The Nobody's Regretby Synthetic SoulChaptersXXXII.XX.XXI.XXII.Interlude I.XXIII.XXIV.XXV.XXVI.XXVII.XXVIII.XXIX.XXX.XXXI.I.II.III.IV.V.VI.VII.VIII.IX. X.XI.XII.XIII.XIV.XV.XVI.XVII.XVIII.XIX.XXXII.Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.XX.The whole room was silent. All eyes were on the mysterious figure in black, who had appeared out of nowhere. The element bearers looked at the two princesses and the strange creature, not sure what was about to happen. Celestia and Luna’s eyes were wide, their mouths agape, as the figure leaned on his weapon, head down. Roxas was silent and motionless, waiting for the verbal lashing he knew he was owed. He waited, but what he did not expect was a soft touch on his shoulder. He looked up to see Luna pressing her hoof against him. She tapped him gently a few times, trying to determine if this was an illusion or not. “Is it…is it really you?” she questioned. Roxas heard the sound of hoof steps as Celestia approached his side. “Yeah,” replied the nobody. There was silence for a few moments, before he spoke up again. “I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but-“ Before he could finish, he found himself embraced by the two princesses, in the tightest hug he’d ever felt. Tears ran down the sister’s faces as they embraced their old friend. Roxas’s eyes widened in surprise, as his Keyblade disappeared. “We thought we’d never see you again,” said Celestia. Twilight and her friends stood on the sidelines, watching the scene in confusion. “Who…what is that?” questioned Rainbow Dash. “I…I have no idea,” replied Twilight. “Whoever he is, he has an odd fashion sense. Black is so out this season,” commented Rarity. Roxas’s heart was beating rapidly. He couldn’t come to terms with what was happening. He expected them to be angry with him. He expected them to blame him for their misfortunes. But this…this was too much. “I…I don’t understand,” he muttered just loud enough for the two to hear. The sisters leaned back from the embrace, and looked at him in confusion. “Why don’t you hate me?” “Why would we ever hate you?” questioned Celestia. “Because it’s my fault,” he replied solemnly. “What was?” asked Luna. “It was my fault you turned into Nightmare Moon. I saw the signs, but I didn’t take the right action. I could’ve prevented it…but I failed.” “Roxas,” said Luna sternly. The two locked eyes. “It was no ones fault but mine, for what happened. I’m the one who let my darker emotions control me. There’s no way you could have known the extent of them, or how far I’d go. This is NOT YOUR FAULT.” The two sisters once again hugged Roxas tightly. “But-“ before Roxas could continue, Luna took the stage. “You even talked to me when I was feeling so low, and you tried to help. Roxas, there was no way you could have predicted what would happen. This is not your fault. So don’t ever say otherwise again.” Tears came flowing out of Roxas’s eyes, as he returned the sisters embrace. “I am also to blame,” said Celestia. “I failed to see how my little sister was hurting.” ‘If you knew what I knew…you wouldn’t be saying that,’ thought Roxas. The thought of telling them the whole story ran through his mind. But…something told him not to. So he obeyed his intuition. ‘But…we’re all back together again. No matter what happens…I will not allow anything to ruin this.’ After a few minutes, the three exited their embrace, and stood up. “Luna, Roxas, there are some ponies I would like you to meet,” said the princess as she led the two towards the six mares. “This is my student, Twilight Sparkle and her new friends. They are now the bearers of the elements of Harmony.” Luna looked surprised at this, while Roxas kept a strait face. “Um…hello! I’m Twilight,” said Twilight, nervously. “And these are my friends,” the ponies initiated their introductions. “I’m Applejack.” “My names Pinkie Pie!” “I am Rarity.” “Names Rainbow Dash!” “I’m…I’m Fluttershy….” “It is truly a pleasure to meet you all. I owe you so much,” said Luna gratefully. “Yes. Thank you for helping her. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to see her again,” thanked Roxas. Suddenly, all attention turned to Roxas, as Twilight walked up to him, and started examining him. She grasped his hand in her hooves and started examining it. “Uhhh….” “Fascinating! You have appendages just like Spikes! But you don’t appear to have claws. Can I take off your glove for further examination?” “I…I guess?” Roxas had forgotten how much of a science freak Twilight was. The purple unicorn removed his glove and started studying his hand. Suddenly, Roxas felt something weird on the back of his head. Before he could react, Pinkie Pie appeared out of his hood. “Ooh, ooh, do you like parties?” she asked energetically. “Not really,” he replied. “Well, that’s because you’ve never been to one of MY parties!” she exclaimed. “In fact, let’s throw one when we get back to Ponyville! It can be a ‘Welcome back from the Moon, Luna/Welcome back from whatever the heck you were doing for a thousand years, Roxas,” party!” “Pinkie, I swear you can be a bit much. Give em a second to breathe why don’t ya?” said Applejack. “I think a party sounds like a wonderful idea,” said Celestia. “That is, if you are ok with that,” questioned Celestia towards Luna and Roxas. “I…I suppose so,” said Luna. “It would be nice to see new ponies. What about you, Roxas?” “Sure. Why not?” “Hurray!” cried Pinkie as she dived off of Roxas, landing on the ground. “Then let’s get to it! I’m going to make so many cakes! And cupcakes! And cookies!” Smiles came to the faces of all those gathered. Roxas looked to see Twilight still examining his hand. “You maybe want to pick this up some other time?” he asked Twilight. “CAN WE?” questioned the mare rapidly and frantically. “Uh, I mean,” stalled Roxas, realizing what he’d just done. “How about we talk about it some other time?” “Hmm…alright.” Twilight released her grip on Roxas’ hand, and returned to her friends. “Then let’s be off!” announced Celestia. The group gathered in front of the entrance to the castle. With happy demeanors the group began their trek back to Ponyville. Roxas was about to follow, when he suddenly felt a strange feeling in the back of his head. He sensed something…something unusual. Roxas turned his head to gaze at the forest behind him. His eyes widened. It was hard to make out, but in the shadows of the trees, he saw it; a darkness portal. One that he didn’t make. The second his eyes locked on to it, it disappeared. Some might have dismissed it as a trick of the eye. But Roxas knew what he saw. ‘This…that shouldn’t be...’ “Roxas, are you coming?” called Luna. Roxas quickly composed himself, and turned and ran after his friends. “Coming!” ‘I’m gonna have to keep an eye on things. Because, I have a bad feeling about this.’ Author's Note BuyMeaCoffee Ko-Fi XXI.Ponyville was officially the place to be. Lined with streamers, decorated with balloons, and music playing through the air, this once quaint little village was now livelier than Canterlot. Ponies from nearby tows migrated to attend Princess Luna’s welcome home party. It was a pleasure for Celestia to show her younger sister the new world she had just rejoined. Luna, for being as out of place as she felt, was doing pretty well for someone in her social situation. But, the two never left each other’s sides, neither wanting to lose sight of the other, after so much time apart. After conversing with a pony who had congratulated Celestia on her sisters’ return, the princess scanned the area for her long lost friend, Roxas. After a few glances, she caught sight of his black coat standing out in the colorful town. He was on the other side of the party, leaning against a building with his arms crossed, looking down at the ground with a stern expression. ‘What could be bothering him? This is a happy occasion…’ she thought. She was about to go over and talk to him, when out of the corner of her eye, she saw her lavender coated student making a beeline towards him. ‘Hmm…maybe some friendly conversation will help him. Though I hope it isn’t just Twilight poking and prodding him for science.’ Roxas leaned against a building, caught up in his own thoughts. ‘A dark doorway…I’m sure that’s what it was.... I’m supposed to be the only one who can use them. But I saw it! And that presence I felt…it wasn’t a good one. It couldn’t be Tirek…Chrysalis either…maybe it was Sombra? But he’s not supposed to return until much later…. Once this party is over, I should start investigating.’ “H-hi!” Roxas was brought out of his trance when he heard the voice of Twilight Sparkle standing in front of him. “Oh, uh…hi,” he replied. “You…you’re Roxas, right?” she asked. “Yeah.” “And you…you’ve known Princess Celestia and Luna for, well, FOREVER, right?” “I guess over a thousand years could be considered forever, yeah.” “What are you!” questioned Twilight loudly, not being able to contain her excitement anymore. “What am I?” he questioned. “Yes! I’ve never seen a creature like you before! What are you, what’s your species?” “I’m human,” he replied. “Wow! In all my readings, I’ve never heard of any sort of creature called a ‘human’ before! Why is that? Where are the other humans? Where do you come from?” Twilights asked in a flurry of excitement. “Actually, I’m one of a kind,” he replied. Twilight retreated, and looked up at Roxas in shock. “One of a kind? You mean there aren’t any others?” Roxas shook his head. “So…you’re an endangered species?” “I…suppose so….” In a quick motion, Twilight grasped Roxas by the waist in a firm hug. “You must be preserved,” she said in an eerily calm tone. “Ok, gettin’ weird, need my personal space!” said Roxas, quickly getting out of the unicorns grasp. “I’m sorry,” apologized Twilight looking regretful. “It’s just, I kind of try to learn everything I can about…well, everything! To know that someone like you exists, completely omitted from all historical records, well, I got overwhelmed!” ‘No historical records? Strange.’ “It’s uh, understandable. No harm done.” ‘I’m gonna have to watch her. I’d forgotten just how neurotic she was.’ “So, can I ask you a question?” “Umm….I guess?” replied Roxas, unsure. “Can you use magic?” asked Twilight. “Yes, I can.” “And that big key of yours? Is that magic too?” “My Keyblade?” questioned Roxas, summoning the weapon in his hand. “Yes, it is.” “I’ve never seen a weapon like that before!” “Well, I’m the only one who can use it.” “Really? So is it enchanted? Does your magic create it?” “Actually, it IS my magic. It’s a weapon tied to my heart, and a key to fight the darkness. You can only use it if it chooses you to wield it.” Twilight stepped back, with a gasp. “It’s…alive?” “I…I don’t know if I’d go that far, but it is a pretty incredible thing.” “Amazing,” awed Twilight. As Twilight conversed with Roxas, five ponies approached from the side. “Twilight!” called Applejack. Twilight and Roxas turned to see the other five members of the mane six approaching. “Oh, hi guys!” Twilight quickly trotted over to the group. The group started conversing, as Roxas stood on the sidelines watching them. He then turned his attention to Celestia and Luna. He wondered if he should go over and talk to them before he left. He stood up straight, and was about to go talk to them, when he heard himself being called from Twilights group. “Hey, uh, big black guy!” “Excuse me?” questioned Roxas, turning to see Rainbow Dash addressing him. “You know, uh, you’re big and you’re wearing black, right?” she questioned, put off by Roxas’s reaction. “Oh, uh…yeah, what can I do for you?” ‘Different world, different rules,’ he thought to himself. “You look familiar…have I seen you before?” questioned Rainbow. “I don’t think so,” he replied. “Are you sure, because I definitely feel like I’ve seen you before.” “I don’t thi-“ “Wait, I know!” burst Pinkie Pie. “You were following us on our adventure!” Roxas’s eyes went wide. “What are you talking about Pinkie?” questioned Rarity. “My Pinkie sense! I got this weird feeling while we were going through the Everfree forest! I got this feeling we were being watched! And now looking at him, I get the same feeling!” “Wow,” uttered Roxas, amazed at the pink pony’s near psychic power. Rainbow Dash looked instantly suspicious. “What are you, some kinda stalker?” she questioned. “What, no!” responded Roxas, turning to face the group, with his hands planted in front of him. “I wasn’t stalking you! I just…I needed to make sure you made it through the forest safely. You were…you were the only way Luna would be able to come back.” “You knew what was going on? That we were the element bearers?” questioned Applejack. “Um…yeah.” “We didn’t even know that!” shouted Rainbow Dash, flying right up to Roxas’s face. Roxas started to panic, looking around himself for a way out of this situation. Luckily, one came in the form of the two Alicorn princesses, approaching the group. Luna galloped forward, and grabbed Roxas in a hug. After a moment, Roxas returned the gesture. “So, how are you all getting along?” questioned Celestia. Rainbow was about to speak, before Twilight cut her off. “Great! We’ve been getting to know each other pretty well!” “That’s great!” said Celestia. Luna disengaged from the hug, and returned to Celestia’s side. “Roxas, may we speak with you?” questioned Luna. “Yeah, sure,” replied the human. The three walked away from the mane six. “Why’d you interrupt me? I was gonna ask how that guy knew we were the element bearers!” hissed Rainbow to Twilight. “Because he’s never going to open up to us if we put him on the defensive! I think there’s a lot we can learn from him, but we can’t be too aggressive about it,” replied Twilight. Rainbow grumbled and crossed her arms. “Fine,” she relented. Roxas and the princesses walked over to a more secluded part of the town to talk in private. “So what’s going on?” he asked. “Roxas, it is so good to see you again!” said Celestia. Her happiness turned to mournful after a few seconds though. “But, I have to ask…where have you been all these years?” A sharp jolt ran through Roxas’s spine. He wasn’t prepared for this question, though he definitely should’ve been. “I just…I…I couldn’t face you. Like I said, it was my faul-“ “No it wasn’t!” asserted Luna. “Roxas, no one was to blame for Nightmare Moon but me! You are not at fault.” Roxas relented. “Well, regardless, that was the reason.” The two sisters looked at each other, before each placing an arm around Roxas’s back in a three-person hug. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like, carrying that guilt for so long,” said Celestia. “Out of the three of us, I think I suffered the least,” replied Roxas. The two sisters disengaged. ‘He’s changed so much. He so much more negative now. What happened to that joy and optimism he was so famous for?’ thought Celestia. “Well, I’m just glad to that the three of us are together now!” said Celestia. “As am I,” added Luna. “Roxas,” stated Celestia, looking at Roxas in the eye. “I’m bringing Luna back with me to Canterlot. We’d like you to come with us.” Roxas looked surprised. Then sad. “I uh…I’m not sure…” “Why not?” questioned Luna. “It’s just that…It’s been so long since…since…” “Please Roxas,” pleaded Luna, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “We’ve missed you so much!” ‘I’ve been a traveler for so long. It’s been a while since I’ve settled down in one place. And what about that…being? I have to find them, and see if they’re a threat.’ Roxas was about to tell them that he couldn’t, when he saw the pleading look in both their eyes. ‘I can’t say no to that…besides…I have missed them. Maybe I can stay for a while.’ “Well…alright.” “Yay!” cried Luna, as the two princesses cheered. Luna began leading Roxas away by the hand, as the three began making their ways towards the party. “It will be just like old times!” said Celestia. “Yeah,” replied Roxas. “Just like old times.” Author's Note New chapter, you better all be grateful! If you aren't so help me, to the moon with ya ass! Tip Jar: Buymeacoffee Ko-Fi If you like ponies and hijinks, I made this: XXII.Deep below in the catacombs under the ruins of the Castle of the two sisters, a near total darkness dominated everything. Only small cracks leaking light from the outside aided in fighting that darkness. That was until a magical light was created, illuminated by the horn of an unknown pony. The pony walked through the halls, the only sound being the clip clop of their hooves. The pony made their way to what seemed to be a dead end. Turning around to make sure they weren’t followed, the pony reached into their pocket, and pulled out a small emblem pin, no bigger than 2 by 1 inches. The pony’s light magic grew in strength, enough to reveal an imprint in the stone wall that matched the emblem. The pony placed the emblem against the imprint like a key. From that imprint, a white light outlined the pin, which then spread out to illuminate the mortar surrounding each brick. The pony stepped back, retrieving the pin and placing it back in the pocket of their black hooded coat. The bricks began shifting, spinning and turning to open a doorway, which revealed a hallway illuminated by a series of lit torches lining the walls. The pony cut the flow of magic to their horn, and began making their way through the hall, as the bricks returned to their original position behind them. The pony made their way through the hall until they came to a very large room. The room was moderately lit by torches lining the enormous, cavern like space. There were many shelves, weapon stands, alchemy stations and such decorating the room. But in the center of the room, in between four un-carved natural stone pillars stood thirteen white marble thrones. Sitting on one of the thrones was another pony, their face shrouded by the hood of the coat they wore, which was exactly like the one the first pony wore. The pony walked towards the pony on the throne, and kneeled before them. The pony on the throne spoke. “Number II, welcome back.” “My Lord, the prophesy has been fulfilled. Nightmare Moon has been purged, and Princess Luna has returned.” “And the boy?” “Sir Roxas has returned as well.” “Then the time has come to begin our plan.” “What do you ask of me, Number I?” “Our third member will arrive in Ponyville within two weeks. I have foreseen it.” “I will see to it that she falls to the darkness,” stated Number II as they stood up from their kneeling. “See that you do. I have selected each member to join the organization for a reason. Do not fail me.” “Of course, my Lord.” Number II turned, and made their way to the wall from which they entered. They opened the secret entrance, and left the room. “I will do your bidding for now Master,” said the pony to themselves once they were sure they were alone. “But someday soon, I shall be the one in charge.” They then teleported away, to do the work they were assigned. Roxas stood in his new room in Canterlot Castle. It was an exact replica of his room in the old castle; complete with all the things that had been missing when Roxas was there last. The warm light of the morning day flowed through the window, illuminating dust particles in the air. Roxas ran a gloved hand across the mahogany window shelf, as he gazed at the city below. His window had the perfect view to see the hustle and bustle of Canterlot. ‘Even watching the show, and living in this world for more than a thousand years didn’t prepare me for this view. It’s beautiful,’ he thought. Then, a knock at the door called for his attention. “Come in!” said Roxas. The door opened, and Roxas turned to see a royal guard standing in his doorway. “Mr. Roxas, the Princesses have requested your presence in the throne room,” stated the guard. “Oh, alright thanks,” he said, turning to face the guard. He then walked towards the door, passing the guard, who stepped to the side to make way for him. “Also, you can just call me Roxas. Mr. Roxas was my father.” “It was?” questioned the pony. “No.” Roxas made his way to the throne room, where he found Princess Celestia and Luna conversing with another pony, a unicorn stallion with a blue mane. ‘I know him…he’s Twilights brother,” thought Roxas. ‘What’s his name again? Gleaming Shield…no, Bright Guard, no, it was…Shiny something…why can’t I remember?’ “Roxas!” the human was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Luna call his name. The Princesses motioned for him to join them. He offered a smile, and gave them a friendly wave. “Good morning!” he greeted. “Good morning!” replied Celestia. “Come, we have someone we want you to meet!” All three ponies looked to Roxas as he joined the group. “Roxas,” said Celestia. “This is Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard. He’s also the older brother of my protégé, Twilight Sparkle.” ‘Yes, THAT’S his name!’ “Nice to meet you,” greeted Roxas as he offered a hand to Shining Armor. The stallion looked slightly perplexed at the appendage, but did offer his hoof to shake. “Shining, this is Roxas, a friend of ours from ancient times, and the first royal knight. He was also the unofficial leader of the Royal Guard.” “Nice to meet yo…wait a minute,” stopped Shining as he examined Roxas quizzically. “You…you’re the Knight in Black, aren’t you!” Roxas was surprised at that, and caught a little off guard. “Uh, yeah, that’s what some people have called me.” Instantly, Shining’s demeanor energized. “You’re the knight character in that old story, The Knight in Black and the Horrible Hydra! That was Twily and my favorite story book when we were kids!” ‘Someone recorded that? Whoever they are, they owe me royalty!’ “Your story inspired me to join the Royal Guard, but I always thought it was just a story! To think that you’re actually real, and one of MY predecessors, it, it just blows my mind!” “Well it’s good to meet you, and I’m glad I was able to inspire you!” I replied. “Hey, if I go get my copy, would you sign my book?” “Uh, sure,” I replied, not expecting this kind of child like excitement coming from a grown stallion. “Awesome, I’ll go get it!” Shining began a mad dash towards the doors to the throne room, heading off to retrieve his copy of the book. Roxas hadn’t noticed, but the two sisters had been holding in their laughter, but after Shining had departed, they let their laughter out at full. “Is he usually like this?” I questioned, chuckling myself. “No, never!” said Celestia through her laughs. “At least, not usually! Ha ha ha!” After the three of us regained our composure, I spoke up. “So, he’s the new Captain of the Guard, huh?” “Yes, he has been for a few years now,” replied Celestia. “So, has he had a lot to do, dealing with wars and stuff?” Roxas asked. “Actually no. Aside from…well…” “Nightmare Moon,” finished Luna solemnly. “Yes, aside from that, Equestria has been at peace. In fact, we’ve been at peace for centuries. We've had relatively little use for the Royal Guard. We’ve had a millennia of peace, and hopefully we’ll have another.” “Yeah. Hopefully,” said Roxas. ‘Unfortunately, I know better,’ thought Roxas, thinking of the future events that would come to pass. ‘But we’ll get through them. I know that for sure.’ Author's Note Thanks for reading! If you want to help me out and support my writing, I have these: Patreon Buymeacoffee Ko-Fi Interlude I.Many Years Ago Shining Armor sat at his desk in his room, reading heavily into his Royal Guard Training manual. In just a few short months, he’d be leaving home for the first time to begin his training. He’d be pursuing his dream, one he’d had since he was a small foal. He’d be brave, heroic, and adventurous, just like the Knight in Black! And if he was lucky, he might just make it to the role of Captain! Well…maybe. Shinning had high hopes, but he also knew there were a lot of ponies out there who were better and stronger than him. But he wasn’t going to give up! The Night never did, and neither would he! That being said, there was a lot more to being a guard then just being brave and strong, the manual was enough to prove that! To be a guard, you had to have a great knowledge of the law and judicial system, and that’s what Shining struggled with the most. There was a lot that he didn’t understand. He considered asking his GENIOUS sister for help, but he’d quickly dismissed it. He wasn’t about to have Twilight as his tutor, that would be embarrassing! She was his little sister; he was supposed to help HER not the other way around! Besides, Shining wanted to do this on his own. He wanted to succeed by his own merits, and that’s just what he was going to do! As Shining was reading about the rights guaranteed to Equestrian citizens, he heard a knocking at his door. “Come in!” The door to Shinning’s room opened to reveal his younger sister, Twilight, with a book resting on her back. “Hey Twily, what’s up? Shouldn’t you be in bed?” questioned Shining. “Can you read to me first?” questioned the filly. “I don’t know if I have time, I’ve got to study for the Royal Guard entrance exam.” “Please?” begged Twilight with pleading eyes, attempting to make herself as cute as possible. And for Shining, it worked. He sighed and pushed his manual to the side. “All right, but only for a little bit.” “Yay!” cheered Twilight, as she pranced back to her room, with her brother in tow. “Not sure why you want me to read to you in the first place,” said Shining as the two entered her room. “You’re reading at a super high level. You can read without me.” “Yeah, but I like it when you read. You do the funny voices,” stated Twilight as she got into her bed. Shining took a seat next to the bed. “So what are we reading?” he questioned. Twilight passed him the book with her magic. Shining examined the book to see that it was their favorite: ‘The Knight in Black and the Horrible Hydra’. “Ah, of course” chuckled Shining. He opened the book. “Should we start from the beginning?” “Yes!” replied Twilight. “Alright then,” said Shining as he cleared his throat. Then he began. ‘Equestria is the home to many legends and tales of heroes. Our history is full of many brave stallions and mares who overcame great adversity to fend off disasters and the forces of darkness. Starswirl, Rockhoof, Mage Meadowbrook, Somnambula, Mistmane and Flash Magnus are all prime examples of great Equestrian heroes. But very few tales from the lands beyond ever reach our shores. However, there is one tale that has spread beyond those isolated shores and into our land. And that is the story of; ‘The Black Knight.’ “He’s one of my favorites!” exclaimed Twilight. “More than Starswirl?”questioned Shining, with an eyebrow playfully raised. “Um…hmmmmmmm…. don’t make me choose!” grumbled Twilight, crossing her forehooves. Shining chuckled. “Alright, alright.” He continued. ‘On the other side of the world lies the kingdom of Minos. Minos was a great kingdom, and home to the Minotaur’s. In the center of the kingdom lied the great city of Crestor, where the King; Icaran ruled. But despite the nations prosperity, Icaran was troubled. For to the west, in between the sea port and the rest of the nation lied a terrible creature. This monster attacked anyone who ventured into its territory. Having claimed many lives, of warriors and peasants alike, the Hydra reigned supreme. The Hyrda blocked the way to the sea, preventing the Minotaur people from fishing, which hurt both their food supplies, and their economy, as fish was one of their mane exports. The king had sent many warriors to try and defeat the beast, but none had returned. Desperate, the King placed a bounty on the beast, letting it be known that anyone who could slay the Hydra would be entitled to a reward of 500 pounds of gold. But the horrible creature had gained much infamy in its time, and word of the many fallen warriors had spread. As a result, fewer and fewer people were willing to take on the monster. All had seemed lost. But then one day, as the king sat reposed on his throne, a stranger appeared in his throne room. The stranger stood on two legs like the Minotaur’s, but had no horns on his head, nor did he have a snout. His head lacked fur, except for a patch of hair on his scalp. This stranger, clothed in a black coat, came to the king and offered to defeat the Hydra. But the king, jaded from the many losses to the monster, had little hopes that the stranger would succeed. “Why should I believe you, when every other who has attempted to kill that creature has met their end?” questioned the king. “I have experience in dealing with threats of this magnitude,” replied the creature in the black coat. “My magic and weapon will be able to deal with the creature.” “How could a creature like you possess magic? You have no horns on your head like the Unicorns or the Centaurs,” asked the king. “I could demonstrate if you’d like,” said the stranger. He requested that the king follow him outside, where he would demonstrate his ability. The king along with his guards followed the stranger outside. There lied a mound of rock and stone. The stranger surprised the king as he pulled a strange weapon out of the air, gripped in his hand. He aimed his weapon at the rock and released a powerful burst of magic at the rock, obliterating it entirely. Fragments of rock flew through the air, and it seemed as if it would fall upon the king and his guards. But before it could, the stranger leapt into the air, higher than any other creature could leap. He floated in the air, and used his magic to stop the rock from falling. It suspended in the air along with him, no longer accelerating. In a quick motion, flames erupted from the stranger, which burned the rock to ash and cinder. Landing on the ground gracefully, the being in black asked the king if that demonstration would suffice. The king, amazed by the beings magical ability, gave him his blessing to fight the Hydra, and told him that if he succeeded, the reward would be his. But, he had to provide proof of the creatures defeat. Accepting the deal, the being shook hands with the king. The person in black told the king he would return soon, with proof of the Hydra’s death. It would be a long journey, full of peril and danger. But the one who would one day be called the Knight in Black, had magic on his side, powerful magic that could do things the Minotaur’s couldn’t dream of. And so the Knight set off on his journey. A journey that would one day be accounted as one of bravery, strength, and heroism.’ “And that’s the end of the chapter,” sighed Shining as he closed the book. He turned to see his sister dozing off in her bed, not yet asleep, but very close. “Shining?” mumbled the filly. “Yeah Twily?” “Some day, I want to be as good at magic as the Knight. Him and Starswirl, I wanna be just as god as them someday.” “You will be Twilight. One day. You just have to work hard. I know you can do it.” Twilight mumbled something, as she finally drifted off to sleep. Shining set the book aside, and kissed Twilight on the forehead. He then shut off the lamp next to the bed, and went to leave the room. He stopped at the doorframe and looked back to his sister. “Night Twilight. See you in the morning.” Shining shut the door, and left Twilight to sleep. The story of the Knight in Black was something that inspired both him and his sister. It was a tale that resonated with both of their hearts. It was a story they would always remember. Author's Note Here's a little break from the main story, a peek into the past and how Roxas's story effected the mane six. I want to do an interlude for all six. Anyway, I want to give a thanks to Bluezerker for supporting me on BuyMeACoffee! If you want to bee cool like them you can support me there too: Buymeacoffee Ko-Fi Patreon XXIII.It had been a few weeks since Twilight and her new friends defeated Nightmare Moon, and in that time, Twilight had been on a few misadventures in the town of Ponyville. The ticket incident, as well convincing Applejack to allow outside help for apple bucking season were quit exhausting. But, Twilight hoped that things would soon settle down, and she’d be able to live a relatively peaceful life in Ponyville along with her friends, free of any more super villains or monster attacks. But she hoped it didn’t get TOO calm, or she’d have no friendship reports to make to Celestia. After waking up bright and early, Twilight made her way to the main floor, where Spike was preparing breakfast. She sat down at the table with a clean plate resting on the table in front of her. “Good morning Spike!” greeted the unicorn. “Moring Twi,” replied the dragon. Spike, who had just finished frying up some French toast, turned and placed the food on her plate. “You’re looking good, considering how hectic this week has been.” “Yeah, it seems Ponyville can get pretty wild. But at least that gives me plenty of stuff to write to Celestia about. Besides, I’m sure things will slow down a bit.” Just as the two got started on their breakfast, Spike felt a pressure rising in his gut. He burped out a cloud of sparkling smoke, where a wrapped parcel materialized, and fell into his open claws. “Oh, letter for you Twi!” Spike handed Twilight the letter, which she unwrapped with excitement. “From the Princess? So soon?” The unicorn mare used her magic to unravel the scroll, and began reading aloud. “Dear Twilight, I found your letters to be very enlightening, and I’m so proud of how much you’ve been learning in Ponyville! You and your friends seem to be becoming very close, and I cannot wait to see how much you grow together! On that note, I would like to ask you a favor. You see Roxas; our friend that you met during the Summer Sun Celebration has been acting a bit weird. In the time he’s been back and living with us at the castle, he has been uncharacteristically high-strung, and rarely seems to relax. There are times when he disappears entirely, and we don’t see him for hours upon hours. We’ve tried to talk to him, and find out what’s wrong, but he so far, we have not been able to get anything out of him. This is worrying, as in the past we have usually been able to trust and confide with each other. To be honest, Luna and I are worried about him. So, we’ve been thinking that perhaps it would do him some good to go down to Ponyville and spend some time with you and your friends. We talked to him, and he seemed to like that idea. He will be coming down tomorrow, and I was hoping you could meet him when he arrives. Thank you so much. Best wishes; Princess Celestia.” The unicorn put the letter down, as spike stared at her. “He’s coming here? Tomorrow! Oh, this is such a great opportunity!” exclaimed Twilight. “Uh, opportunity?” questioned Spike. “Of course!” replied Twilight as she got up from her seat, and started scrambling around. “The only human in Equestria is coming here! This will be the perfect chance to study him! Take blood samples, collect hair fiber, maybe do a magic reserve study! I could also-“ “Uh Twilight, aren’t you supposed to be helping him relax and stuff, not treating him like a lab rat?” questioned Spike. Twilight, who now held several beakers and notebooks in her fore hooves, set them down carefully, and cleared her throat. “Y-yes…of course.” “Listen Twi, I know you’ve got a thing for science but this Roxas guy is just a person like you and me. You probably shouldn’t do anything he’s not comfortable with.” “You’re right Spike. You’re right, you’re right, you’re right.” Twilight used her magic to clear away her equipment, before she returned to her seat at the breakfast table. The two sat down, and resumed their breakfast. After a few moments of silence, Twilight spoke up again. “Do you think he’d let me extract some of his spinal fluid?” Griffonstone, the once proud and prosperous Griffon Kingdom, was now a beat down and desperately ravaged city, housing a race of now morally decrepit, grouchy and selfish creatures known as the Griffons. This kingdom was very different from Equestria. In Griffonstone, there was almost no friendship. The Griffons were greedy, and often conning each other for bits. In a way, it was a survival of the fittest scenario. In this city, the residents boarded themselves away in their homes, only interacting with others if it benefitted them. In one run down shack, lived a young adult Griffon known as Gilda. She had a light brown body of lion fur, with a white and pink feather set decorating her head. Like most of her kind, she could be mean, anti-social, and a bit of a thug. But as she packed her suitcase, her thoughts filled her heart with a warm and fuzzy feeling. She was packing because she would soon be departing her wretched home, to visit the only friend she’d ever known: Rainbow Dash. Friends since childhood, the blue pony was the only friend Gilda had ever really known. The only creature she had fond memories of. And why wouldn’t she? Back at flight school, Rainbow was the first one to approach her. Back when she was a lonely and timid youngling. In many ways, Rainbow was just like Gilda. They both had a need for speed, and a taste for action. If it wasn’t for the fact they were different species, they could have very well have been sisters. Gilda shut her suitcase, and prepared to leave, with a smile on her face. This wasn’t just a trip for her. Gilda was sick and tired of Griffonstone, and had been for years. This was her chance to see the real Equestria, and possibly find a new place to call home. She was nervous, but she knew her friend would make her feel welcome. And if things went well, then just maybe Gilda would have the final sign that Equestria was were she was supposed to be. She’d pack up everything, and move, so she could finally find happiness with the support of her one and only friend. Gilda left her house, and locked the door. She then took to the sky, gripping the suitcase tight. ‘This is going to be the start of something wonderful,’ she thought. ‘I can feel it in my heart!’ Author's Note If Gilda wants to get into the land of opportunity, she'd gonna have to get past Bluebloods wall. It's a big magic wall to keep those dang evil Griffons from crossin' da border, and TAKEN ER JBSSSSSSS! Support or Donnie's gonna build a wall about ya Buy Me a Coffee Ko-Fi XXIV.Twilight Sparkle and Spike the dragon waited at the Ponyville train station, with the former bouncing on her hooves in anticipation of he new arrival due to town. “Twilight, I think you really need to calm down,” advised Spike. “But, I’m too excited! I’m finally going to have a chance to study him!” “You’re gonna weird him out, Twi. Besides aren’t you supposed to be helping him unwind, and make friends? I think that’d be pretty hard with you poking and prodding at him.” “But, but science!” pleaded Twilight, stopping her hopping, and looking at Spike. “No, Twilight,” answered Spike, deadpanned. “Alright,” relented Twilight. “You’re probably right.” “Probably?” questioned Spike with a raised eyebrow. “Fine, you’re definitely right.” Spike smiled in triumph. The blow of the trains whistle alerted the two to the approaching Ponyville Express, making it’s way to the station. “Here he comes. Try to make a good impression,” suggested Spike. Roxas sat alone on a bench in the passengers’ section of the train. He kept to himself, and stared out the window, trying to ignore the weird looks he was getting from the pony passengers on the train. He watched the trees and mountains pass by, admiring the beauty of nature. But inside, he was a bit disgruntled. ‘Can’t believe the sisters want me to go on vacation. I didn’t think they’d be willing to let me out of their sight so soon. But this is probably a good thing. This is near where I saw that door to darkness. I can do some investigating into that here. And Tirek should be escaping from Tartarus soon. I can hunt him down when that happens. But I need to get back to Canterlot before Discord and Chrysalis show up.’ His thoughts were interrupted by the trains’ whistle. He saw Ponyville approaching fast. He could see two purple objects waiting on the platform. He assumed they were Twilight and Spike. As the train pulled into the station, smoke obscured the air surrounding it. When the train slowed to a stop, Roxas got up from his seat. Ponies filed their way out of the train, with Roxas trailing behind them. He was the last one to leave the train. He stepped onto the train platform. As the other ponies left the station, Roxas saw Twilight and Spike waiting on the platform. He walked towards them, and stopped a few feet away. “Roxas, it’s good to see you!” greeted Twilight in a burst of energy, before she quickly reigned herself in. Spike raised a claw in a friendly gesture. “Hey!” he greeted. “How’s it going?” said Roxas. The three stood there for an awkward few moments as Twilight focused on the nobody, studying him with her eyes. Roxas then broke the silence. “So, where to?” he asked. “Oh, right! Follow me! Us, I mean, follow us!” “Sure.” The three then began walking, leaving the train station and making their way into town. “I live in the Ponyville Library, and we have a spare bed put out for you! It’s not Canterlot Palace, but it’s not too shabby If I say so myself!” explained Twilight. “That’ll be more than enough. I’ve gotten accustomed to sleeping on anything, rock, dirt, hay, broken glass-“ “Broken glass? Doesn’t that hurt?” asked Spike. “Oh, absolutely,” replied Roxas. “Is human skin extra thick and durable?” asked Twilight as she turned and trotted backwards excitedly. “Nope,” he replied. “Oh…ok,” she said. “So is there anything you’re looking forward to doing here in Ponyville?” asked Spike. “I was thinking about…exploring. Looking around the town, see what it has and stuff.” Roxas didn’t want to divulge his intent of scouring the Everfree forest for an escaped prisoner of Tartarus. “Well, just be careful. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie have been on a pranking spree, and they’ve been hitting everyone in town! They even gave me hiccups! It was so bad I accidently sent every chapter of my erotic friend fiction to Celestia herself!” “You’re what?” questioned Twilight with a quick head jerk. “I uh…my…esoteric…fiend…finances….” Spike’s face turned as red an apple. Twilight stared at Spike with a suspicious glare as the three walked, before deciding to ignore the whole thing. ‘Pranks huh…I remember something like that from the show. There was something that happened but…I can’t remember,’thought Roxas. The three then came to a stop as they now stood in front of the Golden Oaks Library. “Well, here we are! Home sweet home!” She opened the door and the three walked in. Roxas was amazed by what he saw. A house made in a tree was one thing in cartoons, but to see it for himself was another thing entirely. It was reminiscent of something one would see in an amusement park, or the Rainforest Café. “So,” asked Roxas as he stepped in. “Is it awkward having your place of residence also be a public library?” “What do you mean?” asked Spike. “Well you know, anyone can just walk in here whenever they want. Even when you’re doing private stuff.” “Oh no, it’s perfectly fine. There’s a clear distinction between our living space, and the library itself,” explained Twilight. “Hmm. But I can see your bedroom from here, there’s no door. I think I can even see your bathroom,” said Roxas as he pointed up the stairs. Twilight looked to where Roxas was pointing, then back to Roxas. Then back to her room, and back to Roxas. “Well…maybe it would be a good idea to install a door or two,” said Twilight, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “So Roxas, I noticed you didn’t have any bags or luggage?” “Yeah I didn’t really…have anything to bring, All my possessions, I keep in my room.” admitted Roxas. “So you didn’t bring a toothbrush or anything?” asked Spike. The Human face palmed. “I knew I was forgetting something!” Twilight and Spike chuckled. “Sooooo,” questioned Twilight. “Can I take your coat?” “No, I keep it on me,” explained Roxas. “Don’t you ever take it off?” asked Twilight. “No.” “Don’t you ever wash it?” asked Spike. “Nope.” The three stood there in awkward silence. “Well…. how about an official tour of the town?” offered Twilight. “That’s OK, I’m sure you guys have stuff to do. I’ll go look around on my own.” Roxas made his way to the door. “Oh, it’s no trouble! We’d be happy to do it!” exclaimed Twilight. “It’s really ok, I think I can manage.” “We have…literally nothing else to do….” trailed Twilight. Roxas stopped near the door and looked back at the two. They looked up at him with big puppy dog eyes that Roxas never thought he’d actually be able to see in real life. ‘I suppose I can start my search while everyone else is asleep.’ “Sure. Lead the way,” Roxas through open the door, and gestured towards the village outside. Twilight and Spike smiled, and made their way out the door. ‘I just nothing happens that will require my attention.’ Author's Note Here's a Christmas present for you you filthy animals. This is for all of those of you who were good this year. But unfortunately, some of you were bad. So because of you, yes YOU, yeah YOU specifically, staring at your screen with your distinctively greasy eyeballs, the next update won't happen for 26 years! You should be ashamed of that thing you did! If you like the story, support me or I'll die: Buymeacoffee Ko-Fi XXV.The early morning sun rose into the air, setting the sky on fire and banishing the darkness. Gilda, gripping her suite case in her talons, touched down onto the cloud that composed Rainbow Dash’s yard. It had been a long flight, expending a tremendous amount of time and energy. Gilda’s wings ached, and so did most her body. Of course she’d taken rest breaks, but she still flew for a very long time. She would have taken a train if she could, but like most citizens of Griffin Stone, she did not have enough disposable money for such a luxury. Setting her suitcase on the ground, Gilda wrapped her knuckles on the front door. “One second!” Gilda heard from the other side. The door opened a few moments later. Gilda and Rainbow locked eyes, smiling brightly. “You made it!” greeted Rainbow. “Sup Dash!” The two friends embraced in a quick hug. “Come on in!” Rainbow moved aside, gesturing for Gilda to enter. The Griffon grabbed her suite case and followed the mare in side. “How was your trip?” asked Rainbow as she shut the door. “Long. It was long,” replied Gilda. “To be honest, I’m exhausted.” “You’re not getting soft on me are ya?” asked Rainbow with a coy smile. “You wish!” replied Gilds. “If anything, after all the flying I just did, I’ll probably be even faster than you once I’m rested up!” “We’ll just have to test that!” “You bet!” The two shared a quick laugh. “Well, follow me and I’ll show you the guest room.” Rainbow hovered in the air with her wings, and led Gilda to the upper level of the house. “I missed ya Gilda.” “Yeah. I missed you too Dashie.” Roxas returned to the Library after a long night of searching for signs of Tirek. He’d found none so far. He’d checked the door of Tartarus, and found it was still locked shut. ‘I’ll check each day from now on. Tirek won’t get far on my watch.’ Roxas stepped into the library. He saw that Twilight and Spike were awake, and eating breakfast in their kitchen. The door opening alerted the two, and they looked to see Roxas enter. “There you are!” said Twilight. “We were wondering where you were. What were you doing out so early?” “I had stuff to do,” replied Roxas nonchalantly. “What could you possibly have to do that early?” asked Spike. “Don’t worry about,” replied Roxas. Spike and Twilight gave each other slightly concerned looks, before turning back the their guest. “Would you like breakfast?” asked Twilight. “I already ate,” answered Roxas. “Okaaaayyyy,” conceded Twilight. “Well, have you gotten a full tour of the town yet? We’d love to show you around!” Roxas thought about it. He realized he was being very stand-offish, and it would be a good idea to be a bit more friendly. “You know what, sure. Sounds nice,” agreed Roxas. “Great!” chirped Twilight. She stood up, having finished eating. “Let me just brush my teeth, and we’ll be-“ At that moment, the door to the library slammed open. All eyes turned to see Pinkie Pie enter the room and rush Twilight with urgency. “Twilight, I need your help! It’s an emergency!” Pinkie bent down on her knees and pleaded with Twilight. “Pinkie? What’s the matter?” asked Twilight. “It’s horrible! Rainbow Dash, she-she-she-“ “What? Pinkie what’s wrong with Rainbow? Is she hurt? Is she in trouble?” questioned Twilight urgently. “She…she…she has a FRIEND!” “Noooooooooooooooo!” screamed Spike, collapsing to his knees, with his arms raised into the air. Everyone looked to him with wide eyes, before the dragon realized what Pinkie had said. He composed himself, and stood up. “Oh, wait, that’s…that’s a good thing.” “No it’s not!” shouted Pinkie. “Because this friend of Rainbow Dash’s is MEAN!” ‘Mean…wait a minute, I remember this,’thought Roxas. “She’s mean?” questioned Twilight. “Yeah, that Griffon’s a real meanie! She’s been picking on me all day, when all I wanted to do was spend time with Dash!” “A Griffon?” questioned Twilight. “Yeah, apparently their old friends from flight school. But she’s so mean to me, and Dash doesn’t seem to notice! She just keeps trying to get rid of me!” “Well, if she’s a griffon, she’s probably from Griffon Stone, and lives a long ways away,” explained Roxas. “She probably hasn’t seen Rainbow for a long time, and would probably like to spend time with her on her own. Maybe you should give them some space for the time being.” “WHO ASKED YOU!?” screamed Pinkie, appearing in front of Roxas in an instant. Roxas leaned back, eyes opened. Pinkie, recognizing how bad she’d lost her cool, looked sheepish, and scuffed her hoof on the floor. “I’m sorry! I just…I…I…” “It’s alright, he he, I understand.” Roxas did understand Pinkie’s jealousy in a way, and actually thought her outburst was a little funny. Twilight trotted over to Pinkie Pie, and put a hoof on her wither. “Come on Pinkie, why don’t we talk about it a bit?” “Yeah, sure.” Pinkie turned and followed Twilight towards the reading area of the library. ‘Gilda,’thought Roxas. ‘I remember her a little. Griffon, pretty rude, but no one really knew why. Turned out she grew up in a pretty toxic environment, and Rainbow was her only real friend. Then some bad stuff happened and their friendship shattered for a long time, and even when it was repaired, it was never as strong as it once was.’ Roxas turned and left the library, shutting the door behind him. ‘I wonder if I should do something about it.’ Roxas decided to monitor the situation if he could. Of course he had to maintain his priorities. He decided to make his way into town to give him the tour that Twilight had intended, unaware that he was being watched. Because far away on the hill overlooking Ponyville, a dark figure loomed, making sure that everything was going to plan. Author's Note Here's another chapter, though it is a short one. If you want to help me out, feel free to support me here: BuyMeaCoffee Ko-Fi XXVI.Roxas ignored the stares and weird looks he was getting from the ponies who had not yet become accustomed to his presence. He thought nothing of it as, even though he had traveled the world, there was only one of him. Through time all things fade, and memory was no exception. He had been exploring the town for a little while now, and was getting the layout of the land. He decided to make his way back to the library. He made his way to the main part of Ponyville. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sugarcube corner, a place he had not yet visited. ‘I’ve always wanted to try Sugarcube Corners food, but I had to wait hundreds of years for it to even exist. Now seems like the perfect opportunity!’He thought. He made a beeline towards the shop. Opening the front door of the shop, he heard the ringing of the bell that alerted the store to a new customer. Roxas looked and saw Mrs. Cake manning the counter. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner!” she greeted. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw Roxas enter, but they quickly returned to normal as her mind placed the image of the being in front of her as a close friend of the princesses. “How can I help you?” she asked as Roxas approached the counter. The human observed the pastries protected by the glass case. He had always been a man of simple tastes, much preferring simple things like cupcakes and pies, instead of the more eccentric recipes. His eyes settled on a vanilla cupcake with swirling pink icing. He could tell the frosting was the more solid buttercream kind, and not the frothing whipped kind, which he despised. He pointed to his desired pastry. “I’ll take that,” he requested. “Right away! That’ll be two bits,” said Mrs. Cake as she grabbed the cupcake. Roxas reached into his coat and pulled out two gold coins, and placed them on the counter. The mare handed Roxas the desert, and took the bits. “Thanks for your business, do come again!” Roxas picked up the cake, and exited the shop. He stepped away from the front entrance, and leaned against the side of the building. He took off his gloves, and placed them in his pockets before he unwrapped the cupcake. After doing so, he bit into it, and instantly relished the sweet taste. It was everything he hoped and more. He quickly devoured it, leaving pink frosting on his face, which he quickly wiped off with the napkin that came with his cupcake. The sugar remained on his taste buds as he looked over the town. ‘That was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted,’he thought. As he did, his eyes landed on a pony with a mane as pink as the cupcake he’d just eaten. There he saw Pinkie Pie sitting at a table under an umbrella. But her usual chipper demeanor was replaced with a forlorn expression. Roxas could see she was looking at something, so he followed her gaze to see that she was observing none other than Gilda the griffon. At that moment, Roxas saw her use her tail to snatch an apple from a vendor stand. At first, Roxas thought to leave the situation alone. It wasn’t a major threat to Equestria as a whole, and it would work itself out within a few years. But as Roxas observed Gilda, he remembered a bit of the circumstances that made her who she was. Her homeland was impoverished and everyone there had the same, survival of the fittest attitude. Perhaps he’d be able to talk to her, and help repair her relationship with Rainbow Dash before it became fractured. Making up his mind, Roxas decided to wait for the right opportunity to approach the Griffon. *Knock knock knock* Rainbow Dash heard the familiar sound of her door being knocked on. Fluttering to the front, she opened the door, only somewhat surprised, to see Pinkie Pie at her door, being suspended by her waist by a bouquet of balloons. “Hey Pinks, what’s up?” “Hey Rainbow, can I come in?” Rainbow looked at her, and then down towards her cloud flooring. “Well, if you made it this far up, you probably can.” Pinkie let out a soft chuckle, which to Rainbow was a sign that something was wrong. Pinkie normally would have been rolling on her sides laughing at a joke of that caliber (or any caliber really). Rainbow stepped aside, and gestured for Pinkie to enter. “You okay? You don’t seem as ‘pinkie’ as usual.” “Yeah, I’m fine,” said Pinkie as she floated further in to Rainbow’s house. “It’s just, well, it’s about your friend Gilda. “Gilda? What’s wrong, did something happen?” questioned Rainbow, alarmed. “No, no!” replied Pinkie, shaking her head. “It’s just, well I don’t know her like you do, but from what I’ve seen of her around in Ponyville, she was acting kind of…like a jerk….” “Well Pinkie, Griffons are a bit tougher than Pony’s, you know. What, was she a little grumpy or something?” “Well, when I was trying to hang out with you guys, Gilda kept trying to get rid of me. And looking back on it, I realize I was kinda pushing into your one on one time, but later on I saw she scared Granny Smith half to death with a prank! And she’s pretty old, a scare like that could giver her a actual heart attack! And I also saw her steal an apple from a fruit stand! Luckily, it wasn’t one of Applejacks, but still!” Rainbow quickly processed what Pinkie Pie had told her, and while she was disheartened to hear that her friend wasn’t adjusting to Ponyville as well as she could, she wasn’t completely surprised by what she heard. “Oh. Well Pinks, from what Gilda’s told me, Griffonstone is a pretty rough place to live. Like REALLY rough, especially compared to life in Ponyville. Griffons typically don’t have friends, and only really seem to care about themselves. I don’t want to make excuses for her, but I really think she just needs to be able to adjust to being in Ponyville. We do things pretty differently here.” “Wow,” gasped Pinkie as she slowly floated inward. “Griffons don’t like Friendship?! No wonder she’s so grumpy!” “Yeah, we should just give her time. Although, she is going back home in a few days…maybe I’ll just stick around her to keep her out of trouble until then.” “Oooorrrrrrr,” said Pinkie as she turned to face her friend. “Or, we could show her how wonderful Ponyville is! So wonderful that she’ll decide to live here! Then we help cheer her up, and show her that she can have as many friends as she wants!” “Uhh….hmmm, maybe. But how would we do that?” “We’ll throw her a party! We’ll throw her the biggest, best-est welcome to Ponyville party ever! We’ll invite everyone, and give her presents, and maker her feel right at home here!” “That could work…but I don’t know if she’d be that into a Ponyville party. She’s kind of more…punk rock than that. A Ponyville party might bore her.” “Well, maybe we should add something she likes? Like…” “Like pranks?” suggested Rainbow. “Yes, that’s perfect!” screeched Pinkie, as she grabbed onto Rainbow’s withers. “We’ll make it a prank party! And by the end of the end of the party, she’ll realize just how fun Ponyville is!” “And cool!” added Rainbow. “This is gonna be awesome!” “You bet it will be!” The two ponies high-hooved each other, and in tandem they shouted; “Let’s get started!” Author's Note Here's a new chapter. I finished a project that was taking up a lot of my time, so I'll hopefully be able to update more. Hope this chapter eases your boredom during end times, as we shall all soon be dead from the Corona Virus. If you want to donate to my Toilet Paper Hoarding fund, where I buy up all the toilet paper in my town, and sell it back to people at 2x the price, here are my things: BuyMeaCoffee | Ko-Fi XXVII.Walking along one of the less busy streets of Ponyville, Gilda tossed the half eaten apple up and down with her tail. Catching it by the feathers of her tail, she brought the fruit up to her beak, and took one last bite, before tossing the core over her shoulder. ‘If only it was this easy to swipe food in Griffonstone, I’d never go hungry again! Ponies are such rubes!’she thought smugly to herself. “How was the apple?” The unfamiliar voice caused Gilda’s heart to skip a beat, and her wings gave an instinctive burst, launching her a few feet into the air, where she hovered. Her eyes quickly locked onto a tall figure, draped in a long black coat. His arms were crossed in front of his chest as he leaned against a brick wall. His hair spiked up like a campfire, bright and vibrant. He was looking at her with a neutral expression. “What the?” started Gilda. “Sorry, did I scare you?” “What? Scare me? No way!” Gilda lowered herself to the ground. “What the heck are you supposed to be?” she questioned, now slightly agitated. “My name is Roxas.” “But what ARE you?” she asked more aggressively. “I’m a human.” Gilda observed Roxas with a fascinated expression. She’d never seen anything like what was standing before her. This human was like something from another world. He was almost unnatural. But before she could become too absorbed into her own thoughts, she recalled what this human had first said to draw her attention. “Wait, you saw me take that apple?” “Yeah.” “Are you gonna squeal?” Gilda asked aggressively. “Of course not. But I thought I’d let you know that this isn’t Griffonstone. Ponies here are a lot more charitable than the citizens of Griffonstone. And I’m sure Rainbow Dash would’ve loaned you a few bits if you’d asked.” “I don’t need anyone’s charit- wait, have YOU BEEN SPYING ON ME?” “No I have not. I just know a bit about the goings on of Ponyville.” “Yeah right! Listen here you creep, if you go stalking me, you’re gonna regret it!” Gilda flew right up inches away from Roxas. “Believe it or not, I’m trying to help you. I’ve been to Griffonstone; I know it’s a rough place. But Ponyville is completely different. If you treat Ponyville like Griffonstone, you’re going to push away everyone here. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to treat people here with some respect and kindness.” “Pfft! Like I give a crap about any of these prissy little ponies!” “You care about Rainbow Dash, don’t you?” asked Roxas. “Well, I mean, we do go back a long ways. We’re friends! Best friends! But Dash is cool! She’s not like these other ponies!” “Are you sure?” questioned Roxas. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “As tough and cool as Rainbow Dash is, she’s still a pony. She lives in Ponyville, and has for a long time. At the end of the day, she values the same ideals as everyone else in this town.” “What’s your damn point, you freak?!” “My point is, you could lose your friend if you don’t change your attitude. You wouldn’t want that now would you?” “Please, Dash would never pick these ponies over me!” asserted Gilda confidently. “Are you sure?” Roxas asked with a raised eyebrow. “Of course!” “Well if you’re sure,” replied Roxas standing up straight and lowering his arms. “Then I guess you don’t have anything to worry about.” Roxas began walking away, but not before saying one last thing. “Rainbow Dash has been through a lot in Ponyville. She’s changed. She’s not a carbon copy of the Dash you knew. Things change. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” And with that, Roxas walked away, leaving Gilda feeling unsure of herself. ‘He doesn’t know what he’s talking about…does he?’ Gilda felt like her blood was on fire. This party was a disaster. The laughing. The ridicule. She had been the consistent target of a series of juvenile pranks specifically designed by that pink looser to humiliate her in front of everyone. And finally she couldn’t take it anymore! She was supposed to be spending time with Rainbow Dash. That was IT! And all these ponies were determined to come between them! Gilda was angry, angrier than she had been in years. But it was ok, because at least she still had her friend. “You know Gilda, I was the one who set up all those weak pranks at this party. So I guess I’m Queen Lame-o,” said Rainbow in an angry tone. “What?” questioned Gilda. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” “They weren’t all meant for you specifically. It was just dumb luck that you set them all off.” “I should have known! That dribble glass was SO Rainbow Dash!” said Pinkie Pie. “No! It was Pinkie Pie! She did all of this to embarrass me!” shouted Gilda. “What? I threw this party to help improve your attitude! I wanted to make you smile!” If Gilda had any teeth they’d be grinding against themselves until they turned to dust. “And you sure didn’t need any help embarrassing yourself! And you know, I thought my old friend would be able to treat my new friends with a little respect. If being cool is all you care about, then maybe you should just go find some new cool friends!” Gilda couldn’t believe what she was hearing. This wasn’t happening. This ABSOLUTELY couldn’t be happening! Gilda felt like she was in some sort of bizarre nightmare. “He he he,” chuckled Gilda. She felt as if her mind had snapped. Everyone in the room looked at her with an concerned expression. “It figures…I really SHOULDN’T BE SURPRISED AT ALL, SHOULD I!?” “What are you-“ before Rainbow could finish, Gilda continued. “YOU KNOW WHAT DASHIE?! I DON’T NEED YOU! I NEVER DID! I DON’T NEED ANYONE!” Gilda felt a swirling maelstrom of emotions circle through her, with every single negative emotion flowing through her. Her vision was starting to blur. “I WAS SO STUPID TO COME HERE, SO STUPID TO THINK YOU WERE MY FRIEND! “Gilda, you need to calm-“ “IF BEING FRIENDS WITH THESE PUNKS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING FRIENDS WITH ME, THAN YOU CAN JUST-YOU CAN JUST-“ *KABOOM*Roxas’ head jolted towards the direction of Sugarcube Corner. A vibrant burst of purple energy was propelling towards the sky with a bunch of debris. He heard ponies screaming in the distance. “What the-“ before Roxas could finish, he heard a monstrous roar, like that of a dragon. “No…it can’t be.” Roxas started a full spring towards the direction of the chaos. “I hope this isn’t what I think it is!” Author's Note A new chapter in the same year as the last one? Impossible! Hope everyone is staying safe. Make sure not to breath in order to help fight the spread of the COroNA ViRUS. If you liked the chapter, and want support me, and maybe help me get my MacBooks keyboard fixed, I have these: Ko-Fi Buymeacoffee XXVIII.A shockwave of hot and cold air reverberated from the now demolished Sugar Cube Corner. Many of the part guests lay scattered across Ponyville, while those who were outside of the shop now ran for their lives like mindless livestock. A loud shriek sang out, loud enough for all of Ponyville to hear it. It was like the call of an eagle, but much deeper. Collapsed on the ground, and lightly bleeding from many small cuts, Twilight blinked her eyes, and looked up to see pure and utter chaos in front of her. Sugar Cube Corner had exploded, and now only the jagged wood of the lower foundation remained. Many of the houses and buildings near it suffered lesser damage, and most of the ponies of in the town were now fleeing from the scene. Those that weren’t were on the ground, either groaning in pain, or motionless all together. But all Twilight could focus on was the impending form of an amalgamated creature that sent a chill of fear through her spine. It had a large dull purple body laced in feathers, with a strange black and red symbol embroidered on its chest that Twilight couldn’t recognize. Two long orange multi-jointed eagle arms with claws shot out from its lower body. It had a long tail ending in a spear point, accompanied by three sets of tail feathers. On the upper body, jutting from the neck was a large set of wings with sharp feathers jutting from them. The head was large and gray colored. It looked like that of eagle, only it spawned two distinct faces. One had a long sharp orange beak, and hateful red eyes formed in a tight glare. The other had a softer beak, with a pair of blue eyes that seemed to emanate nothing but sadness. The size of a medium dragon, the creature hovered in the air, looking as menacing as an army of timber wolves. “S-spike?!” Twilights mind immediately went to that of her ward. She quickly got to her hooves. “Spike! Spike, where are you!” she called. She looked around frantically for the small dragon, but couldn’t see him anywhere. “Twilight!” Rainbow Dash quickly appeared, hovering right next to the purple unicorn. “Twilight, are you alright?” “What-what happened…I can’t find Spike! Where’s Spike!” “I don’t know! I have no idea what just happened but…what IS THAT THING!?” Both ponies looked to the creature as it let out another roar. “I don’t know,” replied Twilight. “I’ve never seen anything like it in any book I’ve ever read! But that’s not important right now! We need to find the girls! We need to find Spike!” “Twiiiiiiliiiiiight!” The two ponies looked to see Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy galloping towards them. “Girls!” cried Twilight as the four grouped up. “What they heck is going on!?” questioned Pinkie Pie. “We don’t know,” replied Twilight. “One minute, Gilda was throwing a fit, and then the next-“ Rainbow’s eyes widened, and she quickly looked towards the wreckage of Sugar Cube Corner. “Gilda…what happened to Gilda!?” Rainbow started to make a fast dash towards the remains, when she was stopped by Twilight, who held her friend in a magical grasp. “Wait a sec Rainbow! We can’t just rush in with that monster there! We don’t know what it’s capable of?” “But we have to do something!” “The Elements! We need the Elements to stop that thing!” asserted Twilight. “But those are all the way in Canterlot!” sated Fluttershy. “And we can’t wait that long! We have to find Gilda and the others!” “You don’t need to worry about finding Gilda.” All four ponies heads turned to see the Roxas standing behind them. “What? What do you mean?” questioned Pinkie Pie. “I can’t speak for the others, but Gilda is accounted for.” Rainbow rushed right up to Roxas’ face. “Where is she?” she asked hurriedly. Roxas raised an arm and pointed right at the strange creature. All ponies looked at the beast. “You mean it…ATE her!?” questioned Rainbow in alarm. “No. That IS Gilda. At least what’s left of her,” replied Roxas. “What?” cried Rainbow. “What do you mean? This doesn’t make any sense!” asked Twilight. “Look, we can go into depth later. Right now all you need to know is that that is Gilda. She’s become what’s known as a Heartless.” “What’s a Heartless?” asked Fluttershy. “A creature of darkness,” replied Roxas. “To put it simply, a monster.” “But wha-“ before Twilight could finish, Roxas interrupted her. “I’ll explain later! Right now, we need to address this situation! You four should look for survivors, and get them to safety! I’ll take care of the Heartless.” “What are you going to do?” questioned Rainbow. As a response, Roxas summoned his Keyblade, and started walking towards the monster that was once Gilda. “Wait!” cried Rainbow, dashing right in front of Roxas and putting a hoof out to stop him. “You’re going to KILL her?” “SHE is already gone. All that’s left is the Heartless.” Roxas started forward again. He was once again stopped by Rainbow. “You can’t!” Roxas looked into the pony’s teary eyes, and saw the pain inside them. He realized something in that moment. Gilda turned into a heartless, something that had never happened before. It was something that was supposed to be impossible, separated from Equestria by a completely different supposedly fictional universe. But it had just happened. Here he was as Roxas. Was this because of him? Did he bring this possibility to Equestria when he arrived? Roxas didn’t know. But what he did know was that if it could happen to Gilda, it could happen to others as well. Even Rainbow. He wasn’t about to let that happen. “Listen Rainbow. I know you’re upset. This is a bad situation, and if I could undo it, I would. But I can’t. What you need to know is that Gilda has fallen to darkness. That thing-,” Roxas pointed to the Heartless, “-is what’s left. Gilda’s gone. I’m sorry, I really am. But there’s no saving her.” Rainbow was now crying a full force, and Roxas could see the pain she felt envelop her body. “But listen,” said Roxas, putting a hand on Rainbow’s wither. “I can put her at peace with this,” he explained, while holding up his Keyblade. “This can put her at rest, and end her pain. I know this probably won’t make you feel much better, but I need you to do something for me.” “W-what?” shuttered Rainbow. “Do not let this pain take hold of your heart,” said Roxas as he pointed to the spot in in Rainbow’s chest that housed it. “Or you could end up just like her. You need to be strong, and look for the light at the end of the tunnel. Can you do that for me?” “I…I don’t…I-“ another roar came from the Heartless as it began making it’s move. The creature opened its sharp beak and expelled a blast of red magic energy, which caused a fiery explosion, and numerous screams. “Damn, we don’t have any more time to wait. Girls, get everyone out of here! I’ll take care of the Heartless!” The ponies nodded, and left to look for their friends. Roxas stepped around Rainbow, and was about to charge forward, before he said one last thing to Rainbow. “Please Rainbow. Have hope in your heart. The others need you. Ponyville needs you. Someday you’ll understand what I mean by that.” And with that, Roxas charged forward, preparing to engage the Heartless. Rainbow hovered there, with tears running down her face. ‘Is this my fault? Did I do this to Gilda?’Another roar bellowed as Roxas started fighting the beast of darkness. “I, I need to focus on helping the others,” said Rainbow as she wiped a hoof on her face. “I just need to stay focused!” With a quick flap of her wings, the Pegasus shot into the air, heading out to help the ponies that needed her. Author's Note Thanks for reading! Hope everyone is virus free! I've got a nasty virus on my PC, and this quarantine has done NOTHING to help! If you like my words, and don't like money, you can support me here: Ko-Fi Buymeacoffee Also, some bonus content, here's the sketch I did for the Gilda Heartless: https://www.patreon.com/posts/36899438 (This F**ken site makes it so hard to post images) XXIX.Roxas sprinted towards Gilda’s Heartless as fast as he could, running through a crowd of panicked ponies. Another shriek synchronized with a magical blast of energy, causing another devastating explosion. ‘If I don’t handle this quickly, there won’t be a Ponyville left to save!’Thought Roxas, as he dodged an incoming mound of debris by leaping to and running along the side of a nearby building. The Heartless began floating away from its original position, no doubt looking for more chaos to cause. Luckily for Roxas, it hadn’t noticed him yet. Seizing the opportunity, Roxas leapt towards the beast, his magic enhancing his speed to that of a bullet. Capitalizing on this, Roxas stabbed his Keyblade right at the Heartless’s head. It screamed in pain, both beaks opening to shoot their respective blasts of energy. The head then rotated round and round like a wheel, at a speed that dislodged Roxas, sending him crashing into a pile of debris. Roxas felt the air forced out of his lungs when he impacted. In addition, several pieces of broken wood tore through his coat, cutting into his flesh, leaving splinters in the wounds. Roxas tried to suck air back into his body, but couldn’t. As he lay there, the Heartless’s face that emanated rage opened it’s beak and sent a barrage of fireballs at Roxas. The human tried to get up and out of the way, but he still couldn’t catch his breath. The fire hit him, creating an intense amount of smoke that consumed the air around it. Roxas, with is first breath of air, screamed. “Spike! Spiiiikkkeee!” called Twilight as she galloped through the chaos of Ponyville. She and the others had split up in order to find Spike, Applejack and Rarity, as well as help any other ponies who needed it. “Spike!” Twilight looked around. The area she was in was now abandoned, with all the citizens either having escaped, or perished. Tears sweat and blood mixed on the unicorns face as she frantically searched. She ran to a pile of debris and started sorting through it, finding nothing. She moved on to the next one, finding nothing but the broken remnants of the lives that had once occupied the spot. She had no time to stop and contemplate the ruined lives around her. Not until she found Spike. “Applejack! Rarity! Where are you!” called Rainbow frantically as she flew from ruined building to ruined building. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find her friends. She was about to move on to the next section of town, when she heard a faint call. “Help!” It was weak, but Rainbow was able to identify the voice of a filly coming from behind her. She did a quick one-eighty and dashed towards the source of the call. “Please! Somepony help me!” came the voice again. Rainbow now had an accurate pinpoint of where the voice was coming from. She looked and saw a small orange filly pinned beneath the decorative cupcake structure that had made up Pinkie Pie’s room. Rainbow quickly flew to the spot. She grabbed the large piece that was pinning the filly, and lifted it into the air, off of her. “Quick kid! You gotta crawl out of there!” “Okay!” replied the filly. Rainbow watched through grit teeth as the orange Pegasus filly crawled out from under the wreckage. Once she was clear, Rainbow dropped the rubble. Rainbow then landed in front of the child. “Are you alright?” she asked, concerned. “I-I think so,” replied the filly. Aside from some scratches on her fur, and debris in her purple mane, the she looked to be unharmed. “You-you’re Rainbow Dash!” said the filly in adoration when she realized who had saved her. “Yeah that’s me, listen kid I don’t mean to be rude but you gotta get out of here! It’s not safe!” “Oh, yeah sure,” replied the filly. Rainbow took to he air, and was about to fly off, when she looked back to see the Pegasus filly running instead of flying. She quickly returned to the filly. “Kid, you should probably fly out of here, running’s too slow!” “I…I can’t fly,” replied the filly. “Really? Crap! Alright, hop on my back and I’ll fly you out of here!” Rainbow lowered herself to the ground in front of her fellow pegasus, whose eyes were now wide open and sparkling. The filly wordlessly climbed onto Rainbow’s back, and in quick motion, Rainbow took to the air. She couldn’t see the expression of pure joy and amazement that graced the child’s face. Roxas circled around the Heartless, firing blasts of fire and ice magic at it. But because the heartless had two faces that rotated, he wasn’t able to find an opening in its defenses. The creature screamed once more, and dove at Roxas, swinging its talons at him. He blocked with his Keyblade, before disappearing. He reappeared high above the heartless. Switching his single blade for the duo of Oathkeeper and Oblivion, he fell down towards his opponents’ head. He brought the weapons down on its skull, which caused it to fall towards the ground, landing with a thud. As Roxas prepared to attack again, the heartless picked itself up, and stood on its talons. As Roxas approached, it swung at him with both of its wings. Roxas dodged the first, but was hit with the second, which caused him to careen into a nearby building. ‘Why is this so difficult?’Roxas questioned himself as he wiped a smear of blood from his lips. ‘I barely managed to hurt this thing, while it’s been hurting me plenty!’ Roxas stood up, and twirled both his Keyblades, before jumping towards the heartless with fury. He cast thunder on the monster with Oathkeeper, and then brought a heavy hit towards the heartless with Oblivion. Then he began ferociously striking the beast with both of his Keyblades. Over and over like a swarm of bees, Roxas utilized the full extent of his speed; striking all over the heartless’s body and head as hard as he could. The Heartless took the brunt of the attacks, crying out in pain and rage before erupting a shockwave of magic sound, which sent Roxas flying into the air. He recovered with a flip, but before he could attack again, the heartless cried out. Roxas heard the sound of thunder clapping, and he looked up just in time to see a bolt of lightning heading right for him! Roxas was slammed right on the ground as all his muscles seized and burned. His Keyblades disappeared, as he lay on the ground motionless. “Ooh, my head,” complained Rarity as she sat up from a pile of debris. “What happened?” she looked around to see the utter devastation surrounding her. “My goodness! What-“ she was interrupted by a dragon-like roar. She looked over, and her pupils shrank as she saw the looming distant figure of the heartless. “W-what is that thing? Twilight! Rainbow, Pinkie Pie! Where are you?” she called. She heard a spurt of coughing coming from behind her. She turned to see Spike dusting himself off after digging his way out of the mess of broken wood that had covered him. “Spikey!” cried Rarity as she ran and embraced the young dragon. “Are you alright?” she asked. Spikes cheeks glowed red as he returned the hug. “Y-yeah, I’m good. My scales are pretty thick; they took most of the damage.” “Thank Celestia!” said Rarity. The two disengaged from the embrace, and looked at the carnage around them. “We need to find the others!” “My thoughts exactly, let’s go!” Rainbow landed next to the library, which was somewhat of a safe haven for the citizens of Ponyville, as the tree was barely damaged. Rainbow set her temporary ward on the ground. “All right kid, get inside where it’s safe!” “I will! You’re the coolest Rainbow Dash!” admired the filly, before she heeded Rainbows orders. “You bet I am!” “Rainbow!” the Pegasus looked to see Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy and Applejack approaching. “We found Applejack!” said Pinkie Pie. “But we still can’t find Spike!” cried Twilight. “All right, I’ll take to the sky, see if I can-“ before she could finish, they heard the voice of Rarity approaching. “Girls!” she called. Seeing Spike with her, Twilight ran up and embraced the young dragon as the rest of her friends joined in. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” said Twilight as she hugged the dragon. “I’m glad you’re okay too!” Their embrace was interrupted by a loud roar, followed by the sound of an explosion. The seven of them all turned their attention to see the battle between Roxas and Gilda’s Heartless. “What is that thing?” asked Applejack. “That is, that was-“ started Twilight before she was interrupted by Rainbow. “Gilda. That was Gilda.” “I don’t understand,” questioned Spike. “We can explain later, right now we have to stop that monster from causing anymore damage!” said Twilight with conviction. “Roxas is fighting that thing, but I think he needs our help! Are you ready girls?” Each member of the group gave an affirmative nod. “Spike, go back to the tree house and wait there. “O-okay!” replied the dragon, as he turned and ran towards the library. “Let’s go!” cried Twilight as the six of them charged forward, ready to end the fight. Roxas was reaching his limit. His body was covered in cuts and bruises, and his strength was starting to fail him. “This…*huf* is insane. Why can’t I beat this thing?” he said through ragged breaths. The Heartless let out another roar, and started charging a blast of magic in its beak. Roxas stepped back, and prepared to defend against the attack. With another roar, the Heartless sent the blast shooting towards Roxas. He tried to dash out of the way, but only made it five feet before he collapsed onto the ground. “Damn it...” he said, defeated. “I guess this is it,” he relented. He closed his eyes in preparation for what was about to happen. He heard a loud bang, but didn’t feel the attack hit him. He opened one eye and was surprised to see a translucent violet magic shield blocking the attack. Within moments, the main six had appeared. “Are you alright?” questioned Twilight as she struggled to keep the shield from breaking under the force of the heartless’s attack. “Alright-ish,” Roxas replied as Fluttershy helped him to his feet. “Don’t worry man, we got this!” boasted Rainbow Dash. “Yeah, you should go rest,” said Fluttershy. “No, I can’t do that yet. My Keyblade is the only thing that can put the heartless down for good, and you don’t have the Elements!” “Can ya even still fight?” questioned Applejack. “I’m not beat yet. But I could use your help. If you can draw its attention away from me, it will give me the opening I need to strike the final blow.” “Oh dear, I’m not sure how much help I can be with that,” said Rarity, nervous. “But I can certainly do best!” “Rainbow and Fluttershy, you fly around that monster, and keep it’s attention!” commanded Twilight. Fluttershy let out an ‘eep’. “I-I can’t!” replied Fluttershy, as she covered her face with her hooves, and cowered on the ground, shaking. “But Fluttershy, we need you!” said Rainbow Dash. “It’s fine,” stated Roxas. “Rainbow, you’re fast enough for two ponies, right?” “You know it!” “Alright, then this is the plan. Rainbow and Pinkie Pie, you draw the Heartless’s attention. Twilight try to contain its blasts and keep them from destroying anything. Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack, you should get out of here,” commanded Roxas. “What? I aint’ runnin’ away!” shouted Applejack. “I, might just heed his advice,” said Rarity. Another nervous ‘eep’ came from Fluttershy. “Applejack, you should make sure everypony stays safe! We can handle this!” stated Twilight. Applejack was about to protest, but when she saw the fear that enveloped Fluttershy, she decided better of it. “Alright fine! Rarity, Fluttershy, follow me!” she commanded. The three turned and rain away from the scene. “Alright. Let’s do this,” said Roxas. Rainbow flew right towards Gilda’s Heartless, flying around it in circles. The two heads tried to keep up, firing blasts out of both beaks, but where unable to hit the Pegasus. “Sorry about this Gilda! I really am! But I have to do this!” said Rainbow, hoping that whatever was left of her friend could hear her. Pinkie pie used her manic energy to bounce around the battlefield, hitting the Heartless with blasts from her party cannon, while twilight erected shields to keep the blasts of magic from causing any more harm. Roxas readied himself to strike a final blow. He ran towards the heartless at full speed. He leapt onto a nearby building, and ducked under an incoming blast of magic. He then leaped into the air, landing right on the Heartless’s head. Roxas took Oblivion and stabbed it right onto the Heartless’s head. He raised Oathkeeper into the air and screamed: “Thunder!” He cast Thundaga on the Heartless, which conducted through the blade he’d stabbed into its head, caused the electric attack to travel throughout its entire body. The monster let out one final scream of pain and rage before bursting into purple and black energy. Before Roxas fell to the ground, he saw a heart float up into the air. Then he hit the ground, being launched into unconsciousness. Rainbow stood in front of the battlefield, in the spot that Gilda had just occupied. The rest of her friends stood with her, with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy holding up the unconscious Roxas. “I’m sorry Gilda. This is my fault…” “It’s not your fault, Rainbow,” consoled Twilight, who put a hoof on her friends wither. “You could’ve known this would happen. In fact, this has NEVER happened before, in the history of Equestria.” “Why then? Why did it happen?” asked Rainbow through tears. “I don’t know. But I have a feeling Roxas does.” All eyes went to the knocked out human. In the Everfree forest, standing motionless was a Griffon. The Griffon, a female with white and pink head feathers, and a small black mark under each of her eyes, couldn’t seem to speak. All she could think was; ‘Where am I? Who am I?’ In front of the Griffon, a dark gateway opened. Out of it stepped a four-legged figure, face obscured by a black coat. “Poor thing, you must be so confused,” said the figure. “Come with me, and I will take you somewhere safe.” The Griffon wordlessly obeyed, and stepped through the portal. “Welcome home, number III.” Author's Note Tip Jar: Ko-Fi Buymeacoffee Hope you're still enjoying the story! XXX.“…going to take months…” Slowly, Roxas began regaining consciousness. “…ponies died…” The haze clouding his mind began to depart, allowing him to make out the voices of ponies speaking. “…to tell Celestia…” Roxas opened his eyes. Blinking a few times, he slowly sat up. He looked to his right to see the mane six conversing with each other in the main room of the Library. “He’s awake!” Roxas recognized the voice as belonging to Fluttershy. Seeing that he was lying on a couch, Roxas swept his legs over to the front of the couch and tried to stand up. He stood strong for a brief moment before his legs began to tremble, causing him to fall to one knee. “Careful!” cried Pinkie Pie, as she and Rarity helped the human sit back onto the couch. “Thanks,” he said as he rested back onto the cushions. “Are you alright?” asked Twilight. “I think so,” he replied. “Just tired. The fight completely drained me. How long have I been out?” “A few hours,” answered Twilight. “Speaking of the fight, we have some questions for you.” Roxas’s eyes locked with Twilight’s for a moment before they were cast to the ground. “Alright,” conceded Roxas. Twilight used her magic to summon a journal and a quill, which she began writing in. “That thing, you said it was called a Heartless, right?” “Correct.” “And you told us that Gilda became it when she was overcome with extreme emotional distress?” “It’s not quite that simple,” replied Roxas as he clasped his hands and rested them on his lap. “There’s a difference between having a really bad day, and losing your heart. When Gilda transformed, she had completely lost all of the light insider her. It was an emotional wound that was never going to heal. She’d given up on everything. To put it bluntly, she had nothing left to live for.” Rainbow’s eyes widened, before they became downcast. She stared at the floor with her mane concealing her face. “There are other ways to become a Heartless, but what I described is most likely the reason why Gilda turned.” “What are the other ways?” asked Twilight, scribbling furiously. Roxas paused, considering how much he should explain to the girls. “Look, the most important thing you need to know is that a Heartless forms when a person’s heart is completely consumed by darkness. It happens when all light has been extinguished.” All was silent in the room, except for Twilight’s note taking. Roxas made another attempt at standing, this time succeeding. He began making his way for the door. “Hey, where are you going?” asked Twilight. “I need to take a walk,” he replied. Twilight quickly trotted in front of him. “Hold on, we’re not done here! I still have more questions!” The two stared at each other for a brief moment. “All right,” responded Roxas. “How come I’ve never heard of this Heartless phenomenon in any books, and never heard them spoken of before?” “Because this is the first time it’s happened.” “Then how do you know about it?” All eyes were on Roxas as he felt a jolt run though his body. ‘Damn it! I need to think of something!’ He thought. “What I meant was, it’s the first time it’s happened here in Equestria. It’s an old legend from where I’m from.” “And where is that?” asked Rarity. “It doesn’t matter,” said Roxas as he turned and headed for the door. “It’s gone, and I won’t be going back.” With that, Roxas left the Library, leaving the ponies with more questions than answers. Roxas walked through the devastation of the town. He saw ponies sifting through the rubble, trying to pick up the pieces of their lives. Their homes were destroyed, but to Roxas they were still very fortunate. They could rebuild, they still had others like them to live with and for. But for Roxas, he was permanently stranded from his home, and other humans. ‘Home,’ he thought. ‘It’s been a thousand years, but I still kind of miss it.’ Of course Roxas loved Equestria, but he also longed for that Human connection he had been missing for so long. Something caught his eye as he made his way past a destroyed shop. It glimmered slightly with an unusual light. He turned and made his way towards the object, half buried under a mound of dirt. He crouched down in front of it, seeing an unusual faded blend of orange and purple. When he wiped the dirt away, he saw that it was a shell of some sorts. He picked it up and examined it. ‘A shell? I’ve never seen one with this coloring before…have I?’ Roxas thought it looked familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Then he saw the shell glow. 'So, this is Alex Lionheart. If you need help in a fight or just someone to talk to, I’m game. Just call me up and I’ll show up with a big dumb key-sword to do the thing.' “What the Hell?” questioned Roxas as he looked frantically around him. ‘Where did that voice come from?’ He couldn’t see anyone nearby. The voice sounded familiar as well, it was feminine. But he still couldn’t place it. He looked at the shell in his hand, as the glowing died down. “Did that voice come from this?” he asked himself quietly. He turned the shell over in his hand, before placing it in his pocket. ‘Weird. Alex, sounds like a human name. But that doesn’t make sense. There aren’t any other humans in Equestria.’ He continued to walk through the town. ‘Jesus, I can’t believe Gilda turned into a Heartless. How could that have happened? This is Equestria, not the Kingdom Hearts universe. Is it my fault? Did I bring that possibility here when I arrived here?’ Roxas walked past the border of the town, making his way towards an empty hill a distance away. ‘Regardless, if it can happen once, it can happen again. And I was not prepared to fight that thing. I would’ve been killed if it weren’t for the girls! I thought I could handle myself, but that Heartless was on another level.’ Roxas stood on the top of the hill, and felt a warm breeze blow through his hair. “I need to get stronger! Another Heartless could appear, and I need to be ready!” “Heartless? I think you have bigger problems than heartless.” Another presence made itself known. It lingered behind Roxas, danger radiating off it. “You’d be surprised what might just show up.” Surprised, thinking he was alone, Roxas quickly spun around, but was not prepared for what he saw. It was not a pony that had spoken to him, or any other creature native to Equestria. Roxas couldn’t believe it, but he was now looking at another human, the first one he’d seen in over a thousand years. And it was familiar. Cloaked in a dark outfit of black and red, he recognized the person in front of him. A character from Kingdom Hearts, just like him. The name was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t quite remember it. “What...what the…” he muttered. “Who...who are you?” “Oh come on, how did you forget me?” “I’m...we haven’t met before...have we?” The figure laughed, shaking his head. “Oh no, we’ve never met before. I’m just an invader from the void. Here to see if you're worth my time.” Spreading his arms out, darkness began to seep out of him. “What do you say, Nobody? Care to give daddy a hug?” “First of all, that is so wrong on so many levels! And what the Hell are you talking about? Where did you come from? I’m the only human in Equestria!” “Human? Who ever said I was human?” the figure questioned. “As for all of those other questions... let’s play a game.” Shapes began to form from the darkness, each bearing a set of red eyes. “For every one of my unversed you destroy I’ll answer one of them.” ‘Unversed...from the game? What’s going on here? This is-’ before he could finish that thought, one of the unversed launched itself at Roxas, swiping at him with its claws. Reacting on instinct, Roxas summoned his Keyblade, and swung it at the unversed, dissipating it from the world. “Very well, then, even if it was a given that you’d be able to dispatch a flood easily. What I am is the source of the unversed. If you want more than that, you’ll need to be specific.” Two more flood rushed Roxas. He used two blasts of fire to destroy them. “You’re from the game...Kingdom Hearts, right? How are you here?” “Vanitas, and yet not Vanitas, just as you both are and are not Roxas, and technically I’m from Birth by Sleep which is part of the Kingdom Hearts franchise.” The voice was smug, almost playfully so. “How about a bigger challenge for that last question?” A larger figure started to form out of the darkness seeping from Vanitas, a figure that was bottom-heavy and had thick-looking forearms. “That is one fat-” the new unversed dashed quickly, slamming its stomach right into Roxas, sending him flying into the air. He quickly recovered and landed on the ground, keyblade ready. “My sister would probably say that you deserve that for body-shaming, or something.” “Yeah, I’m the one who’s out of line here!” Roxas countered, before rushing the unversed. He swung his keyblade at the creature, only for it to bounce off of it like a trampoline. Roxas eyed his keyblade, then looked back at the unversed, while catching a smug look on Vanitas’s face. Roxas grit his teeth, and rushed the unversed again, hitting it over and over with his keyblade, only getting the same result. He tried magic, but was met with the same result. Before he could take another strike at it, it punched him straight in the gut, sending him to the ground, knocking the wind from his lungs. Vanitas tsked, disappointment dripping from his words. “If it isn’t obvious, that isn’t going to work. You’re just becoming the definition of insanity.” “Fine! You want something different!” In one fluid motion, Roxas traded in his single keyblade for his dual wielding pair, Oblivion and Oathkeeper. Roxas took a stance, and leaped into the air. He flew over the unversed, aiming to bring his keyblades down on Vanitas himself. Vanitas faded from existence, Roxas’s blades coming down on open air. He followed with his own slash across Roxas’s back. “Oh, did I touch a nerve? And here I thought you weren’t a real boy.” Roxas landed right on his fresh wound, which caused him to scream out in pain. He grit his teeth, and got back on his feet. He rushed right back at Vanitas with a flurry of successive attacks. Vanitas matched Roxas’s strikes, wielding his own keyblade. “Come on, don’t tell me that little girl is a better fighter than you?” Leaping back, magic sprung from his keyblade. Black edged lightning leapt at Roxas. Roxas raised his keyblade, forming a protective shield, but the lightning pierced straight through, hitting his body. He felt the lightning surge through him like a living conductor. A scream of pure agony erupted from his throat, before he fell to the ground. Out of his pocket, the shell he had collected fell onto the ground. “Help...please…I can't’ do this alone.” he pleaded to whoever could hear him from his strained throat. The shell glimmered softly, its light brightening by the moment. Lifting into the air, it flittered about like a pixie. It began to expand, and as it reached the size of a teenager it dropped to the ground and a short, black-haired girl stood there zipping up her black trenchcoat with all the urgency in the world as her face reddened. “I need to ask dad about a way to set a delay on my end if I need one. That was too close.” The new arrival took a glance around the area and immediately stiffened at the sight of Vanitas, the bruiser unversed, and the figure on the ground. Without wasting another second, she moved to stand over Roxas while summoning a shiny keyblade that looked like a sword with a yellow, sunlike fan for teeth. “Okay, you need to leave this world, now.” Vanitas stared down the girl, his posture relaxed. “Ah, there you are. Tell me, kid. Did you finally graduate from training bras, or are you still sub-A cup?” “That is so not your business, and I may have the mind of a med-school student but it’s sick of you to be perving on a body this young.” She took another step forward, raising her keyblade defensively. “Now leave, or we’ll tear you a new one, right, uh, Roxas until I learn your real name?” Roxas, having heard the conversation being held above, lifted his head up. “Sure...give me a sec…” He stood up, groaning. He re-summoned his keyblades, and took a combat stance next to the newcomer. Vanitas chuckled, dismissing his keyblade. “See, I was more just insulting you. I’m not the one who's playing will they-won’t they with someone who's actually their age.” Several more unversed spawned into existence. “But please, project some more.” “I assume you two know each other?” asked Roxas. “He’s an asshole that’s been killing people in my world, turning them into heartless and nobodies. Once right in front of me.” She took a long breath and glared up at Vanitas while brandishing her keyblade. “I will avenge everyone you’ve hurt. If not today, then someday.” Vanitas snorted. “Well listen to you. Getting all dramatic. Trying to impress the new guy? What would your sweetheart back home think?” Alex’s face flushed red, but before she could retort, Roxas spoke up. “You wanna shut this guy up already?” Tightening her grip on her weapon, Alex nodded. “Let’s.” Her keyblade shifted, taking a strange chitinous form. It further changed into a cross between a crossbow and a rifle. Raising it up, several streams of energy lanced out at Vanitas.Roxas sprinted, and leapt into the air, casting a gravity spell at Vanitas to keep him from moving. Unversed leapt to their creator’s defense, sacrificing themselves against the laser onslaught. One beam glanced across Vanitas’s helmet, searing away the glass faceplate. Slipping out of the gravity well, Vanitas touched the damaged portion. “A few inches more and that would have bored a hole through my face.” Material evaporated, leaving his head exposed. “It’s a good thing I don’t have to pay for those.” He grinned, yellow eyes contrasting against his otherwise normal appearance. “But this’ll cost you!” announced Roxas as he brought his keyblade right down on top of Vanitas’s head. Vanitas faded out, reappearing above Roxas. A spell charged and faded from his hand, as a beam of light tore into his side. Twisting in the air, he landed behind the remaining unversed. “Oh good, the little girl decided to be competent.” Brushing himself off, he grinned despite his smoking shoulder. “I think I’ll leave you two to your date. Doesn’t seem like you're worth the effort, Roxas.” Stepping back, he melted away into a roiling pillar of darkness. The unversed remained, guardians of the dying portal. “He’s running away?” questioned Roxas. “I mean, he just said he didn’t think you were worth it,” Alex commented, “Pretty sure that’s his reason.” “Sounds to me like he knew he was gonna lose,” said Roxas as he dematerialized his keyblade. Alex shook his head, taking a few more shots. “No, he’d have kicked both our ass’s. He just chose not too.” “Well regardless, thanks for the help,” thanked Roxas as he took a step towards Alex. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without-” but before he could finish, he fell down to one knee. He let out a gasp of pain. Finishing off the last unversed, Alex knelt by him. “Hold on a moment.” Holding her hands out, she dosed him with a casting of Cura. “There, how’s that feel? Good as new?” “Yeah!” said Roxas, feeling rejuvenated. He stood up, and stretched his arms out. “I really don’t know what would’ve happened if you showed up. But...how ARE you here? I haven’t seen another human in Equestria in the thousand years I’ve been here?” “You called me from my Equestria,” Alex explained, her face reddening again. “You’re damn lucky my coat was nearby...” Hefting her rifle over her shoulder, she poked his shoulder. “Are you human? Cause I’m human.” “Uh...yeah...I’m human. At least I’m pretty sure ,” replied Roxas. Alex shrugged. “For all I know, you could be a nobody. Figured I’d ask.” “So, there are others?” “A lot of others.” Alex’s weapon disappeared, leaving her unarmed. “I’ve only met a few though. One was a Sora and another was a Kairi. That second one was freaking surreal.” “So, are all the other humans Kingdom Hearts characters?” Shaking her head, Alex slipped her hands into her pockets. “Nah. I know a pair of sisters, one got turned into a spider-robot and the other became a psychic bug lady. We all just get turned into fictional characters. I think. Maybe.” “Huh...well, as you may have guessed, my name's Roxas,” he held out a hand to shake. “Roxas?” Alex questioned, taking his hand. “What, you decide to just complete the identity theft?” “I’m sorry?” asked Roxas, confused. Alex took her hand back, gesturing to herself. “Well, I became Xion but I’m still Alexander Lionheart. I have enough identity issues as it is, so, I’m not going around using her name. Just seems a little... tacky.” “Oh, well, my real name is…” Roxas thought back, trying to recall. That’s when it hit him. Inside Roxas’s Mind “Name, name, what do we got on a name?” questioned one of the tiny Roxas’s that made up his mind. “We threw out his NAME!” cried another. The entire metaphorical office space that was Roxas’s mind erupted into fire and chaos as the many mini Roxas’s ran around screaming. Real Life “I can’t believe it. I actually forgot my name!” “You forgot your name?” “It’s been so long since, I’ve used my real one.” Frowning, Alex nodded. “...Right. So, Roxas it is.” Clearing her throat, Alex shifted the conversation. “Watching you fight, I take it you haven’t figured out keyblade forms. I can fix that and give you drive forms.” “You can? That would be great! How do we do it?” Alex steepled her fingers, fixing Roxas with a firm look. “How do you feel about becoming clothes for a few minutes?” “What?” Roxas asked, confused. Grabbing Roxas’s arm, Alex smiled sheepishly. “Too late! Better to get it over with.” A sound akin to breaking glass reverberated throughout the clearing. Roxas’s body broke down into light, collecting around Alex’s body and solidifying into a new outfit. ‘Woah...this feels weird...like, really really weird,’ thought Roxas. “Yeah, you get used to that.” Alex looked down, observing her new clothes. Her coat had been replaced by black cargo shorts, a t-shirt and a jacket. Each bearing a flame design. “Wow, I look like a skater punk. Very 90s.” ‘What’s going on? Why am I clothes?’ “I pulled you into a drive form,” Alex explained. Her clothes glowed again, separating back into Roxas. “And now that should let you use them.” She took a step back, putting her hand up. “But uh, don’t try it on me. I’m not in the mood for it.” “Yeah, sure. So I can just do that whenever I want?” “Yeah, but you need someone else there to turn them into clothes,” Alex added. “That’s about it.” “It might not be easy finding anyone around here who’s willing to do that for me, but I appreciate what you’ve shown me! It’ll definitely come in handy!” Roxas had a smile on his face, but after a few moments, it faded. “Hey, so is there any chance of that guy coming back? I’ve got enough to deal with in Equestria without him causing more trouble.” Shaking her head, Alex smiled. “Nah, I doubt it. If he didn’t think you were worth it now, he’s not gonna change his mind. Even if he does, you have my token, so you can just call me back when you're in trouble.” “Thanks, I really appreciate your help!” Alex nodded, thumping him on the back. The better part of the afternoon was taken up by some impromptu lessons. Much of it revolved around teaching Roxas how to shift his keyblades into other forms. When he finally managed it, Alex spoke a bit about tokens. “-ember, you just find something that represents you and send it out into the void,” Alex reiterated, backdropped by the evening sky. “Okay, last lesson: Sending someone home. Just say ‘our contract is complete’ and send me back.” “I got it,” responded Roxas.”Well then Alex, our contract is complete.” “Cya ‘round.” Alex reverted back into a ball of light and slipped into the shell. Roxas looked at the shell as it lay nestled in his palm. He placed in his pocket, and turned to face Ponyville. “Well, I better get back. Wonder if anyone noticed the commotion.” With that, Roxas made his way back to town. ‘Wait, isn’t Alexander a guy’s name?’ Author's Note Hey, so in case you weren't sure, this chapter was actually a crossover. I'd like to thank my two collaborators; shagohad12 and Voldine. Think of this as a test chapter, I wanted to start off small with the crossover thing, to see what you guys think about the idea, so give me your feedback. Don't worry, I still have my own self contained plot that I'm still working through, so any crossovers would be in addition to the story, not replacing it. Anyway, hope you liked it! XXXI.It was a few days after Roxas’s confrontation with the other Human, and he had been taking that time to recuperate before he resumed his work. He currently sat in a corner of the Library, reading a book on Equestrian Magic. ‘First Heartless’s appear, now other humans, Hearts characters no less. But why now? It’s been a thousand years since I first arrived. What suddenly changed?’ “Oh hi Pinky, what’s up?” the faint greeting slightly registered as Roxas heard it, but he paid it no mind, and continued. “Hi ya Twilight! I actually came to-“ Roxas blocked the rest out as he reached a new chapter in the book he was reading and marked a few notes in a journal he had started keeping. He was beginning to think that Equestrian Magic was not responsible for any of this, not the Heartless, and not his initial appearance in the world. Were those anomalies caused by another magical source? One belonging to his original world…or another? He needed to look into this. What else could happen in this world now that- “Hi Roxy!” Roxas jerked for a brief moment as he looked up to see none other than Pinkie Pie bouncing in front of him with a wide smile. “Uh, hi Pinkie Pie,” he replied. He stared at her for a few moments as she continued to bounce, showing no signs of recognizing the growing awkwardness. “Uh, can I help you with something?” he asked. Pinkie responded in a quick burst. “Well, I was just thinking, you’ve been here for a few days now, and I like to get to know everypony in town, but I don’t even know your birthday, but we can’t be best friends if I don’t know your birthday, so you gotta tell me what it is so I can plan a birthday party for you when your birthday arrives!” “Oh, uh…I think it’s November, or maybe October, definitely one of those, probably,” he responded nonchalantly. With his eyes buried in his book, he failed to see that Pinkie’s jaw had hit the floor. Twilight was standing a few feet away, and even she looked shocked. “YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR OWN BIRTHDAY?” screamed Pinkie Pie. “No, I just forgot. I haven’t celebrated it in over a thousand years.” “A THOUSAND YEARS?! A thousand years without a party cake and presents? How are you even alive right now!?” questioned Pinkie as she shook Roxas back and forth. “Pinkie, give him some space,” asserted Twilight as she used her magic to yank the pink party pony off of the human. “But but this is madness!” screamed Pinkie as she attempted to gallop as she floated. Roxas reeled back, starting to feel a little unsafe. He wasn’t sure if the mare was going to be able to control herself. Pinkie continued to scramble before she seemed to calm. The manic energy in her eyes was replaced with a look of determination and resolve. Twilight felt it was safe to lower her back down to the ground, and did so. Pinkie took in a deep breath, before striking a dramatic pose in front the human. “Roxy,” she began. “Please don’t call me that-“ “I swear! By the moon and the stars in the sky that I shall throw you the biggest, best-est birthday party you’ve ever seen!” Pinkie disappeared, and reappeared behind Roxas, surprising him as she wrapped an arm round his shoulder. “The magnitude and brilliance of this party shall be so spectacular that the Gods themselves will bow before its splendor! The stars will shake and the dead will rise just to cast their eyes upon it!” “What?” muttered Roxas. Both Twilight and he had wide eyes as the looked at Pinkie, not quite sure how to process this. Suddenly Pinkie disappeared behind Roxas and reappeared in front of the library’s front door. “Just you wait! This will rock your socks off!” Pinkie then threw the door open, and cartwheeled into the distance, disappearing. “Should I be worried?” questioned Roxas. “Umm….” Hummed Twilight. “Maybe.” ~Later that Night in the Unicorn Range~ A dim light shone through the closed window of a wooden travelers caravan as it sat parked within a small brush of tall oak trees. An extinguished fire sat in front of it, the remaining smoke distilling into the air. Inside the caravan, a light blue unicorn mare sat in front of what some might call a desk. She had a worried expression on her face as she divvied up her remaining gold bits. She was running low; she barely had enough for an order of hayburger and fries. As it was, her food stock was nearly depleted. She felt a grumble in her stomach. Sighing, she reached into a rucksack and retrieved a single red apple. “Last one,” she said to herself as she took a bite. “I’ll have to make due until I arrive in…” she trailed off as she used her hoof to find her destination on the map she had laid out in front of her. “…Ponyville.” She then began thinking about her act. “I didn’t make many bits on my last show. I need to step up my game, I need to wow the audience!” She stood up and made her way to a small chipped mirror. “Remember, confidence is key!” she told herself. She then began practicing her acting. “The Great and Powerful Trixie! The Great and Powerful Trixie!” she was attempting different inflections, trying to find the perfect method of presentation. Truly, she didn’t feel very powerful, or great. But she knew from years of scratching the brim that being humble is a death sentence. It was the ponies who took charge and presented themselves as the best in the world who succeeded…even if it wasn’t true. “I am…the Great and Powerful…Trixie,” she told herself one last time. She then took in a deep breath, and made her way to her old hammock that hung in the corner. She finished off the single apple that comprised her dinner, and then chucked the core out the window. She then blew out her candle, and settled into bed. “I’ll be in Ponyville by tomorrow. And everything is going to go well. Everything is going to be perfect.” She closed her eyes and started to drift off. “Because I am…the great…and powerful…Trixie….” She was out. Author's Note Thirty-One chapters down, only 2,400,292 more to go! If you'd like to support my horse words, click these things: Ko-Fi BuyMeACoffee Here's some more shameless self promotion: I'm selling shirts online, click here now or else. Hope you're still enjoying the story. I'm starting to work on some original fiction, but I'm still updating on here when I can. Hope everyone's doing good! Bye!Bye!Byyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeesadsfasdfasdf.sdfsdfasfasdf......... I.Author's Note I did jump on the displaced band wagon a while ago, but it was a failure. I hope that this does better, It's something I really wanted to write. I hope you like it, or at the very least, don't hate it. I. The Everfree forest. By the opinions of most ponies, it was a dark, and sinister place that did not operate by the natural laws of Equestria. The weather worked on its own, it was dark and creepy, and filled with dangerous creatures. Most ponies wouldn’t even consider entering the place. But that did not apply to the six ponies standing on the very edge of it. These six were not entering the forest for fun, or to prove their bravery. They were doing it because they knew they had to. For only by venturing through the forest would they find the fabled Elements of Harmony, the only things that could stop an ancient villain, Nightmare Moon. The ponies stood there in silence, trying to work up the courage to enter. That was until the silence was broken by a pink mare, who either possessed great courage, or great ignorance to the danger ahead. “Wee! Let’s go!” cried Pinkie Pie. She began to trot forward, before she was stopped by a lavender Unicorn with a purple mane and tail. “Not so fast!” said Twilight Sparkle. “Look, I appreciate the offer, but I’d really rather do this on my own.” “No can do sugarcube!” objected the orange mare known as Applejack. “We sure ain’t letting any friend of ours go into that creepy place alone! We’re sticking to you like caramel on a candy apple!” The others voiced their agreements, and the group made their way into the forest, unaware of the two forces at work. The ponies eventually found themselves on a thin and brittle path, hugging the side of a mountain, with cliffs dropping to the depths below. As the ponies crossed, none of them noticed a purple mist, traveling below them. The mist merged with the rock, weakening its structure. The ponies crossed, with one in particular joking around, and trying to playfully scare the others. It was all fun and games, until the ground beneath them gave way. As the two pegasi went air born, the earth ponies and unicorns screamed in terror, as they slid down the mountain. Rainbow Dash’s speed was not limited to her flight, as she was quick to react to the situation. “Fluttershy, quick!” she yelled, and then the two dived forward in order to save their friends. Rainbow used what strength she had to lift Pinkie Pie into the air, saving her from plummeting to her death. Her companion, Fluttershy managed to catch Rarity by the tail, but the other two ponies continued their fall without anypony there to catch them. Applejack managed to catch a hanging root, halting her fall, while Twilight found herself hanging by her hoofs at the edge of her cliff. Applejack released her hold of the roots, in an attempt to aid her friend. “Hold on! I’m a comin!” said the Cowpony. “Applejack! What do I do?” cried Twilight. After a few seconds of contemplation, Applejack gave her her answer. “Let go,” said Applejack calmly. “Are you CRAZY!” yelled Twilight. “No I ain’t. I promise you’ll be safe,” replied Applejack. “That’s not true!” shouted Twilight. “Now listen here. What I’m saying to you is the honest truth. Now let go, and you’ll be safe.” Twilight thought about what the mare was saying. After a few seconds of contemplation, she closed her eyes, and let go. Her stomach rose, as she let out a scream of fear. Her eyes opened, to see both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flying towards her. But as fast as they were flying, Twilight was falling faster. Gravity was working against her. She was the two flying after her, and she could see the doubt in their eyes. Twilight thought for sure she was going to be splattered against the ground. But even with her screaming, she could hear a faint noise, a voice that she had never heard before. She heard the voice say “-Za”, and in an instant, Twilights fall seemed to slow. She felt her entire body functioning and falling slower, while Rainbow and Fluttershy seemed to be flying all the more faster. In a second, the two reached her, and grabbed a hold of her. Twilight let out a sigh of relief, as the two pegasi lowered her to the ground. Even though she was relieved to be safe, she couldn’t help but wonder what had caused her fall to slow. Perhaps it was adrenaline, but Twilight could remember feeling a faint tingling on her horn, which was how powerful Unicorns liker herself were able to tell if magic was being used. But who had used it? And what kind of spell was used? Just then, Twilight caught a glimpse of something in the corner of her eye. It was black, and dark, as if it was eating light itself, like a black hole. Twilight turned her head to glance in its direction, but the moment she could see it clearly, it was gone. “You all right Twilight?” asked Rainbow Dash. Twilight snapped out of her thoughts, and turned her attention back to the situation. “Oh, yeah, sorry, just thinking…. thanks for saving me,” replied Twilight. “No problem! Now let’s go get those elements! The ponies continued their trek through the forest. Rainbow Dash was busy bragging and reliving her saving of Twilight, with Twilight becoming increasingly annoyed. Just then, out of nowhere, a large manticore jumped in front of them, blocking their path. “A Manticore!” cried Twilight. The beast let out a mighty roar. “We’ve got to get past him!” The manticore leapt toward Rarity, prepared to smite her with his paws. The fashionista delivered a surprisingly well-executed buck at the manticore, pushing it back. “Take that you ruffian!” yelled Rarity, only for the manticore to roar right in her face. The ponies worked together to fight the beast, except Fluttershy who was trying to gain their attention. The ponies attempted to subdue the mythical beast, but could not manage to beat him. The ponies regrouped, and charged the manticore. The hybrid let out a roar, and charged the ponies in response. That was, until Fluttershy leapt in between the two forces, and yelled, “Wait!” When the two sides ceased their charge, Fluttershy calmly trotted towards the manticore. The beast roared, and raised his paw, ready to strike. The ponies averted their eyes, preparing for the worst. But instead of hearing screams of pain and death, they heard the calm whispering of the Pegasus. “Shh. It’s okay.” Fluttershy’s voice calmed the hybrid, which then held out his claw to Fluttershy, revealing a large thorn. “Oh you poor little baby,” cooed Fluttershy. She then proceeded to remove the thorn. The manticore let out a roar, causing the ponies to believe that he was about to harm her. Than was, until they saw the manticore licking Fluttershy affectionately. With the manticore calmed, the ponies were free to pass through the chasm. But as Twilight passed through, she saw something, high above on the top of the cliffs. She could not tell what it was. It was some dark fog, rounded like an oval, and about the size of a door. Just as Twilight saw it, it dissipated, fading into nothing. Twilight decided to turn her attention back to Fluttershy. “How did you know about the thorn?” asked the unicorn. “I didn’t. Sometimes, we all need to be shown a little kindness.” Twilight thought about that. Fluttershy was one of the kindest ponies she’d ever met. And that brought a smile to her face. Twilight and her friends continued their venture through the forest. The group continued to face many obstacles in their quest for the elements. They faced a forest of dark and scary trees, only for Pinkie to laugh away their fears. They came across a rapid river, but thanks to Rarities generosity, they calmed the tears of a crying sea serpent. Finally, they came to an old rope bridge. But the loyalty of the fastest Pegasus in Equestria saw them through, and allowed them to cross, and make it to the abandoned castle. Twilight was now alone in the room with the Elements of Harmony. She shut her eyes, and began channeling her magic. Because of that, she did not notice a dark purple cloud wrapping around the elements. The dark purple magic began circling, causing a mini tornado, with the elements being carried by the winds. Twilight let out a cry of surprise. Twilight leaped towards the elements, trying to stop them from escaping. In a flash, she and the elements disappeared, just as the other ponies arrived to help her. Twilight arrived in a different part of the castle, in a cloud of smoke. Her eyes widened as she saw Nightmare Moon standing there, the elements levitating around her. Twilight clawed at the ground, and prepared to charge the mare in the moon. “You’re kidding. You’re kidding right?” questioned the dark mare. The two charged each other, with Twilight lighting her horn. Just as they were about to make contact, Twilight teleported behind Nightmare Moon, appearing right beside the elements. As Twilight used her magic on the elements, Nightmare moon attacked, launching Twilight backward. As Nightmare stood in the middle of the elements, the spark from Twilights magic bounced between them. “No, NO!” cried the dark mare. Fortunately for her, the elements lost their spark. As Nightmare Moon laughed, Twilight gasped. “But…where’s the sixth element?” Nightmare Moon laughed in triumph as she slammed her hoofs onto the floor, shattering the elements. “You little foal, thinking you could defeat me. Now you will never see your princess, or your sun again. The night, will last forever!” announced Nightmare Moon. It felt hopeless for Twilight. The elements had been destroyed, and now, there was no way to stop the mare in the moon. That was, until Twilight heard the sound of her newfound friends approaching. Suddenly, Twilight felt hopeful. Her eyes widened with her sudden realization. “You think you can destroy the elements of harmony just like that? Well you’re wrong! The spirits of the elements of harmony are right here!” announced Twilight. As the shards of the elements of harmony began to rise, Twilight explained to the dark mare that each of her new friends represented the elements of harmony. Applejack represented honesty, Fluttershy the element of kindness, Pinkie Pie Laugher, Rarity generosity, Rainbow Dash as loyalty, and finally Twilight herself as Magic. “The spirits of these 5 ponies lead us through all the obstacles you threw at us!” “You still don’t have the sixth element! The spark didn’t work!” replied Nightmare Moon. “But it did! A different kind of spark! I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you,” said Twilight as she turned to face her friends. “To see you. How much I cared about you. The spark ignited in me, when I realized that you all…Are My Friends!” Just as Twilight finished her sentence, a shining flash of light appeared above her, revealing the sixth element of harmony: The Element of Magic. The element shards rotated around their bearers as the element of magic descended onto Twilight. There was a large glow that caused Nightmare moon to shield her eyes. “You see, Nightmare Moon, when those elements are ignited by the spark, that resides in us all, it creates the sixth element! The Element of…MAGIC!” With that, the elemental shards magic caused them to form into beautiful necklaces, with magical gems in the center, except for Twilights, whose element was a golden tiara. The combined power of the six elements caused a large rainbow to fire directly at Nightmare Moon, who cried out as the magic blasted her. Then, a large flash of light illuminated the entire room. When it subsided, the six mares found themselves lying on the floor of the castle. They rose themselves up, and soon found that their element necklaces were still present. Each pony marveled at their newfound jewelry. “Wow Twilight. I thought you were just spouting a lot of hooey. But I guess we really DO represent the Elements of Friendship,” said Applejack. “Indeed you do,” came a new voice. A great light blinded the room. The sun rose from the darkness, illuminating the sky. And from that light, appeared the Princes of the Sun, wings spread, and head held high. The ponies all bowed their heads, with the exception of Twilight, who rushed to embrace her mentor. “Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student.” After their embrace, Celestia continued to speak. “I knew you could do it. “ “But you told me it was all an old pony tale?” questioned Twilight. “I told you that needed to make some friends. Nothing more,” replied Celestia. “ I saw the signs of Nightmare Moons return, and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her. But you could not unleash it, until you let true friendship into your heart. Now if only another will as well.” The group’s attention was returned to where Nightmare Moon had once been. But instead of the dark mare, was a different pony. This one similar, but different. She had purple fur, with dark blue hair. She too, had a horn and wings, just like Nightmare Moon, and Princess Celestia. “Princess Luna,” said Celestia to the other Alicorn, who gasped in what could be called fear. “It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this.” Celestia lowered herself to the ground, to meet Luna face to face. “Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together little sister.” The entire group of ponies gasped at the newfound revelation. Then, the two sisters embraced in a long overdue hug. Silence filled the air, no noise interrupting the embrace. But then, the sounds of hoof steps could be heard. It was loud, and powerful. The entire group turned their heads to see who had just intruded into their moment. Eight gasps could be heard, as a new creature, most of which had never seen before, entered the room. The being was bipedal, dressed head to toe in a long black coat, with a hood covering its face. The coat had large zippers, with two chains coming from either side of the hood. For Twilight and her friends, the creature was unknown, never had they seen anything like it before. But for Luna and Celestia, the creature was not only familiar, but also one they did not expect to ever see again in their lives. The elements took defensive stance in front of the two sisters, prepared to defend them from the unknown creature. “It…it cannot be!” gasped Celestia in surprise. The creature stopped walking, as soon as he came in front of the group. Then, he reached up to his hood, and removed it, to reveal a face, that no pony had seen before. The creature had a relatively flat face, with a nose unlike most species on the planet. The creature had a spiky blond/orange mane atop of its head, with shiny blue eyes. Then, the creature spoke. “Princess Luna,” said the creature, in a young, male voice. In fact, he sounded like a teenager. The creature raised his hand to the side, and with a flash of light, an object appeared in his gloved hand. To the ponies, it appeared to be a key; only it was giant, and shaped somewhat like a weapon. The creature stepped forward, but the elements wouldn’t have that. “Stop right there monster!” challenged Rainbow Dash. But the creature didn’t stop; in fact he seemed to dash forward at incredible speed, appearing before the two princesses. He raised his weapon above his head, preparing to strike. Princess Luna shut her eyes, prepared for what would come next. All through out the room, a clang could be heard, one that echoed throughout the room. Luna had expected to feel the pain of death strike her. But instead, when she opened her eyes, she saw something she did not expect to see. The tip of the key was embedded into the floor, with the black-coated creature on his knees, hands resting on the handle of the weapon. His head was lowered, eyes tightly shut, letting tears come loose. But no pony was prepared for what he said next. “Princess Luna…I…am so sorry.” II.I know what you’re thinking. What’s Roxas doing in Equestria? And why am I apologizing to Princess Luna? Well my story is a long one. Like really long. Over a thousand years long. It started in a different time, in a different world. I wasn’t always called Roxas. I wasn’t always able to wield the Keyblade, or do magic. It all started the day I went to that convention. 1500 years ago I sat down on a chair, in front of the mirror inside my hotel room. I had my hair spiked up, at an attempt to replicate Roxas’s. My mom stood behind me, and shook a can of temporary hair paint. She then began to spray my head gold, as it was the closest color we could find. Once she finished, I walked over to the bed, and picked up my costume. I’d always wanted an organization 13 coat, ever since I first saw them. They always looked so cool. I wish mine were a bit better though. I liked it, but it wasn’t as accurate as it looked on the website. It only had one zipper that zipped all the way up. Because of this, I couldn’t really run, or anything, not that I needed to, but still. It did come with a decent chain, but the ends were white tape, instead of looking as accurate as it should. But hey, it looked cool, and I looked awesome in it. You see, after my high school graduation, my mom decided to reward me with a trip to Comicon. It kind of sucked that I couldn’t bring my Keyblade though. I had a metal Keyblade replica that I got in Vegas. It wasn’t completely accurate, it had a long cap on the top, and the hilt swiveled. It’s like the one Egoraptor has, if you’ve seen Game Grumps. I put some tape in it, to stop the swivel, and I also shortened the extremely long chain. What sucks though, is that I couldn’t bring it with me on the plane. I had hopes that I’d be able to find a cooler one at the convention, that I could use for my costume, and then have shipped to my home. Once I was ready, my mom and I went to the convention. She carried my costume in her purse, because it was hot out, and thus not a good idea to wear a black plastic coat. When we arrived, I was a little nervous about wearing my costume. I didn’t see a whole lot of other people in costume, and I’d never cosplayed before. The line looked long, but luckily we had VIP passes, so we got in sooner. Once we got in, I found it to be a decent enough temperature to wear my costume. Once I put it on, my mom let me go off, and search around. I found a lot of cool stuff; there were replicas, toys, art, and comics (who knew!). After a few hours though, I found myself bored. I’d seen and looked at everything this place had to offer. I’d seen the replicas, and I’d seen the art, and I’d seen the toys. But honestly, nothing really interested me. There wasn’t really a whole lot of interesting stuff here. Most of the toys and replicas were for games, and movies I’d never played, or seen. I was just about to head back to a toy booth that was selling some cool stuff, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a booth that I hadn’t seen before. I turned to look at it, and my eyes widened when I saw it. The vendor was dressed in a Resident Evil Merchant cosplay, so I couldn’t see his face. And at his booth was a bunch of merchandise that instantly caught my attention. As I made my way towards the booth, I couldn’t help but wonder why I hadn’t seen the booth before. I’d made my way around the convention hall a couple of times, so you’d think I would’ve noticed it before. Maybe it just set up. When I arrived at the booth, I saw a lot of cool things. There were tons of replicas, swords, guns, costume pieces, ECT. But what really caught my attention, was the items that I needed to complete my costume; 3 Keyblades. The first was the standard Kingdom Key. It was way better than the one I have at home; it was a perfect replica, though it appeared to be made out of wood. The others were highly detailed replicas of Oathkeeper, and Oblivion. Those were the ones I really wanted, but I probably only had enough money for one, and having either Oathkeeper, OR Oblivion would look weird. I’m kind of OCD like that, so I decided to go with the Kingdom Key. “Welcome traveler,” said the booth operator. “Hi,” I replied. “So, anything catch your interest? Ooh, let me guess, those Keyblades right?” he asked as he pointed back over his shoulder. “Yeah.” “Oathkeeper and Oblivion, right?” “Well I probably only have enough for one, but I probably can’t get that one either. I’m going home on a plane, so I can’t bring a Keyblade home,” I said in a somber tone. The merchant was silent for a moment, and then he spoke again. “Well, I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you all three for $150. You can take the standard Keyblade around for the remainder of the convention, and then bring it back to me, and I’ll mail all three to your address. How does that sound?” “Wow, that sounds Awesome!” I should have suspected something then, but I was a fool to trust the inherit goodness of man. Plus, I was really excited about making off with not one, but three Keyblades. So, I gave the man my money, and mailing address, and he gave me the Kingdom Key. I said goodbye, and left with the replica. I spent a few more hours walking around, and doing nothing, until I ran in to my mom. “Where did you get that?” she asked. “I got it from one of the booths. The guy there gave me three of these for $150, and he’s even going to mail them to our house!” “You realize that you have no more money to spend the rest of our time here? And how do you know that that guy is going to honor his word? He could’ve just taken you money, and not sent you anything?” I tried to explain to my mom that everything was fine, but she insisted on seeing the booth, and looking at what I bought. She was kind of mad that I’d spent so much money, without letting her know. She also didn’t trust that this guy was actually going to send the Keyblades. I led her to where the booth was. But when we arrived, the booth was gone! In its place, was a stand selling metal statues of characters from games. “Well, where’s it at?” asked my mom. “It was right there!” I said, pointing to where the booth once was. “Well, I don’t see it.” “But it was right there, just a few hours ago!” I started getting anxiety, thinking that this guy had stiffed me. It was then, that I started feeling lightheaded. I thought it was the current stress of the situation. I put a hand to my head, and leaned against a booth. “Are you alright?” asked my mom. I tried to answer, but I couldn’t form words. Then, the Keyblade in my hand started to burn, even through my glove! I tried to let it go, but my hand wouldn’t open, no matter how hard I tried! I looked down at my hand, and saw that the Keyblade was starting to glow white, presumably with heat. My mom tried to help me, but all of a sudden my vision started going white as well. I couldn’t see anything, as I stumbled around. Then I started screaming, as the heat from my hand started to spread through out my body. Then, my vision went from white, to black. I guess that was when I became unconscious. III.When I awoke from unconsciousness, I expected to find myself looking at the ceiling of a hospital room, or at the faces of people gathered around me in the convention hall. Instead, I found myself gazing at complete darkness. It was confusing, for a minute I thought I had hit my head too hard, and I’d gone blind. But then, I felt air pushing at me from below. It felt as if I was falling. I started to panic and tried to right myself upward, but my flailing merely spun me around, as if I was in a vacuum. But then, out of my control, my body began to adjust itself, so that my feet were down, and my head was up. When I landed (If I landed at all) I expected to fall with enough force to injure, or kill myself. But instead, I gently landed on the floor that I could not see. When I felt myself standing, I looked around, but could see nothing but darkness. I was afraid to take another step forward, at the risk that I would fall off of something, and start falling again. So I just stood there. Maybe it was for a few seconds, maybe it was a few minutes, I couldn’t tell. But eventually, when I felt as if I was going to be trapped in the darkness forever, I was greeted with a voice. It was like nothing I’d ever heard before; it was neither male nor female. “You will change history,” said the voice. “Who said that!” I questioned, only to gasp at the sound of my voice. It was different, not necessarily older, or younger, just different. It sounded a tad deeper, but still sounded teenaged. It sounded almost like… “But nothing will change.” “Where are you? Show yourself!” I commanded. I couldn’t pinpoint which direction the voice was coming from, it sounded as if it was coming from everywhere at once. “You will lose what is most important too you, but you will not miss it.” “What are you talking about? What is going on?” “You will find it in pain, and darkness.” At this point, I gave up on trying to communicate with the voice. “But in the end, your light will always shine.” As soon as the voice finished its sentence, a white light shooting up from below blinded me. I raised my hand to cover my eyes, but it still shot through, making it hard to see. Even when I shut my eyes, I could still see the light through my eyelids. But after about 10 seconds, the light subsided, but was still enough to illuminate the area I was in. I looked down, to see that I was standing on a large, circular platform. There were images on it, though I couldn’t make them out, do to the size of the platform. I looked around, trying to find the source of the voice, but I still couldn’t see anyone. In fact, aside from the platform, I was still in complete darkness. “Your journey begins now.” “What are you-“ but before I could finish my sentence, I felt the sensation of unconsciousness overcome me again. “Not again,” I said, my words slurring, as I fell to the ground again, to be met again by blackness. For a second time that day (or so I thought), I found myself stir from unconsciousness. Only this time, when I awoke, I was greeted by sight. I felt the familiar feeling of grass against my face. I pushed myself up, getting to my feet. I wobbled, and nearly lost balance as the blood rushed to or from my head, causing me to become light headed, but thankfully I did not fall over. Once I had myself steady, I took a look at my surroundings. I appeared to be in what looked like a dark forest. Every which way I turned, all I could see were trees, and darkness. “How the hell did I get here?” I asked myself. I honestly had no idea. I felt like I was about to pass out again, this time from the confusion of being in a forest. I raised a hand to my head, and noticed that it was still cloaked in my black glove. It was then that I saw that I was still in my costume. I took a look at myself to see that I was indeed still dressed as Roxas, but what surprised me was my costume. It was 100% accurate! The chains were completely accurate, and there were two zippers, meaning I actually had some legroom. I had no idea what had happened to my costume, but I didn’t have time to ponder, because no sooner had I checked my costume, did I hear the sound of growls. I turned around to see that in the darkness, there where several sets of glowing yellow eyes. I took a step back, slowly, as not to provoke the predators that were now stalking me. Slowly, the beasts stepped out of the cover of darkness, to reveal themselves. I expected wolves, or mountain lions. What I did not expect was to see large wolves made entirely out of wood. My eyes widened in alarm and surprise. These were…they were Timber Wolves! But those didn’t exist, except in…Equestria. But that was impossible, Equestria was made up! But as I was wondering just what was going on, the wolves were now fully revealed, showing that there were three of them. I was roused from my thoughts by the sight of the three predators advancing on me. I decided that I’d figure all this out when I wasn’t in mortal danger. Now glad that my costume had been modified, I turned around and sprinted as fast as I could. The moment I did, the wolves gave chase. I maneuvered through the trees, leaping over obstacles, trying to get away, but no matter what I did, the wolves didn’t’ falter. As I ran, I eventually reached a dead end, in the form of a cliff. I turned around and looked at the wolves, to see them slowly closing in on me. I looked around, trying to find a way to get away, or to defend myself. I looked, and saw a medium sized stick lying on the ground. I picked it up, and held it in front of me. The Timber Wolves didn’t seem to be intimidated by my makeshift weapon. They continued their advance. I decided that the last thing they’d expect was for me to go on the offensive, so that’s what I did. I readied my stick, and charged. The wolves seemed surprised; I took my stick and swung it at one of the wolves. Unfortunately it didn’t seem to bother the wolf much. It spun around, and wacked me with its tail, sending me flying back. I landed with a thud, the stick flying out of my hand. I landed with a thud on the ground. One of the wolves charged me, hoping to take advantage of my fall. My eyes widened, this was the end! I shut my eyes, and in an attempt to save myself, I swung my right hand, hoping to bash the wolf. I expected to feel my fist collide with something, but in stead I heard the sound of wood smashing. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see the wolf that had attacked me, now lying on the ground a few feet away. I was confused as to what had happened. I turned my head to look at my hand, and my eyes widened at what I saw. In my hand, was…a Keyblade. It was the one I had bought at the convention, the accurate wooden one. Only, when I felt it, it felt more like metal, than wood. I pondered as to how this Keyblade was in my hand, and it appeared the wolves were wondering too. But they quickly got over it, and started advancing on me. I got up, and held my Keyblade in front of me. The wolf that I knocked down got up again, and seemed to be angry, because he charged me again. I reared back by blade, and swung, smacking the wolf in the face, knocking it so far, it fell off the cliff. I was surprised; I didn’t think I had enough strength to do that! I turned my attention to the other wolves, and saw them advancing on me. I swung my blade, but the wolf I was aiming at dodged. I swung at the other, but it dodged too. I rolled forward, and swung my blade at one of the wolves, causing it to shatter. Then I spun backward, and hit the other, causing it to shatter as well. I took a step back, but I knew that this wasn’t the end. The pieces of wood and brush started to vibrate, and the pieces rose from the ground, combining together, to make a new larger wolf. There was no way I could whack this thing enough to defeat it. The only thing that could defeat this thing was fire. But how was I going to get ahold of that? I found myself wishing for fire, more than anything in the world. “Damn it, I need FIRE!” I yelled. To my surprise a blast of fire shot from the tip of the blade, onto the ground, causing the ground to ignite. My eyes widened in surprise. Did I do that? I looked at my Keyblade, and then back to the wolf, who was eyeing the fire with caution. I looked back to the Keyblade, and pondered. What if…maybe…. I pointed my weapon at the wolf, and yelled; “FIRE!” in an instant a blast of fire launched towards the wooden beast, igniting it! The Timber wolf cried out in pain, and began flailing around, and running around. Not watching where it was going, the wolf ran strait off the edge of the cliff, plummeting to its doom. I walked to the edge of the cliff, and looked down, seeing the burning pile of wood lying on the ground. I took a moment to compose myself, but was surprised to find that I didn’t really need to. I was alarmed at the prospect of dying, but now that I think about it, I didn’t really feel all that much fear. I really did not know why, but I felt it didn’t really matter at the moment. I had more important things to worry about, like how I had ended up in Equestria, and how I became what I believed to be Roxas. But most importantly, I wanted to find Ponyville, and meet the mane six. So I set out to continue my adventure. IV.With the Timber Wolves defeated, in what was essentially my first battle, I felt a sense of confidence in my abilities to fight, and defend myself. As I made my way back towards the forest from whence I came, I thought about how I was able to defeat those mythical beasts. Somehow, I had been transformed into Roxas From Kingdom Hearts. How that was possible, I didn’t know. I tried thinking back to what happened before all this. I remembered buying this Keyblade, plus two others at that booth in the convention hall, from that guy who practically gave them away. But that was just a coincidence right? Then again, his booth did disappear like it wasn’t there to begin with. What if that Merchant was responsible for all this? What if holding that Keyblade somehow triggered this transformation? It was weird, but I didn’t feel all that angry. I mean, if this was Equestria, then it’s basically a dream come true, being a Brony and all. Yet, just as I didn’t feel anger at the possibility of being intentionally ripped from my home and family, I also didn’t feel the feeling of excitement or anticipation at the fact that I just may be in Equestria. It was weird, but I just felt…nothing. I didn’t feel any negative emotions, but neither did I feel positive emotions either. As I made my way back into the forest, I started thinking about my parents. It was entirely possible that I was having a very lucid dream and I was still unconscious, lying on the floor of the convention hall. But that wouldn’t explain why my hand started burning, and why the Keyblade was glowing like that. I couldn’t have been hallucinating, I’ve never done it before, so I don’t know why I would start now. If I really was in Equestria, what would my parents think? What did they think happened to me? Did they think I ran away? Got kidnapped? Or worse, what if my body was still there, dead and lifeless. It was starting to bother me how calm I was about all this, but I decided to focus on different things for the time being. As I trekked through the dark forest I noticed just how similar it looked to the Everfree forest from the show. It was dark, with warped trees, with faces that would scare small children, and yet…I felt at ease here, more so than before. The thought that monsters might attack me again did cross my mind, but after I handled those Timber Wolves, I felt that I had a decent chance of defending myself. That brought my thoughts back to what had happened earlier on that cliff. Somehow, I had been able to not only summon a real Keyblade, but I had also been able to use magic as well. I stopped walking as an idea came to me. I looked to my hand, and pondered. I decided to test it. I held out my open hand, and concentrated, willing the Keyblade to return to me. The Keyblade didn’t return to me immediately, but I did feel a tingling in my hand, a pulsing. I closed my eyes and tried to push on that feeling, sending more energy to my hand. The tingling increased, and I opened my eyes just in time to see the familiar Kingdom Key appear in my hand. “Ha, I did it!” I yelled, only to quickly put my other hand over my mouth, remembering that this forest was filled with beats. I especially didn’t want to come across a Cockatrice. With my Keyblade in hand, I began my walk again. As I did, I twirled the weapon in my hands, practicing my handling. I swung, stabbed, and slashed at the air, getting a feel for my Keyblade. I thought back once again to my fight on the cliff. When I had said the word ‘Fire’, fire had shot from the tip of the blade. So I thought, maybe like in the game, the spells were voice activated. I held onto my blade with both hands and pointed it at one of the trees. I decided on the Blizzard spell, since I didn’t want to risk setting the trees on fire. “Freeze!” I waited, but nothing happened. I said it again, but still nothing happened. I tried shaking the Keyblade while reciting the spell, but still nothing happened. I was getting frustrated. Nothing’s worse than having a power, and then losing it. I sat down, and thought about just how I’d made fire come out the first time. I had said ‘Fire’ and fire had come out. I needed fire, and so fire came…out. Maybe that was it. Maybe I needed to combine the words, with the will of wanting it to happen. I stood up, and pointed my Keyblade at a tree and said ‘Freeze’, but this time I focused on wanting ice to shoot out as well. In an instant, a ball of ice shot out of my Keyblade, solidifying a chunk of the tree. “Hm…not a very big area effected,” I said to myself. I decided to put a bit more effort into it the next time. I pointed my Keyblade at the tree again, this time putting more effort, willing a stronger blast of ice to appear. This time, a larger chunk of ice shot forth, about twice the size. Immediately after, I felt a wave of lightheadedness, and collapsed to my knee, holding myself up with my Keyblade. I had to rest for a few minutes, but eventually I was able to get myself up to my feet, and back to walking. I decided that I wasn’t going to put that much effort into magic again, until I was somewhere safer. It appeared I had some training to do, if I wanted to get my magic abilities up to par. Eventually, after another half an hour of walking, I saw a light through the trees. I made my way towards it, and finally found myself outside of the forest. But the site that now stood before me was not what I expected. I did not see the familiar grassy plains, and old timey houses I expected to find in Ponyville (assuming I had gone the right way). What I saw was less familiar, but not completely unknown. The sky was purple, with giant hunks of earth floating in the air. The ground was warped, and checkered. There were fish flying through the air, and there were frogs with sharp teeth chasing down miniature lions. It was…it was weird. I also noticed a familiar looking castle floating sideways in the air. It looked like the castle of the royal pony sisters; only it wasn’t decrepit, and ruinous. It looked new, and pristine. I also noticed that in the distance past the castle was what appeared to be a village. Only, it was warped, and messed up too, with buildings floating in the air, the ground still warped and checkered. I finally noticed that separating me from all this, was a chasm, with nothing connecting the ends, except for a wooden bridge. I was confused, this looked like Discords work. But wasn’t he reformed? Also, shouldn’t the castle be…you know, ruined? I decided to check it out. I pulled my hood over my head, and willed my Keyblade to disappear. I then carefully made my way across the bridge. Once I made it across, I decided to travel further, into the chaos zone, but before I could, I heard the sound of galloping approaching. I turned to see a group of ponies running from what looked like alligators; only they had the legs of lions. The ponies screamed in fear, as the gator-lions appeared to be gaining on them. I couldn’t just stand and watch those creatures eat those innocent ponies. I decided to intervene, and quickly. I summoned my Keyblade, and sprinted towards the ponies. I took a quick look and saw three beasts chasing the ponies. “Get out of the way!” I called. Both ponies, and gator-lions looked towards me. The ponies looked at me with a renewed sense of fear. They sprinted even harder away, while the gators still gave chase. I pointed my Keyblade, and cast a freezing spell at the beast in the front, causing one of its legs to become stuck to the ground. I then ran strait at the second one, and jumped over it. I had planned on whacking it with my Keyblade, but was unprepared for the power my jump carried. I soared a good ten feet over the beast, flailing in the air, and roughly landing on my feet. It appeared my physical body had gained new abilities. I decided to utilize my new abilities, and modify my fighting. The monsters now had their gazes fixed on me, the ponies watching, eyes wide, from a safe distance. I readied my Keyblade, and once again charged at the beats, this time leaping into the air, flipping over the monster, with my body now upside down. I pointed my blade at the second gator-lion, and cast a fire spell at the beast. As I landed, the monster roared in pain. At this point, the monster that I’d frozen to the ground had broken free, and was now on the offensive. The beast that I’d burned now looked more pissed than anything. I readied myself in a defensive stance, both hands held onto my Keyblade. I was prepared for the monsters to charge me. What I wasn’t prepared for was when one of the creatures opened its mouth, and shot a torrent of flame towards me. Surprised, I jumped backward, evading the fire by a few feet. The two other beasts moved forward, and shot their own flames at me. I raised my Keyblade above me, and cast a new spell. “Wind!” and like that, a mini tornado of wind enveloped my body, deflecting the fire. As soon as the fire stopped, I threw my Keyblade at one of the monsters. After landing its blow, it returned to me like a boomerang, which I caught. I then sprinted forward. At that point, a spell came to mind; one that I believed could finish this fight. As the Gator-lions prepared for my attack, I leaped over them, and cast a spell. “Gravity!” With that, a sphere of dark purple energy appeared. This spell crushed all three of the beasts at once, ending their reign of terror. The creatures died, and as their lives ended, they rolled over onto their backs, their skin drying up, fading into dust. I wondered why that was, but then again, I’d never seen an Equestrian creature die. Then again, these might not be Equestrian creatures. If the environment was anything to go on, these creatures were most likely created by Discord. As I stood up, and dematerialized my Keyblade, I heard gasps behind me. I looked over my shoulder, to see the group of ponies, standing behind me. “Did you see that?” “That thing just took out three of Discord’s monsters!” “I’ve never seen anypony fight like that!” I turned around and walked towards the group of ponies. They gasped and fear, and took a few steps back. I ceased my advance, and raised my hands to show I meant no harm. “Easy now…I’m not going to hurt you,” I said. “It talked!” said one of the ponies in surprise. I slowly walked forward, and took a knee a few feet away from the ponies. The ponies seemed apprehensive, but did not flee. “What’s going on here? What can you tell me?” “It’s Discord, Lord of Chaos!” said one of the ponies. “He’s been tormenting us with his insanity for years, creating terrifying creatures, messing with the environment, basically making Equestria unlivable!” said the next one. So that’s what was going on. This was the past, at least a thousand years before the events of the show. But how can I be in Equestria’s past? And why? “But it’s okay! The two ponies, the big ones with both horns and wings have come! They’re going to defeat him!” said another pony. “The Alicorns? Celestia and Luna?” I asked. “You know them?” questioned the first one. “I know of them. Can you tell me where they are?” I replied. “They’re straight that way,” said the second pony, pointing in the direction of the town past the castle. “Thanks,” I said as I stood back up. I leaped over the ponies, and ran as fast as I could towards where the royal sisters should be. With my new body, I was able to achieve speeds I normally wouldn’t have thought possible. With a matter of minutes, I was able to see Discord sitting atop his throne, with the two sisters approaching him. I stopped my run, and hid behind a tree, observing from afar. “Playtime’s over for you Discord!” said Celestia with venom in her voice. “Oh, I doubt that,” replied Discord with confidence as he munched on those black seeds as if they were popcorn. After orgasming from their taste, Discord offered them some, to which he only received hateful glares. “Suit yourselves,” said Discord, who continued to munch down on them. I watched as Celestia and Luna then illuminated their horns, levitating the original jewels of the Elements of Harmony out of their saddlebags, causing them to hover in front of them. “Ooh, what have you got there?” questioned Discord. “The Elements of Harmony,” replied Celestia. As she said that, the elements began to whirl around the two, creating a sphere of purple energy. “And with them, we shall defeat you!” said Luna with determination. But, instead of falling over laughing, Discord merely smirked. In an instant, the charging of the elements ended, causing a beam of harmonic energy to shoot towards the draconequus, resulting in a clash of white light, illuminating the area, bright enough to cause me to need to cover my eyes. As the light faded, I saw the elements return to Celestia and Luna’s saddlebags. The two sighed in relief, and then breathed heavily, clearly tired from the effort. “It’s over,” said Luna, as she sat down. “Something’s not right here,” I muttered under my breath. What came next confirmed my belief. “Ha ha ha ah! Oh, nice try girls, but not quite enough to beat me,” said the echoed voice of Discords voice. The two ponies gasped in surprise, as Discord materialized back on top of his throne. “But how?” questioned Celestia. “Oh, it was quite a nice attack ladies, and surely would have worked…if I was blind and deaf!” He then snapped his fingers, disappearing and reappearing in front of the two. “But for anypony who can teleport, you’ll find that such an attack is ineffectual,” said Discord as he put his hands behind his back and turned, walking away from the two. “I didn’t think you two posed any threat to me, but now it is clear that you DO in fact have a way to defeat me. Which is why, I will have to destroy you.” He turned around, and snapped his claw, causing six spears to appear in the air, aimed strait at the two, who gasped in surprise. “I have to do something!” I said. It was clear that the elements were useless if Discord could just disappear and reappear at will. Those two needed a distraction. I materialized my Keyblade, and got out from my cover, and ran towards Discord. I aimed my Keyblade at Discord and cast freeze, causing a blast of ice to hit the unsuspecting Discord’s arm, covering it in Ice. “What in the world?” cried Discord. The three beings heads all turned towards me, as I ran. I knew that normal spells wouldn’t be enough to keep Discord down for long, so I stopped right next to the two Alicorns. “Get ready to use those Elements!” I yelled, as I raised my Keyblade. I knew I needed a lot of energy to keep this spell running long enough keep Discord contained for the two to use their Elements. “Who are you!” questioned Celestia. “Don’t worry about it, just get the elements ready!” I yelled, as I cast my spell. “Stopza!” I yelled. In an instant, Discord was trapped in a state of frozen time. It was the most difficult spell I’d ever used, tolling on my body. It was an effort that taxed my mind and body. “NOW, USE THEM NOW!” I yelled, as I struggled to keep the spell going. The two looked at each other, before nodding and using the elements once more. The gems levitated into the air, causing the same glowing sphere to appear around the Alicorns. Then, the elements blasted Discord, who was still frozen by the sphere. The moment the blast hit Discord; I released my spell, overcome with exhaustion. The Elements did their job, causing Discords entire body to solidify in stone. The stone started at his feet, and rose, causing him to scream in defeat as is body was turned to stone. The elements fell to the ground, as the two Alicorns sat down, in exhaustion. “It’s over,” said Celestia. “Who…who are you?” questioned Luna in my direction. I had planned on standing there triumphantly, using one hand to remove my hood, while saying; “Name’s Roxas…Got it Memorized?” But honestly, I was way to exhausted to say, or do anything. “I’m…I’m,” and that’s all I got out, because at that moment, I collapsed to the ground, falling unconscious yet again. The last thing I thought was; I gotta stop doing that. V.As the glare of the sun shone through the window, onto my face, my eyes fluttered open, ending my dreamless sleep. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a blanket like canopy draped over the four pillars, one of those things you see over a bed. I could feel my body lying in something soft, really soft. I may just go to sleep willingly this time, it’s so comfortable. I lean my head back, and close my eyes. ‘Hm…I wonder how I got here,’ I thought. It took a little longer for me to realize the implications of that than I care to admit. As soon as realization hit me, I jolted upright, eyes wide open. I scanned the room I was in, and the first thing I saw was an open window letting in rays of sunlight. I looked down to see that I was lying in a very comfortable bed. I also saw a dresser lying against a wall, and a desk with a candle on it. ‘Where am I?’ I thought. I leaned my legs over the edge of the bed, and stood up. It was then that I noticed that though I was still wearing my pants, and socks, my boots, coat, and gloves were not on my body. I saw my boots lying in front of the dresser, while my coat and gloves were on the desk. I walked over to my boots, and grabbed them. I then returned to the bed, sat down, and then put them on. Once that was done, I went over to the desk, and picked up my coat. It had a little dirt on it, which I brushed off. I slid the coat back onto my body, and then I put on my gloves. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something. I turned my body and saw a mirror hanging on the wall. I walked in front of it, and looked at myself. God, I really have become Roxas. My hair, my eye color, even the pigment of my skin was one hundred percent accurate. My god, I even had those anime eyes. I used my fingers to spread my eyelids and behold, my eyes were bigger than they used to be. I let my eyelids go, and walked away from the mirror. ‘I guess I really am Roxas. But how did I get here?’ I started thinking about what had happened. Let’s see, I remembered fighting the Timber Wolves. After that, I had saved a group of…ponies. That’s right; somehow, I had been transported into the world of Equestria! And after I had saved the ponies from those monsters, and then…holy crap, I fought Discord! I, I had somehow aided the Alicorn sisters in defeating Discord…and then…. and then I passed out, that’s right. I think I am most likely in the Castle of the Royal Sisters. They must have brought me here. I remember now, we are in the past, when Celestia and Luna had first fought Discord. And if I remember correctly, they had tried to use the Elements of Harmony on Discord and it had failed. I wonder why that was. In the show, they used the Elements to successfully turn Discord to stone. Then why didn’t it work? Maybe it was my presence. I’m in the past; it could be the butterfly effect or something. I really hoped that this wouldn’t cause some horrible consequences. I think back again to the fact that I’m Roxas. And I remember just how…well, how little I’ve felt. I didn’t feel the amazing awe of being in a new world, or the crushing sadness at the possibility of never seeing my family again. If I was Roxas…did that mean I was a nobody? Did that mean I didn’t have a heart? I was roused from my thoughts by the sound of the door to my room opening. I turned my head to see a grey unicorn mare with a darker gray mane, wearing an old looking maids outfit enter the room with what looked like a food tray and cover in her magical grasp. When she saw me standing there, she gasped in surprise, nearly dropping the platter. Fortunately, she regained her composure, and kept the plate in her grasp. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t expect you to be up. “ “That’s alright,” I respond. The mare walks over to the chest lying in front of the bed, and sets the plate on it. “I brought you something to eat. Granted, nopony, not even the Princesses have ever seen anything like you before, so we just picked what we thought you might like.” The mare removed the cover revealing a bowl of oatmeal, a glass of water, and some fruit, such as watermelon, and an apple. “Thank you,” I said in gratitude. “So, am I correct to assume that this is the Castle of the Royal Sisters?” I asked. “Where else,” giggled the mare. “The princesses told me how you helped them stop that terrible Discord creature. For that you have my thanks, as well as everypony’s. The princesses brought you here after you passed out. Speaking of which, after you finish eating, they would like to see you.” “Oh, all right,” I replied. “Good. I have other duties to attend to, but when you are finished, just find a guard, and have them escort you to the throne room,” she said as she turned to leave the room. “Will do,” I said as she left. Once she shut the door I looked at the food she left. Quite honestly, I never liked oatmeal. My dad tried to get me to eat it once, but I had hated it. I picked up the spoon, deciding to try it, and dipped it in the food. Raising it to my mouth, I reluctantly put it in my mouth. I was surprised; it wasn’t as bad as I thought. It wasn’t great, but I could eat it. Once I finished eating, I opened the door to my room, and step into the hallway. As soon as I step out of my room, I see a guard standing on the opposite end of the wall. Was he here to guard me? The guard looked right at me, and then spoke. “Are you ready to see the princesses sir?” said the guard. ‘Sir Huh.’ I nod my head at the guard. “If you’d follow me, I shall take you to them.” The guard then turns, and walks down the hallway, with me following. As we make our way through the castle, several ponies look at me, with slightly wide eyes. I assume they knew I was here, the princesses probably told them, however with me being a completely new species, it probably still threw them a bit off guard. After a few minutes of walking, we came to a large set of double doors. The guard who was escorting me stopped and turned to address me. “The Princesses are waiting inside. I will go in first and let them know you’re here.” I nodded, and then the guard entered the room, closing the doors behind him. After a few seconds, he returned, holding the door open. “The Princesses will see you now.” I nod and enter the room. The room is beautiful, just like it was in the show. The floor is lined with a large light red carpet, with a darker circle, and within that were the symbols of the sun and moon. There were two archways leaning to other rooms at the far left and right ends of the room, with torches next to them. Celestia and Luna’s Gold and Blue thrones were seated upon raised platforms, with each with its own set of stairs leading to the floor. Beautiful banners laid behind each throne, each matching the color of their respective throne. And sitting on their respective thrones were the Alicorn Princesses themselves; Celestia and Luna. I made my way to the center of the carpet, stopping on the symbol of the sun and moon. I lowered my stance to one knee, and bowed my head, showing my respect. I could here the sound of the two giggling, before Celestia spoke up. “There is no need for that good sir. You may rise.” I did as they said and rose to my full height. Celestia and Luna looked to each other, nodding, before they stood up off their thrones, and made their way towards me, their ethereal manes billowing in the non-existent breeze. It is truly a wonder to behold, seeing their manes in real life. They were beautiful, luminous, and awe inspiring. Truly a sight to behold. The two stopped a few feet away from me, and did something I did not expect. They bowed…to ME! I looked at the two of them, mouth agape. “We are in your debt. Without you, we never would have been able to defeat Discord,” said Celestia. “You have our deepest thanks,” said Luna. I chuckled a little, rubbing the back of my head with my hand, a sheepish smile on my face. “He he…. no problem, I was happy to help,” I replied. The two rose from their bowing positions, showing me friendly smiles. “Tell us, what is your name?” questioned Celestia. I thought about that for a second. I could tell them my original name, but quite honestly, I wasn’t that person anymore. I mean, my body changed, my abilities changed, and I’m pretty sure something changed on the inside. I felt…I felt that the name Roxas was appropriate to call myself. After all, I had become him. So I answered. “My name is Roxas.” “Hello Roxas. My name is Celestia, Princess of the Sun. This is my sister Luna, Princess of the Moon.” Of course, I knew that already. But should I tell them that? I wouldn’t want them to think I was spying or something. “It is a pleasure to meet the two of you,” I replied. “Forgive us for being so blunt, but…what exactly are you?” questioned Luna. There were two possible answers to that. I’m human, but…I might also be a nobody. But I don’t feel I should tell them about being a nobody, at least not yet. Especially since I haven’t confirmed that yet. “I’m human,” I reply. “Human. I cannot say I’ve ever heard of that species before. Where are you from?” questioned Luna. “Well…I’m not from here. I’m from someplace far away.” “So there are more of you? Do they have the same abilities as you? Why, we would love to meet the rulers of your kind, perhaps we could form an alliance, or-“ stated Celestia before I cut her off. “I’m sorry, but…there aren’t any others like me. I’m all there is.” A look of shock appeared on both Princesses faces. “What happened to them?” asked Celestia. “Nothing, it’s just…I’m just the only one. That’s all there is to it.” Both sisters looked sorrowed at this revelation. “We are sorry,” said Luna. After a few moments, she spoke again. “But know this. You are always welcome in our kingdom. It’s the least we can do after you helped us defeat Discord. “By the way, how DID you do that? It looked like you froze him completely?” asked Celestia. “Well, I used my magic,” I replied. “You have magic? Questioned the two at the same time. “Um...yeah, I do.” “How does it work?” questioned Luna. “I recall seeing you holding some sort of object when you used your magic. Are the two related?” asked Celestia. ‘Man, they’re asking a lot of questions.’ “Oh, yes they are.” I took a few steps back, and held out my hand, willing my Keyblade to appear. In a white flash of light, the weapon was in my grasp. The Princesses eyes were wide as they stared at it. “Incredible! To be able to summon a weapon like that requires a very high level of magical ability!” said Luna. “I’m actually still learning about magic. But my Keyblade is actually the source of my magic.” “Really? May we see it?” asked Luna. I nodded my head, and held out my hand, and with her magical grasp, Luna took the Keyblade in her magic. She examined it for a few moments, before it glowed, and dissipated, reappearing in my grasp. Luna looked shocked with surprise. “Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot to mention. The Keyblade can only be wielded by the person it chooses.” “That is…that is ok,” said Luna, after she recovered from the minor shock. “You must have quite the noble heart to be chosen by this weapon,” said Celestia. I looked down, and to the side. “Yeah…I guess.” If the princesses picked up on my dejected tone, they did not show it. “Well Roxas, once again my sister and I would like to give you our thanks for aiding in the defeat of Discord. It was a lucky coincidence that you showed up when you did. Tell us, have you found a home here yet?” asked Celestia. “No, I haven’t.” “Well, my sister and I would like to offer you a place to stay, here in the castle,” said Luna. “That would be…wonderful, thank you your highnesses.” Not only was in Equestria, but I was actually going to be living in the castle, with the princesses. It sounded amazing, and yet, I still didn’t feel that sense of excitement, or disbelief. But I did my best to sound as appreciative as possible. “It’s the least we can do for our new Equestrian Knight,” said Celestia. “A knight? Me?” “If you would accept, we shall make you our champion, the first Equestrian Knight.” My eyes were slightly wider as I took in this offer. After a few moments to think, I answered. “I would be honored to be your knight,” I said as I put my right palm over my heart, bowing slightly with my eyes closed. “Excellent! We shall make it official tomorrow!” said Luna. This was great. Well, it wasn’t that great that I lost my family, but now I was living in a palace, as well as being an Equestrian Knight. But I did wonder why I had appeared so many years before cannon. Maybe I could help prevent the bad things of cannon from happening. The Changeling invasion, Tireks Return, Sombra, and Discord, maybe I could prevent them all. But then again, there’s no way I’d live that long…right? Author's Note I've been trying to update this, as well as other stories, but I'm finding that it's getting harder to update other stories. It's sort of writers blocky, it's hard to write those updates to the quality people are used to. It used to be so easy, I could do it in a day, but now it takes a bit longer. But this story, it's so easy, the words just come to me, for the most part anyways. Anyway, I'm glad it's doing so well, and that you guys are liking it. The one thing that really bugs me about Displaced stories (usually happens in crossovers) is when the main character just explains literally every detail about their life to another character, unprovoked. I tried my very best to give Roxas at least a bit of secrecy, and reluctance to give out all his secrets, but this information needed to get out somehow. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it! VI.After the introduction, the two princesses decided to give me a tour of the castle. They explained to me that I would be allowed to explore outside the castle the next day, after they announced me to the public, as well as the knighting ceremony. So for now, they led me through the castle, showing me around. Our first stop brought us to the dining room. It was an elegantly beautiful room, consisting of a long dining table, with candles on the center. Above it hung a beautiful crystal candle chandelier. The wall was lined with stained glass windows, depicting images of importance, one of which I recognized as the founding of Equestria and the banishing of the windigoes. “This is the dining room. You are free to come here whenever you wish. The staff will provide you with any food you desire,” said Celestia. “Anything, huh?” I muttered under my breath, wondering if meat was at all an option. Another worry for another time. I turned and thanked the Princesses, who then lead me to the next destination. A few of the things that the two showed me were the armory, the bathrooms (which were just chamber pots) the studies, and library. It was quite an interesting tour. Finally, the Princesses brought me to the wing of the castle that I had first woken up in. “And this Roxas, is where my sister and I live,” said Luna. “This is my room,” she said, pointing to a door with a crescent moon engraved into the wood. She then pointed farther down the hall, a few doors down, where I saw another door, with the engraving of the sun. “And that is my sisters room.” I nodded my head to the two, who then showed me to another door. They opened the door, and led me inside, to reveal the room that I had woken up in. “And this is the room we’ve reserved for you, if you would like that is,” said Celestia. “Sure. Don’t really have anywhere else to go, do I?” I joked. I walked to the mirror and took another look at myself. I started wondering… the princesses are pretty powerful, right? Maybe they could send me home, undo whatever’s been done to me. Maybe…but what if it can’t be undone? Or, what if, whatever happened to me was meant to be? Did I have some sort of destiny here? I mean, you don’t just wind up in a new world with strange new powers by cosmic accident. I’m really not sure what to think. “Roxas, are you alright?” Celestia’s voice rouses me from my thoughts, and I turn my head to face her. “Yes, yeah sorry. I was just thinking,” I replied. “Any thing important?” questioned Luna. I hesitated for a moment, before replying. “No, no it’s nothing.” “Well, if you’re sure. Come, we would like to show you something,” said Celestia. My interest perked, I followed them out of the room. As they led me through the castle, I made sure to attempt to memorize the layout of the castle. It would probably come in use in the future. I followed them, until we came to a large door. Celestia opened it, and the three of us stepped into the outdoors. I instantly felt the fresh air blow against me, and I could smell the scent of the flowers in the air. It was nice, I hadn’t really gotten a chance to sample the weather until know. The two led me into a beautiful flower garden, until we came to what appeared to be a group of statues. Not as many statues as there were in Canterlot, in the show, more around five or six. But what drew my attention was him. The two sisters stopped in front of the statue, and looked up at him. I followed shortly after, stopping in between them. The three of us stood there, staring at the statue of Discord. “Here he is,” said Celestia. “Finally, the Spirit of Chaos can no longer cause problems for Equestria,” said Luna. “We couldn’t have done this without you,” complimented the lunar princess. “Yeah…without me….” “Something wrong?” asked Celestia. “Well its just…being trapped in stone is pretty severe. How long do you think he’ll be stuck like this?” “For as long as possible,” said Celestia, with a slightly aggravated tone. “Don’t you think that’s a little harsh? I mean does he really deserve ETERNAL punishment?” “Yes, Yes he does,” said Celestia, in an angry tone. I looked back to her, with my mouth slightly open. Celestia looked to the side, still looking mad, before she turned and made her way back towards the castle. “Was it something I said?” I asked Luna. “Discord…well, he has a long history with Equestria, most of it is very unpleasant. He has terrorized us for a long time, and has caused much suffering. Celestia harbors some ill feelings against him.” “I…I’m sorry…I just, well, I don’t feel that eternal punishment is ever justified, no matter how heinous the crime. Punishment is only punishment if the one being punished eventually gets a chance to apply what they’ve learned.” “I admire your forgiving nature. I know if I was in Discords place for thousands of years, I wouldn’t be able to handle it. Perhaps someday, we can see about offering Discord a chance at redemption. But for know, I must attend to my duties. You are free to explore the castle grounds, but we would request that you stay within this area, until we unveil you tomorrow.” “Thank you Luna.” “For what?” asked Luna. “For giving me a place to live, and making me a knight. It’s an honor…I promise I won’t let you down.” “Thank you for accepting, and helping us in our time of need. I’m sure, we will be good friends. If you need anything, anything at all, let us know.” “Will do,” I replied. Luna then turned around, and left, leaving me alone with the statue. As soon as she was out of earshot, I looked back up to Discords statue. I looked down to the right, before turning back to him. “Hey Discord. I know you can hear me. I know you can see me. Listen, I know you may not think very highly of me, what with helping imprison you in stone, but I want you to know that, I’m not happy about you being imprisoned in stone for hundreds of years. I don’t feel you deserve it. I mean, yeah, you terrorized a bunch of ponies, but all punishments should have their limits. I guess, what I’m trying to say is, I feel you deserve a second chance. You may not believe me know, but I now that someday, you’ll get a second chance. Someday, you’ll learn that causing chaos isn’t all there is to life.” I stood there in silence for a few moments, before speaking again. “That’s all I wanted to say. I’ll try to look in on you from time to time.” I turned and walked away from the statue, back towards the castle, leaving Discord behind, to consider my words. It was late at night, my first night in Equestria. I didn’t sleep though, I couldn’t. Too much was running through my mind. My heart felt nothing, but my mind recognized just how amazing this all was. I was in a world, I had thought to be entirely fictional, a bronies dream, and to top it all off, I had the powers of Roxas to boot. I had helped defeat Discord, and now I was going to be knighted. It was all like a dream, and yet, it felt so real. I tried to close my eyes, and relax, but I couldn’t. I opened my eyes, and sat up. It was know use, I just wasn’t tired. I decided to go for a walk, to clear my head. I got up, and stepped out of my room. I was about to head down the hall, when I heard something coming from down the hall. I stood still, holding my breath, listening to the sound. It sounded like…crying? I looked down the hall, and could hear that it was coming from…Celestia’s room. I slowly made my way towards the door, and when I made it to it. I saw the door was slightly open. I put my head near it, and could defiantly hear the sound of Celestia’s sobbing. I slowly and quietly opened the door, making my way in. I looked into the room, illuminated by a single candle on a drawer next to the bed. And on the bed, was Celestia. She was devoid of her usual regalia, which were lying on the drawer. Celestia, she was just lying there on her bed, crying. I slowly made my way into the room, but Celestia didn’t notice. So I made myself known. “Princess?” Startled, the Alicorn jolted her neck up, and looked towards me. “R-Roxas?” “I’m sorry, I heard you crying, so I came in to check on you. Are…are you alright?” She sniffed a few times before responding. “Yes, I’m fine.” “You don’t look fine,” I said, walking further into the room. “Why’d you ask then?” “Just something you do I guess,” I said, as I stood in front of her bed. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “I-it’s nothing…you wouldn’t understand.” “Maybe, maybe not. But I definitely won’t if you don’t let me try.” Celestia turned her head, and hid behind her mane. I slowly sat down on the bed next to her, and gently started to stroke her mane with my hand. Her mane felt smooth like milk, it was amazing, even with my gloved hand. Startled, she turned to face me. “You can tell me,” I said. She sniffed, and then spoke. “I-it was during today’s battle. It was the day Discord decided to strike against our capital. He unleashed his wave of chaotic monsters on us, and they started terrorizing the citizens. We sent out our guards to try to help them, while Luna and I took on Discord. The Captain of the Guard was a young unicorn, named S-solar Shield.” She took a minute to hold back the sobs, before regaining the strength to continue. “He was a close friend of mine. I knew him ever since he was a colt. He was such a good kid. He looked up to me you know. He’d come to the castle, and wander around the gardens. It was there that I met him. He-he wasn’t afraid to approach me. He saw me as a pony, one he looked up to, but he wasn’t off put by the fact I was a princess. We became good friends over the years. Then he joined the guard. He trained hard, harder then anypony I’d ever seen. It was on his graduation day that he told me he wanted to be a guard so he could keep me safe…he wanted to make me proud. And I was. He…he was a good stallion.” Celestia let more tears come, sobbing louder than before. I didn’t need to hear the rest of the story to know how it ended. “H-he didn’t make it…he was killed by one of discords stronger monsters.” It was then that Celestia started breaking down in sobs. She buried her head into my shoulder, letting the tears flow. I just sat there, stroking her mane for what felt like hours. When she regained some composure, I spoke to her. “I’m sorry…I didn’t know when I spoke earlier, that some ponies had gotten hurt.” “I-it’s not your fault. It’s just…I’m going to m-miss him! And, I know I’ll never see him again!” “Well you know…where I come from, a lot of…ponies believe that there is life after death. That those who lead a good life would find a place in paradise, where there every wish is granted.” “That is a comforting thought. But even if there is an afterlife, I know I will never see him in it. I’m an Alicorn. I’m immortal!” cried Celestia. “You might be right, but…. well, I’m sure he’s looking down, watching over you. And…and if I were him, I wouldn’t want to see you sad. I’d want to see you smile, and make new friends to bring you joy. I wouldn’t want to know you’d be mourning over me for eternity.” Celestia looked up, and into my eyes. She sniffed, and wiped away her tears. “T-thank you Roxas. I’m sorry I got mad at you when you spoke of forgiving Discord.” “It’s alright. I didn’t know what you’d been through.” She sniffed, and then gave me a sad smile. “You…you have a good heart Roxas,” she said. I offered a sad smile back to her, continuously stroking her mane. The two of us just sat there, embracing each other, until the two of us fell into a blissful slumber. But one thing kept resonating in my mind as I tried to sleep. “You Have a Good Heart.” As I drifted off into slumber, I wondered if that was true at all. Author's Note I couldn't use the enter button when I imported the story onto the sight, it kept deleting everything. VII.The next morning, I gradually awoke in response to the sunlight that shone through the window. I gently opened my eyes, to find myself not in the room I had awoken in the previous morning, but room with white painted walls. I saw a painting of Celestia and Luna, as well as one showing a pair of alicorns I did not recognize. One appeared to be a stallion, while the other looked like a mare. I had a feeling these two were Celestia and Luna’s parents. There was a full bookshelf next to a desk with a candle on it. I looked down to see the bed I was in. The sheets were golden, with embroidered images of the sun. ‘Am I in Celestia’s bed?’ Just then, memories of the previous night came back to me. How Celestia had confided in me about her friend, and then how we had fallen asleep together. I felt my cheeks warm slightly; though I knew what happened was purely platonic. I quickly put it aside, and got myself out of bed. I got up, and made my way towards a mirror hanging on the wall. I saw that my hair was still styled the way it had been the day before, not messed up from sleep. I guessed that was due to my transformation. I made my way to the door, opening it, and stepping outside. I saw a guard on the opposite side of the hallway, standing at attention, as expected. As soon as he saw me standing there, he looked up to me and spoke. “Ah, sir Roxas, are you ready to be escorted to the dining hall?” ‘Sir Roxas, huh?’ I nodded my head, and the guard answered; “Alright then, follow me.” The guard turned, and started walking down the hallway, with me in tow. We made our way toward a set of medium sized double doors. The guard opened the one of the doors, allowing me entrance. I made my way past the guard, to find myself in an impressive looking dining hall. There was a long table, with a beautiful artistic cover. There were several decorative candles lining the table, as well as a crystal chandelier hanging above it. There were several chairs along the sides of the table. I counted eight of them. As I made my way into the room, the guard closed the door behind me. I walked over to the table and took a seat at the end of the table. After a few moments, a door on the adjacent wall to the one I entered through opened, to reveal a pony servant, who made her way towards me. As soon as she was within a few feet of me, she spoke. “Hello sir Roxas, what can I get for you to eat this morning?” “Um, I’m not sure. Just bring me anything I guess.” “Oh, um…all right then,” said the pony, before she turned and left me alone. Breakfast had consisted of a bowl of fruit, and a few doughy pastries, that somewhat resembled pancakes, though not as tasty. After that, I was led through the castle, past the doors to the throne room, eventually leading me to a brown oak door. “What’s this?” I asked. “This is Princess Celestia’s office. She requested to see you before the ceremony,” replied the guard. ‘Ceremony?’ I thought. Then I remembered, I was going to be knighted. I looked to the guard, and nodded. I then opened the door, and stepped inside, to see Celestia sitting behind a fancy looking desk. She looked up from what she was writing, to look me in the eye. “Ah, good morning Roxas,” she said as I stepped in, closing the door behind me. “How did you sleep?” “Oh, it was fine,” I said rubbing the back of my head, a little embarrassed. “Um, how about you?” “Very pleasant. When I awoke, I felt very refreshed, physically and emotionally…thank you for your support last night.” “It was no problem,” I said. Celestia gave me a warm smile, and then gestured to the seat in front of the desk. “Please have a seat,” she said. “Sure,” I said as I sat down. “So, why did you want to see me?” “Well, as I’m sure you know, you’re going to be knighted today, for your aid in stopping Discord.” “Oh yeah. It’s, it really is an honor!” “I’m glad. I just had a few things I wished to discuss with you, procedures and things of that nature.” “Oh, alright.” “As I’m sure you are aware, most ponies present at the ceremony will be a bit…surprised, to see one such as your self. That is why we wish for you to stay hidden, until we’ve introduced you.” “Ok. Where should I hide?” “Well, We will have you wait in your room until the throne room is full. Then, we’ll have you wait on the other side of the doors until we’ve introduced you, and that is when you will enter.” “Sounds good to me,” I said. “Very good. We will begin setting things up immediately.” “Alright, I’ll head back to my room. See you soon,” I said as I stood up from the chair. “See you soon.” And with that, I left for my room. The throne room was lined with ponies, some dressed in fancy clothes, while others were not. There was no exclusion in this ceremony. The ponies were grouped on the outer sides of the throne room, while two lines of armored guards were stationed in between the two groups, leaving a open space for me to walk up to the throne. Celestia and Luna stood in front of the steps to their thrones, dressed in their regalia. Trumpets sounded, and all attention turned to the princesses. And then Celestia spoke. “My little ponies, today is a day for celebration. Yesterday, after a long and painful struggle, the Spirit of Chaos was defeated!” The ponies gathered in the crowds all cheered and stomped their hooves. After a few moments, Luna held up her hoof, silencing the crowd so she could speak. “Peace and harmony have now returned to Equestria. But while it is true that my sister and I delivered the final blow, we would not have been able to without the help of a special somebody.” Celestia then took over the conversation. “It was thanks to this hero that we were able to defeat Discord. And it is because of his heroism, that we have decided to knight this hero.” “But, we must warn you, he is not a pony. Nor is he any creature the likes of which any of us have ever seen. He is what is known as a human.” Murmurs could be heard as the ponies discussed this new information amongst themselves. “And now, we would like to introduce you to the newest knight of Equestria! Sir Roxas!” That was my cue. I pushed the doors opened, and strode in. I kept my hood down. Didn’t want to look like an imposing reaper or anything. The pony’s heads all turned to look at me. I looked straight forward, at the princesses, though in my peripherals I could see looks of shock and awe. I was clearly the most interesting thing these ponies had seen all day. All eyes were on me as I made my way towards the princesses. Once I was a few feet away, I kneeled before them and bowed my head. “Roxas,” began Celestia as she withdrew a ceremonial sword with her magic. “For exemplifying heroics of the highest order, and aiding in the defeat of one of Equestria’s greatest threats, we as princesses of Equestria wish to bestow upon you our greatest honor.” Celestia lowered the blade onto my left shoulder, and then my right while speaking. “We hereby name you Sir Roxas, knight of Equestria. After she lifted the blade up, she motioned for me to stand. Celestia sheathed the blade, and handed it to me, which I took in both hands. I then turned to face the ponies that had gathered. I looked into the ponies eyes, not sure of how they would react. I became nervous, worried that they would not accept me. That was, until one pony started clapping. Then a few more started, then more and more, until the whole room was filled with applause. A smile came to my face, as the ponies cheered for me. That was how my life in Equestria began. Author's Note Hey everybody, sorry this took so long. I started college again, and my coursework is getting pretty heavy. In addition, I have a few videos for youtube I am working on, and I'm trying to find time for that. That being said, I have a I am wondering what you think about this; I was thinking about getting a twitter, which you might be interested in. I would post info on what stories I would be posting, or let people know if there are any delays or something like that. Anyway is that something you'd be interested in, or not? VIII.After I was knighted, it finally let the reality of the situation sink in. My old life, on earth, it was gone. I was Roxas, knight and defender of Equestria. So that is who I set out to be. I was given a permanent room in the castle, filled with all the amenities. I spent some time exploring the castle, the towns and cities, but a lot of my time was spent training. Though my current track record contradicted it, I had never really been a fighter. Turning into Roxas had given me a new found natural ability, but I would need more than that if I were going to help protect Equestria. In all likeliness, my aid in the defeat of Discord was probably luck and adrenaline. So, I decided to train my body, as well as my magical abilities. I got to use the royal guard’s training grounds; only I got my own little section to work in. There, I practiced the spells that I could remember from the games, building my endurance. I had plenty of dummies to practice my Keyblade strikes on, and I had guards to spar with. My abilities grew with my body, and in time, I was able to perform complicated strikes and combos, just like in the games. One thing I did find odd was that I only had the one blade to work with. I recall distinctly from the game that Roxas had the ability to wield two, Oblivion, and Oathkeeper. And I had bought both from that scummy merchant, and yet, I just had the one. I had tried summoning the other two, but I could never do it. Maybe I needed to reach a certain level in order to wield them? I did not know. Months passed, and my friendship with the royal sisters grew. We spent our free time with each other, and as time went on, we grew more accustomed and relaxed with each other’s presence. When I wasn’t in the castle, or training, I was traveling the still small kingdom of Equestria. I helped the guards stave off monsters, and catch a few criminals every now and then. The ponies of Equestria grew to know me, and accept me. I wasn’t just a soldier, or an intimidating hood; I was a friend, and a fellow citizen. Gradually, months turned to years, and that’s when things got odd. As the years passed, I noticed that I didn’t really change. I mean, it does take humans a few years to change enough physically to notice, but around the five to seven year mark, the sisters and I noticed, that I still had this boyish look to my face, and I still had an adolescents voice. When the 15-year mark reared its head, and I still had not aged a day, the princess decided to test a theory that they had been developing. They took a sample of my blood, and tissue and performed a test on it. The basic nature of the test was simple. They used a controlled time experiment, to age the blood and tissue, by years, decades, and then centuries. The results were…conclusive. Though the cells did die, and regrow, they did not slow down as time went on. The cells in my body were perpetually dying and growing, like normal beings, only they did not slow and wrinkle with age. Essentially…I was immortal. Or, at the very least ageless. I remember when the two sisters told me the news. They took me out to the gardens, and we sat next under the shade of an apple tree. The two presented the news as if it were grim, and upsetting. I guess if anyone, or pony, knew the fallbacks of immortality, it was them. I think they were expecting some big reaction, for me to break down in tears at the news that everyone I ever knew was gone, and I would never see them again, not even in death. But when they told me…well, maybe I was expecting it. I don’t know, it’s hard to remember what I was thinking all those years ago. The news did affect me; it weighed heavily on my thoughts. But the kick, it just wasn’t there. The princesses looked to me, as if they told me I had terminal cancer. And I remember, I looked down at the ground, at the grass beneath me, and sighed. Then I looked back up to them, dry eyes and said; “Well…that explains a lot I guess.” The princesses seemed to be a bit unnerved by my lack of reaction, but I quickly changed the subject. “Hey…I guess this means you don’t have to worry about me dying on you, right? We get to spend a lot more time together!” That seemed to lighten the mood. Honesty, I’m not sure why I was now immortal. Maybe nobodies didn’t age, or maybe it was the magic of this world, I’m not sure. But I wasn’t going to let it drag me down. I had a good life here, and now it seemed, that that happiness was going to last a lot longer. Things were good for the sisters and I. Our friendship grew stronger, as did my abilities. But everything changed the day that we were attacked…. I was training in the courtyard, with a group of new recruits. I wasn’t technically a member of the guard, but I did work with them, and sometimes I helped train the scrubs. My magic and abilities were now greater than I could have ever imagined, but I held back for these guys. No use in breaking a soldier before they get the chance to fight for real. “Nice job!” I commented as one of the recruits jabbed at me with his spear, faster then I was expecting. Of course, I was still faster. I quickly dodged, and swung my Keyblade toward him, which he blocked with his recovered weapon. I did a back flip in the air, and launched a very, very low-grade ice spell at him. The guard used his spear to block it, which froze the tip of the spear. I landed on the ground, and dashed forward, bringing my blade down from above. He used his spear to block, and then swung it on my feet. I jumped over him, and upon landing, I quickly swung my Keyblade at his head. His reaction was not quick enough, but lucky for him, I stopped it just as it was about to reach his head. “Bang, you’re dead.” The guard stood there, and after a few moments, he lowered his head and let out a chuckle. He spoke through heavy breaths. “Damn…still no where close to beating you,” he said as he turned around to look at me. “Don’t feel bad,” I said as I sent my Keyblade away. “I’ve been doing this for nearly a century.” “Yeah, I guess so.” “You did good today. “ I then looked to the other’s who were gathered around us. “You all did good. You showed great perseverance! I especially liked how you-“ but before I could finish that sentence, a loud, booming echo reverberated through the air, and ground. It shook the very soil we stood on. The guards started to panic, and I drew my weapon, prepared to handle the situation. But nothing revealed itself. I looked around, but could see nothing. That was, until I spotted smoke coming from the city. “An explosion?” I said under my breath. The guards started to freak out, asking what we should do, but I quickly got their attention. “Guards, at attention!” I called out. The guards froze for a brief second, before lining up, side by side. I returned my Keyblade to wherever it went when I wasn’t using it, and turned to face the recruits. “All right recruits, listen up. I want you to go get the other guards from the barracks, and let them know we’ve got a situation in town.” The guards saluted, and turned to leave, but I stopped one of them. “Not you. I want you to go tell the princesses that there was an explosion in town, and that I’m going to go see what happened.” “Sir yes sir!” replied the soldier. I gave him a nod, and he was off. With him making his way towards Celestia and Luna, I turned towards the direction the explosion took place in, and started sprinting towards its direction. The wind blew past me, as I ran towards town. When I made it to the cities limits, I was a group of ponies, running towards me in a panic. Thinking quick, I leapt over them, and onto the roof of a nearby building. From there, I parkoured my way towards whatever was going on. I leapt from rooftop to rooftop, and when I reached the site, another explosion happened, sending a nearby building up in flames. “Two explosions…that doesn’t happen naturally. Which means, we’re under attack!” I quickly dove behind cover, and got a look at the center square of the spot I was at. I only caught a brief glimpse of the attackers, but I knew one of them in an instant. “Damn!” I cursed under my breath. After a moment, I looked back. “I guess I should have seen this coming!” Right in the town square, were two large, imposing figures. One I recognized instantly. Half horse, and half Minotaur, large black chest, enormous red arms, silver hair and beard, and two curved horns. It was Tirek. The other creature was big as well, though he looked nothing like Tirek. He had brown fur, and a darker lions mane, but overall he looked like a winged baboon. His face was longer though, somewhat like a wolf. I assumed this was Tirek’s brother, Scorpan. I could see that golden medallion around his neck. The ponies were still running in panic, trying to get away from the two titans. I didn’t know much about Scorpan, but Tirek I knew, could steal magic. That would be problematic for me. I needed to think. Just then, another explosion happened, this time a building a bit farther off in the distance. “Ponies are getting hurt…alright, time to wing it!” I was strong, but I honestly had no idea how my power compared to theirs. Hopefully, Celestia and Luna would arrive soon, and help me with this. If I remember correctly, it was through Scorpan that Tirek was defeated. That meant, I needed to somehow turn him to our side. That was going to be difficult. Maybe I just needed to beat them both down. Things were different now. In the show, they didn’t have me. So maybe, things would be different. I didn’t want them to both be stuck in a prison for all eternity…but I couldn’t let them hurt any more ponies. Just then, I heard the voice of a mare starting to scream. I got a quick look, and saw Tirek holding an earth pony mare in his hand. He was going to steal her magic! I had to act now! I pulled the hood over my head, and made my way to the edge of the roof I was on. The two didn’t seem to notice me. But that was about to change. “DROP HER!” Through my time with the two sisters, I learned a few new tricks. One such trick was the royal Canterlot voice. They had taught it to me, and for some reason, I was able to learn it. The two villains turned their attention to my direction, and their eyes settled on me. “Who dares to order me?” questioned the centaur. I leapt from the top of the roof, and landed on the ground. I walked towards the two, and stopped a good ten meters from them. “Put her down Tirek!” In surprise, he did just that. Well, more like dropped her, but I used my time slowing ability, to make sure she had a safe landing. She then sprinted with all her speed away from the two, thanking me as she passed. The town was deserted. It was just us. “Who, and what are you, and how do you know my name?” “I know a lot about you, Tirek the magic stealer. I know you and your brother have come here for an easy conquest, but I can assure you, you won’t find one here.” “He he…you think YOU can stop US?” “It’s my job. I am Sir Roxas, Knight of Equestria. If you stop what you are doing now, I will try to see that you are shown leniency.” “You don’t intimidate us,” said Tirek. “We will drain this land of magic, and all of these pathetic ponies will obey our rule!” “Do you both feel this way?” I said turning to face Scorpan. He had a look of hesitance on his face; maybe even guilt, but his brother ignored it. “Of course we do! We will lay this land to waste, and you will not be able to stop us!” I looked to the two. Tirek was oozing with confidence, his brother, not so much. Maybe I WOULD be able to turn him. Only time will tell. “So be it,” I said materializing my Keyblade. The three of us got into battle stances, Scorpans slightly slower than his brother. Then the three of us dashed forward. The fight had just begun. Author's Note For those of you who are wondering what took so long...hey look over there! (runs away) IX. IX. Two hours into the day court, and Celestia was already at just about her limit. She sat on her throne, bored out of her mind as she listened to one of the cities nobles drone on about how the taxes on his business were too high. He was requesting that they be lowered, claiming that it would allow him to pay his employees better, but she knew that he would pocket most of the bits saved. It was times like this that she seriously considered changing the definition of the word; “Noble”. This wasn’t new of course, but it was still basically the worst part of her job. “And so, this tax alleviation will allow an increase in profits, which will allow a raise in my employees salary of about .05 percent, which I’m sure we can all agree will have a very positive effect on the community as well as my company.” Celestia looked at the noble, processing his claim. She looked to the side, then back to the noble. “Well, Bit Pincher, that certainly was a well thought out proposal, and you definitely presented a decent argument.” The pony closed his eyes and raised his eyes with pride at the Princesses supposed praise. “But, I feel that cutting the taxes for your business by 65% would allow you to raise your employees pay by more than just .05 percent. It seems to me that that would leave a large amount of excess bits that would not be paid to the nations taxes nor would they be put towards your employee’s salary. I don’t suppose you’d have any idea where those bits would go to, do you?” “W-well, that money would go towards improving the company, as well as providing necessities for the higher ups in the company,” replied the stallion, getting a little nervous. “I see…” said Celestia with her eyebrow raised. She saw the stallion noble start to shift his balance between his hooves, and looking increasingly nervous. “I’m sorry Bit Pincher, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to deny this request.” “But, did I forget to mention that-“ Celestia raised a hoof to silence the stallion, followed by a brief headshake. The noble got the message, and with his gaze focused on the floor, he turned to leave. Celestia sighed and shook her head. After a moment, she looked to the guard stationed at the foot of her throne. “Alright, send the next one i-“ but she was interrupted by a loud booming sound, that rattled the very floor. Alarmed, Celestia jolted out of her throne, looking towards the direction that the sound came from. She galloped to the nearest window, and looked out to see the town in the distance, with smoke rising from one of the buildings. “An explosion?” questioned the Alicorn. She then noticed a small black dot zooming towards the town. When she squinted her eyes she could make it out to be her human friend. “Roxas….” Just then, she heard the clopping of hooves on the stone floor. She turned to see a lone guard running at full speed. He made a sudden stop once he was inside the throne room, before stopping to catch his breath. After taking a few seconds, he took in a deep breath, and spoke to the Princess. “Princess Celestia! There was an explosion in town. Sir Roxas has ordered guards to be dispatched, and has gone to investigate.” Celestia nodded in response. “Alright, I’m going to make my way to town, and figure out what’s going on. Somepony tell my sister to meet me there.” “Yes your highness,” replied one of the guards. Celestia nodded her head, and then teleported outside the castle. She then took flight; heading towards the town, praying that nopony had gotten hurt. As soon as the battle started, Scorpan took to the sky with his wings, while Tirek used his magic to blast a large energy sphere towards me. I reared back my Keyblade, and spun like a tornado, sending the blast back towards Tirek. He gasped in surprise, before crossing his arms in front of his body to defend from the counter. I glanced at Scorpan to keep myself ready for when he made his move and…he has a house…. in his hands. Not a full house, but he definitely had a chunk of a house in his arms. He raised the structure over his head and chucked it strait at me. Thinking quickly, I leaped in the air towards the oncoming projectile. I flipped my body, putting my feet above me, and as soon as they made contact with the side of the house, and pushed with my legs, sending it strait back at Scorpan. His eyes widened, and he put his hands in front of him to block. The house hit him, sending him backwards, but he was able to push the projectile off him before it pushed him down and crushed him. The sound of Tirek yelling brought my attention back towards the Centaur. He was charging at me, with his shoulder reared to slam into me like a battering ram. As soon as he was in range, I cast my wind spell, which nocked him off balance. I then leaped up, and uppercut his face with my Keyblade. I then followed in quick succession with a series of strikes to the face. Tirek took a swing at me with his fists. I blocked the first, but the second sent me flying into one of the buildings behind me. I crashed through the wall, landing inside one of the rooms. I rolled along the floor, before a bed stopped me. With a hand holding my head, I hoisted myself up, and saw that through the hole I had made, Tirek and Scorpan had regrouped. Tirek looked like he was enjoying himself. I guess he was a battle junkie. As for Scorpan, he looked…uncomfortable. I had a feeling he didn’t really want to here. I’d even go as far as to surmise that Tirek was practically forcing him to help him with his plans. It’s been years since I’d seen the show, but I still remember that Scorpan turned against Tirek, and helped in his defeat, at least I think that’s what happened. Maybe he was the key to stopping Tirek. “Come out of there you puny little runt! I’m not done killing you yet!” ‘So, he wants a fight, huh? Alright.’ I had a move prepared that I had been developing, but hadn’t gotten a chance to use yet. But now…heh…well, let’s give it a go! I reared back my Keyblade, and charged my magical energy. I focused it around my body, and tensed my legs. Then, in a quick motion, I shot forward, with the tip of my Keyblade in front of me. I charged strait at Tirek, using my magic to propel me, strait into his gut. My attack knocked the wind strait out of the Centaur’s lungs, as well as knocking him backwards. He fell backwards, landing on the ground with a thud. I landed on the ground. I then looked towards Scorpan, and raised my weapon in his direction. His eyes widened and he took a step back. Instead of attacking him, I lowered my blade, and then used my free hand to take the hood off of my head. I looked into his eyes, and tried to show some compassion. “You don’t seem to like this as much as him. It doesn’t have to be like this, you know.” “It doesn’t?” he asked unsure. “No, it doesn’t. If you two leave now, and promise not to ever attack Equestria again, I’ll let you go.” “That’s not possible, Tirek’s mind is set on conquering this land! There’s no way he would listen to me!” “Then help me stop him!” I pleaded. “I-I couldn’t do that! Tirek would kill me if I went against him! Besides, he’s my brother…I, I have to stand with him.” I looked down to the side. He was loyal and afraid of his brother, which meant it wouldn’t be easy to get him to switch sides. But it was possible. I just needed some time to talk to him. Unfortunately, my time ran out, when I felt my entire body being compressed. I shut my eyes and grit my teeth as I was lifted into the air. I opened my eyes to see that Tirek was gripping me in his hands, and squeezing me like a vice. “You’re quite the agile opponent. But strength surpasses all other factors!” He then reared back, and threw me strait into the sky. The wind whipped past me, as I tried to orient myself, unfortunately, I was going too fast. I bent my neck and saw that I was fast approaching the ground. I crossed my arms, and braced for the fall. Only, it didn’t hit. The wind stopped whipping in an instant. I saw that I was floating in the air. I looked around, confused as to what had happened, when I saw a familiar face. “Celestia!” The Alicorn Princess was hovering in the air, with me in her magical grasp. “It seems I arrived at just the right time Roxas.” “Yeah, you could say that,” I replied. Celestia slowly and gently set me down on the ground, and as soon as my feet touched the ground, she released her magic. “Are you alright Roxas? You aren’t injured are you?” she asked with concern. “No, I’m alright. Glad you’re here though. Where’s Luna?” “I told a guards pony to fetch her. She should be here soon.” As soon as she said that, there was a bright flash, as Luna teleported right next to us. “I’m here!” said the Lunar Princess. She looked to her sister, and then me, before greeting us. “Ah, Celestia, Roxas, good, you’re here. What the situation?” “We’re being attacked,” I said with a serious tone of voice. “Well, then, let’s go kick some flank!” asserted Luna, and the two sisters started to move forward. I held out my arms to stop them. “Wait, I need to tell you who we’re fighting first!” “Oh, yes of course. What have you found out Roxas” questioned Celestia. “There’s two of them, brothers. The big red one is called Tirek. He’s strong, and he can steal magic.” “What?!” cried the two sisters at once. “Yeah, he can steal magic. If he opens his mouth really wide, get away, or he’ll suck out your magic. The other is his brother. He…I don’t think he’s like his brother. He seems to be helping him out of either loyalty, or fear, but I don’t think he actually wants to be doing this. I think if we can convince him to change sides, it could make this a lot easier.” “Thank you Roxas. We will take this into account. But for now, we must protect our ponies, from both of the aggressors,” said Celestia. “I understand,” I replied. Just then, another explosion occurred behind us. We all looked to see another building going up in flames and smoke. Tirek was laughing like a maniac, enjoying the destruction. “Tirek’s the key. We beat him, and we’ll end this quickly,” I said with a determined look on my face. The three of us faced the direction of the town. The sisters took to the sky, while I sprinted, and the three of us made our way towards the town. Celestia and Luna landed atop another building, while I afterimage jumped and appeared between them. Tirek and Scorpan turned to face us. Scorpan looked nervous with the addition of two new fighters, while Tirek had a scowl on his face. “So…you’ve brought help. It appears we’re too much for you, eh?” Celestia then stepped forward, and addressed the two. “I am Princess Celestia, Ruler of the Sun, and this is my sister Princess Luna of the Night. We are the leaders of Equestria. We demand that you stop this at once! You’re hurting innocent lives! If you stop now, we will show you leniency. If you continue, we will have no choice but to bring you down!” Tirek chuckled in response. “Perhaps we should listen to them brother,” said Scorpan. “Nonsense! Look at these three! They’re all that stands between us and total control! And once I steal these three’s magic, I will be unstoppable!” “Very well then. Prepare yourself Tirek!” yelled Luna. The two flapped their wings, and took to the sky. I afterimage jumped, and appeared behind Tirek, hitting his head with my Keyblade. He turned around, and tried to swat me like a fly. It was then that Celestia shot a blast of magic at him. I leaped away from him, just as the blast collided with him, pushing him back. Luna flew close to him, using her magic like a ray gun, hitting Tirek, who used his hand to try to block it. He then turned to his brother and yelled at him. “Don’t just stand there! Help me!” Scorpan nodded, and dashed towards Luna. I afterimage jumped, and came down on him with my feet from above, knocking him down. He hit the ground and tore up the dirt. I landed in front of him. “You don’t have to do this! This senseless violence is pointless!” “I’m sorry,” he said as he hoisted himself up, and swung at me with his arm. This rocketed me backward, causing me to slam into a fountain, crumbling the rock, causing me to tumble on the floor. “Roxas!” cried Celestia. “I’m Ok!” I replied, getting back to my feet. Celestia nodded, and turned her attention to Scorpan. She reared back her head, and used her magic to send a blast of magical energy towards Scorpan. He used his wings, and rocketed backward into the air, dodging the attack. He then dashed forward, towards Celestia. She teleported above him, and bucked downward, slamming him into the ground. Meanwhile, Luna was using her magic against Tirek, but he was now able to block it with his hand. He then let out a mighty yell as he charged a large last of energy, and sent it towards Luna. If it didn’t hit her, it was going to hit something, and that would mean a lot of destruction. I appeared in front of Luna, and cast a fire bolt towards the blast. The two shots hit each other, causing an explosion of heat and light. No buildings were hit, but Luna and I were propelled backwards. I tumbled along a roof, while Luna slammed right into a chimney. The two of us took our time getting back to our feet, groaning along the way. “We need…to finish this,” I said between breaths. “Agreed,” replied Luna. “I’ll distract Tirek, while you two hit him with everything you’ve got!” “Right,” said Luna with a nod, and then she took to the sky, making her way towards Celestia. The solar princess was still fighting Scorpan, while Tirek was making his way towards the two, with the intent of taking Celestia by surprise. “Hey Tirek!” I yelled, as I threw my Keyblade directly at him. He turned his head to face me, and at that moment, my weapon collided with his face. His head jolted back, and the Keyblade returned to me. I then began running the opposite direction that the Princesses where in, while firing fireballs at him. They didn’t hurt him much, but they got his attention. “You annoying little insect! I’ll crush you!” Tirek then started galloping in my direction. He swung his fist down on the roof I was on, and I dodge rolled forward, evading his hit. He then swung his hand towards me, which I back flipped over. I then dashed forward, and swung my blade at his face, over and over. Enraged, he clenched his fists, and let out a scream. At the same time, he sent out some kind of magic pulse, which blew me backwards. I flew through the air once again, but this time, I was able to recover, and land on a rooftop. “Do you really think you can beat me?” questioned the Centaur. “Definitely,” I replied. “Ha! Though I must admit, your skills are quite impressive. And, I have never seen such magic that you wield before. That weapon…it’s powerful isn’t it. He he…once I drain your magic, I will wield it for myself!” “I wouldn’t count on that,” I replied. “Oh? And why is that?” “You weren’t chosen. That’s how this weapon works. It’s a weapon of light, not darkness. You could never wield it.” “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” “Hey Tirek!” “What?” “Look behind you!” “Please, as if I would ever-“ “Tirek!” As soon as he heard his brother call his name, Tirek turned his head to see a massive magical blast heading towards him. Celestia and Luna had grouped up, and had combined their magical energies to send an extremely powerful blast towards him. Unable to react in time, he crossed his arms in front of him, and prepared to take it all head on. But, just as the blast was about to hit him, Scorpan leaped towards Tirek, and shoved him out of the way. The blast collided with Scorpan, creating an explosion of light and energy. This knocked the brother backwards, tumbling in the air, until he slammed into the ground. Tirek recovered, and looked at the sisters. “You missed!” His moment of triumph was interrupted however, by the groans of pain coming from his brother. “T-Tirek! Help!” Alarmed, Tirek turned to face the direction that his brother was now laying. Part of his fur was singed off, and there was smoke coming from his body. “Scorpan!” actually concerned, Tirek raced to his brother, and kneeled next to him. He started checking his brother for injuries. After several moments, he stood up, and faced the sisters and I. He then lifted his brother’s arm over his shoulder, and helped him to his feet. The sisters landed in front of him, and I jumped and landed between them. “Give up, you can’t win! If you surrender now, we will see to it that your brother receives immediate medical attention,” said Celestia. Tirek merely squinted his eyes, and growled. “This isn’t over,” he said through grit teeth. He then lit his horn, preparing a spell. Acting quickly, I dashed forward, in an attempt to stop him, but unfortunately, I wasn’t quick enough. There was a bright flash and I used my arm to shield my eyes from the light. When it subsided, both Tirek and Scorpan where gone. “Damn it!” cried Luna as the two galloped forward. “They teleported away!” said Celestia. I let out a sigh, and ran my hand through my hair, dematerializing my Keyblade. “We need to find them, and finish them off!” said Luna, as she started moving forward. “Wait!” I said as I put a hand to her wither. Both Princesses turned to look at me. “What we need to do right now is make sure the citizens are ok, assess the damage and stuff like that. I’ll go looking for them myself.” “It’s too dangerous Roxas, it took the three of us to beat Tirek alone,” said Celestia with concern. “Don’t worry about me, I can handle myself.” “I have to agree with Celestia on this one Roxas, we should hunt them down, and bring them to justice while they’re weak.” “I know, but right now the two of you have to assure you’re people that everything is ok, and make sure they’re protected, and safe in the event of another attack. I’ll search for them, and let you know when I find them.” The two looked unsurely at each other for a few seconds, before turning back to face me. “Alright Roxas, you scout ahead, and see where they went. In the meantime, Luna and I will help get things fixed up, and prepared for another attack.” “Thank you. And don’t worry, I know this will all turn out alright.” We gave each other a compassionate smile, before I turned, and started running towards the Everfree forest. What I didn’t tell Celestia and Luna however was that I actually wanted to get a chance to talk to Scorpan, one on one. I sensed good in him, and I knew he could be turned to our side, with a little work. I just needed to find him. But that wasn’t all. I also sensed some good in Tirek, however little it might be. He seemed genuinely concerned for his brother. Maybe if I could turn Scorpan, together, we could convince Tirek to stop his rampage as well. It was a hope, but I had no idea if it would work. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” Author's Note Geez, 9 chapters in and he still isn't done with the prologue? This author sucks! Sorry this took so long. I finished with my college term a few weeks ago, and was going to update a story or two, but my computer crashed, and I had to get it fixed. Stood a chance of loosing all my data, but thankfully that didn't happen. So here you go, another chapter. God this story is going to take forever to finish isn't it? X.I leapt through the trees, my black coat doing well to help me remain unseen, as I traveled through the darkened forest. I was making my way deep into the Everfree, where I had a feeling I’d find Tirek and Scorpan. The two were huge, so I had a feeling they’d be pretty easy to find. What I didn’t take into account was how large the forest was. Still, after an hour of searching, I started noticing signs of their presence. Broken tree branches, and signs of minor destruction caught my attention. I dropped down from the tree I was perched on, and landed gently on the ground. There were broken tree limbs lying on the ground, along with imprints in the ground, which looked an awful lot like hoof and footprints. Caught up to their trail, I started sprinting, following the trail the two left behind. Despite how fast I was moving, I made very little noise, allowing me to listen for the two brothers. After a few minutes, I saw what looked to be a clearing ahead. I stopped running, and ducked behind a tree. I stood there, silent, listening. Closing my eyes, and focusing, I could make out what sounded like Tirek, speaking. I turned, and leaped into the air, vaulting up the tree I was hiding behind, and perched myself on a branch. I then moved to the next tree, to get closer to the two brothers. I could now see them a bit more clearly. There was a cave opening in the clearing, which housed Scorpan, who was lying against the wall. Tirek was standing outside of the cave, looking down at his brother. “It was foolish of you to take that blast for me. I could have handled it,” stated Tirek. “He, I suppose it was,” responded Scorpan, with labored breaths. “Still, I’m glad I did it. I mean, you’d do the same for me, right?” “Oh, of course,” replied Tirek; though I had a feeling he wasn’t speaking truthfully. Scorpan didn’t seem to notice. Tirek turned, and faced away from his brother. “You rest here for a bit, I’m going to go try to find more magic to drain.” “Be safe,” said Scorpan. “Don’t worry about me, I can handle myself,” stated Tirek, as he started trudging away, the weight of his body causing the ground to shake. I waited a few minutes after Tirek left, before dropping down from the tree I was in. My boot landed on a stick, causing it to break in half. The sound of the stick cracking could be heard, and it caught Scorpans attention. He turned to face my direction, though he couldn’t actually see me. “Who…who’s there?” he questioned. I stepped out of the dark forest, into the well-lit clearing. Scorpans eyes widened in alarm, as he held his body up with one arm, the other clinging to his chest. “Y-you!” I made my way towards the injured creature, and stopped a few meters away from him. “So…you’ve come to finish me off, huh?” I just looked at him, my expression emotionless, until it softened. “You’re hurt,” I stated. “Yes…no thanks to you, and your friends,” he replied with a hint of malice. “You came to our home and attacked us. We defended ourselves, as I know you would have done, had you been in our position.” Scorpan didn’t respond, instead he looked down, with a look of regret. “Maybe I can help you,” I said. I held my hand out, and summoned my Keyblade. Scorpan looked surprised, and scared, suspecting that I was going to attack him. “Don’t worry, this isn’t just a weapon,” I said, before I pointed my Keyblade at him. “Cure.” The spell worked instantly, mending Scorpans wounds. He jerked in surprise, expecting it to be some sort of attack, but he after that, he looked to me with confusion, after finding that I hadn’t hurt him. After a moment of looking at me, he looked down at his body, before testing his limbs, and slowly standing up. Once he was on his feet, he twisted his body, testing for pain. He found that while there was a hint of soreness, his wounds were more or less healed. “You…you healed me?” he questioned. I nodded my head in response. “Why?” “You were in pain. I don’t…I don’t like seeing others in pain.” “But we are enemies,” stated Scorpan. “We don’t have to be.” Scorpan just looked at me, with confusion on his face. “During the fight, I saw that you didn’t really seem to be enjoying yourself like he was. Tirek looks like he likes destruction, but I don’t think I can say the same for you.” “You don’t know anything about me.” “No, I don’t. But I what I DO know is that you don’t want to hurt ponies. You don’t like the feeling you get when you do, do you?” Scorpan wordlessly shook his head. “Then why do it?” “Tirek is my brother, my flesh and blood. Ever since our parents passed, he’s looked after me. So I follow him. I will not betray him.” “Even if he makes you do something you’re not comfortable with?” Scorpan did not respond. “If Tirek cared about you, as much as you care about him, do you think he’d make you do something like this, which you obviously don’t want to do?” “You will not turn me against my brother.” “I’m not trying to. I just want to bring about a peaceful end to this conflict. The princesses don’t take kindly to people trying to take over their kingdom. Me, I just want to find a way to keep my friends safe, while making sure as many people are happy as possible.” “You are friends with royalty?” “Yes. The two princesses are my best friends. They’ve welcomed me into their kingdom, and gave me a place to live. I wouldn’t be here without them.” Scorpan seemed to be considering, this, thinking about what I’ve told him. “I’ve…I’ve never had a ‘friend’ before. I’ve only had Tirek.” “Well, in Equestria, Friendship is in abundance. I’m sure if you tried making some friends, instead of conquering the place, you’d find some success.” “My own friends? Maybe…no, NO, I can’t, I can’t betray Tirek.” “I understand you loyalty to your brother. But, what he wants to do is wrong. Stealing ponies’ magic, destroying their homes, it’s evil! Just because he’s your brother, doesn’t mean you have obey his every command.” Scorpan looked down, thinking about what I was telling him. “Perhaps, you are right.” I sat down on the ground, adopting a more relaxed posture, and Scorpan did the same. “What’s his deal anyway? Why does he want to conquer Equestria so badly anyway?” “Tirek’s always had a lust for power. It’s probably an obsession at this point. He wans control, and he wants to be the strongest.” I nodded my head, taking in what Scorpan was telling me. “Everyone wants to be powerful. But I like to believe that not everyone would be willing to hurt others to get it.” Scorpan listened, but did not respond. I stood up from my seating position, and got back on my feet.” “If you want to experience friendship, Equestria is a good place to start. If you need a friend, I’m willing to be one to you. But the next time we meet, I will do what I have to; in order to protect those I care about. If you really care about your brother, please, try to get him to see reason.” Scorpan looked to me expectantly. “I hope you the next time we see each other, it’s on better terms. But if you two return, and try to take down Equestria, I don’t know if I can stop the princesses from taking their wrath out on you two.” I turned and made my way away from Scorpan, heading back to the castle. “I don’t think I ever got your name,” said Scorpan. I looked over my shoulder, back to him. “You can call me Roxas.” “…Then thank you Roxas. You’ve given me a lot to think about.” I offered him a smile, and then continued my way home. I would tell the two sisters that I didn’t find them, but if they returned for round two, and someone got hurt, it would be because of me. I just hoped I convinced Scorpan to abandon this conquest, and convince his brother to do the same. If not, well, I really don’t want to imprison anyone else, the way we did Discord, but I will if I have to. I just hope it doesn’t come to that. Author's Note Sorry this took so long, and sorry this chapter is kind of short. I felt that the chapter should focus just on Roxas's conversation with Scorpan. As for why it took so long, well, I've been a bit busy the last few weeks, and I also posted a new story. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy, and I'll see you next time. XI.As I made my way out of the forest, and headed towards the castle, I looked at the broken town around me. This once prosperous town was gone. Most of the buildings had crumbled to dust, with smoke drifting up from the extinguished fires. And the ponies…the ponies. There were so many injured in the crossfire, bandaged and bruised. And then there were the others. The dead. Mares, stallions, filly’s and colt’s. From the show, you’d never expect this sort of violence to be possible in Equestria. But this wasn’t the same My Little Pony I’d come to know. I passed through the town, and came to the edge, the area between the town and the castle; I saw guard’s ponies, a lot of them. They were helping the injured get to safety behind a barricade that they were constructing. A barricade seemed useless against Tirek, but I figured it was better than nothing. I made my way to the entrance, where two guard ponies were standing at attention. When they saw me approach, they wordlessly raised their hooves to their heads in salute. I nodded in response as I passed. Soon enough, I came to the castle, which was now heavily guarded. Battlements had been set up as well. Looks like the sisters were taking this seriously. They should, what Tirek did was monstrous. I just hope I broke through to Scorpan. If he can convince Tirek to abandon his plans, a lot of misery will be avoided. For everyone. I approached the entrance to the throne room, and opened the doors. Stepping inside I heard the two princesses discussing their plans. “We need to scour the Everfree for those two monsters, and DESTROY them!” said Luna with angry passion. “I know Luna, but we should wait for Roxas to return. If he found them, then we’ll be able to coordinate a counter attack.” The sound of my boots hitting the floor alerted the two to my presence. They turned their heads to see me walking towards them. “Ah, Roxas, good you’re here! Did you find them?” questioned Celestia eagerly. I stopped walking a few feet away from them. This was the moment. I had been thinking of this my whole way back to the castle. To tell them or not to tell them? I was at a conflict. On one hand, I’d never lied to either of the princesses, and I didn’t want to start now. This was a big deal; those two nearly destroyed the town! If I told them where Tirek and Scorpan were, the princesses could end this right away. No more loss…hopefully. But at the same time…I still believed that Scorpan could be saved, and that perhaps, he could do the same for Tirek. Having a hand in Discords imprisonment…I felt nothing, but at the same time, when I considered what he was going through…it just felt…. wrong. Like something no one should ever experience. A thousand years of isolation. Tirek was bad, but if I could spare him from such a fate, I would. I made my decision then and there. “No, I didn’t. I’m sorry, I couldn’t find them.” “Damn!” muttered Celestia. “Then we should mount a counter attack immediately. We should assemble the troops, and storm the Everfree, and destroy those monsters!” asserted Luna. “Hm…perhaps you are right,” said Celestia. “NO!” I said before I could stop myself. The two gave me an odd look. “Why not?” questioned Celestia. I had to think of something, some reason that invading the Everfree would be a bad idea. “I, I just see some problems in that idea. Those two probably expect us to chase after them, which would mean there’s the possibility of them setting a trap for us. If we wait here and set up our defenses, we can meet them in the abandoned town, just the three of us. No one else would get hurt. Plus, we can see them approach this way, so there’s less chance of them catching us off guard. “ “Hm…that does seem like a solid plan,” said Luna. “Alright, then we should set up a plan of attack,” suggested Celestia. “I say we focus on the weaker one, the one with wings. We should hit him with everything we can, and destroy him! Then we’ll have just one foe to take down,” stated Luna. “I think we should take it easy on him,” I interjected. “What, why?” questioned the two. “Listen, I…I think the one with wings, Scorpan, is just going along with this because he’s scared of what Tirek will do if he refuses. I mean, Tirek is clearly the more aggressive, dominant one. I think we should offer Scorpan a peaceful resolution. Maybe he can talk some sense into his brother.” “Roxas, I understand and appreciate your forgiving nature, but some things are too great to overlook. Those two nearly destroyed the town! Ponies are dead! They need to pay the price of their actions,” said Celestia. “I know, I know…but Tirek’s the one whose been doing all of the damage! I honestly have faith that we can turn Scorpan, and if we do, we might avoid a lot of pain and damage.” “I don’t know…” said Luna looking conflicted, a look matched by her sister. “I know you two want what’s best. I need you two to just have faith in me on this one. I know in my…in my heart that giving Scorpan a chance will have a better result than just attacking the two. Please, trust in me.” The two sisters looked at each other for a few seconds, contemplating, before turning back to face me. “All right Roxas,” said Celestia. “You have been a faithful friend for years. If you think this is the right thing to do, then we will trust in you,” finished Luna. “Thank you,” I said. I then wrapped the two in a hug, wrapping them tight. “Things will be alright. We’ll get through this,” I said. The sisters returned the hug. “We know,” they said in unison. We stayed like this for a few moments, before we broke away. “All right,” I said, materializing my Keyblade. “Let’s go save the day.” Author's Note Why haven't I uploaded a chapter in so long? WellIwasbusyfinishinganotherstoryandthingskeephappeningplusholidaysandstuffandschoolsstartedagainandimalazybitch! So, I've started a new schedule, where one week I'll work on videos and stuff, and then next week, I focus solely on my story updates. I think it will allow me to put out more chapters per week, and thus more frequent updates. This chapter was supposed to be longer, and have the resolution to the Tirek arc, but I decided to shorten it so I could try and get the next chapter out sooner, hopefully within the week. I want to get back into the swing of things with writing. Anyway, thanks for reading, and staying with me, and I will see you guys next time! XII.The three of us stood atop the constructed barricade, waiting for the inevitable attack that was to come. Celestia and Luna were donned in armor, Celestia wearing gold, while Luna wore dark obsidian colored armor. I wore nothing but my trademark black coat. The two had offered to have armor made for me years ago, but I had declined. It would just weigh me down. All I needed was my coat, and my Keyblade. The royal guard was ordered to stay back, and protect the civilians, while we dealt with Tirek and Scorpan. We didn’t need anyone else getting hurt today. We stood there stoically, until we heard the dull thudding. Tirek was making his way here, his heavy hoof steps alerting us to his presence. As we readied ourselves, we saw them. Tirek stepped out of the forest first, followed by his brother. Tirek was making his way towards us confidently, while his brother looked nervous and apprehensive. The two stopped in front of the barricade, a couple dozen feet away. “Ha, how cute, you built a little barrier! It’s almost as if you think it can save you!” mocked Tirek. The princesses gave him a stern look, before Celestia spoke. “Tirek and Scorpan. We are offering you the chance to end this. Leave Equestria, and let us live in peace, and we will not pursue you. But if you continue this mad conquest of yours, we will have no choice…but to beat you down!” “Tirek, please, let’s listen to them,” pleaded Scorpan quietly. “We have all the power we could want back home! Let’s just… let’s go home. Please!” Tirek turned to face his brother, and grabbed him by the fur on his chest. “Listen to me, and listen well! You are not backing out on me! Not when we are this close to domination of Equestria!” “But Tirek-“ “I am your brother, and you WILL do as I say! Unless you want to face my wrath as well?” “N-no…of course not brother…” “Good,” said Tirek, releasing his hold on Scorpan. The two turned to face us. I looked to the two sisters, who had looks of what could be pity on their faces. I nodded to them, and summoned my Keyblade. “Now, if we’re done with all this useless chatter,” said Tirek, before he gathered magical energy in his horns, creating a sphere of energy, and firing it towards us. The sisters took flight, while I teleported a brief distance away. The blast of magic hit the barricade, causing a fiery explosion. Luna rocketed down from the sky, strait at Tirek, unleashing her own blast of magic. Tirek raised a shield, but the force of Luna’s attack pushed him backwards. I ran over the rooftops, heading strait for Tirek. After he lowered his shield, I leapt right towards him, and struck his face with my Keyblade. Tirek grunted, holding his cheek. Recovering, he looked at me with anger in his eyes. “Why you little-“ before he could finish, he was hit from the rear by an attack from Celestia. He turned and tried to swat her away. As she moved out of the way, Luna used the opening to go in for a hit of her own. She moved strait towards Tirek, and bucked him, full force. Tirek was pushed towards Celestia, who also bucked him. The two sisters kept striking Tirek, causing him to bounce between the two like a Ping-Pong ball. I took the opportunity to strike Tirek myself, running up next to him, and delivering an uppercut with my Keyblade, striking Tirek right in the jaw. This sent him flying. Tirek landed with a thud on the ground, leaving an imprint as well. As he recovered, and got himself back up, Scorpan appeared at his side. “Brother, are you aright?” Tirek angrily grabbed onto Scorpan. “Why aren’t you fighting?” he questioned through grit teeth. “I… I-“ “Fight them, or fight me, that is your choice!” “But brother-“ “NOW!” yelled Tirek as he shoved Scorpan towards us. He stumbled with his footing, before regaining his balance and taking a combat stance. “You don’t have to do this! The four of us can beat him!” I told him. He looked nervously towards Tirek, and then back to me. “I’m sorry,” he said as he charged me. The two sisters reengaged Tirek, as I fought Scorpan, though I did my best to hold back, to keep from severely injuring him. As he ran towards me, I jumped, and delivered a reverse sidekick to his stomach, causing him to fall backwards. I landed on the ground and saw the two sisters trading magical blows with Tirek. I looked to Scorpan. “Enough is enough! You’re living like a slave to your brother! You know this is wrong! You have the power to end it!” Scorpan slowly got back to his feet. “I know,” he said solemnly, yet sternly. “But he’s the only family I have. To turn against him…I’d have no one left.” “Tirek’s just one person. There are billions of other people you can develop relationships with. You can make friends, your own family! You don’t have to rely on just Tirek.” Scorpan just stood there, taking in what I’d said. He was about to speak, when a loud shout came from Tirek. “ENOUGH!” cried Tirek, emitting a magical pulse, pushing back the royal sisters. He then turned his attention to Scorpan. “Scorpan! I told you to destroy him, not strike up a conversation with him! Crush him, NOW!” Scorpan just stood there, looking at his hand. He looked at Tirek, then back to me, looking me strait in the eyes. He took a moment to think, before lowering his hand, and turning to face Tirek. “No…” he said. “WHAT did you say?” questioned Tirek. “I said no brother! I’m tired, tired of all of this! I don’t want to fight anymore, I don’t want to conquer this land!” “I am your Brother!” shouted Tirek, stepping towards Scorpan. “You will stand with me! You will do as I SAY!” “NO!” shouted Scorpan, shocking everyone present. Tirek just stared at Scorpan, mouth slightly open. “I’m done Tirek! I’m done hurting people, and causing trouble! These people have done nothing to us! This one even offered me friendship after all I’ve done!” he said, gesturing to me. “Tirek, it’s not too late! We can go home! We’re Princes for the maker’s sake! We have a kingdom we can rule! Why can’t we just be satisfied with that?” “I will NOT be satisfied, until the whole world bows beneath me!” screamed Tirek. “Well, I will not be part of this anymore!” cried Scorpan. Tirek looked ready to pounce on Scorpan, before he seemingly calmed down, and straitened back up. “Well…it is clear that you’ve made your choice.” Tirek then began charging his magic into the largest most volatile looking blast I had ever seen! “If you want to die with these ponies, then so be it! Join them in extinction!” cried Tirek as he fired the blast, directly towards Scorpan. Scorpan stepped back, holding his arms in front of him in defense, but I knew he wouldn’t have the ability to defend himself against the attack. I teleported to in front of Scorpan, and hovered in the air, in front of the attack, preparing to counter it with my Keyblade, though I honestly doubted I could. “Roxas!” I turned my head to see that Celestia and Luna were heading towards me. They hovered in front of me, pushing me to the side. With me out of the way, Celestia created a magical shield to block the attack, while Luna used her own magic to strengthen it. The blast hit the shield, and detonated instantly. It was then I realized that the shield wouldn’t work. The shield they were using was designed to DEFLECT magical attacks, but Tirek’s attack detonated the moment it hit the shield. This caused a major explosion, creating a blinding light. The force sent me flying strait backwards. I slammed right into the wall of a building, knocking the wind out of my lungs. I collapsed to the ground, lying still. As I tried to get up, I also attempted to breath in air, to no avail. My lungs screamed, begging for oxygen, but they could get none. It felt like I was going to pass out right then and there, but just as my vision began to blacken, I was finally able to breath again. Gasping for air, I stood back up. And there I saw them. Celestia, Luna and Scorpan were lying on the ground, a few dozen feet from a large crater. There fur was singed, with bruises and burns on their bodies. They all lay still, unconscious (I hoped). “No!” I said as I ran to them. I quickly knelt next to Celestia, and put two of my fingers to her neck to feel for a pulse. Thump thump. Her heart was still beating. She was breathing. ‘Thank god,’ I thought. I then quickly ran over to Luna and did the same. She was also alive. I repeated the process one last time on Scorpan. He too was alive. Satisfied, I stood back up, facing away from Tirek. “You…you attacked…you tried to KILL…your own BROTHER!” “He was weak, and he betrayed me! He deserves what he’s gotten!” replied Tirek. “Deserves?” I questioned, turning my head, my voice dripping with rage. I turned my whole body to face him, and began walking towards him. “You think he deserved this,” I said pointing towards Scorpan. “That he deserves to die, simply because he wouldn’t help you harm others!” “Yes, I do.” “You…YOU…you monster. You know, I used to think that mercy was an essential, that no matter how bad a villain is, there’s a certain level of mercy we must grant! I thought that there were some punishments that no one deserved. But now I see…that you…ARE HOPELESS!” As I yelled this, the wind began to pick up. My fists clenched tight, and I could feel heat rising in my location. Magical energy began to collect around me, enough that it could be seen. An aura of magic appeared around me, surrounding me, and empowering me through my rage. I grit my teeth, as I felt heat in the palms of my hands, the same heat that I felt when I was sent to this world. “You are pure evil,” I said somewhat calmly. “No mercy,” I yelled, as I held my arms in front of me in an X. “BURN IN HELL YOU BASTARD!” I shouted as the energy coalesced once again. “What?” cried Tirek as he shielded his face with his arms as the force of the energy pushed him back. I threw my arms out and felt the familiar sensation of a Keyblade appearing in them, one in each hand. As the winds and power subsided, I felt my body calm down, and yet I still felt more powerful than I had ever felt in my life. I looked to my hands, and saw that there was a Keyblade in each of them. Only they weren’t the traditional Kingdom Keys. No these were Keyblades I hadn’t seen since my last day in the human world. In my left hand…was Oathkeeper. And in my right was oblivion. I looked at the two weapons in awe. These Keyblades felt far more powerful than my old one. “Oblivion and Oathkeeper…” I looked at them for a second more, before tightening my grip, and assuming a battle stance, remembering I still had to deal with Tirek. He looked at me with a surprised expression. I just looked at him sternly. ‘With these, I can’t lose.’ “This is the end of you Tirek! Your reign of terror ends today!” “You think those two new trinkets will save you! It makes no difference! I will destroy you regardless of the weapons you wield!” Tirek charged a magical attack, and shot it strait at me. I ran towards it, and smacked it with Oathkeeper, sending it flying away. “What!” questioned Tirek. I teleported directly in front of him and uppercut him with my right, followed by a side hook with my left. I then spun like a tornado, hitting Tirek with both blades repeatedly. He tried to strike me with his fists, but I spun, and shot him with a fireball. He took the attack, and tried to return one of his own, but I deflected it once again. The fight continued with Tirek trying to hit me, but failing. I constantly hit him with powerful attacks, which were taking their toll on him. He couldn’t hit me with my new abilities, and it was starting to show that he was getting tired. We battled this way for several more minutes, before we finally disengaged. Tirek stood there, breathing heavily. I was starting to get tired myself, but I could tell I had far more energy than him. “I…I WILL kill you,” said Tirek through breaths. “I will DESROY YOU! THIS IS YOUR END!” With new energy, he puffed up his chest, and began charging energy into his horn…very, very quickly. “I didn’t think it would come to this, but it has! This attack will tear the world asunder! It will DESTORY YOU, YOUR PATHETIC FRIENDS, AND THIS ENTIRE CITY!” I could tell he wasn’t bluffing. This attack looked MAJOR. Like, strong enough to vaporize the castle. I needed to do something! But what! I gripped my Keyblades tight, trying to think. I was running out of time. If only I had the power of the elements on my side, I could just zap him away to Tartarus! ‘Who says you can’t?’ That Voice! I recognized it! Though I’d only heard it once, I still remembered it clearly. It was the voice I had heard when I first came to Equestria. But what did it mean? ‘Use the Key, open the cage. Seal him in with all his rage.’ Use the key? My Keyblade? What could it do, it was just a weapon. I started to think. In the game, Sora can use his Keyblade to lock world’s keyholes. Could I somehow use that power too? Maybe… Tirek was still charging, but I could tell he was going to fire soon. “This better work,” I said to myself. I then channeled my will into the Keyblade. I shut my eyes, and concentrated. I felt a heat rise in my body, channeling into my hand. I opened my eyes again, as energy coalesced around my weapon. Tirek didn’t seem to notice what I was doing. The Keyblade shot a stream of white energy strait at Tirek. The beam went right through his body. When it exited his chest, it stopped in mid air, causing a keyhole shaped portal to open behind him. Tirek pressed his hands against his body, feeling for a wound, but found none. He smirked in response, and then attempted to fire his attack. “Ha! That did nothing! Now you die!” He stood there looking confident, until he noticed that his blast had not fired. “What?” he questioned. He couldn’t see it, but I could. The portal was absorbing his magic. He looked behind him, and finally could see it clearly. “What in the world?” He turned back towards me, and tried to use his magic once more, but once again it failed. It was then that he started to get frustrated. “Impossible! Arg, fine! If I can’t incinerate you, I’ll just crush you with my bare hands!” I just stared at him, as he tried to advance. But, after his first step, a chain shot out of the portal, and clamped a manacle around his right arm. He looked in surprise at his wrist. He tried tugging away, but he couldn’t break free. Then, a second chain shot out, and clasped around his left hand. The chains started pulling Tirek back, towards the portal, which was growing in size. “What? What is this?” he cried, trying to fight the chains. But unfortunately for him, it was a losing battle. “This is Tartarus,” I said, dematerializing my Keyblades and making my way towards him. “It’s a place where horrible villains like you go.” “No prison could ever hold me!” he yelled in response. “This one will,” I said as I stopped walking, directly in front of Tirek. “But, if you do escape, just know this.” I looked him strait in the eye. “I’ll be right there, to put you back.” “NO! ARG!” grunted Tirek, as he was pulled further by the chains. All his struggling was useless, as he was pulled further into his prison. Just as he was about to be pulled in, he made a final statement. “This isn’t over! I’ll be back! And I’ll kill you!” “I’ll be waiting,” I said solemnly. Tirek’s body was finally dragged into Tartarus. The portal closed shut, and disappeared. I stood there, silently, just staring at where Tirek once was. I had just sent him to Tartarus for 1000 years. When I did that to Tirek, it felt wrong. But I didn’t feel like I’d done the wrong thing this time. Discord was crazy, but he had the potential to be good. But Tirek…he was practically a demon, pure evil. If he were ever to run free, he’d just hurt more ponies. Which he does. In a thousand years or so, and break free, and try’s to steal the Alicorns magic. But this time, I’ll be ready. I was about to turn and leave, when I heard a sound above me. I looked up to see a glowing object slowly falling down towards me. It glistened like a diamond in the sky. As it floated down, I caught it in my hand. I looked at it, and was a little confused by what I saw. It was…a map. “What’s this map for?” I questioned, turning it over. It looked like one of those old pirate maps, only in this one, instead of an X to mark the spot; there was what looked like a demon head, with two horns coming out of it. “Is this…a map to Tartarus?” I questioned. The more I looked at it, the more it looked like one. “A map to Tartarus huh?” I rolled up the paper, and put it in my pocket. “I’m going to have to check that place out soon,” I said to myself. I’d need to see what was there, what kind of security measures it had. But first…. I turned around, and made my way back to the Princesses and Scorpan. When I neared them, I saw a group of guards gathered around them. Somewhere trying to help the princesses, while a few others were pointing their spears right at Scorpan. “Sir Roxas, you did it!” cried on of the guards, who ran over to me. I nodded to him. “Sir, we are ready to take the Princesses to the infirmary. We will also prepare a cell for that monster!” “No, take all three to the infirmary. Give him the same care as the princesses.” “But, sir-“ “No buts. He’s not a threat to us anymore. Now go, I will be there shortly.” The guard was about to protest, but thought better of it, and instead turned, and gave the orders to the rest of the squad. Soon, the three fallen were hoisted up, and brought towards the castle. I stood there, by myself, thinking. I finally had Oathkeeper and Oblivion. I summoned the blades in my hands, and looked them over. I decided to test something. I dematerialized them, and then tried to summon the Kingdom Key. Sure enough, it appeared. ‘Looks like I have three Keyblades to chose from,’ I thought to myself. I smirked, and returned the weapon to where it came from. Then my thoughts drifted elsewhere. Tirek…Tartarus. Did I CREATE Tartarus? It would seem that way. But how would that be possible, Keyblade wielders can’t create worlds can they? Maybe I didn’t create it; maybe I just created a DOORWAY to it. Or maybe, I just unlocked it. “Today is just full of surprises,” I said to myself. I chuckled for a brief moment, before making my way towards the castle. I had two old friends to check up on. And one new one. Author's Note Two chapters in one week? Something is clearly wrong here. I must be dying, and am trying to put out more chapters so I can attempt to finish this story before my untimely death. I wish to bequeath all my possessions to my ghost, because it's my stuff, and I'll kill anyone who tries to take it from me, even in death. Anyway, here you go, there will be one chapter after this, with Roxas talking to the sisters and Scorpan, and then we'll continue on with the story. I have a bit more to go before we get to present time. Must make you mad that we're still not close to the modern era huh? Well you know what's even more infuriating? Dark Souls. I'm on the final boss of Dark Souls 3, and it is impossible. You think you're mad? Put yourself in my shoes! I can't beat a video game, do you know how hard that is? I'd rather be Dead! In fact, I'm going to go chug a gallon of anti-freeze! See ya! Thanks for reading, and see you next time! XIII.I sat on a lone stool within the castle’s infirmary, while my three injured friends lay unconscious. Celestia and Luna each occupied their own beds, while Scorpan took up a few of them for himself. I had cast heal on the three of them. Now I was just waiting for them to wake up. In the meantime, it gave me time to reflect. The fight is finally over. At least, this one is. It seems that things in this world are following the main canonical storyline as the show. These events are happening the same as they did in the show. Except, well, for me. Though I’m here in Equestria, it seems that while I’m changing history, the general events aren’t any different. Discord is still trapped in stone, and Tirek is still imprisoned in Tartarus. That made me think, what about the other main events in the story? Sombra, Chrysalis, everything! Was I powerless to stop it all? Would my presence somehow lead to those things happening, just in a different way? Then…I thought of Nightmare Moon. Oh god…would that happen, regardless of what I did? Would I somehow be the reason that it happens? I don’t think I could live with that. Celestia and Luna were my friends; I couldn’t allow them to go through the pain of a thousand years of separation. I had to be able to do something, right? I mean, with Discord, the decision to turn him to stone was already made. I just helped achieve the end result. And Tirek’s a megalomaniac, there’s probably nothing I could have done for him. Besides, Scorpan is still safe. He’s free. For all I know, I may have been the only reason he was spared the same fate. But still, what have I changed by being here? The sound of the other people in the room rousing from being unconscious brought me out of my thoughts. I put them aside for now. I’ll do the best that I can; to make sure the future is the best one possible. That’s all I can really do for now. Celestia slowly opened her eyes. She let out a groan as she hoisted herself up. I got up from my seat and made my way over to her. She put a hoof to her head, looking around, her eyes unfocused. After a moment they concentrated on me. “Roxas?” “Yeah, it’s me.” “What…what happened? Where’s Luna?” “She’s right there,” I said, pointing to the adjacent bed. Celestia worriedly got up from her bed and made her way over to Luna. “Don’t worry, she’s going to be fine. You’re all going to be fine,” I said, trying to comfort her. Celestia lowered herself to her sister, and embraced her. “What happened? Where’s Tirek?” “Don’t worry, I…. I took care of him,” I said, with a slightly regretful tone in my voice. “You beat him?” questioned Celestia, looking at me with disbelief. “Yeah.” “You killed him?” “No, but don’t worry, he won’t be back anytime soon.” “W-what did you do to him?” “I locked him away in Tartarus.” “Tartarus? The mythical prison for the worlds most malevolent beings?” she questioned incredulously. “Yep.” “It’s real?” “Apparently.” Celestia just stood there, clearly shocked quite a bit. She stared at the floor for a few moments, before she looked back at her sister. “Good. He deserves it.” I didn’t respond, and even if I had given her a look, she wouldn’t have seen it, as she was focused on her sister.” “You’re going to have to tell me how you accomplished such a task,” she said with a more upbeat tone. “I’m sure it’s quite the story.” “Oh don’t worry, I will. But not until everyone is awake.” “Everyone?” questioned Celestia, confused. I nodded and pointed behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see Scorpan lying unconscious. The moment her eyes saw his brown fur, she jolted up, and took a defensive position in front of Luna, lighting her horn, prepared to attack or defend. “Whoa whoa, easy!” I said, getting in front of Celestia with my hands raised in front of me. “Roxas, stand aside! That beast must pay!” “Whoa, calm down Celestia, don’t you remember? He turned against Tirek right before the three of you got knocked out, remember?” Celestia seemed to wrack her brain for a few moments, trying to remember the last moments of the fight that she was conscious for. After a few moments, she seemed to recall the events. “He’s not gonna hurt anyone, I promise,” I assured. Celestia took in what I was saying, before taking a more relaxed stance and stopping the flow of magic to her horn. “Very well Roxas. I trust you.” About ten minutes passed before both Luna and Scorpan both regained consciousness. Luna was of course alarmed at the sight of Scorpan, but with my assurance, as well as Celestia’s, she calmed down. Once the three were ready, I told them what happened with Tirek. The moment I mentioned Tartarus, Scorpan went rigid. I did my best to console him. “I’m sorry Scorpan. I tried to get him to abandon his conquest before it was too late, but he…he just wouldn’t listen to me.” “It’s…it’s ok…I know how Tirek can be. He’s been this way since we were young. You did the best you could.” The three of us just sat there in silence for a few moments, before Scorpan decided to speak again. “I…I am at least thankful that I was spared his fate. If you hadn’t spoken to me in the forest, I might have ended up the same as him, or worse. You saw good in me. I’m just curious as to how.” “Wait, you spoke to him in the forest? You told us you couldn’t find them?” questioned Luna. My back went rigid as I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. “…. wellllllll….” I said while drumming my fingers against each other. “Oh, oh dear, I’ve gotten you into trouble haven’t I? I’m so sorry!” apologized Scorpan. “Roxas? Did you lie to us?” “Well, I…” I took a moment to ponder my situation, before relaxing and closing my eyes. “Yeah, yeah I did.” “Roxas, I…hmm…I honestly didn’t think you had it in you,” said Luna. She let out a quick chuckle. “I’m sorry guys. I just…when I went out to find them, I was actually looking for Scorpan. I needed to talk to him, I just…I knew in my heart that he wasn’t bad like his brother. I just thought if I could convince him to stop this quest, then maybe he could get Tirek to stop, and then maybe…a lot of this wouldn’t have happened.” There was silence for a bit. I was worried the sisters were going to be mad at me. But when they spoke, they sounded almost relieved. “Well, I suppose you had a well enough reason. We aren’t happy that you lied to us, but…you’ve been a loyal friend for many years, and I guess we owe you at least this once,” said Celestia. At that moment, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Thanks guys.” “Forgive me, but I am a bit curious,” said Scorpan, chiming in on the conversation. “How DID you know that I could be turned?” “I was wondering that as well,” said Luna. That put me in an awful spot. I didn’t want to lie to them a second time, but…to tell them that I knew the future…well; I had no idea how they would react. I also had no idea how that would affect the future. Would we make successful preparation for the future? Would knowing what is to come only ensure that the things we were trying to prevent would happen? What…what would happen? I didn’t know. I didn’t want to make the wrong choice here. I thought about it as quickly as possible, and I decided…I decided that, at least for now, I shouldn’t tell them. Not yet. “I just…I could tell. I saw it in his body language, and in his eyes. He just didn’t seem the same as his brother,” I explained. I waited for them to respond. After a few moments, Celestia spoke up. “Well, it seems you have good intuition Roxas.” “Roxas…thank you. I owe my freedom to you. I just wish something could have been done for my brother,” said Scorpan, regretfully, yet with a bit of happiness. “I do too,” I replied. “I wish I could see him…just to say goodbye.” “Who says you can’t?” I replied. Everyone looked at me with wide eyes. “I…I can see him? But you said you put him in Tartarus?” I took a moment to respond. “Let me show you guys something.” I used my map to lead the three through the Everfree forest, to the gates of Tartarus. We all marveled at the sight of it. Within a large cavern’s entrance was a humongous stone door. On it we could see a large and intricate lock system, with a single keyhole in the center. “So, this is Tartarus?” questioned Celestia. “Yep,” I replied. “Impressive,” said Luna. “So, Tirek’s in there huh…how do we get in?” asked Scorpan. “Like this,” I said, materializing my Keyblade, and pointing it right at the lock. A white stream of light shot out of the tip, and went into the lock. It caused the mechanism to turn, and soon the double door opened. It was dark inside, the only light on the inside coming from torches that lined the walls, spouting blue flames. I looked to Scorpan, and he looked to me. “You ready?” He gulped, and then nodded. Then, the four of us entered the prison. When we entered, we stood upon a high floor. Down below us were stairs, leading to a variety of cells, with several other high platforms with cages in the distance. Though it was a bit far, I could see Tirek, now powerless, sitting in his cell. I tapped Scorpan on the shoulder, and pointed in Tirek’s direction. Scorpan saw, and nodded, and then began making his way to his brother’s cell. “We’ll wait here,” I said. The two sisters stood next to me, watching. “Are you sure you want him to go alone? He might have second thoughts, and try to free his brother,” questioned Luna. “No, he won’t do that. He’s got a good heart and he knows what would happen,” I replied. We stood there silent for a while. In the distance, I could see Scorpan talking to Tirek. “I…feel bad for Scorpan. To be separated from his brother for so long…that is a fate I wouldn’t wish on anypony,” said Celestia. We stood there in silence for a few moments, before Luna spoke up. “Roxas…why are you staring at us?” I blinked a few times, before noticing that both the sisters were looking at me, with questioning eyes. “Oh, sorry, I uh…just spaced out a bit,” I said, rubbing the back of my head with my hand. I didn’t realize, but I had subconsciously focused on them, thinking about the possible future. We didn’t speak for the rest of the time we were there. Scorpan eventually rejoined us, having made his peace with his brother. “So…how’d it go?” questioned Luna. “He was…resentful, but I gave him something to remember me by.” “What did you give him?” asked Celestia. “I gave my medallion…it was a family heirloom given to me by our father.” We just sat there, our wishes going out to Scorpan. After a few moments, I spoke up. “Are you ready?” I asked. Scorpan took one regretful look back to the cell that would house his brother for the next thousand years. He nodded, and looked back to us. “I am,” he said. I nodded. Then, the three of us exited Tartarus, leaving it behind us. I used my Keyblade to seal the doors, shutting Tirek and his fellow prisoners in eternal darkness. Author's Note Oh my god, a new chapter!....Oh you guys didn't want one? Well too bad, because I'm forcing this one down you throats! If you're wondering where I've been, well, I put up two new stories since I last updated this. One was a dumb comedy that no one liked, and the other was a sequel to another story I wrote, which has inspired a hatred for Luna equivalent to a normal person's hatred for Hitler. Seriously, people HATE her in those stories. Also, I've been working on a MLP Animated project for my YouTube, which is almost done. I've been working on it for like a year. It's taken that long because it's a long video, and I was kind of off and on about working on it for a while. If you are interested in it, it will be out on my YouTube, hopefully soon. Anyway, thanks for reading my dumb stories written by a big idiot! Until next time! XIV.I’ve been to the Crystal Empire a couple of times during my life in Equestria. It always amazed me whenever I looked at it. Simple drawings generated by a computer screen couldn’t compare to what it actually looked like in real life. The crystal structures always shined like stars in the sky, with the sun’s light refracting through the gems, creating beautiful rainbows that colored the surrounding skies. Sadly, it didn’t look anything like that anymore. It had been one hundred years since we defeated Tirek. Now Celestia, Luna and I faced a new threat. We stood upon an elevation with a team of elite guards behind us, as we looked at the once glorious empire, now dark and infected. Sombra had finally risen, and had conquered the Empire. The citizens were enslaved, either serving as labor, or as armed guards. I remembered Sombra from the show, and I felt that I could have prevented this if I there had been any warning signs. But Sombra’s conquest came out of nowhere. We didn’t hear about it until it was over. He had done it singlehandedly, his powers of dark magic making him a one-stallion army. Anyone who resisted was slaughtered. I’ve read a bit on dark magic in the castle library. It’s like a drug, one that corrupts the mind of the user, along with the body. I’m not sure what kind of pony he was before he became dark magic’s slave, but now he was a full on monster. As a nobody, I use the darkness too, only it’s much different than the kind that Sombra uses. It doesn’t corrupt me, possibly because I am made out of darkness itself, like a nobody. It took a while to convince the sisters to allow me to use my powers over darkness, but eventually I was able to convince them on the grounds that it didn’t affect my kind like it did ponies. As I thought about the opponent we would soon face, I feel a hoof tap my shoulder. I look over to see Celestia standing behind me with a serious expression. “Are you ready, Roxas?” I looked her in the eyes for a moment, before looking back at the empire. “Yeah.” She nodded, and standing with Luna, we all turned to look at the group of soldiers behind us. There were twelve of them in total, all of them the best that the Royal Guard had to offer. Celestia took a step forward, and addressed the group. “My little ponies, today is an important day. For months now, the ponies of the Crystal Empire have been living in darkness. But today, we shall bring them back to the light!” The guards cheered in affirmation. Luna then stood up next to her sister, and spoke as well. “Our task is simple. King Sombra is the head of this venomous serpent, and so we must cut the head off. Once Sombra is gone, his slaves will be free. He keeps his laborers in chains, while his soldiers are forced to wear armor that robs them of their free will. It is because of this, that we are only authorizing lethal force as an absolute last resort. Our goal is to incapacitate the enemy troops without seriously injuring them. Is that clear?” “Yes Princess!” the soldiers said in unison. The princess’s heads turned to face me. “Roxas, do you have anything to add?” questioned Celestia. I closed my eyes and thought for a moment, before I shook my head. “No. All I have to say is…let’s give Sombra hell. We’ll make him regret what he’s done.” I then materialized Oblivion in my right hand, and pulled my hood over my head. “Let’s do this!” Everyone in the group now faced the Crystal Empire. And we charged. Luna and Celestia flew while I ran under them, as the soldiers charged behind us. Luna then gave the troops their orders. “Hard Rock, Brass, Tumbler and Silver Swiper, you four go free the slave laborers! The rest split into two teams of four! Draw the guards attention from the castle!” The guards did as they were told, going off to do their duty. Celestia, Luna and I traversed the snow, finally coming to the magical seal that kept the empire protected from the cold. The princesses flew over the wall that had been built, while I jumped over it. The three of us passed through the shield, and instantly we could feel the difference. It was warmer than the frozen outsides, though it wasn’t as warm as it had been in the past. The dark clouds hung overhead, which blocked out the suns warmth. The land lacked true warmth, just like its dictators heart. We made a strait beeline for the castle. When we came close to it, we saw several soldiers guarding the entrance. “I count five!” called Luna. I dashed forward, teleporting quickly, and appearing above one of the armed ponies. I swung my leg down like a pendulum, hitting the stallion right in the head, knocking him out. As I landed, a pony on my left charged me with a spear. I readied Oathkeeper, and blocked. The soldier was about to strike again when Celestia hit him with a stun spell, which caused them to fall to the ground. Celestia and Luna dealt with the other three quickly. Once done, we turned our attention to the castle. We stormed in through the large doors, and were instantly greeted by more armored ponies guarding the halls. As soon as they saw us, they charged. Celestia and Luna used their magic to disable the guards, while used my Keyblades and magic to do the same. We kept this going as we traveled through the palace halls, making our way to the throne room. We made sure to leave the soldiers unconscious, but not seriously injured. After all, they too were victims of Sombra’s evil. Eventually, we came to the entrance of the throne room. Celestia and Luna landed on the floor, and stood next to me with Celestia in the center. “Are you two ready?” questioned the solar princess. “As ever,” said Luna. “Let’s do this,” I replied. Celestia nodded, and used her magic to slam open the door. We then made our way inside. Sombra sat upon his throne, with two guards flanking him on either side. The throne room was darkened due to the lack of true light outside. Sombra’s throne could only be described in the way of the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones, only it was made out of black crystals instead of blades. As we entered, Sombra smirked, not worried at all by our arrival. “Greetings Equestrians,” he said with his deep voice. “It’s over Sombra! Surrender now, and we may show leniency!” stated Celestia. The dark king merely chucked in response. “Surrender? Please, I have been preparing for this fight for years! I wouldn’t dare miss out on a battle of this caliber.” He then addressed his guards. “Leave us.” The guards nodded, and left the room, leaving us alone with the tyrant. I watched them go. They walked completely in time with each other with exact muscle movement. They were like robots. “So, Princesses, I see you’ve brought your pet with you.” I tightened my grip on my weapons, turning to look him in the eye. I was more than ready to wipe that smug smile off of his face. “We brought a friend,” replied Luna. He chuckled in response. “Yes, I’ve heard of him. Sir Roxas of Equestria, the one who helped fell Discord and Tirek. Ha ha ha, It only makes sense that you would require three combatants to face me. After all, I have surpassed you all by so much that it wouldn’t be fair for me to face just one of you.” “Your delusions of grandeur are your weakness, Sombra!” challenged Celestia. “And your faith that the ‘villain’ always loses is yours!” At that moment, Sombra lit his horn. It glowed blood red, and then dimmed as the room’s light did the same, nearly leaving us in pitch-blackness. The princesses and I stood with our backs to each other in a triangle. We lost sight of Sombra as he dissolved into the darkness. Celestia and Luna lit their horns, allowing us to see a little better. We waited for our opponent to make his move in complete silence. Suddenly, I heard the sound of crystals growing as a shard shot from the ground, going strait for me. I blocked with my Keyblades in an ‘X’ shape. Celestia used her magic to bring more light to the room. We could then see a dark shadow slithering on the floor. “There!” announced Luna. Celestia shot a blast of magic at the shadow, but it dodged to the right. Then, the darkness rose, forming the shape of King Sombra. He used his magic to conjure up a sword made out of crystal and then he dashed forward, swinging it down at Celestia. She teleported behind him, and bucked him with her hind legs. Sombra laughed as he turned to smoke, her hooves passing through him. He materialized and spun around, swinging his blade at her. She used her wings to shoot backwards in the air, and fired a blast of magic at him. Sombra split in half like a piece of string cheese, the blast passing right through him before he reformed. Suddenly, I leaped him. I whistled quickly to gain his attention. He turned to face me, and I smacked him right in the face with my Keyblades. He fell to the ground, sliding on the smooth floor. Sombra raised his head, and growled angrily. He then summoned black tendrils, which shot at me. I jumped backwards, into a darkness portal that I summoned. As I did this, Luna appeared above Sombra, and shot down a magic blast. Sombra raised a shield, which blocked the attack. Celestia shot forward, and attempted to kick him again. He dodged, before hitting her on the head with the butt of his blade. She recoiled back, and Sombra took advantage of this by swinging the blade towards Celestia’s neck. It was at that moment that I appeared again, blocking the attack with my weapon. I disengaged before whacking him again. Blood spewed from his nose as I made contact. He sunk back into the floor, retreating from his current position. “You’re starting to annoy me, boy!” growled the unicorn. “I’ve been around a lot longer than you,” I replied. “Perhaps, but I am still far more powerful than you!” Sombra levitated himself into the air, and then summoned nine orbs of dark energy in a circle around his body. He started to laugh manically as he sent them towards us. Three went to Celestia, three went to Luna, and three went to me. Celestia blasted hers with magic, while Luna raised a shield. I dodged the first one, and teleported away from the second one. As I landed on the ground, the third one shot towards me. I reared back my right arm, and swung my Keyblade at it, sending it back at its sender. Sombra’s laughing was cut short when the blast hit him, exploding, launching him back. He collided with his throne hard, before hitting the floor. The sisters and I regrouped, and watched as the dark king got to his hooves. “Princesses, your power has disappointed me,” he said as he spit out black blood. “But Sir Roxas, you are every bit as powerful as the stories told.” He then stood to his full height, cracking a smile. “And you, you know the power of darkness, like me. It’s a shame that you’re a slave to the Princesses. Why, by my side, you could so much more!” I closed my eyes and let out a heavy sigh, chuckling as well. Sombra’s smile fell. “Why do bad guys always think they can entice me with false promises. I’ve seen ponies like you before, and I have enough sense to know that you’d turn on me the moment you were able. Besides, I don’t desire the power you do. I’m…happy with my place, and with my friends.” “A shame. Well, I no longer wish to do battle with you, Knight of Equestria.” “Then give up!” challenged Luna. “Oh, you misunderstand. I’m not done with this fight! In fact, I haven’t even been using my full power. But that warrior of yours is bothering me. So, I am going to utilize one of the oldest strategies in war.” He lit his horn, and as soon as he did, the floor beneath us began to tremble, like an earthquake. “DIVIDE AND CONQUER!” As he yelled that, we could see movement through the windows. A loud roar akin to Godzilla could be heard. “What is that?” questioned Luna. “That is my secret weapon: the Crystal Behemoth!” Another roar was heard as a chunk of the wall was torn away to reveal the creature Sombra had summoned. It was huge, at least half the height of the palace. It had a hunched, bipedal body comprised of blue crystal, with glowing red eyes, and a large, fanged maw. The sisters and I backed away a few feet as we saw it rise. Sombra’s evil laughter filled the room as we took in the creatures might. “Behemoth, get rid of the one on black!” Before I could react, the monster let out a loud roar, and grabbed me. He pulled me out of the palace, grasping me in one hand. “ROXAS!” I could hear the princesses call. The monster then reared back and threw me into the air. I rose like a speeding bullet, spinning as well. When I reached the peak, I regained control, and righted myself, hovering in the air. “Coward. Too afraid to fight all three of us, so you need this beast to distract me. Well fine.” I wasn’t scared of this monster. Sora had taken on opponents of his size in the games, and if he could do it, so could I! I then stopped floating, and let myself fall, shooting towards the Crystal giant. “Celestia, Luna, you take care of Sombra! I’ll take care of the monster!” I shouted. I’m sure their Alicorn hearing was able to pick up on what I’d said. ‘They’re more than a match for you Sombra. Like you, they haven’t been using their full power.' I shot down further, rearing back my weapons as I approached the behemoth. ‘After all, I know how this ends. And I know for a fact-’ I reached the titan. I swung my Keyblades, striking it right in the head. ‘That you don’t stand a chance!’ Author's Note Ok, so we kinda jumped forward a bit. So, you guys have been asking when we will get to modern times, and I've been saying; "Herp derp, I have no idea, I'm a big idiot" -BUT NOW I KNOW! I've written the outlines for the final chapters of the past arc. This is chapter 14, the last past one will be chapter 17. This chapter was originally supposed to be the third to last, but I decided to split it into two. Why you may ask? Well, after, what, three years of writing horse fiction, I've come to realize that I get bored easy, and I have a short attention span. I prefer writing shorter chapters (less than 3000 words), writing chapters longer than that, and my concentration kinda- Oh look a squirrel! So, hope you liked this chapter, we're going to be getting to modernity soon! Also, I made a MLP animation: If you want to check it out, I'd appreciate it! Anyway, thanks for reading. Byyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XV.The Crystal Empire was in complete and utter chaos. As the battle between Roxas and the Crystal Behemoth began, building after building came crumbling down as a result of the clash between the two destructive powers. The royal guard elites who had journeyed to the empire as part of the strike team were now doing what they could to get the citizens of the empire to safety. Hard Rock and his team were currently leading a group of Sombra’s freed soldiers and laborers to the underground, where they hoped that the magically reinforced load bearers in the mines would keep it from collapsing. “Let’s move ponies, go go go!” he ordered as he motioned with his hoof the direction they were to go. Jus then, a loud booming roar could be heard, one that shook the very ground beneath them. Hard Rock glanced up at the titan as it did battle with a tiny black figure. The giant beast was trying to swat the figure away, but couldn’t move fast enough. ‘That must be Sir Roxas,’ thought the guard as he watched in amazement, as Roxas disappeared and reappeared over great distances and hitting the Behemoth with his weapon. ‘His speed, it’s amazing! Despite that monsters power, it can’t compete with him!’ I ran down the arm of the Crystal Behemoth, heading strait for his head. He was big and powerful, but very slow. He raised his other arm in the air, and tried to bring it down on me. I dashed forward, and struck the monster in the jaw. He then let out a roar, which blew me backwards. I flew through the air, before entering a darkness portal, disappearing from his sight. The titan let out a confused grunt, as I reappeared behind him, on top of a building. ‘I can hit him all day, but until I find a weak spot, he won’t be going down.’ I began searching his body, looking for weaknesses in his armor. The beast, not knowing where I was, turned left and right, trying to find me. Failing, he let out a frustrated growl, and raised one of his arms into the air, and smashed it down on the ground. The force of the hit shook the ground, and the buildings within the radius. The damaged and weakened buildings began to crumble, the one I was on being one of them. I leapt into the air, rising above the behemoth. “Damn it,” I muttered under my breath. “If this fight continues much longer, the whole Empire will be destroyed! If he’d used both arms, the damage would have been doubled! Wait…why didn’t he use both arms?” Deciding to find out why, I fell forward, heading to the front of the titan. As I did, I noticed that his other arm had a long crack on it. ‘I didn’t do that…how did he…wait, that’s where he hit himself when he was trying to squash me!’ “That’s it!” I now realized that I didn’t need to expend all my energy on trying to damage him, when I can instead get him to fight himself! I landed on the ground, and faced the monster. He looked down at me and growled. He then raised his foot, and tried to step on me. I leapt backwards as the foot came down. I then made my way onto his foot, and started whacking his ankle with my Keyblades to get his attention. He roared, and swung his good arm at me, making an attempt to crush me in his grasp. I teleported behind his hand and shot forward, spinning with my Keyblades held long ways at my sides. I then reared them back, and struck the back of his hand, adding to the already present force. His hand slammed against his leg, causing a sound like breaking glass through a megaphone to be heard as cracks appeared. ‘This is good,’ I thought as I landed on the ground. ‘All I have to do is keep this going, and he’s as good as done!’ Celestia leaned backwards as Sombra swung his blade, missing her throat by an inch. She backed up, and waited for Sombra’s next attack. The dark king was about to strike again, but halted when Luna teleported above him, falling down, and striking at him with her hoof. Sombra dodged to the side as Luna struck the floor, leaving a cracked impact upon it. Sombra turned to dark smoke and slithered away, and then rematerialized. Celestia reared back and shot a blast of magic at Sombra, who countered with one of his own. The two magical attacks clashed, creating a loud bang. As the blasts died down, Luna appeared right next to Sombra, and bucked him with her hind legs. The king let out a gasp as he was hurled onto the ground. He let out a cough, spewing black blood onto the floor. He then wiped his mouth with his hoof, before rising back to his hooves. The two sisters stood in front of him in battle stances, ready to continue the fight. ‘They are more powerful than I anticipated,' thought Sombra as he analyzed the situation. ‘Their battle power is very formidable. I might need to apply different methods if I am to win this fight.’ Suddenly, and idea came to the unicorns mind. An evil idea, one that made him chuckle to himself. The sisters tensed as they heard this. The stallion lit his horn, and the glow of his eyes increased. He then reared up on his hind hooves, and let out a multi-toned shout. Out of his mouth came dozens of dark, shadowy wraiths, each one screaming like a soul being tortured in hell. Celestia and Luna’s eyes widened as the dark beings rapidly flew around them in a circle. Though their screams were incomprehensible, inside their minds, Celestia and Luna could hear words being spoken to them. TYRANT SELFISH USELESS Celestia could hear these things being whispered to her. She tried to ignore them, and push forward, but she couldn’t break free of the dark vortex. The spirits still remained. The voices grew louder, causing Celestia to shut her eyes, and try and block out the noise. For Luna, the wraiths were even more intense. She heard things being said to her quickly, over and over again. NO ONE LOVES YOU NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR NIGHT YOU ARE NOTHING BUT YOUR SISTERS SHADOW “Shut up,” said Luna, though she couldn’t even hear herself over the screaming spirits. CELESTIA ONLY ALLOWS YOU THE TITLE OF PRINCESS OUT OF PITY “Shut up!” she said louder this time, as the voices continued to hurl their venomous words at her. SHE IS A GODDESS, AND YOU ARE A DEMON “SHUT UP!” screamed Luna in rage. As soon as she did this, the voices and the wraiths disappeared, as did all light. For when Luna opened her eyes, all she saw was darkness. “W-what? Where am I?” Luna turned around, and still, all she could see was blackness. “Tia? Tia!” No reply. There was no noise in this void, and no light. Just Luna. As Luna stood there in the darkness, a feeling of fear began to worm its way into her heart. “T-Tia?” “This is what they think of your precious night,” came a menacing voice. One that Luna recognized. “Sombra! Show yourself!” challenged Luna as she lit her horn and took a defensive stance. “When ponies think of the night, they think of darkness and fear. Creatures of prey slither in the dark, waiting to consume the weak and defenseless. And ponies know this. To them, there is only cold, dark, fear in the night.” “That’s not-“ but before Luna could finish, a bright light appeared in front of her. The light blinded the princess, causing her to need to shield her eyes with her foreleg. “But the sun! When ponies see the sun, they feel warm in safe!” When the light lost its intensity, Luna was able to look and see a scene in front of her. She was now standing on a balcony, the balcony of her castle. Next to her was her sister, and in front of them, was a large gathering of ponies, all cheering. Luna looked about timidly. She remembered this; it was a proud moment from her past. It was the day she and her sister were welcomed as the new rulers of Equestria. Luna walked forward, gaining a more pleased expression, and then waved to the ponies, just like they had done on that day, so long ago. “They are not cheering for you.” Suddenly, iron chains descended from the sky. Luna let out a surprised gasp as they wrapped around her, and yanked the princess upward, away from her sister and the ponies. “What is going on?” questioned the princess. “The ponies have rejected your night sky for so long. They bask in the suns light, and honor your sister, yet they shun you and your night. They don’t care for the art you create. Compared to Celestia, you will always be second best.” ‘No…that’s not true! Ponies DO appreciate my night sky! I am my sisters equal!’ Luna felt that she should reject Sombra’s claim, but…she couldn’t. ‘But then, why don’t they express joy for the night like they do the day? In the day, they hold parties and celebrations. Each morning they greet the new day with a smile. But when the moon rises, they retreat indoors. They stay inside instead of looking at the stars that I spend so much effort to arrange…’ Luna just hung where the chains were holding her as she looked down on the image of ponies cheering Celestia, alone. Grief covered her face as she took in what she was seeing. “It doesn’t have to be this way though.” Luna looked up to see Sombra materialize in front of her. She watched as he made his way closer to her. “I personally don’t think ponies give you enough credit. The night is a beautiful darkness. It is powerful and deadly. If we work together, we can show ponies that the suns light is meaningless. We will make ponies appreciate the night. Join me, and we will eliminate Celestia, and rule together in a world of eternal night.” The image appeared in Luna’s head. She saw her sister lying on the ground, with her standing triumphantly above her. She saw her and Sombra sitting upon their thrones, ruling over Equestria with her moon permanently replacing the sun. YOU WOULD BE SUBORDINATE TO NO ONE ALL WOULD KNOW YOUR NIGHTS BEUTY Luna could hear the words whisper in her mind. Luna had never desired these things, but now, it was all she could think about. It felt like a dream she had held onto since she was small. Power, respect…love. No one would shun the night sky again. Then she saw her sister again, lying on the ground with a pleading expression. But then she saw herself, another version of herself. She watched as this version of Luna stood triumphantly over her sister. Celestia looked up at the alternate Luna. “Please…don’t do this.” Luna merely smirked, before bringing her hoof down on Celestia, ending her life. The real Luna couldn’t look away. The scene shifted again, this time showing Roxas on his knees, with Sombra standing behind him. Sombra chuckled as he raised his blade, and placed it on Roxas’s neck. He then drew the blade across, and as he did so, the scene dissipated like dust in the air. “We could have it all,” whispered Sombra in Luna’s ear. “No one to challenge us, no one to stand in our way! Think of it! We’d be unstoppable!” Tears came to Luna’s eyes as she tried to fight whatever was affecting her. She felt a deep, horrible compulsion to act on these new ideas. ‘It would be so easy, with the two of us…’ she thought. ‘We could…we could…’ NO. She could hear a new voice now, one different from the others that had been plaguing her. It was gentle and calm. This isn’t what you want. You would be more alone than ever. You would have no one to love you. You’d have no one but him…a cruel and manipulative monster. He would use you. He would abuse you. And once you gave him what he wants…. he’d get rid of you. Don’t trust his lies. Trust your friends. Your family. Suddenly, Luna was filled with a new feeling. One of determination. One of loyalty. Loyalty to her family, and her friends, and the determination to free the Crystal Empire of Sombra’s iron hoof. “So Princess…will you join me?” questioned the dark king. Luna breathed heavily, before looking up at the stallion. “No…NO!” cried Luna. The force of her shout pushed Sombra back and broke the chains that gripped her. “What!” roared Sombra. “I will never join you!” challenged Luna, filled with the fires of determination. Luna’s emotion empowered her magic, and when she lit her horn, the dark world she was trapped in began to crumble and crack. With a stomp of her hoof, the darkness shattered. Luna found herself lying on the floor of Sombra’s throne room, with the black wraiths circling her and her sister. Luna grit her teeth, and stood up on her hooves “Be gone!” She yelled as she stomped her hoof. A burst of magic erupted from her horn, blowing the spirits away from her and Celestia. She then turned to look at her sister who was lying on the floor, covering her ears with her hooves. “Be quiet!” she repeated over and over. Luna quickly made her way over sister. “Tia, Tia!” said Luna as she nudged her sister. It took a few moments, but Celestia began to calm down, removing her hooves from her ears, and slowly looking over to Luna. “Luna?” questioned Celestia. “Yes sister, it’s me.” “What happened?” “Sombra’s dark magic. He trapped us in illusion.” Celestia visibly seemed to remember what had happened. “You-you broke us free?” “Yes, I did.” “He, impressive little sister,” said Celestia with a smirk. Luna nodded with a smile of her own. “Thank you. Now come, we have a job to finish.” Luna helped Celestia up of the ground, and the two turned to face their adversary. Sombra looked at the two with a shocked expression. “Impossible! You should not have been able to break free of my curse!” “Looks like you underestimated us Sombra,” said Celestia with confidence. “It will be the last mistake you ever make,” stated Luna. And then the two charged. I stood atop the Crystal Behemoths head as it roared in outrage. I just smirked in response as I looked at the thing. Cracks ran all along its body, and it was having trouble standing. Being a mindless brute, my strategy had worked, and now the beast was nearly down. I twirled my Keyblades in my hands as I waited for him to attempt to crush me yet again. “Now now, you want this to be quick don’t you? Then give me everything you’ve got,” I told the giant. It roared, and raised its least damaged arm into the air above me. It then brought its fist down as hard as it could and I quickly teleported above the titans appendage. “Time to finish this.” I then shot down strait towards the fist, preparing to add my own strength to the hit. I reared back my Keyblades, and right when the Behemoths fist hit the top of his head, I struck hard. The combined force did the trick. The monster let out a loud roar as its head cracked even further. I leapt onto a nearby building and watched. Shards started falling from the creature’s surface. It collapsed to its knees as the cracks spread, and soon, the entire body shattered like glass. Its bits and pieces filled the streets, overflowing like a flood. Then, it was over. I dematerialized my Keyblade and stepped off the edge of the roof, landing on the ground with a small thud. I looked around at the mess the battle had made. “That takes care of that,” I said with satisfaction. “Alright, now to help Celestia and Luna.” I began sprinting my towards the Palace, making my way inside. I wasted no time, and soon, I found myself at the entrance to the throne room. When I stepped inside, I saw Celestia and Luna firing a magical blast at Sombra. He was putting up as much resistance as he could, with a strained look on his face. But he was failing. The spell that the sisters were using was much more powerful. “No-no! It cannot end like th-this!” yelled Sombra through grit teeth. “It’s over Sombra!” yelled Celestia. The two put one final push in to their spell. It then overpowered Sombra’s counter, enveloping him in its light. “N-no!...Fine then, if I cannot rule the Crystal Empire, no one can!” As Sombra became enveloped by the spell, his body began to turn to black smoke. In a final act of desperation, he lit his horn, before the spell completed, banishing him to the frozen terrain that surrounded the Empire. His screams echoed as he disappeared. And then he was gone. The two sisters stood there, breathing heavy. “We did it…its over,” said Celestia. The two turned their heads to face me when they heard me making my way over to them. “Good job you two!” I congratulated. “Roxas! You defeated the giant?” questioned Luna. “Yeah, he won’t be a problem anymore.” “Impressive. It looks like the Empire is free now,” stated Celestia. The three of us stood there, feeling a great relief that we had been able to remove the dark king. Then, I took initiative. “Come on. Let’s get the others.” We turned and started walking out of the throne room. ‘Hm…I feel like I’m forgetting something.’ Suddenly, the ground beneath us began to shake. It shook worse than when the Crystal Behemoth was summoned. “Is it another one of those monsters?” cried Celestia. Suddenly the wind began to pick up. It was then that I knew what was happening. “No!” I yelled over the noise. “I think something worse is happening. We need to go, now!” I began sprinting for the exit. I stopped and turned and saw that the two had not yet moved. “Come on!” I yelled again. The two snapped out of their daze, and began to follow me. As we exited the palace, I looked up to see what was going on. There was a large black hole high up above the empire. The buildings, the crystal, everything was evaporating into glowing particles, that rose up and were sucked into the hole. As the three of us ran, I noticed the same thing was happening to us. We were fading, being absorbed into the darkness along with the empire. “What’s happening?” questioned Luna. “I think Sombra’s placed a curse on the Empire!” I replied, knowing full well what was happening. We kept running, but at the rate we were going, we wouldn’t make it out of the Empire before it disappeared. I stopped in my tracks, the two sisters stopping a few feet in front of me. “We aren’t going to make it out of here in time if we run. We need to teleport!” “What about the crystal ponies, and the guards we brought with us?” questioned Celestia. ‘That’s right,’ I thought. We brought soldiers with us. But we didn’t have enough time to go searching for them! The empire only had a few minutes left as it was! I shut my eyes and thought. This was a tough call, but I felt we had no real option here. They could be anywhere. “We could go searching for them, but if we don’t find them in time, no one will be able to escape the empire, including us!” “Are you saying we just leave them?” questioned Celestia. “I say, we hope that they’re able to get out on their own! But if we stay behind, we’ll all share the same fate!” “We can’t just leave them to die!” asserted Luna. I paused for a few moments, solemnly. “They won’t die,” I said. “What, how do you know?” questioned Luna. “I just…know, ok. I recognize this spell, it’s banishing the Empire, beyond time and space. It’ll be back…eventually, with everyone in it. Trust me, I know this isn’t a decision we want to make, but we have no real choice here!” The two sisters looked at each other, thinking about the decision at hand. “He has a point. And we do have a kingdom to look after,” stated Luna. Celestia looked anxious as she considered what Luna had said, before closing her eyes. “All right. Gather around me.” We did as asked, and got close to Celestia. She then lit her horn. And in a flash, we were gone. The panicked screams of the crystal ponies could be heard deep within the mines of the Crystal Empire, as the ponies, and their environment began fading away. “What’s going on?” “Are we dying?” The guards were trying to maintain order, but with so few of them, it was getting harder. Tumbler was trying to calm the ponies, while also trying to process what was happening to them. He felt a hoof tapping on his shoulder, and turned to see Brass standing behind him with a concerned expression. “I think we need to get everyone out of here!” he said. “But, we don’t know if its safe out there!” countered Tumbler. “Something is happening in here, and it might be worse than a giant crystal monster!” Tumbler looked at the ponies in the mines. They were scared, scared both of the danger of the battle, and the unknown of what was happening to them. “All right, let’s get out of here.” Brass nodded. He then turned to the pony’s crystal ponies, and the other soldiers. “Everyone, we’re leaving! Head to the entrance, we are leaving the empire!” There were murmurs between the ponies’, before the royal guards turned, and started leading them out of the mines. They began trotting for the exit of the mines. As they ran, the ponies steadily started to feel more and more tired. Not normal physical exhaustion, but something…different. Soon, all the ponies trotting turned to slow walking. They felt their eyes growing heavier. “I…I don’t…feel so good,” said one of the soldiers, as more of them were absorbed with the empire. “We need…to keep…moving,” stated Hard Rock tiredly. But as he fought forward, his body became limp, and his eyes lids started to feel heavy. ‘Why…am I so…tired?’ The entire group of ponies lost the energy to continue on. Simple slaves, and soldiers alike could do nothing, but lie down, and succumb to the intense tiredness. ‘Maybe…maybe I…should just…close my eyes…’ Every pony in the empire could do nothing but fall to their drowsiness as the empire was absorbed. And once it was complete, the ponies were cast into a deep, dreamless sleep that would last for a thousand years. The three of us stood upon a snowy embankment, as we watched the empire fade away. We didn’t see any ponies in the icy snow when it disappeared. “No one made it out,” muttered Celestia. “All those ponies…lost,” said Luna as her voice started to break. The two collapsed to their knees in the snow, as tears came to their eyes. I looked at the two. Was I not feeling the same despair as them because I knew what would happen in a thousand years, or was it because I simply had no heart? Well, whatever the reason, I was currently the one who had the strength to comfort the two. I knelt down between them, and put a hand on each of their withers. “They’ll be back,” I said. “H-how do you know?” asked Celestia. “I know this spell. I…studied it before I met the two of you. It’s banishment spell. It put everyone in the empire in a state of suspended animation. When the curse wears off…and it will…they will be back. Everyone we lost, we’ll find again.” I hugged the two mares, for quite some time. Eventually, they regained their composure. The three of us rose to our full heights. We looked back at the where the empire once was. With solemn expressions, we turned, and made our way back to where we came from. Little did I know something much worse was about to happen. Something that would affect me for the rest of my life. Author's Note Two more chapters until we get to present day Equestria. XVI.The three of us sat in silence as our chariot flew through the air, towards the castle. No one was really in the mood to talk. Not after what had happened in the Crystal Empire. Soon enough, we saw the town, and the castle appear in the distance. The chariot descended and gently landed on the ground. Being that I was sitting nearest to the exit, I got off the chariot first. When Celestia made to exit, I took her hoof and helped her down. I then did the same for Luna. Once everyone was on the ground, the three of us began walking to the castle. I tried to think of something to say, but honestly, I had nothing. We were all a little Somber about the loss of our comrades. When we entered the castle, I stopped and turned to face the two. “I…I think I’m going to turn in for the night now.” “Yes, of course,” replied Celestia. “I think I shall do the same.” “Then, I shall attend to my duties,” stated Luna. “Are you sure you don’t want to rest, sister?” questioned Celestia. “No, I…I need some time to myself, some time to think.” “Are you alright?” I asked. Luna nodded. “Yes, I am fine. I just need some time to myself.” Luna then started walking away from us, heading towards the throne room. “Good night Tia, Roxas.” Celestia and I watched as Luna left us. When she was out of earshot, I turned to face Celestia. “Do you think she’s alright?” I asked. “Yes. Today has been…stressful for us all. She just needs some time to decompress.” I took a moment to think about that, before I spoke. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” I then let out a yawn, stretching my arms above my head. “Well, I need to go to sleep now.” “Of course. Sleep well Roxas.” “You too.” We then went our separate ways. By the time I made it to my room, my eyelids felt ready to drop. I went to my dresser and took off my coat. When I did, my eyes widened when I noticed something. There was a large purple bruise on my left shoulder. I hadn’t noticed it before because I hadn’t had any pain. I reached over to press my hand against it, and winced when I felt a surge of pain. I quickly retracted my hand. ‘I must have gotten that during the fight.’ I was too tired to use healing magic; so instead, I decided to sleep it off. I went to my bed, and lay down on my back. Moments in, my eyes got heavy, and soon, I found myself drifting off. Then, I entered the darkness of sleep, leaving todays events in the past behind me. I slowly woke up as the sunlight reached my face through my window. I opened my eyes to see the morning. I sat up, but as I did, I felt my sore shoulder. I grimaced as I looked at it, remembering my injury. I got up from my bed, and summoned my Keyblade. I raised it up above me, pointing upward and casted heal. I then felt a tingling numbness as the bruise started to fade. Once it did, I sent my Keyblade away, and pressed my right hand against the spot, and found it to be healed. ‘Thank god for healing magic,’ I thought to myself. I rotated my left arm a bit, before becoming satisfied with its recovery. I then walked over to the dresser, and put on my black coat. It was then that I noticed the emptiness in my stomach. I realized I hadn’t eaten in…well, since before the battle. Must have been a few days since I had a proper meal. I decided to fix that by heading to the dining hall. I left my room, and made my way through the halls. Eventually I made it to the dining hall. I opened the doors, and made my way in. I found Celestia sitting at the table, eating her breakfast. I went up to the table, and took a seat. “Morning,” I greeted. Celestia looked up from her food, and addressed me. “Good morning Roxas,” she said a bit somberly. Moments after I sat down, a waiter appeared to take my order. I gave it, and he left to get my food, leaving Celestia and I alone. “How’s your morning treating you?” I asked. “It’s been…fine,” replied Celestia. I nodded silently. “How about you?” “Same. I had a big bruise on my shoulder, though.” Celestia looked up, with a concerned expression. “You were injured?” “Apparently so. Not sure when or how it happened, I didn’t notice getting hit particularly hard. But I took care of it. It’s fine now.” “Good,” replied Celestia. We waited in silence as the waiter brought my breakfast. As I began to dig in, I noticed that Luna had not arrived. I swallowed my food, and then questioned Celestia. “Where’s Luna?” “I’m not sure. She might still be asleep. She did have to perform her duties so soon after the battle after all.” “Yeah, you’re right.” I turned back to my food, and resumed eating, as did Celestia. We ate in silence for quite a while, before Celestia broke the silence. “How are…how are you doing Roxas?” asked Celestia. I looked up from my plate to look her in the eye. “Fine, why?” “Well, we did loose 12 soldiers, whom you trained personally. I just wanted to know how you were handling it.” ‘That’s right,’ I thought. As I looked back, I remembered that the twelve soldiers we brought with us were ponies that I trained. They were my students and comrades, and every one of them was now lost to us for at least a thousand years. And yet, I didn’t feel the sadness or the depression for what happened. “I…I’m doing fine,” I replied. ‘Twelve soldiers lost, and I don’t feel anything. What’s wrong with me?’ “Well, that’s good I guess. I think Luna’s taken it pretty hard.” “How are you sure? We haven’t seen her since last night.” “I could feel it, the negative emotions coming off her. It comes with being sisters.” “I’m sure it’s just from yesterday. It may take some time, but she’ll get better, I’m sure of it.” “Yes…of course,” replied Celestia. We ate the rest of our meal in silence. I was roaming the halls for some time after breakfast. I was just walking, trying to clear my head. My eyes were cast downward the whole time as I thought about the battle we had fought. Twelve ponies lost, plus the entire population of the Crystal Empire. I knew that they’d be back in a thousand years. But what would it be like for them? Were they suffering? Were they stuck in some sort of suspended animation? I didn’t know, and that’s what bothered me the most. Well, that and the fact that I couldn’t bring my self to feel appropriate sorrow. But while I couldn’t feel despair over the loss, it still weighed heavily on my mind. I looked up from the ground when I saw something in my peripheral vision. I cast my eyes upward and saw Luna, standing and staring out of a window. I looked through an adjacent window to see what she was looking at. Outside was a bright and sunny day. The sky was clear, and ponies everywhere were enjoying it. I looked to Luna. She looked at the happy scene with a slightly downtrodden face, almost a grimace. Wanting to know what was wrong, I walked up next to her. “What’s going on?” I asked. Luna didn’t look away from the scene, but she did address me. “Just…thinking.” I looked from her to the outdoors again. “It seems like you’ve been kinda depressed lately. It everything all right? If not, maybe you’d want to talk about it.” “It’s nothing. You need not worry yourself about it.” “Are you sure? I’m always there if you need to-“ “I’m fine!” snapped Luna. I took a half step back in surprise. Luna looked at me, before taking on a slightly guilty expression. “Do not worry yourself about me. I’m alright.” “Well…if you’re sure.” I turned and stepped away, leaving Luna to herself. I wasn’t sure what was wrong, but I wasn’t about to just leave it alone. She was defensive right now, so I’d try again later, in hopes that I could coax her into telling me what was wrong. After all, that’s what friends are for. A week passed by, and Luna didn’t seem to get any better. She was cold around me, but even more so around Celestia. Her mood didn’t seem to improve. She didn’t talk to us when she saw us. If she did, she spoke the bare minimum. One night, I decided something needed to be done. I stood in my room, watching as the sun lowered, and the moon rose. But what greeted me was not the usual beautiful night sky filled with shining stars and a glowing moon. It was a sloppy, pale imitation of what it normally was. The moon and the stars were dull, and they weren’t arranged in a pleasing way like usual. I decided I needed to talk to her now. So I left my room, and headed down the halls, making for Luna’s room. I was there in no time, preparing what I was going to say. When I reached Luna’s room, I noticed the door was slightly open. Instead of knocking, I gently pushed the door open, and walked in. I saw Luna on the far side, sitting on her balcony. “Luna?” I questioned. She didn’t answer. I started making my way towards her. As I got closer, I heard a soft melody being hummed by the princess. I crossed her room, and made my way next to her. “Luna?” Startled, the Alicorn looked my way, our eyes meeting. “Roxas? What are you doing here?” she questioned. “I came to check on you. Mind if I sit down?” “…No…” I sat down next to Luna. As I did, she turned her attention back to the night sky. We sat there in silence for a few moments. I decided it would do us no good to just sit there and stare at the sky, so I broke the silence. “Luna?” I questioned. “Yes?” “What’s going on with you? Ever since we got back from the Crystal Empire, you’ve been drifting away from Celestia and I. I get it if you’re upset about the soldiers we lost, but-“ “No, it’s not that. I mean, I am saddened by the loss of our comrades but…that is not what is bothering me.” “Then what is it? I can tell this has been bothering you for a while now. Please, I want to help.” Luna was silent for a few moments before she responded. “Roxas…when you look at the night sky, what do you see?” “What do you mean?” “I mean, when you look at the moon and the stars, do you see…well, do you have any appreciation for the work I do?” It was then that I felt something in the back of my mind. Something was familiar about this, but I couldn’t quite place it yet. “Of course I do. Why do you ask?” “I’ve noticed that no one seems to look at the night sky the same way they do the day. Ponies always wander around outside with smiles on their faces when the sun is out. They have picnics, they play, they smile and have fun. They watch the clouds pass by overhead, and they seem to enjoy everything about the day. But when the sun goes down, and my moon rises, they all retreat indoors. Hardly anyone star gazes, or just sits to look up at the moon. They just…they ignore the work I do.” It was then that a distant memory resurfaced in my mind. A name, a name I haven’t heard in a very long time came to be present in my thoughts. ‘Nightmare Moon.’ I knew what was happening now. At once it all came back to me. Luna was feeling envious of her sister, and the appreciation she receives. She was in danger of being consumed by her negative emotions. She was in danger of becoming Nightmare Moon. ‘I completely forgot about that…how could I have forgotten something so important?’ I started wondering. Should I tell Celestia? It might help, but…I didn’t think that would be the best course of action. This was a personal problem for Luna, and I don’t think she would’ve appreciated me telling Celestia her private issues. But maybe, I could help her through this myself. I just had to restore her faith in herself. “I don’t ignore it,” I said. “I’ve always admired the night.” “You’re just saying that,” replied Luna with distaste. “No, I mean it. When…when I was little, my father would bring out his telescope, and let me look through it, at the stars and the moon. It was like looking at a painting done by a real artist. I could stare at it for hours on end.” “Really?” she asked, hopeful. “Yeah. I always loved looking up at the moon. When you look up at the night sky, you can gaze at the stars and the moon. You look up at the sun, and you go blind. You can’t enjoy it the same way as the moon.” “I…I suppose that is true. But even if you can appreciate it, no one else does. They just sleep right through it.” I sat there, and listened to what Luna had to say. She still doubted herself, but I was determined to help her. “You know, the way I’ve always seen it, they sleep through the night because they trust in you to protect them. It’s natural to fear the dark, but it’s because they trust that you’re watching them, that they are able to feel safe enough to close their eyes and sleep. They know that you’re protecting them.” Luna looked like she was seriously considering what I was telling her. “Do you really think so?” she asked me hopefully. “I do.” “Ponies really trust me? I never really thought about it like that. I thought they just slept through the night because they didn’t care enough about it to be awake.” A small smile came to Luna’s face as she looked back up at the stars. “You know, Celestia has always been better than me at everything. She surpassed me in magic, flight, she’s even always been a happier pony than me. I never knew how jealous I was until…” “Until what?” I asked. “Until Sombra got in my head,” admitted the Alicorn. ‘Sombra,’ I thought as I grit my teeth. So he was the cause of this. “Luna, Sombra was a sadistic asshole. He was just trying to break you.” “I know but I can’t help but think that there’s some truth in what he said. I’m not as good, or as powerful as Celestia. She’s the eldest and will always be the eldest. She’s…better than me.” “Why do you think she’s so much better than you? What can she do that you can’t?” “She moves the sun! The sun is huge, it dwarfs the moon completely! It would take all of my power to do what she does.” “Luna, you move the stars,” I told her, confused. “So?” she questioned. “Luna, do you not know what the stars are?” “What do you mean? They’re just little blips of light in the sky.” “Luna, the sun is a star. Every single star in the sky that you move is a sun of its own. Some are smaller than ours, but others are millions of times the size of our sun. It takes an incredible amount of power to move all of those stars, a power that you wield effortlessly!” “How…how do you know this?” she asked incredulously. “My…my people figured it out a long time ago.” “But they disappeared before we met, which was so long ago. How did they figure out something that Equestria still hasn’t even touched on?” I looked at Luna for a few moments, before looking up at the sky. ‘My people. I haven’t seen another human in so long. What had become of them? Did we have flying cars and robot servants by now? Had we achieved the impossible, or had we doomed ourselves with our reckless abuse of our environment? I didn’t know. I didn’t know what happened to my family, or my race. But…it was something that I wish I did.’ “If there’s one thing I remember about my people, it’s that we were smart. Smart enough to create and do things that seemed impossible. Before…before I became the only one of my kind on this planet, we had figured out so much. I have no idea how we did some of the things we did, but it always amazed me.” Luna was silent for a while, as she just looked at me. Then she spoke, but it sounded like she was no longer sad about her own problems, and more so about mine. “You must miss them,” she said compassionately. “I’ve learned to deal with it. Besides, I have you ponies to keep me company now. It’s been so long, I don’t even notice the difference.” Luna smiled, letting out a soft chuckle. “We’re glad to have you too Roxas.” We looked into each other’s eyes for a few moments before we looked back up at the sky. I could see Luna smiling out of the corner of my eye. After some silence, she spoke again. “Thank you Roxas. You’ve really helped me. I…I feel better.” “You don’t need to thank me. I’d be a pretty lousy friend if I just let you suffer like this.” Luna chuckled in reply. “I guess so. But that’s one thing you will never be Roxas, is a bad friend.” I offered her a warm smile. I chuckled a little as well. Then, the two of us turned our gazes back to the night sky. I hoped that I had been able to change Luna’s thoughts. Discord, Tirek, and Sombra were all events that hadn’t changed, even with my arrival in Equestria. But this was something I was determined to change. I decide that I would keep this from Celestia, because I felt that if Luna and I could work through it privately, then there wouldn’t be a need for Celestia to worry. And I knew that unlike the other events, this was something I could change. I was determined to help Luna. Looking back on it, I think I made the wrong choice. I thought I could help Luna myself. I thought telling Celestia would just add to her worry. I honestly thought I had shown Luna that her night was appreciated, and that it did matter. But there was one thing going on with Luna that I didn’t know. And it cost us all dearly. It’s my greatest regret. Author's Note New chapter is out, I hope you guys like it! I want to thank those of you who read and comment on this story, you help keep me motivated. I honestly feel that I'm loosing my touch for writing. What do you guys think, is it just in my head? Also, sorry for the wait. You see, I have a part time job now. It's not something I really like doing, but I need work experience. I hope that one day I can make enough money off of my content that I will be able to work on it full time, but it doesn't look like that will happen any time soon. I don't want to be stuck with normal everyday jobs, I want to be able to entertain people and create content for the internet, and make a living off of that. So, I've been putting a bit more time into my video work, in hopes that I will get enough followers to make a bit of money. I'm almost at a thousand subscribers, and according to my analytics I'll probably reach that milestone in a few months. I really want to turn my content creation into a career. I was thinking today that maybe I should offer commissions in writing, art and animation, but I'm not sure anyone would actually want something like that from me. What do you guys think? Well, anyway, thanks for reading this story. If there's anything you think I need to improve on, just let me know, I want to get good enough at this, so that I might be able to write a real book. Alright, bye! XVII.Three Years Later Luna stood atop her balcony, overlooking the scene that lay before her. I was the evening; almost time to raise the moon. Everywhere Luna looked, she could see happy and content ponies going about their business. Luna looked at them with a neutral expression for a few minutes before she turned her gaze to her sister’s tower. She saw Celestia step onto her own balcony, making eye contact with her. Luna nodded in understanding, and then shut her eyes. She channeled magic into her horn, as did Celestia. Then, the sun started lowering in the horizon as the moon ascended into the sky. Once this was done, Luna looked back to her sister. Celestia gave Luna a wave with a smile before returning to her room, most likely to begin getting ready for bed. When her sister was out of eyeshot, Luna turned to look back at the ponies in the town. A frown came to her face as she saw the various ponies retreat to the indoors. None of them seemed at all interested in the night she bestowed. They just retreated into their houses; ready to sleep through the thing she put so much effort into. ‘Look at how they ignore your hard work. Ungrateful foals.' Luna shut her eyes, and retreated back into her room, trying to block out the voice. ‘The night sky is a piece of art that no pony has the mental fortitude to understand. We must educate them!’ “No,” replied Luna. “I will not force my work on anyone. If they do not appreciate it, it’s their loss.” ‘Thinking like that leads to stagnation. You have the power to make everyone notice your work! Why not make the effort?’ “What am I supposed to do? Refuse to lower the moon? Cast the nation in eternal darkness? That’s foolish!” ‘But isn’t that what you want? Think about it! It would be a paradise!’ “No! I…I don’t…want that.” ‘Yes you do! Your sister bathes in pony’s praise, while you hide in the dark! If other pony’s knew the dark like us, perhaps they’d grow to like it.’ “I can’t just refuse to lower the moon, it would cause panic, chaos! Ponies need the day, just like they need the night” The voice didn’t say anything afterwards, instead muting itself in silence. That gave Luna some rest, and some time for her own thoughts. Gently, her thoughts drifted towards what she had been conversing with the voice about. She couldn’t listen to it, refusing to lower the moon would be a horrible decision! But maybe…maybe she could keep the moon up a few extra hours. Just a few, so that ponies could wake up and begin their day looking up at the moon and the stars. Surely…surely that wouldn’t hurt, right? Celestia would understand, wouldn’t she? A little feeling of warmth made its way into Luna’s heart. She felt a little…excited! ‘This could be exactly what I need! Perhaps this will allow ponies to enjoy the night that I make for them!’ The thought of this filled Luna with determination, and hope. A smile came to her face. Excited, Luna left her room, and started making her way towards the throne room. Celestia was roused from her sleep by her internal alarm clock. Like every day since she became responsible for the day, it woke her from her sleep every morning at the same time. Opening her eyes, Celestia threw her covers aside and rose from her bed. She then made her way to her bathroom. Using her magic, she levitated a brush to her mane, and started to comb it. After a few seconds, she recalled something. “Wait…my hair is magic, I don’t need to comb it!” She removed the brush, and looked at it with a puzzled expression. “Why do I even still have this?” She set the brush down, and made her way to her dresser, where she kept her regalia. She adorned the golden jewelry, adjusting it to make sure it looked right. Satisfied with her appearance, Celestia went out to her balcony, ready to raise the sun. Celestia stood there for several minutes, glancing over to her sister’s balcony, waiting for Luna to step out and lower the moon. When she didn’t, she figured Luna was just running a little late. But when the ten-minute mark passed, Celestia noticed ponies emerging from their homes, looking confused as to why the sky was still dark. ‘What’s keeping Luna, this isn’t like her,’ thought Celestia to herself. She decided to go and see where her sister was. Celestia left her balcony, and entered her room. She then made her way to her door, opened it and exited. She then made her way down the hall to her sister’s room. She stood in front of the door to Luna’s room and knocked. When no one answered, she knocked again. “Luna?” called the Alicorn. When no one answered, she knocked one more time, before opening the door and entering. She looked about the darkened room, looking for her sister, but found no sign of her. Frowning, Celestia turned and left the room. She journeyed down the hall, looking for her sister. When she turned the corner, she was a guard standing ten feet away. She made her way up to him, and addressed him. “Excuse me, guard?” questioned the diarch. The pony raised his hoof in a salute, addressing Celestia. “Yes your highness?” “Have you seen my sister?” “Yes your grace, I saw Princess Luna head towards the throne room some time ago.” “Thank you,” said Celestia with a nod and a smile, before she started heading towards the throne room. ‘I wonder why she’d go there before lowering the moon?’ questioned Celestia to herself. Whatever it was, she hoped her sister was okay. Luna stood in the throne room, looking through a window at the ponies in the town that surrounded the castle. She watched with a puzzled expression as ponies stood timidly outside, not really going about their day. “They don’t seem to be happy,” said Luna to herself. ‘Oh, they will be. Just give them some time to adjust.’ Luna was roused from her thoughts by the sound of the doors to the throne room opening, and hooves hitting the floor. Luna turned to see none other than her sister entering the throne room. “Oh, hello sister!” greeted Luna. Luna noticed that her sister looked relieved, but also a bit irritated when she saw her. “Luna, where have you been?” questioned Celestia. “I have been here, “ replied the darker Alicorn. “Why, did you need something?” “The moon Luna, you didn’t lower the moon!” “Oh, yes, that. Well Tia, I thought that maybe we could leave the moon up for a few extra hours.” “Luna, we can’t do that,” replied Celestia. “It’s just a few extra hours sister.” “Luna, we keep the day and night on a schedule for a reason! A disruption in the cycle of night and day could cause panic! Ponies won’t know what time it is. It would only serve to disrupt our harmony!” “But...but it’s not fair! You get so much appreciation for the sun and the day! Everyone loves you, but no one cares about the night that I put so much effort in to! Just a few extra hours Celestia, that’s all I ask…” “I’m sorry Luna, but we can’t do that,” replied Celestia. “But…but…” muttered Luna, somberly. The excitement she felt when she had her idea to keep the moon up was now gone, replaced by a depressing gap in her heart. “Please sister, I need this!” “I’m sorry, but the answer is no.” ‘See? Not even your own sister cares about your art! She won’t even give you two precious hours! She doesn’t care about your happiness!’ Luna didn’t respond as tears started to form in her eyes. ‘If you want ANYTHING in this world, you have to take it!’ “I could never do that,” whispered Luna. ‘No…but I can.’ ‘No, I will not…I won’t…’ ‘Just close your eyes. I’ll take care of the rest.’ Luna suddenly felt her eyes growing heavy. Her thoughts started to become cloudy, as did her vision. ‘Relax partner. I’ll take care of everything.’ The last thing Luna could hear before she descended into darkness was a maniacal cackling. Then, there was nothing. I was jolted out of my sleep by a loud booming that vibrated through the foundation of the castle. “Run for your lives, it’s Shia Labeouf!” I screamed as I woke from the dream I was having. I quickly looked around my room, searching for my worst fear before I realized where I was. “Oh, right,” I said to myself. I looked to my window, expecting to see the morning sun, but instead, I was greeted with the moon and the stars. “Huh?” I got up from my bed, and made my way to my window, where I leaned down on the windowsill with my hands. “I don’t usually wake up this early. What’s going on?” Just as I asked myself that question, the castle rumbled again, vibrating everything. “Whoa!” I yelped, stumbling backwards. ‘What’s going on,’ I thought. ‘It sounds like the castle is being demolished! I better go see what’s going on!’ I quickly threw my coat on and dashed out of my room, heading down the halls. As I ran, I saw servants and guards rushing towards me. They maneuvered around me, trying to get away from wherever they were coming from with urgency. I stopped one of the guards who was attempting to get around me, and questioned him. “What’s going on soldier?” “Something’s happened to Princess Luna!” replied the pony. My blood ran cold. “She’s gone mad, she attacked Princess Celestia! We have to get out of here, before the whole castle collapses on us!” My eyes were wide as I told him to keep running, and he did so without hesitation. I started sprinting down the halls, evading the ponies who were flooding towards me. ‘This can’t be happening,’ I thought as I leapt over a fleeing maid. ‘I thought I prevented this, I talked to Luna! I thought I fixed things!’ I was naïve. I was here in the land of Equestria, with knowledge of the future, but nothing I did mattered! Everything’s the same as it was. I thought I could prevent the bad things from happening, but I was wrong. It was then that I remembered something from a long time ago. ‘You will change history. But nothing will change.’ I stopped running, and the river of ponies died down. ‘Nothing will change.’ “Nothing will change,” I said to myself. ‘Is that it? That voice that I heard when I first came to Equestria. It told me that I’d change things, yet not change them at the same time…it knew all this would happen, that I’d come here, and that I’d try to make things better, but fail! “Then…” I muttered through grit teeth, clenching my fists. “Then what was the point!” I yelled as I slammed my fist into the stone wall of the hall, cracking the masonry. ‘Was I just sent here to watch these horrible things happen without being able to change them just some sort of joke? Was it just to screw with me?’ Anger started to flood through me. ‘I tried so hard to make everybody happy. But every time something bad happened, it completely took me by surprise! But I thought…I thought that with Luna, I had a chance to make things right. I thought if I just talked to her, I could convince her that she WAS valued.’ “That was three years ago,” I said to myself. “Has she been festering this negativity for three years? Why…why didn’t she talk to me?” Another shockwave roused me from my thoughts. I shook my head, and resumed my sprint, heading for the throne room. I was there in no time. I threw open the doors, and charged inside. Luna or Nightmare Moon, and Celestia were flying in the air, exchanging magical blasts. The attacks were tearing the throne room apart, with stone exploding, and shattering into thousands of pieces. I ran as close to the two as I could, and cupped my hands around my mouth. “LUNA! STOP, YOU HAVE TO STOP!” I yelled. Celestia turned her head to look at me. “Roxas?” she questioned just loud enough for me to hear. “Uh, STAY OUT OF THIS YOU FOAL!” yelled Nightmare Moon, as she shot a blast of magic my way. I jumped into the air, avoiding the attack. “DON’Y YOU DARE HURT HIM!” cried Celestia, as she charged back into the fight. Meanwhile, I hovered in the air, and summoned my Keyblade. ‘I have to stop this,’ I thought to myself. ‘Otherwise, Luna will be banished to the moon for a thousand years!’ As the battle continued, I shot forward. I got as close to the dueling siblings as I could. “LUNA, IF YOU DO THIS, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO LIKE THE OUTCOME! PLEASE, STOP!” “BE QUIET!” yelled Nightmare as she shot another blast towards me. I knocked it aside with my blade. Celestia then sent a volley of magical orbs towards Nightmare, who weaved through them. “NIETHER ONE OF YOU IS GOING TO STOP ME! I WILL HAVE ETERNAL NIGHT!” cackled Nightmare Moon. “LUNA, YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS! REMEMBER WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT!” “OH, I REMEMBER! YOU SHOWED LUNA HOW POWERFUL SHE WAS, THAT SHE COULD DESTROY CELESTIA EFFORTLESSLY! AND WE SHALL!” Nightmare Moon created a set of deadly energy spears, which she shot at Celestia. Celestia raised a magical barrier to block them, which was successful until the last one, which broke the shield. Taking advantage of this, Nightmare used another powerful blast of magic, one far bigger and hotter than the previous ones. ‘She doesn’t have time to defend against it!’ I thought. Celestia was still reeling from her barrier being broken. So, I teleported in front of her, and raised my Keyblade to block. The blast hit the blade, as I supported the upper half with my hand. I pushed against the attack with all my strength, but it was too powerful. Inch by inch, I started to give way. Nightmare put a bit more effort into the blast, and I wasn’t able to keep resisting. I was blasted back, right into the wall behind me. I yelled out in in pain as I hit the wall, cracking the bricks. The wind was knocked out of me, and I heard Celestia call out my name. But, as I started to fall, I felt a warm tingling sensation surround my body. I felt myself being levitated in the air. I thought it was Celestia, come to my rescue. But when I opened my eyes, I saw the manic grin of Nightmare Moon staring back at me. She chuckled as she held me in her grasp. “Luna…please…” “Luna can’t hear you anymore. There is only Nightmare Moon! Now, be a good pet, and go to sleep!” Nightmare threw me down. Celestia cried out, as she dove down to try to catch me. But before she could, I slammed into the ground. I cried out in pain as I landed. Celestia landed beside me. She then carefully supported my head with her foreleg. “Roxas, are you alright?” she questioned. I moaned for a few seconds, before replying. “I’ll…I’ll be o-ok.” Celestia looked me in the eyes with concern, the sound of Nightmare Moon’s laughter echoing throughout the throne room. Celestia closed her eyes, and lit her horn, and a magical glow enveloped my body. My pain lessoned, but was still present to a degree. Celestia then lowered my head back to a resting position. “Whatever you do Roxas, don’t go to sleep. You may have a concussion.” I nodded, and she turned to face Nightmare Moon with rage in her eyes. “Now I know you’re not Luna. Luna would never do such a thing to her loved ones!” “So you figured it out hug? Well it’s too late, because your time has run out! Now die!” Nightmare Moon raised her horn and started charging her magic. Celestia stepped away from me, and looked up at her sister defiantly. “I am sorry sister…but you have left me no other choice.” Celestia lit her horn. Two panels in the floor opened and slid apart, allowing a large statue to rise from the ground. The pedestal rotated, revealing all six jewels of the Elements of Harmony. Celestia levitated the gems, and activated them. They started to swirl around her in a brilliant white light. ‘No…’ I thought. I didn’t want this to happen, but there was nothing I could do. Nightmare let loose her magical blast, and as she did this, Celestia fired the elements. The two blasts hit each other, battling for dominance. But as we all know, the elements proved to be more powerful. The light of the elements overpowered Nightmares magic. It slammed into her, and shot her strait into the sky, towards her moon. When Nightmare hit it, there was an eruption like a sonic rain boom. And the image of the Mare in the Moon became engraved on the satellite. It was over. I had failed. Celestia stood, staring up at the moon, with tears in her eyes. “Luna…I’m sorry,” she said as she lowered her head and closed her eyes. She stood there for several moments, before she heard the sound of footsteps. She quickly turned her head to see her friend, Roxas, limping away from the scene. “Roxas?” she questioned. When he didn’t answer, she galloped towards him. “Roxas, where are you going?” “I’m leaving.” “W-hat do you mean?” “I don’t deserve to be in the same space as you,” he said somberly as he stopped traveling.” “What do you mean? You did your best, it’s not your fault that Luna overpowered-“ “No!” he interrupted, throwing his arm down. “No, it’s not that. It’s…it’s my fault Luna had to be banished. I knew this was going to happen, but I thought I could change things. But I failed.” “R-Roxas, how could you know?” “I saw the signs, but I thought I could just talk to Luna, and help her. But I was wrong. I was so wrong. Luna’s going to be banished to the moon for a long time, so…so I’m banishing myself.” Roxas started limping forward again, snapping his fingers to create a darkness portal. “Wait, Roxas, please don’t go! I-I don’t blame you! Please…. just…don’t leave me…” “I’m sorry, but…I just…I just can’t stay. I don’t deserve to be your friend. I don’t deserve to be anyone’s friend…goodbye, Celestia.” he said again, his voice cracking. Then he stepped into the portal. The last thing Celestia heard before he disappeared into the darkness was; “Now I know I have a heart. Because it’s breaking.” And he was gone. Hours later, Celestia stood in her room. Part of the ceiling had collapsed. The room was dirty, and many of her things were broken. Celestia sniffled, and wiped a tear from her eye. The castle was destroyed. Luckily, no one else was hurt during the fight, but…Celestia had decided that she wasn’t going to rebuild her castle. She wasn’t even going to stay in the same village. She was going to move the capital of Equestria to someplace…someplace without the tainted memories. In a single day, Celestia had lost her sister and a dear friend. And she had no idea how long she would be without them, or if she would ever see them again at all. She was alone now. And it filled her with sadness. Celestia looked around her room, looking for anything that was salvageable. Not much was. As she stepped into the room, she looked about. Something did catch her eye. There was a scroll lying on her dresser. Curiously, Celestia walked over to it, and lifted it up with her magic. She removed the seal, and unfurled the letter. She read the calligraphy out loud to herself. “On the longest day of the thousandth year the stars will aid in her escape and she will bring about everlasting night.” Celestia stared at the scroll, processing what she had read. ‘A thousand years…Luna will return in a thousand years?’ she thought. ‘Nightmare Moon will return. Not Luna.’ A bad feeling came to Celestia’s heart, before she noticed more writing. “In a thousand years, have six new bearers for the elements. They will purify your sister, and you two will be reunited. Have faith in yourself and your decisions. And stay strong.” Celestia analyzed the writing. ‘Who wrote this?’ She looked at the bottom of the page, and saw the letter ‘R’ scrawled. “Roxas…” A small smile came to her face. Celestia closed her eyes, lowering her head, and hugged the note to her chest. “A thousand years is a long time to wait. I miss the two of you already. But if it takes a thousand years to have even one of you beside me, then a thousand years I will wait.” Celestia kept the note in her grasp as she turned and exited her room. “And someday, I hope to have both of you with me again.” Celestia left the castle, with sadness, but a hint of hope within her. She hoped that the future would be bright. Author's Note Here it is, the final chapter of the prologue! Next chapter will be in the present, taking place right after the first chapter. Thanks for sticking with this story for so long, and I hoped you liked the prologue. Now it was at this point that I originally planned on doing crossovers with other Displaced pics, but I'm not sure people are still doing that. If there are any authors who want to crossover, send me a pm with a link to the story you want to use. I'm only planning on crossing over with a 1 or two stories, and I'm looking for stories with a decent like to dislike ratio. But if nobody wants to, it won't affect the story TOO much. It'll mainly affect the ending. It'll be the same basic ending, just with one difference. So, if anyone has a story they want to crossover, let me know. Alright, thanks for reading, and I'll see you next chapter! XVIII.Present Day It’s been a long time. A thousand years of self-imposed isolation. When Luna turned into Nightmare Moon, I abandoned the life I’d built in Equestria. I just couldn’t face Celestia. I couldn’t look her in the eye after what I had allowed to happen. I spent many sleepless nights reliving my mistakes in my head, thinking about what I could have, no, what I SHOULD have done differently. And it weighed heavily on me. I now knew I had a heart, because it broke on that day. I spent the first few days in the Everfree forest, sulking. I couldn’t sleep, and I barely ate. But after a while, I realized there was nothing I could do to fix what had happened. I couldn’t go back and try again. I couldn’t reset time like that kid in Undertale, even though I really wanted to. But even though I couldn’t change the past…I could make sure the future went the way it was meant to. In a thousand years, the stars would align, and aid in Luna’s escape. Twilight Sparkle and her friends would find the Elements of Harmony, and turn her back to her normal self. I made the decision then and there that when the time came, if they needed my help, I would give it. I would let nothing stop the future from being as bright as I knew it would be. Until then…I would wait. I had a LOT of time to kill. So, I decided to spend my time traveling, and improving myself. I journeyed all over Equestria. I ventured to every corner of the nation, making sure not to draw too much attention to myself, yet I didn’t shy away from helping those who needed it. I’d protect ponies in danger, and hone my skills as a mage and a warrior. I fought monsters and villains alike. It was never anything major, or super difficult. The villains were nothing compared to those that appeared in the show. A few crazed power seekers, and chaotic acolytes, but they were pretty small news. I guess there’s a reason Equestria never faced another major threat in the show, between the banishment of Luna, and her return. It was me. When I had seen all there was of Equestria, I decided to venture outside of the kingdom. I traveled all over the world, visiting places like the Badlands, the Griffin Kingdoms, the Dragon Lands. I even found a few places that I hadn’t seen in the show, such as YakYakistan, the Hippogriff lands; I even found a small little village full of pony like creatures called Kirin. I made friends, though…I always kept them at a bit of a distance. Maybe it was because I didn’t want to cause anymore serious heartache, or maybe I didn’t feel right making new creatures my close friends, after I had left Celestia, and my friends in Equestria behind. I wasn’t anti-social; I just…didn’t really let myself get as close to other creatures as I was with the sisters. And, with the curse of my immortality, I watched those friends die. Old age, sickness, or violence, I saw and witnessed them all. It hurt. It hurt a lot. But I new I needed to hold on to that pain and accept it. Because if I let the pain desensitize me, and turn off my emotions…then I really would lose my heart. With some of my friends, when they passed on, I would stay and be apart of their children’s lives, I became a family friend of sorts. But all things come to an end. I always knew when it was my time to depart, and start again. But as proud and happy as I was to have so many good friends and memories to carry with me, it also hurt to know how many I had lost, and all the pain I had seen. Some days were worse than others. I’ve had quite a few sleepless nights in my years, and plenty of nightmares. But I had good dreams too. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done without those. They let me visit those I lost, including Luna and Celestia. Sometimes I wonder if that was really Luna visiting me from the moon. Who knows? Believe it or not, a few legends started circling about me. The Knight in Black was one of them. I earned it after saving a race of Deer from a Hydra. By this point, I was completely used to being Roxas. Not Sir Roxas, not the leader of the Royal Guard, just Roxas. My old name? My name from the world I was born in…was gone. I couldn’t remember it; no matter how hard I tried. I probably should have written it down somewhere. But…well, what is a name really? Living without my real name, I could accept, I could live with it. But when I could no longer remember my mother’s face, or my father’s…that hurt. For a thousand years, I was alive, but I didn’t grow. My mind could only hold so much information, and stuff that was no longer deemed important was erased and replaced. Huh…I guess my mind didn’t deem my family to be important enough to remember. That nearly broke me. I didn’t’ want to forget them…I didn’t want to forget ANYONE! It wasn’t just my human family, and old life that faded away, but some of my Equestrian life was lost to me as well. Guards I had trained, friends I had made, the less notable and memorable friends I had made were lost to time as well. I really wish I had kept a journal or something. I had to wonder if Celestia and Luna had the have the same problem? I don’t know…I do know that the rules could be different for them, since they’re Alicorns, and I’m human. I just wish I had enough room inside my brain to remember EVERYONE and all the relationships I had made, and cherished. But, I guess that’s just a fantasy. I just hoped…I just hoped that, when the day finally came for my time to end…I would get to see EVERYONE I had ever loved, and everyone I had forgotten, including those from my old world. But considering that I was now in a completely different world from my original one, that might not be possible. Different afterlives for different realities, I assumed. There’s also the chance there isn’t such a thing in ANY reality, and that once you died…that was it. But, I tried not to think about that possibility. Nearly a thousand years had gone by since Luna’s banishment. The clock was now ticking down onto her return. I had kept track of the time, though it wasn’t always easy, considering different cultures had different starting points with their years. But I was able to do it. A few years before Luna was said to return, I made my journey back to Equestria. I returned to the Everfree forest, and settled into the Castle of the Two Sisters. It was abandoned now, crumbled to dust and decay. All the life that this place had once housed was gone. Hundreds of souls, citizens who I lived alongside of were now long dead. I wondered if there were any ghosts wandering the castle’s halls. If there were, would they remember me? I settled into my old room. Walking into that room hit me hard, causing tears to come running. It was practically ancient. It WAS ancient. So was I. Had I not been immortal, my body would be long buried, my flesh all but rotted away, leaving old, dry bones, and a tattered coat. It sent chills up my spine. How I wish things had gone differently. I wished that Nightmare Moon never happened, and that we could have all lived together over the years. Now the castle, and my memories had crumbled and decayed. It was a feeling I can’t really put into words, and you probably couldn’t understand the feeling, unless you yourself were in the last throes of life. My room was nearly empty. Many of my things were gone. The painting of me and the sisters that I kept above my bed was gone. I hope Celestia took it somewhere safe. The mirror I kept mounted on my wall was cracked and dirty, but it still reflected my image back at me. Not a day of age had touched me. No stubble or facial hair, my head hair didn’t even grow. I was permanently stuck in a state of boyhood. My room was dusty, and full of cobwebs, but I made do with it. It wouldn’t be long before Nightmare Moon would return, and she would be turned back into Luna. Celestia would have her sister back, and everyone would have their happy ending. As for me…I didn’t know. The only future I was uncertain about was my own. But no matter what, I wouldn’t let things turn out bad for any of my friends! I would make sure things were set right. And so, the day before the Summer Sun Celebration, I laid myself down on my bed, and for the first time in a thousand years, I let myself fall asleep in my own room. A room with memories, a room that truly was MINE. I drifted off to sleep, setting a magic alarm to wake me in time to make sure that things went according to plan. I had ventured to the end of the forest earlier, and saw the ponies of Ponyville setting up for the festivities. I knew things were set in motion. I closed my eyes, and lost consciousness, and had the best sleep in centuries. Because I knew that tomorrow…Luna would be coming home. Author's Note Well Ladies and Menies, Roxas is Back In Black! I want to apologize for how long this has taken. But don't worry, I have plenty of excuses! The reason I delayed this for so long, is because once I finished the part of the story that took place in the past, I wasn't sure how I was going to go with this. I was stuck between two options, 1. having the story crossover with other displaced stories, and doing something that led to an infinity war thing, or 2. not doing that. I chose to do the latter. The other reason I haven't updated in so long, is well, for a while I completely lacked all motivation to continue my stories. I was working on other things, animations, comics, music etc. I was still writing, I just had no motivation to write on this site anymore. But that changed this morning, and I found myself motivated again. And you know what, I really enjoyed getting back into this. So, I'm going to try to keep this going, and update my stories more frequently. So yeah, that's what's been going on. I'm almost finished with this semester at college, and then I have one more before I graduate. If you want to support my work, I have a Ko-Fi and a BuyMeaCoffee Also, one last thing. Would anyone be interested in drawing a new cover image for this story? I'm looking for something with book proportions. If multiple people want to do, we may do a contest of sorts, and I'll pick the best one. Well that's all, thanks for staying with me this long! See you soon! XIX.I stood atop the decayed castle that I once called home, looking up at the star filled sky. The wind blew through my hair as I stared at the pony shaped pattern imprinted on the moon, waiting for the all-defining moment when the stars would aid in Nightmare Moon’s escape. A thousand years. It had been a thousand years since I’d seen my closest friends. The time had a way of wearing me down. I can’t imagine what it’s done to Luna. Was she conscious during this time? I really didn’t know what it was like for her. I probably wouldn’t ever know either. I was just here to make sure everything went the way it was supposed to. I’d make sure the Mane Six freed Luna, and then…well, I’d probably return to my isolation. I still felt as though I couldn’t face them. This was about making things right, not about mending my own emotional state. I felt a chill run through me as the image on the moon dissipated. I saw a light appear in the darkened sky. It quickly shot through the sky, before disappearing in the horizon. “I guess it’s time,” I said to myself. I pulled my hood over my head, and leaped off of the tower I was standing on. “Let’s do this.” I stuck to the darkness as I followed Twilight and her friends. Though it had been millennia since I saw the show, I still remembered how this all went. As the ponies walked along the edge of the cliff, their first trial, I saw a purple mist float towards the rock. Nightmare Moon’s magic soaked into the hard stone. The moment Rainbow Dash made her attempt to scare the six, the cliff began to rumble and shake. A crack formed, causing the ledge that the ponies were standing on to break. Rainbow and Fluttershy took to the sky as the others began to fall, crying out in surprise. The two pegasi were able to catch Rarity and Pinkie Pie, while AJ and Twilight slid down. Fluttershy and Rainbow quickly their two friends down safely, as Twilight and Applejack had their exchange. I used to wonder what took the pegasi so long, that they weren’t able to just grab the two earthbound ponies off the cliff, instead of letting Twilight fall. Well, it turns out, I was. The way it was going, the two would have made it to Twilight and Applejack in time to lift them both off the cliff. But, I knew I couldn’t let that happen. It was absolutely essential that everything went according to how it was written in the show. Twilight had to put her faith and trust into Applejack in order for her to be recognized as the Element of Honesty. So, I decided to slow down the two pegasi. As they started flying towards the cliff, I cast Aero to blow them off course. They were surprised at this, and it cost them time. But they were able to recover and make their way towards Twilight. It was at this point that Twilight released her grip. A jolt ran through me as I saw that Twilight was falling at a speed greater than the pegasi were flying. “Damn it!” I cursed under my breath, as I realized I did my job too well. I wasn’t about to let Twilight die because of me. “Stopza!” I cast Stopza on Twilight to slow her descent, and speed up Fluttershy and Rainbow. It was a variant of the magic that I had developed a while ago. I had done a lot of experimenting with my magic in the past, and had developed a lot of new abilities. Rainbow and Fluttershy caught Twilight, and gently lowered her to the ground as Applejack did her Parkour down the mountain. The group recovered and made started up their journey again. What they didn’t see, was a purple mist slithering past them like a snake. I teleported down the path to monitor the next threat. The Manticore. When I found it, it was sleeping soundly, hidden by the foliage. That didn’t stop the mist from finding it though. I expected the mist to place a thorn in the creatures paw. But that’s not what it did. The mist entered the manticore, absorbed into it through the nose as the beast breathed in. It woke up immediately, and started hacking and coughing. As it did, the Manticore started to change. It’s claws and teeth grew longer and sharper, same with its horns. It’s body started growing, reaching twice its original size, with its muscles becoming much more pronounced. Purple veins could be seen as its eyes glowed a similar color. “Looks like Nightmare isn’t playing around this time,” I said to myself. I knew I only had a few minutes before the girls showed up, so I knew I had to fix this as soon as possible. I started sprinting towards the monster, materializing my Keyblade. The beast growled, and charged towards me. As it reared to strike me, I teleported right above it, and smacked it in the head with my blade. I landed on it’s back, and jumped into the air. I aimed my Keyblade right at the creature. The end of my Keyblade started to glow, as a keyhole appeared on top of the Manticore. A beam shot from the tip of my Keyblade, which hit the keyhole. A bright light appeared as I accessed the beasts’ heart, and released the darkness trapped inside it. I landed softly on the ground, as the Manticore reverted back to its old self. As it regained it’s senses, it looked at me strangely, before coming up to me and licking me. The Manticore began purring, and rubbing up against me, clearly thankful that I had saved it. I knelt down and began petting its mane. It was nice. It had been so long since I’d gotten to pet an animal. It was like having a cat, or a dog. Feeling the creatures affection made me feel happy, and at peace. But just then, I heard something. “And once Pinkie and Rarity were safe, me and Fluttershy looped a looped around, and bam! In the nick of time!” That was Rainbow Dash. They were closing in fast. I looked down at my side, as I noticed a thorn lying on the ground. The Manticore had its eyes closed as it nuzzled me. I let at a pained sigh, as I picked up the thorn. “Sorry about this, fella,” I said as I jammed the thorn into its paw. It roared out in pain, as I quickly leapt back. I teleported to the cliffs above, just in time to avoid being noticed by the ponies. Just how I remembered it, the ponies engaged the Manticore, ultimately winning it over with Fluttershys kindness. I hid, but stayed watch to make sure no one was hurt. When Fluttershy removed the thorn, the Manticore seemed wary at first, but quickly warmed up to her. I felt bad, betraying its trust like that. But it had to be done. I opened up a darkness portal, and went through, hoping that I hadn’t been seen. I had more work to do, to make sure everything went as it was supposed to. The girls faced the rest of their trials, with me having a hand in each of them. The forest where Pinkie would ‘giggle at the ghosties’, was actually filled with poisonous gas. I cleared that out, and proceeded to whack and disfigure the trees to make them look right. The sea serpent was actually being mind controlled by Nightmare Moon. I released him from the spell, but cut his mustache before he fully regained his mind back. Then came the last obstacle: the bridge. I walked along the rope bridge, as a fog clogged my field of vision. The girls had a ways to go before they’d make it here, so I was surveying the area. It looked like I’d have to cut the bridge. But, when I was about halfway across, the fog increased greatly. Through it, I could see the outline of a pony on the other side. I stopped, and stood ready to defend myself. “This is certainly an unexpected development,” said a voice. One I recognized. “Nightmare Moon,” I said calmly. The mist cleared enough for me to see corrupted form of Princess Luna standing across from me. “Is it really you?” she questioned. It almost sounded like she…missed me…. “It is,” I replied. “We…never thought we’d see you again.” She paused. I took the moment to observe her. She didn’t look like she was looking for a fight. “Am I talking to Luna…or Nightmare Moon?” “We are…not sure,” she replied. Her voice sounded dual toned, as if two ponies were talking at once. “Luna, if you can hear me, you need to fight this! This darkness isn’t you!” Nightmare raised her hoof, as if to take a step forward. The purple mist coming from her eyes started to wean. “Listen Luna. It was my fault this happened to you. I knew something like this was going to happen, and I made the mistake of trying to fix it alone. I should have sat you down with Celestia and have you talk about all that was going on. It…it was my fault.” Nightmare looked saddened for a moment. I started to think I was reaching Luna. “It’s not too late though. Things can go back to being good again! You can go back to Celestia! She misses you!” For a moment, I saw the real Luna. It looked as though Luna was able to fight back against Nightmare, and take control of her life again. “What about you? W-will you be there too?” she questioned. “I…I don’t…I don’t know.” “Wh-why not?” she questioned. It looked like Luna and Nightmare were fighting for control at this moment. “I just…I can’t…” “Can’t? Or WON’T?” “I…” “You’re…you’re afraid aren’t you? That Celestia won’t forgive you?” I didn’t respond. “Well…if she can’t forgive you…then WHY WOULD SHE FORGIVE ME!?” Luna shouted, as Nightmare Moon regained control with a burst of magic. I readied my Keyblade. “You will not destroy my hold over her! I will destroy you, and then plunge this world into eternal night!” She started hovering in the air with her wings keeping her aloft, as I took a battle stance. “So, Sir Roxas, do you think you have what it takes to put a stop to me?” “Not sure,” I said with a pause. “But that’s not my job.” I teleported behind her, and quickly cut the ropes holding the bridge up. Nightmare Moon turned around to see me, as I disappeared in a portal of darkness. ”You’re running? Come back here and fight me!” But by then, I was gone, though still in range to hear her, and monitor the situation. “COWARD!” she screamed, before disappearing in a mist of purple energy, and heading towards the castle. As she did this, I hid behind a tree, with a hand on my heart. It was beating rapidly, and my body was erupting in tremors. I ran my fingers through my hair. A thousand years. I hadn’t seen Luna in a millennia. I though she was completely dominated by Nightmare Moon. But there was still some of her in there, and I was enough to help part of her resurface. I didn’t know how the whole thing worked. How much control did Nightmare Moon have when I spoke to her? Was Luna truly lucid, or was it just her heart breaking through? Would Luna remember our interaction when she was free? I didn’t know. From then on, everything went according to plan. Nightmare Moon battled Twilight, only to be defeated by the Elements of Harmony. The girls woke up, to be greeted by Celestia. The two sisters saw each other for the first time in a thousand years. I stood, watching behind a wall, as everyone had their happy reunion. I…wanted to join in. I wanted to see my friends again. But I…I was scared. Would they want to see me? I knew it would create less drama for them if I just left. I opened a portal, and prepared to leave. ‘Coward!’ What Nightmare Moon had said to me rang in my head. Maybe she was right. Maybe me leaving without talking to them was cowardly. “We were meant to rule together little sister,” said Celestia. Memories of our happy times together ran through my mind. The times we’d comforted each other when we each faced our challenges. I wanted to make new memories with them. I really did. I also owed them a proper explanation. “I can do this,” I whispered to myself. I swallowed the lump in my throat, and emerged from my hiding place. I walked towards my old friends. Celestia gasped in surprise, and Rainbow saw me as a threat. Without responding to anyone, I simply stopped in front of Luna. She looked with fear, as I raised my Keyblade. I lodged my Keyblade in the ground, and dropped to my knees. All was silent for a few moments. Then, I spoke my heart. “Princess Luna…I…am so sorry.” Author's Note Hey, sorry this took a while, I was kinda breaking for the holidays, and then I didn't have my computer for about two weeks. Anyway, here it is! Support of you'll go to Heeeeellllllllllll! Buymeacoffee Ko-Fi
XX.The whole room was silent. All eyes were on the mysterious figure in black, who had appeared out of nowhere. The element bearers looked at the two princesses and the strange creature, not sure what was about to happen. Celestia and Luna’s eyes were wide, their mouths agape, as the figure leaned on his weapon, head down. Roxas was silent and motionless, waiting for the verbal lashing he knew he was owed. He waited, but what he did not expect was a soft touch on his shoulder. He looked up to see Luna pressing her hoof against him. She tapped him gently a few times, trying to determine if this was an illusion or not. “Is it…is it really you?” she questioned. Roxas heard the sound of hoof steps as Celestia approached his side. “Yeah,” replied the nobody. There was silence for a few moments, before he spoke up again. “I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but-“ Before he could finish, he found himself embraced by the two princesses, in the tightest hug he’d ever felt. Tears ran down the sister’s faces as they embraced their old friend. Roxas’s eyes widened in surprise, as his Keyblade disappeared. “We thought we’d never see you again,” said Celestia. Twilight and her friends stood on the sidelines, watching the scene in confusion. “Who…what is that?” questioned Rainbow Dash. “I…I have no idea,” replied Twilight. “Whoever he is, he has an odd fashion sense. Black is so out this season,” commented Rarity. Roxas’s heart was beating rapidly. He couldn’t come to terms with what was happening. He expected them to be angry with him. He expected them to blame him for their misfortunes. But this…this was too much. “I…I don’t understand,” he muttered just loud enough for the two to hear. The sisters leaned back from the embrace, and looked at him in confusion. “Why don’t you hate me?” “Why would we ever hate you?” questioned Celestia. “Because it’s my fault,” he replied solemnly. “What was?” asked Luna. “It was my fault you turned into Nightmare Moon. I saw the signs, but I didn’t take the right action. I could’ve prevented it…but I failed.” “Roxas,” said Luna sternly. The two locked eyes. “It was no ones fault but mine, for what happened. I’m the one who let my darker emotions control me. There’s no way you could have known the extent of them, or how far I’d go. This is NOT YOUR FAULT.” The two sisters once again hugged Roxas tightly. “But-“ before Roxas could continue, Luna took the stage. “You even talked to me when I was feeling so low, and you tried to help. Roxas, there was no way you could have predicted what would happen. This is not your fault. So don’t ever say otherwise again.” Tears came flowing out of Roxas’s eyes, as he returned the sisters embrace. “I am also to blame,” said Celestia. “I failed to see how my little sister was hurting.” ‘If you knew what I knew…you wouldn’t be saying that,’ thought Roxas. The thought of telling them the whole story ran through his mind. But…something told him not to. So he obeyed his intuition. ‘But…we’re all back together again. No matter what happens…I will not allow anything to ruin this.’ After a few minutes, the three exited their embrace, and stood up. “Luna, Roxas, there are some ponies I would like you to meet,” said the princess as she led the two towards the six mares. “This is my student, Twilight Sparkle and her new friends. They are now the bearers of the elements of Harmony.” Luna looked surprised at this, while Roxas kept a strait face. “Um…hello! I’m Twilight,” said Twilight, nervously. “And these are my friends,” the ponies initiated their introductions. “I’m Applejack.” “My names Pinkie Pie!” “I am Rarity.” “Names Rainbow Dash!” “I’m…I’m Fluttershy….” “It is truly a pleasure to meet you all. I owe you so much,” said Luna gratefully. “Yes. Thank you for helping her. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to see her again,” thanked Roxas. Suddenly, all attention turned to Roxas, as Twilight walked up to him, and started examining him. She grasped his hand in her hooves and started examining it. “Uhhh….” “Fascinating! You have appendages just like Spikes! But you don’t appear to have claws. Can I take off your glove for further examination?” “I…I guess?” Roxas had forgotten how much of a science freak Twilight was. The purple unicorn removed his glove and started studying his hand. Suddenly, Roxas felt something weird on the back of his head. Before he could react, Pinkie Pie appeared out of his hood. “Ooh, ooh, do you like parties?” she asked energetically. “Not really,” he replied. “Well, that’s because you’ve never been to one of MY parties!” she exclaimed. “In fact, let’s throw one when we get back to Ponyville! It can be a ‘Welcome back from the Moon, Luna/Welcome back from whatever the heck you were doing for a thousand years, Roxas,” party!” “Pinkie, I swear you can be a bit much. Give em a second to breathe why don’t ya?” said Applejack. “I think a party sounds like a wonderful idea,” said Celestia. “That is, if you are ok with that,” questioned Celestia towards Luna and Roxas. “I…I suppose so,” said Luna. “It would be nice to see new ponies. What about you, Roxas?” “Sure. Why not?” “Hurray!” cried Pinkie as she dived off of Roxas, landing on the ground. “Then let’s get to it! I’m going to make so many cakes! And cupcakes! And cookies!” Smiles came to the faces of all those gathered. Roxas looked to see Twilight still examining his hand. “You maybe want to pick this up some other time?” he asked Twilight. “CAN WE?” questioned the mare rapidly and frantically. “Uh, I mean,” stalled Roxas, realizing what he’d just done. “How about we talk about it some other time?” “Hmm…alright.” Twilight released her grip on Roxas’ hand, and returned to her friends. “Then let’s be off!” announced Celestia. The group gathered in front of the entrance to the castle. With happy demeanors the group began their trek back to Ponyville. Roxas was about to follow, when he suddenly felt a strange feeling in the back of his head. He sensed something…something unusual. Roxas turned his head to gaze at the forest behind him. His eyes widened. It was hard to make out, but in the shadows of the trees, he saw it; a darkness portal. One that he didn’t make. The second his eyes locked on to it, it disappeared. Some might have dismissed it as a trick of the eye. But Roxas knew what he saw. ‘This…that shouldn’t be...’ “Roxas, are you coming?” called Luna. Roxas quickly composed himself, and turned and ran after his friends. “Coming!” ‘I’m gonna have to keep an eye on things. Because, I have a bad feeling about this.’ Author's Note BuyMeaCoffee Ko-Fi
XXI.Ponyville was officially the place to be. Lined with streamers, decorated with balloons, and music playing through the air, this once quaint little village was now livelier than Canterlot. Ponies from nearby tows migrated to attend Princess Luna’s welcome home party. It was a pleasure for Celestia to show her younger sister the new world she had just rejoined. Luna, for being as out of place as she felt, was doing pretty well for someone in her social situation. But, the two never left each other’s sides, neither wanting to lose sight of the other, after so much time apart. After conversing with a pony who had congratulated Celestia on her sisters’ return, the princess scanned the area for her long lost friend, Roxas. After a few glances, she caught sight of his black coat standing out in the colorful town. He was on the other side of the party, leaning against a building with his arms crossed, looking down at the ground with a stern expression. ‘What could be bothering him? This is a happy occasion…’ she thought. She was about to go over and talk to him, when out of the corner of her eye, she saw her lavender coated student making a beeline towards him. ‘Hmm…maybe some friendly conversation will help him. Though I hope it isn’t just Twilight poking and prodding him for science.’ Roxas leaned against a building, caught up in his own thoughts. ‘A dark doorway…I’m sure that’s what it was.... I’m supposed to be the only one who can use them. But I saw it! And that presence I felt…it wasn’t a good one. It couldn’t be Tirek…Chrysalis either…maybe it was Sombra? But he’s not supposed to return until much later…. Once this party is over, I should start investigating.’ “H-hi!” Roxas was brought out of his trance when he heard the voice of Twilight Sparkle standing in front of him. “Oh, uh…hi,” he replied. “You…you’re Roxas, right?” she asked. “Yeah.” “And you…you’ve known Princess Celestia and Luna for, well, FOREVER, right?” “I guess over a thousand years could be considered forever, yeah.” “What are you!” questioned Twilight loudly, not being able to contain her excitement anymore. “What am I?” he questioned. “Yes! I’ve never seen a creature like you before! What are you, what’s your species?” “I’m human,” he replied. “Wow! In all my readings, I’ve never heard of any sort of creature called a ‘human’ before! Why is that? Where are the other humans? Where do you come from?” Twilights asked in a flurry of excitement. “Actually, I’m one of a kind,” he replied. Twilight retreated, and looked up at Roxas in shock. “One of a kind? You mean there aren’t any others?” Roxas shook his head. “So…you’re an endangered species?” “I…suppose so….” In a quick motion, Twilight grasped Roxas by the waist in a firm hug. “You must be preserved,” she said in an eerily calm tone. “Ok, gettin’ weird, need my personal space!” said Roxas, quickly getting out of the unicorns grasp. “I’m sorry,” apologized Twilight looking regretful. “It’s just, I kind of try to learn everything I can about…well, everything! To know that someone like you exists, completely omitted from all historical records, well, I got overwhelmed!” ‘No historical records? Strange.’ “It’s uh, understandable. No harm done.” ‘I’m gonna have to watch her. I’d forgotten just how neurotic she was.’ “So, can I ask you a question?” “Umm….I guess?” replied Roxas, unsure. “Can you use magic?” asked Twilight. “Yes, I can.” “And that big key of yours? Is that magic too?” “My Keyblade?” questioned Roxas, summoning the weapon in his hand. “Yes, it is.” “I’ve never seen a weapon like that before!” “Well, I’m the only one who can use it.” “Really? So is it enchanted? Does your magic create it?” “Actually, it IS my magic. It’s a weapon tied to my heart, and a key to fight the darkness. You can only use it if it chooses you to wield it.” Twilight stepped back, with a gasp. “It’s…alive?” “I…I don’t know if I’d go that far, but it is a pretty incredible thing.” “Amazing,” awed Twilight. As Twilight conversed with Roxas, five ponies approached from the side. “Twilight!” called Applejack. Twilight and Roxas turned to see the other five members of the mane six approaching. “Oh, hi guys!” Twilight quickly trotted over to the group. The group started conversing, as Roxas stood on the sidelines watching them. He then turned his attention to Celestia and Luna. He wondered if he should go over and talk to them before he left. He stood up straight, and was about to go talk to them, when he heard himself being called from Twilights group. “Hey, uh, big black guy!” “Excuse me?” questioned Roxas, turning to see Rainbow Dash addressing him. “You know, uh, you’re big and you’re wearing black, right?” she questioned, put off by Roxas’s reaction. “Oh, uh…yeah, what can I do for you?” ‘Different world, different rules,’ he thought to himself. “You look familiar…have I seen you before?” questioned Rainbow. “I don’t think so,” he replied. “Are you sure, because I definitely feel like I’ve seen you before.” “I don’t thi-“ “Wait, I know!” burst Pinkie Pie. “You were following us on our adventure!” Roxas’s eyes went wide. “What are you talking about Pinkie?” questioned Rarity. “My Pinkie sense! I got this weird feeling while we were going through the Everfree forest! I got this feeling we were being watched! And now looking at him, I get the same feeling!” “Wow,” uttered Roxas, amazed at the pink pony’s near psychic power. Rainbow Dash looked instantly suspicious. “What are you, some kinda stalker?” she questioned. “What, no!” responded Roxas, turning to face the group, with his hands planted in front of him. “I wasn’t stalking you! I just…I needed to make sure you made it through the forest safely. You were…you were the only way Luna would be able to come back.” “You knew what was going on? That we were the element bearers?” questioned Applejack. “Um…yeah.” “We didn’t even know that!” shouted Rainbow Dash, flying right up to Roxas’s face. Roxas started to panic, looking around himself for a way out of this situation. Luckily, one came in the form of the two Alicorn princesses, approaching the group. Luna galloped forward, and grabbed Roxas in a hug. After a moment, Roxas returned the gesture. “So, how are you all getting along?” questioned Celestia. Rainbow was about to speak, before Twilight cut her off. “Great! We’ve been getting to know each other pretty well!” “That’s great!” said Celestia. Luna disengaged from the hug, and returned to Celestia’s side. “Roxas, may we speak with you?” questioned Luna. “Yeah, sure,” replied the human. The three walked away from the mane six. “Why’d you interrupt me? I was gonna ask how that guy knew we were the element bearers!” hissed Rainbow to Twilight. “Because he’s never going to open up to us if we put him on the defensive! I think there’s a lot we can learn from him, but we can’t be too aggressive about it,” replied Twilight. Rainbow grumbled and crossed her arms. “Fine,” she relented. Roxas and the princesses walked over to a more secluded part of the town to talk in private. “So what’s going on?” he asked. “Roxas, it is so good to see you again!” said Celestia. Her happiness turned to mournful after a few seconds though. “But, I have to ask…where have you been all these years?” A sharp jolt ran through Roxas’s spine. He wasn’t prepared for this question, though he definitely should’ve been. “I just…I…I couldn’t face you. Like I said, it was my faul-“ “No it wasn’t!” asserted Luna. “Roxas, no one was to blame for Nightmare Moon but me! You are not at fault.” Roxas relented. “Well, regardless, that was the reason.” The two sisters looked at each other, before each placing an arm around Roxas’s back in a three-person hug. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like, carrying that guilt for so long,” said Celestia. “Out of the three of us, I think I suffered the least,” replied Roxas. The two sisters disengaged. ‘He’s changed so much. He so much more negative now. What happened to that joy and optimism he was so famous for?’ thought Celestia. “Well, I’m just glad to that the three of us are together now!” said Celestia. “As am I,” added Luna. “Roxas,” stated Celestia, looking at Roxas in the eye. “I’m bringing Luna back with me to Canterlot. We’d like you to come with us.” Roxas looked surprised. Then sad. “I uh…I’m not sure…” “Why not?” questioned Luna. “It’s just that…It’s been so long since…since…” “Please Roxas,” pleaded Luna, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “We’ve missed you so much!” ‘I’ve been a traveler for so long. It’s been a while since I’ve settled down in one place. And what about that…being? I have to find them, and see if they’re a threat.’ Roxas was about to tell them that he couldn’t, when he saw the pleading look in both their eyes. ‘I can’t say no to that…besides…I have missed them. Maybe I can stay for a while.’ “Well…alright.” “Yay!” cried Luna, as the two princesses cheered. Luna began leading Roxas away by the hand, as the three began making their ways towards the party. “It will be just like old times!” said Celestia. “Yeah,” replied Roxas. “Just like old times.” Author's Note New chapter, you better all be grateful! If you aren't so help me, to the moon with ya ass! Tip Jar: Buymeacoffee Ko-Fi If you like ponies and hijinks, I made this:
XXII.Deep below in the catacombs under the ruins of the Castle of the two sisters, a near total darkness dominated everything. Only small cracks leaking light from the outside aided in fighting that darkness. That was until a magical light was created, illuminated by the horn of an unknown pony. The pony walked through the halls, the only sound being the clip clop of their hooves. The pony made their way to what seemed to be a dead end. Turning around to make sure they weren’t followed, the pony reached into their pocket, and pulled out a small emblem pin, no bigger than 2 by 1 inches. The pony’s light magic grew in strength, enough to reveal an imprint in the stone wall that matched the emblem. The pony placed the emblem against the imprint like a key. From that imprint, a white light outlined the pin, which then spread out to illuminate the mortar surrounding each brick. The pony stepped back, retrieving the pin and placing it back in the pocket of their black hooded coat. The bricks began shifting, spinning and turning to open a doorway, which revealed a hallway illuminated by a series of lit torches lining the walls. The pony cut the flow of magic to their horn, and began making their way through the hall, as the bricks returned to their original position behind them. The pony made their way through the hall until they came to a very large room. The room was moderately lit by torches lining the enormous, cavern like space. There were many shelves, weapon stands, alchemy stations and such decorating the room. But in the center of the room, in between four un-carved natural stone pillars stood thirteen white marble thrones. Sitting on one of the thrones was another pony, their face shrouded by the hood of the coat they wore, which was exactly like the one the first pony wore. The pony walked towards the pony on the throne, and kneeled before them. The pony on the throne spoke. “Number II, welcome back.” “My Lord, the prophesy has been fulfilled. Nightmare Moon has been purged, and Princess Luna has returned.” “And the boy?” “Sir Roxas has returned as well.” “Then the time has come to begin our plan.” “What do you ask of me, Number I?” “Our third member will arrive in Ponyville within two weeks. I have foreseen it.” “I will see to it that she falls to the darkness,” stated Number II as they stood up from their kneeling. “See that you do. I have selected each member to join the organization for a reason. Do not fail me.” “Of course, my Lord.” Number II turned, and made their way to the wall from which they entered. They opened the secret entrance, and left the room. “I will do your bidding for now Master,” said the pony to themselves once they were sure they were alone. “But someday soon, I shall be the one in charge.” They then teleported away, to do the work they were assigned. Roxas stood in his new room in Canterlot Castle. It was an exact replica of his room in the old castle; complete with all the things that had been missing when Roxas was there last. The warm light of the morning day flowed through the window, illuminating dust particles in the air. Roxas ran a gloved hand across the mahogany window shelf, as he gazed at the city below. His window had the perfect view to see the hustle and bustle of Canterlot. ‘Even watching the show, and living in this world for more than a thousand years didn’t prepare me for this view. It’s beautiful,’ he thought. Then, a knock at the door called for his attention. “Come in!” said Roxas. The door opened, and Roxas turned to see a royal guard standing in his doorway. “Mr. Roxas, the Princesses have requested your presence in the throne room,” stated the guard. “Oh, alright thanks,” he said, turning to face the guard. He then walked towards the door, passing the guard, who stepped to the side to make way for him. “Also, you can just call me Roxas. Mr. Roxas was my father.” “It was?” questioned the pony. “No.” Roxas made his way to the throne room, where he found Princess Celestia and Luna conversing with another pony, a unicorn stallion with a blue mane. ‘I know him…he’s Twilights brother,” thought Roxas. ‘What’s his name again? Gleaming Shield…no, Bright Guard, no, it was…Shiny something…why can’t I remember?’ “Roxas!” the human was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Luna call his name. The Princesses motioned for him to join them. He offered a smile, and gave them a friendly wave. “Good morning!” he greeted. “Good morning!” replied Celestia. “Come, we have someone we want you to meet!” All three ponies looked to Roxas as he joined the group. “Roxas,” said Celestia. “This is Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard. He’s also the older brother of my protégé, Twilight Sparkle.” ‘Yes, THAT’S his name!’ “Nice to meet you,” greeted Roxas as he offered a hand to Shining Armor. The stallion looked slightly perplexed at the appendage, but did offer his hoof to shake. “Shining, this is Roxas, a friend of ours from ancient times, and the first royal knight. He was also the unofficial leader of the Royal Guard.” “Nice to meet yo…wait a minute,” stopped Shining as he examined Roxas quizzically. “You…you’re the Knight in Black, aren’t you!” Roxas was surprised at that, and caught a little off guard. “Uh, yeah, that’s what some people have called me.” Instantly, Shining’s demeanor energized. “You’re the knight character in that old story, The Knight in Black and the Horrible Hydra! That was Twily and my favorite story book when we were kids!” ‘Someone recorded that? Whoever they are, they owe me royalty!’ “Your story inspired me to join the Royal Guard, but I always thought it was just a story! To think that you’re actually real, and one of MY predecessors, it, it just blows my mind!” “Well it’s good to meet you, and I’m glad I was able to inspire you!” I replied. “Hey, if I go get my copy, would you sign my book?” “Uh, sure,” I replied, not expecting this kind of child like excitement coming from a grown stallion. “Awesome, I’ll go get it!” Shining began a mad dash towards the doors to the throne room, heading off to retrieve his copy of the book. Roxas hadn’t noticed, but the two sisters had been holding in their laughter, but after Shining had departed, they let their laughter out at full. “Is he usually like this?” I questioned, chuckling myself. “No, never!” said Celestia through her laughs. “At least, not usually! Ha ha ha!” After the three of us regained our composure, I spoke up. “So, he’s the new Captain of the Guard, huh?” “Yes, he has been for a few years now,” replied Celestia. “So, has he had a lot to do, dealing with wars and stuff?” Roxas asked. “Actually no. Aside from…well…” “Nightmare Moon,” finished Luna solemnly. “Yes, aside from that, Equestria has been at peace. In fact, we’ve been at peace for centuries. We've had relatively little use for the Royal Guard. We’ve had a millennia of peace, and hopefully we’ll have another.” “Yeah. Hopefully,” said Roxas. ‘Unfortunately, I know better,’ thought Roxas, thinking of the future events that would come to pass. ‘But we’ll get through them. I know that for sure.’ Author's Note Thanks for reading! If you want to help me out and support my writing, I have these: Patreon Buymeacoffee Ko-Fi
Interlude I.Many Years Ago Shining Armor sat at his desk in his room, reading heavily into his Royal Guard Training manual. In just a few short months, he’d be leaving home for the first time to begin his training. He’d be pursuing his dream, one he’d had since he was a small foal. He’d be brave, heroic, and adventurous, just like the Knight in Black! And if he was lucky, he might just make it to the role of Captain! Well…maybe. Shinning had high hopes, but he also knew there were a lot of ponies out there who were better and stronger than him. But he wasn’t going to give up! The Night never did, and neither would he! That being said, there was a lot more to being a guard then just being brave and strong, the manual was enough to prove that! To be a guard, you had to have a great knowledge of the law and judicial system, and that’s what Shining struggled with the most. There was a lot that he didn’t understand. He considered asking his GENIOUS sister for help, but he’d quickly dismissed it. He wasn’t about to have Twilight as his tutor, that would be embarrassing! She was his little sister; he was supposed to help HER not the other way around! Besides, Shining wanted to do this on his own. He wanted to succeed by his own merits, and that’s just what he was going to do! As Shining was reading about the rights guaranteed to Equestrian citizens, he heard a knocking at his door. “Come in!” The door to Shinning’s room opened to reveal his younger sister, Twilight, with a book resting on her back. “Hey Twily, what’s up? Shouldn’t you be in bed?” questioned Shining. “Can you read to me first?” questioned the filly. “I don’t know if I have time, I’ve got to study for the Royal Guard entrance exam.” “Please?” begged Twilight with pleading eyes, attempting to make herself as cute as possible. And for Shining, it worked. He sighed and pushed his manual to the side. “All right, but only for a little bit.” “Yay!” cheered Twilight, as she pranced back to her room, with her brother in tow. “Not sure why you want me to read to you in the first place,” said Shining as the two entered her room. “You’re reading at a super high level. You can read without me.” “Yeah, but I like it when you read. You do the funny voices,” stated Twilight as she got into her bed. Shining took a seat next to the bed. “So what are we reading?” he questioned. Twilight passed him the book with her magic. Shining examined the book to see that it was their favorite: ‘The Knight in Black and the Horrible Hydra’. “Ah, of course” chuckled Shining. He opened the book. “Should we start from the beginning?” “Yes!” replied Twilight. “Alright then,” said Shining as he cleared his throat. Then he began. ‘Equestria is the home to many legends and tales of heroes. Our history is full of many brave stallions and mares who overcame great adversity to fend off disasters and the forces of darkness. Starswirl, Rockhoof, Mage Meadowbrook, Somnambula, Mistmane and Flash Magnus are all prime examples of great Equestrian heroes. But very few tales from the lands beyond ever reach our shores. However, there is one tale that has spread beyond those isolated shores and into our land. And that is the story of; ‘The Black Knight.’ “He’s one of my favorites!” exclaimed Twilight. “More than Starswirl?”questioned Shining, with an eyebrow playfully raised. “Um…hmmmmmmm…. don’t make me choose!” grumbled Twilight, crossing her forehooves. Shining chuckled. “Alright, alright.” He continued. ‘On the other side of the world lies the kingdom of Minos. Minos was a great kingdom, and home to the Minotaur’s. In the center of the kingdom lied the great city of Crestor, where the King; Icaran ruled. But despite the nations prosperity, Icaran was troubled. For to the west, in between the sea port and the rest of the nation lied a terrible creature. This monster attacked anyone who ventured into its territory. Having claimed many lives, of warriors and peasants alike, the Hydra reigned supreme. The Hyrda blocked the way to the sea, preventing the Minotaur people from fishing, which hurt both their food supplies, and their economy, as fish was one of their mane exports. The king had sent many warriors to try and defeat the beast, but none had returned. Desperate, the King placed a bounty on the beast, letting it be known that anyone who could slay the Hydra would be entitled to a reward of 500 pounds of gold. But the horrible creature had gained much infamy in its time, and word of the many fallen warriors had spread. As a result, fewer and fewer people were willing to take on the monster. All had seemed lost. But then one day, as the king sat reposed on his throne, a stranger appeared in his throne room. The stranger stood on two legs like the Minotaur’s, but had no horns on his head, nor did he have a snout. His head lacked fur, except for a patch of hair on his scalp. This stranger, clothed in a black coat, came to the king and offered to defeat the Hydra. But the king, jaded from the many losses to the monster, had little hopes that the stranger would succeed. “Why should I believe you, when every other who has attempted to kill that creature has met their end?” questioned the king. “I have experience in dealing with threats of this magnitude,” replied the creature in the black coat. “My magic and weapon will be able to deal with the creature.” “How could a creature like you possess magic? You have no horns on your head like the Unicorns or the Centaurs,” asked the king. “I could demonstrate if you’d like,” said the stranger. He requested that the king follow him outside, where he would demonstrate his ability. The king along with his guards followed the stranger outside. There lied a mound of rock and stone. The stranger surprised the king as he pulled a strange weapon out of the air, gripped in his hand. He aimed his weapon at the rock and released a powerful burst of magic at the rock, obliterating it entirely. Fragments of rock flew through the air, and it seemed as if it would fall upon the king and his guards. But before it could, the stranger leapt into the air, higher than any other creature could leap. He floated in the air, and used his magic to stop the rock from falling. It suspended in the air along with him, no longer accelerating. In a quick motion, flames erupted from the stranger, which burned the rock to ash and cinder. Landing on the ground gracefully, the being in black asked the king if that demonstration would suffice. The king, amazed by the beings magical ability, gave him his blessing to fight the Hydra, and told him that if he succeeded, the reward would be his. But, he had to provide proof of the creatures defeat. Accepting the deal, the being shook hands with the king. The person in black told the king he would return soon, with proof of the Hydra’s death. It would be a long journey, full of peril and danger. But the one who would one day be called the Knight in Black, had magic on his side, powerful magic that could do things the Minotaur’s couldn’t dream of. And so the Knight set off on his journey. A journey that would one day be accounted as one of bravery, strength, and heroism.’ “And that’s the end of the chapter,” sighed Shining as he closed the book. He turned to see his sister dozing off in her bed, not yet asleep, but very close. “Shining?” mumbled the filly. “Yeah Twily?” “Some day, I want to be as good at magic as the Knight. Him and Starswirl, I wanna be just as god as them someday.” “You will be Twilight. One day. You just have to work hard. I know you can do it.” Twilight mumbled something, as she finally drifted off to sleep. Shining set the book aside, and kissed Twilight on the forehead. He then shut off the lamp next to the bed, and went to leave the room. He stopped at the doorframe and looked back to his sister. “Night Twilight. See you in the morning.” Shining shut the door, and left Twilight to sleep. The story of the Knight in Black was something that inspired both him and his sister. It was a tale that resonated with both of their hearts. It was a story they would always remember. Author's Note Here's a little break from the main story, a peek into the past and how Roxas's story effected the mane six. I want to do an interlude for all six. Anyway, I want to give a thanks to Bluezerker for supporting me on BuyMeACoffee! If you want to bee cool like them you can support me there too: Buymeacoffee Ko-Fi Patreon
XXIII.It had been a few weeks since Twilight and her new friends defeated Nightmare Moon, and in that time, Twilight had been on a few misadventures in the town of Ponyville. The ticket incident, as well convincing Applejack to allow outside help for apple bucking season were quit exhausting. But, Twilight hoped that things would soon settle down, and she’d be able to live a relatively peaceful life in Ponyville along with her friends, free of any more super villains or monster attacks. But she hoped it didn’t get TOO calm, or she’d have no friendship reports to make to Celestia. After waking up bright and early, Twilight made her way to the main floor, where Spike was preparing breakfast. She sat down at the table with a clean plate resting on the table in front of her. “Good morning Spike!” greeted the unicorn. “Moring Twi,” replied the dragon. Spike, who had just finished frying up some French toast, turned and placed the food on her plate. “You’re looking good, considering how hectic this week has been.” “Yeah, it seems Ponyville can get pretty wild. But at least that gives me plenty of stuff to write to Celestia about. Besides, I’m sure things will slow down a bit.” Just as the two got started on their breakfast, Spike felt a pressure rising in his gut. He burped out a cloud of sparkling smoke, where a wrapped parcel materialized, and fell into his open claws. “Oh, letter for you Twi!” Spike handed Twilight the letter, which she unwrapped with excitement. “From the Princess? So soon?” The unicorn mare used her magic to unravel the scroll, and began reading aloud. “Dear Twilight, I found your letters to be very enlightening, and I’m so proud of how much you’ve been learning in Ponyville! You and your friends seem to be becoming very close, and I cannot wait to see how much you grow together! On that note, I would like to ask you a favor. You see Roxas; our friend that you met during the Summer Sun Celebration has been acting a bit weird. In the time he’s been back and living with us at the castle, he has been uncharacteristically high-strung, and rarely seems to relax. There are times when he disappears entirely, and we don’t see him for hours upon hours. We’ve tried to talk to him, and find out what’s wrong, but he so far, we have not been able to get anything out of him. This is worrying, as in the past we have usually been able to trust and confide with each other. To be honest, Luna and I are worried about him. So, we’ve been thinking that perhaps it would do him some good to go down to Ponyville and spend some time with you and your friends. We talked to him, and he seemed to like that idea. He will be coming down tomorrow, and I was hoping you could meet him when he arrives. Thank you so much. Best wishes; Princess Celestia.” The unicorn put the letter down, as spike stared at her. “He’s coming here? Tomorrow! Oh, this is such a great opportunity!” exclaimed Twilight. “Uh, opportunity?” questioned Spike. “Of course!” replied Twilight as she got up from her seat, and started scrambling around. “The only human in Equestria is coming here! This will be the perfect chance to study him! Take blood samples, collect hair fiber, maybe do a magic reserve study! I could also-“ “Uh Twilight, aren’t you supposed to be helping him relax and stuff, not treating him like a lab rat?” questioned Spike. Twilight, who now held several beakers and notebooks in her fore hooves, set them down carefully, and cleared her throat. “Y-yes…of course.” “Listen Twi, I know you’ve got a thing for science but this Roxas guy is just a person like you and me. You probably shouldn’t do anything he’s not comfortable with.” “You’re right Spike. You’re right, you’re right, you’re right.” Twilight used her magic to clear away her equipment, before she returned to her seat at the breakfast table. The two sat down, and resumed their breakfast. After a few moments of silence, Twilight spoke up again. “Do you think he’d let me extract some of his spinal fluid?” Griffonstone, the once proud and prosperous Griffon Kingdom, was now a beat down and desperately ravaged city, housing a race of now morally decrepit, grouchy and selfish creatures known as the Griffons. This kingdom was very different from Equestria. In Griffonstone, there was almost no friendship. The Griffons were greedy, and often conning each other for bits. In a way, it was a survival of the fittest scenario. In this city, the residents boarded themselves away in their homes, only interacting with others if it benefitted them. In one run down shack, lived a young adult Griffon known as Gilda. She had a light brown body of lion fur, with a white and pink feather set decorating her head. Like most of her kind, she could be mean, anti-social, and a bit of a thug. But as she packed her suitcase, her thoughts filled her heart with a warm and fuzzy feeling. She was packing because she would soon be departing her wretched home, to visit the only friend she’d ever known: Rainbow Dash. Friends since childhood, the blue pony was the only friend Gilda had ever really known. The only creature she had fond memories of. And why wouldn’t she? Back at flight school, Rainbow was the first one to approach her. Back when she was a lonely and timid youngling. In many ways, Rainbow was just like Gilda. They both had a need for speed, and a taste for action. If it wasn’t for the fact they were different species, they could have very well have been sisters. Gilda shut her suitcase, and prepared to leave, with a smile on her face. This wasn’t just a trip for her. Gilda was sick and tired of Griffonstone, and had been for years. This was her chance to see the real Equestria, and possibly find a new place to call home. She was nervous, but she knew her friend would make her feel welcome. And if things went well, then just maybe Gilda would have the final sign that Equestria was were she was supposed to be. She’d pack up everything, and move, so she could finally find happiness with the support of her one and only friend. Gilda left her house, and locked the door. She then took to the sky, gripping the suitcase tight. ‘This is going to be the start of something wonderful,’ she thought. ‘I can feel it in my heart!’ Author's Note If Gilda wants to get into the land of opportunity, she'd gonna have to get past Bluebloods wall. It's a big magic wall to keep those dang evil Griffons from crossin' da border, and TAKEN ER JBSSSSSSS! Support or Donnie's gonna build a wall about ya Buy Me a Coffee Ko-Fi
XXIV.Twilight Sparkle and Spike the dragon waited at the Ponyville train station, with the former bouncing on her hooves in anticipation of he new arrival due to town. “Twilight, I think you really need to calm down,” advised Spike. “But, I’m too excited! I’m finally going to have a chance to study him!” “You’re gonna weird him out, Twi. Besides aren’t you supposed to be helping him unwind, and make friends? I think that’d be pretty hard with you poking and prodding at him.” “But, but science!” pleaded Twilight, stopping her hopping, and looking at Spike. “No, Twilight,” answered Spike, deadpanned. “Alright,” relented Twilight. “You’re probably right.” “Probably?” questioned Spike with a raised eyebrow. “Fine, you’re definitely right.” Spike smiled in triumph. The blow of the trains whistle alerted the two to the approaching Ponyville Express, making it’s way to the station. “Here he comes. Try to make a good impression,” suggested Spike. Roxas sat alone on a bench in the passengers’ section of the train. He kept to himself, and stared out the window, trying to ignore the weird looks he was getting from the pony passengers on the train. He watched the trees and mountains pass by, admiring the beauty of nature. But inside, he was a bit disgruntled. ‘Can’t believe the sisters want me to go on vacation. I didn’t think they’d be willing to let me out of their sight so soon. But this is probably a good thing. This is near where I saw that door to darkness. I can do some investigating into that here. And Tirek should be escaping from Tartarus soon. I can hunt him down when that happens. But I need to get back to Canterlot before Discord and Chrysalis show up.’ His thoughts were interrupted by the trains’ whistle. He saw Ponyville approaching fast. He could see two purple objects waiting on the platform. He assumed they were Twilight and Spike. As the train pulled into the station, smoke obscured the air surrounding it. When the train slowed to a stop, Roxas got up from his seat. Ponies filed their way out of the train, with Roxas trailing behind them. He was the last one to leave the train. He stepped onto the train platform. As the other ponies left the station, Roxas saw Twilight and Spike waiting on the platform. He walked towards them, and stopped a few feet away. “Roxas, it’s good to see you!” greeted Twilight in a burst of energy, before she quickly reigned herself in. Spike raised a claw in a friendly gesture. “Hey!” he greeted. “How’s it going?” said Roxas. The three stood there for an awkward few moments as Twilight focused on the nobody, studying him with her eyes. Roxas then broke the silence. “So, where to?” he asked. “Oh, right! Follow me! Us, I mean, follow us!” “Sure.” The three then began walking, leaving the train station and making their way into town. “I live in the Ponyville Library, and we have a spare bed put out for you! It’s not Canterlot Palace, but it’s not too shabby If I say so myself!” explained Twilight. “That’ll be more than enough. I’ve gotten accustomed to sleeping on anything, rock, dirt, hay, broken glass-“ “Broken glass? Doesn’t that hurt?” asked Spike. “Oh, absolutely,” replied Roxas. “Is human skin extra thick and durable?” asked Twilight as she turned and trotted backwards excitedly. “Nope,” he replied. “Oh…ok,” she said. “So is there anything you’re looking forward to doing here in Ponyville?” asked Spike. “I was thinking about…exploring. Looking around the town, see what it has and stuff.” Roxas didn’t want to divulge his intent of scouring the Everfree forest for an escaped prisoner of Tartarus. “Well, just be careful. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie have been on a pranking spree, and they’ve been hitting everyone in town! They even gave me hiccups! It was so bad I accidently sent every chapter of my erotic friend fiction to Celestia herself!” “You’re what?” questioned Twilight with a quick head jerk. “I uh…my…esoteric…fiend…finances….” Spike’s face turned as red an apple. Twilight stared at Spike with a suspicious glare as the three walked, before deciding to ignore the whole thing. ‘Pranks huh…I remember something like that from the show. There was something that happened but…I can’t remember,’thought Roxas. The three then came to a stop as they now stood in front of the Golden Oaks Library. “Well, here we are! Home sweet home!” She opened the door and the three walked in. Roxas was amazed by what he saw. A house made in a tree was one thing in cartoons, but to see it for himself was another thing entirely. It was reminiscent of something one would see in an amusement park, or the Rainforest Café. “So,” asked Roxas as he stepped in. “Is it awkward having your place of residence also be a public library?” “What do you mean?” asked Spike. “Well you know, anyone can just walk in here whenever they want. Even when you’re doing private stuff.” “Oh no, it’s perfectly fine. There’s a clear distinction between our living space, and the library itself,” explained Twilight. “Hmm. But I can see your bedroom from here, there’s no door. I think I can even see your bathroom,” said Roxas as he pointed up the stairs. Twilight looked to where Roxas was pointing, then back to Roxas. Then back to her room, and back to Roxas. “Well…maybe it would be a good idea to install a door or two,” said Twilight, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “So Roxas, I noticed you didn’t have any bags or luggage?” “Yeah I didn’t really…have anything to bring, All my possessions, I keep in my room.” admitted Roxas. “So you didn’t bring a toothbrush or anything?” asked Spike. The Human face palmed. “I knew I was forgetting something!” Twilight and Spike chuckled. “Sooooo,” questioned Twilight. “Can I take your coat?” “No, I keep it on me,” explained Roxas. “Don’t you ever take it off?” asked Twilight. “No.” “Don’t you ever wash it?” asked Spike. “Nope.” The three stood there in awkward silence. “Well…. how about an official tour of the town?” offered Twilight. “That’s OK, I’m sure you guys have stuff to do. I’ll go look around on my own.” Roxas made his way to the door. “Oh, it’s no trouble! We’d be happy to do it!” exclaimed Twilight. “It’s really ok, I think I can manage.” “We have…literally nothing else to do….” trailed Twilight. Roxas stopped near the door and looked back at the two. They looked up at him with big puppy dog eyes that Roxas never thought he’d actually be able to see in real life. ‘I suppose I can start my search while everyone else is asleep.’ “Sure. Lead the way,” Roxas through open the door, and gestured towards the village outside. Twilight and Spike smiled, and made their way out the door. ‘I just nothing happens that will require my attention.’ Author's Note Here's a Christmas present for you you filthy animals. This is for all of those of you who were good this year. But unfortunately, some of you were bad. So because of you, yes YOU, yeah YOU specifically, staring at your screen with your distinctively greasy eyeballs, the next update won't happen for 26 years! You should be ashamed of that thing you did! If you like the story, support me or I'll die: Buymeacoffee Ko-Fi
XXV.The early morning sun rose into the air, setting the sky on fire and banishing the darkness. Gilda, gripping her suite case in her talons, touched down onto the cloud that composed Rainbow Dash’s yard. It had been a long flight, expending a tremendous amount of time and energy. Gilda’s wings ached, and so did most her body. Of course she’d taken rest breaks, but she still flew for a very long time. She would have taken a train if she could, but like most citizens of Griffin Stone, she did not have enough disposable money for such a luxury. Setting her suitcase on the ground, Gilda wrapped her knuckles on the front door. “One second!” Gilda heard from the other side. The door opened a few moments later. Gilda and Rainbow locked eyes, smiling brightly. “You made it!” greeted Rainbow. “Sup Dash!” The two friends embraced in a quick hug. “Come on in!” Rainbow moved aside, gesturing for Gilda to enter. The Griffon grabbed her suite case and followed the mare in side. “How was your trip?” asked Rainbow as she shut the door. “Long. It was long,” replied Gilda. “To be honest, I’m exhausted.” “You’re not getting soft on me are ya?” asked Rainbow with a coy smile. “You wish!” replied Gilds. “If anything, after all the flying I just did, I’ll probably be even faster than you once I’m rested up!” “We’ll just have to test that!” “You bet!” The two shared a quick laugh. “Well, follow me and I’ll show you the guest room.” Rainbow hovered in the air with her wings, and led Gilda to the upper level of the house. “I missed ya Gilda.” “Yeah. I missed you too Dashie.” Roxas returned to the Library after a long night of searching for signs of Tirek. He’d found none so far. He’d checked the door of Tartarus, and found it was still locked shut. ‘I’ll check each day from now on. Tirek won’t get far on my watch.’ Roxas stepped into the library. He saw that Twilight and Spike were awake, and eating breakfast in their kitchen. The door opening alerted the two, and they looked to see Roxas enter. “There you are!” said Twilight. “We were wondering where you were. What were you doing out so early?” “I had stuff to do,” replied Roxas nonchalantly. “What could you possibly have to do that early?” asked Spike. “Don’t worry about,” replied Roxas. Spike and Twilight gave each other slightly concerned looks, before turning back the their guest. “Would you like breakfast?” asked Twilight. “I already ate,” answered Roxas. “Okaaaayyyy,” conceded Twilight. “Well, have you gotten a full tour of the town yet? We’d love to show you around!” Roxas thought about it. He realized he was being very stand-offish, and it would be a good idea to be a bit more friendly. “You know what, sure. Sounds nice,” agreed Roxas. “Great!” chirped Twilight. She stood up, having finished eating. “Let me just brush my teeth, and we’ll be-“ At that moment, the door to the library slammed open. All eyes turned to see Pinkie Pie enter the room and rush Twilight with urgency. “Twilight, I need your help! It’s an emergency!” Pinkie bent down on her knees and pleaded with Twilight. “Pinkie? What’s the matter?” asked Twilight. “It’s horrible! Rainbow Dash, she-she-she-“ “What? Pinkie what’s wrong with Rainbow? Is she hurt? Is she in trouble?” questioned Twilight urgently. “She…she…she has a FRIEND!” “Noooooooooooooooo!” screamed Spike, collapsing to his knees, with his arms raised into the air. Everyone looked to him with wide eyes, before the dragon realized what Pinkie had said. He composed himself, and stood up. “Oh, wait, that’s…that’s a good thing.” “No it’s not!” shouted Pinkie. “Because this friend of Rainbow Dash’s is MEAN!” ‘Mean…wait a minute, I remember this,’thought Roxas. “She’s mean?” questioned Twilight. “Yeah, that Griffon’s a real meanie! She’s been picking on me all day, when all I wanted to do was spend time with Dash!” “A Griffon?” questioned Twilight. “Yeah, apparently their old friends from flight school. But she’s so mean to me, and Dash doesn’t seem to notice! She just keeps trying to get rid of me!” “Well, if she’s a griffon, she’s probably from Griffon Stone, and lives a long ways away,” explained Roxas. “She probably hasn’t seen Rainbow for a long time, and would probably like to spend time with her on her own. Maybe you should give them some space for the time being.” “WHO ASKED YOU!?” screamed Pinkie, appearing in front of Roxas in an instant. Roxas leaned back, eyes opened. Pinkie, recognizing how bad she’d lost her cool, looked sheepish, and scuffed her hoof on the floor. “I’m sorry! I just…I…I…” “It’s alright, he he, I understand.” Roxas did understand Pinkie’s jealousy in a way, and actually thought her outburst was a little funny. Twilight trotted over to Pinkie Pie, and put a hoof on her wither. “Come on Pinkie, why don’t we talk about it a bit?” “Yeah, sure.” Pinkie turned and followed Twilight towards the reading area of the library. ‘Gilda,’thought Roxas. ‘I remember her a little. Griffon, pretty rude, but no one really knew why. Turned out she grew up in a pretty toxic environment, and Rainbow was her only real friend. Then some bad stuff happened and their friendship shattered for a long time, and even when it was repaired, it was never as strong as it once was.’ Roxas turned and left the library, shutting the door behind him. ‘I wonder if I should do something about it.’ Roxas decided to monitor the situation if he could. Of course he had to maintain his priorities. He decided to make his way into town to give him the tour that Twilight had intended, unaware that he was being watched. Because far away on the hill overlooking Ponyville, a dark figure loomed, making sure that everything was going to plan. Author's Note Here's another chapter, though it is a short one. If you want to help me out, feel free to support me here: BuyMeaCoffee Ko-Fi
XXVI.Roxas ignored the stares and weird looks he was getting from the ponies who had not yet become accustomed to his presence. He thought nothing of it as, even though he had traveled the world, there was only one of him. Through time all things fade, and memory was no exception. He had been exploring the town for a little while now, and was getting the layout of the land. He decided to make his way back to the library. He made his way to the main part of Ponyville. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sugarcube corner, a place he had not yet visited. ‘I’ve always wanted to try Sugarcube Corners food, but I had to wait hundreds of years for it to even exist. Now seems like the perfect opportunity!’He thought. He made a beeline towards the shop. Opening the front door of the shop, he heard the ringing of the bell that alerted the store to a new customer. Roxas looked and saw Mrs. Cake manning the counter. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner!” she greeted. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw Roxas enter, but they quickly returned to normal as her mind placed the image of the being in front of her as a close friend of the princesses. “How can I help you?” she asked as Roxas approached the counter. The human observed the pastries protected by the glass case. He had always been a man of simple tastes, much preferring simple things like cupcakes and pies, instead of the more eccentric recipes. His eyes settled on a vanilla cupcake with swirling pink icing. He could tell the frosting was the more solid buttercream kind, and not the frothing whipped kind, which he despised. He pointed to his desired pastry. “I’ll take that,” he requested. “Right away! That’ll be two bits,” said Mrs. Cake as she grabbed the cupcake. Roxas reached into his coat and pulled out two gold coins, and placed them on the counter. The mare handed Roxas the desert, and took the bits. “Thanks for your business, do come again!” Roxas picked up the cake, and exited the shop. He stepped away from the front entrance, and leaned against the side of the building. He took off his gloves, and placed them in his pockets before he unwrapped the cupcake. After doing so, he bit into it, and instantly relished the sweet taste. It was everything he hoped and more. He quickly devoured it, leaving pink frosting on his face, which he quickly wiped off with the napkin that came with his cupcake. The sugar remained on his taste buds as he looked over the town. ‘That was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted,’he thought. As he did, his eyes landed on a pony with a mane as pink as the cupcake he’d just eaten. There he saw Pinkie Pie sitting at a table under an umbrella. But her usual chipper demeanor was replaced with a forlorn expression. Roxas could see she was looking at something, so he followed her gaze to see that she was observing none other than Gilda the griffon. At that moment, Roxas saw her use her tail to snatch an apple from a vendor stand. At first, Roxas thought to leave the situation alone. It wasn’t a major threat to Equestria as a whole, and it would work itself out within a few years. But as Roxas observed Gilda, he remembered a bit of the circumstances that made her who she was. Her homeland was impoverished and everyone there had the same, survival of the fittest attitude. Perhaps he’d be able to talk to her, and help repair her relationship with Rainbow Dash before it became fractured. Making up his mind, Roxas decided to wait for the right opportunity to approach the Griffon. *Knock knock knock* Rainbow Dash heard the familiar sound of her door being knocked on. Fluttering to the front, she opened the door, only somewhat surprised, to see Pinkie Pie at her door, being suspended by her waist by a bouquet of balloons. “Hey Pinks, what’s up?” “Hey Rainbow, can I come in?” Rainbow looked at her, and then down towards her cloud flooring. “Well, if you made it this far up, you probably can.” Pinkie let out a soft chuckle, which to Rainbow was a sign that something was wrong. Pinkie normally would have been rolling on her sides laughing at a joke of that caliber (or any caliber really). Rainbow stepped aside, and gestured for Pinkie to enter. “You okay? You don’t seem as ‘pinkie’ as usual.” “Yeah, I’m fine,” said Pinkie as she floated further in to Rainbow’s house. “It’s just, well, it’s about your friend Gilda. “Gilda? What’s wrong, did something happen?” questioned Rainbow, alarmed. “No, no!” replied Pinkie, shaking her head. “It’s just, well I don’t know her like you do, but from what I’ve seen of her around in Ponyville, she was acting kind of…like a jerk….” “Well Pinkie, Griffons are a bit tougher than Pony’s, you know. What, was she a little grumpy or something?” “Well, when I was trying to hang out with you guys, Gilda kept trying to get rid of me. And looking back on it, I realize I was kinda pushing into your one on one time, but later on I saw she scared Granny Smith half to death with a prank! And she’s pretty old, a scare like that could giver her a actual heart attack! And I also saw her steal an apple from a fruit stand! Luckily, it wasn’t one of Applejacks, but still!” Rainbow quickly processed what Pinkie Pie had told her, and while she was disheartened to hear that her friend wasn’t adjusting to Ponyville as well as she could, she wasn’t completely surprised by what she heard. “Oh. Well Pinks, from what Gilda’s told me, Griffonstone is a pretty rough place to live. Like REALLY rough, especially compared to life in Ponyville. Griffons typically don’t have friends, and only really seem to care about themselves. I don’t want to make excuses for her, but I really think she just needs to be able to adjust to being in Ponyville. We do things pretty differently here.” “Wow,” gasped Pinkie as she slowly floated inward. “Griffons don’t like Friendship?! No wonder she’s so grumpy!” “Yeah, we should just give her time. Although, she is going back home in a few days…maybe I’ll just stick around her to keep her out of trouble until then.” “Oooorrrrrrr,” said Pinkie as she turned to face her friend. “Or, we could show her how wonderful Ponyville is! So wonderful that she’ll decide to live here! Then we help cheer her up, and show her that she can have as many friends as she wants!” “Uhh….hmmm, maybe. But how would we do that?” “We’ll throw her a party! We’ll throw her the biggest, best-est welcome to Ponyville party ever! We’ll invite everyone, and give her presents, and maker her feel right at home here!” “That could work…but I don’t know if she’d be that into a Ponyville party. She’s kind of more…punk rock than that. A Ponyville party might bore her.” “Well, maybe we should add something she likes? Like…” “Like pranks?” suggested Rainbow. “Yes, that’s perfect!” screeched Pinkie, as she grabbed onto Rainbow’s withers. “We’ll make it a prank party! And by the end of the end of the party, she’ll realize just how fun Ponyville is!” “And cool!” added Rainbow. “This is gonna be awesome!” “You bet it will be!” The two ponies high-hooved each other, and in tandem they shouted; “Let’s get started!” Author's Note Here's a new chapter. I finished a project that was taking up a lot of my time, so I'll hopefully be able to update more. Hope this chapter eases your boredom during end times, as we shall all soon be dead from the Corona Virus. If you want to donate to my Toilet Paper Hoarding fund, where I buy up all the toilet paper in my town, and sell it back to people at 2x the price, here are my things: BuyMeaCoffee | Ko-Fi
XXVII.Walking along one of the less busy streets of Ponyville, Gilda tossed the half eaten apple up and down with her tail. Catching it by the feathers of her tail, she brought the fruit up to her beak, and took one last bite, before tossing the core over her shoulder. ‘If only it was this easy to swipe food in Griffonstone, I’d never go hungry again! Ponies are such rubes!’she thought smugly to herself. “How was the apple?” The unfamiliar voice caused Gilda’s heart to skip a beat, and her wings gave an instinctive burst, launching her a few feet into the air, where she hovered. Her eyes quickly locked onto a tall figure, draped in a long black coat. His arms were crossed in front of his chest as he leaned against a brick wall. His hair spiked up like a campfire, bright and vibrant. He was looking at her with a neutral expression. “What the?” started Gilda. “Sorry, did I scare you?” “What? Scare me? No way!” Gilda lowered herself to the ground. “What the heck are you supposed to be?” she questioned, now slightly agitated. “My name is Roxas.” “But what ARE you?” she asked more aggressively. “I’m a human.” Gilda observed Roxas with a fascinated expression. She’d never seen anything like what was standing before her. This human was like something from another world. He was almost unnatural. But before she could become too absorbed into her own thoughts, she recalled what this human had first said to draw her attention. “Wait, you saw me take that apple?” “Yeah.” “Are you gonna squeal?” Gilda asked aggressively. “Of course not. But I thought I’d let you know that this isn’t Griffonstone. Ponies here are a lot more charitable than the citizens of Griffonstone. And I’m sure Rainbow Dash would’ve loaned you a few bits if you’d asked.” “I don’t need anyone’s charit- wait, have YOU BEEN SPYING ON ME?” “No I have not. I just know a bit about the goings on of Ponyville.” “Yeah right! Listen here you creep, if you go stalking me, you’re gonna regret it!” Gilda flew right up inches away from Roxas. “Believe it or not, I’m trying to help you. I’ve been to Griffonstone; I know it’s a rough place. But Ponyville is completely different. If you treat Ponyville like Griffonstone, you’re going to push away everyone here. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to treat people here with some respect and kindness.” “Pfft! Like I give a crap about any of these prissy little ponies!” “You care about Rainbow Dash, don’t you?” asked Roxas. “Well, I mean, we do go back a long ways. We’re friends! Best friends! But Dash is cool! She’s not like these other ponies!” “Are you sure?” questioned Roxas. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “As tough and cool as Rainbow Dash is, she’s still a pony. She lives in Ponyville, and has for a long time. At the end of the day, she values the same ideals as everyone else in this town.” “What’s your damn point, you freak?!” “My point is, you could lose your friend if you don’t change your attitude. You wouldn’t want that now would you?” “Please, Dash would never pick these ponies over me!” asserted Gilda confidently. “Are you sure?” Roxas asked with a raised eyebrow. “Of course!” “Well if you’re sure,” replied Roxas standing up straight and lowering his arms. “Then I guess you don’t have anything to worry about.” Roxas began walking away, but not before saying one last thing. “Rainbow Dash has been through a lot in Ponyville. She’s changed. She’s not a carbon copy of the Dash you knew. Things change. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” And with that, Roxas walked away, leaving Gilda feeling unsure of herself. ‘He doesn’t know what he’s talking about…does he?’ Gilda felt like her blood was on fire. This party was a disaster. The laughing. The ridicule. She had been the consistent target of a series of juvenile pranks specifically designed by that pink looser to humiliate her in front of everyone. And finally she couldn’t take it anymore! She was supposed to be spending time with Rainbow Dash. That was IT! And all these ponies were determined to come between them! Gilda was angry, angrier than she had been in years. But it was ok, because at least she still had her friend. “You know Gilda, I was the one who set up all those weak pranks at this party. So I guess I’m Queen Lame-o,” said Rainbow in an angry tone. “What?” questioned Gilda. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” “They weren’t all meant for you specifically. It was just dumb luck that you set them all off.” “I should have known! That dribble glass was SO Rainbow Dash!” said Pinkie Pie. “No! It was Pinkie Pie! She did all of this to embarrass me!” shouted Gilda. “What? I threw this party to help improve your attitude! I wanted to make you smile!” If Gilda had any teeth they’d be grinding against themselves until they turned to dust. “And you sure didn’t need any help embarrassing yourself! And you know, I thought my old friend would be able to treat my new friends with a little respect. If being cool is all you care about, then maybe you should just go find some new cool friends!” Gilda couldn’t believe what she was hearing. This wasn’t happening. This ABSOLUTELY couldn’t be happening! Gilda felt like she was in some sort of bizarre nightmare. “He he he,” chuckled Gilda. She felt as if her mind had snapped. Everyone in the room looked at her with an concerned expression. “It figures…I really SHOULDN’T BE SURPRISED AT ALL, SHOULD I!?” “What are you-“ before Rainbow could finish, Gilda continued. “YOU KNOW WHAT DASHIE?! I DON’T NEED YOU! I NEVER DID! I DON’T NEED ANYONE!” Gilda felt a swirling maelstrom of emotions circle through her, with every single negative emotion flowing through her. Her vision was starting to blur. “I WAS SO STUPID TO COME HERE, SO STUPID TO THINK YOU WERE MY FRIEND! “Gilda, you need to calm-“ “IF BEING FRIENDS WITH THESE PUNKS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING FRIENDS WITH ME, THAN YOU CAN JUST-YOU CAN JUST-“ *KABOOM*Roxas’ head jolted towards the direction of Sugarcube Corner. A vibrant burst of purple energy was propelling towards the sky with a bunch of debris. He heard ponies screaming in the distance. “What the-“ before Roxas could finish, he heard a monstrous roar, like that of a dragon. “No…it can’t be.” Roxas started a full spring towards the direction of the chaos. “I hope this isn’t what I think it is!” Author's Note A new chapter in the same year as the last one? Impossible! Hope everyone is staying safe. Make sure not to breath in order to help fight the spread of the COroNA ViRUS. If you liked the chapter, and want support me, and maybe help me get my MacBooks keyboard fixed, I have these: Ko-Fi Buymeacoffee
XXVIII.A shockwave of hot and cold air reverberated from the now demolished Sugar Cube Corner. Many of the part guests lay scattered across Ponyville, while those who were outside of the shop now ran for their lives like mindless livestock. A loud shriek sang out, loud enough for all of Ponyville to hear it. It was like the call of an eagle, but much deeper. Collapsed on the ground, and lightly bleeding from many small cuts, Twilight blinked her eyes, and looked up to see pure and utter chaos in front of her. Sugar Cube Corner had exploded, and now only the jagged wood of the lower foundation remained. Many of the houses and buildings near it suffered lesser damage, and most of the ponies of in the town were now fleeing from the scene. Those that weren’t were on the ground, either groaning in pain, or motionless all together. But all Twilight could focus on was the impending form of an amalgamated creature that sent a chill of fear through her spine. It had a large dull purple body laced in feathers, with a strange black and red symbol embroidered on its chest that Twilight couldn’t recognize. Two long orange multi-jointed eagle arms with claws shot out from its lower body. It had a long tail ending in a spear point, accompanied by three sets of tail feathers. On the upper body, jutting from the neck was a large set of wings with sharp feathers jutting from them. The head was large and gray colored. It looked like that of eagle, only it spawned two distinct faces. One had a long sharp orange beak, and hateful red eyes formed in a tight glare. The other had a softer beak, with a pair of blue eyes that seemed to emanate nothing but sadness. The size of a medium dragon, the creature hovered in the air, looking as menacing as an army of timber wolves. “S-spike?!” Twilights mind immediately went to that of her ward. She quickly got to her hooves. “Spike! Spike, where are you!” she called. She looked around frantically for the small dragon, but couldn’t see him anywhere. “Twilight!” Rainbow Dash quickly appeared, hovering right next to the purple unicorn. “Twilight, are you alright?” “What-what happened…I can’t find Spike! Where’s Spike!” “I don’t know! I have no idea what just happened but…what IS THAT THING!?” Both ponies looked to the creature as it let out another roar. “I don’t know,” replied Twilight. “I’ve never seen anything like it in any book I’ve ever read! But that’s not important right now! We need to find the girls! We need to find Spike!” “Twiiiiiiliiiiiight!” The two ponies looked to see Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy galloping towards them. “Girls!” cried Twilight as the four grouped up. “What they heck is going on!?” questioned Pinkie Pie. “We don’t know,” replied Twilight. “One minute, Gilda was throwing a fit, and then the next-“ Rainbow’s eyes widened, and she quickly looked towards the wreckage of Sugar Cube Corner. “Gilda…what happened to Gilda!?” Rainbow started to make a fast dash towards the remains, when she was stopped by Twilight, who held her friend in a magical grasp. “Wait a sec Rainbow! We can’t just rush in with that monster there! We don’t know what it’s capable of?” “But we have to do something!” “The Elements! We need the Elements to stop that thing!” asserted Twilight. “But those are all the way in Canterlot!” sated Fluttershy. “And we can’t wait that long! We have to find Gilda and the others!” “You don’t need to worry about finding Gilda.” All four ponies heads turned to see the Roxas standing behind them. “What? What do you mean?” questioned Pinkie Pie. “I can’t speak for the others, but Gilda is accounted for.” Rainbow rushed right up to Roxas’ face. “Where is she?” she asked hurriedly. Roxas raised an arm and pointed right at the strange creature. All ponies looked at the beast. “You mean it…ATE her!?” questioned Rainbow in alarm. “No. That IS Gilda. At least what’s left of her,” replied Roxas. “What?” cried Rainbow. “What do you mean? This doesn’t make any sense!” asked Twilight. “Look, we can go into depth later. Right now all you need to know is that that is Gilda. She’s become what’s known as a Heartless.” “What’s a Heartless?” asked Fluttershy. “A creature of darkness,” replied Roxas. “To put it simply, a monster.” “But wha-“ before Twilight could finish, Roxas interrupted her. “I’ll explain later! Right now, we need to address this situation! You four should look for survivors, and get them to safety! I’ll take care of the Heartless.” “What are you going to do?” questioned Rainbow. As a response, Roxas summoned his Keyblade, and started walking towards the monster that was once Gilda. “Wait!” cried Rainbow, dashing right in front of Roxas and putting a hoof out to stop him. “You’re going to KILL her?” “SHE is already gone. All that’s left is the Heartless.” Roxas started forward again. He was once again stopped by Rainbow. “You can’t!” Roxas looked into the pony’s teary eyes, and saw the pain inside them. He realized something in that moment. Gilda turned into a heartless, something that had never happened before. It was something that was supposed to be impossible, separated from Equestria by a completely different supposedly fictional universe. But it had just happened. Here he was as Roxas. Was this because of him? Did he bring this possibility to Equestria when he arrived? Roxas didn’t know. But what he did know was that if it could happen to Gilda, it could happen to others as well. Even Rainbow. He wasn’t about to let that happen. “Listen Rainbow. I know you’re upset. This is a bad situation, and if I could undo it, I would. But I can’t. What you need to know is that Gilda has fallen to darkness. That thing-,” Roxas pointed to the Heartless, “-is what’s left. Gilda’s gone. I’m sorry, I really am. But there’s no saving her.” Rainbow was now crying a full force, and Roxas could see the pain she felt envelop her body. “But listen,” said Roxas, putting a hand on Rainbow’s wither. “I can put her at peace with this,” he explained, while holding up his Keyblade. “This can put her at rest, and end her pain. I know this probably won’t make you feel much better, but I need you to do something for me.” “W-what?” shuttered Rainbow. “Do not let this pain take hold of your heart,” said Roxas as he pointed to the spot in in Rainbow’s chest that housed it. “Or you could end up just like her. You need to be strong, and look for the light at the end of the tunnel. Can you do that for me?” “I…I don’t…I-“ another roar came from the Heartless as it began making it’s move. The creature opened its sharp beak and expelled a blast of red magic energy, which caused a fiery explosion, and numerous screams. “Damn, we don’t have any more time to wait. Girls, get everyone out of here! I’ll take care of the Heartless!” The ponies nodded, and left to look for their friends. Roxas stepped around Rainbow, and was about to charge forward, before he said one last thing to Rainbow. “Please Rainbow. Have hope in your heart. The others need you. Ponyville needs you. Someday you’ll understand what I mean by that.” And with that, Roxas charged forward, preparing to engage the Heartless. Rainbow hovered there, with tears running down her face. ‘Is this my fault? Did I do this to Gilda?’Another roar bellowed as Roxas started fighting the beast of darkness. “I, I need to focus on helping the others,” said Rainbow as she wiped a hoof on her face. “I just need to stay focused!” With a quick flap of her wings, the Pegasus shot into the air, heading out to help the ponies that needed her. Author's Note Thanks for reading! Hope everyone is virus free! I've got a nasty virus on my PC, and this quarantine has done NOTHING to help! If you like my words, and don't like money, you can support me here: Ko-Fi Buymeacoffee Also, some bonus content, here's the sketch I did for the Gilda Heartless: https://www.patreon.com/posts/36899438 (This F**ken site makes it so hard to post images)
XXIX.Roxas sprinted towards Gilda’s Heartless as fast as he could, running through a crowd of panicked ponies. Another shriek synchronized with a magical blast of energy, causing another devastating explosion. ‘If I don’t handle this quickly, there won’t be a Ponyville left to save!’Thought Roxas, as he dodged an incoming mound of debris by leaping to and running along the side of a nearby building. The Heartless began floating away from its original position, no doubt looking for more chaos to cause. Luckily for Roxas, it hadn’t noticed him yet. Seizing the opportunity, Roxas leapt towards the beast, his magic enhancing his speed to that of a bullet. Capitalizing on this, Roxas stabbed his Keyblade right at the Heartless’s head. It screamed in pain, both beaks opening to shoot their respective blasts of energy. The head then rotated round and round like a wheel, at a speed that dislodged Roxas, sending him crashing into a pile of debris. Roxas felt the air forced out of his lungs when he impacted. In addition, several pieces of broken wood tore through his coat, cutting into his flesh, leaving splinters in the wounds. Roxas tried to suck air back into his body, but couldn’t. As he lay there, the Heartless’s face that emanated rage opened it’s beak and sent a barrage of fireballs at Roxas. The human tried to get up and out of the way, but he still couldn’t catch his breath. The fire hit him, creating an intense amount of smoke that consumed the air around it. Roxas, with is first breath of air, screamed. “Spike! Spiiiikkkeee!” called Twilight as she galloped through the chaos of Ponyville. She and the others had split up in order to find Spike, Applejack and Rarity, as well as help any other ponies who needed it. “Spike!” Twilight looked around. The area she was in was now abandoned, with all the citizens either having escaped, or perished. Tears sweat and blood mixed on the unicorns face as she frantically searched. She ran to a pile of debris and started sorting through it, finding nothing. She moved on to the next one, finding nothing but the broken remnants of the lives that had once occupied the spot. She had no time to stop and contemplate the ruined lives around her. Not until she found Spike. “Applejack! Rarity! Where are you!” called Rainbow frantically as she flew from ruined building to ruined building. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find her friends. She was about to move on to the next section of town, when she heard a faint call. “Help!” It was weak, but Rainbow was able to identify the voice of a filly coming from behind her. She did a quick one-eighty and dashed towards the source of the call. “Please! Somepony help me!” came the voice again. Rainbow now had an accurate pinpoint of where the voice was coming from. She looked and saw a small orange filly pinned beneath the decorative cupcake structure that had made up Pinkie Pie’s room. Rainbow quickly flew to the spot. She grabbed the large piece that was pinning the filly, and lifted it into the air, off of her. “Quick kid! You gotta crawl out of there!” “Okay!” replied the filly. Rainbow watched through grit teeth as the orange Pegasus filly crawled out from under the wreckage. Once she was clear, Rainbow dropped the rubble. Rainbow then landed in front of the child. “Are you alright?” she asked, concerned. “I-I think so,” replied the filly. Aside from some scratches on her fur, and debris in her purple mane, the she looked to be unharmed. “You-you’re Rainbow Dash!” said the filly in adoration when she realized who had saved her. “Yeah that’s me, listen kid I don’t mean to be rude but you gotta get out of here! It’s not safe!” “Oh, yeah sure,” replied the filly. Rainbow took to he air, and was about to fly off, when she looked back to see the Pegasus filly running instead of flying. She quickly returned to the filly. “Kid, you should probably fly out of here, running’s too slow!” “I…I can’t fly,” replied the filly. “Really? Crap! Alright, hop on my back and I’ll fly you out of here!” Rainbow lowered herself to the ground in front of her fellow pegasus, whose eyes were now wide open and sparkling. The filly wordlessly climbed onto Rainbow’s back, and in quick motion, Rainbow took to the air. She couldn’t see the expression of pure joy and amazement that graced the child’s face. Roxas circled around the Heartless, firing blasts of fire and ice magic at it. But because the heartless had two faces that rotated, he wasn’t able to find an opening in its defenses. The creature screamed once more, and dove at Roxas, swinging its talons at him. He blocked with his Keyblade, before disappearing. He reappeared high above the heartless. Switching his single blade for the duo of Oathkeeper and Oblivion, he fell down towards his opponents’ head. He brought the weapons down on its skull, which caused it to fall towards the ground, landing with a thud. As Roxas prepared to attack again, the heartless picked itself up, and stood on its talons. As Roxas approached, it swung at him with both of its wings. Roxas dodged the first, but was hit with the second, which caused him to careen into a nearby building. ‘Why is this so difficult?’Roxas questioned himself as he wiped a smear of blood from his lips. ‘I barely managed to hurt this thing, while it’s been hurting me plenty!’ Roxas stood up, and twirled both his Keyblades, before jumping towards the heartless with fury. He cast thunder on the monster with Oathkeeper, and then brought a heavy hit towards the heartless with Oblivion. Then he began ferociously striking the beast with both of his Keyblades. Over and over like a swarm of bees, Roxas utilized the full extent of his speed; striking all over the heartless’s body and head as hard as he could. The Heartless took the brunt of the attacks, crying out in pain and rage before erupting a shockwave of magic sound, which sent Roxas flying into the air. He recovered with a flip, but before he could attack again, the heartless cried out. Roxas heard the sound of thunder clapping, and he looked up just in time to see a bolt of lightning heading right for him! Roxas was slammed right on the ground as all his muscles seized and burned. His Keyblades disappeared, as he lay on the ground motionless. “Ooh, my head,” complained Rarity as she sat up from a pile of debris. “What happened?” she looked around to see the utter devastation surrounding her. “My goodness! What-“ she was interrupted by a dragon-like roar. She looked over, and her pupils shrank as she saw the looming distant figure of the heartless. “W-what is that thing? Twilight! Rainbow, Pinkie Pie! Where are you?” she called. She heard a spurt of coughing coming from behind her. She turned to see Spike dusting himself off after digging his way out of the mess of broken wood that had covered him. “Spikey!” cried Rarity as she ran and embraced the young dragon. “Are you alright?” she asked. Spikes cheeks glowed red as he returned the hug. “Y-yeah, I’m good. My scales are pretty thick; they took most of the damage.” “Thank Celestia!” said Rarity. The two disengaged from the embrace, and looked at the carnage around them. “We need to find the others!” “My thoughts exactly, let’s go!” Rainbow landed next to the library, which was somewhat of a safe haven for the citizens of Ponyville, as the tree was barely damaged. Rainbow set her temporary ward on the ground. “All right kid, get inside where it’s safe!” “I will! You’re the coolest Rainbow Dash!” admired the filly, before she heeded Rainbows orders. “You bet I am!” “Rainbow!” the Pegasus looked to see Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy and Applejack approaching. “We found Applejack!” said Pinkie Pie. “But we still can’t find Spike!” cried Twilight. “All right, I’ll take to the sky, see if I can-“ before she could finish, they heard the voice of Rarity approaching. “Girls!” she called. Seeing Spike with her, Twilight ran up and embraced the young dragon as the rest of her friends joined in. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” said Twilight as she hugged the dragon. “I’m glad you’re okay too!” Their embrace was interrupted by a loud roar, followed by the sound of an explosion. The seven of them all turned their attention to see the battle between Roxas and Gilda’s Heartless. “What is that thing?” asked Applejack. “That is, that was-“ started Twilight before she was interrupted by Rainbow. “Gilda. That was Gilda.” “I don’t understand,” questioned Spike. “We can explain later, right now we have to stop that monster from causing anymore damage!” said Twilight with conviction. “Roxas is fighting that thing, but I think he needs our help! Are you ready girls?” Each member of the group gave an affirmative nod. “Spike, go back to the tree house and wait there. “O-okay!” replied the dragon, as he turned and ran towards the library. “Let’s go!” cried Twilight as the six of them charged forward, ready to end the fight. Roxas was reaching his limit. His body was covered in cuts and bruises, and his strength was starting to fail him. “This…*huf* is insane. Why can’t I beat this thing?” he said through ragged breaths. The Heartless let out another roar, and started charging a blast of magic in its beak. Roxas stepped back, and prepared to defend against the attack. With another roar, the Heartless sent the blast shooting towards Roxas. He tried to dash out of the way, but only made it five feet before he collapsed onto the ground. “Damn it...” he said, defeated. “I guess this is it,” he relented. He closed his eyes in preparation for what was about to happen. He heard a loud bang, but didn’t feel the attack hit him. He opened one eye and was surprised to see a translucent violet magic shield blocking the attack. Within moments, the main six had appeared. “Are you alright?” questioned Twilight as she struggled to keep the shield from breaking under the force of the heartless’s attack. “Alright-ish,” Roxas replied as Fluttershy helped him to his feet. “Don’t worry man, we got this!” boasted Rainbow Dash. “Yeah, you should go rest,” said Fluttershy. “No, I can’t do that yet. My Keyblade is the only thing that can put the heartless down for good, and you don’t have the Elements!” “Can ya even still fight?” questioned Applejack. “I’m not beat yet. But I could use your help. If you can draw its attention away from me, it will give me the opening I need to strike the final blow.” “Oh dear, I’m not sure how much help I can be with that,” said Rarity, nervous. “But I can certainly do best!” “Rainbow and Fluttershy, you fly around that monster, and keep it’s attention!” commanded Twilight. Fluttershy let out an ‘eep’. “I-I can’t!” replied Fluttershy, as she covered her face with her hooves, and cowered on the ground, shaking. “But Fluttershy, we need you!” said Rainbow Dash. “It’s fine,” stated Roxas. “Rainbow, you’re fast enough for two ponies, right?” “You know it!” “Alright, then this is the plan. Rainbow and Pinkie Pie, you draw the Heartless’s attention. Twilight try to contain its blasts and keep them from destroying anything. Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack, you should get out of here,” commanded Roxas. “What? I aint’ runnin’ away!” shouted Applejack. “I, might just heed his advice,” said Rarity. Another nervous ‘eep’ came from Fluttershy. “Applejack, you should make sure everypony stays safe! We can handle this!” stated Twilight. Applejack was about to protest, but when she saw the fear that enveloped Fluttershy, she decided better of it. “Alright fine! Rarity, Fluttershy, follow me!” she commanded. The three turned and rain away from the scene. “Alright. Let’s do this,” said Roxas. Rainbow flew right towards Gilda’s Heartless, flying around it in circles. The two heads tried to keep up, firing blasts out of both beaks, but where unable to hit the Pegasus. “Sorry about this Gilda! I really am! But I have to do this!” said Rainbow, hoping that whatever was left of her friend could hear her. Pinkie pie used her manic energy to bounce around the battlefield, hitting the Heartless with blasts from her party cannon, while twilight erected shields to keep the blasts of magic from causing any more harm. Roxas readied himself to strike a final blow. He ran towards the heartless at full speed. He leapt onto a nearby building, and ducked under an incoming blast of magic. He then leaped into the air, landing right on the Heartless’s head. Roxas took Oblivion and stabbed it right onto the Heartless’s head. He raised Oathkeeper into the air and screamed: “Thunder!” He cast Thundaga on the Heartless, which conducted through the blade he’d stabbed into its head, caused the electric attack to travel throughout its entire body. The monster let out one final scream of pain and rage before bursting into purple and black energy. Before Roxas fell to the ground, he saw a heart float up into the air. Then he hit the ground, being launched into unconsciousness. Rainbow stood in front of the battlefield, in the spot that Gilda had just occupied. The rest of her friends stood with her, with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy holding up the unconscious Roxas. “I’m sorry Gilda. This is my fault…” “It’s not your fault, Rainbow,” consoled Twilight, who put a hoof on her friends wither. “You could’ve known this would happen. In fact, this has NEVER happened before, in the history of Equestria.” “Why then? Why did it happen?” asked Rainbow through tears. “I don’t know. But I have a feeling Roxas does.” All eyes went to the knocked out human. In the Everfree forest, standing motionless was a Griffon. The Griffon, a female with white and pink head feathers, and a small black mark under each of her eyes, couldn’t seem to speak. All she could think was; ‘Where am I? Who am I?’ In front of the Griffon, a dark gateway opened. Out of it stepped a four-legged figure, face obscured by a black coat. “Poor thing, you must be so confused,” said the figure. “Come with me, and I will take you somewhere safe.” The Griffon wordlessly obeyed, and stepped through the portal. “Welcome home, number III.” Author's Note Tip Jar: Ko-Fi Buymeacoffee Hope you're still enjoying the story!
XXX.“…going to take months…” Slowly, Roxas began regaining consciousness. “…ponies died…” The haze clouding his mind began to depart, allowing him to make out the voices of ponies speaking. “…to tell Celestia…” Roxas opened his eyes. Blinking a few times, he slowly sat up. He looked to his right to see the mane six conversing with each other in the main room of the Library. “He’s awake!” Roxas recognized the voice as belonging to Fluttershy. Seeing that he was lying on a couch, Roxas swept his legs over to the front of the couch and tried to stand up. He stood strong for a brief moment before his legs began to tremble, causing him to fall to one knee. “Careful!” cried Pinkie Pie, as she and Rarity helped the human sit back onto the couch. “Thanks,” he said as he rested back onto the cushions. “Are you alright?” asked Twilight. “I think so,” he replied. “Just tired. The fight completely drained me. How long have I been out?” “A few hours,” answered Twilight. “Speaking of the fight, we have some questions for you.” Roxas’s eyes locked with Twilight’s for a moment before they were cast to the ground. “Alright,” conceded Roxas. Twilight used her magic to summon a journal and a quill, which she began writing in. “That thing, you said it was called a Heartless, right?” “Correct.” “And you told us that Gilda became it when she was overcome with extreme emotional distress?” “It’s not quite that simple,” replied Roxas as he clasped his hands and rested them on his lap. “There’s a difference between having a really bad day, and losing your heart. When Gilda transformed, she had completely lost all of the light insider her. It was an emotional wound that was never going to heal. She’d given up on everything. To put it bluntly, she had nothing left to live for.” Rainbow’s eyes widened, before they became downcast. She stared at the floor with her mane concealing her face. “There are other ways to become a Heartless, but what I described is most likely the reason why Gilda turned.” “What are the other ways?” asked Twilight, scribbling furiously. Roxas paused, considering how much he should explain to the girls. “Look, the most important thing you need to know is that a Heartless forms when a person’s heart is completely consumed by darkness. It happens when all light has been extinguished.” All was silent in the room, except for Twilight’s note taking. Roxas made another attempt at standing, this time succeeding. He began making his way for the door. “Hey, where are you going?” asked Twilight. “I need to take a walk,” he replied. Twilight quickly trotted in front of him. “Hold on, we’re not done here! I still have more questions!” The two stared at each other for a brief moment. “All right,” responded Roxas. “How come I’ve never heard of this Heartless phenomenon in any books, and never heard them spoken of before?” “Because this is the first time it’s happened.” “Then how do you know about it?” All eyes were on Roxas as he felt a jolt run though his body. ‘Damn it! I need to think of something!’ He thought. “What I meant was, it’s the first time it’s happened here in Equestria. It’s an old legend from where I’m from.” “And where is that?” asked Rarity. “It doesn’t matter,” said Roxas as he turned and headed for the door. “It’s gone, and I won’t be going back.” With that, Roxas left the Library, leaving the ponies with more questions than answers. Roxas walked through the devastation of the town. He saw ponies sifting through the rubble, trying to pick up the pieces of their lives. Their homes were destroyed, but to Roxas they were still very fortunate. They could rebuild, they still had others like them to live with and for. But for Roxas, he was permanently stranded from his home, and other humans. ‘Home,’ he thought. ‘It’s been a thousand years, but I still kind of miss it.’ Of course Roxas loved Equestria, but he also longed for that Human connection he had been missing for so long. Something caught his eye as he made his way past a destroyed shop. It glimmered slightly with an unusual light. He turned and made his way towards the object, half buried under a mound of dirt. He crouched down in front of it, seeing an unusual faded blend of orange and purple. When he wiped the dirt away, he saw that it was a shell of some sorts. He picked it up and examined it. ‘A shell? I’ve never seen one with this coloring before…have I?’ Roxas thought it looked familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Then he saw the shell glow. 'So, this is Alex Lionheart. If you need help in a fight or just someone to talk to, I’m game. Just call me up and I’ll show up with a big dumb key-sword to do the thing.' “What the Hell?” questioned Roxas as he looked frantically around him. ‘Where did that voice come from?’ He couldn’t see anyone nearby. The voice sounded familiar as well, it was feminine. But he still couldn’t place it. He looked at the shell in his hand, as the glowing died down. “Did that voice come from this?” he asked himself quietly. He turned the shell over in his hand, before placing it in his pocket. ‘Weird. Alex, sounds like a human name. But that doesn’t make sense. There aren’t any other humans in Equestria.’ He continued to walk through the town. ‘Jesus, I can’t believe Gilda turned into a Heartless. How could that have happened? This is Equestria, not the Kingdom Hearts universe. Is it my fault? Did I bring that possibility here when I arrived here?’ Roxas walked past the border of the town, making his way towards an empty hill a distance away. ‘Regardless, if it can happen once, it can happen again. And I was not prepared to fight that thing. I would’ve been killed if it weren’t for the girls! I thought I could handle myself, but that Heartless was on another level.’ Roxas stood on the top of the hill, and felt a warm breeze blow through his hair. “I need to get stronger! Another Heartless could appear, and I need to be ready!” “Heartless? I think you have bigger problems than heartless.” Another presence made itself known. It lingered behind Roxas, danger radiating off it. “You’d be surprised what might just show up.” Surprised, thinking he was alone, Roxas quickly spun around, but was not prepared for what he saw. It was not a pony that had spoken to him, or any other creature native to Equestria. Roxas couldn’t believe it, but he was now looking at another human, the first one he’d seen in over a thousand years. And it was familiar. Cloaked in a dark outfit of black and red, he recognized the person in front of him. A character from Kingdom Hearts, just like him. The name was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t quite remember it. “What...what the…” he muttered. “Who...who are you?” “Oh come on, how did you forget me?” “I’m...we haven’t met before...have we?” The figure laughed, shaking his head. “Oh no, we’ve never met before. I’m just an invader from the void. Here to see if you're worth my time.” Spreading his arms out, darkness began to seep out of him. “What do you say, Nobody? Care to give daddy a hug?” “First of all, that is so wrong on so many levels! And what the Hell are you talking about? Where did you come from? I’m the only human in Equestria!” “Human? Who ever said I was human?” the figure questioned. “As for all of those other questions... let’s play a game.” Shapes began to form from the darkness, each bearing a set of red eyes. “For every one of my unversed you destroy I’ll answer one of them.” ‘Unversed...from the game? What’s going on here? This is-’ before he could finish that thought, one of the unversed launched itself at Roxas, swiping at him with its claws. Reacting on instinct, Roxas summoned his Keyblade, and swung it at the unversed, dissipating it from the world. “Very well, then, even if it was a given that you’d be able to dispatch a flood easily. What I am is the source of the unversed. If you want more than that, you’ll need to be specific.” Two more flood rushed Roxas. He used two blasts of fire to destroy them. “You’re from the game...Kingdom Hearts, right? How are you here?” “Vanitas, and yet not Vanitas, just as you both are and are not Roxas, and technically I’m from Birth by Sleep which is part of the Kingdom Hearts franchise.” The voice was smug, almost playfully so. “How about a bigger challenge for that last question?” A larger figure started to form out of the darkness seeping from Vanitas, a figure that was bottom-heavy and had thick-looking forearms. “That is one fat-” the new unversed dashed quickly, slamming its stomach right into Roxas, sending him flying into the air. He quickly recovered and landed on the ground, keyblade ready. “My sister would probably say that you deserve that for body-shaming, or something.” “Yeah, I’m the one who’s out of line here!” Roxas countered, before rushing the unversed. He swung his keyblade at the creature, only for it to bounce off of it like a trampoline. Roxas eyed his keyblade, then looked back at the unversed, while catching a smug look on Vanitas’s face. Roxas grit his teeth, and rushed the unversed again, hitting it over and over with his keyblade, only getting the same result. He tried magic, but was met with the same result. Before he could take another strike at it, it punched him straight in the gut, sending him to the ground, knocking the wind from his lungs. Vanitas tsked, disappointment dripping from his words. “If it isn’t obvious, that isn’t going to work. You’re just becoming the definition of insanity.” “Fine! You want something different!” In one fluid motion, Roxas traded in his single keyblade for his dual wielding pair, Oblivion and Oathkeeper. Roxas took a stance, and leaped into the air. He flew over the unversed, aiming to bring his keyblades down on Vanitas himself. Vanitas faded from existence, Roxas’s blades coming down on open air. He followed with his own slash across Roxas’s back. “Oh, did I touch a nerve? And here I thought you weren’t a real boy.” Roxas landed right on his fresh wound, which caused him to scream out in pain. He grit his teeth, and got back on his feet. He rushed right back at Vanitas with a flurry of successive attacks. Vanitas matched Roxas’s strikes, wielding his own keyblade. “Come on, don’t tell me that little girl is a better fighter than you?” Leaping back, magic sprung from his keyblade. Black edged lightning leapt at Roxas. Roxas raised his keyblade, forming a protective shield, but the lightning pierced straight through, hitting his body. He felt the lightning surge through him like a living conductor. A scream of pure agony erupted from his throat, before he fell to the ground. Out of his pocket, the shell he had collected fell onto the ground. “Help...please…I can't’ do this alone.” he pleaded to whoever could hear him from his strained throat. The shell glimmered softly, its light brightening by the moment. Lifting into the air, it flittered about like a pixie. It began to expand, and as it reached the size of a teenager it dropped to the ground and a short, black-haired girl stood there zipping up her black trenchcoat with all the urgency in the world as her face reddened. “I need to ask dad about a way to set a delay on my end if I need one. That was too close.” The new arrival took a glance around the area and immediately stiffened at the sight of Vanitas, the bruiser unversed, and the figure on the ground. Without wasting another second, she moved to stand over Roxas while summoning a shiny keyblade that looked like a sword with a yellow, sunlike fan for teeth. “Okay, you need to leave this world, now.” Vanitas stared down the girl, his posture relaxed. “Ah, there you are. Tell me, kid. Did you finally graduate from training bras, or are you still sub-A cup?” “That is so not your business, and I may have the mind of a med-school student but it’s sick of you to be perving on a body this young.” She took another step forward, raising her keyblade defensively. “Now leave, or we’ll tear you a new one, right, uh, Roxas until I learn your real name?” Roxas, having heard the conversation being held above, lifted his head up. “Sure...give me a sec…” He stood up, groaning. He re-summoned his keyblades, and took a combat stance next to the newcomer. Vanitas chuckled, dismissing his keyblade. “See, I was more just insulting you. I’m not the one who's playing will they-won’t they with someone who's actually their age.” Several more unversed spawned into existence. “But please, project some more.” “I assume you two know each other?” asked Roxas. “He’s an asshole that’s been killing people in my world, turning them into heartless and nobodies. Once right in front of me.” She took a long breath and glared up at Vanitas while brandishing her keyblade. “I will avenge everyone you’ve hurt. If not today, then someday.” Vanitas snorted. “Well listen to you. Getting all dramatic. Trying to impress the new guy? What would your sweetheart back home think?” Alex’s face flushed red, but before she could retort, Roxas spoke up. “You wanna shut this guy up already?” Tightening her grip on her weapon, Alex nodded. “Let’s.” Her keyblade shifted, taking a strange chitinous form. It further changed into a cross between a crossbow and a rifle. Raising it up, several streams of energy lanced out at Vanitas.Roxas sprinted, and leapt into the air, casting a gravity spell at Vanitas to keep him from moving. Unversed leapt to their creator’s defense, sacrificing themselves against the laser onslaught. One beam glanced across Vanitas’s helmet, searing away the glass faceplate. Slipping out of the gravity well, Vanitas touched the damaged portion. “A few inches more and that would have bored a hole through my face.” Material evaporated, leaving his head exposed. “It’s a good thing I don’t have to pay for those.” He grinned, yellow eyes contrasting against his otherwise normal appearance. “But this’ll cost you!” announced Roxas as he brought his keyblade right down on top of Vanitas’s head. Vanitas faded out, reappearing above Roxas. A spell charged and faded from his hand, as a beam of light tore into his side. Twisting in the air, he landed behind the remaining unversed. “Oh good, the little girl decided to be competent.” Brushing himself off, he grinned despite his smoking shoulder. “I think I’ll leave you two to your date. Doesn’t seem like you're worth the effort, Roxas.” Stepping back, he melted away into a roiling pillar of darkness. The unversed remained, guardians of the dying portal. “He’s running away?” questioned Roxas. “I mean, he just said he didn’t think you were worth it,” Alex commented, “Pretty sure that’s his reason.” “Sounds to me like he knew he was gonna lose,” said Roxas as he dematerialized his keyblade. Alex shook his head, taking a few more shots. “No, he’d have kicked both our ass’s. He just chose not too.” “Well regardless, thanks for the help,” thanked Roxas as he took a step towards Alex. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without-” but before he could finish, he fell down to one knee. He let out a gasp of pain. Finishing off the last unversed, Alex knelt by him. “Hold on a moment.” Holding her hands out, she dosed him with a casting of Cura. “There, how’s that feel? Good as new?” “Yeah!” said Roxas, feeling rejuvenated. He stood up, and stretched his arms out. “I really don’t know what would’ve happened if you showed up. But...how ARE you here? I haven’t seen another human in Equestria in the thousand years I’ve been here?” “You called me from my Equestria,” Alex explained, her face reddening again. “You’re damn lucky my coat was nearby...” Hefting her rifle over her shoulder, she poked his shoulder. “Are you human? Cause I’m human.” “Uh...yeah...I’m human. At least I’m pretty sure ,” replied Roxas. Alex shrugged. “For all I know, you could be a nobody. Figured I’d ask.” “So, there are others?” “A lot of others.” Alex’s weapon disappeared, leaving her unarmed. “I’ve only met a few though. One was a Sora and another was a Kairi. That second one was freaking surreal.” “So, are all the other humans Kingdom Hearts characters?” Shaking her head, Alex slipped her hands into her pockets. “Nah. I know a pair of sisters, one got turned into a spider-robot and the other became a psychic bug lady. We all just get turned into fictional characters. I think. Maybe.” “Huh...well, as you may have guessed, my name's Roxas,” he held out a hand to shake. “Roxas?” Alex questioned, taking his hand. “What, you decide to just complete the identity theft?” “I’m sorry?” asked Roxas, confused. Alex took her hand back, gesturing to herself. “Well, I became Xion but I’m still Alexander Lionheart. I have enough identity issues as it is, so, I’m not going around using her name. Just seems a little... tacky.” “Oh, well, my real name is…” Roxas thought back, trying to recall. That’s when it hit him. Inside Roxas’s Mind “Name, name, what do we got on a name?” questioned one of the tiny Roxas’s that made up his mind. “We threw out his NAME!” cried another. The entire metaphorical office space that was Roxas’s mind erupted into fire and chaos as the many mini Roxas’s ran around screaming. Real Life “I can’t believe it. I actually forgot my name!” “You forgot your name?” “It’s been so long since, I’ve used my real one.” Frowning, Alex nodded. “...Right. So, Roxas it is.” Clearing her throat, Alex shifted the conversation. “Watching you fight, I take it you haven’t figured out keyblade forms. I can fix that and give you drive forms.” “You can? That would be great! How do we do it?” Alex steepled her fingers, fixing Roxas with a firm look. “How do you feel about becoming clothes for a few minutes?” “What?” Roxas asked, confused. Grabbing Roxas’s arm, Alex smiled sheepishly. “Too late! Better to get it over with.” A sound akin to breaking glass reverberated throughout the clearing. Roxas’s body broke down into light, collecting around Alex’s body and solidifying into a new outfit. ‘Woah...this feels weird...like, really really weird,’ thought Roxas. “Yeah, you get used to that.” Alex looked down, observing her new clothes. Her coat had been replaced by black cargo shorts, a t-shirt and a jacket. Each bearing a flame design. “Wow, I look like a skater punk. Very 90s.” ‘What’s going on? Why am I clothes?’ “I pulled you into a drive form,” Alex explained. Her clothes glowed again, separating back into Roxas. “And now that should let you use them.” She took a step back, putting her hand up. “But uh, don’t try it on me. I’m not in the mood for it.” “Yeah, sure. So I can just do that whenever I want?” “Yeah, but you need someone else there to turn them into clothes,” Alex added. “That’s about it.” “It might not be easy finding anyone around here who’s willing to do that for me, but I appreciate what you’ve shown me! It’ll definitely come in handy!” Roxas had a smile on his face, but after a few moments, it faded. “Hey, so is there any chance of that guy coming back? I’ve got enough to deal with in Equestria without him causing more trouble.” Shaking her head, Alex smiled. “Nah, I doubt it. If he didn’t think you were worth it now, he’s not gonna change his mind. Even if he does, you have my token, so you can just call me back when you're in trouble.” “Thanks, I really appreciate your help!” Alex nodded, thumping him on the back. The better part of the afternoon was taken up by some impromptu lessons. Much of it revolved around teaching Roxas how to shift his keyblades into other forms. When he finally managed it, Alex spoke a bit about tokens. “-ember, you just find something that represents you and send it out into the void,” Alex reiterated, backdropped by the evening sky. “Okay, last lesson: Sending someone home. Just say ‘our contract is complete’ and send me back.” “I got it,” responded Roxas.”Well then Alex, our contract is complete.” “Cya ‘round.” Alex reverted back into a ball of light and slipped into the shell. Roxas looked at the shell as it lay nestled in his palm. He placed in his pocket, and turned to face Ponyville. “Well, I better get back. Wonder if anyone noticed the commotion.” With that, Roxas made his way back to town. ‘Wait, isn’t Alexander a guy’s name?’ Author's Note Hey, so in case you weren't sure, this chapter was actually a crossover. I'd like to thank my two collaborators; shagohad12 and Voldine. Think of this as a test chapter, I wanted to start off small with the crossover thing, to see what you guys think about the idea, so give me your feedback. Don't worry, I still have my own self contained plot that I'm still working through, so any crossovers would be in addition to the story, not replacing it. Anyway, hope you liked it!
XXXI.It was a few days after Roxas’s confrontation with the other Human, and he had been taking that time to recuperate before he resumed his work. He currently sat in a corner of the Library, reading a book on Equestrian Magic. ‘First Heartless’s appear, now other humans, Hearts characters no less. But why now? It’s been a thousand years since I first arrived. What suddenly changed?’ “Oh hi Pinky, what’s up?” the faint greeting slightly registered as Roxas heard it, but he paid it no mind, and continued. “Hi ya Twilight! I actually came to-“ Roxas blocked the rest out as he reached a new chapter in the book he was reading and marked a few notes in a journal he had started keeping. He was beginning to think that Equestrian Magic was not responsible for any of this, not the Heartless, and not his initial appearance in the world. Were those anomalies caused by another magical source? One belonging to his original world…or another? He needed to look into this. What else could happen in this world now that- “Hi Roxy!” Roxas jerked for a brief moment as he looked up to see none other than Pinkie Pie bouncing in front of him with a wide smile. “Uh, hi Pinkie Pie,” he replied. He stared at her for a few moments as she continued to bounce, showing no signs of recognizing the growing awkwardness. “Uh, can I help you with something?” he asked. Pinkie responded in a quick burst. “Well, I was just thinking, you’ve been here for a few days now, and I like to get to know everypony in town, but I don’t even know your birthday, but we can’t be best friends if I don’t know your birthday, so you gotta tell me what it is so I can plan a birthday party for you when your birthday arrives!” “Oh, uh…I think it’s November, or maybe October, definitely one of those, probably,” he responded nonchalantly. With his eyes buried in his book, he failed to see that Pinkie’s jaw had hit the floor. Twilight was standing a few feet away, and even she looked shocked. “YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR OWN BIRTHDAY?” screamed Pinkie Pie. “No, I just forgot. I haven’t celebrated it in over a thousand years.” “A THOUSAND YEARS?! A thousand years without a party cake and presents? How are you even alive right now!?” questioned Pinkie as she shook Roxas back and forth. “Pinkie, give him some space,” asserted Twilight as she used her magic to yank the pink party pony off of the human. “But but this is madness!” screamed Pinkie as she attempted to gallop as she floated. Roxas reeled back, starting to feel a little unsafe. He wasn’t sure if the mare was going to be able to control herself. Pinkie continued to scramble before she seemed to calm. The manic energy in her eyes was replaced with a look of determination and resolve. Twilight felt it was safe to lower her back down to the ground, and did so. Pinkie took in a deep breath, before striking a dramatic pose in front the human. “Roxy,” she began. “Please don’t call me that-“ “I swear! By the moon and the stars in the sky that I shall throw you the biggest, best-est birthday party you’ve ever seen!” Pinkie disappeared, and reappeared behind Roxas, surprising him as she wrapped an arm round his shoulder. “The magnitude and brilliance of this party shall be so spectacular that the Gods themselves will bow before its splendor! The stars will shake and the dead will rise just to cast their eyes upon it!” “What?” muttered Roxas. Both Twilight and he had wide eyes as the looked at Pinkie, not quite sure how to process this. Suddenly Pinkie disappeared behind Roxas and reappeared in front of the library’s front door. “Just you wait! This will rock your socks off!” Pinkie then threw the door open, and cartwheeled into the distance, disappearing. “Should I be worried?” questioned Roxas. “Umm….” Hummed Twilight. “Maybe.” ~Later that Night in the Unicorn Range~ A dim light shone through the closed window of a wooden travelers caravan as it sat parked within a small brush of tall oak trees. An extinguished fire sat in front of it, the remaining smoke distilling into the air. Inside the caravan, a light blue unicorn mare sat in front of what some might call a desk. She had a worried expression on her face as she divvied up her remaining gold bits. She was running low; she barely had enough for an order of hayburger and fries. As it was, her food stock was nearly depleted. She felt a grumble in her stomach. Sighing, she reached into a rucksack and retrieved a single red apple. “Last one,” she said to herself as she took a bite. “I’ll have to make due until I arrive in…” she trailed off as she used her hoof to find her destination on the map she had laid out in front of her. “…Ponyville.” She then began thinking about her act. “I didn’t make many bits on my last show. I need to step up my game, I need to wow the audience!” She stood up and made her way to a small chipped mirror. “Remember, confidence is key!” she told herself. She then began practicing her acting. “The Great and Powerful Trixie! The Great and Powerful Trixie!” she was attempting different inflections, trying to find the perfect method of presentation. Truly, she didn’t feel very powerful, or great. But she knew from years of scratching the brim that being humble is a death sentence. It was the ponies who took charge and presented themselves as the best in the world who succeeded…even if it wasn’t true. “I am…the Great and Powerful…Trixie,” she told herself one last time. She then took in a deep breath, and made her way to her old hammock that hung in the corner. She finished off the single apple that comprised her dinner, and then chucked the core out the window. She then blew out her candle, and settled into bed. “I’ll be in Ponyville by tomorrow. And everything is going to go well. Everything is going to be perfect.” She closed her eyes and started to drift off. “Because I am…the great…and powerful…Trixie….” She was out. Author's Note Thirty-One chapters down, only 2,400,292 more to go! If you'd like to support my horse words, click these things: Ko-Fi BuyMeACoffee Here's some more shameless self promotion: I'm selling shirts online, click here now or else. Hope you're still enjoying the story. I'm starting to work on some original fiction, but I'm still updating on here when I can. Hope everyone's doing good! Bye!Bye!Byyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeesadsfasdfasdf.sdfsdfasfasdf.........
I.Author's Note I did jump on the displaced band wagon a while ago, but it was a failure. I hope that this does better, It's something I really wanted to write. I hope you like it, or at the very least, don't hate it. I. The Everfree forest. By the opinions of most ponies, it was a dark, and sinister place that did not operate by the natural laws of Equestria. The weather worked on its own, it was dark and creepy, and filled with dangerous creatures. Most ponies wouldn’t even consider entering the place. But that did not apply to the six ponies standing on the very edge of it. These six were not entering the forest for fun, or to prove their bravery. They were doing it because they knew they had to. For only by venturing through the forest would they find the fabled Elements of Harmony, the only things that could stop an ancient villain, Nightmare Moon. The ponies stood there in silence, trying to work up the courage to enter. That was until the silence was broken by a pink mare, who either possessed great courage, or great ignorance to the danger ahead. “Wee! Let’s go!” cried Pinkie Pie. She began to trot forward, before she was stopped by a lavender Unicorn with a purple mane and tail. “Not so fast!” said Twilight Sparkle. “Look, I appreciate the offer, but I’d really rather do this on my own.” “No can do sugarcube!” objected the orange mare known as Applejack. “We sure ain’t letting any friend of ours go into that creepy place alone! We’re sticking to you like caramel on a candy apple!” The others voiced their agreements, and the group made their way into the forest, unaware of the two forces at work. The ponies eventually found themselves on a thin and brittle path, hugging the side of a mountain, with cliffs dropping to the depths below. As the ponies crossed, none of them noticed a purple mist, traveling below them. The mist merged with the rock, weakening its structure. The ponies crossed, with one in particular joking around, and trying to playfully scare the others. It was all fun and games, until the ground beneath them gave way. As the two pegasi went air born, the earth ponies and unicorns screamed in terror, as they slid down the mountain. Rainbow Dash’s speed was not limited to her flight, as she was quick to react to the situation. “Fluttershy, quick!” she yelled, and then the two dived forward in order to save their friends. Rainbow used what strength she had to lift Pinkie Pie into the air, saving her from plummeting to her death. Her companion, Fluttershy managed to catch Rarity by the tail, but the other two ponies continued their fall without anypony there to catch them. Applejack managed to catch a hanging root, halting her fall, while Twilight found herself hanging by her hoofs at the edge of her cliff. Applejack released her hold of the roots, in an attempt to aid her friend. “Hold on! I’m a comin!” said the Cowpony. “Applejack! What do I do?” cried Twilight. After a few seconds of contemplation, Applejack gave her her answer. “Let go,” said Applejack calmly. “Are you CRAZY!” yelled Twilight. “No I ain’t. I promise you’ll be safe,” replied Applejack. “That’s not true!” shouted Twilight. “Now listen here. What I’m saying to you is the honest truth. Now let go, and you’ll be safe.” Twilight thought about what the mare was saying. After a few seconds of contemplation, she closed her eyes, and let go. Her stomach rose, as she let out a scream of fear. Her eyes opened, to see both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flying towards her. But as fast as they were flying, Twilight was falling faster. Gravity was working against her. She was the two flying after her, and she could see the doubt in their eyes. Twilight thought for sure she was going to be splattered against the ground. But even with her screaming, she could hear a faint noise, a voice that she had never heard before. She heard the voice say “-Za”, and in an instant, Twilights fall seemed to slow. She felt her entire body functioning and falling slower, while Rainbow and Fluttershy seemed to be flying all the more faster. In a second, the two reached her, and grabbed a hold of her. Twilight let out a sigh of relief, as the two pegasi lowered her to the ground. Even though she was relieved to be safe, she couldn’t help but wonder what had caused her fall to slow. Perhaps it was adrenaline, but Twilight could remember feeling a faint tingling on her horn, which was how powerful Unicorns liker herself were able to tell if magic was being used. But who had used it? And what kind of spell was used? Just then, Twilight caught a glimpse of something in the corner of her eye. It was black, and dark, as if it was eating light itself, like a black hole. Twilight turned her head to glance in its direction, but the moment she could see it clearly, it was gone. “You all right Twilight?” asked Rainbow Dash. Twilight snapped out of her thoughts, and turned her attention back to the situation. “Oh, yeah, sorry, just thinking…. thanks for saving me,” replied Twilight. “No problem! Now let’s go get those elements! The ponies continued their trek through the forest. Rainbow Dash was busy bragging and reliving her saving of Twilight, with Twilight becoming increasingly annoyed. Just then, out of nowhere, a large manticore jumped in front of them, blocking their path. “A Manticore!” cried Twilight. The beast let out a mighty roar. “We’ve got to get past him!” The manticore leapt toward Rarity, prepared to smite her with his paws. The fashionista delivered a surprisingly well-executed buck at the manticore, pushing it back. “Take that you ruffian!” yelled Rarity, only for the manticore to roar right in her face. The ponies worked together to fight the beast, except Fluttershy who was trying to gain their attention. The ponies attempted to subdue the mythical beast, but could not manage to beat him. The ponies regrouped, and charged the manticore. The hybrid let out a roar, and charged the ponies in response. That was, until Fluttershy leapt in between the two forces, and yelled, “Wait!” When the two sides ceased their charge, Fluttershy calmly trotted towards the manticore. The beast roared, and raised his paw, ready to strike. The ponies averted their eyes, preparing for the worst. But instead of hearing screams of pain and death, they heard the calm whispering of the Pegasus. “Shh. It’s okay.” Fluttershy’s voice calmed the hybrid, which then held out his claw to Fluttershy, revealing a large thorn. “Oh you poor little baby,” cooed Fluttershy. She then proceeded to remove the thorn. The manticore let out a roar, causing the ponies to believe that he was about to harm her. Than was, until they saw the manticore licking Fluttershy affectionately. With the manticore calmed, the ponies were free to pass through the chasm. But as Twilight passed through, she saw something, high above on the top of the cliffs. She could not tell what it was. It was some dark fog, rounded like an oval, and about the size of a door. Just as Twilight saw it, it dissipated, fading into nothing. Twilight decided to turn her attention back to Fluttershy. “How did you know about the thorn?” asked the unicorn. “I didn’t. Sometimes, we all need to be shown a little kindness.” Twilight thought about that. Fluttershy was one of the kindest ponies she’d ever met. And that brought a smile to her face. Twilight and her friends continued their venture through the forest. The group continued to face many obstacles in their quest for the elements. They faced a forest of dark and scary trees, only for Pinkie to laugh away their fears. They came across a rapid river, but thanks to Rarities generosity, they calmed the tears of a crying sea serpent. Finally, they came to an old rope bridge. But the loyalty of the fastest Pegasus in Equestria saw them through, and allowed them to cross, and make it to the abandoned castle. Twilight was now alone in the room with the Elements of Harmony. She shut her eyes, and began channeling her magic. Because of that, she did not notice a dark purple cloud wrapping around the elements. The dark purple magic began circling, causing a mini tornado, with the elements being carried by the winds. Twilight let out a cry of surprise. Twilight leaped towards the elements, trying to stop them from escaping. In a flash, she and the elements disappeared, just as the other ponies arrived to help her. Twilight arrived in a different part of the castle, in a cloud of smoke. Her eyes widened as she saw Nightmare Moon standing there, the elements levitating around her. Twilight clawed at the ground, and prepared to charge the mare in the moon. “You’re kidding. You’re kidding right?” questioned the dark mare. The two charged each other, with Twilight lighting her horn. Just as they were about to make contact, Twilight teleported behind Nightmare Moon, appearing right beside the elements. As Twilight used her magic on the elements, Nightmare moon attacked, launching Twilight backward. As Nightmare stood in the middle of the elements, the spark from Twilights magic bounced between them. “No, NO!” cried the dark mare. Fortunately for her, the elements lost their spark. As Nightmare Moon laughed, Twilight gasped. “But…where’s the sixth element?” Nightmare Moon laughed in triumph as she slammed her hoofs onto the floor, shattering the elements. “You little foal, thinking you could defeat me. Now you will never see your princess, or your sun again. The night, will last forever!” announced Nightmare Moon. It felt hopeless for Twilight. The elements had been destroyed, and now, there was no way to stop the mare in the moon. That was, until Twilight heard the sound of her newfound friends approaching. Suddenly, Twilight felt hopeful. Her eyes widened with her sudden realization. “You think you can destroy the elements of harmony just like that? Well you’re wrong! The spirits of the elements of harmony are right here!” announced Twilight. As the shards of the elements of harmony began to rise, Twilight explained to the dark mare that each of her new friends represented the elements of harmony. Applejack represented honesty, Fluttershy the element of kindness, Pinkie Pie Laugher, Rarity generosity, Rainbow Dash as loyalty, and finally Twilight herself as Magic. “The spirits of these 5 ponies lead us through all the obstacles you threw at us!” “You still don’t have the sixth element! The spark didn’t work!” replied Nightmare Moon. “But it did! A different kind of spark! I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you,” said Twilight as she turned to face her friends. “To see you. How much I cared about you. The spark ignited in me, when I realized that you all…Are My Friends!” Just as Twilight finished her sentence, a shining flash of light appeared above her, revealing the sixth element of harmony: The Element of Magic. The element shards rotated around their bearers as the element of magic descended onto Twilight. There was a large glow that caused Nightmare moon to shield her eyes. “You see, Nightmare Moon, when those elements are ignited by the spark, that resides in us all, it creates the sixth element! The Element of…MAGIC!” With that, the elemental shards magic caused them to form into beautiful necklaces, with magical gems in the center, except for Twilights, whose element was a golden tiara. The combined power of the six elements caused a large rainbow to fire directly at Nightmare Moon, who cried out as the magic blasted her. Then, a large flash of light illuminated the entire room. When it subsided, the six mares found themselves lying on the floor of the castle. They rose themselves up, and soon found that their element necklaces were still present. Each pony marveled at their newfound jewelry. “Wow Twilight. I thought you were just spouting a lot of hooey. But I guess we really DO represent the Elements of Friendship,” said Applejack. “Indeed you do,” came a new voice. A great light blinded the room. The sun rose from the darkness, illuminating the sky. And from that light, appeared the Princes of the Sun, wings spread, and head held high. The ponies all bowed their heads, with the exception of Twilight, who rushed to embrace her mentor. “Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student.” After their embrace, Celestia continued to speak. “I knew you could do it. “ “But you told me it was all an old pony tale?” questioned Twilight. “I told you that needed to make some friends. Nothing more,” replied Celestia. “ I saw the signs of Nightmare Moons return, and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her. But you could not unleash it, until you let true friendship into your heart. Now if only another will as well.” The group’s attention was returned to where Nightmare Moon had once been. But instead of the dark mare, was a different pony. This one similar, but different. She had purple fur, with dark blue hair. She too, had a horn and wings, just like Nightmare Moon, and Princess Celestia. “Princess Luna,” said Celestia to the other Alicorn, who gasped in what could be called fear. “It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this.” Celestia lowered herself to the ground, to meet Luna face to face. “Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together little sister.” The entire group of ponies gasped at the newfound revelation. Then, the two sisters embraced in a long overdue hug. Silence filled the air, no noise interrupting the embrace. But then, the sounds of hoof steps could be heard. It was loud, and powerful. The entire group turned their heads to see who had just intruded into their moment. Eight gasps could be heard, as a new creature, most of which had never seen before, entered the room. The being was bipedal, dressed head to toe in a long black coat, with a hood covering its face. The coat had large zippers, with two chains coming from either side of the hood. For Twilight and her friends, the creature was unknown, never had they seen anything like it before. But for Luna and Celestia, the creature was not only familiar, but also one they did not expect to ever see again in their lives. The elements took defensive stance in front of the two sisters, prepared to defend them from the unknown creature. “It…it cannot be!” gasped Celestia in surprise. The creature stopped walking, as soon as he came in front of the group. Then, he reached up to his hood, and removed it, to reveal a face, that no pony had seen before. The creature had a relatively flat face, with a nose unlike most species on the planet. The creature had a spiky blond/orange mane atop of its head, with shiny blue eyes. Then, the creature spoke. “Princess Luna,” said the creature, in a young, male voice. In fact, he sounded like a teenager. The creature raised his hand to the side, and with a flash of light, an object appeared in his gloved hand. To the ponies, it appeared to be a key; only it was giant, and shaped somewhat like a weapon. The creature stepped forward, but the elements wouldn’t have that. “Stop right there monster!” challenged Rainbow Dash. But the creature didn’t stop; in fact he seemed to dash forward at incredible speed, appearing before the two princesses. He raised his weapon above his head, preparing to strike. Princess Luna shut her eyes, prepared for what would come next. All through out the room, a clang could be heard, one that echoed throughout the room. Luna had expected to feel the pain of death strike her. But instead, when she opened her eyes, she saw something she did not expect to see. The tip of the key was embedded into the floor, with the black-coated creature on his knees, hands resting on the handle of the weapon. His head was lowered, eyes tightly shut, letting tears come loose. But no pony was prepared for what he said next. “Princess Luna…I…am so sorry.”
II.I know what you’re thinking. What’s Roxas doing in Equestria? And why am I apologizing to Princess Luna? Well my story is a long one. Like really long. Over a thousand years long. It started in a different time, in a different world. I wasn’t always called Roxas. I wasn’t always able to wield the Keyblade, or do magic. It all started the day I went to that convention. 1500 years ago I sat down on a chair, in front of the mirror inside my hotel room. I had my hair spiked up, at an attempt to replicate Roxas’s. My mom stood behind me, and shook a can of temporary hair paint. She then began to spray my head gold, as it was the closest color we could find. Once she finished, I walked over to the bed, and picked up my costume. I’d always wanted an organization 13 coat, ever since I first saw them. They always looked so cool. I wish mine were a bit better though. I liked it, but it wasn’t as accurate as it looked on the website. It only had one zipper that zipped all the way up. Because of this, I couldn’t really run, or anything, not that I needed to, but still. It did come with a decent chain, but the ends were white tape, instead of looking as accurate as it should. But hey, it looked cool, and I looked awesome in it. You see, after my high school graduation, my mom decided to reward me with a trip to Comicon. It kind of sucked that I couldn’t bring my Keyblade though. I had a metal Keyblade replica that I got in Vegas. It wasn’t completely accurate, it had a long cap on the top, and the hilt swiveled. It’s like the one Egoraptor has, if you’ve seen Game Grumps. I put some tape in it, to stop the swivel, and I also shortened the extremely long chain. What sucks though, is that I couldn’t bring it with me on the plane. I had hopes that I’d be able to find a cooler one at the convention, that I could use for my costume, and then have shipped to my home. Once I was ready, my mom and I went to the convention. She carried my costume in her purse, because it was hot out, and thus not a good idea to wear a black plastic coat. When we arrived, I was a little nervous about wearing my costume. I didn’t see a whole lot of other people in costume, and I’d never cosplayed before. The line looked long, but luckily we had VIP passes, so we got in sooner. Once we got in, I found it to be a decent enough temperature to wear my costume. Once I put it on, my mom let me go off, and search around. I found a lot of cool stuff; there were replicas, toys, art, and comics (who knew!). After a few hours though, I found myself bored. I’d seen and looked at everything this place had to offer. I’d seen the replicas, and I’d seen the art, and I’d seen the toys. But honestly, nothing really interested me. There wasn’t really a whole lot of interesting stuff here. Most of the toys and replicas were for games, and movies I’d never played, or seen. I was just about to head back to a toy booth that was selling some cool stuff, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a booth that I hadn’t seen before. I turned to look at it, and my eyes widened when I saw it. The vendor was dressed in a Resident Evil Merchant cosplay, so I couldn’t see his face. And at his booth was a bunch of merchandise that instantly caught my attention. As I made my way towards the booth, I couldn’t help but wonder why I hadn’t seen the booth before. I’d made my way around the convention hall a couple of times, so you’d think I would’ve noticed it before. Maybe it just set up. When I arrived at the booth, I saw a lot of cool things. There were tons of replicas, swords, guns, costume pieces, ECT. But what really caught my attention, was the items that I needed to complete my costume; 3 Keyblades. The first was the standard Kingdom Key. It was way better than the one I have at home; it was a perfect replica, though it appeared to be made out of wood. The others were highly detailed replicas of Oathkeeper, and Oblivion. Those were the ones I really wanted, but I probably only had enough money for one, and having either Oathkeeper, OR Oblivion would look weird. I’m kind of OCD like that, so I decided to go with the Kingdom Key. “Welcome traveler,” said the booth operator. “Hi,” I replied. “So, anything catch your interest? Ooh, let me guess, those Keyblades right?” he asked as he pointed back over his shoulder. “Yeah.” “Oathkeeper and Oblivion, right?” “Well I probably only have enough for one, but I probably can’t get that one either. I’m going home on a plane, so I can’t bring a Keyblade home,” I said in a somber tone. The merchant was silent for a moment, and then he spoke again. “Well, I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you all three for $150. You can take the standard Keyblade around for the remainder of the convention, and then bring it back to me, and I’ll mail all three to your address. How does that sound?” “Wow, that sounds Awesome!” I should have suspected something then, but I was a fool to trust the inherit goodness of man. Plus, I was really excited about making off with not one, but three Keyblades. So, I gave the man my money, and mailing address, and he gave me the Kingdom Key. I said goodbye, and left with the replica. I spent a few more hours walking around, and doing nothing, until I ran in to my mom. “Where did you get that?” she asked. “I got it from one of the booths. The guy there gave me three of these for $150, and he’s even going to mail them to our house!” “You realize that you have no more money to spend the rest of our time here? And how do you know that that guy is going to honor his word? He could’ve just taken you money, and not sent you anything?” I tried to explain to my mom that everything was fine, but she insisted on seeing the booth, and looking at what I bought. She was kind of mad that I’d spent so much money, without letting her know. She also didn’t trust that this guy was actually going to send the Keyblades. I led her to where the booth was. But when we arrived, the booth was gone! In its place, was a stand selling metal statues of characters from games. “Well, where’s it at?” asked my mom. “It was right there!” I said, pointing to where the booth once was. “Well, I don’t see it.” “But it was right there, just a few hours ago!” I started getting anxiety, thinking that this guy had stiffed me. It was then, that I started feeling lightheaded. I thought it was the current stress of the situation. I put a hand to my head, and leaned against a booth. “Are you alright?” asked my mom. I tried to answer, but I couldn’t form words. Then, the Keyblade in my hand started to burn, even through my glove! I tried to let it go, but my hand wouldn’t open, no matter how hard I tried! I looked down at my hand, and saw that the Keyblade was starting to glow white, presumably with heat. My mom tried to help me, but all of a sudden my vision started going white as well. I couldn’t see anything, as I stumbled around. Then I started screaming, as the heat from my hand started to spread through out my body. Then, my vision went from white, to black. I guess that was when I became unconscious.
III.When I awoke from unconsciousness, I expected to find myself looking at the ceiling of a hospital room, or at the faces of people gathered around me in the convention hall. Instead, I found myself gazing at complete darkness. It was confusing, for a minute I thought I had hit my head too hard, and I’d gone blind. But then, I felt air pushing at me from below. It felt as if I was falling. I started to panic and tried to right myself upward, but my flailing merely spun me around, as if I was in a vacuum. But then, out of my control, my body began to adjust itself, so that my feet were down, and my head was up. When I landed (If I landed at all) I expected to fall with enough force to injure, or kill myself. But instead, I gently landed on the floor that I could not see. When I felt myself standing, I looked around, but could see nothing but darkness. I was afraid to take another step forward, at the risk that I would fall off of something, and start falling again. So I just stood there. Maybe it was for a few seconds, maybe it was a few minutes, I couldn’t tell. But eventually, when I felt as if I was going to be trapped in the darkness forever, I was greeted with a voice. It was like nothing I’d ever heard before; it was neither male nor female. “You will change history,” said the voice. “Who said that!” I questioned, only to gasp at the sound of my voice. It was different, not necessarily older, or younger, just different. It sounded a tad deeper, but still sounded teenaged. It sounded almost like… “But nothing will change.” “Where are you? Show yourself!” I commanded. I couldn’t pinpoint which direction the voice was coming from, it sounded as if it was coming from everywhere at once. “You will lose what is most important too you, but you will not miss it.” “What are you talking about? What is going on?” “You will find it in pain, and darkness.” At this point, I gave up on trying to communicate with the voice. “But in the end, your light will always shine.” As soon as the voice finished its sentence, a white light shooting up from below blinded me. I raised my hand to cover my eyes, but it still shot through, making it hard to see. Even when I shut my eyes, I could still see the light through my eyelids. But after about 10 seconds, the light subsided, but was still enough to illuminate the area I was in. I looked down, to see that I was standing on a large, circular platform. There were images on it, though I couldn’t make them out, do to the size of the platform. I looked around, trying to find the source of the voice, but I still couldn’t see anyone. In fact, aside from the platform, I was still in complete darkness. “Your journey begins now.” “What are you-“ but before I could finish my sentence, I felt the sensation of unconsciousness overcome me again. “Not again,” I said, my words slurring, as I fell to the ground again, to be met again by blackness. For a second time that day (or so I thought), I found myself stir from unconsciousness. Only this time, when I awoke, I was greeted by sight. I felt the familiar feeling of grass against my face. I pushed myself up, getting to my feet. I wobbled, and nearly lost balance as the blood rushed to or from my head, causing me to become light headed, but thankfully I did not fall over. Once I had myself steady, I took a look at my surroundings. I appeared to be in what looked like a dark forest. Every which way I turned, all I could see were trees, and darkness. “How the hell did I get here?” I asked myself. I honestly had no idea. I felt like I was about to pass out again, this time from the confusion of being in a forest. I raised a hand to my head, and noticed that it was still cloaked in my black glove. It was then that I saw that I was still in my costume. I took a look at myself to see that I was indeed still dressed as Roxas, but what surprised me was my costume. It was 100% accurate! The chains were completely accurate, and there were two zippers, meaning I actually had some legroom. I had no idea what had happened to my costume, but I didn’t have time to ponder, because no sooner had I checked my costume, did I hear the sound of growls. I turned around to see that in the darkness, there where several sets of glowing yellow eyes. I took a step back, slowly, as not to provoke the predators that were now stalking me. Slowly, the beasts stepped out of the cover of darkness, to reveal themselves. I expected wolves, or mountain lions. What I did not expect was to see large wolves made entirely out of wood. My eyes widened in alarm and surprise. These were…they were Timber Wolves! But those didn’t exist, except in…Equestria. But that was impossible, Equestria was made up! But as I was wondering just what was going on, the wolves were now fully revealed, showing that there were three of them. I was roused from my thoughts by the sight of the three predators advancing on me. I decided that I’d figure all this out when I wasn’t in mortal danger. Now glad that my costume had been modified, I turned around and sprinted as fast as I could. The moment I did, the wolves gave chase. I maneuvered through the trees, leaping over obstacles, trying to get away, but no matter what I did, the wolves didn’t’ falter. As I ran, I eventually reached a dead end, in the form of a cliff. I turned around and looked at the wolves, to see them slowly closing in on me. I looked around, trying to find a way to get away, or to defend myself. I looked, and saw a medium sized stick lying on the ground. I picked it up, and held it in front of me. The Timber Wolves didn’t seem to be intimidated by my makeshift weapon. They continued their advance. I decided that the last thing they’d expect was for me to go on the offensive, so that’s what I did. I readied my stick, and charged. The wolves seemed surprised; I took my stick and swung it at one of the wolves. Unfortunately it didn’t seem to bother the wolf much. It spun around, and wacked me with its tail, sending me flying back. I landed with a thud, the stick flying out of my hand. I landed with a thud on the ground. One of the wolves charged me, hoping to take advantage of my fall. My eyes widened, this was the end! I shut my eyes, and in an attempt to save myself, I swung my right hand, hoping to bash the wolf. I expected to feel my fist collide with something, but in stead I heard the sound of wood smashing. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see the wolf that had attacked me, now lying on the ground a few feet away. I was confused as to what had happened. I turned my head to look at my hand, and my eyes widened at what I saw. In my hand, was…a Keyblade. It was the one I had bought at the convention, the accurate wooden one. Only, when I felt it, it felt more like metal, than wood. I pondered as to how this Keyblade was in my hand, and it appeared the wolves were wondering too. But they quickly got over it, and started advancing on me. I got up, and held my Keyblade in front of me. The wolf that I knocked down got up again, and seemed to be angry, because he charged me again. I reared back by blade, and swung, smacking the wolf in the face, knocking it so far, it fell off the cliff. I was surprised; I didn’t think I had enough strength to do that! I turned my attention to the other wolves, and saw them advancing on me. I swung my blade, but the wolf I was aiming at dodged. I swung at the other, but it dodged too. I rolled forward, and swung my blade at one of the wolves, causing it to shatter. Then I spun backward, and hit the other, causing it to shatter as well. I took a step back, but I knew that this wasn’t the end. The pieces of wood and brush started to vibrate, and the pieces rose from the ground, combining together, to make a new larger wolf. There was no way I could whack this thing enough to defeat it. The only thing that could defeat this thing was fire. But how was I going to get ahold of that? I found myself wishing for fire, more than anything in the world. “Damn it, I need FIRE!” I yelled. To my surprise a blast of fire shot from the tip of the blade, onto the ground, causing the ground to ignite. My eyes widened in surprise. Did I do that? I looked at my Keyblade, and then back to the wolf, who was eyeing the fire with caution. I looked back to the Keyblade, and pondered. What if…maybe…. I pointed my weapon at the wolf, and yelled; “FIRE!” in an instant a blast of fire launched towards the wooden beast, igniting it! The Timber wolf cried out in pain, and began flailing around, and running around. Not watching where it was going, the wolf ran strait off the edge of the cliff, plummeting to its doom. I walked to the edge of the cliff, and looked down, seeing the burning pile of wood lying on the ground. I took a moment to compose myself, but was surprised to find that I didn’t really need to. I was alarmed at the prospect of dying, but now that I think about it, I didn’t really feel all that much fear. I really did not know why, but I felt it didn’t really matter at the moment. I had more important things to worry about, like how I had ended up in Equestria, and how I became what I believed to be Roxas. But most importantly, I wanted to find Ponyville, and meet the mane six. So I set out to continue my adventure.
IV.With the Timber Wolves defeated, in what was essentially my first battle, I felt a sense of confidence in my abilities to fight, and defend myself. As I made my way back towards the forest from whence I came, I thought about how I was able to defeat those mythical beasts. Somehow, I had been transformed into Roxas From Kingdom Hearts. How that was possible, I didn’t know. I tried thinking back to what happened before all this. I remembered buying this Keyblade, plus two others at that booth in the convention hall, from that guy who practically gave them away. But that was just a coincidence right? Then again, his booth did disappear like it wasn’t there to begin with. What if that Merchant was responsible for all this? What if holding that Keyblade somehow triggered this transformation? It was weird, but I didn’t feel all that angry. I mean, if this was Equestria, then it’s basically a dream come true, being a Brony and all. Yet, just as I didn’t feel anger at the possibility of being intentionally ripped from my home and family, I also didn’t feel the feeling of excitement or anticipation at the fact that I just may be in Equestria. It was weird, but I just felt…nothing. I didn’t feel any negative emotions, but neither did I feel positive emotions either. As I made my way back into the forest, I started thinking about my parents. It was entirely possible that I was having a very lucid dream and I was still unconscious, lying on the floor of the convention hall. But that wouldn’t explain why my hand started burning, and why the Keyblade was glowing like that. I couldn’t have been hallucinating, I’ve never done it before, so I don’t know why I would start now. If I really was in Equestria, what would my parents think? What did they think happened to me? Did they think I ran away? Got kidnapped? Or worse, what if my body was still there, dead and lifeless. It was starting to bother me how calm I was about all this, but I decided to focus on different things for the time being. As I trekked through the dark forest I noticed just how similar it looked to the Everfree forest from the show. It was dark, with warped trees, with faces that would scare small children, and yet…I felt at ease here, more so than before. The thought that monsters might attack me again did cross my mind, but after I handled those Timber Wolves, I felt that I had a decent chance of defending myself. That brought my thoughts back to what had happened earlier on that cliff. Somehow, I had been able to not only summon a real Keyblade, but I had also been able to use magic as well. I stopped walking as an idea came to me. I looked to my hand, and pondered. I decided to test it. I held out my open hand, and concentrated, willing the Keyblade to return to me. The Keyblade didn’t return to me immediately, but I did feel a tingling in my hand, a pulsing. I closed my eyes and tried to push on that feeling, sending more energy to my hand. The tingling increased, and I opened my eyes just in time to see the familiar Kingdom Key appear in my hand. “Ha, I did it!” I yelled, only to quickly put my other hand over my mouth, remembering that this forest was filled with beats. I especially didn’t want to come across a Cockatrice. With my Keyblade in hand, I began my walk again. As I did, I twirled the weapon in my hands, practicing my handling. I swung, stabbed, and slashed at the air, getting a feel for my Keyblade. I thought back once again to my fight on the cliff. When I had said the word ‘Fire’, fire had shot from the tip of the blade. So I thought, maybe like in the game, the spells were voice activated. I held onto my blade with both hands and pointed it at one of the trees. I decided on the Blizzard spell, since I didn’t want to risk setting the trees on fire. “Freeze!” I waited, but nothing happened. I said it again, but still nothing happened. I tried shaking the Keyblade while reciting the spell, but still nothing happened. I was getting frustrated. Nothing’s worse than having a power, and then losing it. I sat down, and thought about just how I’d made fire come out the first time. I had said ‘Fire’ and fire had come out. I needed fire, and so fire came…out. Maybe that was it. Maybe I needed to combine the words, with the will of wanting it to happen. I stood up, and pointed my Keyblade at a tree and said ‘Freeze’, but this time I focused on wanting ice to shoot out as well. In an instant, a ball of ice shot out of my Keyblade, solidifying a chunk of the tree. “Hm…not a very big area effected,” I said to myself. I decided to put a bit more effort into it the next time. I pointed my Keyblade at the tree again, this time putting more effort, willing a stronger blast of ice to appear. This time, a larger chunk of ice shot forth, about twice the size. Immediately after, I felt a wave of lightheadedness, and collapsed to my knee, holding myself up with my Keyblade. I had to rest for a few minutes, but eventually I was able to get myself up to my feet, and back to walking. I decided that I wasn’t going to put that much effort into magic again, until I was somewhere safer. It appeared I had some training to do, if I wanted to get my magic abilities up to par. Eventually, after another half an hour of walking, I saw a light through the trees. I made my way towards it, and finally found myself outside of the forest. But the site that now stood before me was not what I expected. I did not see the familiar grassy plains, and old timey houses I expected to find in Ponyville (assuming I had gone the right way). What I saw was less familiar, but not completely unknown. The sky was purple, with giant hunks of earth floating in the air. The ground was warped, and checkered. There were fish flying through the air, and there were frogs with sharp teeth chasing down miniature lions. It was…it was weird. I also noticed a familiar looking castle floating sideways in the air. It looked like the castle of the royal pony sisters; only it wasn’t decrepit, and ruinous. It looked new, and pristine. I also noticed that in the distance past the castle was what appeared to be a village. Only, it was warped, and messed up too, with buildings floating in the air, the ground still warped and checkered. I finally noticed that separating me from all this, was a chasm, with nothing connecting the ends, except for a wooden bridge. I was confused, this looked like Discords work. But wasn’t he reformed? Also, shouldn’t the castle be…you know, ruined? I decided to check it out. I pulled my hood over my head, and willed my Keyblade to disappear. I then carefully made my way across the bridge. Once I made it across, I decided to travel further, into the chaos zone, but before I could, I heard the sound of galloping approaching. I turned to see a group of ponies running from what looked like alligators; only they had the legs of lions. The ponies screamed in fear, as the gator-lions appeared to be gaining on them. I couldn’t just stand and watch those creatures eat those innocent ponies. I decided to intervene, and quickly. I summoned my Keyblade, and sprinted towards the ponies. I took a quick look and saw three beasts chasing the ponies. “Get out of the way!” I called. Both ponies, and gator-lions looked towards me. The ponies looked at me with a renewed sense of fear. They sprinted even harder away, while the gators still gave chase. I pointed my Keyblade, and cast a freezing spell at the beast in the front, causing one of its legs to become stuck to the ground. I then ran strait at the second one, and jumped over it. I had planned on whacking it with my Keyblade, but was unprepared for the power my jump carried. I soared a good ten feet over the beast, flailing in the air, and roughly landing on my feet. It appeared my physical body had gained new abilities. I decided to utilize my new abilities, and modify my fighting. The monsters now had their gazes fixed on me, the ponies watching, eyes wide, from a safe distance. I readied my Keyblade, and once again charged at the beats, this time leaping into the air, flipping over the monster, with my body now upside down. I pointed my blade at the second gator-lion, and cast a fire spell at the beast. As I landed, the monster roared in pain. At this point, the monster that I’d frozen to the ground had broken free, and was now on the offensive. The beast that I’d burned now looked more pissed than anything. I readied myself in a defensive stance, both hands held onto my Keyblade. I was prepared for the monsters to charge me. What I wasn’t prepared for was when one of the creatures opened its mouth, and shot a torrent of flame towards me. Surprised, I jumped backward, evading the fire by a few feet. The two other beasts moved forward, and shot their own flames at me. I raised my Keyblade above me, and cast a new spell. “Wind!” and like that, a mini tornado of wind enveloped my body, deflecting the fire. As soon as the fire stopped, I threw my Keyblade at one of the monsters. After landing its blow, it returned to me like a boomerang, which I caught. I then sprinted forward. At that point, a spell came to mind; one that I believed could finish this fight. As the Gator-lions prepared for my attack, I leaped over them, and cast a spell. “Gravity!” With that, a sphere of dark purple energy appeared. This spell crushed all three of the beasts at once, ending their reign of terror. The creatures died, and as their lives ended, they rolled over onto their backs, their skin drying up, fading into dust. I wondered why that was, but then again, I’d never seen an Equestrian creature die. Then again, these might not be Equestrian creatures. If the environment was anything to go on, these creatures were most likely created by Discord. As I stood up, and dematerialized my Keyblade, I heard gasps behind me. I looked over my shoulder, to see the group of ponies, standing behind me. “Did you see that?” “That thing just took out three of Discord’s monsters!” “I’ve never seen anypony fight like that!” I turned around and walked towards the group of ponies. They gasped and fear, and took a few steps back. I ceased my advance, and raised my hands to show I meant no harm. “Easy now…I’m not going to hurt you,” I said. “It talked!” said one of the ponies in surprise. I slowly walked forward, and took a knee a few feet away from the ponies. The ponies seemed apprehensive, but did not flee. “What’s going on here? What can you tell me?” “It’s Discord, Lord of Chaos!” said one of the ponies. “He’s been tormenting us with his insanity for years, creating terrifying creatures, messing with the environment, basically making Equestria unlivable!” said the next one. So that’s what was going on. This was the past, at least a thousand years before the events of the show. But how can I be in Equestria’s past? And why? “But it’s okay! The two ponies, the big ones with both horns and wings have come! They’re going to defeat him!” said another pony. “The Alicorns? Celestia and Luna?” I asked. “You know them?” questioned the first one. “I know of them. Can you tell me where they are?” I replied. “They’re straight that way,” said the second pony, pointing in the direction of the town past the castle. “Thanks,” I said as I stood back up. I leaped over the ponies, and ran as fast as I could towards where the royal sisters should be. With my new body, I was able to achieve speeds I normally wouldn’t have thought possible. With a matter of minutes, I was able to see Discord sitting atop his throne, with the two sisters approaching him. I stopped my run, and hid behind a tree, observing from afar. “Playtime’s over for you Discord!” said Celestia with venom in her voice. “Oh, I doubt that,” replied Discord with confidence as he munched on those black seeds as if they were popcorn. After orgasming from their taste, Discord offered them some, to which he only received hateful glares. “Suit yourselves,” said Discord, who continued to munch down on them. I watched as Celestia and Luna then illuminated their horns, levitating the original jewels of the Elements of Harmony out of their saddlebags, causing them to hover in front of them. “Ooh, what have you got there?” questioned Discord. “The Elements of Harmony,” replied Celestia. As she said that, the elements began to whirl around the two, creating a sphere of purple energy. “And with them, we shall defeat you!” said Luna with determination. But, instead of falling over laughing, Discord merely smirked. In an instant, the charging of the elements ended, causing a beam of harmonic energy to shoot towards the draconequus, resulting in a clash of white light, illuminating the area, bright enough to cause me to need to cover my eyes. As the light faded, I saw the elements return to Celestia and Luna’s saddlebags. The two sighed in relief, and then breathed heavily, clearly tired from the effort. “It’s over,” said Luna, as she sat down. “Something’s not right here,” I muttered under my breath. What came next confirmed my belief. “Ha ha ha ah! Oh, nice try girls, but not quite enough to beat me,” said the echoed voice of Discords voice. The two ponies gasped in surprise, as Discord materialized back on top of his throne. “But how?” questioned Celestia. “Oh, it was quite a nice attack ladies, and surely would have worked…if I was blind and deaf!” He then snapped his fingers, disappearing and reappearing in front of the two. “But for anypony who can teleport, you’ll find that such an attack is ineffectual,” said Discord as he put his hands behind his back and turned, walking away from the two. “I didn’t think you two posed any threat to me, but now it is clear that you DO in fact have a way to defeat me. Which is why, I will have to destroy you.” He turned around, and snapped his claw, causing six spears to appear in the air, aimed strait at the two, who gasped in surprise. “I have to do something!” I said. It was clear that the elements were useless if Discord could just disappear and reappear at will. Those two needed a distraction. I materialized my Keyblade, and got out from my cover, and ran towards Discord. I aimed my Keyblade at Discord and cast freeze, causing a blast of ice to hit the unsuspecting Discord’s arm, covering it in Ice. “What in the world?” cried Discord. The three beings heads all turned towards me, as I ran. I knew that normal spells wouldn’t be enough to keep Discord down for long, so I stopped right next to the two Alicorns. “Get ready to use those Elements!” I yelled, as I raised my Keyblade. I knew I needed a lot of energy to keep this spell running long enough keep Discord contained for the two to use their Elements. “Who are you!” questioned Celestia. “Don’t worry about it, just get the elements ready!” I yelled, as I cast my spell. “Stopza!” I yelled. In an instant, Discord was trapped in a state of frozen time. It was the most difficult spell I’d ever used, tolling on my body. It was an effort that taxed my mind and body. “NOW, USE THEM NOW!” I yelled, as I struggled to keep the spell going. The two looked at each other, before nodding and using the elements once more. The gems levitated into the air, causing the same glowing sphere to appear around the Alicorns. Then, the elements blasted Discord, who was still frozen by the sphere. The moment the blast hit Discord; I released my spell, overcome with exhaustion. The Elements did their job, causing Discords entire body to solidify in stone. The stone started at his feet, and rose, causing him to scream in defeat as is body was turned to stone. The elements fell to the ground, as the two Alicorns sat down, in exhaustion. “It’s over,” said Celestia. “Who…who are you?” questioned Luna in my direction. I had planned on standing there triumphantly, using one hand to remove my hood, while saying; “Name’s Roxas…Got it Memorized?” But honestly, I was way to exhausted to say, or do anything. “I’m…I’m,” and that’s all I got out, because at that moment, I collapsed to the ground, falling unconscious yet again. The last thing I thought was; I gotta stop doing that.
V.As the glare of the sun shone through the window, onto my face, my eyes fluttered open, ending my dreamless sleep. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a blanket like canopy draped over the four pillars, one of those things you see over a bed. I could feel my body lying in something soft, really soft. I may just go to sleep willingly this time, it’s so comfortable. I lean my head back, and close my eyes. ‘Hm…I wonder how I got here,’ I thought. It took a little longer for me to realize the implications of that than I care to admit. As soon as realization hit me, I jolted upright, eyes wide open. I scanned the room I was in, and the first thing I saw was an open window letting in rays of sunlight. I looked down to see that I was lying in a very comfortable bed. I also saw a dresser lying against a wall, and a desk with a candle on it. ‘Where am I?’ I thought. I leaned my legs over the edge of the bed, and stood up. It was then that I noticed that though I was still wearing my pants, and socks, my boots, coat, and gloves were not on my body. I saw my boots lying in front of the dresser, while my coat and gloves were on the desk. I walked over to my boots, and grabbed them. I then returned to the bed, sat down, and then put them on. Once that was done, I went over to the desk, and picked up my coat. It had a little dirt on it, which I brushed off. I slid the coat back onto my body, and then I put on my gloves. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something. I turned my body and saw a mirror hanging on the wall. I walked in front of it, and looked at myself. God, I really have become Roxas. My hair, my eye color, even the pigment of my skin was one hundred percent accurate. My god, I even had those anime eyes. I used my fingers to spread my eyelids and behold, my eyes were bigger than they used to be. I let my eyelids go, and walked away from the mirror. ‘I guess I really am Roxas. But how did I get here?’ I started thinking about what had happened. Let’s see, I remembered fighting the Timber Wolves. After that, I had saved a group of…ponies. That’s right; somehow, I had been transported into the world of Equestria! And after I had saved the ponies from those monsters, and then…holy crap, I fought Discord! I, I had somehow aided the Alicorn sisters in defeating Discord…and then…. and then I passed out, that’s right. I think I am most likely in the Castle of the Royal Sisters. They must have brought me here. I remember now, we are in the past, when Celestia and Luna had first fought Discord. And if I remember correctly, they had tried to use the Elements of Harmony on Discord and it had failed. I wonder why that was. In the show, they used the Elements to successfully turn Discord to stone. Then why didn’t it work? Maybe it was my presence. I’m in the past; it could be the butterfly effect or something. I really hoped that this wouldn’t cause some horrible consequences. I think back again to the fact that I’m Roxas. And I remember just how…well, how little I’ve felt. I didn’t feel the amazing awe of being in a new world, or the crushing sadness at the possibility of never seeing my family again. If I was Roxas…did that mean I was a nobody? Did that mean I didn’t have a heart? I was roused from my thoughts by the sound of the door to my room opening. I turned my head to see a grey unicorn mare with a darker gray mane, wearing an old looking maids outfit enter the room with what looked like a food tray and cover in her magical grasp. When she saw me standing there, she gasped in surprise, nearly dropping the platter. Fortunately, she regained her composure, and kept the plate in her grasp. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t expect you to be up. “ “That’s alright,” I respond. The mare walks over to the chest lying in front of the bed, and sets the plate on it. “I brought you something to eat. Granted, nopony, not even the Princesses have ever seen anything like you before, so we just picked what we thought you might like.” The mare removed the cover revealing a bowl of oatmeal, a glass of water, and some fruit, such as watermelon, and an apple. “Thank you,” I said in gratitude. “So, am I correct to assume that this is the Castle of the Royal Sisters?” I asked. “Where else,” giggled the mare. “The princesses told me how you helped them stop that terrible Discord creature. For that you have my thanks, as well as everypony’s. The princesses brought you here after you passed out. Speaking of which, after you finish eating, they would like to see you.” “Oh, all right,” I replied. “Good. I have other duties to attend to, but when you are finished, just find a guard, and have them escort you to the throne room,” she said as she turned to leave the room. “Will do,” I said as she left. Once she shut the door I looked at the food she left. Quite honestly, I never liked oatmeal. My dad tried to get me to eat it once, but I had hated it. I picked up the spoon, deciding to try it, and dipped it in the food. Raising it to my mouth, I reluctantly put it in my mouth. I was surprised; it wasn’t as bad as I thought. It wasn’t great, but I could eat it. Once I finished eating, I opened the door to my room, and step into the hallway. As soon as I step out of my room, I see a guard standing on the opposite end of the wall. Was he here to guard me? The guard looked right at me, and then spoke. “Are you ready to see the princesses sir?” said the guard. ‘Sir Huh.’ I nod my head at the guard. “If you’d follow me, I shall take you to them.” The guard then turns, and walks down the hallway, with me following. As we make our way through the castle, several ponies look at me, with slightly wide eyes. I assume they knew I was here, the princesses probably told them, however with me being a completely new species, it probably still threw them a bit off guard. After a few minutes of walking, we came to a large set of double doors. The guard who was escorting me stopped and turned to address me. “The Princesses are waiting inside. I will go in first and let them know you’re here.” I nodded, and then the guard entered the room, closing the doors behind him. After a few seconds, he returned, holding the door open. “The Princesses will see you now.” I nod and enter the room. The room is beautiful, just like it was in the show. The floor is lined with a large light red carpet, with a darker circle, and within that were the symbols of the sun and moon. There were two archways leaning to other rooms at the far left and right ends of the room, with torches next to them. Celestia and Luna’s Gold and Blue thrones were seated upon raised platforms, with each with its own set of stairs leading to the floor. Beautiful banners laid behind each throne, each matching the color of their respective throne. And sitting on their respective thrones were the Alicorn Princesses themselves; Celestia and Luna. I made my way to the center of the carpet, stopping on the symbol of the sun and moon. I lowered my stance to one knee, and bowed my head, showing my respect. I could here the sound of the two giggling, before Celestia spoke up. “There is no need for that good sir. You may rise.” I did as they said and rose to my full height. Celestia and Luna looked to each other, nodding, before they stood up off their thrones, and made their way towards me, their ethereal manes billowing in the non-existent breeze. It is truly a wonder to behold, seeing their manes in real life. They were beautiful, luminous, and awe inspiring. Truly a sight to behold. The two stopped a few feet away from me, and did something I did not expect. They bowed…to ME! I looked at the two of them, mouth agape. “We are in your debt. Without you, we never would have been able to defeat Discord,” said Celestia. “You have our deepest thanks,” said Luna. I chuckled a little, rubbing the back of my head with my hand, a sheepish smile on my face. “He he…. no problem, I was happy to help,” I replied. The two rose from their bowing positions, showing me friendly smiles. “Tell us, what is your name?” questioned Celestia. I thought about that for a second. I could tell them my original name, but quite honestly, I wasn’t that person anymore. I mean, my body changed, my abilities changed, and I’m pretty sure something changed on the inside. I felt…I felt that the name Roxas was appropriate to call myself. After all, I had become him. So I answered. “My name is Roxas.” “Hello Roxas. My name is Celestia, Princess of the Sun. This is my sister Luna, Princess of the Moon.” Of course, I knew that already. But should I tell them that? I wouldn’t want them to think I was spying or something. “It is a pleasure to meet the two of you,” I replied. “Forgive us for being so blunt, but…what exactly are you?” questioned Luna. There were two possible answers to that. I’m human, but…I might also be a nobody. But I don’t feel I should tell them about being a nobody, at least not yet. Especially since I haven’t confirmed that yet. “I’m human,” I reply. “Human. I cannot say I’ve ever heard of that species before. Where are you from?” questioned Luna. “Well…I’m not from here. I’m from someplace far away.” “So there are more of you? Do they have the same abilities as you? Why, we would love to meet the rulers of your kind, perhaps we could form an alliance, or-“ stated Celestia before I cut her off. “I’m sorry, but…there aren’t any others like me. I’m all there is.” A look of shock appeared on both Princesses faces. “What happened to them?” asked Celestia. “Nothing, it’s just…I’m just the only one. That’s all there is to it.” Both sisters looked sorrowed at this revelation. “We are sorry,” said Luna. After a few moments, she spoke again. “But know this. You are always welcome in our kingdom. It’s the least we can do after you helped us defeat Discord. “By the way, how DID you do that? It looked like you froze him completely?” asked Celestia. “Well, I used my magic,” I replied. “You have magic? Questioned the two at the same time. “Um...yeah, I do.” “How does it work?” questioned Luna. “I recall seeing you holding some sort of object when you used your magic. Are the two related?” asked Celestia. ‘Man, they’re asking a lot of questions.’ “Oh, yes they are.” I took a few steps back, and held out my hand, willing my Keyblade to appear. In a white flash of light, the weapon was in my grasp. The Princesses eyes were wide as they stared at it. “Incredible! To be able to summon a weapon like that requires a very high level of magical ability!” said Luna. “I’m actually still learning about magic. But my Keyblade is actually the source of my magic.” “Really? May we see it?” asked Luna. I nodded my head, and held out my hand, and with her magical grasp, Luna took the Keyblade in her magic. She examined it for a few moments, before it glowed, and dissipated, reappearing in my grasp. Luna looked shocked with surprise. “Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot to mention. The Keyblade can only be wielded by the person it chooses.” “That is…that is ok,” said Luna, after she recovered from the minor shock. “You must have quite the noble heart to be chosen by this weapon,” said Celestia. I looked down, and to the side. “Yeah…I guess.” If the princesses picked up on my dejected tone, they did not show it. “Well Roxas, once again my sister and I would like to give you our thanks for aiding in the defeat of Discord. It was a lucky coincidence that you showed up when you did. Tell us, have you found a home here yet?” asked Celestia. “No, I haven’t.” “Well, my sister and I would like to offer you a place to stay, here in the castle,” said Luna. “That would be…wonderful, thank you your highnesses.” Not only was in Equestria, but I was actually going to be living in the castle, with the princesses. It sounded amazing, and yet, I still didn’t feel that sense of excitement, or disbelief. But I did my best to sound as appreciative as possible. “It’s the least we can do for our new Equestrian Knight,” said Celestia. “A knight? Me?” “If you would accept, we shall make you our champion, the first Equestrian Knight.” My eyes were slightly wider as I took in this offer. After a few moments to think, I answered. “I would be honored to be your knight,” I said as I put my right palm over my heart, bowing slightly with my eyes closed. “Excellent! We shall make it official tomorrow!” said Luna. This was great. Well, it wasn’t that great that I lost my family, but now I was living in a palace, as well as being an Equestrian Knight. But I did wonder why I had appeared so many years before cannon. Maybe I could help prevent the bad things of cannon from happening. The Changeling invasion, Tireks Return, Sombra, and Discord, maybe I could prevent them all. But then again, there’s no way I’d live that long…right? Author's Note I've been trying to update this, as well as other stories, but I'm finding that it's getting harder to update other stories. It's sort of writers blocky, it's hard to write those updates to the quality people are used to. It used to be so easy, I could do it in a day, but now it takes a bit longer. But this story, it's so easy, the words just come to me, for the most part anyways. Anyway, I'm glad it's doing so well, and that you guys are liking it. The one thing that really bugs me about Displaced stories (usually happens in crossovers) is when the main character just explains literally every detail about their life to another character, unprovoked. I tried my very best to give Roxas at least a bit of secrecy, and reluctance to give out all his secrets, but this information needed to get out somehow. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it!
VI.After the introduction, the two princesses decided to give me a tour of the castle. They explained to me that I would be allowed to explore outside the castle the next day, after they announced me to the public, as well as the knighting ceremony. So for now, they led me through the castle, showing me around. Our first stop brought us to the dining room. It was an elegantly beautiful room, consisting of a long dining table, with candles on the center. Above it hung a beautiful crystal candle chandelier. The wall was lined with stained glass windows, depicting images of importance, one of which I recognized as the founding of Equestria and the banishing of the windigoes. “This is the dining room. You are free to come here whenever you wish. The staff will provide you with any food you desire,” said Celestia. “Anything, huh?” I muttered under my breath, wondering if meat was at all an option. Another worry for another time. I turned and thanked the Princesses, who then lead me to the next destination. A few of the things that the two showed me were the armory, the bathrooms (which were just chamber pots) the studies, and library. It was quite an interesting tour. Finally, the Princesses brought me to the wing of the castle that I had first woken up in. “And this Roxas, is where my sister and I live,” said Luna. “This is my room,” she said, pointing to a door with a crescent moon engraved into the wood. She then pointed farther down the hall, a few doors down, where I saw another door, with the engraving of the sun. “And that is my sisters room.” I nodded my head to the two, who then showed me to another door. They opened the door, and led me inside, to reveal the room that I had woken up in. “And this is the room we’ve reserved for you, if you would like that is,” said Celestia. “Sure. Don’t really have anywhere else to go, do I?” I joked. I walked to the mirror and took another look at myself. I started wondering… the princesses are pretty powerful, right? Maybe they could send me home, undo whatever’s been done to me. Maybe…but what if it can’t be undone? Or, what if, whatever happened to me was meant to be? Did I have some sort of destiny here? I mean, you don’t just wind up in a new world with strange new powers by cosmic accident. I’m really not sure what to think. “Roxas, are you alright?” Celestia’s voice rouses me from my thoughts, and I turn my head to face her. “Yes, yeah sorry. I was just thinking,” I replied. “Any thing important?” questioned Luna. I hesitated for a moment, before replying. “No, no it’s nothing.” “Well, if you’re sure. Come, we would like to show you something,” said Celestia. My interest perked, I followed them out of the room. As they led me through the castle, I made sure to attempt to memorize the layout of the castle. It would probably come in use in the future. I followed them, until we came to a large door. Celestia opened it, and the three of us stepped into the outdoors. I instantly felt the fresh air blow against me, and I could smell the scent of the flowers in the air. It was nice, I hadn’t really gotten a chance to sample the weather until know. The two led me into a beautiful flower garden, until we came to what appeared to be a group of statues. Not as many statues as there were in Canterlot, in the show, more around five or six. But what drew my attention was him. The two sisters stopped in front of the statue, and looked up at him. I followed shortly after, stopping in between them. The three of us stood there, staring at the statue of Discord. “Here he is,” said Celestia. “Finally, the Spirit of Chaos can no longer cause problems for Equestria,” said Luna. “We couldn’t have done this without you,” complimented the lunar princess. “Yeah…without me….” “Something wrong?” asked Celestia. “Well its just…being trapped in stone is pretty severe. How long do you think he’ll be stuck like this?” “For as long as possible,” said Celestia, with a slightly aggravated tone. “Don’t you think that’s a little harsh? I mean does he really deserve ETERNAL punishment?” “Yes, Yes he does,” said Celestia, in an angry tone. I looked back to her, with my mouth slightly open. Celestia looked to the side, still looking mad, before she turned and made her way back towards the castle. “Was it something I said?” I asked Luna. “Discord…well, he has a long history with Equestria, most of it is very unpleasant. He has terrorized us for a long time, and has caused much suffering. Celestia harbors some ill feelings against him.” “I…I’m sorry…I just, well, I don’t feel that eternal punishment is ever justified, no matter how heinous the crime. Punishment is only punishment if the one being punished eventually gets a chance to apply what they’ve learned.” “I admire your forgiving nature. I know if I was in Discords place for thousands of years, I wouldn’t be able to handle it. Perhaps someday, we can see about offering Discord a chance at redemption. But for know, I must attend to my duties. You are free to explore the castle grounds, but we would request that you stay within this area, until we unveil you tomorrow.” “Thank you Luna.” “For what?” asked Luna. “For giving me a place to live, and making me a knight. It’s an honor…I promise I won’t let you down.” “Thank you for accepting, and helping us in our time of need. I’m sure, we will be good friends. If you need anything, anything at all, let us know.” “Will do,” I replied. Luna then turned around, and left, leaving me alone with the statue. As soon as she was out of earshot, I looked back up to Discords statue. I looked down to the right, before turning back to him. “Hey Discord. I know you can hear me. I know you can see me. Listen, I know you may not think very highly of me, what with helping imprison you in stone, but I want you to know that, I’m not happy about you being imprisoned in stone for hundreds of years. I don’t feel you deserve it. I mean, yeah, you terrorized a bunch of ponies, but all punishments should have their limits. I guess, what I’m trying to say is, I feel you deserve a second chance. You may not believe me know, but I now that someday, you’ll get a second chance. Someday, you’ll learn that causing chaos isn’t all there is to life.” I stood there in silence for a few moments, before speaking again. “That’s all I wanted to say. I’ll try to look in on you from time to time.” I turned and walked away from the statue, back towards the castle, leaving Discord behind, to consider my words. It was late at night, my first night in Equestria. I didn’t sleep though, I couldn’t. Too much was running through my mind. My heart felt nothing, but my mind recognized just how amazing this all was. I was in a world, I had thought to be entirely fictional, a bronies dream, and to top it all off, I had the powers of Roxas to boot. I had helped defeat Discord, and now I was going to be knighted. It was all like a dream, and yet, it felt so real. I tried to close my eyes, and relax, but I couldn’t. I opened my eyes, and sat up. It was know use, I just wasn’t tired. I decided to go for a walk, to clear my head. I got up, and stepped out of my room. I was about to head down the hall, when I heard something coming from down the hall. I stood still, holding my breath, listening to the sound. It sounded like…crying? I looked down the hall, and could hear that it was coming from…Celestia’s room. I slowly made my way towards the door, and when I made it to it. I saw the door was slightly open. I put my head near it, and could defiantly hear the sound of Celestia’s sobbing. I slowly and quietly opened the door, making my way in. I looked into the room, illuminated by a single candle on a drawer next to the bed. And on the bed, was Celestia. She was devoid of her usual regalia, which were lying on the drawer. Celestia, she was just lying there on her bed, crying. I slowly made my way into the room, but Celestia didn’t notice. So I made myself known. “Princess?” Startled, the Alicorn jolted her neck up, and looked towards me. “R-Roxas?” “I’m sorry, I heard you crying, so I came in to check on you. Are…are you alright?” She sniffed a few times before responding. “Yes, I’m fine.” “You don’t look fine,” I said, walking further into the room. “Why’d you ask then?” “Just something you do I guess,” I said, as I stood in front of her bed. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “I-it’s nothing…you wouldn’t understand.” “Maybe, maybe not. But I definitely won’t if you don’t let me try.” Celestia turned her head, and hid behind her mane. I slowly sat down on the bed next to her, and gently started to stroke her mane with my hand. Her mane felt smooth like milk, it was amazing, even with my gloved hand. Startled, she turned to face me. “You can tell me,” I said. She sniffed, and then spoke. “I-it was during today’s battle. It was the day Discord decided to strike against our capital. He unleashed his wave of chaotic monsters on us, and they started terrorizing the citizens. We sent out our guards to try to help them, while Luna and I took on Discord. The Captain of the Guard was a young unicorn, named S-solar Shield.” She took a minute to hold back the sobs, before regaining the strength to continue. “He was a close friend of mine. I knew him ever since he was a colt. He was such a good kid. He looked up to me you know. He’d come to the castle, and wander around the gardens. It was there that I met him. He-he wasn’t afraid to approach me. He saw me as a pony, one he looked up to, but he wasn’t off put by the fact I was a princess. We became good friends over the years. Then he joined the guard. He trained hard, harder then anypony I’d ever seen. It was on his graduation day that he told me he wanted to be a guard so he could keep me safe…he wanted to make me proud. And I was. He…he was a good stallion.” Celestia let more tears come, sobbing louder than before. I didn’t need to hear the rest of the story to know how it ended. “H-he didn’t make it…he was killed by one of discords stronger monsters.” It was then that Celestia started breaking down in sobs. She buried her head into my shoulder, letting the tears flow. I just sat there, stroking her mane for what felt like hours. When she regained some composure, I spoke to her. “I’m sorry…I didn’t know when I spoke earlier, that some ponies had gotten hurt.” “I-it’s not your fault. It’s just…I’m going to m-miss him! And, I know I’ll never see him again!” “Well you know…where I come from, a lot of…ponies believe that there is life after death. That those who lead a good life would find a place in paradise, where there every wish is granted.” “That is a comforting thought. But even if there is an afterlife, I know I will never see him in it. I’m an Alicorn. I’m immortal!” cried Celestia. “You might be right, but…. well, I’m sure he’s looking down, watching over you. And…and if I were him, I wouldn’t want to see you sad. I’d want to see you smile, and make new friends to bring you joy. I wouldn’t want to know you’d be mourning over me for eternity.” Celestia looked up, and into my eyes. She sniffed, and wiped away her tears. “T-thank you Roxas. I’m sorry I got mad at you when you spoke of forgiving Discord.” “It’s alright. I didn’t know what you’d been through.” She sniffed, and then gave me a sad smile. “You…you have a good heart Roxas,” she said. I offered a sad smile back to her, continuously stroking her mane. The two of us just sat there, embracing each other, until the two of us fell into a blissful slumber. But one thing kept resonating in my mind as I tried to sleep. “You Have a Good Heart.” As I drifted off into slumber, I wondered if that was true at all. Author's Note I couldn't use the enter button when I imported the story onto the sight, it kept deleting everything.
VII.The next morning, I gradually awoke in response to the sunlight that shone through the window. I gently opened my eyes, to find myself not in the room I had awoken in the previous morning, but room with white painted walls. I saw a painting of Celestia and Luna, as well as one showing a pair of alicorns I did not recognize. One appeared to be a stallion, while the other looked like a mare. I had a feeling these two were Celestia and Luna’s parents. There was a full bookshelf next to a desk with a candle on it. I looked down to see the bed I was in. The sheets were golden, with embroidered images of the sun. ‘Am I in Celestia’s bed?’ Just then, memories of the previous night came back to me. How Celestia had confided in me about her friend, and then how we had fallen asleep together. I felt my cheeks warm slightly; though I knew what happened was purely platonic. I quickly put it aside, and got myself out of bed. I got up, and made my way towards a mirror hanging on the wall. I saw that my hair was still styled the way it had been the day before, not messed up from sleep. I guessed that was due to my transformation. I made my way to the door, opening it, and stepping outside. I saw a guard on the opposite side of the hallway, standing at attention, as expected. As soon as he saw me standing there, he looked up to me and spoke. “Ah, sir Roxas, are you ready to be escorted to the dining hall?” ‘Sir Roxas, huh?’ I nodded my head, and the guard answered; “Alright then, follow me.” The guard turned, and started walking down the hallway, with me in tow. We made our way toward a set of medium sized double doors. The guard opened the one of the doors, allowing me entrance. I made my way past the guard, to find myself in an impressive looking dining hall. There was a long table, with a beautiful artistic cover. There were several decorative candles lining the table, as well as a crystal chandelier hanging above it. There were several chairs along the sides of the table. I counted eight of them. As I made my way into the room, the guard closed the door behind me. I walked over to the table and took a seat at the end of the table. After a few moments, a door on the adjacent wall to the one I entered through opened, to reveal a pony servant, who made her way towards me. As soon as she was within a few feet of me, she spoke. “Hello sir Roxas, what can I get for you to eat this morning?” “Um, I’m not sure. Just bring me anything I guess.” “Oh, um…all right then,” said the pony, before she turned and left me alone. Breakfast had consisted of a bowl of fruit, and a few doughy pastries, that somewhat resembled pancakes, though not as tasty. After that, I was led through the castle, past the doors to the throne room, eventually leading me to a brown oak door. “What’s this?” I asked. “This is Princess Celestia’s office. She requested to see you before the ceremony,” replied the guard. ‘Ceremony?’ I thought. Then I remembered, I was going to be knighted. I looked to the guard, and nodded. I then opened the door, and stepped inside, to see Celestia sitting behind a fancy looking desk. She looked up from what she was writing, to look me in the eye. “Ah, good morning Roxas,” she said as I stepped in, closing the door behind me. “How did you sleep?” “Oh, it was fine,” I said rubbing the back of my head, a little embarrassed. “Um, how about you?” “Very pleasant. When I awoke, I felt very refreshed, physically and emotionally…thank you for your support last night.” “It was no problem,” I said. Celestia gave me a warm smile, and then gestured to the seat in front of the desk. “Please have a seat,” she said. “Sure,” I said as I sat down. “So, why did you want to see me?” “Well, as I’m sure you know, you’re going to be knighted today, for your aid in stopping Discord.” “Oh yeah. It’s, it really is an honor!” “I’m glad. I just had a few things I wished to discuss with you, procedures and things of that nature.” “Oh, alright.” “As I’m sure you are aware, most ponies present at the ceremony will be a bit…surprised, to see one such as your self. That is why we wish for you to stay hidden, until we’ve introduced you.” “Ok. Where should I hide?” “Well, We will have you wait in your room until the throne room is full. Then, we’ll have you wait on the other side of the doors until we’ve introduced you, and that is when you will enter.” “Sounds good to me,” I said. “Very good. We will begin setting things up immediately.” “Alright, I’ll head back to my room. See you soon,” I said as I stood up from the chair. “See you soon.” And with that, I left for my room. The throne room was lined with ponies, some dressed in fancy clothes, while others were not. There was no exclusion in this ceremony. The ponies were grouped on the outer sides of the throne room, while two lines of armored guards were stationed in between the two groups, leaving a open space for me to walk up to the throne. Celestia and Luna stood in front of the steps to their thrones, dressed in their regalia. Trumpets sounded, and all attention turned to the princesses. And then Celestia spoke. “My little ponies, today is a day for celebration. Yesterday, after a long and painful struggle, the Spirit of Chaos was defeated!” The ponies gathered in the crowds all cheered and stomped their hooves. After a few moments, Luna held up her hoof, silencing the crowd so she could speak. “Peace and harmony have now returned to Equestria. But while it is true that my sister and I delivered the final blow, we would not have been able to without the help of a special somebody.” Celestia then took over the conversation. “It was thanks to this hero that we were able to defeat Discord. And it is because of his heroism, that we have decided to knight this hero.” “But, we must warn you, he is not a pony. Nor is he any creature the likes of which any of us have ever seen. He is what is known as a human.” Murmurs could be heard as the ponies discussed this new information amongst themselves. “And now, we would like to introduce you to the newest knight of Equestria! Sir Roxas!” That was my cue. I pushed the doors opened, and strode in. I kept my hood down. Didn’t want to look like an imposing reaper or anything. The pony’s heads all turned to look at me. I looked straight forward, at the princesses, though in my peripherals I could see looks of shock and awe. I was clearly the most interesting thing these ponies had seen all day. All eyes were on me as I made my way towards the princesses. Once I was a few feet away, I kneeled before them and bowed my head. “Roxas,” began Celestia as she withdrew a ceremonial sword with her magic. “For exemplifying heroics of the highest order, and aiding in the defeat of one of Equestria’s greatest threats, we as princesses of Equestria wish to bestow upon you our greatest honor.” Celestia lowered the blade onto my left shoulder, and then my right while speaking. “We hereby name you Sir Roxas, knight of Equestria. After she lifted the blade up, she motioned for me to stand. Celestia sheathed the blade, and handed it to me, which I took in both hands. I then turned to face the ponies that had gathered. I looked into the ponies eyes, not sure of how they would react. I became nervous, worried that they would not accept me. That was, until one pony started clapping. Then a few more started, then more and more, until the whole room was filled with applause. A smile came to my face, as the ponies cheered for me. That was how my life in Equestria began. Author's Note Hey everybody, sorry this took so long. I started college again, and my coursework is getting pretty heavy. In addition, I have a few videos for youtube I am working on, and I'm trying to find time for that. That being said, I have a I am wondering what you think about this; I was thinking about getting a twitter, which you might be interested in. I would post info on what stories I would be posting, or let people know if there are any delays or something like that. Anyway is that something you'd be interested in, or not?
VIII.After I was knighted, it finally let the reality of the situation sink in. My old life, on earth, it was gone. I was Roxas, knight and defender of Equestria. So that is who I set out to be. I was given a permanent room in the castle, filled with all the amenities. I spent some time exploring the castle, the towns and cities, but a lot of my time was spent training. Though my current track record contradicted it, I had never really been a fighter. Turning into Roxas had given me a new found natural ability, but I would need more than that if I were going to help protect Equestria. In all likeliness, my aid in the defeat of Discord was probably luck and adrenaline. So, I decided to train my body, as well as my magical abilities. I got to use the royal guard’s training grounds; only I got my own little section to work in. There, I practiced the spells that I could remember from the games, building my endurance. I had plenty of dummies to practice my Keyblade strikes on, and I had guards to spar with. My abilities grew with my body, and in time, I was able to perform complicated strikes and combos, just like in the games. One thing I did find odd was that I only had the one blade to work with. I recall distinctly from the game that Roxas had the ability to wield two, Oblivion, and Oathkeeper. And I had bought both from that scummy merchant, and yet, I just had the one. I had tried summoning the other two, but I could never do it. Maybe I needed to reach a certain level in order to wield them? I did not know. Months passed, and my friendship with the royal sisters grew. We spent our free time with each other, and as time went on, we grew more accustomed and relaxed with each other’s presence. When I wasn’t in the castle, or training, I was traveling the still small kingdom of Equestria. I helped the guards stave off monsters, and catch a few criminals every now and then. The ponies of Equestria grew to know me, and accept me. I wasn’t just a soldier, or an intimidating hood; I was a friend, and a fellow citizen. Gradually, months turned to years, and that’s when things got odd. As the years passed, I noticed that I didn’t really change. I mean, it does take humans a few years to change enough physically to notice, but around the five to seven year mark, the sisters and I noticed, that I still had this boyish look to my face, and I still had an adolescents voice. When the 15-year mark reared its head, and I still had not aged a day, the princess decided to test a theory that they had been developing. They took a sample of my blood, and tissue and performed a test on it. The basic nature of the test was simple. They used a controlled time experiment, to age the blood and tissue, by years, decades, and then centuries. The results were…conclusive. Though the cells did die, and regrow, they did not slow down as time went on. The cells in my body were perpetually dying and growing, like normal beings, only they did not slow and wrinkle with age. Essentially…I was immortal. Or, at the very least ageless. I remember when the two sisters told me the news. They took me out to the gardens, and we sat next under the shade of an apple tree. The two presented the news as if it were grim, and upsetting. I guess if anyone, or pony, knew the fallbacks of immortality, it was them. I think they were expecting some big reaction, for me to break down in tears at the news that everyone I ever knew was gone, and I would never see them again, not even in death. But when they told me…well, maybe I was expecting it. I don’t know, it’s hard to remember what I was thinking all those years ago. The news did affect me; it weighed heavily on my thoughts. But the kick, it just wasn’t there. The princesses looked to me, as if they told me I had terminal cancer. And I remember, I looked down at the ground, at the grass beneath me, and sighed. Then I looked back up to them, dry eyes and said; “Well…that explains a lot I guess.” The princesses seemed to be a bit unnerved by my lack of reaction, but I quickly changed the subject. “Hey…I guess this means you don’t have to worry about me dying on you, right? We get to spend a lot more time together!” That seemed to lighten the mood. Honesty, I’m not sure why I was now immortal. Maybe nobodies didn’t age, or maybe it was the magic of this world, I’m not sure. But I wasn’t going to let it drag me down. I had a good life here, and now it seemed, that that happiness was going to last a lot longer. Things were good for the sisters and I. Our friendship grew stronger, as did my abilities. But everything changed the day that we were attacked…. I was training in the courtyard, with a group of new recruits. I wasn’t technically a member of the guard, but I did work with them, and sometimes I helped train the scrubs. My magic and abilities were now greater than I could have ever imagined, but I held back for these guys. No use in breaking a soldier before they get the chance to fight for real. “Nice job!” I commented as one of the recruits jabbed at me with his spear, faster then I was expecting. Of course, I was still faster. I quickly dodged, and swung my Keyblade toward him, which he blocked with his recovered weapon. I did a back flip in the air, and launched a very, very low-grade ice spell at him. The guard used his spear to block it, which froze the tip of the spear. I landed on the ground, and dashed forward, bringing my blade down from above. He used his spear to block, and then swung it on my feet. I jumped over him, and upon landing, I quickly swung my Keyblade at his head. His reaction was not quick enough, but lucky for him, I stopped it just as it was about to reach his head. “Bang, you’re dead.” The guard stood there, and after a few moments, he lowered his head and let out a chuckle. He spoke through heavy breaths. “Damn…still no where close to beating you,” he said as he turned around to look at me. “Don’t feel bad,” I said as I sent my Keyblade away. “I’ve been doing this for nearly a century.” “Yeah, I guess so.” “You did good today. “ I then looked to the other’s who were gathered around us. “You all did good. You showed great perseverance! I especially liked how you-“ but before I could finish that sentence, a loud, booming echo reverberated through the air, and ground. It shook the very soil we stood on. The guards started to panic, and I drew my weapon, prepared to handle the situation. But nothing revealed itself. I looked around, but could see nothing. That was, until I spotted smoke coming from the city. “An explosion?” I said under my breath. The guards started to freak out, asking what we should do, but I quickly got their attention. “Guards, at attention!” I called out. The guards froze for a brief second, before lining up, side by side. I returned my Keyblade to wherever it went when I wasn’t using it, and turned to face the recruits. “All right recruits, listen up. I want you to go get the other guards from the barracks, and let them know we’ve got a situation in town.” The guards saluted, and turned to leave, but I stopped one of them. “Not you. I want you to go tell the princesses that there was an explosion in town, and that I’m going to go see what happened.” “Sir yes sir!” replied the soldier. I gave him a nod, and he was off. With him making his way towards Celestia and Luna, I turned towards the direction the explosion took place in, and started sprinting towards its direction. The wind blew past me, as I ran towards town. When I made it to the cities limits, I was a group of ponies, running towards me in a panic. Thinking quick, I leapt over them, and onto the roof of a nearby building. From there, I parkoured my way towards whatever was going on. I leapt from rooftop to rooftop, and when I reached the site, another explosion happened, sending a nearby building up in flames. “Two explosions…that doesn’t happen naturally. Which means, we’re under attack!” I quickly dove behind cover, and got a look at the center square of the spot I was at. I only caught a brief glimpse of the attackers, but I knew one of them in an instant. “Damn!” I cursed under my breath. After a moment, I looked back. “I guess I should have seen this coming!” Right in the town square, were two large, imposing figures. One I recognized instantly. Half horse, and half Minotaur, large black chest, enormous red arms, silver hair and beard, and two curved horns. It was Tirek. The other creature was big as well, though he looked nothing like Tirek. He had brown fur, and a darker lions mane, but overall he looked like a winged baboon. His face was longer though, somewhat like a wolf. I assumed this was Tirek’s brother, Scorpan. I could see that golden medallion around his neck. The ponies were still running in panic, trying to get away from the two titans. I didn’t know much about Scorpan, but Tirek I knew, could steal magic. That would be problematic for me. I needed to think. Just then, another explosion happened, this time a building a bit farther off in the distance. “Ponies are getting hurt…alright, time to wing it!” I was strong, but I honestly had no idea how my power compared to theirs. Hopefully, Celestia and Luna would arrive soon, and help me with this. If I remember correctly, it was through Scorpan that Tirek was defeated. That meant, I needed to somehow turn him to our side. That was going to be difficult. Maybe I just needed to beat them both down. Things were different now. In the show, they didn’t have me. So maybe, things would be different. I didn’t want them to both be stuck in a prison for all eternity…but I couldn’t let them hurt any more ponies. Just then, I heard the voice of a mare starting to scream. I got a quick look, and saw Tirek holding an earth pony mare in his hand. He was going to steal her magic! I had to act now! I pulled the hood over my head, and made my way to the edge of the roof I was on. The two didn’t seem to notice me. But that was about to change. “DROP HER!” Through my time with the two sisters, I learned a few new tricks. One such trick was the royal Canterlot voice. They had taught it to me, and for some reason, I was able to learn it. The two villains turned their attention to my direction, and their eyes settled on me. “Who dares to order me?” questioned the centaur. I leapt from the top of the roof, and landed on the ground. I walked towards the two, and stopped a good ten meters from them. “Put her down Tirek!” In surprise, he did just that. Well, more like dropped her, but I used my time slowing ability, to make sure she had a safe landing. She then sprinted with all her speed away from the two, thanking me as she passed. The town was deserted. It was just us. “Who, and what are you, and how do you know my name?” “I know a lot about you, Tirek the magic stealer. I know you and your brother have come here for an easy conquest, but I can assure you, you won’t find one here.” “He he…you think YOU can stop US?” “It’s my job. I am Sir Roxas, Knight of Equestria. If you stop what you are doing now, I will try to see that you are shown leniency.” “You don’t intimidate us,” said Tirek. “We will drain this land of magic, and all of these pathetic ponies will obey our rule!” “Do you both feel this way?” I said turning to face Scorpan. He had a look of hesitance on his face; maybe even guilt, but his brother ignored it. “Of course we do! We will lay this land to waste, and you will not be able to stop us!” I looked to the two. Tirek was oozing with confidence, his brother, not so much. Maybe I WOULD be able to turn him. Only time will tell. “So be it,” I said materializing my Keyblade. The three of us got into battle stances, Scorpans slightly slower than his brother. Then the three of us dashed forward. The fight had just begun. Author's Note For those of you who are wondering what took so long...hey look over there! (runs away)
IX. IX. Two hours into the day court, and Celestia was already at just about her limit. She sat on her throne, bored out of her mind as she listened to one of the cities nobles drone on about how the taxes on his business were too high. He was requesting that they be lowered, claiming that it would allow him to pay his employees better, but she knew that he would pocket most of the bits saved. It was times like this that she seriously considered changing the definition of the word; “Noble”. This wasn’t new of course, but it was still basically the worst part of her job. “And so, this tax alleviation will allow an increase in profits, which will allow a raise in my employees salary of about .05 percent, which I’m sure we can all agree will have a very positive effect on the community as well as my company.” Celestia looked at the noble, processing his claim. She looked to the side, then back to the noble. “Well, Bit Pincher, that certainly was a well thought out proposal, and you definitely presented a decent argument.” The pony closed his eyes and raised his eyes with pride at the Princesses supposed praise. “But, I feel that cutting the taxes for your business by 65% would allow you to raise your employees pay by more than just .05 percent. It seems to me that that would leave a large amount of excess bits that would not be paid to the nations taxes nor would they be put towards your employee’s salary. I don’t suppose you’d have any idea where those bits would go to, do you?” “W-well, that money would go towards improving the company, as well as providing necessities for the higher ups in the company,” replied the stallion, getting a little nervous. “I see…” said Celestia with her eyebrow raised. She saw the stallion noble start to shift his balance between his hooves, and looking increasingly nervous. “I’m sorry Bit Pincher, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to deny this request.” “But, did I forget to mention that-“ Celestia raised a hoof to silence the stallion, followed by a brief headshake. The noble got the message, and with his gaze focused on the floor, he turned to leave. Celestia sighed and shook her head. After a moment, she looked to the guard stationed at the foot of her throne. “Alright, send the next one i-“ but she was interrupted by a loud booming sound, that rattled the very floor. Alarmed, Celestia jolted out of her throne, looking towards the direction that the sound came from. She galloped to the nearest window, and looked out to see the town in the distance, with smoke rising from one of the buildings. “An explosion?” questioned the Alicorn. She then noticed a small black dot zooming towards the town. When she squinted her eyes she could make it out to be her human friend. “Roxas….” Just then, she heard the clopping of hooves on the stone floor. She turned to see a lone guard running at full speed. He made a sudden stop once he was inside the throne room, before stopping to catch his breath. After taking a few seconds, he took in a deep breath, and spoke to the Princess. “Princess Celestia! There was an explosion in town. Sir Roxas has ordered guards to be dispatched, and has gone to investigate.” Celestia nodded in response. “Alright, I’m going to make my way to town, and figure out what’s going on. Somepony tell my sister to meet me there.” “Yes your highness,” replied one of the guards. Celestia nodded her head, and then teleported outside the castle. She then took flight; heading towards the town, praying that nopony had gotten hurt. As soon as the battle started, Scorpan took to the sky with his wings, while Tirek used his magic to blast a large energy sphere towards me. I reared back my Keyblade, and spun like a tornado, sending the blast back towards Tirek. He gasped in surprise, before crossing his arms in front of his body to defend from the counter. I glanced at Scorpan to keep myself ready for when he made his move and…he has a house…. in his hands. Not a full house, but he definitely had a chunk of a house in his arms. He raised the structure over his head and chucked it strait at me. Thinking quickly, I leaped in the air towards the oncoming projectile. I flipped my body, putting my feet above me, and as soon as they made contact with the side of the house, and pushed with my legs, sending it strait back at Scorpan. His eyes widened, and he put his hands in front of him to block. The house hit him, sending him backwards, but he was able to push the projectile off him before it pushed him down and crushed him. The sound of Tirek yelling brought my attention back towards the Centaur. He was charging at me, with his shoulder reared to slam into me like a battering ram. As soon as he was in range, I cast my wind spell, which nocked him off balance. I then leaped up, and uppercut his face with my Keyblade. I then followed in quick succession with a series of strikes to the face. Tirek took a swing at me with his fists. I blocked the first, but the second sent me flying into one of the buildings behind me. I crashed through the wall, landing inside one of the rooms. I rolled along the floor, before a bed stopped me. With a hand holding my head, I hoisted myself up, and saw that through the hole I had made, Tirek and Scorpan had regrouped. Tirek looked like he was enjoying himself. I guess he was a battle junkie. As for Scorpan, he looked…uncomfortable. I had a feeling he didn’t really want to here. I’d even go as far as to surmise that Tirek was practically forcing him to help him with his plans. It’s been years since I’d seen the show, but I still remember that Scorpan turned against Tirek, and helped in his defeat, at least I think that’s what happened. Maybe he was the key to stopping Tirek. “Come out of there you puny little runt! I’m not done killing you yet!” ‘So, he wants a fight, huh? Alright.’ I had a move prepared that I had been developing, but hadn’t gotten a chance to use yet. But now…heh…well, let’s give it a go! I reared back my Keyblade, and charged my magical energy. I focused it around my body, and tensed my legs. Then, in a quick motion, I shot forward, with the tip of my Keyblade in front of me. I charged strait at Tirek, using my magic to propel me, strait into his gut. My attack knocked the wind strait out of the Centaur’s lungs, as well as knocking him backwards. He fell backwards, landing on the ground with a thud. I landed on the ground. I then looked towards Scorpan, and raised my weapon in his direction. His eyes widened and he took a step back. Instead of attacking him, I lowered my blade, and then used my free hand to take the hood off of my head. I looked into his eyes, and tried to show some compassion. “You don’t seem to like this as much as him. It doesn’t have to be like this, you know.” “It doesn’t?” he asked unsure. “No, it doesn’t. If you two leave now, and promise not to ever attack Equestria again, I’ll let you go.” “That’s not possible, Tirek’s mind is set on conquering this land! There’s no way he would listen to me!” “Then help me stop him!” I pleaded. “I-I couldn’t do that! Tirek would kill me if I went against him! Besides, he’s my brother…I, I have to stand with him.” I looked down to the side. He was loyal and afraid of his brother, which meant it wouldn’t be easy to get him to switch sides. But it was possible. I just needed some time to talk to him. Unfortunately, my time ran out, when I felt my entire body being compressed. I shut my eyes and grit my teeth as I was lifted into the air. I opened my eyes to see that Tirek was gripping me in his hands, and squeezing me like a vice. “You’re quite the agile opponent. But strength surpasses all other factors!” He then reared back, and threw me strait into the sky. The wind whipped past me, as I tried to orient myself, unfortunately, I was going too fast. I bent my neck and saw that I was fast approaching the ground. I crossed my arms, and braced for the fall. Only, it didn’t hit. The wind stopped whipping in an instant. I saw that I was floating in the air. I looked around, confused as to what had happened, when I saw a familiar face. “Celestia!” The Alicorn Princess was hovering in the air, with me in her magical grasp. “It seems I arrived at just the right time Roxas.” “Yeah, you could say that,” I replied. Celestia slowly and gently set me down on the ground, and as soon as my feet touched the ground, she released her magic. “Are you alright Roxas? You aren’t injured are you?” she asked with concern. “No, I’m alright. Glad you’re here though. Where’s Luna?” “I told a guards pony to fetch her. She should be here soon.” As soon as she said that, there was a bright flash, as Luna teleported right next to us. “I’m here!” said the Lunar Princess. She looked to her sister, and then me, before greeting us. “Ah, Celestia, Roxas, good, you’re here. What the situation?” “We’re being attacked,” I said with a serious tone of voice. “Well, then, let’s go kick some flank!” asserted Luna, and the two sisters started to move forward. I held out my arms to stop them. “Wait, I need to tell you who we’re fighting first!” “Oh, yes of course. What have you found out Roxas” questioned Celestia. “There’s two of them, brothers. The big red one is called Tirek. He’s strong, and he can steal magic.” “What?!” cried the two sisters at once. “Yeah, he can steal magic. If he opens his mouth really wide, get away, or he’ll suck out your magic. The other is his brother. He…I don’t think he’s like his brother. He seems to be helping him out of either loyalty, or fear, but I don’t think he actually wants to be doing this. I think if we can convince him to change sides, it could make this a lot easier.” “Thank you Roxas. We will take this into account. But for now, we must protect our ponies, from both of the aggressors,” said Celestia. “I understand,” I replied. Just then, another explosion occurred behind us. We all looked to see another building going up in flames and smoke. Tirek was laughing like a maniac, enjoying the destruction. “Tirek’s the key. We beat him, and we’ll end this quickly,” I said with a determined look on my face. The three of us faced the direction of the town. The sisters took to the sky, while I sprinted, and the three of us made our way towards the town. Celestia and Luna landed atop another building, while I afterimage jumped and appeared between them. Tirek and Scorpan turned to face us. Scorpan looked nervous with the addition of two new fighters, while Tirek had a scowl on his face. “So…you’ve brought help. It appears we’re too much for you, eh?” Celestia then stepped forward, and addressed the two. “I am Princess Celestia, Ruler of the Sun, and this is my sister Princess Luna of the Night. We are the leaders of Equestria. We demand that you stop this at once! You’re hurting innocent lives! If you stop now, we will show you leniency. If you continue, we will have no choice but to bring you down!” Tirek chuckled in response. “Perhaps we should listen to them brother,” said Scorpan. “Nonsense! Look at these three! They’re all that stands between us and total control! And once I steal these three’s magic, I will be unstoppable!” “Very well then. Prepare yourself Tirek!” yelled Luna. The two flapped their wings, and took to the sky. I afterimage jumped, and appeared behind Tirek, hitting his head with my Keyblade. He turned around, and tried to swat me like a fly. It was then that Celestia shot a blast of magic at him. I leaped away from him, just as the blast collided with him, pushing him back. Luna flew close to him, using her magic like a ray gun, hitting Tirek, who used his hand to try to block it. He then turned to his brother and yelled at him. “Don’t just stand there! Help me!” Scorpan nodded, and dashed towards Luna. I afterimage jumped, and came down on him with my feet from above, knocking him down. He hit the ground and tore up the dirt. I landed in front of him. “You don’t have to do this! This senseless violence is pointless!” “I’m sorry,” he said as he hoisted himself up, and swung at me with his arm. This rocketed me backward, causing me to slam into a fountain, crumbling the rock, causing me to tumble on the floor. “Roxas!” cried Celestia. “I’m Ok!” I replied, getting back to my feet. Celestia nodded, and turned her attention to Scorpan. She reared back her head, and used her magic to send a blast of magical energy towards Scorpan. He used his wings, and rocketed backward into the air, dodging the attack. He then dashed forward, towards Celestia. She teleported above him, and bucked downward, slamming him into the ground. Meanwhile, Luna was using her magic against Tirek, but he was now able to block it with his hand. He then let out a mighty yell as he charged a large last of energy, and sent it towards Luna. If it didn’t hit her, it was going to hit something, and that would mean a lot of destruction. I appeared in front of Luna, and cast a fire bolt towards the blast. The two shots hit each other, causing an explosion of heat and light. No buildings were hit, but Luna and I were propelled backwards. I tumbled along a roof, while Luna slammed right into a chimney. The two of us took our time getting back to our feet, groaning along the way. “We need…to finish this,” I said between breaths. “Agreed,” replied Luna. “I’ll distract Tirek, while you two hit him with everything you’ve got!” “Right,” said Luna with a nod, and then she took to the sky, making her way towards Celestia. The solar princess was still fighting Scorpan, while Tirek was making his way towards the two, with the intent of taking Celestia by surprise. “Hey Tirek!” I yelled, as I threw my Keyblade directly at him. He turned his head to face me, and at that moment, my weapon collided with his face. His head jolted back, and the Keyblade returned to me. I then began running the opposite direction that the Princesses where in, while firing fireballs at him. They didn’t hurt him much, but they got his attention. “You annoying little insect! I’ll crush you!” Tirek then started galloping in my direction. He swung his fist down on the roof I was on, and I dodge rolled forward, evading his hit. He then swung his hand towards me, which I back flipped over. I then dashed forward, and swung my blade at his face, over and over. Enraged, he clenched his fists, and let out a scream. At the same time, he sent out some kind of magic pulse, which blew me backwards. I flew through the air once again, but this time, I was able to recover, and land on a rooftop. “Do you really think you can beat me?” questioned the Centaur. “Definitely,” I replied. “Ha! Though I must admit, your skills are quite impressive. And, I have never seen such magic that you wield before. That weapon…it’s powerful isn’t it. He he…once I drain your magic, I will wield it for myself!” “I wouldn’t count on that,” I replied. “Oh? And why is that?” “You weren’t chosen. That’s how this weapon works. It’s a weapon of light, not darkness. You could never wield it.” “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” “Hey Tirek!” “What?” “Look behind you!” “Please, as if I would ever-“ “Tirek!” As soon as he heard his brother call his name, Tirek turned his head to see a massive magical blast heading towards him. Celestia and Luna had grouped up, and had combined their magical energies to send an extremely powerful blast towards him. Unable to react in time, he crossed his arms in front of him, and prepared to take it all head on. But, just as the blast was about to hit him, Scorpan leaped towards Tirek, and shoved him out of the way. The blast collided with Scorpan, creating an explosion of light and energy. This knocked the brother backwards, tumbling in the air, until he slammed into the ground. Tirek recovered, and looked at the sisters. “You missed!” His moment of triumph was interrupted however, by the groans of pain coming from his brother. “T-Tirek! Help!” Alarmed, Tirek turned to face the direction that his brother was now laying. Part of his fur was singed off, and there was smoke coming from his body. “Scorpan!” actually concerned, Tirek raced to his brother, and kneeled next to him. He started checking his brother for injuries. After several moments, he stood up, and faced the sisters and I. He then lifted his brother’s arm over his shoulder, and helped him to his feet. The sisters landed in front of him, and I jumped and landed between them. “Give up, you can’t win! If you surrender now, we will see to it that your brother receives immediate medical attention,” said Celestia. Tirek merely squinted his eyes, and growled. “This isn’t over,” he said through grit teeth. He then lit his horn, preparing a spell. Acting quickly, I dashed forward, in an attempt to stop him, but unfortunately, I wasn’t quick enough. There was a bright flash and I used my arm to shield my eyes from the light. When it subsided, both Tirek and Scorpan where gone. “Damn it!” cried Luna as the two galloped forward. “They teleported away!” said Celestia. I let out a sigh, and ran my hand through my hair, dematerializing my Keyblade. “We need to find them, and finish them off!” said Luna, as she started moving forward. “Wait!” I said as I put a hand to her wither. Both Princesses turned to look at me. “What we need to do right now is make sure the citizens are ok, assess the damage and stuff like that. I’ll go looking for them myself.” “It’s too dangerous Roxas, it took the three of us to beat Tirek alone,” said Celestia with concern. “Don’t worry about me, I can handle myself.” “I have to agree with Celestia on this one Roxas, we should hunt them down, and bring them to justice while they’re weak.” “I know, but right now the two of you have to assure you’re people that everything is ok, and make sure they’re protected, and safe in the event of another attack. I’ll search for them, and let you know when I find them.” The two looked unsurely at each other for a few seconds, before turning back to face me. “Alright Roxas, you scout ahead, and see where they went. In the meantime, Luna and I will help get things fixed up, and prepared for another attack.” “Thank you. And don’t worry, I know this will all turn out alright.” We gave each other a compassionate smile, before I turned, and started running towards the Everfree forest. What I didn’t tell Celestia and Luna however was that I actually wanted to get a chance to talk to Scorpan, one on one. I sensed good in him, and I knew he could be turned to our side, with a little work. I just needed to find him. But that wasn’t all. I also sensed some good in Tirek, however little it might be. He seemed genuinely concerned for his brother. Maybe if I could turn Scorpan, together, we could convince Tirek to stop his rampage as well. It was a hope, but I had no idea if it would work. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” Author's Note Geez, 9 chapters in and he still isn't done with the prologue? This author sucks! Sorry this took so long. I finished with my college term a few weeks ago, and was going to update a story or two, but my computer crashed, and I had to get it fixed. Stood a chance of loosing all my data, but thankfully that didn't happen. So here you go, another chapter. God this story is going to take forever to finish isn't it?
X.I leapt through the trees, my black coat doing well to help me remain unseen, as I traveled through the darkened forest. I was making my way deep into the Everfree, where I had a feeling I’d find Tirek and Scorpan. The two were huge, so I had a feeling they’d be pretty easy to find. What I didn’t take into account was how large the forest was. Still, after an hour of searching, I started noticing signs of their presence. Broken tree branches, and signs of minor destruction caught my attention. I dropped down from the tree I was perched on, and landed gently on the ground. There were broken tree limbs lying on the ground, along with imprints in the ground, which looked an awful lot like hoof and footprints. Caught up to their trail, I started sprinting, following the trail the two left behind. Despite how fast I was moving, I made very little noise, allowing me to listen for the two brothers. After a few minutes, I saw what looked to be a clearing ahead. I stopped running, and ducked behind a tree. I stood there, silent, listening. Closing my eyes, and focusing, I could make out what sounded like Tirek, speaking. I turned, and leaped into the air, vaulting up the tree I was hiding behind, and perched myself on a branch. I then moved to the next tree, to get closer to the two brothers. I could now see them a bit more clearly. There was a cave opening in the clearing, which housed Scorpan, who was lying against the wall. Tirek was standing outside of the cave, looking down at his brother. “It was foolish of you to take that blast for me. I could have handled it,” stated Tirek. “He, I suppose it was,” responded Scorpan, with labored breaths. “Still, I’m glad I did it. I mean, you’d do the same for me, right?” “Oh, of course,” replied Tirek; though I had a feeling he wasn’t speaking truthfully. Scorpan didn’t seem to notice. Tirek turned, and faced away from his brother. “You rest here for a bit, I’m going to go try to find more magic to drain.” “Be safe,” said Scorpan. “Don’t worry about me, I can handle myself,” stated Tirek, as he started trudging away, the weight of his body causing the ground to shake. I waited a few minutes after Tirek left, before dropping down from the tree I was in. My boot landed on a stick, causing it to break in half. The sound of the stick cracking could be heard, and it caught Scorpans attention. He turned to face my direction, though he couldn’t actually see me. “Who…who’s there?” he questioned. I stepped out of the dark forest, into the well-lit clearing. Scorpans eyes widened in alarm, as he held his body up with one arm, the other clinging to his chest. “Y-you!” I made my way towards the injured creature, and stopped a few meters away from him. “So…you’ve come to finish me off, huh?” I just looked at him, my expression emotionless, until it softened. “You’re hurt,” I stated. “Yes…no thanks to you, and your friends,” he replied with a hint of malice. “You came to our home and attacked us. We defended ourselves, as I know you would have done, had you been in our position.” Scorpan didn’t respond, instead he looked down, with a look of regret. “Maybe I can help you,” I said. I held my hand out, and summoned my Keyblade. Scorpan looked surprised, and scared, suspecting that I was going to attack him. “Don’t worry, this isn’t just a weapon,” I said, before I pointed my Keyblade at him. “Cure.” The spell worked instantly, mending Scorpans wounds. He jerked in surprise, expecting it to be some sort of attack, but he after that, he looked to me with confusion, after finding that I hadn’t hurt him. After a moment of looking at me, he looked down at his body, before testing his limbs, and slowly standing up. Once he was on his feet, he twisted his body, testing for pain. He found that while there was a hint of soreness, his wounds were more or less healed. “You…you healed me?” he questioned. I nodded my head in response. “Why?” “You were in pain. I don’t…I don’t like seeing others in pain.” “But we are enemies,” stated Scorpan. “We don’t have to be.” Scorpan just looked at me, with confusion on his face. “During the fight, I saw that you didn’t really seem to be enjoying yourself like he was. Tirek looks like he likes destruction, but I don’t think I can say the same for you.” “You don’t know anything about me.” “No, I don’t. But I what I DO know is that you don’t want to hurt ponies. You don’t like the feeling you get when you do, do you?” Scorpan wordlessly shook his head. “Then why do it?” “Tirek is my brother, my flesh and blood. Ever since our parents passed, he’s looked after me. So I follow him. I will not betray him.” “Even if he makes you do something you’re not comfortable with?” Scorpan did not respond. “If Tirek cared about you, as much as you care about him, do you think he’d make you do something like this, which you obviously don’t want to do?” “You will not turn me against my brother.” “I’m not trying to. I just want to bring about a peaceful end to this conflict. The princesses don’t take kindly to people trying to take over their kingdom. Me, I just want to find a way to keep my friends safe, while making sure as many people are happy as possible.” “You are friends with royalty?” “Yes. The two princesses are my best friends. They’ve welcomed me into their kingdom, and gave me a place to live. I wouldn’t be here without them.” Scorpan seemed to be considering, this, thinking about what I’ve told him. “I’ve…I’ve never had a ‘friend’ before. I’ve only had Tirek.” “Well, in Equestria, Friendship is in abundance. I’m sure if you tried making some friends, instead of conquering the place, you’d find some success.” “My own friends? Maybe…no, NO, I can’t, I can’t betray Tirek.” “I understand you loyalty to your brother. But, what he wants to do is wrong. Stealing ponies’ magic, destroying their homes, it’s evil! Just because he’s your brother, doesn’t mean you have obey his every command.” Scorpan looked down, thinking about what I was telling him. “Perhaps, you are right.” I sat down on the ground, adopting a more relaxed posture, and Scorpan did the same. “What’s his deal anyway? Why does he want to conquer Equestria so badly anyway?” “Tirek’s always had a lust for power. It’s probably an obsession at this point. He wans control, and he wants to be the strongest.” I nodded my head, taking in what Scorpan was telling me. “Everyone wants to be powerful. But I like to believe that not everyone would be willing to hurt others to get it.” Scorpan listened, but did not respond. I stood up from my seating position, and got back on my feet.” “If you want to experience friendship, Equestria is a good place to start. If you need a friend, I’m willing to be one to you. But the next time we meet, I will do what I have to; in order to protect those I care about. If you really care about your brother, please, try to get him to see reason.” Scorpan looked to me expectantly. “I hope you the next time we see each other, it’s on better terms. But if you two return, and try to take down Equestria, I don’t know if I can stop the princesses from taking their wrath out on you two.” I turned and made my way away from Scorpan, heading back to the castle. “I don’t think I ever got your name,” said Scorpan. I looked over my shoulder, back to him. “You can call me Roxas.” “…Then thank you Roxas. You’ve given me a lot to think about.” I offered him a smile, and then continued my way home. I would tell the two sisters that I didn’t find them, but if they returned for round two, and someone got hurt, it would be because of me. I just hoped I convinced Scorpan to abandon this conquest, and convince his brother to do the same. If not, well, I really don’t want to imprison anyone else, the way we did Discord, but I will if I have to. I just hope it doesn’t come to that. Author's Note Sorry this took so long, and sorry this chapter is kind of short. I felt that the chapter should focus just on Roxas's conversation with Scorpan. As for why it took so long, well, I've been a bit busy the last few weeks, and I also posted a new story. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy, and I'll see you next time.
XI.As I made my way out of the forest, and headed towards the castle, I looked at the broken town around me. This once prosperous town was gone. Most of the buildings had crumbled to dust, with smoke drifting up from the extinguished fires. And the ponies…the ponies. There were so many injured in the crossfire, bandaged and bruised. And then there were the others. The dead. Mares, stallions, filly’s and colt’s. From the show, you’d never expect this sort of violence to be possible in Equestria. But this wasn’t the same My Little Pony I’d come to know. I passed through the town, and came to the edge, the area between the town and the castle; I saw guard’s ponies, a lot of them. They were helping the injured get to safety behind a barricade that they were constructing. A barricade seemed useless against Tirek, but I figured it was better than nothing. I made my way to the entrance, where two guard ponies were standing at attention. When they saw me approach, they wordlessly raised their hooves to their heads in salute. I nodded in response as I passed. Soon enough, I came to the castle, which was now heavily guarded. Battlements had been set up as well. Looks like the sisters were taking this seriously. They should, what Tirek did was monstrous. I just hope I broke through to Scorpan. If he can convince Tirek to abandon his plans, a lot of misery will be avoided. For everyone. I approached the entrance to the throne room, and opened the doors. Stepping inside I heard the two princesses discussing their plans. “We need to scour the Everfree for those two monsters, and DESTROY them!” said Luna with angry passion. “I know Luna, but we should wait for Roxas to return. If he found them, then we’ll be able to coordinate a counter attack.” The sound of my boots hitting the floor alerted the two to my presence. They turned their heads to see me walking towards them. “Ah, Roxas, good you’re here! Did you find them?” questioned Celestia eagerly. I stopped walking a few feet away from them. This was the moment. I had been thinking of this my whole way back to the castle. To tell them or not to tell them? I was at a conflict. On one hand, I’d never lied to either of the princesses, and I didn’t want to start now. This was a big deal; those two nearly destroyed the town! If I told them where Tirek and Scorpan were, the princesses could end this right away. No more loss…hopefully. But at the same time…I still believed that Scorpan could be saved, and that perhaps, he could do the same for Tirek. Having a hand in Discords imprisonment…I felt nothing, but at the same time, when I considered what he was going through…it just felt…. wrong. Like something no one should ever experience. A thousand years of isolation. Tirek was bad, but if I could spare him from such a fate, I would. I made my decision then and there. “No, I didn’t. I’m sorry, I couldn’t find them.” “Damn!” muttered Celestia. “Then we should mount a counter attack immediately. We should assemble the troops, and storm the Everfree, and destroy those monsters!” asserted Luna. “Hm…perhaps you are right,” said Celestia. “NO!” I said before I could stop myself. The two gave me an odd look. “Why not?” questioned Celestia. I had to think of something, some reason that invading the Everfree would be a bad idea. “I, I just see some problems in that idea. Those two probably expect us to chase after them, which would mean there’s the possibility of them setting a trap for us. If we wait here and set up our defenses, we can meet them in the abandoned town, just the three of us. No one else would get hurt. Plus, we can see them approach this way, so there’s less chance of them catching us off guard. “ “Hm…that does seem like a solid plan,” said Luna. “Alright, then we should set up a plan of attack,” suggested Celestia. “I say we focus on the weaker one, the one with wings. We should hit him with everything we can, and destroy him! Then we’ll have just one foe to take down,” stated Luna. “I think we should take it easy on him,” I interjected. “What, why?” questioned the two. “Listen, I…I think the one with wings, Scorpan, is just going along with this because he’s scared of what Tirek will do if he refuses. I mean, Tirek is clearly the more aggressive, dominant one. I think we should offer Scorpan a peaceful resolution. Maybe he can talk some sense into his brother.” “Roxas, I understand and appreciate your forgiving nature, but some things are too great to overlook. Those two nearly destroyed the town! Ponies are dead! They need to pay the price of their actions,” said Celestia. “I know, I know…but Tirek’s the one whose been doing all of the damage! I honestly have faith that we can turn Scorpan, and if we do, we might avoid a lot of pain and damage.” “I don’t know…” said Luna looking conflicted, a look matched by her sister. “I know you two want what’s best. I need you two to just have faith in me on this one. I know in my…in my heart that giving Scorpan a chance will have a better result than just attacking the two. Please, trust in me.” The two sisters looked at each other for a few seconds, contemplating, before turning back to face me. “All right Roxas,” said Celestia. “You have been a faithful friend for years. If you think this is the right thing to do, then we will trust in you,” finished Luna. “Thank you,” I said. I then wrapped the two in a hug, wrapping them tight. “Things will be alright. We’ll get through this,” I said. The sisters returned the hug. “We know,” they said in unison. We stayed like this for a few moments, before we broke away. “All right,” I said, materializing my Keyblade. “Let’s go save the day.” Author's Note Why haven't I uploaded a chapter in so long? WellIwasbusyfinishinganotherstoryandthingskeephappeningplusholidaysandstuffandschoolsstartedagainandimalazybitch! So, I've started a new schedule, where one week I'll work on videos and stuff, and then next week, I focus solely on my story updates. I think it will allow me to put out more chapters per week, and thus more frequent updates. This chapter was supposed to be longer, and have the resolution to the Tirek arc, but I decided to shorten it so I could try and get the next chapter out sooner, hopefully within the week. I want to get back into the swing of things with writing. Anyway, thanks for reading, and staying with me, and I will see you guys next time!
XII.The three of us stood atop the constructed barricade, waiting for the inevitable attack that was to come. Celestia and Luna were donned in armor, Celestia wearing gold, while Luna wore dark obsidian colored armor. I wore nothing but my trademark black coat. The two had offered to have armor made for me years ago, but I had declined. It would just weigh me down. All I needed was my coat, and my Keyblade. The royal guard was ordered to stay back, and protect the civilians, while we dealt with Tirek and Scorpan. We didn’t need anyone else getting hurt today. We stood there stoically, until we heard the dull thudding. Tirek was making his way here, his heavy hoof steps alerting us to his presence. As we readied ourselves, we saw them. Tirek stepped out of the forest first, followed by his brother. Tirek was making his way towards us confidently, while his brother looked nervous and apprehensive. The two stopped in front of the barricade, a couple dozen feet away. “Ha, how cute, you built a little barrier! It’s almost as if you think it can save you!” mocked Tirek. The princesses gave him a stern look, before Celestia spoke. “Tirek and Scorpan. We are offering you the chance to end this. Leave Equestria, and let us live in peace, and we will not pursue you. But if you continue this mad conquest of yours, we will have no choice…but to beat you down!” “Tirek, please, let’s listen to them,” pleaded Scorpan quietly. “We have all the power we could want back home! Let’s just… let’s go home. Please!” Tirek turned to face his brother, and grabbed him by the fur on his chest. “Listen to me, and listen well! You are not backing out on me! Not when we are this close to domination of Equestria!” “But Tirek-“ “I am your brother, and you WILL do as I say! Unless you want to face my wrath as well?” “N-no…of course not brother…” “Good,” said Tirek, releasing his hold on Scorpan. The two turned to face us. I looked to the two sisters, who had looks of what could be pity on their faces. I nodded to them, and summoned my Keyblade. “Now, if we’re done with all this useless chatter,” said Tirek, before he gathered magical energy in his horns, creating a sphere of energy, and firing it towards us. The sisters took flight, while I teleported a brief distance away. The blast of magic hit the barricade, causing a fiery explosion. Luna rocketed down from the sky, strait at Tirek, unleashing her own blast of magic. Tirek raised a shield, but the force of Luna’s attack pushed him backwards. I ran over the rooftops, heading strait for Tirek. After he lowered his shield, I leapt right towards him, and struck his face with my Keyblade. Tirek grunted, holding his cheek. Recovering, he looked at me with anger in his eyes. “Why you little-“ before he could finish, he was hit from the rear by an attack from Celestia. He turned and tried to swat her away. As she moved out of the way, Luna used the opening to go in for a hit of her own. She moved strait towards Tirek, and bucked him, full force. Tirek was pushed towards Celestia, who also bucked him. The two sisters kept striking Tirek, causing him to bounce between the two like a Ping-Pong ball. I took the opportunity to strike Tirek myself, running up next to him, and delivering an uppercut with my Keyblade, striking Tirek right in the jaw. This sent him flying. Tirek landed with a thud on the ground, leaving an imprint as well. As he recovered, and got himself back up, Scorpan appeared at his side. “Brother, are you aright?” Tirek angrily grabbed onto Scorpan. “Why aren’t you fighting?” he questioned through grit teeth. “I… I-“ “Fight them, or fight me, that is your choice!” “But brother-“ “NOW!” yelled Tirek as he shoved Scorpan towards us. He stumbled with his footing, before regaining his balance and taking a combat stance. “You don’t have to do this! The four of us can beat him!” I told him. He looked nervously towards Tirek, and then back to me. “I’m sorry,” he said as he charged me. The two sisters reengaged Tirek, as I fought Scorpan, though I did my best to hold back, to keep from severely injuring him. As he ran towards me, I jumped, and delivered a reverse sidekick to his stomach, causing him to fall backwards. I landed on the ground and saw the two sisters trading magical blows with Tirek. I looked to Scorpan. “Enough is enough! You’re living like a slave to your brother! You know this is wrong! You have the power to end it!” Scorpan slowly got back to his feet. “I know,” he said solemnly, yet sternly. “But he’s the only family I have. To turn against him…I’d have no one left.” “Tirek’s just one person. There are billions of other people you can develop relationships with. You can make friends, your own family! You don’t have to rely on just Tirek.” Scorpan just stood there, taking in what I’d said. He was about to speak, when a loud shout came from Tirek. “ENOUGH!” cried Tirek, emitting a magical pulse, pushing back the royal sisters. He then turned his attention to Scorpan. “Scorpan! I told you to destroy him, not strike up a conversation with him! Crush him, NOW!” Scorpan just stood there, looking at his hand. He looked at Tirek, then back to me, looking me strait in the eyes. He took a moment to think, before lowering his hand, and turning to face Tirek. “No…” he said. “WHAT did you say?” questioned Tirek. “I said no brother! I’m tired, tired of all of this! I don’t want to fight anymore, I don’t want to conquer this land!” “I am your Brother!” shouted Tirek, stepping towards Scorpan. “You will stand with me! You will do as I SAY!” “NO!” shouted Scorpan, shocking everyone present. Tirek just stared at Scorpan, mouth slightly open. “I’m done Tirek! I’m done hurting people, and causing trouble! These people have done nothing to us! This one even offered me friendship after all I’ve done!” he said, gesturing to me. “Tirek, it’s not too late! We can go home! We’re Princes for the maker’s sake! We have a kingdom we can rule! Why can’t we just be satisfied with that?” “I will NOT be satisfied, until the whole world bows beneath me!” screamed Tirek. “Well, I will not be part of this anymore!” cried Scorpan. Tirek looked ready to pounce on Scorpan, before he seemingly calmed down, and straitened back up. “Well…it is clear that you’ve made your choice.” Tirek then began charging his magic into the largest most volatile looking blast I had ever seen! “If you want to die with these ponies, then so be it! Join them in extinction!” cried Tirek as he fired the blast, directly towards Scorpan. Scorpan stepped back, holding his arms in front of him in defense, but I knew he wouldn’t have the ability to defend himself against the attack. I teleported to in front of Scorpan, and hovered in the air, in front of the attack, preparing to counter it with my Keyblade, though I honestly doubted I could. “Roxas!” I turned my head to see that Celestia and Luna were heading towards me. They hovered in front of me, pushing me to the side. With me out of the way, Celestia created a magical shield to block the attack, while Luna used her own magic to strengthen it. The blast hit the shield, and detonated instantly. It was then I realized that the shield wouldn’t work. The shield they were using was designed to DEFLECT magical attacks, but Tirek’s attack detonated the moment it hit the shield. This caused a major explosion, creating a blinding light. The force sent me flying strait backwards. I slammed right into the wall of a building, knocking the wind out of my lungs. I collapsed to the ground, lying still. As I tried to get up, I also attempted to breath in air, to no avail. My lungs screamed, begging for oxygen, but they could get none. It felt like I was going to pass out right then and there, but just as my vision began to blacken, I was finally able to breath again. Gasping for air, I stood back up. And there I saw them. Celestia, Luna and Scorpan were lying on the ground, a few dozen feet from a large crater. There fur was singed, with bruises and burns on their bodies. They all lay still, unconscious (I hoped). “No!” I said as I ran to them. I quickly knelt next to Celestia, and put two of my fingers to her neck to feel for a pulse. Thump thump. Her heart was still beating. She was breathing. ‘Thank god,’ I thought. I then quickly ran over to Luna and did the same. She was also alive. I repeated the process one last time on Scorpan. He too was alive. Satisfied, I stood back up, facing away from Tirek. “You…you attacked…you tried to KILL…your own BROTHER!” “He was weak, and he betrayed me! He deserves what he’s gotten!” replied Tirek. “Deserves?” I questioned, turning my head, my voice dripping with rage. I turned my whole body to face him, and began walking towards him. “You think he deserved this,” I said pointing towards Scorpan. “That he deserves to die, simply because he wouldn’t help you harm others!” “Yes, I do.” “You…YOU…you monster. You know, I used to think that mercy was an essential, that no matter how bad a villain is, there’s a certain level of mercy we must grant! I thought that there were some punishments that no one deserved. But now I see…that you…ARE HOPELESS!” As I yelled this, the wind began to pick up. My fists clenched tight, and I could feel heat rising in my location. Magical energy began to collect around me, enough that it could be seen. An aura of magic appeared around me, surrounding me, and empowering me through my rage. I grit my teeth, as I felt heat in the palms of my hands, the same heat that I felt when I was sent to this world. “You are pure evil,” I said somewhat calmly. “No mercy,” I yelled, as I held my arms in front of me in an X. “BURN IN HELL YOU BASTARD!” I shouted as the energy coalesced once again. “What?” cried Tirek as he shielded his face with his arms as the force of the energy pushed him back. I threw my arms out and felt the familiar sensation of a Keyblade appearing in them, one in each hand. As the winds and power subsided, I felt my body calm down, and yet I still felt more powerful than I had ever felt in my life. I looked to my hands, and saw that there was a Keyblade in each of them. Only they weren’t the traditional Kingdom Keys. No these were Keyblades I hadn’t seen since my last day in the human world. In my left hand…was Oathkeeper. And in my right was oblivion. I looked at the two weapons in awe. These Keyblades felt far more powerful than my old one. “Oblivion and Oathkeeper…” I looked at them for a second more, before tightening my grip, and assuming a battle stance, remembering I still had to deal with Tirek. He looked at me with a surprised expression. I just looked at him sternly. ‘With these, I can’t lose.’ “This is the end of you Tirek! Your reign of terror ends today!” “You think those two new trinkets will save you! It makes no difference! I will destroy you regardless of the weapons you wield!” Tirek charged a magical attack, and shot it strait at me. I ran towards it, and smacked it with Oathkeeper, sending it flying away. “What!” questioned Tirek. I teleported directly in front of him and uppercut him with my right, followed by a side hook with my left. I then spun like a tornado, hitting Tirek with both blades repeatedly. He tried to strike me with his fists, but I spun, and shot him with a fireball. He took the attack, and tried to return one of his own, but I deflected it once again. The fight continued with Tirek trying to hit me, but failing. I constantly hit him with powerful attacks, which were taking their toll on him. He couldn’t hit me with my new abilities, and it was starting to show that he was getting tired. We battled this way for several more minutes, before we finally disengaged. Tirek stood there, breathing heavily. I was starting to get tired myself, but I could tell I had far more energy than him. “I…I WILL kill you,” said Tirek through breaths. “I will DESROY YOU! THIS IS YOUR END!” With new energy, he puffed up his chest, and began charging energy into his horn…very, very quickly. “I didn’t think it would come to this, but it has! This attack will tear the world asunder! It will DESTORY YOU, YOUR PATHETIC FRIENDS, AND THIS ENTIRE CITY!” I could tell he wasn’t bluffing. This attack looked MAJOR. Like, strong enough to vaporize the castle. I needed to do something! But what! I gripped my Keyblades tight, trying to think. I was running out of time. If only I had the power of the elements on my side, I could just zap him away to Tartarus! ‘Who says you can’t?’ That Voice! I recognized it! Though I’d only heard it once, I still remembered it clearly. It was the voice I had heard when I first came to Equestria. But what did it mean? ‘Use the Key, open the cage. Seal him in with all his rage.’ Use the key? My Keyblade? What could it do, it was just a weapon. I started to think. In the game, Sora can use his Keyblade to lock world’s keyholes. Could I somehow use that power too? Maybe… Tirek was still charging, but I could tell he was going to fire soon. “This better work,” I said to myself. I then channeled my will into the Keyblade. I shut my eyes, and concentrated. I felt a heat rise in my body, channeling into my hand. I opened my eyes again, as energy coalesced around my weapon. Tirek didn’t seem to notice what I was doing. The Keyblade shot a stream of white energy strait at Tirek. The beam went right through his body. When it exited his chest, it stopped in mid air, causing a keyhole shaped portal to open behind him. Tirek pressed his hands against his body, feeling for a wound, but found none. He smirked in response, and then attempted to fire his attack. “Ha! That did nothing! Now you die!” He stood there looking confident, until he noticed that his blast had not fired. “What?” he questioned. He couldn’t see it, but I could. The portal was absorbing his magic. He looked behind him, and finally could see it clearly. “What in the world?” He turned back towards me, and tried to use his magic once more, but once again it failed. It was then that he started to get frustrated. “Impossible! Arg, fine! If I can’t incinerate you, I’ll just crush you with my bare hands!” I just stared at him, as he tried to advance. But, after his first step, a chain shot out of the portal, and clamped a manacle around his right arm. He looked in surprise at his wrist. He tried tugging away, but he couldn’t break free. Then, a second chain shot out, and clasped around his left hand. The chains started pulling Tirek back, towards the portal, which was growing in size. “What? What is this?” he cried, trying to fight the chains. But unfortunately for him, it was a losing battle. “This is Tartarus,” I said, dematerializing my Keyblades and making my way towards him. “It’s a place where horrible villains like you go.” “No prison could ever hold me!” he yelled in response. “This one will,” I said as I stopped walking, directly in front of Tirek. “But, if you do escape, just know this.” I looked him strait in the eye. “I’ll be right there, to put you back.” “NO! ARG!” grunted Tirek, as he was pulled further by the chains. All his struggling was useless, as he was pulled further into his prison. Just as he was about to be pulled in, he made a final statement. “This isn’t over! I’ll be back! And I’ll kill you!” “I’ll be waiting,” I said solemnly. Tirek’s body was finally dragged into Tartarus. The portal closed shut, and disappeared. I stood there, silently, just staring at where Tirek once was. I had just sent him to Tartarus for 1000 years. When I did that to Tirek, it felt wrong. But I didn’t feel like I’d done the wrong thing this time. Discord was crazy, but he had the potential to be good. But Tirek…he was practically a demon, pure evil. If he were ever to run free, he’d just hurt more ponies. Which he does. In a thousand years or so, and break free, and try’s to steal the Alicorns magic. But this time, I’ll be ready. I was about to turn and leave, when I heard a sound above me. I looked up to see a glowing object slowly falling down towards me. It glistened like a diamond in the sky. As it floated down, I caught it in my hand. I looked at it, and was a little confused by what I saw. It was…a map. “What’s this map for?” I questioned, turning it over. It looked like one of those old pirate maps, only in this one, instead of an X to mark the spot; there was what looked like a demon head, with two horns coming out of it. “Is this…a map to Tartarus?” I questioned. The more I looked at it, the more it looked like one. “A map to Tartarus huh?” I rolled up the paper, and put it in my pocket. “I’m going to have to check that place out soon,” I said to myself. I’d need to see what was there, what kind of security measures it had. But first…. I turned around, and made my way back to the Princesses and Scorpan. When I neared them, I saw a group of guards gathered around them. Somewhere trying to help the princesses, while a few others were pointing their spears right at Scorpan. “Sir Roxas, you did it!” cried on of the guards, who ran over to me. I nodded to him. “Sir, we are ready to take the Princesses to the infirmary. We will also prepare a cell for that monster!” “No, take all three to the infirmary. Give him the same care as the princesses.” “But, sir-“ “No buts. He’s not a threat to us anymore. Now go, I will be there shortly.” The guard was about to protest, but thought better of it, and instead turned, and gave the orders to the rest of the squad. Soon, the three fallen were hoisted up, and brought towards the castle. I stood there, by myself, thinking. I finally had Oathkeeper and Oblivion. I summoned the blades in my hands, and looked them over. I decided to test something. I dematerialized them, and then tried to summon the Kingdom Key. Sure enough, it appeared. ‘Looks like I have three Keyblades to chose from,’ I thought to myself. I smirked, and returned the weapon to where it came from. Then my thoughts drifted elsewhere. Tirek…Tartarus. Did I CREATE Tartarus? It would seem that way. But how would that be possible, Keyblade wielders can’t create worlds can they? Maybe I didn’t create it; maybe I just created a DOORWAY to it. Or maybe, I just unlocked it. “Today is just full of surprises,” I said to myself. I chuckled for a brief moment, before making my way towards the castle. I had two old friends to check up on. And one new one. Author's Note Two chapters in one week? Something is clearly wrong here. I must be dying, and am trying to put out more chapters so I can attempt to finish this story before my untimely death. I wish to bequeath all my possessions to my ghost, because it's my stuff, and I'll kill anyone who tries to take it from me, even in death. Anyway, here you go, there will be one chapter after this, with Roxas talking to the sisters and Scorpan, and then we'll continue on with the story. I have a bit more to go before we get to present time. Must make you mad that we're still not close to the modern era huh? Well you know what's even more infuriating? Dark Souls. I'm on the final boss of Dark Souls 3, and it is impossible. You think you're mad? Put yourself in my shoes! I can't beat a video game, do you know how hard that is? I'd rather be Dead! In fact, I'm going to go chug a gallon of anti-freeze! See ya! Thanks for reading, and see you next time!
XIII.I sat on a lone stool within the castle’s infirmary, while my three injured friends lay unconscious. Celestia and Luna each occupied their own beds, while Scorpan took up a few of them for himself. I had cast heal on the three of them. Now I was just waiting for them to wake up. In the meantime, it gave me time to reflect. The fight is finally over. At least, this one is. It seems that things in this world are following the main canonical storyline as the show. These events are happening the same as they did in the show. Except, well, for me. Though I’m here in Equestria, it seems that while I’m changing history, the general events aren’t any different. Discord is still trapped in stone, and Tirek is still imprisoned in Tartarus. That made me think, what about the other main events in the story? Sombra, Chrysalis, everything! Was I powerless to stop it all? Would my presence somehow lead to those things happening, just in a different way? Then…I thought of Nightmare Moon. Oh god…would that happen, regardless of what I did? Would I somehow be the reason that it happens? I don’t think I could live with that. Celestia and Luna were my friends; I couldn’t allow them to go through the pain of a thousand years of separation. I had to be able to do something, right? I mean, with Discord, the decision to turn him to stone was already made. I just helped achieve the end result. And Tirek’s a megalomaniac, there’s probably nothing I could have done for him. Besides, Scorpan is still safe. He’s free. For all I know, I may have been the only reason he was spared the same fate. But still, what have I changed by being here? The sound of the other people in the room rousing from being unconscious brought me out of my thoughts. I put them aside for now. I’ll do the best that I can; to make sure the future is the best one possible. That’s all I can really do for now. Celestia slowly opened her eyes. She let out a groan as she hoisted herself up. I got up from my seat and made my way over to her. She put a hoof to her head, looking around, her eyes unfocused. After a moment they concentrated on me. “Roxas?” “Yeah, it’s me.” “What…what happened? Where’s Luna?” “She’s right there,” I said, pointing to the adjacent bed. Celestia worriedly got up from her bed and made her way over to Luna. “Don’t worry, she’s going to be fine. You’re all going to be fine,” I said, trying to comfort her. Celestia lowered herself to her sister, and embraced her. “What happened? Where’s Tirek?” “Don’t worry, I…. I took care of him,” I said, with a slightly regretful tone in my voice. “You beat him?” questioned Celestia, looking at me with disbelief. “Yeah.” “You killed him?” “No, but don’t worry, he won’t be back anytime soon.” “W-what did you do to him?” “I locked him away in Tartarus.” “Tartarus? The mythical prison for the worlds most malevolent beings?” she questioned incredulously. “Yep.” “It’s real?” “Apparently.” Celestia just stood there, clearly shocked quite a bit. She stared at the floor for a few moments, before she looked back at her sister. “Good. He deserves it.” I didn’t respond, and even if I had given her a look, she wouldn’t have seen it, as she was focused on her sister.” “You’re going to have to tell me how you accomplished such a task,” she said with a more upbeat tone. “I’m sure it’s quite the story.” “Oh don’t worry, I will. But not until everyone is awake.” “Everyone?” questioned Celestia, confused. I nodded and pointed behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see Scorpan lying unconscious. The moment her eyes saw his brown fur, she jolted up, and took a defensive position in front of Luna, lighting her horn, prepared to attack or defend. “Whoa whoa, easy!” I said, getting in front of Celestia with my hands raised in front of me. “Roxas, stand aside! That beast must pay!” “Whoa, calm down Celestia, don’t you remember? He turned against Tirek right before the three of you got knocked out, remember?” Celestia seemed to wrack her brain for a few moments, trying to remember the last moments of the fight that she was conscious for. After a few moments, she seemed to recall the events. “He’s not gonna hurt anyone, I promise,” I assured. Celestia took in what I was saying, before taking a more relaxed stance and stopping the flow of magic to her horn. “Very well Roxas. I trust you.” About ten minutes passed before both Luna and Scorpan both regained consciousness. Luna was of course alarmed at the sight of Scorpan, but with my assurance, as well as Celestia’s, she calmed down. Once the three were ready, I told them what happened with Tirek. The moment I mentioned Tartarus, Scorpan went rigid. I did my best to console him. “I’m sorry Scorpan. I tried to get him to abandon his conquest before it was too late, but he…he just wouldn’t listen to me.” “It’s…it’s ok…I know how Tirek can be. He’s been this way since we were young. You did the best you could.” The three of us just sat there in silence for a few moments, before Scorpan decided to speak again. “I…I am at least thankful that I was spared his fate. If you hadn’t spoken to me in the forest, I might have ended up the same as him, or worse. You saw good in me. I’m just curious as to how.” “Wait, you spoke to him in the forest? You told us you couldn’t find them?” questioned Luna. My back went rigid as I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. “…. wellllllll….” I said while drumming my fingers against each other. “Oh, oh dear, I’ve gotten you into trouble haven’t I? I’m so sorry!” apologized Scorpan. “Roxas? Did you lie to us?” “Well, I…” I took a moment to ponder my situation, before relaxing and closing my eyes. “Yeah, yeah I did.” “Roxas, I…hmm…I honestly didn’t think you had it in you,” said Luna. She let out a quick chuckle. “I’m sorry guys. I just…when I went out to find them, I was actually looking for Scorpan. I needed to talk to him, I just…I knew in my heart that he wasn’t bad like his brother. I just thought if I could convince him to stop this quest, then maybe he could get Tirek to stop, and then maybe…a lot of this wouldn’t have happened.” There was silence for a bit. I was worried the sisters were going to be mad at me. But when they spoke, they sounded almost relieved. “Well, I suppose you had a well enough reason. We aren’t happy that you lied to us, but…you’ve been a loyal friend for many years, and I guess we owe you at least this once,” said Celestia. At that moment, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Thanks guys.” “Forgive me, but I am a bit curious,” said Scorpan, chiming in on the conversation. “How DID you know that I could be turned?” “I was wondering that as well,” said Luna. That put me in an awful spot. I didn’t want to lie to them a second time, but…to tell them that I knew the future…well; I had no idea how they would react. I also had no idea how that would affect the future. Would we make successful preparation for the future? Would knowing what is to come only ensure that the things we were trying to prevent would happen? What…what would happen? I didn’t know. I didn’t want to make the wrong choice here. I thought about it as quickly as possible, and I decided…I decided that, at least for now, I shouldn’t tell them. Not yet. “I just…I could tell. I saw it in his body language, and in his eyes. He just didn’t seem the same as his brother,” I explained. I waited for them to respond. After a few moments, Celestia spoke up. “Well, it seems you have good intuition Roxas.” “Roxas…thank you. I owe my freedom to you. I just wish something could have been done for my brother,” said Scorpan, regretfully, yet with a bit of happiness. “I do too,” I replied. “I wish I could see him…just to say goodbye.” “Who says you can’t?” I replied. Everyone looked at me with wide eyes. “I…I can see him? But you said you put him in Tartarus?” I took a moment to respond. “Let me show you guys something.” I used my map to lead the three through the Everfree forest, to the gates of Tartarus. We all marveled at the sight of it. Within a large cavern’s entrance was a humongous stone door. On it we could see a large and intricate lock system, with a single keyhole in the center. “So, this is Tartarus?” questioned Celestia. “Yep,” I replied. “Impressive,” said Luna. “So, Tirek’s in there huh…how do we get in?” asked Scorpan. “Like this,” I said, materializing my Keyblade, and pointing it right at the lock. A white stream of light shot out of the tip, and went into the lock. It caused the mechanism to turn, and soon the double door opened. It was dark inside, the only light on the inside coming from torches that lined the walls, spouting blue flames. I looked to Scorpan, and he looked to me. “You ready?” He gulped, and then nodded. Then, the four of us entered the prison. When we entered, we stood upon a high floor. Down below us were stairs, leading to a variety of cells, with several other high platforms with cages in the distance. Though it was a bit far, I could see Tirek, now powerless, sitting in his cell. I tapped Scorpan on the shoulder, and pointed in Tirek’s direction. Scorpan saw, and nodded, and then began making his way to his brother’s cell. “We’ll wait here,” I said. The two sisters stood next to me, watching. “Are you sure you want him to go alone? He might have second thoughts, and try to free his brother,” questioned Luna. “No, he won’t do that. He’s got a good heart and he knows what would happen,” I replied. We stood there silent for a while. In the distance, I could see Scorpan talking to Tirek. “I…feel bad for Scorpan. To be separated from his brother for so long…that is a fate I wouldn’t wish on anypony,” said Celestia. We stood there in silence for a few moments, before Luna spoke up. “Roxas…why are you staring at us?” I blinked a few times, before noticing that both the sisters were looking at me, with questioning eyes. “Oh, sorry, I uh…just spaced out a bit,” I said, rubbing the back of my head with my hand. I didn’t realize, but I had subconsciously focused on them, thinking about the possible future. We didn’t speak for the rest of the time we were there. Scorpan eventually rejoined us, having made his peace with his brother. “So…how’d it go?” questioned Luna. “He was…resentful, but I gave him something to remember me by.” “What did you give him?” asked Celestia. “I gave my medallion…it was a family heirloom given to me by our father.” We just sat there, our wishes going out to Scorpan. After a few moments, I spoke up. “Are you ready?” I asked. Scorpan took one regretful look back to the cell that would house his brother for the next thousand years. He nodded, and looked back to us. “I am,” he said. I nodded. Then, the three of us exited Tartarus, leaving it behind us. I used my Keyblade to seal the doors, shutting Tirek and his fellow prisoners in eternal darkness. Author's Note Oh my god, a new chapter!....Oh you guys didn't want one? Well too bad, because I'm forcing this one down you throats! If you're wondering where I've been, well, I put up two new stories since I last updated this. One was a dumb comedy that no one liked, and the other was a sequel to another story I wrote, which has inspired a hatred for Luna equivalent to a normal person's hatred for Hitler. Seriously, people HATE her in those stories. Also, I've been working on a MLP Animated project for my YouTube, which is almost done. I've been working on it for like a year. It's taken that long because it's a long video, and I was kind of off and on about working on it for a while. If you are interested in it, it will be out on my YouTube, hopefully soon. Anyway, thanks for reading my dumb stories written by a big idiot! Until next time!
XIV.I’ve been to the Crystal Empire a couple of times during my life in Equestria. It always amazed me whenever I looked at it. Simple drawings generated by a computer screen couldn’t compare to what it actually looked like in real life. The crystal structures always shined like stars in the sky, with the sun’s light refracting through the gems, creating beautiful rainbows that colored the surrounding skies. Sadly, it didn’t look anything like that anymore. It had been one hundred years since we defeated Tirek. Now Celestia, Luna and I faced a new threat. We stood upon an elevation with a team of elite guards behind us, as we looked at the once glorious empire, now dark and infected. Sombra had finally risen, and had conquered the Empire. The citizens were enslaved, either serving as labor, or as armed guards. I remembered Sombra from the show, and I felt that I could have prevented this if I there had been any warning signs. But Sombra’s conquest came out of nowhere. We didn’t hear about it until it was over. He had done it singlehandedly, his powers of dark magic making him a one-stallion army. Anyone who resisted was slaughtered. I’ve read a bit on dark magic in the castle library. It’s like a drug, one that corrupts the mind of the user, along with the body. I’m not sure what kind of pony he was before he became dark magic’s slave, but now he was a full on monster. As a nobody, I use the darkness too, only it’s much different than the kind that Sombra uses. It doesn’t corrupt me, possibly because I am made out of darkness itself, like a nobody. It took a while to convince the sisters to allow me to use my powers over darkness, but eventually I was able to convince them on the grounds that it didn’t affect my kind like it did ponies. As I thought about the opponent we would soon face, I feel a hoof tap my shoulder. I look over to see Celestia standing behind me with a serious expression. “Are you ready, Roxas?” I looked her in the eyes for a moment, before looking back at the empire. “Yeah.” She nodded, and standing with Luna, we all turned to look at the group of soldiers behind us. There were twelve of them in total, all of them the best that the Royal Guard had to offer. Celestia took a step forward, and addressed the group. “My little ponies, today is an important day. For months now, the ponies of the Crystal Empire have been living in darkness. But today, we shall bring them back to the light!” The guards cheered in affirmation. Luna then stood up next to her sister, and spoke as well. “Our task is simple. King Sombra is the head of this venomous serpent, and so we must cut the head off. Once Sombra is gone, his slaves will be free. He keeps his laborers in chains, while his soldiers are forced to wear armor that robs them of their free will. It is because of this, that we are only authorizing lethal force as an absolute last resort. Our goal is to incapacitate the enemy troops without seriously injuring them. Is that clear?” “Yes Princess!” the soldiers said in unison. The princess’s heads turned to face me. “Roxas, do you have anything to add?” questioned Celestia. I closed my eyes and thought for a moment, before I shook my head. “No. All I have to say is…let’s give Sombra hell. We’ll make him regret what he’s done.” I then materialized Oblivion in my right hand, and pulled my hood over my head. “Let’s do this!” Everyone in the group now faced the Crystal Empire. And we charged. Luna and Celestia flew while I ran under them, as the soldiers charged behind us. Luna then gave the troops their orders. “Hard Rock, Brass, Tumbler and Silver Swiper, you four go free the slave laborers! The rest split into two teams of four! Draw the guards attention from the castle!” The guards did as they were told, going off to do their duty. Celestia, Luna and I traversed the snow, finally coming to the magical seal that kept the empire protected from the cold. The princesses flew over the wall that had been built, while I jumped over it. The three of us passed through the shield, and instantly we could feel the difference. It was warmer than the frozen outsides, though it wasn’t as warm as it had been in the past. The dark clouds hung overhead, which blocked out the suns warmth. The land lacked true warmth, just like its dictators heart. We made a strait beeline for the castle. When we came close to it, we saw several soldiers guarding the entrance. “I count five!” called Luna. I dashed forward, teleporting quickly, and appearing above one of the armed ponies. I swung my leg down like a pendulum, hitting the stallion right in the head, knocking him out. As I landed, a pony on my left charged me with a spear. I readied Oathkeeper, and blocked. The soldier was about to strike again when Celestia hit him with a stun spell, which caused them to fall to the ground. Celestia and Luna dealt with the other three quickly. Once done, we turned our attention to the castle. We stormed in through the large doors, and were instantly greeted by more armored ponies guarding the halls. As soon as they saw us, they charged. Celestia and Luna used their magic to disable the guards, while used my Keyblades and magic to do the same. We kept this going as we traveled through the palace halls, making our way to the throne room. We made sure to leave the soldiers unconscious, but not seriously injured. After all, they too were victims of Sombra’s evil. Eventually, we came to the entrance of the throne room. Celestia and Luna landed on the floor, and stood next to me with Celestia in the center. “Are you two ready?” questioned the solar princess. “As ever,” said Luna. “Let’s do this,” I replied. Celestia nodded, and used her magic to slam open the door. We then made our way inside. Sombra sat upon his throne, with two guards flanking him on either side. The throne room was darkened due to the lack of true light outside. Sombra’s throne could only be described in the way of the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones, only it was made out of black crystals instead of blades. As we entered, Sombra smirked, not worried at all by our arrival. “Greetings Equestrians,” he said with his deep voice. “It’s over Sombra! Surrender now, and we may show leniency!” stated Celestia. The dark king merely chucked in response. “Surrender? Please, I have been preparing for this fight for years! I wouldn’t dare miss out on a battle of this caliber.” He then addressed his guards. “Leave us.” The guards nodded, and left the room, leaving us alone with the tyrant. I watched them go. They walked completely in time with each other with exact muscle movement. They were like robots. “So, Princesses, I see you’ve brought your pet with you.” I tightened my grip on my weapons, turning to look him in the eye. I was more than ready to wipe that smug smile off of his face. “We brought a friend,” replied Luna. He chuckled in response. “Yes, I’ve heard of him. Sir Roxas of Equestria, the one who helped fell Discord and Tirek. Ha ha ha, It only makes sense that you would require three combatants to face me. After all, I have surpassed you all by so much that it wouldn’t be fair for me to face just one of you.” “Your delusions of grandeur are your weakness, Sombra!” challenged Celestia. “And your faith that the ‘villain’ always loses is yours!” At that moment, Sombra lit his horn. It glowed blood red, and then dimmed as the room’s light did the same, nearly leaving us in pitch-blackness. The princesses and I stood with our backs to each other in a triangle. We lost sight of Sombra as he dissolved into the darkness. Celestia and Luna lit their horns, allowing us to see a little better. We waited for our opponent to make his move in complete silence. Suddenly, I heard the sound of crystals growing as a shard shot from the ground, going strait for me. I blocked with my Keyblades in an ‘X’ shape. Celestia used her magic to bring more light to the room. We could then see a dark shadow slithering on the floor. “There!” announced Luna. Celestia shot a blast of magic at the shadow, but it dodged to the right. Then, the darkness rose, forming the shape of King Sombra. He used his magic to conjure up a sword made out of crystal and then he dashed forward, swinging it down at Celestia. She teleported behind him, and bucked him with her hind legs. Sombra laughed as he turned to smoke, her hooves passing through him. He materialized and spun around, swinging his blade at her. She used her wings to shoot backwards in the air, and fired a blast of magic at him. Sombra split in half like a piece of string cheese, the blast passing right through him before he reformed. Suddenly, I leaped him. I whistled quickly to gain his attention. He turned to face me, and I smacked him right in the face with my Keyblades. He fell to the ground, sliding on the smooth floor. Sombra raised his head, and growled angrily. He then summoned black tendrils, which shot at me. I jumped backwards, into a darkness portal that I summoned. As I did this, Luna appeared above Sombra, and shot down a magic blast. Sombra raised a shield, which blocked the attack. Celestia shot forward, and attempted to kick him again. He dodged, before hitting her on the head with the butt of his blade. She recoiled back, and Sombra took advantage of this by swinging the blade towards Celestia’s neck. It was at that moment that I appeared again, blocking the attack with my weapon. I disengaged before whacking him again. Blood spewed from his nose as I made contact. He sunk back into the floor, retreating from his current position. “You’re starting to annoy me, boy!” growled the unicorn. “I’ve been around a lot longer than you,” I replied. “Perhaps, but I am still far more powerful than you!” Sombra levitated himself into the air, and then summoned nine orbs of dark energy in a circle around his body. He started to laugh manically as he sent them towards us. Three went to Celestia, three went to Luna, and three went to me. Celestia blasted hers with magic, while Luna raised a shield. I dodged the first one, and teleported away from the second one. As I landed on the ground, the third one shot towards me. I reared back my right arm, and swung my Keyblade at it, sending it back at its sender. Sombra’s laughing was cut short when the blast hit him, exploding, launching him back. He collided with his throne hard, before hitting the floor. The sisters and I regrouped, and watched as the dark king got to his hooves. “Princesses, your power has disappointed me,” he said as he spit out black blood. “But Sir Roxas, you are every bit as powerful as the stories told.” He then stood to his full height, cracking a smile. “And you, you know the power of darkness, like me. It’s a shame that you’re a slave to the Princesses. Why, by my side, you could so much more!” I closed my eyes and let out a heavy sigh, chuckling as well. Sombra’s smile fell. “Why do bad guys always think they can entice me with false promises. I’ve seen ponies like you before, and I have enough sense to know that you’d turn on me the moment you were able. Besides, I don’t desire the power you do. I’m…happy with my place, and with my friends.” “A shame. Well, I no longer wish to do battle with you, Knight of Equestria.” “Then give up!” challenged Luna. “Oh, you misunderstand. I’m not done with this fight! In fact, I haven’t even been using my full power. But that warrior of yours is bothering me. So, I am going to utilize one of the oldest strategies in war.” He lit his horn, and as soon as he did, the floor beneath us began to tremble, like an earthquake. “DIVIDE AND CONQUER!” As he yelled that, we could see movement through the windows. A loud roar akin to Godzilla could be heard. “What is that?” questioned Luna. “That is my secret weapon: the Crystal Behemoth!” Another roar was heard as a chunk of the wall was torn away to reveal the creature Sombra had summoned. It was huge, at least half the height of the palace. It had a hunched, bipedal body comprised of blue crystal, with glowing red eyes, and a large, fanged maw. The sisters and I backed away a few feet as we saw it rise. Sombra’s evil laughter filled the room as we took in the creatures might. “Behemoth, get rid of the one on black!” Before I could react, the monster let out a loud roar, and grabbed me. He pulled me out of the palace, grasping me in one hand. “ROXAS!” I could hear the princesses call. The monster then reared back and threw me into the air. I rose like a speeding bullet, spinning as well. When I reached the peak, I regained control, and righted myself, hovering in the air. “Coward. Too afraid to fight all three of us, so you need this beast to distract me. Well fine.” I wasn’t scared of this monster. Sora had taken on opponents of his size in the games, and if he could do it, so could I! I then stopped floating, and let myself fall, shooting towards the Crystal giant. “Celestia, Luna, you take care of Sombra! I’ll take care of the monster!” I shouted. I’m sure their Alicorn hearing was able to pick up on what I’d said. ‘They’re more than a match for you Sombra. Like you, they haven’t been using their full power.' I shot down further, rearing back my weapons as I approached the behemoth. ‘After all, I know how this ends. And I know for a fact-’ I reached the titan. I swung my Keyblades, striking it right in the head. ‘That you don’t stand a chance!’ Author's Note Ok, so we kinda jumped forward a bit. So, you guys have been asking when we will get to modern times, and I've been saying; "Herp derp, I have no idea, I'm a big idiot" -BUT NOW I KNOW! I've written the outlines for the final chapters of the past arc. This is chapter 14, the last past one will be chapter 17. This chapter was originally supposed to be the third to last, but I decided to split it into two. Why you may ask? Well, after, what, three years of writing horse fiction, I've come to realize that I get bored easy, and I have a short attention span. I prefer writing shorter chapters (less than 3000 words), writing chapters longer than that, and my concentration kinda- Oh look a squirrel! So, hope you liked this chapter, we're going to be getting to modernity soon! Also, I made a MLP animation: If you want to check it out, I'd appreciate it! Anyway, thanks for reading. Byyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
XV.The Crystal Empire was in complete and utter chaos. As the battle between Roxas and the Crystal Behemoth began, building after building came crumbling down as a result of the clash between the two destructive powers. The royal guard elites who had journeyed to the empire as part of the strike team were now doing what they could to get the citizens of the empire to safety. Hard Rock and his team were currently leading a group of Sombra’s freed soldiers and laborers to the underground, where they hoped that the magically reinforced load bearers in the mines would keep it from collapsing. “Let’s move ponies, go go go!” he ordered as he motioned with his hoof the direction they were to go. Jus then, a loud booming roar could be heard, one that shook the very ground beneath them. Hard Rock glanced up at the titan as it did battle with a tiny black figure. The giant beast was trying to swat the figure away, but couldn’t move fast enough. ‘That must be Sir Roxas,’ thought the guard as he watched in amazement, as Roxas disappeared and reappeared over great distances and hitting the Behemoth with his weapon. ‘His speed, it’s amazing! Despite that monsters power, it can’t compete with him!’ I ran down the arm of the Crystal Behemoth, heading strait for his head. He was big and powerful, but very slow. He raised his other arm in the air, and tried to bring it down on me. I dashed forward, and struck the monster in the jaw. He then let out a roar, which blew me backwards. I flew through the air, before entering a darkness portal, disappearing from his sight. The titan let out a confused grunt, as I reappeared behind him, on top of a building. ‘I can hit him all day, but until I find a weak spot, he won’t be going down.’ I began searching his body, looking for weaknesses in his armor. The beast, not knowing where I was, turned left and right, trying to find me. Failing, he let out a frustrated growl, and raised one of his arms into the air, and smashed it down on the ground. The force of the hit shook the ground, and the buildings within the radius. The damaged and weakened buildings began to crumble, the one I was on being one of them. I leapt into the air, rising above the behemoth. “Damn it,” I muttered under my breath. “If this fight continues much longer, the whole Empire will be destroyed! If he’d used both arms, the damage would have been doubled! Wait…why didn’t he use both arms?” Deciding to find out why, I fell forward, heading to the front of the titan. As I did, I noticed that his other arm had a long crack on it. ‘I didn’t do that…how did he…wait, that’s where he hit himself when he was trying to squash me!’ “That’s it!” I now realized that I didn’t need to expend all my energy on trying to damage him, when I can instead get him to fight himself! I landed on the ground, and faced the monster. He looked down at me and growled. He then raised his foot, and tried to step on me. I leapt backwards as the foot came down. I then made my way onto his foot, and started whacking his ankle with my Keyblades to get his attention. He roared, and swung his good arm at me, making an attempt to crush me in his grasp. I teleported behind his hand and shot forward, spinning with my Keyblades held long ways at my sides. I then reared them back, and struck the back of his hand, adding to the already present force. His hand slammed against his leg, causing a sound like breaking glass through a megaphone to be heard as cracks appeared. ‘This is good,’ I thought as I landed on the ground. ‘All I have to do is keep this going, and he’s as good as done!’ Celestia leaned backwards as Sombra swung his blade, missing her throat by an inch. She backed up, and waited for Sombra’s next attack. The dark king was about to strike again, but halted when Luna teleported above him, falling down, and striking at him with her hoof. Sombra dodged to the side as Luna struck the floor, leaving a cracked impact upon it. Sombra turned to dark smoke and slithered away, and then rematerialized. Celestia reared back and shot a blast of magic at Sombra, who countered with one of his own. The two magical attacks clashed, creating a loud bang. As the blasts died down, Luna appeared right next to Sombra, and bucked him with her hind legs. The king let out a gasp as he was hurled onto the ground. He let out a cough, spewing black blood onto the floor. He then wiped his mouth with his hoof, before rising back to his hooves. The two sisters stood in front of him in battle stances, ready to continue the fight. ‘They are more powerful than I anticipated,' thought Sombra as he analyzed the situation. ‘Their battle power is very formidable. I might need to apply different methods if I am to win this fight.’ Suddenly, and idea came to the unicorns mind. An evil idea, one that made him chuckle to himself. The sisters tensed as they heard this. The stallion lit his horn, and the glow of his eyes increased. He then reared up on his hind hooves, and let out a multi-toned shout. Out of his mouth came dozens of dark, shadowy wraiths, each one screaming like a soul being tortured in hell. Celestia and Luna’s eyes widened as the dark beings rapidly flew around them in a circle. Though their screams were incomprehensible, inside their minds, Celestia and Luna could hear words being spoken to them. TYRANT SELFISH USELESS Celestia could hear these things being whispered to her. She tried to ignore them, and push forward, but she couldn’t break free of the dark vortex. The spirits still remained. The voices grew louder, causing Celestia to shut her eyes, and try and block out the noise. For Luna, the wraiths were even more intense. She heard things being said to her quickly, over and over again. NO ONE LOVES YOU NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR NIGHT YOU ARE NOTHING BUT YOUR SISTERS SHADOW “Shut up,” said Luna, though she couldn’t even hear herself over the screaming spirits. CELESTIA ONLY ALLOWS YOU THE TITLE OF PRINCESS OUT OF PITY “Shut up!” she said louder this time, as the voices continued to hurl their venomous words at her. SHE IS A GODDESS, AND YOU ARE A DEMON “SHUT UP!” screamed Luna in rage. As soon as she did this, the voices and the wraiths disappeared, as did all light. For when Luna opened her eyes, all she saw was darkness. “W-what? Where am I?” Luna turned around, and still, all she could see was blackness. “Tia? Tia!” No reply. There was no noise in this void, and no light. Just Luna. As Luna stood there in the darkness, a feeling of fear began to worm its way into her heart. “T-Tia?” “This is what they think of your precious night,” came a menacing voice. One that Luna recognized. “Sombra! Show yourself!” challenged Luna as she lit her horn and took a defensive stance. “When ponies think of the night, they think of darkness and fear. Creatures of prey slither in the dark, waiting to consume the weak and defenseless. And ponies know this. To them, there is only cold, dark, fear in the night.” “That’s not-“ but before Luna could finish, a bright light appeared in front of her. The light blinded the princess, causing her to need to shield her eyes with her foreleg. “But the sun! When ponies see the sun, they feel warm in safe!” When the light lost its intensity, Luna was able to look and see a scene in front of her. She was now standing on a balcony, the balcony of her castle. Next to her was her sister, and in front of them, was a large gathering of ponies, all cheering. Luna looked about timidly. She remembered this; it was a proud moment from her past. It was the day she and her sister were welcomed as the new rulers of Equestria. Luna walked forward, gaining a more pleased expression, and then waved to the ponies, just like they had done on that day, so long ago. “They are not cheering for you.” Suddenly, iron chains descended from the sky. Luna let out a surprised gasp as they wrapped around her, and yanked the princess upward, away from her sister and the ponies. “What is going on?” questioned the princess. “The ponies have rejected your night sky for so long. They bask in the suns light, and honor your sister, yet they shun you and your night. They don’t care for the art you create. Compared to Celestia, you will always be second best.” ‘No…that’s not true! Ponies DO appreciate my night sky! I am my sisters equal!’ Luna felt that she should reject Sombra’s claim, but…she couldn’t. ‘But then, why don’t they express joy for the night like they do the day? In the day, they hold parties and celebrations. Each morning they greet the new day with a smile. But when the moon rises, they retreat indoors. They stay inside instead of looking at the stars that I spend so much effort to arrange…’ Luna just hung where the chains were holding her as she looked down on the image of ponies cheering Celestia, alone. Grief covered her face as she took in what she was seeing. “It doesn’t have to be this way though.” Luna looked up to see Sombra materialize in front of her. She watched as he made his way closer to her. “I personally don’t think ponies give you enough credit. The night is a beautiful darkness. It is powerful and deadly. If we work together, we can show ponies that the suns light is meaningless. We will make ponies appreciate the night. Join me, and we will eliminate Celestia, and rule together in a world of eternal night.” The image appeared in Luna’s head. She saw her sister lying on the ground, with her standing triumphantly above her. She saw her and Sombra sitting upon their thrones, ruling over Equestria with her moon permanently replacing the sun. YOU WOULD BE SUBORDINATE TO NO ONE ALL WOULD KNOW YOUR NIGHTS BEUTY Luna could hear the words whisper in her mind. Luna had never desired these things, but now, it was all she could think about. It felt like a dream she had held onto since she was small. Power, respect…love. No one would shun the night sky again. Then she saw her sister again, lying on the ground with a pleading expression. But then she saw herself, another version of herself. She watched as this version of Luna stood triumphantly over her sister. Celestia looked up at the alternate Luna. “Please…don’t do this.” Luna merely smirked, before bringing her hoof down on Celestia, ending her life. The real Luna couldn’t look away. The scene shifted again, this time showing Roxas on his knees, with Sombra standing behind him. Sombra chuckled as he raised his blade, and placed it on Roxas’s neck. He then drew the blade across, and as he did so, the scene dissipated like dust in the air. “We could have it all,” whispered Sombra in Luna’s ear. “No one to challenge us, no one to stand in our way! Think of it! We’d be unstoppable!” Tears came to Luna’s eyes as she tried to fight whatever was affecting her. She felt a deep, horrible compulsion to act on these new ideas. ‘It would be so easy, with the two of us…’ she thought. ‘We could…we could…’ NO. She could hear a new voice now, one different from the others that had been plaguing her. It was gentle and calm. This isn’t what you want. You would be more alone than ever. You would have no one to love you. You’d have no one but him…a cruel and manipulative monster. He would use you. He would abuse you. And once you gave him what he wants…. he’d get rid of you. Don’t trust his lies. Trust your friends. Your family. Suddenly, Luna was filled with a new feeling. One of determination. One of loyalty. Loyalty to her family, and her friends, and the determination to free the Crystal Empire of Sombra’s iron hoof. “So Princess…will you join me?” questioned the dark king. Luna breathed heavily, before looking up at the stallion. “No…NO!” cried Luna. The force of her shout pushed Sombra back and broke the chains that gripped her. “What!” roared Sombra. “I will never join you!” challenged Luna, filled with the fires of determination. Luna’s emotion empowered her magic, and when she lit her horn, the dark world she was trapped in began to crumble and crack. With a stomp of her hoof, the darkness shattered. Luna found herself lying on the floor of Sombra’s throne room, with the black wraiths circling her and her sister. Luna grit her teeth, and stood up on her hooves “Be gone!” She yelled as she stomped her hoof. A burst of magic erupted from her horn, blowing the spirits away from her and Celestia. She then turned to look at her sister who was lying on the floor, covering her ears with her hooves. “Be quiet!” she repeated over and over. Luna quickly made her way over sister. “Tia, Tia!” said Luna as she nudged her sister. It took a few moments, but Celestia began to calm down, removing her hooves from her ears, and slowly looking over to Luna. “Luna?” questioned Celestia. “Yes sister, it’s me.” “What happened?” “Sombra’s dark magic. He trapped us in illusion.” Celestia visibly seemed to remember what had happened. “You-you broke us free?” “Yes, I did.” “He, impressive little sister,” said Celestia with a smirk. Luna nodded with a smile of her own. “Thank you. Now come, we have a job to finish.” Luna helped Celestia up of the ground, and the two turned to face their adversary. Sombra looked at the two with a shocked expression. “Impossible! You should not have been able to break free of my curse!” “Looks like you underestimated us Sombra,” said Celestia with confidence. “It will be the last mistake you ever make,” stated Luna. And then the two charged. I stood atop the Crystal Behemoths head as it roared in outrage. I just smirked in response as I looked at the thing. Cracks ran all along its body, and it was having trouble standing. Being a mindless brute, my strategy had worked, and now the beast was nearly down. I twirled my Keyblades in my hands as I waited for him to attempt to crush me yet again. “Now now, you want this to be quick don’t you? Then give me everything you’ve got,” I told the giant. It roared, and raised its least damaged arm into the air above me. It then brought its fist down as hard as it could and I quickly teleported above the titans appendage. “Time to finish this.” I then shot down strait towards the fist, preparing to add my own strength to the hit. I reared back my Keyblades, and right when the Behemoths fist hit the top of his head, I struck hard. The combined force did the trick. The monster let out a loud roar as its head cracked even further. I leapt onto a nearby building and watched. Shards started falling from the creature’s surface. It collapsed to its knees as the cracks spread, and soon, the entire body shattered like glass. Its bits and pieces filled the streets, overflowing like a flood. Then, it was over. I dematerialized my Keyblade and stepped off the edge of the roof, landing on the ground with a small thud. I looked around at the mess the battle had made. “That takes care of that,” I said with satisfaction. “Alright, now to help Celestia and Luna.” I began sprinting my towards the Palace, making my way inside. I wasted no time, and soon, I found myself at the entrance to the throne room. When I stepped inside, I saw Celestia and Luna firing a magical blast at Sombra. He was putting up as much resistance as he could, with a strained look on his face. But he was failing. The spell that the sisters were using was much more powerful. “No-no! It cannot end like th-this!” yelled Sombra through grit teeth. “It’s over Sombra!” yelled Celestia. The two put one final push in to their spell. It then overpowered Sombra’s counter, enveloping him in its light. “N-no!...Fine then, if I cannot rule the Crystal Empire, no one can!” As Sombra became enveloped by the spell, his body began to turn to black smoke. In a final act of desperation, he lit his horn, before the spell completed, banishing him to the frozen terrain that surrounded the Empire. His screams echoed as he disappeared. And then he was gone. The two sisters stood there, breathing heavy. “We did it…its over,” said Celestia. The two turned their heads to face me when they heard me making my way over to them. “Good job you two!” I congratulated. “Roxas! You defeated the giant?” questioned Luna. “Yeah, he won’t be a problem anymore.” “Impressive. It looks like the Empire is free now,” stated Celestia. The three of us stood there, feeling a great relief that we had been able to remove the dark king. Then, I took initiative. “Come on. Let’s get the others.” We turned and started walking out of the throne room. ‘Hm…I feel like I’m forgetting something.’ Suddenly, the ground beneath us began to shake. It shook worse than when the Crystal Behemoth was summoned. “Is it another one of those monsters?” cried Celestia. Suddenly the wind began to pick up. It was then that I knew what was happening. “No!” I yelled over the noise. “I think something worse is happening. We need to go, now!” I began sprinting for the exit. I stopped and turned and saw that the two had not yet moved. “Come on!” I yelled again. The two snapped out of their daze, and began to follow me. As we exited the palace, I looked up to see what was going on. There was a large black hole high up above the empire. The buildings, the crystal, everything was evaporating into glowing particles, that rose up and were sucked into the hole. As the three of us ran, I noticed the same thing was happening to us. We were fading, being absorbed into the darkness along with the empire. “What’s happening?” questioned Luna. “I think Sombra’s placed a curse on the Empire!” I replied, knowing full well what was happening. We kept running, but at the rate we were going, we wouldn’t make it out of the Empire before it disappeared. I stopped in my tracks, the two sisters stopping a few feet in front of me. “We aren’t going to make it out of here in time if we run. We need to teleport!” “What about the crystal ponies, and the guards we brought with us?” questioned Celestia. ‘That’s right,’ I thought. We brought soldiers with us. But we didn’t have enough time to go searching for them! The empire only had a few minutes left as it was! I shut my eyes and thought. This was a tough call, but I felt we had no real option here. They could be anywhere. “We could go searching for them, but if we don’t find them in time, no one will be able to escape the empire, including us!” “Are you saying we just leave them?” questioned Celestia. “I say, we hope that they’re able to get out on their own! But if we stay behind, we’ll all share the same fate!” “We can’t just leave them to die!” asserted Luna. I paused for a few moments, solemnly. “They won’t die,” I said. “What, how do you know?” questioned Luna. “I just…know, ok. I recognize this spell, it’s banishing the Empire, beyond time and space. It’ll be back…eventually, with everyone in it. Trust me, I know this isn’t a decision we want to make, but we have no real choice here!” The two sisters looked at each other, thinking about the decision at hand. “He has a point. And we do have a kingdom to look after,” stated Luna. Celestia looked anxious as she considered what Luna had said, before closing her eyes. “All right. Gather around me.” We did as asked, and got close to Celestia. She then lit her horn. And in a flash, we were gone. The panicked screams of the crystal ponies could be heard deep within the mines of the Crystal Empire, as the ponies, and their environment began fading away. “What’s going on?” “Are we dying?” The guards were trying to maintain order, but with so few of them, it was getting harder. Tumbler was trying to calm the ponies, while also trying to process what was happening to them. He felt a hoof tapping on his shoulder, and turned to see Brass standing behind him with a concerned expression. “I think we need to get everyone out of here!” he said. “But, we don’t know if its safe out there!” countered Tumbler. “Something is happening in here, and it might be worse than a giant crystal monster!” Tumbler looked at the ponies in the mines. They were scared, scared both of the danger of the battle, and the unknown of what was happening to them. “All right, let’s get out of here.” Brass nodded. He then turned to the pony’s crystal ponies, and the other soldiers. “Everyone, we’re leaving! Head to the entrance, we are leaving the empire!” There were murmurs between the ponies’, before the royal guards turned, and started leading them out of the mines. They began trotting for the exit of the mines. As they ran, the ponies steadily started to feel more and more tired. Not normal physical exhaustion, but something…different. Soon, all the ponies trotting turned to slow walking. They felt their eyes growing heavier. “I…I don’t…feel so good,” said one of the soldiers, as more of them were absorbed with the empire. “We need…to keep…moving,” stated Hard Rock tiredly. But as he fought forward, his body became limp, and his eyes lids started to feel heavy. ‘Why…am I so…tired?’ The entire group of ponies lost the energy to continue on. Simple slaves, and soldiers alike could do nothing, but lie down, and succumb to the intense tiredness. ‘Maybe…maybe I…should just…close my eyes…’ Every pony in the empire could do nothing but fall to their drowsiness as the empire was absorbed. And once it was complete, the ponies were cast into a deep, dreamless sleep that would last for a thousand years. The three of us stood upon a snowy embankment, as we watched the empire fade away. We didn’t see any ponies in the icy snow when it disappeared. “No one made it out,” muttered Celestia. “All those ponies…lost,” said Luna as her voice started to break. The two collapsed to their knees in the snow, as tears came to their eyes. I looked at the two. Was I not feeling the same despair as them because I knew what would happen in a thousand years, or was it because I simply had no heart? Well, whatever the reason, I was currently the one who had the strength to comfort the two. I knelt down between them, and put a hand on each of their withers. “They’ll be back,” I said. “H-how do you know?” asked Celestia. “I know this spell. I…studied it before I met the two of you. It’s banishment spell. It put everyone in the empire in a state of suspended animation. When the curse wears off…and it will…they will be back. Everyone we lost, we’ll find again.” I hugged the two mares, for quite some time. Eventually, they regained their composure. The three of us rose to our full heights. We looked back at the where the empire once was. With solemn expressions, we turned, and made our way back to where we came from. Little did I know something much worse was about to happen. Something that would affect me for the rest of my life. Author's Note Two more chapters until we get to present day Equestria.
XVI.The three of us sat in silence as our chariot flew through the air, towards the castle. No one was really in the mood to talk. Not after what had happened in the Crystal Empire. Soon enough, we saw the town, and the castle appear in the distance. The chariot descended and gently landed on the ground. Being that I was sitting nearest to the exit, I got off the chariot first. When Celestia made to exit, I took her hoof and helped her down. I then did the same for Luna. Once everyone was on the ground, the three of us began walking to the castle. I tried to think of something to say, but honestly, I had nothing. We were all a little Somber about the loss of our comrades. When we entered the castle, I stopped and turned to face the two. “I…I think I’m going to turn in for the night now.” “Yes, of course,” replied Celestia. “I think I shall do the same.” “Then, I shall attend to my duties,” stated Luna. “Are you sure you don’t want to rest, sister?” questioned Celestia. “No, I…I need some time to myself, some time to think.” “Are you alright?” I asked. Luna nodded. “Yes, I am fine. I just need some time to myself.” Luna then started walking away from us, heading towards the throne room. “Good night Tia, Roxas.” Celestia and I watched as Luna left us. When she was out of earshot, I turned to face Celestia. “Do you think she’s alright?” I asked. “Yes. Today has been…stressful for us all. She just needs some time to decompress.” I took a moment to think about that, before I spoke. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” I then let out a yawn, stretching my arms above my head. “Well, I need to go to sleep now.” “Of course. Sleep well Roxas.” “You too.” We then went our separate ways. By the time I made it to my room, my eyelids felt ready to drop. I went to my dresser and took off my coat. When I did, my eyes widened when I noticed something. There was a large purple bruise on my left shoulder. I hadn’t noticed it before because I hadn’t had any pain. I reached over to press my hand against it, and winced when I felt a surge of pain. I quickly retracted my hand. ‘I must have gotten that during the fight.’ I was too tired to use healing magic; so instead, I decided to sleep it off. I went to my bed, and lay down on my back. Moments in, my eyes got heavy, and soon, I found myself drifting off. Then, I entered the darkness of sleep, leaving todays events in the past behind me. I slowly woke up as the sunlight reached my face through my window. I opened my eyes to see the morning. I sat up, but as I did, I felt my sore shoulder. I grimaced as I looked at it, remembering my injury. I got up from my bed, and summoned my Keyblade. I raised it up above me, pointing upward and casted heal. I then felt a tingling numbness as the bruise started to fade. Once it did, I sent my Keyblade away, and pressed my right hand against the spot, and found it to be healed. ‘Thank god for healing magic,’ I thought to myself. I rotated my left arm a bit, before becoming satisfied with its recovery. I then walked over to the dresser, and put on my black coat. It was then that I noticed the emptiness in my stomach. I realized I hadn’t eaten in…well, since before the battle. Must have been a few days since I had a proper meal. I decided to fix that by heading to the dining hall. I left my room, and made my way through the halls. Eventually I made it to the dining hall. I opened the doors, and made my way in. I found Celestia sitting at the table, eating her breakfast. I went up to the table, and took a seat. “Morning,” I greeted. Celestia looked up from her food, and addressed me. “Good morning Roxas,” she said a bit somberly. Moments after I sat down, a waiter appeared to take my order. I gave it, and he left to get my food, leaving Celestia and I alone. “How’s your morning treating you?” I asked. “It’s been…fine,” replied Celestia. I nodded silently. “How about you?” “Same. I had a big bruise on my shoulder, though.” Celestia looked up, with a concerned expression. “You were injured?” “Apparently so. Not sure when or how it happened, I didn’t notice getting hit particularly hard. But I took care of it. It’s fine now.” “Good,” replied Celestia. We waited in silence as the waiter brought my breakfast. As I began to dig in, I noticed that Luna had not arrived. I swallowed my food, and then questioned Celestia. “Where’s Luna?” “I’m not sure. She might still be asleep. She did have to perform her duties so soon after the battle after all.” “Yeah, you’re right.” I turned back to my food, and resumed eating, as did Celestia. We ate in silence for quite a while, before Celestia broke the silence. “How are…how are you doing Roxas?” asked Celestia. I looked up from my plate to look her in the eye. “Fine, why?” “Well, we did loose 12 soldiers, whom you trained personally. I just wanted to know how you were handling it.” ‘That’s right,’ I thought. As I looked back, I remembered that the twelve soldiers we brought with us were ponies that I trained. They were my students and comrades, and every one of them was now lost to us for at least a thousand years. And yet, I didn’t feel the sadness or the depression for what happened. “I…I’m doing fine,” I replied. ‘Twelve soldiers lost, and I don’t feel anything. What’s wrong with me?’ “Well, that’s good I guess. I think Luna’s taken it pretty hard.” “How are you sure? We haven’t seen her since last night.” “I could feel it, the negative emotions coming off her. It comes with being sisters.” “I’m sure it’s just from yesterday. It may take some time, but she’ll get better, I’m sure of it.” “Yes…of course,” replied Celestia. We ate the rest of our meal in silence. I was roaming the halls for some time after breakfast. I was just walking, trying to clear my head. My eyes were cast downward the whole time as I thought about the battle we had fought. Twelve ponies lost, plus the entire population of the Crystal Empire. I knew that they’d be back in a thousand years. But what would it be like for them? Were they suffering? Were they stuck in some sort of suspended animation? I didn’t know, and that’s what bothered me the most. Well, that and the fact that I couldn’t bring my self to feel appropriate sorrow. But while I couldn’t feel despair over the loss, it still weighed heavily on my mind. I looked up from the ground when I saw something in my peripheral vision. I cast my eyes upward and saw Luna, standing and staring out of a window. I looked through an adjacent window to see what she was looking at. Outside was a bright and sunny day. The sky was clear, and ponies everywhere were enjoying it. I looked to Luna. She looked at the happy scene with a slightly downtrodden face, almost a grimace. Wanting to know what was wrong, I walked up next to her. “What’s going on?” I asked. Luna didn’t look away from the scene, but she did address me. “Just…thinking.” I looked from her to the outdoors again. “It seems like you’ve been kinda depressed lately. It everything all right? If not, maybe you’d want to talk about it.” “It’s nothing. You need not worry yourself about it.” “Are you sure? I’m always there if you need to-“ “I’m fine!” snapped Luna. I took a half step back in surprise. Luna looked at me, before taking on a slightly guilty expression. “Do not worry yourself about me. I’m alright.” “Well…if you’re sure.” I turned and stepped away, leaving Luna to herself. I wasn’t sure what was wrong, but I wasn’t about to just leave it alone. She was defensive right now, so I’d try again later, in hopes that I could coax her into telling me what was wrong. After all, that’s what friends are for. A week passed by, and Luna didn’t seem to get any better. She was cold around me, but even more so around Celestia. Her mood didn’t seem to improve. She didn’t talk to us when she saw us. If she did, she spoke the bare minimum. One night, I decided something needed to be done. I stood in my room, watching as the sun lowered, and the moon rose. But what greeted me was not the usual beautiful night sky filled with shining stars and a glowing moon. It was a sloppy, pale imitation of what it normally was. The moon and the stars were dull, and they weren’t arranged in a pleasing way like usual. I decided I needed to talk to her now. So I left my room, and headed down the halls, making for Luna’s room. I was there in no time, preparing what I was going to say. When I reached Luna’s room, I noticed the door was slightly open. Instead of knocking, I gently pushed the door open, and walked in. I saw Luna on the far side, sitting on her balcony. “Luna?” I questioned. She didn’t answer. I started making my way towards her. As I got closer, I heard a soft melody being hummed by the princess. I crossed her room, and made my way next to her. “Luna?” Startled, the Alicorn looked my way, our eyes meeting. “Roxas? What are you doing here?” she questioned. “I came to check on you. Mind if I sit down?” “…No…” I sat down next to Luna. As I did, she turned her attention back to the night sky. We sat there in silence for a few moments. I decided it would do us no good to just sit there and stare at the sky, so I broke the silence. “Luna?” I questioned. “Yes?” “What’s going on with you? Ever since we got back from the Crystal Empire, you’ve been drifting away from Celestia and I. I get it if you’re upset about the soldiers we lost, but-“ “No, it’s not that. I mean, I am saddened by the loss of our comrades but…that is not what is bothering me.” “Then what is it? I can tell this has been bothering you for a while now. Please, I want to help.” Luna was silent for a few moments before she responded. “Roxas…when you look at the night sky, what do you see?” “What do you mean?” “I mean, when you look at the moon and the stars, do you see…well, do you have any appreciation for the work I do?” It was then that I felt something in the back of my mind. Something was familiar about this, but I couldn’t quite place it yet. “Of course I do. Why do you ask?” “I’ve noticed that no one seems to look at the night sky the same way they do the day. Ponies always wander around outside with smiles on their faces when the sun is out. They have picnics, they play, they smile and have fun. They watch the clouds pass by overhead, and they seem to enjoy everything about the day. But when the sun goes down, and my moon rises, they all retreat indoors. Hardly anyone star gazes, or just sits to look up at the moon. They just…they ignore the work I do.” It was then that a distant memory resurfaced in my mind. A name, a name I haven’t heard in a very long time came to be present in my thoughts. ‘Nightmare Moon.’ I knew what was happening now. At once it all came back to me. Luna was feeling envious of her sister, and the appreciation she receives. She was in danger of being consumed by her negative emotions. She was in danger of becoming Nightmare Moon. ‘I completely forgot about that…how could I have forgotten something so important?’ I started wondering. Should I tell Celestia? It might help, but…I didn’t think that would be the best course of action. This was a personal problem for Luna, and I don’t think she would’ve appreciated me telling Celestia her private issues. But maybe, I could help her through this myself. I just had to restore her faith in herself. “I don’t ignore it,” I said. “I’ve always admired the night.” “You’re just saying that,” replied Luna with distaste. “No, I mean it. When…when I was little, my father would bring out his telescope, and let me look through it, at the stars and the moon. It was like looking at a painting done by a real artist. I could stare at it for hours on end.” “Really?” she asked, hopeful. “Yeah. I always loved looking up at the moon. When you look up at the night sky, you can gaze at the stars and the moon. You look up at the sun, and you go blind. You can’t enjoy it the same way as the moon.” “I…I suppose that is true. But even if you can appreciate it, no one else does. They just sleep right through it.” I sat there, and listened to what Luna had to say. She still doubted herself, but I was determined to help her. “You know, the way I’ve always seen it, they sleep through the night because they trust in you to protect them. It’s natural to fear the dark, but it’s because they trust that you’re watching them, that they are able to feel safe enough to close their eyes and sleep. They know that you’re protecting them.” Luna looked like she was seriously considering what I was telling her. “Do you really think so?” she asked me hopefully. “I do.” “Ponies really trust me? I never really thought about it like that. I thought they just slept through the night because they didn’t care enough about it to be awake.” A small smile came to Luna’s face as she looked back up at the stars. “You know, Celestia has always been better than me at everything. She surpassed me in magic, flight, she’s even always been a happier pony than me. I never knew how jealous I was until…” “Until what?” I asked. “Until Sombra got in my head,” admitted the Alicorn. ‘Sombra,’ I thought as I grit my teeth. So he was the cause of this. “Luna, Sombra was a sadistic asshole. He was just trying to break you.” “I know but I can’t help but think that there’s some truth in what he said. I’m not as good, or as powerful as Celestia. She’s the eldest and will always be the eldest. She’s…better than me.” “Why do you think she’s so much better than you? What can she do that you can’t?” “She moves the sun! The sun is huge, it dwarfs the moon completely! It would take all of my power to do what she does.” “Luna, you move the stars,” I told her, confused. “So?” she questioned. “Luna, do you not know what the stars are?” “What do you mean? They’re just little blips of light in the sky.” “Luna, the sun is a star. Every single star in the sky that you move is a sun of its own. Some are smaller than ours, but others are millions of times the size of our sun. It takes an incredible amount of power to move all of those stars, a power that you wield effortlessly!” “How…how do you know this?” she asked incredulously. “My…my people figured it out a long time ago.” “But they disappeared before we met, which was so long ago. How did they figure out something that Equestria still hasn’t even touched on?” I looked at Luna for a few moments, before looking up at the sky. ‘My people. I haven’t seen another human in so long. What had become of them? Did we have flying cars and robot servants by now? Had we achieved the impossible, or had we doomed ourselves with our reckless abuse of our environment? I didn’t know. I didn’t know what happened to my family, or my race. But…it was something that I wish I did.’ “If there’s one thing I remember about my people, it’s that we were smart. Smart enough to create and do things that seemed impossible. Before…before I became the only one of my kind on this planet, we had figured out so much. I have no idea how we did some of the things we did, but it always amazed me.” Luna was silent for a while, as she just looked at me. Then she spoke, but it sounded like she was no longer sad about her own problems, and more so about mine. “You must miss them,” she said compassionately. “I’ve learned to deal with it. Besides, I have you ponies to keep me company now. It’s been so long, I don’t even notice the difference.” Luna smiled, letting out a soft chuckle. “We’re glad to have you too Roxas.” We looked into each other’s eyes for a few moments before we looked back up at the sky. I could see Luna smiling out of the corner of my eye. After some silence, she spoke again. “Thank you Roxas. You’ve really helped me. I…I feel better.” “You don’t need to thank me. I’d be a pretty lousy friend if I just let you suffer like this.” Luna chuckled in reply. “I guess so. But that’s one thing you will never be Roxas, is a bad friend.” I offered her a warm smile. I chuckled a little as well. Then, the two of us turned our gazes back to the night sky. I hoped that I had been able to change Luna’s thoughts. Discord, Tirek, and Sombra were all events that hadn’t changed, even with my arrival in Equestria. But this was something I was determined to change. I decide that I would keep this from Celestia, because I felt that if Luna and I could work through it privately, then there wouldn’t be a need for Celestia to worry. And I knew that unlike the other events, this was something I could change. I was determined to help Luna. Looking back on it, I think I made the wrong choice. I thought I could help Luna myself. I thought telling Celestia would just add to her worry. I honestly thought I had shown Luna that her night was appreciated, and that it did matter. But there was one thing going on with Luna that I didn’t know. And it cost us all dearly. It’s my greatest regret. Author's Note New chapter is out, I hope you guys like it! I want to thank those of you who read and comment on this story, you help keep me motivated. I honestly feel that I'm loosing my touch for writing. What do you guys think, is it just in my head? Also, sorry for the wait. You see, I have a part time job now. It's not something I really like doing, but I need work experience. I hope that one day I can make enough money off of my content that I will be able to work on it full time, but it doesn't look like that will happen any time soon. I don't want to be stuck with normal everyday jobs, I want to be able to entertain people and create content for the internet, and make a living off of that. So, I've been putting a bit more time into my video work, in hopes that I will get enough followers to make a bit of money. I'm almost at a thousand subscribers, and according to my analytics I'll probably reach that milestone in a few months. I really want to turn my content creation into a career. I was thinking today that maybe I should offer commissions in writing, art and animation, but I'm not sure anyone would actually want something like that from me. What do you guys think? Well, anyway, thanks for reading this story. If there's anything you think I need to improve on, just let me know, I want to get good enough at this, so that I might be able to write a real book. Alright, bye!
XVII.Three Years Later Luna stood atop her balcony, overlooking the scene that lay before her. I was the evening; almost time to raise the moon. Everywhere Luna looked, she could see happy and content ponies going about their business. Luna looked at them with a neutral expression for a few minutes before she turned her gaze to her sister’s tower. She saw Celestia step onto her own balcony, making eye contact with her. Luna nodded in understanding, and then shut her eyes. She channeled magic into her horn, as did Celestia. Then, the sun started lowering in the horizon as the moon ascended into the sky. Once this was done, Luna looked back to her sister. Celestia gave Luna a wave with a smile before returning to her room, most likely to begin getting ready for bed. When her sister was out of eyeshot, Luna turned to look back at the ponies in the town. A frown came to her face as she saw the various ponies retreat to the indoors. None of them seemed at all interested in the night she bestowed. They just retreated into their houses; ready to sleep through the thing she put so much effort into. ‘Look at how they ignore your hard work. Ungrateful foals.' Luna shut her eyes, and retreated back into her room, trying to block out the voice. ‘The night sky is a piece of art that no pony has the mental fortitude to understand. We must educate them!’ “No,” replied Luna. “I will not force my work on anyone. If they do not appreciate it, it’s their loss.” ‘Thinking like that leads to stagnation. You have the power to make everyone notice your work! Why not make the effort?’ “What am I supposed to do? Refuse to lower the moon? Cast the nation in eternal darkness? That’s foolish!” ‘But isn’t that what you want? Think about it! It would be a paradise!’ “No! I…I don’t…want that.” ‘Yes you do! Your sister bathes in pony’s praise, while you hide in the dark! If other pony’s knew the dark like us, perhaps they’d grow to like it.’ “I can’t just refuse to lower the moon, it would cause panic, chaos! Ponies need the day, just like they need the night” The voice didn’t say anything afterwards, instead muting itself in silence. That gave Luna some rest, and some time for her own thoughts. Gently, her thoughts drifted towards what she had been conversing with the voice about. She couldn’t listen to it, refusing to lower the moon would be a horrible decision! But maybe…maybe she could keep the moon up a few extra hours. Just a few, so that ponies could wake up and begin their day looking up at the moon and the stars. Surely…surely that wouldn’t hurt, right? Celestia would understand, wouldn’t she? A little feeling of warmth made its way into Luna’s heart. She felt a little…excited! ‘This could be exactly what I need! Perhaps this will allow ponies to enjoy the night that I make for them!’ The thought of this filled Luna with determination, and hope. A smile came to her face. Excited, Luna left her room, and started making her way towards the throne room. Celestia was roused from her sleep by her internal alarm clock. Like every day since she became responsible for the day, it woke her from her sleep every morning at the same time. Opening her eyes, Celestia threw her covers aside and rose from her bed. She then made her way to her bathroom. Using her magic, she levitated a brush to her mane, and started to comb it. After a few seconds, she recalled something. “Wait…my hair is magic, I don’t need to comb it!” She removed the brush, and looked at it with a puzzled expression. “Why do I even still have this?” She set the brush down, and made her way to her dresser, where she kept her regalia. She adorned the golden jewelry, adjusting it to make sure it looked right. Satisfied with her appearance, Celestia went out to her balcony, ready to raise the sun. Celestia stood there for several minutes, glancing over to her sister’s balcony, waiting for Luna to step out and lower the moon. When she didn’t, she figured Luna was just running a little late. But when the ten-minute mark passed, Celestia noticed ponies emerging from their homes, looking confused as to why the sky was still dark. ‘What’s keeping Luna, this isn’t like her,’ thought Celestia to herself. She decided to go and see where her sister was. Celestia left her balcony, and entered her room. She then made her way to her door, opened it and exited. She then made her way down the hall to her sister’s room. She stood in front of the door to Luna’s room and knocked. When no one answered, she knocked again. “Luna?” called the Alicorn. When no one answered, she knocked one more time, before opening the door and entering. She looked about the darkened room, looking for her sister, but found no sign of her. Frowning, Celestia turned and left the room. She journeyed down the hall, looking for her sister. When she turned the corner, she was a guard standing ten feet away. She made her way up to him, and addressed him. “Excuse me, guard?” questioned the diarch. The pony raised his hoof in a salute, addressing Celestia. “Yes your highness?” “Have you seen my sister?” “Yes your grace, I saw Princess Luna head towards the throne room some time ago.” “Thank you,” said Celestia with a nod and a smile, before she started heading towards the throne room. ‘I wonder why she’d go there before lowering the moon?’ questioned Celestia to herself. Whatever it was, she hoped her sister was okay. Luna stood in the throne room, looking through a window at the ponies in the town that surrounded the castle. She watched with a puzzled expression as ponies stood timidly outside, not really going about their day. “They don’t seem to be happy,” said Luna to herself. ‘Oh, they will be. Just give them some time to adjust.’ Luna was roused from her thoughts by the sound of the doors to the throne room opening, and hooves hitting the floor. Luna turned to see none other than her sister entering the throne room. “Oh, hello sister!” greeted Luna. Luna noticed that her sister looked relieved, but also a bit irritated when she saw her. “Luna, where have you been?” questioned Celestia. “I have been here, “ replied the darker Alicorn. “Why, did you need something?” “The moon Luna, you didn’t lower the moon!” “Oh, yes, that. Well Tia, I thought that maybe we could leave the moon up for a few extra hours.” “Luna, we can’t do that,” replied Celestia. “It’s just a few extra hours sister.” “Luna, we keep the day and night on a schedule for a reason! A disruption in the cycle of night and day could cause panic! Ponies won’t know what time it is. It would only serve to disrupt our harmony!” “But...but it’s not fair! You get so much appreciation for the sun and the day! Everyone loves you, but no one cares about the night that I put so much effort in to! Just a few extra hours Celestia, that’s all I ask…” “I’m sorry Luna, but we can’t do that,” replied Celestia. “But…but…” muttered Luna, somberly. The excitement she felt when she had her idea to keep the moon up was now gone, replaced by a depressing gap in her heart. “Please sister, I need this!” “I’m sorry, but the answer is no.” ‘See? Not even your own sister cares about your art! She won’t even give you two precious hours! She doesn’t care about your happiness!’ Luna didn’t respond as tears started to form in her eyes. ‘If you want ANYTHING in this world, you have to take it!’ “I could never do that,” whispered Luna. ‘No…but I can.’ ‘No, I will not…I won’t…’ ‘Just close your eyes. I’ll take care of the rest.’ Luna suddenly felt her eyes growing heavy. Her thoughts started to become cloudy, as did her vision. ‘Relax partner. I’ll take care of everything.’ The last thing Luna could hear before she descended into darkness was a maniacal cackling. Then, there was nothing. I was jolted out of my sleep by a loud booming that vibrated through the foundation of the castle. “Run for your lives, it’s Shia Labeouf!” I screamed as I woke from the dream I was having. I quickly looked around my room, searching for my worst fear before I realized where I was. “Oh, right,” I said to myself. I looked to my window, expecting to see the morning sun, but instead, I was greeted with the moon and the stars. “Huh?” I got up from my bed, and made my way to my window, where I leaned down on the windowsill with my hands. “I don’t usually wake up this early. What’s going on?” Just as I asked myself that question, the castle rumbled again, vibrating everything. “Whoa!” I yelped, stumbling backwards. ‘What’s going on,’ I thought. ‘It sounds like the castle is being demolished! I better go see what’s going on!’ I quickly threw my coat on and dashed out of my room, heading down the halls. As I ran, I saw servants and guards rushing towards me. They maneuvered around me, trying to get away from wherever they were coming from with urgency. I stopped one of the guards who was attempting to get around me, and questioned him. “What’s going on soldier?” “Something’s happened to Princess Luna!” replied the pony. My blood ran cold. “She’s gone mad, she attacked Princess Celestia! We have to get out of here, before the whole castle collapses on us!” My eyes were wide as I told him to keep running, and he did so without hesitation. I started sprinting down the halls, evading the ponies who were flooding towards me. ‘This can’t be happening,’ I thought as I leapt over a fleeing maid. ‘I thought I prevented this, I talked to Luna! I thought I fixed things!’ I was naïve. I was here in the land of Equestria, with knowledge of the future, but nothing I did mattered! Everything’s the same as it was. I thought I could prevent the bad things from happening, but I was wrong. It was then that I remembered something from a long time ago. ‘You will change history. But nothing will change.’ I stopped running, and the river of ponies died down. ‘Nothing will change.’ “Nothing will change,” I said to myself. ‘Is that it? That voice that I heard when I first came to Equestria. It told me that I’d change things, yet not change them at the same time…it knew all this would happen, that I’d come here, and that I’d try to make things better, but fail! “Then…” I muttered through grit teeth, clenching my fists. “Then what was the point!” I yelled as I slammed my fist into the stone wall of the hall, cracking the masonry. ‘Was I just sent here to watch these horrible things happen without being able to change them just some sort of joke? Was it just to screw with me?’ Anger started to flood through me. ‘I tried so hard to make everybody happy. But every time something bad happened, it completely took me by surprise! But I thought…I thought that with Luna, I had a chance to make things right. I thought if I just talked to her, I could convince her that she WAS valued.’ “That was three years ago,” I said to myself. “Has she been festering this negativity for three years? Why…why didn’t she talk to me?” Another shockwave roused me from my thoughts. I shook my head, and resumed my sprint, heading for the throne room. I was there in no time. I threw open the doors, and charged inside. Luna or Nightmare Moon, and Celestia were flying in the air, exchanging magical blasts. The attacks were tearing the throne room apart, with stone exploding, and shattering into thousands of pieces. I ran as close to the two as I could, and cupped my hands around my mouth. “LUNA! STOP, YOU HAVE TO STOP!” I yelled. Celestia turned her head to look at me. “Roxas?” she questioned just loud enough for me to hear. “Uh, STAY OUT OF THIS YOU FOAL!” yelled Nightmare Moon, as she shot a blast of magic my way. I jumped into the air, avoiding the attack. “DON’Y YOU DARE HURT HIM!” cried Celestia, as she charged back into the fight. Meanwhile, I hovered in the air, and summoned my Keyblade. ‘I have to stop this,’ I thought to myself. ‘Otherwise, Luna will be banished to the moon for a thousand years!’ As the battle continued, I shot forward. I got as close to the dueling siblings as I could. “LUNA, IF YOU DO THIS, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO LIKE THE OUTCOME! PLEASE, STOP!” “BE QUIET!” yelled Nightmare as she shot another blast towards me. I knocked it aside with my blade. Celestia then sent a volley of magical orbs towards Nightmare, who weaved through them. “NIETHER ONE OF YOU IS GOING TO STOP ME! I WILL HAVE ETERNAL NIGHT!” cackled Nightmare Moon. “LUNA, YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS! REMEMBER WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT!” “OH, I REMEMBER! YOU SHOWED LUNA HOW POWERFUL SHE WAS, THAT SHE COULD DESTROY CELESTIA EFFORTLESSLY! AND WE SHALL!” Nightmare Moon created a set of deadly energy spears, which she shot at Celestia. Celestia raised a magical barrier to block them, which was successful until the last one, which broke the shield. Taking advantage of this, Nightmare used another powerful blast of magic, one far bigger and hotter than the previous ones. ‘She doesn’t have time to defend against it!’ I thought. Celestia was still reeling from her barrier being broken. So, I teleported in front of her, and raised my Keyblade to block. The blast hit the blade, as I supported the upper half with my hand. I pushed against the attack with all my strength, but it was too powerful. Inch by inch, I started to give way. Nightmare put a bit more effort into the blast, and I wasn’t able to keep resisting. I was blasted back, right into the wall behind me. I yelled out in in pain as I hit the wall, cracking the bricks. The wind was knocked out of me, and I heard Celestia call out my name. But, as I started to fall, I felt a warm tingling sensation surround my body. I felt myself being levitated in the air. I thought it was Celestia, come to my rescue. But when I opened my eyes, I saw the manic grin of Nightmare Moon staring back at me. She chuckled as she held me in her grasp. “Luna…please…” “Luna can’t hear you anymore. There is only Nightmare Moon! Now, be a good pet, and go to sleep!” Nightmare threw me down. Celestia cried out, as she dove down to try to catch me. But before she could, I slammed into the ground. I cried out in pain as I landed. Celestia landed beside me. She then carefully supported my head with her foreleg. “Roxas, are you alright?” she questioned. I moaned for a few seconds, before replying. “I’ll…I’ll be o-ok.” Celestia looked me in the eyes with concern, the sound of Nightmare Moon’s laughter echoing throughout the throne room. Celestia closed her eyes, and lit her horn, and a magical glow enveloped my body. My pain lessoned, but was still present to a degree. Celestia then lowered my head back to a resting position. “Whatever you do Roxas, don’t go to sleep. You may have a concussion.” I nodded, and she turned to face Nightmare Moon with rage in her eyes. “Now I know you’re not Luna. Luna would never do such a thing to her loved ones!” “So you figured it out hug? Well it’s too late, because your time has run out! Now die!” Nightmare Moon raised her horn and started charging her magic. Celestia stepped away from me, and looked up at her sister defiantly. “I am sorry sister…but you have left me no other choice.” Celestia lit her horn. Two panels in the floor opened and slid apart, allowing a large statue to rise from the ground. The pedestal rotated, revealing all six jewels of the Elements of Harmony. Celestia levitated the gems, and activated them. They started to swirl around her in a brilliant white light. ‘No…’ I thought. I didn’t want this to happen, but there was nothing I could do. Nightmare let loose her magical blast, and as she did this, Celestia fired the elements. The two blasts hit each other, battling for dominance. But as we all know, the elements proved to be more powerful. The light of the elements overpowered Nightmares magic. It slammed into her, and shot her strait into the sky, towards her moon. When Nightmare hit it, there was an eruption like a sonic rain boom. And the image of the Mare in the Moon became engraved on the satellite. It was over. I had failed. Celestia stood, staring up at the moon, with tears in her eyes. “Luna…I’m sorry,” she said as she lowered her head and closed her eyes. She stood there for several moments, before she heard the sound of footsteps. She quickly turned her head to see her friend, Roxas, limping away from the scene. “Roxas?” she questioned. When he didn’t answer, she galloped towards him. “Roxas, where are you going?” “I’m leaving.” “W-hat do you mean?” “I don’t deserve to be in the same space as you,” he said somberly as he stopped traveling.” “What do you mean? You did your best, it’s not your fault that Luna overpowered-“ “No!” he interrupted, throwing his arm down. “No, it’s not that. It’s…it’s my fault Luna had to be banished. I knew this was going to happen, but I thought I could change things. But I failed.” “R-Roxas, how could you know?” “I saw the signs, but I thought I could just talk to Luna, and help her. But I was wrong. I was so wrong. Luna’s going to be banished to the moon for a long time, so…so I’m banishing myself.” Roxas started limping forward again, snapping his fingers to create a darkness portal. “Wait, Roxas, please don’t go! I-I don’t blame you! Please…. just…don’t leave me…” “I’m sorry, but…I just…I just can’t stay. I don’t deserve to be your friend. I don’t deserve to be anyone’s friend…goodbye, Celestia.” he said again, his voice cracking. Then he stepped into the portal. The last thing Celestia heard before he disappeared into the darkness was; “Now I know I have a heart. Because it’s breaking.” And he was gone. Hours later, Celestia stood in her room. Part of the ceiling had collapsed. The room was dirty, and many of her things were broken. Celestia sniffled, and wiped a tear from her eye. The castle was destroyed. Luckily, no one else was hurt during the fight, but…Celestia had decided that she wasn’t going to rebuild her castle. She wasn’t even going to stay in the same village. She was going to move the capital of Equestria to someplace…someplace without the tainted memories. In a single day, Celestia had lost her sister and a dear friend. And she had no idea how long she would be without them, or if she would ever see them again at all. She was alone now. And it filled her with sadness. Celestia looked around her room, looking for anything that was salvageable. Not much was. As she stepped into the room, she looked about. Something did catch her eye. There was a scroll lying on her dresser. Curiously, Celestia walked over to it, and lifted it up with her magic. She removed the seal, and unfurled the letter. She read the calligraphy out loud to herself. “On the longest day of the thousandth year the stars will aid in her escape and she will bring about everlasting night.” Celestia stared at the scroll, processing what she had read. ‘A thousand years…Luna will return in a thousand years?’ she thought. ‘Nightmare Moon will return. Not Luna.’ A bad feeling came to Celestia’s heart, before she noticed more writing. “In a thousand years, have six new bearers for the elements. They will purify your sister, and you two will be reunited. Have faith in yourself and your decisions. And stay strong.” Celestia analyzed the writing. ‘Who wrote this?’ She looked at the bottom of the page, and saw the letter ‘R’ scrawled. “Roxas…” A small smile came to her face. Celestia closed her eyes, lowering her head, and hugged the note to her chest. “A thousand years is a long time to wait. I miss the two of you already. But if it takes a thousand years to have even one of you beside me, then a thousand years I will wait.” Celestia kept the note in her grasp as she turned and exited her room. “And someday, I hope to have both of you with me again.” Celestia left the castle, with sadness, but a hint of hope within her. She hoped that the future would be bright. Author's Note Here it is, the final chapter of the prologue! Next chapter will be in the present, taking place right after the first chapter. Thanks for sticking with this story for so long, and I hoped you liked the prologue. Now it was at this point that I originally planned on doing crossovers with other Displaced pics, but I'm not sure people are still doing that. If there are any authors who want to crossover, send me a pm with a link to the story you want to use. I'm only planning on crossing over with a 1 or two stories, and I'm looking for stories with a decent like to dislike ratio. But if nobody wants to, it won't affect the story TOO much. It'll mainly affect the ending. It'll be the same basic ending, just with one difference. So, if anyone has a story they want to crossover, let me know. Alright, thanks for reading, and I'll see you next chapter!
XVIII.Present Day It’s been a long time. A thousand years of self-imposed isolation. When Luna turned into Nightmare Moon, I abandoned the life I’d built in Equestria. I just couldn’t face Celestia. I couldn’t look her in the eye after what I had allowed to happen. I spent many sleepless nights reliving my mistakes in my head, thinking about what I could have, no, what I SHOULD have done differently. And it weighed heavily on me. I now knew I had a heart, because it broke on that day. I spent the first few days in the Everfree forest, sulking. I couldn’t sleep, and I barely ate. But after a while, I realized there was nothing I could do to fix what had happened. I couldn’t go back and try again. I couldn’t reset time like that kid in Undertale, even though I really wanted to. But even though I couldn’t change the past…I could make sure the future went the way it was meant to. In a thousand years, the stars would align, and aid in Luna’s escape. Twilight Sparkle and her friends would find the Elements of Harmony, and turn her back to her normal self. I made the decision then and there that when the time came, if they needed my help, I would give it. I would let nothing stop the future from being as bright as I knew it would be. Until then…I would wait. I had a LOT of time to kill. So, I decided to spend my time traveling, and improving myself. I journeyed all over Equestria. I ventured to every corner of the nation, making sure not to draw too much attention to myself, yet I didn’t shy away from helping those who needed it. I’d protect ponies in danger, and hone my skills as a mage and a warrior. I fought monsters and villains alike. It was never anything major, or super difficult. The villains were nothing compared to those that appeared in the show. A few crazed power seekers, and chaotic acolytes, but they were pretty small news. I guess there’s a reason Equestria never faced another major threat in the show, between the banishment of Luna, and her return. It was me. When I had seen all there was of Equestria, I decided to venture outside of the kingdom. I traveled all over the world, visiting places like the Badlands, the Griffin Kingdoms, the Dragon Lands. I even found a few places that I hadn’t seen in the show, such as YakYakistan, the Hippogriff lands; I even found a small little village full of pony like creatures called Kirin. I made friends, though…I always kept them at a bit of a distance. Maybe it was because I didn’t want to cause anymore serious heartache, or maybe I didn’t feel right making new creatures my close friends, after I had left Celestia, and my friends in Equestria behind. I wasn’t anti-social; I just…didn’t really let myself get as close to other creatures as I was with the sisters. And, with the curse of my immortality, I watched those friends die. Old age, sickness, or violence, I saw and witnessed them all. It hurt. It hurt a lot. But I new I needed to hold on to that pain and accept it. Because if I let the pain desensitize me, and turn off my emotions…then I really would lose my heart. With some of my friends, when they passed on, I would stay and be apart of their children’s lives, I became a family friend of sorts. But all things come to an end. I always knew when it was my time to depart, and start again. But as proud and happy as I was to have so many good friends and memories to carry with me, it also hurt to know how many I had lost, and all the pain I had seen. Some days were worse than others. I’ve had quite a few sleepless nights in my years, and plenty of nightmares. But I had good dreams too. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done without those. They let me visit those I lost, including Luna and Celestia. Sometimes I wonder if that was really Luna visiting me from the moon. Who knows? Believe it or not, a few legends started circling about me. The Knight in Black was one of them. I earned it after saving a race of Deer from a Hydra. By this point, I was completely used to being Roxas. Not Sir Roxas, not the leader of the Royal Guard, just Roxas. My old name? My name from the world I was born in…was gone. I couldn’t remember it; no matter how hard I tried. I probably should have written it down somewhere. But…well, what is a name really? Living without my real name, I could accept, I could live with it. But when I could no longer remember my mother’s face, or my father’s…that hurt. For a thousand years, I was alive, but I didn’t grow. My mind could only hold so much information, and stuff that was no longer deemed important was erased and replaced. Huh…I guess my mind didn’t deem my family to be important enough to remember. That nearly broke me. I didn’t’ want to forget them…I didn’t want to forget ANYONE! It wasn’t just my human family, and old life that faded away, but some of my Equestrian life was lost to me as well. Guards I had trained, friends I had made, the less notable and memorable friends I had made were lost to time as well. I really wish I had kept a journal or something. I had to wonder if Celestia and Luna had the have the same problem? I don’t know…I do know that the rules could be different for them, since they’re Alicorns, and I’m human. I just wish I had enough room inside my brain to remember EVERYONE and all the relationships I had made, and cherished. But, I guess that’s just a fantasy. I just hoped…I just hoped that, when the day finally came for my time to end…I would get to see EVERYONE I had ever loved, and everyone I had forgotten, including those from my old world. But considering that I was now in a completely different world from my original one, that might not be possible. Different afterlives for different realities, I assumed. There’s also the chance there isn’t such a thing in ANY reality, and that once you died…that was it. But, I tried not to think about that possibility. Nearly a thousand years had gone by since Luna’s banishment. The clock was now ticking down onto her return. I had kept track of the time, though it wasn’t always easy, considering different cultures had different starting points with their years. But I was able to do it. A few years before Luna was said to return, I made my journey back to Equestria. I returned to the Everfree forest, and settled into the Castle of the Two Sisters. It was abandoned now, crumbled to dust and decay. All the life that this place had once housed was gone. Hundreds of souls, citizens who I lived alongside of were now long dead. I wondered if there were any ghosts wandering the castle’s halls. If there were, would they remember me? I settled into my old room. Walking into that room hit me hard, causing tears to come running. It was practically ancient. It WAS ancient. So was I. Had I not been immortal, my body would be long buried, my flesh all but rotted away, leaving old, dry bones, and a tattered coat. It sent chills up my spine. How I wish things had gone differently. I wished that Nightmare Moon never happened, and that we could have all lived together over the years. Now the castle, and my memories had crumbled and decayed. It was a feeling I can’t really put into words, and you probably couldn’t understand the feeling, unless you yourself were in the last throes of life. My room was nearly empty. Many of my things were gone. The painting of me and the sisters that I kept above my bed was gone. I hope Celestia took it somewhere safe. The mirror I kept mounted on my wall was cracked and dirty, but it still reflected my image back at me. Not a day of age had touched me. No stubble or facial hair, my head hair didn’t even grow. I was permanently stuck in a state of boyhood. My room was dusty, and full of cobwebs, but I made do with it. It wouldn’t be long before Nightmare Moon would return, and she would be turned back into Luna. Celestia would have her sister back, and everyone would have their happy ending. As for me…I didn’t know. The only future I was uncertain about was my own. But no matter what, I wouldn’t let things turn out bad for any of my friends! I would make sure things were set right. And so, the day before the Summer Sun Celebration, I laid myself down on my bed, and for the first time in a thousand years, I let myself fall asleep in my own room. A room with memories, a room that truly was MINE. I drifted off to sleep, setting a magic alarm to wake me in time to make sure that things went according to plan. I had ventured to the end of the forest earlier, and saw the ponies of Ponyville setting up for the festivities. I knew things were set in motion. I closed my eyes, and lost consciousness, and had the best sleep in centuries. Because I knew that tomorrow…Luna would be coming home. Author's Note Well Ladies and Menies, Roxas is Back In Black! I want to apologize for how long this has taken. But don't worry, I have plenty of excuses! The reason I delayed this for so long, is because once I finished the part of the story that took place in the past, I wasn't sure how I was going to go with this. I was stuck between two options, 1. having the story crossover with other displaced stories, and doing something that led to an infinity war thing, or 2. not doing that. I chose to do the latter. The other reason I haven't updated in so long, is well, for a while I completely lacked all motivation to continue my stories. I was working on other things, animations, comics, music etc. I was still writing, I just had no motivation to write on this site anymore. But that changed this morning, and I found myself motivated again. And you know what, I really enjoyed getting back into this. So, I'm going to try to keep this going, and update my stories more frequently. So yeah, that's what's been going on. I'm almost finished with this semester at college, and then I have one more before I graduate. If you want to support my work, I have a Ko-Fi and a BuyMeaCoffee Also, one last thing. Would anyone be interested in drawing a new cover image for this story? I'm looking for something with book proportions. If multiple people want to do, we may do a contest of sorts, and I'll pick the best one. Well that's all, thanks for staying with me this long! See you soon!
XIX.I stood atop the decayed castle that I once called home, looking up at the star filled sky. The wind blew through my hair as I stared at the pony shaped pattern imprinted on the moon, waiting for the all-defining moment when the stars would aid in Nightmare Moon’s escape. A thousand years. It had been a thousand years since I’d seen my closest friends. The time had a way of wearing me down. I can’t imagine what it’s done to Luna. Was she conscious during this time? I really didn’t know what it was like for her. I probably wouldn’t ever know either. I was just here to make sure everything went the way it was supposed to. I’d make sure the Mane Six freed Luna, and then…well, I’d probably return to my isolation. I still felt as though I couldn’t face them. This was about making things right, not about mending my own emotional state. I felt a chill run through me as the image on the moon dissipated. I saw a light appear in the darkened sky. It quickly shot through the sky, before disappearing in the horizon. “I guess it’s time,” I said to myself. I pulled my hood over my head, and leaped off of the tower I was standing on. “Let’s do this.” I stuck to the darkness as I followed Twilight and her friends. Though it had been millennia since I saw the show, I still remembered how this all went. As the ponies walked along the edge of the cliff, their first trial, I saw a purple mist float towards the rock. Nightmare Moon’s magic soaked into the hard stone. The moment Rainbow Dash made her attempt to scare the six, the cliff began to rumble and shake. A crack formed, causing the ledge that the ponies were standing on to break. Rainbow and Fluttershy took to the sky as the others began to fall, crying out in surprise. The two pegasi were able to catch Rarity and Pinkie Pie, while AJ and Twilight slid down. Fluttershy and Rainbow quickly their two friends down safely, as Twilight and Applejack had their exchange. I used to wonder what took the pegasi so long, that they weren’t able to just grab the two earthbound ponies off the cliff, instead of letting Twilight fall. Well, it turns out, I was. The way it was going, the two would have made it to Twilight and Applejack in time to lift them both off the cliff. But, I knew I couldn’t let that happen. It was absolutely essential that everything went according to how it was written in the show. Twilight had to put her faith and trust into Applejack in order for her to be recognized as the Element of Honesty. So, I decided to slow down the two pegasi. As they started flying towards the cliff, I cast Aero to blow them off course. They were surprised at this, and it cost them time. But they were able to recover and make their way towards Twilight. It was at this point that Twilight released her grip. A jolt ran through me as I saw that Twilight was falling at a speed greater than the pegasi were flying. “Damn it!” I cursed under my breath, as I realized I did my job too well. I wasn’t about to let Twilight die because of me. “Stopza!” I cast Stopza on Twilight to slow her descent, and speed up Fluttershy and Rainbow. It was a variant of the magic that I had developed a while ago. I had done a lot of experimenting with my magic in the past, and had developed a lot of new abilities. Rainbow and Fluttershy caught Twilight, and gently lowered her to the ground as Applejack did her Parkour down the mountain. The group recovered and made started up their journey again. What they didn’t see, was a purple mist slithering past them like a snake. I teleported down the path to monitor the next threat. The Manticore. When I found it, it was sleeping soundly, hidden by the foliage. That didn’t stop the mist from finding it though. I expected the mist to place a thorn in the creatures paw. But that’s not what it did. The mist entered the manticore, absorbed into it through the nose as the beast breathed in. It woke up immediately, and started hacking and coughing. As it did, the Manticore started to change. It’s claws and teeth grew longer and sharper, same with its horns. It’s body started growing, reaching twice its original size, with its muscles becoming much more pronounced. Purple veins could be seen as its eyes glowed a similar color. “Looks like Nightmare isn’t playing around this time,” I said to myself. I knew I only had a few minutes before the girls showed up, so I knew I had to fix this as soon as possible. I started sprinting towards the monster, materializing my Keyblade. The beast growled, and charged towards me. As it reared to strike me, I teleported right above it, and smacked it in the head with my blade. I landed on it’s back, and jumped into the air. I aimed my Keyblade right at the creature. The end of my Keyblade started to glow, as a keyhole appeared on top of the Manticore. A beam shot from the tip of my Keyblade, which hit the keyhole. A bright light appeared as I accessed the beasts’ heart, and released the darkness trapped inside it. I landed softly on the ground, as the Manticore reverted back to its old self. As it regained it’s senses, it looked at me strangely, before coming up to me and licking me. The Manticore began purring, and rubbing up against me, clearly thankful that I had saved it. I knelt down and began petting its mane. It was nice. It had been so long since I’d gotten to pet an animal. It was like having a cat, or a dog. Feeling the creatures affection made me feel happy, and at peace. But just then, I heard something. “And once Pinkie and Rarity were safe, me and Fluttershy looped a looped around, and bam! In the nick of time!” That was Rainbow Dash. They were closing in fast. I looked down at my side, as I noticed a thorn lying on the ground. The Manticore had its eyes closed as it nuzzled me. I let at a pained sigh, as I picked up the thorn. “Sorry about this, fella,” I said as I jammed the thorn into its paw. It roared out in pain, as I quickly leapt back. I teleported to the cliffs above, just in time to avoid being noticed by the ponies. Just how I remembered it, the ponies engaged the Manticore, ultimately winning it over with Fluttershys kindness. I hid, but stayed watch to make sure no one was hurt. When Fluttershy removed the thorn, the Manticore seemed wary at first, but quickly warmed up to her. I felt bad, betraying its trust like that. But it had to be done. I opened up a darkness portal, and went through, hoping that I hadn’t been seen. I had more work to do, to make sure everything went as it was supposed to. The girls faced the rest of their trials, with me having a hand in each of them. The forest where Pinkie would ‘giggle at the ghosties’, was actually filled with poisonous gas. I cleared that out, and proceeded to whack and disfigure the trees to make them look right. The sea serpent was actually being mind controlled by Nightmare Moon. I released him from the spell, but cut his mustache before he fully regained his mind back. Then came the last obstacle: the bridge. I walked along the rope bridge, as a fog clogged my field of vision. The girls had a ways to go before they’d make it here, so I was surveying the area. It looked like I’d have to cut the bridge. But, when I was about halfway across, the fog increased greatly. Through it, I could see the outline of a pony on the other side. I stopped, and stood ready to defend myself. “This is certainly an unexpected development,” said a voice. One I recognized. “Nightmare Moon,” I said calmly. The mist cleared enough for me to see corrupted form of Princess Luna standing across from me. “Is it really you?” she questioned. It almost sounded like she…missed me…. “It is,” I replied. “We…never thought we’d see you again.” She paused. I took the moment to observe her. She didn’t look like she was looking for a fight. “Am I talking to Luna…or Nightmare Moon?” “We are…not sure,” she replied. Her voice sounded dual toned, as if two ponies were talking at once. “Luna, if you can hear me, you need to fight this! This darkness isn’t you!” Nightmare raised her hoof, as if to take a step forward. The purple mist coming from her eyes started to wean. “Listen Luna. It was my fault this happened to you. I knew something like this was going to happen, and I made the mistake of trying to fix it alone. I should have sat you down with Celestia and have you talk about all that was going on. It…it was my fault.” Nightmare looked saddened for a moment. I started to think I was reaching Luna. “It’s not too late though. Things can go back to being good again! You can go back to Celestia! She misses you!” For a moment, I saw the real Luna. It looked as though Luna was able to fight back against Nightmare, and take control of her life again. “What about you? W-will you be there too?” she questioned. “I…I don’t…I don’t know.” “Wh-why not?” she questioned. It looked like Luna and Nightmare were fighting for control at this moment. “I just…I can’t…” “Can’t? Or WON’T?” “I…” “You’re…you’re afraid aren’t you? That Celestia won’t forgive you?” I didn’t respond. “Well…if she can’t forgive you…then WHY WOULD SHE FORGIVE ME!?” Luna shouted, as Nightmare Moon regained control with a burst of magic. I readied my Keyblade. “You will not destroy my hold over her! I will destroy you, and then plunge this world into eternal night!” She started hovering in the air with her wings keeping her aloft, as I took a battle stance. “So, Sir Roxas, do you think you have what it takes to put a stop to me?” “Not sure,” I said with a pause. “But that’s not my job.” I teleported behind her, and quickly cut the ropes holding the bridge up. Nightmare Moon turned around to see me, as I disappeared in a portal of darkness. ”You’re running? Come back here and fight me!” But by then, I was gone, though still in range to hear her, and monitor the situation. “COWARD!” she screamed, before disappearing in a mist of purple energy, and heading towards the castle. As she did this, I hid behind a tree, with a hand on my heart. It was beating rapidly, and my body was erupting in tremors. I ran my fingers through my hair. A thousand years. I hadn’t seen Luna in a millennia. I though she was completely dominated by Nightmare Moon. But there was still some of her in there, and I was enough to help part of her resurface. I didn’t know how the whole thing worked. How much control did Nightmare Moon have when I spoke to her? Was Luna truly lucid, or was it just her heart breaking through? Would Luna remember our interaction when she was free? I didn’t know. From then on, everything went according to plan. Nightmare Moon battled Twilight, only to be defeated by the Elements of Harmony. The girls woke up, to be greeted by Celestia. The two sisters saw each other for the first time in a thousand years. I stood, watching behind a wall, as everyone had their happy reunion. I…wanted to join in. I wanted to see my friends again. But I…I was scared. Would they want to see me? I knew it would create less drama for them if I just left. I opened a portal, and prepared to leave. ‘Coward!’ What Nightmare Moon had said to me rang in my head. Maybe she was right. Maybe me leaving without talking to them was cowardly. “We were meant to rule together little sister,” said Celestia. Memories of our happy times together ran through my mind. The times we’d comforted each other when we each faced our challenges. I wanted to make new memories with them. I really did. I also owed them a proper explanation. “I can do this,” I whispered to myself. I swallowed the lump in my throat, and emerged from my hiding place. I walked towards my old friends. Celestia gasped in surprise, and Rainbow saw me as a threat. Without responding to anyone, I simply stopped in front of Luna. She looked with fear, as I raised my Keyblade. I lodged my Keyblade in the ground, and dropped to my knees. All was silent for a few moments. Then, I spoke my heart. “Princess Luna…I…am so sorry.” Author's Note Hey, sorry this took a while, I was kinda breaking for the holidays, and then I didn't have my computer for about two weeks. Anyway, here it is! Support of you'll go to Heeeeellllllllllll! Buymeacoffee Ko-Fi
