Jack woke up slowly, feeling a set of arms wrapped around him. Looking to his chest he saw Luna lightly snoring, her sides rising with each breath she took. When more of his senses came to him Jack saw that they were in his room. "Huh, well at least now I don't have to worry about getting off the moon." He muttered to himself. Nudging the sleeping princess slightly he began to call her name, trying to wake her up. "Luna. Oh Luna." He said.

The princess began to stirred slightly. "Wha huh?" She asked, her eyes fluttering open. When she saw Jack a small squeak left her as she ducked down into the crook of his shoulder. It didn't do much since her larger body was smothering his slightly. "Swerry." Came her muffled voice.

"What was that love?" He teased, making the princess hide even more. Giving a gentle laugh Jack started to scratch behind one of her ears and once she started leaning into his hand, pulled it back slowly so she would follow till she was fully out of hiding. "How'd you sleep?" He asked. A rapid set of knocks hit his door making the pair look to it. With a sigh he gently pushed luna up so that he could walk towards the door. Luna took the sheets of the bed to cover her naked form as Jack opened the door to reveal a slightly winded Fluttershy. "What's going on?" He ordered when he saw the look of fear on her face.

Fluttershy looked up from her slightly bent position at him "Crusaders...night...woods...monsters." Came the exhausted reply though dogged breaths. She noticed Luna on his bed causing a blush to form on her face as she realized what she had interrupted but was snapped out of it when Jack took his hand to turn her face towards him again.

"Where." Was all he said, sending a shiver through her body from how powerful the word sounded from him. His eye's bore into hers.

"Everfree." She whispered out. She barely noticed him pass her as a glowing set of makeshift armor appeared around him. Looking back into the room she saw Luna still sitting there with a small blush on her face. "Umm, I'll just follow him.." She said, trailing off at the end as Luna nodded slightly and closed the door with her magic.

Jack stood at the forest entrance listening to the various sounds emanating from the haunting place. "So you'll be coming with me huh?" Jack said, not taking his eye's off the woods as Fluttershy landed next to him.

"Um yes... if you don't mind that is." She confirmed in her usual shy way. "I can probably see if some of the critters saw the girls or lead you to someone who can." She added, doing her best to seem brave but the shaking in her body ruined that.

Jack looked her up and down before stepping towards her. "Let me make this clear. I know you care about all animals but if there is a threat then I need to put it down so that we can survive. Promise me you won't jump in the way or think less of me if I do." He asked, his face laying neutral.

Fluttershy look up at him and stopped shaking in fear for a moment. "I have had to put down creatures before." She stated, making the man raise an eyebrow at her. "My job is to take care of creatures yes but well... sometimes the best way to help them is to put them down." She explained as she pulled out her element necklace. It started to glow and change into a bow with a butterfly on either end. "Each bearer has the power to make a weapon if the situation can't be solved peacefully. I've only had to use it a few times but I do know how to fight." She added with confidence.

Jack looked at her slightly surprised before turning back to the forest and walking into it, followed closely by Fluttershy. The two stopped every now and then so that Fluttershy could speak with the animals. "Any luck?" He finally asked after the ninth stop.

She frowned and shook her head. "They have seen them but don't know where they went specifically. I think it's time you met one of our friends." She said, changing her direction to go where they needed too. The walk was filled with silence until Fluttershy asked "Do you fear anything?"

"Huh? Why do you ask that?" He asked back confused.

Fluttershy looked back at the man through her mane. "Well it's just... you always rush forward to help others and don't seem to ever stop to think about yourself. You must be very brave much more then I could ever be." She finally answered after a long pause.

Jack stopped in his tracks and caught her hand. "Do you know the definition of bravery?" He asked. When she looked at him, shaking her head he continued. "Its to show courage. But another way you can define the word... is its to have the strength to be afraid and still push onwards. I am not scared by things, for example this whole world around us, it doesn't scare me... it terrifies me." He said calmly. He let go of her hand and moved past her following the trail as Fluttershy stood there, mulling over what he had said before jumping in shock when she realized he wasn't slowing down for her.

A silence fell over them once more as they continued to their new destination. Shy's mind was buzzing over the words Jack had told her. "Could I be brave too?" She thought to herself.

Finally the tree line thinned enough to form a small open area where a hut covered in decoration that reminded him of tribes in Africa. Stepping to the door Fluttershy gave three soft knocks. "Zecora, it's me Fluttershy. We need your help." She called out.

The door swung open ominously to show a darkened room that looked like a hurricane had ripped through it. Bottles of different concoctions oozed and dripped to the floor, a heavy black cauldron was tipped over devoid of anything. Jack stepped past Shy to look over the room, examining for any hints as to what happened. Slowly working his way around the room in a methodical manner so as not to miss anything he finally found something that could help them.

A single boar tusk.

Handing the tusk to Fluttershy, she began looking it over slowly gaining a more worried expression. "Oh no..." She whispered out when she seemed certain of what it was.

"You know what it is?" Jack asked already looking for tracks near the door.

"Its a wereboar." Fluttershy said, rushing past the crouched man and pulling her bow string back and pointing to the sky. Letting the arrow fly it burst into a sparkling explosion that drifted down and formed an after image of the creature with a mare with striped fur over it's shoulder. "Follow that image." Ordered Fluttershy, all the worry gone from her, now replaced with determination when she realized how dire of a situation this was.

The two booked it to keep up with the large image as Jack questioned the mare. "What is it, what can it do, what are weaknesses?" He questioned as they ran.

Fluttershy to his surprise wasn't even breathing hard as she answered him while running. "Wereboar's are old species infected with an even older illness of lycanthropy, depending on how old this one is they can do large amounts of damage and have incredibly thick hides, they have poor eyesight and sense of smell, fire is usually the safest bet but you run the risk of setting the area on fire. Other way's are just lots of blunt force trauma or a really sharp weapon that can cut through all the fur and muscle."

Jack noticed the image ahead of them slowing as a cave came into view. Slowing them both down he crouched with Fluttershy, surveying the area. "Think you can help me kill it?" He asked, looking at the mare.

She gulped down her fear as a wave of calm she wore during her operations to put down creatures that needed to be washed over her. "My arrows should be able to kill it but I'll need to hit the same spot a few times." She stated. The two looked to each other before stepping out of the brush in unison and walking towards the cave entrance. Grunts and snorts could be heard echoing from the cave as the two got closer. Stepping inside slowly so their eyes could adjust they first noticed the rancid smell of decaying meat and fecal matter. Next, once they could see properly, was the large hunched over form of what they both could easily tell was the monster they were looking for. It was busy ripping chunks out of a carcass, the thing was so mangled and twisted that neither could tell what it was. The last thing for them to notice was the huddled up forms of three specific fillies over the limp form of the mare they had seen in the image.

Jack tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder to get her attention. Pointing to the side of the beast where there was more shadows to hide in then pointing to himself and making a walking figure with his hand towards that direction. Shy understood and moved to the opposite side as the pair got ready to attack. Once both were in place Jack gave a final nod to his partner before charging forward, making his fist charged with electricity as he delivered a powerful right hook into the monsters jaw, sending a shockwave blasting around the cave. The monster roared as Jack sprang back, narrowly missing the wereboar's retaliation swing.

The girls looked up at the sudden change of noise to see Jack fighting their captor. "Jack!" They yelled in surprise at his sudden appearance, shock and hope springing to their faces.

Fluttershy took the opening to let loose three quick shots of magic arrows into the side of the monster, burning the fur slightly though not breaking through yet. A foul odor filled the air as unwashed and mangled fur burned. "Girls! How's Zecora?" Fluttershy shouted to them from her position as she readied more shots when the monster turned to her.

Applebloom was the first to break out of her shock and replied "She's still breathing but she's got a nasty bump on her head!"

The monster raised itself up from it's squatting position gaining three more feet on it's already large stature. It gave a roar that shook the ground, stomping towards her. She let fly her shots, each targeting a possible weak point but only enraging the beast more. As it got closer the wereboar raised a fist to bring down on Fluttershy only to have it pulled further back as Jack leaped onto it's shoulders and pulled with all his might. "No hitting the pretty lady." He ordered as the monster tried to pull out of his grip. Jack wrapped his legs around the monsters neck to hold on as it began to buck and jostle, trying to throw the man off. Finally it bent itself forward and charged the cave wall. Having no time to react Jack was slammed into the wall with a almost sickening crunch, dropping to the ground limp.

"Oh no." Whispered Fluttershy as she shot arrow after arrow into the monster, trying to get a shot that would injure it at least. It bent down to charge again this time at Shy who had moved to put herself between it and the girls. before it could move forward a rock hit the back of it's head. Whipping around everypony saw Jack bracing against the cave wall with blood streaming down his head.

"Oi fucknut! I never said we were done!" He shouted at the monster as he pushed off the wall to stand in the middle of the cave. The monster scrapped it's hoof, getting ready for a charge. Jack put his hands to his side getting in a batting position as the beast charged. Pushing magic into a random form he swung once the monster was close enough filling the area with a meaty 'WHACK!' stopping the charge. Looking to the weapon he made in his hands that had knocked the beast to the side slightly he saw a three foot long dildo with a baseball handle in his hands. The word 'Penetrator' bedazzled across the side. Jack's face scrunched up at the weird weapon. "Huh, well like I guess it works." He mumbled confused but was quickly punched out of the cave by the now thoroughly pissed off wereboar. Bouncing off the ground multiple times with a swear word following each connection with the ground he slid to a stop, the sun blazing down into his eyes. Three different figures looked down at him with various levels of smugness on their faces.

"Need some help?" Asked Lucky with a giggle.

Jack scowled at the three's laughter. "Oh so nooooow you cunts show up." He complained to them. Once helped up he looked at them in annoyance, the ground shaking as the beast stomped outside, forgetting about his prisoners in the cave.

Brave hummed as he looked over Jack. Well we thought you might like to learn your next form." He said calmly.

Perking up at that tidbit of information he looked at the three with a different perspective. "You mean monster form?" He asked as the wereboar got closer.

Yep, I will be giving you a boost so you don't burn out from it like you did hero form. This time you'll be stable." Scorch stated as he stepped back into Jack along with the others. Just as the beast loomed over Jack and swung both fists down to crush him Scorch clapped his hands together. "Show time!" He shouted in excitement as all the blood pouring from Jack's wounds turned an inky black. A layer of it surrounded Jack's twisting form creating a shell that made the monsters fists bounce off of him.

A insane smile split across Jack's features as his mouth stretched and cut open to reveal piercing sharp teeth, each one sharper then a razor. Inky black liquid began dripping from his body, taking the form of scythe like weapons. A deep demonic chuckle began building in his chest as he turned to the monster. Giving his own monstrous screech Jack slammed a fist into the gut of the beast making it bend over in pain. Slicing across the monsters face and body, shredding through the layers of matted fur and flesh. Soon blood began seeping from the wounds as the monster turned to run away but didn't get far as Jack shot a tendril out of his hand that wrapped around the beast's ankles. With a effortless heave the tendril whipped the enemy into the air and a simple snap of Jack's wrist sent it flying down into the ground. The monster began crawling out of the small crater it's body had made only for it to see Jack's twisted form standing over it. The smile on Jack's face grew as a hand went to either side of the monsters shoulders and lifted it up. "S̶̩͋̋n̸͚̙̝̈́̆̆̑͆ḁ̸̜̓̀͜c̷̛̤̪͍̗͓̳̏̏̇̀̚ḱ̶̪̘͓̬͇̂͊̀͗́̇̚ ̴̢̥̪͈̝̋͌̄̌͐̊̓͊t̴̢̛͓̖͔̙̯̣̒̎̽͊͝i̵̟̞̜̔̃̂̉̕m̴̲͍͙̞̬̗͈͊̍͑̍̽ȩ̴̡̡͖̬͔͉̖̓́̓̓ " Came the distorted voice as his jaw unhinged itself and he clamped down on the neck of the monster, making blood squirt and pulse out. The beast twisted and tried to fight but the broken body soon fell limp as it's blood was drained.

Fluttershy had just gotten to the cave entrance to see Jack change and then kill the wereboar. She put a hand to her mouth at the sudden kill and looked away. When she looked back Jack was standing in front of her back in his normal form with blood soaked across his body. She wanted to ask what she had just seen but his stare quickly told her now wasn't the time to ask. "W...we need t-to get ZecoraAaaA out of here." Fluttershy finally shook out once the fear started to subside.

Jack passed her silently, wiping off as much of the pig blood on him before hunching over Zecora's still limp body. The girls were too worried about Jack to ask about the fight so they silently followed him out of the cave towards Fluttershy's cottage. Once back to safety the girls went to their respective homes to ease the worry of their families. He laid the still unconscious mare down on the couch for Fluttershy to look over, resigning himself to an armchair in the corner waiting to be called if needed.

"What was that?" Shy finally asked once she worked up the courage after looking over and bandaging up Zecora. She had moved over to look over Jack next, working to cover any cuts or bruises.

He gave out a large sigh. "You know how I have that scary animal like form right?" He questioned. When she nodded he continued on "That one you saw is called monster form, it's stronger then beast and my regular human form but of course anything called monster form is going to be scary and intense." He explained, looking away from the mare as she wrapped up a cut on his arm. "I'm sorry if I scared you..." He added weakly, worried he'd just scared away a friend.

Fluttershy was silent other then a light humming before resting a hand on the finished bandage. "Don't be. It's like you said bravery is being afraid of something but still having the strength pushing onwards." She replied gently with a kind smile when Jack looked at her in mild shock. She kissed his cheek softly making the man blush. "Besides, if you still feel you have to make up for it I believe I might be next in line for that date." She teased with a wave of courage passing through her. A small giggle escaped her at his blush. "But for now rest. You're probably going to need all the energy you can once the other girls hear what you did to save the crusaders." She added sweetly, taking a seat near Zecora to watch over her.

Author's Note

What's up guys my names Chad and I had severe writers block! But yes hello the stories back and felt it was due time Zecora entered the fray. Also I'm looking for an artist to make an original art piece for the story, if interested PM me and I'm super willing to pay a commission if necessary!