EoH Evolution: Season 4

by Bahamut0

Episode 35: Power of Potential, Part 2

"Come on. Come on!" Inferno Flare grumbled as he glared at his phone's screen. "Burst, I swear to Celestia, if you don't get here-!"

"There's no sense in getting crazy over this Inferno." Steel Edge said as he put a hand on Inferno's shoulder. "Look. I get you're worried about Burst Stream. But you can't ignore the fact he entrusted something important to us: protecting Unityville for when Tirek decides to show up. Glaring at your phone isn't going to make him get here any sooner."

"Yeah, I know." Inferno said with a sigh. "How's everyone else doing? They ready?"

"Nightfall's running one last check on his new suit." Steel answered. "He should be here in a minute or two. This is his first big battle, so he's a little bit jumpy. Twilight'll probably fix that soon though."

"Honestly, I can't blame them." Inferno said as he inspected his weapons. "We've fought our fair share of baddies, but none of them even came close to Tirek. And there's also the fact that Discord stabbed us in the back." Inferno flinched when he noticed Tyrannus Rex's fists clench, but quickly put his reaction aside. "Those two working together? I've got no idea how long we'd last. We don't have an edge in magic since you and all the other casters had to put your magic on lock-down just to make sure Tirek doesn't get any stronger. I barely know the full extent of my new dragonic abilities. And we're short our fearless leader."

"Inferno." Tyrannus began. "If you're going to start with that quitters' talk-"

"That just means we've got to fight harder Ty." Inferno said with a determined look on his face. "Like Steel said, Burst left things in my hands. Besides, we've got too much to lose here. We can't afford to back out of this now Ty." The three broke from their conversation, and noticed the Main Six minus Twilight headed their way.

"Is everything alright, darling?" Rarity asked as she brought her arms around Inferno. "Rainbow Dash noticed you and the rest of your team gearing up for a fight."

"We've received a development concerning Tirek." Inferno said sadly. "The princesses' plan went up in flames." He then noticed Discord teleport in. "And the one responsible for it just showed his face."

"Hello Discord." Fluttershy greeted warmly. "Did you manage to get Tirek?" For a moment, Discord faltered. Guilt was in his eyes when he saw Fluttershy smiling so peacefully. And that guilt was further compounded when he'd let Burst Stream take a beating at Tirek's fists, and Tyrannus Rex stepping in front of Fluttershy.

"Step away from him Fluttershy." Tyrannus growled as he readied his cannon! "You can tell your new friend to step out from the portal, traitor."

". . . I-" Discord began. But he had nothing to say as Tirek's form emerged from the warp portal the lord of chaos had opened.

"Well now, this is a pleasant surprise." Tirek said with a smirk. "It turns out there's a whole set of new Avatars in this world. Perhaps I won't need to pay Princess Twilight a visit after-all! Hm? And what's this I sense? Another half-breed like the loathsome spawn of Aether that I crushed earlier is among you."

"What did you do to Burst Stream?!" Inferno snapped as he readied his weapons!

"Your friend is far from death." Tirek replied with a snort. "But then again, perhaps ending him while I had the chance would have been more merciful than leaving him a battered wreck!"

"YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO'S GOING TO BEG FOR MERCY!" Inferno screamed as he flew at Tirek! His sword raised to slash the centaur across his chest! But upon striking, there was little damage done to Tirek! Inferno then followed up with a fireball he'd created in his free hand! Throwing it right in Tirek's face! "ESPECIALLY ONCE I SCORCH YOU!"

"Gah!" Tirek grunted as he tanked the fireball! But not before grabbing Inferno by the arms! "I wonder just what kind of magic you possess!" Tirek's jaw unhinged as he tried to absorb the magic from Inferno, but found that whatever he tried to take refused to part from the Element of Potential! "Blast! Yet another well of power I cannot drain! No sense in-AGH!" Tirek's grip failed as Steel Edge bashed him in the face! The Element of Honor quickly retrieving his friend, and rushing back to the defensive line the rest of the Elements of Heroism had set up!

"I can understand why you're so hot-headed Inferno." Steel Edge noted. "But fighting with your temper in control is just going to make your fire die out sooner! So with that being said, you got a better plan this time around?" But before Inferno could reply, Discord bound them all in chains and levitated their weapons away! "On second thought, it looks like you'll have a bit more time to think of one."

"Now this should make things easier." Tirek grinned as he unhinged his jaw and drained the magic of the assembled members of the Main 6! However, due to the seals placed on the Elements of Heroism, their magic remained! "Yet again I am denied the Avatar magic! No matter. I still have a powerful source of magic available to me."

"Really?" Discord asked with a raised eyebrow. "Funny. I don't see any powerful sources of magic left in town."

"I'm talking to it right now." Tirek said with a sneer as he blindsided Discord and sucked the magic right out of him! Growing even larger with the newly stolen strength! "Did you really think I planned on sharing the land with you once my reign is established?"

"B-But you said this amulet was a sign of your friendship. . . " Discord said weakly as he removed the amulet from around his neck.

"A trinket from my worthless traitor of a brother." Tirek said with a scowl. "It holds no meaning for me. Just like you now that you've served your purpose." Tirek then turned his attention to the Elements of Heroism breaking their chains, and readying their weapons. "You lot don't know when to quit. Just like Aether's brat."

"You take on one of us, you take us all on." Inferno spat as he and the Elements of Heroism charged at Tirek! "HERE WE COME UGLY!"

Inferno fired off a charge shot from his blaster, but Tirek swatted it aside! Tyrannus followed up his assault with a shot from his cannon, but Tirek blocked the blast! Akage and Night Fang went in for quick hit-and-run strikes at the mountain of an enemy! Slashing and clawing at Tirek's legs! But their hits were little more than annoyances to Tirek! Annoyances he quickly put an end to with a stomp of his feet making rocks shoot up from the ground and disrupting the pairs' movements! Enough time for Tirek to brutally swat the two aside! Venus Bloomer lashed out with his whip, but Tirek caught it and used it to yank the Element of Spirit in for a hard punch to the gut! Magnet North managed to get in close and fire off a point-blank shot at Tirek's face with his shot-blaster, but it only succeeded in irritating Tirek as he grabbed North by the head and slammed him into the ground!

Seeing that their ground assault wasn't faring to well, the Elements of Heroism who could still fight decided to attack from the air! Dark Ice swung at Tirek with his claymore, and even managed to do some damage by slashing at Tirek's arm! However, all this managed to do was form a small cut on the centaur!

"Had I not had stolen the strength of the Earthbounds to fortify myself, you'd have disarmed me." Tirek said with a sneer. "It's only fair that I clip your wings in kind!"

"Leave our brother alone!" Arctic Ace spat as he made to ram Tirek's face with his shield! Shadow Thunder following suit and readying his spear to strike at Tirek's head! However, the trio of brothers were soon knocked out of they sky by Tirek shooting a beam of magic from between his horns!

"You're not laying a finger on Twilight!" Spike shouted as he fired out shot after shot from his arm cannon! "You'll have to get past me first!" As Tirek kept advancing, Spike just kept on firing without showing any signs of backing down! However, just as it seemed Tirek was about to stomp on the young dragon, Nightfall Silver flew onto the scene with his new suit!

"Hope I'm not too late to the party!" Nightfall said as he swooped in and flew Spike out of Tirek's range before dropping the drake off near the other Elements of Heroism before joining the remaining fighters in the air! "End Laser Cannons online!" The pair of laser cannons mounted on the back of Nightfall's flight pack began to charge up alongside the strident blasters on his palms! "SUPER STRIDENT BLAZE!" A massive laser shot forwards towards Tirek! Striking the mad centaur dead-on! But despite Nightfall's efforts, Tirek seemed to walk through the blast!

"Your little toy is impressive. But that's all it is when pitted against me!" Tirek snarled as he ripped the wings off of Nightfall's suit, and headbutted him! "First I'll break it, then I'll smash all of you to pieces!" Tirek fired a shockwave with a clap of his hands that knocked the members of the Elements of Heroism that were in the air out of the sky! Following up with a heavy stomp on the ground! Making the force of when the heroes hit the ground even more painful! "Perhaps you really are friends with the vile spawn of Aether. You foolishly chose to stand against me, and now you're in a similar state as he is." Tirek then turned his attention to the remaining members of the Main Six, and sneered "But I suppose you are all not completely rid of any use. Perhaps I should thank all of you for deciding to play hero. Twilight Sparkle will soon have her friends, and I'll have all the Avatar magic in Unity!" And with that, he imprisoned both members of the two element teams in bubbles in addition to Discord!

"But first, it's time to see if she can put up a better fight than you lot." Tirek said with a chuckle. "It's not as fun if she just decides to hand over all that magic!"

"You want Avatar magic? Here it is!" Twilight cried out as she fired a massive blast of magic at Tirek! Actually harming the mad centaur as he took the hit dead-on! "I had a feeling you'd come looking for me. So I figured, why should I bother hiding when it means you could hurt so many people to try and get to me?"

"Well, well. You decided to make things easier for me." Tirek groaned as he straightened himself out. "A goddess herself seeks to bestow her power upon me!"

"Arrogant as he is ugly, everybody." Twilight said as she narrowed her eyes before firing another massive blast of magic at Tirek! Knocking the power-hungry centaur back even as he cast a shield around himself! "My friends didn't go down without a fight, so neither will I!"

Tirek scowled at Twilight's words, and stomped the ground! Twilight noticed the wave of rocks coming towards her, and took to the air to avoid the stomp! Not wasting anytime, Twilight rocketed straight into Tirek's gut and struck him full force! Winding the centaur long enough for Twilight to loose another massive blast of magic with nothing to shield the magic thief! Tirek, who couldn't accept the fact that he was tanking a hit, decided to try and meet the beam of magic with his own! The two opposing beams colliding in a blinding light! When the light died down, both fighters were in a stand-off. Twilight hovering in place while Tirek narrowed his eyes at her.

"It seems we're at an impasse." Tirek said with a frown. "Should things remain as they are, neither of us are going to get anywhere."

"So what did you have in mind?" Twilight asked with a raised brow.

"A simple trade, princess." Tirek said with a smirk as he summoned the bubbles that contained her captive friends! "All the Avatar magic in Unity for the safe return of your friends. Now, what will you choose? Power, or friendship?" Tirek folded his arms and awaited Twilight's response. All while Twilight's friends banged on the bubbles that imprisoned them and begging Twilight not to take the offer!

"Here's my answer." Twilight said before taking a deep breath as she descended toward the ground. "I'll hand over the magic with no trouble. But only AFTER you release my friends first! I'm not going to risk you going back on your word the second you get what you want!"

"Hmph. So it appears you are smarter than your friends after-all." Tirek said with a scoff as he snapped his fingers, and released the rest of the Main 6 and the present Elements of Heroism from their bubbles.

"ALL of them." Twilight said with a firm tone as she looked at Discord's bubble. The lord of chaos stiffening at Twilight's words. "Don't get me wrong Discord. I'm still hurt that you turned on us. But who knows? Maybe this was all for the best."

"Why you'd bother with something so foolish is beyond me." Tirek snorted as he released Discord. A greedy smile then spread across his face. "I've held up my end of the bargain. I believe that it's time you hold up yours."

Twilight sighed, and prepared to offer up the magic to Tirek. Only for the sound of a blaster firing to halt her surrender! To her shock, Inferno Flare was back on his feet and shooting at Tirek!

"Inferno, are you crazy?!" Twilight screamed! "I just gave up all the Avatar magic to save you and everyone else! You know that you can't win! So why are you still fighting?!"

"Because I can't let you do this Twilight! None of us can!" Inferno shouted over the shots of his blaster! "We know just how important the magic you're carrying is! That's why we can't afford to let Tirek get his hands on it!" Inferno's eyes widened when he noticed Tirek advancing towards him! "We know how much we all matter to you! But what's the point if Tirek ruins the world that we all love?! Me and the guys know we can't win, but we don't care! Burst's not here, and the princesses are gone! But we refuse to let that stop us! Because we've got the potential to do some good here! And I'm going to tap into all of that potential! So that I can be the hero I know that I can be! The hero that I've become! SO COME AND GET ME TIREK!"

"Insolent fool!" Tirek roared as he grabbed Inferno with his left hand, and began to squeeze! "It's high time that I crush you like the weakling you are!"

"AAAAGGGHHH!" Inferno screamed as he felt Tirek's grip began to crush him!

"STOP!" Twilight pleaded! "I'll hand over the magic as promised! I was already going to do it, so just let Inferno go!"

"Oh I still intend on taking the magic!" Tirek growled! "But it's clear your friends have no intention of accepting our agreement! So should any more of them decide to voice their displeasure, I won't hesitate to crush them like the insect in my hands right now! You were a fool to choose your friends over the power you possess! And now I'll prove that foolishne-GAH!"

Suddenly Tirek clutched his right side in pain! Releasing his grip on Inferno, and letting the Element of Potential fall to the ground! Fortunately for Inferno, Twilight flew up to catch him and quickly descended back to the ground! However, they weren't safe yet! The second they landed, Tirek swung his fist! Ready to pound them into the ground! While Twilight was immortal, Inferno wasn't. And in his current state, the incoming attack would probably put him out of the fight permanently! Twilight prepared to ready a shield spell to block Tirek's fist, but it proved as unnecessary when Tirek clutched his arm in pain! While Tirek was cradling his injury, Twilight noticed the new injury located on Tirek's side. It looked like a slash mark, but Tirek was clearly burned where he'd been cut!

Before Tirek got a chance to sniff out who'd attacked him, a white blur came down from the sky and slashed his face! Tirek wailed in pain as he felt the same burning sensation from the previous slashes he'd experienced! The white blur landed on the ground, and turned to face the assembled teams of elements.

"Hey." Burst Stream said with a confident smile. "Did I miss the fun part?" Everyone was happy to see the Element of Power enter the fray, but two things kept them rooted in place: the new pair of white dragon wings on Burst Stream's back, and the fact that the cracks that had previously mended now stretched across Burst's entire body! It looked like he could fall apart at any minute.

"Heh! I knew you'd show up soon!" Inferno said with a weak smile as he managed to prop himself up with his sword. "Didn't figure you for the last-minute type."

"Burst, can you even fight?" Twilight asked in shock. "It looks like you're going to fall apart if you take even one hit! How are you even standing right now?!"

"Honestly Twilight? I feel like I'm in agony and just barely holding it together." Burst Stream answered with a weak chuckle. "But the fact that you guys need me right now is what's making me power through the pain! If you don't mind, I'd like for you to step aside. I'm about to show Tirek why you don't piss off a dragon! Especially if it's me!"

"You. . . Impossible!" Tirek roared as he rose to his full height! "You were a broken wreck when I left you back in Castalot! How are you even standing right now?!"

"I'm still standing because you're wrong about friendship." Burst Stream said calmly. "You're wrong about Twilight being foolish for choosing friends over power. Having people you care about gives you something to fight for, and something you can come back to once the fighting's over! You've only fought for yourself, and you've fought alone! That's why you're going to lose!"

"I'll do what I should've done back at Castalot and end you!" Tirek roared as he fired a blast of magic from between his horns! However, Tirek was shocked when Burst Stream flew right up to his face, and slugged him! "AGH!"

"You know what I don't like about you Tirek?" Burst Stream asked as he let loose slash after slash from his new weapon! A lightsaber-like sword that had a brilliant blue blade! "You're a bully. You think that because you have all this power, you can do whatever you want to whoever doesn't have it!" Each of Burst's strikes carried the same fury present in his voice! "But the truth is, you're probably the weakest enemy I've ever fought! You might have the strength of many, but that's only because you stole it from others! How can you say that you have all the power when none of it's your own?! You might be holding that magic right now, but you didn't train to refine it or work to make it your own!"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Tirek screamed as he swung his arms wildly in the hopes of swatting Burst Stream out of the air! "I OWN THIS MAGIC NOW! I HOLD ALL THE POWER NOW! ME! ME!"

"You hold all the power, but none of the strength!" Burst Stream spat as he pressed a switch on his weapon! The blade of light disappearing, and the ignition chamber that resembled a robotic dragon lowering to form the barrel of a blaster! One that Burst Stream didn't hesitate to use on Tirek! However, Burst Stream soon stopped firing as he clutched his chest in pain! An aura of unstable magic surged around him, and he was trying his best to contain it! But when Tirek began to charge at him, Burst Stream found a new use for the unstable magic! "LET ME SHOW YOU THE STRENGTH OF SOMEONE WHO EARNED THEIR POWER! RAUUUUGGGHHH!"

Burst Stream unleashed a massive burst of unstable magic that knocked Tirek into the ground! The Element of Power then continued his assault by infusing each of his punches, kicks, slashes, and shots with the same unstable magic coursing through him! And as he did, the light emitting from the cracks along his body seemed to pulse and grow even brighter! Each one of Burst Stream's attacks having a devastating effect on Tirek!

"You want magic?!" Burst Stream cried out as he charged up a full-power blast of magic! "HERE IT IS!" Burst Stream let loose a massive beam of unstable magic! The beam shooting out violently, yet it's motion was so fluid and smooth! Tirek, in desperation, fired his own beam! But Burst's just ripped right through it and struck Tirek head-on!

"GAAAUUUGGHHH!" Tirek screamed as most of his body was engulfed by Burst Stream's blast! When the blast died down, Tirek was scorched and his body was smoking! "This. . . this can't be happening. . . !"

"NGH!" Burst Stream held himself as he felt pain wrack his entire body for a moment! He noticed that his cracks were pulsing more frequently now. And the sudden discharges of magic were becoming more violent and frequent as he threw hit after hit against Tirek. It was almost over. "It time. . . to end this!" Burst Stream felt another discharge coming on, and focused with all his might to try and hold it back. However, this only ended up compounding with the other discharges trying to break loose. And this was exactly what Burst Stream had planned as he flew up to Tirek and grappled with the centaur!

And when his friends realized what Burst was about to do, they were horrified. None more than Nightmare Moon who was watching the battle unfold and had just finished helping the citizens evacuate! At the same time, Twilight and her friends had just unlocked the rainbow power thanks to Discord handing them the final key they needed and Twilight piecing together the puzzle. But they didn't try to use the rainbow power on Tirek when they noticed Burst Stream's last stand.

"Everyone, please! Don't look away!" Burst Stream pleaded as he continued to grapple with Tirek! "I know you hate what's about to happen, and that you'd rather not see it! I don't want it to happen either, but there's no choice! Please, don't look away from this! If I can't end this without the people I love sending me off while looking at me, then I won't be able to rest peacefully!" Tears began to fall from everyone's eyes, but they wanted to honor their friend's request.

". . . Thank you all." Burst Stream said as tears fall. "Later. . . everyone. . . " And he disappeared in an explosion of magic and energy! Getting Tirek caught in the blast at the same time! When it was over, a cloud of smoke hung over where Burst Stream had once stood. Silence reigned over the battlefield for a whole minute before the smoke cleared. Revealing Tirek to be on his last legs.

"That. . . fool. . ." Tirek groaned as he tried to rise, but failed. "How. . . did he beat me. . .? How could I lose. . . to a mere half-breed like him?! He gave his life. . . for nothing. For I still breathe. . . "

Both teams of elements stood still in a mix of shock, anger, and sorrow at watching their friend sacrifice himself seemingly in vain. Nightmare Moon wanted so much to fall to her knees right now. But all of them turned their attention to Inferno who was stomping his way towards Tirek.

Suggested Song:

"You're wrong." Inferno growled as made his way over to the mad centaur! His fists covered in fire! "Burst Stream gave his life, BECAUSE HE KNEW IT WOULD GIVE US THE POTENTIAL TO END YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL!" And Inferno let loose a flurry of blazing punches! "AND I'LL BE DAMNED IF I WASTE A CHANCE TO LIVE UP TO THAT POTENTIAL!"

Tirek could barely comprehend any of what was happening! How could someone, who had been on the edge of defeat mere moments ago, suddenly strike with so much power?!

"HERE I GO!" Inferno screamed as the flames around his right fist grew bigger! "FLARING DRAGON FIST!" Inferno threw his right arm forward with all his might, and a projection of a flaming dragon shot forward! Striking Tirek right in the chest and breaking right through him! When the flames finally died down, Tirek stood with a big, gaping hole in his chest. The whole area had been cauterized by the flames. For a moment, Tirek's body teetered before falling to the ground with a thud! His eyes completely lifeless!

"I did it. . . " Inferno said with a tired smile before throwing his fist to the air in triumph! "I DID IIIIIT!" Just as Inferno had declared his victory, he was enveloped in a sphere of magic. "I think I know what the deal is."

"Indeed Inferno." Aether said as he walked the Element of Potential down a corridor of various highlights of his life. "You lived up to your potential to be a hero today. But the price for it is not as high as you might believe."

"What do you mean?" Inferno asked.

"You will know in time." Aether said with a small smile. "But for now, you have risen to your potential. Now, it is time for you to ascend!" And in a flash of light, Inferno's ascension was completed! When he returned to the world, his dragon wings were now covered in black, feather-like scales! Giving his wings an angelic look to them!

"Rarity?" Inferno asked. "Do you think you could make me a new coat? One that's like Burst's, but in red?" Rarity merely nodded. 'You're not here now Burst. That means it's all up to me to carry on. And now, I'll have something to honor you.'

Comments

[ArcticAce01]

And with that Tirek is gone with a new avatar born..but it cost Burst life in the end which was a very sad moment for all his friends and even moon

[MasterPhoenix93]

A hero fights to the end, even at the cost of one's life...