The Little Pony Legend 2: Spirits of Courage

by MaggiesHeartLove

Beginnings part 2

*(~)*

Ephesians 2:10 ~

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

*(~)*

Beginnings part 2

The Avatar still remained asleep, floating on the cool spirit waters while the ponies remained in a sleep-like state around the pool. Four fire sages as well as the Shaman woman watched the girl and the ponies closely. Spike and Flash looked on in worry for their friends. They didn't even know how many days have passed, but with each passing hour they worried more and more.

"Should we pull her up?" Spike asked the elderly woman.

"No. She is connecting with her deepest Avatar memories."

"But what about the others?" Flash asked, looking down upon the sleeping Twilight Sparkle. "Why are they still asleep?"

"They are witnessing her memories. She must confront her own past if she is to move forward. We can only hope they survive this ordeal."

Spike bit his tail nervously as Flash looked on at the sleeping Twilight, removing a stray hair from her face. She looked so peaceful, they all did. He would have given anything to know exactly what was going on in their heads.

(~)

Twilight's eyes twitch and suddenly open. When they did, she once again saw herself covered in the blue aura, still in the dream world. She turned her head to see an image before her;

Wan hung his head in regret for having freed the spirit of darkness. Raava, the spirit of light, looked down upon him in disappointment.

"The human and spirit realms are headed toward annihilation, and it's all your fault!"

White stood between her and Wan, "Now hold on a sec! You can't really blame Wan for this. Vaatu would have tricked anybody. And maybe if you'd have told us who you were then maybe he wouldn't have fallen for the trick like a sucker!"

"Hey!"

"Sorry buddy."

Raava sneered at the pony, "How dare you speak to me that way! This is why humans have no place interfering in the business of spirits!"

Leilani stood before the spirit, speaking in a much more clam and understanding tone compared to White's. "With all due respect, spirit, this world is home to all of us, and what happens here is everyone's business."

"Thanks to your friend, this world may cease to exist!" what Raava had just said caught White's attention.

"Wait, if that's true, then what about my home? Equestria?"

Raava was silent for a moment as if processing something. "By any chance, did you come here through a pond of some sorts?"

"Yeah, why? Do you know about it?"

"I have come across that pond various times in the past. It's energy mystified me. It is unlike anything of this world. As you could already tell it is no ordinary pond, but a gateway from your homeland to ours."

Leilani's eyes widened in awe, of course she already knew of the pond but to discover that this mighty spirit of light actually knew about it and that it was indeed a portal between worlds. She needed to know more. "Raava, if you do not mind me asking, just how much do you know about the gateway? And perhaps how or when it could be opened?"

"Over the years I have discovered that the portal opens once every twelve thousand years before closing shut. However, even though we exist in different planes, our worlds are still connected. There for if this world dies, so will yours."

Prince's eyes widened in fear as did Leilani's. Equestria, gone forever?

"No." even though White no longer lived in Equestria, he couldn't bare the thought of what might happen to those innocent ponies. Wan lowered down to his friend. "Prince, Leilani I am so sorry. I didn't know."

"I don't blame you for not knowing that Wan. Nobody did."

"I can only hope I can track Vaatu before it's too late." said Raava. Wan stood up, "Let me help you." he said.

White looked up at the spirit with determination, "Me too."

"And me." Leilani insisted.

"I don't want your help!" Raava said sternly, "Don't interfere with me again, human!" With that Raava flew away into the sky in anger. She may have been the spirit of light and good but boy was she as stubborn as they came. Not to mention prejudice.

"Great. What do we do know?" White asked. Then, out of nowhere, Leilani began to scream in agonizing pain, moaning and clenching her head with her hooves. The poor pony looked like she was having a terrible migraine. White rushed to her side as Wan squatted down beside them.

"Leilani! Are you alright?" White asked with worry. Leilani stopped moaning, her irises shrunk and her expression became emotionless as she stood perfectly still. The only things moving were her lips.

From one mistake

Darkness shall rise

Consuming all it can take

Wan and White did not like the sound of that at all. Wan now felt even worst than before. The whole world was going to fall…because of him. But the vision was not done yet.

When all seems lost, a light will shine.

Brightening the hearts of yours and mine.

Fate be changed.

Look inside

Mend the bond

Make a change

From a selfless act

Hope shall rise above

A new era begins

When thrived

By love

Leilani's eyes returned to normal and shook her head. White held her close for support, the poor unicorn felt so dazed from her vision. She had never had one this long before. White looked up at Wan. "What do we do now?" he asked

"We keep moving" Wan responded.

(~)

The three friends continued their way, as they did the two ponies remained silent. Wan knew they were both concerned about Leilani's vision, Vaatu being out in the world (because of Wan), and also that Raava knew about the existence of the magical pond.

"One thing I don't understand." White began, breaking the silence, "If that pond opens once every thousands years after, then why did it allow me to pass through?"

"I don't know." Wan responded. Leilani was probably the sot silent of the group. Her mind wondered around her vision. Just what exactly did it mean? She was broken from her thoughts when the group stopped and looked to their left as they heard a noise coming from the bushes. As their gazes led up, their eyes widened in wonder.

Before them were four men harvesting some fruit from the trees…while ridding on clouds!

Two of the men brought their left hand toward their chest, their fingers stretched, which created a cloud underneath them. They floated to the top branches of the tree, where another monk, on a cloud of his own, was already plucking the fruit. They appeared to be wearing orange clothing and their heads were shaved, revealing arrow-like markings.

"Wow, Wan do you see that?" White asked amazed,

"Yeah. People. And they have some kind of wind power." said Wan. However, they were not alone. From the trees, two creatures emerged, both carrying baskets of fruits on their…hooves. White and Leilani could not believe it.

"White, do you see that?"

"Yeah. Ponies. Pegasus ponies!"

While still on Mula, the trio of friends rode closer to the wind humans and three pony companions. Wan could not contain his excitement, "More humans! I found you."

But the moment they spotted the man, his cat-dear and ponies, the men and pegasus ponies flew away from them in fear.

"Wait! We're friendly!" Wan shouted as he got Mula to run towards them, but she abruptly stopped before falling off a cliff, tossing Wan off of the saddle.

"Wan!" White and Leilani cried out, but sighed in relief once they saw his friend holding on to a branch. "Don't ever scare us like that again!" Leilani said sternly. Wan simply hung on for his dear life and grinned at the worried unicorn.

"I'll try."

With all of his strength, Wan managed to pull himself back up, with the assistance of his pony pals. "Why are always giving me a heart attack" said White. Wan chuckled as he held on to the side of the cliff unharmed, "Old habits die hard."

"Boys, look out!"

The two gentlemen looked upwards and saw one of the air men running towards them at top speed, jumped over Wan's head and created a cloud which rose him up to the sky. The man was heading towards a…wait for it…

"A city floating in the sky!" Leilani was breathless. She had never seen a floating Lion Turtle City before.

"The legends are true" said Wan in aware, "Another lion turtle city."

"And it's flying" said an amazed Prince White, "I've never seen anything like this" Then his eyes widen when he saw that there were not only humans…but pegasus ponies as well! "I don't believe it. More ponies!"

Not only that, but they also saw a group of other men and how the Lion Turtle placed his claws over their foreheads and hearts, granting them the ability to control air. Leilani's eyes sparkled for she had never seen the air power before and she was fascinated to learn more about it. White wanted so badly to meet more ponies while Wan was determined to see this new place, its people and its amazing powers!

"We have got to get over there!" Wan said excitedly.

"How?" White asked, "In case you haven't noticed, we're an earth pony and unicorn, not pegasi."

"He's right." said Leilani, "And even if we did have wings, we won't be able to carry you all the way up there by ourselves."

Wan placed his hands on his hips, "Are you implying that I've gained weight?" he asked accusingly. The unicorn simply smiled at him sweetly, while batting her pretty pink eyes.

"It's not very nice when you say it like that….but yes."

Wan pouted in annoyance. After all this time, Leilani still had a feisty side. He then looked over to the Lion Turtle City and smiled. "Don't worry, I have an idea."

White rolled his eyes, "There's a shock."

Wan tied a rope to a tree and around a rock while Leilani and White both looked at one another skeptically, silently questioning if this plan of Wan's was full proof or not.

"Um, Wan are you sure about this?" White asked with concern.

"Don't worry, guys. This'll work for sure. Besides, aren't you excited to be meeting others of your own kind again?" The ponies were both silent for a moment, they really did wish to meet other ponies, especially ones who could control the element of air. Wan tugged on the rope, making sure it was perfectly secure. "There. Okay, Mula. Wish us luck" he said before he climbed onto the tree.

"We're going to need it." Leilani said dryly as she and White both took their positions behind their human friend. The white earth pony glared at the human. "For the record, if we die, this was all your idea"

Wan ignored him and burned the rope with his fire and catapulted the three friends toward the lion turtle…while White screamed his head off as they flew into the air, but then for a moment, he felt the wind against his body, mane and tail. The powerful winds felt so powerful and soothing. He spread his legs out, imagining he was flying. So this must have been what pegasus ponies felt like. "This is amazing! I'm king of the world!" however, his joy was short lived, for soon he and the others realized that the catapult didn't give them enough of a boost and they were falling down from the sky.

"Oh, no--" the friends began to scream in terror until Leilani managed to grab hold of one of the vines, which dangled from the Lion Turtle's city, with her mouth. Wan also managed to grab one while he held onto White by the tail. The earth pony looked down bellow, the ground was hard to see due to the thick fog, but he none the less sighed in relief.

"That was close."

(~)

Once they were safely on the ground of the city, the friends began exploring. The city wasn't like the one they had come to know, in fact it was barely a city. It was more of a tribe, with no buildings and more trees. The houses were made of twigs, cloths and other earthly necessities. The people who lived there all wore orange clothing, similar in designs, simple and easy to move around in. They lived a very simple lifestyle, which suited them just fine. Leilani could relate to them, as a pony who had lived a few years in the spirit wilds she understood the benefits of being close with nature. White had never seen a place like this, it was so simple and sweet…kind of like Equestria.

The two ponies gasped in awe as more pegasus ponies flew above their heads. They appeared to have a very close relationship with these humans. Leilani had never seen pegasus ponies before, she had heard about them, but never seen one in person. Wan was so happy to be meeting new humans, the young man gasped when he saw a brightly-green colored bug-like spirit fly in front of him.

"Wow. Spirits live here too?" Leilani asked as the little spirit flew around her and White. They then spotted a group of men, and ponies, around in a circle together. They appeared to be meditating. They all appeared to have matching arrow tattoos on their bodies and shaved heads, minus the ponies and one little spirit rested on a man's shoulder. The three friends walked excitedly towards them. Wan greeted them first in an excitable manner, almost similar to that of a child.

"Hi, how are you? I'm Wan and this is Prince White and Leilani."

"Hi!" White greeted happily, "Wow, I can't believe it! More ponies."

Leilani however, remained silent. The men and ponies looked at each other, wondering who these strangers were. Wan then realized the way he had greeted them, he really had been away from civilization from a long time. "Um, sorry to interrupt, but it's been a while since we've seen other humans." Wan explained.

"And it's been so long since I've been other ponies." said White. Leilani remained silent still. She simply played with the dirt with her hoof, avoiding eye contact. She had not seen another one of her species in a long time. She wondered if she would get along with them. One of the pegasus ponies approached the pony couple.

"Where did you come from strangers?"

"We come from another lion turtle city far away." White replied. "Well, technically Wan does. I'm originally from Equestria."

The strange name caught the ponies attention. They had never heard of such a place before. "What is this, Equestria?" he asked, trying to pronounce the word correctly.

"It's were our kind originated." White explained, surprising the pegasus ponies even more.

"But, for years we believed our home land was destroyed by that blizzard."

"Well, it's kind of a long story."

"And why are you not with your kind?" another pony asked, causing White to look downward.

"It's another long story." his eyes shifted to Leilani, who was still silent. "Oh, and Leilani here is a unicorn who's lived among the spirits."

"You don't say?" said one of the men in surprise.

"Yes." Wan answered, "For the past two years we've all been living among them and exploring the wilds."

The nomads and the pegasus ponies were amazed by this. They had never heard of a human being so brave enough to explore the spirit wilds. Or a pony for that matter. "Remarkable. Come. Sit with us." said one of the men, "We would love to hear of your travels."

But then, all of a sudden, the spirit on one of the human nomad's shoulder turned dark in color and sinister in appearance before flying away, shocking the nomads and pegasus ponies. Wan ducked as the spirit flew over his head. Soon, all of the once friendly spirits around the village began turning dark and started terrorizing the people who began to run away screaming. One spirit chewed on the ruff of a hut, frightening the family inside as they ran out in terror. A couple of little boys and fillies played with a few spirits, until they started terrorizing them and they were forced to scatter. All around, spirits that were once their most trusted companions turned against the humans and ponies. They all appeared to be angry for some reason, only they could not depict why. They had always been kind and friendly with the spirits and vice versa, just what had caused them to behave this way?

Sadly, their questions would be answered. They all looked up into the sky, witnessing a familiar dark being with red/orange markings.

"Vaatu!" both Wan, Leilani and White exclaimed angrily. The dark spirit hovered over them, speaking in an arrogant tone.

"So, we meet again, human."

"How is the spirit of darkness here? Where is his sister?" asked one of the nomads. Wan slightly flinched nervously.

"Uh, I'll explain later." Suddenly, Leilani fearlessly ran up to the great dark spirit. "Leilani! No!"

White rushed behind her and the unicorn stood before the great Vaatu, glaring at him in anger, and speaking with much authority and strength. "Leave these folk in peace. They've done nothing to harm you."

"Look out!" White ducked Leilani down as a dark spirit flew over their heads. Another approached a woman and her child, whom she held tightly for protection as she screamed in terror. Wan firebended at the spirit, forcing it away from the family. More dark spirits began attacking at Wan, and he firebended at each one. White did the same to protect his friend, while Leilani bended water from her waterskin to slice at the spirits. She didn't even care she was hurting them, they had no right to behave like this. While the friends battled the spirits with all of their might, the light spirit, Raava, emerged from the bushes and hurled towards Vaatu.

"Be gone!"

With all of her power, she knocked Vaatu away from the people. The ultimate dark spirit fell into a pile of trees and bushes. Wan, White and Leilani smiled with glee at the sight of the light spirit, who flew around the townsfolk before landing before the three heroes. Vaatu emerged from the trees and hovered over all. "How are you feeling since our split, Raava?" Vaatu said somewhat jokingly, "I've never been better. When Harmonic Convergence comes, I will destroy you forever." the dark spirit flew away. Wan sighed in relief once he disappeared, but his rough time with a spirit was not done yet.

"I told you not to interfere." Raava said angrily.

"I had to do something. These people and ponies were in danger."

One of the nomads bowed to Raava, "Spirit of light, we thank you for your help. But how did Vaatu escape your grasp?"

Raava turned to Wan, "Ask him." the nomads and pegasus all looked at him with worry and Wan could fell his heart pounding. It was time to face the music.

"It wasn't my fault. Vaatu tricked me into freeing him. I'd take it all back if I could!"

White stood in front of his friend to defend him, "It's true. He would never have done something like this on purpose. Believe me, he's a good man."

"It's too late for that." Raava said, "Now that Vaatu is free, he is turning other spirits dark. The more spirits he turns, the stronger he becomes."

Wan then realized that Raava looked rather different from when he first met her, "He's getting bigger, and you're getting smaller."

"As his darkness grows, my light fades."

Wan lowered his head in shame. Leilani then nudged his leg and smiled encouragingly. This gave Wan the confidence he needed, "I'm sorry for endangering your village," he told the nomads and the pegasus, "but I promise to set things right."

"How" one of the nomads asked. Leilani rubbed her chin, deep in thought, when a crazy die struck her.

"I, may have an idea. But it's a little bit crazy."

(~)

Wan stood facing the air Lion Turtle with White, Leilani, Raava, Mula, a nomad and his pegasus behind him. Wan spoke to the beast, "Great lion turtle, I ask that you to grant me the power of air so that I can defeat Vaatu before it's too late."

"You already carry the power of fire." said the lion turtle, "No human has ever held two elements at the same time."

"I'm not like other humans. I can learn to do it."

White stood beside Wan, "I know he can." he was then followed by Leilani, "As do I."

The lion turtle admired the bravery of the human, and the loyalty of his pony companions, "Hmm, perhaps. But to do so, Raava must hold the power for you until you master it."

Raava spoke to the lion turtle, "Ancient one, why would I do that for a human? Especially one who's caused so much trouble?"

"Raava, please, I can't let the world fall into chaos because of my mistake." Wan said, "Neither of us can defeat Vaatu alone, but together we might have a chance."

Raava knew that there really was no way Vaatu could be defeated in her condition. Not to mention, she could clearly see the courage and determination displayed in both Wan and his friends. However, what she saw next was what truly convinced her. Is she had eyes they would be wide in awe, for she witnessed something she never imagined in her entire life.

From the eyes of the human and ponies, Raava witnessed shimmering rainbow colors. She had never seen anything like this before, but this must have been a sure sign that this meant that the trio cold be trusted. "You may be right. Very well. I will help you master the power of air."

Wan smiled, "Thank you. And in return I will help you restore balance to the world."

White nudged his leg, "And we'll be right there by your side."

Wan kneeled down and ruffled the pony's mane, "I wouldn't want it any other way,"

(~)

Latter that same day, Wan decided to remain at least a couple of days, to allow White and Leilani a chance to socialize with the ponies. He didn't know why, but he knew they needed it.

Leilani bit her bottom lip nervously until White placed his hoof over her shoulder. "You'll be fine." the unicorn smiled and walked on ahead as White led her to a group of pegasus ponies. White greeted them, "Hello." the ponies immediately lowered downy to greet them. "My name is White and this here is Leilani."

"Oh, we know who you are. You and your human companion saved us all from those dark spirits. How can we ever thank you?"

White blushed and rubbed his neck, "Oh, you really don't have to. It was our pleasure." her once again noticed Leilani completely silent. Wow, she had a real trouble speaking with other ponies. He nodded her leg to get her to say something. She looked at the other pegasus ponies, patiently waiting for her to say something. The unicorn took in a deep breath and opened her mouth…

"Hello."

"Hello, miss Leilani." one of the ponies politely greeted. And just like that, all of Leilani's fears faded away. "So, we were wondering more about this Equestria you spoke of before."

White spoke next, "Well, like I said, it's our home land. The legend you have heard about the blizzard were true, but what happened was this;

"Back then, earth ponies were in charge of growing the food, pegasus ponies the weather, and unicorns in the rising and lowering of the sun and moon. But they did not care what happened to the other. There was no compassion, no empathy, no kindness among them." as the earth pony spoke, the pegasus ponies sat down on the ground, listening attentively to this intriguing tale of their heritage.

"As time went on, a terrible snowstorm emerged out of nowhere. The earth ponies could not grow the crops, the pegasus ponies could not change the weather, and unicorns could not solve the problem either with their magic. The three tribes were at war. The three leaders of each tribe argued with one another even more, until they each came with a solution to go off and find a new land to live in. But once they did, they had all found the land at the same time. This angered the leaders, and the snow became stronger. The leaders assistants eventually discovered that the ponies themselves had caused the winter. The winter spirits, the windigoes, fed off of their hatred for one another, causing the storm. And just when all seemed lost, something wonderful happened…" The ponies ears perked up with awe, as White was telling the tale more and more ponies had come by to listen as well. "Suddenly, the ice around them melted, for the leaders' assistants realized that no matter what kind you are, we are all still ponies and rather than hate one another, we should care for one another. As friends. And so, the storm passed and the land flourished once more. And it was all because of the power of Friendship." The ponies clapped their hooves with joy. The story was absolutely amazing. "And they all worked together to crate a new land; Equestria."

One of the little fillies flapped his wings excitedly. "Wow! Equestria sounds amazing! Mommy, I want to go see it." the fillies' mother nuzzled his cheek.

"Maybe someday my dear."

"Hey mister," another filly asked, "If Equestria is so great now, why did you leave?"

White's expression shifted from happy to sad. It wasn't that he hatted his home, he just never had any friends. Come to think of it, he could have had friends if only he had given it a chance. "Well, I didn't leave on purpose. I found a magical pond which brought me into this world. Then I met Wan and Leilani and, well, I decided to stay."

Now it was Leilani's turn to speak, "I was never born in Equestria, like all of you I grew up in this world, and while it is wonderful and I have made some wonderful and everlasting friends…I too believe it is important to know of our roots and where we originate from." the ponies, especially the young once all smiled with excitement.

"Does this mean we can see Equestria one day?"

The unicorn squatted down to his level, and smiled sweetly. "Of course. I don't know how or when, but I will make a solemn vow to reunite us ponies with our homeland."

"But, will we need to leave our human friends?" asked a filly.

"No, of course not. Just because you learn of your past, doesn't mean you should give up what you already have."

The filly hugged Leilani's leg, catching her by complete surprise. "Thank you, miss! Thank you!"

Leilani felt her own heart become filled with love and hope. She may not know exactly how, but she would make sure that these ponies would see Euestria one day. They deserved that much.

(~)

Wan, Leilani, White, Mula and Raava all left the Lion Turtle City, but before they did, Leilani gave one of the little fillies a parting gift; a beautiful white lilly in promise that she would one day return. The group walked across the deserted lands, the human and ponies rode on the cat dear while Raava floated beside them.

"What's this Harmonic thing Vaatu was talking about?" Wan asked Raava.

"Harmonic Convergence is an event that happens once every thousands years when the two portals unite. That is when Vaatu and I must battle for the fate of the world." she explained.

"How long do we have until then?" Leilani asked.

"About a year in your time."

"Then we better start training."

"Raava, I have a question to ask you." Leilani said, "You said you knew that the gateway from our world to yours opens once very thousand years, correct?"

"Yes."

"So, that would mean it will open during Harmonic Convergence, right?"

"That is correct. Harmonic Convergence happens once every ten thousand years, so the portal will remain open for three more years before closing again. And remaining shut until the next Harmonic Convergence."

"That's good to know." Leilani said before returning to her silence.

"I have noticed that there is something special about you Leilani. You may not be able to predict the specific future, but you can give clues as to what can occur latter on. And your intuition is powerful, you can also sense an occurrence before it happens as well." Leilani's eyes widened at this. She knew she had a gift, but she never knew it was that powerful.

"You know, you have the rainbow in your eyes." Raava said, grabbing their attention, "It has always been said that the Rainbow guides those who are lost and help them find their way back to the Light once again. A great and glorious power that is as alive as you and I, even if it is not seen by many."

"How do you know it's alive then?" Wan asked. "If you can't see it?"

"Some of the most real things in the world, are those which we can't see."

This info got Wan thinking, he knew that White and Leilani would amount to something someday. They were special after all. But just what was he destined for?

(~)

As the days pass, Wan perfected his firebending. Today she was practicing near a volcanic valley to increase his element. Once he was done, he turned to Raava. "All right, I'm ready to try air. How's this gonna work?"

"The only way for me to give you the other element is to pass through your body and combine our energies." Raava explained.

"So you've done this before?" White asked.

"No. This has never been attempted. It is very dangerous."

"That's what they said about living in the spirit wilds, and me, Wan and Leilani survived that."

"You are a brave young pony, Prince White. But still, I am unsure about this."

Wan clenched his fists determinedly, "I'm ready. Give me air."

Raava flew upwards and headed straight towards Wan. The two ponies gasped and shielded their eyes as the spirit of light passed right through Wan's body, emitting a powerful white glow and the man screamed in agony as this happened. Once Raava has phased through his body, Wan got on his knees, hanging his head. White and Leilani began to approach him to make sure he was alright, but the young man soon opened his eyes and regained his composure. He stood up, looked at his palm and, with all of his might, he unleashed a gust of wind from his palm. The ponies galloped happily, "Wan you did it!" White exclaimed proudly.

"It feels completely different." Wan said, "If you and Vaatu have the same fight every ten thousand years, why hasn't one of you destroyed the other." he asked Raava.

"Despite our differences, he is still my brother. We were both defenders of the light once. He may wish to destroy me, but it is not in my nature to take a life."

"What do you mean you were once defenders of light?" Wan asked.

"Believe it or not, Vaatu was not always a servant to darkness. In the beginning, Light created all that you see. Me and Vaatu were the first spirits to have ever been born, and thus we swore to spread the eternal truth of light and peace across the earth and spirit world. But, Vaatu eventually grew tired of this. He no longer wanted to serve and instead wished to fulfill his own desires. He rebelled against his original design and became dark and twisted. His choice gave birth to darkness, who is now his master. It became my mission to keep him at bay every Harmonic Convergence until…" she trailed off.

"Until what?" Wan asked.

"Even I do not know Vaatu's true fate, but what I do know is that the more of the darkness he spreads, the more powerful he will become and I will be powerless to stop him. Darkness will destroy the world as you know it. Misery, hate and destruction will cover the earth for the thousand years."

Wan and Prince looked at each other before turning again to Raava, "If I'm gonna help you battle Vaatu, then we should visit more Lion Turtles."

"I agree." said Leilani. "If we meet more humans, then we shall meet other ponies as well."

"And tell them of Equestria." White added, "Once we defeat Vaatu, the gateway will open and ponies can travel back to home." said the earth pony excitedly.

"And they will finally learn of their roots." Leilani said, "And maybe humans can witness it as well."

"I know I sure would like to see the land where you came from." Wan said eagerly.

"I am still baffled by how you are willing to go through such great lengths to help me." said Raava.

"That's what friends do." said Prince White, "And friends stick together to the end…in fact, I don't think there is any magic more powerful than that."

Raava was taken by this, she had never had such wonderful friends before. To her surprise, Leilani opens his mouth to sing as invisible music filled the air,

(Gift of a friend, from Demi Lovato)

Sometimes you think you'll be fine by yourself

Cause a dream is a wish that you make all alone

It's easy to feel like you don't need help

But it's harder to walk on your own

You'll change inside

When you realize…

The world comes to life!

And everything's bright

From beginning to end

When you have a friend by your side

That helps you to find

The beauty you are

When you open your heart and

Believe in…

The Gift of a Friend

(music)

The Gift of a Friend

White;

Someone who knows when you're lost and you're scared

There through the highs and the lows

Wan;

Someone to count on

Someone who cares

Beside you wherever you go

You'll change inside

When you realize…

Wan, White, Leilani;

The world comes to life!

And everything's bright

From beginning to end

When you have a friend by your side

That helps you to find

Leilani;

The beauty you are

When you open your heart and

Believe in

White;

When you believe in!

Wan;

When you believe in…

Wan, White and Leilani;

The gift of a friend

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

If Raava had a face, she would be smiling. This was the first time in her entire life when she had some real true friends.

(~)

The friends arrived at Lion Turtle City located at the shore of the sea. Leilani's eyes widened in horror. This was her former home. Where she was ridiculed and abused. Wan and White noticed Leilani's hesitation to continue, and they knew perfectly well why. The earth pony approached his friend.

"Leilani, I know you're scared, but there are other ponies in that city. You said you wanted to spread the word of Equestria, this is our chance."

"But…what if..." to calm her down, White held her close in a tight embrace.

"They won't hurt you. Me, Wan and Raava are right here. You don't have to face this alone. But you can't keep running away in fear either."

The unicorn knew he was right, she may have had some bad experiences with some humans, but it was clear that not all of them were bad. With her newfound courage, she and her friends walked ahead. First, Wan and Raava accompanied the ponies as they walked into the city. Leilani's heart pounded, it had been many years since she left, she wondered if most remembered her at all. Then, her ears perked ip and her heart raced.

"Leilani? Is that you?"

An elderly woman walked over to the group. The unicorn immediately hid behind Wan's leg, shaking in fear. No would could describe her anxiety at this moment. She knew she never should have returned.

"It's been so long. My how you've grown. You look just like your mother. So beautiful."

Leilani squinted her eyes to get a better look at the elderly woman. Her mind scanning her subconscious to find a match for her face and voice. She finally found it. "Lilly? Is that you?"

"You know her?" White asked.

"Yes. My mother would send her fruits every weak."

"She was always such a hard worker." said Lilly. She squatted downward and Leilani lost her fears as she approached her. "Where have you been all this time? I heard you ran away after that horrible farmer treated you so badly. I tried to find you but you were nowhere to be found."

"I'm so sorry, Lilly. I never meant to worry you. But I really didn't think I belonged here anymore. Do people still remember me?"

"Probably not many. So, have you finally returned home?"

"Actually, no. I'm sorry Lilly but I am on a very important quest with my friends. Do you know where I can find the rest of the ponies?"

"In the city's square." Lilly said as she pointed towards it.

"Thank you. It was truly wonderful to see you again, Lilly."

"Same here, my dear."

(~)

And so, our heroes valiantly began their journey, while Leilani and White began to tell the local ponies of Equestria, Wan stood before the Lion Turtle who granted him the element of water. Wan rose his hand to levitate a wave of water. Before they left, Lilly gave Leilani and her friends some supplies for the road, and in return, Leilani left some beautiful blue roses which could only grow in cold temperatures for the ponies to remember her promise to them.

As they continued their journey, Wan asked Raava questions. "Why is there so much conflict between humans and spirits in the first place?"

"This world is where humans come from. Spirits come from another realm entirely, just like you ponies. At the north and south poles, the two realms intersect. Over time, more and more spirits have drifted into this world, but they allowed their differences to set them apart from one another."

The friends eventually arrived at another Lion Turtle city, where Wan was granted the element of earth. Once again, White and Leilani told the local ponies about their homeland and that they could see it one day. As a reminder of this, Leilani planted some lovely flowers which she dubbed "Panda Lilies" for the ponies to remember her promise. Raava continued to explain. As they traveled, Leilani would gaze up at the stars and chart them on a scroll, giving them names and meanings. She did not know that these scrolls would come in handy for a certain determined water tribe boy some day in the very distant future.

"Humans have been forced apart, settling on the lion turtles who protect them and losing touch with each other."

"Most people think they live in the only human city in the world." Wan said as he practiced his waterbending.

"Most humans think only of themselves, no matter how many others are around. The same goes for ponies, and even spirits. They have been with humans for so long, they lost connection to their homeland and who they really are."

Wan screamed in agony after Raava passed through his body once again. He had already become accustomed to it, but every time she did it, it made him feel even more powerful. "When you pass through me, I feel an incredible rush of power." he rose his hands to earthbound a couple of rocks before Raava passed through him again, "I feel like I'm changing. The more we practice, the stronger I become."

Then, a new aroma filled the air, and Wan and the ponies, as well as Mula sniffed the air. "You guys smell smoke?" White asked.

"Humans are nearby." said Raava.

"Let's check it out." said Wan before he hopped onto Mula and ran towards the smoke, with the others behind him. They followed the smell until it became stronger. Thicker. Once they reached the destination, Wan jumped off of Mula and the friends stopped on a small hill, seeing a village down bellow, as well as a forest being burned down. Leilani gasped at the sight, as a pony who loves and respects nature, one can only imagine how horrible it must be to see it being destroyed like this.

The group approached the village, only to see humans, and even a few ponies, using their fire power to burn down the tress for wood. The humans and ponies briefly stopped once they saw Raava approach them.

"A spirit!" one screamed before throwing fireballs at Raava. White jumped in front of her and deflected the flame with his hooves and body.

"Easy there fellas. We're friendly."

Then, one of the humans walked out and started approaching the pony. White knew he looked familiar; he had tan skin, dark hair and a familiar complexion, only much more mature looking, added with facial hair and a scurfy beard. His eyes widened in surprise as the human walked in closer.

"I can't believe it. Prince White?"

"Jaya?"

Wan and Leilani walked closer to the ponies and Wan's eyes was shocked to see his old friend. "Jaya?"

"Wan? Is that you?"

"Jaya!"

Both the man and pony ran to their old friend who welcomed them in a warm embrace, "What are you doing out here?" Wan asked.

"You inspired us. Once we heard that you survived out in the wilds, we decided to try it out too."

"Well it's still really great to see you again" White said happily. Then, Jaya notice yet another friend with them. He smiled cheekily at the white earth pony.

"And who's your new friend?"

"Oh, this is Leilani." White introduced the unicorn to his other human friend, "Leilani, this is Jaya."

The unicorn bowed before him. "A pleasure to meet you."

Jaya bowed as well, "The pleasure is all mine."

"Where's Yao? Did he come with you?" Wan asked hopefully.

Java's expression turned into one of sadness, "yes, but sadly he didn't make it. We lost a lot of good people along the way.", then Java glared at the white spirit behind them, "Why are you protecting this spirit?"

"This is Raava. Don't worry. She's not like the dark spirits you've probably run into" Wan explained as Raava stood beside him. After all of this time, Raava grew smaller and smaller by the day, she was now five inches shorter than Wan.

"Dark spirits? What's the difference? We throw fire at any spirit we see around here. Just like they attack any man."

Leilani stepped forward, speaking in a strong commanding voice, "How can you do this? This forest is the home to other creatures as well." her eyes shifted to the ponies, "And you! They are destroying nature, how can you follow their example? You are as much of the earth as any other animal." Her words rang true in there ears, especially to the humans.

"You have no idea what you're doing." Raava said, "You're only making things worse"

"The spirits are coming back!" shouted one of the ponies and Java turned to the rest of them, "Let's wipe 'em out this time. We'll burn down this whole forest if we have to." the other obeyed his command, completely ignoring the wise words from the unicorn. Their greed and pride was far too strong.

Wan couldn't believe what he was hearing, "What happened to you? When did you become so violent?"

"You showed me we could change the worlds if we just stopped being afraid. Now we're doing it." Jaya ran off to join the others, leaving a very disappointed Wan behind.

"This isn't what I had in mind"

The humans all had fire in their hands as a large heard of spirits approached them. Both sides looked at one another in anger. "Get out of the forest, humans!" cried out the leader of the spirits. Who Leilani recognized immediately.

"Aye-Aye!"

The lemur spirit spotted the unicorn happily running towards him, tears of joy running down from her eyes as she did. Aye-Aye smiled widely at seeing his friend once more. "Leilani! My dear, you're alright!"

The two happily embraced one another in a loving hug, while Wan, Raava and White stood in between the two feuding crowds. Wan placed both his hands before them, in an effort to stop the fight before it begun.

"Wait. We can resolve this peacefully."

Aye-Aye saw the human and smiled with glee once more. "Stinky? Marshmallow? You came back!" he said happily.

"Good to see you again." said Wan with a smile.

"You and Raava are just in time to help us clear these tree-killing fire-lovers out of here just like the old days."

"There's no need for violence, old friend." said Leilani.

"She's right." Wan said in agreement, "I know there must be a way to work out a compromise."

"You have a good heart, Stinky. These fire tossers aren't like you. Just like these contaminated ponies are nothing like Leilani."

"Spirits like him killed our friends." Java shouted, "I can't let them get away with that."

Suddenly, storm clouds roamed in as thunder began to rumble. White and Leilani looked up and gasped in horror, for they could see Vaatu's form illuminating the sky above them. They heard his wicked laughter. Then, Leilani instinctively backed away from her spirit friend, who's face and body suddenly morphed into that of a monster. A dark spirit. The other once peaceful spirits transformed as well. Their happiness faded, their purity was tainted. They had become infused with nothing but hatred and anger.

The dark Aye-Aye spoke with an evil voice, "We are protectors of the forest. We won't let you burn it down."

"What's happening?" White asked as he held a weeping Leilani close.

Raava gasped, "It's Vaatu. he's growing stronger! He's using their anger to turn them to his side."

Jaya threw the first fire ball at Aye-Aye, who dodged it with ease. His anger inly increased by this action. "Wipe them out!"

"No!" Leilani's heart broke into a million pieces, her once loving friends have turned into monsters. The humans and spirits charged at one another, but Wan and White kept the groups apart. Wan used his airbending while White used his fire to keep the humans apart. Leilani didn't have it in her heart to fight either sides. Spirits. Humans. Ponies. She had formed a bond with each of these three kinds. And now, here they were, fighting. It was madness. It was a nightmare.

Wan continued to keep the groups apart, but they were relentless. "Stop, Please!" he pleaded. Realizing this was not going to work for long, White came up with an idea.

"Wan, you and Raava need to combine your energies!" said the pony, "Maybe then you'll have enough power to stop this."

Agreeing with him, Raava passed through Wan's body again. Only this time, unlike before, she did not come out. She remained within him. White led Leilani away as their friend glowed bright like never before. Wan shot himself up into the sky, hovering on an air spout while a ring of water, fire and earth circled around him. White and Leilani could not believe their eyes.

"Enough!" Wan cried out, "You need to stop fighting now before you destroy each other."

Suddenly, because of the energy from Raava, Aye-Aye managed to break free from Vaatu's influence. He shook his head in a daze, witnessing his human friend hovering up in the sky, the four elements floating around him in the most unusual yet spectacular way. "Stinky, w-what happened?"

"He's controlling all four elements." Java said in awe. But then the power of Raava soon proved to be too much for Wan. He could no longer contain the energy within him. He could hear Raava's voice, speaking to him.

"Wan, I have to leave your body, or I'll destroy you."

"No, it's working. If you leave the fighting will start again!"

But Wan could take no more. His eyes glowed white and he could feel himself falling. Raava flew out of his body.

"Wan!"

The spirit quickly caught Wan before he made contact with the ground and with her tendrils, she grabbed the ponies as well. But once so, the spirits reverted back to their darkened state, and they watched in horror as the humans and spirits collided. Leilani struggled in Raava's grip in an attempt to help her friends.

"NO! Aye-Aye!!!"

But it was too late. The battle had begun. And in this one, no one wold become the victor.

(~)

"Wan. Wan, wake up!"

The young man groaned as he opened his eyes and sat back up. He witnessed the village down bellow, burning to the ground. He quickly stood back up. "We have to go back"

Then, Vaatu appeared in front of them. He had grown even bigger than before. A sure sign that his powers were reaching its peak. "Don't bother. Your human and pony friends have already been annihilated."

"No!"

"Enjoy your final days. See you at the end of the world." Vaatu laughed wickedly as he flew away. All Wan could do was watch in sadness and regret. This was all his fault.

White turned to behind a rock, "Wan, look!" the two boys looked down sadly at Raava, who was severely shrunken. Prince nuzzled the weakened spirit, who laid on the ground like a piece of wet tissue. They could hear her exhausted breaths.

"Raava."

"I'm sorry, boys."

Wan gently took Raava into his arm and slid her into a teapot on Mula's saddle. But, Raava was not the only depressed female of their group. Poor heartbroken Leilani sat on a bolder, her ears lowered in sadness, her head hung, and a gentle breeze blew on her mane. Her eyes were wet from her tears. She did not sob, or weep loudly. Her inner emotions were doing that. On the outside, she was stone cold, with only her tears as a symbol of her pain. White slowly approached her, he didn't know what else to say. "Aye-Aye will be alright." he assured her.

"I know." she said in a monotone voice. "He may be alive, but he has turned into a monster." her eyes closed shut and she angrily turned to Wan. "And it's all because of you!!" Wan didn't even flinch for this was a reality he was well aware of. "If you hadn't gotten involved with Raava and Vaatu this never would have happened! And if I had never met you I wouldn't be in such pain! What's the point of doing the right thing if all you get is this! Hurt!" the unicorn started to weep loudly. She had never felt such anger in her life. Such heartbreak. Even when her parents died and she was alone. The spirits were her only family, and now…now they were gone. "Aye-Aye was right. All humans do is destroy."

When all seems lost, a light will shine.

Leilani gasped silently as Raava spoke. Though weak, she used her remaining strength to repeat Leilani's previous words;

Brightening the hearts of yours and mine

Fate be changed

Look inside

Mend the bond

Make a change

From a selfless act

Hope shall rise above

A new era begins

When thrived

By love

Leilani was silent. She had nearly forgotten those words. The words that came out of her own mouth.

"I understand your pain, my dear." Raava said kindly, "But while Wan has made an error, he has done his best to make up for it. Sometimes, the right path is not always the easiest one, but just because something is not easy, does not mean it is impossible or pointless. Don't follow their example, Leilani. You are strong, don't give in to what is easy, rather fight for what may be difficult. Keeping your faith is hard, but that is why we have our friends. To remind us that we are never truly alone. Your friendship, all of you, you have given me reason to hope again. To keep on fighting. I refuse to give into darkness, and so should you."

The unicorn felt so ashamed for how she had acted. She should have known that being angry would not help. Instead of feeling sad with regret, she should follow Wan's example; to correct a wrong, no matter how hard it may be.

White wiped away the tears from Leilani's face, as he softly sang;

(Carry on, by Olivia Holt)

There's always gonna be some canyon in the way…

There's always gonna be a river you cannot cross

Wan;

Somewhere along this path that's chosen me,

I know I'm gonna fall down, feel lost, feel weak

But wherever it leads

Wan and White;

No one said this would ever be easy, my love

But I will be by your side when the impossible rises up

We will travel this life well-worn

No matter the cause

No matter how long

We will leave our footprints behind

And carry on, carry on

Carry on, carry on!

Leilani finally smiled as Wan squatted down to her level. "I'm so sorry for all that has happened. But I promise, I will make things right."

"I know you will. I'm sorry for being so angry."

"It's okay. Besides, you still have that promise to keep."

And indeed she did. Just how was she and White suppose to return the ponies to their homeward if they gave up now. And so, with new hope and courage, the group mounted into Mula's back, and rose off towards the southern portal.

For Harmonic Convergence.

Leilani;

We may fall behind

Lose miles along this road

We will be alright

I will never let you go

White;

No one said this would ever be easy, my love

But I will be by your side when the impossible rises up

Wan, White, Leilani;

We will travel this life well-worn

No matter the cause

No matter how long

We will leave our footprints behind…

And carry on

And carry on...

(~)

With a hood over his head, and arm warmers, Wan and his friends traveled in the cold south. White and Leilani rode behind him, both in cloaks to protect them from the winter. Wan carried Raava in his teapot.

"How you holding up, Raava?" White asked.

"We are almost there." she replied, "I was wrong about you before, Wan. I had no idea humans were capable of such nobility and courage. Or that ponies could be so strong and fiercely loyal to their loved ones. I'm sorry that we do not make much time together."

"Let's not give up before the battle's even begun" said Leilani, "Who knows what will happen?"

Wan nodded, "She's right. After all, this is our first Harmonic Convergence."

If Raava has a face, she would be smiling right now. "For so long, I have relied on my own strength, but now I see things much more clearly than I ever have before." the light spirit looked upwards into the sky, "May the Light be with us now."

They finally reached the portal, a beaming light rising from the ground. It's energy was powerful, even Leilani could sense it. Unlike its environment, around the portal was a small forest filled with growing lush green trees. The group walked closer to it.

"This is the southern portal to the spirit world." said Raava, "Here Vaatu and I will do battle once again at the place where the two worlds meet."

The group entered through the portal, it was such a powerful spiritual energy that Leilani's horn glowed unexpectedly, reacting to the powerful energies. Then, to her and White's surprise, both of their cutie marks glowed as well. Once they walked out of the beam of light, they made it into the spirit world. Or at least one part of it.

A barren place with only a single hollow tree in the center, and a few streams and the two portals resting on both sides. Wan removed his hood as the ponies followed his action. They all stood their ground, awaiting for Vaatu to arrive.

Right on cue, the dark spirit emerged from the northern portal, now larger than ever. "Are you ready for our final battle Raava? Thanks to our friend separating us, I think this time I may be rid of you once and for all."

Wan stood bravely in front of Vaatu and Leilani gently placed the teapot, carrying Raava on Mula's saddle. "Before you get to her, you'll have to go through me." said the young man. White stomped his hoof, removing his cloak, revealing his glowing cutie mark. Leilani did the same, revealing her glowing cutie mark as well. Her horn had stopped glowing, but the energy was still within her.

"You'll have to go through all of us!" White said courageously.

Vaatu chuckled, "No human or pony can stand against me."

"Haven't you heard the legends? I'm no longer a regular human." Wan stated.

"And we may be just ordinary ponies," Leilani began, "but we carry the strength and hope of our kind within us. We may be small, but together, we are larger than life!"

White and Wan immediately firebended at the dark spirit and Leilani bended a stream of water from around her. Vaatu flew away in circles, avoiding the attacks and then knocked the ponies and Wan away with his tendrils.

Vaatu unleashed a purple energy beam out of his face right at the friends, who screamed as they were knocked away backwards. The beast shoot another energy blast at them. They grunted as they ricocheted over the ground. White and Leilani ended up in opposite sides, with Wan struggling to get up, his eyes narrowing at the gigantic beast before him.

"Now prepare to face oblivion! The End of Days has arrived for you pitiful creatures!" Vaatu prepared to shoot another beam at Wan, ready to end him.

"NO!!"

Prince White and Leilani cried out….as they both jumped right in between Wan and the impact!

The ponies were knocked to the ground and laid there as blue smoke emitted from the large black wound on their backs. Both had landed beat the northern portal.

"White! Leilani!" Wan was on the verge of tears as his best friends smiled weakly at him, not saying a word. They were still alive, but barely. It was clear that they would not last for long. Tears came out of Wan's eyes. His best friends were gone.

"No!" desperately, he turned to Raava, "Raava! The only way to win is together. We will not let our friends' sacrifice go in vain!"

Raava couldn't agree more. She flew towards up from the teapot, towards Wan and merged with his body. His body was now surrounded by a white light, his eyes glowed bright.

Meanwhile, Leilani still had a little bit of energy left within her as she watched Wan fight off Vaatu. "Wan…" she wanted so badly to help her friend but she and White were both too weak.

Vaatu attacked with his tentacles, which Wan avoided by fleeing on a cloud. The two exchanged the same blows. Wan flew up and unleashed a fire blast at Vaatu, who once again knocked him away. Wan managed to land on the ground, bending water at Vaatu with all of his might. His anger towards the dark spirit for hurting his friends made him even more determined to finish him off. But with every strike, while it did strike Vaatu, it did no real damage. Wan flew up on a cloud, levitating three rocks and hurled them at Vaatu. But he only avoided them. He flew up and began attacking Wan with his tendrils, and Wan firebended at him. Wan landed backwards onto the ground, and his body suddenly began to shake. The power of Raava was now becoming to much for him again. He fell on his knees, grunting in pain. His body static.

"I have to leave you!" Raava said from within him, "If I stay any longer, you will die!"

But Was refused, "It doesn't matter. If you leave me now, Vaatu will destroy everything. We have to finish this together. For Prince White and Leilani!"

Leilani heard Wan's words, as did White. Suddenly, Leilani's horn started to glow brightly, even brighter than before, as did her and White's cutie marks. The energy of the portal somehow reacted to her magic, which was fueled by the love she felt when she heard Wan's voice. White had heard him too, his heart filled with compassion and warmth despite his slow death. His energy was shared with the mare he loved.

Wan charged at Vaatu and unleashed a fire blast, but he was then shot backwards to the southern portal by Vaatu's energy beam. But Wan skied to a halt before he even made contact with the portal. Then Vaatu pined him down with his tentacles. Wan was stuck, he could not move.

"Harmonic Convergence is about to begin. The era of Raava is over."

From space, the planets aligned, the two beams of the spirit portals connected with one another creating an enormous amount of energy. The two weak ponies refused to let this happen. They refused to die like this. White and Leilani used the amount of strength they had left and using the small crater as a crunch, they reached towards the portal.

Leilani grunted as she spoke, "I…won't give up. I made a promise to my kind. I will not break that promise." as she rose her weak hoof towards the portal, she remembered all of the hopeful faces of each of the ponies she had encountered. Their hope was her motivation.

White too reached for the portal. They did not know how, but perhaps the spiritual energy from the portal could give them the boost they needed to help Wan. White grunted as he rose his hoof. "All my life, I foolishly believed I never needed friends. But my friends changed my life. I…won't, let them down."

Vaatu began to glow purple as he watched the spectacle in the sky. While still static, Wan lit up briefly, showing Raava's form inside his chest. As if by fate, Wan placed his right hand behind him, touching the portal simultaneously with the ponies's hooves once they too touched the second portal.

All of the courage, hope and love they shared with each other, Wan, Raava, the spirits and all the ponies they had encountered flowed within them. At the same time, the energy of the southern spirit portal flowed through Wan, basking him in blue light. While Wan was being infused with spiritual energy, Leilani and White's energy only amplified that of the spirit portals. Both ponies responded in unison, with much strength and hope in there voices.

"I fight for my friends!"

Wan, White and Leilani felt the energy of the spirit portals react to the power and strength of their courage. Their love, their selfless actions. They believed in each other, they believed in the friends they had made. They believed in the magic that connected them all.

The True Magic!

The energy traveled from the ponies through the intertwined portals until it reached on towards Wan. He could feel their power crossing through his body. Their pony magic being shared with his body as well as Raava's power. Their strength…their friendship. The man got to his knees, opened his mouth, unleashing a powerful yell and a light beam from his mouth. Then, White and Leilani began to float up into the air, both glowing in a bright white and yellow lights.

The ponies began to change; both growing taller in size. White's mane and tail were now longer and became dark blue in color. Leilani's mane and tail both grew longer, earning sparkles and moving on their own like waves. Then, both sides of their bodies glowed…as two pairs of feathery wings emerged! White's forehead glowed brighter…as a unicorn horn grew out!

The glomming faded and the newly transformed Prince White and Leilani stood proud and tall, galloping their hooves and neighing with great confidence and majesty.

From a selfless act

Hope shall rise above

A new era begins

When thrived

By love

The positive light from all three unleashed a powerful light that threw Vaatu backwards. He could feel his own energy draining from him. The dark spirit moved away from a safe distance before turning back. As the lights subdued, Wan, White and Leilani emerged, the ponies now fully transformed, and Wan's energy now stabilized. He could hear Raava's voice from within him.

"We are bonded, Wan."

Vaatu shook in fear. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"Playtime is over for you, Vaatu." White spoke. His voice sounding slightly deeper, no longer like a late teen, but like a grown man.

Together, the three started attacking Vaatu, hitting him constantly with their bending. White and Leilani even began shooting energy blasts from their horns with ease. The two changed ponies continued this, weakening the dark spirit with constant blasts of magic. Using this as his chance, Wan then trapped Vaatu in an air bubble. He bended all four elements around Vaatu as he pushed him to the opening of the hollow tree. The ponies added a combined magical bubble around him as they too assisted Wan in pushing Vaatu deeper into the hole of the tree. Once he was inside, the tree emitted a bright ring of energy and Vaatu remained trapped within the tree behind a purple energy filed.

"This is your prison now. For your pride and cruelty here is where you shall remain." Wan said, his eyes no longer white and his body returning to normal. "And I will close the portal so no human will ever be able to physically enter the Spirit World and release you."

White and Leilani lowered down, their large wings gently flapping. Wan finally took a moment to look at his friends. They were still the same earth pony and unicorn he had come to know and love, only now they were as tall as him, with wings and White now had a horn and a longer mane. Leilani's mane now moved in an invisible breeze, adorned with sparkles that surrounded it. But they were not the only ones who had changed, for now White had a single golden streak on his hair. They both smiled and embraced one another.

"I can't believe it." Wan said in awe, "You changed."

White winked at his friend, "We all have Wan. We all have."

"You saved my life. I never could have done this without you. We did it!"

The two hugged once more. They had done it. They defeated Vaatu and saved the world. All because of their friendship.

(~)

With Raava's powers, Wan closed the northern portal, which now became a single purple glowing orb. Back in the human world, spirits all around lined up to return to their home. "The spirits must stop fighting with humans and return to their home in the Spirit World." Wan stated. "I will teach men to respect their home so that balance will be maintained. I will be the bridge between our worlds."

The very last spirit to enter the portal was Aye-Aye, now back to his original form. He released a single tear as he waved farewell to his dear unicorn, and adoptive daughter, Leilani. They would miss one another, but had faith they would meet again. One day. Aye-Aye bowed to the three of them in gratitude and they did as well before the spirit returned to his homeland. With his hand, Wan closed the portal, with a single tear escaping his eye.

Wan, White, Leilani and Mula all stood before the Lion Turtle, with groups of humans and ponies rallied behind them. The great beast spoke, "The world is entering a new age. Our time protecting mankind is over. We will no longer give humans the power of the elements. From this day forward, you will pass down your talents to your descendants. What you do with them from this day forward shall be your own choice. But be warned to face the consequences once upon you."

And, as promised, the ponies all around the world gathered together towards the mystic pond. It took almost a whole year for all the ponies to enter the portal, and would remain in Equestria for two the remanding year until they wished to return to their human world. However, they wanted to take extra precaution. White and Leilani have decided to keep the gateway closed for a while so ponies could get acquainted with their homeland in peace and reopen it once it was safe. They feared some corrupted humans would enter their world and disturb it's perfect balance. Something Wan agreed with. It was rather risky, but with their new powers they were certain it could be accomplished. Pegasus ponies bid farewell to their nomad friends as all ponies from the human world all lined up to return to enter Equestria through the pond. As the last pony entered the portal, Prince White and Leilani sadly turned to Wan,

"You sure about this?" Leilani asked her human friend.

"I am." Wan said, "As much as it pains me to see you leave, for now, our worlds must remain separate for the time being. The ponies need you to help guide them and the ponies of this world must know where they come from. Both of our worlds have been shifted from Harmonic Convergence and we need to get them back on track. You two were transformed for a reason. You can lead your kind into a better life or peace and harmony and I will do the same with mine. Different groups of people must learn to live together. This is my mission: to use Raava's light to guide the world towards peace."

The two ponies nodded in agreement. "We know you will." White said proudly. "And when the time is right, we shall reopen the gateway and be reunited once more and never again will we be separated."

"We will all do our best to bring peace and balance between our two worlds." said Leilani, a tear escaping her eye. Wan smiled at them both.

"Hey, don't worry. This won't be forever and you can open the portal whenever you wish." Then Wan closed his hands as a light began to shine in between his fingers. Once he opened his hands, appeared a glowing seed in his palm. He took out a small pouch and placed it inside. He then tied it around Leilani's neck. "When you plant this on the soil of your home, you will always have a part of me and Raava. This way we can keep in touch, and to show that no matter how far away we are from each other…we will always have our friendship."

Then, Leilani magically levitated a bag of seeds. "These are Fire Lilly seeds. I hope they will remind you of us." The three friends embraced in a warm yet tearful hug once more. They took their time with this one, for it would be the last in a long while.

"Thank you, Wan." White said, "For showing me what it truly means to be a friend."

"And thank you, Prince White. And you, Leilani. For showing me what it truly means to make a difference, and to fight for something bigger than yourself."

They hesitantly released and shared one final glance before Prince White and Leilani entered the pond and back into Equestria. Once they had all crossed over, White and Leilani's horns glowed brightly and dipped them into the portal. From the other side, Wan used his free hands to close the portal on his side. With all of their might they managed to close the gateway, however, something happened. Something they did not expect.

The pond emitted a powerful ring of light which threw the three friends back, landing hard on their backs. Wan felt a sting in his arms, he looked at them, seeing them glowing bright blue before returning to normal. He felt a strange sensation come onto him, and the single golden streak he once had disappeared completely. But what caught his attention even more was the pond….

It was completely gone. Not a trace of it anywhere. He gasped in horror.

White and Leilani woke up and gasped in shock. The pond was also gone from their end. But that wasn't all…

All around them, Equestria looked different. No longer did it look detailed as it once did, now it looked more as if they had entered a painting. Even their anatomies were different now. The land appeared to resemble more that of a painting, with smaller details than before. Their physical outlook was now flat-looking, having lost their tree-dimensional appearances.

"We didn't realize it until afterwords. By forcing the portal to close ahead of its time, we caused a chain reaction. The gateway to our worlds was now completely gone, and with it the connection between us…was completely severed."

White kneeled down to where the portal once stood. Now there was no possible way for their worlds to connect once again. Meanwhile, Wan himself felt a tear escape his eye. He knew his friends would be alright, free from the greed of humans and they could begin a new life with the ponies who had been neglected of their magical land and what it could truly do for them. It was painful for him to say goodbye forever, but this was for the best. The worlds needed to be separated for now, but he knew that someday, one way or another, their homes would become one again. Only this time, they will have both grown and become better, and with it, help one another to grow even more as well. He felt so strange in his world now, as if something about it was now missing. But not just him, this was shared all around, problem was, other humans could not recall just what it was.

Wan took the seed Leilani had given him and planted it on the ground where the pond once stood. His hands began to glow and suddenly, a single Fire Lilly grew up in an instant. He didn't know that one day this entire area would be filled with fire lilies and that they would grow far and wide. Leilani may be gone, but a piece of her will always remain in this world.

White and Leilani continued to look at where the pond was. They both levitated the small seed Wan had given them and planted it on the soil. The ground began to glow, and the two ponies backed away as a bright and stunningly beautiful plant grew from the soil, growing and growing until it became a stunning large tree made out entirely of crystals and with a star-shaped mark on the very center, along with a sun and moon marks along the down part of the trunk. On the tree's branches were different colored gem stones, each glowing brightly in a mesmerizing radiance. Once the tree was fully grown, the soil all around Equestria shimmered. The seed from Wan and Raava had grown into what would now be known was…The Tree of Harmony.

Twilight couldn't believe her eyes. So this was where the tree had come from as well as the Elements of Harmony. "I don't believe it. So the Tree of Harmony was actually created by Raava's light?"

The alicorn prince nodded, "Yes. And the Elements of Harmony were physical manifestations of Wan's soul. His kindness. His loyalty. Honesty. Generosity. Laughter, and Love. And with the light from Raava, as well as the magical aura of our realm, they all had incredible powers."

The image changed and then they saw a battlefield, rocks elevated everywhere, red flags, arrows, and large earth coins lied scattered over the field. An elderly Wan laid against a giant stone, wearing battle armor, surrounded by arrows, one pierced threw his leg. He was dying. Twilight could feel her heart break at the sight. Wan spoke to Raava, his voice old and weakened from constant fighting.

"I'm sorry, Raava. I failed to bring peace. Even with Vaatu locked away, darkness still surrounds humanity. There wasn't enough time."

But then, he heard Raava's voice, kind, gentle and loving. "Don't worry. Your time might have reached its end, but this battle is far from over. One day, the magic will return. Light will triumph over darkness. I shall be with you and all of your successors until the final battle. We will never give up, but for now…it is time for you to go home."

As Wan exhaled one last time, a golden light escaped his mouth. It dissipated into little golden specks before scattering all around. A wave of sparkled traveled all around the land, as if seeking for one who is worthy. Now dead, Wan's clenched hand open up, and a single fire lilly fell from his hand. It disintegrated as it hit the ground and blended with the soil. What was heard next was the sound of a crying newborn baby.

Twilight squinted her eyes as images of the white light traveling throughout the centuries, choosing various infants, each one corresponding with each element of the cycle up until it reached Aang. During each of those times, the alicorn could see an aura around them. It wasn't just Raava, but also the magic Wan and his friends had uncovered. A magic that was shared by him and the alicorns. A magic, that still connected them even during times of separation.

Twilight then saw images of Prince White now ruling Equestria alongside Leilani, now known as their Princess, and the ponies all learning to adjust to their new lives as Prince narrated,

"When Leilani and I returned to Equestria, we realized that because we were no longer connected with Wan's world, we lost our ability to bend our elements. As did many other ponies. The different energies of our worlds had severed, no longer one. But over time, they all forgot about the humans, spirits and their bending. The only ones who still remembered were us. Because of our powers, we were crowned the rulers of our homeland and took our part in rising the sun and moon, since we no longer shared them with Wan's home. Together, we led Equestria into a brighter future. Over the years, we visited the tree as often as we could. Whenever there was trouble that we couldn't handle, Wan's elements helped us."

They then saw an image of Leilani writing on a book…Twilight knew it was the prophesy book. The first alicorn princess placed the book within the tree. She was accompanied by White and two little fillies, both girls with unicorn horns and wings.

"We told out daughters that one day this tree would give them the answers they needed. But we never told anypony else about Wan." he said sadly. Twilight then saw images of when she and her friends first took control of the Elements. "You see Twilight, when The Tree of Harmony was loosing power, it wasn't just because it needed the Elements back. You girls are connected to them for a reason."

"Wan's Elements chose us?" Twilight asked in awe.

"Yes. Me and Leilani became alicorns, and Wan became the Avatar because we all embraced the true example of the Light. Our magic came directly from The Magic of Friendship itself. The friends we had made in our time with Wan and Raava, ponies, humans and all are a statement to that. And you girls represent what makes Wan's Elements so powerful. By wielding the Elements of Harmony, you were destined to find the one Avatar who would unite our worlds forever. That's why you all felt so drawn to Korra when you first met. Because you saw straight into her true heart, and by chance, found a kindred spirit in the process."

Twilight's eyes widen as she realized this. "No wonder. Korra changed my life even before I met her." and it was true. The Elements of Harmony did bring Twilight and her friends together, and the Elements came from Korra, well her in a past life but still. Their friendship was destined from the start. "But wait, if our worlds have been separated, how come Equestria is loosing its magic now?"

"When we closed the gateway and returned the ponies home, we took our magic away from Wan's world. And while it still carries magic of its own, like bending and the spirit creatures, it wasn't enough to make it whole. Our worlds weren't meant to be separated, but shared. The three of us foolishly lost sight of that."

Twilight gasped in shock. It did make sense, when Wan and Raava bonded, a small piece of Leilani and White's now alicorn magic did sink into Wan, hence the golden streak, only now…there was no more magic. At least, not the kind of magic it would need. And the same went for Equestria, ponies lost their ability to bend because it was no longer a part of them due to the separation. The Tree of Harmony was made from Wan and Raava and was now the only thing in Equestria that came from that other world, while the Equestrian magic within the Avatar remained in the other world, balancing them out for generations.

"Leilani knew that while our worlds would be physically separate, as long as there remained the Tree and the Avatar, our worlds would thrive. Only now, the two are no longer enough to keep either of our magic a flow. And the spirits..." White hung his head in shame. "They're in this mess because of us."

"Why?"

"The true reason why spirits turn dark, is indeed because they are imbalanced, but not in the way Unalaq described. A trace of Vaatu's darkness still remained. Whenever they felt angry at humans for the destruction of their sacred homes, they turned into creatures trapped within their own corrupted nature. Spirits aren't gods to be worshiped, Twilight. They're innocent creatures, flawed and lost just like any pony or human. We all have the potential for great good, but also great evil. It all depends on the path we choose to take. Vaatu always knew of the Great Change during his imprisonment, and even when trapped, he managed to spread his darkness even in the tiniest way through the dark spirits he created with his subconscious influence. That's why he sent the dark spirits to summon Unalaq."

Twilight gasped at this revelation. "So, everything Unalaq has done was..."

"All part of Vaatu's plan. He wants to destroy any chance you girls have of defeating him. To restore the magic would be to share Equestria's with the one world that needs it most."

"A world without shine."

"Exactly."

"And how do we do that?" Twilight asked.

"Remember what the book said; 'When the seven hearts unite as one--"

"A new era...has begun." Twilight finished. "The final battle."

"By using the new Elements of Harmony during Harmonic Convergence you girls will create a new portal between our two worlds. A true portal, not the artificial one you made with the book. Once the magic in Equestria is shared with this world, it will increase and spread all around, restoring the magic fully, and with it Vaatu's power will never take over again. But you can't do it alone."

Prince White began to fade into a blazing light….

Twilight opened her eyes and gasped for air. At the exact some time Korra's eyes open and started to glow. She jolted up, little white beams shooting out of her eyes as she gasped for air, and the light in her eyes stopped. The ponies' eyes stopped glowing and their elements dissolved again into their skins. They shook their heads and looked down at Korra in the pool.

Fluttershy looked down at her, "Korra?"

The young Avatar's eyes widened, as the truth finally hit her. "I…I remember."

"Do you know who you are?" asked the Shaman.

Korra looked up at her, "Yes. I am the Avatar."

The ponies looked happy but then they looked sad. "And, what else?" Applejack asked

"What else what?"

"Don't you remember us?" Rainbow asked hopefully.

Korra looked up at the ponies, her eyes didn't have that warmth they always had whenever she looked at them. "I'm sorry but…no. I know what I am now but not exactly who I am. I don't know if I have a family or friends."

They couldn't believe it, Korra still couldn't remember them. Then Twilight's horn began to glow, and the alicorn realized what she needed to do. "I bet I can help with that!" She flew down toward Korra, "This won't hurt. I promise." Twilight placed her horn on Korra's forehead and, in a flash, all of her memories started flashing before her very eyes like a film going in fast forward. The memories stopped and she gasped as she backed away from the alicorn, her horn stopped glowing. Twilight waited anxiously for Korra's reply. The Avatar simply looked at her and finally spoke in a soft whisper.

"Sunshine….sunshine….ladies bugs awake. Clap your hooves..."

"And do a little shake!" both girls said in union. Twilight smiled with tears forming in her eyes and hugged Korra. "You remember me!"

"Of course I do. How could I ever forget my little pony?"

The ponies and Spike cheered happily from above. Rainbow Dash did happy air flips, "Alright! Korra's back baby!"

"Now are you certain you know who you are?" the Shaman asked.

"Yes. My name is Korra. I'm the Avatar. I am the Element of Unity. But most importantly…", she airbended herself upwards and smiled at the ponies, "I'm your A.B.F.F. Avatar Best Friend Forever!"

"Korra!" Spike and the ponies all happily hugged their friend.

Applejack wiped away a tear, "Oh, we were so worried."

Pinkie Pie hugged the human's leg, "We thought we'd never see you again!"

"I'm so happy you're back to normal." said Fluttershy as she nuzzled Korra's cheek with her own.

"Me too." Korra said, looking at them all with a face of regret. "I'm so sorry I put you through that."

"Don't worry about it." Twilight reassured.

"We're just happy you're you again." Flash said in relief.

Spike walked up to the human with a hopeful spirit, "You remember me too?"

"Of course I remember you, Spike…." Korra placed her hands on her hips, "I also remember you were the one who burned my favorite pair of snow boots last month."

"Uhhhhhhhhh" Spike then took Applejack's hat and spoke with a southern accent, "I'm Applejack! Ye-Haw!"

(~)

The Shaman took all of them outside to the sky bisons, "We've been raising this heard of air bison since the Hundred Year War. I never thought I'd be able to present one to the Avatar."

"Thank you for all of your kindness." Korra said graciously.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; against such things there is no law." the woman said.

"I wonder how long I've been away."

"That I cannot say, but you do not have much time left. The Harmonic Convergence is only weeks away."

"That's not all." Korra stated, "If we don't close the portals by that time, our world will disappear forever unless we can restore the magic of Equestria."

Rainbow Dash flew toward one of the bisons, "Well then what are we waiting for?"

Korra and the others turned and bowed in gratitude to the Shaman. The Shaman herself placed her hand on Korra's shoulder. The Avatar looked at her sadly. "I'm scared." she confessed.

"I know. But you don't need to be anymore." the Shaman took Korra's hand, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "Trust in the Light with all of your heart, and you will know what you must do."

(~)

They all rode together on a sky bison with the winged ponies flying beside him as Korra took control of the reigns. "I can't believe we got to see the very first Avatar. And the first alicorns" said Fluttershy.

"Was Wan really powerful?" Spike asked curiously.

"He was extraordinary!" said Rarity.

"He was almost as awesome as me!" said Rainbow.

"Sounds amazing" Flash said,

Twilight smiled at him, "Yeah, it was."

"Speaking of amazing. What happened while I was out those first three days?" Korra asked.

Pinkie Pie jumped beside her, "Twilight and Flash sentry confessed their romantic feelings for each other and Twilight kissed him on the cheek!"

Korra's eye widened, "WHAT?!"

Twilight blushed, "PINKIE PIE!"

"What? I'm just answering her question"

Twilight and Flash blushed in embarrassment. They had no idea how in the hey Pinkie Pie knew about that. Korra was speechless, "Twilight! I can't believe you did that! It's so unlike you…..I am so proud!" The two girls hugged happily.

"So you're not mad?" Flash asked hopefully.

"Of course not. I'm happy for you two." then Korra's tone changed from happy to authoritative, "But if you do try anything to hurt my Twily, you can kiss you're wings goodbye."

Flash blinked before smiling, "…..great to have you back, Korra."

The Avatar laughed, "Things are only going to get more dangerous from here on out." she smiled encouragingly at her friends, "But we will face it together"

Korra then began to sing,

Some will write you off before you ever start.

Twilight,

Some will say the journey's just too hard.

Rarity,

Somewhere between right here and the other side

There will be fear and doubt in the deep dark night

Ponies,

But we will survive!

Together,

Yeah!

No one said this would ever be easy, my friends.

But I will be by your side when the impossible rises up.

We will travel this life well-worn.

No matter the cost, no matter how long.

We will leave our footprints behind

And carry on.

Carry on, carry on, carry on

Carry on….

As the friend sflew off they knew that they would face any dangers together.

Just like Wan, Raava and Prince White did.

(~)

In the Everfree Forest, Celestia was standing in front of the tree of Harmony. She gasped as she watched one of it's branches turn grey and fall to the ground, "Oh no."

She knew what this meant…The Great Change was coming.

In the Everfree Forest, Celestia was standing in front of the tree of Harmony. She gasped as she watched one of it's branches turn grey and fall to the ground, "Oh no."

She knew what this meant…The Great Change was coming.

*(~)*

Galantians 5:22-23 ~

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; giants such things there is no law.

*(~)*

Author's Note:

Part 2 is done! Please let me know what you think and I hoped you enjoyed it.

Comments

[ponylover2]

awesome