“One at a time please,” Twilight tried to calm her friends down but it didn’t work… until Pinkie used an air horn.

“Agh! Ok ok!” RD said and Pinkie stopped.

“Thank you, Pinkie,” Twilight said.

“Oh no, I was just doing that because it's fun,” Pinkie giggled.

“...K… can we get back to the fact that we encountered a monster in Sugarcube Corner?” RD said.

“A monster?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, some big fat dude, he started attacking us for no reason,” RD said.

“Was it somepony we know?” Twilight asked.

“No, I don’t know what we were up against, didn’t look like anything I’ve faced before,” Rainbow said.

“And something was attacking my chickens and quails, and then me, see?” Fluttershy showed the scratch on her arm.

“Oh dear, are you ok?” Rarity asked.

“Yes,” Fluttershy said.

“Where’s Applejack?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t know, let’s focus on the fact we’re being invaded by something!” Rainbow said.

“I get tensions are high right now, but we should remember to include Applejack,” Rarity said.

“I can relay what needs to be known later, but for now, you all need to see this,” Twilight said turning to the cutie map and using her magic on it again.

It came up once more but this time the number of alerts have gone up, and the cutie marks that were detected before are approaching Ponyville.

Eventually, the map went static again.

“That…. Is concerning,” Rarity said.

“Yes, whatever is going on, we need to get to the bottom of it now, let’s find Applejack,” Twilight said.

“Ok,” The group made their way towards the exit to the room when suddenly the doors shut themselves.

“Huh?” Twilight exclaimed.

“Uh, Pinkie, did you do that somehow?” Rainbow asked.

“Nope, not this time,” Pinkie said.

Suddenly a group of shadows made their way into the room and came out of the ground.

“What in Equus are those!?” Rarity cried.

“I don’t know, let’s find out their intentions,” Twilight said guardedly as she made her way to the front of the group with Spike hiding behind her.

“Hello, who are you?” Twilight asked.

“...” The shadows didn’t respond and instead, they jumped at them.

“Whoa!” Twilight put a barrier up and the small creatures bounced off of it.

“Guess the big guy had friends,” Rainbow said.

“We gotta do something!” Spike said as the shadows attacked the barrier.

“Ok!” Twilight fired a beam of magic knocking back several shadows and the barrier dropped as the group got to work fighting off these things.

Twilight shot some beams and struck down several shadows who tried to gang up on her.

Rainbow bucked one that leaped at her.

Fluttershy and Rarity were being grouped up on.

“Look out dear!” Rarity shouted as she fired a blast striking one that leaped at Fluttershy.

“Thanks,” Fluttershy said as she grabbed Rarity and flew into the air to avoid being swarmed.

Pinkie used her party cannon to blast a bunch on them away.

Spike tried to help out and was fighting a couple of them by breathing fire at them.

Twilight was being swarmed by them but she teleported to get some distance from them.

As they fought more shadows crept into the room and even a few soldiers joined them.

“It’s those things that attacked my pets!” Fluttershy said and she had to buck one away when it jumped at her.

“There’s no end to them!” Rainbow said as she jumped around and hit a few back as they came at her.

“We have to retreat!” Rarity cried as she blasted another away.

“No!” Twilight said looking to her books, she still needed to know what is wrong with the cutie map too.

“Twi! We’re getting swarmed here!” Rainbow said.

“I’m running out of ammo!” Pinkie said as she shot another group of heartless away.

“Twilight!” Fluttershy cried as a bunch of shadows were climbing atop eachother to reach Fluttershy and Rarity.

“Ok ok! Gather around!” Twilight said and the group did as the shadows began surrounding them.

As they all lunged Twilight teleported the group.

They reappeared outside in a heap.

“Ooof!” They all grunted as they hit the ground.

“Everypony all right?” Pinkie asked as they all got up.

“Yeah,” they all said.

“Ah ain't…” And they all looked to see they had accidentally teleported on top of Applejack.

“Applejack?” Twilight exclaimed and she helped her up.

“What was so important ya literally got the drop on me?” Applejack asked cracking her back.

“We were just attacked by shadowy thingies!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Shadowy thingies?.... Huh…” Applejack wondered if AB and her friends weren’t kidding around after all.

“We need to alert the princess, I get the feeling something bad is going on,” Twilight said.

“Ah was on mah way to see ya when this happened, AB and her friends saw somethin similar,” Applejack said.

“They did?” Twilight asked.

“Guys?” Spike said but they didn’t hear him.

“Yeah, and there was a witch and a big dog too,” AJ said.

“...We need to move,” Twilight said.

“Guys!” Spike called louder.

“What?” Twilight asked.

“Look!” Spike pointed and they saw ponies running into their houses as a swarm of shadows made their way down the street toward them.

“Not good!” Pinkie said.

“What in tarnation!?” AJ said taken aback.

“Later! Come on!” Twilight said and they all took off as the shadows chased them.

As they ran they saw several ponies in the way.

“Get into your homes! The danger is coming!” Pinkie called as she bounced into the air.

The ponies began to panic as they saw the shadows coming.

As the group ran past Twilight looked back and saw one of the ponies was still in the road panicking, she was about to turn around and help them but then she saw something that assured her her suspicions were right.

The shadows went around the confused pony and continued chasing them.

“I knew it… they're after us!” Twilight cried.

“Why us?!” Spike cried as Twilight picked him up in her magic and set him on her back as he was lagging behind.

“I don’t know but we need to keep-” Suddenly she sensed something and she turned in time to see what looked like giant black bubbles descending on them.

“Look out!” Twilight cried as she teleported in time and Rainbow’s quick reaction speed helped her dodge it..

Her other friends weren’t as lucky.

They were caught in the bubbles and carried into the air.

“AAH!” They all cried as they were dragged into the air.

“GIRLS!” Twilight cried.

“Oh no!” Spike cried.

“Oh no you don’t!” Rainbow tried to fly forward to free her friends but several bubbles descended on her and snatched her up “AGH!” Rainbow cried.

“NO!” Twilight cried and she ran after them as the bubbles flew away but the shadows cut her and Spike off.

“Let me through!” Twilight said as she tried to fly over them but a bunch more creatures got in her way.

These ones were shaped like armored pegasi and they had a strange heart-like insignia on them.

“What the?!” Twilight said as one zoomed forward and bucked her back to ground level.

As Twilight got up she saw the bubbles floating away.

“LET ME THROUGH!” Twilight yelled.

“I am afraid your orders have no sway over them, princess,” A female voice said and Twilight turned to see a witch approaching.

“You… your that witch Applejack mentioned," Twilight said.

“I see my presence was already known, my apologies,” Maleficent gave a mocking bow.

“What have you done with our friends!?” Spike yelled.

“Be silent whelp, the grownups are talking,” Maleficent said dismissively.

“Hey!” Spike angrily said.

“Where are our friends?” Twilight said getting in front of Spike.

“Somewhere safe I assure you, at least until they become heartless,” Maleficent said with a chuckle.

“Heartless?” Twilight didn’t like the sound of that.

“Yes, my minions, it was thanks to a tip from an old foe of yours that I came and took care of the likely dangers to my plans here first,” Maleficent said.

“Give them back!” Twilight said flaring her horn.

“I’m afraid not, they as well as you will become heartless, and soon join me in my quest, this land, is so full of magic and power, I cannot wait to make it a land of darkness,” Maleficent said.

“Not on my watch!” Twilight said before firing a magic blast at Maleficent who simply swatted it aside.

“Huh?” Twilight said.

“You attack with only enough force to incapacitate? How naive, heartless, take her!” Maleficent ordered and the heartless began closing in on her.

“No!” Twilight put a barrier up around her and Spike and the heartless began swarming all over the barrier like a black tidal wave.

Yellow eyes stared at them from every angle as her barrier was subsumed.

“Wh-what are we going to do Twilight?” Spike asked.

“I-I don’t know,” Twilight said nervously as she strained to hold them back.

Her barrier began to crack, it began to crumble and soon, they would be subsumed.

Just as Twilight began to fear the worst…

Lightning blasted the creatures called heartless on her barrier and they cleared away from the barrier.

“Huh?” Twilight looked to see a pegasus overhead “Sir! Flee! This place isn’t safe!” Twilight cried.

“Don’t worry, we got this!” He said as he spun in midair and pulled out… a giant key?

“Huh?” Twilight said before he aimed it and fired a fireball out.

“Fire!” he shouted as the blast flew at the scattering heartless and blew them up.

“Ahyup! Come an get ‘em!” Twilight turned to see an earth pony carrying a shield run into the crowd of heartless and smash them aside.

“Heads up!” A slightly warbled voice said as she saw what looked like a blue and white unicorn run in and unleash electricity on multiple heartless taking them out.

“What the?” Spike said in awe, it was like seeing real-life heroes and villains fighting!

“Hah!” The pegasus dove down and took out a group of heartless in a spin attack, and just like that, the heartless were cleared away.

They turned their attention to the witch who glared balefully at them.

“How are you three always where I am getting work done!?” She growled.

“Guess we’re just lucky,” The pegasus said.

“Hmph, very well, but our goal is set whether we have the princess or not,” Maleficent turned and left through a portal.

“Hey! Get back here!” the unicorn ran after her but the portal closed before he could reach “Aw dagnabit! She got away!” He huffed.

“It’s alright, as long as everyone is safe,” The pegasus said.

“Eeyup let’s check on the purple lady,” The black and brown earth pony said.

They turned and trotted over to Twilight who had let the barrier down, but was still wary.

“It’s ok, we’re allies, I’m Sora,” Sora said.

“Donald,” Donald introduced himself.

“Goofy,” Goofy waved.

“....Weird names,” Spike said.

“Wh-who are you guys?” Twilight asked.

“Just a few travelers, we happened to stop by this world and noticed a heartless presence on it so we drove here-” Sora trailed off when he saw the bewildered look on their faces.

“I’m thinkin she doesn’t know about the other worlds,” Goofy whispered.

“Or the heartless,” Donald added.

“Hmm… alright, then play it cool,” Sora said.

“Excuse me,” Twilight trotted over and they turned to her “You three seem to know what’s happening around here, please, they took my friends, if you know anything, please tell,” Twilight pleaded.

“Your friends were taken? Hmm, that can’t be good, where can we go to talk?” Sora asked.

“My castle but it’s overrun by those… heartless things you were talking about,” Twilight said.

“Then we’ll take care of it, come on,” Sora said and they followed.

“Can we trust them?” Twilight asked.

“Sure we can, they were awesome back there!” Spike cheered

“I hope we can,” Twilight said.

A heartless fell down defeated as Sora struck another one down with his keyblade.

“That all of them?” Sora asked.

“I would thinks so,” Twilight said “Come, the map room is this way,” Twilight led them up the stairs.

Then she heard tumbling and she turned to see them all at the bottom of the stairs.

“Stupid slippery stairs,” Donald said from the bottom of the pile.

“Oops!” Sora chuckled “These hooves are hard to get used to,” Sora said.

“...What?” Twilight didn’t know what he meant by that.

“One sec,” Sora tried to go up the stairs and he wound up slipping again.

“...Need help?” Twilight asked.

“Kinda…” Sora said.

After helping them up the stairs Twilight led them into the map room and up to the map.

“Before we go on, what did you mean before?” Twilight asked.

“Trust me it’ll take alot of explaining,” Sora said.

“...Oook,” Twilight said before resuming setting up the map up again.

“So… how did you do that flame and lightning stuff? That was seriously cool!” Spike said.

“Oh simple, I used my keyblade and some magic,” Sora said resting the key on his shoulder.

“Coool! Can I hold it?” Spike asked.

“Sure,” Sora handed it to him and Spike made a few moves with it.

Sora expected it to teleport back to his hoof… but it took a little longer than he thought.

“Huh?” Sora said when he noticed it wasn’t returning.

“Wham! Boom, swish!” Spike said as he fenced an invisible opponent, after a minute the keyblade vanished and reappeared back in Sora’s hoof.

“Huh?” Spike looked to Sora.

“Wow, you must have an affinity for this stuff if the keyblade was comfortable in your hands for so long,” Sora said with a smile.

“Really?” Spike said finding this stuff cooler by the minute.

“Ok, I managed to get the map on for now, just be careful it’s acting weird lately,” Twilight said.

“Wow,” The three said as they saw the map turn on.

“What is it?” Goofy asked.

“It’s a map of Equestria, it details whenever there’s a problem or a friendship issue to be solved, speaking of which, there are problems all over, these creatures, these heartless, are appearing everywhere, what do we do?” Twilight asked.

“We need to find and stop Maleficent, she’s the cause behind this,” Sora said.

“Well to this end I need to find my friends, she mentioned turning them into heartless, and while I still don’t fully understand them I don’t want my friends to become them,” Twilight said.

“Then time is of the essence,” Donald said.

“Ok, then let’s move, the concentration of problems seems to be the most serious around Appleoosa,” Twilight said.

“Right… where’s that?” Sora asked.

“You don’t know where Appleloosa is?... come to think of it, you’ve been saying alot of weird things, I think the trip there would be a good time to tell me what you know, and I’ll have Spike send a message to Celestia, she’s my teacher,” Twilight said and Spike ran off to do that, after coming back and drawing out a message he sent it.

“Alright,” Sora nodded “Now come on” Sora turned and galloped away with the others in tow.

“I hope I’m making the right decisions,” Twilight said as she followed them.

Author's Note

Twilight has joined your party

Things are picking up, can Twilight find her friends in time? Or will they become one with darkness?