The Little Pony Legend: Legend of Everfree

by MaggiesHeartLove

A fresh start

*(~)*

1 Corinthians 14:32-33~

And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

*(~)*

A fresh start

"This is crazy!" Sunset Shimmer said as she and Starlight walked down the street, the former still pondering on what she just read. "There has to be some explanation."

"What other explanation could there be?" Starlight said, "It was written in black and white. "Dear Sunset Shimmer, you won't believe it, but I've been having these weird dreams and now I think the magic is coming back and I think it's connected to Camp Everfree somehow. Please contact me as soon as you can, Twilight." Seems pretty legit to me."

"But how? How could the magic just disappear only to reappear all of a sudden? It doesn't make any sense. And what does Camp Everfree have to do with this?"

"I don't know." Starlight replied, feeling just as confused as her friend. "Maybe Korra will have an idea. I mean, she is pretty good at figuring out this kind of stuff."

"I just hope she's not too busy with the baby. Twilight sounded pretty desperate in her letter."

"I'm sure everything will be fine. I mean, compared to fighting a gigantic siren powered robot abomination, this should be a piece of cake. And even more so for the Princess Avatar."

(~)

Once they arrived at Air Temple Island, the two unicorns dropped their jaws (and the book), upon seeing a little tan skinned winged baby already flying around the room.

Little baby Iris flapped her feathery wings, the tips dipped with shades of purple and faded to pink, all the while waving her little hands and giggling to her heart's content. The little infant slowly descended, only yo gently land into the loving embrace of her mother, who flew up to catch her and landed softly onto the floor. Korra held her child close, smiling proudly when she saw Sunset and Starlight.

"Hey, guys. Can you believe it? She's already flying!"

Korra cuddled her giggling daughter and Mako tickled Iris's chin, smiling like the proud father he was. "She's a natural, just like her mother." he said.

"That's great, you must be so proud!" Sunset said, briefly forgetting the urgency of the letter and smiled at the baby, who waved her arms, reaching out to Sunset Shimmer.

Iris was such a beautiful baby, she enchanted anyone who laid eyes upon her. She had a soft rounded face, with some subtle angular features, no doubt inherited from her father and would becoming more and more prominent as she got older. Her hair was almost as dark as Mako's but with tints of brown here and there, and her eyes were, abnormally, violet colored. Most likely a mixture of red and blue, but none the less, she was stunning. One could only imagine how she would look once she was mature enough, no doubt she'd have a line of admirers at her doorstep. Mako will certainly have a field day scarring them off.

"You guys are back early." Mako said, getting Sunset's attention.

"Oh, yeah, actually we have some…" Sunset bit her bottom lip, "…some news."

Korra and Makos joy slowly descended, morphing into concern. "What kind of news?"

(~)

The four gathered at Korra and Mako's castle, sitting in the lunch room. Starlight levitated the journal, flipped through the pages until she found the page where Twilight wrote the letter, allowing for Korra and Mako to read the words.

"It's a message from Mirror World Twilight." Sunset explained, "For the last six months, she's been having the same dream, over and over again. First, it starts with our senior class trip to Camp Everfree, then Midnight Sparkle shows up."

"Midnight Sparkle?" Korra repeated, "That demonic alicorn persona she turned into at the Friendship Games?"

"The same one. At first, I thought it was just some old memories flooding back, like how I sometimes have nightmares about my demonic self. But they're all exactly the same. No differences whatsoever, not even subtle ones. It's like it's on replay."

Korra took the book in her hands, reading the words carefully. "If anyone knows about seeing the same monster over and over again in your dreams, it's me." she said, tracing her fingers over the letters, which sparkled against her skin and on the page. Her eyes stern and focused, feeling her magical senses waking up.

"But Sunset's right. There is definitely more going on here than just a high school trauma."

"You sure?" Mako asked.

"I'm sure. I haven't felt this shock of energy since our last visit to Canterlot High. I don't know how, or why, but the magic is definitely still there. And if Twilight's dreams are indeed trying to tell her something, then your safe bet is at Camp Everfree."

"Then it's settled. I have to go back." Sunset said, determination flashed in her eyes, "If these dreams mean anything I have to be there to help my friends. Korra and I are the only ones who can figure out how the magic works."

"Wait, Sunset, I can't come with you this time." Korra said, catching the anthro unicorn by surprise.

"What? Why?"

"I can't leave Iris. She's already showing signs of magic, and with our Twilight pregnant with her baby, I can't risk leaving her alone. Not after what happened the last time." she darted her eyes at her husband, arching an eyebrow.

"Hey, at least we fixed the window." Mako replied.

"You mean I fixed the window."

"It got fixed, didn't it?"

"You see where I'm getting at?" Korra said to the unicorn.

Sunset sighed in defeat, "Okay, so I guess I'll be going at it alone this time."

"Not necessarily." Starlight took a step forward, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm coming with you. They're my friends too, and if there is some weird magic mumbo jumbo going on, who better for the job than two super powerful unicorns?"

Sunset smiled and hugged her friend, "Thanks, Starlight. We'll leave first thing tomorrow."

"We'll help back what you need for the trip." Mako said, as he and Korra stood up from their seats and hugged their two friends.

(~)

Sweat dripped from her brow, all the way down to her neck. She wiped it off with the back of her wrist. Her hair was drenched, even in its held up bun and the straw hat she wore to shield her eyes from the sun's rays. The perspiration stained her clothes, both around her collar bone and even her underarms. The soil was soft against her ankles but the bits that got in her shoes were infuriating. She grunted as she sunk the shover deep into the ground, creating a hole to place the seeds in.

Kuvira had been spending the last two and a half years working her debt to society. She had completely demolished her Earth Empire, lost all of her followers, and freed all of the innocent people who refused to follow her from the prison camps. However, while she did do some good for the Earth Kingdom, the Alicorn royals and United Republic allowed for the villagers to keep their new supplies and Satomobiles, but Kuvira would not be receiving any benefits from them, whatsoever. She did not own any of it anymore, they all belonged to the people and not her. They no longer needed to pledge loyalty to her to have a better life. They were free of her tyranny.

Believe it or not, she was happy about that.

Ever since Korra brought her back to the light, Kuvira had felt more than just regret for her actions. She was willing to work herself to the bone to pay off her debt, even though she knew nobody would ever really forgive her. Not that she could blame them.

She had friends. She had a family. She had an amazing teacher in Avatar Korra, who believed in her and still cared about her, even after she turned into a monster, but how did she repay her kindness? She slipped a memory altering potion in her tea, teamed up with a group of power hungry sirens, gave them their power back thanks to her own pride, stole Bataar from his family, nearly killed hundreds of lives, and to really salt in the wound…

She made Asami Sato an orphan.

She outright killed Hiroshi Sato, a man who had finally come around and was reunited with his daughter again. He was the last family Asami had, and she just upright and killed her only family. Now, because of her, she could never rebuild that family bond she had so longed for ever since her father was imprisoned. Because of her, Asami and Bolin's children will grow up without ever knowing their grandfather. Because of her, Hiroshi never got to see his only daughter walk down the isle, give her away, and be there for the birth of his grandson.

All she wanted was to make her country better so she wouldn't feel alone or helpless like she did when her parents left her. She never thought much about it in the past, but she hated the idea of ever being abandoned or neglected in any way, to the point where if anyone else's ideas or views did not align with her own, then she saw it as a form of abandonment. But Korra never abandoned her. She fought to get her back, she saved her life from her own weapon, held her in her arms when she hit her lowest point.

All this time, she cared about what she wanted, but she lacked the empathy and kindness Korra had. She tried doing things Korra's way, but it never worked, so she found an easier way. The sirens offered her what she always wanted; for people to actually listen to her. To feel she was doing something rather than just waiting around in a safe haven. At least she and Korra had that in common. Both wanted more out of their lives, to do great things and help people. But it was was their way of "helping" that difference them.

Kuvira had friendship, she had the teachings, but she did not have the patience or the humility to listen to them. She stayed for the hugs and the laughter, but when things got difficult, she turned away for something that suited her.

She spend most of her days thinking about what she could have done to prevent this. The sirens may have influenced her actions, but it was Kuvira who gave them their power back. If it hadn't been for her, they wouldn't have took over and she wouldn't have become a slave to her own creation.

But in spite of this, Korra still showed her friendship. Even inviting her to her wedding. It was a bittersweet moment, especially when she had to officially break up with Bataar. She wouldn't blame him if he never spoke to her again. Since then, Kuvira has spent all of her time working on serving the country. Though, no mater where she went, she was met with death glares and bitterness. Of course, she accepted this willingly.

The bell sounded off, and a man walked out to see her. "Alright, kid. You're done for the day." he said, tipping his straw hat and looked to see the work she had done.

"I could stay longer." Kuvira said, "I could clean the stables or--"

"Kid, I said you're done. Your parol officers are here to take you back to your prison house. So go get cleaned up."

Kuvira complied and handed him the shovel. She retired to the showers and changed into some clean clothes, changing her hair into a loose over the shoulder braid with strands of hair falling to the right side of her face. The Earth Kingdom officer waiting for her looked as stoic as ever as she got into the train. She gazed at the vast land before her. Even during her time as the "Great Uniter" she never saw the land so beautiful.

The trip back to her prison was a silent one, like always. Her officers never spoke to her, and she never spoke back. What else could she say that hasn't already been said?

She dropped her bags once she got into her cell. Her prison was in Ba Sing Seah, more specifically a wooden prison so she couldn't bend her way out. Not that she would even try, but still. The room was rather large, with a bed and bathroom and even a small table for her to eat, but overall, it was a dull place.

As expected, they left her meal prepared. Simple mashed potatoes with bread and water. It wasn't luxurious, but it could be worse. As she ate her meal, the door opened and an officer walked in.

"You have a visitor." he said in a monotone voice. The news got Kuvira off guard. Aside from Suyin, only one other person ever visited her. And since Su had visited only last month, that could only mean…

The earthbender stood up the moment a familiar winged humanoid entered the wooden prison, smiling kindly and holding a bag in hand. Kuvira smiled in relief.

"Hey, Korra."

"Hey, Vira. Hope you're still hungry."

(~)

The two friends ate the delicious meal. Kuvira ate almost as fast as roadrunner, bits of rice stuck to her lower lip. Korra laughed. "Calm down, the food's not going anywhere."

Kuvira wiped the food off with her chopstick and swallowed before speaking. "Sorry. It's been a while since I've had a home cooked meal. It's to die for."

"I'm sure Mako would be happy to hear it." Korra drank some of her water, "Good thing too, every time I come here you look thinner and thinner, and don't say it's because of the food here." her old friend stopped eating and bashfully looked away. Korra placed a hand over hers, and the earthbender could see the kindness in her eyes.

"Kuvira, I know you want to make up for your mistakes, but you can't kill yourself like this."

"Why not? I deserve it."

"No, you don't!"

"Korra, I killed a man!" Kuvira slammed her hands on the table, making the bowls of rice and the chopsticks move. She stood from her chair, tears already streaming down her eyes. "I killed Hiroshi Sato! I took away the only family Asami ever had! I took away a child's grandfather! I spent my whole life trying to make sure others wouldn't feel abandoned like I was, but I did just that!"

Kuvira sat back down, covering her face with her hands, weeping loudly. Korra stood up and hugged her friend, allowing for Kuvira to cry on her shoulder like the times before.

"Don't say you know what it's like." said the weeping woman, "You're a bringer of hope and family, and all I did was tear them apart."

"Just because I can't relate to everything you've been through, doesn't mean I can't relate to you at all." Korra said, once again, speaking in a loving voice that made Kuvira cry harder. The very idea that someone was still showing her love and care even after all this time still made Kuvira feel both relief but also great pain and guilt. She didn't feel worthy of it.

"I know what it's like to go through a traumatic experience." Korra said, "And something like this won't go away so easily."

"I can never forget it. No matter how much I wish I could."

"I know. You can never forget what happened." Korra wiped away Kuvira's tears and a few strands of hair from her face. "But that doesn't mean there isn't hope for you."

Kuvira wiped away her tears, "I still don't understand how you can be so forgiving after everything I did. After I turned into that monster."

"Well, I'm not one to dwell on the past." Korra said with sublet optimism and held Kuvira's hand.

"What about Asami? She still hasn't spoken to me, and I can't blame her."

"Well, like you, Asami's been through a lot too. Her mother died when she was young, her father became a monster, it's never been easy for her to let go of things as quickly." she chuckled lightly, "It took her literally six months to stop being jealous of me. But that doesn't mean she never will come around."

Kuvira knew Korra was trying her best to show there was hope for her, but she still couldn't get herself to see the light at the end of the tunnel. She felt so stuck, and worse, she felt she needed to stay there because she didn't feel she deserved the light at the end. At all.

"The whole world sees me as that monster who destroyed Republic City and took you away from everyone. That creature…that siren…she's still a part of me. Sometimes when I close my eyes I can still feel the transformation."

"That's not who you are anymore. Siren Kuvira is long gone."

"Doesn't feel like it." Kuvira closed her eyes and looked away, feeling unworthy to looking at the princess directly. "Every time I look in the mirror, I can still see her. I don't think it will ever go away."

"You're right." Korra said, causing Kuvira to look at her once again. Korra was on her knees, comforting the woman on her chair, "None of us can ever forget what happened to us in the past, and we trying to will only make it worse. What you need to do is learn to accept it and move on."

"I have accepted it."

"But you're still stuck."

"I don't know what else to do." Kuvira covered her face with her hand and Korra stroked her hair in a maternal manner.

"Funny you should say that, because this really wasn't a social visit." Korra confessed, catching Kuvira's surprise.

(~)

"Okay. Luggage, check. Extra clothes, check. Magic spell books, check. Voice recorders, check. Am I forgetting something?" Mako asked as he inspected the basic necessities Starlight and Sunset would need for their trip.

"I think we're good to go, Mako." said Starlight Glimmer. "We're going to a camp, not the other side of the world."

"Sorry, I'm just making sure you guys have everything you need for the trip." said the prince.

He, the two unicorns were gathered at Twilight's castle, preparing to leave for the portal. Twilight and Flash were also present, the princess's stomach already entirely visible, no doubt their baby would be due any day now.

"They'll be fine, Mako." Twilight said with a chuckle, "I swear, you're such a helicopter parent."

The firebender arched an eyebrow, "Said the pregnant pony." he muttered, only to receive a pillow to the face.

"Don't get cocky, fire breath." the alicorn said with a smug.

"Isn't Korra supposed to see you guys out?" Flash asked.

"Yeah. She said she needed to pick something up first." Mako replied.

In no more than two seconds after the words left his mouth, Korra entered the room, happily waving to everyone. "Hey, sorry I'm late."

"Don't worry about it, Koraaaaaaa……" Flash's jaw dropped the moment a second visitor walked in. Her hands behind her back and smiling shyly at everyone, literally zero confidence could be seen from her appearance alone.

Mako dropped the bags he was carrying and Spike literally passed out on the floor. The new guest gave a small wave.

"Hey." Kuvira greeted, feeling very uncomfortable by all of the eyes staring at her.

(~)

Comments

[Wildcard25]

Looks like they're ready to head out.