//------------------------------//
// Storming Arrovak's Fort, Part 2 
// Story: The Legacy Of Darkness 
// by Darkness 1 
//------------------------------//

As the door opened, they all saw a massive room ahead of them, and within it, many different rooms to go through, on the left and the right, and there were stairs, leading upwards, at the end of the room. As everpony went through the doorway, they all heard a crash behind them: the elite soldiers were breaking through, and the things that everypony had put in front of the door, were beginning to break.
Twilight said, "It won't be long before they break through, everypony! Close the door!"
Everypony turned around, and began to shut the door, as the elite soldiers had barely broken through, and were beginning to pour into the trophy room, as everypony had completely shut the door.
Violet Winter said, "There's a lock on this side! Lock the door! Hurry!"
Everypony took hold of the massive, circular lock, and began to turn it, as the elite soldiers, were trying to push the door open, and Violet Winter let go of the lock, stood back a little, and began to use her magic, to keep the door shut. Snowshy said, "Almost there!......Just a little more!"
As the lock clicked soundly into place, Violet Winter released her magic, as the elite soldiers struggled in futile, to open the door, and everypony turned back around, and began to examine their surroundings, as they all were recovering, and Rainbow Dash said, "We can't keep running from them, we'll have to face those guys sooner or later."
Violet Winter said, "I know, I just hope we can get out of here, before Arrovak finishes his spell, and before this fort caves down on us. Anyways.....where are we exactly?"
Applejack pointed ahead of them, and said, "It may be a hunch, but I'd bet 20 jars of Granny Smith's jam, that's that the way out of here."
Everypony saw where Applejack was pointing and they saw that she was pointing to the stairs ahead of them, and Rarity said, "I have to agree, it does seem the most logical way to go."
Rainbow Dash said, "Plus, it seems we are in the main dining hall. I mean, look at all this food!"
Snowshy said, "That would explain why there are so many ways to go."
Twilight said, "As much as food sounds good right about now, we have to keep moving. Although, it there's something that can be eaten quickly while moving, grab it now, and let's keep going."
Violet Winter said, "Alright then, up the stairs!"
As Rainbow Dash, and Rarity grabbed a few bites of food, everypony went to the end of the room, and began going up the stairs, as Rainbow Dash, who had finished eating, said, "It looks like the stairs go off in two directions. Which way do we go?"
Violet Winter said, "I don't think it matters, they both seem to go up the same way, although, we should split up, Twilight and myself, shall go to the left. The rest of you, go up the right set of stairs."
Rarity said, "Are you sure about this?"
Violet Winter said, "We have no time for thinking it through!"
Twilight said, "You heard Violet Winter, let's keep going!"
Everypony nodded, as Rainbow Dash said, "Let us all hope, that this doesn't end badly, otherwise, all of this will be for nothing."
As everypony split up, and as they were going up each side of the stairs, Violet Winter said, "Have faith in me, just as you all once did in my father.....I ask you now to put that same faith in me....I shall see us get through this, I swear it! On my honor! Or I will die doing so!"
Nopony said anything, as the weight of her words, had hit them all deeply, as they were all reminded of the similar words that Darkness had once said to them all, so many years ago. As everypony reached the top of the stairs, and they all came together, for both set of stairs met in the middle, and Violet Winter said nothing, as Twilight said, "See?"
Everypony couldn't say anything for a while, as they stood there for a minute, and then finally, Rarity spoke, as she said, "Violet Winter, we are all sorry, we were wrong to doubt you, it seems the only one among us, beside yourself, was Twilight and Snowshy, that had any faith in you...."
Violet Winter turned around, and looked at everypony, as tears welled up in her eyes, as she shook her head, and she said, "No...no need to apologize.....I get it....my father was perfect....he.......he was flawless at all that he did.....I....am not...."
Rainbow Dash interrupted, as she said, "Is that what you think?"
Violet Winter said, "Yes..."
Rarity said, "Then you are lying to yourself, because for we who were there with him, all those years ago, and after all that we went through, we came to the realization and later knew that Darkness, your father, was not perfect, nor did he ever claim to be..And he knew just as well as we did, that he wasn't perfect, and he struggled with that...."
Violet Winter, who was crying a little at this point, said, "How?! That's not possible!"
Twilight came up to Violet Winter, and put a hoof on her shoulder, as she said, "Just like your father, he too, struggled with that fact, for a time anyways, every time he failed at something, or failed to understand something, and as he struggled with his own emotions. When we all got the chance to first meet him, after the defeat of Darkness Night, he struggled, and suffered, for his failure to keep Darkness Night at bay in his mind. For you see, Darkness didn't know everything, surely you've seen that, in the times he came to warn us of things, or as he battled alongside us all out there, in the sea." Everypony, at this point, had come up to Violet Winter, and began to console her, as Twilight continued, "In the end, we had so much faith in him, because well..."
Rarity said, "It's because he too, had just as much as faith in us."
Rainbow Dash said, "That's right, as much as we leaned on him, he leaned on us just as much."
Applejack said, "That's true, also, as much as we all relied on him so much for his strength and intelligence, he too, relied on us just as much."
Twilight said, "You see? As much as your father knew he wasn't perfect, he accepted it, and came to terms with that because he had something he hadn't really had before: he had us, his friends. He had his sister."
Rarity said, "And because of that, it gave him a strength he never thought he never had."
Rainbow Dash said, "It was our friendship, and faith in one another, that gave us all the strength, for us all to see all that happened back then....to see it all through....even at the bitter end of our journey together."
Violet Winter said, "But I am not as brave as my father was!"
Rainbow Dash scoffed, and said, "Could've fooled me, you've risked your life, I don't know how many times, since this journey started, to keep us all safe and sound, with no regard for your own life, or regrets for doing so."
Rarity chuckled, and said, "Yeah, that's right, your father was the exact same way. There were many times, if it had not been for his selflessness, we all would've been dead, who pony knows, how many times."
Everypony was silent, as Violet Winter said, "I see....I had only read about all this in his books, but to see how those that were there with him, and seeing how you all feel about those days....I think I understand what gave my father so much strength, courage, and so much self-confidence in himself."
Applejack said, "That's right, it's because he did what he did for all of us, his friends, his sister, his wife, and for this world."
Twilight said, "And that meant more to him, that anything, including his own life."
Silence filled the air, as Violet Winter couldn't stop herself from crying, and her cries filled the air, and everypony held out their arms, and she layed her head into their embrace, as she said, "I-I I'm sorry!....Just.....Just!"
Applejack said, "Hush now, it's alright....take all the time you need."
A few more moments passed, and Violet Winter picked her head up, and everypony let go of their hugs, and gave Violet Winter some space, as she wiped her tears away, and as if the fire in her heart had ignited, she said, "I understand....I understand it all now...something so simple....but so precious...meant that much to my father....and it means the same to me...." Violet Winter then held her head up high, and said, "Alright then! In the my name, in my mother's name, and in the name of my father! We shall prevail! Nothing shall stand in our way! We will see this journey through! Even to its bitter end, if so need be! If this takes my life! Then let it be so! As long as you all are safe and sound, to see better days, and to see more days after that, then so be it! I gladly give my life for such a cause!" She then looked at everypony, and said, "Because you all mean so much to me, and I couldn't bear to see any of you hurt, including Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Solar Blaze, even Silver Sky too."
Just then, a voice behind them said, "We feel the same way too."
Everypony turned around, to see Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Solar Blaze, and Silver Sky, coming up towards them all, as Violet Winter said, "You guys! You made it! We are all so glad to you are all safe!"
Everypony gave each other hugs, and they all backed a little bit from each other, as Solar Blaze addressed Violet Winter, as he said, "You really would do that for all of us, sister?"
Violet Winter said, "Of course I would, I meant every word I said."
Solar Blaze couldn't say anything, as he was so proud of his sister, as Twilight said, "You really do have your father's spirit, Violet Winter, you too Solar Blaze."
Rarity said, "And I have to say, it's marvelous to see once more."
Applejack said, "It is indeed an honor once more."
Solar Blaze said, "And more, that kind of spirit will see us all through!"
Violet Winter said, "Indeed! But not just us, but all of us, together! We shape the future! Our destiny in our hooves! Let us shape a new dawn! All evil will run in fear from us!"
Everypony held their hooves up high, as they all gave out warcries, and them put them down, as Violet Winter said, "It looks like we are close to the exit, I can see it just ahead."
Solar Blaze said, "Then let's go then! We have no time to lose!"
Rainbow Dash, "Let's end this!"
Everypony gave out battlecries, as Violet Winter said, "Let's go!"
As they ran down the hall, Violet Winter said to everypony, "Thank you all truly, I don't know if I could've kept going, if it weren't for you all for doing what you all did just did now."
Rarity said, "Don't mention it, you would've done the same for us, right?"
Violet Winter said, "No question about it."
As they continued to run down the hall, they came up to the door and bursted through it, and saw that they were outside the castle, and they all saw stairs on either side of them. They all said nothing, as they gave each other nods, and went up the stairs, and as they got to the top, they saw that they were on the roof of the fort, as they could see the battle in the sea all around them, and then they saw, directly in front of them, was Arrovak.  Everypony began to go towards him, but were stopped, as they got a little ways closer to him. He was floating in midair, chanting inaudible words, and as he saw them, he stopped chanting, and he said, "Well, well, well...Hello there everypony....you have been expected."