The Little Pony Legend 4: Balance of the Heart

by MaggiesHeartLove

Kuvira's Gambit

*(~)*

2 Timothy 3:13~

While evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

*(~)*

Kuvira's Gambit

The shimmer of the city of Zaofu no longer existed. The land no longer sparkled, even when the rays of the sun hit its metal walls. It was was if the very soul of it was stripped away. An air or pride surrounded the city as Kuvira's followers gathered at the central square, where Kuvira stood before the crowd while her followers from the outposts in the mountains listened in on the radio. If they didn't know any better, they would say that she had grown even more confident, but still carried an air of dignity and restrain.

"Today, we stand on the precipice of history. For the past three years, we've fought side by side to unite the Earth Empire and we've proven that no one can stand in our way, not even the Avatar. But our mission is not yet complete. There is a grave injustice that must be corrected. As you all know, after the Hundred Year War, Avatar Aang, along with Fire Lord Zuko, stole Earth Empire land and formed the United Republic. This land belongs to the people of the Earth Empire and it's time to take it back! Republic City will be ours!"

"All hail the Great Uniter!" the soldiers chanted. A tune Kuvira never got tired of hearing. A green mist began to manifest around her loyal supporters which was then absorbed into the green stone that hovered on her neck, no longer sustained by a string. The same mist was then transferred into the stones of Adagio and Aria. The two ponies stood a few feet away from Kuvira, allowing her time in the spotlight. She needed the adoration and the praise if she was going to give them their power back. Now, they were closer than ever before.

Baatar Jr. walked alongside her once Kuvira left the podium. "Are you ready to show the world what a true superpower looks like?" she said to her fiance, who took her hands into his. Bataar Jr.'s eyes held nothing but love and admiration for the metalbender.

"Yes. I'm honored to march into the city by your side. I love you, Kuvira."

"I never could have done this without your help." Kuvira said as she and Baatar embraced, resting her head on his chest. "After we claim victory, we can finally get married and rule our empire together."

Adagio and Aria watched the scene from afar. As gross as it was, Kuvira's happiness for her accomplishments was the food they desired.

(~)

Kuvira retreated to her chambers and looked at her reflection in the mirror. The stone still on her chest.

……………

"Why won't it come off?"

"Don't!" Dazzle stopped her, "It's okay, don't you see, Vira? These stones have been restoring our magic this whole time. The magic we lost long ago!"

"But how?"

"We didn't realize it until today and then it finally hit us. It was you."

Kuvira was slightly take aback by this.

"Your courage and your thrive inspired us. You showed us the importance of going after your goals even when others are against you. Your brave spirit and our friendship activated the magic within the stone and restored our magic, and now, we're bonded forever. Our bond is now stronger, perhaps even more so, than that of Korra and her ponies."

Kuvira couldn't believe it. She was now bonded with magic. This was all too much. Seeing her distress, Dazzle took her hands and tried to reassure her, "No, don't be scared. You don't have to be. With you, our magic is stronger now, but I promise we won't use it until you say so. You have my word."

Kuvira thought about this for a moment. She was so close to achieving her goal, her dream. But there was still one person standing in her way…

Korra.

She was still around, and her ponies were too. Their Elements of Harmony were known as the most powerful magic anywhere. But now, Kuvira had evened the playing field. With her ponies' magic and her weapon, they would be unstoppable. The metalbender smiled at the pony.

"Korra may have magic…but so do we."

A smile also formed on Dazzle's face. These two were always on the same page. That was exactly what made them such good friends.

………….

Kuvira smiled as her stone shimmered. She could feel its power. And it felt good.

(~)

Prince Wu, Hou-Ting, Korra, Mako, Tenzin, the Mane Six, Flash Sentry, Spike and the Alicorns had all gathered at Raiko's office.

"How's the evacuation coming?" Korra asked the prince, who held a piece of paper in his hand.

"Could be better. At this point we've evacuated almost ... eighteen families."

"Only eighteen? There are millions of people in this city!"

"8,336,697 about." Twilight said. All eyes fell on her, some a bit annoyed, others surprised, "What?"

"The problem is, it's a voluntary evacuation and there aren't very many volunteers." Mako said, "They just don't feel like they're in any immediate danger."

Rainbow exclaimed while waving her arms, "There's a mad woman with a giant spirit powered weapon that could wipe out buildings in one blow! Any chance we forgot to mention that?"

"Guys! Good, you're all here!" Everyone's attention turned to the two doors which bursted open and Bolin barged in without warning, accompanied by Lin, Su, Sonata and Zhu Li.

"What's with you interrupting my important meetings all the time?" Raiko exclaimed in annoyance as he stood up.

Korra stood up from her chair as well, but rather than share the President's reaction, she smiled upon seeing her metalbending master. "Su ... What are you ... You're okay!" the Avatar welcomed the youngest Beifong sister in a warm embrace.

Hou-Ting stood up, sustaining herself with her cane, as she approached the woman, "I am so sorry about Zaofu. How did you escape?"

"Sonata, Opal, Beifong, and I rescued everyone." Bolin said. "But we had a run in with Kuvira. We saw her super spirit weapon up close. Like, really close. Way too close."

"Is she going to use it against Republic City?" Tenzin asked.

"Yes. I found out she's going to attack in two weeks." said Zhu Li, reminding Bolin that he had yet to explain her presence to the rest of the group.

"Ooh! And Zhu Li's on our side now." Bolin mentioned, "Actually, she never really switched sides and I'm just gonna let her explain the whole thing. Zhu Li?"

"I pretended to be loyal to Kuvira so I could sabotage her weapon. It didn't work, but I did overhear her plans to attack."

"I knew she wouldn't stop at Zaofu." Raiko said angrily, clenching his fists.

Sonata nervously bit her bottom lip, "Yeah, that's not the worse part." all eyes fell on Sonata as she gave them the terrible news, "Remember when I said my sisters magic wouldn't work without a third voice? Well, now they do have one. Because Kuvira's been exposed to the dark magic for too long she's now becoming one with it. Once their magic reaches its peak, Kuvira will turn into a siren, unable to break free of my sister's hold."

The room was silent. Everyone's eyes were wide in horror, but nobody was more heartbroken than Korra. Kuvira was being consumed by dark magic and would soon be turned into a monster. A true monster. Seeing her distress, Mako and Twilight placed their hands on her shoulder.

"If Kuvira is heading towards the city, my guess is she will be coming by rail. It's the only way she can transport that weapon." Celestia said.

Korra brushed her own feelings aside for a moment and spoke up, "Then we'll cut the rail lines."

"I agree." Raiko said, "But let's get as many citizens evacuated before we do." he turned to Mako and Rainbow Dash, "Put out the announcement. The evacuation is now mandatory."

Mako and Rainbow saluted him, "We're on it."

"Don't worry Mr. President. I won't let Kuvira take our city." Korra promised. Even though now knowing what would become of her friend, she wasn't going to forget about the people she needed to protect. The people they needed to protect.

(~)

Outside of the office, the Mane Six gathered around Korra and Mako. "It's gonna be alright, darling." Rarity assured her.

But for once, Korra did not see the silver lining. "How? Kuvira is turning into a monster, she has a giant weapon at her disposal, we still have hundreds of people to evacuate out of the city."

"It'll be alright." Twilight said, placing a reassuring hand on Korra's shoulder. "We'll find a way to bring her back. I know we will."

But no matter how hard she tried, Korra just couldn't find any chances of saving Kuvira. Maybe there was no point anymore. Su was right before; Kuvira changed too much for anyone to reach her.

That fight was over. But there was yet another on the way. And Korra was determined to make sure they win this one.

(~)

At Future Industries factory, Sunset Shimmer and Asami watched as the workers constructed the humming bird machines. Sunset held a clipboard in her hands as she watched the progress. "So far so good." she said. The two walked up to Varrick, who stood on a balcony, overlooking the workers.

"Weld hotter! Tighten tighter! The president said we only have two weeks to get these hummingbirds humming!" Varrick placed both hands behind his ears and hummed to himself, imagining the sound emitting from the machines instead.

Sunset only rolled her eyes, while Asami turned her attention to the person entering through the doors. Her green eyes lit up.

"Bolin!"

The earthbender welcomed his fiance with open arms and the two shared a passionate kiss of true love. "I missed you." Asami said as she caressed his face.

"I missed you too. I'm back, and this time, I'm not going anywhere."

Varrick finally spun around and spread his arms wide. "Bolin! You're alive!"

"Hey, Varrick. Good thing you're here, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"What is it? I'm busy inspiring my workers."

"Well, I went to Zaofu and saved Su and her family ... and guess who else we found?" Bolin took a step back, motioning to the next person who had walked in.

Zhu Li stepped forward, her hands clapped together in front of her, looking rather demoralized, which was… rather out of character for her. It certainly was the first time Asami had ever seen the normally stoic and focused assistant showcase some form of vulnerability. Even her cloths were different.

While she still wore her spectacles, her hair was no longer in a ponytail, but rather loose with only half of it pulled against the back of her head. Her clothing was more bright, consisting of whites and greens with paler gray.

"Zhu Li." Upon seeing her, Varrick straightened his back. His blue eyes widened, and when he said her name, his voice was amazingly soft.

With his arm linked to Asami's, Bolin smiled as the two walked closer to one another, "Now, isn't there something you wanted to say to her? Hmm?" Bolin asked.

Zhu Li stepped closer, a soft smile on her face, giving her an angelic glow. Bolin and Asami happily watched the scene as Sunset Shimmer smiled as well, silently wishing she still had her cellphone to record this.

"Please, let me go first." Zhu Li began, "I know I said a lot of terrible things about you in front of Kuvira. But I need you to know …" she paused briefly, placing her hand over her heart. Not only that, but her voice carried more emotion than either Asami or Bolin had ever heard from her. "I didn't mean one word. When you were being taken away, I thought my only chance to save you was to join her. But every day, I hoped for the chance to see you again and tell you the truth."

Varrick, for once in his life, was left completely mute. His eyes carried a mixture of guilt and, even gratitude. He never should have doubted her, and he was mentally kicking himself for having done so. Yet, every word she said left a bigger impact on him that even he could possibly comprehend. His heart felt like it was growing in size, so much so he thought he would literally choke on it. He realized that, despite everything that has happened… he missed her terribly as much as she missed him.

A hint of red formed on Zhu Li's cheeks. "Varrick, you mean the world to me and I'm sorry if I hurt you in any way."

Varrick blinked a couple times, his face stunned until a soft smile formed across his lips. His hand rose upwards, as if to cup her face. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

Zhu Li's heart raced as Varrick's hand hovered near her face… her excitement dropped faster than a dead birdwhen his hand instead clapped her shoulder. "Apology accepted!" he said, recreating back to his typical, bombastic self. "Now be a good assistant and man the assembly line!" he said, turning his attention back to the workers.

Sunset's jaw dropped at the scene, as did Bolin and Asami's. Just what was wrong with this guy?

But Zhu Li wan't having it this time. Clenching her fists and growling in anger, she grabbed Varrick by the shoulder and roughly spun him around to face her directly. "No! I am not your assistant anymore." she stated, her voice rising and she kept pointing her finger at Varrick's chest, towering over him and he literally bend over backwards the further she went, their noses nearly inches apart and Varrick's back leaned against the railing, his arms dangling behind him. "If you want me around, you need to start treating me like an equal!"

After she stormed off, Varrick straightened himself, shrugging in confusion. Bolin, Asami and Sunset Shimmer all smacked their own foreheads in frustration.

(~)

Inside the radio operating room, a female operator plugged in one of the cables and turned to Mako, who sat on a chair next to her. "We're patched into the emergency broadcast line. You're going out to every radio in the city."

Mako spoke into the microphone. "Attention citizens of Republic City, this is Prince Mako. This is not a test. An attack on our city is imminent. President Raiko has ordered a mandatory evacuation for all citizens. Please find subsection one-dash-two-six." he pulled out a manual and flipped through the pages before stopping in the section he was looking for, trailing his fingers under the words as he read them out loud.

"There you will find initial instructions for your area. For example, if you live in northwest vector one, report to your primary meeting location, which would be at the eastern entrance of the Southern Water Tribe library. There, you would choose a leader as specified in section one-dash-two-eight.

The further he read the manual, more and more lights on the switchboard came on, followed by a number of phone calls. At first, it started with two, or three at once, before the entire radio room was flooding with so many calls from panicked citizens it was hard for the operators to keep up. All the while, Mako continued reading the manual.

Rainbow Dash, Flash Sentry, Hou-Ting and Lin took notice of the alarming number of ringing and lights switching on to the point it almost resembled a Heart's Warming Eve tree. The two ponies and Chief of Police cringed in humiliation. Rainbow Dash slapping her forehead.

"Uh, Chief, we're getting confused calls from all over the city." said the radio operator. "I think the Prince is starting a panic."

"Ya think?" Rainbow said sarcastically.

"What's confusing?" Mako asked, "I'm giving very specific instructions."

"Anyone got any other ideas?" Flash asked out loud, looking around the room for any volunteers.

Prince Wu raised his hand up enthusiastically, "Oh, I have one!"

Flash narrowed his eyes, "Anybody with an IQ of more than one digit?"

The prince ignored his comment and stepped forwards, gesturing to Mako to allow him to take his seat and try to calm down the public. "Relax. I got this." he said confidently as he sat on the chair and spoke into the microphone, addressing to the public. Hou-Ting covered her eyes. She couldn't watch this train wreck.

"Hello, everyone, this is Prince Wu. Now, I know you're all a little scared. Believe me, I know what it's like to be afraid. I used to not be able to go to the bathroom by myself. But if we let that fear control us none of us will ever be able to go to the bathroom and then we all lose."

Mako, Flash and Rainbow were rather skeptical on this approach. Was this really going to work? Surprisingly, as Wu continued his speech, people all around the city stopped panicking and listened to the prince, which was broadcast to every radio and loudspeaker in the city. His words reached out to everyone, even Tahno and his pals who ate at Narook's.

"But the people of Republic City aren't losers, we're winners. Winners that are going to get out of this city in a calm and orderly fashion. So I want you to grab your family, grab your neighbor grab that guy down the street you don't know very well and head to the nearest bus, rain or ferry station." Once he said that last part, Gommu, who was listening to the radio while eating fish, spotted the park police officer beside him and dragged him off by the wrist without warning.

"We're going to get you out of here, safe and sound."

For a moment, all was silent. Flash was bitting his nails nervously awaiting what would happen…then, all of the lights of the incoming calls shut off one by some, some even in a whole row, much to Lin and Hou-Ting's astonishment. Mako, Rainbow and Flash had their mouths hung open.

"I...don't…believe it." Rainbow was speechless, hunching over, her eyes widened and her arms dangling. "The little guy actually did it."

"Good job, kid." Lin said, smiling. "You might not make such a bad king after all."

Mako nodded in agreement and placed a hand on his shoulder, while Flash chuckled in astonishment. "Yeah. Good job, Wu."

"I could't agree more." Mako said. He then noticed that Rainbow Dash was still wearing her stunned expression, "Rainbow?"

She rose one finger to his face. "Give me a sec, I gotta let this sink in."

Hou-Ting began pinching her nephew's cheeks, "That's my boy!"

"Ah! Aunty, not in public!"

(~)

"Rohan's with the Acolytes. They have the boat ready to leave." Tenzin said once he had entered the room, only to find his wife and children had left their luggage completely empty, their personal belongings still in their rightful places. "Why aren't you all packed yet?"

"The kids and I have been talking and we decided we want to stay." said Pema, "This is our city and it's going to need all the help it can get."

"Yeah! Only a coward flees his fate." Meelo said, proudly placing his hands on his hips.

A long time ago, Tenzin would have tried to get them to leave for safety, but he now knew better that his family had the strength to stand on their own two feet. He embraced them with all the love in his heart. "Thank you. I'm sure Prince Wu could use your help with the evacuation." he turned to his children, "And you three can help the other airbenders keep an eye on the Earth Empire troops from above."

Meelo rose a clenched fist, "Kuvira's gonna rue the day she messed with Meelo." he said, pounding said fist onto his chest, earning an unamused side glance from Jinora.

(~)

And so it began.

Satomobiles of all shapes and sizes were parked right outside Republic City station, and police airships hovered above the building. Police officers assisted the people from their cars and into the station, trying to maintain order and calm amongst the frightened public.

Inside, Prince Wu, Hou-Ting along with Pema, as well as P'Li and Princess Cadance, Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy helped with the evacuation of the citizens, directing them into the trains one by one. The ponies would often give reassuring words of hope to the frightened children, reminding them to always keep their chin up and to trust that they will return home soon enough.

That night, United Forces battleships entered Yue Bay, while more police airships hovered above them in a perfect straight formation. Celestia and Luna flew towards them, spotting General Iroh from the bow of his ship. The general smiled, happy to see his old allies once again. From the Equestrian portal, pegasus and unicorn guards crossed over, being led by Shinning Armor and Princess Twilight.

One by one, more and more people left the city, leaving behind their houses, their jobs, everything in order to stay safe. Korra watched it all from afar, landing on various buildings as people left the only home they had ever known. Before long, the city looked like ghost town. The absence of laughter, music and joy was too devastating for Korra to even explain. She knew exactly what it was like to leave one's safe haven. The sad part was, if it weren't for Kuvira, they wouldn't even have had to.

Speaking of Kuvira, Korra wondered what she was doing right now. Had she become the siren already, or was there still humanity left in her?

Meanwhile, Adagio was filled with glee, knowing that her plan was coming together. All thanks to Kuvira.

Adagio;

This is day is going to be perfect

The kind of day of which I've dreamed for so long

Everybody will gather around

Just to hear our victory sound

What they don't know is that I have fooled them all

Korra landed on the balcony of her palace, leaning against the railing, sighing sadly while looking down at her ring, thinking about the things that they all could have been doing, have not it been for Kuvira.

Korra;

This day was going to be perfect

The kind of day of which I've dreamed for so long

But instead of having cake, with all of my friends to celebrate

My wedding bells they may not ring for me at all

Adagio;

I could care less of their distress

Their misery is glee for me

Vows, well I was lying when I said;

"That through any kind of weather, we will be best friends forever,"

The truth it I don't care for her at all!

No, I don't care for her heart

It was my plan from the very start!

Her spirit will bring me just what

I want!

Korra;

Must stop it before it's too late

Find a way to save the day

Hope, I'll be lying if I say

I don't fear that we may lose her

To one who wants to use her

Transform her into something she is not

Though your heart has turned selfish

Bringing you back is my wish

Kuvira, I will help you

To find Light in the dark

…………

The day was close, and Kuvira couldn't wait. This was the day.

Kuvira;

Finally, the moment has arrived

For me, to begin my reign

Korra;

The day is soon arriving

Adagio;

I can feel her pride thriving

Korra;

Our city will be….

Kuvira;

Mine. All mine.

Adagio;

Muah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

Adagio laughed at her soon to be victory as she watched the line of mecha tanks advance their way towards the outskirts of the city just as the sun was rising. The entire Earth Empire Army was set into place.

Today marked the end for the Avatar, and her precious Elements of Harmony.

(~)

Everything was set. The people were safely out, the United Forces as well as the Canterlot army was in position, all the pieces were in place.

But Korra was still in distress. She couldn't stop thinking about Kuvira and what fate awaited her. She couldn't help but feel responsible for this. She wanted to help her, but she failed. How could she be the Princess of Friendship is she failed at helping one person. She didn't need to turn around to see who approached her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"It's going to be alright." he assured her. "We'll get through this."

"I failed, Mako. I failed Kuvira."

"You shouldn't blame yourself. It was her choice."

"Still… maybe if I had been a better friend, this never would have happened."

Mako took Korra by the hands and lifted up her chin for her to look at him. "You've been a great friend. To everyone. We all have the freedom to choose, it's not your fault Kuvira chose wrong. But if you really believe she can be saved, then so do I."

Korra had no words to say. She didn't need to. She knew he was telling her what was inside his heart. The heart she fell in love with all those years ago. Deep down, they both thew there was a deeper reason why they were so drawn to one another from the day they met, which went beyond simple teenage infatuation, even if many others couldn't see it above the surface. They fell in love with each other's hearts, not their looks, or just how they made each other feel, but the fact they could learn from one another. Mako became a better person because of Korra, and Korra learned to be more patient as well as understanding. They made mistakes, but they grew and learned from it, and now their love was stronger than ever before. It was more than just romance….

It was also friendship.

Korra rested her head against his chest, taking him the warmth of his body. She was lucky to not only have him in her life, but her friends as well. They all helped her change in some way or another, and she did the same for each of them, even if she didn't always realize it. This gave her hope that she could save Kuvira. She couldn't allow a good soul to be lost in the darkness of one's own pride. Once they separated, Korra caressed her fiance's face.

"I love you, so much." she said.

"I love you, too."

They shared a simple, yet loving, kiss when their friends gathered before them. They didn't need to apologize for ruining the moment, there were far more important matters to discuss.

"Guys, we need to talk." Twilight said seriously.

"I agree." Korra said, equally serious.

"We have to take down Kuvira's weapon before it reaches the city." the two princesses said in unexpected unison.

Bolin whispered to his fiance, "It's always creepy how they do that."

"Well, they are bonded." Asami said.

(~)

Lin and Tenzin stood with Raiko at the top of one of the towers of Air Temple Island. "I still don't like having to abandon my office in the city." Raiko said, already feeling uneasy by being cooped up in a tower for his own protection.

"Air Temple Island is the ideal location for your base of operations and you'll be safe here." Lin said.

The three middle-aged adults turned their attention to Team Avatar once they walked up the stairs to meet them. Alongside them were Sunset Shimmer, Sonata and Spike.

"There's something we need to discuss with you." Korra said.

"What is it? Tenzin asked.

"We have been talking and ... we wanna take out Kuvira's spirit weapon before it gets too close to the city."

"That sounds like a risk we don't need to take. The evacuation is on schedule and General Iroh and Shinning Armor are getting their armies in place."

"I know Iroh and my brother can go toe-to-toe with Kuvira's army, but that weapon …" Twilight was interrupted when Sonata stepped in.

"It's too powerful! It can destroy the city."

"We can't let it get to our doorstep." Mako said.

"We'll sneak behind enemy lines and disable the weapon." Korra suggested

"If it works, it'll even the playing field." Asami said.

Pinkie Pie did some comic sound effects of explosions, "Down goes the cannon!"

"But if you get caught …" Tenzin said.

"It's worth the risk." Korra said, her eyes burning with determination.

Raiko, Tenzin and Lin all looked at one another, pondering. As dangerous as it was, it did make sense. "I agree, and it might be our only shot at preventing an all-out war." Raiko said, bowing before the Princess Avatar. "Good luck."

"We'll head out tonight." Korra said.

Rainbow smiled, "And you know what this means."

"Team Avatar's back in action?" Pinkie asked with an excited smile.

"Back, and better than ever!"

"Wee!"

Rarity then realized something, "Wait! Once we take down the weapon, what are we going to do about the sirens now that they have their magic?"

Twilight, Korra and Sunset Shimmer exchanged smiles, "We'll defeat them the same way we did before." said Twilight, "With a musical counter spell."

Flash blinked a few times, "Wait, you're going to have to sing?"

"We'll focus on the weapon first," Korra instructed, "Then we'll use the counter spell on the sirens."

"And you think it'll work again?" Tenzin asked.

"It's what we got so far."

(~)

A very faint mist surrounded a military outpost up in the mountains. The lights of the posts's towers, and the lit up roads that circled the mountain pierced through the mist. A couple of White Lotus sentries kept watch, one looked into his binoculars, moving back and forth. The fog was starting to pick up, making it almost difficult to see farther away. The sentry caught a glimpse of something. For a brief moment, he was about to dismiss it as just a trick of the night, until it moved once again in a rhythmic pattern, followed by the sound of a very faint crash not too far away. It sounded like multiple trees crashing to the ground.

"There's something out there!"

The other sentry peered through his own binoculars, trying to make out what his companion was seeing. The shadows took shape the closer they got, and the fog dispersed around them. The sound of metal stomping the ground grew louder and louder, followed by the rolling wheels of a massive tank. The sentry gasped, lowering his binoculars in horror upon seeing the massive number of mecha suits approaching.

"It's Kuvira's army! They're a week early! Get the commander immediately and radio Republic City!"

The second sentry spun around to do as he was ordered, but stopped abruptly when an even louder crash caused the earth itself to tremble. A faint sound filled the air.

"What's that sound?" the sentry asked as he turned his head towards the sound. The sound of the army's heavy metal bodies was overlapped by the angelic, and hypnotic voices that grew louder and louder as the machines dawned closer.

Behind the army, something else began to take shape. Larger than any of the mecha suits combined. The sound of mechanical movements merged with the harmonious singing filled the air to the point the sentries couldn't even will their own legs to move. The creature's arm rose upwards, and something bright and purple manifested into what appeared to be the barrel of a cannon, attached to the humanoid's arm.

The sentries never had the chance to run, the beautiful singing holding them in its grasp as the massive purple energy came crashing down upon the post, engulfing it in a fiery inferno. A massive cloud of red and black smoke rose up into the sky.

The singing stopped.

(~)

The sun rose from behind the mountains as Team Avatar headed to face Kuvira's super weapon. Asami was stirring the sky bison while Korra, Twilight, Fluttershy Rainbow Dash and Flash Sentry, flew beside them. The other ponies were in anthro form while Spike remained with Sunset Shimmer and Sonata back in the city, working with Varrick in supervising their machines.

Everyone else surveyed their surroundings, while Applejack and Bolin peered through their telescopes. Those with wings spread out further, covering as much ground as they possibly could. Korra gripped her necklace tightly and looked up at the sky, seeing faint rainbow colors among the clouds.

"You've helped us get this far." she said, "May you be with us now."

"Guys! I see something. Down there!" Bolin cried out, pointing forward to behind a mountain. Those with wings huddled close to the bison, witnessing Kuvira's army making its way towards the city.

Flutteshy blinked her eyes, "Is that – ?"

"Kuvira." Korra responded, "She's already crossed into United Republic territory. She's a week early!"

"This doesn't make any sense." said Applejack, "There aren't any train tracks this way. How in the hay are they transportin' that super weapon of theirs?"

"Shush!" Mako suddenly silenced Applejack when he suddenly heard a faint sound in the distance, "You hear that?"

Everyone remained silent, also hearing the sound. The sound of singing. Korra's eyes widened and gasped, "It's the sirens! They're magic has grown stronger!"

Instinctively, Mako, Asami, Bolin and Flash covered their ears, canceling out the sound. But that was not all they heard. Amongst the singing, they also heard footsteps…giant, metallic footsteps.

That was when they saw it.

A large metallic monster, taller than the mountains, walked pass them, along with the army. On the left arm of the monster, stood a long cannon-like object; the supper weapon.

"It's a giant mecha suit!" Asami exclaimed in horror, "That's how they're transporting the weapon!"

"Ya think?!" Korra exclaimed sarcastically.

"That thing's as big as Tirek!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

Mako turned to his brother, "Did you know Kuvira was building that thing?"

"Oh, did I forget to mention it?" Bolin said with visible sarcasm before snapping, "No, of course I didn't know!"

"How are we suppose to stop it now?" Flash asked, "Our group doesn't stand a chance against that thing."

"Flash is right." said Twilight, "We're going to have to turn back with reinforcements."

Korra grunted in frustration, "I hate turning away from a battle but, there really is no other way."

Meanwhile, inside the mecha suit, Kuvira stood inside the control room with Adagio and Aria standing on her left and right. Their stones all glowed as the two ponies sung their wordless song. Their magic was reaching its peak, they could feel it.

"There's a flying bison up ahead." said one of the mecha suit's operators.

Kuvira's eyes narrowed, "The Avatar." she said bitterly. No way was she going to let her ruin everything she's worked too hard for.

"Don't let her get away with this." Adagio said.

Kuvira nodded and used her metalbending to pull a lever, while the sirens sang once more, so faint that Kuvira couldn't hear them. Metallic orbs rotated at Kuvira's command, serving as the controls that commanded the mecha suit to move. The machine's arm rose, the cannon locked in position, ready to fire at its target. The same purple glow formed once again, aimed directly at Team Avatar's direction.

Bolin's eyes practically bulged out of his head. "I know what happens next! We gotta get out of here, now! Now!"

Asami stirred the bison away, with the others flew closely by, just when the mecha fired the beam. It was as intense as the sun itself and left them nearly blinded at merely catching a glimpse of it. Thinking fast, both Twilight and Korra created a converged force field around the bison, narrowly knocking them off course. They quickly flew past a nearby mountain, which was almost instantly blown to smithereens after the cannon shot at it, in an attempt to strike the team once more.

"Let's go after them!" Aria said, clenching her fists, "They're going to warn Republic City."

Kuvira, however, composed herself and smiled, ignoring the traces of hair that became undone. "Let them. No one can stop us."

Korra turned her head, looking down at the machine. There was no doubt now…This would be their final battle.

(~)

The team quickly dismounted the bison once they arrived at Air Temple Island. The Alicorns, Tenzin, Pema, P'Li, Lin, Su, Wei and Wing hurried to greet them.

"Korra? Are you all right?" Tenzin asked, visibly concerned, "Why are you back so soon?"

Korra's wings lowered in disappointment, "It's Kuvira. Our intel was wrong. She must have known Zhu Li had the information."

"What are you trying to say?" Raiko asked.

"Kuvira's army is only a few hours away."

Tenzin's eyes widened in shock, as did Leilani's, "No, they can't be! We're not ready."

"And that spirit weapon of hers is attached to a giant mecha suit. It's over twenty-five stories tall!"

"And she has the sirens with her." Fluttershy said, "Their magic is stronger now than ever."

Asami growled in annoyance, "What I don't understand is how Kuvira managed to construct a giant mechanical monstrosity but I've still yet to replicate a ding dang cell phone?!" she huffed, folding her arms.

"So you missed a few years of cat videos, give it a rest." Mako said, making Asami pout in annoyance.

Raiko turned to Lin, "Get General Iroh and Shinning Armor on the line and tell them that the attack is happening today. We need to lock down the city."

Lin hurried off and Tenzin addressed to his family, "Pema, P'Li! Find Wu and Princess Cadance and get the remaining citizens to safety, immediately. We can't have innocent lives in jeopardy."

"What should we do?" Bolin asked, gripping his fiance's hand.

"Let's go to my factory." Asami said, "Maybe we can get a few of those hummingbird suits up and running."

"We're coming with you." Su said. Asami nodded in agreement.

"Twilight and I will head to the front lines and help General Iroh and Shinning Armor." Korra said, before they all dispersed.

(~)

Tenzin and Rainbow Dash, a number of other airbenders, stretching from ponies to humans, were spread out, mounted on various buildings. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna landed right beside Tenzin and his family, accompanied by Kai, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, who was now sporting a customized wingsuit like the other airbenders, colored pink, blue and yellow of course. The normally upbeat pony looked more serious than ever before, ears pressed back against her head.

Rainbow Dash held out a spyglass and looked through, seeing any signs of Kuvira's mecha suit. From a distance was the United Forces Army, camped just outside the borders of Republic City, awaiting for the arrival of Kuvira's army.

"It has been a long time since we joined together in battle, my sister." Luna said, as the wind blew on her already moving mane that depicted the starlight sky.

"Yes it has." Celestia said, "We have fallen once from Kuvira's actions, we shall not fall again."

Back at the station, Wu, Cadance, P'Li and Pema continued assisting more and more people into the trains and at Air Temple Island, Lin, Raiko and Leilani observed from the closed glass window of the tower.

Fences of barbed wire surrounded the field where the army's campsite was located. Soldiers of the United Forces and members of the Canterlot Royal guard stood firmly alongside their superiors, General Iroh and Shinning Armor. Beside them stood Twilight Sparkle and Avatar Korra. All eyes were focused out on the outskirts of the landscape, the wind blew against their hair and cloths when the sound of faint thumping was heard in the distance.

Without any warning, Kuvira's giant mecha suit emerged from behind a hill, the sound of its mechanical footsteps, coupled with loud grinding gears were heard from afar, so clearly it gave the impression it was only two feet away. From inside the cockpit, Kuvira's gemstone glowed brightly in the light.

The sight of the colossus was seen by the Alicorns and airbenders. They knew this weapon was large, but upon seeing it was something straight out of a nightmare. Raiko, Lin and Leilani looked equally horrified at the monstrosity, which towered over the entire United Forces Army, both the heroes and Kuvira's armies were literally face to face.

While Iroh, Shinning Armor and the others looked up at the great beast in shock and horror, Korra and Twilight didn't even flinch. They had faced this monstrosity before, they would do so again.

Raiko adjusted the frequency of a radio on his desk and spoke through the microphone, communicating with the Earth Empire Leader. "Kuvira, this is President Raiko. I order you to stand down. Turn your army around and leave."

"You're in no position to give orders." Kuvira answered from within her suit, hearing the president through the speaker.

"Stand down, or we will attack!" Raiko warned, thankful that she couldn't see the droplets of sweat on his brow.

Kuvira, her two companies exchanged evil smirks and Adagio addressed to the president in a mocking tone, "I don't think you understand the power we posses. Perhaps, a little demonstration will coax you."

Adagio and Aria began to sing, their stones glowing brightly and their voices could be heardeven from the radio on Iroh's end. Korra gasped, "No! Everybody, cover your ears! Don't listen to the music!"

Everyone obeyed, even Raiko and Lin covered their ears, but because Leilani was an alicorn, she was immune to their melody. As they sang, the mecha suit's right arm rose up, the cannon locked and loaded. That same purple glow manifested again and a beam, almost as fast as lightning, came firing down right above the city, narrowly missing the airbenders and lowering downwards to the bay, striking the war ships that were positioned near the harbor. One by one, the side of each ship became engulfed with fire, and red, yellow and orange smoke rose up into the air. The entire scene was witnessed by Varrick, Mako, Bolin, Flash Sentry, Spike, Sunset Shimmer, Asami, Zhu Li, Applejack and Rarity from the Future Industries Factory. Rarity clapped her hand over her mouth, horrified to see the same beam shooting at more ships without mercy.

"This is exactly why I didn't wanna build that weapon!", Varrick cried out, angrily gesturing to the window, seeing the remains of the war ships falling off and splashing into the water.

Korra turned from seeing the pitch black smoke rising from the harbor into the sky and back at the mecha suit, which then proceeded to lower its arm cannon, now aimed directly at the people and ponies down bellow. Rather than run away, everyone stood their ground.

The warships were sinking fast. The passengers had to quickly abandon ship. The pegasus guards and unicorns assisted their human companions out before any one of them could perish, and waterbenders dove down to rescue their fallen comrades. The airmenders hurried out to rescue them as well.

Leilani's heart sank at the sight. How far could one individual's pride go. Raiko shared her pain as she stared at the burning ships, a terrified look on his face. The sound of Iroh's static voice came from the radio, "Mister President, do I have your order to engage?" he asked, but Raiko was still frozen in terror to give a proper answer. Not that he had much time to do so, for right after Iroh had contacted him, another voice came from the radio.

"You have three seconds before I wipe out your army." Kuvira said.

Shinning Armor then took the microphone from Iroh, addressing to the alicorn, "Queen Leilani, with all due respect, we must attack now!"

Leilani, with a look or regret, turned to Lin and then the president. "We have no choice." she said, with her head hung low. A weapon like that would surely kill anyone in its wake. Not even unicorn magic would be enough to protect themselves from that.

"Time's up!" Kuvira said, positioning herself, ready to aim and fire but was halted when the president spoke.

"Stop! We surrender." Raiko said with a heavy heart, "Republic City is yours."

Adagio and Aria smile wickedly in triumph as Kuvira straightened up from the stance she was in. She placed her hands behind her back. "Good. Turn your army, the Princess Avatar and Elements of Harmony over to me, and give Baatar your location. He'll present you with our terms."

From inside the tent, Shinning Armor clenched his trembling fists, his anger becoming a perfect reflection of Iroh's, who slammed the handled microphone onto the table near the radio it was connected to. The unicorn prince turned to his younger sister."Twily--"

"We're not surrendering!" she responder fiercely, with Korra loyalty backing her up.

"I'm not asking you to. You and Korra get back to the city before she sees you."

Korra and Twilight nodded before turning away to leave, only to stop abruptly when Iroh spoke, "And girls…find a way to beat that thing."

"We will." they both said determinedly and ran out, spreading their wings and flying towards the city.

Aria jumped up, pounding her fist into the air at their victory before Baatra's voice came through the radio inside the mecha suit. "We've done it, Kuvira." he said, smiling proudly while watching the glorious sight of burning, sinking war ships from the window of his airship. "And I just got word that President Raiko is on Air Temple Island. I'm heading there now."

Adagio and Aria surprised Kuvira with a hug. "You did it, Vira!"

"No…we did it." after she said this, their stones glowed even brighter.

(~)

At warehouse, the Princesses and Rarity tended to the injured parties, while Zhu Li took notes on a clipboard, with Sunset Shimmer looking over them. Everyone turned their attention to Korra and Twilight once they walked inside. Spike rushed on over to greet them.

"Twilight! Korra!" The little dragon jumped into Twilight's arms as Korra addressed to the crowd.

"Raiko surrendered. It's down to us now."

"How are we supposed to fight an entire army, a mecha giant, and that crazy weapon?" Bolin asked, not even being a tiny bit subtle about his perturbation.

"We can't fight that machine, but maybe we can cripple it." Asami said, "Zhu Li, when you were spying on Kuvira, did you learn anything about that metal monster?"

"I had no idea they were even building it."

"Guess Baatar Jr. is a better inventor than I thought." Varrick said, then changed his tune at the flip of a switch, threateningly pointing his finger, "Don't tell him I said that!"

Rainbow Dash's face lit up. "Wait! If Baatar Jr. built it, then he'll know how to take it down!"

"Good thinking, R.D." Korra said proudly, "We capture him and get em to tell us."

Twilight rose her hand, "I'm in!"

"Me too!" Spike said, also raising his hand.

Pinkie Pie lowered down from the celling, "Me three!"

"Hmm …" Tenzin pondered, and Korra turned to face him.

"I know it's a long shot, but it's the only chance we have, and if we don't …"

"Korra." the airbender interrupted, and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm in."

Korra smiled in gratitude. Years ago, Tenzin would often be the first to tell her any ideas she had were crazy and reckless, but he knew the Avatar he had trained was no longer the rambunctious teenager from before. She was a young woman now, a leader in her own right. He had every reason to trust her judgment.

Korra turned her attention to the rest of them. "We'll need a stealth team of airbenders to get in and out of Baatar's airship unnoticed. Rainbow Dash, since this was your idea, you're with us. Tenzin, Bumi, Jinora, Kai, let's get moving."

The assigned airbenders nodded in agreement, but Meelo looked disappointed, not having heard his name be called out.

"What about me?"

Korra kneeled down, smiling and speaking sweetly to the young boy. "Sorry, buddy. This mission counts on everyone being as silent as possible -- and your farts are just too much of a wild card."

"I can be quiet!" Meelo said loudly…right before farting just as loudly right on the spot. He blushed from embarrassment but quickly collected himself. "Okay, point taken."

Rarity fanned the smell away with her hand, feeling disgusted, as Korra addressed to the rest of the Mane Six, "The rest of you tend to the injured, we'll be back with Baatar Jr."

"Be careful." Fluttershy said as she attended to an injured unicorn soldier.

"What about me?" Pinkie Pie asked, lowering her ears at Korra and giving her the pouty lips and puppy eyes.

Korra placed a hand on her shoulder, "I'm afraid you're going to have to sit this out too. At least for now. Best to save that energy for Kuvria and the sirens."

Pinkie stayed with her pouty and sad expression for a few more seconds until…."Okey-dokey-lokey!" *SQUEE*

(~)

Baatar's Jr.'s airship was nearing Air Temple Island, completely unaware of the sky bison flying right above him, completely out of view. Tenzin, Korra, Rainbow Dash, Kai, Jinora and Bumi stood up on the saddle. Korra and Rainbow spreading their wings while the airbenders opened up their wingsuits.

On Korra's signal they all flew down, one by one, landing onto the roof of the airship. Using her metalbending, Korra opened the hatch and she, Tenzin, Bumi and Rainbow Dash slid down into the airship, while Jinora and Kai kept watch from the outside.

A single guard walked down the hallway near a window and pass the doorway that led to a staircase. Once he was gone, Korra poked her head, holding her fist up as a signal to the others. After a few seconds, she motioned to the others the cost was clear and to follow her. The quietly made their way down the opposite end of the hallway and turned a corner, quickly hiding behind a wall upon seeing Baatar Jr. inputting a a passcode into a security door. The light of the controls changed from red to green and the doors slid open at the sound of a beep.

Once he walked inside, Korra silently leaped out, forcing the doors open with her metalbending, giving Rainbow Dash the chance to speed her way inside, appearing from behind Baatar Jr. and knocking him out with a single knock on the back of the head. A trick taught to her by Asami. The pegasus smiled in satisfaction as Tenzin and Bumi tied the man up and put his unconscious body into an empty sack.

(~)

Rarity splashed water at Baatar Jr.'s face and he woke up. He found himself inside a warehouse, surrounded by humans and ponies all staring at him with disapproving glares. His mother, brothers and sister were also present. He struggled, only to find he was tied to a chair, his hair partly unkept from being dragged around inside the sack while he was out like a light. Regardless of the situation, Baatar Jr. was not intimidated.

"You've made a terrible mistake. Once Kuvira finds out I'm missing, you're all done for."

"That's why, before she finds out, you're going to tell us how to stop that mecha giant, or else." Korra said while crossing her arms.

"Or else what?"

Twilight scoffed while smiling and waving her hand, "Trust me, you don't want to know."

Baatar Jr. rolled his eyes. "You really expect me to be intimidated by a bunch of little ponies?"

Twilight sighed, "Okay. You asked for it."

Simultaneously, each of the Mane Six's eyes glowed brightly along with Korra's, as well as her wings and the Elements of Harmony manifested on their chests. Korra marched her way towards Baatar Jr., grabbing him by the ropes that held him to the chair and lifted him from the ground with one arm, showing little to no effort at all. He let out an audible, frightened gasp.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash both bended large fire daggers, Applejack bended some sharp stalagmite stones, sharp as knives, Rarity bended waster, turning them into ice shards, and Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy took their stance, ready to blast the man against the wall. They all shared the same threatening looks as their bonded Avatar.

After a few short moments of seeing only a sneak preview of the power they possessed, Baatar Jr. surprised them by smiling confidently and chuckling. "You won't hurt me. None of you will. I know an empty threat when I see one…princess." he said the last part in a mocking tone.

After a moment, their eyes stopped glowing and the Elements dissolved back into their skin, the seven of them grunted in frustration. They were hoping he would fall for their bluff, but they had underestimated his intelligence.

With brute force, Korra threw Baatar Jr. back to the floor, his chair nearly tipping back until he managed to shift his body weight to balance it.

"Was this your best idea?" he laughed, "You've lost, only you haven't accepted it yet."

Rarity crossed her arm in disapproval while Applejack placed her hands on her hips, "Keep talkin' like that, partner, and you'll get a rock to the mouth!"

Sonata tapped Su's shoulder, "Talk with him. Love weakens the spell."

Korra stepped back, giving Su to floor so she could speak with her son.

(~)

The airship pulled up next to the Air Temple tower, lowering gently to the opened door-windows, where Raiko, Lin and Leilani patiently awaited out in the open. A few of Lin's police officers stood inside.

The airship doors slid open and tow girds were lowered down a metal walkway that extended downwards to the tower's edge. The two guards, hands behind their back, stood side by side, awaiting for Baatar to arrive, while the President, Police Chief and Alicorn stood firmly, and unwavering before them.

After a few seconds, the two guards looked at one another then back to the doorway. When nobody came out, the two looked at one another again in confusion before turning their attention back at the three. Leilani and Lin's eyes shifted towards one another, arching an eyebrow in equal confusion.

A third guard came running down the walkway and addressed the two soldiers, the three now speaking in hushed tones.

"What's going on?" Raiko asked, interrupting them. "Is everything all right?"

"Just a minute, sir." said the soldier that came running out before speaking with his co-workers again. "I'm telling you, I looked everywhere." he said hushly.

Lin, already loosing her patience, yelled at them, pointing a threatening finger at the men. "All right, enough whispering!"

"I'm ready to discuss the terms of the surrender with Baatar Jr." Raiko said, "Where is he?"

One of the soldier's eyes shifted from side to side. "Uh ... I'm not really sure."

Lin, Leilani and Raiko exchanged looks of uncertainty.

(~)

Back at the warehouse, Suyin kneeled before her own son, her eyes and voice soft as she spoke with him, trying to reach him somehow. No matter how many wrongs he did, to her, he was still her son and she loved him no matter what. She hopped something she did would snap him out of this.

"Baatar --"

"If you think I'm going to spill all my secrets to you, Mother, you're sadly mistaken." Baatar Jr. said, narrowing his eyes at his own mother, refusing to break down upon her futile attempts to empathize with him.

"Why are you doing this? I know you set out to help better the world, but this is madness!"

"It's madness to let others take what's yours and accept it blindly! The United Republic belongs to us, and we're taking it back."

"But at what cost? How many people have to lose their lives before Kuvira is satisfied?"

Baatar Jr. leaned forward, "It doesn't have to cost any lives if you would all just surrender! All that Kuvira and I want is a united Earth Empire!" he said before leaning back against the wooden chair.

Su looked away, hanging her head in shame. Maybe Kuvira wasn't all to blame here. Maybe, Su herself had played just as much a part in her son's decisions than she wanted to admit. She tried for so many years to put all of her past mistakes behind her, but even for her it became difficult to admit when she made a new mistake.

"I'm sorry." she said, her voice cracking as more tears were shed. "I'm sorry if you felt I didn't support you enough. Or if I ever made you feel that you needed to be like your father. You are a gifted and intelligent man, and I'm sorry for everything else I might have done to hurt you." as she spoke, her son's hardened expression subtly softened. "When you left Zaofu, it broke my heart and our family has never been the same since." as Suyin spoke, the rest of her children, Wei, Wing and Opal's hardened expressions began to soften as well. No matter how many horrible things Baatar Jr. did, he was still their brother. They wanted him home just as much as Su did.

"Please, Baatar. We love you. Stop all this and come home. We want you back with us. I promise, I will make it up to you… please."

Baatar Jr. closed his eyes, feeling that familiar tug of motherly love in his heart… his brows furrowed and his eyes snapped open, looking soulless and empty, but also angry and forceful.

"Kuvira is my family now."

There was nothing in the world that could even hope to level up to the heart piercing pain Su felt right now. Her son had disowned her right then and there. She had failed him. She had failed her family. The revelation striking her hard as the burning tears ran down her face.

"I don't understand." Sunset said, addressing to Sonata, "You said love weakens the spell."

"It does. But he also really loves Kuvira. He can't imagine his life without her."

Hearing that familiar sentence gave Korra a grand idea. "We've been going about his all wrong." she said to Twilight before walking over to Baatar as Su walked away, being consulted by Luna. The Avatar placed her hands on her hips, using another method to persuade him.

"You're right. I'm not gonna physically hurt you if you don't talk. But there is something I could do that will be even more painful." To his confusion, Korra showed him her engagement ring. "I understand how you feel, Baatar. To have someone you want to spend the rest of your life with is a truly wonderful blessing. However, Kuvira took me away from that. Away from my family and from everyone I care for the most." Korra then bended over, looking right into the man's eyes, ignoring his smug grin. "Now, I will take away the one thing you care for the most. This way, we can even."

Seeing the Princess's smug caused Baatar Jr.'s own confident one to quickly evaporate on the spot. His eyes widening before recollecting himself, already schooling himself for allowing his weakness to surface a mere second ago.

"What do you mean?"

"Kuvira might win. She might chase us out of the city. But you won't be around to enjoy the victory. Because wherever I run, I'll take you. I am going to make it my life's mission to never let you see the one you love again." as Korra straightened herself, all of Baatar's bravado and confidence had completely disappeared. "Is taking the city worth losing Kuvira forever?"

"No! You can't!" Baatar exclaimed, desperately and fearfully.

"I will unless you convince Kuvira to back off. You two will still have the Earth Empire. Just leave the United Republic alone." Korra crossed her arms, glaring down at a horrified Baatar.

She had him right where she wanted him.

(~)

Raiko checked his wrist watch while the three soldiers continued to converse amongst themselves. Lin stood firmly, face stone cold, while Leilani narrowed her eyes, already growing impatient with the three.

Finally, after a long while of waiting, something happened. A female guard emerged from the airship, holding a two-way radio in his hand. "It's Kuvira. She wants to talk to Baatar. What should I tell her?" she asked the three, who than turned to the president.

Raiko sighed in exasperation, "For goodness' sake, give me that radio!" he said, stepping forward and extending his hand to the woman. "Let me talk to her."

The soldier handed him the radio, which he held close to his ear. "Kuvira, this is Raiko. What kind of game are you playing? You told me you would send Baatar over with your terms, and then he doesn't show."

From inside her machine Kuvira's eyes widened. "What do you mean, "he didn't show"?"

"According to your people, he's not on the airship."

"If he's not on the airship, then where is he?"

From the cockpit's radio, a brief static went off and a voice came through, catching Kuvira by surprise.

"Kuvira? It's Baatar."

From the warehouse, Korra levitated the radio up to Baatar's head as he spoke, "I've been captured. My airship was ambushed and I was taken by force. Korra refuses to release me unless we back down and leave the city."

"Are you injured?" Kuvira asked.

"I'm fine."

"Is the Avatar there with you now?"

"Yes, everyone is here."

Kuvira quickly metalbended a switch on the control panel, blocking her voice from the other line so that they wouldn't hear her next command as she turned to the radio operator beside her, who wore a mask over his head. "Find out where that signal's coming from."

The operator nodded his head and Baatar's voice came through again. "Listen to me. If you try to take Republic City, the Avatar will never let me see you again ... and I refuse to live that way."

Kuvira's eyes widened, letting out a small, barely audible gasp, which unfortunately did not go unheard by Adagio and Aria who stood on Kuvira's left and right, respectively.

"Forget the United Republic; we have our empire! We have each other!" despite his situation, the thought of being with his beloved again was enough to earn a hopeful smile from Baatar. "Let's go back home and get married. The only thing that matters is that we're together for the rest of our lives."

Kuvira listened word by word, while Adagio and Aria looked at one another in worry. Baatar's words were heartfelt and distraught, but worst of all… they were filled with Love. Too much of it, it could possibly bring Kuvira to her senses. Even though she was not technically under a spell, the impact of that positive emotion could still be disastrous for the siren's plans.

Aria wanted to badly to punch something, but they had to keep their heads together. This choice had to be Kuvira's and Kuvira's alone. If she broke free, then all they have worked for would be gone. Baatar was just another tool for them, just as Kuvira was, but now it seemed he was turning the tables. They couldn't allow Kuvira's progress to disappear now.

"We've identified their position." said the operator.

Kuvira's hand hovered over the control panel, her finger aimed at the swift that would enable her to speak directly with Baatar again. Before her could, Adagio spoke to her. "Vira…you've come this far." she said in a sincere sounding voice, "Whatever you do, there's no going back. It's your choice…chose wisely."

That was all Adagio could say. Aria clenched her teeth, waiting for Kuvira's answer. She was hesitant for a moment until she flipped the switch back up.

"You're right." she said, her voice subtly cracking and her cold, hard expression softening, a rare occurrence that was not seen by many in her army, but Baatar alone. "This city isn't worth sacrificing our life together."

Kuvira closed her eyes shut. "I love you, Baatar."

Aria was just about ready to punch her neck, when Adagio gestured with her hand to stop and wait.

(~)

Once that was done, Korra magical fred Baatar Jr. from his ropes. "As soon as we work out terms with Kuvira, we'll let you out of here." she promised.

Sunset Shimmer stood near a window, her ears twitching, reacting to a faint sound from outside.

It was singing.

Turning her head, she witnessed the giant mecha moving again, its cannon arm rising once again, the cannon locked and loaded in place. The unicorn's eyes widened in horror, her ears pressing down against her head as she backed away from the window while pointing her finger at the monster.

"Guys! Kuvira must have found our location! She's pointing that weapon right at us!"

While everybody else lode terrified, Baatar Jr. looked more devastated than anything. "No! She wouldn't!" he exclaimed. There was no possible way that she would…

The barrel of the cannon started to glow and the purple energy orb started to manifest once again. The glow was more intense than last time, they could literally feel its intensity even inside the building, despite the distance. If that demonstration from earlier was anything to go on, the didn't have enough time.

"Everyone out!" Korra ordered with a terrified expression, "Now! Now!"

The beam came at even greater speed than before, streaming across the waters of Yue Bay which rise upwards creating small tidal waves. The beam blasted through the window of the workshop, blasting the newly competed hummingbird suits into smithereens. Red flames and smoke engulfed the building and the beam made its way towards the room where the heroes were currently running for their lives.

Korra, Twilight, Luna and Celestia were the only four to stand their ground, activating their magic as the entire room became engulfed in a blinding light that knocked nearly everyone off their feet.

Once the ray's energy had died down, all that remained in its wave was a massive, thick clouds of burning ashes, a mountain of rubble where the warehouse once stood, and a channel carved onto the ground, letting the waters flow all the way towards the wreckage. The cloud rose into the sky, observed by Raiko, Lin and Leilani.

The alicorn queen's eyes shimmered, her mouth opened agape at the horror before her. Raiko lowered the pair of binoculars he has been using, his hands trembling. "No!"

Leilani's horrified expression quickly morphed into one of anger and vengeance, her fists clenched tightly to the point of her knuckles turning white. She sharply turned to Lin's officer.

"Keep an eye on the president! Lin, let's go!"

The Chief didn't protest and instead grabbed Leilani's hand and the alicorn queen took to the skies towards the now destroyed warehouse.

(~)

Kuvira watched the cloud of smoke continue to rise as her mecha slowly lowered its armed cannon. She took in a deep breath, sucking in the heartache that came with the decision she made. Any trace of emotion she had showcased before was now, much like those pesky heroes, was completely gone.

Adagio smiled in satisfaction, while Aria stared wide eyed and speechless. "I… I can't believe you just did that."

Kuvira was silent for a brief second before answer. "I didn't want to, but you were right. I've come too far, I couldn't back down now." she turned to face them. "Baatar believed in what I did, but now, like your sister, he became weak. For the greater good, sacrifices must be made. You two stood by me through it all. You gave me what I needed. For that, I am forever in your debt."

Adagio's sweet smile then seamlessly shifted into a smile of pure wickedness. "Thank you, Kuvira. That's exactly what we needed to hear from you."

Suddenly, Kuvira's stone started to glow brightly around her neck. Something didn't feel right. This new sensation…it felt strong, like it had an uncontrollable hold on her now. At the same time, Adagio and Aria's stones glowed just as brightly, but they seemed to be completely unfazed by this while smiling wickedly. Before Kuvira's eyes, their hair and coat-skins began to change color. Adagio's curly brown hair and tail turned gold and her skin was pale yellow. Aria's skin became full purple and her hair was now strain purple with teal streaks.

Kuvira let out a painful grunt, her body suddenly aching. Gasping for air, she tumbled and fell to the ground, grunting and groaning in pain. The operator stood up from his chair, looking terrified.

Adagio turned to look at him, "We are in no longer need of your services." she said. The man didn't think twice before running straight out of there.

Kuvira's body felt heavy, her eyes tearing up as she looked up at her ponies, "What did you do to me!?"

"It's not what we did." Adagio said tauntingly, "It's what you did. You chose this life, sweetheart. Now, you're getting what you deserve."

Kuvira could barely speak, heck she could barely think. Her mind became foggy while her skin started to change. She felt a bone crushing pain from her back. Like sharp knifes digging into her as a pair of long green wings made of scales sprouted out, ripping her cloths apart. Her fingernails grew longer, her gloves breaking apart in the process, and her skin turning green with scales and webbing growing in between her fingers and on her forearms. Each new addition stung her body like hot coals. As all of this was happening her green stone continued to glow, sinking and merging into her skin, all the while Adagio and Aria began to sing;

Aaaaahhhh

Ah, ah, aaaaaaaahhhhhhh

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah

Welcome to the show

We're here to let you know

Our time is now

Your time is running out

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah

Feel the wave of sound

As it crashes down

You can't turn away

We'll make you wanna stay

The stones around their necks glowed even brighter as Adagio and Aria's bodies began to morph and change. Unlike Kuvira's, their transformation was far less painful. Kuvira screamed in agony, feeling her mind drifting further away, her now torn up clothed laying worthless on the floor.

We will be adored

Tell us that you want us

We won't be ignored

It's time for our reward

Now you need us

Come and heed us

Nothing can stop us now

A blinding light shined from the windows of the cockpit of the mecha suit and Kuvira opened her glowing green eyes. Her new harmonic voice echoed;

Aaaaahhhh

Ah, ah, aaaaaaaahhhhhhh

*(~)*

2 Timothy 3:13~

While evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

*(~)*

Author's Note:

.......okay.....well.....that happened.....so, how did I handle this version of the episode? Good? Bad? Okay? Any thoughts would be nice....hope you enjoyed the chapter though....I can not believe I just made that happen....what have I become?

Comments

[chrisharte97]

Awesome!

[Wildcard25]

Kuvira willing to sacrifice her own love for her selfish conquest! I hope she pays dearly and regrets her actions.

[Dreadwing45]

The way the sierns used Kuvira was pure genius. I like where its going