Kingdom Hearts: Friendship is The Key

Chapters

Desati
Tension Rising
Destiny Islands
Remnant

Desati

The following is a work of fanfiction. I do not own any characters, setting, or plot. They belong to their respective owners. Please support the official release.

Friendship isn’t Easy, But it’s worth fighting for.

Falling…
I’m falling backwards, through blackness. Memories of my past. I stand with my friends against Discord as he sits on a throne, then charge at him. During the charge the scene shifts to us facing down an army of changelings. Just as I’m almost swarmed by them, they vanish in a puff of smoke. When I looks up, I’m in the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, with Nightmare Moon standing before me on a dais. Nightmare lifts one hoof in a gesture that suggests “Join Me,” and the hoof is outstretched for me to reach to. Then the scene changes so that each of my six best friends are the ones with their hoofs are out, constantly changing. As I run towards my friends, I feel sand beneath my hooves, a tidal wave appears behind the image/friend that changed into Princess Celestia, and crashes down on both of them. I struggled to fight the current, and as I struggled to breathe, Celestia is no longer the one with her hoof outstretched, instead it is myself with blackened wings and draconic eyes. As my vision faded, I lose my fight with the current and fall backwards through a ripple, the reflection vanishing. I landed and blackness, that bursts into birds, revealing a stain glass platform of a light blue pegasus mare with a five-leafed blue flower Cutie Mark sleeping, with a circle behind her head that shows Princess Luna and Celestia and snowflakes lining the edge of the platform.

Harmony…has been lost…

Twilight spun around trying to find the source of the voice, only to see blackness beyond the platform.

Balance…Harmony…it must be restored…

The door…must be opened…

Twilight, despite her knowledge, was confused. She opened her mouth to ask what the voice meant, but was interrupted.

You…born of Magic…must open the…door…

Choose your form…

Around Twilight, three pedestals arose. One had a shield floating over it that was reminiscent of her brother Shining Armour’s cutie mark. Another had a sword with red blade and gold handle, with an emblem of a red-and-yellow sun. The third held a staff with an eight pointed star made of six colors.

The Shield…Defense of the innocent…Will to never surrender in the face of adversity…

The Sword…Destructive and jealous…carving one’s mark in history…

The Staff…Wisdom and Magic…subtle and easily forgotten…

Twilight considered each weapon before her. The shield reminded her of her brother, stalwart and strong and always there for those he cares about; but then she thought of when Discord was first freed and shook her head, she had given in easily. She looked at the sword and walked toward it, its color and markings sparking the memory of Sunset Shimmer when they first met; powerful and strong in magic, but friendless. She looked away in disgust, to have power but to lose who she cares about? Not worth it. Finally she turned to the staff. Its star looked like the one on her Cutie Mark, but it held swirling colors that reminded her of her friends. With barely a thought she reached out with her magic and took the staff.

Now…choose what you will give up…

Once again she looked at the sword and shield, and touched the sword. She may not be as brave as others, but she will stand for friends. As the sword vanished, the pedestals began to sink into the platform, causing cracks to appear. Twilight ran to the edge, but the cracks shattered the platform and she fell into darkness.

Landing on another platform, Twilight looked around to get her bearings. This had a pink and blue unicorn mare with a Cutie Mark similar to a clover with five leaves. On a circle behind her head are images of five other mares; two pegasi in armor, two Earth ponies in robes, and a unicorn with a crown. Lining the edge of the platform was a repeated image of a heart made of fire.

There will be times…when you must fight…

Behind Twilight, a black insect-like creature with yellow eyes rose from the platform.

Look Out!...

Twilight turned in time to see the creature leap at her. The staff she chose appeared above her head, already covered in her telekinetic magic. The staff blocked the attack and Twilight swung it at the creature. After it vanished in a cloud of darkness, more arose. The staff hovered just above her back, in what would be a reverse group for a biped. As she attempted to fight them, they would periodically sink into a two-dimensional form and look like a shadow on the ground. As they were defeated, green balls and clear bubbles appeared; the bubbles causing a tickling feeling in her horn and the balls removing her wounds. After defeating the hordes of enemies, a light shined down from her from the darkness. The light moved forward to rest above the unicorn image’s horn.

Step into the light…

As Twilight moved forward to the light, it took a greenish tint and began to swirl. As she stepped into the light, she felt a warmth through her and felt healed. A door appeared next to her, but it seemed as solid as cloud to anyone not with pegasi magic. Next to the door, box popped into existence. Without any cue from the voice, Twilight began to move the box around, thinking it like a puzzle in her mother’s books. When that didn’t work, she thought about her staff, and in flash it was in her magic grip, and proceeded to destroy the box. After the box was destroyed, the frame of the door became solid. A chest appeared in a flash next to the door and the swirling light. With still no cue from the voice, Twilight just swung her staff at the chest, surprising her when it opened. The door took a completely solid form and inside the chest was a bottle of green liquid. When she touched the bottle, it vanished yet still she knew where it was. How is tha-- no that road leads to Pinkie Pie, and that is just too much trouble. The voice being strangely silent, Twilight approached the door and pushed, opening it to light.

This door is not meant for you…You have another fate…Now, tell me about yourself…

As the light vanished, Twilight found herself in the main floor of the now destroyed Golden Oaks Library, with three ponies she recognized. There was Trixie, a show mare and her self-proclaimed magical rival; Scootaloo, an orange pegasus filly and trouble maker; and a brown earth pony filly she only knew from stories, her friend Applejack’s cousin Babs Seed. Of them, only Trixie had a Cutie Mark, which is not unexpected as Scootaloo and Babs only recently gained theirs., but Trixie had Twilight’s Cutie Mark from before her ascension to an alicorn. As she approached Trixie to ask what was going on, Trixie spoke in a voice like her own and the mysterious guide’s.

“What is your dream for the future?” She asked, looking at Twilight through half-lidded eyes and a smirk. Twilight looked confused before she responded, “To care for my friends.” Trixie looked more directly at Twilight and said “Are friends really that important?” Twilight, incensed, could not keep her voice down. “Of course they are! What is going on Trixie!?” But Trixie merely smirked and looked away. Twilight glanced at Trixie, then walked up her stairs to where Scootaloo was sitting.

“Scootaloo, what is going on? Where are we?” Instead of responding, Scootaloo spoke in a voice both hers and not hers, just like Trixie.

“What do you fear most?” Getting the feeling that no pony in the room was real, if the room itself was real, Twilight answered

“Losing my friends, nothing could ever be scarier than that."

“Is it really that scary?” Twilight ignored Not-Scootaloo and went over to the Not-Babs.

“Let me guess, you have a question for me too?” Twilight asked not actually expecting a response, which she received in a Neigh Jersey accent.

“What…” the pony paused and tapped her hoof to her chin. “What is your favorite flavor of ice-cream?” Twilight, Not-Trixie, and Not-Scootaloo all looked at Not-Babs stangely. "What, I don’t want to seem repetitive, ya know?”

Twilight, still incredibly confused and feeling that the mood and been broken “Um, well it was Rocky Road, but then Pinkie introduced me to this new kind from Neighpon, so Sea-Salt Ice cream, I guess…?”

So…you really like your friends and Sea-Salt Ice Cream? Good choice on Ice cream. Now…Your journey begins as the day turns to night…

The light grows blinding and then fades away, and Twilight is standing on a platform with a green and white Earth pony mare with a swirl of blue separated into five prongs, creating a star like pattern. At the edge of the platform, stain glass stairs appear, floating in the blackness leading to a pillar with stain glass sides. Twilight cautiously walks up the stairs, which vanish behind her. When she looks back, the prior platform is gone. When she reaches the top of the pillar, the platform is unlike the others; the image was her, asleep with her wings slightly curled around her. In the circle by her image’s head where pictures of her friends, her brother and sister-in-law, and her teacher. The background looked like a cracked and crumbling castle and the edge of the platform had an eight pointed star repeated. There was a bright light coming from the blackness that Twilight walked towards, gaining a feeling of dread as she did so.

The closer one comes to the light…the greater their shadow will become…will that shadow be who you are?

Twilight jumps in fear as she feels something behind her. Her image on the platform became the twisted reflection she saw when she fell here. As the image became three dimensional it turned black and became gigantic, dwarfing Twilight greatly. Twilight ran to the edge of the platform but saw only blackness and in her fear could not fly. When she turned to face her Darkside, it had become a bi-pedal being with yellow eyes long forelimbs with claws, two small torn wings on its back, hair that was like snakes and formed a scarf where the mouth should be, and a giant gaping hole on its chest in the shape of a heart.

Remember…your heart is the greatest weapon of all…

The thing lifted its hand and punched toward Twilight causing the floor to turn black and the small insect-things rose out of it. She ignored the bugs and attacked the hand, when it stopped calling the creatures, it rose back and shot orbs of energy from its chest. Twilight constantly attacked wherever she could reach, but the creature grabbed her. It through her off the platform, forcing Twilight to open her wings and glide towards its face. As the creature died, it fell on top of her and causes her to be swallowed by darkness. As she began to struggle and drown, she heard the voice once again.

Remember your light…Twilight… “Twilight!” “Twilight!” “Twilight!”

“Whaaa!” Twilight looked around her room and saw her assistant/little brother Spike looking concerned, along with…Princess Luna?

“Princess? What are you doing in my room?” Twilight asked, completely confused. Looking outside, she saw the sun was up and though Luna was not strictly nocturnal, to see her up during the day isn’t a common sight. The Mistress of the Night calmly spoke to the distressed mare “I sensed something wrong in the Realm of Sleep, Princess Twilight, you were both apart of it and yet beyond my powers. This in of itself distressed me, and as I was flying towards Ponyville, my dear sister forwarded a message from Sir Spike.”

“Yeah Twi.” Spike spoke up “You didn’t wake up to open the castle and you were struggling in your sleep, like you were having a nightmare. I got worried.”

Luna stared down at Twilight, analyzing her. “What did you dream Princess Twilight?” Twilight looked down at her sheets, thinking, remembering her experience.

“It was black, with stain-glass windows; like in the Castle in Canterlot; and there were these, things made of…black? They attacked me, but this weird voice kept helping me and gave me a weapon…and…I can’t really remember. Just an Earth pony, a unicorn, and a pegasus. I’m sorry Princess Luna.”

Luna closed her eyes and considered what she had heard. “The ponies, whoever they may be, could symbolize the parts of you that make an alicorn. The black creatures may be your fears, most likely of the future and your role as princess. Perhaps the dream was just that a dream.” The Princess of the night backed up until her form was covered by the shadows of the room, but still visible. “Still” Luna spoke again. “The fact I could not sense you nor aid you distresses me, I must take time to investigate this. I will be seeing you again soon, Twilight Sparkle.” As she spoke, her form faded into the shadows and vanished, as if Luna had never been there.

“That was creepy…Are you sure you don’t remember anything Twi?” Spike asked, concerned for his oldest friend.

“Yes, Spike, I’m sure. Now let’s open the castle, I’m sure somepony wants help from me today.” Twilight got up and stretched her wings, still not quite used to sleeping with them. Perhaps a cloud bed is in order?

“Oh, don’t worry about Court, I’ve got it taken care of…Like I usually do anyway. No pony really comes in besides to look around and get lost anyway. But you have a play day with the girls, remember?” Twilight looked at her calendar-clock over her desk.

“Oh, No! I’m Late, I’m Late! For my very important date!” Forgetting all normal conventions, such as the door, Twilight forced her window open and dived off her balcony, barely opening her wings in time to pull up into the sky like a bird and flew off to meet her friends.

KINGDOM HEARTS: Friendship Is the key

Equestria, putting on a gigantic sign in archaic lettering couldn’t accurately sum up the world Twilight lived in. Not that it had stopped Pinkie Pie from attempting. How, she got enough funds to carve an entire mountain range with the letters, Twilight would never know. Still, it’s her home, especially the small town of Ponyville. It always amazes Twilight that only three years ago, being a in a small town with close friends was the furthest thing from her mind, a mind dominated by books and studies into to the intricacies and science of magic; not that she isn’t still an ‘egghead’ as her friend Rainbow Dash would say, she just knows that there are more important things in life beyond knowledge, like friendship. As Twilight glides to a landing in Town Square, she overhears a radio from a window, coincidentally playing a song she recorded for her friends shortly after becoming a princess.

My Little Pony, My Little Pony
What is friendship all about?
My Little Pony, My Little Pony
Friendship is Magic!
(My Little Pony)
I used to wonder what friendship could be,
(My Little Pony)
Until you all shared its magic with me.
When I was young I too busy to make any friends.
Such silliness did not seem worth the effort it expends.
But my little ponies, you opened up my eyes
And now the truth is crystal clear, as splendid summer skies.
And it’s such a wonderful surprise.

(My Little Pony)
I used to wonder what friendship could be,
(My Little Pony)
Until you all shared its magic with me.
When danger makes me wanna run and hide, you’ll Rainbow Dash to my side,
Kindness never in short supply, once smitten twice Fluttershy.
For honesty no pony can deny, you are the Applejack of my eye,
A heart that shines so beautiful, a Rarity to come by
And you all make fun and laughter as easy as Pinkie Pie!

(My Little Pony)
I used to wonder what friendship could be,
(My Little Pony)
Until you all shared its magic with me.
Our friendship’s magic and it’s growing all the time.
A new adventure waits for us each is yours and mine.
We’ll make it special every time!
We’ll make it special every time!

(My Little Pony)
What a wonderful wonder friendship brings
(My Little Pony)
Do you know you’re all my very best
(Friends) Friends, you’re my very best
(Friends) Friends, you’re my very best
(Friends) Friends, you’re my very best
(Friends) Friends!

*Splat!* “Hey! My cupcake!”
Twilight looked down. Indeed there was a cupcake on her left fore hoof, double mint chocolate by the rather messy appearance of it. Shyly, Twilight lowered her wings enough to see the pony behind her, and keep her blush hidden. “Oops, Sorry.” Twilight said, in a rather passable imitation of a buttercup pegasus she was on her way to meet. “I’ll just be- going now.” A good idea if the glare on the other pony’s face was any indication. Hopping off of the table she’d landed on. Twilight went to the nearby town fountain and rinsed her hoof before continuing on her way. Looking around herself as she trotted on, Twilight noticed a strange lack of ponies in town mixed with a rather paradoxical appearance of large buildings drowning the old, thatched roof buildings she had grown to love. Ignoring the faint buzz of importance the buildings may have, she continued on to the park, where her friends were waiting.

“Yo, Twilight!” Looking up, she could see a small could with a rainbow tail above her head.

“Dash?”

“Yeah.” A head popped out from above the cloud, blue mare with a mane to match the tail and purple eyes glinting with mischief. “Ya know, it’s not really like you to be late, especially for a test. Which I remind you, you wanted in the first place. If it was me, I wouldn’t take any test! Unless it was promotion exam at the Wonderbolt Academy, then I would not be late at all!” Rainbow Dash said with a smile. Twilight couldn’t help but share the expression, but hers was much more sheepish.

“I had a weird dream and over slept.” Twilight said.

“Yeah, whatever. Now come on, we’re testing how strong you are now that you’re an alicorn.”

Arriving at the park, Twilight could see a veritable boot camp of equipment and obstacle courses. Her four friends after the blue pegasus apparently fine tuning the equipment as they were waiting. “Sorry I’m late every pony, I over slept.”

“No harm done Sugarcube. Now let’s get to testing.” Said a Stetson wearing Earth pony mare. “The first test is a strength test,” Applejack said “we want to see how much stronger you’ve gotten first, and adjust the other tests as needed.” Twilight blinked, “Wow Applejack, that’s a really good plan.”

“What, you think with all me an Dash compete, I wouldn’t have a system like this? Please Twi, I’m not one for fancy talk, not stupid.” Walking over to machine, Twilight could see it was simple, make a block hit the bell at the top of a post, or get it as high as possible. Lining up her hind legs Twi—“Press Triangle to Interact!” lost her balance and fell to the ground. Looking up she saw the eternally, almost too bright smile of Pinkie Pie, only slightly silhouetted by the sun and her poofy mane.

“What are you talking about Pinkie?” Twilight asked, hoping for an answer that wouldn’t be…Pinkie. Pinkie simply pointed a hoof at the trigger for the machine, there was a bright green triangle painted onto the flat surface. “See, press the triangle to interact with the machine!” The pink mare bounced off out of Twilight’s sight and Twilight readied herself again.

*Bang!* *Dong!* *Crash!* *Meow!*

“Well. I think you need a new strength tester Applejack.” A rather stoic statement from our heroine, but considering the machine no longer has a bell, or the top two feet of the device, it probably was deserved.

“Not a problem Sugar, Big Mac breaks it all the time. Though he usually only takes the bell.” The orange mare trotted over to the device to check for any other damages as Rainbow Dash came up.

“All right, now that we know you’re strength is at least equal to me and AJ.”

*Hmhm*

“…AJ and me..”

*HmHM*

“…AJ and myself, happy Twi? Let’s test those wings of yours. Follow me, I’ve got a simple obstacle course set up.” A short distance away there were cloud rings set up at regular intervals, with small clouds between a few to act as landing pads.

“Now, you just need to glide through the rings and land on each platform. Normally I’d ask you to fly through all of them at top speed, but you aren’t me, so I won’t.” Rainbow Dash turned away with her hooves crossed and floated over to the first ring.

“Ooh! Twilight, Don’t forget to press the circle button to jump up high!”

“Seriously Pinkie! Not now!”

“But Dashie, you know Twilight isn’t that good a flyer, so I set up a spring button so she can get some height to make it easier for her to glide, see?” The group looked down. Yep, there was a spring with a circle painted on it.

“What’s next Pinkie, Exe to attack and square to roll away?” Dash asked, clearly exasperated by the psycho-physical anomaly that is Pinkie Pie.

“No silly, squares can’t roll and an exe wouldn’t really help in a fight, it’s a letter not a weapon!” Pinkie giggled out, which is pretty much the only way she speaks Twilight noted.

Twilight bent her legs and leapt onto the spring, bouncing above the first ring. She arched backwards, aiming towards her target, and opened her wings to soar through. She missed the next ring but corrected course through the third, and landed on the platform. She finished the course rather quickly ‘Hm, must be getting better at flying. I barely touched the platforms.’

“Ok, time of completion:*mumblemumble*…all platforms reached…total number of rings: Not bad. Wow, you’ve really improved! Way to go Twi!” Rainbow Dash congratulated Twilight.

“Thanks Rainbow Dash.” Rarity trotted up to the group, followed by the Cutie Mark Crusaders with a cloth covered wagon.

“Now darling it is time for the last test, telekinetic control. Now I don’t mean to brag but I’ve always had better control of my telekinesis than you. So I believed that a simple exercise of controlling one item in intense conditions was best. Girls, the weapons.” On cue, the Crusaders took the cloth off the wagon and revealed multiple melee ‘weapons,’ if the kid friendly toys could be called that. “Now I know what you’re thinking, Rarity and Combat? But I’ll have you know I need to protect my clothing and jewels quite often.” The white unicorn fluffed her hair at this. “A lady must be able to fend for herself after all.”

Twilight looked at the wagon of to…weapons and three stuck out to her. An overly large ping pong paddle procured by Pinkie Pie, a baseball bat and… Twilight turned to look at her friends with a cynical look. “Really?” She held up a golden scepter with a ruby gem bottom and her face with a disturbing smile at the top. “No.” Tossing the disturbing cane away, with a mental note to hurt Discord next time she saw him, she picked up another magic wand, this time a Trixie Lulamoon toy with a magician’s hat. “Still no, but good for Trixie.” Twilight settled on a baseball bat. “All right, got my weapon. what’s ne…” A rumbling sound was heard as bulldozers appeared on the field. “Ok, move along now. You’re standing on the future spot of the Ponyville Maxi-Mini Mall!” Yelled out one of the construction workers. What had been a peaceful idyllic picnic park was suddenly a brown and gray construction sight, with a few of the workers harassing Fluttershy as she tried to help some animals out of the way.

Wait…

Harassing Fluttershy!? For a normally non-violent mare, Twilight was quite quick to jump in front of Fluttershy with a baseball bat; Twilight slightly noticed she held it as she’d held the weapon in her dream, and then proceeded to kick prodigious amounts of flank. Regrettably, despite her new found skill at combat, the group was forced off the site by rather dark looking ponies.

“That was awesome Twilight! You were like whoom! And they were like Arrgh! And…” Dash said excitedly, buzzing over their heads.

“It doesn’t matter how good I was Dash, I still shouldn’t have done that! Oh what will Celestia think of me!” She began to panic, her mane starting to frizz.

“Ah don’t think she’d be to upset Princess Twilight, those ponies were big meanies.” Applebloom spoke with adorable and sad eyes. “Ah think all of Equestria is going that way honestly. Babs was telling me that Manehattenites were being ruder than normal. And in the day, even when the sun is bright, it fells cold, like a dark room. Ah don’t like it.” Applebloom and the Crusaders headed off to their clubhouse, noticeably saddened.

"Well, time for the party!" Pinkie Pie said as the group suddenly came in front the Castle of Friendship, Twilight's student Starlight Glimmer putting a banner over the main doors.

"Party? For what?" Twilight asked.

"For taking me in..." Starlight said shyly. "I know I'm not the best pony, especially with what I tried to do...but I was able to convince everyone that I needed to thank you."

Twilight enveloped Starlight in her wing. "You didn't have to do that Starlight."

Starlight sniffled. "I know, I wanted to."

Everyone went inside and Pinkie threw her first 'Un-Birthday and Twilight's First Student Party'. Twilight enjoyed herself immensely. All the gifts had been given out; from Applejack, a white Stetson; from Rainbow, a Wonderbolts poster; from Pinkie, a coupon for two free combo meals at Twilight’s favorite burger joint; from Rarity, a new necklace; from Fluttershy, a book on caring for endangered species; from Starlight, a book on ancient Unicorn magicks; and from Spike, a dragon-fired ceramic bowl.

“Now Twilight.” Rarity said, in her magic a wrapped box. “We have one last gift for you. It shows how important you are to us, and how much you’ve changed us for the better since you first arrived. I know for a fact Applejack and I could barely stand each other, now thanks to you, I can’t imagine life without her.” She set the box down and undid the bow. Inside the box was a pendant shaped like a five pointed star, each point an elongated hexagon with the color of one of the girl’s Element of Harmony and their Cutie Marks inside, with a stylized version of Starlight's acting as the chain. In the center, holding the points together, was the star of Twilight’s cutie mark. Rarity explained at Twilight’s confused look. “They say sailors make these for those closest to them, and it comes from a far-away island with star shaped fruit. They say that fruit, when shared with another, binds their destinies together. These Wayfinders are a promise that even when separated, friends will always find their way back to each other."

Twilight took the Wayfinder into her hoof, and held it close to her heart. She sniffled and let the tears flow from her eyes as a happy smile came to her face. "Thank you all of you. " Twilight opened her eyes and looked into the eyes of her dearest friends. "I know that even if we somehow never meet again" Twilight saw Starlight flinch. "we will never forget each other."

That night, as Twilight tossed in her bed trying to sleep, she kept thinking about her dream from before. "I know my dream has something to do with all the weird stuff lately... I just don't know what." Twilight felt a chill cross her body and she feared that something was coming.

Author's Note

Wow, my first fanfic ever. Man I hope I did this right. So, I'm using this to practice for a real book I have to actually start. Tell me if you want the music to stay or not. I might just use it for important stuff. Read, Comment, don't flame, and brony on!

Original coverart: Keyblade Twilight Sparkle by Sakuyamon

Tension Rising

The next day, Twilight looked out her window and saw a changed Ponyville. Steel and glass skyscrapers dominated the horizon, and factories were spilling smoke into the air. “The hay? How could all this be built over night?” Twilight asked herself. She rushed downstairs looking for her Number One or Two assistant or her student.

“Spike? Owloiscious? Starlight?” All was quiet, far too quiet for the mare. Without Spike, any trouble could not be reported to the Princesses in a timely manner, meaning whatever was going on may not be able to be stopped. Before she could contemplate the issue, Twilight heard a noise outside. Approaching the door she realized it was…arguing? In Ponyville? Opening the door she saw just how much Ponyville had changed. The central market was gone, replaced with a department store supermarket, with more right next to it. The town fountain and park was a carriage dealership, and worst of all…Sugarcube Corner was now a fast food sandwich restaurant.

Pinkie was sitting outside her former home, with a long mane and muted coat, sniffling. “Pinkie?” Twilight approached cautiously, rumors of the pink mare being unstable when upset were well known. “Is everything all…”

“No.” Short and forceful. “Why would it be? I don’t have the home I love and no one will let me make them happy. I can’t put a smile on anypony’s face, not anymore.” She waved her forelimb over what used to be the town plaza, where there were other ponies. They weren’t mingling or talking, no it reminded Twilight of when Rarity was in charge of the weather.

“Well, maybe you can throw a big block party? That’s sure to get everypony happy again.” Twilight suggested, hoping to cheer Pinkie Pie up. Pinkie simply pointed to a sign on the street. By Equestrian Order: No Parties are allowed in public places and after 7 pm, no parties are allowed to exceed 13 decibels of sound. A white Unicorn was under the sign being held back by a grey earth pony so that she didn’t tear the sign down.

“Go away Twilight. No pony wants to be by clown that can’t make anyone laugh.” Pinkie just continued to sit in the dirt, stifling her tears.

Twilight left Pinkie reluctantly, and hurried to Rarity’s shop. What she found was a high end fashion store with ponies coming in and out and trampling over each other like it was the beginning of the Hearth’s Warming shopping season. ’Well, it looks like business is doing ok for Rarity’ Twilight thought to herself as she witnessed what could only be described as a riot. Squeezing her way inside, no easy feat with all of the ponies, she found Rarity...sweeping the floors? “Rarity?” The mare looked up.

“Oh, Twilight. What are you doing here darling?”

“What do you think? Trying to find out what’s going on with Ponyville. Why are you sweeping floors?” The white unicorn looked back down at the task she had been doing.

“I need to pay my bills somehow.” At Twilight’s confused look, Rarity sighed. “It’s like this. Apparently I sold the Boutique a few months ago without realizing it. The new owners are allowing me to be a ‘consultant’ on my fashion brand! While they reap all the profit. It seems my habit of charity work is no longer allowed. Mine and Sweetie Belle’s rooms were transformed into sweat shops. Oh dear, Twilight, just leave, I can’t bear to be seen like this.” At that, Rarity picked up her broom and wandered off to clean up another fight that had broken out over a rather gaudy dress, in Twilight’s opinion.

‘…Focus Twilight, it looks like all of Equestria has gone completely insane. I need to find out if all my friends have been affected.’

Twilight went out and looked to the sky, scanning it to see if she could find Rainbow Dash, with no luck. Asking around town, she could fine very little evidence of Rainbow’s existence. Flying up to Rainbow’s mansion, which Twilight subconsciously noticed was rather extravagant for the Wonderbolt, she found no rainbows falling from the cloud, and found a note mystically pinned to the door. This building is closed during the course of the investigation of its former occupant, who has been arrested on charges of Bribery and Corruption. If you have any information regarding this investigation, please contact the Attorney General’s office at…. As Twilight flew away, she was rather satisfied at the fire that clouds can apparently make, though it didn’t alleviate her frustration. I’d better head to Sweet Apple Acres, though I’m not confident how Applejack or Fluttershy will be… Oh No.

Sweet Apple Acres had been replaced by a large factory. The main entrance said Appletown, with a stylized capital A over the gate. Applejack sold the farm? No, something must have happened. Flying down she saw Apple…Jewel? And she looked uncomfortable on stage before a crowd of ponies…with pitchforks and torches. Wonderful.

“Now I realize that the hours are harsh, but production has been down for too long and we need to make a profit this quarter.” A cultured Manehatten socialite voice spoke to the crowd by microphone. This did little to ease the crowd. “Please, get back to work. We need…” The crowd began to storm the stage, and would have attacked had a bright light not shined down on them.

“Enough! Return to your homes immediately!”. Princess Twilight Sparkle, Ruler of the Everfree, Magic Incarnate; hovered above the crowd, shining like an angel of vengeance. The crowd was quick to obey and scattered like cockroaches by a light bulb.

As Twilight landed she gave her apparent friend a Look that Fluttershy would have been proud of. AJ sighed, “You might want to come inside.” All traces of her Manehatten accent gone.

“It all started the last time the Flim Flam Brothers were in town, you know when I got my key? Well, despite their swindilin’ ways, Granny Smith made a deal with them and they became partners of AppleCorp…yeah I know the pun.” Twilight was not laughing, only continuing a Look quickly approaching Stare levels. “Well anyway, after Granny died, the farm just…had to change apparently.”

“Granny died! That’s not possible, she was alive just yesterday, I saw her in town!” Twilight was beginning to smoke and Applejewel was simply confused.

“Sugercube, you presided over the funeral, how can you not remember? Fluttershy was arrested for animal abuse the same day. Are you feeling oka…?

Boom! Apparently brick burns just as well as clouds do. There was nothing left of Appletown’s main building, with Applejewel only protected by a shield Twilight threw up despite being incensed with a blinding rage a certain green monster would shudder at.

“What is going on!” Twilight was pacing inside her castle’s map room. “Everything is wrong! Dash a traitor, Pinkie depressed, Rarity not creative, Applejack a Capitalist snob, and Fluttershy in jail!? What!?”

“Discord! Get out here now!” At Twilight’s command, a bizarre creature that looked like what happened when a child was given multiple puzzles but no instruction, appeared…in a pink track suit and jumprope?

“Hello Twilight, can’t talk now. Got an entire prison to bust Fluttershy out of, gotta train.” Discord switched from jumping rope to deadlifting a dumbbell with the label 10KKKK. “I’m going to find whoever arrested Fluttershy, the Warden, and anyone else and show them just how much Chaos they can take!”

“Wait” Twilight wondered “You know something is going on too and aren’t the cause?” Quite honestly, she didn’t trust her mismatched friend that much, with being the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, practically her antithesis, so her suspicion was justified.

“Moi! Do this to hurt Fluttershy and the rest of you! Twilight you know I’m better than that now.” Discord was upset, but teasing as he usually is. “The truth is something has gone horribly wrong and I’m just as concerned as you are. What’s ever happening isn’t my fault or a scheme I forgot about. No this isn’t Chaos, it’s Order.”

Twilight was confused, isn’t order good? Before she could ask, Discord seemed to have anticipated her question, and having shed his tracksuit took on a serious aura so unlike himself. “Order and Harmony are too different things, believe me. Harmony has need of Chaos, of change, because there is balance. With Order there is only stagnation, disease, and collapse.” Discord became even more serious and somber than he had been, seeming to evaporate all joy from the room they were in. “I am very old Twilight, almost as old as this world itself, for Chaos has been here since the beginning. A great Order has settled in this world, and it will not rest until ruin has come. Look at the thrones of your friends, those who’s Spirits are the Elements of Harmony.”

Twilight looked and was horrified at what she saw. The thrones were cracked and warped, changing into new shapes and turning black. The Throne of Loyalty became a papal seat, while Kindness became a simple chair carved out of a single block of obsidian. Generosity transformed into an extravagant throne designed for an ancient empire, Honesty became a black lounge chair one might find among the mafia, and Laughter became imbued with images that belonged in a carnival of nightmares. The only thrones not drastically altered were her own and Spike’s, simply having shattered into pieces.

As Twilight beheld this image, a great rumble shook the castle, and the Rainbow that granted her friends power in times of need, shot from the center of the map into the sky. But this rainbow did not bring joy or Light, but Darkness. And it soon spread across all of Equestria.

Twilight and Discord rushed out of the palace, and with a single glance at the sky, saw that the Dark Rainbow was spreading a cloud of darkness all across Equestria. Discord looked on sadly, almost appearing to turn gray, and without a word, vanished in a flash. That coward left me alone! Twilight thought, but she too considered running away. The ponies she knew a loved were panicking, running to whatever shelter they could find. One, a young Earth colt with a brown coat ran right into Twilight’s leg.

“Help Princess! Before the monsters get me!” Before twilight could ask what monster, she saw them. The black insect like creatures from her Dream, coming out of whatever shadows that existed, pooling together into an undulating mass of terror.

“Get Behind me now!” Twilight ordered and the colt obeyed. She used her magic to create a shield around them, but quickly the swarming creatures began to make cracks. The shield would not hold for more than a few seconds. With a cry, Twilight fell as her shield failed, and was swarmed by the dark creatures.

Do not give in…

Twilight opened her eyes. She was floating in and endless black, void. It was so cold, and she could feel her chest turn to ice as all of her deepest thoughts of inadequacy, jealousy…every dark thought she ever had came rushing to her mind. Every moment she ever regretted seemed to condemn her and sink her further into the abyss.

Fight…

What would be the point? She did horrible things. Manipulated minds, hurt her friends, considered letting them die to protect Equestria from Tirek. Fighting would only make things worse.

The light will show you the way…

Light? There is no light her… Wait, there is a light. Slowly but surely, Twilight remembered all the good times she had with her brother, Cadence, Celestia, Spike, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Luna, Discord, the Crusaders, everyone she ever cared about! How could she let those memories fade away? With this Light Twilight began to feel a great warmth, and with a wave wind that roared like a mighty lion, Twilight beheld a star floating before her. On an instinct she could never explain, she reached out and grabbed the star.

A great flash and the creatures were gone. Her hooves firmly planted on the ground and her weapon in her magical grasp. Weapon? Looking to where her magic was sparkling, Twilight found the strangest object she had ever seen. It had an appearance similar to an old fashioned key, but looked as if it was based on her. A pentagon in the same shade of purple as her coat surrounded a handle that her magic firmly held. The pentagon’s bottom point had a golden chain with the chest the Tree of Harmony used to make her castle with dangling from it. From the flat, top end of the pentagon, a long and golden unicorn’s horn stretched out, with her crown affixed near the tip like the teeth of a key.

Key…Blade…

With barely a thought, Twilight readied her body for combat. Her legs evenly spaced apart, with the left side being slightly forward; her wings partially open, ready to take flight at a moment’s notice; her teeth gritted and eyes narrowed to the perfect point where to lock on to one enemy at a time. And her weapon, still grasped tightly in her magic hovering over her back with its hilt by her right wing and teeth by the left.

The creatures, who until that point had been tormenting other ponies, as one, turned to face her. Their wide yellow eyes unable to disengage from the blade in her grasp. In a swarm of black, they struck out at her, an endless sea of black and yellow, ignoring all other possible targets for their wrath. Twilight blinked time stopped. The swarm had halted before her, and in bursts of smoke a semi-circle of the creature in front of her vanished. Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight nnoticed the Keyblade was now floating away from her right wing, nowhere near where it had previously rested. She smirked, a smirk not unlike what her friend Rainbow Dash often held. A smirk of complete and utter confidence.

It was unfortunately wasted. There were no end to the creatures, and during the fight she saw larger bipedal versions of them running towards the Everfree Forest. Towards…”The Tree of Harmony!” Twilight cried. She rushed forward the swarm, constantly spinning the blade around her to keep the creatures off her back, front, middle, top, and even underside at times.

At last reaching the forest, she found her way blocked by four of the bipedal insects she saw. “Why are you attacking us!? What are you!? What do you want!?” The creatures gave no answer. Pools of black appeared beneath them as they vanished into shadows, popping up around her and sending waves of cutting wind in all directions. As soon as Twilight defeated one, another would appear. Soon she was surrounded by the creatures, growing far too tired to move.

Just when all hope seemed lost, a burst of chromatic light shined around her and the creatures where knocked away, bursting into smoke. “Told ya’ I’d never leave you hanging!” Looking up the path, she saw her friends! And they looked just as they did before this insanity began!

“Rainbow! Rarity! Fluttershy! Pinkie! Applejack! You’re all okay!” Twilight exclaimed, tears of joy running down her face.

“Of course we are darling. No matter what troubles we have or how things change, we are friends. We will always be with you when you need us.” Rarity’s smile spoke volumes for everyone. “Now I believe we need to head towards the Tree, I’m guessing it wouldn’t mind a temporary separation of the Elements, at least until the crisis is over.”

“Agreed.” Twilight said, and as one the Heroes of Equestria went off to save the world again.

Though many enemies crowded their path, not a one stood up to Twilight and her friends. They finally reached the Tree of Harmony, glowing with a prismatic light with its embedded jewels shining like stars. “Allright. Now we just gotta get th’ Elements and fix things up so their nice and orderly, then we can get back to our lives.” The others nodded, except for Twilight. Something about what Applejack said stood out in her memory. No this isn’t Chaos, it’s Order.

“Applejack, everyone wait. Discord said this darkness came from order, I don’t know if that’s what we should have the Elements make.”

“Well of course it makes Order silly filly! Everything working properly in an orderly fashion, nothing ever going wrong for anypony! Everyone content and at peace! How is that bad? We need to use the Elements to speed things up, duh!” Pinkie’s usual exuberant smile never changed from its usual perky self, but Twilight could see something inherently wrong with it.

“Yeah, come on Twi. We’re not going to be hurting anyone. We’ll be protecting them.” Dash’s face, always so confident, may as well have asked Twilight to clip her wings and jump off a cliff into jagged rocks.

“It is what they need Twilight. O-Oh, it’s just like with the Breezies. Ponies will be kept safe from harm, even if we must force them to understand that.” Fluttershy’s entire demeanor changed from her introverted self, to a tyrant.

As one, Twilight’s friends reached out their hooves to her. When they did so, a portal of darkness appeared behind them before the Tree of Harmony. A flash of light and Twilight’s Keyblade was ready for battle. Fluttershy put her hoof down, the others doing so as well, smiling sadly. “If that is your choice, I understand. But you will join us one way or another, everything eventually does.” One by one they turned and walked into the portal before it vanished. When Twilight looked up to the Tree, see gasped. Every one of the Elements except for her own had become black, as if all life had been taken from them. And Twilight could see that the bark on the Tree was peeling away…It was dying.

“I know you need mine to stay alive, but without the others I’d only prolong the inevitable.” Twilight’s magic reached forth and grasped the purple star at the center of the tree. “If I take this, then maybe I can draw those creatures away.” Her magic spread to the cold, black objects that once belonged to her friends. Twilight felt something beneath her hoof. Looking down, she saw the star her friends had made for her as a present. “I promise, everyone, I will fix this.” The five-pointed star began to glow, the light surrounding Twilight and the Elements in a protective shield.

“Wha…Wha!” Twilight was rocketed upwards, pin-balling through the sky. On the moon, in Luna’s disused but now rather full palace of refugees. A pink haired Celestia follows the comet of her former student till it vanishes from sight. She sighed and looked towards her sister and her arch-rival. “Are you certain that she will be safe Discord?” Her eyes were so full of exhaustion.

“Safe. No she won’t be. No one with one of those as weapon could ever be.” Discord looked out at the moon’s surface, smiling yet contemplative. “But if there was ever a person to heal our broken heart, it’s her.” Luna smiled and nodded. “Indeed dear sister, her heart is strong; Why else would she have been chosen? She will be fine.” Celestia sighed again, looking to the stars and their myriad possibilities for answers to a question she didn’t even know.

“I wish you the best of luck, my dearest daughter.”

Destiny Islands

Twilight had lost count of how many stars she had seen zip past her, or more accurately as she zip passed them. It seemed like an eternity of tumbling, spinning, jolting and zigzagging across an endless expanse. Barely able to keep her eyes open, Twilight barely noticed that one of the stars seemed to be growing larger; and, although she knew stars couldn’t have this color physically, saw brown and gold mixed with blue and green. She did however notice when the light that was surrounding her popped like a bubble and she was sent falling down through the air.

“Aaaahhhhh!” She screamed. “Wings! I have Wings, Right!” Unfortunately she made contact with water before her wings could fully extend. The waves pushed and pulled at her, barely allowing her time to pop her head above the water. When she did finally right herself, she was able to see that she was in a vast ocean and an island was not too far from her. So with as much strength as she could muster, Twilight swam to the shore. Reaching the island and exhausted from her ordeal, Twilight Sparkle collapsed on the beach. “Are you okay?” Twilight looked up through half lidded eyes before she embraced unconsciousness. She could only see a blurry image of white, pink, and red. Then she succumbed to her exhaustion and fell unconscious.

Meanwhile, in the former Ponyville Castle in Equestria, a council now sat on the altered thrones. “So it appears dear Twilight escaped the Darkness, how…unexpected.” A tall, black unicorn mare with wavy purple mane and tail stated from her royal seat. “It is such a shame as well that she took the Elements, without them the Door remains shut.”

“She never could understand that we are trying to do what is best for everypony, griffon, dragon, and other beings in the world. Our duty must come first!” A large pegasus from the papal throne said. Her large grey wings clashing with her electric, chromatic mane.

“Hehe…She must think it’s funny what we’re doing…” A dull pink mare with curly a curly mane falling flat sat on the carnival throne, a demented smile on her face. “We should…make her see she’s the real joke...Hehe…”

“We don’t have to Suga’. She’ll come to us eventually.” An orange mare with a black hat reclined on the lounge chair, fore hooves steepled in front of her face. “The truth is, we matter to her. Aint that right, Boss?”

She had turned to look at the Pegasus sitting on the simple stone throne. The Pegasus turned her cold red eyes towards the orange mare, then to the rest of the council. “No.” The others were surprised. “We do not need her now, only her Element.” Glancing towards the corner of the room, she saw a pony shaped object in a black overcoat, and the Pegasus smiled, showing off her fangs.

“Uggh…” Sunlight flittered across Twilight Sparkle’s eyes. “Please Princess…Put the sun down for a few…more hours.”

“I don’t think I’m that kind of Princess.” The unfamiliar voice caused Twilight’s eyes to open in shock. Looking around, she could see she was in a cabin of some sort, on a beach if the sounds of the ocean she heard were correct. Standing over her was a human girl. ’Human?’ The girl had long red hair that stopped at her shoulders, a pink hooded vest over a white dress, and pure blue eyes.

“Are you all right? It’s not often a purple horse comes here, especially by falling from the sky.” The girl reached out her hand to Twilight. “My name’s Kairi, what’s yours?”

“Tw-Twilight Sparkle.” The girl chuckled but Twilight waved it off. “Where am I exactly?” The red headed girl smiled and walked to the stairwell in the cabin, and beckoned Twilight to follow. Opening the door at the top of the stairs, Kairi revealed a bridge to a small mesa with palm trees overlooking the ocean. In the distance, Twilight could see another land mass with houses. “Welcome, to Destiny Islands!”

As Twilight stepped out onto the mesa, she could only stare into serene beauty of the island she found herself on. “It’s so peaceful.” Twilight sat down next to a bent palm tree, and looked up. To her surprise she saw that instead of coconuts as was to be expected on an island of this climate, but a star shaped fruit. It sparked a memory in Twilight, of just before she lost her friends.

“They say sailors make these for those closest to them, and it comes from a far-away island with star shaped fruit. They say that fruit…”

“…When shared, binds the destinies of those who share it together.” Twilight was pulled out of her memory by Kairi’s voice.

“Sorry about scaring you, I noticed you looking at the paupu fruit, so I thought I’d tell you the legend.” Kairi looked at the paupu tree with an odd smile on her face. “I can tell you now, that the fruit…it doesn’t need to have any power. As long as there are stars in the sky we share, we already share a destiny.”

Kairi walked to the edge of the mesa and jumped into the water. She swam to a small dock with a single boat tied to it. “Aren’t you coming?” she yelled across the beach. Twilight spread her wings and glided to the boat.

When they reached the other shore, Twilight spoke what had been on her mind. “I’m not in Equestria anymore am I?” It needed no answer.

“No, I’m sorry. You left your world to come here. I know exactly how hard it is to lose a home to darkness, twice over in fact.” Twilight looked at the red haired girl in shock.

“How do you know it was darkness!?” She exclaimed. “It could have been anything! So how did you know exactly what it was!?” Did you cause it? Because if you did…” Her threat was left verbally unfinished, but her Keyblade flashed into existence above her head.

Kairi, if she was at all shocked by the appearance of the weapon, hid it well. She merely smiled and touched the palm of her hand to Twilight’s muzzle, and closed her eyes. From the point where they met, Twilight could feel…a feeling. An odd, buzzing feeling that warmed her and comforted her, like a thick blanket next to a warm fire on a cold winter’s night. It calmed Twilight down as the feeling spread throughout her entire being, before resting in her chest. If Twilight was to give the feeling a description, she only had one word. “Light.” She spoke it so softly that it was drowned out by the wind, but the angelic girl before her only tilted her head to go along with her smile, knowing exactly what Twilight felt.

“Why don’t you head into town and get to know the area. I need to contact a few people who may be able to help get you home.” Kairi said, still smiling motherly. Twilight of course looked nervous, as her only experience with humans involved her being human herself. Kairi apparently noticed and put those fears to rest. “Don’t worry, this town…we are used to the strange.” And with that the redhead walked farther down the beach, away from civilization.

‘Right’ Twilight thought to herself, ‘Mingle with humans while I’m a purple pony princess, I can already feel the suffocation.’ As she walked into town, Twilight did notice that the humans living there did in fact do double takes as she went by, but then shrugged their shoulders and smiled or waved in her direction. ‘Pinkie would love these people…or she would have.’ Lost in her thoughts about her friends, Twilight didn’t notice a being in front of her until she bumped into them.

“Kupo! What was that for!?” Twilight looked up …at a red ball on a bouncing stick? Following the stick down, Twilight did not lose any confusion about the creature before her. It was doll like in appearance with curved lines where eyes should be, stubs for limbs, a big red clown nose, and tiny wings that apparently could support its weight as it started to hover. “Hey, Kupo! Pay attention Kupo! You knocked me down and messed up my supplies Kupo! So now you are going to do my delivery for me, Kupo!” The strange being slapped a map in twilight’s face and floated away.

‘Jerk’ Twilight picked everything up from the ground. ‘The only reason I’m doing this and not kicking that thing’s flank is that this delivery route will take me all over town. I need to get the lay of the land after all.’ She flapped her wings and landed on a nearby roof. ‘Doesn’t mean I won’t kick its flank later though.’ And so she was off, delivering items of interesting make and quality to different shops and locations around the town. Her last stop was a newly furnished store front that had a sign whose very existence made Twilight’s academic self, shudder in revulsion. Crusading Items ‘n’ Sundries. Walking in, Twilight was greeted by the most surprising thing that she could see, or hear in three distinct forms. “Hiya Princess! Welcome to our shop!”

The Three Terrors of Ponyville, The Cutie Mark Crusaders. Twelve legs, two wings, a horn, and a bow. Needless to say, Twilight was not happy. “How did you girls get here? No, why are you here? No, why do you have a shop? No…I…Buh…Arrgh!” Twilight’s her began to get frizzy as her eye started to twitch, a sign the Crusaders personally knew meant bad news.

“We kind of just woke up in this empty shop Princess, we don’t know what happened.” Sweetie Belle squeaked out. “We felt something here” she placed a hoof on her chest, “and we just knew that our sisters were in trouble. We thought we’d make enough bits to make a ship and sail to help, but all we got are these crystal things. They kinda look like bits, if you squint.” Scootaloo facehooved at the conversation derailment.

“We’ve been tryin’ our hardest to help Princess, honest.” Applebloom said.

Twilight looked at the three fillies, scowling. “You aren’t going anywhere. You are staying here. You can keep running the shop because it should keep you out of trouble and will help you learn responsibility. But the moment I save your sisters, you are going home, and no Twilight Time for a month.” The Crusaders gasped and were about to object, “Want to try for two?” They didn’t. “Good, now what do you ha…” Twilight was interrupted by a scream outside. “Stay here!” Twilight raced outside, Keyblade aloft to come face to face with strange bipedal creatures with yellow eyes, clam-like objects for helmets, claws, and a strange symbol of a black heart with red outline and stitches through the center.

The emblem creatures turned at the appearance of Twilight and her Keyblade. A few performed a spinning kick that sent Twilight flying. Geez! These things are stronger than the invaders! After she destroyed one, Twilight was shocked to see a pink heart float out of the darkness of the destroyed creature. A heart? What? She managed to weed her way through the group in front of her, but a crash on the other side of town grabbed her attention.

“Shannaro!” The yell was followed by another crash, and a cloud of smoke rose into the air, and small explosions of black showed that the creatures had just been attacked by an incredible force.

Flying over the rooftops, Twilight saw a pink-haired human punching and kicking the creatures, and leaving shockwaves and craters in the wake of her blows. Unfortunately, despite the girl’s immense strength, she was quickly becoming overwhelmed. Twilight was just about to drop in to help, when a black blur zoomed past her into the air. The blur began to spin rapidly, taking on the appearance of a ball with an orange glow. Dozens of laser like lights rained down from the sphere, piercing the creatures and obliterating them. The sphere stopped spinning and landed on the ground next to the girl, revealing a black anthromorphic being with spiky black and red hair.

“You always this useless?” The being spoke in a gravelly voice, a smirk on its face.

The pink-hair scoffed, “You sound like my husband.”

More creatures sprang up, completely surrounding them. The pink-hair merely cracked her knuckles, while the anthro cocked a futuristic pistol. Just before the creatures attacked, Twilight dropped down and spun her Keyblade in a circle around all three of them. “This a duet, or can anyone join this song?” Twilight snarked. I’m channeling Dash now.

The others blinked and looked at each other. “Just keep up” the black one said. And keep up she did. All three of them were in perfect sync with each other. When someone was hurt, the pink girl would move her hands into different shapes and a green aura would appear and heal that person. The spiky animal would dart around at amazing speeds and blast creatures into oblivion with lasers of fire, ice and lightning. All was looking up until the remaining creatures vanished.

In their place, a giant stone dropped out of the sky. It unfolded itself from its ball like form revealing a red interior with the Emblem on its chest, and two yellow eyes. Its arms were curved pillars, and its legs were no different. The creature curled itself up and rolled around the field. The party dodged the best they could, but were hit a few times. “Wear it out!” Pink said, “It has to uncurl eventually!” It did, for a small amount of time, but it took multiple tries to make it even slightly weak.

Once the creature had been stunned, Twilight and the others began a relentless attack, eventually destroying the creature and releasing a pink crystallized heart. The party fell on their backs in exhaustion.

“Rockadillo.” The other two looked at Twilight as if she was crazy. “I think we should call it Rockadillo, you know because it was a rock that acted like an armadillo. I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle, by the way.”

“That is without a doubt, the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard your Highness…I’m Shadow.”

“I don’t know, I think it fits. My blonde idiot of teammate would probably call it something similar. Sakura.”

The group just took the time to chuckle, and then laugh, at the insanity of being so far from their homes and just fighting for their lives against a creature called ‘Rockadillo.’ Unfortunately, it was not to last, as more of the soldier like creatures and the bugs appeared around them. The group could barely stand, let alone fight. It looked as though this new friendship was about to end.

Until Kairi dropped down between the group and the invading creatures. “Annoying Heartless,” She said rising to full height, a glare upon her face, her eyes as cold as a tundra. “Begone.” With a snap of her fingers on her right hand, bolts of light rained down from the sky like the fires of heaven, piercing the now called Heartless and destroying them. “It might be best if you three come with me.”

Kairi took the three out to the same island Twilight arrived on and sat them down under a curved paupu tree she sat on herself. "Those creatures are called Heartless. They are born from the Darkness inside one's heart."

"What do you mean?" Shadow asked.

"Negative emotions: rage, jealousy, hatred." Kairi closed her eyes and shook her head. "When someone let's those control their lives, they will consume them." Kairi opened her eyes again. "The Heartless steal the hearts of others to create more of themselves, spreading like a plague."

"Is there anyway to stop them?" Twilight questioned.

Kairi smiled. "You." Twiligth seemed to jump back in shock and Kairi giggled. "Your Keyblade."

Twilight's Keyblade appeared in a flash of light. "This?"

"Yes. The Heartless fear the Keyblade but are drawn to it, like moths to a flame. The Keyblade is the only weapon that can permanently free the stolen Hearts... And most liekly, it can save your worlds."

Sakura crossed her arms. "So now what? Twilight goes off on an adventure?"

"Kairi nodded. "I was hoping you two would go with her." Sakura and Shadow glanced at each other while Twilight brightened.

"Ooh, new friends!" Twilight started to skip around.

Sakura shook her head while smiling. "Just like you... Okay, I'm in."

"I'm in too." Shadow said, cocking his blaster. "These things are in my way.

Kairi clapped once. "That's great, now follow me." She led them to the other side of the island where a purple spaceship was hovering. “This is a Falcon type Gummi Ship, it packs a lot of punch and is incredibly fast, but don’t try a drawn out fight in it or you’ll lose. I’ve included books on my friend’s adventures to help prepare for what’s coming. Oh! I almost forgot.” Turning away from the ship to the newly formed adventuring party. Kairi snapped her fingers and a bright light engulfed the trio behind her. She took in their new clothes: Sakura was dressed in a red and black outfit designed for battle, with pockets and scrolls everywhere, and a red headband with a Japanese character engraved into metal. Shadow merely added a pair of sunglasses/goggles onto his head. Twilight was the most changed, a purple hooded-jacket and wraps around her hooves.

“Do you all understand, that this won’t be easy? The Heartless will exist as long as there is darkness. But as long as they exist, so does our light. Never lose sight of it.” The party got into their ship and took off, a grand adventure about to start.

Author's Note

Destiny Islands: Chapter 1 complete.
*Diz Report #2 obtained

Remnant

A girl in a red cloak and hood stands before a stone marker at the edge of a snow covered cliff. The cloak flaps in a gentle wind, giving it the appearance of rose petals. A crunch of snow echoes behind her, and the howl of a wolf forces her to turn her head.

The gummi ships drops out of the corridor into intra-space with a flash of light. Aboard, two of the passengers were regretting their decision to not wear seatbelts, completely certain that their teammate couldn't fly. Twilight could fly incredibly well infact, but suffers from what many worlds would call ‘road rage’ and ‘gamer-ness’. In other words she drives like a certain Spectre in a ground vehicle.

“Oh common you guys, it wasn’t that bad.” Twilight said ignoring the fact that the spiky-haired hedgehog Shadow and the pinkette human Sakura had somehow switched hair styles.

“Not bad, Twilight, is not getting shot at for five hours. Constantly circling back, again and again, just because you wanted to Blow up The SHINY ONE!!!" Sakura yelled, the whites of her eyes the only thing visible, and veins pulsing on her temples.

“If you had tried that flying back in my home, you’d have been shot out of the sky.” Shadow’s hair had fixed itself, but he still had not gotten up from his position on the floor.

Noticing her friends shaken expressions, Twilight relented. “All right, I’m sorry. I just…got caught up in the moment.” Looking out the cockpit window, twilight notices a world outside. It looked like a forest with a castle coming out of it on top of a broken sphere. “Ooh! This must be another world! Activating landing gear!” The other two went white immediately and tackled the purple pony princess to the cockpit floor. The ensuing tussle caused the ship to rock through the world’s barrier, but it didn't crash, unlike other Keyblade wielders on their first journey.

After teleporting down to the world, Twilight looked around to take in her surroundings, noticing the broken moon-like object hanging in the sky. The first word that came to her mind to describe this world was Remnant. Twilight and the others had landed in a snow filled forest with dying trees, and a wolf pack howled nearby. Twilight’s eyes narrowed “Let’s check it out.”

The three ran into a clearing where a girl in a red cloak was surrounded by black werewolf like creatures with white masks and bones sticking out of them. The pack of creatures attacked the girl, and before the team could react, the girl vanished in a swirl of rose petals. Sakura’s eyes widened in recognition of the technique. A gunshot rang out from above, splitting the lead wolf’s head in two.

Landing in front of them was the girl, her hood having fallen off revealing her red-black hair. In her hands was a large gun which she used to quickly dispatch more creatures. Then she flipped her gun in her hands, transforming it into a scythe. The carnage that followed Twilight had tried to recount in multiple books, but the exact words were lost to her. Shadow merely looked at his own weapons and contemplated his proficiency, and Sakura just let her jaw stay on the ground.

The girl’s dance of death went on for minutes, and instead of getting tired the girl seemed to become deadlier as time went on. After all the creatures had been bisected, decapitated, riddled with bullets, and generally destroyed in various sharp and exploding ways, she turned and saw the three travelers, who were still slack-jawed and unmoving.

“Um, hello? Who are you guys?” The girl asked. No response. The girl waved her hand in front of them, and still they did not react. “Well, Ruby, you've apparently scared some people silly. Wonderful, really good thing Weiss isn't here.”

A gurgling sound behind Ruby caught her attention and turning around found herself face to face with little, bouncing, dog like creatures with yellow eyes. Her scythe as out and ready in an instant. “We’ll handle this!” The three travelers raced out in front of Ruby. “We have a lot of practice with Heartless.” Twilight said. And so the three heroes fought through waves of Heartless, with relative ease.

When they were finished, Ruby spoke up. “I’ve never seen Grimm like those before.”

“Grimm?” The trio asked.

“You know creatures of Grimm, beings of Darkness and Destruction, enemy of all Human life?” The trio looked at her strangely and the girl sighed. “Is this how Blake usually feels?”

“Sorry, those aren’t Grimm, they're called Heartless. They are beings that are born when someone let’s there heart be consumed by Darkness, and seek to cause chaos and strife so more of them are made.” Twilight explained.

Ruby crossed her arms and looked at them speculatively, “Sure sounds like a Grimm to me, but alright ‘Heartless’ it is. I’m Ruby by the way, Ruby Rose.” She extended her hand for the others to shake.

“I’m Twilight,” she said shaking Ruby’s hand in her hoof, “and this is Sakura” The pink haired girl waved, “And Shadow.” The hedgehog only nodded in Ruby’s direction. A wolf howl echoed in the distance, quickly followed by more. Ruby scowled at the sound of the nearing packs.

“We need to get moving, those Beowolves will be here soon. Follow me, I’ll get us back to town.” Ruby and Twilight took point, Sakura staying close to them, and Shadow falling behind to guard the rear.

The group was attacked multiple times by both Heartless and Grimm, but with Ruby in the team they were made short work of.
They eventually reached a city with a tall plateaued mountain and castle in the distance. “Welcome to Vale, home of Beacon Academy, the premiere school for Huntsmen and Women training in all the world.” Ruby exclaimed, gesturing over the city. “We need to get up to the school, I have to report to Professor Ozpin about my mission.” As the group walked towards the castle, the travelers looked around to see that no one seemed to notice the anthromorphic hedgehog and purple equine with wings and a horn.

Sakura whispered to her teammates “Shouldn’t people be, I don’t know, staring and pointing at you two. They are human” they walk by a group with animal features sitting at a café, “mostly.” The others shrugged.

“Ruby, what do me and Shadow look like to you?” Twilight asked. Ruby turned and looked over them appraisingly. She nodded to herself when she had found an answer.

“Like a bipedal hedgehog with black fur and red highlights, and purple horse with wings and a horn.” Closing her eyes and crossing her arms, Ruby said this with utmost confidence.

Sakura was confused. “And that isn't strange to you in any way?”

“Nope.”

“Not even the fact that it doesn't match up with everything your world apparently says about the laws of nature?” Shadow asked.

“Nope.”

“Not even the fact that the only people with features like Shadow and mine still look mostly human?” Twilight asked.

“Nope. Now can we get going? I can’t be late.” Ruby ran ahead towards the castle, leaving the three travelers incredibly confused.

Twilight shook her head. “Okay we’re going to follow the Pinkie Pie rule in this scenario.” The others looked at her expectantly. Twilight lifted her head up and trotted after Ruby. “Don’t question it.”

The group reached the castle and headed towards the top floor. Once there, they entered a large office with a gear and mechanical theme. Sitting at the desk in the center of the room, was a white haired man in green. “Everyone, this is Professor Ozpin. Headmaster of Beacon Academy and my mentor. Professor, these are Twilight, Sakura, and Shadow.” Ruby introduced.

“I see.” Ozpin said, looking over the traveling trio. “You are quite impressive in combat.” He pressed a button on his desk and a holographic screen depicting the three and Ruby fighting Heartless in the city. “I usually don’t see this level of teamwork and cooperation outside of senior students and teachers. Most impressive.”

Ruby spoke up shyly “Has there been any news?” Ozpin merely shook his head. “Oh.”

“Don’t worry Ruby, we will find the rest of your team.” Ozpin looked over at Twilight and the others. “These three are quite skilled, they may be able to help. I’m making them your temporary team until Weiss, Yang, and Blake are found.” Ruby nodded determinedly. “Go to the assembly hall and check the mission boards that should help them acclimate, I need to finalize their…enrollment.” Ruby nodded again and left. Ozpin turned towards the remaining group ad looked over them appraisingly. “It’s not often a keybarer comes to this world.”

“You know about the Keyblade?” Twilight asked.

“Yes. I once met a boy who told me all about them, in the event the Heartless ever appeared. It is my shame they did.” Ozpin had looked down sadly, but returned his eyes to Twilight’s in a glare. “Do you know the dangers that weapon possesses?” Twilight simply shook her head. “The Keyblade can bring creation or ruin to any world it comes to. It is a force of great change, and only appears in times of great need. You must be mindful of your actions, as they can upset the delicate balance of the world.” Ozpin got up out of his chair and walked towards the door. “For now, Ruby needs your help finding her team. With their track record, they will be at the center of this Heartless problem.”

Ozpin led them to the main auditorium of the school, where they found Ruby in front of a holographic screen, trying to decide something. She saw them and waved them over, Ozpin having returned to his office. “This is the Beacon Academy mission board, it holds all the missions students can take here in Vale. Normally we’d have to prove ourselves before we take higher missions*, but Professor Ozpin gave me a code to unlock the important ones. I’ve selected three that are the most likely to have my team show up at. Got it?” Twilight and Shadow nodded, but Sakura opened he mouth to ask a question, unfortunately she would not find out how missions are organized compared to her world because Ruby went on as if no one had any questions. “Alright! Let’s go Team…Uh…Twilight...Shadow…Sakura…Ruby…I got it! Let’s Go Team Tzar!”

The team landed at the abandoned city of Forest Glenn, which Ruby explained was an attempted expansion of the city, but was overrun by Grimm. “Which of your team do you think is here?” Shadow asked.

“There’s a nightclub nearby that was supposed to have been popular. If my sister Yang was anywhere around Heartless, It would be there.” Ruby answered.

After fighting through Heartless and Grimm inside the club, a voice spoke out from nowhere. “Aww, how cute! The little thief has a new pet.” From the ceiling, a yellow figure dropped down. “You always had a thing for cute didn’t you Ruby?” The figure said rising up from their crouch.

“Are you…Yang?” Twilight asked.

“Yang, what are you doing here? You’re in danger!” Ruby exclaimed.

Yang merely glared at Ruby with red eyes. “Danger? The only ones in danger are you.” The bracelets on Yang’s wrists expanded to form shotgun-gauntlets. “Your Mom stole my dad.” She said, flames of darkness coming off her hair. “I don’t have a sister, just a thief.” With that Yang jumped into the air and brought her fist down to the ground in an explosion. Yang fired off explosive tracer rounds that struck everyone, then jumped again but Twilight was able to use the keyblade to flip her around onto her back, where Sakura curb stomped her. Yang’s punches exploded at close contact, but Ruby was able to knock her backwards with a tornado like move of her scythe.

Yang eventually fell to her knees, but looked up at the team with anger in her eyes. She scoffed before leaping backwards and vanishing into nothingness. “Family issues?” Shadow asked. Ruby didn’t respond, merely folded up her scythe and left the building. The others stayed behind. “What do you think?” Shadow asked Twilight and Sakura.

“If Yang was supposed to be close to Ruby like she says, this definitely matches what happened on my world.” Twilight said.

Sakura closed her eyes and crossed her arms, thinking about what could be happening. “Twilight you said that your friends’ changes though out of character had happened before right?” Twilight nodded. “Then whatever is doing this is taking their negative feelings, thoughts they don’t admit to having, and are bringing them to the forefront.” She opened her eyes and looked out to where Ruby was. “We need to keep an eye on her just in case.”

The next location the group checked was an abandoned theater in Vale. On the stage they found a figure in with with a rapier in hand. The girl turned to face them, a scowl on her scarred face. “Well, if it isn’t the Prodigy Sneak.”

“Weiss, something’s happened to Yang, she hates me.” Ruby cried out. Weiss only smirked.

“Of course she does. Your mom takes her’s place. You sneak your way into where you don’t belong and take my rightful place as leader.” Weiss’ smirk evolved into a cruel smile, her eyes shining with loathing. “Everyone hates you, get used to it.” With that Weiss, took out her blade and performed a gliding stab at the group, Sakura’s reflexes saving them by deflecting it sideways. Weiss fired off elemental magic but every spell was reflected by Shadow, whose own magic bolts where just as strong. Eventually Weiss fell to her knees and vanished the same way as Yang.

Ruby looked dismayed, pulling her hood up to hide her face and tears. “What is happening? Everything is wrong.” From Twilight’s view, she could see Ruby’s eyes become shadowed and brief flash of black went through them right before Ruby closed them. Ruby walked out of the building before she fell to her knees crying.

Twilight waved the other two off to the side. “Look at the sky.” She said pointing up. The shattered moon was completely broken, with pieces looking like they were about to fall, in a pattern reminiscent of a heart. “Ruby is connected to this world with her friends, like I was to mine with my friends. With these soul-breaking facts, Ruby may end up destroying this world in her despair.”

The final location was a blood red forest, a figure waiting on a abandoned train tracks. Ruby never removed her hood and opened her scythe in a sign of aggression. “Just like every human, ready to kill a Faunus at first sight.” The figure said turning around. Her usual bow was gone, showing her cat ears, white mask was on her face, giving the image of an animal.

‘Anbu?’ Sakura though to herself.

“Let’s not waste time talking.” Blake said grabbing the hilt of her sword. Her opening slice cut through the team, then pulling her hidden blade out she cut through Twilight multiple times. Shadow was able to interrupt her when she tried again, knocking Blake to her knees, and removing her mask from her face. “Just like a human.” Blake said before vanishing like the others.

“Let’s get back to Beacon.” Ruby said walking away, before being stopped by a tug on her cape. Looking back she saw her cape was in Twilight’s mouth.

“No, you don’t leave until you talk.”

“About what? My so called friends hate me.”

“No they don’t. The darkness is just bringing thoughts they had out, thoughts they themselves don’t like.”

“Then they don’t like me, just tried to be civil.” Twilight glared and pulled back her hoof, wings open, and upper-cutted Ruby hard enough to send her flying backwards.

“Just shut up! Even when things look bad and friends are angry, you have to remember the good times! No matter what you have to remember!” Twilight’s horn began to glow as she placed it on Ruby’s forehead. Ruby then recalled every happy time she and her team had. Tears of joy poured form her eyes at the thoughts: the cold nights Yang comforted her, Weiss tutoring her, sharing a book with Blake, stopping evil as a team; every good thought filled her with warmth.

“T-Thank you.” Ruby said wiping the tears from her eyes, before she shot her head up. “I know where they are!”

The group returned to Beacon Academy, now under siege by Heartless. In the main courtyard, a giant Heartless stood. It had the face of a marionette and three hands, two used like normal and a third where the leg should have been. On its back was a sealed basket. When the team came to a stop in front of it, it began to float up into the air and used its three hands to remove Weiss, Yang, and Blake from the basket.

“Ok, that is just not fair, we had trouble with just one!” Sakura said. Her trained eyes then noticed something about their enemies. “Twilight, Ruby, look! They’re connected to its hands by strings. Aim for those!”

And so the battle began, the four of them stunning the Darkened members of team RWBY, then Twilight used her keyblade to tie the stings together and pull the Puppeteer to the ground. Once there, it locked its prisoners back into its basket and began to bounce around, attacking with all three of its hands. Eventually it floated back up into the sky and released its prisoners again, but the heroes used the same strategy as before and was able to defeat the monster. As its heart disappeared into the aether, the lost members of team RWBY raised themselves from the ground.

“R-Ruby…I’m so sorry!” Yang cried, enveloping her sister in a hug.

“It’s okay, you weren’t yourself.”

“That’s the problem…we were.” Weiss said, placing a hand on Ruby’s shoulder.

“We all had those thoughts, but our friendship made them seem unimportant. That thing just forced them out.” Blake said, also placing a hand on Ruby.

“Guys…” Ruby’s eyes began to water as her team, her family was reunited. To Twilight, they began to glow, and her Keyblade flashed into existence. Twilight found herself in space between Remnant and its moon, a Keyhole in front of her. She pointed the blade at the portal, and in a flash of light, it was gone.

“What was that?”

“Our goodbye. I’m sorry, but other people need our help. I promise we’ll meet again one day.” Twilight said, and with a nod, she, Sakura, and Shadow vanished in a flash of light; on to their next adventure.

Meanwhile with the council of Darkness, the pony in a cloak is kneeling before the thrones. “Do you understand what you must do? What must be done?”

“Yes, to exist, I must become magic.”

“And how do you intend to do that?”

The pony raised her head, red eyes glowing through the darkness of her cloak. “Destroy Twilight Sparkle.”

Author's Note

*DiZ Report #10 obtained.