Remembrances
All of the creatures of the swamp scattered away as the meca tanks approached the tree. This tree was sacred, special, the heart of their home.
And now this woman was cutting it for her own personal interests.
Dazzle and Starblaze were on one of the airships that hovered the swamp, supervising how everything was going down bellow.
The two sisters were so content, they could feel Kuvira's pride growing and growing. Even if her joy was not shown on her face, in her heart she felt that what she was doing was righteous.
Dazzle and Stablaze;
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah,
Ah, ah, ah, ah
Their voices echoed inside the ship like a haunting yet mesmerizing melody.
Since you refuse to hail Kuvira
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah,
Ah, ah, ah, ah
All through the land of the Earth Empire
We send a pestilence and plague
Into your homes, into your land
Until your streets crumble at the seems
Into your thoughts, into your mind
Upon your swamp, upon your plants
Upon your loyals, upon your royals
Into your dreams, into your sleep
Until you break until you yield
We send the swarm, we send the horde
Through Her soul...
The metalbender held her hands behind her back as she watched the roost being cut as memories of her former friend crossed her mind.
Kuvira;
Once I called you ally
Once I thought the chance to make you understand
Was all I ever wanted
Dazzle and Starblaze;
We send the thunder from the sky
We send the fire raining down
Kuvira;
And even now
I wish that fate had chose another
Serving as your foe on my behalf
Was the last thing that I wanted
Dazzle and Starblaze;
We send a hail of burning ice
On every field
On every town
Kuvira;
This is my role
My destiny, it called me
Was I wrong to reach the call?
If you will not accept me
Then your kingdom shall fall
Dazzle and Starblaze;
We send the hatred on a wind
Such as the world has never seen
With every push, with every win
Until there's nothing left of green
We send our scourge
We send our song
Through Vira's soul!
While they sang their wicked song, everyone was still trying to figure out what was wrong with the alicorns. Zecora even tried getting them to drink her medicines, but nothing was working. Flash held Twilight tightly as she weeped on his shoulder.
Korra looked out the window, her mind on Kuvira
Korra;
You who I called ally
Why must you call down another blow?
Dazzle and Starblaze;
We send our scourge
We send our song
Korra;
Let my people go!
Dazzle and Starblaze;
Through our song
Kuvira;
It won't be long!
Korra didn't want to be, but she felt angry towards Kuvira. After she had showed her kindness, compassion, tried to forge a strong friendship with someone she believed needed it, this was how she repaid her. By being cruel and unforgiving, not just to Korra, but to her own friends and family. This was such a painful truth, Korra didn't know who she was more angry with Kuvira…or herself.
Korra;
You who I called ally
How could you have come to hate me so?
Is this what you wanted?
Dazzle and Starblaze;
We send the swarm
We send the horde
Korra;
You've let your heart be hardened
Everyday your actions seem to grow
This can not go on
Kuvira;
I'll never let
Your people go
Dazzle and Starblaze;
We send our song
Korra and Kuvira;
I send my song!
Kuvira;
I will not..
Korra;
Let, my
Kuvira;
Your
Kuvira and Korra;
People
Go…!
……………..
*(~)*
Psalm 23:6 ~
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
*(~)*
Remembrances
The alicorn's still did not wake up, but even so the others could not continue on like this. Korra and the Ponies promised they would find a way to save the Royals, but in the mean time everyone else would have to find some way to deal with the situation as best they could.
Prince Wu was staying at the Sato estate with Mako and Bolin's family, but the prince soon realized that with everything going on, and being kidnapped, he needed to do something about it. So, he asked his good old friends Mako and Flash to help him toughen up.
The indoor pool shimmered as rays from the skylight above hit the clear blue waters, and in another room nearby with a wide opening was a small gym. Mako, Flash and Wu were dressed in training gear, which consisted of sleeveless shirts, black pants and boots, with protective headgear identical to the pro-bending helmets, as well as protective gloves. Wu's gear was colored green while Mako's was red and Flash's were blue. His cutie mark was exposed due to the lack of sleeves.
"You know, there's something about being kidnapped that makes a guy realize he needs to get his act together." Wu said, stretching his arms a bit.
"Yeah, I agree." Mako said before taking on a sparing position. Let's toughen you up."
Flash clapped his hands once, "Okay, I want a fair fight, a clean fight and I don't want to see any tears…I'm looking at you, Wu." the prince shot Flash a brief glare before raising his hands in a, very poorly, defensive manner. "And…go!"
After the pony cried out 'go', Mako moved closer and threw a simple punch at the prince's chest, one that would be considered more of a nudge to help start Wu off. Unfortunately, the punch felt a bit more than just a hard nudge, and the young man yelled from the supposed "pain", falling to the ground and curling up in a fetal position.
"AH! I wasn't ready! Wu down!"
Mako and Flash only stared down at the pathetic prince, only to hear a shocked gasp from behind. "What's going on?" Yin asked with worry. Mako's cousin Tu, as well as Mika, Ali and San were behind her. Tu sipped on his smoothie, indifferent to the situation, while the little spirits only looked curiously at why Wu was on the floor.
Flash pointed his finger at his friend, "Mako did it!"
The firebender glared at Flash while Yin walked to Wu, holding him like an injured child. "Mako, how dare you injure the prince!" she shot her grandson a disappointed look before turning back to Wu, speaking in a cooing voice, "Would his royal highness like a cherry-berry lemonade?"
"And maybe some of those sticky dumplings, too?"
Mako groaned in annoyance, "Look at yourself! You're so weak, "Wu down" is your catchphrase."
"I know, I'm a wimp." Wu said, dejectedly as he sat upright, folding his legs. "But it's not my fault, I was born that way! I'm not like you Mako, I wasn't raised by a pack of cops in the woods."
Flash arced an eyebrow, "Pack of whats in the what-now?"
Mako crossed his arms, also rising a brow, "You don't know anything about me, do you?" he said in annoyance.
"Yeah, I'm drawing a blank." Wu confessed rather quickly. He stood up to face the firebender, who was much taller than he was, "Why is that? How do I not know stuff about you?"
"Uhh ... you never asked? The only thing you do know about me is that I'm engaged to Korra."
"Well, I'm asking now!" Wu grabbed Mako's shoulders, already bombarding him with questions, "What's your favorite food? What's your favorite color? How did you meet Korra, was it love at first sight?"
"Not exactly. As a matter of fact, we couldn't stand each other at first."
Wu's eyes snapped open, "What?! Are you serious?!" Now this definitely caught Wu's attention. It really was a surprise to him, after the lovey dovey way Mako and Korra behaved towards one another he would have thought they fell in love the moment they met.
Mika and Ali flew up to their father, "Ooh, I love that story! Can you please tell it, daddy?" Mika practically begged.
"Sweetie, I've told you it a thousand times."
"So? It's still my favorite!"
That was it, Wu needed to know everything. "She's right, Mako. Sit! You and I need to have a little gab session right now!" the prince practically forced Mako to sit down with him, eager to know about the love story between him and the Princess Avatar. "How did you guys first meet?"
Flash sat down as well, while the spirits rested on him, all attentively listening, as well as Yin and Tu. Mako began his tale.
"Well, Bolin and I were playing for the Fire Ferrets."
"You were a pro-bender?" Wu interrupted while smiling excitedly.
"Yes. Will you just let me tell the story?"
"Carry on."
As Mako told his tale, the memories replayed in his mind. He never knew he would kind of miss those old days. The intense fighting, the adrenaline rush, the wide smile on his brother's face when they won a match. His only regret was that he wished he had enjoyed it while he had it, but his mind was preoccupied with other things at the time.
"Bolin and I grew up dirt poor, so once I became a pro-bender, I wanted it all: Riches; fame; accolades. I thought it would solve all my problems. But all that changed when I met Korra."
Mika and Ali squealed with delight as their father continued. Mako remembered that moment like it was yesterday.
………….
Korra and The Mane Six had snuck into the pro-bending arena, even back then their curiosity and child-like wonder knew no bounds. Bolin, who was quite the ladies man at the time, didn't waste a second in trying to get this new girl interested in him. Mako could still hear his brother's voice when he first introduced to him the woman who would change his life forever.
"Come on, I want you to meet my brother, Mako." Bolin said.
Korra smiled and extended her hand to greet him, "Mako? Wow, I-I heard you play on the radio!"
But of course, Mako ignored her and moved on ahead, bypassing her, "Come on, Bolin, we're up."
………….
"Whoa! That was the first time you met? Kind of rude there, buddy!"
Mako glared at Wu, annoyed, "You know what else is rude? Interrupting. Besides, that was just the first meeting. After that, a certain unicorn wasn't having it."
…………..
By complete surprise, Mako's feet suddenly began to move, as if they were being controlled by an invisible force. From behind Korra's legs, Rarity's horn glowed brightly as she forced Mako to move forward and stop in front of Korra, just when she stood up to get her hair tie, which Rarity purposely made fall off.
That was when Mako took a good look at Korra. She truly was beautiful, but while she was captivating, at the time it still wasn't enough to make him fall deeply in love with her.
Yet.
None the less, it did allow him to make up for his rude introduction. Korra, of course, was oblivious to his reaction to him seeing her with her hair down, but she was polite none the less.
"Well, like I said before, I heard you play in the radio. You were really amazing. I'm Korra"
She extended her hand to him, and this time he shook it. "Oh, um nice to meet you."
………
Wu smiled in satisfaction, "Now that's an introduction! Go Clarity!"
"It's Rarity! Get it right."
"Sorry."
"Anyway. Korra proved to be an amazing pro-bender and a loyal friend. She helped me save Bolin when he was taken by the Equalists. In that time, I got to know her better. She was a brave, smart and loving soul who would do anything for her friends. Growing up in the city, I wasn't used to others being genuinely kind to me, or showing any real selflessness. So, seeing Korra, and learning more about who she was underneath that tough exterior really changed my perspective."
………
He would never forget the kindness Korra displayed that night. She offered to save his brother, whom she had only known for a while, and in that time she showed how caring she was to her pony sisters. When Rarity got mud on her coat, Korra so generously removed it with her waterbending, and allowed Rarity to borrow her fur pelt as to prevent her from getting dirty again. She treated Fluttershy like her baby sister, allowing her to sleep on her lap and cuddle beside her.
"She was the one who showed me the importance of friendship, and not to judge others by what they are or where they are from."
Mako looked over at the other ponies and Spike who were all smiling kindly at him. Which was a first for him considering they didn't even like him at first.
"Don't you see? We may seem different as night and day, but if you look a little deeper…." Fluttershy curled up on Korra's lap and the avatar stroked her mane, "You'll see we are more alike than you think."
Mako watched as the adorable pegasus pony smiled at Korra's gentle touch. He still couldn't believe that despite her fiery and aggressive nature, there was a kind and loving person deep underneath.
…………
"After going through such a crazy experience, I felt like Korra and I had a powerful connection."
Wu wiggled his eyebrows and smirked, "So then you smooched her real good, eh?"
Mako, however, did not smile, but instead looked away, his face painted with guilt for some reason. "Not exactly."
……….
While Mako knew he was developing feelings for Korra, things became, rather complicated when a certain raven haired heiress came crashing into his life.
Literally.
Even to this day, Mako still winced at remembering the terrible hit he got from Asami's moped. But, of course, like any teenage boy, he forgot all about it when Asami removed her helmet, revealing her long raven hair, full red lips and stunning green eyes. She was a vision of beauty, and while that still wasn't enough to make him fall in love with her either, it still caught his attention.
"I was, I-I, wow. That was …"
………..
Back in the present, Flash Sentry literally rolled on the floor, laughing out loud, "Wait! That was the first thing you said to Asami?! Seriously?! I can imagine that coming from Bolin, heck even me, but you?"
"Yeah, you really gotta work on your introductions." Wu said, not at all impressed by Mako's way of meeting women.
Mako, however, didn't take it as an insult, "Hey. When you got charm like mine, you don't need introductions." he said rather proudly.
"Wait a second." Ali interrupted, "When did Aunt Asami get into this picture?"
"I never told you that part of the story?"
All three of his kids shook their head, "Nu, uh."
"Well, I didn't think you were ready to hear it at the time."
…………
Mako's mind flashed back to his and Asami's first date. He won't lie, spending time with the kind and beautiful heiress was great. A wonderful time. It was everything he ever wanted. Asami was everything he ever wanted. And that was the problem.
Both Mako and Asami eventually learned that their romance really was more of a teenage dream from both parties, but he did genuinely start to care for the heiress as a friend. Yet, it became more and more apparent as time passed, that he had a very strong connection to the Avatar. Even if he didn't fully comprehend it, his feelings towards Korra and Asami were very different.
"Hanging out with Asami was awesome. But it made things with Korra…. complicated. Especially when I got to know her even more than I already did."
The day he, Korra and the Mane Six all played together at the park, had a slash fight and Korra and Mako opened up about their pasts and found out they were not so different after all.
"She proved to not only be headstrong, but smart and understanding at times. Which made things all the more difficult since I didn't fully understand my feelings back then. So, of course, I made some pretty stupid mistakes. It probably didn't help that I never spoke about it to anyone and tried to solve the problem myself. That would eventually come back to bite me later on in life."
All of that started the night after a pro-bending match before the tournament, and Korra was ready to confess her feelings for him. He never admitted back then, but Korra's confession left more of an impact on him that night and he would have said.
Korra was blushing, her heart was racing, as she prepared to confess…and boy, did she confess.
"Look, I really like you and I think we were meant for each other."
From the sidelines, the Mane Six, Spike included, dropped their jaws at the sight, while Korra reeled back in embarrassment, hiding her face.
Mako couldn't face her. "Korra, I'm really sorry, but I just don't feel the same way about you." he said, his face became tense and apprehensive.
……….
"That's harsh, Mako." Wu said, sympathizing with the Avatar.
Even Flash couldn't believe it. He had known about their past but, this was a bit new. "Seriously? You were like that before?…I'm at a loss for words, man."
Mako lowered his head in shame, "I know, I know. But as you could probably tell, it wasn't totally true."
………
"We need to talk."
Mako had to make things right. As much as he tried, he couldn't keep hiding these feelings anymore. He approached a depressed Korra, who was standing outside of the arena, underneath the gazebo. But the Avatar was not in the mood. She had already had her heart broken once, she didn't need him to emphasize it.
"Save your breath. You've already made it clear how you feel about me."
"No, I haven't. What I'm trying to say is, as much as you drive me crazy, I also think you're pretty amazing."
After that, Korra kissed him full on the lips. At first, Mako initially seemed shocked but relented rather quickly and kissed her back with equal passion. It was the best moment of his life. If there was ever the perfect word to describe it, it would be…magical.
……….
Ali and Mika sighed dreamingly and Wu waved his hand up in victory, "Hot dog! Smooch City, here we come. You player."
Tu sipped his drink, looking on surprise, "Whoa. I thought you were dating Asami."
Mako didn't realize his cousin was still there, "Tu! Get out of here!"
Yin wagged her finger at her grandson, "Naughty Mako! You take after your grandfather!"
"You know, I always did wonder where he got it from." Flash said.
"Guys, Grandma! Look, I was really confused at the time. I was young and stupid and I wasn't entirely sure about what I really wanted. So, yeah, I messed up. I did and said things I shouldn't have, and I had to face the consequences. But, from those experiences, I learned to be a better man."
"So, how did you handle it eventually?" Wu asked, "What made you realize Korra was the one?"
"My feelings for Korra became clear when Tarrlok captured her. It felt like a piece of me was gone."
………..
That was the night that changed Mako's perspective forever. After hearing the news that Korra was kidnapped, he went crazy looking for her. Heck, he didn't know what he would do if they never found her. When they finally did, his heart was at ease once more. He carried the exhausted Korra from Naga's back, her eyes looked tired, but they still held that sparkle that captured his heart every time he looked at her.
"I was so worried. Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. I'm glad you're here."
But while they were happy to see one another, somebody else wasn't.
……….
San winced at the thought, "Hoo! I bet Aunt Asami wasn't too happy about that."
"No son, she wasn't. Like I said, I had to face the consequences of my actions."
……….
Mako had never seen his past girlfriend so angry before. If looks could kill, he'd be in a coffin by now. Asami was washing the dishes while Mako stood by.
"I've noticed how you treat Korra, how you acted when she was missing. You have feelings for her, don't you?"
But Mako, being the dipstick that he was back then, tried to cover it up. "Things are crazy right now. Can we deal with our relationship problems later?"
"Well, there might not be a relationship to worry about later." she said as she walked out in a huff.
"Asami!" Mako hung his head down and sighed. He took out the heart shaped petal from his pocket, the one thing that was a tangible proof of his feelings for Korra.
………
Wu winced, "Ouch!"
"Yep. Turns out, she was right. It was time to man up and call it quits."
Flash waved his arms up in the air, "Finally!" all eyes were on him and he lowered his arms, clearing his throat, "Proceed."
………
It was right before Mako, Korra and Twilight would head out to face Amon. He knew he had to face the music. Asami was too good a person, and too good a friend to go through this. With much courage, he walked up to the heiress, who looked at him with a saddened look on her face.
"Asami. I'm sorry things got so messed up between us. But whatever happens today, I want you to know how much I care about you."
"I care about you, too." she said before kissing him on the cheek.
……..
"Wait. Was that supposed to be you breaking up with her?" Wu asked, both confused and unconvinced.
"Yes. That was a breakup." Mako responded blankly.
"Didn't sound like a breakup." Tu said, also unconvinced.
Even Flash agreed, "Yeah, could you have been any more vague?"
"It was mutual. We had an understanding! We both knew—" He cut himself off, frustrated, biting his tongue and closing his eyes as he changed the subject, "Can I just get on with the rest of my story or what?"
Wu shrugged, "Fine. But I hope you weren't as ambiguous with Korra as you were with Asami."
"Trust me, I wasn't."
Mika began jumping up and down, excitedly. "Yay! Here comes the good part!"
"Korra, Twilight and I ended up stopping Amon, but she lost her bending. I've never seen her so broken before. She felt like she wasn't needed anymore." he hung his head sadly at the memory. "I knew that wasn't true. She was still needed and loved. For the first time in my life, I let my heart speak out with no restraint."
…………
It was after they stopped Amon. They had won, but at a terrible price. Korra not only lost her bending, but Twilight Sparkle's wings were badly damaged. It was a sad day for everyone, but Mako refused to let this chance escape. It was a bold move, but Korra was in such a bad place he needed to show her he was there for her. That he would always be there for her. Korra was stubborn, as always, and she did not wish to speak to anyone. Not even him. She thought he was only helping her because she was the Avatar, but he needed to let her know that wasn't true.
His heart raced as he caressed her face, saying the words from his heart. "I love you, Korra." Mako then showed her the petal in his hand, "I've had the signs pointing me towards you all along. I was an idiot to even try to ignore them. I love you. Your kindness and your courage. I always have. Believe it or not, your powers aren't what make you so amazing…it's what you have inside."
Korra looked down at the heart shaped petal, in a way, it was like he was handing her his heart. But she was too confused and angry with herself to even think she deserved it his affection, or anybody else’s.
After a rough response, Korra somehow managed to get her bending back, but that wasn't all…Twilight's wings were healed and she could fly once more. The girls embraced in a warm loving hug and next, Korra ran up to Mako, his arms wide open, ready to embrace her. He held her tightly as they spun around, their eyes shimmering with the colors of the rainbow as Korra caressed his face, smiling with all the love in her heart.
"I love you, too." she said, before they shared their True Love's Kiss.
……..
Yin, Mika and Ali swooned, "Awwww."
"And then you two lived happily ever after?" Yin asked.
Mako couldn't help but smile, "Well, I can't say it was always perfect between us, but we somehow managed to make things work. When I got a job as a cop, it kind of took a lot of my time. But whenever we did spend time together, it was…well…"
"Magical?" Flash answered with a smile.
Mako smiled as well, "Yeah. Exactly."
……..
The six months they had been together truly were unlike anything Mako had experienced before. Korra showed him the world of Equestria, even though she had only visited the land a few times, she was already so familiar with the place. She felt right at home there. And she always made sure Mako felt the same way. Just as the ponies were a part of her, so was their home, and since Mako was an important part of her life, she wanted him to feel a part of it too.
She introduced him to many residence of Ponyville; the Cakes, Madame Mare, the Crusaders, Miss Cheerilee, The Apple Family, Zecora, Princess Cadance and Shinning Armor. Mako always admired the way Korra interacted with the ponies. They were all so naturally drawn to her. They adored her company, adored her personality, they just simply adored her. As the memories played in his mind, a song played in the air, sung by him.
(I'm gonna love you, by Jennifer Love Hewit. Male voice here)
Angel in disguise
Stories in her eyes
Love for every true heart that it sees
There was one time where Korra took Mako to meet the animals Fluttershy cared for. It was a rather chilly day so Korra wore a lovely simple cape Rarity made for her.
Was it just a lucky day
That it turned to look my way
Or is it Heaven right before my very eyes
Fluttershy handed Mako some bird seed to feed to the birds, but once he approached them, they scattered. He tried once more but still, they did not approach him. Korra smiled gently and showed him how to do it. She took some seeds and spread them on the ground, making a small trail. One little blue bird ate the food, following the trail before jumping into Mako's hand. The little creature was so adorable, it chirped happily and Korra smiled proudly.
She showed me all new things
The shimmer of moonbeams
I was blind, but now she's helped me see.
One night, Korra and Twilight took Mako to a high mountain to look at the constellations. Let's just say, the stars were not the only things shinning that night. Korra was, surprisingly, intrigued with there being so many constellations in the sky and each meaning something different. Twilight first pointed out all of the known constellations, but it didn't take long for Korra to break the rules and start naming her own and making random shapes with the stars.
I was lost but now I'm found
Her happiness surrounds
And now I find that my dreams can come true
More memories played in his mind. The times they laughed, went out on walks, rode on Naga, heck even when she showed Mako how to surf. He wiped out a lot, but it was worth it to see her smile.
'Cause I'm gonna love you for the rest of my life
I'm holding you safe here in this heart of mine
When Mako couldn't spend time with her, she managed to sneak a sweet thoughtful note and leave it in his office for him to find. Afterwords, he would make it up to her with dinner, or anything else new she would get them to do. Every moment with her was special. Not counting the times they argued, because there were. But they were minor compared to their happy moments.
I will always be with you even though we're far apart
You know I'm telling' the truth
I'll spend the rest of my life…
Loving you.
Those memories, the good and the bad, he would always keep them in his heart.
Forever
…………
Wu and Tu were hugging one another, crying like babies. "That's so beautiful!" Wu said, wiping away his tears
"True Love always is buddy. It always is!" Tu said, while bawling. Mika kindly handed them a box of tissues to wipe their eyes and blow their noses into.
"Dang." Flash said with a smile, "Hard to believe you two were actually at each other's throats before."
Mako smiled, "Yeah, those were some pretty awesome six months." but then, his smile faded, now replaced with a frown. "But then, the stress of our jobs finally got to us."
……….
"Tenzin's just trying to help you become the best Avatar you can be." Mako said to reassure his girlfriend, but she only became upset.
"Whatever. I'm gonna go take a walk." she walked away annoyed.
The same thing happened on their journey to the spirit portal.
"It's like he doesn't trust me.” the last part Korra said sounded shaky, as if she were trying to fight the tears.
“We all just want to help however we can." Mako assured her in the kindest way he could, "You have to trust that we're here for you.”
And latter on, back in Republic City in his apartment, things got ever worse between them.
"This war affects us all more than you know." Korra stated.
"How can you tell?" Mako asked.
"Mako, I can't entirely explain why, but ever since we got back I've been having this nagging feeling that something is going to happen."
"Korra, I get that you're stressed out but you need to be reasonable here."
"Reasonable?! I've been trying to be reasonable and look how well that's turned out! Raiko didn't even believe me!"
"Well, you didn't exactly have the proper evidence to help you."
"I can't believe you're taking his side!”
“What's with you and sides?”
“Well, you're not helping me right now!"
Mako stood up and glared at his girlfriend, “I'm doing my job.”
“We--he--hell, excuse me, officer. Don't let me stand in the way of you writing tickets. I'm just trying to save the world.”
But the absolute WORSE moment was at his police office…it was a day Mako would always regret. The image of Korra's heartbroken face was forever implanted in his mind.
"Well! I guess that if we're both putting our jobs first, maybe there's no room for our relationship!"
"So, what? Are you ... breaking up with me?" Korra said fearfully.
"Yeah ... I guess I am."
And then, Korra threw Mako's table over with airbending.
……..
"Now that's a breakup!" Wu said in satisfaction
"Wait, that last part didn't happen like that," Mako corrected.
"Either way, it's still more dramatic."
Flash rose his hand, "Actually, Korra froze the entire office in ice."
Wu's jaw dropped. "No way! That's even better!"
Mako rolled his eyes. "Moving on. After that, I dove into my work. Someone had been taking out supply ships heading to the Southern Water Tribe. Asami's company was one of the victims, so she and I worked together to catch the perps."
……………..
It indeed was a crazy night, enough for him to forget about Korra…but it still wasn't enough.
"The stakeout was the perfect way to get my mind off Korra. It was an intense night, but even that didn't help me forget the guilt I felt. Asami and I discovered the triads had double-crossed us. We barely got away, but by then, Asami's warehouse had been cleared out."
Asami was so heartbroken, "My company ... it's over ... I give up."
Mako looked down at his distressed friend, "Well ... I'm not giving up on you."
Then, out of the blue, Discord appeared. "Surprise!"
"Discord showed up and conjured up new meca tanks for Asami. But after that, he told us about The Great Change and Equestria's final days. Asami was so mad with me, even Bolin, and we just broke ties with one another. Since then, I tried to fix everything on my own. I didn't realize how selfish and proud I was being, until Asami helped me see the truth."
That day, when Asami came to his apartment, and showed him the picture of them and their friends. Mako continued to look at the picture as he listened to Asami. She was saying she felt alone, and in a lot of ways…Mako did too. Asami looked down at her feet in shame.
"Mako, you're a great cop, one of the best, really….but recently, that's pretty much all you've been. You were so caught up in your own problems and doing things your way that you forgot to be a friend."
The whole time Asami was talking, Mako's hardened expression softened with each word she spoke. Eventually, he had a revelation.
"That was when I remembered everything Korra and the ponies had showed me before. I realized I needed to rely on my friends rather than just myself. After that, Korra came back and I was determined to make things right with her."
When Korra returned, at first it was a happy moment. She kissed her boyfriend full on the lips with all the love in her heart.
"Mako, I missed you so much!"
Mako blinked as he took a good look at the girl in front of him, her baby blue eyes sparking just as beautifully as from the day she left. “Korra?" he asked. Finally the reality struck him and he smiled widely.
"Korra!”
Without even a second thought, Mako wrapped his arms around Korra's waist, holding her close to his body as he rose her up the ground and spun her around, causing her to giggle. Then he remembered something…their break up. He ended the hug and looked at Korra with worried eyes. “Wait. So you're not still mad at me?” he asked, a worried expression evident on his face, which was in contrast with Korra's confused one.
“Why does everyone assume I'd be mad at you?”
Mako was now even more confused. Since when did Korra ever forget they had a fight? And since when did she ever brush it off instead of talking about it and confronting it like they often did before?
“…We had that fight before you left.”
“Wait, we really did have a fight?”
“Don't you remember?”
Korra turned to look at Twilight who lowered her ears in shame, blushing and smiling nervously. Korra crossed her arms and scowled at the alicorn. “Twilight. You used your magic to bring back my memories. Did you bring back ALL of them?”
Twilight nervously did circles on the floor with the tip of her hooves, avoiding eye contact.Eventually, she came clean. “…Alright fine! I did bring back all of your memories, I swear but when I was about to give you the memory about your last argument with Mako I…I didn't want you to feel that heartache again. I didn't realize it before but, I guess I might have, accidentally, didn't restore it.”
The Avatar looked at the firebender behind her, the saddened look in his eyes signaled for her that they had indeed had a pretty bad fight. Whatever happened, Korra had to know what it was, in order to fully understand if she and Mako's relationship was either in danger, or possibly down the tubes.
“It's okay, Twilight. I understand." the Avatar then extended her hand to her. "Come on, give it back.”
Twilight hatted having to relive that painful moment for Korra. She flew up to Korra with her horn glowing and placed it on the Avatar's forehead. Korra had her eyes closed as the horn glowed, her eyes snapped open as that very single memory replayed in her head, perfectly clear.
Korra gasped as she backed away from Twilight's horn, nearly falling backwards and having Mako to catch her. She turned around to face him, her face wasn't angry, more like surprised, but it didn't make him feel any less worse.
“I…I remember.”
That very same night, on Varrick's ship, Mako tried all he could to win Korra back, but she refused.
"It's clear that this…us. It's not going to work anymore.”
“You don't mean that, I know you don't. I was stupid and blind but I know the truth now and I want to set things right. I love you, Korra.”
“I love you too and I always will, but…we can't go on like this. I'm sorry Mako...but I'm letting you go.” with that, she turned around and made her way into the ship towards her room.
……….
Wu had to recap, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! So, you broke up with Korra because of a disagreement, then realized you were wrong and tried to win her back, but she didn't want you back?"
"I never said love was easy."
"You're telling me! Seriously, after that fairytale montage you guys practically hit rock bottom by then! I'm starting to think maybe Korra was being the smart one here in kicking you to the curve."
"Well, believe it or not, things did eventually did work out."
………..
And they did indeed. After Korra and The Mane Six defeated UnaVaatu and saved both worlds, Mako confessed to the alicorns about his mistake and he and Korra apologized for their behavior towards one another. The two sealed their rekindled relationship with a kiss, right after Korra was crowned princess and more memories of what happened afterwords played in his mind.
"Korra and I both learned a very valuable lesson that day. That no matter how hard things get, there comes a time where you have to look at another person's perspective rather than just your own. After that, we started all over again and worked harder to make our relationship work. As crazy as it may sound, I'm glad we went through that painful experience, because it helped us understand our feelings for each other. Throughout the years, the more we grew and learned, the stronger our love became. It evolved alongside us. Because of her, I learned the values of Friendship and the importance of putting others before myself and whenever I think of her, she continues to inspire me. I have no doubt in my mind that she's the person I want to spend the rest of my life with."
Tu wiped away a single tear, "Wow…It's very rare to find a love like that."
"I know." Mako said, "And I wouldn't change anything about it."
Flash tapped his friend's shoulder, "Good man, Mako. Good man."
Wu was still crying his eyes out, "That story is amazing and I really learned something!" he said as he stood up.
"You did? Good." Mako said as he he stood up.
"So what did you learn?" Flash asked, "That true friends accept you for who you are? That love brings out the best in others? That sometimes what you want isn't as important as what you need?"
"No! I learned that I really didn't know anything about you! Crazy!" Flash and Mako both narrowed their eyes at Wu. They should have known. "Also, I realized that ladies are complicated. No offense, Grandma."
"None taken." Yin said casually, for she knew this to be a fact.
"I better just focus on being a better king." Wu said, then got back into his fighting stance. "Okay, come at me. I can take it."
Mako gave the same exact punch as before, and once again, Wu was on the ground, crying out in pain."Aahhhhh! Wu down!"
As Mako starred at the prince, Yin harshly slapped her grandson's arm, making Flash laughed, resulting in Mako slapping him upside the head. "Ow!"
Yin shook her head, "Just like your grandfather."
(~)
At Air Temple Island, Korra sat on the railing of the meditation pavilion, looking out at the sunset, its rays making the ocean sparkle like a dream and the Equestrian portal not too far ahead. Her mind was all over the place. So much has happened. For once, she had experienced a completely different life compared to the one she lived. She got to experience pain unlike never before. She got to see what life was like if she did not have stronger Faith, a stronger sense of Hope. For years, she had to carry around the trauma of nearly dying at the hands of Zaheer, but she pulled though, and not because she magically removed the poison from her body.
But because she had her friends. Her loving friends who loved her no matter what. And Twilight Sparkle, she was the one pony who understood her situation better than anyone. They both experienced the same thing, and knowing they were not alone gave them strength. New adventures, new friends, new lessons happened each and every day, and each experience helped Korra grow stronger. Wiser. Better.
But those memories, even though they were meant to be false, they felt every bit as real. Not everything changed, she was still her, she still had her adventures, but even while those memories took place, in her heart, she felt something was missing. Something to inspire her. A Light to shine her way through the darkness.
The Magic of Friendship.
The Mane Six were just as flawed and naive as she was when they first began their adventures together. They relied on one another, depended on one another. Korra, at the time, felt they were the only ones who truly understood her, making her realize she was not alone. They brought light into her life, and she was grateful for that every day. But she also felt she had changed their lives as well…but not in the best way.
Because Twilight experienced the same thing Korra did at the hands of The Red Lotus, she thought it was her fault the pony's wordily perspective had changed. But afterwords, she realized that all she had learned from Twilight came into full bloom when she saw her friend broken and down. Twilight was always the one to bring Korra to her senses, and now Korra was doing the same for her. They both realized that there will be hate and anger…but also there will be love and happiness.
They reminded each other of that, and they continued to do so to this day. Years ago, Korra would have found it strange, maybe even a bit wrong, that she had to rely so much on others rather than being able to do things on her own. But now, she was happy to be able to share her strength with others and vice versa, and found courage and strength in something greater than herself.
And that was the most wonderful she could have ever received.
But even with this positive reminder, she was still uneasy. The alicorns refused to wake up, and it was all because of Kuvira. She had never would have believed that someone she once called her friend would do something like this.
Was it that Korra wasn't there for her as much as she should have been? Did she place too much faith in her? Was it the way she told her what she was doing was wrong? She couldn't pinpoint exactly where it was she went wrong, but she knew it was in there somewhere. Kuvira wouldn't be a dictator if Korra hadn't encouraged her to go out there and make a change. But then again, it wasn't bad advice to begin with. Then how did good intentioned backfire so horrendously?
She felt another presence approach her. She turned her head to see Asami, Sunset Shimmer and the Mane Six. Asami was holding a cup of tea for the Avatar. "We brought you some tea. Thought you might be cold out here."
Korra smiled at her friend, "You're so sweet. Thanks." she jumped off form where she sat and took the cup on her hands, looking back at the sea.
"Are you okay? You seem out of sorts."
Pinkie Pie hugged Korra from behind, "You can tell us." she encouraged.
Korra smiled, "Thanks, Pinkie. I've been thinking about the alicorns…and about something Toph said. She told me that the world doesn't need me and it's basically pointless to try and stop Kuvira."
Rainbow Dash scoffed at the thought, "What does she know? She lives in a swamp."
"Don't believe her, Korra." Applejack reassured, "What she said was just down right ridiculous."
"At the time, I thought so, too. I figured she was just being her normal, cranky self. But I'm beginning to think she had a point."
"No, she doesn't." Twilight protested, "The world does need you. We need you. We're Team Avatar, nothing can change that."
"But no matter what we do, the world seems to always be out of balance!" as she spoke, memories of her fast flashed before her eyes. She was so vibrant, daring and fearless back then. She was ready to take on the world. "Growing up, I couldn't wait to be the Avatar. I thought I was really gonna change things. I was so naive." the memory of the first time she saw Amon replayed in her mind. She could still feel that shiver down her spine. "The first time I saw Amon take someone's bending away, I was terrified."
"Darling, we all were." Rarity said, "Being afraid is nothing to be ashamed off."
"I know that now, but back then I would have rather shaved my head than admit I was afraid. Eventually, my worst nightmare came true."
She could still feel his thumb on her forehead, the feeling of her bending being stripped away. It was awful.
"Hey, you weren't the only one who got hurt." Twilight reminded her, "I can still feel the sting from when Amon twisted my wings. But after that, you managed to unlock your airbending to save Mako. Then you got back your bending, my wings were healed and discovered you were The Element of Unity."
"She's right." Fluttershy said, "And you're forgetting about all the good that happened after you exposed Amon as the fraud he was. The Equalist Movement lost its leader and its power. Free elections were held in the United Republic and nonbenders finally had a voice. People had hope again and it was all because of you."
"And I was hopeful, too. That feeling didn't last long. As soon as I defeated Amon, a new enemy took his place."
And that enemy was none other than her uncle Unalaq. The man who betrayed her trust and used her to nearly destroy the world. But even so, she knew not all the blame was on him…but herself as well.
"Because of Unalaq, I opened the portals, and threw the Spirit and human worlds into chaos. It was my fault he fused with Vaatu and became a Dark Avatar, and I was helpless to stop him from destroying Raava and cutting off my connection to my past lives. With Raava gone, Unalaq and Vaatu became more powerful than ever…OW!!"
Korra got a mega slap on the head, curtesy of Rainbow Dash, "Seriously, do you have water on the brain or something? Unalaq may have gotten more powerful, but we all did, too. I mean, we turned into a giant human-alicorn spirit and totally kicked his sorry butt!"
Korra smiled at the memory, "Yeah ... that was pretty awesome."
"My thoughts exactly!"
Asami continued, "Not to mention, you opened the portal that united both Equestria and our world together. Even if Unalaq did try to take control, that didn't mean the prophesy wouldn't have happened."
"And opening the spirit portals turned out to be a good thing." said Sunset Shimmer, for she too knew the story well, having been told by her friends, "You brought back the airbenders , gave ponies back their bending, and caused a positive shift in the world. And on top of that, you became a princess. Plus, your relationship with Mako has never been stronger."
"Yes, but Zaheer got airbending too and nearly killed me. And Twilight."
"But you got the poison out." Fluttershy reminded her, "You managed to save yourself."
"But I was still crippled and couldn't walk. I didn't feel like myself anymore. I realized that just because I had all this power didn't mean I was completely invincible. I was terrified."
Twilight nudged Korra's arm, "News flash; so was I."
"Yeah, because of me. When I first met you girls, you were all so young and innocent. But the more I got to see how truly dark and cruel the world can be, I was scared about anything happening to you…but it did. Because of me, none of you ever saw the world the same way again. I trusted Kuvira, I did my best to become her friend, and yet she still became a horrible dictator. She gave me a potion that made me forget who I was and now she's done something terrible to the alicorns. Things are more out of balance then ever now. Nothing's changed!"
"You're right, Korra." the girls turned around to see Tenzin, standing before them.
"I am?"
"She is?"
"It's true, there will always be new conflicts and enemies to face. But the important thing is to learn from your enemies and better yourself over time, which you have. You've changed so much since you first arrived on Air Temple Island. When you first came here, you were hot-headed and a bit selfish."
"I wouldn't say that selfish." Rarity said in protest, "Though, definitely a tad bratty at times." noticing Tenzin's expression, Rarity cleared her throat. "Sorry. Carry on."
"Anyway, but you've matured into a thoughtful young woman who puts the needs of others before herself. The Equestrian portal, your wings and the new Air Nation are a testament to that. You sacrificed everything to save them. You're an inspiration to the world."
Twilight smiled proudly, "When we first met, we knew you would change things. But even after realizing your many, many, many, many, many---"
"I get it." Korra said with a pout.
"Many flaws, we never forgot what we saw the minute we laid eyes on you; a heart of gold, as big as a mountain, strong as a lion with the roar to match. That was something we never lost sigh of, even when you made mistakes. The prophesy did bring us together, but it wasn't what kept us connected. It was the adventures and experiences we faced together that truly cemented our bond, and that's something even more powerful than any magic. Yes, you did change our view of the world, but it wasn't a bad thing."
"Exactly." Rainbow said, "Because of you I decided to become a cop, and now I get to help people each and every day."
"You made me realize I needed to forgive myself if I wanted others to do the same." said Sunset Shimmer.
"You showed me true friendship when my father turned his back on me." said Asami, "And saved me when I turned into that creature of the night."
Twilight removed her arm warmer, exposing her scar, which was styled in the shape of a flame, looking more like a beautiful tattoo than a burned wound, "I may have been wounded along the way, but because of those experiences, I became stronger. We became more determined than ever to spread the Magic of Friendship, so no one should have to suffer the way we did. I'm where I am today because of you."
Korra could feel tears of joy about to roll down from her eyes. Twilight was right, their adventures really were what made them truly close. Closer than they've ever been since the day they met.
(Because I knew you. From Wicked the musical)
Twilight;
I've heard it said,
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
Rarity;
And we are lead
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Applejack;
Now believe me when I say it's true
I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you
As they sang, the sun set, filling the sky in it's stunning glow, as the memories of the past filled their minds
Twilight;
Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes the sun
Sunset;
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Asami, Sunset, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie;
Oh, I can say I've been changed for the better
Rainbow;
Because, I knew you…
Korra;
Because I knew you
Everyone;
I have been changed
For good
Korra;
It well may be, that things will never be the same
As they used to
But even so, I'm proud to say
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
You know you have rewritten mine
By being my friend
All together;
Like a ship blown from it's morning
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a sky bird
In a distant wood
Now I can say I've been changed for the better
Korra;
Because I knew you
Twilight;
Because I knew you
All together;
I have been changed…
For good!
The Avatar wiped away a single tear, "Thank you. All of you. I know this Kuvira problem is only going to get worse. But no matter what happens, no matter how crazy things get, I'll never stop fighting for what's right." As the friends looked on into the distance, all holding hands, they knew that after everything they had been through, it had changed them all.
For the better.
(~)
Night had fallen and Sonata could barely keep her eyes open. She, Bolin and Varrick were still on the ship with their new friends. Everyone was taking turns telling stories, but Sonata had pretty much dozed off during most of them. It was strange, whenever things were slow her brain would be slow too, but if she was feeling an adrenaline rush, her brain would speed up as well. At times she wondered if this is what others meant with the phrase; "work better under pressure."
Either way, thank the spirits Baraz's story was almost over…she hoped.
"And that's when I made a solemn vow never to eat bark-onion soup again. Been six years, four months and fourteen days …" he shuddered in disgust, "Urgh! I can still taste it."
Sonata wasn't the only one who was bored. All the other refugees were gathered in a circle,either sitting upright or laying down. Some leaned on the crates as they slumbered. Bolin leaned his back against a wooden door, while Varrick laid casually beside him, on his back with his legs crossed as if he were sitting, while resting his elbow against a create, and his knuckle on the side of his head, looking as if he were thinking. Melody rested her chin on her knees, hugging her lefts close to her chest.
"Does anyone else feel like throwing themselves overboard?" Bolin asked while raising his hand. Sonata raised hers in response to his question.
"Not me!" Varrick said before he sprung back to his feet with flexible ease. "I've spent the last few hours tuning out all these incredibly boring stories …"
"Hey!" Baraz exclaimed, feeling offended.
"All the while mentally composing the most exciting tale ever told, soon to become the greatest ever made!" Varrick's loud voice, natural charisma, and flamboyant characteristics were enough to get everyone's attention, even those who were already asleep.
Sonata rolled her eyes. She had actually seen Varrick's movers and, in all honesty, she now understood what Starblaze was referring to when she called Sonata 'annoying'.
Varrick made a circle with his arms around a surprised Bolin as he spun his tale. "I present to you now: Bolin, as Nuktuk, Hero of the South—Trademark Varrimovers International— in the incredible true story of Bolin! Hero of the world!"
"Wait, am I playing Nuktuk, or is Nuktuk playing me?" Bolin asked in confusion.
"Both." Varrick said, positioning his fingers into a fame with Bolin in the center, as if he were filming with his camera. "It's your true story, but we'll capitalize on the audience of the Nuktuk franchise. Duh!"
"How can you call me "the hero of the world"?" Bolin asked, "I left my friends and family to join up with a psychotic dictator who imprisoned me and now, I'm running back home with my tail between my legs." The earthbender slumped from where he sat, his shoulders dropping in disappointment. Shame and guilt edged on his handsome features.
"Join the club." said Sonata, dropping her pony ears, looking just as guilty as Bolin.
Varrick waved his hands while shaking his head. "Nyahbabababab! You're emphasizing the wrong story beads. Let me tell it." all eyes fell on Varrick as he continued, "The story of Bolin begins in an exotic port of call. A wise sage, the richest merchant in the world, and a handsome devil all sit on a single pillow in the living room of a luxury yacht! How do they all fit on one pillow?"
"Ooh! Giant pillow!" Bolin said.
"Wrong! They're all the same man! Me! I try to teach a swami the power of levitation, but he's too stupid to understand it, so I kick him out. "Upon whom can I bestow my awesome knowledge?" I ask myself. Then, in walks Nuktuk, with a twinkle in his eye, a gorgeous dame on his arm, and a song on his lips. He bursts into a rapturous melody! "
Varrick inhaled deeply and started singing in a dramatic fashion, with one hand on his chest and the other outstretched, reaching out to the starry night sky. "Where can I find my teacher?" he sang loudly, yet surprisingly still in tune.
"Oh, come on!" Bolin stood up from his spot, shaking his head and grabbing Varrick by the shoulder, making him stop. "I wasn't singing, you were not levitating, and thanks a lot for reminding about Asami!" Bolin said angrily while glaring at Varrick. At the mention of her name, Bolin's lower lip quivered and he bursted into tears, groveling on his knees.
"Asami! Why?! Why did I ever let you go?! Babe, I'm sorry!! I'm so sorry-y-y-y!!" Bolin hung his head in shame, hands pressed to the wooden boat's floorboards. The refugees all looked at him with either sympathy or disturbed expressions, unsure on what to make of the young man's dramatic display of heartbreak.
Sonata stood up and compassionately patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay, Bolin. When we get back to Republic City you can win her back."
Bolin lifted up his head. "You really think so?"
"Of course. She did say she would love you, always."
Bolin wiped away his tears and stood up, with renewed confidence. Crying about it wasn't going to help him get Asami back, only actions will. "You know what, you're right!" he stood tall, his right hand on his hip and pointed up into the sky with his free hand, "As Celestia as my witness, I will win your heart again, Asami Sato!!"
Ahnah clapped her hands close to her heart, "That's so romantic."
Baraz arched an eyebrow in curiosity, "What, you don't think I'm romantic?"
"No, well a little…you gave me a bug once."
"Yes, because you collect those."
"Yeah, now, but--"
"Excuse me!" Varrick interrupted, looking visibly irritated, "Telling a story here! Now, where was I? Oh yes!" he tried to proceed to where he left off, only to get interrupted by Bolin yet again.
"Oh, come on! If you want to tell my true story, you should start from when I met Korra." Bolin took center stage and began telling his true past tale in a somewhat dramatic tone. Not as over the top as Varrick, but low and joyous enough to set the tone just right.
"She and the ponies came to the bending arena, one fateful night. They each had a certain sparkle in their eyes. A curiosity that knew no bounds." as he narrated, his mind went back to the day he first met his dear old friend, Korra. "That was also the day I introduced her to my brother Mako. Little did I know, that I was not only igniting a unlikely romance, but an adventure I would never forget…"
"Bo-ring!" Baraz interrupted, "When does the singing start?"
"There wasn't any singing! Well, o-okay there was singing but not all the time!"
All the refugees, minus Sonata, booed at him, some even giving Bolin a thumbs-down.
"You're on-screen talent, kid. Leave the storytelling to the masters." Varrick said before continuing with his crazy tall tale, "So, the trouble begins when the Avatar is trapped in the Spirit World. The world's most evil villains realize that with Korra out of the way, the time is right to try to take out Bolin. So, the worst of the worst team up. They're led by Zaheer, leader of the Red Lotus and master of the skies, a flying chaotic chaos machine! He's joined by Vaatu, the ultimate force of pure spirit evil in the universe. The biggest, meanest, scariest kite that ever flew!"
"Wait! Zaheer didn't team up with Vaatu." Bolin mentioned, "How would that even happen?"
"How do you think?"
Sonata arched an eyebrow the whole time Varrick began explaining how Zaheer and Vaatu got in touch with each other. Something about them talking on the phone. Seriously, how did this guy come up with stuff like this? Nothing made any sense, and Sonata would know. She seriously felt her brain would turn to mush from this all this craziness.
"Yes, Bolin had a reputation as the world's greatest ladies' man." Varrick continued.
Bolin smiled in satisfaction at this part, "Oooh, now the story's getting interesting."
"After leaving the beautiful but emotionally unstable Water Tribe princess at the altar, he met a fetching raven haired maiden, who was the heir to a vast fortune! The beautiful, Asami Sato."
Bolin's mind drifted off to the girl of his dreams, his cheeks red with blush. "Asami, so smart, strong and caring, so pretty to smell." he gushed, only to then burst into tears again. "And she'll probably never talk to me again because I'm so stupid! Stupid! So, so, so stupid!"
"Pull it together, you leaky lug." Varrick said, "But the darkest moment is always right before the dawn! For at his lowest point, Bolin sought advice from the man who started it all, the wisest of the wise—Me!—for some of my signature sage advice!"
At this point, Sonata tuned pretty much everything else out….and fell asleep. After a few minutes Varrick's voice rose in volume, snapping her awake. Sonata rubbed her eyes and jawed, apparently she had missed a lot about what he had just said.
"And with danger closing in, Asami realizes how much she loves Bolin and forgives him for whatever stuff he was talking about earlier, which will probably not be in the final cut of the mover anyway."
"She does?" Bolin asked hopefully, and all of the refugees "Awww"ed at once. Bolin knew it was just Varrick trying to tell a, somewhat, compelling story, but he was still holding on to the hope that he hadn't messed things up too much between him and Asami. He honestly could not imagine himself being with anybody else but her.
"And she kisses Bolin, magically passing on the airbender power of flight!"
Bolin arced an eyebrow, "Wait, what? Asami can't airbend."
"She kept it secret."
"Okay, that last part is a total stretch."
"This is no time for thinking, kid! We're heading into the big finale!…"
Sonata refused to hear anymore, and again she dozed off. Time passed and the more Varrick told the story, the sleepier she got.
"….Then he flies around in the sky, pushes Zaheer into it, turning him into wind, forever! But Bolin doesn't realize that…."
"…They bounce off Vaatu, setting him free, and hit Bolin, turning him into a giant!…"
"…But thankfully, Bolin's spiritual mojo is so strong that he attracts the queen of the fairies!…"
"…The end!"
At the mention of 'The End', Sonata jolts up, in account of how loudly he said it. "What? Who? Where? Is it over?"
After a brief pause, all of the refugees rose to their feet, applauding while Varrick took a bow. Bolin's jaw dropped. "Wait! You like that? It didn't make any sense! What about Zombie Amon? What happened to him, huh? And-and-and-and stars are magic fairy dust?" he walked over to Baraz, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, " Are you guys crazy? Are you crazy?"
"It's just a mover." Baraz said with a shrug, making Bolin release him. "Don't over-think it. It's like a ride."
Varrick popped out form behind Bolin, wrapping his arm around his shoulder. "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story, kid!"
Bolin just gave up. At least the story was over. He then noticed Sonata stand up and walked away from the group. She leaned against the railing behind the boat, the soft breeze on her face as Bolin approached her.
"You know that story wasn't real, right?" he said.
"Yeah, I know. You've told me all about your adventures."
"Unlike any one else who worked with Kuvira, you were the only one who listened."
Sonata smiled at her friend. Her friend. She liked the sound of that.
"You know, you never really told me about your past." he said.
Sonata looked down at the ocean as memories replayed in her mind. "It's been a long time since I thought about home."
And thus, her story began….
"Unlike you, I was never familiar with the earth. I was born and raised under the sea. To say my home was beautiful is an understatement. I can still see the coral reefs, how they danced against the waves, and the seashell homes where my kind lived peacefully.
The sea-ponies.
We were known far and wide for our enchanting singing. Our songs brought joy and happiness. On our chests we had these beautiful stones for which served a similar purpose as the horns of the unicorns.
But, me and my sisters weren't like the others. Me, Adagio and Aria, that's their real names, were unlike anypony else in our world. Our magic was different. That was because our father was a sea-pony who fell in love with a beautiful changeling mare and lived together under the sea, my mother taking on the permanent form of a seapony to be together."
"This was before Chrysalis came to power, right?" Bolin asked.
"Yep. When we were born we inherited our mother's ability to shape-shift, but mainly in one particular form, and that was in earth ponies. Our gems were different too. We found out that we became stronger due to the love of our family. But, because of how different we were compared to other sea-ponies, we were outcasts. Even when we tried to gain acceptance by singing, we were met with prejudice.
Until, one day, Adagio discovered that when others fought and hated one another, she sensed its power the same way changelings can sense love. She thought it would give us more power than love ever could. Adagio taught me and Aria how to do this, using our voices to instead land other sea ponies into a trance, forcing them to fight against one another, and we absorbed on that negative energy. The more we consumed, the stronger we became.
Adagio especially loved this. She didn't care if it was by force, she was just happy to finally be adored, even if it was by force. Ironically, that's the one thing she and Kuvira have in common. This desire to want to be accepted. Only my sister didn't care who she had to hurt to get it. She and Aria were always close, but me…I always felt kind of left out. Even so, I couldn't leave my sisters. They were the only family I had. I didn't even know what I wanted at the time. So whatever they did, I followed.
The other sea-ponies feared us, even our parents. My mother felt so ashamed about what we had become that she one day spoke to the king of the sea-ponies. He banished us from our home, the last thing I knew was that our mother passed away that day. Most likely from a broken heart."
This was a truly sad story, Bolin thought.
"Disguised as earth ponies, we wandered around aimlessly trying to find a new place to conquer. One day we came across a pony village that was filled with negative energy amongst the three tribes."
"I remember that!" Bolin said, "Korra explained it once. That the sirens took advantage of the disharmony among the three divided pony tribes during the blizzard of the windigos."
"Yeah. But once they were gone we needed a new power source. We found the portal that lead to the human world. We managed to get bending from the Lion Turtles and as time passed, continued to feed off of the negative emotions from the humans and spirits. Of course, Wan, White and Leilani managed to stop us. They weakened our magic and got this old unicorn wizard to banish us into another world."
"And then you ended up in Canterlot High, tried to take over with your magic until you were stopped by the Rainbooms and lost all your power." He said, and Sonata looked at him surprised. "Korra likes to tell stories." he replied.
"Well, there is one thing she missed out. Before we got banished, Wan, White and Leilani came to see me."
………….
Sonata laid inside a prison with her sisters. A prison in Equestria. She and her sisters were in their pony forms and had been recently defeated by the heroes. But one day, Starswirl appeared to her, asking her to step out.
Sonata was hesitant as she stood before the Avatar and two Alicorns. They all looked so strong, wise and powerful. But when she looked into their eyes, she did not see anger…she saw compassion.
Wan stepped forward and kneeled before her. "What is your name, little one?" he asked kindly.
"Sonata."
"Well, Sonata, me and I friends have something to ask you."
"What?"
"How would you like to remain in Equestria, return home where you belong?"
Sonata was shocked by this, "What? Why?"
Leilani stood up and approached her, "You're not like your sisters, sweetheart." she said kindly, "Your sister's hearts are far too darkened, but you…I see something else. You don't have to continue on their selfish path. You can have a better one. You can be free and have true friends."
Her mate, White walked up to her as well, "The choice is yours, young one. Choose wisely, for anything you decide will be forever."
……….
"You can pretty much guess what my choice was. I wanted to be free, but I couldn't bare to leave my sisters. To this day, I always wondered if I made the right choice…now I know I didn't."
Bolin felt his heart break for his friend. He had no idea what she had been through.
"After we lost our magic back at Canterlot High, we found Twilight and Korra enter in from the portal. While we had the chance, we got in and found the gateway into your world. For the past three years we learned more and more about your history. We changed our names and died our coats and manes so no one would recognize us. Since we lost our powers while not in our siren forms we remained as ponies."
"Right, because the humans in the mirror world are basically ponies in our world…or, Equestria, or is it…" he clenched his head, "Ah! Brain pain!"
"Yeah, magic logic tends to do that sometimes."
"So, that explains how you got here, but how did you get involved with Kuvira?"
"Well…."
……….
It was nearly a year ago, Kuvira's train speeded ahead until it finally stopped near an Earth Kingdom village. Once again, Kuvira did another successful job in helping out the people of her nation. But before she boarded back inside, she spotted something in the distance. She heard screaming and her instincts kicked in.
She followed the source of the sound and gasped at what she saw. They were three ponies, one brown, another purplish with dark hair with red streaks and one pale blue with purple hair. The man was trying to beat them up with a stick in hand. One of the ponies carried a bag in her mouth.
"Give me back my food, runt!"
"Hey, you!"
The man turned around to see Kuvira. The woman immediately earthbended from underneath him, causing him to fly up into the air and land on the ground with a grunt. The ponies looked at the woman with fear as she approached.
"It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you."
Before long, Kuvira had taken the ponies to her train, giving them proper food as well as a good bath. Once they felt more comfortable, they morphed into their pony forms. Oddly enough, unlike other ponies when they turned anthro, they did not have any clothing on. Good thing they were already wearing blankets before to cover themselves, and that Kuvira, a female, was the only one with them, so they did not need to feel to embarrassed.
"So, how did you three end up out here?" Kuvira asked.
The middle one, the brunet, spoke first, "We've been walking all over the Earth Kingdom, searching for food and shelter. But no matter where we go, we're neglected."
Kuvira felt sympathy for these ponies, "Well, don't worry. You're safe here."
The brunette smiled at Kuvira, "Thank you." then, she noticed a picture from behind the raven haired woman, hanging from the wall. "Who's that?"
Kuvira turned her head to face the portrait, "Oh. That's my friend, Princess Korra."
But the brunette looked at Kuvira as if she were crazy, "You're kidding. You're kidding, right?"
Kuvira looked at her curiously, "No, why would I?"
The pony lowered her head in sadness, "You don't know. Do you?"
"Know what?"
"What Korra did to us."
"Wait, you know Korra?"
"Knew her? She's the reason we're like this."
This caught Kuvira's undivided attention. What did Korra do to these ponies that was so awful that they were left out to practically die in the outskirts of the Earth Kingdom.
"Me and my sisters come from Equestria. We were once known for our magical voices. We brought cheer and harmony. But our voices were also very powerful, so some people feared us, even though we would never harm anyone. Whenever someone misbehaved, we would use our singing to make them see things differently. People don't always know what's best for them, so we tried to make them see it. But Korra and Princess Twilight didn't believe this was right. They had this incorrect perception that we were controlling them. One day, Korra and Twilight decided enough was enough…they stripped us of our magic and we've been wandering aimlessly ever since."
Kuvira was at a loss for words. This could not be true. "But…how? Korra would never do something like that."
"Kuvira, we've been traveling all over the land, hearing stories about you. How you've been uniting your nation, making it better. We knew we had to find you, and now we finally did."
"Me? Why do you need me?"
"Without our magic we need a new purpose. Something that can make our lives worth living. Korra took it away from us. She took away our gifts, what made us who we are."
"I'm sorry to hear about what happened to you, but I need to speak with Korra." she said while standing up, "Maybe this is all just a misunderstanding."
"It's not a misunderstanding, Kuvira. Maybe you don't realize, but after you leave the villages you visit not everything is as it was before."
"What are you talking about?"
"Not everyone is easily persuaded by friendship and generosity. Sometimes, in order to do what is right, you need to be forceful."
"Just how forceful?" Kuvira asked curiously.
"I'm not implying anything sadistic, of course, but when people have the freedom to choose…they choose wrong. Sometimes, one must make tough choices."
But Kuvira was still hesitant to trust these ponies. They didn't seem all that right upstairs, mainly their leader. But then again, she did keep continuously hear reports about bandits and such terrorizing the villages. Some of which really were the villages she had already been to. Maybe there was something to what they said.
When she reached back to one of the villages…her suspicions were correct. Bandits have been terrorizing the place, stealing food and materials from families, the materials Kuvira and her group had already given them. She was not going to take this standing down. The woman sprung into action, taking down the bandits in a match that lasted no more than five minutes. Her skills rivaled that of Lin Beifong and her sister Su.
The bandits were tied up with metal cuffs and taken away by her soldiers. The woman's stern look softened to one of surprise when she heard applauds coming from the towns people. One little girl walked up to Kuvira and handed her a flower in thanks.
The governor of the town bowed before her. "Thank you, Kuvira. Once again, you have saved out village."
Kuvira noticed the three ponies, now fully dressed, approach her. The brunette smiled proudly at Kuvira.
"Is there anything we can do to repay you?" the governor asked.
Kuvira pondered on this for a moment. The last thing she wanted was something else happening to this village. And what of the others she had visited? Would they be in the same state? She had to find a way to make sure these people got the protection they deserved.
"This village is now under the full protection of my army. I shall see to it that your home is safe from any harm."
The village cheered on for Kuvira, and she felt so content knowing she had done the right thing. The brunette, Dazzle, took Kuvira's hand and rose it up into the air.
"All hail Kuvira! The Great Uniter!" she exclaimed proudly, as more cheers and applauds were heard.
The governor bowed once more, "We shall be forever grateful and loyal to you."
Latter on that day, Kuvira sat in her room, thinking. Before, things were rather well, but there was still trouble no matter what. She thought about what her new friend had said and started to believe that maybe she had a point. Maybe the reason for all of the trouble was that she wasn't being firm enough. The Earth Queen wanted to show the citizens she could be a more caring and benevolent ruler, but she was far too passive now. She refused to put trouble makers in prison, unless the crimes were absolutely fit for it, and most of the time sent them to community service camps. But no matter how they tried not to take the violent root, maybe they were holding back. That was it! They needed to be more firm.
She needed to be more firm.
The queen was getting older, so Kuvira would have even more responsibilities. She had to make sure her nation would be secure. This was for the best. She had made her choice.
She knocked on the door of the ponies' room. Dazzle opened the door first.
"I wanted to thank you." Kuvira said.
"For what?"
"For helping me see the truth. You were right. It's time I took charge and fixed this."
Dazzle smiled proudly, "That's wonderful! I'm so proud of you, Vira!" she spread her arms wide and hugged her friend, much to her surprise but returned the gesture. But then, Dazzle backed away in fear, "Wait! If Korra finds out you have us she'll---"
"Don't worry. She'll never know. I promise."
The pony sighed in relief.
"Oh, one last thing." Kuvira took from her pocket three stunning green stones, styled into the form of necklaces.
"What are these for?"
"Just my way of saying thank you. I found them near Laghima's peak. They seemed so beautiful so I took a few. Now, I want to give them to you, as a sign of my gratitude…and friendship."
The ponies each took a stone. Starblaze looked at it weirdly while Melody smiled at the trinket, "Wow! Pretty! Thank you."
"Of course." but then, suddenly the gems around the ponies began to sparkle, changing into different colors as a green glow emitted from inside Kuvira's shirt. She pulled out a necklace which had a green stone as well. The stones were actually broken apart by the same rock she had found.
"What just happened?" Kuvira asked.
"I…I don't know." Dazzle confessed, for she really did not know what this meant. But pretty soon, they did.
"The more villages we visited, the closer we became with Kuvira." Sonata explained, "She saw us as her friends, and we kept encouraging her each and every single day. Kuvira's growing pride, aggression and fierce thrive to maintaining order had manifested itself into negative energy, which fueled our stones, restoring our magic more and more. But when Korra called Kuvira out…."
Kuvira stormed into her office, growling angrily. "I can't believe her! She thinks just because she's a princess she can say what I can or can't do?"
"I agree." Dazzle said, "And to think, she had the nerve to call herself your friend. A real friend should support you…like I do."
"You're right. But what can I do now? If this keeps up she'll have me removed by force, and I can not let that happen."
"Then it won't."
"What do you mean?"
"I've been doing some research and, I think there is a way to make sure Korra doesn't intervene with your plans for The Earth Empire."
"Tell me." Kuvira said eagerly.
"Well, I remember having heard of a potion back when I lived in Equestria." Dazzle noticed the slight concern in Kuvira's face, "Don't worry, it won't hurt her, but I can guarantee she will remain out of the way long enough for you to accomplish your goal."
Kuvira was silent for a moment, before finally responding. "…what do you need to make it?"
And so, the three sisters concocted the potion, they had all the ingredients they needed. They only needed one thing…
"Careful. Just a small piece, that's all we need." Dazzle instructed Starblaze as she managed to break a small portion of each of their stones as Kuvira watched.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes." Dazzle responded, "We need at least a small piece of rare stone. Don't worry, it's just a small piece. Our necklaces mean everything to us. But if you want to bring the Earth Empire into a new and better future, this is what needs to be done. Do you trust me?"
Kuvira was a bit upset that they needed bits of their friendship necklaces to make the potion, but Dazzle was right. This had to be done if she was going to bring her nation into a better life, and for that to happen Korra needed to stay out of the picture…for as long as it took.
"Yes, of course I trust you." Kuvira surprised Dazzle with a warm hug, "I don't know what I would do without you."
Dazzle returned the hug, "Same here." she said… while smirking wickedly.
…………
"Wow…" was all Bolin could say, "So that's why Korra went missing!"
Sonata couldn't bare to look at him, "Yeah. I was planing on telling you that too but things just got kind of crazy and…I already felt bad enough as it was."
"So, you and your sisters transferred a spell using your stones into Korra?"
"Yeah. The potion was originally meant to keep her asleep while she was being tortured by those memories, but somehow she managed to wake up. I don't know what happened after that, Korra could be in Republic City by now."
Bolin was at a loss for words. He had come to realize how twisted Kuvira was but, even he would have never known she would go this far.
"And now, with me gone my sisters won't have a third voice to make their magic work. The farther away I am from them the less magic my stone has." she said, caressing the stone around her neck.
"Well, that's a good thing. But, if you already switched sides why do you still have it on?"
Sonata clenched the stone tighter, "I guess I was still feeling guilty that I betrayed the only family I had left."
Bolin flashed his signature smile, "Wan was right, you're not like your sisters. Maybe you should stop looking for approval from them and choose a different path. Because you are one of a kind, Sonata!"
Sonata was speechless. No one has ever spoken to her like that before. She clenched her stone and realized maybe it was time she embraced who she was meant to be. She wasn't going to look to anyone else for approval. Not anymore. With a look of determination, she removed her stone and handed it to Bolin.
"Would you…?"
Bolin gladly took the stone, levitated it with his earthbending….and crushed it. The two friends smiled as the last bits of stone fell into the waters. Never to be seen again.
Sonata never felt more free. Now her sisters would be powerless, and so would Kuvira. They finally had an advantage on her.
(~)
"AH!" Adagio felt a disturbance as her stone glowed brightly. She knew what this meant. Their third voice was now gone. She growled angrily and set her dinner on fire, only to have Aria put it out with a fire extinguisher. She always kept it in case of emergencies.
"That little brat!" Adagio growled in fury, "She's ruined everything!! GAH!!!"
"What now?" Aria asked, "Without a third voice how are we suppose to harness the power of that weapon?"
Adagio passed back and forth until she spotted her comrade outside of her window, talking to her fiance. Adagio cracked a smile. "We don't need Sonata. We've already got her back up vocalist." she said while chuckling evilly…
Her eyes on Kuvira.
(~)
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Pretty good.
Where's the rest of the chapter?
Awesome flashback stories. I can't wait to see next time.
I LOVE THE PRINCE OF EGYPT!
I for one, absolutely love the Prince of Egypt, it is one of the best movies that was ever made. And the song "The Plagues" was the song that made my heart sink, to see two brothers put against one another.