It didn't take long for the changeling army to take down the inexperienced Shadow Knights in the southern district of Canterlot. The bug pony soldiers tied the unconscious youthful soldiers with their magical ooze, keeping them from attempting to escape or fight back if they woke up. The changeling captain approached Chrysalis, saluting to her as he stood before her.

"My queen, the Shadow Knights are now in captivity," he reported.

"Good. But now we have a bigger problem," Chrysalis said, confusing the captain. "The previous evening, I overheard Solaris telling my daughter to stay in the forest where we made our camp. However, she has decided to ignore him, as she usually does when she's told not to do anything, and she's chasing after him toward the castle!"

"What!?" The captain, as well as a few other soldiers who overheard them, began to panic.

"Bring a few other soldiers and bring her back here right now!" Without needing anymore command, the captain along with a few other changelings willing to find their princess before something bad happened to her. Fearing for her daughter's safety, she can trust her subjects to bring Trill back safely, but now she needed to try and convince the citizens of Canterlot to evacuate before Lucifer and Solaris turned the city to rubble. "How am I even expected to get all of these money-grubbing ponies out of here if they think they're being invaded by us?"

"My queen! Up ahead!" The queen looked in the direction of one of her soldier's warning, spotting a few stallions coming toward them.

She was just about to order her subjects to attack, only to pause as she saw a few of them with white flags as they approached. The veterans stood before their old foes from nearly two decades ago, each side leering their enemies. The captain stepped forward, being one of the stallions holding up a white flag.

"Chrysalis," he said, trying not to sound hostile, even if Solaris had told them they weren't the enemy at this moment. "It's been a long while since we've seen you and your...army."

"You must have been the guards back then who we easily trounced during the royal wedding," Chrysalis said, earning a few smirks from her soldiers. "I assume those flags mean you are going to turn yourselves in?"

"Half true. Our future prince had informed us you weren't invading to destroy our city. We're actually here to assist in evacuating Canterlot. It wouldn't be easy if your presence scares everypony here." Chrysalis nodded her head. "I believe a truce is necessary between us and your kind until Lucifer is finally dealt with."

"...Indeed." Suddenly, a loud crash was heard in the direction of the castle, everypony watching as the windows in the castle were smashed through, along with bursts of green flames and dark magic shooting out of the broken windows. "And we better do this fast, or else we're all dead."

The two sides quickly spread out as Chrysalis and the earth pony captain relayed their orders to their subordinates, gathering the unconscious Shadow Knights to haul to the station and the citizens in Canterlot. The queen hoped Solaris would keep biding their time, keeping his fight inside the castle before taking it outside.

Solaris flew back as Lucifer's aura sword nearly sliced him through, shooting fireballs out his hooves as he retaliated. His flames were slashed through, the unicorn quickly changing his tactics as he dismissed the sword and created a massive ethereal hammer. Though it seemed to look heavy, Lucifer was able to wield it like it was a smaller, lighter version, rushing at the alicorn and swinging it around. He blocked it with his gauntlets, but the amount of power put into the swing caused him to stagger back, defenseless as he was struck hard in the side by it, flung far across the throne room and through the doors, slamming hard into the wall.

Thankfully, with the help of his crystalized skin enchantment, it lessened the painful blow, but it left him slightly dazed as he shook the cobwebs out of his head. Through the broken doorway, Lucifer rushed toward him again, his hammer ready to slam him down into the ground like a nail. Thinking quickly, he shot compressed air out of his hooves, flinging himself away from the hammer's point of impact. He aimed his hooves behind him and shot himself forward again, slamming his hoof into Lucifer's face, sending him soaring down the hall.

The unicorn quickly recovered, summoning hundreds of daggers around him, flinging them in rapid succession at Solaris. The alicorn blocked or dodged the ethereal knives, avoiding getting struck by them to try and keep his crystal defenses from diminishing too soon. As the flurry of daggers died down, he shot several fireballs toward Lucifer, only for the flames to be blocked by an ethereal shield that shot up from his shadow. He threw the shield, Solaris ready to knock it aside, only for it to turn into a giant, razor sharp spinning blade.

The teen quickly ducked, distracted by the deadly blade long enough for Lucifer to appear in front of him, slamming the alicorn's chest with his hammer from earlier. Solaris slammed through a window, his armor and helmet thankfully protecting him from the shards of glass. As he righted himself in the air, he looked down at the city, still finding several ponies still in Canterlot as they were being led by the changelings and the ex-royal guard veterans.

"They better hurry up. I don't know how long I can keep fighting him inside the castle grounds." Solaris yelped as he suddenly felt a chain wrap around one of his hid legs, looking down to find Lucifer holding onto it with his aura.

"Running away!? Get back here and fight like a stallion!" The chain pulled Solaris back to him swiftly as he prepared to run the alicorn through with an ethereal lance.

Using this added momentum, he caught Lucifer off guard as he aimed his nabbed hind hoof at the unicorn's face. He set it on fire, but this time, he began to focus on using his hidden power, the flames burning from green to bright white. The dark unicorn stared at the sudden change of the alicorn's flaming hooves, too slow to react as his face was met with his hoof, the same sound of shattering glass echoing around them as Lucifer's dark barrier was broken yet again.

The unicorn tumbled back down the hall, rolling to a halt as his mane was singed from the white flames. "I told you I wasn't going to flee again, Lucifer!" Solaris got in his stance, watching Lucifer slowly get up, his face slightly burnt from his fire of Light energy as he struck him. The tyrant leered at the teen, noticing the white flames in his pupils burning as brightly as his hooves. "No matter what you'll try, you will not beat me this time! You're in the presence of a living embodiment the Elements of Harmony stand for; light! I am the Element of Light, your dark magic's greatest weakness!"

Slowly, Lucifer touched the burn mark on his cheek, feeling it sting from the light contact. Solaris expected him to back away in fear, but grew confused as he began to hear the tyrant begin to laugh. Green mist began to seep out from Lucifer's eyes, his laughter growing a bit louder, almost as if he had lost his mind.

"'Element of Light', eh? A living Element of Harmony?" He lowered his hoof, his laughter slowly dying down. "I know the difference between clashing elements of nature, the one duo always fighting for domination being light and darkness...One can't live without the other, being on both sides of the same bit. All that matters is how strong the one side is compared to the other." Lucifer's horn glowed, summoning thousands of different ethereal weapons around him. Sneering at the alicorn, he reared up on his hind legs. "But I know my power is far stronger than your measly light!"

He slammed his hooves down to the floor, sending out several spires of dark crystals from the ground, heading straight for Solaris as he flung every single blade-like aura weapon as well. The teen stood his ground as the inescapable spires and swords approached him. He took in a deep breath and breathed out white flames, surrounding him right as the dark crystals and blades struck him.

Lucifer was about to laugh in triumph, but as the flames disappeared, he saw no sign of the alicorn. Solaris used his fire to transport himself instead of risking burning the dark aura blades and crystals to nothingness. He appeared behind the shocked unicorn, kicking him hard in the side of the head, sending him flying back into the throne room. Solaris shot out white flames as he punched in the stumbling tyrant's direction, sending him bouncing around the room as they exploded on or around him.

Using a move he had seen Nova do to him earlier back in the changeling hive, the teen formed a massive fireball in his hooves. Punching through the fireball, it separated into several smaller ones, moving them by his will as they surrounded Lucifer. Recovering from being tossed around like a rag doll from the explosive blasts, his eyes widened when he was surrounded by fireballs filled with light magic, bracing himself as they flew into him at blinding speed. The blast knocked the tyrant into his throne, smashing through the metal seat, tearing it to pieces.

"Even if a light may be overcome by the darkness around it, it still has the chance to brighten and scare off the shadows." Solaris watched as Lucifer crawled out of the wreckage of his seat of power, his body covered in burns and bruises. The alicorn focused the strength of his fire in one hoof, burning brightly as it began to shift into a dragon's head. "I'm going to end this. Right here. Right now!"

Leaping up into the air, Solaris shot out a burst of air from his hind hooves, sending him speeding toward the defeated stallion. As he got closer, Lucifer smirked, his horn glowing as a dark void appeared in front of him. Solaris increased his speed to avoid getting hit by whatever Lucifer had planned, only to gasp in shock as the arcane wielding stallion pulled Shining Armor out of the void, quickly stopping himself as Lucifer held an ethereal blade to the older stallion's neck.

Solaris could only stare in horror at the state his uncle was in, Lucifer grinning as he had kept his leverage alive to turn this battle around in his favor. Shining Armor was forced to stand on his hind legs as the sword was pressed against his neck. His forehooves were in casts, his horn was coated in dark crystals, he was disheveled, and malnourished. He was held prisoner by the evil tyrant and was now being used as a shield to stop the alicorn from killing Lucifer.

Lucifer chuckled maniacally, relishing in the alicorn's distress. "Oh how the mighty falls when the hero is dealt with a hostage situation. Especially when the hostage is a member of your family."

"H-How...?" Lucifer laughed louder, the teen's self-confidence faltering, his flaming hooves extinguished from the fear of losing his uncle.

"Why don't you ask your idiot of an uncle? He had a cute little picture of the whole family on him, and to my surprise, you are also the son of Princess Twilight Sparkle." Lucifer summoned the family photo he had slashed when he destroyed Shining's disguise and pieced it back together. Shining Armor looked away, ashamed and regretted his decision to keep that picture, destroying Equestria's one and only chance to free them from the maniacal unicorn. "This just made my day when I found out Prince Shining Armor of the Crystal Empire had been impersonating as a mercenary, just to get to me. He just couldn't let his baby sister's death go and stayed safe with his wife in that protective little barrier of theirs."

"This is between you and me," Solaris said, almost wanting to resort to begging to free his uncle. "Let him go."

"I don't think so." The tyrant pressed the blade tighter against Shining's neck, forcing his head back up to avoid the sharp edge from slitting his throat. "This isn't a game, Solaris. There's no need for negotiations when I have you right where I want you."

"F-Forget about me," Shining said, his voice hoarse and very weak. "Defeat...him..."

"As if your nephew will want to risk losing more of his family!" Lucifer cackled, none of them noticing something crawl above them as it entered from one of the windows that had been shattered open. "A child who has been sheltered all his life with no experience living in the harsh realities of the outside world wouldn't want to risk losing a relative they had only met once in their lifetime!...But I do applaud your attempt to nobly sacrifice yourself, which I will gladly do the honor of granting your wish." He pulled the blade away from the captive stallion, rearing it back to thrust it through his back. "When you see your little sister, tell her her foal will join you soon!"

As he was about to lunge the ethereal sword through Shining Armor, the stallions heard something spit from above them. Lucifer looked up, only to be blinded by green webbing, which had actually gotten into his eyes. He screamed in pain, flailing his hooves around as he lost his concentration, letting go of Shining as he fell to the ground and his ethereal weapon disappearing.

"W-What?" Solaris stared in shock, his eye twitching and his anger slowly rising, knowing exactly who was able to do such a thing.

"HIYAH!" Dropping down from the ceiling, Trill dive kicked Lucifer in the face, sending the agonizing unicorn sailing across the room, slamming head first into the wall. "Nopony's going to cheat their way out of killing my coltfriend, you prick!" Solaris slowly approached the brainless changeling princess, who began posing heroically as if she had beaten Lucifer. "See, Solly? I can fight. That's what I call a sneak attack."

"What. Are you. DOING HERE!?" he yelled.

"I came to help," she replied. "Glad I did too. How dare he use a hostage to hold you back like that? I helped save the day!"

Before she could celebrate, Solaris grabbed her cheeks, forcing her to look at his infuriated glare. "You are so stupid! I told you to stay back in the forest, and you broke the Pinkie Promise you made to me! What is wrong with you!?"

Trill managed to pull her head out of Solaris's tight grip, rubbing her sore cheeks. "Well, a thank you would have been nice."

"Is your brain the size of a grain of sand!? Do you even realize how dangerous this could even go!?" Trill stared at him, making the alicorn groan in annoyance. "I swear, if I didn't love you, I would kill you myself."

"But you needed my help anyway. You couldn't have saved your uncle while he was held hostage." She ignored his frustrated gaze and approached the weakened ex-royal guard. "You ok, Shining Armor?"

"Y-Yeah," the stallion said, thankfully having fallen on his side to avoid landing on his broken forelegs. "But Solaris was right...You shouldn't have come to help."

"I couldn't let him fight by himself! I don't care if he can do this on his own! He still needs some backup!" She looked back at Solaris, still receiving a disappointed glare from him. "You're welcome."

"Princess!" The changeling soldiers sent to retrieve Trill flew into the throne room, landing before the princess, glad to see her unharmed. Though Lucifer was knocked unconscious, he was still alive, which worried them. "Your highness, your mother is very cross with you for your blatant disregard to your own safety by staying behind! We are taking you back before Lucifer regains consciousness and attacks!"

"I'm pretty cross too," Solaris said, controlling his anger before he lashed out at Trill. As much as he wanted to knock her upside the head, he didn't want to hurt her too hard. He was about to rebuke his marefriend further, only to grow silent as he felt a very powerful darkness begin to rise from where Lucifer laid. Looking in the unicorn's direction, his pupils shrunk as his body was shrouded in darkness, his blood-red horn glowing ominously as he began to stand up. "Oh no..."

The others turned their heads to where Lucifer was, all of them seeing the dark aura emanate from his body, immediately terrified at his power steadily rising. As he was back on his hooves, the green web firmly sticking to his face was torn off his eyes, burnt away in his hoof by the growing aura around him. He turned his head, his eyes glowing red as the mist flowing out grew out of control.

"You..." The changeling soldiers stood their ground as they protected Trill, Shining, and Solaris, even though they have no chance of survival against Lucifer. "You've really gotten under my skin for the last time..." The tyrant's horn sparked dangerously, glaring at the princess who had ruined his leverage over his mortal foe. "Now, do me the pleasure of DYING!"

Aiming his horn at the group, Lucifer fired a massive beam of dark magic at them. Solaris quickly leapt up into the air and let out a massive plume of white flames around the changelings and his uncle, transporting them far away from the castle, getting them out just in time as he himself avoided the dangerous beam by mere inches. It blasted through the wall of the throne room, creating a massive hole as the dark beam disappeared in the distance.

"This...is...bad..." Solaris could only stare at the massive hole in shock and awe, turning back to the infuriated stallion.

"I have had enough with all of these delays," Lucifer growled, sounding more demonic with each breath he took. "It seems I'll have to use all of my power just to finally get rid of you. If I unleash every ounce of magic in me for too long, I'll lose my sanity...All I'll need is twenty minutes. No more. No less." The aura around him intensified, his horn's aura slowly turning black, the maniacal stallion cackling as he began to unleash all of the darkness he had been holding back. "You're very lucky, foal. You will be the first of many to see what happens when one fully submits himself to the dangerous of arcane arts! I won't need long to release my wrath to kill you, alicorn!"

A powerful pulse of dark magic shot out from Lucifer's horn as he roared, nearly shoving Solaris back into the wall from the force. The unicorn's roar began to turn feral and demonic, his body slowly being absorbed by the black aura as it molded him into something else. Solaris could only watch as he struggled to keep himself standing from the never-ending pulsations threatening to fling him out through the hole the tyrant made just a few moments ago. His eyes widened at the transformation process: Lucifer's horn split into two on his head, curved and dangerously sharp, his teeth turning into fangs, his body growing three times his normal height, his mane and tail waving furiously in an intangible windstorm, and claws formed on his hooves with the aura radiating his now pure black body, the only sign of color being his gleaming white fangs and piercing red eyes.

Storm clouds began to form on their own, being controlled by the overflowing dark magic coming from Lucifer, casting the city in a blanket of darkness. The sun was able to shine through the clouds, bringing a little light to the now ominous landscape of Canterlot. Solaris stared in horror at the demonically transformed unicorn, Lucifer's mind replaced by that of a carnivorous monster. He almost looked like a visual interpretation of what a pony devil that dwells in the gates of Tarterus looks like, though they were only in fictional lore as nopony dared to enter the gates to the underworld with Cerberus keeping anything from entering and exiting. The teen was facing something that not even his own light could possibly take down.

"I'm so dead," he uttered, flinching as Demon Lucifer quickly lunged at him with an outstretched claw, hoping his gauntlets would protect him enough from the large beast's strike.

"Lord Blueblood, you have to evacuate with the rest of the city! This is an emergency!" The veteran captain of the royal guard, along with another subordinate stood before the arrogant, and immature, nephew of Princess Celestia in front of his manor.

"And why should I believe peasants like you?" Blueblood scoffed. "Ever since that ungrateful unicorn came and killed my auntie, he's been causing nothing but trouble, along with those brats who think Canterlot is their own personal playground! At least he's been generous enough to leave me be, since I don't really have blood ties with Aunt Celestia, but I have to listen to you two?"

"Lord Blueblood, at this moment, our future, more benevolent, ruler is fighting Lucifer as we speak," the captain said, trying to remain calm as the spoiled stallion began to get on his nerves. "Their fight might reach out further than the castle, and you could end up killed in the crossfire. This is for everypony's safety, including yours."

"I will do no such thing," the stubborn unicorn noble said, sticking his nose up in the air. "Take your pathetic excuses and bring them up to those rude Shadow Knight hooligans. They'll surely throw you in the dungeon for your drunken rants and stupors."

The two soldiers looked at each other, both of them ready to drag the spoiled prince to the station to help him escape, even though he didn't deserve it with how ignorant he can be. As Blueblood walked back to his manor, he froze when all of the city heard a massive blast come from the castle, looking up in time to see a massive magical beam of dark mana shoot out above them. It grazed the roof of Blueblood's manor, the darkness slowly burning away his home. The noble let out a feminine scream as he ran to the station as if his life depended on it, which it did.

"...Well, beats having to drag his spoiled plot to the train," the subordinate commented.

"He's only a few years younger than us, and he still behaves like a colt. Glad he doesn't have any foals. One Blueblood is bad enough as it is." The two quickly hurried after the fleeing unicorn, being the last of the ponies they needed to evacuate.

As the nobles and lower class citizens were filing into the train, the cars were already filling up really fast, even though many of the posh millionaires complained about the cramped spaces in the commoner cars. With the train's cars completely filled, the soldiers from both sides had to stop allowing passengers on as the locomotive signaled its departure and set its route to the closest town, Ponyville. Before leaving, the conductors told Chrysalis, after a moment of panic when they realized she wasn't here to do any harm, that it may take them a few hours to reach the station, release the passengers, turn the train around, and make it back to Canterlot.

The queen watched as the train left, looking back to see several more non-pegasi waiting to be saved. Even with her soldiers able to help fly them to safety, she had no idea if any of them would trust them to carry them through the air or if any had a fear of flying.

"We don't have a few hours...I can only hope that Solaris ends that psychopath's life soon." She tapped her hoof impatiently, both in wait and in fear of her daughter getting caught in the middle of Solaris's fight. She didn't notice a unicorn colt walking up to the queen, staring curiously through the holes in her legs. He tried to see if he could stick his hoof through one of the holes, catching Chrysalis's attention. "...What are you doing?"

"You have lots of holes in your legs," the colt said.

"Yes. Thank you for stating the obvious," Chrysalis said sarcastically stated. "Why are you trying to look through them like binoculars?"

"...They're cool!" Chrysalis blanched at the odd compliment given to her. "How do you stand with that many holes in them!? Do they hurt?"

She had no idea if she should be flattered or disturbed, but she did have one question she needed to ask. "What is wrong with this generation's youth!? You are the second pony I have ever met who actually complimented me, and it is driving me insane! Why do you colts find me interesting!?"

"...Cause you're a big bug, and bugs are cool!" The colt smiled as he looked up at the changeling queen, though his adoration didn't seem to do much to reach out to her.

"Chance! What are you doing!?" A worried mare ran up to the two, using her magic to drag the colt away from Chrysalis. "You can't run off on your own like that when we're in a dangerous situation with the changelings!"

"But mom, she looks cool!" the colt whined. "They only hurt those dumb knight ponies!"

"I'm not taking any chances!" the mother said, only angering Chrysalis with the noble sounding unicorn's ignorance.

"We are doing absolutely nothing to harm you! In fact, we're here trying to save you all before Lucifer decides to take his fight with Solaris outside of the castle!" As she shouted at the rich mare, she was immediately silenced when everypony heard a powerful blast come from the castle. Everypony gasped as they saw a large beam of dark magic being shot out from the throne room, sailing over Canterlot as it ripped a hole in the wall of the castle and disappeared in the distance. A moment later, white flames suddenly combusted in front of the station, ponies backing away in fright as a few changelings and a gravely weak unicorn stallion appeared from the flames. "...Well, this has just gotten a lot worse."

"Gah! I thought we were burned alive!" one of Chrysalis's soldiers exclaimed as they tried to recover from the sudden transportation through magical fire.

"Trill!" Chrysalis flew over to the rescued group, only to stop as she saw Shining Armor. "Shining?...What in Equestria happened to you?"

"Chrysalis?" The injured stallion looked up, actually seeing worried concern on the face of the mare that tricked him by impersonating his future wife during their wedding planning. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"N-Nothing," she said as she looked away. "I'm just...surprised to see you here...Wait, why are you here?"

"Long story." Shining winced as he was helped up, sitting on his haunches while keeping less weight off his forelegs as best as possible. "And I should be asking why you and your army is here."

"Ask your nephew." It was all the answer Shining needed.

Soon, the skies began to grow dim as dark clouds began to form out of thin air, circling around the city and blocking out the sun. Everypony began to panic, having no clue what was happening. A demonic roar was heard in the castle's direction, watching in pure terror as a large black beast lunged out of the hole, slamming through the wall protecting the palace. Trill had noticed a small gleam of light that was trapped in its claws, which came from Solaris's armor being reflected from the white flames that came from his hooves.

"Oh no..." Trill feared for Solaris's safety, everypony's only hope could be extinguished under Lucifer's newly transformed body. Her senses were focused only on the demonic behemoth out in the distance, oblivious to the frightened Blueblood sprinting past her as he screamed like a filly, barging through others to get to the station. "Solly...Please...Please be ok..."

Solaris was grabbed by Demon Lucifer as they fell out of the castle, heading straight for the guard walls surrounding the castle. It was too late for him to try to teleport away via dragonfire, being slammed hard into the solid barricade, shattering it to pieces. His crystal skin had activated, but it took too much abuse, shattering his secondary armor, including the ring from the overwhelming force inflicted upon him. Still held in the beast's clutches, the alicorn winced as his horn stung from his destroyed ring.

He was soon flung into the city, smashing through several buildings until he was stopped, hitting a wall of another building. Solaris got up as he heard Lucifer smashing through buildings to find him, running through the streets to keep from getting caught.

"I can't believe my ring was destroyed. How?" he questioned. "I couldn't destroy it, and I got smashed by minotaur with ten times the strength of an average minotaur and it didn't break."

While lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice a large piece of a building being tossed right on top of him. He looked up just in time as he saw the shadow underneath him, smashing it apart with his hooves. Lucifer leapt in the air, ready to smash the teen into the ground. Solaris quickly used his chaotic magic, the pendant glowing as he made time stop all around him. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to affect the demonic stallion, still moving along with him.

Demon Lucifer's hoof slammed into his chest hard, shattering the Discord pendant to pieces, along with bending his cuirass, making it difficult for Solaris to breath. Before being crushed again, the alicorn used up remaining oxygen he had in his lungs, transporting himself away from the heavy claws before they dug into his body. He appeared in a safer area, hearing Lucifer roar out his frustrations as he began smashing buildings to find him. Before his lungs could collapse and cause him to pass out, Solaris used his flames to burn the leather straps keeping the breast and back plates together, letting out a big gasp as he finally got it off.

"I thought all of this was indestructible." He looked at the dented chest piece, spotting claw marks carved deep in the golden armor. "How am I supposed to beat him if my enchanted armor keeps getting destroyed?" He flinched as he heard the building he was hiding behind getting lifted up behind him, hearing Lucifer's growls as he held it above him with his claws. "Oh come on. Give me a break."

Demon Lucifer slammed the building down on top of Solaris. He smashed his way through the walls, having had enough running away. Solaris flew up into the beast's face, shoving a white fireball in his eye, making Lucifer screech out in pain, temporarily blinded in one eye. He kept firing fireballs at the demon, but it didn't seem to do much against Lucifer in this form. Further agitating the transformed stallion, he didn't notice his claw smacking him up in the air, throwing him off balance as his helmet was flung off his head.

Spotting the headpiece, Lucifer opened his maw as his horns began glowing, shooting out a massive energy ball filled with dark magic at it, blowing the golden helm to pieces. Solaris watched in horror as his armor that would help unleash his full potential was destroyed, catching sight of his enhanced cutie mark on the back of the helmet burned away. His only chance of releasing his full potential was gone, no possible chance for him to finally end Lucifer once and for all.

As the teen fell back to the earth, too lost in the despair of losing his strength enhanced gear, he was struck hard by another energy ball aimed directly at him. As it made contact, Solaris was sent flying across the city at breakneck speeds, slamming through buildings and bouncing off the streets. He finally came to a rumbling stop at the southern district of Canterlot, where everypony shouted in surprise when they saw the alicorn come to a painful halt a few yards away from them.

"No!" Trill yelled, trying to run up and help him, only to be held back by her hive's soldiers as they saw Lucifer stomping through the city, smashing anything in his way.

Demon Lucifer snarled as he walked down the road, stopping for a moment and roared into the dark clouds above them. He began turning back to normal, the dark aura around him fading away as he breathed heavily. Though he was back to his dangerous tyrannical self, his left eye was closed tightly after getting shot in the eye earlier. He was slightly weakened after reverting back, but he didn't pay it no mind as he saw the battered alicorn teenager laying unconscious, chuckling maliciously.

"Twenty minutes...on the dot." Looking up, he saw the terrified looks of the remaining citizens of the city still around and the changelings. "And an audience to watch as I kill you...My luck's finally come around." Lucifer heard Solaris groan, watching him struggling to stand up on his hooves, noticing the damage he had caused in his last ditch effort to end the alicorn. His body was covered in bruises and cuts, blood seeping out of his wounds, and he looked like he was about to keel over. "You should just stay down and accept your death."

The ponies watching were surprised to see another alicorn was among them and had actually injured the tyrant they all suffered under. Though with the state he was in, it seemed that he wouldn't last any longer. Solaris shakily stood on his hind legs, though the flames he set on his hooves were as weak as he was physically.

"Why...are you...so desperate...to prove that...alicorns are weak?" the teen asked as the two stallions began to circle around their new battlefield, Solaris stumbling to stay up.

"Desperate? Don't make me laugh." Lucifer summoned his ethereal katana, slowly pulling it out of its magic sheath. "For many years, I had actually believed that Celestia was really powerful. A goddess...I was wrong. A god is considered all-powerful, one who doesn't bat an eye to a foe who wishes to destroy them. One who actually controls the world and molds it into what they wish for it, its creatures, and its worshipers. And I was able to prove that that was not the case." He held the blade out to the teen. "Why do you wish to know? Because of your mother, Twilight Sparkle?"

"Princess Celestia told me." Lucifer froze, growing confused. "She told me why you became the way you are...and showed me what happened..." Solaris couldn't stand on his legs any further, dropping back down to all fours. "I don't think any of us claimed we were gods...Maybe we were considered deities...was because ponies only saw alicorns as such by our appearance...A mix of all three pony races in one, holding greater power than any single pony of one tribe."

"Exactly. Everypony 'perceived' that, and never truly knew they could be mortal. And also powerless to defeat their foes." Lucifer growled, sliding his ethereal blade across the cobblestone road. "Celestia never won fairly against the likes of Sombra, Discord, or even her own sister when she turned into Nightmare Moon! Even I had her on her knees after honing the power I wield now after years of studies and practice! But in the end, the Elements of Harmony were in constant use, and she kept delaying the inevitable for each known villain for a millennium!

"If you want me to prove it even further, why don't all of you ask the queen of the changelings herself, standing right before all you ignorant foals!" Lucifer looked over his shoulder, pointing his blade in Chrysalis's direction. Many of the adults knew or heard about what had happened at the royal wedding twenty years ago, and they all heard how Celestia was bested by the queen. "She was the only one, besides myself, who actually bested Celestia with their own strength, and there were witnesses during the wedding process who saw it with their own eyes! Defeated by an insect who can impersonate anything, and grows stronger with the love they consume! HER! OWN! POWER!

"With the Elements of Harmony unable to be used any further, Equestria's trump card is no longer available to save you all from whatever wants to destroy your precious home! That includes me." Green mist flowed out of the unicorn tyrant's eyes, growing intense the more he ranted. "They stood no chance against me. Celestia, her sister, Luna, and your own mother cowered under my power. I am the most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria! Nothing can stand a chance against my magic, and the world will know that I, Lucifer, King of Equestria, will fear my name as I easily conquer their kingdoms and shatter their defenses! I am the epitome of a demigod! I AM INVINCIBLE!"

The area was silent, aside from Lucifer's heavy breathing, the mist seeping out of his eyes flowing dangerously. Everypony who heard his reasoning why he killed the princesses were struck with the realization that they weren't as great as they imagined, but they also didn't want to believe him. Even Chrysalis believed him, especially when she was as shocked as the other witnesses at the royal wedding when she actually beat Celestia in a magical duel.

Solaris broke the nerve-wracking silence, though to Lucifer's confusion and the others' shock, he began to laugh. Though it was weak, since he was badly injured and on the verge of collapsing, it was enough to greatly irritate Lucifer. It brought back the infuriating memory of Twilight mocking him as she had told him he lost when she stood no chance against him, making his one open eye twitch.

"Why are you laughing!?" he shouted. "What is it that is so funny that you have to laugh before you face your doom!? Just like your bucking mother; cowardice and complete insanity before death!"

Solaris slowed his laughing, catching his breath more from the pain he was in as he looked directly at Lucifer. "So...what you're saying is...you killed the princesses, one of them being my mother...to not only prove they aren't strong enough to defeat you, and without using the Elements of Harmony to cheat their way to besting their mortal enemies, including you?"

"That's exactly my point! They have no power! And neither do you, not even with your worthless light!" Lucifer slammed his weapon down into the ground, shattering the stone underneath it.

"...That's funny," Solaris said, wincing as he felt a slight wave of pain wrack his body. "...You're a hypocrite." Lucifer snarled, practically insulted, while the audience watching them stared at the alicorn like he had gone mad. "Beating them with your own power? Last I saw, you never knew about black magic until you were a colt. That kind of magic is forbidden to use, only those dumb enough to seek power from it being truly weak to accomplish their conquests...You fall under that category, Lucifer."

"How DARE you!?" Lucifer's eyes began to flow mist out even faster as his anger grew. "I am no hypocrite!"

"Deny it all you want, but it's true," Solaris said, sitting down as he looked down at his gauntlets, seeing the gems and platinum plate gleam slightly. "If you never discovered dark magic, you probably wouldn't stand a chance against Celestia...Instead of practicing unleashing your inner potential, you sought power through forbidden arts, which is exactly what you wanted to prove against alicorns. You couldn't let your grudge against her resentment toward you go, and sold your heart to the darkness you rely on.

"Princess Celestia, my mother and her friends, my aunts, used the Elements of Harmony to keep Equestria free from chaos and those who wish to create disharmony. The mystical gems you claimed are nothing but tools are far better than that; they keep the whole world safe, not just this kingdom. The reason why they're used is to stop threats like you from destroying everything until the planet is empty and barren of any life. Not as a last resort to use as a power. Not objects to use to cheat their way to gaining victory over those who wish to destroy everything.

"We know that we'll lose against those with more power than us, but it doesn't mean we're weak." The gems and heart half plates began to glow brighter, strengthening Solaris's flames as they grew brighter. "Everypony relies on something they look up to as a symbol of guidance and protection. Alicorns are three pony tribes in one; earth, pegasus, and unicorn. They look up to us as we represent the unity between the three tribes. There is not one book I've read that told me I was some kind of god. I know I'm not, not after what I've been through.

"So, Lucifer, don't think your victory is going to be easy against me just because you've got me down to my last bit of strength." Solaris stood back up on his hind legs, spreading his wings out as he got himself in a battle stance, ready for one last bout. "I'm far stronger than you think you are, because even if I'm fighting you by myself, I'm not alone! Everypony despises you for what you've done, all across the world! I'll prove to you that what your philosophy on alicorns is nothing but lies, and bring peace back to Equestria!"

Lucifer growled, his eyes glowing red as he prepared his blade, ready to slice through the teen. "A compelling little speech. Your words will die along with your life!"

The unicorn shot off at blinding speed toward Solaris, the alicorn pressing his forelegs together to block his attack, the platinum heart pieces coming together and began to glow brightly. As Lucifer flew past him, everypony heard several slashes striking the air, the dark stallion sliding a few yards away from Solaris as he stood frozen. Smirking, Lucifer slowly sheathed his ethereal katana back in it's magical home, but as it was fully sheathed, his weapon exploded in a blinding white light, sending him flying further away from the alicorn.

Everypony gasped in awe as Lucifer got back up, feeling his left side burn from the sudden implosion of his favorite aura weapon. Growling, he tried to call it back to him, but it didn't appear. He strained his magic to bring his katana back to no avail, like it had actually been destroyed from his own mana link. He turned around to leer at the alicorn, only for his jaw to drop as his uninjured eye widened at what he saw in front of the teen.

Feeling no injuries, Solaris peeked out between his forehooves, staring in utter silence at what stood before him. Ethereal spirits of his family were leering at Lucifer, each of them glowing as brightly as the gems on his gauntlets. They looked down at him, his mother and aunts smiling at him, all of them nodding their heads simultaneously, wanting him to end this fight once and for all.

"...It's ironic, Lucifer," he said, slowly turning around as he held out his gauntlets, showing off the gems beaming brightly. "You really thought you felt safe without the Elements of Harmony back in the Tree of Harmony. But, all this time, I have been holding small pieces of the Elements on me ever since I got them. I was kind of surprised to know that."

"I-Impossible...How!?" Lucifer yelled in disbelief. "The bearers are all dead! You even confirmed the others traveling with you all died!"

"Yes...but that didn't mean they were really gone. Their spirits still live on, in the Elements of Harmony, and in my heart. You may be able to destroy lives, but you can never separate others from friends and family! And they're right here with me, in my heart, always and forever!" Solaris connected his gauntlets, forming the heart shape from his plate halves, making it glow brightly.

The light grew and formed a sphere of white light around the alicorn, the spirits of the Elements turning into orbs. They flew into the sphere, turning it into a spiraling rainbow as Lucifer shielded his eye from the intensely colorful display. Inside, Solaris's body began to change slightly: his mane and tail growing highlights in his hair, each strip between his natural golden color the same as the Element's gem color, his hair also turning ethereal and flowed gently in an invisible wind, his wingspan grew in size as the tip of his primary feathers were tinged with different colors, each one matching his mother's and aunts' coat colors, his gauntlets shimmered a multitude of colors like an aurora, and as he opened his eyes, his pupils burned brightly with a rainbow fire.

The sphere blew apart as he punched through it, revealing his transformed self to Lucifer and the ponies and changelings watching the spectacle. Lucifer felt the light within Solaris was a lot more powerful than his own magic, but he didn't want to show his fear. The alicorn pressed his forehooves together, rubbing them together as a spark began to form. With a quick flick, his hooves erupted into a myriad of colors in his fire, the flames growing intense to him, but warm for the audience as they could feel the heat from where they all stood.

"...Y-You think this will deter me!? A little flashy light show and a transformation!?" Forgetting about his beloved aura weapon, Lucifer decided to use his massive ethereal hammer. "You're still just a foal compared to my might!"

He ran at Solaris again, leaping up into the air as he slammed his weapon down on top of the alicorn. Solaris didn't flinch as it got closer, quickly lifting up his left forehoof and stopping the flat head of the mallet inches from his horn. Lucifer tried to pull it away, but the teen's grip was far stronger. He pulled his other hoof back, punching the dark aura weapon and making it implode in a bright light.

Lucifer was knocked back from the blast, quickly flipping back to his hooves as he used his other bevy of ethereal weapons to slice, stab, or hack Solaris. But like his katana and hammer, they were instantly destroyed, and like before, he couldn't summon them back again.

"Anything else you want to use aside from weapons?" Solaris asked, not even exhausted despite his injuries still present on his body.

Lucifer growled, unable to hold back his rage. "THAT'S IT! I don't care if I lose my sanity anymore! As long as I kill you, I DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO EVERYTHING ELSE!"

The unicorn roared as he transformed back into Demon Lucifer, intending to end this at the cost of his mind and body. He fired a massive ball of dark energy at the alicorn, along with the crowd standing a good distance behind him. As it got closer, Solaris smacked the energy ball up into the air, exploding high into the sky where almost every city in Equestria could see it. He snarled in fury as he opened up his maw, building up dark magic in his mouth as his horns glowed intensely.

While the crowd exclaimed in fear as they would get hit by whatever Demon Lucifer had in store, but Solaris stood his ground. Widening his stance, he brought his forehooves together at his side, his flames forming into a sphere between his hooves. The fire soon turned into something brighter and more hot in temperature, retaining its rainbow hue. It was like holding a miniature sun, a small orb of plasma infused with the Elements of Harmony, including the Element of Light.

After charging his attack, Demon Lucifer fired a very powerful beam of darkness, far more powerful than his previous one that tore a hole through the castle, disintegrating nearby buildings and the ground itself. The attack got closer as everypony braced themselves for their inevitable demise, but Solaris wasn't going to allow that to happen. He shot his hooves forward, shooting out a powerful beam of harmonious light that overpowered the beast's own beam, the rainbow streams spiraling around it homing itself on the threat before the alicorn.

Unable to escape, Demon Lucifer was struck by the beam of light and plasma, screeching demonically as it was flung off its hooves and straight for the castle. Inside the beam, the darkness around Lucifer began to disappear as he turned back to normal, the unicorn slamming through buildings in the attack until it stopped him in the southern room he spotted the changelings' arrival earlier. Along with sending the tyrant flying, the light shredded the dark clouds above Canterlot, bringing the bright clear sky back and the shining sun. Solaris ceased his magical beam, staring intensely at the castle.

"It's not over yet..." Taking in a deep breath, he blew out rainbow flames and shrouded himself in them, transporting himself to the castle to finally end this conflict.

As he left, every pony and changeling stared in awed silence. A moment later, they all began to cheer, praising their new hero, and savior, as he bested Lucifer after they doubted he would survive against their hated tyrant. Chrysalis was still stunned, snapping out of her stupor when Shining nudged her side.

"I knew he could do it," he said. "You doubted him, didn't you?"

"...I had. Now I truly believe he could..." She looked over the stallion, wincing at the horrible state he was in. She subconsciously brushed some of his disheveled mane down to what it formerly was to no avail, earning an odd look from him. "How about you explain why you look like Lucifer turned into that demon, chewed you up, and spat you into a pit of dirt?"

"...Uhh, why did you-?" Chrysalis immediately shoved her hoof in Shining's mouth, ending his question before it was even asked.

"Just tell me before I have to find out myself!" she shouted, failing to hide the slight tinge of red on her cheeks.

While the two were lost in the crowd of celebrating ponies and changelings, none of them minding that they're dancing with joy with supposed enemies, nopony noticed Trill flying off toward the castle, having heard him say that it wasn't truly over.

Solaris appeared at the castle, standing at the southern balcony where he saw Lucifer fly off after getting struck by his harmonious beam. He spotted the unicorn, still alive, his body slightly singed from the heat of his magical plasma beam, struggling to get back up. Lucifer lifted his head, growling at the sight of the alicorn.

"You've lost, Lucifer. It's over." Solaris slowly approached the weakened tyrant, Lucifer's horn glowing as he still had some fight remaining.

"It's not over until one of us dies!" He shot a weak beam of dark magic, only for it to sail past Solaris's neck as he leaned his head out of the way.

Roaring in anger, he ran at the teen, forced to use his own hooves to try and strike him, only for the alicorn to easily block his hoof, punching him hard in the chest and slamming him down to the ground. Before Lucifer could get up, Solaris kept a firm hoof down on his chest, rearing his other forehoof back as it began to glow brightly in his rainbow fire.

"I said it's over," Solaris said, his hoof shaking slightly as he prepared himself to end Lucifer's life.

The unicorn saw the hesitation, chuckling at the alicorn's wavering pause. "Go ahead...Kill me. Do it. Kill somepony to claim your victory." Solaris began to have second thoughts, not wanting to resort to killing him, even though he deserved it. Lucifer killed his mother, his aunts Rarity and Applejack, and he was going to kill his uncle right before his eyes in a pitiful attempt to win against his losing battle. He wanted revenge, but he didn't want to kill to get back at the evil unicorn, knowing it won't bring his family back to life. "Come on, Solaris. Be a stallion! Don't be such a-!"

Solaris quickly shoved his hoof holding Lucifer down against his neck, keeping his head still as he glared at the stallion, silencing his mockery toward him. He made his decision and slammed his flaming hoof down hard to the ground, the room echoing loudly. Nothing but silence as Solaris moved his hoof. He didn't strike Lucifer's head, at least not his face, instead aiming for the most dangerous part of the stallion; his blood red, curved horn.

It was nothing but broken shards as they disappeared in the colorful flames, purified and disintegrating into nothingness. A minute later, Lucifer screamed at the top of his lungs in dire pain, Solaris backing away from the hornless unicorn as he watched him writhe in agony as he clutched his forehead, blood seeping out of the de-horned wound. The alicorn reverted out of his new form, a bright white sphere shrouding him for a few seconds and disappearing as quickly as it came.

"M-My horn!" Lucifer shouted, growling in pain as he clutched a hoof to his wound. "You little bastard! You broke my horn!"

"Exactly," Solaris said. "Since you relied too much on your magic, the only way to really end your tyranny was to get rid of the source of your power. Now, you're no longer a danger to anypony else. Including yourself."

"Y-You...You should have just killed me!" He glared at the alicorn, spiteful of the results of his loss and still alive to be humiliated further.

"...I did want to kill you...but I would end up being like you; a killer." Solaris lifted one of his hooves, staring at his gauntlets as he recalled Celestia's tale of how Lucifer came to be the monster he used to be. "Not everypony is born evil. They turn evil by unfortunate circumstances, discrimination, horrible lifestyles...I fell under the unfortunate circumstances group, and I even confronted my own darkness, which was a lot more terrifying than fighting you. I was lucky to have a family who loves me...when you had nopony to turn to after Celestia mistakenly abandoned you."

"Mistake?" Lucifer asked, struck with disbelief as blood slowly dripped down his face.

"She was afraid of you being in contact with that book you showed her when you were younger, thinking it would corrupt you if you looked at it anymore than you had. She didn't want to lose you to darkness like it did to her sister, Luna." Solaris sat down, looking back up and pitying the stallion for his horrible youth. "It's understandable if you were angry with her for abandoning you like that. I was upset too when I never knew my mom had been dead for fifteen years, praying that she would come and see me on my birthdays before I found out the truth. I felt like I wasn't wanted around her, but I was wrong.

"And on my journey across Equestria, I've suffered a lot, losing my aunts one by one...I even wanted to quit and let you continue your reign after losing Aunt Rainbow Dash, but I was glad my marefriend found me and brought me back to my senses." His hoof trembled as he recalled that moment, though he kept his composure around his beaten opponent. "I kept going, even after going through so much emotional and psychological pain...And now, it brought us here, where my mother's prophecy had come true; you're defeated and powerless, no longer a threat to anypony.

"You should consider this a second chance, Lucifer. Celestia did that for you when she used the Elements of Harmony on you, watching you begin to die as they began to destroy your heart, completely shrouded in anger and hatred from the dark magic inside you. Now I'm giving you my own second chance. You can either turn yourself in and spend the rest of your life rotting in a dungeon cell, or leave right now and live peacefully, living out the rest of your days as a hornless hermit." Solaris turned to the closed doors and headed for them to open them. "It's your choice."

Lucifer lowered his hoof, his wound's bleeding slowing down, but he had no intentions of leaving or surrendering peacefully. "...You're a fool..." He grabbed a large shard of glass from one of the broken windows in the room with his teeth, his eye glaring in disdain and extreme hatred. "You're as pitiful as Celestia with that kindheartedness! It'll be your downfall!"

He ran at Solaris, aiming the jagged shard at the alicorn's neck. Hearing him approach, the teen avoided the back attack, throwing his hoof forward and shoving it back hard with the help of a compressed blast of air, elbowing Lucifer hard in the stomach. The hornless unicorn dropped the shard, gasping heavily for air as the teen turned his head to face him, his eyes leering furiously at him as his pupils lit up with white flames.

"You just blew your only chance," he growled.

Solaris elbowed Lucifer hard in the chin, knocking him back as he began to beat the stallion down, throwing flurry after flurry of powerful punches and kicks. Lucifer was completely defenseless without his magic, getting smacked around the room while being pulled back by the alicorn's magic only to get struck even harder. After one final blow to the face, Solaris sent him flying across the room, sending him tumbling out to the balcony and through the stone railing, sending the stallion plummeting to the ground as he screamed. Snapped out of his anger, Solaris quickly flew to the edge and watched just in time as Lucifer hit the ground, wincing as he heard his body made contact with the cobblestone walkway down below.

He didn't intend to knock him that hard across the room and off the balcony, but it couldn't be helped now. Solaris slowly hovered down from the balcony to where Lucifer's body lay, a pool of blood slowly growing around his head. He was definitely dead, suffering from serious brain trauma from the impact of the fall, his opened eye staring at the sky, completely lifeless though filled with fear before he died. Though Lucifer was his enemy, he showed some respect toward the troubled stallion turned evil, brushing his hoof over his eye and closing it.

"If only this never happened, you could have lived a better life a thousand years ago," he said to Lucifer. "Rest in peace, Lucifer..."

"Solly!" Solaris looked up, spotting Trill flying toward the castle. She froze when she saw Lucifer's body, completely immobile, surprised to know the alicorn actually killed him. "Yeesh...I didn't think you actually would have done it, but you did...He is dead, right?"

"Yes...He is. But I didn't mean to..." Trill rammed into him and pulled him into a death grip of a hug, which he weakly returned, feeling his adrenaline escaping his highly exhausted and injured body.

"You did it though. Everypony's safe, all thanks to you.......Solly?" Trill heard him breath slowly, gently pulling away to see he had passed out. She gently lowered him down to the ground after dragging him far enough away from the dead stallion corpse, kissing his cheek as he rested. "You can relax now. It's finally over."