Return Stroke
Ponyville...
Wild Smile had the biggest grin he could have as he brought a large bowl of popcorn over to his sofa. There, two of his closest friends were sitting on the cushion seats, their eyes staring at a thick book. They were Gorgenia and Solid Script, and they were both staring at a photo album, which contained the pictures of them before they lost Lightning to his banishment.
The two unicorns had come for a visit, wanting to see the place Wild was now spending half his time at. As such, Gorgenia stifled a laugh as she pointed at a picture, "Oh dear, anypony remember this?" She asked as they all stared at the photo, which showed the four of them at a karaoke bar Wild had dragged them too. In the photo was Script, singing into a microphone with a huge embarrassed blush on his face.
"Yes...." Script moaned as he rubbed his face in frustration. "I remember not wanting to go."
"Didn't stop you from singing, did it?" Wild asked as he sat down, the puppeteer now sitting by Gorgenia, who was now between him and Script.
"I couldn't help it," Script replied as his horn started to glow, taking several pieces of popcorn in his magic aura. "I was trying to not look like a coward in front of Lightning."
"And instead, you looked like an idiot," Wild laughed, his puppets soon mimicking him.
"Oh, don't be mean Wild." Gorgenia told him before turning the page. This page showed the four of them at Gorgenia's first sculpture show, her in a dress while her three male friends stood around wearing fancy suits. She could tell just by looking at it that both Wild and Lightning didn't enjoy wearing the suits, along with their forced smiles.
"That was a fun night," Wild almost whispered, only to get a nudge from Gorgenia.
"Don't lie Wild," Gorgenia grumbled. "The only reason you were even there was to support me. And uh...thank you for that."
"Any time," Wild replied as he slung his hoof around her shoulders. "What are friends for?"
The three of them continued to look through the photos. smiling as they remembered the events. But then they reached a section of the book showing only images of Lightning, causing them all to sigh. It was here that Wild and Gorgenia turned to Script, seeing the large frown appear on his face. "You okay there little buddy?"
Script nodded with a sigh. "Yes. I just wish I could see him again."
"We all do darling," Gorgenia replied as she patted his back. "But its not all bad. We know he'll be back soon."
"Yeah, sure..." Solid mumbled as a tear began to form in his right eye, "When the Fantasia Parade arrives, he'll be back. But that won't be for many, many more months, and even when it arrives, who knows if Lightning will be welcome back there." He jumped off the sofa and walked over to a nearby window, which he looked out to see the whole of Ponyville. "Not only that, I'm the only one that stays in Canterlot now, especially with Wild spending time here and Gorgenia heading to the Crystal Empire."
Both Gorgenia and Wild went wide eyed as they glanced at each other before the mare turned back to Solid, "How did-"
"I overhead some ponies talking about it," Script replied as he looked back to them. "I know Princess Cadance invited you so you can learn how to make statues out of crystal."
Hearing this, Gorgenia looked down at the floor while Wild continued to stare at her, "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Because....because I'm not going Wild." Gorgenia replied in a low mumble. "I...I can't."
Now it was Script's turn to be surprised as he tilted his head at the mare, "What do you mean? You have to go. Aren't you friends with that princess you used to despise?!"
"No, I can't." She looked up at Script with a small frown, "I made a promise to Lightning. I said I'd be there for you and I intend to keep it."
"We both did," Wild added as he stared back at Solid.
"And now its stopping you from doing what you love," Script said as he stepped up to them, "Do you really think Lightning would have asked you to make that promise if he knew an opportunity like this would appear? Don't forget, he also asked Princess Cadance to help you."
"And she has. My career's been doing better than ever since she started endorsing me, especially with all the love for her wedding statue." she answered before letting out a sigh, "But I'm not going to leave you Solid. I know you Solid, and I can tell you're lonely without Lightning. You're my friend, so if I can stop that loneliness, then I will."
Script shook his head at this. "And as your friend, I can't let you put your life on hold for me." He then turned to Wild, "both of your lives."
Wild raised an eyebrow at this, "wotcha talkin bout?"
"Talkin bout, wotcha talkin bout." his puppets repeated.
Script rolled his eyes. "Whenever you're in Canterlot, you only ever talk about two things Wild. Its either the shows you just did, or Ponyville. I know how much you love it here, but you've been putting off living here full time because of me."
"Yeah...I guess that's true." Wild replied as he fiddled with his hooves before looking back up at Solid, "But its like Gorgenia said. I made a promise to keep you out of trouble."
"Even if that means you can't do something you really, really want to do?!" Solid countered as he leaned up to Wild's face, "Like...you finally asking Pinkie Pie out properly?!"
Wild's face instantly locked up, a red blush shining on his face. Gorgenia giggled at the sight as she said, "He's right Wild. She does seem to be the main subject of your stories about Ponyville. Will I be creating another wedding statue soon enough?"
Wild shot Gorgenia a dark glare as his puppets laughed.
But before he could say anything, Solid put his hoof on Wild's shoulder, "The point is, I'd never forgive myself if I end up being the thing that ruined your lives just so you can keep me happy. If anything, that'd make me less happy."
"You know you won't be doing that Solid." Georgina immediately replied before crossing her hooves, "Besides, I know for a fact that you're still miserable in Canterlot, especially since they've wanted you to work with Grand more often."
A pitch black frown appeared on Solid's face as he glared at Gorgenia. "Don't say that name around me. That old geezer ruined my life, just like Lightning's. He's the reason all this garbage happened in the first place."
Gorgenia let out a long sigh again, "Solid...you know that isn't true. He's been trying really hard to get along with you."
"Yeah yeah..." Solid mumbled as he shook his head, his gaze soon focusing on both of his friends as he continued, "But that doesn't matter. What matters here is that I know you made Lightning a promise, but I want you two to make one for me." He then pointed to himself, "Don't let me, ruin your life."
Wild and Gorgenia then saw the conviction in his eyes. They knew he wouldn't be taking no for an answer, which made them sigh before nodding in agreement. "Alright little buddy," Wild said first.
"We'll do it," Gorgenia added. "But you have to promise that you'll come visit us as much as possible, okay?"
"I will," Script told them as he turned back to the window, his eyes now looking up at the starry night sky. "You guys ever wonder where Lightning is right now? What he might be doing?"
"All the time," Wild instantly replied as he leaned back on the couch with a big smile.
"Almost every day darling," Gorgenia added as she looked back at the photo album. "But wherever he is, I know he's doing something great."
Script chuckled at this as he sat back down on the couch, "Yeah, you're right. He's Lightning, he can't do anything else."
Meanwhile...
Flash couldn't pull his eyes away from what he was seeing. It was Lightning Blitz, the unicorn that had plagued his years under Grand's training, the pony that made him miserable at times. And yet, here he was, Lightning Blitz. The unicorn was staring his own father down, who in turn was just as shocked at the sight.
"No way. It really is Lightning," Iron gasped as he blinked at the sight.
"That's Doom's son?" Ruby asked before turning to Grand, "What's he doing here? Why is he here?! I thought you told me that he was banished from Canterlot after attempting to overthrow the Princesses."
"I don't know," Grand replied as his eyes just stared at the sight. "Lightning...why-"
"Hey! What are you doing here Lightning?!" Skybreaker interrupted as he stared at the unicorn. "What's your game kid?"
Lightning didn't turn to the knights, as his gaze was squarely focused on Doom. "I came to help. Is that so wrong?"
"Why would you help us?" Iron growled as he continued to wiggle, his body still trying to escape the bands.
Hearing this from Iron, Doom chuckled to himself as he stepped towards his son, "Then obviously, he's come to help me." A huge grin shined on his face, "My son...I was so proud of you when I heard about your attempt to take the kingdom as your own. Now together, unlimited power will belong to us." He reached out to touch his son's shoulder. "But first we need to deal with some annoyances." But in that moment, a spark of electricity shot out of Lightning's horn, cloaking his body. The armor made Doom pull his hoof back, a small cry of pain following, "Yow! Lightning! What was that for?!"
Lightning smiled as his electric cloak faded. "Sorry pops, but you're wrong. I came to help the knights like I've been doing all day long."
"What?!" Doom yelped, his eyes going wide.
"Who do you think saved Sentry from those cloaks when he passed out or who showed the fuzzball how to escape the prison?!"
Doom's eyes went wide, only to narrow as he let out a hiss, "You...don't tell me you're...you're that cloaked pony I couldn't get a good view on my viewing globe?! The one that keeps reappearing everywhere on the island this past week?!"
"Yeah, that was me. I've been watching you for a while pops." Lightning admitted with a slight snort of air coming from his nostrils, "And I'm the one that kept evading your little cloak spy groups you would send out."
A low growl followed as Doom's left eye began to twitch, "I should have known it was somepony related to me. How else would you know how to dodge my magic?!"
Lightning just shrugged, a small chuckle following, "I learned from the best pops. I had to keep a close eye on you and the knights. Especially Sentry." The unicorn then turned around with a big smirk on his face as he stared at Flash, "Though I gotta say, you look really pathetic right now Sentry. Show a little more backbone, will ya?! After all, you're the pony that beat me. You losing so easily will only make me look bad."
Flash, unable to properly move his body, just stuck his tongue out at the stallion, "Yeah, whatever. I was just going easy on him, that's all."
"Sure you were." Lightning commented as he turned back, only to place his hoof on Lightbringer, which Doom had dropped when Lightning had made his entrance, and kicked it back. The weapon slid over to Flash, landing in his hooves. "Get your act together while me and my old stallion catch up."
"WHAT?! What are you talking about son?!" Doom yelled before pointing at the knights, specifically Flash, "Why are you defending them?! After everything they did to you, especially that piece of gutter trash over there, who's existence might as well be a sin to our family, you would still defend him?! He's the reason you aren't sitting on the throne!" He pointed to Grand, "he's the reason the two of us have had to live as outcasts! That old geezer screwed both of us over so he could give what your grandmother made to a street rat! A street rat Lightning, as in something that doesn't have the right to even exist!" His horn began to spark as he said his next words, "WHY?! Why would help them?!"
Lightning let out a long sigh, "You're wrong pops. They're not the reasons we've had to live like this. It was our own choices that put us on that road, but at the time, I was too angry to realise it." Electrical energy once again shot out of his horn, surrounding his body as it recreated the cloak of lightning. "Growing up, all I wanted to do was protect ponies. Mom's death only increased that desire, as I wanted to stop others from feeling that pain." His eyes then showed a long, almost slightly dead sight at his father as he continued, "But gramps chose to train Flash over me, and I thought that meant I wasn't good enough. Then you were banished, and I allowed my disappointment to become anger, which I directed in all the wrong ways."
Grand frowned at the explanation, tears beginning to form in his eyes. Even now he wanted to tell his grandson that the only reason he didn't take Lightning as an apprentice was because the colt didn't need his help when it came to being a knight. He already had the training, just not the mind set, something Grand knew Lightning would have to realize for himself. If only he could go back in time and tell the younger Lightning that.
"My anger and resentment made me believe power was everything," Lightning went on. "But what I didn't realize was that my search for power had made me into the very thing I hated." The electrical power increased around his cloak, forcing everypony to close their eyes. "I...I became the thing that took mom away." He then looked back at Flash, the only one who had not shut his eyes, only to turn back to his father. "But then he beat me and I realised all of this. Now, I'm gonna return the favor for opening my eyes."
"Oh? And what's that, my misguided son?!" Doom hissed, his tone snarling at the last three words.
"I'm taking you down." With that, Lightning shot like a bullet at his father, his full body now cloaked in electricity.
Doom barely had time to raise his shield before his son struck it, the force making him stagger back as Lightning leapt up and floated in the air. "You dare attack your own father?!"
"Why not? You did!" More electricity surged out of Lightning's horn as he yelled, "Static Spear!" A giant lightning arrow appeared, the bolt flying at Doom. The unicorn's horn immediately sparked, teleporting him away right before the arrow struck.
A explosion followed as Doom reappeared on the far side of the room, the father now barking, "You'll regret doing that son!"
"Make me, ya old snot!" Lightning replied as he pointed his horn at Doom. "Gatling Spark!" A flurry of tiny thunderbolts flew out of his horn, only for Doom to summon his magic shield again. The assault started to pelt the shield, causing Doom to be at a standstill.
"Wow...that grandson of yours is powerful." Tidal said as he turned to Grand.
"Yeah, he is." Iron muttered as he blinked at the fight, "He's almost as strong as when he had the Alicorn Amulet...though that's not saying much."
"That's why we've got to get out of these shackles and help him," Skybreaker replied before turning to Flash. "How's it coming kid?"
"Erkin un it," Flash mumbled with Lightbringer's handle in his mouth. He was currently using his Celestic Gear to try and get the Gravity Minds around his right hoof off, specifically using the weapon's light to melt the connection off. Unfortunately, the angle he had to use was proving to be a long process.
"Well hurry up lad!" Grand yelled as he stared at the fight in front of them. "We gotta hurry. Lightning doesn't have long."
Back at the battle, Lightning had ceased his onslaught, his horn sparking as he began to pant. Doom just laughed at the sight, his shield now released as he said, "Still having trouble pacing yourself, I see. You never change when it comes to fighting son. Remember, I taught you lightning magic and you're not wearing the Alicorn Amulet anymore."
"And you rather hide behind a shield instead of fighting me pops."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that son." Doom chuckled as he summoned his sword, quickly putting it in his hoof. "I'm not some unfit, non-exercising unicorn scientist toiling away for a stupid alicorn anymore." The unicorn then charged Lightning, blade in hoof as he prepared to strike his son. Lightning in turn summoned another Static Spear, only to use the electric weapon to block the blade. His father quickly flicked his wrist, his sword soon swiping left and right as he kept trying to hit his son as the electric spear blocked every attack. But as it hit the spear for a seventh blow, it faded.
"Now you're mine!" Doom yelled as he thrusted his sword towards Lightning's chest. However, as the blade made its way to his son, the unicorn leapt up, electricity now surrounding his whole body.
"Wrong! You're mine!" His horn once again sparked before a thin stream of lightning shot out towards Doom, striking him in the chest. "Try my Plasma Anchor!" Lightning flicked his head back with all his strength, dragging the stream with him, which pulled Doom off the ground.
"Augh!" Doom cried as he was lifted into the air, his body now feeling electricity hit every nerve. Before he could counter, his body slammed into the ground like a ragdoll, a thud following as he yelped, "Urgh!"
Lightning returned to the ground as well, panting heavily as he started to stagger from using so much magic. Grand saw this and glanced back at Flash, "He's running low. Hurry up Flash!"
"RRAAAUUGGGHHH!!! Stupid brat!" Doom yelled, getting everyone's attention as they all stared at the stallion. His face was now red with anger as his horn began to flare, "You'll pay for that!"
In that next moment, a series of magic blasts covered the room as they all flew towards Lightning. In response, the unicorn cricked his neck as his horn started to glow once more. "Gatling Spark!" A barrage of thunderbolts soon followed, all of them striking Doom's attacks, the flurry of blows now filling the room with firework-like explosions. Once again, everypony was forced to close their eyes as the two unicorns continued to clash magics. Despite the light continuing to blur their vision, the two fired off bolts and blasts that the other barely managed to dodge or block.
And as the light show ended, they all opened their eyes to the sight of the two panting and staring each other down. Lightning was once again in front of Flash while Doom now stood atop the tomb. Doom looked down at the large locked stone device, before looking back at his son. "It doesn't have to be this way my boy. Join me, let us rule side my side. We could still bring in a new era of peace to Equestria. One which will never be under threat and true strength reigns supreme."
Hearing this, Lightning just shook his head as a low chuckle followed, "Tch...its funny. You and I have basically been through the exact same situation. We both tried to seize power, both were stopped and banished from Canterlot, and both had to travel the land of Equestria."
Doom raised an eyebrow. "Your point?"
Lightning sighed at the question as he pointed at his father. "My point, is that we both did the same thing. And yet, you didn't realize the same thing as me."
"And what didn't I realize son?"
Electricity once again surged around Lightning's body. "That the era of peace you want, where true strength and power reigns...it already exists!"
With that, his horn flared as his body turned into what could only be described as a missile made of lightning. Doom frowned at the sight as a red aura surrounded his body before he leapt off the tomb, colliding with the electric missile. Everypony watched as the red and yellow lights flew around the room, clashes striking the room again and again. They were moving at tremendous speeds, so much so that only Flash and Skybreaker could keep up with them.
"I WON'T LET YOU GET IN MY WAY!" Doom screamed as he fired a thin magic beam at Lightning, who replied by launching a Static Spear to block it.
"WELL I WON'T LET YOU GET YOUR HOOVES ON WHATEVER'S IN THAT TOMB!" Lightning roared as he bum-rushed at Doom, only for another shield to stop him. The unicorn then slammed the forcefield with a flurry of lightning infused punches, the blows striking every bit of the shield. But as it did this, no real damage was being made, causing Lightning to soon leap back.
"Give it up!" Doom yelled from within the shield. "It's pointless son! Just give up and let me win. I'm already tired of fighting you!"
"Well I'm not done!" Lightning replied as his horn summoned a orb over his head, only for it start growing. Everypony watched as the orb grow until it was roughly three times the size of Lightning. "This'll get through that shield! Thunder...BAZOOKA!" He tossed the sphere at Doom's shield, the electric sun crashing down like a meteor.
KABOOM!
As the blow struck the shield, a blast of light followed, blinding everypony in the room. And as the light began to fade, everypony looked up to see Lightning slump down, falling to the floor with a thud.
"Lightning!" Flash yelled as he watched the unicorn kiss the dirt.
"What happened?!" Springer asked next.
Grand let out a long sigh, "The major downside of electricity based magic. It burns up way more magical power than most other types of magic. That last attack must have used up all of his reserves."
"But did it stop Doom?"
Everypony looked up at where Lightning's attack had landed, only to see Doom still standing with a huge smile on his face. His shield was definitely weakened, but not enough to shatter it as he walked up to the tomb again, "I warned you son. Don't forget, I taught you that magic. I know exactly what your limits are." It was here that Lightning began to squirm, his body already trying to pick itself up. But as it did, Doom shook his head at the sight. "Don't bother, you're out of magic. Fight me again and it will only end in pain for you." The unicorn then let out a huge sigh, "So disappointing. I had hoped your journey throughout Equestria would have made you stronger, made you understand how hard it is and how far you must go to gain power. But it seems being around lesser beings has only made you as weak as the rest of them." He then heard Lightning begin to grumble something, "what was that?"
Lightning was now weakly standing on all fours, his eyes staring at the floor as he panted. "I said...they're not weak. I've been all around Equestria now, and I've seen how the other ponies live. I...I've seen the strength it gives them." He then looked up at his father, fire in his eyes as he growled, "You're wrong pops. They're stronger than either of us."
The Past...
Several days had passed since the Battle of Canterlot. Lightning had just now left the city, his pilgrimage first taking him to Rambling Rock Ridge. Celestia had told him to travel the land and see for himself how the ponies of Equestria lived, so that he might one day be allowed to return to Canterlot. He had yet to find himself in a city or town, as the closest one he knew of was Ponyville, which he doubted he would be welcome at. And so, he was stuck simply wandering.
It was here that he found himself standing outside a simplistic little town named Dodge Junction. But before he could breath a sigh of relief, a grumbling in his stomach drew his attention. He knew he had just used the last of his provisions the day before, and didn't have a bit on him. This meant one thing and one thing only, he had to get a job.
One convenient job interview later...
"You're hired," a cream colored mare with a cherry red mane and tail told him. "Welcome to the Cherry Hill Range family, owned by yours truly, Cherry Jubilee."
"Yay..." Lightning mumbled in a low, dry sarcastic tone.
"Come along," Cherry told him before heading out of her office. "I'll get you started with harvesting the cherry trees."
Lightning let out a low snort as they walked up to the range of fruit-filled lumber. "No problem. I'll just levitate the them off the trees for ya."
Ms. Jubilee frowned as she turned back to him, "I'm afraid I can't allow that. Unless you have a spell specifically designed for picking the cherries, no magic is allowed."
"What?! That's crazy!" Lightning yelped as he glared at her, "Why?!"
"No, its not crazy, its common knowledge. Unless the magic is specifically attuned to the particular food, the magic will cause a reaction that makes it go bad."
Lightning grumbled at the statement, only to for his stomach to moan. A long sigh followed as he walked up to the tree, knowing he needed the money. And so, Lightning got to work, shaking the cherries out of trees for hours on end. He wasn't alone of course, there were plenty of earth ponies there as well. It wasn't long till he saw that they made it seem effortless, all of them able to empty three trees in the time it took Lightning to do one.
Over the next few weeks, Lightning continued to work at the cherry range. The days passed, only for the hours to feel like they were shrinking. And as they did this, he felt a tinge of respect for the other earth pony workers, soon seeing how they could get so much done because they did this day in and day out with such ease.
But he knew he couldn't stay in one location, so exactly one month after leaving Canterlot, he took the money he had earned and headed out. Ms. Jubilee had been kind enough to give him a map, allowing him to better plan out his journey. As such, he discovered the closest town to Dodge Junction was a place called Appaloosa, though he would make it there before his supplies would run out. Despite this, he made his way across the desert, his hooves slowly taking him to the dusty cowpony town.
However, as the journey to the town started, a new event happened. Just a few days in the trip, the sound of thunder suddenly struck the usually cloudless desert. The noise made Lightning look up, only to see pink colored clouds appear above him. "What the heck?!" He asked himself before the clouds released a raid of strange brown liquid. Lightning groaned as he began to be drenched by the rain, only for his nose to react to the smell of the falling liquid. "Is that...chocolate milk?"
That was only the first weird thing.
As he continued his journey to Appaloosa, he saw a tornado that spat things out instead of sucking them up. He came across a herd of buffalo that all wore tutus while ballet dancing across the sand. But as he finally started to accept the strange sights, a massive rainbow colored energy wave passed over the horizon. The beam seemed to undo all the havoc that had been filling the desert, making the unicorn even more confused.
The next day, he arrived at Appaloosa, which was a complete wreck that the citizens were in the process of fixing. "What happened here?" He asked as he got the attention of a yellow earth pony wearing a brown hat and jacket.
"Chaos," he replied as he told Lightning about Discord. The news had been sent across Equestria, Canterlot specifically sending out messages to every town in Equestria. In these messages, they told the towns what had happened and how the chaos monster was stopped by the efforts of Flash Sentry and the rest of his friends.
"Figures. Of course he'd save the day again." Lightning grumbled as he decided to stay the night in the town. While he did this, he was asked by the earth pony to help out, as they didn't have any unicorns and would ask the innkeeper to give him a free stay. Lightning decided to take the offer, soon staying for several days as he helped the ponies and buffalo of Appaloosa rebuild their home. His magic had become quite the handy tool, as full buildings needed repairs, which were foal's play for a unicorn understanding levitation. And as he did this, he felt happy to help them, actually somewhat enjoying the thanks the ponies were giving him over the work.
Eventually, Lightning once again left town, this time deciding to simply get on the train to the next closest town. He soon saw that he had three choices: Ponyville, the Mysterious South, or a place called Rockville. Since the first option was a no go and the second didn't appeal to him, mainly because he could technically leave Equestria with that destination in mind, Lightning chose to head to Rockville.
Unfortunately, he had just ran out of bits on the train ticket, which would once again force him to find work. This time, he got himself a position at a place called the Pie Family Rock Farm. The name Pie had seemed oddly familiar, but it wasn't until a week in that he remembered Pie was the last name of one of the mares he had captured and threatened to turn to rubble. He decided not to mention this to his employers, and prayed that the mare didn't come to visit while he was there.
And as the weeks turned to months, Lightning travelled all around Equestria, taking many different jobs to pay for his travels. In Applewood, he got a job as a stage hand, which was his shortest endeavor due to his lack of interest in pure theatrics. Next was a small town near White Tail Woods, where he also started working in a little old mare's bakery. He then found himself in the Smokey Mountains, where he found himself unknowingly participating in a family feud between two families living atop large mountains.
Choosing to leave as soon as possible, he found himself in Tall Tale. There, he found work as a field hoof, working on an apple farm run by yet another group of relatives of one of the mares he had held hostage. It was during this time that he learned of a royal wedding happening in Canterlot before learning it had been attacked by the changelings. But before he could even hope to rush back and try to help, he learned that the day had been saved by Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, along with the help of Flash and his friends.
A few weeks later, he found himself in Vanhoover. There he found work in a pear jamming warehouse, as a janitor. It was during this time that he learned about the return of the Crystal Empire, which was saved thanks to, big shock, Flash and his friends. "Flash..." Lightning whispered as he continued to sweep up the floor, his horn levitating a newspaper in front of him. "Still going, huh? Guess gramps really did pick the right colt...the right pony for my old dream." As he continued to work, he remembered back to when he was a foal, back when his only goal in life was to be like his grandfather. Now, that path was what Flash was walking instead of him. Despite giving up that dream years ago, the dream still lingered in his mind. The dream to be a Royal Knight.
But as these thoughts started to fill his mind, a spark flared from his horn. A second later, the newspaper was consumed in flames as he told himself, "And I threw that away. Tch….to think I would thinking about that now, especially after everything that's happened." The broom he was holding hugged the floor as he continued to think about being a Royal Knight, the thought of Celestia actually knighting him now appearing in his mind. "And yet, I can't help but still want that."
As those words exited his mouth, a new picture popped into his head. His grandfather, Grand Hoof. He was standing there in full Royal Knight garb, something Lightning wanted to wear so much when he was a colt. As that picture lingered, the unicorn nodded to himself, "Yeah...yeah! I still want it, even now!" He looked back down at his hooves, his limbs slightly clenching as he remarked to himself, "What have I been doing?! Why am I just sitting here?! I...I still need to fulfill my dream, and I can't let anypony stop me from making it, and that includes me! I might be banished from Canterlot, but I can still grow stronger, even more stronger than I was when wearing the Alicorn Amulet!"
A fire soon appeared in his eyes, his horn sparking as electricity started to form around his body. "I'll do it! I'll become even stronger! Strong enough to be a knight!"
And so, he began his training. By day, he worked to earn money to live off, while at night he trained to reach new levels of power. His abilities soon grew, new magic forming as he taught himself Gatling Spark and Plasma Anchor while improving his other attacks like Static Spear and Thunder Bazooka. Even after leaving Vanhoover, he continued his training every chance he got. He then found himself in Galloping Gorge, a place where he could truly let loose and learn to harness his full power. It was here that he learned how to create his Lightning Cloak, which allowed him to even somewhat fly.
Then one night, he met them.
Lightning was sitting around a campfire, exhausted after a hard day's training. He looked into his saddle bag and saw he was down to the last of his provisions, meaning he would once again have to get to a town and find work. The unicorn then looked back at the corn he was cooking, his horn flicking as he levitated it out to check if it was ready. But as his eyes scanned the meal, his ears suddenly heard the sound of hoofsteps, coming from behind him.
Acting quickly, he spun around and leapt to the far side of the fire. His horn started to shining as he yelled into the night, "Who's out there?! Show yourself!" As these words left his mouth, two figures appeared, both wearing hooded cloaks as they stepped up to the fire. "Who are you?!"
The two ponies then removed their hoods, both showing their faces. One was a silver unicorn with a purple tail and mane. The other was a large bulky orange pegasus, complete with a strong blue mane and tail. Lightning just blinked at the sight as the mare graced him with a smile, "Please, do not be alarmed. We are not your enemies."
"We've been looking for you for a while," the stallion added, "And I have to say, you move around a lot."
Lightning raised an eyebrow at this, his horn still glowing as he replied, "And why would you want to find me?"
"We know who you are Lightning," the mare explained as she sat down by the fire. "And we also know what you've done."
"Is that so?" Lightning hissed, his brain already telling him that he wasn't in the mood for some guilt trip. "What, you think I got off too easy and came to dispense your own justice?!"
"Not at all." The pegasi replied as he sat down as well, "We won't deny that...well, we would have a problem with what you've done, but we're not petty. No, we're here to help put you on the right track."
"Come again?" Lightning yelped, blinking at the words. The mare giggled at his response, her hoof tapping the ground as she gestured him to sit down. The unicorn didn't want to comply, but he saw they meant no harm. After a few seconds, he sat down as well, his hooves crossed as he said, "Alright. Let's talk...whoever you two are."
The mare nodded. "Thank you Lightning. Now, I can't tell you my name, but I can tell you that I have a certain...talent. A skill which allows me to know what needs to happen to keep this world safe."
Lightning tilted his head at this. "So you're what, a psychic or something?"
The mare chuckled at his guess. "More like precognition. I can...well, I see images of what is to come."
"So you're psychic." Lightning flatly stated as he then asked, "What's that got to do with me?"
"Well...I have had many visions Lightning Blitz." The mare let out a low sigh as she pointed at the unicorn, "It is these windows into the future that have made certain things change. As such, one image showed you fighting a red unicorn with a yellow mane and tail."
Lightning's eyes went wide at this, the statement instantly fitting a certain pony of his past. But that pony made his mind start to swim as he remembered his relationship with him, along with the other family members that would no doubt be involved. Despite this, his eyes didn't change as they stayed wide-opened as he said, "There's only one pony I know who looks like that. That...that's my father."
The duo's eyes mimicked his as they glanced at each other before the pegasus spoke up, "That uh...that explains a lot more than I thought it would."
"Agreed. I never imagined it would be that."
The pegasi turned back to Lightning, "If that's the case, if you do not face your father in combat, whatever your father has planned will likely end in his victory."
"Victory?"
The duo nodded, the mare speaking up next, "Yes. Though you don't have to decide right now, I fear that your father will do something horrible. As such, I also fear that the moment I foresaw is fast approaching."
"And let me guess, you can't tell me anything else."
The mare shook her head. "I'm sorry."
Lightning let out a long sigh, the words she had just said now repeating in his brain. But after a few minutes, he moaned as he said, "I'll uh...let me sleep on it. When it comes to my family...its a mess for me."
"We understand. If you don't mind, could we stay the night here? We'll watch the camp with you." the mare asked, soon getting a nod in return. After this, not another word was spoken as Lightning ate his corn and went to sleep soon after.
That night, Lightning dreamed a terrible dream. In it, he stood in pure silence as he watched Canterlot burn with everypony he ever cared about in chains. The ponies he had met during his journey were also there, misery on their faces as they were forced into slavery.
"No," he moaned as the pain in his heart became excruciating, the sound of laughter filling his ears as he stared at the sight. He then spun around, only to see his father standing over several bodies. Those bodies, were the ones of Grand Hoof, Script, Wild, Gorgenia...and Flash.
"NOOO!" Lightning shot up from his sleep, heavy panting following his rise. Light then touched his face, causing him to shield his eyes as the morning sun began its journey to rise over the horizon. It was here that he saw that the strange couple had vanished. In their place was a package and a note. Grabbing the two in his hooves, he blinked as he read the note.
Lighting,
By the time you read this, we will be gone. I'm sure you'll make the right choice because Equestria is counting on you. In this package is everything you'll need to find your father. There's also a scroll inside as a gift, for its knowledge may be useful against your father. We wish you luck.
Lightning quickly opened the package, soon discovering it was filled with a cloak and supplies. There was also another letter which had instructions to find his father, along with the scroll he had been told about. Opening the scroll, he saw it was a spell, one that made his eyes go wide. "Amazing...if I could learn something like this..."
But after a few minutes, he looked back down at the cloak and letter, his eyes blinking as the words written. His thoughts drifted back to everything he had been through on his journey. What he had learned, what he had experienced, and what he now strived for. The very thoughts made him stand tall, his spirit renewed with sense of purpose as he threw the cloak around his neck. "I'll do it. I'll make sure to save them all."
The Present...
Electricity was covering Lightning's body once more, a blaze of determination in his eyes as he glared at his father. "I won't lose to you!" He yelled as he bum-rushed his father, only for Doom to leap in the air, his magic keeping him levitated.
"I told you, its pointless!" Doom barked back as a series of magic blasts flew out of his horn.
Lightning's body quickly zipped around, dodging every shot as he replied, "Nothing is pointless pops. Even if you have no chance of winning," his horn flared as a Static Spear appeared, the attack soon flying at Doom who created a shield, "If you have something to protect, then you'll always find a way." Lightning dashed forward, shattering his father's shield as his horn sparked a Plasma Anchor. And as Doom yelled out in pain, his son continued, "I had to learn this lesson the hard way, and I'm going to protect them now!" he glanced back at Flash, the two smirking at each other before Lightning turned back to Doom. "And because I learned this, I know that beating you is possible!"
Doom let out a low hiss the anchor slammed him into another pillar of the room. But despite the pain, his horn shined as his body disappeared, soon teleporting in front of Lightning with a sword in his magic. The blade quickly swung down, only for the sword to bounce off of Lightning's electric-filled cloak. And as he tried to get his balance from the attack's failure, a lone bolt shot out of Lightning's horn.
"AAAHHH!" Doom cried as the bolt struck his chest, his body slamming a wall from the blow. As his form slumped down from the strike, the unicorn growled, "Lightning...you'll pay for that."
"I don't think so!" Lightning yelled as a sphere of electricity appeared above his horn. This one was not as big as the last, obviously due to lack of magic needed. "Thunder Bazooka!" He tossed the ball at his father, only for Doom to smirk as his horn flashed. A second later, his form blinked out of existence, dodging the blow instantly.
Lightning growled at the sight, realising his father had teleported himself away. Then, his voice spoke up, "Nice try son, but you'll need to do better than that to defeat me."
"Careful Lightning," Grand called out as he saw Lightning heavily pant, his hooves slightly staggering. "You can't afford to waste magic on pointless attacks."
"He's right son. Even with all your determination, you still have your limits. How many electric attacks do you have left? Two or three?"
Lightning let out a low growl, knowing he was right. He only had enough magic to perform three more spells, "Which means I need to be quicker..." he whispered as an idea formed in his head while he noticed where his cloak he was wearing earlier had fallen during the battle.
This moment of distraction was all that Doom needed though, as he charged with his sword primed. "Lightning!" Grand screamed, his grandson quickly reacting to the charging enemy. His form barely dodged the swipe of the blade, only for him to leap back from Doom. There, he quickly ran into a slide, his mouth grabbing the cloak on the ground. There, he pulled out a knife inside the cloak, one that had his cutie mark on it.
Doom raised an eyebrow at this, his sword magically spinning around his body. "Cute, but what's that supposed to do?"
"You'll find out," Lightning said as he held the blade close to him. "Let's hope that scroll's spell works..."
The two unicorns stood firm, glaring at one another as they waited for the other to attack. Everypony else watched with baited breath, as they felt that this would be the defining attack, one that could end the fight. Then, they charged.
"I'm ending this!" Doom yelled as shot his blade forward.
Lightning smirked at this, "No...I AM!" With that, he tossed the knife at his father's head before creating another electric sphere on the tip of his horn. But as this happened, Doom's horn flashed, instantly teleporting him away, only to show up right behind the knife's path. Everypony saw this and feared Lightning's attack had failed.
As this happened, Doom's sword still tried to strike Lightning, specifically at the pony's heart, Doom yelled, "This is over! DIE!" But seconds before his son could be skewered, Lightning suddenly disappeared in a flash of yellow light. "What?!"
"Surprise!" He heard Lightning cry out from behind his head, now appearing with knife in his mouth. Now in his father's blind spot, Lightning pointed the sphere at Doom's back. "Take...THIS!"
BOOM!
Doom's screams echoed throughout the room as the explosion slammed him into the floor. But as he hit the ground, his horn shining as he teleported back to his hooves. Lightning instantly kissed the floor, the knife he held slipping out of his mouth. A flash of light made him look around, just in time to see if father stumble around, the tomb standing behind him.
"You...little punk," Doom growled as he shakily stood tall. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!"
"Maybe...but not if I take you down first." The unicorn panted as he slowly got up, his horn sparking as he dug deep inside. He pointed his horn at Doom, seconds before a beam of electricity energy shot out. "Lightning...FORCE!"
Doom's eyes went wide, his horn shining as he fired his own magical blast. The two attacks collided, pushing at one another in perfect stalemate. At one point, Lightning's started pushing Doom's back, only for Doom to up the juice and return it to a dead lock. They continued this for several seconds, only for the pressure of the attacks to increase until-
KABOOM!
The entire castle was rocked by the explosion, specifically both Lightning and Doom were sent flying from the blow. Doom hit the tomb with his back while Lightning landed in front of his grandfather with a thud. "NO!" Grand cried as he saw his grandson close his eyes, showing he was now completely unconscious. "Lightning...oh Lightning..."
The rest of the knights looked over at Doom, praying that he too had been rendered unconscious. But that hope was quickly dashed as they watched him pick himself up. A low growl exited Doom's mouth as he glared at his knocked out son, "Stupid brat. I warned him...." He then spotted his sword on the ground, the blade soon levitating as he started to move back over to the knights. "Now, where were we? Ah yes, I was about to kill all of you stinking-"
CLICK! Click, click...CLUNK!
Doom froze at those sounds before slowly turning back to the tomb, a sinister smirk appearing on his face. Dropping his sword, he slowly stepped over to the tomb as it started to open. The four corners of the cube detached themselves from the main body, releasing bursts of steam as the side of the tomb facing Doom split in two, with the top half beginning to fold upwards while the bottom folded down. As this happened, a brilliant light was unleashed from within. Despite this, Doom didn't close his eyes or look away. He simply stepped up to the tomb as the light faded to reveal what he had been hunting for all this time.
A small crystal fragment, one which looked like it could fit perfectly with the rest of the pieces he had. Doom could feel the power surge from the crystal piece, his hooves soon stroking the fragment. "Finally, after all this time. Its finally mine. Ultimate power is mine! Heh heh heh...all mine!"
Back outside the tomb, everypony all had dread on their faces as they heard Doom laugh at what he had now just obtained. That is, till-
"Finally!" They heard before the sound of something hitting the ground followed the voice. They turned to Flash, only to see his right hoof was free. "Took long enough," he said as he removed Lightbringer from his mouth, only to start slashing away the rest of the Gravity Binds holding him. Flash then took a deep breath as he leapt up to his hooves, his body stiff after being held in place for so long. "That was annoying. Now...hold still everypony, I'll get you out of those-"
"No time Flash! Go stop Doom!" Grand yelled, trying to gesture to the tomb.
Flash nodded and spun his blade in his hoof. "Game's over Doom!" He yelled as he flew towards the tomb, only for a series of objects to fly through the room, knocking Flash aside. "Whoa! What the heck?!"
Doom smirked as he looked at what had hit Flash, which were the other fragments of the Omni Sphere. The six pieces flew over to him, taking position of the sphere as the final piece was slotted into place. "Now, let us begin Omni Sphere. Let me become the being that I deserve and give me the power that only I can obtain!"
The seven crystal pieces began to glow, only for the Gravity Bands to do the same thing. Everypony watched as that light slowly flew off the bands, all of them flying off the knights as they floated over to the orb.
"What's happening?" Iron asked as he picked himself up.
"He must be using the gravity magic in them to fuse the pieces together," First gasped in horror.
"Exactly!" Doom chimed in, a long series of laughs following, "With this, the Omni Sphere will be whole and its magic draining powers restored!"
As Grand felt the last bit of the increased gravity disappear, he picked himself up as he whispered. "Doom...how dare you..." The knight then looked down at his grandson. He had done everything he could to try and stop Doom, making a small smile appear on the old stallion's face, "I'm proud of you my boy. You found your way again." He then turned to Doom, a low long growl following. "You however..." he picked up his Celestic Gear. "I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO CONTINUE DOOM!" With that, he shot towards his son before anypony could stop him.
Doom saw the incoming knight as the Omni Sphere's repair was finally completed. And as Grand Hoof swung his hammer at him, he raised the artifact before it unleashed a blinding light. Everything seemed to stop as Grand and his weapon were cloaked in place by a strange clear magic surrounding them. "Why thank you father. Your magic will make an excellent start to my collection." With that, the magic around Grand turned brown before it was sucked into the sphere, causing the earth pony knight to cry out in pain.
"AAAAAHHHHH!" Grand screamed as everypony cringed at the sight.
"GRAND!" Heather cried as she started rushing towards her comrade, only for Skybreaker to stop her.
"No! If you just rush in, you'll be caught and your magic will be absorbed too!"
"But we can't just sit here!" Heather barked back, only for Skybreaker's grip on her to tighten.
"Don't be stupid! We need to-"
"Hold on Grand!" Flash yelled as he had now recovered from the earlier blow. He had then saw his mentor in pain, causing him to bum-rush Doom with Lightbringer in hoof. "I'm coming!"
"Flash, wait!" Skybreaker yelled, but it was too late.
Flash grabbed hold of Grand and was enveloped by the light, which quickly changed orange as it was drained away. The sight made Doom let out a giant laugh as he cheered, "You stupid idiot! Keep doing what you're doing, you piece of filth street rat! Give me more, no! Give me your power! HAHAHA!!"
Flash felt like his very soul was being ripped out of him, the pain making it impossible to even scream in pain. But as he tried to keep himself together, his eyes suddenly shot open with a familiar golden glow. The orange light from his eyes soon encased his coat, a golden shine now encompassing his body. And as it did this, the light spread to the Omni Sphere, which made Doom blink, "Hmm? What's this? Is it absorbing another magic, or-"
SHING!
"Blaugh!" Doom yelped as him, Flash and Grand had seeming been turned into positive magnets, the opposite forces blasting them across the room in different directions. Doom was shoved into the tomb as Flash and Grand skidded across the floor, all three yelling out in pain from the blow.
"Flash!" Springer cried as they rushed over to them.
"Grand!" Ruby added as she ran over and shook the earth pony.
"Speak to us amigos!" Tidal yelled. "Please tell us you're alright!"
Flash let out a long groan as he blinked, his hooves reactively picking his body up, "I'm...okay?"
"What happened?" Skybreaker asked as he helped steady the defender.
"No clue, but I'm not complaining." Flash replied as he shook his head, his hoof rubbing the side as he turned to Grand, "is he okay?"
"He is unconscious," First commented as he scanned the knight over. "It seems to be magical exhaustion, like Lightning."
"Oh, its more than that." Everypony turned towards the voice, only to see Doom with the Omni Sphere levitating over his right hoof. A huge sinister smile was on his face as he said, "All his earth magic is now in the Omni Sphere, meaning it is now mine.: They then saw that the previously clear crystal was now the same brown color Grand's magic had been. That, and Doom's other hoof was now caressing the orb, "Its where it belongs now. Out of the hooves of a pony who abandons his family to serve weakling garbage, and now in the hooves of one who understands true power."
Flash let out a low hiss as he gripped Lightbringer in his hoof, "Give him back his magic right now!"
Doom's reply was a crazy laugh as he stepped out of the tomb and held the orb above his head. "I think it'll be more fun to use it to destroy you all!" With that, the sphere unleashed a brilliant glow that filled the whole room.
The room then began to shake, only for the debris from the battles began to fly around Doom. The rubble turned to dust, then began to spiral around Doom and the Omni Sphere. As it did this and before anypony could say anything else, the walls and floor began to break apart and do the same.
"EVERYPONY OUT!" Skybreaker yelled before flinging Grand over his back, Iron doing the same with Lightning. The knights all rushed out of the throne room as the entire place crumbled apart. As they continued to run through the halls, a wave of destruction was not far behind as the rest of the castle was sucked towards Doom, transforming into a giant tornado of earth. And as they got out of the castle, they saw the nearby buildings start to be consumed by the twister.
"We need to get out of the city!" Ruby ordered as her horn flared, her magic summoning a large crystal cart. They placed Grand and Lightning on the cart before climbing on it themselves, Flash and Skybreaker grabbing the handles and pulling with all their might. Moving faster thanks to the pegasi took the air, the group rushed towards the edge of the city as the buildings and rubble were all sucked into the vortex.
"Its getting closer!" Springer yelled as he looked back.
"Hurry amigos!" Tidal added.
"We're almost there!" Skybreaker screamed as the edge of the crater came into view. Seeing it, the two pegasi unleashed one final burst of speed that launched them up the edge. They went flying off the top and into the air, with Ruby, First and Tidal using they magic to keep the cart levitating as the pegasi pulled them to safety. Everypony looked back as the tornado of rock and earth consume the entire crater, only to suddenly stop.
They began to circle the crater, watching from a safe distance as the vortex started to compress. Then, the rocks began to cling together and take shape, soon forming something new....and massive.
"What's...what's happening?" Iron asked.
"It seems this is what Doom sees as a perfect use for Grand's earth magic," First replied. "And I suspect it will not be pretty."
They watched as the shape became more and more clearer, until it showed what looked like a giant unicorn made entirely out of rock. The statue was just over hundred and fifty feet tall, making them all grimace as they realized that it was supposed to be Doom, bigger and badder than before. The stone pony's head then turned towards them, and though it did nor have eyes or a mouth, they could tell it was looking at them.
But nothing happened. The statue just stood there, motionless.
Seeing this, Skybreaker turned to the others, "We need to get Grand and Lightning some medical attention. Then we can come up with a plan to go against....whatever that is."
"Right," Flash agreed as the two of them swung the cart towards the village and began their journey back. But as they flew, Flash looked back over his shoulder at the stone behemoth. He knew that to defeat that thing, it would take everything they had.
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And once again, Flash's shonen anime main character powers save him from what would have been a really stupid mistake.
9137354 What mistake?
9137356
The whole rushing in without thinking that could have resulted in him getting his magic sucked out of him by Doom.
9137382 Oh right.
And Lightning is getting his flank handed to him on a golden platter in the next scene... or that's how these kinds of transitions go. But nice to see Lightning hold his own for a while.
But this is getting intense.
I wonder what's going on with the girls?
9137408 Which girls?
9137418
these girls.
9137508 Oh. Well where do you think they are? It's the middle of the night.
9137510
I mean what have they been up to, like 'Too Many Pinkies', 'Apple Family Reunion', 'Spike at Your Service', 'One Bad Apple', heck even 'Magical Mystery Cure', You know what they have been up since Flash left, or will they just tell Flash when he gets back.
9137559 Can I remind you, that Flash left Ponyville only one day ago.
9137570
With how long this arch as been thus far, it felt like it's the better half a week since he left.
9137559
I can gladly tell you that 'Too Many Pinkie Pies' is NOT happening...mainly because the original idea for the season 2 Springer chapter was a version of that episode, just with Springer accidentally falling in the Mirror Pool. Unfortunately, I never could figure out how to make it work in terms of the resolution.
9137627 Well Flash left in the morning, arriving in manehatten after a few hours. Then they left manehatten and sailed for about three hours before going through the portal. Then they arrived on the other side and took the Mini Leviathan, which isn't as fast as the Mighty Leviathan and then had to walk from the beech to the town. By then it was night time and the Doom Quartet beat them, knocking them out until late the next day. Then they headed to the city and arrived their just before dark. The rest of the adventure, all took place in only one night.
Are you kidding me?!
Are you seriously kidding me?! 
You know, Script, when you first came into the story, I empathized with you. I'm also a nerd and an introvert, and I don't make friends easily, so I tend to get kind of lonely just like you. Seeing our similarities made me really feel for you. Now, I just want to smack you upside the head. 
You want to know what the difference between you and me is?! The difference is that I suck it up and deal with my problems instead of blaming other people for them! I mean, I might have blame shifted at least once before, but not often enough and strongly enough that I've hated someone over it. 
You give introverted nerds everywhere a bad name!
And I thought me yelling at the TV was weird.
(long pause)
And I'm chewing out a fictional character. A minor fictional character at that.
9137817 You can thank my editor that that addition.
9137817
You do realize that Solid isn't technically wrong, right? Grand is responsible for a lot of this mess, as he should have been there more for Lightning and Doom. The only difference is that he does admit it and tries to take responsibility.
This is not looking good right now. Lightning couldn't stop Doom and now Doom is stronger than ever. I hope Flash has a plan. Also, I see Script has not changed at all. He is still just as idiotic and hateful at Grand and Flash as ever. I almost expect him to become a main villain in a future season.
9137895
I know, right?
9137866
"Maybe it is 70 percent someone else's fault, and only 30 percent is your fault. However, you still have to own up to that 30 percent."---Joshua Burner aka The Fiery Joker aka joshscorcher aka Commander Firebrand, retired Marine, brony analyst, and guy I follow on Twitter.
What Script is doing is NOT owning up to his 30 percent.
9137898
You're right about Script, but his behavior isn't abnormal. Holding grudges, even if its wrong, just shows he's normal, as some individuals are like that.
9137952
Then again, so can weird. 
Normal can be frustrating sometimes.
9137966
Can't disagree with you there.
9137898
Which specific video of his was that quote from?
9137635
Now that you cleared that out, forgive me if I thought they took longer to get there.
9137817
We all have those moments, personally after Lightning went into exile and Script rejected Grand's attempt for peace between the two. I basically said, 'alright, you want to be that way, go #### yourself as you become a stagnant character. I'm going to follow Wild, he at least is entertaining.'
9138088
It's not from a video. It was a tweet.
9137631
Just as long as Flash doesn't have a major role in Magical Mystery Cure, like he's out of town in a debriefing or pleading the case that Lightning's exile should be commuted, I'll be fine. Namely, because that is Twilight's moment and to sincere. one of the things that really doesn't settle well with me is the creation of the Element of Courage as if it's an Element of Harmony, and Flash's involvement beyond being a diversion in the fight with Nightmare Moon. That was Twilight's moments. We are all Flash fans here and we want him to have his shining moments too, but they shouldn't come at the expense of Twilight's own moments.
9138390
Well...even if that's the case, this is Flash's story. I mean, this story does this a lot where it takes an episode and does something different with it. If you don't like that, you're not gonna like this story. This is AU. Things that characters are supposed to have doesn't mean that character will have it if its AU.
9138390
I'm starting to understand why most shonen anime (except Pokemon) never really held my interest. The girl characters are almost always grossly underdeveloped. 
You know, it didn't bother me before, but it's happened in this series enough times that I think I'm starting to see where you're coming from. In the process of turning Flash into a shonen anime main character, Twilight ended up getting slowly turned into a shonen anime love interest. Yeah, that's not always a good thing.
9138991
Out of curiosity, have you given One Piece a try? While I don't approve of certain character design choices, the female characters are very well done, and feel very much human. I also enjoy how the characters power up, and there are points in the story where the main character isn't strong enough; so he decides to work hard and become stronger. And he isn't the only one; his friends work hard to become strong as well, including the female characters.