Flash Sentry, Defender of the Peace S4

by Banshee531

Twilight's Kingdom PT1

The day of the royal summit had arrived.

The Crystal Empire was paying host to many dignitaries from all Equestria's allied kingdoms. The Royal Knights would be working the security, while the four princesses would be going over issues with the other royals.

Well, three of them would. The fourth was simply there to be there, at least that's how she felt. And as the train whistle filled the air, we find the mane seven, Spike and Iron walking through the streets of the empire. Of course, Spike couldn't be in the city without gloating about a specific detail, "Seems like only yesterday I was saving this place from being totally destroyed," he leaned against his statue with a huge grin, "Hey, you girls remember that?"

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "You only mentioned it about fifteen times on the train here."

"Yes..." Rarity told the pegasus in a dripping sarcastic tone, "And we never hear a peep out of you and your exploits."

Rainbow let out a quick laugh of embarrassment, "Point taken."

Twilight giggled at their interaction. "I must say, I'm glad you all wanted to come, but I don't think it's gonna be that exciting. I pretty much just have to smile and wave as the dignitaries arrive."

Flash nodded in agreement. "And all I've gotta do is announce who's here. Not exactly photo album worthy."

"Buck up Sentry," Iron added as he nudged the defender, "The princesses could have simply asked one of the Crystal Guards to do that, but them wanting you to do it should make you feel proud."

Flash looked away, slightly sighing, "I guess? Sure don't seem like much worth doing."

Rarity then stepped up beside Twilight, "Don't forget, you get to smile and wave like a princess."

The others raised an eyebrow at this as Applejack asked the obvious question, "How exactly is that different than smilin' and wavin' like...not a princess?"

"It isn't," Twilight moaned as she stared at the ground.

The others all frowned at the action. "What's wrong, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked as Pinkie jumped in front of Twilight and pulled her face.

"Why the looooooooong face?" She let go, snapping it back into place.

Once she'd recovered from that, Twilight let out a long sigh, "I...I've just been feeling a little unsure about things lately." She turned back to her friends, "It doesn't seem that my new role as a princess equates to all that much."

"That's just silly. You've got a real important role in Equestria."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. "Princess Celestia wouldn't have asked you to come today if she didn't think so."

Twilight forced a smile, "I...I guess you're right."

"Of course we are," Rarity continued while patting the princess's shoulder, "Now hurry along! You don't want to risk having that important role diminished because you were tardy for your regal meet-and-greet."

The mares then began to walk off, and as Iron followed, he stopped and looked back at Flash. The apprentice knight had the same uneasy look that Twilight had as he stared absently into dead air. "You okay?"

The Pegasus blinked back, only to shake his head to get his brain back into gear. "Yeah...I'm fine." He strode after the girls, a little quicker than his usual walking speed.

"Obviously not Sentry." Iron whispered as he trotted behind him.

Once they reached the castle, the Royal Knights and three princess greeted them before giving Flash and Twilight their assignments. Spike and the rest of the Mane Seven headed inside while Flash stood beside the Crystal Guards. The guards then began to play their crystal trumpets as Flash made the announcements. "The Duke and Duchess of Maretonia!"

The four dignitaries stepped down the street, the sound of something unfurling catching Flash's attention. A millisecond glance upward allowed him to see Twilight had unfurled a banner with Maretonia's royal crest emblazoned on it. It finished unfurling right as the dignitaries arrived in front of the three alicorns, the group bowing to one another before heading into the crystal castle.

Once they were inside, Flash took another quick glance up and saw Twilight had a very forced smile as she waved. Flash then felt a similar kind of expression on his own face. It was here that Flash saw the rest of the Royal Knights as they headed in along with the royals. He let out a long sigh as he stayed with the guards, knowing this shift wouldn't compare to actually getting to be in the room where all these important matters were being discussed.

For the next few hours, he and the guards patrolled outside the castle. It wasn't until the sun and moon started to shift places that the dignitaries exited out of the castle while being lead by the knights. Flash and the guards bowed as they passed, the dignitaries nodding back before heading towards the train station.

Once they were out of sight, the knights all relaxed as Flash trotted over to them. "Any problems?" He asked.

Grand sighed happily. "No, thankfully."

First then spoke up. "Considering all the problems that usually circulate around events such as this, its a relief to have one go off without issue."

The others all nodded, while Flash just frowned. "Yeah...fantastic."

He turned to walk away, causing the other knights to glance at each other before Heather spoke up, "Flash? Are you okay?"

Flash glanced back at the knight, "I'm fine."

"That so?" Skybreaker asked as he crossed his hooves. "So the glum look Iron told us you had before the meeting was what, change in the wind?" Flash shot Iron a death glare, the Metal Guardian simply shrugging back.

Flash let out another sigh before looking away, only for Tidal to place a hoof on his shoulder. "Amigo, it isn't good to keep your problems bottled up. Tell us what has you upset."

"Yeah kiddo." Grand added as he stepped in front of the defender. "If you tell us, I'm sure were can help."

Flash stared at the ground, now seeing his reflection in the crystal floor. Blinking at this, he took a deep breath before saying, "Well...when's it gonna be my turn?"

The question got looks of confusion on everypony's faces. "Your turn for what?" Ruby asked.

"My turn to be knighted." The looks of confusion vanished instantly as Flash continued, "Ever since Iron was knighted, I keep wondering what's keeping me from achieving the exact same thing. Haven't I proved myself by now? After everything I've been through, every threat I've faced, what's keeping me behind?"

The knights all shared glances at one another, all unsure what to tell the pegasus. That is, except Grand, "Flash, being knighted doesn't come down to how many times you've saved Equestria." He placed a hoof on his chest, "It's about what's inside you. You might be skilled enough to be a knight, but you're still missing a key component within you to hold that title."

"What?" Flash asked his mentor, "What am I missing?"

Grand removed his hoof. "That's...well, that's something that can't be taught, only learned. Me telling you would be meaningless. You have to figure it out for yourself."

Flash's ears folded as he showed a huge frown. "But...I don't get it. I've done everything I can...but its not enough?! I mean...what if I never figure it out? What if I'm stuck as an apprentice for the rest of my life?"

"Is that so bad?" Ruby asked while tilting her head.

Heather nodded at this. "Yeah. You're life seems pretty great right now."

"Well...it is, but after everything I've been through, not becoming a knight would make it feel like a waste." He gave Grand the biggest frown possible, "Remember that week you had me spend blindfolded so I could learn to live without sight if I ever found myself blinded in a fight?" Grand smiled and nodded while Flash only remembered nearly falling down the stairs everyday. "My point is...I did that because I thought doing it meant I was worthy of being a knight." He looked away from everypony this time, "I'm not questioning your teaching methods Grand. I...I'm questioning myself as your student."

The knights all sighed at this, Flash walking away before anypony could say anything to stop him. The pegasus slowly strode down the dark streets of the city, soon stopping when he came across a small lake. Instead of simply flying over it, he stayed where he was before picking up a small stone.

As he jiggled it around in his hoof, his inbuilt music maker began to play a tune. He skipped the stone before beginning to sing.

(Flash)
I have often dreamed of a far off land
Where a hero's welcome would be waiting for me
Where the crowds will cheer, at the ground I stand
And a voice keeps saying this is where I'm meant to be

I will find my, I can go the distance
I'll be there someday, if I can be strong
I know every mile would be worth my while
When I go the distance, I'll be right where I belong

Flash felt a hoof on his shoulder, making him turn to see Grand with a reassuring smile on his face. "Come with me. There's something I think you need to see."

Flash nodded and followed his mentor. There, they soon arrived at a building Flash had, or hadn't, seen before. It was the sheet covered building he, Springer and Lightning had come across during the Equestria games. As they walked through a gap in the fence, Flash noticed the rest of the knights standing by the edge of the sheet. "What is this place?"

The knights just smiled as First and Ruby used their magic to lift a portion of the sheet, allowing Flash to step under it. As he did, he looked up and saw that the building was designed like a museum. Over the top of the doorway were words carved into the crystal.

Hall of Knights.

Flash went wide-eyed at the words, "Is this-"

"Yes Flash," Ruby answered as the rest went under the sheet. "It's a museum dedicated to the Royal Knights and all they've accomplished."

"But...why?"

Ruby giggled at his question. "It seems Princess Amore was planning this before the Empire's fall. Cadance discovered the plans for it a while back and after talking with the other princesses, they agreed to have the place built and the plans undated after the millennia. It'll be ready to open in just a few short weeks."

Flash was slack jawed at the sight, only to be pushed inside by Grand. And as soon as he was in, the first thing he noticed was that the inside appeared to be much larger than the outside. "Undetectable extension spell," First quickly explained, "There have been many knights over the centuries. A building would need to be the size of the empire to show them all enough respect."

Flash nodded at this before actually looking around. As he did, he noticed that the place was filled with large crystal statues of different ponies, all of them obviously Gorgenia's work. Earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi, even a few thestrals, all in no particular order. The large statues all had metal plaques on the base that showed their names and titles along with their dates of birth, death and knighting.

Flash noted them all as he continued to walk further into the hall. But as he did this, he then came across a statue that wasn't made out of crystal. Instead, it was made out of stone. Flash raised an eyebrow before looking at the plaque. There was a name, along with the date of birth and death, but no date of knighting. He then glanced at the title part, now seeing two words.

Apprentice Knight

He blinked at the words, only to continue on. There, after a long while of searching through the statues, he came across the ones depicting his friends. Grand, Skybreaker, Ruby, Tidal, First, Heather, Iron. And as he saw this, he saw another statue that looked just like himself. However, it wasn't made out of stone like the other apprentice statues, but instead made out of the same crystal as the actual knights. He looked down at his plaque and read the spot that should have said apprentice knight.

Future knight

"I...I don't understand." Flash felt a hoof on his shoulder and turned to see Grand smiling at him before they looked back to the statue.

"Seemed like a waste to make a statue out of stone since we know we'll have to replace it." Flash gave him a look of shock, making the earth pony chuckle back, "You will become a knight Flash. I know it, the rest of the knights now it, the princesses know it. Heck, everypony in Equestria knows it." They pointed at the plaque, "One day that future knight part will be replaced with a title. I don't know when, or what it'll say, but I know it will change."

Flash smiled at his mentor as the music he'd previously sung to began to play once again.

(Grand)
Down an unknown road to embrace your fate
Though that road may wander, it will lead you true
And a thousand years would be worth the wait
It might take a lifetime but someday you'll make it through

Flash gasped at this, his smile increasing as he took the next verse.

(Flash)
And I won't hold back, I can go the distance
And I'll stay on track, no I won't accept defeat
It's an uphill slope, but I won't loose hope
Till I go the distance and my journey is complete

The duo's moment was broken as the sounds of five more voices joined the song. They looked around to see the rest of the knights trotting over, all beginning to circle the apprentice.

(Knights)
But to look beyond the glory is the hardest part
For a hero's strength is measured by his heart

Flash heard these words, making him pat his own chest as he let out a sigh. They were right. Being a knight wasn't about fame and glory, it was about doing what was right. He didn't need to be knighted to do that, he just needed to be himself.

(Flash)
Like a shooting star, I will go the distance
I will face the world, fearless, proud and strong
I don't care how far, I can go the distance
'Till I find my hero's welcome right where I belong!

As the song began to wind down, Grand stepped over to Flash and placed a hoof over his heart.

(Grand)
You will face the world, and will show you're strong
'Till you find your hero's welcome right where you...belongggggg!

He pulled Flash into a hug, "Your time will come."

Flash smiled back, showing he was content with his unknightly status for now. "Thanks." The two pulled away before turning to leave the hall.

And as they headed for the castle, Ruby noticed the crystal guards going out of their patrol shifts. Seeing this, she grabbed one of them and yelled, "Guard! Why are you not on your patrol! Explain at once!"

The guard nodded rapidly. "Princess Celestia has just announced an Equestria wide high alert!" This statement made all the knights jump in place, Ruby then telling the guard to get back to work.

"That ain't normal! Come on!" Grand yelled as he gestured the rest to follow him. They soon marched to the throne room, opening the doors to find the four alicorns sitting around a crystal table. "Your majesties! What's happening?!"

Celestia let out a long sigh, a giant frown on her face, "Luna and I both had a vision of a danger that is now loose in Equestria. Tirek."

"Tirek?!" Ruby shrieked in horror. "But...but he's in Tartarus!"

"He was, but it appears he has escaped."

Ruby's eyes shrunk at the news, her form slightly shaking, "Oh now...this is bad! Truly, utterly bad!"

Flash tilted his head at this. "Uh...does somepony wanna tell me who the heck this Tirek guy is?"

This statement caused Ruby's horn to flare, her eyes now glaring at Grand. "You didn't teach this to him in your history lessons?!"

Grand shook his head. "Honestly, I've never heard of this Tirek."

"Me neither," Twilight added as the other knights all nodded in agreement, making Ruby turn to the princesses.

Celestia released another long sigh. "With all the other historical events of that time, it's not unlikely that an event as...trivial as this would be left forgotten by all but a few."

"But...don't you remember what he did?!"

"We do Ruby, but that doesn't mean history will."

"Princess Celestia...you can't-"

"Hold on! Who is this Tirek?! Please explain that first!" Twilight interrupted, only for Celestia's horn to glow and conjure a book onto the table. As the knights gathered around the table, the sun princesses opened the book and showed a pair of creatures all but four of them recognized. The first three were Celestia, Luna and Ruby, who had all been there. The fourth was Flash, who recognized the shapes from the vision he and Sombra had seen.

One creature looked like the cross between a pony and the humans he and Twilight had become in the other world, while the other seemed to be a hairy brown monkey like creature with bat wings.

"Tirek and his brother Scorpan came here from a distant land, all on the intent of stealing Equestrian magic. But Scorpan soon came to appreciate the ways of Equestria, even befriending a young unicorn wizard."

Luna continued to narrate. "Scorpan urged his brother to abandon their plans, but when Tirek refused, Scorpan alerted us of Tirek's intentions."

"That must have been hard," Grand added as he thought back to his own son.

Celestia nodded at this. "After a mighty battle, Scorpan returned to his own land, and Tirek was sent to Tartarus for his crimes."

Ruby shivered at these words, "Ugh...I remember that battle. Tirek drained several of our unicorn guards...I was so glad I didn't get drained."

"How did you stop him?" Twilight asked next.

"The jakhowls," Ruby replied with crossed hooves. "Unlike our magic, Tirek was unable to drain them of their power. Tirek drains magic, not life force, which aura is made up of. Sharp Paw lead an attack that was able to injure Tirek to a degree that we were able to defeat him, releasing the magic he had stolen and allowing us to lock him up within Tartarus."

"But it appears he has found a way to escape," Celestia finished.

"We believe it happened when Cerberus left his post at the gates," Luna explained with crossed hooves. "This truly is a disaster."

"But that was a long time ago," Twilight noted. "Why is he just now starting to steal magic?"

"His time in Tartarus left him very weak," Celestia replied while rubbing her chin. "He has just now gained enough strength to use his dark powers."

Luna nodded in agreement. "But with each passing moment, he grows stronger still."

It was in this moment that Cadance turned to Twilight, smiling a knowing smile at her. "And I know just the princess who can stop him."

Twilight let out a small gasp, only to nod, "Yes! I'll find him and–"

"No, Twilight!" Celestia interrupted while stomping her right hoof. "I'm afraid I must call in another to stop Tirek." She took a deep breath, "Discord."

---

"As in, Discord, Discord?" Applejack asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Flash and Twilight had returned to Ponyville the next morning. There, they explained everything to their friends as the rest of the Royal Knights had gone to Canterlot with Celestia and Luna to make preparations in case their 'brilliant' plan failed.

"Yes!" Twilight replied with a moan, still unable to believe it herself.

"I don't think it's that big of a surprise," Fluttershy added as she stepped between the two groups. "He can be very helpful." She looked back at the others, all giving her an 'are you serious' look.

Flash crossed his hooves, "Yeah...though I gotta admit his abilities do have their moments to shine. I mean, if it wasn't for him, Lightning and Script might still be locked up in jail."

"And I'm quite thankful for that." They turned to see Lightning and Springer walking up to them, fresh off patrol.

"So what's going on?" Springer asked next, with Twilight again gave a rundown of the situation. This explanation alone made Springer raise an eyebrow, "So they're sending a guy with magic that, in the wrong paws, could destroy Equestria, after the super bad guy who can steal magic?"

"Seems like it," Flash replied while putting his hooves behind his head. "Celestia doesn't think Tirek has enough power to drain Discord right now, so he should be safe."

"Even so, I wouldn't mind trying to face this guy. If I'm immune to his powers, I could take it him down lickety split. I'd be like," he start waving his arms in a karate chop motion. "Then I'd be like, Aura Blast, and have him down for the count."

The ponies all chuckled at this, Flash patting his partner on the head. "Love the enthusiasm bud, but the issue is finding him. Discord's the only one who can do it."

Twilight nodded. "He can sense when there's a magical imbalance. The next time Tirek steals magic, Discord will be able to track him down."

Rainbow hovered over Twilight, "So...what are you supposed to do in the meantime?"

This question got a sigh from Equestria's newest alicorn. "Nothing," she turned away before glancing back. "Unless of course one of you needs me to smile and wave." With that, she started walking off.

"Where are you going? Spike asked.

"To the Castle of the Two Sisters. I'm not really needed anywhere else. Might as well catch up on some of my reading."

The sight of her leaving made the others all share a look of worry and concern. That is, till Rainbow fluttered over to her, "You want some company?"

"It has been a while since we visited the castle," Applejack added. "Might be fun!"

Twilight gave a small smile back. "Well...maybe I could use a little company right now."

"Always happy to help," Flash told her as he flew backwards beside her. "But we need to have a serious talk about you trying to hide stuff from me."

Twilight tilted her head at this, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

This statement was met with a glare from Flash, "Hall of knights."

"Oh..." the princess blushed as she let out a tiny giggle, "You learned about that. Er...surprise?"

Flash gave her a deadpan look. "You know the other knights were the ones who told me about it. Not a very good surprise if the ones it's directed at already know." Twilight let out a nervous laugh as the others asked what he was talking about, Flash explaining all the way to the ravine leading to the castle.

Rainbow looked down at the cave that housed the tree they had found several weeks ago, sighing at the sight. "I still can't believe we had to give back the Elements."

Rarity looked up at her. "It had to be done, or the Tree of Harmony wouldn't have survived."

"But Twilight was right," Fluttershy added with a big smile. "Even without the Elements, our friendship is as strong as ever."

Applejack nodded before frowning, "I just hope another 'friend' of ours never makes us sorry we had to give them up."

"Oh?" They looked up and saw a familiar looking draconequus, flying down towards them while using an umbrella as a parachute. "You're talking about me, I presume?"

"How'd you guess?" Applejack growled, only for Discord's ears to catch fire.

"My ears were burning." He materialized a glass of water and threw it over his ears, dousing the flames.

"What are you even doing here, Discord?"

"Yeah," Flash nodded in agreement, "Don't tell me Tirek's around here."

"If he is," Springer once again started doing karate moves.

"Oh, relax Danial-san." Discord told him before putting on a pair of reading glasses and held up a familiar looking book. "I was just doing a bit of light reading before I head off on my extremely important mission." His body poofed into a general's uniform before pulling down an Equestrian flag, "I suppose you all know that I've been tasked to capture a certain escapee." He pulled out a pipe and began to smoke it, unleashing a barrage of bubbles.

"Big deal...." Spike rolled his eyes, only for Discord to get right up in his face.

"You're right, Spike! It is a big deal." He blew an extra large bubble, this one completely encasing the little dragon and lifting him into the air. Once he was a good twenty feet up, the balloon popped, making Rainbow catch him before he could hit the ground.

"Stop messing around Discord," Flash barked back. "Remember what we talked about? You being serious in these situations?!"

"Oh, but I am serious. It seems I possess a magic that gives me quite an important role in Equestria." He turned to smile at Twilight, "Maybe they should make me an Alicorn princess." In a flash, he was now wearing an oversized crown while his horns and wings were replaced with pony ones. The sounds of cheering echoed through the forest as Discord began making exaggerated waves.

"In your dreams!" Rainbow kicked the crown off of Discord's head.

"Oh, I never dream of such things." Discord pushed the fake pony horn into his head as the real horns and wings reappeared. "Ask Princess Luna."

Flash scrunched up his eyes. "No mental images...push them out."

Lightning cringed as he backpedaled, "Don't give'em to me."

"Don't you have a creepy magic-stealin' villain to track down?" Applejack asked next.

"Yes, yes, of course." Discord then stretched his arms around the group before pulling them into a hug, only for them to be suddenly teleported inside the cave. "It's just that I couldn't help but notice that Twilight hasn't opened this little chest of hers."

The others stared at him before turning to look at Twilight, Flash adding, "It's not like she hasn't been trying."

"Yeah! And we've been busy." Springer started counting his fingers off. "Family reunions, getting sucked into comic books, turning Fluttershy into a vampire bat, the Equestria Games..."

"So true....and I would have loved to see Flutterbat! She's sounds like so much fun...I need to look back at the previous chapters later." Discord agreed as he sat on the chest. "But I've been thinking...what if what's locked inside is something that could help her prove her royal worth?" He jumped off and started knocking the chest, "I only bring it up because she said that she's been feeling like her role as a princess doesn't equate too much." His head then stretched over to lean above the alicorn, her lips quivering at the sight.

"Wait a minute!" Pinkie asked in a banshee-like voice, "How do you know how she's feeling?!"

"Oh my," Discord said in a mock sad tone. "Is eavesdropping not the way you're supposed to find out what your best pals are up to?"

"Not usually, no." Flash growled with cross his hooves. "That's a good way to lose friends."

"Woe is me," Discord's head retracted back as he snapped his fingers, causing violin music to play, "Oh, will I ever learn the intricate nuances of being a good friend?" He looked back at them, now seeing all but Fluttershy giving him a deadpan stare. The sight made him get up and clear his throat. "Well in any case, I suppose now is as good a time as any for me to make my exit."

They watched as he walked over a polka-dot moped, who knows how long had that been there, and revved the engine before disappearing. "And good riddance!" Applejack yelled, only for another flash of light to appear, signaling the draconequus's return.

"Oopsie-doopsie," he said eccentrically. "I almost left with the little journal you've all been keeping."

"How'd you get that?" Flash asked with a raised eyebrow, as everypony except him and Twilight began to sweat under the collar.

"How is truly irrelevant," Discord began flipping through the pages. "But what a fascinating read. Haven't you girls just learned so much?" He reached over to Twilight and showed her several colored paper slips, all of them poking out of the book. "I've bookmarked a few of the more interesting passages. You really should take a look." He balanced it on the alicorn's horn, Twilight trying not to drop it before turning to Fluttershy, "We're still on for tea later, aren't we, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy shined a huge smile and nodded, "Of course! I wouldn't miss it."

Discord let out a happy laugh as he walked over a the floating doorknob, "Well, I'll bring the cucumber sandwiches." He gripped the doorknob before pulling it towards him, revealing a door into a white void that he stepped into before slamming the door, causing the frame to fade out of existence.

With that finally done, Applejack turned to the others. "Sometimes I think the 'reformed' Discord is more obnoxious than the 'before-he-was-reformed' Discord."

"Indeed," Rarity added.

"But he could be right, couldn't he?" Fluttershy glanced at the plant chest, the others following her gaze. "What if there is something important in that chest?"

Twilight tapped her chin before smiling, "There's only one way to find out."

"Library?" Flash guessed, Twilight nodding in response before heading out of the cave. Soon they were within the Castle of the Two Sister's Library, where hundreds of thousand year old book lived. When they'd first come to this library, Flash had half expected the books to crumble to dust upon contact. But to his pleasant surprise, the only signs of age they had were the three inches of dust that had been covering them.

But even with all these books, it seemed the answers to opening the chest continued to elude them. Twilight pulled another book out of the shelf, opening it up and flipping through the pages with scanning eyes before turning to the others, "Anything?"

Her question was meet by a loud chorus of no's. "I've found loads on the Lost City of Faust," Flash mentioned as his had surfaced from beneath a pile of books. "But I doubt any of it would help you right now."

Twilight released an exhausted moan. "There must be something in this library that can help me figure out how to open it. The answer's in one of these books, I just know it." It was then that her gaze fell upon their friendship journal, making her recall what Discord had told her. With no other leads, she decided to bite the bullet and opened up the book.

Flipping to the first bookmark, an orange one, led to the page describing the day Flash's parents returned. She read through what Flash had put, nodding before turning to the next bookmark. This one was green and highlighted an event where Applejack had lied about a tonic the Flim Flam brothers sold. She raised an eyebrow at a correlation between it and Flash's before skipping to the next bookmark. As she read through the entries, her eyes slowly grew larger as she saw what Discord must have been hinting at.

"Achoo!" Her concentration was broken when Fluttershy released a weak yet noticeable sneeze. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"You know what they say about sneezing," Flash said as he pulled himself out of his pile. "Somepony must be talking about you."

Before Fluttershy could have a panic attack about that prospect, Twilight spoke up. "I think I found something!" The others quickly walked over to her. "I've been reading our journal, and there's something interesting about the sections that Discord bookmarked." She turned to a certain apple farmer. "Applejack, do you remember when you had to tell everypony that the tonic Granny bought from the Flim Flam brothers didn't really work?"

"How could I forget? It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do." She went on to recall how granny had almost dived into a bucket of water. "And in that moment, I knew I had to be honest. I just knew it." The farmer then shot Twilight a confused look, "but what's that got to do with openin' the chest?"

Twilight tapped her hoof in the book. "I've found that each of you has had to face a situation where living up to the Element of Harmony you represent wasn't easy." She flipped over to another page, this one showing a yellow bookmark. "Fluttershy, it was when you realised that the way to show kindness to the Breezies was by forcing them to leave your home."

Fluttershy frowned at that memory. "Oh, the looks on their poor little faces! But I knew that, as difficult as it was, pushing them away was the kindest thing I could do."

"Rarity," Twilight turned to her while flipping the page. "Even after Suri took advantage of your generosity at Fashion Week in Manehattan, you didn't let it cause you to abandon your generous spirit."

Rarity scowled at the mention of that name, only to smile at her friends, "I simply couldn't have lived with myself if I didn't do something special for the friends who have always been so generous to me!"

They all nodded, Lightning even giving a salute as he did.

"Rainbow Dash, you had the chance to fly with the Wonderbolts at the Equestria Games, but instead you chose to compete with your friends."

Rainbow smiled with pride. "Sure! But being loyal to my friends was way-"

"Ooh!" Pinkie interrupted, "My turn, my turn!"

Twilight smiled at the party pony before flipping to her section. "Pinkie Pie, you realised that seeing your friend laugh was more important than proving you were a better party planner than Cheese Sandwich."

Rainbow chuckled as she put her hoof around Pinkie's back. "Best party I've ever had."

And finally, everypony turned to Flash, only to him tilting his head at Twilight, "Um...do you mind recapping? I don't really remember when I was scared."

Twilight gave him a questioning smirk. "Oh really?" She flipped back to near the front of the book, "You don't remember when your parents showed up for the first time? You know, the real reason you really got super angry and violent against them?"

"Oh....yeah." He then sighed as the memories came flooding back. "It wasn't that I was angry, more that I was scared. Scared of letting them back into my life, only to see them walk away and hurt both me and Scootaloo. It wasn't until my dad saved me from the timberwolves that I finally found the courage to forgive them."

Springer gave him a pat on the wing while Rarity spoke up. "It's clear we've all had our moments to shine Twilight, but I'm with Applejack. What does any of this have to do with the opening of the chest?"

Twilight just giggled back, "All of you had tough choices to make. But when you made the right one and embraced your element, it helped somepony else make the right choice too. Each of you received something from the pony whose life you helped change."

Upon hearing that, they each remembered the item they were given, Lightning speaking up at her logic, "Wait...you think these objects might help you find the keys you all need?"

Twilight just shrugged. "I know it sounds crazy, but maybe there's something special about those objects that could lead us to the location of the keys." Twilight closed the journal and began to walk around the table. "The chest is connected to the Tree of Harmony, the tree is connected to the Elements, and the Elements are connected to all of us. There must be a connection between them all!" She looked towards the journal with raised eyebrows. "I hate to admit it, but maybe Discord was trying to be a good friend after all."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Flash added.

"Alright," Twilight began to head to the door, "Let's all grab those items and bring them to the chest. Maybe the Tree of Harmony will show us how to use them." The others nodded and began to head out of the library, only for Flash to stop as a strange tingle travelled throughout his body.

"Whoa...."

Springer turned back to him, "You okay?"

"Yeah...just got a strange sense of foreboding." He shook his head, "I'm sure it's nothing. Come on, let's get that dish."

And so, they left the castle, each returning to their homes in order to retrieve the items they needed. Flash was the last one to get his, the dish having been knocked to the floor before getting buried beneath a mountain of junk in his room. After getting a lecture from Twilight, they returned to the cave and placed the six items on the ground. Aside from Flash's dish, there was also a bit that Silver Shill had given Applejack, the coil of rainbow thread that Coco had given Rarity, the Wonderbolt pendent that Spitfire had given Rainbow, the flower Seabreeze had given Fluttershy and the rubber chicken named Boneless that Cheese had given Pinkie.

The alicorn princess looked them over, tilting her head as she did. "I don't see anything on them that would give us a clue as to where the keys might be. They're just...ordinary, everyday objects."

"Except for Flash's," Springer reminded them. "His is a legendary relic with magical abilities."

Lightning rolled his eyes. "Well unless one of its abilities is to show us how to find the keys, it's as useless as the rest of this junk."

It was in this moment that Pinkie gripped the rubber chicken that Cheese Sandwich had given her. "Come on, Boneless!" She started shaking it, causing a barrage of squeaks to fill the cave. "Give us that key!"

Twilight rolled her eyes, "I don't think that's going to work." Before she could say anything else, Boneless slipped out of Pinkie's hooves and went flying at her. She ducked, causing the rubber chicken to sail over her head and slam into the chest.

Then it happened.

As soon as Boneless bounced off the chest, the keyhole it touched shot out a beam of pink light. That light engulfed Boneless, causing him to reshape into a golden key with three balloons on the end. Everypony gasped as they watched the newly made key float into the keyhole, Lightning speaking up, "These items aren't meant to help you find the keys..."

"They are the keys!" Flash finished before picking up the dish and flying over to the chest. The others did the same, all simultaneously placing them onto it. And as soon as they made contact, the objects were engulfed in a rainbow of light before floating up into the air. One by one, they each began to reform into its key form. The bit became one with an apple shape on the end, the thread become one with three diamonds, the pendent became one with a cloud, the flower became one with a butterfly and the dish became one with a shield. They watched as each of the keys slotted into each of the keyholes, Flash's being the one to slot into the top, leaving only one hole unfilled.

"There's still one key missing," Twilight pointed out. "The key that represents the element of magic. My element."

The others all shared uncertain looks, not sure what to say. Fluttershy was the one to break the silence. "Oh, but I'm sure that if we've gotten our keys, you have too, Twilight."

Rarity nodded as she walked over to the alicorn. "Think, Twilight. When have you completed a difficult magical task, and in doing so encouraged another pony to do the same?" She patted Spike on the head, obviously expecting Twilight to think of an answer right away.

That is, till her ears flopped down, "I...haven't. If I had, I would have written about it in the journal."

Spike then placed a reassuring claw on Twilight's leg. "Don't worry, Twilight. I'm sure you'll get your key eventually." No sooner had he said this, his mouth tripled in size before he unleashed a large burp, which conjugated into a scroll that Twilight grabbed in her magic.

She opened it and did a quick speed read, the others growing worried. "What's it say?" Spike then asked.

Twilight looked up from the scroll in shock. "That Flash and I are needed in Canterlot at once!"

"You sure? This could just be another fake message. Remember the one left behind after we got teleported to that boat?!" This caused the others eyes to shrink as Springer tapped Flash's side.

"But what if it isn't? You should go anyway, just to be sure."

"Springer's right," Twilight re-rolled the scroll before running out of the cave. "Come on Flash!" The pegasus nodded before flying after her.

---

It wasn't long till the duo arrived at Canterlot, soon landing outside of the castle. There, they spotted Trixie waiting for them with a look of worry on her lips. The sight made Flash yelp out, "Tricks? Everything alright?"

"No," Trixie told him as they began to run into the castle. "The princesses and knights are waiting for you in the throne room."

Twilight then threw the doors open to the room, "We came as quickly as we could! Is something wrong?!"

"Is it Tirek? Don't tell me he actually got Discord." Flash couldn't believe he was actually starting to worry about that goof.

"Worse," Grand told him as the other knights all had looks of anger and worry on their faces, Flash noticing they were all appearing to ready themselves for battle.

Celestia spoke up. "I'm afraid I put too much trust in Discord and the effect that friendship would have upon him."

"What do you mean?"

Luna let out a long sigh, "Discord...has betrayed the ponies of Equestria, and joined forces with Tirek."

"WHAT!?" Flash asked in shock.

"How could he do this?!" Twilight added. "I thought our friendship meant something to him!" Her look of shock changed to one of anger and hatred, "I...I thought he had changed."

"I can't believe I actually trusted him," Flash stomped his hoof in frustration.

Celestia shook her head at this. "Tirek has stolen enough magic that he now has the strength to steal flight as well. Without Pegasi to control the weather, there will be no rain in Equestria. There is word he has gone after Earth ponies as well. Without their strength, they will not be able to tend the land."

"To think one being could bring the whole of Equestria to its knees," Trixie added as she stared at the floor in despair.

Ruby placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Dark power has the potential to do things that were said to be impossible, but it always has a cost."

"We have to stop this guy." Iron spoke up next, "No matter what."

Luna nodded in agreement. "If he isn't stopped, ponies will no longer be in control of their world. That power will belong solely to Tirek."

Celestia turned to Twilight. "There is no doubt that Tirek is after Alicorn magic. With Discord by his side, we will not be able to stop him from taking it."

"And once it is in his possession, his power will know no bounds, and all hope will be lost." Luna added with a grumble. "That must not happen."

"But what do we do to stop them?" Flash asked. "We don't have the Elements anymore, so we can't turn Discord to stone."

Grand turned to him. "The Royal Knights will face off against him. This isn't the first time we've faced magic stealing entities."

Flash nodded and gripped his blade, "I'm ready."

But Grand simply shook his head. "No. You have an even greater task ahead of you." Flash raised an eyebrow at this as the princesses flew down from their throne and landed in front of Twilight.

Celestia walked up to her student. "Should the Knights fail, Tirek will have nothing standing in his way of us. That is why we have come up with another solution. It is only by making this sacrifice that Equestria and the lands beyond it might be saved. We must rid ourselves of our magic before Tirek has the chance to steal it from us."

This statement got a gasp out of Flash, Twilight and Trixie. Flash was the first to recover, rubbing his hoof into his ear. "I'm sorry your highness, I must have had something in my ear. Could you repeat that, because it sounds like you said you wanted to GET RID OF YOU MAGIC!"

Celestia nodded as Luna stepped up to Twilight. "Tirek is set on possessing Alicorn magic. When he comes for us, we cannot have what he is looking for."

Flash turned to Twilight with a grimace, knowing this wasn't going to be easy for her. That is, till Twilight took a deep breath before nodding. "I'm more than willing to do my part and give up my magic."

However, the princesses all shook their heads, Luna speaking up, "You misunderstand. Our magic can not just disappear into thin air. Somepony must keep it safe."

Cadance, who had been oddly quiet throughout this transgression, stepped up to her sister-in-law. "That somepony is you, Twilight."

"Me?! Why me?!"

"We do not believe that Tirek is aware that a fourth Alicorn princess exists in Equestria. If we transfer our magic to you, Tirek will not know where it has gone."

Cadance looked Twilight straight in the eye, "Do you understand what we're asking of you?"

"Yes. It's just..." She looked back at her wings. "I'm only now learning how to control my own Alicorn magic. To take on even more-"

"Twilight..." Cadance placed a hoof over the mare's heart. "You represent the element of magic. If there is anypony who can do this, it's you."

Twilight saw the look of trust in her former foalsitter's eyes, then turned to the other princesses and watch them nod in agreement. She then looked back at Flash and Trixie, the two smiling at her. "You've got this Twilight," he told her.

Twilight sighed before walking over to a nearby window. "Taking on this task will be one of the most difficult things I'll ever do, but with the help of my friends-"

"I'm sorry, Princess Twilight," Celestia interrupted. "But you must keep your new abilities a secret. I fear that your friends being aware of your new power could put them at great risk. Do you still think you can take on this responsibility?"

Flash could see the worry on Twilight's face, but that was quickly replaced with a look of determination. "This is the role I am meant to play as a princess of Equestria! I will not fail to do my duty!"

"Then we must begin at once," Celestia said proudly as Twilight stood in front of the sun princess, the other two alicorns standing around her in a triangle formation.

Flash and Trixie walked back to the knights as the alicorns began to charge their magic. "You understand your role in this as well, don't you Flash?" The pegasus turned to his mentor, nodding back at him.

"My mission is to protect Twilight, no matter the cost. I'll face Tirek alone if I have to. I won't let him anywhere near her."

Grand smiled at his apprentice, "Good."

A bright flash of light drew their attention back to the princesses as Celestia, Luna and Cadance fired a beam of magic above Twilight. The three magics unified into a sphere of magic, which grew larger and larger by the second. Soon it was so big that it almost filled the entire throne room, Twilight now realizing just how much magic she had to absorb and control.

Before she could even think about having second thoughts, the sphere fired a beam of light at her horn. The light that was unleashed next was blinding, the knights and Trixie forced to shield their eyes. And as the light died down to a tolerable level, they looked up and gasped at the new sight. What they saw were the three now magicless princesses, all laying on the floor. Ruby and Trixie ran to Luna's side, while Heather and First moved over to Cadance. Grand trotted over to Celestia, who had recovered enough to open her eyes and see what the others were staring at.

Twilight, still glowing and floating in place, her hair was now waving like Celestia and Luna's usually did. The magic surge then died down, allowing her to land back on her hooves as Flash ran up to her. "You alright?"

Twilight held her head, which was slightly pounding, but opened her eyes and nodded before turning to Celestia. They had never seen them in such a weakened state before, Twilight instantly running over to give her a hug. And as she did, she saw that Celestia's flank was now bare. A quick look at Luna and Cadance revealed that they're cutie marks were also gone, meaning only one thing.

"It is done," Celestia announced.

"What now?" Trixie asked next.

Luna turned to her apprentice. "You must return with Twilight to Ponyville."

"What?! NO!" The former travelling magician yelped while shaking her head, "No...I...I won't leave you alone to face that monster!"

Luna placed both hooves on Trixie's shoulders, "You must. Staying here will only lead to your magic being stolen. You'll be safer with Twilight, and she will be safer with you there to protect her."

Trixie opened her mouth, only to close it. Nodding back to her teacher, she walked over to Flash and Twilight as the defender commented, "I still can't believe its come to this."

Grand nodded in agreement, "This truly is Equestria's darkest hour. But I'm sure that together, the light of hope and friendship will break through it. As long as a single pony continues to fight, Equestria will never truly be defeated." The ponies in the room all nodded, knowing he was right.

---

Manehatten...

The ponies of the metropolis fled in terror, only to find themselves trapped in a red and black aura before being dragged back the way they came. And as they flew back, the creature pulling them revealed itself.

Tirek was a centaur that looked just like his images in the picture book showed. His upper body was red, though the black shirt her wore prevented the ponies from telling where it turned into same black that his lower half was. His arms were giant and bulky, while a white mane and beard surrounded his red face. A pair of large black horns could be seen growing out of his head while he wore a gold triangular pendant around his neck.

Once the ponies were close enough, Tirek opened his mouth and breathed in. As he did, different colored auras began to flow out of the ponies and down his gullet. The centaur laughed as he feasted, the ponies all growing weaker as the centaur began to grow again. And as the draining finished, the ponies were tossed away like ragdolls as Tirek turned to walk off.

"You...won't win." Tirek came to a halt at the voice, turning back to see a whimpering drained pegasi. It was Trail Blazer, who was trying to pick himself up, only to find his body collapsing under him.

"And who's going to stop me? You?"

"No...." he looked away, now seeing his slumped over wife, Misty Veil, "Not us. But there are ponies in Equestria with more power than even you can stomach. They won't stand for this."

Tirek simply laughed at this, "AHAHAHA!!! There's no magic in this world that I cannot consume!" He started walking away. "Enjoy the last few days of peace in Equestria, for soon the whole world will be under my hoof."

And as he trotted down the street, he found himself staring at his newest partner. "Not a bad evil villain speech. I give it a six point five, though it could have used more maniacal laughter."

"Whatever. Just go find me some more ponies. I know there are more hiding from us." Discord saluted before disappearing, Tirek chuckling at the sight. "Excellent. Enjoy that magic while you can Discord. Soon, it will be mine as well."

Author's Note:

And so the first of the season's closing chapters is here. Is it just me, or has this season gone by super quick. Well, how will things differ from the actual episodes. You'll just have to stay tuned to find out.

Yes by the way, that was Micheal Bolton's go the distance with hints of the Disney version here and there. Hope you enjoyed it.

Comments

[Foxhelm]

Gonna be sincere, the song felt like padding,
We could have used an exchange between Discord and Tirek as to how he came to betray the others and there could have been a debate on sending Discord and why Twilight was given the power, or at least an explaination of Celestia's reasonings

But the hall of the knights was a nice tough and all in all a good start of Twilight's Kingdom

[StorybookTale93]

Oh ... the end is near and then Rainbow Rocks right ? The fifth season will be interesting by the way

[Bumblebee16]

Awesome!!

[Reximus-Prime]

Chapter 19 of this story on the 19th of March. Does anybody else find that ironic?

[Godslittleprincess]

Oh, I love that song. It's SO Flash. Oooh! What's going to happen next?

[SuperSonicHeroes]

This is it, the beginning of the end of season 4. This is going to be intense. I really like the Hall of Knights, it was really touching and I wasn't expecting the mystery building to be revealed so soon. Also, Flash singing Go The Distance works so well in your universe for him. I bet it won't be much longer until he's a knight.