Beams of colorful magical energy erupted from behind Weaponry. The shadow shrieked in shock and pain as the beams slammed into its body, causing it to slither back. Pegasi took to the air, their spears and javelins clutched tightly in their hooves. They began to jab and pierce their weapons into the shadows body while earth ponies surrounded the shadow on the ground and began to kick, buck, and slice pieces of the shadow away with their swords, daggers, and hatchets.
Silver Speed zigzagged around the shadow, slicing off any tendrils that the shadow tried to use to swat him out of the air. Strong Hoof bucked a pillar that began to topple. As it fell he jumped into the air and began to kick the pillar in midair. With every strike, sections of the pillar broke and flew through the air and slammed into the shadow. Lighting Rush and Thunder Kraken shot lightning towards the shadow before teleporting to opposite sides of the shadow and continuing their onslaught. Golden arrows struck the shadow’s body before exploding sending parts of the shadow into the air.
Weaponry jumped into the air and barrel rolled through the air while slicing away a tendril with his sword. As he found his footing he looked around at every pony fighting. Together, they were one fighting entity. Even the hordes of changelings didn’t stand a chance against them. A smile formed on his face as two more orbs floated from his horn and created a Warhammer and a halberd.
“Strong Hoof, Silver Speed!” Weaponry yelled before the weapons flew off. Strong Hoof caught the Warhammer in his mouth and smiled before he raced towards the shadow. Silver Speed stopped and fumbled with the halberd before getting a grip of the weapon. He turned to the shadow and zigzagged toward it. With every strike of the halberd the shadow let out a shriek of pain.
Strong Hoof Raced towards the shadow at full speed before swinging the Warhammer. The combination of speed and strength sent the shadow through the air and slammed it into a pillar. An eruption of cheers echoed as the shadow lay still under the broken pillar. Did we do it? Did we win? Weaponry thought. Something in his gut told him to cheer, told him to celebrate the victory, but a small feeling in the back of his mind told him to be ready. Something in the back of his mind told him it was too easy.
“Enough of this foolishness!” the shadow roared as the pillar it lay under exploded and tendrils shot at the ponies. They attacked ponies with such speed many couldn’t move out of their way and where flung into the air while others slammed into pillars around them. Silver Speed was slammed to the ground by a tendril while Strong Hoof had one wrap around his torso and was flung into the air before another wrapped around his back hoof and slammed him to the ground. Weaponry and a few other ponies fought off the tendrils. Sacred Arrow shot arrows at each tendril that drew closer to her. As Weaponry fought one of the tendrils, he saw one slither up from behind Sacred Arrow. Its tip changing into a spear as it twitched, ready to strike.
“Sacred Arrow!” Weaponry yelled as he tried to race towards her but was cut off by three more tendrils. She looked over at Weaponry before looking behind her to see the tendril coming down at her. All Weaponry could do was shout as the spear tipped tendril shot towards Sacred Arrow.
A blur flew past Weaponry and slammed itself into the tendril. The shift in weight caused the tendril to slam into the floor a few feet away from Sacred Arrow. The blur flew from the tendril and landed in front of Sacred Arrow. The Pegasus wings extended as he glared at the shadow. Both Sacred Arrow’s and Weaponry’s eyes widened as they stared at the Pegasus.
“You will not hurt a single hair in her mane!” Flash Sentry roared as he stared at the shadow.
“Flash?” Weaponry asked before Flash flew into the air and kicked at another tendril that flew towards them. Two more tendrils flew at him but he was able to grab both under each of his arms and slam the tips of the tendrils to the ground. A shiver went through the tendrils before falling limp.
“Flash, what are you doing here?” Sacred Arrow asked as Weaponry raced over to them and stood next to her. Weaponry suddenly felt sick at her question. Every pony here, every pony fighting the shadow was once killed by it and wanted redemption and if Flash was now here fighting with them. That could only mean.
---
Flash Raced towards Ozark, tears filling his eyes as he remembered what Ozark just said, “I thought you wanted to confront the monster that killed her, that made her scream in agony while I ripped her skin from her bones. I made sure she suffered ever-single-second.” Twilight was screaming something at him but his blind rage muffled her words. He pulled his left fore-hoof back, ready to strike. Flash slammed his hoof into the side of Ozark’s face casing him to slide backwards. Flash continued to throw hooves at Ozark, each one connecting with bone shattering force.
Flash breathed heavily as Ozark lay on the ground, blood oozing from his nose and right corner of his mouth. Get up! Flash thought. Get up so I can beat you down, so I can send you back to Tartarus. Ozark started to get up and laugh.
“What’s so funny, as it stands: you’re losing this fight,” Flash said.
“What’s funny?” Ozark repeated before he stood and chuckled, “What’s funny is the fact that you think you’re hurting me.” Ozark said with a smile. Flash snarled at him before he raced towards Ozark ready to strike.
“Flash stop! You’re playing right into his hoof!” Twilight cried but in his blind rage he didn’t hear her.
“The fact that you think I feel any pain is laughable because all your doing his hurting Weaponry!” Ozark said. Flash suddenly stopped in midair, his hoof inches away from Ozarks face. Ozark just smiled and added, “I only control his body. I feel no pain, so in a way: you’re just pummeling Weaponry.” Flash stared at Ozark before his eyes widened when Ozark suddenly disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Ozark reappeared behind Flash, all his wounds had disappeared.
Flash felt his body suddenly be lifted up and flung into the air. The shock of the sudden movement shook him out of his trance and tried to correct himself with his wings. He suddenly felt a sharp pain on his back that soon grew as he screamed in pain.
---
Twilight watched as Ozark wrapped his magic around Flash and flung him into the sky. Just before Flash realized what had happened to him, she watched as two black orbs flew from Ozark’s horn and flew towards Flash. The orbs suddenly changed into two scythes and as Flash opened his wings to correct himself. The scythes sliced through the base of his wings and severed them from his body. Her ears bent back as she heard his screams of pain.
She watched as he fell to the ground, streams of blood flying up from where his wings once were. Twilight tried to summon her magic, even a little bit of magic to stop his fall, but nothing happened. He continued to fall towards the ground. Ozark just smiled as he watched his decent. The world suddenly felt still as Flash was inches away from the ground. She watched as Ozarks horn glowed and before Flash could hit the ground. Small, spear-like crystals shot from the ground and impaled Flash’s body.
Flash’s body twitched as blood slid down the crystals protruding from the ground. He coughed and gagged on his own blood filling his lungs before he fell still. His lifeless eyes staring at twilight like dark, empty caves.
“Now, if I may proceed without any interruptions,” Ozark said before he turned his attention to Celestia and Luna.