Avatar: The Last Alicorn. Book 4: Alicorn

by Jeweled Pen

Chapter 32: A Rarity to come by

Twilight let out a yelp as she was flung back from the statue, her eyes widening. After a few moments there was a squeak and Spike was thrown back as well. She caught him in her magic before he could hit the wall.

After a few seconds she realized her head wasn't ringing. The sound she heard was a loud din coming from above. Her horn burst into flame, revealing her friends huddled behind a few of the crates. “What's going on?”

“They've been fighting up there since we arrived,” Rainbow muttered. “I think there are more than a few different factions. None of them seem to like each other, for now. They haven't tried to break in, yet. Well, much. Where's Rarity? There wasn't any explosion this time.”

“How long was I in there?” Twilight asked, glancing back. Rarity still stood as a statue. Spike was putting the necklace around her throat.

“Quite a while,” Applejack muttered. “We haven't gotten attacked yet, but it's just a matter of time. They don't like each other much, but one side is bound tah win eventually.”

Twilight nodded and stepped back towards the statue. “Well, then we still have time. I'm going back in, as many times as I need to.” Her horn glowed as she cast the spell.

Nothing happened.

“... What?” the alicorn said, before quickly casting the spell again and again. Each time it went off, but she couldn't enter her friend's mind. “N-no, that's, that's impossible!”

“What's wrong?” Fluttershy asked, her voice tinged with fear.

“I-I can't, I can't go in! But... but that's not, I-I need to get in. I have to get in. I... I...” Twilight stared at the statue, tears forming in her eyes. “That's... impossible. S-she's keeping me out.”

“What's wrong?” Applejack asked. “Why ain't yah goin' all... quiet and zoned out like normal?”

“I can't get in!” Twilight shrieked. She started pacing back and forth. “This, this hasn't happened before. Normally when you guys found out it was all fake, you tried to fight it. But she kicked me out! She knew it was a dream and--”

“WHAT?!” the ponies shrieked in unison, staring at her.

“Errr, yes. Rarity already knew that it was all fake. When we saw her she was...” The alicorn lowered her gaze. “She... she didn't want to come out. She just wanted to... she just wanted to enjoy herself. She doesn't think we can win.”

There was a moment of silence as the ponies stared at her. Then Rainbow stood up. “I knew it! That... that priss! The moment it comes time to get her hooves dirty, she's nowhere in--”

“STOP!” Spike yelled, stomping his claws down. “You don't, you don't have any idea what you're talking about!”

“Of course I do. We all do. We all had to work to break free of Discord's control. Why shouldn't she?”

“She's suffered the most!” Spike snapped. “She's had Discord impacting her life from every angle. Her mother is evil, her sister is evil again now too, her father is dead and became that horrible creature. Most ponies revile her and her family because of what the Water nation did. She finally has a chance at happiness and you really expect her to just throw it away? Would you throw everything away just to have a chance of maybe getting some things back?”

There was a pained, dark silence from the group. Finally Twilight spoke up. “She... seemed happier there. Her family was all together. Her mother, her father. Sister. Everypony. They were all...”

“But it's not real, she's just wasting her life. Wasting ours,” Rainbow said angrily, though she sounded a little unsure.

“Yes, she is,” Fluttershy said softly. “But... we... we can't make that choice for her. I... I think I understand. Giving up... that, can't be easy. Sacrifice never is...”

“If she doesn't come out, what are we gonna do? How we gonna take down Trixie an' the others without her? Ah don't know about yah all, but goin' up against Nightmare Moon without the elements don't sound like a good idea,” Applejack said, turning up towards the roof where the war was still going on. “Or all those other ponies.”

Twilight stared at the roof, before turning back towards Rarity. “I... I'll think of something. If I can't rescue Rarity... we'll do something else. Anything else.” She moved to the statue and tried to spell again. There was no effect.

“Like what?” Applejack asked.

“I don't know. Something. It'll work out, it has to,” Twilight mumbled. They needed Rarity. It had to work. But what could she do if it didn't?

------

Twilight raised her head weakly, closing her eyes as she casted the spell again. At this point it was just a token effort, she'd tried the spell at least a hundred times. There hadn't been the smallest reaction. But she had to try. She had to do something. From above there had been silence for a while now, the ponies having ran off after their fight. There was the occasional attempt against the main gate to the storeroom, but nothing major. Yet. Whenever somepony tried breaking in, after a few moments there would be more sounds of fighting followed by the ponies separating. As long as they all kept fighting and refusing to work together, the group was safe.

But they had been in there a long time and she knew there was no way this could hold forever. When Trixie arrived the mare wouldn't allow a prison riot to stop her from getting to them. With all those forces gathered against them, they didn't stand a chance. They needed the elements. They needed Rarity.

She'd hoped the mare would have broken out now. Rarity knew it was a fake dream all along, but the princess refused to escape. Instead she just stared at them, her body a statue, useless. No element for them. Twilight wanted to cry again. How could she tell her friends they'd lost? That all the pain and suffering was for nothing? That they'd lost the other mares for nothing? That they'd traveled, nearly died, given up so much. In the end, it had all been so they could lose here, falling before Trixie's might?

She considered trying to burrow their way out, creating a hole in the ice and tunneling out into the wilderness, but what would be the point? They had no way to get to safety. They'd end up freezing to death. Dying in the cold, harsh wasteland. It was all useless.

“AVATAR!” an all to familiar voice boomed through the walls.

“Trixie,” Twilight said softly, looking up. The mare was here. Finally. She looked back to the statue, praying for just the smallest crack. The smallest sign that her friend was returning. She tried casting the spell once more, but there was nothing. No reaction.

“COME TO ME! SURRENDER!” the ruler's voice rang out. “I WILL BE MERCIFUL!”

“Yeah right,” Rainbow muttered. “That mare wouldn't know mercy if it bit her. Twilight, you got a plan?”

The alicorn shook her head. “No, I--” Then it hit her. It was so brilliant. She nodded. “No, I do have a plan.” She glanced up. “We'll have to try to get up to Trixie, though.”

“What about Rarity?” Spike asked.

“She should be safe as a statue. There's... nothing else we can do for her,” Twilight said weakly. “Rainbow, me and you will have to help the others break through.”

“Hey, ah might not be able tah bend, but ah can still fight,” Applejack said firmly.

“Our enemies are the Shadowbolts and who knows who else,” the alicorn said. “They have the home field advantage, especially in the dark. I don't want them getting close enough to us to fight.” She took a slow, deep breath. “The plan is simple. I'm going to open this storage area up and light the torches. When the ponies fight each other for it, Rainbow and I will use air bending to break through their line and we run through. Hopefully, when we get far enough out we can make our way up and... Actually, no. I'm going to make us paths through the ice to go up. We'll hopefully run into less ponies that way.”

“Sucks we can't just go back the way we came,” Rainbow said with a snicker, before glancing to the commander. “What about her? They'll tear her apart when they get in here.”

Twilight looked to the helpless pegasus. She let out a sigh. “Well, pony. I'll let you go when we run. If you're smart, you'll run too. If they catch you... well, you tried to starve them by holding onto the supplies. They'll--”

“We're underwater now, right?” Rainbow asked.

“Yes, why?” Twilight asked with a cocked eye.

“Why don't we just make a side door and go out through the water? Make a tunnel and--”

“The water out there is sub zero. The ice in here is... different. Warm. That ice would be freezing. As cold as it is, it might just kill us trying to travel through it for a long period. I don't know how deep we are, either. We'll have to go all the way up, to where Trixie is.” Her horn lit and one by one she lit the torches in the room, displaying them for all.

Rainbow nodded and gulped. “Well... here's... hoping this goes well. So, what's the plan?”

Twilight sighed. “Just... follow my lead and trust me. I know what I'm doing.” She then lifted a hoof. The roof above them turned to water, dripping down and snuffing out a few of the torches, though the room still had enough to remain lit. She waited for the coming assault, but there was nothing. “Okay, looks like we're in luck. Let's move quickly.” She flew up and made a wide staircase out ice, allowing the others to make it up. She looked around, her wings poised and ready for some attack, but nothing came. Her friends made there way up, one by one and soon they were all out of the room. She held out a hoof and the ice fell around from the captain. “I'd run if I were you,” she told her before she started galloping away.

The others followed behind her as they made their way through the fortress, going up and up. The place seemed almost empty. Though sometimes she saw other ponies, watching them from behind the ice. She quickly formed walls of ice to seal those ahead of them off, then made stairs for her and her friends to go up. Rainbow took up the tail of the group, using her bending to make sure nothing was following them.

But nothing was. They came across many, many bodies however. Ponies with snapped necks, burns, cuts, especially near the beginning. Swarms of them. But few living. It was all almost too easy. The ponies they saw tried to avoid them. She hoped it was just because their group was fairly large and they were moving too fast to draw attention of a large group.

Unfortunately, the travel up seemed to go on forever. The darkness surrounded them on all sides and without trying to feel through the walls, she had no way of knowing what was outside. The way the ice walls were set up it was as if they were in a house of mirrors and darkness, such a place could drive anypony mad. She wondered if that was the point. She soon had no idea where they were in relation to the sea outside. All she knew is they were going up, step by step.

Occasionally Trixie's voice called out to them, taunted them. But she wasn't finding any soldiers, not yet at least. But it was probably only a matter of time. The other alicorn wouldn't wait forever and Twilight had no idea how to contact her and tell her they were coming. She thought about the bottom floor, where Rarity was waiting. Where her friend would now rest forever. Happy in her own little dream world. Twilight couldn't free her and she knew she couldn't defeat all of them. But... she could give her friends the chance to have their lives back. It was the best she could do.

After countless floors she jumped up into the new hall and was almost instantly attacked. She let out a yelp and slammed her hoof into the face of the earth pony, sending him sprawling back. The flames from her horn revealed that there were more ponies here as well, turning towards them. She sent a burst of wind down, scattering them. “Come on, fast!” she yelled, quickly helping her friends up and forming the staircase to the next floor. She sent another burst down, before flying up to the next floor and sending out yet another burst. More earth ponies. “Girls, we're going up fast, I think I found the prisoners!”

She put her hoof to the wall and quickly formed holes in the roofs above, stairs as well to help the ponies up. Three floors up revealed a beam of light from the sky, making her gasp. They were almost out. “Come on!”

A body fell down from one of the holes, making a sickening crunch as it hit the steps. She stared at it with wide, horror filled eyes. She then shook her head and waved a hoof, using the water to send it flying off. She couldn't allow herself to be stunned, not now. Not yet. She had to do this. She soared up, sending out bursts of wind through the halls as she went, scattering whatever ponies were in them as her friends rushed to try to catch up. They burst into the light together, Twilight quickly holding out her hoof and closing the ice behind them as they skidded along the ground.

The alicorn let out a little eep as she realized where they were. They seemed to be in the main entryway, one side open and a few very small airships floating to the side. The words 'Airmuffins delivery service' were crossed out with thick red paint. It would have made her chuckle, if not for the fact they were surrounded on all sides by Water Nation soldiers. Behind them the entrance to the world below could be seen and there were ponies gathered all around it, many imprisoned and surrounded by water benders. Shadowbolts made up the majority of the prisoners as far as she could see. At least she now knew where they had all disappeared too.

Some of the soldiers parted and THEY stepped forward. Trixie. Solar Flare. Nightmare Moon. Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo. Flowerbloom. Twilight felt herself begin to shake as she looked at the forces around them. They could probably break out if they were very lucky, but what would be the point? They'd freeze to death. There were too many soldiers here to even try to steal one of the delivery ships. Trixie and the others alone were enough of a threat, there was nothing else they could do. There was no winning this fight. At least, not for her. “Hello, Trixie,” Twilight said softly, struggling to keep the fear from her voice.

“Twilight, it has been too long. I do believe you've met my minions,” the alicorn said with a chuckle, motioning to the ponies around her. “They were friends of yours once, were they not? Oh hoh hoh hoh hoh!”

Twilight rolled her eyes, but held her tongue.

“So then, I take it you have decided to accept my proposal to surrender?”

“Yes.”

“Always the-- wait, what?” Trixie stared, her eyes widening. “You... you are?”

“WHAT?” her friends said, their mouths falling open.

“Come on, we can take them, there's only... a lot of them! We've got this!” Rainbow objected.

“There are terms, however,” Twilight said, glaring. “I want you to let my friends go to their homes.” She paused. “That means safe voyage from here, to their homes. I want you to release the contamination on Flowerbloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie. And your solemn vow that you will never attack or harm any of my friends, their family or their property.”

Trixie snorted. “Truly? It is such a minor thing you ask. I care not for those minor ponies.”

“Hey!” Pinkie objected.

“So my answer is... no. Why should I allow your friends to go free when I've already won? You cannot escape here. What do you possibly have that I could want?” The alicorn gave a cruel, wicked grin.

Twilight dug her hooves into the ground. She'd already lost, there was no coming back from this. All that mattered was that she saved her friends. She had to save them. “I... I will serve you. I will... become your minion.” The words tasted like bile in her mouth, but she had no choice.

“Oh buck no!” Rainbow yelled, spreading out her wings. “I don't care what you say, there's no way I'm letting you--”

“ENOUGH!” Twilight yelled, turning to glare at them. “There's nothing we can do here, okay? We've already lost! Stop fighting this and... and just let me do what I have to do!”

“But... but Sugarcube...” Applejack said softly. “We can still... we...”

“Do what? Run? Without Rarity we can't defeat Discord. We... don't have any choice.” She turned back to Trixie. “Do you accept my offer?”

Trixie grinned and made a motion with her hoof. The guards slowly backed away. “Watching you and your friends fight is delicious. I'll tell you what, Twilight. I will... counter with my own offer. You will be my obedient minion regardless. It would be easy enough to brainwash you. However, willing could be more interesting. So here is my proposal.” She stepped forward, her eyes narrowing on the mare. “One chance. You and I fight. If you can defeat me... then I will give you your desires. I will let all your friends live to return to their families and I will even release the hold I have on them.” She gestured towards the three mares. “So they can all watch as you live a long, obedient life as my servant. If you lose, I will enslave them all to my power here and now. You can live your life seeing them do my bidding as you mourn your pathetic, weak powers and what they cost you.”

Twilight gulped but slowly nodded. “I accept.”

“Well we don't!” Fluttershy said firmly. “You're our friend, we aren't going to just stand here and let you--”

“We don't have a choice!” Twilight screamed. “It's this or die. Trust me, I've gone over all the alternatives. I've thought of every possible thing we could do. There is NOTHING! This is the only way. Just... please...” She felt the tears welling up in her eyes. “This is all I can do. Just... just let me do this last thing. Please. For my friends... for all of you.”

There was silence from the ponies. Then, one by one they moved forward and wrapped their hooves around her, giving her a tight hug.

“Ah... ah don't like it,” Applejack muttered. “But... ah see what yah mean. If yah... if yah really think it's the only way, ah won't stand in your way.”

“I can feel how many of them there are,” Rainbow muttered. “You're probably right. But I still think this sucks and...” She whispered the next few words. “Kick her butt. We'll find a way to take Discord and her down. I promise.”

“Twilight, we love you,” Fluttershy said softly, her hug the tightest of all. “I... I'll take care of Spike, okay?”

“I-I don't need anypony to take care of me,” Spike mumbled as he hugged her. “I can take care of myself.” He struggled to avoid crying.

“Don't worry, Twilight. This is just a sub plot. It... it has to be. There's no way we can lose now, right?” Pinkie said, though there was a hint of doubt in her voice.

“You're all my best friends, no matter what happens,” Twilight said as she hugged them back, closing her eyes. She then, with great reluctance, pulled away from them and turned to Trixie. “So when I beat you, you'll keep your end of the deal. Correct? You swear?”

Trixie chuckled. “On the off chance you manage to defeat me, sure. I am a pony of my word.” Her wings slowly spread out. “Separate!” she ordered. The soldiers all quickly retreated, giving the ponies plenty of room to maneuver. Twilight's friends slowly backed up against the walls, watching the alicorns as they moved to the center of the room.

Twilight took a deep breath before bowing her head. “I will defeat you, Trixie. Because I have no choice but to.”

“You'll try. You'll fail,” the other alicorn said before bowing as well. “After this, they will speak of me for centuries. The mare who defeated and enslaved the avatar. The Great and Powerful Trixie.” Fire erupted from her horn and sailed at the avatar.

Twilight yelped and leaped to the right, using her own bending to send the fire just off kilter and avoid her. It seared through the icy walls of the room. The avatar then thrust a hoof forward and the ice underneath Trixie quickly leaped up to envelop her hooves, holding her there.

The ruler laughed and lowered her horn. The ice quickly melted. “I am a master water bender, Twilight. You can't hope to-- AHHH!” She was sent hurtling back by a blast of air from the avatar's wings.

“I wasn't, it was a distraction!” Twilight yelled before thrusting her horn forward. A blast of fire shot out from her horn. Trixie let out a yelp and scrambled to her hooves, quickly leaping into the air and flying away from the flames. The avatar didn't stop her assault, the fires lancing out and searing after the mare.

“Impressive, but not enough!” Trixie yelled before sending her own wind burst out at Twilight.

The avatar held her ground, spreading her wings to quickly disperse the wind before it could strike her. She grinned. The winds were weak, almost those of a novice. It made sense, Trixie hadn't been an omni-bender for long, her practice and skill couldn't be anywhere near Twilight's. The avatar had only been one for a little over a year, but she'd had the best teachers and practiced all the time. That meant there was still hope. She leaped into the air and let the fires die, using air bending to speed up her flight as she sailed at Trixie.

The other alicorn let out a yelp and tried to lower herself and dodge the attack, barely getting down in time as Twilight sailed past. The avatar had far more training, however, and quickly used her air bending to turn back around and slam into the other alicorn from behind, slamming her front hooves into the mare's back before forming a small blast of fire in them, sending it out to propel Trixie forward.

Trixie rocketed towards the ground, barely managing to dampen her fall by sending out a hoof and turning the ice into a ball of water to catch herself. She quickly turned around, watching the avatar from within her orb.

Twilight grinned, starring down at the ruler from above. She had a way to win, now. She knew three of the elements far better than Trixie did. Even if they were surrounded by water, she knew enough to get by. She flapped her wings and bent a little more air behind herself, propelling forward at the other alicorn. Fire enveloped her body.

Trixie sent a hoof up, hurtling a whip of water at the mare. Twilight grinned and matched the water with her flames, the fires burning red hot and evaporating the water in an instant. She flew at her fastest speed, using her fire and air bending together to turn her body into a spinning cyclone of might. She hit the orb of water, filling the air with the hissing sound of evaporating water as steam surrounded them. She broke through it in seconds, her hooves lashing out and striking Trixie full in the chest.

The other alicorn was propelled backwards, letting out a scream as she rocketed across the room. She slammed into and then through the wall, falling outside the tower and disappearing from view.

Twilight grinned as she dropped down to the ground, panting with exertion. “I... I think I just won,” she said feebly, steam rising from her body. She grinned down at herself, not a burn on her. Apparently all her practice was still good for something.

A rage filled scream filled the air, making the ponies cringe. A moment later another hole appeared in the tower wall as Trixie blew through it. “YOU HAVE WON NOTHING!” The mare was surrounded in a dark purple aura. “You have done nothing but enflame my anger!” She sent her horn forward, green fire erupting from it and searing at Twilight.

The avatar shrieked and dove to the right, barely avoiding the fire as it left a hole in the ground where she stood. She was forced to roll away as another ball of fire was sent hurtling at her. She tried to deflect it slightly with her bending, but the fire was too strong. She yelped and quickly formed a wall of ice in front of her to delay the third blast. She spread her wings and leaped into the air mere moments before the wall of ice was evaporated.

“You think that will save you?!” Trixie yelled before flapping a wing. The winds took on a light green tint before sailing at Twilight. The avatar flapped her wings, trying to counter the winds with her own, but they weren't strong enough. She was sent hurtling back, slamming against the room's walls. She groaned and began to slide down them, only to be hit by a second blast that sent her hurtling into them again. She tapped back, shattering the wall behind her and falling out of the tower, barely avoiding the third blast in time.

“Owwww,” Twilight said with a groan as she tried to steady herself. Outside, the chill bit into her skin even worse than in the cover, but it was nothing compared to the pain the other alicorn had just leveled on her. “How is she so strong?” the alicorn asked with a groan. “She was nothing like this before.”

Her eyes widened as a chill went down her spine. “Discord. Of course.” With Discord's power supporting the mare's attacks, no wonder they were so much stronger than Twilight's. That creature had the power to give and change a pony's bending, amplifying it had to be easy. Not to mention that amulet. There was another explosion from above as Trixie tore through the walls and hurtled straight down at Twilight.

The avatar quickly spread her wings and used a burst of air to weave around the coming attack, but Trixie didn't let that stop her. She sent blasts of fire out at the other mare, radiating green air with every flap of her wings. Twilight struggled to keep away, dodging and weaving erratically through the air, but Trixie was faster. Her blasts of fire were getting stronger and closer with each one. Twilight dove, her hooves out and reaching towards the ice below. She hit the ice, bending it around her as she went, forming a tunnel of ice around herself. She pierced down to the water below, forming a tunnel of frozen liquid as she struggled to get through. She turned to the right, hard, forming more ice as she went, flecks of ice cold water splashing against her. She tried to ignore them, flapping her wings as hard as she could as she tried to get away.

She finally turned up, bursting out from the ice. A ball of fire, shining in the sky like a second sun, hovered above Trixie's head. “Avatar, catch this!” the alicorn yelled before flinging her head down. The ball began to lower, making Twilight squeak. She dove back under the water, diving as deep as she could while using her bending to form the tunnels of ice to keep her from freezing. A few moments later the sea exploded. She closed her eyes and held her breath, wrapping herself in an orb of ice as the waters shook and writhed around her. She held herself against the walls of the frozen orb as best she could, though she was flung in all directions and smacked into the walls as she went. When it finally stopped she laid there in her orb, still and disoriented, her entire body aching.

It took her a few moments to regain her senses and realize she was going up. She let out a squeak and tried to bend the water back down, but through the orb she could see the water, tinted green as it pulled her. “No no no!” she said softly as she tried to come up with a plan.

She was plucked from the sea and for a second she saw Trixie, starring at her through the ice with a wicked glint in her eye. Then the other alicorn slammed a hoof forward. The ball of ice was sent hurtling through the air. Twilight shrieked and held on as best she could, using her bending to try and break the fall a little. She formed a small hole in it and used her air bending to slow it. She still slammed through the wall of the tower, the slowed orb crashing into the floor before the soldiers and shattering, sending her rolling on the ground with a pained groan. She laid on her back for a few moments, starring at all the ponies around her as her vision faded in and out.

“Oh, how the mighty Avatar has fallen,” Trixie said as she burst through the wall again, chuckling before she landed on the ground. “A shame, to think I once thought you were so powerful.”

Twilight tried to get to her hooves, but they hurt so much. She stared at the approaching alicorn. It wasn't fair. She was the Avatar. She should have been able to beat her. She was more skilled, had more experience in the elements, knew all the styles. But the other mare just had too much power. Discord's taint was too much. She took a slow, deep breath and crawled to her hooves. Her friends still needed her, she couldn't give up now. No matter how much she hurt. She steeled herself against the other alicorn.

But what could she possibly do? Trixie's bending was far more powerful, there was no way she could beat it. She'd have to--

She face hoofed. “Of course.”

“Huh?” the ruler asked.

Twilight jumped at her, her horn glowing. Trixie prepared for a another bending attack, but it didn't come. Instead, the other alicorn suddenly had her hooves yanked out from under her. “Ahhh!” The distraction wasn't much, but it was enough for the Avatar to get in close and body slam the mare. The two rolled on the ground for a moment, Trixie ending up on the bottom. “Tricky little-- oof!” A sudden blow to the stomach knocked the air out of her. She thrust a hoof out, fire blasting from the hoof.

Twilight moved slightly to the side, allowing it to blow past her. She then reached out and struck the leg hard, twisting it back before her other hoof struck three times in the other mare's stomach. She quickly grounded herself before slamming a hoof down into Trixie's chest. The ice crumbled under them and Twilight quickly flew off, letting the other alicorn fall into the room below.

After a few moments another blast of fire shot out, making the Avatar dodge to the right. “T-tricky little alicorn,” Trixie said as she flew up from the hole. “Using telekinesis. Such a trick won't work a second time, though.”

“Doesn't have to,” Twilight said with a smile. “I know how to beat you now. You have power... but you don't have the skill or training.” She grounded her hooves. “You can't--” She was cut off as a shard of ice fell down, impaling the ground by her hooves. She let out a yelp and looked around, her eyes going wider. The room was collapsing, all the holes they'd created in the walls finally bringing the place down. Massive drops of ice began falling all around as the ponies screamed and tried to get under cover.

She froze as the memories of her nightmare flooded back. Her friends, crushed to death. She turned to run to them, but it was too late. The world collapsed around her. She barely managed to form a bubble of ice over herself as the tower shook and rumbled.

After a few horror filled minutes the rumbling ceased. She broke the barrier around herself quickly and took to the air. The place was wrecked, the ships crushed and the water benders working to break out of the barriers they'd crafted for themselves. Her eyes fell on where her friends had been. “No no no no.” A thick pile of massive ice blocks towered over where they had been. “NO!” she wailed, diving towards them. She gripped the blocks, bending them away and scattering them. “No no please oh please no. I'll do anything, I'll give anything. Oh please no,” she begged, her whole body shaking. She'd have made a deal with Discord now to save her friends.

She made it to the bottom and stared, her eyes widening. “W-what?”

A thick dome of ice had formed over where her friends had been. It slowly began to melt, revealing five ponies, a dragon and a bunny. All of her friends.

“R-Rarity,” Twilight said, tears forming in her eyes.

The unicorn smiled up at her, a hoof gently stroking her necklace. “I do apologize for the delay. I... had quite a few things to sort out.”

“N-no, it's fine... It's...” Twilight fell to the ground, tears flowing from her eyes. She felt so exhausted she couldn't stand. Her friends were okay. They were all okay. She couldn't stop crying.

Comments

[eric-emanwu]

Aw man! Rejected! (wow. I never expected that to happen) [tell me about it. I never knew rarity was that weak.] (RARITY IS NOT WEEK!) [Then why did she turn her back on all of them?] (BECAUSE OF YOU! You ruined her! Destroyed her family and her life! Brought out the worst in them!) [And she could've chosen to rise above it and soldier on, but she didn't, did she?] ( No.) You're right. No, she didn't. And with twilight locked out, perhaps Rainbow was right. That this was exactly what they were worried about when they took her in. That when she had an opportunity to make it easier on herself, she'd give up on them all. Even if she got it the worst, perhaps she's the one who needs to come out the most. Because no matter how much a life without suffering might be good, they need a mare with experience to lead them into a new world. A mare who knows good and evil. They need rarity.

BTW twilight, have you tried contacting Starswirl about all this? Asked him how he beat discord the last time?

Anyways, so in this wrestling time, twilight realized they had to get out, so they did, but unfortunately, they had a welcoming party. And in order to try and win the best conditions possible, Twilight would duel trixie for the freedom of her friends. Twilight, that has to be 2nd worst idea you ever came up with. Trixie is not a mare of her word. She would never allow the elements to go free from all this. No matter how her word was bound.

Anyways, the duel was a treat, watching trixie and twilight go at each other. Twilight with her skill, trixie with her power. And even pulling a little magic trick as well. And then trixie tried to collapse the prison on top of her. Bringing them all crashing down. And having twilight relive her nightmares about being trapped in the element of magic. Although, what I still don't get is that since she saw her friends in danger, then WHY DIDN'T SHE GO INTO THE AVATAR STATE???? I mean, come on! That was the easiest example of where the avatar state would be needed. They were in danger, she needed strength to get there, and they needed help. That's the perfect formula for the avatar state to be activated. Why wouldn't it? Do the elements surplant the avatar state now that she has given out all of them? That can't be right, because she used it defending fillydelphia. Did she get blocked from it due to dying? But she wasn't in the avatar state at that time if I remember correctly, so wouldn't she have kept her connection to it? I mean, what? what????? (Yeah, you're right. Plot Hole! Boooooo!!!) Thank you pinkie.

Also, would it kill you to show us how Rarity escaped from her own mind? If she was so adamant to stay, could we at least see what changed her mind? Was it the celestia/blueblood connection? Was it for her friends? Was it for spike? I mean, come on! I know this is the oddball of the different chapter orders, but give us something at least. Maybe in the next chapter as a flashback? Gah!

Well, that's 6-0 discord. [Yep. But I've got one last trick to use. The spirit cannon.] The spirit cannon? but I thought you didn't like killing anyone? [oh don't worry, I won't kill them. I'll just destroy their bodies, leaving them trapped as spirits, unable to help and save the world.] Ambiguity you big meanie. But, let's see what comes next.

[Jeweled Pen]

5896054 Sorry, going to have to make you imagine what led Rarity to the decision. Though, I'll give you a hint, it was one of the ones you mentioned~ On the subject of plot holes, wellllll... there is a reason there. But it's kind of a silly one. Sorta a plot hole... oops.*innocent whistle.* Official answer! Once all the elements were given out AND activated, I kind of set the rule that the avatar state couldn't be activated without them all being their. Namely since she gained the new and improved avatar state, where she had full control and the power of her friends. I just kind of... never explained that in story. My bad.

edited because I got manehatten and fillydelphia confused. Also, I forgot to mention they had to be activated, not just given out.

[eric-emanwu]

5896206 Careful. I'm a fanfic guy. I might end up writing an unofficial glance if you never explain it. I would put an evil grin there, but none of the emoticons have that. [[Then I'll just do it.]] Alright Discord. You get the evil grin this one time.