Flash's Destiny
Equestria was enjoying a time of great peace.
A month had past since Armalum and the other criminals had been defeated and everything was absolutely perfect. The different kingdoms were all at peace with one another and in every one, species from the other kingdoms were travelling around learning more about the cultures of their fellow creatures.
Work had begun on the Canterlot Castle, which had to be rebuilt entirely from scratch. The upside of this was that the security systems that had been grafted onto the old castle could now be upgraded, but it would still take time, which meant it would be a while before a certain ceremony could take place. That was fine with Twilight Sparkle, who was using this chance to enjoy all the free time she could have before she became the ruling monarch. As such, the alicorn was currently out in the town, enjoying a day out with her friends and loved ones.
"One super deluxe berry cupcake platter!" Pinkie smiled as she put the tray of differently flavored cupcakes down for them all to enjoy. "And your milkshakes will be right out." She grabbed a cupcake and took a bite, the others all doing the same. But as they did, they couldn't help but notice something seemed a little off.
"Is it just me..." Rainbow started, "Or is the cupcake...you know."
"It tastes good," Applejack nodded, "But...ah don't know. It doesn't feel the same."
They all turned to Pinkie, fearing they might have upset her. But the look on her face showed nothing but confusion. "So it's not just me," she frowned as she took another bite. "I don't know what's wrong. Over the last few days, everything I bake seems to be missing its normal wow factor."
"Maybe you're just having an off day," Twilight suggested, "Or an off week."
"It's not just me," Pinkie sighed, "Mr. and Mrs Cake's creations also seem to be lacking."
"Probably a bad batch of flour or sugar," Rarity shrugged, "I'm sure the wow factor will be back eventually. And until it is, these cupcakes are still delicious." They all nodded and took another bite. But whilst the cupcake was nice, it didn't give them that warm happy feeling Pinkie's creations seemed to normally give them.
Then, as Rarity picked up another cupcake, her horn suddenly sparked and the cupcake went flying. "WHOA!" Flash yelped as he ducked under the cupcake and it splattered against a wall. "Hey! I know they're not the best, but you don't need to take it out on me."
"Oh, I'm sorry Flash. I didn't do that on purpose," Rarity replied, "Strange, I got a weird magic spasm." The others flinched at this as Rarity used her magic again, but nothing happened this time. "Probably nothing."
They enjoyed the cupcakes to their best of their abilities and when the milkshakes arrived, they found they didn't have the same zing either. They shrugged it off and finished the snacks, then headed out to enjoy themselves somewhere else. But as they were walking through town, Fluttershy's ears perked up at a sound and she looked up to see a bird flying overhead. And as it did, its wings suddenly gave out.
She gasped and leapt up to catch it. "Are you okay?" She looked him over and saw he looked perfectly fine. He spread his wings and tried to take off, but for some reason he couldn't get any lift. "Strange. You don't look injured."
"You alright Fluttershy?" Flash asked, seeing the bird in her grasp.
"This little one can't seem to fly," she responded, "I'm gonna take him to the sanctuary and make sure he's absolutely fine." They all nodded as they watched her fly off. Some thought about going with her, but a sudden crash of thunder made them look up and see a stormcloud overhead.
"What the heck?" Rainbow yelped as it started pouring rain down on the town. "It wasn't scheduled to rain today!" She watched one of the weather ponies flying toward the cloud. "What's the big deal? You put the wrong cloud there?"
"No," he replied, "This cloud was just a normal cloud when I put it here." He busted it and scratched his head, only for another crash of thunder to ring out, making him turn to see another storm cloud. "That wasn't there before!" He flew over to bust it as the others stared at the sky, now seeing the other clouds beginning to grow dark. Some unleashed lightning and rain, while others were dropping snow and hail all over the place.
"What the heck is going on?" Twilight asked, putting a shield up to protect them from the weather. The pegasi quickly got to work, busting every cloud that started changing.
"Somepony must have messed up at the weather factory," Flash commented, only for Rogue to suddenly fly over to them.
"Applejack!" He called out, the mare turning to him, "We've got a problem at the farm." Applejack gasped and ran off, the others following suit. Flash and Rainbow continued to help with the clouds, promising to catch up when they were done. Flash managed to knock down three clouds before landing on a roof, seeing the others having success busting them.
However, it was in that moment that his body flinched. "Gyah!" Sparks flew off him as he staggered around, making him fall off the roof. Nopony saw him as he hit the dirt, the pegasi biting his lip to keep himself from screaming out in pain. And after a minute of this, the sparks stopped and he took several deep breaths before picking himself up.
In the last month he had suffered from bouts of pain and outbursts of energy. It was a miracle that they had only happened when he was alone, though a few occasions he had to fight to keep the energy from exploding out of him. And everytime it happened, the pain was worse than the last.
And all there was, only one emotion showing on Flash's face at this: Dread.
Ever since the defeat of Armalum, he had spent every spare moment he could with those he loved. He went bowling with Scootaloo, Heart, Soul and Twilight, had picnics with his sister and parents. Visited Velvet, Night, Shining, Cadance and Flurry. And simply enjoyed the time he had left with those he loved.
"Not yet," he begged, "Just a little more time. Please."
"I don't think you have much time left." Flash spun around and reached for his sword, only to see a shrunken draconequus sitting atop a dustbin with a glare on his face.
"Discord?" He glared back at him, "Please tell me this is your doing..."
"I'm afraid not," Discord shook his head. "This is being caused by magic going out of whack. And we both know why said magic is going out of control."
Flash frowned at this, "You...you know?"
Discord nodded back, "Did you think I wouldn't notice the world being completely out of control? What kind of chaos spirit do you take me for?" He jumped off the bin and tried to grow, only to stay the same. As such, he fell down and landed on his butt. "Ow!" He suddenly grew larger and became so big that his head hit an overhanging part of the building they were between. "OW!" He shrank back down, rubbing his head at this.
"I'm guessing this means your magic's going out of whack too?"
"Yes," Discord grumbled, "This is what I get for messing up with the other villains. But that's besides the point. The world is going out of whack because there's nopony there to keep things under control. If you think things are bad now, wait a few more days and you'll find things getting much worse."
Flash sighed and shook his head, "I have to do it soon, don't I?"
Discord did a slow nod, "I'm sorry Flash. I honestly wish I could help you, but even if my magic was working right, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to help. I can't simply snap Faust back into existence."
"I know," Flash winced, "Somepony has to take her place...and that pony is me." He looked back at Ponyville as the weather was brought back under control. But as he watched the pegasi finish up, he saw several birds beginning to fall out of the sky. The grass was also starting to turn brown, while the sky itself seemed to be losing color.
"How...how long do you think I have before it's too late?"
Discord shrugged, "I'm not exactly an expert on these kind of things. It's never happened before. But I'll say this, you're probably gonna give out before the world does. You're like a flamethrower made of paper."
Flash sighed as his hoof sparked and he clutched it. "I...I know."
Sweet Apple Acres...
Twilight could hardly believe what she was seeing. The apples in the trees were all starting to rot on the branches while the trees' leaves were also turning black. Applejack showed a look of horror at this as she asked, "What the hay is happenin' here?!"
"I don't know," Rogue replied, "I was just flying through the fields and noticed the apples turning brown. Then the leaves started changing color!"
"This can't be a natural phenomenon," Twilight responded as she began summoning her magic. A wave of magical energy spread across the orchard, Twilight attempting to locate any kind of blight that might have infected it. But before the scan could be completed, the magical field stopped spreading, sparking a second later, "What?"
"Twilight?" Applejack asked, only for the magic to retract and surround Twilight.
"Whoa!" She yelped as she lifted into the air. "What's going on?!" She tried to fly down, but her wings couldn't fight against her magic and she was sent flying.
Luckily, Applejack managed to throw a lasso and Twilight tied it around her hoof. The rest of Twilight's friends quickly pulled her back down, Rarity stating what they were all thinking. "Does this not seem like Cozy's doing?"
They all frowned at this, only for Twilight to shake her head, "No." Her magic then stopped, making her hit dirt a second later. "Ow." she moaned before getting up, "Cozy was draining magic from Equestria, but this isn't that. It's...it's like my magic was going out of control."
"Ya'll think this might be connected to what's happenin' to mah farm?"
"I don't know," Twilight sighed, "It can't be a coincidence." She took a deep breath, "I need to send a letter to Celestia. We gotta go find Spike." She would have teleported, but she didn't trust he magic at this moment. "Come on." She ran out of the farm and the others quickly followed. And as they did this, they found other trees were starting to lose their leaves along with the flowers, all looking close to dead. The colors in the plants looked faded and worn, making the whole world around them seem duller by comparison.
"Can't we ever catch a break?" She growled, making her think about what had happened a month ago. At this rate, she would need a vacation by the time she took the throne.
As such, they arrived in the town and were glad to see the clouds debacle had been taken care of, with no damage appearing to have been done by it. However, they couldn't help but notice the place seemed less...lively. The plants and trees were the same as the others, appearing to be dying and losing leaves, while the river that ran through the town didn't look as clear as it normally did. They frowned at the sight, wondering how they could have missed the change the town was undergoing. This couldn't have just happened, so it must have slowly been building over time.
"What is happening?!" Twilight asked as she saw the flower ponies having a fit over the state of their flowers. For once, they actually had a reason for panicking.
"Twilight!" She turned to see Rainbow along with Iron, Lightning and Grand on her tail. "You fix everything at Sweet Apple Acres?"
"No," Twilight shook her head, "And I'm starting to worry that might just be a symptom of a bigger problem."
"I'll say," Lightning chimed in, "My magic's been going haywire all morning. And I'm not the only one. Unicorns are having trouble keeping it under control all over town."
"Twilight!" They spun around again, this time seeing Fluttershy, "Please! Something's wrong with all my animals!"
"What do you mean?"
She almost shrunk as she said her next words, "None of the birds can fly. The critters are all feeling exhausted for no reason, and the fish can't seem to swim in a straight line."
"Ouch," Rainbow hissed, "That's just...weird."
"Are they sick or something?" Grand asked, Fluttershy shaking her head.
"No. I checked them all. There's nothing wrong with them. But...everything that makes them...them is failing."
Twilight sighed, "What else could go wrong?" She got her answer when she heard Trixie's voice call out her name, making her turn to the now approaching unicorn, "What's wrong?"
"it's the students!" Trixie cried. "They're out of control!"
Trixie didn't give any more explanation and rushed back to the school, Twilight and the others following behind her. When they arrived, they found the place was a complete mess. "What happened here?" Twilight asked, only to hear a roar and made them turn to see a bugbear flying through the halls, ripping through things.
Iron, Grand and Lightning prepared to attack, but Trixie jumped in front of them. "Wait!" She cried as the bugbear suddenly transformed into Ocellus.
The changeling fell to the ground, groaning as she held her head. "Ocellus?!" Twilight stepped forward, "What are you doing?!"
"I don't know!" She screamed, only to let out an eeyore sound before transforming into a donkey and then reverting back to her normal form. "I can't help it! I keep transforming at random! And it's not just me!"
"Twilight!" Starlight ran up to them, followed by Heart, Soul, Sandbar and the non-pony students. Yona was carrying Silverstream, who kept morphing between her hippogriff and seapony form. Meanwhile, Gallus was flying behind Heart with a fire extinguisher, as the colt kept bursting into flames, only for Gallus to blast him with the extinguisher.
"What's going on?!" Silverstream asked between transformations.
"You gotta do something." Heart burst into flames and Gallus blasted him again, only for him to find the extinguisher running out.
"Everypony calm down," Twilight replied, "Something seems to be affecting the magic in Equestria. I don't know what, but I'm working on it. I just need to find Spike so he can send a letter to Celestia."
"Would that even work?" Starlight asked. "If magic's being affected by something, will his messaging ability work like it normally would?"
Twilight opened her mouth to respond, only for another voice to call out, "TWILIGHT!" They turned to see Spike carrying a bunch of different scrolls that all looked like they had all been charred. "Celestia, Cadance, Springer and a few more creatures have been sending you a bunch of letters! Something big must be happening!"
"We already figured that much out," Rainbow groaned as Twilight took the letters and gave Spike a questioning look, Spike seeing some of the burns on the parchment.
"Sorry...I uh, I don't know what happened when I received the scrolls."
"Its fine. It's not your fault," Twilight unfurled the first scroll. "Celestia's been getting reports of magic going nuts all over Canterlot. The weather's out of control, magic isn't working right, and the plants and vegetables are beginning to spoil."
"So it's not just Ponyville," Grand added as Twilight opened and read some more scrolls.
"Thorax and Queen Novo are having trouble stopping themselves from transforming, but Novo said the problem only happens when they're close to the pearl fragments." As soon as Silverstream was a hippogriff, she pulled off her necklace and threw it away. As it happened, an earth pony student happened to walk past and the pearl landed around his neck. It took a lot to calm him down after he transformed into a seapony.
Once he was back to normal and the necklace was safely placed somewhere out of harm's way, Twilight continued reading the other scrolls. "Oh no," she gasped, "Cadance is saying the shield around the Crystal Empire keeps shrinking and expanding. She's worried it's gonna give out and they'll be buried in snow." She then read Springer's scroll, "Aurarora's not in danger but..." She turned to two certain school going jakhowls, "Ace, Mira. Make an Aura Blast."
The two blinked at her before bringing their paws up and tried to make the orbs, but the attacks both fizzled out and popped before they could properly form. "Uh...what's going on?" Ace asked, trying again with little success. He then tried to make a Bone Breaker, but that also failed.
"It's as I feared," Twilight grimaced, "Springer says all the jakhowls are starting to lose their ability to manipulate aura."
"This is going from bad to worse," Iron commented, "The Crystal Empire might be buried, jakhowls losing their abilities, food beginning to rot. If we don't do something, things are gonna get really bad."
"You're right," Twilight nodded as she stared at the first letter she read. "Celestia wants us to come to Canterlot and start searching for the cause. We'd better get-" She stopped at this as she noticed something. "Where's Flash?"
Everyone glanced around at this, only to see nothing.
Flash was out in Ponyville, sitting on a bench looking up at the sky.
He had also noticed how the plants seemed to be dying, clearly caused by an issue that Faust would fix. And all the unicorns losing control of their magic was likely just the start of it all. He knew he would need to fix things, but doing so would mean losing everything.
"Flash?" He turned to see his sister and parents strolling up, "What are you doing out here?" Scootaloo asked, Flash letting out a sigh as he leaned back.
"Just...taking a break and catching my breath."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Misty asked, "Look at everything that's going on."
"Relax. It'll be fixed soon."
The three sighed at this, Misty commenting, "I do hope something like this isn't going to keep happening between now and her coronation. I want to spend as much time with the two of you before then, since we won't get to see much of you after you move to Canterlot."
Flash showed a big frown at this, Trail seeing this and saying, "Hey, don't worry. We can come visit when school's not in session. And I'm sure Twilight won't always need you, so we can spend some days hanging out in Canterlot when we do."
Scootaloo smiled at that, only to see Flash turn to them with a smile she had never seen him wear. "Flash? What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he replied, "Just...I'm really glad you all are back in my life." The trio almost flinched at that, only for him to continue, "Before we met, I thought I didn't have any blood relatives. So having you here with me is...I'm just glad you're all here."
The three smiled at this, Scootaloo jumping onto the bench and leaning into his side. Trail and Misty stepped up and patted both on the head, the family basking in this warm moment.
That is, till a scream rang out, followed by a burst of light coming from one of the buildings nearby. Another issue with unicorn magic. "I think you should go give them a hoof," Misty whispered, Flash sighing and nodding as the three pulled away. "How about we get together for dinner after everything's sorted out?"
Flash nodded again and flew off to help, here he found it was Lyra. Once he managed to slay the giant taffy monster she had somehow created, he walked into the town and frowned at thinking of what he wanted to do before it happened.
As such, he flew through the air and tried to take in all the sights of Ponyville, only to spot one of the few clouds that hadn't gone nuts and needed busting. He grabbed it and pushed it into the air until it was the exact right height. He looked down at Ponyville and sat on the cloud, only to then push it a few inches to the left before trying again.
"Perfect." He sat there and took in the sight before him. He smiled as he felt himself flashing back to that day. The day that had started it all.
"Flash?" He looked down and saw Twilight, the alicorn glaring up at him, "What are you doing?! Equestria's falling into chaos and you're just sitting here?!"
"Relax Twilight," Flash responded, "It's being taken care of as we speak."
Twilight raised an eyebrow, only to smile. "Oh? Did Faust contact you? Is she gonna fix everything?"
"Err...yeah, let's say that." Twilight tilted her head and Flash patted the cloud next to her. "Come on, sit down. You're gonna wanna see this."
Twilight flew up and sat down beside him, turning to him with a raised eyebrow, "So...why are we sitting on a cloud looking down at the town?"
"Just look. Doesn't this sight remind you of anything?" Twilight glanced back at the town, only to shake her head. "Come on. Try to remember. We were both in a chariot, being pulled by a pair of pegasus guards. Spike was with us, reading a scroll."
Twilight gasped at this, "This is the spot we were in when we first saw Ponyville."
"Yup," Flash nodded, "Well, it's where I first saw Ponyville. You probably remember us being a little closer since you were moping around about not wanting to be there." Twilight laughed at this as they kept staring at the town.
It was weird, how different the place looked. Aside from the fact that the plants were all dying, the town really had changed in the time they had been there. Aside from several restored buildings after the originals were damaged or destroyed, there was also the castle and school of friendship, the new houses that had been built for new ponies living there and so much more.
When they had arrived, Ponyville had just been a quaint little place that barely registered on the map. Now, it was probably the most famous location in Equestria.
"So, why did you want to stare at the town from here?"
Flash tried to hide his frown, not wanting to tell Twilight this was where he wanted to be when it finally happened. "Well...I realized that we might end up busy over the next few months, then we'll be heading to Canterlot. I just wanted to take this moment to enjoy the sight and really burn it into my brain."
Twilight smiled and nodded, placing her head on his shoulder. "I'm so glad we came here. Not just because of the friends we made, but because of just how amazing this town is." Her eyes drifted over to the Everfree Forest. "Sure, it hasn't always been easy. And we've certainly found ourselves running into our fair share of challenges. But Ponyville protected us and gave us the freedom we needed to grow into the ponies we were meant to be."
"Yeah," Flash nodded, "I'm glad we came here as well."
"And it's not like we're never gonna get to see it again," Twilight giggled, "I'm sure we'll be able to visit. And one day, after we give the kingdom over to the next pony worthy of ruling it, we can come back here and spend the rest of our days here."
Flash's heart tightened at that. Twilight was already planning their distant future. A future that would never come to be. "Yeah, I can't wait." That wasn't a lie. He literally couldn't wait. He wouldn't get the chance to.
Twilight sighed and sunk into his side. She could feel the stress go away, only for a crash and scream ring out. They looked down and saw a unicorn, their horn going wild, making her sigh, "How long until Faust fixes everything?"
"Soon," he replied, the alicorn nodding before leaping off the cloud and glancing back at him, "I'll be there soon." Twilight nodded again and was gone. As she flew off, Flash couldn't help but remember all the amazing things the pair had been through since coming to Ponyville. Every adventure, every misadventure. Every day they spent simply hanging out without having to worry about the world turning inside out.
The nights they had spent in each other's company, reading or playing together. The occasional arguments and the much more then occasional disagreements. Flash wasn't sure why, but he might just miss those times more than anything.
His hoof sparked and he could feel the pressure within him growing stronger. He didn't have long left. And by the sound of something smashing and a giant hydra crashing through the school's roof, followed by a large blast of fire igniting the place, the rest of Equestria didn't have long either.
"It's time," he sighed as he felt his body beginning to grow. "But...not yet." He stood up on the cloud and took one final look out at the city. "There's something I have to do."
He closed his eyes and imagined what he wanted to happen and the ponies he wanted to see. He had no idea if this would actually work, but he had all of Faust's power within him. He just had to think hard enough. As he did this, the energy began to spark around him again. But this time, it didn't hurt him. He let the energy flow freely out of him until finally, he opened his eyes and they glowed white.
With that, a mixture of black and gold light exploded out of him in a tremendous wave. The wave shot out in all directions, engulfing everything in its path. That included Ponyville, the citizens of the town taken by surprise as the light flew over them.
Twilight had been on her way to tell her friends about Faust fixing things when the light had spread toward her, making her gasp. She wanted to teleport away, but her magic didn't activate. As such, all she could do was brace herself as the light struck her.
It wasn't just Ponyville though. The wave began to spread all over Equestria, consuming everything as the kingdom found itself overtaken by the light. Some tried to run, some tried to fight, some tried to block the incoming wave...but nothing stopped it.
In five point three eight minutes, the entire world had been consumed.
Twilight moaned as she felt herself beginning to come around, the memory of that strange light hitting her replaying in her head as she opened her eyes. As she did this, she found she was inside some kind of white void. And she wasn't alone.
Spike, Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Starlight were also there besides her. And every second, another pony appeared. Heart and Soul, the CMC, and Scootaloo's parents. Grand, Lightning, Iron, Rogue, Wild and Soarin. Then those that hadn't been in Ponyville. Celestia and Luna soon appeared, along with Trixie and all the other Royal Knights. Twilight's parents, Shining Armor, Cadance and Flurry appeared next. Finally, Springer appeared, looking just as confused as everypony else.
"What's going on?" The jakhowl asked, everypony else remaining silent.
"Where are we?" Trixie asked, only for a new light to catch their attention. They turned to see some kind of white sphere of energy floating in the center of the void.
They all gathered around it, Heart reaching out to touch it, but Ruby smacked his hoof away. "Don't do that. You don't know what it'll do."
Heart huffed as they continued to stare at the orb, and as more stared into it, the more the light inside became clear. And after a while, everyone felt like they could see something inside of it.
"Is that Ponyville?" Pinkie asked, seeing the town and Sugarcube Corner.
"No," Soarin shook his head, "It's Cloudsdale." Everypony else was seeing different things. Some were seeing Ponyville or a specific part of Ponyville, while others saw Canterlot, Manehatten, the Crystal Empire and even Aurarora.
"What...is this thing?" Twilight asked, only for Flash's voice to answer.
"It's our world." They all spun around as Flash materialized in the air and began to fly down. "That is our world, locked in stasis to keep it from falling apart anymore than it already has."
"What are you talking about?" Luna asked, "Does this have something to do with all the strange events that have been happening recently?"
Flash didn't reply, instead just walking over to the orb with a big frown on his face. Seeing this, Twilight slowly said, "Flash...what's going on?"
Flash sighed as he turned away from the orb, "I lied." The all blinked at this, only for Flash to add, "When I said Faust was okay before, I lied. She's gone...forever."
They all gasped at this, Flash having told them about how Armalum had destroyed Faust and taken her power. He had told them Faust had reappeared after Armalum was defeated, having been trapped within him instead of being killed.
"So...what does that mean?" Cadance asked, knowing that Faust was the only one who kept the world working perfectly.
"I means our world is doomed," Cold stated, "Without her, things are going out of whack. Our magic is failing, plants are beginning to die, and who knows what other bad things are going to follow." Everypony gasped, the younger ponies hugging those older than them for comfort.
Celestia grimaced at this, only to glare down at the a certain defender, "Flash, you seem to know a lot about this?" Everypony turned back to him, Flash nodding. "The fact you knew this was happening and didn't tell us means you know how to fix things. If you didn't, you would have told us so we could search for an answer."
"You know how to fix everything?" Soarin asked his friend, "That's great! What do we do? Find some kind of special relic or being of power to help put everything back to normal?!"
"No," Flash shook his head, "A mystic relic or all powerful being isn't gonna deus ex machina us out of this situation. The world needs a god. Someone to keep it running properly. Like Faust once told me, every machine needs a mechanic to fix it up every now and then."
"But Faust is dead." Trixie replied, "How are we supposed to fix the world without her?!"
It wasn't Flash who answered. It was Twilight. "Somepony needs to take her place."
This made everyone but Flash go wide-eyed. The idea of somepony taking Faust's place and maintaining the world for all eternity sounded...it almost sounded insane. But Flash nodded back at her as he responded, "Somepony has to give up being themselves and evolve into...well into a god. They'll be beyond any mortal pony. They'll outlive all those they care about and not even be able to interact with them again. Even if they tried to, only a select few would have the power to understand them. They would be alone...forever."
Celestia quickly stepped up at this, "I'll do it. If it protects Equestria, I'll do it."
"No, sister!" Luna marched in front of her. "It should be me. You had to spend a thousand years ruling alone. I won't let you take on an even greater task, when you're so close to the rest you deserve."
"You both deserve a rest," Cadance chimed in, "If it comes down to it, I'll do it." She looked down at Flurry, "Anything to give her a future." The rest of the ponies started arguing, stating they should be the one to make this sacrifice. But Flash opened his wings and a brilliant light exploded off of him, making them all scream as they were forced to cover their eyes.
"None of you can do it," Flash commented, "I didn't bring you here to decide who should do this. I..." He took a deep breath, "I brought you here to say goodbye."
Everypony went wide-eyed at this, all instantly figuring out what he was saying, Misty walking up first and yelling, "No!"
"I have to," he instantly replied, "I'm the only one who can do it."
"Why are you the only one who can do it?" Grand asked, everypony else glaring at him. However, Flash easily answered by holding out his hoof and unleashing a golden flame, "Your Sacred Light?" The fire was then mixed with something else. A dark cloud.
"The Corrupted Shadow," Cold added, "Faust was made up of those two things. So is the world. You're saying only someone with both Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow can take her place."
"Exactly," Flash nodded, "But it's not just that. When Armalum destroyed Faust, he took all her power. The only way I was able to beat him was to take Faust's power back, along with his Corrupted Shadow. All that power is flowing through me. The power to keep the world in balance is now a part of me."
"I see," Celestia sighed, "Then you really are the only one able to do this."
Flash nodded as he walked over to orb. "Equestria is in a state of stasis. Once I transform, I'll merge with it and become its new protector. As soon as I do, I'll be able to keep it in balance and protect the world."
"No..." Scootaloo looked ready to start crying, "NO!" She rushed over and grabbed his leg, "I don't want you to go!" She started crying at this, hugging him as tightly as possible while the other youngsters and a few of the gentler ponies started crying as well.
The sight made Flash's heart clench before detaching his sister from his leg and hugging her. "I'm sorry. But I have to."
"NO!" Scootaloo cried, "Please don't go! I don't wanna lose you!"
"None of us do!" Springer added, "There has to be another way to stop this!"
"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?!" Ruby yelled, "We would have had more time to find a solution that didn't involve you giving up your life!"
"There is no other solution," Flash replied as Scootaloo hugged him again, "You think I'd do this if I thought there was another way? I'm sorry, but this is the only thing that'll save the world. Armalum intended to replace Faust after he destroyed me. And when I learned Faust was gone, I knew somepony would have to take her place." He sighed, "I knew it would have to be me."
Grand's eyes widened as he realized what Flash was talking about. The warning Shroudheart had given him. He would defeat the greatest threat to Equestria, but lose everything in the process. This was what he meant.
Flash shook his head at this, "I didn't tell you because...I didn't want what little time we had together to be wasted searching for a solution that didn't exist. I wanted to spend it enjoying things with everypony. To have fun with those I loved the most." Everyone was crying now. Even the more rough and tough members of the group couldn't keep back from becoming a blubbering mess. Heart and Soul ran over and hugged Flash as well, Flash's heart breaking as they cried.
Flash stared at all his friends at this, knowing this would be the last time he got to see any of them. His gaze then fell upon Twilight, who hadn't said anything since Flash had revealed his intentions to take Faust's place. She was just standing there, looking down.
He slowly detached the three youngsters, who stepped back as Grand, Trixie, Starlight and his parents held them close. He walked up to Twilight, everyone stepping back to give them some space. And when he reached her, Twilight slowly raised her gaze to meet his. "I'm sorry," he said just above a whisper.
Twilight was clearly trying to hold her tears back, "Why?! Its...its not fair."
"I know," Flash nodded. As he said that, his body jerked as black and gold sparks started flying around his body. He screamed, falling to the ground as everypony rushed over to him.
"FLASH!" Twilight tried to touch him, only to get zapped. "Yow! What's going on?!"
Flash panted as the energy began to die down. "Another reason I have to do this." He tried to push himself back up, but his legs gave out. "Even if there was a way to revive Faust, I'd be doomed anyway." This made them all go wide-eyed, Flash now taking a deep breath before getting up. "I've gone too far." His hoof sparked again, "Sacred Light, Corrupted Shadow and all of Faust's energy. It's too much. My body can only contain my Sacred Light because I was born with it. My body adapted to it from youth. But I'm not some kind of demigod with no limits."
"You have too much power for your body to handle," First commented, "It is breaking down." Flash nodded.
"Flash," Twilight was crying now, the alicorn quickly hugging him. Flash embraced her back, the pair holding onto one another as the others continued to cry.
"I...I know this is hard," he replied, "But it's the only way." No one responded to that, "And it's not like I'll be gone. I'll still be there. You just...you just won't be able to see me. But I will be there."
"No!" Heart cried, "This wasn't supposed to happen! You were supposed to help Twilight rule Equestria! You were supposed to get married and have kids! You were supposed to see me become a Royal Knight! You were supposed to have your happily ever after!"
Flash sighed, letting Twilight go and moving over to him. He knelt down and placed a hoof on Heart's shoulder, looking him in the eye. "I know squirt. But...life doesn't always go the way you want it to. As a Royal Knight, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to protect those you care about. If this is the only way to keep you all safe, then it's my duty to do it."
Heart was still crying, only for Soul to walk up and hug him. As she did this, Flash looked up at the knights, who had all grouped up as he asked, "Please watch over him for me. Help him grow into the knight I know he can be. One that'll surpass me."
Grand smiled and nodded, "We will." He stepped up to Flash as he stood up. "Who would have thought the scrawny little intruder I found in the training area that day would eventually grow into...this." Flash smiled as Grand placed a hoof on his shoulder. "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. But I know training you more than makes up for them."
"Thanks Grand," he responded before holding up his hoof. In a flash of light, his Celestic Gear appeared in hoof. He then gave it to the old knight, "You mind holding onto this for me?" Grand grimaced at the sight, but nodded as he took the sword from Flash. The pair then hugged, the pegasus thanking him before Grand took Heart over to the others.
Iron and Lightning stepped up next, the two looking their teammate over and smirking. "Weird," Iron chuckled, "When I met you, I was sure I was gonna hate your guts. Hard to believe I'm actually gonna miss you."
"Same," Lightning nodded, "Don't worry, we'll keep Ponyville safe." Flash nodded and held out his hoof, but Lightning pulled him forward in his magic and the three hugged. They pulled apart and the two stepped back, allowing Ruby, Skybreaker, Cold, Tidal, First and Heather to walk up.
"Amigo," Tidal sighed, "You make the Royal Knights proud."
Skybreaker nodded, Ruby and Heather hugging him next, "You did good kid," the old pegasus announced.
"Indeed," First agreed, "We'll do everything in our power to keep Equestria safe. We will not allow your sacrifice to be in vain."
Ruby and Heather released their hug at this, tears pouring down their faces. "Why does it always have to be you?" Ruby sighed, "You've already given more than enough of yourself to protect Equestria."
"Maybe," Flash nodded, "But the same could be said for you." He put a hoof on both of their shoulders, "You two keep training those students of yours. Heart's gonna need a lot of help when he's older, and Jaden and Raisins are the best ponies for the job."
"You bet they are," Heather wiped away a tear at this, only for Flash to turn to Cold, the pair staring each other down.
"Thank you," Cold replied, "For everything." He sighed and glanced away, "When we met, I was the one who had to determine if you were worthy of being a Royal Knight. But it was you who taught me what being a knight truly is."
Flash smiled and held out his hoof, "Just don't forget. Can you do me that favor?" Cold looked back and nodded, the pair shaking hooves as Flash turned to the rest of the group.
Unlike the knights, who had come to accept Flash's decision, they were clearly unhappy about it. None more so than his family, Misty now running up and hugging him. "Please. There has to be another way."
"It's okay mom," Flash hugged her back, Trail and Scootaloo embracing them as well, "Maybe...maybe this was why you and dad found that temple in the first place. Maybe me getting the Sacred Light was all for this moment."
"Who cares about how things are meant to be!" Trail yelled, "You don't deserve this! How do you know you can even survive becoming something like that?! And if you could, not being able to interact with the world...you'll be driven insane!"
Flash chuckled at that, "I'll be alright. I can handle it. I am your son after all." Trail and Misty felt their hearts clench at this as he tightened the hug, "Don't worry. I'll be okay. And I can watch over you all." He pulled back and turned to the orb, nodding at the sight, "It's time you went back to Equestria."
"What?" Misty asked as he pointed at the orb.
"Touch the sphere and you'll be drawn back into Equestria. Once you're all back inside, I can fix everything."
"No!" Misty shook her head, "Not yet! I'm not ready to say goodbye!"
"You have to," Flash replied, "This void I've created won't last forever. It's already beginning to weaken." He turned to the knights, nodding at them. They all nodded back, Cold being first to touch the orb. It unleashed a light that surrounded him before the knight disappeared. The other knights all did the same, one by one saying goodbye to him before they vanished. Heart and Grand were the only ones to remain behind, Flash's family staring at the orb as they kept hugging him.
"Please," he whispered, "I have to do this. You have to go back. Live your lives for me."
Scootaloo kept crying as they pulled apart. "Promise," she cried, "Promise me that we'll see each other again. I don't care how you do it. Promise me this won't be the last time we see each other!"
Flash smiled and put a hoof on her shoulder, "I promise." And he meant it. He knew he probably wouldn't be able to do it for a long time, but he knew one day he would learn to connect to those around him. Someday, he would see those he loved. "I promise we'll see each other again. But you have to promise to keep being the awesome pony you are and always live your life to the fullest."
Scootaloo wiped her tears, and despite her sorrow, gave him the biggest smile she could. "I promise." Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle walked over to her next, both placing a hoof on Scootaloo's back as they gave Flash a teary-eyed smile as well.
"You two look after her for me. She'll need you for a while."
"We will," Apple Bloom nodded.
"Promise," Sweetie whimpered. The two also hugged Flash before they and Flash's parents led Scootaloo over to the orb, Scootaloo looking back at him before they all disappeared into it.
Seeing his family disappear, Flash sighed. As he did this, Starlight, Trixie, Soul, Luna and Celestia stepped up next. Soul was still crying and Flash quickly kneeled down. "It's okay," he wiped her eye with his hoof, "It'll be okay."
"You promise you'll keep watching over us?" Soul asked, looking up into his eyes.
"Of course I will," Flash winked, "But you won't need me to. Because you've grown into an amazing young pony. One I know will one day become an amazing princess." Soul smiled at this. "You and your brother stay together, no matter what. Watch out for each other...especially him." Soul giggled and hugged him, Flash smiling as he looked up at Starlight and Trixie. "You two keep that school running. I don't wanna go check it out and find you turned it into a performing arts school."
"What?!" Trixie scoffed, "I'd never do that."
"And I actually would never do that," Starlight giggled as she and Trixie laughed. "Thank you, for giving me a chance to learn how to change."
"You definitely put it to good use," Flash nodded as Trixie stepped over to kiss him on the cheek.
"You have no idea how much you affected my life," she added, "If I hadn't met you that day, I don't know where I'd be right now."
"I bet you'd have found your own way," Flash assured her, "Maybe you would have taken a different path, but I'm sure you would have ended up in the exact same place. The place you belong."
Trixie smiled at this, tearing up as Starlight held her close. Flash then turned to Celestia and Luna. "It appears we owe you more than we can over repay," Celestia commented, "I always knew you would become something great ever since I first met you in that park. I knew you had the potential...but I never could have expected this."
"Yes," Luna nodded, "You've come a long way since the time you bravely stood against me with no hope of victory. Equestria was lucky to have you."
"I never could have gotten where I was without you," he replied, "You two helped me grow into the pony I am today. If you two hadn't shown me what a great leader can do, I'm not sure I'd be able to handle what I have to do now."
The Royal Sisters smiled and when Soul finally let go, the pair walked up and kissed Flash on the check. His eyes went wide and he blushed at this as Starlight and Trixie took Soul and stepped over to Heart and Grand. Flash locked eyes with his mentor and student, the pair soon to consider each other that title. They both nodded at Flash, the pegasus nodding. He knew Heart would one day become a knight and with Grand leading his training, the colt had nothing to worry about. He would be the best knight to ever protect Equestria.
The seven touched the sphere and were sucked inside. And as they did this, Soarin, Wild, Rogue and Springer all walked up next, "Flash," Springer tried to say, but no other words would come out. Flash knew this was hard for him. At least when he stayed in Aurarora, they knew they would see each other again. Flash was the first pony Springer had met, so of course this would be hard.
"I know, bud." He patted him on the shoulder. "But you gotta be strong. You have a kingdom to look out for. And I promise, as long as I have a say, no harm will ever come to the jakhowls. I don't care if I'm breaking any kind of cosmic rule. You all have struggled enough."
"I'll keep you to that...but then again, life isn't fun without things going a little crazy."
"True. That's our lives in a nutshell." Flash laughed, Springer chuckling as well as the two hugged.
As they tightly held each other, Soarin spoke up, "Can't believe one of my best friends is gonna be a god."
Flash smirked as he and Springer pulled apart. "Try to be careful from now on. I'm not gonna be there to save your flank the next time you get in trouble." They both laughed before Soarin hugged him, the pair patting each other on the back before letting go.
Rogue and Wild walked up next, "You two stay out of trouble too. Try to not give Applejack and Pinkie too much of a hard time."
They both smiled at this and patted him on the shoulder. "Thanks for doing this," Was all Rogue could say. "You've got more courage than I have."
"Yeah," Wild nodded. "I don't think I could say goodbye to everything I loved." His puppets flew over and hugged Flash, the pegasus laughing at this. "You're one tough pony."
"Thanks," Flash nodded as the four began to move over to orb. And after one last look, they let themselves be absorbed into the orb. That just left the rest of Flash's family. His friends and the ponies that had taken him in.
Velvet, Night, Shining, Cadance and Flurry walked over next, "Oh, Flash!" Velvet hugged him, "You have no idea how proud we are of you!"
"You really are amazing," Night added.
Flash smiled as she pulled back. "I wish I could have repaid you for all you-"
"Don't," Night placed a hoof on his back, "Taking you in was one of the best decisions of our lives. We were happy before you joined us, but it was nothing compared to after you came to live with us." Velvet nodded and glanced over at her daughter, Night doing the same as seeing how stoic she was.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, "For the pain I'm going to cause her."
"No," Velvet shook her head, "None of this is your fault. You have to do this, and she knows that. But accepting it is going to be hard."
"Please be there for her. She'll need you." He turned to Shining and his family, "All of you." They all nodded as Flurry started crying. The alicorn baby struggled out of her mother's grasp and flew over to him. Flash hugging her and she cried into her chest. Flash knew she didn't understand the specifics of what was happening, but she knew Flash was going away.
"It's okay," he held her tightly. After a few seconds, he gave her back to her mother and smiled at her. "Flurry, I know you'll grow into a beautiful mare one day." He booped her on the nose, "Just know your uncle loves you and will always be looking out for you."
"Oh Flash!" Cadance teared up. She leaned forward and kissed him on the check, "Everything you've done for everypony... never forget you have family! Even if you can't talk to us, we will never forget you!"
"I know you won't." He turned to Shining, the prince taking a deep breath.
"I'm gonna miss you," he held out his hoof and Flash took it. Once again, he was pulled into a hug. "If we ever have a son..."
"Please don't," Flash laughed, "If he's anything like Twilight, he'll drive himself nuts trying to live up to me." They pulled apart, "Protect our family for me. And thanks for being the big brother I never got to have."
"You got it," Shining chuckled, "You keep the world running smoothly. Leave the rest to me." He smiled and after one final hug, Flash watched them all head toward the orb. They all looked back at him, clearly mournful, but touched the sphere, leaving Flash with only the ponies that he had started his adventure with.
And before he could turn to them, he was tackled to the ground. "FLASH!" Pinkie screamed, tears exploding out of her face like waterfalls. "Please don't go!"
"Pinkie..." Flash slowly replied.
"It's okay Pinkie," Applejack pulled the mare away as Flash stood up, "Flash's gotta do what he's gotta do. It's hard, but it's true."
"Oh Flash!" Fluttershy hugged him next, Rarity following her lead. They hugged him and Flash held them tightly as he looked over at Rainbow and Applejack. Applejack continued to hold Pinkie as she cried while Rainbow was clearly trying to hold back her tears. Applejack was the same, water trying to appear in her eyes.
"Thank you," he said in a shaky tone, "All of you. You're the best friends a pony could have asked for. Everything I've been through, I'm glad I went through it with all of you."
Fluttershy and Rarity pulled apart, Pinkie hugging him again. Then, Applejack and Rainbow rushed over to hug him as well. "It's not gonna be the same without you," Pinkie cried, "You promised Scootaloo you'd see her again." She pulled back, "Promise us the same thing."
Flash smiled, "I promise we'll see each other again." He made the gesture, "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
"You'd better keep that promise," Rainbow added, "If you don't, I'll find a way to come back here and kick you in the flank." Flash laughed and looked over at the little dragon flying next to them, Applejack and Rainbow stepping aside as Spike rushed to hug him as well.
"It's okay," he assured the Mystic Fire Dragon. "You'll be okay. You've grown so much since coming to Ponyville. I know I can trust you."
"Trust me with what?" Spike asked, Flash pulling away and gesturing his head to Twilight. "Oh."
"Twilight's gonna need you to keep her from going nuts. I know you'll be able to stop her from overthinking things."
Spike took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll do my best."
Flash chuckled at this, "I know you will." He looked back at them, the group all crying now, "You all might not be able to see me, but I'll always be with you. I'll be Equestria itself. Every time you walk on grass of fly through a cloud. Every time you swim or bake something sweet. Every time you breath the air, I'll be there. And if you ever feel like you're alone and can't go on, remember that I'm there with you. Even if you can't see me, or hear me, I'll be there. And I know you can do anything you put your minds to."
"Flash," Rarity whispered, "Thank you."
"We won't forget you," Pinkie added.
"And I won't forget you," Flash continued, "Even after...after a thousand years and you're all gone. I'll never forget the best friends I ever had." They smiled and gave him one last group hug before they all said their goodbyes, each of them looking over at Twilight and knowing this last goodbye would likely be the hardest.
One by one, they each stepped over to the orb. And one by one, they each touched it and were sucked inside. Flash sighed as he watched the last one disappear, then turned to Twilight. He had so many things he wanted to tell her. So many things he wished he had said before all this. But...now he had just a few minutes before the void broke apart.
"Twilight," he slowly said, "I know you're probably angry at me for-" He stopped when he was suddenly tackled to the ground, Twilight pinning him down as she looked down at him. Her face finally broke into tears as she glared down at him.
"I'm not angry," she told him. "I'm FURIOUS!" Flash gulped at this, "Furious that the world is making you do this!"
"Twilight?"
"Of course you'd give up your life to save us all!" she began to cry. "You wouldn't be you if you didn't!" She collapsed on top of him, placing her head on his chest, crying as Flash held her tightly. "You wouldn't be the pony I loved if you didn't." Flash smiled and continued to hold her tightly. "But it's not fair. You and I were going to rule Equestria together. We were going to work to make it even better than it already was. Help bring other creatures into the UFC. But now..."
Flash sighed, "You'll have to do that without me."
Twilight sniffed as Flash rolled them around so they were sitting together, the pegasus continuing to hold the alicorn before she whispered, "I can't do this without you."
"Oh no you don't." Flash lifted her head to look him in the eye. "Don't even think about losing all the confidence you've built. I know it's gonna be hard, but you can still rule even without me."
"But I don't wanna rule without you!" Twilight screamed, "All the hard work! All the decisions I'm gonna have to make! I'm not worried about making the wrong decisions, but the thought of having to make them on my own..." She placed her face in his chest again. "Celestia always told me how exhausting ruling could be and I wasn't worried, because I knew you'd be there at the end of the day. We could be together and unwind. Let all the stress of the day fade away."
"Yeah," Flash sighed, "That does sound like it would have been nice. But...life had other plans." He had been strong up until now, smiling for all his friends to show them he was okay with this.
And it was here that Twilight heard Flash beginning to sniff. She glanced up and saw his eyes were now watering. "I'm sorry," he cried, "I wish this didn't have to happen." He held her tightly, "I wanted so much for us to always be together. To get married, have kids and watch them grow up together. Getting old and gray. Eventually passing the crown on to someone else and living out our golden years together. I WANTED THAT MORE THAN ANYTHING!"
It was now Twilight's turn to hold him. She had watched Flash comfort all the others through this, but now he needed it. "It's okay."
She wished she could tell him something that could make him feel better. The pair continued to hold one another, letting their emotions overflow as they took comfort in each other's presence. And after a while, they stopped crying as Flash thought about how much pain Twilight was going to be in after this happened. He remembered what Future Heart had told him about how she felt, and as far as he could tell, this was the future he had mentioned. Twilight would be in pain, and he hated himself for doing it.
"I'm sorry you're going to be alone," Flash slowly said, "But...maybe you don't have to be."
"What?" Twilight looked up at him.
"Maybe...maybe when I reboot the world, I can make it so you don't remember me. Erase myself from ever existing. Then-"
"DON'T YOU DARE!" Twilight screamed, making Flash flinch. "I don't care how much pain I'll be in, I don't want to ever forget you!" She looked him dead in the eye, "You're the best thing that ever happened to me! Swear to me that you won't make any of us forget you!"
Flash blinked at her, only to sigh, "Alright." He held her tighter. "But you have to promise me you won't give into the pain. I know me being gone will hurt, but I know you can overcome it. Promise me that you'll continue living your life without me. And when you think of me, remember the good times and don't give into despair."
Twilight sniffed, "I'll try. But it won't be easy."
Flash nodded back, only for another thought to enter his head. "One more thing." She tilted her head at this as Flash sighed again, "Even if it takes years, I want you to promise me you'll move on."
"What?"
"If you ever meet a pony that you connect with. Somepony you start having feelings for. I don't want you to deny those feelings. Promise me you'll move on."
"Flash," Twilight barely responded, "I...I can't."
"Yes, you can," Flash nodded. "I'm not an idiot. I know I can't be the only pony you find attractive. I want you to promise that if you ever feel yourself becoming close to another pony, you won't hurt yourself by refusing to accept them. I want you to be happy, and if that happiness means you have to be with somepony else, I'm okay with that."
Twilight looked away at that, "I could never love anypony. You're the only pony I'd ever want."
"Maybe. But if there ever comes a time, maybe in ten years or fifty, that you find yourself beginning to fall for somepony, promise me you'll at least give it a try. For me."
She sniffed, but nodded anyway. "Okay." She hugged him again, "I promise." The pair held one another for another minute, only for Flash to then flinch as his body sparked again. "FLASH!" Twilight gasped as he leapt away from her and clutched his stomach, working to get the power back under control.
And once the sparking stopped, he sighed. "I'm almost out of time."
"No," Twilight cried, "Not yet." Flash smiled and placed a hoof on her chin.
"It'll be alright. Like I told the others, I won't truly be gone. I'll be with you, wherever you go. And even if you can't see me, you'll know I'm there." Twilight nodded and hugged him again. "And like I told Scootaloo and Pinkie. I'll find a way to see you all again. It might take a long time, but I'll figure out a way to see you again."
"You'd better hurry then. I did promise to move on, so if you take too long, I might find some other hunky meathead to be with." The pair laughed at this before pulling apart again. They stared into one another's eyes as Flash made the orb move toward them. "I love you."
Flash nodded with a smirk, "Quite right." Twilight giggled at this as he added, "And I love you. I'll always love you. Even in a thousand or ten thousand years. For however long I have to do this, I will always love you." Twilight couldn't help but start crying again, the pair leaning forward and kissing one another. It was the most heartfelt kiss either of them had ever experienced, full of all the love and need they had for one another. If this was to be their last kiss, then let it be one that neither of them would ever forget.
And when the pair pulled away, the looked into each other's eyes and burned the memory of their lover into their mind. Flash then held Twilight's hoof and pressed it to the orb, knowing she wouldn't be able to do it herself. "Goodbye." He told her as the light enveloped her.
"Flash...thank you for everything." Those were her last words before she was sucked inside, leaving her lover to do what he had to do.
Now alone, Flash stared at the orb containing his world and all the creatures he loved. He slowly walked around it, remembering all the things he had done to keep it safe and all the dangers still left to plague it. "But that's just you, isn't it? Silly old Equestria. The more you get saved, the more you need saving." He smirked at that thought, "Like a treadmill."
He groaned as he suddenly staggered, his body growing closer to giving out.
A minute later, he got control again and righted himself, the images in the orb flowing and showing him many creatures living and playing together in harmony. "Well, I suppose one more mission to save it won't kill anyone." His hoof started glowing, "Well, except me."
He held up his hoof, but then pulled it back. "You wait a moment," He told the world. "Let's get it right." He started marching around the orb, "I've got a few things to say to you. Words I want all of you to take in. None of you will probably remember this, but I know it'll be there somewhere. In the back of your minds. Words to live by that took me so long to learn. Basic stuff, first. Never be cruel, and never be cowardly." He stopped and looked disgusted, "And never ever eat pears. Yuck."
He kept staggering around the orb, putting his thoughts into words that would hopefully make Equestria a better place to live. "Remember that hate is always foolish." He smiled at this, "And love...is always wise." He suddenly felt himself out of breath, but kept marching forward. "Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind."
Suddenly, his legs gave out and he fell to the ground with a groan. He felt himself drifting away, but forced himself to stay conscious. He rolled onto his back as he kept speaking. "Kindness, honesty, laughter, loyalty, courage and generosity." He pushed himself up, "Let these things flow through you. Even if it's only one, they will guide you to a great life." He got onto his hooves, taking a deep breath as he regained his balance.. He stared at the orb, as his body began to glow brighter and brighter. "Laugh hard, run fast, be kind." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Equestria...I let you go." With that, his body exploded into streams of brilliant golden energy.
The light flew into the air and began to swirl into a vortex above the orb as Flash's body completely vaporized into nothingness. And once it was all gone and part of the swirling mass, streams flew down off of him and began to swirl into the orb. The white sphere of light was surrounded with golden light and when it absorbed all of it, a massive flash occurred and the void was engulfed in a warm and brilliant light.
Twilight felt herself rousing from what felt like a warm and comforting sleep. Her eyes slowly opened and as they did, she saw she was laying on the ground. And she wasn't the only one, as Rainbow and Scootaloo were right in front of her.
She picked herself up and found everypony else that had been there with her was beginning to come around. Celestia and Luna, Springer and the Royal Knights. Even her parents, Shining, Cadance and Flurry. They were all there, some rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
She then noticed something about the area around them. They were in the middle of Ponyville Park, and as they picked themselves up, they saw the plants around them were completely different from what they were before. They no longer looked ready to die, the previously darkening leaves and petals now once again vibrant and beautiful. Starlight activated her magic and was amazed to find it working perfectly, allowing her to pick up a leaf and bring it over to her with ease.
"That wasn't just a dream, was it?" Spike's question didn't need an answer. He and everypony else knew it had really happened.
He was gone.
Twilight looked up at the sky as she remembered everything he had told her. And despite those words, tears began to fill in her eyes. "Flash." Her friends and family rushed to her side, comforting her as she started crying.
The knights, the princesses, all his friends did the same.
Equestria had finally been truly saved, but at a great cost. For years to come, this day would be marked by a special event. As Celestia's defeat of Nightmare Moon brought about the Summer Sun Celebration, this day would be remembered as they day Equestria's greatest hero gave up his life to allow the world to keep turning. For the next thousand years, a name would be remembered throughout time.
Flash Sentry, Defender of the Peace.
The End
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I am so happy I got in to this story. Thank you for this series, it truly was a fun ride. Here's some music that I think fits this ending.
Keep up the amazing work!
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.
Why could it not end more happy.
What a heartbreaking ending.
Thank you, Banshee for giving us an awesome series! (Please, guys, don't take angry on Banshee for his decision... this is the ending he chose)
Farewell, Flash! We will always remember you!
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I wasted 7 years on this!?
I have NEVER been more disappointed in a storyâs ending
11687522
Well he just committed suicide
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Hey can i join you?
Welp, heâs dead. Whens the next storyline?
I have never been more disappointed in series finale since Star vs the Forces of Evil, which is what I compare this chapter to
11692880 Okay, I get. You don't need to keep hammering it in.
Wow. What an ending. I was not expecting it to be so
. I'm really going to miss Flash man. He DESERVES a happily ever after. You took an infamous character from the the series and made him one of the best characters ever written.
I was hoping you would write some sort of epilogue. It would be based on the final episode of MLP: FIM showing Twilight's coronation and the distant future of how she and everyone else still living their lives without Flash. If you weren't planning on writing one,, please do
. I want to know that Flash actually reunited with his loved ones
.
11692883
Or maybe an alternate ending where someone else takes Flashâs place like in âThe Last Adventureâ
That way people can choose which ending they like best and consider it âcanonâ
Guys, I get some of us are upset, but please do not take it out on Banshee. It was their choice to end it this way, you don't have to like it, but shouldn't take your distress out on them.
Please try to understand, okay?
11692890
I actually was thinking of Grand and what do you mean? The FiM finale was a great episode
"then I'll be releasing the story that'll be taking the Chronicles place."
Are planning a sequel? Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes.
please tell me you have a sequel planned where he returns, he went through so much it cant end like this.
Where is the happy ever after like the canon?
please this is no way to end such a story.
11692841
How can we not get upset so many years and it ends like this a sad ending this is not how things are in mlp
really? Is what you just read real?... I have never been so disappointed by the ending of a fanfiction before.
A bittersweet ending but one that is not out of place. I've been following this series since the beginning and I've loved every minute of it. Thank you for writing such a great story.
I was hoping for something like when Lucy saved Natsu. It's just not fair. But this is your story, so even though I am upset, I won't ask you to change it. I'm still upset about it.
I've been reading this story since the start. I know I haven't made really any comment about it, but I never really thought about it before now. This story means a lot to me as a fan of MLP since before season 3 era back in 2013. I found this story because I am a Flash X Twilight shipper, and I didn't find that many positive stories about this one pony that, at the time Element of Courage came out, didn't really care for. I stayed throughout the years, waking up every Tuesday morning to read this before getting up for the day. I laughed, I cried, I felt so many care made in this epic of this one pony that became someone completely new in the eyes of many who enjoyed this story along with me.
The ending of any story, even ones we love, can be hard. Sad endings make it harder to bare.
However, as much as it hurts to read it, I think it was as beautiful as it was tragic.
Stories like this one remind all of us how Happily Ever After doesn't always happen, that life is complex and messy. Flash Sentry changed our minds about how we see characters like him. How we first hated him, then felt pity, then this story made us see how amazing he could really be if given the chance to shine. I liked his character before, I love his character now. It hurts that his story ends this way, but I will never forget the impact this writer and this series had.
And the fact is, we all have a right Flash how we want to see him, that's what fanfiction is all about. If you want to write a happy ending for him, you can. Just know that you shouldn't feel upset at this author for taking this route with his version of Flash. I can respect what was made here and will keep coming back to past stories knowing that.
While I can't say I will look into their future stories, I'm not going to say I will as I don't know what they will be about, but I can say that this: Thank You Banshee. Thank you for helping enjoy works like this, even long after the show we love is done and this can be placed back on the shelf as the future moves forward.
Unknown and challenging, but something worth finding at the end.
I calculated the word count throughout the series (the area where the stories status shows also shows the word count of the story) and there are about...âŚ.. (Insert drumroll here)..............2,880,864 words in the entire Flash Sentry Chronicles series (or 2,973,135 if you count Flash Sentry's EQG Chronicles).
Whatâs going to happen to your EQG series?
11693046 I want to continue doing that, but right now I have no idea what to do with it.
You really did it. After all these years, this fanfic series is finally complete!
I remember when I first discovered you and this series. It seemed interesting but I didnât expect much of it. Really, I decided to check it out because your Yugioh story caught more of an interest in me and I decided to support this series as well.
There were a lot of people that didnât think you could pull it off. Haters of Flash Sentry, bullies and trolls of all kinds that continued to look down on you and this series, with some even trying to sabotage you by spamming the story with bots and dislikes. I think we all remember one bully in the comments who constantly said everything was wrong, and this never got to see this series through to the end. But you never gave in, and you showed them all.
Iâm not going to say this ending was perfect. I had been hoping Flash would survive his fate and he and Twilight would have a family together with kids of their own. Iâve been dreading Flashâs eventual fate ever since âReinforcements From the Futureâ. But I am not going to whine or complain that this ending âruined the entire seriesâ like some fans did with the canon finale. What kind of friend would that make me?
This series was your masterpiece. Your magnum opus. So you have a right to end it the way you want to. Honestly, what happened to Flash here is still better than dying in the final battle like I had assumed might happen to him for so long. Even if this ending is sad, the goodbyes he said to everyone still had some happiness to them. There is no such thing as a Happily Ever After because there will always be work to do, but Flash proved he was the ultimate hero in this series because of the lengths he went to in order to protect his friends and his world, and he is continuing to do it now.
I especially liked how Flashâs last few words to himself echoed the final speech the 12th Doctor gave. Similarly, his final moments with Twilight and how she screamed that itâs ânot fairâ reminded me of the 10th Doctor and his own sacrifice. Flash was a hero a lot like The Doctor, so well done sneaking in one last shout-out.
I donât know what happens to everyone now. But I know that they are living in peace with Flash watching over them and are finally at peace thanks to him. I just hope some day he and Twilight are reunited somehow.
Technically there is still the Equestria Girls side-story that needs to be completed eventually. But I am sure youâll get to that eventually.
This series was a thrill to read through every week for the last several years, I was happy to have helped with the Tv Tropes pages, and it is an honor to get mentioned in the closing notes and be told how much I helped, but an even bigger honor to be your friend.
Thank you, Flash Sentry for your service. But more importantly, thank you for being friend â¤ď¸. You will always be remembered and remain in our hearts and the hearts of your loved ones.
Thank you, Banshee, for giving us all a great story.
I don't know if there is going to be a Chronicles
version of, The Last Problem. But thank you for this tale.
Flash and Twilight, these two songs are for youâ¤ď¸
And Banshee, this one is for you! Thank you for everythingâ¤ď¸
Is there more EQG coming at least
Iâve been reading this story since around the time Defender of the Peace Season 3 came out. I remember that was around the time I found out about this site dedicated to mlp fanfics and happen to cross on yours. At first I was really only looking for Flash x Twilight fics but didnât find many until I found Defender of the Peace Season 3. I remembered reading one chapter and enjoying that I went back to read the others I missed. It got my attention so quickly that I would always wake up every Tuesday morning to read before heading to school. So many emotions, happiness, laughter even sadness. I commented a few times on the older stories but eventually stopped when I began to drift away from the fandom as the canon series was ending. But I had remembered about your series and couldnât let go, I stayed till the end and Iâm glad I did.
The ending was truly something. I myself love and appreciate happily ever after but know that sometimes stories go the complete opposite way. But thatâs the thing I was warned ahead of time of this possible ending, so I had prepared myself. Yeah I thought I was prepared but I cried so much that I knew at the moment I wasnât. But it was bittersweet that I was okay with what way you took the story. I wonât lie and say I wished for a happily ever after more, but I canât lie and say this was a good fit for an amazing series.
While Iâm sadden that this is the end to the series, and would have to looked forward to future stories. Even one last epilogue of seeing how every creature held up with Flash being gone I want to say. Thank you Banshee. Thank you for allowing us to see this masterpiece of a series many love created. You did what a lot of people avoid doing. You took a character many hated and made him into one we will love and appreciate. You helped me stay apart of the fandom even if I felt like leaving, just with how amazing your stories got. Thank you for everything đŠˇ
11692905
Heâs got a point. Also theres too many unresolved story lines
WOW, a great story has ended and what an ending that was. I'm shock and not surprise at the same time
, shock because I was so sure that Faust will be ressurected and all will be fine but not surprise because it fit the personnality of Flash even if it hurt to admit it.
đ˘ It's frustrating.
It hurts to not be able to see Twilight and Flash have THE happy ending (wedding, make a family and grow old together), they deserve
I have follow this story since the beginning, rewrite the serie to include a character that not everyone like and totally new one is bound to be hard. You Banshee did a fantastic job and I have loved every second of it (even if I didn't like the ending, I will not go against you, it was your choice not mineđ).
Now what's next, a new story, a sequel or maybe both ? No matter what, it is bound to be a great journey ahead !!!
Keep up the good work Banshee. đ
Okay... one more song. This one came to my mind a bit late.
This one is for the entire series! Enjoy!
LONG LIVE FLASH SENTRY! LONG LIVE THE ELEMENT OF COURAGE!!!
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Man, I enjoy the positivity and happiness in your comments. I wish everyone could follow your example.
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Thank youđ
11692901
I talked to banshee there will be no epilogue
It was a very nice story, usually when the hero makes the sacrifice, he does not know if his actions saved his loved ones, but here yes, Flash managed to save his friends and say goodbye to them.
Thank you for this incredible story Banshee, your stories inspired me to write mine on this page, even the times when I wasn't motivated, I saw your stories and didn't want to be left behind, I didn't think you could make me cry with a final chapter.
I hope you can continue to inspire new writers on this page, especially Flash Sentry fans, who will read your story and be fascinated.
Thank you very much for everything, Banshee.
With a heavy heart we say goodbye to Flash and friends adventures in Equestria!
While I'm sad Flash didn't get the finale he deserved I'm not sad about taking this journey alongside him & the MLP crew so I'll respect your choice here Banshee, especially with this line right here :
Had you gone that route it would have been disrespectful to all the readers of this series so kudos to you Banshee! đ
Still remember when I came across the S5 premiere *Our Town* on the feature page (has it been that long?
) & fell in love with this version of Flash who was pretty much considered *meh* or outward ignored by many (myself included) After that I went back to the very beginning to read them all & found myself enjoying these adventures alongside him & the rest of the Mane 6 & Spike, not to mention the Royal Knights, Springer & every new character (both good & bad) that came out each week, it was a wild enjoyable ride!
Thank you for sharing these Flash adventure stories & while I'm sad to see it go I'm curious to see what you have in store regarding future stories Banshee, take care!
The ending is so sad that I'm still crying!! But other than that, I really enjoyed reading all these stories, and if this is the ending you decided to use, I respect it.
I also admire your way of writing, you are a great writer! I wish you the best of luck in your future projects.
Wow⌠end of an era.
...............................I feel satisfied and disappointed at the same time. How dare you make me cry like that!!!
All in all, great story. It was a great journey. As a great lion from a now lost world would have put it, "Once a Defender of Equestria, always a Defender of Equestria."
11693183
so no sequel
11693729
its Star all over again
As far as Iâm aware and no alternate ending either, unless we relentlessly bullly him, Iâm just kidding DONâT actually do that . This infuriates me so much!
11693737
the ending leaves me sad. Just feels wrong
11693766
it shouldâve ended with âThe Last Problemâ and Grand taking Flashâs place
Yeah, it just feels wrong to have this story 7 years in the making end like this.
11693901 That wouldn't make any sense. Flash was the only one who could take Faust's place.
11693926
What about Grand?
11693927 If you remember from season 8, the only one that can replace Faust is someone with the Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow. Flash was the only one who had those two things within him. And he couldn't just give them to Grand, since Grand or anypony else doesn't have the genesis gene.
11693933
Still it doesnât feel right. Will the stories you mentioned in the last footnote be related to the Flash Sentry Chronicles or is the series completely over?
11693933
You could have at least let Twilight and Flash have a kid or something. It's just really heartbreaking you know
11694001
They also couldâve had a way for Flash to still be a god but be able to live his life or go visit his friends and family, Or had an extra chapter that takes place during the last problem
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Twilight Sparkle: "Please I want my Flash Sentry back." đ