Knight of Equestria - On Distant Shores

by SupraMacPringles

Final Chapter: Knight of Equestria

Matt awoke with a shock, sitting in an ornate chair in a immaculately white room. The sun was shining bright outside. All the furniture in the room was a pale white color. A large white piano was being played on the other side of the room.

"Where am I?" Matt asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Only you, can make this world seem right. Only you, can make the darkness bright." sang the piano player, a voice Matt immediately recognized.

The piano was on a small rotating platform which rotated to reveal the performer.

"What the hell is going on here?" Matt asked.

"Settle down, you look like you've seen a ghost." Gabriel replied, continuing to play his song.

"How are you even...?" Matt began to ask before seeing what seemed like light coming from Gabriel's left side, forming an arm of some kind.

"What's wrong, don't like it? I suppose we didn't really care for music, did we?" Gabriel asked.

"Shut up."

A low chuckle escaped Gabriel. "Fine, fine. I guess I should be going, anyway. Everything went perfectly, so I should be off." Gabriel said, standing from behind the piano.

"'Perfectly'? It went 'perfectly'?! You terrorized a nation and hurt my friends! You killed untold amounts of people to even get here in the first place!"

"I did what I had to!" Gabriel shouted in response. "I don't expect to be forgiven for anything I've done. But none of this was for me! It was for you! It was for your future! One day I hope you'll understand that..."

A blinding light appeared from behind Gabriel and he turned to face it.

"Now then..." Gabriel shouted as Matt covered his eyes from the blinding light. "Pass into history, and become a legend! Live the life I couldn't!"

"No, wait! Get back here!" Matt said as Gabriel began walking into the light. Darkness had begun to emerge from behind Matt, almost as if trying to swallow him whole. "Get back here you bastard!" Matt demanded, taking some steps towards the light as well. The darkness grabbed onto his legs with invisible hands, tripping him.

"You can't end it like this! I... I can't..."

He screamed in defiance, tears streaming down his face as the light faded.

The last thing he saw was his own hand reached out in blackness before it consumed him.

…...

After the battle, the injured were taken to the finest medical facility in Canterlot as the citizens were allowed to return. Twilight's neck wound was cleaned and dressed, Applejack had suffered some minor sprains, and even Amethyst was patched up before being put under extreme surveillance.

Twilight walked into to Matt's room to see how he was doing, only to find him still asleep. When the fight was over, she rushed to his side only to find him in a deep slumber. They arrived for treatment at the same time. Matt's wounds were treated, the worst of which was the large wound on his back. They weren't fatal, but he still didn't wake.

"I'm afraid he's been like this since he arrived." said the doctor who was treating him.

"I'll wager the Elements of Harmony did quite the number on him." said Princess Celestia as she entered the room.

"Princess!" said Twilight as the doctor bowed in her presence.

"Hello, Twilight. I've come to check up on all of you who fought so bravely in our stead." she said. "When I was told Matt had taken the Elements within himself, I was very worried. It would seem they have... shut him down, so to speak." she concluded.

"So... will he wake up? Is he going to turn to stone?" Twilight asked, fear making her voice quiver.

Celestia gently placed her horn against Matt's chest. It began to glow faintly. "I... can't tell the extent of the damage. His heartbeat seems abnormally slow..." She lifted her head back up. "I can't imagine he would've let him go through with it if it would be fatal..." she said, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"'He'? Who are you talking about, Princess?" Twilight asked.

Celestia gently placed a hoof on Twilight's head. "There are some things you deserve to know. That you need to know. Come with me to the castle and I'll tell you everything."

…...

Later that night, another patient seeking treatment snuck her way into Matt's room. She gently closed the door behind her as she softly trotted over to his bedside.

"Hey Matt..." Rainbow Dash said. "Word travels pretty fast, and I didn't even spread it this time! Princess Celestia and Princess Luna made a statement about the whole Gabriel thing. They said you were a hero!" the excited expression left her face before she continued. "... They also said that it almost costed your life. Your doctor told me that you hadn't woken up and I... well, I'm having a lot of emotions right now."

She brought her forelegs up to his hospital bed. "When I saw what you and Gabriel did to each other, a-and when they told me you didn't wake up, I..." tears began to drop from the proud pony's eyes. "I was so scared... I know we haven't known each other for too long, and we're not... 'together', but you're special to me. If you don't wake up, I don't know what I'll do..."

His calm expression as he slept didn't do much to make her feel better, but it did somewhat reassure her. He was still here.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you why I'm in the hospital, too." she said, wiping her eyes. "When I held Amethyst for Twilight's attack, I took more of a hit than I thought I did. The doc says it's a minor concussion. I'll be fine, and you better be, too. Goodnight, Matt."

With that, she tried her best to sneak back out as quietly as she snuck in. She hated the idea of getting scolded for a breach of visitation hours.

…...

The next day, Twilight made her way back to the hospital to check on Matt and her other friends still receiving treatment. She stood in front of the door to his room, a deep sense of unease overwhelming her.

Princess Celestia had done as she said she would and told Twilight everything. She now knew the magnitude of who Gabriel was and the impact of the revelation had shaken her to her very core. She knew she had nothing to fear from Matt, but she worried more about whether or Matt knew the truth as well and how he would take it, on top of worrying if he would even wake up.

She slowly and gently opened the door to find Matt already had some visitors. Applejack, still wrapped in bandages herself, along with Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie.

"We figured you'd stop by sometime today." Applejack greeted.

"Twilight, darling! How is your wound healing?" Rarity asked.

"Oh, it was just a scratch. Compared to Applejack and Rainbow Dash, it's nothing."

"Speaking of injuries, Matt's doctor was just here! He said something about internal damage caused by the Elements of Harmony, but everything else is a-ok!" Pinkie Pie said.

"B-but he hasn't woken up yet..." Fluttershy added.

"Oh, yeah, there's that..." Pinkie replied, calming down a bit. "I'm sure he's just tired! He really must've exhausted himself fighting back there."

"I do hope he gets better soon, I'm sure the ponies of Equestria would love to celebrate such a heroic individual." Rarity said.

Twilight paused to wonder if Matt would consider himself a hero. She supposed it depended on whether or not he knew the truth. She also decided that no matter his choice, he was a hero to her.

"I hope so, too..."

…...

Another day goes by and Rainbow Dash was told she could go home, but to go easy on the flying while she recovered. She was happy to hear it, excited to be able to sleep in her own bed. On her way out she decided to stop by and check up on Matt who hadn't yet awoken, or so she was told.

When she opened the door to his room, she was somewhat surprised to see Twilight Sparkle already inside. Twilight was resting her head on Matt's bed and Rainbow had guessed she was asleep until she heard the door open.

"Wha- oh, good morning, Rainbow Dash." Twilight said.

"It's already passed noon." Rainbow replied with a laugh.

Twilight, clearly embarrassed, laughed as well. "I-I knew that..." she said.

"Haven't been sleeping well?" Rainbow asked, taking a seat next to her alicorn friend.

"Is it that obvious?" Twilight answered. "I've just been so worried about him... I don't want to miss the second he wakes up."

"I know how you feel, I'm worried too." Rainbow said. "But if Matt were awake, he'd probably tell us both to knock it off."

Twilight giggled at the thought. "That sounds like him. So unconcerned about himself that he wouldn't want anypony else to be concerned about him, either."

"That's not gonna stop us, though!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "We're gonna be there for him every step of the way, right?"

Twilight smiled brightly. "Of course." she replied, looking a little sadder. "Rainbow, I'm sorry about ignoring your feelings and, well..."

Rainbow looked a little surprised. "Hey, don't sweat it. Romance isn't really my thing anyway. Besides, I think the two of you are great together." she added. "We're still friends and it's not like you two being together will change that, right?"

"Right." Twilight responded happily.

…...

As the days crept on, the assurance that Matt would wake up began to fade. He hadn't so much as moved a finger for an entire week. Numerous ponies came in to visit him, and some even sent him flowers.

The princesses had made sure to tell the people of Equestria of his deeds of heroism, so now the sleeping human was beginning to become somewhat of a celebrity across the land. The princesses had also mentioned his lengthy hospital stay, and so the nation cried out in hope that he would have a swift recovery.

Twilight Sparkle rarely left his side, ever vigilant. Her friends had offered to take her place watching over the human, but she politely declined. She hadn't gotten a restful night's sleep ever since the battle. She struggled to keep herself awake and would often drift off to sleep, but never for long.

Late the evening of the seventh day of his slumber, Princess Luna burst into his room, startling a snoozing Twilight.

"P-princess! Hello! W-what brings you here?" Twilight stammered.

"Celestia had told me that Matthew Nabal was still sleeping soundly, but I had to see it for myself." she approached and looked down at the human closely. "Hmm... Despite my loud entrance, he remains asleep. So it is true..."

Matt and Luna had become fast friends shortly after meeting. She missed their long conversations late into the night. She noticed out of the corner of her eye, Twilight Sparkle had let out a large yawn.

"My sister has also told me that you've been here in the hospital with him for a week." she said.

"Yes, I... I want to be by his side." Twilight responded drowsily.

"That is admirable, but I cannot allow it!" Luna exclaimed, lifting Twilight with her magic and placing her on her back. "Your vigil is lacking due to your exhaustion, you will come with me back to the castle and have a good night's sleep." she said, more of an order than a suggestion.

Twilight wanted to protest, but decided it was better not to. "You're the boss... one night couldn't hurt." she replied.

"Then, onward!" Luna said as she dashed out of the room, only stopping to gently close the door behind them.

A few hours later, an otherworldly sound filled the small hospital room as a large blue box began to materialize within. Three ponies quietly stepped of it. Lyra, Bon-bon, and the Doctor approached Matt's bedside.

"I thought you said we'd get back a week after the fight. He's still asleep." Lyra said.

"He is..." the Doctor said, scanning the human up and down with his screwdriver. "That's odd." he declared.

"I think the Elements did more damage than you thought they would." Bon-bon said.

"I think Gabriel did more damage than I thought he would." the Doctor replied. "He didn't hold back, even slightly. Without the Elements healing him, Matt probably wouldn't still be breathing right now."

"Well if that's the case, why is Two-legs still out?" Lyra asked.

"I have absolutely no idea." the Doctor said, putting his tool away. "This is clearly something magic related. If I had to guess, his internal injuries were too severe for even the Elements to heal all at once. It's possible they're keeping him asleep to keep him from interrupting the healing."

"How would he interrupt it?" Bon-bon inquired.

"Human magic resistance is based on willpower as well as emotions. He will most likely to go through quite the emotional roller-coaster when he wakes up, which could jeopardize his well-being. I mean, assuming my theory is correct. Only time will tell." the Doctor said, heading back to the TARDIS.

"Get well soon." Bon-bon whispered as she followed after him.

"Yeah, what she said." Lyra added, following as well.

As the TARDIS dematerialized, silence once again came over the small hospital room. In the corner of the room, the air began to distort and glowed faintly as a pony appeared from within.

Amethyst stepped out from her cloaking spell, relieved to finally be alone with the human.

"Hopefully there are no more surprise visitors." she said to no one in particular.

She walked over to his bedside. She gently placed a hoof on his chest.

"I had guessed something like this would happen. I guess it was just a risk he was willing to take."

She focused magic into a circle underneath her hoof and just above his chest. The circle spun rapidly before dissipating.

"Ah, it would appear the Element of Magic bonded with you the deepest. That would explain the teleportation, I guess. It also seems to be healing you internally, like the Doctor said... I need to get back to my cell before they noticed I'm gone. But..." she leaned in close, right next to his ear and whispered. "Come see me after you wake."

And with that, she teleported away, back to her cell in the Canterlot Dungeon.

…...

Two more days had gone by with no noticeable improvement in Matt's condition. Twilight had returned the morning after her restful night at the castle and resumed her constant watch over the human, despite how tiring it may have been.

Matt's doctor had begun to worry about the princess, not wanting her to risk her own health in the process.

"Princess Twilight, as a medical professional, I must tell you that what you're doing isn't very healthy. We don't even know if he will wake up..."

"I... I know that. Thank you for your concern, but I'm not giving up on him." she replied.

"O-of course, your majesty." he replied as he left the room.

Twilight leaned forward onto Matt's bed, knowing that such a position would probably lead her to fall asleep. She was determined to be there to wait for him as much as she could, no matter what it cost her. She placed one of her hooves in his hand as she began to drift off.

"Please come back..."

…...

Endless, eternal blackness. That was all that lay before Matthew Nabal. He didn't even know if he was laying flat or simply floating, and he didn't even care. Darkness had consumed all that he knew. The only thing that filled his mind was hate.

Hate.

Hatred for the man who destroyed his life. Hatred for the killer who shared the weight of his sins with Matt. Hatred for the man who was allowed to die and be free of that weight while it crushed him from within.

His hatred for Gabriel and hatred for himself were the same thing in his mind.

He spent his time in that darkness blaming himself for everything Gabriel had done.

Snippets of light let in familiar voices, none of which he could hear clearly. He didn't know how long he had been there. He had nothing to take out his newfound anger on. He couldn't even move his body.

There he remained, seething with his hatred for what could've been eons as far he was concerned.

Eventually, he heard a voice again, but this time he was certain he knew who it was.

"Please come back..."

Instead a small flash of light cutting through the dark, this was a mighty light that blinded him. The dark in front of him dissipated and he unconsciously took a step forward. Surprised that he could moved again and that his feet were on solid ground, he immediately began to run. He was desperate to escape that darkness. As he got closer and closer to the source of that light, he jumped and reached out to grab it.

…...

Twilight Sparkle felt something wrap around her hoof. She awoke to see that Matt's hand had gripped her. This being the first time he had moved in nine days, she immediately jolted awake.

"Matt?!" she exclaimed.

The young man's eyes began to open. He wasn't still in the throne room of the castle and wasn't back at home in the library. He scanned the room, looking for any indication of where he was until he spotted a tearful Twilight.

"Twilight? Why are you crying?" he asked.

The princess leapt up and wrapped her hooves around the human and began to cry into his shoulder.

"I was starting to think that you would never wake up..." she sobbed.

She explained to Matt that after his battle with Gabriel, he had fallen into a nine day slumber. She also explained that after Gabriel's defeat, he was being celebrated as a hero. As much as she didn't want to leave his side, she quickly went to inform the others about his awakening.

Matt stood from his hospital bed and immediately felt pain in his back. He stood back facing a mirror and grimaced at the long scar running diagonal across his back. All his thoughts of scars lead him to look down at his right arm and the scar that ran up it. The sight sparked an idea in his head.

He luckily found that his clothes from the battle and been repaired, most likely by Rarity. He got dressed and left the hospital, ignoring the protests of his doctor and the other medical staff.

He had something he had to see for himself.

…...

As he made the short trip through Canterlot to get to the castle, many ponies recognized him and sang his praises, a stark contrast to the way he was treated by Canterlot ponies not too long ago. He politely waved back to them and continued his walk.

When he arrived at the castle, he had a peculiar request for the guards out front.

"Take me to the body."

After a shocked reaction, one of the guards did as he asked while the other assuredly went to report to Celestia. When he arrived at the room Gabriel was being kept in, he waved the guard away and thanked him for his service. The blue room was bizarrely cold, a pattern of a snowflake emblazoned on the floor. Laying on an ornate table was the fallen human. Matt approached hesitantly and removed Gabriel's clawed gauntlet before turning his arm over, revealing the same scar that ran along Matt's arm.

Having confirmed the visions Gabriel had given him with own eyes, he felt overcome with rage. He knocked over another ornate table in the room, thrashing about until he found himself leaning forward on the wall of the room, tears streaming from his eyes as he expelled a scream of pain.

"He wasn't a good man." said a voice. Matt looked up to see the Doctor. "He was a monster. But in the end, he did the right thing."

"You knew...?" Matt asked weakly. "You knew!" he exclaimed, more of an accusation.

"I did." was the Doctor's reply.

"That story of a friend you promised, all that talk of responsibility... it was all a lie?"

"No."

"Than what was it then?!"

"Gabriel was the friend I promised." this response made Matt silent again. "Long before he lost his way, he asked me to step in if he was too far gone. I did all that I could, but I couldn't stop him."

"... what was the point of all of this?" Matt asked, still crying.

"To save the future." this had caught the young human's attention. "When he and I... When you and I arrived here, we completely upset the balance of things. Gabriel's actions had set this world on the path to devastation. But something in him changed. He became remorseful of the crimes he committed. After finding a way to return to the past, he had concocted a plan and sent me a letter asking for my help."

"So all his talk about war..."

"Lies. Complete fabrications. His real goal was you."

"Me? That maniac planned for me to kill him?" Matt asked, wiping his eyes.

"He did. He knew that the root of his madness stemmed from his banishment from Equestria, so he decided the best way to pay for his crimes would be to become a grand villain that a brave hero could defeat. He had me guide you along the way."

"And how exactly does this solve anything?" Matt asked, glancing at the lifeless body of the fallen King, and then to his right arm which he found had begun to twitch.

"Well, there's no way for you to be banished now. The future where Gabriel stole countless souls in pursuit of revenge can never come to pass now. Which means the reality-destroying disaster he inadvertently started won't happen, either." the Doctor explained.

"There had to be a better way than... this. How am I supposed to live with myself with what I know? With what I've done?" Matt asked, desperate for an answer.

"You aren't him. Don't try to convince yourself that you are."

"Ah, there you are!" said Princess Luna, following the sounds of voices until she found them. "Amethyst wishes to speak with you."

…...

Matt entered a small cell in Canterlot dungeon. Despite being a cell to imprison someone, it had a bed, table and even two large cushions. Matt suspected Celestia had place these here deliberately.

"So, you've finally come. Did you sleep well?" Amethyst said, taking a seat on one of the cushions.

"What do you want from me?" Matt asked bluntly.

Amethyst closed her eyes for a moment before continuing. "I understand your hostility, but all I want to do is give you some parting gifts."

Her horn lit up with magic as two items appeared on the table between them. One was a green bottle with a ribbon tied around its neck. The other was the book Gabriel was reading when they arrived in the throne room. Matt picked it up and opened it, taking note of it's charred texture and worn pages. The first page read:

I'm not entirely sure why I'm doing this. My aunt gave me this journal, told me to vent and what-not. I don't think writing will ease any pain, but I suppose I can try.

Matthew Nabal, 7/18/2012

He stared down in disbelief. What he was holding was an aged and partially destroyed version of his personal journal. As he flipped through it quickly to see how much was there, he discovered that after a certain point the journal did not match his own and far exceeded its length.

"He kept it the whole time...?" Matt said absentmindedly.

"These were his prized possessions. He wanted you to have them." Amethyst said. Matt almost seemed like he didn't hear her, still so enraptured with what he was holding. Amethyst laughed softly. "You look just like he did when we first met..." she said, trailing off.

Matt didn't know how to feel about her comment, and felt his burning hatred from earlier begin to cool. No matter how he felt about Gabriel, he didn't need to take his anger out on others.

"I'm... I'm sorry for taking him from you." Matt said, closing the book.

He noticed Amethyst's expression light up, as if she were glowing. "I appreciate that. I know what he did was necessary, but... it doesn't make the hurt go away. I know our actions may seem extreme, but the time we come from needed to be changed. The two of you saved the world."

Matt couldn't help but smirk. "But at what cost? Is what had to be paid really worth it?"

Amethyst rose from her seat. "I think that's for you to decide. He wanted you to live the life that he couldn't, what you do with that is up to you."

Matt recalled the last vision he had of Gabriel had told him something similar. He still felt that dark hatred inside him for Gabriel, but he felt as if he understood him somewhat now.

"What will you do now?" Matt asked, also standing.

"Well, Celestia told me I was free to go, hence the lack of guards outside. Not as if they could contain me anyway. As part of the deal for me and Gabriel traveling back in time, I have someone I need to report to. After that, who knows?"

"Will we ever see you again?" Matt asked.

"Oh, I'm sure you will. No idea when, however." she said as they headed out the door.

Luna and Celestia were waiting for them outside and they bid farewell to Amethyst, who disappeared in a bright flash of light.

"She's an interesting one." Luna said.

"I feel like she was trying to be mysterious on purpose." Matt added, causing the three of them to laugh. "I should be going. I didn't tell Twilight where I was so I'm sure she's worried."

Luna and Celestia shared a look. "I will find Twilight Sparkle and her friends. We have something to give you as well." Luna said, heading out of the dungeon.

"What does she mean by that?" Matt asked, noticing the sly look on Celestia's face. "Okay, you're scaring me."

…...

"I hope you don't pull a disappearing act again..." Twilight Sparkle said with a hint of snark.

"Twilight, I already apologized. I needed to see some things for myself. Plus, it helped me cool down." Matt replied. "Hey, can you tighten that strap?"

Twilight did as she we asked. "I know, I know. Just some warning would've been nice. I waited by your side so long, when you weren't there I sort of... freaked out." she said. "Be sure to straighten the cape." she added.

Matt adjusted the cape attached to the front of his armor. "Well your concern means the world to me, you know that." He parted his hair and adjusted his gauntlets. As he did, the sounds of trumpets just beyond the door began to play. "I think that's our cue." he said.

"Are you sure you can handle this? There's a lot of ponies gathered for this..." Twilight said, remembering his fear of crowds.

"Oh, absolutely not. But with you by my side, I think I'll manage." he replied. "Let's not keep them waiting."

With that, the two of them stood side by side in front of a large ornate door that lead to the castle's main hall. As the door opened, an eruption of cheers greeted them as the walked inside. At the end of the room stood Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, and just off to the side stood their friends and Twilight's family. A massive crowd of ponies gathered on either side of the hall, with a path through the middle of them.

Everyone was incredibly well dressed, something he had thought they probably owed to Rarity. Twilight was also in an immaculate deep blue dress adorned with stars.

Matt wasn't clad in fancy dress, however. He instead wore brilliantly shining golden armor, made especially for him by the Royal Guard's blacksmith. A long blue cape followed after him as he and Twilight made their way through the room. They waved as they passed the crowd, both of them spotting ponies they recognized. Matt had seen the Doctor, as well as Lyra and Bon-bon.

As they reached the end of the hall, Twilight joined the other princesses as Luna levitated a small cloth trimmed in gold onto the floor, in front of Matt's right leg.

Matt knelt down, the clink of his armor echoing through the now silent chamber.

"Do you swear to always uphold justice and to always speak the truth?" Celestia asked.

"I do." Matt said, bowing his head and closing his eyes.

"Will you remain loyal to Equestria and her people, and always defend those in need?" Luna asked.

"I will."

"Are you prepared to face danger with bravery, and hatred with love?" It was Twilight who had the role of asking him that.

He reflected on the meaning of those words, love and hatred. He didn't know the meaning of either of them until he arrived in Equestria.

He glanced up at Twilight to see her beaming expression. A special bond connected them now, a certain type of joy that Matt hoped would never end.

He looked down at his shaking right hand. A man who was fueled by his hatred, or so he said. Some of that hate had rubbed off on him, he felt. He had never despised someone more than he did himself. He clenched his fist, pushing that feeling deep within him.

"I am." he answered.

Celestia stepped forward and rested her horn on Matt's right shoulder, gently lifting it and then resting it on his left.

"I dub thee Sir Matthew Nabal, Knight of Equestria. Arise, Sir Nabal!"

Matt stood to the thunderous applause of hooves thumping against the ground. Twilight and the rest of his friends rushed to embrace him. If he could stay like that, stay the way he felt in that moment forever, he would be content.