//------------------------------// // Final Showdown // Story: Being Brave Part III // by artman7391 //------------------------------// The van moved at as much speed as it could as Cory in the back layed down in relief. He looked to his left and saw the his other friends and the human mane 6 along with Twilight, rubbing his forehead with a motherly look. Human Applejack was on his other side, checking for any broken bones or fatal bruises. At last, he could rest easy from all the drama. "It's over." Cory said. "It's finally over. You all did it." "No Cory." Twilight replied. "You did it." The two hugged in a warm embrace as Cory looked over his shoulder at his friends in person, and Pony family on the IPAD screen. They were all clapping for joy as Cory was looked at like a true hero. "There's gonna be some celebratin tonight when you come back little brother." Pony Applejack said. "You deserve it." "Just try and stop me." Cory responded. Meanwhile, the once proud Stiffson had fallen from his tyrannic throne as the back of his suit was still tied to a cupboard. He stared at the van outside the window, which was now speeding out of the parking lot and onto the highway. His eyes filled with a righteous rage, turning a bright menacing green with two red irises and bright pupils. With the grip of his beast like hands and the strength of 3 men, he yanked himself free of the grip, ripping his jacket to shreds. Now he was truly pissed off, as he heavily breathed in anger and insanity. As this was happening, Discord was still hiding in the broom closet, watching the scene through a hole in the door. Stiffson trudged through the room like a wild animal in a cage, breaking all the desks, smashing the test tubes, and throwing the chalkboard across the floor. Discord shook with fear, covering his mouth and anticipating the worst. He had seen his boss go through many tantrums, but never like this. Just when things couldn't get worse, Stiffson found a large bottle tucked away in the drawers, with a dark, green elixir inside. On it was what looked like the image of a scary demon, with eyes like Sombra. Without thinking, he grabbed the formula and chugged it down like a frat boy at a party. "No..." Discord shuddered. "Not the whole thing." Indeed, Stiffson finished the whole elixir down to the last drop. Then, as he smashed the bottle on the ground and headed towards the door, Discord could see he was starting to change. Searing in pain, Stiffon got on all fours and ran down the hallway. "Oh dear." Discord said as he carefully looked out the door and saw him trudge away. "I've got to warn Canterlot High." He grabbed what he could, opened the window and ran down the parking lot and onto the highway. As Stiffson bolted down the locker bay area, he felt the pain of the transformation building inside him. His looked at his hands as they turned into sharp, menacing claws. His feet were ripping out of his shoes, becoming talons that dug in the floor. His back cracked and molded as it sprouted spikes and finished off with a whipping tail at the end. In addition, his body grew into a gargantuan size, ripping out of his clothes and replacing his flesh with black, shiny scales. To top it all off, a pair of horns emerged from his forehead as his face shifted in form, making a furious roar, like T-rex at maximum volume. Stiffson was no longer an educator, nor was he human. He was now the menacing monster he truly was. With the push of this new body, he ran like a large cat down the hallway and burst out of the entrance, causing the front of the school to completely demolish. Cory and the others in the van looked up startled as they heard his fearsome roar. Now they could see him in all his horrible glory. "Great leapin toads!! What is that!!?" Pony Applejack asked. "That's Stiffson." Cory said. "In his purest form." Twilight gave Vinyl Scratch the nod as she pressed the accelerator and sped up the van. The Stiffson monster jumped onto the highway and began a high speed chase straight out of a movie. Vinyl's vehicle swerved to the left and to the right, nearly dodging every car and truck that was in the way. Cory and friends bumped into each other from side to side as Vinyl Scratch tried to keep her balanced. Eventually they got a grip, holding onto the side bars and stared out at the incoming monster, whom was sprinting nearer and nearer. Unlike them, Stiffson was crashing and stomping on any car that got in his way, causing small explosions behind him. "That is not gonna look good on his Resume." Katie murmured. "So, how do we stop him?" Human Rainbow Dash asked. "Throw whatever ya got at him?!!" Joanna suggested. They all shrugged and started to pick up any random items in the van, throwing them in the monsters face. Human Pinkie stood out the most as she pulled out a party cannon and spewed confetti right into Stiffson's face. "You got a party cannon?!!" Pony Pinkie shouted. "Earned it after working in Sugarcube corner." Human Pinkie replied. "That's my other me." Pony Pinkie replied as she shed a tear of pride. The van swerved around the highway as the chase preceded closer and closer to Canterlot High. Stiffson made a few earth shattering roars while Cory and friends prayed for their own life. The only other lives they prayed for were those other unfortunate drivers who ran into the mess. They couldn't imagine what fatalities would result in all this. But that was now the least of their concerns. Miraculously, they nearly missed every driver. Meanwhile, Discord hopped into a taxi cab and directed it to the the schools entrance. Never before had he felt so much regret for all the decisions he made. Now it was time to fix this grave mistake of his. As the cab parked by the curb, he rushed inside and asked a random faculty for Principal Celestia, who just happened to be walking by. "May I help you sir?" She asked. "Celestia." Discord said in relief. "I'm glad I found you. There is a situation going on involving your students." "What happened?" "No time to explain. It involves Stiffson Academy, and it is imperative that..." "Stiffson Academy?!" She replied with a surprised look. "I haven't heard that name since..." "Yes, yes, you can discuss later." Said Discord. "Come with me." He grabbed Celestia by the hand and the two ran outside for the next taxi. Vinyl Scratche's passengers were now in danger as the Stiffson monster drew closer and closer to them. They could almost smell his breath when he made his roars. By now they had run out of things to throw at (with the exception of Vinyl's music equipment), while human Fluttershy had sprouted wings and was behind them trying to pick up whatever trash they littered and scooching any animal away. "Fluttershy do you copy? Over." Said human Rainbow Dash who was talking over her walkie talkie. "Just trying to make sure no animals choke on this garbage. Over." Human Fluttershy responded. "I think we've got bigger problems than that Fluttershy." Said Joanna. "You can deal with that when this is over. Over." "Can I at least push it to the side so no animal gets hurt? Over." "Ugh. Fine. Over and Out" Replied Human Rainbow Dash as she rolled her eyes. "He's gaining on us!!" Camden shouted. "What do we do?" Cory regained his balance as he got up on his feet and stared at his enemy. His friends looked at him in awe as he never made that face before. "If I can beat him back there." He said. "I can beat him here." He stoically walked to the edge of van as he kept his balance on the railing. "Cory!! What are you doing!?" Yelled Twilight. "It's now or never mom!!" Cory responded. "This is why I followed you here!! I need to settle this once and for all!!" "No, Cory! You have your whole life ahead of you!!" "I have to do this mother!! Trust me." He looked at Twilight with the most confident face he ever made. No longer was she looking at the fragile, frightened little boy she found almost a year ago. Now, she stared at a confident, intelligent, and brave young man who could triumph over anything. Twilight knew he was all grown up now, at least enough to conquer his fears. What more could a mother ask for? "Yes." Twilight replied with tears in her eyes. "I do trust you." "Mom." Cory continued. "If I don't come back, just go on without me. Go back into the portal and don't look back. You have responsibilities in Equestria." "But what about your exhibition!?" Tony asked. ".....Dedicate it in my memory." He turned away from his friends as his hands turned into fists, ready for another spar with the Stiffson monster. Suddenly sparks started to fly out of his clenched fists. His hair spiked in the air as a forcefield drew around him. His eyes turned ghostly purple just like Twilight's coat. Then, with one hard lunge, he leaped into the air and flew towards the incoming threat, punching Stiffson right in the nose. The two tumbled off the side of the road, finding themselves in a large field, a perfect setting for an ultimate showdown. Meanwhile, his friends, only a few blocks from Canterlot, parked the van and just stood there with big eyes and gaping jaws. "How is that even possible?" Asked Pony Rainbow Dash. Twilight thought for a moment. "I must've transferred some of my powers into Cory the last time I hugged him." Indeed, Cory now looked like a superhero, flying around the monster and shooting beams of light out of his hands. It was like something straight out of an anime, except this was real, very much real. "I AM GOING TO CRUSH YOU!!" Stiffson shouted in a thunderously demonic tone as he tried to catch Cory. "AND PUMMEL YOU INTO THE EARTH!!" "You'll need to catch me first." Cory responded as he flew around made a few kicks and punches. "Come on!" Joanna Shouted. "We gotta help him!!" The five of them embraced Twilight, as they too felt a powerful surge run through them. "Aw shoot." Said Human Applejack. "We gotta help too." Twilight's human friends picked up some instruments and started to play. They felt the power of friendship run through their veins as they sprouted tails, wings, and pony ears. Now all eleven of them were ready to fight alongside Cory. Even Sunset Shimmer found strength in her, whose wounds had healed instantly upon touching her guitar. They ran down the slope and entered the battlefield, with Cory leading the way. It was then every student and faculty member from Canterlot High, whom had noticed the fireworks and laser show from afar, drove up in cars and buses to the open field. Now the place had turned into a gladiator stadium of over a thousand spectators, cheering "Cory" "Cory" "Cory" as they watched in amazement. This was the attention Cory always dreamed of, but never thought possible. The team surrounded Stiffson like a swarm of butterflies and wasps circling around him at once. There were smacks, kicks, blows, spins, strikes, one attack after the other. Yet, their small size was nothing in comparison to the monster. Then, at that very moment, two familiar faces appeared out of the blue. It was Princess Cadence and Shining Armor, still in their pony form, and still with as much magic in this world as in theirs. "Aunt Cadence!! Uncle Shining Armor!!" Cory shouted. "How did you find us." "Your friends told us silly!" Shining Armor replied. "Then why are you two still ponies?!" Twilight asked. "Crystal spell. Only the most advanced can do it." It was at that moment Stiffson thrust his giant claw at Cory and threw him against a nearby boulder. As he started to charge towards him, Cadence pulled him back with a spell. "Get your greedy hands away from my nephew!!" She shouted. So the battle continued, with the addition of two more companions back home. Cory jumped on Cadence's back as Shining threw him his javelin, turning it into a sword the moment he touched it. He guided his aunt to the back of Stiffson's head and stabbed his skull, leaving a small mark in the monsters scalp. Stiffson shrieked in pain, slapping Cory off Cadence's back. Luckily, he grabbed the side of his ear and swung back on her. Down below, his other friends tried to distract him by throwing off a few moves of their own. Human Applejack and Joanna formed a two person kicking machine as they stomped on top the talons, cracking them in the process. Human Rainbow Dash and Katie played frisbee with a round, flat stone they found on the ground and ricochet it on the scaled knees. 'And Human Pinkie Pie and Tony performed a slapstick routine of "Tag-you're-it," Confusing the monster with their mannerism. Cory never thought he would lead his friends in such an epic battle. Just when they thought they were going to beat him, Cory thrust his sword forward at Stiffson's face. But unfortunately, he was stopped by his large tail and pummeled to the ground. Stiffson then deep breath and roared a large gust of wind, knocking everypony and everybody off balance. Everyone was now on the ground in a daze, unable to know which was what. Cory wearily got up and messaged his left, which he sprained pretty badly. In addition, a few scratches and bruises covered his face and body. He looked around and saw his friends and family, still lying on the ground from shock. He couldn't comprehend what they were saying as all he could hear was a buzzing sound driving through his ear drums. Then, as his senses kicked back in, he heard what they were trying to tell him: "CORY LOOK OUT!!" They all shouted. Indeed, a large claw loomed over Cory's head. He tried to doge it, but it was too late. Stiffson had caught him in his grasp. "I TOLD YOU, YOU'D BE DEAD IN A YEAR." the monster hissed as it pressed Cory's rib. "AND I STICK TO MY PRINCIPALS!!!!!" "Put..Him..Down..Sheldon!" Said a voice from below. Cory's family got up and saw Principal Celestia staring defiantly at Stiffson. In her arm was Spike, whom was still recovering from his scar "WHO ARE YOU?" Stiffson snickered as he looked below. "I'm surprised you don't remember me." She replied. With those words, she pulled back her hair making a luscious ponytail out of it. "CELIE?" Stiffson responded with big, sombra eyes. "This is not the Sheldon I remember." "Sheldon?" everyone responded with shock. "The Stiffson I knew would never bring to anyone." "IT DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY. YOU MADE ME LIKE THIS." "I was trying to help you that night of the school dance. I would never have tried to abandon you." "WE COULD'VE BEEN HAPPY TOGETHER CELIE. WE COULD'VE DONE SO MANy THINGS. AND THEN YOU FUCKED IT UP." "No Sheldon!! You did this to yourself. I only wanted to give you more friends. I knew how lonely you were and that the only way to help you was to introduce you to others. I tried to explain that, but you decided to not listen to me. you..." "SIIIILEEEEENCCCE!!!!!" He swung his claw and threw Celestia 20 feet back. Everyone just stood in shock. Not only did he hurt students, but also administrative staff. Then he dropped Cory as he landed with a thud on the hard ground. "YOU THINK YOU CAN SOFTEN ME WITH PAINFUL MEMORIES OF THE PAST?! HMMM!!!! WELL I WILL NOT BE PROVEN WRONG AGAIN!! I AM THE MASTER OF ALL WHO SURROUND ME!! I AM ALWAYS RIGHT!!! AND I WILL NO... LONGER... BE... DEFEATED!!! But just as he was about to make one final blow on Cory's little head, he was stopped by a large forcefield that was in the way. Right beside and surrounding Cory were his five friends, all joining in to create a large, luminescent shield of friendship. Right in the center was Capricore "AGEES" Sparkle, Holding all the five parts together with a large ball of magic. "Sorry Sheldon." He said. "But you forgot one thing. I have courage. Something you don't have. You may be strong, aggressive, demanding, all these things. But you will never have the one thing that unites us all: Friendship. And believe me, it takes bravery to find that." Soon, Katie and Joanna bolted straight into Stiffon's claws, with a force that threw him back and pinned him into the soil. Next was Rachel and Camden, who restrained his legs dug them into the soil. Then, it was Tony, who flew right into his head and tied him securely in his magic grip. Now, Stiffson was helpless, he was like Gulliver on the Liliput, unable to move, unable to fight. "You know Sheldon." Cory said as his power slowly charged up. "All this time you've been throwing us to the ground, not giving us a chance to show who we are and speak our mind, as if that's how you learn. But you forgot that learning doesn't come from fear or discipline, or any of those strict tactics of your's. It comes from the willingness to try new things, to accept your limitations and embrace your mistakes, to have the desire to explore new things, show off your talent, and above all, make friends along the way. And with honesty, generosity, Laughter, Kindness, Loyalty, and Magic, you can be brave enough to conquer anything. Cause not only does it unite us all, but gives one a reason to LIVE!! He levitated off the ground as purple flames flowed out of his fists and his hair blew upward like a super saiyan. Everyone in the audience gaped in amazement as they watched their young leader become the hero he was born to be. His wings fluffed out to display for all. His tail swished in the wind the flag on a mast, and his Horse-like ears stood erect, able to hear all that was around him. "I'm proud of who I am. I love the life I live. And you can't control me anymore. Cause that's the key to being brave." He flew up skyward, leaving a medium sized crater at his previous standing point, and a smokey rainbow streak that glittered in the air. The Canterlot High bunch ran off to safety, but not so much as to miss this once in a lifetime event, just far enough to not be bombarded by debris and magic. Cory soared higher, and higher, and higher, beyond the clouds, beyond the stratosphere, beyond where most aircraft dare to go. He swore he could see the entire country of the United States from this altitude. Never before had he felt so alive in his entire short life. Never before had he felt on top of the world above everyone else. Never before had he been this mighty, grand, and brave. Then with the thrust of his body, he zoomed down into the atmosphere and transformed into a fire bolt of pure energy. Strangely, he felt no pain. He felt right, he felt sure, he felt triumphant. As he spiraled further and further, he thrust his arm forward, aiming his target right at what was Stiffson's heart, which was drawing nearer and nearer. Soon, he could see the monster in his range, ready to cleanse of all it's wickedness. "SHELDON!!" Cory shouted. "YOU ARE RELIEVED OF DUTY!!" He hit his enemy straight in the chest, causing a humongous explosion of almost epic proportions. Everyone ducked for cover as the blast grew and grew. The force was so intense, it left small yet significant damage to any nearby structure. Canterlot High suffered a few injuries (shattered glass and dented walls), but the Academy was left completely obliterated by the explosion, leaving nothing but the base floor and a few stray pipelines. Soon, everyone was within the blinding light as it made a sonic boom across the terrain. The sky was blotted out by this spectrum of all the colors of the rainbow. It was glorious and powerful at the same time. There were crackles, blazes, flares, sparks every tremendous sound possible. Cory had done it, he had repeated the display his mother made so long ago. All was beautiful, all was stupendous, all was jaw dropping in it's own special way. And then....All was quiet.