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.