Sam stared at Riley's gray wings and felt their world collapse.
Their best friend lay unconscious on the crystal floor, her silver magic totally drained. Queen Celestia beside her, platinum wings now dead as old stone.
"No," Sam whispered, their rainbow wings quivering with desperate light.
"There has to be another way." Alex knelt beside the falling Queen, their golden wings flickering like a dying flame.
"The book," they said quickly.
"Maybe there's something else in the ancient texts." Sam grabbed the heavy tome, pages fluttering as they searched furiously. The words seemed to blur together, but one line made them stop cold.
"The Rainbow Guardian's sacrifice must be willing," Sam read aloud.
"Only through true love's power can the stolen colors return."
"True love?" Alex looked up, their bright eyes meeting Sam's.
"What does that mean?" Before Sam could answer, the crystal house shuddered. Cracks appeared in the walls as something massive hit the building from outside.
The Shadow King's laughing grew louder, closer.
"He's here," Sam breathed. Through the throne room's vast windows, they could see a figure coming.
The Shadow King rode on wings of pure darkness, so large they blocked out the sun. His eyes glowed like burning coals, and wherever he flew, the very air turned gray.
"Rainbow Guardian!" his voice boomed across the land.
"Come to me willingly, and I will spare your friends a painful death!" Sam's hands shook as they closed the old book.
"I have to go to him."
"Absolutely not," Alex said strongly, standing between Sam and the window.
"We'll find another way."
"There is no other way!" Sam cried, their rainbow wings bursting with emotion.
"Look around you! Riley's dying, the Queen's dying, and your wings are fading too!" Alex glanced down at their golden feathers, now pale yellow around the edges.
"Then we face him together." "You don't understand," Sam said, tears running down their face.
"The magic only works if I sacrifice myself. If I die, everyone else lives."
"And if you die, what happens to me?" Alex asked quietly. The question hung in the air between them. Sam had never thought about that - what would happen to Alex if they were gone?
"You'll be the ruler Aetheria needs," Sam said finally. "You'll rebuild the kingdom."
"I don't want to be a ruler without you," Alex whispered, moving closer.
"These past few days, flying with you, talking with you... Sam, I think I'm falling in love with you."
Sam's rainbow wings blazed brighter than ever before.
"Alex, don't say that. It just makes this harder."
"Good," Alex said, reaching for Sam's hand.
"Because easy choices are usually wrong choices." The moment their fingers touched, something incredible happened.
Alex's fading golden wings suddenly blazed with fresh light, and Sam's rainbow wings began to sing - actually sing - with pure magical energy.
"What's happening?" Sam gasped. Riley's eyes fluttered open, her silver wings flashing back to life.
"The book," she said weakly.
"Read it again." Sam fumbled with the ancient text, looking for the passage about true love.
"Here! 'Only through true love's power can the stolen colors return.' But it doesn't say anything about death!"
"Keep reading," Riley urged, trying to sit up. Sam's eyes widened as they found the next line.
"When hearts unite in perfect harmony, the Rainbow Guardian's light grows strong enough to heal all wounds and restore all magic.'"
"Hearts unite," Alex repeated, their golden wings now burning bright.
"Sam, what if the price isn't your life? What if it's your fear?"
"My fear?" "You've been hiding your whole life," Alex said softly.
"Hiding your wings, hiding your thoughts, hiding who you really are. What if the real sacrifice is letting everyone see the true you?"
The crystal castle shook again as the Shadow King landed on the balcony outside. His huge form filled the window, black wings spread wide like a living nightmare.
"Enough games!" he roared. "Give me the Rainbow Guardian, or watch your kingdom turn to dust!" Sam looked at their friends - Riley stumbling to her feet, Alex standing brave and golden beside them, Queen Celestia stirring back to consciousness.
Everyone they loved was in danger because of them.
"I won't hide anymore," Sam said, their voice getting stronger.
"I won't be afraid anymore." They walked toward the window, their rainbow wings spread wide and blazing with every color possible.
"I'm Sam Rivers," they called out to the Shadow King.
"I'm the Rainbow Guardian, and I'm not afraid of you!"
The Shadow King's laughter filled the air.
"Foolish child. You think love makes you strong? I will show you what true power looks like!" He raised his black wings, and darkness poured from them like a flood.
But as the shadow magic raced toward Sam, something amazing happened. Alex stepped up beside them, golden wings spread wide.
"You're not facing him alone." Riley appeared on Sam's other side, silver wings sparkling with renewed magic.
"We're stronger together." Even Queen Celestia rose to her feet, golden wings blazing back to life.
"The kingdom stands with you, Rainbow Guardian." As their wings touched - rainbow, gold, silver, and platinum - a burst of light erupted from the crystal castle.
The light was so bright it could be seen from every part of Aetheria, so powerful it made the Shadow King stumble backward.
"Impossible," he snarled. "Love cannot defeat me!"
"Watch us," Sam said, their rainbow wings now singing with the sounds of everyone they loved.
The four friends joined hands, their wing colors blending into a beautiful aurora that stretched across the sky.
Everywhere the light touched, gray wings burst back into bright color. People across the kingdom looked up in wonder as their power returned. But the Shadow King wasn't finished. With a roar of rage, he gathered all his remaining darkness into one massive attack.
"If I cannot have your power," he screamed,
"then no one will!" The blast of shadow magic sped toward them, enough darkness to destroy the entire palace. Sam closed their eyes, feeling the love of their friends flowing through the colorful light.
This was it.
The moment that would decide everything. And in that moment, Sam finally knew what true love really meant.
But would understanding be enough to save them all? The darkness crashed into the light, and the world burst into chaos.