//------------------------------// // Part 7-4 // Story: A Blaze Brought Forth Again // by Tyler-the-Brony //------------------------------// The Battle Chapter 4: The Seal Intensified Blaze Bringer had eyes only for Celestia and Luna as he arrived, so Breeze Rider and Shift were both able to fly up to his location and blindside him with a combined attack directed right at Blaze Bringer’s head. “Cream! Heal the Princesses now! We’ll hold him off! Everypony else! Think of something that can put him down for good!” Breeze Rider screamed back at the ground as he and Shift launched Blaze Bringer away a distance with their first attack. Blaze Bringer refocused his attention to Breeze Rider and Shift after recovering slightly from their attack, roaring loudly as he did. “I have had enough insolence from you betrayers! This time I will shred your bodies and souls into indecipherable pieces!” Blaze Bringer yelled at Breeze Rider and Shift, the sheer power behind his words forcing them back a short ways. “Breeze Rider!” Fluttershy called up to him, worried as she saw Blaze Bringer only narrowly miss him as Breeze Rider dived away from the attack, before quickly looping up to buck him in the jawline. “We need a plan. Now!” Violet added in, moving to stop Fluttershy from moving to fly up and try to help Breeze Rider. “How can we stop him though? He destroyed everything we created to stop him!” Nova yelled out, worried over just how long Shift and Breeze Rider could fight for. “Not…everything.” Celestia weakly spoke up from Cream and Luna’s side, causing everypony to rush to her side immediately. “What do you mean Princess? What didn’t he destroy?” Quick-Fix quickly asked Celestia, hoping it was some sort of weapon that could stop Blaze Bringer. “Our brother…spoke of the Barriers which repel the Zebrikan Seal. The one Sabrei named Raki that attempted to use it directly against us here after also forcing his way within our Barrier along with our brother… was paralyzed and repelled from Canterlot’s confines after a few seconds of wielding it against us.” Luna began, coughing mildly at the end from her injuries. “The Barriers are still around Canterlot and… in effect. The Zebrikan Seal is… part of Blaze Bringer. As he flies and wields his powers now, he is activating the Seal and…simply overcoming it. Blaze Bringer is simply… most unaffected by the Barriers powers now. If they could be strengthened, they might seal all aspects of his power back within him…permanently. Including his influence over the Sabrei.” Celestia concluded, heavily winded from her explanation. Everypony looked up from the Princesses to each other, the key to stopping Blaze Bringer within their grasp now. “How can we strengthen those barriers though?” Diamond Bolt quickly questioned everypony else, hoping somepony had a plan. “The Elements of Harmony could enhance its power almost enough!” Twilight chipped in, issuing forth smiles from everypony with her words. “I will protect you while you prepare the Elements full power. Will any help me?” Zuli spoke up, looking to those who could still fight for help. “I’ll help. My magic was made to defend Canterlot from threats anyway.” Peach spoke up, moving to stand by Zuli. “Count me in too. I gotta put my all towards this plan.” Clockwork continued, moving to Zuli’s other side. “I want to get Blaze Bringer back for earlier, so count me in on this support team.” Quick-Fix finished, moving to meet the others that would help the Elements of Harmony. “We still need the Barriers to be stronger though. I could add my own Shield Spell’s power to the Barriers to reinvigorate them as well.” Shining Armor added, looking to his Shield as he spoke of it. “I’ll support your magic with mine. It’ll make your Shields power greater, therefore making the overall Barriers stronger.” Vinyl spoke up, wobbling slowly over to Shining Armor as she did. “Blaze Bringer already broke my barrier, so let me help yours.” Nova chipped in, moving to Shining Armor and Vinyl’s shared location. “I’ll help Shining Armor too. I can keep your strength consistent so you can make sure to add as much power as possible to the barriers.” Cream added, moving to stand behind Shining Armor, opposite Vinyl Scratch. “Are you certain that you can do this Vinyl?” Octavia quickly asked her friend, not wanting at all to lose somepony close to her again that day. “I can, and I have to.” Vinyl nodded to Octavia, showing the true strength she had to the pony she trusted most. “Good. Everypony else, with me. We’ll help Breeze Rider and Shift keep Blaze Bringer occupied while the rest empower the Barrier.” Rafiq called out, moving to stand outside Shining Armor’s shield just as he dissolved it to focus all his possible strength into a new one. “For Canterlot!” Rafiq yelled out, his call being echoed by Diamond Bolt, Skeptic, Sky Wing, Violet, and Bam as all of them charged. *** “Violet, Sky Wing! You weave around him and hit Blaze Bringer fast like Breeze Rider is! Skeptic, Diamond Bolt! You guys and Shift try to hit Blaze Bringer hard towards the ground! I’ll hit him back up once he reaches me and Bam!” Rafiq called out to the Pegasi as they nodded and took off to help Breeze Rider and Shift. “Bam! Take my mallet! You’ll need it soon!” Rafiq called out to Pinkie’s little sister as he threw her one of his preferred weapons. “Thanks! But what about you?” Bam called back to Rafiq, the other earth pony fighter smiling as she did. “I’ll bash Blaze Bringer with my shield.” Rafiq laughed back at Bam, issuing a confused smile from the normally fun loving pony. “Heads up bro!” Sky Wing called out to Breeze Rider just as he unloaded a shot towards Blaze Bringer. “Thanks for the assistance!” Breeze Rider called back as he dodged his brothers shot and it connected with Blaze Bringer’s belly. Violet Melody quickly flew up while Blaze Bringer was caught off guard and kicked him in his eyes. Blaze Bringer screamed out at the attack, just as Shift, Diamond Bolt, and Skeptic joined each other in the air and prepared to dive-bomb Blaze Bringer. Just as Blaze Bringer opened his eyes from Violet and Sky Wing’s attacks, he was bombarded by the three remaining Pegasi as they pushed him quickly towards the ground, and the waiting Rafiq and Bam. “Hit him in my direction Bam!” Rafiq called out, encouraging a nod from Bam as she wound up the Mallet and prepared to swing as soon as Skeptic and the others separated from him. A few short feet from the ground, Skeptic, Diamond Bolt, and Shift at last spread away from Blaze Bringer, and before the alicorn could do more than extend his wings, Bam hit him clear across his back as he hit terminal velocity, easily propelling him towards Rafiq. Rafiq braced himself, and angled his shield so as to send Blaze Bringer back into the sky with his bashing movement. Just before Blaze Bringer reached Rafiq though, he disappeared into flames. As everypony hastily looked around for him, Blaze Bringer reappeared in the middle of the battlefield. “ENOUGH!” Blaze Bringer bellowed, sending flames forward from his body towards everypony that currently fought him. Within a few moments, everypony lay on the ground, in a large amount of pain after Blaze Bringer’s attack, hoping they’d bought enough time for the others. “Now!” Twilight shouted from her location along the others, causing Blaze Bringer’s head to snap towards their location as she did. *** Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie instantly focused upon their respective Element at Twilight’s words, the Elements power almost instantly synchronizing and blasting towards the sky above Canterlot. At the same moment as the Elements Power began to rise, Shining Armor pulsated his Shield Spell too, assisted by the magic of Vinyl and Cream. Shining Armor’s shield pulsed out and combined with the already existing Barrier, causing it to at last become openly visible to everypony and grow covered in ancient runes. “NO!” Blaze Bringer screamed as he at least realized the ponies plan as arks of electricity lapped at his coat from the empowered Barrier, and then rushed towards the Elements of Harmony to destroy them before their power could further strengthen the Barrier. As Blaze Bringer approached though, a twist of fire red and brown shaded magic intercepted him, followed by a volley of electrical arrows. Blaze Bringer was pushed back slightly by the attack, but not harmed thanks to his flames. As Blaze Bringer sneered at the three ponies who had attacked him, the Elements power at last touched the Barrier. Within a few seconds of the Elements power radiating through the Barrier, bolts of what appeared to be lightning came from the barrier and struck Blaze Bringer from all angles. Blaze Bringer screamed in agony, though no pony could hear it over the power of the Barriers defences. Blaze Bringer dropped to the ground by the command of the Barrier, trying his best to claw his way free as he did so. Blaze Bringer’s flames were beginning to fade away, even those that were being drawn in from the various scattered Sabrei, and his coat and mane were slowly returning to their original shades. Blaze Bringer screamed out one last time as he was completely enveloped by the Barriers power. Everypony slowly made their way towards the orb of light in which Blaze Bringer now was encased, wondering just what they might see. As the magic slowly lessened in intensity around Blaze Bringer, his form appeared again, causing everypony to gasp. Blaze Bringer had returned to the form he had possessed before stealing Chrysalis’ blood, his scars and the marking of the Zebrikan Seal appearing even more prominent on his form now. Blaze Bringer looked hopelessly and angrily up at his sisters, clearly still having words for the two. *** “Now you see my true original form. Now you see just what war did to me. I am no longer Blaze Bringer in this form. I am only a scarred and disfigured freak.” Blaze Bringer spat at his sisters, tears betraying the anger in his words. “You are wrong about that brother.” Luna told Blaze Bringer, tears beginning to pool in her eyes as well. “Am I truly Luna?” Blaze Bringer softly sneered at Luna, closing his eyes to let his tears temporarily overtake him. “You are still Blaze Bringer. You are still our brother.” Celestia explained, crying upon seeing her true brother again. “And we still love you Blaze Bringer.” Luna added, moving down to nuzzle Blaze Bringer herself, Celestia joining her a moment later. Blaze Bringer opened his eyes in shock at Luna’s last words and the actions of his younger sisters. He had thought himself an unloved freak, and that was why the dark flames had spawned when he infused himself with power. As Blaze Bringer saw the true foalishness of his actions, he truly felt at peace for a moment. Almost immediately after, Blaze Bringer’s eyes widened in shock as a thin column of dark flames erupted from between his shoulders. Blaze Bringer screamed in pain as Luna and Celestia were pulled back from him by Peach and Rafiq. “AHHHHH!!!!!!!” Blaze Bringer screamed, the agony of his erupting flames overcoming that of the Barrier and allowing him to stand upon his hooves again. “What’s happening to him?” Twilight called out as she and everypony else retreated a few paces from Blaze Bringer. “All that power from his other form and the Sabrei must be too much to contain in his original form!” Nova worriedly explained, only Quick-Fix and the other Ponyville Repair Ponies truly understanding just what he meant. “Does that mean the power will continue to erupt from him until his form is destroyed?” Zuli hurriedly asked, hoping his idea was very wrong. “Yes! But, if all that power erupts out of him now…” Clockwork began, fear gripping her every muscle as she realized just what would happen to Blaze Bringer. “It will destroy Canterlot, and anything and everything within 100 miles of it!” Diamond Bolt finished, knowing none of them would be able to protect near everypony within the blast radius fast enough. “Is there no way to stop it?” Celestia begged everypony as Blaze Bringer continued to scream as four more towers of flames appeared on his body. “There’s not time to find one!” Breeze Rider responded, wishing his Visions would appear, showing him a way to help Blaze Bringer. “NO! There must be some way!” Luna screamed, tears flowing freely down her face as she looked at everypony for answers. “Breeze Rider! Zuli’s Wings! Maybe you can fly him away in time!” Sky Wing suggested, having foolish belief that his big brother could do anything. “Not even I’m strong enough to carry myself and him far enough away in time!” Breeze Rider called back, wishing severely he could help with his new wings. “But I am!” Blaze Bringer forced out through his screams, shocking everypony into looking at him. “I can..AHHH!! I can fly myself high above Canterlot so I don’t harm anypony here! I’m the only one who can! AH!!!!” Blaze Bringer screamed as three more flame pillars appeared and he used the still contained flames to forge new wings. “Blaze Bringer! You can’t! You only just came back to us!” Luna cried at her brother, causing him to smile strangely. “No Luna. I never came back. Not as I should have anyway. I belong only in your hearts and your good memories, like I was before now. Ah!” Blaze Bringer cried out as the flames threatened to envelop him temporarily. “I hope you can forgive me for what I did because of my misplaced hate. If you can’t, then I ask you simply forget about me. ‘Blaze Bringer’ is a name that should only live on in the memories of those who truly need him. I’m not the pony for that job any more. So, Goodbye.” Blaze Bringer smiled as he flared his wings and took off over Canterlot, his altitude growing higher as his flames burned brighter. Celestia held Luna back as she attempted to follow Blaze Bringer, not wanting to lose her older brother like she had once lost Celestia for a thousand years. Diamond Bolt held Clockwork and Skeptic held Violet, their wings draped over their special somepony. Breeze Rider protected Fluttershy and Sky Wing behind his flared wings, while Pinkie hugged Bam and Octavia close. Shift, Zuli, Nova, and Quick-Fix looked up, unreadable expressions on each of their faces. Blaze Bringer continued to climb far beyond any height visible from Canterlot Castle’s grounds, intent to not harm any with his own impending demise again. As Blaze Bringer at last felt himself break into an area of the sky where his wings could climb no farther, he smiled to himself as he felt the flames burn him away to nothingness. As Blaze Bringer’s form fully disappeared within the flames, the resulting explosion created appeared as a bright light over Canterlot Castle, signalling his passing to everypony below. Rafiq and Peach saluted the sky, their respect for the true Blaze Bringer forever assured. Rarity and Cream looked to the ground and let a few solitary tears fall in respect for the fallen alicorn. Twilight and Shining Armor simply stared open mouthed at the blast, unable to think of doing anything else, while Applejack and Hay Bale bowed their heads in respect. Luna screamed and cried even harder as Celestia openly cried over her sister’s shoulders. Everypony in Equestria witnessed the blast, and each knew that it was something none of them could ever explain, but they still felt tremendous sadness upon remembering the blast. Though few would ever know the true reason behind the blast, all knew that it meant Blaze bringer was again gone from this world, this time forever.