The Smiling Warrior

Jack roared like a lion, slamming his hands into the snout of Reaver. Twisting his body the human started to pull the giant dragon up and around his shoulder. Reaver's form slammed into the mountain side, sending a wave of crushed rocks down to earth. Twilights orb and Red dropped from his clutches, falling to the ground below. Jack rushed after them summoning a large hand of magic to grab Red as he hefted the orb on his shoulders. "I got you. Don't worry." He soothed to Twilight. Touching down he could see the other girls and Spike slowly coming out of hiding. "Guys! Take these three and get out of here." He ordered, stepping back in the direction of the dracolich's form rising out of rubble. "I need to handle something." He said, slamming a fist into his palm.

"You... can't fight him.... Jack." Came the weakened voice of Red, slowly gaining consciousness.

"Red, you can't stop me from protecting those I care about. Just-" He began getting stopped by Red slamming a claw down on the ground, pushing himself into a stand.

Grunting as he cracked his neck the dragon looked down at the human. "Let me finish boy. You can't fight him without me. I have as much stake as you do." Red stated, casting a look at Ember's form.

Laughing slightly Jack walked up to the stubborn dragon, tapping his chest, a wave of magic spreading out from the touched point. Scales and wounds began to close and repair themselves until Red looked as good as he had before fighting. "Ready then?" The human asked with a cocky grin, getting a nod from the dragon.

As they walked away Twilight called out to Jack. "Wait!" When he turned to look back at her she stopped for a moment before her eyes hardened with determination. "As a princess of Equestia and your ruler I give full rights to you Jack Teller to defeat this threat. Any problems that arise after you win will be taken care of by me." She commanded, puffing her smaller chest out.

"Come on Twi. We need to get out of here." AJ warned, tugging at the other mare's tattered sleeve.

Jack gave a laugh as they began to move away, waving at them. "As you command!" He shouted after them while a shadow began to block the light coming from outside above. "Looks like the old bastards back up." He said, looking up to see Reaver clutching the sides of the broken roof to look down at them.

"Just who thinks they can lay a finger on me?" Reaver questioned, peering down at Jack and Red.

Bowing while Red scoffed Jack shouted up at the dracolich with a smile. "Hi there! Jack Teller, hero mostly part time but getting promoted to full time." He happily chirped upwards. The smile then quickly dropped into a sneer. "Also picking up being your executioner now." He growled.

Booming laughter ripped from Reaver's chest as he threw his head back. "Ahhhh, you're the pest He said I needed to kill huh! Wonderful indeed! Now I don't need to look for you." Reaver said, looking back down at their position. "I'll enjoy turning you into my puppets." He rumbled in amusement. Raising one mighty clawed hand he sent it flying down at speeds not fitting a creature his size.

Red lashed his tail out, wrapping it around Jack's waist. Flapping his wings he sent them backwards just missing the claw. "Hop on!" He shouted, flinging Jack into the air as he himself took off.

Catching a spike along Red's back Jack hauled himself into a saddled position on Red. "Yeehaw! Let's show this old bag of bones what we can do!" He yelled, transforming a bow of magic in his hands. Firing shots of energy into Reaver the arrows stuck, hissing but doing nothing.

"Hahaha! You'll have to do more then that to even make me feel!" Reaver laughed at their attempts before sniffing. "Why do I smell incense?" He muttered. The arrows then one by one explode in a blast of color, blowing chunks out of Reaver's body. "Rahh!" He roared in annoyance as half of his arm still holding flesh disappeared.

Pulling at his eye Jack stuck his tongue out at the dracolich. "Focus idiot! Didn't we say not take him lightly!" Brave lectured.

"He's right Jack, he almost killed me when I fought him." Scorch reminded the human, watching from his spot in Jack's mind.

"Ugh, guys?" Lucky called to them, pointing out a glowing mark near Jack's shoulders but was quickly ignored by the other two busy lecturing their carrier.

Jack elected to not listen to them as Red pulled in his wings while spinning to dodge black tendrils that shot out form their enemy's form. Flying across the visible bones on Reaver the mounted dragon let loose a torrent of flames, scorching the bones black. Twisting in the air Red let Jack get close enough to swing a fist at the bone with a fist, cracking it slightly from the force.

Another bout of laughter came from the massive undead as the charred bones seemed to reverse the damage done slowly. "Weak attacks like that won't work on me hatchlings. I am immortal and unending." He boasted, waving a hand through the air to slap them out of the sky.

Jack gripped the sides of Red pressing his thumb into a sweet spot at his wing joints. The dragons wings snapped shut suddenly and he lengthened into a sharp point, just scrapping between the clawed fingers of the monsters hands. Once the threat passed he undid his grip allowing Red to relax. "Sorry about that mate." Jack apologized.

"Warn me next time you want to control my body." Red growled. "Got any ideas on how to beat this guy? I can't just dodge everything he throws at us forever." He questioned, looking back at his rider with a scowl.

Looking over the heavily damaged city Jack could see battles still raging across the surface and skies. Anger at the chaos bubbled inside him as a frown replaced his smile. "Not really but that doesn't mean we can't try right?" He replied, his hand tightening on the spike in his hand.

Giving a 'hmph' Red swung himself upwards. Rising quickly he ducked and weaved through more black tendrils lashed out by Reaver. "Well figure something out. I have to focus on keeping us from dying." He ordered, twirling to the side but still getting slashed lightly by a shot of energy from one of the dracolich's finger tips.

"There we go! One step closer to the grave now!" The undead master yelled at them with glee. "Once I have both of your corpses' under my control I can play with those that ran away. Especially that purple pony. I want to see how long she can keep me away from tormenting that cute form with her magic." He said sleazily, licking a disgustingly decayed tongue across his lips.

As he listened to the enemy Jack's mind seemed to click into something. Blankley he didn't feel his hand slowly let go of the spike helping him stay on Red. "No..." was all he softly whispered, his form now falling towards the dracolich.

Brave and Scorch shouted at Jack as he fell while Lucky's attention drew more fully on the glowing marks on Jack's shoulder. "What in the blazes are you?" He mumbled, feeling a pressure coming off them.

"A hero!" Came Jack's voice yet somehow muffled as if in a helmet. The marks suddenly exploded in a cascade of light as metal began to fold itself over Jack's arms. Fur lined pauldrons wrapped around his shoulders as metal gauntlets appeared on his arms. with a roar Jack shouted "YOU WON'T TOUCH ANY OF THEM!" Like a comet Jack's speed doubled turning him into a blurred streak of color.

Tendrils launched from Reaver who began to laugh manically. "Yes! There's that power I felt hiding inside you! You're just like him." He joyfully said, spreading his arms out.

On contact with Jack's form the mass of tendrils evaporated into mist. His body slammed into Reaver's face sending both of them into the ground. The earth shook as if a bomb had gone off. Jack raised his fist, striking repeatedly at the undead's face. Scales flew into the air as Jack roared in rage. "I'll fucking kill you if you try to harm them!" He screamed, the armored pieces seeming to spread across his body with grinding noise as if fighting something.

"Keep focus Jack!" Lucky shouted from inside Jack's head. "Losing your cool opens you to mistakes." He lectured.

Darkness seeped from the new wounds appearing on Reaver's form as the enraged hero struck at anything within his reach. "You can try to end me hatchling." the dracolich challenged, reaching to grip the hero tightly. "But I've faced much worse then you. Your weak little hits won't do anything to me." He insulted, laughing once more while pulling Jack close to his face.

"Shut up!" Jack yelled, his mouth opening with a ball of light glowing inside. A beam poured out from the ball, widening to the size of a small building. The beam struck Reaver's face causing him to shout in pain as part of his face melted away with the beam. On feeling the monster's grip loosen Jack strained his arms to the side, forcing himself out of the grip. Rushing in he grabbed around the melted skull of Reaver as another blast built up inside of him. Seeing a blackened brain pulse slightly in the skull Jack took aim and fired the blast. Tearing through the brain and out of the bottom of the enemy's neck caused Reaver to stiffen.

Like a tree being cut down his form groaned as he fell once more. The ground sent up a wave of dust and dirt obscuring view from the outside. Reaver's body began to shrink down slowly with no more activity from him. Soon he laid out sprawled across the ground unmoving.

Jack breathed heavily as the armor on his arms and upper sides receded away until only a simple gloved hand remained. "Never...gonna t-touch them...ever." He wheezed out, stumbling away from the body.

Red landed near to him with a thud. "Is he dead?" He questioned, peering over the humans shoulder.

"Dead once more. Hopefully this time for good." Jack answered. "Now take me to everyone. I can't feel my body." He groaned in annoyance when he suddenly heard a shifting behind him. "You gotta be shitting me." He complained, turning to see Reaver's form slowly standing once more.

"Grah gurrra harckw." Reaver gurgled out, what remained of his tongue hanging out of the hole Jack had blasted through his head. Pointing a single claw at Jack he began to wobble forward, a black orb appearing at the tip of his finger. "Die!" He shouted in a slur. A piercing beam leaped from his finger tip towards the weakened Jack.

It drew closer as time slowed for the human. He could see Red shouting something at him, moving to dive into the way. He could feel the three inside of his head screaming at him to move. Try as he might his body just didn't have the energy left to dodge out of the way. "Well this sucks." He thought to himself as the beam reached just in front of him...

Before touching him a purple shield flew into life around him, bouncing the shot into the air and away from the human. Twilight appeared above a crumbled building, her mane flying in the breeze as dark purple energy leaped from her eyes. With clenched fists her wings spread open wide. "You will not be killing my bodyguard!" She said, energy building around her horn. A crown appeared on her head with a multi-pointed star. Pointing her hands upwards from her sides a star appeared behind her illuminating her form. Her voice boomed in a commanding tone "I COMMAND YOU TO DIE!" the star shattered behind her, the pieces flying past her and striking into Reaver. Chunks of his body tore from his form as he howled in pain. Circling her hands in a half circles Twilight let out a chant, pointing a single finger at Reaver's mess of a body. "Heaven's above let loose your rage to purge the lands of filth!" Flicking her finger up then back down at Reaver a thunderous boom echoed through the air. The sky seemed to split in two as a waterfall of purple light fell from above onto the dracolich's form.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Reaver screeched in a death throe. His body disappeared in the blinding light. Any darkness that left him being obliterated in a moment.

Soon the light ceased and other pained screams could be heard around the city but they were taken over quickly by a victory cry from the citizens that survived. Jack and Red couldn't help look at the princess in stunned silence. Both flinched slightly when she turned her gaze on them. Striding confidently forward Twilight approached the tired human, a scowl on her face as if looking at something annoying. Jack began to worry, rubbing the back of his head. "Uhhh, nice light show there princess." He said weakly. "oof." He grunted as she suddenly threw herself into his chest. Instinctively he wrapped his arms around her body feeling her shake slightly. "Hey now, what's wrong?" He soothed, stroking at her mane.

Looking up Twilight revealed tears streaking down her face. "I was so worried for you. You rushed in to save us again and then I saw you take him down but I felt something was wrong a-and..." She began to word vomit out at him before breaking down further into tears.

Shaking his head Jack gently squeezed her tighter. "Shhh, shhh, shhh. Don't worry at all. Thanks to you everything's ok. You became the hero of the day in the end." He soothed. Soon though he felt his legs give out from under him making him drop to the surprise of Twilight and Red who had been silently watching the exchange.

"Jack!" Twilight squeaked in surprise. Quickly moving she took hold of him to keep his head from hitting the ground. "Red, take us to the southern gate. It's where everyone is." She ordered.

Silently the dragon picked them both up, placing them on his back before taking off to the chosen destination. In no time the trio landed near makeshift tents full of dragons and other species that had visited at the time. Hopping off Twilight took Jack into one of the tents while Red shrank to fit inside. The tent held the rest of the elements, Spike, and Ember who rushed over to embrace Red. "Thank the gods you are still alive." Ember said, burying her face into her mates chest.

"Same could be said of you." Red chuckled, grasping her tightly.

The others surrounded Twilight and Jack as he was laid down on a cot. "Oh my gosh. Is he ok?" Fluttershy asked, looking over his body.

"Please tell me that nasty guy is gone." Applejack pleaded. She stepped back when Fluttershy needed room to look over Jack's head.

Twilight sighed before sitting on a cot next to them. "He should be ok just passed out from overexertion, his specialty. As for that monster...let's just say I used up more magic then I've had to in a while." She explained, looking to the side so as not to see any of their expressions.

A groan came from Jack as he woke half up. "She was angry and it was hot." He muttered, passing out once again.

The others gave small chuckles at his response while Twilight was blushing deeply. Eventually Fluttershy gave a nod of approval before telling them "He will be fine. Like Twilight had said he just pushed himself to hard. For now let's let them rest at least for a little bit." She pushed the others lightly out of the tent while waving goodbye to her friend. She even got Red and Ember to leave with little argument.

Soon it was just Twilight and a quiet Jack resting with a few others scattered off on the other side of the room. Laying in silence Twilight looked around until gently she moved her cot next to Jacks. Turning on her side she took in his appearance, noting the few scratches across his face yet also how calm he seemed in his sleep. "You really are an amazing individual." She said aloud, smiling softly.

"And you are a fantastic magic user." Jack replied softly, shocking her as he looked her in the eyes. "What? Thought I'd miss the chance to have a private conversation for once with you?" He questioned, smirking at her reaction.

Stammering slightly Twilight took a moment to gather herself. "I thought you'd be asleep for a little longer. What with fighting another crazy enemy once more." She said. She gained a self-conscious look before asking "Did I really look hot when I was angry?"

Giving a little chuckle at her question Jack brushed a bit of her hair behind an ear. "Oh absolutely. Ya know, if it wasn't for the situation I would have asked you out but well..." He answered, gesturing to his slightly bruised body. "Kinda a bit of work to move at the moment."

Giving her own giggle Twilight leaned her head against his, taking care not to poke him with her horn. "Maybe once we get back we can make that more official?" She asked shyly.

Narrowing his eyes while his smile turned mischievous. "Oh? Getting thoughts already running through your mind?" He teased.

Rolling her eyes Twilight looked at him before taking on a stern face. "I command you to take me out on a date." She ordered before breaking out into a blushing giggle.

Awkwardly saluting from his side Jack replied "As you command my princess." Resting an arm across her side and tugging her slightly closer.

Wiggling into his chest Twilight sighed contently. "I won't lie...I kind of like the sound of being your princess." She mumbled, her eyes closing.

Giving a hum Jack stroked the back of her head. "I'm more then willing to say it more often." He said, his own eyes closing as sleep took over them both.

Neither noticed the group hanging just outside of the flaps to the tent, watching and listening to everything that happened. They all gave soft "Awww." at the display before dispersing to their own tents to rest after the whole ordeal.