Chapters A Little Dragon Pony Legend
"Nova! Sunset! We have a problem! Huh?" Chi floated back into her apartment building, alongside Crystal Iris, Akari and Nori. The entire place was destroyed, with several picture frames cracked on the floor, the carpet shredded and traces of the same green good were on the walls and destroyed furniture.
Nori reluctantly tapped the surface of the goop, which in turn got stuck on her finger. She shuddered and flapped it away wither hands. "Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew!"
"That's the same stuff the creature spit on us." Akari said, fearlessly pulling a sample from the carpet and placing it inside a random empty jar nearby.
"Which means the same monster was here too!" Iris concluded, her voice partly cracking.
Chi began to tremble in fear at the worst case scenario happening to her adopted sibling and sister-in-law, only for the same goop to land on her head. She and the others looked up to see an unconscious Sunset Shimmer stuck inside a cocoon on the ceiling!
"Sunset!"
Skyspike blasted the coocoon with her magnesium fire and it fell right off, with Chi catching her bridal style before gently lowering her down. Sunset Shimmer came to, her cloths, hair and, pretty much everything, dripping with the green slime.
"Sunset, are you okay?" Chi asked with concern.
Sunset blinked a few times, regaining her vision. "I.. I think so." she then gasped in realization. "Where's Nova?"
"I was about to ask you that! What happened?"
"I don't know. We were just having dinner and then the door bursted open, next thing I knew I was covered in green slime and, the rest if a blur."
"Um, guys…" Nori turned towards the wisp and unicorn, pulling out a huge torn of Nova's jacket, covered in the same green goop. The two girls gasped and Sunset, with a trembling hand, held the cloth in her hands, ignoring the slime dripping onto her fingers.
Iris's phone rang and she quickly picked it up. "Mai, we've got some bad news."
"You're not the only one." Mai said through the other line, her eyes set on the now destroyed apartment of Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst. Gallant Steed has just returned from their bedroom and regretfully shook his head, with tears already beginning to form in his eyes.
The following morning, while bright and sunny in weather, was overwrought for many. City Hall was overrun by all of the guests who had attended the Harmony Celebration. Airbenders, both of pony and human variety, as well as guards from Canterlot, the Police Force, led by Ali and her siblings, and many known friends and family members.
Crystal, Iris and the rest of her friends stood beside Tenzin and Iris's spirit siblings. While everyone else was frantically speaking with one another, the children remained in their corner. Gallant was comforting Chi and Sunset Shimmer, while Mai and Hiro comforted Iris and Akari. Nori was with her father in the audience.
With Asami, Bolin and Kuvira beside him, President Iroh addressed to the frantic crowd. "Everyone, please calm down!" Iroh cried out, rising his hands and lowering them to the public. "I understand we are all deeply concerned right now but--"
"The Queens are missing!" one of the royal Canterlot Guards shouted.
Bolin stepped up to intervene,"Yes, thank you for that already established information, Mr…whatever your name is, I'm pretty sure it's got something to do with spears."
Crystal chuckled.
The doors burst open and the changeling guards hurried inside. "King Thorax is missing!" the crowd gasped. "He never returned from his evening with Lady Fluttershy!"
"Fluttershy never came back either." Zephyr Breeze cried out, with his distraught parents beside him. "I flew by her cabin this morning, and the entire place looked like a tornado flew by. A tornado with slimy green goop."
"Wait, that same goop was around when Applejack was taken last night." said Double Diamond. The rest of the Apple Family, which included Grand Pear. Big Mac was already crying, as was Granny Smith, while Sweet Gala and Half Pipe were being comforted by their Aunt Apple Bloom.
"My sugar-dumpling, Pinkie Pie is gone too!" Cheese Sandwich cried, getting down on his knees, brawling like a baby, literally tears spewed from his eyes like water hoses. "I'll never be the same super-duper-party-pony ever again! "
"Rainbow Dash was taken too!" Soarin said, holding his infant daughter in his warms, while Windy Whistle was being comforted by her husband.
"So was Rarity!" Nori said, standing beside her father, who had both hands on her shoulder. "She wasn't at her boutique, and the entire place looked like it had been ransacked." she pulled out a piece of torn fabric from her pocket. "Look! This is a hand woven organza scarf, and it's torn to shreds! Rarity would never leave this kind of murder against fashion go uncorrected."
"My parents, Twilight and Flash were taken as well." Akari said, stepping forward to address the crowd.
"So were my parents." Iris said. "The Elements of Harmony are all gone!"
"Even my parents! Our entire apartment was ransacked!" Gallant voiced out.
"Nova was taken too!" Chi exclaimed, with Sunset placing her hands on her shoulders.
The doors of were bursted opened again, this time P'Li and the long since reformed Zaheer barged into the room. The man removed his white lotus helmet, looking as distressed as everybody else inside. "We just got back from the Four Elements Hotel. Queen Cadance, King Shinning Armor and Princess Flurry Heart are all missing."
Akari gasped, "What?! No!"
"I'm so sorry, Akari." P'Li said with great remorse.
The poor young alicorn couldn't contain anymore of her sadness. Iris and Gallant rushed to her side, embracing her in a comforting embrace. Timber Spruce rubbed the side of her legs, whimpering sadly. First her parents, now her aunt, uncle and cousin were gone as well?
"This doesn't make any sense." Mai said, "The alicorns and the Elements of Harmony are the most powerful known magic users in the three worlds. How could they possibly be kidnapped so easily?"
"Not to mention, who would kidnap Nova, Starlight and Sunburst?" Sunset Shimmer asked. "And for what reason?"
"Something like this hasn't happened since the changeling innovation." Ikki said, her eyes widened in realization. "Uh, no offense."
"None taken." the number of changelings all replied in unison, genuinely taking no offense in the matter. Silver barked too.
“Why wouldn’t they take Crystal?” Hiro asked.
Hiro!” Mai cried.
Hiro held his hand in defense. “What? Just staying. She's strong with her dragons.”
“What idiot would try to take her with those dragons by her?” Mai said.
“… Okay, I see your point.”
Akari's pony ears perked upwards in realization. She pulled the jar from her bag and rushed towards the two changeling guards. "Excuse me, but would you happen to recognize this?"
The changelings politely took the jar and their eyes widened in terror. They recognized the familiar green substance, and their hands trembled, still they managed to hold onto the jar long enough. "Where did you find this?"
"Right after our parents went missing, this substance was all over the place. In my castle, Nova and Sunset's apartment, and Iris's castle too."
"But, this hasn't been used in years." the other changeling said.
Asami, Bolin, Iroh and Kuvira approached the two, who handed them the jar. Bolin and Asami knew they had seen this before. P'Li also immediately recognized it. "How is this possible?"
Before they could give a conclusive answer, the doors opened again and Varrick, alongside his wife Zhu Li and their son, VJ, entered the building. "Sorry we're late people, but you would not believe the traffic! Hey, we can't all have airbending, wings or magical teleporting powers now can we?" Varrick said. Despite his growing age, he still carried that same flamboyant and charismatic attitude he always had.
Everybody else stepped back in terror once the man suddenly pulled out what appeared to be a riffle gun from his long jacket pocket, and by the looks of it, it was packing heavy.
"Now, where can I find that no-good-dead-end punk who kidnapped our Applejack?" Skyspike swooped in and took the gun out of his hands. "Hey! Give me that back!" Skyspike shook her head.
"Sweetie, what did we agree on on the way here?" she asked. Skyspike gave the gun to her.
Varrick dropped his shoulders in disappointment. "No shooting until the guy is proven guilty."
"That's right. We need to set a good example for VJ."
"So, no shooting, Pops?" ten-year-old VJ asked. He bared a striking resemblance to his mother, except with his father's skin tone and eye color.
"Not yet, son. Be patient. We're model citizens, so we need to follow the law."
"That's no fun." VJ said with a pout.
"I know, but you'll get used to it, trust me." Varrick said while proudly ruffling his son's hair.
The adults and children only blinked a couple times at the unexpected, and completely unnecessary interruption, and reverted their attention back to the jar.
"You were saying about the jar." Akari reminded them.
P'Li stared at the substance, still struggling to believe any of this. "This… this stuff looks exactly like the substance the changelings used to capture everyone last time."
"But, they don't use this anymore." Bolin said, "At least, not in this green color. It's more of a bright, sparkly aquamarine, and you use it as a surprisingly effective fertilizer."
"Unless some changelings went rouge." Iroh theorized.
"I don't think changelings are the culprits here." Iris said, stepping in for the two changeling guards. "Last night we were attacked by a changeling wolf.”
Hiro then stepped in, his voice being a lot louder and, in a lot of ways, more expressive than that of his now serious cousin. He began to explain the creature by using over the top hand gestures. "Yeah, it black and hairy, well maybe not that hairy, it looked like those really sick looking dogs with the nearly visible ribcages, very unpleasant to look at, with these torn up bug-wings and sharp teeth and freaky bug eyes and every time it opened it's mouth this gross limy stuff came spewing out like the stuff in the jar!"
"We have seen a lot of creatures during our diplomatic travels with Thorax, but never of this variety." said the changeling guard. "I have never even heard of a… wolf-changeling."
"I think it's more of a werewolf-changeling actually." Hiro said. "A Wereling… no, no, doesn't have the same ring to it, you know what let's just go with what you just said. Wolf-changeling. Not every inspiring, but it's straightforward so--"
"Not what's important right now!" Mai exclaimed, silencing her brother.
"Wait a minute!" Wu rose his hand, getting their attention. "We're missing someone here. Discord!"
At the mention of his name, Akari gasped, "That's a great idea! If anybody can figure out what's going it's him!"
"Akari's right." Jinora said, "He can sense if there is a magical imbalance, and he's lived almost as long as the Alicorns have, so he's got to know something."
"Not to worry, I got him on speed dial." Wu said, with geo-phone already in hand. Kuvira, Asami, Bolin, Jinora and Kai all looked at him in surprise. "What? We have karaoke nights together."
The phone started to ring, and Wu had it placed on speaker. After a few rings, Discord's voice was heard.
"Hello, you've reached Discord."
"Discord, buddy! Hey, we're in--"
"So sorry to disappoint you but I'm not home at the moment. But, if anyone of my friends, you know who you are you lucky scamps, is hearing this, I was hoping, if you could maybe find the time to, oh I don't know- HELP ME!!!!"
Everybody reeled back at the incredibly loud, and uncharacteristically desperate scream, that came from the voice message. Anybody who knew Discord could already say with confidence that this was NOT his original recording.
Wu blinked a few times before hanging up. "Well, there goes that last lingering thread of hope."
"Discord's been captured too?!" Kai exclaimed in shock, "How is that even possible?! The guy can zap in and out whenever he wants!"
A blood curling girlish scream broke out, leaving everybody nearly def. Most eyes fell on either the ladies of the room, then to the younger female generation, only for all of them to point directly towards Ryu, who was the one screaming like a little girl. He eventually stopped once he saw everyone's confused and very disturbed expressions all aimed at him.
Jinora stepped forward, taking notice of the now distressed, and very, very anxious expressions both Asami and Bolin currently wore on their faces. "Okay, okay, everybody stay calm. I know this looks bad, but--"
"Bad? Bad?! " Varrick intervened, "Bad is when I get that itchy rash that won't go away and I run out of my special ointment imported from Saddle Arabia. This is beyond bad, this is devastating ! Not only are the primary four known alicorns of Equestria MIA, but so are the Seven Elements of Harmony and one chaotic reality warping spirit! Face it, everypony with powerful magic is gone! Poof! Out of order! Adios! Sayonara! Don't ask me how I know those words! The point is, we're all doomed! " Shimer smacked the man upside his head. "OW!
"Shaddup. We are not doomed." Crystal stated. "My dragons are still here."
"Crystals' right!" Asami said firmly, "We just have to work together to figure out exactly who is behind all of this and why."
“And what about Crystal?” Iris asked.
“We keep her safe.” Bolin said.
"Mrs. Sato is right." Iroh said. "Once we have all the information we'll know where to find them." he turned towards the police force. "Ali, you and the rest of the police force carry on the investigation. Any new information you find, report back to us immediately."
The lizard spirit gave a salute. "Yes, Sir."
"I'm coming too." said Spike, also saluting.
"Count us in!" San said, with Mika nodding her head in agreement.
"I'll send Airbender troops to scout the globe. We'll immediately alert you if we find anything." Jinora said, earning a nod from Asami.
"In that, you'll have the dragon's help." said the Dragon Lord Ember to the airbender, offering her claw in assistance.
"And the griffons." said Gilda.
"The changelings will offer our assistance as well." they said, bowing in respect.
Iroh nodded in gratitude. "Thank you. As of now, all further events of the Harmony Celebration, I regret to say, have been postponed until further notice." the president announced with great remorse. It truly was tragic when a time for celebration turns into one of despair and fear.
With that, everyone one by one exited the building. Jinora and her family left with the airbenders and the dragons, while Ali led the police force. Iris rushed outside to catch up with her older sister.
"Ali, wait!" Iris stopped right in front of her sister. "I want to help."
"Iris, no, this is police work."
"But I can--!"
"You can help by staying with Aunt Asami and Uncle Bolin while we figure this out."
"How is that helping?"
Ali looked around before leading Iris away from everyone else, speaking in a hushed tone. "Keeping the Avatar safe is how you will be helping."
"So, I'm just supposed to sit and do nothing?"
"Iris, you just found out, literally, yesterday! You have no idea how to control your powers, like at all, and with everything else that's going on we can't risk loosing another alicorn, let alone another Avatar."
"What's an Avatar?" Crystal asked. Iris and the siblings sweat dropped. Forgot to tell her about that.
"But--"
"Iris, she's right and as much as I believe in you, little sis, this is something you just can't participate it. At least, not right now."
"And you know I hate to agree with Ali, but it's a big fat ditto for me." San said, arms crossed.
Iris only turned her head away in bitter annoyance. "Just great. I find out I'm the Avatar on the same day my parents get kidnapped and I can't do anything about it."
“What about me?” Crystal asked.
Uh…. Um… uh.” San said.
“You should stay with Iris and the others. We can’t risk you being out in the open, especially if those things come after you cause of her dragons as well .” Ali said.
"We're sorry, kid." Ali said with genuine regret. "But, I promise, we'll do everything we can to bring Mom and Dad back."
"Besides, you won't be alone." San said, trying to better the mood. "You've got your friends!"
Iris's expression softened a little bit, though barely. The young princess was surprised when all three of her older adopted siblings embraced her. Ali cupped Iris's cheek with her lizard hands. "Promise me you'll stay safe."
"I…" Iris paused before replying, "I promise. And I’ll keep Crystal safe as well.”
Both Ali and Mika kissed Iris and Crystal on the forehead, while San playfully ruffled their hair before parting. Once they did, Akari and Chi walked on over to Iris. Neither said a word, they simply stood beside her, each with one arm over their shoulders.
Tenzin walked out of the building, with the rest of the kids, Winter, Skyspike, Timber and Akhlut. "Come along, Iris." he said. The children walked out into the sunlight, where the rest of the audience from inside either dispersed, or spoke among themselves. The children, Tenzin and the canines all came to an abrupt halt when a familiar white unicorn rushed over to greet them.
"Hey, guys! I was hoping I'd find you here." she said, holding up her notebook and pencil in hand.
"News Caster? What are you doing here?" Akari asked, eyeing the unicorn with disinterest. "Who are you?" Crystal asked.
"I heard about what happen. I wanted to know if you were all doing alright, and to know if you have already thought of a plan of action to retrieve the everyone."
Mai groaned under her breath. "Nosy reporters."
"All you need to know is that we have everything under control." Tenzin said, while simultaneously trying to casually walk by her with the children. News Caster leaped in their path, stopping them.
"So, do you have any leads as to who could have this?" she asked eagerly, her pencil hovering over her notebook. "How long do you believe this investigation will take? Is it possible anyone attending had some kind of anterior motive to kidnap our heroes?"
Tenzin politely rose his hand. "I'm sorry, but right now the children are not doing any interviews. All you need to know is that we are working tirelessly to retrieve our friends. If you have any further questions, take it with the Police Force."
"What about President Iroh? Is he available to--?" before she could proceed any further, both Wintrer, Skyspike, Akhlut and Timber started to growl at the unicorn, causing her to take a step back in alarm.
"Akhlut, what's gotten into you?" Iris said, pulling her loyal orca-wolf back, while Akari did the same with Timber. Winter and Skyspike circled Crystal. "Girls, what is it?"
News Caster ignored them, but never got to ask another question when Tenzin stepped in. "Miss Caster, I hate to be blunt, but I must politely ask you to leave the premises at once." Tenzin said, his voice now firmer than before.
To his luck, several police officers were nearby, overhearing the commotion a few feet away. They eyed the white unicorn who reluctantly placed her notebook back into her pocket and pencil over her ear.
"Very well. I'm sorry for being so discourteous. If, by any chance, I uncover anything I will let you know."
"Thank you."
Iris continuously paced back and forth inside Mai's large bedroom. The young Sato instead sat cross legged on the floor, googles over her eyes as she tampered with some kind of invention of hers. Judging by the looks of it, it was nearly finished. Nori, meanwhile was brushing her tail on Mai's bed while Akari read a book on the small cushion chair to distract her. Sadly, it wasn't working and she wounded up having to re-read the same paragraph over and over again.
When Iris walked past Mai once more, she briefly lost her focus and one of the pieces flew right off when she was trying to place it back in. She groaned and placed it back on the floor, removing her googles to face her older cousin. "Iris, I know you're stressed right now but if you keep pacing around like that my room's gonna have an indoor moat."
Iris did finally stop, if not solemnly to growl in frustration. "It's not fair that I just sit idly by while everybody else is working to find our parents.
"I agree." Akari said with a bubbling determination that was already starting to rise. "We should do something. We're the next generation of alicorns, it's our duty to fight for the greater good."
"I hate to sound like the wet blanket here, but what can we you?" Mai said. "I know you guys are skilled at magic, but we have no idea what we're up against. We still don't know why that wolf thing, or whatever took Aunt Korra and Uncle Mako or the other Elements, alicorns, Thorax and Discord."
"Not to mention, this kind of crime is way too large in scale to be calculated by only one person." Nori said as she brushed her tail once more, only to accidentally go too hard at one point. "Ouch!"
"What are you even doing?" Mai asked.
"I'm stress brushing. This is a very stressful situation and this serves as a form of personal meditation for me. What are you doing?"
"I'm working on the final pieces of my Geo-Slate?"
"Geo-what-now?"
"A Geo-Slate. It's kind of like a geo-phone but, thanks to a few modifications with the implanted geodes, this baby will be able to scan any surface and incorporate it to memory."
Nori only blinked twice before saying, "Uh…. cool?"
"Then who would want to kidnap our parents and friends?" Akari asked. "Some bad dude from their past they never told us about?"
Iris shook her head, still pacing. "No. They've told is all of the stories, we would have had at least a hunch on who it was, or at the very least Aunt Asami and Uncle Bolin would have had known of someone. The only clues we have is that they clearly only captured the most powerful beings in the world, no doubt for a reason, and that wolf changeling committed the kidnapping. There is no one else who has those types of minions or pets."
"Unless Chrysalis somehow survived that fall." Mai theorized with dry sarcasm. She noticed Iris, Akari and Nori all looked directly at her in horror. "Oh, come on, I was being sarcastic! There's no way she's still alive. They saw her head decapitated from her body and every single limp cracked into tiny pieces and her eyes rolled right out of her sockets."
Nori shuddered at the description. "Thank you so much for the nightmare fuels, Mai!"
"Wait, What?!" Crystal asked incredulously.
"You're too young!" Nori exclaimed.
"I'm thirteen!"
"Too young!"
"My point is, nobody could survive that, not even an alicorn. Maybe somebody else found these undiscovered subspecies of changeling animals and somehow got them to do their dirty work. The one from last night had his sights solemnly on Iris and Akari, remember?"
Iris and Akari both nodded in agreement. The creature did come after them. So, if it did then… would that mean it would come after them again?
Mai reached for something beside her, only to find it absent. "Shoot, where is that thing?" Mai scanned the room, only to find that the missing piece had rolled down under her bed. "Oh, great." she muttered and outstretched her hand to reach for it. She struggled due to how far it was and the space between the bed and herself was relatively small.
"You want me to get for you?" Akari offered.
"No it's okay, I got it." Mai insisted. She thought if she stretched out a tiny bit more then she would reach it. Nori, still brushing her tail, suddenly felt the bed stir and…rise into the air.
The merpony ceased her brushing and looked down, only to shriek on horror to see that the bed, and herself on it, had risen up from the floor. Mai absentmindedly pushed underneath the bed with her free arm upwards to give herself some room and was finally able to grab her missing piece.
"Gotcha!"
"MAI!! " Nori screamed, snapping Mai back to reality and the young firebender yelped in shock. She was actually lifting up her own king sized bed with only one hand, which was emitting a bright pale pink glow from the tips of her fingers. Gently, Mai grabbed the bed with both hands and lowered it down, where Nori was trembling, hugging her legs close to her body, while Iris and Akari only stared with widened eyes and dropped jaws. "Mai, what did you just do?! " Nori exclaimed in frustration, her body still trembling.
"I--I have no idea!" Mai stepped back, staring frightfully at her own hands, the glowing having disappeared.
"That's a king sized bed! How did you lift it like that?" Akari exclaimed, still in shock.
"You tell me! It was light as a feather a moment ago!"
Iris assisted the still petrified Nori down from the bed, while she hyperventilated. "I was scared half to death! You know I hate heights!"
"It wasn't my fault! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine!" Nori outreached her hand towards Mai, telling her she was indeed alright and didn't need her help, at least not after the near heart attack she had caused the poor merpony. But, the moment she outreached her hand, her fingertips glowed and from her palm manifested what appeared to be a large pearl-like shield, the same side as Mai, which pushed her back with incredible force and the young Sato heiress was thrown into her book shelve. The books themselves fell all over her, but thankfully Mai came out completely unharmed. One book fell open on her head.
"What the heck just happened?" Iris asked with concern as she rushed to her younger cousin's aid.
Nori stared at her hands in shock. "Oh my gosh. I am so sorry! I think? Did I just do…whatever that was?"
"Mai, you okay?" Iris asked as she helped the firebender to her feet.
"Yeah. That…barely even hurt. Seriously, I hardly felt a thing." Mai inspected herself. She didn't feel any bruises or anything. Getting hit by the book shelf felt no less painful than actually colliding with a wooden surface.
The four girls flinched, with the two alicorns instinctively stretching their wings in reaction to a medium, yet still loud booming sound coming from downstairs, followed by a girlish scream.
"Gallant!" Akari exclaimed and rushed out the door, with the rest of her friends close behind, at the same time running into Tenzin and Pema who also heard the noise.
They quickly arrived at the kitchen at the same time…which had looked as if an explosion of cheese, tomatoes, mayonnaise, mustard and lettuce had just occurred. The confidants had been splattered on the wall, counters, utensils and floor.
"What happened in here?" Iris asked the moment they saw the mess. The two boys, Gallant and Hiro, were covered in the same ingredients.
"I don't know! We were just making some sandwiches when--" Gallant began, only to get cut off by Hiro.
"Then I told Gallant we should be more generous with the mayonnaise, but he said "no, that's too much", but I said, "Dude, you can never have too much mayonnaise", but then he said--" he quickly stopped when he saw the girls's impatient glares. "Right, okay, anyway, my hand started glowing green and suddenly--"
"Don't!" Gallant tried to reach out and beg Hiro not to place his hand back onto the surface of a bottle of juice, only for it to blow up and in pieces of glass and the mayonnaise itself splattered all over the two already messy boys. Akari had acted fast and shielded herself and the others with a small force field.
Hiro shook his head like a dog to whip away at least some bit of the mess from himself. "Yeah, just like that!"
"Okay, how's about you lay off the touching stuff for a while." Akari said as she took both Hiro's hands and led them away from anything else he could possibly touch.
Gallant used his magic to remove the mess from himself. "Eh, we better clean this up before something else happens." he said and began searching for some of the paper towels in the cabinets. "Hiro, where do you guys keep the paper towels?"
Before Hiro could answer, Pabu came rushing inside and climbed up on Gallant's shoulder. He squeaked in his native ferret language and Gallant turned his eyes to the fourth cabinet on his left, where he levitated it open and lowered down the towels he had been looking for.
"Thanks, Pabu." he said. The ferret squeaked at him again. "Sure, I think I saw some nuts somewhere--Gah! " Gallant jumped in fear and teleported himself right behind Iris, poking his head over her shoulder while starring down at a confused Pabu. "Did--did you just…talk?"
Pabu squeaked again and, just like before, Gallant understood the words as if he were speaking like any other human being, even though they were not actual human words.
"But, I don't speak ferret!" Gallant replied, still freaking out over this discovery while Pabu squeaked again. "I don't know if you're the only ferret I can understand."
"Uh, Gallant? What are you doing?" Iris asked in surprise, arching an eyebrow at the unicorn hiding behind her.
"Um…talking to Pabu?"
"Are you saying you can understand him?" Hiro asked in disbelief. "If so, what's the one secret only Pabu would know about me? Go ahead, ask him."
Gallant turned his eyes to Pabu, who squeaked in reply. "I can't do that."
"Ha! Knew it!"
"I can't because you made Pabu Pinkie Promise never to utter a word about it after he walked in on you when it happened."
Hiro's jaw dropped. "No…way…This is so cool!"
"What's going on…in…here?" Tenzin exclaimed once he arrived at the scene, his eyes widening upon seeing the huge mess inside the kitchen. He had remained with the children while their parents were still at City Hall with the others.
"Tenzin, you'll never guess what just happened!" Hiro said rather excitedly, "I made stuff exploded and Gallant can speak fluent fire ferret!"
"That's not all." Mai continued, and explained with a far less enthusiastic tone in comparison to her brother. "A few moments ago, I lifted up my bed like it was nothing. It's like, I had a lot more strength that I usually do."
"And I made a pearl thing appear out of nowhere!" Nori mentioned, "Which normally I would be excited about, I mean the texture was just perfect, and the--"
"Nori!"
"Oh, sorry. It knocked Mai over and then it disappeared!"
"Speaking of disappearing. Where's Chi?" Gallant asked.
"Last I saw her she was heading to the bathroom." Akari replied…not even a second went by and a blur of bright sky blue came speeding into the kitchen, creating a gust of wind before slamming right into the wall. The blurry image revealed to be Chi, now rubbing her ribcage.
"Ouch!"
"Whoa, what happened?" Mai asked as she rushed to her friend's aid.
"I don't know! After I went to the bathroom, I dashed down the stairs but the next thing I knew I was on the race track in a matter of seconds!"
"But, if you had some kind of supper speed, why were you gone for so long?" Nori asked.
"I couldn't control it. Whenever I tried to go in one direction, I kept going too fast for me to stop. I think I ran like twenty laps around the mansion in three minutes." Chi then turned to Mai and Hiro, "By the way, your family room needs a new vase…and lamp…and couch." the wisp said, subtly shrinking a bit as she nervously tapped her fingers.
Hiro then gasped in realization. "Wait, guys, do you know what this means? We've developed kind of super powers!" he said while flexing his arms to create a dramatic, heroic pose, earning him a whack on the head by Dragonair.
"That's impossible." Nori said. "How in the barnacles did that happen?"
Iris then gasped in realization. "Last night… at the Everfree Forest."
Crystal looked at them, confused, “What happened?”
Akari snapped her fingers. "That's right! You went into some kind of trance like state and when you reached out and touched the symbol of or Moms's cutie marks, the branches glowed and shot magic beams at each of us."
"So, the Tree gave is these powers?" Gallant asked.
"Wait, what powers?" Chi asked, having only recently joined the party and thus was not fully aware of what was happening. “And what tree?” Crystal asked.
Iris and Akari quickly explained to Crystal about the Tree of Harmony.
"Mai managed to lift her bed up with one hand, Nori created some kind of pearl-like force field, Hiro makes stuff explode, and I was able to understand Pabu like he were talking plain english." Gallant explained.
Chi arched an eyebrow. "That's strange."
"You think?" Mai said, placing one hand on her hip.
"No, I mean, those sound… bizarrely familiar." Her entire body flashed yellow, resembling that of a lightbulb. "That's right! Those are the same powers Sunset Shimmer's Canterlot friends from the mirror world achieved during their second trip at Camp Everfree."
"But, those powers were caused by the geodes there." Iris said. "How in the heck--"
"Uh, Petals." Akari interrupted.
"What?"
"Your cutie mark…"
Iris suddenly felt something tickle her chin. She scratched it, but when it didn't go away she noticed it felt…unusually warm. She gasped when she heard a faint chiming sound coming from the side of her face…right where her cutie mark was.
Akari felt the same tingle on her cheek, and noticed that her mark was glowing as well. Nori and Gallant's were shimmering as well, and Chi, Hiro and Mai felt it on their arms. The same symbols that had appeared on them last night had reappeared, emitting a repeating glowing pattern.
"I almost forgot about these things." Hiro said.
Mai groaned in frustration. "Oh, great. As if things weren't weird enough already, now we've got this! "
"What does it even mean?" Akari asked.
"Perhaps this holds the answer to your problems." Tenzin said, looking… surprisingly calm despite the incredibly confusing situation.
"What are you talking about?"
"I've been around long enough to recognize a Cutie Mark calling when I see one."
Chi, Mai and Hiro looked down at their respected markings, which were still giving off that glowing pattern, while Iris and the other ponies placed their hands over their respected cutie marks, with Gallant gripping the symbol on his left arm, which was often covered by his long sleeve.
Iris arched a brow in curiosity. "Is there something you want to tell us?"
Tenzin leaned in close to the young princess, giving her a sly grin. "Is there something you want to hear?"
Iris then shared the same grin, while Akari spoke. "He's acting weird…I like it."
While ridding on an equally elderly Oogie, Tenzin and the children, pokemon and changeling wolf mounted off and approached Iris's palace home. "Why did you bring us back to my place?" Iris asked in confusion.
"Does your mother still have that mini portal that leads directly to Twilight's castle in Ponyville?"
"Yeah. In her closet."
Tenzin approached the door and opened it, revealing that the majority of the wreckage had been cleared, with the airbenders having cleaned up beforehand and the police having collected any and all evidence. Iris was a bit hesitant to go back inside, especially after what she had seen last night.
Tenzin kindly offered his hand, in his eyes he silently promised he wouldn't let it go until Iris felt comfortable. She took in a seep sight and took her mother's former teacher's hand and walked inside, with the rest of the group following suit.
Mai stared at the airbender suspiciously. "What exactly are you up to now, Uncle Tenzin?"
"Patience, Miss Sato." Tenzin replied. "Remember, patience yields focus."
The group retreated upstairs where Iris led Tenzin to her parent's bedroom. She gestured to the closet door and, with a magical wave of her hand, the knob glowed brightly before changing to look like an alicorn. She gently pushed the door forward and rather than a room filled with cloths, what they saw was Twilight and Flash's bedroom in Equestria.
One by one, they stepped inside, once Akari, Gallant and Nori crossed over, immediately their anthro formed shifted back into their pony forms, a common occurrence whenever ponies entered back into their homeland.
Tenzin, surprisingly, took the lead this time until they arrived at the throne room, which still looked as wrecked as this morning. Thankfully, the magical map remained perfectly in tact. Iris and the rest of the children circled the unactivated magical map. The crystal-like surface was clear and crisp as if it had just been polished, but in reality it was mainly due to it supernatural origins.
Akari placed her hoof onto the surface. "The Friendship Map? I don't understand, this hasn't been active in years." she said, while Nori began admiring her reflection on its surface.
"Works pretty good to me." said the merpony, batting her eyelashes at the self image of herself, which only made Akari roll her eyes.
"Why did you bring us here, Master Tenzin?" Gallant asked.
The airbender stroked his beard. "You know, I'm not entirely sure." he said.
The kids all groaned, face palmed or just gave Tenzin an 'are you kidding me?' gesture.
"Tenzin, not to sound rude, but we really don't have time for this." Chi said, hovering over Rainbow Dash's throne.
"Give me a minute, it'll come to me." Tenzin said, still pondering while stroking his now white beard.
Iris only gave him a confused look then at Akari, who only shrugged her shoulders, equally perplexed. It was then when Iris noticed something peculiar. Chi was now sitting on the arm of Rainbow Dash's throne, but something seemed different about it. On the chair was Rainbow's cutie mark, and from Iris's perspective…it was somewhat glowing.
"Chi?"
"Yeah?"
"Could you…take a seat?" Iris asked, rather unsurely.
The wisp pouted her lips in curiosity but never the less complied. "Uh, sure, I guess." she said, taking her seat directly on Rainbow's old throne. Then, just as Iris has suspected, the cutie mark symbol started to glow, brighter than before!
Everyone else noticed this as well, and they all simultaneously gasped, much to Chi's confusion. "What? She told me take a seat."
"Look up!" Hiro pointed to the symbol on the throne which Chi currently sat on, and she looked up. She too gasped upon seeing the symbol glow. So surprised in fact that she floated right off out of shock, only to realize the glowing had stopped. When she sat again, it glowed once more.
"Uh, has that ever happened before?" the wisp asked in surprise.
"Not really, no." Akari said, ears lowered and eyes widened.
Mai leaned against Applejack's throne, only to realize the three apples on the chair started to glow when she got near it. The Sato child shrieked in shock, getting Iris's attention. Seeing her cousin's hesitation, Iris gently gestured to Mai to sit on the throne.
Mai unsurely did so and, just like with Chi, the three apples's glow intensified once she saw fully seated. It was then, the pieces started to fit together.
"Everyone, pick a throne and sit on it!" Iris said.
As if by some hardwired subconscious guidance, each of Iris's friends sat on a specific throne. Gallant Steed sat on Fluttershy's throne, Hiro sat on Pinkie Pie's, Nori sat on Rarity's, and Akari sat on her mother's throne. One by one, each of the cutie marks were engulfed in a shimmering bright glow.
Finally, all that was left was Korra's throne. Iris gulped before taking her place, and the cutie mark symbol above her head glowed. She suddenly felt that tingling in her cheek again. Her cutie mark was glowing.
Akari noticed the symbol on her own flank glowed with shimmering white sparkles. The same event happened to Gallant Steed and Nori. Mai, Hiro and Chi suddenly felt a tingling sensation on their right forearms where the three symbols flashed before their eyes.
The glow of the cutie marks above them suddenly emitted an even more powerful glow, one as white as snow and as blazing as the sun, which aimed directly at the surface of the still slumbering map before engulfing the entire room in a blinding light, to which they all shielded their eyes from. The surface radiated with a rainbow hue.
Once it had cleared, the group stared in awe at the sight before them.
For the first time in fourteen years, the Cutie Map was fully active once again! This time, showcasing the human world. The children blinked, their eyes widened and jaws dropped, while Tenzin was simply smiling contently.
Gallant reached out his hoof to touch the map, only to jump back on Fluttershy's throne in alarm once it suddenly reacted. The Cutie Marks symbols had suddenly separated themselves from the chairs they were attached to and flew up into the air, radiating in bright neon sparkles that fell upon the children like soft snow during winter time. Korra's symbol hovered in the center, while the other six danced eternally around it. In unison, the Cutie Marks lowered down, shrinking a bit in size while floating all across the human world until it reached the golden colored spirit portal at the Spirit Wilds in Harmony City.
The scenery shifted to reveal the spirit world itself, so vast and large it was hard to tell if this was the entire realm or only one half of it. The sceneries began to rapidly move forward, with the Cutie Marks hovering farther and farther, bypassing many already documented areas in the Spirit World, such as the Hai-Riyo Peak, where the dragon spirits lived, a familiar lake, a small swamp and various other locations, including a neon-like forest.
The locations continued to rapidly pass before their eyes, until they reached on what appeared to be some kind of large dark cloud encircling a dead forest-like area, where the Cutie Marks finally rested.
"Uh, did you guys just see that?" Hiro said, being the first to actually say anything.
"Did we just…activate the Cutie Map?" Nori asked, before excitedly clapping her hooves. "The Legendary, all Powerful Cutie Map! We, actually activated the legendary Cutie Map for the first time in years!" she then gasped. "Wait, how did we do that?"
"The Cutie Marks are hovering over this one specific area in the Spirit World." Gallant said, pointing his hoof onto the specific area. "And, the castle is still connected to the Tree of Harmony, which is connected to the Elements, which are Korra and the Mane Six! So, this must be where they were taken!"
"Way to connected the dots, Gallant." Akari said proudly, making him blush.
"But, how did we do this?" Mai asked, leaning forward, gently tapping the holographic surface. "Only the Elements of Harmony could ever make this map to work!"
"Exactly." Tenzin finally said. Everybody turned their attention to him.
"Huh?!" everybody asked in surprise.
Iris managed to put the pieces together. Tenzin was never one to just troll around with everyone without having something up his sleeve. It was for this reason she found it very hard to believe he used to be more serious and uptight when her mother was a teenager.
"Tenzin, did…did you know about this?"
The older airbender only smiled. "Well, it was more of a hunch really. Turns out, my instincts have been right all these years."
Hiro blinked. "Uh, ya lost me, old timer."
Tenzin kept his calm smile as he walked around the table, passing by each of the children sitting on the thrones. "When Korra was first discovered to be the Avatar, my mother always knew there was something special about her. Before she passed, I asked her how she had always known that Korra was different from other Avatars. She merely said this; "Once you finally learned to see, you will." For years, I questioned what she meant by that. Of course, the answer became clear on the day little Iris was born."
Tenzin stopped beside Korra's old throne, placing a loving hand over Iris's shoulder. "You all remember the story of Harmonic Convergence, correct?"
"Everybody knows that story, Master Tenzin." Gallant said.
"Yes, but I'm not referring to the final Harmonic Convergence, Gallant. I'm talking about the one that started it all."
"The one where Wan, White and Leilani trapped Vaatu, became the first alicons and Avatar in existence then disconnected their worlds which would eventually start the chain reaction that was the end of the world, leading up to when the Elements of Harmony would defeat Vaatu for good?" Akari said, saying all in one single breath. She panted once she finished.
"Precisely." Tenzin said.
"But, that still doesn't explain--" Iris began, only to be stooped when Tenzin continued to speak, once again walking around the table.
"After the two worlds became severed, there were still two pieces of each world that contained magic from the other. The Tree of Harmony, created by Raava's light and the Elements of Harmony were physical manifestations of Wan's spirit. While, in our world, the Avatar carried Equestrian magic within him or herself."
"Again, we already know that." Gallant said.
"Do you? Tell me, what do the Avatar and the Elements of Harmony have in common?"
"They're one in the same." Iris said. Once she said the words out loud, just like before, the dots connected. What happened last night, when Iris felt drawn to the tree, and each of the Element's former locations beamed at each of her friends, making their bodies and cutie marks glow, and manifest the three symbols on Mai, Hiro and Chi.
The Tree has called out to her, and just as the original Elements of Harmony chose the respected bearers to the Elements…. Iris's breath caught in her throat.
"I'm the Avatar now…which means…"
"The Elements of Harmony, the extensions of Avatar Wan's spirit, choose the Mane Six to become their wielders long ago." Tenzin explained, "The same way you, as the new Avatar, choose your friends to become the New Elements of Harmony."
"Whoa!" Hiro exclaimed, still sucking in all of this new information.
"Are you serious?!" Mai asked in disbelief
"No way!" a wide grin began to form on Chi's face.
"Total Shock Wave!" Nori said, rubbing her head with her hoof, already feeling overwhelmed to the point her vision became a tad blurry.
"I don't believe it!" Gallant said, unsure exactly what to feel right now.
"This is incredible!" Akari said, beaming with joy and surprise.
"I need to lay down." Mai said, leaning back against Applejack's throne.
Out of everyone, Iris was the most speechless. She didn't even know what would be the proper reaction to such a find. "I'm…we're…huh?! "
"That explains why the map hasn't worked in so long!" Akari concluded, "Maybe it was waiting for all of us to activate it again!"
"But, what about these powers? Where did they come from?" Iris asked.
Chi gasped in realization. "Of course! Sunset Shimmer said that the reason why her friends from the Mirror World were literally reflections of those said elements. Just as Equestrian magic works as somewhat of a reflective manifestation of who a person is within."
"Like when Sunset Shimmer turned into that winged demon lady when she put on my mother's crown." Akari said, pointing at her head. "At that point in her life, within herself, she was a raging she-demon."
"Exactly! Each of those powers was another manifestation of their respected Elements, which mirror the ones we know here."
"That still doesn't explain why we have them now." Iris said.
"I don't know, maybe Sunset Shimmer will. So, so far, it makes sense! They were reflections of the Elements of Harmony, and each of their powers were given to each one of us specifically. Applejack got super strength, so did Mai, who is sitting on Applejack's throne. You see what I'm getting at here?"
Gallant looked up at the still glowing three butterfly cutie mark above his throne. "But, Master Tenzin, how could you have possibly known any of this? Why were we chosen as the new Elements? No offense but, I'm not fully convinced we're qualified for the job."
"On the contrary." Tenzin explained. "I kept a close eye on you children whenever you came to the Island. At first, I wasn't entirely certain, but in time I came to realize you all have exhibited traits that align with the Elements themselves."
"Well, at least Hiro being the Element of Laughter makes perfect sense." Mai said, folding her arms while smiling smugly at her brother.
"Thank you, sis." Hiro said proudly, only to come to the realization to what she really meant. "Hey, wait a minute!"
"So, I'm the Element of Kindness?" Gallant said, feeling a tiny bit embarrassed. Not about the Element and its meaning, but the fact that he was chosen to wield the butterfly-styled Element. He wasn't always the most masculine of his circle of friends (not excluding the girls), and having the butterfly certainly didn't help.
Chi, out of spontaneous reaction, couldn't help but giggle. She tried hard not to, but Gallant still noticed. Even as the wisp sucked in her lips, the unicorn still narrowed his eyes, which was enough for the wisp to finally control herself.
Nori, on the other hand, was literally jumping up and down the throne. "I'm the Element of Generosity! AAH! I can't wait to tell Rarity!" the reality of the situation hit her hard like a tsunami. They still needed to uncover where the original Elements of Harmony were. Nori's eyes immediately fell upon the map. "And now, we know exactly where she and the others are! Only, where exactly is that place?"
Iris and Akari gasped upon seeing the location where the Cutie Marks had landed on. The dark cloud over the forest area. When examined closer, they could see the trees completely dead, lifeless and creepy looking, almost as if they were bony black hands reaching out to grab whoever was foolish enough to cross their path.
"That's the Dark Spirit Realm." Iris said in a somewhat ominous voice.
"That place where Korra throws in all of those nasty evil spirit criminals?" Hiro asked.
"And where she locked up Koh the Face Stealer?" Gallant also asked, shivering at the thought of the disturbingly horrifying spirit with the constantly changing face. "That dude was creepy with a capital C! I still have nightmares."
“He can’t be that bad.” Crystal shrugged.
“You don’t know, how bad he is.” Gallant said.
"The very same. Though, he hasn't been called that ever since mom stripped him of his powers during their last fight."
"So, Mom, Dad and the others are trapped in the Dark Realm?" Akari said. "Why? It's protected by a magical barrier, and nobody can get in except for the Avatar or anyone with a Zanith stone."
"I don't know." said Iris, still looking at the three dimensional image on the map. "But, it's the only lead we've got so far. Besides, I can think of plenty of spirits who would hold a grudge against my mom and her friends."
"And Nova has tangled with a few baddies back when we traveled the Spirit World in the old days." said Chi, "But, that still doesn't explain the changeling wolf." said Chi.
"Or why Thorax was taken as well." Akari said.
"And my parents." said Gallant.
"And Discord." said Nori, "We still have a lot of unanswered questions."
"Okay, back up the truck here." Mai said, finally standing up from Applejack's throne. "So, we're just supposed to openly accept that we're apparently the New Elements of Harmony and, from the looks of it, this mystical map, which hasn't been active in fourteen years, is now basically telling us to go to the Spirit World Equivalent of Tartarus to find our family? Even if was the case, only Korra and the Mane Six know how to open up the gateway that leads to that prison."
"All the more reason why we should go." Akari said, placing her hooves on the table, addressing to the rest of her friends and Tenzin. "Think about it. Iris unlocking her Avatar powers, the Tree of Harmony, our cutie marks glowing, your symbols--" she pointed to Chi, Hiro and Mai, "-- these powers, and now the map. How can we just ignore all of this?" she then turned to her best friend, "Iris, you've always said you believed you were meant for something more. This is it! We're the only ones who can save our family!"
Iris fiddled with the ends of her long hair that fell over her shoulders, biting her bottom lip. Everything, in her head, made perfect sense. The pieces were set and ready to be moved, but even so Iris felt as if her feet were now frozen to the floor. This was all happening so fast, it was overwhelming.
Iris felt Tenzin grip her shoulder gently and squatted down beside her. "I know a lot has happened in such a short amount of time, but I wouldn't have brought you children here if I wasn't certain. My mother saw the magic within Korra long ago, and it's the same magic you and your friends carry within yourselves. The map wouldn't have reacted to just anyone. It reacted to all of you. Together."
Iris pondered on this for a moment, staring at all of her friends who, aside from Akari and Chi, still looked rather baffled and uncertain about this reveal. Still, the thrones would never have glowed as powerfully as they did had it not been from anybody. Also, they glowed before Iris even sat in her mother's throne, so it wasn't just her magic.
Could it be possible history was repeating itself all over again?
As she studied everyone's faces, she began to notice something peculiar. Their eyes began to shimmer with rainbow colors in a way Iris had never seen before. Or, had she? She always knew her friends were special, but could they really be the next generation of heroes destined to save the world yet again?
With a rising determination, Iris stood up from her chair. "Tenzin's right. This Map has showed the original Elements of Harmony the way on hundreds of their adventures. If it wasn't for this map, the girls never would have met Starlight Glimmer, and she never would have changed. Heck, Gallant wouldn't even be here with us today." Iris stated, making the young unicorn blush. "Akari's right, we have to follow it."
Akari flew out of her throne, doing air flips. "Woohoo!"
"Count me in!" Chi said, placing one foot over the surface of the map. "Don't worry, big bro. I'm comin' for ya!"
All eyes turned to Mai, who sighed in defeat. "I still think it's a suicide mission, but kind of hard to argue with all of this. Plus, I'm outnumbered, so yeah."
Hiro jumped up onto Pinkie's throne, "Alright! Our first real mission to save the world! Somebody pinch me!--YEAOCH!" Hiro leaped out of the throne when Chi literally pinched him. He rubbed his arm and stuck his tongue out at her. Chi only laughed.
"I've never been to the Spirit World before. I hear in some places its very humid, and humidity doesn't do my complexion any favors." Nori said, right before dawning a serious demeanor. "But, if this is what it takes to save Rarity and the others, then count me in too!"
"And me!" Gallant said, looking braver than before, which Akari most definitely noticed. "Nobody takes my family and gets away with it!"
"Even if it means facing Koh?" Chi said.
Gallant gulped, but remained firm. "Yes. Even that."
Seeing their excitement filled Iris's heart with joy. "Alright, let's do this!"
"Oh, this so exciting! Spirit World Road Trip!" Hiro couldn't contain himself as he wrapped his arm around Gallant's shoulder, squeezing him tightly. The unicorn's horn glowed and he teleported himself away from his friend's grasp, taking in heavy breaths.
"Hold your yuans, bro." Gallant said once he regained all of the needed oxygen. "We still don't know what your folks will say about all of this. We have to lay it down gently."
"Relax, buddy. Once Mom and Dad find out that we're the new Elements of Harmony, they're totally gonna say…"
"Absolutely not! "
"Not gonna lie, I really didn't see that coming." Hiro said, scratching the back of his head.
The children, along with Tenzin, informed Asami and Bolin about the whole thing, with Sunset Shimmer, once they returned to the estate.
"You kids seriously expect us to let you go to the Dark Spirit Realm?!" Asami exclaimed, her voice already rising and her eyes narrowed. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that place is?"
"Not to mention, it holds all of the known rebel spirits!" Bolin pointed out, extended his arms wide to empathize his point before pointing sharply at the children. "They'll eat you up alive! Well, not technically eat you because, they're spirits they don't eat human flesh, but you get my point! "
"But, if they're really in the Dark Realm, then how did they even get access to the gateway?" Sunset asked.
"They probably had Zanith stones, and with Korra already in their clutches, her presence alone is enough to active it." Bolin concluded.
"So, you guys now have the same powers my Canterlot friends had back at Camp Everfree?" Sunset Shimmer asked, still in a state of shock after learning about this.
Iris nodded her head. "Yeah, though I'm not entirely sure how we got them."
Sunset Shimmer stroked her red and yellow hair as memories came flooding back. "You know, now that I remember, when you first met them as a baby you sucked on their fingers."
"So? Lots of babies do that."
“Excuse me?!” Crystal cried insulted. “I did not suck on my fingers when I was a baby! Hmph!” The children just sweat-dropped at her.
"Yeah, but that was the only time you did. Maybe, somehow, you sensed their energy as the same the Elements of Harmony, absorbed remaining traces of their magic, and when you and your friends were in front of the Tree of Harmony that was when you transferred those powers to them."
"Makes as much sense as everything else today." Mai said, folding her arms.
"So, how come I didn't get a new power?" Akari asked.
"Probably because Human Twilight's magic was levitation, and you pretty much already do that." Sunset said.
Akari shrugged. "Okay, fair enough."
"Back to the subject at hand." Asami said her voice stern. "You kids seriously think we'll let you go into the Dark Realm on your own?"
"Well, we won't technically be by ourselves." Iris said, already nervously tugging on her long raven hair. "I mean, we could send a search party, and since we already know the location we can lead the way." judging by the looks on her aunt and uncle, they were not one hundred percent convinced. "I know it's dangerous, and I totally understand your concerns, but our magic is the only thing can unlock the gateway spell that leads to the Dark Spirit Realm. Besides, Crystal’s dragons are very protective."
Asami and Bolin became stiff, their eyes darting back and forth towards the other, while Sunset Shimmer nervously scratched the back of her neck.
"Actually. That's… not… entirely… true." Bolin said, his voice having gone high pitched at the word "not" while slowly lowering in pitch upon the last word "true". Asami approached her desk drawer and pulled out a shimmering stone that illuminated the entire room. It looked like any ordinary gemstone, only it was pure white, but created shimmering patterns that looked like the sunlight being reflected on the crystal clear waters of a swimming pool.
"Ooooh, it's gorgeous!" Nori said, gushing over the stunning treasure. As a merpony, she would find all kinds of priceless treasures under the sea, it was one of the many things she and Rarity bonded over.
"What is it?" Mai asked in a slightly more serious and intrigued tone compared to her friend.
"Korra enchanted this geode with traces of her magic to unlock the gateway to the Dark Spirit Realm in case of an emergency." Asami explained.
"It was Mako's idea." Bolin said, "Korra told him it was unnecessary, but she eventually caved…. mostly to shut him up, but still."
"And now, with this new information, we can organize a search party to go and bring them back." Asami said. "You kids are staying right here."
"No, we can't!" Iris stepped forward. "Everything that has happened points to us being the New Elements of Harmony. And…" she hung her head in regret. "I feel like a lot of this is my fault. If i hadn't snuck out I--"
"You would have been captured along with your parents." Asami said, her voice somewhat softening. "And even when you were out, both you and Akari still got attacked by the same creature that took Korra, Twilight and the others. If they really are in the Dark Realm, then if you go you'll be handing yourselves over to whoever is behind all of this."
Iris hung her head in regret and her uncle place a hand on her shoulder. "What happened isn't your fault, Iris."
Despite his words, Iris didn't feel very reassured. Asami did make a good point, if they did go to the Dark Realm where their parents are being held captive, then they could be walking into a trap. Still, at lest trying to rescue her parents, especially when they had the magic to do so, was better than hiding in a mansion. She would rather take that risk to bring her family back. Something inside of her saw saying, screaming, shouting, burning within her saying she needed to go. They needed to do this.
"But, what will you do once you get there? That place hold every dark spirit criminal there is, and the energy there is incredibly powerful and even dangerous if your don't have magic."
"We already know." Asami said, nodding her head to Sunset Shimmer who, using her horn, levitated a full body suit from the wall. The suit was almost entirely a dark crimson red, adorned with a detailed utility belt, and outlines that radiated with a bright neon-like color in a similar fashion as the geode. The lights were designed in eloquent supernatural markings, native to Equestria.
"That's why we'll be using these prototype protection suits Sunset and I have been designing months. The fabric is made with Zanith stone dust mixed with a shielding spell from one of Nova's old scrolls, specifically for these types of spirit world expeditions."
"Rarity came up with the patterns." Sunset said, tracing her fingers over the elegant patterns.
"I swear, that unicorn is a genius." Nori said, smiling proudly. How she missed Rarity so much.
"Your brother and sisters will lead us safely through the realm." Asami said. "We leave tomorrow morning. In the mean time, you kids will stay here under strict surveillance."
“Speaking of surveillance, Mist and Spark destroyed them all.” Crytsal said pointing behind them.
“WHAT?!”
Truth be told the two headed dragon chewed through all the cameras. That was shown when he came to Crystal’s side with wires hanging out of his mouth. “Bad Zippleback, bad!” Asami said. The Zippleback stuck out their tounges at her. "OOOOOH!, did not." Bolin stated.
"Aunt Asami!"
"End of discussion! "
Bolins' outburst finally got the children to become silent. Neither one so much as dared to even try and reason with the two. When even the normally calm and optimistic shouted at your face they knew he meant business. His eyes still carried the same softness he was known for, but his posture and tone indicated he would be as still as a stone in his decision. The same went for Asami, who was understandably even scarier when angry in comparison to her husband.
She eyes softened, gently cupping her niece's cheek. "Please, try to understand. Bolin and I have already lost so much of our family over the years… we can't loose you guys too. And remeber, Crystal is new here, she doesn't know much about our world, so it might be dangerous for her to go."
With that, the two exited the kitchen, not even bothering to tell them to clean up the mess. Once their backs were turned, both Asami and Bolin's faces began to soften, the stinging feeling of regret already boiling inside of them but they continued walking.
(~)
Back inside her temporary room inside the estate, Iris just couldn't rest. She envied how easily both Naga and Akhlut could sleep so soundly on the floor beside her bed. Finally, after a long internal struggle, Iris sat upright on the bed. She looked down on the floor for a few more moments until her eyes turned to the red velvet scarf that rested on her nightstand.
Her violet eyes burned with a scorching determination unlike anything she had ever felt before as she reached for the scarf and wrapped it around her neck. She opened the window, looking out into the night sky as the cool breeze blew in her long hair. She gently nudged Akhlut and Naga awake. Judging by the look in her eyes, they realized her mind was made up. With Akhlut and Naga's help, Iris packed all of her necessities into her backpack and snuck into the kitchen to grab some more food, but not without leaving a note behind.
There's a line where the sky meets the sea And it calls me But no one knows how far it goes
Just as she was about to leave, she was stopped when Crystal, her dragons, Mai, Akari, Hiro and Gallant appeared at the kitchen door. Iris froze in place, accidentally dropping her backpack and the food rolled out. She expected Mai to say something in protest to her rebellious action. Instead, much to her surprise and delight, Mai handed her back the backpack, food and all, and gave a smile.
All the time wondering where I need to be Is behind me So here we go To worlds unknown
The two shared one final embrace and worked together to gather their things without making a sound. Hiro wore gloves in his hands to protect them from his unpredictable powers, which surprisingly worked.
Several White Lotus Sentries marched the perimeter, and the kids observed from the window. Once the coast was clear, Iris hugged her beloved Akhlut and Naga farewell. As much as they wished to come, it was best not to endanger them as well, and the spirit world might not be the best place for them right now.
Every turn I take Every trail I track Is a choice I make Now I can't turn back
With Akari hoisting Hiro and Iris hosting Mai, while Gallant levitated himself downwards, they hurried out of the estate unnoticed, bypassing the sentries. Once they were at the main gate, Hiro and Mai put on their skateboards and rode off with Iris and Akari, while Gallant rode alongside Mai. On their way, Akari texted to two more people on her geo-phone.
From the great unknown We're off on our own Where we long to be
They rose into the city in the dead of night, going through Harmony City Park, where Iris stopped before her mother's statue. She was about to embark on a journey for the first time without her mother and father beside her. Iris gently gripped the red scarf around her shoulders. She could already hear both her mother and father's voices. Her heart ached.
Then, she saw a soft white light suddenly appear and land on the statue Korra's shoulder. Upon closer examination, Iris immediately identified the light as a winged insect. A butterfly with white and blue wings.
Just like that, all of her fears and worried disappeared and she smiled, with a single tear rolling down her cheek. With this knowledge, Iris and her friends once again took off, her eyes set on the golden spirit portal not too far away, and with the butterfly flying beside her, leaving a trail of sparkling white dust in her wake.
See her light up the night and I see She calls me Yes, I know that I can go There's a moon in the sky and the wind is behind me Soon we'll know How far we'll go!
(~)
The group arrived at the entrance to the Spirit Wilds. Not much of it has changed over the years, except the main entrance got a paint job and some floral decorations were now enwrapped around the poles. A few smaller spirits floated about but Iris payed very little mind as she and the others walked right in. She stopped by the large vine and floral covered arc where the Spirit Portal was.
When it was first created a crater surrounded the area, but the spirits had the vines grow around it, making it appear somewhat of a doorway. While the spirit portal was still visible, vines wrapped around the middle, making it appear like a tall vine covered pole, with the rest of the portal's glow extending upwards into the sky. The entrance was adorned with flowers of the exotic and rare kind, resembling the flower field where Korra managed to finally reach Kuvira and help her crossover back to the path of good.
A sound caused the group to whip around in alarm. From the bushes, bit Chi and Nori appeared. "Nori, are you sure you want to do this?" Iris asked, "I don't want you getting in trouble with your dad."
"Don't worry, he already knows." Nori said.
"He what?!"
"Come on, Iris. We've been traveling the oceans for years and he taught me how to punch a tiger shark square in the nostrils. Besides… he caught me on my way out anyways."
"And Sunset's still working with Asami and Bolin on those suits. She thinks I'm already in bed." Chi said, winking.
"Out for an evening stroll, are we?"
The kids all screamed and jumped in horror upon seeing Tenzin himself standing before them, hands behind his back and a very unreadable expression on his face.
"Busted before we even got started." Hiro said, scratching the back of his neck. "First time for us."
Iris breathed in deeply. "Uncle Tenzin, I know this is risky… okay, very risky but, we have to go. It's--"
"It's your destiny as the Elements of Harmony. I know." Tenzin gave the princess a soft smile, which placed her troubled mind at ease. Crystal began to feel a little left out. Her friends got hit with the powers of magic tree and became the new Elements of Harmony, while she didn’t. It made her feel a little out of place. "There comes a time in every Avatar's life where she needs to decide when her story begins. Your mother's started when she left the compound and came to Republic City, and now your starts when you go through that portal. It's time for you and your generation to take on the responsibility of keeping harmony and balance in the world."
"You… really think we can do this?"
Tenzin placed a hand on her shoulder, his eyes filled with such wisdom, warmth and love. "I have no doubt about that."
Tears started to form in Iris's eyes as well as she embraced her airbending godfather. "I love you, Uncle Tenzin."
"I love you, too. And good luck to all of you."
With that final farewell, the children each, one by one entered through the shimmering portal, becoming engulfed in its heavenly light, all the while Tenzin observed, while a single tear rolled down his cheek.
Once once the other side, the kids entered a familiar field of beautiful flowers. Winter, Skyspike Mist and Spark and Shimmer examined the place. "So, where do we start?" Iris asked. The sound of something large approaching caught their attention. A large scorpion-spider spirit arrived at the scene, with a middle-aged man, around sixty, to seventy, or perhaps eighty or so, with Zaofu inspired clothing and glasses ridding above it. The dragons hissed at it, circling Crystal.
"Perhaps I can be of assistance." the old man said.
Iris gasped happily once she recognized the man on the spirit. "Aiwei!"
"It's so good to see you again, Iris."
A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Chapter 11: Crystals' Dragon Power
As the dragonfly loomed over the spirit desert, Crystal kept her eyes closed. Rather than focus on her own power like last time, she concentrated on the energy of her friends. She could hear Akari's grunts of protests and Nori's complaints about the icky gooey substance on her cloths, mane and scales.
Her eyes snapped open and Crystal pointed downwards. "Land there." she said to the dragonfly. He gladly complied and flew downwards onto what appeared to be a common sand dune, rising up from the ground. It was small, and hardly reached pass Iris's knees.
"I don't see anything." Kuvira said as she assisted Sunset Shimmer downwards from the dragonfly.
"Crystal, are you sure this is where you sensed the others?" Sunset asked.
Rather than give a directly reply, Crystal’s element started to glow, and a shimmering magenta aura surrounded the sand dune. The adults all shielded themselves when the sands were lifted upwards and thrown to the side. Bits of sand dust rose but once it cleared, the adults were surprised to see a cave with traces of iridescent green lines, hidden deep underneath the sand.
"Positive."
The dragons and team silently entered the cave, which ran downwards into a tunnel, with rock formed stairs. The sides were splattered with glowing green slime that dripped from above and landed on the ground. One landed on Mika's tail, to which she whipped off against a small nearby rock.
Sunset hugged herself, feeling a shiver go up and down her spin, using the heart of her glowing horn to illuminate the way. Crystal snapped her fingers and also created a flame in her palm.
Bolin beamed with pride. "Hey, somebody's been practicing."
She blushed at the compliment and proceeded to lead the way down the tunnel. P'Li studied the details of the cave. The structure was perfecto structured to resemble that of a hive, with holes upon holes on the walls, and claw markings on the rocks, added with the slimy green substance that they couldn't do two seconds without finding.
San huddled closer to his two older sisters. "Uh, guys. Anybody else getting a sense of Deja Vu?"
Mika nodded in agreement. "Yeah. This place is giving off a seriously bad vibe."
Ali traced her clawed lizard hands over one slice of the green slime. She sniffed it and her eyes widened. "It can't be."
"What?"
"This is what Queen Chrysalis used to trap our parents all those years ago."
"It can't be Chrysalis." P'Li stated. "She's dead."
"Well, she may be dead, but it's clear her handy work isn't."
Sunset's ears perked upwards in alarm. "Everyone, get down!" she warned in a harsh whisper. The team huddled together behind a rock when the sound of growling came from the other end of the tunnel. Iris was held by both Bolin and Asami, while her siblings coiled their tails around them. P'Li and Zaheer held one another close, while Sunset and Kuvira crunched down side by side, gripping each other's hands.
The changeling wolf sniffed the air, opening its jaws wide and the sickly black hairs on its back rose upwards like that of an angry cat as it slowly approached the rock from which the others were hiding.
Thinking fast, Winter used her tail and smacked a random stone from behind fall to the ground, creating a loud noise. The changeling whipped its head around to see the rock then snarled threateningly.
Ali quickly crawled up the wall on all fours, her entire body slithering as she did so and just at the right moment, ambushed the changeling by jumping on top of it. Electrical currents coursed through its body and the changeling fell unto unconsciousness.
Ali proudly blew the nonexistent smoke off of her taser gun and put it back in her pocket.
"Nice one, Winter." Crystal said.
"Come, it's this way." Iris took the lead once more and the others followed suit. The cave became wider, almost the size of the Canterlot Ball Room, with stone pillars sustaining it. This portion of the cave really did resemble a hive.
A hive P'Li remembered seeing before. The combustion woman shook her head in disbelief. This couldn't be possible, could it?
The sound of something hitting against a glass bottle echoed inside and the team followed it. Further inside the large scaled room they spotted a stone table, filled with an assortment of chemicals, boiling liquids, ancient books with Equestrian writing on the covers, and magical symbols. Chemistry lad equipment was set up and a shadow of an anthro unicorn was seen tampering with all of them.
Sunset Shimmer was the first one to recognize the figure. "Starlight!"
The unicorn gasped, nearly dropping her vile of strange yellow green chemicals, but who's mouth grew into a wide smile, her eyes watering at the sight of her old friend.
"Sunset!"
Both unicorns embraced one another, P'Li and Kuvira quickly joined in. Starlight wiped way her tears, "I thought I'd never see you guys again!" she spotted the young human alicorn and quickly wrapped her arms around. "Iris! You're okay!"
"I'm fine. But, what happened? Who captured you? Where is everybody?"
Starlight looked exhausted. She had horrible bangs under her eyes, and even though she had been crying, the red in her eyes indicated she had been crying long before they showed up.
Ali approached the stone table and read the cover of one of the books. Her eyes widened. "This is a book of enchant alchemy from Equestria." she said. "These things have been banned for years. How did you find them?"
"I didn't." Starlight hung her head in regret, her voice cracking. "I didn't have a choice! I--"
The sound of flapping insect wings echoed within the cave walls and a massive hole appeared above their heads. The insides glowed a sickly green color before lowering down to reveal a number of glowing green cocoons.
Within them were Avatar Korra, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Thorax, Nova Nightshade, Mako, Flash Sentry, Sunburst, Princess Cadance, Shinning Armor, Flurry Heart, Discord, Leilani, Luna and Celestia, all hanging upside down, in what appeared to be a deep slumber, floating in the green liquids inside.
A few more cocoons dripped with fresh slime, revealing to be Crystal’s friends. Iris, Akari, Chi, Nori, Mai, Hiro and Gallants Steed were all kept in the same state as the others.
The sounds of a familiar cackle also echoed within the walls, growing stronger, and clearer with each breath, followed by more insect wing flapping.
A shadow hovered over them, the silhouette of what appeared to be a spider glared at them with glowing green eyes with cat-like slits. Crystal immediately recognized those eyes.
“Chrysalis.” She growled. Silver growled at her along with the other pokemon. “Crystal. It's been a long, long time." she said, her voice just as slithery and malicious as ever. Absolutely no time has passed.
With fire an electric glove in hand, both Asami and Sunset stepped in to shield Starlight from the horrid, undead changeling queen. Chrysalis wagged her singer, "Ah, ah, ah. You wouldn't want to upset my precious little darlings now would you?"
At the snap of her fingers, a swarm of wolf changelings arrived from the holes on the walls, or having been crawling above them. Some even emerged from in between the cocoons. The pack of wolves swarmed the group, spitting their slimy goop directly at their wrists and feet. The group was thrown back against the wall. Sunset was just about to unleash her magic, but was stopped when one spit the slimy goop onto her horn, keeping her from casting any spells. The dragons roared in concern as they were surrounded by the wolves.
Crystal struggled to activate her magic, cringing in disgust at the slimy sensation on her forehead. P'Li's forehead was also struck, preventing her from combustion bending. It worked in a similar manner as the Smooze's substance, where it repelled magic.
"Let our friends go!" she shouted, despite being held captive she refused to back down and cower before the infamous changeling queen.
Chrysalis slowly approached Crystal, forcibly grabbing her chin, much to her discomfort. "I admit, I underestimated you and your dragons, Crystal Diamond.”
"And why did you take Nova?" Sunset Shimmer asked in anger. I can understand why you would take the Alicorns, the Avatar, Discord and Thorax, but why rope my husband into this?"
"And what's with those banished spell books?" Ali demanded before turning towards Starlight Glimmer.
Starlight opened her mouth to reply, only to be silenced when the wolves growled at her. Skyspike flew into the air and shot her spines at the wolves, making them back off and she landed in front of Starlight with the spines on her tail still up. A warning. The poor unicorn looked so broken and filled with such regret. There was no denying that, whatever it was Chrysalis was forcing her to make, was tearing her up inside.
"I suppose for you to better understand, you'll need a little history lesson." Chrysalis chuckled as she walked around in front of her prisoners, taunting them by either tracing a bony hand over their heads or taping their shoulders. Each gesture made them feel more and more uneasy.
"The last time, you three little lizard pests ruined everything by revealing the changeling's secret history. A history I've fought tooth and nail to hide. But thanks to you, that traitor Thorax took my throne! Reverting my once beautiful changeling followers back into the pathetic weaklings they are now!" Chrysalis hissed, her long fork tongue slithering. Saliva fell on the faces of Ali, Mika and San, only for the three of them to hiss right back, exposing their own slithery tongues as well. Chrysalis recoiled in disgust.
"You were making your people starve!" P'Li exclaimed in anger. "You said so yourself, a changeling's hunger can never be satisfied. You had the solution right in front of you, but you ignored it!"
"I would never expect a lowlife human like yourself to ever understand!" Chrysalis spatted. "I was once a changeling like them. I used to be bright, and sickly colorful. Back then, changelings were good-doers. Helping other ponies and creatures wherever we roamed." Chrysalis's hand clenched tightly. "But I grew tired of it. Despite our good deeds, we were still inferior to other ponies! They lived in luxury while we lived in forests and trees and caves! The king of that time foolishly presumed it represented our humility. But even with our supposed good deeds we got nothing in return!"
"No! That is where you're wrong. Changelings weren't supposed to feed on love, but share it. The love we had within us is what made us whole. Stealing it, on the other hand…." Chrysalis's grin grew wider. "It gave us so much more. I discovered that by stealing love, I could live longer. Any injury I had would be healed in a matter of days. I could be become immortal! The more love I stole, the more I craved it. And I loved every moment of it! I wanted the same for my people! I wanted them to be as powerful as the other races in Equestria! At long last, we could be adored as the true leaders that we were meant to become!"
The queen's pupils shrunk, indicating her slow descendant to madness. Or rather, going even deeper, and deeper into that madness. All this talk about stealing love sounded more and more like an unhealthy addiction than anything else, and the fact that she could gain some form of immortality in doing so only heightened her need for it.
"But, that foolish king refused to listen and banished me from the changeling kingdom! During my travels, I stumbled upon an ancient love potion and used it on the king. By willingly giving me his love, I gained all of his powers! I was the true leader of the changelings! Before long, those who wished to live forever joined me, while those who didn't were casted out! My subjects and I could feed on as much love as we wished, and we could live for generations to come! "
"Except you didn't stay true to your word." Crystal stated, "Thorax said that you never spoke of immortality to your subjects, only that you were. If you wanted your subjects to live forever, then why haven't they lived as long as you have?"
For a moment, Chrysalis's eyes…. softened. Everyone looked at Crystal in surprise for no one had been able to get through to Chrysalis like she just did.
However, that one glimmer of hope was short lived, for Chrysalis's eyes once again reverted back to insanity. "My immortality is MINE!" she snapped, "I gave my subjects all the food they desired! "
"But you hogged most of it for yourself!"
"If they couldn't remain as long as they wished then so be it!"
"So, you killed them?" Kuvira asked hesitantly.
"Of course not! I never killed any changelings! They died of natural causes! The hive's enchantment allowed for more changelings to grow and prosper! Those I would train to be my followers!"
"So they were never immortal to begin with." Kuvira said, narrowing his eyes seriously. "With every new generation you just kept lying and lying, using them as a means to get more love for yourself. You never cared about your subjects, you only made them think did. At the end of it all, the only one you ever truly care about is yourself!"
"SILENCE YOU FOOL!!"
"It's because of you pathetic humans and ponies that I lost everything! My people, my home, my power! Why else do you think it took me so long to regenerate myself?!" Chrysalis took in a deep breath before composing herself as a few of the changeling wolves circled around her.
"Lucky for me, I was heavily protected by this pack of wolves that found my cocoon out in the wilderness. The magic emitting from me was what transformed them into my new loyal followers. Personally, I find them to be more obedient than the last ones."
"That still doesn't explain why you took Starlight and the others!" Sunset Shimmer said.
"Simple. I know a few tricks in regard to ancient Equestrian potion making, but sadly, my talents are limited." her eyes shifted to Starlight Glimmer, who recoiled in fear. "But I've heard that Starlight here is a natural when it comes to combining powerful spells. And I did say I would have my revenge one day. Doing a bit of research I uncovered this…"
Her horn glowed, levitating a book. She flipped the pages before landing on one page, where it showcased the image of a potion bottle, and the image of a unicorn stealing magic from an Ursa Major.
"This is known as the Potentita elixir. One clever unicorn was inspired by the magic stealing skills of Tirek and concocted his own version of it. Sadly, his research was burned and hidden away so nopony ever knew of it. While exploring some ancient ruins I stumbled upon it. That is when I set my plan into motion. By disguising myself as News Caster, I was able to gain valuable updates on all of you for months, all the while my changeling pack doubled as my extra set of eyes. Watching over each of you, and reporting back to me with as much information as possible while my magic recharged itself. After all, coming back from the dead leaves a girl's abilities rather week." Chrysalis said, flipping her mane while inspecting her mane. "I had to be extra careful with my disguise, which was only limited to that one persona."
"So that's your plan." Zaheer said. "You kidnap all of the most powerful beings in the world land you force Starlight Glimmer to make you that potion so you can steal all of their magic!"
"Right. On. The nose." Chrysalis said, tapping Zaheer's nose as a result, much to his annoyance.
Starlight looked away in shame. "I'm so sorry, everyone. I didn't want to do this, but--" she was cut off when Chrysalis hooked her arm around her shoulder, startling her.
"But, if she didn't comply…" Chrysalis snapped her fingers, and one of the changeling wolves appeared, wielding a spear in his mouth, pointing it at ether Sunburst, or Gallant Steed. "One of her friends would get a very, very nasty case of spear-through-the-heart syndrome. Wouldn't want that now, would we?"
"That's why you took Nova? For your stupid power up experiment?!" Sunset's anger boiled. To think, this horrid monster was going to use her husband as some kind of battery charger.
"Indeed. He may not be as long lived as he once was, but being an ancient breed of pony/spirit hybrid must count for some powerful magic. And now, with his little wisp friend, well that's just adding more fuel to the fire. Which I like."
Sunset growled in anger and forcibly tried to use her magic, to no avail. "You won't get away with this!"
"I already have." Chrysalis said, levitating a vile of bubbly green liquids within. With a nod of her head, Starlight was pushed back by one of the changeling wolves and stuck to the wall alongside the others, her horn covered up as well. "Starlight Glimmer has already completed her end of the bargain. It took a while to finish, seeing as it is a very complex recipe, but it was worth it to see her suffer. And to watch little Iris and her companions try so hard to reach her precious mommy and daddy." she spoke in a taunting, cooing tone at the last two words, slightly puckering her lips while clapping her hands together, close to her face.
"Once I drink the potion, I will have more power than any known Alicorn and Avatar combined! Finally, I can take my rightful place, as the One. True. QUEEN!!"
The changeling wolves howled in victory as their beloved mistress laughed her head off, her eyes unsettlingly wide open, her pupils and irises shrinking more and more, indicating that her sanity was slipping further and further away.
Just when it would seem all hope was lost, Crystal suddenly heard the Sentinals' voice. “Your element will respond to your emotions and your heart whenever you need it, Crystal Diamond. Use it to your advantage.” Trusting, the dragons’ words, she concentrated and her element began to glow brightly in response to her heart.
"Before I take what is rightfully mine, any last words, Princess?"
Rather than speak, Crystal concentrated and made her element shoot a large beam of magic that turned into a large version of Winter at the cocoons circling them with the elements of harmony’s magic.
"What? What are you doing? Stop it!"
"No. No!"
The entire cave began to tremble and quake. Chrysalis tumbled backwards, falling against the stone table with all of the chemicals and books, which fell on he ground either shattering or rolling away. Hitting her head, Chrysalis fell to the floor while her changelings were knocked out due to the intense light.
The powerful magic beam brighter and brighter until the cocoons suddenly burst! Green slime was splattered everywhere in the cave, and the blast itself resulted in the ones who were stuck against the wall to be freed. Sunset, Starlight, Asami and the others rubbed their wrists only to see that the cocoons were now cracked, and everyone inside of them was now free.
Chrysalis sneered in anger. Korra groaned while wiping the green slime from her face and hair. "Where are we?" she asked. Looking at her surroundings, she noticed the cave, her friends, her daughter, and a certain changeling queen laying on the ground, her hair spread out it covered her face.
"Chrysalis!"
Twilight sat upright, removing the slime from her arms, "What is going on?"
"It's a long story." Akari said, standing beside her mother and offering her hand, while covered in slime herself.
"Akari!" the older alicorn wrapped her arms around the child. Flash Sentry sat upright and both girls helped him back to his feet. He happily embraced his wife and daughter.
"Mai! Hiro!"
"Mom! Dad!" the Sato siblings hurried towards their parents, hugging them, ignoring the slime that stained their cloths.
Starlight Glimmer hurried to her husband Sunburst, who was assisting his son Gallant Steed. She cried on their shoulders, gripping them as tightly as she possibly could. Korra helped Mako back to his feet, and Crystal and Iris skyrocketed towards them, hugging their torsos.
"Mommy! Daddy!" Iris cried.
"Crystal? Iris? What's going on?" Mako asked, stroking her head affectionately. "What have you been up to?"
"A lot. I'm just so happy you're back!" Iris cried her eyes out, not wanting to let go of them. If at all. Ali, Mika and San happily joined in the family reunion without hesitation along with Crystals' dragons.
"Nova!" Sunset Shimmer hurried towards her husband, who wrapped his arms around her, spinning her around, her feet hovering above the floor. Chi literally tackled the two and they tumbled to the ground in a giggling heap.
Rarity cringed at the disgusting slime in her mane. "Oh, why should I even bother at this point." she groaned to herself.
"Rarity!"
The unicorn gasped and spread her arms open wide to welcome the young merpony. "Nori! Oh, my sweet little angelfish! It was horrible! The last thing I remember was being knocked out cold by some horrible beast! I was afraid something had happened to you and your father. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine and so is dad. I really missed you."
"I missed you too."
Fluttershy awoke and hurried to the changeling king, "Thorax! Are you okay?"
"I'm alright, Fluttershy."
"Fluttershy! Thorax! Oh, thank goodness!" Discord swooped in and wrapped the two in a tight embrace, kissing them both on the cheek. "My OTP lives on!" Discord then started to blink and blush like mad. "Please tell me nobody heard that last part."
"Everybody already knows, Discord." Fluttershy pointed out, making the chaotic spirit *squee* as a result.
The rest of the Mane Six were welcomed by Kuvira, P'Li, Zaheer and the Satos. Flurry Heart helped her parents back up and Akari hugged her beloved cousin, while Twilight hugged her brother and sister-in-law. Leilani and her daughters were reunited, embracing Twilight, Cadance and Korra.
Leilani turned towards Iris and the kids. "Well done, Iris. You and your friends were very brave to come here."
"Brave, and in a whole heap of trouble." Asami said, crossing her arms and arching an eyebrow at them.
"Oh, come on, Mom! Don't we get a free pass at saving your lives?" Hiro asked, flashing his parents and innocent smile. The smile had zero effect and he slumped his posture. "Worth a shot."
Flurry Heart ruffled Akari's hair. "Thanks for the save, little cousin."
"Indeed." Leilani said, wrapping her arms around her daughters. "You children were very brave." Sadly, their happy reunion became short lived when Chrysalis awoke, cackling like a mad woman.
"Did you really think that pretty light show was going to save you? Now that I have the potion, all of your powers will be mine!" Chrysalis lifted up the vile, only to realize that all she was holding was an empty test tube. "What? Where is--"
"Looking for this?" Crystal said, revealing that she herself had the potion in her hand. "It's over, Chrysalis. You're outmatched."
"Am I?" Chrysalis smiled devilishly, and as if by some silent command, the changeling wolves arose back to their feet. "Give me the potion! Now!" Chrysalis demanded, extending her hand towards them.
Iris quickly tucked it away in her pocket. "Not a chance! Discord, get us out of here!"
The spirit of chaos gave a salute. "With pleasure!" he snapped his fingers and teleported them out… right in the middle of the dark realm desert. Discord blinked in bewilderment and tried snapping his fingers again, but no matter how hard he tries, they still winded up in the same place. "What is going on? Why isn't my magic working? I mean, it's working but not in the way I want it to!"
"The only way out of the Dark Realm is through the main entrance." Korra stated, "Also, the chaotic energy around here could be interfering with your own."
"It's no wonder she chose this place to keep you guys." Chi said, hovering beside Sunset and Nova, who held one another close.
"I'm beginning to think Queen Crazy-wings is a lot smarter than she looks." Discord's eyes widened before his pupils became slits. "Don't tell her I said that!"
The sands beneath their feet rose upwards, and the entire swarm of changeling wolves emerged from beneath, flapping their wings and jaws snapping. The creatures became engulfed in a green glow, emerging to resemble perfect copies of each of the heroes.
Twilight Sparkle groaned in frustration and face palmed herself. "Great. This again?"
"Great. This again?" the changeling copies of Twilight all said in unison, which only made Twilight more frustrated. Even her brother and sister-in-law shared her same sentiment. Winter growled and Skyspike raised the spines on her tail, ready to fight. Shimmer lit himself on fire and Mist and Spark got into fighting position.
"They're blocking our way out!" Flash Sentry exclaimed.
"Looks like we're going to have to do this the hard way." said Rainbow Dash, taking on a defensive stance, creating two fire daggers from her fists. Flash Sentry pulled out his sword, same as his daughter, while Twilight wielded a couple of fire daggers.
One by one, each hero readied themselves to fight the changeling pack. Flurry Heart was especially excited, pounding her fists together and cracking her knuckles. "Sweet! I've always wanted to fight off my own changeling!" she blinked and smiled awkwardly at the good changeling beside her. "Uh, no offense Uncle Thorax."
"None taken." Thorax replied with a casual shrug.
"FREEDOM!!!" Discord shouted, while wearing a Scottish warrior outfit, complete with face paint and bagpipes playing in the background. Crystal mounted Winter and flew right for them, "Crystal, Crystal, oy, oy,oy! YAAAHH-HOOO!" Winter blasted multiple changeling wolves followed by the other dragons.
It was difficult to tell exactly which side charged first, for before long, the entire desert turned into an all-out war zone, with heroes fighting against copies of themselves. One would wonder how they would be able to tell them apart.
The dragons blasted the changeling with their attacks. Skyspike shot the changeling wolves down with the poisonous spines. Mist and Spark gassed and blasted them. Crystal blasted them with her element as well, knocking them unconscious.
Korra unleashed her magic, which manifested itself into pure ice, freezing a couple of her copies before going for a copy of Twilight. Twilight herself fought beside her, literally back to back, with the alicorn unleashing a fiery inferno at several of her own copies. Rather than copy her attacks, the Twilight copies spit that horrible slime from their mouths again, only to be deflected by Twilight's shield spells.
One Korra copy came at her, unleashing a multitude of punches her way, which Korra narrowly dodged before gripping the changeling's arm, twisting it and hurling her over her head.
"Okay, this trope got old real fast." Korra said, casually knocking down another copy coming her way by earthbending a rock from beneath her feet.
Twilight grunted as she tossed another changeling copy of herself, in a similar way Korra did. "Tell me about it!" the alicorn grumbled.
Three of the Sunset Shimmer changelings leaped up into the air, their teeth bare as they came down on the real Sunset Shimmer. She easily teleported her way out of their clutches, giving Nova Nightshade the opportunity to wrap them in a magic lasso he had greeted. Working together, the two pulled on it and spun the changelings and slung them against another incoming row, knocking them down. A few more came their way, with Sunset Shimmer and Nova striking them down, each with their respected back. One by one, and in a blur of blur and red.
Once the changelings scattered away, Nova wrapped his arms around Sunset's waist and ambushed her with a kiss on the lips.
"I missed you." he said with a sly grin, matching Sunset's.
Crystal slide onto the scene. "Oh brother." she grumbled.
Fluttershy panted as she slid across the sanely ground in a three point pose, only to be surrounded by a number of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash Changelings. Just when they were about to attack, one of them took them all out in little time, revealing herself to be the real Rainbow Dash and helped Fluttershy back up before the two flew up to continue the fight.
Applejack and Starlight Glimmer stood back to back, only for Applejack herself to realize that this Starlight was a changeling when she started hissing at her.
"Seriously?!" Applejack exclaimed, only to get ambushed by copies of herself. Unlucky for them, they couldn't duplicate her earthbending, so Applejack had the upper hand by rising the earth from beneath their feet to knock them all down.
A swarm of Starlight copies came at her and Applejack knocked down each one with her earthbending, except for one which blasted magic from her horn, causing said rock to break into little pieces. Applejack shielded herself from the falling pebbles, and the Starlight before her rose her hands in surrender.
"Sorry! My bad!"
Applejack only smiled and chuckled in relief. "No harm done, Sugarcube."
Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, was facing a changeling copy of Mako, but when he saw she wasn't terrified, he changed into Rarity, then Twilight, then Asami. But Pinkie Pie only laughed her head off.
"Do me! Do me!"
The changeling rolled his eyes and changed into Pinkie Pie, smile and all. Pinkie Pie shrugged.
"Eh. I've seen better." she said… right before pulling out a literal party riffle gun from her long puffy hair. The Pinkie Pie changeling gulped before being blasted away by said riffle, by a powerful impact of confetti, candies and glitter.
Pinkie Pie smiled in satisfaction and blew the smoke that, somehow, emitted from the riffle. "You can't beat the classics!"
Rainbow Dash zipped left and right, punching at every changeling that came her. One changeling that resembled Kuvira grabbed her by the tail and yanked her down. Rainbow Dash hit the ground hard and was surrounded by more changelings looming over her.
One by one, they were knocked down by a blue blur that came at them at rapid speed, even too much for Rainbow Dash herself to keep up with. The blue blur revealed herself to be none other than Chi.
Rainbow was visibly impressed. "Where did you learn that?"
"Long story short, me and the gang are the new Elements of Harmony, we've got cool new powers, mine is supper speed, and I'm also the Element of Loyalty."
Rainbow blinked a coupled times. "How long have I been out?"
Chi assisted her back up, and more changelings surrounded them. The two Elements of Loyalty nodded in agreement, sharing the same sly grins and proceeded to go punch, kick and take names to their heart's content.
Rarity kicked and punched her way against the changelings, using her water whip to knock them down. One changeling that resembled Bolin came from behind her, wrapping his arm around her neck, attempting to chock her. The changeling was then knocked down when a peeler hit him square in the head, causing him to change back into a wolf.
Rarity inhaled deeply and saw it was Nori who used her pearls to knock the attack down. She ran up to Rarity, hugging her in relief.
Sunburst, Starlight and Gallant rallied together, mother and son using their airbending to blast a multitude of changelings away from them, while P'Li blasted at the changelings that looks like her, and Zaheer blasted at the rest.
Asami electrocuted her own changeling duplicates, knocking them out, while Bolin earthbended to knock the rest of them down. Several copies of Discord slithered towards them like snakes, until Mai leaped in and began punching them square in the jaw. Her punches were so powerful, they were literally sent up into the air, where they shifted back into their wolf selves. Mai even grabbed hold of the tail of one of them, and hurled him away. A changeling that was twice her size and she flicked him away like he was no more than a rag doll. Both Asami and Bolin stared at their daughter, eyes wide and jaws dropped, while Mai causally rubbed her wrists and smiled at her parents.
Kuvira sent metal slates at the changelings, even those who resembled Korra, Mako and the alicorns. Several explosions showered downwards from the sky, causing more and more changelings to get knocked down on their feet. Kuvira turned around to see it was Hiro, using his new powers. He bowed in respect, only to realize the rocks in his hands were glowing again. He frantically tossed them back and forth in his hands like a hot potato before tossing them into the air. Kuvira ducked and the explosion stroked a copy of Celestia, knocking him down.
Ali, Mika and San sliced through the army, using their wings as powerful blazes to strike the changelings once by one. Thorax used his own magic to shoot beams at the changelings, while Fluttershy fought beside him, blasting the ones that came their way. The two flew out of the way when Discord came charging in, ridding on, literally, a minotaur while yelling like a wild man. As in typical Discord fashion, the changelings were comedically thrown off, all looking rather surprised and disturbed by this.
"Excuse me, coming through, hot stuff!" Discord said as he charged in. The minotaur disappeared and Discord changed his attire to match that of a G.I Joe character, complete with black sunglasses, sleeveless military shirt, camouflage plants, hiker boots and hat, and packing a real military gun, which really shot just blasts of magic rather than actual bullets.
"THEY CALL ME MR. CHAOS!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
"Discord!"
"What?!"
"I think you made your point." Fluttershy pointed to the row of injured changeling wolves, to which Discord smiled in satisfaction.
"Talk about your wings of war."
No matter how many times the heroes seem to win, more and more changelings just kept coming back. It would appear that Chrysalis took great advantage of the years in which she had been plotting her revenge, recruiting a literal army of changeling wolves that was twice as big, if not bigger than her original army was.
Twilight, Flash, Cadance and Shinning Armor fought off the changelings that resembled them, the royal family already looking worn and tired. Shinning gripped his arm and Cadance looked like a hot mess, with hair sticking to her face due to the sweat.
In a flash, two new blades joined in the fight. Akari and Flurry Heart swooped in from the sky, fighting back the changelings with all of the martial moves and sword fighting tricks their fathers and mothers had taught them. There was no hiding the wide smile on Flurry Heart's face as she kicked and punched the changelings away from her parents. Even Akari was getting into the spirit by kicking one in the stomach with her two legs, reminiscent of a pony kicking with her hind legs. Both cousins panted once the fight was over, only to have their parents smiling with great pride.
Speaking of fighting alicorns, Luna and Celestia were literally savages on the field. Celestia not only unleashed a powerful breath of fire onto her opponents, but also knocked a couple of them down by literally knocking their heads together and kicking one changeling where the sun don't shine.
Luna moved like a ninja, using her ice shards to slice her way through the changeling army, all without so much as flinching.
As for Leilani, she narrowly dodged incoming punches and flipped literally three changelings at once. The former alicorn queen stood upright, panting and sweating.
"I'm getting too old for this." she said… only to casually punch another changeling that came up from behind her. All without flinching or turning around.
For Korra and Mako, fighting side by side never got old. Iris proved herself to be even more skilled and resourceful than they thought when she blasted at the changelings behind her parents with incredible fire power, coupled with traces of her alicorn magic.
"Somebody's been practicing." Korra said, happily impressed with her daughter while removing traces of unkept hair from her face.
Mako nodded in agreement. "That scarf looks good on you." he said. Iris looked at said scarf, having forgotten to return it back to him.
The family screamed in terror when Chrysalis spontaneously launched from the ground, tackling Iris with brute force. The young princess struggled in her grip only for the queen to get blasted away by Korra. She hurried and helped Iris back to her feet. The changelings all ceased their fighting and rallied behind their queen, changing back into wolves.
The queen panted, looking visibly tired, probably even more so than the heroes themselves. They all rallied around Chrysalis, ignoring their own exhaustion and ready to end this here and now. Crystal and her dragons still had plenty of steam left over.
"Enough, Chrysalis." Korra stated firmly while panting slowly. "This has to end now."
Chrysalis hung her head, her hair partly covering her face. "Yes… you're right." she said, only to start cackling again. "This is the end… for all of you." slowly lifting up her hand, she revealed to have taken the potion from Iris's pocket when she tackled her.
"It won't work!" Starlight Glimmer said, taking a step forward, ignoring the hissing of the wolves. "Did you really think I would make you that potion? It has everything but the final ingredient, so it's pretty much useless."
"Oh, I'm fully aware of that." Chrysalis said, shocking Starlight. "I knew you'd try and double cross me. I may not have been able to make it myself, but I memorized all the ingredients including the last one… a single drop of light magic. Now, who here has that kind of magic?"
To make things even more shocking, Chrysalis revealed that, along with the potion, she also plucked one of Iris's feathers. The princess gasped, feeling foolish for not having noticed when Chrysalis plucked her.
Without a moment to waste, Chrysalis opened the vile and placed the feather inside, where it immediately dissolved into small, rainbow-like particles and she gulped the entire thing down in one swoop.
"NO!"
There was nothing nobody could do. Chrysalis had drunk the potion. There was not even a drop left. The now empty bottle fell from Chrysalis's hand and it rolled away. The queen's expression was not one of devilish joy or accomplishment, but rather one of true, unadulterated terror. Everyone looked on in confusion, for rather than be pleased with herself, Chrysalis looked as if she had realized she made a grave mistake.
She jolted, letting out a shocked gasp, gripping her throat which felt like it was on fire. Her breathing became hectic, her eyes unblinking even when she got to her knees. The potion began to take full effect.
From what appeared to be completely against her own will, her mouth opened wider than it had ever been. If her skinny body wasn't a disturbing image enough by itself, the massive way her jaw outstretched downwards with her head tilted back and eyes bulging certainly added to it.
The rest of the heroes, except Crystal, felt a scorching pain inside of them. Their bodies glowed dangerously bright, they groaned, they winced, they screamed, feeling all of their energy slipping away and the will to keep it was only increasing the already unbearable pain. It was just like when Tirek stole their magic, only a billion times more painful. It was like reliving years, and years, and years of pain and suffering came flooding back in one painful second.
All of that energy, all of that magic became absorbed into Chrysalis's unsettlingly opened mouth. From her throat grew a green substance, resembling the surface of the cocoons she had used to trap everyone, only it expanded, engulfing every bit of her body, from her arms, to her legs, face and hair, all but her eyes. Her body shimmered, radiating with a powerful light. With each new power she absorbed, a new layer grew around her, causing her body to grow rapidly. Even the changeling wolves whimpered in terror upon seeing their mistress growing and growing larger than life as she continued to absorb the magic from everyone present.
Crystal knew she had to do something before Chyrsalis got all her friends magic. That’s when she heard the Sentinals' voice once more. “Use you element wisely.”
“My element.” She took the gem out of the necklace and knew what she has to do. She threw the element right in the middle of the transferring. “What?” Chrysalis exclaimed.
The magic from her friends went into the Element of Dragons making it glowing in multiple colors, representing her friends powers.
Once the process was finished, everyone fell to the ground, their colors dull, their eyes tinted with gray, and their bodies feeling like jello and Anthros were forced back into their pony forms , unable to morph back. Chrysalis had grown to be as large, it not bigger than Tirek or even Kuvira's old Mecha Suit. Her entire body radiated with electrical currents, each in a different color, reminiscent of the hero's color schemes. Her eyes were glowing green, no pupils or irises in sight and her hair was now pure white, moving on its own like snakes and her wings outreached, still torn but larger than before.
Upon closer examination of her transformation, Chrysalis was now free to laugh to her black heart's content. She laughed at the fallen heroes.
"THE MAGIC OF FRIENDSHIP WON'T BE ABLE TO STOP THIS! THE WORLD WILL KNOW MY NAME!!"
Chrysalis then turned to the fallen heroes. "Now to get rid of you pests for good." She fired a combination blast of the elements at the fallen heroes, but something leaped in front of them all....
BOOM!
A large cloud of smoke covered the area and Chrysalis laughed loudly but she gasped when she saw something in front of the heroes. It was Crystal Diamond!
She had turned into a hybrid looking dragon. She had the head and body of Winter, but her tail had the spines of Skyspike and she had a second set of wings that matched Shimmers' wing. She also had a pair of short horns, similar to Shimmers' and her Element of Dragons was stationed on her neck. She growled and roared loudly at Chrysalis revealing the heroes shielded underneath her wing. She turned to them and warbled. Korra and everyone else were amazed and a bit shaken from the change of events. "How is that possible?!" Chrysalis cried. Crystal turned to her and growled. She flew into the sky and roared at Chrysalis.
Chrysalis growled, "No matter, I'll destroy you easily." she launched a lighting bolt at Crystal, but instead of striking her down, she absorbed the lightning attack! "What?!" and she fired it back at Chrysalis. "AGH!" Crystal roared and dove right at Chrysalis, blasting her hard with Monstrous Nightmare fire power.
The blast struck home and Chrysalis bended large boulders at her. With Winter's agility, Crystal easily avoided them and shot Chrysalis with her poisonous spines. Chrysalis cried in pain at the spines and was now extremely angry. "It'll take more than you to defeat me, human." she sneered. That's when she heard four more roars. She turned and saw Winter and the other dragons flying towards them. Winter blasted her with her plasma blast. Mist let out a large cloud of smoke around Chrysalis and Spark ignited it, causing a large explosion. "AGH!" Chrysalis fell to the ground.
She growled an stood back up only to be blasted by Crystals' own plasma blast, this one was much more powerful than Winters'. Chrysalis gave a loud roar in anger and she flew into the air, following Crystal. Crystal flew away with Chrysalis on her tail. "C-Crystal!" Iris cried. She wanted to go after her but she was too weak as was everyone else. "What do we do?" Mai asked.
Skyspike warbled and she and the other dragons landed beside them. Skyspike grabbed Iris, Korra and Mako with her prehensile tail and placed them on her back. Shimmer grabbed the Sato family and placed them on his neck. Mist grabbed Leliani, Celestia and Luna placed them on his neck while Spark put Cadence, Shining Armor and Flurry Heart on his neck. Winter had Twilight, the Mane 6 and Discord on her back. The dragons were incredible strong for their sizes. "Wait, what about Sunset and the others?" Twilight asked.
Another roar was heard and everyone saw another dragon coming towards them. This dragons looked like it was made from stone. "Is that a... Stone Dragon?" The Sentinel landed on the ground and everyone gasped in awe. "Woah... what is it?" Mai asked.
"I am known as the Sentinel Dragon."
"IT TALKS?!" Korra and her family exclaimed.
"Yes, Indeed and I am here to aid Crystal in her battle along with her friends."
The Sentinel went over to Sunset, Sunburst, Nova and Chi and placed them on her back. Nova placed Chi in his robe. With that, the five dragons took to the skies in blinding speeds, following a giant Chrysalis and Crystal.
"AAHAHH, THIS IS AWESOME AND SCARY!" Hiro cried.
"Epic!" Rainbow and Chi cried.
Meanwhile, Crystal was blasting Chrysalis with with every ounce of power her had. Chrysalis retaliated by bending water, fire and lightning once more, but Crystal just absorbed it and fired it back. "AAAAAGGGGHHH!" she roared in complete anger and rushed at Crystal and punched her hard, sending her crashing to the ground. "Ugh!" she skidded across the ground for a few feet before stopping against a large rock.
Crystal staggered to her feet but Chrysalis blasted her hard with the combination all the elements and magic she absorbed.
KABOOM!
What an explosion! The dragons and the gang arrived on the scene. "CRYSTAL!" Iris cried.
Chrysalis was laughing, believing she defeated Crystal when she saw a silhouette in the smoke.... the silhouette roared, spreading the dust all around, revealing Crystal, still standing. Everyone gave a sigh of relief. "How are you still alive?!" Chrysalis hissed. Crystal didn't reply, instead she powered up her plasma blast. "No matter this attack will end you." Chrysalis charged up for a large blast. Crystal formed a large plasma blast combining the power of her element.
"Time to die!" Chrysalis boomed and she fired an extra large beam at Crystal. "Crystal!" Akari cried. Crystal unleashed her plasma blast and the two attacks combined and engaged in a power struggle. Crystals' plasma blast pushed through Chyrsalis' beam. "No..no..." and consumed her in it's magic. "NOOOOOOOO!"
The blast sent out a powerful shockwave that returned the magic and bending powers to Korra and everyone else. The winds were very strong that it knocked the dragons out of the sky!
Silence fell for a moment and Korra and her family came to as did everyone else. "Sweet Mother of Raava, what a bang." Hiro said. Everyone stood up as well as the dragons. Iris gasped, "Crystal!" Iris rushed over to the rock where Crystal was as everyone else followed.
There laying unconscious on the ground was Crystal. She was a human again, but she had a few changes to her body. She had bruises and scratches all over her body and her clothes were in tatters. "Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy cried.
"We've got to get her to the hospital!" Akari cried. Korra lifted Crystal into her arms, "Right, Discord!"
Discord saluted, "Yes ma'am." With a snap of his fingers, Discord teleported everyone out of the Spirit World and to Harmony City Hospital.
A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Chapter 1: New Surprises Arrive
One day in Harmony City, Iris and her friends; Akari, Noro, Hiro, Mai, Chi and Gallent Seed were walking down the street with the bright sunlight shingling down on the beautiful city.
Iris was the daughter of Korra and Mako, the king and queen of friendship.
Akari wasn’t he daughter of Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry.
Mai and Hiro were the siblings of Asami and Bolin and they were Iris’s cousins.
Nori was the daughter of Kombu and he was married to Rarity. She could change into a merpony an she loves everything to do with fashion and nature.
Chi was Nova’s wisp sister and she lives with Sunset Shimmer and Nova. Gallent Seed was also the son of Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst. He was shy and didn’t really like sports. Iris was now thirteen-years-old as was Hiro. Akari was twelve, as was Mai, while Gallant was the youngest by eleven. Chi, the wisp, had become a permanent member of their group, proving time and time again just how devoted she was to her friends.
The friends attended Harmony High, a school where humans, ponies and even spirits attended to study and learn. P'Li was one of the teachers there. Despite being much older than the others, at least biologically, Chi still resembled a fifteen-year-old girl, and had the mentality of one as well. Still, Nova insisted that she attended school in order to experience what it was like being like every other kid. Chi only cooperated because she would be with her friends, but she often slept during most of her classes.
Mai had become a protege engineer, constructing extravagantly detailed race car tracks with her tools, models cars that actual worked, and even used her firebending to fix a few bugs in the mechatanks, which Asami allowed due to the child having full control of her bending powers.
Hiro trained in the pro-bending junior leagues, with Akari, as the firebender, and Gallant as the airbender, since they now allowed airbenders to play the game. However, they were still short a waterbender. They walked pass an alleyway when Iris suddenly stopped and looked inside the alleyway. Her friends stopped and walked back to her.
"Iris? What's up?" Akari asked.
"There's... something in here." Iris replied.
"Are you sure?" Hiro asked, looking into the alleyway, "Cause I don't see anything, except for those two blue eyes looking back at us.... wait what?!" Indeed at the end of the alleyway, there was a figure with blue eyes, looking back at them. Iris began to walk into the alleyway and towards the figure, "Iris, are you crazy?" Chi whispered.
Iris didn't respond. She continued to approach the creature when it gave a small roar at her and hiss. Iris stopped walking. "Hey... it's alright." she cooed, but the creature still hissed at her. Iris noticed that it's right wing was folded over something. Even in the darkness of the alley, Iris could see that the thing underneath the figure's wing was a human girl! And she wasn't moving! "Oh my goodness." she said. Now she knew why the creature was acting so hostile. It was protecting her.
Akari and the others slowly came up to Iris, "Iris, what is it?" Mai asked.
"There's a girl underneath the creatures' wing. I think she's hurt." Iris replied. The creature was still baring it's teeth at the six of them. "It's okay, we just wanna help you friend there." Iris cooed as she slowly approached the creature again. The creature could hear the calmness in her voice and the kindness. It took one look at it's injured friend and looked back at Iris. The creature stood up and moves a a foot away from Iris, removing its wing, revealing the girl. She looked at be about Iris's age. She had long, blonde hair and she was currently wearing worn out clothes that were badly tattered. Her white shirt was filthy and had multiple holes in it same as her pants and shoes. Iris carefully took her in her arms. "Mai, Hiro, Chi can you go get everyone, we'll take her to my palace." Iris stated.
The three nodded and headed off while the rest rushed towards Iris's palace with the girls' creature in tow. Soon she was laying in bed with Iris and her friends by her bedside as well as their family. Twilight Sparkle, Flash Snetrey, Asami, Bolin, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Korra, Mako, Ali, Mika and San, Iris's lizard spirit siblings, Sunset Shimmer, Nove Nightshade and the Queen's of Equestria, Queen Leliani, mother of Queen Celestia and Princess Luna.
They were all shocked to hear that Iris found a girl and creature in an alleyway. Now the girl was resting in Iris' bed with the creature by her bedside. Now everyone could get a good look at it. It was white and 24 feet long with a 44 feet long wingspan. Long, thin ridge running down the spine , triangular tail flukes and four small nubs on the head.
Nobody knew what exactly the creature was but based on what Iris and the others said about the way it first acted, they could guess that it was her pet... a very peculiar pet. "So you just found her in an alleyway with this... thing protecting her?" Rainbow asked.
"Yes. It seemed very protective of her." Iris said. "It hissed at me when I got close to her."
"Sounds like she's a pet." Chi grunted, earning a tail smack by the creature. "OW! Hey!" The creature gave a short hiss. "Why don't we leave the darling to rest?" Rarity suggested. Everyone nodded and decided to leave the girl to rest, hoping she would wake up soon.
The next day, Iris went to check on the girl, only to find her sitting up in bed, looking around the room. When she saw Iris, she squeaked in fear and hid beneath the covers. "No, no, no. It's alright." Iris cooed.
The girl slowly came from underneath the covers. "Really?" she squeaked.
“Do you wanna tell me your name?” Iris asked.
“C-C-Crystal Diamond.”
“Well Crystal, I wanna introduce you to my friends and family, is that okay?” Iris asked.
Crystal nodded. Iris exited the room and soon came back with her friends and family. "Well, nice to see your awake, young one." Leilani said, carrying a plate of food for Crystal. She graciously accepted the plate and quickly ate everything. Man, was she hungry.
"We're so glad you're alright." Fluttershy said. Crystal just gave them a small smile. "Not very talkative are you?" Rainbow asked, earning her a head shake from Crystal.
"Umm.. Crystal, what exactly is your creature here?" Akari asked, reffering to the creature beside her.
"S-She's my Light Fury Dragon."
"Dragon?!" Everyone exclaimed.
"Yes. Her name is Winter." Winter warbled and nuzzled her owners' face and licked it, making her laugh.
"Crystal. H-How did you end up in that alleyway?" Fluttershy questioned. Crystal's face dropped a little. "It's... a long story." she stated.
"It began when I was a baby..."
Flashback
Baby Crystal was born to two happy parents. She cooed in babbled in their arms. The mother looked to be in her thirties with long blond hair and blue eyes. The father looked to be five years old and had short, brown hair and green eyes. "She's beautiful, honey. What should we name her?" the father asked.
"Crystal... Crystal Diamond." The mother replied. Soon, the happy parents brought her home, but their home wa special. They lived in a place where dragons lived side-by-side. Many different kinds of dragons; big, small, fast, slow. Everywhere you look there were dragons. The parents entered the room where a baby Light Fury scampered over to them. "Hey Winter, meet you new friend." the mother cooed. She placed Crystal on the ground as she stared in wonder at the baby dragon in front of her. Winter scampered around baby Crystal and licked her gently on her face, making her laugh and coo. The parents awww'd at the scene.
Five years passed and Winter was fully grown Light Fury while Crystal was five years old. Crystal loved to ride Winter around the house, under her parents' supervision. The two of them were happy they were getting along. Winter took to the role of big sister for Crystal, protecting her from bullies, comforting her when she was sad and other sisterly acts.
But one day, everything changed forever.
There was a suddenly BOOM outside her house. Seven-year old Crystal woke up in a fright as her parents rushed into her room. "Mommy, Daddy." she cried. "What's going on?"
"Dragon hunters, sweetie." her mother said. "We have to get you and Winter to safety."
Crystal got out of bed and the family went to the parents room where a special gem layed. Her father placed it around her neck. "This gem will take you to a place where you'll be safe from the hunters."
"What about you and mommy?" Crystal asked.
"We have to stay here and save the dragons, but you and Winter must be safe first." Her mother replied. Crystal shed some tears and hugged her parents. "I'll miss you."
"We know sweetie but with love comes loss. One day, we will find each other again, promise." Her father promised. The family separated just as their door was broken down by hunters. "Quickly, now go!" her mother urged. Her mother pressed the gem and Crystal and Winter disappeared in a flash.
Flashback End
"After that, we ended up here. We hid in the alleyway, not wanting to draw any attention to ourselves." Crystal explained. Everyone was shocked and saddened by her tail. Pinkie and Hiro were crying. "That's the saddest story I ever he-ea-eard." Hiro sobbed.
"Crystal just how old are you?" Akari asked.
"I'm thirteen."
"So you and your dragon have been living in the streets for eight years ?!" Rainbow exclaimed, receiving a nod from Crystal. The girls felt pity for Crystal. To be ripped from her home for protection and ending up in a strange place. "Well, if you want, you and Winter are welcomed to stay with us." Iris offered.
"Really?" Crystal asked.
"Absolutely, we can't leave you two out in the streets any longer." Korra stated, stepping forward. Crystal smiled at Korra. "Thank you." Korra nodded at her. Suddenly...
BOOM! A loud explosion occurred in Harmony City! “What was that?!” Mako asked.
“I don’t know, but it can’t be good.” Korra replied. The gang raced to city hall and saw the problem: three different dragons were attacking the city!
One was 66 feet long with a 38 feet long wingspan. It was purple with blue spots and had two heads and two spilt tails.
The second one was bird-like with a crown of spikes on it's head and spines on it's tail. It had a nasal horn and an overbite. It was 30 feet long and 10.5 feet tall with a 42 foot long wingspan. It was purple with yellow shading in it's wings.
The last one was 61 feet long with a 68 foot long wingspan. It had two long pairs of horn and double clawed wings. It was a mixture of yellow pink and magenta.
The three dragons were blasting the buildings and the ground. "What are those dragons?" Mako asked.
"A Hideous Zippleback, Deadly Nadder and Monstrous Nightmare." Crystal identified.
“We have to capture them before the destroy the city!” Korra said. Some on the benders were already fighting the trio of dragons. The earth benders bended rocks and launched them at the Nadder but it fired it magnesium fire at the rocks, breaking them easily. The Monstrous Nightmare set itself on fire and did a fire blast, sending the earth benders flying.
“Woah, that powerful!” Chi exclaimed.
Korra stepped forth and water bended. She launched the water at the Zippleback but it flew into the air. One head launched has and the other ignited it on Korra, sending her flying back. “Korra! Mom!” Mako and Iris cried.
More and more people approached the three dragons ready to take them down until “WAIT!” Crystal landed in between everyone with Winter. “Crystal, don’t They’re too dangerous!” Mai cried.
Crystal turned towards the three dragons who snarled at her. “Shhh... it’s okay. I won’t hurt you three.” She cooed. The Nadder roared at her but Crystal stayed in its blind spot (directly in front of its nose) and made her way to its chin and she scratched it. The Deadly Nadder calmed down and smiled at her. The Monstrous Nightmare and Zippleback looked at each other. The Nightmare approached Crystal and she turned, holding out her hand to the Stoker Class dragon. The Nightmare nudged its nose into Crystals’ hand and the Zippleback nuzzled her side.
Everyone was amazed and shocked. Korra and the others came up to Crystal, but the three dragons hissed at them. "No, no, no they're my friends." Crystal informed. The three calmed down.
"Crystal, how did you do that?" Twilight asked.
"I just showed them that they could trust me instead of attacking them. They've been through enough already." Crystal replied.
"Been through enough? What do you mean?" Sunburst questioned.
"See the scars on their faces and bodies?" Crystal asked. Korra and everyone else looked and they did see some scars on their faces and bodies. "What happened them?" Gallent asked.
"... Dragon Hunters." Crystal replied in a deep voice.
The group gasped softly. "Hunters did that?" Korra asked.
"Yes, these three dragons can be trained but they attacked everyone because they were all hurt by dragon hunters." Crystal explained. "These are arrow wounds , bola scars."
"Oh my goodness, poor things." Fluttershy cooed softly. "That sounds horrible."
That's when President Iroh appeared. "President Iroh, what are you doing here?" Korra asked.
"I heard about the dragons attacking and came as fast as I could but I see they have already been captured." He said, looking at the three nuzzling Crystal. "Now if you don't mind, I'll be taking them."
"Taking them?! You can't!" Crystal said. "They're my friends now."
"Crystal, they are too dangerous to be left in public." Mako said.
"But.. but." Crystal stammered. Just then, the ground began to quake and shake. "What is that?!" Hiro cried. Bursting from the ground was a another dragon. This one looked like alarge gulper eel with razor sharp teeth and rotating teeth in it's mouth. It was 7 feet and 6 inches tall and it was 95 feet long with a 26 foot long wingspan.
"Sweet Mother of Raava!" Iris cried. The dragon roared at everyone. "A Whispering Death!" Crystal cried. The Whispering Death roared and dove right towards President Iroh!
"The President!" someone cried.
"Nadder, Spine shot!" The Nadder responded to Crystals' call and shot spines at the Whispering Death, making ti screech and driving it away from the president. "Winter, let's go!" Crystal snapped. The Light Fury warbled and Crystal mounted it. Winter and the other dragons took to the sky. The Whispering Death roared and shot rings of fire and Winter and the other dragons who flew above them. "Now, fire!" The four dragons unleashed their fire on the Whispering Death, hitting it right in the face. It roared and burrowed back underground.
"Ha! You chased it off!" Rainbow smirked.
"No, it's not gone. It'll come out again to attack." Crystal said.
"Well how do we get rid of it?" Nori asked.
"The Whispering Deaths' only weakness is sunlight. They can't stand it!" Crystal explained.
"But it's cloudy now." Hiro said pointing to the cloudy skies. "Well take care of that." Celestia said. The Whispering Death resurfaced and roared loudly. Winter blasted the Whisper with her fire. It shook with anger and dove right towards Winter! Winter flew up into the sky with the Whisper not far behind. The Nightmare, Nadder and Zippleback followed it from behind. The Nadder shot it's spines at the Whisper making it roar and turned. It hissed at the three dragons just as the clouds parted revealing sunlight. The Whisper roared and shook with discomfort and began flying away to get away from the sunlight. Winter and the other dragons blasted it from behind as the Whisper flew far away from the city.
They stopped when they knew the Whisper wouldn't return. The four dragons landed and everyone cheered for them loudly. Crystal dismounted Winter and went over to her friends. "Crystal, are you okay?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay."
"That was epic!" Rainbow exclaimed. "You actually fought that dragon!"
"That took really guts, kid." Nova stated.
Crystal blushed a little in embarrassment. President Iroh came up to Crystal. "Crystal... I was wrong about the three dragons. They are not a threat to us or our city, so as President... you can keep them."
Crystals' face lit up with glee, "Really?"
President Iroh nodded. Crystal squealed and the three dragons warbled.
"So what are you gonna name them, Crystal?" Akari asked.
"Oh! Oh, how about Flamethrower, Spike Thrower and Gas Spitter!" Bolin suggested. Everyone sweat dropped at those names. "Sorry Bolin, that's not gonna cut it." Korra said.
"Aww."
"How about... Shimmer, Skyspike and Mist and Spark?" Crystal suggested.
The three dragons roared happily at their new names. "I think they like it." Celestia said.
Crystal smiled happily as her three new dragons nuzzled her with love. This was the beginning of a new chapter in Crystals' life.
A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Chapter 2: Princess Dailylife
Akari panted as she galloped as fast as she could, with Gallant and Nori at her side. Chi, in her wolf form, leaped from the tree branches until she reached her friends, running in their direction. Iris zoomed on by on her skateboard, which hovered four feet off the ground, with a small generator powered by gemstones inside that radiated with electricity from within. Her cousins Mai and Hiro also rode on them. They were as fast as the ponies were on all four legs. Crystal rushed past everyone on Skyspike. The Deadly Nadder was super fast dragon, easily outrunning whatever was chasing them. "WOO-HOOO!" Crystal cried happily.
Crystal and her dragons had settled in at Iris' palace and got used to their new surroundings. Korra and Mako were happy to have the four dragons living with them... as long as Mist and Spark don't grab them by their pajamas' and lift them out of bed. Anyway, Crystal quickly got used to Harmony City and she was showed the portals to the Spirit World and Equestria. She was very interested in them. The dragons got lots of praised from the people of Harmony City for defending against the Whispering Death. Yeah, everything was going great.
Now back to the scene. Iris turned her head around to see the shadows looming overhead from behind, their glowing eyes piercing through the shadows cascading from the tree branches.
"They're gaining on us!" Iris exclaimed.
Gallant's ears perked upwards and looked sideways behind him. "There's more of them!"
"Good. It'll keep things interesting." Akari said, all while bearing that smug grin on her face. Nothing excited her more than the thrill of the chase and the dirt in her hooves.
The group ran over a small hill slope, with Chi and Nori close behind. Chi's blue wolf fur moved like rapid ocean waves as she ran. Nori was only a head behind her. Not so much dragging, but she feared if she wouldn't pick up the paste she would lose more than her breath.
"Come on, Nori! Pick up the pace!"
Nori panted, accelerating her speed as best she could until she was almost neck in neck with the wolf. "Easy to say for a girl with paws! I'm a merpony! I'm faster on fins than I am on hooves."
"Well, maybe that will motivate you." Mai pointed her thumb to behind her. Nori looked back and gasped once she saw the wolves leaped over the small slop and pick up speed. Their jaws snapping and barking mad.
As Mai predicted, this was all the motivation Nori needed to speed up. She even bypassed Chi herself and was now at even level with Hiro on his overboard and Gallant Steed. "Make way! Pony who wants to live to her twenties coming through!"
Hiro looked back to see the wolves by passing various trees and rocks just to reach them. "Man these guys are persistent."
"Yeah? Well, so am I." Iris said, giving her cousin a daring look, a mischievous glint in her eye. "If we split up we'll outmaneuver them faster."
Mai nodded. "Let's do it!"
Iris stirred her board towards a rocky hill, a few feet higher above her friends. "Meet you at Komodo rock!"
"Sounds like a challenge." Akari said as she galloped ahead down below, looking up at Iris.
"Think you can keep up?"
"Oh, it's not me you have to worry about."
Iris arched a brow before looking back up. "Uh, oh." one of the wolves was following her. Iris pressed her foot on a small panel on the board and accelerated the speed and she and everyone else went their separate ways.
"He's your problem now!" Akari called out before making a sharp turn and galloped into the forest, passing through multiple trees whose branches nearly blocked out the light, but she knew these woods perfectly well, so she knew her way around. However, she wasn't alone. The sound of a wolf's bark caught her attention. She rolled her eyes seeing another wolf behind her.
"Oh, great."
Hiro and Mai scattered their way across a small forest ravine, where two wolves were gaining up on them. "Alright sis, follow my lead--Whoa!" Hiro's eyes widened when a large fallen tree was in their path. The space underneath was too small for them to skate under. Hiro let out a terrified, somewhat girlish, scream, while Mai kept her eyes focused on the fallen tree, and positioned herself.
"Jump!" she yelled. At the same time, her and her brother leaped from their respective boards, flipped in mid air over the tree trunk, and landed feet first onto their boards. The contraptions were thin enough to make it through. Hiro pounded his fist into the air, cheering loudly, while the wolves chased after them, also leaping over the tree. One managed to land perfectly, while the other tripped and fell.
"Ooh, good thing the ground broke his fall." Mai joked.
"That's why you never mess with a Sato." Hiro high five his sister and the two rode off as quickly as they could away from the last remaining wolf.
Gallant Steed was making record time, using the forest's trees and rocks to his advantage, taking sharp turns and leaping over specific areas, like poison oak and thorny bushes to try and outmaneuver the wolf. Of course, the wolf also knew this forest well, so whatever Gallant managed to pull off, he did so as well.
Gallant managed to get a head this time around only to gasped in terror at the obstacle that stood before him. Gallant screeched to a halt, jute kept on going, careful with where he stepped.
"Whoa! Bunny crossing! Sorry, sorry, watch the tail, my bad, sorry! Cute little bunnies!" he successfully got through without harming a single little rabbit. The wolf came after him, only to also come to a halt once he saw the bunnies. He screeched and ended up bumping into all of the bunnies, now on his head. Naturally, wolves ate bunnies, but this particular wolf has a terrible distaste for the furry things. Long story. He much preferred dear and or ox, but hardly bunnies.
"Here, wolfy, wolfy, wolfy! Who wants a fish fillet?" Nori taunted the wolf, who's jaws were close to chomping her flank right off. Spotting a branch overhead, Nori leaped and with her long and powerful tail, managed to grab hold of the branch and flip over, landing on it, while the wolf leaped ahead, whimpering in regret once he saw the giant mud pit before him. He landed face first, unharmed, but filthy.
"Ooh, excellent choice. The mud mask does wonders for your pours." Nori said before leaping into another branch, away from the wolf, but not without a salute.
"Later!"
Chi laughed as she was being chased by the wolf. This guy didn't scare her one bit, and no it wasn't just because she had just taken on the form of one. She acrobatically leaped from one tree branch to the other, confusing the wolf, who came to a halt once he lost her. Chi saw her chance and shook the tree branch, causing the leafs to fall all over him, temporality blinding him as she made her move and leaped ahead at top speed, laughing all the way.
Skyspike soar through the forest, whipping her tail, sending spikes at the wolves. "Good job Skyspike." Crystal praised the Deadly Nadder warbled and swerved swiftly and skillfully through the forest, putting some distance between her and the wolves.
Iris outran various wolves and then blocked the path of one who was still chasing after Akari, startling him in the process.
"Perfect timing!" Akari said with a wink.
"Was there ever a doubt?" Iris replied with a smug grin. Before long, everyone caught up to one another. "We're almost there!"
Unfortunately, one last wolf was on their tail. Hiro rolled his eyes and groaned. "Oh, come on!"
Iris, Akari and the others kept their eyes straight ahead, where they spotted a small river, with yet another broken tree. The head was dunked into the water, with the roots positioned upwards. The team jumped over the river, with Akari letting out a wild cheer, "Woo-hoo!" which echoed through the forest until they landed. Chi landed on the root of the tree trunk, which caused it to fall into the river itself… and the wolf did too.
While everyone else kept on going, Chi stopped for a moment to see the wolf surface and spitting the liquid from its mouth. Chi only winked and gave him a pointing gesture with her paw.
"Lookin' good, bro." she said before running off again.
Iris and her friends finally arrived at Komodo rock, where Iris leaped out of her board, stepped on its tail, causing it to leap into the air where she caught it in her hand. Akari panted, but was still shaking from the adrenaline rush.
Crystal and Skyspike, Mai, Gallant, Hiro, Chi and Nori all arrived last, in that specific order. Nori was panting from exhaustion while fanning herself with her hoof in a desperate attempt to cool down, while Gallant only shook his dark orange mane from the sweat. Chi changed back into her blue human form and the two ponies changed into their anthro forms. Instead of wearing the blue dress from years back, Chi decided to go for something a little more casual and now wore a dark blue t-shirt with long striped sleeves, and a symbol on the center depicting a fox's head taking the form of a heart. the shirt rose upward a little, slightly exposing her midriff and navel. She wore navy blue jean shorts and a pair of blue converse that had the image of a purple wolf paw print on the ankles. The only thing that remained from her past attire was the crescent moon necklace her brother, Nova, gave her many years ago.
"Ha! I won, I won, I won, I won!" Hiro cheered victoriously to himself while flexing his muscles, which was pointless since his arms were covered by his jacket.
"What are you talking about? You were the fourth one." Mai pointed out, picking up her board.
"To Iris, maybe, but I came first compared to Chi."
"What?!" the wisp scoffed. "T-That's not fair! You never said this was a race!"
"No? I'm pretty sure I did. Sorry, better luck next time."
Chi clenched her fists in anger and then tacked the young boy to the ground, giving him a nuggie in the process. "Want to say that to my face, Jr.?"
"Oh, you always got to play the "I'm older than you" card, don't ya?"
"Skyspike." Crystal said. The Nadder warbled and used her prehensile tail to grab Chi. "Hey!"
Just then, the wolves arrived, cornering the children, growling with their teeth bare and leaped towards them!… only to start licking Gallant Steed, tackling him to the ground.
"Okay, okay! Glad you had fun too! Gah, stop, your tongue's in my mouth!"
Akari couldn't help but giggle at Gallant being trampled by the wolves. She kindly helped him stand back up and he reached for his pockets to pull out some treats for them. The wolves happily munched on the treats.
"Thanks for your help guys. I'll give Fluttershy your regards!"
The wolves howled in reply before running off back into the wild. "You really have a knack with animals, Gallant." Akari said, folding her arms while smiling.
Her smile made Gallant blush and become flustered. Then again, she always did that to him, ever since they were little.
"W-Well, I guess all that time helping out at Fluttershy's animal sanctuary kind of rubbed off on me."
"I'm amazed you guys managed to keep up with us." Nori said to Hiro and Mai.
Mai beamed with pride as she gripped her board. "What did I tell you? My geode powered skateboard works like a dream."
"Impressive job, Mai." Iris said, nudging her younger cousin's arm. "Another addition to your long list of technological achievements."
"Oh, don't count your feathers just yet. With just a few more tweaks, these things won't just levitate a few feet off the ground, they'll full out fly!"
"I think I'll be satisfied with the first edition model, thank you." Nori said. "That, or my legs. Anything that's as close to the ground as possible."
"Come on, Nori. You can't be scared of heights all your life." Akari said.
"Why not? Hiro's still afraid of snakes."
"They move around on their bellies and have no legs! It's not natural!" Hiro exclaimed.
"So Something like thisssssssss?”
"Yes, Chi, Something like-” a quick glance at the wisp was all he needed to start freaking out like a little girl. Chi hard changed herself into a blue colored snack and slithered onto his shoulder. “GAH! GET IT OFF!! GET IT OFF!! GET IT OFF!!" Hiro screamed, but soon stopped when the laughter of his friends made him realize it was just a joke. However, rather than get upset, Hiro only laughed along. "Okay, okay, you got me. Nice one you guys. Not exactly inventive, but still a classic."
Chi laughed the hardest out of all of them. “Never gets old!” she said as her snake head reverted back to its original form. “Consider this payback.”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Bubbles.”
While everyone was laughing at Hiro's little freak out, Iris herself turned her attention to the sight before her. She looked out into the horizon, taking in a deep breath as the wind picked up, billowing in her long hair.
The area had the perfect bird's eye view of the city, ocean and all, with the two beacons of light, the Equestrian and Spirit portals respectively, shimmering while rising from the earth and sea towards the sky with no end in sight. The wind picked up and Iris took in its freshness, catching a hint of floral aroma, no doubt from the flowers surrounding the area.
The city just looked so much more magical from up here. She could see every single detail, from downtown, to uptown. Even spot the Sato Estate and City Hall, which was shining even brighter with multiple colors and bright colorful spirits floating all about, giving it that urban fantasy feel. Iris often forgot how such a big city can make her feel so small.
In more ways than one.
"Hey, Iris!"
The young princess was awoken from her thoughts when Chi called her out. "We gotta head back. The Welcoming Ceremony starts in two hours."
"Right. And my mom will blow a fuse if we're not ready at least five minutes before the guests arrive." Akari said, folding her arms while rolling her eyes at the thought of her mother going berserk. She always became hectic when it came to these types of things and yet they always worked out fine in the end. Suppose some habits are hard to break after all.
Nori screamed next, startling everyone. "AH! I still haven't picked out an outfit for the Harmony Gala!"
"The Gala isn't until Sunday." Mai said with a deadpan expression.
"It never hurts to be prepared, Starfish." Nori said, using Rarity's own words, to which Mai only shrugged.
"Whatever."
"Come on, Princesses, let's get this show on the road!" Hiro said, clapping his hands once. "Oh, maybe I can finally convince that cute girl from fifth period to be my date."
"Yeah, sure. I'm sure the eighteenth time will be the charm." Mai said as she went on ahead.
"You know, sometimes your sarcasm hurts."
"That wasn't sarcasm."
Iris took one last look at the city. This was one of the most important days of the year for them, and the first one Iris would attend as an official representative of the Harmony Family alongside her parents. While going to an activity such as this wasn't anything new for her, just attending it with everybody else in her family being celebrated and adored for their deeds often made her feel…
Left out.
"Iris, come on! You can look at it some other time!" Akari called out, snapping her best friends from her daze.
Iris decided to brush these thoughts aside, as she often did during these types of events, and jumped down and got back on her board, speeding away. "Race you back!"
Akari and Chi wasted no time in changing into their pony and wolf forms respectively, with Hiro speeding close behind on his board, alongside his sister. Nori and Gallant only groaned from exhaustion.
"Here we go again."
At City Hall, Rarity was pacing back and forth anxiously at the entrance, while Nori's father Kombu awaited alongside her.
The years of growth had already begun to show for the white unicorn. While her coat/skin remained shiny as always, sheer features became more defined, her cheekbones were more noticeable, and she often wore her long violet hair in an up-styled do, while still maintaining her signature over the head bang. The spectacles she wore whenever she designed her fashions were almost always on.
Kombu, Nori's father, was indeed a striking merstallion. He was strong and muscular looking wit fur and/or skin a prominent sea green, eyes deep purple much like Twilight's eyes, and notable shiny, lime green scales with blue highlights on both arms, and the back of his muscular legs. His hair was styled into a ponytail, which had a grayish-blue tint to it. A thin scar reached down from across the lower left eyebrow down to his cheek. He looked more like somepony who would be at a wrestling match, or something of that sort, but this anthro was as kind and gentle as his daughter.
Rarity looked at her watch once more and groaned in frustration. "Oh, where are they? I sent them a text fifteen minutes ago! I have to make sure the gowns fit properly, then there's hair and makeup, and you know how fidgety Iris is with her makeup, and if I know Akari--which I do-- she'll probably have her feathers all covered with muck and leafs. Maybe I should send them one more text--"
Just as she was about to send out another one, Kombu gently lowered the geo-phone and began moving his hands in a specific fashion. Since he was mute, Kombu used sign language to convey his words. Rarity was selfless enough to learn the language so she could properly understand him better.
After about a year of getting to know one another, becoming fast friends with their shared love of creativity and equally generous and kind spirit, the two had only recently decided to start dating. So far, all was going well, which was great news for Nori.
"Rarity, calm down. " he signed, "I know we have a lot going today, but if there is anypony who can make somebody else look great and do so in record time, it's you. You've already taken care of the rest of the gowns for your friends, and Pinkie Pie is already ahead with the decorations, Applejack's got the catering, we've all got this. "
Unlike Rarity, Kombu was always calm under pressure. Hearing one of her friends soothe her anxiety with reality wasn't anything new for Rarity, but given how overly dramatic she tends to be at times, it was still vital she hear it from someone she cared about.
Rarity took in a slow deep breath. "Thank you, darling. You're right, I shouldn't stress myself about this too much. After all, it's not the first Harmony Celebration event we've had so I really--" she was cut short when the doors opened up, with the kids walking inside.
"Oh, thank the sweet merciful heavens! " she exclaimed while simultaneously exhaling a breath she didn't even know she was holding and made a sprung way towards the two princesses.
"Sorry we're a little late, Rarity." Iris apologized, only for the unicorn to take her and Akari by the arms.
"No time for apologies, Iris. The Welcoming Ceremony starts in one hour and fifty minutes and I need to…" Rarity's eyes narrowed when she took notice of the trail of mud Akari had made when she walked in. "Seriously?"
Akari chuckled nervously. "Sorry?"
"It's okay, Rarity. I'll clean that up for you." Nori said. "Just get me some water and it'll be sparkling like a newly made ocean pearl in no time."
"Thank you, Nori. What would I do without you?" she smiled at the young merpony and then at her father. "Both of you." she then turned her attention back to the two girls and effortlessly dragged the two teenagers towards the stairs Crystal went upstairs too as she was attending the event as well. Rarity turned her head back to the merstallion.
"Kombu, could you please alert the Queen's? Tell them the girls will be ready in twenty!" she shoved the two into the hallways of the upper floor and disappeared from view…only to reappear, literally, two seconds later. "Make that twenty five!"
Kombu gave her a salute, followed by a wink, and Rarity zipped away to get to work. Akari managed to pry away long enough for her to pop her head, giving her friends a pleading look.
"Help… me!" she whined right before getting pulled away by Rarity herself.
Mai, Hiro, Gallant, Nori and Chi stiffened their laughter as to make sure Akari didn't hear them.
"There you two are!" a voice came from the other side of the room. Bolin and Asami walked in to greet their two kids. Asami's features, much like Rarity, had become more defined and her dark hair had already started to lighten, yet there were no gray strands to be seen as of yet. While Bolin himself had grown a mustache and a goatee.
"Ya see, honey? I told you they'd be fine."
"Why wouldn't we be?" Mai asked, cocking his head a bit.
"Your father was worried something had happened while you were out testing your latest invention." Asami said, folding her arms and giving her husband a sly look, to which Bolin only chuckled nervously while scratching the back of his neck.
"Whaaaaaaat? No, I wasn't worried. Why would I be worried? Just because a few… dozen of Mai's earlier inventions ended up blowing up half of the living room, and dinning room. And the workshop."
"And the pool." Hiro pointed out, earning a glare from his younger sister. "What? We got it all fixed."
"Don't worry dad, you'll be happy to know that everything went perfectly this time." Mai said happily, showcasing her mother the board, which still looked to be in perfect condition even after a test run in the mountains. "If I can calibrate the extent of the electromagnetic aura of the geodes and adjust the wires to correspond with the equal temperature of each one, while also measuring the amount of weight it would take to--"
"She's gonna make it fly." Hiro interrupted. Once again, earning an annoyed look from his sister. "That's what you said, I just gave em the short version."
"Wow, impressive." Asami said with great pride before gently taking the board out of her daughter's hands. "Thought, how's about you experiment on that after the Welcoming Ceremony. You guys still need to get ready too."
"Right."
"I should go find my mom." Gallant said, pointing his thumb to the doorway. "I'm part of the Airbender flight show, and she'll throw a hissy fit if I'm late." he waved farewell and busted to the door.
Applejack and her husband Double Diamond were nearly done setting up the serving table, while Sunset Shimmer and Nova Nightshade proceeded with organizing the tables for the guests once they arrived. The official banquet would be the evening to come, but for now, their visitors would sample some of the best foods the city and Ponyville had to offer.
Applejack took in the sweet smell of her family's home made Apple Pies. "I gotta say, Hon. This year's batch of Apple goods are our very best yet!"
"You say that every year, AJ." said Double Diamond.
"I know. It's really more for good luck."
"Since when are you the superstitious type?"
Applejack laughed, tilting her hat. "Alright, you caught me. I was praisin' your hard work. I don't think the Apple Farm's had an apple farmer as hard working' and quick on their hooves since, well, me."
"Well, I had a pretty good teacher." said the white anthro stallion, wrapping his arms around his wife and sharing a loving kiss. "And patient, considering I burned almost every apple pie I made on my first day."
"Yeah, but by the thirty seventh time you finally got it right." Applejack winked.
Pinkie Pie was focused on the order of the sweets on the desert table. The cupcakes were stacked in a specific order. Pinkie may be the bombastic type, but when it came to parties, this pony did not fool around. She stroked her chin and hummed in suspicion.
"Cheese!" she called out. Her husband came zooming in in record time, giving her a salute, while wearing a waiter's uniform and holding a tray balanced perfectly on his head, while another was balanced on his tail, and a third on his free hand.
"Yes, my cinnamon roll lollipop?"
"Does this look a little off to you?"
Cheese studied the order of the cupcakes, also stroking his chin in thought. "Now that you mention it… there's three cupcakes missing!"
Pinkie Pie gasped. "You're right! How did I miss that?!"
"How can you even tell?" Sunset Shimmer asked, inspecting the two.
"Uh, duh!" Pinkie Pie said, showcasing the cupcake display. "Every single cupcake was placed in color coordinated order." she said, pointing her finger at each cupcake in the row. "Pink, blue, green, purple, white, orange and yellow. But now, this row is Pink, white, orange, yellow, then pink again, then blue then green then--"
"Okay, I get it." Sunset finished, raising her hands to silence her friend.
"I think I found the culprit." Nova chuckled as he pulled on one of the table cloths, revealing a certain little anthro pony underneath, eating away at the cupcakes.
She was a three-year-old anthro pony with a light gamboge coat/skin color with matching ears, and a wild mane of curly brown hair, streaked with white, and bright pink colors, with a matching tail. She wore a pink and white dress with a small apron-styled pattern with streamers and candy wrappers imprinted on it. She wore simple mary-jane shoes and had white freckles on the bridge of her nose. Her forehead also had a heart shaped white symbol and the lower half of her arms and legs were colored white. The white made it seem as if she had dipped her hands in whipped cream which dried up and percale a permanent addition to her body. In reality, this was just the way her coat had come out when she was born. The white also had faded tints of pink if examined closely. Her eyes were a bright baby blue, identical to her mother's.
She gave her parents a bashful smile, her face entirely covered in frosting. Pinkie and Cheese gasped in terror, as if they had just witnessed their only child commit some kind of murder.
"Cookie Cream Sandwich Pie! We talked about this! No eating the cupcakes until after the guests have had theirs first." Pinkie said, speaking in surprisingly stern fashion, while still keeping her usual energetic tone.
Cookie stepped out from her hiding place, giving her parents the rest of the uneaten cupcakes. "Sorry. They were just so delicious looking I couldn't help it!"
"Well, considering it's Harmony Celebration Day, we'll let you off with a warning. This time." Cheese said to his daughter, who looked down sadly. Seeing her heartbroken expression, the two married anthro ponies looked at one another with regret. "And, in the spirit of the Celebration, why don't you help me and your mom wait the tables for the guests."
Cookie Cream's expression immediately shifted from sad to delighted. "Really? Hooray!" she jumped up high, remaining in mid air for a few more seconds before speaking. "Wait a second." she landed back on the ground. "Is this just so you can keep an eye on me the entire time?"
"Yep!" the two said in satisfied unison. Pinkie Pie then lowered down to her daughter's level, her eyes darting back and forth, "Your father and I have eyes at the back of our heads." she said, right before she and Cheese turned around… to reveal they were both wearing glasses, with matching glaring eyes, matching their respected eye colors behind their heads as they walked on ahead.
"Come on, Cookie!"
Cookie sighed in defeat. As much as she loved her parents, she could never pull a fast one on them.
"Speaking of kids…" Applejack began, already looking rather concerned. "Has anypony seen Sweet Gala and Half Pipe?"
"I'm here, Mama!" a young three-year-old filly called out to Applejack. She had bright blue eyes, a pale yellow coat, almost identical to her aunt Apple Bloom's, and bright red hair with equally bright golden streaks. She wore a simple country outfit, though with a little more style and flair. A slightly ruffled skirt with leggings underneath, classic cowgirl boots and a lovely cowgirl hat with a pink bow tied to the left side.
"Sorry, I was praticin' some of my dancin' at the ball room." she said in a light southern accent, while twirling gracefully before her parents. "I wanted to make sure I wouldn't trip over myself like last time."
Applejack smiled sweetly. "Aww, that was lovely, Hon." she said, spreading her arms wide, inviting her daughter for a hug. "You're gonna knock em dead at the Gala, I just know it."
"You sure will." Double Diamond agreed…until he realized somebody wasn't present. "Uh, where's your brother?"
"Incoming!"
A young anthro pony, also three-years-old, came skateboarding through the room, swiftly gliding through the tables with ease before stopping in front of his parents. He shared the same light yellow coat as his twin sister, along with orange, yellow hair, and instead he had green eyes instead of blue. Like his sister, he too spoke with a southern accent.
Little Half Pipe pounded his fist into the air. "Yes! Record time!"
His parents, on the other hoof, were not so amused. "Son, we told you, no skateboarding inside!" snapped Double Diamond.
"I wasn't inside… at first. But, then the doors opened and I didn't want to stop because I was on a roll! I skated down the stair railings and--oh, man! Papa you should have seen…" his excitement quickly died down upon looking at the unamused looks on his parent's faces. "I think it's best I stop talkin' now."
"Skateboard. Now." Applejack said sternly. Half Pipe sadly returned to his mother his board. "Now, why don't you kids go and help your Aunt Pinkie Pie and Uncle Cheese with organizin' the tables."
"Yes, Ma'am." the twin replied and ran off to do just that.
"Wow." Nova said, folding his arms after having watched the two set of parents lay down the law with their kids. "Please tell me this whole parent stuff gets easier."
"Depends, you want us to tell the truth or do you want to get your hopes up with unrealistic expectations?" Applejack asked.
"Unrealistic expectations."
"It gets a whole heck of alot easier!" Applejack said, sounding more sarcastic than sincere.
"Good to know, thanks." Nova said, very much picking up on the sarcasm from the country pony.
"Anytime."
Sunset Shimmer had just finished adjusting the floral arrangements when all of a sudden her vision became rather blurry. Her head felt light and had almost completely lost her sense of direction. She would tripped onto another table behind her had not her husband caught her in time.
"Sunset! Are you okay?"
The orange unicorn rubbed her forehead and adjusted herself. Her stomach felt it was in knots. "I think so. I need to use the restroom. Excuse me." she made her way through towards the nearest restroom available, holding her hand towards her mouth.
"Is everything okay?" Double Diamond asked with concern.
"Not sure. She's been like this for a few days." Nova said. "I told her to schedule for a doctor's appointment, but she keeps insisting it's nothing."
"Well, I'll go get her somethin' to drink for her stomach." Applejack said, getting right on that task, while Nova traced his hands through his dark blue hair, streaked with white, concerned about his wife.
Iris coughed when Rarity sprayed a little perfume onto the princess. While the smell wasn't terrible, in fact it was one of her favorites, the sensation of having something forcibly sprayed on her was not a good sensation. Still, it made the unicorn happy to see the princess look her best, so she dealt with it.
Unfortunately, Akari wasn't as subtly about the feeling as Iris was. She not only coughed, but she also tried to fan the odor from herself. Crystal was put in a gorgeous purple dress with black stars on it with a yellow shading layer above it. She had a purple and yellow shading star in her hair as well.
"Alright, we're almost done." Rarity said, taking a step back to admire her work. Iris was dressed in a lovely dress consisting of lilac and sky blue colors with a few splashes of pink. It had a sweetheart neckline and a see through lace fabric that wrapped around her shoulders, adorned three strands of silver fabric that started at the top and wrapped around both her shoulders, while the rest of the sea through fabric extended towards her wrists, hugging her well toned arms. The rest of styled as a waterfall skirt, with the saw transparent fabric wrapped around the waist with the same silver linings, and evident leggings underneath that reached a few inches below her knees. She wore a pair of simple platform sandal heels and a simple pendant around her neck.
Akari's dress was also styled with a sweetheart neckline, but had sleeves that hung off of her shoulders with light ruffles at the bottom, and the top had a rather corset-like design, but only in appearance, it wasn't an actual corset. The front was pale white pink with a yellow outline, also on the sweetheart neckline, which ended at her waist, while the back of the top was colored a bright aquamarine. The skirt itself was blueish purple, while the fabric around her waist, which was colored a sky blue, fell back like Iris's waterfall skirt. She also wore simply platform heels.
"Perfect! You both look simply divine!" Rarity said, smiling proudly at her work. Now she just needed to adjust their hair. Once she was done adjusting Iri's long ponytail, she turned to Akari and scoffed. "Oh, Akari, really?"
"What?"
"What do you mean, "what"? Look at your feathers, they're filthy!" Rarity inspected Akari's wings, taking the alicorn princess slightly off guard, "Oh, we're going to have to fix that. Might take us a few twenty minutes more, but it'll be worth it."
Rarity tugged on Akari's wings a bit, to which the young princess let out a surprised yelp. A knock on the door caught the three off guard.
Korra approached the fashionable unicorn, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I think we can take it from here, Rare."
"Of course, no worries. I'll just go and inspect everything downstairs." Rarity nodded to both of her friends and closed the door behind her. Both Korra and Twilight took the moment to truly look at their respective daughters.
Korra was almost left speechless. Her baby girl was growing into a stunning, strong and intelligent young woman. It felt like the time had just flown by.
Iris spun around in her dress once. "What do you think mom?" she asked, looking rather self conscious as a result. Korra remembered the old days where she too had felt her not-so-confident self when she first put on a dress Rarity had designed for her all those years ago. No matter how uncertain Iris may had felt, in Korra's eyes…
"Iris, you look… absolutely perfect."
"So do you, Akari." Twilight said, admiring her little girl. Akari proudly showed off the dress to her mother.
"At least it's not itchy this time." Akari said.
Iris giggled before addressing back to her mother. "Though, seriously Mom, don't you think it's time to spice it up a bit. Not that I don't like it, but you've been sporting the same pants with open dress look for years."
Indeed, Korra was wearing pants with the rest of the dress cut open to reveal them completely, while the rest of the dress was merely a cape wrapped around her waist. It was the only way Korra would ever wear anything formal for any event. Pants and boots or no deal.
"Maybe so, but I can still pull it off." Korra said, proudly showing off that charismatic confidence she was always known for.
Twilight playfully rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Akari's wings, gently cleaning them off with a simple spell she had long since memorized for this specific situation, while Korra straightened Iris's long sleeves.
"How you holding up?" she asked.
"Busy. But, busy is good." Iris said, though the nervous look on her face revealed a lot more than what her words led on.
"I'm glad you think so, Iris." Twilight said, nearly done with her daughter's wings, while arching a brow whenever she found either a twig or leaf in between her feathers. "Because this Welcoming ceremony is only the tip of the iceberg." she went on to explain, while Korra gently shook her head while smiling softly.
"And how's are new one doing?" Korra asked Crystal. Crystal smiled, "I'm okay. This is my first big event. Yeah!" Korra and Twilight liked her excited attitude. "Well, you'll have all of us there with you as well." Twilight said. Skyspike warbled. "And your dragons."
Some things just never change.
"Tomorrow is the festival, followed by the royal banquet, and that's all before the actual Harmony Gala on Sunday. Not to mention, now that you girls are old enough, you will not only be representing yourselves and the family, but all of Harmony City."
"Come on, Twily, give the girls some room to breath." Korra said, placing a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder. "We've been over this a billion times already."
"I know, I know, I just want everything to be perfect. This is going to be the biggest celebration yet! Bigger than last year. And the year before that. And the year before that. And the--"
"Year before that, we get it."
"At least there's no ancient face stealing spirit this time around. Which, in my opinion, was downright awesome!" Akari said, which only made her mother narrow her eyes. Akari chuckled nervously and scratched her neck. "You know, except for the terrorizing the people part."
"Don't worry, Aunt Twilight. We won't let you down." Iris said, gently gripping her right arm.
Akari opened her mouth to speak once Twilight was done cleaning her wings. "Actually, while we're on the subject, I mean, all these royal activities are great and traditional, and all, but do you think we might be able to catch a little downtime soon."
"Well, that depends." Twilight magically zapped a clipboard out of thin air and a very, very, very, very long roll of paper outstretched across the room, shocking the two young princesses, while Korra stood her unfazed. After so many royal events, it pretty much became second nature to her. Not to mention, years of battling power hungry villains and well intentioned extremists, one grand event was a walk in the park for everyone.
"I think we could squeeze something in between, oh no, wait, I think that'll be a bit more difficult. Perhaps if--no, that won't work either." Twilight read along, only to stop when Korra gently lowered the clipboard down.
"Of course, you girls will get to have some fun. We and your father's will take care of the important stuff, you kids just relax and have fun. After all, this is what the Harmony Celebration is all about."
Twilight took in a deep breath. "Yes, you're right, Korra. You girls just leave everything to us. If there is anything you need to know, we'll tell you right away. Just relax, and do your best."
Iris bit her bottom lip. Seeing this, Korra cupped her daughter's cheek, smiling sweetly. "Everything will be fine. Just be yourselves."
"Of course, Mom. Just… be myself." Iris repeated, with a very evident aura of uncertainty. She knew her mother meant well, and as much as she looked forward to all of the fun activities yet to be had during this joyous of times, it still made her feel… rather left out.
"Meet us downstairs in thirty minutes." Korra said before giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead. "I love you, Sunshine."
"Love you too, Mom."
Twilight also kissed Akari on the forehead. "See you in a bit, my little pony."
"Love you, Mom."
The two queens exited the room, leaving the princesses to their own. Once alone, Iris sighed and gazed out the window of the dressing room. Already the streets were aligned with dozens upon dozens of humans, spirits, ponies and mythical creatures alike. Dragons, griffons, changelings, even breezies, all talking, playing and laughing together. People from all four nations, benders and non benders, children frolicking and playing ball with one another, while the rest of her family assisted with the preparation for the event.
Seeing all of these multiple colors merging together reminded her of the colorful constantly changing petals of Irilissis flowers in Equestria. Her parents named her after the flower because of her own colorful heritage.
Akari's reflection appeared behind Iris on the glass window. "That is one gray looking rainbow." she said, referring to her best friend rather than the view. Iris sighed and turned around to face Akari, leaning against the frame of the window with her arms crossed. "You know, you've been getting mopier and mopier during these events."
"I guess I'm just used to it by now. There's not much for us to do except smile and wave and stay beside our parents when the guests arrive. Nothing ever changes, except maybe a few more heroic deeds are added to our family's long list of accomplishments." Iris looked over her shoulder to the people down below. "And I'm still stuck where I started."
"Come on, Iris. You've done a lot over the years."
"Name one."
"Well, you saved that puppy from drowning in the park. You volunteer at the hospital every weekend, you're head of the science team, you gave away all of your old toys to the orphanage, and you volunteer to read to the kids at the library."
"Yeah, but those are all things anyone with common comprehension of decent morality would do."
"Iris, you don't have to stop some fifty foot monster to be a hero. You're a hero to a lot of people in modest ways."
"It's not that I don't like doing that stuff, I do, even if I don't have to. But, no matter what, I always feel like I stick out from the rest of our family. And that's saying a lot, considering I have three lizard spirits for older siblings, and aside from being the first human alicorn to have been born rather than made. The only truly heroic and climactic thing I have ever done was break a sword. That's it. And that's been seven years ago."
"So you've had one mega heroic act, so what? I haven't done much of anything else either?"
"Oh, really, Miss I-uncovered-an-undocumented-species-of-healing-plants-in-the-Everfree-Forest-tamed-a-timberwolf-and-became-the-youngest-known-alicorn-to-master-sword-fighting-in-less-than-three-days?"
Akari opened her mouth to speak, but quickly realized she had nothing.
"That's what I mean, Akari! You could be a master swordsman, an explorer like Daring Do, heck you could be in the police force like your dad, but what can I do? I'm just a goody-two-shoes who can memorize a bunch of spells and broke one powerful sword and hasn't done anything grand ever since. Wow, how progressive!" Iris did sarcastic jazz hands and groaned before sitting down on a stool with her arms folded. "I have nothing else that makes me stand out. I can't help but feel I'm meant for something more, yet I have no idea what it is. My cutie mark has got to mean something else, right?"
"Haven't you ever asked the CMCs? They're whole job is helping others find the meaning behind their cutie marks."
"I've been asking them for years, but I still feel like I've hit a wall. It's not their fault."
Akari scratched the back of her neck, "Well, your mom is the Queen of Friendship. Somebody's got to carry on her legacy. Wouldn't you like that?"
"Of course I would. But, I don't want it to just be handed to me. I want to earn it the same way she did. I do want to uphold the family name, but how can I do that if I don't even know what I'm really good at on my own? All I want is to feel like I'm making as much a difference as my family does. What's wrong with that?"
Akari took a seat beside her best friend. "Iris, I've known you my entire life. You are the most loyal, brave, smart, sometimes perfectionistic, but also the most selfless person I have ever known. You're great at making friends and you do a lot better at this princess pink-girly stuff than I do. Ironic, because I'm, you know, peach pink." Akari pointed to herself, which made Iris giggle. "My point is, whatever it is you're meant to do in this world, take it one step at a time and trust things will work themselves out in the end. If you focus too much on what may or may not happen, you'll miss out on all the good things that are happening."
"You got that from Starlight Glimmer, didn't you?"
"Well, she was my mom's student."
Iris laughed and playfully punched her friend on the arm. The two laughed and hugged things out before getting back to their feet.
"You're right, Kars. Besides, there is a lot more to the Harmony Celebration than what happened in the past."
"That's right. It's about celebrating the future, and I have a feeling it's gonna be bright. You'll see."
"As you requested President Iroh, we doubled security on both the south, east and west streets."
"Good thing too, the guests should be arriving." said Iroh. While he still looked as fit and handsome as he did before, his age was starting to show, his dark hair was now gray, not exactly white, but gray, with a beard and mustache that made him resemble more of his long deceased grandfather Zuko, whose portrait had been hung on the walls alongside that of Katara, Toph, Sokka and Aang, and even the first General Iroh, in honor of heroes long gone.
King Mako nodded his head to the deliver of the news. "Yes. Thank you, Ali."
Mako and Korra's adopted lizard spirits had grown into human sized lizard beings who walked on their hind legs and lovely dragonfly wings on their backs.
"No problem, Dad."
Another lizard, one wearing a more casual male shirt flew down from one of the picture frames, admiring his work. "Alright, looking good. You for a bunch of old, dead people." he said, dusting his hands in satisfaction.
"San! They're not just a bunch of old, dead people. Those are the original members of Team Avatar." Ali stated firmly. "This celebration is just as much dedicated to them as it is to Mom, Dad and everyone else."
"Okay, okay, no need to get all grouchy."
"Everything looks great." said King Flash Sentry, who also accompanied Mako and Iroh.
"It should." another voice said from behind them. Spike, now a fully grown late teenage dragon, almost Korra's size, approached, alongside Ali and San's younger sister, Mika, who wore a stunning floral themed outfit, and a lovely pink flower headband. Spike went over the notes on his clipboard. "These new leaders from the Earth Federation regions are very picky. Like this Mayor Chen lady, very polite by the way, really knows how to give a compliment, but very demanding! She asked for taffeta colored orchids with the thorns cut off! Good thing Mika's an expert florist or else we never would have gotten them in time."
The younger winged lizard spirit blushed. "Well, when you know your way around the Spirit World, and love plants as much as I do, you pretty much know your way around."
Spike smiled graciously. "What would I do without you?"
"Probably lose your tail if it weren't attached." Mika joked.
Spike rolled his eyes. "Ha, ha. Very funny." he said. His purple scales turned a bright red when she kissed him on the cheek.
"Hey!" Mako called out, grabbing their attention. "Just because I allowed you to date my daughter, doesn't mean you can flirt in front of me."
"Daddy!" Mika whined, crossing her arms.
"Just wait until Iris starts dating. That should be quite a show."
Mako, Iroh, Spike and the spirit lizard siblings all turned to see Korra and Twilight approach the two. The two kings greeted their beautiful queens with a kiss on the lips.
"You look beautiful." Mako said to his stunning wife.
"You don't look so bad yourself, My King." Korra said, in her usual flirty tone, earning a chuckle from Mako.
"So, are the girls ready?" Flash asked, his arms still wrapped around Twilight.
"Yep. Everybody is pretty much set."
"Perfect. Then, let us begin, shall we?" Iroh said, gesturing to the others to the door.
"Um, we'll be right there, Iroh." Mako said, surprising his wife when his gripped her hand a bit tighter than normal.
"Okay, just don't take too long."
"We won't."
Once Iroh was out of sight, Korra confronted her husband. "Mako, what's wrong?" she asked. Mako looked around and then led Korra to a quieter location where no one would hear them. The rest of their small party followed close behind.
"How was Iris? Did anything strange happen?" Mako asked.
"No, she's fine." Korra replied.
"You sure? She's not stressing or freaking out?"
"Nothing that we haven't seen already." Korra said, placing hand on Mako's tense shoulder. "Will you relax? She's fine."
Mako pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry, I just can't help but be concerned."
"She hasn't shown any signs yet."
"You mean her Avatar powers?" San asked, only to have his mouth covered by Spike, Mika and Ali all at once.
"San! Keep your voice down! You want everyone to find out?" Ali spatted.
"I don't think an event like this is going to rattle her up enough to start bending fire and water left and right." Korra said.
"Yeah but, Korra she's already fourteen, it's only a matter of time before she does." Mako said.
"We don't know that for sure. All we know is that Wan said she would get her powers when she hit puberty."
"Which she already has. There's really no telling when her powers might show up. It could be at any given moment."
"I understand your concerns, but it's been months since she turned fourteen and nothing has happened."
"Actually, I have to agree with Mako on this." said Flash Sentry. "Think about it, Iris was only seven when she activated her Avatar powers. It's been seven years exactly since then, and it was during the Day of Harmony Celebration as well."
"Technically, it was a few days after the event, but I get what you're saying, Honey." Twilight said.
Mako nodded in agreement. "They're right, and if there is anything we all know it's that, in this family, there are no such thing as coincidences."
Korra wanted to reassure her husband that he was worrying over nothing, but he did bring up a very good point. Iris had yet to show any signs of her Avatar powers since she was seven-years-old, and after seven long years she had yet to show any signs of anything. History was repeating itself with the Day of Harmony, just like when Ronin first reeled in his ugly head. The situation lasted several days, and the Harmony Celebration had been outstretched since then from one day to four. She'd be lying if she said the possibility had never crossed her mind.
Mako gently cupped Korra's cheek. "Korra, I know we agreed we would wait until Iris showed signs of her magic to finally tell her the truth, but I really do feel it's time she finally knew. Just in case."
Korra sighed, holding Mako's hand near her face. "I understand where you're coming from. But, what if we're wrong and nothing happens?"
"And if something does?" Twilight asked.
"I just don't want us to scare her if we're all just being too paranoid."
Mako sighed, tracing his hand through his hair. "Okay, how about this. We'll give her today and tomorrow. If she hasn't shown any signs by then, we'll let this go. But, if there is anything, we tell her right away. Is that okay?"
"Alright. You've got yourself a deal." Korra turned to her adopted children. "Ali, Mika, San, could you please keep a close eye on your sister?"
"Of course we will mom." Mika said.
"She's probably right, and we're all worried over nothing." Spike said, hoping to ease the tension. The sound of trumpets were heard, which signaled their cue to go and greet their guests.
"Let's talk about this after the ceremony." Flash said, taking Twilight by the arm, as did Korra and Mako. Taking in deep breaths to calm their nerves.
"Don't worry you guys. I bet everything is gonna be fine." San said, acting his usual optimistic self. "I can feel it in my bones."
"You'll feel it in your bones if it doesn't." Ali said, swatting her brother upside the head with her tail before joining their parents.
A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Chapter 3: Legend Unfolds
The trumpets sounded and the leaders of Harmony City walked outside. The sun shown brightly above, and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. Iris and Akari rushed out to stand beside their parents. Akari nearly tripped, but was thankfully caught by Iris and the two stood up straight. Akari flashed her mother an apologetic grin.
Outside of City Hall stood President Iroh, alongside Queen Avatar Korra and King Mako to hose left, with Iris right in between both her parents. Queen Twilight Sparkle and King Flash Sentry stood on his right, with Akari in between them as well.
The rest of the Elements of Harmony were also present, all six near Korra and Mako, while Tenzin and his family alongside the Sato family.
Nova and Sunset Shimmer were in the audience with Kombu, Nori, Starlight, Sunburst and Gallant Steed with the rest of the Air Nation. Nova's eyes darted back and forth. "Where's Chi? The guests will be arriving any minute."
"Here!" the wisp called out, stopping abruptly beside her brother and sister-in-law. "I'm here, sorry."
"What kept you?"
"I got a little lost, and then I got held up with the crowd and, I'm sorry."
Meanwhile, Nori was in the audience with her father, happily waving to her friends and Rarity. The unicorn gave a subtle wave to the merpony, while Akari gave her an excited wave. Twilight cleared her throat, reminding Akri to be on her best behavior.
Spike cleared his throat once the first horse drawn carriage arrived. "Their royal majesties from the Capitol of Canterlot; Queen Celestia, Queen Luna and Lady Leilani!"
The three alicorns exited their carriage and approached the heroes. It was as if no time had passed at all for them. The two sisters still resembled two stunning young adult women, and their mother a still strapping young middle aged woman with long flowing hair that still sparkled like new. The alicorns beamed and hugged Twilight, Korra, Flash, Mako and pretty much everyone. The Mane Six rallied together to hug Princess Luna, including Asami and Starlight, and Sunset Shimmer embraced her former mentor.
"It's always great to see you again, Sunset Shimmer."
"You too, Prince--I mean, Queen Celestia. Wow, still trying to get used to that."
"You and me both." the white alicorn winked then turned to see the younger alicorn. "Akari, always wonderful to see you."
"Thanks, you too Celest." Akari said, giving a salute.
"Akari!" Twilight exclaimed, "What did we say about using slang words when greeting royal guests?"
Celestia only laughed, "Oh, chilax Twilight, it's all in good fun." she said, using a vague valley girl accent, which only made Twilight laugh as well. Often times she needed to be reminded that Celestia may still be ruler of Equestria, and have been her mentor, she allays considered herself a part of Twilight's family more than anything, and adored her daughter like a niece.
Leilani and Korra shared a loving embrace. "It's great to see you again, Leilani."
"You too, Korra. It's been a while."
"How was your cruise?" Mako asked.
"Oh, it was wonderful, thank you for asking." Leilani's eyes landed on their daughter. "Is that Iris? Did you grow some while I was gone?"
"Welcome back, Leilani." Iris greeted politely with a bow, only to be surprised with a great big bear hug, that nearly crushed her spine.
"I missed you to much!" Leilani said, holding the young alicorn tightly. Even Korra and Mako could feel the intensity of the hug. Ever since Iris was a baby, Leilani always had a fondness for the child.
"I… missed you too." Iris said, her voice slightly high pitched at how tightly the alicorn was hugging her. Iris inhaled a huge amount of oxygen once Leilani released her.
"Sorry. Guess I've forgotten my own strength."
"No, it's fine." Iris insisted, "Don't worry about it."
"And how's Crystal holding up?"
"She's doing just fine and so are her dragons."
The trumpets sounded once again, and Spike cleared his throat again. "Presenting, from the Crystal Empire; Queen Cadance, King Shinning Armor, and Princess Flurry Heart!"
Unlike Celestia, Luna and Leilani, Cadance had definitely aged, but very gracefully. She had visible laugh lines and her hair was often worn in a bun, held together with shimmering crystals and beads, and a long shimmering blue dress with a pair of golden heels. Shinning Armor had gotten a hair cut, and had sported a mustache and beard, making him appear much older, yet he was still as fit and muscular as before.
Flurry Heart, now eighteen-years-old, was the envy of many female ponies back at the empire. She had her shimmering heart snowflake embedded onto a shield for her cutie mark, her pink coat/skin shimmered in the sunlight, making her appear a light pale pink, and she had long since grown into her wings. She wore her hair down most of the time, in a low ponytail held together with strings of diamonds and a simple crystal tiara on her head.
"Flurry!"
"Akari!
"Cadance! Shinning Armor!"
"Twily!"
It didn't matter if it made them look undignified, Twilight rushed over to her brother and sister-in-law, embracing them in a great big hug, while Akari and Flurry rushed head on towards one another. They morphed into their pony forms and chanted a familiar greeting.
"Sunshine, sunshine
Ladybugs awake
Clap your hooves and
And do a little shake! "
They changed back to their anthro forms and hugged one another. "I'm so happy to see you!"
"I'm happy to see you too, little cousin." Flurry said.
Akari then noticed something inside her bag. "What's that?"
"Oh, just a little something I picked up while exploring the frozen crystal caves." Flurry winked and pulled out a sample of what appeared to be white fur with a red tint. Akari gasped and grabbed the sample, her blue eyes sparkling.
"No way! Is that genuine yeti hair?!"
"Yep. Had a run in with one about two weeks back. Thought it would make a good addition to your study of unrecorded wildlife. I know it's not much, but yetis only show up so often over there." Flurry said with an almost disappointed tone. Times such as these she wishes the Crystal Empire wasn't so predictable all the time.
"This is so cool! You're the best!" Akari nearly crushed her own cousin's ribcage with her tight bear hug. She was lucky Flurry was just as fit as she was.
"I know, I know."
Everyone's attention turned to a sudden pumpkin that rolled up towards them. Confused and curious looked surrounded the unexpected vegetable, only for it to suddenly burst open and a certain draconequus appeared in front of everyone, wearing a shimmering blue ball gown, added with a blond wig, red lipstick and face eyelashes.
"I dear, I certainly hope I'm not late to the ball." he said in a high pitched voice, in a futile attempt to mimic the voice of a woman. "Just kidding!" he immediately striped himself off of the drag, now wearing an orange tuxedo and top hat. "It's just me! The one, the only, the powerful, the pleasurable, irresistibly chaotic, DISCORD!!! "
Discord created fire works and confetti falling all around, while trumpets flared, shooting streamers from their mouths, and a giant neon sign with his name appeared above him.
Spike gave a deadpan expression as one of the streamers landed on his nose. He blew it away. "And, Discord." he added, reading off of his list. There really was no point to it now, but he still did his job.
Fluttershy was the first to hug him. "Discord! You made it!"
"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss it for the world! Oh, and I brought you a surpriiiiiiiiiise!" Discord said in a sing-song tone, his red eyes shimmering with glee like an excitable school girl. He blew on his fingers, whistling and from above, a colorful swarm of changeling guards appeared above.
In between them stood the king of the changelings, in his anthro form, with his long hair and the antlers on his head. He landed in front of the royals, he and his guards bowing in respect before the king himself changed back into his more modest form, which was closer in appearance to the other changelings.
Fluttershy gasped with delight, her cyan green eyes sparkling and she flew directly towards the changeling, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Thorax!" she squealed, nearly tackling him to the ground. Thorax managed to keep his balance stable and hugged the pegasus back. "I thought you said you wouldn't be back for another week!"
"I thought so, too. But, with a little help from Discord, me and the changelings were able to help the creatures of the Woodland forest in Saddle Arabia in no time."
Fluttershy turned towards her chaotic friend, who blushed. "Awww, chucks! It was nothin'." he said, mimicking a "Goofy" styled voice, added with the signature Goofy laugh.
"Oh, and I brought you a surprise." Thorax nodded to one of his guard companions, and revealed he had been carrying a small furry little mongoose in his arms. A mongoose with cerulean colored fur and golden markings. His little pink nose twitched and his big brown eyes sparkled when he saw Flutterhy, who gasped.
"Oh my goodness! Is that a real Saddle Arabian River Mongoose?" her eyes sparkled.
"It is. The poor thing lost his parents. I figured, since you have so many mongoose friends at your animal sanctuary, he'd feel right at home."
Fluttershy's heart broke for the poor little baby. She scooped him in her arms, where he nuzzled her cheek. "Awww, don't you worry, little one. My friends will be more than happy to meet you." Fluttershy blushed. "You're so sweet."
"Yeah, he is." Thorax said, only to be surprised when Fluttershy kissed him on the lips.
"I was talking about you."
While the two interacted, Discord couldn't resist smiling. He then turned to the camera and folded his arms in annoyance. "Don't judge me!"
The trumpets flared once again, and this time Spike was more than happy to announce the next guest. "From the far off Dragon Lands; Fire Lord Ember!"
Rather than arrive in an elegant carriage, just like Thorax, Ember arrived by landing in front of everyone, with a few guards at her side. The female dragon had grown a few inches since she first met Spike. A slender, feminine looking dragon with evident muscle that did not diminish her femininity. She wore a single ruby crown and earrings, while gripping the scepter in her claw.
Ember happily embraced Spike in a tight hug. It would seem everybody was in a hugging mood today. Then again, that was to be expected on this specific day.
"Spike! Look at you, you're almost as big as me!" Ember said after releasing him. Indeed, Spike was now chin level compared to Ember.
"It's great seeing you too, Ember."
"So, where's this girlfriend of yours you've been telling me about?" Ember asked, looking around for said girlfriend.
Spike blushed and scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, um, well, she's--" before he could reply, Mika appeared behind him and started shaking Ember's claw, rather excitedly.
"Hi! I'm Mika, Queen Korra's daughter, It's so great to finally meet you, Ember, Spike has told me so much about you, I'm such a big fan!" Mika practically squealed. It was true, she was a big fan of the legendary Dragon Lord.
Ember managed to pry her claw away, but smiled in approval none the less. "I like your energy, kid." she said before winking at Spike. "She's a keeper."
Mako sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose, all the while Korra gently patted him on the shoulder. He still couldn't help becoming protective of his girls whenever they got involved with someone. Not even sweet, innocent Spike could be spared from "Papa Mako's" all seeing eye.
After their greeting, Spike announced the next guest, which also flew in, but this time via a small, humble winged carriage pulled by a couple of griffons. Sitting on it was a much older female griffon, wearing a green sash with the griffon emblem on it.
"From the city of Griffonstone; Mayor Gilda!"
Gilda had grown into a mature, wise and noble griffon, who had made numerous new friends over the years. A couple years back, when the griffons were seeking a new Mayor, she won by a landslide. Rainbow Dash and her old griffon friend hugged upon arrival. Unlike ponies, griffons couldn't morph into an authro form, since they were not equine in biology. But, never the less, she had grown a bit in size, resembling a miniature lion.
"Mayor Gilda of Griffonstone, who'd have thought."
"Hey, I may be a respected figure now, but I can still take you in a race. That is, if childbirth didn't make you any slower."
Rainbow Dash chuckled and gave the griffon a fist pump, "I missed you."
"From the South and Northern Water Tribes; Chief Tonrag, Lady Senna, and Chiefs Eska and Desna!"
The royal family from the south and north arrived in a sleek blue colored satomobile with the water tribe emblem on them. Tonraq and Senna, now much older, exited from one side, while Eska and Desna exited from the other. Korra and Mako happily hugged the elder ruling couple, who were also greeted by the lizard spirit siblings. Iris hugged her grandparents with a great big smile.
"Grandma! Grandpa!"
"Iris, sweetheart. You look absolutely beautiful." Tonraq said before kissing the fourteen-year-old on the forehead.
"I missed you guys."
"We missed you too." said Seena, hugging her biological granddaughter.
Korra then greeted her two cousins. "Welcome back, you two."
"Much heartfelt greetings to you as well, Korra." Desna said to his cousin before hugging her… all the while wearing that same boring, un-expressional look on his face. He did manage a small smile however.
"I see you are still married to the firebender." Eska said, eyeing Mako, who narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "I had hoped at this point, you would have chosen someone who was far more yielding to your obvious superiority as the dominant one in your marriage."
Mako gave a sarcastic chuckle, "Oh, Eska. You and your…always forthright opinions." he said sarcastically through his teeth.
Iris chuckled nervously and fiddled with her hair. "Still, it's nice to see you again, Cousin Eska." she said, only to freeze when she saw the woman's icy gaze upon her.
"Then again, he did assist in procreating this fine example of a future ruler." Eska said while proudly tapping Iris's head. "So I suppose he was not a complete waste."
"Okay! How's about we save some of those conversations for the rest of the festivities." Korra said, trying to desperately stop her cousin from saying anymore words. "Please?"
Eska only nodded, while Desna gave an apologetic shrug. "My apologies. I've been trying to get her to "sugarcoat" her words as of late… it hasn't been very successful."
"Thanks for trying." Korra said.
"Why did we invite them again?" Iris asked once both twins were out of hearing range.
"Because they're family, and we're good people." Korra said, though while trying not to dig her nails into her skin with how tightly her fists were clenched.
"Plus, Eska mainly invited herself." Mako stated, his eyes still narrowed.
"That too."
Eska's eyes met a certain earthbender, who flinched while his wife gave her a sideways glance. Eska bowed her head in greeting.
"Bolin."
"Eska." he replied in a dignified tone before she left to join the other guests. Once she was gone, the entire Sato family shuddered in terror.
"You seriously dated that chick?" Hiro asked his father, still having a hard time wrapping his head around the notion. "I mean, I get she's a babe but… eh!"
"Word of advice, Son. Never go for a woman based on her looks." Bolin said. "Go for a woman who is strong, smart, independent and at times scary but adorable none the less. Just like your mother."
Asami blushed and cuddled next to her husband. "Awww!"
Mai rolled her eyes at her parents becoming all lovey dovey. "Oh, please."
"From the Fire Nation: Fire Lord Izumi, Lady Ursa, General Zuko the second, and Prince Lu Ten!" Spike announced. From a limo exited a stunning fire nation woman, dressed in her finest cloths, with long gray hair and wearing the Fire Lord headpiece. Beside her was her youngest daughter, Lady Ursa, and her youngest son. He bared a striking resemblance to his great grandfather Lord Zuko from when he was fourteen, only he had his hair neatly cut, with a few wild strands to showcase he was a boy who enjoyed having a good time, but well mannered enough to behave like the ideal prince at a party.
The moment her eyes landed on him, Mai's cheeks turned a bright red, a knot lunged in her throat and her heart let out an audible "boom" which she feared her brother might have heard. She had seen many good looking boys at school, but there was something about this boy's warm unusually bright blue eyes, his slim yet athletic build and his kind smile when he looked her way. He gave a small wave, but Mai was too frozen to even move.
President Iroh greeted his mother, sister and nephews. The oldest of which inherited his General tittle after he retired and became president of the city. Given his happy expression, he was particularly found of his youngest nephew, who laughed when he ruffled his hair.
"Whoa…" Mai uttered, rather subconsciously.
All the while Hiro smiled in satisfaction. He elbowed her arm lightly, snapping her back to reality, her face even reader than before, for she knew her brother caught wind of her reaction to the young fire nation prince. When the Fire Nation family passed by her, Lu Ten gave her a kind smile her way, to which Mai returned with a small wave. She knew her face was still bright red, which she already suspected he had seen.
"Hook. Line. And sinker." Hiro sing-songed, which only made Mai growl in frustration.
"I hate you." she muttered.
In the audience, Mai's reaction to the young prince did not go unnoticed by Nori, Gallant and Chi, who all snickered. "And I thought Gallant's crush on Akari was adorable."
"Wait, what!?" Gallant's eyes widened and his aquamarine cheeks turned a bright shade of red.
"Come on, Gallant. You've been eying Akari since we started." Nori pointed out, rising an amused brow, which only made the young unicorn shrink back in embarrassment.
He didn't they they had noticed but, what they said was true. Gallant really had been paying a lot of attention to Akari. From the moment he saw her in that dress, he felt his heart skip and his palms become sweaty.
"Seriously, you've been crushing on her since you were foals."
"Chi, quiet!" Gallant shushed her by covering the wisp's mouth.
"Oh, relax, she can't hear us." Chi said right before another trumpet sounded, and Spike welcomed the next guests.
"From Zaofu; The Beifong family!"
While Suyin and her family happily greeted Korra and the others. Akari happily greeted them, giving the Beifong twins, Wei and Wing, high fives and fist pumps. She was such a social butterfly, which was a contrast to Gallant's normally laid-back and somewhat introverted personality. Yet, he always admired her intelligence, determination and her spunk. She always encouraged him to try new things. It would seem the "opposites attract" trope was strongly in play here, at least from what he could gather.
"I don't even know if she likes me that way." Gallant said, dropping his shoulders while scratching his head. "I mean, she's so fearless and athletic and I'm… average."
"Yeah, but you're also both wickedly smart bookworms, love the animals, and know more about ancient spells, weaponry and mythical creatures than anypony else we know. Aside from Iris, but you get the idea."
"Chi is right. Of course, there is only one way to find out."
"What's that?" Gallant asked, right before getting a flick to the side of his head, curtesy of Chi.
"Duh! Ask her to dance at the Harmony Gala!" the wisp said.
"What? B-But I--"
"Don't be such a wimp. If you don't make a move, somebody else will."
To prove Chi's point, Nori grabbed Gallant by the chin towards a group of young male anthro ponies from school, all staring in admiration at the alicorn princess. Akari simply blushed at their attention and gave a nervous wave, but given her expression she was evidently uncomfortable. Her eyes shifted to where Gallant was, and that was when her smile and expressions became genuinely happy. Gallant blushed and waved back.
"They do make a good point, son." said Starlight Glimmer. In their conversation, Gallant had nearly forgotten his mother and father were still present. Now he felt even more humiliated, covering his face with his hand, only for Starlight to playfully ruffle his hair. "Talking to your crush is hard, believe me."
"So, what do you think I should do, Mom?"
"Easy. Be yourself, be honest, and if all else fails… don't use magic to fix something you can't control."
Gallant chuckled. "You got it, Mom."
The ceremony proceeded with welcoming not only Suyin's family, but also several leaders of the Earth Federation, who had long since formed good friendships with the others. Once all guests had arrived, President Iroh gave Korra center stage. She addressed to the rest of the audience.
"Thank you, everyone. You know, even though it's been seven whole years since our first official Day of Harmony celebration, it still feels like the very first. When I first came to this city, it admittedly wasn't in the best shape. There was a lot of division, and a lot of hatred. But now, I can't take one single step without bumping into a familiar face." Korra said with a wide smile. The audience laughed joyously, because it was true. "Much like myself and my friends, this city has grown and changed so much over the years. This celebration isn't just to remember all the fights that were won by me and my friends, but a celebration to all of the friendships we have made. Our friends, old and new, our families, and who were once enemies, are now our most trusted allies. I can't find the words to express how happy and proud I am to all of you. To all of us. May the Magic of Friendship continue to light the way, and here's to another magical year of harmony!"
The audience bursted into applauds. Pinkie Pie pulled out her party cannon and shot confetti and streamers all around. Tenzin nodded to his kids, and Ikki, Meelo, Rohan and Kai all pulled the wings from their suits and prepared to take flight. Jinora couldn't, on account of she was pregnant.
"Oh, looks like that's our cue." Starlight said to her son. Both pulled the wings from their suits and Starlight and Gallant, along with the rest of the air nation, flew up into the sky, giving a dazzling performance of arial acrobatics, while the unicorns shot fireworks from their horns. The crowd went wild and Iris's eyes sparkled. Her mother was right, ever new Day of Harmony felt like it was the first one ever, all over again. It just never lost its wonder. It was early in the evening. A majority of the citizens of the city were inside their homes, or hotel rooms for some, relaxing after a long day of celebration. Some had even retired early due to their work. Rarity had just finished closing up shop and prepared to head back home. She hummed a familiar tune as she made her way towards the docks to catch the next ferry to the Equestrian portal.
It was a foggy, but thankfully she had her water skin handy, and her horn gave a radiant glow which illuminated her path. She kept her ears pierced, while maintaining a regal and confident demeanor as she walked.
Amongst the fog, a pair of piercing, glowing green eyes stared at her, his sharp claws gleaming.
Twilight and Flash Sentry were reading books in the throne room, when Akari and Timber Spruce walked casually by.
"Hey Mom, hey Dad, I'm going to meet Iris and the gang at the Castle of the two sisters. I'll be back by eleven."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, slow your horse feathers, young lady!" Twilight called out, making his daughter and her pet timberwolf to stop in their tracks. "You know how dangerous the Everfree Forest is at night."
"Not when you're good with the Timberwolves and manticores that live there." Akari pointed out while rubbing Timber's head. "Besides, I've been to the Everfree Forest alone a hundred times. I know the place like the back of my hoof, and Zecora doesn't live too far away. Plus, it'll be a great way for Iris to get her mind off of things."
Twilight and Flash looked at one another, silently debating on wether or not they should allow it.
"I promise I'll be back before my curfew. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Akari did the signature Pinkie Promise gesture to reassure her parents. Akari was always a princess of her word, no matter what.
Both parents gave unsure expressions before coming to a conclusion. "No sooner than eleven." Twilight said.
Akari galloped her front legs excitedly. "Sweet! Thanks, Mom! Come on, Timber!"
Both the princess and timberwolf ran out of the castle at top speed, leaving Twilight to sight sadly. "Maybe a night out is exactly what Iris needs after… you know."
Flash nodded in agreement before getting back to his book, until he noticed his wife's concern. "Relax, honey. Our daughter's a billion times more terrifying than any of the creatures that live there."
"I know, that's what worries me."
(~)
The previous conversation replayed over and over again in Iris's mind. The responsible thing to do would be to inform her parents she was going to see Akari. It wasn't as if she had never gone to the Everfree Forest by herself before but, after what happened would they let her? And if she snuck out, would she be discovered? And if she was discovered, how would they trust her again?
Once again, her mind was swarming with questions and uncertainties. She had only uncovered her Avatar secret an hour ago, and already she was feeling overwhelmed. Maybe she wasn't as excited about this as she thought. Or, maybe she was.
A knock on the door got the princess on edge. "Iris? Can I come in, sweetheart?" Mako asked from the other side.
"You can't! I'm… changing." she lied. Thankfully, she managed to pull it off just fine this time around.
"Oh. Okay then. Listen, I just wanted to know if you were doing alright?"
"Well, I'm doing… better than before if that's what you mean." Iris said. That wasn't a complete lie. She was still confused, but at least she was trying remain calm. Failing in her mind, but on the outside she was managing.
"Iris, I'm sorry you had to find out this way, and I know it's all very confusing right now, but I just want you to know your mother and I are here for you. If you feel like talking, we're here to listen."
Iris hesitated before speaking. "Actually, dad. I…" she paused, once again being in an internal war with herself, yet again. For the first time ever, another side of her won out. "Akari just texted me and… would it be okay if I hung out at her place for a little while?"
She couldn't tell, but Mako smiled from the other side. "Sure, sweetie. I'll let your mom know."
"Thanks, Dad."
"I love you."
"I love you, too." Iris replied, hearing her father's footsteps walking farther and farther away. She immediately covered her face in shame. That wasn't a complete lie, but at least she could leave with a clear conscience. As upset as she was with her parents, a part of her knew they had good intentions… even though those reasons still infuriated Iris due to the fact she had spent her entire life trying to find her purpose, while they knew all along and had ordered her own family to keep it from her, and even if she had known she would have at least been prepared for….
Oy, she seriously needed to get out. Pronto.
Iris quickly packed her things, dawned on a long cape-like jacket, placed together with a yellow belt with an amethyst buckle. She opened her windows but was stopped when Akhlut pulled on the ends of her jacket.
"You want to come too?" Iris hugged the orca wolf, who nuzzled against his friend. Iris swiftly flew down from her window and towards the Equestrian portal, with Akhlut having dove down into the waters and swam along with her towards the portal while she flew.
(~)
It didn't take long for Iris and Akhlut to arrive at the edge of the Everfree Forest were, as expected, Akari and Timber were waiting for her. The two canine creatures greeted one another shy chasing each other's tails and leaping like happy puppies. "Right on time. As usual."
"Do your parents know you're here?" Iris asked, in the hopes she wouldn't feel as guilty about not informing her parents about where she was going.
"Yeah, I told them." Akari replied. "Did you tell yours?"
"Well, um…" Iris cringed, "Yes and… no. I told them I was going to your place for a while, but that's about it."
"Couldn't go through with it completely, could ya?"
Iris rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm good kid of the year, whatever."
"Still mad?"
"A little… a lot, I think." Iris gripped her forehead. "I'm both kind of excited and terrified about the reveal, finally understanding my purpose, but also upset that I could have always known, but I was left in the dark, and also just how things are going to change from now on."
"Yeah, you seriously need this. Time to shut off that big brain of yours, at least for one night and have some blood pumping, heart racing, skin tingling excitement!"
"Sounds relaxing already." Iris said. Even though she was a straight A student, the teenager was no less of a thrill seeker than Akari was. A trait which had grown more so over the years, to the point she was as daring and athlete as her mother was…. and still is.
"You got the stuff?"
"Never go into the forest without em." Akari replied cockily, flipping the top of her saddle bag, which contained a grappling hook, rope, and several other camp survival necessities. She levitated a velvet wallet, which once she opened it, out came a long row of small knives of various styles and shapes, which reached all the way past Iris's feet.
"Whoa! Uh, where's the war?"
"Yeah, well, when your dad, uncle and cousin are in the royal guard business you tend to collect… stuff." Akari said, with Timber barking in agreement.
Iris had a feeling this was going to be fun. "Okay, let's go!"
"No, wait!" Akari stepped in her path. "Not yet."
Iris rose a suspicious brow. "Please tell me you didn't bring the others into this."
"I did not bring the others into this." Akari answered.
"You're lying."
"Then why'd you ask?"
Right on cue, Gallant Steed, Nori, Chi, Mai and Hiro all came rushing. "What are you all doing here?" Iris asked.
"Akari texted us." Gallant said, "Said you were on edge and needed your friends."
Iris turned again to the alicorn, who chuckled nervously. "You could have told me."
"I know, but I figured you could use all the distraction you could get."
"Wait, how did Nori find out?" Iris questioned. Everybody else was present when the incident happened, except fro Nori.
"Yeah, your little light show could be seen from my sea cave." Nori replied. "Chi explained everything."
The wisp placed a comforting hand on Iris's shoulder. "You knew too, didn't you?" Iris asked.
"Well… yeah, I kind of did. I'm so sorry, Iris. Nova and your mother both believed it was for the best, and I gave my word. When a wisp gives her word, she's--"
"Bound to it, I know. Your dad taught you and your brother, and you stuck by it no matter what."
"I know you've been trying so hard to find your place, but if anyone was supposed to tell you, it would be your parents, and I respected that. I am so, so sorry."
Iris groaned. "I guess I can't really blame you. You're a wisp of your word, plus you're not the only one who was told to keep this secret. The rest of my entire family seemed to have known except for me, and my parents made everyone keep quiet about it." Iris folded her arms, pouting bitterly before trying to relax. "But, I don't want to dwell on that right now. Tonight, I just want to have a some fun."
"Iris, I promise, I will never keep a secret like this from you again. Wisp's honor." Chi placed a hand over her sol/heart, with one hand raised.
"Thanks, Chi."
Iris knew the wisp was speaking the truth. She was simply one of the few people who were ordered by her parents to keep the secret. Besides, Chi never went back on her word, it just wasn't the way she was. She would only give her undying loyalty to those she trusted, so she clearly trusted her parent's judgment. Which, only made Iris feel even worse about leaving without telling them.
Still, being out in the Everfree Forest without her parents knowledge, ironically, kind of helped with that sense of distance she kind of needed right now. She mentally prepared herself that tomorrow morning everything would be different, but for tonight.
Tonight its just herself, and her friends.
"Huh. That's weird."
"What?" Flash asked, seeing Twilight levitating her geo-phone.
"I texted Pinkie Pie about an hour ago asking about if she and Cheese were still in charge of the cotton candy booth or the cupcake dunking booth, but she hasn't answered. Normally she replies right before I even get a chance to send the message." Twilight dialed Pinkie's number, only to once again receive just the voice mail. "She's still not answering."
"What about Cheese?"
"Same response."
"Hang on, let me try." Flash pulled out his own geo phone with his mouth and used his hooves to dial Cheese's number. Just like with Twilight, all he got was the voice mail, which was now full.
"Okay, now this is getting suspicious." Flash said.
The two ponies ears perked upwards in alarm at the sound of a crash coming from the main hallway. "What was that?" Twilight asked suspiciously.
Together, husband and wife exited the kitchen and carefully made their way down the halls. The sounds from before faded into obscurity, only to be broken by the sound of soft animal-like growling.
"Akari? Timber? Is that you?" Flash asked, calling out to his daughter and her pet timber wolf. No reply came afterwards, other than a faint growling sound. The two ponies cautiously walked down the hallway towards the main doors which led into the throne room. Twilight's horn glowed an intense magenta, with the same colored flames dancing at the tip.
Flash kicked the doors opened and the two sprung into action, awaiting for whatever was on the other side. The throne room was perfectly in tact and nobody else was present. The two kept their guard up, with Twilight still with her magic active.
Flash then felt a slimy substance land on his head. He removed it with his horn and his eyes widened in alarm. "Twilight…" his wife saw the substance and the two looked up at the ceiling, hearing the sound of canine growls and the flapping of insect wings. A creature cloaked in darkness started down at them with piercing glowing green eyes, baring its sharp teeth and gooey green saliva dripping from its fangs while its head twisted around in the most unsettling way imaginable. Its body was sickly looking, almost skeletal, with very thick fur on its back and its legs nearly bony but still black as tar.
"Impossible." Twilight whispered, her eyes wide in terror.
The creature let out a hissing, screeching, growling sound as it lunged at the two, to which they leaped out of the way, sliding to a halt. Twilight activated her magical horn and shot a beam of magenta colored fire at the creature, only for it to leap out of the way in time and lunge at Twilight, only to be knocked down by Flash Sentry's brute force once he rammed into him, kicking the creature straight in the muzzle with his back legs. Both alicorn and pegasus stallion took defensive positions, their nostrils flaring and their hooves stomping in a threatening manner.
The couple and the beast attacked, with Twilight sending fire blasts at the creature. Spotting his sword hanging on the highest part of the castle, Flash grabbed it with his mouth and began flying around the creature, slicing his weapon at it. He managed to cut the left side of its leg, which only made it angrier by the looks of it. The beast let out a blood curdling howl which almost left both ponies deff, only for the beast to flap its insect wings and take the battle to the air. Both ponies fought against the creature, flapping their wings rapidly. Flash sliced it with his sword while Twilight kept on shooting at it.
They managed to land several strikes, and even one on its wing, causing it to fall to the ground. Just when it seemed they had him cornered, the creature spit the green goop from its mouth, completely incarcerating the two ponies in a sticky and slimy prison. The same goop even got on Twilight's horn, preventing her from using magic.
The creature, only sneered, chuckling wickedly before the alicorn closed her eyes after he knocked her out with a hit behind her head.
The kids laughed as they made their way back to the entrance of the Everfree Forest. The kind timberwolves had already left to return to their caves to sleep, having already done their part in keeping an eye on the kids for the night. The thrill of it their nighttime adventure had left them all restless and pumped. Best of all, Iris was starting to feel like herself again. Crystal was there as well with Skyspike and Winter.
"Okay. This was exactly the kind of RnR I needed. Thanks you guys."
"Hey, anything for our favorite cousin." Hiro said, giving Iris a noogie, making her laugh. "And that's saying a lot because, we've got like fifty of them on our dad's side of the family."
"Eighty seven." Mai clarified.
"Whatever."
While the kids continued to laugh, Timber and Akhlut suddenly caught a whiff of something. The two canines followed the scent towards a normal looking bush. They poked their heads into it, grabbing their owner's attention.
"Akhlut, what is it?" Iris asked.
Gallant Steed peeked through the bush. "That's weird."
"What is it?" Akari asked.
Gallant used his magic to separate the two bushes, revealing a trail of familiar looking, multicolored flowers. Their petals shifted from various colors, creating a mesmerizing sight. Winter went over to the flowers as well.
"Those are iris flowers." Iris said. She recognized her namesake plant anywhere. "But, they don't grow in the Everfree Forest." she turned to Akari, "Do they?"
Akari shook her head. "No. And believe me, I've checked."
"And they don't grow during this time of year." Gallant stated. "Then, where did they come from?"
Nori gazed dreamily at the stunning plant. "Does it really matter? They're beautiful."
As stunning as they were, Iris couldn't shake the feeling that there was something very off about these plants suddenly appearing in the Everfree Forest, at night, and during this time of the year, which was still spring. Iris flowers only grew in summer during a specific time.
Chi hovered over the plants, looking onwards at the extended trail that went onwards. "It looks like they're leading down this path." she said, pointing towards that said direction.
Iris crunched down, tracing her fingers over the soft petals, which immediately changed color upon her touch. Immediately she removed her finger with a surprised gasp. "They've never done that before." she whispered to herself.
Suddenly, all of the flowers emitted a soft glow, which illuminated the forest like never before. Without even so much as a "maybe", Iris got back up and prompted to follow the path, only to be stopped when Mai grabbed her arm.
"Iris, what are you doing?"
"What does it look like? I'm following the trail?"
"What makes you think it will lead to anything good?"
"They're my namesake flowers, creating a perfectly obvious trail, and they're giving off some kind a mystical glow. My curiosity has been peeked."
"I don't know. This feels kind of… iffy."
"All the more reason to go and figure out what it means." Akari said, with her and Iris already taking the lead, with Akhlut and Timber Spruce close behind.
Hiro, Chi, Nori and Gallant all shrugged in agreement and followed after them, leaving Mai to be the only one skeptical about all of this. She stammered before sighing in defeat. "Of course, nobody ever listens to the math kid." she slumped but proceeded to follow the others.
With Iris at the head, the kids and their fateful canine companions followed the trail of glowing iris flowers. A longer trail laid not too far up ahead. With every flower Iris walked by, they glowed brightly, which only made her all the more certain that this was some kind of sign. Given what had happened today already, it just had to be.
Chi studied the area, noticing a row of familiar looking trees and rocks. "Hey, I think I know this path." she said.
"Yeah, me too." Akari said. This path did spark a sense of familiarity within her mind, but it was a very distant memory she wasn't entire sure if she could trust it.
"Wait a second." Gallant stopped in his tracks. "This is just another path towards Celestia and Luna's old castle. We're going right back?"
"Looks like it." Iris replied, still putting all of her attention on the flowers. The trail carried on down a ravine, leading towards a cave, which emitted a faint blue glow at the very end.
"How are we supposed to get down there?" Nori asked.
"Ow! Ouch! Oh! Gah! Eah! Ow! Ump!" everyone turned their attention to Hiro, who had tripped and was falling downwards, and very painfully, down a row of stairs that safely led down the ravine. Once he reached the end, Hiro sat upright, completely delirious. "I have an idea… why don't we take these conveniently placed stairs? Nap time." Hiro passed out right then and there.
The kids did just that, while Chi floated downwards to inspect the unconscious earthbender. She pondered for a moment before turning her hand into a blow horn, taking in a deep breath and spoke into it. "WAKE UP!!!"
Hiro sprung upwards without a scratch, giving a salute. "Yes, Ma'am! Reporting for duty, Ma'am!"
Gallant only playfully rolled his eyes and the group made their way down. Taking a deep breath, Iris bravely marched forward towards the light, with her friends following close behind Their attention was so set on the cave before them, that they didn't even notice that the Iris flowers, one by one, remained in a single color rather than constantly changing into various like before. One remained violet, another yellow. One remained silver, while another remained aquamarine. One stayed a pinkish red and the last one was cyan blue, while others remained with their interchanging colors.
The trail ended at the entrance of the cave. The radiant light shined upon the children, creating an aura effect as they walked deeper into the cave. The stone walls were adorned with large purple stones, geodes in fact, and several stones rose from the side, with beautiful flowers growing all around, and long white vines wrapped elegantly around the walls and rocks like Hearth's Warming decorations.
Nori was beyond speechless. Never had she seen such a beautiful sight, not even under the sea. Her ruby eyes sparkled like the gems on the walls. But, the shinning spectacle of it all was the heavenly looking crystal tree that stood at the very end. Plant life still grew around its roots, which were still connected to Twilight's castle. On its branches were empty gem holders, still with the enchanting aura of their respective colors present.
"The Tree of Harmony." Akari said in awe. "I haven't been here since I was a filly."
"Me neither." Mai said in equal wonder. "Well, not not a filly, since I was like, six or seven I think."
"Still as beautiful as ever." Gallant said. Though, for a moment he caught a glimpse of Akari. He smiled, noticing the way the tree's magical glow cascaded a shimmering ray of light upon the alicorn, making her bright sparkly eyes stand out more than the tree itself.
"You're drooling?" Nori whispered into his ear, making the unicorn blush.
"Am not!" he whispered back through his teeth… only to inconspicuously whip the said saliva from the side of his mouth.
"Okay, so the iris flowers brought us here… why?" Hiro asked, folding his arms.
Iris never once took her eyes off of the tree. She studied its structure as if she were seeing it for the first time all over again. Near the root she saw Luna's cutie mark, followed by Celestia's and finally Twilight's in the center. However, over the years, something had changed in that structure.
Not only was the star still in the center, but around it were the same heart-shaped Raava inspired markings from her mother's cutie mark, with the central four inch star in the very center of the six-inch one that belonged to Twilight. She looked at the branches where the physical embodiment of the elements once stood, and each one of those colors reflected in her eyes.
As if by some kind of invisible force, Iris flapped her wings and hovered before the symbol of Korra and Twilight's cutie marks. Her face was blank, yet her eyes continued to sparkle. All of a sudden, Akari felt something tingle around her body. She looked down at her legs and then at her wings and tail, even Timber stepped back in alarm upon witnessing this.
"Uh, guys… I'm glowing."
"Oh, must be a new trend." Hiro said.
"What are you talking abo--Whoa!" Akari literally jumped in alarm to see that the glowing effect wasn't just her.
"Oooh pretty~" Crystal cooed.
All of her friends had gained a glowing aura around them. Hiro's was yellow, Gallant's was silver, Nori's was aquamarine, Chi's was violet, Mai's was reddish pink, and Akari's was blue. She looked up to see the same glow on Iris, only it was a mixture of all the colors of the Mane Six's coats, including the blue of her mother's magical aura.
Iris looked as if she were in a trance, the colors still dancing on the surface of her eyes as her right hand rose upwards to touch the converged cutie marks on the tree's surface.
"Iris, what are you doing?" Akari asked, but her best friend did not hear her. "Iris!"
Rather than reply, the human alicorn heard a voice ringing in her head. A voice that belonged to that of a female, encouraging her to touch the cutie marks. Flashes of images went by yet she could still see the marks in front of her.
Once her hand touched the surface, beams of colored emitted from her palm and outstretched towards each of the respective element's original slots. The gang shielded their eyes when each of the former elements branched let off bright glows that filled the entire cave, while at the same time Iris's eyes, wings and star symbol glowed just as they did before when she rescued Lilly from drowning.
A powerful wind picked up, nearly blowing the children away, but managed to keep their position. They shielded themselves from the light, and colorful beams shot from each of the element's branches, striking each of them. The kids let out surprised cries and were levitated off the ground. Yet, the beams didn't hurt them, but rather they felt a warmth and comfort unlike anything they had ever felt. While Iris, still glowing, remained with her hands on the tree's front, the beams engulfed the kid's bodies before merging into one single beam that shined right above their hearts. Something shimmered on their chests for a brief moment, and once they opened their eyes, they glowed white, just like Iris's.
The shining light became even more intense, creating a shimmering beam, nearly identical to the ones of the spirit world and the Equestrian portal before it expanded and disappeared in a patch of sparkles.
Ahklut and Timber shook the sparkles from their bodies and witnessed the Tree of Harmony back to normal, and all of the kids laying down on the floor, nearly unconscious. They each groaned, looking delirious while rubbing their heads. Except for Hiro who just sprung upwards like he had just come right out of a wild roller coaster.
"Whoa! That was awesome!…" he cheered loudly, pounding his hands into the air, right before reverting back to normal with a questionable expression on his face. "What the heck just happened?"
Akari rushed to Iris's side and nudged her with her muzzle. "Iris. Iris, wake up."
The human alicorn groaned and jaggedly stood upright, still rubbing her head. The world around her was spinning, but Akari and Akhlut helped her keep her balance. "What did I miss?" she asked, still delirious and her vision unfocused.
"Other than that freaky glowing light show, not much." Mai said, with a shrug… only for her eyes to widen the moment she saw something was amiss about the front of her forearm. "Except for maybe a glowing tattoo on my arm!"
Iris finally regained her focus and saw the said glowing symbol on her cousin's arm. It was a specific symbol, the classic writing symbol for honesty, only it was colored a bright pink glow. Akari then felt something tingle on her flank and noticed her cutie mark was glowing in the same sway.
Gallant and Nori also noticed their cutie marks glowing the same way, while Iris felt her cutie mark vibrate on her cheek. Chi noticed her arm was glowing as well. Pulling her sleeve up, she saw a heart shaped fox head on her forearm, while Hiro found a yellow glowing writing symbol for joy.
"What is going on here?!" Nori asked in terror. This sort of thing has never happened before.
"I have no idea!" Iris said, rubbing her cheek to try and get the glowing to stop to no avail. "Last thing I remember was seeing all these flashes of color, and then nothing!"
"You did something!" Hiro pointed at iris, "What did you do, woman?"
"I just told you, I don't know what I did!"
"Uh, guys." Gallant voiced out.
"How do you get this thing off?!" Mai yelled, rubbing on her arm ferociously, hoping rubbing it off would work.
"I don't think that's gonna work." Crystal said by pointing at the still glowing symbol.
"I don't see you coming up with any ideas!"
"Guys." Gallant said again, but his voice fell upon deaf ears.
"Okay, let's not panic here. I'm sure there is a logical explanation for this." Nori said in a calm tone… right before grabbing Akari by the shoulders and shaking her like a mad woman, with the widened eyes to match. "Find a logical explanation for this, Akari!" Nori screamed, only to have Akari cover her mouth with her hoof and roughly shove her right off.
"It seems like the Tree of Harmony did something to us, except for Crystal."
"Well, then tell it to undo it!" Mai exclaimed.
"Guys, I think we should--" Gallant tried talking again.
"I bet Korra will have an explanation." Chi suggested, "She knows the Tree of Harmony better than anyone."
"And let her find out I lied and was in the Everfree Forest and did, whatever the heck that was? She'll kill me!" Iris exclaimed.
"If she doesn't HE DEFINITELY WILL!"
All it took was for Gallant to scream at the top of his lung and pointed at something blocking the kids path. The creature was on all fours, furry and sickly looking with insect wings and drooling green liquid from its jaws, which landed on the ground.
"Why didn't you say anything, Gallant?" Hiro said, making the unicorn groan and hoof face himself in annoyance.
Timber and Akhlut blocked the creature from the children and charged at him. The three beasts engaged in savage combat, each snarling, growling and snapping their jaws at the other. Akari galloped ahead, taking the lead.
"Go! Go!"
The team obeyed, pushing the whole glowing symbols at the back of their minds, focusing on the mission of surviving. Once they were out of harm's way, Akhlut grabbed the creature by the tail and swung him across the cave, causing him to crash onto the side of the wall. The two canines hurried back after their owners and the children. Rather than take the stairs, Chi took Hiro and Mai by the shirts and flew them out, while Iris picked up Nori and Gallant, and Akari used her levitation to carry Akhlut and Timber along with them, landing safely onto the surface and ran once they saw the creature came after them. Hiro used his earthbending to seal the entrance to the cave, with the wolf inside it before taking off with his friends.
However, the creature managed to changed into a snake and then back again before chasing after the kids again. The team ran as quickly as they could. Chi changed back into her wolf form, and grabbed Nori, throwing her onto her back, followed by Gallant Steed, while Mai and Hiro rode on Akhlut and Timber respectively. Akari and Iris took to the skies, where they spotted the creature, flying above them on its insect wings.
"Man that things is persistent!" Hiro said.
"What is it?!" Mai shouted.
Before anyone would reply, the creature spit out some kind of green gooey substance, which the the canines quickly dodged, as did the two airborne princesses. "Oh, that is just gross!" Nori said, cringing at the sight. "Ever heard of a napkin?"
"Akhlut, Timber, Chi, get the others to safety. Akari and I will hold the beast off for as long as we can." Iris ordered.
"And leave you guys behind? No way!" Hiro said, right before earthbending the ground around him and hurled a rock at the creature, and Mai shot streams of fire, but the airborne beast had the sky on his side.
Taking notice of this, Iris and Akari flew after the creature, their horn and star symbol glowing respectively and Akari pulled out a sword from her saddle bag. With it, she sliced and diced at the beast, while Iris shot beams of magic directly at its head. The creature continued shooting it's gooey substance at the two, but they nimbly avoided them. The fought continued on with the girls gaining the upper hand, until the beast struck a lucky shot and the green substance got stuck in Iris's wings, causing her to fall from the sky.
"Iris!" Akari called out, only for her too to receive the same treatment when she was distracted. The two fell downwards, hitting various tree branches as they went before landing hard on the ground. They desperately tried removing the strange substance from their wings, which proved to be harder than they expected. Even worse, some of that same goop got on their horn and the star symbol, preventing them from using magic. Winter and Skyspike leaped in front of the girls and blasted at the creatures' feet. The two dragons roared and hissed at the beast. The beast decided to forfeit the fight and flew off into the night sky, away from the group.
Gallant used his magic to remove the substance from both princesses. Chi helped Iris back to her feet, and Akari hugged Gallant in gratitude.
"Are you alright?" Crystal asked.
"I think so." Iris said, removing the last remaining bit of goop from her cloth. "Whatever that thing was, I've never seen anything like it."
"It kind of looked like a changeling." Akari said. "But, that's impossible. Since when has there ever seen a wolf changeling?"
"Not to mention, Chrysalis died years ago." Iris stated. "Unless it's some kind of new species."
"Whose Chrysalis?" Crystal asked.
"She's an evil changeling that feeds off the power of love. She's been dead for years now." Iris explained.
Nori took in a deep breath. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I think we've all had enough adventure for one night."
"Oh, shoot!" Akari hoof faced herself, "I'm way past my curfew! My parents are going to kill me!"
"If that thing didn't scare you, you're angry mother certainly will." Chi said, safely leading the kids out of the forest.
Akari opened the doors to the castle, expecting to see her parents waiting for her. But, she was surprised to see that they weren't.
"Huh. I guess they already went to bed?" Hiro asked.
"That's not like them." Akari said as they walked into the castle towards the throne room. Upon entering, the entire team gasped in horror.
The throne room was covered in that same green goop the creature had attacked them with, and with sure signs of a struggle, with several throne chairs timbered over, and scratches on the crystal walls. Akari saw her father's sword laying on the ground, also with traces of the green goop on it.
The young alicorn trembled and galloped towards her parent's bedroom. "Mom! Dad! Can you hear me! Answer me! Please!" she galloped all over the castle, from their bedroom, to her own, to the kitchen, to the ballroom, the bathrooms, Spike's old room, the gym, the supply closets, even the hallways with the cobwebs and spiders. "Please tell me you've seen my parents!" she asked the spiders, who all shook their heads in regretful reply.
Akari panted, her heart pounding hard against her chest before she slowly stopped in front of the library and sat down, tears streaming from her eyes. Her parents were gone. They had been taken.
Iris crunched down beside her. "Akari, I am so sorry! This is my fault."
"No, it's not, Iris. It's mine. This was all my idea." Akari angrily stomped her hoof in anger as more tears streamed from her eyes. "I should have been here!"
"If you had you would have been taken too."
"We have to call Korra and Mako." Gallant suggested. "They'll know what to do."
Akari wiped the tears from her eyes with her hoof. "You're right. Let's go."
Using the mini portal from her parent's bedroom, the kids arrived back at Iris's castle, only to discover that neither of her parents were home either.
"Mom? Dad?" Iris called out. No one replied. The same panic that filled Akari had reached Iris and she hurried downstairs.
Just like before, the entire living room was in even worse shape than the throne room, with green goop everywhere, even around poor Naga's paws, keeping her trapped.
"Naga!" Winter blasted the coocoon and Skyspike caught Naga. The polar bear dog whimpered in Iris's chest. "What happened? Where are mom and dad?"
Naga growled in anger, her eyes at the goop that still remained everywhere. The couch was torn to pieces, cuffs of cotton and fabric adorned the door, windows were broken, the crystal pieces cracked underneath Iris's shoes as she walked further inside. Kitchen utensils were everywhere and the kitchen and coffee tables had been flip over. Vases and pictures hanging on the wall had been shattered. Iris crunched down to pick up the remains of a family portrait of herself and her parents from when she was ten.
There was no sign of Korra or Mako anywhere. Iris's lips trembled and she shook her head, her hands through her hair. "No. No, no, no, no, please no!"
Looking all around her, her vision already becoming blurry due to the tears, Iris couldn't deny the unbearable truth of it all. Akari's parents had suffered the same fate as hers did.
Iris broke down into a puddle on the floor, hugging herself as more tears spilled out. Akari rushed on over and hugged her friend, crying alongside her. Every one of her friends sat down and hugged her, crying as well.
Iris then sprayed something underneath the couch. She wiped away a few of her tears and reached for it. It was a piece of long red velvet fabric, bits of broken glass covered its surface but Iris was careful when removing it, though she really didn't care if she did get cuts.
She held her father's scarf in her grasp as Akhlut, Timber, Winter, Skyspike and Naga sat beside her and the others, whimpering in sadness while the princess broke down once again, crying as she gripped the scarf tightly.
A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Starlight's head was throbbing, her body felt cold against the rocky floor. Her eyes blinked, unable to tell if they were opened or closed. Her vision stabilized and she could see the sharp formations of the rising stalagmites from both the floor and ceiling. A soft green glow illuminated the cave, as did the equally glowing substance that was still stuck to her coat.
She groaned and staggered as she stood up, her body slowly morphing back into her anthro form. Her fingers brushed the surface of her horn and a familiar slimy material made its way to her surface of her thumb. She gasped and backed away in fear, swatting the goop away, only to feel something wet and furry behind her. Starlight leaped into the air, landing on her feet and immediately took a fighting stance once she saw a black covered creature in the shadows with piercing glowing green eyes.
The beast stepped forward, revealing its sickly black and insect-like appearance. Its fangs glistened in the glowing lights while the torn up insect-like wings flapped rapidly, creating a buzzing sound. The same sound could be heard all around. Starlight's heart pounded hard against her chest, turning around entirely to see more and more of the creatures, some even attached to large green cocoons that dripped with the same substance that was now stuck to her horn.
In the cocoons she saw the unconscious faces of the Equestrian Queens and their mother. Her friends, husband, and the Crystal Empire Royal family, all hanging upside down just as they had many years ago.
Starlight trembled, shaking her head. "No… it's… this is impossible!" before she could proceed to find any sort of explanation to any of this, another pair of green eyes appeared behind her.
The anthro airbending unicorn froze in fear.
The smell of steaming jasmine tea never ceased to loose its heavenly aroma. Aiwei knew just how to prepare the perfect cup of tea, while adding the perfect balance of cinnamon in top. He poured one cup for each of the children, currently sitting around the table in front of Iroh's old spirit tea shop. Aiwei's scorpion-spider companion rested beside him, also sipping some tea, holding the cup with her large claw rather lady-like.
Aiwei handed the cup to Iris and Crystal, who nodded her head in gratitude. "Thank you, Aiwei."
Akari licked her lips after taking her sip. "Mmm! You never disappoint with the cinnamon."
"That's exactly what Master Iroh used to say."
"So, what happened to Iroh anyway?" Nori asked. "Wasn't he living in the Spirit World?"
"He was. But, after his mission here was complete, he finally left this world and returned home to his family." Aiwei bowed his head in respect, closing his eyes and placing one hand over his heart. "May he rest in peace." he said. Aiwei then reopened his eyes. "Since then, I was left in charge of tending to his tea shop. It's become quite popular with the people of the city as well. This location is by far the safest in the spirit world." he then smiled at the children. "I remember the family picnics you all used to have right here."
The serene moment was ruined when Hiro and Chi began stuffing their faces with spirit cake. Frosting got onto the side of their mouths, which made the rest of the team stare in either disgust or disappointment. Aiwei only chuckled. "Yep. Exactly like I remember it."
Iris gently placed the teacup back on the table. "I'm sorry Aiwei, but I'm afraid we're not here on a social visit."
Aiwei's expressing dropped, his eyes falling to his own cup. "I'm assuming this is about your parents, is it?"
"How did you know about that?" Iris asked.
"Word has spread very quickly in the spirit world. Many have been trying to locate them, but unfortunately they have all been unsuccessful. I'm terribly sorry."
"It's okay. We already have a lead as to where they are."
"You do?"
"Yeah!" Iris nodded, while Mai and Gallant had to swat the cakes away from Chi and Hiro from the background, whipping the frosting from their faces with their sleeves. "They're in the Dark Spirit Realm."
Aiwei gasped in horror. "The Dark Spirit Realm? But, how did you figure that out?"
"It's kind of a long story." Iris said, tugging on the edges of her father's scarf wrapped around her neck and shoulders.
"We kind of got zapped by the Tree of Harmony, became the New Elements of Harmony, activated the Friendship Map for the first time in years, and that's where it showed us where our parents are." Akari said, saying all of it rather quickly without needing to catch her breath. "Also, almost all of us got new powers."
Aiwei blinked in bewilderment, his eyes shifting to Mai, who was rubbing her temples. "Yeah, I thought the same thing." she said to the earthbender.
“So who’s the new one.” Aiwei asked, looking at Crystal.
“I’m Crystal Diamond and these are my dragons. Winter, Skyspike, Shimmer and Mist and Spark.”
"Glad to meet you all. Anyway do Asami and Bolin know you're here?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at them all. The children all cringed, shifted their eyes back and forth, and or fiddled with either their fingers, hair or cloths. It didn't take a genius to figure out the answer. Mainly because they weren't doing a very good job at hiding it. "Children, you do realize that nobody can go into the Dark Sprit Realm unless you're--"
"Unless you're the Avatar or either one of the Elements of Harmony. Yeah, we know." Iris finished for him. "That's kind of another thing that's happened recently." Iris bit her bottom lip before saying, "I'm the Avatar."
Aiwei's jaw literally dropped, his eyes shifted to the others. Chi, who was sucking his fingers for any remaining frosting, caught his glance. "What? You are working at a spirit tea shop with a spider scorpion which you use for transportation is considered normally, but the Avatar thing being hereditary now is what baffles you?" Chi scoffed, "Get with the times, Aiwei."
Chi got smacked by Shimmers' tail.
“Roar!” “Respect the elderly!”
"It happened after Iris broke the Twilight Blade." Akari said. "But, she had no memory of the event and her powers haven't show up again until just yesterday."
"And last night when we visited the tree that's when we got their powers." Gallant said.
"What kind of powers are you talking about?" Aiwei asked.
To demonstrate, Mai sat up from her chair and approached Aiwei. He gripped his chair and yelped in alarm when Mai, very effortlessly managed to lift up his chair by one leg, with him still on top of it. Gently, she lowered him down. Nori next demonstrated by extending her hand forward, which created another pearl force field, knocking Mai down once again, with Aiwei narrowly dodging it.
"Sorry!"
"And check this out!" Chi then demonstrated her incredible speed by spinning around the teashop for a few tries then zooming all the way to the mountain top of Hai-Riyo peak and then back again… now covered in dragon bird feathers. "Great news, Goldie's now a daddy!" she said before flowing the feathers off of her hair. "Rambunctious little tykes."
"Gallant here can talk to animals." Hiro said.
"And Hiro can blow stuff up. Hence, the gloves." Gallant pointed at his friend's gloved hands.
"It's a lot cooler than it sounds."
“But what about Crystal?” Aiwei asked.
Iris opened her mouth to answer, but she couldn’t come up with an explanation. “Huh? I don’t know about her. She wasn’t hit by the Tree of Harmony…. guess we’ll have to figure it out on our own.”
"Afterwards, the Map showed us the location to the Dark Spirit Realm." Iris explained. "Right after we all sat on the thrones. It's still connected to them, so it has to be where they are."
Aiwei stroked his beard, which had grown longer over the years. "So, you believe, that by being the Elements of Harmony, you will be able to access the gateway to the Dark Spirit Realm and rescue Korra and the others?"
"That was the primary plan, yes."
"You all agreed to this?" he said, eyeing the other children.
"Kind of hard to argue when a magical tree blasts you with a rainbow beam." Gallant said.
"And a magical map." Nori said after taking a sip of her tea.
"I see." Aiwei ponded, intertwining his fingers together and resting his chin on them. "Do you even know where to reach the Dark Realm? The spirit world is very vast, and no two locations lead in the same direction."
"That's what we're hoping you could tell us." Iris said. "You know the Spirit World better than anyone, so--"
"You want me to point you in the right direction, right?"
"Uh… yes?" Iris and Akari shared a look of concern. Aiwei's original welcoming and warm demeanor had shifted into a calculative and almost stoic man. They could almost see the gears turning in his brain.
"And, how are you so confident I won't just alert Bolin and Asami about all of this?" he said, frightening the children, with Chi noisily sipping on her drink, while still looking just as worried none the less. "If whoever has taken your family is indeed residing in the Dark Realm, then who's to say they will not be anticipating your arrival?"
"Asami kind of already said that." Akari said.
"Then you are fully aware of the consequences of this rather reckless, dangerous and, dare I say, suicidal mission. Plus, I can only imagine the kind punishment your parents will inflict on you once they find out." he pointed at the Sato siblings.
Hiro gulped. "Oh, no. Mom's gonna make us listen to that boring LKT story again!" the young earthbender whined, covering his face in despair, while Mai let out a terrified scream.
Aiwei rose from his chair, sighing. Given his expression, Iris had a sinking feeling he had made up his mind. "Aiwei, please--"
"I'm sorry, Iris. My mind is made up. You kids will return home and come clean to Mr and Mrs Sato." Aiwei said to the worried children…. only to pull out a rolled up piece of paper from behind him and unfolded it on the table. "Right after you retrieve the others and bring them back home."
Iris gasped happily, as did Akari, Chi, Nori, Gallant and Hiro, while Mai shook her head in disbelief. "Former Red Lotus bad dude say what now?"
Mai got smacked by Winter this time.
"Iroh taught me a lot of things during his time here. He taught me how to make a heavenly cup of tea, different styles of playing Pai Sho, but most of all, he showed me that when destiny has the stars aligned in a specific pattern… you shouldn't try to disrupt that pattern, but rather let it point you in the right direction."
"Is this a common trend for you old folk?" Akari asked, but with a smile. "Trolling us kids?"
"Not exactly. But it is fun." Aiwei gave a wink. "Besides, I know Iris would never lie about something as important such as this." he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Iris smiled in gratitude. Aiwei then turned his attention to the map before them, which only showed one aspect of the Spirit World. With a wave of his hand, the image shifted to reveal a specific pattern which led to their desired destination.
"The spirit world in incredibly vast. Constantly changing and shifting. Not every path leads in the same direction. What was once a pattern a few months ago, may change over time. This world is restless, and thus can never truly stay still. This spirit map was given to me by Wan Shi Tong in order to get around the land. Unlike your mother, who has long since mastered the ability to located these new patterns whenever they occur, no ordinary human or pony can get around without one." he traced his fingers across the surface. "Follow this path towards the Dark Realm. At this point, it's the only rout that will lead to it. If you lose course or even the map it will be incredibly difficult to find your way back to the same pathway."
He rolled up the map and handed it to Iris. She bowed in gratitude. "Thank you, Aiwei."
"But, don't you have shortcuts to various locations around this area?" Chi asked.
"Short cuts, yes. They won't lead you directly to where you need to go, but I believe I can give you all a head start." Aiwei led the children towards a tree which wasn't there before, but randomly sprouted from the ground up when Aiwei stomped his foot on the soft grass. The side of the tree immediately opened, revealing a dark hole.
"So, we just go in there?" Iris asked.
"Yes. Oh, before you go." Aiwei had his benevolent spirit companion hand him an extra bag for the children. "Have some caves for the road."
"Thanks."
Akari poked her head into it, taking notice that her hair was being dragged, almost as if she were in a downwards position rather than standing up. She reeled back and her hair fell back into place. With a mischievous grin she took a few steps back and then ran towards the entrance, diving head first and diving forward, which looked more like she were going downwards.
"Woohoo! Come on, guys!" her voice echoed from the outside. Iris gripped her father's scarf before diving in as well. It really felt like she were doing a nose dive into the ocean. As a gifted swimmer, this was a treat.
"This is awesome! "
Gallant pulled up his sleeves and dove right in as well. "Here I come, Mom and Dad!" his voice echoed as he fell.
"Cannon Ball!" Chi rolled herself up and jumped onto the hole, with Hiro close behind.
"Earthbending Ball!" he shouted, his voice fading the further he went down. Crystal mounted Winter and she and the dragons flew down the hole.
Nori bowed to Aiwei. "Thank you for your hospitality, and for the delicious tea. You know, I have a few recipes in mind, maybe some time we can swap ideas?"
Aiwei gave a light chuckle. "I would like that very much." Nori then dove into the hole with Mai following afterwards. Aiwei poked his head, cupping his mouth with his hands, "Good luck! And stay together!"
The tunnel was surprisingly long, with nothing but tree bark and leafs all around. The children all fell nose first, seeing a blinding light at the very end of the tunnel. Akari and Iris shared knowing smirks and spread open their wings, accelerating their speed, soaring right to the other side, hovering over a vast area of beach sand. Chi came zooming out first, flooring right beside them.
"That was so much fun! We have got to do that again!"
More screaming came and Gallant came spiraling out, only to be caught by Akari, bridal style. Even with her being only a head shorter than him, she managed to hold him rather effortlessly.
Gallant, as usual, blushed not only at Akari's incredible strength, but also at how close she was. "Uh, nice catch." he said before levitating himself into the air.
Hiro came next, being caught by Chi, waving his fists in the air, still fired up from the adrenaline rush. Nori came out next, only for Mai to crash into her and the two were caught by Iris and Akari, respectively.
The dragons and Crystal came out lastly.
"So, where are we?" Mai asked once they were all safely back on the ground. The light gold sand already sprinkled on the tips of her ankle boots.
Nori gasped with delight upon seeing the vast body of water before them. It rivaled even Yue Bay in size, with the waters as crystal clear as the purest diamond. In the far distance resided an island surrounded by brown colored greens.
The merpony let out a delighted squeal, which nearly blew off everyone's ears, despite their desperate attempt to cover them up. Nori normally had a harmonious voice, but her pipes were so strong they could literally break glass. They were solid and good, but still piercing none the less. A true vocal weapon if they had ever seen one.
Nori dropped her backpack and dove right into the water, changing her legs into a fish tail at will and splashed around for a bit. "This water feels amazing!" she said, floating on her back. "It feels like a day at the spa."
"Hey, I remember this place!" Chi said, then stroked her chin. "I wonder if…" she floated to behind a large mountain rock from which they had come out of moment ago. "Yes! It's still here!"
"What's still here?" Gallant asked as they followed Chi. Nori emerged from the waters, back on her legs, and followed the rest to behind the rock. Chi hovered around an old, wrecked boat made entirely out of wood, rope and vines and an old sail.
"This was the boat Nova and I used to sail towards that island." she pointed directly to said island.
Iris pulled out the map Aiwei gave them and spotted the vast fresh water ocean as the starting point, while everything else before fades away. She smiled. "That's exactly where we need to go!" Iris pointed her finger to the island on the ocean. "Once we get to this island we just follow the pathway on the map and we'll be at the Dark Realm before we know it.."
"Wouldn't it be a lot faster if we just teleported?" Mai suggested, "I mean, look at that distance, it'll take us all day to reach it."
"Sorry, Mai, but this area of the spirit world has its rules too." Chi explained. "The only way to get to that island is to cross the ocean. Besides, Nova tried that long ago, didn't work. Why else do you think we build this boat?"
"Y'all can, I'm gonna take a more fun route." Crystal said as she mounted Winter. "See ya on land." she called as the dragons flew out over the sea.
Meanwhile, Akari inspected the old boat, tugging gently at the torn up sail. "Doesn't look like it's in the best shape." she said.
"Well, then it's a good thing I brought my Nori mini sowing kit!" Nori said, pulling the said kit from her backpack.
"Uh, where did that come from?" Gallant asked in surprise.
"Rarity gave it to me as a birthday present. No more kelp made scarfs for this fish-mare." Nori said with great pride. She politely shoved Akari to the side and inspected the sail. After a while, the sail was up and ready again, looking brand new, while also using strong powerful kept to tie the broken pieces of the boat together.
Nori proudly dusted her hands, admiring her work. "Who says you can't sail in style?"
"It looks great, Nori!" Iris said with delight.
"Yeah. Would have been five minutes faster if you hadn't stitched on those added details." Mai said, referring to the added pearl and shell symbols onto the sail, which had indeed taken up a bit extra time.
Nori simply shrugged, "Like I said; Sail in Style."
With the sail now restored to its original glory, they were now ready to hit the water. Mai pushed the newly constructed boat onto the water, her hands emitting a faint glow. Within seconds, and with surprisingly very little effort, the young Sato girl managed to push the boat right into the water.
She quickly mounted onto the boat, with Chi at the helm, taking control. She changed her cloths to resemble that of a female pirate. "Alright, ya land dwellers, time to set sail for adventure! Arg! Gallant, hit us with some wind, boyo!"
"Sure thing, and don't call me "boyo"." Gallant unleashed a powerful gust of wind, which lightly rocked the boat, indicating it was strong enough to push them forward. Iris gripped the side of the boat while still holding onto her father's scarf. Akari saw this and gave her friend's hand a gentle squeeze.
"We're going to get them back, Iris."
"I just hope they're still alright."
As the boat sailed away across the spirit ocean, one little spirit, shaped like some kind aquatic reptilian watched the group from beneath the waves. He swam at top speed towards a small rock before transporting himself into a brown colored forest setting, then a rocky terrain, before arriving at what appeared to be an underground cave. Its aquatic features changed to resemble more that of a normal lizard, except its scales were black with red tints and yellow claws, along with quilled spikes on its back, making him resemble a porcupine of some kind. Once it arrived at the opening of a green glowing room, it changed back into one of the changeling wolves.
(~)
"Are we there yet?" Hiro groaned.
"Halfway." Gallant replied, keeping close attention to the distance between them while Chi still stirred. Hiro groaned once again, being bored out of his mind.
While the boat sailed across the ocean, Nori was splashing in the waves with her current fish tail, while Mai sat on the far end of the boat, inspecting her Geo-Slate with Iris sitting beside her. She gazed at her reflection in the water. Reaching out her hand, Iris tried to see if she could bend the water at her command. Her brows furrowed and twitched in her attempted to manipulate the waters. For a moment, it seemed as if she was finally able to do so, only to become disappointed once she saw it was Nori who had just bursted out from the water.
Iris groaned in disappointment. "Relax, you'll get the hang of it." Mai said, her eyes still on the Geo-Slate, though from the corner of her eye she could clearly tell what Iris was trying to attempt.
Akari, who was right behind Mai, whipped her from the back of the head with her tail. Mai rubbed her head, only to see Akari narrowing her eyes at her. Mai then turned her full attention to her cousin, who looked dejected.
Mai decided to place her Geo-Slate back into her backpack and turn her full attention to her obviously distressed cousin. "I'm sorry. I know you're worried about your parents." she said with genuine sympathy.
Nori emerged from the water, pulling herself only the boat and sat beside the two, her long fins dipping the surface of the water. "What's wrong, Starfish?"
Iris was silent for a moment before finally sharing her thoughts. "If I can't even control my Avatar powers how am I going to fight whatever it was that kidnapped our family? I can't even make a small bubble of water levitate." she groaned and face palmed herself.
"Hey, nobody expected you to know the four elements in one day." Akari said in reassurance.
"My mom was able to bend three of the elements when she saw five."
"Yeah, well, you're not your mom."
"In a way, I kind of am."
"Noooooo, because your Avatar powers were inherited from your mom, you'd be here if you were reincarnated, which you're not." Akari squatted down, scooting over next to her best friend. "Look, Iris, I've read all there is to know about the Avatar, just as much as you have. You and I both know that not every story was the same. I mean, Avatar Aang certainly couldn't bend the four elements when he was five. Even Avatar Rokku didn't find out till he was sixteen."
"Yeah, but none of them were tied to the Equestrian magic within them." Iris pointed out. "My mom was the one exception because of the prophesy."
"True, but you're also another exception." Mai said. "Korra was the last Avatar of the old cycle, but you're the first of the new cycle. It wouldn't be too far fetched to think your story would be different."
Akari gently removed a stray hair from Iris's face and smiled compassionately. "It's going to be okay. Our parents have already written their story, now it's time for us to write ours."
Iris finally smiled. "Thanks, you guys."
"And, if you'd like, Mai and I can teach you some firebending."
"Totally!" Mai agreed. "And Nori can teach you waterbending."
"And Hiro can teach you earthbending while Gallant can teach you airbending." Nori said. "You've already got four elemental teachers right here!" she said, extending her arms wide, only for another one of her shield-like pearls to suddenly burst from her hand and narrowly miss Gallant's head. The unicorn immediately ducked the incoming pearl which came flying in like a frisbee, which landed onto the water in a splash.
Gallant shot Nori an angry glare and the merpony blushed from embarrassment. "Sorry! Sorry, sorry! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Gallant replied, inspecting his hair, only to see a very small cuff of it gently fall in front of him. "I…needed a haircut, anyways."
"Uh, maybe you guys should hold off on practicing your new powers until we get to shore, okay?" Chi suggested, inspecting to see if hair was the only thing Gallant had lost. Those flat pearls looked incredibly lethal.
"I'm sorry, Gallant. I didn't mean to." Nori apologized once more as she magically willed her tail to transform back into legs and walked back onto the boat. "I still don't know how to control it."
"It's okay. None of us do." Mai said, looking down at her hands.
"Was it like this for Sunset's Canterlot High friends?" Iris asked.
Chi let out a laugh at the memory. "From what she told me, yes. But, things did get better. She said the trick was to not dismiss them, but to embrace them. We were given these powers for a reason, and when the times times, so long as we stick together, we'll figure it out."
"You have no idea on how this works, do you?" Hiro said, narrowing his eyes at her.
"Not a clue. Maybe if Sunset were here she'd give us some pointers." Chi sighed sadly, while still steering the ship. "She's probably gonna burn my wolf tail right off when she finds out I left home."
"I think we should be more concerned about what dangers we'll face here in the spirit world." Gallant said, while still inspecting his hair and giving the sail and extra boost of wind. "I'm pretty sure not all spirits are buddy-buddy of the Avatar."
"Eh, don't worry too much about that now, Gallant Steed." Chi said, "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now, just enjoy the smooth sailing." right after the words left her mouth, her eyes widened in alarm when an arrow suddenly came shooting right in front of her face and landed onto the wooden surface of the boat.
"Huh?"
Everyone else heard the swishing sound the arrow made, and stared at the weapon in alarm. Chi was the first to remove it. Her eyes narrowed once she took a good look at it.
"Oh, no."
"What? What is it?" Akari asked.
"Nogitsune."
"Nogi-what-now?"
"Spirit bandits." Chi replied, tossing the arrow into the ocean. "I recognize their craftsmanship anywhere. Nova tangled with them once."
"What was that you said about not being worried?" Gallant said, folding his arms. Often times, he hated being proven right.
Everyone turned their attention towards the ocean behind them, where a large white cloud of mist suddenly formed on the water's surface. The outline of what appeared to be rocks suddenly began to born. Standing on the rocks were three little creatures, short in stature, with long bushy tails, split into three parts. Their faces were entirely white with red and black markings, resembling foxes, but their stubby arms and small baby-like hands looked very human like. The masks became more visible as the fog cleared, with their ears being entirely furry and large, probably more so than their heads, which flipped as they cocked their heads like curious little pups, letting out such cute little squeaky sounds.
Iris only stared in confusion before smiling. "They're…kind of cute." she said, to which even Nori, Mai and Gallant agreed with. However, Chi only narrowed her eyes in annoyance at the creatures.
"Wait for it." said the wisp.
The little fox creatures then quickly drew new symbols on their faces, giving them a far more angry and war-like appearance as well as extra warrior-styled face paints on their masks and pulled out incredibly shaper weapons such as tiny axes, spears and knifes from their backs. Their fur stood on end, which completely disrupted their original "cute" factor.
Iris and the others now flinched and cringed at the sight. Chi folded her arms. "Told you."
The mist dispersed, revealing that what they were standing on were not rocks, but rather instead a boat…a very, very, very large boat, made out entirely out of other boats, with various sails outstretching from its sides, and with large palm trees and various other exotic plants decorating it and various little areas that could resemble houses. Basically, it looked like some kind of large colony. The little fox-like spirits began banging on drums, while other jumped up and down doing a war-like chant. At the very top stood the apparent leader of the Nogitsune, wearing a rather large headset, consisting of animal tusks and various sharp teeth adorning his necklace. His spear was larger than the others which he pointed downwards to the children.
"Hang onto something!" Chi exclaimed as he pulled hard on the rope, opening the fail to its full form. "Gallant, give me more wind!"
The two complied and blasted a powerful gust of air at the sail, causing it to go at full speed. Everyone else had to hold onto either the side, or each other as the boat bumped into several small waves, nearly tilting it.
Unfortunately for them, the Nigotsune had multiple sails, which enabled them to go just as fast, if not more so. The airbending power still wasn't enough.
"They're getting closer!" Hiro shouted.
Akari acted quick and unleashed a fiery blue blast at the boat, which strike the side, and several Nigotsune jumped out of the way. Iris and Gallant assisted as well in sending multiple magical blasts at the ships, which many attacks they managed to deflect thanks to the powerful crystal shields they carried. One of Iris's blasts strike the shield, which was deflected and sent the blast coming right at them.
"Look out!" Nori leaped into Iris's defense, outreaching her hands, creating a large peal shield which deflected the blast in return, which came at top speed, knocking several of the Nigotsune off the boat and into the water.
Nori has her eyes closed shut the entire time until she carefully opened them, surprised to see the pearl shield before her until it disappeared. The merpony smiled with victorious delight.
"Ha! Take that you doll sized rodents!"
Unfortunately, the Nigotsune outnumbered them greatly, and to make maters worse, not only were they gaining up on them, but they started shooting arrows at them again, this time with rope attached as a mean to pull them towards their even large ship.
More arrows came their way, attaching to the side of the boat. Nori, Mai and Hiro worked on pulling them out while Gallant continued adding more air to the sails in a desperate attempt to make them go faster. Iris and Akari continued to strike where there would be no shields, but the creatures were as prepared as Rarity was for a quick outfit change during a party emergency.
The arrows themselves proved to be very strong, in which even the kids struggled to yank them out, even the athletically built Hiro. The only one who had the most luck was Mai, due to her new super strength, but when she yanked hard onto the arrow, finally pulling it out, the impact caused the ship to slightly turn to either side.
"Sorry!" said the young firebender. She really didn't know her own strength anymore.
Things got even more complicated when the sails of the Nigotsune spread out…and was split into three separate boats, with the central one being the largest of them all.
"Their boat is turning into more boats! " Nori shouted.
The Nigotsune then began sledding down the ropes attached to the arrows, along with their shields to deflect the incoming blasts from Akari and Iris, and Chi simultaneously tried to steer the boat. Akari began shooting fire blasts, which were also deflected by the shields.
Hiro finally managed to yank one of the arrows out, then stared at it analytically as he gripped it in his still gloved hand. With a bright and devilish smile, Hiro removed his glove and gripped the arrow with his now bare hand. Just as he had hoped, the arrow itself started to glow intensely.
"Heads up!" he called out and let go of the arrow, allowing it to catapult right back to the Nigotsune on the rope of it. The arrow glowed even brighter, much to the horror of the little spirits. The arrow, and the rope itself, exploded in a great big green cloud with yellow hues and the Nigotsune fell into the water.
"Hiro, you're a genius!" Iris said proudly as she managed to finally pry her respected arrow from the side of the boat and tossed it to Hiro, who grabbed it with his ungloved hand. He touched it before letting it go right away, having the same results as before when the arrow and rap exploded, leaving the Nigotsune in the dust, and all wet.
"Mai, pull on as many arrows as you can!" Iris said. "Nori, use your shields to balance the boat!"
The two friends nodded in agreement. Nori created the pearls around the ship to keep it in balance. Mai managed to yank each and every one of the ropes with ease and handed them all to Hiro. With only one touch, he was able to make the arrows and rope blow up, which shocked and horrified the Nigotsune.
"Yes!" Hiro shouted, throwing his fists into the air…only to get knocked behind the head by some small stone. "Ow!"
Turning around, one Nigotsune managed to jump onto the ship, aiming his weapon at them. Chi then got an idea. "Akari, take the wheel!"
The alicorn complied and a blur of blue came swooping by, taking the little Nigotsune with her, before zooming all around one of the boats, taking away their spears, hatchets, shields and arrows in the amount of time it took them to blink. The same blur came zooming towards the second one, doing the exact same thing, before reaching the central boat and taking all the weapons, which were each simultaneously tossed onto the water to be sunken down to the bottom.
The blue blur, revealed to be Chi, stood before the Nigotsune chief, who aimed his spear at her…only to find he didn't have it anymore.
"Looking for this?" Chi said, smiling cockily before zipping away and returning back to the others. "The floor is yours, Petals!" she said with a bow to Iris before returning back to the wheel, and Iris and Akari happily unleashed their power onto the boats, and now with them free Gallant was able to make the boat speed faster than before. The team suddenly lost balance when the ship began to stir in another direction.
"Chi?"
"It's not me!" the unicorn replied, trying desperately to turn the ship around. Nori then noticed something under the water. She boldly dove downwards, her legs turning into a tail once more and saw a Nigotsune having speared the downward side of the boat with an arrow, and a rope connecting to main ship. Seeing this, Nori immediately swam towards the little fox spirit and waked him with her tail before attempting to yank the arrow off.
"Where is Nori?" Gallant asked as he searched the waters, while the others tried to fend off more of the incoming arrows coming their way. Iris and Akari both dove into the water and spotted the merpony attempting to yank the arrow out of the boat, seeing this, Akari pulled out a knife from her back pocket and used it to cut the rope, disconnecting their attachment to the boat. More Nigotsune came their way. Apparently they could swim as well.
Akari's horn and Iris's star symbol glowed brightly, engulfing their bodies in a shimmering aura, which allowed them to breath under water. Akari's knife grew in size, becoming a sword. The three swam towards the army, with Akari slicing them away, and Iris using the amount of magical energy beams she could master.
Nori used her waterbending to manipulate the current around them and sent them flying upwards from the surface and onto the boats, groaning in pain, and surprising the others on the boat.
As Akari sliced at each of the spirits, knocking away their weapons with her sword, one managed to pierce into her arm, causing her to cry out in pain.
"Akari!" Iris exclaimed, seeing the arrow piercing her best friend's arm. Blood came out, merging with the waters. Seeing the blood ignited something within Iris.
Her eyes began to glow a bright shimmering white, which frightened the little Nigotsune to their core. Outreaching her arms, Iris managed to manipulate the current in a way far more powerful than even Nori could master.
The same glow could be seen from the surface of the water by the boat, and the Nigotsune on their boats ceased their attempts to capture them, when an incredibly massive wave came spewing out, carrying all of the shipwrecked Nigotsune on it. They screamed in terror as the wave came crashing down onto the boat, all three of them, engulfing them all in the monster sized waters. The aftermath was the now destroyed boat, torn to pieces, with weapons and all floating about in the water, and little Nigotsunes spiting the salt water out.
The rest of the group stared in awe, as Akari and Nori surfaced. The waters continued to glow and Iris came shooting out with glowing eyes and wings. The Nigotsunes were now trembling in terror at the sight. With what little remained of their boats, the little spirits jumped onto the nearest pieces of wood and used their tails as propellors to speed themselves away from the scene.
Iris slowly descended, her eyes and wings ceased their glowing and she struggled to keep her balance. She rubbed her head, feeling as if her brain would pop right out of her scull. Nori helped Akari back to the boat, removing the arrow from her now bleeding arm.
Once Iris regained her composure she rushed to her friend's side. "Akari! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. It's just a scratch." Akari reassured her, wiping away some of the salt water from her face. Iris quickly used her healing magic to fix the cut right up in a matter of seconds.
"How did you do that?" Gallant asked Iris as he crunched down beside Akari, handing her a rack to dry her face with.
"I…I don't know. I guess I just really, really hate blood." Iris said. Even she herself wasn't entirely certain exactly how she was able to active the Avatar state so easily just now.
The boat then collided with something, stopping on its tracks. The others smiled with relief, for they had finally made it to their destination. “Hey guys.” Crystal said with her dragons beside her.
Asami gently opened the door a creek before pushing it all the way. The figure on the bed was still sound asleep from the looks of it but the body stirred under the sheets.
"Iris? You awake?" Asami asked quietly, to which the sound of a low moan was heard. Judging from the sound of it, the princess was still pretty upset. Both Asami and Bolin entered the room and the woman sat on the corner of the bed.
"Iris, Crystal, we understand why you're upset, but it's not that we don't believe in you or the others, we do. You are an incredibly talented, smart and generous young girl, and you are going to grow up to be a wonderful Avatar, and as surprising as it may be, I think it's wonderful that the Elements of Harmony now live on with you and your friends."
"We believe that you are capable of such great things." Bolin said, placing a hand on Asami's shoulder. "And we want you to get the chance to do just that. That's why we can't risk you kids going. We don't want to lose you too."
The princess did not reply but still stirred, no doubt trying to give them the silent treatment. They were about to head out to save the rest of the family, they didn't want to leave things unresolved with their niece.
Asami reached out to give her a light tap on the shoulder "Iris? Iris, please talk to--Gah!" both parents reeled back in surprise when the orca wolf sat upright, giving Asami a big wet kiss. "Akhlut?"
"Where's Iris and Crystal?" Bolin asked, but he didn't have to think too long to find the answer. "Oh… no."
"Akari?" Asami hurried to the pink alicorn's guest bedroom and pulled off the sheet, only to find Timber Spruce laying on the bed.
"Gallant?" Bolin did the same thing to Gallant's bed, only to find a pile of books stacked together to resemble a body.
"Mai?" Asami yanked her daughter's bed sheets, only to find pillows and a basketball wearing a black wig.
"Hiro?" when Bolin removed the covers of his son's bed, all he saw was dirty laundry, and a bunch of empty candy wrappers spread out, not even trying to give the illusion that there was a human body under there. The only hint was the small mountain of dirty socks that only slightly resembled his head.
Bolin face palmed. "Oh, come on! That's not even convincing!"
Asami ran into the room, seeing her son's empty, and very filthy, bed. "They're all gone!"
"Okay, okay, let's not panic." Bolin said, trying to clam down his already frantic wife. Though, in reality, he was getting even more frantic than she was. "I mean, maybe they're just at Sunset's place with Chi."
The sound of doors bursting open and exhausted panting, along with the tapping sound of heels against the cold floor were heard. The couple ran down the stairs and saw an already out of breath Sunset Shimmer standing before them.
"Please tell me Chi's with you!"
"She who?" Bolin asked, only to earn a glare from Sunset Shimmer. He slapped his forehead. "Oh, Chi ! So sorry, they just sound so similar, it's an honest mistake, but that's not important right now! The kids are gone too!"
"I was afraid you'd say that."
Asami groaned in frustration. "How did they even sneak out? I had White Lotus Sentries posted everywhere around the estate! Not to mention our state of the art magic-tech security system!"
"You mean the one that was just emitting smoke?" Sunset Shimmer said, pointing her thumb to the still open wide doors.
The trio were next seen right beside the disabled alarm system, which no doubt was done so the kids could escape without alerting anyone.
Both Asami and Bolin knew exactly who the culprit was. "Mai." they said simultaneously right before another wire flew right off and landed on the ground.
"I got to hand it to her, our baby girl's got some serious skills." Bolin said, folding his arms.
"She's her grandfather's granddaughter alright." Asami said.
"What do we do?" Sunset said, already looking anxious, and understandably so. "They could be anywhere in the spirit world by now, and there's no way we can track them down."
"Actually, there might be." Asami said. "We already know where they're going. But, in oder to get there they're going to need a spirit map. And there's only one place we know where you can get them."
Bolin nodded. "Aiwei."
Once everyone was safely on shore, leaving the boat beside several trees, Akari rubbed the shoulder from which the spear had pierced her. Thankfully, it was already healed up, but still a bit itchy.
Hiro couldn't stop jumping up and down with excitement. "Wow! I can't believe we just did that! I mean, you saw that too right? Mai with her super strength, Nori with her pearl shield things, me with my explosions--" at the mention of the word, Hiro's hand brushed off the surface of a palm tree, to which he immediately backed away from and flinched in terror, as did the rest of his friends. After a few short seconds, the group realized that the palm tree had not exploded.
"Huh. I guess it doesn't work on living organisms." Gallant theorized, while hiding behind Akari, his hand touching her shoulder. Upon realizing the close contact, Gallant quickly let go, blushing in embarrassment.
"But, seriously, Iris that thing you did with the wave was phenomenal!" Akari said, practically bouncing with joy, which made Iris blush.
Chi then popped from behind the two alicorns. "For real! One minute you're just blasting magical blasts, next thing you're all PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER!!!" She said, making her voice boom and echo for effect. Her voice then reverted back to its normal self. "That was just--"
"Awesome?" Akari finished, expecting her to say it, only for Chi to shake her head.
"No… Mind-Blowing! Seriously, I thought I would literally explode by how incredible and jaw-droopingly epic that was! No seriously, wisps can literally explode from high overdose of adrenaline. Don't worry, we always get ourselves back together. Again, literally."
Iris looked down at her hands still feeling overwhelmed, frozen and trembling from what she did. "I never knew I was capable of doing that." she said. She studied her fingers, which slowly began to stabilize from the excitable trembles. "I wonder if…" the young alicorn snapped her fingers once, only to tilt her head in surprise and tried once more. She then tried throwing a punch into the air directly at a tree, but nothing happened. She tried again, only to have a simple magical blast come out. Iris groaned for that was not what she had in mind.
"Iris, what are you doing?" Mai asked in confusion.
"Trying to firebend." Iris replied, staring down at her hands in confusion. "How exactly is this Avatar stuff supposed to work?"
"Take it easy." Akari said, gently lowering Iris's hands. "Firebending is pretty hard to master. But, for now, let's practice somewhere where there is very minimal chance of starting of forest fire."
"Yeah, we've already got one walking dynamite maker with us." Gallant said, pointing a thumb at Hiro.
"Relax Gallant, I think I'm getting the hand of--" Hiro leaned against a nearby boulder…which then exploded into tiny pebbles in a patch of green and yellow smoke. Iris and Akari shielded the rest of the group.
Hiro blinked twice before blushing in embarrassment. "Yeah, okay you may have a point. Uh, anybody got gloves?" he asked. Mai happily handed him back the ones he wore to cover his hands, to which he wasted no time in doing so.
"Iris, why don't you tell us where to next before somebody here looses a limb." Chi suggested.
"Good idea." Iris said and reached into her backpack for the map. Her violet eyes widened once she realized it was not present. "Oh, no." she whispered. She pulled the backpack right off of her back and started rummaging through it like a maniac. "No, no, no, no, no!"
"What is it?" Akari asked.
"The map, it's not--" Iris did manage to pull something out of her backpack. Only, it wasn't the map, but a piece of the spears from the Nogitsune. Her eyes furrowed in anger. "Pesky little sea pirates! They took the map!"
The rest of the kids gasped in horror. "How will we get back?" Nori asked.
"I have no idea!"
Nori was already starting to feel her heart rate rising. "No, no, no, no, no! I am too young to spend the rest of my life in the spirit world! Iris, can't you talk to one of the past Avatars or something!"
"How do you suppose she does that?" Akari said.
"I don't know. Meditate or something."
"Everybody, chill." Mai said, surprisingly calm. "It's going to be okay."
"Oh, no. Mai's already loosing it. That's it, we're doomed. We're dead, just dig a grave for all of us, we're dead!" Hiro got smacked by Shimmer again.
"We're not dead." Mai then pulled out her fully finished geo-slate from her bag. She switched on the device, hich was very slick and flat, with the Future Industries Logo on it, and traces of small geodes incorporated into the sides, as it looked on the geo-phones. The screen switched on, with a spinning F.I logo before switching into camera mode. Mai tapped onto the scree and in a few seconds a fully digital image of the spirit map appeared.
The rest of the children stared in awe. "How did you did that?" Nori asked, visibly invested, squeezing a bit near Gallant and Chi to get a better look.
"I took a picture of the map before the Nogitsune attacked." Mai explained. "The map is made out of spiritual energy, and the geodes used to power up the Geo-Slate come from Equestria, it can detect the magical energies of the spirit realm. If I just scan the pathways…." after some tinkering, Mai snapped her fingers with glee. "Bingo!"
A series of paths began to form, but one specific path, radiating with a vibrant aura, manifested in a form identical to that of the spirit map Aiwei handed them.
"What did you do?" Nori asked.
"I noticed that certain areas of the spirit world seem to be giving out a more fervid intensity in a specific pattern."
"Cool!" Hiro said. "What does that mean?"
"It means, nobody's dying tonight. See? I told you."
"Mai, you're a genius!" Iris wrapped her arms around her cousin's neck, smiling proudly.
Once the hug ended, Mai flipped her hair with pride. "Yeah, I know."
"Come on, guys. We're burning daylight."
P'Li, Zaheer and Kuvira had finally arrived at the entrance to the Spirit Portal, accompanied by Varrick and Trixie. They, along with Sunset Shimmer, Asami and Bolin were all suited up and ready to venture into the other side. Ali, Mika and San were also present, helping Sunset with her utility belt, which even she was surprised she was having trouble placing around her hips.
"Uh, Sunny, did you gain any weight?" Mika asked, trying to sound as polite as she possibly could.
"No. Let me just…" Sunset finished adjusting the belt, which now fit perfectly. "There we go, much better."
"Everybody all set?" Bolin asked the others.
Kuvira nodded. "Yes. Let's go get those kids and our friends out of that dark and horrid place."
"Are you sure I can't come with you guys?" Trixie asked.
"I'm sorry, Trix." Sunset said, "But that geode will only allow seven people to go through the gateway and into the Dark Realm. Also, and don't take this the wrong way, you're not very experienced to handle whatever the Spirit World's got going."
"But--"
"I'm afraid she's right, Trixie." P'Li said, placing her hand on her shoulder. "Believe me, I know what you're capable of, but it's best you sit this one out. Believe me, the spirit world can be far more chaotic than a changeling hive if you don't know where you're heading."
"And you really trust your ex-boyfriend to tag along for this?" Trixie said, pointing her thumb to behind her, where Zaheer stood. Not even bothering to be subtle about it.
"You're one to talk Miss I-enslaved-an-entire-town-with-a-soul-sucking-amulet-because-I-had-a-petty-jealousy-towards-Twilight-Sparkle." Varrick pointed out with folded arms.
"Well, at least I didn't attempt to kidnap the president just so I could make a quick buck off of a civil war!"
"Exactly! We're all guilty of something, what makes you think this guy's any different?"
"You know I'm standing right here, right?" Zaheer said, folding his arms while standing in between the two.
"Whatever." Trixie's tone softened as she spoke to P'Li. "Just promise you'll be safe, and bring Starlight and the others back home as soon as you can."
"We will." the two shared a quick hug while Asami and Bolin turned to Varrick.
"Varrick, if anything happens, contact us immediately." Bolin said. "Tell Iroh to have the united forces ready for any potential attack while we're gone."
"Who do you assume there would be an attack?"
"We still don't know who's behind all of this. And with the Equestrian leaders and Elements gone, there's no telling who will show up."
Varrick gave them a salute. "You have my word as an Honorary Member of the Apple Family!" he said… then pulled a cowboy hat from his back and placed it on his head, while still keeping that saluting pose.
The rest of the adults and spirit siblings gathered together and stood before the portal. "We're coming for ya, little sis!" San exclaimed as he and his sisters flew into the portal first, followed by the others, leaving Trixie and Varrick to only watch in concern.
It didn't take very long for Asami and Sunset Shimmer to go all Mama-Bear when they arrived at Iroh's teashop and were already interrogating Aiwei. The man remained, surprisingly calm even with Asami and Sunset both gripping him by the collar and lifting him from his chair. His feet were still on the ground, seeing as they didn't have the same amount of amazon strength as Korra did, but their grip was still incredibly strong none the less.
"Alright old man, talk! Where did you send our kids? Why didn't you try and stop them? What were you thinking?! " Asami demanded to know
"Should we stop them?" Ali asked Bolin, who stood by, completely unfazed at his wife's aggressive behavior while sipping on a pink colored liquid from a glass cup.
He shrugged. "Eh, they've got this."
"Mrs. Sato, I assure you, I did not let the children leave without warning them of the potential dangers that lied ahead."
"You better have a good explanation as to why you think letting a group of teenagers... and dragons go to the Dark Realm without any protection was even remotely a good idea!" Sunset Shimmer said, gritting through her teeth.
"Well, when you place it that way it does sound… rather bad."
"That's because it is really bad!!" they both exclaimed in anger.
Aiwei managed to grip their respected wrists and pry both woman and pony right off of him. "Believe me, I understand your frustration and you have every right to feel so. But, you also need to understand. Your children have been chosen to become new bearer of the most powerful artifacts there are. Think about it. Iris discovers her powers a short while ago. Then, the Tree of Harmony bestows these powers upon the children, and the map recognized them enough to reveal the location of the other Elements. You of all people should know what happens when you try to fight against destiny."
The rest of the adults's eyes softened at the man's words. "You did not fail them. They disobeyed you, yes, and I'm more than confident you will find a fitting punishment for them later. But right now… you need to trust them. Trust in the Magic they carry with them. After all, isn't it the same magic that save us all more than once?"
"Wow." San said, eyes blinking. "You are one wise and noble tea shop keeper."
"I think I understand, old friend." Zaheer said, in a way, voicing out what the others were thinking of. "But, I'm afraid we can't just let them go at this alone."
"They won't be alone." Aiwei said. "They will have each other. But, if you still feel the need to follow them." with a tap of his foot, the ground began to shake softly, and the tree with the large hole from before rose upwards once again.
"There is your shortcut."
A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Chapter 6: The Spirit Forest
The island was a lot larger than the kids expected and, as typical of the Spirit World, there were surprises almost everywhere. They had already traveled a long distance in what felt like no more than thirty minutes, though given the time on their respected geo-phones it was no doubt longer. Never the less, there was no denying the beauty this realm had to offer.
The children made their way through a vast jungle garden with plants of all sizes. Flowers that shaded them like umbrellas with their beautifully vibrant and colorful petals that gave off a sweet exotic aroma, and the sun kissed leafs billowed softly in the subtle breeze.
Akari and Iris were already zooming back and forth, taking as many pictures as possible of the plants with their geo-phones. "This place is so beautiful." Iris said, her violet eyes sparkling. Crystal was in awe at the forest as well. Her dragons were examining their surroundings as well.
"I know! I've never seen flowers like these back home. Oh, look!" Akari flapped her wings to take more picks of the large red star shaped berries with splashes of white and blue. "Check out these rubus parviflorus. I've never seen any in this size."
"Rubo-what?" Hiro asked.
"Thimbleberries." Gallant clarified, also taking pictures of the said plants, more of which were down bellow, and with multiple colorings unlike any he had ever seen. Some plants even looked like they had been meshed together with another, yet they looked perfectly preserved and healthy.
"I didn't think there could be such diverse colorings for this species of Rosioidea." he said, mesmerized by the beauty. He felt a light breeze and looked up to see Iris admiring the same plants that grew on a tree branch right above him.
"You're right." Iris gasped snapping more pictures. "Look how they glisten in the sunlight. It's like freshly fallen snow during the Glacier Spirits Festival back at the South Pole."
Nori was squalling with delight, her eyes twinkling. "They're absolutely gorgeous! The colors, the textures, I feel like I'm back at my old sea garden from when I was a mer-filly!"
"Glad you're enjoying it you guys, but maybe we should move it along." Mai mentioned while still looking at the map on her geo-slate. "You know, before we run into something far less appealing than the plants."
"Yeah, Mai's got a good point." Iris said. "For all we know, the others might have finally figured out we're gone."
"Good call." Hiro said. "I mean, your mom is scary enough, but ours is…." Hiro shuddered at the thought. As kind-hearted as Asami was, needles to say, some small subtle traces of her late father did tend to make their way up to the surface from time to time.
The others nodded in agreement and walked further into the forest. The plants continued to change into different varieties. Only now, for some reason, the aura everywhere started to shift and change. No longer feeling welcoming and peaceful, but rather ominous.
Hiro was already feeling like his feet were on fire. He groaned and leaned against a nearby log. A growl was heard from his stomach, which he gripped. "Ah man, I'm getting hungry."
"Then eat some of Aiwei's spirit cakes." Mai said.
"I already did. And the chocolate bars I had in there."
"You mean you already ate all your food?!"
"Hey, I didn't have any breakfast, and Aiwei's cakes, though delicious, are a little too light for an athlete such as myself. I need my protein." he immediately spotted something not too far off. A single red, shinny fruit hanging from a single plant. He smiled and hurried towards it. "Now we're talking!"
"Uh, Hiro, I wouldn't do that!" Gallant said, reaching out to stop him. "For all we know, it could be poison."
"Actually, the spirit world has nothing poisonous." Iris stated. "While a lot of its floral and fauna can be dangerous, a lot of them can be used for healing purposes."
"Not really helping."
"Come on, like I'm gonna be afraid of a pretty flower." Hiro grabbed the shinny red treat, only for a long green tentacle to wrap around his wrists and ankles. The same thing happened to Gallant Steed, who narrowed his eyes.
"You were saying?"
The two boys screamed in terror once they were being lifted up from the ground by the massive vines that took on lives of their own.
"Hiro! Gallant!" the friends cried out as the ground beneath the still dangling boys began to rise upwards, revealing to have been some kind of venus fly trap flower, lowering the two boys into its center to be devoured.
"For the record, I blame you for this!" Gallant angrily shouted to Hiro right before the fly trap wrapped its massive reddish violet petals closed.
"Let my brother go!" Mai shouted as she charged and leaped at the plant, throwing multiple fire blasts at the creature, followed by Akari. The two firebenders blasted at the plant, but to no avail. Instead, its vines then began wrapping themselves around the two girls. They screamed and struggled to break free of the grip, only to get tossed away by them, colliding with either another nearby plant or the trunk of a tree.
Iris and Nori rushed to their side to help. "Winter, Shimmer, Mist, Spark, Skyspike, you know what to do!" Crystal said. Her dragons roared and Skyspike shot two spikes at the middle of the plant, penetrating the skin. Shimmer, Mist and Spark grabbed the spikes and using their jaw strength, pulled hard, trying to forcefully opened the plant. Winter flew over to the other side and bite the plant and pulled on her side, opening the plant. When it was wide enough, Crystal rushed over and grabbed the boys and threw them out and onto the floor. The dragons let go and the plant sank back into the ground.
The rest of the girls hurried towards the boys, happy to see them alive.
"Hiro, you're okay!" Mai said happily, ready to hug her brother… only to stop halfway upon remembering the fact that he smelled worse than his dirty laundry. "And… slimy."
Hiro shuddered in disgust as he wiped the muck from his cloths and hair. "Almost eaten by a plant. I don't know if that sounds cool or just plain weird."
"I'm gonna go with mortifying." Gallant said, using his magic to levitate whatever slimy substances remained, while Iris did the same for her cousin, cleaning him up. Akari surprised Gallant with a tight hug. He was a bit startled at first but then returned the embrace.
Once they separated, Akari noticed some more slime on her shirt. She giggled. "I think I found what was left."
"Oh, sorry. And, thanks."
"Crystal, you and your dragons did it." Iris said to the girl.
"Yeah. We owe ya." Hiro said.
Crystal simply shook her head, "Hehe, I do anything for my friends."
"How's about, when we get back home we leave out the part about Hiro and Gallant almost getting eaten alive by a giant spirit plant, kay?" Mai said. The others nodded in agreement.
The wolf changeling arrived and dropped watt appeared to be the carcass of some kind of winged creature, when in reality it was just a disgusting looking plant with feathers. The plant was dropped on the stone table, where Starlight Glimmer was hard at work.
The table was filled with an assortment of books, chemicals and bizarre ingredients from all walks of life. There were rocks and plants from Equestria, exotic fruits from the fire nation along with sooth and fish remains from the arctic waters of the water tribes and flower petals from plants indigenous to the Earth Federation country lands, jungles and forests, and swamps. She even recognized some seeds and other plants and pieces of fruit from Air Temple Island.
Books from ancient Equestrian times with withered and torn pages and covers were stacked one on top of the other, a few being levitated by Starlight's magic. She dared to look up, seeing all of her friends hanging helplessly from the ceiling. One of the changeling wolves crawled near the one that kept her husband, hissing at her while aiming his claws near his face.
"Keep your claws in, I'm working on it." Starlight snapped back, her ears pressed back in anger and annoyance.
As if being held prisoner wasn't bad enough.
"Eh, here we go, the humid part of the spirit world." Nori pulled out some seaweed lotion from her backpack and rubbed her arms and face with it. Three to four hour passed, and by the looks of it, they were making good time. "How much further now?"
Mai looked at the map on the geo-slate alongside Iris. "Good news and bad news." Iris said. "Goods news is, we should be there in at least another hour or so."
"Yay! So, what's the bad news?"
"We're going to have to go through… there." Iris pointed her finger towards the opening a very large and, rather spooky looking cave that looked more like the skull of some kind of dead dragon-like creature. Gallant gulped at its gigantic size, while Akari gripped the sash of her backpack tightly.
"You sure that thing's not on the fritz or something?" Nori asked aiming to poke the geo-slate, which resulted in Mai swatting her hand away.
"Unlikely."
"Why?"
"Because I made it. Also, I scanned the area literally fifteen times on the way here, and this is the only path that will take us to the Dark Realm in time."
Iris hovered over her cousin, looking at the path. She saw the neon glowing pathway leading into the cave, with a wide opening on the other side. "There's an exit right at the end of it." iris adjusted her backpack and was the first to fearlessly walk through the cave. "Come on."
"Iris, wait up!" Akari cried and ran behind her. The rest of the kids all stared at one another before silently coming to the inevitable decision to enter the cave. Gallant Steed had his ears pressed back against his head.
"This isn't so bad." he lied to himself out loud. "I mean, once you get past the fact that it's a dark… long… and, very enclosed… pathway." he gulped, already feeling the walls closing in around him. "It's fine. No worries. Uh, is anybody else feeling a shiver?" he hugged himself, trembling from the invisible chilling air that had just picked up. Akari reached out to grab his hand, which caught him completely off guard. "Gallant, relax. It's gonna be okay." she said in the sweetest voice she could muster.
Gallant started to slowly hyperventilate. "I'm sorry. Is it me or is it getting colder?"
"Gallant!" Akari gripped both of his shoulders and shook him back to his senses. "Deep breaths." she inhaled and exhaled slowly, which Gallant mimicked. "Good. Now, just close your eyes." he did as she said. "Take my hands, and just listen to the sound of our voices, okay? Don't think about the cave, just walk with us. Alright?"
Gallant nodded his head while taking in deep breaths. "Okay. I can do this."
"There we go." Akari, while gripping his hand, led him along with the rest of the group. The dragon had night vision so they could easily see in the dark. Winter put a wing around Crystal to help guide her through the cave. To them, the cave looked pretty much of the average size, though a bit enclosed, but the darkness definitely gave it more the illusion that it was even tighter than it actually was. But, so long as Gallant kept his eyes closed and listened to the sound of his friend's voices, and the warmth in his chest that came with Akari's hand in his, was slowly easing his anxiety.
Iris and Mai both gave Akari smug grins, while Nori was visibly, but quietly, gushing over how adorable they looked, and Chi was making mute kissing faces. Akari's face turned red and gave them a "cut it out" hand gesture to shut them up.
The team went on, with Mai and Akari using their flames to light the way. Iris created an orb of light, increasing the light, which also helped Gallant, who still kept his tees closed. As they went on, Hiro started humming a catchy tune until the words reached his mouth.
"Hi, ho. Hi, ho. Into the cave we go. *whistle* Hi, ho. Hi, ho. Hi--"
"Hiro, enough with the song." Mai snapped. "It's gonna get stuck in my head all day."
"Okay." at least five more minutes went by before Hiro was singing another song, even catchier than the first one, complete with beatbox effect. "In the Dark Realm, the scary Dark Realm, the evil spirits sleep tonight. In the Dark Ream, the scary-- "
"Knock it off, Hiro!"
Hiro complied… only to start singing an entirely different song a few moments later. "Let it go, let it go. Can't hold it back anymore! Let it-- "
"How about you let it go?"
Nori even shook her head. "Yeah, even I'm sick of that one."
Finally, Hiro made one final attempt at lightening the mood with one of his annoying ear worms. He played air guitar while singing the oldest song out of all of them.
"Secret tunnel! Secret Tunnel! Through the mountain-- "
Mai's growled and stopped in her tracks, one hand gripping her geo-slate while the other held her flame, which increased in heat, reflecting her emotions. Skyspike got her message early and smacked Hiro on the head. "Okay, somebody doesn't like the classics."
"How much farther now?" Iris asked.
"Only fifteen more minutes." Mai said, with her geo-slate beeping, the neon light pathway still giving off its fervid glow.
Nori approached Iris, tapping her shoulder. "Iris, sweetie, um, a thought just occurred to me. Are you absolutely sure we'll be able actually access the pathway into this place? Don't get me wrong, I trust that we're the Elements of Harmony an all, I mean we know it, the Tree knows it, the Map knows it, but what if the gateway doesn't?"
"Don't worry, it will work." Akari said, intervening into the conversation while still holding Gallant's hand, his eyes still closed. "Iris is the Avatar, it will recognize her magic."
"Magic that's still developing."
"Gallant!"
"Hey, don't get me wrong, I trust Iris." Gallant said, raising his hands in defense, not being able to directly face her due to his closed eyes. "But this thing was designed by Korra and the Mane Six themselves specifically. For all we know, it could have some kind of magical lock on it."
"It does." Iris said. "It's designed to only recognize the Elements and the Avatar. Simple as that. My magic might be new, but it's still the same as my mother's. Why else do you think Uncle Bolin and Aunt Asami have that geode. Plus, I share Korra's DNA, it will definitely recognize me."
Nori sighed, wiping a sweat she didn't know had formed above her brow. "Okay, that's a bit more reassuring."
"And how exactly are we going to fight whatever kidnapped our parents when we find them?" Mai asked, turning her full attention to her cousin.
Iris tugged on her father's scarf, a common habit that seemed to occur whenever she was either doubtful or frightened. "I… don't know." she replied with regret.
"Okay, a little less reassuring." Mai said rather bluntly, though her expression was one of genuine concern. She was caught off guard when her brother wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close into a side hug.
"Chill, little sis. Remember, we just got back from fighting a man eating spirit plant."
"We didn't exactly fight. Crystal and her dragons did everything. Her dragons pulled the plant open while she leapt in and grabbed the boys." Mai pointed out.
"My point is, if we can survive that, we can survive anything. We just gotta think positive."
"Nice to hear some genuine optimism around here." Chi said.
"Well, he is the Element of laughter." Akari said, which earned a smug smile from Hiro. Mai playfully rolled her eyes.
They continued their way, with the cave already feeling larger than before. Gallant took in the scent, which reminded him of the tranquil rivers around the Air Temple. With his eyes closed, his senses were in full effect. The scent began to remind him of the small rivers found on Air Temple Island. The sound of something got him to snap his eyes open and whip his head.
"Hold on." he stopped. His hand was still attached to Akari's, prompting her to stop as well.
"What is it?"
"I thought I heard something."
"You sure that's not just this disgusting muck I just stepped on?" Nori lifted her foot, cringing in disgust at her beautiful flat shoes now dripping with a disgusting brown substance with tints of green.
Mai bent down and used her fire to get a better view of the material. "That's not muck… that's some kind liquify moss."
"How is that any better?"
Gallant's ears flickered when he heard the sound. "There it is again!"
"I hear it too." Iris said.
Everyone stood their ground, taking defensive stances as the sound increased. Chi looked downwards, realizing that the sound was coming from beneath their feet. "Nobody. Move. A muscle."
The others did as she said. The ground was indeed cracking under their feet. "Everybody, back away slowly." Iris said, her voice low. "One by one."
Unfortunately, when Nori tried to move slowly, she had lost her footing and slipped onto the liquid moss, landing on her bottom. Her weight was enough to cause the entire ground to crumble and the children screamed as they fell into what appeared to be some kind of rapid river underneath another cave… under the cave?
As always, the spirit world's form of physics were almost as abnormal as Pinkie Pie's.
The kids didn't even get the chance to question this on account of the rapid waters were already pushing them down stream. They struggled to keep their heads above water, and stay together. Crystal's dragons warbled in worry and flew right for them. Skyspike grabbed Akari and Hiro. Shimer grabbed Gallent and Mai. Mist and Spark grabbed Iris, Crystal and Nori. They flew them over the waterfall and put them safety on the ground. "Phew... thanks guys." Iris said. The dragons warbled.
"Where are we?" Gallant asked.
"I don't know. But we're way off the track." Mai said, looking at her geo-slate. Indeed, they were no more than a bit far off from where they originally needed to be. "And I have no idea how we're going to get back."
The sound of desperate cries and squeaks echoed in the walls. The children huddled together, while getting on the defensive. The dragons growled while surrounding Crystal and the others.
"What was that?" Nori asked.
"Help us!" a small, almost high pitched voice was heard. The kids looked up to see that they were in what appeared to be an underground, waterfall grotto, with six individual waterfalls all around, filling what appeared to be a pool, which was a lot deeper than it looked. Vibrant greens grew around the cave walls, seaweed and moss in the likes, and hanging from the stalagmites above was a variety of cages, made up entirely of some of kind resilient bamboo, and a variety of innocent spirits, especially children were kept inside. Their faces screamed of desperation and they all started to shake their cages and cry out to the children for help.
A few smaller cages hung lower around the kids, with a family of what appeared to be sloth-like spirits, consisting of a mother and father with their three children. Gallant reached out his hand, and the youngest grabbed his finger, giving him a watery, pleading look.
"Who did this to you?"
"It was that monster." the mother replied.
"What monster?" Iris asked. None of them needed to give an answer, for their terrified shrieks and the sound of the bubbling waters with a shadow looming from underneath was all the only answer they needed.
The children stepped back as a large, scaly, and rather obese creature began to rise up from the waters which dripped right off of his vibrantly colorful scales. He was an incredibly large alligator-like spirit creature with sharp claws, a humongous tail that made the ground beneath the children shake and they all fell right off of their feet. The beast let out a mighty roar, his massive sieve towering over them and piercing red eyes staring down as more water dripped off of him, creating a rain-like effect.
From their perspective, the beast looked dark in coloring, but once he leaned forward to stare at them directly, the lighting adjusted and he looks brighter than before.
"Well, my oh, my oh, my! Ain't you a sight to behold!"
"Huh?" the kids stared in confusion. Up close, the large alligator didn't look that scary or threatening but rather…. happy-go-lucky? He had what looked like a bone in his nose and large webbed ears with white insides and a seashell neckless around his massive neck.
Iris let out a terrified scream when the alligator grabbed her with his massive hands. Akari called out her name, reaching out her hand for her, but Iris was already being lifted up to face the already silly looking creature.
"I was hoping this day would come, and now it finally has!" he said, speaking in a very loud yet surprisingly friendly manner. He then slapped himself in the face. "Oh, where are my manners? Welcome to my humble abode, Queen Korra."
"Oh, no, I'm not the Queen. I'm her daughter, Princess Iris."
The alligator took a closer look at the teenager, squinting his eyes. "Oh. Well, what do you know. My mistake, you just look so much like your mother. Except for the eye color that is." That's when she noticed Crystal, "And whose your little friend here?" he grabbed Crystal in his other arm. Crystal let out a scream and she was lifted to his face. Winter roared in concern.
Iris wiggled in his grip, managing to yank on arm free from his tight grip. "Yes, and as Princess I would like to know why you have all of these innocent spirits imprisoned!" she said, trying to use her most diplomatic done, though she still needed practice.
"Prisoners? Oh, no, no, no, you've got it all wrong, you're highness." the alligator said, still holding the princess with one massive hand. He then felt something hit his large belly and saw Akari had started punching him.
"Let our friends go, right now!"
"Now, now, don't be like that, little pony." the alligator said, taking her by the wings and dragging her up to face him, hovering her right beside Iris. "Didn't your Mama teach you it's not polite to hit people?" Winter snarled at the beast. "Oh relax, little lizard." he said. Winter gasped, insulted, "I'm not gonna harm them."
"If they're not your prisoners, then why are they in cages?" Iris asked, not fully buying this nice act from the massive beast.
"Well, I wouldn't really call em cages, per say. More like, accommodated suits so they can get front row seats to every concert!"
Crystal, Akari and Iris gave confused looks, their eyes darting towards each other and then at the gator before looking down at their friends, looking equally dumbfounded.
"You guys getting any of this?" Chi asked.
"I'm still trying to wrap my head around the giant gator part." Nori said.
"Iris, you might want to pull out that Avatar-friend-to-all-spirits card now." Akari suggested.
"Right." Iris cleared her throat. If this guy wasn't so much as evil as… well, weird, maybe she could try and reason with him. "Uh, Mister Alligator Spirit, sir--"
"Oh, now, please your highness, call me Uta! All my friends do, aint that right friends?" he addressed to the rest of the caged spirits, who all nodded in agreement, forcing themselves to smile. Though, Iris knew from the get go they were only faking it, and this large gator was either oblivious, or… whatever it was that was going on in his brain.
"Okay, Uta. Look, I don't know what kind of thing you're running around here, but I know for a fact that my mother would not be too happy to hear about you keeping these spirits in your cave like this."
"Speaking of your mother, would she be coming here anytime soon? I've got this sweet new tempo I've been working on and I would love to hear her opinion on it."
"That's nice but--" before Iris could speak, the alligator started harmonizing. His voice was loud and clear, but mostly loud. He had some strong pipes, that much as certain, but his pitch was so over the top, if there were any glasses nearby he's break everyone of them in less than three seconds flat… that and anything remotely crystal within a hundred yards.
The Iris finally managed to free her other arm to cover her ears, as did Akari, who had the luxury of having both hands free the whole time, while the rest of the kids and the other spirits all covered their ears, allowing their master to belt it out to his heart's content.
Once he was done, he beamed wide, showing off his rather sharp teeth. "What'ya think? Am I good, or am I good?"
Crystal, Iris and Akari both cringed, their hands slowly lowering down from their ears. Nori was the first to step forward. "Actually, it wasn't half bad." she said sincerely.
The alligator began to laugh. "Oh, hah, I knew it would be!"
"However, your pitch was a tad off in some places, and your vocalizing, while stable, dragged on more than it should have."
All of the caged spirits gasped in horror and the once friendly alligator suddenly froze in place. His irises shrinking, becoming slits and narrowed his eyes as he loomed over the merpony. His nostrils flaring right in her face, making her hair sweep upwards.
"I beg your pardon, little pony?" he said in a more menacing tone, a near complete contrast from before.
Nori adjusted her hair, keeping her calm as she spoke. "Like I said, you're not bad, your voice is obviously very strong, but your performance definitely needs some work."
Uta scoffed before tossing the two princesses back to the ground, where they were assisted by Chi and Gallant. "I'll have you know, Missy, I'm the best singer in this entire realm! Why, every single one of my friends here think so." he gestured to the caged spirits, who all fearfully nodded in reply. "When I started singing, they all traveled far and wide to listen to me. Why else do you think I allow them to stay? So they can enjoy my singing every day whenever they please."
"That's why you have them here?" Gallant said in shock, "Just so you can boast about how great you are?"
"It's not boasting if it's the truth, boy."
"Is that so?" Nori said, folding her arms rather smugly, Uta didn't like that look. Not one bit. "Wanna bet I could do it better?"
Uta laughed his head off. "You? Out-shine me?"
"Well, I am a merpony. We are famous for our enchanting voices."
"Humor me then, little fish mare." Uta folded his massive arms. "Show me what you got."
Nori cleared her throat and, after a brief moment of silence, her voice came out. Just like Uta's, it was clear as the sunniest day in summer, and her vocalizing was both high, yet calm and serene. It made one feel both empowered as well as content. Nori closed her eyes, pouring her entire heart into the vocalizing, which was like magic all around the cave. The spirits all stared in awe at how much control she had over her voice. Even Uta, though reluctantly, knew this girl was indeed talented.
Once she was done, Nori opened her eyes, looking quite pleased with her example. Uta, on the other hand, growled and slammed his massive hand onto a nearby rock, causing it to crack. "You think you can come into my cave and steal my spotlight? Girl, you ain't got nothing on me!"
"If you're so confident everyone here loves your singing so much, how's about we settle it with a bet?"
Uta arched an eyebrow. "A bet?"
"Nori, what are you doing?!" Iris exclaimed. What was she thinking?
"A sing off. If I win, you let me, my friends and all of these spirits go. If you win, you get to keep them… an us."
"WHAT?!"
"Do we have a deal?" Nori extended her hand, eagerly awaiting for Uta to take her up on her offer.
"No! No deal!" Mai exclaimed, "Nori, don't you dare--Oh, no, she did." she face palmed herself when Uta shook her small hand with his claw.
"Very well, little merpony. Now don't you worry, I'll even move you kids up to the presidential sweet once I win."
Nori bowed in respect. "Please, do amaze us with your talents, Sir." she said. She then gave the others a wink, which was enough to at least put Iris at ease. The merpony was a lot of things, but dumb was not one of them.
"Alright then, get ready to eat your words, child. Because I'm about to blow this house down!" Uta tapped on some crystals hovering above the cave, which changed its texture, creating an opal-like affect and lights danced on the surface of the cave walls, making the waterfalls shimmer. Nori watched, unimpressed as Uta began his performance.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! What d'ya call that voice, little girl? That a baritone or a tenor? Oh, I don't care! It's not on par with me!"
I'll make music forever
I'll make that sweet harmony
Oh, no one can match my music, baby
I'll take the "do"
I’ll take the "re"
You better hang on to me!
Ha ha ha!
As his bombastic, yet powerful voice filled the cave, he danced around, wiping his tail to where the kids had to duck in cover once it zoomed right over their heads, had they not done so it would have undoubtedly ripped their heads clean off of their shoulders.
Uta sang to his "audience", the caged spirits, all of which nodded and smiled fearfully in agreement to his lyrics.
All those birds of a feather
Always looking for the right key
Oh, I'll make music forever, baby
'Cause only music makes a man free!
Gonna make a beautiful song
Sing all day long!
Gonna let that natural beat
Move your feet!
When the music’s deep down in me
There’s nothing that I can do
But believe
Oh, believe!
"I hate to admit it, but he's good." Mai said, wiggling her finger into her ear. "Loud and bombastic, but good."
"Yeah, but Nori's got the voice to beat." Chi said with complete confidence.
Iris bit her bottom lip while tugging on her father's scarf. "I hope you know what you're doing, Nori."
Nori, meanwhile, was examining Uta's performance, nodding her head and smiling the more he carried out the song.
There ain't nothing like singing
And my voice is the size that fits all
Oh, I'll make music forever, baby
Lift my voice and you'll hear it, sister!
I'll make music forever, baby
And we’ll always be friends!
Oh, I'll make music forever, baby
I'll make sweet harmony
Oh I'll make- this is for you mama!
Oh, I'll make sweet harmony
I'll make music forever
I'll make sweet harmony
Oh, I'll make music forever, baby
I'll make sweet harmony
Oh ho ho!
I'll make music forever, baby
And ever, and ever, and ever
Baby!
Uta held long on the last high note for a long time before finally ending his performance with a bow. He wiped his brow and sighed in satisfaction.
"Tell me, little angelfish, can you beat that?"
Nori let out a sigh. "No. I don't I can." she said, startling the others.
Uta gave a smug scoff. "Thought so. But, don't you worry sweetie pie, I'll clean up the presidential suit real nice for--"
"I said I don't think I can beat that." Nori interrupted, casually walking closer to him. "I never said I forfeit."
Uta cocked his head in confusion. "What kind of game you playing here, girl?"
"No game. I can never deliver the same performance as you just did, but I still hold true the fact that my performance will leave you speechless."
"I highly doubt it, but it'd be impolite if I didn't allow the lady her turn." Uta bowed his head, handing her the stage. For now.
Nori then nodded to Iris to walk up to her. Iris complied and the merpony whispered into her ear. "Join in once I give the signal."
Iris's eyes blinked then smiled in realization. "Fifth period choir?" she whispered back.
"Fifth period choir."
Iris nodded and hurried back to the others, whispering what Nori had just told her. All worries from before had been completely tossed aside. Gallant rushed to the sloth family. "It's okay. You'll be out of here before you know it."
"Come on girl, I don't got all day. I am a busy gator."
Nori cleared her throat before singing in the most beautiful, clear voice the caged spirits had ever heard, vocalizing softly but with an equal amount of heart. It was as if the words reflected how she was feeling.
Nori:
Think of your fellow man…
(pause)
Lend him a helping hand…
(pause)
Put a little love in your heart….
She nodded to Hiro and Chi, who started harmonizing softly and in perfect sync. Uta arced an eyebrow at this, while Nori continued singing, followed by snapping her fingers to create a new rhythm.
You see, it's getting late
Oh, please don't hesitate
Put a little love in your heart
Mai and Gallant harmonized next, followed by Iris and Akari shortly after, all while snapping their fingers to Nori's singing. Uta was still confused by this performance and Crystal was too cause where she came from, singing wasn't really a thing.
And the world
Will be a better place
And the world
Will be a better place for you
Iris, Akari, Gallant, Chi, Hiro, Mai:
For you
Nori:
And me
Iris, Akari, Gallant, Chi, Hiro, Mai:
And me
Nori:
You just wait
Iris, Akari, Gallant, Chi, Hiro, Mai:
Just wait
Nori:
And seeeeeeeeeee!
Yeaaaaaaaah!
Nori's voice rose in volume, yet remained as stable and sweet as her own voice. The rhythm soon caught on to the other spirits, who were now genuinely smiling, enjoying a live performance for the first time since they arrived here.
Uta:
"What's going on here? What are you doing?"
Nori:
"You never said I had to sing solo."
Uta:
"But then what's the point of singing if you can't be the star?"
Nori
"See, now that's where your performance falls flat, Uta."
Another day goes by
And still the children cry
Iris, Akari, Gallant, Chi, Hiro, Mai, Nori:
Put a little love in your heart
As they sang, Nori addressed to the other caged spirits, who genuinely enjoyed her song, and were smiling smiles Uta had not seen in a long time. They had always smiled during his private concerts, but this was different somehow. Something about the merpony singing alongside her friends, for some reason, not only made her voice sound good, but that of her friends and well.
Nori:
If you want the world to know
Just let the music grow
Iris, Akari, Gallant, Chi, Hiro, Mai, Nori:
Put a little love in your heart
Nori:
And the world
Iris, Akari, Gallant, Chi, Hiro, Mai:
And the world
Nori:
Will be a better place
And the world
Iris, Akari, Gallant, Chi, Hiro, Mai:
And the world
Nori:
Will be a better place for you
Iris, Akari, Gallant, Chi, Hiro, Mai:
For you
Nori:
And me
Iris, Akari, Gallant, Chi, Hiro, Mai, Nori:
You just wait
And see
Wait and see
Oh!
Uta was speechless to see all of his so fellow spirits dancing to the beat of the music, while Nori and her friends broke out into the most harmonious dancing he had ever seen. It was like they all shared the same brain. Every movement, improvised or not, was in perfect sync and almost expected. He had never seen anything like it before. Nori then started splashing onto the shallow ends of the waters, clapping her hands to the other spirits.
Nori:
"Come on, everybody! Let me hear ya!"
Caged spirits:
Think of your fellow man
Nori:
"That's right!"
Caged spirits:
Lend him a helping hand
Caged spirits and kids:
Put a little love in your heart
You see, it's getting late
Oh, please don't hesitate
Put a little love in your heart
Nori:
"Iris, show us those chops, girl!"
Iris didn't hesitate to stand on a nearby rock, in between two cages with a couple of brightly colored bird-like spirits, harmonizing to the princess's powerful vocals.
Iris:
If you want the world to know
We won't let hatred grow
No, no, oh!
Put a little love in your heart
Caged Spirits:
Put a little love in your heart
Iris:
Yeah, put a little love
Like her mother, she blew them all away with the strength of her voice. Uta thought Nori would be upset that there was someone else with a voice that nearly rivaled her own, yet the merpony was happy for Iris showing off her voice. Heck, she was the one who encouraged it.
He even saw Hiro, Gallant and Chi doing more dancing, alongside the spirits in the cages. They never danced to his music before. Uta was just downright confused, and frightened. He had to get his audience back. He opened his mouth and rudely threw himself into the song.
Uta:
Oh! I'll make music forever, baby!
I'll make sweet harmony!
Nori:
"No, no, no. Not just you, everybody."
Uta:
"But, they all love my singing. That's why they came here in the first place."
Nori:
"Yes, they came for your voice, but they stayed because you forced them to. You want them to constantly praise your talents. But listen to them now."
Caged Spirits and kids:
Another day goes by, and still the children cry
Put a little love in your heart
If you want the world to know, we won't let hatred grow
Put a little love in your heart.
The entire grotto came to life with happy singing and dancing. There was no one star, but millions of them. He never knew his home could look more beautiful than it already did. Maybe, he had been busy listening to himself too much to even listen to how unhappy his supposed "friends" had been this whole time.
Uta:
"Huh… I didn't know they could sing that good. It's… it's actually kind of nice."
Nori:
"Exactly! This is what your performance was missing."
Take a good look around
And hear that gleeful sound
Everyone:
Put a little love in your heart
Nori:
Your voice will only grow
Once you have learned to show
Everyone:
To put a little love in your heart
Nori:
Oh, oh, yeah, yeah!
You can shine as bright
Just got to share that light!
Everyone:
Put a little love in your heart
Nori:
And the world will be a better place
Everyone:
And the world will be a better place
For you
(For you)
And me
(And me)
You just wait
(kust wait)
And seeeeeeeeeeeee!!
"Yeah!" finally taking the words of the song to heart, Uta began unlocking the cages of the other spirits, letting them to roam free inside the grotto. They cheered, they laughed, they hugged and celebrated their freedom.
"That's what I'm talkin' about! Come on, everybody! All together now!" Uta took Nori into his large hand, where they snag together along with everybody else. Flying spirits soared all across in a synchronized dance, while those on land performed alongside the children, each demonstrating their own individual movements.
Everybody:
Put a little love in your heart!
Uta:
Each and everyday!
Everybody:
Put a little love in your heart!
Nori:
See, there's always a better way!
Everybody:
Put a little love in your heart!
Nori:
I think it's time you start to
Everybody:
Put a little love in your
Heeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaart!
Everybody clapped and cheered, not only because they enjoyed the song, but also because the spirits were finally free. Uta gave the merpony still sitting on his large palm an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry to all of ya. All I wanted was to have folks listen to my music."
Nori affectionately rubbed the tip of his nose. "A wise pony once told me, it's not bad to know you're good at something, but if you only use it to get what you want, then it's a wasted talent. Your music is a gift, and like any gift, it should be shared. Because when you share it, you can make others be a star too. That's how friends are made."
"So, I shine… when I make others shine?"
"Now you're getting it."
"I never thought of it that way." Uta then turned to all the other spirits. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to hurt, ya'll. I just thought, since you liked my singing before, then you wanted to listen forever. But, I guess I only liked showing off and I didn't think about how you all felt. If I had known singing with all of you was this much fun I would have done it sooner. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
For a moment, the spirits were all silent, until the little sloth from earlier walked up to Uta and smiled while hugging the ends of his tail. "We forgive you, Uta."
The large gator shed a tear and carefully ruffled the little sloth's hair with his claw. The rest of the spirits all cheered, showcasing that they did forgive Uta.
"So, do you promise never to cage anymore spirits ever again?" Iris asked.
"You have my word, princess." Uta smiled and bowed his head at Nori. "Thank you."
Nori bowed as well, and then kissed Uta's nose. He blushed and chuckled before gently lowering her down back to her friends. The others wasted no time in ambushing the merpony in a tight group hug.
"Nori, that was amazing!" Akari squealed.
"I never doubted you for a second!" Chi said, happily punching the side of Nori's arm, followed by Mai who hugged her tightly.
"Thank you for not letting us die!"
"Girl, you are my heroooooo! " Hiro said, practically howling, reminiscent of his father back in his old pro-bending days. That earned him and headbutt by Mist and Spark. "Everyone's a CRITIC!" he cried in annoyance. The Zippleback laughed at his response.
"Is there anything else I can do for you kids, don't hesitate to ask." Uta said generously.
"Actually, Uta, we kind of lost our way." Iris explained. "We're trying to get to the Dark Realm."
At the mention of the name, all of the spirits, Uta included, reeled back, gasping in terror. "T-T-T-T-T-T-The Dark Realm?! Why would ya'll ever wanna go there?! Don't you know only the worst of the worst live there?"
"I know it's dangerous, but you see…" Iris hesitated to explain before gaining the courage. "The Elements of Harmony and more of our friends have been taken. We don't know by who, or why but we know they're being held in the Dark Realm. We have to get there."
"Princess, you realize that a journey like this is suicide, right?"
"Well, my mother has been through worse."
Uta rubbed his massive chin. He didn't feel right sending these nice kids out on a quest like this, but then again, they probably wouldn't have come this far otherwise if it wasn't important. Plus, if the Avatar's daughter says it's important, then who was he to disagree?
"You make a good point. You absolutely sure you wanna do this?"
Iris was about to nod her head but first turned to her friends. She smiled in relief once they all nodded their heads and Iris nodded hers. "Yes."
"Alright, then." Uta allowed them all to climb onto his large hands and lifted them up towards one of the many waterfalls of the cave. He pointed with his massive claw towards a cave behind the sparkling waters. "Just go down this tunnel and you'll reach the other side of the forest. Go right by the big stripped oak tree and keep going straight until you spot the gateway. You won't miss it."
Nori gave him a curtsy. "Thank you for your help, Uta. You guys keep on singing." she and the others waved farewell as they marched on down the tunnel, while Uta and his new friends waved farewell.
"So long, kids. Good luck!" he then turned to the others and smiled, "Come on, ya'll! Let's make music together!"
Nori smiled upon hearing everyone singing in sweet harmony, and Iris wrapped one arm around her shoulder. "Rarity and your father would be very proud." she said. Nori blushed at the compliment. She wasn't even thinking about it at the time, she was simply trying to help Uta see the error of his ways. That he should instead share his voice with others in a way that motivates them to sing along, not to hog it all for himself.
It might have taken up a bit of their time, but it was worth it.
A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Chapter 7: Trials of the Forest
Using their tails, Ali, Mika and San cleared the pathway of the massive spirit forest to for the others. Asami held the map, with Bolin close to her side, P'Li, Zaheer and Kuvira kept watch for anything that could potentially harm them, while Sunset Shimmer struggled to keep at the same paste. She really hoped her small illness wouldn't make her a burden on the others. She would have told them she had been slightly ill, but she knew if she remained in the city while her husband and sister-in-law were in the Dark Realm, she knew she would only get worse. She brushed it off and continued on.
"How much father now?" Kuvira asked, catching up to Asami, who stopped in her tracks to show Kuvira the map.
"If we continue going down this route we should arrive at a stripes tree. Could take us at least two more hours."
One of the spirit siblings, San, sniffed the air. Something caught his attention. Something close by and very familiar. He lowered his nose down to the ground and follows the scent towards a green bush. Pushing the leafs aside his eyes widened as he picked up something from the ground.
"Guys, look what I found." Ali approached her brother, taking into her hand a light brown, almost tan colored feather with purple and pink tips. "That's one of Iris's feathers. She's been through here."
"And I found these dragon footprints." San added, pointing to the vivid prints of the dragons.
"Good, which means we're on the right track." Bolin said, making his way forward, only to get pulled back by Mika by the tail. He let out a surprised yelp. "Hey! What gives?"
Without a word, Mika picked up a nearby rock and threw it into a small little hill of grass. At first nothing happened, to which Bolin arched an eyebrow at. His expression quickly changed into one of pure terror, complete with dropped jaw, when the ground rose up and snapped shut before sinking back down.
Bolin blinked before speaking. "Whoa! What was that?!"
"A Devour." Mika said, whipping her hands clean. "This forest is crawling with them. If you see anything pretty, don't touch. Got it?"
"Got it."
The group continued on for a few more feet, but that was when Sunset Shimmer was starting to experience the consequences about keeping her illness to herself. She groaned lowly while rubbing her forehead, feeling it warmer than usual. Her vision became blurry, shapes and forms becoming distorted and colors blended in such a way she couldn't tell where they began and where they ended. Even her friends looked either taller or shorter in comparison. Her legs felt like who chopsticks trying to balance a bowl of noodles while her head as thumbing louder than Pinkie Pie's party cannon.
Finally, she could stand no more and fell to her knees on the ground. She heard Kuvira's voice call out her name but she couldn't look up. Once she did, Kuvira was right above her before crunching down to inspect the disoriented anthro unicorn.
"Sunset, are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah. I'm just…" before she could lie any further, Sunset felt her stomach turn and something rising up to her throat. Her eyes widened and her vision somewhat cleared up. She covered her mouth to which was a futile attempt since she winded up vomiting right on a bush right beside her from where she had fallen. Kuvira and the others cringed in disgust, but at the same time stared with a mixture of confusion and worry.
Sunset made horrid sounds as more and more chances came spewing out of her mouth. She was thankful the bush covered her face so none of her friends would see the vomit, which even made herself sick. Or at least, sicker than she already was.
Once she was finished, Sunset whipped her mouth with her long black sleeve. It may have been unsanitary, and she knew that, but she didn't have anything else to whip her mouth with, and she was more than certain her friends would understand.
"Okay, maybe not so fine." Asami hunched down and placed her hand right beneath Sunset's horn. "Sunny, you're warm."
"Let's get out of this forest and find a place where she can get some rest." Zaheer suggested. "It's gonna get dark soon."
"How can you tell?" P'Li asked. No more than a second passed and a small, gentle fleck of snow fell down in front of her. She caught the frozen little spec in her hand before more and more just like it began to fall as well. Everyone looked up to see that, while the sky still resembled daytime, the soft snow was still falling.
"When it's becoming nightfall in the human world, it snows on this side of the spirit world."
One speck landed on Bolin's nose, which he casually whipped off. "Huh. Doesn't feel cold."
"Well, it's not normal snow, and it won't cover up the place. It's just one of the little things that makes the spirit world so unpredictable."
"At least it's not dark snow." Asami said, shuddering at the memory of when she had unleashed a dark winter curse on the three worlds when possessed by NightMara.
"No." Sunset shook her head as she struggled to get back up, but her feet failed her. Kuvira quickly caught her and Sunset leaned on the earthbender for support. "We have to keep moving. The kids are way ahead of us. They'll no doubt get to the Dark Realm by the time we catch on to them."
"But you can't keep going on like this."
"Kuvira's right." said P'Li, tugging on her bag. "I have some herbs in here. I can make a tonic to help with your nausea."
"Let's get out of this forest first." Asami said, "Last thing we need is some plant monster having us for dinner."
Sunset tried to protest, but her vision became blurry once again and she tumbled. Kuvira wrapped one of her arms around her shoulder. "It's okay, we've got you."
P'Li generously assisted the unicorn along with Kuvira. The spirit siblings led the group to a cave, different from the one the children had entered. It was the best place to set up camp for the night. Sunset Shimmer leaned against the cold cave wall, while P'Li worked on creating the medicine for her ailing friend. Kuvira sat close by, whipping Sunset's forehead with a cold wet rag.
Asami and Bolin pulled out the noodles they had packed and started the fire to cook the meal. Zaheer watched over the entrance until the spirit children returned.
"We scouted the entire perimeter. We should be fine." Ali said, and Zaheer nodded in reply.
San's nostrils caught whiff of the meal being made, and his mouth started to water "Mmm! Noodles and steamed broccoli! I'm starving!" He flew right over to grab one of the cans of noodles and started devouring it, without even using chopsticks. Kuvira wet the rag once more and whipped the hot sweat from Sunset's brow. "How you feeling?"
"Could be better." Sunset muttered with evidence annoyance.
"Don't worry." P'Li said while mashing some spices and pouring them into the liquid. "Once you drink this and get a good night's sleep we should be--"
"Sleep?" Sunset snapped. "Who said anything about sleeping? I thought were just going to eat something and then go and find the kids."
"Sunset, you're in no condition to continue on like this. You need to rest."
"P'Li's right, Sunset." Bolin said. "Look, I'm just as worried about the kids too, but there is no way we're risking loosing anybody else."
Sunset groaned. "I'm sorry. I'm just scared about Nova and Chi, and everybody."
"We all are, Sunset." Ali said. "We all are. Even with those dragons by their side."
"We'll leave once the snow has cleared at dawn." Zaheer said, seeing more of the snow falling gently onto the ground as the sky slowly transcended into a tranquil aquamarine color. He looked over his shoulder at Sunset and gave a gentle smile. "I promise."
Asami crunched down beside Sunset and gently removed some hair from her wet face. "Get some sleep, okay?" she said, adding a little extra emotion to the word "okay". Sunset Shimmer nodded, this time being genuine rather than stubborn. She wasn't just worried, but she hated feeling like she couldn't do anything to help, what was worse, she didn't like feeling as if she were dragging the team down.
"Besides, I wouldn't be too worried for those kids." P'Li said. "They're very resourceful. Especially that spunky little wisp."
Sunset gave a light chuckle. "I know. But, when you care about someone, it can't be helped sometimes."
"Aint that the truth." Asami said. At the mention of this, Zaheer gave the heiress a saddened look. He didn't say anything about the topic, mainly because he didn't know what else to say that wasn't already obvious enough. He had nearly torn their family apart long ago, and this time he was determined to help bring them back together.
"Okay. Take a sip." P'Li handed Sunset the cup and the unicorn jugged it down. She cringed and sucked in her lips, shuddering at the taste.
"Ugh, it's sour!"
"That means it's working. Just lay back and relax."
"Can I have some noodles?"
"Of course."
"With sauce?"
"Yes." Kuvira nodded.
"And maybe those steam buns Bolin packed? Five or six, maybe?"
Kuvira chuckled. "Whatever you like."
Sunset Shimmer got exactly what she asked for and devoured the noodles. She didn't even realize how hungry she was. Already she could feel her strength returning. The sounds of crackling wood merged with the sweet serene sounds of the spirit crickets while the white gentle snow falling gently from the sky gave off a warm and cozy atmosphere. Kuvira and P'Li share some casual small talk with Ali and Mika while Zaheer peacefully ate in silence, listening to the sounds around him, taking in this moment of peace amongst them.
Bolin played a bit with his food, tapping the noodles with his chopsticks. Asami swallowed the food she was eating and noticed her husband's blank expression. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. This whole thing just reminds me of when we took the kids camping."
"Was that the time where you accidentally ate a caterpillar when it landed on your sandwich or the time you fell in poison oak?"
"I didn't eat a caterpillar."
"Oh, right, that was Mai." Asami paused for a moment before she and Bolin both couldn't help but snicker at the memory. "Oh, the poor sweetheart was terrified."
"Since then she never ate another sandwich again." Bolin said in between laughs.
Asami placed a hand over her heart, recalling one precious memory from their trip. "Oh, and then Hiro used one for a mustache to try and cheer her up."
"At first I thought he was making fun of her, but then she started laughing when he said; "See? Caterpillars like me too!" Bolin placed his index finger under his nose, which made his wife laugh even harder. He always knew how to make her laugh when she needed it.
"Speaking of caterpillars, remember we dressed up like a monster worm for NightMare Nights that one time?" Ali said.
"Oh, yeah! We tried to do the old jump scare on mom and dad ha, ha!…" San's joyful expression quickly shifted to one of regret. "Then Iris almost crushed up with her bare hands."
"Served us right for trying to scare a five-year-old human alicorn hybrid." Mika said while rubbing her back. "I can still feel her tiny little grip."
Sunset, feeling a billion times better, laughed out loud. "Ha, ha! Remember that one year where Chi tried to be the one woman haunted house during the city fair? She got so much candy that night she was puking up gumdrops and candy corn for months afterwards. Nova had to call in a plumber to fix the toilet after it got clogged."
The entire cave echoed with the sound of the adults and spirit siblings laughing. It was the first time, throughout this entire trip, where they could actually relax and relive some happy moments of the past. Not only did it lift up their spirits, but reminded them of why they made the choice of coming here to begin with.
P'Li's laughter slowly died down, but her smile remained. "You guys have some very special kids."
"Yeah." Bolin smiled, though his smile quickly morphed into a frown. "I wish our parents could have met them."
Asami gently gripped his hand, resting her head on his shoulder. "Me too."
"I know they would be very proud." Zaheer said empathetically.
Kuvira listened quietly, chewing her food before swallowing. "Kuvira, you've been awfully quiet." Mika said, noticing the earthbender's sudden silence. She was happily chatting before, but now she was as quiet as a rock. Even when everyone was laughing, she looked as if she had been holding back a bit.
"It's fine." she said, her voice low and somewhat timid. It was almost extremely hard to imagine this was the same confident and tough-as-nails dictator from the past.
"Oh. We're sorry." Bolin apologized. "Here we are talking about families and--"
"I didn't have any?" Kuvira finished for him, to which Bolin quickly covered up his mouth. To his surprise, and slight relief, Kuvira only gave a very, very light chuckle, added with a very slipshod attempt at added smile. "Well, that's not entirely true. Su did raise me, and I always admired her greatly. But, as much as I loved the idea of her being a mother to me, I just could never fully wrap my head around it…"
Everyone ceased their eating and listened attentively as the earthbender opened up. Her eyes becoming buffy. "I loved Su and her family." she confessed. "But I allowed my own insecurities to grow and I eventually became the dictator the world would know me as. I wanted so badly to make sure that nobody would go through what I did and make the Earth Kingdom better." she whipped her tears with the back of her wrist. "But, I winded up doing the exact opposite."
Sunset Shimmer scooted closer and wrapped her arms around Kuvira, who rested her head on her shoulder. "That's all in the past Kuvira. Nobody sees you that way anymore."
Kuvira sat upright, her voice cracking. "I know. I just wish it didn't take..." she gave Sunset, Zaheer and P'Li a look. All of them solemnly nodded, remembering what it took to get the people of the Earth Federation to forgive her, and how Kuvira had to make a serious emotional sacrifice for her true family.
"Well, it wasn't all bad." Bolin said, smiling her way. "Before you allowed yourself to get involved with the sirens you helped improve the earth kingdom a lot. Queen Hou Ting used to speak so fondly of you and Korra trusted you with her life."
"I know she did, and I betrayed that trust." Kuvira allowed one more tear to roll down her eyes before emitting a sight of content relief, her eyes closed as she sucked in her own lips. "But you're right. That's not who I am anymore. I never imagined I would be given a second chance to redeem myself. I truly am grateful to all of you."
Zaheer smiled as well, his own eyes becoming buffy. "You know, Iroh the first once said; Those that seem threatening in the dark, become welcome once you shine a light on them."
"What does that mean?" San asked.
"An enemy is just a friend you haven't made yet." P'Li explained, "I was talking to my students about it a few weeks back."
Bolin took one good look at everyone surrounding the fire, the dancing flames making their already smiling faces radiate with a sense of joy he never grew tired of seeing. It was the same kind of contentment his brother had found long ago, as did Korra, Asami, Twilight, and everybody who had ever felt they had lost everything.
"Man, it still amazes me." he said, slapping his knee. "I mean, Mako and me started out as poor orphans, and Asami you lived a lifelong lie with your dad."
"What about Zaheer and P'Li?" Asami pointed her thumb to the two. "When we met them they were part of a group who wanted to plunge the world into eternal chaos and tried to kill Korra with mercury poisoning."
"Sunset once turned into a daemon and Kuvira was turned into an evil siren monster." Bolin gestured to the unicorn, who only rose her hand while giving a humorous smile, as if saying 'Yeah, that's me' before lowering it back down. "Now look at us. Asami and I are happily married with two beautiful kids and the company's never been better off. Sunset's a part of Team Avatar and married to Nova, who coincidentally also had to wrestle his own darkness."
"Kuvira's now one of the most well known and respected officials to the Earth Federation." Asami continued, smiling at Kuvira, which she returned. "P'Li's a teacher, and Zaheer is now a member of the White Lotus."
"And we found a family." Ali said.
"You're a police officer, I'm a pro-bending coach, Mika's dating Spike." San said.
"We've all come a long way." said Zaheer. "I never thought it would be possible."
"With the Magic of Friendship, anything is possible." Sunset Shimmer said.
"And now with the kids, that legacy is going to carry on." Kuvira said before taking another bite of her noodles, her hunger returning.
"They'll probably go on more adventures." Bolin said, already picturing it in his mind. "Travel across Equestria."
"Face new enemies, make new friends." Asami continued. As wonderful as they sounded out loud, they knew from personal experience that not everything will be all rainbows and improvised musical numbers. "It's a little scary." she said, her voice lowering in tone.
Sunset nodded in agreement. "Scary, yes. But, then again… when haven't we felt scared?"
Silence filled the cave again, but it was silence in which everyone knew that, because of their lack of words, they all agreed on Sunset's words. They have been scared. They've seen their most beloved family members at their best and worst. But, if there was anything they had learned from their experiences, as well as from both the Alicorn's teachings, is that while darkness thrives in the void…. it will always succumb to the purity of the light.
Zaheer, having finished his noodles, placed the now empty can beside him. "We should all get some sleep."
Everyone nodded in agreement and prepared for bed. Sunset Shimmer changed into her pony form and put out the fire. She curled up next to Kuvira who wrapped themselves in a blanket. The spirit siblings all curled up together, as they did when they were younger, to keep themselves warm, while P'Li curled up in her sleeping bag, opposite from Zaheer. The two exchanged smiles before closing their eyes.
Bolin and Asami cuddled together. Asami rested her head on his chest, while he wrapped his arm around her waist, using his extra one as a pillow. The two kept their eyes open, looking out at the falling snow. Memories of winter nights in the city flooded their minds. Family dinners during Heart's Warming, the kids playing with their presents, singing carols and in some cases, making harmless fun of Asami's terrible cooking skills. She giggled at the memory.
"You know Korra and Mako are probably gonna kill us once they find out we let her daughter run off into the spirit world, right?" Bolin said, though judging by the tone of his voice, Asami knew he was just trying to lighten the mood. Deep down, he was terrified for not only the kids, but for everyone.
"We'll get them back." Asami said, snuggling closer. "All of them. We've all been through worse."
"I know. As happy as our lives have gotten, being separated is always hard to deal with."
"But we always find our way back to each other. Just have faith in that." Asami kissed her husband full on the lips. "I love you."
"I love you too."
It was late into the night, and finally the kids decided to start camp. Akari and Gallant focused on the materials they had found and using their magic, were able to create a perfect little shack made out of twigs, leafs and vines to serve as shelter for the night. Winter and the dragons gathered branches and leaves for Crystals' shelter which she incredibly made into a large tent with the branches serving at the form and she sewed the leaves together to make a protective sheet overtop. "And dad said Moms' sewing lesson wouldn't come in handy." she said to herself with a smirk.
"Not to shabby." Gallant said, pridefully admiring his and Akari's worked
"Great job, Gallant."
"Thanks. You were pretty good yourself." his words made Akari blush. She knew her heart skipped a beat and for a moment her mouth ran dry. All she managed to do was nod her head in gratitude. The nerves were getting to Gallant too while he scratched the back of his neck and Akari went back to setting the fireplace, using the remaining twigs and sticks that were left behind while building the shelter.
Gallant whipped his head around when a pebble hit the back of his head. He narrowed his eyes at Hiro, who was making bizarre hand gestures. Gallant shook his head, his brows furrowed.
"What?" he whispered. Hiro made even more weird hand gestures, no doubt trying to send him a signal. He pointed back to Gallant then at Akari several times while using both hands as mouths talking to one another before clapping them together. Gallant only scoffed at his efforts until his geo-phone vibrated and he read the text from Hiro.
-ASK HER NOW, YOU IDIOT!!-it read, added with a small picture of Hiro right beside it. In all honesty, Gallant did pick up on what Hiro was trying to tell him, but he was hesitant to follow his friend's advice. He was just about to text back, but Hiro beat him to it.
-Don't say it's a bad time. Quit stalling! If you don't do it, I will-
"Hey, Akari!" Hiro called out, getting her attention, "Gallant wants--MPH!" Hiro's mouth was magically covered up by one of Gallant's spell, keeping him from uttering another word.
Akari simply shrugged it off as the boys just being silly again. Gallant blushed at his impulsive action, only to immediately rethink it when Akari got back up.
"I'm gonna go get more firewood."
"Akari?" Gallant spoke, catching both of them off guard. His body froze when Akari stopped to face him.
"Yeah?"
"I…" his brain ran wild trying to think of something to say. Thankfully, the perfect topic came to mind. "I never got to thank you for what you did. You know, back in the cave."
"Oh, that? It was no big deal." Akari said, shyly placing a strand of her dark blue hair over her pony ear.
"No big deal? You helped me walk all the way inside a dark enclosed cave."
"All I did was hold your hand and told you to close your eyes."
"Funny thing. With my eyes closed it didn't feel so small. When I focused on listening to your voice I…" he paused, worried he was being too forward. Thankfully, Akari gently nodded her head, urging him to continue. "I… was able to do it." the alicorn princess blushed and a smile started to form across her lips. "You're a really great friend, Akari."
He was confused when the growing smile suddenly morphed into some form of a frown. "Y-Yeah… friend. You too." she gave a light nervous chuckle and playfully punched his arm. Normally, she did it so hard it nearly bruised him but this punch was light, almost hesitant with not much effort put into it. "I'll just… go get that wood."
Akari turned away and headed off, leaving a confused Gallant behind. Iris and Mai saw her leave and followed. Hiro walked up from behind him. Gallant sighed and with a glow of his horn removed the cover up from Hiro's mouth.
"You were this close!" Hiro practically screamed into his ear, causing Gallant to flinch. "You just had to drop the "friend" card, did you?"
"What? It's true, she is a great friend."
"Dude, when you tell a girl she's a "friend" that often means she's stuck in the friend zone."
"Oh, come on! I'm sure she didn't-- I mean, she knows I…uh…" Gallant dropped his arms and face palmed himself. "I'm an idiot."
Hiro wrapped his arm around his friend in an effort to comfort him. "There, there, buddy… admitting it is the first step."
Gallant shot Hiro a death glare right before covering his mouth again and walking off. Hiro muffled something underneath the cover up, to which he was glad no one could hear.
Akari found a long, sturdy thick old tree branch that had fallen to the ground. From what she could tell, it was sturdy as if it were still new and attached to the tree… which she effortlessly snapped like a twig while gritting her teeth.
"I don't want to hear it." she said, dropping the now useless tree branch. Iris and Mai stood right behind her, completely unfazed by the scene.
"If it helps, you're a billion times better at talking to boys than I am." Mai said as she assisted Akari in picking up some good firewood.
"You heard him. He only sees me as a friend."
"Then why was he blushing the entire time?" Iris said with a cheeky grin. Akari looked at her with eyes that carried a mixture of confusion and interest. "Look, sometimes when a guy is envois they say things without thinking them through. My dad used to do it all the time with my mom."
"Same with my dad." Mai said, "Besides, we all know how flustered Gallant can be when put on the spot. Believe me, it happens." Mai said, already carrying a large pile of firewood over her shoulder without even flinching.
"Yeah, I mean, you remember what a mess Mai was in front of Iroh's nephew." Iris said. Both she and Akari flinched when Mai dropped all the firewood she had been carrying.
"What?! How did-when did--" Mai stammered before growling. "Hiro told you, didn't he?"
"He didn't have to." Iris said, "We already saw you drooling over him at the party."
"I wasn't drooling!"
Iris then took Akari's hands into her own. "Listen Akari, just because Gallant called you a friend doesn't mean he doesn't like you like you. My parents always say; a romance is just a friendship taken to the next level."
"Iris is right." Mai said, picking the firewood she had dropped earlier. "I mean, if the Queen of Friendship says it then it's worth listening to."
Akari laughed at Mai's sarcastic whip and smiled. "Thanks you guys."
"Feel better?" Iris asked.
"A little. I'll be fine. Besides, we've got more important things to worry about." Akari and Iris turned to get more firewood, only to find the ground swept clan of any remaining logs, twigs or branches. Their eyes partly widened in surprise at seeing Mai literally carrying a full body of wood over her shoulder, rivaling her slim stature.
Mai shrugged. "What?"
With the fire set, and the shelter prepared, the kids shared the food they had packed, which included some delicious fruits, vegetables and some noodles. Nori looked up into the sky, admiring its new aquamarine color as the soft snow fell all around them. "It's the sky beautiful? Feels like I'm back under the sea." her smile shifted into a frown. "I wonder how my dad's doing."
"Have you tried texting him?" Mai asked, tapping her noodles with her chopsticks.
"I did, but apparently there's no cell phone service in this part of the spirit world." Nori said, pulling her geo-phone out from her pocket and frowned. "And the battery ran out. Of course."
Crystal ate her noodles while her dragons ate some of berries around the campsite. She was thinking to herself. All of her friends had bending powers while she only had her dragons friends. Besides them, she didn't have anything. She would be defenseless without her dragons. She had a small feeling that she needed something else by her side, something other than her dragons.
Iris swallowed her noodles as she stared into the fire, admiring its dancing flames. A child's laughter echoed in her mind as images started to form within the fire as the spirit snow fell down, merging with the red and orange colors.
Do it again, Momy!….
……………………
"Do it again!"
"Okay, okay, take it easy. We need to be very careful with this, alright?"
Four-year-old Iris beamed as she watched her mother create a dazzling flame on her palm before willing it to change from orange, red and yellow to white and blue. It seamlessly transitions into a cloud which then began to rain in little specks of snow that sprinkled Iris's hair. Korra then merged the cloud into a sparkly snowball, specks of snow and magical sparks spiraled all around before bursting it into the air, creating a dazzling display or gold and white specks to fall all around little Iris.
She danced happily, trying to catch the specks of magic into her hands, which disappeared upon touch. "Your magic is so beautiful, Momy." said the little child. Korra picked her up and placed her on her lap. "How come benders can't do stuff with fire like you do?"
"Well, my magic is different compared to that of normal benders, sweetie."
"But, isn't bending a form of magic?"
"Yes, in a way. Just as earth ponies have their own form of magic, so does everybody. Just because you can't cast a spell doesn't mean you don't have it inside of you."
"Do non-benders have magic to?"
"Especially non-benders. Look at your Aunt Asami. Or Uncle Varrick and Aunt Zhu Li. They don't have bending, and neither do a lot of our friends, and yet look at all the amazing stuff they can do."
"So, it's like their special talents, right? Even if they don't have a cutie mark like ponies do, it still counts?"
"Exactly! You're one smart cookie." Korra began showering her little princess with kisses, making her giggle.
"Can you teach me how to do what you did?" Iris asked.
Korra's chest filled with regret. "I'm afraid you need both alicorn magic and bending in order to do that trick, honey."
"I have alicorn magic. Can I have bending too?"
"Maybe when you're older. Sometimes bending powers show up later in life. But, if you'd like, I can teach you a cool trick without needing bending."
"Really? Yay!"
The door opened and Mako walked in. "Hey, there are my girls."
"Daddy!" Iris flew up to hug her father. Mako spun his daughter around before kissing her cheek. "Mom's gonna teach me a new magic trick!"
"Oh, is she now?" Mako gave his wife a suspicious look. "Maybe you can keep the silverware in tact this time."
"Ah, come on! It was one time, let it go."
"Yeah, Dad. Let it go." Iris said, trying to mimic her mother's sass, added with the adorable pout. She was the spitting image of her mother whenever she did that.
Mako mimicked the same pout to tease his daughter. "No, I don't wanna." he said, speaking in a whinny voice. "I just got home, I don't wanna let you go."
Iris and Mako started laughing when he placed her over his shoulder and he ran across the room, with Iris riding on him as if he were Naga. Korra laughed sat the tender moment, while Naga herself was wagging her tail.
"Faster, Daddy! Faster!" Iris cheered. Mako then surprised Korra by wrapping his arm around her and spun her around, with Iris still on his shoulders. Using her wings, Iris flew down into their arms, the family laughed all through the night.
……………….
"Iris!"
The young Avatar gasped when Akari called her name.
"You okay? You spaced out for a moment."
"Sorry, I was just…" Iris couldn't stop thinking about that memory. As loving as it was, there was something that kept bugging her. She was the Avatar now, which meant she needed to master her bending powers. Here she was, traveling the spirit world with her best friends, all with new powers, and she barely used hers. All she did was waterbend twice, in which each time it was to save a life. Yet, she couldn't master it by herself without using the Avatar State. If they were going to have any hope of saving her family, then she would need to bring her A game.
Iris stood up from where she sat, tugging on her hair. "I've had enough!"
"Hey, I know the noodles are a bit salty but I'd hardly call it terrible." Hiro said with his mouth full before slurping the noodles into his mouth, much to the disgust of Nori.
"No, I mea." Iris groaned impatiently. "If we're going to have any chance at saving our parents, then we need to be ready for whatever is going to be thrown at us. Which means, I have to master these elements."
The rest of the camp became silent. Akari was the first one to penetrate it. "But Iris, learning the four elements takes a long time to master. It took you years to know as many spells as you do now."
"Exactly! So, if I just look at bending the same way as mastering a spell, then maybe I can at least know the bascis. I don't expect to be a true master in one night, but I have to know something."
Hiro placed his nodded beside him and whipped his hands clean. "Well, when ya put it that way, I don't see why not." he stood up from where he sat and rubbed his gloved hands together, ready to work. "So, what should we start with first?" he asked. Iris opened her mouth, only for Hiro to immediately silence her. "Stop! That's not even a question. Obviously, we start with earth. The strongest of all the elements."
"All elements are equally powerful, Hiro." Mai stated
Nori rolled her eyes and scoffed. "If anything, Iris should learn water first. She already has the speed and agility down pegged, and her mother is from the Water Tribe."
"With that logic, she should learn firebending first too since her father is Fire Nation descent." Mai said.
"Can I make a suggestion?" Gallant rose his hand, and all eyes fell on him. "Maybe she should learn either waterbending or airbending right now since they're the safest options."
"Of course, Gallant Steed always playing the safe card." Nori said, once again, rolling her eyes.
"I'm just trying to make sure she doesn't burn down the forest or cause an earthquake that disturbs any spirits around here.
"Okay, enough!" Chi silenced everyone by hovering a few feet higher than all of them and then slowly descended back down beside Iris. "I think we can all agree that Iris needs to at least learn a few tricks when it comes to bending. Besides, I had to save two of you from a giant man-eating spirit plant, call me crazy but being cautious might be a good idea."
Gallant nodded in gratitude. "Thank you, Bubbles."
"Of course, that doesn't mean you can't take a few small risks."
Gallant pouted. "Knew it was too good to be true."
"Look, I don't care how many elements I learn, I'm fine with even learning just one." Iris said, "I just want to be prepared."
Akari sighed and rested her elbow on Iris's shoulder. "Okay, sis. If that's how you want it…"
(Parody of Chillin like a Villain from Descendants 2)
Akari:
Let me tell you something you can really trust
Everybody's got a power inside
And if you think that you could never move like us
Watch and learn so you can get it right
And so began Iris's first official bending lesson, her friends gave their advice on what to do first.
Hiro, Mai, Gallant, Nori:
You need to stomp your feet
You need to clear your head
You need to lean back
Don't slip through the cracks
You need to take charge
Nori: You feeling supercharged?
Hiro, Mai, Gallant, Nori:
With just a little bit of help
Akari:
You'll find the best in yourself
You wanna be cool
Let us show you how
Need to learn the rules
We can show you how
And once you catch this feelin'
Yeah, once you catch this feelin'
You'll be movin', movin'
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Akari, Hiro, Mai, Gallant, Nori:
Movin' like a Bender
(Movin')
Movin' like a Bender
(Movin')
Movin' like a Bender
(Hey!)
Movin' like
Movin' like
(Hey!)
A Bender
First, Mai and Akari offered to teach Iris how to take on a normal firebending stance. She mimicked their postured to a T, but when it came to throwing a fire punch, rather than fire, what came out of Iris's fist was a blast of sparkly purple/pink magic, breaking a nearby tree branch.
Iris quickly covered her mouth in shock and embarrassment. Mai patted her on the back and she and Akari proceeded to get her to try again.
Mai:
Magic spells, well yeah, we know you're used to that
Let us teach you how to mix it up
Iris took in a deep breath and tried to bend again, this time she focused on her thrive and emotions. Channeling her desire for fire fuel her system. But, when she tried, all that came out was a simple flame. Seeing her distraught, Mai ruffled her hair.
Mai:
You're gonna slip, you're gonna fall, you're gonna loose
But don't you fret, it's all part of the quest
By the looks of it, Iris was already getting frustrated. She knew, logically, he would not be a master, but the truth of the situation was making her patience run thin. Plus, she had always wanted to know what bending was like, now that she could she didn't want to waste time to get it right.
The rest of her friends offered their encouragement.
Nori, Hiro, Gallant, Akari:
You need to watch your back
You need to stand your ground
You need to slide real smooth
Don't make a sound
'Cause if you wanna make it
Sometimes you're gonna have to break it
But if you care about your health
Akari:
Trust me, you'll find the best in yourself
Akari took Iris's hand into her own, creating a small blue fire in her palm, and encouraged Iris to do the same. Nothing came out. Never the less, everyone gathered around her.
Akari:
You wanna be cool
Let us show you how
Need to learn the rules
We can show you how
And once you catch this feelin'
Yeah, once you catch this feelin'
You'll be movin', movin'
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Akari, Hiro, Mai, Gallant, Nori:
Movin' like a Bender
(Movin')
Movin' like a Bender
(Movin')
Movin' like
Iris:
I don't wanna sound distraught
And I'm giving it my best shot
But it's way harder than I thought
Chi:
It's not different from the magic you've been taught
Akari:
She's right, Iris that's your key
Now show us what a bender you can be
Iris:
Like this?
With a snap of her fingers, Iris focused on both the fire, and her magic as one thing rather than two separate powers. Once she had that mind set, she was able to change a small magical spark into legitimate natural fire. She tried the same procedure again, and again, before finally punching fire into the sky before it exploded into a patch of sparkly golden flakes.
Akari:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
Iris:
Oh, yeah, I think I got this
Let's go, I'm ready to rock this
And I wanna thank you for your help
I think I found the best in myself
Iris hugged her friends and proceeded to learn more about her newfound powers. Or rather, another side to her powers. She just had to be reminded that her alicorn magic and her bending were one in the same. Now, she was ready to learn the rest.
Everybody:
You wanna be cool
Let us show you how
Need to learn the rules
We can show you how
And once you catch this feelin'
Yeah, once you catch this feelin'
You'll be movin', movin'
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Movin' like a Bender
(Movin')
Movin' like a Bender
(Movin')
Movin' like a Bender
(Movin')
Movin' like a Bender
(Movin')
Movin' like a Bender
Chi did an air flip, pounding her fist into the air. "Alright, kid! You've got it!"
"Yes!" Iris too jumped up in victory. "That was incredible! I never knew firebending could feel so epic! No wonder fire's my mom's favorite element. So, what's next?"
Mai jumped in front of Iris, gripping her shoulders, gently shaking her. "Whoa, who, whoa, put on the breaks there, girl. You still haven't learned the real basics on firebending."
"Yeah, that was just a warm up." Akari said.
Iris, while still excited, managed to somehow will herself to tone it down a notch. "Oh… well, let's keep at it then." she pounded her fists together and let out a loud, "Whoohoo!" flapping her wings, ready to continue her training.
Mai whispered to Akari. "I think we just unleashed the beast." the alicorn simply nodded in agreement, but couldn't help smiling at seeing her best friend so excited. This was probably the first time in this entire trip where she was actually joyous about anything.
Sunset Shimmer quietly walked away from the slumbering Kuvira, careful not to wake her and slowly approached the cans of noodles they had eaten. A few of them still remained, and even late at night they still smelled good to her. Using her horn, she heated the noodles and ate outside. She had gained a sudden urge to eat something, yet didn't dwell on it too much. Her growling stomach had won over her free will.
"Can't sleep, huh?"
Sunset jolted, the noodles still in her mouth, levitating the chopsticks with her magic. Asami leaned against the opening of the cave, arms folded and covered in a long jacket.
"I was just a little hungry." Sunset said, making sure to keep her voice low as to not wake anyone else up.
"It's okay." Asami sat beside the pony, who continued eating the noodles. "Why didn't you tell us you were sick?"
"I'm not sick, okay."
"Could have fooled me when you puked on that bush hours ago."
Sunset sighed, lowering her noodles. "Fine. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to stay home knowing that my family is in danger out there. I know it was irresponsible of me, but I wasn't feeling this bad before. And if I go back now, I'll only get worse because I'll never stop worrying. And now I'm slowing you guys down."
Asami affectionately petted Sunset's mane. "I think I can help you with this."
"How?" Sunset asked. All Asami did was smile empathetically.
Iris's nose twitched when something soft and delicate brushed off the surface of her skin. Her eyes fluttered open to see a familiar white and blue colored butterfly before it flew off. Rubbing her sleepy eyes Iris felt a sudden change in the wind. The fire was out, and the shack remained exactly where it was. Beside her, Akari, in her pony form, slept on her back, her back leg twitching like that of a dog and small droplets of drool dripped from her open mouth, snoring lightly.
The sky was yellow once again, the snow had stopped falling and Iris looked at her geo-phone, which was running now on battery, yet had enough for her to see the time. It was almost noon. She gasped and sprung up from her sleeping bag and gently shook Akari away with her foot before proceeding to wake everyone else up.
"Akari! Guys! Come on, we have to…" Iris pushed a large leaf from her way, only to see that the entire scenery had changed drastically. Rather than more forest and the abnormal sky coloring, what she saw was the downtown of her home, complete with the spirit vines and urban buildings. The sky was its natural clear blue color, complete with the same soft clouds that looked like white cotton candy. Even the air smelled the same, right down to the sound of whooshing cars in the far background and soothing music being sung by the little spirits.
"Harmony City? I'm… I'm home?" Iris traced her hand over the tree beside her. She gasped in confusion and stepped back in horror to see that the tree had begun to shrivel up, turning into nothing but sooth, being blown away by the strong winds that started to pick up. Iris's friends were all absent and a pair of familiar voices crying out in the far distance, yet she could hear them crystal clear.
"Iris!"
"Mom?"
"Iris!"
"Dad?"
The same black sooth that had killed the tree began to spread, turning into a massive black cloud of smoke. It grew into a storm, complete with roaring thunder and green colored lightning. It covered the skies, devouring everything in sight. The sounds of the city had disappeared, overlapped by the roaring sound of the darkness that spread faster than any mere pegasus could. Not even the Wonderbolts could fight against this monstrosity of nature.
"Iris!"
The same voices continued to call out their daughter's name until the two figures ran out of the spirit wilds, looking terrified, and from the looks of it, worn from battle. Iris tried to move, but her feet were suddenly cemented to the ground by a pair of black brambles with sickly green thorns. The couple held one another, the man shielding his wife as the storm engulfed them both. All Iris could do was watch helplessly.
"NO!" Tears ran down her cheeks as she outstretched her arm to reach them, but it was already too late. The two had disappeared, their cries echoing before merging seamlessly with the roaring thunder. "MOM! DAD!" Iris reeled back when thorns began sprouting upwards from the ground, surrounding her in a garden of sickly plants. Snarls and howls were heard and a gray colored fog surrounded the area. The same changeling wolf creature from before appeared, along with more of its kind. Their green eyes stared into Iris's soul, her heart pounding hard against her chest. In a frenzy of tearful rage, Iris attempted to blast at them, but no magic nor fire came out of her hand.
A wicked laughter was heard all around her and a large shadow, with cat-like green eyes towered over her, while more of the black brambles wrapped around her wrists. Iris fought to break free, feeling as if her wrists were bleeding.
"Who are you? Where are my parents?!" she demanded to know. The shadow only cackled, clearly taunting the child in a slithery female voice.
"Say goodbye to your parents, Princess. You will never be able to defeat me."
"You can never save your family! You can never save anyone! After all, what can one little Avatar like you do? Go. Run on back home, in your safe little palace, where you belong."
"IRIS!!!"
…..……………..
"Wake up, already!"
Iris felt Akari's strong grip shaking her shoulders roughly like a maniac. Iris's eyes bursted open and she shoved Akari away from her, panting as if she had just ran a ten mile marathon.
"What's the big idea?"
"You were talking in your sleep." Akari replied.
"Yeah, you kept saying stuff like, "Darkness", "Changelings", "Shadow", "Help". We tried waking you up, but you were seriously deep under. Almost like you were dead." Hiro said, earning a slap in the chest, curtesy of Nori.
Iris shook her head, rubbing her temples before getting up. "Sorry. I guess I was just having a weird dream."
Both Akari and Chi shared the same concerned expressions. The last time she had a weird dream was during the Soarin fiasco years back. "Did you see anything?" Chi asked. "Anything… weird?"
Details from the dream were rather foggy at the moment, but what remained with her were the terrified looks in her parents eyes, the shadow taunting her and the young girl's voice crying out for help.
"Like Hiro said. I saw a shadow. The changeling wolves and, some voice crying out for help." Iris brushed it off and levitated her bag towards her. "It's probably nothing. Anyway, let's keep going."
Iris marched onward first, leaving her friends to look on in worry. Given their family's history, it was probably best not to think too lightly about the dreams an Alicorn Avatar had.
"What's the hold up? Come on!"
The team brushed it off for now and continued on their way. Unbeknownst to them, a pair of green eyes watched from above a tree, snarling in satisfaction.
"Is it yellow? Is it slimy? Is it larger than a breadbox? Smaller than a breadbox? Is it a breadbox?"
"Hiro, we're not playing that game!" Gallant groaned as they walked further into one area of the forest with thin, tall trees with branches and leafs that towered over them like buildings.
"How much more until we reach the stripped tree?" Nori asked, her ears lowered in exhaustion and her feet feeling like she was walking on hot coats. "It's been at least two hours."
"Only five more miles." Mai said, looking down at the map. "We're almost there."
"Oh, thank Neptune!" Nori groaned in relief, dragging her feet across the hard ground, feeling the tips of the small grass against the top of her foot. The group stopped abruptly when a strange echoing sound came booming through the trees. Several winged spirits flew off in a frenzy. Chi hovered beside Iris and Akari, shifting her hand into a sword.
"What was that?" Iris asked out loud. Akari held a blue colored flame in her palm, narrowing her eyes at the unseen threat. Everyone else took on a defensive stance. They gasped and flinched at the sound of a mighty roar.
A massive creature emerged from the trees and bushes. A giant dragon-fly like creature with a head resembling that of a dragon and large insect-like wings, long legs, antennas and a long tail. It roared in anger at the team. Winter and the dragons snarled while Crystal whimpered in fear.
"What is that thing?!" Nori exclaimed.
"Not sure." Akari created two blue flames on both palms. "But whatever it is, it's blocking the way!" she thrusted forward, shooting blasts at fire at the giant dragon-fly. The spirit roared in her direction, lifting up its massive dragon-like claws to smash her. Akari flew away from the beast, unleashing her blast, followed by Hiro and Mai, both using their respected bending powers to fight the creature away.
Hiro bended the earth around him, levitating the rocks from the earth and sent them flying towards the creature. Its long body allowed it to move with all the agility and swiftness of a snack, knocking Hiro away, crashing him into his sister, both of which rolled away, grunting in pain. Winter fired her plasma blast at it while Shimmer fired at it.
Nori jumped into the action, unleashing her pearled shields at the beast, one of which cut right through his side, causing it to cry out in pain.
"That's for my friends, you overgrown slug!" she exclaimed tauntingly, proudly pounding her fist in victory. The creature roared in her face--literally--causing her hair to become frizzy and droplets of saliva fell on her eye. She wiped it off, visibly disgusted and used the pearls to shield herself when the beast aimed to slap at her withs its claws.
The monster felt something tug on its tail. Mai, using her supper strength, managed to yank the beast away from her friend, throwing it all the way towards a row of trees where they all cracked and crumbled at the seems when the beast collided with them. For a moment, it would appear the beast was defeated, but it was only a minor injury, for the creature quickly got back up, flapping its insect-wings to fly. Once it was airborne, Gallant noticed that the creature was flying rather off.
Its body kept on wiggling in an unbalanced manner, its wings flapping frantically before coming for a screeching landing. Its anger flared and Chi then proceeded to use her super speed to try and subdue it. The wisp spun around the creature, continuously punching it. She then shifted her hand into a sword, but before she could strike, the beast threw her off with its tail, causing Chi to fly into the air, landing hard on the ground.
"Chi!" Iris exclaimed before jumping into action. Using the amount of knowledge she had gained from her training last night, Iris took to the skies and unleashed a powerful stream of fire at the beast, showering it in a powerful display of her firebending. The creature, however, managed to slither away with little damage. The flames just seemed to bounce right off of the surface of its body. It would appear that, true to its nature, fire had no affect on it.
None the less, both Iris and Akari proceeded to attack from above with magical blasts. The creature then rose upwards, like a snake, and swatted both girls away with its claw. The girls were thrown to the ground, groaning as the monster loomed over them.
"STOP!"
Before he could unleash the final blow, Gallant Steed blocked its path, outstretching his arm at the beast, ordering it to cease the fighting. The creature growled threateningly, but Gallant steed didn't flinch. Not even once.
"It's okay. I'm not going to fight you." Gallant said, speaking softly. The creature growled and let out another roar. "I know, I know. We're sorry for trespassing." Gallant said. Upon hearing this, the dragon-fly slowly calmed down, its roaring reducing to a mere confused growl or gurgle sound.
Gallant gestured to the creature's tail. "May I please see?" he asked. The creature, though a bit unsure, allowed Gallant to look at its tail. It had two fins on each side, to which one of them was torn, as if some other creature had taken a bite off of it.
Gallant cringed and hissed empathetically at the sight. "Ouch. That's gotta hurt." he bravely approached the injured tail, stroking his chin in thought. "Mmm. I think I can help you out here." he said. Thinking fast, Gallant pulled out some materials from his bag, as well as some leafs from nearby. Using a pen, and measuring the length and durability of the fin, Gallant got straight to work. He used the spells he had memorized from his mother's collection of spells, and gathered a piece of cloth, a few twigs and leafs. He merged the leafs onto the cloth, creating a sturdy surface, added with a blue magical cloak over it to ester durability, giving it a slight rubbery feeling, yet sturdy enough. Then, he used the twigs to help create the outlines. As he worked, the others watched in silence.
Once he was finished, the material felt exactly like the other unharmed fin, to which Gallant used his magic to attach it with a sturdy rope. "Okay, you should be all set." Gallant stepped back, wiping his hands from the remaining dirt and dust, and nodded to the uncertain dragon-fly.
"Go on ahead." the unicorn encouraged. The dragon-fly flapped its insect wings and took to the skies, flying in a straight and eloquent manner. The others stared in awe at not only the creature's beautifully graceful flying, but also at Gallant's sheer bravery and kind gesture that managed to win the day.
The dragon-fly landed before Gallant, nuzzling his face in gratitude. "You're welcome."
"How did you know about the fin?" Akari asked, visibly impressed.
"I didn't. I saw him flying really weird a moment ago and thought maybe he was just injured or something. When I spoke to him he explained everything."
"Those talking to animals powers sure do come in handy." said Hiro, playfully punching his arm.
The dragon-fly let out a grateful snarl, to which Gallant bowed in respect. "You're welcome." he said. The spirit then snarled at the others. "He's waiting for an apology."
"We're really sorry." Iris said, "And, I'm especially sorry for trying to blast you with fire."
"Me too." Akari said, her ears lowering in regret.
"And I'm sorry for pulling on your tail." Mai said.
"And for slicing you with my pearls." Nori said, her ears perking up in realization. "Oh, that reminds me!" she pulled out a bottle of water from her bag and proceeded to heal the cut she had voluntarily caused with her pearls. "I'm really sorry. Guess I got a little carried away there. No hard feelings?" she got her answer when the dragon-fly nuzzled her cheek. "Awww, you're just a big sweetie pie, aren't you?"
Iris breathed a sigh of relief. "Now that that's over, let's get to that stripped tree."
The dragon-fly let out a light groan, which Gallant translated. "He says he knows a short cut. He'd be more than happy to give us a ride."
"Uh, fly?" Nori said in alarm, taking a tentative step back. "A-As in, in the air? You know what, how's about we just keep on following Mai's map, huh? Safely on the ground? Please?"
"Don't worry, he's a great flyer." Gallant said, translating more of what the dragon-fly was saying. "Besides, this'll save us time."
Nori stubbornly folded her arms, only to get forcibly dragged by both Chi and Akari. They forced the merpony onto the dragon-fly's back, and everybody else mounted on top. Nori continued to protest.
"No, no, no, no, no, guys you know I have a terrible fear of HEEEEEEIGHTS!" Nori screamed once the dragon bird took flight. Crystal mounted Skyspike and the dragons followed it. Its body movements reminiscent of the Chinese dragon from lore. Gallant cheered with delight at the feel of the fresh wind on his face. Akari was seated right behind him, taking him off guard when she placed her hands on his shoulder, equally overjoyed by the scenery down bellow and the feeling of ridding the dragon-fly across the sky. Gallant blushed at her hands touching his shoulder, while Nori was hanging on for her dear life, gripping Hiro's jacket, her eyes shot open, her teeth chattering. She swore to not move a muscle until this was all over.
In only a few short minutes, the dragon-fly landed on a small hill, right next to a tree, gray colored with blue to purple colored stripes on its trunk. Everyone else climbed off of the dragon-fly, minus Nori who was literally frozen in place, still gripping Hiro's jacket, her nail literally piercing into it, and her eyes were now closed shut.
"Nori, you can open your eyes now." Hiro said.
The merpony slowly, and hesitantly opened up her left eye seeing the familiar green grass bellow her. She bolted right off of the dragon-fly's back and breathed a deep sigh of relief.
"Oh, thank Celestia that was short." she exasperated, then received a sweet nudge from the dragon-fly. "Nothing personally, starfish. Merponies and flying just don't mix." she explained. The dragon bird nodded his head in understanding before nuzzling against Gallant's face.
"Take care, my friend."
The dragon-fly nodded his head before taking off, unleashing a happy roar as it flew off into the distance.
"Gallant, that was incredible!" Akari said excitedly. "Score one for the Element of Kindness."
"Oh, I, uh, I didn't even think of it that way." Gallant confessed, shyly scratching the back of his neck. "It was just a happy accident, really."
"Still, thanks for jumping in back there for me and Iris." Akari said, already blushing, which in turn made Gallant blush.
"Uh, anytime."
Iris, regretfully, tapped Akari on the shoulder. "Really hate to interrupt but…" she nodded her head towards a tall, slim mountain of polished marble rock and gray colored circles swarming around the top, contrasting with the rest of the naturally blue skies and white as snow clouds. Everyone looked on with serious expressions.
"There's the entrance."
A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Chapter 8: The Dark Spirit Realm
The large mountain casted a massive shadow over the land, the kids felt as if their necks would break just by looking at it. The sky around it was light gray with matching clouds hovering above.
"So, that's the entrance to the Dark Spirit Realm, huh?" Hiro said, looking up at it like everyone else. "Doesn't look so bad."
"Wait until you see it from the inside." Iris said. "From what I've heard, it's not the ideal place where you would want to have a spirit world vacation."
"Are we seriously going to climb that thing?" Nori asked, optioning her finger at the massive rock. "It'll take us at least six more hours to--" Nori blinked when a flash of magic suddenly engulfed them and they arrived at the very top of the mounting, standing on a slat surface. Iris and Akari both folded their arms, giving her matching smug grins. "Ooooh, right. Alicorns."
The winds started to pick up and Iris looked over the horizon of the vast spirit world. They did it. They finally reached their destination. Now, was the moment of truth. Iris took in a deep breath, her hands trembled but willed her right hand to grip her father's scarf. Memories from when he would wrap it around her neck when she was cold flooded her mind. Sometimes, when she was scared, both parents would calm her with a song. Her father's soft ballads accompanied by his acoustic guitar was always enough to ease her worries.
She focused on the sound, relaxing her tense muscles. "I'm coming mom and dad. Just hang on." she whispered to herself.
"Uh, if you're gonna start singing, can you save it for after we save everyone?" Hiro said, ruining the tranquil moment. Either way, Iris was more relaxed now than she was before, now it was time to focus on the mission at hand.
She traced her hand through her long high ponytail. "Okay. This is it you guys. Are you ready?"
"Ready!" everyone nodded in agreement.
"So, not seeing an entrance." Mai said, looking around for any sign of it.
"Yes." Akari nodded her head. Her voice becoming ominously lower as she loomed over the firebender and the rest of the group. "Because it only appears after a human sacrifice…." she added an extra hissing effect at the end, while the others all blinked in bewilderment. Akari bursted out laughing. "Ha! Oh, come on! Why so serious?"
Gallant rolled his eyes and proceeded to airbend the dust away. His friends coughed and fanned the dust away, revealing a circular door beneath them. Each one carried the symbol of each Element's cutie mark. Iris nodded her head towards it. At the same time, they all placed their hands over the symbols. Hiro over the symbol of a ballon, Mai over the symbol of the Apple, Gallant over the butterfly, Nori over the diamond, Chi over the lighting bolt, Akari over the star and Iris over the heart.
The kids stepped back once the ground started to tremble and the door opened up to reveal a dark, purple glowing tunnel that looked almost like the size of a pebble from above. Hiro spit down into the tunnel, waiting to hear a splash o some kind, but it never came.
"That's a loooooooooong way down." he said into it. An echo followed shortly after.
Chi rolled up her sleeves and pulled her should length hair into a ponytail. "Well, muscle up, buttercups. Time for action! Yeah Hooooooooooooooo!!" Chi cannon balled herself into the hole, cheering loudly, which faded as she fell farther and farther down.
"I'm still falling!" her voice echoed.
"Okay. We can do this." Iris took Akari and Hiro's hands, who in turn took Gallant's, who took Nori's, and Akari took Mai's free hand.
"Go!"
The children all jumped into the tunnel at the exact same time, the doorway closing behind them. Skyspike flew down the hole with Crystal and the other dragons following close behind. The kids screamed as they fell downwards into the darkened tunnel, which shifted from purple coloring to a bloody color. Iris adjusted herself and fell, head first with her hands outstretched as if she were diving into the ocean. Akari followed her example, while the others just screamed in terror.
Chi was closest to the bottom and emerged out first, grabbing a nearby brown colored vine, flipped herself, did an twirl into the air before landing back on her feet.
"And she sticks the landing!" Chi bowed before the imaginary crowd. "Thank you, thank you, you're too kind."
More screaming was heard and she saw the rest of her friends falling down towards her. Transforming herself into a trampoline, Hiro, Mai, Nori and Gallant all bounced right off, back on their feet, while Akari and Iris safely landed by flapping their wings.
Chi changed herself back into her blue wisp self, loosening her hair once more. "Well, that was a fun work out."
"I think I saw my whole life flash before my eyes!" Gallant exclaimed, pulling on his hair, which he then ruffled. "Man, that haircut back in fifth grade was a huge mistake."
Mai patted him on the back. "We've been telling you that for years."
"Guys…we're here."
Everyone turned their attention to Iris before shifting it towards the realm before them. The Dark Spirit Realm was a nightmare come to life. Clouds of black, brown and red swirled overhead beneath a darkened red sky. White lightning flashed overhead, and trees that resembled sickly, bony hands with dead vegetation hanging from their branches, unsure if they were about to fall off or not. Rows and rows of mountains surrounded the area, each one with a separated row of forests all wrapped up in a perfect circle, back to back, side by side. Crystal dismounted Skyspike and Winter came up to her nuzzling her with comfort.
Iris gasped when a cockroach-like creature crawled over her foot, which Akari swatted away with her tail. It landed on a nearby brown colored pond and swam off without a care.
The atmosphere was cold, matching with its dark autumn-like coloring. Sounds of screeching and howling were heard from all areas.
"Your mom seriously made all of this?" Nori asked in astonished disbelief.
"Not exactly." Iris replied. "This place was always here, my mom and the others just converted it to be more like a prison."
"Tartarus 2.0." Chi concluded.
"Why are those forests positioned like that?" Gallant asked, pointing at the trees that formed a perfect circle.
"Think of them as individual jail cells." Iris said. "Each one is a smaller pocket dimension where they place criminal spirits depending on their crimes. It's kind of like the district rings back in the old days of Ba Sing Sea. These are of the lower rings."
"What are these guys in for?" Chi asked, hearing the sounds of agonized screeching from afar. The sound made her cringe.
"More common crimes, like theft, attempted murder, destruction of public property with no regards to the safety of anyone within a hundred yards, that kind of stuff." Iris turned her attention towards her younger cousin. "So, which way do we go?"
"Uh. I think we may have a problem." Mai gently shook her geo-slate, moving it around in hopes of getting better results. The image was static, unclear and fuzzy. She slapped on the side, but nothing worked. She couldn't even access the system preferences or any other feature on there. It was as if it were frozen on the same distorted screen.
"The electromagnetic pull of this place is interfering with my geo-slate. I can't get a good reading on their location!"
Nori waved her arms, "Oh great, so we're lost now?" she said, only to suddenly feel her cutie mark glowing. Hiro looked at his arm, the same symbol from before manifested. The same happened to Mai and Chi's arms, while Gallant, Iris, and Akari's cutie marks started to glow.
A strange, yet familiar sensation stirred inside their chests, and what sounded like music echoed in their ears. Iris closed her eyes and, as if by instinct, she pressed her hand onto the surface of a nearby tree trunk. In her mind, she saw a pathway of gold, outstretching all the way across the Dark Realm, bypassing several forests and dark spirits, including one cave, going downwards underground until it reached a green glowing opening, where Iris saw an image of her mother's face, eyes closed and a green aura surrounding her.
She gasped once she opened her eyes and quickly removed her hand from the tree. The rest of her friends looked just as stunned as she was.
"Did… did you guys see what I just saw?"
"We know where they are!" Akari said with a wide grin. "Great job, Iris!"
Iris gave a light, shy chuckle and looked at the path before them. "Come on."
It didn't seem possible that a place filled with, literally, dark energy, couldn't possibly get any creepier, or unsettling. But this land managed to find a way. The children continued on the pathway they saw in their shared vision. No doubt the energy of the older Elements were calling out to them, which only reassured them that Korra and the others were indeed in this place. Hopefully, they were in better shape than they were in.
Chi kept her arm as a sword, hovering around her friends in a protective manner, her eyes and ears open at all times. Mai and Nori only cringed and shuddered in disgust at the many small abnormalities the realm had to offer. One strange little feature was a black rock with purple glowing markings on its surface. Nori was entranced by the illuminating aura and patterns but her opinion quickly shifted and she yelped in repulse as she stepped back, gripping Mai's arm as the rock suddenly grew arm-like legs and started crawling away, with two hands wiggling like worms. The merpony felt as if she would vomit, but covered her mouth and willed herself to composure.
"Gesh, makes ya wonder why Pinkie Pie hasn't done anything to lighten up the joint." Hiro said, though not so much as shuddering in disgust at whatever it was he saw, although one disturbing looking frog-like creature with long eyeballs did make him feel as though he would pee his pants on the spot before walking quickly past it, trying not to look back. It was so horrifying to look at, and yet he was somewhat tempted to turn his head once more. Thankfully, he didn't.
"I stand corrected."
They walked by a row of enclosed forests, where they heard echos of various voices. Some animalistic, while others sounded more human. Their voices were muffled, but managed to slip a few audible known words here and there. Some of which the children knew that if their parents ever caught them saying they would undoubtedly get their mouths washed with soap… literally.
"Everyone, keep your eyes open. There's no telling what could pop up." Akari said, her fists clenched and judging by the fire in her bright blue eyes, the alicorn princess was prepared for anything that came their way.
"Yeah, because we haven't had enough unwelcome surprises already." Nori said sarcastically.
"Wait!" Iris abruptly stopped, extending her arm to stop her friends from going any further while her eyes looked around the area. "Do you guys hear that?"
The team kept quiet, catching the faint sound of humming, which quickly escalated to the sound of rapidly flapping wings, followed by faint growls and hissing.
"Oh, no." Gallant muttered, "Not again."
The group looked up to see tall, scary hand-like trees, where five changeling wolves hunched over, hissing at them, while their wings flapped rapidly. The wolves charged at the children, which rather than run, their first instinct was to fight. Chi used her supper speed to zoom around the changelings, kicking and punching them in the faces and stomach. Akari and Iris unleashed their fire at the changeling wolves, while Hiro bended the earth around him, hurling the rocks at the wolves. They flew out of the way, avoiding the hit and charged at him, only to get blocked when Nori stepped in with her pearl shields.
Seeing her using her powers gave Hiro an idea as he looked down at his gloved hands. Levitating more rocks from the ground, he gripped them with his now ungloved hand and threw them at the changelings. The stones all exploded, which knocked the changelings down one by one.
Bending water from a nearby stream, Nori froze the changelings in place. "Come on! It won't hold them for much longer!"
The team ran off away from the changeling wolves as fast as they could, going through one area of the dark realm that was shrouded with long, dark colored vines, twigs and branches. Chi and Akari used their respected swords (or sword hand in Chi's case) to slice their way through.
With each vine they sliced, they began to take life and started wrapping themselves around their wrists, waists and legs. Hiro couldn't reach for any rocks and even their fire proved useless. It only angered the vines and before long, each of the kids were enwrapped in the dark vines.
Everything became black until they were suddenly, and completely unexplained, were freed. No longer were they in the forest, but in some kind of deep abyss. The opening was right above their heads, when all of a sudden the opening suddenly grew and enclosed them. The dragons and Crystal leaped off the ground with Crystal landing on Winter.
Before they could ask any questions, various other openings around their stone prison opened and black liquid tar began pouring out, filling the floor with it. Iris and Akari attempted to fly up towards the now enclosed opening, only to realize their feet were trapped in the tar. When they shot their magic it was too far to reach the tall top.
More and more tar kept spilling out, filling the room with the kids still trapped inside. They screamed and desperately tried to break free, but their magic didn't have any affect. Shimmer tried his fire but it didn't have any affect either.
Mai kept on blasting fire, but the flame just evaporated into nothing. "Our powers aren't working!"
"If we don't get out of here we'll be buried in tar and rock!" Akari exclaimed in horror.
Mai tried pulling her legs out, only to realizes something….
"We're not sinking." Mai said, more to herself in surprise. When the room was filling with tar, while it prevented the kids from escaping, they were rising up along with the tar. Looking up at the opening, she could see that it was made out of rock and wood apparently. Given it was the spirit world, anything was possible.
Mai's amber eyes widened as an idea formed in her mind. "Crystal! Tell Winter to blast at those openings where the tar is coming from!"
"Are you crazy?!" Iris shouted. "That'll fill this place up faster!"
"That's what I'm counting on."
"Did the tar get into your brain too?" Hiro said, keeping his arms up as the tar kept lifting them all up.
"Guys, you have to trust me on this. I promise we'll be alright."
"How can you be sure?"
"Iris, do you trust me?"
"I--"
"Do you trust me?" Mai repeated. Iris briefly closed her eyes shut before nodding her head. "Then blast those openings! All of em!"
"Right." Crystal said. "Winter." The Light Fury blasted at the opening, causing the tar to rise even faster than before to the point where they were almost sky rocketing towards the surface. No doubt they would get crushed upon impact.
Mai clenched her fists tightly and, at just the right moment, she threw the mightiest punch she had ever thrown directly at the opening. With her supper strength, it broke apart like it was nothing, and with the tar being used as somewhat like an elevator, the kids were out in the open, alive and in one piece. Spotting a tree branch nearby, Mai pulled onto it and yanked herself out of the tar, then knocked the tree itself down, helping the others out of it by using the tree trunk as a bridge and using her strength to yank them all out in one piece.
Their cloths were covered in the disgusting much, but at least they were all alive and well. They all panted, not so much from exhaustion, but from the suspenseful experience. Iris turned to Mai, who wiped the tar off of her older cousin's hair.
"See? I would never lie to you guys." Mai was surpassed when Iris hugged her tightly.
"Great job, Mai."
"No problem… uh, Iris… you're getting tar all over my shirt."
"Oops, sorry."
Of course, that didn't stop the rest of the group from hugging Mai. "Okay, I love you guys too. But seriously, this stuff reeks."
After cleaning themselves off of the tar, the kids carried forward to their next destination. Once again, they found themselves in a forest, though not in one of the prison ones. The ground continued to make squishing sounds with every step they took. Thankfully, the majority of them wore sneakers and or boots, while Chi simply floated above it all. As if Nori didn't already regret wearing flat shoes on this trip. The dragons feet made it easy for them to walk through the forest, but Winter put Crystal on her back. Big sister instinct.
"Whoever it was that took Rarity and the others must really hold a grudge to keep them in a place like this." she said, looking at the muddy remands under her shoes. She stuck out her tongue in disgust.
"And we still have no idea who it is." Akari said, pushing aside a random tree branch in her path. "Seriously, half of any potential villain on our list of suspects is either dead or reformed."
"Maybe it's somebody new." Hiro suggested.
Iris remained quiet. Her mind replaying the scenes from her dream the previous night. That large shadow looming over her, eyes piercing green that looked as if they stared directly into Iris's frightened teenage mind, the very idea send a shiver up and down her spine. Her laughter taunted her, her fists clenching around the strap of her backpack. Sudddenly, she had a vision. It was about Crystal but something was different. She had large wings and a tail and she looked like Winter?
"Iris!"
"You're zoning our again." Akari said with deep concern, having stopped right in front of Iris, placing both hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah...yeah... I just saw Crystal with wings." Iris answered.
"Wings?!" Her friends exclaimed.
"I had wings? How?" Crystal asked.
"I don't know." Iris answered. "It was all a bit fuzzy."
"Do you think it was a vision?" Akari asked.
"Vision?"
"Your mom would often have premonitions in the form of dreams. Sometimes, simultaneously with her prophesies."
"You mean those times where Aunt Korra will go into this trance-like stare and say those vague rhymes that predict the future?" Hiro questioned.
"Exactly! Maybe you have the same power!"
"You did see visions of Ronin back when you were a kid, remember?" Chi said, placing a hand on Iris's shoulder.
"I guess." Iris shrugged. "Honestly, a lot of the dream stuff that happened during the whole Ronin thing is kind of blurry. I was only seven when it happened."
"What else did you see?" Gallant asked curiously.
"Well, I remember seeing Crystal staring at me... with wings spread out and looking like Winter for some reason."
Hiro then snapped his fingers, "Hey! What if you meditate? You know, work some of that Avatar mumbo jumbo stuff and maybe one of the past Avatars can help you."
"It doesn't work like that anymore. Now, the Avatars just show up when they're needed, or when my mom asks."
"So, try that." Hiro cupped his hands together, "Hey! Avatars of the past! Think you can give us a hand?"
Shimmer hissed at him. Mai quickly caught both his hands and Gallant covered his mouth. "Bro, would you please keep your voice down?" his sister said through gritted teeth. "What if one of those changeling wolves heard us? Or the dark spirits?"
Hiro removed Gallant's hand from his mouth. "Oh, relax. We're miles away from those wolves and the dark spirits are locked up tight in these forest jail thingies. As long as we stay away from them, we'll be perfectly sa--AAAHHHH!!! "
"Hiro!"
During the entire conversation, a black vine emerged from one of the forest prisons, wrapping around Hiro's ankle and dragging him into it. Gallant and Akari quickly grabbed hold of both hands, while the others helped in pulling him back. Mai used her super strength to grab the vines and rip them into two, only for the two halves to grow rapidly and wrap around her and the others, dragging them all into the forest.
The kids screamed as the vines rapidly catapulted back into the forest, stopping at what appeared to be some kind of dump with nothing but rotten fruit, dead roaches and even a few dead spirit animals, with nothing remaining but the skeletons. The dragons roared and blasted the skeletons but for some reason they came up again.
Akari screamed and scattered away, quickly gripping Iris's arm for protection. If there was anything that horrified her more, it was the skeletons of dead animals. They were just too creepy for her to look at, with their empty sockets making her shudder in disgust.
The inside of the forest looked very much like the outside, but larger in comparison. going by spirit world logic, these forest prisons were more so their own smaller pocket dimensions within the forests where a variety of criminal spirits resided.
The children stood their ground when they heard laughter coming from all sides. They created a circle around one another, shielding each other's backs. Mai, Akari and Iris ignited the fire in their hands, Hiro took an earthbending stance, Nori manifested a few of her pearl shields, Chi manifested both arms into swords and Gallant took an airbending stance.
At the sound of something rustling in the trees nearby, Gallant reacted and unleashed a whip of air directly at whoever was behind the bushes. Am incredibly loud and irritable "Ouch!" was heard.
A aviary spirit emerged, it had the head of a goose, but the long neck and body of a crane, added with black webbed feet and a long feathery tail.
"Hey! What's the big idea?!" he yelled, stepping out fully to reveal his black and white plumage. A few feathers were falling off of his tail and onto the ground. "Didn't your mother teach you that it's rude to blow away somebody's feathers? Oh great, just great! These were my favorite feathers!"
"Oh, come on, Gil! You ruined our entrance, Man!" another voice called out from the bushes. It was another animal hybrid spirit. It was a monkey with feathers sticking out of its arms, making them look more like wings, with a crown of feathers sticking out of his head. He resembled a cross between some kind of macaw and a spider monkey.
"What's the point of ambushing em if you're not gonna stick to the script?"
"Oh, well excuse me Mr. Show-and-tell if I just had my feathers blown off!"
"Whatever, they'll grow back. Quit being so dramatic." A third voice came out, revealing to be a bear-shaped spirit, complete with the paws to match, but his head resembled that of a rhino, and his body was colored gray with brown spots. He was the largest of the trio, with a more tamped voice compared to the annoyingly exaggeratedly loud voice of the crane bird.
Upon seeing the strange, yet not necessarily intimidating spirits, the kids kept their stances but stared at them in confusion. They didn't look like criminal spirits, just some guys trying, pathetically, to be seen as bad. What could they have done to get thrown in here?
"Nobody asked you, Roy!" the crane-goose, Gil, exclaimed, shoving his now fallen feathers at his face, which hardly reached him due to how tall he was. Roy didn't give much thought about it and merely rolled his eyes.
"Okay, then let's improvise. Don't worry boys, I got this! " the monkey-bird rubbed his monkey paws together, smiling evilly at the children, which only made him look more desperate than menacing. He puffed up his chest and stood tall before the children.
"Alright you trespassers! What business do you have in our lair?"
"Lair?" Akari cocked her head.
"Yes, lair!"
The kids darted their eyes at one another before looking back at the monkey-bird. "This is a prison." Iris pointed out.
"We know it's a prison!" Gil shouted, his loud voice causing them to flinch. "Oy, Zeen would you stop with the Bridleway performance already? It never worked then, it doesn't work now."
"How else are we supposed to command respect around here?" the monkey-bird, Zeen, said.
"Respect? Who's gonna respect us?"
"Uh, can I say something?" Iris rose her hand to speak. The three spirits stared at her. "Who exactly are you guys and what beef do you have with mom?"
"Don't speak, prisoner!" Zeen said dramatically while pointing a finger at her, to which she arched an eyebrow at, completely unfazed. Throughout the entire time, Hiro couldn't keep himself from snickering. He covered his mouth in hopes sustaining himself.
Iris gently removed his finger from her face. "Yeah, okay. Look, we don't want any trouble--"
"Yeah? Well too bad." Roy said, towering over the princess and sneered in her direction. "'Cause you've got trouble, little Princess. Yeah, we know who you are. Your mother was the one who locked us in here in the first place."
"And all because we were just having a little bit of fun." Zeen said, his arms dangling in disappointment.
"Fun?" Iris repeated. "Wait a second." she blinked, their faces suddenly triggering a lost memory. "I remember you three. You were the spirits who were running amok, possessing humans and turning them into hybrids."
"I thought spirits didn't have that power anymore." Mai said.
"A lot of spirits from Wan's time did, but it's become a near extinct ability by Avatar Aang's time. There are still a few out there, but it's a relatively small number."
"I remember that." Akari said, her ears lowering as she recalled the event. "Aunt Korra spent weeks healing those poor people."
"Good thing that glowing healing water trick she does and Mika's personalized spirit medicine fix that nasty side effect right up." Chi said with a snap of her finger.
"Yeah, and we winded up here after your mom took away our powers." Roy said, poking Iris on the chest.
"Just like she did to Koh!" Zeen said, trying to sound as intimidating as Roy did. He then lowered his voice and whispered to Iris like they were friends. "In case it wasn't clear, we were a part of his gang." he said before zipping away.
"She had no choice!" Iris exclaimed, clenching her fists as she spoke directly at the rhino-bear spirit with narrowed eyes. "He was stealing people's faces left and right! And what you did wasn't any better!"
Gil was leaning against some random tree, casually folding his wings over his chest. "Yeah. I remember Koh. He was pretty cool. You know, before he had his breakdown and is pretty much a shell of his former self. Now he's a loon."
"And now, we're gonna get our revenge." Roy said, pointing a threatening claw at Iris, lifting her chip up, to which she showed no visible signs of fear whatsoever. "You're gonna restore our powers, little Princess."
Iris angrily slapped his paw away, surprising even Roy himself. "I can't! It doesn't work that way! My mother can't just remove powers whenever she wants. It's only when you don't deserve to have them."
"Who is she to decide what we deserve?"
"Well, she is the Queen of Friendship. Not to mention she's got like an army of ponies and humans rallying behind her, and…." Zeen trailed off upon seeing Roy's deadpan expression.
"It was a rhetorical question, Zeen."
"Oh… well then warn me next time!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't restore your powers." Iris said. "It's your own fault for using them to hurt people! It was your own choice to wind up here!"
"Choice? Are you an idiot?" Gil said, waving his wings around in an overly dramatic manner. "Why would I choose to live in this damp, lifeless, boring old forest prison, with a brain-dead monkey and a temperamental giant with the personality of a rock? While you, and your pretty little pony friends are living in fancy apartments and or palaces, sipping tea! I'm telling ya, you have no idea what I have to put up with every single day!"
Mai pointed her thumb at Gil, "Is he always like this?" she asked Roy.
"You get used to it."
Zeen slapped his knee in laughter. "Ha, ha, ha! He called you a brain dead monkey!"
"He was talking about you, you moron!" Roy said, looking down at Zeen with flaring nostrils, his patience wearing dangerously thin.
"Hey, who you calling a moron?"
"You ! I'm calling you a moron!"
"I'm not the moron, he is!" Zeen pointed at Gil.
"Oh, it always comes back to me doesn't it? You two would be nothing without me!"
"If it weren't for us, you'd still be living with your sister and brother-in-law sleeping in their nest like a bum!" Roy stated, poking his claw at Gil's chest. While the three of them bickered, the kids, rather than feel even the slightest bit intimidated, were now trying their hardest not to burst out laughing. Compared with their funny voices, exaggerative characteristics and overall dynamic, it was hard not to find something humorous about the three.
"How is that any different than what you do all day, hairy baboon butt!" Gill yelled, his feathers buffing, followed by him making a honking sound.
"That doesn't even make any sense!" Roy exclaimed, his normally monotone voice now gaining more emotion and volume.
"You don't make any sense!" Zeen said, poking at Roy's large fur. "You-You-fat ball of pudding!"
"I'm not fat! I'm poofy! And why are you yelling at me for? You're supposed to be yelling at him!" Roy pointed his claw to Gil.
"Don't tell me who I can or can't yell at." Zeen said, poking again at Roy's squishy stomach.
"I'LL YELL AT WHOEVER I WANT AND YOU CAN'T STOP ME!! " Gil yelled at the top of his lungs, making his feathers even more ruffled, only to choke when Roy grabbed hold of his incredibly long neck, nary suffocating him. "Good grip."
Roy face palmed himself with his own paw, still holding Gil with his other one. "You're both an embarrassment to nature, you know that?"
"I'm not an embarrassment to nature you are--" Zeen stopped dead in his tracks when Roy snarled at the monkey-bird spirit, baring his teeth. Zeen slowly took a couple steps back. "Okay, okay, I'll stop now."
Out of everyone, Hiro was the first one to finally burst out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. The rest of the kids followed shortly after, each one hugging their stomachs, almost finding it difficult to breath on how hard they were laughing. Even the normally composed Mai couldn't help rolling in her back, kicking her legs up into the air. Akari and Iris leaned against one another, wiping away the tears that had formed. Chi pounded hard against the side of a tree, while Gallant covered his face against the trunk, also unable to stop himself from laughing.
Gil, Roy and Zeen stared at the children, confused and rather afraid for they had never seen this kind of reaction before. At least, not from humans and ponies. This wasn't the kind of taunting laughter they were already accustomed to from the other spirits. This was more… well, they honestly didn't know what it was. They looked almost… happy?
“Yo, are they alright?” Zeen asked, partly shielding the side of his mouth, whispering to his two companions.
“I’m not sure.” Gil replied, scratching his feathery head. “I think their faces are cracking or something, I don't know.”
“Is it contagious?" Zeen asked, cowardly hiding behind Roy.
“Hey! What's with you kids?" Roy asked.
Hiro continued to laugh, hugging his stomach and inhaling deeply while wiping away his tears. “We’re-We’re laughing!!”
“Nobody laughs at us!” Roy exclaimed in anger and annoyance.
“Actually, everybody does.” Zen said, earning a smack in the head, courtesy of Roy. The monkey-bird’s irises rolled around in his sockets like pinballs, which only made the kids laugh harder.
“Oh my Celestia! I-I can't remember the last time I laughed this hard!” Nori said between laughs.
“Stop it! It's not funny!” Roy shouted, his anger boiling, but the kid's never stopped laughing.
Gil rolled his eyes and sighed. “Oh, boy. They've cracked. They've gone nuts. Hey, maybe we'll get respect by tickling them to death!” He said, making sarcastic jazzhands to compliment his equally sarcastic tone.
“Can that work?” Zeen asked, his eyes back to normal after he had slapped his own face, a gesture that only made the kids laugh harder. One by one, the kids slowly calmed down, but continued to giggle and or chucks and snicker at the three spirits’ antics.
Roy started at the kids with a deadpan expression before sighing in defeat. He retreated to a nearby rock to mope. Hiro finally stopped laughing and looked sadly at the distraught rhino-bear. The other kids equally looked concerned and maybe even a tad guilty. Hiro was the first one to approach the rhino-bear, who huffed when Hiro came near him.
“Hey man, we didn't mean to make you feel bad.”
“It doesn't matter.” Roy said, sounding even more depressed than before. “You kids aren't wrong. We're nothing but a joke. Without our powers, what good are we?”
Hiro folded his arms and leaned against Roy’s large shoulder, to which he paid little mind to. “You know, you and your buddies are pretty hilarious.”
“Thanks for pointing out the obvious.” Roy said sarcastically before shoving Hiro off of him.
“No, I mean that in a good way. Why did you even team up with Koh in the first place?”
“Because, he's the baddest, most feared spirit in the spirit world. Or, rather he used to be. If it weren't for the Avatar we'd be living the life.”
“You know, my dad and uncle used to be part of a gang when they were kids.” Hiro said, finding some subtle similarities between the two stories.
“What is he doing?” Gil asked.
Iris only smiled. “Let's just let him talk.”
“We’re in trouble.” Mai said, face palming herself.
Hiro patted Roy in the back. “They only did it to survive in the harsh urban jungle world. My uncle found it hard to stay positive. But, my dad always manage to find a reason to perk up! Eventually, they left that gang of thugs and started off on the road to where they would eventually find the lives they always wanted.”
“Cute story kid, but what's that got to do with us?”
Zeen and Gil suddenly heard something fill the air. “Where's that music coming from?” Gil asked. To answer his question, Hiro broke out into song.
(Parody of Streets of Gold from Oliver and Company)
Hiro: Now listen up I've got something you should learn My old man learned from the street
Roy sat, while listening reluctantly to the teenage human boy’s singing. He tried covering his ears with his large paws, but his voice was somehow able to penetrate through.
Hiro :Yeah, life is tough And sometimes a downright mess You gotta earn your right to eat
Roy growled and tried to slice the boy’s face with his claw. Hiro narrowly dodged, effortlessly sliding away as if he were doing the electric slide on the dance floor, with all the smoothness and charisma he inherited from his father. Roy tried to strike again, but Hiro just kept on dodging, doing a dance move with every strike he avoided, all the while he continued to sing.
At the final swing, Hiro flipped and landed in between Gil and Zeen, wrapping his arms around them as if they were his friends, tugging on Zeen’s cheeks to make him laugh while tickling Gil, causing him to laugh.
Hiro: But when the darkness tries to get you down What did my father do? He said; I guarantee You're gonna see how the best survive We make an art out of staying alive Give a smile, smile and behold These are streets of gold
The three spirits stared at the singing boy in confusion, his friends only smiled and shrugged. They didn't even question Hiro’s methods, mainly because they knew what he was doing.
Hiro: Every friend’s laugh is a miracle of life Just go and share a joke and you're lessen all the strife Give a smile, smile and behold These are streets of gold
Hiro took Zeen by the hands and the two started to dance. At first, Zeen was into it, until Hiro picked a few pebbles nearby and, using his new powers, threw them into the air where they exploded into tiny little pieces, which didn't hurt when they fell, and in fact resembled more confetti Ethan anything else. Zeen couldn't resist laughing, only to quickly cover up his mouth when Roy sneered at him.
“Alright kid, enough! You're making a fool out of yourself!” Roy said, but was ignored when Hiro kept on singing without a care.
Hiro: Koh told you his Own ways to get ahead Now here you are in the dull and dread
“He's not wrong.” Gil said.
“Shut up!” Roy demanded.
Hiro: Maybe it's time to change the path you've set You're worth so much more than this, don't fret
“We are?” Zeen asked.
“How?” Gil asked.
“Don't ask him questions, he'll just keep going!” Roy said, trying to slice at the boy again, who, yet again, escaped his grasp with flair and, by the looks of it, with a lot of fun.
“I'm not quite following here.” Gill scratched his head. “What can we do?”
“You made me and my friends laugh.” Hiro said, “Didn't you?”
“Yeah, but we weren't trying to be funny.”
“That's because there's nothing funny about laughing at someone!” Roy said, folding his arms.
Hiro nodded in agreement. “That's true. But there's a difference between laughing at someone and making people laugh.”
“Why would we want to make people laugh?” Zeen asked.
“To make them happy!”
“I'm not happy.” Roy said bitterly.
“Were you happy before?”
“Not really.” Zeen said, this time ignoring Roy’s angry snarls. “I thought I wanted it because they said I did.”
“I was only in it for the free food and publicity.” Gil said. “I didn't even like getting into those filthy humans.” Gil shuddered. “They're so...fleshy!”
“Well, maybe possessing humans and turning them into mutants just wasn't what you were meant to do.” Hiro said.
“And you think we have a career at making snot nosed kids like you laugh?” Roy asked, more bitterly and sarcastically than anything. Hiro picked up on it, but behaved as if he didn't.
“Maybe you guys just needed the right friends to help you see what you're really made of.”
Hiro: Embrace the joy, you don't have to hide Remember we are always on your side
Hiro pulled Iris, Chi and Mai with him. The three girls danced alongside him as he sang.
Hiro: You're gonna see how the best survive We make an art out of staying alive Give a smile, smile and behold These are streets of gold
Using his earthbending, Hiro levitated fragments of the earth and, using his new powers, caused them to explode like confetti, and even grabbed a few random leafs and twigs, making funny faces with them, which Iris and the others did so as well, making Gil and Zeen stiffer with laughter. Zeen was the first to burst out laughing.
Hiro: Every friend’s laugh is a miracle of life Just go and share a joke and you're lessen all the strife Give a smile, smile and behold These are streets of gold
“Come, Gil!” Chi surprised the crane-goose by grabbing his wings, without warning and spun him around, colliding with Zeen. The two spun simultaneously before stopping with Zeen dipping Gil.
“This is awkward.” Gil said, narrowing his eyes in annoyance, to which Zeen only laughed and let his friend go. The monkey bird became inspired to dance along with the kids. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this happy. The kids cleared a path for him and Zeen started to break dance. The kids cheered on, but Gil walked in and shoved him aside.
“Ameture. Watch this.” Gil then started to riverdance, which made the kids laugh, but in all honesty, he was really good. Zeen shook his head and continued to breakdance, which eventually prompted Gil to participate and the two went freestyle. Their animated movements only made the scene all the more enjoyable. Gil and Zeen started to realize they...actually liked seeing the kids smile and cheer them on.
Both spirits forcibly pulled Roy to join in the fun. At first, the rhino bear refused to participate, but seeing as these children have lost any hopes of finding them even remotely frightening, he gave in.
“Fine. Might as well lose my dignity to.”
“How can you lose what you never had?” Gil said before he and Zeen bursted out laughing, giving each other a high five.
Roy sighed and, to everyone’s surprise… he was an incredibly good dancer. Despite his large size, Roy moved with the flexibility, speed and weightlessness of a professional dancer. Everyone watched, jaws dropped, but with smiles all around.
The three spirits rallied together and continued to dance, pulling out a few top hats and canes, tap dancing in synchronization. Zeen break danced again, Gil river danced, and for the finale, the trio did the can can, earning a round of applauds from the kids, as well as a few more laughs out of pure enjoyment. Hiro slid on over and danced with the trio, performing each do their dances until the rest of his friends joined in, doing the same wacky dances as the spirits. Even Roy was having a fun time.
Hiro: There's nothing more worthwhile than a smile filled of glee Watch how you do things, oooh, I guarantee
Everyone: You're gonna see how the best survive We make an art out of staying alive Give a smile, smile and behold These are streets of gold
Every friend’s laugh is a miracle of life Just go and share a joke and you're lessen all the strife Give a smile, smile and behold These are streets of gold Oh, oh, oh, yeah These are streets of gold!
For the big finish, Zeen and Gil leaped onto Roy’s shoulders, throwing their hats into the air. The kids all applauded for their entertaining performance.
“That was awesome!” Akari said, clapping loudly.
“Really? You mean it?” Zeen asked hopefully, clapping his hands together.
“Of course!”
“That was the best performance I've seen.” Mai said, “Pinkie Pie would be impressed.”
Hiro snapped his fingers in realization. “That's a great idea!”
“What is?” Roy asked.
“Our friends Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich are professional party ponies. I'm positive they can find a job for you guys.”
“You mean we get to do that whole song and dance thing again?” Gil said, “As a living?”
“I think that's a great idea!” Iris said, nodding in agreement with her cousin.
Zeen climbed up Roy’s shoulder, pleading, “Can we Roy? That was so much fun!”
“Yeah, I could get used to a gig like this.” Gil said, motioning to the rest of the dull and gray looking forest. “I mean, it's better than being stuck in this boring old place.”
“There's only one problem.” Roy said, “We can't leave this forest unless Avatar Korra breaks us out.”
“Wait! Are you saying there is only one way into these things?!” Nori exclaimed in terror.
“No, you kids can leave just fine, but we can't leave unless the Avatar lets us out.”
“Unless you know it.” Zeen said to Iris, who sadly shook her head.
“Sorry. I'm still mastering my Avatar powers, I don't know the jail break spell my mom needs to set you free.” The three spirits looked dejected, until Iris kindly ruffled Zeen’s feathery head. “But, I'm more than positive she'll give you guys a second chance once we get her back.”
“Back?”
“That's why we’re here.” Hiro explained to his new friends. “The Elements of Harmony and the Alicorn have been kidnapped. We don't know who did it, but we're more than sure that they're somewhere in the Dark Realm.”
“I'm afraid you kids are looking for a needle in a haystack.” Said Gil, “This place is huge!” He spread out his wings to empathize his point. “Your mom could be anywhere.”
“Actually, we have an idea as to where they are.” Akari said, “But, we have to get past Koh first.”
The three spirits gasped in horror. “Oh, man, you kids are digging up a very, very deep hole.” Zeen said.
Gil intertwined, standing between the monkey-bird and the princess. “But, um, if you do break Korra out, you'll get us out of here?”
“You have word.” Iris promised. Hiro cleared his threat to get her attention, which broke into an all out cough. He did a familiar hand gesture, to which me everyone else quickly got the gist.
“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”
“What does that mean?” Roy asked.
“It's a Pinkie Promise.” Hiro said, “And you never break a Pinkie Promise. You guys have the 100% Hiro Sato guarantee that you will be out of this joint and start your new lives!!”
“We all promise.” Gallant said. Everyone else nodded in agreement. Zeen was literally tearing up and hugged Hiro tightly.
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! We promise, we won't let you down!”
“If you kids stick with your side of the bargain.” Roy warned, looming over the kids threateningly, specifically Iris. He looked into her eyes, noticing shimmering rainbow colors. They were the same colors he heard were often seen in the eyes of the Avatar. A sense of security overwhelmed him and he slowly stepped back. He was still reluctant to believe they would come back for them, but it was clear she couldn't restore their powers, and being criminal spirits just wasn't what he wanted anymore, so… maybe it wouldn't hurt for him to hope just this once.
He sighed and motioned to one side of the forest. “Keep going in that direction. That's where Koh’s cave is.”
Hiro surprised the rhino bear with a warm hug. “Thanks, buddy.”
Roy uncomfortably patted the boy’s back before shoving him away. “Alright, alright, enough with the kissy, kissy, lovey dovey stuff already. Just go before I get a tooth ache.”
“Thanks you guys! We’ll see you soon!” Hiro gave them a salute before he and the others exited the forest, while Gil and Zeen waved farewell for now.
“Good luck! Be sure not to die!” Zeen shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Oh, and if you see a fish faced spirit named John, tell him he still owes me fifty yuans!”
“Why would you tell em that?” Gil asked, “It would actually do us no good here, we're in jail, what do we need money for? What are we gonna do, buy gum?”
Once the kids were out, Hiro laughed in once more. “I love those guys! I'm telling ya, they're skits practically write themselves!”
“Then let's go find Koh’s cave so we can keep that Pinkie Promise.” Iris said, leading her friends down the path where they would soon run into a darkened cave with a dead tree nearby.
The same cave Avatar Aang once entered to face one of the most horrifying and malevolent spirits in the entire realm.
A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Chapter 9: Koh's Foreshadow
Nothing about the home had changed since the last time Aang was there. The large, sickly and distorted thick tree trunk was still present, unchanged while the sky above them became a yellowish brown, clouds of thick mist looming overhead. The opening of a cave stood before them beneath the root of the tree. A light wind blew in their direction. Crystal had never heard of Koh but by her friends reactions, she knew he was bad news. The dragons were staying tense for any sign of danger.
“So, this is it.” Mai said, already shuddering.
“What are the chances Koh turns out to be awkwardly sweet and funny like the last three?” Nori asked hopefully, tugging into a strand of her purple/green streaked Mane.
“Slim to none.” Akari answered, somewhat bluntly.
“I thought blunt honesty was Mai’s thing.” Nori said, earning a slightly annoyed glare from Mai.
“Okay, Iris, what's the plan?” Gallant asked.
Iris tugged on her father’s scarf, taking in a deep breath before addressing to the rest of the team. “We go in."
"Could you be a little more specific?"
"This place works the same way as the forests. The caves inside are prison cells, so the spirits can't leave unless the Avatar opens the enchanted lock."
“Let me guess, your dad came up with the idea?” Chi said, placing one hand in her hip.
“No. Actually, it was Lin Beifong.” Iris said, earning a few disturbed looks from the others. "She had a lot of free time after her retirement."
“Suddenly, the evil spirit is the least terrifying thing I can think of.” Chi said.
"But what are we gonna do if Koh sees you?" Mai asked Iris.
"We could just beat him up." Hiro suggested, "I bend a few exploding rocks at em and be all; Bam! Pow! Wham! And we smooth our way right through." the young man did sound effects from his mouth, striking a few poses while doing so. Mai pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Either way, we don't have a choice." Akari said, standing next to Iris. "Getting through Koh is the only way to reach the others. Let's all just stick together and if things get hairy, be ready to fight."
The team nodded in agreement, despite the shiver going up their spines when they entered the cave. The atmosphere turned even more menacing than the outside world. The darkness took hold the further they traveled down. Iris, Akari and Mai lit the cave with fire, only for Nori to almost scream when she saw what appeared to be a hideous rock, the casting shadows giving the illusion of a distorted face.
Akari quickly covered her mouth, stopping the merpony from shrieking. No doubt she would have cause a cave-in with her ear piercing shriek.
The inside of the cave had multiple other openings, where the children heard the sound of malevolent screeching, hissing, growling and jaws snapping. The further they went, they noticed the darkness diminishing. Faint light illuminated their pathway, thanks to several of the neon crystals on the walls. Crystal went over to one of them, only to be picked up by Mist and placed on Winter.
Nori briefly stopped, entranced by the stunning stones. "Wow. These are lovely." without much control over her actions, her hand rose up to touch the rock, only to have it slapped away by Iris. "Ouch! Hey!"
"Those spirits rocks are radioactive." Iris stated. "Unless you want to get a massive burn reaching from your pinkie finger to your shoulder and then have it crumble into tiny pieces, you stay as far, far away from those things as possible."
Nori blinked twice before stepping away from the stones. "This place just keeps getting more and more charming by the minute."
"Why would a cave prison that holds the realm's most notorious evil spirit criminals have radioactive gemstones?" Gallant Steed asked, making sure to keep as far enough distance from the rocks as possible.
"They're what keep these spirits in their place." Iris said. "Ordinary prison spells weren't enough to hold these guys in, but they have a terrible fear of these rocks that are indigenous only to this part of the Spirit World. My mom enchanted the caves to keep them locked in, while the rocks make sure they don't try any funny business if they manage to break through."
"So, even if Koh does see us, he won't be able to follow us." Mai concluded. "Smart thinking there, Iris."
"So, these things can burn a spirit?" Gallant asked, feeling somewhat sympathetic at the idea of anyone getting burned and their arm literally fall right off.
"Kind of." Iris explained. "While they're not as lethal to spirits as they are to humans, but the pain is so unbearable they'd rather not take that chance. My mom might be firm, but she's not sadistic. Why else do you think she made sure these rocks to remained in this place?"
"Good thing too. Wouldn't want someone like Koh rampaging through the streets and stealing people's faces again." Akari said as they made a left turn, walking by several rocks and the radioactive stones minimized in numbers.
"Why exactly did he do that?" Hiro asked. "I thought Koh was like a hermit who didn't really bother anyone unless someone ticked him off. Or at least that's what Bumi used to say from the stories his dad told him."
"Well, someone definitely tick him off." Chi said. "His mother."
Everyone froze in place, minus Iris and Akari. "Say what now?" Hiro asked.
"Nova and I heard of that story from some grumpy old baboon once." Chi explained as they walked further along, her eyes rolling at the memory of the unlikable old timer. "It's true, Koh was more of an amoral spirit, but one day he stole the face of a friend of his mother's due to a misunderstanding. Koh, being too proud to admit his slip up, was revoked of his immortal."
"Immortal?" Hiro asked.
Gallant sighed in exasperation. "You didn't pay attention is history class, did you?"
"What? No, no, of course I did." Hiro insisted, chuckling with every other word, folding his arms, trying to act casual and confident. "Heh, yeah. Good times, good times. But, um, maybe refresh my memory a bit?"
Gallant sighed, but complied none the less. "There are three types of spirits. Immortals, like Raava, Wan-Shi Tong, Hei-Bai, Princess Yue, among others, they will continue to exist until the end of time. Out of the other spirits, they have the most important jobs that help keep our world in balance. There are Millennial spirits, who live for an unknown number of centuries, but do ultimately face death at some point. Then, there are the Mortal spirits, who's life spans are a bit shorter than Millennials, but still very much longer in comparison to that of a human. Give or take a century or two."
"Nova used to be a Millennial spirit before being healed by the Elements of Harmony." Chi said, "That's why he managed to stay alive for this long."
"And Ali, Mika and San are mortal spirits." Iris explained. "There are many creatures in Equestria that have similar life spans. Like dragons, which can live for a hundred years once they reach adulthood. Or alicorns like Leilani, Luna and Celestia who have similar life spans."
"Or like wisps--like me--who live as long as Millennial spirits do." Chi said. "But yeah, needless to say, Koh was not too happy about being demoted to Millennial, so he kind of went, um…" Chi cringed and scratched the back of her head before saying, "Completely bonkers and took out his anger on the humans, stealing their faces."
"That's when our parents swooped in and totally whooped his sorry butt!" Akari said, smiling cockily while simultaneously slicing a tall stalagmite, that was blocking their way, in half with her sword. "Korra removed his powers, and he's been locked up ever since."
"Dang. Powerful Magic Mamas don't mess around." Hiro said, absorbing all of this information, referring to not only Koh's mother, but also Iris and Akari's mothers as well.
Nori then turned her attention to Chi, "So, if you live are long as Millennial spirits do, does this mean you'll outlive most of us?"
The entire group stopped, all turning their attention to the wisp. It was a topic they were already aware of, but never dove much into it on account of they didn't want to think of such a thought. Chi knew that their saddened reactions would be inevitable, but she smiled affectionately none the less.
"Yeah." she said, despite her saddened tone, Chi still ruffled Nori's hair affectionately. "But, I've been around for seventeen hundred years. I've seen folks come and go, but I've also seen a lot of their defendants carry on. Nova might not be able to live as long as he used to anymore, but I'm happy he'll be able to grow old with Sunset Shimmer. To me, death is like the end of once chapter, before another begins. My brother Shade might be gone, but if not for him, I wouldn't even be here."
Chi said, placing her hand over her chest, manifesting her Sol, which emitted a bright, heavenly blue glow.
"His legacy will always live on, even if his body did not. To me, that's so much better than wandering the earth forever. Besides, it doesn't mean I'll never die. One day I will, I'll just get to see all of your kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, and great-great-great-great grandkids before I do. It'll be as if you guys never left. Sure, seeing loved ones come and go sounds like a bummer, but after living with Nova for all that time, I would much rather look on the bright side of it. Besides, any life where I get to stick by you guys, even long after your gone, then that's a life worth living."
As expected, tears began to form in the eyes of her friends. Iris was the first to embrace the wisp, crying into her shoulder. "We love you, Chi."
"I love you guys, too." Chi cried as well as she was welcomed in a tight embrace by all of her friends.
"Well then, we'll make every moment count." Nori said, wiping away her tears with her wrist.
"Thanks, Nori. But, how's about we make this moment count and go get the old timers back before the city goes into all out chaos." Chi suggested, making everyone disperse.
"You're one to talk." Akari said teasingly. "You're older than most of them combined."
"All the more reason for you to listen to me." Chi said, making everyone laugh, only to stop when Iris extended her arm ordering them to stop and hide behind a rock.
The group peeked over and saw a massive cave, decorated with what appeared to be a vast treasure of trinkets, old and worn objects that appeared to be wooden cabinets, stuffed dolls with various limbs and button eyes ripped off. Broken lanterns with bits and pieces of the bulbs still remaining, creating a jingling sound when they crashed onto the rocky floor. The cave itself had a row of various other objects, random and completely worthless, yet were placed in such a way it gave the impression they were more valuable than they appeared to be.
The kids quickly reeled back in when they heard what sounded like giant centipede legs crawling on the opposite side of the cave. A large shadow loomed over the entire cave, blocking out what little light came peering through the holes above.Winter bared her teeth, snarling and the other dragons did the same.
The kids remained crunched down as their eyes traveled upwards, catching a glimpse of the back of the infamous face stealer himself. Or rather, the former face stealer. His body resembled that of a giant centipede, his legs massive and long they created small punctures in the ground wherever he roamed. The surface of his shell were a dark, red color. Some areas of his shell looked chipped, and even a few of his legs looked as if they were missing. They couldn't see his face, and weren't sure if he even still had a face, but never the less, his presence in of itself was the physical embodiment of nightmare fuel. Especially for anyone who had a phobia of insects.
Added with the sound of his moving legs, they heard him humming a wordless tune to himself. His voice as low and sophisticated, merging with the tapping of his legs. He sounded content while rearranging the numerous old materials on his rocky shelves. The cave looked more like a treasure cove than anything, with a number of the radioactive rocks forming an archway over the opening.
"I don't see any openings." Akari said, her eyes scouting the cave. "There's too much junk in the way."
"Why would a former face stealer have all that stuff?" Mai questioned.
"Guess he had to try and steal something." Iris theorized, still studying Koh's movements, who continued to hum to himself while organizing his things. This didn't resemble the horrifying monster Iris had heard before in the past.
The sound of a loud yawn filled the cave, nearly shaking it. The kids huddled together, shielding one another from a few tiny pebbles that fell from above, hoping pebbles would be the only things that fell on them.
Koh began to move around, encircling his entire body and sinking his head into the center, sighing contently, followed by light breathing. Soft snoring was heard and the kids peeked over the opening, seeing that Koh had fallen asleep.
"Well, that was convenient." Hiro whispered.
"Can we leave? Can we leave? Can we leave?" Crystal whispering quickly and desperately, wanting to get out of here with her heart racing. Iris took in a deep breath and slowly walked out from behind the rock, with the rest of her friends following close behind. "Okay, now's our chance. Mai, Hiro, you guys search the left side for the opening. Gallant, Nori, you search the right, Akari, Chi and I will look on the shelves."
The team nodded in agreement before dispersing, careful not to step on anything that could awaken Koh. The gigantic spirit slept soundly as Nori and Gallant tiptoed pass him. Nori, momentarily, was distracted by how shinny the surface of his shell was that she could see her own reflection. After one quick hair flip Nori proceeded to help Gallant search for an opening somewhere.
Hiro and Mai searched the other side of the cave, carefully walking over the broken objects, tapping the cave walls with their hands. Akai, Chi and Iris flew up to the shelves, looking behind various objects but found no opening whatsoever.
After a good ten minutes, Nori, Gallant, Hiro and Mai gathered together beside some old fountain statue of what appeared to be the Painted Lady. Akair, Iris and Chi landed shortly after.
"Okay, how is anyone supposed to find anything in this dump?" Mai questioned, already growing more and more frustrated due to their lack of progress.
"Maybe Koh covered it up?" Nori asked.
"That would make no sense." Gallant said. "If nobody else would enter the cave, why would he seal up the opening?"
"Are we even sure we saw an opening?" Hiro questioned. "From what I remember, we saw Koh's cave and then some random green glowing tunnel."
Iris pondered for a moment, until her eyes widened in realization. "What if there is no opening?"
"So we came here for nothing?" Nori asked, already feeling frustrated.
"No. What if our vision wasn't telling us that there was an opening, but that we had to make our own?"
"How are we supposed to do that without Koh waking up?" Mai asked. "And how will we even know which area in the cave to start off on?"
The cave started to rumble and the sound of tapping centipede legs began to rise up from the ground.
"Uh, I think we've got bigger problems right now. Way bigger." Gallant said, his eyes widening.
Iris motioned for everyone to hide. The group managed to find a small mountain of trash to hide in. The ponies changed into their anthro forms to pick up less space. Crystal and Winter were the last to hide when Winter fell and rolled down the mountain of garbage, only to have Crystal's shirt caught in one of Koh's many large legs. "Winter!" Crystal screamed. The Light Fury heard her owners' cry just in time to see
The giant spirit circled around her, grabbing Crystal with his many legs before rocketing up into the ceiling, creating a hole on the wall. Winter flew in after him to get her little sister back. Akari flew towards the hole too, wielding her sword, only to have the opening closed shut in front of her.
"What just happened?!" Hiro exclaimed, his eyes practically bulging right out of his head.
Akari began hitting the cave with her sword, over and over again, but no trace of the spirit or Crystal and Winter remained.
"No! Crystal!"
Crystal's eyes snapped open and she catapulted upright, panting anxiously, her eyes wide and sweat dripping down her neck. Her surroundings had changed drastically. No longer was Iris surrounded by the piles and piles of old, worthless objects, but in what appeared to be some kind of enclosed cave, with old and twisted tree trunks seamlessly merging with the rocks, and little to no light, save for a few of the radioactive rocks above her, creating rays of light that cascaded down upon her.
Winter wabled and rushed over to her. "Winter." she whimpering in relief. The Light Fury cuddled against her and she hugged her dragon sister. Crystal turned back and mustered up a confident voice, despite her growing fear.
"Koh, I know you're here! Show yourself!" Crystal felt her heart leap at the sound of cackling echos.
"I must say, when I heard there was a new girl, I assumed everyone in that ignominious city had finally lost their minds. But, here you are. My dear old friend. It's been a long time."
Crystal spun around to see Koh emerging from the shadows. Winter roared at Koh, baring her teeth and her wings outstretched in a hostile manner.
Koh's face fell as he crawled around Crystal and Winter careful as to not touch the stones above him. "Oh, what a tragedy it is. Centuries ago, people cowered in my name. Now, my legacy has been scorned. Tarnished." his frown morphed into a grin as he chuckled. "But, I must give credit where credit is due." Crystal did not take her eyes of Koh as he contiuned to talk, "And I must say not everyone has a power like you do." That part shocked Crystal, "What power?"
Koh chuckled, "I'm not revealing everything to you, Crystal. But I will tell you this... The power will only be unlocked by the power of your friends. "
"Power of my friends?" Crystal repeated. "So... what are you gonna do with me?"
Koh chuckled again, "... Don't worry, I won't harm you, dear." he hissed as he got closer to the girl and the Light Fury.
Mai continued to throw random objects onto the side of the cave with her supper strength, while Hiro used his powers to create an opening with his explosions.
Mai groaned in frustration. "This is impossible! How are we supposed to find Iris now?"
"They couldn't have gotten far." Chi said, floating beside her. "Koh can't escape the cave cause of those rocks." Suddenly the opening in the ceiling opened back up again and everyone saw Winter descending down with Crystal on her back. "Winter, Crystal!" Akari cried in relief. Everyone went over to the two. "Are you alright?" Iris asked. "Koh didn't do anything to you, did he?"
"No." Crystal stated. Shimmer, Skyspike, Mist and Spark nudged Crystal. "I'm alright you guys." she reassured.
"We should get moving." Iris said, turning around and marching onwards. "We're almost there."
A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Chapter 10: Dragon Guidence
After the encounter with Koh, Iris and the group continued their way across the Dark Realm. The environment had changed from a forest to a vast desert, with abnormally colored sand with brownish green hues on the surface. The spirit winds started to pick up. It didn't feel cool or refreshing, just… a simple gust of wind that if it weren't for their cloths and hair moving they wouldn't have even known the breeze was there.
The team carried on for what felt like an hour or two. Crystal thought about how she barely showed any helpful skills in this whole journey.
Chi was the one who saved Hiro and Gallant from being eaten. Nori was the one who managed to befriend Uta, freeing the trapped spirits and themselves in the process. Gallant was the one who managed to get them to the entrance simply by kindness alone. Mai found a way to free them from the sinking tar pit. Hiro got the three spirits to change their ways, and Akari unlocked more of their Elements magic before she did.
She should be happy and proud for what they had done, but she hadn't done much of it. And even when she did, it was her dragons' strength, smarts and talent.
The sound of flapping wings and hissing were heard from all around. The children got into formation, seeing the changeling wolves appearing all around them.
"Not these guys again!" Nori exclaimed, readying her pearl shield.
"It's okay, we can take these guys." Akari reassured everyone. "It's seven against five.
Hiro blinked, seeing more and more shadows behind the five changeling wolves that surrounded them.
"Make that seven." Hiro counted, only for more and more wolves to start appearing around them, and above them, flapping their wings. "Eight. Nine. Ten. Thirteen. Nineteen!"
The hissing and flapping and snarling increased, and before long, those sounds were all the children could hear. Never had the kids seen a large pack of wolves in their lives, even animal expert Fluttershy would be astounded by such a large number of wolves.
There were twenty, twenty five at the least, and by the looks of it…. they were starving.
Akari was the first to lead, wielding her sword and charged at one of the wolves that came at her at the same time. She sliced her way through, cutting in half each of the slimy goop they spit from their mouths, using her own magic to shield herself from the incoming blasts.
Winter barreled through the changeling wolves while Mist and Spark bashed them with their heads. Shimmer blasted the wolves hard with his fire. Skyspike shot spines at the wolves, striking them down in an instant cause they were poisonous spines.
Hiro and Mai flipped away from a pouncing wolf. Mai rolled on the sand before stopping at a three point landing, punching and kicking streams of fire at the wolves, which caused them to whimper in pain at the scorching heat. One wolf leaped on top of her, followed by another, and another. The wolves whimpered in alarm when they felt their tails being grabbed and dragged around. Using her supper strength, Mai grabbed each wolf by the tail, spun around and threw them over her head across the desert. Another wolf came up form behind, only to get knocked known by a stream of sand, curtesy of Hiro.
Hiro bended rocks from the ground, and holding them in his hands, he threw them at the wolves, causing them to explode right in their faces, blinding them before proceeding to bend the sand around them to trap them underneath.
Nori leaped and dodged the incoming goop spits with her pearl shields, while Gallant Steed airbended them away with a tornado, followed by magical blasts and spells that knocked the wolves back. Using her arms as blades, Chi charged at full speed towards the wolves, slicing her arms around before stopping.
"Hey, wait a minute!" without a moment to waste, Chi changed herself back into her wolf form. "Now we're talkin'!" the now wolf wisp charged at the wolves, snapping her jaws and clawing them like a raved beast.
Pushing their argument aside, Iris joined in the fight, using a combination of her magic and firebending against the creature, which kept leaping at her, while trying to subdue her wings with their slimy goop.
Hiro was knocked down by one of the changeling wolves, who spit at his ankles, sticking him to the ground. Hiro tapped on it with his hand, but nothing happened. "Come on, come on! Why aren't you blowing up?" he exclaimed, trying desperately to make the slimy stuff explode, only to have his hand stuck to it.
His sister came in and punched the creature away, square in the nostrils. The creature rolled on the sandy ground, whimpering, but Mai's victory was short lived when that same goop wrapped around her upper torso, covering her arms and hands. She fell to the ground beside her brother, the changelings looming over them.
Akari and Gallant fought, back to back, the incoming changelings, shielding themselves from the goop. Iris swooped in, only to get knocked over by another changeling, and seeing her two cousins being dragged away.
"No!" Iris blasted at the changelings and tried to reach them, but was stopped by a few more changelings, which Chi charged at and bite right on their haunches. Iris saw the chance and tried to break the goop, but it proved to be too strong, and fire proof. She instead created a blade out of magic and sliced the stuff open, freeing the two, only for Iris to get thrown off when another changeling knocked her down, snarling before coming at her. Iris blocked it with a magical shield. Mai and Hiro tried to help her, but were blocked by even more changelings.
All around her, Crystal saw her friends try and try again and again to best the changeling wolves, but no matter how many strikes they made, they just kept on coming. Nori sent pearl shield after pearl shield, blocking every incoming attack. They were vastly outnumbered, and Iris wasn't sure how long they could be able to keep this up. Chi wasn't looking so good, getting hit and thrown around by unexpected changelings, while Gallant and Akari could barely keep their shields up, smoke emitting from their horns as a sign that they were using a huge amount of their magic, and if they didn't defeat the changelings soon, it would all be over.
A look of concern formed on Crystal’s face. Crystal couldn’t let her friends be taken away so she charged at the changeling wolves, but they swiftly dodged them and one knocked her into the abyss. “No Crystal!” Akari cried.
Winter, Skyspike, Shimmer and Mist and Spark all leaped into the abyss to save their friend.
Crystal woke up and found herself in the arms of Winter. "Winter."
The Light Fury warbled as she set Crystal onto the ground. Her other dragons nudged her in concern. "I'm alright, guys. But my friends."
She listen and she didn’t hear anything.
“They… were captured.” Her dragons felt bad for her. She tried to help but she was pushed over easily. “There’s no way I can do this.” She whimpered. Winter nuzzled her owner lovingly.
“Don’t give up, Crystal Diamond.” A voice said.
“Who? Whose there?”
Just then, footsteps were heard in out from the shadows was another dragon. This one looked like it was made of stone. It was at least 65 feet long and it's wingspan was 118 feet long.
"Woah... what are you?" Crystal asked in awe.
"I am a Sentinel Dragon. And I am here to help you Crystal Diamond."
"Help me?"
“Yes, Crystal. All you need is some guidance.”
“Guidance?”
“I sense great doubt within your heart.”
“Yeah. All my friends have magical powers of their own while I just have my dragons and that's it. Koh mentioned that I have some sorta power inside of me but I don't anything about it. I shouldn’t have come here with my friends. I let them down.”
“I sense your doubt, but you haven’t let your friends down. You feel like you failed because you don’t think you’re as special as your friends. But you are.”
“How?”
“Everybody has a truth they live for. And for you it’s your dragons.”
“My dragons?”
“With your dragons by your side you've come this far on this journey and lead you this far in your quest.It is thanks to your courage you were able to change creatures lives for the better which is why you represent the Element of Dragons.”
When the Sentinel said ‘Dragons’ Crystal’s chest began to glow and form an golden necklace with a silver gem in the shape of a dragon in the center.
“Woah, I’m a Element of Harmony?”
Have and always were ever since you’ve met your friends.”
Now Crystal was surprised. Ever since she journeyed through the Spirit World with her friends, she thought she wasn’t anything special compared to her friends, but now she’s an Element of Harmony just like her friends. “Now use your element wisely and you can call on me whenever you need me.”
“Alright Mr. Sentinel, thank you.”
The Sentinel dragon nodded and walked back into the darkness. Crystal mounted Winter and they all flew up and out of the abyss where they were all greeted by a giant dragonfly spirit landed before her. Riding on its back were five adult humans, one unicorn and three lizards.
"Crystal!"
"Ali! Mika! San!"
"Kido!"
"Uncle Bolin! Aunt Asami!"
The grown ups quickly mounted off of the dragonfly and tackled the teenager in a tight group hug. Ali and Mika were showering their adopted younger sister with kisses on the forehead and on her cheeks, which San gave her a noogie, messing up her hair.
Bolin wrapped his arms around Iris, lifting her up from the ground and kissing her cheek. "Oh, Crystal! We were so worried! Are you okay? Are you hurt? How's your blood pressure? Are you feeling faint?"
"A little. Though, that's probably because you're suffocating me."
"Oh, right, sorry." Bolin released his niece, followed by Asami and Sunset Shimmer wrapping their arms around her.
"How did you guys find me? And, how did you get past Koh?"
Asami pulled out the geode Korra had enchanted. "When we got in here, this little thing led us straight to you."
"And this big guy was just waiting outside the entrance and offered us a ride." Ali said, petting the dragonfly. "Thankfully, we knew a shortcut that's accessible only to spirits."
Asami's eyes shifted and looked around them. "Where are Mai and Hiro?"
Crystal hung her head in regret. "They've been captured by the wolf changelings. I tried stop them, but I made a mistake. It's my fault."
Ali stroked her hair. "It's okay. We'll find them."
"Yes, we will. I know where they are."
"How?" Kuvira asked.
"I'll explain on the way." Crystal said, mounting onto the dragonfly, motioning everyone else to hop on. "Let's go!"
On her command, the dragonfly soared through the skies. Winter and the other dragons followed it with Crystal using her new Element of Harmony to pinpoint their exact location.
She failed them once. She was not going to do it again.
A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Crystals' eyes moved a little and she opened her eyes slowly. Her blurry vision cleared up slowly and she saw that she was in a hospital bed, wearing a hospital gown. She saw that she had bandages around her arms, legs, torso and head with a small guaze patch on her cheek. Hearing a warble, Crystal turned and saw Winter next to her bedside. Sitting upright with a small hiss of pain, she said, "H-Hey W-Winter." Winter warbled and gently nuzzled Crystals' arms, thankfully that her little human sister was alright. Crystal felt something on her back. Looking over her shoulder she saw... a white wing?
Looking over her other shoulder she saw the same thing! "I... have wings?" Winter went over to a long mirror and carefully brought it over to Crystal. There Crystal saw her reflection and indeed she had a pair of white wings. They were exactly like Winter's but the wingspan was 30 feet long.
That's when the doctor came into the room. The doctor was a female in her mid twenties. She was light skinned and had short, red hair and she was wearing doctor attire. "Ah good.. you're awake. And I see you discovered you wings, right." she said.
"Yes... how long have I been asleep for?" Crystal asked.
"About a week." she replied.
"So... I missed the Harmony Celebration. Yeah." Crystal stated sadly.
"Actually.." The doctor trailed, perking Crystal up, "Everyone agreed to postpone the celebration."
"Postpone? Why?"
"Well they couldn't start without their hero, now could they?" the doctor smirked. Crystal felt surprised and flattered that her friends would hold off the celebration for her. "So.. when am I being released?"
"As a matter of fact, your being released now."
"Really?" Crystal asked incredulously.
"Yes, really. You'll still be sore for a few days so take it easy."
"Okay." Crystal got out from underneath the covers and gently placed her feet on the ground, "Woah." her legs felt weak for a moment and she almost felt if not for Winter catching her with her head. "Thanks girl." Crystal said. Winter warbled and placed a wing around Crystal as extra support. Crystal staggered through the halls and eventually came out of the hospital doors.
"SURPRISE!"
And was greeted by a large crowd of people with her friends in the front of the crowd. There was confetti everywhere, courtesy of Pinkie Pie and her husband, Cheese Sandwich. And there was a big banner that said, "Thank you."
"What's this?" Crystal asked. Korra, Mako, Bolin, Asami, Ali, Mika, San, Iris, Akari, Hiro, Mai, Chi, Gallent, the Mane 6, Leliani, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor and Flurry Heart all came up to her. "It's your celebration and 'Thank you for saving us from Chrysalis' party!" Pinkie squealed.
"The whole partys' for me?" Crystal asked.
"Yes. You earned it afterall." Iris said.
"She's right. You were very brave battling Chrysalis alone." Leliani stated. "And such bravery deserve some reward."
"It was awesome! You beat the stuffing out of her! You knew you could change into a dragon or be an Element of Harmony." Hiro exclaimed.
"I didn't know either." Crystal replied. "... Where are Shimmer and the others?"
As soon as she said that, three more warbles came and Crystal saw her three dragons coming towards her. "Shimmer, Skyspike, Mist, Spark." The three dragons gently nudged their trainer, happy that she was okay. "Hehe, I'm alright guys." she reassured. "Now let's party!" Pinkie shouted and everyone agreed to that.
The ball room was filled with friends and family from all walks of life, gathered together at the Harmony Day Gala to for a very, very special occasion. One that was, entirely unexpected, but wonderfully so all the same.
At the small stage in the center corner of the room, Korra walked up. Mako stood right beside her and the rest of the Mane Six walked up on stage to stand beside her. Twilight Sparkle stood on her left side, and Flash near Mako.
Spike and Mika held claws, both also fancily dressed, with Mika wearing a lovely spirit flower on her head and Spike sporting a tux with green colored flames.
Korra addressed the crowd. "This Harmony Celebration has been quite interesting to say the least." she joked, earning a few chuckles from the audience. "Regardless, today we're not only celebrating a time in our history, but also to celebrate a new generation."
Nodding her head, Ali and San opened the doors, and Iris and her friends walked in, each wearing the same cloths they were wearing for the welcoming celebration days back, only now Iris and Akari's outfits were sprinkled with radiant sparkles, reflecting all the colors of the rainbow, and the symbols Chi, Hiro and Mai had were sowed onto the side of their cloths.
The kids approached the stage and kneeled before their respected predecessors.
"A lot of people have asked me what will become of the Avatar once my time in this world came to an end. I used to ask myself that question too." Korra smiled, turning to Twilight Sparkle. "But I realized, even thought a lot of us won't last forever, that doesn't mean our legacy, or stories won't. Our mission has, and always will be, to guide the world towards peace and balance. To share the truth about The Magic of Friendship, so that those who have been lost can be found once again."
Kuvira, P'Li, Zaheer, the Sirens, Trixie, Starlight, Sunset, Discord, Hou-Ting, Tahno, and a newly reborn Chrysalis all smiled at her words. They too had been lost, and now were found, radiating with such joy and peace that no words in existence could ever explain.
Mika tapped on Spike's shoulder, and the young dragon's ears perked upwards in realization. "Oh, right!" he hurried towards the stage, pulling out a box from his jacket and bowed his head before the two Alicorns queens.
Inside were seven medals, each one with a symbol on both sides. The fronts had the symbols of the Mane Seven's respected Elements of Harmony.
Applejack was the first to take her medal and stood before the young female firebender. "Mai Sato. All your life, you've never been afraid to speak your mind. While you may come off at blunt, at the core, you're always lookin' out for the well being of your friends. Do you promise me to always speak the truth, even when it's not easy? But most importantly, do you promise to do so from a place of love and compassion? To honor your own word, as well as the word of others?"
Mai nodded her head. "I promise."
Applejack motioned for her to stand and turn towards the crowd. Applejack turned the medal around, revealing it to be Mai's symbol and placed it around her neck from behind.
"Then it is with the highest of honors, I present to you all, Mai Sato: The Element of Honesty!"
Mai blushed at all the adoring applauds she received from everyone. Of course, she bit her bottom lip in embarrassment when her own parents started cheering louder than everyone else. Her father more so than her mother.
"Woohoo! That's our daughter, right there!" Bolin cheered and hollered.
"Go Mai!" Asami cheered, which was only partly drowned out by the rest of the cheering. Mai even caught a glimpse of Lu Ten, also cheering and giving her a thumbs up. Her blush deepened.
The cheering slowly stopped when Fluttershy stepped forward to the kneeling Gallant Steed and took her own medal from the box.
"Gallant Steed, words can't express how grateful I am for all the times you've helped me in my animal sanctuary, and using your magic to fix all of their broken toys and beds. While skills in magic are indeed something to admire, they are only coupled by your unyielding desire to help others, regardless of who or what they are. But what amazes me the most is that, unlike me, you know kindness is more than just giving loving affection, but also tough love. Just like your wonderful mother."
Fluttershy smiled at Starlight's way, who nodded in gratitude. "Do you promise me that you will continue to spread kindness and lend a helping and or hoof to anyone who needs it? Just as well, be willing to showcase the kind of love that may seem cruel to others, but is really the best gift you can offer someone?"
"I promise."
With a content smile, Fluttershy motioned to Gallant to stand and turn towards the crowd, where she turned her medal around, revealing the symbol of his cutie mark and placed it around his neck.
"I am happy to present, Gallant Steed: The Element of Kindness!"
Starlight and Sunburst cheered as loudly as Bolin and Asami did, only while they cheered, Starlight motioned to her son to stand upright. He didn't even notice that he was slouching a bit, so he quickly adjusted himself, which made him look only a tiny bit stiff, but managed to wave at everyone who cheered for him.
"That's our son!" Starlight squealed with delight, while gripping her husband's shirt.
Pinkie Pie took her medal from the box and turned to the eldest Sato sibling. "Okay, so I had this like, really heartfelt speech, but I kind of went overboard and it became like two hours long, so I'm just gonna cut to the chase. Is there really any doubt that Hiro would be the Element of Laughter? I mean, the time you volunteered to be the replacement clown at Cookie Cream's birthday party last year, you brought down the hose! And the cave with your juggling."
"It was still good cake!" Cookie Cream voiced out from the audience.
"But seriously, Hiro I know you only want folks to be happy, you also understand that life isn't always a joke. Sure, some folks can take you as a goofball, but at the heart of all, I know you would jump right into a giant river of lava to save the people you love, even when it's not funny. So, do you promise to spread as much positively to others as you can? But to also know when it's the right or wrong time to deliver a punch line?"
"I Pinkie Promise. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
"Awwww! Okay, stand up so I can put this thing on you and I can start crying!" With watery eyes, Pinkie placed the medal around Hiro's neck, turning it to reveal his new symbol engraved on it.
"Hiro Sato: The Element of Laughter, everybody!" Pinkie Pie said, right before bursting into tears, and Hiro only hugged her to cry and calm the pony, who was overwhelmed with feels.
The audience both cheered, and laughed. Bolin and Asami cheered once again. "That's our son!"
"Go, Hiro!"
Among the audience, Zee, Roy and Gil were also present, happily free, and ready to start their new lives as noble citizens.
Afterwards, Rarity took her own medal from the box and was already tearing up as she stood before the merpony. Compared to the speeches of everyone else, her's was undoubtedly the most personal. So much so, she literally got own on her knees to Nori's level, surprising her, but also warming the hearts of everyone watching.
"Nori… I don't think there is anything else I can say that hasn't already been said. You are so precious to me, more precious than any pearl or gemstone in the world. There is absolutely no doubt that you are everything my Elements stands for. I promise you, not matter what, if you're confused or scared or have any questions, I will always be right here for you."
Rarity cupped Nori's cheek, both tearing up and Nori held Rarity's hand with her own. "And I promise to be willing to share my gifts and wealth with those who need it more than I. To inspired others to be as creative and giving as you."
The two shared a loving embrace before standing back up. Wiping her tears, Rarity turned her medal to reveal Nori's cutie mark symbol and placed it around her neck.
"Ladies and gentleman, I present to you all, Nori Posidonia: The Element of Generosity."
As the crowned cheered, Uta himself clapped the loudest, his large body almost the height of the ballroom itself, while also wiping away a few tears. Kombu signed with his hands how proud he was of Nori, and she in return signed back, saying she loved him.
Rainbow Dash was next, and she could see how excited the little wisp was. "There used to be a time where I would have protested on ever bestowing this kind of tittle to anyone other than myself. Chi, you've lived a lot longer than most of us, and even when your own family turned on you, you never stopped being loyal not only to your own kind, but also to a pony who, some may even say, probably didn't deserve your friendship. It… actually makes me feel a lot more at ease to know, that there will always be that one special, awesome spirit who will literally go to the abyss and back again for those she cares about. Chi, do you promise to continue doing what your doing? And learning more about yourself and others along the way? Also, not to let your awesomeness go to your head?"
Chi chuckled, "I promise."
Rainbow Dash gave a wink and placed the medal around her neck, but not without turning it first to reveal Chi's new symbol.
"Give it up for Chi: The Element of Loyalty! Come on, let me hear ya!" pounding her fists into the air, everyone cheered as loudly as they could for the new wisp. Chi literally flipped in the air, happily cheering herself, while striking and action pose. Nova and Sunset clapped and cheered for their little wisp, while also playfully rolling their eyes at her antics. She was the perfect successor to Rainbow Dash's legacy.
It was finally Twilight Sparkle's turn. With great pride in her heart, she looked at her daughter. "Akari, you have proven yourself to be a strong, clever, and noble friend. You persisted in the face of danger and stuck by your friends even in the worst of times. Do you promise to continue to share the word of Friendship, even in the darkest of times? To always hold these lessons close to your heart?"
Unexpectedly, but still welcomed, Akari rose up and hugged her mother, letting tears roll down her cheeks as Twilight embraced her in return.
"I promise… with all of my heart." Akari said.
Twilight caressed her daughter's mane. "I may not know what comes next for you, but whatever it is, I promise I will always be there for you." She placed the medal around her neck, only to realize she forgot to turn it around and did so before intruding her again to the crowd.
"It is with great honor, and great pride, that I present to you all, Princess Akari. The Element of Magic!"
Flash embraced both his daughter and wife, while Cadance and Shinning Armor clapped for their niece, and Flurry Heart was hollering like crazy, with two peace fights high up into the air.
"Yeah! That's my cousin right there!"
"Okay, Flurry, tone it down a notch." Cadance said to her daughter, slowly lowering her hands, only to be surprised when her own husband started hollering just like his daughter.
"Woohoo! Yeah! You go, Akari!"
Cadance only shrugged and decided to join in. "Yeah! Woo!"
Finally, Iris was last. This time, Korra had her stand back up and she placed both hands on her shoulders. "I wish I could say the road ahead would be easy, and I know I can't protect you from everything. But just know, no matter how confused, or scared you may feel at some point, you can always come to me."
Like Akari, Iris didn't need to say anything but rather embraced her mother, all the while crying. "I promise I will honor our legacy." she said, while shedding more tears. "To keeps the lessons you've taught me close to my heart, and all the ones I will learn afterwards."
"I know you will." Korra said, kissing her daughter's forehead. She took the medal, which had her own cutie mark, and turning it around to reveal Iris's. She placed it around her neck and officially introduced her to the crowd.
"I present to you, Princess Avatar Iris: The Element of Unity. Let it be known, from this day onwards, she and her friends will be forever known as, The Guardians of Harmony!"
The crowd cheered even louder than before, with more eyes shedding tears, especially Discord and… Steven Magnet who was crying a river… into a fountain.
Tenzin approached the stage and smiled at the young teenager. "I knew you could do it… Avatar Iris."
Avatar Iris… it had a real nice ring to it.
"And now for a few more awards." Celestia announced. Royal fanfare sounded as the doors opened once again. This time Crystal and her dragons came forth with Crystal in the front of her dragons on either side of her. "Crystal Diamond, Shimmer, Mist, Spark, Skyspike and Winter all of you all showed great bravery in the face of danger. Crystal you single handedly defeated Chrysalis with the help of a powerful new Element that you discovered on your own. Which is why I present to you all Crystal Diamond, the Element of Dragons!"
The crowd cheered loudly for their new element and her dragons fired into the air making a large cloud of sparking fire.
The Gala proceeded as originally planned. Hiro, for his part, kept his promise, and now Zeen, Roy and Gil began their new lives… as party entertainers.
Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich saw the potential and happily hired them on the spot to work parties and special events. The three friends performed a little comedy routine, involving pies, a whoopee cushion, and rubber chickens. At first, when looked like their jokes were unfit for a laugh, the three started their typical bantering routine, and typical slapstick which, being spirits, barely harmed them.
This was enough to get Cookie Cream, Half Pipe, Sweet Gala, and Kai and Jinora's kids to laugh so hard a couple of them rolled onto the floor, hugging their stomachs and kicking their legs in laughter. The three smiled laughed along with them.
"You know, I could get used to this." Gi said, tasting a bit of the pie on his face. Mist and Spark licked the pie on his face too.
(~)
Mai took a sip of her punch, only to nearly spill it when an unexpected guest appeared before her, looking, possibly even more handsome than the last time she saw him.
"Hey."
"Oh! Lu Ten, hey."
"You were… you were great out there." Lu Ten said, his voice sounding… surprisingly flustered.
"All I did was get a medal." Mai said, for once, speaking in fluently without nervously stuttering. After everything she had faced, talking to a cute guy shouldn't be that difficult.
"Well, yeah, what I meant was that, um…" Lu Ten's cheeks turned a light shade of red and his eyes kept darting back and forth, as if unable to fully look Mai in the eye and shuffled the tip of his shoe a bit.
"Are you okay?" Mai asked.
"Yeah, it's just… this is kind of awkward to ask."
"Just say it." Mai encouraged, her natural honesty showing.
Lu Ten took on a deep breath before speaking. "My uncle said you and your friends go to Harmony High, and since I'm gonna be transferring there after the summer, I was hoping maybe, you--you and your friends could-- show me around?"
Mai blinked in surprise before smiling. "I… yeah, that'd be great!"
"Fantastic! And, maybe you could help me with my own project?"
"Project?"
Lu Ten chuckled nervously, probably because he was worried he sounded a bit too eager before. He pulled out a notebook from his jacket pocket and flipped through the pages. Mai was astonished to see that a lot of the sketches and drawings were diagrams for inventions. Images of tools, gears and notes of all kinds, it as no different from her own ideas, except they didn't involve any geodes of any kind, unlike her own.
Lu Ten stopped on one page, which was the prototype of a scooter. "I've been working on this new model for my organic fueled scooter for a couple years now. Your cousin Iris told me about your geode powered skateboard and, I thought, maybe, you could help me out? If, that's okay. I just don't have that many ideas on how to power it without using ordinary gasoline."
If she didn't know any better, Mai could have sworn that Lu Ten's cheeks were now almost as red as his royal fire nation jacket. These diagrams looked incredibly detailed, well thought out, and just… inspirational to say the least.
"This looks really good." Mai said, gently tracing her fingers across the image. "Maybe if you did a few tweaks here, and there--"
"Oh, you mean if I calibrate the--"
"Yes, that way it will--"
"Ooh, so that it won't--"
"Exactly!"
"Wow! How did I miss that? Maybe I can show you my prototype mini model later today?"
"I'd love that." Mai felt pretty good about herself right now. Not only was Lu Ten cute, but he was smart too, and was into inventing just like she was. However, while they could talk inventions all they wished, there was another idea Mai had in mind, placing her newfound confidence to good use.
"But, first… you maybe want to dance?"
"Yes!" Lu Ten said, really quickly and very eagerly, which even took Mai herself by surprise. He reeled back, blushing in embarrassment. "I-I mean, that'd be cool."
Mai only giggled, her hand reaching up to partly cover her mouth, her cheeks tainted with red, matching Lu Ten's.
Not too far away, Hiro and Gallant observed the two, the earthbender wrapping his arm around his pony best friend. "Well, doesn't this sweet little moment give you any ideas?… Any?… At all?…" Hiro casually took Gallant by the chin and turned him to see Akari, happily petting her beloved timberwolf.
Gallant gulped nervously, but after witnessing Mai overcome her own insecurities and talk to someone she liked, and after everything else he had been through, it was high time to push fear aside and take a risk.
With his head held up high, and his palms sweating, he walked up to the princess. "Hey, Akari."
"Hey, Gallant. What's up?"
"I, uh…" her turned his head only to see Hiro giving him a thumbs up. Gallant turned back to face Akari, taking in a deep breath. "I wanted to ask you something. Actually, I've been wanting to ask you for a while now."
Akari's body froze and she fiddled with her fingers, anxiously anticipating what he was about to say. "What is it?" she asked, almost nervously.
"I know we're already at the Gala and all, but if it's not too late--or too weird--would you maybe, consider… being my date?" Akari's eyes widened and her mouth opened upon his question, a gesture even Timber replicated, his wooden lower jaw almost falling off. But Gallant didn't stop there. "And, after today, if you're up for it, maybe we could… go for some noodles or, ice cream? The two of us? With your dad's permission of course because, I know if he would--Hmmp!"
Gallant was completely cut off when Akari, out of a spur of the moment, and unable to find the right words to express how she felt, threw caution to the wind and kissed him full on the lips. It was short and sweet, but made all the different none the less. Gallant's eyes were widener than dinner plates and a smile began to form.
Akari blushed, bitting her bottom lip bashfully. "I would like that."
"Good… good."
The young princess giggled, and Gallant couldn't stop the blush on his cheeks from deepening. While this was going on, Twilight and Flash watched the entire scene.
"You're taking this surprisingly well." Twilight said to her husband.
Flash shrugged. "Please, I've been rooting for those two since day one."
Crystal and her dragons stood outside, leaning against a pillar in the entrance of City Hall, looking up at the Equestrian portal that rose upwards over the horizon.
"Tired from all the dancing?" a voice said. Crystal turned around to see it was Akari.
"I just wanted to get some fresh air." Crystal said. Akari didn't even ask and simply joined her, both looking at the beautiful scenery. "So how being popluar going for you?" Akari asked.
Crystal sighed, "Just a bunch of people wanting my autographs or to ride my dragons. Ugh!" The two friends shared a laugh and returned back inside, arms links and arrived just in time to see their parents, and all the Elements of Harmony, past and present, listening to one of Discord's humorous quips.
"Seriously Discord, how in the heck were you able to get captured by Chrysalis?" Prince Wu asked.
Discord casually confessed, "Well, one of her wolves might have caught me off guard when I shrunk myself down to spy on Thorax and Fluttershy."
"You did what?!" both Thorax and Fluttershy exclaimed in shock, and evident annoyance. Crystal coughed, "Stalker."
"Facts." Iris added.
"I just wanted to be sure he didn't get cold hooves!"
"Cold hooves?" Korra asked. "What is he talking about?"
"Oh, that's right, we haven't told them yet." Fluttershy said, gripping Thorax's arm.
"Told us what?" Twilight asked. All eyes and ears fell on the couple, with Discord excitedly grinning behind them.
Thorax and Fluttershy blushed. "You want to tell them or should I?" he asked.
"I've got this." Fluttershy looked so excited she looked like she was about to burst. "We're getting married!"
Eyes popped and jaws dropped all at once and all women of the group screamed their heads off, even the die hard tomboys couldn't stop themselves from squealing and jumping up and down. Several more guests turned their head to see what the commotion was about. While not all of the mean were streaming, they most certainly did not stay silent. Mako, Flash and the rest of the pony husbands all hugged Thorax on congrats while Fluttershy was met with an array of hugs and kisses from her female friends.
Korra, out of all of them, looked like a child on a sugar high as she literally lifted Fluttershy off the ground in her tight hug. "Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for you two! Finally! I was getting seriously impatient with you guys."
Chi surprised Fluttershy with a hug from behind. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you!"
Nova, on the other hand, noticed that something was a little bit off with his wife. She was happy for Fluttershy, she was screaming her head off and hugging her as much as everyone, but once things cooled down, it was life she had just realized something.
"Sunset, you okay?" Nova asked. "Are you sick again?"
"No, no, Nova, it's not that." Sunset assured him, until she herself changed her mind. "Actually, I've been meaning to tell you something, but I couldn't find the right time, and with Fluttershy's announcement I--"
"Oh, Sunset it's okay." Thorax said kindly.
Fluttershy nodded. "Whatever it is, you can tell us. We won't mind."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course."
Sunset Shimmer turned to Asami, who nodded her head in encouragement. The unicorn took in a deep breath. "Okay then." she turned to face her husband. "Nova, I have been feeling really under the weather, and it got a bit worse when I joined the team to bring you and everyone back. But, thanks to Asami, I'm feeling a lot better now."
"So, no more puking or nausea?"
"No, I'm still having those. And I will continue to have them for the next few months."
Everyone became silent, and several coupled looked at one another then back at Sunset Shimmer with eyes as large as dinner plates.
"What are you saying?"
"Nova… I'm pregnant."
"Y-You're what?"
"We're having a baby."
If the reaction to Fluttershy's engagement didn't leave half of the guests deaf, then their reaction to Sunset's news certainly finished the job. Fluttershy was especially happy, seeing as this meant another adorable baby for her to babysit.
Nova was paralyzed in place, allowing the initial shock to sink in. "You mean… I'm gonna be a father?" Sunset Shimmer nodded eagerly.
"And I'm gonna be an aunt?!" Chi asked, Sunset nodded once again.
Nova's smile spread so wide his cheek would be sore by the next day, but he couldn't care less about that as he scooped up his wife and spun her around before kissing her full on the lips. "I love you!"
"I love you, too."
Chi was literally trembling, her smile and eyes as big as Nova's. "This… is… the best… day… EVER!!!" everyone shielded themselves when Chi, literally, spontaneously combusted into a pile of confetti, falling down on the floor. Despite this, her voice was still heard from the remains.
"Totally worth it!" Mist and Spark sniffed the confetti Chi, "No! Wait! Stop!" Chi didn't want to sucked up by the Zippleback. "Crystal!" she cried.
Everyone just laughed at the wisps's reaction and she manifested herself back, good as new, shocking the Zippleback. Chi hugged her adopted brother and sister-in-law. Her family was growing more and more by the minute, and she couldn't be happier.
Spike then noticed his wrist watch. "Guys! It's time!" he said, tapping on the surface.
"Oh, that's right! And perfect timing too." Rarity said, handing her drink to Kombu for the time being. "What better way to celebrate this glorious occasion?"
Taking Nori by the hand, the two made their way towards the stage. Rarity tapped on the microphone. "Everyone, may I have your attention, please? As you know, during the last day of the Harmony Celebration, we would have one special volunteer sing an original song for the Gala. This year, I am happy to present to you somepony very close to my heart."
Rarity happily stepped aside so Nori could take the stage. The two shared one last hug and Nori addressed the crowd, seeing all of her friends giving her a high five.
"I had trouble trying to find the lyrics to this song. I wanted to make something new. Something that hasn't been done before, but when I tried to, I wounded up missing the point." she smiled at Iris. "Even if some of these lyrics have been said before, that shouldn't be a bad thing. This celebration is about remembering what's really important."
Roy, Gil and Zeen played the instruments. Roy played the piano, and all eyes landed on Nori, who shared her beautiful voice with everyone around her. Rather than sing on stage, she walked back down, singing directly, and personally to the crowd.
Crystal:
Each one of us has something special That makes us different, that makes us rare
She extended her hand towards Chi, back together again, and floated beside her.
Chi:
We have a light that shines within us
Iris and the Guardians of Harmony along with Crystal came together.
All:
And when we come together Combine the light that shines within There is nothing we can't do There is no battle we can't win When we come together There'll be a star to guide the way It's inside us every day
Crystals' element glowed and sent out a dragon shaped figure with the colors of the Elements of Harmony. The dragons flew into the air and around the whole city.
All:
See it now! See it now! Let the rainbow remind you That together we will always shine Let the rainbow remind you That forever this will be our time
Crystal thought back to how she thought she wasn't as special as her friends.
Crystal:
Each one of us will sometimes falter We may stumble, we may fall
Everyone through back to when Crystal protected them, discovered her dragon power and defeated Chrysalis by herself.
Nori
But we still have a kind of magic One that will see us through it all
All:
And when we come together Combine the light that shines within There is nothing we can't do There is no battle we can't win When we come together There'll be a star to guide the way It's inside us every day See it now! See it now! Let the rainbow remind you That together we will always shine Let the rainbow remind you That forever this will be our time
The dragon gave a loud roar as dispersed into the rainbow sparkles which fell upon everyone. Iris, her friends, entire family, all huddled together, beaming with immense joy, surrounded Crystal along with her dragons as she sang the last verse.
Let the rainbow remind you That together we will always shine
A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Chapter 13: Night Fury and Mayhem
It was an bright and early morning where we find Crystal Diamond practicing how to fly with Rainbow Dash as her coach. The Equestria Queens, the Mane 6, Iris and her friends were present to watch her as well as Winter. Crystal flapped er wings lightly and ascended into the air, wobbling a little and holding her arms out to keep her steady. Rainbow came to her, "You have to flap them harder." she said. Crystal nodded and flapped her wings hard and fast... sending her into a nearby tree. "Oof!"
Crystal shook off the crash and Rainbow came to her. "Maybe not that hard." she added. Crystal tired again but she moved her wings separately and not in sync with each other and she fell to the ground. "Woah! Oof!" Applejack and Mai came to her. "Lookin good up there, Crystal." Applejack said.
Crystal rubbed her side and sighed, "This is tougher than I thought."
"Don't worry, Crystal. You'll get it." Mai added.
Chi and Iris came over. "Mai's right. All you need is practice." Iris said.
"You'll be flying like your dragons in no time." Chi added. Winter came up to her and nuzzled her, warbling. "Hehe, thanks you guys." Suddenly she felt a small tickle in her nose. "Ah.. ah..achoo!" she sneezed and closed her eyes for a second and when she opened them she saw... a scorch mark on the grass?
"A scorch mark? Where'd that come from?" she asked. She looked at her friends who all held surprised faces. "... What?"
"Crystal... when you sneezed.. you kinda..." Iris started.
"shot lightning from your head." Akari finished.
"Lightning?! No way!" Crystal exclaimed.
"Yes way." Twilight said. She used her magic to make the images of the past few minutes. Crystal saw for herself. When she sneezed a white, bolt of lightning came out and struck the grass, making the scorch mark. Crystal and Winter were speechless. "I... did that?"
"Apparently so." Hiro said. Pinkie suddenly came up at Crystal's face and spit her hair down the middle. "Woah, look everyone!" she exclaimed. Everyone looked and saw sprouting from Crystal's forehead was a small unicorn horn?!
"A unicorn horn?!" Korra exclaimed.
"Unicorn horn? Where?" Crystal asked. Rarity took out her handheld mirror and passed it to Crystal. Pinkie held her hair to the side and she saw for herself. A small peach colored unicorn horn. "W-What's going on with me?" Crystal stammered.
"I don't know. Nothing like this has happened before." Celestia said.
"It is beyond our knowledge." Leliani added.
"I believe I can answer that." a mystical voice stated. Everyone looked to the skies and saw the Sentinel dragon descending from the ground. "The Sentinel from before!" Luna recognized.
Yes, hello again everyone." the Sentinel replied.
"Mr. Sentinel, do you know what's going on with Crystal?" Iris asked the Boulder Class dragon.
"Yes. Crystal has acquired the magic to wield all of the elements of nature like the Avatar Korra and Iris."
"WHAT?!" Everyone exclaimed in shock.
"How?" Mai asked.
"When Crystal threw her element into the spell, the element adsorbed all of your elements. To cope with this new magic, the element forced Crystal into growing a horn so it would not be overloaded." the Sentinel replied.
Everyone was amazed and shocked at the news. "So how long until her horn grows fully?" Korra asked.
"Unicorn horns are slow to grow but in time it will be the same length as Princess Twilights'." the Sentinel answered. "Crystal.. with these new powers you must be very careful. You must learn to control your new magic."
"Don't worry, Sentinel, we'll teach her." Twilight said. The Sentinel nodded, "Good luck everyone." and he flew off into the air disappearing from sight. Crystal was still taking in everything the Sentinel just said. First, she squires the Element of Dragons and now she has the magic to wield Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning and Ice.
"Crystal... are you alright?" Crystal was snapped back to senses by Iris who looked at her with concern. "Yeah.. just.. alot to take in." she replied.
Twilight came up to her, "We know, but we're here to help you control your magic." Crystal smiled at Twilight. "Thanks."
"Now should we get back to your flying practice?" Rainbow asked as she came over.
Crystal sighed sadly, "Okay."
And once again, Crystal staggered into their air. However, everyone was unaware that a pair of eyes were watching them from afar.
The next morning, Iris was walking into the kitchen where she found Crystal sitting at the table.... with her head down on the table, fast asleep. Iris immediately took noticed to how messy her hair looked. She went over to Crystal and gently shook her, "Crystal? Crystal." Crystal slowly woke up and looked at Iris who gasped at the sight of the horrible bags under her eyes.
"Crystal, what happened?" Iris asked.
Crystal let out a huge yawn, "I've been.. yawn... practicing my magic for.... yawn.... a week straight."
"A week?!" Iris exclaimed, receiving a nod from Crystal.
Korra and Mako entered the kitchen, "Iris, what's with the l- Oh my goodness, Crystal!"
Korra and Mako went over to her, "What happened to you?" Mako asked.
"She said that she's been her practicing her magic for a week straight." Iris answered.
"A week?!" Korra exclaimed.
Crystal let out another yawn, "Come on Crystal, you need some rest." Mako said.
"B-But what about my magic.. yawn. lessons?"
"We'll take care of them, but you desperately need your rest." Mako stated. He carried Crystal up to her room and placed her in bed. Winter, Shimmer, Skyspike, Mist and Spark were in the room and watched as Mako placed their trainer in bed. "Girls, boys, make sure she stays in bed. She really needs her sleep." Mako said.
The four dragons nodded and Mako left the room to leave Crystal to a peaceful and well-deserved sleep.
Mako returned to his family. "I have the dragons keeping her under temporary lockdown until she's fully rested."
"Good. She's been really pushing herself to control her magic." Korra said. "Poor thing."
"Yeah, I know she wants to learn but there is such a thing as over-doing it." Iris added.
"How about we talk to her once she wakes up again." Mako suggested.
Korra and Iris nodded.
Hours later, Crystal woke up, feeling completely rejuvenated. She stretched and got out of bed, seeing her dragons awake as well. "Hi guys." she greeted. "Winter, Skyspike wanna go for a flight?"
The Light Fury and Deadly Nadder warbled happily. "Hehe, I'll take that as a yes."
The three headed outside and Crystal mounted Winter. "Alright girls, let's go!" The girl dragons roared and flew into the sky doing a loop in the air before zooming over Harmony City. Soaring downtown and past City Hall. The dragons were doing all kinds of aireal tricks; loops in the air, somersaults and etc. Crystal was laughing happily at her dragons antics. They were flying over the park when something black caught Winters' eye and she slowly stopped flying and hovered over the park. Skyspike noticed this and flew over to her. "Winter, what's wrong?"
The Light Fury descended down to the ground and began walked towards some trees. "You sense something?" Crystal asked. Winter turned to her and nodded. That's when another warble was heard. Winter warbled back and slowly but surely, from behind the trees came dragon.
This one looked a lot like Winter, but it was black with lighter spots and had more ear appendages. It looked a little bigger than her. About 26 feet long with a 45 foot long wingspan.
The resemblance was amazing. The new dragons walked over to Winter and at first she gave a roar and a hiss at the dragon. The new dragon was taken aback but it circled Winter, curiously. Winter was still acting hostile and gave a hiss at the new dragon. The new dragon walked right up to Winter and they both gazed in each others eyes. Winter and the new dragon warbled at each other.
Crystal and Skyspike only stared as the two dragons stared at each other for what seemed like forever. But when the new dragon layed eyes on Crystal, it growled aggressively. Crystal was shocked and backed away abruptly, "Easy fella, I was just watching." she said. But the new dragon didn't listen, instead it fired a plasma blast at her. "Wah!" Winter leaped in front of the blast and blocked it with her wing. Winter gave a hiss at the new dragon who was low to the ground, snarling while keeping it's eyes on Crystal.
"Why id he so aggressive towards me?" Crystal wondered. That's when she saw something wrong with it's tail. Normally, a dragon like Winter would have two tail fins on the ends of it's tail, but this one only had one fin. The other was gone!
The new dragon gave one last hiss before running into the trees and out of sight. Crystal, Winter and Skyspike all stared for a moment.
"Crystal!" Crystal turned around and saw Iris, Akari, Mai, Hiro, Chi, Nori and Gallent Seed coming towards her. "We saw everything. What was that dragon? And why was it so aggressive?" Iris asked.
"That dragon was a Night Fury, a close relative to Winter." Crystal answered.
"Night Fury? Well I can see some resemblance between those two. But why was it so aggressive towards you?" Akari asked.
"I saw that one of it's tail fins was missing." Crystal replied.
"So?" Hiro asked.
"If they lose one tail fin they can not fly and I have a pretty good idea of how it happened. Dragon hunters."
Iris and her friends winced. "So it doesn't trust humans cause it was hurt by dragon hunters. Just like Skyspike, Shimmer and Mist and Spark." Chi stated.
"Well, I'm going to change that." Crystal said boldly.
"Crystal, did you see the size of that thing?!" Mai exclaimed.
"It only 2 feet bigger than Winter." Crystal deadpanned.
"So, you can not try to befriend that dragon. It's too risky."
"I trained Skyspike, Mist and Spark and Shimmer. If I can befriend them than I can befriend the Night Fury." Iris and her friends could see there was nothing that could talk Crystal out of befriending the Night Fury.
Iris sighed, "Alright... but please be careful."
"I will."
Soon, Crystal was back at the palace in her room, thinking so a way to befriend the Night Fury. "How can I get close to him and earn his trust?"
Crystal then through back to the Night Furys' missing tail fin. Her father once told her something relating to that...
Flashback
Six year old Crystal was sitting on her fathers' lap with Winter by her side. "Daddy."
"Yes Crystal?"
"What would happen if Winter lost one of her fins?"
"Well, if Winter lost one of her tail fins then she wouldn't be able to fly. If a dragon can't fly, it can't get away from hunter. A down dragon is a dead dragon."End of Flashback
The words 'Dead Dragon' echoed in Crystals' mind. She couldn't let the Night Fury die due to it inability to fly. Getting up, she went to a room in her palace that was like a workshop. It had some hammer, wrenches and other tools to build stuff. Crystal took some paper and made and sketch of Winter's tail that was similar to the Night Fury except it had sharp edges compared to her softer edges.
And she got to work building the prosthetic tail fin for the Night Fury dragon.
Once the tail was finished, Crystal went back to the park where she first found the Night Fury. The park was empty during the mid-afternoon. She brought a bag of fish to help coax the Night Fury out of hiding. "Hello?" she called.
"Night Fury? Are you here?" she looked around but didn't see the dragon. What she didn't know was that the dragon was creeping up from behind! The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she turned, gasping at the dragons' presence.
The dragon was low to the ground, giving her hisses and snarls. "Hey... it's okay." She placed the bag of fish on the ground and knocked it over, revealing all kinds of fish. "I've got some fish for you. Salmon, Perch, Pike and other kinds." she cooed. The Night Fury sniffed the pile and went right to eating. With the dragon distracted, she carefully went back towards his tail to attach the prosthetic fin. She placed it on the ground and moved it towards the tail, which moved to the side a little.
Crystal looked at the dragon who was still eating. She tried to attach it again but the dragons' tail kept moving so she had to grab it and sat on the dragons' tail. While she was attaching the fin, the Night Fury stopped eating and felt something on his tail. Moving the other tail, fin his wings dropped and he had a shocked expression on his face. Crystal, meanwhile was admiring her work. She used a thick pink cloth as the fin. "It looks good." What she didn't realize was that the Night Fury's wings were spreading out, signaling it was getting ready to fly.
The dragon suddenly took off with Crystal on it's tail. She bounced along the ground and the Night Fury fell to the ground.... this was gonna take some work.
Over the next couple of days, Sapphire worked on the Night Fury's tail. She called the Night Fury , Toothless cause she discover he had retractable teeth unlike Winter. When Winter came to with her to check on the Night Fury, it acted like a domesticated dragon companion. Through working with the Night Fury, the dragon seemed to gain more and more trust with Crystal, much to her relief.
Crystal did not tell her friends about the dragon, however, cause she didn't want to stress the Night Fury out anymore.
As the days passed, Crystal eventually made a tail that could be used so the Night Fury could fly on his own. She attached it to the area and admired it. "Alright big guy, give it a try." she stated. The Night Fury warbled while looking at his her tail fin. He spread his wings and flew into the air, flying flawlessly. "Yes it worked!" Crystal cried happily. The Night Fury gave a loud roar of happiness knowing that it could fly once again all thanks to Crystal.
Tootless landed and happily warbled. He bounded over to me and licked my face happily. "Hehehe, you're welcome buddy. Now go on." I urged. Toothless warbled and happily flew off with Crystal and Winter watching with proud smile.
Later that day, Crystal was outside of Iris's castle, practicing her Nature Magic. Her objective was to beat Korra in a practice battle.
"Now let's see what you got." Korra said.
Crystal nodded and Korra started off with firing a stream of fire at Crystal. Her horn lit up and she paused the fire and made it move around her like a ring and she fired it back at Korra who leaped into the air to dodge. "Awesome!" Rainbow said.
Korra formed a sphere of wind in her hands and launched it at Crystal. Using her magic, she halted the wind and dispersed the attack. She then formed her own sphere of wind at the tip of horn and blasted Korra and she fell to the ground.
Korra got up and used her earthbending to make large amounts of rock come out of the ground and she launched them at Crystal.Crystal charged the large boulders with her horn lit brightly and she leaped towards one and slashed them all in half!
"Unbelievable!" Hiro added.
Crystal stopped her foot and it made a small pillar of rock launch Korra into the sky where Crystal flew up and blasted her with her Alicorn Magic, sending her crashing to the ground. Crystal landed and saw Korra staggering to her feet. "And that's all." Mako called, acting as the referee.
Korra and Mako smiled proudly at Crystal, "You're getting better, Crystal." Korra said.
"Indeed, almost as good as Iris." Mako added.
Crystal smiled before Hiro and Pinkie tackled her in a hug. "You were amazing, Crystal. I never saw anything like that in my whole life!" Pinkie exclaimed happily.
"You rocked!" Hiro added. Crystal smiled, "Thanks you guys." Hiro and Pinkie let her get up as the others came over. "Your training is going very well Crystal." Leilani stated.
"Yes, it is most pleasing." Celestia added. Crystal blushed in embarrassment. "Hehehe." Winter and her other dragons nuzzled Crystal happily.
"So what do I do now?" Crystal asked.
"You... go and relax for the rest of the day, sweetie." Korra stated.
"Okay.... what do you do to relax?" Crystal asked bluntly. Everyone fell to the ground. They haven't really gotten around to teaching Crystal about some basic things people do.
That night, Crystal was fast asleep in the guest bedroom with her dragons friends by her bedside.
Tap Tap Tap...
"Huh?" Crystal and Winter woke up and heard the tapping again. Crystal looked towards the window and saw, "Toothless?" The Night Fury was outside of the window! Crystal opened the window and Toothless climbed in. "What are you doing here? I thought you flew far from here?" Crystal asked.
Toothless nudged Crystal and warbled. "You didn't want to go?" Crystal guessed.
Toothless nodded.
"Do you wanna stay here with me?" Crystal asked.
Toothless gave her a gummy smile and wagged his tail. "Hehe, alright you can stay with me... I have one heck of a story to tell the others in the morning." Crystal stated. She climbed back into bed as Toothless layed down beside Winter. Toothless placed a wing over Winter and the three of them fell asleep for the night.
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A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Chapter 14: An Equestrian Destiny Foreshadowed
The Guardians and Crystal were walking through Harmony City. "So, what do you guys wanna do?" Hiro asked everyone
"Oh, how about we show Crystal Equestria for the first time." Iris suggested.
"Yeah!" Everyone agreed and before Crystal knew it, she was yanked by Akari and was standing in front of the portal to Equestria. "Come on, you're gonna love it." Akari said before dragging Crystal through the portal, "Woah." The other Guardians leaped through the portal and were in Akari's parents' bedroom. Akari used her magic and teleported everyone to the outside of the castle.
Crystal was in awe at the pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies in Ponyville. "Woah... cool." she said. The Guardians smiled at her. "Isn't it?" Iris said.
"Akari? Iris, everyone?" The gang turned and saw Twilight and Flash. "What are you all doing here?" Twilight asked.
"We thought we'd show Crystal Equstria for the first time." Akari said.
"Yeah, you know like a small tour." Mai stated.
"Well, I guess that's alright, kids." Flash said. "You can give her a small tour but just Ponyville, alright?"
"Yes dad." Akari said. "Come on Crystal!" Crystal was dragged away for the third time. "Hey!"
Twilight and Flash laughed as the others raced after them. "Those kids are gonna make Crystal crazy." Flash said.
"Oh come now, honey. She'll be fine with them." Twilight said.
The Guardians gave Crystal a full tour of Ponyville, properly introducing her to the Mane 5 and their families. Crystal was a bit shy ut she did well with the introductions. Now they were all walking down the street together. "Ponyville is cool." Crystal said.
"You bet and one day we'll show you all of Equestria." Akari said. Crystal smiled, "I would like that." Just then, Twilight appeared in front of them but... something was different. "Um... Akari since when did your mom sparkle and glow?" Hiro asked.
"She.. never did this." Akari answered. The Twilight in front of them was sparkling and it looked crystally.
"Welcome...." it said sounding just like Twilight herself.
"Um... what are you doing here?" Iris asked.
"I am here to see Crystal Diamond." 'Twilight' said.
"Why?" Hiro asked.
"That I cannot reveal. Crystal Diamond follow me and you will see what I have for you." 'Twilight' said before walking away. The Guardians stared at Crystal, "I guess... I'll go then." and she began following 'Twilight'.
When she was gone, "Okay... now something smells fishy." Mai stated.
"That can't be Mom." Akari said and then gasped, "You don't think it's Chrysalis do you?"
"No way, Crystal beat her in battle remember?" Chi reminded. She was in her anthro form, which was a blue human.
"But we never found her body or a trace of her cause we were worried about getting Crystal to the hospital, remember." Iris said. Chi's eyes widened. "Oh right...." then all the Guardians screamed.
"What do we do?!" Gallant exclaimed.
"We have to gather everyone and follow Crystal before she get hurt." Iris informed. The Guardians nodded and went off to gather their friends and family to save Crystal.
Meanwhile, The Twilight Crystal was following led her through a large forest that was outside of Ponyville. Crystal didn't really like the thick vegetation blocking the sunlight and limiting her vision. "Um... Twilight... where exactly are we?" Crystal asked nervously.
"We are in the Forbidden Jungle." Twilight replied. "This is where we'll find what I wanted to show you."
"Um... what exactly are you gonna show me?" Crystal asked.
"I cannot reveal that answer, Crystal Diamond, just trust me." Twilight said. Crystal quietly whimpered and continued following the sparkling Twilight.
After a couple more hours of walking, the two of them came to the steps of a large temple. "A temple? Why are we here?" Crystal asked.
"This temple is where the item you seek lies but only you can past the traps and retrieve it." Twilight said.
"Why me?" Crystal asked.
"The traps are very dangerous and required a 'special' subject to make it through." Twilight said. Crystal gulped nervously. "But I know you will pass the trials ahead. Come along." Twilight spread her wings and flew up the stairs with Crystal hesitantly following. "I hope none of these traps are deadly."
The two came to the front entrance and saw a large door. The door has seven symbols on it. A star. A apple. A balloon. A butterfly. A Heart and a lightning bolt. "Hey.. these looks like my friends Element's of Harmony." Crystal realized.
"Yes.. this item is similar to the Elements of Harmony but it requires you to unlock it's powers." Twilight said. Twilight walked up to the door and simply placed her hoof on the door and it glowed brightly, sliding to the right. It opened and revealed a dark hallway. "Come.. this is where the adventure begins." Twilight said. Crystal landed on the ground and followed Twilight into the hallway.
Meanwhile, Korra, Mako and the others were rushing through the same exact forest trying to find Crystal and 'Twilight'. "Are you kids sure this me was glowing?" Twilight asked.
"Yes, and it sounded just like you." Akari said. "it's gotta be Chrysalis."
"But why would Chrysalis be glowing? Changelings do not glow." Rainbow stated.
"We'll have to find that out when we find Crystal and this other me." Twilight said.
"I hope she's alright." Gallant said, galloping beside his mother.
"I'm sure she's fine honey." Starlight added.
"Yeah and if Chrysalis hurts her, I'll squash her like the bug she is." Discord said, floating near everyone who were surprised to see him. "Discord, what are you doing here?" Iris asked.
"Oh nothing just wanted to join this rescue mission." Discord said. He made a sparkling Crystal next to him. "Of our little hero, Crystal Diamond."
"Well if this Twilight is really Chrysalis, we'll need all the power we can get." Iris said. "Now let's keep moving."
"Why would Chrysalis take her here in the first place?" Chi couldn't help but ask.
"Well there's a temple here but it's too dangerous to go into." Korra said.
"Why?" Iris asked.
"Because the temple traps are too dangerous for anypony or bender to get through without a map. It's like a death trap!" Korra stated. The Guardians gulped, worried even more about Crystal. If she by any chance went into the temple...
"Well that's bad news, because that sparkling Twilight took Crystal into the exact Temple of Harmony your talking about." Discord said.
"WHAT?!" The Guardians cried before dashing ahead. "Kids wait!" Mako cried but it was too late.
Mako sighed, "When it comes to that girl I swear their like Asmai and Bolin."
"Hey!" Asami and Bolin exclaimed , feeling insulted.
"He's referring to your protective instincts." Discord stated.
"Oh... okay." Asami and Bolin said in unison.
Crystal and Twilight carefully walked through the temple with Crystal lighting her horn to help her see. "Are you sure this is safe?" Crystal asked nervously with a gulp.
"You shall be fine." Twilight said. Suddenly, a block sank under Crystal's foot and the whole hallway began to rumble. "That can't be good." Crystal whimpered. Suddenly a large boulder came rolling down the hallway, "Oh man.." Crystal whimpered. She ran away with the boulder right behind her. She looked behind her and whimpered at the boulder. "If I can't outrun it.. I'll have to stop it... I hope it doesn't crush me." Crystal skidded to a stop and held out her hands. The Boulder slammed into her and her feet skidded across the ground as the she tried to stop the boulder. "Ugh... ughhh." she grunted. Her hands suddenly glowed orange and the boulder came to a skidding halt in the hallway. Crystal's hands stopped glowing and she panted before landing on her behind. "Ugh... that... was tiring."
Twilight appeared next to her. "Well done, Crystal... you've passed the first temple trap."
"Yeah... ughh." she groaned.
"Come on, there are more along this route." Twilight stomped her hoof and a secret passage appeared. "Woah..." Twilight walked down the passage and Crystal followed her and the passage door closed.
Meanwhile, the Guardians and the other heroes made it to the Temple of Harmony.. and saw the large door. "We have to get inside, but how?" Korra said.
"Hey this door has the same symbols as our Element of Harmony." Iris realized. Iris touched the door and a glowing line trailed from her hand and to the heart picture. The other guardians caught on and placed their hands on the door and their glowing lines trailed to their respective symbols and the door glowed and slide to the right, opening and revealing a dark hallway with a large boulder in it?
"Something tells me Crystal was here." Discord said. Everyone gave him a deadpanned stare.
Crystal and Twilight exited the secret passage and came to a large room with two doors on the end. The room was covered with dead flowers and crystals on the floor and the walls. "Okay... hello? Anyone here?" Crystal called out. Suddenly, one of the doors opened and something large came out of it... it was a chimera! A creature with a cat's body but it had the head of a tiger, snake and goat and a snake's tail.
"Lunchtime... I'm hungry." The tiger head hissed. Crystal gulped as the large chimera approached her. Crystal looked for something to defend herself with but she couldn't find anything. Crystal gulped and reluctantly lit her horn. The chimera pounced and Crystal leaped to the side, causing it to crash onto the ground. "N-Nice hybrid.. nice hybrid." Crystal said. The chimera growled and lunged towards her, Crystal leaped into the air and blasted the chimera making it roar in pain and fall on the ground. It's eyes glowed red like blood, making Crystal gasped.
"It must be a spell."
The chimera growled and stalked towards her. "I gotta cure it." she gulped nervously. "I hope this doesn't kill me." Crystal charged the chimera whom roared at her. She pounced and landed on the chimera's back. The chimera roared and tried to buck her off like a raging bull. Crystal grunted as he lit her horn and her hand suddenly glowed in a mixture of pink, purple and red and touched her horn to the chimera's back. The chimera stopped and it glowed white as well as the room and in an instant the whole room was filled with beautiful flowers; roses, dandelions, and many more and the crystals were glowing brightly, no longer dim like before.
As for the chimera....
Crystal got off of it's back and the chimera stared at her.... with soft yellow eyes. The tiger head purred and nuzzled Crystal as if saying, 'Thank you'.
"Your welcome." Crystal said. The chimera nodded and walked back towards the door it came from which opened and closed behind it.
Twilight came forth, "Well done, Crystal Diamond."
"Hehe, thanks." Crystal said.
The second door opened. "Forward Crystal." Twilight said as she walked through the door with Crystal following her.
The gang were now walking through the main hallway. After Korra punched the boulder to pieces, unblocking the path, everyone entered the temple in search for Crystal.
"Crystal.. where are you?" Pinkie and Hiro called.
"Umm... Hiro I don't think you're gonna find her that way." Mai deadpanned.
"It was worth a shot." Pinkie grumbled.
Iris and Akari were looking high and low for any clues as to where Crystal could have gone. "Oh, where is she?" Iris said.
Korra placed a hand on her back, "Easy sweetie, we'll find her. I promise."
Twilight nuzzled Akari, "Korra's right. We won't leave until we find Crystal." Suddenly, they all entered a large room that had pictures of the moon on the wall. "Okay... this is a weird room." Hiro commented.
"Thank you.. I adore the deigns." a voice came. Everyone tensed up and got into fighting stances. A small cloud of blue shadows appeared and when it took shape, everyone gasped in horror. "You?!" Iris exclaimed in horror.
"Yes, Princess Iris, I have returned. Hahahah!" the figure said.
Meanwhile, Crystal walked into another room. This room looked pretty bland. There weren't any doors. They're were not any marks on the walls. Just stone pillars holding up the ceiling. In the middle of the room was a large circular area. Crystal flew over it and saw that it was in the shape of a dragon.. a Night Fury to be exact.
Crystal landed. "Hello? Anyone here?" she called.
Suddenly, the ground began to glow green and something burst out of the floor. When the dust cleared, the figure revealed itself to be. "Queen Chrysalis?!"
"Yes little girl. I have returned and I'm here for revenge!" Chrysalis said. She launched a beam of her magic at Crystal who deflected it with her horn. "What's your problem?"
"My problem is that you ruined my whole plan! With you and your friendship nonsense, I'll never find enough love for myself!" Chrysalis blasted Crystal and she crashed into the wall. "You don't have to steal love to sustain yourself." Crystal called.
"Yes I do. It's the only way we changelings can survive." Chrysalis said. Crystal groaned as she got up and saw Chrysalis approaching her with her horn ready to blast her into smithereens.
"But maybe... maybe... maybe I can find you another way to survive." Chrysalis froze.
"What?" Chrysalis asked.
"Maybe I can find you a new way to sustain yourself?" Crystal proposed.
Chrysalis stared at her for a moment and.... she canceled her magic. "Do you really think you can help me? After... everything I did to you?" Crystal walked up to her and smiled, "Of course. Everyone deserves a second chance. Even changelings." Chrysalis only stared at Crystal before she smiled at her.
Suddenly, an evil laugh broke through the air. Chrysalis and Crystal jumped at the sound and a cage with The Mane 6, Team Avatar, Discord and Crystal's friends inside appeared out of nowhere! "Everyone?!" Crystal cried as she ran over to them. Iris and Akari saw her and gasped, "Crystal wait!" Iris cried. Suddenly a cluster of shadows came out of the ground and blocked Crystals' path. The shadows formed a familiar tall mare. Crystal recognized the mare. Her friends told her about her. The mare whom wanted to bring eternal night to Equestria aka the Mare in the Moon aka...
"Nightmare Moon?!"
"Haha!" she laughed. "That's right little girl."
Crystal growled. "Let my friends and family go right now!"
Nightmare Moon laughed, "I'll let them go but it will cost you."
"What do you want?" Crystal said narrowing her eyes.
Nightmare Moon chuckled, "I'll release your friends and family... if you give me your magic." The gang gasped in shock.
"Crystal, don't give it to her!" Iris exclaimed.
"Don't do it, Crystal!" Hiro added.
"Don't give the big meanie your magic!" Pinkie cried. Crystal looked at her friends and family, "I want an answer and I want it now, girl." Nightmare Moon demanded, spreading her wings, showing her seriousness. Crystal stared at the floor before a rainbow stripe appeared over her eyes which widened a little. She knew what she had to do...
She stared at Nightmare Moon and said... "I will give you my magic... in exchange for my family."
Everyone gasped in horror. Nightmare Moon laughed. "Excellent." she hissed. She lit her horn and she used her magic to make the cage disappear. Then she turned to Crystal, "Now your turn..." she hissed. She used her magic and Crystal felt a strong and painful tug on the tip of her horn. Her magic was forming a small ball with many colors over Nightmare Moon instead of going straight into her body.
When the stealing was completed, Crystal fell to the ground with her eyes tinted gray and feeling very weak. Chyrsalis gasped and helped Crystal to her feet. Nightmare Moon looked at Crystal and Chrysalis before saying... "Well done, Crystal.."
"HUH?!" Everyone exclaimed. Nightmare Moon glowed brightly before it changed back into the sparkling Twilight. "The Sparkling Twilight was Nightmare Moon?!" Pinkie exclaimed.
Astral Twilight returned Crystal her magic and she felt a lot better. Then she turned to the large group. "I am not Nightmare Moon." she said.
"Okay sparkling... me. What do you want with Crystal?" Twilight interrogated.
"I am mean her no harm. I simply brought her here to give her something." Astral Twilight then hovered in the air and six gemstones appeared before her. "The Element of Harmony?!" Iris exclaimed. They looked like the Element but they were different.
The gemstones were an orange shovel, a purple flower, a white book, a pink blindfold, a blue shield, a yellow mask. They all floated around her. "Not quite. These are reflections of the Elements of Harmony which Crystal represents Strength, Healing, Bravery, Beauty, Hope and Sorcery." Astral Twilight brought the six gemstones together and they all connected and formed one long center of a golden sword which was magically placed in Crystal's hands.
(Like This)
"Woah... thank you but... who are you?" Crystal asked.
"Wait.. you knew about the Elements... and Crystal too." Akari gasped and exclaimed. "You're the Tree of Harmony!"
Astral Twilight nodded and everyone was amazed. "The Tree of Harmony changed into a sparkling version of Twilight to talk to Crystal? ... Did I miss something in History?" Chi asked.
"Like all living things I change as I grow. As I have grown so have my abilities." Astral Twilight stated.
"So what was with all of the tests?" Crystal asked.
"The test were to allow me to see if you truly represent the reflections of the Elements of Harmony." Astral Twilight stated. "And you passed everyone with flying colors."
Crystal nodded. "You should all be very proud of Crystal. She's a very special girl and she'll have a very important role to play in the future." Astral Twilight said.
"Are you sure?" Crystal asked.
"I am positive. I will keep an eye on you and see your progress. Farewell until then." Astral Twilight became a bright flash and everyone found themselves in Iris castle. "Woah... that is one strange tree." Mako stated.
"But something tells me that the Tree of Harmony has something planned for Crystal, we just don't know what." Korra said.
"That's for sure mom." Iris stated. Crystal looked at her sword which shined in the light. Everyone looked at Crystal with great pride. There was one thing they knew for sure. There was more to Crystal than meets the eye.
The next day, Crystal was in the castle library reading up on some types of bending and magic types. As she was reading, she began to think to herself. As far as she knows, she had the magic to control the Elements of Nature but could she bend them like all her friends? That never really came to mind before but now she was learning about the different types of bending and it made her curious.
Korra and Mako came into the library, "There you Crystal. Iris was looking for you."
"Oh... hi.. um.. Korra, Mako?" Crystal started.
"Yes Crystal?" Korra asked.
"Do you think I can bend the elements like you and the others?" Crystal asked. Korra and Mako stared at each other in surprise. "Huh.... we never really thought about that before." Mako said.
"Yeah... I don't know about that but there's one way we can find out if you can bend the elements." Korra said.
Soon, the two of them were outside with Iris and Crystal. Korra and Crystal were standing near a small lake. "Now try to do what I do, alright?" Korra asked, looking at Crystal. Crystal nodded and watched as Korra moved her hands, making the water stir and rise up a little. Crystal held her hands out the water and concentrated hard. The water began to move a little bit but suddenly Crystal cried out in pain and fell down holding her head.
"Crystal!" Korra cried. Iris and Mako gasped and ran over. Crystal groaned and held her head. "I think I blew one of my brain cells." she groaned.
"Easy, Crystal." Iris said.
"Maybe we should try with Airbending first?" Korra suggested.
"Right." Mako said. Soon, Korra was showing Crystal some simple Airbending moves and wanted Crystal to do the same thing but whenever Crystal tried to copy her, it ended with her getting a splitting headache. The same happened with Earth and Firebending.
Now Crystal was laying in bed with an ice pack on her head. "Ugh... my aching head." she groaned. Hiro and the others were in her room with her. "Just take it easy, Crystal." Mai stated.
"Gee, wonder why you can't do any bending?" Chi asked.
"Chi, we don't know that for sure." Nori scolded. Chi held up her hands, "Alright, alright."
Crystal groaned, "Just face it, I'll never be able to bend like you guys. I'll just be relying on my magic for the rest of my life."
"Crystal, don't say that." Iris reassured. "I'm sure you'll be able to bend in no time."
Crystal sighed, "Yeah right." Crystal covered herself with her covers. "Can be alone now?"
Iris sighed, "Alright.." Iris and the others walked out of her room and were met with Korra and Mako. "How is she?" Korra asked.
"She's down in the dumps." Akari stated.
Korra sighed, "Poor girl. Wish we knew what was wrong."
"Maybe she'll be better by tomorrow." Mako reassured.
The Next Day...
"YIKES?!" Iris cried. Iris, Korra and Mako were sitting at the table for a nice breakfast when Crystal came in with her hair extremely messy, bags under her eyes and miserable look on her face. Iris flinched at the sight of her, "Umm... you okay there Crystal?" Iris asked gently.
"Ehh..." Crystal went over to the toaster and placed two pieces of toast inside. Korra, Mako and Iris were behind her looking at each other. Soon the toast was done and Crystal levitated the pieces of toast onto a plate. "Um... don't you um... wanna get dressed Crystal?" Mako asked.
"... No thanks... there's no point." Crystal said in a sad tone then she walked away from them.
"Oh dear... this no bending thing is really getting to her." Iris said with a worried tone.
"That's for sure." Korra said in the same tone. "You better go check on her, dear."
Iris nodded and went to Crystal's room and opened the door. She found Crystal laying in bed with her dragons nearby looking at her with concern.
"She's a blue as a blue jay." Iris said. "This no bending thing must be really hard on her."
"I've never seen her this sad before." Korra said. "There's gotta be something to cheer her up."
"Well why don't you ask a certain stone dragon if she can bed or not." a voice said and that's when Discord appeared.
"Discord? What are you doing here?" Iris asked.
"Oh, I couldn't help but overhear a certain friend of ours is having trouble bending the elements like her friends, here." Discord said. "So I thought maybe a certain Sentinel Dragon knows if Crystal can bend the elements or not."
"That's actually a great idea.. but how are we gonna find the Sentinel?" Akari asked.
"No need." The Sentinel flew int through the window and fluttered onto the floor.
"Sentinel!" Mai asked.
"Wow, he's good with timing." Hiro said.
"I heard your concerns about your friend and I do have an answer as to why she cannot bend the Elements."
Crystal shot up in bed, now surprised and interested. "You do?!" she exclaimed.
"Yes... you cannot bend the Elements like your friends yet. And the reason being is that you haven't unlocked that ability yet, young one."
"Unlocked it? So I have to unlock the ability to bend the Elements? How?" Crystal asked.
"That is something you will have to find on your own, my young student." Crystal sighed. Iris and the others came to her side, "Don't worry buddy, you'll unlock your bending before you know it." Mai stated.
"Yeah and then Pinkie and I will have a 'Congratulations on your new ability' Party!" Hiro exclaimed. "Yeah!" Crystal smiled at her friends and hugged them. "Thanks you guys." The Sentinel and Discord smiled at the gang of friends.
A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Chapter 15: Honoring Ceremony Gone Wrong
Hi, I'm Crystal Diamond. I don’t have any unique role in Equestria or Harmony City, luckily I have amazing friends and partners who are there for me no matter what. I know that with them by my side, I’ll eventually find a destiny for me one day. But some things you just can’t prepare for.
Now on with the main movie plot!
I was in the halls of the Canterlot Palace, being calm. “Ooommm… Oooommm… My goodness! I can’t handle this!” I stated in a panicked tone. “Alright, alright.. Get it together. Just go in there and ask. This is your friends Friendship Festival. Everyone’s happiness rest in your hands.” … Yeah that pep talk to myself did not do anything to help me. “Ooooh.” I groaned. The door opened and out came Spike, Twilight’s dragon assistant. “Alright, Sarah, I have all your charts and graph.”
“Oh thank goodness, you’re here Spike. I’m just so nervous about this meeting.” I said.
“What are you talking about?” Spike asked.
“I’m about to ask the most royal ponies in Equestria a huge favor. What if they reject me?” I asked.
“I’ll be fine. Just remember the most important thing.”
“... Smile?” I suggested, giving him and large a somewhat creepy smile. “Uh..no.” he said. “You’re their friend.”
“...Right!” I said. I took a deep breath and pushed opened the doors to the throne room, seeing the royal family. Queen Leilani, Queen Celestia, Princess Luna and Cadence “Good morning, Princesses and Queen. Thank you all for seeing me. I have an idea that I think will make our Friendship Festival the most wonderful celebration Equestria has ever seen!”
“Yes, Crystal! We are very excited!” Leilani said.
“Ponies have been arriving from all over all morning.” Cadene added.
“I'd like to think it's to see us, but Songbird Serenade might be the bigger attraction.” Luna stated.
“Yes, she is the... "mane" event!” I giggled a little. “And to make it extra special, I could use your help. Spike?”
Spike rolled out a large white board and as I talked Spike drew out everything. “Songbird Serenade's performance is not scheduled to start until after you begin the sunset. And based on my precise calculation, to get the very best lighting for the stage, Princess Celestia, I was hoping you could make sure the sun stays about 28.1º to the south, and, Princess Luna, if you could raise the moon 62º to the north at the same time, it would reflect the sunlight on the other side and really frame the entire stage perfectly!”
“I…” Luna stuttered.
“But wait! There's more! Cadance, if you could use your crystal magic to create an aurora above the stage, the sun and the moon will shine through it and create a truly amazing light show!”
“Presenting Songbird Serenade!” Spike cheered holding a little stick with Songbird Serenade’s sticker on it. “Ta-da…”
"I'm guessing this was Akari and Iris' plan?" Korra smirked.
"Yes, yes it was." Spike answered.
“So you're saying you want us to move the sun and the moon for the party?” Luna asked.
“Well, I'd do it myself, except I don't have your magic.” I laughed nervously. Princess Celestia came up to me, “Sarah, each of us uses our powers to serve Equestria in our own way. You are the Princess of Friendship. You already have all the magic you need.”
“ So... that'd be a no?” I questioned.
Third Person POV
Meanwhile the Mane 5 and Akari, Iris, Nori, Chi, Gallent Seed, Hiro and Mal were getting everything ready for the Friendship Festival. Rainbow Dash had finished clearing the clouds. “Skies clear and ready for the festival.” She zipped down and saw Rarity and Kaede placing diamonds on the ribbons. Pinkie and Hrio were blowing up balloons for the party. Twilight and Mal were making sure everything was in tip top shape. Applejack came over hauling a large barrel of apple cider. “Anypony up for some free samples of my family's apple cider?” she asked aloud.
Rainbow grinned and zipped over, “Thank you.” and zipped back. “Love’d it.”
Applejack admired Rarity work. “Wow, Rarity. It's a fine job you're doin' there. 'Course it might not get done 'til after the concert.”
“ Applejack anypony can do "fine". Akari and Iris asked us, so clearly, she's going for fabulous, and fabulous takes time.” Rarity said.
“Fabulous takes forever!” Rainbow whined, “But "awesome"...” Rainbow and Chi flew past the stage, putting the diamonds on the ribbons in a sloppy manner. She returned to Rarity’s side. “...can get done in four seconds flat! Faster if I do my sonic rainboom!”
“Aah! No, no, oh no! Don't you dare, Rainbow Dash! It looks wretched enough already.” Rarity exclaimed.
“It looks fine to me.” Chi stated.
“If you were raised in a barn! Ahem, no offense, Applejack.” Rarity said.
“None taken. Especially since I wasn't raised in a barn. My family just happens to have a barn. Where I was born. And... spent most of my formative years…”
“Raised in a barn!” Rainbow said quickly in unison.
POV Ends
Then, I came over with Spike holding a list with my hands, “Okay, just two hundred and eighteen things left to do and we're ready.”
“Hey Sarah.” All my friends greeted.
“So how’d it go with the Royals? Did they like your idea?” Applejack asked.
“I bet they loved it!” Pinkie called out in the background. I sighed, “Not exactly. They think I can make today perfect without their magic.”
“And they are absolutely right.” Kaede said.
“Yeah, this festival was Akari and Iris’s brilliant idea to honor you and all your done both Equestria and Harmony City as well as friendship and we all know your up the task.” Rarity encouraged. I still wasn’t convinced. “Are you sure?” I asked. All my friends nodded. That’s when all of our dragons came onto the scene. They all roared happily, having heard our conversation from above.
That’s when Pinkie grabbed my face and literally smashed it against hers. “Sarah, look at me! This will be the biggest celebration Equestria has ever seen! As the only one of us who has no certain role in Equestria or Harmony City, you cannot fail! This day will define who you are! The pressure is intense! It's almost too much for any single pony to handle!” She then screamed and ponies nearby gasped.
“Too far, Pinkie. Too far.” Hiro said with a sweat drop.
“Yep.” Mal agreed. I blinked twice and Pinkie hopped off of me. “But you have us. So stop worrying.” she said. Music started playing as I smiled nervously and Applejack and Mason helped me up.
(Applejack and Mal)It's time to show 'em what you've got
(Rarity and Nori)It's time to go and get things done
(Fluttershy and Gallent)But you don't have to do it on your own
(Pinkie Pie and Hrio)'Cause you've got friends right here to make it fun
(All)We got this, you got this We got this together
Rainbow grabbed me and took me into the sky with Chi following behind me
(Rainbow Dash and Chi)Sometimes the pressure gets you down And the clouds are dark and grey Just kick them off and let the sun shine through
And scary as it seems, more help is on the way 'Cause friends have friends that wanna help out, too
(Rainbow Dash, Chi and Wonderbolts)We got this, you got this We got this together
(Crowd)It's the Festival of Friendship And we can get it done A festival that they won't forget
A person to be proud of A day of games and fun Just you wait and see A magic day in perfect harmony
(Fluttershy)You got this
(Bird)
(Fluttershy and bird whistle)We got this together
(Applejack)With friends and family, you are never alone If you need help, we've got your back You can be honest, let your problems be known
(Applejack and Apple family)'Cause you got us to pick up the slack We got this
(Big McIntosh)Eeyup!
(Apple family)We got this together
(Rarity and Nori)Pay attention to the details Every gem even-spaced Make the colors perfect
(Spike)Takin' one or two to taste
He took one of the gems and at them
(Rarity)Inside and out, beautiful throughout Generosity is what we're all about
(Spike)(mouthful) You got this
(Rarity and Nori)You got this
(Rarity, Nori and Spike)We got this together
I flew into the sky, overlooking the area.
(Me)Today needs to be perfect, it all comes down to me I don't know if I'm ready For all the things they need me to be I have no role as of right now But I’m sure that one day I will It's my promise to bring creatures together And never let anybody down!
(Pinkie Pie and Hiro)We've got an awful lot to bake Each pony needs a piece of cake Oh, wait! There's something better we can do
We're gonna need some more supplies To make a really big surprise She'll be so shocked She's sure to love it, too!
You got this! We got this together!
(All)It's the Festival of Friendship Together we are one A day we will never forget
And now special girl is ready So when the day is done
(Rainbow Dash and Chi)The weather
(Applejack and Mal)The banquet
(Rarity and Nori)The style
(Fluttershy and Gallent)And music
(All)All will be in perfect harmony!
Suddenly, I heard a large ‘POP’ sound behind me. I turned around and look up… only to be consumed by giant cake pieces.
“Oh dear!” Rarity exclaimed. I popped my head out, “Pinkie! Hiro!” and a lit candle landed on my head. Pinkie and Ren popped out of her cannon, “Oops sorry, guess my large party cannon needs a little more fine tuning.” Pinkie admitted. “Sorry.” Hrio apologized. I only groaned. I walked out of the cake and cleaned myself just as ponies were whispering.
“Songbird Serenade, is it really her?”
“It is, It is.”
Through the crowd came two bodyguard ponies and in the middle was a beige pegasus pony with a tan and black mane and tail. The mane covered her eyes and she was wearing a black jacket. “Hi, I’m looking for the pony in charge.” she asked. Cameras flashed and she did a few poses. “I need to get ready for my soundcheck.”
“Songbird Serenade!” I called. “Hi, my name is Crystal and I’m the human in charge.”
“Ah good-” Before she could continue, there was a sound of thunder. We all looked up and saw dark clouds coming over and filling the air. “Storm clouds?” Chi asked.
“Rainbow Dash?” I asked.
“Uh, I don't think those are storm clouds.” Rainbow said.
“Yeah. I have a bad feeling about those clouds.” Mai said. Then a weird looking airship came out of the cloud.
“Ooh! I bet those are the clowns I ordered!” Pinkie cheered, but when the ship got closer she added, “...Or definitely not the clowns I ordered. The airship was stationed right in front of us and broke of the thin pillars. A walk path came out and out came a small hedgehog carrying a loudspeaker and a mic. The hedgehog cleared his throat and said, Ponies of Equethtria, we come on behalf of the fearsome, the powerful, the almighty...Storm King!
I narrowed my eyes a little as the rest of my friends started in concern and suspicion. The hedgehog continued, “And now, to deliver the evil, evil methage, put your hooves together for Commander Tempeeeetht!”
We heard footsteps and out came a unicorn mare wearing gray armor. She had a scar over her left eyes and… she had a broken horn!
“Is that a unicorn?” Twilight asked.
“I think so, but what happened to her horn.” Spike asked.
“It looks like it was cut off or something.” Hiro stated.
The children all stepped back when Korra, Twilight, Leilani, Celestia, Luna, Cadance and Flurry Heart all flew down, landing in front of the airship and Tempest, shielding the others. Mako and Shinning Armor rode on Discord's back and both flipped off once they reached the ground, standing alongside their wives, while Discord stood near the alicorn queens. Flash Sentry landed right beside Twilight, both pairs of their wings spread out in intimidation. The rest of the Team Avatar stood beside them, taking fighting positions. The Mane Six each were accompanied by their husbands.
"I don't believe your "Storm King" is on the guest list." Korra said, her voice as powerful as her presence.
“Tempest.. Is it? How may we help you?” Celestia asked.
“Oh I’m so glad. How about we start with your complete and total surrender .” Tempest said. Okay. She’s bad news and the rest of the gang knew it too. I decided to step forward but Iris held me back and shook her head, telling me it was too risky. "Here's the deal, Your Majesties. I need your magic. Give it up nicely, please, or we make it difficult. For everyone."
"And why should we cower before you?" Queen Luna said, stepping forward. "There is one of you and hundreds of us!"
Right behind the rulers and Team Avatar, a grand number of humans, spirits and ponies all puffed up their chests, ready to fight. A few parents shielded their kids and or spouses or the elderly. The police force was already in position, accompanied by the WonderBolts and the airbenders.
Rohan, along with his older siblings and little nephews and nieces took front and center. Lin, Suyin and the rest of their family from Zaofu were also in position, even Baatar Jr., who protected a woman, who had been his wife for several years now. Even Aiwei, despite his old age, stood firmly alongside his spider-scorpion companion.
Dragon Lord Ember, King Thorax and Gilda all stood alongside their respected races. Fluttershy had her wings spread out, as did her children, ready to fight. The Apple Family were in position and Asami had already pulled her electric glove out. Several more of her Future Industries employers all carried gloves of their own, in case of an emergency, and this one definitely qualified as one.
Korra's parents, Mako and Bolin's family, the Mane Six's families, even the former Prince Wu took a flying pan from a nearby stand and swung it a few times, ready to hit somebody. Wan Shi Tong spread his wings wide, his neck outstretching to appear all the more monstrous. Spike, Ali, Mika and San stood alongside Korra and Twilight. Spike was already flaring his nostrils, while his girlfriend Mika hissed, a fork tongue sticking out and slithering like a snake in mid air.
Everybody who shared a close connection with Team Avatar Harmony was ready to fight. After all, what more damage could one hornless unicorn and a chubby hedgehog really do?
Tempest chuckled, “I was hoping you’d choose ‘Difficult’.” That’s when more airships came in and large Storm creatures came out and landed in the area. Ponies screamed and ran for their lives.
Tempest leaped into the air and threw an obsidian orb at Celestia. “Celestia!” I cried. Cadence stepped in front of her aunts and used a shield to protect them, but the orb broke through and hit her, “YAAHHH!” she cried. I gasped in horror as she was turning into a statue. “Oh my goodness!” Rarity cried.
Right behind the rulers and Team Avatar, a grand number of humans, spirits and ponies all puffed up their chests, ready to fight. A few parents shielded their kids and or spouses or the elderly. The police force was already in position, accompanied by the Wonderbolts and the airbenders.
Rohan, along with his older siblings and little nephews and nieces took front and center. Lin, Suyin and the rest of their family from Zaofu were also in position, even Baatar Jr., who protected a woman, who had been his wife for several years now. Even Aiwei, despite his old age, stood firmly alongside his spider-scorpion companion.
Dragon Lord Ember, King Thorax and Gilda all stood alongside their respected races. Fluttershy had her wings spread out, as did her children, ready to fight. The Apple Family were in position and Asami had already pulled her electric glove out. Several more of her Future Industries employers all carried gloves of their own, in case of an emergency, and this one definitely qualified as one.
Korra's parents, Mako and Bolin's family, the Mane Six's families, even the former Prince Wu took a flying pan from a nearby stand and swung it a few times, ready to hit somebody. Wan Shi Tong spread his wings wide, his neck outstretching to appear all the more monstrous. Spike, Ali, Mika and San stood alongside Korra and Twilight. Spike was already flaring his nostrils, while his girlfriend Mika hissed, a fork tongue sticking out and slithering like a snake in mid air.
Everybody who shared a close connection with Team Avatar Harmony was ready to fight. After all, what more damage could one hornless unicorn and a chubby hedgehog really do?
As for this Storm King character, they went up against the spirit of darkness himself, not to mention Ronin and Chrysalis before her reformation. Whatever he would throw at them, they had the numbers, they had the means, they could face him.
Tempest, on the other hand, didn't look at all threatened by their impeccable bravery. If anything, she chuckled in amusement.
"I was hoping you'd choose… ''difficult ``.
Behind Tempest, a couple of large, hulking looking creatures emerged from the inside of the ship. They were as tall as P'Li herself, maybe a head or two higher. They wore black masks that covered their faces save for their blue eyes. They wore thick, black armor that only partly covered their furry white and gray bodies. They had large paws, canine-like legs and long tails that whipped around from behind them.
Two more airships appeared, followed by more. And more, and more, and more to the point in which not a single trace of sunlight, or even the blue of the once beautifully clear sky could be seen for miles and miles. Their once beautiful, colorful festival had turned dark and gray in a matter of seconds. President Iroh placed a protective hand on Lu Ten's shoulder. The young man could feel his uncle's hand trembling.
"It's a nation sized army!" Iroh said, his voice trembling as well, droplets of sweat dripping from his brow. "How is that possible?"
"Doesn't matter." Queen Luna said, "We have armies of our own."
"Warriors, get ready! Children and elderly, take for cover!" Celestia boomed. The others obeyed her orders and got into position while others helped the ones who couldn't fight to move to a safer location.
From the airships, more of the hairy masked creatures jumped down and landed onto the plaza with crushing force. Several guests were already screaming in terror and running for their lives, while the fighters remained to defend the city.
Several airbenders and spirits tried to lead the defenseless guests away, including the world leaders, but the creatures keep on landing on them faster than they could blink. In a matter of minutes, they had half of the city surrounded, smashing all of the once beautiful decorations and games of the Festival, while more and more guests ran for their lives. It was complete chaos, but not the kind Discord would have enjoyed.
The pegasus ponies and spirits aimed at the creatures, ready to fight, unleashing their bending and unique spirit powers, but they weren't prepared for what came next.
The Storm Creatures all pulled from their belts black glowing orbs with electrical currents coursing through the surface and tossed them at their incoming attackers. The pegasus ponies attempted to block the attacks with their airbending, only their attacks had little to no effect. None at all, in fact.
The orbs flew right through their attacks as if they were none existent, heading directly at the pegasus ponies as if the orbs had minds of their own. Upon close contact, orbs expanded. In a flash, they trapped the ponies and spirits in electrical cages before landing hard on the ground where they manifested into thick cages that was a perfect blend of some kind of otherworldly metal and rock.
Airbenders ponies tried using their bending, but just like with the pegasus ponies, their powers did nothing. Royal guards and even Naga, Akhlut and Timber charged at the storm creatures, but the orbs quickly expended upon close contact. Even for those who didn't have powers, the creatures had precise aiming and could trap the defenseless guests with ease. The guards and the three canines whimpered upon imprisonment.
The objects appeared to activate upon close proximity, and there were thousands of the creatures swarming the city as even more airships came over, knocking down pillars of the castle, the roofs of houses and the creatures smashed through the streets, destroying everything in sight. Their shields blocked the attacks of the heroes, and while they were distracted with one, it gave another creature the opportunity to throw an orb and trap them.
The process repeated itself, with each of the creatures trapping every magically powered citizen in their stone cages. The energy around them were unlike anything they had ever felt. Eska, Desna and Tonraq were immediately subdued, trapped inside a cage that prevented them from bending the water. Whenever they tried, the cage would sent out electrical currents that knocked them out the harder they fought, their bodies feeling heavier than ever.
Wan Shi Tong and Goldie the dragon bird swooped down, claws at the ready, but they too had met the same fate as their comrades. The orbs acted fast and without warning and any magical attacks they had were rendered useless. It was as if their very powers called the orbs towards them, like a moth to a flame.
Dragons, Griffins and changelings were knocked down from the sky, metalbenders and firebenders fought to break free, but like Korra's family, they were knocked out the harder they fought. Mai was even forced to see Iroh and Lu Ten, both fighting side by side with their fire and water, get beaten and trapped. Mai wanted to go and help, but was pulled back by her brother. If she did anything, she would get trapped too.
Team Avatar watched helplessly as each of their friends and family got defeated one by one with such ease. Chrysalis stared with a horrified look. These rocks, she knew she had seen them from somewhere before. She noticed that no matter how hard the heroes fought, their magic only made the orbs come directly towards them, as if it was… feeding off of their magic.
"Surprised?" Tempest voiced, getting their attention. "Just a little something I found and improved during my exile. Got some inspiration from your old friend, Amon. Of course, I'm not here to rid the world of magic. If anything, it will only bring me back what you took from me! "
Tempest jumped up, her horn emitting lethal looking sparks of magic. A green stone, wrapped inside a see-through black orb emerged from her pocket. She kicked it in mid air and it was aiming directly for Celestia and Luna.
Discord jumped in between the orb and the alicorn sisters, creating a shield to protect them. Just when he was about to pat himself on the back, he realized something was horribly wrong. This energy felt familiar… too familiar.
His red pupils became slits as he fought the force of the orb, but the harder he fought the more it tried to reach him. The orb broke through the shield, striking Discord in the chest, where a thick layer of black crystalized stone began to grow and rapidly engulf his entire body.
"Discord! " Fluttershy, Thorax and Starlight all screamed his name, seeing their comrade turning into stone once again.
Discord grunted struggling to break free of its hold. "I can't... stop it!" The spell was reaching his neck and he shouted his final words of warning. "It sucks up magic! Run! RUN! " Discord was silenced when the last of the stone covered his afce, freezing him in a state of terror and regret.
Fluttershy was on the verge of tears. Discord had been turned to stone again, and not because of his evil actions, but in trying to save everyone. Team Avatar wanted to fight, but for once, their magic was becoming their undoing. They couldn't fight like this. They needed a different plan.
Leilani, desperately turned to her two daughters. "Celestia, Luna, quick! Go south beyond the Badlands! Seek help from the Queen of the Hippo—" Leilani gasped and used her magic to blast everyone around her out of the way as another green stone came at them.
Korra and Mako were thrown back, but they held onto Iris. Twilight and Flash held onto Akari as they were pushed back. Kombu bravely held both his wife and daughter, while Applejack and Double Diamond kept their children away from the blast. They all watched in horror as the oldest alicorn took the hit, her entire body turning to stone in the blink of an eye.
"MOTHER!! " Celestia and Luna felt grief and rage overfill them as the tears shed.
"NO! " Korra was already shedding tears as well, seeing her mentor literally petrified.
"We must go!" Celestia ordered. "We can't waste anymore time!"
"We can't just leave everyone!" Cadance protested.
"Look out!" Shinning Armor knocked both his wife and daughter out of the way just as another green stone came at him. Just like Leilani, he was turned to stone on the spot.
"Dad!"
"Shinning Armor!"
"Everybody, this way!" Rainbow Dash led the way and the others followed. Mako gripped Iris's wrist, dragging her along with him and Korra. The Seven Elements of Harmony and the rest ran for their lives. They hated running, but they had no other choice.
"What are those things?!" Nori asked as she galloped alongside her father and Rarity.
"I think I might know!" Chrysalis said, "They're made of the same material as my old throne! It feeds on the nearest magical energy and traps it!"
"And Canterlot is filled with nothing but magical energy!" Starlight Glimmer said horrified. "The more we fight back, the more those cages stick onto us like magnets!"
"So, magic won't help us now! Fantastic!" Flurry Heart said with a sarcastic and irritable grunt. They needed to reach the Badlands to find this queen Leilani spoke of, and they had to do it without using their magic or risk getting captured as well.
They were blocked by more goons, which managed to trap Bolin and Asami in an orb as they ran. The two parents blocked their children, taking the hit themselves. It rolled around like a ball before stopping and materializing into these stone cage. The two were already knocked out.
"Bolin!"
"Asami!"
Mako and Korra cried out, both held back by Celestia and Luna. Flurry Heart and Cadance stepped forward, blocking the others from the rest of the creatures that surrounded them. "Keep going!" Flurry Heart ordered. "We'll hold them off!"
"But, Flurry--" Akari protested, only to be silenced by her cousin's insistence.
"GO!"
Akari was forced to comply and galloped ahead alongside her parents. She looked over her shoulder and saw her aunt and cousin fighting the creatures, only for Tempest to come rising up into the air and kicking another stone.
"NO!" Akari cried, witnessing her family turning to stone before her eyes. Twilight didn't feel right leaving them, but they didn't have a choice.
"We can't keep this up!" Nova cried out, galloping alongside Sunset and Eclipse. "There's too many of them!"
Just as he said, another orb came at him and his family, trapping them in cages. "No!" Chi cried out. Little Eclipse tried reaching out for his aunt, but to no avail.
"Keep going, Chi!" Sunset cried out. Chi was dragged away by Rainbow Dash. The rainbow haired pegasus couldn't bare to look at them like this. She fought back the tears, which was more than could be said for Chi, who's vision was already becoming blurry.
Celestia and Luna flew up, blasting the creatures in their wake, but it didn't take long for them to also get petrified in mid air. Korra and Twilight each used their magic to save their fellow queens from falling and breaking to pieces. They were aware of the risk, but they couldn't allow their fellow alicorns to perish. The two struggled to keep them steady, the rock being heavier than anything they had ever felt.
The rest of the Mane Six saw Tempest about to send another stone at their friends. Acting on impulse, they all ran up and shielded their friends.
"Korra!"
"Twilight!"
The two alicorns shielded their eyes as the stone hit, only rather than strike only the Mane Six, it took all of them at once. Double Diamond, Sweet Gala, Half Pipe, Cheese Sandwich, Cookie Cream, Soarin, Fire Fly, Kombu, Nori, Thorax, Leo, River, Ivy, Flash Sentry, Akari, Mako, Ali, Mika, San and Iris all watched with blurry, tearful eyes at seeing the now petrified bodies of their wives and mothers. Iris and Akari felt a pang of guilt pressing hard against their chests.
The goons took this opportunity to trap each of the families in cages, save for Nori and Kombu, who jumped out of the way in the nick of time. Kombu then harshly pushed his daughter away. She rolled onto the ground, grunting in pain and got up only to see her father already caged. Each of the Mane Six's families were trapped.
Spike, Ali, Mika and San tried to fight them off, by the orbs trapped them as well. Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst pushed Gallant Steed out of the way before he got caged as well.
"Keep going, Gallant!" Sunburst shouted. His son reluctantly complied.
Tempest kicked one last stone, aiming them at Me, Iris and Akari, who ran alongside their friends and respected fathers. We were the only ones left who hadn't been caged, and all because of their parents's and friends intervening. No doubt they were doing this to keep the Elements of Harmony safe. The future of their homeland was more important than their own well being.
This was proven even further when Iris, Akari and I saw another one of the incoming green orbs and froze, knowing they couldn't do anything to stop it. The rock came at them with incredible speed, but the spell never took effect for they had been pushed back by some kind of electrical current, which sent all the other kids flying off, a good ten feet away. It was a powerful lightning move which only Iris's father had managed to master over the years.
"Dad! " Iris and Akari called out, knowing full well what their fathers had done. They watched the two give their daughters one final smile before succumbing to their fate. A green mist blocked their view before witnessing the last bit of stone reach their faces.
Mai and Chrysalis helped Iris and Akari back to their feet and they ran towards the bridge. Their only last means of escape. Their tiaras were left carelessly on the cobblestone floor.
Once the smoke had cleared, Tempest Shadow stood proudly, seeing the silhouettes of a human and winged pony. She chuckled. "Easy as pie."
"Oh, I love pie." said the hedgehog standing beside her, sighing dreamingly at the thought of the delicious pastry. "Oh, you totally got the last princesses!" he said once the smoke cleared, then scratched his chin, studying the now stoned statues. "Uh, they're a lot taller than I thought. And… manlier looking?"
Tempest's rage flared. Rather than a teenager winged girl and alicorn, all she got was a grown man and a stallion pegasus, standing still, with smiles staring at her that read 'you're too late'.
"Those aren't the Princesses!" Tempest growled, her broken horn flaring and then sharply turned to the hedgehog, "Grubber, get them. Now!"
The hedgehog, Grubber, complied and ran off to call to the other goons. "Guys, we gotta get the Princesses!"
Tempest flared her nostrils as she approached the statue of Mako and Flash Sentry. "Smile all you want, your Majesties. You won't get the better of me again."
The last thing she felt were the remaining shards of a fire-based tiara, crushed underneath her hoof.
“Here, guys!” Hiro called over. We all ran onto the bridge when we were blocked by two Storm Creatures. Two of them held obsidian orbs and stared directly at me. They threw them and I gasped in horror.
Iris and Akari then pushed me out of the way and off of the bridge. I fell in the water. I breached the water gasping, “Guys?!” I turned and saw the Storm Creatures moving in on them and heard Iris call to me, "Go Crystal, you're our only hope!" which was the last thing I saw and heard before going over a waterfall.
Third Person POV
Grubber and two Storm Creatures looked over the edge. “Which one of you guys it's goin' down there?” The Storm Creatures growled, “ I would, but I just had a hearty meal, and I will think and I will thide-cramp. I'm very big-boned. I think quick.”
POV Ends
I managed to crawl my way out of the river and was now hiding underneath a fallen tree, drying myself off. I could only watch the dark clouds over Canterlot and the many airships coming in. I was so worried for my family and friends, but I knew I couldn’t go back.
“What am I gonna do now?” I asked myself. If I went back I’d be turned to stone like the others. Suddenly, I heard several warbles and saw my dragon friends running towards me. “Winter, Shimmer, Skyspike, Mist, Spark, Toothless!” I cried with joy. The five dragons pounced on me with great relief.
“Thank goodness. How’d you get away? Oh it doesn’t matter, I'm just glad you’re safe.” I stated.The dragons let me get up and thought back to what Leilani said to Celestia and Luna. "Leilani told Celestia and Luna to find the Queen of the... 'Hippos'." I said. “They and the rest of my friends can’t so I have to. But where do I even look?”
Suddenly, we all heard the sound of flapping wings and saw a familiar stone dragon descending in front of us. “Sentinel!” I exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
“I saw everything that occurred from the sky.. I’m very sorry Crystal.”
“Do you know where the Queen of the Hippos is?” I asked.
“You mean Queen of the Hippogriffs, Crystal. Hippogriffs are these rare creatures that are half pony, half eagle. Even though they aren't that well known, there are still a few legends that haven't been lost. So much so that even finding the feather of one is incredibly rare. But, nobody has ever seen one in thousands of years. Many ponies believed they either went extinct or never existed. I know their location and I can lead you to them.”
I gasped with joy. “Thank you Sentinel.”
“It is my pleasure. Follow me.” The Sentinel then spread his wings but before he took off. "Well, everyone.. let's go..." the dragons roared and we followed the Sentinel on our new quest to save our home.
A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Chapter 16: Klugetown and the Dragon Riders
Third Person POV
Asami tried everything she could in unlocking the cage she and Bolin were trapped in, but there was no lock or anything for her to tamper with. Even her glove was useless in her attempts. She reached out for a kitchen knife that somehow managed to find its way near their cage and tried to break it. The knife had no effect and the impact sent unpleasant vibrations through her arm, making her teeth chatter.
Bolin tried again and again to bend the earth, but every time he did the cage sucked on more of his energy, preventing him from doing anything. The man eventually gave in, angrily punching the bars. Asami placed a sympathetic hand on his back and the two held one another close. They couldn't do anything but sit and watch as their pony friends were chained up and forced to march through the city.
Unicorns were forced to wear metal plates that covered up their horns, all made of the same material as the cages, and their hooves were also covered as were the pegasus's wings and their mussels, no doubt to keep them from either flying or using their bending.
Firebender ponies couldn't shoot fire from their mouths and water, earth and airbenders couldn't use their hooves to manipulate their respective elements. All of their electronic equipment was crushed to bits so nobody could call for help. Even actual human firebenders were chained and gagged and metalbenders couldn't penetrate through their cuffs since any power they did it would be automatically absorbed.
Dragons, griffons, minotaurs and even good old Steven Magnet were encaged or enslaved. Asami and Bolin caught a glimpse of Tenzin and his children and grandchildren being forced to march along with the ponies. Bumi and Kya were not too far behind, accompanied by Lin, who looked more angry than depressed, though the look she gave the Satos told otherwise.
Bolin and Asami have seen many things in their lives. Both horrible and beautiful. But this, seeing their loved ones forced into slavery and or imprisonment, having all of their resources deemed completely useless, was by far the most traumatizing thing they had ever witnessed.
Their world had so much light, but even so, darkness still somehow found a way to resurface and to try and snuff out the rays of hope.
A storm creature cut the string of a few balloons which rose up into the air, passing by Tempest Shadow who stood at the palace balcony. The dark colored unicorn sneered in disgust as she made her way back inside, hearing the echoing sound of her metal horse-shoes taping the cobblestone floor.
"All this power… wasted on parties. When there are far greater uses."
Tempest stopped right in front of the statue of Avatar Korra, her face entirely frozen in a state of panic, her hands raised upwards in a desperate attempt to shield herself. Her long hair was frozen in place, as if it were levitating off of the floor. From the right angle, it looked like a tail.
Twilight Sparkle was placed right beside her. Tempest smiled smugly at the sight of a terrified Queen Twilight. "Not so powerful now, are you?"
The other alicorns were placed in groups. Leilani with her two daughters and Cadance with Flurry Heart. In the heart of the throne room, right in front of Celestia and Luna's thrones was a large four petal flower symbol with a circle in the middle. Four petals stuck out, where the alicorns were placed. Cadance and Flurry Heart faced opposite to where Leilani, Celestia and Luna stood and an empty spot, opposite to Korra and Twilight.
And, just for good measure, she had the stone statues of the Mane Six, and Mako and Flash Sentry around the room, just so she could relish in seeing them all at her mercy.
There was a small cauldron in the middle of the room and one Storm Creature came in holding an orb that was ringing. “Well? Answer it!.” Tempest ordered. The Storm Creature poured the liquid into the cauldron and out came and image of the Storm King.
“Where am I supposed to be looking? I never understand how this spell works. Tempest!” The Storm King called.
“Over here, Your Excellency..” Tempest called.
“Where?”
“Over here.”
“Huh?”
“No. No, right. Look right.”
“My right?”
“Yep.”
“Oh. There you are. Here's the deal. I'm in the middle of a big rebrand here. "The Storm King" is tracking well as "intensely intimidating", but you know what? I need to back it up. You know what I need to back it up with? A storm! That would be great! You promised me magic that could control the elements, and right now, I'm holding a what? A branch. A twig. Bleh!”
“Uh, that would be the Staff of Sacanas, Your Excellency, and it will channel the magic of the four rulers of this land. You'll soon have the power of a hundred armies.”
“So that would be a yes on your locking down the four Pegacornicuseses, or whatever you call them?”
“Give me three days. I'll have everything ready for your arrival.”
The Storm King's’ voice then turned ominous, “Remember, Tempest. Only I have the power to make you whole. Make this twig work, and you'll get your reward. Fail me, and your horn won't be the only thing that's broken.”
“It won't be a problem.” And the Storm King suddenly turned upbeat, “Great! I'm ready to power up, crash and bash, and be the biggest, baddest bugaloooooo…” and the spell finished.
“Thorry, bad thpell thervice. You want me to call him back?” Gruber asked.
“Now that we have all the most powerful ponies here. The Storm King will be pleased.”
"Well Tempest there's one thing. There was as small hybrid human who got pushed over the bridge." Grubber stated. Tempest thought back and she did she Crystal near Iris and the others. "Where is she now?"
“Well, uh, funny thtory. It kinda theemth like she... she might've like, you know, got away... a little bit. I know you're dithappointed, but I got one word for you: "thpongecake".” Tempest zapped Grubber with her electricity. “I need all of them for the staff to work.” Tempest growled.
“Hey, I know! I want the Thtorm King to fix that crazy horn as badly as you do. It lookth like a crackly chipped tooth on the top of your head. And you know you don't look good in hatth.” She sharply turned towards him. “That hybrid is not gonna keep me from getting my horn back! Prepare my ship!” Grubber freaked but he went to prepare her ship. Tempest returned to her calm demeanor.
“Please. How far could one little human get on her own?” Tempest asked.
POV Ends
Now we were in the Badlands Desert. There were no clouds in the sky and just sand everywhere. The heat and humidity didn’t affect me much due to my abilities and it didn’t seem to affect my dragons much either. The Sentinel appeared next to me, “I sense something troubling you Crystal.” he said to me.
I sighed and explained, “Well… it’s just that everyone I know has their own destiny for themselves. All my friends are the Guardians of Harmony, Twilight and the others keep the peace and everyone else I know has a purpose. But I.. don’t have a purpose.”
“Everyone has a purpose in their life. You just haven’t found yours yet. One day you will find your purpose in your life.” The Sentinel stated.
“I hope you’re right.” Soon, Toothless and the other dragons sensed something. "What is it you guys?" I asked them.
"Where have you been, bud?" the aurburn boy asked.
"Oh Stormfly, I missed you so much."
"Don't you ever leave again Hookfang."
"Whose my little meatcess.."
I looked at the five teenagers carefully and gasped, "Hiccup! Astrid! Fishlegs! Ruff, Tuff, Snotlout?!" The five teenagers looked at me. "Crystal.. you're alright!" Hiccup exclaimed and we hugged each other.
"W-What are you doing here?" I asked them.
"Looking for our dragons, who apparently found you first." Hiccup smiled. "Why are out here in the desert?" I sighed and I explained to them what happened ever since I came to Harmony City and about the invasion. "Oh my gods..." Astrid gasped.
"Now I have to find this Queen of the Hippo... whatever and save my friends and family." I said.
"Don't worry, Crystal. We're with you 100%." Astrid spoke up, giving me hope.
"Yeah." Fishlegs added.
"You bet." Tuffnut said and He and his sister banged their helmets together. "The more allies, the merrier. Now onward, we're near Klugetown." The Sentinel said to us.
"He can talk?" Fishlegs whispered to me in shock.
"Yeah, just go with it." I whispered back to him. We made it into Klugetow and we saw lots of anthropomortphic creatures walking around the area as we walked in. But soon, “Hey lady how much for the white lizard?” another creature asked. Winter gasped in shock. “She’s not for sale.”
Toothless and Hookfang growled and Hookfang lit up in flames, scaring the daylights out of the creatures and they ran away. "Good job, Hooky." Snotlout praised. Unaware from the group, two pairs of eyes were watching them from the shadows.
Suddenly, a Storm Creature came out of nowhere and grabbed me! "GAH!"
"Crystal!" Hiccup cried. The Storm Creature backed off as Tempest came onto the scene with her horn sparking "Silly little human." she said. Toothles and Winter snarled at Tempest.
"Tempest?!" Crystal exclaimed. "What do you want?"
"I'm here to bring you back as my prisoner for the Storm King." Tempest said, with her horn sparking. Crystal gulped nervously.
"Let her go!" Hiccup exclaimed steeping up. Tempest looked at the kids and laughed. "Why would I do that? I came for what I wanted and there's nothing you can do about it." Suddenly, "Rooooo...!" Rocks came out of nowhere and struck the Storm Creature, forcing it to let me go and I ran over to Hiccup and the others. "What was that?" Grubber asked. Then two wolf like creatures came in front of us.
The first wolf looked like a slouched, bipedal wolf or werewolf. It has short red fur with white on its lower legs, and a white streak that covers its face, underbelly, and tail. It has pointed, button ears with black tips, three large tufts of fur on each side of its face, a triangular black nose, and a mouth full of sharp teeth. While the sclerae, irises, and pupils of its eye are visible, they all glow a pinkish red and no distinctive colors are visible. A mane of fur covers its back and shoulders, sweeping forward over its head to form a crescent moon shape. On either side of its body, just below the shoulders, two small rocks resembling claws poke out of the mane. A single, bigger stone projects out of the front of the mane over its head. Each of this form's paws has three black claws, and it has a stubby tail covered in long fur.
The next wolf resembled a quadruped, orange wolf. It had a fluffy white mane with for rocks in it and a curved part of the mane going down with a rock in it. It had a long white tail as well. It had green eyes as well. "Lycanroc..." it growled.
"What in the name of Thor?" Astrid gasped.
"Lycanroc Midnight and Dusk form?!" I gasped in shock.
"Oh yeah... Dino-Slash, Triceratops, Roar!"
Tempest wasn't deterred, "Get her now!" Tempest exclaimed. The Storm Creature charged for me but Lycanroc (Dusk form) howled and launched rocks at them, knocking them back, "That was Rock Throw!" I exclaimed.
"Go go go, everyone! NOW!" Hiccup exclaimed. We all mounted out dragons and the Lycanroc leaped onto Winter an we flew into the air. I saw an airship in the distance. "We have to get to that airship."
"Alright everyone, let's move!" Hiccup said. We made it to the airship and landed behind some crates and the airship began to fly away from Klugetown. "Phew... that was too close." I said.
"Yeah and now I know why you need help." Astrid said.
"At least we're safe." Hiccup stated.
"Shhh." Snotlout hissed and we all ducked down and stayed quiet.
"Did you hear something?" A masculine voice said, followed by another which sounded like a parrot squawking. "Eh, probably just the rats. If we find em… we'll eat em."
"Rats." Ursula whispered.
"Just stay quiet and we'll be fine." I informed. Everyone nodded and I hoped I was right. We all peeked over the crates to look at the creatures. They saw these bird-like creatures with bird-like claws and feet and no wings on either their backs or arms, but they were definitely birds judging by their beaks and feathery bodies. They also, for some reason, had long reptilian-like tails. Still no stranger than the chimera spirit creatures back home.
They also wore black uniforms with the Storm King's symbol on them. They worked back and forth, moving crates from one place to another. One belched loudly and scratched his butt. Iris felt sick to her stomach and Chi cringed in disgust before closing the door carefully.
"What do you think?" Astrid asked everyone. "Should we just... ask them to take us?"
"I don't know..." Hiccup said. Then the cargo door opened up and one of the bird creatures, a large green colored bird man with big muscles and wearing a hat towered over them. His right claw was missing, replaced with a single golden band. We all gasped.
"Hey, guys! Come check this out!"
Another bird, wearing a similar hat stepped over beside his companion, kneeling on one knee. His yellow eye, surrounded by red and yellow circles, studied them. His right eye was covered by an eyepatch and red feathers stretched from the back of his hat.
"Looks like a pack of stowaways."
"What are we s'posed to do with 'em?" Another bird asked, clearly female, overweight with pinkish feathered and rubbing her chin with a fork.
Another bird poked his head. The top of his beak was replaced with a metallic version, no doubt due to an accident, and his eyes were unfocused, with one eye having the iris rolling around whenever he moved. Rather than speak, he squawked like an actual parrot. Despite his appearance, he looked just as eager to do harm to the kids as the other birds did.
"I think we tie 'em up!" The muscular one said.
"We clip their wings!" The pink, plump female said, staring at me. Winter snarled at them.
"Nah. We scar 'em…" Said the red-feathered bird, "…emotionally!" Winter growled at them and covered me with her wings.
Another bird creature walked onto the front. A female, but unlike the other one, she was tall and slender, almost like a human woman. Her plumage was of a light creamy color and had beautiful light yellow green plumage on her head and tail. Like the others, she had bird-like feet, but one was missing, replaced by a wooden peg-leg. She wore the same uniform as the others and a black bandanna over her head, which partly hid her lovely feathers. She had a single beauty mark underneath her left eye, and her eyes were a vibrant, rose colored pink.
But, as lovely as she looked, she had a look on her face that was far from friendly. She pulled out a rule book with the Storm King's symbol on the cover. She opened it on one page and read aloud. Her voice was low and ominous.
"Storm King's rule book says… Throw them overboard."
The green, red-feathered bird with an eye patch yanked on a rope and a wooden plank rolled out to the side of the ship. The bird creatures all gathered around, ready to grab us by force but then she noticed the Sentinel dragon. "Wait... Sentinel?" she asked.
"I see you haven't changed a bit old friend." the Sentinel stated.
Celaeno laughed and the two rubbed against each other, "I haven't seen you for ages." Celaeno said. "Are they with you?"
"Yes Celaeno, these are my friends and the girl with the wings is my personal student. And we need some help." the Sentinel stated.
"Well then let's go and talk." Celaeno added. Soon, we were all politely led o the dinning room where they sat down. The birds handed each of us a silver tin plate and the pink feathered bird dropped a slop of green colored gruel with bird seeds and… what looked like little strands of hair, onto their plates.
The birds munched on their food while the rest of us stared at it. Our dragons happily munched on the fish they had on board.
"Storm King only allows two breaks a day for meals, then it's back to hauling goods." said the muscular green colored bird with only one hand.
"So you're delivery guys?" Gallant asked.
"And gals." Celaeno added, tugging at her hideous shirt. "These uniforms aren't exactly doing us any favors."
"Then can you deliver us to Mount Aris?" I asked with a friendly smile as she levitated the map.
Celaeno sighed, tapping the cover of the rule book with her claws. "Sorry. We do what the Storm King orders or we suffer his wrath." She said. She didn't sound angry or even excited about the whole thing, she just sounded… exhausted.
"How long have you been working for the Storm King, my old friend?" the Sentinel asked. These birds didn't look so dangerous, not anymore. They looked depressed and drained emotionally. Who knows what that monster did to force these creatures into this kind of job. A job they plainly didn't enjoy in the slightest. "Five years." said the red feathered bird, chewing on his food with disinterest. "Though, we ain't never seen folks like you before."
"We're from pretty far away." I said. "I don't think we properly met. I'm Crystal Diamond and these are my friends, Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut."
"Anyway... the dragons Winter, Toothless, Hookfang, Meatlug, Barf and Belch and Stormfly." Hiccup added
"Celaeno." The captain said, gesturing to herself. "That's Boyle, Mullet, Lix Spittle, and Squabble." She gestured to the one clawed muscular bird, the red-feathered one, the female pink one and the one with the unfocused eyes.
"Not like it matters." Calaeno said sadly. She munched on her food, her eyes dull and gray.
"If you weren't always delivery birds, then what were you before the Storm King?" I asked, more interested in knowing what happened to these guys.
"Yeah, we used to me much more adventurous." Celaeno said and she pulled back a poster of the Storm King, revealing a black piece of cloth, which was revealed to be an old and worn out flag revealing the bird-skull with crossbones imprinted on the flag.
"Whoa! You used to be… Pirates ?! No way!"
"Um, we prefer the term 'swashbuckling treasure hunters'." Mullet said.
"So, pirates." said I . Squabble squawked in reply. I was really concerned about this. These guys used to have much more exciting lives but when the Storm King came it broke their spirit. "You birds have a choice to make. You can let some cloven-hoofed Storm King tell you how to live your lives, or…" I swooshed towards the Storm King's poster and ripped it off, revealing the pirate flag again. "…you could be awesome again!"
"Crystal don-" The Sentinel blocked Hiccup with his wing. "Let her do this.. it's what she does best."
(Me)
I know the world can get you down
Things don't work out quite the way that you thought
Feeling like all your best days are done
Your fears and doubts are all you've got
But there's a light shining deep inside
Beneath those fears and doubts, so just squash 'em
And let it shine for all the world to see
That it is time
Yeah, time to be awesome
(My Friends)
Ah, ah, ah-ah, awesome!
It's time to be so awesome!
Ah, ah, ah-ah, awesome!
It's time to be so awesome!
(Celaeno)
You've no idea how hard it's been
(My Friends)
It's time to be awesome!
(Celaeno)
This dull routine we've been forced to do
(Me)
Don't let them rob you of who you are
Be awesome, it's all up to you
(Celaeno)
I feel the light
Stirring deep inside
It's like a tale still yet to be told
(Me and Celaeno)
And now it's time to break the shackles free
And start living like the brave and the bold!
Celaeno put on her captain's hat and a electrifying sensation ran across her body. Five years of oppression and fear melted away as she and the rest of her crew tossed aside their hideous uniforms and put on their old pirate gear. Boyle laughed as he stuck his hook back onto his handless band.
Even my friends put on a few pirate accessories. Snotlout and Astrid wore matching pirate captain hats with crossbones, while the twins had an eyepatch and bandanna around their heads. Before long, the once miserable delivery birds had transformed entirely into the swashbuckling pirates they once were. Celaeno swung her sword and she and her crew bursted through the doors, ready to take back their ship.
(All)
It's time to be
Awesome!
Let loose, be true
So awesome!
It's time to be
Awesome!
Go big, be you
So awesome!
Mullet took Astrid by the hand, swinging alongside her on a rope, feeling the wind in his feathers with Stormfly flying beside her. Lix Spittle helped the Crystal chart their course for Mount Aris, with Hiccup placing a pirate's hat on his head, who leaned against a stacked pile of cargo, looking uncharacteristically stoic throughout the whole thing. Boyle tossed Celaeno an old trunk of treasures and she pulled out a single diamond and a pearl necklace, which she happily gave to me as a gift.
(Mullet)
We used to soar through the clouds in the skies
(Lix Spittle)
Elaborate schemes we would love to devise
(Boyle)
We rescued our treasure and stored it away
(Celaeno)
Saving those gemstones for a rainy day
(All)
We see that light filling up our skies
(Me)
So take the Storm King's orders and toss 'em!
I made my point by taking the old rule book and throwing it overboard.
(All)
'Cause it's the time to let our colors fly
(Celaeno)
Hey, scallywags, it's time to be
Awesome!
The Twins started drumming on a few crates as if they were drums, while the rest of the crew sang. Even Squabble and Barf and Belch even joined in by drumming… with theirs heads. Though, it didn't seem to hurt them.
All:
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
"Come on! Let's show these little humans and dragons how it's done!" Celaeno took the wheel, feeling the wind in her feathers once more. The crew pulled on several ropes and the sides of the ship opened. Steam puffed out and the rest of the front port opened up like the petals of a flower blossoming in spring. The rays of the full moon broke through the clouds, radiating like diamonds which were caught on the sails that emerged from the sides of the ship, puffing up into place, traces of dust flew out.
The sails were styled one on top of the other to resemble bird wings, all with the radiant colors of the rainbow! The wind picked up, making them flap beautifully. Even in the nighttime light, the wings carried the sun-like glow of revival that reflected the lost spirits of the bird pirates themselves.
"Awesome!" Hiccup exclaimed.
"I knew you had it in you! And now for the finishing touch!" I exclaimed.
My Element glowed and it created a large glowing dragon that soared around the ship. "Wow!" Celaeno gasped in awe. Celaeno turned the wheel in the other direction. "Next stop, Mount Aris!"
Three hours later...
“We’re over the Sea of Clouds, now.” The Sentinel stated. We looked below and saw a large forest below and in the distance was a large mountain. “What’s that up ahead?” I asked.
“That is Mount Aris. Where the hippogriffs used to live.” The Sentinel stated.
“Used to? What do you mean?” Fishlegs asked.
“You shall see.” The Sentinel stated. We all landed at the top and got off of the ship. "Thanks Celeano and others." I said.
"No problem." Celeano said as she and her crew boarded their ship again. "Call on us when you need some help." she said.
"Right." We saw them fly off as we entered the kingdom of the hippogriffs.
Our dragons walked into Mount Aris and saw houses that looked like bird cages. The area was dead silent. The houses were destroyed or broken and there wasn’t any sign of hippogriffs anywhere. “This place looks like a ghost town.” I said.
“Yeah, wonder what happened here.” Hiccup questioned, examining the damaged homes.
Then we all heard some humming. “Is that singing?” Tuffnut asked. I traced the sound to a small cave. “It’s coming from here.” I said. The gang and dragons followed me and I led them through the cave. There was a lake in the center and a large flower. A pebble dropped. Princess Skystar gasped and she leaped into the sea, but what we saw was a figure. “Hey wait! I cried and I leaped into the lake. “Crystal!” Hiccup cried.
I resurfaced and the others came into the water. Suddenly, the water started spinning around. The flower was sucked down and it was revealed to be a whirlpool. “Uh-oh.” I said.
“I love epic adventures!” Snotlout exclaimed in joy which was odd. Our dragons roared in panic and leaped into the water and grabbed us as the whirlpool sucked us down and we crashed on some rocks. “Oof!”
We all groaned and we got up. “Now where are we?” Ruffnut asked. Our dragons seemed to sense something being they were looking around the area. “What’s wrong with them?” Fishlegs asked.
(Skip to 1:02:05)
https://www.thewatchcartoononline.tv/how-to-train-your-dragon-the-hidden-world
I mounted Winter and Hiccup and the others mounted their dragons. They all then flew into another cave and when we came out we saw large pillars of rocks with glowing fauna and flora. “Woah…” I gasped. Our dragons continued to fly and we entered an extremely large cavern and saw millions and millions of dragons. “Oh my god.” I whispered.
“Looks like we found the Dragon World.” I said.
“More like a Hidden World.” the Sentinel added. “This is the ancestral home of all the dragons known to human kind. Very, very few people known about this realm.”
"This... this is place... my dad was searching for.." Hiccup gasped in awe, seeing the many, many, many dragons flying all around us. Our dragons landed near a large section that had a large crystal coming out of the ceiling. They walked off and we moved a little closer, looking over a large cliff.
“It’s beautiful.” I added, my eyes sparkling in the beauty
“How are we gonna find the Queen of the Hippogriffs in this place?” Astrid asked. “It’s a whole new world.” We noticed there was a dragon on top of the crystal and all the dragons were bowing to him. “Who's that dragon?” Snotlout asked.
“It seems like he’s the Alpha dragon.” I answered.
“Seems like it. So what we do now?” Max asked.
*GROWL*
We all froze when we heard a growl. We slowly turned around and saw a purple and blue Rumblehorn dragon. “Oh boy.” I whimpered. Rumblehorn roared gaining the attention of all the other dragons. “Jump!” I cried. We all jumped off the cliff and rolled down the cliff, landing on the ground. “Run!” Astrid cried.
We were about to run when multiple Nightmare, Zipplebacks, Gronckles and other dragons landed in front and behind us. They were all growling, hissing and roaring at us. We all stood back to back. “I don’t think they’re happy to see us.” Fishlegs whimpered. They all began to move towards us, “W-What do we do?”
Suddenly, our dragons leaped in front of us, in a protective circle, roaring at the other wild dragons. I took a deep breath and bravely walked up to one of the growling Monstrous NIghtmares. “Crystal. No! Come back!” Max hissed. “It’s dangerous!” I didn’t listen and walked towards the Nightmare. It roared at me. “Shhh… it’s alright… I’m not the enemy.” I reassured. I could feel the Alpha’s eyes, staring at me, but I didn’t falter. The Nightmare growled but I inched closer to him. I looked him dead in his eyes as a tense moment of silence passed. Finally, the Nightmare moved towards me and put it’s snout in my hand, earning his trust. “Woah.. incredible.” Hiccup gasped.
The Sentinel smiled. “That’s my student.”
Our dragons were still growling at the wild dragons, warning them to back away from their beloved riders. Suddenly, a loud roar broke through the air and the wild dragons parted, creating a path for the Alpha dragon. The Alpha Dragon looked like a Night Fury.
Our dragons hissed at him, but he roared at them loudly, making them step back and allowing him to walk towards me and the others. We all stared at him before… he spoke, “What are you humans doing here?”
“You talk?!” I exclaimed.
“Yes, I can talk and I’ll ask again. What are you humans doing here?” his voice had some venom in it.
“We don’t mean you or your dragons any harm.” Hiccup said. “We’re looking for the Queen of the Hippogriffs.”
The dragon's’ expression turned angrier and he spread out his wings. “Why would you want to see her?” he hissed.
“Please, the Storm King invaded my land. We need their help that’s all.” I pleaded
The Alpha snarled, “Well, we won’t let you go near her.” The dragons roared along with their Alpha. I knew then they were going to attack my friends! “NO!” I leaped in front of them and I spread my Light Fury wings, shocking and surprising every dragon, even the Alpha. “I won’t let you hurt my friends. Even if you are the Alpha!” I snarled with a growl for emphasis.
The Alpha said nothing, but instead he glowed and to our complete shock, turned into a human who had wings and a horn!
“He’s another hybrid?!” Pikachu exclaimed. “That’s a twist that’s very twisty.”
I changed back into a human myself and looked at the adult man. He had tannish brown hair. His skin was light and his eyes were blue. He wore a black jacket, like Jack but he wore matching shorts. He wore tall black boots as well. He looked closely at me and he moved a small part of my hair. He had Night Fury wings. “Do you know where the Queen of the Hippogriffs are?” I asked.
“Yes, come with me.” He led us out of his house and through the cavern until we came to a large lake. “Not another whirlpool again.” Fishlegs whined.
“Do not worry.” the man stated. “Just wade in.”
He entered the water and we followed along with our dragons. He used his magic to give us air bubble like helmets. “Follow me.” He dove into the water and we followed. “This way.” He swam ahead and we all followed. Our dragons used their wings to propel themselves through the water. Soon we reached another city. All the buildings were simply like Greek buildings, with stone columns for fences and walling, open roofs. It was surprisingly brighter down here too with all the glowing corals and underwater angler lights. There were mermares and mer-ponies everywhere.
“Woah…” We all gasped.
We entered the palace and swam into the throne room.
We saw a large sea pony. She was white with purple fins and tail fins and she had light blue fins on the ends of arms. “Queen Novo, we have some visitors.” He called.
“Jason, if it’s another sea dragon, I don’t want-” When she saw us, she gasped. “Jason, what have you done! You know surface dwellers are not allowed here. Guards!” Four seapony guards came in with glowing laces. My friends and I whimpered a little, while our dragons growled and hissed.
“Novo, it’s alright.” Jason said.
“We need to find the Hippogriffs do you know what happened to them?” I asked.
“Why of course I know, I’m the Queen. I know everything.” Novo said.
“Oh, it’s such a good story.” Princess Skystar said as she suddenly appeared.
“Don’t you dare tell them!” Novo said.
But the seapony told them anyway. “Once upon a time, like, a while ago, the Hippogriffs did live on Mount Aris.”
Novo was not pleased, “Did I not say don't tell them? But hey, I'm just the queen. Don't mind me.”
“Fine! I can't tell you!” Skystar grunted, “But if I could tell you, I'd say that that horned beast did show up to steal their magic!”
“Seriously?” Novo groaned.
“But, to keep it out of his clutches, their brave and majestic leader, Queen Novo, hid them deep underwater where he could never go! We are ... Well, we were the Hippogriffs! Ta-da! “Skystar laughed and came over to us and whispered, “But I totally did not tell you that!”
“Well, I guess the pearl is out the oyster now. I am Queen Novo.”
“Hold on now. Lemme get this straight. When the Storm King came, you just abandoned your entire city and fled?” I asked.
“We didn't flee! We swam! Y'know, in order to flee.” Same thing! “But... how?”
“Oh! Can we show them? Huh? These are the first guests we've had in, like, foreveeerrr! Can we, can we, can we, can we, can we, can we, can we, can we, can we?” Skystar asked.
“Well I should make sure it still works.” Novo said. They swam pas a jellyfish that released a small glowing pearl. Skystar grinned. “Careful now.” Novo said. Novo spread the pearls magic towards us and it turned out legs into tails with fins on the end. “Woah..” Hiccup gasped.
“This is amazing. With the pearl maybe Crystal can change everyone back home into something to defeat the Storm Kings’ army.” Astrid squealed.
“Or it could end up in his greedy claws.” Novo stated.
“But your majesty, don’t you wanna help us? I mean we came all this way to seek your help against the Storm King.” I explained.
“Sweetheart… I’m sorry about your home. I really am, but my duties as Queen is to protect my subjects. The pearl isn’t going anywhere.” Novo said before sitting back in her throne.
“But you’d rather spend your whole life down here instead of trying to take back what was yours?” I asked.
“We are 100% okay with that.” Novo said. I looked at her very sadly and swam away from her. “Crystal?” Hiccup called. I just kept swimming and swimming until I was out of the large lake and walking back up the stairs. I spread my wings and flew out of the Hidden World and landed on the Basalt Beach.
I only sighed sadly. “Crystal… are you okay?” Fire asked gently.
“No… I’m not.. There’s no chance to save Equestria now.. And it’s all my fault.” I began to sob.
“It’s not your fault, Crystal.” Hiccup said. “You did your best.”
I sniffled, “Well.. my best wasn’t good enough..” I stood up and walked away from the group so I could think on my own. Winter and the others warbled in worry at each other. and Toothless nodded at Winter and she followed after me.
Why, why even trust me at all.
I journeyed here to seek help
But it turned out for the worse
I walked down a small hill.
Now what, what should I do?
And who, who do I turn to?
Now everything feels so upside down.
I looked at my reflection in the ocean.
Deep down maybe I knew
It was way too good to be true
With everyone depending on me
Some hero I turn out to be
“Crystal.” I hear a call behind me and saw a large male lion with a red mane and he had a deep voice. “Woah.. who are you?”
“I am Mufasa, young Crystal. I have been watching you for some time now and I sense great doubt in your heart.”
I sighed, “It’s just I came here to get help to fight the Storm King and save my friends and family but Queen Novo wouldn’t help. Now I… don’t know what to do.”
“Don’t be afraid Sarah, trust your instincts. Your magic and your friends will be there for you when you need them and so will I until Equestria’s end.” With that Mufasa disappeared from the clouds. “Mufasa, wait don;t go yet!
.. Trust my instincts. My friends and magic will be there when I need it.” I said.
Maybe my journey is far from done
They need a hero, and I'm the one
So now it's time for them all to see
The human I was born to be
It is time to face the threat on my own
It is time for something bigger than
I've ever known
No need to wonder
The choice is done
Now I believe I am their only hope
A mark appeared on my shoulder. It was the shape of a lions’ head.
So is it time?
Is it time?
Yes
It is time
With my confidence restored, I went back to the gang. “Crystal, are you alright?” I asked.
“Yes and we’re going back to face the Storm King.” I stated proudly.
“By ourselves?!” Snotlout exclaimed. “But how can we defeat the Storm King?”
"You will not face them alone..." a voice said from behind them. They all turned and saw Queen Novo, Princess Skystar and Jason and every dragon and Hippogriff in the Hidden World...!
"Queen Novo.. Skystar.. Jason... what are you doing here?" I asked.
"We're here to help you... Jason talked it over with me and I'm tired of hiding from the Storm King." Queen Novo said.
“We can do anything as long as we’re together.” I stated to them all. "My friends always fought for Equestria and Harmony City.... and if I don't fight for it... who will?"
Hiccup and Toothless came to my side, "I will.."
"Me too." Astrid added.
"Count us in." Tuffnut said and he and his sister banged their helmet together.
"Ditto.." Snotlout stated and Hookfang nodded.
"Me too." Fishlegs stated.
Everyone looked at each other and nodded confidently.
“We’re Equestria's last hope and here’s what we’re going to do.” I said. Everyone gathered around while I explained the plan.
A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Episode 17: Taking Back Equestria
Third Person POV
"The City of Canterlot has descended into disarray! On the day of the Guardians of Harmony's first ever Friendship Festival, the wicked Tempest Shadow has invaded the land and taken over! Following the orders of the dreaded Storm King!"
"The Guardians have been captured, leaving Crystal Diamond as the only one who escaped but now she’s missing and the storm creatures have captured everyone with magic absorbing weapons, rendering them powerless! The Queen Avatar and the rest of the alicorns have been turned to stone, and now we are all at the mercy of the Storm King's army awaiting his inevitable arrival!"
"And while there is really no point in me even narrating any of this, it's mostly to keep me distracted from the excruciating pain in my spine, on account of one of the storm creatures is currently using me as a footrest!"
Shiro Shinobi's hands wobbled at supporting the heavy weight of the storm creature's large hairy, and smelly, paw-like feet. All the while the spa ponies were forced to give him a massage. Shiro's wrists were cuffed, and around his neck was a chained collar that connected to the bindings of a poor saddened pony with a muzzle. After hours of being forced in this position, Shiro Shinobi finally lost the feeling in his limbs and collapsed.
"Excuse me, storm creature, would you consider calling my chiropractor?" Shiro asked, raising only one finger. The creature growled in reply. "Yeah, didn't think so." Shiro let his hand drop limply on the floor in front of him, groaning in pain.
While awaiting for their boss to arrive, the storm creatures got to work at making their captives miserable. Ponies and humans were forced to wear chained collars in a straight line like a bunch of animals. Tenzin and his family sat dejectedly in their cage, while Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were forced to watch the rest of their old classmates march along, pushing and pulling large carts in preparation for the Storm King's arrival.
Ali, Mika and San hissed at any creature that came their way, while Spike tried to blast them out with his fire, but the flames were absorbed into the cage's surface, much like what happened to Iris and Akari's blasts.
Ember tried to bite onto the cage to break it with her sharp teeth, but an electrical current forced her to stop. She tried to push back the pain as dragons always did, but this particular pain left her feeling week that even when she tried to bite again her jaw felt like it was biting on knives. Besides, the most she could do was a small chip on the cage, even after hours of constantly bitting. Her own fire breath proved useless as well.
For three days already, everyone kept on fighting against the cages either by force of in coming up with ways to escape. Sadly, their cages had no locks and none of the creatures carried keys on them, so nobody could plan out a way to grab them and escape like the airbenders did when the Red Lotus captured them so many years ago.
Benders who weren't in cages were forced to wear the same metal material over their mouths and cuffs that covered their hands entirely. Any attempt at bending would immediately disappear on the spot if they tried.
Inside her cage, Songbird Serenade sang a soft ballad to try and lift everyone's spirits. Rara sat beside her, feeling a bit more at ease as she listened to her student's singing.
I am here and I see your pain
Through the storms, through the clouds, the rain
I'm telling you you can not escape
Both Songbird and Rara gasped when their shared cage shook roughly. One of the storm creatures banged on the side, growling in anger. The ponies didn't need an interpreter to know what he was saying. With a heavy heart, Songbird stopped her singing. Rara wrapped a comforting hoof around her.
Zaheer and P'Li marched along, both wearing the same hand covering cuffs and shackles around their ankles and necks, connecting them to Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst, both of which wore muzzles and cuffs on both their horns and hooves.
There was no possible way these creatures were smart enough to come up with all of these strategic ways to preventing anyone from escaping, but Zaheer had heard stories about this Tempest Shadow. If he were still that ruthless Red Lotus member from years back, he would have been impressed by her cleverness. But now, he just felt sickened.
As he walked pass Tenzin and his family, the former criminal gave him an apologetic look. Even though it had been years and they had long since forgiven him, seeing the airbenders and everyone captive like this brought back painful memories of when he had done the same thing. Of course, Tempest took it to a whole new level than Zaheer had done, but still.
Sunset Shimmer watched helplessly as her friends were forced to march on like slaves, and chained like animals. She sat in a cage alongside Nova and Eclipse, who hugged his mother tightly. "It's okay, sweetie." Sunset said to her son, whispering as low as she could so the creatures wouldn't hear. "Crystal is still out there."
"She’ll get us out of this." Nova said, ruffling his son's hair.
The sound of wheels clanking was heard all across Canterlot. The city had become so silent that only the dangling of chains and metallic hooves clopping the cobblestone grounds were heard from miles around.
The cages that contained Nori's father, Kombu, Double Diamond with Sweet Gala and Half Pipe, Soarin, Fire Fly, Thorax, Ivy, Leo, River, Cheese Sandwich and Cookie Cream, all aligned in a single row. Each prisoner looked up, their ears dropping and eyes widening in horror at the sight.
Starlight, Sunburst, Zaheer and P'Li gasped underneath their metal mouth covers at seeing Big Mac and his wife, Sugar Belle being forced to pull a wagon carrying The Guardians, sitting inside a cage of their own.
The adults wanted to ask the princesses where the others were, but when Starlight dared to walk up and ask, the storm creature snarled and aggressively knocked her down. Akari and Iris gasped, their eyes begging Starlight not to make another move or she would receive a far worse punishment. P'Li and Zaheer helped her back up, watching helplessly as the wagon rolled away with the princesses inside.
The Guardians felt like crying, but their bodies were paralyzed with desolation. Their sadness blocked by a lump of anger while at the same time converging in a way that they felt the need to invent a new word to describe this flawless combination of sadness, anger, grief, horrified and powerlessness.
The beautiful City of Canterlot was once a shimmering rainbow of happiness, but now buildings had been knocked down, homes were cracked and everywhere they turned they saw the broken spirits of those they loved being forced to either remain encaged or work as slaves.
The urge to free them all in one swing overwhelmed the two princesses, but their anger within flared at the realization that there was nothing they could do, which made them feel just as broken-hearted as everyone else did.
With Tempest Shadow marching ahead, the Guardians caught glimpses of the Mane Six's families. Chi literally broken to pieces upon seeing little Eclipse look so distraught, crying his little eyes out. Beside Tempest was the Storm King. The Storm King wasn't as large as Wan Shi Tong, but taller than Discord by at least five heads or so. Never the less, even if his height wasn't as impressive as anything else the girls have seen, he still carried himself every bit of the king he prided himself to be. A truly wicked king.
His body was primarily covered in snowy white and gray colored fur, resembling a snow baboon, with a long bushy tail and cloven hooves, resembling a goat's. He had only three fingers in both hands, and wore black armor that covered his large chest and broad shoulders with a collar wrapped around his thick neck. On his head he wore a horned crown and in his hand was the Staff of Sacanas.
Thorax held his triplets close, while his older brother Pharynx sat crestfallen in his separate cage. The fearless, and at times ruthless, changeling general looking so defeated was never a good sign. If someone like Pharynx had given up, Iris and Akari didn't even want to imagine what the future would hold for everyone else.
The Guardians wanted to speak, to send them words of encouragement, but the cage wheeled past them before they could get a word out. Even when they tried to speak up, Tempest's horn would flare and she would aim the sparks of magic towards one of their family members. A warning to keep their mouths shut.
All the girls could do was give them all apologetic looks and mouth with their lips, "It'll be okay." It wasn't much, but it was something. Things only got worse when they were wheeled by the cage that held Songbird Serenade and Rara. Even behind her bangs, the girls could feel the pop singer's own grief penetrate through the cold stone surface of their cage. But it was the cage not too far away from them that made the girls really get a lump in their throats.
Bolin and Asami sat on the cage, their heads hung low, looking exhausted and paler than normal. Iris could hardly recognize her aunt and uncle. Both were always so full of joy and bubbly energy, especially Bolin, but just like with Cheese and Cookie, their spirits were slowly wavering.
Dark bangs hung under their eyes, indicating they hadn't slept at all. When they looked up, their eyes widened and Iris could literally see their hearts breaking in two. Both husband and wife gained the strength to stand up to see the two, but just like the others, they wondered where the other children were.
When the cages were close enough, Iris outstretched her hand and Bolin did the same. Her fingers brushed against Bolin's for a moment before Iris was wheeled away.
As happy as they were that Hiro and Mai were still alive, they were still crushed upon seeing their son, daughter and their friends become prisoners just like the rest of them.
Iris saw her adopted siblings, Ali, Mika and San and like with her uncle, she reached out for them. Their cage was a lot farther, so all Iris could so was tap the top of San's extended claw. Akari reached out her hoof for her uncle Spike, who reached out as well.
He saw so much of Twilight in her. That same spark and intelligence and bravery. Spike swallowed a lump in his throat as he watched the two wheel away.
The scenery didn't improve, for the closer they got to the castle, Iris and Akari saw Tenzin and his family, Lin and Suyin and their family, Kuvira and the sirens to the griffins, Iroh and Lu Ten, Tahno and his nephew Pao, Varrick and his family, even Wan Shi Tong and Goldie. Their feathers were a ruffled mess and the winged spirits looked as exhausted as everyone else. No doubt they had put up a good fight, even while encaged, but after days of restless rebellion, they were slowly succumbing to their imprisonment. The cages and cuffs weren't just keeping them from using their magic, it was making them weaker, as if draining their very life force.
Crystal had snuck in using her invisibility spell to stay hidden. She saw Sugar Belle and Big Mac chained and muzzled, pulling a cart with the Guardians in a cage. Crystal gasped in horror but then turned determined. Crystal turned to her Lycanroc and they both nodded.
The two Lycanroc stepped out into the opened and in front of Tempest and reappeared. "Lycanroc..."
Tempest stopped walking and the Storm King and her looked at the rock-type wolf pokemon. "Tempest.. who are they?" the Storm King questioned.
Tempest growled, "They're the ones who botched my attempt to capture that winged human.."
"Crystal..." Iris gasped. Tempest's horn sparked, "Now it get rid of them." Tempest launched a bolt of lightning but Lycanroc (Midnight form) howled and used Stone Edge, punching the ground and creating a row of blue, glowing rocks that deflected Tempest's lightning attack. "Woah..." Tempest growled and that's when Crystal leaped out of her hiding place and stopped her invisibility spell. She landed in front of the Tempest and the Storm King. Sugar Belle, Big Mac, Tenzin, Asami, Bolin, Ali, Mika, San, Spike, Iris and the others all gasped in joy at the sight of her. "Crystal, you're alright!" Iris said.
"Thank goodness." Nori added.
The Storm King looked at Crystal, confused, "Uh.. whose this one, Tempest?"
"This is the hybrid human who got away from me." Tempest growled with her horn sparking.
"Let my friends go and release everyone else now!" Crystal demanded, spreading her wings out to intimidate the Storm King and Tempest.
"Crystal, be careful, he's dangerous!" Akari added.
The Storm King laughed, "No way. I'm the Storm King and I do what I want and there's nothing you can do about it."
"Yes there is..." Crystal growled before she broke into song.
(Skip to 1:36)
The world has gone crazy And no one seems to listen Gotta step in, no more maybes And stop the demolition Is it hope or fear? Look in the mirror Everything we built is coming down
She moved to the side and Skystar appeared,
(Skystar)
They both came together along with all the other Hippogriffs.
(All)Oh This is a declaration Oh Of a new generation It's now or never, we're in this together We'll fight through the highs and the lows No, we won't break We're more than flesh and bone
Iris and all the captured creatures, ponies and benders cheered them on. The dragons from the Hidden World soared overhead, roaring proudly.
Ay-e-ay-e-ay-ay-ay We say no more bad blood No more bad blood Ay-e-ay-e-ay-ay-ay No way they can stop us No, they can't stop us Ay-e-ay-e-ay-ay-ay We say no more bad blood No more bad blood Ay-e-ay-e-ay-ay-ay No way they can stop us No, they can't stop us
(Queen Novo)History changes, but we lost the pages we wrote When you lose direction Can't see the reflection you know We came from the bottom then became the problem Now everything's out of control So hey, are you with me? Let's go!
Then the whole calvary came together for the final stand.
(All)Oh This is a declaration Oh Of a new generation It's now or never We're in this together We'll fight through the highs and the lows No, we won't break We're more than flesh and bone
"Sweet Mother of Raava!" Hiro exclaimed.
"Now that's calvary." Mai added.
"You think you can seriously take me on?" The Storm King smirked.
"Yes, we do... Crystal helped me see that we shouldn't live in fear of you anymore.... we're here to help her fight for her family." Queen Novo said, stepping forth with a bold and determined expression on her face, "If you wanna get to her; you'll have to get through us." and then Jason stepped forth, "All of us... are you with me dragons?"
"And Hippogriffs?" Novo called earning roars from all of them. Crystal turned back to the duo, "The choice is yours.. stand down and leave or fight..."
Tempests horn sparked and the Storm King lit his staff, now filled with everyone's magic and bending. "We choose fight!" and they fired but Hookfang blasted the attacks back and the Riders took to the sky along with the all the other dragons. "Hippogriffs, Attack!" Queen Novo exclaimed and the Hippogriffs charged and the Storm Creatures charged as well and the fight was on! Above, the dragons and the Rider circled, "Crystal, plan..!" Astrid called.
"Right, Fishlegs, Snotlout, lead the Gronckles, Nightmares and Dramillions to free the others; Astrid, you and twins deal with the Storm Creatures, make them mad." Crystal ordered.
"That's my specialty." Ruffnut smiled.
"Says you, everyone knows I'm more crazy." Tuffnut said, turning Belch neck upside down. "Just do what I told you. Hiccup and I will deal with Tempest and the Storm King." Hiccup, Toothless, Crystal and Winter flew off, "Now worries, we got them covered." Snotlout called and he and Fishlegs along with the other Gronckles, Nightmares and Dramillions' flew apart to free everyone.
Fishlegs and Meatlung landed near the muzzled ponies, "Meatlug, lava blast." Meatlug carefully spat out lava onto the chains, breaking them and freeing the ponies and people. Snotlout and Hookfang landed near the cages, holding Bolin, Asami, Ali, San, Mika and Spike, "Hookfang, fire!" Hookfang lit up and blasted the cage with his Monstrous Nightmare flame. The cage couldn't handle the fire and they all broke, freeing them. "Alright..!" Spike exclaimed. The Dramllions copied Meatlung and Hookfang and more and more friends were freed.
"Stormfly, spines!" Astrid ordered and her Deadly Nadder launched her spines at the Storm Creatures, pinning them to the damaged walls. The twins had Barf release a large amount of gas around the Storm Creatures, who looked around for them. Tuffnut appeared along with his sister "Behlod.. you're worst Nightmare and his Zippleback..." Tuffnut said. "And his lame sister."
"Really, that's my intro?" Ruffnut deadpanned. The Storm Creatures charged but Belch ignited the gas, sending them flying back.
When the storm creatures swung their spears at Bolin, But a wild purple Zippleback bashed him to the side with a hiss. "Woah... thanks.." he said and the Zippleback cooed at Bolin and Asami and grabbed the two, "Woah!" "Hey!" before placing them on their necks. The Zippleback then took to the sky! "Woah... riding a dragon! This is new..." Asami said.
"And awesome!" Bolin cheered happily. The Zippleback did their gas and spark attack, blasting more Storm Creatures.
Tenzin and the rest of his family were freed by two Deadly Nadders and Monstrous Nightmares. The dragons warbled at them and they got onto them and then took to the skies, blasting the Storm Creatures and freeing more of their allies.
Varrick grabbed a nearby megaphone and stood on a half broken wooden stand. Raising his fist into the air and shouting into the megaphone.
"Humans, ponies, dragons, spirits and creatures of Equestria! Let's take back our home! "
The entire city bursted into a rousing roar of applauds and powerful battle cries. Using the every day items at their disposal, dragons, the humans, ponies spirits and everyone came together to fight back the army. Without their magic sucking weapons, they didn't stand a chance.
Kya, Bumi, Lin, Tenzin and Suyin, along with Iroh stood their ground against an army of the storm creatures. The Nadder blasted the creatures and the Monstrous Nightmares flared up and launched a fireball at them, knocking them away.
"That's the way!" Tenzin cheered, earning a roar from the Nightmare.
Despite their small size, Ali, Mika and San made the most of it. Spike scratched at the creatures with his claws, and the spirit trio worked together to lift up a spear to fight back. Even Ember managed to do just fine without her fire breath, as did the rest of the dragons. Even Madam Alpha, of all ponies, got into the fight, as well as her fateful Diamond Dog companion, Mekarm who used his mechanical arm to grab the monster and toss him over his head, while Madam Alpha slammed his face into a wall. Naga, Timber an Akhlut were freed and charged at the creatures, bitting at their tails and clawing their faces. Payback for imprisoning them.
Apple Bloom freed her older brother and sister-in-law and joining with Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Jinora, Kai, Meelo and Ikki. a group of Scuttleclaws came up to the group and they hopped onto their backs and the dragons blasted the Storm Creatures with their fireball firepower. For medium sized dragons, they were pretty strong.
Crystal, Winter, Hiccup, Toothless and her Lycanroc faced off against Tempest and the Storm King. Tempest blasted some electricity from her horn but Crystal used her magic to stop the lightning and absorbed it. Her Lycanrocs howled and charged the Storm King with Accelarock. The Storm King charged it but the wolves were faster and they rammed him and threw him high into the air where he came crashing down.
"Toothless, plasma blast!" Hiccup ordered and the Night Fury blasted Tempest, knocking her into a damaged building. Tempest got up, raving mad, "You'll pay for that!" and she launched a lightning bolt at Hiccup, "Wah!" But Crystal countered with her magic and neutralized the attack. Tempest growled and charged Crystal but Lycanroc (Dusk form) bashed her away with Accelarock. Then it spotted Iris and the others, still trapped in the cage, Lycanroc used Fire Fang and bit right through the cage, freeing them. "Alright, wolfy!" Hiro exclaimed with joy.
Tempest and the Storm King weren't done!
Crystal and the Lycanroc collided with the two villains full force engaging in a struggle. Crystal and the Lycanroc pushed them back and they skidded backwards. "Use Rock Throw!" Crystal ordered and the Lycanroc howled and launched rocks at the two, sending them skidding. They both growled at Crystal and the Lycanroc. "Lycanroc, use Thunderpunch!" Lycanroc (Midnight form) howled and its paws sparked with electricity and charged Tempest and the Storm King. He pushing them into the air and they both screamed in pain. “No way!” Hiro gasped in shock.
“Now that’s powerful!” Mai added. Lycanroc (Midnight form) landed on the ground and Tempest and the Storm King landed on the ground twitching from the electricit y.
"Now that's lightning!" Hiro called excitedly. "Rooooo...!" Lycanroc exclaimed. Tempest and the Storm King shakily got to their feet. The Storm King growled at Crystal "Out of the way!" Tempest growled.
“You cannot win this battle.” the Storm King stated.
Crystal hovered in the air. “Oh yes.. I will.” Crystals’ Elements of Dragons glowed brightly and it coated her in a ball of it’s magic. The Storm King and Tempest stared in shock at her. Toothless roared and urged Hiccup and the Guardians away.
Tempest growled while charging her horn and I charged up my magic for one final attack. “For Equestria!” Crystal bellowed and she blasted a large beam of her Element’s magic at her and the Storm King, engulfing the two of them and covering the land in a bright flash….
End of POV
I slowly woke up groggily and found myself laying in bed with all my friends and family staring at me. “Yeah, you’re awake.” Pinkie Pie cheered.
“Welcome back.” Iris added.
“You and your Element repaired all the damage done to Canterlot and restored Equestria.” Leilani stated.
“And the Storm King and Tempest?”
“Amazingly your Elements simply turned the Storm King and Tempest into tiny versions of themselves so we left them with Discord.” Celestia said. I widened my eyes in amazement. “Woah… I didn’t think it could do that.”
"Us either, but your Element is full of surprises." Iris said.
"Where’s Winter, Queen Novo, Skystar, Jason, Hiccup and the others?” Speaking of the gang, they all peeked into the room. “Is she awake?” Hiccup asked.
“Yes Hiccup, she’s awake.” Luna stated. "You all can come in."
Hiccup smiled and the others came up to her bedside. "How you doin, Crystal?" Snotlout asked.
“Just a bit woozy, but I’ll be alright.” I replied with a smile.
“Good we don’t want to celebrate without our little hero.” Rainbow teased, making me blush in embarrassment. “Hehehe.”
"And her friends." Asami said. Hiccup, the others grinned and their dragons warbled happily. Queen Novo and Jason looked at Crystal, "Thank you, Crystal... Before I met you, I was running away from my past, but now I've face it and me subjects and I can return to our former kingdom." Novo praised. Crystal nodded, "Thank you... for helping me fight for Equestria."
That night, everyone was gathered in Canterlot. Spike, wearing a pair of stylish shades, tapped on the microphone, and slid onto stage. "Ladies and gentlemen! Get ready for a little... Songbird Serenade! "
The singer pegasus spread out her wings as the spotlight shined above her. The entire audience cheered, clapping their hands and stomping their hooves. The dragons roared in glee for the celebration... every last dragon from the Hidden World.
"And now, to celebrate the fact that we're all still here in one piece. Give it up for Crystal Diamond and her friends!” A spotlight shined on Crystal, her Lycanroc, Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, the twins and their dragons and everyone cheered for her.
Korra, The Mane Six, Mako, Flash, Bolin, Asami, Starlight, Nova, Sunset, Tenzin and his family and Lin and her family, as well as President Iroh all bowed in respect to Crystal, accompanied by the royal alicorns and even Discord and Crystal bowed in return.
"This song is dedicated to my beloved mentor, Rara." Songbird said, pointing her hoof to the older earth pony singer, who beamed with pride. "If it hadn't been for her, I wouldn't be the pony standing before you today. I didn't always understand friendship, but she never gave up on me, even when I had given up on myself. I love you, Rara. Thank you for being my friend and for showing me the light."
Rara shed tears of joy, which were wiped by her dear old friend Applejack. The lights of the stage dimmed and Songbird Serenade sang the song from her heart.
I know you, you're a special one
Some see crazy where I see love
You fall so low but shoot so high
Big dreamers shoot for open sky
As the heroes, both previous and current listened to the lyrics, they couldn't help but relate to the words. Korra and the Mane Six all shared loving smiles, recalling the day they all first met. To everyone else, Korra was a wild, reckless Avatar (and she was), while the ponies were just these bizarre alien creatures. But, to each other, they were so much more than what the world perceived them as. They saw love in each other's eyes, and their friendship changed them for the better.
Mako and Bolin, two brothers with nothing had found happiness not only with each other, but with their new friends and two amazing woman who loved them for who they were. Complete with all of their imperfections. And Asami, a girl who had so much and lost a lot when her father betrayed her, found a new life with these amazing friends who never turned their backs on her. Even when she turned into an evil nightmare creature.
They were never flawless, but a work in progress. They all had dents, they all had quicks. But, it was their flaws that made them work.
So much life in those open eyes
So much depth, you look for the light
But when your wounds open, you will cry
You'll cry out now and you'll question why
The backup dance ponies jumped onto stage, and a massive cake with flashing heart shaped lights rose up from the stage, where Songbird continued to sing. Mai and Lu Ten high fived one another, proud at their handy work. Judging by the reaction of the crowd, they had outdone themselves yet again.
Changelings flew upwards with strings of various colors, swarming around in elegant dance like movements, creating a rainbow effect. The Monstrous Nightmares and the Zipplebacks decided to all their own fireworks to the performance with the Zippleback expelling gas and the Nightmares igniting it, creating a large explosion in the sky.
I can see a rainbow
In your tears as they fall on down
I can see your soul grow
Through the pain as they hit the ground
I can see a rainbow
In your tears as the sun comes out
As the sun comes out
Songbird roared into the sky, a trail of multicolored sparkles followed, and flew over the audience. She hovered above Crystal Diamond. Even while she sang, she was thanking them for not only freeing herself and everyone, but also for allowing Songbird to be a part of this beautiful event.
At that moment, Akari knew that her mother was right. She never needed the alicorn's magic to make this concert a memorable one. She already had all the magic she needed. And they were all standing right beside her. Gallant Steed wrapped his hoof around her, kissing her cheek, right above her new little scar. As for Crystal, she was busy enjoying the party. Talking with her friends and family who were very proud of her for fighting for them and their land.
Then the Sentinel dragon came down before them. "Sentinel." Crystal gasped.
“Well done my student. You saved Equestria once again.” Crystal blushed at his words. "Hehe."
"And for that there is something I should give you." Now Crystal was confused. "Give me what?" The Sentinel didn't respond but instead broke into song about how far Crystal had come and how much she's grown.
A white light appeared in Crystal chest and circled her. She floated up in the air. Iris and the others tried to get to her but Celestia and Luna blocked them, "Queens-"
"Don't worry, she'll be fine." Luna reassured.
The light exploded and charged into her Element of Dragons symbol and floated back to the ground and everyone saw a silhouette of, "Crystal? Is that you sugarcube?" Applejack asked.
Crystal stood up and showed her dragons wings now colored in the colors of the Elements of Harmony. Her Element of Dragons was now a crown and she now is wearing a white gown with a rainbow stash and it had a pin in the shape of a Night Fury.
"Sweet Mother of Raava!" Iris exclaimed.
"What happened to you?!" Akari added. "You look just like a Princess."
The Sentinel walked over, "That's because she is a Princess."
"Stone dragon say what now?!" Hiro and Pinkie cried in shock.
"Ever since Crystal has come here, she has proven to be just as strong and devoted to her friends, family and home. And for defending her home from the Storm King and finally proven that she's ready."
"Ready? For what?" Korra asked.
The Sentinel smiled, "As of tonight, I declare Crystal Diamond as the newest Princess of both Equestria and Harmony City!" The whole area went up in cheers of joy and happiness while Crystal was speechless. Astrid and the others came to her side, "Way'd a go, Crystal."
"Nice work, Crystal. You totally deserve it." Hiccup said. Iris and her friends all hugged Crystal, very proud of her for becoming the newest Princess of Harmony City and Equestria. And they knew she would have more abilities to unlock in the future. "Yeah, now we can do a 'Congratulations of becoming the newest Princess Party!" Pinkie cried aloud.
Crystal giggled and then Jason came up to her, "Crystal..."
Crystal turned to Jason, "Yes Jason?"
"I've been the Alpha of the Dragons for many many years... and after seeing your leadership and courage in the face of danger... I've decided that its time for me to step down as Alpha... and give the title... to you..." Jason announced, earning gasps from everyone and dragon.
"Me... Alpha.. of the Hidden World.. really?" Crystal gasped. She thought being Princess was a big shock, but Alpha of an entire Kingdom! Jason nodded, "You've shown skills that I didn't know were possible. You have Queen Novo new hope when she thought she lost it. You're an excellent leader and I know the Hidden World is in excellent hands...." Jason said before bowing to Crystal and all the other dragons bowed to her as well, even Toothless, Hookfang, Barf and Belch, Meatlug and Stormfly.
It was official now... Crystal was the new Alpha of the Hidden World.
"Hooray! Now I can do a 'Congratulations on being a new Alpha party'!"
"Yeah!" Everyone punched their fists into the air.... and a stream of fire exited Crystal's hand. Everyone gasped including Crystal.
"I can bend now..." Crystal whispered in shock before screaming excitedly. "I CAN BEND NOW!" Iris and the others cheered loudly for their friend. Now she could not only control the Elements with her magic, she can now bend them too. All ending one epic adventure Crystal ever took to save her home.
Soon Crystal mounted Winter and the riders mounted their dragons.
'My name is Crystal Diamond and at first I did think I had a purpose in Equestria or my home.'
They took off into the air and cheered happily and they flew around Canterlot. Iris and the others joined in as well with Mai and Hiro on their blue Hideous Zippleback, Gallant Seed on his brown Gronckle. Iris on her blue Monstrous Nightmare and Nori on her purple and pink Deadly Nadder.
'But now, I've found my purpose. While my friends rule over ponies and benders... I rule over... Dragons...'
Hiccup, Toothless, Crystal and Winter flew high into the sunlight and Toothless and Winter gave two loud roars.
(Crystal)We are all different, baby But that's what I like We're separate but we're together Like stars in the sky We got a good thing going on Yeah, nobody has to feel alone Oh, yeah
(All)One of us chased the day And one of us faced the night And all of us paved the way To where we all are tonight Turned around And now we found That we are now All...
The dragons and HIppogriffs soared overhead with the dragons blasting fire from above as a big celebration; dragon style!
One for all, used to be divided One for all, now we're all united One for all, this party ain't private One for all, everyone's invited One for all, no wristband required One for all, get hype, get excited One for all, one for all One for all, one for all (Whoo)
(Hiccup)There's something here that's magic Let's dance until dawn The feeling is automatic It's where we belong We're so unique, we're not the same Yeah And that's what gives us all our strength
(All)One of us chased the day And one of us faced the night And all of us paved the way To where we all are tonight Turned around And now we found That we are now All...One for all, used to be divided One for all, now we're all united One for all, this party ain't private One for all, everyone's invited One for all, no wristband required One for all, get hype, get excited One for all, one for all One for all, one for all (Whoo)
(Iris and the benders)We about to bring it on, on Watch me shake it like pom pom Yeah, shake it, shake it, shake it Shake it, shake it, shake it like a pom pom
(Crystal and Stoker Class)Yeah, get hot, heated Lean back with Stoker Class Hey, with a Stoker Class Yeah, with a Stoker Class
Then Hiccup and Toothless came up.
(Hiccup and Strike Class)Uh, new kids on a new block Strike Class do the moon walk Do the moooo- Do the moooo- Do the moon walk
(All)One for all, used to be divided One for all, now we're all united One for all, this party ain't private One for all, everyone's invited One for all, no wristband required One for all, get hype, get excited One for all, one for all One for all, one for all (Whoo) One for all One for all
A Little Dragon Pony Legend
Episode 18: Performance Raiser
Akari dipped the sponge in the bucket, sucking in the soapy water, all the while Hiro rhythmically motivated the team as they worked.
"To the right! To the right! To the left! To the left! Now up! Now up! Bring it down! Spin it around! Wash that car like you mean it! Come on!" Their dragons warbled happily for their riders. It's been two months since the invasion of Tempest and the Storm King. Ever since then, the dragons of Hidden World had came to live in Equestria and in Harmony City. The civilains added some dragon sized stables for the dragons of all species and thanks to Jason and Crystal, they knew the dragons would be well behaved.
The Guardians each got their own dragons as well. Hiro and Mai called their new orange Hideous Zippleback, Smoke and Fire. Akari decided to called her Monstrous Nightmare, Flame. Iris called her Deadly Nadder, Skybaby. Gallent called his Gronckle, Granite. Their dragons watched happily as their riders washed the car.
Motivated by the rhythm, Akari and Mai scrubbed the side of the truck, leaving a trail of suds and bubbles in their wake. They scrubbed hard on all area, even the hard to reach places, covering every bit of dirt they could find.
Once the entire vehicle was covered in soap, Nori used her waterbending to slash the soap off of the car, followed by Gallant Steed using his airbending to blow it dry.
Finally, Hiro came in and shinned the car, smiling in satisfaction upon seeing his reflection on the newly spotless surface. He gave himself a wink and a finger pointing gesture.
"Wow. Nice work, kids." Tahno said, happily admiring his newly shinned car. He pulled out some money from his pocket and handed it to the young wisp, Chi.
"Hah! Thanks, Tahno."
"No problem." The now retired Wolf Bat gave her a salute before driving off.
Chi pounded her fists into the air. "Sweet! More cash to add to the stash!"
"Yet another victory for The Guardians of Harmony!" Hiro announced, dramatically lowering his voice for more effect.
"Bro, you don't need to mention that every single time." Mai said, lightly chuckling in amusement. "You've been saying it all month."
"I know, I just still can't get over it." Hiro then zipped away, striking a bunch of dramatic poses, all the while flashy superhero-styled backgrounds appear behind him.
"We're the Elements of Harmony. Defenders of all that is righteous! Protectors of Friendship and tolerance! Vanquishers of all things wicked and evil! The sole heroes of this beloved city! We alone--!" Hiro was cut short when the soapy sponge was thrown to his face, causing the backgrounds behind him to disappear as suddenly as they had appeared. He dropped his arms and gave his sister an annoyed look while the sponge slowly slid down from his face. The others bursted out into laughter. Even Smoke, Hiro's half of the Zippleback and the other dragons.
Nori sighed, "How about a little break? All of this sunshine and suds are doing a number on my scales." she said, rubbing her scaly purple arm. The others agreed wholeheartedly and took some cool drinks from the freezer while sitting on the grass near Harmony High's parking lot. Gallant Steed and Hiro sat side by side, drinking the fizzy Apple Cider, while Nori fanned herself from the heat.
"Hey, anybody seen Iris and Chrysi lately?" Chi asked.
"We're here!" Iris called out, flapping her wings and landing in front of them, while carrying a box in her hand.
Right beside her, also landing from the air, was none other than the newest Princess and Alpha of the Hidden World, Crystal Diamond, riding on Winter, her Light Fury.
"Sorry we're late." Iris apologized. "We were just going over the numbers again."
"Have we raised enough for the class trip to Phoenix Falls?" Akari asked hopefully, clutching the bottle of cider in her hand.
"We've only raised half. I counted the money four times just to be sure." Iris said, opening the box with said money inside.
The rest of the team groaned in disappointment. "What's the big deal?" Crystal asked. "There are plenty of waterfalls up on the mountains outside the city. What's so great about one in the Fire Nation?"
"Glad ya asked, Crystal." Gallant Steed pulled out a pamphlet from his jacket pocket and practically shoved at Crystal's face. "Oof!"
"After Harmonic Convergence, a family of little phoenix spirits migrated to a long since dried up waterfall. It was in really bad shape. But, when the Phoenixes came, the sparks from their wings rained down and the waters flowed once again! The waterfall shimmered with golden colors it looked like fire and water became one! It's literally the largest waterfall in all of the four nations! But, the phoenixes only come every twelve years, and after they leave the waterfall dries up again. Since then, people come from all around come to see the phoenixes restore the waterfall once again. And this year, our class is gonna see it first hand!"
"Wow. Funny how something so small can create something so grand." she said, feeling foolish for not seeing just how important this was for the others. A memorable moment such as this just had to be witnessed first hand.
"I can't wait for you to see it." Iris said, placing her hand on Crystals' shoulder. "It's going to be amazing!"
"If we ever raise enough money that is." Mai pointed out, only to receive an elbow to the ribcage… which only resulted in Akari herself feeling the pain instead of her.
"Ouch!"
"Supper strength, remember?" Mai said with a smug grin.
"Well, no matter. We'll get the money before you know it. There's gotta be some more cars we missed."
Everyone turned their attention to the parking lot, which was completely devoid of any cars. Unusually enough, a tumbleweed came rolling over. "I, uh, think we're gonna have to come up with a new plan." Mai said.
"But we're running out of time!" Chi said with worry, "The deadline is next week. And Hiro and Mai have already hosted a bake sale, Iris and Gallant Steed had that doggie day care, and Akari and I planned this car wash."
"What about Crystal, maybe she can do something?" Hiro suggested.
"No, no, no! I am not getting swarmed by millions of people... again!" Crystal exclaimed, exasperated.
"Oh come Crystal, the crowds aren't that bad.." Hiro shrugged off. Crystal gave him a deadpanned scare, "I almost lost all of my clothing last week cause of fan crazed mob."
The Guardians winced, imagining something like that, "Yeah... that would be harsh." Chi stated. Crystal sighed and added with a bit of regret in her voice, "But... if it helps us go on the trip... then I guess I'll think of something...."
"Yeah..!" Hiro cheered happily. "I know you'll think of something excellent." Crystal chuckled, nervously.
The Next Day....
Iris was sleeping in her room with Skybaby and Aklut beside her.
Ahhhh~ Skybaby and Aklut perked up at the sound, which made Iris stir, "Uh... Skybaby, Aklut.. what is it?" she asked groggily before hearing the sound too.
"What is that?" Iris asked.
"Ahhh~"
"This kingdom This Kingdom We'll celebrate a wonderful world Oh this kingdom~
Iris, Skybaby and Aklut trailed the song just as Korra and Mako came out, also hearing the song. "You hear the song too, right?" Korra asked her daughter. Iris nodded and Aklut and Skybaby lead them to Crystal's room. "Crystals' room?" Iris looked at her parents, who shrugged and they quietly opened the door and to their amazement, they saw Crystal... singing and dancing to a beat that looked to be produced by her magic, cause her horn was lit.
"We'll decorate the place with dragon cheer We can make a beautiful kingdom We can make our worlds shine bright As long as friends and family are with us All dragons will shine tonight We can make it beautiful (A kingdom) We can make it beautiful (A kingdom) We can make a beautiful kingdom
Iris and her family were amazed and quietly left the room and shut the door. "I've gotta tell the others about this.." Iris said to her parents with glee, having a new idea about what they could hold.
"A small concert?" Everyone exclaimed in shock.
"Yeah, we can have Crystal put on a concert with her singing, everyone will love it." Iris said. "And it will raise a lot of money for our trip."
"Question is... how are we gonna get her to do it." Akari pointed out. "She doesn't like getting alot of attention, remember? With all the crazy crowds that chase after her-"
"Like when?" Hiro interrupted. A scream was heard and everyone saw Crystal being chased by a large crowd of people.
"Princess Crystal, wait!"
"I want an autograph!"
"Marry me!"
The Guardians and their dragons sweat-dropped, "We should probably help her." Mai stated.
"Yep." and the Guardians mounted their dragons and took off after the mob.
Crystal was panting as she had ran away from the mob for at least thirty minutes; the mob wouldn't give up. "Gah... ha.. ha.." she panted then, "Crystal..!" Crystal looked up and saw Iris and her Deadly Nadder, "Grab on.." Iris reached out her hand and Crystal grabbed it and Skybaby flew high into the air along with the other dragons. They flew over to Iris's castle and landed in the front. Crystal panted and laid down on her back. "Thanks... guys..." Crystal panted.
"No problem," Hiro stated. Crystal sat up, "Oh and Crystal, I thought of something you can do to help us raise some money." Iris stated.
"What is it?" Crystal asked.
"A mini-concert." Iris replied with a grin. Crystal immediately shook her head, "No no no no, absolutely not!"
"Oh come Crystal, it'll be fine." Iris reassured. "You have an amazing voice."
"How do you know...?" Crystal asked with a raised eyebrow. Iris stammered but Hiro ratted her out, "She and her family snuck in on you singing a song." earning him a head bash by Smoke. "OW!" and now he was laid out on the floor.
"Thank you, Smoke." Mai thanked the left Zippleback head. Smoke warbled. "Ooooh..." Hiro groaned.
"Yeah darling, singing isn't that bad." Nori stated. Crystal bashfully rubbed her arm, "But I usually sing when I'm alone... I never actually sang in front of people before..."
"We'll you can change that when you perform for everyone in Harmony City.." Akari declared. Crystal froze, "S-Sing.. w-when..?"
"Tonight.." Akari said. Crystal turned white with a black outline with a look of horror on her face. "Umm... Crystal...?" Iris said. She tapped her and Crystal fell over like a statue. "... I think you broke her, Akari." Akari sweat-dropped with a nervous chuckle.
Later that night, everyone was gathered outside of Harmony High School where there was a small stage set up in front of the school. All the dragons and people in Harmony city was present. Crystal peeked out behind the curtain and gulped nervously, seeing the huge number of people. "Oh..." she whimpered.
"You'll be fine, Crystal.." Iris reassured. Crystal looked really nervous about this and the others could tell. "How about this... we perform with you? Along with our dragons?" Gallent Seed suggested.
"R-Really?" Crystal asked, looking at her friends.
"Of course." Iris stated.
"You're our friend." Akari added.
Then, Shiro's voice could be heard over the intercom "And now for the main event..."
"That's our cue.." Iris smirked. The friends nodded and they got out onto the stage along with their dragons. "Crystal Diamond with her performance..!"
The crowd cheered as the curtains were pulled back, revealing Crystal, her friends and their dragons.
(Parody to Big Time Rush Beautiful Christmas)
(Hiro)Put down the video games Pick up some candy canes And hang a wreath on your door, hey
(Gallent)Give back to those who need Bring peace and harmony Cause that's what this kingdom is for
(Iris)Oh, This kingdom This Kingdom We'll celebrate a wonderful world
(Akari)Oh this kingdom (This kingdom) (Kingdom) We'll decorate the place with dragon cheer
(All)We can make a beautiful kingdom We can make our worlds shine bright As long as friends and family are with us All dragons will shine tonight We can make it beautiful (A kingdom) We can make it beautiful (A kingdom) We can make a beautiful kingdom
Happy Holiday, Spread friendship to everyone Singing, Happy Holiday We can make a beautiful Kingdom
( Hiro: It's so beautiful!)
We can make a beautiful kingdom We can make our worlds shine bright As long as friends and family are with us ( Mai: Friends and Family) All dragons will shine tonight ( Iris: Shining tonight) We can make it beautiful kingdom ( Crystal: Said a beautiful kingdom) We can make it beautiful ( Akari: So beautiful) We can make it beautiful (The kingdom) We can make a beautiful kingdom
(Crystal)Haaaaaaa...!
(Iris)We can make a beautiful kingdom
(All)We can make a beautiful kingdom
The crowd and dragons went wild for the peformance and fireworks shot into the sky. "And what an amazing performace that was!" Shiro's voice cried over the cheering.
Crystal couldn't stop grinning as they watched the music video on Nori's geo-phone. "I never get tired of watching it."
"Thanks to you Crystal, our class got to go to Phoenix Falls." Nori smiled, earning a blush from Crystal, "Hehehe.. thanks.."
"Hey guys!" Hiccup called coming over with Toothless, "Come on you're gonna miss this.." Hiccup and all his friends had attended Harmony High with Crystal and her friends after the defeat of Tempest and the Storm King.
"Hey guys!" Akio called out to the three, "Hurry up, they're coming!"
The entire class of Harmony High, students, dragons, creatures and all hurried towards the metal railing of the mountain, seeing the dried up waterfall, so high and large it could be seen for miles and miles.
Everyone took out their phones and pointed upwards to the sky, seeing a flock of the most beautiful, shimmering birds they had ever seen. They looked like a mix between an eagle and a peacock, with long feathers that billowed elegantly in the wind like the light helms of Rarity's ball gowns when she twirls, or the elegant manes of Celestia and Luna, to the point they looked as if they defied gravity itself.
They came in array of colors, wings of blue, aquamarine, or orange and yellow yet they gave off very visible pecks of fire that danced upon their bodies, creating a heavenly, other worldly aura, and the feathers above their heads resembled crowns, giving them a regal appearance. They flew with the grace of a swan and in perfect form. They were as intelligent as they were mesmerizing.
The girls were left in awe at the sight, many were already envious of their feathers, wishing they had them for their own cloths and accessories, while at the same time couldn't even bare the idea of plucking even one feather from their bodies. Each one seemed to serve a greater purpose to their beauty.
As they descended, the sparkles of fire fell all around, even close to the students. While they weren't burning hot, they were warm. Like if snow came during the summer or spring time rather than during the winter. The creatures flapped their wings, making their watt towards the rocks.
When their leader, the largest and most majestic of them all landed at the very top, alongside his family and fellow birds, their bodies shimmered and sparkled like never before. Flowers blossomed around the area, forming nests for them to lay their eggs, and the sparkles converged to ignite the flaming waters that now cascaded down from the mountain, all the way down to form the lake. Ray of light shoot upwards from the waters in an otherworldly display.
Tears were shed at witnessing one of the marvelous miracles that came from the three worlds merging as one. Several students even patted Iris on the back, asking her to let Korra know how grateful they were. If she hadn't kept the portals open, they never would have seen such a sight. And now, the fresh water from the waterfall could serve as medicine for the people of this town, which would be stored and saved for emergencies.
The Elements of Harmony gathered together in one group hug, alongside Hiccup and his friends. With a friendship that was growing more and more each day.