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.