Dark Ice flew at Sombra, but the tyrant of the Crystal Empire countered by summoning a wall of dark, jagged crystal. But if Sombra thought that would stop Dark Ice, he was proven wrong in an instant! Dark Ice smashed the crystal wall in front of him with his claymore, and used it as a post to kick Sombra in the face with both of his feet!
"You're choosing to hide behind walls instead of meeting my attack with your own?" Dark Ice said with a scoff. "All you're doing is proving what I suspected. At your core, despite all the fear you invoke on these people, you're a coward." Ice then slashed at Sombra's left arm! Crippling the tyrant! "And I know what you're scared of!" Dark Ice kept at his assault! Furiously slashing at Sombra and not giving him an inch to recover! "You're scared that someone won't just cower before you!" The righteous anger in Ice's heart only added to the ferocity of his claymore's swings! "Someone who refuses to let their fear chain them to your will!" Slash marks were visible across Sombra's body! A shadowy, mist-like substance leaking from the wounds! "And that someone, IS ME!"
Dark Ice slugged Sombra right in the face! Making the tyrant reel in pain! Sombra growled as he regained his footing. Dark magic beginning to gather around his right hand. "You think that is what I fear? Insolent boy! I shall show you what fear is!" Dark Ice barely had anytime to react when Sombra grabbed him by the face! A wicked smile on his face! "Now then, Dark Ice, let's see what scares YOU.
"AAAGGHH!" Dark Ice screamed as Sombra's dark magic blasted him right in the face! The element of courage was sent tumbling to the ground! Ice managed to regain his footing, but saw a horrifying sight before him. He saw the bodies of his brothers lying lifeless at Sombra's feet. The tyrant laughing maniacally over their bodies! "No. . . "
Seeing the element of courage rendered paralyzed made the hearts of the Crystal-Sapiens sink! They were all too familiar with Sombra's dark magic. His fear spell could render the most defiant of them as helpless! Sombra sneered down at Dark Ice's fearful state. "A brave effort. But a foolish one all the same. You shall know the same terror all those who defy me- ARRGH!"
Dark Ice had slashed at Sombra's side once again! The element of courage glaring at the tyrant as he rose! "You think that little mind trick can make me crumble that easily?" Ice thumped his chest with his left fist! "I deal with that fear everyday! Every battle I fight, I know there's a chance that fear might come to pass! THAT ONLY MAKES ME FIGHT HARDER SO I CAN MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN!"
As Dark Ice once again prepared to launch himself into another assault on Sombra, his thoughts then turned to his brothers. Not to mention it helps that I know Shadow's still in the crowd. His trick didn't work because I knew what I saw couldn't have happened. Not that easily! Ice noticed some of his friends readying their weapons, but he motioned for them to stay back! "This is MY fight! I have to be the one to take a stand! This is what my element was made for!"
Ice's glare at Sombra only intensified! "Staring fear in the face, and showing that it has no power over me!" At hearing this, the other Elements of Heroism only nodded and kept themselves on standby. As Ice fought his thoughts once again turned to the vision he'd seen of his brothers. I know that Shadow's right here. But where are you Ace?! Ice snapped his attention back to the fight as Sombra fired a blast of dark magic at him! Dark Ice blocking it with his claymore! Wherever you are, I know you've got some kind of plan in the works! I just hope I can hold Sombra off long enough for it to work!
As Dark Ice was fighting Sombra, Twilight had made it to the crystal castle. She had wanted to move on alone, but Spike had tagged along. "Alright Spike." Twilight said with a small smile. "You've been by my side longer than any of my other friends. I don't see why I shouldn't be without you now."
"So you'll accept Spike's help, but still refuse assistance from the rest of us?" Arctic Ace asked as he landed a few steps away from Twilight and Spike. "I knew something was up with you ever since the train ride Twilight." Ace took a few steps forward. "Normally you have no problem getting help from your friends. But ever since you met with Princess Celestia this morning, you've been turning down any offers of help we have. This isn't like you Twilight. So PLEASE, tell me what's going on. I can't understand you if you're not even willing to talk about it."
Twilight was hesitant to reveal the information, but the concern in Arctic Ace's eyes made her cave. "Before we left for the Crystal Empire, Princess Celestia told me that I had restore the light of the empire. And that I had to do it all on my own. No one could help me, and no one could know about my mission because that would only make everyone want to help me out even more. And if I fail this? I-" Twilight began to shiver. "I don't know what I'd do. Being the student of Princess Celestia is the greatest thing to ever happen to me!"
Twilight then stared at the floor. A sad look in her eyes. "It's almost as wonderful as all the friends I've made. But my teacher told me that this is something I have to do myself. In a way, she's kind of right. All of my previous feats I've only triumphed because I had my friends by my side."
"Twilight." Arctic Ace said with a sigh. "I can understand why you're thinking this way." He then clamped a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "But have you ever thought, what if you can't do this on your own?" This earned a puzzled look from Twilight. "Look Twilight. I'm not doubting your ability at all. Every threat you've faced so far, you've triumphed. But think about it. Have you ever triumphed solely because of yourself?"
Ace removed his hand from Twilight's shoulder. "Was it you alone who defeated Nightmare Moon? Was it just you who defeated Discord when he escaped his stone prison? Were you the only one to expose Queen Chrysalis and fight to protect your home?"
"No. I wasn't." Twilight said as she slowly raised her head. "The girls, you and the guys, Spike, all of you have stood by me. And all those times, we triumphed because we stood together."
Arctic Ace snapped his fingers. "EXACTLY Twilight. You've done your best work when you trust in your friends, and accept their help. Because you cared about your home more than anything else. So I have to ask you this. What's more important to you? Staying Celestia's student by just following her directions, or trusting in the friends you can depend on in case you can't do it all by yourself?"
"Ace." Twilight said as she looked Arctic Ace in the eyes. A determined smile on her face. "Let's go! We've got a crystal heart to find!" With that, Twilight took off running towards the throne room. Ace and Spike smiled, and followed after her! "Let's see. The Crystal Heart was an important relic. Sombra wouldn't have hidden it away just anywhere. He would've kept it close. Somewhere nobody would ever think to look. Meaning it's got to be somewhere. . . "
Twilight stopped thinking out loud, and stared at the crystal throne. It all clicked. "I think I know where to go." Twilight stepped towards the throne, and focused. Dark magic sparked around her hands, and she shot a small beam at the throne. A secret passage was revealed as the top crystal of the throne reacted to the dark magic! "Now we can move on. But," Twilight looked down, and saw that the passage went down a long way. She then dropped an orb made of her magic, and watched it fall down the long passage. "It's a long way down."
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Arctic Ace said. "Twilight? Spike? Grab onto me, and hold on tight." Spike jumped onto Ace's back while Twilight hung onto his side. "Here we go." Ace spread his wings, and glided down the center of the passage. Bypassing the seemingly endless stairwell and soon landing on the ground. Once the three had reached the bottom, they saw a lone door.
"Well, this is pretty basic." Twilight said as she cautiously approached the door. She reached out to grab the handle, but the door slid along the wall out of her reach! "I retract that statement." Twilight ran after the door! But each time she got close to it, the door slid away! "Wait a minute. Oh, it's so obvious!" Twilight let another blast of dark magic loose, and the door stayed put.
But when the she opened the door, it showed Twilight her worst fear. Twilight was back in the Castalot. Princess Celestia coldly saying that she had failed the test. "This can't be real! It can't!" And that's when it all clicked. "As a matter of fact, it doesn't make any sense! How can I be here when I was only in the Crystal Empire a second ago?!" And a familiar voice calling her name snapped her out of the fear spell's hold!
"Twilight are you okay?" Spike asked as he held onto Twilight's hand. "You were just frozen there with your eyes looking weird." Spike let go of Twilight's hand, and walked toward the door. The second he looked in the doorway, the fear spell took hold! Showing Spike a vision of Twilight no longer wanting him! Twilight shook Spike out of the vision. The young drake holding on to Twilight tightly.
"Easy there Spike." Twilight said as she soothed the baby dragon. "King Sombra hid a passageway beneath the throne. A door that shows your worst fear only makes sense as a security measure." Twilight raised her arm, and shot out a beam of magic at the crystal on the door! The true path was now opened. "One last leg of our mission."
Arctic Ace was about to join, but stopped when he felt something in his heart. "You two go on without me. I'm sure you can take it from here."
"Ace? Why are you leaving?" Twilight asked. "Didn't you just tell me that I shouldn't go through this alone? What's the deal?"
Ace sighed. "Look Twilight. You've still got Spike with you. He should be more than enough help because he's your number 1 assistant. I'm leaving because there's something important I need to do myself." Arctic Ace spread his wings. "I sensed it just now. Ice is going to be in trouble!"
As Ace took flight, he had no idea how right he was. Dark Ice's fight against Sombra had escalated. Sombra had decided to fully take advantage of his magic, and summoned four jagged crystal spires! The towers formed a sort of arena around the two combatants! Firing beams of dark magic should anyone try to escape! A painful reminder Ice himself found out as he tried to fly and gain an aerial advantage, but was shot down! His left wing twitching in pain.
"So. You're trying to clip my wings?" Dark Ice said with a pained smirk. "Nice try, but I'm used to being grounded. If you think that'll give you an edge, you're dead wrong!"
Sombra sneered as he summoned a mass of jagged crystals to cover the arm Dark Ice has slashed it! A claw-like gauntlet forming around the arm! To further add to his intimidation factor, Sombra crafted a sword made of jagged crystal! The twisted blade dripping with dark magic! "By the end of this, one of us WILL be dead." Sombra charged at Dark Ice!
Dark Ice blocked the swing of Sombra's crystal claw with the blade of his claymore! But while he had successfully defended himself, the force of Sombra's swipe had staggered the element of courage! "If you think that's gonna make me fall. . . " Dark Ice growled. "GUESS AGAIN!"
Once more, Dark Ice charged at Sombra! But despite this, Sombra just teleported out of the way or he slithered along the floor like a shadow! However, Ice managed to work around the latter of the two! Plunging his sword into where Sombra was coming out of his shadow form! Making the tyrant scream in pain as he fluctuated between his physical and shadow form! "You're not the only one who's tried that trick! I know it too!"
Ice removed his blade, and let Sombra stagger back! However, the tyrant king of the Crystal Empire was far from finished! Sombra let loose a volley of dark magic blasts, but Dark Ice deflected them by swinging his claymore! Since that wasn't effective, Sombra levitated the sword he'd constructed over to him and charged at Dark Ice! However, Sombra was outclassed! Dark Ice had training and experience on his side, and sent Sombra flying once more with a powerful slash to the chest! "IT'S OVER SOMBRA!"
The tyrant of the Crystal Empire had a wicked smile on his face as Ice flew at him! "Indeed it is, boy." Before Ice could even see it, a spear of jagged crystal pierced him through his side! Dark Ice fell to the ground and stumbled in pain! "You thought you would be triumphant? Fool! As long as I stand, fear shall reign! And you shall fall!" Sombra did away with the crystal spires. "Let your end mark the beginning of my renewed ru-GAH!"
Arctic Ace's face had an angry look on it as he slashed Sombra across the back! "LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE!" Ace stood his ground as Sombra turned to face him. "You hurt one of my family, you mess with ALL of us!" Shadow Thunder broke out of the crowd and joined his older brother in the fight! "Ice wasn't scared of you, and we won't be either!"
Sombra just growled in response as he launched himself at Dark Ice's brothers! Sending out a storm of dark, jagged crystal shards at the two! Ace raised his shield to block the barrage while Shadow twirled his spear in front of him! While the brothers had succeeded in surviving the shard storm, they were unprepared when Sombra grabbed them by their throats!
"You. . . I saw the two of you in Dark Ice's fears." Sombra then began to squeeze their throats! "Your brother's greatest fear was a world without the two of you. Let's make it come true, shall we?"
Indigo Zap watched in horror as she saw Dark Ice struggle to get to his feet! "GET UP ICE!" She screamed at the top of her lungs!
Hearing Indigo's cry sparked something not just within Dark Ice, but something inside his weapon ignited as well! Ice's wings were wrapped in what looked like the flames, and the same was true for the blade of his claymore! A pillar of flames shot up behind Dark Ice, and started to condense into a form as Ice launched himself forward! Pulling out the spear he'd been impaled with! "SOOOOMMBRAAAAAA!"
Sombra turned to face Dark Ice, and was blindsided by getting whacked across the face with the same crystal spear he'd used to wound Dark Ice! Ice hit him so hard that the spear shattered upon impact! The sudden attack making Sombra drop Ace and Shadow in the process! "WE'RE NOT DONE YET!" Dark Ice stood before the shocked tyrant! Not only had his wound healed, but there was a huge flame projection of a dragon behind him! A dragon that looked like it had come up from Tartarus itself! "You REALLY shouldn't have done that Sombra." Ice said as he advanced toward the dumbstruck tyrant. "Because now, I have a reason to not hold back anymore!"
Ice unleashed a devastating attack on Sombra! And with each swing of his claymore, the dragon projection struck as well! Be it slashing with its claws or fists! Sombra was getting completely hammered away! Ice leaving him no room to recover! "MET YOUR END LIKE A MAN! LET'S SEE YOU GRIT THOSE TEETH!" Ice once again slugged Sombra in the face!
As Sombra was sent flying, Twilight and Spike had made it to the Crystal Heart! "There it is!" Twilight said as she rushed forward to grab it. But in doing so, she had tripped the security spell placed by Sombra! Walls of dark, jagged crystal began to jut out wherever she tried to run! Seeing how she was being cut off, Twilight tossed the Crystal Heart to Spike! "Spike! Take the Crystal Heart and go! NOW!"
Spike hastily nodded, and caught the Crystal Heart in his hands! He ran as fast as his legs could carry him! His smaller size letting him move through tighter spaces that tried to obstruct his path! The young drake scrambled up the stairwell, and dashed towards the center of the city! But he stopped when he saw Dark Ice fighting Sombra!
Soon after he'd slugged Sombra, Dark Ice closed the gap by flying toward the tyrant! The second Ice landed, he kept punching away at Sombra's face! Even gripping the tyrant by his cape to prevent him from completely falling to the ground! "I'M ENDING YOUR REIGN OF TERROR! ONCE AND FOR ALL!" Ice knocked Sombra onto his back with one last punch, and leaped into the air with his claymore aimed downward! As he fell, Ice plunged the blade of his claymore right into Sombra's chest! An inhuman scream ripped forth from Sombra's lungs!
However, something odd happened. Both Ice and Sombra were wrapped in the flames covering the blade of Ice's claymore! And in these flames, Ice saw it. Sombra's memories. All the sorrow. All the pain. But most of all, the fear. The fear of loneliness and isolation ever since Radiant Hope had left Sombra's life. And in that moment, Ice understood. The whole crowd as surprised when Ice removed his blade from Sombra's chest! "You've been called tyrant, freak, and monster."
Ice stepped back, and looked down at Sombra's shivering form. "But how can you be called any of those things when you weren't even a man to begin with? All I see is a frightened child who wanted to belong." At this point, the whole crowd was glaring at Sombra's fallen form. But Ice looked to them and Sombra in disappointment. "They had no right to treat you like they did. But you treating them worse doesn't make you any better! And the worst part? That vision you saw is what you CHOSE to become. You could've risen above that. Shown them that you were more than what they thought you were. But you didn't. That doesn't mean it can't change now."
Dark Ice extended his hand. "The only thing worse than living alone is dying alone. That's a fate I wouldn't wish on anyone." Ice was surprised as Sombra seemingly regressed in age. Now appearing as the way he felt. Sombra now looked like he was roughly the Junior Heroes' age, and had a shadowy aura around him. His red eyes darting about as he was still shaking. All his armor strewn about on the ground. "Take my hand. You don't have to be scared anymore."
Sombra was about to reach out, but a shadowy mass knocked Dark Ice away! The massive darkness came to a halt in front of Sombra, and condensed into a new form. The woman who had formed from the mass of shadow had black, smoke-like hair. Her blood red eyes gazed down at Sombra in disgust! Everything about this woman radiated evil! "You disappoint me, son." Rabia spat as she glared down at Sombra! "But I suppose you shall still serve your purpose."
Rabia sent out a wave of dark magic that knocked everyone back! A sphere of pure darkness soon engulfed Sombra! The tyrant, now the true frightened child he was on the inside, began to writhe in pain! "It hurts!" Sombra cried out in agony! "M-Mother. . . why? Why does it hurt so much?! Why are you doing this to me?!"
"Hush now my dear son." Rabia said almost emotionlessly. "You should be happy. You're doing what I always wanted you to. You're helping me release our people! The fear in your heart, and the fear you've instilled in these disgusting humans, shall be more than enough to help break our prison! Once more we shall rule a land devoid of warmth, love, or joy! Once again we shall cloak the Frozen North in shadow!" She then gave the most cold smile she could to Sombra. "Sadly, you shall have no place in our domain."
Sombra was utterly heartbroken. "How. . . how can you do this to me?! I'm your son! Your child!" Tears were streaming down Sombra's face as his body contorted in pain! "Don't you love me?"
"It appears you've let the humans make you soft." Rabia said with disgust. "I made you, yes. But apparently, you were defective. A tool that will not complete its purpose has no use. You failed to be a man, and failed to be a monster. Though you shall still serve your use. And when I'm done with you, I'll get rid of you. Such was my intention from the start. Our reunion? The disclosure of your origins? None of it was ever about you. It was about our return. All it took was you being so stupid to take the vision as your destiny!"
Rabia hastened her spell's progress! Making Sombra writhe! "Without the Crystal Heart in place, I RELEASE YOU ALL! LET US REMIND THESE FOOLS WHO IMPRISONED US THE POWER OF FEAR!" As Rabia spoke, a flood of shadows burst forth from the under the city! The Umbrum were released! "Yes. . . YES!" Rabia stopped focusing on the spell, and reveled in the panic the released Umbrum caused! However, it didn't last long! Both teams of elements sprang into action and started destroying any Umbrum in their way! Rabia frowned at this. "Terrorizing can wait! First, destroy these fools that dare stand against us!" The Umbrum Queen decided to hang back at the center of the empire as she watched the battle unfold.
"These things specialize in hit-and-run attacks!" Akage called out to his friends! "Keep your guard up!" As Akage said this, an Umbrum tried to get the jump on him! But it was stopped by Pinkie Pie! "Glad to know you've got my back Pinkie."
Pinkie Pie beamed at the compliment. "No problem!" She then readied her yo-yo. "Time to sock it to the shadows!" Pinkie let loose her yo-yo in a flurry of rapid strikes! Each blow punching through an Umbrum that tried to advance on her! Akage himself was cutting down any Umbrum that tried to get the drop on him or Pinkie! The young ninja's years of training countering the Umbrum's strategy!
Applejack and Magnet North were busy covering a small group of people caught in the crossfire! North was sticking to the destructive red spread shots of his shot-blaster while Applejack shot down any Umbrum slithering along the ground! "These pests aren't durable, but they've got the edge in numbers!" North noted as he destroyed another squad of Umbrum that lunged at him!
"Heh! This remind you of the Royal Wedding sugar cube?" Applejack asked with a smirk as she and Magnet North were soon back-to-back. "If Ah didn't know any better, I'd say you like partnering up with me."
Magnet North blushed, but returned to the task at hand! "What can I say? You're dependable. Speaking of dependable, where's Twilight and Spike?!"
Spike had managed to make his way through the chaos and get to Arctic Ace, Shadow Thunder, and Dark Ice! "Guys!" Spike called out as he arrived. "I've got the Crystal Heart with me! Twilight said it would help enlighten the Crystal Empire! And I'd say things are looking pretty dark now!"
"Good idea Spike." Shadow said with a nod. "But the timing couldn't be worse. The center of the empire's being occupied by the Umbrum queen. And I think that orb of shadow is keeping the breach the Umbrum are coming through open. So how do we shut it down?!"
Dark Ice looked grimly towards the writhing Sombra at the center of the orb of shadow. "We take out. . . the fuel source." Ice flew over to the orb of shadow, and could see Sombra looking back at him.
"It hurts. . . it hurts so much. . . !" Sombra screamed in pain! He then looked sadly into Dark Ice's eyes. "I. . . see it now. I was hurting. . . and I wanted everyone to hurt like me! But all it did. . . was make things worse. No. . . more. End it. End. . . this pain!"
Dark Ice steeled himself. "Don't worry. It'll be over soon." Dark Ice slashed through the orb and Sombra! The orb faded away, and Sombra fell to the ground. His body starting to dissolve. A peaceful expression on the former tyrant's face as he returned to his true age. "You lived as a monster. But you died a man." Ice raised his claymore in a gesture of respect. "One could never meet a braver end."
The breach below the city sealed up! Noticing this, Rabia looked in the direction of Dark Ice and saw Sombra's dissolving body! "NO!" She hissed as she flew at Dark Ice! The Element of Courage raising his claymore to block her vicious claw swipes!
Seeing his destination clear, Spike ran forward to place the Crystal Heart back on its pedestal! The heart gripped firmly in his claws! Weaving his way through the battlefield, Spike made it to the pedestal and immediately placed the Crystal Heart on it! A brilliant wave of light shot forth! Illuminating the entire city! The Umbrum all hissed in disgust and trembled in fear as they were set ablaze!
All the Crystal-Sapiens saw the heart, and immediately bowed before it! Cadence saw the heart placed on its pedestal, and flew down to be in front of it! "CITIZENS OF THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE! LET THE LIGHT OF LOVE SHINE IN YOUR HEARTS!" At Cadence's command, the people of the Crystal Empire channeled all their love, joy, and hope into the Crystal Heart! A brilliant light pulled all the Umbrum towards it! Returning them to their prison of shadow!
But Rabia was far from defeated! "You ruined everything!" Rabia hissed at Dark Ice! She then let one of her arms shoot forward! "If we go, I'm taking you with us!" However, Dark Ice would not know the cold grip of the Umbrum queen. Arctic Ace had pushed his brother out of the way!
"ACE!" Dark Ice and Shadow Thunder cried out as they watched their brother, a third of their sibling trio, get sucked into the same prison of the Umbrum!
Once inside the prison, Arctic Ace found himself completely surrounded. The Umbrum all looked like a single, slithering mass of shadow! Rabia was the only distinguishable one as she glared at him! "You were a fool to throw yourself into this place. All you had to do was let me have one life in exchange for my defeat."
"You're wrong." Arctic Ace said coolly. "I've made probably the wisest decision I'll ever make. I risked my own life to save my brother's. My family. One of the people I love, and can't picture a world without! I'd never expect something like you to understand because you have no love in your heart! And even if I had let you, you'd never stop at one!"
Ace readied his Duelist Arms! "I'LL TAKE YOU ALL ON!" Arctic Ace threw himself at the massive horde of enemies before him! His sword cleaving through them like they were butter! But the Umbrum still had the advantage in numbers, and utterly swarmed him! Scratching at Ace when they had windows to strike! None of the attacks on their own were too powerful, but the damage accumulated over time and Ace fell to one knee! Using his sword to prop himself up!
"You said. . . I was a fool to let you drag me here." Arctic Ace said with a tired, but defiant smirk as he stared down Rabia! "You're wrong. A hero isn't someone who throws himself into a fight, or gives up when things seem bad." Slowly, Ace rose to his feet. "They recognize the need to stand up. Because if no one ever does, no one ever will! They fight because the needs of the many. . . outweigh the needs of the few! And if they have to, they sacrifice themselves to that the world and people they love can know a happy ending!" Ace wrapped his wings around himself! "THAT'S THE WISDOM OF A TRUE HERO!"
Ace spread his wings in a flash! "SNOW ANGEL!" A storm of ice and snow blew around Arctic Ace! The unleashed flurry covered the whole shadow prison! All of the Umbrum began to freeze up as they were encased in ice! Rabia herself had a look in dread when she saw her body being frozen before her very eyes! Try as she might, she couldn't move! "This place is a place devoid of any warmth or love. Just like you and your people." Ace narrowed his eyes. "Fitting that all of you remain frozen for all time."
Arctic Ace let out a sigh as he took a seat. "But at least, I'm not cold in here." Ace put a hand over his heart. "Everyone I care about is safe. That's all I need to know." Ace closed his eyes, and was suddenly enveloped in a white light! Back in the real world, the Crystal Heart was glowing the same white color! A white ball of magic shot out! And when the magic dispelled, Ace stood tall!
However, his appearance had changed! His ice wings now had a more angelic appearance to them, and the mark of a snowflake was now on the back of his hands! A sky blue aura of magic pulsing around him! "I guess the path to my ascension was crystal clear." Ace said with a joking smile as he let himself be tackled by his brothers.
"Indeed Ace. Your time has come." Aether Stream said as he teleported over in a pillar of white light. Burst Stream's father had a grin on his face "Hope you don't mind Burst. But I'll need to borrow your friend. I know a style of magic that's as cool as Ace is."
Burst smiled. "You worked wonders on Steel. Let's see if you can make Arctic Ace any cooler." The group shared a laugh. "But that can wait. It's party time!"
The heroes celebrated their triumph, and soon returned to Castalot. Twilight apologized to Celestia that she disobeyed her instructions, but Celestia was happy! The solar princess was proud that Twilight had counted on others to save the day instead of relying only on herself and thinking of her own success.
Celestia shared a hug with Twilight. She then snuck a glance at Arctic Ace chatting with Aether. Your time will come soon as well Twilight. But something tells me you won't be the only one. Celestia looked over both sets of elements. You truly will have friends that will stay with you forever.