//------------------------------//
// Exposure 
// Story: The Little Pony Legend: Shadow of Ronin 
// by MyEcho4 
//------------------------------//


Exposure



"Why does someone need all this...whipped cream?" Chi said as she looked through the fridge in the mini kitchen. She stumbled across a white can with the words 'whipped cream' on the side. Since she and Nova were traveling so much, they haven't really had the chance to settle down for long periods and try new things. One of these was food. They did taste a few exotic foods here and there from Equestria and the human world, but it was mainly just a nibble of something small or not all that fancy, just to hurry things along. Whipped cream, on the other hand, was something she had never tried before. She had heard of it, but she never tasted it.

"Well, maybe it's kinda like ice cream?" She said to herself. At first, she was a bit hesitant but then placed a small bit of it on the tip of her finger and brought it to her mouth. She allowed her taste buds to embrace the sensation fully. Her fingers remained in her closed mouth, her eyes widening as if she had just experienced an epiphany of some kind. Instantly, she sprayed the entire can inside her mouth, and not one drop remained.

"This is amazing!" She exclaimed as she grabbed another bottle and sprayed it in her mouth. Her cheeks puffed up like a chipmunks until she swallowed it completely in one gulp then letting out quite a large burp. She quickly covered her mouth, hoping no one heard.

"Man, Nova's gotta try this!" She said before grabbing another can and dropping it down the front of her dress. It was then that something caught her attention.

"Huh?" She said. Her ear turned into a fox's and listened for the sound. Her ear twitched a couple times before gasping. Instantly, she transformed into a fox and began walking towards the source of the noise. Once for sure she was at the location of the sound, she got down on her legs and jumped behind a box.

"Ahh!" Screamed two familiar girls.

Her jaw dropped. "Iris?! Akari?!" She said in a whisper.

"Chi!" Akari whispered.

"What are you doing here?!" said the fox, trying not to blow their cover. "If your parents find out they'll freak!"

"We know." said Iris. "But we had to come. This could be my one chance to discover my destiny. Please, don't tell our parents!"

"Look, I like a little rebellious act every now and again, but stuff like this is where I draw the line." said the fox. She knew well that the girls weren't supposed to be on here and if their parents find out, they'd be dead meat. "Besides, not to sound harsh or anything, but what makes you think coming along on this trip will help you discover your destiny?"

"Because of my dreams." Iris replied. "I've been seeing them for a while now, and I just know they mean something."

"Or they could just be dreams. Have you ever considered that?"

"Have you met her family?" Akari said, speaking with such sass her own mother would either be impressed or disturbed by. "Freaky dreams almost always mean something big is going to happen."

"Not to mention, in a lot of my dreams, I keep seeing some dark creature wielding a sword. I bet it's Ronin."

Chi was silent and looked the other way. She had heard stories about the Princess Avatar having premonitions in the form of dreams before. It wouldn't be so far fetched for her own daughter to have the same ability. Especially given they are the only known human alicorns in existence, and both shared magic touched by Raava before she became separated from Korra again.

Also, and this was something even Chi herself didn't fully understand, but she felt she could...trust this girl. 100% without a shadow of a doubt. Weird, the only other person with whom she had ever felt this kind of trust towards was Nova. Judging by the look in her eyes, Iris was indeed telling the truth. There was nothing that indicated Chi wouldn't believe she was indeed telling the truth. Yes, it was dangerous but if what Iris is saying is true, then it would be important that she tagged along. She may get into trouble but hey, wouldn't be the first time she went behind someone's back for the greater good. She turned back around, her mind made up.

"What you're doing is crazy, even for you…but, if it means that much to you, I think I can make an exception. Besides, at least I'll be around to keep you safe."

"So you'll help us?"

"Of course! If you think that you need to be on here, then I got your backs." She said wrapping her tail around the two. "But you can't stay here, come on!" The girls exited the kitchen.

"Oh and you're excused by the way." Akari mentioned.

"What are you-" Chi began only to remember what happened before. her skin turned green and her ears and tail lowered. "Um...Thanks." she said before walking a bit faster. The two girls giggled quietly. The three went down the hall, heading towards the bridge. At first everything was going well, that is until Chi's ear began to twitch in alarm.

"Quick! Hide!" She exclaimed as she pushed the two behind a corner. She quickly turned back into a human and began to casually walk down the hall, all while whistling. The person who came around the corner was none other than Nova, who didn't look too happy. He leaned against the wall and covered his face with his hand.

"Oh, hey, Shady!" Chi greeted. Nova just huffed in anger. She flew up to his side. "Something bugging ya?"

"I can't believe they brought Leilani on board!" he hissed in anger.

"Oh, noooo!" Chi exclaimed taking a quick look to where the girls are who were peaking around their corner. She tilted her head, silently telling them to get back before someone saw them but quickly smiled when Nova looked up at her.

"Ugh As if I wasn't stressed enough already!"

"Come on, Nova. I know you have issues with her, but can't you cut her some slack just this once. I mean, it's not like she made ponies forget your history entirely. Sure, she told a few white lies but it was because she didn't want Equestria to remember your people as monsters. I'm not saying lying was right, but her heart was in the right place. I can tell she still cares about you. She only wants you to find happiness."

"I don't need her choosing my happiness for me." Nova stated coldly, "I decide that for myself."

"Alright, but can you at least try and tolerate her while we're here? If you won't do it for her, then at least do it for me? The last thing I want is you getting more worked up."

Nova looked at his friend. No matter how many times he tried, he could never say 'no' to her, even if it meant being around people he couldn't stand at times. He looked up and saw her eyes big and adorable as she tried to get him to change his mind. Sometimes, she took her cuteness, the thing she hated, and used it to her advantage. With a heavy sigh and a small smile, he spoke up.

"Fine. I'll try, but only for you." The wisp smiled only to quickly change to fear as she quickly signaled the girls to get back. "Is everything alright?" Nova questioned.

"Oh, uh, yeah! I'm in top form!" She said, giving him a thumbs up, Nova raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Yeah! Totally!"

"So why are you purple?"

The wisp looked down and saw that he was right. She quickly tried to return to normal but she couldn't.

"Something you wanna tell me?" He said, crossing his arms.

"Um uh…" she frantically tried to think of something to change the subject. "Hey, have you tried this stuff called whipped cream?" Chi said, shoving the can of sugary substance at Nova's face. She spun him around and nodded her head to the two princesses. Her tail appeared and turned into an arrow, silently telling them to get out before Nova found them out, who was still reading the ingredients on the can.

"Chi, what did I tell you about too much sugar?"

But Chi could only chuckle in relief, knowing the girls were out of trouble.


(~)


The airship soared peacefully across the sky, with Asami as the pilot. Korra approached her sister-in-law, both now gazing out at the large glass window, overlooking the sea. "Well, here we go again." Asami said, noticing Korra's presence. "On another quest to defeat another ancient magical evil."

The Avatar chuckled. "Yeah. The more things change the more they stay the same." she said before giving her friend a frown. "You worried?"

"A little, but if we can survive through a powerhouse centaur from Tartarus, the spirit of darkness himself and a time loop that altered the very fabric of the space time continuum, I think we can handle this Ronin guy." her eyes shifted to the side to see Korra giving her a deadpan look. "You weren't talking about Ronin, were you?"

"No." Korra gently shook her head. "I'm talking about the kids. I feel bad about leaving Iris."

"Wow, I never would have pegged you for the overprotective type. Mako, maybe, but you?"

"I am not being overprotective!" Korra stated defensively, "Besides, don't you worry about Hiro and Mai?"

"Of course I do. But Tenzin and the airbenders will keep them safe. They're going to be fine."

"I know they're in good hands, but what if something happens and I'm not there to help her? What if her powers suddenly get out of control and she had no idea how to control it?"

"What about Starlight? She knows just as much about magic as anypony, even Twilight."

"But what if she can't figure it out? What if she tries to help her contain it and she gets hurt instead? Maybe I shouldn't have left."

"Okay, okay, Korra. Deep breaths." Asami instructed. Korra did as she requested and breathed in and out, slowly calming down. "I understand your concerns, I really do. But you've got to look at the bigger picture here. You'll never be able to help Iris so long as Ronin's still out there."

Korra sighed in defeat. "I know, I know. It's just…" she was silent for a moment before speaking, "You know me and Mako never had a normal childhood. He grew up on the streets without his parents and I grew up without having to see mine every day when I was placed in that compound. Since Iris was born, we both agreed to cherish every moment we spend with her and be there when her powers finally kicked in. Now it feels like we're breaking that promise."

"You're not." Asami said sympathetically, "You guys are doing everything you can to protect your family, we all are. You're both wonderful parents and Iris has mentioned a hundred times how much she admires you both."

"It's not easy. Being the Avatar and a mother all at the same time." Korra's eyes widened in realization and she facepalmed herself, "Gah!"

"What?"

"Now I know how Aang felt." she said with a groan, making Asami laugh and pat her sister-in-law on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. We'll be back home with the kids before you know it. For now, thank you for flying Sato airlines!"

"Wow. Bolin's really rubbed off on you, hasn't he?"

"You sound more like Mako every day."

"Touche."

As their wives spoke, Mako and Bolin were having a conversation of their own, Mako was looking at a picture he kept inside a locket that was given to him on their wedding anniversary, showing an image of him, Korra, and Iris who had just turn 5. Bolin sat next to his brother, looking at the picture. "Bro, sometimes I worry you and Korra might be a bit too attached."

Mako narrowed his eyes in annoyance and closed the locket, placing it in his pocket. "Please, Bolin. I already feel bad enough as it is."

"Will you relax? Iris will be fine. She has her friends, the others are keeping an eye on her, and when we come back we'll have one heck of a story to tell the kids! We'll tell them all about how their big strong dads helped save the world again." Bolin said, flexing his muscles, "Yep. We've still got it, right Mako?"

"This isn't the same as before, Bolin." Mako started seriously, and Bolin looked at his brother with concern. "I know we've survived a lot in the past, but we've also had a lot of close calls. In case you've forgotten, not everyone we love came back alive."

Bolin's gaze shifted back to his wife, who was still speaking with their sister-in-law. Asami had lost a lot of people. First her mother when she was young, and then her father in the hands of the Siren Mecha Tank. What's worse, it was just when she finally forgave him. Hiroshi never got a chance to see his grandchildren. Bolin knew he would have adored them. And Korra, his best friend, was poisoned and nearly lost her life had it not been for her alicorn genetics which repelled the poison, but that didn't mean it didn't leave her unscarred. There was also Twilight Sparkle, who was beaten and burned, and even several of their enemies who could have been redeemed lost their lives before they had the chance to have a change of heart. While every adventure ended in a happy ending, there was no denying the ride was not without suffering and loss. Not to mention, Bolin and Mako had lost their parents long ago. Bolin learned to cope with it, far more than his brother did even, but it affected Mako so greatly he needed to confront it in person in order to fully move on.

"I get it." Bolin said, placing his hand on Mako's shoulder.

"It feels like we're abandoning her." Mako said sadly.

"You're not. You and Korra are doing the right thing. By stopping Ronin we'll save everyone, including Iris."

"I don't want Iris to have to go through what me and Korra did. I don't want her to have to live without her parents, or still have them around but be so far away." Mako sighed and buried his face into his hands. "Being a father and a hero isn't easy."

"No, it's not. It it were, everybody could do it. But you know what, Mako? If mom and dad were here, they'd be so proud of you. You've gone through so much and yet you still managed to find your happy ending. Nobody knows more about sacrifice and hard work than you do. You have no idea how much Iris looks up to you and Korra. She's mentioned a hundred times how she wants to be just like you two." his words touched Mako's heart. "It may not seem like it now, but trust me, you guys are doing the right thing."

Mako gave a soft chuckle, "Listen to my little brother being the teacher for once."

"Well, I did have a great teacher." Bolin said, nudging his brother's elbow like they did when they were younger.

"Yeah, I know." Mako really had taught him well.

"Yep. Asami really is the greatest isn't she?" he said proudly, which made Mako narrow his eyes in annoyance. "Oh, well, and you we're a good influence too." Bolin added, in hopes of softening the blow. Mako in turn elbowed Bolin harder, which caused him to fall off of the couch he was sitting on.


(~)


Meanwhile, Nova watched from afar as the parents talked. Deep down, his anger grew even more than before. Seeing them together just made him sick to his stomach but at the same time, he felt sorry for them.

"Enjoying the view?" Nova shot his head to the voice and saw Sunset Shimmer standing at the door. In an instant, he fell into a trance. At first, the spunky unicorn gave him a bad taste in his mouth, but now...he took a moment to really study her appearance. While he often prefers dark colors due to personal taste, the bright sunny colors on her were...surprisingly appealing. Her red/golden locks seemed to perfectly reflect her fiery, and passionate personality.

But, while he would secretly say she was attractive, he was not in the mood to spark a conversation.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing. I can't enjoy the beauty of nature?"

"Normally when others start a conversation, it means they want something."

"Are you some kind of mind reader?"

"No. Are you?"

"Actually, yes. In a way."

Nova's ears perked up at the sound of this. The last thing he needed was someone snooping around his head without his permission.

"Don't worry, I'm not that kind of mind reader." Sunset stated, noticing his slight flinch at the mention of her abilities. She understood better than anyone how one required their privacy. After all, as friendly and outgoing as Sunset was, she was still one who appreciated some alone time every now and again.

"I know this empathy spell from one of Twilight's old spell books. When I touch people, I can look into their minds and feel their emotions.

"Ah, the Eyes of Truth spell." Nova said, "I remember that one. I tried mastering it once, but it never clicked."

"That's because it was designed more for females than for males." Sunset said, "It was first created by-"

"Nyneve." Nova finished. "I know. She was a powerful unicorn who was the only female wizard at the time, and wasn't taken all that seriously due to her young age. So she created the empathy spell so they would feel her pain. But it backfired, and it only managed to work on female unicorns in reaction to how she harbored deep emotional feelings. That's why mainly female unicorns can use the spell, specifically those with deep emotional scars are most capable of developing the skill."

Sunset gave a small smile. "Well, somebody's quite the walking encyclopedia, isn't he?"

"I've spent a lot of time on the road. I've read almost every book you can imagine." Nova turned to look at her, suddenly feeling interested in how this one unicorn managed to learn that spell. "I'll admit, it's impressive you were able to learn that spell."

Sunset arched an eyebrow and smiled. "Was that a compliment?"

"Don't get used to it." Nova said, looking back at the window, noticing both his and Sunset's reflections. Nova turned around when he heard Chi laughing while playing around with Pinkie Pie. She changed back and forth from her fox form, and the anthro pony changed back and forth from her pony form to her humanoid one.

Sunset noticed the smile on Nova's face as he watched the two. The look on his face was probably the closest she would get to seeing him genuinely happy.

"How long have you and Chi known each other?" Sunset asked.

"Very long. Sometimes, I can hardly imagine how life was without her around. She's basically my little sister."

"Must have been nice to have someone to keep you company during your travels."

"It wasn't always like that." Nova said, only to realize he was revealing a bit too much about himself. It was strange but, talking to Sunset made him feel comfortable enough to...be himself. It was very strange, since he never experienced anything like this before, except with Chi. But with her, it was understandable. Why was he feeling this way about a unicorn he just met?

"Anyway, it's just as well. I much prefer it be just me and Chi. Most people are just disappointments."

Sunset slightly narrowed his eyes at Nova reverting back to his usual rude self. But, after witnessing at least a glimpse of some form of vulnerability, Sunset tried her best to give this anti-social unicorn the benefit of the doubt.

"Look, I get it. You're not all too excited about working with Leilani again, or with any of us. But we're facing an ancient evil from your past, and even then you couldn't stop him by yourself. Hate to break it to you, but if you really want to protect Chi, you're going to put up with all of us until this whole thing blows over."

"So, you're saying I should just suck it up and deal with it?"

"Kinda, yeah."

"Ouch. You're not pulling any punches."

Sunset laughed and playfully punched his arm. "Not really my style." she said, with a lopsided grin. Nova, actually managed to crack a small smile.

"Sunset!" Asami called out, "Mind taking the wheel for a sec?"

"Sure thing, Sam!" Sunset replied. She gave Nova a friendly nod and walked away, leaving him to his solitude. As he watched her leave, Nova's smile faded away. His mind began to fill with memories.


………..


"Nova!" Shouted somepony as he galloped up towards the sorcerer. His coat was Lapis blue and had with green eyes with a black mane and tail, almost around the same style as Nova's. His cutie mark was two comets in the shape of an eye. Nova, now much older, was looking through a book about powerful spells his master had given him to study. Nova didn't even bother looking up from the book as the pony called to him.

"Hello! Equestria to Nova." he said. The pony as he began to get annoyed by the pony ignoring him. "Hey, Egghead!"

Nova finally looked up from his book and took a quick glance before going back down to read. "I heard you the first time, Cosmo."

"Yeah sure. Are you going to give yourself a break from all this studying or what?" Cosmo asked as they kept walking. "You've been reading nonstop for weeks."

"I have to." Nova said. "The master wants me to finish these books before the end of the month. I don't have time for breaks."

"There's always a time for breaks, Nova." Cosmo said. "I'm taking one now."

"Have you even started reading?" Said Nova.

"Of course!" Cosmo confirmed, feeling a bit offended. "Studying is priority one on my list. And besides, a good break every now and then. You'll cook your brain if you work too hard, you know."

"What are you doing anyway besides bothering me?" Nova asked.

"I'm going to my workshop to finish up the project I'm working on." Cosmo answered. "I was actually on my way to the cave when I saw you."

"You're still working on that?" Nova said. "How many times have you worked on it? I thought you'd give up by now."

"Nova, you know better than anypony else that I nevergive up." Cosmo said.

Nova looked up from his book and back at Cosmo. "Listen, I know you're trying to help me out and I appreciate it, but ever since the….incident."

"Oh you mean the water bucket-" Cosmo said, right before a zipper appeared and zipped his mouth shut.

"Don't say that out loud!" Nova said. "I'm embarrassed enough as it is!"

"Oh, give it a rest." Cosmo said under his closed mouth before unzipping it. "It's been years since that, ponies moved on."

"That's not the point. Ever since that day, I realized that becoming a sorcerer or maybe even the next elder is no joke. That I need to be on task, and not have any distractions. Not to let others do my work. Lean on for support. I need to be responsible."

"And I get it." Cosmo said sympathetically. "But studying all the time won't even get you close to any of that. Sometimes you just need to chill."

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm fine." Nova said. "Go. Have fun. I'll see you later." He said as he walked off. Cosmo looked on as he kept on walking away. Ever since they were kids, Nova was the immature, irresponsible, disobedient, kind of guy. But ever since that day, he changed, like life was more than some game. He wasn't like his old self anymore. Was that good or bad? Of course it was good! It showed that he was growing up, but was he growing up too fast? Maybe it was time to bring him back down to earth. And Cosmo knew just how to do it. He galloped beside Nova, who was still reading.

"Say Nova.." Cosmo began before Nova interrupted him.

"For the last time, Cosmo, no. Another day." He said.

"Ok." Cosmo casually said. He then put his plan to work. "Oh. Hey, Midnight."

"Gah!" Nova shouted as he quickly tossed the book aside, straightened his hair out, and adjusted his coat. "How do I look?"

Cosmo just stared at his friend's quick change of appearance. He then began to snicker and soon bursted out laughing. Nova just looked at him confused before realizing that it was a trick.

"Ha hh=a, have your laugh."

"I can't believe you fell for that!" Cosmo said as he continued laughing. "Ohhhh priceless!"

"Yeah funny." Nova said blandly. "But let's see if you think this is funny!" He said as he snatched Cosmo's scabbard with his sword inside and ran off. Cosmo immediately stopped laughing and chased after him.

"Nova give that back!"

"Oh come on, not having fun?" He laughed back as they ran through the village.

"Nova! Get back here! Nova! Nova!"


……………..


"Hey Nova."

Nova snapped out of his trance and looked around to the source of the voice. He turned to see Chi by the door looking at him, confused.

"Another daydream huh?"

Nova stuttered a bit before answering. "Uh, um, yeah, I'm fine." He said as he put his sword back in the scabbard. "What is it?"

"We need you on the bridge for something important."

"Alright. I'm coming." He said as he walked into the ship and made his way to the bridge.


(~)


"Now if I'm not mistaken, this is the fastest route to the destination.." said Bolin as the team was looking over the map, Nova allowed them to use. "We just follow this path and we'll be there by morning!"

"Guess some good did come out of you working for Kuvira." said Spike.

"I still can't believe of all places this "Madame Alpha" could hide this sword it had to be the swamp!" Rarity said in disgust. "It's a good thing I brought my boots."

"The diamond-encrusted ones?" Mako asked.

"Oh no, darling! Those won't survive five seconds in that place…..I brought the emerald ones! Fits with the green."

"Figures."

"What do you want?" Nova said, sounding uninterested as he and Chi walked into the bridge.

"Bolin was just informing us about the route we'll take to the swamp." Twilight explained.

"Great. You wanna medal or something?" Nova interrupted only to have Chi hit his side with her elbow. "Ow! What-oh uh, Yeah. Great idea. Good work!"

The team looked at him confused at his sudden change of emotion but quickly shrugged it off.

"Oookaay" Mako muttered. Suddenly, Chi grabbed her head and began to sway around.

"You okay, Chi?" Nova asked.

"Uh...I think I ate too much of that whipped whatever."

"I told you not to eat too much sugar." Nova said.

"Hey you should know by now that I always do the opposite of what you don't want me to do." She said, got giving him a small grin. He picked her up and held out his hand which gave off an glow.

"Come on, kiddo."

Chi nodded and flew inside his cutie mark. "Rest easy." He whispered before looking back at the group. "Well, with that taken care of, if you guys have anything else you wanna talk about, just call me." Nova said as he turned around to go back outside only to be stopped by Flash.

"There is something we've been meaning to ask you and Leilani." Flash said.

"And what's that?"

"It's about Kage and that, wolf thing of his." Flash replied, "Cross Guard said he saw the pony who attacked him had a wolf with him. What kind of animal was it?"

"It's not exactly an animal. It's, more like a spirit."

"A dark spirit?" Korra asked.

"Kind of. I've studied various types of spirits from your world, being half of one myself, and I happen to know there are several naturally dark spirits who will gladly align themselves with anyone who shares their dark desires. He's not much of a threat, but the real bad guy you need to make you avoid if Kage. He's studied magical weaponry all his life, his spells are embedded in the sword he wields, which is powered by a fire ruby. He takes no prisoners. So, I advise you to watch out for him. As a matter of fact, don't even try to pick a fight with him. I'll handle him myself."

Everyone became silent at Nova's words. For a moment, it felt almost as if he had shifted from just a stoic, distant individual to a complete sociopath in a swift effortless shift. Though while some didn't notice it, there was few to notice the little fib he made up. 

"Okay, so make sure we don't let Kage kill us, fair enough." Bolin said, ending the silence. "So, what about this Umbra thing? You said Ronin has the power to summon shadows, right?"

"Yes. But, at the moment, I doubt he has enough energy to create an army as large as the one he once led." Nova replied. "Unless he has the sword, the Umbra is the least of our worries."

"You said the Umbra was an army of shadows, created by ponies long gone, right?" Korra said.

"Yeah."

"Is that what happened to yourshadow?" Korra said as she pointed to the floor, which had no shadow in sight. "Did you really think we wouldn't notice?"

Nova turned around and looked at the group. "I'm surprised you took this long to say something." he said. The others may not have seen it, but Sunset was quick to notice that look in his eyes. The same look she saw countless times.

Regret.

Nova sighed. "Okay. Yes, my shadow was taken by Ronin and was used in his Umbra army."

"Ouch!" Rainbow Dash winced in pain at the idea.

"It's not as painful as it sounds. Though that doesn't make it any less pleasant."

Rarity leaned in and whispered to Asami, "I can imagine."

"How will Madam Alpha know we're coming?" Korra asked.

"Oh, she'll know." Nova said. "Relax, so far it looks like we've got everything covered."

"I just have one last question." Mako said, not even bothering to raise his hand.

Nova sighed in frustration, "Yes, your highness?"

"You said the sword can only be destroyed by a specula kind of magic. What did you mean by that? You never explained."

"When I gave Madam Alpha the sword, she had a vision of the only magic that can destroy it. All she said was, "Only one being, of more than one magic, will destroy the blade and vanquish the darkened heart."

Spike groaned in frustration. "Again with the vague prophecies. And it doesn't even rhyme!"

"It's simple A being of more than one kind of magic. I'm half pony, but also half spirit. I have that kind of unique magic."

"So does Korra." Pinkie Pie pointed out, "Well, technically, she has the magic of bending, and the magic of spirits since Raava left her some of her power after she became an alicorn which now gives her Equestrian magic. That's magic from the human world, the spirit world, and the pony world." Pinkie said, pulling out a finger for each world she counted. "And, in a way, so we the six of us!" she wrapped her arms around Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. "Korra shares her magic with us, and we have bending, and some traces of Raava's old powers, so we count too!"

"But she said only one being."

"And, you're so confident it's you?" Rainbow Dash asked, arching an eyebrow at Nova.

"Yes!" he spatted impatiently.

"Okay, just saying, if you really were the only one who could destroy the sword, don't you think Madam Alpha would have made you destroy it way back when you had the chance?"

Nova opened his mouth to say something, but came out empty. The rainbow haired pony did make a very valid point. He bit his bottom lip, his cheeks tainted with red and hot from embarrassment. "I…I thought it was one of those "It wasn't the right time" kind of deals. She's older than I am, and wiser, so I trusted her judgment!"

"Look, it doesn't matter, I'm sure she'll explain it once we see her." Korra said, ending the discussion. "I think we've gone through everything we need to know at this point. No need to bombard Nova with more questions."

Nova sighed in relief. "Thank you, princess." he said, though with slight bitterness in his tone.


(~)


During the entire conversation, Iris and Akari remained in their hiding spot, behind several boxes. Iris paid close attention to every detail. While Nova was speaking about the vision Madam Alpha told him years ago, Iris felt a strange tug at her heart. The half-human princess suddenly groaned, feeling something powerful tugging in her stomach.

Akari let out a silent gasp. "Iris, you okay?"

"I...I think so." she said. Suddenly, her vision clouded and images flashed before her eyes, so fast and so suddenly she could barely keep up. The shock caused the child to scream and trip, knocking over the boxes in her wake. Just like that, the images stopped. Iris breathed a sigh of relief...only to gaze up into the shocked looks of her parents and the rest of her family.

"Oops" Iris said, giving her mother an awkward smile.

"IRIS?! AKARI?!" Twilight and Korra shouted in unison, Echoing throughout the entire airship. Mako and Flash could only stare at the sight jaw dropped. Bolin, Spike, and Rarity fainted on the spot while Applejack and Pinkie looked at each other. Asami and Leilani were wide eyed. Sunset and Nova just stood there, with Sunset facepalming herself and Nova putting two fingers on the tip of his nose.

"Perfect." He muttered.

Soon, a glow came up from his hand and Chi flew out all refreshed. "Ah! That's much better." She said as she finished stretching. "So what did I miss?" Chi asked and turned to the group, seeing nothing but wide eyed, jaw dropped expressions leaving her confused.

"What?" She asked. Only to have her head turned around by Nova to see Iris and Akari, smiling and sheepishly waving at her.

"Hi, Chi."

"Ah, nuts."


(~)