Silver groaned as she walked into her home, pushing the door open with a grunt. The day had been hectic and crazy and she was only now getting home, even though the sun had set hours ago. Trying to filter the innocent from the guilty was proving to be near impossible. Even worse, Sunburst still hadn't been found and ponies were starting to worry about him.
Her poor home was trashed. The alarms had finally been cut because they were going off every few hours, the gates were in tatters, the supplies gutted. They had insurance, fortunately, but she still wasn't looking forward to the next few weeks. Her dad was bound to try to 'fix' everything. And that usually meant more power and fire. Likely explosions, too. Assuming they didn't throw him in jail for life. At the moment he was still helping with the repairs, but who knew what they'd do when they didn't need him?
She trotted into the kitchen and grumbled, pulling out a cup and turning on the water. It came out, which was better than could be said for half the city after so many water pipes had been busted in the attacks. “Yayyyy, it still works!” She slowly poured herself some water, before tossing in a tea packet. She was too tired to actually warm it up. She took a sip and shivered. “Ew.”
She turned around and paused, her eyes widening. Meadowbrook was sitting at her table, watching her with a cruel grin. “Hello, Silver. I do hope you don't mind me coming in.”
Silver blinked a few times before sipping her tea. “You know, everypony is looking for you.”
“I know,” the mare said with a small chuckle. “But really, I couldn't just leave. After the... humiliation the Avatar gave me, taking her cutie mark isn't truly enough.” She got to her hooves. “Taking the cutie marks of her friends as well? I think that will sting nice and hard.”
“Mmmm hmmm,” Silver said with another sip. “You know, nopony is here. They won't hear you scream.”
“Yes, they won't hear you... wait, what?” Meadowbrook said, staring at the mare.
“They won't hear you scream,” Silver said before putting the drink down and grinning. “I am thankful you decided to choose me as the target of your vengeance. I realllllly wanted to get you back for that little show you put me through. Do you have any idea how hard it was to have to pretend to be one of your unmarked? I slipped up like a dozen times,” the mare said with a roll of her eyes. “Not that the Avatar noticed, but still. It really could have been difficult for me. Not to mention it took me out of the action for sooooo long. I was sooooo bored. But then, playing the damsel can't always be fun.”
Meadowbrook now looked sufficiently confused. “I... don't know what you're...” She shook her head. “Trying to throw me off with mind games? Well, it won't work. Your cutie mark is mine!” She thrust her horn forward and green magic surged out.
Silver rolled her eyes before smirking. Her eyes turned yellow with little red pupils and she hit the beam of magic. It flipped back around and raced back at Meadowbrook, hitting her in the chest and making her topple back. Her cutie mark flew off, into the air and hovered for a few moments. Then Silver's tongue lashed out, sailing across the room, wrapped around the mark and yanked it back into her mouth. She belched out a little smoke. “'Scuse me.”
Meadowbrook's mouth fell open and she stared in horror. “How... how did you... what did you...”
“Oh Meadowbrook, Meadowbrook, Meadowbrook. You already lost to one Avatar, did you realllllllly think you could beat a different one?” she asked before walking over with a small giggle. “Why, I bet you actually thought you were the big, bad, scary monster of this story, didn't you?” She reached out and pinched the mare's cheek, before slamming her head against the table. “I'm sorry, but your defeat to the Avatar was ordained from day one. Now, you're going to answer some questions of mine.” She shoved the mare back on the ground.
“H-how... how are you... what are you? There's only one Avatar though!”
“Oh, yes. One for Harmony. But I never said I was her Avatar, now did I? Though, let me tell you. I'd honestly prefer to have been. My past lives, well, just life now is quite annoying. Great and Powerful just... ugh. At least I can't talk to her that often anymore. Since I... ugh, monologuing. Moving on.” She smiled and put a hoof on the other mare's chest. “Now, I want some answers. That spell, where did you learn it? And don't try lying to me. I know that's not Discord magic and it's most definitely not pony magic.”
“I-I don't kn--” Meadowbrook let out a cry of pain as the hoof stomped down on her chest.
“Don't. Lie.”
“I-I was taught it! B-by... by Sunburst,” the mare whimpered, gripping the hoof. “He... he told me... he'd help... that we'd b-bring Equality. S-said it was a gift f-from the spirits. T-the staff made it stronger. M-made it easier.”
Silver sighed and shook her head. “I knew there was something about him. No wonder he went and disappeared.” She cocked an eye before smiling. “The Avatar's cutie marks. You still have them, don't you?”
The mare went quiet.
Silver slowly applied pressure to the mare's chest as her eyes turned yellow and red again. “Oh don't be like that, Meadowbrook. I know you have them with you. Where are they?” She leaned in close. “Don't think I'll kill you, dear. There are so many, many more things I can do to you without killing you. Once you die, the fun is over.”
“B-behind the couch,” the mare said softly. Silver nodded and walking over to it, before shoving it aside. There was the jar. She picked it up and nodded.
“All three, good. So, Meadowbrook, I'm curious. Is that your real name?” She opened the jar and put a hoof in, before letting out a yipe and pulling it back. “Well, I guess absorbing these aren't an option.”
“It's... it's Starlight Glimmer,” the mare said weakly.
“Oh, of course it is. A little bit of razzle dazzle for a name, I suppose.” Silver looked back. “I won't kill you, dear. That just wouldn't be very fun. But I can't just let you go, either. You see, I have plans. Big plans. And everything is going according to keikaku.” She paused. “Keikaku means plan. I don't know why I even said that. Ugh, probably his influence.”
“What... what are you going to do?” the mare asked fearfully.
“My predecessor turned three into four. I want to turn four into three. Or... something like that.” She shook her head and waved a hoof dismissively. “Honestly, it's all kind of confusing. The whole... wall things. I can't always wrap my head about it and it's not like I can ask anypony else about it. They'd just think I was crazy.” She then paused. “Though, I suppose I am crazy. Heh. Wouldn't that be funny? Maybe in actuality I was so scared when you arrived I fell over and hit my head on the counter and this is all just a hallucination from a concussion. Maybe I'm not the big, scary villain after all. If only.” She snickered and moved towards the frightened mare. “How does it feel, dear? To be just like everypony else? Is it scary? Oh, of course it is. You lost most of your bravery too, didn't you?” She gently stroked the mare's face. “Like Diamond. Ugh, listening to her whine was soooo annoying. I mean, she's supposed to be the hero, right? Who wants a hero who just keeps whining and complaining?” She shook her head and backed up. “So then, Starlight. I don't want to kill you, but I can't just let you go. Hmmmm.” She tapped her chin.
Then a small, wicked smile formed on her lips. “Ohhh, I know just what to do. It's perfect and it suits you wonderfully, Glimmy.”
“W-what?” the unicorn asked nervously.
“Lost and confused, the terrorist Meadowbrook snaps under the pressure of her failure. Finally found in the streets, ranting and raving like some kind of lunatic, her mind gone. Don't you think that's a wonderful ending to this little story?”
The mare backed up. “P-please. N-no, I won't tell anypony. I w-will leave, I'll never--”
“I'm sorry. It's just too late for that. I'm sure you understand.” Silver's eyes glowed with a wicked yellow light. “All according to key lime pie. Oh, wait, that wasn't right either. Oh well~”
------
Silver hummed as she gently swirled the jar around, looking at the three cutie marks held inside. “Well, Diamond. It seems once again I have all the tools I need to make you do what I want.” She licked her lips. “Now... I think there's a certain amulet you're going to help me get.”
She let out a soft chuckle. “After all. Friends help each other, don't they? At least true, true friends.”
Great ending. I totally had no clue. The only hint I could think is Asami was originally planned to be the main vilain of LoK. I love you for going with that, and I'm hype beyond reason for the next book.
So what was the hints ?
Wait, so Silver is Trixie reincarnated? Wha?
6982478 Check her dialogue a few times when she speaks with DT, she slips up a little.
So i just finished binge reading the entire saga up till this point, its been a a lot of fun, especially as a fan of both series. I was a little reluctant to jump onto this Book, as i find Korra a much weaker series than ATLA, but this was pretty darn good.
Overall Pro's
1. Diamond Tiara definitely makes for an interesting and very flawed main character, i enjoy how she genuinely wants to do good, but her complete lack of any social skills and her hot hotheadedness hold her back and end up with her bringing out the worst in others, it's a problem that has layers and can continue into the other books.
2. The supporting cast is very diverse and well rounded, you can tell there is a history to these people, favorite supporting character was Blaze and her epic smack down speech.
3. The tension and pacing in the third act are very well handled
4. No love triangle, yeah wasn't a fan of it in Korra
If i don't mention it in the con section then i was fine with it at worst.
Con's
1. I fell that the plot kind of anti-climaxed a bit at the end, ended a little too easily
2. While the character stuff had plenty of good drama, the story was lacking in it, the two best episodes of Korra season 1 were (in my opinion) When Extremes Meet and Skeletons in the Closet, and this story lacked equivalents in the dramatic scene, i was honestly expecting Sunburst to be Starlight's dad, not the mastermind, subvert the reader expectations and all, but he's still out there so there's more to explore.
3. The chapters getting shorter at the end was a bit noticeable, i feel chapters 25 and 26 could've been made into 1 chapter
4. The Rock Bunnies was it?, Babs, Marble, and Limestone, they just up and vanished after the tournament. One of my favorite bits from Korra was when the lead wolf bat apologized to Korra, having gained some perspective from the ordeal, it ended the worst part of the franchise on a high note. I bring it up because the tournament stuff was handled much better in this story, with the Bunnies having been legit champs but stooped to cheating because of how insufferable DT was, but then it just gets forgotten. I'm saying there's more to explore here, especially since the three are family in the main show.
So overall, great start to what promises to be an enjoyable series. Your blog post says Korra's plot will only be loosely followed from here on out, and thank goodness for that in regards to the next book, keep the ideas, ditch the plot. I also hope Silver Spoon ends up heel face turning in the end, there is a lot of potential there and i don't want to see her go the way of Unalaq, (or Trixe in this series, she was my biggest criticism of the first series).
6965985 Eeyup. Was a long time coming! :D
6968257 Always be a little different. ^^ Best part about knowing there will be more than one book, I don't HAVE To lump everything in at once.
6982478 I had no idea she was. >.> There were a few hints, the things she says, way she acts. Biggest one happened at the Discord festival.
6982943 Always room for one more Avatar.
6984192 Thanks. ^^ I looooved writing Diamond Tiara, she'll be a lot of fun to explore in the coming books. Also, the Rock Bunnies, and a lot of the other cons I feel are more on the format. Well, not format, required pacing? See, when they made Korra, they only had one season and had to wrap everything up in a neat little bow. I, on the other hoof, have no need for that. I can take as long as I want. So the bunnies can make an appearance later. One of the perks of writing fanfiction. No need to kill off the villain and in this case, well... Killing Sunburst off or having him turn won't make sense. For reasons.
To everyone who's reading, thanks! Hope you continue to enjoy and tune in, book 2 should be out in a few weeks or so! Yayyyy!
Ok, while I might not particularly like this plot twist on mere principle that I don't understand all of what she was talking bout (especially the whole "faking cutie mark loss" thing), what I do like about it is that it sets up a new story arc that's just as compelling as DT's quest to understand the world.
So we begin with the issue of trying to sort out true followers from those pressed into service. It was...trying, especially now that they all had cutie marks again. And Sunburst was still MIA too. Silver's home was a mess. Not only for the battle, but the problem of her dad. Varrick was helping along, but who knows what happens when the Hiroshi side of him is called to task? But, at least the pluming still works.
So Silver got a drink, and discovered she had a guest. And EEEEEvil guest. And MB was out for revenge. But it seems that at this moment, we have our main WHAM at the end.
Because this is where I don't quite get something. How could silver "pretend" to be an unmarked. Obviously she did lose her mark...right? You can't fake that steal MB had originally...right? That's what puzzles me. What came next I can get.
Because it seems that Silver also has a unique aspect that links her to Korra. She holds some of Unlaq in her character as a disciple....of Vaatu! [WHAT!?] I mean, a disciple of....DISCORD! I knew you'd show up again! [Surprise!]
The Red pupil is her avatar state. And in a way, this is bringing back a small detail that you wouldn't expect...but which does make sense when you think about it. When Discord turned Trixie into an alicorn, he must have imbued a part of his spirit into her. And like with Harmony, that means that now there's a cycle of reincarntion as well. Only there's only 1 past life at the moment, and Silver finds her a bit annoying.
As for the interrogation, it seems we' have a few other very fascinating things. For one, it seems Sunburst WAS on the level with MB. That he WAS Tarrlok after all. Only this time a direct ally rather than indirect. Well that would explain his more...crude tactics. And the traps, and the fact that everything seemed to be going well for MB. Cause she had an insider helping. But this does have you wonder...What is Sunburst's stake in all this? Why does he care so much about equality in that way?
It also seems that whatever allows Silver Spoon to take in cutie marks with the spell doesn't allow her to take the elements of an avatar. No doubt thanks to her connection to harmony. That's good. Cause as long as they're there, they can be found and restored in time. You can stall, but you can't take!
It seems she was starlight after all too. Eh, moving on.
Anyways, so then Silver Spoon made her move, and decided to make Starlight a victim. Rather than fleeing like Notak did, she's going to be dumped a wreck to be recaptured. Her "mind gone", her defeat absolute.
And now Silver has the 3 marks, which in turn is what she's going to use to get Diamond to find the Alicorn Amulet. I assume Trixie lost it during her wanderings. And now Spoony thinks she has all she needs to get Diamond to find them. Her goal is to change the 4 books of the Legend of Korra into just 3. Discord turned the 3 Last Airbender books to 4. But HERE is where I can see great and beautiful plans awaiting the future of The Legend.
Because you see, while Spoon might be working under Discord's influence at the moment, what you seem to be subtly tweaking towards is the fact that this is also a redemption story. Cause Asami for all her faults ended up Korra's BFF/Lover at the end. And Discord for all his mayhem ended up on the side of Angels after season 3. So why do I bring these up? Because over the course of this fic, while Diamond Tiara is finding the heart and brains of a hero, Silver Spoon is rising to discover the value and the grace of Harmony. She may have been incarnated as Discord's last laugh, but with the greater villain and the true changer Tirek on the horizon, I foresee the 2nd arc of the story to be about Chaos's redemption. Growing in friendship, in love, in virtue, until at the final battle with Tirek, Avatars of Harmony and Chaos fight as one, united and friends, redeemed and refined. Thoughts? (oooohhh that sounds like a GGGrreat story! And maybe they can kiss at the end too!) [Well I admit that certainly seems...creative. And it is a lot closer to what canon turned out.]
Whatever the case, Acrylic and Button are the flies in the ointment going forward with whatever Silver has in mind. Crushes and dating, elements of Laughter and Honesty.
Now for this book as a whole...I do admit that silver does have a point where DT was HARD to get behind at first, but thanks to the breaking of spirit and how ignorance oddly made her honest, willfully looking past social class and so forth. I think the strongest part was trying to build up all the minor characters....but in a way it felt like you let it get a bit out of hand. Especially towards the end, where I didn't feel nearly as strong a connection to Button and Acrylic as I should have. I cared more about Prism and Blaze than I did them. And one should care more for Mako and Bolin than Pema and Tenzin. I think it's that they got a bit out of focus at the very end. Made it harder to keep tabs and care.
But, the journey is far from over. Harmony shall return once again, and DT needs Fire, Water and Earth back! So the legend shall continue, as next come Unlaq, Vaatue, Varrick, and the rebooting of the avatar cycle. Raava and all. See you there!
Meadowbrook was named after the first Nightmare Moon? That seems an odd choice for her parents, victims of Water Nation de-horning, to make. Or did you just forget you'd already used the Starlight Glimmer name?
WOW, WHAT A TWIST ENDING! On to the next.