//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: Flash Sentry Chronicles: The Movie // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// Twilight's eyes drifted through the completely destroyed throne room, a result of the Storm King's conquest and his childish misuse of the power he had stolen as he summoned up a giant storm, only for it all to fail. This event had left half the castle demolished...but luckily, the Storm King was dead, the storm gone and stolen magic back into the right hooves. Twilight held the staff that was imbued with the five alicorn's magic while staring at the unicorn that had caused all of this from the start. Tempest, who had been nothing but horrible since they first met, had turned against the Storm King when he revealed he had been lying to her the entire time. When Twilight had gotten the Staff, the Storm King had attempted to use one of the orbs to turn her to stone, but Tempest intercepted it, slamming into the king as the mist turned them both to stone. Afterwards, Twilight had used the Staff's power to turn her back to normal, the storm guard commander just staring back at her now. "Now what do we do?" Fluttershy asked the others, everypony shrugging before seeing Twilight shine a small smile towards Tempest. The Storm Commander nodded before speaking up. "Now...we fix everything." She and Twilight headed back into the throne room, seeing Soul waiting for them. Twilight had sent her out of the room when the storm started, but now that it was over, she was standing in the middle of the room between the three frozen princesses. She flinched at the sight of Tempest, but those fears vanished when Twilight smiled at her. The three stepped up to the hole that the staff had originally been thrust into to steal the magic, and this time, they pointed the crystal at it instead. When they pushed it into the hole, the magic exploded out of it and flew into the room. They expected it to simply flow back into the alicorns, but it instead spiralled around the statues as the crystal broke away from them. One by one, the princesses reverted back to their true forms, Cadance gasping for air while Luna tried to fly off, only to realize where she was. Celestia then took a deep breath before turning to her former student. "Twilight!" "Princesses!" Twilight exclaimed as she ran up to Celestia and hugged her, "Oh!" Soul and her friends giggled at the sight, only to go wide-eyed as they saw the magic continue to spread around the throne room. "What's happening?" Rainbow asked as the rubble that surrounded them began to move and float into the air. To their utter amazement, the castle was being rebuilt. Within moments, almost all the damage done by the Storm King was coming undone...and it wasn't just the castle. The magic began to spread throughout the whole of Canterlot, repairing the damage done during the invasion, liberation and storm. The ponies, changelings, dragons, parrots and Skystar marveled at the sight, only for some to notice a trio of statues beginning to glow. Derpy was the first to be revived, the crystals breaking away from her as she found herself standing atop a fountain that she had been used to decorate. "Huh?" Ace and Mira were next, the young jakhowls both falling to the ground as they gasped for air. "What the-" Ace whispered before looking up at his fellow pup, "Mira!" He quickly hugged her, Mira flinching before hugging him back. As they did this, Starlight, Trixie and some of their other friends ran over to them. "You're okay," Starlight exclaimed, the pair nodding and the ponies all sighed, only to glance around and see the dragons, changelings and the magic that was rebuilding the city. "We clearly missed something," Mira commented before gasping. "Soul!" She turned to Starlight, "Is she okay?!" Starlight smiled as the magic finished repairing the city and began travelling back to the castle, nodding as it did so. "Yeah. I think they're just fine." Back within the castle, the alicorns gasped as the light returned to the throne room and began to spiral around the five of them. One by one, it soaked into their bodies and they felt their wings begin to work and their horns begin to glow. They all smiled as they spread their wings and used their magic to make sure they didn't accidently get somepony else's. But after a few checks, they were happy to report that they were back to full power. "Can't believe I actually missed this," Soul chuckled as she used her magic to heal them all of the injuries they had sustained during the insanity. "Looks like everything's back to normal," Spike added as the others nodded. "Not yet," Twilight chimed in before turning to Tempest. "Where did Void take Flash?" The group turned to her, only for the unicorn to cringe up as she responded, "Sorry...I don't know where they went. Void never told us where he was setting up the other Rune Gate. Honestly, we didn't care at the time. All we cared about was him helping us get what we wanted." "What's going on?" Celestia asked, Twilight turning to the three freed princesses. "Shadow Corrupter is alive," she explained as the three's eyes went wide. "But he's dying, and he thinks the only thing that can save him is Flash's Sacred Light, so he took Flash through a Rune Gate to try and take it from him." This made them all frown, only for Applejack to place a hoof on the alicorn's shoulder. "Don't worry Twi. Springer's gone ta save him." Hearing this made Twilight ease a little, only for Applejack to add, "He went with Grand, Ruby, Cold, Iron and Heart." "HEART?!" The alicorns all screamed, Soul's eyes going wide in absolute horror. "They took Heart with them?! What were they thinking?!" "Not sure," Rainbow shrugged. "Springer said Heart was vital to them beating Void." "Oh dear..." Fluttershy gulped. Heart could barely believe what he was seeing as Void spread his flaming black wings and slowly took to the sky. Everypony around him watched as Void began to cackle, knowing this would not be easy since he had reacquired the Corrupted Shadow. And once Void was high enough, he crossed his front hooves and black energy began to form around them. Flash quickly pushed Heart back, the colt falling into a gap located between two of the roots before leaping up along with Springer. But before they could get close enough to deal an attack, the pony swung his hooves. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" He screamed as the energy exploded out of him in a ring-like wave, striking both Flash and Springer before hitting the tree behind them. As the energy sliced through the giant trunk, Flash and Springer were blasted into the roots with such force that they found themselves being pushed halfway through them. The shockwave that followed this rocked across the battlefield, hitting the four Royal Knights, Cold and Ruby managing to stay standing thanks to the walls they put up behind themselves while Grand and Iron were sent flying. Iron then stabbed his spear into one of the outer roots of the tree, stopping him from being blown away while Grand used his Grand Force in the opposite direction, slowing himself down until the shockwave faded. The tree was now falling back, severed from the base by the initial energy ring and the wind now pushed it to fall towards the mountains Flash and his team had originally climbed over to get to the Lost City of Faust. During the few seconds it took to fall, something happened that the knights could barely register: As Iron pulled himself up off the root, he looked up and saw Void above him, only to disappear in the blink of an eye, and reappear behind Iron. The pony spun around, only to see Void smirking at him. "So fast," was all he was able to say before Void thrust a back hoof into his chest. "AUGH!" He was sent flying again, crashing through several roots. "Iron!" Grand yelled before Void suddenly appeared in front of him. The earth pony quickly leapt back, thrusting his hammer into the ground and unleashing several rock spikes, only for Void to dash through each one at super speed, unscathed as he reached Grand. And before Grand could do anything, Void's wings shot out and morphed into black tendrils that wrapped around his legs and neck. He moaned as he dropped his hammer, being pulled spread eagle as Void laughed. He then raised his right hoof before flying forward and performing a lariat on his chest. "GYAH!" He screamed as he was sent flying back, crashing into the tree that was only halfway towards the ground Cold and Ruby heard Grand's cries and turned to him, both gasping as they saw him instantly fall. "Grand!" Cold gasped, "No!" The pair turned to glare at Void, only for the pony to vanish and reappear as he back-hoofed Cold in the face. "Augh!" He was sent flying back as well, Ruby quickly forming another crystal fist on her hoof. She threw it forward, Void actually holding up his own hoof to stop it cold. The impact caused the crystal to shatter, leaving Ruby defenseless as he then thrust his hoof to her head, but she managed to pull away, Void missing his attack, only to then shift his leg in a way that made him knee her in the face. Ruby cried out at the impact, her body sliding along the ground, making a trench. She came to a stop as the tree finally hit the mountains, the female knight moaning as she tried to push herself up, only for her legs to give out. Heart, who had been watching the whole event, his eyes wide as he saw Ruby hit the dirt. "No way," he whispered. "He took them all down without even breaking a sweat." Void took to the air once again, "This is really bad." Void slowly shifted in the air, zeroing in on an area of the tree. "And you're going to be next Sentry." As he said this, Springer pulled himself out of the root, Flash doing the same as he stared at his apprentice. "Heart..." he groaned before somepony suddenly appeared in front of him. "Found you!" Void held up his hoof at this, Flash bracing himself as he clung to his sword. Heart was still staring at the other knights when a small explosion drew his attention to the root Flash had been blasted into, the pegasus crying out as he was sent flying through the air. "Flash!" He watched as his teacher hit another root and slid along it, managing to stop himself as Void appeared before him. "Raaah!" He swung his sword, but Void blocked it with his hoof. The former unicorn chuckled and pushed the sword away, dealing several quick blows to Flash before avoiding the pegasi's attempt to cut his head off. He kept punching and kicking away, blood spitting out of Flash's mouth from the blow. "Surprise!" He laughed as he slammed a hoof into Flash's stomach. He cried out as Void grabbed him by the face, but Flash then grabbed his leg. As this happened, Springer appeared behind Void and tried to strike with a Steel Paw, only for Void to block it with his wing before using his free hoof to hit him in the stomach. "Gyah!" Springer lost his claws and Void grabbed him by the face, then spread his wings and shot into the air. Heart watched him drag the pair a hundred feet up, then dived down. And when he reached the ground, he thrust the pair into the dirt, dragging them along. Both cried out as they were bombarded with rocks and pebbles, Void laughing as he pulled them out their newly dug trenches before spinning around and throwing them. They slammed into a pair of roots next, Void cackling at the sight. "AHAHAHAHA!" Void laughed, "Oh, this is so wonderful! I have never felt more alive!" Heart leapt over to where they had landed, staying as hidden as he could as he whispered, "Flash..." Fear coursed through his veins as he looked up at Void, who continued to laugh, only to suddenly scream. "Ahhh!" He exclaimed, clutching his stomach and taking deep breaths as he slowly hovered down. Heart stared at the sight, only to remember what Void had told them before about absorbing the Corrupted Shadow. This was something Flash also remembered as he and Springer pulled themselves up, "When I attempted to absorb a tiny piece of it..." Flash began, "I was suddenly bombarded with unimaginable pain." Void turned to glare at him, "And I wasn't able to absorb any new magic until I expelled it." He and Springer stopped walking and were now only a few feet from him on either side, Flash holding up his sword. "Weren't those your exact words?" Void let out a hiss, only for Springer to chuckle, "I see. That's why you gave it to Armalum." He cricked his neck, "But now you've absorbed it all and have gained incredible amounts of power. So much power that you're practically a different pony from a moment ago." "Or maybe...instead of that, you're just a straight up monster through and through." Flash added. "Oh, come on." Void chuckled, "As if you're not just as much of a monster. You wield a power you have no right to and use it on nonsense like friendship and harmony! I use mine for its real purpose! For myself!" The pair just smirked at one another, Flash and Springer both taking deep breaths. "No, I'm pretty sure that makes you a moron. Either way," Flash's body began to glow. "Now I don't have to worry about holding back." "We're taking you down," Springer brought his paws together and cracked his knuckles. "It's time you pay for all the pain you've caused. To us, our friends, and to every other pony you've ever hurt." "I will pay for nothing. They all deserve the pain I give them." Void cackled as he spread his wings. Up on the roots, Heart felt his heart beat a mile a minute. He knew this could possibly be the greatest battle in Equestria's history and he didn't want to miss a second of it. "Flash..." he whispered before his excitement couldn't take any more, "GO FOR IT!" As soon as those words echoed through the air, Flash and Springer charged. In the blink of an eye, they both shot past Void, both spinning on the spot as Flash swung his sword while Springer thrust an Aura Blast at him. But Void crossed his hooves as they burst into black flames, blocking the two attacks and leaving him unscathed. "Finally," he chuckled, "This is actually getting fun." Flash and Springer continued to push, smirking as their power increased. "Let's teach him a lesson!" Flash yelled as his body was surrounded in light before exploding to reveal his Shining Guardian form. "Springer!" "Yeah!" Springer added as he morphed into his Mega Mode, "Let's go!" Heart watched from above as an explosion of gold, blue and black light filled the area. He flinched at the brightness, but kept watching as the black light flew away with the other two in hot pursuit. The gold and blue light zigzagged around, hitting the black one several times and knocking it flying. Void slid to a stop on the ground as he spread his wings, only for Springer to appear to his side and dealt a barrage of punches and kicks. The unicorn quickly blocked them all as Flash appeared behind him, swinging his sword as Void ducked the slash and used his wings to try and knock him away. But Flash leapt straight up and spun through the air, kicking him right in the head and knocking him flying back. He hit the ground and rolled but managed to use his wings to push himself back to his hooves, returning to a battle stance. "Bring it!" He roared as Flash flew down with his wing boosters while Springer ninja ran in his direction. The pair reached him at the same time, only for Void to dodge both attacks. Flash Cutter, Bone Breaker, the gem beams on Flash's armor, Steel Paw and many others didn't land a scratch on him. Void then hit Flash in the stomach before spinning around and kicking him in the chest, sending him flying back, only for Flash to throw his sword, unleashing a blast from his chest gem that hit Lightbringer and pushed it toward Void. But Void's crystal horn glowed and fired a blast of ice, which knocked the sword away, only for Springer to appear and throw another volley of punches, only for Void to slam his hoof into the jakhowl's chest. But as he did this, Springer quickly caught his hoof and swung his foot up to kick Void in the ribs. "Gyah!" Void yelped as Springer then spun kicked Void in the face. "Blaugh!" Void hissed before his horn began to shine, spit flying out of his mouth, "How dare you!" He roared, only to get kicked in the side thanks to a suddenly appearing Flash. Flash and Springer caught eyes with one another and smirked, both blows knocking Void flying back. The unicorn then unleashed the iron magic he had stolen from his hooves, forming a long weapon similar to the one his old follower Storm Blade used. Flash grabbed his sword and the pair charged, Void spinning the weapon around to try and behead them. Flash quickly blocked the blade and pushed him back, Springer then slashing at Void with a Steel Paw. Void hissed at this as Springer went in for a second slash, but the villain raised his staff and blocked it before pushing Springer back. He then spun the blade around before slamming it into the ground, using some of his earth magic to make the ground around them break apart. But Flash and Springer quickly leapt back, both firing force attacks as the twin beams struck the spot Void was standing on and caused it to explode. "Wow!" Heart gasped as Void was blasted up into the air, Flash and Springer leaping up at the unicorn as Void began to fall towards the stump of the giant tree. "Gaaah!" He yelped as he hit the wood and flared his wings, sliding to a stop as Flash and Springer landed on the other side of the stump. The pair smirked as Flash punched his hooves together, Void staring them down as Springer brought his paws together. "Go, Flash!" He clapped them, and when he pulled apart, several Aura Blasts appeared between them. "Got it!" Flash yelled as he spread his wings and the ends opened up, unleashing the Sacred Light that made Void flinch. He quickly figured out what they were planning as Springer fired the orbs through the Sacred Light before they shot towards him. Void watched as the Aura Blasts all became wrapped in the light before completely vanishing, making it impossible to tell where they were coming from. Soon enough, the area around Void began to explode, forcing him to try and take to the air. But as he did this, the invisible orbs slammed into him, blasting him back. "Augh!" He swung his wings around at this, only for more and more of the orbs to slam into him as Flash and Springer kept launching them. "ENOUGH!" He roared before firing a shockwave of energy, pushing away the Aura Blasts. Void began to pant at this, only for Flash and Springer to charge up at him. Springer held onto Flash's tail as the Royal Knight flew forward, sword in hoof. The pegasus fired a Flash Cutter, but Void leapt up to avoid it. And as he did this, Flash followed him and the two shot past him, Springer letting go once they were high enough above him and throwing another Aura Blast. As this happened, Void unleashed a fireball that struck the orb and caused it to explode right as Flash swerved in midair and dived down, "You're mine!" Void forged a long metal chain and threw it at Flash, the pegasus not able to escape as it hit him. Within seconds, everything except Flash's head was wrap up in the metal chains, Void smiling at the sight, only to see Flash grin as the horn on his helmet glowed. In the blink of an eye, the two ponies suddenly swapped places and Void was the one wrapped in chains. "Gotcha!" Flash laughed as Void went wide-eyed, only to see Springer fall towards him with a Bone Breaker in paw. "RAAAAH!" He roared as he swung the staff down, slamming into Void's face. The unicorn screamed in pain, flying past Flash and crashing into the stump with enough force that the whole thing split in two, burying Void in twenty feet of wood. Flash caught Springer and the pair flew down toward the trench, only to see a light begin to stream out of the trench. "Miserable...worms," Void's voice called out, "You will PAY!" With that, the entire stump began to shake, the pair flinching before flying back. A second later, a giant stone serpent exploded out of the crack and straight up into the air. Flash and Springer gasped at this, the serpent quickly coiling around and diving down toward them. Springer quickly leapt off of Flash and formed a Bone Breaker, extending it before swinging, beheading the snake in one stroke. But as he did this, six more heads shot out of the neck and charged, Springer smacking them away before one grabbed him in its mouth and lifted him upward. Flash then dove after his partner, "Springer! Hang on!" But before he could get close, Void flew out of the crack and landed onto the snake that had Springer. He then thrust his hooves into the stone, unleashing a burst of fire magic that mixed with the earth magic, now turning the rock snake into a lava snake. The molten rock flew up the snake's body towards the mouth, where a pinned Springer was unable to escape. Flash used his jets at this, overtaking the lava and his entire body shined with light, reaching Springer seconds before the lava. The head of the serpent exploded when the lava reached it, causing a massive cloud of smoke and fire that consumed the pair. Heart gasped while Void frowned, both fearing Flash might have gotten himself killed. But to Void's shock and Heart's amazement, the cloud was quickly blown away by something large that appeared within it: Flash's alicorn avatar. The golden energy pony stood strong, its wings spread wide and its horn shining. Within the beast's head, Flash was holding Springer, his fur only lightly singed by the heat of the lava. "You okay bud?" Springer groaned as he opened his eyes, only to see what had happened, "Yeah," he nodded, "Thanks. I'm doing just fine." They both turned to Void, who had once again taken to the sky and had a smirk on his face. "Neat trick," he told Flash before his wings extended, "Now, let me show you one of mine!" He dove down, his wings then slamming into the ground with such force that the entire earth shook, massive cracks beginning to appear around the stump. Grand, Iron, Cold and Ruby had since recovered from their earlier pummeling, the four having pushed themselves up just as Springer was caught by the rock snakes. And as the earth around them began to break apart, the unicorns teleported over to the earth ponies before warping them to a safe area of the tree. As they did this, Void's wings began to unleash fire magic that flew into the cracks, turning the surrounding earth into molten rock. Everypony could only watch in awe as the magma was then sucked into the sky towards Void. It swirled around him into a sphere that grew larger and larger by the second, only to reshape itself to form a new creation. It was a giant humanoid, almost resembling a Storm Guard, with giant fists that were dripping with lava. The beast roared at the avatar and charged, Flash spreading his wings and taking to the air to avoid the first punch. He then fired a beam of energy from his horn, striking the golem and pushing it back. But the monster quickly regained its footing and pushed through the laser, reaching out and grabbing the avatar's tail. And before Flash could dispel the tail, the creature pulled him down, slamming him into the earth. The defender tried to push the avatar up, but the lava golem quickly grabbed the avatar by the neck, thrusting the form downward as it raised its other fist. Flash winced at this, but then felt a paw on his shoulder and turned to Springer. "Together!" Flash nodded and Springer unleashed his avatar, the aura flowing into Flash's and beginning to change the energy body. Before the golem could punch him, the avatar began to reshape into a humanoid form beneath him with blue armor surrounding it. With its front hooves morphing into jakhowl paws, the beast thrust them upward, punching the magma arms. It then pulled one of its legs to its chest before thrusting it forward, kicking the golem back. "RAAAAH!" The beast roared, everypony able to hear Void's voice come out of it. The avatar pushed itself to its feet as the golem regained its footing, the magma monster charging to swing its unbroken fist around. "PATHETIC MONGRELS!" But as it did this, the avatar's right hand filled itself with light before extending to form a sword with an aura hilt and Sacred Light blade. The avatar clutched this in both paws as it ducked under the swinging first, then slashed at the golem with enough force to create a large groove in the beast's chest. It then repeated the process, turning the scar into a giant X, making it roar in pain as the avatar charged. "Together!" Flash yelled as he held up his sword. "At full power!" Springer added as he formed an aura blast. The two then thrust them forward as they yelled out in unison. "SHINING SPIRIT STRIKE!" Twin lasers of gold and blue shot out of the avatar's horn, both spiraling to form a drill-like beam that struck the golem in the center of the chest. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Void's screams filled the air as the monster was ripped apart from the inside out, the explosion causing it to rain molten rock, the group quickly backpedaling away from the fiery rain. "Amazing..." Heart whispered as the avatar faded away, Flash and Springer reverting back to their normal forms as they glided down to the ground. They both landed near Grand and the others were, Flash glancing around and not seeing his student anywhere. "Flash," he turned to Grand, "You get him?" Springer closed his eyes and sent a wave of aura, only to point at a place in the distance. They all stared at it, now seeing Void on the ground, his body badly beaten and burnt. He panted heavily as his Corrupted Shadow wings flickered and were losing size. "He's down, but not out." Flash held up his sword, "He can't last much longer holding that Corrupted Shadow." "So let's finish him off," Ruby added with the others nodding. But as they prepared to attack, another who had watched the battle chose to act. "Master..." Armalum whispered, his area of the land having remained untouched despite the multiple shockwaves and earthquakes having caused him to be sent flying in multiple different directions. But now, the mask had seen his master be defeated by the two weaklings that needed to team up against him. "I won't let it end this way!" With that, he started glowing and summoned as much power as he could. "MASTER!" His voice echoed throughout the valley, making them turn to the voice before a streak of light shot up before flying toward Void, "Armalum!" Ruby gasped as they charged at Void, only for the mask to fly down and slam itself onto Void's face. "NO!" "Aaaaaaaaaah!" Void screamed as the mask merged into him, the armor materializing around the pony. And as the armor formed, a burst of dark light blinded them all, making them shield their eyes. "What the heck?! What just happened?!" Iron yelped as the light slowly faded. They all opened their eyes and looked up to see Void, now sporting the armor Armalum had been generating before. Except this armor had holes for his wings and the mask wasn't on his face, instead being located on his chest. Void's bloodshot eyes shot open and he laughed, his wings spreading as he took to the air. "I thank you Armalum," he told his loyal servant. "Now," he brought his hooves up, "Time to finish this battle once and for all!" With that, he started unloading bursts of ice, fire, rock metal, and his own shadow magic down on the group. The ponies and jakhowl barely had a second before the bombardment came crashing down, causing explosion after explosion that knocked them all flying. As they did, Void's body became covered in Corrupted Shadow blades before he fired them all out. The group quickly recovered and began deflecting the weapons, only for Grand to get struck on his back and front leg. "Augh!" "Gyah!" Iron and Cold yelled as some pierced them in the sides. "Ahhh!" Ruby screamed as she was struck in the stomach. Flash had multiple ones come at him, his blade blocking every one until he was hit in the shoulder, left wing, stomach and both back legs. "RAAAH!" Springer had been at the outer edge of the group, having to only deflect three blades. But as he did this, the others hit the ground as the Corrupted Shadow seeped into their bodies. "Everypony!" He gasped as the ponies began pulling the blades out of their bodies. They all went limp at this, their legs and wings refusing to move. "Raaah!" Springer turned to Void, but as he did this the pony's wings flew down and struck the ground. The next thing Springer knew, his feet were suddenly sucked into the ground up to the knee as several metal beams flew out of it to pin him down. "No!" "This is bad..." Ruby moaned as they all tried to get up. Void laughed at the sight, only to shine a huge grin, "Finally. I'll have you know I'm putting extra effort into beating all of you. It honestly disgusts me how much of a fight you've put up." Flash tried to summon his Sacred Light again, but the Corrupted Shadow within him was forcing it to focus on healing him. "Damn it!" He then grabbed his sword and tried to use it as a cane, but it wasn't even enough to make him stand. "Yes..." Void's wings burned brighter as he slowly descended, "Now you worms understand. You will all die here, and your precious harmony and friendship will end!" The ponies all stared up at him, each having a little bit of fear flowing through their veins. But out of all the ponies, there was one who was more terrified than others. Heart stared at his friends in absolute horror, fear all over his face, only for his eyes to catch Flash's. The two stared at each other, locking eyes as they conveyed a conversation of emotions to one another. "I'm scared," he told Flash. "I know," Flash replied, "That's good. Remember the first lesson I taught you?" Heart did a tiny nod, but it didn't stop him from letting that fear control him. "You can do this Heart. I know you can." Heart took several deep breaths as Void's horn began to shine, the mad pony cackling at the sight. Heart then took a deep breath and his entire body exploded into flames. This caught the attention of the others, but Void just stared at the knights, his grin growing wider as he readied a final spell. That is, till Heart rocketed through the air. "Get...away...from my...FRIENDS!" Void heard the voice and spun around, only to see Heart right in his face, fireball in hoof. He spun like a top before thrusting it forward, the ball exploding into a giant fire stream. Void let out a laugh, "Really?" His horn flared as he readied himself to unleash the energy he had gathered. But as he was about to fire, his entire body suddenly exploded, the Corrupted Shadow surging through his nerves. He had been able to stand the pain so far, but the surge made him scream, "Ahhhh!" His horn fizzled out at this, unable to move as the fire stream struck him. All he could do was wrap his wings around him as the flames collided, pushing him back. They all watched as Void was thrown into the mountains besides the fallen tree, crashing into it with enough force to break the rock apart and bury him. Heart panted as turned to the others, flying down to them. "You all okay?" "We are thanks to you," Ruby chuckled, "We would have been goners if you hadn't stepped in." "But I doubt Void's down for the count," Cold added, only for the rocks on the mountain began to move. "We have to do something. Now." Springer, who Heart quickly freed by melting the metal beams enough for him to break himself out, turned to the ponies. "There's only one way we can beat him at this point. Can you all summon your magic?" He turned to Flash, "Doesn't have to be your Sacred Light." Flash held up his sword and was able to make it light up, the others doing their same. The Corrupted Shadow was affecting their bodies, but their magic was perfectly fine. "Good. Then we have a chance." "How are we supposed to win if we can't even stand up?" Iron asked, only to see Springer smirk. "There's a reason I brought the five of you specifically." They all blinked at him as he continued, "Remember what we did just before the Storm King invaded?" They all thought back, back to the start of the party that was so rudely interrupted, but couldn't think of anything until they remembered they were gathered together by Script... Their eyes went wide as they all looked down, the magical gems still on them. Even Flash and Heart still had theirs despite all the crazy stuff that had happened to them since attaching the jewels. "The Link Gems..." Flash whispered. Springer nodded, "I had a feeling Void's absorption power had a limit, so I figured one supercharged blast would be too much for him. But since he can't absorb anything right now..." "We can blast him away," Cold laughed, only for Flash to let out a moan, his body limping over again. "Great idea," Grand winced, "But how the heck is he supposed to launch an attack like that when Flash can't stand or fly?" Flash and Springer shared a glance, only to smile and nod before turning to Heart. The pegasus colt blinked for a second, only to gasp, "Wait, what?! You want me to do it?!" As he yelled that, the mountain exploded as Void rocketed out before shooting down and crashing onto the top of the stump. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" He roared, sending out another shockwave from his body, only for Springer to put up a shield, blocking the blow for everypony. As this happened, Flash turned to his apprentice. "You can do this Heart." Heart flinched at those words, "I-I-I don't know if I can handle that much power. If I mess up-" "I know," Flash nodded. "But it's okay." He placed a hoof on Heart's shoulder, "Nopony can be expected to win every battle they're in. Even us knights know that one day we'll probably end up falling to an evil we can't afford to lose against." The shockwave died down as Void let out another roar, "But if we let that possibility stop us, even when it's a guarantee we'll fail, then all hope is truly lost. Winning...losing...none of that matters. As long as at the end of the fight, you ask yourself...did I really do everything I could to win?" Heart's ears went down at this, the pony twiddling his hooves as Void began bombarding them with blasts of shadow magic. And as he looked into Flash's eyes, he began to feel a fire in his chest, "You...you really believe I can do it?" "Always," Flash nodded again. He held out his hoof and after a few seconds, Heart gave him a smirk and pressed his hoof into Flash's. Doing so caused their Link Gems to glow, connecting the pair. And as this happened, one of those unexpected side effects Script told them about kicked in. In the blink of an eye, Heart found himself watching images he had only heard off. Scenes of Flash's life, as if he was watching a movie of it on ultra fast-forward. But despite the speed he was watching them at, he was able to understand everything that was happening. Despite it all, despite everything Flash had done and all the power he now held, it all started with a young powerless colt deciding to save a filly from some bullies. The journey he took, from being that little colt to the great hero he was today. "Amazing..." Heart gasped as the Link Gems detached themselves and swapped places, linking onto Heart's chest and Flash's sword. Flash then held his sword up and he began to channel his magic into the Link Gem, flowing it into the Master Gem and allowing Heart to feel the power. 'So this is Flash's power...' He thought to himself as the others began to do the same, 'And everything he went through...to get to this point.' Flash smiled as the magic from the others began to flow into him, the force of it already feeling too much. But If Flash was able to go through all that and not be overwhelmed, how could Heart complain. After all, he and Flash were so similar it hurt. Heart smiled back at Flash before turning toward Void, the pony stopping the bombardment right as Springer dropped the shield. When he did this, he saw the colt trot up, only to sense great amount of power flowing through him. "What is this?! What have you done?!" Heart looked up at him and smirked, "I don't feel like losing today." Void raised an eyebrow, only to laugh, "Oh please. You took me by surprise once worm, but not again." He raised his wings, "You'll be the first to fall." As he said that, Springer leapt in front of Heart and formed a Bone Breaker. "I probably don't have to say this, but we've only got one shot. You ready?" "Oh yeah!" Heart nodded as Springer charged. "Then let's go!" Void glared at them both, his body becoming covered in Corrupted Shadow blades again. "Pathetic!" He fired them at the pair, but Heart flew behind Springer as the jakhowl spun his staff around. The blades were all deflected as Springer got closer, Void sending his fire wing next. But before they could reach, Springer formed an Aura Blast in both paws and launched them at the same point. They exploded and sent out a shockwave that blew the wings back, allowing Springer to reach the top of the stump. "DIE!" Void launched a bunch of ice spikes at him, but Springer suddenly vanished and reappeared behind him. "Not today!" He yelled while slashing a Steel Paw into Armalum's mask. "Augh!" The mask cried as Void was knocked sliding back, then punched the ground and launched several metal spikes out of it. Springer leapt right up at this, forming a tiny Aura Blast on each and every one of his claws. With a flick of his paws, they all went flying and collided with Void. Pieces of his armor began to break off with every impact, but Void powered through and launched a Corrupted Shadow beam out of his fake horn. "The rest is up to you now," Springer yelled to his comrade as the beam reached him. "HEART!" The attack collided and exploded, blasting the jakhowl away. And as it did this, Void felt a presence appear behind him. "Raaaaah!" The colt roared as he leapt up onto the stump and ignited his body, his tail burning extra brightly. "You really think you can stop me?! A mere foal?!" Void screeched, only for Heart to spin around and swing his tail, causing several fireballs to hit the ground around the stump. Flames burst out next, creating a large ring of fire around him. "Gyah!" He flinched at the heat, using his ice magic to put the fire out. But the combination of fire and ice caused a stream cloud to form, now blinding the unicorn. And when the mist cleared, Heart was nowhere to be seen. Void's eyes darted around, only to sense a surge of magic above him. He looked up and saw Heart, the Master Gem pulsing with so much magic that it was amazing it didn't burst. "LET'S GO!" Heart yelled as he thrust his right hoof straight up, the magic from the gem exploding out of it and swirling around to form a sphere that grew larger and larger until it formed a small sun. Heart flew down and pulled the orb with him as his friends all smiled at the sight. "Go," Flash whispered, "Fire Heart." "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" He swung the orb and attempted to slam it right into Void. "No!" Void cried as he held up his wings, using them to catch the magic. But as he did this, he felt an incredible amount of pressure, a crater already forming under his hooves from just pushing it back. He tried to flare his horn at this...only for it to fizzle out. He had used the last of his absorbed magic. All he had was the Corrupted Shadow. "NO!" He tried to push the sphere away with his wings, but then something happened that made his heart almost stop. His wings...were starting to disintegrate. "NOOO!" He looked through the magic and glared at Heart, "How...how is this possible?! You...you shouldn't be this powerful! And even if you were, you shouldn't be able to control it like this! Who are you?!" Heart smirked back as he felt the heat of the magic surround his right hoof, burning the hoof. He kept going despite this, unaware of the cracks that were starting to form on the Link Gem. "Who am I? I'm Fire Heart, a future Royal Knight, Defender of the Peace...and the apprentice of Flash Sentry!" That last statement caused something inside Void to snap. "And if he believes I can take you down...then that's what I'm gonna do!" The heat flew up his right hoof, searing him like he had never felt before. But he refused to give in and roared as he pushed the sphere down more. Void's wings burned away at this, the sphere getting closer to him as Void let Heart's words flow through him. All this...because of one pony. The reason he had lost everything at the Lost City of Faust. The reason he had to serve the Storm King and almost died multiple times. The pony who constantly got in Void's way. "Flash Sentry!" He roared as the orb got closer. "Even if I die...my hatred for you will survive for an eternity!" His wings completely vanished as the orb fell onto him, "No matter how long it takes, you will fall to my hatred! Even if it's not by my hooves, you will fall, and I will be the reason for it! I SWEAR TO IT!" Those were his last words before the orb fell down, completely enveloping him and his armor as the sun began to expand. Heart flew away as fast as he could at this, the Link Gem shattering off of him from all the power that had flowed through it, the orb unleashing shockwaves that made flying difficult. It grew large enough to consume the entire stump, unleashing a light so bright they could see it even after closing their eyes. The sun then exploded into a beam that shot straight into the sky, hitting the dark clouds above their heads. And as the explosion began to lose its power and the beam of light began to fade, everpony stared at where Void had once been. But both the pony and the stump were nowhere to be seen. Light began to stream in through the hole in the cloud, bathing the area and showing there was absolutely nothing there anymore. But there was something being illumined by the light, which Flash, Springer, Grand, Ruby and Cold looked up to see. A young colt, hovering within the sunlight, clutching a badly injured leg that had all of its fur from the hoof to the knee burnt away. But despite the agonizing pain he was probably feeling, Heart had a massive grin on his lips. A grin that Flash and the others all reciprocated as they let the day's events finally overcome them, the group laying back as more of the clouds above them slowly started to disappear to allow more light to flow down on them. Springer, who had been blasted quite a distance due to Void's attack, slowly staggered up before sitting down beside Flash, "Well...that was fun." "Yeah," Flash nodded as he turned to where his friends had originally come through. The Rune Gate had been knocked over during the battle, but it didn't seem to be damaged at all. "Thanks Springer. For bringing Heart with you all." "No problem," Springer replied as the colt slowly flew down, "I'm just glad everything worked out." Flash nodded in agreement. Despite everything that had happened, they managed to defeat Void and Armalum. Hopefully, that was the last any of them would have seen of the pair. And despite what was likely going on back home, Flash trusted his friends had been able to handle it. Equestria would be safe once again, thanks to the heroic efforts of the many species that inhabited it. Safe and sound...for now.