Flash had been up before the dawn. He stood along one of the eastern walls of Midnight Castle where he had a good view of watching the sunrise. He took out his sword and genuflected on his right knee as he saw the first hints of the sun’s light. He placed the tip down in an open spot in the stone that he stood on and held the actual blade, leaving the handle and pommel exposed, on the pommel was a rendering of Celestia’s aura mark. On Flash’s back was his shield. As the sun began to rise he began to speak softly as if to himself, but if Applejack happened to have stumbled upon him, she would have recognized that he was praying, affirming his fidelity as a Sentinel to the divine being that he was devoted to, the demigoddess Celestia. Once he finished his prayer the pommel flashed a solar gold. He then got back to his feet and nodded to the sun, “I’ll not fail your student,” he said.
“Who are you talking to?” The voice caught Flash off guard. He turned to see Spike as the dragon-turned-dog stretched his left ear with his left hind leg.
Flash spoke while turning his head as he forgot that the girls elected to transform Spike into a dog before the went through the portal, “In a way, Princess Celestia.”
“Like how Applejack sometimes talk to Zacherle and/or Faust?” Spike asked not quite sure of what Flash had done.
Flash had to think about it for a moment, it wasn’t a one-to-one comparison, Celestia actually resided in this world, but she was back in Mystica, while the major Avatars were no longer physically there in the world, they seemed to still be present on a certain level everywhere, “More or less,” he answered while he sheathed his sword and started away from that spot on the wall and started to look for where the guard or militia would train and practice. He needed to keep his skills as sharp as possible with the trial by combat he was going to face the following day.
As he walked, Spike then followed after him, “Where are you going? Shouldn’t we be getting ready to join up with Twilight for the games? They were your idea,” the dog barked trying to keep pace.
“Fair enough,” Flash replied as the two walked, all the while keeping his eyes peeled for where he could hone his skills. “But I have to keep myself fully trained and ready for the Trial by Combat.” Spike seemed to be able to follow him, however Flash knew that he could use some help, turning to the dog, “Do you mind helping me find the official militia training ground, if that turns out to not be an option then we’ll look for a good open space away from everything else.”
“But what about Twilight and the others? They should know what you're doing.” Spike pointed out.
Flash stopped, “Yeah, they should know, that I might be late.” Before Flash could say anything else Spike was off to inform Twilight. How the dragon-turned puppy seemed to know his way around the castle was surprising, but Flash elected to press the matter later. Within a minute he found a castle guard who directed him to the barracks and training grounds.
Spike returned to Twilight’s room, the latter having changed out of her sleepwear, “Flash is going to spend most of the morning training for his duel tomorrow. Can I help him?” Spike asked from the doorway.
Twilight turned to her familiar, “Wait, wasn’t this whole competition thing for the Elements his idea?” Twilight countered slightly annoyed.
“Given that he’s facing a battle to the death tomorrow…” Spike trailed off. Twilight sighed as she headed out of the room, “So, can I help him? We’ll be there for the last game the girls compete in today.” Spike said as he begged while giving big puppy eyes and a small sad whimper.
Twilight couldn’t help but shake her head with a closed-eyed smile, “Sure, just be there as soon as you both can.” Spike yelped happily in response and bolted to find Flash.
Flash was standing among several of the guards of Midnight Castle, everyone else was wielding hammers, wooden axes, blunt spears and such while Flash was holding a wooden sword slightly longer than what he normally wielded. The wooden sword was also noticeably heavier than his sword, being about 1.5 kilograms, while this wooden sword was about two times the weight, which was to be expected. Flash was not surprised that most of the guards did not wield swords, while he couldn’t and didn’t assert that Midnight Castle had a similar military to Mystica’s or a similar history, he knew that swordsmithing was a long and laborious craft known to only a handful of people (which in Mystica was a select few of the Apple Clan) and that swordsmanship was also rare (he could count all the current members of the ESM, outside of the Apple Clan paladins, with any type of sword as a weapon with both hands with digits to spare), as axes, hammers, maces, spears and such weapons did similar jobs on the battlefield, were easier, less expensive and less time consuming to make and replace and were easier to train with (more so maces and spears) and could be used to perform other tasks around the camp (more so hammers and axes), and the sword is a predominantly offensive weapon with little defencive use especially in comparison to the other weapons employed. This gave Flash a few advantages, especially since he has been training against others who wield the other weapons, but he knew better than to underestimate them. He recalled the last time he thought he had the advantage because he wielded a sword.
It was two years ago, Flash was in the tavern boasting about he bested pretty much his whole barracks. While he finished his current mug of cider, “and then I…”
“We were there! Sentry. Sweet Celestia, will you shut up!” another member of the ESM shouted before attempting to drown his rage with his drink.
“You’re just jealous I train with the superior weapon.” Flash brushed off as he slammed his mug on the bar, “Serving wench, another cider!” he proclaimed as he also placed a fifty bit-note in the woman’s cleavage and slapped her rear as she left to fill his order (not that she minded, soldiers of the ESM tipped too well and they 9,999 times out of 10,000 kept themselves and each other in line, which was more than could be said of the rest of the Chantalot population, sans those that recently moved into town and Princess Celestia’s staff).
“You know, a sword is a tool and like any tool, it’s only as useful as the user,” came the voice from a hooded and cloaked man in a corner.
Flash scoffed at that remark. His own blade was older than Mystica and had been in his family when Bullion bounced Platinum on his knee, granted it had to re-tempered and reforged every so often. “Ha!” Flash laughed, “Prove it. You, me the Chantalot Barracks at noon. Use whatever weapon you want.” Flash then took the mug he paid for and drank it all. Flash then left to the barracks to sleep off his drink, never once seeing who he spoke to. As Flash left, the man took off his hood. All the soldiers gasped.
The next day before noon, Flash was in the training yards of the Chantalot barracks, in all his gear on and sword out of his scabbard and his shield on his arm. Just before noon, the same cloaked man entered the grounds, he had a spear and shield. “No magic, just our weapons.” the man said. Flash nodded and the two then charged at each other. Flash tried to use his shield to do divert the spear, but his opponent was able to back up and keep Flash at bay very successfully, even scratching Flash’s exposed section of his arms able to get around the shield. Flash had best spear-user before, but this one very much had him on the ropes as he was forced to attempt to hack at the spear in order to get closer, to no avail.
After about a minute and a half of this back and forth, Flash’s opponent was able to slip his spear into Flash’s under-protected armpit of his sword arm and was able to use his spear as a lever to force Flash onto his knees and ground. “I yield,” Flash shouted before the man proved the point deeper into Flash’s body. After redrawing the spear, the man took off his hood, revealing himself to be, “Marshall Armor…” Flash muttered in disbelief. Shining said nothing only cleaned off his spear. There was no need for him to say anything, the silence spoke volumes.
Back to the present, Flash had taken the silent message to heart, as he faced each of the guards that have elected to help him train. Each boat lasted more or less a minute, Flash winning some and losing some. This went on with a few breaks on Flash’s part until the noon as Spike encouraged him with his barks. As Flash was drinking some water, one of the guard’s turned on a radio to check on the status of the games, then came Blue Moon’s voice, “Well, North before we start with the individual events, but we have an update on the pheidippidiadromos…”
Flash’s eyes shot open and his pupils constricted, he had missed most of the games, “Twilight’s gonna kill me.” He heard Spike speak up, letting slip that he could still talk.
Before anyone could question, “Ventriloquism, I’m a little rusty.” Flash said as he returned the training equipment he borrowed and reclaimed his actual gear before grabbing Spike. “Gotta go, thanks for helping me train. Bye!” Flash then had his ethereal wings manifested and start to beat at an ever increased rate. “I hope you haven’t eaten anything less than two hours ago, Spike.” Flash said as he then muttered, “Solar Dash.” and left the are traveling at the speed of light in the direction of the stadium. It took him less than a second to get to the stadium, once there he could only use small short bursts to get to the Baron Cinch’s booth.
Just as he arrived, Twilight had finished saying to herself, “They should have been here by now.”
“So they didn’t witness our awesomeness, so what, we all won,” Rainbow said as she reached into Pinkie Pie’s hair.
“What are you doing?” Spike asked.
“Oh Spike, there’s bound to be a complete concession stand worth of snacks in her hair, you can find just about everything else,” Rainbow answered not noticing she just identified one of the two absent parties, until too late.
Everyone turned to see Flash and Spike, “Sorry, we’re late. Flash got a little carried away with the training.” Twilight only gave them both a humph with an upturned nose and turned away, giving them the cold shoulder.
“I’m in the pound, aren’t I?” Flash asked as he looked to the other four.
Rarity was the only one to speak as the other three looked away nervously, “Sadly, darling, that would be a yes.” Rarity then turned back to Flash, “Just give her time, she’ll come around eventually, we managed to become her friends after crashing her home with a surprise welcome party, anything is possible.”
“Thanks, Rarity,” Flash said as he placed Spike down so that the dog could go to his ‘master’. Flash then started out, “Well I got some more training to do. Sorry I missed the games.” When he left the booth, “I am an idiot,” he could not help but mutter to himself.
Several hours later, as the night came and it was long past dusk, two hours ago there was the third update on the 300-k race, Applejack, Sugarcoat, and McSteer all reached and passed the halfway point, the 150-k marker. Further down the path, McSteer had elected to go one farther while Applejack and Sugarcoat took a short break. However, Twilight could not focus on Applejack, there was nothing she could do without giving Sugarcoat grounds to accuse Applejack of cheating, nor could she sleep at all, she tossed and turned in her bed, haunted by the prospects of the next and final contest of the sixth to reclaim and keep the Elements. While the return of each of the other stolen Elements might have brought some comfort to her because her friends had their back, there was still the battle to come, the trial by combat. Not helping the matter was how cold she was to him all day. After another fifteen minutes, she gave up and still in her (cute) librarian-eques nightwear she left her room in the dead of the night, being as quiet as possible as Spike slept in a ball on her bed. It took her five minutes, but she arrived at the door to Flash’s room and found it slightly ajar. She knocked on it, “You can come in,” Flash replied before Twilight could ask for entry. Twilight then entered.
Flash had just gotten up from kneeling before he turned to face his late-hour guest. “Flash, can we talk?” Twilight asked as she walked in.
“Scared about tomorrow and my duel against whoever Sunset recruits?” Flash asked getting to the point as he sat on his bed and patted on the bed to his left which was closer to the foot of the bed. Twilight nodded in silence as she joined him. Flash looked forward, not looking Twilight in the eye, “you’re not the only one in this room who is,” Flash sighed.
“I shouldn’t have agreed to all this.” Twilight said as she looked to the next day and the fight Flash was going into, “I can’t ask someone to…”
Flash placed his right hand on her shoulder, cutting Twilight there, “Part of the employment agreement form of enlisting, I am to fight to protect the lives of the people of Mystica, the princesses, etc, and that means I might die,” Flash said with a shrug. “Not only as part of the ESM but also as a Sentinel.”
Twilight remembered the term and that Celestia referred to Flash as one, she knew it was a class of combatants but she didn’t know much about it, “What exactly is a Sentinel?”
Flash scratched his head as he took a minute before he answered, “Sentinels are the rarest of soldiers in the ESM, our magic is tied to things we can do thanks to boons, or blessing, we are given by a divine being. In my case, I am a devotee to Celestia, granted you’ll find few if any that aren’t, Luna has been gone for a thousand years, Discord has sealed away in stone, if you follow either Zacherle or Faust, or the Teachings directly as a sentinel would you’re a paladin, Cadance has yet to fully establish what her boons are…” Flash stopped unsure how to proceed.
“And I just became one a couple of days ago,” Twilight finished as she turned to look at the only mirror in the room. She sighed, “So far I am a pretty lousy demigod.” She whispered before she felt her body turned to face Flash.
Flash’s face was stern like a father scolding a child, “Don’t you ever sell yourself short like that again. You earned your status! You did! Celestia didn’t earn it for you! Nor did Shining Armor and Cadance! Nor Your Friends! YOU DID! THESE WINGS?” Flash asked rhetorically as he touched Twilight’s metallic wings, “YOURS! THE ELEMENT OF MAGIC?” he then moved his hand to the six-pointed star at the made the base of the wings’ joint, “YOURS!! MY LOVE? “ he continued as he took hold of Twilight’s upper arms, “YOURS!!!” Flash then froze as realized what he just said.
“You…” Twilight started, “love…” she couldn’t finish the question. “Flash… I…” She didn’t finish as she was pulled closer to Flash, so close their chests separated only by their clothes.
“I love you, Twilight,” Flash whispered his mouth so close her’s it was almost a kiss. He then kissed her with his eyes closed. As he broke the kiss, about a second after he initiated it, he turned away slightly ashamed of himself and his actions, “I am coming on too strong, aren’t I?” he asked realizing the lines he was crossing. Before Twilight could reply, “I should…” he started only to be rendered mute as Twilight kissed him in turn with at least ten times the force he applied.
Four seconds after she initiated the return kiss, Twilight broke it. Looking pleadingly into Flash’s eyes, “I love you,” Twilight whispered as she placed her hands on his back and where the back of his head met his neck. Flash pulled her close to him as he leaned back onto his bed taking her with him. Before anything else happened Twilight took her left hand and used her magic to shut and lock the door. As the door shut, the insignia on the pommel of Flash’s sword barely flashed a solar gold to a stellar purple.
About the same time, in a dark alley, Sunset stood next to a street lantern, she watched the moths gathered until she heard the sound of bovine hooves on the cobblestone. She turned and saw Longhorn. The once proud minotaur with long horns was battered and his horns broken and then filed down near to his skull. “Surprise you are willing to show your face after you got your ass handed to you by Sugarcoat. Guess the only saving grace is that you weren’t incarcerated as well as the last of your crew.” Sunset knew she was poking an injured bear, rubbing salt in its wounds and adding insult to injury, but she could not help but smirk all the while.
“Watch your tongue.” Longhorn growled as he prepared to strike Sunset with a clenched fist as if to punch her with an undercut, “You’re in no better shape.”
Sunset dismissed the bull’s ire with a brush of her hand, stepped to the side and said, “I have to differ, but I am here to make a deal.”
Long was not sold on the idea, he needed to see what he “What can you offer that I can’t get any other way?”
“Your gang, all of them, busted out,” Sunset answered looking at her nails board.
“How?” Longhorn raised an eyebrow not fully believing that Sunset could do it.
“I am a pyromancer trained by none other than the greatest of demigods, Mystica’s ruler, Princess Celestia,” Sunset answered as she had a small fire dance among her left hand’s fingertips while bending the fingers, all that time looking at the fire almost as if she was bored. “I have my ways.” She then vanished the evoked fire and turned her full attention back to Longhorn. “But here is the offer, be my champion in tomorrow’s trial by combat and if you win, I will personally bust your crew out of prison.” She held out her right hand to seal the deal, in more ways than one.
The minotaur was not convinced that Sunset would honor her word, she did have dealings with Sunny Flare, the heir apparent, “What assurances can you give?”
“None, but if Angus doesn’t beat Applejack and Sugarcoat in the race... well, you made the wager that if your entire crew was proven guilty by these trial by contests you’d give Cinch your head.”
“And if I lose?” Longhorn asked raising an eyebrow.
“It's a trial by combat, if you are my champion you win or you die,” Sunset stated bluntly. Longhorn looked away in thought.
Out of nowhere a beat started to play as Longhorn started to voice his thoughts and his once nearly prosperous, for a lack of better term, army and time, “I remember a time
When I resigned sublime,
There was plenty of loot in our hold.
We’d run wild and free,
And frighten a village,
With nary a worry or care!
Then along came this Shadow
With deceit in his marrow,
As he ratted us out in the end,”
Sunset then cut in as she started walking away heading towards the castle and its dungeons by conjuring a ring of fire functioning as a portal, “So rally the troops!
You were meant to regroup,
And return to your roots once again!” after a pause as Longhorn seemed lost in contemplation as he reluctantly followed her, “Are you in or out?
Gotta know without a doubt!
You're the one I need for this dirty deed,
You're the best, success is guaranteed!
Are you bull or cow?
Decision time here and now!
You wanna be a fearless leader, one that's strong and stout?
Better fight for me.
Are you in or out?" Longhorn followed her and the two were in the dungeons but outside of the cells.
Upon seeing his small army of twenty, most of them little more skin and bones, “We used to be feared, yes,” he commented.
Sunset added rather dismissively as she rolled her eyes, “Horrendously heartless,”
Then various members of the Rustles started to joining, “In ravaging raids, we were rough
We knew what we had
To be blissfully bad;
Then came Shadow Bolt with his sensitive stuff!”
Sunset then tapped on Longhorn’s shoulder and making him look to her, “And you strayed from the path
Of your rigorous wrath;
Now they're taking a bath in the dust!” the last part she pointed back to the entire gang as they were all not that far from death.
Longhorn seemed to show he was starting to buy Sunset’s offer with a massive grin forming on his face as he looked at his crew, “But I'll reclaim my winnings,
my humble beginnings,
In turmoil and torture, I trust!”
Sunset again pressed the question, “Are you in or out?
Double-crossers or devout?
Put your faith in me,
Pretty soon you'll see
I’m Misses Congeniality.”
All the Rustlers present then shouted trying to keep pitching the deal to their boss, “Are you foe or friend?”
Sunset added still in song as she returned Longhorn’s attention to her, “Here's the path I recommend!
You want a ride to fame?
I know the fastest route;
What's it gonna be?
Are you in or out?”
As Longhorn continued to contemplate, the Rustles again renewed the pitch, “We'll go robbing in all the right places,
To Mystica beyond the Sea
Imagine the fear on their faces
When we drop by for cookies and tea.”
As Sunset seemed to conjure a set of fiery wings and float above and in front of Longhorn, “Come along, boy!
Follow me!”
The Rustlers while in awe of Sunset’s all asked in song, "Are you in or out?"
Sunset lowered herself back to the ground and turning to the Rustlers,“If you're with me, give a shout.” Sunset then pause for a second as the entity of the gang presented shouted, ‘Yeah!’, “I'll guide you all the way,
Back to the glory days,
You'll begin a life of crime that pays!”
The entirety of the Rustlers looked to Longhorn pleadingly, "Are you out or in?
Make your choice, boss, sink or swim!"
Sunset then conjured a ring of fire to function as a teleportation portal, as she stated the situation that Longhorn was in from her point of view, “You can fight for me, or stay behind and pout.”
The Rustlers then added, with what seemed to be the final push, "What's it gonna be?"
Sunset then began to step through the portal as she held out her right hand towards Longhorn, “Consider carefully.
Are you in or out?”
“I am in!” Longhorn declared as he took Sunset hand and shock it ignoring the burning sensation he felt, little knowing that the fire was slowly working its way into his marrow. After Sunset teleported the two out of the dungeons, “Well, I better be off and prepare for tomorrow, not that boy will be much trouble. He’ll be begging for death before I am anywhere near done.” Longhorn chuckled as he headed off.
Sunset also smirked, what Longhorn didn’t know was that he was now hers and when the right time came, his will, his mind, his identity and so much more would be burnt out of his body, leaving only her fire. “And Cinch thought she offered him a Faustian bargain.”
Meanwhile, on the track of the 300-kilometer race, somewhere between the 175-kilometer mark and the 200-kilometer mark, about 183 kilometers into the race, Applejack and Sugarcoat stopped for a short rest, they were far ahead of schedule and Applejack was actually faring much better than Sugarcoat. As she handed Sugarcoat her waterskin, “Drink up, Sugarcube. Ah don’t want to win by default.”
“Thank you.” Sugarcoat then had a swig of the water. Handing the waterskin back, “You think I am evil don’t you?”
“Ah thought that before wah squared off today.” Applejack said as she took a drink and passed the waterskin back. “Can’t blame me for casting a detect evil.”
“So what did you find out, am I evil?” Sugarcoat said after accepting the waterskin and taking another swig of water, while showing no signs of being affected by Applejack’s assumptions, not that she had any grounds to counter.
“Will the odd thing was that only those minotaurs were the only actually evil beings in the stadium. Don’t get me wrong, Sunset and your baroness are in that gray area between neutral and evil.” Applejack answered. After some thought, “It might not be any of mah business, but why do yall call yourselves the Shadowbolts?”
“We’re half-sisters with the same father. His name was Shadow Bolt, he was an Earthborn from Mystica, some sort of cross of an umbramancer and electrokineisist, he exiled himself almost thirty years ago and arrived here. Back then Cinch’s hold was much less absolute, Reges Longhorn and his Rustlers were more like a freelance mercenary army running a muck then. Shadow Bolt made a deal with Cinch, he would use his Mystican powers to fight on her behalf in exchange he …”
“Ah can connect the dots, so what happened to him?”
“He forced Longhorn’s hand was killed. However, with his death Cinch was able to arrest all. the Rustlers. Seeing that try couldn’t get a fair trial by jury or judge, they all agreed to trial by a contest.” Seeing Applejack’s confusion, “It’s not unlike a trial by combat, but instead of two people fighting each other, it’s competing over an event.”
“That’s one backward legal system yall got,” Applejack commented before she got up, “Well, Ah don’t know about yah, Sugarcube, but Ah…” Applejack stopped as she sensed something. “SUGARCOAT LOOK OUT!!!” she shouted as she dove to Sugarcoat taking them both to the ground and rolled away as an ax was buried in the spot Sugarcoat was resting it. The two looked to see Angus retrieve his ax. “Now that can’t bah legal.” Applejack muttered as she and Sugarcoat got up.
“It’s not.” Sugarcoat deadpanned. “What are you doing, Angus? Killing us won’t help you.”
“There’s a river two kilometers ahead, I can throw the weapon and your bodies in there and it would be a month before they find you. And I’ll be long gone.” Angus held his ax with both hands as he stomped his right foot as if he prepared to charge.
“That truename magic would bah mighty useful now.”
“I can’t use it on him. His true name is his common name and that is common knowledge, there’s no power in knowing it.” Sugarcoat answered.
“So that’s why he’s here. He has the best chance to circumvent your magic.” Applejack muttered to herself as she scanned for a way out. But she couldn’t come up with one before Angus charged. Applejack dove to her left and shoved Sugarcoat to Applejack’s right to maximize the distance between the two, reducing the odds of Angus hitting either. However, Angus was able to glazed Applejack’s arm with his horn and ended up running over and breaking Sugarcoat left tibia and fibula. Sugarcoat cry of pain didn’t fall on deaf ears. Applejack got back up and grabbed a fairly large stick, a makeshift-club, not perfect but it would do. As Angus turned his attention slowly to the crippled truenamer, preparing to bring his ax down, taking his sweet time savoring the moment. “Faust and Zarchele, and all their messengers, Celestia, Luna, and all other demigods, and even you, Discord, please, grant me the strength of a bull and stop this murderer. Amen.” Applejack prayed, her hands then glowed a deep golden delicious yellow and the stick glowed a deep red delicious red. Applejack then roared, causing Angus to turn only for him to be struck in the head by Applejack’s makeshift club. The glowing red stick was the last thing Angus saw. Applejack the broke the club and finding some bittersweet vines, she rushed to Sugarcoat. “This is gonna hurt, but we’re not in a place where we can properly cast it.” Applejack said as she straightened Sugarcoat leg, properly aligning the bones and then sprinting the fracture. She then picked Sugarcoat up, so that Sugarcoat was on her back and Applejack was able to hold her thighs, “Wah gotta boggy.” She soon noticed that Angus was starting to stir. Following another kick to his head stunning him again, “Yah sure yah can only use yahr true-name magic on mah once? ‘Cause wah need tah put as much distance between us and him before he wakes up and Ah can’t cast any speed spells.”
Sugarcoat closed her eyes, and tried to concentrate. Truth be told, she was never in a place where she ever had to use a person’s true name more than once, Sunset told her to expect it wouldn’t work as well, and most people never put her in a place to attempt it, just seeing it used once on one person was enough to get most people to do what she and her half-sisters wanted. After a second, “Run as a falcon flies, Abbelya'akova.” As she finished the last syllable, Applejack started running at a rate that would build up to what would be almost 110 kilometers per hour. “Is this an appropriate time for and an appropriate use of the term…” Sugarcoat started only to be cut off with a…
“YEEEEEHAAAH!!!” Applejack shouted, “EAT MAH DUST RAINBOW DASH!!!”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Sugarcoat deadpanned as she felt her injured leg jar. “Take it easy, I have a broken bone.”
Applejack gave a slightly apologetic laugh, “Sorry, Sugarcube. Never ran this fast before in my life.”
Sugarcoat could only roll her eyes, it was already a long night, “Don’t follow the main road, it would too easy for Angus to follow.”
“All right, but I can’t keep this up for an hour.” Applejack informed.
“If you can last at least 10 minutes, tonight, that should be enough of a cushion of space until the morning, before he wakes up.”
“Can’t make any promises.”