Fluttershy and Me: Tortured Love

by BioBoy619

First published 19th of April, 2013

What if Matthew's story wasn't the one you knew? In this alternate reality, Celestia is out for blood. Matthew must fight not only to protect himself, but to protect Fluttershy as well.

After spending six years together on Earth, Fluttershy and Matthew, the human that found her, have formed a strong relationship. But, in this alternate reality, Princess Celestia chooses to deny Matthew passage into Equestria, and takes Fluttershy from him. Finding his own way to Equestria, Matthew saves Fluttershy, but at the same time, ignites the wrath of Princess Celestia. Now, she is out to kill Matthew. He must use all of his skills and abilities, as well as some new ones, to fight back. He must fight to protect not only himself, but to protect Fluttershy as well. He must fight to protect their love. This is Matthew's alternate story. The story of Tortured Love.

If you enjoy this story, be sure to check out the entire story of Fluttershy and Me, which is now remastered! Also, check out the second alternate reality story, Fluttershy and Me: Without You.

This story was inspired by the Assassin's Creed 3 DLC, The Tyranny of King Washington, as you can tell by the cover art, which I take no credit for, obviously. This story is not, however, an Assassin's Creed crossover. The main character, Matthew, is just heavily influenced/inspired by the series.

This is rated mature for scenes of gore and heavy sexual content.

Chapter 1: The Decisions We Make

Author's Note: The story begins at the end of Chapter Nine of Fluttershy and Me. It is recommended that you read at least Chapter Nine, if not the whole first act, of Fluttershy and Me. This story begins from Matthew’s perspective, but later, moves to a third-person perspective. Let the story begin.

“Celestia, the choice isn’t mine, it’s yours. You either take both of us back to Equestria, or you can all leave and just have wasted your time.” I looked at the Princess, waiting for a response. She had a big choice to make.

“You could, of course, try to take her by force. But, in that case, you might as well kill me. If you don’t I’ll probably do it myself.” I didn’t say that to make her feel guilty, I just spoke the truth. But, what came next, I didn’t expect Celestia to do.

She lowered her head, but suddenly, her horn started to glow. She lifted her head back up and shot me with a beam of energy. I fell backwards onto the floor. The shot hadn’t penetrated me, but it was really powerful. Fluttershy rushed to my side.

“Matthew! Celestia, why?!” Fluttershy cried out. She didn’t know what to think of her once beloved Princess.

“What he asked for, I gave him. He cannot live in our world. You are coming home with us Fluttershy, now!” And with that, Celestia magicked Fluttershy over to where she was standing. The rest of the ponies in the room were all shocked by the actions of their Princess, but they all looked past it for what they thought was the better. I reached out my hand to Fluttershy.

“Please, don’t take her from me. She means too much to me. Celestia, please,” I begged. They were actually going to take her. I tried to get up, but Celestia just shot at me again. The second shot sent me right back down to the floor. I felt myself fading away. I lifted my head once again and tried to reach for Fluttershy.

“Please, don’t.” Celestia just looked at me, not giving a single fuck for what happened to me. I could feel myself starting to cry again.

“Twilight, if you would,” Celestia said. Twilight looked at her teacher in surprise.

“Princess?” Twilight had just been asked to kill me. Celestia didn’t want to bloody her hooves. Twilight couldn’t move.

“I want you to finish him.” Celestia’s words were so cruel. She honestly wanted her faithful student to kill an innocent person. But, Twilight simply nodded. She walked up to me and her horn started to shine.

“I’m sorry.” I looked at her horn, and then back to Fluttershy one more time. I spoke out softly to her.

“I love you,” and shortly after, I was knocked out.

I awoke on the floor the same way I had been one hour ago. Twilight hadn’t killed me, but only knocked me out. She must have made it seem like I was dead, or else, I wouldn’t be here. I lifted myself up and stared at the spot where Fluttershy had been standing a while ago. I started to cry, but my sadness was quickly overtaken by anger. My hands became fists, and I shouted out.

“DAMN YOU CELESTIA! DAMN YOU TO HELL!” I shouted, and I slammed my fists against the floor with all of my might. I was in pure rage mode. That bitch had just taken away from me the most important thing in my life. Now, I had nothing. Sure, it may seem like I have a lot to live for now, but that was all because of Fluttershy, and now, she was gone. With my anger vented out, I started to cry again.

“I’m sorry Fluttershy. I’m so, so sorry,” I spoke, knowing no one was around to hear me. I just kept crying, until, a hint of light coming from that very spot caught my eye. I lifted my head, and before me, I saw a yellow feather. It was slightly off the ground, and next to it, there was a note. I crawled over and read the note.

“Matthew, this is Twilight Sparkle. I managed to send you this letter without Celestia’s knowledge. She is also unaware that you are alive. The spell we used to teleport home was supposed to wipe Fluttershy’s memories of you, but it didn’t. Celestia has ordered her to be brought to Canterlot to have her memories wiped. Due to an unkown reason, the time difference between our worlds has changed. Celestia will have Fluttershy's memories wiped in three days, which apparently now gives you about three hours or so instead of three years, to think about what I’m about to tell you. By fusing the power of the feather and this note, you can open a portal to Equestria, and save Fluttershy. Or, you can stay where you are, and her memories of you will be gone. This will also cause your memories of her to be lost. You can live a normal life again. But Matthew, I truthfully wish for you to come here. She needs you, and you need her. If you enter the portal, you will arrive on a hill on the outskirts of Ponyville. You will have to get to Canterlot using your own methods. If you plan on coming here, bring whatever you will need to survive the journey. I hope to see you here soon.

I now had a choice to make, but my choice was obvious. Before I even tried to combine the feather and note, I went to prepare myself. I packed one suitcase with a good amount of clothing, my iPod, and a few other essentials. I would be leaving everything else behind. I then proceeded to gather all of my weapons and equipment.

I strapped on my tomahawk holster, grabbed my tomahawk out of the wall, and placed it in the holster. I strapped on two pistol holsters and grabbed my two Beretta pistols, placing each into one holster. I loaded up as many clips as I could carry, which was quite a lot, about 50 for each pistol (I know how to arm myself). I then strapped on my quiver of arrows, and then slung my bow over my head. Last but not least, I strapped on my right hidden blade. Seeing as though I had already been wearing my left one, I rechecked it to see if it could be changed from bracer mounted to knife with ease. It worked like a charm. I pulled up my hood, put on my fingerless gloves, strapped on my good pair of sneakers, and checked that I had everything else for the journey. I planned to sneak to Fluttershy’s cottage and leave my suitcase there. I would retrieve her, go back to get my suitcase, and then run off somewhere with her.

I was ready for the journey. But, before I left, I decided to quickly write this journal. Well, now I truly realize I do have fast hands. I managed to write this entire journal in about an hour and a half. I leave this journal for my family. Mother, I know you will find this journal, as well as the note I have left for you and the rest of the family. Just know that I am safe with Fluttershy. I can handle myself, no matter what the Princess throws at me. I love you all, and I hope to see you all again someday, when we have all met the end of our days. Goodbye.

Matthew closed the journal and placed it on his kitchen table next to the note for his mother. Shortly after, Matthew decided to leave, along with the two items, the locket he had been given by his father. It meant so much to Matthew, but he knew he had to leave it behind. He kissed it, and gave a quick glance around his house. This would be the last time he ever saw it.

Matthew combined the power of the feather and note, and the portal to Equestria was opened. Matthew picked up his average sized suitcase, gave one last look back, looked to the portal once again, and jumped in. He was on his way to Equestria, to save the love of his life.

Author's Notes:

I present my second fanfic, Tortured Love. I will tell you that this story is a major departure from the original Fluttershy and Me. This story will earn the Dark tag that I've given it, and I think you'll all agree. I hope you all enjoy.

Fun Fact: This whole story was meant to be a short dream sequence for Matthew in Fluttershy and Me during Act 3. But, I ultimately decided that it wasn't necessary, and it would be much more fun to write the whole thing as one huge story. Well, it's time to see if this will all pay off (I'm sure it will).

Chapter 2: Save One Life, Take Another

Matthew arrived in Equestria within moments. He arrived exactly where Twilight had said, on a hill on the outskirts of Ponyville. Matthew took in his surroundings. The world around him was beautiful. It was even more impressive than the show led him on to believe. But, Matthew had no time to take in the scenery. He quickly, but also stealthily, made his way to Fluttershy’s cottage, where he left his suitcase. He found a good spot to hide it, unloaded three clips for his pistols, and prepared himself for the long journey to Canterlot. He turned to where Canterlot was, now realizing that this would indeed be a long journey.

‘Don’t worry Fluttershy, I’m coming,’ he thought to himself, and he took off in a flash. Matthew just kept running. His journey took him through the Everfree Forest, but this didn’t faze him at all. He didn’t let anything stop him, and he didn’t stop for anything. Matthew just kept running. He also parkoured his way through the forest when he could, which made the journey much quicker for him. It also added a degree of enjoyment to the situation, but Matthew stayed focused the whole time.

Finally reaching the base of the cliff that Canterlot resided on, Matthew took a look at how high he would be climbing. He had a good two miles to climb.

“Well, this sucks,” he said out loud, knowing no one would hear him. “Well, here goes nothing.” And with that, Matthew started to scale the cliff. He didn’t look down the whole time. He just climbed. He faltered a few times, but he never stopped. So far, this journey had taken Matthew a good amount of time, and he knew he had to move faster. He started climbing at an extremely fast rate, not once faltering at that point. He managed to get to a halfway point, only to find he would be doing a bit more climbing.

“You gotta be fucking kidding me.” Matthew was starting to get tired. But, he knew what was at stake. He quickly gathered himself and continued to climb. Matthew didn’t slow his pace though, managing to get to the top in a matter of 15 minutes. As he pulled himself up, he found himself in one of the Canterlot Castle courtyards. Matthew took a moment to just breathe. He was exhausted from the climb. Were it not for his fingerless gloves, Matthew’s hands probably would have become dry, scraped up husks.

Matthew composed himself and took in his new surroundings. He scanned the area for any guards. Soon enough, two entered the courtyard. Matthew quickly hid behind some shrubbery, unbeknownst to the guards. He could hear them talking.

“How much longer until the Princess conducts her business with Fluttershy?” one guard asked.

“I believe about 20 minutes. She is in no mood to be trifled with today. She grows impatient waiting for the Element Bearers to arrive,” the other guard answered. At least Matthew now knew how much time he had. The guards were now advancing towards Matthew’s position. Matthew tried to contemplate whether or not to kill them. He ultimately decided that he wasn’t taking prisoners. He slid out his two hidden blades, jumped out from behind his cover, and drove his blades into the skulls of the two guards. He drew his blades out from the skulls of the guards, observing his handy work. His blades had gone through cleanly, and now the guards were nothing but lifeless shells.

Matthew hid the bodies quickly, thinking all the while about what he had just done. He felt guilt, but for some reason, it did not last. Matthew no longer cared who had to die for the sake of Fluttershy. He only wanted to save her and go, and if that meant killing some guards, so be it.

Matthew started to make his way inside the castle. Sneaking through the halls wasn’t easy. Guards were posted at almost every doorway. Matthew noticed that there were many steel bars above, ones he could use to run across from above. First, he had to find a way up. Matthew noticed a perfect spot, peeking around a corner, but it was covered by a guard. Matthew whistled to the guard to get his attention. Sure enough, the guard went to inspect. Matthew silently jumped out and drove his right blade into the guard’s throat, killing him within seconds. Matthew then moved to the spot where he could climb. He made his way through the castle from the beams above.

Following a few guards, Matthew finally reached the chamber where Fluttershy would have her memories of him wiped. The only people in the room were Princess Celestia and Luna and a few guards. The beams were cut off, so Matthew couldn’t enter from above. He was running out of time, and he had to get in there somehow. But, shortly after Matthew found the room, Fluttershy, along with her friends, entered the hallway before the main chamber. They shortly after entered the chamber, and now, Matthew was worried.

Matthew quickly realized that there were windows that led back outside. Matthew also found that there was an open window in the main chamber, and he could easily enter through there unnoticed. Matthew started to climb out of a window in the hallway. Shortly after, he climbed to the open window and stood from the opening. Matthew observed the room. Fluttershy was standing in the center, with her friends behind her. Celestia and Luna stood at the head of the room, and about ten guards were in the room. Celestia started to speak.

“Fluttershy, I know this is difficult for you, but I cannot allow you to keep your memories of Matthew. This isn’t a bad thing. Once your memories of him are gone, you can live happily again, and you would have never known him. The same can be said for him. He won’t know who you are. Try to see the positive side to this situation.”

“Princess, please, just let him come here to Equestria! Let me be with him! I don’t want to forget him! I… I love him. Why can’t you see that?” Fluttershy responded to the Princess. Matthew could feel himself start to cry a bit, but he didn’t let the tears flow out. He remained composed, and what Celestia said next made it all the easier.

“I know that you love him, and that he loves you, but he does not belong here, much like you do not belong on Earth. You know he isn’t good for you. He killed two men in front of your very eyes, and you simply forgave him. He hid from you what you truly are, and once again, you forgave him. Why is that? It is because you love him, but that love is blinding. There are many other stallions in Equestria for you to love. I will not allow him to come here. I’m sorry Fluttershy, but this is how it has to be.” Celestia’s words were cruel to both Matthew and Fluttershy. Matthew began to fill with rage against the Princess.

“Twilight, would you please apprehend Fluttershy,” Celestia ordered of her student. Not saying a word, Twilight walked up to Fluttershy and used a spell to hold her in place. Fluttershy could do nothing but cry. Now, Matthew was ready to strike. He made note of every guard that would be in his path towards Fluttershy, which was about a good four guards. Matthew reached into his pockets and pulled out six smoke pellets, the only ones he had. He gave the room one final scan, and he began his attack.

Throwing down each smoke pellet, the room filled with a blinding smoke. Knowing where one guard was, Matthew jumped from his perch, landing on one guard and driving his blade through the back of his skull. Knowing another guard was in front of him, Matthew stabbed him in the face and pushed him aside. Changing his left mounted blade to a knife, Matthew slid out his right hidden blade, and advanced towards two more guards. Matthew stabbed one with his right blade, spun around, and backhanded the other with his knife. They both fell to the ground, dead.

But, as Matthew made his final advance towards Fluttershy, another body moved in front of him. Unable to fully realize who it was, Matthew ultimately decided to bring his hidden blade forward, driving it through the throat of the unknown pony. But, Matthew was surprised to hear a female voice. Whoever this pony was gasped for air. Matthew lowered the body to the ground and tried to clear away a bit of the smoke. When Matthew could make out who the pony was, he was filled with shock and horror. Matthew had just struck down Princess Luna. Still in shock, Matthew spoke softly.

“I’m sorry.” Not dead yet, Luna looked to Matthew. She actually spoke to him.

“Protect her with your life.” And with that, Princess Luna was dead. Matthew was truly in shock that he had just managed to kill Luna, and he had done it so simply as well. But, Matthew regained his focused. He left the Princess where she was, and rushed to Fluttershy. Before lifting her up, he whispered in her ear.

“Don’t worry, I’m here.” Matthew could tell that she turned her head towards him. She was coughing from the smoke, but Matthew lifted her up and ran towards another window. Placing her down, he quickly spoke to her.

“You need to fly, right now. You think you can hold me for a few seconds?”

“What? Why?”

“I’ll show you why.” And with that, Matthew smashed through the window. Fluttershy quickly regained herself and jumped out to catch him. She could barely hold him, but she didn’t have to. She helped to lower him to the ground. After a moment, Matthew turned to her.

“Come on, we’ve gotta go,” he said, and he was about to start running, but Fluttershy stopped him.

“Matthew, wait.” Matthew turned around to face her.

“What?” She jumped into his arms and she kissed him. They savored the kiss for a few seconds, but Matthew broke the kiss. “I understand you’re happy to see me. I mean, who wouldn’t be,” he said sarcastically, “but right now, we’ve gotta go. That smoke is gonna fade away any second now. We can have a proper reunion later, alright?” Fluttershy nodded, but before Matthew placed her down, she hugged him.

“I love you so much Matthew!”

“I love you too Fluttershy.” Matthew placed her down, and they began to run. They ran out of the castle and into Canterlot. Every pony in Canterlot was shocked by what they were seeing. They had no idea what this creature was that they were seeing. Matthew, however, didn’t stop running, and neither did Fluttershy. But, momentarily, Matthew turned around. Fluttershy stopped and looked at him.

“Keep going, I’ll catch up,” he told her, and she just kept running. Matthew faced the castle to find Celestia standing on the balcony. She stared him down. Matthew could make out that she was angry. He removed his hood and looked at her. He simply gave her a two-finger salute, and he continued to run. Catching up with Fluttershy, he told her to run towards the cliffside. Fluttershy stopped, wondering why they were there.

“Matthew, what are we doing? Shouldn’t we…” but she was cut short by Matthew.

“We need to jump. I don’t really think I can go on a train, and there aren’t really any other quick ways out of Canterlot. Listen, I’ll jump and remain in free-fall for a bit, but as we get closer to the ground, you need to catch me. Think you can do that?” Fluttershy was a little scared now, but she nodded. “Good. Well, here we go.”

And with that, Matthew jumped. Fluttershy followed closely behind him, staying close to him in free-fall. As they neared the ground, Matthew signaled for Fluttershy to catch him. She grabbed on. She was shortly pulled down along with him, but she began to fly slowly to the ground, holding Matthew. About five feet from the ground, Matthew told her to drop him. She did, and Matthew landed, doing a parkour roll to absorb the impact.

Matthew stood up and faced Fluttershy as she landed. They stared at each other for a moment, but Fluttershy quickly jumped to Matthew. This time, though, Matthew caught her with no trouble. He held her close, spinning her around a few times. They met each other’s lips in a passionate kiss. They held each other close. After releasing the kiss, they had their little reunion.

“I knew you would come to save me, I just knew it!”

“Of course I did. You mean too much to me, and I love you. You’re the most important thing in my life. I won’t let anything tear us apart ever again, not even Celestia, I promise you.” They smiled at each other, and they kissed again. Placing her down, Matthew turned to the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy noticed where they now were, but for once, she wasn’t afraid. With Matthew around, she was never afraid. Matthew looked to her and gave an awkward smile. He figured she wouldn’t like going through the forest, but she simply giggled and stood at his side.

“I’m not afraid Matthew. I know you’ll protect me.”

“Damn right! Come on, let’s go.” They started to walk through the forest, eventually starting to run straight for Ponyville. They arrived at Fluttershy’s cottage within about half an hour. Matthew collected his suitcase, and they ran off together. They didn’t care where they went. As long as they were together, nothing else mattered to them.

‘It’s just Fluttershy and me.’

Author's Notes:

Now you see how Matthew brings out the wrath of Celestia. What will this bring for Matthew? I think it should be obvious.

Chapter 3: Trust is a Delicate Thing

Matthew and Fluttershy eventually found a very well hidden area on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest, far from Ponyville. It took them about half of a day to find, but it was perfect for them. Matthew lowered his suitcase to the ground and sighed. Fluttershy walked up by his side.

“So, is this where we’re going to live now Matthew?”

“I guess so Fluttershy. We can build a fine house to live in, and we’ve got plenty of fresh water, living right next to a river and all. We can get firewood and all that stuff from the forest. Yeah, I think we can make this work,” he responded. He turned to Fluttershy and smiled. She returned the smile.

“As long as I’m with you Matthew, I don’t care.” Matthew’s smile only got bigger when she said that. He kneeled down and hugged her. Soon after, they decided to get to work.

For a while, Matthew and Fluttershy lived in a small, teepee-like structure. It satisfied their needs, but they started to build a real house soon after. It took the two of them about four months to complete the house. It wasn’t anything special. It had a basic kitchen, living room, bedroom, and everything else you find in a normal home. They didn’t need much, though. All they needed was each other, and they were happy. Matthew would hunt and fish for food, while Fluttershy gathered fruits and maintained a garden. Her ability to talk to animals really helped out. Fluttershy managed to gather many animals to help her and Matthew build their home and gather food. They almost felt like a little family, but Matthew didn’t really think too much on it.

Matthew soon grew tired of the clothes he brought with him though. And, cleaning every article of clothing was a bother. Sure, he had the river to use, but it was a needless chore for him. So, he decided to get creative. He decided to make himself a new outfit. Being so heavily influenced by Assassin’s Creed, Matthew, along with Fluttershy’s assistance, made an exact copy of the outfit worn by Ratonhnhaké:ton in the Assassin’s Creed 3 DLC, The Tyranny of King Washington. And this outfit wasn’t a simple copy, it was an exact replica of the outfit.

Matthew got every detail just right, from the bear pelt covering a good portion of his body, to the lower half which he considered a kilt, getting all of the details right. Fluttershy managed to stitch the leggings of the outfit with natural elements, and the kilt/robes section was made by meshing together pieces of Matthew’s old clothes. The only real difference in the outfit was that the hood wasn’t a wolf skin. It was Matthew’s hood from his sweatshirt, however, Fluttershy added an intricate eagle design on the hood.

Matthew didn’t really have to clean the outfit, because there wasn’t much to clean. Most of his upper body was barren of any clothing. He would only have to clean it every so often that it wasn’t a bother. Along with looking really nice, it blended very well with the environment. Should Celestia ever find them, Matthew could easily hide from her. He would just need to cover Fluttershy, and that wouldn’t be too difficult. However, camouflage doesn’t work very well when you are out in the open.

Two months after Fluttershy and Matthew completed their home, they were found by a surprise guest. Matthew was out in what he and Fluttershy considered the front yard, skinning one of his catches of the day. He suddenly heard a noise from a bush. Matthew immediately took notice of this. He was now always armed, and at the notice of the sudden sound, he drew his right Beretta pistol. He aimed it where the sound originated from. Further investigating, Matthew didn’t see anything. Thinking it was nothing, he put away his pistol. His eyes suddenly caught sight of the tip of a rainbow colored tail. Matthew’s eyes widened.

“Oh shit,” he silently said. He braced himself, as Rainbow Dash shot out of the bush right at him. He tried to dodge, but she was too quick. She tackled into him, sending them both tumbling on the ground. Matthew quickly threw her off of himself, and he stood up. They stared each other down, starting to circle one another.

“Rainbow Dash, long time no see. How’ve you been?” Matthew asked in a sarcastic tone.

“Shut the buck up punk! I’m here to bring you and Fluttershy to Celestia! Now, we can do this the easy way, or the extremely painful way! You’re choice,” she responded, her voice filled with rage.

“You think I don’t know that? I know Celestia is after me, but she won’t find me.”

“Really, cause I just found you, and now, you’re gonna pay for what you’ve done.” Rainbow Dash was really serious about all of this, but Matthew was sort of playing it off.

“You think I meant for that to happen Dash? I didn’t want to kill her, she just got in the way and I reacted too quickly to think. I don’t want to be living like this! It’s your cunt of Princess that made all this bullshit happen in the first place!” Matthew was now filling with anger, but Rainbow wasn’t afraid.

“Well, it’s too late to say you’re sorry, and now, you’re going down!” Matthew was ready to fight, but he lowered his fists and relaxed. Rainbow Dash was now officially confused.

“I’m not fighting you Rainbow. I won’t kill anymore innocents. I didn’t just kill Luna, but also about ten guards. Hell, before I even came here, I killed two people, although they were anything but innocent. I just want to be with Fluttershy. Why can’t you see that?”

“All I see is a selfish murderer who just wants to steal my friend!” And with that, Rainbow shot towards Matthew. This time, Matthew was able to duck out of the way. He quickly got back up and faced Rainbow, who was coming right back at him. She managed to fly right into his chest, which sent him back. Matthew started to cough, but he got back up. Rainbow landed, turning around and readying herself to buck Matthew right in the face. As she started to kick, Matthew grabbed her legs, and tossed her aside.

“Rainbow Dash, stop! I don’t want to hurt you!”

“Too bad! If you want to survive, you’re going to have to!” she said, and she shot right back towards Matthew. He grabbed her and pinned her to the ground. She struggled to get free of his grip, but he was too strong.

“Would you just listen to me!? I don’t want any of this, Rainbow. I just want to live with Fluttershy, in peace. Being her friend, I thought you would think about what’s best for her.”

“I know what’s best for her, and you aren’t! I’m taking her back with me, even if I can’t take you with me. She’s better off without you, you worthless piece of trash!” Matthew couldn’t hold back anymore. He back handed Rainbow with all of his might.

“SHUT UP! YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING, YOU EGOTISTICAL LITTLE BITCH! DON’T TELL ME WHAT’S BEST FOR HER!” Matthew shouted right in Rainbow’s face. Rainbow was utterly shocked at Matthew’s change in attitude, but her face showed her anger and seriousness for the situation. But, shortly after, Matthew heard a twig snap behind him. He quickly turned to see Fluttershy. The anger that was moments ago raging inside of Matthew slowly faded as he saw Fluttershy in tears. He looked back to Rainbow, and he let her go. He stood up and backed away.

“Leave… now!” But Rainbow wouldn’t leave. She just stood up and readied herself to fight again.

“Not without Fluttershy!” She looked to Fluttershy, but Fluttershy didn’t look back at her. “Fluttershy, c’mon, let’s go.” Fluttershy only stood by Matthew’s side.

“I’m not going with you, Rainbow. I thought you were my friend, but all I find is you attacking the one I love the most.”

“And yet, you’re cool with him striking me across the face?” Rainbow responded.

“After you fucking attacked me!” Matthew shouted at her. “Did you really think Fluttershy was just going to go with you, Rainbow? She loves me, and I love her. Can’t you see that we need each other? Think, Rainbow.” Matthew’s words held meaning, and Rainbow actually started to think.

‘Could they really mean that much to each other?’ Rainbow started to calm down, but her thoughts just kept rushing. “I… I just don’t believe it. Fluttershy, I’m one of your best friends. We don’t want you to have to live like this, especially with him. Do you know what he did?” Fluttershy looked at her.

“Yes, I do, and I know that what he did was wrong, but he knows that as well.”

“And you think that’s just enough to forgive him for it. He killed Princess Luna! That isn’t something you just forget about and forgive!” Rainbow didn’t want to believe that these two could really be in love. She just kept trying to think of things to say.

“I know Dashie. I know that Matthew isn’t perfect, and I know that he has done many wrong things, but I love him. I don’t care what he has done. I will always love him, and you can’t change that,” she responded before Rainbow could continue. Matthew held Fluttershy close as he knelt down. Rainbow had to accept it. She sighed and lowered her head in defeat.

“Alright, fine. I guess you two really are right for each other. I’m… sorry. I won’t tell anypony about this, but, seriously ‘Shy, if you need anything, just try to contact me. I don’t want to stop being your friend, but if you do, I understand.” Before Rainbow could leave, Fluttershy walked up to her and hugged her. Rainbow was surprised, but she returned the hug.

“Dashie, of course you’re still my friend. You’ve been my best friend since we were little fillies, and I could never forget you.” Rainbow was even starting to cry now, much to her own surprise. They released from their hug, and Rainbow turned to Matthew. She walked up and extended her hoof.

“I’m sorry Matt, for everything. I know Fluttershy can forgive me, but if you can’t, I get it.” Matthew just looked at her for a moment, but soon, a smile formed on his face. He brought Rainbow in for a hug, which she returned after her momentary surprise. Letting go, Matthew spoke.

“Dash, any friend of Fluttershy’s is a friend of mine. If she trusts you, I trust you. I know I might just be making it sound like I forgive you, but I want you to know that I really do forgive you. I know you may not really like me, but I’m sure you can look past it for Fluttershy’s sake.” Matthew smiled at Rainbow, and she returned the smile.

“You got that right buddy. If you make Fluttershy happy, than I’m happy. Friends?” she questioned, extending her hoof for a hoof bump. Matthew laughed and returned the hoof/fist bump.

“Friends.” The three of them all relaxed. Rainbow assured that they could truly trust her, and they did. Rainbow now fully understood how important these two were to each other. She now knew that this was best for Fluttershy. Having accepted that, Rainbow was able to truly relax after six months of worrying over her best friend.

The next hour was spent by the three of them just hanging out. Matthew and Rainbow were now true friends, and they had just brawled only an hour ago. Rainbow was given the tour of the house, which was decided by Fluttershy. Matthew was a little iffy about that, but he was mostly cool with it. After the grand tour, Matthew cooked up the meat he had acquired earlier that day. Rainbow was surprised to find that the meal wasn’t terrible, being in fact one of the best meals she had ever had. After they ate, Rainbow decided to go. She hugged Fluttershy goodbye and gave Matthew another hoof/fist bump. She flew off back to Ponyville. She now had a secret to keep, at least until Matthew and Fluttershy decided it would be alright to tell the rest of Fluttershy’s friends of their location.

That night, Matthew and Fluttershy quickly fell asleep, now knowing that they had won the trust of Rainbow Dash. But, Matthew and Fluttershy were surprised to find that their dreams were now connected. They were able to share dreams. The dream was beautiful. Matthew had arrived to Equestria on the same hill, but instead of rushing to Canterlot, he was greeted but Fluttershy, her friends, and even Princess Celestia. Fluttershy welcomed Matthew to his new home, to which he replied thank you. Matthew and Fluttershy could only wish for the dream to become reality.

Chapter 4: Friends and Plans Come Together

Matthew and Fluttershy now had the trust of Rainbow Dash. This came as a surprise to them both, seeing as though Rainbow was able to accept everything so easily. Now, Matthew and Fluttershy had to gain the trust of the others, meaning the rest of Fluttershy’s friends. After about one month, Fluttershy and Matthew decided it was time.

Rainbow Dash made her way to Matthew and Fluttershy’s for a normal visit. When she arrived, she found Fluttershy tending to the garden with some of her animal friends. Rainbow approached Fluttershy.

“Hey Fluttershy,” she greeted. Fluttershy was a little startled. She didn’t hear Rainbow’s approach, but once she realized that it was just Rainbow, she quickly calmed down.

“Oh, hello Rainbow, nice to see you again. What brings you here today?”

“Just felt like hanging out with you guys. Where’s Matt?” Rainbow looked around, but couldn’t seem to find him.

“He’s in the woods hunting for tonight’s dinner. You didn’t see him on your way here?”

“Nope, I must have missed him.” Shortly after she said that, she heard a thud from behind her. She quickly turned to see Matthew.

“Dude, not cool,” Dash said as he started to chuckle.

“You got scared, don’t try to deny it,” Matthew said jokingly.

“I was not, I was just a little surprised. That doesn’t count as scared.” Rainbow started to laugh as well. Matthew gave her the usual hoof/fist bump. “Catch anything good?” she asked him. He turned around and headed back into the forest, which confused both Rainbow and Fluttershy. Moments later, Matthew came out, pulling the body of a manticore. Fluttershy and Rainbow were in complete shock.

“Before you ask, yes, I killed a manticore, and yes, we are going to eat from it. I’ve never heard of them being inedible, so I figured we might as well give it a try.” Fluttershy left what she was doing to inspect Matthew. Sure enough, he had been scraped up a bit.

“Matthew, look what you’ve done to yourself,” she said, starting to tend to the wounds. He quickly stopped her.

“Fluttershy, I’m fine. This is nothing, and I’d say it was worth it. Not only are we going to eat something new tonight, but I can now rack up manticores on the kill list.” Matthew just smiled at Fluttershy. She rolled her eyes and smiled back at him. Rainbow was still in shock.

“Wow Matt, I knew you were tough, but killing a manticore, now that takes guts.”

“Noted. You’ve actually come at a convenient time Dash. Fluttershy and I think it’s time we inform the others. You just need to get them all here.” Rainbow perked up a bit. She had been wondering when they would finally fill the others in on where Matthew and Fluttershy were. Rainbow knew that Twilight secretly cared for Matthew’s safety. Applejack and Rarity pretty much disliked Matthew, but Pinkie didn’t really care. If anything, she thought about Matthew being a potential new friend, even after what he had done. Matthew went over a date for them all to meet, and Dash told him she would get them all there.

That day would in fact be the next day. Rainbow got all of her friends together. They were all wondering as to why in Celestia’s name they were going so deep into the Everfree Forest. Rainbow knew a safe path, however, so the trip wasn’t that bad. Twilight actually had a hunch as to where they were going, but she didn’t say anything. Finally, Rainbow arrived with the rest of her friends to Matthew and Fluttershy’s home. Fluttershy was waiting outside. At first sight, the girls all rushed to her. Fluttershy was greeted with a huge group hug from her friends.

“I missed you girls so much!” Fluttershy said, embracing the girls.

“We missed you too Fluttershy,” Twilight responded. The girls finally let go to see that their friend was perfectly fine.

“Darling, you don’t seem distraught about your situation. Where is that ruffian that took you away from us?” Rarity chimed in.

“Darn tootin! Ah’m ready ta buck so hard, his ancestor’s will feel it,” Applejack added, obviously showing her dislike towards Matthew.

“Why don’t you look up,” Rainbow responded. The ponies all turned to her, then turned around to Fluttershy. They looked up to see Matthew on the top of the house. He casually waved to them.

“Hey ponies, long time no see.” He just smiled at them. They were all surprised to see him. Applejack shot him an angry look.

“Git yer flank down here now mister! It’s time you got what’s comin to ya!” she shouted up to him.

“Applejack, please calm down,” Fluttershy said.

“Calm down?! Fluttershy, this varmint took you away from us, yer friends!”

“He didn’t take me away, I chose to go with him. I love him, and if Rainbow can see that, I’m sure the rest of you can.” On that note, Matthew dropped down from the roof to stand at Fluttershy’s side. The ponies were surprised to see how his outfit had changed.

“What in Celestia’s name are you wearing?” Rarity asked him.

“Well, if I went into detail, we would be here a while, so I’ll just say that this outfit is from a good memory. Speaking of Celestia, how’s that bitch doing these days? She still hunting me down like a mad dog?” Matthew said mockingly.

“Well, she won’t be hunting anymore, now that Rainbow has shown us where you are located,” Rarity responded. She turned to Twilight. “Wouldn’t you agree Twilight?” Twilight simply sighed. She walked over to Matthew and Fluttershy.

“While I do have a great deal of trouble with what you did Matthew, I am indeed happy for you and Fluttershy. I can assure you that Celestia will not hear a thing from me.” Matthew was surprised to hear what Twilight had just said, and so were the others.

“Twilight, what the hay are you talkin about?!” Applejack asked.

“I never told you all, but I was the one who helped bring Matthew here. I knew that he and Fluttershy meant a lot to each other, and I wasn’t going to let the Princess tear them apart, no matter how important the Princess is to me. I implore you all to see the good in Matthew’s heart, because I, and even Rainbow Dash, have.” Twilight stood alongside Matthew and Fluttershy, and shortly after, Rainbow flew over to them as well. Rarity, Applejack, and even Pinkie were all shocked.

“Well, if Twilight trusts him, I trust him,” Pinkie chimed in. “Besides, this means we can throw a party for Matthew and Fluttershy! It could be like a ‘However many years you two have been together’ party!” She hopped her way over to the others, now leaving Applejack and Rarity. They looked at each other and sighed. They had no choice but to side with their friends.

“Well, I suppose if you girls can see the good in him, then we can too,” Rarity said.

“Yeah, we apologize for our behavior partner, can ya forgive us?” Applejack added. Matthew smiled and responded.

“Already have.” With that, Rarity and Applejack perked up and they all were brought together for one big embrace.

Shortly after, Matthew and Fluttershy decided to give the rest of the ponies the grand tour of the house and the surrounding area. It took about one hour, but they finally all sat together around a fire outside, actually enjoying the manticore meat Matthew had procured the previous day. But now, Matthew finally had a chance to find out what Celestia was really up to.

“So, Twilight, what’s up with the Princess?” Twilight took a moment to gather her thoughts.

“Well Matthew, to put it simply, she has changed. Ever since that day, she has been nothing but obsessed with trying to find you. She isn’t the same Princess that used to be my teacher. She still protects us and everything, but she is much more… evil, for lack of a better word. She actually has two guards posted at Fluttershy’s cottage every day just in case you two were to try to go there. She is doing anything and everything to find you two. She vows to kill you, and anypony that assists you. She doesn’t want to just wipe Fluttershy’s memories anymore, she wants to just wipe her off the face of Equestria.” At that, Fluttershy held Matthew close, unable to believe what she was hearing.

“But, why wouldn’t the Princess just try to send Matthew home? Why does she want to kill us?” Fluttershy asked.

“She thinks that Matthew’s existence is a threat to Equestria. She thinks he would find another way back here, so she thinks the best way to end all of this is to just wipe you both out.”

“But why Fluttershy, why would she want to kill her?” Matthew asked.

“That, I honestly can’t say Matthew. She is just so different now, filled with all of this rage and anger that I never even knew she possessed. She scares me now, honestly, and she scares practically everypony in Equestria. You’re really lucky she hasn’t found you yet. Matthew, let me assure you that if she finds you, she will do whatever she has to do to kill you.” Twilight’s words came as a shock to Matthew and Fluttershy. The rest of the ponies knew firsthand what Celestia was now like, so they weren’t as shocked. But, Matthew started to form an idea in his head, one that would sound absolutely crazy to everypony around him.

“What if I tried to reason with her?” Twilight simply raised an eyebrow at him.

“Matthew, not to make this sound as bad as it really is, but you killed her sister. How could you possibly think she would want to reason with you?”

“I don’t know, but the way I see it, it’s worth a try.”

“Perhaps, but is it worth losin yer life,” Applejack chimed in. She made a good point. At first sight, Celestia may just simply try to kill Matthew, not even giving him a chance to speak.

“The way I see it, what harm could it do? Yes, I could die, but truthfully, I don’t think I can really keep living like this.” He turned to Fluttershy. “And I know you can’t either. Fluttershy, we can’t keep doing this. I may be able to handle this, but you weren’t meant to be living like this. I honestly believe that things are worse for you now than they were on Earth, and you couldn’t really leave wherever it was you were living. You have space here, but you have to live in fear for your life. I don’t want that for you.” As he was about to continue, Fluttershy stopped him.

“Matthew, I don’t want to lose you. I don’t care how I have to live, not as long as I’m with you. I love you, and I will do anything for you.”

“Then let me do this,” he replied. She stared into his eyes for a moment. She let out a sigh, but she nodded. The other ponies were surprised by her choice, but they accepted it.

“You really want to do this Matt?” Rainbow asked. He nodded.

“I have a plan. Seeing as though Celestia will probably kill you all if she finds you aiding me, we have to make it like you have no knowledge of me. Twilight, you’re going to send Celestia a letter, saying that I’m in Ponyville. I’ll be there, and when she arrives, I’ll try to talk to her. You all can either not show up at all, or show up, but you won’t stand by me. You will just have to spectate whatever happens. Whether she wants to talk or fight, I won’t leave until I know whether or not I can or cannot get her to stop. And if it comes down to me having to kill her… we’ll just have to see what happens.” As Matthew finished, he looked at all the ponies. They nodded in agreement with the plan.

“I guess you really want to go through with this Matthew, but when do you want to do it?” Twilight asked.

“Tomorrow,” he answered, and all the ponies were shocked.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Matt, I know for sure that I take things very quickly at times, maybe even too quickly, but you REEEAAAALLLLY need to think about this. You’re going to be going up against Princess Not So Nice Anymore Celestia,” Pinkie burst out. Matthew couldn’t hold back a chuckle at her energetic tone.

“I’m well aware, but the way I see it, the sooner the better. I want to do this tomorrow. Any objections?” He waited for a response, but none of the ponies said anything. Fluttershy nuzzled against Matthew, and he held her close. “Alright than, tomorrow it is. I advise you all get back home. You’ll need the rest for tomorrow.” And with that, all the ponies departed. They all shared one last hug before leaving. Matthew put out the fire, and he went inside with Fluttershy.

“Are you sure you can do this Matthew?” Fluttershy asked. Matthew knelt down and kissed her. Breaking the kiss, he responded.

“Don’t worry, I can handle myself, you know that. No matter what she throws at me, I won’t be defeated. But hey, if it comes down to that… I want you to run. You don’t cry over my body, you don’t try to fight back, you run, got that?” Fluttershy nodded, pulling him in for another hug as she started to cry.

“Hey, hey, no crying. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine, and you know it,” Matthew said, his words soothing Fluttershy as she started to calm down.

“Yeah, it’s just… I love you so much Matthew, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you,” she said, as she released him from the hug and looked into his eyes.

“Nothing bad will happen, I promise. Come on, let’s go to bed.” Matthew got up and led Fluttershy to bed. They fell asleep in no time, but Matthew couldn’t stop thinking about what was going to happen the next day. He had to be ready.

Chapter 5: The Enemy is Certain

Matthew and Fluttershy awoke the next day. Fluttershy had slept very well, but Matthew couldn’t get the thoughts of what was going to happen out of his head. He would be openly confronting Princess Celestia for the first time in about seven or eight months. Matthew sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. Fluttershy put her hoof on his shoulder.

“Are you alright Matthew? You know, you don’t need to do this,” Fluttershy said, trying to comfort Matthew. He looked to her.

“I’m fine, it’s just that I wish that none of this was happening. Well, I don’t mean everything, just all of the hiding and having to fear for our lives. We shouldn’t have to be doing this, but it is what it is. I’m ready to do this, don’t worry,” he said, and he got out of bed and prepared himself.

Matthew began to arm himself. He strapped on his straps and belts, pistol holsters, quiver, and tomahawk holster. He placed his pistols and tomahawk in their respective holsters, threw his bow over his shoulder, and finally strapped on his hidden blades. He made sure his outfit was in proper order, and he and Fluttershy set off for Ponyville.

The walk was rather quick for the two of them. Matthew had told Twilight to send the letter to Celestia at a specific time. Matthew would already be in Ponyville by the time the Princess got there, so he had a bit of time to fully prepare himself.

Arriving in Ponyville, many of the ponies were shocked to see both Fluttershy and Matthew. Many of the ponies ran to their homes, but others just couldn’t leave the area. Not only did Matthew surprise them, but Fluttershy, who had been gone for months, had finally returned. Little did all of those ponies know that she wasn’t there to stay. Matthew and Fluttershy walked through Ponyville, catching the attention of the rest of their friends. Matthew made sure to cue them not to go near him or Fluttershy. They all just watched Matthew and Fluttershy walk through the town, waiting for Celestia.

About half an hour passed before she finally arrived. She was pulled in by two guards on her royal chariot. She was actually glad in a set of battle armor. Matthew was quite surprised to see the drastic change in her looks, but he didn’t really care. He and Fluttershy were hiding at first, waiting for Celestia to call out or something. She did.

“Twilight Sparkle, where are they?” she shouted out, and Twilight stepped forward. Twilight was a little fearful, but she remained composed.

“I’m sorry Princess, but shortly after I saw them, they ran off,” Twilight responded. Celestia shot her a look of anger.

“That is disappointing Twilight. Nevertheless, we will find them. Guards, begin searching the area!” But before the guards could even go anyway, Matthew and Fluttershy stepped forward.

“Why search when we are already here?” he called out in a bit of a cocky tone. He gave a curt smile to Celestia, who only shot him a look of pure hatred. “Celestia, good to see you again.”

“I cannot say the same for you, Matthew,” she responded, and she assumed a battle ready stance. “I hope you are ready to die, the both of you!” She started to charge her horn, but before she could fire, Matthew spoke out.

“Celestia, wait!” To his own surprise, she stopped. “Listen to me. I just want to say, I’m sorry. I never meant to kill Luna,” he said, but before he continue, Celestia interrupted.

“Of course you didn’t you bastard! Do you think me so foolish that I would actually believe you?”

“No, I wouldn’t expect you to believe me. I just need you to listen. I know my words mean nothing to you, but you need to try to understand that I had no intentions of killing her. I was moving too quickly to think, and my actions were just spontaneous. I couldn’t stop to think about what I was doing. She got in the way, and I just, well, struck. I’m not trying to deceive you.”

“Your words are false, more so than the disguise of a Changeling. They mean absolutely nothing to me. I do not care if you meant to kill her or not! The fact of the matter is she is gone, and I can’t bring her back! For that, you will pay!” she shouted out, and she shot right at Matthew. He pushed Fluttershy out of the way and rolled in the opposite direction.

“Celestia, stop! Things don’t have to be this way! Sure, you’re mad, I get that. You can kill me, but why the fuck do you want to kill Fluttershy?”

“She has been tainted by you. It is no longer worth purging her memories of you. Now, she will die, along with you and any who assist you.” Celestia kept assaulting Matthew with beams of energy, and he kept dodging. Matthew dodged one final shot before speaking.

“Are you sure that this is the way you want to play it?” Celestia simply charged her horn again. Matthew simply smirked. “Fair enough,” he said, and he flipped up his hood. He quickly pulled out both pistols and fired off five bullets from each. Celestia quickly formed a barrier to protect herself. As it faded, she fired back at Matthew. The shot was too quick for him to dodge, and he fell backwards. He quickly got back up, put away his pistols, drew his tomahawk and left hidden blade, and charged.

Celestia met his charge with more shots, which he dodged. As he got closer, Celestia’s guards jumped in front of him. They were using magic to levitate spears. There were four of them, easy enough for Matthew. One guard went in for a stab, but Matthew simply pushed it aside with his tomahawk. Spinning around, he slit the guard’s throat with his knife. Continuing his spin, he brought his tomahawk down on the skull of another guard, and finished by chopping the first guard in the legs. Two more remained.

One tried to bring down his spear on Matthew, but he slashed it aside with his tomahawk and slashed at the guard’s throat with his knife. The last guard tried for a stab, but Matthew pushed the spear aside with his tomahawk, spun around, stabbed the guard in the back, and came back around and slashed the guard from his chest up to his chin with his tomahawk. Blood flew through the air as the guard fell to the ground. Matthew was caught off guard as Celestia charged at him with her horn ready to pierce his heart.

He quickly spun around her, sheathed his weapons, brought out his bow, and successfully shot two arrows into her back. She fell over to the ground, but she quickly got back up. She used her wings to break the arrows off. They were staring each other down, but in the middle of them lay the bodies of the guards. Matthew fully observed his handy work. One guard had blood seeping out of his skull, his eyes in the back of his head. Two of the guards were gagging from having their throats cut open, as blood poured out from the open wounds. One of those guards had been chopped in the leg, and Matthew thought he could see bone. The final guard was the worst. Matthew managed a clean cut straight up his chest, and the blood wouldn’t stop pouring out. Matthew had never managed something so violent before.

“See what you have done. You have just killed four guards in succession of each other, not so much as thinking about your actions. And you mean to tell me that my sister was different. You are a liar, and now you shall die one!” Celestia cried out, and she flew into the air, her horn charging up for something big. Matthew had a split second to make a move. He shot off two more arrows, but they were simply deflected by Celestia’s force field. She shot down at Matthew. He barely managed to roll out of the way as the beam struck the earth, disintegrating the guards that had been there moments ago. Matthew looked at the scene in shock, and then back to Celestia, who showed no care for what she had just done. Matthew didn’t even try to think of anything to say. He simply pulled out his pistols and began firing.

The bullets managed to strike Celestia, and she fell to the ground. Matthew quickly put away his pistol and charged at her with his tomahawk in hand. She quickly got up, and met his tomahawk with her armored horn. The armor made her horn as sharp as any sword. Celestia used her magic to pull out a sword she had on her side. She almost managed to stab Matthew, but he couldn’t dodge completely. She clipped his chest, and he held it in pain. He moved his hand to see that she had managed to get a pretty deep cut on him. He regained his focus as she brought her sword down.

In a split second, he side-stepped the blade, slid out his hidden blade, and sliced at her chest. He managed to land a successful hit, but she didn’t seem fazed by it. She merely looked at Matthew with anger in her eyes. She threw the sword aside and charged with her horn. Matthew decided to use this to his advantage. He slid on the ground under her and kicked her from under her stomach. She was sent flying two feet into a street light. The pole fell over, crashing into some bushes. Celestia got up and decided to do something crafty. She magicked the fallen pole and swung at Matthew with it. The size made it too difficult for Matthew to dodge, and he was sent flying a good ten feet. He landed with a hard thud and began to cough up blood. He definitely had broken some ribs. Celestia threw the pole at him, but he managed to dodge it. Doing so however brought Matthew pain.

“You are faltering Matthew, and soon, you shall die. Why not just give up now?” she asked him mockingly. He merely looked to her.

“Because only the weak surrender, and I am not weak. I’m going to beat you, one way or another.” As he said that, he charged towards Celestia. She softly chuckled and shot him with a beam of energy. He couldn’t keep fighting, not like this. He was only human, and Celestia was practically a Goddess. He managed to get up, only to meet the hind legs of Celestia. She bucked him right in the head, and he fell back. He started to cough up large amounts of blood. She stood over him.

“Ready to die?” she asked. He managed to crack a smile.

“Not yet.” As he said that, he slid out his right hidden blade and drove it into Celestia’s exposed unprotected underside. She gasped, surprised by the sudden strike. Matthew pushed her off and he landed on her. He grabbed her horn and slammed her head to the ground. She was unable to use her magic now. Matthew stared into her eyes as he drew his tomahawk and raised it to the sky, ready to bring it down on her skull.

“Do it then! Finish me!” she said, her voice still filled with rage. But, Matthew just looked into her eyes, and he felt his strength fading. He couldn’t do it. Looking over to Fluttershy, he saw her in tears. He breathed slowly, still in pain. Fluttershy had seen Matthew kill two men before, but he had just killed four guards and managed to bang up Princess Celestia to a good degree. Matthew couldn’t bring himself to killing her. He stared back at Celestia.

“No, I won’t kill you. I’m no monster. But, let me make myself clear Celestia. Should you continue to hunt me, the next time we meet, I may not be so lenient with my choice. I hope your guards know where you are, because you’re going to need a pickup service,” he said, and he slammed his knee into her head, knocking her out. He dropped her head to the ground and went to Fluttershy.

She couldn’t stop crying. Matthew held her close.

“I’m sorry Fluttershy. I thought I could get her to see reason. I was wrong, I was very wrong. I can’t believe you just saw all of that.” As he said that, he released her, standing up and walking away a bit. But, she stopped him.

“Matthew, it’s alright. I just… I didn’t think you could be so violent. I mean, the first time was pretty bad, but that…” She didn’t need to finish. Matthew fully understood. He stared at where the four guards had been lying moments ago, before Celestia disintegrated them. Matthew stared back at Fluttershy.

“We should go.” Fluttershy nodded. They ran off, unable to allow their friends to even try to talk to them. But, they knew where Matthew and Fluttershy lived, so they could find them. Rainbow Dash watched the two run back into the Everfree Forest from one of her clouds. She landed on the ground and went to Twilight.

“That was… intense,” she said.

“Indeed it was. I never imagined Matthew could do such things,” Twilight responded. She looked to Rainbow. “Do you think we should still trust him?”

“Well, considering Celestia tried twice as hard to kill him, yeah, I think we should still trust him.” Rainbow made a good point. Celestia had managed to nearly kill Matthew, and she wasn’t even trying. Matthew would need to step his game up. Rainbow and Twilight looked to the Princess.

“I never knew the Princess had such a dark side to her,” Twilight said. “We really can’t let her know that we are affiliated with those two.” Rainbow simply nodded, and they went over to Celestia’s side. Shortly after, Pinkie, Applejack, and Rarity joined them. The ponies all looked at each other, then to the Princess. Things were never going to be the same in Equestria.

Chapter 6: Guidance

Matthew and Fluttershy ran through the Everfree Forest. They ran as fast as they could. Matthew was still seriously injured, and couldn’t go that fast. Fluttershy remained at his side, helping him up whenever he fell over. He was gripping his chest in pain. He could actually feel his broken ribs, and he would occasionally cough up blood. Coming to a small clearing, he suddenly fell to his knees and started to throw up blood and other wastes. Fluttershy tried not to look, but she couldn’t look away from him. When he finished, she tried to help him up.

“I can’t, Fluttershy. I’m in too much pain,” he started, spitting out what remained in his mouth. “If I keep moving, I think I might die. We need to find a place to just stay for the night. Maybe a cave or something, I don’t know, but we can’t get back home.” Fluttershy looked at him with sad eyes. She nodded and helped him get up. They continued on, only walking now. Fluttershy didn’t leave his side for a moment as she helped him move forward.

“Do you think you’ll be alright?” she asked him. He sighed before answering.

“I think so. But, I’ve never broken ribs before, so I don’t know if this is gonna get any worse before it gets better. Let’s just focus on finding a place to camp, alright?” Fluttershy simply nodded, and they continued on.

Soon, they found a small cave that was probably about 30 minutes from their home. It would suffice for the night. Matthew checked to make sure no animals were living in there. No animals were present, as well as anything that could belong to one. Fluttershy led Matthew in and helped him rest up against the wall of the cave. Fluttershy started to examine Matthew’s chest. Fluttershy could feel Matthew’s broken ribs. He cringed in pain at even the slightest touch.

“I’m sorry, I just want to see how bad you are.”

“It’s fine, just be more careful. I don’t want it to get any worse than it already is.” Fluttershy nodded and continued to examine him. She noticed a large burn mark on Matthew’s stomach.

“Where did that come from?” she asked him, examining it.

“Probably from when Celestia blasted me as I tried to rush her. That wasn’t the smartest move I could have made, and I guess I have that to show for it.” Fluttershy couldn’t do much for Matthew. She wasn’t a doctor, and had little knowledge on how to help heal a human. Sure, she had helped nurture her animal friends, but she was home when she did that, where she could access herbs and soups and other medical supplies. Out here in the wilderness, she couldn’t do that for Matthew. Their best chance was to get home.

“Are you sure you’re alright Matthew? She hurt you so much, and… I’m afraid.” Matthew held her close as best he could without hurting himself.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. But, you’re right about one thing. She really did bang me up really good. I’m going to need a miracle if I want to even hope to defeat her. Wait… what am I saying? I don’t want to defeat her. Damn it, all I want is to be with you, but she is so… stuck up, that she can’t see that.” Matthew let out a sigh and rested his head against the wall. Fluttershy looked up to him and kissed his cheek. He looked to her and gave her a soft smile.

“It seems no matter how hard I try to make my life meaningful and worthwhile, something always comes along and ruins it.” Fluttershy rested next to Matthew and leaned her head on his shoulder.

“Matthew, what are we going to do?” For once, Matthew couldn’t think of anything inspiring to say.

“I don’t know, continue to live like we have been. She doesn’t know where we are, and that’s good enough for now. But, I guess we will have to start planning ahead. Damn it, had I not gotten the bright idea to try to talk to her in the first place, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“Had she not been so stuck up back on Earth then we really wouldn’t be in this situation,” Fluttershy added, which made Matthew laugh a bit. Fluttershy joined in, but Matthew started to violently cough. She turned to look at him. He started to breathe heavily. “I feel terrible. I can’t help you at all.”

“Being with me is all I need from you Fluttershy. I don’t need any medicines, potions, or whatever. All I need is you.” Fluttershy smiled and they kissed each other. Releasing the kiss, Matthew rested his head up against the wall. “Now, how about we get some sleep. Hopefully, come morning, I’ll be able to walk back to the house.”

“Alright, but, if you need anything, just tell me.” Matthew smiled at her. She curled up and rested her head under Matthew’s arm. He held her close, and the two fell asleep.

Matthew and Fluttershy dreamed together, once again of a better life. This time, they saw Sugarcube Corner. All of their friends were inside, waiting to give Fluttershy a big surprise. Matthew stepped out.

“Oh there you are Matthew. I was so worried. I have been out all day trying to find you. Where did you go? What do you want to show me?” Fluttershy asked. Matthew unfolded a pair of white feathered eagle wings. Fluttershy was in complete shock.

“Surprise,” he said, smiling the whole time. Fluttershy started to cry, and that just made Matthew cry.

“Oh Matthew, their beautiful,” Fluttershy said, walking over to Matthew. He knelt down and they held each other close. Releasing from the embrace, they looked into each other’s eyes.

“Thank you Matthew.”

“No Fluttershy, thank you.” And with that, the dream ended.

Matthew and Fluttershy both woke up with tears in their eyes. The morning had actually arrived, yet their dream was only a matter of minutes. They looked into each other’s eyes.

“They were really beautiful. Oh how I wish we could live that life together,” Fluttershy said, her voice cracking a bit from her crying. Matthew held her close, as much as it pained him to do so.

“It’s alright Fluttershy, it’s alright. We’re together, and that’s all that matters.” As much as he hated it, Matthew felt his words were false. It didn’t matter anymore. This wasn’t the life they wanted to live together. What their dreams were, that’s the life they wanted to live together. But, Celestia had made sure that it would never to come to pass.

A few moments passed, but Matthew and Fluttershy finally got up and started to walk home. Matthew wasn’t much better than the day before, but he could now walk after properly resting. The walk took them about 35 minutes, and in that time, Matthew was completely exhausted. They went inside their house, and Matthew literally collapsed onto his bed. Fluttershy helped him to undress, taking off his weapons, their holsters, his hood, bear pelt, and straps and belts. Matthew finally felt a little relaxed.

“Thanks Fluttershy, I really don’t know what I would do without you.”

“Of course Matthew. Whatever you need, I’m here for you. I’ll help you anyway I can to get you back to one hundred percent.” Matthew smiled and they shared a kiss. Fluttershy went to get Matthew some food, which he gladly appreciated. He just rested in bed for the rest of the day. Fluttershy started to try to help him heal. She applied healing gels to Matthew’s wounded areas, gave him the best soups she could make, and above all else, provided him with company. Finally, the two went to bed. They weren’t sure if they wanted to dream of that better life again. But, even if they did, it wouldn’t matter. For that night, Matthew was going to get a little visit.

Matthew found himself in a never-ending sky, but it was the nighttime sky. Matthew could see millions upon millions of stars. He had never realized how beautiful the night sky was. He looked to his feet to see that there was no floor, just nothing. There were even stars below him. Matthew was truly amazed. What surprised him even more was who appeared next.

In a few short moments, Princess Luna appeared in front of Matthew. He couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Hello human. Your name was, Matthew, correct?” He nodded in response. “Well then, Matthew, I have come to provide you with guidance.” Matthew was totally confused.

“Guidance? Princess, why, and really how, would you provide me anything. I killed you. Hell, how was that even possible? Luna, you are practically a goddess, how did I kill you?” Luna simply chuckled at his confusion.

“You may think me a goddess, but I am no truly no more mortal than any other pony. Your blade pierced my throat, and therefore, I passed. It is really that simple.”

“Well, ok then. But still, why would you want to provide me with guidance. Like I literally just said, I killed you. Why is it you aren’t holding a grudge against me for that and yet your sister wants to destroy me?”

“Because, Matthew, my sister no longer has me to live with. Truthfully, Celestia was lonely. I was the only pony she ever really had for company. Of course, she has Twilight and her friends, but they are not always with her. She is always on business, never able to truly be with the ponies she cares about. I was always with her, and now, I can no longer be with her.” Matthew felt his guilt start to build up. He hadn’t taken away Celestia’s sister, but also her only real friend. He sighed.

“Alright, I get that. But, seriously, why are you going to provide me with guidance?”

“Matthew, you must defeat my sister.” Now, Matthew was completely confused.

“What?” he said simply.

“Matthew, my sister lost her only loved one, me. Without me, her heart has lost all of its love. You must defeat her, and show her what love truly is.” Matthew took a moment to piece everything together. Her words were simple enough to understand. But, Matthew came up with a rather violent conclusion.

“Are you asking me to kill your sister?” To Matthew’s own surprise, Luna nodded.

“Matthew, I ask this of you only because I care for her. If you can defeat her, she will pass on, but she will be reborn with the light of love in her heart once again.”

“What about you?” Matthew quickly asked. Luna looked to the stars of the never-ending sky.

“Well, the same could be said for me, but my rebirth will take more time, about another one thousand years.” Now, Matthew was dumbfounded.

“Wait, so you two can never really die?”

“It is not that we cannot die. We cannot die until we have found a Princess to take our place. Until then, we will live.”

“But, how long will it take for Celestia to be reborn?”

“That will take a matter of only a few days, but like I told you, I will not be able to be reborn for another one thousand years, unless, of course, the love you prove to her is strong enough to bring me back.” Matthew took a moment to take in everything that was going on. He had just been told by Princess Luna to kill her own sister, in hopes that doing so would prove that his and Fluttershy’s love was strong enough to defeat anything, which would therefore revive Celestia and possibly even Luna. Yeah, that all made sense to Matthew. In the world of Equestria, anything having to do with magic made sense to him.

“Alright, well, I guess I have no choice but to accept this mission. So, how am I to begin?”

“By doing what you have been doing,” Luna replied. Matthew raised an eyebrow to Luna, even chuckling a bit.

“You’re joking right?”

“Most certainly not. Matthew, you cannot just simply kill my sister, it must take time. If she continues her efforts, you must do what you have to do to succeed. But, if you can avoid bloodshed until it is indeed necessary, than it will show her even more how strong your love is.” What Luna said actually made sense to Matthew. “But, you cannot defeat her without help. So, you are to seek the help of the zebra named Zecora. She will have something for you that can help you defend yourself against my sister. I wish you the best of luck in your quest Matthew. Farewell.” And with that, Luna disappeared.

“Wait. Wait! Luna!” But she was gone. Matthew knew well enough who Zecora was, but what could she possibly have for Matthew that could help him defeat Celestia. But, Matthew soon was blinded by the shining of a distant star, and Matthew exited his dream.

Matthew awoke with Fluttershy cuddling with him. He looked to her, finding that she was still asleep. He softly smiled and breathed. His breathing was enough to make Fluttershy wake up.

“Good morning Matthew. Sleep well?” Matthew just looked at her for a moment.

“Well, I got a little visit from Princess Luna, but aside from that, yeah.” Fluttershy’s eyes beamed open at the mention of that name.

“Luna? But, I thought she was dead. I know that she is the Princess of the Night, and that she can visit the dreams of others, but I didn’t know she could do that in death.”

“Well, apparently she can. She told me a lot.” Matthew continued on and explained everything Luna had told him in the dream. Fluttershy was truly shocked by what she heard.

“So, we are actually going to have to… k-kill Celestia?”

“Not until we need to. Zecora should apparently have something for me to help. But, Zecora doesn’t know me, so getting her to trust me may be a little tricky. But, she does know you. I guess we’ll just have to see.”

“When should we go?” Matthew thought for a moment.

“We’ll go later today. We can have breakfast, get ready, and go. If Zecora has something that can help me to heal and to help me fight Celestia, the way I see it, the sooner I get it, the better.” Fluttershy smiled and nodded. She got out of bed and went to make breakfast. She and Matthew ate breakfast in bed together. She helped Matthew gear up, and by the afternoon, they were off to find Zecora’s hut.

Author's Notes:

I knew that Luna would make an appearance, but I had planned it differently. But, in any case, this is the end result. Now, Matthew knows he has to go see Zecora to get awesomeness. Can you guess what's gonna happen?

Also, I understand it may be a little farfetched that Celestia and Luna "can't die" per say, but it was really all I could think of. Just work with it. Trust me, everything will be awesome in the end.

Chapter 7: Soar Like an Eagle

Although Fluttershy knew where Zecora’s hut was located, she had a very difficult time getting there from her and Matthew’s home. From their home, Fluttershy didn’t know her way to a lot of places. Matthew’s injuries made it even more difficult to find it. Matthew could have climbed through the trees and gotten a great view from above, but he was stuck on the ground. Fluttershy refused to leave his side, so she couldn’t fly into the air and try to get a view. They continued through the Everfree Forest, until finally they found Zecora’s hut.

Matthew and Fluttershy hid behind a bush just outside Zecora’s hut when they noticed that she was out meditating. She seemed very focused, and it seemed like nothing could disturb her. But, Zecora had a way of knowing things, and easily managed to catch Matthew and Fluttershy.

“Hello there stranger, come forward, for I sense you present no danger,” she said. Matthew looked to Fluttershy and nodded for them to reveal themselves. They stepped out, and Zecora opened her eyes. She immediately recognized Fluttershy, but this new creature came as a surprise to even her.

“Could it be, Fluttershy, one who I thought had been lost to the sky. You have been away for so long, and I knew for certain something was wrong.” Fluttershy stepped up to Zecora and was greeted with a hug. Fluttershy was at first a little surprised, but she returned the hug.

“It really has been a long time Zecora. It’s good to see you again after all these years.”

“You have not changed one bit my friend,” she started, releasing Fluttershy. “I knew for certain you had not yet met the end. But, my friendly equine, who have you brought with you that is not so divine?” She was referring to Matthew.

“Zecora, this is Matthew, my… boyfriend.” She said boyfriend a little quietly, but Matthew didn’t question her about it. She rarely ever said that word, and Matthew knew it kind of bothered her a bit. “He is really hurt, and we were told that you could provide him with something to help heal him.” Zecora looked to Matthew.

“Matthew, no, it cannot be true. The one Celestia hunts for all throughout Equestria. I sense you are suffering great pain, from her hatred, that will not drain.” Matthew nodded.

“That obvious huh? Look, Zecora, I know that you don’t know me, and that you may not trust me, but I was told that you had not only something to heal me, but to aid me in my struggle as well.” Zecora looked at Matthew with a great amount of focus. It’s like she was reading his mind.

“I know what to do, for I have just the thing for you. Come, step into my abode, and we shall see what animal waits for you down the road.” Both Matthew and Fluttershy were confused, but it seemed as though Zecora trusted Matthew. Fluttershy helped Matthew inside, and he rested up against one of the couches in the hut. He was still in pain, and he could barely move.

“So, Zecora, what exactly do you have that can help me?”

“Matthew, what I have shall be a great boon for you. All you need do is wait while I brew.” Matthew nodded as Zecora got out a potion book. She started gathering ingredients, bringing them over to her cauldron and adding them to the mix. She started brewing together the mixture, and a color started to form. The mixture turned blood red, which made Fluttershy gag a little. Matthew held her close, shielding her eyes from whatever it was Zecora was making. After about 15 minutes, it was ready. Zecora dunked a bowl into the mixture and handed it to Matthew. He looked at it with distaste.

“So, um, what will this do exactly?” Zecora simply motioned for Matthew to drink. He looked to Fluttershy. She looked back into his eyes. She was so worried, and he could tell. He gave her a quick kiss.

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“I know. Just, please, don’t leave me. I love you.”

“I love you too.” With that, Matthew started to drink the mixture. It slid down his throat smoothly to his surprise, not being filled with chunks. But, Matthew knew the taste. It had the metallic taste of blood, matching its color. Matthew finished drinking, and he started to feel pain shoot through his body. He gagged a bit, and Fluttershy tried to help him. Zecora simply held her back.

“For this to work Fluttershy, he must see what awaits him in the sky.” Fluttershy just kept whimpering, as Matthew started to pass out. He felt his mind leaving his physical body, and before he knew it, he was out.

Matthew woke to find himself in a blue, cloud filled sky. He was lying on the ground, which was actually a cloud. He managed to pick himself up to his own surprise. He felt no pain or weakness. He looked around, but he saw nothing. He looked to his body, finding that he was unarmed, only wearing the lower half of his outfit. His hood, bear pelt, straps, weapons, and anything else that was on the upper half of his body was gone. All he had on were his ragged, cloth leggings and robe pieces.

“What the hell is all this?” he said out loud. He continued to spin around, and suddenly, an eagle appeared. It surprised Matthew as it flew over his head. Matthew’s eyes didn’t leave the eagle. Matthew’s instincts told him to raise his arm as a perch for the eagle. To his own surprise, it landed, and it didn’t even scratch his arm. He used his middle and index fingers to rub the chin of the graceful bird, but it flew off into the sky. Matthew decided to follow.

But, as he did, rocks and trees started to form around Matthew from nothing. These new structures were large enough for Matthew to start parkouring along them. The trees formed perfect structures that were all too familiar to him. He kept following the eagle as it flew higher into the sky. Suddenly, a giant tree formed. Matthew was taken back by the scale, but he climbed up. Finally reaching the top, Matthew found a large eagle’s nest, but no sign of the eagle.

“Where did you…” he started to say, but couldn’t finish when a giant eagle landed in the nest. It was double the size of Matthew, but it just sat on the edge of the nest. Matthew couldn’t believe his eyes. The eagle called out to the sky, and its call was returned. After the second call ended, the giant eagle turned its head towards Matthew. He jumped back as it did, bracing himself for anything. What the eagle did, Matthew didn’t exactly suspect. The eagle gripped Matthew in its talons and threw him over the edge.

To his own surprise, Matthew didn’t even start to scream or shout out. He just fell. At first he was flailing, but he soon started to just let his body fall. Suddenly, another eagle cried out. Matthew, who had been falling with his stomach to the ground, lifted his head up to see the eagle flying straight at him. He closed his eyes as the eagle flew right into him. But, Matthew didn’t start falling in another direction. The eagle bonded with Matthew, and disappeared.

Matthew continued to fall, but now, he felt a rush of power flow through his body. He opened his eyes, and they lit up. When the light faded, his vision was now crystal clear. From his many years of gaming, Matthew’s eyesight had deteriorated a bit. He didn’t need to wear glasses, but some things were quite blurred to him. Now, he found that he could see literally everything. When the clouds were normally just white blurs, he could now make out even the smallest shadows on them. The rush of power continued to flow through his body, and what came next was something Matthew never would have suspected.

His entire body altered, and he became an eagle. He flew through the sky with grace and speed that only an eagle could know. He didn’t even look to his own form, he just kept flying. Another tree soon formed, and Matthew changed back and landed on a branch. As he landed, he looked at himself. Had he really just changed into an eagle? Before he could answer himself, structures formed throughout the sky. He couldn’t reach them by conventional means, and he took this as a cue to use his newfound powers.

Matthew changed into the eagle once again, flying from one point to another. He could change from the form of human to eagle in the blink of an eye, and it didn’t feel unnatural. Matthew just felt his mind leave the body of a human, and take the body of an eagle. As Matthew flew to a more out of reach structure, he looked over his new form. He had brown feathers and dark yellow talons, sharp enough to rip out the heart of a bear. He landed and thought to himself.

'Ok, could my life resemble Assassin’s Creed any more than it already does?' He simply shook his head and chuckled as he continued to fly. He made one final landing, and another eagle flew to him. He held up his arm and it landed. Matthew rubbed its chin. The graceful bird expanded his wings to full span and cried out. It flew off, and Matthew started to feel his mind leaving this mystical world. Within moments, Matthew’s mind returned to his physical body.

Matthew’s eyes shot open to find himself lying on the couch. Fluttershy was sitting on the floor next to him, and Zecora was sitting over by her table. Fluttershy noticed that Matthew had awoken.

“Finally you’re awake. What happened? And, what’s happened to your eyes?” Fluttershy asked, which only confused Matthew. Matthew only raised an eyebrow in response. Fluttershy asked if Zecora could bring over a small mirror. When Matthew looked in the mirror, he saw that the whites of his eyes were now a light shade of gold, and the green of his eyes had become black, matching his pupils. He now had the eyes of an eagle, but did he still have the powers? Matthew examined himself, and he tried to will himself to change. In a flash, Matthew changed into his new eagle form. Fluttershy jumped back in surprise, while Zecora simply smiled and nodded.

“It seems your journey was a success Matthew, the power of the eagle has certainly found you.” Matthew simply let out an eagle’s cry, and he changed back to his human form. Fluttershy looked at him in amazement.

“So, you can turn into an eagle now?”

“Yeah, I guess so. Although, just now, I felt myself getting a little weak, but in the dream, I didn’t feel that effect. Zecora, what gives?” Zecora closed her eyes and spoke.

“The power of the eagle is not to be used wrongly, for the effects can hinder you strongly. Exposure to the power for too long can make everything go wrong,” she answered. This really did seem too familiar to Matthew. This was literally the exact same thing as the Assassin’s Creed 3 DLC. Not only did he have the outfit, but now he had the power of the eagle. But, he didn’t care. This would certainly aid him in taking on Celestia.

Matthew suddenly realized that he was standing, but he felt no pain at all. He felt his chest to find that his ribs were no longer broken, and that his burn marks were gone. He had been fully healed, along with gaining the power and senses of the eagle.

“Just, wow. Not only do I now have some kickass powers, but I’m also back to my top condition. Zecora, I don’t know what was in that potion, but whatever it was, it sure as hell helped me. I can’t thank you enough. I only wish I had something to repay the generosity and kindness that you’ve shown me, a stranger.”

“It is reward enough to know that I have done good. Giving me you happiness and thanks is more than you should.” Zecora truly was an amazing zebra. Matthew turned to Fluttershy.

“What do you think?”

“I think it’s amazing. You can turn into one of the most graceful creatures around, and now you’re fully healed. This is just amazing,” she responded. He knelt down and brought her in for a tight hug. “I love you Matthew.”

“I love you too Fluttershy.” The two of them embraced each other for about one minute. As they released, they both turned to Zecora and thanked her once again. They decided that they would leave. Being as close to Ponyville as they were put them in danger. They thanked Zecora once more as they walked back through the forest.

Matthew took this time to try out his new powers. He flew through the forest with little to no trouble, but using the power as much as he was definitely proved to be hazardous. Landing on one branch, he decided to lower himself down to the ground and rest. Fluttershy went to his side.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s just that I think I’m using the power too much. Zecora even said that using it too much can be dangerous. I plan on training myself to use this more effectively. Don’t worry, I’m fine,” he said, and he kissed her on the cheek. She smiled, and they continued walking home.

Arriving at their house, it had gotten pretty dark out. Before leaving Zecora’s, they had been provided with a day’s worth of food. Matthew and Fluttershy ate their dinner inside, and they quickly went to sleep afterwards. They shared their dreams once again. They now saw each other at the Grand Galloping Gala. They watched themselves walking through the Canterlot Garden, as well as performing one of their favorite songs together. Finally, they watched Rainbow Dash performing with the Wonderbolts. She performed a Sonic Rainboom, and in that moment, Matthew and Fluttershy shared a kiss as the rainbow spread across the night sky. These dreams that Matthew and Fluttershy were having were the things they wanted the most, but they would remain what they were in the first place. Dreams.

Author's Notes:

Hey look at that, I made another reference to Assassin's Creed. Well, now you know the kickass power Matthew gets. However, there is still more to come. Next up, round 2.

Chapter 8: Round Two

Awaking from their dream, Fluttershy was once again in tears. Matthew comforted her, reminding her that they still had each other. Aside from that, Matthew was now back to his top physical condition, along with the impressive new powers of the eagle. Fluttershy looked into his eyes, which of course, now resembled those of an eagle. Matthew looked back at her, and he could make out every detail of her face. They shared a kiss, and they started their day.

Two more months passed, and Matthew and Fluttershy had managed to stay hidden from Celestia the whole time. Matthew had fully mastered his eagle powers, even eliminating the damaging effects on his health when he used the power. He could now stay in his eagle form for up to one hour. He tried not to do so though, for even still, the negative effects on his health still remained just slightly. They weren’t enough though that they deterred him greatly. He put this power to great use, helping him kill his prey with ease. His vision helped him hunt like a pro. He had become a true predator.

After those two months had passed, Matthew and Fluttershy’s friends finally started to visit again. They had remained away from the two of them for so long just to make sure Celestia wasn’t on to them. Their first meeting in two months began with a group hug. Afterwards, Matthew demonstrated his new powers, and went on to explain how he got them. In his eagle form, Matthew couldn’t speak normal English, but, Fluttershy could actually understand him. She could, after all, understand animals. All of the girls were amazed by Matthew’s new abilities.

That night was spent outside, together by a fire. They enjoyed a freshly cooked meal from Matthew, and he and Fluttershy were informed of Celestia’s current state. Twilight noted that Celestia had only increased her efforts to hunt for the two of them. Celestia had actually ruled out the Everfree Forest already. She apparently figured that with the way she left Matthew, he wouldn’t be able to survive in the Forest. She was completely wrong. Not only had he survived, but he was now even more powerful. Once Twilight finished, everyone just continued to eat and talk. Everything was just fine.

After that night, another nine months passed. The girls celebrated Matthew’s one whole year of living in Equestria with a not-so-small party. Matthew had asked for it to be discreet, but Pinkie refused. The party was great anyway. The one year was marked three months after the girls had finally started to revisit Matthew and Fluttershy. The two of them had managed to remain hidden for another six months after that point. But, Matthew knew sooner or later that Celestia would find him and Fluttershy again. He knew he would be ready. At that point, Matthew was a true master of his new powers. Now, the only reason his eagle form would be hazardous to use would be if he had been injured to a severe degree in his human body.

Matthew held on to the knowledge of Celestia eventually finding him. He was always ready for anything. And it was a good thing he was ready, because that day finally arrived.

Matthew was parkouring through the Everfree Forest, hunting for the night’s dinner. Fluttershy had decided to take the risk of going into Ponyville to visit Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. She wasn’t in any real danger though. Fluttershy had become quite good at remaining hidden and keeping a low profile. She spent the day with her friends uninterrupted. That was, until there came the explosion from the Everfree Forest.

Matthew continued his hunt. He was having a crappy day, barely managing to snag even the smallest creature. At home, there was more than enough food, but Fluttershy had gone to Ponyville for the day, and he needed something to do. Finally, he caught sight of a manticore. Matthew had managed to fell about 50 manticores in his time in Equestria, and he was about to rack up another. He drew his bow, but before he could draw an arrow, the sound of wings caught his attention.

He looked to the sky, and what he saw made his heart stop. There, hovering above him, was Princess Celestia, clad in her battle armor.

“After all this time, I have finally found you Matthew. I hope you are ready to die, because unlike our last encounter, you will not be leaving here alive,” she spoke to him, and she charged her horn. Matthew instantly dropped from his perch, just as Celestia fired at the tree, breaking it apart. Matthew’s instincts were to run.

“You will have nowhere to run now Matthew! You cannot hide from me now!”

“That’s where you’re wrong Celestia,” he responded, and within a blink of an eye, he transformed into the eagle. Celestia was completely dumbfounded by what had just happened. What was once a human now was an eagle. The bird of prey shot through the sky with rapid speed. Celestia quickly chased after it.

Matthew changed back into his human form as he neared his home. He knew better than to be there, but he had nowhere else to go. Before Celestia could find him, he ran inside, grabbed as many ammo clips as he could, grabbed a small bag with food and supplies, and rushed back out. He was greeted by Celestia.

“So, this is where you have been taking refuge. I must say, you did a fine job for yourselves, you and Fluttershy. But now, your home shall crumble!” Celestia charged her horn for something big. Matthew ran as fast as he could to get away from the structure, but he couldn’t get far enough.

Celestia shot a beam of energy so great it would make a solar flare look like a simple campfire. The beam struck the home, making the structure implode on itself at first, only to burst in a torrent of flame, wood, and whatever else was in the home moments later. Matthew was sent flying through the air, landing hard against a tree. He fell to the floor. He tried to get up, but something stopped him. He looked to his legs, and all over his body, to find he had chips of wood lodged throughout his body. Small fragments of wood laced his skin, but his right leg had gotten hit the worst. A small chunk of flesh had been torn off, revealing to Matthew his calf muscle. He gripped it in pain, but he couldn’t stop. He had to keep running.

Standing up, Matthew felt something slide off of his back. His bow had just been broken in half. The string of the bow now only held together two halves of a once glorious weapon. Matthew looked at the broken bow in disbelief.

‘Aw man, I liked that bow. I didn’t even think it could break so easily,’ he thought to himself, but his thoughts were interrupted by the reminder that he still had Princess Celestia to worry about. He figured that making a new bow would be pointless, so he threw off his quiver of arrows and started to run. Celestia was hot on his trail, and soon enough, she managed to catch up to him. She landed a few meters away in front of him, stopping him dead in his tracks.

“You have nowhere to run now Matthew. ELITE GUARDS, ATTACK!” On that very command, at least fifty camo-covered soldiers emerged from the trees, bushes, and shrubbery. They were all clad in more advanced Royal Guard armor, but the colors were that of camouflage. They were all unicorns, using magic to wield their weapons. Most wielded spears, but the more prominent looking soldiers wielded swords and axes. These guys didn’t seem like they were going to go down lightly. They began to attack.

Matthew quickly drew his tomahawk and slid out his left hidden blade, changing it to a knife. One guard came at him with a spear from behind, which he quickly stopped. His tomahawk guarded the spear behind him, and he pulled the guard forward. Matthew stomped in the ankles of the guards forward and hind left legs. Both stomps let out noticeable crunching noises from the bones being broken. Matthew finished with a deadly slice of the guard’s throat.

Two more guards came at Matthew, one with a sword, the other with a spear. Matthew quickly sheathed his two weapons as the spear wielder came forward a bit quicker. He went for a stab, but Matthew dodged, grabbed the spear, and took it under his own control. He pulled the guard past him, whipped the spear around, and sliced the sword wielders head clean off. Blood shot through the air as the guard’s head landed on the ground with a thud. Matthew quickly turned around to meet the other guard. He spun the spear around and lunged at the guard, sending the spear up his throat. The guard began to gag as Matthew pulled the spear out, leaving a gaping hole in the guard’s throat.

Matthew flipped the spear over and chucked it with all his might at another guard. The spear was thrown with such force that it not only went straight through the guard's head, but it managed to lodge itself into a tree. The spear hung there, still lodged through the skull of the guard. The spear had been sent straight through the guard’s right eye, and Matthew made note of the eye on the tip of the spear. But, his focus was quickly turned back to his attackers.

One of the more bulky guards came at Matthew with an axe. Matthew had no choice but to duck under his swing. He quickly shot out both his hidden blades. He held his knife in an underhand position, slicing at the guard’s chest. He flipped the knife and brought it back over the guard’s chest again. He finished by delivering his right hidden blade into the guards skull, pushing him to the ground.

Three guards came at Matthew, two with swords and one with a spear. Matthew quickly blocked one of the sword wielders with his knife, pushing the blade aside. He underhanded the knife and backhanded it into the guard’s chest. He delivered two quick blows to the guard with his right hidden blade, finishing with a knee to the chest to send the guard to the ground. But, Matthew couldn’t react quick enough to stop the second sword wielder from slicing at Matthew’s right leg.

The guard had cut into Matthew’s thigh pretty deep. Matthew faltered and started to tip over. As the spear wielder went for a stab, Matthew just barely dodged, but he had been clipped on the right side of his chest. Matthew wouldn’t stop though.

He quickly used his underhanded knife to slit the guard’s throat. He drew his tomahawk and lunged at the sword wielder. He pulled his sword away, chopped once at both of his front legs, and finished with by chopping the guard in the side of his skull. Matthew pulled the guard away from him, noticing how deep he had managed to chop the guard. His muzzle was practically half-attached to his face, and half of his teeth had been ripped out. Matthew was shocked at how ruthless he had been fighting, but he couldn’t continue.

As four more guards lunged at Matthew, he jumped up and changed into the eagle. But, having been injured, the use of his power would be much more of a risky prospect, but he had no choice. He had to get away from the guards. They weren’t pegasi, so that gave Matthew an upper hand. However, he still had Celestia to worry about. She followed him, shooting beams of energy at him as they flew.

“You cannot run from me Matthew! You shall die this day!” Matthew ignored her words, and he got an idea. He let out an eagle cry, and he shot high up into the air. Celestia followed him, continuing her assault. But, Matthew was faster. He managed to gain a little ground on her, enough for his plan to work. He quickly turned around, and dive-bombed straight at Celestia. She charged her horn for a powerful shot. As she released the beam, Matthew changed back into his human form. Everything went into slow motion, as Matthew felt his body spin around the beam. He quickly met Celestia, driving his hidden blades into her wings. She cried out, and they fell.

Hearing a loud explosion from inside Sugarcube Corner, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash all rushed outside. Unable to see where the explosion came from, Rainbow flew up into the sky. She saw a large flame emerge from the Everfree Forest. It was the exact spot of Matthew and Fluttershy’s home.

“Um, Fluttershy, I think your house just got totaled,” Rainbow called down. Fluttershy immediately was filled with fear.

“Matthew,” she said softly. “Matthew is in trouble. I have to get to him!” she cried up to Rainbow.

“Then we’re coming too,” Pinkie chimed in.

“No Pinkie. We can’t let Celestia know that you’re assisting Matthew and I. It will put you all at risk.”

“Fluttershy, come on. It’s time that Celestia knew that you two weren’t alone. We want to stand by you two, and it’s time we finally did,” Rainbow called down. Fluttershy simply sighed as Rainbow lowered to the ground.

“Are you sure?” Both Pinkie and Rainbow nodded. Fluttershy returned the nod and smiled. They gathered all of their friends, except for Twilight. They all knew that Celestia trusted Twilight, and that Twilight was Celestia’s student. Twilight understood this as well. She agreed with the girls to keep her knowledge of Matthew and Fluttershy a secret. She wouldn’t reveal her ties to the two of them until it was absolutely necessary.

Ultimately, Fluttershy, along with Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity, all started to head into the Everfree Forest. But, before their vision of the sky became blocked out, they saw Celestia chasing an eagle into the sky. She shot at the bird of prey, but it quickly turned around, and changed into a human. It was Matthew. He dodged one more shot and collided with Celestia. They began to fall to the ground.

“MATTHEW!” Fluttershy cried out, but both Celestia and Matthew had fallen to the ground.

Matthew started to pull himself up. He had managed to keep Celestia facing the ground, so she absorbed the great impact of the fall. But, Matthew still was hurt. Celestia hadn’t kept him from getting the wind knocked out of him. He stood up and looked to Celestia, who was already up and charging her horn. Matthew noticed the holes in her wings, as blood seeped out through the wounds.

“You shall not defeat me!” she cried out, and she fired at him. He quickly dodged, sliding out his blades and lunging for her. She magicked her sword and met both his hidden blades with a clang. They eyed each other.

“You have shown great endurance Matthew. I would honor you if it weren’t for your heinous crimes.”

“Fuck off Celestia! It’s not my fault that you can’t see reason! I stayed my blade the last time, but now, I’m taking you down!” he shouted back, and he pushed her sword to the side. As he was about to drive his blade to her throat, his blade met her horn. He pushed it aside as well, pulling her inwards and stabbing her in the side. She grunted, but wasn’t at all fazed by the hit. She shot at Matthew, successfully nailing him right in the gut. He fell on his stomach. He felt his strength fading. Celestia used all the strength in her wings to lift herself off the ground. She charged her horn for a familiar attack. Matthew was ready this time.

He changed into the eagle, flew right at her, and just as he reached her, changed back. He grabbed her and successfully threw her to the ground, landing on her with a knee to the back. He quickly jumped off, but as he was about to strike, she bucked him right in the chest. He flew back into the air, landing hard on the ground. He started to cough up blood, and he knew his ribs had been broken again. He gripped his chest in pain.

Celestia charged at him with her blade. As Matthew got up, he slid out his right hidden blade. He was just quick enough to catch the sword, but she had brought it down with enough force that his right hidden blade was cut clean off of the bracer. The blade had been broken. The impact sent Matthew to the floor. He quickly drew his pistol and fired off three rounds at Celestia, each hitting her successfully. He put away his pistol and tore the blade mechanism off of his bracer. He looked it over and threw it aside. He had just lost another great weapon, but the one upside was that now his right arm could move quicker. The blade added weight to his arm, but with it gone, he could strike harder with his tomahawk.

Matthew decided against it though, for his arm felt numb from what had just occurred. He simply slid out his left blade in hopes of plunging it into Celestia’s throat. He was met with a beam of energy. He flew back to the floor. Matthew’s strength was gone. He had barely enough strength to pull himself back up, but that may not have been the best idea.

Matthew felt a beam of energy shoot straight through his gut. He gripped the area that had been shot, and he felt the warmth of his blood flow over his hand. He fell to one knee, removing his hand to look at the wound. Another shot went straight through the right side of his chest, which made him fall on his back. He started to hack up more blood. Celestia magicked her sword back over to her and held it up high.

“NOOOO!” a voice cried out. Matthew turned his head to see Fluttershy, along with the rest of the girls, except for Twilight. Celestia, however, didn’t take her focus off of Matthew. She plunged her sword into his heart. Matthew made a short, noticeable grunt, as Celestia channeled her magic through the sword. One more burst of energy was fired through Matthew’s heart. Celestia drew the sword out.

As Matthew was about to speak out to Fluttershy, he faded. There, right before Fluttershy’s eyes, lied her beloved Matthew, dead.

Author's Notes:

Hey, look at that, Matthew died. Hmm, I wonder... nah, that's crazy.

Anyway, this chapter did feel a little rushed. I don't mean the whole battle scene, writing that felt fine. The beginning is what felt rushed. I just felt it was unnecessary to go into a whole other chapter of Matthew showing off the powers to the rest of the ponies. I easily could have, as well as writing about the one year anniversary of living in Equestria party thing. Plus, I'm making time pass in the story, and my brain can only think of so many things to happen in those time spans. But, regardless, I'm sure this will all work out. Hey, you got another kickass action scene didn't you?

Chapter 9: A Deal with Death

Matthew opened his eyes to find himself lying on a floor made of blackness. Literally. He looked around to find nothing but emptiness and blackness. It was like some sort of abyss. Matthew picked himself up, feeling a great amount of pain in his chest and gut. He remembered how he had been finished off by Celestia.

“So this is what happens when you die huh? This… really sucks,” he said out loud. He coughed once and gripped his chest. “Damn, she actually beat me. Celestia actually fuckin beat me.” He sighed heavily, still feeling the pain in his chest. But now, he felt pain in his pride. He had lost, and now Fluttershy and all of her friends were at the mercy of Celestia. All Matthew could do was sigh. He didn’t even feel angry. He just felt sad.

Deciding that he might as well do something, Matthew started to walk. He found that he was actually able to walk on nothing. It started to get weird for Matthew to walk on nothing, not to mention he was still in a great deal of pain. He decided to take off in his eagle form. He flew through the abyss for what felt like forever. He had nowhere to go, nothing to do, or anyone to talk to. He was alone.

Or so he thought…

“Hello Matthew,” a voice called out. Matthew stopped flying forward and started to hover. He changed back into a human and started to look around.

“Who’s there?” he responded to the voice. No response. Matthew was completely unarmed as well. Just like during his time acquiring his eagle powers, the upper half of his outfit was gone, leaving only his leggings and robe pieces. This didn’t bode well for him, seeing as though an ominous voice had just called out to him.

“I have been watching you. I must say, your struggle interests me greatly,” the voice called out again. Matthew continued to spin around in confusion.

“Show yourself!” he called back to the voice. All he got in return was laughter.

“My, my, you really are an angry fellow aren’t you,” the voice mocked.

“Only when people like you start to piss me off, now show yourself!” With another hint of laughter, the shape of a human body formed in the distance. Matthew readied himself for the worst, raising his fists in defense. As the figure completed itself, it spoke.

“Put those down, I mean you no harm,” it spoke.

“No offence, but you don’t exactly give off the “I’m a good guy” vibe,” Matthew responded.

“Well of course not. None have ever believed me to be good, in fact, I truly am bad. Bad is a poor word to describe myself though. I would describe myself as the Darkness.” The figures face finally formed. It was almost like a mask, but with eyes so devilishly evil that they could pierce the heart of God himself. Matthew felt genuine fear flow through his body just by looking into those eyes.

“I know you are afraid, but I assure you, I have not come here to harm you.”

“Have you seen your eyes? Like hell you mean me no harm. Why would I trust you?”

“Because, I can give you your life back, along with a little something else,” the being replied. Matthew raised an eyebrow and lowered his fists. He actually managed to calm down a bit, but he remained vigilant.

“So, your name is the Darkness?” The being nodded and smirked. “What do you mean you can give me my life back? What’s this “little something else” you’re talking about?” Matthew’s mind raced with both fear and cautiousness. He didn’t know whether or not he could truly trust this… Darkness.

“Allow me to explain, Matthew. You see, I am the end for those who have suffered through life without joy or happiness. I take those who have lived lives with nothing but sorrow and grief. Sure, you may not be such a person now, but you were. Once someone has felt misery, I follow them until death. You have recently been living a life that you wish wasn’t real. You want to be with Fluttershy, but not like this. You want to live happily, in peace, not having to worry about some crazed pony Princess bitch trying to kill you. But, she finally got you, and now you are here.”

“I know all that, cut to the chase,” Matthew interrupted. The Darkness merely smirked.

“Very well. Well, most of the time, I just take the souls of those who have suffered like you. But, your fight amuses me. I actually want you to win. This little conflict with Celestia has been quite fun to watch. I want to see more. I want her dead. I cannot claim her soul for myself, but I just want to see that Princess turned to dust. So, I offer you this. I will give you your life back, along with a touch of my powers.” Matthew raised an eyebrow and looked at the Darkness quizzically.

“You’re just going to give me my life back, along with some new powers? I don’t buy it. What’s the catch?” Matthew asked. The Darkness smirked.

“I admire your keen eye. Well, whenever I make deals such as this, they come with a heavy price. In your case, you must kill Celestia before you die. Should you die before you kill her, your soul shall belong to me, and you shall suffer for an eternity in the Abyss of the Darkness. Kill her first, and you may die peacefully. Truthfully, you would be a fool to not accept my offer. The odds of you dying with my powers are very slim. Besides, I’m sure Fluttershy would love to see you again,” the Darkness taunted. Matthew cringed at his mentioning of her name.

“I’m sure you would love to know what happened to those ponies. Here, I’ll show you.” The Darkness waved his arms, and an image formed. It started to show the ponies. Matthew looked on in amazement.

He saw the Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity, together. They were in a cave, hiding from Celestia. Fluttershy was crying over Matthew’s body, while the other ponies simply comforted her. A question formed in Matthew’s mind.

“How long have I been dead?”

“One week. Fluttershy refuses to leave your side, and she weeps day and night. Shortly after your death, Celestia tried to attack the ponies. But, the one known as Rarity managed to teleport you all away from the Princess. Applejack found that cave, and they have all been in hiding since. They really do miss you, and I’m sure you would hate for them to have to fight Celestia on their own,” the Darkness said. His words felt like knives cutting away at Matthew’s body. He sighed.

“Alright Darkness, I accept your offer.” The Darkness was a little surprised by Matthew’s sudden decision.

“Really? No second guesses, no doubts, no negatives to think about?”

“Well it’s no better than just staying here. Just one thing. Will these powers change me?” The Darkness simply smiled.

“You do indeed have a keen sense for the wicked. Well, normally yes, but because you asked, I assure you that the powers will not change you. They will simply help you defeat Celestia. If you wish to have a little test run, here,” the Darkness said, and he flicked a ball of shadows at Matthew.

As the shadows faded into Matthew, he felt a surge of power rush through his body. He felt his wounds healing and his strength growing. His head jerked back as the power simply continued to grow. He cried out, but not because of any pain, but because of the immense power. Matthew fell to his knees, and he lowered his head. Shortly after, markings started to form on his body.

The markings originated from his eyes. They were sleek and colored pure black. They ran from Matthew’s eyes, down his cheeks, and ended at his neck. Shortly after, rings formed on the upper halves of his arms, from his biceps to his triceps. Two spikes formed on each ring, along with two strands of the markings flowing down the tops of his arms. At his hands, the markings joined together to form small Assassin’s Crests, just like the ones in Assassin’s Creed. Matthew looked on in awe, but it didn’t stop there.

On the lower half of his ribcage, near his stomach, the markings formed a strange set of wings. They were made of three horizontal streaks of the markings, and they were connected to one strand running slightly diagonally. It almost looked like a pair of wings. In the center of the wings formed another Assassin’s Crest, one that was much more noticeable. The markings finished forming as Matthew’s eyes glowed brightly.

The powers of the Darkness were now at Matthew’s command. He looked himself over, amazed by the markings that had formed on his body.

“You look very good Matthew. Here, see for yourself,” the Darkness said, forming a full body mirror for Matthew to look into. Matthew was amazed by what he saw. He was already able to see the markings on his arms and body, but he was amazed to find the markings on his face, running from his eyes down to his neck.

“I assume that these powers provide me with more than some cool looking markings?” Matthew questioned. The Darkness let out a bit of laughter.

“Of course you fool. All you need do is think about what you want to do with the powers, and then do it. Think about making a blast of shadow, and then it shall be done,” the Darkness instructed. Matthew did as he said. He thought of a powerful shadow blast. He shot his right arm forward, and a blast of shadows exited from the palm of his hand. He stared at his hand in amazement and smiled.

“Cool. What else can I do?”

“You can do many things with these new powers. For example, if you should find an area of shadow, you can literally blend with those shadows. Here, try it,” the Darkness said, gesturing to an area of more noticeable shadow. Matthew stepped over the patch and thought of blending with the shadows. Shortly after, Matthew found that he was literally one with the shadows. He moved across the area to a different location, popping back up and surprising the Darkness a bit.

“You learn quickly Matthew. One of my more favorable tricks is forming shadow creatures. I tend to create shadow soldiers, but you can create whatever you want.” At that, Matthew smirked. Beside him spawned six shadow wolves. They all heeled at Matthew’s side, loyal to their master.

“Fucking awesome. Ok, it’s settled, I want these powers.”

“Of course you do, why wouldn’t you? And, of course, you have my word that these powers shall not affect your… goodness, in any way, shape, or form. You will remain the person you are. However, I must warn you, anger is not something that mixes well with the shadows.” Matthew nodded and stepped towards the Darkness.

“So, now what?” Matthew asked. The Darkness chuckled and smirked as he started to gather energy from around him.

“Good luck Matthew, and may the shadows be with you,” he said, floating into the air and blasting Matthew with a burst of shadows. Matthew closed his eyes and felt his soul moving back to his physical body.

Fluttershy continued to weep over Matthew’s body. Her friends could do nothing for her, so they decided to sleep. It was late in the day, and sleep was all they could think about. Fluttershy’s tears stopped flowing after her mind told her that it was time to sleep. She had lost the one person that she loved, and now, she was alone. Sure, she had her friends, but it wasn’t the same. She started to fall asleep.

Moments later, she felt a hand on her head.

Matthew slowly opened his eyes. Once they were fully opened, all he saw was the greyness of the cave the ponies had brought him to. He remembered that he had been dead for an entire week, so he was sure that he would get a huge welcome back from the girls.

He leaned his head down to find Fluttershy’s head resting on his lap. She was asleep, and she was absolutely adorable. Matthew let out a soft smile, and he went to rub her head. He was stopped when he noticed that there was an Assassin’s Crest on his right hand, along with black markings running up his arm. His eyes widened as he realized that he did in fact still have the shadow powers gifted to him by the Darkness.

Matthew scanned the rest of his body to find all of the markings remained. His left arm was just the same as his right, and the Assassin’s crest on his abdomen remained as well, along with the wings that accompanied the crest. Matthew couldn’t help but smile even harder than he already was.

The upper half of his body was still barren of his outfit. But, to his surprise, the marks of where Celestia had struck remained. There were two patched up holes where she had shot Matthew, along with one hole where she stabbed him. But, he didn’t feel any pain. His ribs were fine as well. Just like when obtaining the eagle powers, obtaining the shadow powers fully healed Matthew.

Moving past the sudden realization, Matthew placed his hand on Fluttershy’s head, running his hand through her hair as he did so very often. Her eyes slowly opened, and she turned her head. At first sight, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open, quivering all the while. Tears started to form in her eyes once again.

“Hey Fluttershy, did you miss me?” Matthew said softly. She jumped up and held him in a tight embrace. He returned the embrace with just as much passion. Fluttershy started to let her tears flow, and so did Matthew. Matthew felt her tears running down his back.

“I th-thought I l-lost you. I thought sh-she k-killed you. But, y-you’re alive. I love you so much Matthew!” she said, still crying. Matthew couldn’t help but lose all control of his tears. His tears started to flow like a fountain, much like Fluttershy at the moment.

“I love you too Fluttershy! I’m so, so sorry. I promise, I will never leave you again!” Matthew replied, his voice almost cracking. The two released each other, only to look into each other’s eyes for a moment before sharing a passionate kiss.

The theatrics of the two managed to wake up the rest of the ponies in the cave. When they realized what was happening, they were all completely shocked.

“Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! MATT’S ALIVE!” Rainbow screamed out, and she jumped up and flew over to Fluttershy and Matthew holding them both close. Matthew was a little surprised by the emotion being shown by Rainbow.

“Jeez Dash, I never thought you’d be so happy to see me.”

“Heh, well, you know, you’re like my second best friend, so of course I’m happy to see you,” she said, releasing both Matthew and Fluttershy. The other ponies were just as happy as Rainbow.

“Why Matthew, where did those interesting markings come from. If I may say so myself, they make you look stunning,” Rarity said, not taking her eyes off of Matthew.

“Yeah! They make you look super cool, like you’re ready to kick some Celestia flank! Oh, let me guess, you got some new super cool powers!” Pinkie chimed in. Matthew started to chuckle. He wasn’t totally surprised by Pinkie’s being able to guess that he had obtained new powers.

“Well, as a matter of fact Pinkie, I did get some new powers. But, I’m sure you’d all like to hear how.” All of the ponies nodded, and Matthew told of how he had met the Darkness.

“Golly, that fellar don’ exactly sound like a nice guy. Why’d he giv ya them there powers if he’s so evil?” Applejack asked.

“Apparently, he likes my entire goal to fight against Celestia. He actually wants me to win. He wants to see her die. I can’t exactly disagree with him, but he just seemed so… passionate, for lack of a better word, about it. I don’t know, but honestly, who cares?! I’m back, and I’ve got new powers to boot,” Matthew replied.

“Speaking of which, why don’t you show them off a bit dude. I wanna see what the big bad Darkness gave you,” Rainbow jumped in, eager to see Matthew show off.

“Alright, alright. Let’s see what I can do.” Matthew got up from where he had been laying up against a rock. He got up with a surprising amount of ease. He forgot how he had been healed and had expected to have to use a bit more effort to get up. But, regardless, he fully stood up, readying himself.

Matthew focused on a decently sized boulder in the room.

“You girls may want to get behind me. I’m not sure if that rock will explode after I do this.” The girls all heeded his warning, moving behind him. He turned back to the boulder.

Matthew thought of blasting it with a burst of shadow. He shot his right arm forward, unleashing a powerful blast that sent shards of the rock across the cave. A few shards went towards Matthew, but he was quick enough to form a protective barrier of shadows in front of him. He barely had to think of it. It just formed.

All of the ponies looked at Matthew in amazement. But, he decided to continue. He thought of lashing out a shadow tendril at a smaller boulder. He lifter it and flung it across the room. He formed smaller tendrils to catch off the debris, placing each piece on the floor. Fluttershy looked on in amazement.

“Matthew, don’t you think that this may be a little… dangerous?”

“I can understand your concern. I made sure that the Darkness would make it so that these powers wouldn’t turn me into a jerk or something. Don’t worry, I’m fine. I actually feel great. It’s like these powers don’t hurt me when I use them, but instead, using them makes me feel more powerful. I guess I’ve just never gotten to do stuff like this before.”

Matthew continued to show off his powers for another minute before he had done everything he could think of. The ponies all rested beside Matthew as he sat down to rest.

“So, what do we do now Matt old buddy old pal? Now that you’ve got these new powers, you could TOTALLY beat Celestia and live happily with us all,” Pinkie said. Matthew took a moment to think on Pinkie’s words, but he came to a conclusion.

“To be honest, I don’t want to kill her. However, that presents a problem. You see, to get these powers, I had to make a deal with the Darkness. I have to kill Celestia before she kills me. If I die before I, and I alone, kill her, my soul will belong to the Darkness. I have to kill her, but at the same time, I don’t exactly want to do so. But, then again… well, nevermind. I say we should just sleep on it.” Matthew looked to all of the ponies who nodded in response. The five ponies started to fall asleep, all except Fluttershy.

“Matthew, are you sure this is safe? I mean, I’m glad that you’re alive, but this just seems dangerous. What will happen if you die again?” Fluttershy asked, her voice filled with concern.

“The next time I die, it will be after Celestia is dead. Don’t worry, we will win this, I promise,” he responded. Fluttershy lowered her head, only to have it lifted back up by Matthew. “Hey, I love you, and you know that I’ll do anything to make sure that we can be together. If it means I have to use some dangerous powers to protect you, then so be it,” he said, and he kissed her on the cheek. She smiled softly, and her head fell onto Matthew’s chest.

“I love you too Matthew. Don’t ever leave me again,” she said, looking up to him. He smiled back to her, and they fell asleep together.

Matthew and Fluttershy shared their dreams once again. This time, they saw something that seemed very odd for the both of them, but mostly Fluttershy.

Both Matthew and Fluttershy, along with their five friends, were in the Canterlot Castle. Standing at the head of the room was Princess Celestia. Matthew stood back from Fluttershy as Celestia blasted Fluttershy with a powerful beam of magic.

Moments later, Fluttershy floated down to the ground. As the light faded, Fluttershy became visible. She had been turned into a human. After a moment of just Matthew staring at the new human Fluttershy, she spoke.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“You look… amazing,” Matthew responded. Fluttershy tried to walk forward, but fell to her knees. She didn’t know how to walk as a human. Matthew rushed to her side. A few moments later, Matthew led Fluttershy out of the room. As they exited, the dream started to fade.

Although the dream did indeed seem strange to both Matthew and Fluttershy, it gave Matthew an idea for a plan. A plan to finally defeat Princess Celestia.

Author's Notes:

Give yourself a mustache if you guessed that the Darkness would appear. If you read Fluttershy and Me, it is almost too obvious.

Anyway, now Matthew has more awesome powers, and a plan to defeat Celestia. What is it? You will have to wait and see.

Chapter 10: Pain and Suffering

Matthew and Fluttershy woke from their slumber, mesmerized by the strange dream they had shared. Fluttershy looked to Matthew, who only stared up to the roof of the cave.

“Matthew? Are you alright?” she asked, but he didn’t look to her.

“I’m more than alright Fluttershy. I have a plan.” Fluttershy looked to him confusedly, and he looked to her. “I have a plan to defeat Celestia,” he clarified. She remained confused.

“What plan? How can we actually defeat her? Does it involve your new powers?”

“Slightly. It more so involves you, um… changing.” Fluttershy was truly confused at this point.

“What do you mean? Don’t you love me for who I am?”

“Of course I do. What I mean is, this plan would require a certain change. Fluttershy, what would you actually say to becoming a human?” he asked, and her eyes widened. She had no idea how to respond to such a question.

“I… I don’t know. I’ve been a pony for all my life. Why would I need to become a human?” Matthew simply sighed.

“Let’s wake up the others. I’m sure they’d love to hear this just as much as you would,” he responded. Fluttershy sighed and nodded.

The two of them woke their friends and they gathered around a fire that Applejack had started in the center of the cave. They were all curious to hear Matthew’s plan.

“So Matt, what’s this plan you’ve got in mind?” Rainbow asked.

“Well, last night, Fluttershy and I had a dream. In the dream, Fluttershy was turned into a human,” he started. Just the mentioning of their friend being turned into a human made the four ponies faces turn from curious to confused. “That gave me an idea. So, my plan is to have Fluttershy turned into a human. Seeing as though Celestia knows that I’m the only human in Equestria, she would think that Fluttershy is me, even if her human form may have some… differences. All Fluttershy would have to do is give herself up to Celestia’s guards and be taken to Celestia. I would sneak to a position of interest. Celestia would think that I am standing right in front of her. While she is vulnerable, I will strike. She wouldn’t even have the chance to stop me.” The ponies all looked to Matthew. They actually considered his plan quite valid, except for one thing.

“How is Fluttershy going to be turned into a human?” Rainbow asked.

“That’s the problem. In the dream, it was Celestia who did it. The spell must use up a lot of magic. I highly doubt Rarity could do it, no offence.”

“None taken,” she replied.

“The only pony I believe that could do it in the slightest is Twilight, but she’s in Ponyville. I don’t suppose you guys know what’s going on there right now do you?”

“Darling, the streets are now filled with guards. They are patrolling every minute of every day, looking for us. Rainbow managed to do a bit of spying, and tells us that Twilight may even have two guards always escorting her wherever she goes. She will be impossible to get to. If we are to have any hopes of getting into Ponyville, it will take a great deal of planning,” Rarity explained. Matthew nodded and started to think.

“Well, this is all if Fluttershy is actually up for the plan.” He turned to her. “What do you think Fluttershy?” He waited for a response, but she didn’t say anything. “Hey, you don’t have to do this. We can think of something else if you don’t want to. I won’t think any less of you if you say no. If you want to be changed and we find a way to do it, I still won’t think less of you. I will love you no matter what you choose.” Fluttershy lifted her head up and looked at Matthew.

“Let’s do it,” she said, and Matthew smiled softly.

“Alright then.” He turned to the rest of the ponies. “First, we need to find a way into Ponyville.”

Finding such a way was easier said than done. Rarity wasn’t exaggerating when she said that guards were patrolling the streets every minute of every day. Finding a way into Ponyville was quite a difficult task. The five ponies and Matthew had to go on many recon missions to the outskirts of Ponyville just to scout the place out.

After three long months, they finally found a clear cut way into Ponyville. Along with that, they found a perfect way into the library to talk to Twilight. The cover of night would become the ultimate tool.

Matthew had considered just using his shadow powers to blend with the shadows in Ponyville on many occasions, but every plan he came up with failed, even with those powers. The powers alone wouldn’t be good enough to make it into Ponyville undetected. The cover of night would provide Matthew with limitless shadows, but even that wasn’t good enough.

Most of the plans Matthew started involved him acting alone. He didn’t want to put the ponies in harm’s way, but they ultimately would have to become involved in the plan for everything to work. Each of the guards in the path to the library would systematically have to be taken out by the girls. Matthew would be able to move from shadow to shadow without being seen while changing his blending position. The cover of night would make it all the more easier to get to the library.

The night finally came to put the plan into action. Matthew and the girls left for Ponyville. As they arrived, the girls snuck to their respective positions for the plan. Matthew started to make his way through Ponyville, blending with the shadows as he could.

Whenever he would move near a guard, one of the girls would eliminate the guard. The plan worked perfectly. Matthew wound up at the back of the library, eliminating one of the guards standing watch. Rainbow Dash took out the guard in the front, and all of the girls ended up at the library. Matthew moved to the front and knocked on the door.

“What is it now guardsman?” Twilight called from inside. She opened the door and was shocked to see who was standing before her. “Get in quickly!” Matthew and the five ponies rushed inside. They knew they were safe with Twilight. Shortly after they entered, the six ponies all embraced each other.

“I missed you girls so much! I thought I had lost you all!” Twilight said, starting to cry. Matthew looked on as the scene before him started to eat away at his heart. He sighed before finally speaking.

“We missed you too Twilight, but I’m sorry to say that we didn’t really come for a reunion.” All of the ponies broke from the embrace and looked at him.

“Matt, we git that ya wanna unfold yer little plan, but we haven’t seen Twilight in three months. The least ya could do is give us some time together,” Applejack said, a little annoyed by Matthew.

“I get that, and I’m sorry I interrupted the moment. But, seriously, don’t you think it could wait? Who knows if Celestia is aware of our presence here right now? We may not have a lot of time,” he replied. The girls were all a little annoyed now. They hadn’t seen Twilight in three months, and all Matthew could think about was his plan.

“Fine, tell Twilight yer plan then,” Applejack said, not wanting to keep fighting about it.

“Thank you. I’m sorry Twilight, but we need your help.”

“With what?”

“Well, I have a plan to defeat Celestia. I don’t suppose you know any spells to change a pony into a human?” Twilight raised an eyebrow at Matthew and giggled a bit.

“Of course not, why would I have a spell like that?” Matthew sighed in defeat.

“Fuck!” he said softly. “Eh, sorry. My plan was to turn Fluttershy into a human. Seeing as though Celestia knows I’m the only human in Equestria, she would think that by capturing Fluttershy she would have captured me. Using this, Celestia would have Fluttershy standing before her, and while she was distracted, I would strike. It honestly seemed like a perfect plan, but if you don’t have the spell, then the plan is worthless.” Matthew sighed once again in defeat and lowered his head.

“Hmm, I might have something. It’s a long shot, but I just might,” Twilight said. Matthew perked up as she started to magic multiple books around the room.

Fluttershy walked over to Matthew.

“Are you sure you want to do this Fluttershy?” he asked her.

“If it’s a way to finally end all of this, then yes. Although, I just have one question. Why me?”

“I don’t exactly know. Probably because the dream showed you as a human. Really, any pony in Equestria could be used. A stallion would actually be more preferable, but we don’t really have any of those on hand, so we make do with what we got. No offence girls.”

“None taken,” they all replied.

“Well, if you really think this will work, then of course I’ll do it,” Fluttershy said. Matthew knelt down and kissed her on the cheek.

“Thanks Fluttershy.”

A few moments later, Twilight finally found a spell. She examined the spell, finding that it was quite complex.

“I’m not so sure I’ll actually be able to pull this off Matthew. This is a really complex spell. I’m surprised it even exists.”

“Well, can you at least give it a try?”

“Well, I guess I can. But, what if it doesn’t work? What if…” she was about to continue, but a booming voice cut her off.

“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” the voice cried out. Everyone in the room was scared by the sudden voice. They all looked to each other, and then to Matthew.

“Fuck,” he said.

Within seconds, the roof of the library was torn off, allowing the cold air of the night to flow into the room. Hovering in the air was Princess Celestia. She slammed the top of the library in the back of the once complete building. Matthew and the six ponies all looked to Celestia.

“My most faithful student! I find you conspiring with an enemy to Equestria! You are aiding the one who killed my sister! What do you have to say for yourself?!” When everyone expected her to try to make up an excuse, Twilight’s response shocked them all.

“All I have to say is that I don’t want to be your student anymore, not if this is how you will treat my friends! You aren’t the same Princess Celestia that took me under her wing. You have been corrupted by thoughts of revenge and hate. Ever since that day that you took Fluttershy from Matthew, you haven’t been the same. He didn’t mean to kill Luna, he was just trying to save Fluttershy. But your mind seems to care little for what anypony else thinks nowadays. So there’s your answer. I’m done with you Celestia!” Twilight shouted back to her now former teacher.

Everyone in the room dropped their mouths. Twilight had just openly defied Princess Celestia. They could all tell that she was pissed.

“HOW DARE YOU! NOW YOU SHALL SUFFER THE SAME FATE AS THEM!” Celestia shouted down, and her horn began to charge up, but it seemed to be doing so much more violently than usual. Matthew was quick to act.

“RUN!” he shouted. They all ran out the door as Celestia fired down into the library. The beam lit up the night, making it seem like it wasn’t even nighttime at all. Thankfully, there was no recoil or large explosion, but the library was now gone. It had been destroyed.

“You all need to get out of here, now!” Matthew shouted to the girls.

“No, we are staying with you,” Fluttershy responded.

“Absolutely not!”

“I will not leave you again Matthew! We are staying,” Fluttershy shouted back, stomping her hoof on the ground. Matthew was surprised by her sudden change in tone, but he accepted it.

“Fair enough. Just stay low, and obviously, don’t die.” He turned to face Celestia, who was lowering herself to the ground. There was enough room for a grand battle to take place, and surely enough, a grand battle was about to take place.

“Tell me Matthew, if you lost the last time we met, how do you expect to defeat me now? You have all of your friends here to worry about. Who’s to say I won’t attack them instead?” Celestia mocked.

“Because Celestia, this time, I’ve got some new tricks up my sleeve,” he responded, and he shot his arm forward. But, for some reason, nothing happened. Matthew stared at his arm, and shot it forward again. Still nothing. “Oh fuck.”

Celestia smirked and blasted him with a powerful beam of energy. Matthew was sent to the floor, but he quickly regained himself. He drew his tomahawk and slid out his left hidden blade, ready to fight.

Celestia charged at him with her sword raised. But before she could reach Matthew, something flew straight into her. It was Rainbow Dash.

“Now what was that about killing us Celestia?” Rainbow mocked. She shot Matthew a quick grin, which he returned. Celestia tried to blast Rainbow, but she quickly dodged. Rainbow kept on getting assaulted, until Celestia turned her gaze back to Matthew, who had charged right at her. He quickly sliced her with his knife across the chest, making her fall to the ground. Matthew then delivered a powerful kick to her head. As he was about to stomp her skull in, she blasted him to the ground.

Standing up, she collected herself and cried out for help.

“ELITE GUARDS, ATTACK!” she cried out, and those familiar camo-covered guards appeared out of nowhere. Matthew and Rainbow were surrounded.

Suddenly, multiple guards fell as they were shot down by beams of purple magic. Matthew and Rainbow turned to see Twilight firing away at the guards. Soon after, Pinkie pulled out her party cannon. To Matthew’s own surprise, the cannon did quite a number on the guards. Rarity stayed back with Fluttershy as Applejack started to buck away at the guards. Matthew turned his gaze back to Celestia as he picked himself up.

Celestia cried out and charged at Matthew with her sword raised. He quickly stopped it with his tomahawk, pushed the blade aside, and jabbed at her with the top of his tomahawk, causing her to bleed slightly. She cried out again and unleashed a powerful beam of magic, sending Matthew flying into the air.

Matthew was quick to act though, turning into the eagle and soaring right into Celestia. Tackling her to the ground, he started to punch her in the face repeatedly. She quickly hit him in the face with her hoof, and blasted him with another beam of magic.

“GUARDS, KILL HIM!” A group of guards focused their attention on Matthew. There were ten in total. This would be child’s play.

Two guards with spears came at Matthew. As they went to stab him, he leaned back slightly, pulled the connected spears up with his tomahawk, and ducked under them. He quickly turned around, stabbed one guard in the face with his knife and chopped the other guard in the throat with his tomahawk, causing him to fall to the ground gagging. Matthew gripped the first guard’s spear with his tomahawk, sending it into the skull of the second guard.

“Two down, eight to go,” he said, as another guard wielding a sword lunged at him. Matthew quickly sheathed his tomahawk, caught the sword, and pulled it out of the guard’s magical grip. Matthew sliced the guard across the chest with the blade, then brought his knife across, and finally stabbed the sword straight through the guard’s skull, not even pulling out.

Two guards with axes rushed towards Matthew. One of them almost managed to chop Matthew’s head clean off, but he ducked down just in time. Matthew tumbled towards the guard, chopping him in the back of the neck with his tomahawk. As Matthew tried to strike the other guard, his tomahawk was caught, and the guard spun around and violently bucked Matthew in the stomach. One of the other sword wielders took advantage of this. Matthew just barely managed to dodge the attack, getting clipped on his shoulder.

Matthew quickly spun around and stabbed the guard in the head with his knife. Not losing any momentum, he brought his tomahawk up into the axe wielder’s chin in a reverse uppercut. Matthew could hear the guard’s jaw break as he drew his tomahawk out. While waiting for the other guards to strike, he looked at his handy work. Guards lay dead with holes in their skulls, slits in their throats, and blood pouring everywhere. Ponyville, once a place of happiness and joy, was now a place of pain, suffering, and death.

Before any of the guards even attacked, Matthew was struck once again by a powerful blast from Celestia. She started to charge as Matthew picked himself up. She was met by a powerful blast of confetti from Pinkie Pie’s party cannon.

“NOPONY HURTS MY BUDDY!” she screamed out as she violently bucked the remaining guards that were attacking Matthew.

“Thanks Pinkie,” Matthew said.

“Behind you!” she warned him. Matthew threw his tomahawk behind his back, catching the sword that was coming down on him. He used this to turn himself around and he drove his tomahawk into the guard’s neck. He then delivered two quick stabs in the skull with his bracer mounted blade. As Matthew delivered the second stab, a stream of blood shot out from the guard’s skull. Matthew simply smiled and regained himself, continuing to fight.

But, he was caught off guard when Pinkie was suddenly blasted back by Celestia.

“Pinkie!” he cried out, and he turned to Celestia. “God dammit, DON’T YOU DARE FUCKING HURT THEM!” He lunged at Celestia, sending her to the ground with a strike to the neck with his tomahawk. But she wasn’t fazed, and she blasted him in the gut as he stood over her. She quickly slapped his tomahawk out of his hand, far from his reach. She did the same to his knife, and finally blasted him over to where Fluttershy was.

Rarity had left to help the girls fight, leaving Fluttershy alone. She rushed to Matthew’s side. He wasn’t doing so good, and he had trouble getting up.

“Matthew, you need to get up! Please, Matthew get up!” she pleaded. He used all of his strength, but that last shot had done a lot of damage. Celestia stared them down.

“Prepare to die!” she cried out, starting to charge her horn. Matthew quickly pulled out his pistols and fired off five rounds, but none of them did anything to Celestia. Her power was simply deflecting the bullets. Matthew simply stared at Celestia, then turned to Fluttershy.

“What do we do?” she asked him. He smiled softly and looked into her eyes. She started to whimper, understanding that he wanted to just let it all end. She accepted it, and just stared back into his eyes.

Celestia fired at Matthew and Fluttershy, but a voice cried out.

“NOOO!” It was Rainbow Dash. Everything went into slow motion as Rainbow flew straight into the path of the beam. Matthew turned to see her, and he was left shocked. The beam of magic pierced Rainbow Dash’s heart, and she sent flying into both Fluttershy and Matthew. She tumbled over the two, and just lied on the ground, motionless.

Matthew got up on all fours and stared at Rainbow Dash’s motionless body.

“RAINBOW!” Fluttershy cried out, snapping Matthew out of his trance. They both ran to Dash’s side. Matthew lifted her head and they both stared into her eyes.

“Dash, why did you do that?” he asked her.

“Hey, I couldn’t let my friends die now could I?” she started. She coughed up a bit of blood. “Besides, I’m the Element of Loyalty. That just shows you how loyal I am.” She continued to cough.

“Don’t you die on me Rainbow! Don’t you fucking die on me!” Matthew cried out.

“It’s okay Matt. Just make sure you keep Fluttershy safe. She’s my best friend, and I want what’s best for her. And Matt, you are what’s best for her. I love you guys. I…” but she couldn’t finish.

There, Rainbow Dash lied in Matthew’s arms, dead. Fluttershy began to cry like a fountain into Matthew’s chest. All Matthew could do was look at the dead mare in his arms. He felt tears coming on, but the feeling of sadness was quickly replaced by raging anger. Matthew placed Rainbow on the ground and stood up. Fluttershy looked at him.

“Matthew?” she asked, but he was gone. He violently growled, and suddenly, all of the markings on his body flashed. His eyes, which were once those of the eagle, were now black dots with purple centers. He growled once again, and turned to Celestia.

“CELESTIA!” he shouted to her. She simply stared him down with her own anger. Unaware, and not caring, for what was happening to Matthew, she fired off another beam at him. He shot both of his arms forward and unleashed a powerful blast of shadows. The beam was strong enough to overcome Celestia’s magic, and almost managed to hit her. She ducked out of the way and stared back at Matthew, shocked by what he had just done.

“Shadow Magic? How is this possible?”

“This isn’t Shadow Magic you bitch. This is POWER!” he shouted back to her.

He quickly unleashed four blasts of shadow bursts, two from each of his hands. Celestia managed to shoot down the first two and dodge the third, but the fourth hit its target. Celestia regained herself and flew into the air. She started to charge her horn, but was interrupted when Matthew lashed out and grabbed her with a shadow tendril. Knowing that Fluttershy was behind himself, Matthew did a full 360 degree spin, and slammed Celestia into the ground. She managed to pull herself out of the crater Matthew had made, but she was quickly grabbed once again by another tendril.

Matthew slammed Celestia into a light post, sending both her and the post to the ground. Using a familiar trick, Matthew grabbed the pole and slammed it into Celestia as she lay on the ground. She gathered herself and started to fire away at Matthew. He quickly blended with the shadows at his disposal. He moved directly under Celestia. He jumped up from the ground and sent her into the air. He reblended and moved back from where Celestia landed.

Gathering herself again, she flew up into the air and started to unleash powerful beams at Matthew. He dodged the first two and flew in towards her with his eagle powers. Changing back, he formed a ball of shadows on his fist. He slammed Celestia into the ground, and flew over to another location. He used his powers to send Celestia into the air. He grabbed her with a shadow tendril, pulled her in, and slammed into the ground with a powerful elbow to the back of her neck.

Celestia was now really in trouble. Her power was failing her. She managed to quickly avoid Matthew’s knee as he brought it down onto the ground. She set a good distance between herself and Matthew.

“Elite guards, attack Matthew! Forget the other ponies!” she cried out.

“YES! COME YOU FOOLS, AND FACE THE POWER OF THE SHADOWS!” Matthew cried out. Ten more guards rushed Matthew. He simply laughed at their efforts. Before the first four could even get close, Matthew sent his shadows through the ground. Directly under the four guards, spikes shot out from the ground, impaling the guards. Matthew took it a step further, having the spikes form arches which sliced the guards in half. Blood, intestines, and everything else on the inside of those guards spilled out onto the ground. Matthew simply laughed loudly at his handy work.

Six more guards remained. Matthew knew what to do to handle these guys. Suddenly, six Shadow Wolves formed, three on either side of Matthew.

“Shadow Wolves,” he started, raising his hand. “KILL!” On that note, the wolves lunged at the remaining guards, one for each wolf. The shadow creatures ate away at the guards, ripping out chunks of flesh. Matthew watched as one of the wolves ate away at one of the guard’s eyes. Another wolf tore off both of the front legs of another guard. The streets of Ponyville had become a pool of blood and guts. Something inside made Matthew love it.

“What is this? What is this Dark Magic!?” Celestia cried out, as the wolves disappeared.

“This is no magic Celestia! This is simply the powers of the shadows!” he responded. He sent out a powerful burst of shadows at Celestia, sending her flying into a building. Matthew sent his shadows into the ground, causing the ground to crack. Celestia was just quick enough to move out of the way as a wave of spikes shot up from the ground, blowing the building to pieces. No ponies were inside the building at the time, but Matthew could have cared less at the moment.

“Oh no you don’t!” he cried out, and he whipped Celestia to the ground with another tendril. She slowly lifted herself up, but she was getting weaker.

“I WILL TEAR THE FLESH FROM YOUR BONES FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE CELESTIA!” Matthew cried out, and he raised her up from the ground with the shadows. Six tendrils shot out from the ground beneath Celestia, grabbing onto each of her hooves and both of her wings. Matthew made sure that the tendrils were holding her tight. He could tell as she cringed with pain that they were.

He sent out two tendrils, one from each of his hands, to recover his weapons. His tomahawk flew into his right hand, and his knife flew into his left hand. He turned his knife back to its bracer mounted position. He slid the blade out and walked up to Celestia, chuckling evilly.

Standing right in front of Celestia, he drove his hidden blade into her neck and gripped her by the throat with his hand. He pulled her head closer to his and spoke softly, but menacingly, to her.

“I bet this isn’t the way you thought this would have gone. I bet that you weren’t prepared to die today were you? Celestia, I’ve been prepared to die since the day I saved Fluttershy! You have been living it easy! You thought yourself above me because you have your great and powerful magic! But now you see how your magic fails you against the power of the shadows! And now, you will die!” He stared into Celestia’s eyes with an evil stare.

“Requiescat in pace,” he softly said, raising his tomahawk into the air.

“STOP!” a voice cried out.

Matthew turned to see Fluttershy standing in front of Rainbow Dash’s body, covered in tears. Matthew breathed heavily and violently, almost hyperventilating. But, he suddenly felt a sense of calmness overflow his anger. His eyes reverted back to being those of the eagle, and his grip on Celestia’s throat eased off. He slid his blade out of her throat, slid the blade back onto the bracer, and lowered his tomahawk. He looked back to Fluttershy, who was still crying.

“Matthew, please! There has been enough death already. Please, stop this,” she said still crying. Matthew’s shadows hadn’t disappeared, and he wasn’t going to let Celestia go until he was ready to. She started to gag and choke on her own blood, but she wouldn’t die from it. Matthew hadn’t sent his blade too far into her throat.

“Fluttershy…” he said. “I… I don’t know what…” He was at a loss for words. He had let his anger overcome his sense of good. The Darkness had even said that anger didn’t mix with the shadows. Matthew now saw the outcome of that.

“Please Matthew. I just want to leave.” Fluttershy couldn’t stop crying. The rest of the girls were at her side. Matthew now realized that they had all witnessed what he had just done as well. Matthew looked at his hands, which were now covered in blood. He looked at the back of his hands and saw the markings were slightly smoking now. Matthew gathered himself and looked back at Celestia. He stared into her eyes.

“Now you listen to me Celestia, and you listen good. You are going to stop hunting them,” he started, pointing to the ponies. “You can hunt me all you fucking want, but you are NOT going to hunt them down any longer. You will let them return to their lives here in Ponyville, unhindered by your guards or yourself. When I leave, you are going to fix all of this. I expect you to think long and hard on what you’ve done, because I’m not sure if you’ve realized it yet, but you just killed the Element of Loyalty. You just killed Rainbow Dash, my… our friend. I hope you got all of that.” He released Celestia from his shadow grip. “Now get out!”

Celestia slowly stood up and started Matthew in the eyes. She was still coughing slightly, but she was able to speak.

“Very well. The girls may resume their lives here. Just know that I do not care what powers you have Matthew. I will hunt you down until you are dead. The girls can have their lives back. All I need is yours.” Her horn flashed, and everything around in Ponyville was fixed. The library, the building Matthew had destroyed, everything. The dead guards still remained however.

“I’ll let you leave through the pool of blood that you created. I will give you three more months to live. After that Matthew, I will be coming for you again.” She turned and walked away. Moments later, she vanished, along with all of her remaining guards.

Matthew turned to the girls, but he didn’t walk over to them. How could he? He was standing in the blood of at least 20 guards. He thought of himself as a monster the day he killed those two men. Now, he truly had just unleashed a monster. He fell to his knees and started to cry. The girls didn’t even move. That was, until Fluttershy stepped up to him. She put her hoof on his shoulder.

“Shhhh, there, there, it’s okay. I’m here for you Matthew.”

“No. No! Don’t you get it?! I’m a fucking monster!” he shouted back.

“NO YOU ARE NOT!” Fluttershy shouted. Matthew was actually surprised by her tone. Fluttershy backed away slightly.

“I-I’m sorry. But, Matthew, you are not a monster. Celestia killed Rainbow Dash. For that, I can never forgive her. And what you did, well, it wasn’t exactly very good either. But, you did it because you loved Rainbow. She was your friend, your best friend. She was mine too. I loved her Matthew like a sister, and I think you did too. Nopony could ever replace her. Now, don’t you think our sister deserves a proper burial?” Matthew looked up into Fluttershy’s eyes.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Fluttershy held Matthew close as they embraced each other. “It’s just… nothing will be the same without her.”

“I know Matthew. I know.” They continued to cry.

Once they had finished, they walked over to Rainbow Dash’s body where the rest of the girls had been. They all held each other in a close embrace. Matthew never wanted to let any of those ponies go. He just wanted to cry and forget. He had seen enough death for one lifetime.

Author's Notes:

Now this was a fun chapter to write. From writing Matthew's rage, to the succinct death of Rainbow Dash (yes, she is seriously dead, sorry to disappoint), and just the chapter in general, this was fun. To think I wrote this all in one go, barely taking a break. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Chapter 11: Saying Goodbye

After finally letting go of the ponies, Matthew carried Rainbow Dash’s body to the outskirts of Ponyville. Matthew didn’t even try to look to his fallen friend. All he did was stare in the direction he was walking. Fluttershy and the rest of the girls followed closely behind him, not breathing a word. Matthew was in no mood to talk.

They walked up to the top of the hill that Matthew first arrived to Equestria on. He placed Rainbow’s body down, leaving it for the ponies to just weep over. Matthew knelt down as Fluttershy wept into his chest. She couldn’t look at Rainbow Dash, not like this.

Each of the ponies spoke of Rainbow Dash. They all spoke of their memories with her, the loyalty and love she had, and above all else, the amazing friend she was. Finally, it was Matthew’s turn to speak. He stood in front of Rainbow’s body and just stared at her for a moment. He then turned his gaze to the sky. After a moment of thinking, he finally gathered the strength to speak.

“I knew Rainbow Dash was one to make the biggest sacrifices. She was after all the Element of Loyalty. But, that first time we met, she just shot me one of the meanest stares I could have ever gotten from a stranger. But, I understood her anger. I understood that she was worried for her best friend. She was loyal to all of her friends, especially Fluttershy. She found the strength to trust me when she first found me here in Equestria. She knew that this was what Fluttershy wanted. She became my best friend here in Equestria. At first, she was a friend, but now all I can think of her as is a sister. We aren’t even of the same species, and yet, that’s what she is to me. I never meant for this to happen to her. Hell, it shouldn’t have happened to her. But, she was willing to throw everything away for the betterment of her friends… her family. Because of Rainbow Dash, loyalty shall never die. We will truly miss you Rainbow Dash. Goodbye, sister.” As he finished, he knelt down to her body and kissed her forehead.

Fluttershy walked up to Matthew and held him close as he started to shed tears. He didn’t want to hold anything back. All he wanted to do was cry.

In the time following, Matthew and the girls dug Rainbow a grave. Twilight used a spell to create a coffin for their friend. As she lowered the coffin into the ground, everyone started to cry, even Twilight. Finally lowering the coffin down, the ground that had been dug up was placed back into the ground, covering the coffin. A gravestone had also been made by Twilight.

The gravestone read, “Here lies Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty and a true friend to everypony. Requiescat in Pace.” The Latin version of “Rest in Peace” was asked for by Matthew. The ponies saw no reason why not. In fact, they greatly admired the phrase.

After another few minutes of staring at the grave, the girls started to leave. Matthew stayed along with Fluttershy. Twilight turned back to see the two.

“Are you okay Matthew?” she asked. No response.

“Just let him be Twilight. He’ll be fine, he just needs some time,” Fluttershy responded. Twilight nodded and walked back into Ponyville. Fluttershy turned back to Matthew.

“Matthew?”

“Why her? This shouldn’t have happened.”

“Please Matthew, don’t start blaming yourself for this. You said it yourself. She did this because she cared about us. She didn’t just care about us, she loved us, and we loved her. We still do love her Matthew. Why don’t we go with the others now?” Matthew just stared at the grave for another moment. He thought of the mare that now lied in that very grave. He turned to Fluttershy.

“Alright.” Fluttershy led Matthew down the hill, but all he could do was look back to the grave. ‘Goodbye Rainbow Dash,’ he thought to himself, as he and Fluttershy headed to the library with their friends.

Matthew and the five ponies would be staying together for the night in the library. Celestia had completely fixed the library, as well as the rest of Ponyville. The blood, guts, and bodies of the fallen guards were now gone as well. It was as if no battle had ever taken place. Twilight was just glad Spike wasn’t home when everything happened. Since the day of Matthew’s second battle with Celestia, Spike had been staying with Zecora in the Forest, safe from harm.

No one felt the need to chat. They were all exhausted, and just wanted to sleep. The girls all went to sleep rather quickly, getting comfortable in the guest beds Twilight had set up. Fluttershy cuddled close to Matthew. She quickly fell asleep, but Matthew had a certain someone to talk to.

Matthew once again found himself in the endless, dark abyss.

“DARKNESS! WHERE ARE YOU?!” he shouted out into the blackness. He heard a small chuckle for a response.

“Why Matthew, what has you so disturbed?”

“DON’T YOU FUCKING JOKE WITH ME DARKNESS! WHY THE HELL DIDN’T MY POWERS WORK?” he replied, his voice providing more than enough evidence that he was pissed.

“If I’m going to be completely honest with you Matthew, I just did that to see what you would do. I love playing with you mortals, making you think that you may actually have the upper hand, and for me to take it away. It does indeed bring a smile to my face,” the Darkness said, his tone full of some sort of sick joy.

“You mean to tell me that you took away my powers simply for some sick kicks? DO YOU FUCKING REALIZE WHAT HAPPENED?”

“Of course I do. You fought valiantly, almost got killed, and had your friend take the fall for you. I actually thought you were going to die at that one moment, but then your rainbow colored friend rushed in to save the day.” Every word the Darkness spoke just made Matthew even angrier.

“I didn’t make her take the fall for me, she chose to do so! If it weren’t for you, she wouldn’t even fucking be dead! If I had my powers, none of this would be happening!”

“Wrong!” the Darkness responded sharply. “Had you not come to Equestria in the first place to save your precious Fluttershy, then, truly, none of this would be happening. You could have been living a simple life on Earth by now, probably with another woman. Fluttershy would have been living her normal life in Equestria. Both of your minds would have been free of your memories of each other. But, you just had to save her. You couldn’t let her go. That is why all of this is happening. I know the thoughts you have been thinking, and truly, it is entirely your fault.” Matthew’s anger was now gone, replaced by a feeling of pure guilt. The words of the Darkness ate away at Matthew like bullets. The Darkness was right.

“You know I’m right, don’t you? I can tell. But, Matthew, that doesn’t necessarily mean you were wrong for what you did. I mean, yes, your choice probably was incredibly stupid and suicidal, but you are in fact a beacon. You are a beacon that shines the light of love. It truly pains me to speak these words. All of that lovey-dovey nonsense just kills me, and I’m practically already dead.” These words almost had a soothing effect on Matthew. Was he really a beacon of love?

“Now, I also bet you’re wondering where Rainbow Dash is?” Matthew shot a glare at the Darkness.

“Don’t you dare do anything to her you monster!”

“Now who’s the monster here?! After all, you did kill all of those guards. Quite impressive if I may say so myself by the way. Anyway, Rainbow Dash is fine. Her life was not full of misery and despair. I couldn’t take her soul even if I wanted to. Truthfully, I wouldn’t actually want her soul. All of that loyalty and pride is just not something I really want in the souls of the damned. Well… maybe a bit, but not her. Regardless, she is fine, you have nothing to fear.” Matthew calmed down a bit knowing that Rainbow Dash was safe.

“I guess I can’t really hate you Darkness. I mean, were it not for these powers, I probably would be dead. So, thanks, I guess. But I can’t forgive you for what you did.”

“That is quite understandable. You’re actually right you know. Had I not taken your powers, she would be alive. But, you can’t change the past.”

“Yeah. It is what it is.” Matthew spoke the words, but he didn’t believe them, not in the slightest.

“It just goes to show you Matthew, that life is not a fairy tale. There are no happy endings.” Matthew could only chuckle at that statement. “And what is so funny?”

“Achilles said the same thing to Connor.”

“Excuse me?” the Darkness replied. Matthew let out another chuckle.

“Sorry, video game reference. Anyway, I guess we’re done here,” he said.

“Indeed. I wish you the best of luck. Remember, the deal is still in play. You kill Celestia before you die, or your soul will belong to me.” Matthew nodded, and he felt himself leaving the abyss.

Matthew woke to the sun shining into library. What felt like only a few minutes in the Abyss of the Darkness turned out to be one whole night. Fluttershy was still cuddling close to Matthew. He ran his hand through her hair, which woke her up. She softly smiled as she looked into his eyes.

“Good morning Matthew. Sleep well?” she asked. To his own surprise, he actually did feel good.

“Um, yeah, actually. How about you, you sleep well?” She nodded in response.

“I was actually a little happy we didn’t share our dreams again. I don’t think I can take any of that, especially right now.”

“I know what you mean. So, what’s on the agenda for today?” he asked her.

“Well, if you still want to put your plan into action, then I guess we should ask Twilight to perform that spell on me. But, what will happen afterwards?”

“Well… I don’t know. The way I see it, that three months that Celestia offered us won’t matter. All I want now is to end this as soon as possible. So, I guess we’ll head to Canterlot after everything is done here.” Fluttershy sighed softly and rested her head on Matthew’s chest. He held her close. He knew that this wasn’t what she wanted, but that it was as good a plan as any.

Once all of the girls were awake and everyone had breakfast, Fluttershy and Matthew asked if Twilight was still up to performing the spell. She was, but she still wasn’t sure if she could really perform the spell. Fluttershy and Matthew both figured it was worth the risk.

Twilight made all the necessary preparations to perform the spell. Matthew could only comfort Fluttershy. If something were to go wrong, he truly could never forgive himself. Once Twilight made her finally preparations, she was ready.

“Fluttershy, are you sure you want to do this?” Twilight asked one more time.

“Yes Twilight, I am,” Fluttershy responded. She had made her choice, and she didn’t want to turn back. Twilight nodded.

“Alright, then stand over there, and we can begin.”

Fluttershy stood at the designated spot, waiting for Twilight to perform her spell. She could feel her heart racing a bit. What will it be like being a human? What will I look like? What will the others think of me? All of these thoughts rushed through her mind. She made it quite clear that she was nervous, so Matthew had to calm her down. He knelt down beside her.

“Hey, you don’t need to do this if you don’t want to.”

“No, I want to. It’s just… I don’t want you to feel differently about me.”

“Fluttershy, no matter what happens, I will love you all the same. I promise. And, just in case,” he said, and he kissed Fluttershy on the lips. Releasing, she smiled into his eyes, and he did the same. “I love you,” he said.

“I love you too,” she responded. Matthew stepped back from Fluttershy. She was ready now. Twilight began to charge her horn with a great amount of magic. Everyone could tell the amount of strain that was being put on her to perform this spell, but she pressed on. After another moment of suspenseful waiting, Twilight unleashed a powerful streak of magic at Fluttershy. She didn’t cry out in pain at all. All Fluttershy did was start to float in the air. Matthew stared at her, not taking his eyes off of her for a second. He was forced to as a blinding light filled the room.

As the light faded, Matthew turned his head back to where Fluttershy was standing. What stood in place of the once yellow mare was a beautiful woman. Matthew’s eyes shot open completely, and his mouth his mouth was now agape.

Fluttershy stood about five feet and nine inches tall, just a little shorter than Matthew. She still had her yellow Pegasus wings and pink hair. Her body was perfectly slim. She had quite the bust, which quickly drew the attention of Matthew. They were just large enough that they didn’t overpower the rest of her body. Snapping out of his trance, he continued to look over Fluttershy. Matthew noticed her thighs actually had her cutie mark on them. Matthew moved up to her face. She was simply beautiful. She still had her beautiful blue eyes. Even though her hair was still pink, it wasn’t as long as it was when she was a pony, but it was still just as beautiful. She smiled as Matthew’s eyes met with hers, and he smiled back.

“Well, how do I look?” she asked, blushing a bit.

“Amazing…” Matthew responded. He felt himself losing his balance almost. He quickly shook his head and looked away, which made Fluttershy confused. “Sorry, but um, you’re naked.” Fluttershy was still confused.

“I don’t wear clothes normally. What’s wrong?”

“Well, um, you see those, um… breasts on your chest?” he asked. He looked just enough to make out her nodding. “And you see that… hole… between your thighs?” She looked down, and then looked back to Matthew and nodded. “Well, those are what we humans consider your private areas. Unless I’m supposed to, I shouldn’t be looking at those. So, if you could, cover yourself up.” Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle at Matthew’s awkwardness.

“Here, this should be fine for now,” Twilight chimed in, rapping Fluttershy in a long cloth. Now that Fluttershy was covered, Matthew turned back to her.

“Thanks Twilight,” he started. “Although, I should be thanking you for more than just that. I should be thanking you for doing this in general. She’s even more amazing than she was before. At first, I thought of this as just part of my plan. Now, I’m starting to think we should have done this sooner.” Twilight started to laugh, and the rest of the girls started to do the same.

“But, not to be abrupt, but I think it’s time we left.” Matthew’s sudden change in tone stopped all of the laughter.

“But, why?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, didn’t the Princess say she was giving you three months?” Pinkie asked.

“Yeah, but, to be honest, I just want to end this all now. I know it seems like I’m rushing things, but one way or another, I want this to end.” The girls all looked at Matthew. They all nodded. “I’m sorry to be like this, but it’s just how it is.”

Matthew went to Fluttershy and helped her start to walk a bit. She would need to learn how to do so, and now was a good time to start the practicing. They walked to the door to leave, but they stopped and turned back to say their final goodbyes.

Fluttershy knelt down and hugged the ponies close. It was an embrace that seemed like it would never end. They all said their final goodbyes and shared many kind words. Matthew knelt beside them all, joining in on the embrace. He thanked all of the ponies for everything they had done. With one final goodbye, Matthew and Fluttershy left the library, leaving the four ponies to cry together.

Getting out of Ponyville was easier than expected, but Fluttershy wanted to make one last stop.

“Where do you want to go?”

“Can we stop by my old cottage? I just want to be able to see it one more time. Please Matthew.” She smiled at Matthew. He just couldn’t say no to her.

“Sure,” he responded, and she hugged him tightly in return.

“Thank you Matthew.”

“Any particular reason why you want to go back?”

“Well, there was something I wanted to get first before we head to Canterlot. Also, I figure maybe we should wait a while so I can learn how to walk as a human and some other things like that.” Matthew couldn’t find much to argue against that.

“Alright. Besides, it would be nice to sleep in an actual bed again.” Fluttershy giggled, but then realized that the thought of sleeping in her bed again was actually more soothing than it seemed. Sure, they had both slept in the guest beds the night before, but they would need a lot of good sleep before taking on Celestia again.

They made their way to Fluttershy’s cottage. All they could hope was that it was still the same as it was when they had last seen it. They both thought of how great it would be to be home again, even if it wasn’t really Matthew’s home. But, it was still just like home, and that was more than enough for the both of them.

Author's Notes:

Definitely one of the more bittersweet chapters in the story. To be honest, this one felt a little weird to write. I don't know if it's just me or whatever. Anyway, the next chapter should indeed prove to be fun to write, and read.

Chapter 12: The Best Time is the First Time (Mature)

Warning: Mature content ahead. Although, I’m sure you probably don’t give a fuck. You’ll read this anyway, so why am I warning you? Read on.

Matthew and Fluttershy made their way to Fluttershy’s cottage. They arrived rather quickly, but to their own surprise, two guards were posted at the front door. They had been told that many months ago, but had completely forgotten. They needed to make a plan to get rid of them.

Matthew and Fluttershy hid in a bush a few meters away from the cottage, making sure the guards didn’t see them. Matthew quickly thought of a plan to dispose of the guards.

“Alright, I know what to do,” he whispered to Fluttershy.

“What?”

“Ok, I’m going to sneak around back and climb to the roof of your cottage. I’d say you have enough practice walking to just walk up the trail to the front door. The guards will most likely assume that you are me. While they are distracted, I’ll drop down and take them out. Think you can do that?” She nodded. “Good, then let’s go.”

Matthew made his way behind the guards and climbed up to the roof of the cottage. When he was ready, he cued Fluttershy to walk towards the cottage. The guards instantly spotted her, and much like Matthew had expected, they assumed that she was Matthew.

“Halt! By the order of Princess Celestia, you are to be destroyed on sight!” one of the guards shouted.

“Strange, this doesn’t look like Matthew,” the other guard commented.

“I don’t think Equestria has any other humans in it nimrod!” the first guard responded. “Who else could it be then? Besides, if it’s a human, it will no doubt bring about danger. We have orders to…” but he was cut off by a blade to the throat. Matthew had jumped down and killed the guard. The other guard jumped in surprise. He was completely off guard, and Matthew used this to his advantage.

Matthew quickly picked up the first guards spear. In a flash, he hopped over the dead guard’s body and drove the spear straight through the second guard’s skull. Matthew had used enough force that he even managed to jam the spear tip into the side of Fluttershy’s cottage. The dead guard hung from the spear by his skull. Blood poured out of the wound. Matthew turned to Fluttershy, who simply looked at Matthew’s work.

“Eh, sorry. I know you aren’t exactly used to seeing me do stuff like this,” he said.

“It’s not that. It’s just, I haven’t been here in so long, and you kind of just stuck a spear with a dead guard on it to my house,” she replied. Matthew turned to the hanging guard. He shrugged and pulled the spear with the guard off. The spear came right out of the guard’s skull, allowing for more blood, and even some brains, pour out. Matthew awkwardly smiled at Fluttershy. To his own surprise, she giggled.

“Come on, let’s see if they’ve botched your place up since we were last here,” he said to her, as she walked up to him. She nodded, and they opened the door.

To their own surprise, the place had hardly been touched. Everything was how they left if about two years ago. Fluttershy felt a wave of memories pass over her. She had missed her animal friends so much, only to find that none of them were there anymore. Matthew held her close.

“Hey, I’m here for you,” he said, and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

“I know. I’ve just missed my home so much. I just wonder where all of my animal friends are, especially Angel Bunny. I miss him the most.” Matthew had completely forgotten about Fluttershy’s pet bunny. How had Angel survived without her? Had he left and been surviving on his own? They had no way to really find out.

Matthew and Fluttershy started to walk through the cottage, which seemed much smaller for Fluttershy now that she was human. Regardless, the cottage was still maneuverable. Fluttershy’s bed was actually a little small for both herself and Matthew. He remedied this problem with a bit of his shadow powers, making the bed into a king sized one. Fluttershy smiled at the new bed, but felt like a good memory was just lost. Paying little mind to it, she rested on the bed.

“Tired?” Matthew asked her.

“You have no idea. That spell must have made me really tired. Can we go to sleep now?” she asked.

“Sure. But first…” he went back to the front door. He formed four Shadow Wolves.

“Shadow Wolves, watch over the cottage. If you want, you can eat the dead guard’s remains outside. Let no one come near this place, unless they are friendly,” Matthew ordered. The Wolves automatically would know who was friendly. Having been created by Matthew, they almost shared his sense of friend or foe. The four Wolves proceeded to guard the front door, quickly starting to devour the motionless bodies of the guards.

Matthew removed all of his weaponry and took off the upper half of his outfit. He lied down next to Fluttershy. They turned their heads to each other and looked into each other’s eyes.

“You really are beautiful,” Matthew said, making Fluttershy blush.

“Thanks. Um, before we go to Canterlot, would you mind if we spent a bit of time here? I want to learn a bit more about being human before we go,” she asked. Matthew nodded.

“Sure, whatever you want.” Fluttershy smiled. They kissed each other before falling asleep.

Three more days passed. Matthew helped Fluttershy learn more about being a human, from human biology to simple walking. Fluttershy learned that pretty quickly. She even managed to retain her flying skills, although her new body added a bit of weight. She couldn’t just continue to wear that covering as well, so Matthew helped her make some clothing.

Matthew’s knowledge of video games helped greatly in this area. Although Assassin’s Creed proved to be a huge inspiration for Matthew, Skyrim was another big inspiration, especially in this prospect. Matthew wound up creating a fur bra for Fluttershy, covering up the rest of her upper body with an extensive pelt. This would keep her warm and still cover her up well enough that Matthew wouldn’t always be staring at her. The lower half was much like a skirt, made from various pelts and hides. Where did Matthew get all of the materials? Hunting.

Now that Fluttershy was properly clothed, and knew just about everything about being human, they were ready to leave for Canterlot. But, by the end of the third day, they both just wanted one more night of sleep. However, what Matthew expected to be one final night of good sleep turned into something much, much better.

Matthew once again removed his weaponry and the upper half of his outfit. He sat on the lower half of the bed, while Fluttershy took up the upper half. She was wearing her fur bra and her skirt. Matthew just felt like sleeping forever at that point, but he knew he had a job to do. He lied back on the bed, letting his feet hang off of the side. Fluttershy looked into his eyes with a look she had never really made to him before. All it did was make Matthew both curious and confused.

“Hehe, what’s up with you?” he asked. She didn’t stop looking at him.

“Oh, you know, just looking at you,” she responded.

“Yeah, I am pretty amazing. But, something’s different. Seriously, is something up?” Fluttershy turned away as Matthew sat up and brought his feet back onto the bed.

“Well, um… I was wondering about something,” she started.

“What?”

“We’ve been together for about eight years now, and, well…” she trailed off again. Matthew put his arm around her shoulder.

“Are you alright?” he asked. She turned her head slightly back to him. He could make out that she was blushing.

“I was wondering… well, we never…” but once again, she trailed off. She was really blushing now, but Matthew still couldn’t pick up the signs. He started to think, unable to come up with anything to say. Fluttershy turned completely to him.

“Matthew, can we…” but she couldn’t finish the question. Giving everything one last thought, Matthew came to a realization. Doing so made him feel like a complete dumbass. He smirked at Fluttershy and let out a chuckle.

“Fluttershy, are you asking me to have sex?” She nodded shyly. She turned her head away, hiding behind her hair. “Hey, look at me for second,” he continued. Slowly, she turned her head to look at Matthew. She soon found herself in a passionate lip-lock with Matthew. This wasn’t just a simple kiss, this was them making out, which wasn’t something they tended to do very often.

Fluttershy turned herself in towards Matthew, and he did the same. She felt her hands move around Matthew’s head, holding him close. Matthew’s hands ran up Fluttershy’s back. He felt her soft skin, and she enjoyed it so much. Fluttershy wrapped her wings around Matthew, bringing him in even closer. They continued to moan into each other’s mouths, until Matthew felt himself push Fluttershy onto the bed.

She lied on her back with her wings at her sides. Matthew was on his hands and knees, his body completely over Fluttershy’s.

“You ready to learn what having sex as a human feels like?” he asked her sadistically. It was only a hint, but Fluttershy loved it.

“Well, I never… did it, as a pony. This is my first time.”

“Well, not to worry, cause this is my first time too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I wasn’t much of a love maker back on Earth. I got the girls, but I was saving my manhood for the one special girl, and that special girl is you.” He smiled at her, and she smiled back.

“I’m yours Matthew, as long as you are mine.”

“Damn right,” he responded. They started to make out again, this time with much more passion. Their tongues moved into each other’s mouths. They shared their saliva, as they continued to moan. Fluttershy once again wrapped Matthew in her wings, only for him to sit up again moments later. She looked at him with a confused look.

“Lean up a bit,” he told her. She did, and Matthew ran his hands up her back. He undid the strap to her bra and threw it aside. She lied back down as Matthew stared at her breasts.

“You really like these things don’t you?” she asked him seductively. He simply nodded. “Well, now that I know why you like them so much and what they're for, if you want them, then take them.” On that note, Matthew gave her another smirk, and she did the same.

Matthew’s hands made their way to Fluttershy’s mounds. As they touched, Fluttershy closed her eyes and bit her lip. She had no idea that having them touched like that would bring about so much sensation. Matthew could tell she was enjoying it.

“I bet you like that don’t you?” he asked her. All she could do was nod. She let out a sexy moan, which only turned Matthew on even more. He took it one step further. He leaned in and started to suck on her right nipple. Her head flew back, and she let out an even louder moan.

“Oh… please Matthew, don’t stop!” she cried out. He continued sucking on her right breast, while his right hand continued to play with her left breast. Fluttershy’s body was swimming with pleasures she had never felt before. She didn’t want it to end. She caressed Matthew’s head as he continued to suck. He started to lick her erect nipples, which only made the sensation even greater. She felt her left hand move down to her legs. Matthew caught sight of what she was doing and chuckled.

Fluttershy maneuvered her hand into her skirt and started to rub her folds, unsure how it would feel if she stuck her fingers in. She could feel a sticky wetness coming from the hole, and her temptation led her fingers inside. It felt rather weird, but she enjoyed it. She arched her back up and continued to moan as she pleasured herself. Matthew stopped sucking on her breast to kiss her. He continued to play with both of them as they kissed. Fluttershy started to move her right hand down to her thighs as well, but she caught something different.

Matthew felt a tap on his manhood. He broke the kiss and looked down. Fluttershy did the same. The bed covers were wet with Fluttershy’s fluids. Matthew looked back to Fluttershy, and she looked back to him.

“It looks like my little friend is getting antsy,” Matthew said seductively. Fluttershy giggled and helped Matthew take off the lower half of his outfit. At the same time, Fluttershy removed her skirt, as well as her undergarments. As they finished undressing, Fluttershy’s attention was drawn to Matthew’s fully erect member. She blushed heavily at the sight. Matthew caught sight of this and chuckled.

“Well?” he simply asked.

“I’m assuming it goes in there now?” she replied. He nodded. “Please do.” Before he did, he started to joke around.

“Man, who knew you could be such a little whore?” he said jokingly. She giggled as she grabbed onto his manhood. Matthew let out a moan as he felt her tugging on it. “Ok, ok, I get it, don’t call you a whore.”

“It’s not that, I just want you to do it already,” she said, seductively smiling at him.

“Fair enough. Could you please release your grip?” She did, and he slowly moved his shaft into Fluttershy’s vagina. She let out a sexy cry as she felt Matthew’s member become engulfed by her insides. She looked back at Matthew.

“Is that it?”

“Far from it.” Matthew started to thrust his waist, moving his cock in and out of Fluttershy’s vagina. Her head flew back and she continued to cry out and moan, which only turned Matthew on even more. Matthew brought her in for another kiss as she continued to moan. She wrapped him in her wings again, although this time, they were going to stay that way.

Matthew ran his hands onto Fluttershy’s back, pressing her against his body. He felt her breasts touch his own chest, and her warm body touched his own. She wrapped her arms around his back and held him close. Matthew ran his right hand down to her left butt cheek and started to play with her firm rump. Fluttershy’s body was now a pool of pleasure. Every inch of her body was tingling with joy, and she didn’t want any of it to stop.

She used enough force to push Matthew onto his back. Her wings were still wrapped around him, and his member was still inside of her. She adjusted her wings so that they were more comfortable in this new position, and she stared at Matthew as they broke the kiss.

“Oh, so now you want to do some work?” he asked her. She looked at him seductively and nodded.

“You know it big boy!”

“Ohohoho you are good at being sexy, you know that?” She giggled and smirked. She started to bounce on his member, which immediately made Matthew close his eyes and throw his head back. Fluttershy rested her chest on Matthew’s, allowing him to once again feel her breasts on his body. He wrapped his arms around her. It was easier for him to grab her ass now, and he made good use of this advantage. It was even better now.

She could no longer bounce now that she was resting, but she easily fixed that problem. She began to move her waist up and down, sliding Matthew’s member in and out of her insides. This made Matthew’s feeling her behind even more sensational. Both of them moaned in joy as they brought their lips together once again. Their tongues played with each other, and they shared their saliva once again. They moaned into each other’s mouths as the sensations they felt only increased.

Matthew felt his hands move up to Fluttershy’s back. He started to rub her wings, which sent a huge wave of joy through her body. She broke the kiss as her head flew back.

“Play with my wings more! It feels good when you do!” Matthew obeyed. He ran his hands through the yellow feathers of her beautiful wings. They were just as soft as her skin, and any touch of those wings sent joy throughout Fluttershy’s body. Matthew stopped after a few seconds just to hold Fluttershy close. He felt something coming on, literally.

Although his member was wet before, he could feel fluids seep onto his waist. Fluttershy looked down to see her waist was just as wet as Matthew’s. She continued to thrust her waist as Matthew did the same. Her moans only increased in volume. She started to breathe faster and more heavily. Matthew did just the same. They both looked at where the magic was happening. Both of them couldn’t believe what was happening, or that it could be so amazing. They looked back into each other’s eyes.

“Matthew… I feel… something.”

“Yeah… that’s… the climax.” They continued to thrust, only magnifying the sensation. Fluttershy closed her eyes and leaned her head onto Matthew’s shoulder. He started to nibble on her neck, which felt really good to her. Their breathing started to get even faster.

“Matthew, Matthew! I don’t… think I can…”

“Together!” They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment before they started to make out once again. The kiss was passionate, as they moaned and breathed into each other’s mouths. Fluttershy’s moans were much more noticeable, and they made it so much more difficult for Matthew to hold it in. Fluttershy broke the kiss to speak.

“Now! Please! I can’t…” but she couldn’t finish.

“Hold on… just a bit… longer.” But Fluttershy really couldn’t. She felt her insides start to cry out to her to release.

“Three,” she started. Matthew quickly caught on.

“Two,” he continued. They looked down, and then back at each other.

“One!” they finished simultaneously. Fluttershy let everything go and climaxed with Matthew.

“MATTHEW!” Fluttershy cried out, as they both released. Matthew let loose inside of Fluttershy. She arched her back and her body flew up. She pressed her waist down onto Matthew’s member as she released onto it. Matthew cringed his face, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth as he felt his fluids being released into Fluttershy. He felt her fluids flowing over his manhood. They both let out one more short pant. Fluttershy felt herself growing weak as she let herself fall onto Matthew’s body.

They both started to breathe heavily. Fluttershy rested on Matthew’s body as the fluids started to pour out from her insides onto Matthew’s waist. They both knew that the bed was probably covered in this substance. Fluttershy’s head rested on Matthew’s shoulder. Matthew’s head was resting on the pillow. They turned their heads to each other and smiled, still breathing heavily.

“That… was… amazing,” Matthew said, panting between each word.

“Yeah… it… was,” Fluttershy responded, panting in just the same way. They continued to pant as Matthew was still holding Fluttershy close. She slid her wings out from under Matthew and let them rest on the bed. Matthew felt his chest getting a little wet from Fluttershy’s breasts.

“Matthew?” she asked, still panting.

“Yeah?”

“Can we… do that… again?” Matthew let out a chuckle.

“Well… we did… just finish. Maybe… later,” he replied. Fluttershy sighed, but she soon felt her lips up against Matthews. As they released the kiss, their breathing started to slow down to a more normal rate.

“I love you so much Matthew,” Fluttershy said.

“I love you too Fluttershy,” he responded. They felt themselves starting to succumb to sleep. Fluttershy didn’t care if Matthew was still inside of her while they slept. She actually wanted to sleep like that. She adjusted herself to allow her head to rest on the pillow along with Matthew. They smiled at each other before falling asleep. They had just shared a perfect moment together. But, they had shared so many moments together. And on this night, they were going to revisit every one of those moments. Together.

Author's Notes:

Considering I've never written something like this before, I'd say I did a pretty good job. This was indeed fun to write. However, I don't need you people clopping to this. This is not a clopfic, so do not treat it as such. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of sex(iness). Next up, memories.

Chapter 13: Remembrance

Matthew and Fluttershy watched as the past years they had spent together passed by in their dreams. It was as if all of this had just happened a few mere days ago. The memories started from that first day.

Matthew walked down the street, stopping by the dumpster on his block to inspect the strange whining coming from it. He looked in to find Fluttershy. She was covered in old furniture and knick-knacks. Matthew held out his hand to her, telling her that he would not harm her. She gave Matthew her hoof, and he held Fluttershy close to his body, keeping her warm on the cold winter night.

Upon entering his home with the 14 year old Fluttershy, Matthew set her down and felt the warmth of his home overtake him. Fluttershy stared around her new surroundings. Matthew went to go down into the basement, only to be stopped by the crying of the little pony. He told her that he would keep her safe, and never harm her. Matthew carried the young Fluttershy into the basement, where they would talk until they fell asleep.

The morning arrived, and Matthew awoke, hoping that Fluttershy was still at his side. She was, and he let out a sigh that would wake up the young Fluttershy. Matthew was relieved to know his mother was out for the morning. Matthew tried to figure out what Fluttershy could eat, ultimately giving her a plate of pancakes. After that, Matthew gave Fluttershy a tour of the house, his room being the most fun for her. Matthew soon after bathed Fluttershy, and as he was drying her off, she gave him a hug. This was the beginning of their relationship.

The following Monday morning was terrible for Matthew. He forgot about school. Fluttershy had kept his mind off of it, and waking up at 6:45 a.m. was quite bothersome for him. He explained to Fluttershy that he would be out for the day at school, and that she should stay in the basement. She could listen to music, watch TV, and have the snacks that Matthew provided for her. Matthew finally left Fluttershy to go to school.

All Matthew thought about that day was Fluttershy. He ran home, only to find Fluttershy in tears. She had been frightened by The Walking Dead on TV. Matthew assured her that she was alright, and that it was just a show. Matthew examined the bruise that Fluttershy had on her leg from flying into the wall in the basement. Matthew offered to help Fluttershy become better at flying, of course, after they figured out how Matthew could teach her. The days following were the same routine, a routine that Fluttershy became quickly accustomed to.

Next, Matthew and Fluttershy observed the summer day that Fluttershy was introduced to the rabbit Joey. Fluttershy spoke to the rabbit, surprised to find that she could understand him. Matthew noticed Fluttershy’s flank glowing. A few moments later, three butterflies adorned Fluttershy’s flank. Matthew explained that it was her cutie mark. Fluttershy flew into the air with joy. They were both ecstatic to see that she was flying without any troubles. Soon, the day became night, and Fluttershy and Matthew were sleeping together at Matthew’s home. They shared their very first kiss on that night.

The memories shifted to the day of Matthew’s very first kill, a day that Matthew truly dreaded. Matthew arrived at the new warehouse Fluttershy had been staying at near his college campus. Matthew found Fluttershy covered by a blanket. She jumped onto him, holding him tight. She showed Matthew her broken wing. Matthew became enraged. He returned to his dorm to get his weapons, and soon went back to the warehouse. The two men that harmed Fluttershy entered, and Matthew watched his younger self kill the both of them within seconds. Matthew couldn’t believe what he had done, but Fluttershy comforted him, and she assured him that she would stay with him forever.

Once again, the memories faded. Matthew and Fluttershy watched the day of Fluttershy’s discovery of what she truly was. Matthew entered his home, coming back from an audition. He heard the TV on, playing a very familiar song from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Matthew found Fluttershy in tears, her hair a mess. She yelled at him, her voice filled with anger and sadness. She ran into their room and locked herself in. Two days passed, and Matthew found himself on the floor, crying and apologizing to Fluttershy. She, once again, comforted Matthew, soothing him with her gentle words of forgiveness. They hugged, and the memory faded once again.

Finally, the day that Princess Celestia and the rest of Fluttershy’s friends arrived. Matthew thought that letting the ponies in was a foolish idea, but he did so anyway. He didn’t want to admit to it that he knew why they were here in his home. Rainbow Dash shot him a look, and they started to argue. Pinkie started chatting up a storm. Rarity insulted Matthew, saying that Fluttershy would never go for someone like Matthew. Matthew retrieved Fluttershy and brought her to the ponies. Upon seeing Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy regained her memories. Fluttershy said that she would do anything for Matthew, and that he would do the same for her. What came next truly changed everything. As Celestia stated she would be taking Fluttershy home, Matthew jumped to protect Fluttershy. To everyone’s surprise, Celestia shot Matthew down. He tried to get up, only to be shot down again. He passed out just before Fluttershy was taken from him.

Matthew woke to find a feather and a note. The note was from Twilight Sparkle, and it stated how Matthew could travel to Equestria. Matthew quickly packed his things, but stopped to write down his story in a short journal. He left the journal, along with a note and his locket, which was given to him by his father, on the table for his mother. Matthew opened the portal and jumped in.

The next approximate two years passed by Matthew and Fluttershy in a flash. They saw how Matthew saved Fluttershy, how they lived in the Everfree Forest together, how Rainbow Dash found them. They saw their first meeting with the rest of Fluttershy’s friends. They saw the first battle Matthew had with Celestia, and how this ultimately sent him to Zecora to gain his eagle powers. Matthew’s second encounter with Celestia sent him to death, which led him to gain the Shadow Powers of the Darkness.

Matthew’s third encounter with Celestia left Ponyville in ruin. Blood and the dead littered the streets. Celestia was forced to fix everything, and left. After the burial of Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy was turned into a human. After retaking her cottage, the two took refuge for a few days before heading to Canterlot. They didn’t see themselves having sex, which they didn’t mind. It would have felt weird to them. Aside from that, they literally did that before they fell asleep. What they did see next was very curious though.

Matthew and Fluttershy were standing together at an altar. Matthew was in a black suit, looking quite handsome. Fluttershy was dressed in a beautiful white wedding gown. Celestia was standing before them, presiding over the occasion. This was the wedding of Matthew and Fluttershy. As the two were about to kiss to seal the deal, this… vision, faded away, ultimately ending the memory cycle.

Matthew and Fluttershy awoke in the same way they had been after they finished having sex. Fluttershy still had Matthew’s member inside of her, which she didn’t mind. Matthew looked into Fluttershy’s eyes, and she looked back into his. She started to cry. Matthew started to caress her, which soother her, as she felt his warmth comfort her. Through her tears, she started to speak.

“Matthew?” she started.

“Yeah?”

“Do you consider us to be like that?”

“Like what, married?” Fluttershy nodded in response. “Fluttershy, we’ve been together for about eight years now. If I didn’t consider us to be that way, I would practically consider us to not be together at all. Of course I consider us to be married. It may not be official, but the way I see it, we are.” Fluttershy smiled and brought him in for a kiss. Releasing, Matthew continued to speak.

“Plus, we did kind of just, you know, have sex,” he said, chuckling afterwards. Fluttershy did the same, but she had another question.

“But, what if… you know, I get… pregnant?” She said pregnant in a hushed tone, but Matthew still heard her.

“Well, the way I see it, your physical body is human, but your genes and DNA are probably still that of a pony. If that’s the case, then I don’t think we can cross-breed. We should be safe. And you know what? In the event we do have a child on our hands, we will care for it.” Fluttershy smiled and kissed Matthew again. After kissing for about a minute, Fluttershy spoke.

“Hey, when all of this is over, can we make it official?” she asked.

“Of course we can. First thing after all of this is over, we are getting married, I promise,” he replied. She smiled at him, and he smiled back.

Matthew looked out the window to see that the night was still young. He rested his head back on the pillow and sighed.

“Well, we’ve got a few more hours until we have to go. What do you want to do?” he asked. Fluttershy seductively smiled at him and ran her finger down his chest line.

“Round two?” she asked. Matthew smiled and brought her in for another kiss. And so, the wonderful process of making love started again.

Author's Notes:

If you have read Fluttershy and Me, you may notice that the whole memory cycle of Act 1 in this story is the same as the one in the ending to Fluttershy and Me. I kind of got lazy, but honestly, it would be the same thing anyway. It fits the ticket the way I see it. And yes, they really did start to have sex again. I'm not writing about it obviously, but now you know. I hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane.

Chapter 14: It All Ends Here

Matthew and Fluttershy awoke from a second dream sequence after they finished having intercourse for a second time. They actually found the second time to be much more fun than the first. This was most likely because of the other “activities” they did during the whole process. But, nonetheless, they felt rested, energized, and ready. Matthew felt even more so than Fluttershy.

“Are you sure we need to do this Matthew?” Fluttershy asked.

“We’ve come this far, so why turn back now?” he replied. She nodded. They got out of bed, cleaned themselves off in Fluttershy’s bathtub, and got ready. Fluttershy put on her clothing and strapped on a knife she took from her kitchen. Matthew made her a custom sheath for it. Fluttershy had to dress a bit differently to look like Matthew. But, regardless of what she wore, Celestia probably wouldn’t realize it was her. All Fluttershy had to make sure of was that her hair and wings remained hidden.

Matthew threw on his entire outfit, checking it over once. He strapped on his left hidden blade and his right bracer. He placed his tomahawk in its holster and did the same for his two pistols. He no longer had a bow or right blade to worry about, so he checked over his shadow and eagle powers. Everything seemed fine to him. And so, he and Fluttershy set off.

The trek through the Everfree Forest to get to the base of the cliff that Canterlot stood on was a rather simple one. They didn’t need to rush their way to Canterlot like Matthew did the first time he went there. The two simply strolled through the Forest, staying safe from any of the ever-present dangers. They were attacked by a few creatures, but nothing that Matthew couldn’t handle. Finally, they reached the base of the cliff.

“Alright, you think you can carry me up to the halfway point?” Matthew asked Fluttershy.

“I can try. This human body gives me a bit more strength, so it’s worth a shot,” she replied. Matthew nodded as she went behind him and held him in her arms. “Ready?” she asked.

“Let’s do it.” Fluttershy started to flap her wings. She managed to lift Matthew off the ground. It wasn’t too difficult for her, but there was no way she was going to be able to lift him to the very top. But, Matthew had only asked for her to carry him to the halfway point, which would be fine for her. In a matter of a few minutes, they reached the said point. Fluttershy let Matthew down and landed next to him on her hands and knees, slightly panting.

“Hey, you alright?” he asked her.

“I’m… fine. You’re just a little heavy is all.” Matthew chuckled.

“Yeah, sorry about that. Anyway, I can climb the rest of the way. When we get to the top, we should be in one of the courtyards. We’ll have to find you a way to get noticed by the guards without them noticing me.”

“What if they ask me to say something?”

“Well, with my years of acting training, I should be able to project my voice in a way that’ll make it seem like it came from you. Worst comes to worst, just don’t say anything. If worst really comes to worst, than try to talk like me.” Fluttershy giggled at his last suggestion. He returned the laugh and helped her stand up. “Come on, we’ve got a few ways to go. You ready?” She nodded in response. “Alright, let’s go.”

Matthew started to climb up the cliffside with Fluttershy flying close by him. They managed to reach the top in a matter of minutes. Just as Matthew predicted, they were in one of the courtyards. No guards were out patrolling, which would make getting to a better advantage point easier.

“Alright,” Matthew whispered to Fluttershy. “We need to get to a better spot for you to get caught. I can lead you to that spot, but when we get there, I’ll have to leave you for a bit. You think you’ll be alright?”

“I’ll be fine. As long as I know you’re there for me, what could go wrong?”

“Please don’t ask that question. Shit always goes wrong when someone asks that question,” he responded. Fluttershy quietly giggled at his response. Shortly after, they started off.

Matthew and Fluttershy wound up in the central courtyard. Hiding from the patrolling guards, Matthew pulled out a small hood and two patches for Fluttershy. The hood was to conceal her hair, and the patches would cover up her wings. Matthew helped Fluttershy with the patches and kissed her before he left for higher ground. On Matthew’s cue, Fluttershy revealed herself. Every guard noticed her and pointed their respective weapons towards her.

“It’s the human! Captain, what should we do?” one of the guards asked.

“Well, we do have orders to kill him, but I’m sure Celestia would love to deal with him herself. Apprehend him!” the Captain ordered. One of the guards shot a stun beam at Fluttershy. She managed to contain her cries so as to not give herself away. Matthew hated himself for not being able to help. He watched the guards tie up Fluttershy and start to drag her to Celestia’s throne room. Matthew followed closely behind.

Matthew managed to perch himself directly above Celestia’s throne as the guards brought Fluttershy into the chamber. Celestia’s attention was immediately drawn to Fluttershy.

“So Matthew, you have decided to come and confront me yourself,” Celestia started. Matthew was pleased that she actually fell for the bait. “I am surprised that you have given yourself up so easily, but it doesn’t matter. I told you I would give you three months, but it seems you are eager to die. So be it!” she finished as she started to charge her horn.

Matthew quickly jumped down from his perch and extended his hidden blade. He was quickly descending down to the oblivious Princess. Matthew finally dropped onto Celestia, driving his hidden blade into her skull. Matthew held his blade there for a moment, before finally drawing it out. Princess Celestia was dead. Or so he thought.

From behind, Matthew noticed a shining light coming from above him. He backed away from the throne as the light intensified. Finally, it burst. Matthew was sent flying back next to Fluttershy. All of the guards were confused and backed away from Matthew. He picked himself up and untied Fluttershy, who hugged him shortly after.

“What happened?” she asked him.

“I don’t know.” Before he could say anymore, the light started to fade away, revealing Princess Celestia. “What?!”

“Surprised Matthew? I thought I sensed treachery in my castle, so I planted my own decoy. Your plan was clever, but I know everything that goes on in my castle. Guards, kill them!” Before even one of the guards could attack, Matthew smirked. His Shadow Wolves formed around him and lunged at the guards. The wolves tore away at the already confused guards. They tore off flesh and limbs and began to eat away at the insides of the screaming guards. Within seconds, the guards were dead, and the white floor was covered in blood and guts.

“Sorry, but not this time. This time, it’s just you and me Celestia. Let’s finish this,” Matthew said, pulling out his tomahawk and sliding out his blade, changing it to a knife.

“Very well,” Celestia said. She pulled out her sword with her magic and stepped down from her throne. Matthew used his powers to close and lock the grand door behind him so that no one would interfere. Fluttershy backed up into a corner for her own safety. In a flash, the battle began.

Celestia appeared in front of Matthew, bringing her sword down onto him. He quickly caught the sword with his tomahawk, pulled it aside, and sliced at her legs with his tomahawk. She was unfazed by the attack and continued her assault. She managed to catch him off guard and clipped the left side of his chest.

Matthew swiped with his knife, but Celestia caught it with her sword. But, before she could stop him, he chopped her leg with his tomahawk, forcing her to the ground. As he was about to bring his knife to her skull, she blasted him in the face with her magic. He flew back and landed on the ground, but flipped over his back and onto his feet.

Matthew slid his blade back onto the bracer and pulled out his left pistol. He quickly fired off an entire clip at Celestia. Only five of the twelve bullets managed to connect. Matthew had managed to clip her chest and right wing, but she was able to block the rest with a barrier. She returned fire with a stream of magic, directly striking Matthew in his left shoulder.

Matthew already felt himself becoming pained, but he persevered. He had no time to reload, so he threw the gun aside and summoned his shadow powers. He shot the shadows into the ground. The streak went straight to Celestia, but she managed to dodge the giant spike that erupted out of the floor. She started to fly in the air, charging her horn. But, Matthew quickly homed in on her with his eagle powers, changing back into a human as he was about to collide with her. He blasted her point blank with a powerful shadow burst.

Celestia fell to the ground with a thud, but quickly got back up. She managed to avoid an onslaught of shadow blasts, only to be caught by a shadow tendril. Matthew whipped her around, sending her into her throne. The throne was shattered, leaving bits and pieces in Celestia back. The throne had been replaced with shards and blood. Celestia’s eyes beamed with anger.

She unleashed a powerful beam of magic, but Matthew quickly blended with the shadows to dodge.

“Not this time!” she cried out. She sent a light beam into the air, illuminating the entire room. All of the shadows were gone. Matthew could no longer blend.

“I don’t need to blend to beat you Celestia!” he cried back to her. Matthew started to form a giant wave of shadows behind himself. The wave grew to a decent size, towering over Celestia. Before it could collide, she formed a barrier to protect herself. But, the barrier broke just as Matthew finished the attack. The last bit of the shadow wave came down on Celestia, leaving her broken. She got back up, staggering on her hooves.

Matthew continued to unleash his powers on her. He flew in close as the eagle, changing back to a human just as he approached her. He dodged right as she swung her sword at him. He slammed his tomahawk into her side, causing her to cry out. Blood seeped out from the open wound. But, she was quick to retaliate, punching Matthew in the face with all her might. Matthew was forced to pull his tomahawk out, which only caused Celestia to cry out again. A stream of blood shot out from the wound. Her once white coat was now hinted with red. She stared Matthew down.

“I will not allow you to defeat me!” she cried out, unleashing a powerful blast of magic at Matthew. He was sent flying into a wall, landing on the ground with a thud. A large burn mark had formed on his chest, and the two straps he had on his chest fell off. This also caused his hood to fall off, and his bear pelt had been slightly burnt off as well. He breathed heavily as Celestia charged her horn again. Matthew looked up and smirked.

He shot a concentrated beam of shadows into Celestia’s horn, causing her charged energy to implode on itself. The corrupted magic exploded right in Celestia’s face, sending her flying. The explosion even managed to break a few of the glass windows. Shards of glass flew through the room. Matthew covered his face, and Fluttershy did the same. Lowering his arm, Celestia was nowhere to be found. Matthew became all the more cautious.

It wasn’t enough, as Celestia appeared behind Matthew. She sliced him across the chest with her sharp horn, turned around, and bucked him halfway across the room. Matthew felt himself fading. The gash in his chest was deep, and blood flowed out onto his chest and the floor. He lifted himself up, just in time to be able to dodge her horn. She almost stabbed him in the face. He slid his hidden blade out and stabbed her in the neck. He pushed her to the ground as she fell to the floor, gagging as blood poured out of her open wound.

Matthew stood up and caused a pillar of shadows to jump up out of the ground from underneath Celestia. She was sent into the air, only to be gripped by a shadow tendril. Matthew slammed her into the ground with all his might. He used another tendril to whip her into the air. He sheathed his tomahawk, pulled out his right pistol, and fired off four rounds into Celestia. Not caring about the gun, Matthew threw it aside and walked over to Celestia. She was at the foot of the former throne, weak and broken.

As she was about to lift her head up, Matthew stomped down on her horn with as much force as he could muster up. It was enough to break off her horn. Celestia let out another cry, but it did not last. Matthew grabbed her by the neck and stared into her eyes. He drew his tomahawk before speaking.

“I gave you a chance to leave us alone, but you just couldn’t let it go. You had to pursue me, you had to hold a grudge, you wouldn’t leave us alone! See where it gets you?! I wanted to forgive you Celestia, but you have forced my hand. And this time, there is no stopping me. It is time for you to die.” Matthew raised his tomahawk into the air. Celestia felt fear flow through her body as she awaited Matthew to finish it off.

“STOP!” Fluttershy cried out. Matthew turned to Fluttershy, who was in tears. Why was it every time he got close something just had to stop him from finishing the deed? Fluttershy just looked at Matthew. She could tell how much he wanted to do it. She didn’t want him to do it though.

“Why?” Matthew asked her.

“Please, Matthew. I know you want this, but it isn’t right. Please, just stop. I don’t want you to be this way.” Matthew could only listen to her, letting every word sink in. What had he become? Was all of this because of Celestia? Yes, it was. But, then why did it feel so wrong to him? Mathew turned back to Celestia, staring at her with anger. He felt his grip loosen and his anger fade away. Celestia was still choking, but her fear was replaced by anger.

As Matthew turned to look at Fluttershy again, Celestia somehow managed to conjure a hint of magic, just enough to connect her horn to her head once again. Matthew wasn’t quick enough to dodge Celestia’s attack. She sliced him across the face, sending a streak of blood through the air. He faltered back, turning his back to Celestia. She stood up and blasted him in the back. Matthew cried out in agony. Once Celestia had finished her assault, Matthew fell to his knees. Fluttershy rushed over before he fell completely.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to happen!”

“You have nothing to apologize for, but I think I’m just gonna rest for a bit.”

“No, you can’t! Please Matthew, I don’t want to lose you.” But before Matthew could get up, he heard Celestia charging for him. Fluttershy looked into his eyes for a split second. She quickly kissed him on the lips.

“I love you Matthew,” she said. She pulled Matthew behind herself and jumped in front of Celestia with her back facing the Princess. Fluttershy felt a jolt of pain rush through her body as Celestia’s horn pierced her heart. Matthew’s eyes widened and he was in total shock.

“FLUTTERSHY!” But it was too late. Celestia pulled her horn out and Fluttershy fell to the floor. Matthew yelled out and rushed the Princess, but he wasn’t thinking. She shot at him, which sent him to his knees. He wasn’t quick enough to stop her from running her horn right through his heart. He groaned quickly, only to be lifted into the air moments later. He had been lifted by Celestia while he was still on her horn. She quickly threw Matthew aside. He landed next to Fluttershy, barely able to breathe.

“Why did you do that?” he asked.

“I’m sorry Matthew. I thought…” but she couldn’t finish. She started to cough. Matthew started to inch his way over to her.

“This is why you are weak, the both of you!” Celestia shouted to them, turning her back on the two of them. “You are unfit to live, and now, you both suffer! I told you that you would not defeat me Matthew! Now you shall die!” Matthew didn’t care what Celestia had to say. He noticed Fluttershy had reached for something. It was the second pistol Matthew had thrown aside. Fluttershy had managed to grab it.

Fluttershy slid the gun in front of Matthew, taking his hand and placing it over the weapon. She smiled into his eyes, and he did the same to her. With all the strength he had left, Matthew rolled over and lifted his right arm to aim the pistol.

“Do you have any last words Matthew?!” Celestia asked.

“Yeah, I’ve got a few,” he responded.

“Well, what have you to say?” she asked, turning around. She stared at Matthew in complete shock.

“I win,” he said softly. A shot rang out through the chamber. Celestia stood still for a moment. As the blood started to pour out of the hole in her skull, she fell to the floor. Matthew had landed his shot right in between her eyes. Princess Celestia was dead.

Matthew dropped the gun and rolled back over to face Fluttershy. For the both of them, their breathing was staggered. They only had a few moments left. They managed to inch their ways right next to each. Fluttershy rested her head on the floor next to Matthew’s, lying on her left side in towards Matthew. Matthew rested on his right side, resting his head on the floor. They leaned their foreheads into each other, resting softly. Matthew’s left arm wrapped around Fluttershy as her right arm wrapped around him. Matthew slid his right arm under Fluttershy, and Fluttershy slid her left arm under Matthew. They held each other close, making every last breath count. Finally resting in a perfect position, they said their last words.

“Don’t leave me Matthew.”

“Never, not even in death.”

But, before they could continue, Matthew heard another voice. The Darkness appeared behind Fluttershy. He must have only appeared to Matthew, because Fluttershy didn’t hear him.

“Well done Matthew. I’d say you have earned your rest. May you both rest in peace.” Matthew smiled to the Darkness as he faded away. Fluttershy didn’t notice anything, even though she had been staring into his eyes the whole time.

“I love you Matthew.”

“I love you too Fluttershy.” They shared one final kiss, and with their last breaths, they faded from the world. Matthew and Fluttershy had died together, just the way they had wanted.

Author's Notes:

And so ends the struggle of the tortured love of Matthew and Fluttershy. But, be not afraid, for this story will have a happy ending.

Chapter 15: A Happy Ending

Matthew awoke to find himself in an endless sky. Very few clouds were present, and any that were made the atmosphere seem even better. Matthew lifted himself up off of the cloud he had been resting on. He looked around, mesmerized by the beauty that surrounded him.

“Matthew?” a voice called to him. He knew that voice. He turned to see Fluttershy. She was still a human, but all of the marks and wounds she had suffered over the last two years were gone. This drew Matthew’s attention to himself. The markings he had gained from his shadow powers were gone, and he was wearing only the lower half of his outfit. Fluttershy was wearing her entire outfit of course. Matthew returned his attention to Fluttershy.

“Yeah, it’s me Fluttershy. So, this is paradise huh?”

“I guess so.”

“I’d say it’s perfect. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be with you.”

“You’re such a charmer Matthew, you know that?” Fluttershy teased. Matthew chuckled and walked towards her. They took each other’s hands and kissed. They soon heard another voice.

“Matthew? Fluttershy?” the voice said. Releasing their kiss, Matthew and Fluttershy turned to see Princess Celestia. “I… I have no excuse for my actions. These past two years have been spent pursuing, and for what? Death. I… I’m sorry. I know that my apology may not mean much to you, but it is all I can offer.” Matthew and Fluttershy simply smiled at the Princess.

“Celestia,” Matthew started. “I forgive you.” Celestia was in complete shock.

“How? After everything I have done, how can you forgive me?”

“I don’t know. We’re dead, so I see no reason to have any negative feelings anymore. Besides, I get to spend an eternity here with Fluttershy. But, truthfully Celestia, I forgive you, and I also apologize once again for what I did.” Matthew’s kindness must have rubbed off on Celestia.

“I forgive you as well Matthew.”

“As you should Tia,” a voice called out. Celestia turned to see her sister. She started to cry.

“Luna?!”

“Yes sister, it is me,” Luna replied, starting to cry as well. The sisters rushed to each other and held each other close.

“I missed you so much sister!” Celestia said.

“I missed you too,” Luna replied. Matthew and Fluttershy stood and watched the beautiful scene play out in front of them. Paradise just kept getting better.

“Just as I told you Matthew,” Luna called out to him. “Your love was powerful enough to persevere through every challenge you faced. And now, it is strong enough to give the both of us life once again. But, the way I see it, I think it would be fair enough for us to grant the three of you your lives once again as well,” Luna stated. Celestia nodded in agreement. Matthew and Fluttershy were slightly confused though.

“Three? Who’s the…” but Matthew stopped himself as the realization finally sunk in. He and Fluttershy turned around to see Rainbow Dash. All three of them started to cry as they rushed into each other’s embrace.

“I missed you guys so much! I knew you would win, I just knew it!” Rainbow said.

“We missed you too Dashie,” Fluttershy replied. After releasing from the embrace, Rainbow scanned Fluttershy over.

“Hehe, when did you become human Flutters?” she asked.

“That’s a story for another time Dashie,” Fluttershy replied. “Right now, I think we should go for a little fly around paradise, wouldn’t you agree?” Rainbow immediately smiled and nodded in reply.

“You mean to say you do not wish to be reborn?” Celestia asked the three. Matthew turned to the Princesses.

“With all due respect, we appreciate the offer, but, I think we’d just like stay here now. I personally don’t want to cheat the cycle of life and death. Dying twice sounds weird. Besides, I’ve got an eternity to spend with the girl of my dreams and our best friend. What more could I need? What do you two think?” Matthew asked, directing his question to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.

“Well, if you’re staying, then of course I’m staying Matthew,” Fluttershy replied.

“Same here Matt. As long as I’m with my best friends, what more could I need?” Rainbow added. They smiled at each other and then looked to the Princesses. Celestia and Luna smiled at each other.

“Very well. It may take the ponies of Equestria a little time to understand that I am truly my old self again, but all good things will come in time. I just hope your friends do not think ill of me,” Celestia said.

“Just tell them we love them, and I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Matthew responded. Celestia smiled.

“Thank you Matthew, for showing me how strong love truly is. Now, if you will excuse us, Equestria is waiting for the return of the Royal Sisters.” But before Celestia and Luna could leave, Matthew asked a question.

“Wait, how long have we been dead?”

“About one month,” Luna replied. Normally, Matthew would have been extremely surprised by this, but now, he didn’t really care.

“Well, ok then. Fair enough I suppose. We wish you the best of luck back on Equestria. Goodbye Celestia, and to you as well Luna.”

“Farewell Matthew,” both Celestia and Luna said together. A light shined through the endless sky, and in a matter of seconds, Celestia and Luna were gone, leaving Matthew, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash together. Matthew turned to the girls.

“So, now what?” he asked. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash smiled at each other, unfolded their wings, and flew off into the sky. Matthew chuckled to himself. “I hope I still have my eagle powers.” Low and behold, he did. He transformed into the eagle and caught up with the girls.

The three of them just flew through the sky. Coming to a cloud, they landed and looked out to the endless sky. Matthew changed back into a human. Fluttershy landed next to him on his right, and Rainbow Dash landed on his left. The three just stood there, smiling. They didn’t need to have it any other way. Just a man, the girl of his dreams, and their best friend. Matthew turned to Fluttershy, and she turned to him. They didn’t even need to speak the words, because they knew them all too well. But, they did anyway.

“I love you Matthew.”

“I love you too Fluttershy.”

“What, I don’t get any love?” Rainbow chimed in. Matthew and Fluttershy turned to the Pegasus and laughed.

“We love you too Dashie,” Fluttershy said. Rainbow joined in on the laughter.

The laughter ended, leaving the three to themselves. They were finally at peace.

Matthew reflected on everything he had been through. He had been living a shitty life. He just so happened to find a 14 year old Fluttershy one day, which changed his life. Loving her brought many ups and downs in his life. He loved her, and she loved him. He fought to defend that very love in Equestria. He proved that his love was strong enough to change even Princess Celestia. Matthew had fulfilled his life. He didn’t need anymore. He realized, even with the company of Rainbow Dash, what he had known since that very first day. He realized that it was, still is, and always would be…

Author's Notes:

I told you there would be a happy ending. So ends the story of Tortured Love. I had a great time writing this story, not as much as the original Fluttershy and Me, but definitely a lot of fun. I hope you all enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Happy reading people.