Kingdom Hearts of Harmony

by steel soul

Expected Surprises

Green to start music and red to stop.

It would soon be noon as the trio that was Twilight, Spike and Sora all decided to return to the lavender mare’s library and wait for the upcoming Welcome to Ponyville party, bidding Rarity a good bye until then.

Though they had all agreed to the same destination, they all had their own reasons for wanting to return.

Spike, as soon as he stepped though the door, went to work, putting away books here and there with practiced ease.

Twilight's had, with Sora’s permission to hold it, been to study the strange object that was known as the Keyblade. Without wasting another moment as soon as she stepped though the door, she had immediately set to work using both magical and non-magical tests to ascertain its make, properties, and overall essence. She needed to know what it was. Why something like this was never in any of the history books. It was clearly a weapon of great power, and giving a pony the power to teleport an object to them, rather they can use magic or not, was quite amazing in its own right and it was not something that she could honestly pass up studying. If she was able to figure it out… Oh the possibilities.

Sora’s reason was simple, yet proved to be, at least to him, the most difficult.

He needed to put on some clothes.

Being a boy of seventeen years of age, he knew he would be able to dress himself. Being a boy pony of seventeen years of age with hooves instead of fingers and thumbs to work with, could prove more of a challenge. Despite this he figured that if he was going to be in this pony world for a while, he would need to learn how to dress himself and, he hoped, learn how to get by without fingers. So, under the guise of needing some rest, the ponyfied Keybearer was allowed to return to the room he had awoken in and set to work equipping and removing his attire.

Sora stood in the small room of the library, eyeing his neatly folded clothes on the bed with a mix of determination and uncertainty. His new form posed a unique challenge—hooves were definitely not as nimble as hands. Still, he figured he’d get the hang of it, just like when he’d been a lion cub back in the Pride Lands. But that didn’t stop the nervous chuckle from escaping his lips.

“Alright, Sora. You’ve handled worse. You can do this.”

He reached out with one hoof to grab the shirt. After a few awkward attempts, the fabric slipped from his grasp. His ears flattened against his head in frustration. He tried again, this time using both hooves, and managed to drag the shirt closer to him. Grinning triumphantly, he slid it over his head, only for it to get stuck halfway. The sleeves flapped uselessly, and he wriggled in place like a worm trapped in a cocoon.

“Gah, this is... harder than I thought.”

After a few more moments of struggling, Sora finally managed to get the shirt on, though it sat a little awkwardly on his pony frame. The process had taken longer than expected, and he still had the jacket to put on, but he was making progress.

Sora let out a relieved sigh once he finally got the shirt on, albeit a bit crooked. He glanced at the jacket on the bed and felt a small surge of optimism. "Okay, that wasn't so bad. Just gotta keep going."

The jacket, thankfully, was significantly easier to handle. Since there was no zipper to worry about, he slipped his forelegs through the sleeves with only a few awkward shakes and adjustments. It wasn’t as snug of a fit as he remembered from his human form, but it felt good to have the familiar outfit on. He gave a small nod of satisfaction.

"Ha! Got it!" Sora grinned, feeling a bit more like himself now that he was fully dressed. He glanced at himself in a nearby mirror, noticing how strange yet familiar it was to see his usual clothes on a pony body. He was a little bummed about no pants still but he could get use to it.

With a newfound sense of accomplishment, Sora made his way out of the small room and down the stairs, feeling more like himself now that he was back in his clothes. As he descended, he could hear the faint sounds of Spike humming while he dusted and the soft scratching of a quill on parchment from where Twilight sat at her desk, scribbling notes.

Entering the main room of the library, Sora saw Spike methodically working his way through the shelves, dusting each one with an impressive level of focus. Twilight, meanwhile, was engrossed in whatever she was writing, her brow furrowed in deep concentration. Scrolls and books were scattered around her desk, as if she’d been buried in research since they got back.

Sora cleared his throat lightly, causing both Twilight and Spike to glance up. Spike waved casually. “Hey, Sora! Lookin’ good in your duds!”

"I agree." Twilight added, “Rarity did an amazing job on your outfit Sora. Hard to believe that I could hardly recognize it before, tattered as it was.”

Sora smiled at the compliments, glancing down at his clothes. "Yeah, Rarity really knows her stuff. I’m impressed she was able to fix it up so well. I feel a lot more like myself now."

Spike nodded with a grin, giving Sora an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "Rarity’s the best! She can fix anything and make it look amazing."

Twilight stood up from her desk, rolling the scroll she was writing upon up in her magic. "I still don't get why you were hung up on wearing them though. Ponies usually go around without them."

Sora chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I kinda figured that out after walking around town, but... I guess it’s just what I’m used to. Back where I’m from, everyone wears clothes all the time, so it feels weird not to."

Twilight tilted her head, intrigued. "That’s so fascinating. It must be a cultural thing, then?"

"Yeah, you could say that.” The stallion said as he looked towards the table where his Keyblade lay, noticing all the word stuff around it. “By the way, what’s all this?”

Twilight's eyes lit up as soon as Sora mentioned the Keyblade. She trotted over to the table where the Keyblade rested and beamed with excitement. "Oh, this? Well, I’ve been studying your Keyblade since we got back. I hope you don’t mind! It’s such a unique object, and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever come across in all of my studies. It has magical properties, but it’s not purely magical. I’m trying to understand its essence, what it’s made of, and how it works. Look here!"

Her horn began to glow and she used her magic to levitate a pile of her notes towards him. “The material it’s made from. There is no such material like it in all of Equestria! It looks like simple metal, but it's so much more than that!”

Sora blinked at the notes she had shoved in front of his face. The diagrams and scrawled observations were fascinating, but a lot of it went over his head. He smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his head, his eyes peeking over the papers. "Wow, you’ve really gone all out on this, huh? I didn’t even realize the Keyblade was so complicated."

Twilight tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "Wait, you mean you didn’t realize it was so complex? But... it’s your Keyblade, right? How can you not know more about it?"

Sora scratched the back of his head, chuckling sheepishly. "Yeah, it’s mine. But honestly, I never really thought too hard about how it works or what it’s made of. It’s been with me for a long time, and I guess I just... use it. I know it comes from my heart and that it’s connected to me, but all this technical stuff?" He glanced at the notes again. "That’s not really my thing."

Twilight sighed frustratingly, clearly not happy with his answer but she figured as much. She didn’t take Sora as someone who listened diligently in class, not that she would ever tell him that outright. Her ears would suddenly perk up at the sound of her clock chiming six times, clueing her in on what time it was. She figured that they still had at least two hours left until they needed to be at the party. Well an hour and a half at least. She had to account for the time it took to get to where they needed to go after all. She wanted to study the keyblade more but without anything to start from, that would just prove more stressful than useful. It was even worse when the owner of said keyblade knew as much about as she did. Scratch that, she more than likely knew more than he ever did.

"Wait!" Twilight exclaimed, looking towards Sora as an idea hit her. "How about you tell me how you got it and from there I can maybe have something to work off of."

"How I got the Keyblade?" he repeated, considering it carefully. He knew that revealing too much about his world could be dangerous, given the rules about maintaining world order, but surely talking about how he got his Keyblade wouldn’t be too much of a breach, right? He nods. “Sure. I can do that.”

Twilight squealed happily as she poofed a scroll and a feather into her magic. “Ok! Then let's start from the beginning. Where were you when you received your keyblade?”

Sora looked upwards as he tapped his chin in thought. “Well...It was a dark and stormy night...”

"Really?" Spike deadpanned, having taken a seat next to Twilight. "You’re gonna start off with that type of cliché?"

Sora laughed at Spike's reaction, rubbing the back of his head with an embarrassed smile. "Yeah, I guess it sounds pretty cliché, huh? But it’s true! It really was a dark and stormy night."

Twilight shot Spike a quick look, silencing his playful sarcasm before turning back to Sora with eager anticipation. "Go on, Sora. I'm listening."

“Anway,” the stallion started again. “ It was dark and stormy…about four years ago from today. I could see from my house that Destiny Island was getting hit bad with waves."

“Destiny Island?" Twilight interrupted. "I never heard of it. Is that where you lived?”

Sora shook his head. "No... It’s an island that sits not too far from my village in the middle of the ocean."

Twilight's quill paused as she processed the new information. "An island in the middle of the ocean... interesting. So, you didn’t actually live on Destiny Island, but it was close to your home?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah, my friends and I used to go there all the time. During that time, we built a raft, dreaming of sailing to other worlds.”

Spike raised his claw, a curious expression on his face. "Wait a minute... you guys were planning to sail to other worlds? How’s that even possible? I mean, wouldn't you just end up floating in the ocean?"

Sora chuckled, remembering how wild and ambitious their plan had been. "Yeah, looking back, it wasn’t exactly a well-thought-out plan. We were just kids, and we didn’t really know if it was even possible. But we had heard stories—legends, really—about other worlds, and we wanted to find them. I guess we thought the raft would be enough to take us there.” He shook his head. “Besides. Though most of that didn’t matter anyway…we didn’t even get a chance to use it.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, her quill poised over the scroll. "What do you mean you didn’t get a chance to use it?"

Sora’s gaze fell to a window nearby. “Well…let's just say things get a lot more complicated as soon as I set foot back on the island.”

~~~

The hooded figure scowled, their eyes narrowing beneath the shadow of the cloak. "Too much attention...," they muttered under their breath. Slipping deeper into the shadows of the alley, they cast one last glance at the library where Sora, Twilight, and Spike were gathered. A faint sense of frustration rippled through them.

"Taking out Twilight now would complicate things... she's too well-guarded." The figure clenched their jaw in frustration, considering their next move. "I need a more isolated target… one who won't cause an immediate uproar."

They melted further into the shadows, disappearing completely.

~~~

Ponyville

Late in the evening...

Twilight led Sora and Spike through the darkening streets of Ponyville, her horn softly illuminating the path ahead as they made their way toward Sugarcube Corner. The sound of crickets chirping filled the cool night air, creating a peaceful backdrop to their walk. Spike, perched comfortably on Twilight’s back, had been peppering Sora with endless questions about his adventures, his youthful curiosity clearly piqued.

“So you really took on a Hydra!? All by yourself?!”

Sora chuckled, shaking his head with a modest smile. "Well, not exactly by myself. I had help from my friends—Donald and Goofy. They’ve always got my back in a fight, so it wasn’t just me. The three of us work really well together.”

Spike’s eyes widened even further as he leaned forward on Twilight’s back. “Donald and Goofy? They sound awesome! What are they like? Do they fight with giant weapons too?”

Sora grinned as he thought about his companions. “Donald’s a magician—he’s got some of the most powerful magic I’ve ever seen, even if he can be a little stubborn at times. And Goofy… well, he’s kind of a knight. He’s always using his shield to protect everyone. You wouldn’t believe how strong he is.”

Twilight, listening as she walked beside Sora, couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. "A magician and a knight... sounds like an interesting group. I’d love to meet them someday."

Sora’s smile faltered slightly, though he tried to keep his tone light. "Yeah, me too. I haven’t seen them in a while. They were off helping a few of my other friends while I was…well…Doing my own thing for a while."

Twilight glanced over at him, sensing the shift in his tone. He was deflecting. She had noticed it during his story sometimes.

Twilight noticed the subtle change in Sora’s demeanor—the way his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes and how he dodged going into too much detail. It wasn’t the first time he had done that either. Throughout the walk, and even during his earlier story, she had picked up on moments where he seemed to hold back or shift the focus away from certain parts. Her curiosity, always piqued by the unknown, had her mind racing with questions.

Before Twilight could think about probing further, her ears perked up at the sound of distant voices and her gaze shifted toward the large arch that marked the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres. The familiar, welcoming sight of the farm stood out against the evening sky, the faint glow of lanterns dotting the path to the barn.

As they walked through the open gates of Sweet Apple Acres, the scent of fresh apples filled the air, carried on the gentle evening breeze. Sora inhaled deeply, the sweet fragrance instantly lifting his spirits. He looked around, his eyes widening at the sheer number of apple trees stretching out as far as he could see. Each tree seemed perfectly placed, laden with red, green, and golden apples that glistened in the fading light.

Twilight gently nudged the young stallion with her flank, gaining back his attention. “This is Sweet Apple Acres. An apple farm ran by the Apple family. One of my best friends is in charge of the place.”

“An apple farm?” He squinted his eyes. Sure enough he could make out the vague shapes of the fruit in the trees now that he was told what they were. “Wow. Never seen an apple farm before.”

“Really?” Spike eyebrow rose. “They don’t have em back where you’re from?”

Twilight, ever the scholar, quickly interjected on Sora’s behalf. “Well, it makes sense if they don’t have them back where he’s from. Apples generally don’t thrive in tropical climates. They need cooler temperatures to grow properly, and based on what Sora’s told us, his home sounds more like a tropical island.”

Sora nodded, grateful for the explanation. “Yeah, Destiny Islands is mostly beaches and palm trees. We have some fruits though. Like Coconuts and…oh! Paopu Fruit.”

Twilight’s ears perked up with curiosity at the mention of a new fruit. “Paopu Fruit? I’ve never heard of that before. What’s it like?”

Sora chuckled lightly, happy to share a piece of his home. “It’s this star-shaped fruit that grows on the island. There’s a legend tied to it—if two people share a Paopu Fruit, their destinies become intertwined, and they’ll always be connected, no matter what.”

Spike’s eyes widened. “Whoa, that’s... kind of deep for a fruit. Do you ever share one?”

Sora scratched the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed. “Not yet, but it’s one of those things people talk about a lot. It's got this special meaning, you know?”

Twilight smiled softly at Sora's explanation, sensing the sentimental value of the fruit. “That sounds like such a beautiful tradition. It must be nice to have that kind of connection to your home.”

As they walked further into the farm, Twilight would guide him towards a giant red barn nearby. As the trio got closer the first thing he noticed was the complete lack of light coming from any of the windows. He also noticed that he couldn’t even hear a sound. Not a word, peep, or whisper. It was very strange to say the least.

“Twilight…” He tried to keep his voice even, despite the sense of foreboding he was beginning to feel. “You sure this is the place where the party is supposed to be? It's a bit dark here.”

Twilight ignored the statement, giving the stallion a sly smile. Moving past him, she opened the door wide enough to enter, leaving Sora in the elements of the night. A look of apprehension came across his features as he slowly but surely followed after the lavender unicorn, if only to make sure that she was ok.

“Twilight!” His voice was just barely above a whisper. “Twilight! Where are you!?” A random flash of light beaming down upon the stallion caused him to stop in his tracks. It took time for his eyes to adjust to the sudden disturbance and when they did he found, to his surprise, a familiar pink pony standing on what he assumed was the other end of the barn. Her curly mane had been wrapped in a light blue cloth, fruit of many kinds balanced expertly on top of her head. What really surprised Sora was the fact that she was standing on her hind legs, a similar colored cloth wrapped snugly around her hips, only showing off one of her legs in a manner that made Sora want to avert his eyes due to modesty.

He looked toward her face which wasn’t smiling in the slightest, which seemed odd to Sora, due to her doing nothing but smile when he first met the mare. Instead her muzzle was in the air and her eyes closed, resembling how a fancy person would look when walking down a street in comics he read.

Her name was about to escape his lips, but before it could, she suddenly raised both of her forehooves and clopped them together twice. In that same instant, as if on cue, a stream of spotlights appeared behind her, revealing a previously hidden band, each member dressed in some kind of tropical attire. Music suddenly played as Pinkie looked Sora’s way, her face once again lit by a nice bright smile.

And then… She started to sing.

My name is Pinkamena, But Please call me Pinkie Pie,

Its what my friends do call me, so why don’t you give a try,

As she started on the next verse she began to walk, yes, she was walking due to her standing on her hind legs, slowly towards Sora. Her forehooves were placed on her hips completely overemphasizing her steps. Once again, it made Sora’s face light up like a Christmas Tree.

This party is just for yo~ou! A welcome to Ponyville!

I hope you enjoy your party! Cause I-I-I Know I will!

Pinkie had quickly closed the distance between herself in Sora. The boy in question could clearly see a look of complete happiness upon her face. For some reason he just knew that she was and that she was enjoying herself to the fullest, a real party pony as it were.

When she was just a few feet away from him she raised her hooves high in the air, causing the light to cast the darkness into submission, revealing a whole gaggle of ponies that were previously hidden by the darkness. They all had bright smiles on their features as well, each one welcoming Sora with open hooves. Said stallion smiled back, completely embarrassed but not stopping himself from enjoying everything as Pinkie’s voice once again rang in his ears.

Pinkie Party!

Pinkie Party!

In here it's better! Not at all wetter, just look and see!

We threw this party just for you, So that we can welcome you to

Where it is better, again not wetter,

PINKIE PARTY!!

The pink mare gripped him by his fore hooves and began to twirl him about. The boy couldn't help but laugh as he joined in on the song as well.

I hope you don't mind me saying, this is quite a nice surprise!

I’ve never party so ha~rd, In my entire life!

Pinkie smiled brighter As she picked up the next verse.

I'm really glad you love it! I made it with you in mind!

Come on, lets go party-Hardy! Go on and shake that grove behind!

Both Sora and Pinkie began to sing once again, this time together.

Pinkie Party!

Pinkie Party!

In here its better! Not at all wetter, just look and see!

We threw this party just for you, So that we can welcome you to

Where it is better, again not wetter,

PINKIE PARTY!!

As the last note was played she happily wrapped her hooves around the stallion in a welcoming embrace, causing everypony to cheer happily.

Well… Everypony except one very familiar white unicorn who instead gritted her teeth in a very unlady like manner.

The scent of bubblegum once again assaulted his scenes before she pulled away, a bright smile still on her bubbly face. “So, Sora! Did ya like the song? Did ya?! Huh!? Huh!? Did ya?” Her smile was bright and welcoming, soothing even.

Sora, still catching his breath from the unexpected whirlwind of dancing and singing, chuckled nervously, his heart pounding more from the sheer excitement of it all rather than the exertion. "Y-yeah, Pinkie! That was... amazing! I’ve never been welcomed like this before." He could feel his face still glowing from the attention, but the warmth and sincerity in Pinkie’s eyes made it impossible not to smile back at her.

Pinkie Pie beamed at his response, bouncing in place. "Yay! I knew you'd love it! Welcome to Ponyville, Sora!” The pink mare gave him another soul crushing hug, much to his charging.

“Ahem!”

Sora, Pinkie, Twilight and Spike (The latter two just entering into the conversation) turned to find an irritated Rarity staring indignantly at Pinkie.

“Pinkie… Dear… Could you please release Sora so that you don’t ruffle his clothes too much. I would like to see them in their full glory if you do not mind.”

Pinkie obliged after giving Sora one more quick squeeze for good measure. Letting the stallion go, the pink party pony bounced away mentioning something about checking in on the other guests. The ponies that were left in her wake watched her bounced off, disappearing into the crowd.

Sora let out a relieved breath once Pinkie finally let him go, his body still tingling from her bone-crushing hug. He smiled sheepishly at Rarity, who approached with a more refined grace, her eyes immediately darting to his clothes, clearly assessing every detail of the outfit she had worked so hard on.

“Much better,” Rarity said with a pleased smile, her previous irritation melting away. “Now, darling, let me take a proper look at you.” She circled around him, her sharp eye for detail scrutinizing the seams, the fit, and the overall aesthetic. "Yes, yes, quite marvelous! Rarity’s touch has certainly brought out the best in this outfit, wouldn’t you agree?" Her tone was half teasing, but there was an unmistakable pride in her voice.

Sora chuckled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I don’t know much about fashion myself, but it feels really good to wear. No tightness or anything like that. It's super comfortable, actually. Thanks again, Miss Rarity."

“Sora, darling” The silkiness in her voice returned, a soothing sound that graced all ears that were in the vicinity of it. “You can just call me Rarity.” She purred. "We are friends after all, you and I."

Sora felt his face grow warm as Rarity's smooth words sank in, her voice wrapping around him like a velvet ribbon. He stumbled over his words, blushing furiously as he rubbed the back of his head. "O-oh! Uh... r-right, Rarity. Thanks... again. I really appreciate it."

As Sora fumbled through his blushing response, behind him, Spike was winding up for a not-so-friendly leap toward the stallion. His eyes were narrowed, and his little claws were flexed, clearly not appreciating the affectionate tone in Rarity’s voice directed toward Sora.

Before Spike could make his move, Twilight’s magic wrapped firmly around his tail, halting him mid-pounce. "Easy, Spike," Twilight whispered, pulling the baby dragon back gently. "I don’t think Sora’s trying to steal your thunder."

Unaware of the thrashing Sora was about to receive, Rarity smiled. “Now then darling, I do believe I have a present for you.” Using the blue hue of her magic, the mare produced a silver crown attached to a simple chain. “I do hope you like it darling. I polished it using a special formula I created to give my jewelry that extra bit of sheen.”

Sora's eyes widened as he saw the polished silver crown pendant hanging from the chain, glistening under the light of the barn. He had been expecting Rarity to fix it, but seeing it restored to such a pristine condition made his heart skip a beat. The simple necklace held so much sentimental value for him, and Rarity’s touch had made it even more beautiful.

"Wow..." Sora murmured, "It looks amazing, Rarity." He gingerly took the necklace in his hooves, his face lighting up with gratitude. "Thank you so much. It means a lot to me."

Rarity beamed, clearly pleased with his reaction. "Oh, darling, it was my pleasure. When I saw how important it was to you, I just knew I had to make sure it looked its very best."

Sora carefully placed the necklace around his neck, the crown pendant settling back into its familiar spot against his chest. The feel of it, the weight, it all brought back memories of Riku and the adventures they shared. It was a comforting reminder of home.

He beamed at the mare. “Thanks, Rarity…really.”

Rarity’s smile grew even brighter at Sora’s heartfelt thanks. "You’re very welcome, Sora. Seeing you happy makes it all worth it. I mean You did help me out more then you know after all.” Before Sora could even question what she was talking about music started blasting all about them causing the three ponies and the dragon to look around in confusion. Ponies all about them began, what Sora believed, to dance all around them.

“Wow.” Twilight mused loud enough so that she could be heard. “Pinkie really went all out for this welcoming party. So-” She paused finding the spot Sora just occupied only to find it unexpectedly empty. Neither Rarity nor Spike had noticed that they were down one pony. “Hey! Where did Sora go?”

Both the white unicorn and the baby dragon turned in unison to the place they last saw the caramel stallion.

“Huh? B-but… he didn’t even grab his necklace. Where could he- PINKIE!! YOU BRING THAT STALLION BACK HERE RIGHT NOW” Rarity chased after the pink pony who was busily swinging Sora around in a circle by his forehooves.

~~~

The crisp night air cooled Sora’s tired body. Between Rarity’s undivided attention and Pinkie Pie’s… Pinkieness(?), most of his energy for the day had been spent. He was having a blast of a time at the welcoming party but he did feel he needed to get at least a little time to himself, mostly to think. He slipped out at the first chance he was given, making his way to an apple tree nearby the barn.

The cool breeze rustled the leaves above him, creating a soft, calming sound that contrasted with the lively party in the barn. Sora leaned back against the sturdy trunk of the apple tree, feeling the rough bark against his back as he let out a tired sigh. His mind, though, wasn't entirely quiet. The party had been fun, but now, in the stillness of the night, the unanswered questions that had been lurking in the back of his mind started bubbling up again.

"What was that door?" Sora thought to himself. "And why did it bring me here?"

He furrowed his brow, trying to make sense of it. Ever since his journey began, he had encountered countless strange places, from worlds of talking animals to vibrant cities floating in the clouds. But this? This world felt different. Not in a bad way, but different in a way he couldn’t quite place.

The way that door had just appeared out of nowhere—it didn’t make sense. The Keyblade usually had a connection to the doors between worlds, but this one had felt... off. Unfamiliar. And that led him to the next question: Why had he transformed into a pony? Donald’s magic hadn’t caused it, and his clothes weren’t enchanted to change his form, so what was the trigger?

Sora rested his chin on his hooves, staring blankly ahead. "It’s not like I’m against being a pony or anything, but… there has to be a reason."

Sora shook his head, deciding that there was no point in dwelling on the questions now. "I’m not going to get any answers tonight. Focus on what’s in front of you for now." He let out another sigh, his body relaxing slightly as he leaned back against the tree, preparing to let his mind wander away from the mysteries that plagued him.

Just as he closed his eyes, a loud, energetic yet timid voice rang out next to him. “H-Howdy!”

Startled, Sora’s head shot up, but in his haste, he smacked it against the tree trunk with a solid thud. “Ow!” he yelped, rubbing his head just as an apple dislodged from the tree and fell squarely on top of him, adding a second injury to the first. “Ow... again,” he groaned, blinking in confusion and pain.

“Haha...Smooth mister.” A slightly tomboyish voice whistled.

“Yeah. Smooth.” Another voice, this one rather high and squeaky, agreed.

Sora shook the daze from his head, forcing his mind into full wakefulness. When he was done he found three little ponies, one orange, one yellow, and the last white, staring up at him.

“Ah… Hey there…” His voice was very unsure about the current predicament, that was for certain. “Can I help you?”

The orange filly with the magenta mane smiled deviously. “Well...I don’t know about myself, but I’m sure that you can help Ap--“

She was unable to finish her sentence due to getting smacked away by the yellow filly’s abnormally strong rump. With a bright and innocent smile, the earth pony filly would carrying on as though she did nothing wrong. “Heh, heh. Don’t mind her. She always says silly things. My names Applebloom by the way. This here is Sweetie Belle.” She pointed a hoof at herself and the white filly respectively. “And over yonder is Scootaloo.” Named filly was currently preoccupied with prying herself from a hole in an apple tree. “We're just here ta welcome ya ta Ponyville.”

Sora blinked a few times, still recovering from the unexpected ambush of introductions and the apple to the head. His eyes darted from the overly enthusiastic yellow filly to the white one with the high-pitched voice, then over to the orange pegasus, who was struggling to free herself from the hole in the apple tree. He couldn't help but chuckle at the scene, despite his confusion.

"Uh... thanks, I guess?" Sora said, smiling awkwardly at the trio.

The stallion gaze fell on the yellow filly, her own shifting from one way to the next as if trying to avoid looking at him for too long. After a long second she blurts out-

“I...ah... really like your mane!”

Sweetie Belle’s hoof met her face.

Sora raised an eyebrow at the sudden outburst, his confusion momentarily overriding his amusement. "Uh... my mane?" He glanced up at his spiky, wind-tossed hair, wondering if it was somehow different than usual.

Applebloom, her face turning a bright shade of red, nodded quickly, still avoiding his gaze. "Y-yeah! It's... real cool lookin'! All spiky and stuff.”

The stallion cocked his head to the side before speaking again, giving the filly a smile. “Haha...Thanks. I usually wake up to it looking like this”

Applebloom's blush deepened, and she gave a nervous laugh. "Really? You wake up like that? That's... pretty amazin'." She shifted her hooves nervously, her eyes darting to Sweetie Belle for support, who simply sighed and gave an encouraging nod.

Sora chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess I’ve always had a bit of a wild mane. It’s kind of my thing." He grinned at the trio, feeling a little more at ease now. "But hey, if you like it, I’ll take that as a compliment."

Sweetie Belle finally spoke up, giving Applebloom a playful nudge. "See? Told you it wasn’t that hard to say something nice."

Applebloom mumbled under her breath, “Wasn’t that easy either.”

Silence followed soon after, as all three ponies just looked between each other. It was only being broken by Sora as he slowly stood back up, patting the dust off his hunches. “Anyway…it was nice to meet you guys. I really should get going back to the-” A piercing scream filled the night air, causing the stallion and the fillies to stare in the direction it originated with wide eyes and pinprick pupils.

Author's Note

FORGIVE ME!!!!