The Samurai's End

by Onomonopia

Longing

“Stay together everypony! If any of ya wander off, yer parents will be the first to hear about it!”

Applejack’s warning was lost on the class of foals, all of who were too busy talking to one another or exploring every little thing they came across to listen to the orange mare. A snarl crossed Applejack’s face at the sight of such blatant disregard for her words, but Jack placed a hoof on her shoulder and smiled. AJ let out a sigh and smiled back, before waving the class on.

“Come now everypony, we are almost there,” Jack told the class. While he didn’t yell like Applejack, there was a serious nature to his tone that instant got his class to listen to him. Mr. Jack, as he was called, was the Arts and Crafts teacher that nopony at the school messed with. They all knew what he had done before he had become their teacher. And because of that, he was considered the coolest and most respected teacher there.

A large, grassy field filled with flowers was their destination, and as Jack and the others climbed the hill to get to it, Jack could already tell this field trip was going to work out perfectly. Swarms of butterflies danced in the air around them, filling the sky with reds, blues, and a plethora of colors, making them look like a living rainbow.

From the oohs and ahhs of the class, he knew that he had made the right decision bringing them out here. A lot of teachers preferred to teach from their classrooms. Jack was not one of them. He had been brought up in the fields of his home, in the forests near his castle and from the battle filled streets of the future. That is how he had been raised, and, aside from the last bit, was how he believed these foals should be taught. Hoof on experience.

“Here we are, class,” Jack called out to them, taking a quick moment to count all of the students. Once he was certain none of them had wandered off, he motioned to the butterflies. “Today’s assignment if for each of you to sketch and color any of these butterflies. I care not which ones you use, so long as you do your best. And do not try to copy off of another student. I am always watching.”

“Yeah, watching Applejack!”

The students burst out into a roar of laughter, getting a small smile to cross Jack’s face. Applejack tried to reign in the laughing students, but at that point they grabbed their friends and spread out with on another, paper and pen clutched in their hooves as they chased after the butterflies.

“Remember! A full sketch! If you can find one standing still, that is your best bet!” Jack called after them, but they weren’t listening to him at that point. “Well, that should keep them busy for a while. Shall we?” he asked Applejack.

Applejack flashed him a smile in reply before she pulled out a blanket, which she laid down on the grass. She laid down and stretched out her legs while Jack sat beside her, taking off his sword and laying it down to his side. At first the schoolboard had not been on board with the idea of a teacher carrying around a sword, but after proving to them how it couldn’t hurt innocent (mostly by taking a stab at each of the board) they had decided to allow Jack to bring it with him. That and the fact that a beast called Sombra had attacked during the meeting and Jack had cut him down with his blade. They needed little convincing after that.

“Blue Belle, focus on your drawings! Mary Gold, origami class is next week! Rock Hopper! Put that squirrel down this instant or I shall have words with your parents!” Jack called out.

“You got a wild class this year, didn’t ya?” Applejack asked.

“They are all good foals. They are just young and prone to their impulses,” Jack replied. He picked up a pebble and tossed it at one of the students, knocking the rock out of his hoof that he was about to throw. “All they need is a bit of guidance and to be let out of their classroom every once in a while. Hence my feelings on the need for field trips like this.”

“Well whatever ya doing, it sure is working. Ah’ve never seen a teacher so beloved as you since Cheerilee,” Applejack stated. “And ever since she moved away, they’ve been looking for somepony like her to fill the void. Good thing ya came along when ya did, huh?”

“I am very grateful everything worked out the way it did,” Jack replied. Between marrying Applejack, finding such a wonderful job at the school (though he suspected Twilight might have pulled a few strings) and finally being rid of Aku, Jack couldn’t ask for anything else. “Speaking of school, Applebloom will be going into, what did you call it, high school soon. Is she nervous about that at all?”

“Ah little bit, but she’s trying not to show it,” Applejack said. “Scootaloo will be going with her, but Sweetie has moved on to Canterlot college. It’s gonna be hard fer her not having one of her best friends there. But she’ll make new friends and ah bet they’ll stay in touch. She doesn’t live that far.”

“Yes, life continues to move forward. All we can do is move with it,” Jack nodded. A lesson he had to learn the hard way. He had spent so long being obsessed with returning to the past, that it had taken him a long time to realize that the past could not be returned to. That it was called the past for a reason. It was something to be reflected upon, to draw knowledge from and, sometimes, to look upon fondly. But not to live in. For those who live in the past never realize what they have in the present. He wrapped an arm around Applejack as he thought this and she leaned into him.

“Mr. Jack!”

Jack looked up to see a group of his foals running towards him, papers clutched in their hooves and smiles on their faces. “Mr. Jack, we’ve finished out butterfly drawings! Can we go play now?”

“Allow me to see them, please,” Jack asked. The foals acquiesced and Jack took a look at their drawings. The drawings looked like most drawings foals their age would do, but Jack picked up on a few details such as the right number of legs, some details on the wings and one of them was even colored properly. He returned the papers to the foals with a smile and a nod, getting excited yells out of the foals before they ran off to play.

“That was quick. Are ya sure they did a good job? Ya should have let me taken a look,” Applejack suggested.

“There was effort put in. That is all I want for today’s exercise,” Jack clarified. “Too many times students get the work done just to get it done. I am trying to teach them to put their best into what they do, even if it may not be something you enjoy. After all, I spent years in the future doing plenty of things I didn’t enjoy and I believe I turned out alright.”

Another student walked up to Jack and this one Jack wasn’t surprised to see so early. “Brushstroke, I am surprised that it took you this long to finish. Did you have trouble with the drawing, or was your work not up to your standards?” Jack asked.

“I couldn’t get one of the stupid bugs to stand still,” Brushstroke grumbled. “But even with that setback, I believe I did a satisfactory job. Here you are, sir.” Jack took his drawing and examined it, nodding his head. The butterfly was drawn to near perfection, with the right coloring, shading and detail. Of course, Jack didn’t expect anything less from a foal whose cutie mark was a paint brush. Applejack leaned over to take a look and she nodded in approval as well.

“Excellent work as always. You are finished, if you wish to be,” Jack said. “Or, if you wish to test your skills further, try to draw this swarm not with detail, but with emotion. Try to draw what you feel when looking at the swarm.”

Brushstroke glanced at the butterflies dancing overhead and a smirk crossed his face. He took back his drawing, flipped it around to the back and walked back over to the swarm. “That foal has some real talent for this. I always enjoy working with.”

“Seems a little stuck up to me,” AJ noticed.

“He takes pride in his work and holds himself to a higher standard. That is not always a bad thing,” Jack explained.

“Hmm. Well hopefully these next couple of foals take a little bit longer. Ah’m not ready to go back just yet,” Applejack said, leaning her head against Jack’s shoulder. Unfortunately for AJ, a couple of minutes after she did this, a foal with large glasses and braided hair walked up to Jack, a somber expression on her face.

“Lily, what seems to be the matter?” Jack asked the foal.

“It’s…it’s the butterflies, Mr. Jack. Ah’m having trouble drawing them,” she stammered out. “Ah can’t see to well even with my glasses and with them moving everywhere it’s nearly impossible to drawn them. Ah’ve tried to get closer to them, but they move everytime ah do. Ah don’t know what ah should do.”

“I see. Allow me to help. Excuse me dear,” Jack said as he got up. AJ grunted in displeasure, but moved her head so Jack could rise. Jack lead Lily into the heart of the swarm, with Applejack following behind them. Jack sat down, motioned for Lily to do the same, before he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

“Butterflies are interesting creatures. They seem to know the hearts of those they pass by,” Jack began. “So if your heart is in worry or confusion, they will tend to avoid you. But if you can calm your heart and make it at peace…” As he said this a butterfly flew over to him and landed on a hoof he outstretched. “Then they will take an interest in you. Now it is your turn.”

The filly nodded nervously before she closed her eyes, taking in a couple of hurried breaths. “There is no race. No need to be nervous. Simply breath and empty all of your concerns. Be calm.” Lily let out a sigh and began to breathe softer, her body visibly relaxing. Jack smiled at her before he glanced up, his smile growing even wider.

“Lily, open your eyes,” Jack said after a few moments. Lily did so, only to look down at herself to realize she was covered in butterflies. She let out an excited yelp and most of the butterflies took off at the noise, but a couple of them continued to rest on her. Lily laughed excited before she started to dance around with the butterflies, who were starting to circle around her once more, amused by her merriment.

“See? They are drawn to you,” Jack said, but Lily didn’t hear him. She was too busy laughing. Applejack let out a sigh next to Jack and he glanced down at his wife, finding her watching the scene with a look on her face that he had never seen before. It was a look of happiness, content…but also longing.

“Applejack my dear, are you alright?” Jack asked. AJ turned to look up at Jack, taking him aback slightly with the strange look she had in her eyes. Her smile grew even wider and she pressed herself close to Jack, let out another sigh as she did so.

“Ah’m perfectly fine, Jack. Perfectly fine.”

Comments

[Scholarly-Cimmerian]

Nicely done.

Though I keep bracing myself for when everything will go downhill...

[Jarimor]

sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/i-can-t-keep-calm-it-s-baby-time.png

[zomborg]

AWW Applejack want to have a foal of her own

[Dirty Bit]

That was a heartwarming chapter.

“Yes, life continues to move forward. All we can do is move with it,” Jack nodded.

Oh, that hurts...

[TheArcticWolf]

“Yes, life continues to move forward. All we can do is move with it,” Jack nodded. A lesson he had to learn the hard way. He had spent so long being obsessed with returning to the past, that it had taken him a long time to realize that the past could not be returned to. That it was called the past for a reason. It was something to be reflected upon, to draw knowledge from and, sometimes, to look upon fondly. But not to live in. For those who live in the past never realize what they have in the present. He wrapped an arm around Applejack as he thought this and she leaned into him.

"Yesterday is History. Tomorrow is a Mystery. But Today is a Gift. That is why it's called The Present."-Oogway

[AMuffinlover]

She wants a foal Jack, she wants one.

Applejack and Jack must be very old if Sweetiebelle had already gone to college.

Something evil is coming isnt it