//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Usefulness // Story: The Siege on Equestria // by Nintendoboy1000 //------------------------------// Chapter 7 Jack laid on the dirt road, covering the bullet wounds on his right leg. He grimaced, as the pain intensified with each passing second. He could start to feel his whole body giving out due to the massive blood loss. While he tended to his wound the best he could, he stared at the surrounded ponies. "God damn it… I'm sorry guys…" Jack spoke in a desperate tone. As the soldiers started to close in the circle, the ponies and Spike huddled up with their backs against each other. The group didn't dare to show any signs of resistance, as the soldiers' rifles displayed intimidation towards the ponies. Then, one of the soldiers, clad in green armor to signify his rank, stepped out of the crowd and approached the surrounded ponies. "Tsk Tsk Tsk… such malcontent behavior. You've all come this far, only to meet your inevitable fate. Though, I do admire each and every one of you for your tenacity and heroism, my little ponies. But I'm afraid…" The soldier loaded the rifle, and then continued. "Your wishful thoughts won't come save you this time. This… is our purgatory, our era to take back what was ours several thousands of years ago. Now then… be our little good prisoners and come quietly." The green-clad soldier looked over at the group surrounding Jack, and threw a head gesture. One of the soldiers responded to his gesture, and looked down at Jack. Suddenly, the soldier kicked Jack's stomach, making Jack yelp in pain. The kick was so hard that it made Jack's body bounce. "Get up!" The soldier ordered in a vulgar tone. Once again, the soldier kicked Jack's body, this time twice as hard. Jack's body bounced from the force of the kick, forcing him to lie on the road on his stomach. This made Jack cough up a few doses of blood. "I said get up!" The soldier exclaimed once more. Witnessing Jack being kicked that hard made the group gasp in horror. Already, Spike was infuriated by the soldier's cruelty. "HEY! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Spike yelled. The soldier turned towards the baby dragon, and chuckled in amusement. "Aww what's the matter, baby? Don't like seeing your friend being hurt?" The soldier looked down, chuckling at Jack. Then, the soldier lifted his knee up and aligned his boot above Jack's head. And then, he stomped his boot on Jack's head. Jack shrieked in agony as the pain of being crushed started to intensify. The soldier didn't relent and the pressure grew heavier and heavier, making Jack moan in pain. As the weight continued to grow Jack's head begun to sink into the dirt. This sent him hurtling into an unmerciful world of pain, changing from painful moans to bloodcurdling screams. Jack tried to grab the soldier's leg, but it was impossible due to the immense pain going through his brain. The more the soldier put the effort to sink Jack's head into the dirt, the more pain he delivered. Hearing Jack scream in agony made the soldier laugh maniacally. The other soldiers stood there, observing the grim punishment unfolding with blank expressions. Spike watched in disgust and horror as his teeth clenched. His fists were shaking, knees wobbling, and eyes widening in anger like never before. For the first time in his life, he was witnessing brutal torture beyond his intuition. Hearing Jack's painful melody of screams caused his anger to rise to new heights. "That… does it!" Spike muttered. Just as he couldn't take much more of watching his friend suffer like this, his body reacted all on his own without warning. He ran towards the soldier crushing Jack at full speed. "RAAAAUGH!! STOP IT!!" Spike roared. Twilight struck her forearm after Spike. "SPIKE NO!!" Twilight called out. Immediately, she ran after Spike, attempting to stop him in his tracks. But around that same time, Twilight heard someone blowing loudly from a far off distance. She turned her head around, and noticed a cloud of glowing green smoke erupted from between two houses. She stopped running and glanced quizzically at the unexpected surprise. The glowing green smoke spread through the air, increasing its size drastically. Eventually, the glowing green smoke caught the attention of all the soldiers. They were dumbstruck of its mysterious appearance, making them very cautious. Suddenly, the glowing green smoke began to form into a specter of the infamous Nightmare Moon. The nightmarish mare soared out of the cloud, setting its eyes at the soldier pinning down Jack. By that time, every single soldier aimed their rifle at Nightmare Moon. Some of them open fired without warning, while others were too paralyzed to react from witnessing the mare's fearsome smile, and a display of her wicked razor sharp teeth. The bullets were ineffective, as they went right through her. Once the nightmarish alicorn was at range of her target, she dove down, her mouth wide open to expose every single-edged tooth in it. The soldier pinning Jack down took his boot off and stared directly into her frightening mouth. "HOLY SHIT!!" The soldier exclaimed in fear. Once the specter of Nightmare Moon devoured the soldier, she disintegrated on impact, engulfing every single soldier by the blinding green smoke. And then, every soldier's computer helmet visors begun to glitch out, causing them to be blinded by flashing descriptions, static, and the green smoke itself. "Fuck, my helmet's gone haywire! I can't see anything!" A soldier called out. Suddenly, the glowing green smoke began to form another specter of Nightmare Moon. Right away, the princess of the night lunged towards the other soldiers without warning. Like before, she widened her mouth to expose her intimidating teeth. As she devoured a soldier, she disintegrated on impact and left every soldier engulfed by the smoke. Twilight and the others were caught inside the smoke, yet they mysteriously could see just fine. Wondering who would of done this, Twilight turned around and spotted a familiar face standing next to the two houses. It was none other than the enchanted zebra, Zecora. "Follow me and leave this place, so please make haste!" She hollered. Baffled but relieved, Twilight nodded her head. She then galloped over towards Jack as fast as she could. Once Twilight ran past Spike, she turned her head back. "C'mon, help me!" She said. Spike nodded and followed after her. After going past soldiers who were covering their visors with their hands, they met up with Jack. Taking one good look at him, Jack's head was barely half way sunk into the dirt. Not willing to screw around any longer, Twilight illuminated her horn and encased Jack's body in a violet aura. She lifted Jack up and carefully placed his stomach on her back. Even though Jack was heavy, Twilight was ready to endure his weight. For extra measures, Spike held onto Jack so he wouldn't tip off. Once they were ready, Twilight and Spike went off like a shot. As Twilight ran, Jack's body began to tilt side to side from Twilight's running pace. However, Spike manually pushed or pulled him back up to balance. Not only that, the soldiers proved to be as obstacles. But eventually, they worked their way passed the soldiers and met up with the group. "Girls, this way!" Twilight exclaimed. As the group followed Twilight, they retreated towards the two houses, where their enchanted friend awaited them. -------- Back inside Celestia's prison chamber, the princess's appearance began to look disheveled. She had dark bags under her eyes, her flowing mane had a few hairs sticking out, and her jaw quivered slightly. From all the failed attempts to overpower the prison's defensive aura, her magic took her toll. All she could do now was display her dull expression and keep her conscious from fading. On the other side of the prison dome, the robed man was facing away from the princess, staring directly to Celestia's diamond tiara. Suddenly, the revolving door opened, and Marshal Maxwell abruptly rushed in. Both the robed man and Celestia's attention were drawn towards Maxwell. "Report." The robed man ordered. "Sir, some of the prisoners from mark seven have escaped! They surrounded them for a moment, but then they reported an unidentified green smoke that blinded our men, letting the prisoners escape." From the end of his report, silence filled the room. Maxwell held his breath, knowing he would face the consequences for his men's failure. But strangely, the robed man grunted a chortle, and then faced his head to the side. "And this is urgent? Really now, Marshal Maxwell, these lower life forms are nothing more than gnats. This does not concern our top priority; let them have their… fun." At the end of his sentence, the robed man produced a dark chortle. Yet, Marshal Maxwell wasn't enthusiastic about his order, as he was still doubting his men's skills. "But…" "Maxwell, you have nothing to fear." The robed man interrupted. "Return to your station, and do not report something this insignificant to me ever again, or you will have something to fear. Do you understand?" Feeling threatened by his tone, Marshal Maxwell abided to his wishes and saluted to him. "Y-Yes sir…" The marshal turned around and went out the door, without saying another word. Once both Celestia and the robed man were alone, the robed man turned to the princess. "It seems there's still some backbone you ponies have developed during your evolution. Hmhmhmhm… you should feel proud for their accomplishments, your highness." Celestia was a little relieved that there was resistance brewing down at Ponyville, yet her lingering doubts of her loyal subject's success kept swarming inside her head. --------- "Hey guys, look, I think he's waking up!" Spike said. Every pony in the room gathered around Jack, as his eyes were opening up. As Jack begun to gain consciousness, he came across an unexpected headache. He grunted and placed his hoof on his head to ease his pain. "Guh… my head…" Jack mumbled. He looked around and found that Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Twilight, and Spike were displaying a welcoming smile. He noticed that the whole room was pitch black, and the only light they were standing in was the sunlight from the window. "Are you alright, Jack?" Rainbow Dash asked. Jack nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah… I am. But… where are we?" "We're inside a cellar, darling." Rarity responded. "Though I wish we could've gotten a better room to hide in. Who knows what could be lurking in here?" Suddenly, the group heard sounds of clopping steps and bone rattling heading towards their way. It let out a dark low-pitched moan, sending chills down every pony's spine. They couldn't see who was coming, since the whole cellar room was pitch black. Unaware of what the darkness hid, the group huddled up with one another, clinging to their bodies. The moans became deeper and colder as it grew closer to the group. Spike hid behind Twilight, his knees were wobbling as he displayed fear on his face. From all the adrenaline Spike developed, he could hear his own heartbeat in an unsteady rhythm. The fear was becoming so overwhelming that his body started to quiver. The clopping steps drew closer and closer, producing more disturbing moans. Rarity and Applejack clutched at each other, filled with unnerved fear. Rainbow Dash stood mightily with bravado, bottling up her own fear. Twilight lowered her head and prepared herself for the terror the darkness would unfold. Once the moans died out, the hoof steps paused. Then, piercing out of the darkness were two gleaming green dots. The group froze as they gazed into the unknown enemy. And then, the two dots drenched itself in the light, revealing a horrific surprise. Out came from the darkness was an animated stallion skeleton. It growled ferociously as it stared at its prey. Spike witnessed the horror being presented, leaving him bordering to hysteria. "Z-Z-Zo-Zombie p-pony?!?" Spike stuttered in terror. Then, all at once, Spike and the mares screamed out in terror. Spike closed his eyes and curled himself up into a ball, knowing it was his only protection. "Gah! P-Please don't eat me! I-I don't taste-" Spike continued, but was interrupted by giggles coming from the stallion skeleton. "Ho ho ho ho ho… my word, what a thrilling fright, I say!" The stallion said joyfully. At that moment, every pony's fear came to a complete halt, knowing that they recognized the voice. Rarity took another look at the stallion, and then gasped in surprise. "A-Aero?! Aero Le Spectrum?! Is that you, darling?!" She guessed. The stallion skeleton chortled happily, as he stepped into the light. The stallion had glowing green dots that acted like irises for his hallowed eyes, flexible bony ears, and good-conditioned teeth. The way he blinked his hallowed eyes was phenomenal, it was like cartoon physics, but in reality. Even his stallion ears could flop up and down, since it looked like the same bone minerals. Once the group got a clearer look at the stallion, he sighed at the end of his chortle. "Yes it is, chappette! It's nice to see you again!" Aero said, with a gleeful tone. The ponies sighed in relief, as an old friend returned to the scene. However, Rarity glared at him for his trickery. "Darling, that was totally uncalled for. You scared the living out of me!" Rarity grunted. Aero produced an embarrassed chuckle, as he placed his bony hoof around his head. "Terribly sorry there, I just couldn't resi-" "Whoa whoa whoa hold up!" Spike interrupted, his voice still trending on fear and confusion. "Y-You all… know this guy…?!" Rarity turned to him and nodded. "Why yes, he was one of Equestria's legendary painters who had ever lived! We've met him during our time in those dreadful catacombs. He… tagged along and helped us. So no need to fear, he's very friendly… and charming." Spike couldn't believe what he just heard; yet from the look of his appearance, he didn't seemed too intimidating. He could only look at this newcomer with awe. Aero darted his eyes at Spike and smiled pleasantly. "And I do apologize for frightening you, little one. Just having a little fun here and there." From the corner of his eyes, he spotted Jack covering his wounded leg. His eyes shot up after seeing another friend of his. "Jack, ol' chap! You've came back! How's it been?" Aero asked. Jack looked at Aero and smiled. "Descent. It's good to see you again." "Likewise!" Aero said. Suddenly, the group heard hoof steps coming their way. They looked towards the direction, and almost immediately, there was a candle lit up. "It is good you both have met, but he isn't safe just yet." Zecora said, holding the candle above her head. "We must mend this wound of his, or things will look grim for him that is." On Zecora's back was a small jar and a piece of cloth. She looked at Aero and simply nodded. Aero nodded back and went over to grab the objects on her back. "Ah yes, I am so happy to be an apprentice of hers, I say. Her culture and her knowledge of enchantment compelled me to become one myself. Isn't that right, Zecora?" Once Aero grabbed the items from her back, Zecora closed her eyes and smiled. "Yes, it is true. He is fascinated by my brew. But now's not the time to distract, for we now must act." Aero nodded and trotted up to Jack. He sat next to Jack and noticed that he looked confused by her strange way of talking. "Why does she talk like that?" Jack asked quizzically at Aero. "Don't worry, chap." Aero replied. "She rhymes almost every sentence she makes. It's sort of like a… habit of hers. Now then," At that moment, Aero opened the small jar and dipped the cloth in. Once the cloth absorbed the liquid, Aero took out the cloth and presented it to Jack. "This will sting for a while, but that wound of yours will be gone in a jiffy! Though it will take an hour for it to fully heal you. But never fear, Zecora is the master of remedies. Are you ready?" He asked. Jack looked at his wound for a moment, and then nodded. Aero sighed and prepared himself to place the cloth on Jack's wounded leg. "Alrighty then chap, here goes nothing." Aero placed the cloth on Jack's leg, and almost instantly, Jack grimaced in pain. After a few seconds of holding in the pain, Jack's face restored back to normal. He placed his hoof on the cloth, looked up at Aero, and nodded. "Nugh… thanks." Jack said. Thirty minutes had passed, and every pony but Jack and Spike were talking to each other at a corner. The group passed the time by telling their stories and experiences. They had a few laughs and surprising moments. But while the group listened to Aero's experiences with Zecora's training, Jack and Spike were left alone in their worlds. Jack was lost in his own state of thought, staring aimlessly at the ground. Spike on the other hand felt bored and worried. Spike had a lot on his mind, but he was starting to be more curious about Jack's origins. He looked at Jack, and something caught his attention; his cutie mark. It depicted an ancient demonic symbol that looked to be an eye. Even more curious than ever, Spike decided to ask Jack some questions. "Hey Jack, what's your cutie mark suppose to be?" Spike asked quizzically. Hearing Spike's voice snapped Jack out of his train of thought. He turned to Spike, then trailed his eyes down to his haunch. "Oh… this? Well… it's not a cutie mark actually; it's 'The Curse Mark', the counterpart of a cutie mark." Spike blinked in surprise. "Oh wow… what is it?" Spike asked, sounding more interested. "Well… The Curse Mark is absolutely rare; only seven wielders were accounted for, including me. According to Princess Celestia, it's… supposed to be a living curse to whoever possesses it. So far, it's giving me more nightmares than usual; it made me create a dark split personality of my own, and… shows me horrific visions of my past. *Sigh*…" Spike was left shocked, making him feel empathy towards him. "You're kidding! H-How did you get it?" Spike asked with deepest interests. Jack stared into Spike's eyes for a moment, and saw innocence in his eyes. He knew that Spike was a baby dragon, and he wouldn't comprehend Jack's pain. Jack took his eyes off of Spike, and continued to stare aimlessly at the ground. "I… no… just forget it." Jack sighed stressfully. Spike blinked in shock from the dramatic pause. "W-Why not?" Spike eagerly asked. "It's… it's too painful to talk about it." Jack confessed. "Besides, you wouldn't understand my suffering even if I told you." "But we're friends right?" Spike responded. "Friends are supposed to help each other out and listen to each other's problems." Spike then placed his claw on Jack's shoulder. Jack looked at Spike, who displayed his helpful grin. "C'mon, tell me." Spike said. Jack looked into Spike's eyes again, and begun to have second thoughts. From looking into Spike's eyes, Jack realized he had the same expression as Fluttershy back then. Fluttershy was the only pony, who came close to knowing the extent of Jack's true suffering. Willing to give Spike a shot, Jack eyed away from him and stared at the ceiling. "*Sigh*… okay. Where do I begin…?" Jack paused for a moment to construct his storyline. After a few seconds of building up his courage, he started talking. "Before I tell you how I received the Curse Mark as a pony, you need to know about the mark itself, followed by my childhood. The mark you see on my haunch is 'The Eye of Eternal Darkness'. It represents Zalgo, a godly spirit who is the embodiment of evil itself. Humans everywhere feared him for his presence, and they despised the one who were being used as his vessel… me. And the only way to defeat him was his counterpart, Am'Dhaegar the Pure. Both Zalgo and Am'Dhaegar the Pure were two separate spirits that was once formed by the almighty omnipotent Am'Dhaegar, The Hivemind of Order." Jack looked at the ground; his face went duller than before. "You see, during my days as a human infant, I was given a scarification. The one responsible for inscribing this symbol onto my abdomen was the world's famous archbishop, Herald Matronly Patio. By inscribing that symbol on me, I was given a hellish life. My hatred for that man was enough to burn the entire world down. Every birthday, Herald would use a razor sharp whip to lash my back, depending on my number of age, as punishment for my existence. For nine years, I carried a total of forty-five lash marks on my back, left uncared for." As Jack's painful story continued, Spike's eyes widened in horror, as he was appalled. "That's horrible…" Spike uttered in shock. Jack nodded his head and sighed. "Yeah... but the most painful part of my life… was my horrific discovery. I learned that I was framed the entire time. In fact, my brother, Jared Armstrong, stole the title as the warrior of salvation to defeat me, where it should have been the other way around. But even if I wasn't framed, I'd still live a harsh life." Spike tilted his head quizzically. "Why? Surely you're the hero… and heroes are-" "No…" Jack interrupted. "It's much more than that. They view you only as a weapon… an emotionless tool just to be used for mankind's road to conquest. The human's greed for power was what caused their endless cycle of suffering all these years. They would never see me as a human being, let alone a normal person. They only depicted me as a freak of nature aimlessly wandering around without any traits of emotions or affections. No one understood my pain… and they despised me because of my lack of humanity. Imagine if you were to live a life where no one wants you… or would ever love such a monster. But the worst part about it… is that you cannot commit suicide… meaning to kill yourself. You are forced to endure the overwhelming pain, as it corrupts your very existence." Just as Jack paused for a moment, he let his aching heart rest. Spike on the other hand was shedding small amounts of tears from picturing Jack's tragic life. "Holy cow… that's… harsh." Spike spoke, maintaining his composure. Jack looked at Spike, then back at the ground. "For nine years, I lived in my small city 'Graniteville' where I was alone and bashed every day. But until my tenth birthday, my execution night, everything changed. My brother… or should I say Zalgo, engulfed the city in flames. Everyone in that city, including that goddamn archbishop died by the hands of my twin brother. It was good to know Herald was among the living no longer, yet he still haunts me to this day. For the next passing years, I ran away from home and traveled far, far away. I crossed a deadly desert, rode a long train, went through a dark forest, and lived in another corrupted city. I lived on my own, surviving the outcome, and nurtured my vengeance towards my brother. Yet, while I was surviving on my own, I wasn't actually alone." Jack looked up and narrowed his eyes. He imaged inside his head a certain monster. "Apparently, there was this chaotic demon named Nyarlathotep who was searching for my brother and I. During my lonely years, Nyarlathotep tried to hunt us down, and attempt to deliver us to his master, Azathoth. The reason was that Am'Dhaegar was a part of Azathoth's body. Without Am'Dhaegar's essence, Azathoth would never wake up from his eternal slumber. However; if Nyarlathotep does capture the both of us, and fuse us into his master, then Azathoth will obliterate the very foundations of life and death." Jack closed his eyes for a moment, and then stared at Spike's frightened eyes. From listening to Jack so far, Spike got a vivid picture of the threat laid before him. "W-Wow… that's pretty scary if you ask me. We should do something abou-" "It's alright Spike…" Jack paused Spike. "Because I just recently heard rumors that Nyarlathotep was defeated. We shouldn't be seeing him anytime soon. However; I do fear he's not the only one searching for us." Jack looked at the gang, who were still having a good time talking to each other. "Anyways, after I met with Twilight and her friends, we managed to defeat Jared and Zalgo… but at the cost of my own body. During our fight with Zalgo, my body was crushed and fractured. I was on the verge of death; my only escape to paradise was within my grasp. But just when I was about to succumb to death, Princess Celestia created this body for me to act as a vessel until my human body is fully recovered. Though, she didn't have the strength to fully create a perfect stallion body, I was still perfectly fine." "Wow… that's a pretty interesting story. So umm…" Spike paused, as he looked at his Curse Mark. "What about your Curse Mark? Is it permanent?" Jack took his eyes off of his friends and stared at his mark. "Well… it depends. According to Celestia, the Curse Mark will only disappear if you were to fulfill the most sacred deed that brings happiness to oneself and others. Only then will it disappear and a cutie mark will appear in it's place." At that moment, Jack's tone turned to sorrow. "Though… I don't see that happening anytime soon." Jack curled up and hugged his knees with a depressed sigh. Spike tilted his head, looking concerned at Jack's behavior. "What's wrong?" Spike asked. He saw a tear coming out of Jack's eye, and gasped. He placed his claw on Jack's shoulder and shook him. "You okay?" He asked once again. "You know… now that I come to think about it… I might not ever achieve a peaceful life. Already, the ponies in this town view me as an outcast… like they don't want me here. It's just the same as everywhere I go, they don't value me in any way… and they can't understand me. I feel so alone in this world. I never asked for any of this from the beginning… all I ever wanted was a normal life." At that moment, Jack produced more tears than before, his voice breaking up. "You guys are the only ones that value me for who I am. I want to protect my friends with my life. If I were to loose my only friends now… I… I don't know what I'll do. They mean everything to me in my life. I want to become useful to them… in a way they treat me as one of them. I-I don't want to be weak and helpless again… I-" At that moment, Jack couldn't hold it any longer, and he started to weep quietly. Jack's weeping was contagious enough to make Spike draw out more tears. Spike had no idea Jack had this much pain bottled up inside him. But what struck Spike the deepest was that Spike had something in common with Jack, and that was being useful. Like Twilight willing to do anything to be productive, Spike want to become useful by helping out others. By looking at Jack now, he sees a desperate soul willing to prove his existence, rather than a stubborn and rude pony. Spike couldn't help but smile at Jack's accomplishments so far. He rubbed Jack's back, shaking his head. "Hey… don't worry about it. I know how you feel, and believe me; I want to protect my friends too. You're never alone Jack… you got me as a friend. And I say you're doing a great job doing what's best." Jack paused his weeping, slowly turning his head to Spike with eyes soaked in tears. "R-Really…?" Jack asked sincerely. Spike nodded slowly. "Yeah… you really moved me. You're like… the teacher I never had. I now feel more confident and courageous in protecting my friends thanks to you. I'm really glad I met you. And I'm really thankful you saved me and my friends." Jack's eyes widened as he saw a hopeful smile on Spike's face. For the second time in his whole life, Jack's heart brightened with profound joy. Jack couldn't help but burst into more tears, as he grabbed Spike and hugged his body. "Thank you Spike… that means a lot to me." Jack said, trying his best to regain his composure. Spike smiled back as he returned the hug. Thirty more minutes had passed by, and the group was ready to resume their mission. Jack uncovered the cloth, and the wound was almost healed. But he couldn't feel any pain that caused restrictions. Knowing Jack's leg was all better, the group climbed out of the cellar, and was welcomed by the bright sunlight once more. The group turned to Zecora and Aero and smiled. "Thanks for the help you guys." Jack said. Zecora and Aero nodded their heads. "It was an honor to aid you again, I say." Aero replied. "You guys should hide back into the cellar until this whole thing dies out." Jack suggested. "It's very dangerous out here and I don't want you guys to be caught." Armed with this knowledge, Zecora and Aero nodded once more. "It is clear that we must hide, until it is safe to go outside. Do take great care, and let fate be fair." Zecora added. The group nodded in assurance. "We will… and we'll see you then!" Rainbow Dash said. As Aero and Zecora waved goodbye to the group, they went back inside the cellar. Once the cellar door was shut, Jack turned to Twilight with a serious face. "Alright, lead the way Twilight." Jack said. Twilight quickly nodded and began trotting forward. The group followed, as they were eagerly awaiting their remaining two destinations.