//------------------------------// // Clash at Canterlot Cathedral // Story: Flash Sentry, Defender of the Peace S1 // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// The battle of Canterlot was in its final stage. Less then twenty minutes remained until the Thunder Tomb was set to detonate, annihilating the whole city and everypony in it. Flash was zooming through the street on his wings, heading to where Lightning was supposed to be. “Canterlot Cathedral,” he said to himself, “how’d I not realize that before?” “I’ve been asking myself that same question.” He looked around and saw Cadance flying up next to him. “Hey Cadance. Nice work against Gorgenia.” “Thanks,” Cadance replied with a cheeky grin. “But it was close. She nearly got me." Cadance then looked Flash over and smirked. "I see Twilight got you out of the castle.” “Yeah, and she beat Solid as well.” Flash shrugged as he took a turn and Cadance followed. “But now we’ve gotta focus on Lightning.” “Right,” Cadance said with a nod. They turned and saw the cathedral dead ahead, causing them to pick up speed. Once they were close, Cadance fired a spell at the doors, causing them to fly open as the duo landed inside, coming to a sliding halt as they did. “LIGHTNING!” Cadance screamed once they’d stopped, “where are you?!” “Show yourself!” Flash called. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” They turned towards the alter and saw Lightning Blitz standing perfectly still, not even looking at them. Instead, he was staring at the ceiling as he began to speak up, “My mother used to bring me here whenever I was angry or sad. She used to say that there was something in the atmosphere of this place that could calm even the most powerful of rages.” The two remained silent, wondering where he was going with this. “Yet...she died when I was just a foal.” Lightning said with a dark chuckle. “All she was doing was walking home one night when she was suddenly attacked. Some punk stabbed her for the several bits in her purse.” His body began to shake, his eyes beginning to glow as they had the entire day. “My father launched himself into his work after that, wanting to make something that could make sure that kind of thing would never happen to anypony else ever again." Flash and Cadance looked at each other in slight surprise. They hadn't heard about this story. However, before they could say anything, Lightning continued while still staring at the ceiling. "I wanted the same thing, that’s why I wanted to join the Royal Knights.” He then looked back down and glared at the duo, pure rage on his face. “But Celestia and the old fool ruined our dreams. Heck, they ruined our lives." “So that’s why you did all this?” Flash asked with a cocked eyebrow. “Petty revenge?” “No. Heh heh heh...not at all.” he replied, slightly chuckling as he did. “I did this because Equestria is weak, made so by weak rulers. I’m going to make it strong again." “Enough of this,” Cadance demanded at she slammed her hooves into the concrete, causing it to shatter. “Now tell me what you put in the sky.” “Oh? Didn’t Flash tell you? It’s my father's greatest invention, the Thunder Tomb.” Candance's eyes went wide in horror. Lightning just smirked at her expression before looking back at the timer. “Just under fifteen minutes until it detonates, taking out all of Canterlot.” Flash and Cadance growled at the glee in his voice. “Don’t worry,” he said with a slight shrug, “you’ll be fine. I had Script write a little enchantment around this building, just for this occasion. No electricity is getting through here. Not that it would affect me anyways.” “How generous of you.” Flash replied back, sarcasm dripping from his tone. “Relax. Stop panicking, you stupid street rat.” Lightning told him, waving his hoof. “You and I both know your precious princesses won’t let that happen. They’ll hand rule over this kingdom to me, and we all know they’d do it in a heartbeat if they believed their precious ponies were in danger.” The two hated to admit it, but he was right. The only chance they had was to defeat Lightning before the Thunder Tomb could detonate. “You ready Flash?” Cadance asked as she looked over at him. “I’ve been ready since this whole thing started,” Flash said as he readied his Celestic Gear. “Two against one...” Lightning laughed, glaring at the two with a big malicious grin. “Doesn’t seem very fair.” “This isn’t some tournament with rules and honor Lightning.” Cadance replied, her eyes narrowing as she did. “This is a battle to save the lives of our friends.” “You should be lucky it’s only two against one.” Flash continued as he cricked his neck. “After this stunt you pulled, the whole city wants a piece of you.” “How nice,” Lightning chuckled as he took off his headphones while the Alicorn Amulet glowed, his horn beginning to spark. “But you misunderstand. When I said it didn’t seem fair...I meant for you!” He unleashed a powerful bolt of lightning, which flew through the air and towards Flash and Cadance. “Look out!” Cadance yelled out, but it was too late. The attack quickly struck the duo, creating an explosion that consumed the two. “How’d you like that?” Lightning asked with a laugh, seeing the destruction he had just caused. "Seems I've already won." As these words flowed out of his mouth, a shadow flew out of the smoke. It was Cadance, who flew a good fifteen feet into the air before stopping, her horn beginning to glow. A yell soon followed as she shot a beam of magic at the unicorn, only for him to shoot another bolt back, instantly destroying her attack. "Nice try, but you can't beat me like that." Lightning then patted his accessory as a wicked grin shined on his face. "After all, the Alicorn Amulet gives me power far beyond any one pony.” “How about two ponies then?” yelled Flash as he zoomed out of the smoke, his blade unsheathed as he charged forward. "Flash Cutter!" The wave of energy flew at Lightning at breakneck speed, along with another beam of magic from Cadance. As the two attacks sprinted towards Lightning, he just shrugged and calmly said, “You think you’ve got me?” As he said this, another bolt flew out and negated Cadance's attack while a magic barrier appeared and protected him from the Flash Cutter. “He can cast two spells at once?” Flash asked in horror. “That’s impossible! He's just a-” Cadance gasped as seeing this caused her to lose focus. Within that second, Lightning shot another bolt, instantly striking the alicorn. “AAAAHHH!” Cadance screamed before falling to the ground, hitting the cathedral floor with a thud. “CADANCE!” Flash tried to fly over to her, only for another bolt of lightning to appear right before him, causing him to backpedal. Flash then glared at Lightning, only to see him laughing again. “Oh come on Sen-turd-y! Don’t go wimping out on me already!” Lightning spat, “Besides, if that’s all it takes to take out the great Mi Amore Cadenza, then she doesn’t deserve to be in this fight." He let out another mighty laugh, until a magic beam struck him in the side and sent him flying back. Flash looked over and smiled, seeing Cadance get up, “I always hated that name,” she said as she panted. “Impressive,” Lightning replied as he got up, dusting off his chest as he did. “But if you think you can win before the Thunder Tomb activates, then you’re sadly mistaken.” Hearing this, the two looked up at the runic wall behind Lightning. There, it showed the timer, causing the duo's eyes to widen at the sight. 0:09:42 0:09:41 0:09:40 Five minutes had already passed, and they were nowhere near finished with this fight. Seeing this, Cadance glanced at Flash and said, "Flash! Go destroy the Thunder Tomb before it goes off. I'll handle Lightning." "No can do." Flash shook his head. "I would, but the second I even crack one of those things, I'll get zapped." Cadance considered what he said and realised what he meant, turning back to Lightning as she did. “You’re using the Body Link Spell to protect them?” “That's right.” Lightning chuckled, electricity sparking from his horn. “You’re absolutely despicable,” Cadance growled. “To think that you would attack your hometown.” “Oh it just breaks my heart...not!” he replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “But honestly, that’s just how the game is played your highness. Canterlot doesn't really matter to me.” “DAMN YOU!” Cadance yelled as she charged at Lightning, flexing her wings and flying forward. Lightning smiled as electricity surged around his body, covering him until he suddenly disappeared and reappeared above them in a giant ball of electricity. “He can fly?!” Cadance gasped before changing direction, chasing after him as she did. Flash flexed his own wings and did the same, only for Lightning disappear in a flash of light before the duo could hit him. The light zigzagged around the room, quickly dodging the other flyers. A second later, he appeared on the other side of the room, a giant malicious grin on his face. "Prepare to fry!" "Watch out!" Flash yelled, causing both of them to dodge a volley of lightning bolts that now flowed out of Lightning's horn. Burn marks quickly covered the building as Lightning's barrage of attacks continued, electricity surging out of his horn. “Stop this you coward!” Cadance yelled as she shot a beam of magic, only for Lightning to zigzag away in an instance. “Fight us already!” Flash agreed, firing a blast of magic from his blade, missing as well. “Why waste my energy fighting when I can just enjoy this nice game of keep away?” Lightning laughed. “Unlike you, I don’t really care if this fight takes up the next eight and a half minutes.” “Shut it! Flash Cutter!” Flash unleashed his weapon, a flash of energy quickly shooting out of the blade. “Too slow!” Lightning countered back, quickly dodging the attack as he flew around the cathedral. “HA! If that’s the best you’ve got, then Equestria is in worse shape than I thought.” “Equestria is fine. The only problem right now is you.” “Forget it Flash,” Cadance told him as she dodged another one of Lightning's bolts. “We need to find a way to save Canterlot.” “I know, but what can we do?” Flash asked as he looked up at the board. "We need to beat this guy and end this now!" “I know, but with that amulet around his neck, we won't beat him in eight minutes. And it’s not like we can just take it off him, only he can do that. That's one of the rules of that amulet.” “So what can we do?” Flash asked her, glancing at his blade as he did. "We need to win here!" The pink alicorn weighed her options, only to come to a single conclusion. “The only thing we can do,” she said as she turned away from them and towards the door. "I have to destroy the Thunder Tomb before it explodes. I...I have to stop this madness myself.” “Is that so?” Lightning laughed as he landed on the floor, “bad idea. Destroying even one of those orbs can be deadly 'princess'. My Body Link magic will fry you for destroying even one of them! In other words, destroying them all is next to impossible with the time that remains.” Cadance just smiled, “Then I'll do the impossible then. I’ll destroy them all at once, just like you said.” With that, she began to run towards the doors of the cathedral. "I'm leaving him in your hooves Flash, don't let me down." “What are you...come back here!” Lightning yelled, electricity covering him again as anger shined in his eyes. “You’re breaking the rules, you blasted fake princess!” However, Flash just shined a cheeky grin before yelling at the fleeing princess. “I’m putting my faith in you too, you hear? You better make it back here alive!” However, she was already out of ear shot, but he knew she'd promise that she would. “No!” Lightning barked as he ran toward the door. “STOP!” Flash spun around and pointed his Celestic Gear at him. “FLASH FORCE!” The laser flew at Lightning and struck him, causing him to stop in his tracks. “Alright jerk, prepare yourself for a beat down.” Lightning growled at the pegasus. “You mouthy little brat! Get out of my way!” Once Cadance had found a spot on a nearby rooftop, she began her work. Using her magic, she started making arrow like magic creations, each pointed at an orb in the sky. “I have to act fast,” she said, glaring at the sky as she tried to concentrate as much as possible. “No matter what, I have to destroy them all.” Another arrow appeared, followed by another and another. "I have to stop this...I have to!" 0:05:30 “Flash Vortex!” Flash spun the sword around and created a tornado, only for another bolt of lightning to negate it. “Pathetic.” Lightning spat, forming another bolt of electricity in his hooves. “You honestly expect to beat me with that little power?” “I don’t need to beat you,” Flash replied, spinning the blade in his hoof. “I just have to hold you off long enough for Cadance to destroy your Thunder Tomb.” “You actually think she can pull it off, don’t you?” Lightning chuckled, fiddling with the bolt he had created. “Tell me street rat. Why do you put such faith in a pony who’s not even a real alicorn?” “Cadance always believed in me,” Flash shot back. “Even when I was just a nobody off the street, she said I could be something great. She taught me how to fly and helped make me the pony I am today. I’ll gladly put my faith in her, just like she did with me. Besides, even as an apprentice knight, I am duty bound to follow her orders no matter what.” “Is that so...then Cadance has ordered you to your death!” Lightning flew into the air and into a ball, firing several thunderbolts at the ground. Flash was forced to jump around the room, dodging the attacks that were coming his way. Several bolts got close to him, but his quick reflexes were keeping him alive. Once he managed to get a clear shot, Flash pointed his sword at the unicorn and leapt forward while spinning. “Flash Driver!” He shot forward as he was transformed into a tornado of light, which flew at Lightning. Unfortunately, the attack didn't connect. Instead, Lightning charged himself with electricity, quickly dodging as he turned into a ball of electricity again. As he zigzagged away, Lightning cackled as he said, “Is that really all you’ve got? Tch, why that old fool chose you, I’ll never know.” Flash just growled at this, staring at the floating numbers behind Lightning. 0:04:15 0:04:14 0:04:13 “One ninety eight,” Cadance panted as she continued to create the arrows, “one ninety nine, two hundred.” Taking a quick look in the sky, she could see she’d only take out about half of the Thunder Tomb orbs with this amount. “No...I’m not going to make it.” Over at the castle, Celestia and Luna watched in worry as the countdown drew closer and closer to zero. As it did, Luna turned to Celestia and asked, “What do we do sister? We can’t allow those monstrosities to go off.” “But we can’t allow Lightning to rule this land,” Celestia told her back. "We have to trust in Flash and Cadance to beat Lightning in time.” “But they're running out of time!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “There has to be something we can do to help!” “If only everypony were still here...” Scootaloo added as she looked down. “Then they could take them out together.” Celestia’s eyes went wide hearing that, smiling soon after. “That’s brilliant my little pony!” she told Scootaloo cheerfully, “Come with me sister, I have an idea!” She turned and flew up to the roof, followed by Luna. 0:03:00 0:02:59 0:02:58 "That’s three minutes.” Lightning looked back at Flash. “Sure you don’t want to reconsider your previous statement about your so-called 'princess'?” “Three minutes is plenty of time,” Flash said as he shot forward, Lightbringer shining as he swung it at Lightning, making him put up a shield to protect himself. “YOU DOUBT ME?!” He screamed as the amulet glowed, causing electricity to fire out his body, sending Flash flying back and crashing to the ground with a roll. A second later, Flash hopped back up and shook off the attack like it was nothing. “Lightning,” Flash remarked as he grabbed his sword again. “Let’s say the princesses don’t back down, your Thunder Tomb goes off and destroys Canterlot. What then? All of Equestria will be after you for what you did.” “Let them come,” Lightning barked back. “Anyone one stands in my way will be blown to kingdom come. I stand above all others as the greatest unicorn who’s ever lived!” “Except you’re not!” Flash yelled. “If you were as great as you say you were, then you wouldn’t need that necklace. Prove yourself and take it off and face me.” “Yeah right, you just want it for yourself. Do you think I’m that stupid?” “Maybe, maybe not.” Flash said with a smirk. “I’ll show you who’s stupid, you stinking street rat!” Lightning said before the two charged at each other again, both screaming at each other as they did. “I'M TAKING YOU DOWN!” Cadance was still on the rooftop, trying to create another arrow of magic, only for it to dissipate. “It’s no use,” she said with struggled breath, “I’m out of magic.” She looked up in panic as the orbs began to spark, signaling that they were getting ready to blow. “I’m sorry everypony, I failed.” ”Everypony!” Cadance looked up and around, swearing she had just heard Celestia’s voice. ”Can everypony hear us?” Now it was Luna’s voice. “Celestia?” Cadance called out, “Luna? Where are you?” “Cadance?” Celestia asked, ”can you hear us?” “I hear you!” the pink alicorn replied. “Good,” Luna said, ”now what about everypony else?” All over Canterlot, ponies began hearing the voices of their princesses, seemingly out of nowhere. ”If you can hear us, then please answer!” Celestia exclaimed as she repeated her message. “Princess?” Twilight asked as she, Shining and Springer all walked down the street after her battle with Script. “Is that you?” “Twilight,” Celestia said happily, “I’m glad to hear your voice.” “Was that Twilight?” Moondancer’s voice called out. “She’s awake? Wasn't she turned to stone?” “I'm fine, and so are the others.” “Applejack?” Big Mac’s voice asked, coughing as he did. “She’s alright,” Applebloom’s voice replied. "Cadance beat Gorgenia and saved them!" Hearing this, the sounds of several ponies speaking out in relief could be heard. That is, till Soarin spoke up as he woke up from his battle with Wild. “I’ve never been so glad to hear your voice Twilight...but how are we hearing your voice?” “That would be us,” Celestia began to explain. She was still at the castle, though her, Luna, Twilight's parents and the CMC were with them on the roof. There, Celestia and Luna's horns were connected, their horns glowing as they did. “Luna and I are combining our magic to cast a mind linking spell all across the city so we can talk to you all.” “Talk to us about what your highnesses?” Fancy Pants asked. “Look into the sky,” Luna ordered. Everypony did so, and saw the orbs floating in the sky, still shooting sparks out. “What in Equestria are those things?” Fancy asked, along with several other ponies. “That is the Thunder Tomb." Celestia explained. "A powerful weapon Lightning’s using in place of holding the girls hostage.” “They’re set to go off any moment,” Luna continued, a growl in her voice. “If they do, then all of Canterlot will be destroyed in an instance.” “That’s terrible,” Trixie grimaced, biting her lip as she stared at the orbs. “Indeed,” Celestia nodded. “That’s why we need your help. Luna and I are still trapped within the confines of the castle. If we step outside, the Thunder Tomb will detonate, and we can’t destroy them all from here.” “So you need us to destroy the Thunder Tombs you and Luna can’t reach?!” Micro Chips asked. “Exactly.” “Makes sense. If we work together, we can-” “HOLD IT!” The voice of Sandalwood interrupted. “If you think I’m gonna help you, then you’ve got another thing coming!” “Oh...Sandal,” Micro said, “please don’t take what happened personally. I was just doing it to save the girls.” “I got a bone to pick with you...what’s your name, Big Mac?” Spitfire’s voice called out, “Can you hear me jerk?!” “Eeyup, and I’m sorry.” “Sorry doesn't cut it!” Misty Fly added. “I’m lucky I don't have brain damage after what you did!” More and more ponies began arguing, causing the telepathy magic to turn into nothing but noise. “Everypony!” Celestia called out but her voice was being drowned out and using the Royal Canterlot Voice would give everypony an aneurysm. "Stop arguing! Please!" “What do we do sister?” “I don’t know...” Celestia replied. "We need to make them stop, but..." It seemed like Lightning’s plan to turn everypony against each other was working. There was no way the ponies would be willing to work together, not with everypony angry at one another like they were now. "We're running out of time...this isn't good." Celestia rubbed her temples, looking up to sky and seeing a timer Lightning had put over the city. "No..." 0:01:30 Hearing the voices yelling in her head made Twilight shake. Now wasn’t the time for this. Her eyes narrowed, putting her hooves over her head as she heard the voices. Shining and Springer looked at each other in panic, slightly scared as they saw Twilight get angry. “SHUT UP!!!!” Her voice sounded out through the spell, drowning out all the others and causing them to fall silent. “We shouldn’t be wasting our time arguing! Canterlot and everypony in it are in danger and we’re the only ones who can help them! So despite how you all feel about each other, we’re gonna have to work together!” Twilight’s words spread throughout the town, touching the hearts of the ponies who heard it. “Look, I know things have been rough with all of us fighting each other,” Twilight continued, “but we can do anything if we work together as one. That’s what I’ve learned from everypony. I know I’m still fairly new to the whole friendship thing, and I still have much to learn, but I do know that friendship is something you shouldn’t throw away. When I look back on everything that’s happened to me since moving to Ponyville and meeting my friends, I wouldn't give up a second of it. And I know you all feel the same way about all of your friendships.” Everypony was suddenly remembering events of their lives, and how even more amazing they were because their friends were there. They remembered how much fun they were having during the festival before this, some also remembering the time with the gala. “Lightning wants us to be divided, because he knows what we’re all capable of when we’re united. If we work together, we can do anything!" Twilight took a deep breath before continuing. "But if those orbs blow up, then everypony is done for.” Tears formed in Twilight eyes. “I don’t want to die. I have too many great things to live for. My friends, my family, I don’t want to lose any of them. And if you all feel the same way,” she rubbed the tears from her eyes and looked up at the sky before yelling, “THEN LET’S WORK TOGETHER AND SAVE THIS CITY!” “Twilight,” Cadance whispered. “If none of you are up for the challenge,” Twilight said as her horn glowed, “then I’ll do this alone. I’ll destroy those things myself.” “So what’s it gonna be guys?” Pinkie asked as she, Rarity and Spike stood at the top of a building. "We just gonna sit here and do nothing?" “You heard the lady.” Rarity smirked as her horn began to shine. “You all gonna let her show you up like that?” “An excellent speech lady Sparkle,” Fancy Pants complimented as he cricked his neck. "I will gladly help save this city." “Agreed. We have to save the city,” Sandalwood spoke out. “We can work out our problems later.” “Great work Twily,” Shining told his sister, “you got everypony to cool their jets.” He looked up at the sky and went into Guard Captain mode. “Alright soldiers, are we gonna let a bunch of civilians do our job and protect the city?” “NO CAPTAIN!” Several hundred voices spoke at once. “Then get off your rears and destroy those orbs!” “YES CAPTAIN!” Celestia smiled, hearing everypony finally working together thanks to her pupil. “Twilight,” she said happily. "My faithful student..." “That’s our little girl,” Velvet added with tears in her eyes. “And no parent can be prouder.” Night continued. "I agree." Celestia replied before looking at the timer again. 0:00:45 Taking one last deep breath, Celestia charged her horn again. “Everypony, ready yourself! We don’t have much time, so we have to do this quick. The aim is to destroy every single Thunder Tomb orb. We can’t leave even one of them remaining. It doesn’t matter how you do it, just get rid of them." “YES PRINCESS!” 0:00:30 “I’ve got the two hundred to the north!” Cadance said through the telepathic magic as she aimed her many arrows, “Everypony else will have to take the rest. WE CAN DO THIS!” 0:00:20 All over Canterlot, the ponies that were once fighting were now readying themselves to work together and shatter the floating orbs. The pegasi all flexed their wings before shooting into the air towards the orbs. Meanwhile, the earth ponies grabbed whatever they could find, all of them throwing with all their might, turning them into high speed projectiles at the orbs. Pinkie used her signature party cannon, trying to hit as many as she could in a row. And of course, the unicorns and alicorns fired magic at the orbs, using every ounce of magical energy they could summon. Spike and Springer also did their part. Spike hitched a ride on a passing pegasus and used his fire breath on the orbs while Springer unleashed the biggest aura blast he’d ever made into the sky, which flew into a nearby orb. 0:00:15 “LET’S GO!” Cadance screamed as she sent her two hundred arrows fly. They shot into the sky, racing towards the countless Thunder Tomb orbs. 0:00:10 Flash and Lightning stopped their battle when they saw what was going on outside. Flash started to shine a smile while Lightning looked in horror as he saw a beautiful volley of magic and attacks flood the sky. The unicorn went wide eyed as he yelled. "No...NOOOO! HOW DARE YOU ATTACK MY FATHER'S LEGACY!" 0:00:05 The first orb was struck, followed by another and another. Soon every single orb was hit, shattering on impact. “Whoa,” the CMC said in unison as they watched. "Its like a fireworks display." “But did we get them all?” Twilight Velvet asked, her hooves trembling as she saw the smoke surround the floating spheres. The smoke soon cleared and she got her answer, as the sky was now completely empty. “THEY DID IT!” The fillies cheered. "YAY!" “Great work everypony,” Celestia said happily. That joy was short lived however, as a second later, a lightning bolt flew down and struck her. Three other lightning bolts flew down and struck Luna, Velvet and Night. The four ponies screamed as they were instantly electrocuted, the pain surging through them. The CMC all jumped back away from the lightning, only to see the city's sky light up as a storm of bolts appeared, all striking the ponies that had attacked the orbs. And then, it was over. The lightning stopped, and everypony that had been hit, fell to the floor once again. Most of them lost consciousness, that is till Celestia got back up and established the link again. "Is everypony okay?" "..." "Everypony?" "We're fine princess." Twilight replied, panting as she felt the surge of electricity exiting her body. "We're all fine." As she said that, Celestia heard an audience of voices, all of them cheering as they achieved their victory. The terror of the Thunder Tomb was gone. 0:00:01 The number froze up as Lightning watched it, until it was finally replaced with: Error. Thunder Tomb offline. “You see?” Flash said, crossing his hooves with a grin on his face. “Told you it wouldn’t work.” Lightning just glared at him. "How...why?!" "Isn't it obvious? The ponies of Equestria just showed you wrong." Flash then put his blade back into it's sheath. He saw the disbelief on Lightning's face, and decided he might be able to talk him down. “Didn’t you say something about Equestria being weak?” He asked. “As far as I see it, this kingdom’s stronger than it’s ever been, despite your actions. Our strength comes from working together and our friendships give us a reason to be strong, to protect the ones we love. How do you expect to become our king when you don’t even understand the first thing about leading or friendship?” Lightning answered by roaring and shooting a column of lightning up into the air. He also created a gust of wind so strong, it almost pushed Flash off his feet. “I’ll just take Equestria by force if I have to!” Lightning screamed as the Amulet’s glow grew brighter, “IT’S MINE!” “Just give it up Lightning!” Flash called over the wind, pulling out his sword again. “It’s over. You’re not getting your hooves on Equestria! You're not gonna be king!” “And who’s gonna stop me? YOU!? A pathetic street rat that that pitiful old geezer took pity on?!” “If that’s what it takes,” Flash replied as he raised his sword and charged forward. Swinging his sword, he attempted to slash at Lightning, only for Lightning to create an electrical field around him, making Flash flutter back. "Darn it. Stop hiding behind that shield!" “Come on,” Lightning roared, “is that all you’ve got street rat?! Is it?!” Before Flash could counter, Lightning charged forward, instantly hitting Flash in the chest with an electricity charged hoof. The blow became an uppercut as Lightning pushed Flash upward, sending the orange pegasus into the ceiling. A smoke cloud followed as he hit the top, making Lightning let out a laugh. "HA! You pathetic street rat!" “Flash Driver!” A tornado of light burst out of the dust cloud, flying towards the unicorn who coated himself in lightning and shot forwards. The two forces collided and created a powerful explosion, which caused every window in the church to explode. From the smoke, Flash was thrown back and rolled along the floor, while Lightning was able to land on his hooves. “He’s...so strong,” Flash moaned as he tried to pick himself up. As he did, electricity surged around his body, making him collapse. Lightning smiled at the sight of his downed opponent, “It’s time for this little match to come to an end. It been not nice knowing you, you piece of street garbage.” A large ball of lightning began to form over his horn as he said this. “This ends now!” Lightning yelled as he magically threw the sphere at the pegasus, “THUNDER BAZOOKA!” The sphere flew at Flash, cracking the ground as it flew above it, a massive explosion following as it struck him. When the smoke finally cleared, Flash was nowhere to be seen. Lightning laughed at the annihilation of his greatest enemy. “So who’s gonna stop me from taking Equestria now?” Lightning asked before laughing harder, “I guess you can’t really answer since you’ve been turned to dust!” “I guess the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree when being crazy is concerned.” said a new voice. Lightning stopped laughing and looked up, only for his eyes to go wide. It was Iron Core, hanging on the wall with a spear shaped Piecemaker stuck in the bricks. In his tail’s grasp was Flash, who appeared to be unharmed from the last attack. “Only a nut job like you would find satisfaction in taking somepony out completely.” Iron spat as he jumped down, placing Flash beside him as he did. “Luckily I got to him first. If anypony’s gonna take this twerp down, its me.” “Didn’t know you cared so much,” Flash joked. “I have another challenger?” Lightning asked with a smile, “Eh, you’ll all end up dead soon anyway. Anypony who dares stand in my way will be eliminated.” “It seems we’ll have to work together to take him down,” Flash suggested as he spun the sword in his hoof. "He's not something you can just take alone Iron. Trust me." Iron growled, but nodded. “I hate to say it, but you’re right. We must protect Canterlot at all costs from monsters like him. That, and he’s insanely powerful even without that amulet. You can tell he’s got Grand’s blood running through him.” “What’s the matter, are you scared?” Lightning asked as electricity ran through his body. “You should be.” “Listen close Sentry,” Iron leaned down as he spun his weapon in his hoof as well. “We have to stop him right now. Everypony else has either been knocked out in the battles or was zapped by his Thunder Tomb.” “Meaning we’re the only ones left,” Flash replied, seeing Iron nod. “Then we can’t hold anything back, we have to hit hard and fast.” “Agreed." The two raised their Celestic Gear and got into a battle stance before saying in unison. “LET’S DO THIS!” Together they charged forward, Flash flying and Iron running straight towards Lightning. Once there, both started their attacks with mighty swings of their weapons, both with edges first. Seeing this, Lightning quickly blocked Iron's blade with an electrified kick, before turning to Flash and unleashing a lightning bolt, blowing the pegasus back. Iron saw Flash flying at him and pulled out Piecemaker, which he changed into a giant hammer, and used it to catch the pegasus who planted his hooves on it. “Get him!” He called as he used as his strength to propel Flash back towards Lightning. “Flash Driver!” Being surrounded by light, Flash flew towards Lightning and struck him, sending him flying into the air. Iron leapt towards him, as his weapon changed once again. “Iron Saber!” The blade extended as he tried to slash Lightning with it, only for the unicorn to turn into a surge of electricity, dodging the blow as he zigzagged away. Preparing to counter Iron, the unicorn quickly unleased a flurry of small balls of electricity at Iron. Iron retracted his blade and leapt away from the projectiles, which exploded as they hit the ground. However, Lightning was so focused on Iron that he didn’t see Flash fly up behind him. “Flash Vortex!” He yelled as he unleashed the light drill attack, which struck Lightning in the back and sent him plummeting to the earth. Seeing his opponent down, Iron aimed his spear as it glowed. “Iron Lance Fury!” He fired off several magic darts in rapid succession at Lightning, who was struck by every single one. As the attack continued, Flash landed on the opposite side of Lightning and looked over to him. The two nodded to each other, before they both pointed their weapons at him. “Flash-” “Iron-” “FORCE!” They yelled together as their attacks were unleashed and flew towards Lightning, striking him and causing a massive explosion. As it did, Flash and Iron both grinned at each other, satisfied with their strike. "Not bad Iron. Not bad at all." Flash snarkly said, his eyebrows hopping as he did. "Tch, You could put a little more power into your attacks, you orange chicken." "Oh shut up, you metal freak." “Don’t tell me that’s the best you’ve got?” said a third voice. The two froze as they looked back at the smoke cloud that had formed from the explosion. The smoke cleared and Lightning was seen standing tall, a few scratches around his body, but nothing major. “Neither of you deserve the title of Royal Knight,” he said calmly. "Then again, I'm guessing you're both street rats, so what was I expecting from ignorant peasants?" “That’s not possible,” Flash gasped, slightly backpedaling. “Our attacks didn’t even phase him.” “But how?” Iron continued, “are you telling me that amulet’s made him stronger than four combined strikes of alicorn magic?!” “You actually thought you stood a chance?” Lightning cackled, “hilarious. Absolutely hilarious! AHAHAHAHA!” Once again, electricity began to spark around his horn. “You two are nothing but ants who command the wind to do their bidding. Well...do you know what happens to ants in the end?” More and more electricity shot out his horn, until finally it burst free and shot around the room. “THEY GET SQUASHED!” Flash and Iron tried to move out the way, but there was nowhere to go. The spell hit the entire building, electrifying the duo. “AAAAAHHHHHHH!” The light of the attack filled the room, making everypony inside almost go blind. Finally, when the light began to fade, it showed Flash and Iron on the ground, lightning sparking around them. “You’re still alive?” Lightning asked, seeing their pained expressions. “Damn. I thought for sure that would end you, you pathetic little worms. Say, why won’t you two just give up already?” “I...can’t...move,” Flash wheezed out. “Me...either,” Iron replied. “You two fools,” Lightning said as the amulet glowed once again, his eyes also turning red. “Celestia, Luna, Cadance and the old geezer. The weaklings you call friends and the pathetic ponies of Canterlot,” a burst of dark magic pulsed from his body as he yelled, “YOUR TIME IS OVER NOW!” Then, Lightning stopped. Instead, he closed his eyes as a certain light began to shine over his horn. Flash and Iron's eyes went wide as they saw the light. “It’s time..." Lightning slowly said, the light slowly getting bigger. "To unleash my ultimate spell, for which no pony is safe.” “He’s nuts,” Iron gasped, trying to get up, only for his body to react in pain. “He’s actually gonna cast it. The first and most powerful forbidden spell.” “That’s right metal-head,” Lightning laughed as the light continued to increase. “I’ve mastered the ultimate forbidden spell. The one by which all other forbidden spells are measured.” “No,” Flash whispered. "You can't Lightning! The last time this spell was cast, an entire kingdom was wiped off the face of the world!" “Divine Judgement,” Iron whispered, “anypony that is bathed in the light of this spell that the caster sees as their enemy won’t survive. We’re as good as dead.” “LIGHTNING!” Flash yelled, “WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!” The light grew more and more intense. “DON’T DO THIS!” Lightning wasn’t listening, to focused on casting the spell. He was seconds away from firing it when- “LIGHTNING!” A soft but firm voice called out from the doors of the church. The three male ponies looked around and went wide eyed when they saw the voice's owner. “Fluttershy?” Flash asked. “You idiot,” Iron told her. “What are you doing here?!” “The princess sent me,” Fluttershy explained with a slight gulp, her body shivering at the sight of Lightning. “She told me to find Flash and Lightning and bring them back to the palace.” Lightning chuckled. “And why would I do that?” “Grand Hoof,” she faltered but stayed strong, “your grandfather...is close to death!” Those four words made everypony freeze. “Please stop this,” Fluttershy continued, “you and Flash need to go see him one last time. Before he’s gone forever.” “No,” Flash whispered as his heart felt like it’d been ripped in half. Grand Hoof, who’d always been like a grandfather to him, was going to die. "You gotta be kidding me." “This can’t be happening,” Iron added. "You must be...no." “PLEASE LIGHTNING!” Fluttershy screamed, tears in her eyes. "PLEASE STOP!" However, instead of stopping, Lightning just smiled. “This is working out perfectly,” he cackled. “Once that old fool is out of the way, nopony will be able to stand against me.” Flash and Iron growled hearing this, while Fluttershy broke out crying. The duo tried to get up again, only for the pain to surge through their bodies again, causing gravity to pull their bodies into the floor. As they did, the light grew even stronger while the ground around them began to shake. “A new era for Equestria is upon us,” Lightning spoke, “and with it, I will stand above all others.” Fluttershy fell to her knees, trembling at the sight before her. “Lightning,” she whimpered. "Please stop! Please! “You can’t do this!” Flash called out at the unicorn. “Don’t you care about Grand at all?” Lightning didn’t reply, he was finally ready to unleash the ultimate forbidden spell. “DIVINE...JUDGEMENT!” With that, the light pulsed out through the church, out of the doors and bathed the whole city in the white light. Flash, Iron and Fluttershy were blinded as well as the light continued to shine. Then, everything went white.