//------------------------------// // Chapter 30: Fyrlon III // Story: Flame of Disparity // by Cinders of War //------------------------------// As the fourth and final Flame of Death was placed in its alcove within the stone, beams of blue fire shot out from them, meeting in the middle, where a pillar of black rock began to forth from the ground up. Sunset Shimmer reached for her shield, but then remembered she no longer had it on her. Twilight Sparkle stood beside her, looking skyward as the black spire fired an even larger beam of fire into the sky, parting the dark clouds that had come over all of Fyrlon, lighting the sky with a vibrant blue. It was beautiful, but only if one didn’t know the light came from the Flames of Death. They had caused so much destruction and despair in this world. But at the same time, they were now also opening the way to the Throne of the Fallen Hearth, Sunset’s final destination before returning home. Suddenly, along the edge of the cliffside, a blue portal burst to life, spreading out until it was about the same size as Twilight’s mirror to the human world. Once it had stabilized, the pillar of fire died down, but the rock spire stayed put, now standing there between the four Flame of Death stones. “The way to the throne has been opened.” Twilight nodded and smiled, stepping beside Sunset. “Your way home, Young Flame. Why, no one has set foot in the throne for years. I am privileged to be the firekeeper to see it opened.” “This is really it, huh?” Sunset placed a hand on her moonlight greatsword, now hanging on her back. “It’s finally time to face the nightmare.” The firekeeper nodded again. “It is time to fulfill your destiny, Young Flame. To reignite the Flame of Life and return this world to all its splendour. And then you will finally awaken.” “Not a bad deal, huh?” Pinkie Pie threw a mudpie into a boulder and snickered. “You get to go home and you help make our world a better place too. We both win! Though it does make me wonder… If we’re all just in your head, would we disappear once you wake up?” “I-I’m sure it’s not j-just any typical dream like that…” Fluttershy pulled at her pink hair. “Right? I mean, we’re all h-here. And Sunset’s trapped here and can’t wake up.” “Whatever the case is, I’m going to help rid the Abyss from your world. I’ve already lost friends here.” Sunset looked at the burning portal. “I won’t lose anymore.” “Can we go along with her?” Fluttershy pulled her bowstring to test it. “Sunset will need all the help she can get.” “Naw, man.” Sandalwood walked over, playing with a ball of fire in his palm. “The throne has since fallen to the Abyss.” “The pyromancer speaks the truth.” Twilight looked at them grimly. “Only the Young Flame may enter the Throne of the Fallen Hearth and clear the Abyss’ corruption from this world.” Sunset sighed. Of course she would have to continue alone. “Twilight,” she said, turning back to the firekeeper. “Gravewing mentioned something called the Flame of Disparity. Do you know anything about this?” At this, even Pinkie seemed to quiet down. “It is from our old tales.” Twilight looked to the central bonfire, it’s flames crackling and whipping in the wind. “Before the Age of Ancients had concluded, the Flame of Life came into being. And with that, came disparity. Heat and cold, life and death, light and dark. The Flame of Disparity holds both the powers of each of those, helping our ancestors defeat the dragons of old. “But since the spread of the Abyss from the throne, fragments of the Flame of Disparity had broken out, spreading across its influence, waiting for those brave enough to find them. For years, the Flames of Death changed our land, but then you were brought to us, Young Flame. You’ve done what no one else has. And now I believe you will bring order to the chaos here. The Flame of Disparity waits now for you. I believe it is to test your worth, to see which may prevail, good or evil, light or dark, life… or death.” There was silence for a few seconds, which was broken by Pinkie Pie. “Ooh, ominous…” “So… Once I beat this thing… I get to go home?” Sunset asked. “I assume once the Flame of Disparity falls, the Abyss will have no more flame to provide its spread. With the Abyss gone, you should be able to wake.” “Should be?” “We have never dealt with this before, Young Flame. You are the first.” “You can do it, Sunset…” Fluttershy flashed her a meek smile. “We believe in you. You can do this. You can pave your way home.” “Yeah! You’ve made it this far.” Sandalwood extinguished the fireball in his hand. “And I have more pyromancy, should you have the souls to buy them.” “I don’t know if I have much on me. I think I lost some when I lost to Gravewing a few times…” Sunset looked in her pack. She couldn’t see them, but she could usually feel them. They had a certain weight to them and she had felt lighter after waking at the bonfire when Gravewing killed her a few times. But after beating him, she felt their weight again. It was probably his soul, now residing with her. “And that weapon…” Twilight pointed to the moonlight greatsword on Sunset’s back. “It has tremendous power within. It is as though it is not from this world.” “Yeah, uh…” Sunset took it out and held it out for her friends to see. “I don’t know how to explain this… but it feels like home when I have it. Like, from the world I was born in.” Then Sunset remembered something else she had received earlier. She dug around her pack and produced a black rock. It was the rock she had received from the owl in the Darklight Woods. “Do you know what I can do with this?” she asked the others. “I got this from an owl.” “Titanite chunk!” Pinkie exclaimed, snatching it from Sunset. “Wowee, I haven’t seen such a huge chunk in a long time. “Come on! Come on! We’ve gotta take this to Maud!” Practically dragging her, Pinkie scrambled Sunset over to Maud’s Smithy. Her blacksmith of a sister simply looked up as she threw the metal gate open. “Hello, Pinkie. Hello, Sunset.” “Maud, look what Sunset found!” Pinkie brandished the titanite chunk over her head. “It’s so big! Do you think you can work with it?” Maud accepted the ore from her sister and turned it over in her hands. “I can work with it,” she nodded. Then the blacksmith turned her head to look at Sunset. “What do you want me to upgrade?” Sunset thought about it, then held out her moonlight greatsword. “Would this work?” Maud’s normally deadpan expression suddenly morphed into a shocked one. “Where’d you get this? This is amazing work.” “I got it off Gravewing, though I’m sure some other outside force had put it there.” Sunset handed her the weapon and she ran a hand along its bluish blade. “You have brought me a fine weapon, Sunset Shimmer.” Maud placed it on her anvil. “I shall make it even finer.” Maud went to work, melting the titanite into a liquid metal, before layering it over Sunset’s magical blade. Once that was done, she lifted her hammer and brought it down repeatedly. Sunset didn’t know how all of this worked, but hey, if her weapon was to improve, she had no qualms about what Maud were to do with it. With one final strike, Maud placed her tools down and handed the weapon back to Sunset. “New and improved. You’ll find it hurts enemies more now.” “Cool. Thanks, Maud. Really. It means a lot that you’re helping me.” “You’re going to save our world and go home, are you not?” The purple haired girl picked up a nearby rock and gave it a rub. “And so I will do everything in my power to make sure you’re well equipped.” “See? Maud’s real nice!” Pinkie gave her sister a hug. “Thanks, Maud! Come on, Sunset, let’s get you more prepared than you ever will!” Sunset barely had any time to have as Pinkie dragged her out of the smithy. As she held her greatsword in her hands, she couldn’t feel any difference, but perhaps just like her souls, she would be able to inflict greater wounds with her weapon now. As she neared Twilight and the others, she suddenly picked up the sound of footsteps crunching on the grass behind herself and Pinkie. Someone else was coming. “Wow, look at that! That’s a beast!” a new voice sounded behind her, though it was really familiar. Turning, Sunset spotted a blue haired boy in leather armor standing behind her, a spear at his side. She knew him. After all, they had even dated for a while. “F-Flash? You’re here too?” she asked in bewilderment. Just who else was here? Was all of the human world here too? “Oh, you know me?” He grinned. “I suppose tales of my strength might have gotten to more ears than I thought. Might I ask the name of someone as beautiful as yourself?” “O-Oh, uh, well…” Sunset blushed and rubbed the back of her head. “Sunset. S-Sunset Shimmer.” “A delight to meet you, Sunset Shimmer.” Flash waved to Sandalwood. “I got your knife back from the blacksmith. Good as new.” He removed a short blade and tossed it to the green haired pyromancer. “Right on.” Sandalwood caught it and inspected the blade. “Did you hear? Sunset got the four Flames of Death. She’s ready to enter the Throne.” “So that was what all that flashy magic was.” Flash looked to the sky. “Beautiful and talented. We must find time to get to know each other.” “Sunset’s going to beat the snot out of the Flame of Disparity. Then she’s gonna go home!” Flash Sentry looked confused. “She’s from another world.” “Oh.” Sunset couldn’t help but feel sorry for Flash. He always seemed to get attracted to girls who were from different worlds, even including the human world’s Twilight, in a metaphoric sense. But Flash was a good friend, even if she hadn’t seen it at first. He was always protective and kind. Sunset mused about that. Perhaps if she hadn’t been so bent on obtaining power, she would’ve seen him as more than just a pawn back then. “So, to the Abyss, is it?” Flash planted his spear’s end on the ground and leaned against it. “Can’t say I enjoy the thought of you going in there alone.” “She’s already been in plenty, Flash,” Sandalwood explained. “She’s beaten even Gravewing, Firedrake of the Depths.” “Oh. Right.” His eyes returned to Sunset’s new weapon. “So, this sword, where did you get something like that?” Sunset flipped the weapon in her hand. “I pulled it out of Gravewing’s tail. I’m not sure how it got there, but I’m thinking it was placed there magically. I think… I think someone wanted me to have this.” Pinkie tilted her head to the side. “What makes you say that?” “It was that voice again.” Sunset thought back. “It was the same voice as the Spirit of the Rite of Kindling. I don’t know what she is, but… I think she’s from outside this dream if she’s helping us against that Lord of the Waking Nightmare.” “Receiving help from outside…” Twilight rubbed her lavender chin. “Interesting. You must truly be special indeed, Young Flame.” “Oh, I’m nothing special…” Sunset blushed again and looked at her feet. “I’m just a girl trying to live life better with my friends, overcoming magical entities and evils together.” “Sounds quite special to me!” Pinkie was beside her, a wide grin on her face. “We’re your friends too, right? Right?” Sunset looked at her, Fluttershy, Sandalwood, Flash and Twilight. “Yes, you’re all my friends. I couldn’t have made it this far without any of you.” Sandalwood chuckled. “Flash has yet to help.” The blue haired boy rubbed the back of his head. “That is… true. What can I do to help, Sunset Shimmer?” Sunset shrugged. “I don’t suppose you can traverse the Abyss?” “I don’t suppose I can…” Flash sighed. “Hey, I could always give you what souls I have. That way, you can get stronger for your final battle.” “Hey, that’s a great idea!” Sandalwood got up and dusted his pants. “We can all give you what we have.” “What? That’s like giving me all your money. I can’t possibly accept that.” “You can if it means saving our world, Sunset Shimmer. Come on, take it.” Flash opened his pack and held out a wispy ball of light. “Souls of a proud warrior.” “You can have mine too!” Pinkie said happily, holding out her own ball of souls to her. “M-Mine too…” Fluttershy grinned. Sunset looked to her friends and couldn’t help but tear a bit. Even here, they were willing to give up what they have to help her. She really couldn’t have asked for better friends of a better power. Her friends were her power and no power in any world could ever top that. “Then I gladly accept your gifts.” She held out her palm. Their souls floated over to her like little dancing fireflies, which merged into a much bigger one as they met atop her hand. “Now, that’s a soul of a great warrior, if I’ve ever seen one.” Flash whistled.  Sunset nodded. It was a huge mass of souls now. Lifting it to her face, she closed her hands over the soul and watched as it broke apart and entered her pack; immediately, she felt its weight in her satchel. “Come, Young Flame.” Twilight held out her hand. “Come take nourishment from these sovereignless souls.” Sunset did as she was told and kneeled down before the firekeeper, feeling strength fill her bones and muscle, making her more powerful. Once she was done, Twilight stepped back and put her hands together. “You are ready, Young Flame. The time is now. Cleanse this world of the spreading Abyss and wake.” “You got this, Sunset…” Fluttershy nodded. “Only you can do this. And I believe you can.” “She’s right, you know?” Pinkie grabbed her in a bear hug. “Go get ‘em, Sunset!” “Yeah, dude, you’ll do just fine.” Sandalwood held out his pyromancy flame. “You have what I’ve taught you. I’m sure they’ll come in handy.” Flash scratched the back of his head and grinned. “I haven’t been of much help till now, but… I do hope we can meet each other again.” Sunset’s cheeks coloured. She wondered what this Flash Sentry really thought of her. She wondered what he would think if he really knew her. A part of her also thought perhaps she could try again, starting from a clean slate. Would Flash still be with her if she hadn’t been such a terrible person? But these were thoughts for another time. Sunset had a mission to finish, and by Faust she was going to finish it. She looked at her moonlight greatsword and nodded. Something had put this here, just for her. Whatever the Spirit of the Rite of Kindling was, it seemed to be of Equestrian magic. Somehow, that had worked its way into this dream world to aid her. She was going to do this. She was going to succeed. For her friends here and her friends back home. “The portal awaits, Young Flame.” Twilight motioned to the burning blue vortex by the cliff’s edge. “The Throne of the Fallen Hearth is open to you.” Sunset walked to it, then turned to face her friends one more time. “Don’t worry. I’ll finish this. I’ll end this scourge and I’ll return this world to what it once was. I’ll find my way home.” And she stepped through it.