Kingdom Hearts of Harmony

Kingdom Hearts of Harmony

By Steel Soul

Heartless in Ponyville

Green to start music and red to stop music

“BUCKBUCKBUCKBUCKBUCKBUCKBUCKBUCK!!”

Rainbow Dash’s hooves pounded against the ground as if her life depended on it, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she pushed herself to run faster. She risked a quick glance over her shoulder, her heart racing even faster when she saw two shadowy pony-shaped figures closing the distance between them.

It didn’t help matters that her wing was still aching after her earlier crash. Why did I have to pick tonight to sleep in a tree? she cursed herself. All because I was too bucking lazy to go home! She gritted her teeth, frustration boiling up inside her, but there was no time to stop, no time to berate herself.

Whatever these creatures were, they were fast. Too fast. "Come on, wings, don't fail me now!" she muttered, trying to stretch them out, but the sharp pain shot through her side, reminding her that flying wasn’t an option right now.

Rainbow chanced another look back, her heart pounding in her chest as the shadowy figures drew even closer, their eerie forms creeping toward her with unnerving speed. "Buck! I have to get out of here!" she muttered frantically, her breath ragged.

She snapped her head forward, just in time to catch a glimpse of—

WHAM!

She crashed into a tree, her body slamming hard against the trunk. The impact knocked the wind out of her, and with a groan, she slid down the rough bark, coming to a crumpled heap at the base of the tree.

Rainbow groaned, rubbing her head gingerly as a painful knot began to form. "Ugh... of course this happens..." she muttered, her wings twitching uselessly as she struggled to focus.

Her vision swam for a moment, but reality came crashing back as the soft, sinister sound of the approaching shadows reached her ears. They were almost on top of her.

“Ah...Darn it…” She closed her eyes, and hoped for a miracle.

“IT’S PARTY TIME!!”

SPLAT!

Her eyes shot open, and she blinked in confusion. Standing in front of her was none other than Pinkie Pie, holding a pie in each hoof and wearing an impossibly wide grin. One of the shadowy creatures, now completely covered in what appeared to be whipped cream and crust, stumbled backward, momentarily stunned by the unexpected pastry attack.

“Pinkie?!” Rainbow groaned, rubbing her aching head.

“That’s my name! Don’t wear it out!” Pinkie chirped, her usual bubbly energy cutting through the tension as she reached behind a tree, pulling out cannon—a massive, oversized party cannon that had absolutely no business being hidden behind that tree specifically.

“Hmm…Now that I think about it, I wonder if you really can wear out somepony’s name? If you can’t then why do ponies say such an odd saying?” She turned to Rainbow. “And if you can then why don’t more ponies put some sort of outreach program for the ponies that had their name worn out? I mean really, you think more would be known about those ponies. Can you imagine it? Ponies upon ponies whose name get worn out. What do you call them? Not by their name that’s for sure. I wonder if they would get another name similar to their first? That would be ok, right? I mean if you think about it, that would be ok. Oh! But what about my name? Not too many names for the word pink. At least none I can think of. I could be called a different color I suppose. OH OH OH! I want to be called Yellow! Yeah, Yellow sounds great! NO WAIT, ORANGE! But wait. Aren’t Applejack’s aunt and uncle named Orange? I guess I can’t be orange then. How about-“

“Pinkie! Heartless!!” Rainbow interrupted.

While Pinkie was busy ranting, the shadows had recovered from their pie-attack and were quickly closing the distance towards the duo. The party mare glanced the heartless’ way before smiling towards the rainbow maned pegasus.

“Whoops! Forgot about them,” Pinkie said cheerfully, as if it were the most casual thing in the world. She pressed a hoof on the cannon’s fuse, and with a mighty BANG, a torrent of thick cake batter blasted from the barrel, knocking the heartless back like bowling pins into the river behind them. There they could be seen floating hard and fast down the water, vanishing from sight.

Rainbow Dash blinked in disbelief as she watched the heartless get swept away, her jaw slightly ajar. “Did you just… defeat heartless with cake batter?”

Pinkie turned the cannon upright to look inside. “Whoops a second time. I put cake batter in my confetti cannon again. Huh. Go figure.”

Rainbow Dash’s eye twitched slightly before a smile formed upon her lips. She couldn’t help but laugh a little at the pink party mare. “Pinkie. You’re so random…”

Pinkie grinned, not missing a beat. “Random? I prefer spontaneously strategic! You never know when cake batter will save the day!” She gave her cannon an affectionate pat, like it was her trusty sidekick.

Rainbow Dash shook her head, still chuckling. “Well, whatever you call it, you just saved my flank. Thanks, Pinkie.”

The pink mare made her way towards the blue one, offering her a hoof. “Why didn’t you try to fly away, Dashie?”

Rainbow groaned as she pointed to her wing. “Fell out of a tree. Sprained my wing in the fall. It’ll be ok in a bit but won’t be able to use it for a while.”

Pinkie nodded, accepting her response. “Well, come on. We have to get to Ponyville. I’m still worried about everypony there.”

“You mean that those things are in Ponyville?!”

“Yep. Sora is getting his flank over there now as we speak. I know he’s supposed to be the hero of this story but heroes can always do with some extra support.”

Rainbow grinned. “Well of course, if he can’t handle things I’ll be there to show him up.” She took off, galloping at high speed. “Come on, Pinkie! Let’s show Spikey how real heroes get things done! No running away now!”

Pinkie giggled as she followed behind the pegasus. “Weren’t you running away from-?”

“PINKIE!!!”

~~~

Applejack quickly traversed the distance to Fluttershy’s cottage. She prayed to Celestia on high that she could get there before…before...

She shuddered slightly. “I…I can’t think like that. Ah will get there. Ah will save mah friends!” She put an extra burst of speed into her stride. “Just gotta think positive. She had to have gotten away. She just had to…” Despite her trying to convince herself, thoughts of Fluttershy being visibly taken away into that black whatever that was still plagued her mind’s eye. “Oh Fluttershy…please be alright…”

Her hope was held high until she came within the vicinity of Fluttershy’s Cottage, that’s when despair gave way, piercing her heart completely. The front door was completely off its hinges, laying to one side upon the ground broken and beaten.

“No…NonoNONONO!” She galloped as fast as she could to the doorway. “FLUTTERSHY!” Applejack burst into the house only to be met with silence. The early beams of the sun shined through the windows causing the disheartening sight of overturned tables and destroyed objects to make her cringe inwardly. She was too late. The heartless had been here.

“No…Fluttershy…Ah was…” She lowered her head and gritted her teeth. Even after the promise she had made to Sora that it was going to be okay. “Ah was too late…”

Applejack sat herself amidst the mess, lost in her world of despair, barely noticing the tap on her shoulder. Her ears would perk at the gentle and frightened voice behind her.

“Um…I’m sorry. If you’re too busy to talk then I’ll try again-“

Applejack’s heart practically stopped in her chest as she spun around, eyes wide and full of disbelief. Standing there, trembling slightly but very much unharmed, was Fluttershy. Her soft, teal eyes were filled with concern as she gazed at Applejack.

"F-Fluttershy?!" Applejack's voice cracked, caught between relief and shock. She stumbled forward, grabbing Fluttershy in a tight hug before the pegasus could even finish her sentence. "Yer okay! Oh thank Celestia, yer okay!"

“W-well…” Fluttershy looked back at her book case. “I was hiding when those things came into my house.”

Applejack stared at her, flabbergasted, “Wait? Ya knew they were coming?”

“Not exactly.”

The farm mare raised an eyebrow. “But you were already hiding?”

“Yes…me and my animal friends…”

“…”

"..."

Applejack embraced her friend once again. "Ya know what? Ah don't care. As long as you are safe and sound." She reared up one behind legs before marking her way toward the door. "Come on Shy. We need ta git ta Ponyville on the double."

The shy mare’s eyes widened. “W-What?! But why? Those things are still out there and...I-”

Applejack paused at the door, turning back to face Fluttershy with a determined expression. “Ah know it’s scary, Fluttershy, but we gotta go. Those things—those heartless—are all over Ponyville, and the others might need our help. Sora’s already there, and we can’t just sit back and do nothin’.”

“B-but why do we need to go to Ponyville? Wouldn’t it be safer to stay here? Where it’s safe.”

“Think about it Shy. If those things were after ya’ll then what’s to stop ‘em from going after the rest of us? They already tried to nab me after attack Big mac after all.”

“E-even if that’s that case…what can I do? I’ll just get in everypony’s way.”

“That’s not true. We need ya there, Fluttershy.” When it didn’t look like the shy mare would budge, she decided to play her ace. “Sides, Sora might need all the support we can give em.”

At the mention of Sora, Fluttershy’s ears perked up slightly, her eyes flickering with a mix of concern and hesitation. “S-Sora?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Applejack smirked. Bingo. Turning to face the mare completely she spoke once again. “See…Big Mac got hurt pretty badly when the creatures attacked the farm.” At the gasp Flutttershy gave, the farm-mare held up a hoof. “Don’t worry, it looked a lot worse than it was, and Sora was there to save us before anything bad really happened. The thing is though, he took full blame for the attack.”

“I-I’m sure it was nopony’s fault...Well maybe the heartless… But why would he blame himself?”

Applejack sighed, her expression softening. “Ah can’t rightly say, Fluttershy. Not without sittin’ down and talkin’ it out with him.” She shook her head gently. “But right now, that ain’t what’s important.”

Fluttershy blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Applejack stepped closer, placing a comforting hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “What’s important is that we’re there for him, even if he don’t ask for it.”

Fluttershy looked away, a gentle frown upon her features. "I Think..." She turned back towards her friend. "I think...Sora isn’t telling us something. I don’t think it’s bad but…I don’t think it’s good either. At least, not good for him.”

"Ah think as much too." AJ agreed. “Which is why we need to help him. Ta show him that he has friends here.”

Fluttershy thought for a moment. She couldn’t fight, not like the rest, but she did want to help Sora out as much as she could. With silent resolve she made her way to an overturned dresser and opened one of the draws. She was happy to find that it was still intact.

“Fluttershy. What in the hay is that?”

The pegasus presented the object to the cowmare. “I-it’s a…well it’s fruit made out of cloth actually.”

“A fruit?”

Fluttershy nodded. “The Paopu fruit. Or it's supposed to look like one. It’s really common where he comes from. He told me how it looks and also about how ponies give them to one another as a sign of being friends forever. Since we don’t have any here I thought that…That I could give him this instead.” Fluttershy cheeks turned a shade of red. “I wanted to let him know that I was there for him…”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. Never seen Shy so forward…still…She smiled. “I see. Well then say no more, Fluttershy. I’m sure that he would be happy for you to give him that. But how about ya do so after we make sure our friends are ok.”

Fluttershy nodded and smiled happily. The pair then departed from the cottage with both newfound hope and worry.

~~~

“Well... this isn’t good…” The Doctor murmured to himself as he stood on top of the hill, staring down at Ponyville. The blobs of darkness were gathering, all slowly converging toward Town Hall. They moved with purpose, like they were waiting for something—or someone—and he had a pretty good idea of what it might be.

He let out a small chuckle despite the grim situation. “Living shadows that aren’t part of the Vasta Narata... Now that’s a new one. Not exactly the kind of wrinkle I was hoping for, but a wrinkle nonetheless.”

A voice called out from behind him. “Professor! I think that’s everypony!”

Turning, the Doctor spotted the gray pegasus with a blonde mane, Derpy, hovering just a little off the ground, her wings flapping anxiously. He gave her a warm smile and a nod. “That’s good! Very good, in fact! It helps that they weren’t too interested in chasing after us, but we’ll take any win we can get, eh?”

Derpy landed next to him, her eyes wide with concern. “But what are those things? And why are they here?”

The Doctor sighed, his gaze returning to the ominous blobs of darkness creeping through Ponyville. “That’s the million-bit question, isn’t it? I don’t know exactly what they are, but they’re dangerous.” He shakes his head. “Is Rose still calming down the ponies here.”

Derpy nodded, her wings folding against her sides as she glanced back towards the group of ponies they had helped evacuate from the town. “Yeah, Rose is doing her best. She’s got everypony settled for now, but… they’re all scared, Doctor. I mean, one minute, they were just going about their day, and the next—those shadows appeared. It’s like a nightmare!”

The Doctor’s expression softened, but his gaze remained locked on the creeping darkness below. “Nightmare or not, we’ll figure it out. We always do, don’t we?” His tone was reassuring, but there was a slight edge to his voice, one that betrayed the weight of the situation. He couldn’t let on how serious it really was—not yet, not until he knew more.

“Twilight! Spike! Where are you!?”

Derpy and The Doctor turned to see a white unicorn with a swirly purple mane and tail frantically looking around in a panicked state.

“Has anypony seen Twilight and Spike?! I can’t find them anywhere!”

“Twilight…” The Doctor instantly ran to the white unicorn gaining her attention. “You there! Miss White Unicorn! Did you lose someone?”

“My friends!” She was practically in tears as she spoke. “I thought for sure that they were right behind me, but as soon as I got here I noticed that they were nowhere to be found. I can’t find them at all!”

Keeping a kindhearted expression, the Doctor smiled warmly at the distressed unicorn. “I’m sure they’re fine. From what I hear, Twilight is more than capable of taking care of herself.”

Before Rarity could respond, her ears perked up at the sound of a familiar voice calling her name. She turned just in time to see a caramel-colored stallion racing toward her. “Sora!” she cried dramatically and flung herself at him. Sora, though caught off guard, managed to catch her, but the momentum caused both of them to tumble to the ground in a heap of flailing hooves and manes.

"R-Rarity?! You’re okay!" Sora exclaimed, trying to steady both himself and the emotional unicorn. His gaze then shifted to the crowd of ponies gathering around them, their faces a mix of confusion and concern. "Wait… you all made it out. But… who... How?"

“That would be me. I’m the Doctor, thanks,” the brown stallion said with a casual nod, extending a hoof toward Sora.

“I’m Sora.” He took the Doctor’s hoof on his own, shaking it. “You’re the one that saved Pinkie as well, right?”

The Doctor thought for a moment, his brow furrowing in concentration. “Ah! You mean that really pink pony?” He paused, as if the realization finally hit him. “Of course her name is Pinkie... What else would I expect from this world anymore?” He muttered the last part more to himself, his tone bemused.

Sora quickly turned his attention back to Rarity, still helping her up after their dramatic tumble. “Rarity, is Twilight with you?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.

Rarity, still catching her breath from the emotional rush, shook her head. “No, darling… I thought she and Spike were right behind me when we fled, but when I arrived here, they were nowhere to be found!” Her eyes were filled with worry, and she bit her lip. “I’ve been searching for them ever since!”

The Doctor shifted his gaze toward the town. “If my fears are grounded, and I find they often are…” He pulled a weird device from behind his tie and pointed it towards the mass of darkness that was converging on town hall. A loud whirl was produced for only a second before it stopped. He gazed at the device before turning to face Sora. “Yep! Just as I suspected. Those things are gathering towards some sort of power. If I had to guess, that might be her. She’s somewhere in there, most likely town hall.”

Sora stared at the merging darkness, his teeth gritting slightly. “If she’s there, then that’s where I’m going.”

Rarity stood beside him. “If you’re going, then so am I!”

Sora glanced at Rarity, her determined expression mirroring his own resolve. "Rarity, it’s dangerous. Those Heartless are gathering for a reason, and if Twilight’s in trouble, I can’t let you get hurt too."

"Twilight and Spike are my friends, Sora.” Rarity told him, “I won’t sit idly by while they’re in danger! Besides, I may not be as strong as you, but I can still help. Besides, I can guide you. I know quite a few backways to go due to Sweetie always trying to run from her choirs.”

Sora was about to protest but then thought better of it. He didn’t want to put others in danger but the girls in this world were unusually stubborn. Actually, to be fair, so were Kairi and Sophie, and Yuffie and Paine, and Aritha, and the Queen and…well there was no shortage of strong willed girls he knew that would not think twice about defying his orders.

He sighed a defeated sigh as he turned to face the mare. “You don’t leave my side for a second. Okay?”

“But of course Darling.”

~~~

Sneaking around had never been Sora’s strong suit, but with Rarity guiding him, it was much easier to navigate the shadow-infested streets of Ponyville. Her intimate knowledge of the town helped them avoid most of the larger groups of Heartless, and any that crossed their path were quickly dispatched by Sora’s Keyblade. Rarity, ever the supportive companion, stayed a safe distance away during the skirmishes, offering words of encouragement as Sora cleared the way.

Everything was going smoothly—too smoothly, in fact. And that was what really unnerved Sora.

As a Keyblade wielder, he had grown accustomed to Heartless swarming him wherever he went, drawn to the power of the Keyblade like moths to a flame. But here, in the dark, shadowed streets of Ponyville, the attacks had been few and far between. It wasn’t normal. And it made Sora feel like something worse was lurking ahead.

They had been moving quickly through the town, keeping to the shadows where they could, but with each step toward Town Hall, the feeling of being watched grew stronger. It gnawed at the edges of Sora’s senses, making the air feel heavy with tension. He couldn’t help but feel like they were walking into a trap.

But he didn’t have the luxury of turning back. Twilight and Spike were somewhere in the thick of it, and leaving them behind wasn’t an option.

"Sora," Rarity’s soft voice broke the silence, pulling him from his thoughts. "We’re almost there. Just around this corner is the path to Town Hall."

Sora nodded, keeping his eyes on the shadows shifting unnervingly ahead. "Stay close, Rarity. I don’t like how quiet it is… something’s off."

“I have to admit...I’m a little worried.” Rarity continued after a short while, “Those creatures are just dreadful and...” She gulped. “Twilight is...here...somewhere. Do you think she is safe?”

Sora shook his head gravely. “I don’t know…” He put on a brave smile as he faced her. “But I promised to protect you girls, no matter what. So even if she’s in trouble right now, I’ll get her out—no problem.”

Rarity nodded, though her worry was still clear. As they continued their careful trek toward the center of town, she found herself stealing glances at Sora. He was clearly on edge, his ears constantly swiveling to catch any sound, his eyes darting from one shadow to another, alert for the slightest movement. His focus was unwavering, his stance tense, like a spring ready to snap into action at any moment.

Despite the tension of the situation, Rarity couldn’t help but trust him, despite only just meeting the stallion. He may have a youthful, carefree nature most of the time, but in a moment like this, she couldn’t deny he seemed like a force to be reckoned with—a true knight in shining armor.

It wasn’t long before the two made their way to the center of town, only to be stopped dead in their tracks by a sight that sent chills down their spines.

On the stage at Town Hall stood a pony cloaked in a tattered cape as black as midnight. Sora’s first instinct was to assume it was a Heartless, but he quickly realized it wasn’t—there were eyes, cold and piercing, glowing a deep red from beneath the hood. They stared at him with an unsettling intensity.

But it wasn’t the cloaked figure that left them in shock.

Floating beside the mysterious pony was a large purple bubble of energy, hovering just above the ground. Inside it, a sight that made Sora’s heart nearly stop in his chest.

“I-Is that…Oh Celestia! Is that her heart?!” Rarity gasped, horror lacing her voice.

Sora couldn’t respond. His shock had already given way to a surge of pure rage. Inside the bubble, floating peacefully as if in a dream, was an unconscious Twilight. Above her, a glowing pink, crystal-like heart hovered, pulsing gently with an eerie light. Below her, Spike was trapped in the same force field, desperately pounding against the barrier, his terrified eyes filled with tears.

“Twilight…” Sora swore under his breath, summoning his Keyblade in a flash of light. He tensed, ready to charge forward, but before he could act, a deafening roar shook the ground beneath them.

Without warning, a massive, spike-covered appendage came crashing down toward him and Rarity. Sora reacted instantly, grabbing her and leaping out of the way just as the ground exploded from the impact. When they landed safely a few feet away, they found themselves staring up at a monstrous creature.

It was plant-like in appearance, but unlike anything Sora had ever seen. Towering over the square, easily the size of Town Hall, its thick black stem was covered in bright red spikes. At its base were four clawed limbs, digging into the ground like grotesque roots. Its head, resembling a massive sunflower, had a gaping maw filled with sharp teeth, and two glowing yellow slits that passed for eyes. Deadly mandibles twitched at the corners of its mouth. And there, emblazoned on its chest, was a familiar, terrifying symbol—the mark of the Heartless.

“Heartless…” Sora muttered, eyes narrowing.

“T-that’s a Heartless?!” Rarity stammered, pointing a trembling hoof at the enormous creature.

Sora pushed himself to his hooves, his eyes locked on the cloaked mare. His grip tightened around the Keyblade, anger simmering beneath the surface. “What did you do to Twilight?!”

The cloaked pony lazily glanced toward the floating form of Twilight and sighed as if the whole ordeal bored her. “Well, that’s quite the question, isn’t it? I simply tried to steal her heart, but…” She tapped a hoof lightly against the glowing shield that surrounded Twilight. “This happened. Seems my usual methods aren’t as effective on every pony.” Her tone was casual, almost mocking.

“S-steal her heart…?” Rarity stammered, stepping back behind Sora, her voice filled with horror. The thought of such a thing was incomprehensible to her, and it made her stomach churn.

The mare rolled her eyes. “What? Are those fat ears of yours clogged? Yes, steal her heart. Honestly, how hard is that to understand?” She shook her head as if the entire situation was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

Sora stepped forward, his Keyblade glowing faintly in his hoof, a low growl escaping him. “Get away from her!”

A creepy smile curled beneath the mare’s hood. “Aww. How cute. You think you’re in control.”

With an eerie calmness, she sat back on her haunches and clapped her hooves together twice. Instantly, the monstrous Heartless reared back, letting out a deafening roar that shook the ground beneath them. Its massive spiked appendage raised high, preparing to strike with the force to flatten them in one blow.

But Sora was faster.

Before the appendage could connect, Sora grabbed Rarity, wrapping her protectively under his foreleg. With a burst of strength and speed, he leapt back twenty feet, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow. The ground where they had been standing cracked and splintered, debris flying in all directions as the Heartless’ attack landed with terrifying force.

Rarity let out a shriek, her hooves clinging tightly to Sora as they landed safely. “T-this is madness!” she gasped, her heart pounding in her chest. “We can’t fight that thing!”

Sora quickly set her down and summoned his Keyblade, he gave Rarity a smile before turning back to face the monster, determination burning in his gaze. Without hesitation, he charged straight at the monstrous Heartless. The creature responded in kind, raising another spiked leg to strike. Sora, however, deftly rolled to the side, avoiding the blow as the Heartless’ leg crashed into the dirt.

Not wasting a second, Sora leapt high into the air, aiming to land a blow on the creature's face. But as he neared, the Heartless opened its massive maw wide, and with a thunderous snap, it closed its jaws around the Keyblade wielder.

Rarity screamed, turning her head away, unable to bear the sight of what she thought was the end of her hero.

“What the… HOW THE HELL…!?” the cloaked mare shouted in disbelief.

Rarity’s eyes snapped open at the mare's exclamation, and to her amazement, Sora was still alive, struggling to pry the Heartless' jaws apart with his fore and hind hooves. He was holding the creature’s maw open, his strength barely wavering as he fought to keep from being crushed. Rarity cheered for him from a safe distance, her heart pounding with relief.

The Heartless, enraged that its prey wasn’t succumbing so easily, began thrashing about wildly, trying to throw Sora off. The stallion, however, held firm, refusing to let go despite the Heartless' furious attempts to dislodge him.

In a desperate move, the Heartless turned toward a nearby building and charged forward, smashing through the structure with reckless abandon. Dust and debris filled the air as the Heartless crashed into the side of the house, reducing it to rubble.

For a moment, everything was still. The Heartless, dazed from the impact, lifted its head to assess the damage it had caused. The house was little more than a pile of wreckage. It let out a triumphant roar and turned its gaze toward Rarity, who stood frozen in terror.

“YOU IDIOT! ABOVE YOU!!” the cloaked mare shouted.

The Heartless had just enough time to look up before a hard, gleaming object came crashing down onto its head. Sora, having thrown his Keyblade from high above, struck the creature with precision. He held his pose for a brief second as the weapon made contact, then used his wings to guide his descent, landing gracefully a few feet away as the dazed Heartless toppled to the ground.

The Keyblade soon followed, landing point-first into the dirt beside its wielder, as if drawn by some unseen force.

Sora scraped the ground with his hoof, his expression fierce as he lowered his head in challenge. "Alright, time to finish this!" With a powerful kick, he dislodged his blade from the earth and charged forward, closing the distance between himself and the struggling Heartless.

Sora was ready for the snap of the Heartless’ jaws, easily dodging the desperate attack with a graceful leap. As he soared above the monster, he raised his head high, gritting his teeth as he called out, “FIRE!”

He fully expected the Heartless to erupt in flames, consumed by the magical inferno.

What he didn’t expect… was for nothing to happen.

What the...? My magic! It’s not—!!

His thoughts were cut short as a swift kick from the cloaked pony landed squarely against his face, sending him sprawling across the ground.

“Sora!” Rarity gasped, rushing to his side. She knelt beside him, gently cradling the dazed stallion. “Darling! Are you alright?”

With her support, Sora slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, though his mind was still reeling from the blow. “M-my magic… it’s not working…”

Before they could make sense of what had happened, the sound of laughter filled the air. The cloaked mare landed a few feet away from them, her voice dripping with sadistic amusement. “Oh, that was absolutely priceless! A top-tier comedy act! I don’t know what you were trying to do, but you failed… spectacularly. Some might even say, epically.”

Rarity’s eyes narrowed into a fierce glare as she turned toward the cloaked pony. “That was completely unfair! You’re not supposed to interfere like that!”

“Oh please!” the cloaked pony spat, her voice dripping with disdain. “You must be some kind of idiot if you think I’d let you make a fool of my Heartless without some kind of consequence. This isn’t some fantasy novel, you know.” She cast a sideways glance at Sora, her expression darkening. “And if this is all the Keyblade can do, then I don’t even have to worry about you anymore.”

A sinister grin spread across her face as a wicked-looking spear appeared beside her, wrapped in a black aura. “Still... I can’t have you running around and causing trouble, so…”

Without warning, the spear shot forward, aimed directly at Sora and Rarity, its intent clear.

Sora’s eyes widened, not from fear for himself but from shock as Rarity suddenly moved in front of him, wrapping her hooves around him in an effort to shield him.

“R-Rarity... stop... move... get away... I…” he tried to protest, but the spear was coming too fast.

Just as it was about to strike, something yanked both of them backward, causing the spear to miss its mark and hit nothing but air.

“YEEE-HAW! Looks like we made it just in time!” Applejack called out, expertly pulling her lasso that had wrapped around Sora and Rarity, untangling them as they landed safely.

“And not a moment too soon,” Rainbow Dash smirked as she hovered above them. “Looks like our HERO already needs a rescue.”

“Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy rushed over to Sora and Rarity’s side, her eyes wide with concern. “Are you two alright?”

“Of course they are!” Pinkie Pie chimed in, bouncing in seemingly from nowhere. “Did you see Sora’s slick moves? Well... at least until the end.”

“Girls!” Rarity cried out in joy, her eyes welling with relief. “What are you all doing here?”

Before any of them could answer, a sudden scream from Fluttershy alerted them to a massive fireball hurtling towards the group. Sora, quick as ever, summoned his Keyblade once more and leapt toward the incoming mass of energy. With a swift, practiced motion, he deflected it with his Keyblade, redirecting it straight back at the Heartless that had summoned it.

The creature let out a guttural roar as the fireball struck it, toppling it over and sending it crashing into a nearby building, causing it to crumble under the weight of the impact.

“Damn it! How the heck are all of you here?!” the cloaked pony screeched, pointing an accusatory hoof at Sora and the girls. “All of you should have had your hearts taken by now!”

Applejack, ready with a sharp retort, suddenly froze as her eyes locked onto Twilight and Spike, trapped inside the eerie bubble. “Twi! What the hay?! What did ya do to her?!”

“She’s trying to turn her into a Heartless!” Sora shouted, his eyes narrowing as he turned his focus back to the monstrous Heartless, now slowly rising again. “We have to end this, now!” Without another word, he dashed towards the creature, determination fueling his every step.

“Oh no, you don’t, you little—!” the cloaked pony snarled, her horn glowing a sinister dark red as she prepared to chase after Sora. But before she could make a move, her hindleg was suddenly caught by Applejack’s lasso.

“You ain’t goin’ anywhere, missy!” Applejack declared, tugging hard on the rope. “Now tell us what ya did to Twilight!”

“Don’t interfere!” the cloaked pony screamed, her voice seething with rage. Her magic wrapped around the rope, and with a dark glow, she began dragging Applejack toward her with alarming strength.

“Whoa, nelly!” Applejack dug in her hooves, trying to resist the pull, but it was no use. The cloaked unicorn’s magic was far stronger than the Earth pony’s physical strength. A wicked smile formed beneath the darkness of the mare’s hood as she prepared to yank Applejack into her grasp.

“Gotcha now, you little—!”

SPLAT!!

A pair of pies smashed into the cloaked pony’s face, cutting her off mid-sentence. Pinkie stood triumphantly on her hind legs, balancing more pies in each hoof. “Nopony messes with my friends!”

The cloaked pony let out an enraged roar, wiping the pie from her face. “GAAAHH! STOP GETTING IN MY WAY!!” She readied her magic to blast Pinkie, but before she could fire, something slammed into her side with the force of a freight train, sending her crashing into a nearby building.

Rainbow Dash landed in the spot where the cloaked mare had been standing, a satisfied smirk on her face as she dusted off her hooves. “And stay down, ya jerk.”

~~~

Sora didn't want to leave his friends behind, but with the Heartless looming dangerously and Twilight's heart at risk, he had no choice. He had to finish this, and fast. There was no telling how much time Twilight’s heart had left within the protective bubble—if it wasn’t already too late.

With a powerful beat of his wings, Sora took to the air, positioning himself high above the massive Heartless. His Keyblade gripped tightly in his jaw, he angled his body to begin a freefall, aiming directly for the Heartless’s crest. The creature saw his approach and began charging another ball of energy in its maw, a swirling mass of darkness growing with every second.

But Sora didn’t flinch. Instead of dodging or blocking, he aimed directly for the gathering energy. With all his might, he hurled his Keyblade straight into the heart of the dark mass. The weapon connected with the ball of energy, causing it to implode in a burst of dark light, swallowing the Heartless in its own attack. When the explosion cleared, the monster was left a disfigured mess, barely holding itself together.

“Time to finish this!” Sora shouted through clenched teeth. His Keyblade reappeared in his mouth as he angled himself downward for the final strike. With one more powerful flap of his wings, he shot toward the Heartless like a missile, his blade aimed directly at its crest.

The moment his Keyblade struck, a brilliant light erupted from the point of impact, blinding everyone around. The intense radiance illuminated the entire battlefield, casting away every shadow in its path.

As the light finally faded, Fluttershy was the first to open her eyes. What she saw, and what everypony else saw, would forever be etched into their memories.

Sora stood tall on the ground, the remnants of the Heartless dissolving into particles of light that floated skyward. And above him, rising slowly into the heavens, was the most breathtaking crystalized heart anypony had ever seen. Its shimmering beauty was a testament to the strength and determination of the one who had freed it.

All eyes were on the heart as it ascended higher and higher into the sky, shining brightly before finally disappearing into the vast expanse above.

Sora let out a breath of relief, his body relaxing for the first time since the battle had started. But his moment of calm didn’t last long as his eyes widened in realization. “Wait! Where’s that robed pony?!”

Rainbow Dash, who had been equally entranced by the sight of the heart floating into the sky, blinked in surprise. “Oh, shoot!” she muttered. She flew to the spot where she had last seen the cloaked unicorn, scanning the area quickly. “What the hay?! She was just right here!”

Applejack stomped her hoof on the ground in frustration. “Darn it! She must’ve slipped away while we were all distracted!”

But Pinkie Pie was already sprinting toward Twilight and Spike. “Forget her for now! We need to help Twilight, pronto!” she shouted, her voice filled with urgency.

All the ponies immediately forgot about their escaped foe and followed after Pinkie Pie toward the magenta bubble where Twilight and Spike were trapped. As they reached it, they saw Spike clutching Twilight’s hoof tightly. Though his tears had stopped, worry was still etched deeply on his face. Rainbow Dash shook her head, then whirled on Sora.

“W-what’s gonna happen to her?” she asked, her voice trembling with panic.

Sora shook his head, his expression grim. “I... don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Fluttershy was next to speak, her voice soft but filled with fear. “Can you save her?”

Sora’s ears drooped, and his eyes lowered. “I… don’t know…”

“You don’t know?” Rainbow’s voice wavered, anger rising as she stomped toward him. “You don’t know?!” She grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, pulling him close, her tear-filled eyes boring into his. “You’re supposed to be the bucking hero! You’re supposed to protect us!!”

The sight of Rainbow’s tears made Sora’s heart sink. His own eyes widened, guilt settling in.

My fault...

Applejack quickly stepped in, pulling Rainbow off of Sora and holding her back. “Rainbow! Yellin’ at him ain’t gonna fix nothin’! You’re bein’ unfair!”

Sora hung his head, his voice barely a whisper. “...But is she’s right. I’m supposed to protect you. All of you... And I wasn’t there for Twilight. This is... my fault.”

Fluttershy, tears now welling in her own eyes, stepped beside him. “Sora…”

Rarity, her voice thick with emotion, looked at him desperately. “What can we do? How can we help her?”

Sora remained silent for a moment, but then his ears suddenly perked up. His gaze snapped to the group. “My Keyblade!”

“What about your Keyblade, darling?” Rarity asked, dabbing her eyes with a hoof.

Sora started bouncing on his hooves, excitement lighting up his features. “My Keyblade—it can unlock anything! Not just doors and chests, but gateways, and... and it can unlock hearts!”

Rainbow scoffed, still shaken. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Sora steadied himself, gripping his Keyblade tightly as he looked at each of his friends. “I’ve done this before… sort of,” he explained, his voice trembling slightly but filled with determination. “I once had to unlock my own heart to save a friend. It worked then… and maybe… just maybe, I can do the opposite now.”

“That sounds mighty dangerous, sugarcube,” Applejack said, her voice filled with concern.

“I know it is,” Sora replied, his gaze locked on Twilight’s unconscious form. “I’m not even sure my Keyblade can do this… but I have to try!” Determination burned in his eyes, though uncertainty lingered just beneath the surface.

As he started toward the glowing sphere, Fluttershy suddenly reached out, gripping his hoof gently. “Sora… what if something goes wrong? What if… you get hurt?” Her voice was soft, trembling with worry.

Sora turned to her with a gentle smile. “If something goes wrong… then I’ll do everything in my power to make it right,” he said, his voice filled with quiet resolve, though Fluttershy could see the hint of apprehension he was trying to mask.

Despite her fears, Fluttershy managed a small smile in return. “Okay…” She hesitated for a moment before gently pressing something into his hoof. When Sora looked down, he saw a small plush yellow star with a plastic leaf at one of its tips.

"Save her… please," Fluttershy whispered, her eyes filled with both hope and fear.

Sora gripped the little star tightly, his heart swelling with determination. "I will. I promise."

Summoning his Keyblade, the stallion geared himself up for a task he felt he was not ready for, but one he needed to do, one he had no choice but to accomplish. The Keyblade of Hearts his blade isn’t; but a Keyblade connected to hearts it is.

“Here goes nothing.” Sora pointed his blade at the bubble, the tip of the key brimming with energy before shooting out towards Twilight. As it did, the brightest light anypony could see began to surround the group, blinding all in in pure white.

~~~

It’s too much… I can’t fight it…

Twilight sank deeper into the darkness, its cool, inky embrace enveloping her. At first, she struggled, trying with all her might to resist it, but the more she fought, the more it pulled her in. Slowly but surely, the despair crept over her, until she couldn’t fight any longer.

Tears slipped down her cheeks as she closed her eyes.

What can I do? I… I just can’t fight it anymore… Spike… Princess… Everypony… I… I’m so sorry…

The darkness swallowed her whole, pulling her into its endless depths. She surrendered to it, letting the cold waves wash over her. Until…

-ght!!

A voice. She could hear a voice. Where was it coming from?

Twilight!!

The voice called her name. It sounded urgent, familiar. Who was it?

Twilight, grab my hand!

A hand? She reached out with her hoof, unsure but desperate. A figure appeared before her, its shape blurred by the blinding light behind it. It wasn’t a pony—its elongated body was something she had never seen before. As she reached, she felt its “hand” wrap around her hoof, pulling her from the abyss. The figure’s grasp was firm but gentle, and slowly, she felt herself being lifted out of the darkness that had threatened to consume her.

She was pulled into an embrace, her head resting against the figure’s chest. Fatigue washed over her, making it hard to stay awake. She glimpsed the figure holding something—a small, star-shaped object made of felt. It was something she didn’t recognize, yet the warmth it radiated felt strangely familiar, like something she had always known deep down.

Light enveloped them both, flooding her senses. She tried to speak, to form words, but the warmth and light drowned out everything. All she could feel was the safety and comfort of the figure holding her close.

In those last moments before she slipped into unconsciousness, one final thought surfaced in her mind. One thought that left her with more questions than answers.

His heart... It feels so familiar. Strange… alien… but warm… And then, she whispered to herself:

Sora…