Cleaning Darkness
Chapter Epilogue: Walking Once Again

By: Major Frostwing

A set of rhythmic beeps roused me from my sleep. I let out a groan before there was a loud hiss of air and me gracefully landing on the ground face first. A second groan escaped my throat as I slowly got to my feet stumbling slightly as I got my bearings. I ran a hand through my hair scratching at the back of my head as I blinked the weariness out of my eyes. "Ah fuck how long was I out this time?" I muttered letting out a yawn. I glanced to my desks to see that they were barren my groggy mind din't register it at first before I suddenly felt very awake. "WHERE THE FUCK IS MY RESEARCH!?" I yelled as I ran to my desks looking through all of the drawers on the desks. I picked up one of the desks throwing it across the room. That's when my eyes landed on the destroyed machine that sat a little bit away from mine. I let out a shrill scream as I ran over to the machine looking it over carefully. "HOW DID IT FUCKING EXPLODE!?" I roared getting to my feet making my way up to my workshop.

Once in my workshop I saw my car resting against a wall it's hood caved in. Another scream of horror. "MY CAR!" I yelled as I looked it over not daring to touch it. "Who would do this to you?" I asked as I looked to the door to my workshop. I flicked my wrist as the doors flew off slamming to the wall across from them startling a few guards. "WHERE THE FUCK IS CELESTIA?!" I demanded as the guards looked at me shaking in their armor as they pointed down the hall. I stomped off but not before trowing the guards to meet a painful knockout via the doors.

As I stomped my way towards the throne room I left craters the entire way. Muttering my rage about what happened to my research and my car. When I finally arrived at the throne room doors my foot connected with them rather violently as they slammed open shattering against the marble walls they were mounted to. "CELESTIA!" I roared when I saw her as she turned around to smile at me.

"Jon. I'm glad to finally see you up and about. A few people are waiting for you to finally return. I bet they will be excited to see you." The entire time she spoke I kept walking towards her a glare on my face. "I-Is something wrong?" She asked as I seized her by the throat lifting her off the ground.

"MY CAR! MY RESEARCH! WHAT HAPPENED TO IT ALL!?" I asked shaking her as she gagged under my grip.

"I-in hurry..." She coughed out. "Twilight..." I saw her eyes begin to roll into the back of her head when I finally released her as she grabbed her throat gasping for air.

"You broke my car because you were in a hurry... And Twilight took all of my research?" I asked as she nodded her head. "Ah." I tapped my chin thinking it over. "Makes sense. What happened to the other machine. I saw it exploded but that should not have happened." I pointed out waving my hand.

"That's what I want to tell you. We put Dash into the machine and it healed her... With some side effects."

"You mean she turned into an alicorn? Well yea the machine is connected to the tree of harmony after all took forever to run the cables for it. You shove enough Harmony magic into a person and they ascend. I did study that spell ever since I saw you perform it on Twilight." I pointed out taking a seat on the throne. "Now then how long have I been out? I hope it hasn't been more than a hundred years." I said offhandedly.

"Only three and a half Jon." I looked to her shocked before noticing my relic was sitting on my hand.

"I see. I will have to run a few calculations over why that is." Celestia finally picked herself off the ground clearing her throat a few time.

"Do you need to be so rough on me? I'm still young and beautiful after all." I looked at Celestia with a raised eyebrow combined with my best flat look. "... OK I am at least beautiful." My look did not falter as she let out a sigh. "You wound me Jon." I cracked a smile tapping her lightly on the shoulder with my fist.

"Come on Miss Young and Beautiful. I want to go over the fight with everyone... And melt down my armor and start over... Fucking thing damn near killed me." I muttered out annoyed.

"Alright Dash let's try this again. You need to focus your mana to your horn and then push with your mind. Shape the mana and pick up the feather." Twilight explained as Dash stared at the feather a glare ever present as she tried to burn the infernal object with her stare alone. A few sparks escaped from her horn before she let out a frustrated yell flipping the table. Twilight could only sigh as she magicked the table and feather back into place.

"I CAN'T DO THIS!" Dash yelled as she glare at the feather once again.

"Well it's no wonder you can't lift the feather. You got Twilight teaching you. She is a scientist not a normal run of the mill magic user." I said as I walked into the room levitating the feather up letting it rest on it's tip in perfect balance. Dash got up turning around as she heard my voice. She looked at me in shock as I gave her a two finger salute. "Sup?" I said as she took off like a bullet tackling me to the ground in a bone shattering hug. I let out a grunt as she kept squeezing.

"You damned fool." She sobbed still holding me.

"Oh come on I don't stay down long. And I am back ready for whatever is coming my way." I said as I returned the hug.

"It is good to see you up and about once more Jon." Twilight said as she walked over. "But Dash still has to work on her magic." Twilight said adjusting her glasses as Dash let out a growl of frustration.

"Mind letting me up for a second Dash I got to chat with Twilight about something very important." Dash begrudgingly let me up but she didn't release my hand. "Don't worry I ain't going anywhere." I said patting her head with a smile. "Now then Twilight. I will be taking over Dash's magic training since I am a better teacher. Also have you seen my research?" I asked as she began to sweat taking a step back as I let out a sigh. "Twilight. Twilight. Twilight. Curiosity killed the cat after all." I said with a shrug as I flicked my wrist materializing my pistol as I planted a round in the center of Twilight's forehead. Twilight jerked as she collapsed to the ground her eyes wide in shock as she was put in her death state. "Sometimes literally." I let out a sigh as I looked to Dash.

"Now then let's get started on your magic. It's very simple. Think of it like this. Pick it up with your hand." I said motioning to the feather. Dash reached down grabbing the feather before I stopped her. "You can feel your hand grabbing the feather right?" I asked as she nodded her head. "Now close your eyes and keep holding onto it just focus on holding it." Dash complied as I slowly took her hand away from the feather. "Are you still holding it?" I asked as she nodded. I looked at her horn seeing it glow a gentle blue. I looked to feather as it began to glow in the same light. I moved her arm down to her side slowly. The feather continued to float spinning in lazy circles. "Open your eyes." I said as Dash opened her eyes only to gasp in shock before her concentration broke making the feather fall. "That's simple telekinesis. Soon enough you will be able to use it in combat like me. But first you need to practice it and then we will move onto more advance spells." I smiled to her as she smiled back.

"Thank you Jon." She said as I shrugged.

"Come on Dash Let's go find Luna. She probably has what is left of Umbra." I said as I looked at Twilight's corpse seeing the hole already beginning to heal over. "Before Twilight wakes up and gives me a lecture." I said seizing Dash by the hand as I ran out of the room.

Didn't take us long to find Luna as she was staying in a guest room most likely waiting for my return. She was busy sleeping in her bed as it was still day. I cracked a smile as I snuck into the room with Dash right behind me. I looked to dash motioning to cover her ears as I looked back to the sleeping Luna throwing my arms wide. "MORNING SUNSHINE!" I boomed as I clapped my hands together releasing a shock wave of sound. Luna launched out of the bed clinging to the ceiling with her bare hands. She was taking rapid deep breaths before looking down at me glaring daggers. I on the other hand was on the ground rolling in laughter.

"That's not funny Jon." Luna grumbled as she dropped to the ground landing on her feet. "I am glad to see you awake and well." I stopped laughing for long enough to get off the ground.

"It's good to be back once again Luna. Do you happen to still have Umbra?" I asked as she smiled activating her magic as A bunch of broken bits of corrupted metal clattered to my feet.

"This is all we could recover." Luna said solemnly as I waved off her sadness.

"That's more then enough. I can still feel him." I flicked my wrist as my magic activated surrounding the pieces as the sword began to rebuild itself before our very eyes. I moved the magic carefully as Umbra was complete once more. I seized the blade looking it over carefully smiling softly to it. "I'm sorry old friend. You know I had no choice." The blade was silent before it revved violently. "Thank you." I said as I dismissed Umbra rolling my wrists. "Are we able to reforge Solaris?" I asked Luna as she looked at me with uncertainty.

"You would have to ask the elements to help you create a new Solaris." Luna said as she scratched the back of her head uncertain about something.

"Did something happen in the last 3 or so years?" I asked as Luna let out a squeak.

"Nope nope nope nothing nothing at all." Luna said as I glared at her. "Well... The public are a little eager to see you return once again. Especially after that reporter recorded the entire fight live for the entire country." I raised a finger to say something only to lower it slowly.

"I'm supposed to do some press conference or something of the sort aren't I?" I asked as Luna nodded. I couldn't help but let out a sigh face palming.

"Oh come on Jon the people are very happy to have you back. They have waited patiently for the last few years for your return. Hell even the guards want to present you with something for helping them defend the castle." Dash said as I rolled my eyes letting out a groan.

"Fuck... Let's just get this over with. When is the conference?" I asked Luna as she looked down at her watch.

"In about 5 minutes." She said as I wrapped my hands around her throat.

"WHY DO YOU FUCKS ALWAYS DO THIS TO ME!? WHY IS IT ALWAYS LAST SECOND WITH YOU DAMNED ALICORNS!" I yelled as I shook Luna violently.

I made my way towards the throne room since that is where the conference was to be held. I looked over myself still seeing the cuts and damage to my clothes from the fight with Shackle. "If I had more time I would have showered and changed." I muttered as I began to see the reporters near the entrance. I took a quick peek over the heads of the people before me to see Celestia, Twilight, and Nova standing on their raised dais talking with the reporters. I set my hand on Dash's shoulder snapping my fingers as we both teleported next to the other Princesses. A few seconds later Luna joined us.

"Ah Jon I see you didn't get changed." Celestia said as I pointed at her glaring daggers at her.

"We will talk later." I said before turning to the reporters. "Are you all recording?" I asked as they nodded their heads. "So uhhhh... What do you guys want to know?" I asked as they started yelling out their questions only for me to flick my wrist silencing everyone with a dark purple mist. "Alright should have seen that one coming. I will only accept a few questions and one at a time. Alright?" I asked as they nodded. "Good now then lets start at the back." I flicked my wrist once again as the mist disappeared. "You with the red hair." I said pointing at a female reporter in the back.

"Yes I wanted to ask about the fight. What was going through your mind while you fought against Shackle?" I tapped my chin sighing.

"Rage. Hate. Fear." I began rubbing my hands together in a weird display of weakness. "I would be lying if I said that fight went exactly how it should have. My armor was killing me slowly and I was getting my ass kicked by Shackle. If the element of Loyalty didn't accept me for that one shot everything would have died. I couldn't let that happen." I said as I pointed at another reporter this one a male with yellow hair.

"How could you not have accounted for such an oversight like your armor failing? If our survival was on a gamble then how can you expect us to trust your next gamble will fail?" He asked as I looked at him before looking to Celestia who was about to step up to say something.

"I never expect any of you to trust me. To be honest I don't fucking care if any of you trust me. I mean over three years ago you all thought I was some villain and feared me until it came out I was actually a hero. The ones who stand behind me are the ones I can count on because we are the ones who step up and put everything on the line." I said jerking a thumb behind me. "And to answer your first question. I learn from my mistakes." I snapped my fingers as the armor in question appeared next to me only to melt into a chunk of lunar steel. "Next." I said pointing at a female reporter in the front row. She had light purple hair and was calmly waiting as if she knew I would pick her.

"I was there with my crew recording your fight against Shackle. I just want to know one thing. What are you going to do now?" She asked as I looked down at her before looking at the princesses and elements that stood behind me. I flicked my eyes over the crowd of reporters before nodding my head.

"I swear on my life that I will continue to protect this country and it's people from all forms of destruction. I am the Fist of Equestria and it is time I took the mantle up once again and crush our enemies with no hesitation. Let them come. I am ready to stand and fight once again." I slammed my fist against my chest nodding my head. The room exploded into cheers as I turned back to the Princesses kneeling before them. "I am your fist use me to crush all who will threaten us. Use me to protect those under our charge. Use me to defend this great country." I lowered my head as Celestia summoned her glaive. Luna summoned her mace. Twilight summoned a rapier. Nova summoned a spear. Cadance summoned a crystal short sword with a shield. Rainbow held up her element.

"You are our fist." Celestia began smiling down at me as she rested her glaive on my left shoulder.

"We will use you to help those who can't defend themselves." Twilight said resting her rapier over Celestia's glaive

"We will use you to crush our enemies." Luna said resting her mace on my left shoulder.

"We will use you to defend our country." Cadance said resting her short sword over Luna's mace.

"We will use you as a symbol of hope." Nova said setting her spear over Twilight's Rapier.

"Uhhhh... We will..." Dash tried to think of something important to say as I couldn't help but chuckle. "Support you?" She asked looking to her fellow princesses as they each giggled nodding their heads. Dash smiled setting her hand over Cadance's Short Sword. I bowed my head low as each weapon was raised off of me.

"Rise Jon. The Fist of Equestria." Celestia said as I got to my feet turning back to the crowd of reporters raising a hand.

"You all know where to find us." I said as I snapped my fingers as The elements, the Princesses, and myself teleported to a different room of the castle. "I think that went pretty well." I said turning back to everyone smiling. "Now if you will excuse me I am gonna go get some food. I am starving." I said kicking the doors to the room we were all cramped into exiting with a pep in my step.

Author's Note

And that is Cleaning Darkness. I am currently working a non-cannon story of the S.A.A.B. series and will be posting that when I get around to finishing the thing. anyway I hope you all enjoy.