The Smiling Warrior

Jack made it back to the castle as the street lamps flickered to life casting shadows across the road. A few stragglers were rushing home to escape the cool air for more welcoming accommodations. As he stepped through the door to the castle he saw Spike tidying up the living space. "Hey Spike, hows your day been?" Asked Jack catching the dragons attention.

"Well I would say same as always but you haven't really been living with us long enough to know that." Spike replied turning to dust a shelf.

"True, it's only been two days." Jack said walking towards the stairs. "Anything new then in these two days?" He said stopping at the foot of the steps.

"Not really." The dragon said with a sigh. "Oh, but there was something I wanted to ask of you. Could you maybe teach me how to fight like you do. I've never had the chance to learn and well when the girls go out to take on bad guys I'm left here to just wait because I don't have anyway to help." He asked looking to the human with his hands together.

Jack put a finger to his chin. "Hm well I don't see why not. I know a few different types of styles so we can see what best fits you later but right now I am beat from helping Applejack at the farm." He replied before giving a salute and continuing up the stairs to his bedroom. Once he got inside he quickly stripped down and dove under the covers finding sleep easily taking him.

In Canterlot, Celestia was pacing her room unable to go to sleep. Her mind was still buzzing from seeing the symbol on Jacks's wrist. "Somethings not right. The last time that symbol was seen was when HE helped me and Luna stop Discord but why is it back and why is it on that human." She said mumbling to herself before giving a grunt of frustration. "I'm going to need Luna's help on this maybe she can see something in his dreams that will tell us." And with that she teleported to Luna's chamber to find the princess on the balcony finishing the touches on raising the moon.

"Still thinking about the mark dear sister?" Luna said already knowing why Celestia was here as it had been plaguing her mind as well.

"I can't help it. You know as well as I do how dangerous that mark is. We need to see what he knows and the best way would be going into his mind. Can you see if you could look into his dreams for anything of importance that we don't already know?" Celestia asked looking to her younger sibling

"Say no more. We will have what we need by the end of the night." Luna replied already getting her dream walking spell ready.

Celestia turned and went back to her room as her sister slipped into the trance to prepare for what was to come and finally respond to the notes Twilight had sent.

Luna walked between the dreams of the ponies looking for her objective. "Let us see how about searching by magic type?" She muttered to herself warping the world and focusing on seven clear magic scales. Six were ones she could already tell belong to the Elements of Harmony but the seventh caught her eye. Approaching closer the symbol the two had been worrying about flashed across the portal showing it belonged to Jack or at least she hoped before diving in.

Rain was the first thing she felt as the world appeared around her slowly taking shape. Wire and craters covered the muddy ground with what sounded like thunder coming from all sides of her. She quickly took to the air looking around. That's when she saw the full scale of the land. A battlefield. Two sides fighting against the other in trenches or on hills scattered about, bodies or what remained lay twisted and mangled some still moving giving out cries of pain begging for an end. She scanned over the war zone to find her target and quickly found him to the right of her. Flying over and landing near by she listened in on the conversation with another man.

"Come on Jacky boy you best eat your food while we have the breathing room." The man said with a smile, playfully lifting a fork with what could only be described as grey mush.

Jack looked to the unknown man with with a frown. A bandage was wrapped around his arm blood staining through. "How can you eat at a time like this." He shot back swatting the fork away. "We're low on ammo, low on men, and the enemy could push us at any moment wiping us out!" He exclaimed.

"Come on Jacky, where's your bright smile it's not that bad. Ya gotta look on the bright side of things." Replied the man, scooping some of the food into his mouth and swallowing. "Almost like mom's cooking." He said rubbing his stomach.

"How so?" asked Jack looking to the man with a raised eyebrow but still with a frown on his face.

"Terrible and bitter." The man said this causing Jacks frown to crack and a smile to appear "There it is!" Shouted the man pointing at Jack's face before patting his knee. "You got to always smile no matter what. It will help you get through even the toughest of times."

"Yeah yeah mister happy pants and how will that get us through here?" Jack challenged leaning towards the man "What does the great Darik have to say to that huh?"

The now identified Darik looked around before leaning closer to Jack, "Don't tell anyone but I overheard the higher ups talking about support arriving soon. All we need to do is hold out till then. Now come on eat your food its getting even soggier from the rain." He finished with a laugh.

Before either could finish an alarm began blaring with a command coming through "All units prepare to charge. I repeat all units prepare to charge!"

"Well looks like there ain't no rest for the wicked eh Jacky boy." Darik said ruffling Jack's already filthy hair.

As the two man stood up Luna quickly ducked out of sight. She didn't know if the magic Jack had would allow him to see her or not. They quickly passed her hiding spot and got near the lip of the trench ready for the command to charge. After a minute it finally came. The men and women gave a battle cry as they charged over the hill into gun fire, some dropping dead as they lifted their heads up others making it a few steps. Some how both Jack and Darik made it across the zone with some others to fight for the trench across them. Luna followed a distance behind just to be safe as the two opposing forces fought and died.

"Darik watch out!" Jack shouted as he pulled his pistol and shot the man aiming at Darik.

Darik in turned pulled his shooting off three shots into the man charging Jack. "Right back at you!" he replied the smile never leaving his face as they continued to fight next to each other. They were like one person with how well they covered the others weak side never letting an opening appear for the enemy to take advantage of. They fought this way for an hour till finally the last enemy in the trench dropped dead.

The men and women cheered at the successful conquering of the zone. Jack though began to hear a noise. Looking around revealed a radio with a man shouting something in the enemy's language. "What the fu...?' Jack said lifting the receiver to his head catching the last bit to translate in his head.

"All remaining fighters retreat, retreat. Mortars inbound!" The man said.

"Oh shit! Everyone down mortars incoming!" Jack shouted ducking to the ground followed by the people who could hear him though some were still busy celebrating including Darik. On seeing this Jack tried to stand up to run for him but was too late as the mortars began smashing into the area knocking Jack to the side.

Luna watched with a hand to her mouth as dirt began obscuring her view on Jack. She'd seen war and fought in more then she could count but had never seen anything to this scale or this damaging. As the dirt settled she could make out Jack's form partially buried under some rubble. Moving closer she could see he was moving trying to get out from under it all and finally after a few moments was standing looking around frantically.

"Darik!" He shouted looking across the ruined ground seeing some people standing up in a daze but the majority dead or broken. "Darik!" He shouted again before turning on hearing his name.

"Jack." He heard weakly "Over here." Following the voice revealed Darik with a large piece of shrapnel in his abdomen trying to stop the flow of blood. "Ah there you are had me worried about you." He said smiling weakly blood splattered across his face.

"Oh no no no no this can't be happening." Jack whispered to himself as he rushed over to apply pressure to the wound. "Come on Darik stay with me. Please, please stay with me we'll get you help you'll be okay I promise." He said his hands already getting drenched in blood.

"Now now don't lie to me. We both know i'm not going to make it." Darik said gripping onto Jack's arm "Hey, where's that bright smile you have. It's missing." He said looking at Jack's face.

"Darik this isn't the time for games please stay with me. I can't lose you." Jack replied, "I NEED A FUCKING MEDIC HERE!" He yelled out into the surviving members of the charging party.

"Jack." Darik said weakly, "I want you to make a promise to me. It's really important."

"What man anything. Just please don't go." Jack said tears streaming down his face as he continued to try and stop the flow.

"Promise me you'll smile no matter how bad the situation gets. For me" Darik asked looking to Jack as his grip on his arm faded.

"I promise." Jack said nodding his head trying to put a smile on his face. "Just don't leave me please." He asked his voice cracking.

"There it is." Darik replied smiling on seeing Jack's face. "Be a good boy for our little sister will you?" He asked as his grip finally fell from Jack's arm to the ground.

"No no no please don't go big bro please I need you." Jack said the smile on his face cracking as more tears flowed down his face. "Please." He asked his head falling to his brothers body letting out a sob as he finally broke down his tears mixing with the rain washing the dirt and blood from the body.

Luna couldn't but let a cry escape as she looked on the scene causing Jack's head to snap up. Seeing her caused something to click in Jack's mind. This wasn't real no this was just a memory. A memory the princess broke into and saw. Luna could feel the temperature shift as Jack stood up with blood shot eyes and heard him say "What have you done?" Taking a step towards her. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?!?" He shouted out lunging at the ruler of the night, a rage of molten fire in his eyes.

Luna gasped before opening and closing a portal just as the mad man got within touching distance. She awoke from her trance looking around her bedroom for any signs of the man before looking out to the moon with only one thought.

"What have I done?"