Flash and Sombra had been travelling down the spiral staircase for a good five minutes, curiosity filling them up as they kept going. "How far down does this thing go?" Sombra asked as his eyes kept darting around.
"Not sure, but I do know we're not in the castle anymore," Flash replied, "I'd say we're a good few hundred meters below the city surface now."
"And it's still going," Sombra sighed, "At this rate, we're gonna find ourselves coming out of the other side of the world."
Flash chuckled at his words, "We're not going that far."
"Oh? Is that part of your theory?"
"Kind of. I'm pretty sure I know where we're going now." As he said that, the staircase stopped spiralling and straightened out. "The whole reason my friends and I came here is because I had a dream." Sombra raised an eyebrow at this as he continued, "That dream showed me how to get here and who I had to bring. Then when we arrived at the place, I saw a bunch of shadows I now know were Shadow and his group."
"Okay, but how does that tell you where we're going?"
"I'm getting to that. In the dream, me and Shadow were pulled underground until we came out at the place we're heading to now. A giant crystal chamber hidden deep beneath the city."
Sombra's expression changed to a deadpan stare, "And you're getting all this information from a dream?"
"It's not just the dream," Flash responded, his tone unchanging at Sombra's snark, "Do you remember when we first got here, during my battle with Shadow?"
"You mean the light that shot out of the ground and stopped the battle before you two could actually fight?" Sombra replied, remembering it from one of Armalum's memories, "What about it?"
"During that time, Shadow and I both got shown a vision of being pulled underground. There we saw the same crystal chamber again."
"Huh. Interesting..." Sombra added, only for the two to come to a stop, now seeing the end of staircase that lead to a long tunnel with a speck of light at the end. "What's that?"
"Well, it couldn't be a crystal chamber," Flash chuckled, "After all, that was just a dream." Sombra rolled his eyes with a growl, Flash now cutting the light from his sword as they both made their way down the passageway. And as they got closer, the light grew stronger, only for Flash to come to a stop right at the end of the tunnel.
Sombra saw him just stand there, a frown on the defender's face as he asked, "You okay?"
"Everything I've done. Everything I've been through, it all lead up to this one moment."
"And?"
"I wish my friends were here to see it with me."
Sombra could feel a frown appearing on his face before saying, "They might not be here right now, but they put everything on the line to get you here. So don't let their sacrifice be in vain." Flash nodded back before they exited the tunnel, getting blinded for several seconds until their eyes completely adjusted, now seeing the crystal chamber as Sombra gasped, "Wow...its amazing."
"Told you," Flash replied as the two began to walk into the room, their eyes squinting due to the brightness coming off all the crystals in the room. "But why were we brought down here? There has to be a reason."
Sombra nodded in agreement. "Considering how you described it, I was kinda expecting to meet the one responsible for all this. Some kind of big tough alicorn-like figure sitting on a golden throne laughing at us as you all fought one another."
"That's a disturbing thought." Flash responded while glancing back at him, the unicorn shrugging.
"Eh, I was just sharing my thoughts."
"Right..." Flash sighed before turning to the chamber, "Hey! Anypony here?! We want some answers! Why were we brought here?! What was the point of this stupid game you made us play and where are my friends?!"
"Yes..." Flash froze at the sound of a new voice, "That's something I'd like to know as well." Flash and Sombra spun around to see Shadow walk into the room, a huge grin on his face. "Hello peasants."
The two growled as they got into a battle stance, "Shadow. What are you doing here?!"
"The same thing as you, I assume." Shadow cackled, "I'm guessing this means your orbs melted into a key that unlocked the strange door in your castle as well?"
"So what if it did?!" Flash asked while pulling out his sword. "And if you think I'm gonna let you take whatever power's here, you've got another thing coming." But despite the warning, Flash's body shook, trying to hide the exhaustion from the recent fight against the other cultists. And as he stared at Shadow, the unicorn showed slow, shaky movement as well.
"You honestly think you can stop me in the state you're in?" Shadow chuckled before glaring at Sombra, "And what about you? It's almost insulting that you would show your face to me after everything I did for you. If it wasn't for me, you'd still be nothing but a horn buried under six feet of snow. I gave you a physical form and found a way to keep you alive, and this is how you repay me? Betrayal and desertion?!"
"I never betrayed or deserted you," Sombra growled back, "That would require me to actually be on your side, but I never was. You turned me into a mindless puppet as soon as you revived me. How is that betrayal when you robbed me of my own free will?!"
Shadow rolled his eyes at this, "True servants have no need for free will. You should have been happy serving a pony such as me and want nothing else."
Sombra glared at Shadow, a long stare coming from his eyes, "I am a pony, not a puppet. And now that I'm free, don't think I won't try and stop you from doing whatever the heck you plan on doing."
"HA! You really think you can stop me?!" Shadow laughed, "You're not even a tenth of what you were when I revived you, and now you think you can actually stand up to me?!"
Flash then stood by Sombra's side, pointing his blade at Shadow, "He's not alone. Together, we will find a way to beat you."
"Then bring it!" Shadow told him as he summoned his sword, right as Flash leapt with blade raised high. The two ponies let out a roar as they prepared to clash-
"ENOUGH!"
Before either could make contact, they felt themselves freeze in place with Flash even hovering in the air while their swords remained inches from one another.
'This feeling,' Flash thought to himself.
'The same as before,' Shadow continued before the two felt themselves getting pulled backward into the air. Sombra was also pulled, the three finding their wings and magic complete useless against whatever power was currently controlling them.
All they could do was float there, eyes glancing around as they were lifted higher into the air until they found themselves floating in front of something. It was a large crystal orb with multiple colored lights glowing out of it. The trio had trouble looking through it for a moment, their eyes adjusting until they all gasped at the sight inside the sphere.
"SOUL!" Flash screamed, now seeing Shining Soul floating in the middle of the orb with her eyes closed. "Soul, can you hear me?! Answer me, please!"
And at those words, Soul's eyes shot open. However, these eyes were nothing but a bright light, the same kind of light Flash had only seen when a pony was wielding great magical power, such as when Twilight used the Element of Magic. It was here that the filly spoke in the same voice they had heard her use whenever the games were starting and ending. One filled with great maturity despite being so young.
"I am not the one you call Soul."
This made all three raise eyebrows, all exchanging glances before Flash asked, "If you ain't Soul, then who are you?"
"I have had many names over the centuries. The original one. The mother life of all things. And so many more. But for the sake of simplicity, you may refer to me by the name given to me by the ancient ponies of this city. The name they gave to the city themselves, in tribute to me. You may call me Faust."
"Faust?" Flash asked as he remembered something his parents had told him, "You mean, the god of creation? The being that created the Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow?"
"Ah, so you've heard of me. Good, that'll make things easier."
"Well, I don't know that much, just that. If I was told anything else, I don't remember it." He turned to Sombra and Shadow, both giving him an 'are you serious' look. "What?! I happened to die that day, so I think I'm entitled to forget a few things!"
"Let's move on. Yes, I am Faust. Though I wouldn't really call myself the god of creation. If anything, I'm the creator of the gods of creation, though I guess that doesn't really roll off the tongue like the other name."
"So we were summoned here by a god..." Shadow grumbled, the sound of his voice telling the others he was having trouble believing his own words.
"Yes, and I must now apologize for the frustration you all have been feeling since you first arrived here." The others looked at each other again as Faust continued, "You see, everything I am about to tell you, I intended to tell you when you first arrived. But complications arose that prevented that from occurring."
"Complications?" Sombra asked, "What complications?"
"Flash," The pony's ears perked up, "Shadow." The unicorn did the same, "The two of you came here because of a dream you had. By now I'm sure you've figured out that that dream was sent to you through me."
"Yeah, we figured that." Flash nodded, "No offense, but can we get a point please?"
"The point can be answered with a simple question from me. What did I tell you in that dream?" This made the two raised eyebrows, Flash putting a hoof to his chin for a second as he though back. Flash's mind went through the files in his brain, pulling out an audio clip as his mental cursor clicked the play button.
"--ash Sent--, --ur ---tiny a----- you. --me. -in- -- an- ---cover wh-"
"I could barely hear what you told me," Flash replied, "It was all fuzzy and unclear."
"It was the same for me," Shadow added with a slight now, "I couldn't make out a single word of it."
"Exactly," Faust instantly responded, "Here's the major fact kids. Only certain beings have the ability to hear my voice and make it out. Even you two with your Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow, were only able to make out a vague idea of what I was saying to you. That is why I needed somepony to act as my voice. Somepony who could naturally hear me."
"Soul?" Flash asked back.
"Yes. This girl is more important then she realizes, even before I changed her into an alicorn."
"You're the one who made her into an alicorn?" Shadow chimed in, a small smile appearing on his lips.
"Yes, I had to. While she could understand me, it was only a little better than you could. To act as my voice, I needed her to become one of the few species capable of hearing me."
"So alicorns can hear you?" Sombra asked.
"They and umbrum are the only things capable of hearing me without issue and without needing to take certain measures to gain that ability. I know she has had issues with the magic I gave her, but I truly believe Soul is capable of using it for great things."
Sombra raised an eyebrow at this, "What were these complications?"
"Soul fearing her magic. I expected her to slowly get accustomed to her magic and come to accept it at the time of your arrival. But alas, an accident occurred that caused her to become terrified of her magic."
"She hurt Heart," Flash instantly chimed in, "So Soul wasn't supposed to compete in any of these games?"
"Yes. I intended to teleport her here when you arrived, but fear prevented her from fully accepting her magic and prevented her from being the true alicorn I needed her to be. I regret putting her through all that turmoil, I truly do, but it was necessary for everything that will now occur."
Now it was Shadow's turn to talk. "So when you started talking through her, that was after she accepted the magic she had." The memories of the battle made shine a huge grin, "So I guess it's thanks to me that happened."
Those words made Flash glare at the unicorn, "You tried to kill her and suck out her magic! You've probably traumatized her!"
"This is war!" Shadow yelled back at him, "It's survival of the fittest!"
"She's a filly!"
"And she defied me!" Shadow spat, "For doing that, she deserves far worse!"
"Why you little-"
"ENOUGH!" The three covered their ears at Faust's outcry, all turning their attention to the god possessed filly. "I didn't bring you here just to argue. I brought you here to explain what is happening."
"You're a bit late for that, aren't you?" Shadow asked with a shrug. "Why didn't you just summon us here to explain as soon as the girl could talk for you?"
"I felt it better to wait until you calmed down after Soul's vanishing act. Admit it, if I had brought you all here right after I took her, you probably would have just ignored what I had to say and attack me to try and get Soul out. Am I wrong from either of you?"
Both frowned at the response, knowing that both would have attacked for different reasons.
"Alright, point made." Flash chimed in with crossed hooves.
"I am sorry you had to go through all this without knowing why, but now I can explain everything to you and why you and your friends had to go through all this."
"Friends?!" Flash yelped at those words, "Where are they?! Why did they disappear?!"
"I'd like to know that too," Sombra added with a nod. "What did you do to them?"
"Nothing terrible. Here." Several flashes of light caught the three's attention, making them look up to see several orbs of light floating above them. In each orb was a member of Team Flash or Team Shadow, all curled up in a sleep-like appearance except a certain mask.
"Guys!" Flash cried out.
"My apologies, but they can't hear you. I placed them in stasis while their wounds heal, and so we could talk without you worrying about them. That and I decided it was best that only you two alone learned the truth at this point." A cough made her turn to Sombra, "You I didn't expect to come down here. But now that you're here, I see no issues with you also learning the truth. After all, it does partly affect you as well."
"I'm all ears," Sombra replied with a firm nod.
"We all are," Flash continued, "It's time we got some answers. Why were we brought here? Why did you make us fight and why did you keep stopping Shadow and me from finishing our fights?"
"I'd like to know that too," Shadow hissed, "I demand answers, or else."
"Very well. I will tell you everything. But to truly understand the truth, I must start at the beginning."
"The beginning of what?"
"Of everything." As she said that, the orb unleashed a mighty light that blinded the three, all crying out as they covered their eyes. And as the light began to die down, the reopened their eyes...to nothing but a white void. The only thing there was the orb that Soul was floating in, Faust now doing a small 'ahem' before beginning her explanation.
"In the beginning, there was nothing. No light, no dark, no up, no down. Life and time wasn't a thing, heck the very concept hadn't been thought up yet. I do not know if there was anything before that, but at that time there was nothing. Nothing...until me."
In that moment, a sphere of light appeared in front of them. The inside of the orb reminded Flash of a lava lamp, as gold and black light swirled around each other within it. "I've seen this before," Flash whispered.
"Me too," Sombra and Shadow replied. The three shared a glance, Flash and Sombra remembering it from their fight while Shadow had seen it so it would tell him to travel to the empire to find Sombra's horn.
Flash then turned to Faust, "This is you?"
"Yes. I don't know how I came into being. Maybe I was the last surviving member of a race of beings that existed before me and were destroyed. Maybe my existence was just an accident caused by a million coincidences. Who knows. All I know is that I came into being and was all alone."
"How long were you alone for?" Flash asked, Faust pausing for a moment.
"Honestly, I'm not really sure. Could have been an hour, could have been a thousand years. Hard to tell the passage of time when it doesn't exist yet. At first I was just a mindless consciousness without thought or emotion. But slowly, I grew aware of what I was. I started to think. I started to feel. I started to understand who and what I was. And eventually, I realized I didn't like being alone."
"I can understand that," Sombra chimed in, remembering his time without Ruby that turned him into a monster. That and when he was trapped within Armalum. "So...what did you do?"
"I started to test the limits of my power. I began slowly gaining an understanding of what I could do, and soon...I was able to end my loneliness." It was then that two specks of light shot out of the sphere, one gold and one black. The lights flew around the orb for several seconds, pulsing like hearts. "My very being is composed of a mixture of light and dark energy. By taking a spark of the light energy and a spark of the dark energy, I was able to create two new life forms. At first, they were simple consciousnesses. But slowly, they became self aware and even chose to give themselves names. I'm sure you've figured out what they were."
"The Corrupted Shadow," Shadow whispered while staring at the dark speck.
"And the Sacred Light," Flash finished as he blinked at the light speck before turning to the dark one and frowning, "Why would you create such an evil energy like the Corrupted Shadow?"
"What makes you think the Corrupted Shadow is evil?"
"The name. The fact that its dark energy." Flash then pointed as Shadow, "The fact he uses it for crying out loud."
"Just because the Corrupted Shadow was used for evil, doesn't mean it itself is evil. After all, if a pony used a sword to kill another pony, does that make the sword evil?" Flash didn't reply to that. "The word corrupted only has its meaning because those who have it chose to use it for evil. It itself was neither good nor evil. In fact, between the two, the Sacred Light was almost the more aggressive one while the Corrupted Shadow was much gentler."
"Oh..." Flash replied, only to look down, "Sorry."
"Its fine. Besides, I couldn't have created the Sacred Light if I hadn't also created the Corrupted Shadow."
"Why?" Sombra asked next.
"Balance. In all things in this world, there exists a balance. For every action, there must be an equal and opposite reaction. If something exists without an exact opposite, then the entire universe would fall out of balance and collapse in on itself. That is why I created both the Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow."
"I see..." Shadow commented, rubbing his chin in thought, "Interesting. That does make sense."
"Now, where was I? Oh yes. The Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow became conscious and understood who they were. And slowly, I discovered they possessed a quality that I wouldn't develop for another millennia. Imagination."
"You couldn't imagine?" Flash asked, wondering what lacking that ability would be like.
"No, I couldn't. But they could. They had so many idea and thoughts. Where I could only create the two of them using pieces of myself, they could create things from nothingness. And create they did. Everything you've ever seen: the earth, the sky, the ocean and so much more was created by them. It was an amazing sight to behold."
"So you aren't the one who created the world?" Sombra asked.
"No, but I am the one that keeps it all alive. If the universe were a body, I would be the soul keeping it alive. Without me, the plants would wither and die. The wind would cease to blow and even the magic you ponies use would stop working. You're welcome by the way."
"Ego much?" Flash chuckled before turning back to the two specks. "So they created everything?"
"Yes. They created everything, all the while making sure to keep the balance of the universe. If one of them created something, the other had to create its exact opposite. This went on until they felt ready to take it a step further. They created...life." This made all three raise eyebrows, intrigue on every face as Faust continued, "The Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow began to create beings with true consciousness and self awareness, starting with simple single celled organisms that slowly evolved into more complex beings over time."
"Incredible," Sombra whispered before seeing the specks of light and dark separate from te original sphere and fly down. "What's happening?"
"Eventually, the Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow wished to not only watch the world they created, but experience it. And so, the two chose to create physical forms for themselves, abandoning most of their power so that they could exist in the world." The lights then began to change shape, molding like clay until they took form. The gold light changed into the silhouette of a body with both wings and a horn. "The Sacred Light transformed itself into the first, original, alicorn." The black light also took form, looking like the silhouette of Sombra back before he was transformed. "Meanwhile, the Corrupted Shadow transformed itself into the original umbrum."
"Awesome..." Flash gasped as they watched the silhouettes unleash a light that began to take shape and transform into copies of the original alicorn and umbrum.
"Using the magic they had abandoned, the two created more alicorns and umbrum, giving birth to two new races that would come to rule the world created by the two. And while these creatures weren't as powerful as the original alicorn and umbrum, they could harness the power of the Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow the same way the two of you can."
"That explains the images," Flash commented as he saw figures wearing the same armor him and Shadow used, now remembering the picture his parents had shown him with the pony is his armor.
"And so the two races developed, the alicorns and umbrum breeding and increasing in number." More alicorns and umbrum appeared from the originals, the void slowly filling with them. "The original alicorn and umbrum watched as the world they created became more amazing. Their races spread out across the land, creating temples and cities such as the one you're standing under right now. But alas, their time eventually came to and."
"What happened to them?" Sombra asked next.
"The same thing that happens to all mortal beings, no matter how much of a lifespan they have. They passed on and left the future or their race to the next generation." As she said this, the images of the original alicorn and umbrum vanished. "And so the world entered the second era, one without the guidance of the once outer gods. And unfortunately it wasn't one that ended in joy." The group watched as the alicorns and umbrum continued to multiply while others vanished like the originals. And as this happened, less and less of the figures wore the armor. "Over time, fewer members of the species inherited the power of the Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow. With each new generation, the numbers diminished until it became a rarity that they would have the ability to summon the once legendary power. As this happened, the two races began to undergo a shift."
Flash was about to ask what she meant, only to see a new image. It was pony, one that lacked wings, making it look like a unicorn. A pegasi and earth pony came next, all three seeing them change and divide from each other.
"While some alicorns continued to be born, others were born lacking one of the key aspects that made up an alicorn. Some lacked wings but kept their magic and connection to the earth. Others lacked the earth connection but kept their wings and magic, while others lost their magic but kept their wings and earth connection. And over time, decedents of these new creatures would lose another of these aspects and only inherit the flight, magic or earthly connection. As such, a trio of new races were born. Ones that would come to call themselves earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns."
"So that's how ponies came to be," Flash commented before seeing new creatures now appearing.
"Indeed. And from these three subspecies, others came into existence. Crystal ponies, thestrals, griffons, hippogriffs, kirin and so many others. These creatures spread out across the land, claiming parts of it for themselves and creating their own cultures and myths. Meanwhile, the remaining alicorns came together and created a single city to live in alongside their descendants. And they named this city after me."
In a flash of light, they found themselves no long in the void. Now they were floating above the city they had previously been fighting in, but it wasn't in ruins anymore. Instead it looked brand new, all types of ponies filling the streets. Alicorns, pegasi, unicorns, earth ponies and even-
"Jakhowls?" Flash almost yelled, seeing many humanoid wolf creatures wandering through the city. But these jakhowls weren't like Springer or the ones he had seen during Shade's little game. These were a myriad of different colors, some having blue fur like Springer while others were red, yellow, green, pink, orange, brown. Some were even black with white in place of their black markings. "They lived back then as well?"
"Oh yes, they were one of the Sacred Light's favorite creations. They evolved into what they are all on their own, with no descent from the original alicorn or umbrum. Though these jakhowls aren't like your friend. They could wield aura, but only in order to communicate with those around them. It would be many more generations before they developed the power to wield it as a weapon."
"So there were Jakhowls out here before Equestria was founded..." Flash whispered.
"There were many tribes of jakhowl spread out across the world. This city only housed one of those tribes. But over the centuries, the outcome of those tribes became unclear even to me. The one in Equestria was likely the last tribe to exist."
Flash frowned at hearing this, a spark of hope appearing in his mind when he heard about the other tribes until she said that. But before he could ask anything, the sound of coughing rang out, making them look down at the city and see its many citizens now wheezing and vomiting. "What's happening?"
"Something that would make the alicorns an endangered species, and proof of why you should never have the entirety of a race located in one spot: A plague. It was one that was extremely deadly to any adult pony or jakhowl. I do not know what caused it, but it spread quickly and began to destroy the city. It got so bad that the leader of the city chose to quarantine the place so the plague couldn't spread."
As she said this, the many ponies and jakhowls walked through the city. They were all accompanied by young ponies and jakhowls while the older jakhowls were holding some eggs. The three could only watch as one alicorn stood out among the others, this one being a white stallion with a dark blue mane and tail. He was holding two alicorn fillies in his magic, both fast asleep. One was white with a rainbow mane while the other was dark blue with a light blue mane and tail.
He and the unicorn next to him, this one dark blue with a rainbow mane, kissed the two fillies before the alicorn cast a spell on them, causing the two to be encased in a single bubble that flew toward the ground and phased into it.
"Those two are...Princess Celestia and Luna?" Flash gasped, his eyes fully wide at the sight.
And before anything else could be said, the rest of the young ponies, jakhowls and eggs were placed in similar bubbles that floated down into the earth. There was another flash after this, the three finding themselves back in the crystal chamber, only this one was filled with bubbles containing the city's young. Flash spotted Celestia and Luna, along with Heart and Soul in another orb.
"This city was built atop one of the few access points that allow me to interact with the world. Because of this, I was able to watch over the young as the rest of the city succumb to the plague. It then stayed like this, with the king using the last of his strength to erect a barrier that wouldn't allow anything to escape. And upon the last pony's death, the plague also died out and left these ponies homeless."
"So what happened to them?" Sombra asked, only for his answer to come when one of the bubbles containing an earth pony filly vanished. This was followed by a unicorn colt and a red jakhowl. With each passing second, more and more of them vanished.
"I tried. I truly did. But their young bodies just couldn't handle the effects the stasis spell had on them. Slowly they died until only six remained." And true to her word, only four bubbles remained. The ones holding Celestia, Luna, Heart and Soul, along with two eggs.
"There were so many," Flash sighed. "But only they survived."
"I'm afraid so. Even I have my limits."
"That's...awful."
"Hold on, we've only seen the Sacred Light side. What about the umbrum?" Sombra chimed in, "What happened to them?"
"Unlike the alicorns, the umbrum were a lot more picky about who they procreated with. This lead to very few new creatures being born." The chamber around them changed again, returning them to the void where new figures appeared. As this happened, the umbrum figures remained mostly the same with only a few new creatures appearing. Despite this, a certain creature appeared, making Flash growl at the sight. It was a tiny black fox.
"Tricksters. Figured they would be part of the Corrupted Shadow."
"Indeed. The Corrupted Shadow wanted to try their own version of jakhowls. However, the Corrupted Shadow always believed it to be...well, a bit of a failure. It was supposed to be a jakhowl that could use magic, but the results were not what the Corrupted Shadow wanted."
"Figures." Flash grumbled with crossed hooves.
"Now, let me continue. You see, the umbrum reveled in the power the Corrupted Shadow gave them. With the original umbrum gone, the species slowly fell to evil. Those around them feared what they might do, causing the umbrum to get whatever they wanted and slowly come to believe that power is the key to everything that happened. So when they started losing the ability to wield the Corrupted Shadow, they feared they would lose their control over the rest of the world."
"So they started looking for more power," Sombra added.
"Yes. They did many things in an attempt to reclaim the power they were losing. They forged mighty weapons, hoping the world would continue to fear them. The being known as Armalum is one such creation, one of many that now exists alone. They attempted to conquer the world before they lost all their power, but they continued to come up against resistance. One such obstacle were the alicorns from the city, who were able to destroy all but one of the Armalum masks, sealing that one away. But their ultimate end came when they attempted to conquer one of the newer nations. The Crystal Empire."
Flash and Sombra shared a glance, both feeling they knew how this ended.
"However, the ruler of the time possessed a great relic that destroyed many of the umbrum and weakened the remaining ones enough that the crystal ponies were able to seal them away. But you already knew that, I'm sure." Flash and Sombra both nodded while Shadow remained quiet. "And so the age of the alicorns and umbrum came to an end, the alicorns succeeded by the many races they spawned. But as time went on, issues began to occur."
Another flash of light had them floating above a pony village, though this looked like something from ancient times. The earth pony of the villages were harvesting crops, which they then begrudgingly gave to the pegasi and unicorns.
"The three main tribes of ponies split apart from one another and feuded with each other of several generations. This allowed the creatures known as windigos to gain power of freeze the land." A ghostly wail made them look up and see the phantasmic ponies flying above them, causing a powerful snow storm.
"Until the three tribe leaders finally put their differences aside, creating Equestira." Flash finished. As he said that, the images beneath them changed to show Clover the Clever, Commander Hurricane, Princess Platinum, Private Pansy, Chancellor Puddinghead and Smart Cookie hugging before putting up the first Equestrian banner.
"Indeed. But despite the new harmony that came with this new land, issues still remained." The vision changed again, this one showing a bunch of unicorns using their magic to raise the sun. "The raising and lowering of the sun, a duty once held by the original alicorn and passed down to its descendants, fell upon the unicorns to accomplish. But such feats were not something any ordinary unicorn could accomplish, even when working together." Once the unicorns raised the sun, they all fell to the ground, some struggling to move after the exercise. "The strain was just too much and threatened to deplete the unicorns of their magic. Equestria needed an alicorn, but there were none. None except the two that had survived the stasis within this city."
"Celestia and Luna?" Sombra asked.
"Correct." The vision changed again, this time to showing a pony they all knew as the famous Starswirl the Bearded. "I knew the world needed them, but I was unsure how to orchestrate such an outcome. Simply releasing them from the spell and telling them would not work."
Flash nodded in agreement, "Yeah, no kidding. Waking up from a thousand year coma and being told the fate of the world rested on your shoulders might be a bit daunting."
"Exactly. But luckily, a great wizard had been searching for the city in which the fillies lay. A wizard I realized would clearly see their potential and teach them what they needed to know in order to save the world. And so, when he arrived at one of my access points, I used my power to teleport the whole city there and released the two alicorns from the spell."
The vision changed again, this one showing Starswirl walking through the city and finding the young Celestia and Luna as they began to wake up in one of the buildings. It was here that a question entered Flash's brain, making him look up at Faust, "Wait...why didn't you release Heart and Soul? They could have gone with Celestia and Luna and grew up with them."
"I had originally planned to do that, but before I did...a fear entered my mind over this."
"You get scared?" Sombra asked next.
"Every creature gets scared. I was scared something would happen to these young alicorns and the world would once again be plunged into chaos. Aside from me, only an alicorn can create another alicorn, and it would be almost a thousand years before Celestia learned the magic required to do so. And so I chose to keep Heart and Soul in stasis, intending to transform them into alicorns should the need arise."
"Okay," Flash said slowly as the vision changed to show Starswirl teaching the two fillies magic before showing a teenage Celestia stepping up and raising the sun without issue.
"And so the reign of Princess Celestia and Luna came to pass, the royal sisters protecting the land from dangers such as Discord, Tirek and even the pony floating next to you." Sombra looked away at this. "I was beginning to think my fear of something happening to them was unfounded, but then Luna succumbed to the evil in her heart and became Nightmare Moon. And when Celestia sealed her away, I feared she may one day be lost as well. So, I continued to keep the two sealed away in case the world needed new alicorns. Even now, I believe this was the right decision, just as I believe Celestia's decision over the two newest alicorns to be right."
Shadow rolled his eyes at this, "This is a very fascinating history lesson, but what does it have to do with us?"
"Time passed," Faust continued without acknowledging Shadow's question. "And as the pony world developed, the Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow were slowly forgotten and fell into myth and legend. No ponies inherited the power to wield these magics, but that all changed over twenty years ago."
There was another flash of light, this one replacing the vision with a temple structure in a jungle, the sight making Flash ask, "What is this place?"
"Yet another one of my access points. You see, this place is one of the few locations I can interact with the world. The ancient alicorns that built the city also built this temple to preserve their culture, and it is here that you and Shadow come into the picture."
Flash raised an eyebrow at this, only for Sombra to point at the vision, "Look!" The defender followed his hoof and saw two ponies walking toward the temple. Two ponies that Flash knew all too well.
"Mom?! Dad?!"
"Two young ponies who were attempting to rediscover the secret of the ancient alicorns. And in doing so, they discovered the ancient temple and began to research it....only to discover your mother was pregnant with you, Flash." The vision changed to show a heavily pregnant Misty Veil in the temple. "This was where everything clicked into place. When I chose to do something that would forever change the world."
"Which was?" Shadow grumbled, sighing at the sight. "And can we get this lecture over already?!"
"For many millennia, I wondered about the bond of mother and child. Again and again I had seen a mare birth a child and be willing to risk everything to protect it. I wanted to understand this connection, so when this opportunity arrived, I chose to experience it. And so, I linked my own consciousness to Misty's so I would experience everything she experienced during pregnancy and labor. But I wasn't expecting what happened next. Without realizing it, me being connected to her supercharged her ability to see the future."
"What?!" Shadow blurted out, raising an eyebrow before turning to Flash, "Your mother can see the future?"
"Yeah," Flash nodded, "Though not to the same extent that Terror Card can. She can't control when it happens, and she can only see a few minutes into the future."
"Except for this day." Hearing a loud scream, they looked back and saw Misty screaming as she lay on her back, now showing Flash's birth. "I too experienced the agony of childbirth and gained a new appreciation for the bond between mother and child. But then something happened that neither of us were expecting." As Misty screamed, her eyes were suddenly filled with a white light. "Your mother had a vision at that moment, supercharged by my presence within her. But instead of seeing just a few minutes into the future, she saw years ahead of her. Everything her son would go through. However, I ended up seeing more."
"More?"
"Yes. While see only saw her son's future, I saw the future of all Equestria. Everything that would happen to every pony in the world. It was like seeing a million movies at once, but one such future caught my attention more than anything, and made me focus squarely on it."
The vision changed again, Shadow's eyes going wide when it was revealed where they were. "Weeping Wood Hollow..." Flash whispered, now seeing three ponies heading to the woods.
"No..." Shadow looked away, closing his eyes, "Don't!"
"I'm afraid you must see this to understand," Faust responded as the vision changed to show the ritual with the colt, Gleaming Path, tied to a stone tomb. "The tomb was the final resting place of the original umbrum, who erected the stone to contain the power that was within him upon his death. But upon the heinous ritual's completion, the seal was undone. When I first saw this, I expected nothing to occur. Even if the Corrupted Shadow was unleashed, none of the ponies there should have been able to access its power and it would simply fade away. But I was wrong."
The vision then showed Gleaming Path's revival as Shadow Corrupter, now in his armored Corrupted Shadow form.
"But I thought you said the ability to use those magics was lost?" Sombra asked, "How can he use it?"
"That's what I asked myself," Faust replied. "But I had more pressing issues to worry about at the time, such as keeping the balance in the world. Remember, if only one of these magics existed, then the balance would be destroyed. I had to find a way to keep the balance, and since that area of the world wasn't one of my access points, I could not stop Shadow from gaining the Corrupted Shadow. But then I discovered something else. Flash."
"Me?" Flash pointed at himself, "What about me?"
"Once the visions concluded, I took a closer look at your mother and then you. It was then I realized the two of you were no ordinary ponies. The two of you were the last remaining holders of the alicorn genesis gene."
"Genesis gene?!" All three asked in unison before Flash added, "What's that?"
The world around them changed back to the void, the two figures of an alicorn and umbrum appearing again as Faust responded, "The original alicorn and original umbrum, the physical embodiment of the Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow, held the genetic coding needed to access and wield those two powers. Upon creating their new races, using themselves as a genetic template, they passed on the gene required to use these magics. This was the genesis gene, and it was passed down through the generations. While certain ponies, like your friend Soarin, can gain mild boosts from the power if they can endure it, only the genesis gene allows the full power of the Sacred Light to be used. However, as time passed, less ponies inherited it and thus loss the power to wield these magics. This is also the reason both Shadow and Flash are able to wield these magics."
Flash and Shadow slowly put the pieces together in their head as Sombra said what they were all thinking. "So what you're saying is-"
"Flash Sentry holds the genesis gene of the original alicorn, passed down to him through his mother. She also holds this gene, which is what allows her to glimpse into the future. Meanwhile, Gleaming Path inherited the genesis gene of the original umbrum." Shadow growled at the mention of that name. "One of his parents was a descendant of an umbrum that held the gene, likely one of the few that chose to breed outside his race. And when Gleaming died, Shadow inherited the gene."
"Huh?!" Flash yelped before pointing at Shoadw, "Wait...you're saying he isn't Gleaming Path? I thought he was!"
"The body may be Gleaming Path, but the soul is not. When Gleaming Path died, the negative energy from the emotions he was feeling at the time became stained on the body. It's not an uncommon thing to happen to bodies that were killed in such a fashion. But unlike most bodies, this one came in contact with the Corrupted Shadow, and due to the genesis gene, was healed and restored. However, the soul that embodied it was no long Gleaming Path's, but a new soul born from the negative emotions left behind. Thus Shadow Corrupter was born."
Shadow shined a giant grin at this, Flash and Sombra staring at him in shock, "That explains...so much. No wonder you show no remorse or care for others. You literally can't."
"That's right," Shadow chuckled back, "I'm not hampered by those useless emotions. Love, friendship and joy...these things stop a pony from becoming truly powerful. I have no need for such pointless garbage. Its the very reason as to why I'm the perfect being."
Sombra shook his head at this, "Then I can't help but feel pity for you." Shadow slowly turned to glare at him as Sombra continued, "I was the same a long time ago. I cast off all my positive emotions and only let my rage and hatred fuel me. It wasn't until I got them back that I realized what a fool I was to cast them off."
"Then you're an even bigger fool." Shadow spat, "Anypony that understands power knows that in order to get things done, emotions are not needed."
The other two opened their mouths to respond, only for Faust to speak up, "That's enough. Now, in the years to come, I would realize that Gleaming held the genesis gene. As such, when the Corrupted Shadow was released, it found the perfect host waiting for it. And upon my discovery of Flash's genesis gene, I realized the solution had been presented to me."
"You placed the Sacred Light inside me," Flash finished.
"Correct. I sealed it deep within you and left a small connection between the two of us. On the day Shadow gained the Corrupted Shadow, I would unlock your Sacred Light so both magics were in the world at the same time. I had hoped that the future I saw that day would never come to pass. But alas, it did. Due to this, when the Corrupted Shadow was awakened, I unlocked your Sacred Light. And no sooner had I done so, you ended up tapping into it the very next day."
The vision changed again, this time finding the three in Canterlot, right outside of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. They then saw a young Flash eating a slice of stolen pizza, only for the roof of the building to explode and send debris everywhere. The group continued to watch as Flash flew into action, saving a young pony from the rubble as lightning shot off his body.
"It seems you two have more in common then you realize," Faust stated as Flash's flank flashed with light before a particular mark appeared on it. "You also share the day you both received your cutie marks."
Flash and Shadow turned and stared at each other, both grimacing at the fact of how intertwined their lives had been as Faust faded the images and returned them to the chamber.
"It's clear that the two of you having these powers were no coincidence. Both of you are the only ones in the world with the genetic coding needed to wield the Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow. It's no coincidence that I saw Gleaming's death and contact with the Corrupted Shadow, while also having contact with a pony to grant the Sacred Light too as well. This is destiny at work. You two were destined to wield those two magics, and it's that fact that forced me to put all this into motion."
"What do you mean?" Sombra asked next. "Why did these two having those magics force you to start this game?"
"You all saw what happened whenever Flash and Shadow used their super forms on one another." Everypony exchanged glances at that, remembering the destruction caused by their combined power. "The two are perfect opposites of one another. Should they connect in any way, shape or form, the resulting force would be something akin to my own power. That is something that can not exist in this would. Even I have to be careful not to use too much power. The resulting force would be enough to wipe an entire continent off the face of the world."
"Hoo boy," Flash whispered as that mental image sparked in his brain.
"In ancient times, those wielding the Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow had an inbuilt instinct to avoid one another. But that no longer exists within your species, thus why I feared the eventual meeting of you two."
"But you're the reason we met in the first place," Shadow pointed out.
"I merely sped up the process. You two meeting was inevitable." Faust caused Soul's eyes to turn into focused glares. "You planned to one day attack Equestria after amassing enough power and followers. It could have taken a year, ten years, or maybe even fifty years, but you would have attacked Equestria." She then turned to Flash. "As a Royal Knight, you would have been one of the first sent out to stop Shadow when he started his attack. This would have lead to the two of you facing off and using your powers on one another. And you saw what happened when you're at this level of power. What do you think would have happened if you met ten years from now? The powers you had might have wiped Equestria off the map if your powers mixed. I had to act before then."
Flash crossed his hooves at this, a slight frown on his face, "Okay, I get that...but why a game like this? Why not just summon us here and remove our magic once we were here?"
Faust shook her head, "I might want to stop this world from being destroyed, but not at the cost of your lives." This statement made all three raise eyebrows, "The Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow is apart of each of you. They've been a part of you since the day each of you were born. To remove them would be like removing your heart or lungs. The process would likely kill you."
The two nodded at this, only for Sombra to speak up, "Hold on a moment. Why didn't you just seal their powers away? You did it when this game first started, why not do it again?"
"That is true, but would you two be willing to do that?" She asked, "Would you be willing to give up the power of the Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow for the rest of your lives?"
"If it's to keep Equestria safe, of course I'd-"
"Never!" Shadow barked, "This is my power! I'm not just gonna let you take them away from me! Take Sentry's power, then we won't have any issues."
Flash shot him a glare as Faust turned back to the defender, "Well Flash? Are you willing to do that?"
They watched as Flash closed his eyes, thinking for a moment before glancing over at Shadow, seeing a vicious grin on his face. Sighing at the sight, he turned to Faust and shook his head, "No, I can't. If I give up my power and he keeps his, that'll just give him more reason to attack Equestria." He pointed at Shadow, "I won't let you destroy my home. If having the Sacred Light means you can't risk attack Equestria, we're safe."
"Who said you having the Sacred Light will stop me?" Shadow instantly replied, "Once this farce is done, I will go to Equestria, and I will conquer it. And if you try to stop me, I'll just destroy you. Nothing will stop me from taking what is rightfully mine."
"But that means you will clash, and that clash could destroy Equestria!" Sombra barked back.
"More reason for him to stay out of my way," Shadow chuckled, "Besides, I see no issue in the destruction that will happen if we clash. It will just make things easier for me."
"And so you see the issue. I couldn't risk the two of you fighting against one another, and I can't simply seal your powers away without your agreement."
"Why not?" Sombra asked next.
"They didn't ask for these powers. They were forced upon them without their knowledge or consent. As such, I have no right to take them away in the same manner. That is why I had to enact this whole situation. When I first realized Shadow would eventually attack Equestria and meet Flash, I started making plans. I released Heart and Soul and watched them carefully, waiting to see which of them would be the best candidate to act as my voice. When Soul was chosen, I summoned you here and selected those you knew who you trusted to accompany you and fight by your side. Had Soul not grown to fear her powers and reject them, I would have explained everything to you at the start and told you why you were meant to fight."
"Then why were we fighting?" Flash responded while pointing at Shadow, "I thought you wanted us to avoid facing off against one another."
"That's why I had others come with you. So that you would have opponents to face as you competed to acquire the orbs necessary." Several flashes signaled the appearance of multiple light orbs. Within each sphere was a recording of the many battles that had taken place during this game, showing not just Flash and Shadow's fights, but also the fights their friends and comrades partook in. "Making sure the two of you were kept separate, I watched as you and your friends did battle again and again. And this wasn't just a test of strength, but also character. That's why some battles occurred without either of you taking part. I wanted to see just how far the ones who came with you would go for something they had no stake in."
Flash watched as the orbs showed Trixie's many battles with Terror, Ruby's battles with Armalum and Soarin's battles with both Storm and Wingill.
"As I watched, I was amazed by how far these ponies would go for the two of you. All showing amazing loyalty, but for completely different reasons." The images changed to show the ponies in question. "Where as Flash's team fought for him out of a sense of friendship and comradery, Shadow's team fought out of sheer unbridled loyalty forged through either fear, greed or in one such case, unequalled obsession. And as the fights continued, I saw those ponies push themselves beyond their limits and overcome adversity like nopony else."
Flash saw the images change again, showing six images of fights he remembered fondly. The one where Trixie first defeated Terror. The one where Cold and Soarin worked together to beat Storm and Terror. Heart's first fight when he gained his abilities. Where Springer went mega again, and then the one where Soarin unleashed his Theta Mode. The final one was where Ruby and him freed Sombra from Armalum, all showing major breakthroughs for him and his friends.
"While some were able to push passed psychical limits, achieving new incredible forms and abilities, others pushed passed mental barriers that kept them from becoming who they were always meant to be. Each pony on both sides held an unstoppable drive that allowed them to keep going no matter the obstacle. And upon connecting to each of them and seeing their memories, I realized the catalyst for those drives were the two of you." Flash went wide-eyed at this while Shadow just rolled his eyes. "Whether through the actions in your past of simply being there for them, the two of you have affected the ones that came with you and helped them become the beings they are today. For better or worse, your presence in their lives have effected the outcome of their very souls."
Flash and Shadow shared a quick glance at this.
"But then, issues began to occur in the game. It was supposed to be a simple process. Two teams battle it out until one team manages to get seven of the thirteen orbs, all the while you two kept away from one another to prevent doing damage to the world. And at first, things seemed to be going smoothly as both teams collected the orbs. But then complications emerged." The scene changed to show a vision of Flash and Shadow fighting in a black void. "The first being when the two of you clashed within Sombra's mind, something I had not foreseen as a possible outcome."
Sombra frowned at hearing this, knowing he was the cause of the issue that almost ended up destroying the city. But in that moment, he looked up at Faust, "Wait...if that wasn't foreseen, did you-"
"I was forced to interject before the two of them went too far, freeing you from Armalum and transforming you into a unicorn so something like that could never happen again. But as I did that, more issues started coming up." The vision changed again, this time showing Flash and Shadow fighting in the city. "Like somehow the two of you being selected for the final battle. I had prearranged things to make sure the two of you would never be selected for the same match, but somehow it happened."
Shadow let out blood-curling laugh at this, "Sounds to me like you messed up! HA!"
"Either way, I watched and hoped one of you would gain the final orb before too much damage could occur. But instead-" The vision fast-forwarded to Flash and Shadow's tug of war, resulting in the orb splitting in two. "You somehow broke the orb, forcing me to intervene once again. And thus I found myself with an issue that needed to be resolved: Both teams have seven orbs, meaning there was no way to decide who the winner was. At first, I considered having your teams compete for an eighth orb, but feared the possibility of you two being chosen once again. So, I decided on something else."
"The all out fight between us and our opponent's team?" Flash chimed in.
"Yes." The vision changed again, this time showing the two battles of Flash and Shadow facing the remaining members of their opponent's team. "I believed, despite the power you both possessed, that there was no chance the two of you could defeat six highly skilled and powerful fighters. I had hoped that when the two of you finally fell, one would have gathered more orbs than the other. But alas, the two of you exceeded my expectations."
The visions continued to show the moments when Flash and Shadow dealt the finishing blow to each of their opponents. Flash shattering Armalum. Shadow impaling Cold. Flash blasting Terror point blank. Shadow slamming Heart into a building and so on.
"Once again, a definitive winner could not be selected, and the two of you almost came to blows once again."
Sombra turned to the two, "It's almost like something is trying to force the two of you into a battle."
"That is the same conclusion I have come to." Faust added as they glanced back to her, "The simple fact is that Flash and Shadow have been endowed with the powers of an ultimate warrior, yet they exist on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Just like shadow and light. I understand now that trying to keep them separated would be fighting the inevitable, and that Flash and Shadow meeting in battle is their destiny."
Shadow's grin grew at these words, "I had a feeling something like this would happen." He turned to Flash, "Since the day I first saw you and your power, I knew one day I would have to face off against it to achieve my ultimate destiny."
"Even if it wasn't our fate to face off," Flash replied with crossed hooves. "I wouldn't be happy unless it was me finally taking you down."
"Be that as it may, I cannot allow your collective destinies endanger any more innocents. That is why I have brought you down here. Not only to tell you everything, but also to transport the two of you to a pocket dimension. It is there that you will face off, where your battle will cause no damage to the real world and nopony else can get caught in the crossfire. As such, the winner of this battle will get to keep their powers while the loser will have theirs sealed away."
"WHAT!?" Shadow yelled, "That's horseapples! You think I'm going to compete in a battle that I have nothing to gain from and everything to lose, you've clearly gone senile after all those millennia! After everything you put me through during this little game of yours, you expect me to leave here with nothing to show for it?! No! I expect more!"
"Very well. What do you want as your prize should you win this fight?"
Shadow cackled before pointing at Soul, "You were able to turn her into an alicorn. When I win, I want you to do the same thing for me." He almost looked giddy at the prospect. "Once I have the power of the Corrupted Shadow and an alicorn, I'll truly be unstoppable."
"I'm afraid that'll be impossible," Faust instantly replied, making Shadow hiss.
"And why is that?! You obviously hold the power!"
"Because despite being a unicorn, you hold the genesis gene of the original umbrum. Transforming you into an alicorn would be like transforming a dog with wolf dna into a lion. Not possible." She turned to him, "You would die if you tried to become an alicorn."
Shadow blinked at this, a low growl coming next before saying, "If that's the case..." A big grin began to shin on his face again, "Turn me into an umbrum. Combined with the Corrupted Shadow, it should give me ten times the magical power than all four alicorn princesses have combined."
This statement caused Flash and Sombra go wide-eyed, only for Faust to speak up, "Very well."
"What?!" Flash screamed.
"If he had that much power..." Sombra mumbled. "He'd be virtually-no! He would be unstoppable!" He turned to Flash, "The Royal Knights, princesses, even your element of harmony friends. None of them would be able to stand up to that much power, even if they all fought together!"
Flash let this information sink in as he turned to the smiling unicorn, "He really would become the next ruler of Equestria."
"What about you Flash?" He looked back at Faust. "Should you win, do you wish to become an alicorn and gain that power?"
"Are you nuts?!" Flash yelped before pointing at Shadow. "You think I'd agree to this fight knowing what might happen if I lose?! No way! Not happening!"
Shadow chuckled, "Sounds to me like he's forfeiting. I guess that means I win be default."
Flash and Sombra gasped with wide eyes as Faust replied. "I'm sorry Flash, but if you refuse to fight-"
"Wait! Just...wait." Flash yelled before sighing, "Alright." He shot Shadow one last glare, "I'll fight you. And no matter what happens, I'm taking you down."
"Good. I've been waiting for this moment, and I'd hate for you to chicken out." Shadow replied, a low chuckle still leaving his breath, "I want to earn my ultimate power."
"You're not getting any more power!" Flash barked back as he pulled his sword out. "As a Royal Knight, it's my duty to protect Equestria from any threat! Even if it kills me, I'll stop you."
"Then it is time for the final battle to commence, with the fate of all Equestria depending on its outcome."
With that, the crystal holding Soul unleashed a blinding light that engulfed the three, transporting them all to the pocket dimensional Faust spoke of.
Every battle. Every fight. Every hurdle they and their friends had come up against up until now had lead tot his moment. Now, Flash and Shadow's destinies were about to come to past, as the outcome of this battle has not yet been written in the stars. This outcome would only be written by the two ponies experiencing it, as only Flash and Shadow can decide the fate of this final battle.