Ice yawned as he got out of bed. "Hmmm." He mumbled as he got dressed. "Think I'll just stop by Sugar Cube Corner for breakfast. Not much of an appetite today." Ice cleaned himself up, and headed out the door. His mind then reflected on his stay in the Crystal Empire with his now girlfriend Indigo Zap. 'Never thought I'd find myself dating a technically older woman.' Ice thought with a playful smirk. 'But the girl's got a fire in her that matches mine.' Ice sat down at Sugar Cube Corner, and ordered a breakfast pastry. As he munched away, he noticed a shadow over him.
"Miss me?" Indigo asked as she covered his eyes.
Ice was pleasantly surprised to see his girlfriend show up. "I know you said you'd surprise me one day. But I didn't think you'd had this in mind." Ice kissed Indigo as he pulled her into a hug. "It's good to see you again."
"You too. I missed you snuggling me." Indigo said with a smirk. She giggled as Ice's medium grey skin nearly flushed red! "Who'd have thought a fighter like you would be so good at being gentle?"
Ice chuckled. "Obviously, you haven't met my friend Ty yet. Biggest guy I've ever seen, and he's the most mellow guy I know. BTW, he ascended into an Avatar a few weeks back."
"Sweet." Indigo said with a grin. "Maybe you'll have your chance too!"
Ice was about to answer when he saw Pinkie chatting with the rest of the Main 6. He decided to investigate. "Yo Twi! What's up?"
"Oh Ice!" Twilight said happily. "Good thing you're here! You know how Moon restored Celestia and Luna's old castle? Well, the princesses gave us the OK to explore it and see if we can find any pieces of history to bring back! Burst and some of the others are busy training Ty how to use his wings and magic, so we were wondering if you could lend a hand? You never know if there's any creatures in the Everfree that'll get bold enough to raid the place."
Ice smiled. "Sure, I'll come with. Just let me grab Ace and Shadow. Chances are they'll want in on the fun too." He then looked to Indigo Zap. "You interested Indigo?"
"Checking out an old castle in the forest? I'm down." Indigo said with a shrug. "Besides. Most of the monsters will probably run from you instead!" Ice set out to find his brothers, and they agreed to leave at sunset for the Castle of the Two Sisters.
The Everfree Forest
A black pile of mist slithered along the ground as it made its way over to the Castle of the Two Sisters. As it travelled, memories began to flow into it one by one. Memories of the Nightmare Forces. In specific, memories pertaining to the various monsters that the Elements of Heroism fought. Nightmare Stinger, Dread Titan, Rage Tempest, Executor, and Fear Saber. The next memory that floated into its consciousness was of burning and looking at Dark Ice standing with his claymore Archfiend Dragon's Tenacity. The pile of mist then began to shudder in what looked like violent rage! As it shuddered, it began to take on a new form! When it fully formed, it looked like Dark Ice! However, it was not. The new being had black skin, wore a tattered poison-purple coat and pants, had claws in pace of nails, and solid orange eyes with red mist trailing from them! "He thought his fear had been abandoned. But he is wrong." The figure said with a scowl. It's fangs bared at the memory of Dark Ice! "What Dark Ice has forgotten, Dark Mist shall remind him! And he shall be made to know fear once again! He shall once again know isolation." Dark Mist then closed his eyes, and sensed Ice. And in doing so, he saw Ice's brothers and Indigo Zap. Dark Mist turned into a shadow, and slithered along the ground to the Castle of the Two Sisters.
At the same time, Ice, his brothers, Indigo Zap, and the Main 6 had arrived at the castle. Twilight suggested that they split up and search different areas of the castle. The princesses had given them maps, and Twilight had used a duplication spell so that none of them got lost. Applejack and Rainbow Dash found themselves in the kitchen, Twilight took the library, and Rarity and Fluttershy examined the tapestries. Ace and Shadow ventured around the castle halls, and looked at the old fountain in the courtyard.
"Looks like Moon sure did a good job restoring this castle." Shadow noted as he looked around. "Heck, I'd say it's almost brand new with how well everything's been repaired!"
Ace chuckled. "Well, she DID kind of trash it in the first place. But she's more than made up for it now. Especially since she's become Princess of Dreams now. Maybe we should ask her to help us find out dream girls." Ace and Shadow let out a laugh, but froze when they heard a buzzing sound! Ace and Shadow summoned their Duelist Arms, but were shocked when the source of the buzzing made itself known! "Nightmare Stinger?!" Ace exclaimed! "That can't be! We destroyed him!" Ace and Shadow took to the air to avoid Nightmare Stinger ramming them! The nightmare insect monster buzzed angrily as it turned to face Ace and Shadow! Ace then noticed that Nightmare Stinger looked more like a phantom made of a dark purple mist. "No problem. I squashed you before, and I'll do it again!" But when Ace slashed at Nightmare Stinger, the sword went right through! "WHAT?!" Ace was then knocked unconscious by Nightmare Stinger's venom shot! Shadow saw Ace being scooped up, but was knocked out by the phantom of Dread Titan!
At the same time, Indigo Zap had wandered into the dueling range. "Man. I bet some pretty sick matches were thrown here way back when." Indigo Zap then saw her necklace glow. The lapis lazuli gem in it seemed to be shining as if it was picking up on something! "What the heck?!" Indigo Zap spun around, and was met with the phantom of Executor! "I'm guessing you're not here for show!" Indigo Zap backpedalled, and grabbed one of the spears lying around! She thrust the spear at the phantom of Executor, but it just passed through! "Okay...not good. Really not good!" Indigo leaped out of the way of Executor's wide swing, but the phantom shot a blast of energy at her that knocked her out cold. The phantom of Executor then hoisted Indigo's unconscious form onto his shoulders, and carried her off.
"Nggghhh...." Ace groaned as he came-to. When his vision was finally focused, he saw Shadow and Indigo Zap starting to regain consciousness. "Indigo? I'm guessing you had a run-in with a Phantom of Nightmare too?"
Indigo Zap blinked. "Is that the thing that tried to waste me back at the dueling range?"
"Sure is." Shadow groaned as he rubbed his head. "These things are phantom versions of monsters from the Nightmare Forces that my brothers destroyed a while back. But where did these things come from?"
A shadow slithered to the center of the room. And is soon took the form of Dark Mist. "They were created by me." Dark Mist answered. "You've awakened. Excellent. You shall soon witness Dark Ice's eternal slumber."
"Who are you, and what do you want with my brother?!" Ace demanded as he writhed against his shadow chains! "And what do you need the three of us for?!"
Dark Mist narrowed his eyes. "You three hold the largest place in his heart. It's only fitting you be around to say goodbye. A luxury I never had when you and your friends obliterated my fellow Nightmare Forces. Ice shall suffer greatly for thinking he can leave it all behind!" An aura of dark purple mist started to seethe from Dark Mist's body! "Soon, he will know the isolation once again! He will suffer the fate I was condemned to!" Dark Mist teleported his three captives to the castle's courtyard while he shifted into his shadow form. Slithering along the ground, he soon found Dark Ice and made himself known. "How fitting that you roam alone. Much like you did during your time with us."
Ice spun around, and his eyes went wide with surprise and horror when he saw Dark Mist! "It can't be....this is impossible! We destroyed all the Nightmare Forces! You shouldn't exist!"
"True. You did obliterate my fellow nightmare creatures." Dark Mist said with a nod. "However, you never bothered to guess what happened to the scraps of nightmare essence that were left after you burned your way free of the Nightmare Forces. My world was one of pain the very second you shed me. Pain I shall gladly return when I'm through with the very people you love so much."
Ice drew his claymore! "WHERE ARE THEY!?!"
"Relax. I've done little more than hold them captive." Dark Mist said with a sneer. "My business is with you, and you alone. Come to the courtyard, and come alone." Dark Mist returned to his shadow form, and slithered along to the courtyard. Ice whipped out his copy of the castle map, and sprinted towards the courtyard! Whatever lie ahead didn't matter. Just so long as he could make sure his brothers and Indigo Zap were safe!
Sure enough, Ice found his brothers and Indigo Zap in the courtyard with Dark Mist hovering above them. "I came as you asked! Let them go!" Dark Mist smirked, and snapped his fingers! Ace, Shadow, and Indigo Zap were released! "You wanted to settle this." Ice then drew Archfiend Dragon's Tenacity. "Let's end it tonight."
"True. But there are a few more familiar faces who'd like a piece of you." Dark Mist said with a sneer as a cloud of poison-purple mist flowed from him! The mist then split into five separate masses, and each mass condensed into a phantom of the nightmare monsters that Burst and the guys had defeated! "I'm sure you're well acquainted with these five. You helped some of them to inflict fear. Fear that you shall now receive!"
Ice got into a fighting stance. "One nightmare or five, I'll put them all to rest! RAAAAGGHHH!" Ice charged at the nightmare phantoms! Striking all five of them with a single swing! But to Ice's shock, he didn't do any damage to them! "What?!" Ice was then rammed by the phantom of Nightmare Stinger! "What's going on? Why can't my Duelist Arm harm these things?!" Ice didn't have time to ponder an answer when the phantom of Dread Titan slammed him into the ground! "For ghosts...these things sure can hit!" Ice groaned as he struggled to his feet! Only to get sent flying into the air by the phantom of Rage Tempest, and trapped in a cyclone that battered him around! Ice recovered, but the phantom of Fear Saber kept him on his toes by firing a barrage of daggers! Things weren't getting easier with Executor's phantom striking the ground with its blade! Sending shockwaves rippling through the ground and shaking Ice up! 'Can't...can't give up!' Ice's mind screamed as he struggled to stand after the brutal onslaught he'd just endured!
"Looks like you want more." Dark Mist said with a sneer. "Fortunately, I have so much more to give! Send him to eternal slumber!" Dark Mist motioned, and the phantoms of the nightmare creatures continued their assault! And Dark Mist looked on with cruel satisfaction. "How does it feel? Knowing you've come so far only to meet isolation once again? To lose everything you've worked so hard for?"
Ice panted heavily as he glared at Dark Mist! "SHUT UP!" Cuts and bruises were rampant across Ice's body, but he refused to give up any ground! But what could he do if his weapon couldn't do any damage? 'I can't worry about that! Not now! I lost my family once, and I've just found the girl I love! I can't lose them! I WON'T!' Fear took hold in Ice's heart as he slashed wildly at the nightmare phantoms! But the more desperately he fought, the nightmare phantoms just seemed to hit him harder!
Indigo watched as the phantoms seemed to grow more solid the more desperately Ice struck them, and came to a realization! Seeing Ice's battered form, tears flowed freely from her eyes! "Ice! Stop!" She cried! "It's gonna be alright Ice! I know that some part of you is still afraid! But that's okay! Ace is here! Shadow's here!" Indigo Zap then stood up! "And I'm here too! You don't have to be afraid because we're always with you! Even when we're not right in front of you, and even if you aren't right here with us!"
Ice stopped wildly swinging his claymore when he heard Indigo calling out to him. Ice lowered his blade, and took a deep breath. Letting Indigo's words sink into his mind. At the same time, Executor brought his sword down on Ice! Only to have it pass harmlessly through! Ice snapped his eyes open, and cut down Executor's phantom! And as the phantom faded into nothingness, the blade of Archfiend Dragon's Tenacity was covered in flames! A blazing aura similar to the flames covering the blade now covered Ice! "I'm not afraid anymore." Ice said as he stared at Dark Mist. "Because now, I know that I'm never alone." Dark Mist scowled, and commanded that the remaining phantoms attack Ice! But Ice cut them down with his claymore effortlessly! "Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's staring that fear in the face, and knowing it holds no power over you!" Flames then erupted around Ice's wings! "And now, you have no power over me. Because I know that you're in my past. Maybe I did do some pretty bad things when I was rolling with the Nightmare Forces. But being too scared to do anything because I'm scared of going back on that path is just as bad as desperately fighting against it!"
"No...NO!" Dark Mist roared as he formed a shadow claw! "You can't walk away! Not again!" Dark Mist leaped at Ice and slashed at him, but Ice blocked with Archfiend Dragon's Tenacity! "I WILL CONDEMN YOU TO ISOLATION! JUST AS YOU CONDEMNED ME TO IT!" Dark Mist continued to slash wildly at Ice! At the same time, Indigo noticed a faint glow from the sapphire necklace she wore, and felt something stir within her! Indigo gathered herself, and walked over to Ice. Ice had a torn look on his face as he gazed into Dark Mist's eyes. The remnant of his past now on his knees, panting from pouring his desperation into one final slash. Ice then felt Indigo put her hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry." Indigo said with a reassuring smile. "I know you're worried about casting him into isolation. Like the loneliness you felt when you were apart from Ace and Shadow. But he won't be alone. So don't be scared of what comes next."
A small smile crept across Ice's face as he plunged Archfiend Dragon's Tenacity into the ground and walked up to Dark Mist. "You won't be alone Mist." Ice said with a smile. "You're part of me. One that I've come to terms with. I think it's you who's really scared. Because you don't want to go back to being alone. But you won't be. Because you're part of me..." Ice motioned to Indigo Zap, Ace, and Shadow. "You'll have them too." Dark Mist wept tears of joy as he started to fade. "Looks like we're both pretty brave in moving on." The last bits of Dark Mist faded back into Ice. "Well, I'd say that gives me some closure and wraps-up my arc." Ice was then enveloped by a sphere of magic! When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a weird place with some guy who looked like an older version of Burst! "Uh...you're Aether, Burst's dad, right?"
"That's me alright." Aether said with a smile. "Ty must have told you about me. He's had his time. Now yours has come too. Please. Follow me." Aether led Ice to a bunch of windows that held Ice's memories. "You've gone up against many a threat since you left the Nightmare Forces. And you've been just the least bit reckless charging forth to face them. But not because you know no fear. Because you won't let fear keep you from protecting those in need and the people you love. And you've shown great courage in not only moving on from your past, but accepting what's happened as a part of who you are. From fear, courage has ascended." Ice then felt a great surge of magic flow into him! When he opened his eyes, Ice found himself back in the courtyard, but his wings had changed! They looked just like Red Dragon Archfiend's! Also of note was the fiery orange aura of magic around his hands!
"Ice...you're an Avatar now!" Ace exclaimed! "Just like Ty!"
Indigo smiled. "Looks like we'll be together forever too."
"Indigo? What're you talking about?" Ice asked. "Did you become an Avatar and not tell me?"
Indigo shook her head. "No. Earlier, I saw my necklace glowing. In specific, the sapphire centerpiece. I heard the voice of Princess Amore telling me I'd awoken as the Sapphire Maiden. One who brings peace of mind. The Gem Maidens are immortal guardians of love and hope. Me? I just happened to be one of the five chosen as one."
"I'll say." Ice said as he scooped Indigo into his arms. "You've certainly tamed my reckless courage." The two shared a kiss. Ace and Shadow looked on with equal parts approval and envy.
"One down, two to go." Ace said with a sigh before gathering the group. "Twilight's gonna freak about this."