The Little Pony Legend 3: The Great Change

by MaggiesHeartLove

The Stakeout

The Stakeout

All throughout the night, and all through the day, Team Avatar drove and rode across the earth kingdom. Naga kept her nose near the ground, tracking down Aiwei's scent. The Team finally stopped at a local Earth Kingdom village in the desert. The ponies were in their pony form to keep space in the jeep while the winged ponies flew beside Korra. Once Naga came to a halt, so did the vehicle. Poor little Spike was car sick.

"Are we there yet?" he asked, his normal purple face now abnormally green like his scales.

Korra responded his question, "Yeah. Aiwei has definitely been through here." she petted her polar bear dog and smiled, "Nice tracking, girl."

Twilight landed on the ground along with Rainbow Dash, Flash Sentry and Fluttershy. "Let's ask around. Maybe someone's seen him." said the princess. The others followed her example and began exploring the place, while Mako carried a sickly Spike in his arms like a child. It was a pretty simple looking village, with simple stone homes with tarps to protect people from the sun. Rarity jumped from the jeep and felt the desert dust already covering her perfectly clean hooves.

"Ew! Has nobody ever heard of dusting around here?"

"It's the desert, Rarity." Applejack stated, "There's dust everywhere."

The unicorn groaned in annoyance, "Er! Why do bad guys always have to pick the worst places to hide?"

The group walked into a tavern in the desert village, and once they did they saw that it was filled with these grumpy looking dudes who's heads all turned once the group entered. Fluttershy stood beside Korra for protection while Rarity crinkled her nose at the sight of the crowd while Pinkie Pie happily waved hello.

"My, what a…charming little venue you gentlemen have here." Rarity said in the most polite way she could, but none of them smiled. As the group entered Bolin spotted a poster on the wall with his face on it.

"Ohh look, they have a mover poster of me." he said rather excitedly. Mako looked at the poster with mild surprise while Spike, still in his arms, was getting over his motion sickness.

"Must be big Nuktuk fans." Bolin smiled and rubbed his hands together. "Yeah, I should go out and say hello …" once he attempted to walk over to meet his 'fans', Mako quickly grabbed him by the sleeve.

"No. Those are wanted posters, and there's one for each of us."

Indeed there was. On the walls were mugshots of Bolin, Mako, Korra and Asami, even of the ponies, but in their pony forms. They could not believe their eyes.

"How in the heck did they get those?" Rainbow asked in disbelief.

Flash Sentry flew upwards and read Korra's poster, " "Wanted by Her Majesty, the Earth Queen, for crimes against the Kingdom."

Mako glanced back at Korra, rolling his eyes, "I'm guessing this is because we took her airbenders." he said.

Korra and the ponies all simultaneously responded in frustration; "They weren't her's to keep!"

Korra clenched her fists, her anger boiling over at the thought of that arrogant old queen. "I swear, if I see her pinchy little queen face again, I am gonna…"

"Uhh, guys …"

The Avatar's angry rant was interrupted when Asami caught their attention. Their eyes widened in horror as various patrons of the bar looked at them with cold, almost threatening looks and one man pulled out his sword while another showed off his spear.

"We should get out of here." said the heiress. Spike, having finally gotten over his sickness, jumped out of Mako's arm and ran out the curtain entrance.

"Don't have to tell me twice!"

The group walked out before Korra did an 'i'm watching you' gesture to the men in the tavern and Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves, smiling smugly.

"Pony style!"

(~)

Back in Zaofu, Su was speaking to a few guards, with Princess Luna beside her. Her wing was recuperating fast and she could fly again. Lin walked over to the two and confronted them.

"There you are, Princess. Were are the others? I've been waiting to leave for half an hour."

"And good morning to you, Lin." Su said in her upbeat attitude. "Now don't get mad, Korra's fine. I'm just waiting to hear if she'd tracked down Aiwei yet."

Lin's eyes widened in alarm. "What! You let Korra go?! I thought we were on the same page about this, and then you go and stab me in the back? And Luna, how could you allow this to happen?

"Oh, don't be so overdramatic." said her sister.

"I wasn't talking to you!"

Luna remained calm and composed. "At ease, Lin. I allowed Korra and the other to leave. This is her destiny and I can not interfere with one's destiny. Besides, you can't control the Avatar's every move."

"I can try." Lin said as she walked away angrily.

(~)

The group following a windy road as Naga sniffed for any scent. Her nose close to the ground and stopped in front of a collection of large desert rocks. "Naga found something." Korra jumped from Naga's back and earthbended a rock to the side, revealing a car hidden behind it. This must have been Aiwei's car. Naga then bumped her head on Korra. The Avatar frowned for she knew what the beast wanted. "Oh ... Sorry, I forgot to bring treats but, good girl." Korra tried to make up for it by rubbing her cheek, but Naga responded by walking away, and using her tail to whip Korra in the face, much to her annoyance.

If Naga don't get her snacks, Mama don't get no thanks.

The ponies morphed into their anthro form and looked sternly at Naga before turning to the car before them.

"This must be Aiwei's jeep." Asami said

"Which means he can't be too far." said Twilight.

"Hey guys!" Their attention turned to Spike who pointed into the distance at a small village oasis far up ahead. "What's that place?"

"The Misty Palms Oasis." Twilight said. "I read about it. Most people go there for a relaxing getaway. Though after the thousand year war, not so much."

The others looked on at the place and Rarity was already fanning herself from the heat of the desert. "Well, it could use a few architectural flourishes. Or any architectural flourishes, actually."

Mako spoke to the others, "Bolin and I will investigate the Misty Palms Oasis, and see if Aiwei's hold up there."

Bolin folded his arms, smiling excitedly. "Yes! I love it when you talk like a cop."

"I'm coming too." Korra said, right before Pinkie Pie appeared from behind her, placing an arm around her shoulder and giving a peace sign.

"Me three!"

"No." Mako responded, "You and the others wait here in case he comes back. Besides, we don't want to call too much attention to ourselves."

Korra had to agree with her boyfriend on this, drawing too much attention would be a problem for them. After all, a teenage girl with two feathered wings might raise a few suspicions.

"All right."

Flash took the lead and prepared to head into the city. "Well then let's go." however, Mako stopped him by pulling on his wing.

"Wait Flash, we can't have too many of us looking for Aiwei. And besides, no matter what form you're in, he's bound to recognize you."

The pegasus lowered his ears sadly, "Okay, fine. I'll stay here."

Bolin then became even more excited, his palms opening and closing as he spoke, "Ooh, Mako, Mako, Mako! We should wear disguises and pretend we're going undercover! That way, no one will recognize us." he emphasized his point by covering his face with his hand, leaving only his eyes visible. "Haha, police work is so exciting!"

Bolin took from a bag a yellow poncho, plus a second for Mako with green goggles. Bolin stood tall and proud at his 'disguise' while Mako looked downright embarrassed. Korra, Asami and the rest of the girls looked unconvinced, questioning how these mediocre disguises could ever hope to full anyone. Rarity arched an eyebrow in disgust for this shade of yellow did not suit them at all. Spike and Rainbow Dash on the other hand, started laughing out loud, clinching their stomachs at how ridiculous they looked. Even the spirit trio were laughing, making Mako blush in humiliation and covering his face with the hood of his poncho. Bolin was oblivious to the negative responses.

"All right, now we need our undercover identities!" Bolin said. "I'm an ex-United Forces operative named Ting-Ting. War was the only woman I ever loved, until Ivy came along and showed me what real love is. Tragically, she was taken from me by my archenemy Dr. Razor and -"

"Enough! Let's just find Aiwei." Mako interrupted his brother's narrating and walked ahead.

"But I haven't even told your backstory."

"I'm a cop. I don't have a backstory."

"Uh! You're good at this."

Then, Ali chirped and flew up towards her father. Mako stopped midway and rose his finger at her. "No, Ali. You and the others stay here with mom, okay." The little spirit chirped sadly. She really wanted to see her daddy at work, but Mako couldn't allow it. Korra walked over to the spirit and allowed her to land on her palm, loving stroking her chin with her index finger.

"Awww, you want to go see your daddy at work, don't you honey?" Ali chirped happily in response and Korra looked at Mako, "You know, she's small enough to hide. I don't see the harm in her going with you." the little spirit looked up at Mako, flashing her big brown eyes that always made his heart melt. Well, what was one more included in their search party. He sighed in defeat.

"Fine. But she better stay out of sight." Ali chirped happily and kissed her 'mommy' on the cheek and then her 'daddy' before hiding within his hood. "All right, wish us luck."

Korra waved at the boys as they walked away, "Good luck."

(~)

The two brothers arrived at the oasis, it pretty much looked like the previous village, only sunnier looking, and by sunny they meant brighter due to the pale colored buildings and yellow colored tarps. Spirits lurked on the rooftops, looking at the two yellow-coated guys. Ali spotted the spirits, rather excited to meet others of her kind, but Mako had to politely quiet her.

"Stay out of sight, Ali."

At the center of the city, there was an ice carving in what appeared to be some sort of fountain with three spirits resting on it, trying to escape from the heat. Mako and Bolin stopped near the ice, while a guy swiped three kiwi bird-like spirits outside of his bar with his broom.

"Shoo! Human customers only."

"Let's see if this guy knows anything." Mako said, with Ali chirping in agreement. The bothers headed to the owner of the tavern. "Excuse me, sir? We're looking for a man about sixty, bald, wearing glasses in a long green robe."

"And he's got this weird piercing that goes from his nose to his ear." Bolin pointed to his nose and latter his ear to demonstrate his point. "Freaks me out."

"Yeah, sure. Sounds like a guy who came in last night. I told him I had the best drinks in the Earth Kingdom and he called me a liar."

"That's him!" Mako exclaimed excitedly. "Any idea where he is now?"

"Nah, afraid not." the owner said sadly, his posture looked defeated, "But he was right. My drinks are terrible." he walked inside dejectedly into his bar while the brothers looked on in shock. Aiwei was definitely here.

(~)

Korra sat on a boulder, overlooking the city with Mika and San on her shoulders. Spike sitting beside her, eating some leftover sunflower seeds that they had packed before leaving Zaofu. He generously offered the Avatar some but she only smiled and rejected the offer, she really wasn't in the mood for a snack. Asami and Flash worked together in observing Aiwei's jeep. Asami looked up at Korra with concern.

"Are you okay?"

Korra sighed sadly, "I'm just frustrated. What does Zaheer want with me? What's his plan? And why did he take the chest? How did he even know we had it? And just what does he plan on doing with it? Err! I hate being left in the dark!"

As the Avatar grunted in frustration, Asami noticed something from behind Aiwei's jeep. It was bright blue in color. This sparked her curiosity and went on ahead to investigate. Flash, who was in pony form, inspected the jeep from the inside. He popped out his head with something in his mouth.

"Hey, I think I found something." he said, his voice muffled with the piece of paper in his mouth, but Asami was a tad more curious about what was behind the bolder. Her eyes widened when she saw a beautiful blue colored flower unlike anything she had ever seen before. Flash dropped the paper he had found and rushed over to Asami, pulling her by the shirt with his mouth and dragged her away from the plant.

"Hey! Flash!"

"Don't touch that!"

The others heard the commotion and rushed to their friends. "What happened? Twilight asked. She then gasped when she spotted the blue flower, it didn't take long for the others to see it as well. Korra tugged on Asami's arm, dragging her even further away from the plant.

"You didn't touch that, did you?"

"No, and what's the big deal? It's just a plant."

"No, it's not." Korra pointed her finger at the blue flower, "That's Poison Joke."

Asami arched an eyebrow, "Poison Joke? Isn't that the plant that causes weird things to happen?"

"Yes. They're normally indigenous in Equestria, but ever since our worlds became one, some of the flora from the pony world transferred here. I also saw a few back in Ba Sing Se."

Asami was relieved that she didn't touch the plant, who knows what weird things it could have done to her; it could have turned her hair yellow, or her arm green, or made her sound like a dude. "Wait, how did you know what it was, Flash?" Asami asked.

"I read a lot of books."

"Didn't you say you found something earlier?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, yeah." he took out a piece of paper from the jeep and handed it to Asami, who read the note out loud.

"Xai Bau's Grove, sundown."

"This must be where and when Aiwei's going to meet Zaheer!" Korra stated. Applejack took out the Earth Kingdom map and began looking for the place mentioned in the note.

"Alrighty, then. Xai Bau's Grove, where are you?"

Suddenly a blue-colored spirit stood on the map, screeching. The girls shooed the creatures away. "Shoo! Go away!" Rarity said as she swatted the things away. "We're trying to find something." but as they tried to keep looking, both Mika and San began chirping in Korra's ear. She gently pushed them aside to focus.

"Not now guys, mommy needs to concentrate."

The two spirits chirped in annoyance.

(~)

Bolin was waiting near the door of an establishment when a purplish spirit rose from a nearby urn. It had no eyes, weird ears, stubby legs and only a mouth. Bolin smiled as he attempted to pet it, "Well, aren't you a cute little spir-" The spirit bit Bolin's finger and he retreated, placing it in his mouth. "Ow! Hey!" then, Bolin noticed a man and woman from a nearby stand looking at him strangely. The man was tall and well toned with no sleeves and weapons around his waist along with a headband with a feather accessory. The woman beside him was equally toned with braided grey hairs and a more feminine but similar outfit to her male counterpart. Bolin began to sweat, the way they looked at him was as if they had seen him from somewhere.

Mako walked out from the door, sighing in disappointment. "No luck here."

Bolin spoke in a stage-whisper, "I think there might be a couple bounty hunters over there who recognize me!"

Much to his horror, the couple began to walk towards the two. Ali hissed at the two strangers.

"We've been made. Let's lose 'em!" Mako exclaimed and the boys fled down a street, the couple close on their heels. They finally ducked down an alley, hiding behind some boxes and barely escaping the notice of the female pursuer. The couple moved on as the brothers peeked out of hiding.

"Okay, I think we're clear. " Mako said. "We should head back to Korra before someone else recognizes us." his eyes widened in surprise when Bolin suddenly yanked Mako to the side.

"We could, or ... we could follow Aiwei instead. Look!"

Mako turned around and spotted the man, strolling nonchalantly past the other end of the alley, eating some noodles from a box with chopsticks. Mako and Bolin appeared from behind, and spied on him. Mako placed on his googles over his eyes and started walking towards the man.

"All right. Stay cool and follow my lead."

Bolin too placed on his googles. "Ting-Ting always finds his man."

Mako and Bolin followed Aiwei down a street and past a pink building. They watched as he entered a room and closed the door. Once he was out of sight, Mako turned to his brother, "Keep an eye on him. I'll go get Korra."

(~)

The others were still observing the map when Mako pulled off his disguise and walked towards them. Ali flew by to her siblings, happily greeting them. "We found Aiwei hiding in an inn."

"That's great!" Korra exclaimed.

"We found something too." Asami said, handing Mako the letter Flash had found. "It looks like he's gonna meet Zaheer at sundown at a place called Xai Bau's Grove."

Fluttershy demonstrated the firebender the map, "But we can't find it anywhere on the map."

Mako then noticed there was something strange about the piece of paper. "Why is it singed on one side?"

Korra crossed her arms, "Let's just say somepony got a little testy."

Mako eyed a very certain rainbow pony. "Seriously, Rainbow Dash?"

"Hey!"

"Actually, it was me." Twilight said while blushing and raising her hand, which caught even Mako by surprise. "Sorry."

Korra turned to her boyfriend, her face filled with determination. "Let's go bust down Aiwei's door and finally get some answers."

"I'm with ya." Rainbow said while pounding her fists.

"No. Once Aiwei knows we're onto him, we lose our advantage." Mako said. "I say we stake out his room and when he leaves for this meeting, we follow him."

"And he'll lead us straight to Zaheer." Korra said, "And once we find him--"

"We find the chest." Twilight finished.

(~)

With the ponies in their pony form, the Team reached the Misty Palms Inn, while Naga and Pabu played with some friendly spirits. The Team walked towards the counter, meeting an elderly woman who no doubt was the innkeeper of this place. She looked around seventy or sixty years old with a wrinkled complexion but was tall and healthy looking. Her grey hair was styled into a messy bun and she was sweeping when she saw the new customers. Mako smiled as he placed his arms on the counter, acting casual and polite.

"Good afternoon. We'd like a room on the ground floor, across from 102, please."

But the Innkeeper simply narrowed her eyes at him, "Forget it! Last time a bunch of teenagers came in here, they trashed the whole room. And we don't allow pets in here either." she said referring to the ponies. Fluttershy smiled sweetly at the innkeeper.

"Not even ones that talk?" she asked.

The woman gasped in shock, but regained her composure once she took a better look at the creature. "Wait, you're those pony creatures aren't you?"

"Yes they are." Korra said, "And we would very much like a room, if you don't mind."

The woman remained stern and unyielding…until she noticed the wings on the young woman's back. Noticing this, Korra spread her wings open a bit for the woman too see. Now she was convinced.

"Oh…my!" she immediately walked out of her counter and bowed before Korra. "Your Highness! Please forgive my rudeness. I had no idea I was in the presence of the Princess Avatar."

Korra smiled compassionately and helped the woman to stand up. "That's alright, really, it happens a lot. So, about that room."

"We found you!"

Before the woman could say anything, the couple that had spotted Bolin earlier arrived at the door. Team Avatar got into their fighting positions and the ponies changed into anthro forms. Korra and Mako bended fire daggers in their hands while Rainbow and Twilight bended flames on their hands and Pinkie and Fluttershy took their airbender stances as Rarity bended water from her water skin. The Innkeeper however, didn't want anybody fighting in her inn.

"Hey, no bending in here! Take it outside!"

But suddenly, the man rose his hands in a surrendering gesture. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. We're not here to fight you. We're here to meet Nuktuk!" the tall and scary looking guy smiled like an excitable little boy as his female companion approached Bolin, with a wide smile, and pulled out a poster of Bolin in his Nuktuk costume with Ginger in his arms. The rest of the group lowered their guard and looked at the weirdness happening before them.

"We're your biggest fans. Can you make it out to Lily and Macao?" the woman asked excitedly. Bolin was a bit surprised by this but he really didn't want to disappoint these people. They sure seemed nice…and a little scary, but Bolin smiled none the less.

"Uh, I'd be happy to. Always love meeting my fans." he took the poster and signed it while the others looked on in disbelief.

"You have got to be kidding me." Rainbow said, arching an eyebrow.

The woman, Lily then pulled out an adorable stuffed doll that looked like Bolin. She held it to him and squeaked it. "I made this Nuktuk doll for you."

"Uh, it's ... cute." Bolin grinned as Lily squeaked the doll in a sound of agreement. Korra and Fluttershy giggled at the way Lilly fawned over Bolin, when the guy, Macao, approached them, equally excited.

"Excuse me, are you the Princess Avatar?"

Korra was taken aback by this. She was not expecting him to recognize her. "Well, unless you know any other girls with wings on their back then, yeah."

"Wow! That must mean the rest of you are the Ponies who defeated the dark spirit!"

Rarity and Rainbow Dash both appeared before them, spreading their arms, showing off while unknowingly blocking the view of Korra and the rest of the Mane Six, much to their annoyance. "The one and only!" They both exclaimed in union.

"Although, I'm the awesomest one." Rainbow said while pointing at herself, and earning a glare from Rarity.

"Whilst, I am the most fabulous one." said the unicorn with a flip of her hair. It was now Rainbow's turn to glare.

Applejack shoved the two apart, allowing Macao and Lilly to see her and the rest. "How do you know about us?" she asked in disbelief.

"You saved the entire world, news like that travels fast."

Lilly walked over to Korra and the girls, smiling as excitedly as when she met Nuktuk. "Do you think we can see your wings?"

Korra blinked and smiled politely. "Uh…sure." she spread her beautiful wings and Lily gasped in awe.

"Wow! They're more beautiful than I imagined!"

Bolin huffed in annoyance while crossing his arms as Lilly handed the girls the back of the Nuktuk poster. Korra just had to steal his fans.

"Can we have your autographs too?"

Rarity didn't' waste any time in doing so, "Why of course darling. Lilly, was it? Lovely name."

"I'm next." Rainbow said.

"Save some room for me." said Pinkie Pie.

Mako and Flash both arched their eyebrows, who knew their friends, brother and girlfriends would become so popular.

"You're friends with The Princess Avatar, her Ponies and a mover star?" said the Innkeeper, "You kids can have any room in the inn. Free of charge, of course."

"We'll just take the one across from 102." Mako said to the innkeeper, who arced an eyebrow.

"But that room is too small for the whole lot of you! Especially for a princess. I insist on giving you the best."

Having signed the poster for Lilly and Macao, Korra walked over to the Innkeeper. "It's perfectly fine with me. Besides, I like things simple."

"Are you sure?"

"Trust us." Korra and Mako smiled at one another and back at the innkeeper. "It'll be perfect."

Spike jumped up, waving his hand in victory. "Dibs on the bed!"

(~)

"I'd just like to say, for the record, this room is definitely not perfect." Bolin said bitterly, right before Naga's tail hit him in the face. "Naga!"

"I have to agree with Bolin." said Rarity, "This room is beneath a pony of my standards."

"We're not here for a vacation, Rarity." Twilight stated, "We're here to spy on Aiwei so he will lead us to Zaheer."

To save room, the ponies reverted back to pony form. Spike sat on Naga, who's large body overcame the entire bed. Asami and the others sat on the floor while Mako and Korra looked out the window. Korra sat on a box, with Twilight on her lap, and Mako stood by the window peaking through the curtain, with Flash Sentry hovering beside him. Ali rested on Mako's shoulder, equally focused. They spotted Aiwei peeking out of his room from across them.

"There he is." Korra said in a hushed tone as they watched the man looking around before covering his window with the curtain.

Fluttershy flew up to the four, "I don't feel so right about this. I've never been in a stakeout before. I hate spying on people."

Rainbow Flash flew up to her and nudged her in reassurance, "Relax Fluttershy. Don't think of it as 'spying', think of it as a method to finding an busting a bloodthirsty group of criminals."

"Well…when you put it that way."

Rainbow approached Mako and Flash, "So, aside from keeping and eye on the creep, what else do you do on stakeouts?"

"We wait." Mako said, without taking his eyes off of the subject.

"Right. We wait." the pegasus pony remained in mid air, just like she always does, and observed Aiwei's window, which was still covered by the curtain…."Now what?"

Mako shushed the pony and she remained quiet…

"Should we have brought snacks?"

Both Korra and Mako shushed the pony….

"Does this place have a bathroom?"

This time, Korra, Twilight, Mako and Flash shushed the rainbow pony, out of annoyance for breaking their concentration. They returned to keeping an eye on Aiwei, their eyes focus on their target.

"Wow, you guys are good at this…too good. I'm bored." Rainbow flew down and sat the others, while Bolin was pacing around the room, bored out of his mind. His 'nephew' San rested on his shoulder, equally bored.

"I thought stakeouts were supposed to be exciting. This isn't. At all!"

Pinkie Pie looked in the highest bedside table drawer. "Ooh, I wonder if there's any snacks in here." she said and opened one drawer, but found so snacks, just a guide book of some sorts. She looked in the other drawer and found a folded and rounded game board. "Ooh, look! A board game."

Bolin approached the pony and saw the game. "That's no ordinary game, Pinkie Pie. It's a Pai Sho board!"

"Wowie! I always wanted to play Pai Cho! Korra, Twilight, wanna play?"

"Not now, Pinkie." Twilight said, her eyes still fixed on Aiwei's window, as were Korra's.

"Maybe latter." said the Avatar.

Bolin turned to his brothers, "Mako, Flash, you want to play?"

Mako too had his eyes locked on the target. "Kind of busy here, bro."

Bolin lowered his shoulder in defeat, and Asami took pity on the poor guy. "I'll play." she kindly offered with a smile. Bolin was a bit surprised by this.

"Oh, well, ugh, no offense but I learned street Pai Sho from Shady Shin, and I'm pretty good. So, wouldn't really be a fair game."

"So? I learned to play from my dad, the diabolical genius." she flashed him a sinister looking grin. "I'll destroy you."

Rainbow Dash and Applejack both leaned in closer to the two, chanting; "Oooooooooooh!"

"You gonna take that, suguarcube?"

Bolin smiled at Asami, a sinister grin matching her own. "Well, mare and gentlecolts, looks like we've got ourselves a Pai-Shodown."

Spike jolted upwards, "A Pai-Shodown? All right! Finally, some action. I'll be the reef."

"Me too!" said Pinkie Pie. The rest of the ponies gathered around the two, picking sides; Rarity and Fluttershy on Asami's team with Rainbow Dash and Applejack on Bolin's. San and Mika rested on Asami and Bolin's shoulders, respectively. They set their boards, ready to play. Spike used his tail as a pretend microphone.

"Okay, folks, welcome to the very first, Pai-Showdown! With your contestants, he's strong, he's cool, he was once a pro-bender and a mover star! It's Booooooooolin!" The earthbender smiled while flexing his muscles, making Asami roll her eyes. "And his challenger; she's the owner of her own company. She's got looks, brains and bronze, she once dated Bolin's brother---dodged a bullet there---It's the always stylish, Aaaaaaaaaasami Satoooo!" Asami simply smiled and flipped her hair, even though Bolin wouldn't say it out loud, Asami's hair flips were always very captivating. The two got ready to play.

"Now let the game, begin!" Pinkie exclaimed excitedly.

"Ladies first." Bolin said.

"What a gentlemen." Asami said with joking tone, getting her game face on. She may have a crush on Bolin, but on this game, she was going to crush him. Asami made the first move, moving her tile ahead.

"And Asami makes the first move!" Spike narrated.

"You're going down, heiress!" Rainbow said from Bolin's side.

"Hey, I thought you would be on my team." Asami said, feeling somewhat insulted.

"Sorry, but this guy's learned this game on the streets, now that is more my speed."

Asami rolled her eyes and Rarity placed a hoof on her arm in reassurance, "Don't listen to her, darling. You've got this."

Bolin made his next move, but Asami stopped and began to think about her next move. She remained quiet for a few seconds before Bolin interrupted her concentration. "Uh, I don't mean to rush you, but let's speed things up a bit."

"Yeah!" Rainbow agreed.

"Why? This game is all about slow, methodical strategy." Asami said. But Bolin disagreed.

"No, it's not. This is a fast-paced, edge of your seat, game of chance! Don't think. Just go."

Asami chuckled at this, "I don't know what Shady Shin taught you, but it wasn't the real Pai Sho."

"It sure beats that boring tactic you're doing." said Rainbow Dash.

But Applejack disagreed, "I don't know, Rainbow. Pai Cho really does strike me as a more tactical kind of game."

"Oh really? I think Mr. Rulebook might disagree with you, A.J." said Bolin as he took out the rulebook of the game and started to read out loud, "The origins of Pai Sho date back over ten thousand years. It is a game of both strategy and chance." he paused for a moment, rethinking what he had just said. "Wait, how can it be both?"

"Let me see that." Asami took the book from her friend and read out loud while Rarity and Fluttershy read along. "There have been countless variations of Pai Sho through the centuries and each culture has its own rules and variations of the game."

"Well, that's no help." Spike said.

"No kidding." Bolin said and then turned to Korra, who was still watching Aiwei along with Twilight, Mako and Flash. "Korra, as the Avatar, you need to standardize these Pai Sho rules."

Korra briefly stopped what she was doing and spoke in an extremely sarcastic tone, "Okay, I'll put that on my to-do list, right after bringing back the Air Nation, taking down the group that tried to kidnap me, and get back the magical mystery chest they stole."

"That's cool. Whenever you get to it."

Mako spoke to his girlfriend, "Assuming we do find Zaheer, what then?"

"Then we make him talk." Korra stated by pounding her fists together, but Twilight lowered her hands with her hoof.

"He was locked away for thirteen years, Korra, and never broke." said the alicorn.

"She's right." Mako agreed, "I don't think a little bending or magic is going to intimidate this guy."

"You guys have a better idea?" Korra asked.

"Yeah, we spy on them." Mako said, "If Aiwei and Zaheer don't know they're being watched, they'll talk freely. Then we'll find out who they are and what they want."

"That's just like Pai Sho!" Bolin said while reading from the book. "In order to defeat your opponent, you first have to know your opponent."

"Then I guess I know you pretty well." Asami placed her tile across the board, "I win."

Spike and Pinkie Pie dropped their jaws in awe. "Wow! That was fast."

"Maybe there is something to this whole strategy thing." said Rainbow Dash white scratching her head.

Bolin was baffled by this, "What? Ugh. All right, you know what that was just a fluke. Best two out of three."

Pinkie Pie exclaimed while appearing on screen, holing a white board that read, "Pai-Showdown, take 2!" she exclaimed.

They kept playing many times, and with every turn, Asami beat Bolin's sorry butt. Rarity and Fluttershy clapped their hooves together in celebration of Asami's victory.

"And the victor is, Asami!" Spike said through his tail.

Bolin groaned in frustration, "Oh, come on! Best four out of seven."

After that, Asami won once again. "Asami wins!" Pinkie exclaimed, "Again!"

Bolin refused to give up, "Eight out of fifteen." After fifteen more games, Asami won each time, Bolin began to sweat nervously and his hair was a mess from the stress. There was no way he was going to lose. "Seventeen out of thirty-three?"

Seeing how poorly Bolin was doing, Rainbow Dash and Applejack laid bored on the floor, eying at one another. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Applejack asked the pegasus pony.

"Switch teams?"

"Yep!"

They both got up and walked over to Asami's side, surprising Bolin even more. "What? Gah! Come on, not quitting now."

Even Spike and Pinkie were getting tired of this, the poor dragon didn't even bother pretending to be the announcer anymore while Pinkie Pie sadly marked all of Asami victories…which were WAY more compared to Bolin's.

Time continued to pass, Korra, Twilight, Mako and Flash watched Aiwei, while the others were now bored-ly watching the game unfold. Mako wrote on his logbook while Korra stretched and yawned. Once again, Asami won while Spike said tiredly every time;

"Asami wins."

"Asami wins…again."

"She wins."

"You get the idea."

Spike and Pinkie eventually fell asleep, both snoring loudly, while Bolin moved his tile. A grin appeared on his face, at long last he was finally about to beat Asami. "Ha, ha! Looks like you're on the ropes this time." he said proudly.

This news woke Spike and Pinkie up in a jolt, "Wha?!"

Even Asami was impressed, "I can't believe it. You might actually win this one." then, right at that moment, Pabu leaped off of Naga and onto the board, scattering the pieces all over, the Bolin doll in his mouth. Bolin's chances of victory were now gone. Gone, gone, gone.

"No, Pabu! Why?!"

He leaned down on the floor in sadness as the the head of his doll rolled near him. He covered his face and whimpered in defeat. Asami and the ponies all looked at him sadly.

"Oh, I can't stand to see him like this." Spike said sadly with his ears lowers. He then took our a blanket and covered Bolin's face with it, smiling in satisfaction. "All better."

Asami arched an eyebrow at the dragon and crawled towards Bolin wearing a sympathetic face. She lifted up the blanket to see Bolin, not technically crying, but looking defeated. "Hey, don't worry about it. It's just a game, and you're actually really good."

"Not good enough." he said sadly.

"Come on, it's not so bad."

"This is so typical."

Asami was surprised by this, "What do you mean?"

"I can't even play a strategic game of Pai Cho right. You beat me every time. It just reminds me I'm not as smart as you guys."

Asami removed the blanket and looked at Bolin sternly. "That's so not true and you know it. You're very smart."

"Who are you kidding, Asami? I can't come up with a strategy to win an ancient board game and I can't even metalbend."

Asami crossed her legs and bit her bottom lip. Her eyes looking down shyly, "Okay, so you may not be book smart but, you're a different kind of smart."

"How?"

"The book said Pai Cho is a game of strategy and chance. And you were right. Sometimes taking a chance is better than just a strategy. When it came right to it I just went for it, just like you said."

Bolin sat upright, still surprise by this, "Really?"

"Yeah. You did teach me something after all."

"I did?…oh, yeah! I guess I did."

Just like before in Zaofu, Asami managed to make Bolin feel good about himself. How come he didn't run into a girl like her before getting mixed up with Eska and Ginger? Asami was honest and sweet and kind-hearted. She really was amazing. Asami always found Bolin's child-like antics adorable and funny, always making her smile, more on the inside than most. He really was a great guy with a whole lot of potential. She was actually tempted to allow him to win, but she wanted him to figure it out on his own. But rather than winning a game, he won something else…realizing he was pretty smart on his own.

The two simply sat there, smiling at one another. Asami felt her heart leap and her cheeks burn. Bolin felt butterflies in his stomach as he looked deep into Asami's beautiful green eyes, it was almost as if they were the only two people in the room. Then, the two woke up at the sound of soft sighs. They turned their heads to see Korra, resting her head on her palm while happily watching the two, and Twilight was smiling while placing her face on her hooves. Even Mako was smiling, his head resting on his palm while Flash smiled at the scene. Realizing their cover was blown, the two couples returned to their stakeout, trying to pretend that they saw nothing.

"Korra!" Asami exclaimed in annoyance.

"Mako!" Bolin also exclaimed.

Mako simply shrugged, trying to play it cool. "What? We didn't see anything."

"We're just spying on the bad guy." Korra said, trying to sound as casually as she could.

The two returned to what they were doing, while Bolin and Asami simply blushed. The Mane Six silently giggled at the bubbling romance between the two.

(~)

Another hour passed, and the team was still observing Aiwei. The man had not left his room at all, in fact in all the time they were spying he hadn't done anything. Twilight noticed the position of the sun high above. "It's almost sundown." she said.

"I know. Why hasn't Aiwei left yet?" Korra asked.

Pinkie Pie jumped up saying, "Maybe he ate bad noodles and he's in the bathroom."

"Or maybe he snuck out when you weren't looking." Asami stated.

"No, I just saw him peeking out of his window fifteen minutes ago." Mako said and took out a little black book, "It's in my logbook." he noticed the annoyed looks on their faces. "What?"

Korra had had just about enough of this waiting around. She had been tolerant enough, now was the time for action. "I'm going over there." as she left the room, Mako tried to stop her.

"Korra, wait! You're going to blow our element of surprise." Twilight then levitated Mako's logbook and smacked him upside the head with it. "OW!"

"Tough love, pretty boy! We need answers and I'm going to get them." the alicorn followed the Avatar out of the room and the rest of the team followed. They approached Aiwei's door and Korra busted it down with and airbending kick.

"Oh, sure, now she blows the door down." said Rainbow Dash sarcastically.

"It's over, Aiwei! Where's …? What?" Korra stopped when she and the others realized that Aiwei did not attack. In fact, he really didn't do anything. The man was just sitting on his bed in a lotus position, his eyes closed, breathing slowly and calmly. Bolin looked at him closely, he was still alive and looked like he was sleeping.

"That's a weird way to nap."

Pinkie Pie jumped onto the bed and waved her hoof in front of his face. "Hey, Aiwei. U-hu! Aiwei! Wakey, wakey!"

Fluttershy moved over to him and gently poked him with her hoof. "It looks like he's meditating." she said.

Korra placed her hand on Aiwei's shoulder, sensing his magical aura. "He is. He can transcend his energy just like Jinora." her eyes then widened in realization. "Wait! Guys, those spirits were trying to tell us something earlier. Xai Bau's Grove isn't on the map because it's not in the physical world! It's in the Spirit World!" Ali, Mika and San chirped along. "You guys were trying to tell me too, weren't you?" The spirits chirped in yes. "I'm going in after him." Korra sat on the bed, opposite Aiwei.

"We'll watch him in case he wakes up." Mako said, "Be careful, sweetie."

Korra nodded before closing her eyes, the star on her forehead started to glow brightly, as did the rest of her body. Unlike other avatars before her, Korra didn't need to meditate to travel to the spirit world. She only needed her magic. Dawning a look of determination, Twilight sat down on the ground.

"What are you doing?" Flash asked.

"I'm going in with her."

"Twilight, no!" Mako protested. "I'm sure she can handle it herself. Besides, you've never done with before on your own."

"I'm her bonded pony and an alicorn, I think I can figure it out. Besides,I don't trust Zaheer. Whatever it is he's planning she's going to need backup."

The others all nodded in agreement, if anyone could help pull Korra out of a jam, it was Twilight. "Be careful in there." Spike said with concern. Twilight closed her eyes and began to meditate.

(~)

Once she opened her eyes she found herself in the spirit world. It looked like a meadow with orange coloring and spirits flying above her head. Standing right beside, was Korra.

"Twilight? What are you doing here?"

"In case you needed back up."

Korra did not protest and led the pony to behind a tree. Both girls peeked and saw Aiwei's spirit standing on a nearby hill in front of another tree. Another figure materialized across from him. It was a grown man with a bald head and an athletic build and complexion. It was Zaheer. Twilight's blood boiled at the sight of him. The man approached Aiwei.

"What happened back in Zaofu? You told me we wouldn't have any problems getting the Avatar? Because of you, we've all been compromised."

"No, any evidence was destroyed when my library burned."

"Where is your physical body now?"

"At the Misty Palms Inn. But there is no need to worry. I was not followed."

"You left a loose end."

"I assure you, no one knows anything about us."

Zaheer's expression became ever more angry, "No, you are the loose end." with much furry, he grabbed Aiwei by the collar. The man sweat in fear. Korra's good nature kicked in and she walked out from behind the tree, in an attempt to stop this cruel man.

"Zaheer!"

At the sound of her voice, Zaheer teleported himself and Aiwei toward a cliff at the rim of the Fog of Lost Souls and, without any hesitation or remorse, threw Aiwei right off it. He screamed as he fell into the fog, never to be seen again. Zaheer watched him fall before he teleported back to the tree. Becoming face to face with the Avatar and Alicorn.

"It seems Aiwei was mistaken. He was followed."

Korra and Twilight both stood before him, calm but ready for anything. "That's right. We knew he'd lead us straight to you." Korra said, "Now, what did you do with him?"

"He'll be spending eternity in the Fog of Lost Souls, which just leaves the two of us. Three if you count the pony." he took a step forward and Twilight immediately got into defense mode, spreading out her wings and lowering her ears, stomping her hooves and flaring her nostrils while Korra took her stance, ready to attack if necessary.

"Don't move, Zaheer." Twilight ordered. "You're going to give us some answers."

Zaheer remained perfectly calm as he sat down near a tree, not showing any signs that he might attack. "There's no need for aggression. Neither of us has our bending, which I can only assume the same goes for your magic as well. Besides, I'm not going anywhere. I'll answer whatever questions you have. You deserve that much."

Korra and Twilight looked at one another in surprise, before looking back at Zaheer. Korra was still pretty stunned by this reaction from an enemy, but Twilight refused to truest him. He may seem like a reasonable man for now, but she had learned from a long time ago, looks can be deceiving.

"What would you like to know?" Zaheer asked. Korra lowered her arms and Twilight stepped down, but her face remained stern and suspicious.

"First off, who are you people, and why do you keep trying to take me?"

"And where is the chest?" Twilight asked. Zaheer looked at the creature seriously.

"Chest? What chest?"

"Don't play dumb, we know you stole it!"

"I assure you I have no idea what you are talking about."

Twilight's temper was increasing but Korra asked her to step down once again. "Easy, Twiliy. Let's first try and understand why this guy wants to take me so badly."

"Wise move, Korra."

With much hesitation, Twilight took a step back and tried to remain calm as Zaheer continued to explain. "We are part of a secret society, dedicated to restoring freedom to the world. We are the Red Lotus."

Korra was surprised by the name. "Red Lotus? Are you related to the White Lotus?"

"We are what the White Lotus was meant to be. But after the Hundred Year War, the White Lotus lost its true purpose. Its members came out of hiding and openly served the Avatar. They became nothing but glorified bodyguards who served corrupt nations. So a great man named Xai Bau broke from the White Lotus and began his own society."

"That's a great story, but it doesn't explain why you tried to take me when I was a kid."

"That was Unalaq's idea."

Korra and Twilight were taken aback by this news. "What? My uncle was part of the Red Lotus?"

Suddenly, all of the dots were coming together.

(~)

In a cave, not too far from the Misty Palms Oasis, The criminals, the Red Lotus, gathered around a fire while Zaheer's physical body began to speak to his companions. He was in a meditation state, while his body was there, his spirit was speaking to Korra.

"Avatar Korra. Misty Palms Inn. Find her."

P-Li turned to Ming-Hua and Ghazan. "You two go. I'll stay here and make sure Zaheer's body is safe." the two obeyed her orders and left to search for the Avatar while P'Li remained with Zaheer. Something began to shimmer in her pocket, she reached in for it and took out the chest she had taken back in Zaofu. She was still wondering why she took it to begin with, but there was just something about it that made her feel…she didn't even know how to describe it. It was like in its own silent way, it was speaking to her. Telling her something she needed to know….but what?

(~)

Korra and Twilight were now sitting opposite Zaheer, making sure to maintain their distance while still listening to the man's tale about Unalaq and his ties with this secret society. "I met your uncle when I was a teenager, after we had both joined the Red Lotus. We learned about Raava and Vaatu, and how Avatar Wan foolishly severed them, disrupting the balance of the world forever."

"Avatar Wan wasn't foolish!" Korra protested. "He was trying to restore balance."

"He closed the portals, severing humans from spirits. Even you realize the error in his ways."

"So all along, you and my uncle planned to use me to open the portals and release Vaatu? That's why you tried to take me when I was a kid?"

"Yes, and with members of the Red Lotus as your elemental masters, we could've taught you so much."

The more this man spoke, the more and more Korra began to realize just how messed up in the head he truly was. In her eyes, he was no different than the other foes she had faced in her past. Believing they were doing the right thing when in reality they were blind to see the greedy and hateful monsters they were becoming. They tried to 'save' the world through acts of violence and revenge. "It sounds like you were just trying to brainwash me so I'd do whatever you wanted."

"No, Korra. All I wanted was to show the Avatar a better path for the world."

Twilight finally stood up, but remained beside Korra. "A better path? How is bringing eternal darkness a better path?"

"I wouldn't expect you to understand. After all, the only good thing about Wan's choice was that he returned your kind back where they belonged. Away from us."

Twilight clenched her teeth as did Korra. It was Unalaq all over again.

(~)

Back at the inn, the others watched anxiously as Korra and Twilight were still meditating. Night had fallen and not a single reaction from the girls. Mako started to worry. Then, he glanced out of the window, and his heart raced. He spotted Ming-Hua and Ghazan walking towards the inn.

"Uh, I don't know how, but Water Arm Lady and Lava Guy found us."

Bolin gasped and Asami stood up. "How?"

"I just said I don't know how!"

Spike then started to shake Twilight wake, but to no avail. "Twilight, wake up! Snap out of it!"

Bolin did the same with Korra, frantically shaking her by grabbing her shoulders, "Korra, come on! Wake up!"

Fluttershy spotted the criminals out the window, and her heart raced even faster against her chest. "They're getting closer. What do we do?"

Thinking fast, Mako carried Korra bridal style like he always did and placed her onto Naga's back and turned to Asami, "Get Korra out of here. We'll hold them off. Flash, you carry Twilight."

Flash nodded in agreement and carried Twilight with his hooves. The firebender turned to Rainbow Dash, "Rainbow, go with them. They could use the extra back up."

The rainbow pony saluted him. "I'm on it!"

Ali, Mika and San chirped worriedly and Mako allowed them to rest on his palm. "Go with mommy. Keep her safe for me." the spirits chirped in promise, they would protect their mommy alright. Not wanting to leave Twilight alone, Spike jumped onto Asami's back. The door of the inn opened, and Naga rode off with Asami on the saddle, holding Korra, while Flash carried Twilight and Rainbow flew beside them.

"The Avatar!" Ming-Hua exclaimed. Naga turned a corner, and Ming-Hua fired ice shards at her, but missed. Mako and the others came out and began attacking the woman. Mako, Rarity and Fluttershy (anthro now) worked together against Ming-Hua while Bolin, Applejack and Pinkie Pie took on Ghazan. The Red Lotus earthbender knocked them down, with lavabending. The friends rolled out of the way as the lava burned down a palm tree to the ground. The group were facing their two opponents, who were smiling wickedly at them.

This fight was only just beginning.

(~)

Back at Xai Bau's Grove.

"If my uncle came up with a plan to abduct me when I was a kid, why wasn't he caught?"

"He wasn't with us that night, and he covered up his involvement afterwards."

"So he betrayed you, just like he betrayed me and my friends."

Twilight scoffed humorously, "There's a real shock."

"Yes. He allowed me and my friends to remain in prison while he pursued his own selfish goals. Unalaq becoming a Dark Avatar was never part of our mission."

"And what is your mission, exactly?" the alicorn asked sternly.

"I want what you want: to restore balance to this world."

It was now Korra's turn to scoff. "I don't think our ideas of balance are the same."

"Are sure about that? You kept the spirit portals open. But why stop there? Bringing the spirits back should only be the beginning."

"What do you mean?"

"The idea of having nations and governments is as foolish as keeping the human and spirit realms separate. You've had to deal with a moronic president and a tyrannical queen. Don't you think the world would be better off if leaders like them were eliminated?"

Korra and Twilight both exchanged worried looks. They didn't have to even question their answer. Of course it was a bad idea. Sure not all leaders were perfect but taking them out was downright insane. Anyone with half a mind could see the dangerous consequences that could lead to.

"No. I mean, I don't really agree with what they've done, but taking out world leaders isn't the answer." Korra answered truthfully, "And Raiko changed. He saw the error of his ways and now he's a better president and a better man. People can change when given the chance."

"And what about the Earth Queen? Anything nice to say about her?"

Korra didn't even open her mouth. Of corse there was nothing nice to say about her, but underneath all of those royal robes and underneath that big crown was still a human being who would bleed no differently than she or Zaheer. Sure she was wrong and got on one's last nerve, but killing her? What would that achieve? It certainly would not make things better.

"It wasn't too long ago that the airbenders were nearly all wiped out, thanks to the Fire Lord's desire for world dominance. True freedom can only be achieved when oppressive governments are torn down."

"But that won't bring balance. It will throw the world into chaos!"

"Exactly. The natural order is disorder. Do you know who once said, "New growth cannot exist without first the destruction of the old"?"

"No."

"The wise Guru Laghima. An airbender."

Korra could hear her heart pounding while Twilight's patience was wearing thin with this man. "How can you say such things!" the alicorn said angrily, "I understand that not all leaders are the best, but that doesn't mean they all are. The Princesses of my homeland have always treated ponies with respect and love. They remind us all that we are all connected by the Magic of Friendship. They embody what a true leader must be. You could learn a thing or two from them!"

Zaheer then narrowed his eyes at the pony, looking at her as if she were a rat in a kitchen that needed to be finished off. "That's another thing…I don't really believe that this 'magic' you call should even exist."

Twilight's eyes widened in fear.

"If you ponies had not entered our world to begin with, then it would never had needed you."

"If we hadn't bonded with this world it would have been destroyed! Korra and I changed the world for the better. Magic now flows all around, helping others."

"That is where you are wrong. Magic is just another tool to eliminate freedom."

"Well, I've got news for you, buddy." Twilight said bitterly, "What we're doing right now, coming into the spirit world, this is the work of magic! Your airbending was given to you by magic! The magic that came from when we connected two worlds that needed each other. How can you not see that?"

Zaheer only arched an eyebrow. "This is exactly what I mean. You've poisoned many to depend on this idea of 'magic', but really it's just another form of control. Your princesses are all powerful beings, and because of that they rule over you like tyrants. They are treated like gods to worship."

Twilight flared her nostril, "Haven't you been listening? They protect us and love us! They are not dictators and they certainly do not behave like the Earth Queen at all! You're just an arrogant, reckless man who only sees what he wants to see!"

"All leaders become corrupted with power at some point. I see your princesses no different."

Twilight clenched her teeth. This man was even worst than Unalaq and Amon placed together.

(~)

Mako tucked and rolled away from Ming-Hua's water arms and she attacked the young man. He unleashed a fireblast for which she blocked and unleashed her water at him. Mako avoided the attack and rolled onto the ground, grunting as he did. This woman was seriously powerful, unlike any waterbender he had ever faced. Rarity came in between the two, unleashing her own water whip at the woman, creating ice darts and hurled them at her, but Ming-Hua was incredibly fast and simply swatted them away. She smashed her water arm against the side of the building where the two stood. Mako acted quickly and grabbed Rarity by the waist and jumped them both off of the roof just when Ming-Hua made the impact, destroying half of the building. The two friends landed safely, however, Ming-Hua landed as well and continued to attack. Fluttershy flew down and unleashed an air blast at the woman, who continued to block them with her arms.

Meanwhile, Bolin and Applejack worked together to fight off Ghazan, blocking his lavabending attacks with rocks, and Pinkie Pie trying to blast his attacks away with her air. Applejack grabbed Pinkie by her shirt and pulled her behind an earth pillar that Bolin created.

"We can't beat this guy!" Applejack exclaimed,

"I know!" said Bolin, shielding herself from the lava as Ghazan continued to break through the rock barrier, "It's like we're giving him ammo! Mako, want to trade?"

Fluttershy flew around Ming-Hua, unleashing the most powerful air blasts she could. Despite her shy demeanor, the young pegasus pony was not going to let this creepy woman take her best friends. However, too fast for Fluttershy to tell, Ming-Hua managed to grab onto the pony's ankle. Fluttershy screamed and Ming-Hua hurled her towards a building, slamming her into it. The pegasus was knocked out and she fell to the ground, reverting back into her pony form.

"Fluttershy!" Rarity ran towards her, but was blocked by Ming-Hua's arm who prepared to knock her out with her other arm.

"Rarity, look out!"

Mako pushed the unicorn out of the way, both landing on their feet and screeching to a halt, Ming-Hua headed towards them. The two ran near a wall and jumped up to avoid another one of the woman's attacks. While flipping in mid air, Mako attempted to throw a fire blast and Rarity, an ice dart, breaking apart Ming-Hua's arm. However, Ming-Hua pined them both against a door by covering Mako's and Rarity's hands, grinning evilly as she approached them. Rarity and Mako looked on with fear in their eyes. With the ice, she picked them off the door and threw them against another door, which smashed when they made contact.

Bolin, Applejack and Pinkie weren't doing any better either, for Gahazan continued to unleash his lavabending at the group. Pinkie Pie was out of air, literally, the heat and exhaustion from the battle was wearing her out. The same could be said for Bolin and Applejack. Thinking fast, the country pony took both Bolin and Pinkie by the shirts, "Hold your breath!" she exclaimed before jumping into a pool. The three swam in the water, avoiding Ghazan's attacks. The lava rocks continued to be hurled down as the friends swam to the bottom. Their lungs slowly running out of oxygen. Bolin could see Ming-Hua from the surface of the water, moving her water arms in swift movements. The friends noticed the water around them swirling, trapping them in a sphere of water, which brought them up to the surface. Ming-Hua gave Ghazan an order, "Go get the Avatar! I have these freaks under control."

Ghazan ran off and Ming-Hua picked up a limp Mako and Rarity with her water arms and even an unconscious Fluttershy. Bolin, Pinkie and A.J surfaced, gasping, from the water sphere. There was nothing else they could do. They were tired, and trapped.

They had lost this battle.

(~)

Meanwhile, Naga had made progress and was running up a hill outside of town. Asami controlled the reins, while holding a sleeping Korra. Flash carried Twilight while Rainbow Dash kept looking back.

"You think the others are okay?" she asked hopefully, the thought of her friends being hurt frightened her.

"I'm sure they'll be alright." Asami assured, "They can take care of themselves." but then, suddenly, a rock rose up from the ground, blocking their path, then three more rose up, before long, the friends were all trapped within an earth tent. Rainbow Dash attempted to blast them away with her fire while Naga roared for help. But the pony could not penetrate the rocky force. Spike clung onto Asami's back, shaking in fear.

"Now, who's going to help us?"

(~)

"You know, being locked away for so many years, I was beginning to lose hope." Zaheer finally stood up. "But when I awoke with airbending, I knew I would be the one to destroy the old world and plant seeds for a new world to flourish."

Korra stood up as well, looking at him with pleading eyes. "Zaheer, please, as an airbender, you could help make a positive difference in the world, instead of destroying it."

"You're a very smart young woman, Korra. But you must realize that once change begins, it cannot be stopped, even by the Avatar. And the term 'Princess Avatar' sounds only worse. You have only tainted yourself by becoming one of those monsters."

"Enough with your philosophical mumbo-jumbo! I want to know one thing; you said you don't like princesses, yet I am one now. So what are you going to do if you somehow manage to capture me?"

"You'll have that answer soon enough. The Red Lotus should have you by now. See you in the physical world." with a wicked smile, his spiritual body began to disappear and leave Xai Bau's Grove.

"Zaheer!" Korra and Twilight ran towards the tree, but stopped. It was no use…he was gone.

(~)

In a flash, Korra and Twilight returned to the physical world, but not in the same way they left. Korra found herself tied up by a strait jacket and muzzled along with other restraints as well as a metallic headband around her forehead. She spotted Twilight, her hooves stuck to the ground with heavy metal containers and her horn trapped inside a horn-shaped metallic helmet and a muzzle on her face as well. Korra struggled to break free, her wings too were tied up from behind her.

"Zaheer, you tricked me! Let us go!"

She then saw Asami handcuffed near her. But not only her, she saw Rainbow Dash and Flash Sentry, both in the same sate as Twilight, only they looked far more exhausted. Spike too was contained, inside a cage with a muzzle on his face, preventing him from breathing fire. An extra cage stood where San, Mika and Ali sadly chirped inside. And what was worse, the others were nowhere to be found.

"Guys, are you okay? Where's the rest of the Red Lotus?"

Asami looked at Korra curiously, her hair was a mess and she looked like she had been through one heck of a fight but lost. "What's the Red Lotus? And Zaheer didn't capture us, the Earth Queen's forces did."

"Where are we?" Twilight asked.

"We're not sure." said a tried Rainbow Dash, "Some camp by the desert. They're taking us back to Ba Sing Se."

(~)

"The Earth Queen's army snatched up the Avatar before I could." Ghazan said as he and Ming-Hua dropped a tied up and visibly battered Bolin and Mako before Zaheer's feet. The rest of the ponies were also tied up and tossed before him.

"But we figured you could find a use for these." said the armless waterbender. Zaheer smiled wickedly at the group of defeated heroes.

"Load them in the truck. We're taking a trip to Ba Sing Se."

(~)

Author's Note:

Can't wait to see what happens next? Me neither!

Comments

[Helljumper206]

"The Misty Palms Oasis." Twilight said. "I read about it. Most people go there for a relaxing getaway. Though after the thousand year war, not so much."

hundred year war