Rare-Rare, the ‘final’ battle
The Titaness of Generosity was calmly drinking her tea, when her friend, the Titaness of Magic, came to talk to her.
“Oh, Rare-Rare! Just the one I was looking for!” smiled Sparkler.
“Oh, my friend, it’s so good to see you. What are you doing here? Don’t you see I’m waiting for my Bearer?
“Yeah, sorry, I was checking if she have defeated you already. We must hurry to reactivate the Power of the Tree of Harmony.”
“I understand your worry, Sparkler, but they must earn it first. But, relax. Considering how the others did, this will be a piece of cake.”
“Thanks to the Hyrule Warriors.” sighed Sparkler.
Rare-Rare, Titaness of Generosity, laughed happily. “Come on, Friendship is Friendship. And, at this point, the warriors and our Bearers, share a legitimate bond.”
“I know, what upsets me is that our negligence caused another world to get involved into this.”
Rare-Rare was about to answer, when the door violently got open, and someone throw a couple of unconscious white wolfos inside.
Link and Midna appeared, leading the group of both Bearers of Harmony, and Hyrule Warriors.
“Okay, it seems I should come back later.” Smiled Sparkler. “Good luck to all of you.”
“Take care.” said Rare-Rare.
Sparkler disappeared in a flash, and Rare-Rare smiled to the group.
“Okay, sorry about that.” said Sparkler, bowing to her guests. “So, welcome to the Ice Tower. I’m so glad you made it. Are you ready to accept my challenge, Rarity Belle?”
Rarity took a look of her new robe, and sighed. “I am as ready as I’ll ever be!”
“Good!” approved Rare-Rare. “But, first…”
The Titaness turned on the lights, to properly receive her visitors. And the, the others could have a good look on her.
She was beautiful, like an ice sculpture of a pony. Her diamond heart was visibly beating inside her, giving her a mysterious aura. As tall as the Princesses, Rare-Rare smiled down to Rarity.
“Congratulations for making all the way down here. I know ice dungeons can be especially difficult. Before we start, can I offer you something to drink? I have coffee, tea, hot chocolate, hot cola (some weirdoes like that), or maybe some brandy; my personal recommendation for the cold.”
Midna nodded. “Yes, I could drink some brandy, please.”
“Tea would be fine.” said Link. “Seriously, I’m freezing.”
“Well, duh! This is the ice tower after all!” giggled Pinkie Pie. “Chocolate, I want some chocolate.”
“Tea for me too!” asked Applejack.
“I’m also, okay with tea.” added Fluttershy.
“Tea, definitely, tea.” said Twilight.
“Coffee for me!” cheered Rainbow Dash.
“Tea, just like Link!” asked Epona.
“Brandi for me.” said Sweet Fog.
Rare-Rare nodded, and went to prepare the drinks, when she turned to Rarity. “What about you? Something hot before we fight?”
“Tea, please.”
Rare-Rare, nodded, and started to make the drinks as she hummed happily. As the divine incarnation of Generosity, she was a very good hostess.
“Oh, you didn’t ask for anything, dear!” said Rare-Rare to Fi.
The spirit bowed to her. “I am a spirit, I don’t need to eat or drink anything. Also, I’m fine no matter the temperature. But I do appreciate your offer.”
Rare-Rare shrugged, and continued making the others’ drinks.
“Okay, you’re all good, now right?” asked Rare-Rare when they returned her the empty cups.
Rarity nodded nervously, as she put on the robe she won from the Wizzrobe. “Yes, darling, I’m ready for my final test. At least I think so.”
Rare-Rare them made appear a big platform, surrounded by a torches with a strange blue flame. Strangely enough, the blue flames produced a sensation of chill instead of heat. This would be interesting.
“Before we start, can I ask you something?” said Rarity, before they started.
“Sure!” smiled Rare-Rare.
“You are supposed to protect Equestria. Now that we lost the Elements, why are you making us things so difficult instead of helping us?”
“We are helping, Rarity Belle.” explained Rare-Rare. “The Elements are inside you. So, in order to restore their power, you must push yourselves to unknown limits. King Sombra proved to be stronger than we thought, so we must grow together so we won’t be taken by surprise again. That’s why we created this devious puzzles, and used our powers to create this fake monsters.”
“So we could get stronger as a team, and as individuals.” said Rarity, as she understood.
“Exactly!” cheered Rare-Rare. “But, you shouldn’t have killed Sombra though.”
“Here in Equestria, you can do as you please!” argued Midna. “But, now your actions are affecting the Twilight as well. So, we’ll do what we think is necessary.”
Rare-Rare sighed. “And that’s the only reason why your presence is tolerated in here.”
Then, the Titaness turned her attention back to Rarity, and raised an icy hoof.
The flames of the nearest torches surrounded her hoof, and she threw them against Rarity, who made a small shriek, and jumped out of the way. A thin cape of ice appeared where the attack hit.
Rarity then she aimed her own hoof toward the Titaness, and attacked with a small fire attack, with the power of the robe.
Rare-Rare waved her hoof again, and the nearest torches sent their flames, creating a barrier between her and the Bearer.
Then, she attacked again, and Rarity was forced to avoid the attack again. She successfully dodged it, but her tail got frozen and broke.
“NO! My tail!!” cried Rarity.
Rare-Rare made a small nod, and Rarity’s tail grew back. “There you go.”
“Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!”
“I haven’t forget what you did for the river serpent. Who do you think made it grow again, huh?”
“Oh, thank you for that!”
“My pleasure. Let’s continue fighting.”
She directed a new freezing flame toward Rarity, who responded with a little flame on her own.
The two attacks cancelled each other, and Rare-Rare smiled pleased. The unicorn learned fast.
They resumed the fight, with Rare-Rare throwing more and more icy flames toward Rarity.
Fortunately, the unicorn learned fast, and knew when to block the attacks, and when to dodge them. The problem was, that she wasn’t very athletic, and was staring to have problems to move around. And she wasn’t as powerful as Twilight, so teleporting around was out of the question.
‘Come on, Rarity. You can’t end up like this. All your friends have passed this test, and the Titans were always defeated. Come on, she wants us to win. What to do? I can’t let anypony down.’
Also, this fight was designed for her. So, Rare-Rare wouldn’t ask her something she knew she couldn’t do. What was Rarity’s specialty? Well, she wasn’t really an athlete. Nor a magician. She was a fashionista. So, what to do?
Suddenly, she heard Applejack’s voice. “Come on Rarity! Ya’ can do it! show her how annoying you can be!”
The others looked at Applejack, who seemed to understand what the others missed.
Rare-Rare sent a warning glared toward the cowgirl, who simply shrugged.
“What? Is not forbidden to cheer for ma’ friend!”
Rare-Rare nodded, but still glared at the orange mare.
In the meantime, Rarity had taken Applejack’s information. Annoying. What thing she did that annoyed Applejack the must?
Details! She used to put too much attention to the little details, and her surroundings! A key ability to become a fashionista. So, which detail was she missing?
She focused on Rare-Rare’s attacks. And there it was! The answer!
Rarity sent a double attack from both forehooves, that Rare-Rare blocked again. But then, she noticed only one of the attacks was meant to her. The other one… destroyed two of her torches.
“So you figured it out!”
“Thanks to the Magic of Friendship!” smiled Rarity.
Rare-Rare raised her hooves, and created a giant ice block, and threw it to Rarity.
Rarity responded with another double attack. She threw one of her flames toward one of the blocks, melting it down. And, the other, hit Rare-Rare directly.
The Titaness shrank, as she melted a little. “Nice shot!” congratulated Rare-Rare.
Rarity smiled at her.
“Thanks, darling. Good aiming is part of noticing the little details.” thanked the fashionista.
Rare-Rare extended her hooves, creating more ice blocks to smash Rarity, forcing her to run in circles, as she destroyed more of the torches in her way.
With this, Rarity have destroyed a fourth of the sources of icy fire. But in some point she tripped, making the Titaness to sigh in disappointment.
“And you were doing so great…”
She released the ice blocks over her.
Rarity cleverly rolled out of the smashing attacks rank, and threw a new flame to Rare-Rare, who melted a little bit more.
“Good one!”
Then, Rare-Rare changed her tactic, by creating an ice sword. The sword also borrowed the power from the icy flames, and threw them as devastating attacks toward Rarity.
She was able to dodge them, but this time, a freezing aura came from the spots the sword hit, and Rarity began to feel numb and cold. But her will to fight was strong, especially now that she have found the key to victory.
Rarity aimed her hooves directly to the sword, and sent the flames over it.
Rare-Rare was forced to drop her weapon, as she began to move backwards.
Rarity advances forward, still sending a torrent of flames over Rare-Rare.
The Titaness screamed in pain, as she melted again.
She tried to push Rarity with another icy flames torrent, but, surprisingly enough, she realized she was out of torches.
“Damn it!”
Rarity melted Rare-Rare to the point only the diamond heart remained.
“I won!” declared Rarity.
“Yes, you have defeated me!” admitted Rare-Rare, as her ice body reappeared.
She bowed to Rarity. “You won fair and square.”
Twilight couldn’t be happier. “We did it! We recovered the Power of the Tree of Harmony!”
“Yes we did! Yes we did!” celebrated Pinkie Pie. “This is the time for a party!”
“Not until we get out of this tower, please.” begged Epona. “Freezing to death is not my idea of a celebration.”
“But we can do some ice-skating here!” suggested Pinkie Pie.
“Sorry Pinkie, but my pets are waiting.” said Fluttershy.
“Epona is right, Pinkie Pie. There’s a place and time to everything. We can do ice-skating any other time.” agreed Applejack.
So, Pinkie had no choice but accept that her friend didn’t want to party in the tower.
“I would party later if I were you.” suggested Rare-Rare. “I mean, the power of the Tree of Harmony haven’t been restored. Not yet.”
“But, we defeated all of you!” said Twilight, in disbelief.
“Yes, but I already told you that this trials were meant to make you grow as individuals, and as a team. Also, what else did I tell you?” asked Rare-Rare.
“That the Power of Harmony is inside us.” said Rarity.
“Precisely, you need to go and restore the Tree’s power.”
“Inside the Twilight.” added Midna. “This is going to be interesting.”
Rare-Rare guided them out of the Ice Tower, and the group moved in train back to Ponyville.
“A’ don’t get it!” complained Applejack. “We fulfilled all our challenges, but out of nowhere, we have a new challenge ahead of us.”
“The adventurer’s life.” shrugged Link, back in wolf from.
“If life gives you lemons, make some lemonade. We have been in this situation before, and is not as bad as you think. Is kind of fun, actually.” giggled Midna.
They continued their journey, but the train never got to Ponyville.
A military block stopped them from advancing, and the reason was obvious. A black dome with strange orange symbols have swallowed the town.
“We are late!” cried Twilight.
“No, we’re not.” said Midna. “Remember you evacuated your people before this happened, so, there’s still hope.”
“And, when the Twilight swallowed Hyrule, it almost swallowed the whole Kingdom. Here, only a small portion of your territory have fallen. Oh, and we have already killed the evil master mind, so there won’t be any surprises inside.” added Epona.
“Yes, all we have to do is go inside, and recharge the Tree of Harmony!” supported Pinkie Pie.
“So, we have no choice, right?” asked Twilight.
The others shook their heads.
So, with a sigh, they got into the black mass. The Twilight.
…
Once they crossed the barrier, they all took a close look of their new bodies. They have turned into hylian steeds. Colorful steeds, but they have lost their special features like wings or horns.
Midna grinned, and returned Link and herself back to their regular forms.
“One more battle, my friend.”
Link nodded. “And we will go back to Twilight, together.”
Midna blushed, and kissed him on the cheek.
Suddenly, Epona touched Link’s hand with her nuzzle.
“What?”
The horse neighed, and Link smiled. “So, a last ride together?”
The horse nodded.
“Of course. Get ready!!”