Forever Is a Long Time

by Hoosier Brony

Chapter 20: Completion

Rapid Quill remembered walking to his bed, every step taking effort to pick up, as his exhaustion from weeks of troubled sleep and a long day of writing was beginning to set on hard. He remembered barely looking at any of the furniture in his room, his eyes only seeing the goal of the night, his bed. He had flopped down, but couldn't remember landing on the bed, sleep overcoming him so suddenly.

Laying on his back, and staring up at the ceiling, he felt refreshed, the good night's sleep obviously doing him well, but when he looked around, he wondered about his surroundings. Having seen the added decor in his house, Rarity and the girls going a little above and beyond in their assistance for the pony, he assumed this was the new look they had given his bedroom, but it also seemed familiar.

As he sat up, pondering the paradox of the strange yet familiar surroundings, he realized he could hear muffled voices from outside. 'Probably one of the girls, coming to check on me. I need to make sure to thank them more today for their work on my house,' he thought, climbing from the bed and heading for the door. When he opened the door, everything became clearer. The living room was not his own, but one he had visited many times before. The voices continued to be muffled, slightly louder now, and coming from just outside the house.

Opening the front door and turning to the right, where he knew he would find the speakers of the muffled voices, Quill found what he expected, Princess Celestia, royal and regal, as she stood over a huddled mass of pony, a pegasus whose wings were slightly ruffled. As Princess Celestia explained to Beaming Justice that he wasn't alone in the world, as he had thought, because she was there and she wanted to help get him through his troubling times, Rapid Quill nodded, his guess being correct.

As he looked around the dream scene, the same one he had been having off and on for the past few weeks, he felt his spirits drop. He wasn't feeling refreshed from a good night's sleep, he was only feeling as good as his dream would let him. Worst yet, he hadn't escaped his nightmares, as he was getting to see it again.

As he sat hard, watched the scene of Justice and Princess Celestia that he had written about minutes earlier, a bright white light flashed behind him, a soft voice calling out, "Rapid Quill, whatever is the matter?"

Quill turned, seeing Princess Luna in all her beauty and grace, as she walked towards him from the other side of Justice's living room, and said, "Princess Luna! I'm so humbled that you are here. I... well... I'm upset because I had hoped that by writing today, I could escape this nightmare."

Princess Luna sat beside the author, looking down with a detached look, nodding slightly as he finished. "Yes, Twilight Sparkle had written to me and said you were having difficulty. That is the reason I am here tonight. I wanted to apologize, for the past few weeks were my fault. I had forced these scenes on you for some time because I wanted you to be able to vividly recall them for the story. I also want to apologize for not saying sooner, but I appreciate all your hard work. The story, from what I've read so far, has come along wonderfully, more than I could've hoped when I asked you to write it all those months ago."

Quill looked up at the Princess, a tear in his eye, "Thank you. It means so much to hear that you are liking the story. I'd been submitting it as you had asked, but hadn't heard anything back for so long, I was beginning to worry." As he looked out at the scene by Daisy Cutter's grave, where Justice was turning down the insistence of Princess Celestia and indicating he wanted to be left alone, he mumbled, "As for the dream, I thank you for the vividity of the dreams to this point. It has made writing the story a little easier, though I feel like I'm not contributing much. But I have to know, why all the sadness in these past three weeks worth of dreams?"

The dream Princess Celestia had climbed up into her carriage, her escorts taking her back to Canterlot, as Princess Luna turned, "I cannot say I would be the one that you would want to ask. If you really want to know, you need to talk to him." She pointed over Quill's shoulder, a slight smile spreading across her face at the young author's confusion.

Quill turned, looking over in the direction she was pointing, and gasped as he saw Beaming Justice, who had been laying distraught across his wife's grave, slowly stand and turn towards him. The pegasus walked over to where the two were sitting and, with a bow to Princess Luna, sat across from Quill, and cleared his throat. Princess Luna announced that she was taking her leave, giving the two stallions some time to talk.

Quill looked at the ageless warrior in front of him, not believing his eyes. "How is it possible? I mean, you were just over there..." He trailed off, looking over towards the small cemetery and seeing the huddled mass of pegasus still sitting there as well. "So, this is still the dream?"

Justice smiled, shaking his head. "This isn't part of my story. I wanted to help put you at ease. I guess the recent experiences you've been privy to were difficult times. I will admit, the times with Daisy included some of the hardest things I've gone through. Watching her father die, losing our foal after trying so hard, leaving our good life in Manehattan, and even the day she passed were devastating moments in my life."

Quill looked on with pleading eyes. "If that's the case, then why? Why go through with it? Why continue on, if life is so painful?" He watched the pegasus nod, looking off and formulating his next words carefully.

"You still seem a little young, so I'm going to let you in on a secret," he said, leaning in. "Life is full of ups and downs. The happy days and the good times are nice, and are always there, but sometimes the harder days and the way that you react and persevere through them are what makes a pony stronger. Troubles are what define us, or break us. I have had a lot of troubles in my time, but they are days that helped shape me into who I am. Also, the bad days help make you appreciate the good ones all the time, believe me on that one."

The pegasus smiled, Quill feeling tears coming to his eyes. He watched as the young author wiped his tears and asked what would come next. "Because you've been through a lot, and because the majority of the rest of this story is all about the end, we'll skip ahead a bit. But first, you need to properly understand just how far down a pony can be and still build themselves up."

Rapid Quill watched on in horror. The pegasus telling him about the next step in the story had been changing before his eyes. His face became tight and hollow, his cheekbones sticking out and his eyes seeming to sink inward. His strength, his muscles, all seemed to slowly diminish, his ribs more defined, poking through as his chest and stomach seemed to recede, and his voice got weaker. His wings became flustered and some of his feathers began to break and fell out. All this was happening two feet away, and the author couldn't look away.

Waking with a start, the previous night's sleep full of both nightmares and adventure, Rapid Quill found himself laying face first on his mattress, the sun casting light rays across his room, and he sat up, refreshed and determined to finish his story. He quickly showered and groomed himself for the day before sitting at his desk and continuing the story.

It had been three months since Princess Celestia had gone to visit Beaming Justice and, with no word from him or anypony who could confirm seeing him in Vanhoover, she became concerned. Sending out a small group of ponies to find out what had happened to her ageless friend, she hoped for the best. Unfortunately, word came back that the situation was dire. She ran to the medical wing of the castle, intent on seeing the issue herself.

As she charged into the observation room, she looked down on the operation table and cried out in horror. The thing on the table hardly looked like a pony at all. The pegasus the doctor ponies were rushing to see came in with most every bone clearly distinguished through his skin. There appeared to be very little mass to the pony, both his muscular and fat deposits having been severely diminished. His mane was thinned in places, the strands of hair looking brittle and dry. His head looked larger than it should, his neck being so thin, and his eyes were deeply sunken inwards. The skin around his lips and nose were cracked and torn, though little to no blood appeared able to flow. There appeared to be broken ribs, from where somepony had picked the poor creature up, due to the brittleness of his skeletal structure.

Princess Celestia watched as the medical ponies looked over the specimen, waiting until somepony noticed her and came with a detailed report. "As best as we can tell, this pony is suffering from extreme levels of starvation and dehydration. I can honestly say that this is the worst case I have ever seen. We are doing what we can, having placed an IV to supply fluids to the pegasus, but I do not believe he will live through the night. I honestly cannot understand how he is alive at this time. I am sorry." With that, the doctor rushed back in to continue to monitor the pony.

Princess Celestia stayed in the observation room all night, watching as the round-the-clock assistance was given. She cursed at Justice in her mind, frustrated and angry that he would do something like this to himself. She cried a time or two, horrified at the condition he was in and upset with herself for not helping him sooner. She barely slept.

The next day, doctors were surprised to see some signs of recovery, though extremely faint. Justice's weak and feathery pulse seemed to grow a little stronger. The pony, who had not moved at all during the previous afternoon and night, began to move his eyes, drifting them around slowly, not focusing on one location for any amount of time. They became shocked and amazed at any signs of recovery, as their best estimations were that the pony had not eaten anything of substance in weeks, and the dehydration must've been the result of lack of liquids. They were baffled, as a pony can't survive without water for more than 3 days, but the dryness of the patient's mouth indicated longer time had taken place.

Over the course of the first week, the doctors were able to get the pegasus' condition up to the point where he was able to drink small amounts of liquids himself (without vomiting) and even started to eat foods slightly thicker than soup. There had been one moment, where they were unable to convince the patient to eat and drink for himself, which had brought intervention from the highest authority.

Princess Celestia had come in to the room and giving the extremely weak pony, casting a very serious look to him. Asking the doctors to leave, she turned to the pegasus and questioned him long and hard. After scolding him for a while, until he finally would answer her, she asked, "How long have you been like this? What happened?"

Justice frowned, as much as he could due to his weakness, and said in a voice that was scratchy and cracked and barely audible, "I haven't eaten or drank anything in three months. I... I just can't go on without her..."

Princess Celestia sat near him, putting a gentle hoof out on his, and said, "Three months? But that's... This is all because of Daisy Cutter's passing? Oh, Justice. You have to know she wouldn't want this. No pony would ever want to see this happen. Does it hurt?"

Justice trembled slightly, a fever having set in recently. "A lot. Every day is a new pain, and every day is no relief. I'd hoped that I found a loophole around the curse. How can I not die if my body is trashed naturally? But every time I've passed, I come back. Do you know how hard it is to live like that? To know that you can't even starve to death?"

Princess Celestia bowed her head, a tear coming to her eye. "You need to get better. It's what she would've wanted." Before the pony could speak, she continued, "I know the passing of a dearly loved one can be difficult. Believe me, it will get better. A wise pony once told me, 'Above the clouds, the sun is always shining, even on the blackest of days. If given time, the storm will blow over, the clouds will move away, and the sun will shine on.' As a pegasus, I'm sure you can understand that."

Justice looked out, staring into the furthest corner of his mind, and asked, "But what light is there shining for me? What do I have to go on for? Without Daisy, I have nothing, I want nothing, I need nothing. Why even try?"

Princess Celestia leaned close. "Do you remember when I came to visit you after Daisy's passing? I meant what I said, I want you to come back here to Canterlot and work with me. I could use your help training the guards, working diplomatic issues for me, and just being a friend with me." She saw the pony shake his head very slightly. "I also have one other reason. I want you to defeat her." She saw his eyes get wide, turning to look up to her. "Help me defeat Nightmare Moon. You know as I do that she will return one day. I want your help, because I think she can be defeated once and for all. I will need all the help I can get, and you can even the debt she owes you. For all the pain and suffering you've had to experience, you can give it back exponentially."

Justice stared back into the distance once more, watching as Princess Celestia exited. That moment was the one where he determined to get better, working with the doctors to build himself back up. He ate what they suggested, frustrated with how slowly they were stepping up his feeding program. They explained the fear of "refeeding syndrome," where all sorts of medical conditions could occur and threaten his life if he were fed too much too soon. With no other option, he forced himself to stick to their timetable.

A knock startled Rapid Quill, causing him to jump and spill his inkwell, luckily away from the scroll. He cleaned the mess, grumbling as the pony at his door continued to knock. Finally answering the door, he was pleased to see Twilight standing there, looking pleased at his improved appearance.

"Good morning, Quill," the purple pony said, smiling. "Looks like you got a good night's sleep!"

Rapid Quill smiled, saying, "All thanks to you and your intervention." He laughed a little when she blushed and folded her ears down. "Don't feel bad. I was grateful you asked Princess Luna for help, and I cannot explain how grateful I am to you and the rest of your friends for helping clean up my house. Though I think Rarity might've gone a little overboard."

Twilight laughed, telling Rapid Quill that they were glad to help. She had asked if the author had any troubling dreams the night before. He replied with a remark about how his nightmare that had plagued him for weeks had finally passed, though a new chapter to the story of Beaming Justice had replaced it. Her eyes got wide with excitement when he mentioned that.

"I've done some thinking, mostly about your suggestion last month. If you think there are enough ponies that are interested in my story, then let's round them up tomorrow night. I think the story will be ending today."

Twilight clapped her hooves together in excitement, immediately listing off the ponies she would invite. She insisted that she would take care of the preparations and demanded that the author get back to work immediately. With a smile and wave, Rapid Quill watched the young unicorn as she ran off to her library, intent on making the reading party a success.

Sitting back at his desk, and refilling his inkwell, Rapid Quill got back to where his story left off.

It had taken three months, but the almost entirely dead pony that had arrived at the hooves of the best doctors that Canterlot had to offer was back to a normal weight and mobility. Justice wasn't completely back to normal, as the catabolysis process had eaten away at almost all his muscle mass during his starvation. Eating, walking, even just lifting his head, had been a huge problem for some time, requiring a severe amount of physical therapy, that would need to continue for some time.

Justice was determined, his end goal in sight. In four hundred and thirty two years, Nightmare Moon would be freed from her lunar prison, and he intended to let her know just how he felt about the curse she had given him. He talked with Princess Celestia often, telling her all about the life that he and Daisy had experience, crying with her and working through his emotional block. She, in return, let him into personal secrets and moments from her past, their friendship strengthened by their years of experiences in Equestria.

Over the course of three years, he was able to get back to a normal range of movement, back like when he was a teenage foal, and began his training anew. He marveled at how difficult his old training exercises were, as his muscles needed to be built back up. He worked with a select group of royal guards, who were sworn to secrecy by the princess. They marveled at the pony's mind, seeming like he already knew their military procedures in and out. Justice laughed to himself often, remembering that he helped write some of the procedures they attempted to teach him. His joy was often overshadowed by frustrations when they were stronger, faster, and more agile then him in physical training. With enough time, he knew he would get that back.

Many years passed, entire generations had come and gone, and the threat of Nightmare Moon was long forgotten. The celebration of Nightmare Night was viewed less with fear of the monster that had once been, and more as a joyful event. Very few ponies considered the legend of Nightmare Moon as more than an old mare's tale.

Over the previous centuries, Beaming Justice had prepared relentlessly for the return of the evil that had cursed him. He had worked tirelessly for Princess Celestia, traveling across Equestria and beyond to stop the evils of the world before they could spread. It was largely due to his actions that Equestria had experienced a level of peace that it had never had before. As the approach of yet another Summer Sun Celebration party was being excitedly planned, there was a special conference being held between Princess Celestia and her most trusted royal guard.

Princess Celestia looked over the pegasus before her, his years of training and work having prepared him for the event close at hoof. "Beaming Justice, I wish I could say that we were meeting today under better circumstances. But of course, we knew this day was coming. Nightmare Moon will be returning the day after tomorrow, in accordance to the thousand years that I was able to banish her from our lands."

Justice nodded, a serious look on his face. "I understand, Princess Celestia. It is a day we've anticipated for some time. I want you to know that I am ready to defeat her, no matter the cost."

Princess Celestia stood, a look of surprise on her face. "No, that is the problem. Because the Summer Sun Celebration will be held in the small town of Ponyville, I do not want this to turn into an all out brawl, for fear of the collateral damage."

Justice looked at her with some confusion. "I will try my hardest, ma'am, but I must insist that if she isn't defeated, then she would do much more hard to ALL of Equestria, not just this one small town. How do you expect this to go? How do you wish her to be defeated?"

Princess Celestia walked away, looking out across the courtyard of the castle, "That's just it, Justice. I believe there might be a chance for us to save Princess Luna." She heard a slight gasp from behind her and smiled slightly.

Justice couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Celestia, do you mean it? Do you really think that we can save her?" He saw the princess nod, and a frown appeared on his surprised face. "I make this promise to you, if there is a chance to save Luna, then I will make sure it happens. But if there is any chance, ANY CHANCE, that Nightmare Moon has taken all control and I see the situation as a lost cause, then I will destroy her. I lost Luna once to this monster, and I will lose her again if I must."

Princess Celestia nodded solemnly, "I understand. I will respect your judgment." Suddenly, a thin trail of smoke cast its way into the room, materializing in front of Princess Celestia and, with a pop, a scroll appeared. Catching it with her levitating magic, the princess opened the scroll and began reading. Justice waited patiently, Princess Celestia being a busy pony meant interruptions might happen.

After finishing the scroll, the princess smiled and quickly wrote one back, teleporting it away. "What perfect timing, my faithful student," she mumbled. Turning to Justice, she said, "That was a letter from my protégé, a young unicorn named Twilight Sparkle. She wanted to write and warn me of the impending arrival of Nightmare Moon." She smiled as Justice's slightly bored demeanor picked up at this statement. "She, so you know, is what I think will save my sister."

Justice listened as Princess Celestia described her student, explaining that in her studies, the purple unicorn was able to pick up concepts quicker than anypony else, and even found uses for spells that nopony had considered before. "We both know that my ability with the Elements of Harmony was insufficient the last time Nightmare Moon roamed free, but I believe this unicorn can harness their power. I believe that she has a well of untapped power that might magnify the power of the Elements. She is our hope to save Princess Luna. You are our hope to defeat Nightmare Moon if that is impossible."

Justice looked on in baffled confusion at first, but nodded in understanding. After learning that this Twilight Sparkle was being sent to Ponyville to check on the preparations for the big celebration, he decided he needed to follow and make sure she would be safe. Taking off from his personal balcony, Justice reached Ponyville in short order. He looked around, finding a hotel to stay at, pretending to be a spectator for the Summer Sun Celebration.

He smiled warmly, looking over the small town. I remember this town, he thought. Of course, it was a bit different back then. I came through here. I remember when the only places around here were few buildings, the train station, a farm off in the distance, and a small stand selling the most amazing multi-colored jams. It's impressive how big this town has grown over the previous decades.

He spent his first day in the small town by actually traveling through the Everfree Forest, finding himself at a place he had avoided for almost one thousand years, the place of his downfall, the place where his best soldiers and closest friends had lost their lives. He mourned their passing, feeling his heart sink as the memories of that fateful night flooded back. He heard the screams of Swift Breeze, as he was incinerated, and Aurora Shine, as her mind was overloaded with information. He remembered the sickening sound as a large chuck on ceiling fell on Steel Hoof. Worst of all, he remembered the bone chilling cackle of the monster Nightmare Moon herself.

As he walked over the once beautiful main hall of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, the memories fresh in his mind, he began to hear the evil cackle yet again. He had successfully blocked out the voice of the monster in his head over the past few centuries, so to hear her again felt like a huge defeat. You came back, my king? the voice said, laughing at his anger. And I see your rage is as wonderful as always. You know that I shall return to rule Equestria tomorrow night, and still you resist? Such a shame. I will see you soon, Beaming Justice...

With a shudder, the guard walked away, wondering to himself how he could possibly defeat the evil mare when the mere presence of the ruins was enough to break his concentration. We will have to trust in Twilight Sparkle to be able to free us from this nightmare.

The next day, as Justice was enjoying a bite to eat at a local restaurant, he watched as the royal chariot descended from the sky, a young purple unicorn with a small dragon assistant exiting the vehicle. He smiled as she thanked the royal guard pegasi that had transported her, grateful to see that she was kind at heart. He followed her from a distance through her day, as she checked on the preparations for the impending celebration.

He enjoyed seeing that the small farm from when he had last been in town was not only still there, but booming. The ponies that ran the farm would be in charge of the food for the party, and the poor unicorn was stuffed to burst by the family, all in the name of a taste test.

He marveled at both the cunning way Princess Celestia's student was able to convince the town's weather pegasus to do her job and with the speed and agility the young blue flier was capable of.

Not wanting to give up his position, he didn't follow her as she entered the town hall, but was surprised when a young white unicorn rushed Twilight to a different building. He contemplated that this might be an attempted foalnapping, but chuckled when he overheard the unicorn talking about the mess of a main the pegasus from earlier had created.

After cleaning herself up inside the boutique, Twilight went out towards a field where a yellow pegasus seemed to be teaching a song to some birds. This action surprised Justice, as he had never seen anypony so in tune with nature to be able to train birds. He followed as the pegasus followed Ms. Sparkle home, talking non-stop to the dragon on her back.

Finally, the guard watched as Princess Celestia's student entered the town library, and as night was quickly approaching. He decided to turn in for the night, resting his body for what he expected would be a troubling experience the next day. As he turned to head back to his hotel, he heard an explosion of sound from within the library and rushed over to see a party being thrown for the new pony in town. He laughed, deciding that he would try to prepare as he had planned, and turned to head back to his room.

Justice wasn't able to get any rest, the thoughts of what would come running wild in his mind. To take his mind off things, he stretched and worked out slightly, wanting to make sure he was in tip top shape for the next day's action. As a group of ponies walked past, heading for the town hall, he cleared his mind of any worries, and prepared himself for the final battle.

A knock at Rapid Quill's door roused him from his concentration. He answered the door, finding nothing but a small note floating at eye level, being held up by a single balloon. He looked on in wonder as the balloon seemed fixed in place. He walked around the balloon, looking for any signs of wires or nets that might have caused this, and then finally reached out for the note. After removing the note, he watched as the balloon departed, not floating up and away, as he had assumed it would, but seemingly straight backwards, never floating to a higher elevation.

With amazed confusion, Quill remembered he had a note in his hoof and tore his eyes from the weird balloon. Reading the note explained everything, as it was addressed from Pinkie Pie, the only pony in all of Equestria who could've made a balloon act in such a manner. The note read:

'You are invited to a very special, once-in-a-lifetime event. Tomorrow night, in the main room of the Golden Oak Library, there will be a full reading of the epic tale 'Forever is a Long Time,' as written by our very own Rapid Quill. You are encouraged to come early, as the story is extremely long and will take all afternoon to read. Not that there is a problem, the story is a doozy! But anyways, please make sure to attend as the final conclusion is made public for the very first time.

Sincerely,

Pinkie Pie

P.S. Cake Reception to Follow

Rapid Quill laughed heartily at the note, smiling for some time later as he continued to remember the joy it brought him. He wondered just how many ponies were invited, and started to worry about whether his story would be done in time. With that, he rushed back to his desk and continued to write.

Justice walked into the Ponyville town hall, along with the rest of the town and visitors gathered for the special event. As he looked out across the room, he found the young Twilight Sparkle, currently locked in a one-sided conversation with a pink earth pony, and finally the events would begin. A hush fell across the crowd as the birds, expertly trained, began to sing in harmony. A spotlight fell on the town's mayor, as she introduced the festivities.

At the introduction of Princess Celestia, all ponies leaned forward in anticipation, except Justice, who was watching and waiting for a sign of trouble. He was as shocked as the rest of the ponies when the curtains on the upper balcony opened, and the princess was nowhere to be found. The young white unicorn attempted to find her, but came back empty hooved.

The room gasped in fright as a dark, fine mist seemed to gather on the platform where Princess Celestia had been expected. Justice scowled, having seen this mist before, and watched as the form of the evil mare solidified. Nightmare Moon looked over the room, gazing into the terrified faces of those present and said, "Oh my beloved subjects! It's been so long since I've seen your precious little sun-loving faces." She spat this last part out, causing a commotion in the back with the young weather pony Justice had seen earlier.

She took offense at the fact that nopony seemed to know who she was, bullying the poor yellow pegasus and scaring away her bird choir. She playfully slapped the white unicorn, as she grinned about how unprepared the room was, but looked on with surprise as Twilight Sparkle confidently labeled her as Nightmare Moon, eliciting a gasp of fright from the other ponies. No! Don't draw attention to yourself! Justice thought, afraid of what the evil sorceress would do if she discovered the pony's power.

Nightmare Moon chuckled at the fear she received from the unicorn and, with a few flares of her wings, said, "Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this day forward, the night with last forever!" Lightning flashed behind her, as she cackled maniacally. A feeble attempt was made to capture her, but the three guards were quickly dispatched and Nightmare Moon returned to her mist form and flew from the room as everypony ran in fear.

Justice watched as Twilight and the ponies she had met the previous day rushed towards the library where she was staying, and decided to part ways, wanting to find Princess Celestia himself. He had assumed that she would be in the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, in order to retrieve the Elements of Harmony, and rushed there.

Flying with all his might, he reached the castle ruins in no time, landing hard enough to crack the cement floor. He looked around the castle, rushing from room to room to try to find the missing princess, but to no avail. He had finally ended his search back in the grand hall, shuddering again as the memories came back in full force.

As he was recovering, he heard a voice outside and watched as the young blue pegasus flew off to secure the rope bridge, the group of ponies alongside Twilight making their way towards the ruins. He watched as the three ponies she had been talking to combined into the unmistakable mist of Nightmare Moon, which headed off to the inner castle behind him. Leaving what appeared to be a stone monument to the Elements of Harmony behind him, he rushed forwards, entering the castle to confront Nightmare Moon once again.

Storming his way into the throne chambers of the castle, he shouted out Nightmare Moon's name, watching as the mist intensified into the evil mare. She cackled, staring at the familiar pegasus before her. "Where is she? Where is Celestia? What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?!? Stop your cackling and ANSWER ME!!!" He stomped so hard he cracked the floor.

Nightmare Moon slowed her laughter into a slight chuckle. "Oh yes, this is what I needed. After failing to stop those rotten fillies outside, I know I'm going to have some fun with you." In a mockingly naive voice, she said, "The Elements, you say? Why, whatever do you mean? Surely you saw them outside." She laughed again, watching the pony's face turn to one of despair. "Didn't you see them? They've petrified over time, turning even more useless than they were one thousand years ago!"

Justice turned a sorrowful face downwards. No! The Elements were our only hope of saving Luna. If they are ruined, then so is she. His anger boiled, the cackling beginning to eat away at his sanity. Looking up with a look of pure hatred and disgust, he said, "If that's true, and if you won't tell me where Celestia is, then I will defeat you. I will stop at nothing until you are dead at my hooves!!"

Launching himself at the evil sorceress, Justice cleared the distance in the room in a split second, taking the alicorn by surprise. With a thud, he rammed himself into her chest, shoving her backwards against a wall. With a cry of pain and anger, Nightmare Moon struck out, connecting with the side of the ageless warrior's head. Justice fell off of her, the hit only eliciting a momentary shock. Looking back, he saw her staring back with hatred in her eyes as she backed away from her foe.

"Tis a shame! We could've been a perfect pairing, ruling the eternal night forever. But you just signed your demise!" She lashed out, launching powerful spells in quick succession, each of them missing the pegasus. Justice spun in the air, carefully missing all the projectile spells being launched his way, wary of what they could do.

As he closed the distance once more, he was met with a ferocity he did not expect. Nightmare Moon kicked and punched out against him with all she had, the powerful pegasus taking a few shots, but nothing more than glancing blows. He returned her attacks, finding a little more success, as he peppered her shoulders and rib cage with hard punches. Nightmare Moon punched back, finally finding a solid hit, which pushed Justice back enough for her to change into mist and whisk herself away.

Justice stumbled, angry that he was caught off balance, and watched as the pony before him evaporated and the mist flew off down the hall. He rushed after it, making sure not to let the mist out of his sight, and found himself shooting around tight corners.

The castle seemed almost mazelike with all its hallways and separate rooms. He followed the mist as it shot down a spiral staircase, slowing only to pull up slightly at the bottom, for fear of crashing and losing his prey. He rushed through a long hallway of torch bearing pony legs, the torches long since put out, and eventually found himself back in the throne room, the evil mare standing and waiting.

As he came around the corner, she launched a large boulder at the pegasus, connecting against his head with a sickening crunch. Justice shuddered, watching as the malicious pony stared on in glee, but began to lose focus. As the edges of his sight began to dim, he looked on, through blood torrents that shot from his forehead, and smiled slightly. The world went black, he could no longer hear the mare's laughter, and he felt everything go cold.

Suddenly, he began to feel a thundering pain in his head, the cackling returning in the distance. He could feel his own skull fixing itself, the cut sealing back up, and his strength returning. As he opened his eyes, he could see the pony before him, her laughter beginning to fade as she watched his revival. He stood up, a little shaky, but with each passing second could feel his world settling down from its current spin. With a cheeky grin, he taunted, "That's right, you must've forgotten about the little curse you gave me? I won't stop tonight until you are dead, not even my death will prevent that."

Nightmare Moon backed away, slightly shocked at the maniacal laughter emanating from the pegasus before her. She snarled, lashing out against the pony again, who felt a little weak, the original injury having cost him a bit of blood. She pushed him back, driving him into a side room and shoving him hard in the chest, causing him to stumble and fall to the floor. She laughed again, firing a particularly hard spell, which the trained pegasus nimbly dodged.

Justice stood in front of her, a stern frown on his face, and opened his mouth to tell her she was finished. As he took in his breath, he was hit sharply from behind, his world suddenly glowing a dark teal. Nightmare Moon laughed, an evil maniacal chuckle that chilled the pony. He struggled, realizing that he was caught, unable to move. "How?!? What?!?"

Nightmare Moon approached him, her body bruised and cut, her breathing ragged. "Oh, you forgot to watch your back, you foal. The floors in this castle are as shiny as mirrors. and that will be your biggest mistake!" Her horn began to glow, the teal that surrounded Justice being pulled towards the evil alicorn. He felt himself getting a little dizzy, a faint weakness coming over him, and watched in horror as the pony in front of him had all her wounds healed and her abrasions cleared and cleaned.

As the alicorn finished pulling in the magic that had surrounded the pegasus, he dropped to the ground, finding some trouble standing. "What did you do?" Justice stood, shaking off the rust, and looked on. He rushed at the pony, as she continued to sneer at him, and struck out at Nightmare Moon. She smiled, striking back and dealing a heavy blow.

Nightmare Moon stood over the fallen pegasus, striking down upon his wings, drawing a loud cry of pain. "Well, you poor worthless thing, the best way to explain it is to say I've taken back the mistake I made all those years ago." She lashed out again, drawing further cries of pain. Leaning down, on the severely injured pony, she smiled and whispered, "I took back the power I had given you. You are mortal once more. Not that it will matter soon."

Justice gaped, realizing that there was something wrong. He could tell that the pain he was experiencing was different from the pain he had experienced before. He shuddered, afraid for the first time in centuries of death. He looked on, his eyes pleading, as the alicorn lifted a very sharp shard of stone, but the emptiness in her eyes shown cruelly. He watched, unable to struggle, as she brought the shard down hard in his abdomen. A cry of pain and despair was drowned out by her laughter once more.

Nightmare Moon retreated, knowing that the fight was over and won, and headed towards the grand hall, intent on dispatching the pesky mares that had followed her with intent to stop her. Justice watched as she walked off, feeling a horrendous pain down below, knowing his stomach had been ruptured and his time was short. He cried out in pain, terrified that this would be his final conclusion, alone and hurt on a cold marble floor.

As he looked up at the ceiling, feeling tears stain his face, he felt a warmness overcome him. He was bathed in golden light. "Oh my goodness! Beaming Justice!!" The voice of Princess Celestia overcame Justice, and he rolled his head towards the door. There, her horn glowing bright gold, she rushed to his side, looking him over. "Oh my... I... I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner. I was able to free myself, but wasn't able to follow your fight in time. Oh Justice!"

Justice looked up, a small trickle of blood streaming down the side of his mouth. "Princess Celestia... I failed you. I'm so sorry. We lost Luna... the Elements... they're destroyed." He felt the princess' magic causing the pain to stop and the stomach acid and blood to stop flowing.

Princess Celestia shook her head. "The Elements of Harmony are not so easily destroyed. Even right now, my student will be figuring a way to use their power." She looked down with sorrow. "I'm sorry, Justice, I can't stop your injury." He nodded sadly, and suddenly the two were distracted, a bright light shining out from a nearby hall window, while Nightmare Moon's cries rang through. Princess Celestia looked on, a smile on her face.

Justice watched as her look of confidence turned to one of debating agony. She looked back down at the pegasus, her eyes pleading as to what she needed to do. "Go," he said, nodding in understanding. "You are needed there. What if it didn't work? Go, make sure that she is saved. Do this for me, please." She nodded, the glow around her horn fading, and she teleported out of the room. As she was leaving, Justice could feel the pain again, feel his stomach acids mixing with his blood, causing an excruciating agony for the next few minutes.

About the time that the world began to fade from his view, and Justice knew from previous experience that death was setting in, he heard a loud shout of desperation. In a rush, the ceiling of the room came back into focus, the soft golden glow and pain relief appearing once more. Justice moaned, "Celestia, no! Why did you come back? You were supposed to save..."

He rolled his head over, his thought being cut off. Standing in the doorway, better than he remembered, was Princess Luna, freed for the monstrous Nightmare Moon. Tears began to flood his vision, which he tried to clear by blinking them away. He saw her gasp, a cry of sadness and pain calling forth. She rushed over to him, looking him over and shaking uncontrollably.

"Beaming Justice, oh no!" she said, trying to concentrate only on his face and not the gore below. She saw him cry out fully, holding his head and rubbing his mane. "Oh Justice, whatever happened? How are you still alive? I thought I'd lost you when I lost myself... Oh, and just look at you. I finally got you back, and I'm losing you all over again."

Justice weakly lifted a hoof, running it across the princess' cheek. "Shh... Luna, everything will be ok. It was because of Nightmare Moon that I was able to see you again. If not for her curse, then I would've lost you one thousand years ago. I always knew you would be back, separated from that beast. It makes me so happy to see you here."

Luna leaned down and kissed the pegasus in front of her, her tears flowing onto his face. She relished the kiss, feeling the love that she had shared with him bubbling back into her, but something was off. She realized that his kiss in return seemed half-hearted. Pulling back, she saw a hint of shame.

"I'm sorry," Justice said, his ears flattening as he looked on in embarrassment. "There was somepony else. Somepony that meant everything to me, somepony that taught me to love again. It's absolutely wonderful to see you here today, but I'm afraid the world has changed, and so have I." He noticed her look of dejection and reached out a hoof, placing it on hers. "But I am ever honored to know that after all this time, you still thought that way of me."

The two were interrupted by a slight grunt from the doorway. Princess Celestia was standing, having watched this whole time, but was showing signs of straining. Had Justice not been so far gone, she could've held this spell for longer, but she had just barely caught him before he passed on. She looked over at the pegasus with sadness in her eyes, struggling more every second. Justice returned her look and nodded.

"It's time for me to go. Poor Celestia can't hold up anymore." Seeing Luna cry out, pleading for anything else. "No, no Luna, no. Listen to me. One thousand years has taught me a lot, mostly the value of friendship and love. You'll get over me, the memories will fade in time, but please make sure to do one thing for me. Love your sister, treasure your time together. Don't ever let Nightmare Moon return, for all she did was hurt and destroy. That isn't you."

Princess Luna buried her face on Justice's chest, her tears flowing without end, and Celestia began to let her spell go, knowing that the time had finally come. As Justice looked up at the ceiling, feeling the pain and coldness seeping back in, he smiled. "In one thousand years, I've been through some amazing adventures and seen so much of what this world has to offer. Know this, I leave here with no regrets. Thank you Luna for the times we shared, and thank you Celestia, for always being there."

Justice listened to the cries of both ponies nearby, hearing them fade out as the world he had lived his extended life in passed away behind him. Everything was cold, the pain having subsided as well. Off in the distance, splitting the darkness, came a light, growing ever brighter. As Justice felt this light pulling him in, he began to feel a warmth spread over his body.

He saw a flash of light, and when his eyes finally began to focus, he found himself laying on his back, staring up into a clear blue sky. The sun shone down through some small patches of clouds, and a light breeze ruffled his coat and feathers, as he sat up and looked around. He was in a large green field, full of flowers and surrounded by mountains in the distance. He continued looking around, trying to figure out his surroundings. "This all seems so real... so familiar." He stood, taking in his surroundings, and began to walk around.

Suddenly, his ears perking up as a sound appeared behind him, he turned around, looking out across a small lake, and saw small shapes running towards him. One took off, flying towards him, he flared his wings, pleased that the pain had gone, and flapped hard, taking to the sky and rushing towards the one coming for him. He was wary, unsure whether this shape was friend or foe, but felt a huge smile spread across his face, the familiar and missed face of Swift Breeze coming into focus. He heard his friend call out to him, his flapping becoming labored by shock.

The two met with a huge hug, Justice crying slightly, surprised at the reunion with his friend. "Swift, how? I mean. What is this place? Where am I?"

Swift smiled, "Justice, boss, it means so much to see you again! I always knew we'd see you again!" He laughed heartily, hugging Justice again. "I don't know where we are, but we've been waiting for you, for all this time. It's been so long, you have no idea what this means! Come! Everypony else is waiting."

"Everypony?" Justice said, being led along by one of his closest friends, long since passed. They headed towards the other shapes on the far side of the lake. Justice assumed he would be reunited with Steel Hoof and Aurora Shine, finally realizing that this was the place he had dreamed about the night Dream Chaser had been attacked. Looking out, he counted far more than the two other shapes he expected.

As he drew in closer, and began to hear numerous calls out to him, he began to tear up once more, amazed at how many ponies were present, how many faces from his past were coming back in more than memories. He landed and was immediately given a huge hug from Dream Chaser and Blowing Storm. As the three held each other, Justice began to feel the cool winds of Willowhill's outlying farmland, and smelled the wheat that he and the pegasus and earth pony in his grasp had worked so hard to plant. He smiled, listening to them as they thanked him for all their memories, even after he had returned and they were given a second chance to live with him again.

Looking over, he saw Shining Light, his old companion from his time as Luna's Chief Lieutenant, who gave him a warm wave, before turning back to the elderly griffon beside him. Justice looked on, smiling at the wave he received from Lord Adelram, one of the most prominent leaders of the griffon nation, and the one who had saved Justice and his adopted family from the internment camp. He bowed respectively to the one-time leader of an entire nation, but was surprised when he came back up and saw a bow in return, one with even deeper respect.

With little warning, he was sprung on from behind, a large hug pulling him away from his old soldier friends. He spun around and shouted in surprise, hugging Spring Gallows back. Having been one of the first ponies he had been with to witness a long life, before eventually growing old and passing away, his time with Spring was some of the best, time that was very special to Justice. Spring excitedly talked about their surroundings, questioning where they were, what it meant, but mostly celebrating the reuniting with his best friend. Justice smiled, happy to see that after all this time, Spring was just as he remembered him.

Justice looked over, seeing a small group of unicorns that made his spirits soar. He rushed over, receiving hugs and love from his friends from Manehattan. He cried out in happiness as he hugged Summer Dawn and Key Drift, reminiscing of their times together. He marveled at how grown Dusk Ryder looked, having not seen him since he had left for Canterlot. Justice had heard good things about his time in the guard, mostly through Summer's letters to Daisy...

Justice gasped, looking around. Having seen so many faces from his past, his closest of friends and companions, he hadn't yet found the love of his life. He scanned the many faces, eternally happy to be able to reacquaint himself with so many ponies and creatures from his past, but his heart longed for one in particular. He searched the crowd, trying to find her, but all to no avail. The many ponies continued to come to him, all wanting to hug him, shake his hoof, or talk to him. They were all so excited to be reunited with a good friend, but Justice felt his world coming apart.

Just as he wondered if he would never get to see her again, a sharp whistle blew through the air. Justice flinched slightly, turning slowly to find Devin Cook, the one-time mentor/father figure who had spent a few good years with Justice. Devin smiled warmly, winking at the pegasus, and stepping aside. There, standing right behind her father, was Daisy Cutter. She looked over at Justice, tears of joy streaming down her face, and rushed to him. Justice ran as fast as he could, closing the distance to his wife in short order, and grabbed her in a huge hug.

His joy was uncontainable, causing him to fly up into the air, while holding her tightly. As he looked down, the large gathering of ponies from his past looking up, smiling at the couple, and even stomping their hooves in appreciation, Justice turned to his wife and asked, "Where are we? What is this place? Why are you all here?"

Daisy smiled, kissing her husband. Oh how Justice had missed her tender, loving lips! Pulling back, her beautiful eyes glistening, she said, "We are here because of you, Justice. This is your afterlife, a world that you created. With all your deeds in the world, with all your friendship and love, you created this place. We are all here because you affected all of our lives. That is why we are so happy, because it was you who brought us all here." She leaned in again, kissing her husband for the second time in almost five hundred years.

Justice flapped back down to the ground, letting his wife out of his arms gently, but continuing to hold her hoof. He looked around at all the faces from his past. They are here because I had a positive impact on their lives? Justice thought, tears coming to his eyes. But that's wrong. They meant so much to me, they were the ones who changed my life. He reached out, hugging each and everypony he could see, feeling truly blessed. He had realized that life isn't all about one pony, but all the ponies that he came into contact with, all the ponies he cared for and loved, all the ponies that helped shape him into the pegasus he became. As he smiled once more, he realized that his curse had actually been the biggest blessing he could have ever received.

"...the biggest blessing he could have ever received," Twilight said, her voice cracking a little. She rolled up the scroll in front of her, and the audience erupted in applause. Inside the library, the party for Rapid Quill's story was packed. Inside the room were Twilight and her friends, all of which had helped make the story better, Princess Celestia, Rapid Quill's parents, and a few other choice ponies from around the town. Rapid Quill was pushed up to the stage, the audience continuing to stamp their hooves.

"Uh, I guess you all want some kind of speech?" Quill asked, stammering through the awkwardness of the situation. As the group cheered, including an emphatic "YES!!" from Pinkie Pie, Quill chuckled and said, "Well, I'm very grateful that all of you came out tonight to hear the conclusion to my story. I've really enjoyed sharing it with all of you over the past few years and I'm very grateful for all of you who helped contribute to this story, in big ways and little ways. Now, I think we should get to the party side of the night!"

Vinyl Scratch started up the music, as Pinkie rushed ponies out to the dancefloor or over to the party games she had set up. Nopony is ever allowed to sit alone and be miserable at a Pinkie party. Quill walked the room, receiving a lot of pats on the back, or hoof shakes, and congratulations for his story. He had been a little despondent when he hadn't seen Princess Luna in the audience, but was glad for all the ponies that had turned up. 'I'm sure she's just busy watching over the night,' he'd decided.

As he was wondering around, smiling at all the fun the other ponies were having, he noticed a shape at the window, beckoning him. He excused himself for a second, walking out the front of the library and around the corner. "Princess Luna!" Quill said, bowing low. "I'm so sorry you didn't come sooner. We just finished reading your story."

Princess Luna smiled, laughing a little. "Oh Rapid Quill, I did hear it. I saw up on the balcony and listened through the window. It was a wonderful story, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. I must say, you did a very good job when it came to the ending."

Quill turned his head sideways, unsure whether the princess was using the royal 'we' or meant something else, "We? Do you mean there was somepony else here tonight?" A dark grey pegasus walked past the shocked author and stood next to Princess Luna, a large smile on his face. Rapid Quill looked on, seeing a large scar that went down the side of the pony's face and down the side and around the back of his neck, and thought, 'He looks a lot like...'

"Of course somepony else was here tonight. I couldn't miss my grand debut, now could I?" the pegasus said, chuckling. Looking at the shocked author, whose legs had begun to tremble slightly, the new arrival said, "Oh dear, Luna, I've afraid we may've broken the poor guy." He laughed heartily, wiping a tear from his eye.

Rapid Quill shook, knowing the voice he was hearing from the pony before him. He couldn't believe what was happening, meeting the pony he had spent countless nights dreaming about. He reached out, touching the pegasus, and recoiling in surprise at the solidity. "You... You're Beaming Justice... But how? I mean... When?... Princess Luna?" He looked pleadingly at the Princess of the Night, "Am I dreaming right now?"

Princess Luna shook her head, "No, Rapid Quill, I assure you this is very much real. I would like to formally introduce you to Beaming Justice. When I had asked you to write this story all that time ago, it was because I wanted somepony to mark down all his accomplishments and adventures, which had been relayed to me non-stop." She looked over at Justice, winking. "I couldn't get him to be quiet, so I told him I'd have somepony write them down and he promised to stop."

Justice reached out, shaking the hoof of the surprised author. With a smile, he said, "I really do appreciate the job you did on the story. I know that writing what you see may seem easier than it turns out to be, and I especially liked the ending. I can see your star can shine brightly, just like a certain other author I once knew." He winked at Quill.

Rapid Quill looked back and forth from Justice to Princess Luna. "That means so much, really. But wait, does that mean that this really was your life? That this really happened?" Justice nodded, sitting next to the earth pony, who continued to struggle with this new revelation. "So... I have to ask. What really happened? I mean, did you really face off against Nightmare Moon? Because I know that Twilight Sparkle and her friends were able to defeat her; they've told me themselves."

Justice looked over at Princess Luna, who looked down in both embarrassment and sadness. Justice looked back, his smile having faded, "It's not something that we like to discuss, or remember, if we can help it. But I guess I owe you. You were pretty close on that fight. I had gotten the upper hoof on Nightmare Moon, until she hit me with a fatal blow."

Nightmare Moon cackled cruelly, seeing that her spell had landed on the back of his neck, causing the pegasus to writhe in pain. The spell she had hit him with started to eat his body from within, starting with the central nervous system. This caused him intense pain, difficulty in breathing, violent convulsions, and finally death. He could feel the spell as it spread, causing muscles to fail, his cries in agony and despair getting quieter, as his strength to scream failed.

He reveled in the death that came, the relief from all the pain and suffering, as the coldness swept over him and the darkness enveloped his sight. As he lay there, wondering if this was finally the end, he felt the pain begin anew, starting again from where he had been hit by the evil alicorn's spell. He cried out in desperation, horrified that the curse wasn't broken, that he was brought back to life into the pain and anguish of her spell. As he screamed out in agony and sorrow, he didn't realize the approach of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

Justice was only barely aware of his surroundings as he was teleported back to Canterlot. The princesses had tried everything they knew to stop the pain or the curse, letting the poor creature die mercifully, but nothing had worked. Princess Luna cried out in anger and sorrow, the defeat of Nightmare Moon costing her any powers the pony had possessed.

All the best medical and magical ponies that Canterlot could offer were brought to the pony, hoping they could to find a way to stop the suffering. Justice continued his horrendous cycle of death, rebirth, pain, and death again over and over, lasting about a half hour each time to die. His screaming barely ever ceased.

It had taken two days, a breakthrough finally being found in the Canterlot Royal Library. Princess Celestia read over a scroll found in the Starswirl the Bearded section, one that could neutralize a powerful spell by using the power of a second powerful spell. It was worth a try.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna came to the pegasus' side, watching as his strength failed him once more and he passed away. Princess Luna cried pitifully, having experienced a roller coaster of emotions over the past week. She had been set free from the monster that had overtaken her, experienced confusion as she was thrust into a world she was unfamiliar with, saw that Justice was still alive, and was forced to watch him suffer and die numerous times, all because of two spells she had cast on him.

As Justice was revived, sweating profusely and a small whimper starting, they tried to calm his screaming, insisting that they needed to talk. Justice grimaced hard, biting back on his pain, and listed as Princess Celestia explained, "Justice, we think we have a way to stop this. I'm afraid that it will have lasting effects, though. We will have to use the power of the immortality curse to counteract the power of the killer spell. Do you understand what this means, that you will not be immortal anymore?"

Justice cried out in pain once more, amazed that even after experiencing this many iterations of this spell and death the pain could be so intense and horrible. He listened as Princess Celestia explained the process of the spell she would attempt to cast, the potential for failure, and any side effects that it could cause. He nodded in understanding, the pain getting to be too much at times, causing him to cry out once more. As his body failed him again, and he felt death coming on, he whispered, "Do it..." His head slouched over, and his breathing stopped.

Princess Celestia asked for Princess Luna's help, wanting to make sure of the spell's success by combining their power. As the pony revived once more, moaning softly at his continued torture, their two horns glowed and a slight breeze had begun. The first part of the spell was to isolate the original spell's center of power.

Gazing over the pony, seeing the strands of the powerful magic that was entangling him, she saw a knot of it, right in the side of his face. This was where Nightmare Moon must've hit him with her original curse. Princess Celestia noted the location of the immortality curse and, looking at the strings of power, was able to locate a second large knot, on the back of the pained pegasus' neck. That must be where she aimed her fatal spell that he's trapped in.

Noting these two spots to Princess Luna, the breeze in the room grew to a gale, Justice's pain beginning to increase as it normally did when the muscles in his lower legs began to flare up and fail, and the two alicorn sisters' horns glowed brightly. Princess Celestia concentrated her magic on the position of the curse, while Princess Luna concentrated on the fatal spell. Princess Luna's attention helped to contain the original spell, stopping its spread and even pulling back some of the pain from Justice's body, his muscles recovering.

With a large shout, Princess Celestia reached out a hoof and grabbed hold of the tangle of spell strings she could see as Princess Luna touched the spot she was centering on. Reaching a hoof to each other, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna felt a jolt of electricity shoot through them, a connection being made between the two centers of the powerful spells. With a look of determination, the two sisters nodded in unity, and pulled as hard as they could.

Justice screamed in greater agony than he had felt over the past two days combined. He felt as if every fiber in his body was simultaneously exploding and being ripped to pieces. His eyes shot open in fright, his scream was cut off, as he hadn't been able to breathe back in, and his legs and wings shot out and thrashed about.

Princess Luna looked worried, faltering slightly, and looked at Princess Celestia. Princess Celestia shouted out to her, telling her she must be strong or the pony could perish. Snapping back into focus, Princess Luna regained her grip and pulled with all of her might. The two sisters struggled, their combined might seemingly not enough.

Outside the room, waiting to see if they would be needed, a small team of medical ponies shook with fright. The unholy scream that had erupted just earlier, mixing with the eerie glow from the combined magic from within, had caused more than one pony to run in fright. The others weren't as lucky. In a sound that would haunt them for the rest of their lives, they heard what sounded like a slight tearing of flesh give way to a horrendous rip, the sound of splattering blood, and two loud thuds. A cry for help came from within the room, and the ponies rushed in.

"Luckily for me, two of them had been in the military during some of the most recent action across the seas, so they were able to handle the carnage they saw." Justice said, turning slightly so that the large scar on his body was hidden from the author before him. "Basically the spells were literally ripped from my body, to a degree much worse than the original scroll could explain. The curse had been deeply ingrained into me, one thousand years allowing it to burrow deep, and the other spell had propagated over the two days of constant attack that it too was attached strongly."

"So the sound that they heard..." Quill said, feeling a little queasy. He looked on in shock as the pegasus before him turned, letting him get a good look at the scar he wore. The scar started just below his left eye, cutting down to his cheek before shooting down the side of his neck, snaking back and forth, and finally around to the back of his neck about halfway to his shoulders. Where the scar ended, his mane was missing slightly, the hair unable to grow from the impurity.

"Removing the spell ripped my head and neck open. Thankfully the medical ponies were able to control the wound, patch me up, and work me through the recovery. It's almost funny," he said, a slightly empty smile appearing. "As soon as I become mortal again, I almost bleed to death."

Princess Luna stepped forward, smacking the pegasus roughly in his side. "Do not joke, you idiot." She turned to Quill, a look of concern on her face. "It was terrifying, the whole ordeal. But watching as he suffered and knowing it was all my fault made it worse. I was so scared that we had killed him, all in an attempt to save him."

Justice cut off her fears, pulling her into a gentle hug, and shushing her slightly. "But I didn't. I'm ok, Luna, really. You two saved me, that's all that matters." He looked at Quill, seeing his saddened face, and smiled sadly himself. "Hey, don't worry about it either. As I said, I'm here, everything is ok. The memory isn't a pleasant one, but it is a part of my life."

Rapid Quill looked on, really seeing for the first time the agelessness of the eyes before him. In those eyes he saw unbridled joy, unimagined pain, the suffering of loss, the countless tears of pain, but also the glimmer of hope. He marveled at the creature before him, a pony who had experienced the best and worst of the world, much more than a hoofful of ponies could expect to experience in a lifetime, and yet he continued to smile.

"So does that mean it worked? Does that mean you are mortal again?" He looked on, smiling slightly as Princess Luna's concern and sorrow had lifted.

Justice let go of the hug he had used to calm the princess down. "That's right. I am no longer impervious to either death or time. I was given a chance, Princess Celestia saying that she found a spell that could extend a pony's life. I remember she tried to talk me into it, reminding me of all the good I'd done, especially for her, but I said no. The way I see it, I've had a lot of experiences in my life. Some of it was good, some great, but a lot of it was bad as well. I've experienced deep friendships and wonderful love, but I've also experienced the pain of loss, the fear of death, and the sorrow of loneliness. Basically the only thing I haven't gotten to experience was the process of growing old. I decided that was the next adventure I wanted, the one I wanted more than anything."

Quill smiled warmly, a slight tear in his eye. He had grown to respect the character of his story, both in his strength and his weaknesses. Seeing that the pony was true to life, and even more than he had ever expected, he felt even more respect and compassion. He nodded in understanding, and said, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to get the rest of your story down. I feel terrible, seeing what all you've been through and were able to persevere, knowing that I couldn't handle it."

Justice shrugged a little, coming over and throwing a wing over the author beside him. "When Luna told me of your issue, I understood. There was a very dark part of my life that you were stuck on. But like I said that night, 'The bad days make you appreciate the good ones.' There were some wonderful days in my life, especially after Celestia helped get me back up and focused. I traveled the entire world under her command, helping put an end to quite a few more troubles. I even finally found a friend that I wouldn't have to watch grow old, a majestic dragon that I still like to visit."

Quill looked on, gaping at what he was hearing. "And I didn't get to hear about those? Oh no! I can't believe I asked for relief from your story!! I'd love to be able to hear and even write about your other adventures, if you don't mind."

Justice laughed, even getting a chuckle from Princess Luna, "I'll make you a deal. Whenever you feel the urge to get back on the quill and want to hear some more, you know how to get a hold of me. I wouldn't mind telling some more of my experiences."

About the time that Rapid Quill opened his mouth to give thanks for the offer, a call came from the door to the library, what sounded like Twilight trying to find the author. Rapid Quill turned towards the front door and called out that he was coming. When he turned around, he saw Princess Luna and Beaming Justice as they flew away. He waved at them, smiling largely at his luck to get to know a wonderful pony. As he looked back down, ready to re-enter the party being thrown in his honor, he noticed one dark grey feather, laying at his hoof, and smiled.

Comments

[CheesiePie15]

Great Ending!!!!

[amiamera]

I want to like this but I can't. The last three chapters feel like you were quill and just trying to get through them. You have rapid time skips that are not clearly visually marked and just suddenly happen. Further, as I've stated before, there are just parts of this story that don't ring true to me or seemed pointless. What was the point of the argument about Justice still loving Luna. Also, if justice still loves Luna, wouldn't he want the extension to still be with her and not leave her alone? The story is ok, definitely not one I would down vote but it just didn't have that magic pull that made me smile, go that was awesome or make me think, "I must show this story to others."

[FuntimeBrony]

I love it

[Betoran]

Totally LOVE IT!

[Samellan]

I do not regret the time I spent reading this story.
Beginning may be was a bit weak, but second half made up for it and more!