//------------------------------// // A Picture of One's Life // Story: Flash Sentry Chronicles: War of the Lost City // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// Canterlot, seventeen years ago. In one of the more expansive mansions in the city, one almost as large as the castle itself, there was a silver coated young unicorn filly with a white mane and tail that had multi-colored tips. The filly was running through the mansion, laughing as she headed down a staircase. And as the bottom of the stairs was two other ponies. One was a red unicorn stallion with a blue mane, tail and mutton chops beard. The other was a green unicorn mare with a mane and tail that was a mess of red, yellow and blue. "Momma, papa!" The two turned to her, "You're here! Let's play! Let's play!" "I'm afraid we can't Tempera," the mare replied, "Your father and I have a very important meeting to get to." "Oh..." Tempera moaned as her ears folded, looking down at the floor before glancing back up, "Well, can we play when you get back?" Her father shook his head, "No, we're not coming back until very late tonight. There's a function with a lot of high rolling ponies that we would benefit a lot from this meeting." With that, the couple walked out the door, the frame slamming without so much as a goodbye. The filly sighed at the sight, now seeing it as the third time this week. She slowly spun around before walking back to her room, walking past the many servants that worked for the household as they all nodded their head in respect. But as she did this, everypony including her remained silent, not one servant asking if something was wrong or if they could help. And as she got to her room, she leapt onto her bed before bursting into tears. "Its always like this! Its always some stupid business thingy or...or something! Why...why'd they even bother having me?!" She asked nopony through her tears. "Why don't they love me?!" She continued to cry for several long hours, tears soon shriveling up as time passed. The filly had done this over and over, no pony coming to comfort her. And as the tears came to a stop, she turned to one of the few things her parents had ever given her: A sketchpad and several colored pencils. The five year old tried to use her magic to levitate it over, but could barely get a spark. Seeing this, she simply grabbed the pad and brought it over to her bed, soon drawing the first thing that came to the forefront of her mind: Her parents. But these were not like the ones that never spent any time with her. In her imagination, they did nothing but spend time with her, playing all kinds of games, family picnics, and the three laughing and smiling all the time. And as she finished the foal drawings of her parents, Tempera stared long and hard at the painting. Tears began to well up again as she did this, sniffing as well as she whispered, "Why can't you be real?! Then I could have parents that really love me..." She put her hooves to her face, trying to block the tears. But as she did this, her horn began to glow without her realizing. And as a lone tear rolled down her cheek and dripped off, it began to glow the same color before landing on the paper. Seconds later, the light spread around the rest of the page, the glow now catching Tempera's attention. She turned to the pad, gasping as the light continued to grow stronger. The filly shut her eyes next as the light exploded, only to reopen them and gasp again. Standing on her bed were her parents, or at least something that looked like her parents. Parts of their body were white instead of their normal color and they didn't seem as...active as her real parents. But the weirdest part was that they were both smiling big cheesy smiles, just like- "My drawings?!" Tempera yelped, "My...my drawings came to life?!" The drawings nodded back, Tempera shaking in place as she saw them smile at her. The sight made the constant frown on her face fade, a grin replacing it as she asked, "You...do you love me?" They nodded again, "YAY!" She leapt into their drawn hooves, hugging them both. "Now I have parents that really love me!" And as they embraced her back, the filly didn't notice a flash of light appear on her flank before vanishing to reveal a paint pallet. The Present... "My orders are simple. Win." Tempera nodded, "And it will be done, my master." "Hold on, we still don't know who we're facing," Armalum added, "If one of them is Sentry or the wolf, I'm guessing you want us to handle the other two while you deal with them." "Good to know losing your host hasn't dulled your brain," Shadow hissed with a nod, "Yes. Unlike last time, this time I want to know who I'm facing before I go all out. And while that's happening," he turned to Tempera. "You know what to do." "Of course," Tempera replied before pulling out her notebook. Within seconds she had completed her creations and threw the page into the air before hitting it with her magic. As soon as it made contact, the page exploded in a burst of light that revealed a horde of uni-troopers. "Go, locate the orb. If you're able to find it, bring it back to us." The creations all nodded before turning in multiple directions, all rolling down the streets. "Good, that will give us the edge." Shadow commented, "Now, let's distract the other three." "Hold on master, my scribeasts touching the orb won't cause us to win. It's possible it could find the orb, but have it fall into enemy hooves." "Then we need to beat them and quick," Armalum added. "Let's not waste any time," Shadow finished as he teleported the trio up to a roof. He glanced around, judging their location as before pointing to the opposite end of the area. "There. We always appear on opposite ends, so they have to be there." And as they teleported again, Flash, Springer and Heart stared at the city before them. "This is it," Flash told them. "The final battle." "This one's for all the marbles," Springer quoted before closing his eyes. "Everypony, can you hear me?" He waited for a second as all the voices came in, still not very clear but a little better than yesterday. "Yes, we hear you." Cold replied first. "Shadow's there!" Trixie almost screamed, making all three go wide-eyed. "That's not good," Heart gulped. "So much for my theory." "What theory?" Flash asked. "That whoever was doing this was intentionally keeping you apart. I mean, you two have never had a match." Flash opened his mouth to respond, only to blink as he realized what Heart was saying. "Huh. You're right. I've never fought him since the start of this. Are we about to fight because its the final match?" "Maybe?" "Hang on, as he's not the only one you need to worry about," Ruby chimed in, "I don't know how, but...but Armalum is there with them." "Seriously?!" Flash yelped, "I thought he was just a mask now! How is he back?!" But before an answer could come, Springer yelled, "Look out!" He leapt in front of them and raised an Aura Guard, just in time to block a black beam of magic. The jakhowl grunted at the impact, the power of the blast making the shield wobble. And as the attack began to fade, they all looked up to see their opponents standing atop a nearby building. "Aw crap." Shadow chuckled, "Surprised to see me here?" "Not really," Flash replied as he pulled out his sword, "Let's just say I have an...inside track on who I'm facing." The unicorn raised an eyebrow at this, only to shake his head, "Whatever. I've been wanting a chance to take you down once and for all anyways." He pulled out his sword before glancing at his cohorts. "Tempera, Armalum, deal with the other two." "Yes master!" They responded before Armalum spread his new wings and Tempera took out a notebook. She quickly drew something before tossing it up, a flash of her magic signaling a large black dragon. Flash and Springer prepared to engage it, only for Heart to leap in front of them. "I don't think so!" he yelled as his body began to steam up. "Get ready to feel the heat!" With that, his body exploded with fire as he transformed, unleashing a burst of fire into the scribeast dragon, making it dry out and crumble into dust. "Oh yeah!" Tempera growled at the colt before turning to Armalum. "Deal with him." "Fine," Armalum leapt off the roof and flew down at the colt. Heart gulped at the sight, about to backpedal until Flash and Springer tried to leap in front of him. But before either could launch an attack, Shadow and Tempera appeared in a flash of light. Shadow grabbed Flash while Tempera did the same with Springer, the four vanishing as the armored alicorn charged at Heart. "WHOA!" he yelped as he leapt to the side, barely avoiding a metal coated hoof. Armalum then slid across the ground, grinding the dirt as he summoned a scythe. "You're going down kid!" Armalum yelled as he charged, swinging the blade right at Heart's neck. But as he did this, Heart let out a burst of flames, pushing him upward. "I don't think so!" Heart replied as he swung his tail, firing several fireballs just as he had seen Salix do. But Armalum just swung his scythe at the flames, deflecting them all before spreading his wings. "Flight is no longer your team's advantage against me!" he roared as he took to the air, swinging his scythe like a top as Heart started rapidly flapping his wings. "This is bad," Trixie gulped as they watched Heart continue to be chased by Armalum. "I don't get it. How the heck is he even here?" Soarin chimed in next, turning to Ruby, "You and Flash took him down, right?" "He must be possessing something else," the crystal knight replied with crossed hooves, "What, is anypony's guess." "He can fly and use magic," Cold added while rubbing his chin in thought, "There's only one species that can do those things." "Changelings," Trixie pointed out. "Okay...two species, but changelings don't have those kinds of wings. He's possessing an alicorn." "What?! How?!" Soarin yelped, "Where did they get an alicorn from?!" "It would have to be...Tempera," Trixie replied while pointing at the names appearing on the table, "She must have made a scribeast in the shape of an alicorn." "And they somehow charged it with magic," Ruby added, "If that's true, Armalum won't be as powerful as he was before." "But still not something to be taken likely," Cold finished, "Let's just hope Heart can find a way to beat him." The others nodded as they looked back down at the map, Ruby continuing to speak. "If anything, Armalum's the least of our worries. Especially considering what Tempera is doing." A minute or so ago... In another section of the cornered off city, a flash of light announced the arrival of Springer and Tempera. The unicorn quickly leapt away, pulling out her notebook. "I think it's time we finished our little game." Springer picked himself up as she threw a drawing into the air, the jakhowl soon finding himself staring down an army of uni-troopers. He was reminded of when he had first met Tempera and the match when they had discovered the truth behind Sombra. She had gotten the drop on him both times, making him growl as he created a Bone Breaker, "Let's go." The uni-troopers charged, the first wave swinging their swords at him. However, Springer just did a quick horizontal swipe, smacking five away before spinning and doing it again. The attack, knocked the rest away, only for a second wave to appear. And as he saw this, the aura bone vanished as he summoned two Steel Paws Wolverine style. "Raaah!" He roared as he began cutting through the scribeasts, dodging every blade as he sliced through them. And as he destroyed a third wave, he spun around and unleashed an Aura Force attack that cut them down like they were nothing. Tempera growled as the smoke from his attack started to fade, sighing next as the jakhowl stood alone in the area where her army had once been. She readied her sketchbook and began drawing as Springer charged at her, only to teleport right behind him. The jakhowl quickly spun around, only to find himself staring at a trio of ten meter tall minotaurs. The closest threw a punch down, Springer blocking it with an Aura Guard. The punch bounced off the shield, making the minotaur stagger backward. And as this happened, the other two charged at Springer, only for his barrier to vanish...along with the jakhowl. If Tempera could see at super speed, she would have seen Springer run between one of the minotaur's legs before jumping up and slamming his foot into its back. This was followed with the jakhowl hopping off the monster and quickly doing ten strikes to the second minotaur's chest. After that, he kicked the minotaur's chest, spring-boarding off it while spinning around before axe-kicking the third beast's head. This all happened in the blink of an eye, Tempera only seeing Springer appear as he took down the last one, ink splattering everywhere next. She gasped as the jakhowl landed, seeing the ink cover the blue parts of his fur as he turned to glare at her. And as he began to move his feet forward, she let out a yelp as she quickly tossed a page at him. Springer watched it turn into a lindworm, the beast snarling at him as it prepared to bite down on the jakhowl. But as it tried to do this, Springer created a Bone Breaker and held it samurai sword style as he leapt into the air. "HI-YAH!" With one powerful swing, the beast was cut in half, turning into two giant splatters of ink. Tempera gasped as she summoned a painting of a scorpentine and a manticore, Springer spinning his Bone Breaker at the beasts. He blocked the manticore's tail before slashing the beast's stomach, cutting it in half sideways. This was followed with him rolling on the ground, dodging the scorpentine's claws before thrusting his weapon forward, impaling the beast. As this happened, Tempera drew three more opponents, now creating a roc, a quetzalcoatl and a bladed mantis. The jakhowl simply swung its Bone Breaker around, slashing through the trio with ease. And as the last turned into a pile of ink, Tempera threw up another piece of paper, only for Springer to slash it in half. "No!" She cried as Springer suddenly warped over to her and thrust an Aura Blast into her chest. "AUGH!" She screamed as she was sent flying back, rolling on the ground next as her notebook and pencil fell to the wayside. She let out a long groan after this, trying to get up as Springer marched over. "Give it up Tempera. Your scribeasts are no match for me now." "Never!" The unicorn screeched while pushing herself back to her hooves, Springer taking this moment to charge at her. But before he could reach her, the unicorn teleported over to her art equipment, picking them up as Springer just stared at her. She growled at him, her pencil starting to scribble up a drawing, "My art will beat you!" "No it won't." Springer replied in a deadpan tone, "No offense, but why bother? You know whatever you make is just gonna end up a pile of goop on the floor." "I don't care!" Tempera screamed, "I won't fail my master! I will defeat you, and he will reward me!" "No he won't," Springer responded while shaking his head, "From what I've seen of him, all he cares about is himself." "You're wrong..." she hissed, "He loves me and when I win, he'll shower me in that love!" Springer just shook his head again, "You're deluded." "No, I'm not!" she screeched, "He's the only one that loves me!" Springer raised an eyebrow at this. "I know he loves me, because I know what it means to not be loved!" Seven years ago... A decade had passed since Tempera's discovery of her incredible power to bring drawings to life. Now the fifteen year old unicorn was in Canterlot Park, where many fillies and colts were waiting as she pulled her cart of arts supplies behind her. "Alright, where's the birthday girl?" One of the unicorn fillies raised her hoof, "Hello!" She placed her easel on the ground before locking several pieces of paper onto it. "So, what do you want to play with?" "Uh...a cheetah!" the filly yelled as that was the first thing that came to her mind. "A pink one with...rainbow spots!" Tempera giggled and nodded before getting to work. Over the years, her drawing skills had become so good that she could create anything in seconds what most painters spent months working to create. As such, it didn't take long for her to draw the outline of the big cat before using her magic to pick up the paint and place it onto the needed sections. "Alright," she picked up the finished painting, "Who's ready to meet Mr. Cheetah?" The young ponies all cheered as she threw the paper into the air before firing at it, a flash of light exploding out before the pink feline appeared. The children cheered as the cheetah began to run around and do tricks, others turning back to Tempera as they began requesting their own creations. Within an hour, the park was filled with flying pigs, cat sized elephants and giant chickens that they could sit on the back of to race. And as the children enjoyed their new playmates, Tempera sat under a tree while doing a new drawing. But this painting was different, as she was taking her time and enjoying every second of it. The image she was creating showed her along with another pony that was stallion-like in appearance, though it lacked any defining features. "Who's that?" asked a voice, making Tempera gasp before looking down and seeing the voice came from the birthday filly, "Is he your boyfriend?" "No," Tempera sighed while shaking her head, "I don't have a boyfriend. I'd like one though." "Why? Colts are icky!" Tempera laughed at this. "Maybe...but they're worth it as long as they love you. Because love is one of the most amazing things in the whole world." She looked down at her drawing before hugging it to her chest. "That's why I can't wait to find that special somepony I can love, who I know will love me back." The filly smiled at her as the party continued, right up until it was time for everypony to go home. And once the children were gone, Tempera turned to her many creations and sparked her horn. Within seconds, the paint creatures melted, all the different color pains separating and returning to their individual paint pots. Once the last drop was back, Tempera closed the containers and returned them and her easel to her cart before heading off home. And when she arrived at the giant mansion, she gasped at a certain sight. "Mother? Father?" she asked as she saw her parents, knowing it was rare for her parents to be home at all nowadays, "What are you doing here?" "Ah, Tempera." her father turned to her in a low tone, "At last you're back. We have a surprise for you." "A surprise? What is it?" Her mother stepped up close to her, a small smile on her face, "You're getting married." "WHAT?!" Tempera screamed as her jaw dropped to the floor, "MARRIED?! What do you mean, I'm getting married?" Her father just gave her a flat stare, "A business associate of mine has a son who's a real high roller. It won't be long before he becomes a member of the royal court, and having a strong connection to him will do amazing things for us." "Wha-but that's..." Tempera tried to say, shaking her head next before saying, "So...you're just using me to get close to this random pony?! Don't I have a say in this?!" "Of course not," her father instantly replied, no hesitation in his voice. "Trust us, this is what's best for everypony." "But I can't get married!" she barked back, "I'm only fifteen!" "That's alright," her mother added, "It will be a betrothal for now, but once you are both of age, then you'll be married." "That...you can't...this...this can't be happening," she told herself, gripping her head as she muttered out, "This is just a dream, it has to be! Any moment I'm gonna wake up and everything will be back to normal." "This is real," her father chimed in. "You are to be married to this lad, and then you can finally do something useful with your life instead of those silly drawings." And as those words entered Tempera's ears, she turned to glare at her father. However, his face showing no emotion just like his mother, blank faces on both as she started to argue with them. But as she did this, they ignored every attempt, soon getting tired of her rejection of the idea and coming to a new agreement. Tempera would give it a shot, but demanded to at least meet her future husband. Her parents agreed to this and made arrangements, Tempera's fiancé announcing he was free for lunch two weeks from then. And so, Tempera found herself at a very fancy restaurant two weeks later. She sat at a lone table, grumbling into her hooves while wearing an extravagant dress, complete with jewelry on every part possible. Half an hour passed as she sat there, only to see a pony matching the description she had been given walk into the restaurant. He was a brown earth pony with a curly mane and tail wearing a simple suit and a cutie mark of a scroll. By the looks of him, he was about two or three years older than her. He marched up to her table and sat down, looking her over and smirking. "Greetings. I'm Haut Monde." "Nice to meet you," she replied while nodding, "I'm Tempera." "Yes, yes." The earth pony grabbed the menu and looked it through. "So I understand you wanted to meet with me." "Well, yes. If we're gonna be married, we should at least get to know one another." "I don't see why since we'll have the rest of our lives to learn about one another." Tempera rolled her eyes at this. "I'd prefer to get to know you before the wedding. So, please tell me about yourself." Haut shined a huge smile at this, starting to talk over his own past. He came from an old money family and had inherited much of his wealth from his parents, using it to invest in many business ventures that had increased his wealth considerably. He went on to tell her about some of his best ventures, making sure to tell her just how much it earned him in every endeavor. "That's very...interesting," Tempera lied as she snacked on her salad. She held back a sigh, boredom consuming her as she tried to stop his long ranting. "Well, I suppose it's only right that you know something about me." "I guess," Haut shrugged while taking a bite of his food. "Well, I'm a former student of Celestia's school of unicorns-" "Oh? That's top billing! No wonder our parents came to the conclusion of an engagement between us." Haut interrupted, "What did you study there?" "Art." Tempera replied, resisting another sigh. "I actually have a special type of magic that let's me-" "Art?" Haut spat before rolling his eyes, "What a waste of time." "Excuse me?!" Tempera almost hissed, raising an eyebrow at him, "What's that supposed to mean?" "Art is a complete waste of time. I've met tons of rich ponies who were ruined because they bought a silly doodle that they thought would one day earn them a fortune, only for it to be worth nothing in the end." "Art is about more than just buying and selling." Tempera instantly replied, fully glaring at him now. "Art is about expressing one's individual emotions, and capturing them for all eternity." "Oh please, what a load of rubbish," Haut huffed while waving his hoof at her, "Don't expect to continue that silly hobby once we're married. You'll be way too busy." "Busy doing what?" "What mares like you are meant to do. Stay at home, raise my children, make sure I have everything I need to keep working and bring in more bits. Oh, and occasionally throwing big lavish parties for my business associates. No more worthless drawings." And as he kept listing reasons, Tempera's face started to turning red in anger. Her hooves clenched themselves as the stallion called her art worthless again, making her snap as she grabbed a drink from a passing waiter's tray before tossing it at the earth pony. "Augh!" He cried as the expensive cider flew into his face, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" "Something I'm surprised doesn't happen more often," Tempera hissed as she got up, "Consider the wedding off!" With that, she ran out of the restaurant, disappearing into the city. It would be several hours later that Tempera returned home, having taken the time to calm herself before she faced her parents. But all that time would go to waste when she walked up to the mansion, now finding her parents standing at the foot of the stairs. "What is wrong with you?!" Her mother screamed. "Do you have any idea what your actions have cost us!" Her father yelled next as she marched up to her, "Haut is refusing to accept our apology and continue with the wedding!" "Good!" Tempera barked back, "I never ever want to see that pompous jerk again, let alone marry him!" "Are you insane?!" Her mother screeched, "You would have been set for life!" "I don't need to be set! I want to be loved!" Tempera huffed as she pushed past them, "I'd rather spend the rest of my life poor and alone instead of in a loveless marriage, no matter how rich that pony is." "Love?" Her father made an unintelligible sound, "What purpose is love in life?!" Tempera came to a halt and spun around, glaring at him as he continued, "All that matters is money and power. I don't know why you care about something as pointless as love, but its nothing but a distraction in achieving greatness." "So you two don't love each other?" Tempera asked while pointing at the two, both glancing at one another. And for the first time in her life, Tempera noticed the lifelessness in their eyes for each other, something she had believed the two had to least have as a couple. However, there was nothing, making her speak up, "Do you even love me?" Her parents didn't respond as they turned back to her, the mare shaking as she continued, "Is that all I am to you? The only reason you had me was to be a bargaining chip in a business transaction?!" "You have nothing to complain about," her mother instantly replied, her expression unchanging. "You've had everything any pony could ever ask for while growing up." "Except parents that love me!" She cried out before continuing her march upstairs. But as she reached her room, she gasped as she saw the place was completely devoid of all her art supplies. "What is...where are my tools?!" "We had them thrown out." her father chimed in as they walked up to the door, "When we had heard what you did, we got rid of them instantly." She slowly turned to him, tears welling in her eyes as he just stared at her, "It's time you focused on what really mattered in life. There's no time for this nonsense." "RRRRAAAAAHHHHH!" She screamed, "I hate you! I hate you so much!" She then slammed the door in their faces and leapt onto her bed, crying into the pillow just like she had done when she first discovered her special power. As she did this, her parents didn't demand the door be opened. Instead, they left, now discussing their plans for her as she continued to wallow away in her own misery. And as the hours passed, a thought went through Tempera's head: Her parents never loved her. Nopony ever loved her. She was nothing but a pawn to be used in other ponies game of life. And as the sun and moon began to switch places, she pushed herself up from her pillow. "I can't do this anymore. I...I can't stay here. If I do...my life will never be mine." She hopped off her bed, going to a drawer as she began moving some clothes around. "Come on, where is-here!" She pulled out a bag of bits, one she would use for extra supplies. The mare counted them up, nodding to herself, "This should be just enough. All I need is bits for the train and my art supplies..." She did a long gulp as she closed the bag, "I'll...I'll just figure out the rest later." She went to her closest, pulling out some bags and began packing everything she could. And as she fully prepared herself, she began to sneak out of the mansion, evading the servants as they did the night cleaning. The mare had never been into sneaking out, but she was glad she got to the front gates without being seen. And after this, she headed for the train station, planning to take the first train to anywhere that wasn't Canterlot. This would be the start of her new life. Present day... "My parents never loved me, but then I found master Shadow and I learned what true love meant." Springer shook his head. "I don't know what your parents did to you, but I do know letting Shadow use you can't be much better." "He's not using me," Tempera barked back, "I lend him my support, and in return he rewards me." "That's not love," Springer instantly replied, "That's, if anything, just employment. If he really loved you, you wouldn't need to jump through hoops for his attention." "Be quiet!" Tempera screamed as she ripped another page out of her notebook and threw it upward, hitting it with her magic as it created a swarm of eyebats. "You don't know anything!" The eyeballs unleashed several magic blasts, Springer leaping side to side while putting up an Aura Guard. "Master loves me and when I take you down, he'll finally show me his love and affection." And as she said this, Springer began swatting the bats away with a Bone Breaker, the mare drawing on another page, "All for you, my master." Meanwhile... Several minutes ago, the two team leaders appeared in a flash of light on a random street, Shadow leaping away from Flash before the pegasus could react. "Perfect." The unicorn chuckles while raising his sword, "Now we won't be interrupted." Flash shifted into a battle stance, Lightbringer in hoof. "Now hang on Shadow, really think about this." "Oh, I've thought about this long and hard. Mainly about the amount of pain I was gonna inflict on you when this moment finally arrived." "Not that," Flash growled. "Don't forget what happened before. Your Corrupted Shadow and my Sacred Light clashing almost ripped this entire city apart, and that was just when we were in the mindscape! If we battle for real, who knows what damage we could do!" "Well then, you know what you have to do then." With that, Shadow teleported right in front of Flash, both swords clashing in the next split-second as he continued, "Let me beat you and I won't need to use my Corrupted Shadow." "Yeah, right." The defender spat as he pushed the mad pony back, quickly countering with a slash. However, Shadow hopped back next, only to block Flash's next attack. The two blades clashed, the sound of metal on metal echoing through the streets before Flash flared his wings. He took to the air and spun around, "Flash Cutter Barrage!" Several rapid swings came next, unleashing a horde of light blades. Shadow just shook his head at this, a shield forming from a spark of his horn. The light blades bounced off the barrier, Shadow smirking as a gray cloud appeared next on the tip of his horn. "Now, let's turn you to dust!" He yelled as the cloud shot off, Flash quickly side-stepping as the cloud flew past the pegasi and struck a building. "Not if you can't hit me!" He roared while the building began to fall apart. He fired another Flash Cutter, only for the unicorn to summon two portals, one in front of him while the other above the street. The blade went through the first wormhole, only to come out above Flash, making him gasp as he dodged the attack. And as he did this, a third portal appeared right beside Flash, firing a metal chain. Flash raised his blade to block the sudden rope, the chain clanging against his sword. The impact pushed Flash back down, his form soon landing on the street as he felt his hooves grind on the dirt. "How pitiful. I knew you were weak, but this is disappointing." Shadow chuckled, "Then again, without your Sacred Light, you're nothing compared to me." "We'll see about that," Flash replied as he charged, their blades about to lock again. And as their clash happened, the defender let out a low growl, "I'm just getting started!" In another part of the city... "Fire Force!" Heart roared as he unleashed a fire blast behind him, aiming right at the armored pony chasing after him. Armalum quickly countered with a swing of his scythe, cutting the flames down, "You'll need more than that, colt." he commented before firing a beam out of his horn. Heart threw another fireball at the attack, only for the laser to cut right through it and struck his wing. "Augh!" He cried, his body flailing downward. He quickly pushed his hooves at the ground, launching a burst of fire out of them. The fire pushed him upward, slowing him down so he didn't crash, instead rolling on the street. And as he tried to pick himself up, Armalum landed and swung his scythe downward. But as he did this, Heart ignited his back hooves, "HI-YA!" he yelled, his body rocketing into Armalum's chest. The body check made the armored pony go flying, slamming into a building as his scythe left his hooves. Heart gasped at the next sight as a crack appeared on the armored pony, leaving a small hole on the side, "What the-" he tried to say, only for his brain to put a few pieces together, "You...you're a scribeast!" "I'm not a scribeast," Armalum growled as he picked himself up. "I'm merely possessing a scribeast." As he said that, the armor that had fallen to the floor turned into the dark slime that returned to the main body, fixing the cracks and hole. "If you're just a scribeast in there, then I can take you out!" Heart cheered before firing a ball of flames at Armalum, the armored pony leaping to the side. But as he did this, he leapt to get his scythe, only for a fireball hit him. He looked up to see another attack coming from Heart, forcing him to take to the skies. As he did this, Heart just laughed, "Yeah, take that you parasite!" "You little twerp!" Armalum spat as he swooped down at Heart, the colt firing another fireball from his tail. However, Armalum's horn shined and created a barrier, blocking every blow as he tried to tackle the colt. "Whoa!" Heart yelped as he took to the air, Armalum smirking as he quickly grabbed his scythe while the colt fled. "I've already used up way too much magic," he whispered as he glared up at Heart. "Tempera was right, this form can't take much. I've gotta finish this kid quick." With that, he took flight while swinging the scythe, firing a wave of dark energy. Heart responded with a swipe of his tail, launching another fireball as the two attacks collided, causing a large explosion. Meanwhile... "Aura Blast!" Springer unleashed a sphere of aura into a lindworm, making it explode into ink as he then used an Aura Guard as an umbrella. Tempera growled at the sight, looking down at her sketchpad before going wide-eyed. She was low on paper. Her mind went back to earlier in the morning, when master Shadow had ordered her back to bed. Because of that, she had been awakened by the alarm and hadn't had time to restock her sketchpad with paper. Now she only had four pages left. "Oh no..." "Problem?" Springer asked, the jakhowl walking over to her. "Looks like you're running out of pages." Tempera glared at him before firing a magic beam at her, Springer smacking it away with a Bone Breaker. "Get away from me!" She cried, firing blast after blast at the jakhowl. However, Springer simply spun his weapon around, knocking every beam away. In response, she drew something and threw the page at the jakhowl while firing her magic at it. A brick wall appeared in front of Springer after this, making him show a deadpan stare, "Seriously?" He created a small Aura Blast on the tip of his paw and flicked it at the wall, the sphere exploding and turning the wall into a pile of ink...and no Tempera on the other side. "Hey!" he yelled, "Come back here, you coward!" Several streets away, Tempera was now inside one of the houses. She stared at her notebook, the dwindling number of pages filling her with fear. "Without my scribeasts, I don't stand a chance." Her mind went over how Springer took out her creations, not seeming tired at all. That thought went to the battle between Springer and her beloved, remembering that he could hold his own against the most powerful pony she knew. "I...I don't stand a chance against something like that." Tears began to fill her eyes as the fear crept into her heart. The mare hated that feeling, as she had only felt this kind of fear once before: When she had found the pony she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Seven years ago... Two weeks had passed since Tempera had left home, and things had been going well. She had escaped Canterlot with ease, getting the last train of the night when she had run away. After that, she had managed to resupply her art equipment in a small town, now using her skills as a street performer that earned her more than enough money. She felt...happiness from this. It was not everything she wanted, but she knew this was the only beginning. And now she was on another train, trying to find a place to make a new life in. The train speakers called out at this moment, catching the mare's attention. "Now arriving at Andalusire Station." Tempera quickly got up and left the train, only to blink at the sight out of the station. The sight before her was supposed to be a quaint little town with beautiful meadows and a pretty lake fed by a river, but all she saw were trees. She turned to the ticket booth, "Hello? I have a question." The stallion inside pulled up from his book as she spoke to him. "Is this really Andalusire?" "Well, yes and no." Tempera raised an eyebrow at this. "This is just the station. The actual town is right through there." He pointed to the large assortment of trees, which were so thick that it completely blocked out the sun. "There's a path that'll lead you to town. But be careful not to stray from it, or you'll end up lost." "Thank you," she replied before walking into the forest. As soon as she was under the canopy, a sense of foreboding filled her whole body. The mare took a breath, gaining some courage as she stared at the path in front of her. "Its okay Tempera...its just a scary forest." Her movement slowed as she kept walking, only to hear the sound of a snapping of a twig. The sound made her shiver, her eyes darting around as she kept moving...not realizing she was walking off the path. Before she looked back down at the dirt, her eyes went wide as she saw she was now lost. "No..." she whimpered, only to hear another snapping twig. She let out a last gasp, glancing around before trying to retrace her steps. But fear kept control of her brain, making her gulp as she went the wrong way again. Then, her heart stopped at the sound of a low growl. Slowly she turned to the sound, her eyes blinking as she stared at the darkness of the forest. But soon that black void was filled by a pair of large, bright, yellow eyes. "AAAAAHHHHH!" She screamed as she leapt back, now seeing the eye's owner leap out of the darkness and reveal itself as a manticore. Tempera felt herself trip backward next, her art supplies scattering everywhere as she fell over. As she did this, the manticore bared its teeth and unfurled its claws. She started scrambling backward on the ground, only for eyes to go down to her stuff. Her brain shined a quick bulb, an idea forming as her magic took her pencil and notebook. And as the manticore raised its scorpion tail, she sketched something out on a piece of paper before throwing it and blasting it with her magic. The drawing appeared, showing a second manticore as both started to roar at each other. And as she grabbed her things while the manticores started to fight, the real one stabbed the doppelganger, turning it into a pile of goop. Tempera went wide-eyed at this, causing her to quickly draw and throw a ton of paper at the monster. A barrage of creations came out next, the manticore slashing through them all with ease. And as she prepared another scribeast, she tripped over a tree root, making her stumble as her pencil and paper flew everywhere. And as she tried to get up, she turned to see the manticore staring at her. She gripped herself, closing her eyes and curling herself up, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" "GRAAAAAH!" She then heard the manticore cry in pain, making her eyes flash open. She let out a gasp next as she saw a giant fist, composed of a black cloud=like substance, slamming into the manticore's face with enough force that it sent the beast flying. It crashed through several trees before hitting to the ground, breathing but unconscious. Tempera then watched as the fist fly backward, the mare following it to see her savior. It was a gray unicorn stallion around her age, covered in scars and wearing a black armor and mask that was standing on a rock. The fist returned to him, reshaping into a wing-like shape that matched its twin. The mare went wide-eyed at the sight, felling a deep heat appear on her face. She could feel something flutter in her heart, something she had not felt in so long. Was this...love at first sight? The Present... "Master," She whimpered while wiping her tears away. The mare took a deep breath next, reopening her eyes as a look of determination replaced the fear. "I won't let you down." She picked herself up. "Even if it kills me, I'll find a way to defeat that fleabag." She stared down at her sketchpad again. "Even if it means doing something crazy, I'll win for you, my love." Another part of the city... Her love was currently in the heat of battle against Flash, the gray unicorn teleporting all around the pegasus. Flash was now in Theta Mode, instantly blocking every blow from Shadow. "You're not bad with the blade Shadow." Flash commented as Shadow thrusted his sword at Flash's head, the defender easily ducking and slashing back at Shadow's head. The unicorn turned into a cloud of black smoke next, dodging the blow before solidifying above Flash, only for Flash to block his next sword attack as well. "I'm guessing Storm taught you the way of the blade, right? Your movements are like his, though more adjusted to a unicorn." "Indeed." Shadow replied as spun around, trying to swipe his blade into Flash's neck, only for the defender to lean back. The blade went over his face, the pegasi spinning around to counter with his blade as Shadow prepared to block it, the sounds of metal clanging next, "And your blade is weaker." "Don't count my Celestic Gear out just yet." Flash countered as he thrust his sword right at Shadow's nose, only for the unicorn to turn into smoke again. That black fog quickly backpedaled, solidifying a second later as he fired a blast from his horn. "Flash Force!" The defender yelled as he unleashed a laser, striking Shadow's magic as an explosion happened next. And as the street began to fill with smoke, Shadow's sword flew through the dust cloud, Flash having to block it with his blade. The sword clanged off his blade, flying into the wall of a nearby building. The defender turned to the blade, blinking at the sight, "He threw his blade?" But before he could look back at the battle, Shadow teleported right up to Flash, unable to react as a spell flared from his horn. "AUGH!" he screamed as a beam of magic struck his chest, his sword flying out of his hooves. "Hahahahaha!" Shadow laughed as his horn sparked with red lightning, which flew down his body and into his front hooves. And as Flash tried to recover, the unicorn teleported over and socked him right in the jaw. "Now do you see how truly outclassed you are!?" Shadow asked as he began to unleash a barrage of punches into the pegasus, each one charged with dark lightning. "Raaahhh!" Flash cried as he kept getting hit, unable to block the blows as the lighting surged through his body. All he could do was stand there as Shadow wailed away at him. "Since the day we met, I've been looking forward to crushing you underhoof! You deserve to be beaten by me! And now-" He stopped his barrage before throwing one super powered punch right into Flash's gut, "IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING!" "AUGH!" Flash screamed, his squinting eyes noticing a small spark of light occurring between his skin and Shadow's hoof. A second later, he was sent flying back, rolling along the street in pure pain. "Flash!" Trixie cried as she saw Flash slid across the ground. "Oh no..." Soarin flinched as he saw Flash begin to pick himself up. "This is not looking good." "I know. At this rate, we might lose." Trixie added as her ears folded down, "Oh...if only Springer was there to back him up." And as they commented on this, Ruby and Cold kept staring at Shadow on the screen. "Its not just that. Something was up with that punch," the Crystal Knight commented, "It was different from the others he used." Trixie and Soarin turned to her. "Different? What do you mean?" Soarin's question was answered when Flash let out another cry of pain, making them look back at the screen to see Flash frozen in place. "Rune magic?" "Just like he used on me," Cold responded, "This isn't good." "Hey!" They heard Flash cry out, "What the heck?! What'd you do to me?!" "Did you forget about my runes?" Shadow replied as he moved over and pulled out his sword, "Now you won't be able to move an inch until I let you. And I don't intend to let you go at all." He pointed his sword at Flash as decaying magic encased the blade, "I'm going to enjoy every second of this. You will pay for making me go through this ridiculous game with your life." "I won't die here." Flash grunted as his whole shook, the runes surging through him as he did this, "I will beat you." Shadow just shook his head before adjusting his body, getting into a position to charge at him with a single sword thrust as he replied, "No. You will only die, just like the rest of your friends." At the same time... In another part of the city, Heart and Armalum were still in their aerial battle. Heart was now on the defensive, evading a barrage of magic beams from Armalum. All of them were small, half the size of when he had control over Sombra. However, the colt knew he couldn't take as much punishment like the others, so he continued to dodge them. And as he evaded two beams at once, he swung his tail, sending a fireball straight at Armalum. The flames struck, exploding right on the armored pony. However, the smoke cloud that formed next didn't matter, as Armalum charged out of the fog with a shield around his body. "Whoa!" Heart yelped as Armalum swooped up to him, swinging his scythe right at the colt's neck. He leaned back as he tried to dodge the blade, barely managing to pull himself backward as the blade swung centimeters above his nose. As this happened, Armalum swung the scythe back to his should before slamming a back hoof into Heart, knocking the wind out of him as he was then thrown into the roof of a building. "AUGH!" Armalum spun his scythe in his hooves as he began to charge at the colt, just as Heart started to pick himself up. And as he did this, he saw something in the corner of his eye. It was a lake, just a few streets away. A bulb went off in his head next, the idea inside it making him grimace. "RAAAAAH!" Armalum yelled as he flew down, pulling his scythe back to attack. Heart quickly spun around and blasted a wave of fire out of his back hooves, making Armalum stop to summon a magic barrier. As he did this, Heart flapped his wings and took the air, now heading to the lake. "You brat!" Armalum roared as his horn flared. "Get back here!" "Catch me if you can!" He called out as Armalum started to chase after him. Meanwhile... Flash could only stand there as he watched Shadow direct his sword at his chest right above the rune, the decay magic completely surrounding it. "This is it..." he cackled as he charged, "GOODBYE!" Time seemed to slow down at Shadow and the sword got within range of Flash, the unicorn shining the biggest grin as he saw the fear now appearing on Flash's face. But when the sword was about to pierce his flesh, Flash's face changed into a knowing smirk, making Shadow whisper, "What?!" It was in that moment that Flash leaned back, Shadow's sword going right over him as the pegasi's right hoof glowed with Sacred Light. Before Shadow could respond, the pegasus planted an uppercut into his lower jaw. "AUGH!" He screamed as he was thrown back, the blow making him go a good ten feet away. His body rolled down the street before spinning onto his hooves, grinding the ground with a growl, "Impossible! You shouldn't be able to move!" he yelled as he glared up at Flash, only to see the rune on Flash was now gone, smoking coming off the spot, "You burnt off the stigmata?!" "Surprise!" Flash laughed. "And here I thought we weren't going to use our abilities." "You didn't really give me much of a choice," Flash replied as he got into a battle stance. "I don't wanna use this power, but I will if it stops you from winning this thing." "Then you leave me no choice," Shadow hissed as a black aura began to shroud around him, Flash's body shining like gold as well. In the castle, all those watching leaned in as Ruby commented, "This is it. The real battle starts now." "ARMORIZE!" Both ponies yelled as the black and gold light exploded off of them, forming tornadoes that cocooned them. The tornadoes disappeared as it morphed into the swords and wings adorning their backs, Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow now entering the battle. The two stared at one another for barely a second before they charged, Shadow swinging his sword downward as Flash pulled his light swords off his back before crossing them to block it. The two clashed, both pushing as Shadow spread his wings and reshaped them into claws. He lunged both at the defender, only for Flash to vanish. "Hmm?" Shadow growled, blinking at the disappearing knight before seeing him about to grab his Celestic Gear. But before he could nab it, Shadow flapped his wings and unleashed a wave of dark magic. Flash countered with one of his light blades, slashing the waves as a shockwave exploded out of the combined magics. They hit both Flash and Shadow without injury, but when the shockwave touched the houses, they caused them to shake and crack. The two saw this, now understanding what their teammates meant about yesterday's battle. However, the sight made Shadow shine a grin, turning to Flash as he fired a dark chain out of glowing horn, Flash quickly grabbing his sword off the ground before using a Flash Cutter to destroy it. "Flash Force!" He roared while pointing the crossguard at Shadow, the unicorn firing a laser as well. The two beams collided, another shockwave instantly happening at this. The building around them crumbled at the magic of their super forms. Shadow spread his wings next, taking to the sky while firing a barrage of magical blasts. Flash quickly backflipped away from the attacks, only to suddenly see a trio of uni-troopers roll into the street. "Flash Cutter!" He yelled as he fired an energy blade at the three, Shadow wrapping his wings around him while the defender was distracted. He turned into a drill-like construct that flew right at Flash, but the pegasus leapt over them, the drill then carving a trench as Flash took to the air. Shadow quickly pulled out of the drill and leapt after Flash, raising his sword while red lightning shot out of the tip of his horn and charged up the blade. Flash responded by placing the tip of his sword on his back, the light from his light blades getting absorbed into it. The two swung their weapons next, both clashing as the most powerful shockwave of the bunch came out of the collision, the following shockwave destroying several buildings around them in their wake. In another section of the city, a uni-trooper rolled into another street and began its search into a building. Many of its fellow scribeasts had been destroyed by the shockwaves Flash and Shadow had been unleashing, this one being one of the few to survive as it searched the houses. And as it got to the fourth house of the street, it saw it: The orb. The uni-trooper grabbed the metallic sphere and ran out the door, hoping to find its creator or any of her teammates. Far away from Flash and Shadow's battle, and safely out of reach of the shockwaves, Heart continued to allow Armalum to chase after him. The colt saw the lake now getting closer, only for Armalum to fire a dark wave out of his scythe. Heart spun around and shot a stream of fire at the attack, only for it to cut through and hit the colt. "Augh!" He cried as the explosion slammed him into the street, his body rolling a bit before coming to a stop. And as he tried to get up, he saw that he had landed just a few feet from the water. "Hahahaha!" Armalum laughed, landing as well, "Of all the directions to try and escape from me, you chose the one leading to your greatest weakness." Heart growled as he got into a battle stance, "Don't count me out yet! Bring it on!" Armalum shook his head, "Your confidence is admirable." He raised his weapon, "But your cockiness isn't." With that, he charged with scythe spinning in hoof. But as he did this, Heart retook to the sky, flying over the lake as Armalum followed him. He flicked his tail, firing a barrage of flames as Armalum sliced through every fireball. The armored pony then got up to him, swinging his scythe at Heart's neck. The colt ducked under the blade, using his flames to push himself downward, only to blast flames under himself, propelling him above Armalum. Armalum prepared to chase, only for his horn to shine as he summoned a shield as a few more fireballs came for him. And as the attack ceased, Heart divebombed right at the armored scribeast. "Bad move," Armalum chuckled as he pulled his weapon back. Both hooves on the bottom end of the scythe, he did a single swing as Heart got into range. But seconds before it could make contact, Heart thrust his front hooves forward, fire exploding out of them. This pushed him back, out of the scythe's range as Armalum's own swing kept going, causing him to spin around, "Gotcha!" Heart cheered as he did a midair back-flip before rocketing at him again, slamming into Armalum. "NO!" Armalum yelled as he went tumbling toward the water, flaring his wings to keep himself just a few feet from the lake. It was here he realized he had lost grip of his scythe, looking down in the lake to see...nothing. "NOOOO!" he roared, his horn sparking as he tried to grab anything under him, only to feel no response. A long growl escaped his mouth next as he looked back up, "You little twerp!" Heart just thrust his hooves forward, "Fire..." Armalum gasped as he quickly put up a shield around him, "FORCE!" The super hot stream out of his front hooves, the pegasus unleashing another blast of fire out of his back hooves in order to keep himself balanced. The flames blasted down upon Armalum's shield, burning away some of it. However, the armored cultist didn't feel a thing, his horn still glowing strong. And as Heart began to run out of energy, Armalum saw his shield flicker, breaking at the last bit of flames. "Impossible..." he gasped, only for another sound to ring out. "RAAAAAAHHHH!" Heart suddenly roared, his back hooves still on fire as he charged at Armalum. The attack was instant, slamming into Armalum's side as cracks and splinters spread through the armor. "AUGH!" Armalum screamed as Heart pushed him down into the water, the living armor only having enough time to wrap his own hooves around him. "You brat! I'll take you with me!" And as a giant splash consumed them both, the duo fell into the water. Heart felt his flames go out as he began to squirm in Armalum's hooves, the cultist trying to keep his grip...only to feel himself lose control of his hooves. Before he could say anything, the water seeped into his armor, turning the scribeast inside to mush. Within seconds, the armor fell apart, dissolving until only the mask remained. Heart shined a big grin as he saw the mask begin to sink, only to quickly swim back up. He broke the surface and gasped for air before swimming to the edge, pulling himself up as he laid back on the street. "ARMALUM, ELIMINATED!" "Got him." He chucked as he kept panting while staring at the sky. However, his moment of happiness was short lived when he heard the sound of a wheel rolling against the ground. Looking up, he saw a uni-trooper rolling along on the other side of the lake...and it was holding something. "Oh no," he gasped as he got up, quickly trying to throw a fireball, only for a sputter to come out. "Dang it!" the drenched colt growled before flaring his wings, taking to air, "Come back here!" Meanwhile... "ARMALUM, ELIMINATED!" "What?!" Shadow yelped as he and Flash continued to fly above the city. "Nice one Heart," Flash added, "Looks like your little mask minion isn't that powerful without Sombra." "Shut up! Don't think this means you've won!" Shadow growled as he coated his blade with his Corrupted Shadow and charged at Flash. "I'll still end you!" "Not today, you're not!" Flash replied as he did the same with his sword, the two weapons clashing next as the force from the attacks caused another shockwave that destroyed the houses around them. And with that, the battlefield around them was now nothing but destroyed buildings, the two continuing to fight as light and darkness shook the area. "ARMALUM, ELIMINATED!" "Alright!" Springer cheered as he heard the announcement before looking back at the streets around him, "Now, where is she?" As he asked this, a wall to his left exploded, making him to turn to see a giant lindworm, "WHOA!" he yelped as he quickly put a shield to block the worm's tail. The lindworm bounced off the Aura Guard, making Springer drop the barrier before leaping and slashing with a Steel Paw attack. And as the beast melted from the attack, a bunch of uni-troopers rolled into the street. Springer created an Bone Breaker and spun right through them, cutting them all down with ease. "Enough hiding!" he yelled into the city, "I know you're here, so come out already and face me!" A few seconds passed as he said this, only for Tempera to slowly walk out of an alleyway. "There you are." He responded as he saw that her sketchpad was down to one last piece of paper, "Just give it up." "No," Tempera shook her head, "I won't. I won't ever give up!" She ripped the paper off the page, "I won't leave master Shadow alone to face you all." The paper floated above her head, "Even if it kills me, I'll defeat you!" Springer just blinked at her, confusion in his eyes before she hit the page with her magic, causing it to explode with light that began to wrap around her body. "What the-" Springer tried to say as the light began to grow and take shape, soon fading to reveal a new scribeast. The monster was a giant unicorn, standing at roughly fifteen meters in height. It's colors were the same as Tempera, though this one's mane and tail were more wild and looked like something Springer had once seen in a Power Ponies comic. The giant's eyes opened to reveal a pair of shining pink lights while the area where a mouth was supposed to be ripped itself open as it let out a roar. "RAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHH!" it screamed, the sound of its voice echoing through the entire city, catching the attention of everypony. "What the heck it that?!" Flash gasped as he and Shadow saw the creature from their spot in the skies. "Tempera..." Shadow whispered, the scowl that had been on his face slightly fading as his voice showed signs of...almost worry. "Only you would go that far..." And as this happened, Springer could only stare at the creature as it's horn began to spark. It fired a giant blast of pink magic at him, making him yelp, "Whoa!" He barely had time to leap back as the blast struck the ground, causing an explosion with an shockwave to sent him flying down the street. "Gyah!" He grumbled as he hit the street rolling, only to leap back onto his feet. "Don't think some big monster is gonna beat me! Aura Blast!" He threw a blue sphere into the scribeast's chest, the attack blasting a giant hole into the monster. But before he could smile at the sight, the hole started to close up on its own. "What?!" He said as the scribeast let out another roar, its mane beginning to extend into tentacle like constructs that shot out at the jakhowl, "Oh, come on!" He yelled as he started leaping from side to side, dodging each whipping attack before one grabbed his leg. "Steel paw!" He slashed at it, cutting right through the tentacle. But before he could do anything else, a barrage of tentacles charged at him, wrapping up the jakhowl instantly. Within seconds, all but his head was tied up, constricting him with a mighty bind. He tried to make an Aura Blast or a Steel Paw, but the tentacles kept pulling him, making him let out a scream of pain. The scribeast titan then lifted the jakhowl up until he was level with its face, glaring at him as its horn began to glow. "You're not...taking me down," he groaned as the horn's glow grew bright. "MEGA MODE POWER!" With that, his entire body exploded with light that melted the tentacles around him. The scribeast roared as it staggered back from the light, only for the now mega jakhowl appeared. With another roar, the monster fired its magical blast, but Springer created an Aura Guard that took of the form of his head. Blocking the attack, the jakhowl created a pair of aura arms. He then leapt up and thrust them, punching the scribeast in the face, causing it to stagger back again. Springer quickly dissolved the avatar, landing while creating an Aura Blast in both paws. "Raaah!" He tossed both at the legs of the beast, both exploding on impact, causing the titan to come crashing down. He smirked at this, only to go wide eyed when the unicorn's hooves began to repair themselves as it fired another beam from its horn. Springer leapt over the attack, hopping to a rooftop as he watched the beast get back up. 'I don't get it. Why isn't it melting?' His mind went back to when Tempera had been engulfed by the light and was now nowhere in sight. 'Wait...don't tell me she's inside that thing?! Is she using her magic to fix it?!' Another roar happened next, making him see another magic beam coming for him, "WHOA!" He yelped, creating another Aura Guard to block the attack, "Got no choice. I've gotta find a way to get her out of there." But as he said that, the scribeast roared as bubbles appeared on the side of its body and began to pop out. Each one began to shift and change until they took the shape of large birds, all quickly charging at Springer. "Bone Breaker!" He yelled while forming the weapon in his paws, smacking them all down as the titan's horn began to shine again. "Not again!" Meanwhile... "Flash Driver!" Flash yelled as his light swords wrapped around him, forming a drill as he charged at Shadow. But as he tried to strike the unicorn, Shadow placed a shield around himself, blocking the attack with ease. However, as the drill kept trying to dig into the shield, shockwave after shockwave came out of the impact. And as Flash's attack began to slow down, Shadow lowered the shield and swung one of his wings to slap him away. "Augh!" He cried as he was smacked away, slamming into the dirt. "Dark Flame!" Shadow roared as he fired several balls of black fire, Flash countering his a light sword off his back, deflecting each with a series of swings. And when the last fireball was destroyed, Flash circled around him before diving down, "Flash Vortex!" He spun around as got down to the ground, the light wrapping around him and morphing into a tornado of light that moved forward like a top. Shadow fired a blast of dark lightning at the tornado, only for it to bounce off. "What?!" he yelped as he saw his attack fly away, only for the tornado to burst and send Flash flying right at Shadow. "Raaaaah!" He roared as he thrust his back hoof into Shadow's chest. "Augh!" Shadow cried as Flash's armored hoof made contact with his chest armor, causing yet another shockwave that sent both flying into opposite, already half-destroyed buildings. And as the shockwave shook the area, Heart could be seen flying right up to where they were fighting. The uni-trooper was going at full speed, the young pegasus unable to catch up without his fire propulsion. "Come on!" He groaned while trying to ignite himself. "Come on!" He rubbed his hooves together, trying to dry off as the scribeast turned a corner. "Dang it!" He took the corner, only to see a bunch of ruined buildings. He saw that the uni-trooper was going right for Shadow, making him yell, "FLASH!" The two fighting ponies turned to sudden voice, Flash and Shadow now seeing the colt and scribeast running up to them. They then noticed what the living drawing was carrying, making Flash whisper, "Is that?" Shadow quickly dove down at the scribeast, Flash yelling, "Oh, no you don't!" he flew after Shadow, firing a Flash Cutter at him. The unicorn spun around, blocking the attack with his wings as Flash turned to Heart, "HEART! You have to stop that scribeast!" "I know!" Heart replied as he squinted his eyes, "Come on..." his focused as hard as he could, only for his body to start steaming up before bursting into flames, "YES!" "No!" Shadow roared before turning to Flash, "Out of my way!" He fired a blast of magic, Flash blocking it with his light swords. And as the blades made contact with the laser, it caused yet another shockwave. This one pushed both away along with the shockwave rocking the destroyed street, hitting both Heart and the uni-trooper. "Whoa!" The colt cried as he was thrown backward, the uni-trooper being cut in half by the force of the attack. As it melted, the orb was thrown from its clutches, now bouncing along the street. At the same time, Heart hit the ground with his flames going out as both Flash and Shadow slammed into differing piles of debris. Heart moaned as he picked himself up, now seeing Flash and Shadow beginning to push the rubble off. He turned back to the orb, "Yes!" he pushed himself up, cutting into a sprint as he leapt at the orb. But as his hooves was about to touch it- "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" He screamed in pain as a laser shot right through his chest, Heart just having enough time to see where it came from before the light faded. Shadow laughed from his place atop the pile, his horn smoking from the blast. "NOOOOOOOOOO!" He heard Flash scream as he watched the colt slump over, Flash then shooting a glare at Shadow before using his Sacred Light to charge right at Shadow. The unicorn did the same, firing both wings at Flash as he clashed with them with his two light blades. And as a shockwave began to shake to the area, Heart moaned as he felt his body begin to turn to dust. "No," he groaned while dragging his body, "Not...yet..." He slowly pulled himself closer to the orb as his body began to vanish. And as he got to the orb, he slumped over and reach out for the sphere. "Just...a little...more." But as he was about to grasp the orb, his hoof vanished along with the rest of him. "I'm sorry...Flash." "FIRE HEART, ELIMINATED!" "FIRE HEART, ELIMINATED!" "What?!" Springer yelped, this distraction being everything the titan needed to hit him with one of its mane whips. "AUGH!" He cried, his body flying down a street. And as he recovered, he looked up to see he was now under the shadow of the titan's foot. "WHOA!" He leap out of the way of the hoof, Springer's body glitching as he prepared to go into Velocity Strike. But as he did this, a new barrage of birds came for him, making him summon another Bone Breaker and swat them away. As he took down the last few, he leap to side as the titan fired another magic blast. Quickly hopping to a rooftop, he let out a pulse of aura, scanning the whole beast. He found no sign of life...except in the back of its neck. "There you are," he smirked. The titan then turned to him, a magic beam hitting the building beneath his feet. "Oh come on!" he yelped as he lost his footing, quickly trying to leap away. He got to another roof with a mighty jump, spinning as he fired an Aura Force out of each paw. The two attacks struck the monster's side, causing it to start repairing two giant gaping holes. As it did this, a barrage of birds came for the jakhowl. "Not this time!" he yelled as he summoned another Aura Guard in the shape of his head, now thinking he really needed a name for this thing, which the birds slammed into...and went splat. He turned back to the titan, its body now repaired as its horn began to glow, only for Springer to leap up and summon the two giant aura arms, punching the titan in the face next. The beast staggered back, making it crash into a building. Springer then leapt off an opposite building, punching the creature again. He then punched it a third, forth, fifth and sixth time. That was all he could stand before his avatar vanished, Springer landing on the chest of the titan as it began to pick itself up. "Oh, no you don't." He charged an Aura Force, only for the scribeast to push its body forward, sending Springer tumbling down, "WHOA!" He yelped as he hit the ground, making him turn to see the titan staring down at him. He launched an Aura Force, aiming at its neck, only for the scribeast to fire a beam again. The two attacks hit and cancelled each other out, Springer growling as he leapt back. "I don't get it, this thing won't stop. I mean, Tempera's magic is holding it up...there's no way she isn't getting seriously drained." Paws clenching at this, he created another Aura Force before firing it, the scribeast firing a beam again. Springer put more into this one, the scribeast continuing to push the attack back. And as they both clashed...the scribeast's magic suddenly cut out, forcing it jump back. Springer saw this, leaping up at the neck as the titan fired one last blast of magic. However, Springer raised an Aura Guard, the laser hitting the shield. Despite this, Springer's guard cut right through the attack, reaching the beast as he roared, "RAAAAAAH!" The Aura Guard exploded off him next as Springer summoned an Aura Blast and thrust it into the front of the neck. The orb exploded upon impact, ripping it apart and revealing the pony within it. Tempera gasped as the force of the explosion pushed her back, yanking her out of the titan's body. And as she fell to the street, she looked up to see her beast begin to melt on the spot, "No..." she whispered while seeing Springer charged at her, "No!" He pulled his fist back, just about to hit her face as she screamed, "NOOOOOOOOOO!" He paw slammed her face, making her scream in pain as she sent flying, her body rolling down the street while crying out in pain. Springer landed not far from her as the titan melted behind him, panting and falling to his knees in exhaustion as his body was wrapped in light and he returned to normal. He stared at Tempera, seeing her body begin to turn to dust, the mare letting out a sniff as she began to cry. "I'm sorry master," she reached out her hoof to the sky. "I wasn't...strong enough. Please, forgive me." Seven years ago... Tempera couldn't stop looking at the pony that had just saved her life, the unicorn stallion focusing on the downed manticore to see if it was gonna get back up. But as it saw it was clear, he smirked before turning to her. "You...you saved me." "Don't make a big deal out of it," he replied as he hopped off the rock he had been standing on, using his shadow wings to glide down and land next to her. "I was just passing through." His wings suddenly wrapped around his body before exploding off, his armor also vanishing. He turned to the art equipment scattered around her, picking up one of the notepads and holding it in his magic while flipping through it. "Not bad," he commented before looking back at her, "What was that magic back there?" Tempera raised an eyebrow at this, only to gasp, "Oh, you saw that?" "You appeared to bring the drawing to life. Sounds like a useful spell that might come in handy." "Well, it really depends on the user's drawing skills." She replied while taking her notebook back. "It's my cutie mark magic." She flipped to a page with a butterfly and used her magic on it, bringing the insect to life. "Incredible..." the unicorn responded as he watched the insect fly away, "That could be useful. You have a remarkable ability." Those words made Tempera go wide-eyed, a full blush on her face. But as she heard these words, Shadow added, "Though what you said before, what did you mean about the user's drawing skill?" Instead of explaining, Tempera flipped to an empty page and drew another butterfly. This one she purposefully made terrible, the lines around it shaky and the wings mismatched. And when she brought this butterfly to life, the poor thing struggled to fly and its body quickly fell apart. "I see. Wouldn't do me much good then." With that, he turned and began to walk off. "Wait!" He stopped and glanced back at her, "Who are you?" "My name is Shadow Corrupter. That's all you need to know." He spun back around, only to hear hoofsteps behind him. He glared back at Tempera, "What are you doing?" "I'm following you." she replied, "You seem to know the way out of this forest. I got lost, so I figured it'd be best to follow you." "Did I say you could do that?" he hissed, Tempera backpedaling as his tone. But before she could reply- "Master!" They both turned to see a pony wearing black and red pegasus armor, the pony landing in front of them, "Who is this?" "Nopony of importance," Shadow replied, "Did you find anypony?" He shook his head, "I watched the town from above and kept out of sight, but found nopony that could be of any use to us." "I see," Shadow sighed. "Let's go." "Wait," Shadow stopped again and turned back to Tempera, "Are...are you looking for somepony?" "We're trying to find those with skills that could be useful to me," the unicorn stallion responded, "Those who I could use to further my goals." "Well, what about me?" She asked as she pointed at herself, "You were interested in my abilities." "Maybe, but it'll take more the skills to be useful to me. You clearly can't fight, so you would just be a hindrance to me." "I...I could learn to fight," she told him. "Please, just give me a chance." The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Shadow turned away, "Go home to your parents sweetheart. You're out of your league." "But I...I can't go home. I don't have one anymore." Her head lowered as she looked away, "I can't go back to my parents. They don't love me." These words made Shadow stop in his tracks, "What?" "I...I always thought my parents loved me, but it turns out they were just using me for their own ends." And as those words hit his ears, a certain memory struck Shadow's mind. It made him freeze up, only for Tempera to continue speaking, "That's why I left. I...I want to find someplace and somepony who would actually care for me." Silence took over the forest next, Shadow then turning back to her, "One month." "Huh?" "You have one month to impress me. Learn some kind of powerful magic, or find a way to turn those drawings of yours into something useful, and you can stay. Don't and you're out. Understand?" Tempera smiled and nodded. "Good. Then let's go." He turned to walk away, Armalum and Tempera following after him. And as they made their way through the forest, Tempera held her notepads close to her heart, a deep blush appearing on her face. "I'll be of worth to you, I promise." The Present... "Have I been of worth to you, beloved?" She asked as her body slowly disappeared. "I hope I was." With that, she completely vanished as the dust flew into the sky. Springer sighed in relief, falling to his butt as he tried to catch his breath. He let out a long moan before pushing himself back up to his feet, "Ugh...I'm coming Flash." The jakhowl started to stagger into the distance, trying to get to the origin of shockwaves of the battle in the distance. "GYAH!" Flash and Shadow cried as they slammed into another yet again, the shockwave created from the attack sending them flying back. Both crashed and slid across the ruined street, the duo groaning as they tried to push themselves up. And as they got back up, a light made them look at each other before turning to the orb sitting on the ground, an equal distance from them both. Their gaze shifted from it to their opponent, both shooting the other a glare, the two putting themselves into fighting stances. Time stopped as they both stared at each, seconds passing before Flash roared, "RAAAAAH!" He flared this wings, charging at the orb as fast as he could. But as he did this, Shadow trusted one his wings forward, the wing grabbing the orb before him. However, he didn't win, as the wing was part of his magic, making Shadow retract the wing back. "NO!" Flash yelled as he quickly pulled his swords off his back and slammed them together, forming a sphere that he then thrust forward while picturing something in his head. That image seemed to effect the ball, which shot out a beam of light that hit the shadow wing. The light then turned into a hand that grabbed the orb, only for Shadow's other wing to lunge out and grab the orb as well. Both began to pull back, the two now in a literal tug of war for the orb. But as they both pulled, the orb remained stationary. "Give...UP!" "NEVER!" Flash barked back, the two glaring at each other as they kept pulling. And as they did this, the duo didn't notice a small crack beginning to form along the point the light and darkness met as they kept pulling the orb. That crack began to run along the circumference of the orb, only to make a single long crack all the way around. Then it happened. CRACK! Both Flash and Shadow fell back as the orb broke in half, unleashing a shockwave that swept over the entire city. The two pieces slammed into the ponies, making both tumble back as they yelped, "Ouf/Grah!" The shockwave continued to sweep across the city, destroying every single building it touched. "WHOA!" Springer cried as he put up an Aura Guard before it struck him. But upon impact, the shield shattered. "GYAH!" He screamed as he was sent flying across the city, about to hit one of the buildings that was about to collapse, only for a sudden flash of light to envelop him. "Augh!" he yelped as he hit a wall, his form slumping down with a groan, "Ow..." "Springer? You okay?" The jakhowl blinked his eyes open, a small moan escaping his lips as he turned to the voice. His eyes soon went wide as he saw he was back in the castle, the other staring at him. "I think so," he muttered as he picked himself up. "What happened?" "See for yourself," Cold pointed to the window, Springer now seeing the wave continue to go across the city. When it struck the castles, both crystal structures shook, but remained standing. The ponies inside all lost their balance and fell over, the wave now hitting the shield surrounding the city. And when it did, the barrier vibrated, cracks beginning to appear. "No way..." Springer gasped at the sight, the shield no longer shaking. The cracks were still there as the jakhowl turned to the screens, now seeing Flash and Shadow staring each other down. Both ponies glared one another down as they held their half of the orb in hoof, each waiting for the other to attack first. A roar followed this, Shadow charging as his horn flared. Flash was pulled out a blade, ready strike back as he put himself in a fighting stance. But before they could clash, the orb pieces suddenly exploded into a stream of rainbow light. That light encased the two in their own bubbles, freezing them both in place. "Not again," Flash groaned as his orb piece flew out of his grip and hovered in front of him. He blinked at the piece of metal, only to see it suddenly melt into a liquid form. "What the-" The next thing he knew, the liquid metal seemed to double in amount and began to once again solidify itself. Within seconds, the metal was again a round solid orb. Flash blinked at the floating sphere, only for his brain to tell him if this is happening, Shadow's orb piece was doing the same. And outside the two light spheres, everypony watching just stared at the sight. But before anypony could say anything, the orbs exploded with enough light that the screens were completely blinded out. As they did this, Shining Soul's voice spoke up, "DRAW! BOTH TEAMS WIN!" "What?!" Springer yelped as a flash of light occurred behind him, everypony turning to see Flash appear. "Flash! What just happened?" "I...I don't know." he replied as the orb flew over to join the rest. Everypony stared the floating spheres, Flash walking up to them as he added, "What...is going on?" And as he asked this, the same question was asked by Shadow when he reappeared, glaring down at the seven orbs floating above the map. "Now what?"