Kingdom Hearts of Harmony

Kingdom Hearts of Harmony

by steel soul

Green to start music and red to stop music

To say that both of the ponies Applebloom confessed her heart out to were more than a little surprised would have been the understatement of the century. In fact, they could only think of one word that could ascertain the amount of shock and awe that the pegasus and unicorn were feeling at that very moment. One simple four letter word that, with enough volume, could properly portray their flabbergastery.

“WHAT?!”

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle’s voices rang out in unison, their shocked exclamations causing more than a few nearby ponies to glance their way. Both fillies stared at Apple Bloom with wide eyes, their jaws practically hitting the ground. Sweetie Belle was the first to recover, blinking rapidly as she tried to process what her friend had just said.

"Apple Bloom, did you just say you're in love?" Sweetie Belle asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

Apple Bloom’s cheeks somehow grew even redder as she fidgeted on the spot, her hooves digging into the dirt. "Yeah… Ah mean, look at him! He’s so… different. And handsome, in a cute sorta way. And did ya see how kind he looked when he smiled?"

Scootaloo shook her head, still trying to wrap her mind around what was happening. "Wait, wait, wait. You just saw him, Apple Bloom! How can you already be in love?"

Apple Bloom’s blush deepened, but her expression grew more determined. "Ah don’t know how ta explain it, Scoots. But when Ah saw him, it felt like somethin’ just clicked inside me, like Ah knew he was somethin’ special."

Sweetie Belle tilted her head, her confusion slowly giving way to curiosity. "He looks twice your age tho...maybe up to Twilight's?"

Apple Bloom blinked, her blush deepening as she considered Sweetie Belle’s words. "Ah know he looks older, but that don’t really matter, does it? Ah mean, love ain’t about age. It’s about what ya feel inside, right?"

Scootaloo scratched her head, still looking skeptical. "Yeah, but there’s a big difference between having a crush on somepony and, you know, falling in love. Maybe you’re just... really impressed with him or something."

Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement, though her eyes twinkled with mischief. "Yeah! Maybe it’s just a super strong crush. We’ve never really seen somepony like him before. He’s mysterious and new, so it’s no wonder you’d feel drawn to him."

Apple Bloom huffed, still determined. "Ah know what Ah feel, and it’s more than just a crush! There’s somethin’ special ‘bout him. Ah just... know it."

Sweetie Belle smiled sympathetically. "Okay, okay. If you’re sure, then we’ll support you, Apple Bloom. But you’re going to need a plan, and it might take some time."

Scootaloo grinned, finally on board with the idea. "Yeah! I mean, if nothing else, getting to know him could be fun. Who knows, maybe he’ll be the key to earning our next cutie marks!"

Apple Bloom’s eyes lit up at that. "Ya think so? Maybe we could help him with somethin’ and learn more ‘bout him while we’re at it."

Sweetie Belle giggled. "Well, first things first. You’ll need to actually talk to him, Apple Bloom. You can’t just admire him from afar forever."

Apple Bloom gulped, feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness. "Yeah, Ah guess you're right. But what do Ah even say?"

Scootaloo smirked. "Don’t worry, we’ll figure that out together. You’ve got the Cutie Mark Crusaders on your side. We’ll help you talk to him, and who knows? Maybe this will turn into something awesome!"

~

The doors to the confectionery shop known as Sugarcube Corner swung open with a jingle of a bell, allowing Twilight, Spike and Sora to enter into Ponyville’s famous pastry store. To Sora’s credit, he held himself in check as soon as he saw the oversized sugary-looking building. He knew that it was more than likely just for show and constructing a cute building out of real gingerbread was downright stupid. Still, somewhere in the back of his mind he really wanted to rush headlong toward the house with mouth wide to see if he was wrong. He was quite happy that he held out because the prize for doing so was so much greater.

Sora’s eyes sparkled as he gazed upon all the amazing treats that were on display, his mouth on the verge of salivating shamelessly. Blue eyes darting to and fro as he spotted every flavor of cake imaginable with various degrees of icing on each. Muffins ranging from blueberry to strawberry lay neatly in a basket close by. At the counter, inside its glass casing, the stallion found cookies of every shape and form, each one beckoning him with their own flavored scent. Never had he seen so many delectable sweets in one place; while he was awake, at least.

Sora turned to face Twilight, who had quite the amused look on her face. He gave her an expectant pleading smile, to which she nodded, knowing full well what he wanted. Quick as a flash, he zipped toward the counter and pressed his muzzle against the glass exterior. With longing eyes, he stared with amazement at every confectionary with increasing interest. The young boy really didn’t know where to start.

“You should try the Double Chunk Chocolate Chip Delight. My personal favorite.”

“You think so?” His eyes shifted to the left. “Those icing cookies look just as tempting, though.”

“So you’re an icing stallion, huh? Then you should definitely try the Deliciously Delectable Dreamy Drop Madness.”

“Aww geeze. Even the name sounds delicious.“

Sora had turned his head to speak to his lavender unicorn guide, only to find out that the one he was talking to wasn’t so lavender… or a unicorn for that matter.

The first thing noticed by the stallion was the curly, bouncy mane curving at an arc in front of her face, it being a deeper shade of bubblegum pink than her coat. Bright blue eyes stared back at his own, silently judging him, as if weighing her options on how to treat the stallion.

The white toothy smile she gave quickly clued him in on her answer.

Quicker than he ever expected anyone could move, or at least anyone in this town, the bubbly pink pony pulled him into a tight embrace, lifting the stallion up in the air slightly. “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! It’s nice to meet you, stallion-who-fell-from-the-stars!”

Sora's eyes widened as he felt his hooves leave the ground, completely caught off guard by Pinkie Pie's incredible strength. He could feel the tight embrace squeezing the air out of his lungs, and though the scent of bubblegum was oddly comforting, the lack of oxygen wasn’t.

With gasping breath and blushing cheeks, the stallion tried to gasp out to the pink pony, but no words came due to the hooves that had cut off his much-needed air supply. With pleading eyes, the stallion threw a pleading gaze toward Twilight and Spike, both of whom were stifling giggles and laughter. After a moment or two, the unicorn made her way to the pair and tapped Pinkie’s shoulder lightly, gaining her attention.

Twilight, having seen this exact scenario play out with countless other newcomers, couldn’t help but chuckle as she stepped forward. “Pinkie, I think you might want to let him go. You’re, uh, hugging a bit too tight.”

The pink mare stared at the lavender one for a moment before dropping the stallion into a gasping heap on the ground. With her smile still present, she ran toward the entrance of the kitchen and called out for someone named Mrs. Cake.

A pleasantly plump blue pony with a swirly pink two tone mane made her way to the front counter at Pinkie’s call. A warm smile graced her lips as she greeted them with an accent that the Sora couldn’t quite place, but still felt the warmth of it all the same.

“Welcome to Sugarcube Corner dearies.” the mature mare gave Sora an extra friendly smile. “And I don’t think I’ve seen you around town before?”

Before either Sora or Twilight could respond, Pinkie Pie suddenly leaped into the air, bouncing in front of Mrs. Cake with a burst of energy. "Oh, Mrs. Cake! You haven’t seen him around because he’s brand new! He’s Sora, and he’s extra-special because he fell from the sky!" She hopped in place excitedly, her words coming out in a blur of enthusiasm. "But I can’t stay here and chat because I’ve gotta go get everything ready for his super-duper welcome party! Streamers! Balloons! Cupcakes! Gotta go, bye!"

With that, Pinkie zoomed out of Sugarcube Corner in a pink blur, leaving a gust of wind behind her. The bell above the door jingled softly as the room settled from her sudden exit.

Sora, still catching his breath from his earlier ordeal, blinked in disbelief. "Does she... always move that fast?"

Twilight laughed softly. "Pretty much. You’ll get used to it." She turned back to Mrs. Cake with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. Pinkie gets a little... over-enthusiastic with new ponies."

Mrs. Cake chuckled warmly, her eyes twinkling with fondness. "Oh, it’s no trouble, dear. That’s just Pinkie being Pinkie. And you," she said, turning to Sora, "Must be the new pony she’s been talking about. Welcome to Ponyville, sweetheart."

Sora grinned, still feeling a bit overwhelmed but happy with the warm reception. "Thanks. I’m Sora. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Cake."

The older mare frowned. "Is it true you fell from the sky? You're not hurt are you?"

Sora chuckled, rubbing the back of his head as he tried to reassure Mrs. Cake. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. But I’m okay, really. It was... a soft landing, I guess?"

"He’s fine, Mrs. Cake." Twilight added. "Sure he had quite the entrance, but we checked him over, and he’s all in one piece."

Mrs. Cake still looked a little concerned, but her warm smile returned quickly. "Well, I’m glad to hear that, dear. You gave Pinkie quite the excitement, though she gets excited about almost everything. Still, if you need anything or feel like you’re not feeling well, you come right back here, okay? We’re all neighbors in Ponyville."

"Thanks...but ah...next question," Sora looked to where Pinkie had vanished. "...Did she say my party?"

"Pinkie throws a welcome party for every new pony that comes to Ponyville." Twilight explained matter-of-factly. "I got one when I was new and since you’re new and had such a unique entrance... well, I’d say she’s going all out for you."

Sora blinked, still processing the idea. "So... she’s already planning a party? Just like that?"

Mrs. Cake chuckled softly, shaking her head with amusement. "Oh, that’s just Pinkie Pie, dear. She loves making new friends, and she believes there’s no better way to do that than with a big, fun party. You’ll get used to it—everypony does."

"Oh..." Sora smiled. "Well...I never say no to cake!"

"Ha! I knew I was gonna like you Sora!"

Sora yelped in surprise as Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared right beside him, seemingly out of nowhere. Her bright, toothy grin was just inches from his face.

He blinked in shock, trying to figure out how Pinkie had gotten beside him so fast. "Wha—? How did you—?"

Before he could finish, Pinkie turned her attention to Mrs. Cake with a bounce in her step. "Oh, Mrs. Cake! I totally forgot! I need to grab some super-secret party supplies from my room!" She gasped dramatically. "No party is complete without them! Oh and go tell Rarity when you see her that she's invited too!"

Without waiting for a response, Pinkie zoomed away in a blur of pink, disappearing up the stairway as fast as she had appeared. The sound of her excited hoofsteps echoed through the shop as she raced upstairs.

Sora just stood there, blinking in confusion. "Does she... always do that?"

"Dude..." Spike interrupted. "Don't think think about. Trust us."

With a rather unsure nod but a kind smile all the same, Sora turned his attention back to the counter of sweets.

~

An hour or two later, the trio that was Twilight, Spike and Sora left the confectionary shop with happy smiles and full bellies. Sora had been slightly apprehensive about any of the flower-related baked goods, but after the first bite he couldn’t help but tear into every bit of the plant life. Why he thought flowers were tasty to begin with was lost on him. More than likely it had something to do with his new body, but he decided not to dwell too much on it. No use fixing something that wasn’t broken. At the very least he didn’t have to worry about starving in this new world.

Of course, that line of questioning brought up some good points. Despite his time in the Pride Lands, he thought for sure that he would have had more trouble getting used to his new limbs then he had. That was not the case, however. He was amazed that he walked on four legs like he had been doing so his whole life. In fact, it just felt right for some reason.

Twilight’s voice rang gently in his ears, pulling him from his inner thoughts. “So Sora, did you really not know what a cutie mark was?”

Sora stiffened at the question before turning towards the mare, smiling sheepishly. “W-well, I… uh… I’ve never really gone anywhere to learn about them.” That was the truth, for the most part. "Where I come from we don't really pay attention to stuff like that."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by Sora's response. "Really? That's interesting. I mean, everypony here has a cutie mark, and they’re a big part of who we are. It’s how we discover our special talents and our place in the world."

Sora nodded along, hoping his vague answer would satisfy her curiosity. "Yeah, it’s just... things are a little different where I’m from."

“That is...weird,” Twilight answered, “But its not completely unheard of. I do know of sects of ponies that don't even have cutie marks of their own, even as adults.” She looked back toward her own flank. “And sorry if I'm prying...I only ask because a cutie mark is supposed to represent a pony’s special talent, like how mine represents my love of stars and magic. I really don’t know what to make of your mark though.”

Sora looked back at his flank, with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t know either, Twilight. To tell the truth, I really don’t know why I have it. But for some reason it looks exactly like… my…”

Sora’s eyes shot opened at the realization. He frantically patted at his neck before shock turned panic. Bending over the ground, he began to shuffle along it in a frantic search. “W-wait...W-where is it?”

Spike raised an eyebrow as he peered around Twilight’s neck. “Where’s what?”

“My necklace!” He blurted out. “It's not around my neck!” He rose up to only dash back and forth, trying to find some glimmer of hope in his dire situation. "Did I drop it somewhere...maybe it fell when back at tree house!"

“Necklace… Necklace…” Realization dawned on Twilight. “Oh! You mean that silver crown, right? Like I mentioned earlier, your clothes were ruined a little when we found you. I did find a chain that had a little crown emblem latched onto it. The chain itself was snapped though, you see, so I had given it to Rarity to fix as well. Hey!”

Sora had jetted off as he spoke. “Sorry! Gotta get my necklace!”

“But Rarity’s is in the other direction!” She barely had time to move out of the way as Sora ran past her.

“Sora!” Twilight called out. “Wait for us!”

~

The opening of the bedroom door marked the exit of one pearl white unicorn, a pink robe tied delicately around her slender frame. After a long night of working and only a few hours of sleep, she had decided to forego breakfast for now and had let the warm embrace of hot water envelop most of her morning.

Now thoroughly refreshed, she slowly made her way down toward the stairway, but stopped as soon as she caught a glimpse of the object that had had her pull an all-nighter.

Rarity always considered herself to be quite the fashion connoisseur, always looking for that next big design after the next one, even going so far as to study different styles to find if it would make a comeback next year or not. She knew all the greatest artists and all of their styles, but she had never seen the likes of what had been graced upon her by her lavender friend. The outfit itself was dirty and torn in certain places, but those were easy enough to repair.

The simple two-piece outfit was quite the sight to behold when she was finished with it. The hoodie, onyx black in its coloration, was lined with white trimming along the bottom of the sleeves and rim of the cloth. What really caught her attention was along where the shoulders were to be; there were two hardened silver cloths that almost resembled the shoulder pads of armor, giving it an almost regal, knight-like appearance to such a simple design.

The shirt underneath was navy blue in primary color, with a splash of red curling inward toward the chest. It was, like most of the outfit, simple, but done so in a way that brought life to the overall outfit, making the viewer take a break from the overall dominating dark colors the clothes so thoroughly loved.

Attached to the hood were straps of a yellow buckle-like material, which, in her opinion, were just daring enough to work.

The overall repair of the outfit took no more than an hour, hence it was not the cause of her nearly sleepless night. No. The reason for her late night was due to the fact that such an outfit had never been seen in all of Equestria before, and not being one to pass up inspiration, she had instantly set to work sketching and taking notes, her mind racing with one idea after another. Whoever had designed this was keeping such work to themselves. She was not going to let that go unanswered for. Not one bit.

A smile crept onto her lips as she walked past the clothing and down the stairs. Just before she reached her intended destination, a knock came upon her front door. She had figured it might have been Twilight due to the fact that it was she who had given her the clothes in the first place. She had so many questions for the mare that she couldn’t help but rush to the door and open it wide for her purple friend.

She had expected somepony.

She had not expected a stallion.

Light caramel brown fur greeted her vision causing the fashionista’s eyes to widen by degrees. Despite her being only slightly shorter than the one in front of her, she couldn’t help but notice that she was staring straight at the chest of a clearly male pony. His chest was moving in and out deeply but steadily, slowly but surely regaining the breath that it must have lost. He seemed more slender than most male ponies she knew; perhaps it had something to do with him being a pegasus since most where designed for speed in the sky. Despite his slender form, she could clearly see that he was more muscular than he let on. She shifted her eyes upwards slowly, taking in every inch of the stallion in front of her.

Ocean blue eyes met those of sky coloration. She watched as the morning breeze gently played with his milk chocolate mane, as well with the fur on his face.

Dear Celestia, his face!

Though he looked her age, she couldn’t help but see that he still held much of his foalhood within his features. It gave him an almost marish quality that matched well with the rest of his figure.

She prayed to all that was holy that he didn't play for the other team.

Both ponies stared at each other, neither one moving an inch or saying a word as they did so. Rarity was, out of instinct, about to greet the stallion, but her eyes soon went from wide with admiration to wide with embarrassment and horror at a sudden realization.

She was still in her bedroom robes!

Before the stallion could even speak, Rarity quickly slammed the door on him and ran right away up the stairs.

~

Sora stood in front of the door, blinking in confusion after it had been suddenly slammed in his face. He had barely had time to process the unicorn who had opened the door—her refined appearance, despite being in a simple pink robe, had momentarily thrown him off. But now she was gone, leaving him standing on the doorstep, unsure of what just happened.

Twilight fared no better. The flushed-face unicorn mare staggered slowly toward the pegasus stallion, huffing and wheezing as she went. She had spent the better part of 10 minutes guiding the rushing pegasus from behind toward their intended destination. After a while, she fell far behind, and by the time she had caught up, she only saw a glimpse of the exchange that the two ponies were party to.

Spike had been riding on Twilight, so he was hail and healthy.

After a moment or two of catching her breath, Twilight made her way to the side of Sora’s flank. “W-what -huff- W-what d-did you -huff- do?”

"Uh, I didn’t do anything," Sora stammered, his voice a mix of confusion and concern. "I just knocked on the door, and when she opened it... she kind of, uh, slammed it right back in my face."

Twilight, now breathing normally, moved past the stallion. “That’s… odd. I’d better go see if she is okay.” Before she could use her horn to open the door, a light blue field enveloped it, doing the deed for her. A brightly lit, posh-looking room graced their presence as they peered into the now-open doorway. Sora couldn’t help but think that the place screamed of femininity. Pony displays showcasing various outfits lined the edges of the room.

His gaze shifted from left to right until it fell upon a stairway where a dainty white hoof could be seen coming into sight. The owner of said hoof followed suit. Slick white fur clung to its owner’s body, shining lightly thanks to an unseen light source. Bouncy violet locks came into view next, having their own shimmer to them. Soon the head of the white unicorn came into view, her muzzle shifted upwards in a ladylike fashion. She came the rest of the way down the stairs in a graceful fashion, though Sora (and Spike for that matter), for the life of him, couldn’t help but notice that her hips were pumping with each step she took.

Gone was the pink-robed beauty, and in its place, a pony goddess.

A gentle voice, as lovely as silk, greeted the stallion. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique. Where eve- Twilight!?”

The white-coated unicorn had failed to notice her purple friend happily waving a hoof in her direction. “Hello, Rarity.” Stopping her gesture, she cocked an eyebrow. “Are you OK? You kind of shut the door on Sora there.”

Rarity turned to look toward the pony in question with cheeks burning with embarrassment. “Oh, I am terribly sorry, dear. It was absolutely uncouth of me to do that to you. You see, I was up all night doing a request my friend Twilight gave me and I suppose I overslept, resulting in what you had seen not too long ago.” She gave him a sorrowful look. “I do hope you can forgive me for being so...well...unlike me.”

The young stallion smiled a gentle toothy grin that, much to Spike’s questioning gaze, sent Rarity’s cheeks blushing brighter than ever before replying. “Hey...Hakuna Matata.”

Rarity's blush deepened at Sora's carefree response, her mind briefly caught up in the gentle charm of his smile. "Hakuna... what now, darling?" she asked, trying to regain her composure, even though her curiosity was piqued by the unfamiliar phrase.

Sora chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his head as he held a hoof out towards the mare. "It means 'no worries.' You know, like, don’t sweat the small stuff. Besides, all that stuff you were working on is mine."

Gently taking the hoof in her own, Rarity would give the stallion a questioning gaze before realization hit. “You mean you’re the mysterious visitor Twilight found in White Tail Woods?”

“More then likely. You know about what happened?”

The white mare waved a perfectly manicured hoof. “Only in passing, dear. I had to tend to my sister and her friends after the commotion you caused last night.” Rarity paused to look towards Twilight. “To which she did not tell me that the one who fell from the sky was such a handsome young stallion.” Her voice produced a sly tone. “Trying to keep him all to ourselves, are we, Miss Sparkle?”

“What!?” Twilight’s face grew beet red at the accusation. “NO! I was just…! I mean, it was…! What!?!”

Rarity had a hard time stifling a giggle that threatened to escape her lips. “Now, now, Twilight, I’m just teasing.” She raised a hoof to meet his own, and smiled brightly. “And as for you." the mare, to Sora's surprise, curtsied. "I am Rarity, or Miss Rarity if you would prefer. It is a pleasure to meet you, dear. Now then, about your outfit… If you would allow me one second to fetch your things.” She stopped just before she reached the stairs and turned a furrowed brow in his direction. “Please forgive me, but I don't think I officially caught your name.”

“The name’s, Sora.”

“Sora…My, my, such an exotic name for a stallion such as yourself.” Rarity turned and made her way up the stairs. “I’ll be no more than two ticks, dear. Please make yourself at him.” Sora’s eyes widened as he watched her climb the steps. This time he could clearly see that her flanks were indeed pumping back and forth with each step, and, for some reason, he couldn’t turn away from the sight.

That was until he felt the stare of murderous intent beside him. Looking to his right, he saw the darkened glare of a certain purple dragon staring him down as though he was a demon in need of defeating. Sora, despite his taller size and greater strength, decided that it was not safe to stand within striking distance of the baby dragon.

Before he could move, however, Rarity returned with his clothes in tow, wrapped in a pale blue light like the door had been. “There you go darling, good as new. I have to ask, where did you acquire such magnificent clothes? Never in my life have I seen such a style produced before.” She stretched out the clothes, letting him look over them for any blemishes. “And I was amazed by the amount of enchantments surrounding it. Durability, longevity, and even minor protection against physical and magical trauma.” She lowered the outfit toward Sora, prompting him to stretch out his cannons. “The pony who created them knew what they were doing, and then some. And don’t get me started on the design! It’s so modern! It’s so refreshing! It’s so-“

“Umm… Hey, Rarity?”

The mare was slightly caught off guard by Sora’s gentle tone that pierced her revelations. “Ah… Yes, Sora Darling?”

Sora twisted and turned the cloth around in his hooves. He was at first looking for his shorts, but he figured that if they were gone in that dream world he barely remembered, then they wouldn’t be around if he got his clothes back. There was a more pressing question eating at the corner of his mind however.

“Is my necklace fixed too? I was told it was broken as well.”

Rarity tapped a hoof to her chin before widening her eyes. “You mean that silver crown? I have to say, it was rather, how do you say, plain, compared to the rest of your outfit.” She made her way to her dresser and used her magic to produce a still-broken silver chain with a little crown hanging from it. “I was going to get around to fixing it but after seeing the owner, I do believe that it’s just too garish for you simple for one such as yourself. How about something deep blue? I was thinking that-“

She stopped talking as soon as she saw the stallion shake his head. “Sorry, Rarity, but…” He paused as his gaze shifted from her to the necklace. “That necklace is just too important to me.”

Both mares and one dragon raised an eyebrow as they all said in unison, “Important?

“A friend of mine gave it to me the very first day we met.”

Twilight gasped softly. "Your friend?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah...You see.... Two big bullies would always pick on other kids on our island and...well...to get them to stop I told their parents on them."

"As you very well should." Rarity said, "I would have strung them up by their tails if I was their mother."

"I agree." Twilight chimed in. "Telling someone of authority was the right thing to do, after all."

Sora chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah...I thought so too. And it did work...for a little but. But instead of getting in trouble fully, they found out I was the one who told on them, and... well, let’s just say they started focusing on me after that."

~

Sora was slammed harshly against the ground. The white shirt and red shorts the six year old wore were muddy and slightly tattered, but despite that and the tears welling up in his eyes, he stared defiantly at his aggressors. One who was outlandishly tall and another who was rather pudgy flanked a rather tall boy with raven black hair. The boy in the middle chuckled evilly, signaling the others behind him to do so in turn.

“Whoops. Sorry, little Sora. Did I make ya cry?” He laughed again, as did the others. Sora, to his credit, tried to stand back up, but was kicked back down by the boot of the older child. “Did I say you could get up, squirt?” Sora cursed inwardly as he clutched at his stinging chest. “No… I don’t think so. Ya see, little Sora, I don’t take too kindly to being told on. You know what I had to go through?! I was grounded for a week!!” The boy’s voice grew in volume as he spoke, his voice becoming harsher.

Sora couldn’t help himself. “Heh… A week? I would have made it a month if I was your dad.” Another kick to his gut knocked the wind completely out of the brown-haired boy.

“You know what? I was just gonna rough ya up. Now... oh now you’re gonna pay for that one!” Sora closed his eyes just as he saw a kick aiming straight for his face. He heard a smack and then a thud, but felt no pain. Chancing a glance, he opened one of his eyes... only to find someone standing in front of him. This boy was just a bit taller than him, short silver hair draped slick down his head. His clothes were normal enough, but the thing that caught his attention the most was the silver crown that hung from the hook of his pants.

His savior held a fist out to where the black haired boy was before, the boy in question now splayed on his back, nursing a bruised cheek.

“What the?!” The black haired boy was livid. “Who are you?!”

The newcomer let his fist fall to his side. “Riku.” Riku’s icy glare stared straight at the boy on the ground, not faltering for a second. “Gotta say,” Riku’s voice as just as cold, despite the youthfulness of it. “Three against one was never fair to me…” Riku placed a fist into the palm of his hand, cracking it threateningly. “Hardly a challenge, to tell you the truth…”

All three boys barely had time to react as Riku blasted towards them with his fist raised, striking hard at the three bullies.

**

“That was unreal…”

Riku couldn’t help but smile at Sora’s description of the fight. It had taken some doing, but Riku, despite his smaller size compared the three bullies, was able to send them packing with their tails between their legs, much to Sora’s enjoyment.

Two thoroughly roughed up and bruised boys sat at the edge of the pier, both enjoying a new flavor of ice cream. It was sweet and salty; two flavors they thought would never go well with such a cold treat, and yet, at the moment, it was the most amazing thing in the world.

Sora, after taking a big bite of his ice cream, turned to face the silver-haired youth. He had never really had anyone stick up for him before, and here comes some random boy he never knew doing just that. He smiled brightly which caused the boy to turn to his direction.

“You look like an idiot.” Sora nearly dropped his ice cream into the sea below at that remark.

The boy turned and gave an accusing pout Riku’s way. “Is that what you say to everyone you save?!”

The silver-haired boy thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Naw… Just to you.”

Silence filled the air before a series of laughs broke out between the two boys. When it was done, Sora smiled brighter than before. “Where’d you learn how to fight? Taking on three guys at once was… well… pretty cool.”

Riku didn’t say anything at first, but decided to pull the silver crown symbol off his belt and held it out expectantly to Sora, which Sora took with little hesitation. He raised it into the light of the setting sun watching it gleam in dull radiance.

“What… is it?”

“Crown of the Kingdom,” he spoke with an air of mystery. “They say wearing it makes you ten times stronger.”

Sora's eyes nearly bugged out of his head at that revalation. “R-Really?!”

Riku laughed. “No. It’s just some junk I found in my attic. You’re pretty gullible, you know that.”

Sora’s pout returned as he tried to glare daggers at the new kid. "Did you only help me to pick on me too?" Sora yelped as the chained crown was tossed to him, the boy barely catching it in his hands.

“I Saw you not back down from those guys and that's why I decided to help you out.” Riku smirked and leaned back into a laying position, letting his arms rest behind him. “But geeze, are you are weak. So...if you wanna fight then the only way I'll train you is if you have to wear that every day. Got that?”

Sora stared dumbfounded at Riku before smiling once more. He quickly placed the chain over his head, wearing it like a necklace. The boy fidgeted slightly before carefully asking. “So… are we… friends now?”

Riku opened one eye at Sora’s question before closing it again, a smile of his own forming on his lips. “Heh. Yeah, sure… I don’t mind.”

~

Twilight, Rarity, and Spike listened intently to Sora’s story, their expressions shifting with each twist and turn of the tale. By the end of it, Rarity had placed a hoof over her heart, looking as if she’d just heard a tale straight out of a novel.

"Oh my," Rarity said softly, her voice full of warmth. "You scared me in the first half, but the last of it was ever so adorable to picture." She gave a light chuckle. "A brave young colt standing up to bullies, only to be saved by a mysterious silver-haired hero—sounds like the start of a grand adventure."

Twilight smiled softly, her analytical mind briefly set aside to appreciate the sentiment. "It sounds like you and Riku have a special bond. I can see why that necklace means so much to you. Honestly, I think such a story deservers a friendship letter to the princess."

Sora smiled lightly at their words, his gaze shifting back towards the broken necklace. Riku had just moved into the area when he had saved him from those bullies. His friend could have just as easily chosen to side with them instead, but he chose him. He was happy to have him as a friend, but as they grew, it had became more and more evident that the too slowly grew from friends to rivals, with Sora always challenging him, wanting to prove how much stronger he had become and each time losing, sometimes badly. Even now, he was still left in the dust by Riku, despite his best efforts.

A familiar feeling made Sora cringe slightly. It was the same feeling he felt when he was on the beach just the other day...Useless...Worthless...Not good enough...Was I...ever...

“Sora, are you ok?”

Sora snapped out of his thoughts, blinking rapidly as he realized where he was. Twilight's concerned voice cut through the fog in his mind, pulling him back to the present.

“Huh?” He looked up, his smile faltering for just a moment before he forced it back into place. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just... remembering some things.” He gave Rarity a smile. "A-Anyway...I know its kinda selfish of me...but...do you think you could fix the chain?"

Rarity cleared her throat as she fought to keep a blush from coming upon her cheeks once more. That smile of his could kill a lesser mare. Taking the necklace within her magic, the mare would muse, “Well, while I still say it is not the best accessory in the world, I think your history with it more then makes it special in anyponies eyes.” She set the necklace on the counter before smiling towards the young stallion. “I’ll have it right as rain later tonight, so don’t you worry about a thing, dear.”

Twilight gasped. “Oh geeze, I forgot. Pinkie said Sora’s welcoming party will be tonight at eight over at the barn.”

Rarity’s eyes brightened considerably. “Perfect! I shall be done by then and shall present it to you there. Is that alright with you Sora?”

Sora smirked as he pumped his fist. “Its fine by me! See you later then, Rarity. And...ah...thanks” He set the clothes onto his back, making sure they were balanced with his wings before following Twilight out of the store.

She watched them leave, her gaze slowly shifting toward Sora’s retreating flank. “Yes… until then.”