Chapters Ponies & Keyblades II: Return to Equestria
Golden Oaks Library
Ponyville, Equestria
"What's wrong, Twilight?"
"I don't have time to talk, Spike. Right now, I have to focus on this."
"But what are you focusing on?"
"I have to find a way to contact him."
"Contact who?"
"Sora."
"I miss Sora too Twi, but he's a very busy pon- er, person. He probably just doesn't have the time to visit us right now."
"You don't understand Spike. I'm not trying to contact him for a social visit. They're back."
"Who's back?"
"The Heartless."
Ponies & Keyblades II: Return to Equestria
Beach Cove
Destiny Islands
Sora sat on the beach of his homeland, the Destiny Islands, pondering over the recent events of his life once again. He had defeated Maleficent once again, and all of her allies, but that didn't mean the job was over just yet. Xehanort was still running the show, it seemed. Every time he picked up the mess in one world, an entirely new problem popped up in another. He was barely getting any chance to rest between these seemingly unrelated events. He summoned his Keyblade to his hand and looked at it, fiddling with the keychain and replacing it's charm with one he had obtained in the magical world of ponies, Equestria. The blade changed itself into the Keyblade representing the Elements of Harmony - his pony friends.
"I need a vacation." he thought to himself.
Riku and Kairi had recently been sent to different worlds to dispatch problems to take a bit of the load off Sora. He laid his head down and drifted off into a light sleep.
Meanwhile, in Equestria...
"How could the Heartless be back, Twilight?" Applejack asked her friend.
"I don't know, Applejack, but whatever the reason, it can't be good. We have to figure out some way to contact Sora." Twilight replied.
Twilight Sparkle, Equestria's newest alicorn princess, and her group of friends sat around a table in Sugarcube Corner, discussing the outbreak of the otherwordly monsters known as the Heartless.
"Well, we can't just sit here helpless waiting for the Heartless to drag us off." Rarity interjected.
"I know. But right now there's not much we can do until we can contact Sora. Equestria is without any keyblade wielders right now. Smashing Light left, remember? Something about visiting an old friend..." the alicorn princess continued.
"Well, you know Twilight, you could always just use the door Sora used to exit our world to go find him."
"Pinkie, the door is locked from the other side, remember?"
"Not anymore, silly."
"What do you mean, not anymore?"
"Smashing opened it when he left."
"Of course! Since only keyblade wielders can unlock the door, he must've unlocked it when he left!"
The group of ponies quickly exitted Sugarcube Corner and made their way to Town Square, where the white wooden door stood. On it, the symbols that had become so familiar to the group of friends were engraved - a crown, a heart emblem, and a flower.
"Well, what'r we waitin' for, Twilight? Let's go." Applejack said as she started to advance towards the door.
"Wait, Applejack. I think it would be beneficial if only one of us went to get Sora."
"Why ever would that be, darling?"
"Because... remember what Sora said? Meddling in the affairs of other worlds is supposed to be kept to a minimum. If this door truly leads to another world, then all six of us going through might lead to some suspicion."
"Oh... okay...." Fluttershy said, sadly.
"I'll go into the door and find Sora, then I'll bring him back." Twilight exclaimed.
"All right, good luck and stay safe, sugarcube."
Twilight's friends all wished her the same as she entered the doorway.
Ponies & Keyblades II: Return to Equestria
Unknown Location
Twilight Sparkle woke up laying next to a doorway in a small caveway. The door was imprinted with the symbols of her friends' cutie marks, as well as her own. She attempted to stand upon her hooves, but something just didn't seem right. She could barely see anything in this cave, but she could see the source of the light which shed on the door. She advanced slowly on all fours out onto a bustling beach, and seeing a small pool of water underneath a waterfall she gazed into her reflection. What she saw was not what she had expected.
Her face had morphed into an odd looking shape, and her muzzle had become small and barely a bump on her face. Her mane looked somewhat different, and as she looked deeper into her reflection she saw that her hooves had morphed into strange things with five smaller digits on each. Finally she saw her body had somehow obtained clothes with resembled a schoolgirl's uniform, with her skirt showing the emblem of her cutie mark.
"Wha- what am I? What happened? Where are my hooves... my tail? My..."
"Hey!"
Twilight screamed at the sudden noise behind her, and she turned around to see a similar being to herself, although apparently this one was male based on it's voice. It had long spiky brown hair, ocean blue eyes, a baggy jacket and pants, and in it's arm it held a familiar weapon.
"Sora...is that you?"
"Yeah...who are you though? And how do you know me? And why is your skin PURPLE?"
"Sora.... don't you recognize me?"
"Th-that voice.... Twilight?"
"Yes! It's me!"
"Twilight!"
"Sora!"
Sora ran towards her and she ran, on all fours, to him, and they both began to talk at the same time when they reached about four feet from one another.
"Wow, you look really different." they both said, laughing at the fact they both said it at the same time.
"FYI, Twilight, we don't walk around on all fours." Sora said, giggling as she stood up on her two feet.
"Oh... sorry about that."
"What's up? How is everypony?"
"Everypony's fine, but... we need you back in Equestria."
"What? Why's that? I mean, I've been looking for a reason to take a vacation, and heading back into Equestria might be relaxing, but you sound uneasy about it."
"The Heartless are back, Sora."
"No.... how?"
"I don't know. But since Smashing Light has left Equestria for a while, we don't have any keyblade wielders there anymore to help get rid of the Heartless."
"All right. Let me go do something real quick and I'll be right there - say, how did you get here?"
"Oh, the door was open."
"Weird. But alright."
"Where am I anyway?"
"You haven't figured it out yet, Twi? This is my home, the Destiny Islands."
Sora ran to the Gummi Ship and used the onboard radio to contact King Mickey via his computer in Disney Castle.
"Your majesty, I won't be available for a while. Something urgent has popped up."
"What's wrong Sora? Where are you going?"
"There's no time to explain. But I have to go to Equestria. Everypony needs my help!"
He turned off the radio, and the duo made their return into the Secret Place, and through the magical door into the realm of Equestria.
Ponies & Keyblades II: Return to Equestria
Sugarcube Corner
Ponyville, Equestria
"All right. Let's get right down to business." the boy-turned pony said as Mrs. Cake brought the group's batch of cupcakes to their table, "one question at a time, though, please."
"I'll begin," Rarity said, "how is everything? How have you been?"
"Everything's been alright, I guess. Riku, Kairi, the King and I were all able to take down Maleficent and her group of allies. That said, a lot of strange things have been happening in other worlds - Heartless attacks, people going missing - so that's why Kairi and Riku aren't able to be here. They're both off helping out elsewhere. Other than that, I've been ok, but all of this world-jumping is wearing me out."
"What about the charm we gave ya'll? You ain't really used it have ya? Unless the magic in that there charm makes us forget when we're summoned."
"Well, we haven't really had much need to use it. Ever since Discord and Maleficent's group were defeated and disbanded, the local heartless populations have stayed pretty small - we could handle them ourselves. Speaking of Discord, whatever happened to him?"
"We haven't really seen much of him lately. He pops up every once in a while, does some slightly annoying things, then leaves." Rainbow replied.
"Alright. Oh, Twilight. How have you been doing as a princess here in Equestria?"
"Well, I find it kind of odd to wear my crown, and I don't really have that many royal duties... but otherwise it's been fine."
"Hm. Well, you say the Heartless population has been growing lately?"
"Yes Indeedy!"
"That's weird. I mean, it's normal to have a few Heartless in a world. But this world had no Heartless to begin with. How could the population be booming again?"
"I don't know. But, we'll get to all that tomorrow. RIght now we have some catching up to do."
Sora and his friends chatted through the evening, and they discussed what had happened to each of them since Sora left. He found particularly interesting stories by all of them. Fluttershy had had problems with creatures known as breezies, Rainbow had learned a lesson in loyalty and helped to teach it to her idols, the Wonderbolts, Rarity had quite a trip in Manehattan, Pinkie had met her match in a sort of rivalry with a pony named Cheese Sandwhich, and Applejack had met up with the Flim-Flam brothers once again and helped teach Ponyville that honesty truly is the best policy. Each one of them had seemed to learn a lesson about their element of harmony - coincidentally, they had also given up their respective elements back to the Tree of Harmony they had originally come from. He also found it intriguing that a small chest had appeared near the tree as well.
"Well, that was quite a story."
"And now you've caught up with us."
"Hello, everypony."
The group turned to see a yellow and red pony entering the room.
"Sora! When did you get back?"
"Uh...just earlier today, Sunset Shimmer."
"Well, it's good to see you."
"Likewise."
Sunset Shimmer picked up her order from Mr. Cake, and before she left she gave Sora one more look.
"See you around!"
"What's up with Sunset Shimmer?" Sora asked when she had left, "Why is she being so nice?"
"We freed her will, remember?"
"Oh, right."
"Alright, well, we outta get going." Applejack said as she scooped Apple Bloom up onto her back, "Somepony's got school tomorrow, and Big McIntosh and I have a heap of chores ta do. See ya around, everypony."
"Sweetie Belle, we should get going too." Rarity added.
"I think we should all call it a night. We can all meet back here in the morning and start discussing our plan." Twilight finished.
"All right, let's do that."
"Need someplace to stay, Sora?"
"Oh... right. Uh... mind If I bunk with you guys tonight, Twilight?"
"Of course you can! Let's head on back to the Library."
The group of ponies left one by one back to their homes, and had a restful night's sleep.
Unknown Location
Ponyville, Equestria
"So, my dear, you say that the Keyblade wielder is back in Equestria?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. With the Heartless hanging around, we'll be much safer. Now you three must leave, I need the time to think about what to do next.
"Good night, Doctor."
"Yes. Have a good evening."
Sunset Shimmer and her two friends left the small cottage that Time Turner, or as he preferred to be called, the Doctor, lived in.
"I wonder what's up with him."
"I dunno, Sunset. But this doesn't seem too good to me."
"Me either, Derpy. What do you think, Vinyl?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry. Gettin' down with the beat. Not sure what to think."
"Well, one thing's for sure... I feel safer with Sora back here."
The three agreed and left for their homes, keeping careful watch for otherwordly beasts who might be looking for somepony to attack.
Ponies & Keyblades II: Return to Equestria
5. Tension Rising/Sora and Twi
Golden Oaks Library
Ponyville, Equestria
"We certainly are lucky to have you back again, Sora."
"Oh? Yeah, I guess. I mean, if there's Heartless hanging around, then someone's gotta get rid of them."
"Well, with you around, it shouldn't be too much of an issue. And it's absolutely wonderful to see you again."
"Really? Gee, thanks."
Spike lay sleeping soundly next to the bed Twilight had made for Sora. In his hand, the baby dragon clutched a small comic book with the words "Power Ponies" printed on the cover.
"So you say you guys actually got sucked INTO one of those comic books?"
"Yes. It was quite the adventure. We had to defeat some meniacal villain pony named the Mane-iac with superpowers we gained from being inside the book just to escape."
"Wow. Having superpowers must have been a lot of fun."
"Not exactly. We needed to learn how to use them before we could really do much with them. Spike helped with that. In fact, he saved us all when the Mane-iac had us trapped without use of our powers."
"Wow. The magic here really is astounding."
"It certainly is. Coincidentally, what ever happened to your Element of Harmony necklace, Sora?"
"I'm not too sure. One day I had it on, despite the tight fit with my human neck, and it just... disappeared."
"What day was that?"
"About three months ago."
"Sora. Do you know what I think happened?"
"What?"
"Three months ago, when we returned our elements to the Tree of Harmony, your necklace must have sensed that the others were returned to their source, and realizing it would be useless without them, disappeared."
"So you think it sensed it, even in a different world?"
"Yes. If what you say about the power of the heart is true, and if worlds have hearts, could it be possible that the Elements of Harmony have 'hearts' of their own?"
"I suppose.... perhaps. Since the power of the heart, and the power of the magic of friendship can exceed any space, even span entire worlds... maybe that is possible."
"Your stories never cease to amaze me, Sora."
"Nor do yours, Twilight."
"Well, we should probably get to sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow."
"Right. Good night, Twilight."
"Good night, Sora."
Sunset Shimmer's Home
Ponyville, Equestria
Sunset Shimmer lie awake in bed, pondering.
"I certainly do feel a bit safer with him here. But why are the Heartless back anyway? Do they want.... me? My heart was weak enough to be susceptible to their control last time. What's stopping them from taking me again this time?
No.
I can't think that way. I let friendship into my heart. They can't touch me now... can they?"
Unknown Alley
Canterlot, Equestria
"Is he friend, or is he foe, the pony wonders. I can assure you, I am no friend. I am Lord Tirek... and I shall take what should have been mine long ago..."
"Wh-what are you... doing?"
"Ah yes. It has been a long time since I have felt this kind of power."
Canterlot Castle
Princess Celestia's Chambers
Canterlot, Equestria
The Princess of the Kingdom of Equestria awoke, breathing heavily.
The doors burst open and her sister, Princess Luna, entered.
"Sister, are you all right?"
"I've just had the most terrible dream."
"Why do you think I am here? You know as well as I that this was NOT a dream, but a vision."
"Then we haven't much time. The stronger HE becomes, the more we are all in danger."
Ponies & Keyblades II: Return to Equestria
6. Crusader Investigators/Jiminy Crickets!
Sugarcube Corner
Ponyville, Equestria
"Alright, everypony. I've been watching out everywhere lately and I haven't seen a single Heartless attack yet. Do we have any ideas on why this is?"
"Maybe they just decided to stop being Mr. Meaniepants and went to hide in the Everfree Forest?"
"I highly doubt that, Pinkie Pie. I find it more likely that considering the keyblade wielder is here, they have become more cautious."
"But Twilight, Heartless act on instinct for the most part. Since they are attracted to the very object that would lead their doom, they should be popping up like crazy."
"But Sora..."
"Wait. Who said that?"
"I did."
A small creature jumped out of Sora's pocket and onto the table in front of the group of ponies.
"I-It's a cricket!" Fluttershy exclaimed, "a cute little cricket!"
"Jiminy's the name. Jiminy Cricket."
"It can talk?"
"Yes, I can talk. Now, for the most part I already know your names. But as I was saying-"
"How do you know our names?" Rainbow inquired.
"I'm the Royal Chronicler for King Mickey and Queen Minnie of Disney Castle. I record everything in this little journal of mine," Jiminy said as he pulled out a small book from his jacket, "if you look inside, you'll not only see some home-made drawings of you and all the people and ponies we've met, but you'll also see a little information on them."
"Let me see," Twilight requested.
"Knock yourself out," the cricket said as he gave the tiny book to Twilight.
Twilight removed a magnifying glass from her bag and began to read.
"Twilight Sparkle
This lavender mare from the kingdom of ponies, Equestria, is an all around book addict and is very intelligent. At times she may seem more invested in her books than her friends, but within her body beats a heart of gold. In the last adventure in Equestria, Twilight, Sora, and their friends defeated both Maleficent and her allies, including Nightmare Moon, Queen Chrysalis, and King Sombra of the Crystal Empire. Before Sora left Equestria, she went from being Princess Celestia's star student and a simple unicorn to being an alicorn and princess of Equestria. She lives in Ponyville and learns lessons of friendship almost every day."
"Yup. I remember writing that after we visited here last time."
"How did you see all this?"
"Sora's pocket is an excellent vantage point for action."
"I forgot you were in there, Jiminy."
"My point," the slightly annoyed cricket began, "is that Heartless USUALLY act on instinct. Unless, of course, there is some high power that is evil in the world. In other words, someone like Maleficent or Xemnas. The Heartless usually follow the stronger side of the evil spectrum."
"So, sugarcube, you think there might be somepony else who is controllin' the Heartless?"
"That's precisely what I mean, Applejack."
"But darling," Rarity interjected, "we defeated the darknesses of Equestria last time, both past and future. Why did Maleficent not recruit this denizen of evil if she intended to use them to take over Equestria?"
"M-maybe she thought this villain was too much of a match even for her..." Fluttershy added.
"Maybe she and this villain would've fought for control of Equestria," Sora concluded, "after all, she hates us, but she hated Organization XIII even more. She even helped us to defeat them once."
"Perhaps..." Jiminy finished as he grabbed his journal and jumped back into Sora's pocket.
Schoolhouse Playground
Ponyville, Equestria
"Scootaloo, we already tried to get cutie marks in deep-sea diving."
"I know that Sweetie Belle. But Twilight let me borrow a book on it and I think we'll get our cutie marks for sure this time!"
"But ah was lookin' forward to tryin' to get our cutie marks in air acrobatics today!"
"Apple Bloom! Scootaloo! I just had a great idea! Why don't we get our cutie marks in cupcake making!"
"Ah already tried that one a while back. Didn't turn out too well."
"Hold on, girls," Scootaloo interjected, "look over there."
The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked across the playground to see three familiar ponies walking around, seemingly trying to avoid being seen.
"Doesn't that look a little suspicious?"
"Yeah, it kinda does. But what does that have ta do with gettin' our cutie marks?"
"Duh, Apple Bloom! We get our cutie marks in SLEUTHING!"
"That's genius Scootaloo!"
"Alright, let's get goin' girls! Cutie Mark Crusader Investigators, go!"
Unknown Road
Ponyville, Equestria
"I don't think we should bother Time Turner today, Sunset."
"Derpy, how many times do I need to tell you. He prefers to be called 'The Doctor'."
"Even so, he hadn't called us out. Why are we even doing this?"
"Because," Vinyl interjected, "we need to be able to help Sora out best as we can. The Doctor knows a lot about what goes on here in Equestria, and he insists on helping Sora. We need to do our part."
"Ok, Vinyl."
"I told you, I go by my street name now. DJ Pon-3."
"Alright Vinyl."
"Ugh, never mind."
"Shhh you two!" I thought I heard something."
The trio turned around to see a small broken branch in the road.
"We need to proceed carefully. The Heartless might be on our tails."
"Ok. But after our visit with the Doctor, can we get some muffins?"
"We'll see."
Unknown Road
Ponyville, Equestria
"Nice going, Scootaloo! You almost blew our cover!"
"Hey, it's not my fault there was a huge branch in the road!"
"Girls, stop bickerin'! Sunset and the other two are headin' into Time Turner's house!"
"Time Turner? Why would they go there?"
"Ah dunno Sweetie Belle. I hear Time Turner's a little... crazy. Always talkin' about the 'alternate realities' and such. Everypony says he thinks he can travel through time, claims he met another him, was part of some interdimensional protectional society across the megaverse or somethin' crazy like that."
"But that's impossible! Ponies can barely even leave our world, let alone mess with time!"
"Ah dunno. But there's gotta be some reason those ponies are visitin' him."
Ponies & Keyblades II: Return to Equestria
7. The Past/Crusader Investigators (Part 2)
Sugarcube Corner
Ponyville, Equestria
"I'm not... feelin' so hot..."
Spike's mouth opened as a small green flame erupted from it, forming a small scroll with the royal symbol of Princess Celestia on it.
"Ugh... a letter from the Princess? It's been a long time since we've had one of those."
Twilight began to read the letter, as a look of panic began to form on her face.
"Sora, you and I are requested by Princess Celestia to meet her in Canterlot."
"How does she always know I'm here..?"
"I don't know, but the letter sounds urgent. We need to take the next train."
"Hold on, sugarcube. We're comin' too."
"No. It only asks for Sora and myself. It is of the utmost importance that only we go."
Sora and Twilight galloped to the train station, talking as they ran.
"What's the matter, Twi?"
"Princess Celestia says yet another foe from Equestria's past has resurfaced. Only this time, he's even more dangerous than Discord was."
"Just like old times, I guess."
"We don't have time for joking, Sora."
"So who is this villain?"
"She says his name is Tirek."
"Tirek? Just that name gives me shivers."
Time Turner's House
Ponyville, Equestria
"This had better be worth my time, Sunset Shimmer. You interrupted my concentration."
"It is. According to my source, Sora and Twilight Sparkle are heading to Canterlot to speak with Princess Celestia."
"And this is important why?"
"Because," she continued, "somepony named Tirek has begun to rise to power."
"T-tirek? But how.... I thought he.... no...."
"Yes. He is returning."
"Leave my home this instant. I must get back to my research immediately."
Sunset Shimmer and her group left Time Turner's home, and began on their ways back to their houses.
"I wonder what has him so shook up..." Derpy thought aloud.
Outside Time Turner's House
Ponyville, Equestria
"Tirek? Who in the hay is that?"
"I dunno, Apple Bloom."
"I think we should continue investigating, girls. Let's sneak inside and see what Time Turner is up to."
"Scootaloo, if we get caught, we'll be in deep trouble for sure!"
"I know Apple Bloom, but if we stumble onto something important , it might help us end up saving Ponyville!"
"Scootaloo's right. I don't like where this is going, but if we can do our part to help, then we should."
"Won't Ms. Cherilee be proud!"
The three Cutie Mark Crusaders entered through Time Turner's open window just in time to see him entering his basement, leaving the door just wide enough open for them to squeeze through.
"Quiet..."
The trio of fillies hid underneath a table, watching in awe at the large machine in front of them.
'Set the date for 1200 years ago...." Time Turner began, "Speed of travel at 100 years a second...."
"What's he talkin' about?"
"Shhh!"
Time Turner finished fiddling with the dials, buttons, and levers, and entered the machine's small door. The room inside was no bigger than a closet, and it only had one feature on the inside; a large red button, which he then pressed.
Sparks began to fly, while things frizzled and cracked with electrical energy, and in a huge flash, Time Turner had disappeared.
"WHOA!"
"How did he-"
"That was so cool!"
"Where'd he go?"
"Girls, I think we better mosey on outta here..."
The Crusaders ran fast as they could back up the steps and out the window, nearly knocking over a lamp on their way out.
Unknown Location
Equestria
"A cup of tea will soothe your nerves, Scorpan."
"Thank you, Star-Swirl."
"Do you perchance have one for me?"
"Time Turner! It has been a long time since we've seen you. Of course, please have a seat. I'll prepare another cup for you."
"It is truly good to see you, Time Turner. Tell me, how are things in your time?"
"Not well, Scorpan. You see, mysterious monsters known as Heartless have appeared. And a monster from this time period has risen again."
"No... you do not mean..."
"Yes, Scorpan. Your brother, Tirek, is wreaking havoc on ponykind once again. He has made it his quest to steal Equestrian Magic and wreak chaos throughout the world."
"I-I really thought the two princesses could keep him sealed forever."
"It appears as though that is not the case. It also seems that the Heartless are trying to ally themselves with Tirek. But fortunately, the young key-bearer is in Equestria again."
"The key-bearer... It has been a long time since I have heard that term as well."
"Yes, Star-Swirl, I'm sure it has been."
"Tell me, what is Yen Sid like in your time?"
"Yen Sid? Oh, he is not the key-bearer I speak of. The new key-bearer is a young boy named Sora. His heart is very strong."
"I see. Then it is of the utmost importance that he is kept safe."
Star-Swirl the Bearded left the room for a moment, and returned with a book marked with unconceivable letters.
"Give the boy and his friends this book. This may help them defeat Tirek."
"Thank you. I shall do as you asked. Now, my time in this era grows short, for now. I will be forced to return to my time in a few moments. Thank you for the tea."
"You are quite welcome. Oh, and by the way."
"Yes?"
"When you meet that new young alicorn princess... tell her I'm proud of her."
The Doctor faded from the time period he had visited as Scorpan and Star-Swirl the Bearded finished their tea and continued their conversation.
"I certainly hope the key-bearer can help Equestria. I would hate to see my brother destroy all that the ponies have worked so hard for. It would be a shame."
"It certainly would be...."
Ponies & Keyblades II: Return to Equestria
Train Compartment
Equestria
"So, Tirek.... just who is this joker anyway?"
"I'm not sure, Sora. But from what Princess Celestia says, he's extremely dangerous."
"Well, I've tackled dangerous foes before. Voldemort, Scar, Oogie Boogie, Maleficent - and thanks to my friends, I bested them all. Tirek shouldn't be any different."
"Well, don't get too cocky, Sora."
"Don't worry. The keyblade's chosen one AND an alicorn princess? We can take him."
"I hope so."
"Sora," Jiminy shouted as he jumped out of Sora's pocket, "I've been doing research on this Tirek fella, and from what I understand, his brother was friends with a famous unicorn wizard here, Star-Swirl the Bearded."
"Star-Swirl the Bearded? I know a lot about him."
"Do tell, Twilight."
Twilight, Sora, and Jiminy continued their discussion as the train pulled into Canterlot station and on their way to Canterlot Castle. They entered the main hall and were immediately whisked away by a pink pony with a multi-colored mane.
"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" Twilight and Cadance sang as they greeted one another in the room she took them too. In the middle of the room stood the other two Princesses of Equestria, Celestia and Luna.
"Your highnesses, it is good to see you again."
"Indeed it is, Sora. How have Riku and Kairi been?" Luna inquired.
"They've been fine, but we've all been forced to work very much lately."
"Well, then we are very sorry to have dragged you back into our world like this." Celestia added.
"Believe me, Princess, it's no trouble at all. Oh, and King Mickey sends his highest regards."
"Wonderful. When you see him again, please do the same for us."
"I will."
"Excellent. Now I'm afraid we must begin serious discussion. Will everyone please gather around the table?"
The four princesses and the young keyblade wielder all stood around the table, and Celestia began.
"Tirek and his brother Scorpan came here from a distant land, intent on stealing Equestrian magic. But Scorpan soon came to appreciate the ways of Equestria, even befriending a young unicorn named Star-Swirl the Bearded."
Luna spoke up as the story continued.
"Scorpan urged his brother to abandon their plans. When Tirek refused, Scorpan alerted us to Tirek's intentions. Scorpan returned to his own land, and Tirek was sent to Tarturus for his crimes."
Celestia spoke up again.
"But it appears that he has found a way to escape. We believe it was when Cerberus left his post at the gates."
"Cerberus!" Sora shouted, "but... but... I thought he lived in the Underworld of Olympus Coliseum! Could... could there be another Cerberus here?"
"Yes, Sora." Celestia said, "It is as you have said before, there can be more than one of anything. Just as you told us of the existences of more than one London, there can be multiples of people and ponies as well. In fact, long ago, we stumbled upon a mirror that lead to a world identical to ours in many ways... but the residents of the world, while they shared our names and personalities, even some of our images, they were not the same as we were. The mirror to that world has since been lost to time."
"But, going back to Tirek," Twilight began, "that was a long time ago. Why is he just now starting to steal magic?"
"His time in Tartarus left him very weak," Celestia continued, "he has just now gained enough strength to use his dark powers."
"But with each passing moment, he grows stronger still." Luna added.
"And I know just the princess and Keyblade wielder to stop him," Cadance finished.
"Of course. Sora and I will-"
"No, Twilight. I am afraid we cannot risk that. We must call on another to help us. Sora, you shall be working with Discord."
"Discord?!" The others all shouted in unison.
"Yes. Now, Sora, Twilight, you must return to Ponyville. I shall have Discord contact you when the time comes."
"Yes, Princess."
The meeting was dismissed, and Sora and Twilight rode home on the train in silence.
Princess Celestia's Private Library
Canterlot Castle
Canterlot, Equestria
"What is it you want me to do, Celestia?"
"I need you to track down Tirek. Once you do, make him believe that you would be a valuable asset to him. Work with him and gain his trust. Then report back to me. Do not put Equestria in unnessessary danger."
"Alright. And what will I do with Sora?"
"You will help him hunt down Tirek once he has earned your trust. We have reason to believe Tirek will rise to a very high level of power. When he does, come see me for your next set of orders."
"As you wish, Princess."
Discord gave a bow to the alicorn, and prepared to teleport away, but Celestia shouted to him one final thing.
"Give them some time before you drop in on them. They need to be able to figure this out first.
"Will do. I'll just go have some fun for a few hours."
Time Turner's Home
Ponyville, Equestria
A brief flash of light occured as the machine brought the Doctor back to his own time. He trotted out of his basement and into his living room, noticing a lamp had been misplaced.
"I wonder how that could've happened..."
Time Turner picked up a small watch out of his drawer, and punched a few small dials, and began to speak into the small microphone in his watch.
"Sunset Shimmer, Vinyl Scratch, Ms. Hooves, I need you to come back to my home immediately."
"On my way!"
"Be there shortly!"
"I'll bring the muffins!"
He pressed the buttons again and the watch stopped beeping, as he returned it to the drawer.
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Ponies & Keyblades II: Return to Equestria
9. A Quaint Little Hike/Discord Howlin' at the Moon
Town Square
Ponyville, Equestria
"Discord?! What?" Applejack said when she heard the news.
"Yes. Sora and Discord will be working together to get Tirek."
"I don't think it's that big of a surprise. He can be very helpful." Fluttershy added.
"According to Princess Celestia, Discord can sense magical imbalance. The next time Tirek steals magic, Discord will be able to track him down and we can set things straight." Sora said.
"Now, sugarcube, Ah can see it in your face somethin's got ya down. What's wrong Twi?"
"Nothing, AJ. Just....it doesn't feel like I'm even needed as a princess." Twilight said as she walked away.
"Where are you going?"
"To the Castle of the Two Sisters... I'm not really needed anywhere else. Might as well do a little reading..."
"Twilight?"
"Yes, Sora?"
"Want some company?"
"It has been quite a while since all of us have visited the castle together. Might be fun." Applejack added.
"Maybe I could use a little company." Twilight said as the group began walking through the Everfree Forest.
Cliff Near the Castle of the Two Sisters
Everfree Forest, Equestria
"I still can't believe we had to give back the Elements. And I can't believe what happened to yours either, Sora." Rainbow said as they passed the cliff overlooking the Tree of Harmony.
"It had to be done, darling, or the Tree of Harmony wouldn't have survived."
"But Twilight was right. Even without the Elements our friendship is as strong as ever."
"Let's just hope another 'friend' of ours never makes us sorry we had to give 'em up."
"Oh, you're talking about me, I presume." Discord said as he floated down on an umbrella.
"Why are you here, Discord? I thought Princess Celestia wanted you to hunt down Tirek then get me to help you catch him."
"Oh, I was just doing a little reading before I head off on my mission." Discord said, holding a familiar book in his hands.
"Don't you have a creepy magic-stealing villain to track down?"
"Yes, of course. It's just that I couldn't help but notice Twilight hasn't opened this little chest of hers. I only bring it up because perhaps what is locked inside is something that could help her prove her royal worth. After all, she did say that she was feeling her role as a princess doesn't equate to much."
"And how did you know that?" Rarity asked.
"I was eavesdropping of course. How else am I going to learn what my best friends are up to?"
"You could, I dunno, ASK?" Rainbow said, giving him a glare.
"Oh, yes, I see. Not quite nearly as fun though. Well, I suppose I should get going now."
"Forgetting something, Discord?"
"What might that be, Twilight?"
"Our journal?"
"Oh yes, of course, here you go." Discord said as he tossed them the book, "I've bookmarked some of the more interesting passages, you really should read them sometime. Oh, and one more thing. It seems a seventh lock has appeared on the chest, on the top. You might want to check it out."
Discord snapped his fingers and disappeared, off on his mission.
"Sometimes I think the 'reformed' Discord is more obnoxious than the 'before he was reformed' Discord." Applejack said.
"But what if he's right?" Fluttershy added, "What if there is something important in that chest?"
"Well, maybe we should get up to the Castle of the Two Sisters and find out?"
"However will we do that, darling?"
"With a little research!"
Ancient Library
Castle of the Two Sisters, Everfree Forest
Equestria
"Anything yet?"
"Nope, nothin'."
"How about you, Pinkie?"
"Nopey dopy."
"Rarity?"
"I am beginning to think this is a lost cause, Twilight."
"There must be something in this library that will tell us how to open it. It has to be in one of these books. I just know it."
Twilight began to scan the room, and out of the glimmer of her eye, she caught the journal they had all been keeping.
"Well, it's worth a shot," she thought to herself.
Unknown Alley
Canterlot, Equestria
"Yes.... more magic...." the mysterious figure mumbled as he walked towards a small unicorn pony he saw in the corner of his eye.
Tirek advanced silently and slowly towards the pony, intent on stealing his magic, but as soon as he reached him, the pony's head turned around, revealing a face both oddly different but strangely familiar.
"Tirek, I presume?"
"Discord... you're... free?"
"As a bird."
"I commend you on your escape."
"I'm afraid the feeling isn't mutual." Discord said, snapping his fingers and imprisoning Tirek's hands in chains.
"I should've known you would want to have Equestria all to yourself."
"Oh, I'm not doing this for me. I'm doing it for my friends. Just between you and me, it's mostly for Fluttershy."
"Fluttershy? You're not saying you're friends with... ponies?"
"Surprise!" Discord said as he laughed.
"I am surprised that someone with your intellect doesn't see this 'friendship' is nothing but a new form of imprisonment. Clearly you've had to abandon your true nature to stay on their good side."
"I have done nothing of the sort."
"Oh please, I've seen this before, but he was always weak-minded. You are Discord, you are legend, you cannot fall into the same trap that befell my brother. Help me to grow strong and be rewarded with something far greater than.... 'friendship'...freedom."
"Why should I help you?"
"Once I have stripped these ponies of their magic, nothing would bring me greater pleasure than to see their world turned upside-down. And who better to do it than the master of chaos himself? Join me, Discord, and reclaim your greatness. Unless, of course, pony errand boy is the role you've always wanted to serve in this world?"
"I-I.....I will join you." Discord said as he took one final look at Fluttershy's picture, and broke Tirek's chains.
"Excellent...."
"Remember Discord, you have to do what Celestia says... don't put Equestria into unnecessary danger...let him rise to power.... then let Twilight and Sora bring him down... but he makes a good point.... what to do?" Discord thought to himself.
Ponies & Keyblades II: Return to Equestria
Ancient Library
Castle of the Two Sisters, Everfree Forest
Equestria
"I think I've found something!" Twilight exclaimed, "I've been reading our journal, and there's something interesting about the sections Discord bookmarked. Applejack, do you remember when you had to tell everypony that the tonic Granny Smith bought from the Flim-Flam brothers didn't work?"
"How could Ah ever forget? It was one of the hardest things Ah've ever had to do." Applejack replied, remembering what had happaned that day.
"I hate to dissapoint everypony, but there's no way Granny coulda made that dive, because this tonic is a fake!"
"But you gave it your stamp of approval! Are you saying you lied?"
Applejack removed her hat and sighed.
"Yes. Ah am. I didn't mean to, but everypony seemed so much happier, I couldn't bring myself to tell ya'll when ah found out the tonic wasn't real. Ah know it was wrong, and ah just hope with time, I can win back everypony's trust."
Flim and Flam ran away from the crowd, as Silver Shill made his way over to Applejack.
"Watching Applejack save Granny and then admit to lying,well, that made me realize I was making ponies believe in a thing that just wasn't so!"
"Believin' in something can help ya do amazin' things! But if that belief is based on a lie, eventually it's gonna lead to real trouble."
"Thank you, Applejack! I got this through dishonest means. That was a mistake I won't be making again. I'd like you to have it as a reminder of how you helped me finally see the truth." he said as he placed a bit in her hoof.
"Well.... Ah don't know..."
"Oh, don't worry. I'll track down the pony I sold that worthless tonic to and give him another bit to replace this one. Honest."
"But in that moment, Ah knew Ah had to be honest, Ah just knew it. But what does this hafta do with openin' the chest?"
"I found that each of you has had to face a situation where living up to the element of harmony you represent wasn't easy. Fluttershy, for you it was when you knew the way to show kindness to the Breezies was to force them to leave your home.
"Oh, the looks on their poor little faces...."
"Goodbye Breezies, I must go now."
Seabreeze extended a flower towards Fluttershy as she began to leave.
"To remember us by."
As he stuck it in her mane, a tear shed down her cheek.
"Thank you! I'll miss you! I'll miss all of you!"
Seabreeze and Fluttershy hugged, and she returned through the exit with her friends.
"But I knew that no matter how difficult it was, pushing them away was the kindest thing I could do."
Twilight smiled, and continued.
"Rarity, even after Suri took advantage of your generosity at Fashion Week in Manehattan, you didn't let it cause you to abandon your generous spirit."
The door to the theater opened, and in Suri's assistant, Coco Pommel, walked in.
"Mind if I join you?"
"Sure. Come on down."
Coco Pommel opened up her satchel and retrieved a small, glimmering object and extended it to Rarity.
"This...this is the first place trophy for Fashion Week. W-with my name on it! But I thought I lost!"
"You didn't. You won! Suri was hoping that if you didn't claim your prize, the judges would consider it a forfeit and first place would go to her. So, she lied to make you and your friends go away, and, well... I lied too. I've worked for Suri so long that I really started to believe it really is everypony for herself in this town. Until I saw how generous you were with your friends, and how generous they were with you. It made me start believing that there was something better for me out there. So... I...I quit. I brought you something to say thank you."
Coco pulled a small wrapped box from her satchel and gave it to Rarity.
"Hmmmm....I suppose you'll need a job now that you're no longer working for Suri. How would you like to work for my friend making all of the costumes for his next show?"
"I simply couldn't have lived with myself if I didn't do something special for the friends who have always been so generous to me."
Twilight's grin grew larger as she continued.
"Rainbow Dash, you had the chance to fly with the Wonderbolts at the Equestria Games, but instead you chose to compete with your friends!
"I know now who I should've been loyal to."
"Good choice. Always stick with the winners."
"Ponyville." Rainbow said, "because it's not just where I live, but it's where my friends are. The ponies who really care about me, whether I can help them win a race or not."
"Are you sure that's the right decision?" Spitfire replied.
"You lied to me about Soarin's wing just to get a better flyer! You may be a winning team, but you're still not the team I wanna be a part of."
"Huh..." Spitfire began, "Rainbow Dash, you are something. Saw it at the Academy, seeing it again here. We could learn a lot from a competitor like you."
"Think we already have." Fleetfoot concluded.
"Sure, but being loyal to my friends was way cooler than flying with the Wonderbolts."
As per the pattern, Twilight's smile grew again.
"My turn, My turn!"
"Pinkie Pie, you realized that seeing your friend laugh was more important than proving you were a better party planner than Cheese Sandwich."
"Enough with the fuzzy stuff, you two. It's my birthaversary, and you've gotta throw me a bash!"
"Yeah!" Pinkie shouted.
"Let's go!" Cheese said.
Later, after the party, Pinkie was writing in her journal, as Cheese approached, dropping a small wooden box in front of her.
"Just a little memento of my visit."
Pinkie opened the box, and saw Boneless staring right back at her.
"You're giving me your special rubber chicken friend?"
"Oh, he's not the only one. Well, Boneless Two, another job well done. But it's time we mosey along. Another town....another party..." he said as he walked into the sunset.
"I never did get that pony's name."
"Best party I've ever had!" Rainbow proclaimed.
"It's clear we've all had our moments to shine, Twilight, darling, but I'm with Applejack. What does this have to do with the opening of the chest?"
"Yeah, I'm drawing a blank too, Twi." Sora agreed.
"All of you had touch choices to make. But when you made the right one and embraced your element, it helped somepony else make the right choice too. Each of you received something from the pony who's life you helped change. I know it sounds crazy, but maybe there's something special about those objects that could help lead us to the location of the keys."
"Well, there are seven locks....one key for each of us, right?" Sora added.
"Right. The chest is connected to the Tree of Harmony, the Tree of Harmony is connected to the Elements, and the Elements are connected to all of us! There must be a connection! I hate to admit it, but maybe Discord was trying to be a good friend after all!"
Near the Tree of Harmony
Everfree Forest, Equestria
"I don't see anything on them that might lead us to the location of where the keys might be. They're just ordinary, everyday objects."
"C'mon Boneless1 Give us that key!" Pinkie cried as she shook the rubber chicken, accidentally tossing it towards the chest.
As Boneless reached the chest, a mystical energy surrounded it and transformed it into a key with a symbol of three balloons on it. When Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash moved their items closer, the same happened to each of theirs, transforming them into keys as well. Sora moved closer to the chest and felt an energy shoot through his body and into his heart.
"The Keyblade must be my key."
"There's still one key missing. The key representing the Element of Magic. My element."
"Oh," Fluttershy began, "but if we've gotten our keys you will have to, Twilight."
"Think darling, when have you completed a difficult magical task, and in doing so encouraged another pony to do the same?"
"That's just it, I haven't. If I had, I'd have written about it in the journal."
"Don't worry, Twilight," Spike said, "I'm sure you'll get your key eventually."
With that, Spike burped and a magical green flame bellowed from his mouth, sending a scroll tumbling through the air to the ground.
Twilight picked the scroll up with her magic, and began to read.
"What's it say, sugarcube?"
"That Sora and I are needed in Canterlot at once!"
Ponies & Keyblades II: Return to Equestria
Town Square
Ponyville, Equestria
"I sure hope Twilight is ok." Fluttershy thought aloud as the group of ponies paced in front of the doorway waiting for their friend.
Then they heard a sound. And the door began to open.
"Whoa!"
Two ponies stumbled out onto the dirt road and quickly picked themselves up.
"Happens every time I come here." Sora said as he dusted himself off.
"Sora! Twilight!" the group of ponies shouted as they all gave their friends a long hug.
"Sora, welcome back to Equestria!"
"It has been a long time. We have so much to catch up on, darling."
"Good ta see ya sugarcube!"
"Cinnamon Bun?"
"Thanks everypony. It's good to see you all too."
"Look out!!"
The group of ponies jumped out of the way just in time, except for Sora, who was biting the cinnamon bun Pinkie had given him, and a scooter filled with three little fillies plowed straight into him, knocking all four ponies to the ground.
"Sweetie Belle? Scootaloo? Is everypony ok?"
"Yeah, I think so..."
It was then that the Crusaders realized who they had run into.
"SORA!"
The three fillies jumped onto him giving him another spectacular hug.
"Sora! When did you get here?"
"Yeah, how are Riku and Kairi?"
"How come you haven't written to us?"
"Slow down, girls. I think I need to re-adjust to my pony body before I do anything else. Then, we can all head over to Sugarcube Corner and I'll answer everyone's questions. We'll get right on that in a few. Let me stretch my legs for a little bit."
"Is Kairi with you? Has she got her cutie mark yet?"
"No, she's not. Sorry girls. Oh, and by the way, people don't have cutie marks. Only ponies do. So next time Kairi comes here, then you'll see if she got her cutie mark yet."
"Awwww..." the three Crusaders sighed in unison.
"All right, I think I've got back into the groove of my pony form. Let's head to Sugarcube Corner so we can catch up."
"Sounds like a plan. I'm hungry anyway."
Sora turned to see a small purple and green dragon walking toward him.
"Spike! Long time no see."
"Sora! I know, right?"
