A Different Kind of Paradise

Epilogue

The sun’s rays were almost unbearable.  As they crept through the broken branches into his still-shut eyes he cringed, tossed and turned to try in vain to prevent the sphere of light from interrupting his slumber.   As he moved about he groaned audibly as eventually he was roused from his sleep.  His eyes tore open as he breathed shallowly.  Slowly he regained his senses as he examined where he was.

As his eyes scanned the shattered three limbs above him, the dark woods around him and the soft mossy grass beneath him the question on his lips was not “Where am I?”  But rather “Am I alive?”

Eventually he found the strength to lift one of his arms and raised it in front of his face.  He examined his vicious clawed hand front and back, gaping in disbelief.  “I don’t believe it” he said to himself, putting his hand on his forehead.  “I am still alive.”

Justice sat himself up and began to laugh as he looked himself over; not a cruel, psychotic laugh but rather a warm hardy laugh, a laugh that celebrated the fact that he thought himself dead but was privileged to live another day.

“I don’t understand.”  He said to himself as he tried to stand.  “I don’t deserve to live, not after what I did to them.  Why am I still alive?”  Due to his lack of strength Justice fell face-first to the ground.

He noticed a nearby stream, knowing the sustenance would do him good he slowly made his way to the water’s edge.  There he fell to his knees and began to drink.  During a short pause between drinks Justice noticed his reflection, crisp and clear in the water’s surface, unchanged by the flowing current.  As he stared deeper into the image he became immersed in his own features, until suddenly his face changed from him idly staring to him roaring in a sick mix of fury and insanity; with a mouth so twisted and eyes so deranged that even the boldest Ursa Major would run screaming.  Seeing this caused Justice to jump back in fear, moments after seeing this horrible illusion Justice began to cry.

After wiping his eyes Justice stared at his hands and saw them coated in blood; he remember the scientists that he burned alive, he remembered the Canterlot ponies he had thrown about and pummeled like child’s playthings, he remembered the guard he ripped in half, and he remembered strangling Gabe.  “What am I?”  He asked, still sobbing.  “What have I done?”  He cried more and reflected on the monster he was.   “Is this why I continue to live?  To remember the monster I once was and always will be?”

Horrified with this revelation Justice cried more.   He had lost the evil in his heart just to have it shown to him.  Luna was given a new body that everypony would accept and forgive, but he was still the wicked demon he was created as; he felt true despair, knowing that he was forever bound by his past and his previous sins.

Justice looked up from his anguish when he heard cooing.  He looked over and saw a white dove, and in its beak it was carrying a white flower.  The dove hopped forward and placed the flower by Justice’s leg.

Justice just stared, confused.

Seeing that Justice wasn’t getting the message the dove inched the flower into Justices hand.

“Is…”  Justice stammered, still confused as he gently picked up the flower.  “Is this for me?”

The dove cooed as it nodded its head.

“I don’t understand, why would you give this to me?  And why aren’t you afraid?  I’m a monster.”

Unable to respond, the dove simply flew away.  Leaving Justice still confused.

Justice stared at the flower and then it dawned upon him.  He picked himself up from the dirt, his look of confusion being replaced by a stern glare.  “No.”  He said to himself.  “No more will I be a monster, no more will I blame others for my misfortune, no more will I cast judgment upon those I do not tolerate.  I will cast off my old ways, redeem myself for what I’ve done, and make myself anew!”  He held his fist, with the flower within, high in the air.

After a period of time Justice brought his hand down and held the flower to his heart.  He turned and made his way into the forest.

“Thank you…”

“Gabriel…”

“…My Friend.”

End.