Kingdom Hearts of Harmony

Kingdom Hearts of Harmony

By Steel Soul

A Day In a Life Part 1

Green to start music and red to stop music

Canterlot: Residential Quarters- Sora’s Room…

Sora couldn’t remember the last time he had slept so good. Despite being on the verge of waking up the young stallion couldn’t help but coo softly as he snuggled against the warmth of the covers, pulling his soft furry pillow closer to himself as he did so. He could feel the heated beams of Celestia’s sun shine gently upon his caramel muzzle, finding the extra warmth inviting. With a contented sigh the stallion blissfully pulled his snoring pillow in even closer, allowing it to do the same to him as they both nuzzled into each other affectionately.

Wait...

Sora’s eyes shot open as they soon came in contact with a similar pair of sleepy ocean blue orbs staring right back at him. His mind began to work overtime as it tried to make sense of what was happening right in front of him. He knew who it was that was laying beside him. Pinkie Pie was a hard pony to ever forget. Despite this, his body refused to move an inch, that was until he felt the pink pony pressed her muzzle gently against his neck as she muttered one simple word.

“Strawberries~.”

“Gah!!” Sora yelped as he scrambled backward, tumbling off the edge of the bed in a flurry of blankets and limbs. His heart raced as he stared wide-eyed at the pink pony still lounging comfortably on his bed, blinking sleepily at him.

Pinkie Pie, unfazed by his panicked reaction, gave him a lazy smile, her mane slightly disheveled. “Morning, Sora!” she said cheerfully, stretching her hooves as if waking up next to him was the most normal thing in the world. “Did you sleep well? ‘Cause I did! You’re super snuggly, like the best kind of pillow!”

Sora, tangled in blankets and utterly confused, stammered. “Pinkie?!”

“Yep Yep it's me!” The pink pony in question had hopped out of bed and had made her way towards the downed stallion. She twisted her head in an unbelievable manner so that she could see him from his point of view. “I don’t think ponies are supposed to get out of bed like that, silly. Let's get you back on your hooves, hmm?”

Without waiting for a response, Pinkie Pie placed her head against the side of his flank and gave him a slight nudge. His body tilted to the side before falling over, allowing his now thoroughly aching neck to have some relief. With some difficulty the stallion rose to a vertical base, and slowly began to stretch each of his sore limbs. When he felt that nothing was seriously damaged he turned to the pink party pony, a very noticeable blush quite evident on his furry features.

“Pinkie?! What are you doing in my room!?”

Pinkie blinked once before placing a hoof on her chin and humming. It looked as though, at least to Sora, that the mare really had to give the question some serious thought. “Let me think…” After a few long moments the hyper pony raised a hoof in the air. “Oh yeah, now I remember! I had gone into the royal kitchens to obtain my mid-midnight snack. I think I had…two cupcakes, a chocolate bar, a bowl of ice-cream…and…a cup of sprinkles. I decided to cut back last night. I need to keep my girlish figure after all.

“Anyhoof, I think I lost my way back to my room. Which is strange because usually I never lose my way around the castle, but I did last night for some reason. I must have been very tired. Maybe I should’ve had that extra piece of lemon pie. Well since I was lost I decided to just go into any old room and sleep in the bed there. I’m sure nopony would have minded. That’s when I came into this room and found you in the bed of all ponies. That’s when it hit me. I said to myself ‘Pinkie. You must have ended up in Sora’s room’ and I answered myself saying ‘well duh. Of course I did. What other pony has a mane as spiky and chocolate looking as him’.”

Sora blinked, his brain trying to catch up with Pinkie's rapid-fire explanation. His expression shifted between confusion, disbelief, and mild embarrassment as the pink pony continued her story without so much as a pause for breath.

“Wait, wait,” Sora finally managed to say, holding up a hoof as if trying to stop the whirlwind that was Pinkie Pie. “So... you just wandered into my room and... decided to stay?”

Pinkie nodded enthusiastically, bouncing in place. “Yep yep! It made perfect sense at the time! You see, it was late, and you were already asleep—so comfy and snuggly—so I figured, why not have a little snooze here? I didn’t want to wake you up, of course, ‘cause that’d be rude, and you seemed like you needed a good cuddle! So I just jumped into bed with you!”

“You jumped in bed with me?” He asked, repeating her words as in trying to make sense of them.

“I jumped into bed with you.” Pinkie’s innocent smile conveyed nothing but the truth.

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

Sora pinched the bridge of his muzzle with his hoof, which he was surprised that he could do. It was a completely childish and innocent reason to be sure, not that he was one to judge, but still, it was one that Sora could not even hope to comprehend.

Also, she had cuddled him. CUDDLED HIM! He had done the same to her too, but he didn't know it was her really. Still, her soft fur felt really good against his own. He could even remember the scent of bubble gum shifting up into his nostrils. It felt very-

The blush returned to his cheeks with a vengeance. He needed a subject change. “Ok, that aside Pinkie, why did you say Strawberry?”

The party pony shrugged. “Not too sure why. I think they thought it would have been funny.”

Sora raised an eyebrow. “They? They who?”

Pinkie tilted her head. “Who?”

Sora deadpanned. “Yes. Who?”

“Who is on, first silly.” Pinkie Giggled

“Wait," Sora was really confused now "…What?”

“No. What is on second. Who is on first.” Pinkie said matter-o-factly.

Sora stared blankly at her for a few seconds before turning towards the bathroom. “I’m going to go take a bath.”

Pinkie clapped her hooves together happily. “Oh goodie! I think I’ll join-“

Sora's eyes widened in pure panic as he quickly waved his hooves in front of him, cutting Pinkie off before she could finish her sentence. “Nope! Nope! Nope!” he exclaimed, his blush intensifying as his imagination threatened to run wild. “I think I’ll take this one alone, Pinkie!”

Pinkie blinked at him, her expression as innocent as ever, completely missing the reason for his sudden outburst. “Oh, okay! But if you need help scrubbing your back, just let me know!” she chirped cheerfully, bouncing around the room without a care.

Sora, still red-faced and flustered, rubbed his forehead and muttered to himself, “What is even happening right now?”

~~~

Canterlot: Public Dining hall…

Even after the nice and hot shower Sora had taken, which he had to admit, was the most pleasant shower he had ever had in his life, this morning’s events were still playing fresh in his mind. The caramel stallion sighed as the blush on his face returned, remembering the feeling of her soft fur against his own and the touch of her hot breath against his neck. He didn’t really know why, but he knew enough that If anyone caught wind of what had transpired, he was sure he wouldn’t be able to hear the end of it. Still, he really didn’t want to deal with it now, especially since his hunger was taking over him.

Following the lovely scent of pancakes and other baked goods, Sora found himself in a rather large dining hall. Many ponies, both in armor and service attire, were busy lining up to gather a plate full of breakfast for themselves. It kind of reminded Sora of his school’s cafeteria, but with much more edible looking food, and a dining area that was just too grand not to be noticed.

Not one to pass up a free meal, the stallion set off to gather a tray of vittles. His breakfast of choice: three stacks of pancakes, an apple, a donut, and a cup of orange juice. He balanced the tray quite easily between his teeth, smiling broadly as he did so. Maybe some food would get his mind off of-

“HEY SORA! OVER HERE!!”

The stallion turned to find a very excited Pinkie Pie waving him over quite enthusiastically. He also noticed that the pink pony had surrounded herself with a ridiculous amount of food. On her left was a blushing Fluttershy, who seemed to have just now caught wind of the stallion’s presence, and was slowly inching herself under the table to hide said blush. In front of the pink pony on the other side of the table was Rarity, the white unicorn tapping a hoof right beside her indicating that there was a seat open for him.

“Ah...Hey..." He had not wanted to meet the pink party pony so soon after their ‘morning’ together, especially since he really didn’t get a chance to explain to her why she shouldn’t tell anyone about it. Heck! He didn't even know where to begin. Hopefully she was kind enough to not say anything about it. With a nervous whimper, the stallion sat beside the white unicorn, trying his best to avoid eye contact with the pink pony as much as possible.

Rarity gave the stallion a coy smile as he sat, her eyelashes fluttering a little as she spoke. “So did you sleep well darling?”

Sora went rigid. W-What’s with that question? She doesn’t know, does she? Pinkie didn’t tell them, did she? Please tell me Pinkie didn’t tell them. “Ah! Y-yes…n-no…I did…didn’t…It was…ah…Interesting…”

Rarity tilted her head slightly. “Darling? Are you ok?”

He nearly dropped the fork he was holding before looking towards the white mare. “Y-Yeah, everything is fine. Nothing weird happened at all.” His eyes shifted back and forth after he had talked.

“Are you sure darling? You’re acting a little funny?”

He sunk into his chair a little mumbling something incoherently under his breath. He really felt he was screwer then screwed at this point and he decided that the truth would be for the best. He was about to open his mouth to tell just what had happened this morning but was beaten to the punch by the pink party mare.

“Aw don’t worry about him, Rarity. He’s just sulky that he had to leave the bed early that’s all.”

Sora turned to face Pinkie Pie who, in turn, had a bright smile on her face directed towards him. She didn’t tell them about what happened. More than that, she had covered for him. Holy crap, the endless stream of contemplations that her lie provided caused him to question not only about her, but the entire event that morning as well.

Sora’s eyes went wide as she winked at him and giggled.

And that's my cue to never get on this mare’s bad side ever.

He turned to face his food and eat automatically, a tinge of pink evident on his cheeks from both embarrassment and irritation.

Before Rarity could inquire any further on what the heck was going on between the two ponies, a bundle of cyan fur had made her way to the table and sat beside Pinkie Pie, cutting off any conversation prier. As Sora finally took notice of her, he could see, just by looking at her, that she didn't take mornings very well. Her mane was still unkept and frazzled and her eyes were still a bit bloodshot.

“Oh! Well good morning sunshine.” Rarity cooed. “And did we have a restful night?”

The cyan pony grumbled incoherently, waving a dismissing hoof at her friend.

Sora smiled broadly. “Not really a morning person, are ya?”

Rainbow’s scowl deepened at the sound of Sora’s voice. “Nopony asked you Spikey.”

Sora flinched slightly at Rainbow Dash’s gruff reply, his smile faltering. Haha…guess she still doesn’t like me very much, he thought to himself. He quickly shifted his attention back to his food, hoping to avoid any more hostility from the still-groggy pegasus.

Fluttershy, who had been quiet up until now, raised her hoof indicating that she wanted to speak. “Um, If you don’t mind me asking, has anypony seen Twilight and, um, Applejack?”

“Applejack set off to wake up Rainbow Dash and retrieve Twilight from the Library.” Said Rarity before shaking her head disapprovingly. “We told her not to stay in there all night but I doubted she would have listened to us anyway.”

“I guess Twilight really likes to study, huh?” Sora said with an amused smile. He had already figured out that the unicorn was one to always hit the books. While impressive, late night studying was never really his thing.

Rarity giggled. “Well, that’s our studious little Twilight for you. Applejack should have her back in two shakes of a lamb’s tail, so do not fret.”

Sora nodded and he turned to face Rainbow. To his surprise, she had been staring at him. Having caught her in the act had caused her brow to crease in an angry scowl as well make her cheeks turn a lovely shade of red.

“What?!” Her voice was as sharp as ice. More than likely at being caught by him then anything else. “Gonna gloat about that prank you did yesterday?”

“N-No...” Sora stuttered before an ideal clicked. “Actually, I was, ah, just wondering what you do.” When her brow creased further he looked away, letting the tip of his hoof scratch at his cheek. “I-I mean what do you do for work? I know Twilight is a librarian. I think Applejack works on that apple farm. Pinkie Pie works in a bakery. Rarity works in fashion and Fluttershy…” He turned to the yellow pegasus in question. “Actually what do you do Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy blinked, surprised to suddenly be the center of attention, but her expression quickly softened into a gentle smile. “Oh, um, I take care of animals,” she said quietly, her voice soft but filled with warmth. “I have a little cottage near the Everfree Forest, and animals from all over come to me when they’re hurt or need help. It’s... my passion.”

Sora raised an eyebrow. “Really? You mean like dogs and cats?”

“Well y-yes among other things…Like bears and hedgehogs and tigers…”

Sora blinked, his eyes widening in surprise. “Wait… bears? Tigers?!” He stared at Fluttershy, trying to process how the soft-spoken pegasus could handle such large and dangerous creatures.

Fluttershy blushed, giving a small nod as she brushed her mane shyly. “Oh, yes… but they’re really sweet once you get to know them. They just need a little care and attention, like all animals.”

Sora’s mouth hung open for a moment before he gave her a smile “Wow, that’s... impressive, Fluttershy. I don’t think I could handle a bear without freaking out. So what do you usually do?”

Fluttershy’s ears perked up and she smiled as well. “Oh…Well…If an animal comes to me in pain, they really need tender loving care or else they don’t heal their wounds correctly.”

“So you’re an animal nurse. That’s pretty cool.” Sora tapped a hoof to his chin. “I actually know a few animals as well. There was this lion named Simba. He was pretty cool. Oh! And a deer foal named Bambi. Oh and-“

“Hey!” Rainbow cut him off. “I thought you wanted to know what I did!”

Sora’s focus turned from the yellow pegasus to the cyan one, whose glare seemed to intensify by the second. “Oh! Ah, S-sorry Rainbow.”

“Gah! Just forget it. Not like I was going to tell you anyway.” Rainbow Dash huffed coldly.

Rarity’s eyebrow shot up. “So why bring it up at all darling?”

Rainbow’s eyes bulged. “I...Ah...W-Well…F-Forget it! I’m outta here!”

She slammed her hoof on the table, apparently trying to make a point, but in doing so, she hit the edge of Sora’s tray, causing his cup of juice to rocket upward. All eyes followed the glass until they all cringed as the cup landed face down upon the cyan pony, spilling its contents all over her head.

For a few moments, the entire table fell into a stunned silence as Rainbow Dash sat there, drenched in orange juice, her face frozen in shock. Slowly, her mane dripped with sticky liquid, and her feathers were matted down from the splash. Pinkie Pie, ever the one to break the tension, stifled a giggle, but the corners of her mouth twitched in amusement.

Sora winced, his ears folding back. "Uh... Rainbow, I—"

“Forget it!” Rainbow Dash zoomed away in a hurry, leaving a slightly damp rainbow trail behind her.

The stallion sighed as he watched her go. "Somehow this is gonna be my fault, isn't it?" He asked as the other three mares gave him an apologetic look.

~~~

Applejack trotted alongside a very groggy Twilight Sparkle through the corridors of Canterlot Castle, her hooves echoing softly against the marble floors. Twilight, still half-asleep, had one hoof covering her face, shielding her tired eyes from the bright morning sunlight streaming through the windows.

“Ya know, Twi, we told ya not to stay up all night in that library,” Applejack said, her tone a mix of amusement and mild scolding. “But did ya listen? Nooope.”

Twilight yawned, barely able to muster a response. “I know AJ…But I just had to finish that book about the Crystal Kingdom…or what little we know of it…the princess let me borrow.” She turned to her friend. “Did you know that even the books here lost all their findings about it until just a day or two ago?”

Applejack raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways at Twilight. “Wait, hold up. Ya mean to tell me all them fancy books in Canterlot just up and lost everything about the Crystal Kingdom?” She shook her head in disbelief. “How’s that even possible? Books don’t just forget stuff, Twi.”

Twilight rubbed her tired eyes, barely suppressing another yawn. “That’s just it, AJ. It’s like the knowledge itself was... erased. It’s not that the books forgot, more like all the records about the Crystal Empire vanished along with it.” Her eyes widened slightly, despite her exhaustion. “It’s almost like... something or somepony wanted it to be forgotten.”

Applejack’s expression turned more serious as they continued walking. “That sounds mighty spooky, Twi. If somethin’ could make a whole empire and its history disappear like that...” She trailed off, thinking hard. “What else could it do?”

Twilight nodded, her usual studious intensity starting to peek through despite her sleep-deprived state. “Exactly. That’s why I stayed up so late. There’s just so much we don’t know. The more I read, the more questions I had.” She paused, her face scrunching up in frustration. “But there’s hardly anything written down anymore! It’s like piecing together a puzzle when half the pieces are missing.”

Applejack frowned, mulling over Twilight’s words. “So, if most of the info’s gone, what do we know ‘bout this Crystal Empire, Twi? Gotta be somethin’ left for ya to stay up all night over.”

Twilight let out a tired sigh. “Not much at the moment. What I did find was pretty limited. All I know for certain is that King Sombra made the entire empire vanish when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna confronted him. His dark magic was powerful enough to seal the entire place away for centuries, along with all its history and magic.”

“And memories too it seems…” Applejack adds. “Just what is it that we are getting ourselves into, Sugarcube?”

"I wish I knew, Applejack. This is bigger than anything we've ever faced before. King Sombra didn’t just hide the Crystal Empire—he erased it from history, memories, everything. Even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had trouble recalling it until now."

“Hmm…well ah—” Applejack began, but she was cut off as Rainbow Dash came storming down the hallway, dripping wet and visibly fuming. Her mane was plastered to her face, and she left a faint trail of orange juice behind her with each furious step.

Both Twilight and Applejack blinked in surprise as they watched Rainbow stomp past them, her teeth clenched and eyes narrowed in frustration. Neither of them spoke at first, too caught off guard by the sight.

Finally, Applejack raised an eyebrow, her tone cautious. “Uh, Rainbow? Somethin’ you wanna share?”

Rainbow didn’t even slow down. “I. Don’t. Wanna. Talk. About. It!” she growled, stomping past the two mares without so much as a glance.

Twilight and Applejack exchanged a confused look before Applejack shook her head, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Looks like somepony had a rough breakfast.”

~~~

Canterlot Train station…

The group gathered at the station, waiting for the train back to Ponyville. Rainbow Dash stood a little apart from the others, her wings stretching wide as she let out a long yawn. She shot a glance at Sora, who was chatting with Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie, but made no move to join them.

Twilight was off by herself, her head buried in a book she held up with her magic.

“I could’ve flown back to Ponyville by now,” Rainbow muttered, flicking her tail in irritation. "If I knew it was gonna take this long, I wouldn’t have bothered waiting for the train."

“Oh stop your belly aching RD.” The southern drawl of Applejack told her, causing Rainbow to huff impatiently. “The train will get here when it gets here. Besides, riding together is a lot more fun right?”

“Yeah it would be…” She scowled. “If it weren’t for him…”

Applejack raised an eyebrow, following Rainbow's gaze toward Sora. “Still mad about the juice thing, huh?”

Rainbow Dash scowled, her wings twitching. “It’s not just that! He’s all... nice and friendly and everypony seems to like him, but I don’t know. Something about him rubs me the wrong way.”

“Now that ain’t fair Rainbow. Yeah he’s a little odd but you’re not even giving him a chance. He really seems like a nice pony.”

“But he’s hiding something from us!” Rainbow said, gritting her teeth together. “Colts who hide something are the worst.”

Applejack had never seen her friend act in such a manner before. Sure she knew that she had some trouble with the colts from Flight School, but this seemed different. “Rainbow…are ya’ll ok? It’s not like ya to treat somepony like this.”

Rainbow’s wings twitched again as she clenched her jaw, looking away from Applejack. "Of course I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be?" she snapped, her voice sharper than she intended. She dragged a hoof across her face, groaning in frustration. "It’s just... he reminds me of..." Her voice trailed off, and for a moment, Rainbow looked more vulnerable than Applejack was used to seeing.

Then, as if shaking off a bad feeling, Rainbow grumbled, “Ugh, can we not do this, AJ? I don’t wanna talk about it.”

Applejack frowned, her concern deepening. “Rainbow, you don’t gotta bottle up whatever’s botherin’ ya. If it’s somethin’ from the past, maybe it’s time you talk about it.”

Rainbow Dash stomped a hoof, her ears flattening against her head. “No! I said I don’t wanna talk about it, alright? Let’s just…” The sound of the train’s whistle caught everyone’s attention. “Let's just get on the train and go home.” She turned away, making a point to put some distance between her and Applejack.

Applejack sighed but didn’t push any further. “Alright, sugarcube. But if ya ever do wanna talk, ya know where to find me.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t respond, instead giving a small nod as she stared off into the distance. Applejack followed her gaze briefly, noting how Sora was chatting easily with the others, seemingly unaware of the tension surrounding him. She hoped Rainbow would come around eventually, but for now, it was best to give her friend some space.

~~~

The train ride back to Ponyville was, in Sora’s opinion, the most uneventful thing to happen to him since he’d arrived in Equestria. After all the excitement of meeting new ponies, battling Heartless, and the chaos that seemed to follow him wherever he went, this quiet, peaceful journey almost felt… strange. He sat by the window, watching the landscape roll by as the train chugged along. The steady rhythm of the wheels on the tracks was oddly soothing, but he couldn’t help feeling a little restless.

Pinkie Pie had somehow fallen asleep on the seat next to him, her head resting against his shoulder as she softly snored. Across from them, Rarity was reading a magazine while Fluttershy gazed out the window. Twilight had her nose buried in yet another book, as usual, and Rainbow Dash sat a few seats away, her head resting against the window, looking like she was deep in thought.

Sora’s thoughts drifted back to his meeting with Princess Celestia the night before. Out of all the leaders he’d met in the different worlds he’d traveled to, she was, by far, the most... approachable. She had a warmth about her that made it easy to forget she ruled over an entire kingdom. Sure, King Mickey came close—he was a good friend and an admirable leader—but there was something about Celestia that felt more... personal.

She had been open with him, not just as a ruler, but as somepony who genuinely cared about his well-being. The way she teased him, the way she admitted her mistakes—it was almost like talking to a close friend. She trusted him…despite knowing how deeply he had failed.

Sora looked down at his hoof, his smile fading as the weight of his thoughts settled in. He frowned softly, his mind wandering back to his past failures—failing his Keyblade Exam, falling short with his friends. He had tried to stay optimistic, to push forward despite the setbacks, but the doubt always lingered.

I can’t let them down, he thought, his chest tightening. Not again.

“Um…”

Sora snapped out of his thoughts at the soft voice, glancing up to see Fluttershy and Rarity both looking at him.

“Oh! Ahhh… Fluttershy. Rarity." He smiled gently towards the mares." Can I help you?”

Fluttershy glanced down at her hooves for a moment, then back up at him. “We couldn’t help but notice you seemed a bit... distant,” she said softly. “Are you sure everything’s alright?”

Rarity nodded, tilting her head slightly. “Indeed, darling. You’ve been awfully quiet, and that’s not quite like you. Is something troubling you?”

Sora felt a stinging sensation in his chest. Much as he liked these ponies, telling them something like whats on his mind was just a bit too much. “Naw. I’m fine. Just really…ya know…thinking. About home and stuff. I have been traveling for a while after all.”

Fluttershy looked back up at him, her eyes gazing deep into his own. “R-Really?”

“Yeah, maybe I’m homesick…I’m not too sure.” It wasn’t a total lie.

“Well, if you want, we can talk about where you come from.” The shy mare suggested. “It helped me when I first moved to Ponyville. All my animal friends made me feel so welcomed and at home in my little cottage.”

"Talk about where I come from, huh?" The stallion repeated, looking out the window at the passing scenery. A bit of a distraction would be nice. "I told Twilight I live on Destiny Islands…but…I don’t think I ever really explained what they looked like before.” He rubbed the back of his head. “I might not be the best at explaining though.”

Fluttershy smiled softly, her eyes gentle and encouraging. “T-That’s okay, Sora. You don’t have to explain it perfectly. We’d love to hear about it, no matter how you tell it.”

Rarity nodded, her curiosity piqued. “Yes indeed, darling, we’re all ears. I imagine a place called ‘Destiny Islands’ must be quite beautiful. Do tell us what it’s like.”

Sora hesitated for a moment, but seeing the genuine interest in their eyes, he felt a little more at ease. “Alright,” he said, leaning back a bit as he gathered his thoughts. “Well, Destiny Islands is... kind of a small place. There’s the main island, where everyone lives, and then there’s this little island where me, Riku, and Kairi used to hang out.”

~~~

Ponyville Train station…

Sora jumped out the door of the train, stretching both his front and hind legs. “I love riding trains but geez was it cramped.”

As Sora stretched, the rest of the group followed him off the train, each in their own state of relaxation or mild annoyance after the long ride. Pinkie Pie bounced out of the door, as energetic as ever despite having napped for most of the trip. Rarity stepped out with a graceful sigh, adjusting her mane. "It was a lovely trip, but I do agree, darling. Those seats were not as spacious as one would hope."

Applejack trotted past them with a chuckle. "Well, at least y'all can stretch your legs now. We’re back home in Ponyville, safe and sound."

Fluttershy felt a quiet sense of relief seeing Sora smile, even if part of her still sensed a lingering tension within him. She took comfort in the thought that he was opening up more, but she reminded herself that sometimes it took time for ponies to share their deeper worries.

Hovering a few feet above them with a disgruntled expression, Rainbow too stretched her wings, doing circles back and forth. "Finally! I thought that train ride would never end!"

Rarity followed suit, exiting after the butter-yellow pegasus. “Yes a bit confining indeed. Still, it beats having my mane ruined when carried in a pegasus chariot.”

“Says you!” Rainbow quipped, hovering just above the white unicorn. “Nothing beats flying Rarity. Nothing!”

“A day at the spa beats flying any day of the week my dear Rainbow Dash!” Rarity retorted.

“That girly fru-fru stuff?! Flying beats that, hooves down.”

Rarity huffed. “It is not girly fru-fru. Being prim and proper is just natural for a lady. ”

“Naw. I’m pretty sure I'm ok not being in a dress all the bucking time.”

Before Rarity could even come back with a proper retort Twilight stood between them. “Girls, we can save the debate for later. Right now there are more pressing matters.” She turned to Sora smiling. “Sora, I think a place for you to sleep is in order too.”

The stallion raised an eyebrow. “Well, can’t I just sleep on your couch like last time?”

The lavender unicorn shook her head. “I am sorry Sora, but I need that work space for my research. Besides, I’m sure you don’t want to sleep on some old dusty couch.” She placed a hoof to her chin. “Now then where can you sleep...?"

“WITH ME!” Rarity all but screamed. Her sudden outburst left everyone staring in stunned silence for a moment before she composed herself, coughing daintily into her hoof. “Ahem, what I meant to say is that I have plenty of space in the boutique. The guest chambers are simply sitting unused, and I’d be more than happy to offer them to our dear friend, Sora.”

Applejack gave her a look, a look only reserved for her, before looking between the other mares. “Anypony else feel like that’s a bad idea? Anypony?” Everyone, including Pinkie Pie, raised their hooves in response.

Rarity’s eye twitched slightly as she saw every hoof raised, including Pinkie Pie’s, who was smiling innocently. She let out a soft, indignant huff and tossed her mane. “I assure you all, I am perfectly capable of hosting a guest without... complications.”

Applejack smirked, tilting her hat back as she spoke. “Ain’t sayin’ you can’t, Rarity, but I reckon you might be a little too eager is all.”

Rarity gasped, a hoof flying to her chest. “Too eager? I’m simply offering our friend the best hospitality Ponyville has to offer! Is that so wrong?”

Twilight stepped in, raising a calming hoof before things escalated further. “I think what Applejack means is that maybe we should all just think this through a little more.”

Pinkie Pie bounced up, her usual cheerful energy breaking the tension. "Oh! Oh! I would totally let Sora sleep over at Sugarcube Corner, but I live with the Cakes, and they already have to deal with me and the twins! So… maybe next time!" She giggled, waving her hooves dramatically to emphasize her point.

Fluttershy, who had been quietly observing the conversation, suddenly cleared her throat and spoke up, surprising everyone. “Um… I would offer Sora a place to stay too,” she said softly, her cheeks tinged pink, “but with all the animals I have to take care of… it might not be the best idea.”

Everypony blinked in surprise, not expecting Fluttershy to even offer. Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Really, Fluttershy? Ah didn’t think you’d be up for havin’ a guest around. Especially somepony ya just met.”

Fluttershy blushed deeper and gave a small nod. “Well… Sora is very kind. I think he’d be a wonderful guest, but… it might be a bit noisy with all the animals.” She looked at Sora and smiled softly. “I wouldn’t want him to lose sleep because of a few late-night critter emergencies.”

“What about Rainbow Dash’s house? He is a pegasus after all. He can walk on clouds.” Twilight asked.

Before Rainbow could even hope to shoot down that suggestion Sora spoke up first. “Sorry Twilight, but if her house is in the clouds, then no can do.” He pulled at one of his wings. “Found out I’m not much of a flying pegasus you see.” He cringed inwardly, thinking about the night he crashed into the bushes next to Celestia.

Rainbow scoffed and looked away. “W-Well whatever. Not like I was gonna let you anyway.”

Applejack gave Sora a gentle look. “Well since everypony else is out of the question, ah guess that just leaves me. We can put ya up at the farm. Got an extra room in the attic for when our relatives come over. You can use that’un.”

Sora blinked in surprise at Applejack’s offer, then smiled warmly. “That sounds great, Applejack. I’d really appreciate that.”

Applejack nodded. “No problem, sugarcube. It ain’t fancy, but it’ll be quiet, and you’ll have plenty of space. Plus, Granny Smith loves havin’ company over, so you’ll fit right in.”

Pinkie Pie bounced excitedly next to them. “Oh, oh! You’re gonna love Sweet Apple Acres, Sora! It’s got apples, and more apples, and… even more apples! You’ll never go hungry!” She giggled.

Rarity, while still looking a bit disappointed, smiled at Applejack. “Well, I suppose the farm will be just fine for Sora. I just hope it won’t be too... rustic for him.”

Sora chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. “I think I can handle rustic. It sounds nice, actually. Tho…are you sure?” Sora asked in an uncertain tone. “I don’t want to put you out of your way.”

Twilight deadpanned. "It was ok to bother me though?" She mumbled under her breath.

“Course not Sugarcube. Besides, it's not like you’re gonna be living there for free. We at the Apple farm work for our vittles, and since you’re gonna be living there, you’re gonna do the same.”

Sora wasn’t expecting that. Still, pulling his own weight was only fair. He was never really one to just mooch off somebody anyway. “Alright, Applejack. I’ll make sure to work as hard as I can.”

The farm mare smiled. “That’s what I like to hear. Well then come on. We’ll get you settled in all nice and comfy like.” She turned to wave to her friends.” See ya’ll later ya hear?”

As Applejack led Sora away toward Sweet Apple Acres, Pinkie Pie bounced in place, her energy uncontainable. "Well, it’s off to Sugarcube Corner for me!" she announced brightly. "I missed some serious playing time with the twins and promised them a full two hours of patty-cake when I got back!"

Rarity sighed softly, a fond smile on her face as she turned to Twilight and Fluttershy. "I suppose I should return to the boutique as well. I’ve got some new designs to work on, and inspiration always strikes best after a little trip." She paused, glancing back toward the departing Sora and Applejack. "Although, I must admit, I still think he would’ve enjoyed the guest room at the boutique. Oh well…"

Twilight rolled her eyes playfully. "I’m sure he’ll be just fine at Sweet Apple Acres, Rarity. Applejack’s got plenty of room, and he’ll get a good taste of farm life. That and She’ll be able to keep a good eye on him.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. He’ll be fine," she muttered before slipping into the sky. “Anyway! I got the rest of the day off since someone is covering my shift for today so gonna go take a nap.”

“I guess I’ll go too.” Fluttershy took off into the air. “Angel bunny might be getting angry right now about me being gone so long.”

“And I must get back to the library. I have some serious rearranging to do.” Twilight smiled at each of her friends. “So guess this is goodnight?”

Rarity nodded gracefully. “Indeed, darling. Until tomorrow.” She waved goodbye to Twilight as the lavender mare headed off toward her library. "And do let me know if you need any help with those books, dear," Rarity called after her, though she doubted Twilight would take her up on that offer.

“See ya later, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie chimed in, already bouncing away toward Sugarcube Corner, her usual boundless energy on full display.

Fluttershy gave a gentle wave before flying off, her mind already thinking about her little animal friends waiting for her back at her cottage. “Goodnight, everypony.”

As the group dispersed, each heading toward their respective destinations, the peaceful evening air of Ponyville seemed to settle over everything like a comforting blanket. The streets were quieter now, with only a few townsfolk wrapping up their evening routines. But beneath the calm exterior, something else lingered unnoticed.

In the shadows, hidden from the fading sunlight, a figure stood still, watching the departing friends with silent intensity. The figure’s eyes gleamed from the darkness, following each of the ponies as they said their goodbyes, but lingering particularly on Sora as he and Applejack made their way toward Sweet Apple Acres.

“Sleep tight little Keybearer. Come morning, you and that sorry excuse for an apprentice will feel the full weight of what it means to cross my master’s plans…” She chuckled, chilling the air in cold displeasure before disappearing in a mass of darkness.