Chapter 91
July 11th, 4 A.B.
“Move your flank, Spark!” Star Chaser called out as he flew ahead of Spark as he struggled to keep up with him as they flew down the forest path.
“I’m hurrying!” Spark yelled as he slowly fell behind.
The two colts flew down the path, with the lead colt mocking the slower one as they went.
As Star Chaser reached the end of the path, he came to a stop, landing and spinning around to watch as Spark slowly caught up.
“You’re slow,” Star Chaser mocked as Spark landed before him.
Spark just smiled as he looked at his friend, “well you’re just faster than me is all, Star Chaser.”
“And don’t forget it,” the royal colt laughed as he turned and began to trot down a side path. “Come on.”
The two trotted down a dark path covered by trees and vines, heading for the other side where a light could be seen.
Upon stepping out of the path, they were greeted by a humongous waterfall, with clouds all around the peak as multiple streams of water flowed over the cliffs, combining into one massive waterfall.
“Whoa…” Spark muttered as they both looked up at the miles high waterfall.
“Right?” Star Chaser said with a smirk. “I found this place, and I plan to bring girls here when I get into highschool.”
“That’s some long term planning,” Spark chuckled, causing Star Chaser to roll his eyes.
“Come on, you gotta see the bottom of this thing,” he said as he spread his wings and flew over the cliff, heading for the beach far below them.
Spark wasn’t far behind as they reached the beach, landing on the wet sand.
“This place is so beautiful,” Spark said as he stared up at the breathtaking sight above them, the sounds of the water crashing out in the lake almost drowning out all other sounds.
The two walked around for a bit, taking in everything. They played in the water for a while, but eventually they ended up sitting on a rock out in the middle of the lake, laying on their backs as they stared up at the falling water that crashed around them.
“Do you ever think about the future?” Spark asked suddenly, causing Star Chaser to snort.
“Of course,” he laughed as a smirk appeared on his face. “I’m going to take over as the sole ruler and let my family take a step back and enjoy life. Let me handle all the tough situations for once.”
“I don’t think your dad will ever step down,” Spark chuckled, getting a shrug out of Star Chaser.
“He keeps talking about how he can’t wait for us to grow up and take over the throne, so I’m pretty sure he’ll be more than happy for me to take over.”
“What about Nova?”
“She doesn’t want the Throne, so I’m not worried about her,” he said with a sly grin on his face. “What about you? What are you planning to do? Can’t be as cool as being the Ruler of Equestria.”
Spark just smiled as he stared up at the beautiful sight above him, “I honestly do not know. But I do know I want to help others and make sure everyone is safe. Just like my dad.”
“That’s a stupid goal,” Star Chaser mocked, shaking his head.
“Maybe,” Spark said with a chuckle. “But it’s what I want to do. I want to be able to stand up to anything that tries to hurt those I love.”
“You say that,” the other colt began with a mocking tone to his voice, “but we both know that if a threat appears in the future that it will be ME who stops it. You can’t even keep up with me in a race, so there's no way you’ll be able to handle a real threat.”
“I’ll get stronger,” Spark declared, holding up a hoof. “I’ll get so strong that nothing will hurt anyone ever again.”
“But first you’ll have to get stronger than me,” Star Chaser said as he sat up, placing a hoof to his chest proudly. “And that will never happen. You’ll never surpass me, Spark. So just sit back and enjoy life, let me, the real hero, stand up to the evil bad guys of the future!”
“You can help me,” Spark added as he rolled to his side to look at his friend. “We can get stronger together, that way nothing can beat us.”
“No offense, but I don’t want a weakling like you as a sidekick,” Star Chaser laughed. “I can handle anything the world has to throw at me, that way you can just play house with Starlight or whoever you’re with in the future.”
“I hope so, Star Chaser,” Spark replied as he laid back on the rock and stared upward. “But still, I’m gonna do whatever it takes to make sure everyone is safe. No matter how big the threat is.”
ooo000<^>000ooo
Present day
Spark floated on his back, staring up into the endlessly empty space before him.
His body crackled with energy as he let himself soar backwards, not stopping himself. He wasn’t quite sure what exactly happened after they made contact, but he was sure of one thing. They weren’t in the same universe anymore. Same dimension, but definitely not the same universe.
He also was not sure where Champion was, as he couldn’t sense him anymore. This could mean a lot of things, but he was almost certain that Champion was still alive. He just had the feeling that that had not been enough to finally end the other stallion.
As if to answer him, Champion suddenly appeared next to him, following along with him on his back as they both stared straight up.
“I knew you’d survived that,” Spark said telepathically.
“You’re going to need to get a lot stronger to beat me, Spark,” Champion said in a calm yet mocking voice. “I want you to know the next time we clash, you’re going to die.”
“I was just thinking the same thing about you,” Spark said with a sly grin as he rolled himself around to face Champion.
“Oh?” Champion laughed as he slammed his hooves together, sending out a shockwave that pushed Spark back a great distance. “I’m afraid not.”
Spark calmed himself as he stared at his opponent, forcing all of the excess Ego within him to be devoted to increasing his power even further. Champion seemed to be doing the same as red energy crackled around him as a Holy aura began to spread around him, with a sense of absolute evil spreading out beyond the Holy Aura. He was an amalgamation of Pure and Evil, something that should not exist, yet here he floated.
A sense of worry seeped into Spark’s mind, but he pushed it aside, knowing he must be completely devoted to the idea of beating Champion, otherwise he wouldn’t stand a chance.
He used up the last of the excess Ego, which meant the access to a free power boost had ended. He’d have to rely on his own abilities from here on out.
Yet Champion seemed to be nowhere near his peak as he continued to soar higher and higher in terms of raw power.
But Spark wasn’t worried just yet, as he felt they were close to each other at this moment, so he’d have to end this quickly.
The two flashed out of existence momentarily as they clashed together. The very first punch Champion landed seemed to warp reality as the Dimension around them seemed to shudder.
And the moment Spark landed a hit on Champion, the entire dimension shattered, falling away as they now found themselves in the In-Between. The Space between dimensions.
They didn’t slow down as they continued to attack each other, their hits causing untold destruction as they flew past what appeared to be other dimensions floating in empty space. The shockwaves from their hits sent the little dimensions flying away, some of them just straight up exploding as they were hit directly by the two as they fought.
They both continued to climb in power, but it was never enough to overcome the other as they flashed all over the place, destroying countless dimensions as they did so.
At this point, Spark wasn’t able to hold back, so he had to push through the thought of how many countless lives they were ending in their fighting. If he stopped now, Champion would just continue his killing spree, as he had reached a point that no one else could handle.
They continued to flash all over the area, each time they reappeared countless dimensions would be destroyed.
Spark knew they couldn’t continue fighting here, but he couldn’t think of anywhere that could handle them.
But one place came to mind.
He suddenly disengaged from Champion, catching him off guard, and ripped open a portal.
Champion slammed into him, sending both of them through the portal, were they crashed into the ground on the other side.
The two jumped apart as their royal stallion looked around, raising an eyebrow.
“The Eternal Plains?”
“Yeah,” Spark answered as he rose off the ground, eyes locked with Champion’s. “I think this place can handle our battle.”
To answer him, Champion shot forward, causing the two of them to hit each other at the same time, their hooves crossing over one another. The resulting collision caused all of reality to collapse into them yet again.
Spark growled as they found themselves back in the In-Between, having destroyed yet another dimension in one hit. He had been SURE that that place could withstand them.
“I guess not,” Champion mocked as they resumed their battle, hitting each other with increasingly stronger attacks.
Dimensions were obliterated left and right as they continued flashing around the area.
Then without warning they were both teleported away from the In-Between and into an absolutely MASSIVE arena like room with strange beings sitting in the stands all around them.
The two of them finally broke apart and stared up at the assembly above them, seeing all the angry beings glaring down at them.
One of them that sat upon what appeared to be a Throne stood up, their bowl like head shaking as they pointed an accusatory finger at the two of them.
“Do you Wildlings understand the magnitude of the actions you have taken?!” it demanded, the incredible power of the being overwhelming the two of them instantly, causing them to go to their knees. “The Eternal Plains, our masterpiece, has been erased from reality! To recover it goes against all rules of the Ultimate Authority Dimension!”
Spark shook a bit in fear, as these were clearly much stronger beings than the two of them, and he did in fact understand the magnitude of their actions. His only solace in this moment was that it was over, and Champion would be stopped. Even if that meant he had to go down with him.
“There’s so much power here…” Champion suddenly said as a crazy look fell across his face.
This caused Spark’s eyes to go wide as he realized all of the beings around them pouring their auras down on them to oppress them was having the opposite effect with Champion.
“You need to stop!” Spark suddenly yelled, forcing himself to stand up and look up at what appeared to be the Ruler of the UAD. “Send us away, kill us! Just-”
“Silence!” the imposing UAD God bellowed, causing Spark to drop to his knees again as Champion giggled to himself, his Ego starting to adapt him to this new threat. “You two will be punished for your transgressions against Reality!”
“Then do it faster!” Spark all but screamed as Champion began to twitch wildly, slowly standing up.
“Kneel!” the UAD God demanded as he cast a finger at Champion, but nothing happened as Champion’s body flashed cyan.
His injuries healed themselves as he regained his eye and horn, along with the scars fading away. His coat was suddenly covered in cyan colored lines as they extended down his body, glowing brightly. Even his tail and mane gained the cyan lines, flowing in an unseen wind. Cyan colored smoke seemed to be pouring out of his eyes as he smiled upward at the assembly above them.
“Well well, thank you for the power up!” he stood up on his back legs, spreading his legs and wings, no longer affected by the aura pressing down on them. “Welcome to my final form; Full Authority!”
The UAD God seemed to register what was about to happen, but Champion simply shot through them, blowing out their back and continuing on as he tore through the entire assembly of UAD beings.
Spark watched in horror as he realized there was nothing he could do now.
“Wildling,” the downed massive UAD God choked out as they lay on the ground on the other side of the arena. “Come…”
Not hesitating, Spark flew over and landed before the drowned God, eyes wide as he watched as trails of Ego poured out of the UAD God, going straight up to Champion as he continued his rampage. He was absorbing them!
“You are an Angel of The One Who Sits Above All, yes?” the UAD God asked as they grew weaker and weaker.
“Yes,” Spark confirmed.
“Then you have to stop this… thing,” they said as they reached out with their hand and placed a large finger against Spark’s head. “Ask Him… to save us.”
With that Spark flashed away, and reappeared in a much different place. This one giving off a sense of… peace and love. The Holy Energy he felt was intense, causing his body to relax instantly.
“Things getting out of hand, my child?” a man asked, causing Spark to turn around to see a bearded man. This one was clearly not the one who’d turned him into an Archangel, but gave off a similar aura.
“We need to stop him, please, can you-” Spark began frantically, but the man just smiled at him, causing him to stop mid-sentence as he felt absolute peace wash over him.
“We know what has transpired. The Agent of the Collapse has reached a level we only feared he would reach. Thus leaving you behind in your current form,” the man said as he sat down on a bench. “But do not fear, for we will not let him continue down his current path.”
“What are you going to do?” Spark asked, breathing heavily.
“You are going to go back and finish this, Spark,” the man said simply.
“But… he’s too strong for me now!” Spark protested, but this didn’t faze the other man.
“Nothing is stronger than the love I have for you, Spark,” the man stated as he held his hand out. “Now take my hand, my child.”
Spark stepped forward and took the man's hand, not hesitating for a second. The moment he took the soft hand of the other man, he felt the feeling of Pureness entering into him, filling every corner of his being. All of his worry and doubts melted away as he relaxed completely, holding tightly to the other man's hand.
His body flashed and morphed, returning him to a more normalized pony shape. His coat and mane remained the same colors, but he no longer felt anger or hatred for Champion. Instead he felt remorse for what he’d become.
“My eternal love is now within you, Spark,” the man said calmly as he took his hand back. “Stand tall Eternal Archangel Spark, and bask in our everlasting love.”
Spark stood up, feeling like he could handle anything now. He smiled at the man before him and gave a nod, “thank you. Will you save the UAD as well?”
“What needs to be done, will be done,” was all he said as Spark slowly faded away.
He faded back into existence, finding himself back in the massive chamber of the UAD. All of the beings around him were now dead, even the UAD God who had sent him up above.
“I was starting to think you’d run away, Sparky,” Champion laughed as he laid upon the body of the UAD God, smiling brightly at Spark. “Hm… this new form of yours looks less impressive than your previous ones.”
“It’s over, Star Chaser,” Spark said with a sense of finality in his voice. “Come to me so we can finish this.”
“How about you come to me,” Champion said as he stood up and stomped his hoof into the back of the UAD God.
“Very well,” Spark said smoothly as he suddenly appeared next to Champion, hitting him with an elbow right to the ribs. The hit actually caught Champion off guard as the Ultimate Authority Dimension threatened to collapse in on them just like all the others.
Champion roared as the lines running over his body began to flash as his power shot up instantly to meet Spark’s new power. But when he threw a punch for Spark, he simply caught it, negating all the power of the hit as if he caught the fist of a small child.
This caused Champion’s eyes to go wide as his Ego continued to raise his power at an increasingly rapid pace, but it didn’t seem to be enough as Spark tightened his grip on Champion’s hoof.
“I’m sorry, Star Chaser,” Spark said as a sad look fell over his face. “I wish we could have saved you from yourself.”
In response, Champion threw a punch for Spark’s face. The hoof connected, causing the entire UAD to collapse instantly, leaving them back in the In-Between. But Spark’s facial expression never changed as he continued to stare into Champion’s eyes with absolute sadness.
“Let me go!” Champion roared as he continued to hit Spark over and over again. However, the shockwaves from his hits were no longer destroying the dimensions around them, as there seemed to be a shield around them, coming from the halo that had appeared behind Spark.
There would be no more death, as declared by Spark himself. There would only be one more death today, and he felt incomprehensible remorse for what had to be done.
“Even when you were at your worst, mistreating me and your other friends,” Spark began, letting Champion beat on his face with his free hoof, but was not affected by it as he continued speaking, “I still loved you like a brother. I saw the good within you, and I fought to make sure you saw it too.”
Champion just screamed into his face as he fired two beams directly into Spark’s eyes, pushing them past the point that they started to damage even him. But Spark just held his gaze, still seeming unaffected.
“But the things you’ve done, the countless lives you… we have ended today. There is no fixing that, there is no redemption for either of us. You are lost, Champion. And I am so sorry I couldn’t save you.”
“I don’t need saving!” Champion bellowed as he continued to try and break free, his Ego panicking as it just kept soaring higher and higher, but never reaching the top.
“Goodbye, Star Chaser,” Spark said as tears ran down his face. He pulled back his hoof, holding Champion’s hate filled gaze.
“My name is Champ-”
All of reality shook at that moment, even the heavens above all else threatened to come down.
As everything calmed down, the only sound that could be heard was the sobbing of a single stallion.