The Legend Unfolds
It didn't take Korra and Mako long before bringing their confused, and nerve-struck daughter back home to the palace. In the main room, Iris's parents sat down alongside their daughter. They had informed everyone they wished to speak to Iris alone, so as to not stress her out with so many people around.
"Whoa! Sweet mother of Raava! Okay, okay." Iris traced her hand through her hair, trying desperately to comprehend everything in a rational way, which proved difficult because she was jitterier than a Naga on bath day.
"This is new. Actually no, not technically new because this has happened before, obviously, the whole Avatar bending the four elements thing, exactly how did that just happen to me?" she asked her mother, dumping every single question onto her. Korra herself, remained calm, though looking at her daughter with empathy. She knew she was really confused, and obviously terrified given how fast she was talking. She definitely took after her soul aunt Twilight in terms of freaking out.
"Technically, the Avatar cycle is over because you and Raava never got fused together again, so how can the Avatar be reincarnated anymore? Also, aren't you supposed to be dead for that to happen? Don't answer that!"
The more Iris spoke the more panicked and troubled she became in her tone. Her nerves and desire to know almost making her fidgety as she paced back and forth, Korra and Mako have long since given up trying to get her to sit back down.
"I'm sure there is a logical explanation for which you're going to tell me, although I am curious as to why you never told me beforehand, of course I can assume you just never knew, but given your initial reactions you did know and now I'm questioning why you tried to hide this from me in the first place. You know what, the important thing is that everything is going to be okay, I am gonna be okay right? Because as long as everybody is okay I don't care what happened. I mean, I care, obviously I care, but I'm sure you will explain everything when you feel the time is right, is the time right now, because I really, really want to know, like right now!"
Korra finally brought a hand onto Iris's back, just where her wings connected. "Iris, sweetie, calm down. Look, try to follow me," Korra said. Iris, still worried, watched her mother bring her hand up to her chest in an inhale, and then bring it out in an exhale. Iris, after a short bit, copied the movements and breathing until she started to calm down a little. She was still troubled, but at least calm enough to think a little more clearly.
"I know, this is a lot to take in, but we can explain everything."
"Okay….so, explain. W-What happened back there?" Iris asked again.
Even with her supposedly calm look, Korra was just as unnerved about it as she was. She just didn't know how to fully get it out. A sigh escaped her mouth before finally looking to her daughter, all ears and wanting.
"Ok, ... You remember the stories I told you about when I became an alicorn, right?"
"Yeah, of course I do. That's when the Avatar cycle ended. But, what's that got to do with anything? That was years ago - I wasn't even born then."
"Well, no. It didn't end, exactly."
Iris got up onto her feet, now even more curious. "W-Well, that still doesn't explain anything. The Avatar cycle is reincarnated from one life to another, isn't it?"
"It was, but things have changed since then. You're not wrong, it did work like that, but Instead of past lives it's now a …" Korra bit her bottom lip before finishing. "A… hereditary thing."
Iris's eyes were the size of dinner plates, and her mouth was opened agape, with one brow risen in a skeptical manner. "Alicorn mother say what?"
"Yeah, you heard right. Technically speaking.. you're officially… the new Avatar… after me." Korra paused briefly each time, fiddling with her fingers nervously. This was not an easy thing to confess to.
Pure silence filled the room, while Mako stood by, ready to step in if things got too messy. After what felt like hours, Iris finally spoke, her brain still feeling as if she had just gotten out of a roller coaster and the world continued to spin long since afterwords.
"I'm…I'm the Avatar?" she repeated, placing a hand over her chest. She barely looked at her mother, her vision unfocussed. "But-how-I mean, yeah I know "how" but, I-I mean -"
"Iris, remember to breathe." Mako suddenly cut in, seeing Iris becoming more panicked. Iris took a moment to breathe before looking right to Korra.
"How long have you known?" Iris asked. she wasn't going to continue until she knew that part, and they all knew that as well.
"Ever since you broke the Twilight Blade," Korra confessed with immense regret.
"What?"
"When it sensed you're still-developing magic it triggered your Avatar powers a bit too early, which is what caused it to break."
"But that was seven years ago! I'm pretty sure I would have remembered going all glowy at one point." Iris pointed out.
"That's because you fainted and blacked out after it happened." Mako explained, "Your magic had to revert back to square one, and since you weren't supposed to have activated that part of your powers so early that's probably why you didn't remember bending the elements to begin with."
"Did everyone know about this?"
"Only me and your mother." Mako said, right before awkwardly mentioning the rest. "And, your aunt and uncle, Nova, Sunset Shimmer, the Mane Six, your brother and sisters, Spike, and Akari."
"Akari knew?!"
"At first." Korra explained. "Not long after you passed out, Akari did as well. When you lost your memory of what happened, she did too. I'm betting it has something to do with you guys having that special bond like my and Twilight."
Upon hearing this, Iris knew she couldn't be angry with Akari now. Even if her parents had sworn her to secrecy, there was no way she would hide something as big as this from her. Still, the reality that her parents knew she was the Avatar, or rather meant to be one, this entire time was far too jarring.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?"
"Iris, believe me, we planned on it, we really did." Mako said. "But, you were still too young and your powers wouldn't kick in until you became a teenager so we made the decision to wait until they showed up again to tell you."
"So, waterbending myself from the ocean and having my entire body turn into some neon light show was the clincher?" Iris asked, her anger starting to show ever so slightly.
"Then we agreed we were going to tell you tomorrow morning, wether or not you showed signs of your powers." Korra said, before muttering the last bit under her breath. "There goes that plan." Iris was quiet soon after that, the response not entirely helpful. Korra, though was quick to recover. "But, it's going to be okay. Now that your full-powers are here I can start teaching you."
"Why?..."
"Well, you've never bended any element before so I just figured--"
"No, I mean, why did you think it was a good idea to keep me in the dark about this? What, you didn't think I could handle it?" Iris suddenly snapped. Her anger had finally reached her peak, and now it was starting to come out.
"What? No!" Korra insisted, though Iris didn't look very convinced about it.
Mako spoke up again, "Iris, it's not that we didn't trust you, it's just--"
"Just what, Dad? I get it, I wouldn't have had my powers then, but explain to me how was it a bad thing for me to at least know about this before my powers showed up? At least that way I would have understood the real meaning behind my cutie mark instead of wandering around asking why!Explain that to me! Why didn't you want me to know?!"
"Because I didn't want you to go through what I did!" Korra finally said. Once again, the room fell into silence, penetrated by Korra speaking again. "When I was growing up my entire world revolved around being the Avatar. I wanted to make a difference too. To be more than what I was. But, it also kept me isolated and alone. I didn't think I would matter to the world if I wasn't the Avatar. It became everything I identified myself as. I didn't want that for you. I wanted you to have what I couldn't. A normal childhood, a chance to find out who you are outside of the Avatar name, so than when you did get your powers it wouldn't dominate you the way it did me."
Iris took the words in, and while she was calming down, she was still fuming about the concept altogether. "Okay, I can understand that part. But, what if this is who I am?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You, Dad and everyone else have already done something to earn your places in the world, but I've done nothing to earn mine, at least I didn't think I did! You're right, I do want to be a part of something, but I never thought I had enough to really stand out. I have spent my entire life questioning who I was supposed to be, only to find out my destiny was under my nose the entire time? What if this is the reason I've been feeling like something was missing?Was discovering the truth really such a bad thing?"
"I'm not saying it is, but being the Avatar and understanding your destiny are two different things." Korra cleared, but Iris still was not listening, as she brought her finger up to her own cutie mark.
"I got my cutie mark when I bended the four elements - something only the Avatar can do! What more proof do you need?" Iris pointed out. "I understand you wanted me to have a normal childhood, but… that's what you wanted, it's not what I want! I don't want to be normal!"
"Iris, being the Avatar shouldn't dictate who you are."
"Oh? You're the Avatar and now the Queen of Friendship, what difference does that make?!"
"Iris, don't take that tone with your mother!" Mako exclaimed, rising from where he sat.
Iris growled in anger, no longer wanting to hear anymore of this. "You know what, forget it. You guys always said you believed I could be anything I wanted, but all this time you've been holding me back."
"Iris!" Her parents called out her name, but it was already too late. Iris was already gone, and running upstairs to her room in a fit. Korra could only watch her do so, and she ended up sitting down on the couch in defeat.
"Well played, Korra." She told herself.
"Honey, don't--" Mako began but was stopped halfway.
"Don't be too hard on myself, I know, but she's right. This was my idea to begin with. This is all on me." Korra groaned once she sat down on the couch. "Mako, I've done the exact same thing Tenzin and my parents did!" While that was true, Mako lifted her chin so she could face him.
"Okay. I'm not gonna repeat what you and your dad already talked about, but I am going to clarify a few things. One; We never intended to keep this a secret forever, that's already a contrast as to what your parents and Tenzin did. We just, picked the wrong timing. Two; This wasn't just your idea. I went along with it too, and maybe I got you a little on edge about telling her."
"But you were right. Just as you said, her powers showed up when we least expected it, and she wasn't prepared. If I had just told her sooner…" Korra sighed, rubbing her temples, already feeling a migraine coming on. "I don't know."
Mako wrapped his arm around his wife. "She only said that because she was angry. You only wanted to give her what you couldn't have growing up. What neither of us had. Nobody can fault you for that."
"And it still didn't work. Iris is even more confused now than ever, and I'm responsible for it."
"You're not the only one, you know." Mako said.
Korra placed a gently kiss on his cheek. "I apreciate you trying to make me feel better, honey. I really do, but we both know the real truth."
"Just give her some time. Sometimes, kids need space to fully understand the reason of things. It always worked for you."
Korra couldn't help but chuckle, in spite of the situation. Mako wrapped his arms around his wife, giving her some silent comfort. Korra knew she couldn't fault him for being concerned, she was the one who tried to brush it off. Maybe because she wanted Iris to be free to be herself for as long as she could, but maybe she didn't fully see that her daughter wanted more.
She really was no different from Korra when she was young, and if she were being honest with Mako, and herself right now…. that really scared her.
(~)
"I just--how can they--GAH!! I just don't understand why mom and dad thought it would be such a horrible thing if I were the Avatar? I mean, sure mom's experience wasn't the best, but she was locked up in a compound for most of her life with no friends. Yeah, okay, I grew in a palace but at least I can leave whenever I want without a bunch White Lotus Sentries watching my every move. Okay, and maybe I wouldn't have had my powers beforehand, but at least I would have had some time to prepare for when they did show up instead of just wandering around like a drifter trying to understand what my cutie mark means. Of course, I could have placed two and two together but how was I supposed to know the Avatar thing was hereditary now? Oh, right, I couldn't have, because nobody ever told me!"
Poor Iris was not even close to being finished with her own ranting and rambling as she paced around in her room. With her parents not there, the only one in her room was Akhlut, who was just laying down on Iris's bed. The dog hybrid couldn't utter a word Iris would understand, and could only watch her master and best friend in such a rough state. Eventually, Iris collapsed down on the bed, right next to Akhlut, the pet only able to give a few barks.
"Don't you start too!" Iris groan, her head now in her pillow. She sighed and turned herself over to where now she was on her back, gazing up at the ceiling, which was decorated with images of earth ponies frolicking through fields of flowers, unicorns surrounded by specks of magic, while pegasus ponies soared among the clouds. Colorful spirits of all sizes adorned the areas, and corners of the room were adorned with crystal-like vines, with little iris flowers sprouting from the sides. Beside her bed was a small vanity with a mirror, a bookshelf which outstretched high and took up almost half of the left side of her her room, ending near a door which served as her closet.
It was big enough for a middle class girl, yet still magical enough to belong to a mystical alicorn human princess hybrid. So many thoughts were swarming inside Iris's head right now, and after discovering the truth, the last people she wanted to speak to were her parents.
She sat upright, still rubbing her temples while Akhlut rested his head on her lap. Her geo-phone went off and she picked it up, seeing who it was that was calling.
"Let me guess, you heard what happened?" Iris asked the moment she pressed the talk button.
"Yeah. Mom and dad filled me in." Akari replied from the other line. The young teenage alicorn rested on her stomach on her royal bed back in Equestria, with her beloved timberwolf Timber Spruce resting beside her, while she levitated her geo-phone with her magic. As it was for all ponies, while in Equestria, they could not change into anthro form.
"I'm so sorry! I swear, if I had known I wouldn't have kept it from you!"
"Akari, I'm not mad at you. Honestly, I don't even know if I'm mad, or upset, confused, scared, surprised… I'm kind of on a roller coaster right now."
"I can imagine. This is pretty huge."
Iris took in a deep breath, still trying to analyze her emotions properly. Despite all of the confusion, she did notice that there was a small little piece of herself that felt more excited than anything. "Actually, as freaked out as I am, I think a part of me feels… kind of excited."
"Say what?"
"I mean, being the Avatar? Not just any Avatar, but the very first to be born of this new era? I mean, you could count my mom in but, technically she was part of the old Avatar gig from when after Wan became the first Avatar, but me? This is huge for me!"
"So, you're happy about this, then?" Akari asked, trying to comprehend where her friend was going. By the sound of her voice, Iris was still unsure on which emotion to focus on the most right now. She indicated she was happy, but her voice still trembled and she still had some subtle hints of doubt. For Akari, Iris was always a very easy person to read, even when they both didn't know which emotion she was trying to convey.
"I don't know. Maybe. I'm still shocked, I mean, why me? How am I going to do this now? Does this mean something is going to happen? Am I going to face my first villain soon?"
Akari covered her phone with her hoof and muttered in a low voice as to not let Iris here. "And here we go."
"What if I'm not ready? What if I can't control these powers? But, I have them for a reason right? They should come naturally for me, right? But what if they don't? GAH!!" Iris face palmed herself once again.
"Petals, deep breaths." Akari said from the other line. Iris complied and breathed in deeply before exhaling. "Look, it's been a long day. Maybe you just need to forget about this for a moment and clear your head."
"Yeah, you're probably right. This is all way too much."
"I know just the thing that will cheer you up." Akari paused before speaking excitedly. "A trip to the Everfree Forest for some good old nighttime workout!"
Iris puckered her lips in thought. Exercising did help her when she had too much on her mind, especially at night. She always enjoyed the cool evening air and the serenity of the full moon's glow… added with the thrill of scaling the walls of the royal pony sisters and exploring the ruins, which had long since been fixed by the Mane Six and Team Avatar long ago, but there was always something new to explore. Not to mention, riding on the timberwolves and seeing the rapid rivers was always a treat every single time.
A sly smile formed on Iris's face. "Meet me at the entrance in an hour." she said in a whisper. Her eyes darted back and forth, "Make that an hour and ten minutes."
"You've got it girl."
(~)
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.
(~)
(We could be heroes by Alesso plays in the background)
We go hide away in daylight
We go undercover, wait out the sun
The kids walked further into the forest, the full moon lighting their path. Akari nodded to Timber Spruce, who howled. Several golden eyes appeared amongst the bushes, but neither of the kids showed any signs of terror. The timberwolf back emerged from the shadows, all happily greeting their own brother, and greeting Akari with nudges and happy barking. One smaller Timberwolf pup nudged up against Gallant's leg and he gladly rubbed his little belly.
Got a secret side in plain sight
Where the streets are empty, that's where we run
The timberwolves would serve as protectors and guards for the children. After so many years of ponies being terrified of the wolves, as it turns out, timberwolves were very territorial beings who believed ponies wanted their land and despised any other creatures who approached them. When Akari showed one kindness and offered her friendship, the wolves, for the very first time, witnessed that ponies were not a threat after all. Not only that, but the wolves took a liking to Akari's wild-hearted nature, to the point where they considered her one of their own, and Timber became her happy companion.
Everyday people do everyday things but I
Can't be one of them
Iris took in the fresh air, her long multicolored hair and long jacket billowing against the winds. She spread open her arms and wings to take it all in. As lovely as the city was, there was no replacing the integrity of nature, which is why she always supported Akari's daring ventures into the forest. Iris adored nature and animals just as much as Akari did, and she too had grown a liking to the timberwolves. She loved dogs in general, really.
I know you hear me now, we are a different kind
We can do anything
The timberwolves offered the children a ride on their backs, which they gladly accepted. Iris, however, decided to ride on Akhlut, while Akari rode on Timber Spruce. Chi, on the other hand, changed into her wolf form, allowing for Nori to ride on her. The wolves and wolf wisp dashed onwards and into the forest as the children marveled at the beautiful sights around them.
We could be heroes
We could be heroes
Me and you
Iris motivated Akhlut to go faster, which in turn prompted the others to accelerate their speed. Mai gripped onto her timberwolf tighter, as did Gallant, both looking somewhat terrified before getting accustomed to the speed. Hiro was already cheering like a wild man, showing his unrestrained love for the thrill of the ride, while Chi picked up even more speed, with even Nori getting into the spirit. She encouraged Chi to go faster past Hiro's timberwolf, and the two ere already racing the other.
We could be heroes
We could be heroes
Me and you
We could be
Iris looked back, laughing at their silliness, while she just took in the feel of the speed and the wind in her face. The image was almost uncanny to one of many years ago where Korra would ride Naga across the frozen terrain of the south pole. Akari and Timber were neck and neck with the two, but Iris became more motivated to make it a full blown race.
(Music plays)
The wolves ran across several cliff sides, leaping high onto the other end and going by various species of flowers and natural wild life.
The team briefly stopped by a small shallow stream, where Nori happily splashed her hooves in the water. As a merpony, she could change into her tail form at will, with or without the use of water. Chi, while still in her wolf form, also splashed in, wetting the merpony. Nori spit out some water from her mouth, while wearing an annoyed expression… which quickly shifted to one of pure laughter and enjoyment. The kids ended up having a splash fight, with Nori using her waterbending to win.
Anybody's got the power
They don't see it cause they don't understand
Gallant and Akari observed the colorful, glow-in-the dark fish of the stream and Akari nudged him playfully, encouraging him to chase her as they ran after the fish that swam down stream. The rest of the team quickly followed them. The stream went towards a cave where they reached the ends of the waterfall, the wind picking up again with the fresh waters splashing against their skin and clothes.
Spin around and run for hours
You and me we got the world in our hands
They explored the rest of the series of caves, with various waterfalls, while back on their respected timberwolves. While riding on Akhlut underneath one waterfall, Iris extended her hand to feel the waters going through her fingers, admiring the sparkling liquids to shimmer in the moonlight.
Everyday people do everyday things but I
Can't be one of them
The kids took a known path, only to get blocked by a manticore. Mai, Hiro, Nori and Chi quickly got into a fighting stance, only to stop when the manticore got on his back, his stomach being rubbed by Iris and Akari, while Gallant happily handed him a treat.
I know you hear me now
We are a different kind
We can do anything
The kids arrived at the castle of the two sisters. The wolves ran across the long bridge towards the ancient ruins.
We could be heroes
We could be heroes
Me and you
with Iris opening the large doors. Mai used her firebending to lit the candlesticks that adorned the hallway. The kids rubbed their hands together. This enchant place was, literally, their own personal playground.
We could be heroes
We could be heroes
Me and you
We could be
The first thing the kids did was pull a nearby lever, which spun the wall around and the kids rose their hands and hooves up into the air as they slid down a long downwards slide as if it were a roller coaster. The slide led them to an old room filled with an assortment of weapons, from axes, halberds, swords, spears and even crossbows. But, the real fun was the hallway, which had a harmless booby trap, where old enchanted arrow sticks that turned into green slime upon contact. It was an old game the younger, more daring royal sisters often played with one another.
Akari stepped on a tile which caused the arrows to start shooting from both sides and the kids, using the self defense skills passed down by their parents, dodged as many arrows as they could. A few managed to strike Hiro's jacket, and even Chi, but that was part of the fun.
We could be heroes
We could be heroes
Me and you
We could be
Gallant, using his airbending skills, managed to gracefully dodge the arrows, and Nori moved as if she were still underwater, practically slithering around the arrows, avoiding getting stroked. Mai most certainly had her mother's flexibility, being able to bend herself backwards while sliding away from several incoming arrows and flipping with ease.
Iris used both her father's fast thinking, and her mother's quick wits to get through, as did Akari, mainly being able to mentally pinpoint which arrow would hit where and get out untouched. Hiro and Chi were not so lucky, but that was portably because they got too cocky. Still, it was fun.
All we're looking for is love and a little light
Love and a little light
(We could be)
The kids next retreated to the library, but rather than read the books, they used the old roller ladders to race one another in the long hallways. Iris, Chi, Hiro and Mai rode on one, while racing Akari, Nori and Gallant in another. The old library walls echoed with their laughter. The race ended in a tie on account of they crashed into a bookshelf, causing the old books to land on top of them into a pile, to which they only laughed at. Using his magic, Gallant easily levitated each book back in its rightful place. He had long since memorized the location of each one, so it was easy.
All we're looking for is love and a little light
Love and a little light
For their last fun activity, the kids used Akari's climbing to bungee jump from the tallest tower of the castle. Akari secured the ends and one by one, the kids dove downwards at exhilarating speed all the way down. At the precise moment, they clicked on their buckles and swung themselves onto the other side towards a balcony.
Mai was the first to accomplish this, with Nori being the second. Hiro and Chi did so third at the same time, and Akari and Gallant fourth, also at the same time. Sure, they could have used their wings or teleported, but where was the fun in that?
As Pinkie Pie would say; "You don't need logic to have fun!"
We could be heroes
We could be heroes
Me and you
Iris was the last one to do so, looking down at the long distance, not feeling scared in the slightest. Seeing all of her friends waving at her, motivating her to come and join them was enough to place all of her previous concerns and worries to rest. Being here with her friends, acting like the wild and spirited generation that they were, reminded Iris of what she loved most. Her friends and family. And, not matter where the future tool her from here, one thing was most certainly true…
Her best friends would always be there, no matter what. Of that, she had no doubt once she jumped and swung towards them, her heart soaring as she did once she landed.
We could be heroes
We could be heroes
Me and you
We could be!
(~)
"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.
"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.
"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.
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." Chi 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."
"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.
The beast landed in front of the two helpless princesses, stuck to the ground unable to use magic, their squirming futile. The beast shrieked in pain once another stream of fire strike right on its face. Mai and Hiro unleashed their earthbending at the creature, with Chi transforming her left arm into a bow and using a stick as an arrow to shoot at the creature, striking right in its snout. The beast whimpered in pain, with another rock striking its side, and Gallant blasting at it with his airbending, where it collided with a tree branch. With his injured eye, and limping leg, 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.
"Gallant, that was amazing!" she said… the two then realized exactly what they were doing and shyly ended the hug, both of them blushing.
"Uh, a-are you okay?" Gallant stuttered, hoping to make the scene less awkward than it already was.
"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."
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!" Iris rushed on over and blasted the goop off of her. 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 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.
(~)