//------------------------------// // Bonds // Story: Flash Sentry Chronicles: War of the Lost City // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// The city was in ruins. There wasn't a single building within the city that hadn't been damaged or destroyed, even the twin castles. The streets were littered with debris, giant holes in the roads and rubble piling on top canals. And as the disaster presented itself, a single jakhowl could be seen running through the wreckage. It was Springer, the defender now hopping over one of the holes before hitting a rock. Tripping over the rubble, he rolled on the ground, quickly trying to recover and get back on his feet. But as he did this, the ground began to shake. He gasped and forced himself to his feet before leaping into a pile of rubble. And as he did this, two buildings away exploded, dust covering the area. Springer glanced up from the sudden forming foggy cloud, now seeing Shadow Corrupter in his newly restored super form calmly walking down a the street with a giant smile on his face. He walked past Springer without a glance his way, the jakhowl following his path to see he was heading for a certain group of ponies. "DON'T!" he yelled as he started run after him, now seeing Shadow raise his hoof. "Goodbye." With a single motion, the shadows that made up his wings flared up and grabbed Soarin and Trixie, both screaming in pain as they were squeezed. The two then exploded into dust before the wings swung around and struck down Heart, Ruby and Cold with several lightning fast slashes. Screams of pain followed this, all of them exploding as Flash then appeared in front of the monster. The defender was in his Sacred Light form, the two charging at each other as an explosion of light and darkness appeared next. Feeling the force from the blow, Springer squinted his eyes as he tried to run up to his best friend...only to see him fall as well. He let out a gasp as he now saw Shadow place a hoof on Flash's neck. "NOOOOOOOOOO!" he yelled as Shadow pushed down, Flash turning to dust as well. And as he disappeared, Springer fell to his knees, the sound of Shadow laughing now gracing his ears. He stared at the monstrous pony, only for Shadow to disappear, a sheet of darkness now covering the area as the place became a inky black void. "No...I can't...I did all I could but..." Springer stuttered out, tears filling his eyes as he screeched out at the darkness, "WHY?! Why is this all the power I have?! Why can't I reach that level?! I've done it before...why?!" He glanced down at his paws, the blue flames that usually appeared now not showing even a flicker of a flame. "Why...what is wrong with my aura?" His voice echoed through the void around him, no reply coming as he then slammed his fists down, "No...I need more...I need more power! More aura...I need more! That's the only way I'll win!" "Is it?" Springer's eyes shot open as he looked back up into the void, only to see nothing. "What?! Who's there?!" "Is becoming more powerful really the only way?" The young jakhowl spun around, still seeing nothing. He turned back to where he was once looking next, only to see a small blue flame in the void. Blinking at the sight, the flame suddenly spread, turning the black void into a clear white one. "Whoa..." Springer gasped as he watched the black void fade away, then looking back at the blue flame to see a very familiar figure. "Dad?!" It was Sharp Paw, the once jakhowl chief now standing over his son with both paws behind his back as he said, "I'll ask again son, is becoming more powerful really the only way?" "Wha...I mean, yeah!" Springer replied, "Shadow's gotten too powerful. If I don't get stronger, I'll never be able to beat him." "You have already grown stronger than any other jakhowl as ever grown, even more than me, and in such a short amount of time." "But it's not enough! I've...I've seen what happens when somepony gains more power than they should. I saw it with Shade. If I hadn't gotten my Mega Mode...a disaster would have happened!" Sharp Paw shook his head at this, "That may be true, but you must be careful. A desire for more power, no matter how pure, will almost always lead one to forgetting what makes power necessary." "What makes its necessary?" "Yes." Sharp replied while nodding, "You must remember what is the greatest reason to have strength. If you know this, you will gain the strength you need within you...and nothing is more powerful than that." And as these words left his mouth, the jakhowl turned around and began to walk away, "And do not worry, I have faith that you will figure it out." "Wait!" Springer yelled as he tried to follow his vanishing father, "Don't go dad! What do you mean?!" "Wait!" Springer gasped as he sat up in bed, panting as he felt sweat drip down his face. He quickly glanced over at Flash, seeing him still fast asleep in his bed before looking down at his paws. Blue flames swirled around them, making him sigh as he clenched the paws into fists, cancelling the aura. "It was...just a dream." he whispered as he got out of the bed. The jakhowl began to rub his forehead as he slowly drifted out of the room, soon going to the dining room. Feeling like getting a late snack to calm his nerves, he then found Heart there, a huge frown on his face while twiddling with a straw in a milkshake. "Hey," Heart turned to him, "You okay?" "No," Heart sighed as he looked back at his drink, "I'm not." Springer went over to the cupboard and got himself a glass of pink lemonade before sitting down by the colt and asking, "Wanna talk about it?" Heart sighed as he finished his drink and slumped over, "No." "You do realize I can bug you until you tell me though, right?" Springer instantly replied. "Yeah...I know." Heart huffed as he pushed the empty milkshake away, "I just...I really screwed up. Flash would have beaten Storm if he didn't have to save me." "Maybe..." Springer responded while taking a sip of his drink, "But you just got these powers. It's gonna take a while to master them. At least we know that have you be careful around water." "No kidding...though I probably should have known that one anyways." "True, we all goofed there. But nopony's perfect." He nudged the colt, making him turn to see a small smile on the jakhowl's face as he continued, "Just don't let your new powers go to your head. We'll help you get a better control over them. And don't worry about what happened today. We all mess up every now and again. Heck, you should have seen how Flash was when he first started using his Sacred Light. He'd fall unconscious and freeze up at the worst times." "Really?" Springer nodded back. "Yup. And it took a looooong time before he got full control over it. Trust me, I've been there for like...half of the Sacred Light screw-ups. The worst being the fourth 'Renegade Farm Equipment Incident'." "What was that like?" "You don't wanna know." He then patted the colt's side, "And don't feel bad, cuz if it wasn't you, it could have been something else. The world's unpredictable like that." "Huh...I guess you're right." Heart replied before asking, "So...are there any times you can tell me about when Flash messed up?" "Oh yeah. Well, with the exception of the incidents involving 'electric mice'. I...actually don't remember any of them. Anyways, let me tell you about the one where him and Pinkie tried to make a 'super city-sized cake' after a cake contest fiasco..." Meanwhile... Flash lay in his bed, rolling around as he let out whimpers of pain within his mind. And as he opened his eyes...he found he was not in his room, but at the forest near Weeping Wood Hollow. The cultists were standing around the tomb, blood seeping everywhere as Gleaming Path's body laid out on it. "This place again?" He commented while watching Path's parents drop the dagger, now seeing a large bloody hole in Path's chest. The rest of the cultists were just standing there, blank silence as they stared at the body. "Well?" Path's father asked the leader, "What happens now?" "Now we wait," he slowly replied, "We must allow our lord to accept the offering before he can break free." It was here that Flash began to hover over the whole scene, looking at each face. They were all blank, cold expressions to him, making him sick to his stomach before looking back at Path. The sight of the colt made his skin crawl, disbelief on his face as he saw both the gruesomeness of the scene and the fear in the poor foal's eyes. And as time began to pass, Path's blood slowly slid down the rock until it hit the ground. The liquid oozed onto the dirt, nopony noticing that it was beginning to bubble and morph. As for the cultists, they were beginning to worry that nothing was gonna happen, only for a loud cracking sound to suddenly strike out. They all turned to see rock explode, the pieces scattering as some tried to shield themselves. And as the remaining pieces of the tomb started to fire out black lights, the body of Gleaming Path floating upward at the same time. Flash could only blink at the sight, now seeing the black lights swirl around the hovering colt. The darkness began to spin around Path, forming a pillar as the defender heard the mother ask, "Is this it?! Is this the moment?!" "It has to be," the head cultist replied as the light began to grow darker, only to start spinning into a tornado around the colt. They all gasped as the tornado then exploded, revealing Path floating upright. He now wore the same armor Flash had seen him wear yesterday, while the shadows flew around him to form wings, allowing him to fly. Flash went wide-eyed as he then saw Path's flank shine, showing a tattoo of a black sun that had a red outline. Everypony was silent as the colt flew down, landing on the tomb as his eyes slowly opened. "My lord," the head cultist responded as he bowed, "We live to serve you. Anything you wish, we will-GYAH!" His voice was cut when one of the shadow wings shot out and morphed into a claw, the claw then gripping the stallion's neck, pulling him up to Path's face. "I am not your god," he hissed, his voice low and dense. A sense of gravelly grim dread were in those words as the colt responded by throwing the cultist away, his body hitting a tree before slumping down. But before anypony could check on him, the others gasped as the wing morphed into a singular pointed blade, quickly thrusting into the cultist's chest. Blood splashed everywhere from the blow, killing him instantly. "Path?" Gleaming's father squeaked out. "You're alive?" His mother added with a whisper. "Yes," Path growled before reaching for his chest. The armor then disappeared, revealing the stab wound now completely gone. "No thanks to you." The armor returned after this, the colt flapping his wings as he started to hover over the crowd. Faces of dread, shock and even amazement were on all the cultists' faces, Flash showing the biggest frown of them all as Path pointed at his parents, "Tell me...you were willing to betray your own son, and for what?" His parents both shook like leaves at the question, the father replying, "We...we just wanted to have a bit of power." The mother slowly nodded in agreement, "Our magic was never anything special. We spent our lives being overshadowed by unicorns that could move cities. We just wanted some of that power." "And that's why you birthed me? So you could have power?" They both nodded back. "Well congrats. Now you can say your son is the most powerful unicorn in Equestria. But you better be quick, you won't have long to say it." And before even Flash could react, a sudden explosion of darkness poured out of Path, consuming everything in a tornado of dark lights. "GAH!" Flash gasped as he sat up, sweat pouring down his face as he looked down at his hooves. "Whoa...that was..." he panted as he saw his hooves shake like leaves, his heart racing at the same time. The defender rubbed his forehead next, still gasping as the scene replayed in his head, "So that's how he got it." He laid back next, sinking into the bed as he muttered out, "Its so different from mine...but I might be the only one that can take him in that form." The stallion's eyes closed as he bit his lip, "But...will I be enough? Can I take on that kind of evil?" He remained like that for several minutes, only to find sleep was impossible. A low moan left his breath as he got up, groaning as he made his way out of the room. "Ugh..." he whispered as he went to the dining room and sat down, his head slumping onto the table. "Just relax Flash...remember, you gotta tell them what happened. And...you got to be ready. You're the only one that can do it." Before the sun rose above the mountain over the city, the inhabitants of the dark castle were awake. But it wasn't a calm morning routine for them, as their castle was now being filled with cries of unimaginable pain. As for its cause, it was Armalum as he screamed, "RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" His legs shook as he was about to give out, Shadow's hoof now on in his face. The unicorn was pouring a surge of dark lightning into the pony, the rest watching the situation with bated breath. A few minutes later, Shadow pulled his hoof away. "That should do it." He sighed before growling, "This is starting to get tedious." "I am sorry master," Armalum replied as he tried to stand up, "I am just as annoyed as you are." "It's bad enough that your host is trying to regain control of his body, but now he's stopping you from fulfilling your duties." He let out a low hiss, tapping the armored pony in the chest, "Get him under control, or I'll cut my losses and remove you from him! If you're gonna be useless, you might as well take up less space in a scribeast or something!" "Yes master...sorry master." Armalum muttered out, looking away. In response, Shadow moved over and sat down on his throne, Tempera sauntering over next as she said, "You should try and relax my love. It'll do you no good to be stressed out if you're called." "I don't need to relax," he replied, "Now that I have regained my power, nothing can stop me. Those fools will fall as easily as a stack of cards." "What about Sentry?" Salix chimed in, Shadow turning to him with a hiss, making the kirin yelp as he stuttered out, "I-I-I was just gonna say that his powers and yours are uh...you know, similar. Y-y-you didn't use your powers the last time you fought him, so you don't really know how well they stack up against one another." "He's right master," Storm added, "You should be cautious around Sentry. I get the feeling he wasn't even using half of what he had when he faced me." Shadow's horn sparked as he heard these words, only to sigh as the magic sputtered out. "You...may be right." He slumped down in the seat, "But anypony else I face will not stand a chance. As long as I am there and he is not, this contest will be ours for the taking." In the other castle... "I see..." Cold hummed after Flash had finished telling the group about his dream. They were in the dining room and Heart was there this time, which Flash gave him a shortened, censored version for the colt's ears. "So his parents sacrificed him because they wanted power?" Ruby asked, "What a pointless thing to betray your son for." "You only see it that way because you have some form of power," Trixie chimed in, Ruby turning to her with a raised eyebrow. Trixie sighed at her reaction as she replied, "You've had your power for as long as you remember, right? To you, it's just a natural thing. But to ponies without power, there's nothing more important than having it. I know that more then anypony." She shook in her seat, looking away as she muttered out, "If I hadn't met Flash and Twilight and was shown my real skill, I probably would have eventually done something stupid like those cultists so I could have more power." "So now we know what happened at this Weeping Wood Hollow," Soarin added, "But I still have a question: Is Shadow a zombie?" The others turned to him with deadpan stares, "What?! He's a pony that died and came back to life due to some kind of dark magic. How is that not a zombie?" "I...guess?" Springer replied, "It does kinda sound like a zombie." "There's no such thing as a zombie," Ruby barked out next, "Clearly he was still alive when the Corrupted Shadow entered him and he was healed." Heart, who had been kinda quiet since Flash first entered the dining room, turned to him and asked, "Was he breathing?" Flash blinked at the question before replying, "Well...I wasn't really paying attention to him. I was more focused on what was gonna happen. He could have been, but I'm not sure." "We'll just have to wait to find out for when we capture him." Cold chimed in before seeing everypony now turn to him, "What? Flash is proof that Shadow is the one responsible for that massacre. A mass slaughter like that, on Equestrian soil, can't go unpunished. When this game comes to an end, win or lose, I intend to take him in." "But how are we supposed to capture him?" Springer asked next, "If his magic is as powerful as Flash's, how are we supposed to take him down?" "Simple. First, we'll need to deal with his followers, then we deal with him." Trixie shook her head at this, "But even if we do manage to capture him, how do you expect us to get him back to Equestria?! That's a long journey, and we don't have any method of holding him and neutralizing his magic until we get there." "We'll find a way," Cold replied, his face unchanging the entire time, "He may be much more powerful now, but even Flash has lost using his Sacred Light. We'll get him back to Equestria and he'll pay for his crimes." Everypony grimaced at his words, most feeling a little overwhelmed at the prospect of capturing Shadow. But before they could voice their concerns, the alarm rang out as Soul's voice called out, "Battle beginning. Please head to the map room for selection." "Let's go," Flash commanded as he spread his wings, flying into the map room as the 3D image appeared on the table. The bingo caller appeared next, the first orb coming down to show an ball with Springer's face on it, the jakhowl taking a deep breath. He remembered back to his dream, 'I need to remember the greatest reason to have strength? What does that mean?' "The competitors have been selected." Springer gasped as he looked up, now seeing the two other orbs now in view. "Springer, Soarin Skies and Trixie Lulamoon. Proceed to the battlefield." Springer turned to his teammates, Soarin and Trixie both nodding as Soarin asked, "Ready?" "Yeah." "Let's do this!" Trixie added before they all vanished. The others turned to the table, now seeing the other names appear. "Oh no..." Flash gasped before closing his eyes, "Springer!" As soon as the three appeared down in the city, Springer instantly got the message from Flash. "Let me guess, you're calling to warn me." "Its Shadow! He's in the battle!" Springer went wide-eyed at this, gulping as the memories of his dream went through him. "Who else?" "Wingill and Salix. They're-they're coming for you now!" "Heads up everypony!" Springer yelled as he entered battle mode while forming a Bone Breaker. "They're here!" "Who?" Trixie asked, only for a fireball to suddenly hit the a nearby roof. "Eep!" She yelped as she quickly raised magic shield around them, all turning to see Salix, Shadow and Wingill standing on a roof. "Nevermind." Shadow took a long deep breath as Salix and Wingill just bowed before him. A smile creeped onto Shadow's face as he stared at the trio, "Excellent. I am truly glad you three will be the first to feel the raw unmatched power I have regained." "You're not unmatched," Soarin barked back, "If Flash were here, he'd be kicking your flank halfway back to Equestria." Trixie nodded in agreement, "And even if you could beat him, there's no way you'd be able to beat the princesses. You obviously know that because if you didn't, you probably would have tried to attack Equestria by now." "You might think you're strong, but power alone is meaningless." Springer finished, those words making Shadow's ears twitch. "Oh, is that so?" Wingill and Salix stood up, only for Shadow to raise a hoof. "No. You will do nothing." "But master-" "You will do nothing. I will finish this now. We have been shown that if all combatants are beaten, the orb will come. I will do this...personally." And as these words left his mouth, he teleported in front of the tree, "Now...bow. Kneel before your superior, and I will make your deaths quick and painless." "You can't be serious. Did you not listen to what we just said?!" Springer yelled, Shadow almost rolling his eyes at his words. "I will not deny that you are right. The power I wield is not enough to take on all the princesses of Equestria... but not you. You three are nothing, just a wolf and a pair of show ponies." "We'll show you what we can do!" Springer replied as blue flames burned from his paws. "We won't lose to you!" "Such foolishness." Shadow responded before a swirl of darkness appeared around him, exploding into a tornado that created a set of armor and shadow wings. He chuckled as they saw the hesitation in their faces. "Ah...and now you feel it. The power of my magic...my strength...and your doom." "We won't fall." Springer growled, pointing his bone breaker at the unicorn, "I'll beat you myself." "Oh?" Shadow chuckled as he tapped his hoof on the ground. "Are you so sure?" THOOM! As that question left his mouth, a tiny black flame appeared on the unicorn's horn. The fire split into three, firing off like bullets as they struck the buildings behind the trio. They turned to the noise, now seeing three rows of buildings collapsing into piles of rubble. He had destroyed over thirty houses in one attack. "Has it now sunk in? Do you not see the pointlessness of this endeavor?" Shadow laughed as they looked back at him, "Now, I will say this again...kneel before me. Grovel under my heel, right where you belong." "Never!" Springer yelled as he lifted his other paw, firing an Aura Blast. However, Shadow's wing swung down and swatted the blue orb away, a new dark flame appearing on his horn. "Grab on!" Trixie screamed as Soarin and Springer did so, teleporting them away right before the flame left the horn. "That's fine." Shadow chuckled, "It would be no fun if it was over too soon." "Velocity Strike!" He turned to his right as Springer suddenly appeared, the jakhowl trying to kick him, only for Shadow's wing to grab his leg and slam the jakhowl into the ground, "Blaugh!" His Bone Breaker shattered as he hit the dirt, his body sparking next as the aura feedback struck him. "Urgh…" "Pathetic." Shadow muttered, only to hear a certain battle roar to his left. Turning to the noise, he saw Soarin charging, "RAAAAAH!" he yelled as he tried to body check the unicorn, only for Shadow to ascend with a single flap of the wings, "WHOA!" Soarin yelped as he shifted his wings to slow himself down before looking up, "No way." "What? You thought these wings were for show?" "Kinda," Soarin gulped. Shadow cackled before turning around, now seeing Trixie on a nearby rooftop. The mare unleashed a magic blast, Shadow's horn shining as he fired a larger magic beam back. Both spells hit each other, Shadow's instantly pushing Trixie back. Seeing this, she let out a gasp before teleporting away, the magic hitting the building before exploding into pieces. Trixie reappeared beside Soarin before grabbing him and Springer, teleporting them both further down the street as she yelled, "We need a plan!" "We need a miracle," Soarin groaned. "He's too strong, and that's not counting fighting his cronies!" "Stop being negative. We're not giving up," Springer added while tapping Soarin's chest, "I don't care how impossible it seems, I won't let him beat us!" But as he said this, Shadow beat his wings, a powerful gust of wind striking the street. The force knocked all three back, Trixie's horn sparking reflexively as she tried to make an ice shield. However, a single dark fireball came from Shadow's horn, striking and melting the shield in one blow. A pile of steam came next, Soarin zipping through the fog as he got up to Shadow. He swung a quick jab at the unicorn, Shadow dodging the blow as Soarin spun and tried to slam two backhooves into him. Shadow flapped his wings to go backward, evading the kick as Soarin spun again before doing two more jabs, Shadow swatting both away, "Not bad showpony." he chuckled as his horn shined, teleporting behind the Wonderbolt as his shadow wing suddenly grabbed Soarin's left back hoof, "Against any normal pony, you'd be considered somewhat skilled. But you're out of your league here." "Shut up!" Soarin yelled as he tried to pull his hoof away, only for an Aura Force to hit the wing. The blast freed Soarin, the pegasi spinning like a top as he then tried to punch Shadow again. But as he did this, the wing regenerated as Shadow grabbed his hoof with ease, his other hoof slamming into Soarin's stomach. "BLAUGH!" "Truly pitiful." Shadow sighed as he turned his punch into a semi-uppercut, shoving Soarin upward. As he did this, the tip of his horn began to surge with purple colored lightning that he grabbed in his hoof. "One down!" He flapped his wings as he went up to impale Soarin with the lightning punch, only for a blue blur to shoot past him and grab Soarin. "Hmm?" Shadow growled as he turned to see Springer land on a nearby rooftop, his body sparking in pain as the aura feedback hit him again. He then hopped off the roof, landing by Trixie as she sparked her horn and asked, "You okay?" "I'm fine," Soarin groaned, "Been better, but I'll live." "Allow me to correct that oversight!" Shadow roared as he summoned his sword while swooping down at them. And as he swung the blade down, Springer blocked it with a Bone Breaker, his body shaking as he felt the impact of the blade. "Trixie, cover me!" Soarin yelled as he pushed himself back onto his hooves. "You got it!" In a flash of light, tons of Soarin clones appeared around the original, all swarming at Shadow as the jakhowl leapt away. "Oh please. You dare use parlor tricks on me?!" Shadow spat as he swung his blade, firing a wave of decay magic. The wave instantly stuck the clones, the unicorn's eye twitching as he saw one of them duck under the attack. "There you are!" He then fired a bolt of purple lightning out of his horn, immediately hitting the Wonderbolt. "AAAAAHHHHH!" He screamed, Trixie quickly teleporting to catch the now falling pegasi. "Soarin!" She cried as she caught him. "Are you okay?" "I can guarantee he is not." Shadow laughed, raising a hoof as Springer swung a Bone Breaker at the unicorn's face...only for the hoof to block and shatter the weapon. "Same with you." Shadow chuckled as he turned to the jakhowl, quickly punching him in the gut. "Augh!" he yelped as he sent to his knees, spatting out a glob of spit. Trixie gasped as she then saw Springer get hit with a bolt of purple lightning as well, screaming in pain as he sent down the street, landing right by the mare. "Oh no..." she whispered as she glanced between the jakhowl and the unicorn, despair consuming her face. "You fought admirably," Shadow commented as slowly walked up to them, Springer's body sparking as he tried to get up. "But you were fools to think you stood a chance against me." As he said that, his entire body began to be consumed in a dark black magical aura. "Now..." He raised both hooves as the energy flowed into them, "BE GONE!" With that he slammed his hooves down, unleashing a giant wave of dark magic across the street. "LOOK OUT!" Everypony in the castle screamed as they watched Springer and Trixie try to raise a shield, only for the magic to completely obliterate it. KABOOM! The entire city shook as the screen went blank, completely cutting the viewers of both teams off. "NO!" Flash cried before looking down at the map, seeing the three dots now going flying down the street. But as they did this, Soul's voice didn't call out. And as the screen came back on, they saw nothing but the three laying on the ground, covered from head to hoof in bruises. "AHAHAHAHA!!!" Shadow laughed as he hovered over to the three, "Pathetic. And you actually thought you could beat me." He then saw Springer slowly pick himself up, making him laugh even more. "My my...still able to stand?" "I won't...give...up." Springer wheezed out, making Shadow cackle. "Seriously?! Can't you see its pointless?" Shadow mocked as he landed, "Can't you see there's no hope...no power that can even remotely touch me." "Power..." Springer whispered as he turned to Trixie and Soarin, his mind racing, 'This is just like my dream. I wasn't strong enough to protect them. I need more power...wait.' He turned to Shadow, seeing the look on his face. It reminded him of one moment, the time when Shade put on the Alicorn Amulet. A look of pure power and confidence...and yet, the memory made him think about his father's words. "The necessity...for power?" Those words barely left his mouth as another memory went through his head, the words Flash had told Cold in their second battle. "In my eyes, the only thing worth protecting in this world are the ponies that made it a great place to live in." "Yeah...that's the same in my eyes too." Springer muttered. "What?" Shadow asked with a raised eyebrow, Springer ignoring him as more lines went through his head. "For the longest time, I had nothing. I was just some street rat that barely managed to scrape by. But then I met Twilight and her family. It was there that I felt love and affection for the very first time. Over the years, I've met more and more ponies and become friends with so many of them. They helped me grow into the pony I am today, the pony I never knew I could be. Before I met Twilight, I never truly lived. I was just...surviving. It wasn't until I met them that my life truly began." "That's...the same for me," Springer chuckled as a blue flame began to appear over his body, the bruises and burns glowing as he did this. "I was born alone in that forest, no idea what my life was meant to be. But then I met Flash and he showed me what purpose my life could have." He reached up and gripped the bandanna around his neck, the cutie mark on it making him smile. "It's thanks to meeting him that I got to make so many amazing friends and grew stronger than I ever thought possible." He looked back at Shadow, aura consuming both paws as he pointed at the unicorn, "That's why I'll beat you. Even if it's impossible, even if every piece of logic says I can't...I'll find a way so I can protect my friends!" As those words left his mouth and entered Shadow's ears, his teeth gritted as he whispered, "You...you believe you can beat me?!" His horn flared as he then roared, "YOU INSOLENT WORM! JUST GIVE UP ALREADY!" With that, a giant dark fireball came out of his horn and exploded into a stream of dark fire, Springer summoning an Aura Guard as the flames struck. The jakhowl let out a grunt as he felt himself get pushed back, only to grind his feet as he pushed the fire back, the shield remaining as the flames dissipated. The sight made the unicorn's eyes twitch, firing another dark flame at the shield. "Do you now see that you have no hope?!" Shadow yelled as the dark fire began to make cracks in the shield, "You have none! No hope against me!" "I...don't...care!" Springer panted as he kept the Aura Guard, "I don't care how powerful you are Shadow! I'll find a way to beat you and protect my friends!" "Friends?!" Shadow almost laughed, "What a foolish word. Why put yourself at risk for somepony if it doesn't benefit you. Protecting them will do nothing more than deal you more pain." "That's what you don't understand!" Springer screamed back as his shield began to shrink around him, "There are more important things in this world than just having the power to beat somepony. To me, nothing's more important than my friends, and if I could I would give up all my power to guarantee their safety!" "Disgusting." Shadow spat, "What a fool you are. In this world, power is all that is important and everypony else is just there to be used to gain that power. After all, without sacrifice, one cannot achieve that power." In the castle, Flash's eyes went wide at those words. The memory of his dream went through his head, now seeing exactly what Shadow's parents did in full display. That is, till Springer yelled, "NO!" Flash's eyes went back to the screen, now seeing the shield grow as Springer began to pick himself up. "I don't care what you say! If I had to pick between a life without power and a life without friends, I'd pick to keep my friends every time! Because power is meaningless without somepony to protect with it!" "How dare you..." Shadow hissed as he gritted his teeth, grinding them as the aura around his horn began flare even more. "JUST GIVE UP ALREADY!" "I'll never give up!" Springer roared as a blue aura flame consumed his whole body. And as he did this, all of his friends began to whisper something under their breath. "You got this bud." "Beat that creep," Heart added. "Show him what happens when you mess with Equestrians," Cold mumbled. "You are your parents son. They would be so proud of you," Ruby continued. "We're with you," Soarin muttered as he slowly pushed himself up onto his hooves. "No matter what," Trixie finished. "We're not gonna let this joker take us down so easily." A big smile appeared on Springer's face as he felt their support. Even though he couldn't hear any of them over the fight, he knew they were cheering him on. He could feel their trust, the words of Celestia at the fight of Flash and Cold now going through his head: "Flash's greatest strength was never the Sacred Light. It was the strength he got from having his friends beside him. So as long as he knows we're supporting him, his power has no limit." "And that's my greatest strength too," Springer mumbled to himself as a bright light began to surround him, the words he heard his friends mutter fill his heart. "They give me power..." the light started to spread to his shield. "They give me strength..." The shield began to glow, the flames beginning to be pushed back. "They are...MY FRIENDS!" And with a mighty roar, Springer's Aura Guard exploded into a shockwave, extinguishing the flames as the bright light blinded everypony. They all grunted, shielding their eyes as Shadow summoned a shade of darkness over his face. And as he reopened his eyes, he now found himself floating in a white void...with Springer. "What is this?!" He barked at the jakhowl. "Uh...no idea." he replied before an orb of light suddenly flew past them. Springer reflexively grabbed it, putting up to his face and gasping, "This is..." he blinked as a certain scene of Flash beating up some timberwolves. "This is the day I met Flash." Shadow just growled, his horn about to spark before an orb floated up to his face. This one showed Springer jumping off a cliff to save a flufflepuff, another orb coming up right after this, this one showing him cut down a bull's horn, learning Steel Paw. More orbs began to hover over to Shadow, showing him fight Shade, teaming up with Lightning at Omniara, yelling at Spike's greed over making a gem cake, getting hit by Zecora's potion...all these different events throughout his life. "What is this?!" Shadow spat as he glared at Springer, now seeing a smirk on the jakhowl's face. "The point is to show you where true power comes from." Springer replied as he pointed at the orbs, "Ever since I can remember, I've had ponies watching over me and giving me their support. And every time I've found myself in a tight spot, they helped me push past my limits. You see, the only purpose of having power is using it to protect those you care about." Shadow's whole face twitched as he was about to yell, only for a bright light began to consume Springer as he continued, "That's why you'll never be able to truly beat us. Your power is tainted by your own hatred and ego." And as he said this, the light began to glow brighter, "True, unlimited power, is earned through hard work, dedication, and a pure reason for having it. Power achieved through betrayal and theft will never be able to overwhelm true power." "ENOUGH!" Shadow screeched, "The power I wield is true power, and I will use it however I see fit!" "And that's why you'll lose." With that, the light explode off of Springer, his body feeling something like a heavy chain now being released from him. "FOR EQUESTRIA!" Back in the real world, the light began to weaken as both the jakhowl and unicorn reappeared. And as they came into view, everypony but one gasped at the new appearance of Springer. His wounds were gone, his body now sporting a larger form as Flash chuckled at the sight. "Is that..." Heart gasped as he turned to Flash. "Yup," Flash replied with a nod, "That's Mega Mode. Looks like he figured it out without needing me and the girls." "Incredible..." Ruby whispered, "I've never seen this before, and I know Sharp Paw couldn't get to this form. Though now that I'm looking at it, Mega Mode sounds a little tacky." "Almost cliché," Cold added. "Eh, you two are just jealous." Flash chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. "Just watch, Springer'll knock Shadow into next week now." Back at the battle... Trixie and Soarin felt the light from the transformation wash over them, their injures vanishing and energy restoring as they just stared at the jakhowl. But before they could say anything, they suddenly felt the ground shake, the whole city feeling a full earthquake as they all turned to a rabid growling Shadow. "WHAT IS THIS?!" Shadow screeched, "What did you do?! Sentry I can buy, even that colt since he seemed to have some outside help....but you?! Some mutt?! How could you acquire such strength so fast?!" He flared his wings as his horn began to spark, "What is with your team?! Why do you keep gaining power from pointless nonsense?! This...it has to be a trick! I bet you have no power at all!" "Oh yeah?!" Springer barked as he suddenly disappeared, only to reappear as a fist was now about to hit Shadow's face, "YOU LOSE THAT BET!" POW! "Blaugh!" Shadow spat as he was sent flying down the street, his body crashing into a building. "MASTER SHADOW!" Wingill and Salix screamed as they ran over to their master as Springer looked back at his friends. "You two okay?" "Heck yeah we are!" Soarin cheered, "And I gotta say, looking good buddy!" Trixie nodded in agreement, "You sure look like you've leveled up. And the way you slammed Shadow, that was incredible!" "She's right. You sure showed him," Springer heard Flash say in his mind. The evolved jakhowl smirked before giving a thumbs up, knowing Flash was watching. Salix and Wingill landed in front of the building Shadow had crashed into, the two slowly trotting up as Wingill muttered out, "Um...master?" BOOM! "Whoa!" they both yelped as Shadow suddenly shot out of the structure, landing next to them as he hissed, "Forget what I said before. Do not let those other two interfere! That wolf is mine!" "Yes master!" The two replied as Shadow zipped across the street. It wasn't a second later that he was about to reach Springer, summoning another shadow flame at the same time. Springer's eyes went wide, pulling up an Aura Guard that blocked the flames...only for the shield to start shining. The barrier began to eat away the flames, only to shift in appearance as the front began to extend outward while two triangular points stuck out of the side. "Now what's happening?!" Soarin asked as they saw the shield continue to morph. "I'm not sure!" Trixie replied, only to see some flames and water bombs fly over the jakhowl and cult leader, "Look out!" She teleported away while Soarin did several back-flips to escape the impact zone, the two now seeing Salix and Wingill flying down to do battle. "Leave Wingill to me," Trixie commanded, Soarin nodding as he was about to charge at Salix, only for Wingill to fly up to him. "Surprise!" The hippogriff cheered as he tackled the pegasi, both going down the street. "SOARIN!" Trixie yelped as she tried to teleport, only for a card to land and explode in front of her, making an anti-teleportation bubble around her. She turned to the source, glaring at a smiling Salix. "Don't think we forgot about your ice magic. It might not be as good as that ice knight, but it could still cause problems for Wingill." Some flames began to form around his mane, "But not me." Trixie tilted her hat, her horn shining as she replied, "Fine...but I won't lose to you." Meanwhile... Shadow could not stop growling as he glared at Springer. The jakhowl's shield had transformed, now being shaped like Springer's head. Appearing to start at the neck, the blue shield now had a snout and ears that were just like Springer's except it didn't have any of the appendages coming off the back. Some of the shield was black instead of blue, giving the head the same markings Springer had on his face. "What is this?!" Shadow hissed as he fired a dark fireball again, only for it to bounce off the shield. "What?!" "Wow," Springer gasped as he stared at the aura shield, "Cold was right. Mega Mode is letting me reshape my shield." A smirk appeared on his face as he clenched his paws, "Hmm...let's try this." He put his arms into a T formation, the parts around the neck of his shield rippling before a stream of aura shot out either side, forming a pair of arms. "What in the name of-" Shadow tried to say before one of the arms suddenly lunged out at him, the unicorn flapping his wings to avoid it, only for the other arm to hit him. "GRAH!" He yelped as he was punched by the solid aura, flaring his wings to keep himself from flying back. But as he came to a stop, Springer let out a long pant as he moaned, "Whoa...that took...a lot out of me." The aura began to vanish as he wiped his forehead, "Might need some more practice before using that." "RAAAAAH!" Springer looked up to see Shadow swing his sword, firing a wave of decay at him. "WHOA!" the jakhowl yelped as he created a Bone Breaker and spun it, pushing the decay back. "Are you kidding me?! You wont decay either?!" "Can't decay aura, its pure life." Springer barked back, "It's immortal as long as I'm alive." "Then allow me to relive you of your precious life!" Shadow yelled as he zipped up to the jakhowl, swinging the blade right down at him. Springer quickly blocked with a Bone Breaker, feeling his feet grind into the street as Shadow pushed his sword down on him. The jakhowl then side-stepped back as he split the Bone Breaker, spinning both in paws as he tried to swing them at Shadow, only for the unicorn to flap his wings, taking back to the air while firing a barrage of black flames. Springer countered by swatting the flames away, only to desummon both bone weapons. "Aura Force!" He thrust a single paw forward, firing a beam of aura as Shadow wrapped his wings around him. Forming a sphere, the attack struck the orb...and did no damage. "Pointless." Shadow spat as he respreads his wings, a small beam flying out of his horn. Springer summoned another Bone Breaker to block it, only for the beam to hit the ground below him. The jakhowl yelped as a portal opened under him, making him fall straight down as Shadow made another vortex above the unicorn. But as Springer fell, the iron spikes on the back of his paws glowed before morphing into claws. "Steel Paw!" He spun around as he went through the portal, Shadow slashing his blade at the jakhowl. A clang of attacks happened next, Springer's side feeling a nasty gash hit his side while Shadow's right cheek now had three thin slices running through it. And as this happened, Springer formed two Aura Blasts and slammed them together, "Aura Clap!" a push of Aura came out in front of him, stopping his descent so he could land safely. His feet hit the street just a second later, only to vanish as he side-stepped, dodging a bolt of purple lightning as he landed a yard away. The jakhowl looked up at the unicorn, seeing him chuckling as his horn began to spark again. In another section of the city... Soarin and Wingill were now flying, the hippogriff unleashing a whip of water as Soarin spun around the attack. And as he dodged the liquid weapon, he zipped up and punched Wingill's face. But the blow barely made him flinch, his claws countering as he grabbed Soarin's hoof. "Pathetic!" He slammed a hoof into Soarin's stomach, knocking the wind out of him before tossing him downward. Soarin cried out as he hit the ground, rolling several feet before stopping with a groan. And as he tried to get up, Wingill just laughed, "Geez, Storm wasn't kidding when he said you were the weakest of your group. Must be humiliating to constantly get your flank given to you, huh?" Soarin growled as he picked himself up, flapping his wings as Wingill raised his claws and summoned a giant cloud of water. He thrust his claws forward next, sending a barrage of water bombs. The Wonderbolt began to zip across the street, only to get hit by one of the projectiles. "GYAH!" Wingill laughed as he saw Soarin crash again, only to spot a certain canal down the street. "Ah! Perfect!" he cheered as he swooped down and grabbed Soarin by the tail. "Let's take a trip to my world!" Soarin gasped as he felt himself dragged along the ground, unable to react as Wingill get to the edge and throw him into the water. He gargled as he hit the liquid, only for Wingill to hit him with a current of water. Gasping for air, Soarin flapped his wings to push himself up to the canal's surface. But as he got a gulp of air, Wingill leapt at him while changing into his sea-pony form. "Don't leave yet! We're just getting started!" He yelled before tackling Soarin, pushing him down to the bottom of the canal. "HA!" Wingill cackled as he clenched his fins and started punching at Soarin's face, pounding into him again and again in quick succession. Soarin wanted to cry out in pain, barely able to keep his air as he began to brace himself. And as he felt Wingill continue to hit him, he felt a sudden bit of hesitation. Squinting his eyes open, he saw Wingill pulling his fin back to smack the Wonderbolt, only to thrust his hooves and grab the fin. "Huh?!" Wingill yelped as Soarin suddenly pulled his tail, only to feel Soarin's shoulder slam into his stomach, "GYAH!" Soarin then slammed both backhooves into Wingill's face, pushing himself upward as he swam upward. He took a huge gasp of air as he hit the surface, taking to the skies as he tried to get away from the canal. But as he did this, Wingill shot out of the water, the athlete turning back to see Wingill in his winged form, "Not bad loser...but you still can't beat me. Maybe if I hadn't received my enhancements from Master Shadow, you could have stood a chance...but you will lose." "I'll decide that for myself," Soarin replied as he flared his wings. "Let's go!" At the same time... Trixie was behind a magic shield, feeling the full brunt of Salix's ongoing flamethrower attacks. But unlike Shadow's fire, these flames weren't even cracking her defenses. "Stop hiding already!" She heard Salix yell as he pumped more power into the fire. "Come out here and fight like a nirik!" "I don't suppose I could convince you to come in here and fight like a unicorn?" Trixie barked back, only to feel a wave of heat now hit shield. "Thought so." She muttered before a bulb went off in her head. She then reshaped her shield from a dome into a wall, continuing to block the flames as she jumped back. "Bye-bye!" With that, her horn sparked before a puff of smoke appeared. The wall instantly vanished along with the smoke, making Salix blink, "What the-where'd she go?!" he yelled as he tilted his head, only to see a unicorn-shaped shadow now cast on the side of a nearby building. "THERE!" He fired at the shadow's area, hitting the ground near it and causing an explosion. "GYAH!" Trixie's voice cried out as her illusion broke, making her visible again. She let out a moan before turning to Salix, the kirin now charging at her. The mare quickly fired an ice spell at the floor, Salix's hooves touching the ice a split-second later, "Whoa-whoa-whoa!" he yelped as he slid towards Trixie, the showmare side-stepping as he shot past her, "You jerk!" Trixie giggled at the sight, now seeing the kirin slide right out of the anti-teleportation barrier. The mare got on the ice as well, sliding over as he turned around and saw her coming. "Now I've got you!" he yelled as he summoned some flames, only for her vanish as she left the barrier. "HEY!" He slammed his hooves down next, melting the ice as he came to a stop before barking out, "Come back here and fight me!" "Are you sure?" a voice called out. "You bet I am! I'll burn you to a crisp!" "Okay!" With that, an explosion of confetti and fireworks appeared to his left, Trixie within the party favors. Salix let out a hiss as he spat a fireball at her, only for her vanish in a puff of smoke. She then appeared behind the kirin, the cultist trying to counter with another flame attack. But once again Trixie disappeared, teleporting behind him as Salix had to keep spinning to keep up with her. And as he spun around a tenth time, he screamed, "STOP IT!" His mane exploded in rage, sending out a burst of fire that struck the entire place. And as Trixie reappeared, the flames went right through her, making him growl before a voice called out, "Step right up! Step right up!" Several puffs of smoke exploded around him before fading to reveal a bunch of Trixies. "Find the pony, win a prize." "I love prizes! Especially when they're deep-fried!" Salix barked as he kept shooting fireballs at the Trixies, turning them all into piles of smoke. "Nope!" They all said after one was dissolved. "Not that one! Or that one! Too bad! So sad!" "SHUT UP!" the kirin screamed as he started to tackling the endless appearing copies. And as he did this, the real Trixie watched from a rooftop as she giggled at the sight, "I could watch this all day," she laughed as Salix rammed another clone into dust, "That's right. Keep tiring yourself out and heating yourself up. When you're all worn out, then Trixie's gonna bring the hurt." Meanwhile again... "Wow..." Heart whistled as he watched, "And I thought I made him mad." "Salix is not one to think during battle. Its obvious he's a more reflexive warrior." Cold commented, "That'll give Trixie more than an edge in this fight." He turned to Heart, "You should continue to watch as best you can. You might pick up a few tips on how to better control your fire." Heart nodded as he continued to watch, only for a loud explosion to catch their attention. "That's gotta be Springer," Flash added as he tapped on his dot, the screen changing to show Springer jumping from one rooftop to another, evading all of Shadow's attacks. "Come on bud, you got this." Down at the battle... Springer landed on another rooftop before spinning around, a white orb appearing in his paw, "AURA FORCE!" An aura laser fired through the sky, Shadow countering with a giant dark flame. A giant explosion happened next, Shadow zipping through the black fog. "You won't get away!" He roared as he went through the smoke, only to see nothing, "What?! Where are you?!" "Right here!" Shadow looked up to see Springer with his head and arm aura form. He threw two punches down, Shadow blocking both with his wings. "You can't beat me worm!" "Oh yeah?!" Springer barked back, "Cause it looks like I have a pretty good chance." Shadow growled as he unleashed a blast from his horn, the beam striking the snout of Springer's shield face. Seeing this, he cut the shield, only to thrust a hoof as he yelled, "Aura Force!" A white beam came straight for Shadow, but the unicorn blocked it with his wings. And as the attack struck his guard, Springer tired to stomp kick the unicorn, only for Shadow to block it as well, "Nice try, but I don't fall for such petty tricks." He laughed as he summoned his sword, swinging it upward at the jakhowl. Springer countered with a Bone Breaker, both weapons locking. And as this happened, Springer made a second bone weapon, swinging it down before Shadow blocked it with a wing. Seeing this, he leapt back, landing on another rooftop as Shadow fired a dark fireball at him. The jakhowl hopped back at this, throwing a Bone Breaker at the flame that destroyed it in one strike. But as this happened, Springer spun around and threw the other bone like a kunai, Shadow deflecting it with a wing. And as he did this, Springer leapt at him, getting past both wings as he summoned a Steel Paw and slammed it into the stallion's stomach. "GRAH!" the cultist yelped as he felt the blow, only for both of Springer's thrown Bone Breakers to return like boomerangs, both bonking off of Shadow's head. "Gack!" he groaned before feeling Springer do an upward kick into his face, making him release a glob of spit from his mouth, "Blugh!" The jakhowl then pushed off of the unicorn, landing again as he yelled, "Still think I can't beat you?!" However, Shadow then cricked his neck before replying with a low chuckle, "I'll admit, you've grown stronger...but you're still no match for me!" He roared as his horn glowed, a barrage of spells now hitting the area around them both. A multitude of dark portals appeared next, Shadow then shooting dark fireballs into the portals around him, Springer's eyes going wide at the sight. No time to bring up his shield, Springer began jumping from side to side while using his Bone Breakers to deflect the attacks. The flames began to graze him at this, the jakhowl grimacing as he kept trying to swat all the flames away. But as he did this, a magic chain came out of one of the portals and wrapped around his leg. "WHOA!" Springer yelped as the chain yanked him, dragging him through the vortex. Shadow chuckled as he pulled Springer along, quickly whipping the chain as he tried to throw him. The jakhowl then formed a Steel Paw, cutting the chain just as Shadow swung the chain down. "Not good!" he yelped as he was sent plummeting into a building, then forming an Aura Guard as he crashed into the structure. "HA!" Shadow laughed as he saw the hole in the building, only for a giant aura paw to suddenly fly out and punch the unsuspecting unicorn. "Blaugh!" he spat, flapping his wings to get his balance, only to see Springer reappear above him. "Hi-ya!" he yelled as he axe-kicked Shadow's head, the blow smacking him straight down. THOOM! "Urgh!" Shadow grunted as he crashed into the dirt, only to push himself back onto his hooves. "Stinking little..." he growled before looking up to see Springer land right in front of him. His horn flared as he glared at the jakhowl, "DIE!" A dark fireball came next, Springer just standing still as the flame was about to hit him. But as it was about to strike, the jakhowl whispered, "Velocity Strike." Shadow stared at his opponent, seeing the flames consume him. A giant grin was about to appear on his face, only to see Springer reappear in front of him. The jakhowl's body was shifting, glitch-like as he pulled his paws back. And before he could react, thirty punches struck the unicorn, the jakhowl pulling back his right paw after this as he then slammed Shadow in the chest with a corkscrew punch. "BLAUGH!" the unicorn spat as he was sent flying back, quickly pushing his hooves down as he tried to stop himself from going back. A small bit of blood splattered the ground, all of the liquid coming from his mouth. He let out a low hiss as he glared at Springer, "How dare you..." But his words fell on deaf ears as Springer looked down at his body, clenching his paws. "No pain. Yeah...I think I finally figured out your ultimate technique dad. Nice." He glanced back up at Shadow, holding up as a paw as he summoned an Aura Blast. "Let's finish this." "No...you will die." Shadow hissed as his horn flared, a sphere of dark light now appearing on the tip of his horn. He then took it in his hoof, charging as he roared while flying right at the jakhowl. Springer did the same, his Aura Blast growing as he sprinted and leapt up. Shadow's wings beat like crazy as he took to air. Time seemed to slow down as they reached one another, both their attacks growing as they thrust them. And as the aura orb and dark bolt struck each other, both collided in a surge of power. But as they pushed against each other, the energy did only one thing. KABOOM! An explosion followed as this sound rocked the city, sending a shockwave across the whole area. "WHOA!" Trixie cried as the shockwave almost knocked her off the rooftop, the mare grabbing the edge as her outcry hit the ears of a certain kirin. "There you are!" he yelled, Trixie shooting him a nervous smile as the nirik glared at her. He then shot a fireball at her, the unicorn teleporting down while firing a beam of magic at him. But as she did this, he turned and breathed a stream of fire, the flames colliding with the beam, both negating each other. "Burn!" he roared as his mane scattered some flames around, Trixie quickly summoning a pillar of smoke before ten Trixies flew out of the fog. "Oh, come on!" he barked as he started attacking the illusions. And as he tried to get rid of the fakes, the real unicorn hopped into an alleyway, her brain trying to run a mile a minute to make a new plan against the kirin. Meanwhile again... "What happened?" Heart asked as the screen was covered in smoke, "Is Springer okay?" "I don't know," Flash added, "But I hope so." "There!" Ruby called out as the fog cleared, showing Springer crash into a building while Shadow did the same thing, both structures collapsing from the blow. Cold sighed as he glanced between Springer and Shadow, "I'm not sure if Springer's gonna win this one." he commented as the others frowned at him, "His Mega Mode is powerful, but it's also new. I doubt he'll be able to hold it much longer if he even managed to survive that crash." "He'll be fine." Flash responded, Cold turning to the defender, "We have to have faith in Springer. That's what it means to be friends." Cold blinked at his words, turning back to the battle as they saw nothing was happening yet. At the same time.... Soarin and Wingill were still trading blows, Soarin charging at the hippogriff as the beast kept pushing the pegasi back. "Such a shame!" Wingill yelled as he launched a pair of aqua saw-blades at Soarin, forcing him to stop his most recent dive bomb attempt, "All that speed and no chance to use it!" Soarin let out a growl as he landed against the side of a tall building, the pegasus then shooting off with a roar of determination. "RAAAAAAAAAAH!" Wingill laughed as he thrust his claws, unleashing bullets of water at the pegasi. The liquid instantly hit the Wonderbolt, making him hiss in pain as he kept powering through the attack. "Grr..." he hissed as he was about to tackle Wingill, the hippogriff's eyes going wide before forming a massive stream of water. However, as he did this, Soaring spun like a top, creating a veil of wind around him as he started to mimic Flash's driver attack. The pegasi created a drill of air, cutting through the water before flying out of the liquid, slamming a punch into Wingill's face. "BLAUGH!" Wingill screamed as he was thrown back, hitting and bouncing along the ground. Soarin panted as he touched down on the ground, looking at his body as he saw the multiple cuts covering it. Some were shallow, but others were deep and even his wings had a few holes. A moan then made him look back at Wingill, the hippogriff getting back up as he growled, "Not bad, but you should have focused more on protecting yourself than beating me." He took to the air, pointing at the pegasus with a claw, "One strong punch isn't gonna earn you a win." Springer groaned as he laid in the remains of the building he had crashed into, the jakhowl slowly picking himself up. He let another moan as he then felt his body explode into a rainbow of light. And when it exploded off of him, he saw he was reverted back to his standard battle form. "No...not now!" He said as he felt his aura spark, pain surging in his body. "Can't...give up...yet." But as he said this, his ears spiked as he felt a sudden burst of emotion. And it was nothing but pure anger. "RAAAAAH!" He heard Shadow's voice cry out, several explosions following this as a row of buildings were destroyed. The armored unicorn was flying over him, firing a barrage of dark fireballs that destroyed everything they touched, "WHERE ARE YOU?! WHERE ARE YOU, YOU BLASTED MUTT?!" "Aw crap." Springer muttered as he saw Shadow about to look down. "What do I-" he was about to say, only to feel something under him. He looked down, now seeing he wasn't on ground level. "What?" "There you are!" Shadow yelled as Springer glanced back up and saw the unicorn summoning his decaying blade. Springer let out a yelp before summoning an Aura Blast and slammed it into the floor. The whole place collapsed, Springer vanishing into the bottom floor as Shadow charged downward. But as he did this, Springer landed on his feet, feeling a spark of pain in his legs. And as he tried to recover, he saw a certain orb floating in the room. "Yes!" the jakhowl cheered as he leapt at the sphere. "NOOOOOOOOOO!" Shadow roared as he swooped down and swung his blade at Springer. But as the sword was about to hit the jakhowl's neck, the paw touched the orb. A bright light instantly exploded off the sphere, Shadow vanishing first as a pillar of light consumed the building. A wave of light flew across the city next, Springer now holding the orb with a giant smile on his face...only to notice something as he disappeared. "WINNERS, TEAM FLASH!" "YES!" Heart cheered as he flew around the room, "ONLY ONE MORE TO GO!" "That was a close one, but they did it." Ruby sighed. "That's what counts." As she said this, a flash of light made them see the three appear. The trio fell to their flanks in exhaustion, Flash coming over first as he asked, "You all alright?" The defender now saw Springer's slashed side close up, though it looked like it wasn't fully healed. "Yeah," Springer groaned, "I'm okay." "I'm fine," Trixie moaned. "Same here," Soarin finished with a nod. He slumped over next, Wingill's words repeating in his head. 'Dang it...' "You all did well," Cold added before pointing at the six orbs floating above the table. "You should be proud. Now we're just one victory away from ending this." Heart shined a big grin as he landed next to the jakhowl, "And with Springer now able to go mega, that victory's gonna be even better." He then turned to him, "You can go mega again, right? You said last time it was just a one time thing. What about now?" Springer looked down at his spiked paws, nodding. "Yeah...I think this time it's here to stay." His lips curved into a smile as he thought about the next time he could go mega, only for that grin to vanish as he looked back down at his paws. "Wait..." he stared at the spike on the back of his paw, then down at the rest of his body. "Why am I still in battle mode?" The others blinked at his comment, Springer now clenching his eyes as he tried to tense up his body. And as he did this, Flash spoke up, "Uh...bud? You okay?" "No! I am not okay!" Springer yelped as he pointed at himself, "Flash...I can't turn back to normal!" "What?! Why?!" Flash asked as he and everypony else looked at him with wide eyes. "I don't know!" Springer screamed, "Why can't I go back to normal?!" And as this words left his mouth, a chuckle made everypony turn to Ruby. The Crystal Knight giggling as she walked up and patted the jakhowl's shoulder. "Congratulations Springer." "Congratulations?!" He replied with a raised eyebrow, "For what?!" "Do you remember what I told you the first time you entered battle mode?" "The first time? Uh..." Springer tilted his head at this, only to go wide-eyed as the memory went through his head. "You...you said I would one day be able to maintain this form permanently." "And it appears that day has come. You've finally reached your full potential." Ruby responded while nodding, "I'll admit, you are very young for getting to this step, but you are now so strong that your younger form could no longer maintain the power and amount of aura you have." "So Springer's stuck like this forever?" Trixie asked, Ruby nodding again. "Indeed. It's all part of the jakhowl's natural life cycle. They start in the smaller form you saw, representing their foalhood. They then gain the power to temporarily enter their older form for a short time, that's their teenage state, and when they reach full adulthood, they remain in their older form twenty-four seven. Today, Springer has matured into a fully adult jakhowl, which I say calls for a celebration." Springer went wide-eyed as he stared down at himself. But as he did this, he felt Flash tap his shoulder, turning to his best friend. There was a huge grin on the defender's face, a smile appearing on the jakhowl's face a second later. "Yeah...let's celebrate." Everypony but Cold cheered as they headed into the dining room, planning on ordering any and all party food they could stomach. They had won today's battle, but Springer had won something even greater. He had gained the right to call himself an adult, and now with his mega form in tow, he felt like there was nothing in the world he couldn't do.