//------------------------------// // Chapter 16: Castle Mania // Story: KINGDOM HEARTS: Fractured Friendship // by KHXhero //------------------------------// Chapter 16: Into the Everfree On the outskirts of Ponyville... For those who may not be familiar or native to Ponyville, the Everfree Forest is pretty much the wide wooded area that neighbors the town of Ponyville. The forest itself is the home to a variety of creatures and animals. Fluttershy's cottage is actually right near the edge of the forest, as most of the animals she takes care of usually live there. But there are different animals that live in there, and a vast set of different creatures. It possesses the quality that allows plants and animals to thrive without pony intervention, which many ponies believe is unnatural, since the Earth ponies grow crops and food and the Pegasi handle the weather. But Sora, Donald, and Goofy had been to many worlds that have that certain quality, so hopefully it won't be as difficult and dangerous as ponies say... hopefully. The trio, and Spike were right at the entrance of the Everfree Forest, as they were staring down the pathway into it... though the pathway as brown and there was no bricks or road. Sora has been here before with the girls when they went to the Castle of the Royal Sisters to retrieve the Elements of Harmony. But for some reason, the forest looked a lot different than he remembered it. It looked bigger. Maybe because it's been a long time since he was here, so much has probably changed since then. "Well... here it is." Sora said. "The Everfree Forest." "Garsh, it really does look big from here." Goofy said. "I got a bad feeling about this." Donald said. "I got the same feeling in my scales." Spike said. Sora looked at the forest. He did feel something, but it wasn't a bad feeling. It was something else. But what? Either way, they had to go in and check it out. "Well, let's go." Sora said as he made his way towards the forest. Donald, Goofy, and Spike followed too, slowly walking into the forest. As they went down the path, all they could see was lots of trees, plants, vines, trees, plants vines... yeah there was a lot of those. Nothing else. "I hope we don't run into any wild animals around here." Donald said. "If we do, I hope it's a manticore." Sora said. "Why?" Spike asked. "Because, we ran into a manticore the first time I've been here." Sora said. "This manticore had a thorn inside it's paw and Fluttershy removed it. Turned out he was a friendly pussycat." Spike tilted his head with a bit of surprise. "Wow." Spike said. "That's not what Twilight always told me. They're usually ferocious beasts." "Yeah... but sometimes we just need to show a little kindness." Sora said. "Easy for you to say." Donald said. As they continued down the path, Goofy couldn't help but look around at the trees. And at the same time, he was thinking. "Ya know, something tells me there is more to this forest that meets the eye." Goofy said. "What do you mean?" Donald asked. "Well, the Princesses have a castle somewhere in the forest, right?" Goofy asked. "How come they built a castle here in the forest? There must be a specific reason why they did." The group started to think on that too. That was a really good thought. Why did the Princesses build a castle here in the first place? Was it because there was a battery for the magic here? "I guess we'll find out soon enough." Sora said. "We'll go check out the castle. Maybe we'll find that magical anomaly Ienzo spoke about, and maybe a way to save Twilight." "Good idea." Goofy said, as they continued on the path. They kept going down the same path that Sora and the girls took to get the Elements of Harmony from the castle during his first visit. They climbed down the broken cliff, snuck by the Manticore, who was sleeping like a kitten, past through the rustling trees, and crossed the river. They just made it to the over side, and continued down the path. "How long have we've been walking?" Spike asked. "Dunno." Sora said. "What time is it?" Goofy looked up to see the moon, shining it's light down upon them. He squinted his eyes and lifted his arms and hands up, trying to calculate the positioning. "It's not in the middle, and it's more to the east, so it's probably nine-o-clock." He said. "How are you so sure?" Donald asked. "I've been looking up ways to track time by calculating the position of the moon." Goofy said. Donald, Sora, and of course, Spike, only tilted their heads. "Um... ok?" Spike said. Suddenly, Sora stopped for a second and felt dizzy. He let out a grunt as he rubbed his eyes, much to the others' notice. "Sora, are you ok?" Donald asked. "Uh oh, are you getting a bad flashback?" Goofy asked. No, this wasn't a flashback... it was something else. He felt fine. No adrenaline or anything. "Yeah, I'm ok." Sora said. "Just felt dizzy for a second..." He lifted his head up, seeing someone far away. Wait... someone? Someone in the forest? He squinted his eyes a bit, looking at the trees just head. There was someone there! And it wasn't a pony. It was a human! "Huh?" Sora asked. "Who's that?" He Took a couple of steps forward, seeing a strange figure. Oddly enough, the stranger was human, and looking in the opposite direction Sora was. It was difficult to make out, given that he was transparent... But Sora did make out a couple things about the person. It was a boy, with curly, silver hair... and a red scarf? "Wait... I know that boy." Sora said. "Excuse me?!" Just after a couple short seconds, the mysterious boy with the red scarf turned away and started running, deep into the woods. "Hold Up!" Sora called out as she took off running. "Sora, wait!" Donald shouted, as he, Goofy, and Spike ran off to go after him. Sora, who didn't bother hearing them, kept running, chase the red scarfed boy. The boy continued past the trees, swiping away the vines that were in his way, and carefully dodging the branches that spread out from the trees. Soon, the boy pierced through, coming out of the forest into a much clearer area. He stopped in his tracks, looking left and right for the mysterious boy. But there was no trace of him, whatsoever. Sora only sighed, knowing that he lost him. But as he lifted his head up, his eyes widened with astonishment. "Sora!" Goofy called out, as he, Donald, and Spike emerged from the trees, finally catching up with the boy. "You really need to stop running off like that!" Donald said. But he realized that Sora wasn't actually listening. The duck turned his head to what Sora was looking at, and his eyes began to widen up with surprise. Goofy and Spike gasped at what they were witnessing. Just across the bridge was a huge castle... a castle that was abandoned and dilapidated, much of it destroyed. "Garsh, is that?" Goofy asked. "The Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters." Sora said. Donald had his mouth hung all the way open, though Goofy helped him close it up. "Whoa..." Spike said. "So that's Princess Celestia and Luna's old castle." Coming out of Sora's hood was Jiminy Cricket, who was amazed by the sight of the castle. His face was showing excitement. "Well, Golly Gee!" He said. "It's really the Castle of the Royal Sisters!" Sora then gave a nod. "Let's check it out." Sora said as he made his way towards the bridge, with Donald, Goofy, and Spike following him. The boy approached the bridge, gripping his hand on the rope that kept it up. "Looks like it's still in good shape." Sora said. "Guess we'll need to cross to get there." Goofy said, as Donald and Spike took a glance over the cliff, seeing nothing but a misty abyss below. Worry was all over their faces. "I don't like the looks of that below us." Spike said. "Me neither." Donald said with a worried quack. "C'mon guys, we better cross." Sora said. "No way." Donald said. "I'm not crossing this bridge." "Yeah, I don't know if I'm gonna be comfortable doing so." Spike said. "Twilight said she almost fell off the bridge." "But Rainbow Dash saved her." Sora said. "Yeah, but Rainbow Dash isn't here." Spike said. "Don't worry, Spike." Goofy said. "You can go first, and I'll be right behind you. We'll take it one step at a time." "Really?" Spike asked. "Really." Goofy said. Hearing that brought a bit more courage to Spike, making him form a weak smile. "Ok." Spike said. "Thanks." "Just whatever you do, don't look down." Sora said. "Easy for you to say." Donald said as Spike went in front of the bridge. The baby dragon took a deep breath and began to cross, with Goofy following behind him. Spike did his best to keep calm as he kept going, knowing that Goofy's right behind him. Just as they were halfway, Donald and Sora followed behind. The duck was trying his best not to look down, taking it slowly, much slower than Spike. Luckily, Sora was patient. Good thing they weren't crossing train tracks over the river, with no train right behind. Pretty soon, Spike and Goofy made it to the end without trouble. The baby dragon was a bit relieved. "We made it." Spike said. "You guys ok back there?" Goofy asked, seeing that the boy and royal wizard were just halfway. "Yeah, at least I am." Sora said. "Don't look down." Donald said to himself repeatedly. "Do not look down." He made another step. -CRACK- The wood below Donald's foot cracked and broke off, making the duck gasp and look down, seeing the plank drop down into the misty abyss below them. "SORA!" Donald shouted. "I'm Looking Down! GAAH!" He began to panic and turn around, making Sora stop in his tracks. "What are you doing?" Sora asked. "I can't do this!" Donald shouted. "Let me get off, right now!" "But you're already halfway!" Sora said. "Yes, but that half is safe!" Donald said. Sora only rolled his eyes. "Ok, fine, you go back." Sora said as he moved, making the bridge shift a teeny bit, which only made Donald freak out a bit more. "Wait, Sora!" Donald said, moving a bit himself, making the bridge tilt a teeny bit slightly, while the boy continued to reason with the duck, which was leading to an argument. Goofy and Spike watched from the other side, with the latter a bit confused. "Does this usually happen?" Spike asked. "Sometimes." Goofy said. "C'mon, Donald!" Sora said as he tried to move past Donald. "Just let me off!" The duck shouted. Not wanting to take anymore of this arguing, Sora began to lose his cool. "DONALD!" Sora shouted, stomping his foot on the bridge, making he bridge swerve greatly. "AHHH!" Donald shouted as he jumped back. "Don't Do That!" Sora noticed that Donald took a step back as he made the bridge swerve. An idea came to his head, making him smile. "Oh, I'm sorry." Sora said, a little sarcastic. "Do what? This?" He then stomped his foot again, making the bridge swerve once more. "Yes, That!" Donald said. "Yes?" Sora asked as the duck nodded his head. "Yes, do it." "Yes... wait, what?" Donald asked, realizing what Sora was about to do. "Ok!" Sora said with a smile, and he began to swerve the bridge left and right, making Donald scream and move backwards. "AHHH, Stop Doing That!" Donald said. "No, You'll Kill Us Both!" "But you said 'do it', so I'm doing it!" Sora said as he continued to swerve the bridge back and forth, and Donald continued to scream in agony as he moved backwards. "Oh No!" Donald shouted. "I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die! ...Why am I not dying?!" "Um, Donald." Goofy said. "What?!" The duck asked, looking straight at Goofy. "You made it across." Goofy said. Donald then realized that Goofy and Spike were right there behind him. He looked down and saw that he was on solid ground, and no longer on the bridge. He made it across. "Oooh!" Donald said, realizing what Sora was actually doing. He was swerving the bridge back and forth to get Donald to unknowingly cross the bridge. He looked to see Sora crossing the bridge, and he patted Donald on the head. "That'll do, Donald." Sora said. "That'll do." He then walked past him and went towards the castle. Donald only rolled his eyes, but a smile was on his face. As he and Goofy followed the boy, Spike took a glance back at the bridge, and then back at them. "Cool." Spike said as he followed them, as they made their way to the castle doors. "So what do you think we'll find here?" Goofy asked. "Hopefully the backup source for the magic, or a way to fix it at least." Sora said. "I sure hope so." Donald said. The Doors opened up slightly as Sora pushed on them, allowing him to see the inside of what was left of the Castle of the Royal Sisters. The boy walked right inside, followed by Donald, Goofy, and Spike, all of them taking a look at what was left of the castle. The were most likely in the Main Hall of the castle, where there were other doorways leading to other parts of the castle, three on the left and three on the right. Ahead was a stairway that led to the upper floor. And above the ceiling were two banners dangling, the one on the right dangling was yellow and had a white alicorn with a sun above her, representing Celestia, and the one on the left representing Luna, the blue and dark color with the blue alicorn and the crescent moon above it. "Whoa... it looks bigger than I remember." Sora said. "It's huge!" Donald said. "And sorta gloomy." Goofy said. "Yeah, just like the Beast's Castle." Sora said. This castle was a bit like the Beast's Castle, the home of a prince who was turned into a monster and could only be turned back by learning how to love, be kind and friendly. The difference is that the Beast's Castle is in perfect shape, but this one is not. "Incredible!" Jiminy spoke as he hopped out of Sora's hood and onto his shoulder. "We're inside the castle! I can't believe it! "You sound excited." Sora said. "Well, of course." Jiminy said. "This place is absolutely perfect! I wonder if there's a library somewhere!" "Hey, simmer down, Jiminy." Sora said, as the cricket with the top hat quickly calmed himself. He got a little too excited. "Oh, sorry." He said, scratching his head, while Donald turned his head to one side of the room and gasped. "Sora, look!" Donald said, pointing straight ahead. The boy, Spike, cricket, and Goofy looked at what Donald was pointing to. They were seeing eight legged insects with large underbellies making their way towards the doorway. They were spiders. Actually, they were Star spiders, they're just ordinary spiders that have brilliant arctic blue eyes, a coat of dark grayish Persian blue, with their legs being a bluish dark grey, and they had an arctic blue star on the back of their underbellies. Spike couldn't help but give a frightened shiver as he saw the spiders. "Let's follow them." Sora said as he went towards the doorway. "Follow them?!" Donald and Spike asked. "Yeah, why not?" Sora asked. "Maybe we'll find something down there." He continued his way down the steps and continued. "Well, Master Yen Sid always told Mickey to follow the spiders." Goofy said. Donald only gave a defeated groan and followed suit, while Spike gave a scared mumble. "Why did it have to be spiders?" He asked. "Why couldn't it be butterflies?" Never-less, the baby dragon followed the group down the stairs, while it was a bit dark, they were still able to see the steps. And the little star spiders were able to show a bit of a blue trail. Soon they came across a cracked door, which the spiders went through. Sora opened it up wide, and saw a dark room. "Are there at least any lights in this place?" Sora asked. Goofy turned his head to his right and pointed forward. "Two nasty-looking switches over here, though I don't wanna be the first." He said, pointing straight at what appeared to be two switches. Donald approached the switches and flicked the closest one. -ZAP- A sudden jolt of electricity zapped Donald, making him yelp and shake as he held on. As he released his hand, he began to jump up and down until he fell flat onto the ground. He lifted his head up and shook the smoke off of him. He then gave a glare at Goofy. "Damn your eyes!" He shouted, as Goofy looked away and smiled. "Too late." He said with a shrug. Sora only chuckled, but then made his way back towards the switches. He flicked the other one, and then suddenly, several candle sticks began to ignite, lighting up the room. The room had a few tables and chairs, one table over the side and broken, and there were lots of shelves, with books on them. This must be the Library! "Wow!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy said in unison. "Gosh." Spike said. "If Twilight was here than she would go knockers over this." "What a filthy mess." Donald said. "I dunno." Goofy said. "We could clean the dust off, paint it up and plant some flowers-" Donald only glared at Goofy, making him be quiet. Sora looked to the right, and saw the star spiders making their way to the window. "Thanks!" Sora said with a wave, as the spiders looked back and gave a happy wave bag with their legs, just before they crawled out the small window crack. "I guess even the smallest creatures can land a hand." Goofy said, with Sora giving a nod. The group made their way inside, scanning the room, while Spike noticed the broken statue of an alicorn on the ground. "This place just keeps getting creepier and creepier by the minute." Spike said. "That's because it's night out." Donald said. "Man... I don't think we're ever gonna find any.... any.... any..." Sora said as he stopped in his tracks, looking forward. "Any what?" Donald asked. "Thing?" Goofy finished. "Shh!" Sora whispered, pointing up ahead. "There's a light coming from behind that door." They looked to see another doorway, with the door closed. But there was light shining from the crack underneath. There was a light! Sora, Donald, and Goofy each gave a nod, and slowly crept towards the closed door, while Spike followed behind. Sora slowly moved his hand on the door handle and grabbed it to push in. -CRACK- The door handle broke off just as Sora touched, clanging to the ground. The group stared at the broken door handle and then at each other. That was pretty anti-climatic. Sora only shrugged and then he grabbed the door handle slot. With a push, he opened the door quickly, seeing only a small candle lit on a table. Of course, on the table was a couple of figurines. They was a toy red Freightliner FL86 cab over semi-truck with blue wheels, a stuffed toy that looked like a yellow boy with a orange shirt, blue shoes and shorts with the word Kwyjibo written on the head, an action figure of a man with blonde hair, an army shirt and pants with goggles, a strap and a toy gun and helmet, a small chest, and next to it was a red helmet with a yellow mask made out of cardboard. It looked like a little private library, given that there was a shelf that had books and papers on it. "What's this?" Sora asked. "Probably a private library." Goofy said. "Sure doesn't look like it." Donald said. "There are small toys here on the table." The group made their way towards the table, seeing the action figures and trinkets on the table. But Sora was more interested in the chest. "What's in here?" Sora asked as he opened the chest. What was inside brought surprise to the group. Inside it was some kind of canister. But it wasn't a canister. It was some strange hilt with a ring at the bottom of it, with the lower hilt having four black lines on it. Curious, Sora picked it up, and examined it carefully. "What's this thing?" Sora asked. He noticed a red button on the side. Aiming the device upwards, he pressed the button, and then out of the blue, a long blue laser blade emerged from the device. The boy's eyes widened with amazing, while Donald, Goofy, and Spike gasped, while Jiminy glanced from Sora's hood. Whatever it was, it was some kind of laser sword! "Whoa..." Sora said. "Now what is that?" Jiminy asked. "Some kind of laser sword." Sora said. He turned away and swung it a bit, accidently slicing through the chair right next to him. The chair fell apart, leaving burnt marks on the places where it was sliced. "Whoops." "Watch where you're swinging that." Donald said. "Sorry." Sora said as he pressed the button again, turning it off as the laser blade went back into the hilt. Goofy had his attention on the action figures and trinkets on the table. "I wonder if Princess Luna used this room as a place to study." Goofy said. "The castle was completed when she was still a little filly, so she must've played with this toys whenever she took a break." Jiminy hopped out of Sora's hood and examined the figures. "Well, these look more like toys for boys those." Jiminy said, as Spike took a look as well. "I wonder why Luna would want to play with a toy truck." "I don't think that's just a truck." Spike said as he took it from the table. He noticed that the gizmo that connects the front part of the vehicle to the wheels can pend forwards. Seeing a little button on the back of it, he pressed it, making the trucks sprout a blue head and two arms, showing that it was a robot. "Autobots, roll out!" The robot spoke. "Cool, the truck turns into a robot!" Spike said. "Neat!" Donald said as picked up the stuffed toy of the yellow boy. "I wonder who this is." As he, Goofy, Spike, and Jiminy were intrigued by the trinkets and toys, Sora placed the laser sword hilt back into the chest. "I wonder why these were in here." Sora said. "...Help....!" The voice got Sora's attention. He peeped his head out of the room, looking around. But no one, nor no pony was here. "...Help....!" The voice called out again, and Sora turned to another doorway that lead upwards. Curious, he moved out of the room and headed that way, leaving Donald, Goofy, Spike, and Jiminy behind, as all four of them were still examining the toys. "This army fellow looks pretty cool." Goofy said. Kinda reminds me of the toys I used to play during my boyhood. He then turned his head, and noticed that Sora wasn't in here. "Hey, where did Sora go?" He asked, as Donald, Spike, and of course Jiminy looked around. "He was just here a minute ago." Spike said. "Sora?!" Donald called out, peeping his head back into the library. "Sora, where did you go?!" Sora continued making his way up the stairs to follow the voice he was hearing. The voice was echoing, and it was faint, but it did sound familiar. As he made it up the steps, he found himself back in the Main Hall of the castle. Turning his head, he saw that the sound was coming from the second floor. He went up the stairs to the next level and continued to follow the voice down the other side of the hall. If anyone wondered here alone, it would be a bit creepy, since this castle was indeed abandon. Could it be possible that there were ghosts? No, it can't be ghosts. Other wise they would've made themselves known. "I hope this place isn't haunted." Sora said. He soon came across another room, seeing that it was an old bedroom. There were two beds next to each other's. One had the sun's sigil upon it, and the other had the crescent moon. This must be the Princesses' bed chambers. They probably shared a bedroom before Luna was banished. But that's not what Sora was looking at. He saw something on the far right of the room. It was a chest, and it looked a bit less dusty than the beds were. He went before it and knelt down. He examined it carefully. This must be either Celestia's or Luna's. Should he look inside it? Probably not. But there was something in here. Something that was calling out to him. He just had to know. He moved his hand over the latches, and unlatched the chest, unsealing. He closed his eyes, preparing for anything that could either come out or zap him. He opened it. Nothing happened. He opened his eyes up to take a peek, but that peek turned to a pair of wide eyes. He then opened the chest more, and saw what was inside it. There was only one thing inside it. It was a sword. But not just any kind of sword. The sword had a guard and handle, with teeth at the end of the blade... It was a keyblade! A keyblade?! Here in Equestria? Well, this keyblade was much different than his own, and it was very dusty. The handle and neck was black, with the handle sporting two small protrusions, which bore beige spikes. The guard is comprised of two chartreuse spikes that faded into cyan, resembling knives with a diamond in the center. The blade itself has V-shaped designs in the middle. The tip had a beige design at the very top with a blue diamond in the center, which was also present in the teeth, which were of wide spikes, necessitating wide black designs. Interestingly, the keychain looked just like Roxas's zipper, but it had the guard's color scheme. Sora stared at it for a few seconds. "A... Keyblade?" Sora asked. How did a keyblade end up in here? He leaned forward a bit to pick up the keyblade, which could be dubbed as the Missing Ache. As he grabbed the handle... Suddenly, a flash came across his vision, suddenly blasting him backwards. The room around him became very dark. As he got back up to his feet, the area around him started to light up, showing a strange room, and above him, massive gears were rotating above the ceiling, and around him. This room, that had a shelf of books and a large table, began to shake around him, as he began to hear voices echoing in his ear. "And that makes you the indisposable number seven." Sora turned his head and saw two people in the room. One was sitting on the table, reading a strange book, and the other was standing, facing him while giving him a nod. To Sora's surprise, they were wearing the black coats, the ones that Organization XIII have worn. "Uh-huh." The one standing spoke. "It's simple." The one sitting down said. "You six plus me equal seven." He then gave a surprised gasp and turned his head head, looking at the one standing. Sora noticed something about the man sitting down. He noticed a glowing crystal blue eye within his shrouded face. That's the same eye that the man he saw speaking to Celestia while he was back in Starswirl's Library! "Wait, don't tell me that I don't count." He asked. "Uh... No... um... I didn't say-" The other one, the younger one said surprised, but the one sitting down, the Old Master, gave a chuckle. "I'm just kidding with you." He said as he closed the book up and rose from his seat. He then approached the younger one, and summoned forth a keyblade, the keyblade that had the goat design and the blue glowing eyes at the top of it. It was the Keyblade the Master Xehanort wielded! He then offered it to him. "Here, take it." The Master spoke. The other boy, confused, gave a nod and accepted it, as Sora watched. "Huh?" Sora asked. Then all of a sudden, the room began to break apart around Sora, as the gears above him began to shatter and fall towards him. With a yelp, he began to run away, as the room around him began to crumble up. He made a jump forward and landed in a field of grass, where a couple of dandelions laid awake. Lifting his head up, a huge sight had caught his eye. Across the hill was a small town, and behind it was a huge clock tower standing tall. His eyes widened. He had seen that clock tower before... but where? "That... that tower." Sora said. "Is there really no other way?" Another voice spoke. Turning right, he saw the hooded man once more, his eyes watching the tower. Behind him was a young man, who's face was also shrouded, but not by a hood, but a mask, which was the face of a white unicorn that had a gold trim, with a blue mane. His white hooded cloak covers a robe, shirt, and sash that are all light blue in coloration and have gold embroidering. Gold tassels appear on the front o the man's cloak. "What about all of those who are here now?" The man, Ira said. "And the ones who will be here when the darkness finally comes? Are we to just abandon them?" "C'mon." The mysterious man spoke as he just turned around and walked away. "You really think the world can be saved by just severn people?" "We have to at least try!" Ira spoke, as Sora only watched. However, a cold chill blew against his back. Sora turned just as the scene began to fade, with the area transforming just as someone leaped in to strike him. Sora jumped back, but fell down, just dodging what looked like a keyblade! As the boy dropped on his back. He looked up to see who tried to strike him. Standing before him was a tall, muscular man, his face hidded by a dark grey bear mask. He too wore a hooded cloak, but it was a tan color, with a robe, shirt, and sash underneath that had light brown coloring with black embroidering. There were also gold tassels that appeared in the front of his cloak. In his hand was a bulky keyblade, with a gray handle and a dark blue jagged guard. The base had the image of a brown bear with red eyes. The shaft was brown with a wide black area in the middle. The blade itself was brown with the edges a lighter color, with the end curving back towards the base. And the teeth was in the shape of a C. Before Sora could figure out who this was, the man raised his keyblade and swung down. Sora closed his eyes, but then he heard a loud clash. As he opened his eyes, he saw another individual, wearing similar clothes. But this one was a woman, with a light blue cloak, underneath were a robe, shirt, and sash colored in a darker shade of blue. Turquoise tassels were in front of her cloak, and her mask was of a blue snake. She too wielded a keyblade like the man in front of her. The keyblade had a lighter handle, with it's opened guard resembled a bough adorned with silver leaves. The base of the keyblade depicted a silver cobra with blue eyes. The weapon's shaft was cris-like, with a black fuller, decorated with a floral design. The teeth were just like the guard, which housed a symbole that looked like the token on Terra, Ventus and Aqua had on their own clothing. "Why do you get in my way?!" The man, Aced asked, pushing the girl away, while flinging the keyblade out of her hands. "Don't be so conceited!" The woman, Invi responded. "I'm protecting the balance just like the Master told us to! You need to come to your senses!" Sora glanced at the woman, and then glanced back at the other, who gritted his teeth. "If we don't do something, light will expire!" Aced spoke, making his way towards Invi. "Then we won't be able to avoid the grim future that awaits. We need to defy the Master's teachings to protect the world!" "You're saying that he was wrong?" Invi asked. Sora turned his head, trying to figure out what he was seeing. Was this a nightmare? A vision? But something caught his attention. It was actually someone, watching from behind the building wall. It was a boy around his height. He too wore the cloak and robes like the other two, but the cloak was pale yellow, and the robe and other accessories were a yellowish-tan with dark grey embroidering. While his tassels were light blue, the mask that hid his face was of a white leopard. In his hand, was also a keyblade, with a dark blue handle, with a guard resembling golden lightning bolts. In the base was a depiction of a green-eyed leopard, with the shaft comprised of a golden spiked blade. Bearing the same symbol the other keyblades had, it's teeth formed a web of crystalline spikes. "There's another one?" Sora asked. How many more of these hooded cloaked guys are out here? "He's not here anymore!" Aced spoke. "I won't let his prophecy come true, nor will I let this world fall into darkness!" He then swung his keyblade, creating a cross slash, which formed an X, and it charged towards Invi. "You fool!" She shouted, jumping into the air, and her keyblade returning to her hand. She then summoned multiple water blades, ready to counter attack. Sora looked back at the boy who was watching, who only looked away, looking at what appears to be a piece of paper. "So, we may now know who the traitor really is." He said to himself. He then glanced forward and looked like he spotted someone. "Ava, over here!" He called out. Sora then felt the area around him crumbling, with the stone pavements breaking up, causing him to fall down screaming into a deep dark hole. Suddenly, he stopped falling, landing straight on his feet. Lifting his head up, he saw around him, dozens of people, some male, some female, but they all wore various set of battle gear. "Wh... what?" Sora asked. "Now what?" "This session may seem like it's familiar to you, but in a world that is different, one made of dreams." The voice of a young girl got his attention. Looking forward, he saw a young girl, also wearing a cloak similar to the others he had seen, but it was a pink color, decorated with light green tassels, covering a white robe with a light purple shirt and sash. She too wore a mask, but it was of a white fox with a blue trim, and cute metal fox ears were on top of her hood. "You are our hope." She continued. "A war will soon wage. Those who strive to protect the light will turn their weapons on their allies for the sake of loyalty to their own Unions. To be honest, I don't know how far I can guide all of you. What you mustrememberis that anyone can lose themselves to the darkness. However, there will be no winners; everything will be lost. Except, all of you who are the seeds of hope. When the time comes, and there is war, you mustn't fight, but instead you must fly away from here to the world outside. This training is to help you fulfill this crucial task. The future is in all your hands, as is the world's light. May your hearts be your guiding key." As she finished speaking, Sora's eyes widened as he heard those last words. May your hearts be your guiding key. The same words that Master Yen Sid had told them. "May our hearts-" Sora spoke, only to feel the area around him break away, transforming into what appeared to be a desert wasteland. Looking around himself, he saw many people fighting, all of them with keyblades in hands. One struck one down, while the other stabbed another, many of them falling around him. "Wha..." Sora spoke. "Sora?" A new voice spoke, making him turn his head. To his surprise, he saw Ventus, fighting what appears to be a strange dark figure, covered in a black smoke. Sora than noticed that he was wielding a different keyblade, which was the same one he just found. "GAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" Ventus screamed as the darkness covered all over him, and Sora only broke below the ground again, making him fall and hit hard. He quickly got himself up, and saw that he was back in the mane hall of the castle, though it was really dark. "Huh?" Sora asked. What was going on? "My... you seem to be special, are you?" Sora froze hearing that voice. He knew that voice, one he thought he would never hear again. He turned around, and saw an elderly man, dark skinned, bald, with a silver goatee on his chin, holding the black keyblade in his hand. "Master Xehanort!" Sora shouted. He then looked down, and saw Ventus on the floor, who was weakly looking up at the old keyblade master. "Come with me, boy." Master Xehanort spoke. "And I shall teach you everything." Ventus lifted his hand up to grab his, scared and confused, while Sora tried to figure out what was happening. Was this a dream? Was this a vision? Or was it another panic attack? "Wha… what's..." Sora said, but before he could finish, he found himself tumbling back and fall on the ground. "These are your first steps..." The boy laid there for a few seconds before getting himself up. What did he just see? Those people in the strange cloaks talking to that hooded Master. Were those keyblade masters from long ago? And what he just saw now, Ventus during that time, and Master Xehanort finding him here. So this means this must be where Master Xehanort found Ventus, with hopes to use him for his agenda. But... how did Ventus get here? And... where did he come from? When did he come from? The boy only glanced down at the keyblade he was holding. "Was this Ven's keyblade?" Sora asked. The boy only continued to think what he was witnessing... Not only that, he saw himself, in that black coat with Master Xehanort's keyblade. Was all this a panic attack again? Suddenly, he felt dizzy again, making him squeeze between his eyes. "Help!" A voice echoed in the room, getting his attention. Sora turned to see a lavender unicorn running into the room. To Sora's surprise, it was Twilight, or at least a vision from the look of her transparent body. "Twilight?" Sora asked, seeing her gallop up the stairs. The boy followed her up, doing his best to catch up with her. As he made it to the top, opening the doors, he saw a room he was very familiar. With the large platform in the middle, he saw that he was in the room where he and Twilight fought against Nightmare Moon, and she and her friends used the Elements of Harmony to purge the darkness inside her. "Now this is familiar..." Sora said to himself. He then heard soft quiet sobbing. He turned towards the center of the room, seeing a transparent form of Twilight, crying softly. The boy slowly approached her. "Twilight?" Sora asked. The pony just ignored him, though this was probably a glimpse of the past. The lavender unicorn lifted her head up, shedding tears. Things change in an instant at most... So strange that my dreams are all ghosts... But you can't change the past! ...and good times never last. I tried to be good but then I went astray! I just want to see them again... How could I have let them down and let things turn out this way I just want to hear them say... She only lowered her head down, and continued to cry, not caring who would hear or see her. "You seem to be in a bad mood..." a familiar said, making Twilight turn her head to see Discord, out of his stone prison. She gasped. How did he get out?! "Discord!" Twilight shouted, forming a battle stance. But she stopped herself. Why was she bothering trying to fight him. She only shook her head. "Just forget it." Twilight said as she turned away. "Awww, what's the matter Twilight?" Discord asked with a raised eyebrow. "Aren't you just delighted to see me?" "I don't want to see anyone." Twilight said. "Are you sure?" Discord asked. "Because I was wondering if you're going to the dark side and stuff, maybe I could join you?" "Go away!" Twiligh shouted angrily as she shot a beam at the draconuquus. He only sighed, seeing that she didn't want to talk right now. "Ok, I'll just leave you be." Discord said as she slithered out the window. "I'll be outside if you need me." As he disappeared, Twilight only looked away and continued to cry. Just seeing him reminded her how she and the girls defeated him. Just remembering how he turned them against her, just like they turned against her during the wedding rehearsal. "Stupid Discord... Stupid girls... Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!" Twilight spoke as she just went on sobbing. "You don't need them..." A whisper spoke out, getting her attention. She lifted her head up, wondering where that voice came from. "Who's there?" She asked. Sora looked around, seeing that he heard the voice too. Where was it coming from? "Right here, little pony..." The voice whispered again, as Twilight took a glance down at the ground, seeing that her tears formed a small puddle before her. But inside it was a pair of glowing blue cyan eyes, looking at her with a merciful stare. "Wh... Who are you?" She asked. "No need to fear, my little pony." The eyes spoke. "You can call me your friend." "F...Friend?" Twilight asked, but she only shook her head, turning away from the puddle. "I don't want anymore friends." "And why is that?" The voice asked. "Because, they all abandoned me in my time of need." Twilight said. "They never truly loved me." "True... very true." The voice said, as a blue mist evaporated from the amulet around her neck and appeared before her, showing that this mist was what was talking to her. "Well to be honest, you're better off without friends like them." Twilight's ears perked up. She had said those words before to Pinkie Pie. "Funny... I told Pinkie Pie the same thing." Twilight said. "But... but I don't know what to do? I was hoping this necklace would relieve me of my pain, but I still feel it. What will it take to erase the pain from my heart?" Sora then noticed in this vision, that amulet Twilight was wearing. He saw her wearing that when he encountered her in Canterlot. Where did she get that? "It's simple..." The mist said. "Destroy everything." Twilight looked up at the misty face. "Destroy... everything?" Twilight asked. "Yes..." The mist said. "Destroy everything. Destroy everypony that hurt you and make them lose everything they hold dear." "Make... make them suffer?" Twilight asked. "You heard what the draconequus said." The mist continued, showing that she was speaking from the amulet Twilight was wearing. "Your friends don't truly love you. They just use you for their own needs. So why not make them suffer. Why not destroy everything they love? Then they'll understand what true pain is all about..." The lavender unicorn began to think it over. Destroy everything and everypony? Make them lose everything? Yes... Yes, she thought. That would make the pain go away. Nothing matters anymore, so why not destroy everything? But how, though? "What do you want me to do?" Twilight asked. "This..." The mist said, conjuring up a piece of paper and let it drop into Twilight's hooves. She glanced down, and saw a picture of a black misty alicorn-like demon. Twilight's eyes widened. "What's this?" Twilight asked. "The Pony of Shadows." The mist said. "A beast with so much dark power, it will ravage the entire land and reduce every thing to nothing. If you release it into the world, it will help you destroy every pony who stands in your way." Reading the contents on the paper, Twilight began to seep in all the information she could into her mind. "Yes... Yes!" Twilight said, a wicked smile formed on her face. "This is how I will destroy them... The Pony of Shadows will allow me to destroy them all, to destroy all of them!" "Yes, little one." The misty spoke as she surrounded Twilight, allowing a dark mist to evaporate from her body. The sight of it made Sora gasp. That mist was darkness! "No..." Sora said. "And together, we shall rid this world of it's selfish foal-ish ponies, and ruin the ones who have betrayed you all." The mist spoke. as Twilight's eyes began to show a glowing glow as well. "Yes!" Twilight said. "All those backstabbers and Celestia will know what it's like to lose everything! If this is the only way, then I'll never let my anger go. Let my heart blacken and harden, no matter the cost! No longer will I serve the light! instead, I will walk the path of darkness!" Pretty soon, Twilight began to chuckle, which slowly transitioned into an evil, hysterical laugh. As she blinked, her eyes were replaced with cyan colored sclera, and her eyes were glowing purple. Watching this, Sora couldn't believe that he was even seeing. He was seeing Twilight, being drawn into the darkness. No... No, he thought. He couldn't bare any more of this. "TWILIGHT!" Sora called out, attempting to pull her out, only for a thundering flash to make the whole scene disappear. He only stood there, and tried to process what he just saw. He saw Twilight alone, and in pain. And Discord and that wicked voice calling out to her. Whatever that voice was, that misty figure, seemed to have took advantage of the situation and convince her to betray everyone she loved. That amulet, the one that was around her neck, where the sinister voice came from, Is that why Twilight turned to the darkness? "That voice..." Sora said to himself, unable to take in what he just saw. "That mist that came out of that amulet. Was that... Nightmare Moon?" At this moment, Sora was now realized. This was harder than he originally thought. "Well, what do you know?" a voice said, one that sent a chill down Sora's spine. "You've lost before you even arrived." Sora turned his head, and saw a familiar young man with silver hair, a black coat, and yellow glowing eyes. "Xehanort!" Sora said, gripping the keyblade he found eariler in his hand. But then he quickly realized... This wasn't really Xehanort. This was just an illusion, a fabrication conjured up by his own self-doubt. "Oh no." Sora said. "I've been through this before. You're just in my head." Young Xehanort only smiled with a chuckle. "Yes, you're finally understanding." He said. "I'm just a spectre conjured up by your fears and doubts." Sora only growled. "Was all this you?" Sora asked. "Were you the one behind the things I've been seeing?" "That?" Young Xehanort asked. "No. What you saw was the ancient past, which was something that you were never suppose to see. In fact, you were never suppose to be here in the first place. If you're still here, than you must be more special than we originally thought." "Stop it!" Sora said. "Stop this nonsense! Just... what do you want?" "What do I want?" Young Xehanort asked. "Nothing. I already told you, I'm just an illusion. But from what you have seen, it appears that you have no chance of saving your dear pony friend." "What do you mean?" Sora asked. "That strange mist! What was that?" "That was something... or someone that you and your dear pony friend have faced the first time you came into this castle." Young Xehanort said, in which Sora realized who he was talking about. "Nightmare Moon!" Sora said. "Yes." Young Xehanort said. "I already told you. The Elements of Harmony are only used to heal those inflicted by darkness, to keep the magic and the universe in balance. They're not for destroying the darkness. You may have saved Princess Luna from the Nightmare's influence, but it was only weakened until now. And your friend has become it's new host. And soon, she will be lost to the darkness, as Nightmare Moon will rise and destroy all of Equestria." "You're wrong!" Sora said. "Twilight is strong!" "Perhaps, but what about you?" Young Xehanort asked. "Huh?" Sora asked tilting his head. "Are you strong enough to face her?" Young Xehanort asked. "Are you willing to sacrifice anything to save this world? It means there's only one other option to stop her. And that... is to kill her." The boy's eyes widened as heard that last word. "What?!" Sora asked. "No, I won't do that to her!" "She has stooped too low now." Young Xehanort said. "And those who sink too low into darkness can't be saved." "That's not true!" Sora said. "I was able to save Aqua when she was too low, and I was able to save Terra too!" "Not on your own." Young Xehanort said. "You had help those times, and no one can help you save Twilight, not even those gold digging foals." "Don't say that!" Sora shouted. "They're not gold-diggers!" "Then where are they?" Young Xehanort asked. "Why are they not here? Oh that's right, they gave up and abandoned you too. Just like Twilight had abandoned you, like how Riku abandoned you when you pushed him away, making him think that you replaced him with new companions." "Don't you dare bring Riku into this!" Sora shouted, his eyes beginning to fill with tears. "You've lost boy." Young Xehanort said. "The only thing you have left is the painful memories of letting everyone down." "Shut Up!" Sora shouted. "Just shut up!" "You've failed boy." Young Xehanort said. "You're just a failing, useless, coward..." "SORA!" Sora's eyes widened as he heard those voices. Donald! Goofy! He turned his head, hearing their voices calling out to him. "Sora, where are ya?!" Goofy's voice called. "Sora, where'd you go?!" Donald asked. The boy just stood there, and his eyes widened up. He remembered what Donald and Goofy always told him. Always smile! A smile began to form on his face, and a sparkle shined in his eyes as a tear was shed from it. But it wasn't a tear of sorrow... it was a tear of joy. "It's over, Sora." Young Xehanort said. "Your time in this world is-" "No!" Sora spoke, making the silver-haired man raise an eyebrow. "Wh... what?" Young Xehanort asked. "You're wrong." Sora said, turning back to Xehanort. "I didn't fail yet. My friends aren't giving up on me, so I'm not giving up on them!" He made a step forward... and then... -FLASH- A sudden rainbow colored wave splashed out of the nowhere, knocking Young Xehanort across the floor. As he hit the ground, Xehanort let out a shout of sudden pain. That sudden blast did some damage. He turned back to see the boy, who was just as surprised as he was. Sora looked down into his pocket, and saw a tiara with a six pointed star on top of it. It was the Element of Magic! He just remembered it was in his pocket the whole time! Spike gave it to him for safe keeping! The tiara floated upwards above the boy. He then noticed his backpack was glowing too. Suddenly, five broken necklaces began to pop out of the bag. It was the other elements! They were glowing, as a magical aura from the Element of Magic began to sprinkle upon the necklaces! The necklaces were then surprisingly fixed, and the broken gems upon them were restored as well, as if Twilight never destroyed them! "Wh...WHAT?!" Young Xehanort asked, his face showing fear, while Sora, watched with amazement! The Elements are fixed? "The Elements..." Sora said. He then remembered. The spark! The same spark that Twilight felt when her friends arrived to help her. It was that same spark he was feeling! The Spark of Friendship! "The spark..." He said. "This is the spark that Twilight had felt! The Spark of Friendship!" "Sora..." A familiar voice said. Looking forward, he saw a transparent light, taking the shape and form of Riku! "Riku?" Sora asked surprised. "Don't worry, Sora." Riku replied. "We're here." Then suddenly, two more appeared to Sora's right. It was Donald and Goofy. "We'll always be here, buddy." Goofy said. "Even in the end." Donald said. Then, next to Riku, another light appeared, showing it was King Mickey. "We'll face it together!" Mickey said with a nod. Then more lights appeared, revealing to be Roxas, Namine, Xion, Axel, Aqua, Terra, Ventus, Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, and Cid! "Guys..." Sora said. Then the boy glanced forward, seeing one more light, a girl with dark red hair and blue eyes, one beautiful person that he held close to his heart. It was Kairi. "Kairi!" Sora said. She looked at him with a smile. "I believe in you." She said. Hearing that made the boy smile. Whatever was happening, he was feeling much more solace. At that moment, he finally realized, and remembered something important. No matter where he goes, even if they're not here, his friends will always be with them. As the boy began to feel more hope, Young Xehanort lifted himself up to his feet, showing fear for the first time. "Impossible!" He shouted. "How is this even possible?!" "Because, Xehanort." Sora said. "The spark that ignites the elements is the same spark I feel right now. The spark from the Light of Friendship, a light that is stronger than the darkness! Together, we're unstoppable!" He then raised his hand in the air, and the spirits of his friends transformed into small but powerful lights. They flew toward Xehanort, and they sliced right through him, each light dealing a great deal of pain and damage to the silver-haired man. As the last light struck him, he felt to his knees, with his entire body suddenly beginning to slowly reduce to black particles. The boy approached him, summoning his broken keyblade, while gripping the Missing Ache Keyblade in his other hand. "You... You think you've won?" Young Xehanort asked, though there was fear coming from his voice. "You may... have... eluded me... but I will never leave you!" "Then I'll be waiting then." Sora said. "Right now, my friend needs me. So until then..." He then rushed forward. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" The boy shouted as he ran up, as Xehanort watched in horror. Sora then swung, not knowing that the broken keyblade formed a large rainbow-colored blade around it, allowing Sora to slash through Xehanort with both keyblades, making the older man choke in pain. Suddenly, Young Xehanort began to fade away, leaving only Sora in the room. "An ancient darkness threatens this world. You must stop him, o Chosen One." "Huh?" Sora asked, turning his head. That voice he just heard. Someone was talking to him. But no one was in the room. And that wasn't Xehanort's voice, no. It was a much different voice. But no one was here. Just him, and the elements that slowly descended to the ground, and ceased glowing. The boy approached them and picked up the tiara. He examined it, and the other necklaces on the ground, fully restored. "Wow..." Sora said, with a smile on his face. "I guess the spark can happen in anybody." "You really are special, after all." The voice that sounded cute, made Sora lift his head. He turned around, hearing that voice. He knew that voice! "Is that?" Sora asked. Suddenly, he glanced up and saw a small little spark of light appear in the room, making adorable cat meow songs, and dropped before Sora. The light flashed, and a little creature took it's place. Someone small and cute. Standing there was a small little anthropomorphic creature, almost resembling a grey cat accented with black stripes. It had a large spherical head with small ears, narrow blue eyes, and a cute white snout. The creature's limbs were quite stubby, lacking distinct digits, as is it's tail. It's attire consisted of a gold and blue cape that concealed a familiar sigil on it's back, and it wore a small pink purse around it's neck that bore a star symbol. Sora's eyes widened, recognizing the creature. "Chirithy?" He said. "We meet again." The creature, Chirithy said. "It is good to see you again." Sora gave a smile seeing him. He had seen Chirithy before, just after the blundered attempt of the Final Battle, where Sora was cast into the Final World due to Kairi. He met this little guy who helped him restore his physical form. "Hey, how have you been?" Sora asked. "How did you get here?" "Same way you did." Chirithy said. "I just followed the connection of our hearts to you." The boy approached the cute little creature, while knowing his name, didn't know he was actually a Dream Eater. "But... what are you doing here?" Sora asked. "My friend asked me to see if you're doing ok." Chirithy said. "It's taking a while, but he's on his way here. He's also bringing help with him." "Really?" Sora asked, surprised that there are people out there on their way to help him. "Wow, thanks." The boy then noticed that Chirithy had said that he was really special. What did that mean? "Say... what did you mean by special?" Sora asked. "You remember what I told you before, back in the Final World, when you went to save the one so dear to you?" Chirithy asked. "When you used the Power of Waking to save her, you would lose your power and vanish from existance. But you somehow managed to get out, without even losing your power." Sora knew what he was talking about. In the aftermath of the final battle against Xehanort, Sora went back to Chirithy for advice to find a way to bring back Kairi. He ended up using the Power of Waking to follow the connections of his friends to see truths and solve unanswered questions, and he was able to save Kairi. But... he didn't disappear. "I didn't vanish?" Sora asked. "Well, how did that happen? Is it because everyone refused to let me go?" "Well, I can't really explain how that works." Chirithy said. "Though I'm certain that you would be able to return, since a lot of people you've met would do whatever it takes to bring you back. But in this case, you came back sooner than expected. That's because they allowed you to return back home. And if they allowed you to return, then you must be more important than everyone realizes." "They?" Sora asked. "Who's they?" "Those Who Came Before." Chirithy said. "Those Who Came Before?" Sora asked. He started to think. Who were Those Who Came Before? Well, whoever they were, they helped Sora and brought him back. "Huh..." He said, forming a smile. "I never knew that I was so important." "You have no idea." Chirithy said. "Well whoever they are, I guess I owe them a big thanks." Sora said. "Who are they exactly?" "I can't actually tell you." Chirithy said. "But I think that you'll meet them soon enough." Sora tilted his head, but he quickly understood. He will probably meet them eventually. "Ok." Sora said. Then a thought came to his head. Since Chirithy has a way of knowing things, he can ask him how he could fix the magic and save Twilight. "Oh, Chirithy, I need to ask you something." "Hmm?" Chirithy asked leaning in, ready to hear what the boy had to ask. "Ok, first off, the magic isn't working right because of what's going on in this world." Sora said. "We believe that it might have something to do with a power source that's happening in the Everfree Forest. Do you have idea of what it could be?" "Hmmm..." Chirithy said. "Well, there's not much I know about this world, but I do know that there is something out here in the forest that keeps the magic stable, something that once harbored the Elements of Harmony." "The Elements?" Sora asked. "So wait, the Elements of Harmony came from somewhere in the forest?" "Yep." Chirithy said. "The Everfree Forest was the original home to the Element of Harmony, but the Princesses took them from the Sacred Tree in order to stop the Deity of Chaos." "Sacred Tree?" Sora asked. At that moment, Chirithy hesitated and covered his mouth, looking around to see if anyone was around, much to Sora's surprise. "Chirithy?" "Whoops, I'm not actually suppose to say too much about it." Chirithy said. "That's all that I can say." "Awww, are you sure Chirithy?" Sora asked. "I won't tell anyone about it." "Sorry, but you'll see what it is if you keep looking into the forest." Chirithy said. "Right now it's being weakened by a dangerous dark force. Just follow the Elements, and the trail of seeds, as they will lead you right to it." Sora only sighed, but nodded his head understandingly. Whatever this Sacred Tree was, Sora was probably gonna have to find it himself. "Ok." Sora said. "Now, second question. The bearer of the Element of Magic is down a very dark path, and I need to find a way to save her." "Down a dark road?" Chirithy said. "Oh boy, another student has turned against the Princess of the Sun. I'm surprised this one resorted to turning to darkness." Sora tilted his head again. Another student? "Wait, there was another student before Twilight?" Sora asked. "Yes." Chirithy said. "The Shimmering Sunset didn't care about making friends. She only wanted to be the best, and desired power. She refused to learn the important things, so the Sun Princess banished her daughter away, only to be struck down by the Sunset, who disappeared to another world." Sora's eyes widened just as Chirithy said daughter. Princess Celestia's daughter. "Daughter?" Sora asked. "Princess Celestia had a daughter?" At that moment Chirithy gasped. "Oh shoot, I wasn't suppose to say that either!" He said, showing a frantic state. He began to shake his head and cursing at himself. "Whoa, just calm down buddy." Sora said as he held the guy and petted him on the head. "It's alright. Nobody else is in here." "Sorry." Chirithy said. "It's just been a long time since I've had a conversation with anybody else. Usually I just speak with-" "SORA!" a voice called from the stairway, getting both their attention. "Sora! You think he's down here?" "Let's go check!" They were Donald, Goofy, and Spike's voices, and it sounded like they were just beginning to head up the stairs. "It's the others." Sora said. "My friends." "I better get back to my friend then." Chirithy said. "Don't want to keep him waiting." With that said, Chirithy transformed into a glowing spark and flew up to the ceiling, disappearing in a flash. "Wait!" Sora called out, but the Dream Eater was already gone. He just lowered his head with defeat. "I didn't even get a chance to ask how to save Twilight." "To save one lost in darkness, you must learn how it all came to be..." The boy turned his head, hearing another voice. But it wasn't Chirithy's voice. It was the voice of a woman. But who? "Who said that?" He asked. He then glanced forward and saw something... or someone to be precise. He didn't see her face, but the source of the voice was a mysterious woman, colored in white. "Who... who are you?" Sora asked. "Merely a servant of the worlds, but that is not of any importance." The phantom said. "Do you wish to save the bearer of the Element of Magic?" Sora didn't know who this spirit was, but maybe she may know something that he doesn't. "Well, yes." Sora said. "Tell me what to do." "If you wish to save your friend, you must learn from what she had experienced." The phantom said. "To see what she experienced, you must trace the connection between the two of you and those close to her. Through her, you'll see the events that happened not only from her perspective, but from the perspectives of her loved ones." "Trace the connecton…" Sora said. He let out a short gasp. Trace the connection. Wait a second, he did this before months ago. To save Twilight, he must use the one thing that he used to save Kairi. "The Power of Waking?" Sora asked. "But... I thought I lost-" "The Power of Waking isn't truly lost forever." The phantom said. "It remains dormant until you truly need it once more." "But... what if." Sora said began, but the phantom raised her hand, preventing the boy from speaking, but showing assurance. "The Power will allow you to see without being seen by others." She said. "Now go forth, and may your heart be your guiding key." She then disappeared, leaving Sora all by himself. He then started thinking. To find a way to save Twilight, he would have to use the Power of Waking to do so, to go back in time and see through her perspective. He lowered his head, alone for a few short seconds. He gave a sigh and clenched his hand. He knew what he had to do. "Sora!" Donald called out, getting his attention. He turned and saw Donald, Goofy, and Spike coming into the room and rush up to him. "Guys." Sora said. "Are you ok?" The duck asked. "Yeah..." Sora said, but he continued to look around, and then back at the group. "Wait, where were you guys?" "Well, you kinda went off ahead, and we spent the whole time looking for you." Goofy said. Donald then noticed the Missing Ache Keyblade in the boy's hand. "Hey, is that a keyblade?!" He asked in surprise. "Huh? Oh." Sora said, noticing the different keyblade in his hand. "Yeah, it is." "Where did ya find that?" Goofy asked. "It was in the bedchambers, inside a chest." Sora said. "It looks so old." Donald said, noticing that it was still a bit dusty. "Yeah, but it's in good condition." Sora said. "I think whoever came here must've placed it in there." The royal wizard than glanced at the boy, noticing there was some tear stains visible on the right side of Sora's face. "Are you sure you're ok?" Donald asked, pointing at Sora's face. The boy then noticed that his cheeks felt a bit wet. He rubbed his eyes, wiping the tears stains away. "Yeah, I'm sure." Sora said. "Did you have another panic attack?" Goofy asked. "I... don't know how to describe it." Sora said. "I... I saw a lot of things, and I saw... him." "Saw who?" Spike asked. "Xehanort." Sora said. "Master Xehanort?!" Donald and Goofy asked in surprise. "Yeah... well, his younger self to be exact." Sora said. "He was trying to torment me... but then I heard you guys calling out to me. And then... I felt the spark." "The Spark?" Donald and Goofy asked. "Yeah, the spark of our friendship." Sora said. "I saw Riku, you guys, and the others, and you helped me remembered something really important." "And what's that?" Goofy asked, as the boy gave a smile. "Always smile." Sora said. Hearing that made Donald and Goofy grin. They gave the boy a big hug, as he did the same. "So, you feel better?" Donald asked. "Yeah." Sora said. "But I don't think it'll be the last time I see him though." "Well, if he comes back, we'll be there to help you out." Goofy said. "Yeah, we beaten him before, and we'll do it again!" Donald said confidently. "Oh, and speaking of the spark." Sora said, turning around to show the two and Spike the restored Elements. All three were greatly surprised. "Wow!" Donald said. "The Elements are fixed!" Goofy said. "Cool!" Spike said. "How did you fix them, Sora?" "The spark fixed them." Sora said. "Neat." Spike said. "Here, let me help you with them." The baby dragon rushed over and picked up the Elements, and as Sora placed his backpack onto the ground, the little dragon placed the Elements inside. "Say, you called out Twilight's name." Goofy said. "Did you see her too?" "Actually, I did." Sora said. "You did?!" Spike asked as he zipped up the backpack, now filled with the Elements of Harmony. "Well, not physically." Sora said. "I had another vision of her. I think she was here shortly after she left Canterlot. She was lamenting on everything that happened at the wedding. And there was this voice, and it was convincing her to betray everyone she loved. I think it was Nightmare Moon." "NIGHTMARE MOON?!" Spike, Donald, and Goofy asked. "Yes." Sora said. "But it was using this strange amulet that Twilight was wearing, and she was able to communicate to her through it." The group then started to think on that. "That's right." Donald said. "Twilight was wearing some amulet when we found her in the Hall of the Elements." "Well... Twilight was probably hurting a lot." Goofy said. "If Nightmare Moon was inside that amulet, then it must've used the pain Twilight was feeling to convince her to betray her friends." "Yeah." Donald said." "And I wasn't there for her." Spike said, remembering how he went to go get something to eat before Twilight left and ripped the dress Rarity made for her. "I knew I should've stayed with her instead of going to get something to eat." The baby dragon lowered his head in shame. "Aww, Spike." Sora said. "Don't feel like that. We just weren't there for her at the right time. But now we will. When we find her, we'll let her know that we're here for her." "Right." Goofy said as he patted the baby dragon's shoulders. The little draik looked up at the three and gave a smile. They were right. They can still be there for her, whatever it took. "But... but how?" Spike asked. "I think I may have an answer how we could." Sora said. "Or how I can." "You do?" Goofy asked. "Well, she must've stumbled upon it sometime before she ran off." Sora said. "Really?" Goofy asked. "But how did she find it?" "I think I know how we'll get our answer." Sora said, turning towards the broken window. "Though it might be tricky to do." "How?" Donald asked. The boy turned away and made his way towards the pedestal in the room. "I'm going to trace the connection between me and Twilight, and see the events of the wedding from her perspective." Sora said. Donald and Goofy nearly gasped, showing worried looks. "Wait, you mean!" Donald said. Sora looked back at them and nodded. "Yes." Sora said. "The Power of Waking." "The Power of What?" Spike asked. "But Sora, the power of waking isn't for searching hearts!" Goofy said. "Last time you used it to save Kairi, you almost disappeared. With the magic not working right, what if you disappear completely?" "This time is different, guys." Sora said, glancing down at the Missing Ache keyblade in his hand. "I'm going to use the connection to look back into the past, and learn how to save Twilight in this point of time. I'm not going to meddle with the events at all. I'm just going to see how it all happened and find out how Twilight got that amulet." "Huh?" Donald asked, looking very confused. "I think he means go back in time and learn what he can to save Twilight in this point in time." Goofy said. "But he's not going to change the past." "Oooohh..." Donald said. "But maybe we should with you." "Sorry, guys." Sora said. "But I need to do this alone. Besides, I don't want to risk you doing the same, Donald." "What?!" Donald asked. "Never had I ever been tempted to change the past." "Actually, you were." Goofy said. "Remember what happened when Pete time travelled in the past and we had to stop him?" Donald then knew what Goofy meant, when Maleficent and Pete were using a door that lead to the past to take the castle before it was built, and the trio had to go back in time to stop them. Donald was close to wanting to change the past a couple times, where Sora and Goofy had to grab him and throw him back into their current timeline so he wouldn't do any damage. The duck sighed in defeat. "Oh yeah." Donald said. "But still." "Just trust me, ok?" Sora asked. "I know it can be dangerous, but we don't have any other option. This is the best chance we got. So please, trust me, alright?" The two looked at the boy with worry, and then back at each other. They had every right to worry, but he was right. If they can learn from the past, they can save Twilight. It's the only shot they got. They both nodded. "Ok, just be good, alright?" Donald asked. "And come back safe and sound." Goofy said. Hearing that made the boy smile. "Thank you." Sora said. He then turned towards the pedestal, and made his way onto the platform. "Sora." Spike said, getting his attention. "Be careful, ok?" "You got it." Sora said with a thumbs up. He then turned straight forward, and then pointed the Missing Ache keyblade forward, and it gave a bright spark. A small circle formed around him. The keyblade conjured up energy and shot towards the ground, causing a magical floor to break apart and revealing a keyhole. Sora began to glow brightly, and everything went absolutely white.