//------------------------------// // Episode 26: Finale Part 2-Final Battle! Rock the Dragon Burst Stream! // Story: Elements of Heroism: Season 4 // by Bahamut0 //------------------------------// Twilight had just left Ponyville to keep her friends out of the coming battle. However, Inferno and the remaining Elements of Heroism had summoned their Duelist Arms. "Burst's not come back yet." Inferno began as he readied his Duelist Arms. "And from what we've heard from Twilight, Tirek's beaten Discord and he's willing to scour the world to gain avatar magic. I don't know what sort of power we're going up against. But if we make our last stand, we'll make it here. I know none of us are at top strength. So if anyone wants to back out now, do so." Inferno saw all of the others rooted in place. "Then it looks like we're ready." The Elements of Heroism then met up with their respective girlfriends. It was then that Tirek made his presence known. "So. This is where Princess Twilight resides." Tirek said with a sneer. He then saw the remaining Elements of Heroism readying their Duelist Arms. "Well. It appears there are more fools who wish to try and halt me." Tirek then threw Discord at them, but Tyrannus caught them. "Here. He's no longer any use to me." Tirek then cracked his knuckles. "This should be most amusing." Inferno steeled his gaze as he led the Elements of Heroism in a charge against Tirek! "LET'S GO UGLY!" Tirek sneered, an proceeded to beat the Elements of Heroism as they came at him! While their Duelist Arms were able to do some damage, it wasn't enough. The battle, if it could be called such, was over in almost a matter of mere minutes. It took the remaining Main 6 offering their magic for the Elements of Heroism to be spared. However, Tirek then imprisoned the remaining Main 6 and Discord. Inferno slowly rose using his sword to prop himself up. "That's it. I'm unsealing my power!" "Inferno, are you crazy?!" Ace scolded! "Even if all of us DID unseal our power, who's to say we would win? Tirek's absorbed almost all the magic in Equestria!" "I DON'T NEED TO WIN!" Inferno shouted! All the guys could see the fire raging in his eyes! "I just need to get in one good punch. Burst wouldn't go down without putting everything into one last hit! And I'm gonna do the same!" Inferno focused on his sealed magic, and undid the seal on it. "But I'm gonna wait to pull off my last attack. The rest of you should keep your magic sealed." Inferno then looked to Akage. "Akage. You're the stealth expert of our team. I need you to keep tabs on Tirek's path." "Wait!" Nightfall said as he pulled out a series of watch-like devices. "I made these so we can keep in touch. I finished them just a week ago." Nightfall then handed a communicator to each of the present Elements of Heroism. "The only one we've got left is Burst's. But...he's not here." Inferno smirked. "I wouldn't worry. Something tells me we'll be seeing him soon. Whenever things get really bad, that's usually when he shows up to make things right." With that, Akage then left to keep tabs on Tirek. At the same time, Twilight was reflecting on all the events that had transpired as she gazed at the Castle of the Two Sisters. Discord being neutralized, the princesses givng her their magic, and Burst rushing off to protect the princesses. Twilight sighed. "All my friends have gotten dragged into this. And all I wanted was to keep them out of it." "PRINCESS TWILIGHT!" Tirek boomed as he made his presence known! "Surrender your magic to me!" Twilight promptly teleported away, and fired a blast of magic from behind Tirek! "Never!" Twilight then teleported away, but Tirek gave pursuit! Their battle raged across the countryside! The two combatants were equal in terms of power! Their clash soon took them to Ponyville. However, a blast of magic from Tirek destroyed Twilight's library! "MY LIBRARY!" Twilight cried out as she saw her library decimated. Twilight then decided to move the battle away from Ponyville. 'I can't let anyone else get hurt. I've lost my home. I can't lose my friends!' Twilight flew to the outskirts, and continued her battle there! "It seems we're at an impasse." Tirek stated. A smirk then crossed his face. "Which brings me to an interesting proposition." Twilight scowled. "What could you possibly have that I could want?" "A trade." Tirek said smugly as he brought forth the bubbles containing Discord and the rest of the Main 6! "All the avatar magic for your friends. I believe that's fai-ARGH!" Tirek clutched his face as a blast of energy hit it! Twilight's jaw dropped when she saw Inferno calmly strolling up to her. Smoke billowing from his Blackfire blaster. "Mind if I make a counter-offer?" Inferno quipped as he broke into a run and kept firing charged shots at Tirek's face! "LET'S SEE HOW YOU HANDLE ROUND 2!" Inferno took to the air just as Tirek stomped the ground! Narrowly avoiding the column of rock speeding towards him! Inferno continued his charge shot assault! However, Tirek had enough of Inferno peppering his face, and swatted him to the side before grabbing him! "You would not be the first insect to vex me today." Tirek growled as he tightened his grip! "You're no Burst Stream. But you've succeeded in annoying me just as much as he did!" Tirek then sensed Inferno's magic, and sneered. "Ah! So THAT'S why you were so easy to swat earlier! You sealed away your magic! Clever. If only you had kept it hidden." Tirek's jaw unhinged as he began to suck Inferno's magic! However, this was what Inferno was waiting for! "Hope you're a heat junkie!" Inferno spat as he set his magic ablaze! Burning Tirek's throat and breaking his concentration on the bubbles! Twilight used her magic to catch her friends and Discord while Inferno continued firing charged shots at Tirek's face! "YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME?! YOU WANT A PIECE?!" Tirek growled as he used his magic to heal his scorched throat, and glared at Inferno. "No. I want you in pieces!" Tirek threw Inferno the the ground! Leaving a crate upon impact! Tirek was about to bring Inferno to an end, but Twilight stopped him! "WAIT!" Twilight protested! "You win. I'll give you the magic. Just...don't hurt my friends." Tirek sneered. "It seems you are sensible after all." Tirek's jaw unhinged as he drained the avatar magic from Twilight! "Yes...YES....YES!" Tirek howled with mad laughter! "AH HAHA HAHA HA! NOW I AM UNSTOPPABLE! NOTHING WILL STAND IN MY WAY! NOTHI-?!" Tirek stopped his tyrannical monologue when he felt something go through his arm! Tirek then looked at his right arm, and saw it falling to the ground. The wound had been completely cuaterized from where it was cut! "YEEAARRRGHHH!" Tirek screamed as he clutched the cauterized stump of where his right arm once was! Then, a lone figure landed on the ground in front of Tirek! Twilight and the girls couldn't believe it! Inferno had just climbed out of the crater, and smiled when he saw the figure. "Heh! Figures you were waiting to make an entrance!" Inferno said with a weak chuckle. The figure slowly rose to his feet. Burst Stream smiled. "Sorry I'm late to the party." Burst made his way over to Inferno, and helped him walk. "Hey. Not a bad job for your trial run as acting leader. You've really lived up to your potential." Inferno smiled weakly. "Thanks. Means a lot...to hear that...." Inferno then felt himself being enveloped in magic, and whisked away! "Don't worry. Inferno's not dead." Burst said as he made his way to the Main 6 and Discord. "We'll be seeing him again soon. But right now, I've got a villain to fight." Discord smiled weakly before looking to Twilight. "Here." Discord then handed Twilight the amulet Tirek had used to trick him to Twilight. "Tirek gave me this as a sign of his surrender. Use it to send him back to Tartarus and give him one from me." As Twilight took hold of the amulet, a rainbow flash went off in her eyes. She then told the girls of her plan, and they went to retrieve their keys! Meanwhile, Burst turned around to face Tirek. Tirek stared at the cauterized stump that was his right arm as he calmed from his spasm of pain. He glared at Burst. "Again I must face a Stream. Strange fate isn't it?" "Strange and ironic that it'll end the same way." Burst replied. "But with one difference. I'm gonna do what my dad didn't. I'm gonna finish you!" Tirek scowled. "Fool! I broke your sword! How could you possibly cut me?!" "Easy." Burst said with a smirk as he pulled the handle of Bahamut Edge out, and pressed the button on its side! A blade of brilliant blue plasma ignited! "I got an upgrade." Burst then flew at Tirek! Dodging each of the titanic centaur's swings! Leaving cuts in Tirek's remaining arms and all over his body! Soon scarring Tirek across the face! Burst then fired a charge shot at Tirek's face! Making the villain reel in pain! But Burst wasn't done yet! Burst cut at Tirek's legs! Crippling the would-be conqueror! Burst then noticed the other guys rush to his side, and unseal their power! Tirek scowled down at the Elements of Heroism as they circled him! "Twelve of you, or twelve-hundred. It won't matter!" Tirek claneched his fist! "ALL OF YOU SHALL BECOME DUST BENEATH MY HOOVES!" "You might be stronger than any of us alone." Burst said defiantly! "But together, there's nothing that can stand in our way!" All the Elements of Heroism raised their hands to the sky! "HEROES TO THE CORE!" All of them shouted as bright lights shot out from their cores! The light bound Tirek in place! Tirek writhed in anger, but froze when he saw Twilight and the rest of the Main 6 floating above him! Having unlocked their Rainbow Power, and unleashing it full force upon Tirek! "NOOOOOOOooooooooo-!" Tirek screamed as the rainbow engulfed him! Returning a good portion of the magic he'd stolen to its rightful owners and releasing the princesses from Tartarus! As well as causing Twilight to gain a castle made out of crystal! The guys were about to celebrate, but a portal opened up! Tirek slumped out of the portal with a crazed look in his eyes! "I WILL NOT BE DENIED! I kept Discord's magic in reserve should I be cast into Tartarus. Crushing you all with your weakened states! But first..." Tirek focused Discord's chaos magic, and reattached his arm! Everyone was about to get ready for a final battle, but Burst stepped forth while motioning for them to stay back. "My dad was the one to start this. I'll be the one to finish it." "AH HAH HA HA!" Tirek cackled. "You think you can best me boy? I held all the power in Equestria! And I will hold it again!" "You're wrong." Burst said as he got into a fighting stance! "This is the first time I've ever found myself using this technique. But using it now, it'll all end in one blow!" "NOT IF I STRIKE YOU DOWN FIRST!" Tirek screamed as he charged at Burst! His horns facing forward with the full intent to gore Burst! Burst on the other hand, took a deep breath. Allowing the whole world around him to slow down. Suddenly, Burst snapped his eyes open as he focused all his energy into his fist! A brilliant blue aura surging around his fist! "DRAGON...." Tirek was still charging forth when Burst unleashed his final attack! "FIIIIIIISST!" Burst punched forward! And as he did, he turned into an energy projection of a dragon! Tirek's eyes widened with horror as he raised his arms to block Burst! But Burst broke through! Destroying Tirek's arms, and shooting right through Tirek's chest! A blinding light going off as the last of the stolen magic was returned! When the light faded, Tirek still stood. With a big, gaping hole in his chest that had a clear view of Burst on the other side. "Impossible...." Tirek sputtered as he tried to hold what was left of his life together. "Not even Aether...possessed the power you had..." Tirek fell to his knees! "I...I held all the power...." "No. You didn't" Burst said as he turned to face Tirek. "You had no power. The strength you gained wasn't you own. You stole it from others in order to empower yourself. It wasn't something you honed, or trained to develop. Despite the fight you gave me, you're the weakest opponent I've ever faced." "You...." Tirek croaked. "...How did you...gain such strength? What magic....did you learn?" Burst closed his eyes, and put a hand over his heart. "It's the strength of fighting for those you love. The power of fighting for people and things that are larger than you are. A strength your brother recognized. One he tried to teach you." A sigh escaped Burst's lungs. "It's a shame that you failed to learn. If I ever meet Scorpan, I'll apologize for this. But he knew what had to be done." And with that, Tirek turned to dust. No longer would he menace the world. Burst then saw all his friends running to him, and smiled. 'Everyone's safe. Good. But...I'm so tired....' Burst's eyes started to close as he began to fall to the ground. Only to be enveloped by the same light that had whisked away Inferno! When Burst opened his eyes, he saw Inferno standing over him. "Inferno? Am...I dead?" "Nope!" Inferno answered with a grin. "Your dad's been waiting for us. I've already ascended, but I'm not going back without you." "You've certainly found a good best friend." Aether said as he appeared before Burst. "Come with me Burst. I've been waiting for this moment to come for a long time." Burst slowly got up. "What do you mean Dad?" "Walk with me Burst." Aether said with a proud smile. "It all began with that first day." As Burst followed his father Aether down the path before them, a song began to play and images started to become clear. Song that plays: Burst saw his days at Celestia's School for Gifted Magi. Then, he saw his first encounter with Celestia and his training with his father. Burst then saw his battle against Nightmare Moon, and the next image he saw was him meeting Inferno and the rest of this friends. Their battles against the Nightmare Forces and the destruction of Night Terror were the next scenes that played out. His dance with Celestia at the gala. The battle against Discord. Meeting more new friends during his time in Ponyville and them forming a pretty much unbeatable team of friends. Then there was his battle against the Umbrum, and the romance Burst had built with Moon as well as his battle with Shining Dawn. Looking back on it all, Burst had never imagined he'd have so many friends. Let alone literally become the lover of two goddesses. "So...what happens now?" "Now?" Aether said with a smile. "Now your time has come." Burst was then enveloped in a bright light! Back in the real world, two orbs of light appeared before the princesses, and both sets of elements. When the lights faded, Burst and Inferno stood in their place! However, they had changed. Both of their wings' scales had become feather-like. Giving their wings the appearance of both dragonic and angelic traits. Also of note was the red coat Inferno was wearing with gold pauldrons while Burst's white coat had platinum ones. Inferno smiled when Rarity ran into his arms. Burst smiled at the scene, and walked over to Celestia and Moon. "Looks like you two won't have to worry about losing me anymore." Burst said as he held onto the two tightly. "I belong to you two. Forever." Celestia and Moon cried tears of joy as they tightened their embrace around Burst. "Hey...how're we gonna party if you keep holding me like this?" Everyone shared a laugh as they headed inside and proceeded to celebrate!