Kingdom Hearts of Harmony

Kingdom Hearts of Harmony

By Steel Soul

Rise of Darkness

Green to start music and red to stop music

The relentless wind of the blizzard battered the small group of ponies, every step feeling as though they were trudging through thick, wet, cold lead. They huddled close, fearing that the storm's dense veil would swallow them whole if they strayed too far from one another, and be lost to the wilds of the frozen storm.

Though he was managing, Sora couldn’t help but feel pants would have been nice, despite his pony fur keeping most of the cold away. It was just something he wasn’t used to. He was an islander after all, cold days like this were far and few between back home.

Squinting ahead, he saw that his companions were struggling just as well, especially the three little fillies clinging tightly to Fluttershy, Applejack and Rarity respectively, their tiny bodies faring the worst against the unforgiving cold.

Gritting his teeth, Sora pressed forward, the sting of the wind biting into him. How could anything survive out here? Let alone an entire Empire? This cold is brutal.

Shining Armor’s voice suddenly broke through his thoughts, though his words were anything but reassuring. “Something keeps trying to get in. We think it’s the Unicorn King who originally cursed the place!”

Sora barely made out Twilight’s voice through the storm as she responded. “B-But Princess Celestia said we were sent to find a way to protect the Empire. If King Sombra can’t get in, then it must already be protected!”

Before Shining could reply, a deep, otherworldly sound pierced the howling wind, overpowering even the raging storm around them. Sora’s eyes darted wildly, searching for the source of the noise. “What the… What was that?!”

Fluttershy drew the trembling fillies closer, all four of them shivering from both cold and fear. “I-It’s one of the things, isn’t it?!”

Shining Armor slammed a hoof into the snow and spun to face the group, his expression hard with determination. “We need to get to the Crystal Empire! NOW!”

Before anypony could react, a thick, swirling cloud of darkness began to form behind them, growing larger and more menacing with each passing moment. As it towered over them, blood red eyes would snap open, freezing the ponies hearts worse than the cold itself.

Sora was the first to snap out of the shock, eyes fixed ahead as he shouted one urgent command.

“RUN!”

And run they did.

Scooping up Spike onto his back and causing him to leave all of Rarity's belongings, Sora kept pace with the mares and the stallion while still staying at the end of the group, ready to defend against any attack that may come their way. He chanced a glance backwards, only to find the cloud of darkness chasing after them without remorse. He clicked his teeth and put on an extra sprint in his step.

A Bright dome of light could be seen over the horizon causing Shining to smile with relief. “Look! We’re almost…”

His jubilation died on his lips before he could even finish what he started to say. Every pony present behind Twilight’s brother could see what had caused the sudden interruption. Many of the same Shadow Pony’s Sora and the others had seen before could be seen rising out of the snow, their beady yellow eyes focused on their targets.

“Twilight…” Spike called out pointing a shaky claw finger toward the waiting creatures. “They got…”

“Horns!!” Twilight finished. “ They have horns! They can use magic!”

Rainbow threw her forelegs in the air. “YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!”

Applejack stood in front of Fluttershy and the fillies. “This looks badder than a swarm of grasshoppers in a corn field…”

“You’re telling me!” Pinkie said with a sigh. “How can I make friends with the crystal ponies if Meanie McShadow Pants stops us from reaching the place!”

Rarity gulped as she made her way behind Sora. “You don’t suppose they would let us through if we asked nicely would they?”

Rainbow landed and dug her hoof into the snow growling angrily, answering for the stallion before he could. “These guys only understand one thing, Rarity! A good old fashioned hoof to the face!”

Shining Armor gritted his teeth and fell back so that he was right next to Sora. “I need you to take the girls and go on ahead! Find a way to get them to safety!”

Sora took not his eyes away from the heartless. “What about you? What are you going to do?”

“I’ll take care of the one right behind us!” Before Sora could object to him facing the big bad king alone, Shining would gallop at full speed towards the encroaching shadow, his horn flaring with a readied spell.

Seeing that he was left with no other choice, Sora galloped ahead, tossing Spike over to Applejack with a quick buck of his hips. Freed from his burden, the hero ran ahead of the girls, summoning his key blade as he went. “I’ll make an opening! You guys take it when-Woah!!” He yelped as he just nearly dodged a beam of dark energy as it shot past the stallion, nearly clipping off more than just a few strands of his mane.

“They have magic Sora!” Twilight called out, summoning a shield to cover herself and her friends as a wave of magic began to assault them . “Uhn! Rushing in without a plan is way too dangerous.”

Sora gritted his teeth as he watched Twilight's shield take on the full brunt of the magic. “Darn it! If only I had my magic then then maybe I could...wait...” Sora’s eyes sparkled and a bright smile played on his lips. “Magic. Magic!!” He turned to Twilight. “Twilight! I can’t use magic! But you can! I need you to form a shield around me!”

Every pony looked at the stallion with shocked expressions, all of them saying the same thing. “What!?

He made his way to Twilight’s side and whispered into her ear and, when he was finished, the mare pulled away, looking at the stallion with uncertainty.. “A-Are you sure that will work, Sora?”

“Don’t know…” Sora’s smile never left his lips as he turned to face the Heartless. “But it always worked when I winged it before! What's stopping it from doing so now?”

“Do you want me to make you a list?!”

He turned to face the incoming Heartless, Keyblade held firmly in his grasp. "Just get the shield ready! We can do it Twi. I trust you. Do you trust me?”

Twilight hesitated for a brief moment, glancing between the oncoming threat and Sora’s determined face. Her mind raced, analyzing every possible outcome. She frowned. “I would have to be close to you. The further away you are from my magic the more I have to produce to keep it together.”

"Then hop on my back and hold tight!"

Twilight blinked in surprise. "W-What?"

"You heard me!" Sora responded, already crouching slightly to make it easier for her. "If you have to stay close, then it's the best way! This way, you won't have to worry about keeping the shield together from a distance."

Twilight hesitated for a moment, clearly taken aback by the idea. But time was running out—the Heartless were drawing closer, and they couldn’t afford to waste another second. Taking a deep breath, Twilight hopped onto Sora’s back, her hooves wrapping tightly around him. "Okay, okay! Just don’t drop me!"

"Don’t worry!” Sora smirked. “ I’ve got you!!" He turned to face the others, “All of you, get behind us but stay close. Me and Twi are gonna smash our way through these heartless!”

The girls all complied just as Twilight formed the energy around her and Sora. A big purple orb enveloped the Stallion, encasing the two ponies.

“All right Twi!” Sora called out. “Let's show them what we can do!” Like a hamster in a mobile ball Sora began running at full speed. The orb around them glided effortlessly in the snow as it made its way toward the front line of the heartless army. The heartless, seeing this, began to shoot the same dark energy toward the ball, but it had little effect as it just bounced right off the glowing surface, sometimes sending it right back toward its owner. Disorientated, the heartless could not even escape as the Sora/Twilight ball of energy bowled them over, sending more than a few flying into their brothers.

It took little time before Sora and the girls and Spike, made it though near the back of the heartless army. Before he reached the end of the line, however, Sora would jump high in the air allowing the ponies behind him to dash under Twilight and himself. Raising his keyblade in the air, he allowed the tip of it to touch Twilight’s shield and a white glow began to resonate with her magic.

“On my mark Twilight!”

Twilight's eyes widened in understanding, her horn glowing brighter as she focused on maintaining the shield while preparing to release it on Sora's command. The weight of the Heartless’ magic and attacks kept slamming against them, but with the added resonance of Sora’s Keyblade, the shield shimmered with an intense power.

“I….Unh! I’m ready!” Twilight called out, her voice strained.

“Then release it! Now!!” he shouted, the tip of his Keyblade still touching the shield.

In an instant, Twilight did just that. The purple barrier shattered outward in a radiant burst, sending shockwaves of energy rippling across the battlefield. The wave of magic cascaded through the ranks of Heartless below, knocking them back and disintegrating many of them into wisps of darkness. The force of the release was so strong, it sent Sora and Twilight spiraling through the air, though Sora managed to keep control with a graceful spin before landing back on the snow-covered ground.

Sora twirled around to see the effects of he and the mare's handwork. "That should slow them down! Twilight we...Twi?" He felt Twilight slouch on his back, her cheek heavily leaning upon him and her grip loosening. “Twilight!? What’s wrong?!”

“I…I used…too much…energy…” She huffed, her grip around his neck slipping more and more.

Sora’s heart raced as he felt Twilight’s grip weaken on his back. His mind quickly assessed the situation—the shimmering dome of the Crystal Empire was within reach in front of him. And a slew of Heartless were reforming behind him, further keeping him away from reaching Shining Armor.

There was only once choice he could make.

“We need to get you to safety,” he said, more to himself than anyone, and with a burst of speed, he galloped toward where the others were waiting near an opening in the dome. He frowned as he approached, “Get going! Don’t stop! The Heartless are right behind me!”

Rainbow, upon seeing Sora and Twilight, flew straight towards them. “There you are! What happened to Twilight?! And what about Shining Armor?!”

“Twilight is down, we have kids with us! Getting them to safety first is the best thing we can do right now.”

“B-But we can’t just leave him!” Rainbow tried so desperately to argue, more out of frustration than anything.

Sora nodded “He can take care of himself for now. As soon as we get the others inside then I can go back for Shining!”

Rainbow scowled. “B-But...We can’t...I mean...He’s Twilight’s brother and…!!”

“Go…”

All the mares turned to look toward Twilight, who was raising herself off the stallion. “The fillies…They have to come first…Go...”

Rainbow gave a look of defeat as she tried in vain to rebel. “B-but…Twi…He’s your…We can't just...I mean..." She struggled to come up with something but to no avail. The cyan mare would soon feel a tug on her tail and found Applejack pulling upon it.

Applejack gave Rainbow Dash a firm but understanding look as she tugged on her tail. “Ah know it’s tough, sugarcube, but Twilight’s right. We can’t risk the young’uns, and Shining Armor wouldn’t want us to, neither.”

Rainbow closed her eyes tight and shook before flying upward and toward the dome, the rest following soon after. As soon as they entered they were greeted with a sight unlike any other. Crystals as far as the eyes could see. The buildings, the road, even most of the décor being made of many different crystals. But that was nothing compared to what lay within the middle of the crystal city.

Rainbow Dash clenched her eyes shut and gave a frustrated shake before launching herself upward and toward the safety of the dome, the others swiftly following her lead. As soon as they crossed the threshold, they were greeted by a sight unlike anything they had ever seen.

Crystals stretched out in every direction, shimmering in the light. The buildings, roads, and even much of the décor were crafted from a myriad of different crystalline structures, each more breathtaking than the last. But the true marvel was at the very heart of the city.

Sora’s eyes widened in awe at the sight of the massive crystal spire towering above them all, even more imposing than the highest structures he’d seen in his many adventures. It reached far beyond the clouds, gleaming in the sunlight with an ethereal beauty. It was a stark contrast to the harsh winter storm outside the dome, where everything was cold and unforgiving. Inside, it felt like a warm, bright summer day, the air calm and welcoming.

The ponies around him gasped in amazement, marveling at the brilliance of the city, but Sora couldn’t afford to join them in their awe. His focus was elsewhere.

Without wasting a second, he carefully slipped Twilight off his back and passed her into Rarity’s waiting hooves. “Take care of her,” he said quickly, his eyes hardening with determination.

Rarity nodded, her expression serious as she cradled Twilight. “Don’t worry, darling. We’ll make sure she’s alright.”

With Twilight safely in Rarity’s care, Sora wasted no time. His heart raced with urgency as he bolted toward the exit of the dome, ready to leap back into the fray.

But as soon as he stepped outside, he froze.

There was nothing.

No Heartless.

No Sombra.

No Shining Armor.

Nothing but the swirling, empty storm.

"What... no... nonoNONONO!" Sora’s voice cracked with panic as he sprinted into the snow, the cold biting into him. He de-summoned his Keyblade mid-run, his breaths coming in short gasps. “SHINING ARMOR! SHINING ARMOR, WHERE ARE YOU?!”

His desperate calls were swallowed by the bitter wind, the only response the relentless howling of the storm around him.

Sora’s legs slowed, dread creeping over him. "No... I was too late..."

Sora collapsed into the snow, his heart heavy with the weight of failure, once again. His breath came in ragged gasps as he raised a trembling hoof to his chest, feeling the tightness there, a tingle of despair threatening to overwhelm him.

He stared blankly into the storm, the biting cold numbing his body, but not the ache inside. I should’ve been faster...

Suddenly, the firm grip of a hoof pulling him snapped him out of his spiral. Sora glanced back, his blurry vision sharpening as he saw Applejack, the mare dragging him toward the safety of the barrier.

“Come on, Sora!” she shouted over the howling wind. “Ain’t no time to be lyin’ out here!”

Sora blinked, the haze of panic slowly lifting. “Applejack… I... I... Shining Armor...”

Applejack’s grip didn’t loosen, her strength unwavering as she tugged him further back toward the protective dome. “Ah see but you ain’t helpin’ nopony if you freeze out here! Now come on, we gotta regroup!”

Her words cut through the fog in his mind, bringing Sora back to reality. He shook his head, trying to focus. "But Shining..."

“We’ll figure it out,” Applejack insisted, her voice softer but still firm. “But first, you gotta get back on your hooves, Sora. We need ya, and so does Twilight.”

Sora frowned as he reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled back toward the barrier, the warmth and safety of the Crystal Empire contrasting sharply with the icy despair gripping his heart. He took one last, desperate look into the swirling blizzard behind him, searching for any sign of Shining Armor.

But there was nothing.

His heart sank as he lowered his gaze to the snow beneath his hooves, guilt weighing heavily on him. I'm sorry.