//------------------------------// // Dusk // Story: My Little Kingdom: The Key to Harmony // by Mekapix //------------------------------// A little earlier “Come on everypony! It’s just up ahead!” Twilight yelled back, they had made their way through the bright city of Canterlot without trouble but as they entered the forest around the castle, a swirling vortex of black clouds had spawned over the area. A rough wind blew through their manes as they ran towards their goal as fast as they could. “Rainbow Dash, is there supposed to be a storm at the castle today?” Rarity asked. “I don’t think so, I’m sure that the skies above the castle are always clear because of Princess Celestia’s magic. What confuses me is that there isn’t a cloud in the sky above the town, all the clouds are centred over the castle.” She yelled through the howling wind. She turned to Sora who was trying to keep pace with them through the gale. “Is this the work of the heartless? Can they cause storms?” Sora shook his head. “If there was a heartless causing this storm then we’d be able to see it. Whatever is causing this, it isn’t a heartless.” “So we are safe right?” “Don’t be so sure, just because a heartless isn’t causing this storm doesn’t mean that there isn’t one nearby.” Rainbow gulped nervously, she turned her head forward and kept moving. It wasn’t long before the castle gates were in sight, the large doors that held hope not far behind them. A smile appeared on everyone’s faces as the approached the gates. “Halt! Who goes there?” One of the pegasus guards at the gated called out. The group slowed down as they arrived at the gate, all trying to catch their breath. “I…I’m Twilight Sparkle…I need to speak to Princess Celestia urgently.” Twilight forced out. “I’m sorry Miss Sparkle but the Princess is in a royal meeting. I’m afraid she cannot see you at this moment.” The guard responded as the wind ruffled through his fur and feathers. Sora jaw dropped a little in disappointment. “Aww come on, we need to see her right away.” The guard looked at him with an annoyed expression. “I’m sorry sir but she must not be disturbed.” The guard stated. The guard on the other side of the door tilted his head slightly as he looked behind the group. “Halt! Who goes there?” He stated. The group looked at him confused then turned round, in the distance were two white, glowing orbs with a light blue tint around the edges. No reply was heard as the lights got closer. “I say again, halt! State your business here!” He repeated. The lights offered no response but grew larger as they got closer and closer. “State your intentions or you will be detained!” He yelled, flaring out his wings to show he meant business. The lights got closer until they just floated in the air in front of the ponies. “They’re just…lights? Floating balls of light?” The guard asked to nopony in particular. The guard holding the group of ponies started making his way by them. “Wait here a moment.” He ordered as he passed by them, approaching the mysterious orbs. They were at the same height as the guards faces and moved left and right slightly at the same time. A strange growl could be heard as the guards looked at the lights closer. “What in the name of-“ one of the guards said before he was suddenly flying along the ground, slamming into a tree and falling unconscious. The other guard jumped back quickly as the lights began floating higher into the air. Once in front of his face, they were now at twice his height and he felt as if they were peering down at him. Fluttershy had held a scream as she saw the unconscious lie by the tree but could no longer hold it. She screamed out for a few seconds, just long enough to bring the guard out of his shocked state. He ran back to open the gate so that everypony could get to safety while they all stared at the peering lights, they shone even brighter for a moment then flew forward towards the guard. “Look out!” Sora shouted as he tackled the guard. The lights flew to the gate and exploded, sending the metallic doors soaring through the air and into the garden. The guard looked at the wrecked gate in terror as Sora helped him up. “Quick! Get inside now!” Sora yelled. His call shocked all the frightened ponies back to reality and they galloped through the gates as quick as their hooves and wings allowed them to. The moment that Sora got through the gate after everypony else, the metal decorative arch that was over the gate ripped in half as the strange growl could be heard once more, echoing into the darkness that surrounded them. They watched the metal rip and looked around. “W-w-what is it?” Fluttershy asked, trying to raise her voice but fear was gripping too hard at her vocal chords. The lights began glowing out of nowhere and shot in Fluttershy’s direction. “Watch out!” Applejack yelled as she pushed the immobile pegasus out of the way. They tumbled out of the way but Applejack rolled away from the blast and slammed into the castle wall. “Applejack!” All the ponies yelled. Fluttershy ran to the side of her saviour and helped her onto her haunches, leaning her back against the wall. Sora summoned his Keyblade to his mouth and everypony watched as the air in front of them became distorted. Two large claws appeared on the ground, a curled tail behind a body that grew to about three times their size, two long arms with claws on the end came out of the body and a lizard head with a horn protruding from its nose peered down at Sora as it appeared from nowhere. The creature raised its claw and threw it down on top of Sora, he managed to jump away and narrowly avoid being crushed. “Hey! Go get help!” Sora yelled to the guard. He was gripped by fear and stuck to the spot, only called back when the order was thrown at him. The guard nodded and ran back to the castle. Sora looked back at the monster and gulped. “Quick! Somepony hold it down!” Sora ordered. Twilight and Rarity nodded to each other. Their horns began glowing with a purple and turquoise aura’s, the same aura covering the front claws of the beast. The claws were dragged to the ground, the beast crying out as it became immobile and Twilight and Rarity made their way behind it. Sora nodded as they took cover in its new blind spot behind it and looked over to the cyan and pink pony. “Ok you two, it can still use those eye blasts but I can block it, you two better keep moving so you’ll be hard to hit.” They nodded in response and just before they started, Sora gave one more instruction. “Also I’m going to really need your help. If any little ones show up then I’ll need you to beat them while I take care of our friend here.” They gave a nod and took their positions, Rainbow flew into the open air and kept an eagle eye on the situation while Pinkie Pie looked around while moving back away from the monster, panic still in her eyes from the creature in front of them. It was around now that nopony noticed the castle doors fly open to display the attack to the royals. “I can’t hold it down much longer!” Twilight yelled. “Me neither!” Rarity added. “Ok then, get back quickly!” The colt yelled. The two unicorns hopped back as they released their magic. The creature roared for its freedom before the brown colt was in its face, quickly the chameleon span round a full circle and whipped him with its tail. He blocked the attack with the large key but was still sent flying backwards. As he looked up at the monster, one thing could be heard coming from his lips. “I hate Stealth Sneaks.” The monster roared into the dark skies as it jumped into the middle of the garden, grabbing Sora in its claw and pulling the colt to its monstrous face, causing him to drop his Keyblade. The look of terror that had plastered itself to the colt’s face only lasted a few moments before a bolt of dark purple and shining gold slammed into the chest of the creature. The colt fell to the floor and took the chance to he summon his Keyblade to his hoof and take his stance. The key and the colt started shimmering white as he jumped towards it. “Flash Step!” He yelled as his band with the red jewel shone brightly. He gave a high jump and swung the Keyblade skywards, delivering an uppercut to the giant lizard. As he landed the lights didn’t fade, he then pushed on his back hooves to jump right in front of the creature. “Slapshot!” He swung his Keyblade into the creature, landed hit after hit after hit. Everypony watching was amazed by the colt’s stamina. After slamming the key a final time into the Stealth Sneak, he jumped backwards into a flip and threw the Keyblade at the lizards face. “Spark Raid!” The Keyblade slammed itself into the monsters face. The creature yelled in agony and put his claws over his face as a pointed yellow object fell to the ground and burst into dark wisps. The monster yelled at them with a roar so loud that it shook everypony present to the core, it displayed its broken horn for all to see then span round and fled into the forest just outside, turning itself invisible to avoid any followers. As the beast fell from sight, Sora banished the Keyblade and fell to his knees and panting heavily. Applejack finally came to and thanked her butter yellow nurse who replied by hugging the orange cowpony tightly. Twilight and Rarity helped Pinkie Pie calm herself down while the cyan pegasus went to thank the brown colt and help him up. All the group then turned to see the shocked royals and their guests standing in the doorway, one after another the six mares bowed leaving a rather confused colt to be dragged to a bowing position by the rainbow maned pegasus next to him. The Princesses approached the bowing ponies and looked down to each one of them. “Arise my little ponies, there is no need for you to be so formal.” Celestia told them, a smile growing on her face as she spoke. The ponies got back up onto their feet and Twilight stepped forward. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, we have important information to tell you!” She stated. A dark obsidian hoof came up to her face. “In due time Twilight Sparkle but as for now, you and your friends need rest. Guards!” Luna called out. Three guards came out of the castle and lined up alongside the one who had been brought them out there. “I want you four to search the forest and flush out that beast, I expect it is weak and can be taken down swiftly.” “No, that won’t work against a Stealth Sneak.” Sora pointed out. All the ponies turned round to the brown colt. “You dare question the orders of a Princess?!” One of the guards snapped, only to be silenced by the moon Princess’ hoof. “How do you mean that will not work? And what is this “Steath Sneak” of which you speak?” Luna quizzed the new pony. “The Stealth Sneak was that monster we just saw, it’s strong and can turn invisible. If you go into the forest to chase it, it’ll just trap you.” He replied. “Then seeing as you know more about that creature than we do, what would you suppose we do?” The lunar alicorn asked him. The brown colt put a hoof to his chin. “Hmmm, I’d say just stay alert for now. Place guards at the doors to let you know if it shows up again. That’d be the safest option.” Sora explained. The Princess of the night nodded and turned to her guards. “Then that shall be done. You must guard the entrances to the castle and report any suspicious activity the moment it occurs.” The guards gave a salute to the Princess then took off to their positions. Luna turned to the colt and mares and gave them a warm smile. “Please come in and rest, we must be ready in case that monster comes back. We can’t send you away in such an exhausted condition.” She said as she placed a hoof round the colt and motioned him towards the castle. Sora moved forward a little but waited for the other mares to move ahead so he could follow, all the ponies walked through the doors and between the astounded royals. As they all returned to the castle, a guard showed the ponies the way to a spare room where they could rest whereas the guests made their way back to the meeting room, Twilight pulled Sora towards Princess Celestia just before she entered the room again. “Princess please, we need to talk to you straight away about some strange monsters.” The white alicorn nodded to the little unicorn. “Yes Twilight Sparkle. I am well aware of the situation and we are discussing a way to handle it.” Celestia informed her. The griffon lord came up behind her and huffed. “Precisely, we do not need little brats to tell us what to do.” Twilight frowned at him but Sora stood in front of her and frowned at the griffon. “Well I didn’t see you do anything when that heartless attacked!” He exclaimed, he felt a little proud of himself for one-upping the griffon but he received confused looks instead. “What is a heartless?” The alicorn asked. “That monster out there was a heartless, so are the little ones that have been around town. They are creatures formed from the darkness inside a heart and they are very dangerous.” Sora explained. “This is what we wanted to tell you about Princess.” Twilight added. The griffon scoffed and walked back into the room, Celestia nodded at the ponies and ushered them inside. “Come in and tell us what you know of these ‘heartless’.” The ponies came through into the large room to become greeted by the many stares of the royals that were settling back into their places. Twilight noticed Princess Cadence and Shining Armor, she trotted over to them happily leaving Sora a little bewildered as he looked at the room of unfamiliar creatures. “These two will join us in our meeting, they have very important information to share with us regarding the monsters.” Princess Celestia stated, Luna nodded and looked at the brown colt. “Please, little pony, what is your name?” “My name is Sora Princess” He replied with his signature grin, Luna smiled back in kind. “Now Sora, please tell us what you know of these creatures.”