//------------------------------//
// Chapter 33: ...To Start a Whole Blaze 
// Story: The Impossible Choice 
// by FireMaster 
//------------------------------//

~ April 22nd, 1020 ME ~

‘3:56am‘

“At what point did we go wrong here?” Dash was breathing heavily as were the other Element Bearers. Trying to get close to Tirek was proving a challenge. They had been at it for over half an hour and it was having more of an effect on their stamina than Tirek’s.

“Give us some of that extra magic you’re hogging!” Rainbow Dash called as she flew in for another attack. Tirek waited until the last second and bent out of the way. Rainbow went flying past her target and crashed into a small fruit stand, sending the produce rolling. The drawback of being the fastest flier in all of Equestria is that it doesn't guarantee you’re the fastest at slowing down.

“It’s time I take what’s rightfully mine.” Tirek declared as he moved over to the rattled pegasus. “Give up and I’ll spare your friend.” Tirek was now standing over Dash who hadn’t gotten up yet. Tirek pinned her down with a hoof and pressed hard earning a wince from the mare being crushed.

“Don’t worry about me…” Dash began. “Just hit him harder.” She hissed as Tirek pressed more. Meanwhile Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy all looked at each other knowing they couldn’t risk putting Rainbow in further harm. They wouldn’t give up on the element of loyalty after all.

“Come, bring me your magic one at a time and I shall release her.” Tirek threatened.

Twilight hesitated. If they gave up their magic, that would be it. No more elements of harmony. She couldn’t see an easy way out of this. They couldn’t abandon Dash, but if they all lost their magic would they be abandoning the rest of the fighting ponies, or even the rest of Equestria?

“Time is running out. Decide!” Tirek bellowed, pressing hard enough now that Dash let out a yell as one of her ribs cracked.

“There will be no decision!” Lord Tirek’s face suddenly yanked to the side and he was knocked off his feet, having been unprepared for the surprise blow. A fist had connected with his head.

Tirek was quick to get up. “Ah I know that voice. My fellow human is still siding with the losing side. Without magic you are nothing!” Tirek sent out another one of his hoof stomp shockwaves and this time the invisible Blazing was the one flying backwards tumbling end over end on the concrete. The pain in his body was now making him instantly regret socking the centaur, but at least Dash had been able to use the moment to role to the side and get out of the way. Somewhere in Blazing’s roll he had lost the invisibility armband.

To make matters worse, Nightshade had to switch course halfway to the train station to defend another part of town being overrun with changelings. At least Spike had come the whole way.

With Rainbow out of harm's way the other element bearers were able to attack again, restarting the battle where it left off. Tirek moved to crush Blazing but was intercepted by a party cannon exploding in his direction. It was almost comedic seeing the pink centaur now covered in party favors, a Pinkie Pie element of laughter specialty.

“Enough!” Tirek shouted. The centaur began lifting almost everything in the vicinity with telekinesis including the ponies, human, and dragon present. In his rage he didn’t think much about what he would do with everything in his grasp. Twilight teleported to remove the hold on herself and grabbed Tirek in her own telekinesis.

“Put my friends down!” Twilight demanded.

“As you wish princess!” Tirek slammed Blazing and Spike into the ground and threw the element bearers at Twilight. She quickly let go of Tirek to catch her friends hurtling towards her.

Blazing’s legs and shoulders ached as he pushed himself back up to his feet. “Twilight I think I know how we can win. You have to hit me with the elements.” Blazing’s right hand was in his pocket as he turned the ring over in his fingers again.

“Are you crazy?! We can’t risk doing something like that. You’re non magical. What are you going to do? What if it harms you since you’re not a part of harmony anymore?!”

Blazing took the ring out of his pocket and finally put it on his finger. He hadn’t realized before how much the gemstone looked like Twilight’s cutie mark. “Just trust me Twilight. I have to do this! Spike, can you buy us time?”

The baby dragon nodded as he stood between Blazing and Tirek exhaling fire at the centaur. Spike kept the blaze going as Tirek sent a blast of magic to counter the flames.

“I can’t lose you again!”

“You have to trust me! This is the 50% chance.”

Twilight still didn’t look like she approved of this plan but she did want to trust Blazing. “Let’s do this girls!” Twilight grouped up with her friends around Rainbow Dash who was still hurt from before and they prepared the elements.

Blazing recalled Colossians 3:14, …And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. With the stage set and the bearers of harmony rising into the sky about to shoot him with their magic, Blazing thought about the fact that this could be his last moments. His life flashed before his eyes and he thought about what he would want to say to his dying breath. He had made good friends in Equestria, and found a pony that really cared about him. In fact she had been his motivation to stay and fight. Now he was sure of it. “I love you Twilight.”

With the ring on his finger, Blazing closed his eyes and envisioned the rune for star. (☉) The same star that took Winter Storm’s life. Well now or never Blazing thought, mustering all his courage to not run away from this. Nothing could prepare him for the inevitable shockwave of rainbow that hit his body, turning the whole world bright. He lifted his right hand over his head, drawing a circle with his finger and finishing the motion by leaving his hand in the middle. His whole body burned and the light expanded outwards in a spherical wave, covering all of Canterlot and beyond. Then, with no indication of how long that moment lasted Blazing lost all sense of awareness, his whole world going dark.