//------------------------------// // Life // Story: Blackest Knight // by D34dly F1ng3r //------------------------------// Blackest Knight Chapter 28 John looked down at the headless body of Chrysalis. He had expected a battle, a fight, but the changeling queen had hid behind her soldiers in terror. Her last ditch defense was that the human would think himself too noble to kill her. She was wrong. Halberd stepped up beside John, having been revived by the human. The changeling stared at his queen before speaking, “You know that, by changeling law, the queen’s challenger is supposed to take her place if victorious.” John sighed, “I don’t care for politics, ruling, or warfare. I concede the position to you Halberd.” Halberd’s head snapped toward the human. “You can’t do that, you may not be a changeling, but I still have to abide by the laws of my kind.” John looked at his old trainer, “Changeling law is that the victor of a duel is the one that takes command, correct?” The changeling hesitated, “Correct.” “But they do not say what duel is the deciding factor. I declare that our first duel be used to determine succession.” Halberd was taken aback, “I suppose there are no laws against that, but why do you choose me?” John looked into the changeling’s eyes, “I trust you. You will lead your species right.” Halberd nodded, “I will do my best.” “I will talk to Celestia,” John added, “Try to arrange a peace. Hopefully we can keep your kind fed somehow, without another attack on Equestria.” “I hope to keep peace between the lands as well,” the changeling agreed. John looked at the changeling again, “But I will warn you, if you or any changeling threaten me, my friends, or Equestria again, there will be punishment.” Halberd nodded, “I understand.” John chuckled, “Good, my friend, now go to the doctors and get that curse removed, and destroy all evidence of the curses. They are not to be used again.” “I had the same plans.” John nodded, and walked toward the exit. He started his trek through the forest to the resort town, where he would board the train to Ponyville. “I can’t believe you would just break into the forbidden magic section!” Twilight yelled at John. “It’s called forbidden magic for a reason.” A few days had passed since John went to go ‘visit’ the changelings. Fluttershy’s friends had been overjoyed to see her come back to life, but Twilight was secretly fuming at being deceived by the human. Her rage boiled over when John told her what he had done at the Hive. After a half hour of ranting about not interfering in changeling politics, she suddenly switched to what she was really mad about. “We got lucky that Fluttershy seems to have been returned to us completely, but we still don’t know if there are any lasting effects.” “Relax Twilight,” John replied, “I trust Death. It said that her fate and body have been completely restored. If we live in fear of how she might be harmed, then we lose the time that we could be celebrating how she isn’t harmed.” Twilight sighed, “I suppose you are right, but your actions were still reckless.” She paused, “I’m just glad we don’t have to worry about Chrysalis anymore. I still don’t agree with your methods, but I admit that holding her for court would just be asking for trouble.” “And holding her for court would not have honored my agreement with Death,” John added. Twilight shook her head, “We can only hope that dying and coming back to life didn’t have any negative effects on her state of mind.” John and Fluttershy lay together in a small clearing. They looked up at the stars, their picnic lay off to one side. His hand grasped her forehoof, and they smiled at each other. They stayed in silence for some time before John spoke, “It is great to have some quiet, huh?” Fluttershy giggled, “Yes, we have had too much noise since you came here.” John chuckled as she snuggled against him. He threw an arm around the back of her neck, and he rested her head on his chest. She could feel John’s voice vibrating in his chest, “I am glad that everything has finally calmed. My life has been too hectic since I came to this world, but now I can settle down and make a real life for myself here.” Fluttershy rose her head, “Am I going to be in this life of yours?” John looked into her eyes, “Of course, without you it wouldn’t be much of a life.” They smiled at each other, and she rested her head on his chest again. “I want to thank you.” “For what?” John asked, “Tonight?” “Yes, but also for saving me.” John looked at her, but she was looking at the stars. “It was supposed to feel like paradise on the other side,” She began, “but without you, it just felt empty. Some of the ponies there told me that I could watch you, but I didn’t want to see you in pain. I was just wallowing in grief until I felt my soul being pulled from that place.” John was silent, taken aback from her confession. She continued, “When I came back, I was disoriented, but Twilight told me what you did.” She looked into his eyes, “I just want to thank you for risking your life to save mine.” John answered, “I could not have lived without you. I was ready to fight Death itself to get you back.” Fluttershy laughed, then paused before saying, “I love you.” John kissed her forehead, “I love you too Fluttershy.” She rotated her head to kiss him on the lips, then they both turned back toward the sky. They stared up at the stars in silence for the rest of the night, not needing or wanting to say a word. They merely cherished each other’s presence. John felt Fluttershy’s breathing slowly change. He looked over to see that she had fallen asleep. He stayed in this position for a while longer, waiting for her to fall deeper into her dreams. After a half hour, he gently picked her up into his arms. The human carried the pegasus back toward her cottage. After John set Fluttershy to bed, he quietly left the cottage. A short walk under the stars brought him back to Twilight’s library. Over three years passed as John and Fluttershy courted. Trials came and passed. Their relationship flourished while everything around them changed. The Crystal Empire reappeared and King Sombra was defeated, Discord was reformed by Fluttershy, Twilight was crowned as Princess of Friendship and ascended to become an alicorn, and her six friends helped defeat Tirek, with John’s help during the battle. John had even stopped wearing his sword everywhere. Now, as Ponyville had finished their reconstruction, John had a single goal in mind. He had toured the streets of Canterlot and Manehattan several times looking for something that he had no idea was so close to home. He departed Fluttershy’s house after yet another date, and made his way into the center of town. To say he was nervous would be an understatement. John stood in the street, triple checking to make sure this was the right shop before entering. “Hey, welcome to …” The mare at the counter turned around with the greeting before seeing John. The irony of Cloud Kicker taking this job along with weather duty was not lost on John as she kicked into her old stallion chasing style, “Well hello sexy.” “Hello Cloud Kicker, but tonight isn’t the night to tease.” John walked to the counter. Cloud Kicker perked up, “So tomorrow is the big day, huh?” “Yep,” John confirmed. “Is it done yet?” “Yeah, it has been for a week. Don’t worry, I would have only sold it to anyone cuter than you though,” Cloud Kicker teased, earning a glare from John. “Considering how many times you’ve been in here recently, I can tell you’re getting antsy. I’ll get it for ya.” The mare walked into the back room. John waited for the mare to return, when she did, he took the package she brought and set the bits to pay for it. “Thank you.” “Don’t mention it John.” The mare did not leave him with another tease. John exited the store and made his way back to Twilight’s crystal castle. He still couldn’t get used to the giant castle that had seemingly sprung from nowhere. The dusk’s faint light caught the crystal, and it shone like stars. John entered the castle and made his way to the room he had commandeered after the castle appeared. He settled on his bed and opened the top drawer on the nightstand next to the bed. He placed the box he had procured in the shop into the drawer. He closed the drawer and sealed away that box that contained the flawless diamond hoof ring he would need the next day.