Flare of Hope

When the child returns bearing the power of a world beyond ours, the beast will lie in wait. Only a vision of things that may come to pass may alert the next vessel to its approach, and steel him against the circumstantial storm...

Flare looked out across the wasteland before him, as the hot, arid wind whipped his mane and tail wildly in its thrall. The landscape before him was just short of barren, dotted with what seemed to be the ruins of a familiar landscape. Without prompting, he found his legs moving of their own accord, toward the fresh ruins of a nearby building.

As he drew closer, he saw what appeared to be a pony terrified at the very sight of him, attempting to crawl away. Against his own will, he found himself teleporting just inches away from the pony. He tried to speak to the poor soul, and calm them, but his words fell upon deaf ears. What he did hear was a wicked laughter, seeming to come from his own mouth. He felt his right forehoof rising from the ground, and placing itself ontop of the pony's head. Although the hoof didn't appear to be his own. What he saw, instead was a pure black hoof clad in spiked, aqua blue armor. His heart began to race, as he felt his hoof beginning to press against the pony's head. He looked to the sky, just in time to see a white dot in the sky that grew closer and closer. Within seconds, the dot had erupted in at least two bright white sonic booms. Within milliseconds, the dot had become a pure white comet, streaking directly toward Flare.

Soon, he found himself behind an aqua blue magical barrier, raised just in time to absorb the collision of the comet. The impact created a shockwave so great that it blew away the surrounding buildings, and created a massive crater surrounding the creature that Flare had become. After the bright light faded away, Flare could see exactly what had just caused such destruction. He blinked, as he stared at the powder blue alicorn with a mane of pure white flame. Her eyes were ablaze with the same white flame as her mane and tail, and she was dressed in a suit of ornate white armor, with a white metal crown on her head.

"Flare... if you're in there, please stop this! I love you, and I don't want to hurt you... but I will!"

Flare felt his vocal cords tensing, as if he were speaking, himself. "My beloved wife. You couldn't hurt me, if you tried!" Then, without warning, the forcefield shot outward, sending the mare flying backward. He spread his wings, and flew toward the mare, smacking into her full force, driving her into the dust below. "Come now, my love. You need not die here. Simply give in to me, and we can rule the world together. Just you and me. The last two Alicorns in existence."

The mare spat in Flare's face. "We're the last two ANYTHING in the world, Flare! You are NOT the stallion I married, and I will not love a monster!"

"Pity. It looks like the stallion you did marry is going to have to suffer through watching me burn you to a crisp." Flare watched, as a powerful flame erupted from his horn, eliciting a scream of agony from the mare beneath his hooves. The only thing Flare could do was scream, as the entire hellish nightmare before him shot back to reality... and he was still screaming.

Star quickly wrapped Flare into a tight, comforting hug, holding him tight. "Flare, relax! I'm here!"

"S-Star?"

"Yes, it's me. Everything's alright."

"I-it f-f-felt... s-so real," Flare stuttered, as tears flowed down his cheeks. "I felt everything... I watched you die."

Star ran a hoof through her stallion's mane. "I'm alive. None of it was real, babe."

"No, it wasn't but it will be, should you continue down this path, my son." Princess Luna wiped a tear from her cheek, brought on be even resorting to putting her own child through such torment. "I'm truly sorry that I had to subject you to such visions, but it was completely necessary, in order to show you what could happen should these emotions go unchecked. I promise that I will never show you such horrors again."

Flare was still shaking in Star's grasp. "I don't ever want to become that monster."

"Then you must learn to deal with your negative emotions in a way that will prevent them from taking hold of you, as they did to me over a thousand years ago. Now, I'll leave you, and Lady Star to your vacation." After a second, the princess turned toward the door, and began trotting, only to be stopped by a murmur from the still shaking Flare.

"Mom... in the vision, I said... Star and I were the last two alicorns in existence... what happened to you, Cadance, and Aunt Tia?"

Luna simply looked at her son with sorrowful eyes. "I don't think you want to know, my dear." And with that, she disappeared in a flash of midnight blue.

Flare closed his eyes, and began sobbing, only to feel his cheek pressed against Star's soft, warm fur. "It's okay, Flare. Do you want to talk about it? What did you see?"

"I... I killed everyone... and everything... even you. It... it was a nightmare. I couldn't control myself. I could only watch myself do it." Flare began sobbing again, unable to speak through his tears.

"Flare," the mare said, forcing him to look into her eyes. "I swear that I will never let you become that monster."

"You... promise?"

"On my life. I won't let anything in that vision come true."

"Well," Flare began, keeping his eyes locked with Star's. "There's one thing I saw that I'd like to see come true."

"Really? What is it?"

Flare leaned up, and kissed Star passionately, sending a tingle throughout both of their bodies. "I love you so much, Star... Marry me."

Star jerked back slightly, shocked to even hear those two words come out of his mouth. "You... are you serious, Flare?"

"More serious than I've ever been. I want to spend eternity with you."

Star smiled, and kissed Flare one more time, allowing their tongues to dance for a moment before separating. "Of course I'll marry you, Flare. I couldn't imagine spending my life with anyone else."