//------------------------------//
// A Thief's Tale 
// Story: Flash Sentry Chronicles: War of the Lost City 
// by Banshee531 
//------------------------------//

Eight years ago, under the sea...

The dark and damp world of Seaquestria was a place of great wonder, illuminated by the luminous plants and rocks that made up the houses they lived in. The hippogriffs turned seaponies lived their lives underwater here, most adapted to the sea life while others found themselves longing for the gentle breezes of Mount Aris.

One such pony was a teenage Wingill.

When the seapony woke up that morning, he found himself covered in seaweed, groaning as he pushed the water grass away. He let out a low grumble as he left his room, another voice speaking up as he got to the dining room, "Morning sweetheart."

"Is it?" Wingill asked as he turned to glare at his mother, "How can you tell? It could be the middle of the night for all we know." His mother rolled her eyes at this, pushing a bowl of green leaves in front of him. "Ugh..." he retracted from it, "Lemnoideae again?"

"The guards found a whole valley of it several caves over. Enough to feed the kingdom for months, completely untouched."

"That's because anything with common sense knows that stuff's worse than starvation," Wingill gagged before pushing the bowl away and swimming for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Out."

A door slam happened next as he began his trek through the undersea kingdom. He sighed as he swam around, seeing the many other seaponies around him all hiding away. There was no music, no dancing, no...nothing. Nothing that might draw attention to their location. All they could do was lay around, sleeping, talking in hush whispers and doing what little they could to not die of utter boredom.

"Wingill!" He turned to see his closest friend, Princess Skystar, swimming up to him. The eight year old shined a huge smile as she reached him. She swam around him fast enough to cause a mini whirlpool as she asked, "Hey, what'cha doin?! Oh, wanna help me make a new shell picture frame? Or maybe you wanna come to my cousin's house? We can play with my cousins! Silverstream's learning to swim and we can help her!"

"I bet she would love to learn to fly more," Wingill mumbled to himself.

"What'd ya say?" Skystar responded, "I couldn't hear you."

"It's nothing," Wingill sighed as he looked away, "Sorry Skystar, I'm not in the mood to hang out right now."

"Oh..." she showed a small frown before forcing a smile, "That's alright. You do you. I'll just...see if anypony else wants to hang."

"You do that," he said before swimming away. He then swam down into one of the rarely used caves, feeling himself descend into the darkness as he travelled through the system. The seapony was completely unphased, his eyes showing a dull expression as he continued downward. Many in the kingdom called him one of the best swimmers the seaponies had, able to swim faster than anypony else and navigate in the purest darkness of the ocean.

"But it's not me," he whispered to himself as he left the tunnel, now finding himself in a chamber he had never seen before. "Why...why do we have to hide down here?"

But when this question left his mouth, his eyes grew as he looked down at the floor bed below him. His eyes went wide as he saw a glowing ring of light, making him glance up and see a hole in the ceiling of the chamber. He gasped as he now saw a kind of pool that the sun was shining down into. Wingill's breath clutched itself at the sight, the sight hypnotizing him as slowly made his way up.

"HALT!" yelled a sudden voice, making him freeze up. He then spun around to see a pair of seapony guards that had just swam into the chamber. "Wingill, do not go any further!" Wingill glared at them before looking back at the hole, his tail snapping as he continued to swim up. "STOP!" They both commanded as they got in front of him, blocking the seapony.

"No!" He cried as they grabbed and pushed him back, "Please!" He reached out for the hole, feeling the warmth of the light touch his skin. "I just...I just wanna feel it."

"No. You know the rules." The guards replied as they pulled him down, soon escorting him back to the city before leading him to the royal palace. Other seaponies saw them go through the town, most following the sight as Wingill was taken in.

Soon enough, Wingill found himself staring up at Queen Novo, his eyes seeing the cause of his troubles laying on a cushioned pedestal besides her. The pearl.

One of the guards then swam up to her and gently tapped her awake. "What is it now?" She groaned as she sat up, soon seeing Wingill as the guards both bowed.

"Your majesty, we caught this young one attempting to escape to the surface." This caused a gasp to echo through the palace as Novo glared down at Wingil.

"Wingill!" The teen turned to see his mother swimming up to him, "What were you thinking?!"

"I'd like to know that too," Novo added as she pushed herself out of her throne. "Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you could have caused us?!"

"I just wanted to remember what it was like!" Wingill barked back, "To be out of the water...just for a little bit."

"And did you think what might have happened if you had been seen?!" Novo countered, "What would happen if you had been followed back here? You could have put our entire kingdom in danger!"

"Who's gonna be up there to see me?!" Wingill yelled, "It's been ten years! You really think the Storm King's still there?! He's probably off somewhere else, terrifying a bunch of other ponies into abandoning everything they know and loved."

"He could have left some of his troops behind to the guard the place. He attacked us for a reason." All eyes turned to the pearl next to her throne. "If he manages to get his greedy little claws on this, he'll use it turn his army into an even more unstoppable force than they already are."

"Then destroy it!" Wingill screamed back, his mother trying to shush him, "Turn us all back to normal and then smash that thing!"

"The pearl's power would exist even if it was in a million pieces. A single shard could transform a dozen creatures into whatever the wielder wants!" Novo instantly responded as she swam back onto her throne. "The pearl must remain hidden. And even if we hid it someplace, that would make us the next target. Our only option is to hide and live our lives the best we can."

"And how is this living?!" Wingill cried. "We hide down here, making as little commotion as possible. If we all died tomorrow, none of us would have done anything worth remembering because we were too scared to live our lives. Heck, you have no idea what's going on up on the surface world. The Storm King could have already been beaten for all we know. If you just sent somepony up there to find out-"

"I said no!" Novo almost yelled. "I will not allow anypony from this kingdom to leave, and that's that. Talk over. No more conversation. Understand?"

Wingill opened his mouth, only for his mother to shove a hoof in it. "He understands." she replied, "I promise you, this won't happen again."

"Well make sure it doesn't," Novo folded her front fins as a small orange octopus swam up and whispered something into her ear. "Now, if you excuse me, this exhausting conversation has left me in need of a relaxing seaweed wrap and a massage."

She swam off into another room as Wingill was ushered out of the room by his mother. And as he swam away, he couldn't help but glance over at the pearl. The sight made one though appear in his head. 'Cowards. They're all cowards. I won't stay down here...not anymore.'





The Present...

The first thing Wingill heard as he woke up was Salix's snores. A long sigh escaped his breath next as he got up and the pinched Salix's nose. Seconds later, the kirin seemed to choke before his eyes shot open, gasping as he glared at Wingill, "How many times have I told you not to do that?!"

"Don't know. Stop snoring and maybe I wouldn't have to do it." Wingill barely replied as he walked out of the room.

And as he got to the dining room, his ears were assaulted by pained screams coming from Armalum. Once again, Shadow was suppressing Sombra's consciousness while the others watched. Shadow then took his hoof away from the armored pony's face, Armalum slumping over while gasping for air. And as he slowly looked up as the pain began to go away, he muttered out, "Thank you, master."

"I'm getting really sick of this," Shadow growled as he turned away, "Wasting my magic on you is probably what prevented me from taking down that mutt yesterday. Thanks to you, those fools are one step closer to winning this whole thing."

"I'm sorry master."

"I don't want your apology!" Shadow roared as he spun around and glared at Armalum, spit flying out of his mouth, "I want you to get yourself under control, because if you get called down again and can't do your job, that's it for you!"

"I swear, I will defeat anypony I stand against."

"Be sure that you do," Shadow hissed as he then stomped out of the room, everypony sighing in relief as he left.

"He's not happy," Terror gulped.

"Of course he isn't happy," Tempera growled, "That wolf-thing completely humiliated him. He just got his powers back and in his first battle, he loses."

"So what do we do?" Salix asked as he walked into the room.

"We can't let him down," Storm replied with crossed hooves, "We have to make sure we win the next match no matter what."

"Agreed," Armalum added with a small nod. "And I need to show him he can still trust me. There's only one way I can prove my worth to him."

"Get your host under control?" Wingill responded.

"More than that," He turned to the window, glaring at the other castle. "I have to defeat the only pony master sees as a legitimate threat. Flash Sentry."





"Flash Cutter!" Flash yelled as he swung one of his Sacred Light blades, Springer countering with a Bone Breaker in his mega form.

"Nice try!" Springer replied as he swatted the attack away before throwing the bone. But as he did this, Flash quickly cut the aura weapon in half as Springer charged at him next. The jakhowl's body began to glitch, his whole form shifting as he yelled, "Velocity Strike!"

Hearing these words, Flash tensed up as he activated his Theta Mode while still in Sacred Light mode. His blank eyes saw his partner sprint up to him, the first lightning fast punch about to make contact. Though none were watching, they wouldn't have been able to see the next exchange. Within the next two seconds, a barrage of thirty punches came from the jakhowl, only for Flash's hooves to move almost as fast, blocking almost twenty of the blows thanks to his combo of Theta and Sacred Light.

And as Springer swung the last punch, Flash caught it with his hoof just as he felt the other punches affect his body. Despite this, he countered with a quick thrusting jab to Springer's face, knocking him back. But as he did this, Springer's aura shifted around his other paw, thrusting it as well as a giant aura paw appeared and hit Flash. The pegasi felt the pressure from the blow but stood his ground, not moving an inch as he punched the aura paw, dismissing it in one blow.

"Not bad. Let's try this next." Flash said as he took both swords off his back and smacked them together, making an orb of light. "Flash Force!" A laser shot out of the sphere, Springer countering with his own Aura Guard, the aura barrier morphing into the head and paws again. But as it took the blow, he let out a yelp of pain, the laser destroying the structure instantly.

"Augh!" Springer spat as his mega mode vanished, his body falling backward.

"Springer!" Flash yelped as he dismissed his Sacred Light and ran over to his partner, "You okay?!"

"Ugh...that hurt." he moaned as Flash helped him up, "That new thing is really draining...I can barely use it."

"That's okay. Remember how Velocity Strike was at the start?"

"Oh yeah...I would be stuck in rest mode for like, half a day." Springer coughed while shaking his head. He then stared at his paws, blue embers just showing themselves at the moment, "Darn it. Everytime I figure out a technique, I get something else that makes me feel like I'm still behind."

Flash chuckled while patting his partner's shoulder, "Springer, don't think that way. You just gotta keep working at it until your body adjusts....mister 'now an adult jakhowl'."

Springer glared back at him, "Oh har har." he mocked before swinging his paw around Flash's shoulder, "But uh...thanks buddy. Thanks for always encouraging me."

"No prob. Besides, it looks like all your other skills get a boost from this new mode, so it shouldn't be too bad you need to learn something new. By the way, think Velocity Strike is good out of mega mode?"

"I...think so." Springer replied as he stared at his paws again, closing his eyes before a blue aura covered his body. His body began to glitch again, Flash's eyes barely keeping up as he quickly ran from one end of the room to the other in just a split second. He let out a small pant as his body went back to normal, breathing just a little heavy as he said, "Yeah. Looks I can do it with no aura feedback, though Mega Mode is probably the better bet right now."

"That's good. The feedback was the worst part after all, so its good to have that as a trump card if Mega Mode isn't working." Springer nodded in agreement before the two turned to the rest of the room, seeing the others now train. Heart and Cold were together, the knight trying to help Heart control his flames to little success. Trixie and Ruby were also sparring, Trixie creating illusions of herself while Ruby sliced them down. "We're only one orb away from winning this whole thing."

"But Shadow's team is not gonna make it easy. Right now, me and you are probably the only ones that stand a chance against him."

Flash sighed at the statement, only to turn and see Soarin sitting off to the side, watching eveypony train with a frown on his face. Seeing this, Flash walked over and asked, "Hey bro, what's wrong? Shouldn't you be training?"

Soarin turned to him, only to shake his head, "Eh, I'm starting to wonder if there's any point in me training." This caught not only the two's attention, but the attention of everypony in the room. "I mean, what training could help me keep up with the powers Shadow's team have? They can shoot fire, lightning, water and Celestia knows what else Shadow can do. How am I supposed to stand up to something like that? I don't have magic, or aura, or fire and light powers bestowed upon them. I'm just a normal pegasus."

"You're a Wonderbolt," Flash instantly responded.

"Being a Wonderbolt hasn't helped me much in these last few fights, has it?"

"That's because you're not using your natural advantages," Cold replied next as he and the others gathered around him. "What allowed you to take down Tempera, Storm and Terror Card?"

"My natural ability to get others to help me?"

"Your speed, dummy." Trixie chimed in while lightly bonking him on the head, "You managed to hit Tempera so hard she was shot into a building. The force you were packing back there could have killed her if this game's rules weren't going on."

"And your speed allowed us to escape the blast that took out Terror and Storm." Ruby reminded him.

"Fine, but that doesn't help me when I'm on my own. Storm and Wingill managed to keep up with me when I was fighting them one on one."

"That's because you weren't using your speed in the right way," Ruby replied, Soarin raising an eyebrow at this. The sight made the knight chuckle as she continued, "In your previous battles, your strategy has been building up speed and using it to unleash a single powerful strike. And while that works for a finishing attack, it isn't the best weapon against somepony that can easy defend themselves."

"So what do I do?"

"Change your tactics. Instead of focusing on big fast attacks, use your speed to unleash a barrage of attacks. Dodge their attacks as you get in close, then strike them. If one hit isn't enough, hit them ten times. And if that isn't enough, hit him a hundred times. Keep at it until your opponent is completely pulverized."

"You really think that could work?" Ruby nodded back. "But I can't move that fast."

"I've seen you move faster." Flash chimed in.

"Yeah, in a straight line! What you all are suggesting is I would need to move around, not slowing down even when I'm changing direction."

"So? Aren't you a racer?" Trixie asked while tilting her head, "Shifting positions in the air should come naturally to you."

"That's only when I know when and where I need to move, and after I study the race course. Reacting to something right after I see it, especially at those speeds, is impossible for me."

"Except it isn't," he turned to Flash. "You've done it before, remember? The first time you came to Ponyville and raced Rainbow. The cave you were in collapsed and you managed to get through it by dodging the falling rocks. That's when you taught me about the Theta State, leading me to learning Theta Mode....which now that I think about, you haven't used since this whole thing started. What happened with your training?"

Soarin sighed and shook his head, "I tried, but I couldn't get past the point you saw. Other things got in the way of my training and eventually, I uh...I guess I just decided to stop trying."

"Well then maybe you should start again," Flash replied as he placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Soarin, you're just as amazing as the rest of us. Don't let what those punks said get to you. You're a million times better than any of them. Heck, you got with the fastest pegasi mare I know, and she's no slouch."

Soarin looked back up at him, seeing a big smile on his best friend's face. A small grin began to form on his face as he said, "Yeah...I guess. Thanks."

"No problem bro," Flash responded as he took his hoof off his shoulder. But as he did this, a small golden glow now shined on the Wonderbolt's shoulder despite none noticing the tiny exchange. As for why, it was the alarm going off as Soul's voice echoed through the castle.

"Battle beginning. Please head to the map room for selection."

Everypony quickly ran out the room, the glow on Soarin's shoulder absorbing into his skin as they headed up into the map room. And when they arrived, the map outlined a section of the city before the bingo machine appeared. They all watched as the machine spat out the first sphere, this one having Ruby's cutie mark on it. The second was Flash's cutie mark while the final, much to its owners chagrin, had Soarin's cutie mark.

"The competitors have been selected. Flash Sentry, Soarin Skies and Ruby Scarlet. Proceed to the battlefield."

The Wonderbolt sighed until he heard Trixie's voice. "Hey, fly-boy." He turned to the showmare, "You got this. Just remember what we told you."

Soarin nodded as the trio were teleported, soon appearing in the city in a flash of light. The three quickly got into a battle stance, standing back to back as Flash spoke up, "Springer, who are we up against?"

"You're up against-"

"Whoa!" Soarin gasped, hopping in place, "Did you hear that?! That sounded like Springer!"

Flash turned to him with wide eyes, "You heard Springer?!"

"So did I," Ruby added with a nod, "It was weak, but I could hear it. Strange...jakhowls usually can't connect to more than one pony. Seems going mega improved his abilities more than we thought."

"So you two can hear me?" Springer asked, Soarin and Ruby nodding.

"What about me?" asked another voice, Flash gasping as he now heard Heart's voice in his head. It wasn't as clear as Springer's, the voice barely able to be made out.

"Yeah...I hear you."

"Awesome!"

"Let's focus on this revelation later," Cold mentally told them next, his voice almost cutting out as his reception seemed the weakest. "Your opponents have just split up. They're heading in your direction from different angles."

"Got it. Who's our enemies this time? It better not be Shadow."

Trixie was the one to mentally reply. "Its not. First is Terror Card, who is approaching from the east. From the north-east is Wingill and from the south-east is Armalum."

But as those words came out of Trixie's mouth, Ruby spun around to south-east and ran off. "Ruby!" Flash yelled, about to follow before looking back at Soarin.

"Go." the pegasus instantly replied, "She's gonna need your help. I'll see if I can find the orb before she finds him." Flash nodded back before taking to the air, Soarin doing the same as he spun around and zipped down another street. He started to go through a few buildings, growling as he saw nothing inside any of them.

And as he took a corner, Springer's voice rang out in his mind, "ON YOUR LEFT!"

Soarin blinked at the call, only to now see a bolt of purple magic as he barely managed to barrel roll to dodge the sudden attack. He quickly spun like a top from this, putting himself back on his hooves as he saw the lightning's owner, Terror Card.

"Let me guess," he deadpanned, "You saw me coming?"

Terror nodded with a chuckle, "I was looking ahead to see if I could narrow down my search, but then you came barreling around the corner."

"Well that's the last time you're gonna take me by surprise," Soarin replied while crouching down, "Trixie already figured out how to beat your little game."

He charged at her next, dealing a horizontal kick to her head as she quickly ducked down, loosing a few mane hairs as she evaded his attack. As she did this, her horn sparked as she fired a few bolts at the Wonderbolt, making him take to the air to dodge them.

"Just because you know how to beat my magic doesn't mean you can." Terror responded as Soarin swooped down for another kick, the mare teleporting a few feet away before pulling a card from her cloak. "Your friend Trixie might have been able to defy fate, but I know your future. Your destiny is set in stone." She threw the card as a dome appeared around them both, the card soon landing right side up, "Arcana of the Lover!"

The dome shrank around Soarin before exploding, the pegasus's entire body suddenly feeling very heavy. "Augh!" he yelped as he crashed into the street, "What the heck?!" The pegasi tried to push himself up, only to duck under another bolt of lightning. But as he did this, he flared his wings and charged at Terror, "RAAAH!" he yelled, swinging a punch at the unicorn, only for the mare to vanish again. "Damn it!"

"So weak," she sighed as she appeared behind him, "It's almost cruel that whatever power summoned us here chose you to come. Everypony else has some incredible skill or magic, but you're just a showpony." Soarin growled as turned around, now seeing the huge smirk on her face, "And that other showpony is a princess's student. What excuse do you have?"

Soarin his teeth at her question, the memory of what his friends had told him went through his head. "Speed." was all he said before his body suddenly went from zero to a hundred in less than a second.

Terror gasped as she looked to the future, now seeing what Soarin was about to do...only to still feel a hoof slam into her face, "AAAAAHHHHH!" she screamed as she sent rolled down the street.

The Wonderbolt cricked his neck at the sight while Terror got back onto her hooves, commenting as he felt the Lover Card wear off. "Who cares if you can see the future. As long as I get you before you can react, it doesn't matter."

"I see..." She hissed as she put her hoof into her cloak, her eyes glowing before giggling, "Well, that's a surprise." The unicorn threw a card upward at this, then jumping backward just in time to avoid an axe kick from Soarin.

She then teleported to the other end of the street before he could throw another punch, Soarin spinning around as he tried to dash right at her while the card finished spinning. "Arcana of the Hierophant!" She called out as Soarin got close.

And as he was about to hit her, a giant burst of water slammed into his side, knocking him across the street. "GYAH!" He cried as he crashed into a building, slumping over as the source of the water landed right by Terror.

"Good card." he commented as he dusted himself off with his wings.

"I was wondering when I'd get to use it here," she replied as she took out several cards, both smiling at them as she asked, "So...what would you like to use to beat this loser?"

"I thought you would never ask." Wingill chuckled as Soarin got back up.





Meanwhile...

Flash was still chasing Ruby through the city, now flying in front of her as he yelled, "Ruby! Just wait!"

"Out of my way Flash!"

"Would you just listen to me for a moment?!" he barked back, "You know you're no match for Armalum! Remember what happened the last time you fought?"

Ruby growled at this, "I don't care! I can't just sit back and let Sombra walk around, even if he's trapped in that suit of armor."

"But you can't take him alone." he replied as he walked up and tapped her chest, "Face it, I'm the one with the best chance of beating him."

"But will you actually do what needs to be done?" Ruby instantly responded, swatting his hoof away. "With your power, you should be able to easily beat him and shatter that armor off of him. But what then? Will you let Armalum reform over Sombra, or will you stop and let Sombra crumble?" The question made Flash almost backpedal, making Ruby sigh, "That's what I thought. You know this has to be done."

"I know," Flash muttered out before glaring back at Ruby, "But that doesn't stop me from wanting to find another way! Killing Sombra should only be the last resort, and-"

"LOOK OUT!" Springer suddenly yelled, both flinching at the voice before a massive burst of energy shot out of the ground, the following explosion knocking both flying.

"GYAH/AUGH!" They cried as they were thrown, the two rolling along the street next as a certain armored pony walked into the scene. The knights got onto their hooves as they then saw the living weapon trot up with his scythe.

"Face me, Sentry!" he roared as he pointed his blade at the defender.

Flash raised an eyebrow at this, "What? You wanna take me on alone?"

"Defeating you is the only way to show master Shadow I'm still useful." Armalum spun the scythe around next, resting the handle on his shoulders, "Come! I will remove your head from your shoulders!"

"Alright, I-"

"Your opponent will be me!" Ruby interrupted as she charged at the armored pony, swinging a crystal blade in hoof. But as she did this, Armalum just blocked the attack with his handle, his horn then firing a beam. The knight gasped at the sight, leaping back as she dodged the magic attack.

"Out of my way. I've already beaten you, so defeating you again will prove nothing."

"Then try me on!" He spun around to see a charging Flash, Armalum spinning his blade as Flash's sword swung downward. The two sharp edges clashed at this moment, the sound of metal on metal filling the air as Flash spun around and landed a few feet away. But as he did this, he started to feel a mild burning in his chest, making him clutch his body, "Not again..."

Armalum just laughed as he spun the scythe around his neck, "Hmph. Seems this will be easier than I thought. Beating the both of you will surely show master Shadow my value."

"Don't bet on it." Ruby hissed as she summoned a crystal hammer.

"Oh, I plan too." Armaulm replied as he did a 'come on' gesture with his hoof. And as both saw this, all three unleashed roars of adrenaline as they ran towards the same point from three different directions.





In another section of the city...

Soarin leapt into the air to avoid a fist made of water, barrel rolling next as he dodged a water buzzsaw before spinning like a top. As he did this, he body suddenly shot like a rocket, body-checking Wingill in a split second. "GYAH!" Wingill yelped as he was sent flying back.

But before Soarin could follow-up, a bolt of lightning shot out in front of him. He then saw Wingill flare his wings, coming to a stop as he fired a few more saw blades. The Wonderbolt quickly zipped down, evading the blades before swooping back up and punching Wingill with an uppercut.

"Blaugh!" Wingill spat before Soarin spun around and kicked him in the stomach. A glob of spit flew out of his mouth as the pegasi then karate chopped his shoulders with both wings before thrusting his back hooves into Wingill's face, smacking him downward. "AUGH!" Wingill yelped as he crashed right beside Terror Card as the unicorn threw a card up.

"This should even the odds!" She yelled as the dome appeared around her and Wingill. Soarin growled as he charged down at them as the card came to a stop, now upside down. "Arcana of the Chariot!" The dome shrank around Wingill before exploding, the hippogriff looking back up at Soarin.

"Oh yeah," he whispered before he suddenly shot up at the pegasi.

Soarin's eyes went wide as Wingill was about to slash him with his claws, the Wonderbolt flapping his wings to fly back just in time. But as he did this, Wingill kept swiping his claws, Soarin feeling a gash now hit his cheek. "Blugh!" he spat before countering with a punch to Wingill's stomach, knocking him back. And as this happened, a magic beam shot out between the two.

"Whoa!" he yelped as he then dodged two more lasers, only for a third to hit his wing, "AAAAHHH!" he curled his wing at the blow, slowing him down as Wingill recovered from the punch.

"Play time's over!" He squawked as he charged up to Soarin and summoned a water whip, cracking it once before slamming it into the pegasi's head.

"GYAH!" He yelled out as the liquid hit his head like a hammer, smacking the Wonderbolt into the concrete.

Wingill laughed at the sight, hovering just above him as the Chariot's effects ran out. "HA! Time to try something I've been wanting to try out for a while. You can thank your friend Cold for giving me this idea."

A bunch of water shot up behind him before spiraling into a long tube like structure, Soarin looking up to now see a giant serpent-like creature, making him mutter out, "Seriously?"

"Say hello to my Water Dragon!" Wingill cheered as the dragon charged at Soarin with its mouth fully open.

"WHOA!" Was all he could say as the dragon swallowed him, the pegasus rolling through the water body while doing his best to hold his breath. And as he sent through the whole creature, the beast flicked it tails, propelling Soarin out. He let out a gasp, trying to get some air before a beam of magic struck his chest, knocking him flying down the street as he screamed, "AUGH!"

Wingill and Terror laughed as they saw Soarin roll on the ground, soon coming to a stop as Terror commented, "Don't get up."

"What she said." Wingill added with a chuckle as Soarin flipped himself over and tried to push himself up with his hooves. The sight made the hippogriff shake his head as he continued, "Face it, you barely stood a chance against one of us. Against us both, you can't hope to ever defeat us."

And as water dripped off of Soarin's body, he let out a groan before slumping over, his mind now telling him he really wished he had some backup.





"Flash Cutter!" Flash yelled as an energy blade flew across the field, Armalam swinging his scythe down to deflect the attack. As he did his, Ruby teleported beside him, blade in hoof. But as she tried to strike him, he ducked under her first swipe, the knight quickly teleporting away as she saw he was about to swing the scythe back at her. And as this happened, Armalum's scythe hit the ground, creating a red energy crack heading straight for Flash.

The defender took to the air, dodging the incoming explosion as Ruby reappeared and fired a barrage of crystal arrows. Armalum then started spinning his scythe like a fan, cutting the projectiles down as Flash swooped behind him and fired a Flash Cutter. But as he did this, Armalum just side-stepped, dodging the last of the arrows along with the energy blade.

And as the three readjusted themselves for battle, Armalum spoke up, "You're holding back. That's a dangerous mistake to make against me."

"Who says I'm holding back?!" Flash barked back, "Unlike your boss, I'm not dependent on my special abilities. I'll use it only when I feel I need to use it, and right now, I'm not seeing anything that needs the Sacred Light."

Armalum growled at this statement. "You insult not only me, but my master as well. You're strong, but it's clear you lack wisdom."

"I'm wise enough to not let the power I have consume me. I'm not like Shadow, I couldn't care less about how much power I have." Flash rested his blade on his shoulder as he finished his reply, "All I need is the power to protect my friends and family. That's enough for me."

"You don't desire more? Then that makes you weak." Armalum hissed, "I will not lose to weaklings."

Flash shook his head at this, "I don't think you're listening. If I need more power to protect those I care about, I'll get that power." Flash then pointed his sword right at Armalum, "That's what true power is."

"You really do disgust me." Armalum growled as he lifted his scythe upward, "And I will not lose to those who don't understand power!" With that, he slammed the scythe down, unleashing a red energy wave. Flash took to the air as Ruby teleported to Armalum's side. She swung her sword at his head, only to be met with the scythe's handle. Armalum then spun around to punch her in the gut, Ruby quickly hopping back to avoid the jab.

"Flash Grinder!" Flash roared as he morphed into a wheel of light, Armalum turning to take the attack head-on. And as the defender reached him, Armalum raised his weapon sideways, blocking the blow as Flash began to push him back. Flash could hear Armalum's metal hooves grinding on the ground as he tried to push Flash back, only for the wheel to suddenly vanish. Armalum wasn't able to react to the immediate drop of an attack, Flash then spinning and punching the armored pony in the face. A loud clang followed as Armalum was sent staggering back as Flash pointed the crossguard of his weapon at him, "FLASH FORCE!"

Armalum gasped, his horn sparking as he summoned a makeshift magic shield. The beam pushed the barrier, making it crack as Armalum began to grind down the street again. And as the laser came to an end, a volley of crystal arrows struck the shield next, breaking it as the projectiles began to hit his armor. Flash then appeared right in his face, unleashing a Flash Cutter right into his chest.

"AUGH!" Armalum screamed as he was sent flying back, quickly stomping his hooves to stop himself from tumbling. And as he did this, the cracks in his armor shift, showing bits of slime as they began to repair themselves. "Heh...not bad, but you still can't beat me." He raised a hoof as all the cracks began to disappear, "Don't you see...I'm immortal."

"Maybe...but your host isn't." Ruby countered while pointing her sword at him, "With a strong enough hit, you'll be broken off of him and then you'll be done."

Armalum shook his head at this, "You can try."





Meanwhile again...

Soarin continued to try to pick himself up, Wingill and Terror just laughing at him as the hippogriff commented, "Just give up! You're an idiot to try and keep fighting."

Terror nodded in agreement, "Your future is set is stone. You'll lose to us and we'll get the orb. Just accept this truth and give up before you have to suffer anymore."

Soarin let out a long groan as he pushed himself up completely. His hooves were shaking as he glared up at them, "No way. I won't give up. My friends are counting on me, and I refuse to let them down."

The statement got a chuckle from Wingill, causing memories from long ago to surface. "I respect that you're willing to put yourself through so much pain for those you care about. I was the same way, so long ago..." Soarin's eyebrow raised at this, "Even though they likely consider me a thief, I'll do anything to bring my people back into the light. Even if it means stealing."





Years ago...

As the lights coming off their houses faded, the seaponies tucked themselves in for another 'night' of sleep. And as they began to sleep, one young seapony snuck out of his house, his fin silent as he made his way to the palace. Silence filled the area as he snuck around the nighttime patrol, plasteringn himself along the side of the palace walls as a guard swam by before breathing a sigh of relief.

And as he got to the throne room, a small grin began to appear on his face, "Yes..." he whispered as he slowly approached the orb. His mind was going a mile a minute in that moment, his brain telling him there could be some kind of security system. He then swam down and grabbed a clam off the floor before returning to the pedestal, holding the clam in one fin while the other with the large pink jewel.

His heartbeat was going a mile a minute as he stood there, a long deep breath coming next before he swapped the two objects in one swift motion. He flinched as he held the pearl to his chest, waiting to see if an alarm was going to happen. But as he did this...nothing happened. His eyes blinked open, making him almost let out a cheer before swimming for the exit.

But as he did this, the clam opened up....and fell over, rolling off the cushion. And as it tapped the floor, an alarm blared out, the sound awakening the whole palace. In mere seconds, Novo swam into the throne room with Skystar behind her. And as soon as the sea-mare saw the empty cushion, she gasped before yelling out, "WINGILL!"

Wingill swam as fast as he could, quickly arriving at the entrance to the tunnel he had been in earlier. Reaching the mouth, he turned to see Novo and Skystar with their guards close behind. And as his eyes met the queen's, she charged at him. Gasping at the sight, he snapped his tail, charging through the tunnel as he yelled, "Come on!"

His tail flapped like crazy, his body zipping through the cave as the others were just behind him. It was here he saw the ray of light from before, making him cheer, "There!" But as he began to race for it, he didn't see where he had flapped his fin, making him hit a small jagged rock, "Ow!" he yelped, the pain making him drop the pearl.

The orb dropped like a rock, hitting the rock with a small cracking sound. He zipped down the orb, now seeing a small fragment come off it, grabbing it with his hoof. The memory of what Novo said playing in his head next, he looked up and saw the hole from before. Now noticing he couldn't fit the orb in it anyways, he also saw it would be impossible for adults to fit.

"Freedom." he muttered as he swam upward, a grin appearing on his face as he got closer.

"WINGILL!" He froze at the sudden voice, recognizing it as his mother's voice. He turned to see her and the rest of the adults arriving in the chamber, Novo swimming down to the pearl while the guards swam towards him. Wingill then spun around and swam into the hole, pulling his head through as his mother yelled, "DON'T!" He couldn't help but stop at this, turning to look back into the chamber. His mother was staring up at him as the guards were all glaring as she said, "Wingill, please don't do this."

"I have to," he replied in a low tone, "I can't keep hiding. Not while there's a great wide world out there."

Novo sighed at his words, looking down at the pearl and seeing the missing piece. She then stared at the teenager, a look of sorrow on her face, "If you do this Wingill, you'll never be able to return. I can't take the risk of you leading somepony back here. You go through that hole, there's no going back."

"Why would I want to come back here?!" He spat before staring at the fragment in his hooves, "With this, I can go anywhere. Become anything. The world is my oyster."

Novo glared at him before holding the orb up, a pink light escaping it. Wingill blinked at the sight, only to notice the fragment was now emitting the same light before fading, "What...what did you just do?!"

"Locked the pearl's power," Novo replied, "The Storm King would probably be able to undo it, but you can't. Now it and all its pieces will only be able to transform anything between its true form and its aquatic counterpart. You get what that means?"

Wingill went wide-eyed at her words, "I can only transform into either a hippogriff or a seapony…"

"Exactly. That oyster's not looking so big now, is it?" Wingill didn't reply, his vision going between the queen and the fragment in his hoof. Seeing this, Novo continued, "It's not too late. We can forget this whole thing if you just give me back the pearl fragment."

Indecision was now on his face, still looking back and forth as his mother spoke up, "Sweetheart, please don't do this. You'll be all alone and you'll never be able to come back. I'll never be able to see you again."

Wingill's heart almost broke as he heard those words in her voice. But as he took one last glance at her, his heart solidified as he replied, "I will come back. You will see me again. I'll be back, after the Storm King's defeated." The whole group went wide-eyed at this, now seeing Wingill began to ascend as he continued, "There's no way he's unbeatable. There has to be somepony strong enough to defeat him. I'll find that pony and when I do, I'll help them take him down. Then we can be free to return home. Our true home."

And before he resolve could waiver, he pulled himself up through the hole. "NO!" Novo and his mother cried as the guard swam up, the soldiers trying to get through the crevice. But when the first one finally got through, Wingill was already out of reach.

As for the seapony, he got to the top of the lake while now accessing the magic of the pearl. And as he reached the surface, his body was wrapped in a cocoon of light, soon exploding into his true hippogriff form.

The young hippogriff tried to flap his wings as he broke the surface, only to flop over. He made a giant splash as he tried to fly, soon getting to the air...only to crash land into a bunch of sand. Spitting out the musty gravel, he tried to get on his hooves before flopping over. It was here he realized he hadn't walked in ages, making him spin around and stare up at the sky.

And as his eyes saw the pure black night sky, filled with stars and a shining silver moon...it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, his vision unable to tear his gaze away from it.





The Present...

"It was then I decided I would never let fear and worry stop me from living the life I wanted. And I wasn't gonna let my people live in that fear a second longer than they had too."

"So you joined up with Shadow?!" Soarin barked back, "How is that any different from this other guy you're so worried about?!"

"He's very different. He wants to rule, not destroy. He'll let you do whatever you want as long as you agree to follow him. If I have to choose between following him and living in fear, I'll choose Shadow every time."

Soarin growled as he forced his shaking body to stabilize, "I don't know what happened to you, but you're wrong. Instead of stopping the thing that made you scared, you became that thing. And if you keep it up, somepony just like you will do the same thing so he can beat you and Shadow. You're not some special hero that'll wipe out all evil, you're just part of a cycle of hatred." He raised his hooves in a boxer stance, "And I'll put an end to that cycle."

"And how you gonna do that?" Terror asked, only for Soarin to charge right at her. She quickly started firing at him as Wingill formed another water dragon, Soarin zigzagging to avoid both attacks. And as he did this, he spun like a drill, creating a wind veil that shredded through the water dragon. Gasping at the sight, Wingill then growled before charging up and swiping his claws at Soarin, the pegasi ducking under his attack before a magic beam hit his chest.

"GRAH!" he cried out before Wingill hit him with a water fist, knocking him back again.

"HA! You're a stone cold fool Wonderbolt."

Soarin grunted as he flared his wings, coming to a stop, "Coming from you, that's a compliment."

"Tell you what." Wingill replied as he raised his claws, more water appearing, "Here's another little something coming from me." He then unleashed a barrage of water bullets, Soarin trying to zigzag around them.

"GYAH!" He grunted as one his him in the chest, pushing him back before three more hit his side, making him spiral downward. A cry of pain followed this, crashing head first as he hit the dirt.





"SOARIN!" Heart cried, the others watching with grimaces on their faces.

"He's not gonna be able to take much more punishment like that," Cold commented with a blank face, "He's got to get out of there."

"How?" Trixie asked, "Even if he escapes, Terror can just look into the future and see where he's hiding."

"So what's he gonna do?" Heart added.

"The only thing he can do." They all turned to Springer, "Win this." He then looked at them, "He's not giving up." The group glanced back at the screen, now seeing Soarin picking himself up again as Springer continued,, "And we shouldn't give up on him either. He can still win. We just have to believe in him."

Back at the battle...

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" Terror mocked as she and Wingill watched him take to the air.

"I'll never quit. My friends are counting on me and they believe in me. I won't let their support go unrewarded." And as he whispered this, the glow that had been on his shoulder before reappeared, slowly beginning to spread across his body. "It doesn't matter what you throw at me!" Soarin roared as he charged at them at high speed. "I won't let you take me down!"

"Let's test that theory!" Wingill laughed as he threw a blast of water, Terror firing the strongest beam she could muster at the same time. But as the attacks came, the pegasus didn't slow down.

"RAAAAAAAAAAH!" He yelled as he took both head-on, the blows exploding and covering him in a cloud of smoke.

"SOARIN!" His friends all screamed, now seeing the black fog start to rise.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Wingill cheered, Terror clapping her hooves as well. But as they did this, the cloud began to fade, only for both to go wide-eyed as Wingill yelped, "Huh?! He's okay?!" His eyes were now staring at a hovering Soarin, a light golden aura now wrapping around the pegasi's body. The sight made him turn to Terror, "Shoot, he even looks more than okay!"

"What's going on?!" Terror asked as the light flew off Soarin, forming a small orb of light that circled Soarin several times before flying upward. The light then exploded into a beam, striking Soarin in the back.

He let out a gasp as he felt the light go directly to his brain, the mental chains in his mind breaking. The pegasi's eyes shot open, revealing they were now pure white. Everypony gasped at the sight, Cold squinting his eyes at the pegasi as he said, "That's...the Theta State."

"No...its more like Flash's Theta Mode." Springer added. "I can tell just by looking at him."

"What's this?" Soarin asked as he stared at his hooves, every sense in his body feeling like they'd been dialed up to eleven.

"Whatever it is, its not enough to save you!" Wingill yelled as Soarin looked down to see the hippogriff unleashing another barrage of water bullets. But as they came, Soarin blinked at the sight, now seeing the bullets slow move toward him. He felt as if the word had slowed down, everything moving at a snail's pace.

"That's supposed to scare me?!" He asked before completely vanishing, the first wave of bullets about to fly into the distance until Soarin reappeared within the barrage. He then vanished again before zigzagging up to Wingill in mere milliseconds.

"RAAAAAHHHHH!" Wingill screamed as he felt Soarin deal a powerful blow to his face, sending him flying down the street.

Terror gasped at the sight, only to see the pegasi charging at her as well. She quickly fired a magic beam right at the pegasi, only for him to duck right under it, not losing any speed as he continued to charge at her. And before she could fire another, Soaring appeared in front of her, dealing a quintet of high speed punches into her chest.

"Augh!" she winced, only to feel two backhooves slam into her face, knocking her back as well.

"Aw yeah! He's kicking flank!" Heart yelled into the screen.

Trixie clapped her hooves in agreement, "No kidding! Theta Mode's letting him move at continuous high speed....but how the heck did he get it?"

"Flash..." Cold replied while rubbing his chin in thought, "That golden light had to have been the Sacred Light. I had no idea other ponies could be effected by it."

The group glanced at the knight before looking back at the screen, now seeing Wingill charge at Soarin. "You'll pay for that!" He yelled as he summoned another water dragon, this one appearing behind Soarin. The pegasi just smirked at this, turning around before pulling his hoof back and then firing off a high speed punch that sent out a burst of air so strong it dispersed the dragon upon impact.

Soarin then spun around again, zipping right up to Wingill, his hoof slamming the hippogriff's chest, "Gyah!" He yelped before flaring his wings, making him come to a quick stop as he barked back, "Don't think you've won! You might be fast, but you're still no match for the two of us."

As he said this, Terror pulled a Tower card out of her cape and tossed it into the air. And as it spun around, Soarin shot up to Wingill, dealing a barrage of quick jabs and kicks to him. Wingill felt every small blow, trying to counter with a swipe of his claws, only for Soarin to easily to put both his back hooves into Wingill's face, kicking off him with a final attack.

And as he landed from dealing that blow, the Tower card stopped upright before unleashing a burst of lightning. Soarin looked up at the bolt, leaping back to avoid it and allow the electricity to hit the ground instead. But the magic would not stop there, instead shooting off the ground before spinning around and forming a ring of lightning around the Wonderbolt.

But as it did this, Soarin brought his front hooves and wings close to his body, balancing them on his back hooves. Seconds later, the ring unleashed a barrage lightning bolts from one side to the other, Soarin then ducking and weaving the top half of his body side to side like a professional boxer. Every bolt missed, all of them flying everywhere before the ring began to disperse.

"What?!" A bewildered Terror and Wingill both asked, Soarin turning to them with pure white eyes.

"Time to show you my true power!" he replied as he spread his wings wide. With that, the pegasus shot at them at blistering speeds, Wingill and Terror both firing whatever attack they could conjure. But Soarin easily dodged both, now getting closer as Wingill then pushed Terror to the side as Soarin reached him.

And just like that, time seemed to come to a stop as everything except Soarin froze. As this happened, the pegasus dealt the hippogriff a powerful punch to the lower jaw, only to spin around and deal a high speed kick to his chest. This was followed by another gut punch, then a tail slap to the face and a quick strike to the neck.

As for everypony watching, Soarin just looked like a blur of movement, his attacks constantly getting faster and stronger with each blow. And as Soarin mentally counted the blows he was making and reached the ninety-nine, he stopped his onslaught before leaping back a good fifty feet. From the moment of Soarin's first punch to now, only ten seconds had passed. And as everypony began to catch up to Soarin's movements, the pegasus exploded off the ground with a mighty sonic boom, rocketing toward the dazed and dizzy Wingill at over two hundred miles an hour.

"NOOOOO!" Terror screamed, unable to do anything as Soarin curled into a high-speed spinning ball. And once he got within range, Soarin exploded out of the ball and thrust both back legs right into Wingill.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAH!" The hippogriff screamed as a hundred strikes worth of pain finally caught up with him, causing him to go flying into a building at high-speed. Everypony watched as he went right through the structure, the whole place collapsing before hitting a second building. This blow caused the entire wall to crack, a cry of pain coming right after that.

"WINGILL!" Terror yelled before turning to Soarin, seeing him turn to her with a glare. She almost screamed before her horn sparked, the mare vanishing in a flash of light.

And as the Wonderbolt turned back to the hippogriff, he saw the pony pull himself out of a pile of rubble...only to slump over. His body began to turn to dust as he whispered, "Master Shadow...I'm sorry."





Four years ago...

Wingill was flying over a forest while on his way to a village, planning to rest there before heading off on his next adventure. Over the last four years, the hippogriff had explored every recess of the world he could find. He had met many different creatures in that time, some accepting him with open arms and some rejecting him as a strange outsider. Some had even tried to capture him for various reasons, though Wingill managed to escape every time.

But in all that time, he couldn't find anypony strong enough to defeat the Storm King.

"HELP!" Wingill was pulled from his thoughts as he looked down to see a raging river that ended in a waterfall. And in that river was a screaming silver unicorn mare being dragged down the rapids.

"HANG ON!" He yelled as he shot down and skimmed the river, trying to grab the mare in his claws. But before he could get a hold of her, she was pulled underneath the water. Wingill growled before shooting ahead and diving under the water, morphing into his seapony form and going upstream.

He reached the mare and grabbed her as the two got closer to the falls, Wingill using the momentum of the waterfall to rocket out and get back into the air. And in a flash of light, he returned to his true form and gripped her in his claws while spreading his wings.

The two flew to the top of the falls, Wingill dropping the mare while getting a better look at her. The unicorn's mane and tail were white with multicolored tips and she was slender with a painting pallet for a cutie mark. "You alright?" He asked as she coughed up some water...only to look up at him with a giant smile on her lips.

"Oh yes. I was never in any danger." Wingill raised an eyebrow at this, only for her horn to spark, making her vanish before reappearing behind him as she said, "My master just wanted to get a look at your ability."

"Master?" Wingill asked, only to suddenly wince as he felt his entire body get snagged by something. Looking down, he now saw a barrage of dark chains wrapping around his body, leaving only his head free. "Augh!" He cried as he fell over, now trying to wiggle free.

"Hello there." called out a new voice, Wingill blinking as he looked up to see a gray unicorn that was covered in scars, "I've heard a lot about you. The creature that can fly and survive underwater."

"Urgh...what about it?!" Wingill barked back as he continued to wiggle. "Let me go or you'll be sorry!"

"I doubt that. Besides, the only reason I have those chains around you is to make sure you don't run off before hearing my offer." These words made Wingill come to a stop, the sight making the pony chuckle, "Intrigued?"

"Depends. What do you want?"

"Simple. I'm interested in those types of abilities you have. They could be useful in my future I wish to create. As such, I want your abilities under my command."

"And why would I agree to that?" Wingill asked, only for the chains to tighten.

"Because if you don't, I can make things very problematic for you."

"Cute, but I don't scare easily. I don't let fear stop me from fulfilling my mission."

This made the unicorn raise an eyebrow, "Mission?"

"I'm looking for somepony. Somepony strong that can help me take somepony really powerful down. Then my people can be free."

And as he said this, a low chuckle came from the unicorn as he replied, "I think your mission is at an end, as there's nopony stronger than me. Watch this." A gray cloud appeared on the tip of his horn next, only to turn and fire it at a nearby tree. Wingill watched and gasped as he saw the pillar of lumber turn to dust, the unicorn turning back to him. "Join me and I promise I'll help you fix your little problem."





The Present...

"So disappointing," Shadow sighed as he watched Wingill disappear. "These ponies are starting to get annoying. One by one they keep getting more powerful without explanation. Its honestly making me sick just watching this."

"I'm sure that was the last one master," Tempera added.

Shadow didn't reply, instead switching the channel to show Armalum's battle. "You'd better prove yourself. I can't accept any more failures from you or anypony else. Win this battle or else Armalum."

Despite not actually hearing him say it, Armalum could feel his master's presence and the words he would use. The living armor felt a sense of worry flow through him as he stared the two down. "I will not fail you master. I will win this battle."

And with one combatant now vanished from the battlefield, the war continued as Flash and Ruby charged at Armalum, all ready to finish this fight once and for all.