Jack's blade flashed twice and the beings made of shadow perished with a scream. He twirled around and slashed once more, cutting down another shadow being that had tried to attack him from behind. A few more slashed finished off the remainder of the shadow beings that had surrounded him, allowing him a moment to see how the rest of the battle in Mareiland was going.
Some fool calling themselves the master of darkness had descended upon the town and began to rain dark monsters from the sky, prompting the Ambassadors and Jack to be called in to help. Most of the ponies had been evacuated safely, as Jack had been the one covering their escape. Off in the distance he could see six rainbow beings flying through the sky, raining down their power upon a being of darkness that towered over the town. From the roars of the beast and how each blast of rainbow magic seemed to shrink it further, Jack assumed the battle would not last much longer. He knew nothing about this shadow master, only that he wanted world domination and that he would be defeated soon enough.
"Thanks for your help, Jack." Jack glanced behind him to see that a guard was walking towards him. "Our magic had no effect on that thing. Only the Ambassadors Rainbow Power and your sword seem to be able to harm it. Good thing you were here while the Ambassadors dealt with the monster or else a lot less of us would have made it out alive."
"I am happy to be of help," Jack replied. The guard stood next to Jack as the samurai watched the shadow master be struck again and again with rainbow might.
"Um, are you going to get in there and help them?" the guard asked. "I mean, since your sword can harm the shadows as well, not to mention that you're married to one of the Ambassadors, i though you would be..."
"They are doing fine without me. Not to mention the last time I took a victory away from Applejack she did not speak to me for a few days," Jack smirked. "Ever since she learned about Aku and how I had to face him alone, she seems determined to defeat as many evils as she can for me."
"And you let her?"
"She is as stubborn as the day is long. A trait I love her for, but one that can also be problematic at times," Jack admitted with a smile. "But, I will admit I do find it touching that she would willingly fight ever force of evil she comes across just so I do not have to. There are not many others where I come from who would take on the forces of the end for me."
"The other world. Do you miss it?" the guard asked. Jack gave him a questioning look and the guard motioned his head towards the battle. "They'll be wrapping that up in a minute, so I figure we should do something to pass the time."
"Oh very well. No, I do not miss my world," Jack admitted. His words seemed to surprise the guard. "There are certain aspects that I will miss about my home. The people i have helped, the many wonders and sights to behold...incredibly, the sound of bagpipes. But here is where I belong now. I have slain Aku. That was what I promised my father. I have a new promise now and that requires me to be here."
"Huh. It just seems...a little weird to me. That you'd fight so hard for your world and then, once you've saved it, you leave. I guess I just don't understand why you would do that."
"Part of the reason is that my home is gone on that world, lost to the past. The other reason is a certain orange mare that seems to have all but finished this foe," Jack replied.
The master of shadows let out a shriek as another wave of Rainbow Power bombarded him, reducing him to a size that was barely taller than a pony. The rainbow ponies landed next to him with Twilight stepping forward to confront the shrunken villain. She was doing her Twilight speech, the speech she gave to every villain once they were beaten. They worked about seventy-five percent of the time. Jack was tempted to wager with the guard if it would work this time or not when he caught something. For a brief moment, he could have sworn that the master looked over at him.
"Well he didn't last that long. You know, it's been a long time since we've had a real villain threaten the world, like Tirek," the guard noted. "You remember Tirek, right? Oh wait, you're the guy that killed him, so I guess if anypony would remember him it would be-"
In a blur of motion the master of shadows was upon the both of them, started to say something along the lines of how if he held Applejack's love, she wouldn't dare to fight back against him. The master of shadows was fast. Jack's sword was faster. In a single slash his blade rang out and sliced the master from head to toe vertically. The master didn't even have time to scream before the blade dissipated him. The guard blinked twice while his brain processed what had just happened. He pieced it together just as Jack finished sheathing his blade.
"He came at us, huh?" the guard asked.
"Yes."
"He planned to use us as hostages?"
"I think he planned to use me as a hostage, based on what little I heard him say before I cut him down," Jack corrected.
"And you killed him...?"
"With a single strike, yes. Like you said, they do not make villains like they used to."
"JACK!"
Jack turned in time to be tackled by an orange mare, who squeezed him tightly to the point that he couldn't breathe. "Thank the heavens yer alright! When ah saw him fly over here ah thought...ah thought..."
"Do not worry my beloved. I am fine," Jack managed to wheeze out. Applejack's friends landed behind her as she finally let go of Jack, who took a moment to regain his composure. The guard nodded to Jack and walked off, knowing that their conversation was over. "And do not worry about the master of shadows. He will never bother us again."
"You destroyed him? With your blade?" Twilight asked. "That's amazing, considering that the princesses said that only the Elements of Harmony or the Rainbow Power would be able to defeat him. Yet once again, it seems like your sword is for more than just killing Aku. It seems to be the bane of all evil, regardless of what world it is from."
"Yes, it was created by the gods of my world to slay all evil, but specifically Aku," Jack agreed slowly. "Perhaps that is why it is able to harm those that the princesses believed to only be slain by your power. It is not a bad thing to have multiple ways of defeating forces of evil on hoof at any given time."
"A weapon that can only harm those that are evil and yet is completely harmless to those that are good. Imagine what our world would be like if we could make more than one," Twilight muttered. "All of our guards armed with weapons that could only harm evil. If could usher in a new era of peace."
Jack nodded in reply, but he wasn't sure if he liked the look Twilight was giving his weapon. Applejack stepped between the two before smiling up at Jack, calming his nerves once more. "Ah'm just glad that ah didn't have to save ya from one of these yahoos again. Ah don't think mah heart could take it."
"I need rescuing from a force of evil one time and yet you are going to hold it over me for the rest of my life. Are you sure that you are not a great evil in disguise?" Jack teased.
"Please, if ah am a force of evil, ya should counter yerself lucky. Since yer married to me, ya will be spared from mah wrath when ah take over all of reality," AJ said with a wink before she looked back at her friends. "Maybe ah'll spare the rest of ya, if ya stay on my good side."
"I'm shaking in my boots," Rainbow mocked. "And ugh, do the two of you have to be so cuddly all the time? I'm embarrassed for the both of you."
"One day when yer married Rainbow, you'll understand what it's like," AJ replied.
"Please, I'm never getting married. I'm going to be like the wind until the day I die. Free, unburdened and going wherever the heck I want," Rainbow Dash smirked.
"You know, I've never actually thought of the idea of marriage before," Fluttershy muttered. "I never paid it much thought before, being so busy and all, but after seeing how happy Jack and Applejack are, maybe...I'll give it some thought."
"Are you kidding me? Marriage is nothing more than a trap. Sorry AJ, but I wasn't fast enough to warn you," Dash smirked.
"Well I think-" Rarity began.
"Rarity, please, don't start. We all know how you feel about marriage and how desperately you have been looking for somepony for the past...what, two years now?" Rainbow smirked. "Accept your going to be crazy old cat mare and move on."
"Never! If Applejack can find a prince charming, then so can I! I don't care how long I have to wait! I will find them and make them mine!" Rarity cackled with a bit of an eye twitch.
"I'm with Fluttershy and Rarity, to an extent. I too would like to find somepony," Twilight added, before her face fell. "Unfortunately, as an alicorn, I'm going to be living a very long time. Much longer than any other pony or even other species. If I could find somepony that could live...well, live longer than most, I would consider it."
"That your only caveat for finding somepony? If they live to be an old pony? You sure have low standards," Rainbow smirked, before looking at Pinkie. "Pinkie, buddy, you've got to have my back on this."
"Oh come on, Rainbow Dash. What's better than going through life yourself? Going through life with sompony you love!" Pinkie smiled. "I'm fine being with myself for now, but if somepony came along that made me even super happier, then why would I say no?"
"So I stand alone on this matter. I always knew you would all betray me eventually, but I never thought it would be over this matter," Rainbow said, eyeing her friends cautiously. "You will all leave eventually for another, somepony closer to you than even your friends. All except me. For I shall stay alone."
"Don't think like that, Rainbow Dash, you don't have to be alone," Fluttershy replied. "You could always get a bunch of cats."
The group had a good laugh at Fluttershy's words and even Rainbow managed to break a smile. Applejack snuggled up close to Jack as the group began to head for the train station, having saved the day once more. AJ let out a content sigh before casting a quick glance at Jack, yet when he looked down at her she looked away with a giggle.
"Is something the matter, by beloved? You keep glancing at me and smiling, yet everytime I look at you..."
"Oh, just something ah wanted to tell you, dear. But it can wait till we get home," AJ giggled. "It's a surprise and ah don't want to spoil it in front of all mah friends. When we get home dear. When we're with...our family."