The Little Pony Legend: Tales of Equestria

by MaggiesHeartLove

Chapter 20–A Rare Courage

A new age had begun. A whole new world was born, and new adventures waited for Team Avatar. But, on this day, a certain young unicorn pony was hard at work at her boutique. After the Great Change, the physical appearance and aspects of Equestria had changed as well. Things were more detailed, three dimensional, still just as colorful, but appearing more like the world humans and spirits inhabited. Rarity was quite surprised to see her boutique so different, and yet it never looked better.

This entirely new change made the unicorn's mind flow with inspiration. She was motivated now more than ever to make new creations for this new world, and her new humans friends. To her, it didn't matter what the world looked like, she knew that anyone can be fabulous in their own way. After all…

Her final stop would be at the pro-bending arena, where she knew Bolin and Rainbow Dash would be. Upon entering, the unicorn had to duck her head down once a water bullet came directly at her. "Oh, my goodness!" Rarity exclaimed. Indeed her friends were there, but they looked anything but happy. They stood at the corner of the gym, holding clipboards while watching the line of male waterbenders attempting to hit the targets in front of them. However, their displays were not all that impressive. Not to say they were terrible, but…average at best.

"Um, what's all this?" Rarity asked as she approached the two. Rainbow Dash was also in her anthro form, standing beside Bolin.

"Oh, hey Rarity." Bolin greeted, "Yeah, we're holding auditions for a replacement waterbender on the Fire Ferrets team."

"A replacement waterbender?" Rarity asked, before face palming herself. "Oh, right! The pro-bending charity event to help repair the damage caused by UnaVaatu."

"And a celebratory one in honor of the two worlds being together again." Rainbow Dash added. "For one night, The Fire Ferrets are back in business!"

"But, why aren't Korra and Mako competing with you?" the unicorn asked curiously.

"Well, Korra kind of didn't think it would be fair." Rainbow explained, scratching the back of her neck, "I mean, she's a half-alicorn now. That's definitely gonna give her a bigger advantage over the rest of us. Trust me, we've seen her practice…she's doing these guys a favor."

"Plus, she and Mako are already helping organize the whole thing. They won't have much time to practice." Bolin explained before sighing. "One day my big bro's a cop for the Republic City Police department, and the next he's the right hand man of the royal princesses of Equestria. Such is life."

"But, it's not a total lose. Because it means that I get to fill in as the replacement firebender!" Rainbow said with a confident smile, placing one hand on her hip and one above her chest.

"Now we just need a new waterbender." Bolin said. He picked up the whistle that was around his neck and blew on it, signaling the boys to stop. "Okay, great warm up guys! Take five and we'll let you know what we decide on after lunch, cool?"

The group of waterbenders nodded their heads and walked out to grab something to eat, allowing the three friends alone to talk. Rarity quickly ran up to one of them, notching the stitching on his shirt was loose. "Oh, wait, good sir! You have a loose thread there." using her magic, Rarity levitated a needle and a dark blue thread and quickly fixed the young man's shirt.

"Wow! Thanks."

"Happy to help." Rarity said with a smile and waved goodbye at the young man. One the group was entirely gone, both Rainbow Dash and Bolin sighed in dismay, surprising Rarity. "What's wrong?"

"We're sunk!" Rainbow confessed, nearly pulling her hair out. "They're good and all, but not good enough. They won't last five seconds in that ring!"

"Especially Yao." Bolin said, "He keeps sagging his arms like a worm." the earthbender waved his arms for emphasis. "Not to mention nearly all of the best waterbenders in the city are already on the opposing teams."

"Plus, it won't be the same without Korra." Rainbow's eyes lowered down in sadness.

Rarity placed a comforting hand on Rainbow's shoulder. "Oh, don't be so sad, darling. It's Korra's first official day as an alicorn princess after all, and she's going to need all the support she can get. Besides, you're both incredibly talented, I'm sure you'll make something work."

"Thanks, Rarity." Rainbow said with a smile…right before her stomach started to rumble. "Of course, I can't think straight on an empty stomach."

"Got some noodles from the apartment." Bolin said, pointing his thumb towards the exit and he and Rainbow Dash made their way. "You coming, Rarity?"

"I'll catch up in a moment." the unicorn waved her hand casually, encouraging them to go on ahead of her. Once they were gone, Rarity placed her bag down and looked around the arena. It's been a while since she had been here. It didn't smell as badly as it did before. In fact, she eventually became accustomed to the smell of sweat and smoke from the fires Mako would bend. There were indeed many found memories in this place. Rarity never knew she could actually enjoy a sport, being the less sporty of her friends. But, she always found an appeal to it. And that was in waterbending.

Until she discovered it was her natural element, she didn't really understand how she could have found something to enjoy about the sport of pro-bending. Granted, she wasn't as aggressive with her bending as the pro-benders were, but just the very movements of the liquid, the way it glistened in the lights of the arena, the splashing sound it made when it hit its opponent, not so dangerous in sound, but powerful on impact.

Her blue eyes sparkled when she saw the barrel of water in front of her and a few of the targets, many of which were ripped, except for a few, which were probably missed by some of the opponents. The image of the target was on paper, hanging on rope. Her eyes darted around. She was all alone. Just her and the water.

Her blue colored lips curled into a smile as she moved her arms elegantly, controlling the water and morphing it into a stream. For a moment, she admired the shimmering designs of the water before pushing her arms forward, commanding the stream to go directly through the target in a perfect bullseye.

With a glee in her eyes, Rarity maintained control of the stream, the waters meaning together, never breaking apart upon impact, and she forced it to return to her, before pushing her arms froward again, and hitting another bullseye. She repeated the process again, moving the waters as if it were a needle and thread being sown together. She spun around elegantly, bending the water above her head and placed it back into the barrel in an over the head flair style.

She spotted a few more paper targets and decided to try this again. She placed the papers on the rope and repeated the process again. She was having so much fun that she even did a few summersaults, twirled and poses as she kept perfect control of the water. Her movements were very precise, controlled, fast and steady, and each time she hit the target perfectly. This was her own style of bending, which she dubbed: Rarity Style!

The unicorn giggled to herself but then she gasped and dropped the water she was controlling once she saw her friends enter the gym. The unicorn stood still, adjusting her hair and placed her hands on her back, blushing in embarrassment.

"Oh! Bolin, Rainbow Dash, I…I didn't hear you come in."

Both the earthbender and pegasus pony had their jaws dropped while holding plates of their food in their hands. Rainbow was the first to say something. "That…was….AWESOME!! I mean, you were all like--Wham! Pow! Strut! Splash!"

"I've never seen bending like that before!" Bolin exclaimed, his eyes widening in awe, and a broad smile on his face. "Man, you've been holding out on us!"

"It's nothing, really." Rarity said, still blushing. "Just a little trick I taught myself in my free time."

Bolin then gasped, dropping his plastic plate, only for it to be caught by Rarity's magic. "Do you know what this means?!" Bolin asked excitedly, gripping Rainbow's shoulders and shaking her before turning back to the unicorn. "Congratulations, Rarity! You're the Fire Ferret's newest waterbender!"

"What?!" Rarity exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock.

"That's a great idea!" Rainbow exclaimed, her wings flapping and she now hovered a few feet in the air, tossing her plate away and, once again, Rarity caught it. "We'll be like a real team again!"

"No!" Rarity cried out, "Honestly, what are you two even thinking?! I can't compete in a pro-bending match!"

"Why not?" Bolin asked in confusion, "You were amazing!"

"Oh, please! I was just playing around with water, is all." Rarity said as she levitated the plates down. "Besides, sports are your thing, not mine." Rarity turned to her side, not facing them as she lowered her ears down and placed her two hands together in front of her.

"But, isn't waterbending a sport?" Rainbow asked, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

The question made Rarity jolt up. She stammered in shock before stomping her foot on the floor and clenching her fists to her side like a stubborn child. "Wha--uh--eh--ah! Waterbending is not a mere sport! It is a skill unique to the people of the Water Tribes that has been around and practiced for centuries. It is the element of change, a fighting style that is fluid and graceful, shrouded with beauty and mystery. Waterbending is not just a sport, my dear. Waterbending is…an art!"

Rarity struck a dramatic pose once she said the word "art", which left the room silent for a couple of seconds before Rainbow Dash spoke. "Oooooookay."

"But, Rarity, you managed to hit every single target with just one water whip! And you were moving so fast I could barely catch up!"

"I was just practicing my posing." Rarity stated.

"But--"

"Look, I'm flattered you would want me to be a part of your team, but you both know this isn't my thing."

Rainbow Dash arched a suspicious brown while crossing her arms. "Really? Cause, you sure looked pretty comfortable just now."

The unicorn could feel her cheeks getting flustered. She didn't want to admit it out loud, but she really did enjoy it. She enjoyed doing all those attacks, feeling empowered and glamourous while doing so. It was her way of combining both her love of her element and her love of fashion into one. But, this would never fit in with a pro-bending game. There, the benders had to be strong and fearless, not creative and graceful. It was different when she was alone, what if she did it in public. She would make the Fire Ferrets a laughing stock. There was a reason why she didn't participate in many sports…she didn't want to embarrass herself doing something she knew she wouldn't be as good at as the others.

"Please, Rarity." Bolin practically begged, "We need you. This tournament is very important to the city and everybody. Don't you want to be a part of it?"

"Of course I do. I just don't want to be a part of this." her eyes widened once she realized what she just said. Her friends were asking her to be a part of their team and she bluntly said she didn't want to. She could already see the disappointment in their eyes. "Oh, dear. I didn't mean it like that, I just--"

"No, you don't have to apologize." Rainbow Dash, her voice came off as calm and understanding rather than disappointed. Alright, there was still hint of it somewhere in there. "We get it. Sports aren't your thing. We're sorry fro pressuring no."

"No, no, it's not that, it's just…I…I have to go." with her head hung down, as well as her ears, Rarity walked out of the gym, shielding her eyes from her friends, preventing them from seeing her tears. Bolin and Rainbow Dash felt a wave of guilt overcome them.

Maybe they shouldn't have insisted for Rarity to be their new waterbender.

Rarity sighed as she gazed at her reflection in the water. She sat on the bench She leaned against the railing of the pavilion, where Korra would often meditate. Her hands on both sides of her face. She couldn't stop thinking about what Bolin and Rainbow Dash said. They said she was an amazing waterbender, and to some degree, she believed them. But, to be in an actual pro-bending match. She just wasn't so sure.

But the strangest thing was, the more she thought about it…the more she kind of liked the idea.

She always was at least curious to know what it was like to be in a pro-bending match, and in a way, it was kind of like walking down a runway. The players would step out, wave and bend, and every movement they make the crowd roars louder and louder. Cameras flash, hands clap, each bender embracing their unique style. Each stance, each movement of the hands is practiced, precise, just like modeling. Keeping a specific posture, your eyes on the target, extreme focus on the task while the adoring public cheering your name was what pushed you to go farther.

It wasn't so different after all. But, if she did join the team, what if her style of bending wasn't good enough? What if she just wasn't cut out for it? And why did she wanted to still think about this? She had begun to wish she had never played with the water in the first place. Maybe she wouldn't be so confused right now.

"Why the long face?" a voice from behind asked. Rarity spun around and her heart leaped for joy upon seeing the newly crowned Princess Avatar approach her. If there was anybody she could talk to about this, it was Korra.

"Oh, Korrakins, thank goodness!"

The Princess Avatar approached her fiend and stood by the pillar beside her. "Everything alright?"

Rarity sighed. "No. I'm so conflicted right now and I don't even have to be."

"What do you mean?"

"Earlier today, Bolin and Rainbow Dash asked me to be the waterbender for the Fire Ferrets."

"Really?" Korra smiled in surprise, but then frowned when she noticed the uncertainty in her friend's face.

"Yes, but…I told them no." Rarity angrily growled as she pulled on her curly violet hair, "Oh, all I did was fool around with a water whip and a few paper targets."

Korra gave her friend a knowing grin as she leaned against the railing. "Did Rarity Style, huh?"

"Well, it is my favorite style." the unicorn said proudly, making the Avatar giggle in response.

"But, you're still thinking about accepting the offer, aren't you?"

Rarity knew Korra could read her like an open book. They were bonded by the Element of Generosity, so they could see into the other's heart and understand them better than anybody else. There were no secrets among them. "Yes…but, you and I both know I don't do sports."

"True, but you were one of the ponies who played a part in the defeat of UnaVaatu, remember?"

"That was different. The world was in danger, so naturally I had to defend my friends."

"And pro-bending is kind of the same thing. You defend your team. Just because you're a fashion forward pony doesn't mean you have to stink at sports. Before I met you, I used to look down upon fashion and shopping, but you showed me a whole other side to it. Now, I actually enjoy it. But, I'm still me. You don't have to change yourself to step out of your comfort zone."

"I know. I guess I'm just scared of making a complete fool of myself. I can't help but think of all those people watching my every move."

"So? You love being in the spotlight."

"Not when it involves doing something I'm not good at! You ended up liking fashion because you actually have the looks and grace to pull it off."

"And you have the talent and skill to pull this off if you wanted to. Rarity, I know how strong and capable you are. Besides, weren't you the one who encouraged me to try something new?"

Rarity opened her mouth to give a counter response, but quickly realized she had none. So instead she clenched her fist in annoyance. "Er! I hate it when you use my own words against me!"

Korra only giggled before placing a hand on the anthro pony's shoulder. "Look, I'm not trying to force you to be a part of the team, that's really up to you, but if you decide to you can do it. We all love you, and we'll support any decision you make."

"You sound just like Mako when you say that."

"I've been with him all day, he's bound to rub off on me at some point." the two girls shared a laugh before hugging it out. Rarity felt more at ease to know her friend didn't pressure her to do something she didn't want to do, but still encouraged her to try something new if she wanted to.

"Thanks, Korra."

"Anytime, Rare."

The unicorn looked down at her reflection in the waters once more as her best friend continued to hug her. Wondering exactly what it was she wanted to do.

That night, Rarity snuck back into the gym. Since Bolin and Mako no longer lived here, she would have less chances of waking somebody up. She did what Korra did the first time she snuck in here. She swam all the way, lifted herself upwards with the water and bended the liquids off of her. The unicorn flipped her hair once she was dry and looked around the gym itself. A few pro-bending uniforms hung on the walls by hangers. Walking towards them, she traced her fingers against the fabric. It was not imported silk from Saddle Arabia, but it was durable enough for the games. Functional was as important as fashionable in the case of benders after all.

Rarity didn't know what to feel about all of this. This place did hold a special place in her heart because of the memories, and even if Korra and Mako weren't going to play anymore, that didn't mean the sport didn't carry some emotional value to them. Rarity wasn't planning on becoming a professional pro-bender, but…maybe…one night.

She placed a few targets in place and began doing the same attack she used last time. She stopped herself for a moment before continuing. She adjusted her position, moved her feet and arms in a much more "traditional" formation of bending, trying to imitate Korra's formation. She bended the water, creating a water whip, which she then used it to hit a bullseye at the target. Only this time, she allowed the disperse once it hit the target. She did amazingly well for her first non-Rarity Style attempt. It felt a bit strange not doing it in her way, but she was trying something new to see if it would work, and to her wonder…it did.

Maybe Korra was right, maybe she could do this. Remembering the way Korra would do it, Rarity managed to hit each target perfectly, with the exception of one, which missed by a small portion of the target bullseye. Still, Rarity tried once more. She did the typical summersaults, backflips and basic waterbending attacks, but without her posing or stylization of her movements when she did it. She was doing it the way Korra, or Kya would have done it. And, even if it was different, she mastered the skills amazingly well.

It was actually fun to use her bending like this. She was starting to feel more and more confident. The princess was right, she can do this if she wanted to.

The next morning, Bolin and Rainbow Dash came in early, already in their training gear, ready to practice. The two were caught off guard when they spotted the white anthro unicorn already at the gym, hitting target by target like a true waterbending pro…and wearing a pro-bending uniform.

Rarity briefly stopped her practicing once she saw her friends enter. "About time you arrived!" she said with a smile, "Better get moving, the tournament is tomorrow."

"R--Rarity?" Bolin said, his mouth still partly wide in amazement. "I--I thought you said--"

"Well, a girl can change her mind, can she? What are you waiting for? Are we practicing or not?"

"Um, sure." Rainbow Dash said, a small smile forming on her face. "So, does this mean you're on the team?"

"Would I be here if I wasn't, darling?"

The earthbender and pegasus pony were baffled by this sudden heel-turn. "You sure seemed pretty resistant to join." Rainbow said, arching an eyebrow.

Rarity briefly stopped her practicing and turned to face them. "Well, I had a talk with Korra yesterday and she reminded me that it wouldn't hurt to try something new, so…I am. I realize I really do want to be in a pro-bending match, so I was up late last night improving my movements."

"Improving?" Bolin asked, "What was wrong with your Rarity Style?"

The unicorn looked uncertain. "Oh. well, you see, that was really more for fun, darling. It wouldn't do much on a real match. Besides, I actually unite enjoy this new traditional style. It's very effective."

Bolin and Rainbow Dash both shared skeptical looks. It was a shame Rarity couldn't use her own style of bending to compete, but maybe it was for the best. This was the first time Rarity would be in a real match in her anthro form, and she was already used to bending in her pony form so…they decided to respect her wishes.

Bolin clapped his hands together, ready to get to work. "Okay, let's do this Fire Ferrets!"

Rarity beamed with happiness. She never knew she could be so excited to be part of a real pro-bending match. She couldn't wait to see the look on Korra's face.

The day went on as expected. The new Fire Ferret team practiced all day on their attacks. Rainbow Dash was a natural, Bolin was happy to get back in the groove and Rarity was amazing with her waterbending. For the first several attempts, she was able to keep herself up while using her traditional style.

However, as the practicing went on, Bolin and Rainbow Dash would notice Rarity slowly drifting back to her Rarity Style once more. But every time, she caught herself and went back to using the old style. Every time she found adjusted herself, she would loose her footing, trip and loose control of her water, causing it to disperse and splash on her face.

The two friends kindly helped their friend stand up. "Rarity, you sure you want to go through with this?" Bolin asked with worry. "That's the third time you've done that."

"I'll be fine." Rarity insisted. "I've never given up on a task before, and I will most certainly not give up on this one! That was just a little fluke, let's try again."

The unicorn picked herself back up and prepared to try once more. There was no denying she was good at any style she did, but would she be able to hold up this traditional style or not was the real question. Hopefully, she would manage to get herself back up to speed by the tournament.

After a long day of practicing, Rarity retried to her room back in Ponyville. Her anthro form was gone and she was back in her old four legged pony form once more. She was so exhausted, her hair was a mess.

"Oh…what a day. Still, I think I'm getting better." she said to herself as she walked pass a mirror. She stopped and hurried back, gasping at her reflection. "Oh my satins and silk! I look like I just went through the desert and back!"

A meow was heard, and Rarity turned to her left to see her cat, Opal meowing at her owner.

"Well, nothing a hot bath can't fix." Rarity said with confidence, only to receive another meow from her cat. "Don't worry, Opal. I'll be perfectly refreshed by tomorrow morning for moor practicing." the cat meowed once more, "I know, it's strange to see myself working so hard for something like a…a sport. But, now that I've actually tried it, I can see why the others find it so appealing. Korra was right, trying something new isn't so bad."

The unicorn retreated to the bathroom to soak herself, but Opal only meowed with uncertainty.

"It's pro-bending night once again!" Shiro Shinobi said as he spoke into the microphone. The night had finally arrived and the entire arena was packed full of humans and ponies alike. "And it's not just any night, but the first pro-bending match of the new age. We are happy to welcome our pony brothers and sisters from Equestria and a royal greeting to our special guests: The alicorns! The beautiful royals, Queen Leilani, the princesses Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Twilight Sparkle and, our very own hometown hero, Princess Avatar Korra!"

The royal alicorns themselves sat on a high balcony not too far from Shiro's seat. Each one stood up, waving with great elegance to the adoring public. Twilight was a bit more comfortable with the attention, though still not as familiar as the other alicorns were, but far more than Korra.

The Avatar felt as if her heart would leap from her chest as she smiled rather nervously at the adoring crowd, numerous people and ponies cheering out, "We love you Korra!" "You're our hero!"

The Avatar gulped nervously and continued to wave. She had sat with the alicorns before during the Equestria Games, but that was just as an honored guest. This time, she was one of them. A royal. A diplomat. A face of the people. As if being the Avatar wasn't scary enough.

Flash Sentry and Mako stood beside the two royals, while Shinning Armor sat with his wife. The rest of the Mane Six sat with them in their own seats, which were mostly Fluttershy, Applejack and Pinkie Pie and even Spike and Asami. Once they each took their seats, Twilight placed her hand on Korra's, reassuring her everything would be alright. At least the Avatar wouldn't have to deal with this new change alone.

"We thank you all for attenuating the semi finales of our special charity championship tournament. Precedes will go to the Rebuilt Republic City Fund, to help repair the city after Princess Korra and the Elements of Harmony's epic battle with that giant man spirit monster thingamajig two weeks ago."

"Oh, I'm so excited I think I'm gonna explode!" Pinkie exclaimed, literally jumping right out of her seat.

"Okay, ease up there, Pinkie." Mako said, though he couldn't help but smile in amusement. "We're all really excited."

"It's a shame you guys couldn't compete this time." said Applejack.

Mako looked down in disappointment. "I know. But it was my first day on the job, and I hung up my pro-bending gear for good."

"And we all know why I couldn't compete." said Korra, "It wouldn't be much of a competition with my new magic. Besides, let the next generation have a chance to shine."

"I still can't believe Rarity actually decided to join the Fire Ferrets." Flash said, still rather skeptical on the discovery.

"Believe me, it was a shock for all of us." said Mako.

"Are you kidding?" Spike said, narrowing his eyes at the two, "Rarity can totally beat those guys! She's the best waterbender pony I know."

"She's the only waterbending pony you know." Twilight said.

"Which makes her all the more amazing." the little dragon said with a sigh, which only made the two princesses roll their eyes in amusement. Typical little boy crush.

As for Rarity herself, she too was feeling the nerves. She was already in her new gear, colored red just like Korra's old pro-bending unicorn, but with a blue sash around her waist. Her hair was styled into a high ponytail and her tail was styled into a thin braid, which kept on swaying back and forth as she kept on fiddling with her still bare hands.

"Bolin, is it normal for human hands to sweat like this?" she asked, not taking her eyes off of the arena before her.

"Relax, Rarity. You're gonna knock em dead tonight." said Rainbow Dash as she wrapped her arm around the anxious unicorn.

"It's just, now that we're actually here and, the pressure and all." Rarity began to hyperventilate, "Oh, dear. I can't breath! I can't breath! Somepony open a a window, I need air!"

Rainbow Dash grabbed her friend by the shoulders and began shaking her rapidly. "Rarity, calm down!"

The unicorn took in deep breaths and finally managed to calm herself. "Sorry."

"You're gonna be great out there." Bolin said with a reassuring smile, "All your hard work is gonna pay off!"

"Thank you, Boly." Rarity's eyes returned to the arena and she gulped nervously before shutting her eyes close, squinting them before reopening them, a look of determination appeared on her face. "Let's do this!"….

…."Eep." The unicorn squeaked when the lights dimmed and a spotlight shone on the Fire Ferrets, now standing on the arena as the crowd cheered loudly for them and Shiro announced their names.

"Let's all give a warm welcome back to Bolin, captain of the Fire Ferrets and the two newest members of the team, The Elements of Loyalty and Generosity themselves; Rainbow Dash and Rarity!"

From the balcony, Team Avatar cheered for the Ferrets. Spike was waving a small Rarity flag in his hand, while Pinkie Pies was jumping up and down like crazy. Mako and Flash whistled and clapped while Korra and Twilight cheered at the top of their lungs, which wasn't a very princessy thing to do, but the alicorns happily allowed it.

Rarity could hear their individual voices from down bellow, while Rainbow Dash and Bolin basked in the glory as the crowd chanted their names. Rainbow even went so much as to fly upwards and even fly across the crowd, high fiving various people and ponies before landing back with her teammates.

Bolin scoffed. "Show off."

Rarity refused to let them down. So, she straightened herself up, took in a deep breath and readied herself as she once again as they faced their opponents on the opposite side of the ring. She was face to face with the team's waterbender, a strong looking man with an arrogant smug on his face. "A little far from your boutique, aren't you little pony?" he said with a taunting laugh.

"You won't be laughing when your sorry backside is tossed into the water." the unicorn replied, her voice oozing with confidence and courage.

"Oh, you back backtalk. Let's see if you can fight."

Rarity growled under her breath when the bell rang, starting the match. The opposing firebender attacked first, sending a blazing stream of fire at Rainbow Dash, which she easily maneuvered by crunching down and sending a fire directly at the opponent. Bolin wa shandling himself pretty well, while Rarity saw her chance to attack. There was a clean shot at the waterbender who taunted her, the posing earthbender aiming for another attack at Bolin. Seeing her chance, Rarity bended the water and send a powerful bullet directly at the opposing earthbender, sending him back, nearly missing the zone line. If she had hit him harder he would have reached it.

"The game has only just begun and the Fire Ferrets are already taking the lead." Shiro announced as the game continued.

The rainbow haired pegasus sent a fire arch kick at the opponent, who dodged it, and both the waterbender and earthbender send their respected elements at her, but Rainbow Dash maneuvered each of them, clenching her fists together and crunching down, her eyes set on the target before sending another attack at the opposing firebender.

"Amazing! This is Rainbow's first pro-bending match and she's already mastered former Fire Ferret team captain Mako's cool under fire style! Way to keep up the tradition, Rainbow!"

From the balcony, Mako was practically jumping up and down, pounding his fists into the air like an energetic child. "Yes! I taught her that move! I taught her that, that was me! That's my girl!"

Rarity continued maneuvering the incoming attacks but was eventually hit by a water whip, which pushed her back, loosing her footing and was about to land back first. Thinking fast, she pushed herself forward, bending her body and extending her arms, her hand making contact with the surface of the arena. Her feet caught up with her and she was now standing upside-down, with her hands supporting her. With a powerful push, she send herself flying, twirling in the air and landing perfectly back from where she once stood, instinctively striking a pose while she panted, her heart was racing like mad from the close call. Her legs were positions one in front of the other, her foot slightly twisted to the left side and her arms stretched out as if she were an acrobat having done an impossible jump and taking a standing ovation. Her face was in pure surprise, as were the audience and even Shiro.

"Wow! Rarity was so close to hitting the zone line, but she avoided it with an amazing last minute move! And with style, no less!"

The unicorn could hear her friends cheering for her from the balcony, much to her delight. But her sense of victory faded when the opposing waterbender cried out, "Hey! This is an arena, not a runway!"

Rarity immediately shook out of her pose-like position and got back into the game. As much as she hatted to admit it, he was right. This wasn't a runway. She had used Rarity Style. Then again, Rarity style did come in handy.

Korra and the others watched with concern as Rarity and the others continued their match. "Is Rarity okay?" Asami asked.

"Why isn't she using her Rarity Style?" Mako asked his girlfriend, who looked at him with concern. The look on her face said it all.

This was not going to end well.

And, son of a hydra, it didn't. Rarity, still shaken from the experience and feeling uncertain with herself, lost her full concentration that she was hit by an earth disk and was pushed back, her foot touching the zone line, which went off, beeping and glowing red.

"Ooh, Rarity's over the line!" Shiro exclaimed, "Now the poor little unicorn's on zone two while her teammates are still holding on to their zone one territory."

Rainbow Dash and Bolin held the opponents off as hard as they could, but the opponents eventually got the better of them, with Rainbow Dash being thrown back by an earth disk to the stomach and Bolin a water bullet to the face. He rolled over the line, causing it to beep red.

"And now the Ferrets are in zone three, now the Tigerdillos are right in Ferret territory. Let's hope these two ponies can pull off a miracle just like their predecessors."

"Rarity, are you okay?" Rainbow asked her friend, who grunted as she stood back up, hr eyes fueled with determination.

"I'm fine!" she spatted out, almost bitterly, keeping her gaze on the opposing team, which already started attacking. Rarity remembered her training and carried on attacking the opponents, using her keen eye to keep up with the fast benders. She summersaulted from an attack, keeping her footing steady. She bended a stream of water at the opponent, knocking him on his back. Rainbow Dash continued sending blasts at her opponent, while avoiding the incoming attacks, but Rarity felt a powerful hit of fire throw her back and send her rolling over zone three, nearly hanging over the edge of the ring. Team Avatar gasped in horror while Spike was bitting on his claws nervously.

"Rarity took a pretty nasty hit and now she's all alone on zone three, just inches away from the side of the ring." Shinobi said, as the unicorn grunted as she stood back up. She could already hear the opposing waterbender taunting at her. The unicorn tried to attack, but the earthbender was about to hit her with one of his disks. Bolin reacted and jumped in the way to block it, breaking the disk with his own, but the impact was enough to send him back, colliding with Rarity and the two were sent down into the waters bellow and Rainbow Dash was hit with a double earth attack and she was sent rolling down to zone three while her teammates surfaced from the waters bellow.

"Bolin and Rarity take the dive and Rainbow Dash is hit by a double earth attack!"

"Round one goes to the Tigerdillos!" the referee accounted, much to the dismay of Team Avatar.

Rarity shook her body like a dog once she and Bolin resurfaced and he helped her back up. "Don't worry, we've still got a chance to win." he said with a reassuring smile, but Rarity wasn't so sure. She had been working her tail off and now she just cost them the match. She was beginning to think this might have been a mistake.

The Fire Ferrets regrouped once more on the arena and the bell rang once more. This time, the Fire Ferrets manage to overpower the Tigerdillos, but too quickly, Rarity was already sent back to zone two once again.

"Looks like this just isn't Rarity's night. She's been thrown into zone two twice already."

"Ha! You should have stayed in you fashion house, little pony!" the opposing waterbender taunted, only for Rainbow Dash to easily knock him down with a fire kick for that nasty comment about her friend.

"Don't listen to him, Rarity!" the pony exclaimed to her friend before continuing attacking the opponents. Rarity got back up and sent water blasts at the earthbender, knocking him back with her raw power. Bolin knocked the firebender down with a speeding earth disk and Rainbow Dash fire kicked the opposing waterbender back into zone two on his team's side of the ring, giving the Fire Ferrets the advantage.

Team Avatar cheered on as the Ferrets continuously hit their opponents. One water attack was coming at Rarity, she summersaulted out of the way, but seemed to have lost her footing in her attempt to balance herself and ended up colliding with Bolin in the process, causing them both to fall and the earthbender to send both of them back as payback.

Rainbow took the shot and send fire blasts at the earthbender and firebender, sending them to zone two with their waterbender.

"The Tigerdillos lost their zone one territory giving the Fire Ferrets free leverage. Bolin and Rarity got back into position and the three of them send their individual attacks at the opposing benders, sending them back to zone three. This gave the Ferrets a chance to move forwards and send the Tigerdillos off of the ring and down into the pool and the bell rang, signaling the end of the second round.

"And the Fire Ferrets have come back on top! Let's see if they can keep this up during the third round."

Rarity placed her hands on her knees, panting and sweating. "Rarity, are you okay?" Bolin asked with concern, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"No." she replied bitterly. "I cost us the first match!"

"Don't worry, you'll get them next time." Rainbow said in reassurance.

"Seeing as I don't make a fool of myself again. Maybe this was a mistake." the unicorn said, she felt like a snail in a convention full of cheetahs. Her attempts at bending like Korra or any other waterbender wasn't helping her.

"It's not too late to use that Rarity Style."

"Come on, Rarity." Bolin persisted, but the unicorn only shook her head.

"No. I've already made a fool of myself, I don't want to saltine the wound."

"But--"

"Enough! Let's just get this over with."

The bell rang once more and Rarity was determined to prove herself. This time, it was personal. She wanted to prove to that no good waterbender that she had what it took to bend like the rest of them. She never gave up on anything this big before, so she refused to do so now. The unicorn send a powerful water whip at the opposing team like there was no tomorrow.

"Rarity's not waisting any time in confronting her opponents, and boy is this little water pony full of fire right now!"

With her teammates at her side, Rarity placed all of her heart into these attacks, but she was also placing all of her anger as well. Her fiery determination was deeply concerning Korra. She was starting to think maybe this was her fault. Maybe she should have been more clear about her advice. This really was her fault.

Rarity fought with brute force, but her furry blinded her from thinking clearly. She sent a water whip at the exact moment the earthbender sent a rock disk at her. Both benders took the hit, the opponent to the head and Rarity to the arm. The unicorn winced in pain and rolled down to the ground.

"Rarity!" Rainbow exclaimed upon seeing her friend. The waterbender took the chance and readied to hit Rainbow Dash, but the pony heard the incoming attack and blasted it away with her flames. Bolin and Rainbow Dash shielded Rarity, who looked on like a helpless little pony while her friends did all the work. Their determination to help their fiend fueled their power so much they overpowered their opponents. Bolin knocked down both the water and firebenders with his disks and Rainbow with her flying fire attacks. The opposing team was already growing exhausted and the two friends took the opportunity and sent the group flying over the back of the ring and into the water, clinching their win once the bell sounded.

"And the Fire Ferrets win the match! It was a close call, but this underdog team have come out on top once again!"

Rainbow Dash and Bolin leaped for joy, hugging and high fiving but their victory came to an end when they saw Rarity, her ears lowered down while gripping her arm.

"Rarity…" Bolin extended his hand to reach her, but the pony pulled back. Tears swelling up in her eyes before she took a willful dive into the pool and swam away from the arena, leaving the two Fire Ferrets and Team Avatar to look on with concern.

Once Rarity got out of the water she made a mad dash for the exist, not looking back.

The unicorn ran towards the rest room, removing her helmet and angrily tossing it to the floor and angrily removing the band that held her ponytail, allowing her now sweaty hair to fall against her back. She didn't even care how embarrassingly clingy it looked. She even began to angrily rip the sleeves off of her pro-bending outfit, seeing the bruise on her arm. It wasn't as bad as when Bolin took it, but it still hurt. Using her bending, Rarity levitated water from the sink and started healing her arm. In a matter of moments it was already partly healed. She proceeded to remove the rest of her gear, leaving behind only the red turtleneck undershirt and her pants and boots. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes red and puffy, tears streaming from her eyes and over her cutie mark while the voice of that taunting waterbender was heard.

"This is an arena, not a runway!"

Rarity sobbed, hanging her head as her long bang hid her face from view. "Who was I kidding?" she said to herself in between sobs. "Guess I'm not as good a waterbender as I thought." with that, she dropped the remaining piece of her sleeve she was holding, opened the bathroom door and ran off, morphing into her pony form and galloping away. The sound of her trotting echoed through the halls as she made her way out of the arena, her vision nary blurry from her tears.

Korra ran up to the others, "Any sign of her?"

"No." Flash said with a shake of his head.

"We looked everywhere." Mako said with a worried look in his eye.

"All we found was this." Fluttershy showcased the ripped clothing she and Pinkie Pie found in the restroom. Korra took the fabric in her hands, gripping it tightly.

"This is all my fault."

"It's not your fault, Korra." Rainbow insisted. "You didn't force her to be a part of the team, none of us did."

"Then why do I feel so terrible?" the Avatar said with a sign.

"Let's try and locate her with our Elements." said Twilight, gripping her friend's hand tightly. The two princesses, along with the rest of the Elements of Harmony focused their magic together, only to come out rather shortly.

"It's no use, she's blockin' us." said Applejack in dismay. "Guess she doesn't want to be found."

"She might be blocking us, but not entirely." said Korra, "I managed to get a reading on where she's heading. Come on!"

Rarity continued galloping along the streets of the city, slowly slowing her trotting. On all four legs, Rarity was incredibly fast. So fast, she managed to run two whole blocks. She eased up her running once she realized something peculiar about this area. It looked suspiciously familiar to a certain location where she and her friends were engaged in a battle against a group of Equalists after Bolin was kidnapped. The unicorn didn't like this place. She was so sure she had taken the turn that led to Narrok's but apparently, in her blurry haze, she got the street signs mixed up.

She gasped once she heard the sound of a garbage can falling, and several rats came running out at top speed. She slowly began to walk back from where she came from, only to hit her head against a human leg, which smelled of motor oil and cheep cologne. She looked up and gasped upon seeing a familiar sleazy face wearing a white and blue fedora and long blue trench coat.

"Viper!"

"Well, well, well. If it isn't one of the Avatar's little ponies?" he said, his voice sounding as sleazy as ever. Rarity immediately morphed back into her anthro form, which didn't seem to phase the Triad member.

"What do you want?" Rarity asked, her eyes narrowing and her voice sounding more angry than intimidating.

"Better question: What are you doing in our turf?"

"I took a wrong turn. Believe me, I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here. Now, if you will please move aside so that I may leave your…'turf', in peace."

Viper let out a chuckle, which was latter followed by more chuckling, and two more of his goons appeared from the shadows behind him. "Oh, tough talk from somepony who's all alone."

"Very well. I'll just take the other path." Rarity said as she turned around, only to see more of the Triads emerge, smiling sleazily at the pony. "How exactly did you ruffians get out of prison?"

"That honor goes to the giant spirit monster man who destroyed the police building."

One of the goons, Two-Toed Ping, tapped Viper on the shoulder, his voice trembling. "Uh, I don't think it's a good idea to mess with her, boss. She's one of the Avatar's ponies, remember? And you know what happened to her, right? She's got wings and magical powers, she can turn us into squirrel frogs is she wanted to!"

"Oh, she can." Rarity said bluntly. It was an obvious bluff but they didn't know that.

"All the more reason to keep her with us as our honored guest." said Viper, "If the Avatar hears we have one of her unicorns for ransom we can get her to give us free leverage out of this joint."

"As much as I would love to never see you again, it won't work." Rarity crossed her arms. These goons didn't frighten her one bit.

But Viper was not one to be trifled with. "Come on boys. Let's remind this little pony what happens to those who mess with the Triple Threat Triads."

The entire group of Triads gained up on Rarity, and the pony stood her ground. This wasn't a pro-bending arena, so she had nothing to prove to anybody. Besides, she's handled big and stupid brutes like these guys before, they didn't intimidate her.

Viper unleashed his water whip at the unicorn, but Rarity took the whip in her hand and use ditto instead to wrap it around Viper's ankle, freezing it in ice, yanking on the whip and tossing the waterbender over her head, knocking him into a pile of garbage cans.

The unicorn grinned at the opposing benders. One aimed a fire attack at the unicorn, but she flipped and summersaulted away, this time keeping a perfect balance of herself by….striking a pose. Poses helped her keep balance. She kept one leg partly bend, with one stretching outwards, with the one harm holding her whip and her free arm outstretched.

"Who's next?"

The earthbender stomped his foot and send an earth rock at Rarity, but the unicorn once again avoided the attack. Her foot landed in a puddle of water and she immediately got an idea. With the water she already had, and the water she had recently found…after cleaning off the gunk off of the waters first…she bended three individual traces of water, levitating them beside her and turning them into powerful ice shards.

One by one, and with amazing speed, Rarity send the ice shards directly at each of the triads, piercing their clothing which sent three of them against a wall, and one had his shirt ripped right off, revealing his undershirt. He quickly covered himself in embarrassment only to be knocked down by Rarity's water whip.

Her pony ears perked up and immediately flipped out of the way, spiraling gracefully into the air and unleashing a dazzling display of shimmering ice shards at the man who attempted to come up from behind her, knocking him down and pinning him against the ground. With her horn glowing, Rarity made the shards that had the men stuck to the side of the buildings and froze them solid, turning them into ice cuffs.

"Nice moves." said another voice from behind her. Viper lunged forward and tackled the anthro pony down, gripping her wrists and pinning them against the ground. "But you're playing with the big boys now, little pony."

"Stop…calling me…little pony!" Rarity cried out at the top of her lungs and kicked Viper right in the stomach with her knee, knocking the wind right out of him and causing him to loosen his grip on her. Taking the change, Rarity punched him square in the jaw, morphed into her pony form and galloped away from him onto to morph back once she was free. Viper groaned, gripping his stomach only to scream in terror when the unicorn bended a huge portion of water at the man, freezing him against the wall with his goons. She moved her arms in the most fast and graceful way imaginable, completely freezing him from the neck down.

Once the fight was over, Rarity smiled triumphantly.

"Rarity!" a voice called out from above and the Princess Avatar landed before her friend, who quickly rushed on over to hug her.

"Korra!"

The rest of Team Avatar arrived just in time, also hugging the unicorn. "Thank goodness you're okay." said Twilight after hugging her friend, only to wince when she saw all of the disoriented and passed out Triads spread out with their bodies encrusted in ice, preventing them from escaping. "Ooooh, but they are not."

"How did you find me?" Rarity asked.

"Guess a part of you really did want to be found." Korra said with a wink. "Somewhere deep down."

"Rarity, did you take these guys out all on your own?" Applejack asked in awe.

"Oh please, it wasn't that hard." the unicorn said with a grin until Korra took her hands, looking at her friend with an apologetic look in her eye.

"Rarity, I'm really sorry."

"For what?"

"For what I said. I should have given you better advice, or thought more about what I said before--"

"Korra, you have nothing to apologize for. You gave wonderful advice. It's not your fault I'm not good at pro-bending."

"Are you kidding? Look at what you did!" the Avatar showcased the moaning triads Rarity had single handedly defeated. "You defeated all of these triads by yourself. Rarity Style!"

"That's why you were so off your game back there." Rainbow Dash said, placing a hand on Rarity's shoulder. "You tried playing like any other waterbender, but that's not how you do it."

"But I couldn't go out there posing and moving the water like a dancer."

"Why not?" Bolin asked, smiling. "Look Rare, every bender has their own unique style and form, and yours is being the stylish fashion forward pony you are."

"But--but what if I humiliated myself and all of you? You heard what that Tigerdillo said. It's an arena, not a runway."

"Since when has that ever stopped you?" Korra said, catching the pony's attention. "You don't have to change yourself to--"

"--to step out of your comfort zone…" Rarity finished for Korra, her eyes widening in realization. "You're right. Guess, I was the one who took your advice and twisted it around, all because I was too insecure."

"It's okay." Korra wrapped her arms around the pony, hugging her. "You were scared, I get it. But no matter what happens, we still love you."

"We do." said Rainbow Dash, "I'd rather lose a match than lose my best friend."

"Same here." Bolin said as he and the pegasus joined in the hug, which increased once the entire Team Avatar embrued their unicorn friend. All this time, he thought she had to change herself in order to try something new, and something she sincerely wanted to try. Now she realized she didn't have to. Rarity wiped away her happy tears.

"Oh, thank you everyone. I'm sorry I was foolish before." said Rarity once the hug came to an end. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's send these ruffians back to prison and get back to the arena!"

"Um, you don't have to play if you don't want to, Rarity." Bolin said. "We totally understand."

"I beg your pardon? I never turn my back on an important task before, and I don't intend to start now. But, before I do, I'm going to need my pro-bending outfit, a sowing kit, and a bag of caramel corn!" she stopped when she noticed everyone looking at her with a confused expression. "What? All this fighting worked up an appetite."

With the Triads safely behind bars, Rarity got straight to work. Since there was only a few minutes before the next game to begin, Korra and the other girls helped Rarity out with her project. She was most definitely going back out there, but this time, she would play the game her way.

Once she was done, she stepped into the locker rooms, where Rainbow Dash and Bolin were waiting. Rarity had completely customized her pro-bending uniform. While it was still the same in basic design, the coloring was changed to shades of purple and blue, added with an image of her cutie mark on the chest and a few sparkles here and there. The unicorn wore it with confidence.

"Let's win this!"

The bell rang and the games begun once more and the Fire Ferrets were facing against a new team of opponents. Team Avatar watched happily when Rarity walked out into the arena, proudly showing off her unique pro-bending uniform. Now that was the Rarity they all knew and loved.

"The first round has begun and I'm still curious to what Rarity's plan is. While she is working that new look, I'm afraid a makeover won't be enough to save the FIre Ferrets." Shiro announced, but Rarity was far from worried this time.

Rainbow Dash and Bolin kept on fighting against the opposing team, but they managed to lure the two into a corner, leaving Rarity all by herself. They must have already known Rarity was the weak link on their new team, and were taking advantage of their chase.

"I swear folks, I'm having flashbacks!" Shiro said, his eyes widening, "Bolin and Rainbow Dash are cornered to the side, unable to come to Rarity's rescue, and the opposing team is taking their shot at the--Wait a minute, hold the phone folks she's!…Actually, what is she doing, I don't know!"

Rarity was doing what she should have done from the beginning: Strut her stuff like the fabulous unicorn she was. She moved the water just as she did back with the targets, hitting the opponents over and over with the same water whip and majestically flipping from side to side, and each landing was a perfectly balanced pose, but not too complicated enough for her to easily move out of the way when needed. She spun around, avoiding the incoming attacks and unleashing she water when needed. She was bending as if she were dancing like an elegant water nymph, it was unlike anything they had ever seen. This unicorn turned pro-bending into a work of art. It was amazing.

"I don't believe my eyes, folks! Rarity, the Element of Generosity, is moving like I've never seen any waterbender do before! It's like she's turning this bending style into a form of art and it is beautiful! She's just full of surprises, just like the Avatar!"

From the balcony, Korra's heart swelled up with pride. Rarity did it, she was being herself. She was trying something new, and still being the wonderful pony that she was.

For a moment, the opposing team got distracted by the pony's movements that Rainbow Dash and Bolin took this chance to really fight back. Before long, the Fire Ferrets were in perfect sync, working together and Rarity embracing her unique style.

This carried on for the rest of the games and Rarity couldn't get rid of the smile on her face. She was having the time of her life, laughing and defeating the opponents. After two whole rounds, the Fire Ferrets came out on top, and the third one would be their last. But this time, the earthbender managed to knock Bolin so far back, he hit zone three. Now it was up to Rainbow Dash and Rarity.

"The Fire Ferrets have managed to come this far, but with Bolin all the way back to zone three, I'm skeptical on how these ponies are going to get themselves out of this one."

But, the two ponies knew they could handle it. They shared the same grins before Rarity aimed a water attack at the firebender, distinguishing his fire and using a powerful water whip to knock him back to zone three. Rainbow Dash saw her chance and aimed her fire at the earthbender, this caused him to lose his balance and get knocked down. The two ponies gave it their all and before long, all three of the benders were knocked over the back of the arena and into the water, just as the bell rang.

"It's a knockout folks! The Fire Ferrets win again!"

The entire arena bursted into applauds, people and ponies rose form their seats, cheering and chanting the team's name. Rainbow and Rarity hugged while jumping up and down like excitable school girls. Bolin ran up and hugged the two ponies, practically lifting them up from the ground. Team Avatar cheered like mad, hugging, laughing and Pinkie throwing confetti left and right. They did it, they won the match, and Rarity did it all by being herself.

Korra and Twilight flew downwards and embraced the team in a great big hug. Korra removed Rarity's helmet and ruffled her hair. "See? I told you you didn't have to change."

"Actually, you're wrong Korra." Rarity said, confusing the Avatar a bit. "I did change. But…in a good way. I guess I can be a fashion forward pony and an action warrior at the same time. I mean, if it works for you it can certainly work for me."

"I'm so proud of you." Korra said as she hugged her pony friend, who was rather surprised when somebody from the audience had tossed her a single rose. Korra rolled her eyes but kept her smile. "Go right ahead. YOu deserve it."

Rarity squealed with delight and stepped froward, bowing to her adoring public, who chanted her name. This may not officially be a runway, but tonight, it most certainly felt like it.