The Little Pony Legend: Shadow of Ronin

by MyEcho4

Love is brightest in the dark

Love is brightest in the dark

Twilight sighed in relief after finishing the last of her notes. "Okay, I think we've covered everything." she said.

It was already past midnight, and together the entire time managed to come up with the ideal plan to make sure they got the kids and their friends safely back as well as stop Ronin in his tracks.

"I hope this works." Bolin said before yawning.

"We should all get some rest." Asami said, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"Indeed." Leilani said, nodding her head.

The door opened and Korra walked in. Thankfully, she heard nothing of what was being discussed. Mako was the first to speak. "Good news, we've come up with a plan." he said with a relieved smile.

"Bad news is, we can't tell you what it is." Pinkie Pie said sadly.

Korra managed a small chuckle. "Good. Let's keep it that way."

Twilight flew up to her friend, patting her shoulder. "Try and get some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow."

"I'm not sure if I'll be able to sleep tonight."

"It's okay." Mako wrapped his arms around his wife. "I'll stay up with you."

"You're so sweet." Korra smiled and rested her head on his strong chest. After all of the anxiety, she needed something to sooth herself, and her husband's support was enough.

With that, everyone exited the castle to head home and at least try to get some rest. Twilight and Flash retreated to the library. The alicorn levitated a quill and paper, ready to start writing, but Spike kindly took the quill from her.

"You guys get some sleep. I'll take care of this."

"Spike, are you sure?"

"Hey, I'm not a baby dragon anymore. I can handle this."

Twilight hugged her dragon friend, while Flash proudly ruffled the scales on his head. The married ponies retreated to their room, while Spike got to work.

Back in Canterlot, Leilani returned to see her two daughters sound asleep in Celestia's room. The two sisters were curled up in the bed together, Celestia's wing covering Luna like a blanket. The queen walked quietly and placed a gentle kiss on their foreheads.

Asami and Bolin took their children home. Asami tucked in Hiro, while Bolin did the same for Mai. Each parent kissed their child's head before gently closing the door. The two wrapped their arms around each other, and Asami started to cry into Bolin's shoulder.

Rarity's cat curled up beside her, meowing sadly at the unicorn who struggled to sleep. Apple Bloom slept with Applejack that night, not because she was scared, but just to be there for her older sister. Fluttershy's animals gathered beside her as she tried to sleep, and the cake twins were there for Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash curled up with Tank, who nuzzled his head against her cheek to try and lift up her spirits. She appreciated the sweet gesture.

Mekarm stayed at Air Temple Island for the night. He headed to his room, stopping midway to see Pema and Tenzin with their children, sleeping soundly. Even as adults, Jinora, Ikki and Meelo would always be their parents darling treasures. The scene made him miss Ma all the more.

Sunset Shimmer was alone in her apartment in the city, drinking some tea to help calm her nerves. She couldn't stop thinking about Nova. It took him getting captured for her to fully realize how much she had come to care about him. It wasn't just because of his past, but because she saw the good in him. He wasn't just a broody, stubborn unicorn. He was loyal, brave, strong, smart, a great older brother to Chi, and fantastic with Iris and Akari, demonstrating he had a good heart overall. She had truly come to consider him a friend.

Or…maybe, possibly….

She wondered if this was how Mako first realized his feelings for Korra. Perhaps it really did take loosing something to realize what you had.

For Mako, he didn't mind staying awake alongside Korra. In all honestly, he couldn't sleep either, not as long as he knew she wouldn't be able to. They would not to the portal until sundown, so they had time to sleep if it ever came to them. Mako kept his arms wrapped around Korra's waist while she rested her head on his chest. He gently traced his fingers through her hair to comfort her. Korra and Mako were also such strong-willed individuals, and if anybody else saw them in such a state they'd say it was beneath them. But, even if they were both strong and stubborn, they were still human. Thus, they had the right to feel scared and depressed.

Twilight was in the same position with her husband, who used his wing to cover her up over their shared blanket. Neither of them could sleep, but it did not bother them. Just being together helped enough. It didn't take away the worry entirely, but it helped to know they were not alone.

Once he was done, Spike sent the letters away and sighed, pressed his claws together, gazed up at the star that shined a light in through the window and whispered. "Please…please help up win this fight. Just one more time."

(~)

The ship had arrived at the docks of the South Pole, where Tonraq and Senna awaited them. They heard of what happened to their granddaughter and promised to be there for Korra. The Avatar had the sword in her hand. Her eyes were completely dry of tears. An unwavering look of determination was edged on her face for such long periods of time, several began to wonder if she could even move any muscle on her face anymore.

The entire Team Avatar marched on towards the Southern Spirit portal. No guards, no officers, just Korra, Mako, Bolin, Asami, The Mane Six, Spike, Sunset Shimmer and Mekarm. None of the other alicorns attended.

Just as expected, Nyx, Kage and Shade were present. Iris, Akari and Chi were still perfectly fine, but held captive by Shade. "Mom! Dad!" Iris called out with tears in her eyes.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Akari called out.

Korra, Mako, Twilight and Flash all breathed multiple sighs of relief to see their children alive. Nyx stepped forward, looking as smug as ever. For Korra, it was almost like looking into a mirror of the past. She remembered when she used to be that smug and cocky. Only difference between her and Nyx was that this shadow version of her had no conscience whatsoever. She cared about nothing and no one. It not only infuriated Korra, but it also brought her great sadness. She couldn't imagine not being able to care for another's feelings or well being. Even as a naive child Korra still carried some empathy towards others, especially for the ponies. It had grown more over time, and she was thankful for that, but the idea that Nyx had none of these qualities still baffled her.

"You got the sword?" Nyx asked, placing a hand on her hips. Twilight walked over and handed Korra the sword, who in turn offered it to Nyx. The shadow smiled and laughed, "As sickening as your good heart is, I knew I could count on it." she reached for the sword, only for Korra to pull it away.

"Where is Ronin?" she asked. "If we're making this exchange, I want to see his face."

Nyx arched an eyebrow and smiled. "You sure you want that?"

Sunset noticed that while the children and Chi were present, someone else wasn't. "Where's Nova?" she asked, "What did you do to him?!"

"Don't get your tail in a bunch, he's fine. In fact, he's better than ever."

Korra gave her shadow a puzzled look. "What are you talking about?"

"I guess you could say he feels more….complete now." Nyx stepped aside, allowing for a new body to emerge from the spirit portal.

Everyone gasped in horror at the sight of Nova, his eyes black and red, staring down at everyone. They had seen those eyes before, and they did not belong to the unicorn at all. His body may have, but not his eyes.

Sunset froze in place, her hands trembling. "Nova?"

The red eyed unicorn laughed as if she had just told a funny joke. "Yes and no. After some negotiating, Nightshade and I came to an agreement. Now, we see eye to eye."

Sunset shook her head, feeling as if tears would come right then and there. "No!"

Korra narrowed her eyes, her anger rising and offered Ronin the sword. "Here's your stupid blade. Now let my daughter, my niece and our friends go!"

Ronin turned to Nyx, who rolled her eyes. "She's in the clear." she said with a bored tone.

"Very well, your highness. A deal's a deal." Ronin snapped his fingers, ordering Shade to release Iris, Akari and Chi. The two siblings locked eyes one last time before time before Shade shoved them forward. Kage removed the collars from their necks and the two girls ran towards their respective parents. Korra held Iris close, crying tears of relief as she stroked her head. Mako rushed over and held both his girls in his arms, tears rolled down his cheeks as well. Twilight and Flash showered Akari with kisses. Chi instead rushed towards Sunset Shimmer, who hugged her tightly. The wisp cried into the unicorn's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Chi." Sunset whispered in her ear with a look of pure determination. "It's not over yet."

Ronin stepped forward to the royal family. "Awww, how touching. Now, how's about you hold your end of the deal?" he extended his hand, waiting for the sword.

Mako led Iris away from the creature and Korra slowly rose the sword. Ronin smiled excitedly as he reached for it.

Twilight suddenly rose her hand, shooting a magenta colored flame into the sky, which exploded into a large purple star in the sky with several small fireworks. Both Korra and Ronin looked at the display in confusion.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ronin asked.

"I don't know." Korra answered.

Ronin quickly turned to Nyx, expecting an answer. The shadow only shrugged, wearing and equally confused expression. "She's telling the truth." she said.

Suddenly, the sound of multiple wings buzzing in unison could be heard from all around. Followed by bird-like screeches and even the sound of hissing could be heard.

Ronin, Kage, Shade and Nyx quickly got into position, preparing for whatever was coming, and from the sound of it…it was very, very, large.

Korra spun around, hearing the noises coming from all directions. The frozen trees around the portal rustled and from above her head she saw a multitude of brightly colored insect-like humanoid creatures surrounding the area. Many remained airborne while several others landed. Among them were a multitude of spirits, of all shapes and sizes, strong and menacing looking. Land spirits such as wolf-like creatures, feline-like and various other creatures ran out from the forest, snarling, growling or snapping their jaws. Another insect-like creature appeared, one who was taller, more athletic looking with a horn on his forehead and two deer-like antlers coming from his head, his hair styled into a low ponytail and he stood right beside Fluttershy.

The spirits were led by none other than Mika, San and Ali. The three spirits held their heads high, despite their size they looked incredibly fierce and ready to fight.

"This is for taking out little sister, punk!" San called out to Ronin, who stared in horror at the army. As well as Tenzin, his family and several airbenders had arrived, alongside Leilani, Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Shining Armor, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst and Tonraq.

In a flash of light, Discord himself appeared…wearing a Voltron: Legendary Defenders paladin costume. "He's big! He's chaotic! He's back!" he quickly whispered to the audience, "You're probably wondering where I got the outfit. It's a long story, I'll tell you about it later…. Maybe."

Korra couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the insect creatures leader. "Thorax?" the changeling king bowed his head. "You guys called the changelings?"

"They are creatures of light and love." Fluttershy explained.

Ali flew down, landing on Iris's shoulder, "And we called in a few favors. You mess with our sister, you mess with us!" she said, affectionately nuzzling Iris's cheek.

Korra didn't know what to say. She knew her friends would come through in the end, and they did. They got the best folks to help them fight against a creature of darkness. Ronin angrily stomped towards Nyx, grabbing her arm, nearly twisting it. She yelled in pain.

"You said she wouldn't try anything!"

"She didn't!" Nyx replied, "She wasn't planning on doing anything!"

"She's right." Korra answered, "I didn't plan any of this."

Ronin released Nyx, who rubbed her arm, and the shadow creature chuckled. "Very clever, princess. I applaud you, I really, really do. So, what, you just called in an army of airbenders, changelings, spirits and ponies to attack me."

"You will never get this sword, Ronin." Mako said, stepping forward to stand side by side his wife. "You're outnumbered."

Ronin only smiled, looking as calm as ever. The others expected as much. They had no doubt Ronin would try and attempt some way to twist this around, which is why they came prepared for anything. "Maybe so." Ronin said, "But, you're forgetting one thing, your majesties. Now that Nova and I are one again, I not only have a solid permanent body….but all of his powers. Including…."

Korra gasped when the sword in her hand suddenly zapped away, only to reappear in Ronin's hand. "His unicorn magic!"

"No!"

With the sword in hand, the dark magic within began coursing through his body. The wicked monster laughed victoriously as his cape billowed in the spiraling winds that surround him and everyone in the area. Iris held her parents close while her spirit siblings held onto her shirt. Ronin's body was lifted off of the ground, his body changing and shifting. His fingernails grew in size, his entire skin became a dark blue color, even darker than Nova's beforehand. His hair began to rise upwards, moving on its own like flames in the darkness. His tail grew longer, resembling that of a lizard, his feet became talons, his ears even pointer than before, his teeth sharp as a knife and a pair of bat-like wings emerged from his back. Purple smoke surround his eyes and his curved horn grew in size, the tip dipped in red coloring.

A beam from the sword shot upwards into the sky, creating a black blanket that blocked out the sunlight, covering the entire water tribe in darkness. The people screamed and ran in the streets in terror. The blanket spread all across the world, reaching Republic City, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, Zaofu, the spirit world, everywhere. Aiwei, traveling with his scorpion-spider spirit companion gasped upon witnessing the events unfold.

Ronin laughed maniacally, his voice deeper than before. "Rise my brethren! Rise and take back what is rightfully ours!"

From the sky, droplets of black fell from the sky and splashed once they landed. From the ooze emerged sickly looking black equine creatures with glowing red eyes. Their horns were long and curved, rather than hooves they had bird-like talons, their tails long and slender like a lizards. Their ears were that of bats and their mouths opened wide like the jaws of a crocodile. For the changelings, these creatures reminded them of how they once were. Monsters of darkness, hissing at their prey like mindless wild beasts. This only motivated them all the more to fight against the shadowlings.

Leilani's eyes widened in terror. "The Umbra…"

Ronin kept floating in mid air as he happily watched his Umbra army arise from the darkness. Literally. The spirits and changelings held their ground but Ronin addressed to the spirits. "Why are you sacrificing your time for these pathetic weaklings?" he asked them, "We are of the same energy. The same essence. Join me, and you can restore the world as it once was, with us as the supreme dominant race!"

One spirit, the dragon-eel, spoke up against the monster. "You are a disgrace to our kind! You live on suffering and anger! We live to fight alongside our friends. We could not be there for them when Kuvira abused her power. But we will stand by them now."

"How can you forgive these humans after everything they have done? How can you ever expect them to change for you?!"

"They were not the only ones who needed to change their ways. We had to as well. Friendship has allowed all of us to change for the better. To become the best version of ourselves. But you, Ronin, your stubbornness shall be your greatest downfall."

The monster growled in anger, pointing his sword directly at the spirit. "If dead is your wish…then so be it. Umbra! Attack!”

“Charge!” shouted Pinkie as she blew into a trumpet like she was in the cavalry.

Both sides of light and darkness charged at one another and the battle began. Changelings sliced at the Umbra creatures, using their sharp nails which they could magical extend while in their anthro form, while others used their insect wings to slice through them like swords. The spirits charged, attacking the Umbra without mercy. Airbenders blasted at the creatures, while the unicorns used their magical spells. Cadance and Shining Armor wielded a pair of swords and fought side by side, tearing through the rows of Umbra in their way, while simultaneously shooting magic beams of light from their horns. Twilight fought beside Korra and Mako, the three shooting multiple fire blasts. Mako pressed his hands together, creating a literally ball of fire, increased its size and hurled it at the Umbra as it it were a baseball. Several creatures took the impact, burning into a crisp.

Pinkie Pie did a summersault, only to be surrounded by Umbra. The mischievous pony smiled and rummaged through her long curly pink hair….and pulled out a shoulder cannon and shot it directly at the Umbra.

"Say hello to my little friend!" she shouted right before shooting the powerful blasts of confetti and hard candies that knocked them right off their feet. Pinkie smiled victoriously and pulled out once single candy from the canon. "They were right. Candy can be deadly."

Ronin mentally cursed. His enemies were smarter than he thought. Using creatures of light, and even those with talent in light spells, against his army of shadows was indeed brilliant. Even when the Equestrians tried to fight him before, the world was different now. They had spirits of light and reformed changelings, who were now nothing but purity in magic once they learned to share love. As much as he hated to admit it, the two sides were evenly matched.

Chi changed into her fox form, blasting at every Umbra that came at her. Sunset Shimmer created two flame swords and fought alongside the wisp. Tonraq, Rarity and Princess Luna bended the ice around them to incarcerate the umbra in blocks of ice. Unfortunately, they were able to break free.

Asami, Flash Sentry and Mekarm used their own weapons to fight the monsters. Asami and Mekarm with their electric glove and mechanical arm, while Flash used his katana to slice them to bits. One came at Asami from behind, only to be knocked away by an incoming rock that rose from the ground and hit the monster in its tracks. Asami smiled in gratitude at seeing her husband.

"Love you, baby!" she called out.

"Love you, too!" Bolin called out in reply.

(~)

Akari protected Iris from behind a tree, blasting at any Umbra that came their way. When once came up to Iris, she quickly grabbed a nearby branch and hit the monster right in the face. He became delirious and passed out. Iris blinked in surprise, as did Akari.

"Nice hit." she said.

Iris looked at the branch, pondering, until an idea crossed her mind. "Do you still remember that transfiguration spell from your mom?"

"Does Pinkie Pie use a party cannon?"

(~)

Spike continued to breath fire at the Umbra, but once managed to tackle him to the ground. Thankfully, a blur of green and blue came speeding downwards from the sky, her insect wings slicing the creature's face like a blade. He screeched in pain and ran away. Spike blinked until he saw Mika, who elongated her tail (another ability she and her siblings uncovered), wrapped it around his wrist and helped him stand back up.

"Thanks, Mika."

"Anytime, Spike."

Fluttershy and Thorax maneuvered the incoming attacks from the Umbra, who hissed and slashed their talons at them. Fluttershy blasted them away with her airbending, while Thorax channeled his magic from all three of his horns, shooting a blast so powerful it struck not one, but four umbra in a row. Fluttershy was able to grab the tail of one Umbra, spun him around before tossing him towards another group coming at her, knocking them all down.

Thorax smiled at her incredible strength, "You never cease to amaze me." he said.

Fluttershy blushed, adjusting her hair. "Thanks. You were really great too." The two were interrupted by a sudden flash of the camera, courtesy of the spirit of chaos. "Discord!"

"Oh, don't mind me, get back to the fighting you two." he quickly flew away, hiding the picture he took in a book. On the cover it had the letters FxT, which had a heart symbol around it. He pulled out a sailor hat, placing it on his head. "I regret nothing."

(~)

Twilight, Applejack, Korra and the rest of the Mane Six continued fighting off the Umbra. However, much to their surprise, they spotted their own daughters flying upwards, and hurling down to the Umbra, yelling like mad as they hit them on their heads, neck and back sides. Akari has used her spell to turn Iris's branch into a staff, allowing her to hit the incoming Umbra, while Akari used a literal fire blade against them.

Korra, Mako, Twilight and Flash all stared, jaw dropped at their children's sudden surprise attack on the shadow monsters. And by the looks of it, winning. Akair and Iris cheered in victory, only to see their parents shocked expressions.

The two princesses chuckled nervously, placing their respected weapons behind their backs. Iris spoke first, "We know, we know."

"We shouldn't be a part of this." Akari finished.

Korra raised one finger, finally blinking and managed to speak. "You know what, buck this! Iris, hit as many Umbra as you want, sweetheart."

"That goes for you too, Akari." Twilight said.

"Wait, really?" Akari asked in surprise.

Iris looked over to her father, "Dad?"

"What your mother said." Mako replied.

"Just don't go after one that's five times larger than you." Flash said.

The two princesses hugged their parents and proceeded to hit the Umbra like a couple if children of a sugar rush. "Asami was right." Korra said, "I really was being overprotective."

"That makes two of us." Mako said, placing a hand on Korra's shoulder.

"Make that four." Flash said, wrapping his arm around Twilight.

As the two princesses attacked the incoming Umbra, another blue blast knocked one on its back. The princesses cheered for the blue fox wisp. Chi smiled as they hugged their buddy’s head.

(~)

Sunset Shimmer blasted her fire at the creatures, only to be suddenly knocked down by a magical blast. She looked up to see Kage, who now had his own set of dark crystallized wings with a red glowing aura on his back.

"We’re not done yet." he said in a cold menacing voice as he rose his sword upwards and slammed it down to cut her in half. Sunset quickly somersaulted out of the way just as the sword hit the snow. “It's just us now, Sunny. Your boyfriend can't save you this time.” Kage growled only to see that the unicorn was gone. “I know alot about you, Shimmer. Words passed around like a leaf in the wind. I can see why he takes such a liking towards you. You're just like him. A troubled pony who had a pretty messed up past. Why save him when you can join him. I’m sure Ronin will give you a “get out of jail free” card. He knows you two had feelings and you both can't deny it. So come. Join us. You know the darkness is still inside of you. You can finally find your true destiny.”

He looked around a couple times before noticing a golden glow above him. Looking up, he saw her levitating herself into the air. Her horn glowing and a golden aura surrounded her.

“Thanks for the offer. But you forgot something. I let go of the past. It no longer haunts me. I already discovered my destiny. It lives within me like a burning flame. And I will save Nova. And I will help him let go of his own.”

Kage snarled at her. “We’ll see about that! And how did you learn that?!"

"A friend taught me."

Kage ignited his sword and this time pushed a button on the side. The crossguards were set ablaze and turn to ash, leaving two flaming ones in its place. The sword gave off an eerie crackling sound as Kage swung it around a couple times before pointing it to Sunset.

“Your heart. It belongs to the darkness.”

Sunset smirked and snapped her fingers, causing a fire sword to appear in her hand.

“You want it? Come get it.”

The two took to the skies, where several changelings and pegasus ponies were attacking the Umbra from above. Several of the creature leaped upwards, knocking them down. Spirits quickly arrived assisting their companions.

Opal was knocked down by one of the creatures, only to be rescued by Ali, Mika and San who sliced through him with their wings. The airbender thanked them before proceeding with to attack the other monsters.

"Hashtag, awesome!" San cheered.

"Hashtag? What does Hashtag mean?" Mika asked, tilting her head.

"Hashtag, I don't know, but it sounds cool!"

"Hashtag, totally!"

"Hashtag, knock it off!" Ali shouted, causing the two so become silent.

(~)

Luna, Celestia and Leilani flew across the location, blasting at all incoming Umbra. Meelo and Ikki are knocked down by a swarm of umbra, until Discord suddenly appears, arms crossed while the umbra hissed at him threateningly. With a snap of his claw, he started zapping at them with powerful blasts as if his finger were a pistol. The Umbra were hit in various parts of their bodies. Discord then suddenly zapped a bench, eating some chocolates with Ikki and Meelo beside him.

"My mama always said; Magic is as Magic does." he said doing a Forrest Gump impersonation by offering the two some chocolates.

(~)

Withe the rest of Team Avatar, the Umbra just kept coming at them. After one had been defeated, they just kept regenerating. They felt the pain, but kept coming back. Korra suddenly felt a pair of arms grab her from behind. The arms were in the exact same tan color as her own skin, only a shade darker.

"Nyx!"

"Say bye-bye to your friend's, Avatar." with her eyes glowing a bloody red, reminiscent of when Unalaq turned into the dark avatar, Nyx hurled Korra over her shoulder and into the spirit portal.

"Korra!" Mako called out and he, Asami, Bolin and the Mane Six hurried to retrieve her, only to be stopped by a magical blast, courtesy of Nyx herself.

"What's the hurry, city boy? The party's just getting good." the shadow copy of their friends extended her hand, emitting black sparkles that landed onto the ground. From them, arose familiar silhouettes that manifested themselves into solid copies of them.

Dark copies of the Mane Six, Flash, Mako, Bolin and Asami. Each one with bright red eyes, darker color pallets and devilish smiles. The Shadow version of Mako scoffed at his counterpart. "Look at this loser."

The Shadow Asami shared the same disgust towards her counterpart as well. "You think yours is bad? I could have been the Queen of Darkness, but this chick wimped out!"

"Enough talk!" the shadow Bolin said, pounding his fists, "Let's end em!"

The shadow versions charged at their good counterparts, keeping them away from the spirit portal.

(~)

Korra landed hard onto the ground after having been thrown into the portal. She saw a pair of black boots in front of her. Looking up, she saw Ronin, using not only his sword, but Nova's as well.

"It's just you and me now, Princess." he said.

Korra immediately stood back up, taking notice of the dark scenery around her. The place where the Tree of Time was present, and everything around it was now dark and frightening. It was just like before when Vaatu was still imprisoned and when he almost destroyed the world.

"Isn't this interesting." Ronin walked around the alicorn princess, twirling his Twilight Blade with such confidence and suave. "This was the place where everything changed. Three worlds, came together. You got your wings, your new magic. Also, the day you lost connection to your past lives and your connection to Raava. Well, your "literal" connection that is, I know you two still have your chats. Tell me, does anybody ever question your sanity whenever they see you talking to a butterfly?" Ronin laughed, but Korra remained unfazed. Ronin stopped. "Oh, don't give me that look…no seriously, I'm literally trying to bruise your self esteem, this is the part where you get all sad and start to question yourself."

"Those days are long gone, pal." Korra replied.

"Oh, you really think you can hide your screw ups behind your accomplishments. Nova wasn't wrong when he said you messed up big time."

"I'm not hiding behind anything." Korra said, perfectly composed and sure of herself, which in all honesty surprised Ronin, who stopped circling around her. "I'm not ashamed to admit my mistakes, and I'm not ashamed that people still remember them. I'm not going to justify with some petty excuse. But I will say this." Korra took one step forward towards Ronin. "I've been humiliated, tormented, abused and deceived. But despite all of that, something good came out of it. And no, I'm not talking about the wings, or the sparkly crown. I learned about forgiveness. I learned of sacrifice and redemption. I learned the true meaning of unconditional love. That is the magic I discovered during every dark time in my life, and it's the kind of magic you can never take away from me! So go ahead. Throw your insults. Remind me of my screw ups, make a book out of them for all I care. I'm not that insecure little girl who relied on a name to feel important. I am Korra. The Last Avatar of the previous era. A Princess of Friendship. A loyal wife, a proud mother, and starting today, someone you wish you've never messed with!"

Ronin felt fear strike every corner of his body once he saw the Princess Avatar's eyes and wings glow a shimmering white. A light so pure and powerful it almost made him blind. The ground beneath him trembled and Korra bended several rocks from the ground, morphing them into a hilt. The water from the nearby streams rose up and were summoned towards her. Flames came shooting from Korra's mouth and into the water, which froze in ice, styled in the shape of a blade with fire inside of it, causing it to glow brightly. Vines grew from the ground, wrapping around the rocks and ice blade together, adding intricate designs around it, giving it a natural beauty.

Korra pointed her new sword directly at Ronin's neck. "If it's a sword fight you want. Then it is a sword fight you will get."

Ronin chuckled and pointed his sword forward.

“En garde.”

The two blades collided and now the battle between light and darkness commenced once more.

(~)

Rainbow Dash reached the ground at a three point landing, after her shadow version had thrown her from the sky. The shadow Rainbow Dash came spiraling downwards like a torpedo, only for Rainbow to quickly leaped out of the way.

The shadow laughed, "Fastest pony ever, yeah right!" she hurled fire at Rainbow Dash who shoot back. "Why do you even keep trying? We both know you only do any of this so others can see just how awesome you are. Which you're not!" the shadow Rainbow Dash flew towards her at top speed, punching her stomach and sending her tumbling back. The shadow towered over her and laughed. "It won't be long before somepony else comes along and does the things you can do." she said….only for Rainbow Dash to trip her right then and there.

The real pegasus pony only smiled. "You're right." she said, surprising the shadow. "I'm not the only talented flyer out there."

The shadow shot a blast of fire at Rainbow, only for her to dodged it by flying upwards. "Who knows, maybe I'll meet one who really does rival even my skills." she said, which only angered the shadow as she flew towards her, continuously shooting blasts of fire, which Rainbow avoided as she flew.

"But that's not what makes me awesome." Rainbow, allowing for the shadow to chase after her, continuously shooting fire attacks, and every time, Rainbow Dash managed to maneuver them, all while smiling. Rainbow got a clear shot and stroked the shadow's wing, causing her to lose altitude and land face first onto the snow. Rainbow Dash landed before her, still smiling proudly.

"The awesomest thing about me, it's that I'd give up my biggest dream if it meant saving my friends. And they'd do the same for me, even if I couldn't do any of things I do. That's not only 20% cooler…that 200% way cooler than anything!" with that, she punched her shadow hard in the face. "And you can quote me on that."

(~)

Flash and his shadow self took to the skies as their sword clashed with each other. Each were swift as the wind as they dodged each and every attack. By the looks of it, The shadow Flash was having a hard time keeping up with his counterpart as his attacks got faster and faster.

“Can't keep up can you?” Taunted Flash. “You know for a shadow, you're quite a pathetic swordsman.”

This really pushed his buttons as he growled at the pegasus. “Pathetic? So you think this is pathetic?!” He swung his sword at Flash several times. He checked himself in several places but didn't feel anything wrong with him.

“Ha! Like I said; a pathetic-”

The next thing he knew, the tip of his sword fell off..followed by the rest of it, leaving only the handle and crossguard. He stared in horror as the shadow Flash smirked with satisfaction.

“Umm. Best two out of three?” said Flash who chuckled nervously. Shadow Flash pointed his sword up at him and chuckled.

“Note from the wise: never let your pride go you're head. You’ll never know when it’ll come and stab you in the-GAH!”

He didn't finish what he got to say as something knocked him out of the sky and fell to the ground, knocked unconscious. Flash looked down to see the shadow Twilight on top of him. He then turned to see his Twilight flying beside him, smiling.

“He may be the bad guy but he does have a point.”

“What can I say? I have a big ego.”

(~)

Mako backflipped while avoiding his shadow's fire blasts. "You really are pathetic." he said to the real Mako, who was panting from exhaustion. "You may have Korra fooled, but we both know who you really are. You're nothing but an insecure, selfish, lying little street-rat!"

Mako replied by sending a punch his way, which the shadow grabbed and instead threw Mako over his shoulder. The firebender laid on his back. The shadow laughed, "All you've ever wanted was to live in the lab of luxury, and now you have it. Admit it, that's all you ever cared about."

"You're wrong." The real Mako said as he stood up, wiping his chin with the back of his wrist. "I mean, you're right about the lying, and the insecurity part, and you're right about the "wanting to live it big" part too. But that was before I knew what real friendship was all about. I don't need a fancy home to know I belong, all I need if the people who love me, despite all of my past mistakes. You can call me out on my past all you want, because it won't change anything. I know who I am now. I know what I have. That's something nobody can take away from me, not even you."

The shadow Mako became furious and started attacking, but Mako, suddenly, proved to be stronger than he was. He managed to maneuver his attacks, grab him by the back of his shirt and toss him over his shoulder. The shadow screamed before landing onto the snow.

Asami and her shadow were engaged in hand-to-hand combat, all the while the shadow kept on trying to break Asami's spirit. "I'm surprised you kept you around for so long, after what your father did. Guess they're not smart enough to know you're exactly like him."

Asami punched her shadow square in the jaw, yanked on her arm and threw her around, knocking her down, pressing her foot on her chest. "My father died to save everyone he loved. He laid down his own life so that others could live theirs. If I'm like him, then I consider it a compliment!" she aimed her electric glove directly at her shadow, which knocked her cold. "That should shut her up for a bit."

Bolin shot rocks at his shadow, who kicked them in mid air as they came. "Your bending's almost as bad as your acting. No, I take it back. It's worse!" the shadow Bolin sent sharp rocks at Bolin, blocked them with a rock that he forced to rise from the ground. He kept it up, shielding him from the incoming attacks.

"You've always been the weakest link." said the shadow. "You couldn't even metalbend or keep a girlfriend to save your life."

The real Bolin poked his head from the rock. "Yeah, I'll admit, I'm probably not the greatest actor there ever was, and sure my metalbending isn't all that great. But, I can still do this!"

The shadow Bolin gasped when the real Bolin created a lake of lava, which knocked him down and burned his arm. "And who needs a girlfriend when I've got the coolest wife in the world!"

The shadow Bolin growled in anger as his arm was regenerated…only to be knocked down again when Asami electrocuted him with her glove. She was caught off guard when Bolin suddenly spun her around, dipping her, beaming with pride.

"I rest my case."

Asami giggled and passionately kissed her husband, who kissed her back with equal passion.

Each of the Mane Six was able to withstand their own against the shadows which really angered Nyx, to the point of making her eye twitch. The shadow Asami reappeared behind her. "What is the matter with you idiots?!" Nyx yelled in anger.

"Not my fault these guys can't take an insult!" the shadow Asami snapped back.

"Then skip the insults and just go right to the killing already!!"

"They're a lot tougher than they look."

"Do I look like I care? Just finish them!" Nyx dragged the shadow Asami by the hair and threw her forward. The Sato shadow growled in anger but complied. Nyx rolled her eyes. "It's so hard to find good shadows these days."

(~)

Sunset and Kage leaped from tree to tree, resuming their fight with one another as they moved deeper and deeper into the forest. Kage was able to knock Sunset down by kicking her in the stomach. She collided with a tree and fell to the ground, her sword disappearing when it hit the snow. Just as Kage was about to finish her, Chi arrived, blocking the attack by turning into a blue shield. Shade, who was still fused with Kage, hesitated. Iris and Akari stood right beside her, also defending Sunset Shimmer. Chi suddenly began to feel tired as she turned back into a fox and began to breath heavily.

Shade's laughter was heard from Kage's mouth. "You really think you can fight me, sister?" he taunted, taking notice of her breathing."You're growing weaker by the minute."

“Sh...Shade..” she groaned as she tried to stand up on all fours.

"Shade, please. Don't do this." Iris pleaded, pointing her finger at the cracked white orb on the blue fox's chest. "Can't you see? Her sol is cracked! She may not last much longer! You're the only one who can save her. If you really love your sister you'll help her!"

"She had her chance to be saved! She chose that coward Nova over her own family! She deserves to die along with the rest of our kind!"

"No, she doesn't!" Sunset exclaimed, "Why would you ever think that?"

"Because our people were weak! Against Tirek, we hid away and were defeated easily! I refused to allow that to happen again!"

"If that's true then if you allow your sister to die, you will be no better than Tirek!" Sunset's words caused Shade to freeze in place. "He didn't care about anybody else, he only cared about what he wanted! You only care about what you want, not what Chi wants! She chose to keep moving forwards, but you stay in the past out of grief and pride! You're not honoring your people by destroying everything, you're becoming exactly the kind of thing who took your family from you to begin with! And yet, despite all of that, Chi still loves you! She's cared unselfishly her entire life. If you go along with Ronin you really will be all alone, and nothing will ever bring her back!"

Shade growled as Kage took control again. "Don't listen to her! She's just as weak minded as the rest of them!" using his magic, he tossed Chi aside, the poor fox hitting another tree. Kage used his magic to levitated Sunset, Akari and Iris up from the ground. The human alicorn princess had dropped her weapon in a desperate attempt to free herself. They couldn't move, and Kage had his sword at the ready.

"You all have been a thorn in my side for quite some time now. Now’s there's no one who can save you. Time to finish this…for good!"

"No!"

Time seemed to move in slow motion as the sword came slicing through…hitting Chi's already cracked sol. It was then, the memories came flashing before his eyes. His village, his sister, the sister who fought to protect him, and offered him love and support through everything. It was only when he wished to seek revenge did their relationship crumble. Seeing Chi, jumping into the way, taking the hit for her friends, it reminded him of when he did the same to protect her from Tirek at the time, while they still had their magic.

With a loud bang, a giant shockwave appeared and knocked everyone down and a beam of light shot into the sky. Team Avatar and their shadows saw this. Seeing their evil counterparts distracted, they took the chance to run towards the sources of the light.

“Hey! Get back here, cowards!” The shadow Pinkie said as they tried to go after them, only to be stopped by a group of changelings and airbenders led by Thorax, Starlight, Kai and Jinora.

“Going somewhere?” Kai asked while cracking his knuckles.

*(~)*

Everything came crumbling down. His revenge, his anger, all of it seemed to come in second once it came to seeing his little sister now laying on the ground. Her body glowed, shifting from a fox to a human. She wheezed and trembled. Sunset, Iris and Akari were released by Kage's grip, Shade's revelation paused him for a moment, and they rushed to her side.

"Chi!" Iris called out.

The poor wisp turned around, still laying on the snow, revealing her sol, which was now even more cracked than before, and dimming fast. Her wheezing started to slow down. Her eyes were cloudy, out of focus. Sunset held her in her arms, caressing her cheek.

"Chi, please, please stay awake. Stay with me, Chi. Chi!" but Sunset's pleas fell upon deaf ears. Her eyes opened slowly and looked up at the anthro unicorn. She looked towards the girls and gave them a weak smile.

“Heh…didn't see that coming, huh?”she said before her eyes closed one. Her hand fell limply to the snow. Akari and Iris walked over to their friend, still in disbelief. Maybe she was just playing with them. It was just a trick, she’ll wake up. Right?

“Chi...wake up.” Iris pleaded, her eyes already beginning to shed tears. “Please..wake up.”

“Come on. This isn't funny anymore.” Akari said who was also beginning to shed tears. “Chi...please.”

Iris gently grabbed the wisp’s limp hand. It felt so cold. And lifeless. Sure enough, the truth came to both of them as they got down on their knees and began to weep along with Sunset.

Kage suddenly started to scream, his crystallized wings disappearing and Shade diffused himself from his master. He rushed over to the blue wisp, kneeling beside the kids. For the first time, there was genuine fear and regret in his eyes as he held her now lifeless hand. Her sol stopped glowing, bits and pieces falling onto the snow.

"Chi…no." Shade's voice trembled. He had long wanted Chi to learn the hard way that in order to survive one needed to be stronger. With a heart of steal. But, as it turns out, seeing his one and only family perish before his eyes opened up that door in his heart that lead to his vulnerability and loneliness. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Sunset, handing him his sister. He gently took her in his arms and gently rocked her like a mother with her baby.

Tears rolled down Shade's eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. This is all my fault." He said. “After everything I’ve to you and Nova, you still loved me. You still cared about me when you had every right not to. All you wanted was for us to be together again….but that will never happen now. And it's all my fault. I let my anger and hatred blind me from the truth, and now it's taken my last bit of family away from me. I love you baby sister. Please forgive me.”

He gently gave her a small kiss on the forehead before bowing his head, mourning his loss. Iris and Akari felt their little hearts shatter as they saw their friend laying lifeless in the snow. It's been only several days but it felt like they were best friends since they were born. From her spunky, energetic personality to her loyal and adventurous nature, Seeing her gone right before their eyes was...was like losing a member of a family. Their family.

"Wait." Akari's ears perked upwards, "Shade, you can help her. You're the only one who can fix her sol."

Shade’s head perked up at the mention. The alicorn was right. Shade was the only one who could restore Chi's power. There was still a way to save her. But that meant...

"Don't do it!" Kage called out, feeling delirious from the forced de-fusion. "You know what will happen is you do! Don't throw away everything we've worked so hard for!"

Shade narrowed his eyes at the red unicorn. "I did all of this so I could have my family back. I'm not losing it again." He looked down at his sister and held her hand. “It's time I let go of the past. And for you to pave our future.” His red sol on his chest glowed brightly. However, instead of its bright red, it began to change into a heavenly while color. The red on his clothing turned white, while the black became blue. He now resembled Chi all the more. Kage watched in horror as Shade's body began to dissolve into sparkling dust. A soft content smile on his face as the last bit of him disappeared. His sol remained floating in mid air, hovering above Chi's body. It slowly descended and landed right on her cracked sol. Sunset, Iris, Akari and Kage covered their eyes as Chi's body began to glow and was risen up into the air.

Her attire started to change. Her dress turned entirely blue, and partly cut on the front to expose a shorter white skirt and navy blue skintight shorts. Two white straps wrapped around her neck, connected to the blue of her dress. Two armbands formed on her arms while a white belt wrapped around her waist. A pair of blue below the knee boots appeared, with purple outlines. On the side of her blue dress, a image began to manifest on it. It was a fox’s head that took the form of a purple heart with blue ears and eyes and a black nose. Her hair grew a few inches, and even her body became much fuller and athletic looking gaining a couple inches.

Chi descended downwards, a brand new sol ceased its glowing and the wisp opened her eyes, inhaling oxygen as if for the first time. Iris, Akari and Sunset immediately wrapped their arms around the wisp, crying tears of joy.

"Chi, you're alive!" Iris said happily. Her smile quickly changed into a frown. "Shade…he said he was sorry."

Chi caressed the princess's head, smiling contently. "I know." she said, placing her hand over her new sol. "I heard him. I heard everything."

"I'm sorry you couldn't say goodbye." Sunset said.

"Oh, we did. And now…I'll always have a part of him."

The four girls gave another warm embrace but immediately turned around once they saw Kage standing back up. His eyes were psychotic in nature and stumbled as he stood up, using his sword as support. "You…you pitiful…insignificant fools!"

Chi and the others look towards the now, psychotic unicorn. His hood now off, reveal is blood red skin. Iris and Akari stepped forward but was blocked by wisp’s arm. A look of anger and determination flashed in the wisps eyes.

“The only fool around here, is you.”

“Are you happy, wisp?” he said as he tried to gain his composure. “Are you happy that you killed off the last bit of your family?!”

The wisp didn’t say anything but looked down at her sol, which was now glowing a pearl white. She looked back up at Kage.

“Shade made his choice. But I know that he died the same way I knew him before you corrupted him. And I didn’t kill my last bit of family. Because my family, is right here!” she pointed to the three girls while having a hand on her heart. She turned to them and smiled. “And there the best family anyone could ask for.”

Kage’s left eye began to twitch as his twig finally snapped and fired a beam from his sword. Chi immediately changed, intending to turn into her fox form, but instead she had turned into a beautiful blue wolf, much to her surprise, but she rolled with it. She let out a powerful howl, which caused the entire ground shake and tremble. The powerful howl sent Kage flying backwards again. He quickly got up and began to fire more beams at her but with ease she was able to dodge every single one with ease by teleporting. His anger grew even more when she began to taunt him by blowing raspberries at him, laughing or mocking his attacks.

“Hey, Kage! Bet you can't hit this!” Chi taunted as she shook her behind at the unicorn. “Nya nya nya nya nay nya!”

The unicorn let out a scream and fired a giant beam at her in which she simply dodged by extending her leg to the a side a little letting it fly past her mere inches from her body. Finally, Kage lowered his sword and began to pant while Chi appeared in front of the girls, looking even more refreshed than ever before.

“It’s over, Cosmo.”

But the anthro wasn’t done yet. With his last bit strength he charged up his sword and pointed it at the four. “Why...can’t...you...just….DIE!?” He sent a fire blast her way, but the wisp stood her ground.

“Because one: I have something you’ll never have! Friends who got my back! And two…” To everyone's shock, especially Kage’s, she grabbed the ball of fire with her hand with ease. She began tossing it up and down like a baseball without have the slightest sense of fear in her eyes.

“I’m indestructible, dummy.”

Channeling her magic, she turned the flame into a blue color.

"Batter up!" she called out, hurling the blast not at Kage…but at the gem in his sword, which cracked into a million pieces. The unicorn yelled in agony at his precious weapon being destroyed for good.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!---" Kage was silenced when Chi, who make her fist grow in size, punched him right into a tree, knocking him out instantly.

“Don’t mess with the wisp..” she said as her arm returned to normal. The three were utterly speechless by what they just saw. She turned around and flashed them a wink.

“Surprised?”

"You can do that now?" Iris asked in awe.

Chi shrugged. "Apparently."

"Girls!" Twilight called out, the rest of the team right behind her.

"Mom! You won't believe what just happened!" Akari said, "Kage was about to slice us with his sword, but then Chi jumped in and saved us but she cracked her sol, and then she almost died, but her brother Shade turned good and used his sol to replace her old sol and now she can turn into a wolf, how cool is that?!"

The other adults just blinked. Sunset shrugged. "Exactly what she said."

Rarity then looked at Chi, who had on a completely new attire. “I have to admit, that new look fits you, Chi.”

The wisp turned pink and held her hands behind her back. “Aww thanks, Rarity.”

“But if I have to make a minor change it would be-”

“Can we save the fashion advice till after we defeat the bad guy?” Applejack interrupted.

"Where's mom?" Iris asked.

"She's in the spirit world." Mako replied. "Come on, let's go get her back."

“And to get my brother back!” said Chi as she transformed into her wolf form and ran towards the spirit portal with everyone following behind.

(~)

Korra and Ronin continued to resume their fight. Korra used her new Elemental Sword to channel her magic the same way Ronin did with his sword to shoot blasts from it. They leaped into the sky, their swords clashing into one another in an effort to defeat the other.

Even Ronin had to admit, this Princess was not without her own set of skills. Their blades collided once more but the impact from both caused them to reel back, landing on the ground, panting from exhaustion.

"You do realize you're wasting your time, don't you?" Ronin said. "My Umbra army will only continue to regenerate itself, and my blade will never lose power. You'll grow tired at one point, but me…I'm eternal."

"You're a lot of things Ronin, but eternal isn't one of them!"

"For a grown woman you certainly are naive. Just accept it. You've had your time in the sickening sunlight. Now it's my time. My chance to restore everything I have lost. My Umbra deserve to be remembered. To be adored as the superior race that we are!"

Korra blinked in confusion. Why would he want the Umbra to be the dominant race?…unless.

"The Umbra…" she gasped, "The Sorcerers! It's been them this whole time! That's how you convinced Nova to join you. You promised him he'd be reunited with his people!" the Avatar's anger boiled. "You used his greatest wish to get what you wanted! How could you?!"

"I gave Nova what he wanted! What we wanted!"

"Just because it's something you want it doesn't mean you should have it!"

"If you had a chance to reunite with those you lost wouldn't you take it?"

"Not if it means sacrificing innocent lives in the process! Besides, what good is having the Sorcerers back if they're nothing more than mindless slaves for you to control? Just as Leilani said, you're nothing but a deceiver and a thief!"

"Your words are meaningless to me!" Ronin snapped, "Your insults don't effect me anymore than mine effect yours--AH!!" Ronin felt something pierce his arm and cried out in pain. He clenched his wound, seeing that it was Pinkie Pie, who shot at him with a bow and arrow before placing it back in her hair.

"How much stuff to you keep in there?" Applejack asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Pinkie Pie said with a wide smile.

The rest of Team Avatar surrounded Ronin, healed his wound and aimed his sword at them. "How fitting. You're all just in time to witness the dawning of a new age. Mine!"

Chi stepped forward, her purple eyes shimmering. "Nova! I know you're in there! It's me, Chi! Your sister!"

"Don't even bother, wisp!" Ronin shouted, "Your brother belongs to me! He wanted to join me. He wanted to see his legacy restored."

"What are you talking about?" Chi asked in confusion.

"The Umbra." Korra answered. "They're not just shadows…they're the sorcerers."

"What?"

"I promised Nova a chance to see his people again. A chance to fix the past. We can finally be the leader we should have been!"

"Nova, you have to let this go!" Chi called out, pleading but at the same time there was confidence in her voice. "I know you miss your people, I miss mine too! But you can't keep living like this! The past is the past, you have to accept it!"

"Never!" Ronin snapped, though she could hear traces of Nova's voice in there. "I finally have a chance to get what I want, and it's not about to be thrown away by some weak little--" Ronin stopped, taking notice of the glowing white orb on her chest. Ronin's eyes softened. "Chi…" he spoke, using Nova's voice. "You're sol…it's fixed."

"Shade fixed it." Chi said, placing her hand over it. A single tear rolled from her eye. "He finally learned to let go of the past and healed me. He brought me back. Don't you see, Nova? This is what I've been trying to tell you all these years. You have to learn to let go. I love you, big brother, I don't want you to suffer anymore. But you need to take that first step too, you've just been to afraid to do it!"

Flash stepped forward, "I'm sorry for what I said to you, Nova. I let my anger get the better of me. I understand now why you're so hurt and I'm sorry."

Nova, for a moment, felt as if he could reach out his hand and touch her, but he was reeled back by Ronin's influence. "No! Don't listen to him! He could never understand us! None of them do!"

"That's not true!" Sunset said, once again, able to weaken Ronin's hold on Nova. The unicorn stood fearlessly before the shadow creature, currently in possession of her friend. "I understand you. We all understand you. We know this is what you want, but look at the outcome! The Sorcerers may return but they will forever be minions of Ronin, and you'll be under his control. You'll get what you want, but you'll lose yourself and the sorcerers either way."

"Why would you care if Nova is gone?!" Ronin spatted, "Why would any of you care?!"

"Because we're your friends!" Bolin called out.

"Friends?! Friends who turned on me the minute you uncovered the truth! You don't know what I really want. You don't know me at all!"

"We do know you!" Korra stated, "Because we know Chi. I can look at her and I know the kind of friend you really are. The kind of hero you can become. You're not defied by your mistakes. None of us begrudge you for Ronin, or the past, and we're sorry we made you think otherwise! I know better than anyone how it feels to see your home suffer. But whether the sorcerer's are gone or not, you still have a family!"

"We can be your family!" Iris said pleadingly, "Please, Nova. Come back."

As the little princess cried, Nova could slowly feel Ronin's hold break. He tried to reach out to her, but Ronin once again managed to hold him back. He pointed his sword at the child. "Foolish child! Your words mean nothing to me!"

Then, suddenly, out of Ronin's control, the sword suddenly gave a soft pinkish glow. Everyone else looked on in shock. The blade was pointing directly at none other than Iris. The star on her forehead glowed brightly in the same pinkish aura. Iris didn't fully understand, but as Korra looked at both her daughter and the sword, the words of Madam Alpha echoed in her mind.

"Your magical gift shall be our savior on this day."

The Avatar gasped as the pieces suddenly fit together. The dreams, her unable to break the sword…she understood now.

"Iris." Korra spoke. The little girl looked at her mother curiously. The Avatar smiled softly. "Go to him."

Iris was confused by this. Why would her mother ask her to approach the evil shadow pointing a sword at her. Ronin tried to blast the child, but to no avail. It was as if the sword was reacting to her. The realization shocked him to his core.

"No. No. That's impossible!"

Iris tentatively rose her hand, the star on her forehead continued to glow, along with the sword. Then, beyond Ronin's control, the sword flew from his hands, instead landing on Iris's. The young girl's body glowed bright, her wings spread open as she was lifted up into the air. She held the weapon in both hands, her hair billowing in the wind spiraling around her as everyone stared in awe. Korra kept on smiling with great pride.

Iris's eyes had been closed, but the moment she opened them, instead of revealing a pair of adorable violet orbs…her eyes glowed a bright heavenly white, as did her wings. Rocks from the ground rose upwards and spun around her. The waters from the streams, the wind and flames of air manifested around her. Nobody could believe their eyes. Ronin trembled in fear as Iris rose the sword above her head, while the four elements spun around her.

Using all of her magic, the blade overloaded. The surface cracked and the darkness within the sword spewed out. Ronin and everyone else shielded their eyes once Iris and the sword became engulfed in a blinding light. A beam shoot upwards into the sky, and the black blanket dispersed. Everyone around the world cheered with glee upon seeing the skies above them back to normal.

Nyx and the rest of her shadow copies screamed in terror upon seeing their bodies dissolve into sparkling rays of light, disappearing from existence.

The Umbra outside the portal began to shriek in pain. Their bodies cracked and their dark layers began to fall right off, revealing themselves to be beautiful unicorns, consisting of various blues, whites and purple colors. Leilani could not believe her eyes. These weren't dark creatures at all….they were the sorcerers.

They ponies shook their heads in confusion, until they saw the alicorn queen. Instead of showing resentment, they immediately bowed before her. "Your Majesty…we're so sorry." one said. Leilani simply lifted up his head and smiled.

"Welcome home."

Back inside the spirit world, which had once again reverted back to it original bright atmosphere. Iris slowly descended, the elements gone and the sword nothing more than bits and pieces. The little girl fainted, only to be caught by her father. Korra rushed to her side, feeling her forehead. The poor thing was completely drained.

Applejack blinked before speaking. "Did…did ya'll see what I just saw?"

"You mean Iris using all of the four elements while breaking the Twilight Blade and reverting everything back to normal?" Pinkie asked. "Because, oooooooooooooh yeah!"

Korra caressed Iris's cheek, only to gasp in surprise once she saw what had changed…on her daughter's cheek was none other than her own cutie mark! A beautiful image of a heart with wings, consisting of various colors, primarily colors that resembled the coats of the Mane Six. Korra and Mako were beaming with pride.

Iris's eyes twitched. She let out a soft groan as she opened her eyes. "Mommy….daddy…what happened? Why are you guys crying?"

Korra wiped away her tears, unable to keep herself from shedding more. "You finally played your part, Princess."

Mako kissed Iris's forehead. "We're so proud of you."

"So…I broke the sword."

"You did."

"Why is my face itchy?" Iris asked, scratching the surface of her cheek, only to feel something different about it. Her eyes opened wide. "Wait. is that?"

Korra bended some water to create and ice mirror for Iris to see. The little princess flew up into the air, spiraling with glee. "I've got my cutie mark!"

"Way to go, Iris!" Akari flew up and hugged her best friend while Chi went in and wrapped her arms around the both of them. Everybody else cheered, unfortunately, it came to a screeching halt when Ronin stood up again. He was still in possession of Nova's body, and was now holding Nova's own sword.

Rainbow Dash groaned. “You just can’t give up can you?”

He panted, his nostrils flaring and his eyes psychotic. But instead of shouting or even crying. He began to chuckle. Soon his light chuckle turn into a casual laugh. Everyone became quite confused by his sudden change of emotion but they became even more confused when he laugh turned psychotic. His head lifted up into the air.

“Did you really think that will stop me?!” he said, now gone completely insane. “This is foolishness! I don’t need that pathetic blade anyway. I’ll just destroy you right then and here! Starting with you!”

Ronin’s twig finally snapped. He extended his hand out and clenched his fist, his cutie mark glowing a bright red and his eyes glowing a blood red. With the flick of his wrist, he knocked everyone back. All except for Iris. Before she could even blink, Ronin already had her in a red aura. She tried to break free but she was still exhausted from the events that just happened.

“Iris!” Korra called out, she tried to get to her, only to be knocked back by an invisible barrier.

Iris struggled to break free, but she still gazed into Nova's eyes. "I know you can hear me, Nova. I'm your friend, and I care about you. No matter what happens, I'm proud to consider you part of my family."

Deep down, Nova heard those words and he felt like all his past mistakes just vanished. They really did care for him. After everything that he's done. But Ronin's voice was still heard from his mouth.

"Touching, words, princess." He said, his voice full of nothing but terror. “Now, allow me to show you just how much your precious light is worth….Nothing!" He held his sword up high with both of his hands. Ready to strike.

“Nooooo!” everyone cried as he brought it down on the young princess, who already had her eyes closed. After a while, all was silent. Slowly the team opened their eyes to see Iris still there, alive. But what they saw instead, horrified them.

Rather than the sword meeting the princess, instead, wounded up…piercing Ronin's own body.

Chi covered her mouth, her free hand to her stomach, seeing her own brother stab himself. Nova slowly descended as They heard Ronin's voice once more.

"What…what have you done?!"

"I'd rather die….than let my friends suffer the likes of you."

The aura around Iris disappeared as Iris looked on with pure horror at what her friend did. The barrier that kept the others back disappeared as well and the parents quickly ran over to their daughter. Holding her tight. Ronin stepped back several feet as his wings, dark coloring, red eyes, talons and sharp claws all disappeared in a dark colored mist. He let out one final cry as he slowly rose upwards into the sky before disappearing forever. Nova's body reverted back to normal, but blood spilled from his wound after he removed his sword.

Everyone circled around him, Sunset held him in her arms. "Nova! Nova, stay with me. It'll be okay."

Chi quickly ran beside Sunset. “Nova! Nova!” she cried. “It’s gonna be okay. It’s gonna be okay.” She turned to face the team. Tears already spilling from her eyes. “Do Something!!”

Rarity immediately bended water to try and heal him, but it quickly proves to be too much for her to fix. "I'm sorry. I can't do it!"

She then heard a low grunt to and looked down to see Nova slowly opening his eyes. His breaths started to get shorter and shorter by the second.

“N...Nova?”

“Chi….” he said in a faint whisper. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” she said, her voice having a hint of cracking in it. “But why?”

“It was the only way...to...save her…” he said before coughing a up a little blood. “There was...no other way..”

“You can’t leave me….you promised.”

“And I’m keeping that promise” he said as he gently grabbed her hand and removed several strands of hair from her face. “But promise me…you’ll be strong…protect them…no matter what..please Chi..”

Chi slowly nodded her head. “I promise, Shady.”

Nova chuckled a little. “That’s my little wisp. Well, not so little anymore.” he looked towards Sunset and the two princesses, who were already beginning to break.

“I put you through so much. I-”

Sunset shushed him, giving small nod and he smiled. Nova closed his eyes. They didn't reopen.

“Nova?.......Nova?!” The wisp began to shake her head as the realization started to come to her. “No...no...nononononono! NO!” she rested her head on his chest and began to sob. She just lost one brother, she couldn’t believe she was going to lose another. Sunset placed a comforting hand on her back. As she allowed a few tears to fall. Akari and Iris began to cry on their mother as others tried to fight back the tears while some just let them flow. After everything he did, he was willing to end his own life for something he didn't even know for that long but proved to show that she did care for him. They all did. But now he’s gone. And he’s not coming back.

Unless….

"The Elements of Harmony!" Twilight suggested, "We can use them to heal him!"

“They’ve never brought back someone from the dead before, Twilight!” Fluttershy said.

“I know. But I feel there may be still a ray of hope for him. We have to try!”

The others looked at each other and compiled and manifested their respected gemstones, while Korra made her wings glow. They try to restore fix his wound. As they use their Elements to heal Nova, in his mind, the young unicorn found himself in a shimmering astral plane.

He floated in what appeared to be some kind of shimmering sea. Before him, he saw two figures he thought he'd never see again. An elderly unicorn and a beautiful mare unicorn beside him.

"Elder Yen Sid? Midnight?"

"Hello, Nova." the unicorn greeted him with her dazzling smile.

"How-how is this possible?"

"The Elements of Harmony have given you a second chance." Yen Sid said. "The Knights of Hans have been freed from Ronin. But, they shall no longer live as long as before."

"What do you mean?"

"It's time for our people to begin again. Leilani was right believe our history did not deserve to be remembered in blood. You and the others shall no longer be long lived half spirits, but normal mortal half spirits. You will grow old like any other pony, and perish when the time comes."

"Why?"

"The sorcerers needed to learn humility in order to coexist with Equestria. The Knights of Hans refused to accept this. Nova, you have been given a second chance. Please, don't let it get away like before."

Midnight approached him, changing into a temporary anthro form. "Nova. I will always love you. But what we had is the past. We can never have the future you wish." she softly caressed his cheek. "But you can still have a future. I don't regret the time we've spent together. Go. Live your life and don't feel guilty. Whoever you choose, I will be happy to know that you are happy." she placed a soft kiss upon his lips before parting but not before looking back at him. “And I agree with Chi. That girl totally completes you.” she winked at him. He felt his cheeks burn and rubbed his head.

"Wait, Yen Sid! Whatever happened to you?" Nova asked, "Did you really take away your own life?"

The Elder scoffed. "Of course not! I was merely near a waterfall, I slipped and the way down was less than pleasant." the older unicorn said. Midnight only rolled her eyes. Her father always did have a rather unusual sense of humor. "Go, son. Write a better story, for our people…and for yourself."

"I will, Elder. And, I'm sorry about everything."

"Those who can, cannot, but those who cannot, can."

The gemstones stopped glowing. At first nothing happened. The team looked down in sorrow. Suddenly, Nova's eyes opened wide. He inhaled deeply and sprung upwards, gasping for air. Chi was the first to react and literally tackled him back down, shedding tears of joy and showing him in kisses.

“Nova! You're back!”

Nova was taken aback by all of the people and ponies suddenly surrounding him. He had never been in a group hug before, and quite frankly…he kind of liked it.

"How you feeling?" Sunset asked.

"A little shaken, but overall, okay."

Akari looked down and gasped at what she saw. “Nova! Your shadow!”

Everyone looked down to see that Nova had his shadow back right where it belongs.

“Wait. If you're shadow’s back, then that means...” Bolin said with a bit of fright.

“I don’t think he’ll be messing with us again anytime soon.” Nova said before looking down in regret. "I'm sorry. You were right. You were all right, about everything. I was a stubborn mule and I should have asked you all for help in the first place, I shouldn't have kept secrets, I'm just, really, really, really sorry."

Chi's jaw dropped to the floor. Literally. She blinked before speaking. "You sure you don't need to go to a hospital."

Nova replied by wrapping his arm around Chi, ruffling her hair. He then took notice of her new attire. “Gotta admit, love the new look.”

“But, like I was saying before if I could just change one thing-”

“Rarity!” The team said in unison, startling her.

“What? You said I can talk fashion after we beat the bad guy!” Everyone couldn't help but to laugh at her remark.

Nova squatted down to Iris's level, smiling proudly. "Thank you, Iris. You really are special little princess."

"Thanks, Nova." Iris hugged him once more and Nova was more than happy to return the embrace. He gestured to Akari also to join in.

Korra offered Nova her hand and helped him back up. She stepped aside, showing him the spirit portal. "So…ready to see some old friends?"

Nova was speechless. He never thought this day would come.

(~)

Comments

[MLPMekarm]

now this is something. keep it up man.