//------------------------------// // Our Last Stand // Story: The Little Pony Legend 4: Balance of the Heart // by MaggiesHeartLove //------------------------------// *(~)* 2 Corinthians 10:4 ~ We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. *(~)* Our Last Stand The infuriated sirens unleashed a powerful high note, forcing the Mecha giant to break free of the ice that entrapped it while grabbing onto the piece of a nearby building for support. Once the ice broke through, shards shattering on the pavement, the mecha moved down the streets. Inside the cockpit, an alarm went off. The sirens sneered at the red flashing light. "Avatar…in here!" Kuvira struggled to say. Her mind was still foggy, but she could vaguely recall her old life and what was happening around her. Adagio turned to their third siren with a wicked smile, "Kuvira, be a dear and hold the fort for a while. Aria and I have some pests to take care of." (~) Team Avatar crunched down inside a room with a ladder, listening attentively as Korra shared her plan, "We need to move fast. Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight will climb up to the arm and try to disable that weapon. Mako, Bolin, Flash, Sunset, and Sonata get to the engine and see if you can shut this thing down. The rest of us will go after the sirens." Flash Sentry took out his sword, "You got it." "Are you sure?" Sonata asked, "When you fought Kuvira before …" Korra's eyes shifted to the side as she recalled the memory, "I know. She almost destroyed me. Not this time." Rainbow Dash pounded her fists, "Let's take those sirens down!" Sonata dawned a serious face, "And time for me to face my sisters." Mako, Sunset, Flash, Sonata, and Bolin ascended the interior ladders while Applejack, Twilight, and Rarity were levitated upwards by Twilight’s magic. The rest of the team, the two brothers, Flash, Sunset, and Sonata, jumped out of a hatch that Bolin had cut open with a lava disk. Once inside the engine room, the friends couldn’t believe their eyes. There stood the largest sample of a spirit vine they had ever seen. These vines, combined with the magic of the sirens, were what powered the mecha suit. Like Sunset said: magic and technology converted into one. Mako's eyes turned to a lever on the wall, "I'm going for that lever. You go for the other one." He said to Bolin. But just as they were about to do so, they heard a voice coming from behind them. "Well, well, well. Look who came to stop by for a visit." Sonata's eyes widened in horror, "Aria!…" her eyes studied her up and down, "New look?" Her middle sister hovered above them, her translucent wings flapping gently and slowly as if they were underwater, and her long fishtail moved from side to side, just as elegantly. Aria placed her hands on her hips, modeling her new body. "You like it? Too bad your friends won't live long enough to appreciate it!" With her metal-bending, Aria started tearing apart the rails around the vine, morphing them into sharp needles of death, and hurled them at the two brothers, missing Sonata. Flash Sentry stood in front of them, swinging his sword and deflecting each of her incoming attacks. Sonata unleashed various water blasts at her sister, while Sunset Shimmer and Mako firebended at the siren, who flew all around like a water snake. They barely left a scratch on her. Aria dodged a fire blast from Mako and shot metal plates at his head. Sonata tackled him to the ground, saving him from getting decapitated. "Aria, please! You have to stop this!" "Over my dead body!" Aria unleashed another metal plate at Sunset Shimmer but was deflected by Flash Sentry's sword. "Watch the language, lady!" Flash exclaimed. Aria shot more plates, which Mako and Sunset Shimmer dodged before both throwing a simultaneous fire blast at the siren. (~) Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight ascended and landed on a small ramp which led through a tunnel and reached the cannon’s operation. Large gears spun around. Just as they were about to do their job they were suddenly attacked by a blast of fire from behind. They saw Adagio floating before the, with fire in hand. "You know what they say, ladies. If you can’t stand the heat…stay out of the kitchen!" Adagio unleashed a powerful fire blast, which was countered by Twilight's forcefield."I'll deal with her. You two disable the weapon!" She said before jumping off to fight the siren. After all these years, Applejack finally managed to master metal bending, and Rarity's magic had grown powerful enough to levitate heavy objects twice her size and weight. The two ponies watched as bullets were being loaded into the metallic hole, getting ready to fire. Using her magic, Rarity forced the chain of bullets downwards and they tumbled to the bottom of the arm where they exploded. The collision unleashed a cloud of purple energy that skyrocketed upwards. The two ponies jumped out of the way and ducked until the dust settled. Adagio's eyes widened at this, "No!" right before being punched in the face by Twilight. The siren flew backward, hitting hard against a metal wall, and fell to the floor, knocking her out cold. "That was for the Korra and the Alicorns," Twilight said as she rubbed her fist. After the explosion passed, Twilight returned to Applejack and Rarity and smirked. "Nice work." "The outside might be platinum, but we can do a lot of damage in here," said Applejack and started bending the metal within, while Twilight and Rarity used their levitation to disable the rest. Working together, they made an incredible amount of damage to the interior of the machine, which would not go well for the sirens. Kuvira, while still singing, suddenly found couldn't control the arm cannon anymore. "Weapon! Useless now!" her anger boiled over and shrieked like a banshee. The scream was enough to wake up Adagio and Aria's attention. Still singing, Kuvira forced the still working left arm to tear off the unresponsive cannon arm. With Twilight, Applejack and Rarity still inside. The three tumbled, slamming against the wall. The three locked hands and Twilight's horn started to glow before teleporting them out of there. With all of her might, Kuvira hurled the now useless arm into the air where it crashed into a nearby building. Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity managed to land safely onto an unharmed building and watched as the main body of the arm crashed to the ground while the cannon part flew onward and fell somewhere in the Spirit Wilds. That was one problem down. Aria growled in anger at the heroes before her and unleashed a powerful sonic wave. The impact caused the others to fall backwards, hitting against the wall and falling unconscious. For good measure, she clapped their hands, feet, and hips with metal plates against the wall so they would not escape. "I'll deal with you rats later." Aria sang one more note, causing the electricity around the spirit vine to double and increase the power. With a smile, Aria flew away from the scene, but not before taking one last glance at her younger sister. She and Adagio reunited with Kuvira at the cockpit. Kuvira spun around to try and tell them, somehow what happened, but before she could say a word, Adagio slapped her right across the face. "You useless, pathetic fool! I gave you one task and you couldn't do that right!" Before she could continue beating the poor girl, the three heard a sound coming from down below. "What is that?" The three turned their heads towards the hatch and saw it being pummeled from the other side. The lid flew out, practically hitting Aria, and out appeared Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Korra. Adagio smirked, "Korra. Long time no see. You're looking well." "Wish I could say the same for you," Korra said, spreading her wings and taking a fighting stance. Adagio peppered to attack but was stopped by Kuvira, "No. She's…mine." Adagio decided to agree, "Very well. You fight her, while we deal with her pests!" Adagio and Aria propelled themselves at the three anthro ponies, gripping them from behind and magical disappearing from view. "Girls!" Korra could hear Adagio's wicked laughing echoing from within the cockpit. "Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Don't worry Korra. We’ll play with your friends while you and Kuvira catch up." Korra turned to face the former military soldier. Her eyes looked lost like she was slowly losing her consciousness and her humanity even more by the minute. Korra rose her hands up, trying to reason with her. "Kuvira, listen to me. This isn't you. You're not a monster. Please, you have to fight this!" But the siren Kuvira only snarled like a wild beast, "Don't want to fight it. I want…to fight…you!" The siren hurled at Korra with all of her might. The duel had begun. (~) In another part of the machine, the two sirens reappeared and dropped the three ponies down on the floor, nearly slipping off of the catwalk. "We did want our revenge on Korra." Adagio said, "But getting rid of her beloved pony sisters will do just nicely. Internal pain is the best kind!" And so, the two sirens began to have their fun. They both began bending at the three. Rainbow Dash fought Adagio in fiery combat while in flight, while Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie fought with Aria. Fluttershy and Pinkie both unleashed an air blast at Aria, blasting her metal plates back at her. The siren shrieked when one plate cut her arm, now dripping with blood. (~) Korra threw fire at Kuvira in defense, and the siren dodged the attack, hissing and snapping her teeth while trying to scratch Korra’s with her claws. Korra gripped her by the arm and spun her around, throwing her against the control panel. Kuvira fired back with the liquefied metal she used to control the mecha before, which Korra manipulated back at her. Kuvira slipped out of the way and unleashed a powerful sonic wave from her mouth, launching Korra into the air. Korra’s back crashed into the roof, the princes shrieked in pain. Using her metal bending, Kuvira locked Korra’s waist and spun her around the roof. The star on Korra’s forehead glowed and she teleported herself out of her predicament. Kuvira searched for her but realized too late when Korra reappeared behind her. Korra punched the siren right in the jaw, throwing her against the control panel, smashing it to pieces. Kuvira wiped the side of her mouth and charged at her again. (~) Sunset Shimmer was the first to wake up and gasped when she saw her friends all trapped against the wall. Her horn glowed and she teleported herself out of her containment. She rushed towards Bolin, tapping his cheeks to wake him up as the spirit vine began to overload. "Bolin. Bolin, wake up!" but when he did not respond, she resulted in slapping him in the face. "OW! What’s your problem!?" Without responding, Sunset took Bolin by the hands, which were sustained upwards, and with her magic teleported him out of his bindings. She did the same with the others. Once free, Mako rushed toward the lever and Bolin hurried to the other on the opposite side. "I'm ready!" Bolin called out. "One ... two ... three!" The brothers lowered their respected levers at the same time, but the spirit vine was still crackling with electricity. "Nothing's happening!" Flash said, "Aria must've done something to override it and taken control before knocking us out!" Sonata stated fearfully. "There's got to be some other way to shut down the power from here," Sunset said. Bolin looked down nervously at the controls, his fingers hovering over various buttons. "You spend all that time working with Varrick and Baatar Jr. Didn't any of their genius rub off on you?" Mako said. "Look, the only thing I know about these vines is that if you mess around with them too much, they explode." Mako looked up at the spirit vine core. Their power was increasing at a dangerous rate, and without this then the sirens would have less control over their machine. Mako looked at his friends and brothers, who all shared the same worried expressions. He made his choice. "All of you get out of here. I have an idea." Bolin looked back at his brother, "Want to fill us in?" "I'm gonna zap these vines with some electricity." Sonata clasped her hand over her mouth and Sunset Shimmer shook her head, "What? Didn't you hear him? If you do that then the vine will explode!" "Exactly. This is our only way of shutting this thing down and weakening the sirens’ power. I can handle it." Just as Mako was about to carry on with his plan, Sunset grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to look her in the eyes. Her aquamarine orbs staring back at him with a blend of anguish and righteous furry. "No! You can't do this! What if something happens to you? What about Korra? Your wedding!" Mako turned away from the unicorn, unwilling to look at her. Mako knew the risks, but this was the fate of the city and the world at stake. Their friends, their family. "Sunset's right, Mako.” Bolin said, “This isn't the time to prove how awesome you are. I already know how awesome you are ... you're awesome." Mako snapped back at them, "I don't have time to argue! I'm the only one who can do this unless anyone of you knows how to shoot lightning." his friends were silent, except for Sunset. "I can. You've been teaching me, remember?" "But you're still a beginner. This alone will be too much for you." "But-" "No more buts! I'm doing this, so get out of here!" Flash's eyes began to slowly tear up, "Mako, I have already lost my parents long ago, I don't want to lose my brother." Now Mako felt he would cry. He didn't want them to worry, but he was the only one who could do it. Sunset had yet to learn how to bend lighting so he was their best chance. He couldn’t risk her overwhelming herself. "Look, I promise I'll be okay. I'm not going anywhere." The friends finally realized that Mako was not going to listen to reason. They should have expected as much. Mako had become such an honorable and selfless hero throughout the years, and they knew once he made up his mind there was no changing it. Bolin hung his head down in defeat, his hands curling into trembling fists, "Okay, but for the record, I do not approve." he looked back at his older brother, "Just, get out as soon as you can." Mako smiled. "I promise." "Pinkie Promise?" The two brothers did the famous gesture while chanting together, "Cross my heart. Hope to Fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye." Before they left, the friends, including Sonata, enveloped Mako in a hug. "I love you," Bolin said. "I love you, too. Now go!" With much hesitation, the friends all ran off to safety, but not without one final glance. Sonata was deeply touched and inspired by Mako’s selflessness. "Now that is a true prince," she said before leaving the room with the others. Mako looked up at the vines. For a moment he hesitated once he thought of his fiancé. No doubt she would be mad at him for this, but he also knew she would understand. She would have done the same thing. The young firebender took his stance, channeled the energy within his body to summon enough lightning. Sparks flew out of his fingertips, spiraling around him like strings of glowing blue which brought him more thoughts of Korra. Fighting back the tears he unleashed his strongest blast at the vines, giving it everything he had. The increase in energy was already too much for the vines. The arcs of lightning detonated the walls causing the the room to quake beneath Mako’s feet. He maintained his focus throughout as he watched the vines overriding with energy to the point it almost blinded him. More explosions went off inside and debris started to fall around him. The force pushed Mako back against the wall. He grunted but kept going. His combined hair became a ruffled mess and droplets of sweat trailed down from his brow. The entire mass flared with purple energy and a surge came off the vines, electrocuting Mako’s arm, leaving a burnt mark that began at his finger tips to his elbow. ]The sleeve of his shirt disintegrated. He staggered as he tried making his way towards the hatch. His feet were growing weaker and the energy of the vines expanded to the point that anywhere he stepped was a death trap waiting to happen. He wasn't sure if he could hold for much longer. Until he saw another lighting attack hitting the vines. His eyes widened when he saw his new helper. "Sunset Shimmer? What are you doing?!" "I can handle it!" The unicorn smiled his way, "I had a great teacher." Feeling grateful for her loyalty and dedication, Mako smiled in return and the two worked together, generating lightning straight at their target. With one hand, Sunset pulled Mako close, allowing him to lean against her for support as she unleashed the final blow. A blast from the overloaded vines nearly struck them and Mako lost consciousness from all of the energy he just unleashed. Sunset dragged him to the hatch where Flash and the others were waiting for them. Flash and Sonata helped in pulling him. "Let's move!" Bolin said before closing the hatch. (~) Korra and Kuvira continued their duel, the two unleashing their respected elements at one another. Kuvira spun around three orbs of metal at Korra’s head, and Korra firebended back at them. With her wings, Korra blew Kuvira away with a blast of air and she crashed against the window. Korra charged and flipped the siren over her shoulder, then threw her into the air again by bending the metal floor beneath Kuvira, pushing her into the air. For a moment, time seemed to stand still as the two old friends locked eyes. Seeing Kuvira like this triggered something within Korra. And so, instead of one final aggressive attack, she airbended at Kuvira while she bended a metal slate from the floor at Korra’s waist. The two blows landed at the same time and both girls were tossed away from each other, crashing at opposite sides of the mecha's cockpit. (~) Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Pinkie continued to fight off the two sirens, who proved to be even more powerful than they thought. Adagio unleashed a fireblast that knocked Rainbow and Fluttershy down on the catwalk and Pinkie Pie was thrown down by Aria's sonic wave. The sisters laughed at their victory until they were blasted to the side by a magical magenta blast. The others looked up and spotted Twilight, along with Rarity and Applejack, being levitated in the air. "Did we miss the party?" The alicorn joked. The sirens snarled in their direction and the other three ponies flew up to join their friends. Pinkie Pie kept herself upwards with an air spout and they all worked together to fight the sirens. Twilight channeled her magic and unleashed a powerful blast directly at the sirens. The two were blown backwards against the wall, falling to the ground, their bodies smoking from the impact. Applejack used the metal around her to lock Adagio and Aria's hands and feet with metal plates and bended her downwards as well, making their bodies too heavy to fly now. The two sirens groaned from the impact, but then the entire machine began to rumble. Aria and Adagio gasped in horror, something must have happened to their precious vines. Back in the control room, the vines themselves were becoming even more unstable. Rings of spirit energy spread outward and began seeping out of the engine room. The ponies knew they had to get out of there, but they couldn't leave the sirens. The ponies landed in a circle around them, all crossing their arms and smiling smugly, "Not so tough without your pretty machine, are ya?" Rainbow said mockingly, making the sirens snarl. Twilight gasped when the whole place began to collapse, "We have to get out of here!" but it was too late. The massive amount of spiritual energy finally gave way, causing a massive explosion within. Korra and Kuvira got up, heads spinning from their attacks and the two were thrown off balance as the cockpit rocked beneath them. Beams of purple light blazed through the mecha’s torso one-by-one in all directions, increasing in size and light, growing larger and larger until... The lights disappeared, a crackle crawled around the mecha’s waist, and in a blink, the upper half of the mecha suit exploded in a massive blaze. The lower half of the mecha tumbled and crashed while the cockpit fell with Korra and Kuvira still inside. Korra screamed as debris fell all around them. She reached for Kuvira and pulled her in, using her wings to shield them both as Korra held onto the railing of the control platform. The cockpit landed near the bottom of a building and the various pieces of the mecha crashed nearby, forming huge clouds of smoke that blinded anyone within a hundred yards. As the dust settled, Sunset Shimmer managed to protect everyone with a magical force field. Everyone was safe. They scanned the area and found another force field nearby. It was Twilight and the others. With them were the sirens, now as prisoners and half weakened due to no longer having their spiritual energy anymore. The friends all rushed to greet one another, and Twilight and Flash lovingly embraced. Rainbow and Applejack helped Bolin with Mako, who stirred awake. His vision was blurry until he could make out what he saw. The firebender smiled weakly, "Hey, guys…" To their relief, he was okay. Injured, but okay. Fluttershy looked around the arena, "Where's Korra? And Kuvira?" Rainbow Dash flew upwards, looking around to see any signs of the two. She saw the upper half of the robot not too far away. "I see them!" (~) Korra's eyes fluttered open, her vision was hazy and the smoke made her cough roughly. As she sat up she saw the green scaly body of the siren Kuvira, knocked unconscious, and visibly injured. The sight brought much pain to Korra's heart. With her remaining strength, she hoisted Kuvira onto her back and walked out of the ruined cockpit into the remaining sunlight. The windows were shattered and the frames were bent. Korra gently placed Kuvira down as she took a seat beside her. "Korra!" The Avatar turned around to see her friends, as well as the now captured sirens, who looked weak and tired. Korra stood up and embraced her friends but her eyes widened in horror when she saw her fiancé. His left sleeve was torn off and his arm was badly burned. She rushed to his side, inspecting him. "Mako! What happened?" Bolin spoke, "Lady, your fiancé is one crazy dude." Mako chuckled lightly as he smiled at Korra, "Guess you rubbed off on me." Korra wasn't in the mood to get angry, she was just happy he was alive and well. She hugged him, being gentle with his wound as he returned the embraced. Kuvira began to stir and awaken and Korra turned towards her. Her hair was a mess and her fined wings were now partly torn and she had bruises across her body. "It's over." Korra said sternly, "Your machine is down, and you have nowhere else to run." Adagio and Aria snarled at Korra, but her eyes then focused on Kuvira, who groaned as she sat herself up. "You're gonna call off your army and surrender to President Raiko." Kuvira's eyes darted to Korra, filled with hatred. "Then you and -" Catching Korra off guard, Kuvira snarled and hissed at her like an animal, unleashing a magic voice wave so powerful everyone had to cover their ears. The sound broke the sirens free from their bindings and the three of them zipped away in a blur of green, yellow and purple. "Kuvira! Stop!" Korra quickly turned to the others, "Get Mako somewhere safe." she ordered before she and the Mane Six all followed the sirens. Sonata, however, ran ahead and following them, ignoring Bolin calling her name. "Sonata! Come back!" (~) The sirens limped as they made their way into the Spirit Wilds. They were so weak, they couldn't even fly. The three limped their way into the wilds, groaning as they proceeded. Aria panted, "Great. What now?" Kuvira pointed forward, "Spirit wilds…" Adagio's eyes snapped open. The energy they absorbed from the vines were now gone, they needed to get more energy somehow, something to make them feel stronger again. Maybe the wilds could be a good source. As they continued into the forest, pausing for a moment to catch their breath, Kuvira heard Korra's voice permeate the trees. "Kuvira! Give up!" Kuvira did not respond, she didn't say a word but simply followed the three sirens. They pushed aside a curtain of vines and gasped. Adagio and Aira mouths curled up into smiles once they saw what lied beyond. Korra and the Mane Six as well as Sonata walked through the forest, sunlight peeled down through the gaps between the canopy of vines above. Even amongst the destruction, the wilds still carried an otherworldly beauty. Sonata called out to her sisters, "Aria, Adagio, please stop this madness! It has to end now!" "If you want to end it, then come and get us!" Adagio's voice echoed through the forest. The group ran in the direction of the voice. Ducking under a large, arch-like root and pushing through a clump of bushes, they came upon a clearing and, looking up, they all gasped in horror. Suspended in a cradle of vines was the cannon of the mecha suit. Adagio, Aria, and Kuvira all held to the side of the machine, eyes wide with sadistic madness. Kuvira held onto the trigger. "Now it's over!" "Don't!" Korra shouted desperately, but her pleads fell on deaf ears. Kuvira pulled the trigger and a devastating beam of purple energy spun into existence at the opening of the cannon. Aimed directly at the girls. The last remaining spiritual energy was enough to give the sirens their energy boost. Their wings were all healed, their bruises gone, and their voices came back stronger than ever. Korra and the others jumped out of the pathway of the incoming blast, which collided with the ground. Clouds of red and gold arose and the impact sent the girls tumbling. As the weapon continued to fire the vines around it started to glow with the same purple light, causing the sirens to stop their singing and take a look at what was happening around them. They tried singing again but the cannon would not bend to their will. It fired in all directions. It was then that the sirens realized the horrible reality. The weapon, merged with the magic, and the spiritual energy, became far too much for them and now the machine was out of control. As the ponies all tried to avoid the impacts, Pinkie Pie tripped and fell, just when the beam was about to hit her. "NO!" Sonata jumped in and pushed Pinkie Pie out of the way, only to be thrown back by the blast herself and hit against a tree, falling and being knocked unconscious. With no signs of possible movement. Her three sisters witnessed this and their once sinister exteriors faded, being replaced by looks of complete and honest shock and terror. The sight of this triggered something within Adagio and Aria. Their baby sister…was gone. "SONATA!" The force of the magic propelled the cannon backward, away from the ground, and spun about wildly, shooting in all directions, slicing through every building in its path. Adagio and Aria rushed to their sister and The Mane Six held one another close, protecting each other from the uncontrollable power that surrounded them. It seemed like there was no way out of this. Korra called out to the sirens, "Shut it down! Now!" Adagio and Aria looked up in worry as they held their baby sister close, "We can't!" A sudden shudder of the cannon threw Kuvira from its side. She grunted as she tumbled to the ground. Pushing herself up upright, she looked up in horror as a massive destructive beam was coming directly at her. Without thinking twice, Korra threw herself in between Kuvira and the beam. "KORRA!" The ponies shouted in horror. As Kuvira cowered, curling into a feeble position, Korra extended her hands, spread open her wings, and entered the Avatar State. Kuvira sat motionless, caught between wonder and terror as Korra stood firm against the monstrous beam, protecting the half-siren in a blue magical orb while holding the energy at bay. Out of fear and anger, Kuvira unleashed one final high note. The Mane Six held one another close in an attempt to approach their friend but were held back by the powerful force. Korra continued to defy the beam, bending the magical energy around her which continued to expand. Slowly at first, and then exponentially. The uncontrollable energy converged into a glowing orb which flared into a massive size, causing the Mane Six as well as the sirens and Sonata to be blasted away. The ponies huddled together, unable to find Korra or Kuvira in the white blaze. The giant orb unleashed a colossal explosion, expanding into a behemoth-sized shock wave of purple energy across the entire city. It washed over the debris of the fallen mecha and what remained of the destroyed buildings. Tenzin and his children, along with Spike, ran for cover as the wave came at them. The alicorns and Beifong sisters also took shelter inside an abandoned building, dust pouring through the doorway. Asami rounded a corner but then quickly turned around at the sight of the wave. She ducked into an underground tunnel and covered her head as smoke enveloped her. The rapid expansion of cloud and dust suddenly stopped, frozen in midair for a moment before reversing its direction and pulled back towards its source. The orb imploded, crushing down to microscopic size, sticking the clouds and dust inward. For a moment, it seemed as if the worst was over. Then, the purple light changed to gold in the very heart of a deep crater covered in vines. The light expanded, transforming into a large golden orb with magical streams of energy spiraling inside of it. The Mane Six, who were all huddled together waiting for the explosion to take them, opened their eyes and stared at the large golden orb before them. Adagio and Aria were also astonished by this but were far too busy cradling their sister, who had still not woken up. The others eventually arrived at the scene, Bolin still helping his injured brother. The orb was surrounded by a large crater with spirit vines all around, and even tangled remains of the mecha suit. Tenzin and his children walked toward the golden light, accompanied by the Alicorns. Celestia and Luna turned to their mother, expecting her to explain what had happened, but even she did not know the answer to this. The others rushed towards the Mane Six, Mako found his strength to walk up to Twilight and the others, "What happened? Where's Korra?" The ponies didn't know what to answer. Everything happened too fast. Bolin then noticed Sonata unconscious on the ground and rushed to her side, "Sonata!" he narrowed his eyes at the sirens, "Let her go!" But, to his surprise, they did not look at him with anger or hatred. They held their baby sister close as if fearing somebody would take her away from them. Bolin now understood what was happening. Aria kissed Sonata's forehead and Adagio's eyes released a single tear, which landed on Sonata's eyes. How could they have done this? How could they have allowed their sister to die like this? They never realized how much she truly meant to them until they lost her. They were so blinded by power and glory, that they nearly lost the only one who truly still loved them. Suddenly, everything they have ever worked for up to this moment, no longer mattered. Not anymore. Suddenly, to their surprise, Sonata's eyes began to twitch, and then flutter open. Her blue eyes sparkling with innocence and enthusiasm. She could not believe the sight before her. "Adagio?….Aria?" Her two sisters began to cry tears of pure joy and relief. Their sister was alive. Sonata could barely remember what happened a few moments ago, but all she knew now was that she was enwrapped within the loving embrace of her sisters. Everyone frantically searched through the vines and the wreckage of the mecha suit, but there was no sign of either Korra or Kuvira. Jinora and Fluttershy looked inside the cockpit of the mecha, looking for her. Mako looked up at them, but the two sadly shook their heads. Korra was not in there. Mako feared the worse. Rarity turned to the purple alicorn, "Twilight, there's no sign of her. Or Kuvira." "Keep looking!" Twilight continued calling out her sister's name, "Korra!…KORRA!" (~) Korra felt her body was very light. Almost as if she were swimming in a pool of liquid. She opened her eyes and found herself floating in a sea of pure blue. Facing her was a red-colored reflection of herself, a bluish boundary separated the two. Her red reflection rippled, morphing into an unconscious Kuvira, still in her siren form. As Korra looked at her, the blue boulder you between them began to dissolve and she saw the world materializing around her. The blue and red coloring disappeared and the two slowly descended onto a bed of dead-looking flowers. A circle of freshly bloomed flowers surrounded them in a ring, but Korra and Kuvira were in the side with where the flowers have all wilted. Once they touched down, Kuvira groaned and toppled. Korra quickly caught her and held her in her arms. When Kuvira came to, her eyes were no longer hazy. Her mind was no longer fading. She was free from the sirens' hold, but she was still a siren herself. Once she realized who was holding her she let out a panicked cry and scrambled away, pushing Korra aside. Kuvira studied her surroundings, still feeling disoriented. "What happened?! Are we ... dead?" Korra stood up to face her old friend, "No, we're okay, but we're in the Spirit World. All the energy from your weapon and the combined energies of my light magic with your dark magic tore open a portal. Only now, it seems like we're stuck." Korra turned her head to her right and Kuvira followed her gaze. There seemed to be some kind of water-like forcefield around them. On the other side, there were beautiful flowers, fresh and in bloom. Where Kuvira stood there was nothing but dead ugly plants. She kneeled, clenching her arm in shame. "Why would you save my life, after everything I did to you? To everyone you know and love." Korra knew that Kuvira, even free from the sirens, was still lost. She was still confused, angry, and scared. That's why she did not revert to her normal form. "I couldn't let you die," Korra said, much to Kuvira's surprise. "I'm not blind. I know you've done wrong, and you've done me wrong. I should be angry, and I was…but not anymore." "Why? Look at me…I'm a monster!" "No. Despite what you feel right now, I don't see a monster. I see an old friend, a good friend, who lost her way." despite the situation, Korra gave the siren a soft smile, "I also see a lot of myself in you, you know." Kuvira turned her head away from Korra. Her finned wings fell against her back while her fish tale rested on the bed of dead flowers around her. "We are nothing alike!" Kuvira said angrily. "Yes, we are. That's why we connected all those years ago, remember?" Korra responded calmly, "We're both fierce and determined to succeed, sometimes without thinking things through." Kuvira looked down at her green scaly hands and webbings in shame, "This wasn't how I wanted things to end. Those sirens tricked me, if it wasn't for them none of this would have happened!" "You brought this on yourself." Korra said firmly, "Messing with the spirit vines, acting like a dictator over your people ... You had to know what you were doing wasn't right. You made a choice to listen to the sirens, and now you're paying the price for it." Kuvira angrily turned to face the princess, "I was trying to help my people. They weren't listening to me! I tried to be like you, I tried to follow your example, but no matter what I did bad things still happened! I had to do something! Even though it was all a lie, I felt those sirens supported me. I felt like they believed in me." "You felt that way because they said only what you wanted to hear." Kuvira's expression softened as Korra continued to speak with compassion, "When my Uncle offered to teach me, he made me feel like I was doing the right thing and he said things that made me feel good…but it wasn't all true. It's easy to believe a pretty lie than to face the painful truth, but I had to. I had to face my own mistakes, not run away from them. We are all free to choose, but every choice has a consequence. Not every path will lead to good fortune, no matter how attractive it might be. And I especially know what it's like to always be doing good and yet there is still evil rising up either way. I understand how infuriating and stressful that can be." Kuvira turned away from her, "You don't understand anything about me!" "I do. Su told me how she took you in when you were younger. You never told me your parents left you. It must have been so hard being an orphan." "Of course I never told you! I never told anyone! Don't pretend you know what it felt like! Look at yourself; you're smart, strong, and beautiful, you have millions of people and ponies who adore you and a man who is willing to risk his own life for you! You got wings and a palace while I was cast aside by my own parents like I meant nothing to them." and then, for the first time ever…Korra witnessed Kuvira cry, "How could I stand by and watch the same thing happen to my nation when it needed someone to guide it once the Queen stepped down? I never had anyone who believed in me the way you did. But when I started doing things the way I thought was best you neglected me just like my parents did!" "I never neglected you, Kuvira. I just wasn't happy with what you were doing. You wanted to create a place where you and your people would never be vulnerable again, and I supported you in any possible way I could until you switched things around. I also gave you the chance to prove yourself without me hanging around all the time. I wasn't trying to make you feel like a failure, I was trying to be a good friend because I believed in you. I still do. I may not have been an orphan, but believe me, I understand what it's like to be afraid." Korra sat down so that she and Kuvira could speak eye to eye, "After I was poisoned, I would have done anything to feel in control. I felt terrified that I wouldn't be strong again. And while I wasn't completely miserable for those past three years, that didn't mean it wasn't hard for me. But what always reassured me was that I wasn't alone. And neither are you." Kuvira couldn't look at Korra in the eyes, but she didn't have to. (No one is Alone from Into the Woods) Korra; Mother can not guide you Now you're on your own… Only me beside you Still, you're not alone… No one is alone Truly, no one is alone Kuvira; I wish.. Korra; I know.. As Korra's soft voice filled the air around them, some of the little spirits that visited her at the Tree of Time began to slowly emerge around the force field, listening to Korra's song. Wrong things right things Who can say what's true Nothing's quite so clear now Feel you've lost your way But you are not alone Believe me, no one is alone Truly People make mistakes Mothers, fathers People make mistakes Holding to their own Thinking they're alone Honor their mistakes Fight for their mistakes Everybody makes, one another's terrible mistakes Korra moved closer to Kuvira, who continued to cry and more spirits emerged to hear the song. Heroes can be wrong Villains can be good You can find what's right You can find what's good Just remember…. Someone is on your side Kuvira; Our side Korra and Kuvira; Our side Someone else is not While we're seeing our side Spirits; Our side Korra, Kuvira, spirits; Our side Maybe we forgot… They are not alone. No one is alone Korra took Kuvira's hand and squeezed it tightly, reassuring her that she was forgiven for her sins and that the princess still considered her a friend. Someone is on your side... No one is… Alone... Kuvira could feel the heaviness of her heart fade away as Korra embraced her in her arms, resting her head on the Avatar's shoulder as she wept and Korra rubbed her back to ease her pain. "I'm so sorry! I don't want to be like this anymore. I don't want to be a monster!" "You don't have to be. You can be saved Kuvira…but only if you'll allow yourself to be. I'm here for you, and I always will be." Kuvira sobbed even harder, releasing all of her suppressed emotions and mistakes. "You truly never gave up on me even when I thought you did…thank you." Tears fell from Korra's eyes as well, but these were tears of joy and relief. Her friend was back. She was home once again. Then, the glowing orb behind them started to glow brighter. It was a very soft glow but it was still strong. The two were released from the hug and turned their heads towards it. The orb seemed to have been reacting to something. Korra looked at it skeptically as she stood up and walked towards it. It was a convergence of spirit energy as well as both light and dark magic. Korra suddenly gained an idea, though it was a long shot, she still gave it a try. Opening her mouth, she sang a simple harmony. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, Aaaahhhhh, ahhh A few seconds passed, and nothing occurred…until the orb itself began to glow, on and off, in rhythm to Korra's harmony. She smiled with glee and turned to Kuvira. "Kuvira! I think I found our way out of here!" Korra turned to the orb once more and vocalized again. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, Aaaahhhhh, ahhh (The World Falls Away by Celtic Woman) Korra; It's calling through the dark It's reeling in my heart The sound of the pipes on the wind The strains of the song Carry me along Sending me dancing again. Korra turned towards Kuvira, who was still sitting on the ground. Korra extended her hand to her. "Come on, sing with me." "What? But-" "If we're getting out of here, we're getting out together. Now sing with me." After a moment of hesitation, Kuvira stood up and took Korra's hand, opening her mouth to sing. All while holding each other's hand. Kuvira; From above and below A sound soft and low And the music's flowing through me like before Korra and Kuvira; And the song that we once knew Brings me back to you Pipes play within me once more! Your songs are in my heart They light the dark So come give me your hand Now And we'll dance tonight In the blazing light And the years will fade away As they sang, the force field around Kuvira and Korra withered away, and the dead flowers around them blossomed and because beautiful as the spirits all approached the two, circling them, and singing along Fade as you play Play through the dark Play in my heart! From the other side, Twilight felt something in her chest. She recognized the sensation. She turned to face the orb as the rest of the Mane Six, who felt the sensation as well, also turned to look at the orb. Tenzin looked at them curiously, "What is it?" The girls slowly approached the orb, with Bolin, Asami, Flash, Spike, and Sunset Shimmer not that far behind. The orb glowed on and off from the other side as well, as the singing voice became more and more clear. Changing from a muffle to an actual sound. Twilight's eyes shimmered, "It's Korra! She's in there!" "How are we going to get her out of that thing?" Rarity asked. Twilight thought for a moment, "We sing." Mako, Bolin, and Asami looked at one another confused, "What?" "We sing according to Korra's song." "You think that'll work?" Spike asked. "We have to try." The Mane Six all held hands in a circle around the orb, along with the rest of Team Avatar, including Lin and Su, the alicorns, and even Varrick and Zhu Li. Twilight harmonized first. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, Aaaahhhhh, ahhh Once again, the orb glowed on and off, synchronizing with the rhythm of the melody. From the other side, Korra could hear her friend's voices. Twilight; I'm spinning with the sound There's a drumming in the ground And the humming of a song beneath my skin Mako; And the world falls away As I hear the pipes play Everyone; Sounding the song from within From within! As the song grew louder and stronger, the orb glowed brighter and brighter, becoming filled with the love that came from their voices. From the spirit world, Korra and Kuvira continued to sing alongside their friends. Your songs are in my heart They light the dark So come give me your hand Now And we'll dance tonight In the blazing light And the years will fade away Fade as you play Play through the dark Play in my heart! They briefly stopped when the orb appeared to have increased in size, but they refused to stop singing. From their end, Korra and Kuvira could feel the orb breaking, they were so close. They just have to hit one final note. Korra took in a deep breath, at the same time Twilight did. Korra and Twilight; There's a drumming in the ground And a humming of a sound That we once knew Everyone; Come sing me through the night Come and fill me your light Now your song is sounding out through the years They were doing it! The orb was beginning to open. Korra and Kuvira smiled at one another as they held hands and bravely walked into the glowing orb together. Play it steady and strong Fill me with song Sending me dancing again Dances as the pipes play away in my Heart! As everyone sang the final note in 'heart', the orb glowed brightly and from it, a yellowish beam of energy erupted skyward, a beacon rising into the sky as Kuvira's army of mecha suits watched from the streets of the city. Within the beam rose two coiled ribbons of green and yellow, two helices spiraling upward into the sky above. Music filled the nighttime sky as the song continued on Come give me your hand tonight (Tonight!) Your star is bright (Your star is bright) Your songs are in my heart (In my heart, yeah!) Now And we'll dance tonight (Dance tonight!) In the blazing light (Blazing light) And the years will fade away Fade as you play Play through the dark Play in my heart! Within the beacon of light, two figures floated from within. The first one stepped out, flying high above, spreading her wings wide, and her outfit now decorated with sparkles. It was Korra! The Mane Six's Elements glowed and they were lifted upwards to reach Korra. The Mane Seven were reunited once again. Your songs are in my heart They light the dark So come give me your hand Now And we'll dance tonight In the blazing light And the years will fade away Fade as you play Play through the dark Play in my heart! The second body within the beacon was Kuvira's. The Elements of Harmony circled her, unleashing their rainbow colors around the siren, whose body began to change. Her webbings, tail, and wings disappeared, her skin turned human once more, and her hair was now loose and styled beautifully around her shoulders, decorated with stunning flowers like the ones from the spirit world, and she wore a sleeveless green dress with pale green transparent ruffles around her waist, depicting her former siren form, but now more beautiful. On her feet were sandals, decorated with flowers and fingerless white gloves that reached to bellow her shoulder with a flower corsage on her right wrist. Kuvira was finally free from her monstrous form as she gently descended downwards. Come give me your hand tonight (Tonight!) Your star is bright (Your star is bright) Your songs are in my heart (In my heart, yeah!) Now And we'll dance tonight (Dance tonight!) In the blazing light (Blazing light) And the years will fade away Fade as you play Play through the dark Play in my heart! Everybody watched in astonishment as the Mane Seven united once more, sparkles adorning their clothing as a rainbow emitted from their bodies and up into the sky, unleashing stunning multicolored sparkles, looking like snowflakes, that began falling all around Republic City. The flakes fell on the destroyed buildings, returning them to their former glory, as well as erasing the damages caused by Kuvira and the sirens. Your songs are in my heart They light the dark So come give me your hand Now And we'll dance tonight In the blazing light And the years will fade away Fade as you play Play through the dark Play in my heart! Before long, everything was back to the way they were, even Adagio and Aria lost their siren forms, but surprisingly, they were not upset about it at all. Mako looked down at his burned arm, shocked to see that it was now completely healed. What was once destruction was now the beauty of a new city and the spirits began manifesting all around, returning home. Come give me your hand tonight Your star is bright Your songs are in my heart! My Heart! The Elements of Harmony finally landed on the ground and embraced in their signature hugs, and were also welcomed by their other friends. Bolin laughed excitedly, "You're okay!" Korra received a hug from her future-sister-in-law, who cried tears of joy as they embraced, "I thought we'd never see you again! I couldn't bear to lose my dad and my sister-in-law all on the same day." Korra laughed as they ended the hug, but still held hands, "I'm afraid you're stuck with me." Asami laughed along and gave room for her future-brother-in-law to swoop in and embrace Korra in their signature twirling hug. "You're still here!" he said with delight. "And you're still a jerk," she replied jokingly. She then gasped in surprise when Mako unexpectedly dipped her, all while smirking, and the two shared a long-awaited passionate kiss. Tenzin's eyes looked up to the beacon, "A new spirit portal." he said breathlessly Rarity was speechless, "I didn't even know that was possible." "Spirit Portal Party!" Pinkie Pie came down swinging on a strong, while confetti and balloons fell all around. Kuvira looked down at her body. She was no longer a siren, but she still felt the sting of guilt from all she had done. She became a siren because she trusted the wrong kind of friendship. One that deceived her greatly and only served her gain. Despite being free from their hold, she still couldn't celebrate with the others. Still, Korra approached the remorse Kuvira, taking both her hands and leading her to the others. She feared they would all hate for, not that she would blame them. But, to her astonishment, none of them said anything hateful, but instead smiled in reassurance. She couldn't believe after all of this madness, they were willing to forgive her. Korra smiled at her old friend, who smiled in return, embracing one another in a warm hug. One they had been deprived of for so long. But their happiness was interrupted when a heard of the mecha tanks approach. The captain addressed to them while pointing their weapons at the heroes. "Release Kuvira, or we will attack!" Kuvira stepped forward, now with much more humility, and spoke to her troops, "Stand down. This battle is over. I owe Princess Korra my life. Her power is beyond anything I could ever hope to achieve. I'll accept whatever punishment the world sees fit." she said with her head hung. Korra gripped her hand tightly. "I need to face the consequences of my actions." With a heavy heart, Kuvira released Korra's hand and held them upwards for Lin to cuff them. The former military leader looked at her former mentor with sincere regret, "And Su, I'm sorry for all the anguish I've caused you and your family." But, to her surprise, instead of being angry…Su hugged her. But this was not like the hugs before. This was not between mentor and student…this was between mother and daughter. "You're going to answer for everything you've done." she said as she ended the hug, "But I am so happy to have my girl back." Kuvira once again shed a tear as the cops lead her away. She turned her head once more to Korra, smiling in gratitude for never having given up on her. Even when it seemed everybody else did. As she disappeared from view, Korra was once again surrounded by her pony sisters…the very ones who taught her what she taught Kuvira today. (~) As the sun rose the following day, people returned to their city, amazed to see it exactly the way it was before. Twilight was reunited with Cadance and Shining Armor, and San, Mika, and Ali were reunited with their parents. Even Opal was reunited with someone she deeply cared about. "Opal!" The young airbender's heart went all aflutter as the strong young man with green eyes approached her, smiling at her warmly. "Tu!" Opal ran up to Mako and Bolin's cousin, and he welcomed her in a loving embrace. And they were welcomed by yet another familiar face running towards them. "Korra! It's me, Wu!" "AH!" upon seeing the prince run up to hug her, Korra instinctively earthbend a rock upwards to shield herself, only for it to accidentally hit him where the sun doesn't shine. The prince, as well as all the other boys, winced in pain at the sight. "Good to see you too," he said before falling in pain. However, there was one more matter of business to take care of. Adagio and Aria, with their hands behind their backs, walked up to Korra and got down on their knees. "The word "sorry" isn't enough to make up for what we did." said Adagio, "All my life, I thought I wanted power over love and family." Aria continued, "But we realized today, family still does mean something to us. When we thought we lost Sonata, it was like losing our parents all over again. We are willing to accept any punishment you give us." Korra and the others looked at one another, thinking about the best kind of punishment for these two. Sonata looked at them with pleading eyes and Korra nodded to Leilani. The alicorn queen stepped forward. "Perhaps a penalty in the royal mines is best suited for you girls. However, I guarantee that the gems you will find will have no magical properties for you to take advantage of." It was a worse penalty than it sounded. The mimes were smelly, filled with rodents and insects, and the crystals weren't anything special. The sirens accepted this fate. "However, you may receive weekly visits from your sister." Sonata gasped with delight and her two sisters felt the same. They stood up and shared a group hug. For Sonata, it felt wonderful to be with her family again. But not everyone was that happy. Asami had lost her father. The man she despised for so long and had now just regained her trust and forgiveness was now gone. Sunset Shimmer placed a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry about your dad." The heiress wiped away her tear, "I'm just glad I was able to forgive him." The pony and heiress hugged one another and Asami's fiancé joined in the hug as well. Asami looked into Bolin's eyes. So honest and true. So full of love. Her father may be gone, but she knew he would want her to be happy. Rainbow Dash clapped her hands together, "So, we saved the world! Again. Brought peace and happiness. Again. And reformed a few bad guys…Again. What's next on the list?" Twilight tapped her chin with a knowing smirk, "Well, we've still got a wedding to prepare for. Or should I say; Weddings."