Avatar: The Last Alicorn. Book 3: Unicorn

by Jeweled Pen

Chapter 30: On the run again

“Down!” Rainbow said before grabbing Twilight and darting off behind some tree cover. The others quickly followed suit, peering out through the foliage. After a few more moments of waiting, a pegasus flew over like a bolt.

Applejack let out a low whistle as the pony soon disappeared from sight. “They been goin' by all day, like lil fireworks. Didn't even know they could go that fast until ah met the lotta yah.” She glanced back to the rainbow maned mare. “Can they even see us goin' at that speed?”

“Probably not, but I'd rather not risk it. We might stick out a bit in all this green” Rainbow said before glancing to Twilight. “How are you holding up?”

“E-exhausted...” the alicorn said softly, leaning on her friend. “But I can keep going. We... we need to keep going.” Her legs trembled under her.

“Fine. Let us know if you need a break,” the pegasus said before she started walking again, using her wing to help support the alicorn.

The ponies had been moving since they'd escaped, only taking a brief rest during the night. Unfortunately, they hadn't come across the rest of their forces, though they'd seen plenty of signs of the other's passing. Aside from the occasional call for cover, the ponies barely spoke to each other. Heavy hearts and heavy hooves marched on.

They'd lost, that much was clear. They'd had a clear shot at eliminating the Water Nation's ruler, but they'd failed. They just hadn't had enough time and when push came to shove, Twilight had hesitated. They all knew she could have ended it in a few moments with that crushing move, but she hadn't been able to do it. They all knew what it would likely cost them in the end, but none of them could speak of it. Twilight was miserable and weak, limping with every step and only her friends support kept her from collapsing in a heap on the ground. She was in no state to hear how things had gone bad and how they were her fault. Especially since none of them thought they could have done things any differently. In the end, everything had fallen on her and she had been unable to measure up.

So instead the five kept walking, pushing themselves to the limit as they moved in slow, steady steps. They only paused for the occasional rest or snack, but it was never long before they started moving again. As long as their hooves moved, their brains didn't have to. They'd tried to meet up with one of the evacuation groups, but the airship was already gone, if it had ever arrived. There were signs of ponies running through the area, but no way to tell which side they had been on. So they walked. There was no help coming and they knew it. So they walked. They couldn't do anything like this. So they walked. If they stopped, they'd have to think about everything that had happen, what had likely been lost. So they walked. Because they had nothing else they were willing to do.

The walking was, unfortunately, extremely slow. Twilight had burned herself out, bad. She couldn't control a pebble in her current state, let alone walk on her own. So her friends took turns helping her travel. Finally, when it was Pinkie's turn she gave a little sigh. “This... this isn't right.” She put her friend's wing over her side and helped her move forward.

Rainbow looked up and shook her head. “We're going the right way, we--”

“No, not the direction. This. We... we lost. But we've lost before. In fact, this loss wasn't even that bad. Sure, we didn't defeat them, but they didn't beat us, either.” The pink mare smiled at Twilight. “Look, we got Twilight out of there. There's still hope. We aren't beaten yet so why is everypony so sad?”

There were a few seconds of silence. “I... I can't beat her,” the alicorn finally said.

“Huh?” Rainbow asked.

“Nightmare Moon. I... I can't beat her.”

Applejack shook her head. “Listen, sugarcube. Ah know we went an' failed this one time, but once yah learn all four elements an'--”

“No!” Twilight said again as tears started to form in her eyes. “It's... it's not enough. You didn't see her. You didn't watch her. This... this was my only chance. I can't fight a pony like that. Even if I had all four elements I couldn't fight her. I... I need more than just the elements. I need OUR elements. All six of them. That's... that's the only way. There's no other way to... to defeat a pony like that.”

“Come on, Twi. You're the avatar. Yah can take her any day ah the week. Just cause yah--”

“No, she's right,” Rainbow interrupted. “We can't... she can't. I was there. I stood right by her. I looked into Nightmare Moon's eyes and... I saw myself die. She could have just... squashed us like bugs, if not for that power boost. She doesn't just fight, what she does it's... beyond us.”

Applejack frowned. “Ah never thought ah'd hear the day Rainbow Dash was afraid of so--”

“Well maybe you should learn from it!” the pegasus yelled. “Maybe you should figure out that maybe we have something to fear. I'm not a coward! I've gone hoof to hoof with a bucking dragon. But this mare? She... she would have killed us. If we hadn't... there wouldn't have been any hesitation. Anything. It would have just been death. I don't think all of us going at her at once could take her. Whatever Sweetie was, she is so much beyond that.”

Applejack stared at the two winged ponies. They both wore the same haunted masks. “Well then, ah guess we gotta... do somethin' else then, right? We regroup with the others an' find Spike. Once we got him, we find this other element an' come take down Nightmare Moon for good. Right?”

Rainbow nodded. “We'll have to do that. I mean, if the elements give you that kind of power, Twilight, imagine how easy it would be to wipe out the Water Nation. Well, defeat them.”

“I... I guess...” the alicorn said gently. “It just... it didn't feel right. It felt a little... strange. Wrong, even. Like I wasn't completely in control. I don't think that kind of power is meant to be wielded by one pony.” She looked around at her friends. “I think... that's why the elements exist. Because I need you all to help stabilize my power. To keep me from becoming... something else.”

Her friends smiled and gave a little nod. She took a deep breath and glanced forward. “I guess... we just have to get back to the other rebels. Spike is our only hope. I'll need that element if we're to take her on again.”

“Aaaaaaaaavaaaaaaaaaaataaaaaaaaaaaaar.” The word ground down their backs like a knife, cutting them to the core. They turned as Fluttershy let out a scream.

------

Rarity let out a soft yawn, struggling to keep on her hooves as she walked. Black bags had formed under her eyes and, to her horror, her makeup was running. They'd been walking all night, with very little rest. Worst of all, she was becoming distressingly certain that they had lost track of the creature.

Spike walked besides her, occasionally letting out a soft yawn and struggling to keep up with the exhausted pony. He was just as tired, if not more so, but he refused to be the one to hold them up. His eyes drooped as he walked, making the world occasionally blur out of focus. “Are we sure they came this way?”

“I... believe so,” the unicorn said gently as she glanced around at the surroundings. Celestia had taught her a little about tracking, but she had no idea if it worked for spirit creatures. The only good thing she knew was the direction they'd followed had brought them into contact with another trail. It seemed to be of quite a few ponies, judging by the occasional broken branch and bent plants. There was no sign in the dirt, which likely meant there was an earth bender covering their tracks. But the ground being so smooth and undisturbed was, in itself, a trail.

Unfortunately, she seemed to be finding hints of Somb-- that creature's involvement, as well. Occasionally the path they followed would have a strange substance on the ground, plants covered in black ichor and dying or, in one case, a dead squirrel encased in black crystal.

“Are you sure you're going to be able to stop that thing if we find it?” Spike asked nervously, walking close to her side and gently poking his claws together. “It's... it's not really that dangerous, is it?”

“It's extremely dangerous. Even worse, it's something my mother wanted to keep hidden away. Something like that doesn't bode well for anypony.” She paused and glanced down at the dragon. “Don't worry though. It won't... harm me. Probably. I mean it's...” She turned her head back towards the trail. “It can't hurt me. It won't hurt you, either. I'll stop it... somehow.”

“So, was that really your father?”

“No!” Rarity said quickly, but slowly lowered her gaze. “At least. It's... it's not what my father is. Was. Not what he'd ever want to be. My father was... he was a kind, loving stallion. A pony who protected all other ponies. He'd never, ever do anything like this. He's not a killer.”

“Then why did you send him after the avatar?”

She cringed and lowered her eyes. “I... I was in a bad place. A very bad place. I was scared, hurting. I thought... I thought if I got rid of the avatar, I'd be free. I thought the nightmares would stop. The fear would go away. I thought... I thought everything would be better. I was so certain my place was at home with...” She closed her eyes and lowered her head even further. “No. I wasn't sure. It was what I wanted to believe. I was so desperate to believe I was where I belonged that I would have accepted anything. That I was home. That I didn't need to be involved anymore. I ignored every sign pointing me towards my true destiny. I... guess I'll just believe every sign, no matter how fake it is, if it gives me what I want.”

Spike slowly moved closer and reached up, patting a claw against her withers. “I... don't think so. I mean... it's not easy to give up everything, right? But you did, because you knew it was right. Just because it was hard doesn't mean you're a bad pony. It just means you're strong enough to resist.” He motioned to the necklace she wore, the one he and Sweetie had made. “That you're the good kind of pony I thought you were.”

Rarity smiled and gave a little nod. “I... I hope so. I don't want to...” She frowned and stopped. “Wait...”

“What is it?”

“The ground. It's... different here.” She looked around quickly and realized how much it had changed. The grass was all gone in small spots and there were little piles of dirt over some of the grass. It was no longer perfectly smooth and undisturbed, little marks all over it. She turned towards the right and galloped through a few trees, before gasping. A short distance away the ground had been torn apart, collapsed spikes of stone were covering the dirt, the grass was all torn up and there was even a tree that, at first glance seemed to have fallen on its own. Until you saw the two hoof indents in the side. “There's been a fight here.”

“That's a little obvious,” Spike said as he looked around.

Rarity ignored the comment and kept looking for any sign of fire bending. There was no ash but, she did find signs of that creature. A small black crystallized pool of... something. At least, she assumed it was from that creature. “Come on. This is close.” She looked around and quickly found the hoof steps leading away from it. The ground was a little hard, but not too hard she couldn't follow it. Adrenaline pumped through her, knocking away the drowsiness as she ran. She'd pay for this rush of adrenaline later, but that was fine. She needed it now.

Spike struggled to keep up, his tiny legs nowhere near long enough. Rarity stopped for a moment to pick him up in her magic and then galloped after the ponies. The avatar was close, she hoped. At least, somepony who was connected with her.

------

Fluttershy screamed as the spikes of black crystal pierced her wing and she was sent down to the ground. More crystals formed in the air over her, but her body was launched away as the ground suddenly shoved her to the side. The crystals hit empty dirt. Rainbow caught the pegasus quickly and flew back towards the others.

Fluttershy whimpered, tears going down her face as black lines spread out from the wound. She was dropped besides Applejack who shook her head. “This ain't good. Twilight, how yah feelin'? We could really use some'a that avatar powers right about now!”

The five were backed against raging rapids, the water zipping past them far too quickly for them to swim against. Under the water, huge rocks turned the currents into death traps. Twilight struggled to breath as she tapped her hooves on the ground, trying to make a bridge of rock that could support them, but they kept getting washed away before they made it more than a few inches. She was still too weak and even the minor attempts made her want to collapse.

“Look out!” Pinkie screamed as she dove and knocked Applejack over. Black crystals impaled the ground where the earth bender had stood, making them both cringe. “Help Twilight, I'll hold him off!”

“Aaaaaaaavaaaaaaataaaaaaaaaaar,” Sombra hissed, more mist than body. Pinkie charged forward and dodged around another assault of crystals before pulling out her cannon. She pulled the wire and unleashed a boom of confetti in the monster's face. It didn't flinch as it kept on coming. Its form slowly but surely made its way towards the cornered ponies. Pinkie ducked back, narrowly spinning away from a spike of crystal.

“Beat it!” Rainbow yelled as she dove. The moment Pinkie jumped away, the pegasus flapped her wings and unleashed a torrent of wind on the pony, throwing everything she had on it. Behind it, a tree was toppled over by the sheer force. When the winds died, the creature was gone. “Yeah! Okay, I got it, let's--” She turned and froze as the monster's eyes stared into hers.

Crystals formed in its mane too fast as Rainbow lifted her legs to defend herself.

“Sombra, stop!” a voice yelled out. The creature actually paused and looked past Rainbow as a white unicorn galloped out from the treeline, carrying a small dragon on her back. “Give it up, I was wrong! Leave the avatar and her friends alone!”

“You!” Rainbow yelled, quickly maneuvering out and away from the dark creature.

“Gosh dang it!” Applejack said with a stomp of her hoof.

“Nggggg...” Fluttershy said with a pained moan.

“Wuh?” the exhausted Twilight added.

“Hey Rarity! Hey Spike! About time!” Pinkie said with a giggle. “You're totally late though, Spike. It's been almost a whole book!”

“Sombra, stop,” Rarity said slowly as she inched closer. The creature stared down at her, its eyes glowing a dark green. A dark gray body formed from the shadow as it slowly made its way closer.

“Raaaaaaaarity...” Sombra said slowly as it moved closer.

“Yes. It's me. Rarity. Sombra, you need to... you need to go. I was wrong. I was so very, very wrong. Just... disappear. Stop... stop hurting ponies. Don't hurt anypony ever ag--”

The words were cut off as blades of crystal seemed to materialize from its body and shoot at her. She barely managed to step away, her eyes going wide. “W-what are you doing? Stop! I command you! I--”

“Aaaaaavaaaaaaaataaaaaaaaaaar!” the creature roared before surging towards the unicorn.

Spike stood up on her back and took a deep breath. He then blew, green flames shooting out and enveloping the creature as it hissed. It took a few steps back, recoiling from the flames. “Rarity, run!” the dragon yelled before gripping her mane. She didn't require a second suggestion and took off towards the others.

“Come on, follow me!” Rarity yelled. The others just stared at her, their mouths open.

“Questions later, run now!” Spike yelled. The water bender galloped past them, her horn glowing. The water in front of them began to part, revealing the wet mud and rocks underneath. She galloped across, unable to make the water part all the way to the other side, but able to form a bubble for them to walk through. The others followed her, though only due to the fact Sombra had started moving towards them again.

The creature paused as the river closed before him, eying the group as they made their way across the soaking, but slightly dryer river bed, encased in a bubble made from Rarity's bending. It poked at the water with a hoof. “Aaaaaaavaaaaaaaataaaaaaar.”

Within a startlingly short amount of time, the group was across the river, crawling back onto dry land. “Yeah!” Spike yelled as he pointed a finger at the creature across the rapids. “How do you like that? Water bender! That's ho--”

The creature's body turned to a dark mist, only its head remaining. Then it disappeared. “Buck!” Rainbow yelled as she looked around. “It's using its tricks again, don't let it--”

“Aaaaavaaaaataaaaar!” The ponies froze as the creature descended on them from above. It opened a mouth filled with fangs and lunged at Twilight. She recoiled in fear as the others moved in to protect her.

A dome of light formed over them as necklaces materialized on all the ponies but the alicorn, who received a crown. Sombra slammed into it, recoiling from the wall with a blood curdling scream. It shook for a moment, snapping its teeth at them, before turning and fleeing.

Just as quickly as it came, the light and jewelry was gone and the ponies stared at its retreating form. “Did... did we all just win?” Applejack asked.

“I... I think we did. I don't know how but...” Twilight paused and looked at Rarity. “AHHH! You!”

“Wait, I'm--” Rarity didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before dirt and rock suddenly reached up from under her, covering all of her except her nose and eyes.

“We know exactly who yah are,” Applejack said with a growl. “The no good varmint who nearly got us killed half a dozen times.”

“You see the way she was talking to it? I bet she's the one who sent that thing on us!” Rainbow said, pointing an accusing hoof at her.

“Mffff!” Rarity objected, yelling into the dirt.

“Fluttershy! Are you okay?” Twilight looked down at the pegasus. Her wing was bleeding, but the black lines were gone.

“I... I feel fine. It was hurting for a bit but...” Fluttershy spread out her wing. The hole was tiny and only lightly bleeding. Pinkie started patching it up, humming while she worked.

Twilight froze and looked down. She felt, well, amazing. Still tired, but not as drop dead as she had before. Now that drowsiness had lifted some of its fog from her mind, something very important dawned on her. Spike barely had a chance to say a word before he found himself flying through the air, wrapped tightly in the avatar's hooves. “Spike! You're here! You're okay! I knew you were okay, I just knew it! I can't believe it! I mean, I totally believe it but I didn't believe it and, oh Spike!”

“C-can't... b-breath...” the dragon whimpered, tugging on the hooves. They refused to loosen.

“Never letting you go again. I am so, so, so sorry. Can you ever forgive me? I can't believe I lost you. I was so scared after I tried to put the element in you and--” She paused and looked down. “The... element. It's gone. I mean... isn't it? You aren't... in a coma anymore. What happened?”

“Air... lungs... s-suffocating...”

Twilight stared in confusion for a few moments before shrieking and letting him go. The little dragon rolled on his back for a few seconds, eyes closed and gasping for air. “Sorry Spike. It's just, we thought you were gone. We thought... I thought I'd lost you forever. How did you escape? What happened?” Once he could breath again he was gripped in her magic and brought into a slightly softer hug.

He coughed and shuffled a bit. “I... I didn't escape. Rarity rescued me. She--”

“What? No way!” Twilight turned on the captured unicorn. “I knew you were pretty despicable, but trying to use Spike as bait to lure me to you? He's just a baby dragon.”

“Mfff!” the unicorn countered.

“Well, look at who her mama is,” Applejack said with a shake of her head. “A mare grows up lookin' up tah that, yah know she ain't gonna end up right. We're lucky she even kept Spike alive long enough tah use as bait.”

“Ummm, guys...” Spike spoke up, but was ignored.

“We should just toss her in the river or something,” Rainbow said with a shake of her head. “I mean, look at her. She's one short stop away from becoming the next Nightmare Moon. Remember her sister? Not to mention she... well...” She glanced towards Twilight. “Almost killed you...”

“Actually it was Sweetie,” Pinkie offered helpfully.

“Yeah, but she was there, and helping,” Rainbow said with a shake of her head. “I say we get rid of her now. Leave her for that monster. Ugh, no, bad idea. She'll probably team up with that monster.”

“You... you don't mean we should... k-kill her, do you?” Fluttershy asked softly. “She's... defenseless. We can't just...”

“Guys!” Spike tried again.

“No, not kill her. Well, yes. Kill her or... I got it!” Rainbow clapped her hooves together once. “We just break her horn! That's what they do, right? Could give her a taste of her own medicine!”

“Mmmmmmphhhhhhh!”

“Breakin' her horn? Ah guess that'd be preferable tah killin' her,” Applejack said softly. “We ain't cold hearted killers, but we obviously can't jus' let her chase us down like this. Too much is on the line now an' we got an advantage. For once.”

“I guess breaking her horn is for the best,” Twilight said softly. “That would eliminate one of them from fighting us, too. If she's going to grow up anything like her mother, well...”

Spike took a deep breath before finally exhaling straight into the air, sending a burst of flame in front of the ponies. “Will you listen to me?”

The ponies recoiled and stared at him in shock.

“Finally,” the dragon said with a snort. “As I was saying. Rarity SAVED me. She didn't use me as bait, she saved me from her mother and little sister. She's also the one who released me from my coma because... well, she's the element. The last element. The one that got stuck in me.”

All the ponies but Pinkie looked between each other for a moment, then at Rarity, then at Spike, then back at each other. They then proceeded to burst into laughter.

“Really? Her, one of the elements of harmony? That's a good one spike,” Rainbow said with a shake of her head.

“Ah think yah gone an' hit your head a few too many times, lil partner,” Applejack said with loud chuckles and a light slapping of her knee.

“S-spike, you ummm, shouldn't say things like that...” Fluttershy said softly.

“Impossible, the elements are supposed to be given to ponies I can depend on,” Twilight said with a shake of her head and snicker. “Ponies I can trust. She's tried to kill me a dozen times.”

“She's also saved you quite a few times, too!” Spike said angrily. He then pointed to the unicorn. “Besides, if she doesn't have the element and I don't have the element, where is it?”

The laughter ceased and all the ponies turned to the princess. “It's... it can't be possible,” Twilight said softly. “Can it?”

“Ah buck...” Rainbow said with a groan. “Why can't anything normal ever happen to us? Let her go, Applejack.”

“Fine. Ah still think we otta keep her bound up or somethin',” Applejack said before slamming a hoof down. The rock and dirt fell off Rarity, making her collapse to the ground.

“Ahhh! Err, ummm...” The princess slowly looked up and smiled. “A-avatar. I ummm, I've come to help you. To offer my services. I was... I was wrong and oh my gosh I am covered in mud I need a bath!” She shrieked and dove into the river, making the group face hoof.

“Never anything normal, I swear,” Rainbow muttered.

------

Paaaaaaaaaain. Burrrrrrrrn. It burrrrrrrrrrned. Aaaaaaavaaaaaaaataaaaaaaar. Separrrrrrrrrate... destroy. Allllllllll.

Comments

[Gamble]

yep, now don't y'all feel foolish? I do kind of like this different take on this particular event as it did seem like everyone besides Katara (even though she was making an ass of herself (definitely not her proudest moments)) trusted him a little too easily considering past events when all he did was distract him so Sokka could screw up his bending ability

[eric-emanwu]

Well, despite it being a fallout chapter, this chapter actually was hilarious. Why? Because after all the danger of the last couple chapters, and the near saves, the dodges and the breaking of the last alliance, this chapter was the chapter where finally destiny was beginning to be harmonized.

Pinkie began with pointing out that as bad as things went, they're all still alive, they're all still going, their forces managed to escape, and the story can go on. But Twilight and Rainbow then began to elaborate on what THEY saw. The terrifying power of the Nightmare, like they couldn't fully control themselves. This might be getting at the power of Discord in this fight. That there's a certain element of mind control when they're discorded. While aspects of themselves are there, it's not fully who they are.

And twilight also talked about the absolute power she possessed while she was in the middle of that event, That she needs the elements of harmony to keep herself from going off the deep end.

Rarity meanwhile was in the chase, trying so hard to keep up with Sombra's corrupted soul. And watching herself fall to pieces, her appearance falling as her hope was. Although, I have to wonder, what's that about dead squirrels? What's the point to killing squirrels for a single minded creature? Although I get a feeling that part of the reason that sombra's shadow form was hidden away was because a small part of Luna was ashamed of what she had done to her husband, so she pushed him away trying to keep from remembering her actions. Though with one so corrupted by Discord for so long, who knows what her thought process is like? There was also a meditation of what rarity in between was like in sending Sombra out. That she wanted to believe she was where she was meant to be, when in fact she was still a stranger in a strange land even back in her original land. And so she wanted to just get what she wanted. And yet, Spike saw so much more in her, and that in her choices she made in leaving her castle already shows that she was willing to make the hard decision to live for more than family and country. Also, why do I get the feel that sweetie's necklace is still going to be significant in the future?

But, now here in the middle, Sombra caught up with team avatar harmony, and it was a relentless attack. At least now we have an idea of how it was the first time he attacked. Also, frankly, Sombra seems to combine the raw power of Combustion man mixed with the unkillable aspects of his mlp self, and of course the family aspect of his being like Ursa. Although, "black lines?" Is this the corruption of discord, or just the dark crystals of the crystal empire (which doesn't actually exist here since Cadence's stuff got split between omasu, history and rarity.
It was a bad situation, and the worst of it all was that the avatar was exausted, so she didn't quite feel the avatar state yet. (or was it blocked? Can't remember) Pinkie meanwhile tried to use her gift to hold off the creature of darkness, but sadly parties just don't work as well against the darkness like it use to.
But, it was also here that the meeeting that was destined to happen finally happened, with rarity making her grand entrance with spike on her back. Which of course meant a lot of different reactions. “You!” “Gosh dang it!” “Nggggg...” “Wuh?” and of course my favorite of the reactions, "Hey Rarity! Hey Spike! About time! You're totally late though, Spike. It's been almost a whole book!” (Pinkie does have a point, Their combination Appa and Momo was suppose to be found last book, but then again, this is already a different kind of story.)
Also, I didn't realize that Sombra could form his body still. But anyways, my guess is that Discord is doing a system override at this point with Sombra. In this case, making it so that killing the avatar is the only course of action he can think of at this point. Thus began another fight. It also seems that even though bending has proved ineffective, dragonfire does have a kind of power to it that hurts him. So Rarity did the old air bubble technique to give them space to cross the stream. (Give space....Oh my goodness, do you realize what you just did? You recreated Rarity's trial of generosity, in that she helped others, and in doing so allowed them to cross rolling river. That's Brilliant! And done in a way that you didn't expect it, since none of the other elements had to.) But Sombra wasn't done with them yet.
But then, that instinct to protect the avatar lead to a reaction, and for the first time in this story, all 6 elements of harmony activated, creating a light shield that sent sombra packing. In and out.
But though the beast was gone, now came the questions. Namely, "AHHH! You!” (ha ha)
Though if the black stuff is gone, that means that The elements kept his dark magic down, and brought Twilight's energy levels back up. And finally gave her the #1 assistant back. “C-can't... b-breath...Air... lungs... s-suffocating...”

Also, the fact that rarity and spike felt muted by the discussions going on was a big laugh as well. “Mfff!”
“Guys!” Will you listen to me?!?”

But, it seems that I was right back in previous chapters. Thanks to the presence of the Spike, Rarity now has an advocate. Someone who would point directly to her and say that she saved me, and what's more, she's the last element of harmony. Actually though, this then lead to the next big chuckle of the fic: Everybody but pinkie and rarity laughing at the idea. (Even Fluttershy???? For Shame young lady. The Element of Kindness is better than that.) Though Pinkie, I have to say your medium awareness was actually kinda enjoyable this time, because it's a congruity that we the audience have to admit is always going to be ridiculous to think about, but is still funny because it's true. (Pinkie: Eh, it's a living. Besides, we're all finally together. That nightmare moon won't stand a chance now.)

But Spike stood up for his truth, and asked the armor piercing question: “If she doesn't have the element and I don't have the element, where is it?”

So, they dropped the earth prison for now. No doubt to give the zuko desiring redemption speech. Though since Spike vouches for her, I'm guessing they won't drive her off willy nilly, but you never know. Pinkie would be all for it, acting like Toph in this case with the least amount of bad blood, but everyone else might hold something against her. Though not nearly as personally as Katara did, since Rarity's betrayal came in a wider context of a war, team avatar harmony didn't know all about the tea shop stuff, and it was more personally a betrayal of her aunt than Rainbow or Fluttershy. So they'd hate her deeds in a general sense, but not nearly as personally.

But first, prissy rarity. And then, it looks like Sombra's planning Discord's maze maneuver to separate and corrupt/destroy.

Also, remember back in book 1 where twilight used the...what was it again...the harmony flash I think it was? She hadn't given away the elements at the time, so it was mostly lights and show. But now that they're all connected, I bet she could use her rainbow beam to save sombra's soul, and prove that the elements are meant for good and healing. Either that, or they'll blow sombra up. One or the other.