. Knowing this was going to be the end, Celestia decided to end the spell, and meet her end. But just as she was about to give up, Zalgo paused his laughter.

“What the…?” He said, while sounding bewildered. Celestia wondered what he was looking at. She carefully turned her head a bit to the side, and looked right behind her. Sure enough, she gasped quietly while looking surprised.

Impossible… She spoke in her consciousness. Her face was frozen in disbelief, knowing what she was witnessing was unexplainable. What she saw behind her… was Jack miraculously standing up again. However, his head and arms hung, while his right leg was his only support. His arms and legs twitched in pain, while he seemed to still be unconscious. Seeing Jack standing up again amused Zalgo, but not in a good way.

“That’s strange, I can’t neither sense any negative emotions, nor his presence within him. Is it possible… that his sheer willpower is lifting him up? I must say, the mortal’s feat can be quite interesting. Whatever reason, he is no threat.” Fluttershy spotted Jack standing back up like a lifeless puppet. Her heart skipped a beat after seeing a miracle happen, but then anxiety instantly filled her heart.

“Nugh… Jack!” She called out. But Jack didn’t respond, not even a sign of recognition. He was just standing still, not even moving a muscle. It was amazing to see Jack up like this, even with all the damage he suffered and the fact that he was alive. Jack stood still like a statue as time passed by. Then, a few seconds later, Jack started to limp forward in a slow pace. Each limp made him lose balance, causing him to tilt forth. Quiet moans of pain escaped through his mouth while he aimlessly limped forward. Seeing Jack like this made Zalgo laugh at his pitiful state.

“Hahaha! What an absolute joke! You’ve somehow managed to bring yourself back alive, yet your body is of no use! How do you attend to harm me while you are like that?! You’re such an embarrassment to your kind, walking towards the face of death again! There is nothing you can do to stop me!” The ponies held their screams of agony, as they watched Jack going into harms way, even though he was dead. Rainbow Dash wanted to stop Jack, but the more she struggled the more it got tighter.

“W-Wait! Jack! Don’t do this! You’ll get yourself hurt!” Rainbow Dash called out, but once again it proved to be of no use. He acted like a lifeless soldier walking into battle. So far, Jack limped right next to Celestia. The princess stood there and watched in awe. And at that moment, Celestia spotted something Jack was holding on in his right hand. It looked as though it was an unrolled scroll. It had a star shaped heptagon on the center of the parchment paper with a bunch of descriptions on the sides.

What in the world is that…? Celestia pondered in her mind. Jack continued to limp forward while he had a firm grip on the paper. Though he started to loose control on the balance, but he kept going strong. While he limped, his left bloody hand slowly trembled its way towards the paper. Once Jack dabbed blood on the center of the heptagon star with his index finger, Jack begun to chant R'lyehian words quietly in a weak tone.

“Ehn… k-khn… shi… ka… veh…” Each time he spoke a word; blood ran out of his mouth from the pressure he was building in his crushed lungs. The ponies were very concern about Jack, since he was blindly walking into harms way while in bad condition. They tried their best to call out his name, telling him to stop this nonsense. But not a single word passed through his head. At this moment, Zalgo began to wonder how this was even physically possible for a mortal being to be doing this kind of stuff, even the thought of bringing oneself back from the grave. He checked inside Jack’s body again, only this time, he knew that it wasn’t only his sheer willpower that was holding him up, but a bright orb of light was illuminating inside his heart. There, he came to realization that it was the essence spark of Am Dhaegar the Pure.

Jack was about a few feet away from approaching Zalgo’s shapeless body. There, he started to lose energy, causing him to lose even more balance. The weight of pain Jack carried kept getting heavier by the second. It looked like he was about to fall down anytime soon. At that point, Zalgo was now concern about that parchment paper he was holding onto. Taking a closer look at the paper, he quickly realized what that was. Almost instantly, Zalgo gasped in shock.

“No… impossible! Y-You…” Zalgo was about to retreat back up into the air, but it was a bit too late. Jack raised his head up, revealing teary and soulless eyes.

“L-L-Leave… m-my… f-friends… alone…” Jack uttered painfully in a duel tone. Summoning every last bit of strength he had, Jack raised his broken right arm up, and placed the paper on Zalgo’s body. At that moment, the whole paper lit up in a fiery blue color, making soothing sounds. Then, the paper made a devastating cataclysmic burst. The force of the burst was powerful enough to send Jack flying backwards. Jack’s body was hurled back, sending him tumbling on the ground, dislocating and fracturing even more of his bones along the way. After a few thuds, Jack’s body slid towards the center of the pillar. The ponies gasped after seeing such recoil. But right after that, they turned their attention to the glowing paper.

The blue glowing parchment paper hovered a few feet back, and presented its frontal side of the paper to Zalgo. A few seconds later of soothing sounds, the paper stopped glowing. Instantly, seven hooked chains sprung out of each point of the heptagon star and tore into each dark tongues. Then, white shapes and symbols lit up around the wounded gap on the tongues. After that, more white shapes and symbols trailed its way into the maws. This forced the tongues to release the six ponies from constriction. They all land perfectly on their hooves and continued to watch the magic happen. All seven tongues were stunned, and Zalgo was unable to make them move or speak. Surprised and shocked at the same time, Zalgo let out a gasp.

“No… NO!” Celestia was left agape from seeing such miracle happen. But at that moment, Celestia’s powers instantly gave up on her. Her beam came to a complete stop and she tilted to the side. But luckily, the seventh maw couldn’t speak due to the hooked chain muting it completely. The ponies saw their beloved princess collapse to her side, along with her jeweled gold tiara falling off of her head. The end of her horn was charted black along with a few cracks around the sides. They all ran over towards the princess and aided her.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight called out. Celestia was hardly conscious, and her eyes were barely open. Celestia begun to come around, while the six gathered close to her.

“I… I… I’m all right…” She spoke weakly. Suddenly, Zalgo screamed in defeat. The ponies draw their attention towards the glowing blue paper. All of a sudden, a blue cosmic vortex emerged from the fabric spacetime continuum. The vortex began to vacuum in Zalgo’s body. Not only that, the hooked chains started to reel in the seven tongues. The whole room shook violently, while the ceiling let loose a bunch of fissures and pebbles. Zalgo tried to struggle with all of his might to resist, but the vortex was too strong.

“IMPOSSIBLE! THIS CANNOT BE! I WAS RIGHTFULLY CREATED TO RULE THIS MORTAL UNIVERSE!” Zalgo yelled in disbelief. Just then, his shapeless body along with the seven tongues was being distorted while he was being drawn inwards into the vortex. The ponies watched as their miracles were about to come to life. Knowing that this could be the end to Zalgo’s reign of terror, the ponies cheered victoriously. Zalgo knew that he couldn’t escape this trap, so he decided to do one last thing.

“GRUUUUH!! IF I'M GOING DOWN, THEN I’M TAKING YOU ALL WITH ME!!” He yelled. At that moment, Zalgo lashed his furthest dark tendril skyward towards the ceiling. Then, the tendril smacked into the ceiling with great speed. The impact sent cracks snaking all across the whole ceiling. Seconds later, the whole foundation of the ceiling crumbled as huge chunks of slabs fell from the sky. The ponies gasped in horror from the sight of incoming danger. But around the same time, Zalgo’s shapeless body and his seven tongues were now sucked into the vortex.

“NOOOOOOooooo…” Zalgo screamed his final word, before being sent into another dimension. But, just as Zalgo was sucked into the vortex, Jared’s corpse appeared in midair. His eye sockets were hallowed, but his body was back to normal. The ponies thought that he was alive, but they were mistaken. Just when the vortex closed and faded from existence, Jared’s body stopped levitating, sending him falling down into the unseen depths, where his body quickly faded into the darkness.

With Zalgo and Jared out of the picture, the ponies were filled with joy. But that joy was cut short as their attention was drawn above them. The huge chunks of slabs fell from the sky, as the whole place was collapsing. They tried to wake up the princess, but the lack of magic made her barely conscious. Knowing this could be their last moment to live, the ponies huddled up with one another and begun screaming. Jack’s barely conscious body laid back, as his visions were once again fading away. Being brought back alive for a minute thanks to Am Dhaegar the Pure was more than he could've wished for. His crushed heart beated slowly, while his body was about to give up on him. Giving one last glance at reality again, Jack watched the ceiling collapsed towards him. Then, he exhaled softly and his heart stopped beating before his visions faded into black.

Chapter 23: The Promise (Finale)

Chapter 23: The Promise (Finale)

“My name… is Jack Armstrong… or… if that really is my name…” Jack’s voice echoed far in the abyss. Jack could feel himself falling with nothing on. He couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, but merely fell in the endless abyss. He could still think, but all that came to mind was the cold… the damnable and hopelessness cold. All he knew was that he was falling in nothingness. But he did not care, not one bit. Or at least, he couldn’t with all feelings struck away from him. He was a nothing... a complete and utter nothingness. The only thing he saw was a glimmering light fading away from him as he continued to fall.

“I thought… life was fair. But instead, I was given the wrong fate… just so God can laugh at my misery. I wonder… why me? Out of all the people in the history of existence, why choose me? Am I chosen to bear such a great burden? I… I just don’t know anymore.” As each passing second went by, the glimmering of light went farther and farther from reach. Jack slowly outstretched his hand to reach for the light. But the effort he put out to reach for the light was dull. He could only feel himself becoming colder the more he fell.

“If only… I wished I didn’t have this fate… then… then I wouldn’t feel so alone anymore. If only… I would've spent more time with my friends. But now… I just don’t care. Jack Armstrong is a name… I will never accept. That name shall be remembered as… utter torment and hell to me.” The glimmering light started to go out, as Jack’s barely opened eyes slowly closed.

“But at least… all this madness… has ended. At least… I won’t have to go though… any more pain. Everypony… I’m sorry…” Just as the glimmering light faded, Jack closed his eyes. He gave himself up to the endless abyss, where he thought that this was his eternal resting place. After that… silence filled in his mind.

But just then, the glimmering light appeared once more. Only this time, the light was glowing brighter, and it was drawing closer to him. Jack could feel the warmth of the light, as he slowly opened his eyes.

“W-What…?” At that moment, Jack could feel the inside of his body tingle with happiness. The light grew bigger, and he felt positive feelings within him.

“What is that…?” Jack tried to reach out for the light once more. Only this time, the light came to him. He was presented with the feeling of love and grace.

“What is this… feeling? Am I…?” Finally, the light engulfed his visions, along with his body. There, he felt something what felt like forever… being alive.

Right after the light engulfed his visions, it turned into black again. But this time, he could hear sounds. Though they were fuzzy sounds, but he could hear stuff going on. The first sound he heard was something beeping. Then the sound was accompanied by a few mutters coming from the center.

Seconds later, Jack could feel his whole body once more. He felt tired; his eyelids felt heavy, and his body ached. Yet to his slight surprise, he realized that his entire mind, along with his body… felt different. He couldn’t feel any pain, or even feel depressed. With his mind slowly coming back into reality, Jack slowly opened his eyes. Everything in his surroundings looked blurry and vague. He saw several colorful blobs surrounding him. He tried to make out whom they were, but the blurriness clouded his visions. He tried blinking once, and the visions were starting to become clearer. He let out a sickening moan during this. Then, he heard the sounds of familiar gasps.

He blinked once more, and the picture sharpens. The colorful blobs before him formed into their shapes. He still couldn’t make out whom they were. So, he blinked one last time, and his visions were back to normal. There, he spotted the main six and Aero surrounding him. He noticed that he was lying on a white bed with dark red blankets covering his body.

“Nugh… w-where…” Jack paused himself for a moment to view his surroundings. He was in a regular room with turquoise paintings on the side. On his left were light green dividing curtains. And on his left was a heart monitor that had an electrode attached to his neck. He noticed on the window from above that it was almost sunrise.

“…am I?” He finished saying his sentence. Right after that, he grunted as he felt something flung to his chest. He looked down to see Fluttershy burying her face in his stomach while crying in happiness.

“…F-Flutter…shy…? I-Is… that you?” He spoke weakly. A few seconds of bawing into his stomach, Fluttershy raised her head from his chest with teary eyes.

“Oh Jack… thank goodness you're alive!” She sniveled.

“B-But… where am I? Are… we dead?” Jack asked. Pinkie Pie giggled as she got close to him.

“No silly! We’re in the hospital!”

“Hosp…ital? Then… what happened?” Suddenly, he was reminded what had happened during the encounter. He barely remembered sealing away Zalgo within a parchment paper, along with the ceiling collapsing. Anxiously, Jack snapped into panic mode and sat up.

“W-Wait! What happened to you know who?! D-Did the scroll work?! H-How did we get here! Why-“ Jack continued, but was interrupted by a short giggle. Jack turned his head to find Princess Celestia smiling at him.

“You don’t need to worry, Jack. He is imprisoned within this scroll.” Celestia wanted to show Jack the scroll, but she wanted to rest due to letting out a lot of magic from the encounter. So, Twilight used her telekinesis to lift the parchment paper into the air, and levitated it to Jack. On the paper, he saw the white outline on the heptagon star to contrast with the pitch black that surrounded the star. On the centre of the star was a red dot, indicating the eye. Jack knew that wasn’t there before, so therefore, he concluded that the scroll worked. He let out a sigh in relief, before lying back down on the bed.

“That’s a relief…” He sighed. Twilight landed the paper on his stomach, with a confusing look on her face.

“But… I don’t understand. What is this? How did Za- ah I mean-“ Twilight caught herself from saying his name. But just before she could continue, Jack interrupted her.

“It’s alright, Twilight. You can say his name now, since his presence is no longer within the mortal realm. However, it’s best to keep his name in secrecy. We don’t want any misfortune souls to speak his name if he does ever return. As for the scroll… well…” Jack looked down at the paper.

“It’s a special sealing spell. It’s called ‘The Seven Sacred Imprisonment’ spell. It can only be used when Zalgo opens all seven Maws of the Apocalypse. However, it must be done instantly, otherwise, his song would have ended us all. I really don’t know how I made this, since it just came up in my head. I can guess Am Dhaegar the Pure must of aided me. But that’s not important right now… how did we all end up here?” Every pony went silent for a moment, while looking grim. Jack was confused by their behavior, but he got the feeling that it went awful. Jack didn’t want to see them like this, so he decided to change the subject. But before he could do that, Fluttershy immediately smiled.

“Well… you could say it was one of the most frightening experiences we’ve ever met. We thought we were gonna die down there, that is until Celestia had an idea and asked us for the powers of the Elements of Harmony. Sure enough, we shared our powers to Celestia, and she managed to teleport all of us out. And now here we are…” At that moment, Fluttershy wiped her smile away.

“And… Jack. There’s… something you should know.” Jack raised his eyebrow in confusion.

“What is it?” He asked. Fluttershy wanted to speak, but her words were caught in her throat. Applejack knew she wouldn’t spit it out, so she decided to take over.

“Well sugarcube… we don’t know how we can actually put this. But… whatever you do… don’t freak out.” At that moment, Jack was confused even more.

“Huh?”

“It was… the only way to save ya. And uh... we... we didn’t want you to... uh... ya know.” She added. While utterly confused, Jack scratched the top of his head.

“What are you all talking abo-“ Right there, he felt that something was off. Jack literally froze for a moment. He realized that his fingers were missing, and what he was scratching with… was hard and rough. He blinked a few times, not wanting to know what was scratching his head, but he needed to know. He slowly brought his hand in front of his face… only to see that it wasn’t a hand, but a round and gray circular stub.

“…What the…” Jack stuttered in confusion. Jack raised both his brows as he twisted this gray stub around, examining it closely. He then brought his other hand up, only to see the same result. At that moment, Jack was shocked beyond all belief.

“What the fuck…” He uttered in fear. While Jack continued to look at whatever he was looking at, Pinkie Pie leaned over to Rarity’s ear.

“What does ‘Fuck’ mean anyway?” She whispered. Rarity looked at Pinkie Pie with a shrug. Jack grabbed the covers and flipped them off… only to see the unimaginable. Instantly, Jack darted his eyes at the mirror hanging on the corner of the room.

“Give me that mirror, please!” Jack anxiously asked. Sure enough, Twilight used her telekinesis to levitate the round mirror to Jack. Once Jack can see his own reflection, a piece of his sanity was chunked away. What he was seeing right now… was the face of a shocked gray stallion. And that’s when it occurred to him… he was in the form of a pony.

“Oh… my… god!” Jack shuttered. He had his original brown hairstyle or mane style. His muzzle and chin groove were the same style as Princess Luna, and his eye style was the same as Zecora only with no eyelashes. Jack placed his hands… or frontal hooves on his cheeks and started to rub in a circular motion while looking into the mirror. He knew that this wasn’t a dream, and yet, he still couldn’t believe it. The ponies thought he was about to go insane, but instead, he let out a sigh.

“Wow… I… I just can’t believe it. Heh… me… being one of you guys.” Jack said playfully and sad. Twilight levitated the mirror to the corner of the room and placed her frontal hoof on his shoulder pad.

“I’m sorry… but… it was Fluttershy’s idea. And… well… we all didn’t want to lose you too.” Jack eyed at Fluttershy who looked shyfully.

“What happened…?” He asked. Fluttershy stopped her shyness and displayed her friendly smile.

“Well… your human body was in pretty bad condition. You were on the verge of death…again. You see... I didn’t wanted to see you die. I begged Celestia with all of my heart to save you. Sure enough, Celestia created a pony body for you… and transferred your soul into it. You’ve been asleep for twenty four hours ever since. Oh Jack… I’m so sorry. I just didn’t want to lose you. There’s so much you have to see in life. Please forgive me…” After hearing that, Jack felt a bit bewildered. But at the same time, he felt happy to be with his friends. Jack looked at Celestia, who had a cast around her horn.

“You… did this?” He asked. Princess Celestia nodded while displaying her friendly smile.

“Yes. Since you were the one that helped my faithful subjects escape from that dreadful place, you have my thanks. Consider this as a reward for doing a great deed.” A great deed… that was something Jack wouldn’t normally hear every day. Even so, Jack thought that he did the right thing. He closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them with a smile of his own.

“Thanks. But… where’s my body now?” He asked. Every pony turned their direction to the left of the room. Rarity used her magic to split the curtains to expose what was behind it. Sure enough, Jack gasped a little. Lying on the bed was his human body acting like a corpse. His body was almost wrapped around in bandages along with stitches on certain parts of his body. This was the first time Jack had actually seen his body in a very long time. He never knew he would look like a mess.

Wanting to take a closer look, Jack carefully scooted his body off of the bed. The group immediately gasped as they were concern about his present condition.

“Wait Jack, don’t get up so fast, I say!” Aero said. Wanting to test this new body out, Jack leaped off the bed, and landed on his back hooves. The group thought that he was about to tumble over, but the balance got the better of him. He looked at his new legs, and he was impressed. Not only that, he felt more lightly and stronger than his original body. He looked behind him and noticed he had two long ninety-degree angle tails. But taking his mind off of that, he began to walk around in circles while walking on two legs. The ponies were impressed by his ability to walk on two legs. But it looked kind of creepy.

“Jack…?” Rarity asked. Jack turned around and looked at Rarity to see what she wanted.

“Yeah?”

“How are you… doing that?” She asked, making Jack confused.

“Doing what?” He asked.

“You’re… walking on two legs, darling. How is that even possible?” She pointed out. Jack looked down at his legs, and sure enough he was walking on his back legs. Not knowing what’s the big deal about that, Jack looked back at Rarity puzzled.

“Well… I always walk on two legs. That’s how humans walk. Why? Is this… wrong?” He asked innocently. Rarity shook her head, and tried to take a different approach.

“Well not really… but it’s kind of… unnatural for a pony to be walking on two legs instead of all four. Try walking on four legs and see if that’s any better.” Jack looked at all the ponies. They all were standing on all four. Not to mention, he saw them walking on all fours back then. Comparing a human pony to a regular pony, Jack felt a bit embarrassed. So, he collapsed to all four legs… and nothing changed. However, just as he begun to take his first few steps, something in his lower vertebrae shot immense pain. It felt like a thousand needles puncturing his lower back. Jack grimaced as he grunted in ache. He immediately went back up to two legs, placed his hooves on his back, and thrusted his hips forward. The ponies gasped and they went up to Jack for support.

“Jack, are you alright, I say?” Aero asked with a helping hoof. Jack nodded while he rubbed his lower back with his hooves.

“Nugh, yeah. It felt like something was out of place. It’s like my body was telling me I shouldn’t walk like that.” The ponies looked at each other with puzzled looks. Then they drew their eyes back at Jack.

“But… that’s how we ponies walk. How on-“ Just before Rarity could finish, Celestia stepped into the conversation.

“It appears I’m the one to blame. You see... during the body creation spell, I must have had a few… mistakes. I believe your bone structures must be different than ours. Or perhaps, the body must have genetics of your human body, thus making you walk and stand like a human. It’s extremely rare to see humans turned into ponies. Unlike that one mare that is obsessed with… anyways, sorry for the misfortunate accident.” Jack kept rubbing his back up and down, trying to ease the pain.

“Nugh, that’s okay. I-“ But just then, he felt something on his upper back. It felt like…lumps on his back. He looked around to see what it was. He thought it was another mistake from the spell, but as it turned out, it wasn’t a lump… but a pair of wings.

“What’s… this?” He asked. Seeing Jack having pairs of wings made Pinkie bounce for joy.

“Ooooh! Not only you’re a pony, but you’re also a pegasus!” At that moment, Jack turned around to display his puzzled look at Pinkie.

“Pegasus?” Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy extended their wings to show what they meant.

“It’s these bad boys that makes us pegasus!” Rainbow Dash boasted. Jack never thought of having wings before. He thought that it would be cool to fly like them. Willing to try out his new wings out, he prepared to mimic the pegasus’ wings. He extended his wings out to the side, so far so good. But trying to get airborne was the problem. He tried flapping his wings, but they were slow and weak. And the more he flapped, the more he felt tired.

“What’s wrong with these wings?” He asked, while sounding embarrassed. Fluttershy giggled while she walked up to Jack.

“It looks like your wings were born as a foal. You need to exercise those wings and practice flying before you can actually become like us. Trust me, I couldn’t fly when I was a little filly. Most of the fillies made fun of me for that.” Jack looked at Fluttershy in awe from hearing she had trouble flying as well back then.

“I see… that must have been hard for you.” After that, silence filled the room for a while. They all looked at Jack, and Jack returned that look with a smile. But after a few seconds, Jack turned back around to see his human body again. His smile dropped from seeing his body once more. He walked up to his body, while observing the damage. He stood right next to his human body, looking sad. He placed his hoof on his own human cheek, while thinking of things that came to him.

“You know… now that I think about it… I feel sorry for humanity.” Jack said. The ponies gathered around Jack’s human body, while they looked at the reincarnated Jack with sincere faces.

“Whatever do you mean, darling?” Rarity asked. Jack closed his eyes and sighed.

“Well… I don’t want to believe everything Jared said to me back then. I mean, I used to not care for my kind, because of the way they treated me. But… now that I compare my regular body to the rest of the humans… I feel compassion over them. We rarely have any harmony in my city… or anywhere around the rest of the world. There is no end to our pain as long as there are continuous wars going on outside of Equestria. We used to rule this world long before this land existed. At that time, everywhere was peace… no fights… no pain… nothing but harmony. That is… until The Elder Gods and the Great Old Ones waged war against us. Our world was one big battleground, and their destruction caused our friendship bonds to break. Those accursed gods corrupted our lives, making our world a living hell. Now… us humans have become endangered species. We forged hatred and despair towards one another because of this cruel fate. I once read a wise physiologic truth from a book.” Jack opened his eyes again and turned around to face the ponies. Given a few seconds to remember what it said, Jack went on talking.

“War breeds our desires to protect those closest to us, and acknowledge our existences. As long there is love, there will be hatred, and while that hatred grows will eventually give rise to new pain. That might be the reason why they formed a cult to worship Cthulhu. So that he can be their salvation and bring justice to those who would oppose him. I don’t know how Equestria was made or how it got its harmony, but all I know is that during the world war, lots of our warhorses escaped from battle and faded from existence by an unknown force. That force must had evolved them into what you all are today. Our kind has been living in disharmony longer than I have. Us humans are considered to be the most mature species of all living creatures due to the immense pain we had dealt with. It’s sad to think that this is their fate… now and forever.” Jack paused for a moment to see the ponies looking sad.

“Can... can I ask you all a question? Why can’t you share your harmony with us? I can understand your fear… but we’ve been living in more fear than you can possibly imagine. So… why couldn’t you let us live in your harmony?” After Jack was done, every pony went silent. They couldn’t come up with an answer, since they rarely knew about the humans. Since Jack knew they didn’t have the answer, he sighed. But, Celestia on the other hand, finally came clean and spoke.

“Jack… you must understand. It is impossible to spread our harmony to the humans. The element bearers might have sympathized with your pain, but the others can’t because they have fragile minds and feeble hearts. Ever since the Avatar of Zalgo invaded our land, my parents knew that the humans were dangerous creatures, and that they only seek strife and misery. We’ve been kept hidden from the world for centuries to avoid any conflict. I feel your pain… I truly wanted to unite every single living being into harmony. But… everything changed… when they came in.” After hearing that, it sparked Jack’s interests. He walked closer to Celestia with a serious face.

“Who?” He asked. Not only Jack was interested, but the other ponies. Seeing Celestia had a good audience, she decided to let it all out.

“It was the cult of Cthulhu that entered our magical barrier unnoticed.” At that moment, every pony gasped in revelation. After the gasp, Celestia continued.

“One thousand and five ago, The cult found our land and they seek to conquer it. My sister Luna and I, along with an army of royal soldiers, waged war against the cultists. Their powers were great, and their terror struck the hearts of my loyal subjects. However, with our combined powers, we managed to make them retreat back into their land. As we drove them back, I spot the source of their power that was lying on the ground abandoned. It was the Necronomicon book that had unimaginable dark powers. At that time, I knew that I didn’t have enough energy to destroy that book.

“I tried to obliterate it with the remaining magic I had, but their cultist leader snatched it away from me and ran off. After the war subsided, we lived in harmony once more. This time, we decided to erase this land’s existence so that we could hide in peace. But… that proved to be useless, since we found out that those cultists were still in the land. They made their base deep within the Everfree Forest, and planned to revive Cthulhu so he could take over this land. Only those with innocent hearts, or those with powerful dark powers can enter Equestria.” She paused for a moment to look at Jack’s doleful expression.

“I know there are those who have the same heart as you do…” Celestia continued. “but the fact is that the humans will always have a hard time developing a mutual understanding with us. Even if ponies and humans do understand one another, they all can’t come to an agreement. That’s the truth. Your brother knew the humans very well… and I can’t help but think that I should grief over the humans. But you need to understand… I want to protect those I cherish from threats and wars. I can never forgive myself if I bring war into this land. Equestria is a place for true peace… and I hope I keep it that way. If we were to join your wars now, then neither your kind nor we can ever live in true peace. I’m sorry your life was utterly hard and harsh… I wish I could take all that pain away.” After she was done speaking, every pony was silent. Some had tears running down their cheeks, while others were mourning the fate of the humans.

During their silent moment, Jack began to think about what Celestia had said. 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 after hearing what Jared and Celestia had said, his perspectives on the world started to turn dramatically. Instead of taking all of his suffering and anger towards the others, he decided… to help guide the innocent lives out of their miserable state. Not only that, he wanted to protect those closest to him, so that he can feel loved and wanted. Feeling satisfied for making up his decision, Jack made a small smile.

“It’s… alright. Besides, pain makes us stronger, no matter how harsh it is.” With that said, every pony’s hearts were risen from their depression state. Without Jack’s guidance, Zalgo or his traps would had defeated them. They knew he was right, especially Fluttershy, since she had endured a lot of pain lately. She nodded her head and agreed with Jack. But right after that, Fluttershy spotted something on Jack’s haunch.

“Jack… is that what I think it is?” She said. At that moment, every pony’s attentions were drawn to Jack’s flank. They all gasped in shock from what they were seeing right now. Jack didn’t hesitate, as he looked at his haunch. He too gasped in shock after seeing what was on his flank.

“What the… hell?” Jack uttered. On his flank was a cutie mark. But… it doesn’t appear to be one at all. It was actually ‘The Eye of Eternal Darkness’ symbol. Jack wondered what this thing was… and how it got there.

“What is this?” Jack asked. Twilight got a little closer to observe it. Fair enough, it looked like a cutie mark. But this… was another story.

“I believe that’s a cutie mark.” Twilight said. Once more, Jack was confused.

“Cutie what?”

“A cutie mark. It shows what your special talent is once you discover it. It’s often related to the personality, proclivity, or talent of the character. Mine has stars, indicating I love magic. Fluttershy has three butterflies, showing her passion towards creatures. Rainbow Dash’s rainbow thunderbolt cloud represents the fastest pegasus in Equestria. Applejack has three apples, meaning she loves to harvest and buck apples for her business. Rarity’s triple diamond cutie mark shows that she makes beautiful dresses and fashion. And Pinkie Pie has three balloons, which means she loves to party alot. But this… I don’t understand. What is your true talent, Jack?” Every pony went silent for a moment to let him think.

Jack didn’t know what his true talent was… or even knew that the symbol was even a talent. He looked at the other cutie marks, and compared his. All of the cutie marks looked like happy images… while his looked very creepy. With only one answer in mind, Jack shrugged. The ponies were then more concern about the symbol. However, Celestia thought of something that could be plausible.

“What if… this could be the legendary ‘Curse Mark’?” Celestia spoke. Almost immediately, every pony gave puzzled looks at the princess.

“Curse mark? What’s that?” Jack asked, and Celestia replied back.

“Only six of these managed to exist, and you could be the seventh. According to the research I’ve dug up years ago, the curse mark was supposedly to be the counterpart of a Cutie Mark. It is said that whoever possesses the Curse Mark will undergo a curse that will haunt the user for the rest of his or her life.” Hearing such horrible info made the ponies gasp in horror. After the gasp subsided, Celestia continued where she left off.

“That is, until they fulfill the most sacred deed that brings true happiness to oneself and others. Only then, will the Curse Mark will disappear, and a cutie mark will emerge from its wake.” At that moment, Jack knew that the Curse Mark was related to one thing.

Just like the curse of humanity. Jack said in his consciousness. Hmm... now that I think about it... could... could I had been given another task? Since there is war around this land... could I possibly be the bringer of peace to the humans? Or rather... the world itself? Hmm... no... no that’s just ridiculous. Whatever reason, I don’t care... I now have friends. But... but maybe... it could be it. As Jack was lost in his mind, looking troubled, the ponies thought that this horrible burden might of made him depressed. But they were surprised to see Jack suddenly smiling.

“Well… as long as there is a chance to bring peace to the world, then I’m okay with this curse mark.” Jack informed while keeping his composure. “After all, each and every one of you saved me from not only death… but from myself. I can’t thank you enough for this. And… can’t believe I’m actually gonna say this again… but… I’m extremely glad you all came into my life. Thank you…” Struck by his greatest gratitude, every pony had upwelling tears. Without a moment to lose, every pony went up to Jack and hugged around his body. Jack embraced this lovable feeling, as he hugged back with a shred of his own tear. They hugged like this for a half a minute, until Fluttershy looked up at Jack with teary eyes.

“So… does this mean… you’re gonna stay here with us?” Fluttershy asked. Jack flinched in remembrance since he did promised that he would stay with them. Taking a look into his friend’s eyes, they all shown that they desperately wanted him in their lives. Saying no would be a dick move, and Jack couldn’t had been the person to say such thing. So… he smiled… and said,

“Sure… why not.” And with that, every pony cheered for joy. However…

“…but... it can’t be today.” Jack added. Suddenly, every pony paused their cheering. They all looked up at Jack with puzzled looks.

“What…? What do you mean… not today?” Fluttershy asked. Jack lowered his smile, and eyes away for a moment. Seeing Jack like this made the ponies anxious and unease.

“Well, there’s… something I must do… alone. I can’t tell you where or why I am going… but it’s best if I do this now.” Struck by confusion and sadness, the ponies demanded answers.

“W-Wait! You can’t go! You just got here! Don’t tell me yo-“ Rainbow Dash tried to continue, but Jack lifted his hoof up indicating to stop.

“It’s alright, Rainbow Dash. I won’t be gone forever, just for a little while. I don’t know when I’ll be back… but I promise… I will return and live with you all. Please… let me do this. Have faith in me…” The ponies were disappointed to see their new friend leave so soon. However, they respected Jack and knew that this could be very important to him. So, every pony but Fluttershy nodded their heads. After a few minutes of getting prepared, every pony went outside.

The dawn almost rose from its horizon, and the critters were waking up. The air breezed calmly, and the grass smelled ever so nicely. Upon sunrise, a new day was about to begin. The main six, Aero, and Celestia were outside of Ponyville, where they were about to say their goodbyes to Jack. They all were sad that he had to go, but they did not despair, since he was going to return one day. Taking one last look at his friends, Jack could only smile.

“Well… looks like it’s my time now. Princess Celestia?” Celestia tilted her head.

“Yes?”

“The scroll containing Zalgo’s essence, would you hide it somewhere safe where no one or no pony would ever think to find it? I might do a crappy job on doing that, but could I count on you to hide it to a place only you know where to find it? Also, if possible, can you… try to fix my human body for me? I really miss being in my older body… not that this new body is bad, but still. Can you do that for me?” Jack asked sincerely. Taking such a simple, yet heavy burdens, Celestia nodded her head.

“You have my word. Zalgo shall be hidden undisturbed forever, and I will see to it that your body will linger within the realm of rehabilitation. There, your body will regenerate itself over time. However, it will take years till your body is finished. Until then, please make due with your new body.” Jack nodded his head back.

“I will… and thank you…” Then, his eyes were drawn to his friends. He first looked at Twilight.

“Twilight Sparkle, since you and your friends are responsible on finding the importance of friendship, would you all continue learning? Cause I might learn something from all of you someday.” He said. Twilight nodded her head, with a friendly smile. Next, Jack eyed at Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie Pie, just keep making your friends smile and laugh. Cause you know… I like seeing them doing it too. Hehe…” Jack chuckled, and Pinkie chuckled along with him.

“You got it!” Pinkie said. Jack trailed his eyes towards Applejack, who looked a bit sad.

“Applejack, without your honesty, I would've never told you about my pain. I want to thank you.” From hearing that, Applejack beamed while she tipped her hat.

“Aww shucks, yer mighty welcome.” She said happily. Next up, he looked at Rarity, who had tears of happiness.

“Rarity, your generosity of helping me out made me a better person… or pony. I feel like I should help others who are in need of comfort. You have my thanks.” Rarity wiped her tears away, as she nodded. After that, Jack looked at Rainbow Dash, who was also crying.

“Rainbow Dash, you taught me about loyalty. Protecting something that’s dear to you will make you stronger. I thought vengeance made me strong, but I couldn’t of been more wrong. Thanks for clearing my head.” Rainbow Dash never heard somepony say something this nice to her in all of her life, except her other friends of course. But this one took the cake. She continued to cry while hiding her face away from Jack.

“T-Thanks! B-Be sure to exercise those wings… so you can fly! A-And d-don’t think that I’m crying, got lots of stuff in my eyes… that’s all. Stupid dust…” She wept. Jack made a short chortle from that while adding a nod. Finally, he set his eyes over to the one responsible for changing his life… Fluttershy. He walked up to Fluttershy, kneeled down to her level, and wiped away her tears with his hoof.

“Fluttershy… I want to thank you the most. You’ve shown me kindness, even though I was being a jackass to you. That showed me that I wasn’t alone anymore. You’ve changed my life… forever. And I can’t thank you enough for that.” While Fluttershy cried hard, she tried her best to speak, but it was difficult due to the tears.

“Y-Y-You… will come… back… right? I… I don’t want… t-to lose you. I-“ Fluttershy was about to finish, but Jack placed his hoof on her lips.

“It’s alright. Remember when I said if I were to put an end to Zalgo, I would not of be able to return to the surface because that place marks my tomb, right? That was the truth… and yet you all saved me from death. But when I said I’ll come back, that means I will. I attend to keep promises, and not even death again will stop me. And besides, with this new body, I feel stronger than ever.” Feeling a bit more confident towards Jack, Fluttershy calmed herself down a bit. But she still had tears falling out of her eyes.

“B-But…” Once more, Jack paused her.

“Fluttershy… please stay strong for me, will you? You’ve proven yourself that you gotten stronger. Try not to lose that strength… okay?” With a simple nod, Jack’s smile went bigger. Then, he wrapped his forearms around Fluttershy’s neck and hugged her. Fluttershy returned the hug, while she sniveled.

“We won’t forget you… please come back soon.” Fluttershy whimpered.

“I will…” Jack responded, and broke up the hug. With everything said and done, Jack was about to turn around and leave, that is until he spotted Aero who displayed a friendly smile.

“Oh… Aero?” Jack said. Aero tilted his head.

“Yes, chap?”

“Well… umm… thanks. Heh…” Jack wanted to say something nice, but that’s all he could think about. But Aero accepted what he said and nodded.

“It was an honor being with you, I say.” Aero replied, and Jack nodded. And with that, Jack turned around and started running towards the rising sun. He sprinted like a human, and his heart beating like a wild pony. The group watched in tears as Jack followed the sunrise. They all were going to miss him, but they were also expecting him to come back soon. With the sun now rising from the horizon, the whole town shined in its awakening. Just as Jack reached towards the top of the hill, he turned around one last time. There, he made one last smile… knowing he had a new life up ahead. After a few seconds of looking at his friends, Jack resumed running. And with that, Jack’s body faded within the sunlight.

As the new day begun, everything in Ponyville went as it should be. Twilight continued studying new spells and conjuring several new chemicals within the Library. Applejack went to the orchard land of apple trees and continued drumming her business as per usual. Rarity was at her boutique making new dresses with Sweetie Belle helping out a bit. Pinkie Pie kept her happy spirit alive by baking sweet treats and making parties for the ponies. Rainbow Dash was flying high, soaring through the skies like a free bird. Aero lived with Zecora, who was happy to take him in as an apprentice. And Fluttershy… she went back to take care of her animal friends, while still thinking about Jack.

Later that night, Twilight was looking up at the stary night, while she had a friendship letter to report. Spike, who was happy to assist, had his quilt ready.

“You ready?” Spike asked.

“Yeah...” Twilight replied, with a slight sigh. She cleared her throat, letting Spike know she was about to begin.

“Dear Princess Celestia, I’m writing an update for the previous lesson. The reason why... is because this could be one of the most important and valuable lessons I’ve learned so far. Friendship is indeed worth fighting for... but what is the true reason for that? Well, if you think about it, protecting the ones you love gives you strength, and sharing bonds with one another acknowledges one’s existence, making that person feel loved and wanted. There are those who are hurt in the world... experiencing true loneliness and despair. But if you share your feelings and relate to your pain, you will create a strong friendship bond. Protecting the ones you love shows how much you really care for that person. And you know... someday… just someday… there will come a day where the world… can become a better place."

Your faithful Student: Twilight Sparkle.

The end.

Note: Lesson Zero starts two weeks later.

Chapter 23: The Promise (Alternative Ending)

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.

Chapter 0: Prelude Towards Madness

Chapter 0: Prelude Towards Madness

There have been secrets lying forgotten within the land of Equestria. Some of which were considered to be too powerful… or too dark to comprehend. There are secrets that were ancient when the world was young, and there are those that were old even when the universe was still in its infancy. As the peaceful years went by in Equestria, those secrets have lain dormant. But upon this day, one of those secrets will be revealed. And with this revelation, a new era of life will begin.

The sun shone down upon the victorious harmonious wielders. On this day, Ponyville and even Equestria blessed the six heroines for imprisoning the spirit of chaos, Discord. The encounter was tough, but the ponies managed to best Discord at his intricate tricks and his mighty powers. Least to say, the world of chaos was made no more.

Hours passed, and the main six we’re behind the closed double doors within Celestia’s palace, guarded by two pegasi. Both doors opened to reveal a hallway congregated with grateful smile ponies forming an impromptu gauntlet, where Celestia and Spike waited for them at the far end of the gauntlet. Floor-to-ceiling stained-glass windows adorned the walls on both sides; the sunshine lauded the main six for their heroic deeds. The main six walked through the gauntlet, wearing hopeful smiles as they crossed.

As they reached the end of the gauntlet, joyful smiles were passed between Celestia and Twilight. Applejack tipped a wink to the latter as she does her best to contain her own emotions. Twilight looked to the left, seeing Spike near Celestia waving bashfully with a troubled stomach from his spot. The young unicorn bit back a sheepish grin of her own before Celestia addressed the crowd. Everypony was silent, their ears perked up to hear the royal alicorn to speak.

“Ahem… we are gathered here today to once again honor the heroism of these six friends who stood up to the villain Discord and saved Equestria from eternal chaos.” During her quick speech, the main six sat there with proud smiles. Once she was done, the hall broke out in wild cheering. As the cheering died down, all six ponies bowed before their sovereign. Celestia acknowledged their bows with a smile, and then aimed her horn off toward one wall and magically opened a curtain. Behind it was a new stained glass window; a new decoration installed to commemorate their valor. On it showed Discord transfixed in the Elements’ power as the ponies delivered justice on him. The crowd feasted their eyes on it’s marvelous art; and with it, a fresh round of cheering began once more, but this time confetti and streamers were shot into the air showering down the whole room. On this day, Equestria was saved once more.

“WOOOHOOOO!! THIS IS THE BEST PARTY EVEEEERRR!!” Pinkie squealed in joy as she leaped into the air. It had been almost seven hours, and the party kept going strong. Inside the ballroom were various types of ponies having a great time. Several of refreshment tables were scattered in various places, confetti, balloons and streamers littered the whole area, and the ponies were accommodated by jamming music coming from towering speakers. Some of the ponies danced until they couldn’t move no more, while some relaxed and chatted with one another. Overall, the ballroom was ruled by party animals.

Rainbow Dash danced along the beats of the music with Applejack. Rarity was chatting away with variously attired ponies who were interested in her success. Pinkie Pie bounced everywhere in the room, having the time of her life. While the whole room continued to burst out with life, Twilight and Fluttershy were outside of the ballroom enjoying their cups of punch in silent. The two of them had their friendly discussions and brought up interesting topics.

“You’re kidding! How did you ever figured that out?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy looked away from Twilight and stared at the orange sunset sky.

“Well, it’s all about identifying the bear’s behavior. I mean, at first he was restless and cranky, but I managed to figure out why he was behaving so badly. And so I knew that to calm him down was-” Just as Fluttershy was getting to the good part, she was interrupted by a small throat clearing cough. Both Fluttershy and Twilight turned around to be greeted by the royal highness herself.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything important.” Celestia asked politely. Twilight looked at Fluttershy with a disappointed face. But Fluttershy understood that the mere conversation can be put on hold since Princess Celestia was here. She smiled and nodded to her friend. Twilight smiled back and faced the princess again.

“Oh not at all, your highness! What brings you here?” She asked.

“I’m just here getting some fresh air. Your friend Pinkie really knows how to keep a party alive.” Celestia said, adding a small chuckle. “But anyways, would you two like to take a small stroll around my garden with me?” Twilight felt honored from the request. She smiled and nodded her head. She then looked at Fluttershy to see if she had the same response. However, Fluttershy simply shook her head.

“Oh I’m alright. You two can go ahead without me. I need some time alone.” She said cheerfully. Twilight adopted a worried face from Fluttershy’s statement. However, the way she said it convinced Twilight that Fluttershy was alright. Accepting her decision, Twilight nodded her head.

“Okay, we’ll be heading back home in about an hour. So don’t go far, okay?”

“I understand.” Fluttershy replied while nodding. Now that the decision was made up, Celestia started to walk towards the entrance of her garden. Twilight followed after her and eventually the two started their path. After the two of them were out of sight, Fluttershy dropped her joyful expression and walked towards the otherway depressed.

While she walked towards the other part of the garden, she recalled what Princess Celestia said during the awarding ceremony.

“Ahem… we are gathered here today to once again honor the heroism of these six friends who stood up to the villain Discord and saved Equestria from eternal chaos.”

Celestia’s speech did indeed made her feel honored, however; a single word in that sentence struck Fluttershy… heroism. Looking back at her life, all she had done was cower behind her friends, not defending or standing up for herself. At times she did muster up courage, but it was all out of luck and not from her decisions. Fluttershy remembered what she said to Discord in the maze early that day.

Her thoughts showed her the time she encountered Discord in his butterfly form.

“Fluttershy...looks like you've been left behind by your so called friends, huh?” Discord chided.

“Oh, no. I’m certain they’re doing their best to find me.” Fluttershy replied nonchalantly.

“Well, it must be so upsetting to know how weak and helpless they think you are.” He added.

“Not at all. I am weak and helpless, and I appreciate their understanding.” Fluttershy once more replied nonchalantly. This caused Discord to start getting annoyed and frustrated at her game.

“Yes, well, surely it burns you up, I mean that they’re always pointing out your flaws, right?” He stammered.

“Not really. In fact, I think I’m awfully lucky to have friends who want me to be the best I can be.” She said with confidence.

Looking back at that conversation, Fluttershy felt if her words were true. Even if no one pointed at her flaws, she would still feel bitter about herself. Most of the time, she hid behind her friends so that they can deal with the situation without her help. Fluttershy felt like a failure to not only be brave for others, but for herself as well. She tried to escape her shame by accepting the truth nonchalantly, but it only made her worse. Not only that, she hid the guilt of being cruel to her friends even though it wasn’t her fault. The fact that she couldn’t gain control overself during that time she was being cruel showed that she was incapable of standing up for herself. Fluttershy sighed hollowly, knowing full well she was indeed weak and helpless… and there was nothing she could do about it.

Just before Fluttershy could recall anymore painful memories, she noticed that her autopilot walk lead her to a statue. She looked up and saw the statue of Discord being surrounded by a protective forcefield dome. The dome emitted a translucent, slightly pink tinted sphere that hummed soothingly. Fluttershy looked up and stared at Discord’s shocked stoned eyes. Looking at him made her ire feelings boil. But at the same time, she felt sorry for his misfortune. She couldn’t explain it, but deep down, she knew that Discord only did what he did to gain attention. Moreover, all he ever wanted was to be acknowledge… but his childish behavior obscured any hints on his feelings. Fluttershy couldn’t help but realize that Discord only wanted a friend. But now that he is turned to stone, she abandoned any sympathy she had on Discord. Fluttershy looked down and closed her eyes.

“If only I would’ve been stronger back then… I could’ve made a difference. I wish I wasn’t… so weak and helpless…” Fluttershy said to herself solemnly. She stood there for a full minute, letting her thoughts floated freely in the void. She thought of nothing but herself during that time. But just as she could descent further, she came to realization that it was getting late. The sun was starting to head towards the mountains in the distance. She also realized that the train heading towards Ponyville was going to depart in a half an hour.

“Oh… I guess I must of…” Fluttershy said to herself… but never bothered to finish her sentence. Deciding to head back, she turned around, looking back at Discord one last time, then proceeded to walk away. As she walked back towards the trail she went through, Fluttershy suddenly felt an uneasy presence. She stopped and looked to her left. She gasped lightly to know that she wasn’t alone.

Just a yard away, she spotted a mysterious silhouette figure that was leaning against a tall hedge. The figure was obscured from her point of view due to the intensity of the shade the hedge produced. But what she couldn’t figure out… was its species. The figure appeared to have two legs and two arms being folded with each other. The figure stared at Fluttershy with its red piercing glowing eyes, sending dark and eerie vibes towards Fluttershy. From the moment she made eye contact with this mysterious intruder, she felt scared and nervous.

“U-Uhh… w-w-who are… y-you?” Fluttershy asked, struggling to form her sentence fluently. But the figure spoke nothing, as it kept staring at her with its eerie eyes. The more she stared at it, the greater the fear became. She gulped, and attempted to ask again.

“Umm… e-excuse… me…? H-How did you… get h-here and-” Suddenly, Fluttershy’s visions faded into black. And the only thing she saw was a barely blurry sentence appearing right in front of her eyes. There was no voice to narrate it, so Fluttershy had to read it.

“Your life is a nugatory excuse… your existence… even more meaningless.”

After she read the sentence, her visions brought her back to reality. At that moment, Fluttershy felt her blood run cold in fear. The presence of this hostile enemy started to back her into a corner. Fluttershy couldn’t explain how she managed to converse through the unknown figure. Using every ounce of bravery, Fluttershy tried her best to respond.

“W-W-What… what are… y-you talking… a-about?” She asked apprehensively. Once again, her visions faded into black and another message appeared right before her very eyes.

“You are ruled by impotent fear… your kind has thrived immaculately in a harmony filled with naivety and obscurity. For tonight… fate shall bring forth those who are chosen to weave this prophecy together.”

The message faded, but her visions remained blackened. Fluttershy was too scared to even comment back. The fear was so great, tears were rushing down her eyes without her even knowing it. She hoped that this frightening mysterious figure would go away. After a few more silent seconds, another message appeared before her eyes.

“This reality shall be eradicated by his forthcoming apocalypse… and from its ashes… shall he be the herald of a reality far beyond your comprehension.”

The message faded and another one faded in its place.

“He’s coming…”

After a few seconds, Fluttershy’s visions were back into reality. But strangely, Fluttershy noticed that the mysterious silhouette figure was gone. She looked around and saw no sign of the figure anywhere. Fluttershy was standing there alone, frightened beyond belief. She perspired heavily, and her whole body shook violently. Scared squeaks and muffles escaped her mouth, as she struggled to break free from the fear that bound her so. Tears were starting to come out her eyes less frequently while she was trying to calm herself down. As all of this was happening all at once, Fluttershy tried to contemplate on what was going on.

“W-Who… was that…?” She stuttered fearfully.

“Fluttershy…?” A voice said from behind her. Shocked, Fluttershy yelped and leaped forward while turning the other direction. To her relief, she saw Twilight and Celestia looking concerned at her.

“Whoa, I’m so sorry for scaring you like…” At that moment, Twilight noticed Fluttershy still had tear streams on her cheeks and her eyes were irritated from producing so many tears. She then adopted a worried face.

“Hey… are you okay?” She asked. Fluttershy realized she still had tear streams on her cheeks. She wiped them off and stared behind her, seeing if the mysterious figure was back, but it wasn’t. Fluttershy was about to tell the two of them what happened when her thoughts tangled her sense of self. Fluttershy was tired of depending on other ponies to worry about her problems. Not only that, she felt ashamed of being broken down by profound fear that easily. Even if she would've told them what happened, they wouldn’t believe her nonetheless. After taking a moment to resolve herself, she decided not to tell.

“Oh… I’m fine. Really… it’s just that my eyes are irritated now.” Fluttershy lied, attempting to shrug off her distraught face with a fake smile. Both the princess and Twilight looked at each other in confusion, then back at Fluttershy. Twilight analyzed Fluttershy’s face for a moment, then she bought her lie.

“Well okay then… the train is about to leave. We really need to head on over there. I’ll gather the others, you just go on ahead over there and we’ll meet you there.” Twilight looked at princess and bowed before her ruler. Celestia admired her bow and nodded her head. After that, Twilight ran back to the ballroom where her friends were starting to wrap things up. Celestia looked at Fluttershy who dropped her guard at keeping her act. Fluttershy loomed her head down and stared at the ground.

Celestia wanted to ask Fluttershy what was wrong, but she knew that she was worried by something else. Taking a few moments to look at the aftermath of Fluttershy’s genuine expression, it gave Celestia a hint that pure fear struck the yellow pegasus immensely and unexpectedly. She didn’t know what happened, but she admired her bravery, and thus Celestia absolved Fluttershy from her inquisition on what caused her this much tension.

“Fluttershy, why don’t go and meet with the others.” Celestia said. Fluttershy snapped out of her solumed state and turned her full attention to the princess. Fluttershy once again put on her act and simply smiled at her.

“Oh yes… thank you so much for the party, your highness.” Celestia nodded.

“And thank you for your great deed. You really showed bravery on your part… never forget that. Your friends are waiting… go to them.” Fluttershy nodded her head and flew into the air. Celestia watch her take off gracefully, admiring her effort to calm herself down. Just as Fluttershy was but a spec in the sky, Celestia looked to the tall hedge where the mysterious figure was once there. She felt wary of what Fluttershy had encountered that made her feel so much fear. Adopting a leery face, Celestia furrowed her eyebrows at the spot where the figure stood. She could sense a faint dark presence still residing from that spot. She knew that the figure absconded its dark scent to let Celestia know that a new evil was rising. The princess was also flabbergasted to realize how obscure the intruder was. Celestia could sense any negative energy thousands of miles away, yet there was not a single trace of the intruder’s energy when it arrived. Now knowing full well of what happened, Celestia became more cautious and wary. She stared at the sinking sun, wondering if this evil is only but an illusion.

Over at the train station, the train idled at the platform waiting for the last passengers to arrive. Puffs of steam shot out of the chimney tube, as the train roared its engines. Fluttershy sat at the train station alone and feeling bitter. Fluttershy’s thoughts flew freely in her depressed mind, assaulting her with evocative feelings and memories. Many thoughts flew past her, but one particular memory she dwelled in was the time Fluttershy became cruel. She felt remorse of her actions, and yet forgiving herself proved to be a challenge. Her contrite heart wouldn’t allow any mending to it, making it harder for Fluttershy to cheer up. All she can do now was straight up apologize to her friends. Even though it wasn’t her fault to begin with, it still felt like she was responsible for the pain she caused.

Fluttershy was about to dwell deeper into the bitter coldness of her mind when she picked up a familiar voice coming in. She turned to the left and saw Twilight and the others walking over towards the train station. Twilight took her eyes off of Applejack and spotted Fluttershy. The others looked forward and spotted the yellow pegasus as well. Pinkie Pie bounced happily towards her with giggles.

“Woooh boy! That was some party wasn’t it, Fluttershy?” Pinkie asked cheerfully. Rainbow Dash flew next to her and nudged her shoulder.

“Where were you? I was looking all over for you and you just disappeared! Ehh, it doesn’t matter anyways. You had a good time?” Fluttershy, not wanting to make her friends concerned of her, displayed her fake smile.

“Oh yes, it was… alright.” Fluttershy said, hiding her true feelings. Applejack yawned and stretched all four of her legs.

“Hooo boy, I’ma might tired yall! But why don’t we all take a short stroll aroun’ Ponyville, say a single lap? I could go for a bit more fresh air before I hit the hay.” Applejack suggested. Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie nodded their heads.

“Why not? I could go for some more exercise too!” Rainbow Dash added. Rarity grunted at the thought of taking a short walk since she felt tired from all the publicity.

“Oh honestly, Applejack. Can’t a lady have any rest after a long day?” Rarity whined. Applejack rolled her eyes and furrowed at her.

“Well pardon me, I didn’t oblige anyone to go with.” Applejack remarked. “Besides, I would like to have a chat with all yall, and it would be nice for you to jo-”

“Oh fine! Very well then, I shall attend to this small stroll so you can stop bugging me!” Rarity interrupted in an irritated tone. Applejack displayed her sour face at her.

“Well ya don’t have to get all worked up on that…” She sighed. The chimney pipe blew more smoke and the engine roared once more, indicating that the train was about to depart.

“Aaaaalll aboooooard to Ponyviiiile!!” The conductor announced loudly. Without wasting any time, everypony climbed aboard the train. The girls walked towards an open seat and sat down. Fluttershy sat next to the window and sighed, while the others continued talking to each other. The train doors closed and the train whistle roared again. The train started to move slowly, then in a matter of moments it started to gain speed. Now that the ponies rode towards their home, Fluttershy kept her eyes fixated up at the sky. She thought about her cruel nature, her weakness, and her fear. But mostly, she wondered who in the world was that sinister figure… and what it meant. Deep within her stomach, she knew that she’ll meet it again soon… very soon.

Author's Note

I figured that the first chapter got off in a wrong time to start a story. So, here's a prelude to prepare what horror lies ahead so it won't feel so suddenly. Enjoy the fic!

Chapter 17: I Want To Be Strong Too

Chapter 17: I Want To Be Strong Too

Within the peaceful town of Ponyville, things were quickly returning back to normal. As the sun begun its usual daily rotation, all the ponies resumed their natural every day businesses. Twilight Sparkle and her friends were immediately treated with minor medical attentions. They also were dragged into questionings from the princess herself. Keeping a loyal promise to Jack, they came up with a simple lie. They said that a horrible monster chased them into the Everfree Forest, causing them to get lost in there. They also said that Twilight was knocked unconscious for the full duration of the night. When she regained consciousness, Twilight used her spell to teleport everyone out of the forest and into Ponyville.

They were lucky that they convinced Celestia about the whole situation. With all of their wounds now treated, the mane six went their separate ways. They all made plans to hang out at Fluttershy’s cottage for tonight. Throughout the afternoon, Twilight studied new spells and conjure several chemicals within the Library. Spike was extra active today since he was glad that Twilight was back. He did all of his chores and assisted Twilight on experiments without any complaints.

At Sweet Apple Acers, Applejack went to the orchard land of apple trees with baskets on her back. Apple Bloom kept herself hidden behind the trees to keep an eye on her older sister. Apple Bloom’s mind kept revisiting the events that transpired in her recent nightmare. By just looking at Applejack, memories of the horrific occurrence swarmed her sights. She could see a cloned version of herself, drenched in blood, cutting away her sister’s skin and devouring her insides like a rabid animal. The gore fest was so overwhelming that it made Apple Bloom burst into tears. She may never view Applejack the same way ever again. But she knew that Applejack was safe and sound. And that it was just a nightmare.

Meanwhile, at Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie was busy mopping the kitchen floor, while the Cakes did their daily business. Nothing in particular was happening but a normal day at work for Pinkie. Her mind was as clean as ever; not a single memory was revisited from the horrible events that happened below the surface. A few minutes of mopping, she was done with the whole kitchen. She decided to go on a break and have lunch with Rarity. As Pinkie met with Rarity, Sweetie Belle was forced to be tagged along with her. Rarity was being more overprotective towards Sweetie Belle due to the horrific encounter within the Room of Horror.

Elsewhere, Rainbow Dash was hanging out with her number one fan, Scootaloo. Dash helped Scootaloo to learn how to fly properly, yet they had a long ways to go. While they hanged out, Rainbow Dash tried her best to forget about what happened in the Room of Anger. Seeing her loyal friend being helplessly beaten up by a punk like Gilda made Dash sick. She tried her best to forget that ever happened and moved on with her life.

Everything was turning the way it should be in Ponyville. Every pony in Ponyville was happy and at peace… all for except Fluttershy. She still couldn’t get the memories of Jack out of her head. How Jack’s life went and his decision was too unbearable for her to cope with. She only wished that she had been there for Jack at the very beginning, so that he wouldn’t go through such a horrible life. Ever since she returned to Ponyville, not a single shred of happiness filled her heart. She also wondered why the others aren’t concerned about Jack. It is as if Jack was nothing more but a distant memory to them. As the day passed by, Fluttershy slowly understood the pain Jack had to deal with. She just sat on her couch in her cottage house and did nothing but stare at the ground blankly. The animals in her cottage were worried about her behavior

Angel on the other hand, didn’t care about how Fluttershy felt. He kept getting her attention so that she would feed him. But each attempt failed, as she did and said nothing. This made Angel feel more concerned about her. He tried to get her attention in a friendly way, but she still didn’t respond. This kept going on for an hour until Angel finally gave up. He hopped away and fed himself whatever he could find. As Fluttershy kept thinking about Jack, she knew that sitting here and doing nothing would cheer her up. With a slight sigh in depression, she decided to take a stroll outside. She hoped that taking a nice walk would clear her mind a bit.

As she walked on the dirt road, her head hung low while she was reliving the memories of being with Jack. Questions began to boggler her; the more she compared his life with hers. She didn’t notice that an hour has quickly passed by while she walked. It only felt like a few minutes to her. Also, Fluttershy did not notice that she lead herself to Zecora’s hut. She was amazed to realize that she walked inside the Everfree Forest with no fear at all. This triggered a flashback of Jack stating something to Fluttershy earlier.

Fluttershy was shown to where she met with Jack for the first time.

“Tell me… Fluttershy is it? What place scares you the most besides here?" Jack asked.

“Well umm… th-the Everfree Forest is very scary and very unnatural. There's creepy creatures, the plants grow, animals care of themselves, and the clouds move… all on their own!" Fluttershy shuttered.

"Well… I have some very bad news. This… Everfree Forest you speak of… that place is only a small fraction of what horrors await in this god-forsaken place. This place was originally named 'R'lyeh, The Lost City of Cthulhu'. It’s a place where cults worship and create horrible experiments. But now… it is named, "The Catacombs of Zalgo'. It's literally like hell itself here. Unquestionable terror lurks in every corner of this damned catacomb. A living creature such as yourself this weak will lose your sanity and psyche in an instant. It's one of the most horrific places the universe has to offer. It's like walking through the face of death countless of times. What makes you think you can survive this?" Jack asked.

Then another flashback was triggered to where Jack finished off a wave of enemies single handedly.

"This is just a taste of what we'll be going through this evening. So get used to this kind of stuff, and that Everfree Forest will be nothing but a joke to you.”

Realizing that Jack was right all along made Fluttershy feel a little proud of herself. But it was still not the same as making her feel better. At this point, she knew that it was hopeless to get the memories out of her head. Ready to leave the forest, she turned away and walked straight back to her cottage. As the day was drawn closer to sundown, Fluttershy awaited her friends to come to her home. It only took a few minutes for the whole gang to arrive at the same time. As the evening was young, the ponies chat with one another, discussing their daily businesses. Whilst Fluttershy was sitting alone on the couch, gazing upon the starry lanterns in the skies. As she stared at the night, more memories flashed before her very eyes.

The memories started to where Fluttershy and Jack went off down the foggy hallway.

"S-So… umm… Jack? W-Why are you here?" Fluttershy nervously asked.

"Vengeance. You could say I'm going to settle the score. The reasons why are none of your concerns. It's personal for me only."

“A mysterious person in a black cloak entered our domain and transformed this place into a much darker abyss. Every cultist were either killed or become apart of him. I however, was somehow spared for some reason. I managed to escape ever since and learned that the black-cloaked person was none other than Zalgo himself. He was foolish to let me go and plot my vengeance on him. I had a long and difficult life because of him. And that's why I'm here… to bury my past once and for all… even if I die, it won't matter to me. I can let this world burn for all I care. Vengeance is the only thing that's keeping me alive… nothing more… nothing less."

"I'm sorry your life was hard. But… did you have any friends? O-Or a family that cared about you?" Fluttershy replied.

"Just… don't… mention friendship or love. Those two things betrayed me for a very long time. Having friends is nothing but an illusion… and family… they're just pointless. I don't know anything about those two and I attend to do so… because I believe they're just dangerous emotions and distractions."

Then the memories showed Fluttershy the time when Jack started to confess his way of life.

"The fact that I'm like this is because my life is a living hell! I lived with no contentment, no grace, and no harmony! I wasn't shown ANY mercy, not even the slightest pity was given! This feeble life that weighs on my shoulders is just too unbearable! Everyday is just the same as always! Just a cold and ruthless world I have to endure…"

"Pain… suffering… hatred… fear… sorrow… and despair. Those six things have been torturing my existence ever since. All the comfort in the world was out of my grasp.”

No one ever cared about me. They think I'm just a waste of space in this world. I couldn't fit into their society… and I even couldn't be accepted as a normal person. It was just me… verses the world. It sickens me why I can't just commit suicide. I've tried countless of times… but something's always keeping me away from that. It is as though I'm being forever punished. If only I weren’t this weak and worthless, I would've made a difference right about now. But... I can’t... I can’t escape my fate... it's… it's not fair! I’m just too scared!"

Then the memories flashed to where Rainbow Dash asked Jack an important question.

“Jack? Can I ask you something?” Dash asked, and Jack nodded.

“You said that you wouldn’t protect us if we’re not near your, or facing against those monsters. And yet… you saved Fluttershy with no reason. Why?”

“I… I don’t know. My body… it moved on it’s own. There was no time to think. Frankly, I would've done nothing… but… somehow, my mind rejected me. I’m guessing… what my mind is trying to say… is that you five hold some sort of mysterious connection to me. I don’t know if it’s a bad or good thing… but… from what I’ve seen, it almost makes me feel like that this is my everlasting punishment. And yet, it also makes me feel like I wanted this. It’s so confusing.”

Then the memories flashed to where Jack finally realized the importance of friendship.

“I… I don’t know what to say. Y-You guys… have changed me greatly. In the past, ‘friendship’ was merely a word to me… nothing more, nothing less. But now, since I met with you guys, I realize now that the meaning of that word is now important to me. I can guess that… this world isn’t that half bad after all!”

“I thought that vengeance was my only motivation to continue to live. But now… I have a new motivation. And that’s to protect those who care about me. And to those who have felt the same pain I had. By giving me this motivation, you also gave me hope. I don’t want anyone to live like me… being all alone and hated. And that’s why, with this new motivation, I feel a lot more stronger and more determined to end Zalgo’s plans. I don’t want to risk losing you six. Cause now, you ponies are the only thing that makes me feel happy to be alive. You guys reflect what I should of had in the first place.”

“If only I had more time to spend with you guys… that would be something, wouldn’t it? If only I didn’t have this terrible fate, I would spend the rest of my life with you guys.”

Once the flashbacks were finished, a single tear streamed down Fluttershy’s cheek. She felt like her body was beginning to break down. However, as her depression started to take control of her, something else was brewing up inside of her. Something that just wanted to make Fluttershy to do something. Twilight saw Fluttershy gazing up at the starry sky and decided to ask her a question.

“So, Fluttershy… how are those baby birds we found a few days ago coming along?” Twilight asked, but Fluttershy kept silent. She raised her eyebrow in confusion from her sudden behavior.

“Uhh… Fluttershy?” Twilight asked again, this time more concerned. Fluttershy lowered her head a tad. She tried her best to contain what’s boiling inside her, but proved to be a difficult challenge. Twilight sat up on her hooves and trotted over to Fluttershy.

“Is something wrong?” She said in an uneasy tone. Then, Fluttershy began to mumble softly.

“We have tm grmbk” Twilight quizzically tilted her head.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I said, we havm tm grmbk…” Fluttershy mumbled even more softly. At that moment, Twilight felt a little annoyed by this.

“Fluttershy, I can’t understand you if you keep mum-“

“We have to go back!!” Fluttershy hastily yelled. Every pony in the room went dead silent. The sudden subject that was brought up stunned them. Every pony looked at Fluttershy with great disbelief. Even Twilight, as she closed her eyes, shaking her head.

“Oooh no… we are not going back to that place again. I’m sorry Fluttershy, but Jack said he’d take care of that guy and-“ Twilight continued, but was cut off by Fluttershy swerving her head around to glare at her friend.

“So do you want to just forget about him?!” She protested. “What if he dies down there alone while we just sit here and pretend like nothing has ever happened?! What if he fails to stop you know who because of the lack of friendship we taught him?!” The feelings towards Jack slowly returned to Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. Twilight partly understood what Fluttershy was feeling right now, as she tried to talk again.

“But Fluttershy, I-“ But once more, she was cut off by Fluttershy.

“But nothing! He lived a brutal and lonely life all this time! There was NO one… that would even listen to his cries! He’s just like a distant memory that we would eventually forget the moment we left him! But not to me… cause… he’s like me.” At that point, Fluttershy had tears flowing down her cheeks.

“I wasn’t respected or treated fairly because I was regarded weak and helpless! I even couldn’t consider myself as a pegasi since I was totally different from the others. I thought that having friends was enough to live a peaceful life. But now, I know now that friendship wasn’t the only thing I needed. I also needed to become stronger by myself… to believe in myself that one day… just one day… I’ll become stronger like Rainbow Dash. And Jack… he showed me the way. By just looking into his eyes… I could see eyes full of loneliness and indifference… that reminded me of myself.” As she continued on with her true feelings, her voice begun to slowly break apart.

“S-So tell me this. I-If I were in… J-Jack’s place right now… w-would you just… continued to live your lives… while I’m… b-being forgotten?! Jack saved us more times than we could've hoped for… and for what?! T-To just be gone from our memories, not knowing how much pain and suffering he endured all his life!? Is this what you want Jack to think of the word Friendship?!” Fluttershy’s words started to stab the hearts of the ponies. They began to remember what they learned so far about friendship, as tears were pouring down their eyes.

Considering how the power of friendship worked out with the mane six meant that this circumstance could lead them to one of the greatest lessons they could ever come across. While every pony but Twilight silently wept, Fluttershy collapsed to the floor and whimpered inconsolably.

“J-Jack deserves… more t-than friendship. H-He deserves… a second chance in life. S-So that… he can e-experience more things… he hasn’t… c-crossed yet. T-This… this is why… I want… t-to go back! S-So… so it… will be our turn… t-to save him! S-So… that… I can show him… h-how strong he made me! I-I want to save him… l-like a good friend would do! I WANT TO BE STRONG TOO!!” After that emotional speech, Fluttershy stopped talking and continued crying. Rainbow Dash had her head hung low, while her lips quivered. Tear droplets fell out of her eyes, as they hit the floor. Pinkie Pie looked pale, as she hated seeing Rainbow Dash like that. Rarity and Applejack stared at each other’s teary eyes, as to wonder if Fluttershy was indeed right.

Twilight was on the verge of tears, as her friend’s words began to sink in deeply. From all the lessons she’s learned so far, she hadn’t felt this much emotionally affected in her life. She did not know who Jack really was, but from what Fluttershy was expressing made him feel important to Twilight. Thinking of how the battle with Discord went made her realize that friendship was indeed worth fighting for. Now touched by her friend’s words, Twilight had tears running down her cheeks.

She looked away from her for a moment, and stared at herself on the mirror. While gazing into the mirror, she imagined the background as an abandoned cottage. The sky was gloomy colored in dark grey, Fluttershy’s straw roof collapsed, and bitter wind blew through the inside of the cottage. All alone in the forsaken cottage, she imagined broken frames with pictures scattered all around her. The pictures shown Twilight’s friends, as they grouped together in a warming hug.

At that moment, Twilight closed her eyes for a few seconds. Then she reopened them to view herself back into the real world. From what she witnessed, it meant that every pony had abandoned and betrayed each other. It was all because they forgotten one another, destroying their own foundations of harmony. As Twilight finally knew how much pain Fluttershy was experiencing, she hung her head down. Then, she stared back at Fluttershy with a slight sigh.

“You know… you're right. I do believe this is the right thing to do.” Twilight confessed, while she sounded depressed. “But… there’s only one problem.” Fluttershy paused her crying, and stared at her slightly confused. Twilight eyed away for a brief moment.

“We don’t know where that catacomb is. Plus… we don’t know if Jack has already reached towards Za- I-I mean… you know who yet.” As much as Twilight hated to say that, she knew that she was right. And so did the other ponies too. This made every pony even more depressed and hopeless.

Suddenly, there were a few knocks on the door. They were a little surprised that they didn’t expect a visitor at this hour. While the ponies didn’t bother to answer the door, Twilight had to be the one to answer it. She trotted up to the door, and opened it.

However; as she just opened the door to expose whom it was, she lets out a little gasp. Her pupils constrict to terrified points within the big moderate violet irises. As she looked horrified, she stood face to face with an animated skeleton stallion. Twilight screamed in fright; making her retreat back into the corner of the cottage. The other ponies let out a surprising gasp as they stared at the unexpected visitor.

“Aero?!” Every pony shouted in unison. The skeleton stallion waved his hoof in the air.

“Good evening, chapettes! My sincerely apologizes to pop in here unannounced in an inconvenient time!” The ponies were bamboozled by his unexpected arrival. Not to mention how he ever found his way over here. Pinkie Pie was the first to break the awkward silence.

“Boney!! Is that really you?!” She called out. Aero looked up and smiled at his friend.

“Why hello there, dear Pinkie! So jolly good to see you alive and well!” But the greeting was cut short when Twilight ruptured from this awkward reunion.

“W-W-Wait… y-you all… know this guy?!” She asked while spazzing out. Aero eyed at Twilight, who was still in the state of fear.

“But of course, chapette! We met during our time in the catacombs. And I must apologize for frightening you.” Aero replied with a sincere smile. The ponies were still confused to how he managed to find them here. With questions to be asked, Fluttershy wiped her tears off her cheeks, and stood back up.

“H-How did you… find us?” She asked. Aero chuckled softly, as he stepped inside the cottage.

“I followed you here, my dear. I spotted you when you were at some hut within the Everfree Forest. To think I managed to run into you was a one in a million, I say! You see, I also stalked you when we departed. I figured you chapettes were in grave danger, and that you wanted some extra help! But enough about me, I bet you all are wondering about the situation of this Jack fellow!” Suddenly, the ponies let out a heavy gasp of excitement. Especially Fluttershy, as she was excited the most about the news.

“REALLY?! What’s happened to him?! Is he alright?!” Fluttershy asked away, but to strain herself from overdoing the questions. Aero chuckled once more from her curiosity.

“As you might know, Jack is still progressing his way towards his goal. You see, ever since the incident occurred within the catacombs, I recently gathered up a bit of information. During the invasion, the main door leading to The Chamber of Darkness had been sealed off by two more doors. So that the secrets were to be locked away safe and sound! I dare say that the only way to open those two doors is to activate each switch located in two more wings! It’s a half a day process to do so. And if my calculations are correct, I would say that Jack will have that second sealed door open within one hour! If you want to help your dear fellow, I suggest we tallyho on over there!” The exciting news Aero explained hyphened the ponies. With all their despair and sadness dissipating quickly, Fluttershy had one question to ask.

“S-So… you know where the catacombs is?!” She asked excitedly. And to her splendid surprise, Aero nodded.

“Indeed, my dear! We better get a move on if we are to help your friend!” Aero turned around and headed straight towards the door. The ponies got back up their hooves from the thirst for adventure.

“What are we waiting for?! Let’s do this!” Rainbow Dash shouted in enthusiasm. Rarity and Applejack nodded to each other, and went straight towards the door. Pinkie Pie bounced up and down in happiness from the thrill that was about to transpire. It felt like their adventure was about to start, when Twilight suddenly stepped right in front of Aero.

“Wait! We can’t just leave without letting Princess Celestia know where we going! Especially for Spike… I can’t break his heart from what happened… I-“ Twilight’s mouth was covered by Fluttershy’s hoof.

“It’s alright, Twilight. We won’t be gone for long. And besides, Angel here will tell Spike what’s going on.” Fluttershy then looked at Angel with a smile “Won’t you Angel?” The white rabbit nodded his head in approval. Twilight had no choice but to have faith in him, and her friends.

“Alright… let’s make this quick.” Twilight said. Aero nodded his head and galloped out the door.

“Follow me! And quickly, I say!” Aero called back. While Aero dashed off, the ponies followed after him. They hoped that they weren’t too late to help Jack, as time began to tick.