When Death Knocks

When Death Knocks

Epilogue

“Sleep when you’re dead, son.” A gruff voice said sternly. “ Get up, we’ve got some things to discuss.”

I was jolted awake by a firm kick to my side. I heaved a deep breath as my eyes snapped open, but for some reason, I didn’t lash out at my attacker. Rather, a serene feeling of calm washed over me as I took in my surroundings. I was laying in a featureless room with steel-grey walls, illuminated by soft blue lights set into the ceiling. Looming above me was a middle-aged man with lean, hawkish features, his shaved head covered by a high-peaked cap. His grey uniform was immaculate, and his left breast was adorned with dozens of gleaming medals. He regarded me with a calm, distant gaze as I hurried to my feet and snapped him a brisk salute.

“Colonel McAllister, sir!” I said, recognizing the man for who he was: Commander-in-Chief of the Special Forces. Which is to say, my boss.

“At ease, Lieutenant.” The Colonel replied, waving his hand dismissively. “There’s no need to be so formal. This is your mind, after all.” He smiled faintly at my confused expression. “You’re not dead yet, boy. You got pretty damned close, even by your standards, but you’re still breathing. You’re lucky the princess saved your sorry arse. You’re in Canterlot right now, laying in some hospital bed. Last time I checked, Twilight was still sitting beside you. Stubborn girl has been there all night.”

I furrowed my eyebrows at his words. “All night?” I asked. “How…how long have I been out, sir?”

“’Bout twelve hours, give or take.” The Colonel replied in a matter-of-fact tone. “You’re in a coma, but your condition is stable. Aurelius’ magic messed your guts up good, but at least they pumped that poison from your veins. It was close a few times, but you pulled through. Death’s going to be angrier than the Devil himself, but you’ve been pissing him off for years, haven’t you?” He chuckled quietly, before shaking his head. “But enough about that. You and I need to talk about a few things, before you get to waking up.”

The Colonel clasped his hands behind his back, boots clicking softly as he paced in front of me. “You’ve been serving in the military since you were eighteen, Lieutenant.” He said. “You’ve undertaken hundreds of missions, and killed more men than I care to count. You’re one of the best assets EarthGov has as its disposal…but son, I think it’s time you put your soldiering days behind you.”

“I…don’t think I can do that, sir.” I replied uncertainly, not knowing how to take the Colonel’s words. “I’ve thought about it before, but…I just don’t know if I can set it aside. I’ve been at it for so long, it’s all I know how to do.”

“I know. Men like us always have trouble settling down.” The Colonel said quietly, coming to a halt in front of me. “But do you remember what I told you, after your first assignment in the Special Forces? When you mentioned how you missed home?”

I remembered his words in my head, clearer than glass. They’d haunted me for a long time, before experience taught me their true meaning. Even now, years later, I remembered what McAllister had said exactly. They were the sort of words that a soldier carried to his grave.

“I do.” I said, lowering my voice and mimicking the Colonel's growl,  “You said, ‘Home? Son, we can’t go home. There was a time when we could, but we’re in too deep now. For men like you and me, there’s only one thing waiting for us at the end: Death. And if we’re lucky…peace’.”

“Exactly.” The Colonel replied, setting a hand on my shoulder. “Peace is what we all want, Lieutenant. Yet only a few of us ever truly attain it. And even then, it comes with a heavy price.” He tapped a finger on my chest. “But you’ve been handed something unique. You’re in a land where peace isn’t just a fool’s dream. God knows you’ve paid your dues a hundred times over, Lieutenant.”

“I don’t belong in Equestria, sir.” I said, shaking my head at him. “I…I have too much blood on my hands. Hell, I’m no better than Aureli-” I was interrupted when the Colone’s fist struck me solidly across the cheek, sending me reeling back a few steps. I didn’t feel the slightest hint of pain, but the shock alone was enough to keep my mouth shut.

“Aurelius was a damned monster.” The Colonel spat, glaring angrily at me. “You may think you’re like him, Lieutenant, but you’re not. You’ve never taken a life that didn’t need to be taken. You’ve saved thousands of innocents, and you’ve done so without asking for fame or recognition. For years, you’ve walked into the worst hellholes the galaxy has to offer, knowing full well you wouldn’t even get a damned burial if you died.” He lifted his chin defiantly. “You can be a bastard, but you’re no monster. Hell, Twilight Sparkle knows you’ve done some terrible things, but she still cares about you. And she’s been bawling her eyes almost the whole night, hoping that you’ll wake up. Would a monster have a friend like that?”

I stared at him blankly, not knowing what to say. I wanted to tell that he was wrong, but his words rang true in my head. They touched a part of me that I didn’t know existed, until that moment. The part that craved an end to the death and violence. Like a leaden weight dropped from above, I suddenly felt a heavy burden on my shoulders as I thought about the decades I’d spent as a soldier. An inexplicable weariness washed over me, and I felt more tired than I ever had before. Tired, and very…old, somehow. I looked down at my chest, and only then did I realize that I was wearing my navy-blue dress uniform. Unlike the Colonel, I didn’t have a multitude of medals on my chest. I just had one: a leering silver skull bracketed by a shield. That little, unassuming medal represented more than just the symbol of the Special Forces. It was my life, represented by a grim motif of Death himself.

With a trembling hand, I wrapped my fingers around the medal and tugged it free. I gazed at it for a long moment, before slowly looking up at the Colonel…only, he wasn’t standing in front of me. Instead, my eyes were greeted by the sight of my self. I blinked in surprise, before realizing it wasn’t an exact reflection. My face marred with dozens of scars, and my hair was cut to regulation length, though my beard was several days past needing a shave. My eyes were sunken and haunted, while my armor was battered severely. Without saying a word, Other-Jack held his hand out towards me. And without prompting, I reached out to drop the silver medal into his palm. It burst into blue flames almost immediately, before disappearing from view in a small cloud of glittering ash.

Other Jack smiled sadly at me as the ashes faded away, tears beginning to trickle from his eyes. Then, with a deliberate slowness, he stood at attention and saluted me.

“We stand relieved.” He said, his voice ghostly and distant, barely above a whisper in volume.

“I stand…relieved.” I echoed, my own eyes glistening as I mirrored Other Jack’s salute. He nodded at me once, before clasping his hands behind his back and closing his eyes. His expression was content, as if he was finally able to rest after carrying a heavy, heavy burden. With a whisper of wind, he disappeared from view, leaving me alone in the grey room. I wiped at my eyes with the sleeve of my jacket, before exhaling quietly and turning around. I was greeted by a metal door, the middle of it dominated by a blue, holographic circle.

“Time to wake up.” I muttered, before reaching out and placing my palm on the circle.

__________

For the second time that day, I awoke with a gasp. However, this particular awakening involved far more cursing than the last one. My entire body felt like God had taken a hammer to me, and when I tried to open my eyes, I was greeted with a searing white light that forced me to close them immediately. That, in turn, prompted me to spit several more foul words as I slapped a hand over my face, gritting my teeth in annoyance. Before I could do much of anything else, I heard a familiar voice cry out beside me.

“Jack!” Twilight Sparkle exclaimed, moments before I felt her hooves wrap around my neck, her mane spilling over my face as she rested her cheek on my chest. She tried to speak, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was a wracking sob. I slowly forced my eyes open, shutting away the painful light stabbing into them. I couldn’t see much past Twilight’s mane, but I could still slid my right arm around her as she cried, my left hand brushing the strands of multi-colored hair from my face. I wasn’t a fan of hugging, but Twilight had stuck by my side all night. The least I could do was to let her know I was there for her, too. I owed her that much.

“Why?” Twilight choked out, lifting her head to look at me directly. “Why did you leave?” She smacked a hoof against my face, her expression borderline furious. “Why did you run off like that!? You almost died! Why are you so damned stubborn!?” The curse word, while tame in my dictionary, still took me by surprise. More so than the second slap she struck me with. Her hoof was pulled back for a third one, but before it could fall, she collapsed against me as she began weeping again. I rubbed at my cheek for a moment, before sighing and sitting up, taking in my surroundings. I was in a hospital room of some sort, and judging from the light pouring through the windows, it was morning. Twilight watched me quietly as she sat on my lap, doing her best not to break down again.

“I’m sorry, Twilight.” I said quietly, resting my hands on her cheeks. “Running off on my own was…well, it was stupid. I’m..sorry for being an inconsiderate jackass, alright?” I smiled faintly at her. “By the way, I’m telling the princess you cursed. I’m proud, but you shouldn’t make a habit of it.”

The unicorn blushed despite herself, which she quickly hid by wiping at her eyes. “It’s not my fault you’re a terrible influence.” She sniffed, before nuzzling my cheek. “I was so worried, Jack. General Titus was organizing a search party when I got a letter from the princess. By the time the General flew me to Canterlot, you were already in the hospital.” Twilight shivered visibly as she spoke. “The doctors didn’t know if you were going to make it or not. They were able to cure the manticore poison easily, but the spell Aurelius used on you was…something else entirely.”

“I figured as much. It sure as hell didn’t feel good, that’s for sure.” I grunted, brushing a loose strand of hair from Twilight’s face.

“I’d imagine so.” Twilight replied. “If Princess Celestia had arrived five minutes later, the spell would have liquefied your internal organs. You were very lucky, Jack. It took both of the princesses to heal the damage. Princess Luna wasn’t sure if you’d pull through, but…well, I knew you would.” She smiled broadly. “You are a soldier, after all.”

I chuckled at that, before laying back down and staring up at the ceiling. “Ex-soldier.” I said quietly, the word sounding strange on my tongue. “I’m…well, I’m retired now.” I smiled faintly at Twilight’s confused expression. “Don’t ask. But let’s just say I’m done with the soldiering business. Done with the killing, done with the almost-dying and close calls. I’ve been handed the opportunity to put my gun aside, and I’m not gonna squander it.”

“Does…does that mean you’ll stay in Equestria?” Twilight asked, her eyebrows furrowed in thought. “What about your family, though? Don’t you want to see them again?”

“’Course I do.” I replied. “But now that I think about it, I doubt EarthGov would’ve just let me retire. Not after the shit I’ve seen. I would’a wound up with a bullet to the back of my head if I’d tried walking out. Besides, they probably think I’m already dead. Might as well save the pencil-pushers the trouble of un-labeling me as MIA.”

“Oh. I see…” Twilight said quietly, before giggling slightly. “Well, I guess you could stay. But I don’t want you causing any trouble, okay?”

“Damn.” I grunted. “And here I thought you’d let me have a wild party or two at the library. Killjoy.”

Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes, before yawning loudly. Before I could object, the unicorn flopped down and sighed contentedly, closing her eyes as she yawned again. “I hope you don’t mind if I just…close my eyes…for a bit.” She murmured sleepily.

“Go ahead.” I said dryly. “Just don’t start drooling on me.” Twilight as already asleep by the time I’d finished speaking, apparently finding me more comfortable than an actual bed. I snorted quietly as I watched the slumbering mare, before turning my gaze back to the ceiling. I couldn’t help but think about what Aurelius had told me before our fight, about there being other humans long before I’d arrived in Equestria. I had no reason to believe him, but if he’d been telling the truth, it raised a dozen questions. Questions that only Celestia and her sister could answer.

But those questions could wait. My feet were set firmly on a new path, and for the first time in many years, I wasn’t being ordered to march down it. I could do things at my own pace, things that didn’t involve slitting someone’s throat or doing my government’s dirty work. I quashed whatever knots of uncertainty lingered, smiling slightly at the prospects of starting a new life in Equestria.

Start a new life… right. I thought to myself. Can’t be too hard, can it?

I hoped to God it wasn’t. But if it was…well, I’ve faced much worse in my lifetime. After all…

I used to be a soldier.

Author's Note: And here it is! The final chapter of my humble little fic. I must say, getting here was quite the journey, but I've loved every minute of. Well, except for the parts where I felt like bashing my face against my keyboard. But other than that, it was grand!

Of course, I couldn't have come this far without my pre-reader, Invictus. He's been instrumental in helping me hammer these chapters out. He's taught me much over the last few months, and I can't thank him enough for taking the time to help me. He's the best wizard in the world!

And lastly, I can't thank all my wonderful readers enough. You guys have patently waited during the long stretches where I haven't worked, and your comments encouraged me to write *When Death Knocks. Even if I don't reply, I read all of the comments posted, and nothing makes me happier than when you guys enjoy my latest work. You guys are awesome!*

This isn't the end of Jack's adventure! I daresay that I'm just getting started, now that I've immersed myself in the world of fanfiction. Stay tuned for my next story, everyone. You won't be disappointed.

-Wes