//------------------------------// // The Hero Final Journey // Story: A Hero's Final Gift // by Tetrax333 //------------------------------// “Take This! Keep it safe, It's our only hope” “A Patriot? Why are you giving me this?” “Jack, or should I say Snake? You're a wonderful man. Kill me, Kill me now!..Do It! There's only room for one Boss and One Snake” After those last words, a gunshot rang, the sound spread across the silent field of white flowers. Those were the last thing that she heard, she felt nothing more, not even the bullet that killed her. Her vision just simply turn to black, as she felt something that she haven't felt in a long time, relief, a great relief. As if all her burden just floated away, never coming back, and It won't, her death was a worthy pay off for her. A worthy pay off after serving her country so much. And just like she said, life end does feel..no, it is beautiful _________________________________________________________________________________________ It was a normal day, at the peaceful little town of Ponyville, all the ponies was just simply doing what they are doing everyday. Applejack was working at the farm bucking apples, Pinkie Pie was helping Mr and Mrs. Cake with the bakery, Rarity was finishing her new dress she thought up, Fluttershy was taking care of the animal, Rainbow Dash was napping in her usual cloud, And Twilight is as per usual studying in her wooden library. The Library at the moment was normal, Twilight Sparkle was Studying, and her assistant Spike was cleaning the Library “Umm, Twilight? Can I ask you something” Spike called “Hmm?”A simple hum was all that Twilight said “Why are you reading that?”Spike continued with his question “Huh? Why do you ask Spike?” Twilight asked back the question at Spike “It's just kinda weird seeing you reading a book about myths so...Intensely” Spike explained “Oh! Well yes, I guess that is pretty weird huh? Well I guess i'll explain. You see Spike this isn't myth per se, i'm actually reading about alternate worlds.” Twilight explain “Alternate Worlds?” The Baby dragon parrot “Yes! Like you know the mirror in the Crystal Palace” She continue “Oh Yeah, how can I ever forget that” The dragon said “So, the thing is, that portal basically transport us to an alternate universe, filled by 'creatures' straight from Lyra imagination, well I guess we can't really call that an imagination anymore, huh?”She continue explaining “Heh, good thing we didn't tell her about that”Spike joked “Well, yes I suppose, but the thing is Spike, what are the chances that the world we went wasn't the only one, like say, there could be an alternate universe where ponies aren't peaceful, or filled with other creatures instead, or maybe it's just something that happened because a certain something in the past didn't like..like..Hearth Warming, perhaps” She continued her explanation and saying the words very quickly “Okay Twilight, just what are you trying to say here?”Spike cut off the explanation “Well, I just read something about those, it is said that Ponies used to believe that when Ponies died, they actually went to another place, a different universe you may say, for certain amount of time before going to the afterlife” Twilight explain At this explanation Spike didn't even react with words, only staring at Twilight while wondering what she going with this explanation, then again it is The Twilight Sparkle, one of the smartest, most talented pony in Ponyville, even Equestria, and also one of the 4 Princesses, so it is no wonder that the baby dragon didn't know what was going on her mind right now “But it says here that they go to a place where their wish would be granted, but if only that pony's wish is something that will never be achieved”Twilight finish “Okay Twilight, let me digest this, you're saying that if a pony dies, and that pony has something that they wish they have, but they can't have it, then they will be transported to a place where their wish will be granted?”Spike ask “Well, yes, but i'm not sure it is a myth after all”Twilight said After hearing that, Spike simply let out a sigh and then the baby dragon didn't say another word and just continue cleaning up the Library while Twilight continue reading her book And so the day continue as normal _________________________________________________________________________________________ “Boss” A voice rang “Hm? Is that..is that you Sorrow?” The Boss called out “Boss, death will not take you yet, death has something else to give to you before it does” The voice of the sorrow said in a sorrowful tone “What do you mean? What is left for me but this? What other duties do I have to fulfill?” The Boss ask “No, Boss, not a mission, not even a duty, but a gift. You have done so much, you have carried so much sorrow within you, it is time for you to witness something that you have dreamed about for so long” The Sorrow continue The Boss voice was silent after this, she was wondering what is this “gift” that Death was about to give to her “But, you must search for this gift yourself, Boss, and once you do, you may finally be able to join with us” The Sorrow voice rang again The Boss voice was still silent after that, she is still wondering what it could mean. But her thoughts was cut short, although unable to feel anything before, she suddenly can, at that moment, she went to look at both of her hands, she could see them and move them, she was also wearing her white sneaking suit that she wore during the operation She looked around to see where she was at. It was a swamp, but with no water at all, and then a rain started, and a ghostly figure with a black raincoat with a hoodie that cover it's head and it was currently hovering in front of her The figure turned around, revealing his face, he was wearing glasses, and had gray eyes, the Boss immediately knew who he was “Sorrow! It's you” The Boss called out “Follow me” He simply said After that he floated in a straight direction, but very quickly, the Boss, of course followed him, though she have to run, The sorrow's pace was quicker than she was expecting, but she keeps following him, to the point where the Sorrow finally stopped After he stop, the Boss did the same, she was silent for a moment, she was about to ask about where she is until a hole suddenly materialize below her, unable to escape the hole, she just simply fall into it, while only letting a grunt let loose. Though her fall was cut short by an immediate darkness, that surround her, and dull all of her senses. She could no longer feel that she was falling, and then she just simply accepted that fact, and just went wherever that this hole is going at the moment All she knew at the moment was that, this is apparently a gift, from Death itself _________________________________________________________________________________________ The Boss was unconscious at the moment, after that sequence she just had, anyone would go unconscious, even the legendary soldier herself. Though again, being a soldier, she snapped out of it quickly, and opened her eyes She woke up in the middle of a grass field, she didn't get right back to her feet yet though, instead she wondered of why she was still alive, or is she, is this this the afterlife, if so shouldn't she be meeting God right now, she wondered “Where exactly am I?” She asked to herself But she won't get any answer, she tried moving her hands, but found out that she was unable to, it was not numbness though, it's more like it is non existent, then she tried looking at it, but what she found was that instead of hands it's white hooves, like the one that her horse had, and at this she was shocked After knowing that she immediately tried standing up, but fell when she tried to. Then she tried getting up on all fours with success, she was confused at what is going on and decided to check her new body. First she looked at all four of her legs, it is actually quite similar to that of a human, just minus the hands, and notably stronger, and also the hip side of the back legs are quite big, and she also has a blonde tail. Then she checked her face, firstly she checked her nose which now turned into a nuzzle, she could actually see it pointing out from her point of view, then she checked her hair, it was still the same plus the ponytail, even though it was let loose during her battle with her apprentice Then she check her entire body in general, and she found out that she was still wearing her white sneaking suit that she wore during operation Snake Eater. But, she quickly open the zipper of the suit and used her right leg to check something, she was rubbing her stomach and the she feel something familiar, it was her snake shaped scar. Knowing that, the Boss felt relieved knowing that this body was still hers, but at the same time disappointed, because of the fact that she still had that bitter reminder on her, but she simply shrugged that thought, and continue trying to figure things out “This body, it's familiar, the nuzzle, the legs, the tail, and the hair..or mane, am I a horse?” She deduce, after comparing her general body shape with her own horse “But, it's different, the legs..They aren't bulky like the one on a horse, i'm shorter, and my eyes are way bigger, if I am a horse right now, I must be some sort of pony, I presume”She deduce again The Boss stayed calm even after knowing this, she knew that panicking won't solve the problem right now, in fact her comrades, The Cobra Unit, can be considered as strange, if not weirder than her current problem After that she tried walking, it was awkward at first, since she never actually walk on four legs before, though crawling can be considered as one, it felt different than that obviously, but a great soldier like her won't get stopped by walking differently, as she gets used to it fairly quickly As she was walking though, she noticed something odd, she saw other horses or ponies flying around, this simply made her want to know even more of where she is right now. And so she look around to a place where she could get a better view of the whole thing She notice a small hill and decided to quickly walk over there, she was greeted with quite a surprise, she noticed a small town in the distance but it looked so different and strange in her eyes, they all look.. cute with a lack of a better word The Boss looked around a bit more, but all she saw was a gorgeous view of a field, with a small cottage to the left side filled with many animals The Boss simply stood there, not knowing what to say, or what to feel actually, she has never seen a view this magnificent before, it was like something straight out of her imagination when she was still a kid. And as she stood there in amazement only a sentence was all that come out of the Boss's mouth “This place is..Beautiful”