The Little Pony Legend: Shadow of Ronin

by MyEcho4

Night of Shadows

Night of Shadows

Fireworks burst through the clear night sky, formally concluding this memorable day. Inside the pro-bending arena, Rara waved to her fans. The beautiful singer wore an elegant silvery gown, which fell back like a waterfall and ended as a knee high skirt above her knees. Her hair was styled into an elegant bun and she waved to everyone, who cheered and whistled.

"Thank you, everyone! It's been a pleasure performing for you all. And let's give a big round of applauds for the heroes who made all of this possible. Team Avatar Harmony!"

The spotlight hit the said team, who all sat in a very exclusive VIP seat, fir for everyone. Applejack waved at Rara, thanking her for not only showing up and performing for everyone, but for just being her best friend even after all these years. After the show, the team met outside, where Rara was taking photos, signing autographs and happily chatting with Applejack and her family. Applejack even took the opportunity to introduce Rara to her boyfriend, Double Diamond.

Rainbow Dash, with a drink in hand, patted Korra on the back. "Okay, I think I speak for everyone when I say, Best Day of Harmony Ever!!!"

"It's the first Day of Harmony, Rainbow Dash." Soarin corrected. The stallion had his arm wrapped around Rainbow's waist, which she didn't seam to mind. Korra tried so hard to resist the urge to comment on how cute they looked together, but she didn't want to embarrass Rainbow Dash. No matter how tempting it was.

"Either way, it was awesome! No, no, sorry, no. Awesome doesn't even begin to describe how awesome this day was. It was…um…"

Pinkie Pie then suddenly popped out of nowhere, doing cartwheels while saying, "Its was the most supper-cool-radially- incrediblest-amazing-radical-fantastically-magical-day EVER!!!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed loudly and happily while doing a splits, throwing confetti everywhere, and Cheese Sandwich appeared out of nowhere, playing the accordion.

"You said radical twice." Twilight pointed out.

"Noooooooo." Cheese said, dragging the 'o'. "She said--and I quote--radically and radical! Twice the radical because it was that radical!"

"You know it, baby!" Pinkie Pie gave her boyfriend a high five.

Mako leaned closer to his wife and whispered, "You'd think after seeing literally two Pinkie Pies in the same plane of existence I'd be used to this by now."

Korra chuckled, "Wait till they have kids."

"Don't even joke."

The group heard Applejack, Rara and Double Diamond approaching the two. "Rara, you were amazing!" Korra said.

The anthro earth pony bowed in respect. "Thanks, Korra. That means a lot coming from you." she looked down and placed her hands on her knees. "And is this Iris?"

"Yes." Say hi, sweetie." Korra said, getting her daughter to say hello. But the you child was too distracted looking out to the horizon, more specifically Aang Memorial Island. Korra tilted her head in confusion. It wasn't like Iris to be rude like this. "Iris? Iris!"

Iris snapped out of her little trance, rubbing her head and blinking a few times. "Hu? Oh, I'm so sorry! It's nice to meet you, Miss Rara." the young princess bowed her head in respect to the pop star.

Rara herself easily forgave the child and squatted down to her level, giving her a warm smile. "It's very nice to meet you too, Iris. And don't worry, I sometimes zone out too." she giggled, making the child feel better. Korra, on the other hand, noticed that something was seriously off about her daughter.

"So, everybody ready to head to the after party on the island?" Double Diamond asked.

"You know it!" Bolin said enthusiastically, "Come on, the ferry should be heading out soon."

"You do realize I could just teleport us to the island, right?" Twilight said, pointing her thumb across the bay, to where the island was. "It's literally right there."

Bolin blinked and chuckled nervously, "Right, of course."

Korra turned to her husband, who had the exact same look of concern as she did. He too noticed their daughter zoning out. Normally, it wasn't rare for a child to daydream at random, but for Iris to just do so while meeting new people was completely out of her character.

Twilight's horn glowed brightly and within minutes everyone, including Rara, were teleported to the docks of the island. However, while everyone else was walking towards the Air Temple, which was decorated with strings of paper lanterns and exotic Equestrian flowers, Korra and Mako stayed behind to speak with Iris. Twilight stopped midway, curious to see what was wrong. Korra simply nodded her head and the alicorn complied, returning to her own family.

Korra placed a hand on her hip, eyeing her daughter sternly. "Alright, start talking."

"I...don't know what you're talking about, Mom." Iris gave a nervous laugh. She was so much like Korra, she too had a hard time trying to camouflage her feelings. Seeing her parents' matching arched eyebrows made Iris realize she wasn't fooling anyone. The young princess sighed. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a bit overwhelmed. Seeing you and everyone being celebrated and all of your adventures, it makes me feel…weird."

"How come?" Mako asked, "It's your heritage, kiddo."

"I know, but it still feels weird. You guys fought monsters, and villains and evil spirits and stuff. And that's all cool but…" Iris sighed sadly, "Everyone has something they're good at. Dad, you and Uncle Flash protect the city, Mom and Aunt Twilight are Princesses of Friendship, and everybody else has something that they're good at. Akari already has her cutie mark, Hiro can already earthbound like a pro, Mai is good with math and building stuff, and even though Gallant is still learning he's already better at magic than I am. Everybody says I'm special but I don't feel like I am. The only thing special about me is that I'm half human and half pony. I don't even have my cutie mark yet."

Korra crunched down, placing her hand on Iris's shoulder. "Honey, you're putting too much pressure on yourself. Just because you don't have a cutie mark yet doesn't mean you won't ever get it. And about your powers, hey, I had a hard time keeping mine under control the first time too."

"It's true." Mako said with a chuckle, "Once, your mother covered your uncle Tenzin's head with frosting after getting a spell wrong."

Iris blinked. "Really?"

Korra chuckled as well, "Really. And sweetie, if anything else is bothering, you can always tell me. Your father and I are here to listen."

Iris bit her bottom lip, hesitant to say more. But, the comforting look in her parents' eyes placed all of her doubts to rest. "Well, there is one thing. Did you…did you ever have weird dreams when you were a kid?"

Korra gave a questionable look. "Why do you ask?"

"Because, I had…well, I had a dream, last night."

"What kind of dream?" Korra asked, her and Mako sharing a look of concern.

"I don't remember much, except in one I saw a dark shadow with glowing red eyes and holding a sword. He was doing and evil laigh and I saw you and everyone facing him. I also remember a wolf with glowing red fur and a hooded man with a flaming sword."

"How long have you been having these?" Korra asked.

"A few months. Maybe three."

"Three Months?!" Korra and Mako exclaimed in unison, shocked that Iris had been keeping this a secret from her and Mako.

"That's why you were up the other night." Mako said, "Iris, why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"At first I thought they were just bad dreams from watching those terrible movers with Hiro of Uncle Bolin as Nuktuk." Iris said with a cringe.

Korra and Mako looked at one another. "Fair enough."

"At first they didn't bother me, but now I can't get them out of my mind. I was going to tell you, but then you were getting ready for the parade, and the party, and I didn't want to distract you. Also, I thought maybe you wouldn't understand." Iris said looking down with regret. "You're both so brave, I just wanted to be brave too."

Korra was quite surprised by her answer. This is exactly why Iris just didn't want her mother about the dreams, out of fear she and her father would get all worked up over it and spend less time getting ready for the party, and also in an attempt to be courageous just like them.

Korra grabbed Iris by the shoulder, lifted her chin up and had her look straight into her mother's electric blue eyes. "Iris, of course I would understand. Honestly, I can see where you're coming from. I was just like you. I used to think I needed to do everything on my own. I didn't think anyone would understand what I was going through. Then, I realized something...my friends do understand. I didn't have to face anything on my own. Your father and I aren't brave because we don't get scared. We get scared all the time."

"You do?"

"Of course. Being brave means facing your fears even when you're scared."

Mako crunched down, placing a hand over his daughter's shoulder. "You can always come to us when you're confused, honey. We're here for you."

"I know, Daddy." said Iris having a small smile. "I promise I'll come to you next time I have these weird dreams."

"That's our little bundle of joy." Korra said messing up her hair. "Anything else you want to tell us."

Iris shook her head with a smile. "No, I'm okay. But, can we talk about the whole dream thing tomorrow? I don't want to miss out on all the fun."

"Sure thing." Korra kissed Iris's forehead and led her inside, "Come on, let's go inside. Hopefully Asami didn't drink all the cider yet." she said grabbing Iris's hand.

Once they arrived, Iris ran off to see her Aunt Pinkie Pie already eating the snack on the table. "You think she has it too?" Mako asked, turning to his wife. "The gift, I mean."

"Like me and Leilani? I don't know." Korra replied. The mother of the princesses, Leilani, had the ability to see small vague prophecies of the future. Korra also discovered she had this ability when she first became an alicorn. Most of the time, her visions manifested into dreams or brief visions. So far, their daughter appeared to be facing a similar situation. Seeing the concern in her eyes, Mako wrapped his arms around her.

"It's okay, we'll figure it out. We've always have."

"I know. I just wish we didn't have to now. I mean, she's still just a kid." Korra watched as her daughter laughed with Pinkie Pie. "I was hoping she would have a normal childhood."

"That's just it, Korra. She's not normal. She's special. Just like you."

Korra gave an exasperated sigh, "Now I know how my parents felt when they found out I was the Avatar."

Mako chuckled and kissed her cheek. "No matter what happens, you can rest easy. She won't have to face any of this alone."

"What did I do to deserve a husband like you?" Korra said with a smile. Her husband replied by simply kissing her full on the lips.

Spike walked pass them, holding a cup in his claw. He rolled his eyes as he walked by. "Get a room, there's kids here!"

(~)

The moon stood high in the sky, its radiant light shining down upon the empty castle of Canterlot. Guards were patrolling the inside and outside with intense focus. On some days, it wasn't that heavily guarded, but on days like this, they doubled the amount of guards everywhere because they knew that some sneaky pony/human would be dying to break into the castle when the alicorns were gone. The night was very uneventful, even some of the guards took a moment to just stand and talk about life...or complaining that they couldn't go to the party.

"Man, I should be over in Republic City by now." said one guard, dressed in his Canterlot uniform.

"Quit winning, Silver Coat." said another unicorn guard, "You don't hear me complaining."

"Because you hate parties! Why did the Queen double the guards for the Archives again?"

"Because she said so!"

Silver Coat rolled his eyes and groaned. "Well, if we're going to be out here all night, something exciting better happen." he said. Little did he know, his wish was about to be granted.

All of a sudden, the duo heard a loud ruckus coming from outside the castle door. "What was that?" Silver asked.

"I don't know. But don't let them in the Archives."

"You got it, Cross Guard."

The two quickly got into position and prepared for whatever awaited from the other side. They heard the yelling and screaming of soldiers and a bright orange light flashing. Then what felt like hours, the doors slowly opened and the duo prepared to charge. A hooded pony, levitating a flaming sword, and a large black creature with piercing red eyes and radiant red highlights across his fur stood beside his leader.

"Do not come any closer!" Shouted Cross Guard, levitating his sword, "We will attack!"

The figure just stood there, unfazed by his threat. Instead of running away or begging for mercy, he simply chuckled at them both before speaking, "Then what are you waiting for?" he said, diminishing his sword which the blade disappeared leaving the handle. "Attack me."

The two simply just looked at each other with confusion before charging at the duo. The cloaked remained perfectly still, only for his "pet" to step forward, snarling and growling like the rabid beast that he was. He lunged forward, snatching the swords away from the two guards. The second doors down the hallway bursted open and reinforcements arrived.

The cloaked figure only smiled and pulled out his sword again. He galloped towards the incoming guards, the sound of metal clashed as the stranger wielded his sword with ease. His entire face was hidden underneath the cloak. His blade was red as a flame, and just as hot. The sword hit one of the guards, burning his left leg and he collapsed to the floor. Two other guards came at him, but he managed send a blast of fire at them from his sword. The guards were pushed back, hitting the wall. Some collapsed and fell unconscious, receiving several burns across his body. Several more came charging at him, firing beams from their horns, but the figure easily deflected them and pushed them aside like it was nothing.

"Looks like the "royal guard" lost its touch after all." he said before walking towards the injured ponies "The royal guards back when would laugh their heads off if they saw you guys."

One unicorn however wasn't having it. He slowly stood up, wincing from the injury in his leg and looked straight into his eyes. "You may have taken us down now, but we'll never let you through this door!" He shouted, still in pain from the attack.

The shadowy figure clapped his hooves at his courage and bravery, "So you say." he said before grabbing him with his magic and turning him around to face his colleagues. The intruder nodded his head to a wolf-like creature who started closing in on the guards. The man closed his eyes so he wouldn't see what happened next. All he heard was screaming and pleading for mercy. Then, as fast as it happened, it stopped. He opened his eyes and saw all his fellow guards lying lifeless on the castle floor. Not a single soul remained. The cloaked pony turned around and towered over the last survivor.

"When you wake up, tell your "highness" about what has happened tonight." a green mist flew over the guard's face, causing him to pass out instantly.

The doors flew open once more, where only a couple of pony guards collapsed. Their chests rose up and down, still inhaling oxygen. Another cloaked figure appeared, unlike his opponent, his horn was blue the handle of a sword stuck out from the left side underneath his cloak. Beside him was a blue colored fox, with white paws, nose, underbelly and the tip of her tail was also white. Her fur was blue, almost iridescent in appearance, and several purple markings adorned her body and necklace with a crescent moon adorned her neck like a collar. The blue pony's eyes scanned the area, seeing the now lifeless bodies of the guards. The red unicorn simply chuckled.

"Well, well, well. I honestly didn't expect to see you here. It's been a while." he said, while his wolf companion growled at the sight of the blue fox. She too snarled in return, her purple eyes briefly glowing. The blue unicorn stood frozen in place, his mouth partly open, and quivering. His jaws clenched and his horn glowed, the handle of the sword gained the same sparkly glow, slowly pulling it out.

The red unicorn laughed. "Oh, don't beat yourself up. You couldn't save them anyways. You never were the hero type." The blue fox snarled at the unicorn, but the black and red wolf snarled in return. "At ease, Shade. Let's not be rude to our guests."

"I know what you want." the blue figure said firmly, and the red figure only chuckled.

"I figured you might. Why else would you be here? You can't stop him, you know."

"He doesn't scare me. And if he's such a mastermind, why didn't he come and retrieve his precious toy himself?"

"He couldn't make it, unfortunately, so I'm retrieving it for him. But, now that you're here, maybe you could help an old buddy out."

"What makes you think I'll want to help you?"

The pony laughed, his tone low and menacing. "Oh, I doubt you'll have a choice." with a stomp of his hoof, the black wolf leaped forward, pinning the blue fox to the ground, causing her to whimper in pain at his massive weight.

"No!" the blue pony rushed to help, but was immediately blocked by his opponent's sword.

"Unless you want your precious wisp to end up the same way as these buffoons, you'll show me where the sword is It'll save me the time to search for it myself."

The pony's purple eyes darted from the black figure to the fox, who struggled to break free, snapping at the wolf, who only snapped back, nearly biting her ear off. She whimpered like a frightened little pup.

The blue unicorn sighed. "Fine. It's in the archives. In the StarSwirl the bearded wing. But you won't find it in plain sight."

The black unicorn removed the sword from the other pony's throat. "Show me."

Without hesitation, the blue unicorn led the way, with the black wolf holding the fox in his teeth, who continued to whimper. The blue pony stopped in front of the door and using his magic he opened it. The two walked inside and the blue pony walked up to a wall behind a tapestry, depicting the famous wizard. Once removing it, he tapped his horn and the walls shook and trembled, separating in the process, to reveal a hidden room, lit up by a few torches on the wall. Inside a glass case was a shimmering sword. The sword was black as night and the cross guards looked like wings but more bat/devil like than angelic. The blade was a shimmering silver and in the center was what looked like where some sort of gem insert.

"Here it is." said the blue unicorn, while the black one gazed at the object, his presence reflected onto the glass surface. But before he could remove it, the blue unicorn stopped him. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Oh. Right." he nodded to the wolf, who released the fox and she scurried towards her pony companion, hiding behind him like a child seeking protection from her parent.

The black unicorn used his magic to try and remove the glass, but was immediately shocked by a wave of magical energy.

"Only I can open it." said the blue pony, making the other one snarl in anger. "Oh, did I forget to mention it?"

"Then, open it!" he snapped, at that moment the wolf snatched the fox again, this time shaking her rapidly while holding her in his jaws before tossing her against the wall.

"Stop it!" the unicorn yelled and pulled out his sword. The fox got up and fought back, ready to scratch the wolf, but he proved to be too strong for her and tossed her aside once more, this time injuring her paw. The unicorn kept the blue unicorn at bay with a red shield.

"Open the case or the fox says goodnight!"

"Alright, alright!" without hesitation, the unicorn magically deactivated the spell and the glass case magically lifted up like a lid.

The wolf licked his lips as his companion took the sword and placed it around his belt. He turned to the blue unicorn, who stood protectively in front of the fox. "Same old Nova. At least love is good for one thing. It's an excellent form of bribery." he laughed, only for the unicorn to take the sword with his magic and teleport himself right out. He galloped out of the castle, with the other unicorn also teleporting himself out to chase after him. The fox and her friend ran across the now empty streets of Canterlot, only for them to get blasted off of their feet by a red blast from the unicorn's sword, and resulting in the blue unicorn dropping the one from the glass case. The wolf snatched it up in his jaws, and returned to his owner, who smiled maliciously at the fallen duo.

"Might want to get some practice there, Nova. Your magic's a bit rusty." the unicorn's horn glowed a bright ruby red. "I'll tell Ronin you said hi." with that, he disappeared completely, leaving the two alone in the streets. Silence filled the air, and the blue unicorn removed his hood, revealing a pony with dark midnight blue coat, purple eyes and blue hair with a white streak on the left bang.

Chi stood up and shook her body, scoffing in disgust. "Erch! I see he hasn't changed much. Very convincing, by the way." she said, only to see that Nova was looking down in regret. Even with his hood covering his eyes, she could tell.

"I was too late."

"Nova, I'm sorry. But it's not your fault."

Nova scoffed, "It doesn't matter. That decoy did its job, now we have to find the real one before Ronin does."

"But she's the only one who has it, and we can't find her without the missing piece." Chi stated, "How long will it be until they catch on?"

"Knowing Kage, he won't know until Ronin figures it out. But even so, we still have the upper hoof."

"Yeah, but for how long? His powers could return at any moment. He's had years to prepare. For all we know, he's probably already one step ahead of us."

"Well, then we better hurry." he said and the two dashed away into the night. Nova briefly stopped, looking back at the castle, his mind drifting back to the guards. Closing his eyes tightly, he ran off with his friend, not looking back again.

He didn't want to be reminded of the pain.

(~)

The island was completely packed with guests from all over the worlds, talking, laughing, and just having an overall good time. Korra and Mako decided to enjoy the night and talk about Iris's dreams tomorrow. It wasn't everyday that they celebrated ten years of endless adventures. Team Avatar laughed as they took a stroll down memory lane.

"Oh oh! Do you remember when we all got sucked into the comic book and became superheroes?" Bolin said laughing at the memory, "And when Mako got that power to shrink down and had that high squeaky voice? It was adorable!" The earthbender laughed, but Mako only narrowed his eyes.

"It wasn't that funny." He said rather bitterly before taking a sip of his punch.

"Are you kidding? It was hilarious!" Rainbow Dash said, tilting her head back in laughter, "Oh, I wish I could see it again!" The anthro pegasus then smiled, "In fact…" she went over to Twilight and whispered in her ear. Twilight caught on to what Dash was saying and looked at Mako was a devious grin on her face. Mako locked eyes with the Alicorn before nearly choking on his drink.

"Oh no no! There's NO way to your going to-"

*POOF*

In an instant Mako once again turned into his superhero form. A little dragonfly. "OH COME ON!" He said in his high pitch voice. The group started laughing at the small firebender who just simply huffed and crossed his arms. "Ha ha, yeah yeah, very funny. If you guys are done could you, oh I don't know, CHANGE ME BACK!?" He shouted. Twilight calmed down a bit from the laughing and changed him back to normal. Mako adjusted his hair and jacket. "Thank you. Never do that again!"

His wife laughed, "Oh come on, honey! Where's your sense of humor?"

"Probably left it back at the castle." said the voice of an old friend. Korra turned around to see her former mentor, who still wore his traditional airbender robes, but now had drastically aged, now sporting white hairs on his beard. Behind him were the royal sisters and their mother, Leilani and beside them was Korra's Parents.

"Mom! Dad!" Korra went over and hugged them both. "You made it!"

"Good to see you, Korra." said Senna as she hugged her only child. "So, where's my granddaughter?"

"She's over at the snack table with Akari and Pinkie Pie." Korra said, gesturing to the three who were indeed at the table eatings sweets.

"I just hope she doesn't overdo it like last time." Mako said before taking a sip of his punch.

"You mean Iris or Pinkie Pie?" Tonraq asked.

"Who do you think?"

"Grandma! Grandpa!" Iris can running over to see her grandparents. Tonraq lifted the child up and held her in his strong arms.

"Hey! There's our little princess! Wow, you're wings are looking really strong."

"Thanks! Aunt Rainbow Dash is teaching me how to do a triple air backflip!"

"Say, what?!" Korra exclaimed, narrowing her eyes at the rainbow haired anthro pony standing beside her. Rainbow Dash stood there, frozen in place, while drinking her punch.

"Oh, relax! I make her wear a helmet." Rainbow said in defense, while Korra only rolled her eyes.

Queen Leilani rose her glass up high, "Tonight, we celebrate a milestone in history! A day in which our worlds were unified as one, this time for good." The group agreed as she held up her glass, "A toast to the Elements of Harmony, and all of Team Avatar! Friends and family!"

"But let's not forget the four heroes who actually made all of this possible. Avatar Wan, Raava, White and Leilani." Korra said, looking over at the Queen, "If they never meet each other, heck, imagine what our world would be like." She finished. Just that speech alone almost brought Leilani to tears. She still couldn't believe that Korra and the girls did something that She, Wan, and White would thought to be impossible. Uniting the worlds in peace, harmony and friendship. How could she be so wrong about closing the portals, and the strange thing was, she was completely ok with it.

Korra held up her cup, "To Friendship!"

"To Friendship!" The group said in unison, clanking their glasses together while everyone in the room cheered and clapped. Iris smiled at so many of her friends and family gathered in one place. It truly was a day of celebration.

(~)

"Hey Guys!" Iris shouted out to the kids who were over by the cliffside. They appeared to be in the middle of an argument.

The other children were none other than the airbender children. The gang have changed drastically over the last several years. Jinora, now 22-years-old, was now learning how to become a teacher so she can take her father's place, along with her boyfriend Kai. Ikki was now nineteen and Meelo was seventeen, though still as cocky as ever, taking a lot after his uncle Bumi. The youngest of the bunch, Rohan, was now eleven.

There were also, Iris's adopted spirit siblings, Ali, Mika and San. Along with them were the Cutie Mark Crusaders, though now they mostly just called themselves the Crusaders, most of the time. Apple Bloom, the unofficial leader and younger sister of Applejack, was now 21-years-old, and looking so much like her sister. Her red hair was styled into an over the shoulder ponytail tied with a pink bow at the end, no longer wearing the giant one she wore as a child.

There was Sweetie Belle, Rarity's younger sister, who had grown into a stunning young unicorn, or anthro unicorn in this case. She was still as sweet and bubbly as she always was. And last but not least, there was Scootaloo, the pegasus and airbender of the group. A spunky tomboy who looked up to Rainbow Dash like a sister. For the past 12 years, they have been helping ponies all over Equestria try to find their cutie marks. Finally there was Akari's cousin, Flurry Heart, who was much older than the young princess. When Iris and Akari came over to the others, instead of a greeting, Meelo and Scootaloo were arguing about the airshow earlier that day.

"From what I saw, Scoots, you were pretty slow during the finale." said Meelo, crossing his arms. "I could see you slowing down."

"So, you're saying I'm not fast?" Scootaloo said, clenching her fist close to her side, "Have you actually seen yourself fly? You were dragging the whole team down!"

"I was not!" Meelo exclaimed, already steaming. "It's not my fault, Mom filled me up before the parade."

"Actually, it was your fault for eating so much in the first place." Ikki intervened.

Meelo just glared at his older sister in annoyance. "You're taking her side? She was the one who was slow!"

"What are YOU talking about?! I wasn't slow! Right, Jinora?"

Jinora only looked down, trying to think of what to say next, but thank the heavens, Akari and Iris came over and she quickly changed the subject. "Iris! Akari!" She greeted. The group turned around to see the two princesses coming over.

"Iris, so glad you're here." Mai said, sighing in relief. "Thank goodness. This was getting so boring."

"What happened?" Akari asked.

"We just talking about how the show, and Meelo started bragging about how great he was." Sweetie Belle said with a deadpan look on her face.

Scootaloo turned to her unicorn friend. "Sweetie Belle, can you please tell air-head over here that I wasn't slowing the team down during the performance."

"Please don't drag me into this."

"Just admit I was the better flyer and we can call it a night." Meelo said, but Scootaloo only scoffed.

"You just can't handle the fact that somebody is just as good, if not better flyer than you. Then again, I am older."

"Sure don't act like it." Apple Bloom whispered to Sweetie Belle. They would think their friend would be the mature one, but if there was anything they learned from Tenzin and his siblings, it was that age does not always equal wisdom. Besides, Scootaloo had become the competitive type, as did Meelo.

"How long have they been at this?" Akari she whispered to Gallant.

Gallant was stunned and studdered for a second before answering. "About fourteen minutes." he replied, "Though, it feels like twenty."

"I think it's fun." Hiro said, "I love a good competition!"

Meelo squatted down to the children, "Come on kids, you know your uncle Meelo is the best flyer, right?"

Akari, Iris, Gallant and Mai all grimaced and shifted their eyes back and forth, fiddling with their fingers, unsure on what to answer.

"Meelo, leave them out of this." Jinora said before gently addressing to them, "Why don't you kids go play with the lemurs. I don't want you to succumb to this kind of torture."

"Awww! But I wanted to see them race! That way we'll know who's the better flyer!" Hiro complained, only get an elbow to the arm by his sister. "Ow!"

"That's a good idea." Scootaloo said.

Flurry Heart and Rohan simultaneously rose an eyebrow. "Please, no." they both said.

"What do you say, Meelo? First one to fly all the way around air temple island 3 times and come back to this spot, wins."

"She's kidding right?" asked Kai.

"When she has her mind set on somethin', there's no talkin' her out of it." Apple Bloom replied.

"You're on!"

"Bring it!"

"Hope you like getting your butt kicked!"

"Says you!"

The children all narrowed their eyes at Hiro. "You had to encourage them, didn't you?" Iris said sarcastically, placing one hand on her hip.

"Let them blow off their steam." Jinora said, which only earned her a groan and face palm from Sweetie Belle.

The group watched as the angry benders got into starting position, "On your mark..." Scootaloo started.

Rohan rolled his eyes, "Oh, boy."

"Get set...GO!"

Two airbenders were off, flying around the island with Meelo close to the lead. Determination flashed in his eyes as he looked back at Scootaloo. "What's a matter, Scoots? Can't keep up?" He said...only to have his jaw dropped to see the anthro pegasus flying in front of him, hands behind her head and her legs crossed, flying ahead of him.

She gave him a smirk. "You were saying?"

"Humph!"

The group down below watched the two fly around the island the first time, then the second and finally the third round. From down below, Hiro was cheering. He has such a love for sports and an athletic enthusiasm that rivaled even Rainbow Dash. "Go Scootaloo! Go Meelo!"

"Who are you cheering for?" Gallant asked.

"Both, duh!"

As the two raced it out, Iris immediately felt a shock of pain in her head. She let out a painful cry, so loud it caused both Scootaloo and Meelo to stop on their tracks, forgetting about the race once they saw Iris clenching her head.

Images flashed before the child's eyes. The same images of the hooded jacket with the flaming sword, and the dark wolf, and then another pony with a blue hood, wilding a sword, slicing something she could not see. The images came and went so fast that everything eventually went black.

"Iris? Iris?! IRIS!"

Iris gasped for a breath of fresh air as she sat up, sweat poured down her face as she breathed heavily. She realized she was now on the ground, with everyone surrounding her with concerned looks. The visions she saw were just like in her dream, only now they felt more...real. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest while Jinora wiped away her sweat with her hand.

"Iris are you ok?" Akari asked with worry, sitting beside her friend.

Iris goggly got up, hardly being able to stand. The flashes she saw had already faded into the deepest part of her memory. "Y-yeah…I'm fine."

Jinora gently picked the child up. "Come on. Let's go find your parents.

(~)

Later that night, Iris tossed and turned in her bed, sweat dropping from her face as she had another dream. She saw herself and Akari cornered by these strange shadow creatures. Then, she saw countless people fighting over a battlefield of snow and ice. Spirits, humans and ponies all fighting the shadowy creatures she couldn't make out and she was held against her will. Finally, she saw the image of her mother, laying on the ground, about to be sliced open by a sword, held by a shadowy figure with glowing red eyes.

The little princess woke up and gasped for air as she stood up from bed, her hair in a tangled mess. It seems now every night she's been having these dreams, but she still didn't know what they meant. She got up from her bed and went outside to the balcony, looking over the Republic City bay and Avatar Aang's statue. She thought to herself, were these nightmares a curse for her? Were they to punish her for not controlling her powers?

Her powers…..Iris thought about that for a moment. Why couldn't she control them, she wondered Why was it that Akari was able to before she did? What was her place in this new world? All these questions and more swarmed around in her head. And to think, a seven year old was thinking about all of this.

"Iris?" The young girl turned her head when she heard her mother's voice. She and Mako approached their baby girl. "What are you doing up?"

"I had another nightmare!" She confessed, "It's the exact same one!" Korra sighed and crouched down beside her daughter, removing strands of hair from her face. "I'm scared."

"I know, honey. It's okay, your father and I are here."

"That's right." Mako said as he too squatted down to the child's level, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. "You're going to be okay."

Iris smiled against her father's loving touch. She always felt so safe whenever her parents were around. "Isn't there a spell that can make the nightmares stop, Mom?"

"I'm afraid not, Princess." Korra said, caressing her daughter's head. "Luna's the dream expert, not me."

"But you're one of the most powerful alicorns around." Iris said.

"True, but all alicorns have their own gifts and talents that are unique to them. Leilani can see the future, Celestia has incredible strength, Luna can see dreams, and your Aunt Twilight can cast a spell after reading it once."

"So can Akari." Iris said, looking sadly, "Even Flurry Heart knows more spells than I do. Whenever I try to cast a spell I just mess up!"

"You're still learning, kido." Korra said, "Don't be so hard on yourself."

"Easy for you to say. What if I never get the hang of my powers? What if...what if I'm not cut out to be a princess?"

"Don't say that, of course you are. Look, I know it's frustrating not knowing what happens next, but I've learned that the answers we're searching for will come when we need them most. It just takes patience."

"I hate being patient." Iris said with a pout, which only made Korra chuckled and ruffle her hair.

"Hey!" She cried out, only to receive a kiss on the forehead from her father. "Hey!"

Mako chuckled, "You sound just like your mother." He said.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." Mako replied, "And if she can manage, so will you. And we'll always be right there when you need us."

Music filled the air and Korra opened her mouth to sing to her child. Iris always loved hearing her mother's voice.

Korra:

As you go through life you'll see

There is so much that we

Don't understand

And the only thing we know

Is things don't always go

The way we planned

Mako:

But you'll see everyday that we'll never turn away

When it seems all your dreams come undone

We will stand by your side

Filled with hope and filled with pride

Korra:

We are more than we are

We are one

Korra took Iris by the hand, and using her magic, levitated Mako, and the three of them soared across Yue Bay, with Iris gazing at her reflection once they came to a stop on the base of Aang Memorial Island.

Iris:

There is so much I can be

But if I choose to be me

Is it enough?

Should I trust in my own heart

Or am I just one part

Of some big plan?

She asked herself and her parents appeared in the waters beside her. Korra placed her finger on the surface, making it ripple and images of Avatar Wan, Prince White and Queen Leilani appeared, followed by images of Team Avatar Harmony and their adventures.

Korra:

Even those who are gone are we us as we go on

Your journey has only begun

Mako:

Tears of pain

Tears of joy

One thing nothing can destroy

Is or bond, deep inside

We are one

Korra and Mako:

We are one

You and I

We are like the earth and sky

One family under the sun

All the wisdom to lead

All the courage that you need

You will find when you see

We are one

Iris let out a yawn, indicating she was tired and her parents took her back to the castle. Mako carried the tired little princess and gently placed her into bed, and Korra levitated the blanket, placing it over her shoulder. The child drifted off to sleep. Her mother caressed her head. "When the time is right, you'll play your part." Korra gently kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams, my little princess."

Mako wrapped his arm around her and the two silently walked out of the room, turning off the light as Iris slept soundly for the rest of the night.

(~)

The family was awoken by a loud banging on the front door. After a while, They ignored it, until it kept banging and banging. Korra and Mako placed a pillow on their heads to try to block out the noise, but it was no use. Finally, Korra had enough and got out of bed.

"Alright! I'm coming!" She shouted as she got up and yawned. She went and did her morning stuff like brushing teeth and fixing up her hair. She put on her casual day clothes and walked to the door and opened it up to see her friend, Twilight who by the look and her face, wasn't here for a morning visit.

"Twilight?" Korra said, still having a hint of sleep in her eyes. "What are you doing at this ti-"

"Korra! I'm so glad you're up!" Twilight said before looking inside the castle. "Where's Mako?"

"Right here." He shouted in the other room "Come on in, Twi. Make yourself at home."

Twilight walked into the castle and started pacing back and forth. "OhthankgoodnessyourbothupIsomethingterriblehappened!"

"Twilight." Korra said, closing the door.

"inCanterlotlastnightIwasjusttoldearlythismorningandIcamehereasfastasIcouldandIkeptknocking…"

"Twilight!"

"AndIthoughttheyreadywentoverandthereprobablywaitingformesoIthoughtImgoingtoknockonemoretimejustincaseifthey-"

"TWILIGHT!"

The alicorn froze in place from her friends infamous banshee scream. Korra then looked at her friend. "Ok, deep breaths." she said. Twilight took a couple deep breaths and calmed down.

"Mom!" Iris called from her room.

"It's ok sweetie!" She shouted "You can go back to bed!"

"Too late." she shouted back as she walked out from her room with Mako behind her, now all dressed.

"Morning, Aunt Twilight." Iris said

"Morning, early bird." Mako said

"Morning, you two." she replied back "Sorry for the rude awakening."

"Ahh, no problem. It's not like I was going to sleep in or anything." He said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Anyway.." Korra said returning to the subject at hand. "Twilight. tell us what's going on. Slowly, this time"

Twilight breathed in and began to talk, "I came here because we need you, Mako and the rest of the team in Canterlot right away."

Korra and Mako looked at each other with confusion. "Why do you need us? Did something happen?"

Twilight paused and looked at the floor for a moment before looking back at the family.

"There's been a break in...Canterlot Castle has been robbed."

(~)

Comments

[ponylover2]

Nice lion king 2 reference I love it

[eric-emanwu]

So, this chapter is digging more into character work for the future. Namely, asking the important question: who is our protagonist? Answer? Nova and Iris actually. Korra might also have it, but those 2 have the most important things going on here.

So there is one other thing I've noticed about your writing: you're very heavy on history building. That after all the craziness of saving the world several times over, the rest of team avatar harmony decided to finally start their own romantic lives. I mean it worked out so well for Korra and Twilight, so I guess the others wanted to get in on the action. Sorin, Double Diamond (from the cutie mark village?), and Cheese Sandwich are now going to be part of the family.

Although, I had a big laugh about Korra pointing out how Pinkie and Cheese's kid might be insane.

Now as to Iris's story, it's here that I have to raise my eyebrows again. Not so much that she's dealing with her being called unique despite her own feelings of inadequacy. What I have to raise my eyebrows at is a matter of age and skill. the parents protect and teach, Hiro can earth bend and all that, Gallant's learning Magic from a young age and Akari getting her cutie mark is all good and fine. HOWEVER, Mai is only 4ish right now. How is she good at Math? Is she getting her addition tables pretty easy? Is she one of those gifted kids who can already do subtraction? I think this is a problem based on the age.

But it is nice that Korra and Mako are trying to be good parents. Especially in that they're doing the cutie mark talk and the dream talk. Foreshadowing! Also, don't think that Lion King reference is lost on me. And having the gift? That's cool.

But meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Evil was rising! And Guh....that thing with shade killing the guards. Brutal! And it was here that red and blue met. Hmmm, star wars imagery at all? I've also noticed that there's some interesting character beats here that are going to be important in the future. First, Chi is demonstratably weaker than Shade. Can't even wiggle out. 2. Despite everything, Nova's not a risk taker. He won't try for a killing shot if it'll risk Chi's life. He's not that kind of sorcerer. Also, Nova's got a sense of regret, especially about the deaths of guards.

Next, at the party, there was celebration. The old guard was starting to filter in. Tenzin was starting to age in, and Leilani was happy to celebrate things new and old. I also got a nice laugh over Rainbow Dash's triple back flip.

I get the feeling that you included that scene with the cutie mark crusaders and others to make it clear that this world is not as huge/spread out as thought. Cause the others are more cameo material at this time than anything. Still, it is still good to see that they can still have fun with each other despite...competitive urges. However, the problems with the visions were now manifesting in the daytime. It's a problem that got all the others to stop and call it a night.

And Iris was now getting even more: cornering and now a huge battlefield of ice and snow. And her mother in trouble. She was terrified of this. But her mother swore things will get better, so just relax into the wind.

Unfortunately for the 3 of them though, something new was coming: The Plot. Twilight was running to them saying they need help. Cause now the carnage is now reported.