As the radiance of light exploded from the crystal orb, Flash could only close his eyes and wait as he, Shadow and Sombra were transported to the pocket dimension Faust had told them about. While this happened, Flash felt his body begin to warm up, his injuries from the last battle fading as he felt his energy come back.
And when the light dimmed, Flash opened his eyes to see they were now in a void, this one filled with every color he could think of spiralling around them. As they began to look around, they then saw the crystal orb containing Soul and Faust floating above them.
"So...this is the place," Sombra commented before turning to Flash, "This is where you and Shadow will finally end this war."
"Indeed," Faust announced. "In this dimension, any energy resulting from the contact between the Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow will harmlessly vanish without causing harm to the rest of the world." Another flash of light caused the three to look down, seeing a white light appear below them before taking shape.
When the light faded, it revealed a structure that reminded Flash of the Crystal Empire's stadium, only this one was made of stone instead of crystal. The three felt themselves slowly floating down, Sombra being took over to the seating section as Flash and Shadow landed in the arena. "Remember gentlecolts, who should ever claim victory in this battle will not only be able to keep their powers, but also be evolved into either an alicorn or umbrum. This will be a no-holds barred challenge. I will only step in should one of you be able to receive an injury that would kill them, stopping it and proclaiming their opponent the winner. Other than that, I shall not interfere with anything that happens. This battle will continue until an fighter is either unconscious, surrenders or is about to receive the aforementioned injury. Does everypony understand what I am telling them?"
"One hundred percent!" Flash yelled back.
"Absolutely," Shadow added.
Up in the seating area, Sombra stared at the barrier that kept him from falling into the arena. Shadow had summoned his sword to inspect it, Flash stretching himself out instead to get himself ready. As he did this, Sombra whispered, "Come on Sentry, this one's for all the marbles. Lose this and Equestria is done for."
Flash and Shadow stared each other down, both gripping their weapons.
"You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to this," Shadow chuckled as he pointed his sword at Flash. "Now, nothing will get in my way. I can finally end this little game and claim what's rightfully mine."
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again." Flash growled as he raised his blade. "You're not getting anything from this. I'll make sure you never conquer Equestria!"
Shadow cackled as he rested his weapon on his shoulder, not looking at all worried by Flash's declaration. "After I take Equestria, I'll make sure to tell the ponies that. Throughout the history of my future empire, my citizens will have you to thank for the lives they lead, all of them crying over you failing to stop me as I make them suffer." He shined a huge grin at this, "And I'll be sure to let Princess Twilight know how you failed while I slowly drain her of all her magic." A low laugh came after this, "And don't worry about her. If she survives, I'm sure I can find other uses for her. Perhaps she can be my replacement for Tempera."
This statement made Flash's face turn red, teeth gritting as he began to hiss, his grip tightening on his sword.
"Don't let him get in your head," Sombra added despite his voice not being loud enough for Flash to hear.
Faust saw Flash was on the verge of attack, taking a breath as she announced, "The winner of this battle will have more power than any other being in the world. Their strength will even surpass the power of the original alicorn and umbrum. The fate of all Equestria will be decided here, so make sure you don't hold anything back."
"Okay!" Flash's sword glowed while Shadow's horn sparked. "Let's do this!"
"Gladly!" Shadow laughed, "Just say the word!"
"Game on gentlecolts. Battle...BEGIN!"
"Flash Cutter!" Flash swung his sword, unleashing a wave of light that Shadow easily deflected with his sword. He then charged and thrust his blade at Flash, the defender sidestepping as Shadow started to slash at the knight's' head. The defender thrust his sword next, both blades locking with two clangs before Shadow's horn sparked, firing a beam right at Flash's head.
The pegasi ducked under the blast, only cutting a few stray hairs of his mane as the magic hit the wall of the stadium. An explosion followed this, kicking up some dust as Flash leapt into the air before unleashing a Flash Cutter Barrage. The unicorn raised a shield, bouncing the attacks away as he began to cover his sword in a decay cloud. And when the last Flash Cutter deflected off his barrier, he dropped it and swung the blade, a series of cloud spheres now flying at Flash.
"Whoa!" Flash yelped as he dodged the first orb before blocking another with a Flash Force, the first cloud hitting the stadium seating area before turning it to dust. And as it melted, Faust shined her light on it, repairing it as Flash began flying in circles around Shadow as he launched the decay around. But as this happened, the pegasus dodged each spell as one of the clouds hit where Sombra was sitting.
"Hey!" Sombra yelped as he avoided the attack, "Watch it, would ya?!"
"Flash Driver!" Flash morphed into a light drill, charging at Shadow as he fired another decay wave. However, the light of his attack dispersed the cloud, breaking out of the drill next as he tried to slash at Shadow. But as his blade swung down towards Shadow's head, a pair of portals appeared in front of him and behind the unicorn. Flash gasped as he was forced through the first and out the other, sliding across the ground before hopping back on his hooves.
He spun like a top next, charging at Shadow as the unicorn easily blocked the first slash the knight tried, the force of the two weapons colliding causing both their grips on them to slip. They were knocked back next, Shadow growling as he tried to grab his sword in his magic, only to have Flash's hoof slam into his face. "Augh!" He staggered back as Flash tried to deal him another punch, only for Shadow to dodge and jab Flash in the stomach before uppercutting him in the chin.
"Gyah!" Flash's head flicked as he fell back, Shadow taking this chance to try and slam his front hooves down on the defender. But as he did this, Flash used his tail to sweep Shadow's back legs, making him fall as Flash picked himself up.
Shadow suddenly found Flash swinging his back leg into his stomach, winding the unicorn as Flash pulled back for another kick. And as he tried this, Shadow caught the hoof and spun, slinging Flash into the dirt.
"Oof!" He cried as Shadow got up, Flash spinning to slam his hooves into Shadow. The blow pushed the unicorn back, making him stagger away before backpedaling as Flash got up and grabbed his sword.
Shadow then stumbled into a place filled with dust, now seeing it was the cloud he created while hitting the stadium wall. He then heard Flash roar, the pegasi charging as the unicorn got an idea. As Flash got close, Shadow swept his tail along the ground, kicking up dust right into Flash's face. The defender came to a stop, rubbing his eyes as Shadow charged at him.
"Look out!" Sombra yelled as Shadow reached Flash, the knight unable to react as the unicorn began dealing a series of punches to his face.
"Augh!" He cried as he felt his face get pummeled, his nose breaking as blood splattered out, covering Shadow's hoof as he continued beating into him. And after several strong hits to his body, Shadow slammed into his chest as a white flash occurred. Flash staggered back as he saw the light turn into a rune, Shadow's horn shining as the rune then exploded. A scream of pain came next as Flash was blasted across the stadium, crashing into the opposite wall.
"HA! How pathetic!" Shadow laughed as he teleported his sword to his side. As he did this, Flash got up, feeling his now brunt chest as he wiped out the dust in his eyes. And as his vision returned, the defender could now see Shadow right about to strike him with his blade.
But as the sword was about to pierce the pegasi's head, Flash ducked under the blade, folding his wings as he dodged the thrust. And as he did this, he pointed his crossguard at Shadow's chest, "Flash Force!" the beam struck the unicorn, sending him flying with a scream of pain.
"RAAAAAH!" Shadow roared as he landed, Flash preparing a Flash Cutter before a shield appeared around the unicorn. Flash's blade stopped glowing at this, now seeing Shadow get up as two stared at each other, both heavily panting.
"Just give up," Shadow told Flash as he watched the pegasus wipe his nose of blood. "You can't beat me, so just give up."
"Why would I give up?" Flash barked back, "I have just as much chance of winning as you, and I haven't even pulled out the big guns yet."
"Neither have I, and its clear what the outcome of this fight will be." Shadow replied before shaking his head, "The winner will be the one with the greater will, and there's nopony in this world with more will then me. After everything I've been through, to let it end now is unacceptable."
"Oh please," Flash rolled his eyes. "You talk like you're the only one in the world that's had a hard life. Newsflash Gleaming, the rest of us haven't had it easy easier."
"Like you would know," Shadow growled, "You forget, I've seen your past just as I assume you've seen mine. I know what happened to you. You spent what...five years on your own before you got taken in? I've spent technically my entire life fighting to get what I have while you had everything given to you."
"What are you talking about?!" Flash replied before pointing at himself, "I've worked hard to get what I have. That's why I won't let you take it away."
"Don't make me laugh," Shadow chuckled. "You wouldn't have any of it if it wasn't for me." This made Flash raise an eyebrow at this, "Don't give me that look, you heard Faust. The only reason you have the Sacred Light is because of me. She saw I was gonna get my power, so she gave you yours to counter it. If it wasn't for me, none of the things that ever happened to you would have happened. You would have never been abandoned by your parents, never met the Princess of Friendship...you wouldn't even be a Royal Knight right now."
Sombra frowned at these words, remembering his own version of his battle with Flash when he tried to get under the knight's skin.
"I made you who you are. Don't think you're anything special." Shadow spat, a low glare in his eyes, "You weren't chosen, you were lucky. That's why compared to me, you're nothing. So do yourself a favor and stand down. Surrender everything so I, who has the true right to victory, can be the victor."
A long pause followed this, Flash just showing a flat stare as Shadow glared at him. And just as Shadow was about to speak up again, his eyes started to twitch as he saw Flash shine a giant smile.
"Really?" Flash cackled as he pointed at Shadow, "You're trying the psychological crud on me? Hate to break it to you, but you're not the first baddie to use that on me. Heck, ponies I now consider close friends have used it on me to a way better degree. You know, mainly them trying to make a point to feed their ego."
Shadow hissed at these words, his horn sparking as Flash crossed his hooves with a smirk.
"Sure, in the past that might have worked on me. I spent a long time doubting whether or not I was worthy of everything I had. But those days are long gone. I know I deserve what I have, that's why I won't let you take it from me." He pointed his sword at Shadow. "You think I care about why I have my power, but I don't. Because it's not about how much power you have or how you got it, it's what you do with this power that makes you who you are. And all you've ever done with the power you have is evil, which is why I won't let you win."
Flash and Sombra both stared at Shadow as another pause happened, only for the unicorn to sigh, "Tch. It seems there's no point in trying to make a fool understand what power is."
"I just told you what it means." Flash barked back, "After everything I've been through, I know why I have my power, and I know I'd have to have a pretty strong will to still be standing here. That's why I'm here today."
"No, that's why you'll lose." Shadow replied while shaking his head, "You see, you're no different from me because of your past. You believe some nonsense about friendship and bonds to make you strong...but its meaningless. Its your past that defines you. After all, you saw what happened to make me who I am. The pain and suffering I had to endure....the betrayal and violence. Do you really expect me to be anything other than who I am because of it?"
Flash frowned at this, only to sigh this time, "Your story might not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn't make you who you are. It is the rest of your story. Who you choose to be, that defines you." He raised his sword, "I chose to be somepony who fights to protect others. And you-"
"I choose to be the pony who will end you and emerge as Equestria's new king."
"Not if I can help it," Flash responded as he tightened his grip on his sword. [AN]
"Then let's end these pleasantries," Shadow chuckled as he raised his sword. "But I won't judge you if you decide to back out at any point." His sword began to glow as magic was channelled into it. "Well, I might judge you a little."
"Don't worry, this is one fight I refuse to back down from." He spread his wings and got into a pre-flight pose. "Because unlike you...I'VE GOT SOMETHING WORTH FIGHTING FOR!"
With that, he shot forward while Shadow remained where he was, his horn sparking as Flash found himself colliding into a magic barrier. Flash then began slashing the shield, Shadow laughing as the blows did nothing. He thrust his blade at the defender next, Flash ducking under the strike before spinning to slash at the unicorn. However, Shadow just swung his blade into Flash's, both swords locking as Shadow fired a beam from his horn. Seeing this, Flash flared his wings and flew upward, dodging the magic blast before swinging his sword down, only for it to hit the barrier again.
And as Flash's blade clanged off the shield, he flared his wings and flew back, firing a Flash Cutter that did nothing to Shadow's barrier. Growling at the sight, he landed and charged at full speed, Shadow removing his shield as he met Flash head-on. He thrust his blade right at the pegasi, Flash doing a horizontal strike in response. The swords clanged again, Flash spinning his body as he swiped his blade upward, nicking Shadow's face. A loud roar came after this, Shadow swerving his sword downward before thrusting it right at Flash's face, the pegasi ducking as the blade just nicked above his eyebrows.
Grunts of pain came next as both slashed their swords again, this time both blades bouncing off each other before they charged again. To their audience, it was a series of focused slashes that proceeded this, Flash and Shadow's swords continually slicing the area. It wasn't long till both were stitched in cuts, only for both to leap backward.
In this moment, Shadow's magic wrapped around his sword while Flash pumped every bit of strength he had into his hoof, Lightbringer's glow becoming bright than ever. And as they did this, two roars came next as they charged at each, Sombra watching intensely as he saw both collide.
"RAAAAAAAAAAH!" Both screamed as they swung their weapons, the loudest ring of metal on metal now filling the air. This was followed by another sound, the sound that sounded like glass shattering. Both ponies stared in shock as one of their swords cut through the other one, smashing it to pieces. [AN]
And as they came to a stop, the owner of the broken sword spoke up, "No...it can't be." was all Flash could say as he stared at the broken remains of Lightbringer. All that was left of it now was the handle and crossguard.
Shadow laughed as he charged at Flash again, only for Flash to block his blade in time with the crossguard. But as he felt the blow, Flash was knocked back, the remains of the blade flying out of his hooves. Shadow's horn then sparked before unleashing a bolt of purple lightning, the attack instantly hitting Flash before wrapping up his body. Another laugh came as the unicorn raised Flash up before slamming him into the ground. "AUGH!" Flash screamed through the combination of the electrocution and the impact, Shadow doing this again and again as he slammed Flash around like a ragdoll.
"Don't you see?! You are nothing!" Shadow yelled as he swung his head, Flash now being pulled around a full circle above Shadow, only to release the lightning and throw him across the battlefield.
"RAAAAAH-GYAH!" Flash screamed as he hit the wall of the colosseum, making a sizeable dent into the stone surface. Sombra could only flinch at the sound of breaking stone, and possibly bone, now filling the air. He looked away as Flash slid down the wall, falling into a heap next.
"SENTRY!" The former king cried as he turned back, now seeing Flash laying face down.
"AHAHAHAHAHAAAA!" Shadow cackled before looking up at Faust, "Do you see that?! I WON! You know what that means!" He raised his hooves upward, "Give it to me! Give me the power to conquer this world! Give me the right to make this world suffer as I have! AHAHAHAHAAAA!!!"
But as he said these words...nothing happened.
"HEY! What gives?! GIVE ME MY PRIZE!"
"I said this battle would only end once one of you was unconscious, close to death, or gives up." Faust casually replied, Shadow blinking at her response, "He's still conscious, thus not dead, and that doesn't look like he's giving up to me." Shadow turned back to Flash, now seeing the defender trying to move. His front legs were shaking, barely moving as Shadow sighed at the sight.
"Oh please. Just declare me the victor already. I have no time to waste on garbage like him."
"He has not lost his will. He-"
"Oh, shut up!" Shadow spat, "He's done for, so give me my power!" The unicorn pointed at Flash as he glared at Faust, "He's nothing, and will never be anything. He'll never beat me, so give me my prize! Give me my power!"
"I will not. Not till he has given up."
"Grrr...you little-" Shadow hissed before turning to Flash, now seeing him slump over as his legs gave out, only to try again. "Just give up Sentry. Don't make me have to kill you. I want you to live so you can see what your failure will create. I want you to see a world in endless suffering because you failed." Shadow let out a sigh next, now seeing Flash get up for a third time, only to fall over. "You can't defeat me. Continuing this fool's errand will only end with more pain. Just surrender so I may make Equestria suffer like I have."
But his words fell on deaf ears, Flash now crawling on the ground as he made his way to Lightbringer's handle. His entire body was screaming in pain, every movement getting closer and closer to dropping unconscious.
"Come on," Sombra whispered as he watched Flash struggle. "You can't give up yet." But as the pegasus got within a few feet of the weapon, his entire body stopped moving. "No."
'What happened?' Flash mentally asked himself as he felt his eyes closing. 'I...I can't move my body.' Tears began to leak out his eyes. 'I wanted to save Equestria, and all my friends.' The tears slipped down his face, Shadow chuckling at the sight as Sombra slumped in his seat, his eyes showing nothing but fear.
'Was...was this all I could do?' Flash thought as his eyes were about to close, one last word going into head, 'Twilight...'
And as her name came to his mind, a certain memory played in his head. A promise.
"If you're making promises you absolutely have to keep, then promise me you'll be careful. Promising to come back alive isn't gonna cut it. You need to promise me that you'll come back in the exact same state you leave in...that means no missing limbs, no new scars. Not even a black eye."
'I...I couldn't keep the promise.' he thought as the images of his friends came next in his mind, 'They were counting on me and...and...'
As these words went through his head, his mind showing him all his friends. Friends that helped him in this war that he had lost. Now, Equestria would fall to a monster, all because of him. 'Springer. Ruby. Soarin. Trixie. Heart. Cold. Even Soul.' His mind flashed back others now, more faces he knew, 'My friends in Ponyville.' It then fell on his family, making him whimper, 'Mom, dad...Scootaloo.' Finally, his mind went back to the pony that meant more to him than anything. The one that had stood by his side no matter what, and helped him become a better pony. 'Twilight.' Each of those faces appeared in front of him, their happy faces quickly vanishing as they suddenly appeared in chains. 'What?! NO!'
His mind continued to show him images of Equestria after Shadow. The skies were pitch black, not a single living plant or tree in sight. All were slaves, all were suffering as he sat upon a throne, laughing at the misery before him. 'No...I was supposed...I was supposed to save them' He tried to say as the images kept playing, now only seconds from losing consciousness. 'I can't-'
"SENTRY!" The sound of that voice halted Flash's descent into the void, the pegasus recognizing it as Sombra's. "Don't you dare give up!" Flash's eyes slowly pried themselves apart, allowing him to look up and see Sombra staring down at him from the stands. "Not yet! You are not letting him beat you this easily!"
"SILENCE!" Shadow barked, "You stay out of this, you traitor!"
"NO!" Sombra roared. "I won't just sit back and watch the place I once called home fall to ruin because of you! Not if there's something I can do to stop it." He turned back to Flash, "Are you really going to let him beat you? Even knowing what awaits Equestria if he wins?!"
"I...I don't want to let him win," Flash whispered.
"Then why are you laying down like that?! You've faced tougher challenges than this and stood back up every time. Nightmare Moon, Lightning, Discord, Doom Raizer, Tirek...even me. Every time you were knocked down and it looked like you had lost, you got back up and won! This isn't any different!"
These words sank into Flash's mind, more memories of his life going through him. He remembered the binds he had been in, the bad to worse fights that all went south before he found a way to pull through. And he knew why he won. He knew why he found a way.
"And if you lose here, it won't just be you you're letting down. Think about Ruby and the others! The ones who followed you here because they believed in you! The ones who fought for you in this game. The ones who endured so much and pushed themselves passed barriers most sane ponies would call impossible. If you lose now, then everything they did would be meaningless. Every injury they endured, every obstacle they overcame, and every limit they almost killed themselves breaking through would be for nothing." Sombra took a deep breath as he said these next words, "And I know you, Flash Sentry. You wouldn't let your friends suffer for nothing. That's why you're gonna get up. Because you are Equestria's last hope!"
Hearing these words made Flash's eyes shoot completely open, the images of his friends in chains reappearing in his mind as Sombra yelled, "You're all that stands between him and total domination. Is that a fight you're gonna let him win?!"
"ENOUGH!" Shadow screeched as he fired a beam of magic at Sombra, the former king gasping as the blast him, knocking his flying into the stairs above him. The unicorn slumped over in pain next, flinching as Shadow hissed at him, "I'll have no more pointless interruptions from you. In fact, because you decided to delay this, once this farce is over, I'm going to start my reign by carving that horn off of you and-"
"Shut up." said a voice, making Shadow turn to see a certain pegasus groaning in pain as he slowly pushed himself back to his hooves. "He's...right. This isn't a fight...I can lose."
Shadow shot Sombra one final death glare before turning back to Flash, now pointing his sword at him. "You just made a big mistake. I was really hoping to show you what I wish to do to this world...but you're too stupid to give up. Instead, I'm going to end you right here and now." He rested his blade on one of his hooves, his horn sparking as he layered the sword in magic, "Then again, you've been a thorn in my side for too long, and today I'll finally be rid of you. But I won't make it quick. I'll be sure to make this last as long as possible, reveling in the agony you feel until you're begging me for the sweet, merciful release of death. But I won't, and you'll finally understand what a big mistake challenging the one true ruler of-"
"Oh, SHUT UP!" Flash yelled as he finally pushed himself up to full height, spreading his wings. All sense of exhaustion vanished from him as he glared Shadow down. "I am so sick of hearing your overblown egomaniac speeches! It's time somepony finally set you straight and drill this fact into your head. You're nothing special!"
Shadow growled, "You dare-"
"Oh, I dare!" Flash screamed, "You think you're something special, but you're not! You think you're destined to be some great ruler, but you're the furthest thing. All you are is a criminal and a psycho, born from all the pain and rage and betrayal that Gleaming Path endured. Every dark thought he never had until his parents broke his heart, that's what you are!" Shadow's eyes turned red in rage as Flash continued, the defender seeing this and not showing a hint of hesitation. "And when this is over, you won't be any different. The only thing that your name will be known for is being on a list of idiots that underestimated me and those I hold dear."
Everypony watched as Flash took a deep breath, memories upon memories entering his brain. Every fight, every win, every loss, every single trial flew through his mind as he continued, "Time and again somepony got it into their head that they could defeat me. Time and again they would beat me down, knock me out and try to make me give up." He pointed at Shadow. "You come at me with insecurities, self-doubt and angst. You try to make me doubt who I am!" He smirked before pointing at his chest. "I am the pony who forged the Element of Courage! I am the pony that helped vanquish Nightmare Moon! I am the pony that fought off Doom Raizer and destroyed the Omni Sphere! I am the liberator of the Crystal Empire. I am an Element of Harmony! I am a Royal Knight! I'm the defender of the peace!" He kicked Lightbringer's crossguard into the air, catching it as a golden light began to outline his body. "I am Flash Sentry. And I...am never...ALONE!" With that, the light exploded off his body and wrapped around him into a tornado.
Shadow growled as black light exploded off of him and formed a tornado as well. As this happened, Sombra let out a moan as he picked himself up, now seeing the black and gold tornadoes as both tips of the storms charged at each other. The two smashed together, grinding against its opposite before bouncing off and repeating the process.
As this happened, Flash and Shadow's armor began to materialize around them, Flash placing the handle of his broken sword around his tail, wanting it there as he finished Shadow off once and for all. And as the last piece of armor appeared, their tornadoes struck one final time, both grinding at each other for almost ten full seconds before the pressure was too much. Both tornadoes exploded, the light from them flying down to form swords and wings that completed the two's transformations.
No sooner had these completed, Flash let out a roar as he charged at Shadow while drawing the light swords off his back. "RAAAAAAAAAAH!" He yelled as he reached Shadow in the blink of an eye, quickly slashing at him with both swords, Shadow barely able to react with his own blade.
The two attacks met and caused a shockwave, Sombra needing to duck back down behind the barrier to stop from getting blown away. It was clear that if they weren't in a pocket dimension, that attack would have done some serious damage to the world.
And as this happened, Flash and Shadow's blades locked in place, both glaring before pushing back. The charged next, the two firing off a succession of rapid slashes. What followed was around a hundred slashes in ten seconds, what could only be described as light and darkness cutting through the air at speeds that could not be seen through the naked eyes. And when this exchange finished, the two leapt back, landing on opposite sides.
"That all you got!?" Shadow cackled, "Seems I'm right, you're still nothing!"
"I'm just getting started!" Flash yelled as he flew at Shadow at maximum speed. Shadow braced his body for an attack, only to go wide-eyed as he saw Flash suddenly turn into a barrage of speed mirages. All barreled around Flash, the defender racing right at him.
But as this happened, Shadow dismissed his sword while sparking his horn, soon igniting as he unleashed a stream of fire. The blaze started at the far left side of the Flash army, Shadow quickly sweeping it right, burning every mirage with ease. However, as he did this, the real Flash zipped over the flames as he pulled his light swords off his back. "Flash Cutter!" He threw them at Shadow, the two blades morphing into buzzsaw-like weapons.
In response, Shadow pulled his wings down as their shadowy ends reshaped into claws. He swung them at the blades, both colliding as an explosion came next, kicking up a cloud of dust along with a shockwave. Shadow stared at the cloud as the shadow claws clenched up, only for Flash to dash through the fog with all four of his armored hooves glowing with Sacred Light. The sight made Shadow cross the shadow claws in front of him, Flash's hooves slamming into the wings as another shockwave came out.
Flash let out a roar next, proceeding to throw a barrage of punches at Shadow's wings, making Shadow suddenly feel his hooves grind as Flash began to push him back. As he did this, Flash slammed both hooves into the wings with a might blow, making Shadow flinch for a second, letting Flash dive under the claws and strike Shadow in the chest. A glob of spit flew out of his mouth next, only for Shadow's horn to spark. Firing a quick beam of magic, Flash ducked under the blast, only for Shadow's wing to uppercut a curled up claw into Flash's jaw.
"Augh!" Flash yelped as he was knocked flying, Sombra wincing as he saw the defender hit the dirt.
Shadow chuckled as he spread his wings, going to the air as his horn ignited to unleash a stream of black fire. And as the pegasus rolled himself over, he saw the flames as Sombra yelled at him to get out of there. But instead of flying away, he instead got up and crossed his light swords, thrusting them into fire. The attack let him cut the flames in half, the streams passing by him as Flash swung the blades apart, firing a wave of light from the motion that instantly struck the unicorn.
"Raugh!" Shadow hissed, feeling the light strike his shoulder. And as this happened, Flash slammed the swords together, making a large orb.
"Flash Force!" he yelled as the orb exploded into a laser, the beam about to strike Shadow as he swooped down to dodge the blow. And as he landed, his armored hoof sparked with red lightning before hitting the ground, a giant red energy filled crack now flowing through the ground.
The pegasus saw this coming and grabbed his swords again, slamming them together into one big sword that he then swung down. Both struck, the tip of the blade colliding with the crack as an explosion came next, smoke filling the stadium as the entire place rattled from the impact.
Sombra was surprised the place wasn't falling apart, praising Faust's design as he saw the arena be repaired in an instant as the smoke now covered everything. And inside the dust cloud, Shadow's eyes darted around as he tried to see. But as he did this, Flash suddenly appeared in front of him, unable to reach as a shining hoof slammed into the unicorn's gut. A roar of pain happened next, spit flying out of his mouth as the punch made a shockwave that blew away the smoke.
And as he recoiled in pain, Flash flew right up to Shadow and delivered a swift axe kick to Shadow's head. He cried out in pain as his entire body was slammed faced down into the ground, shaking it as Flash kicked off the unicorn. The defender began to fly over the unicorn, Shadow's body crackling with red lightning as Sombra cheered at Flash's attack, Faust just watching the battle in a stoic manner.
Shadow pushed himself back to his hooves, hissing as a trickle of blood went down his head and out of his mouth. He glared up at Flash, seeing the pegasus hiding his exhaustion, "You insolent worm."
"I told you," Flash panted, "I won't let you win. No matter what, I'm taking you down."
"You can try, but no matter what you do, you'll never be able to defeat me. I am-"
"The most powerful pony in the world. You're so great, strong and unbeatable...and full of horseapples!" Flash interrupted, "Yeah, like I haven't heard that a million times already. And not just from you. Everypony I've ever faced has spouted the same trash again and again, and yet you'll notice that I'm still here and they're all history. So forgive me if I hit the skip button on this little cutscene."
Shadow let out a low hiss as he wiped the blood off his face, "I will admit, it's true that the record of good versus evil is a little one sided, yet you've failed to notice one thing. No matter how much evil you vanquish in this world, it comes back in some other shape or form." He summoned his sword and pointed it at Flash. "Even if you defeat me, I'll simply be replaced by another villain wanting the exact same thing as me. It'll never end. Like Faust said, there can be no good without evil. That means Equestria will always be under threat from something. Yet you chose to keep fighting, knowing you'll never truly win. Why? Why do something so pointless when you can end it with my rule?"
But as these words exited the unicorn's mouth, he readied himself to see doubt appear on Flash's face...only to see a giant grin. The smile was filled with joy and nostalgic pleasure as he replied, "Seriously? That's totally obvious. I fight so others don't have to."
"What?" Shadow asked with raised eyebrows.
"You're right, I can't rid the world of evil, it's a part of the world. But even if I can't get rid of it, that doesn't mean I can't stop it from ruining the lives of those I care about."
It was here that he closed his eyes, the world around him slowly fading into darkness as his imagination took over. Images appeared around him, small windows of colour showing his friends now hovering over him. There was Twilight happily reading in the castle library while Pinkie was baking a cake meant for another great party. Applejack was tending to her orchid and working up a sweat as Rarity was busy designing a beautiful dress. Fluttershy was playing with the many animals she cared for while Rainbow was busting clouds and entertaining others with her flying ability. And as he thought of these things, more of his friends appeared around him.
"Yeah, the world's not perfect, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't stop trying to protect it." Flash opened his eyes, the visions vanishing as he continued, "Even if the world is filled with darkness, it has just as much light in it. And that light is created by ponies doing what they love, what they believe in, and what makes those they care about happy. So you're right, I can't keep villains like you from attacking. But I can keep you from stopping everypony from doing what they love. And to me, that a pretty special thing to fight for."
Shadow's teeth grinded at these words, blood oozing from the biting as he growled, "Disgusting. You truly are pathetic." He pointed his sword at Flash. "When will you realise that the only thing that matters in this world is looking out for yourself?!"
Flash chuckled back, "Maybe when I have absolutely nothing left to fight for and I've lost everything and everypony I've ever cared for. If that happened, maybe I'll be as twisted and broken as you that I'll see no more point to looking out for others. But that's not the world we live in, and I'll make sure that never comes to past."
"Then you're a fool." Shadow spat, blood splattering the ground along with his spit. "That is the world we live in! It is a world of only suffering and power! It is a world where I am destined to rule, as I have suffered most!"
"But that's not gonna happen." Flash instantly replied, "Because as long as I live, I'll fight to protect everything and everypony I love. I'll die before I let anything happen to them."
"You'll die right now!" Shadow roared as he flared his wings, sprinting through the air as he charged at Flash.
"I don't think so!" Flash yelled as he charged as well, both swords clashing before Shadow's horn sparked, only for Flash fly upward. Shadow followed him, firing two stray beams that Flash spun around, both soon coming to a stop in the sky. Sombra stared at the duo, now seeing a gold and black blur zoom through the air, beams of magic flying all around as the blurs kept colliding.
As this happened, Flash and Shadow had locked swords again. Flash then spun his body, trying to slam two backhooves into Shadow as the unicorn flared his wings, flapping backward to dodge the defender. As he did this, his horn glowed as he fired a series of beams around him, each one missing Flash...only for the blasts to turn into portals.
Flash saw this, only to dodge a beam from Shadow as it went past him and into a portal, only to come out of another one right at the pegasi. Glancing at the blast, he sent his Sacred Light into his hooves, punching the beam away. Shadow growled at the sight before firing several beams into the portals, rays of light bouncing everywhere as Flash spun like a top, punch and kicking all the attacks away.
But as Flash hit them all, he suddenly leapt into a portal. The action made Shadow come to a stop, only for Flash to appear right behind him, "Peekaboo!" He yelled as he threw a punch at Shadow's chest, the unicorn turning to block it with his sword. Shadow felt a tug from the blow, now seeing a smirking Flash as he pushed the unicorn downward.
Sombra watched as the golden blur pushed the black blur into the middle of the arena, an explosion of dust following this as both hit the ground, making the whole stadium shake. "AUGH!" Shadow screamed as he felt the stadium's stone slam into this back, not noticing a crack appearing along the breath of his sword.
He pushed past the pain and tried to grab Flash with his wings, only for the Knight of Friendship to leap back before he could get him. "It's time to make you pay for for everything you've done!" Flash started as he grabbed both his swords. As he did this, he remembered back to every time Shadow or his flunkies caused one of his friends to dust away, the look of pain and disappointment they all had when it happen flashing in his eyes. "Now say GOODBYE!"
A Flash Force came next, the unicorn gasping as he threw up a barrier. Another explosion covered the arena, Flash standing tall as he waited to see if he had won, only for a dark magic chain to shoot through the smoke, grabbing his still together hooves. "Huh?!" Flash yelped as he looked down at his hooves while the smoke cleared, revealing Shadow with the chain coming from his horn.
"HA! Try fighting me with your hooves tied!" Flash didn't respond, instead pulling at his new bindings. The sight made Shadow continue to laugh, "Don't bother! A nothing like you can never break those chains! Now, I'm going to-"
"RAAAAAH!" Flash suddenly roared, his hooves stretching out as the chains were shattered in one fell swoop.
"impossible!" Shadow yelled as he saw Flash put his swords together to form the orb of light, "Wait, no!"
"Flash..." he thrust it in Shadow's direction, "FORCE!" With that, the beam of light shot out of the sphere, Shadow grabbing his sword to block the laser.
But when the blast struck the metal weapon, the crack that had previously appeared grew in size, only for the sound of shattering to fill the air a second later. What followed as the Flash Force streaming right through the blade, hitting the unicorn, "AUGH!" He cried as he was sent flying into the wall of the stadium, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Now we're even!" Flash barked as he split apart his blades, only for Shadow to suddenly shoot out of the smoke at mach speed. Before Flash could even react, the unicorn slammed a hoof into the defender's chest, "Gyah!" he yelped as he was sent flying back, the pegasus slamming his back hooves into the ground to slide to a stop just before he hit the stadium wall.
"Such power," Sombra gasped, "He still has that much strength, even after all this?"
"You nothing! How dare you break my blade!" Shadow screeched as his reshaped his wings into claws, "I will not lose to trash like you! I'll keep fighting with every last breath I have!"
"Funny," Flash pulled his swords off his back, "I was about to say the same thing to you!"
With that, the pegasi charged in mid-air, Shadow galloping as they met while swinging a wing-claw and sword around. Their collision created another shockwave, this one actually knocking Sombra back. They then thrusted their other sword/wing, both striking as they started to circle around each other. Shockwave after shockwave continued to rock the arena as Flash kept swatting away Shadow's claws.
And as he did this, the pegasi ducked under another attack of the claws before spinning around and swinging a back hoof into Shadow's face. The unicorn grunted in pain as he staggered back before firing a magic beam, Flash ducking under it before rolling on the ground as Shadow thrust both wings at him. Red lightning sparked out of Shadow's horn next, the electricity going to his front hooves as he charged at Flash with a roar.
Flash just took his swords and put them together, forming one supercharged blade as Shadow got up to him. The unicorn threw the first punch, lightning crackling across the arena as the blow was blocked by Flash's bade. However, not even a singe hit Flash, both now glaring at each other as Shadow began to throw a barrage of punches. The sound of clanging metal rang out across the stadium, Flash's sword blocking every blow.
But as this continued, Flash watched his pattern of punches, staring at the movements before blinking, his eyes turning pure white as he entered Theta Mode. This was followed by a quick lift his blade, the upward motion of the sword catching Shadow off-guard before Flash slammed a hoof into the unicorn's stomach. A scream of pain was about to follow this, only for Flash to slash his blade into Shadow's belly, sending him flying into the ground.
The pegasus then flared his wings to dive-bomb the unicorn, only for Shadow to fire a beam right at the pegasus. Flash gasped at the sight, unable to stop his charge as he tried to pull up, only for the blast to him. The blow knocked him out of Theta Mode, making him crash into the floor, only to quickly hop back onto his hooves.
Shadow growled at the sight, Flash now morphing his blades into a ball while Shadow's wings exploded off his back and flew into his horn. Both charged up their attacks to their absolute maximum, Sombra now taking the precaution to hide everything below his eyes behind the barrier, looks of intense discomfort appearing on their faces at having to hold this much power together.
And as they let them rip, they unleashed a blast of gold and black magic at one another. The twin beams collided, the two now making the stadium shake like crazy. Shockwaves came next as they began to make cracks all over the stadium. And as the two beams continued to push against one another, Flash and Shadow grunted as they kept their attacks going, several long minutes passing. But as this happened, Sombra's eyes shrunk at the next sight.
"No," the former king whispered as he saw Flash's beam begin to shrink as Shadow's got closer to the knight.
Flash groaned as he kept trying to push the attack back, his hooves grinding as he saw Shadow's attack get just a few feet away, "No....gyah!"
The scream of pain made Shadow smile, almost laugh as he kept pushing power into horn. "At last..."
The defender kept feeling his body be shoved back, hooves about to slip as he squinted his eyes. "Come on..." he whispered as he felt his hooves about to slip. And as they began to give away, he suddenly felt something push into his back, "Huh?" He looked back for a second, only to gasp, "Springer?"
Behind him was what looked like his partner, though transparent like a ghost...and had a big smile on his face. He then felt pressure on the other side of his back, making him turn to see somepony else. "Twilight?" The Princess of Friendship nodded at him as she and Springer helped him keep steady. And they weren't alone. Cold, Ruby, Trixie, Soarin and Heart also appeared, all helping push him forward. Then, even Soul appeared beside her brother.
As this happened, more ponies came and grabbed hold of him. Scootaloo, his parents, Spike Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Grand, while behind them were Shining, Cadance, Celestia, Luna, Lightning and the rest of the Royal Knights.
Flash shined an ever-growing smile as he felt strength return to him. And as he turned back to Shadow, he saw more ghostly visions of his friends. Ponies from Ponyville, like Derpy, Lyra, Bon Bon, Mayor Mare, the Cakes, Time Turner and Zecora. Those from Canterlot like Solid Script, Wild Smile, Gorgenia and Twilight's parents. Even ponies he had only met once or twice all started appearing until the stadium was completely filled with them.
But as he saw this, Shadow saw nothing. Despite the smile on his face due to his belief of overpowering Flash, there was nothing to see in his eyes. He saw only one thing in front of him, unending darkness.
However, as the unicorn continued to pump more power into his attack, a calm sigh came to Flash as he stared at all the ponies in the arena. He knew one thing: These ponies gave him purpose. They were the reason he fought. And that reason was enough.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as Shadow's blast stopped pushing him back. The roar made Shadow's grin fade, going wide-eyed as he felt Flash's attack start to push him back.
"What?!" Shadow yelped as he tried to stream more power into his attack, only to feel it have no effect. "What is...what is going?! Where is this power coming from?!"
"From my friends!" Flash yelled, "Do you see now?! Do you see what having something other then yourself to fight for can give you?!" Shadow felt another pulse of energy from Flash's attack, now feeling his hooves grind into the dirt as he started to be pushed back as Flash continued, "Even if I stand here alone, I won't be! My friends will still be with me in my heart, and as long as they are, nothing is impossible! That includes, WIPING THE FLOOR WITH YOU!" With that last outcry, Flash's attack exploded, cutting right through Shadow's blast.
The unicorn gasped as the beam struck him, "AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!" He screamed as he was sent flying across the arena.
And as Shadow rolled through the dirt, Flash flicked his tail so the handle of Lightbringer flew into the defender's hooves. He then turned back to his friends, "Thank you for making me who I am." They all smiled and nodded back before their ghostly forms evaporated into a blue mist-like light. The rest of the ghosts in the stadium did the same, the light beginning to spiral around the knight as he turned back to Shadow.
The unicorn was now picking himself up, now seeing a strange blue light covering both Flash and his blade. "What?! What is this?!"
"It's over, Shadow!" Flash roared as he leapt at the unicorn, raising the hoof holding Lightbringer's handle in a punch-ready motion.
"No! Stay back!" Shadow yelled as he fired a beam of magic at him, only for it to bounce off the aura around Flash. "What?!"
"This!" He screamed as he got within punching distance, "Ends!" The blue aura flew up his body and entered the handle of Flash's weapon, causing it to glow a blinding light. "NOW!" He thrust the handle forward, striking Shadow in the chest just as the light exploded out of it. "HARMONIC LIGHT OF EQUESTRIA!"
The light flew into Shadow's body, causing him to scream in pain as sent flying into the stadium wall. A mighty crack followed this, shaking the stadium ten times more than anything the battle had done before. And as the unicorn hit the wall, pain raced through his body like nothing he had every felt.
KABOOOOOOOOOOM!
The crack from before exploded, the entire colosseum now shaking as Flash was sent flying into the seating area. "Whoa!" Sombra yelped as he leapt under some seats, covering his head with his hooves as the earthquake continued.
And when the shaking began to stop, the unicorn got up and saw a massive smoke cloud now covering the arena. Flash had also gotten up, his Sacred Light armor vanishing as he stared at the cloud.
Seconds passed with no sign of life...only for a certain pony shaped figure to appear, stepping out of the fog. It was Shadow, his body filled with bruises, blood streaming down his face and hooves as his armor appeared cracked and chipped. The left half of his X-shaped mask was gone, and there was the look pure hatred in his revealed eye while the other remained closed.
"You...dare to...think..." he stuttered out as he staggered out of the smoke, "You think...you can...win...against me?! You...you..." His horn began to spark as a glob of blood dropped from his mouth, "Now...you will...suffer the con-ugh!" That was the last thing he said before his body completely gave out, Flash and Sombra watching as the unicorn fell face first into the ground.
The two gasped as they watched his Corrupted Shadow armor vanish. They didn't move at the sight, Flash bracing his body as he saw the unicorn twitch. The glow in his horn was still there, though it was sputtering, tiny sparks falling off it. Flash grit his teeth at the sight, moving his body into a battle ready position.
But after a minute without him moving, Faust took a deep breath before making the announcement Flash and Sombra had desperately wanted to hear.
"BATTLE, OVER! WINNER, FLASH SENTRY!"