Kingdom Hearts of Harmony

By Steel Soul

A King and A Princess

Green to start music and red to stop music

Canterlot Castle: Throne Room…

Canterlot Castle: Throne Room…

“King Sombra?” Sora’s words cut through the silence that had followed the princess’s words.

“Yes, my little pony,” Celestia answered. “The dark king of the Crystal Empire and the master of powerful dark magic.”

“Excuse me, your highness,” Twilight spoke up. “But I’ve never heard of the Crystal Empire before, or of this King Sombra pony. None of the books I own even mentioned anything like this. N-Not that I am doubting you or anything...but...”

Celestia smiled reassuringly towards her student. “It is quite alright Twilight. I can understand your confusion. The reason that you have never found anything is because everything about Sombra and the Empire was all but forgotten. Every written word or text made mentioning the king or the Crystal Empire disappeared. Vanished as if it was a leaf on the wind.” The Princess closed her eyes. “Even my sister and I had lost almost all memory of the Empire.”

Luna stepped forward with a grim expression upon her face. “Its not just that. It felt as though our memories of that time were plucked from our consciousness as if they were a ripe apple from off a tree to be never seen again, only for them to return as if nothing were amiss. ‘Tis an unsettling feeling to be sure.”

Sora sat on his haunches, folded his arms about his chest and closed his eyes. Why does this sound so familiar? Like… It’s almost like… that time with the pictures of me and my-

A sharp pain rang through Sora’s head and he quickly clasped a hoof to his head, shaking it slightly.

Wait… d-did that really happen? No...I think...I think that was with…

The voice of Twilight had snapped him out of his own confused thoughts, her mind racing to comprehend the gravity of the situation. "How is that even possible?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "An entire empire... just forgotten? And now the memories are coming back?"

The midnight alicorn huffed. “The magic of the Heartless has always been strange and powerful, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna’s horn began to glow from the tip with a deep blue light. At the peak of its shine, she shot a beam towards the ground. The light was brighter than Sora could have imagined, having to hold a hoof in front of his eyes to shield them.

When the light subsided and he could see again, the blood in his veins ran as cold as ice. A strange little creature was standing there, one not unlike the ones that Sora had fought the other day, except this one was much smaller with a round head and body, and claw-like hands and feet. Bright yellow eyes glowed with un-pony like light, a light that shook everypony present to the core.

Twilight gasped at the sight of the creature, taking a cautious step back as the Heartless stood there, its glowing yellow eyes locked onto the group. Fluttershy let out a soft squeak and hid behind Applejack, while Rainbow Dash immediately took to the air, wings flared in preparation for a fight. Even Pinkie Pie, usually full of energy, remained still as the eerie presence of the creature filled the room.

Sora, though shaken by the sudden appearance of the Heartless, instinctively stepped forward, summoning his Keyblade in a flash of light. His grip on the weapon was tight, his muscles tense. "Heartless," he muttered under his breath. "How did it get in here?"

Princess Luna, her expression grim, spoke up, her magic still radiating softly from her horn. "It did not 'get in,' Sora. This is a projection of the Heartless’ presence, drawn forth by my magic to show you the danger we face."

Rainbow Dash scoffed. “You mean these things are the Heartless? Pfft! I bet I can take it down in ten seconds flat.”

“Now hang on there, R.D.,” Applejack spoke in her country drawl. “Just cause they look harmless doesn’t mean they are. I mean, look at it. it does look a mite' devilish, doesn’t it?”

“And ghastly too,” Rarity added. “Black isn’t very slimming on them, is it?”

“Aww! Come on guys! I think it looks kinda cute in a creepy sort of way.” Everypony watched as Pinkie waved a hoof through the illusion, causing it to distort in odd ways. “Oooo! Wavy!”

Fluttershy had somehow made her way behind Sora, peering at the creature with both distaste and fear. “I-It wasn’t so cute when it tried to attack me last night.” She shuddered at the memory.

Rainbow and Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but fold their ears back at Fluttershy’s statement, remembering just what it was that they were dealing with.

Twilight, on the other hoof, was more intrigued by the look of it than anything else, opting to stay silent in contemplation; that is, until a thought occurred to her. “Wait!" She turned to the stallion. "Sora. Didn’t you say the heartless you fought looked kind of like ponies?”

Sora looked between the Heartless illusion and Twilight before letting his key dissipate in a flash of light. “Oh yeah! That’s right, Twilight.” He turned to the princesses. “I have fought these types before, but the ones from last night looked more…ah…equ…ekia…eu…”

“Equine, Sora,” Twilight finished.

Sora looked back at her and smiled broadly. “Yeah, that’s it!”

Celestia’s eyes widened at the new information. “Are you sure, Keyblade Wielder?” At his nod, her countenance seemed to take a slight nosedive into the negative territory. “That… is troubling,” she spoke under her breath. Before anypony could ask what she had said, she addressed the stallion. “Sora. I fear that we may be in more trouble than I had suspected.”

“Wait, why are you telling him, your highness?” Rainbow asked, looking at Sora with narrowed eyes.

“Because, my little pony, in the face of darkness only the key can light the way.” She motioned towards the stallion. “And Sora is the key we need to face this darkness.”

The rainbow maned pegasus gave the most confused of looks. “I… don’t get it.”

“Well duh, Dashie. She’s saying that only one who wields the keyblade can truly defeat the Heartless.” Pinkie smiled as all eyes turned to her once again, dumbfounded expressions accompanying all of their faces. The pink party pony looked between them before shrugging. "Or…you know, just a hunch."

Celestia was the first to recover, smiling softly at the pink mare. “Well… yes, it is more then a hunch, my little pony. The only way to truly defeat a Heartless is if you strike then down with their bane, the Keyblade.”

“Is that so?” Before anypony could blink, Rainbow had zoomed towards the stallion with a hoof held out. “Okay buddy, hand it over.”

Sora blinked before frowning at her. “What?”

“That key sword thingy, dummy. Why don’t you let real heroes take on this darkness stuff and you can go and have a cupcake somewhere.”

The tan coated stallion blinked slowly before a smile graced his lips. “Heh. Okay, sure.” Summoning his keyblade once again, he tossed it towards the waiting pegasus, Rainbow catching it in her hoof in one swift motion.

Rainbow Dash grinned confidently, gripping the Keyblade in her hoof. “See? Told ya, piece of cake!” She gave it a little swing, wobbling slightly from the unexpected weight. “Heavier than I thought, but I’ve got this.”

She flapped her wings and attempted to swing the Keyblade again, this time with more force. However, instead of slicing through the air like she imagined, the blade felt unresponsive, almost as if it were resisting her movements. Rainbow's grin faltered as she tried again, putting all her strength into it, but the Keyblade refused to move with the fluidity Sora had demonstrated earlier.

"What's the deal?" she muttered, narrowing her eyes in frustration.

Sora chuckled softly, watching Rainbow struggle. "It doesn’t work like that, Rainbow. The Keyblade isn’t just a weapon—it chooses its wielder." He extended his hoof, and in an instant, the Keyblade vanished from Rainbow’s grasp and reappeared in Sora’s.

Rainbow Dash blinked, staring at her now empty hoof in disbelief. "What the—? Hey! How did you do that?"

Princess Celestia stifled the giggle that had tried to escape her before answering Rainbow’s question for Sora. “I am sorry, Rainbow, but only those made into a Keyblade Wielder can wield a Keyblade effectivly.” She held out a hoof to Sora. “If you would…”

Sora nodded and summoned the key once more, this time the blade appearing in his hoof instead of his mouth. He beamed at his little accomplishment before he placed the object into Celestia’s own outstretched hoof. In a quick flash of light, the blade disappeared from the regal hoof of the princess and reappeared in Sora’s mouth once again.

“The blade cannot be used by anypony except a Keyblade Wielder,” Celestia said after letting her hoof down. "Not even I, a princess, can force it to listen to my command."

Rainbow frowned before turning to scowl at the young stallion, who seemed to have the most shit-eattingest of grins upon his face. Turning away, the mare scoffed. I can’t believe that twirp! He got me good!

“You said that the power of light can defeat these heartless, right?” Twilight voiced, cutting through Rainbow’s internal struggle. “Then what about the Elements of Harmony?”

Luna shook her head. “As far as we know, the elements, while powerful, are just not enough, at least not after being in a dormant state so long. They need time to gather their original power.”

“Besides, my most faithful student,” Celestia continued. “Only a Keyblade can truly free a pony’s heart if they have been corrupted by the heartless.”

“If that's the truth,” Twilight began, “then that means that we really are going to need Sora’s help to defeat the heartless.”

Celestia nodded gently before looking back towards the stallion in question. “Sora. I am sorry for asking you to take on such a burden, especially without your consent. I can understand if you wish not to. But...I must plea, will you help us?“

“You kidding, Princess? Of course I'll help.”

Celestia gazed towards the young stallion, a smile gracing her lips. “You accept our plea?”

Sora smiled brightly. “If the heartless are causing trouble, then I’ll do everything in my power to stop them.” He raised his blade high in the air. “On my word as a wielder of the keyblade.”

Rarity's eyes sparkled as Sora made his declaration, her lips curling into a proud smile. "Oh my, Sora, you’re like a knight straight out of an old tale! So noble and brave." She gave a small, dramatic sigh, clearly enthralled by his sense of duty. "It’s simply... gallant."

Rainbow Dash wasn’t as easily impressed. Hovering just above the group, she crossed her forelegs with an irritated huff. “Yeah, yeah, brave knight and all that,” she muttered, rolling her eyes. “But let’s see some action first before we start handing out medals, huh?”

Applejack, standing nearby with an amused smile on her face, adjusted her hat before cutting in. "Now hold on there, Rainbow," she said with a chuckle, tilting her head toward Fluttershy. "Don’t forget, Sora here already saved Fluttershy from those Heartless. That counts for somethin’, right?”

Fluttershy, still blushing softly, gave a tiny nod in agreement. "Um… yes, he really did help me... I-I don’t know what would have happened if Sora wasn’t there."

Rainbow Dash blinked, glancing between Applejack and Fluttershy, then down at Sora. She hovered in silence for a moment, clearly conflicted. “Yeah, well… I guess that’s true,” she finally admitted, rubbing the back of her neck with one hoof. “But still, I’m just saying I wanna see what he can really do in a fight. Saving Fluttershy’s one thing, but we actually saved the world…like…three times already. Lets see him beat that.”

Sora’s soft laugh was lighthearted, but it did little to ease the tension in the air. He knew Rainbow Dash’s skepticism wasn’t entirely unwarranted, but still, talking about his experiences saving other worlds felt like a rule he shouldn’t break just yet. “Guess we’ll see when the time comes, huh?”

Nearby, Twilight stood quietly, her eyes focused on Sora with a look that was half curious and half uncertain. While she trusted Princess Celestia’s judgment about Sora’s character, there was still something about him that gnawed at her. Too many unanswered questions swirled in her mind—how had he come here, why was he the only Keyblade wielder, and what exactly had he been through before arriving in Ponyville?

She didn’t doubt his bravery, but Twilight couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Sora’s story than he was letting on. Her mind raced with possibilities, and though she remained silent for now, the inquisitive spark in her eyes was unmistakable.

The sound of the large throne room doors creaking open drew everyone’s attention. All eyes shifted toward the entrance as a royal guard entered, her hooves clicking against the marble floor. She approached Princess Celestia with a bow, her expression serious. “Your Highness,” she said, her voice low and respectful, “I have urgent news.”

Celestia’s regal demeanor remained calm, but there was a flicker of concern in her eyes as she nodded to the guard. “Thank you. Please wait for me in the hall, and I will hear your report shortly.”

The guard bowed once again before turning and quietly exiting the room.

Celestia turned back to Twilight and her friends, her expression softening as she addressed them. “It seems there are matters I must attend to,” she said, her voice as composed as ever. “For now, that will be all for today. I encourage you to stay here at the castle tonight before returning to Ponyville in the morning. Think of it as my way for saying sorry for making you all come at such short notice.I’ll even throw in a light shopping spree for you all.”

The group looked at each other with wide eyes, especially Rarity, whose face lit up with uncontained excitement. "A shopping spree in Canterlot?" she gasped, her eyes practically sparkling with delight. "Oh, Princess, you are far too generous! I can hardly wait to see what the Canterlot boutiques have to offer!"

Twilight stood still for a moment, processing the princess’s words as the excitement of her friends bubbled around her. There’s so much I still don’t know. She wanted to press for more information, to dive deeper into the mysteries that had unfolded before them today, but she also understood that now wasn’t the time. The princess had her own matters to attend to, and Twilight knew better than to push when the situation was this delicate.

She smiles, nodding. “Thank you princess. For both of your kind offers.” the unicorn bows low before turning to the others, nodding, and leading the way out the door. With Sora being the last to leave, his gaze fell on the Princess of the Sun. He gaze the mare a look that screamed ‘I hope you are free to talk later’. Something the princess picked up right away, giving the stallion a smile and a nod.

As soon as Sora stepped outside the throne room, he found himself surrounded by the group of mares, all of them watching him closely. Rarity’s eyes were still sparkling with admiration, while Rainbow Dash hovered just above him, her expression somewhere between curiosity and skepticism. Applejack stood with a knowing smile, Fluttershy offered a small but supportive grin, and Pinkie Pie was, as usual, brimming with excitement.

Twilight stood at the front of the group, her gaze steady but thoughtful. The intensity of their collective focus made Sora rub the back of his head awkwardly, feeling the weight of all their attention. "Uh… is everything okay?" he asked, his usual confident tone faltering slightly.

Sora blinked, caught off guard by the sudden seriousness in Twilight’s question. His gaze shifted to her, noticing the intensity in her eyes that hadn’t been there moments before. “Do I mean it?” he repeated, still unsure what she was referring to. “What do you mean?”

Twilight took a deep breath, her brow furrowing slightly as she looked directly into his eyes. “Back in the throne room, you promised to do everything in your power to stop the Heartless. I know we’ve just met, and there’s still so much we don’t know about you, but… do you really mean it?

Sora tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. “Well yeah, of course.”

“So what? Are you expecting to get something out of this?” Rainbow questioned. “Bits? Diamonds? A spot on the WonderBolts?”

Sora’s eyes widened in surprise at Rainbow Dash’s sudden accusation, and he quickly shook his head. “No, no, it’s not like that at all!” he said, waving his hooves defensively. “I’m not doing this for any kind of reward. That’s not how I roll.” He tapped a hoof to his chin. “though…I could use a bite to eat if nothing else…don’t think we had breakfast yet.”

His lighthearted response, paired with his casual mention of breakfast, left the group momentarily speechless. His carefree nature stood in stark contrast to the gravity of their earlier conversation, but it was impossible to deny the sincerity in his words.

As Pinkie Pie dashed after him, her energy seemingly endless, she called out excitedly, “Hey Sora! Wait up! I didn’t get a chance to show you around Ponyville, but I can at least show you around Canterlot to make up for it!”

“Oh!” Rarity followed the duo at a half trot, half strut. “We can go shopping as well. I do love your outfit, but I wonder what you would look like in a suit. Maybe something more sleek and form fitting?”

“Um…” Fluttershy’s gaze shifted from Applejack to Twilight, and then to Rainbow Dash before finally ending up on the ground. “S-Sorry. I’m just going to…” She trotted past them to catch up with Sora and the others.

Rainbow Dash grumbled, throwing her hooves up in frustration. "I don't get it! He’s this weird colt from who-knows-where, he’s got some fancy magic sword thing, and everypony’s just cool with it? Ugh!"

Twilight gave her a sympathetic look. "I understand how you feel Rainbow Dash, but the Princesses seem to trust him and honestly if he wanted to do something he would have by now. He doesn’t seem the most…ah…well…hmmm…”

Twilight hesitated, searching for the right words. "He doesn’t seem the most... calculated, let’s say," she finally concluded with a small smile. "If he had bad intentions, I think we’d have seen it by now. He’s... well, kind of impulsive and straightforward. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you mean he’s a total doofus.”

Applejack chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Might be a little bit of a goofball, sure, but there’s somethin’ honest ‘bout that. He’s not tryin’ to be somethin’ he’s not. What you see is what you get." She tilted her hat. “In anycase, I’m gonna git. Been hankering for a spot of Donut Joe’s and now’s as good of a time as any.”

Applejack tipped her hat one last time and headed off toward Donut Joe’s, leaving Twilight and Rainbow Dash alone for a moment. Rainbow watched Applejack go before turning her attention back to Twilight, raising an eyebrow.

“So, now what?” Rainbow asked, clearly still a bit restless.

“Well,” Twilight began. “I was planning on going to the library to see if there was any information about Sombra, the Crystal Empire or the Heartless. I’m sure that Canterlot’s library has more information than Ponyville’s. Hey, would you like to-?”

“Pass!” The Pegasus zoomed off, leaving a rainbow trail behind her as she did so.

Twilight blinked, watching Rainbow Dash zoom off in a blur of color, her sentence left hanging in the air. She let out a small sigh,. "I guess I should’ve seen that coming," she muttered.

~~~

Canterlot Castle, Resident Quarters…

Sora opened the door to his room and made a beeline straight for the bed, barely sparing a glance at the elegant décor surrounding him. Without a second thought, he flopped onto the soft, silk sheets, his wings and forelegs spread out in complete exhaustion. The luxurious bedding seemed to melt away the tension and aches from the long day.

And what a day it had been.

It all started when Applejack caught up with the group and suggested a quick stop at Donut Joe’s. Afterward, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy had eagerly shown him around the city, introducing him to the sights and landmarks of Canterlot. Applejack, on the other hand, had wisely opted to head back to the castle for some rest, shopping not being her cup of cider. But Sora had not been so lucky.

The girls—well, mostly Rarity—had dragged him to every store in the shopping district. Clothes, shoes, accessories—nothing was spared. And, to top it all off, Sora had ended up pulling the cart loaded with their countless shopping bags back to the castle. By the time they had returned, he was completely drained. He barely managed to bid the girls a sleepy goodnight before finally stumbling into his room and collapsing on the bed.

Now, as he lay there, the weight of the day began to lift, and his mind drifted. I’m definitely not cut out for this shopping stuff, he thought with a tired smile, already feeling the pull of sleep.

“Good evening, Sora.”

The calm voice startled him so badly that his wings flapped out of control, sending him flipping off the bed and landing on the floor with a loud thud and a groan.

Rubbing his head, Sora peeked over the edge of the bed, his heart racing. “W-What the—!?”

“Oh dear. I am sorry, little Keyblade Wielder.” Celestia apologized. “I did not mean to startle you.”

Maybe it was Sora’s imagination, but he could have sworn he saw a smirk on the princess’s face. He shrugged the feeling off, believing he was overthinking things. There’s no way that that was possible.

For a moment, Sora stared at her, wondering if he was imagining things. He could have sworn there was the tiniest smirk playing at the corners of the princess’s lips, but that couldn’t be right. No way, he thought. She’s way too regal for that. He shrugged the feeling off and stood up, giving his wings a little shake to settle them back into place.

“Uh, no problem, Princess,” Sora said, brushing off the surprise and trying to regain some composure. “Just... wasn’t expecting anyone to be in here.” He looked over towards the mare. “Guessing you’re here for that talk?”

Celestia smiled softly. “Right you are. I did promise you after all.” She motioned towards the balcony. “Shall we walk while we talk? The Gardens are lovely this time of night.”

The stallion looked back towards his bed. He had wanted to get some rest due to this morning’s tiring events, but the need to have at least some of his questions answered was just too much for him to ignore. With a tired sigh, Sora nodded and followed the princess out onto the balcony.

“Whoa…”

And gaped at the view that the outer part of his room provided. Even from his second story window the stallion had a magnificent view of the city of Canterlot. The lights of the night life filled the city, giving off a spectacular show of every hue of the rainbow.

His admiration turned to confusion, however, as a thought crossed his mind.

“Princess. Aren’t we going to the gardens? Why are we on the balcony?”

The princesses eyes shifted towards the stallion and a smirk appeared on her lips. She unfurled her wings to their full extent and with a flap launched herself into the air. With the grace of a leaf blowing in the wind, she glided down towards the gardens below.

Sora watched her for a second before looking back towards his own wings. He had almost forgotten that he had them. It took a second for realization to hit him. Hey, that means I can fly!

With giddy excitement, the stallion unfurled his wings as well and gave them a quick flap. He smiled as he felt the cool breeze they produced upon doing so. Smiling like a fool, he made his way towards the edge of the balcony.

I’ve flown before with fairy dust, so adding wings to the mix can only make it that much easier.

With such flawless reasoning as his steed, Sora geared himself up, stuck his tongue out to the side in concentration and leapt off the ledge, soaring into the open sky.

It wasn’t until the descent started that the stallion wished wholeheartedly that he could have taken back such an obviously flawed statement.

Celestia, having just gracefully landed on the cool grass, turned at the sound of rustling and crashing behind her. She raised an eyebrow, her serene expression betrayed only by the slightest hint of amusement as Sora tumbled out of the bush, leaves stuck haphazardly in his mane and scratches crisscrossing his coat.

“Oh my…” Celestia, despite her worry, was trying her best to suppress a giggle."Are you alright, Sora?"

Sora staggered to his hooves, shaking his head to dislodge the remaining leaves. He tried his best to look nonchalant, though the embarrassment was clear on his face. "Yeah… I'm good. Just... working on my landing," he muttered, brushing himself off. "Flying's a bit harder than I thought." he frowned looking upwards. “It’s the long way up for me.”

The princess smirked at the poor stallion. “Looks like you might need some practice before you try that again.”

The Keyblade wielder gave her a deadpan look as Celestia started to trot off. With a huff, Sora followed right after her.

They moved in silence, neither saying anything at all. He did have questions for her - many, in fact - but he was thankful for the time he was given to collect his thoughts. As they walked, Sora’s eyes strayed to his surroundings in awe. The gardens were impressive to say the least. If he looked really hard he could see shapes of some animals hiding in the darker reaches.

Sora took a deep breath, feeling the tranquility of the evening settle over him. Despite everything on his mind—his worries about the Heartless, his self-doubt—this place had a way of calming him. He glanced toward Celestia, who was walking gracefully beside him, her expression calm as she, too, seemed to take in the peacefulness of the night.

“So, little pony, how are you enjoying your time here in Equestia so far?”

"Well, everyone seems to be pretty nice." His thoughts then turned to a certain cyan pegasus. "Well, almost everyone."

Celestia chuckled softly at Sora’s response, the gentle sound mixing with the quiet rustle of the evening breeze. "Ah, I take it Rainbow Dash has been a bit... challenging?" she asked with a knowing smile, glancing at him.

Sora sighed, his wings twitching slightly as they continued walking. "Yeah, you could say that," he admitted. "She’s not exactly subtle about it either.”

“Oh, I’m sure she will warm up to you eventually. She is quite the stubborn mare when she wants to be. Plus that little joke you played was sure to liven her up at the very least.”

Sora chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, I wasn’t really sure how that would go. I just thought a little humor might help break the ice... but I’m pretty sure it just made her more annoyed." he lapsed back into silence for a second before he spoke again. “Princess…”

“Please, while it is just us, call me Celestia, little Keyblade Wielder.”

Sora looked towards the princess of the sun and smiled. “Well… if that’s the case, Celestia, then just call me Sora.”

The princess returned his smile with one of her own. “Fair enough, Sora.” She sat in the grass, letting her legs rest to one side of her. “Come have a seat. We can talk here.”

Sora nodded, a little surprised at the informality but grateful for it. He joined Celestia, settling onto the soft grass beside her. The cool breeze of the evening brushed against them, and the gentle rustling of leaves filled the quiet air.

“So…” Sora began, “You know...well...You know who I really am...right?”

Celestia smiled as she nodded. “Ever since I summoned you, Sora. Why do you ask?”

“A few things honestly..." The stallion admited. "First...Well...when I woke up in Twilight's house, I noticed my clothes were gone. You see, it’s either through my clothes or through a friend of mine’s magic that I am able to change my shape to match a world. I was changed already without either, so… was that your doing?”

Celestia’s smile widened slightly. “Indeed, Sora, it was my magic that transformed you and brought you here. A rather delicate spell, if I must say. Equal parts teleportation and transformation magic.”

Sora tilted his head. "Oh?"

“In fact, it was quite experimental,” the mare continued. “You were my very first test subject actually, Sora. I wasn’t entirely sure what would happen. There was a small chance you might have... well... imploded.”

Sora’s eyes widened in shock. “W-Wait, what?! Imploded?!” He leapt to his hooves, staring at her in disbelief.

Before the young one could get another word in edgewise, the soft and melodic sound of a very hearty laugh filled his ears. It wasn’t long before Celestia spoke once again, controlling her laughter, at least to a degree. “I’m sorry, Sora. I couldn’t help myself. And I must say, you have the most adorable little pout when you’re flustered.”

Said pouty stallion huffed before smiling himself. “Okay. Gotta watch out for you from now on, huh? I got your number, Celestia.”

Celestia stifled a giggle before continuing, her tone becoming a bit more somber. “I am sorry, Sora, but in truth, we really were desperate. My sister and I sensed the coming darkness a little too late and we had little time to prepare for it. Had we known about your clothing’s abilities then we would have thought twice about making you into a purely pony form.”

“Well, it's okay, Celestia,” Sora told her. “Long as I can change back whenever, then I don’t mind at all.”

The princess cringing did not go unnoticed by Sora.

“Yes, um… about that, Sora. The magic we used to transform you wasn’t new, but adding the effects we added is… I mean...”

Sora blinked as her words slowly began to dawn on him. “Will… I be able to turn back though...right?”

Celestia’s warm expression faltered ever so slightly, her composure slipping as she sighed, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking. She turned her gaze away from Sora for a brief moment before speaking, her tone more measured and serious.

"Sora, the transformation spell we used is... quite complex. It wasn’t meant to be a permanent change, but it also wasn’t designed with the idea of reverting you back immediately. My sister and I had little time to prepare and had to ensure that your form here would harmonize with Equestria’s magic to protect you from the effects of the Heartless and the darkness."

Sora’s eyes widened as he processed her words, his voice hesitant. “So… I can’t change back right now?”

Celestia met his gaze, her own filled with a mixture of regret and concern. "At the moment, no. The spell that brought you here is deeply intertwined with Equestria’s magic. Reversing it will take time, research, and—"

“Time?” Sora’s brow furrowed as he cut in, his voice a mix of disbelief and worry. “How much time are we talking about here?”

The princess hesitated, clearly not wanting to alarm him further, but knowing she had to be honest. "I cannot say for certain. My sister and I will work on it, but it may take weeks, perhaps even longer. The transformation isn’t irreversible, Sora, but it requires care. The balance of magic here must remain stable, or we could risk further complications."

Sora blinked, digesting the news, before letting out a long sigh. He flopped back onto the grass, staring up at the sky. "Wow... So, I’m stuck as a pony for a while, huh?"

Celestia nodded solemnly, watching his reaction closely. "I know this is not what you expected, Sora, and I’m truly sorry. I should have explained it sooner." She shook her head. "No...No I should have came to you first before the change happened and asked...I..."

Sora looked up at Celestia, noticing the genuine remorse in her voice. He could tell she was struggling with the weight of her decision, and though the situation was far from ideal, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for the princess.

Sitting up slightly, he shook his head. “Celestia, it’s okay,” he said softly, trying to ease her guilt. “You were doing what you thought was best. I get it. You had to protect your world and... well, I’m here now, right? I can still help.”

Celestia’s gaze softened as she met Sora’s eyes, but the regret still lingered. “But I should have spoken with you first, Sora. You should have had the choice. I was so focused on the urgency of the situation, I didn’t consider the impact this transformation might have on you. I regret that.”

Sora shrugged gently, his tone light. "Well, I’m here now, and I can still help. That’s what’s important, right? We’ll figure the rest out later." He smiled at her, that unshakeable optimism shining through.

The princess’s mouth moved wordlessly before slowly finding her words again, a smile slowly appearing on her lips. “Thank you, Sora. You are much too kind.”

At her words, Sora’s gaze wavered slightly. I wish...that was the truth. The young stallion sat back on his haunches, pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind. ”I do have another question, though. Why me?”

Celestia tilted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. “Why you?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Why did you choose me?”

Catching on, the princess looked back towards the stars in the sky. “Well, you came recommended by a dear friend of mine," she said honestly. "Somepony who I respect with all of my heart.”

Sora’s eyes widened in surprise. “Recommended?” When Celestia nodded, he lowered his head again. “That means...If I came recommended, then you know about me, right?”

Celestia nodded.

Sora was quiet for a long moment, staring at the ground as he processed Celestia’s words. When he finally looked up at her, he gave a smile—a bright one that would have seemed reassuring to most. But Celestia, with her years of wisdom and the ability to see beyond what others presented on the surface, could sense something deeper. The smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. There was something off, a weight he was trying to hide beneath that mask of optimism.

"Then I better not disappoint," Sora said with a light tone, though there was an undercurrent of uncertainty beneath his words.

He picked himself up and dusted himself off. "I better get going back. Nice as it is out here, I am way past tired. It was nice talking to you, Princess."

As Sora stood up and dusted himself off, ready to take his leave, Celestia gave a soft huff of playful frustration. She stepped closer and, with a gentle yet firm poke to his side, she grinned. "For that, you now have to call me Tia," she said, her tone light and teasing.

Sora blinked in surprise, caught off guard by her sudden playfulness. "Tia?" He repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Celestia gave a playful smile, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Yes, Tia. That’s your punishment for calling me 'Princess' again,” she teased, poking him lightly once more for emphasis.

Sora blinked in surprise, a small laugh escaping his lips as he rubbed the spot where she’d poked him. "Punishment, huh? Well, I guess I’ve had worse," he joked, the tension from earlier slowly melting away. "Alright, Tia, I’ll try to remember. But don’t be too upset if I slip up. Old habits, you know?"

She nodded, a soft laugh in her voice. “I’ll allow a few slips, but don’t make it too frequent, or there will be more pokes in your future.”

Celestia watched Sora as he began to walk away, her playful smile lingering for a moment before it slowly faded. Despite the lighthearted tone they had ended on, she couldn’t shake the lingering feeling in her heart. Even in his laughter, she sensed that Sora was carrying something heavier than he was letting on—something that no joke or teasing could completely lift.

"Sora..."

~~~

The chill of the freezing air did little to affect the black cloaked pony as she slowly entered into a rather oversized, ice covered doorway. Spread across the archway were markings so complex that she didn’t even bother giving them a second thought; there was no point since they would soon become irrelevant, anyway. Upon entering, she found herself within an icy room that held only one item: a large, pure black crystal.

The object pulsed with power and energy as she made her way towards it, her hoofsteps echoing within the cold, dark caverns.

“Well, well, well,” she mused, her voice as cold as the ice that surrounded her. “You’re looking as cool as ever, you old colt.” The crystal seemed to respond to her, pulsing angrily at her comment. She only seemed to be amused by it. “I’ll be out of your fur to let you plan your big comeback in peace, but first there’s a little problem we need to take care of."

The dark crystal pulsed again in response, this time slower.

The cloaked pony smiled underneath her tattered robe. “Tell me, big black and icy… what’s the strongest Heartless you can muster right now? I think it's time we officially brought the Realm of Darkness to the world of Equestria once again.”

Author's Note

Edited by NightmareKnight