Silence enveloped the room, as Moon Dancer scanned her eyes over the papers before her, the words painting a wonderful image in her mind. While ‘Daring Do’ was never her forte, she couldn’t deny that Sora’s enthusiasm at the stories within got her a bit more into it.

It was her day off, after a particularly intense bout of training with the guards yesterday. As much as she despised how her muscles ached right now, the progress she had watched over the last few days had been something else.

Everypony that Sora trained with was mesmerized as the Keyblade master (though, as Moon Dancer noted, he seemed rather hesitant to be called ‘master’) showed off what made him so strong. It was quite the array of abilities, from double jumping to his insane reaction speed, to how well-versed he was in magic.

And it seemed that every session only seemed to make Sora better.

Loath as she was to admit it, Sora coming into her life was actually proving very beneficial to her as well. Before, she’d just pick up takeout or make an instant meal, but now she looked forward to nights where Sora cooked. The change to well-cooked meals was really starting to show, as was all the exercise her body engaged in.

It might have only been a week or so, but Moon Dancer felt healthier, and that was actually helping her mood quite a bit.

“Man, this temple’s a deathtrap,” Sora mused aloud. “Kinda reminds me of the Cavern of Remembrance.”

“Sora, what did we discuss about talking while reading?”

“Oh, right! Sorry.”

Moon Dancer turned the page, and sure enough, Daring was caught in between a rock and a hard place. Literally. As she described the mechanism, and how the giant boulders rolled down the hill in a set pattern, both readers could see how this could be exploited. If she could get the pattern down, she could run in between the boulders, getting to a safe spot and maybe finding a way to disable the trap.

But she had to be absolutely certain she could. One false move, and she’d be crushed to death.

She had only one shot…

*Knock knock knock*

‘Darn it!’

With a slight sigh and a bookmark placed, the mare got off her couch and went to the front door. Who could be visiting her? It was probably Minuette again, trying to get her to go out and go on another ‘friendly outing’.

Or at least, that would have been her first guess, so when she opened the door to reveal Captain Copper, it was a bit of a shocking turn.

“Moon Dancer,” he said cordially.

“C-commander,” she greeted in kind.

“No need to look so shaken, I am not here because you are in trouble,” he told her, as if he was aware of her concerns. “However, I am also not here simply for a friendly visit, I’m sure you can guess.”

Moon Dancer nodded, as it didn’t take a genius to figure out that military personnel don’t just show up to the house of a soldier without a reason. Granted, she was aware Sora was not a simple ‘soldier’, but he still answered to the commander in a way.

Which could only mean one thing…

“I have a mission for you, at the request of Princess Twilight Sparkle herself.”

Her blood ran cold upon hearing that once-familiar name. She’d known Twilight was a Princess now, in part because the co-rulers of Equestria had said it directly. But to actually get a demonstration of her power was not what she had been hoping for.

“According to her majesty, there was an incident in Ponyville, involving vampire fruit bats,” Copper explained. “Something went horribly awry, and several creatures identified as Heartless attacked the princess and her friends and kidnapped a citizen of Ponyville.”

“And so, they called… me in?”

Copper offered her a grin, small yet reassuring. “You ARE the Heartless expert here.”

Except she really wasn’t.

Sure, Sora had his ‘Gummiphone’, but in the last week, she’d found it wasn’t too useful. The Heartless entries offered little more than a basic description of the creature, and if she was lucky, an idea of how they fought, or what not to use against them. Sora filled in the blanks as best he could, but it was clear he was as much a ‘hands-on’ teacher as he was a ‘hands-on’ learner.

Regardless, she wouldn’t upset a princess, even if it was somepony she didn’t want to see again…

“I-I’ll rent a hot air balloon and head down immediately,” she said.

“No need. The Princess has already hired a pegasus chariot to take you down at your earliest convenience.”

“… I’ll start getting ready then.”

Walking to her room, Moon Dancer stood in front of a full-length mirror, taking off her turtleneck and looking herself over. So much had changed in a single week. Her mane was tamed and well-kept, her eyebrows were plucked and no longer bushy, and her fur seemed a bit shinier than usual. Sora’s ‘Salon Days’ had been better for her than she cared to admit, but she was still herself.

Sometimes, she had to remind herself of this.

From within a special box, she grabbed out the outfit she knew they’d need to wear. They had received it from Rarity only a few days before, and true to her word, it was free of charge and fit perfectly. Already, the plan for adorning it had been given to her, and she was fairly certain she remembered it.

“Okay, so if I recall,” she said to Sora. “You said ‘Tank Top’ first, then the ‘Cosmic Belt Plus’, then jacket?”

“Yep!”

Moon Dancer grinned and did as she was told. The names of Sora’s equipment were a little grandiose, in her own personal opinion, but if they were going to protect her in combat, who was she to judge?

And so, the tank top went on, followed by wrapping the Cosmic Belt+ around her middle, right at the bottom of the shirt. Next was tying the Ribbons around her forelegs, the indigo-colored one on her left, and the golden yellow ‘Royal Ribbon’ on her right. Once secured, next came Sora’s jacket, which slipped comfortably over the other gear, covering both Ribbons.

The last three were Sora’s ‘Flanniversary Badge’, which she easily pinned to the inside of the coat, before doing the same with his ‘Cosmic Arts’. Out of sight, but still equipped so that their effects would be active.

“Remind me why you went with these specific accessories again?” Moon Dancer asked.

“Well, Cosmic Arts restores your magic reserves when you get hit,” Sora explained. “The badge makes your magic recharge quicker, and it makes your spells cost less while still being just as strong. I was gonna go with my full ‘Magic Haste’ setup, but you already recharge faster than me without ‘em.”

Moon Dancer nodded, grabbing one last accessory. Apparently, Sora was incredibly well-versed at appraising these items, but this last one had stumped him when they first found it.

“So… should I use it?” she asked, glancing at the periwinkle ring. “I know you don’t like i-”

“I never said I didn’t like it. I just said I don’t know where it came from. It’s a really big boost to strength though, and that’s our weak spot right now.”

“Does strength even matter, though? It’s not as though we use your hands to wield the Keyblade.”

“As far as I can tell, it does matter. So go ahead, put it on.”

Shaking her head and sighing, Moon Dancer eventually placed the ring around her horn. Suddenly, a jolt of energy ran through her, much like when she first equipped the other two, but far more potent. Her muscles felt invigorated, like she could buck an apple tree with them, despite never doing so in her life.

“Yeesh… it’s still so surreal to actually feel these augmentations. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.”

“That’s what they all say,” Sora joked. “Now, let’s not keep the captain waiting.”

“Right. But just so you know, I’m going to induce a sleep spell on the way to Ponyville. You’re going to need to be in control if the Heartless are involved.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

The best laid plans often go awry. That’s what they’ve always said.

Right now, Moon Dancer wished it wasn’t true.

The sleep spell should have been easy to induce, especially given how much her magic had been enhanced. A simple little incantation and Sora should have been in control. But as it turned out, she’d never get the chance. Captain Copper had joined her, despite her weak protests. She was not about to put herself under for half a minute in front of her commanding officer – that’d be way too suspicious.

And then of course, when she got into town, she was immediately thrown into the line of duty. Twilight had been there, and Moon Dancer would be damned to Tartarus before she asked anything of her. In fact, she had been dead silent during the whole briefing. Most of Twilight’s friends had been too concerned with the fate of this ‘Fluttershy’ mare to notice anyway; the notable exception was the pink one, who gave her a sidelong glance every once in a while.

Now here they were, the sun going down, Moon Dancer forced into a situation she did NOT want to be in, as well as surrounded by others.

Their mission? Find the lost pony.

“So, where do y’all think that varmint is?” Applejack asked.

“I wish I knew,” Twilight said with a dejected sigh. “Unfortunately, I can’t get a good read on his magic, no matter how hard I try.”

“What do you think, Moonie?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Don’t call me that,” she responded curtly, surveying a particular patch of trees.

Sure enough, clawmarks were left in the bark, unlike anything she’d seen before. Though, based on the dimensions of the gashes, as well as the ash-like substance that came off of them with the wind, it couldn’t have been native to any creatures of the forest. A small clue, but worth following.

“I think it’s this way,” Moon Dancer told the party. “These are Heartless tracks.”

“How can you tell?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Do Heartless even leave tracks?”

“Of course they do?” Moon Dancer answered, recalling a tale from Sora’s trip to a place called ‘Wonderland’. “Why wouldn’t they?”

“I dunno! This is all new to us!”

Rarity stepped in, placing a gentle hoof on Rainbow’s back. “Please, darling, no need to work yourself up. Moon Dancer is the expert here. I’ve no doubt in my mind she will lead us to our friend.”

To this, Moon Dancer raised an eyebrow, not really seeing the issue. “Actually, asking questions is a good thing.”

“Well, of course. I just didn’t want it to seem like we were doubting your knowledge.”

“It’s fine. The point is, this is a lead.”

“So, we just follow these things, and that’ll lead us to Fluttershy?” Rainbow piped in.

“Potentially. There’s always a chance that other unrelated Heartless are in the area, but right now I believe we should follow it.”

The 5 mares all nodded and begin following the trail. There was very little chatter during this whole exchange, as Moon Dancer’s focus was completely pointed toward finding their target. Still, every few seconds, she let her mind wander, recalling the deference that Rarity had spoken to her with. It made sense in a way, but it was still weird to think that someone valued her so highly.

‘No… they value Sora so highly. It’s his knowledge, after all.’

Sometimes, Moon Dancer was grateful she could keep some thoughts to herself. If Sora heard her ‘belittling herself’ like that, instantly he’d rush in and try to bolster her confidence. But it was not as though her confidence was the issue. It was merely her acknowledging the truth, and that was not a bad thing. Sure, it felt good to be praised, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t her being praised, and she knew it.

They liked Sora. They didn’t like her.

Night had fallen within the quiet little orchard, and the clawmarks were their only guide. Sure enough, the more they followed them, the more Moon Dancer and the party found. Not just clawmarks, but fangs, and even some shreds of wing skin. Confirming with the others that they had fought bat Heartless the night before helped to solidify the image in the duo’s mind, as well as getting a bit of the tale from Twilight and Co.

Whoever was controlling the Heartless, they seemed to have a taste for karmic punishment.

Eventually, as the moon shone down upon an empty patch of orchard, it became clear to the exhausted party that the trail had run cold. This revelation was immediately followed by a chorus of groans.

“Well that’s just great!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, crossing her forelegs in a huff. “Where the hay could those things have gone!?”

“I wish I could tell you,” Moon Dancer answered, her practiced lines rolling off the tongue. “Heartless are tricky creatures. They could be right under our noses right now.”

“And if we let them get the jump on us, that wouldn’t be good,” chimed in Sora, within her headspace. “Keep your guard up, Moon Dancer.”

“It’d be a bit easier with that Keyblade of yours, Sora,” she snarked back.

From the sidelines, Applejack seemed to notice the look of frustration, and came over to their supposed ‘expert’.

“Somethin’ troubling you, sugar cube?”

“… There’s something off about this whole scenario. I just can’t place my hoof on it.”

“Ya can’t?” Applejack asked. “Ain’t you supposed to be the Heartless expert here? Surely you must know somethin’ about where those critters coulda gone.”

“I make it a priority to ensure they don’t escape,” Moon Dancer answered, perhaps a little more harshly than she should have.

Applejack looked away, and for a second, a twinge of guilt ran through the bookworm. The poor girl was probably worried sick, just as Rainbow Dash was, and Moon Dancer wasn’t helping. But then again, this wasn’t her forte, and she knew it.

Just another reason Sora should have been in control.

“L-look, I’m sorry for snappi-”

“No, yer right,” Applejack said with a sigh. “I’m just worried about my friend is all. It’s because I was so darn stubborn she’s in this mess in the first place.”

“You wanted rid of an invasive creature to your orchard. I don’t think you were unreasonable in that regard.”

“Maybe not. But maybe if I’d given Fluttershy’s idea a chance, we coulda figured somethin’ out.”

As Moon Dancer was about to say something, her ears perked up at an unfamiliar and overall unwelcome sound.

Clapping.

Darting her head toward the sound, she was greeted with a sight that nopony wanted to see. Applejack grit her teeth, while Rarity and Twilight gave a very cross expression to the new arrival. That told Moon Dancer all that she needed to know, as the black cloaked stranger stepped forward, distinctly bipedal, and bearing an aura of ill will.

“Oh, if only you had been a good friend,” the voice taunted, clearly male and oozing superiority with every syllable. “Now here you are, worrying about the ‘what ifs’ instead o-”

He’d never get the chance to finish his sentence, as Rainbow Dash rushed forward with incredible speed and attempted to strike the hooded man down. Hoof met hand as the man countered her strike, the resulting impact creating a shockwave that nearly reached the rest of those present.

“My my, consider that nerve touched.”

Rainbow Dash jumped backward, flying idly as she glared down her opponent. “Enough talk, you two-legged jerk! Where’s Fluttershy!?”

“Oh, there’s no need to worry about the poor dear. She’s safe and sound. I haven’t touched a hair on her precious little head.”

“Then give her back to us!” demanded Twilight. “You can’t just take her away from her home and her friends like that!”

“Perhaps. But is it any worse than what you did?” he questioned, walking around the party like a predator circling his prey. “In trying to help one friend, you hurt another, made her into something she’s not.”

“That was an accident!” Twilight protested.

The hooded figure scoffed. “Of course it was. For all your brilliance, you don’t think things through. You never consider what impact your actions have on others.”

When the head of the figure turned in Moon Dancer’s general direction, it was as if the air suddenly got a few degrees colder. His eyes were not visible, but they could tell he was staring at her, and Moon Dancer herself wouldn’t have been surprised to find out he was smirking under that hood.

“I’m sure your ‘friends’ back in Canterlot could attest to that, after you up and abandoned them.”

The air tensed, as Twilight’s eyes widened in sheer horror. “A-abandoned them? What are yo-”

The poor mare’s pupils turned to pinpricks, as she seemingly realized exactly what event the man was referring to. Her head hung low in shame, as she tried to find the words. Eventually, only one question came to mind.

“H-how… how do you know about that?”

A low chuckle escaped the person’s unseen lips. “Oh, I’ve been keeping my ear to the ground for a while now. You’re quite the accomplished group, after all, and it doesn’t take much to learn of that. Nightmare Moon, Discord, the Changeling Invasion. But unfortunately for you… I am a foe beyond all of them.”

“Alright, I’ve had just about enough o’ you!” Applejack said, taking a step forward. “Give us back our friend, ‘less you want this to get ugly!”

“Cute,” he said, completely unimpressed by her claim. “Tell you what: You want her, you’ll GET her.”

The leaves rustled around the party, despite there being no wind to shake the branches. Everypony tensed, awaiting an ambush, and sure enough, they were rewarded. From the nearest tree, three groups of enemies struck. On the left, there was a small squadron of Hook Bats. On the right, a group of Flutterings descended.

And in the middle, a cream-colored bat pony, looking like she was out for blood.

“Oh no!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “She’s still all vampire-y!”

“Of course she is, Captain Obvious,” the hooded man taunted. “Like I said, I didn’t touch her.”

Flutterbat was first to lead the charge, swooping over her friends and nearly slashing Rainbow Dash with her wings. She circled back around and aimed for Moon Dancer, who jumped out of the way with surprising nimbleness.

Unfortunately, while her nimbleness was on point, her spacial awareness left much to be desired. A Fluttering behind her fell straight to the ground and spun furiously, its razor-sharp wings shredding Moon Dancer’s back and sending her skyward.

“Moon Dancer! Right yourself! Hook Bats on your left!”

“‘Right myself’!?” she asked incredulously. “Sora, I don’t know to do that ‘Aerial Recovery’ thing you do!”

“You have to try! I know your body CAN pull it off!”

Moon Dancer desperately tried to figure it out, to manipulate her trajectory as she was in midair, but it seemed like something beyond her understanding. The only thing she could think of was using magic on herself, but before she ever got the chance, a Hook Bat spun around, scraping her side with its weapon, and launching her away.

“Change of plans! Get back on the ground!”

Moon Dancer did not need to be told twice, as she landed on her feet, and in an instant, unleashed a Blizzaga in the direction of a Hook Bat. The spell landed, piercing its defenses, and spreading outward to catch another one nearby. Seizing the opportunity was Applejack, who jumped forward and slammed her legs into the beast, making it dissipate into a puff of smoke.

“Watch out!”

Moon Dancer looked to her side and saw Rainbow Dash flying overhead, being chased by Flutterbat. While she charged a stasis spell, Pinkie Pie over her, a Fluttering following her with relentless fury. She swerved and avoided the strike, backflipping effortlessly, but getting in Moon Dancer’s way because of it.

Avoiding the Heartless made the pink pony bump into Moon Dancer, ruining her shot, which swerved off and instead hit Rainbow Dash. The flyer screamed out as her body ceased motion, falling out of the sky and onto the ground.

“What the hay, Moon Dancer!?” Rainbow demanded.

“Sorry! I was trying to hit Fluttershy!”

“It’s okay, just focus on annihilating the Heartless,” Twilight interjected, charging a quick reversal spell for her friend. “Moon Dancer! Summon your Keyblade! We’re going to need it!”

There it was. The call to action.

Unfortunately, Moon Dancer knew she couldn’t. And when she refused to answer, she could see the worry forming on Twilight’s face. Panic set in, and she wondered if she could really do this. Her eyes darted left to right, looking for an avenue of some sort, and trying to keep track of the battlefield.

“Moon Dancer, keep calm!” Sora said, trying to reach her. “I’m going to try and give it to you again. I just need you to charge your horn.”

Sure enough, she felt Sora’s own magic welling up within her, specifically the same spark that she always felt in training. It was warm and comforting, like a hand rested on her back. She tried to summon the Keyblade, remembering the feeling of her magic wrapping around it like phantom hands. It was so close…

“I don’t think so!”

From her left, a mighty fist slammed into her side, sending Moon Dancer flying. Twilight tried to launch a blast at her attacker, but the hooded man avoided the strike like it was nothing, before delivering a strong strike of his own. The alicorn fell onto her back, and Moon Dancer’s legs shook as she got back to standing.

“Some ‘Keyblade wielder’ you’re turning out to be,” the black cloak sneered. “From what I saw, you should have dispatched of these Heartless easily. Are you holding back? Or is it simply that you’re more bluster and fumes than you’d like your ‘friends’ to believe?”

“I’m starting to get sick of you running your mouth,” Moon Dancer growled.

“Then do something about it. Show me exactly what you’re capable of, little pony.”

Another call to action, and this one spurned on by a mix of fury at her opponent and support from Sora.

And so, the unicorn tried to.

A wave of energy ran through her, as she glared at her opponent. Suddenly, a spark appeared before her, about 3 feet in length, the exact size of Sora’s Kingdom Key. It glowed for a bit rather brightly, catching the attention of the still reeling Twilight and Co. Using the phantom hands of her telekinesis, Moon Dancer remembered everything she’d seen of the Keyblade, and how to use it. This was her chance, and all she had to do was reach out and grab it.

… Until it fizzled out.

Panic overtook her as Moon Dancer saw the sparks fade almost as quick as they’d come. Desperately, she tried again, and again, but to no avail, the same trend of a fleeting shine coming and going as it pleased. No matter how hard she tried to grasp it, she could not place her phantom hands on anything tangible.

The Keyblade couldn’t be summoned, and that left the party in shock.

As well as leaving the black cloak in stitches.

“Oh, that’s just precious!” he gloated in between bouts of laughter. “Seems your ‘master’s’ having a bit of performance anxiety!”

“Shut up!” she exclaimed, lowering her stance in a pitiful attempt to seem threatening. “I don’t need a Keyblade to take down such rudimentary foes!”

“And yet you’re stumbling like this? Arrogance truly is an ugly thing, isn’t it?”

The way he said that was quite unnerving, but Moon Dancer knew she couldn’t back down. These other ponies were counting on Sora, and right now, she had to make good on it, even if she didn’t have his powers.

Unleashing a Thundaga from the tip of her horn, the lightning bolt did little beyond staggering the man, but it was enough of an opportunity. Sprinting forward, she jumped skyward, and tried to lock him in place with her Stasis spell.

The beam came within a foot of her opponent when he swerved out of the way, barely avoiding the shot and jumping up to meet her in midair. From there, he twisted around, landing a swift kick to Moon Dancer’s face. The mare fell to the ground, landing on her back as the man returned to solid ground.

“Really?” he asked. “You’re supposed to be the one who took down my Heartless? It’s almost like you’re a completely different pony.”

Moon Dancer glanced from side to side, and noticed the others far too distracted with the bat Heartless to help. A few cries of pain echoed in her ears, as she saw the Heartless managing to land their many blows. The hooded man stepped forward, and she tried to shuffle back, to no avail. The distance between them became smaller and smaller, until Moon Dancer got back on her feet and was met with the sight of a black, empty silhouette where his face should have been.

“Honestly, you’re not even worth the effort,” the black cloak taunted. “Get me all excited, and then take the wind out of my sails, huh?”

Feeling that intense panic once again, Moon Dancer did the only thing she could think of; she turned tail and moved as fast as her legs could carry her. She was not a fighter, and this was way above her paygrade.

But much like before, she didn’t get far.

Before either her or Sora could react, the black cloak was in front of her, arm raised and hand extended outward. With a single, sweeping motion, Moon Dancer felt a jolt of pain run through her, as her legs went limp.

After that, nothing awaited her other than the void of unconsciousness.

Author's Note

Dun dun dun!

The next part will be done soon enough, so tune in next time to see exactly what this hooded stranger's deal is.