//------------------------------// // Chapter 21: Nyx // Story: Avatar: Legend of Diamond Tiara. Book 4: Immortals // by Jeweled Pen //------------------------------// “D-Discord,” Nyx said softly, staring at him. She then gasped and looked down at her hooves. The orange spots were gone, but she looked different. Her mane was so much darker, as dark as the night. “I’m alive? But I… I thought… you saved me?” “Oh, of course not,” Discord said as he lightly swam through the air and then teethed at a pick idly. “No, your little ‘rescue’ comes from something else entirely.” “W-what?” Nyx asked before getting to her hooves and nearly falling flat on her face. She reached up a hoof to rub her head, only to brush it against her horn. Only to scream when she realized SHE HAD A HORN! WHY DID SHE HAVE A HORN?! “Ahhhh yes, and that’s why I’m here,” Discord said with a light chuckle before snapping his fingers. A moment later a picture of her horrified and confused face appeared behind him. Except it wasn’t HER face. Her eyes weren’t like that. Her MANE wasn’t like that. She had a HORN! She didn’t look like a unicorn, though. Not a normal one, at least. She turned and galloped away, skidding to a stop in front of the lake and staring at her reflection. Sure enough, her face stared back at her. But it wasn’t HER face. “What did you do to me? Is this another stage? Is it--” “Now now, that would be telling, wouldn’t it?” Discord asked with a light laugh. “Much funner to have--” He was cut off when Nyx’s horn glowed and she threw the nearest boulder she could at him. Said boulder exploded into confetti, but it was the thought that counted. “Picked up that little trick awfully quick, didn’t we? Very well, if you insist on being such a spoil sport, I’ll tell you.” A moment later he appeared in front of her, a clawed paw gripping her chin and forcing her to look up at him. “Think back to what I told you then, little pony. Hm? Oh. Right, I suppose there’s an audience now, isn’t there? When little ponies go where they’re told not to and suffer the consequences, well, that’s their problem. No matter how much they and their friends beg and plead for it to be undone.” Discord disappeared a moment later, appearing on a tree covered in yellow ropes that said ‘Caution: Do not pass go, do not collect 200 bits’. “However, if a spirit goes there, then that’s hardly the same now, is it?” “I… I’m not a spirit,” Nyx said softly before looking down at her reflection again. “Or… I wasn’t? Am I now? Did you—” “Nope. I already told you I didn’t do anything, didn’t I? Would I lie?” Nyx just turned to him and raised an eye. “Harmony says that--” “Well I’m not lying this time,” Discord said before appearing once more, so tiny he could comfortably lounge on her nose. Most annoying was that he only disappeared from his prior position a few moments after appearing. “Life is sooooo boring without a loophole here and there, isn’t it?” “Then how did I… wait. Where’s Autumn?” Nyx asked. She let out a yelp when Discord just pointed a finger at her. “Me? How? She gave her… her life for me? But I--” “Oh, don’t be sooooo melodramatic,” Discord said with a roll of his eyes before disappearing and appearing away from her again, his back to her. “You’ll die… eventually… and then she’ll be free again. Able to frolic around and do whatever little spirit things she wants to.” “So, what, I’m half spirit now?” Nyx asked before lifting a hoof up to her forehead. “That’s awfully… well…” “Convenient?” Discord asked with a light chuckle. “Oh, no no no. This is anything but convenient. You’ll understand that soon enough. But for now, well, there’s still determining where you belong.” “Belong?” Nyx asked. “Of course,” Discord said. “Are you a pony?” Orange spots appeared all over her body again and pain coursed through her veins. “Or are you a spirit?” As quickly as it started the pain was gone, but she felt… weird. Strange. As if the world was somehow more real and less real at the same time. She shuddered and collapsed. “Or something in the middle?” She felt like… herself again. Different. But her. “Why are you doing this to me?” Nyx asked. “Do… do you enjoy this?” “Ohhhhh, I know,” Discord said before turning to look at her. “Why don’t we let you decide? What are you, Nyx? A pony? A spirit? A tree? An outcast? A pointless cameo? What are you, Nyx?” “I… I’m… I’m…” Nyx said softly before shuddering. “I’m alive.” “Heh. That you are,” Discord said before disappearing. “Let’s see what happens now, shall we? Well, at least for those who are still trying to catch up.” ------ “I didn’t realize what he meant, then,” Nyx said. Diamond yelped, jumping and looking around. “What? What was that? Ughhhhh, I feel so… icky.” The other alicorn gave her an annoyed look. “Sorry. I just haven’t done THAT before. It was like I WAS you.” “Sorry I’m so icky,” Nyx said flatly. “I mean, would it kill you to take a bath once in a while? Wash some of that swamp filth off? Err, I mean--” “I was on the verge of death and had gone to die in peace,” Nyx said in a flat, unamused tone. “Cleanliness had been the last thing on my mind.” “Sorry,” Diamond said sheepishly. “So, what, that’s Discord? He seemed… err… erratic.” “He always was, is and will be. Even if he is gone,” Nyx said. “He could have saved me or killed me. Instead, he did neither. Within the Spirit World he held ultimate power and control. Perhaps he even knew what would happen from this event. He--” “Oh, I could have known if I wanted to,” Discord said from behind Nyx, making her jump and yelp. “But that wouldn’t be very fun, now would it?” Diamond shrieked and took a step back, narrowing her eyes on him. “H-how?!” “Do you MIND?” Nyx asked, glaring at him. “Not particularly, no,” Discord said with a shrug. “I-impossible, y-you’re dead,” Diamond said softly before looking at Nyx. “He’s… isn’t he?” “Well, yes, I am,” Discord said with a roll of his eyes. “I really wish you ponies would stop bringing that up, though. It’s starting to hurt my feelings.” “T-then how are you here?” Diamond asked. “I wasn’t dead when Nyx was around, now was I?” he asked the darker alicorn. “Well, err, no,” Nyx said softly. “That’s not an explanation!” Diamond yelled. “Exactly,” Discord said before holding out a paw to Diamond. “You want to know me, don’t you? How about we go on a little trip? It’ll be fun.” Diamond blinked and stared at the paw before, very slowly, lifting a hoof towards it. She then stopped and pulled her hoof back. “Okay, no. I may not be the best Avatar but even I know that’d be a bad idea.” “What? Nooooo, trust me. All three judges say it would be a great idea,” Discord said before snapping his fingers and a judge’s table with three very Discord-like ponies appeared behind him. They held up signs that all showed a big ten on them… before flipping them around and spelling out ‘Don’t trust him’ on the other side. He frowned and snapped his fingers. “Ugh, everypony is just so biased these days.” “I’m gonna… not… go with you,” Diamond said. “But, since you’re here I don’t suppose you could, say, go ahead and undo all the damage you’ve done? Mayyybe let Silver go? Give me my cutie mark and magic back? Maybe--” “You certainly are a bossy little thing, aren’t you?” Discord said before snapping his fingers. A moment later a dice appeared on the tip of her nose. “Here. The best I can, well, the best I will do for you.” Diamond blinked and picked up the dice before cocking her head to the side. It was six sided and all six sides were sixes. “What… even… is this? Why would I need this?” “Pointless conjectures,” Discord said with a shrug. “Or maybe not? Who knows?” He then disappeared again. “Does he do that often?” Diamond asked. “You know I have even more questions now. He is dead, isn’t he?” “Don’t expect me to be able to answer them,” Nyx said with an annoyed sigh. “He’s the Lord of Chaos. I could barely figure out my own life.” “Oh, uh, right,” Diamond said before slowly putting the dice on the ground besides her. “Where were we? So you had a spirit in you? Why?” “Yes,” Nyx said before giving a light sigh. “We were separated then, us and spirits. But not by much. Ponies and spirits were more… one.” She waved her hoof and Diamond jumped between dozens of settlements and portals all over the world. Though, the world wasn’t like her own home, neither was the Spirit World. “We could go into the Spirit World and the spirits could come into our own. Not… all spirits, however, liked ponies. Not all ponies liked spirits. And some of us may have liked spirits too much.” “Huh?” Diamond asked. “I was a… strange pony, as ponies went. At least, it was how I often felt. I was an… orphan,” Nyx said softly. “I never knew my parents. Instead, I was found by another pony, a kind mare. She… didn’t have to take care of me. Or look over me. In fact, my mother could have just left me to the village. It wasn’t her responsibility, yet she took it on anyway. Yet I always felt this weird… pull to the Spirit World. The spirits there were fascinating. The kirin, the windigo, the ice screams, the--” “I get it,” Diamond said, waving a hoof for her to get on with it and earning another glare from Nyx. “My point is I didn’t really get along well with most ponies. But spirits? I even found the dangerous ones of them to be quite fascinating. Except grass hoppers. Those things were pure evil,” Nyx said quickly before giving a shudder. “But I was a curious pony. I had to see more of this strange, magical world. So I did. I entered the Spirit World whenever I could. Eventually I went to a place I shouldn’t have. Many spirits there didn’t like ponies and they setup… punishments for those that trespassed. I didn’t heed the warnings. Some of these punishments were fast and brutal. But some were slow and… painful. My foalishness doomed me. My village banished me, afraid of what would happen to them. My mother pleaded with them, but they refused to change their mind. I… refused to let her come with me.” Diamond glanced away from the other mare. “Yeah, I uhhh… I guess… having parental… issues is just kind of part of the whole being the Avatar thing, huh?” “It does seem to happen quite often,” Nyx said softly. “I traveled in search of a cure. First to Harmony, but she could do nothing aside from offer me comfort in that time. As the poison in my veins came from the Spirit World, it fell under Discord’s domain. And, well…” “He refused to help?” Diamond said with a soft sigh. “Yeah, he said that.” “Indeed. So I did the only thing I could do,” Nyx said. “I went into the Spirit World. A part of me… hoped for answers. That maybe I’d discover what happened to my parents all those years ago before I passed, learn why I was abandoned, who I was meant to be. Instead I found… well… comfort in my friends.” Tears welled up in her eyes and she closed them for a moment. “It was comforting, at least. To know my end wouldn’t be alone. Even if it did hurt. My closest friend had been a kirin. Autumn Blaze. She, well… she was… wellllll…” “What’s a kirin?” Diamond asked. “A, usually, pretty calm and fun spirit,” Nyx said. “Also, I think it’s their essence that gave us our fire bending. Or at least what Harmony used to imitate it. When they get mad they’re… well. Fun. But a different kind of fun. Dangerous, but fun.” “Sooo… she like…” “Saved my life,” Nyx said. “Even though she knew it would mean we’d never talk again.” She lifted a hoof to her heart. “She gave me time, binding with my very soul to save me. I was an earth pony before that, but she made me a unicorn. And uhhhhh… that… was quite the shock when I returned home.” She gave a light cough, glancing away. “Bending wasn’t… we were given bending when we needed it, by Harmony. But she then took it back. It was dangerous. Or, at least, she believed it was. But I didn’t need it from her anymore. I was… different now. I wasn’t the most thrilled about it, though. Or… I didn’t… really know what I was.” ------ “Hello, my little one,” Harmony’s voice echoed from the great living tree. “You are hurting?” “So much,” Nyx said softly before looking up at the great, shimmering tree. It glimmered as if it was made of jewels, dazzling to look at. Yet, despite that it never hurt her eyes to look at it even when the sun bounced off it. In fact, it always felt so warm and inviting. Kind. Gentle. Even if it was just a tree in appearance, she could almost feel it enveloping her in its very presence. “What… am I?” “You are one of my little ponies,” Harmony said. “But what else am I?” Nyx asked. “They all look at me like I’m… I don’t feel… only mom will look at me some days. Half the ponies seem to think I’m some kind of monster. The others almost seem to revere me. I miss… Autumn. I want to talk with her again. I need her help.” “She always was one of your closest friends, wasn’t she?” Harmony asked. “Obviously,” Nyx said softly. “I just don’t feel… I don’t feel like one of us anymore. Like one of yours. Most days I don’t even feel like a pony anymore.” “You will always be a pony,” Harmony said. “In time, they will understand. As will you.” “I just… I want to find out where I belong,” Nyx said gently. “I think… I want to leave again. I think I need to leave again. Not to find a cure, but to find me. If that makes sense?” For a while their was silence before the tree spoke once more. “I understand. There is still much in this world you wish to see. Need to see. But… I will… try to ease your burden. Go, with my blessing. Know you will always have a home under my branches.” “Thank you, Harmony,” Nyx said softly before slowly turning and walking away from the tree. ------ Diamond managed to catch herself and not fall over this time when she was herself again. “Sooo… you talked to the tree and just left? Harmony? She seemed… nice? I guess?” “She was,” Nyx said softly. “But… I didn’t realize how drastic an effect this would have. I now had bending and wasn’t causing problems with it. So Harmony decided perhaps it was time to grant bending to other ponies and, more importantly, allow them to keep it. That we could be trusted. Ponies grew their own arts, developed. Even trained. It was nice, for a time. That is, until I got hurt. Then… well… I was hurt very, very badly.” “You were… crippled?” Diamond asked softly. “If only,” Nyx said gently. “No. I was wounded, but the wounds healed almost instantly. Ponies were… excited, to say the least. Some thought it was incredible, amazing. It mostly just reminded me of the friend I had lost. I started to isolate myself from the ponies I had known. Hidden away. More time was spent with the spirits. I made three friends in particular. A breezie, a mermare and a crystal pony.” “… A what, a what and a what pony?” Diamond asked. Nyx rolled her eyes. “As I said, I was better with… spirits than I was ponies. I met a lot of ponies, but I never felt like I truly belonged. Bending ponies spread out more, new settlements formed. But then… spirits began to disappear. First kirin, but then more and more. It wasn’t until Seabreeze’s home was attacked that… I found out what happened. Ponies had found a way to bind spirits, much like what happened to me, but forced it on others. While Harmony gave us bending… binding spirits allowed us to take it forcefully. Taking the breezies could give them air bending and…” She took a long, slow breath. “My friends were being stolen. I had to stop them. So I fought. I… lost,” Nyx said softly. “I was one pony against many. They took Novo, the mermare. Bound her as well. I was dying, a failure.” “Radiant Hope never gave up on me, though,” Nyx said softly. “A crystal pony, she helped me much as Autumn had once. Giving me a second chance at life and, well… bending. Earth bending, to be exact. I used these new tools to wage war on those who took my home. I…” She took a slow, deep breath. “I fought. I rescued my friends. I forced those who bound them to give them up. Then… my friends joined with me.” She lifted a hoof to her heart again. “They bound with me. So we could fight this war together, so we could stand together. And we fought. When it was all over… though… there was… I missed my friends. I missed those closest to me. But I was scared. The spirits blamed me. Ponies were scared of me. I was just so tired and alone. I went to Harmony and she… she…” Nyx took a slow, deep breath. “What?” Diamond asked. “She gave me everything I could ever want,” Nyx said softly. “More than I ever deserved.” ------ Nyx limped towards the tree. She was so tired. So, so tired. Again and again they’d fought. How many ponies had perished? It sickened her. Some ponies fought her. Yet others used her as a rallying cry, as if she condoned this. The spirits, once her friends, were now afraid of her. Blaming her for all of this. But it was over. It was finally over. She could rest. “Harmony,” Nyx said softly. “My little pony,” Harmony said gently. “This war… it’s… it’s over, is it not?” Nyx asked. “It is,” Harmony said, the sadness clear in her voice. “Then it’s time,” Nyx said. “Release my friends from me.” “… Nyx… you know of what you ask,” Harmony said softly. “I do,” Nyx said. “They are all that support you now,” Harmony said, the warmth of her voice washing over Nyx like a blanket, though the alicorn shoved that gentleness away. “I know,” Nyx said. “When they are removed, all of the damage they protected me from, it will be undone. It will… it will all be undone.” “You will perish,” Harmony said. “For what I’ve done, it’s the least I deserve,” Nyx said gently. “This war was never your fault,” Harmony said. “We both know that’s not true. I could have prevented it,” Nyx said. “If I had just never gone where I shouldn’t. If I hadn’t let ponies know what happened. If I had just not made them aware of what could be. If I’d just considered that they’d want this. If they hadn’t… this can never happen again. This should never have happened to begin with. I would free them if I could, but I can’t. Only you can. Please. I just… I just…” The tears started to flow down her cheeks. “I don’t want to… I don’t want to go t-the rest of my life without… without my friends. I miss them so much. I want to… just… one last time hear their laughter. See their smiles. Just… please. Haven’t I done enough? Give me back my friends. Please. Please…” Nyx finally collapsed, her hooves crossed under her as she began to cry. “Please… please… please…” “Oh my little pony…” Harmony said in a soft, soothing tone. Slowly, a passageway in the tree opened. “Come within me. I will give you what you ask.” “T-thank… thank you,” Nyx said softly, before gently crawling to her hooves once more and stepping into the tree. She’d perish with her friends, inside Harmony. She could think of no better way to go. Finally, this nightmare would be over. Soon she stood inside a small chamber within the great spirit, enveloped in her warmth. It was calming, kind, loving, protective. She closed her eyes and let it envelop her. Everything she could imagine it could be. Slowly, all of her pain melted away and she felt the warmth in her heart only grow. Despite her expectations, there was no pain. “It… is done…” Harmony’s voice came, though it sounded odd. As if it was coming from all directions and within her at the same time. “What?” Nyx asked, her eyes opening. Only to shriek when she saw four other ponies in the room. Around each of their necks was a strange necklace. It took her a moment to realize that she had one too, as well as a crown. “Harmony? What… what have you done?” “As… I am… I cannot protect my ponies… or this balance,” Harmony said, her voice weak. “But as… you are… neither can… you. Only… together… can my purpose… truly exist…” Nyx stared at the ponies for a few moments before tears started to flow down her face. “You… you all… you…” “Oh, stop crying,” the golden gray unicorn said with a light chuckle. “Harmony gave us the choice, we took it. It might be fun to be a pony, only lighting things on fire when I want to. We wouldn’t want to leave you alone again, now would we?” Nyx stared at them before fresh, new tears flowed down her cheeks. Not ones of sadness, though. ------ “Awwww,” Diamond said softly once she was back in herself. “That was kind of adorable. You miiiiiiissed them. So, wait, does that mean you were one of the elements?” “Obviously,” Nyx said, her cheeks a little red. “And Harmony bound us together.” “Wait, so does that mean I’m Harmony?” Diamond asked. “Or we are? The Avatar is? “Not… quite,” Nyx said. “You’re more the holder of her power. Embodying her traits, that bond. The elements are wielded by others who embody the virtues of my dear friends and myself.” “Really?” Diamond asked. Nyx gave a shrug. “I don’t know, I assume so. She didn’t exactly give us an instructional pamphlet on how all of this worked. I don’t even think she knew. They’ve certainly been used in ways they were never meant to be,” Nyx said bitterly. “Also, I was able to still bend all four elements, even without them inside me, so I think that was her aspect.” “But what happened then? I mean, the war was over, wasn’t it?” Diamond asked. “Yes, for… a little bit,” Nyx said. “But not long. Discord was… angry. We had transgressed, us ponies. He decided there was no longer… there was no longer a place for ponies. That we would be changed, altered. There would ONLY be the Spirit World. I don’t know what happened, but I imagine Harmony objected. He… destroyed her. For… for a time I thought I had done it. That giving me this second chance had… ended her life. That only the piece in me was still alive. It wasn’t until I faced Discord that I learned the truth. But even then… well…” ------ “Discord!” Nyx yelled, galloping towards the spirit. The draconequus turned towards her and laughed. “Ahhh, if it’s not the little fire starter herself. I see you brought those gaudy pieces of jewelry with you. Ugh, they’re so next millenia.” “Why are you doing this?” Nyx asked. “Doing what?” Discord asked. Nyx just stared before waving a hoof in the direction of what had once been a village of ponies. Now the homes were made of chocolate, the ponies were sheep that ate rocks and oversized grass hoppers were sunbathing on some of the roofs. “Ohhhhh, that,” Discord said. “I’m just having a bit of fun.” “You can’t--” “Oh, no, little Avatar,” Discord said with a light laugh. “I’m afraid that doesn’t work anymore. I’m Discord, Supreme Lord of Chaos. The only creature that could even consider telling me no is, welllll… nothing more than a memory propped up by jewelry.” He snapped his fingers and the five ponies were lifted into the air. “Speaking of, I really should finish them off now, shouldn’t I? At least you’ll be easier than that overgemmed oak and the traitorous centaur.” Nyx’s eyes went wide with horror as she realized what was about to happen. She could feel Discord’s foul magic washing over her, changing her. Her and her friends. She looked back towards them before shaking her head. No. She couldn’t… she wouldn’t let them be separated again. Six gems glowed before being connected by beams of light. The light gathered in the crown before she sent it out from herself, enveloping the draconequus… When it ended, he was gone. The waves of magic washed over the land, however. Undoing what he had done. The chaotic magic evaporating under the assault. ------ “I never saw Discord again,” Nyx said softly. “I… thought he was gone. Obviously I was wrong.” “He was going to… Harmony was the only check he had in place,” Diamond said softly. “Without her, there wasn’t any… But this doesn’t… this doesn’t help. This doesn’t--” “Doesn’t it, though?” Discord asked from behind her, making her jump. “Again?” Nyx asked. “Really? Don’t you have anything better to do?” “I HATE how you do that!” Diamond snapped, glaring at him. “Yes, yes,” Discord said dismissively, waving a paw half heartedly. “Don’t you think you’re missing the obvious though, Shiny Crown?” “It’s Diamond Tiara,” Diamond said quickly. “Whatever,” Discord said. “You wanted an excuse, didn’t you?” “There’s no excuse here,” Diamond said. “Harmony kept you in line, but she’s gone. The elements helped, they’re gone. Silver is… I just…” “Really? Is that all you got from this long, convoluted mess?” Discord asked. “Ponies really are short sighted, aren’t they?” “Why are you even here, Discord?” Diamond asked. “I killed you. Well, Twilight did. Why help?” “I’m dead, what else am I going to do for entertainent?” Discord asked with a shrug. “Besides, I am many, many things. But I would never be a sore loser. Well, except when I feel like it.” He disappeared again. “Maybe try thinking about it a little bit harder. Your little flank tattoo is of jewelry that goes on your head, try using yours.” Diamond let out a low groan of frustration. “I hate him. I didn’t learn much about him at all! All I learned is that the elements weren’t always ponies at first and… and…” She trailed off, her eyes going wide. “There were five of them. Or, kind of. They weren’t, though. I mean, they were. But they weren’t…” “Excuse me?” Nyx asked. “The Elements of Harmony,” Diamond said softly. “They were destroyed. But they were made from your friendships and Harmony’s power. Harmony’s power was… I can bend. Well, I could. And if it’s Harmony’s power that allowed me to bend… then maybe… I can remake the Elements themselves. Maybe I can… Maybe I can be the check to Discord’s power. Or maybe even… maybe she is one of the Elements.” “You think Discord’s Avatar could be one of the Elements of Harmony?” Nyx asked. “That’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?” “I mean, maybe,” Diamond said. “But… I mean… who’d expect that?” “It’s the kind of thing that would only show up in the most shallow and vapid, feel good warm-hearted and droll of stories,” Discord said, the annoyance clear in his voice. “Then again, why not? I’d hardly expect my chosen pony to follow the script. Where’s the fun in that?” “So is he just tied with you?” Diamond asked, glancing to Nyx. She then snorted at the look of horror on the alicorn’s face. “Okay, yeah, that face is pretty amusing. Well, I guess this is the best answer I’m going to get, isn’t it? Hey, Discord, if you’re still there. Can you be somepony’s friend?” “That’s a rude thing to ask, now isn’t it?” Discord asked. Diamond rolled her eyes. At least he was just a voice now. “Do you regret anything you did? Or will do?” That just made Discord laugh. “Yeah, thought so,” Diamond said before rolling onto her hooves. “Fine. Get my cutie mark back, remake the elements somehow, rescue Silver from you, stop a bunch of ponies who’ve captured spirits and possibly made themselves immortal. I miss anything? Oh, right. Possibly restore balance that’s been caused by the four nations separating in the first place. Oh, and fix spirit and pony relations. You know, when I actually say it out loud it sounds like a bit much for one pony.” She was greeted by silence. “Um, Discord? Nyx?” Diamond asked, looking around. “H-hello? Either of you?” Still, nothing. “Oh, oh that’s a lot. That’s a whole lot. I don’t need to do all of that, do I? I mean, I’m just, sure. I’m amazing. But I… I need help. Oh buck I need so much help,” Diamond said, staring off into the decaying remnants of the spirit world. She, at least, now felt mildly confident that she knew what she had to do. But now more than ever she felt she wasn’t up to this task. “It’s going to be okay,” Twilight’s voice rang in her ears, making her look up and see the prior Avatar once more. “What if it’s not?” Diamond asked softly. “What if I can’t do this? What if I let them all down?” “You can’t do this alone,” Twilight said before turning and glancing off in the distance. “But with your friends, there’s nothing you can’t.” “And what if it just makes things worse?” Diamond asked. “Eh,” Twilight said with a shrug. “Things look pretty bad now, but they get better. Trust me, I used to freak out allllll the time when I was doing this. My friends always came and pulled me out of it when I got too deep. So if there’s one piece of advice I can give you, no matter what happens, depend on them. Because the Avatar is only as strong as their bond with the ponies closest to them.” “And if I can’t fix the elements? Or fix the spirits? Or--” “One thing at a time, Diamond,” Twilight said. “Even if the elements can be fixed, I wouldn’t worry about that now. Focus on your friends for now. Everything else will work itself out.” “Really?” Diamond asked. Twilight gave a shrug. “I don’t know, probably. Either way, I’m going to go see what else I can learn from the other avatars. Did you know that the seventy-fifth avatar was a renowned herbalist? He revolutionized quite a few medical ointments that were even used in my time!” Diamond blinked a few times before sighing and shaking her head. “You were such an egg head.” She then started walking. Find her friends. She could do that. How hard could it be? “Hey, Discord? Where do you think Silver is?” she asked. He didn’t answer and she let out a soft sigh of relief. If he could only show up when and if she talked with Nyx that was something she’d be absolutely thrilled about. So long as she never had to talk with Nyx again.