My Little Pony: Sora's Misadventures in Equestria

by Codex92

Kaito's Nobody

Sora lied awake all night after his early surprise Christmas gift. It was Hearth's Warming, but he wasn't in the holiday spirit after last night. He couldn't believe that his mother was with his father's Nobody, and the man admitted it to him, all while rubbing his head with the same fatherly gesture Kaito had given him when he was a little boy. He wasn't happy, more confused and frustrated than anything, and the fact that there was a new type of Nobody under his father's Nobody's command that could be overridden by Xemnas at any moment now that the ex-leader of Organization XIII was back. Everything that happened last night before he left was still fresh on his mind, unable to believe how crazy his own mother was for thinking that Nobody was really her husband who came back from the dead.

---

Sora grit his teeth as he silently sobbed, tears running down his cheeks upon the stallion's face reveal. He may look like his father, but he didn't show that same emotion he had, even if the gestures felt genuine. He heard the new Nobodies disappear now that they no longer need to worry about the others attacking the stallion, the wielders dismissing their Keyblades as Riku and Kairi approached Kaito's Nobody, still in shock that they were in a way reunited with Sora's father.

Manami approached Sora, confused by his reaction when she had expected him to be just as overjoyed as her. "Sora, honey?" she asked, rubbing Sora's back. "What's wrong? I thought you would be happy to see your father again."

"...It's not dad," he uttered.

"Sora-" Before she could scold him, Sora smacked her hoof away from him.

"No! Mom, don't you get it!" Sora shouted angrily. "I told you about Nobodies! Those with a strong heart that lose it to darkness, they leave behind an empty shell, and if that shell once had a strong heart, they'll turn into who their original selves were!"

"But that doesn't mean they don't have a heart, Sora," Kairi reminded the distraught wielder, trying to stay calm as they saw just how emotionally crushed Sora was. "Xemnas lied to his Organization about them having no hearts. Axel tried to protect me before he was caught, worried about what they would do to me so they could trick you. He and Roxas were friends and cared about each other, too. If they didn't have hearts, they wouldn't even be able to express joy or sadness, right?"

"...I know...but..." Sora shuddered, conflicted, angry, and wanted to hit something. "...J-Just...Why can't I just...accept the fact that dad's supposed to be gone, and stay gone...?"

The Nobody sighed, feeling a little disappointed, but he expected Sora not to trust him so easily. "I knew it would go like this..."

"Kaito, don't blame yourself," Manami said. She tried to hug and comfort her son, but Sora pushed her hooves away, gently this time, then slumped back to the castle. "Sora?"

"Leave me alone..." he uttered.

Before he got far, he felt a tendril of water grasp one of his forelegs, gently gripping him as if asking him to wait. He looked back and saw Kaito's Nobody approach him, anger welling up inside him as he wanted to be alone, and the living shell of his father wouldn't let him.

"Sora, let me explain everything," he said, but failed to convince him as Sora tugged his leg away, then summoned his Keyblade and held it at the Nobody's neck.

"I said I wanted to be alone!" Sora screamed. "I don't know if you tricked my mom or anything, but I don't want you anywhere near her or me right now!"

"Sora!" Manami scolded.

The new Nobodies suddenly returned, holding their blades at Sora's neck to protect their captain. "Oi! You bastards put those blades down!" Kaito's Nobody shouted at the Nobodies, his tone firm and disapproving as if berating a crew of pirates committing a mutiny. "If any of you so much as harm a single hair on my son's head, I'll keelhaul you into the abyss of nothingness if you do, GOT IT!?!?!?!?"

His strict gaze suddenly shifted into shock, the black-coated stallion raising a hoof to his muzzle, not expecting that to blurt out. Sora was just as shocked, but he didn't care about the swashbuckling Nobodies behind him as he glared at his father's Nobody. The Nobodies silently obeyed, dropping their blades and disappeared until they were really needed. Kaito's Nobody wanted to apologize for what he blurted out, but Sora didn't hear none of it as he instead threw a swift blow to his chest, knocking the wind out of him as he hunched over in pain.

"...I'm not your son," Sora muttered bitterly before storming off back to the castle.

"Sora, you stop right now, mister!" Manami called out angrily, but the downed Nobody held a foreleg out, stopping her from pursuing her son.

"No," he wheezed. "Let him go." The Nobody stood back up, rubbing his chest with a cough. They watched him Sora leave as he kicked at the snow in his path. "He needs some time to cool down...I'll try to explain everything in the morning...If he'll allow me to."

"He's right," Aqua said. "Let's get some rest and hear what Kaito has to say...Or, whatever his name is."

"Manami just keeps calling me Kaito, so you can call me that if you wish," the Nobody said. "Never had one since I was born..."

---

Ever since Sora returned to his room, he seethed with rage, struggling to compose himself before he let the darkness of his anger control him like the last time. He pummeled his pillow to nothing but feathers, tossed a few things here and there, and when he had no more energy left, he collapsed on the bed and switched between glaring angrily at the wall or ceiling and sobbing morosely. Now that the sun was rising, his farmer's instincts from his time spent with the Apple family told him to get up and start his day, despite not wanting to. Tiredly, he got up out of bed and cleaned up the mess he made in his furious outburst. Once it was tidy enough, he got himself a shower, just soaking himself as he stared into space, tired, exhausted, miserable, wishing life would at least cut him some slack.

After he dried himself off, he grabbed his clothes, sighing miserably at the start of his day after the distasteful end to what was supposed to be a fun evening last night. He made his way down the castle to get himself some breakfast and pretend last night never happened. He smelt something cooking upon reaching the dining room, finding the others all up bright and early, though Rainbow wasn't much of a morning person as she stared blankly with her chin resting on the table. There was a wide spread of breakfast laid out on the table: eggs, pancakes, fruits, toast, fried hash browns, and more.

"Morning, Sora," Manami greeted as she walked in from the kitchen with another plate filled with fresh muffins, giving him a peck on the cheek before making her way to the table.

"...Mom, how much are you cooking?" Sora questioned.

"...I...didn't cook any of this," she said.

Sora raised a brow, seeing everyone else at the table already. He was about to ask who made all this food when he turned to find the chef who made this smorgasbord breakfast for everyone. He flinched when he saw Kaito, the Nobody out of his black coat and wore what was underneath it, which happened to be his father's outfit before his heart was stolen by the Heartless: a white T-shirt and his red and white floral-patterned shorts, his boots the only thing missing on him. He held a tray of syrups, jams, butter, and even cutlery, the finishing touches and silverware for everything on the table as no one had dug in just yet, despite Pinkie's mouth watering as she couldn't wait to dig in.

"...Good morning, Sora," Kaito greeted. Sora looked at his mother, letting out a nervous giggle as he found the answer to his question earlier. "Uhh...hungry? I made plenty for everyone." Sora let out a huff, then sat down at the table with Kairi. "I'll...take that as a maybe." Kaito lowered the tray, where Starlight and Twilight used their magic to spread out the condiments around so everyone could spread whatever on what they wanted to eat. One of his Nobodies appeared on his command, taking the empty tray back into the kitchen like a servant. "...I, uhh...I call them Swashbucklers. Even though they look like pirates, they're actually quite chivalrous when I command them...Get it?"

"Swashbucklers...right," Riku muttered. "Then again, they can't be called Pirates since there's a Heartless type named that already."

"Quite chivalrous when they were about to cut my head off," Sora growled angrily.

"They know better, and if they act out of line under my orders, I will severely punish them," Kaito said. The others began to pick their favorite dishes laid out before them and ate, surprised by how much of a palate a Nobody such as Kaito had, everything absolutely delicious from the elated moans around the table. Sora, however, didn't feel hungry, leering at the stallion sitting next to his mother. Kaito wasn't blind, practically feeling his original self's son glaring at him with disdain. "Aren't you hungry, Sora?"

"I lost my appetite," the grumpy pegasus muttered.

"But it's so good, Sora!" Pinkie said, scarfing down one of the muffins noisily. "Try a muffin! They're delicious! Maybe even better than what I make!"

Sora remained silent, constantly leering at Kaito. His stomach demanded food, but he was too irritated to eat, even with the different aromas hitting his nostrils. Sensing the tension in the air, Aqua lowered her utensils and cleared her throat.

"So, Kaito, I know there's a lot to talk about involving you," she said. "We have heard about what happened to the real you from Sora and his latest trip in the past, though none of us expected you to exist. I'm new to the appearance of Nobodies myself, but what I've learned from the others is that, how they are born, one whose heart is lost to darkness, and is powerful enough, they leave behind a shell of their former selves, making them look like who they originally were upon their demise. Some slight changes may be apparent, probably to differentiate yourself from who you were, but they are the bodies of those who lost their hearts to darkness."

"Yes, and Manami has caught me up on what I didn't know about the real Kaito, Sora and his adventures, and a little about what a Nobody is," Kaito explained. "I know Sora doesn't trust me, but I do understand why he would think that..." He pointed his hoof at his head as he looked at Sora. "Memories of his real father flash in my mind from time to time, the last of those memories seeing him on a ship in the middle of a storm, emotionally stressed about the fate that would befall Kaito, and sacrificing himself to save his son from a Heartless that tried to sneak up on them...When it does appear, I feel sadness, yet pride and joy, the same emotions he must have felt upon giving his life up to keep you alive."

"Care to start from the beginning?" Terra asked. "Being a Nobody, Xemnas should have recruited you like he had with the other Organization XIII members."

Kaito let out a grunt, pressing his forehooves together as he leered down at the table in thought. "...Very well...I'll start from the day I...'woke up'..."

---

Deep in the Realm of Darkness, Kaito groaned as he woke up. He looked up at the bleak, dark sky, hearing the sounds of a gentle wave lap at a shore he was on. His fingers twitched slightly, his mind barely able to comprehend where he is or why he was here.

The first week, I barely did anything besides lay in the sands of a dark shore. It was kind of like being a zombie...or a newborn baby who's figuring out life the moment they can see for the first time. When I was able to control my body, I began to process where I was, and started wondering what was happening.

The man sat up, then looked down at himself. His hands ran through his clothing, light and comfortable to wear, figuring that it was a part of him. Looking up, he saw the ocean where he heard the small waves gently hitting the shore, nothing but a dark sky out in the distance with a small light that could very well be a moon. Kaito stood up, looking around at his surroundings.

"...Where...am I?" he asked. "...Who am I?"

Kaito walked down to the shore, settling on a few rocks as he looked out at the sea and contemplated on the situation. He couldn't recall anything before he first woke up, everything just a big blur of emptiness in his mind. He leaned down, feeling his hand brush against something that was lying on the rocks he didn't know was there in his dazed state. Looking down, he saw a black coat that was around his size, just laying there as if someone took it off and left it there.

That coat I wore, I found it on that shore. I didn't know whose it belonged to, but if they lost it, I assumed they must have died in that place and didn't want to bother wearing it if they knew their end was coming. I felt a bit exposed with the clothes I had on, and that coat seemed to hold some magical properties, something that was able to keep me protected from the darkness I woke up in. Although, clueless as to where I was, I should have stayed put and waited for help like a sensible person...but then again, I'm not really a person at all, am I?

After Kaito checked his new clothing to make sure he was able to move properly in them, he tightened his boots and decided to explore. Leaving the beach, the area started to warp as he appeared in another realm. Confused, he was now in what appeared to be an ancient Chinese town, though it was grim, twisted, and broken apart as the gaps lead to an endless dark abyss miles below. He walked down the empty streets, making sure to steer clear of the edges if he didn't want to fall to his death.

"Hello!?" he called out, his voice echoing in the barren town. "Is there anyone here!? I have no idea where I am!...Or even who I am!" He made a big mistake bringing attention to himself as Shadows began to pop out from the roofs and alleys, their yellow eyes glowing in the dimly lit China town. Hearing them slink around the corners and near the edge of the roofs, Kaito turned and gasped in surprise at the sight of them. Suddenly, his head began to hurt as he let out a grunt, having his first of many memory flashes from his previous life. He saw himself on a ship in the middle of a storm, staring down one of the Heartless as he held a wooden sword in his hand, only for it to get snapped in two when he tried to swing and hit it, failing miserably as he was backed up against the edge. As soon as it ended, he shook his head, the experience somehow bringing fear to him. "W-What...What was that?"

Focusing back on the Shadows, he leapt back when one of them tried to lunge at him and swipe him with their claws. Kaito quickly turned and ran, unable to defend himself as the Heartless gave chase, slinking into the ground and crawled in the shadows to catch up to him. He ran down a street, only for the world to blur around him as he now found himself in a gloomy meadow, running through the trees and over the branching brook like a prey being hunted down by a pack of predators. He had no idea what was going on, and this realm didn't appear to have anyone normal or not monstrous that could save him in this predicament.

He could have sworn he heard a female voice grunting as she was knocked into the trees farther away from where he was, but before he could seek help, he ran into yet another warp between these different realms and ended up in a giant circus tent. Letting out an irritated groan as he got himself cornered, the only exit his entrance as he turned around and was now met with hundreds upon thousands of Heartless, most of them Shadows while others began appearing as well. There were Flutterings, purple bat-like Heartless that almost appeared to look like an umbrella, and Water Cores, odd Heartless that floated in the air and oozed out water from underneath them.

"Ok, this isn't fair," Kaito uttered to himself. "Just what are these things?"

The Water Cores were the first to attack, creating a sphere of water around themselves as a barrier. They soon fired several small streams of water, almost like bullets, Kaito quickly holding up his hands to try to protect himself. When he didn't feel anything, he looked up and gasped in shock as the water stopped mere inches from his outstretched hands. Even the Water Cores looked confused as their attack was stopped in midair. The Flutterings' screeching snapped Kaito out of his stupor as they dove down on him, making him flinch as he swung his hands back, making the water fly back and hit them instead. They screeched and disappeared in a puff of smoke, shocking him as he looked down at his hands.

Suddenly, water began to form in his palms as memories of fighting came to him. Thankfully, there wasn't a migraine, but every action he saw himself doing within another person's body, it was like he knew how to fight all along. And all he needed was a sword. As he imagined his weapon, the water formed his blade by his will, shifting into a cutlass and turned solid from its liquid state. He took a moment to admire the ocean blade and grainy sand hilt, almost like it was made from the very ocean itself. Looking back up at the Heartless, he felt more confident taking them on now as he crouched low and held the cutlass in both hands by his right side.

When I first created my sword, I had the chance to defend myself from those creatures; Heartless. I discovered I had the power to control water, even an enemy's water magic if I was stronger than them, and when I fought, it was like I knew I could fight the moment I had woken up. Even with all those Heartless cornering me, I managed to cut them down to size. It took me a while to learn how to use my power over water, but I was able to master it within a few years time, implementing the combat style I had learned from Kaito's memories with my own, along with my aquatic powers to inflict more serious pain.

From the time I spent down in that place practicing against the Heartless, I never was able to find whoever I heard back in that meadow, and I searched tirelessly for any sign of her. I eventually gave up when I last tried to find her, assuming she was killed by whatever was after her. When I got back after my final search for any personal contact, that was when I first met him: Xemnas.

Kaito returned to the dark shores he woke up in, finished practicing his fighting skills with the Heartless he encountered while sighing sadly, hoping the woman he heard down in the meadow didn't meet a gruesome fate. As he looked up from his silent mourning for the unfortunate woman, he flinched when he saw someone in the same coat as him sitting on one of the rocks, staring out at the sea. Unsure if he was imagining things, he didn't know if this was really someone or he was hallucinating. He got his answer when the hooded man looked at him.

"You have arrived," he said, as if expecting Kaito to appear. "I sensed another strong presence here in this realm, yet I didn't realize just how powerful you are."

"Who are you?" Kaito asked, keeping his guard up if it was another Heartless.

"I am what's left of someone," he said. "You are just like me; a part of someone, but we are both meant to be forgotten."

"...That...makes no sense," Kaito said. "What are you even talking about?"

"Do you have memories of who you once were?" the man asked. "Memories of someone you don't know, believe they are your own, but never truly experienced yourself?" Kaito hesitated, but he nodded. Ever since he met those Heartless, he's been getting more and more flashbacks, seeing people he never knew, yet felt familiar to him. "We are beings called 'Nobodies'. We are the empty vessels of the ones who had lost their hearts to the darkness, given life as creatures of nothingness, with no hearts of our own. Just borrowed memories of our original selves to make us believe we are normal people."

"A Nobody?" Kaito questioned. He looked down at his hands, always wondering what he was, but with no one to give him answers. "...Am I...a Nobody?"

"Indeed," the man said. He then stood up and looked back out at the ocean. "You wear the same coat as I do, yet you have not even been initiated into the Organization. Where did you acquire it?"

"I found it here," Kaito said. "I don't know if anyone forgot about it, so I just...took it...And what Organization?"

"A group of Nobodies such as us who wish for one thing: to gain a heart for ourselves through the power of Kingdom Hearts," the mysterious man said. Suddenly, a portal of darkness appeared in front of Kaito, the man approaching it and gesturing him to step inside. "Step inside, and you'll see where we live. There's only a few of us, but our numbers will grow until we have just enough."

Kaito wasn't so sure, but if he was going to get some answers, he nodded and stepped through, the man following behind him. At the other end, Kaito walked out to find himself in a white room with thirteen thrones in a circle, all of them at different heights. And sitting in some of those thrones were others dressed in the same black coats, those being members II-VIII of Organization XIII: Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Saïx, and Axel.

"Well, well, well," Xigbar said as he leaned over in his seat, smirking at Kaito. "You finally brought us some new meat, Xemnas?"

Looking behind him, Kaito saw the man take off his hood, revealing his spiked silver hair, yellow eyes, and tanned skin. "Yes, Xigbar. I trust he will be a valuable ally for our cause."

"I don't understand, Xemnas," Vexen said, judging Kaito with a sneer. "You have recruited us upon our awakening when we were born. He appears to be even older than all of us."

"By his age or looks?" Axel asked. "He could probably pass to be your brother if he's as stuck up as you."

"Quiet, Axel. The adults are talking," Vexen scolded bitterly.

"I didn't agree on joining you and your Organization," Kaito said. "I just want to know some answers about who I am and what I am...There's so much I don't understand while I was living in that place."

"The Realm of Darkness is an odd place for a Nobody to even appear in," Saïx noted. "It's a surprise he seemed to have lasted so long against the Heartless."

"'Heartless'?" Upon discovering the name of the creatures he fought, another painful flashback struck Kaito's head, witnessing the same boat he was on in his other flashbacks where several Heartless began killing other men that were on board.

One of them struck out and made him yell in agony, falling on his knees while clutching his head. There was someone with a key-shaped sword that went around trying to kill the Heartless, though as the hood from their jacket slid off and revealed their face, more memories surfaced involving the spiky-haired young man as a child. The rest of the Organization present were a little startled, Kaito now screaming bloody murder as his headache only got worse and worse. A name came to him about this young man, but it was out of his reach and he couldn't grasp it as he ended up passing out from the pain. Even Xemnas was a little surprised by this turn of events, all the Nobodies staring at the unconscious man.

"...Well, that was an awkward welcoming," Lexaeus commented, making Axel snicker at the strong, but silent member's words.

My memories kept coming in more and more when I was introduced to the Organization. I kept seeing Sora in my head, even as I slept in one of the dorms at their grand palace of a base: from that moment on the ship, playing with him as a child, and what always brought tears to my eyes was holding him as a newborn baby in a hospital room with Manami, though I barely knew who she was when I first saw her. As soon as I recovered, I pretty much learned the basics of what they did. What struck me as odd was that Xemnas told me that Nobodies didn't have hearts. So I thought to myself, why is it that, if we didn't have a heart, how come some of us express some emotions while others are as stiff as a doormat? Having no heart meant not caring about work, or grinning over a snide remark, or even getting angry when one of the members picks on another. My gut told me something wasn't right about the Organization, and I didn't want to be a part of it if all I got from most of the answers I kept getting from Xemnas, or Saïx, his number two in command when he's Number VII, so I decided to leave.

Kaito walked into the circular throne room, where Xemnas sat in his tallest throne like a king, not afraid to express his opinion on his stay here and joining his Organization. "Xemnas, as much as I appreciate what answers you gave me, I'm not staying here any longer."

"...So, you are going to turn on us?" Xemnas paraphrased.

"I'm not here to pick a fight. I'm just saying I quit," Kaito said. "Good luck with whatever schemes you have with this Kingdom Hearts, but part of me has a bad feeling I shouldn't stay for much longer."

"No one turns their back on us," Saïx said from behind Kaito, brandishing his claymore and pointing it at his back. "You chose to follow Xemnas, now you will obey his commands, or you will pay the price with your nonexistent life."

"I've been getting no straight answers since I met you," Kaito said to Xemnas, ignoring the blue-haired Nobody threatening to kill him. "You say we don't have hearts, yet why do I feel a beating in my chest?"

"It is not a physical heart," Saïx answered. "These memories you keep discussing with Axel of two individuals you'd love to know are only giving you false emotions. They are not even your memories to begin with."

"So what, you say I'm just a puppet?" Kaito asked Saïx. "No heart or soul inside me, and the one who pulls my strings is you and Xemnas? I don't know about you, blueberry, but I think your own strings are being tugged if you follow orders from someone who likes to spread philosophies while sitting on his ass like a fat king."

"How dare you speak of our leader in that way!?" Saïx exclaimed, going into what Axel warned him as his "Berserk" state, his eyes now completely yellow, the "X"-shaped scar on his face larger and more jagged, and his hair was more of a mess than it was before. "Now, I suggest you stay quiet before I kill you right where you stand!"

"You know, Axel's right," Kaito said, teasing Saïx with a smirk. "You do have a stick up your ass...Or maybe you use your giant claymore instead."

Saïx growled furiously, but before he could thrust his weapon right through Kaito's back, Xemnas fired a small beam of energy at the berserked Nobody. Saïx grunted and staggered backward, reverting back to normal as he panted angrily. Xemnas stared down at Kaito, barely even initiating him with a new name, and he was going to leave after learning about what they do and how they got around to other worlds.

"...You have a strong resolve within you," Xemnas said. "But, I see now that it was a mistake to bring you here. Your presence would be a hindrance to gathering the hearts we need to create Kingdom Hearts." He then warped out of his seat and down at ground level, holding his hand out and creating one of his ethereal beam blades from his hand, pressing it against Kaito's neck. "Your place as our Number IX will be given to someone else, and your existence will meet its end by my hand."

"...Do your worst," Kaito goaded.

"Very well, then." Xemnas was about to slice Kaito's head clean off his neck, only to be startled when the Swashbucklers suddenly appeared around them. "What in the-?"

One of the Swashbucklers dove into Xemnas, knocking him away from Kaito, who was surprised to see these Nobodies just like Xemnas and Saïx. "Where did these Nobodies come from!?" Saïx exclaimed, only to get dogpiled by the rest, knocking his claymore out of his hand.

Taking this as an opportunity to escape, Kaito bolted out of the room and made his way out of the castle. The other lesser Nobodies tried to stop him, but with the Swashbucklers helping him, he called forth his cutlass and sliced down the foes in their way. Saïx was back in his Berserk state, yelling angrily as he chased after Kaito and the lesser Nobodies that none of them knew he could control. Kaito managed to avoid a swung claymore, the heavy blade striking the ground as it released a shockwave upon impact.

"Hey, Saïx, you dropped something!" Kaito said, running up, grabbed the claymore, and infusing it with his water magic, he flung it straight back at the berserking Nobody. Too enraged to move out of the way, Saïx was struck by his own sword, then got sucked into a sphere of water as the liquid surrounding his constantly regenerating weapon latched itself around him. Even in his fury, he wasn't able to escape from the prison of water. "That should clear his head a little."

Just as he neared the exit of the castle, Xigbar fired a shot from his arrowguns as he combined them into a sniper rifle, Kaito nearly getting shot by the swift energy bullet that almost struck his shoulder. Looking back at where the trajectory came from, he found the sharpshooter up at the top of the palace, having surprisingly good aim at the distance and height he was at.

"Not so fast!" Vexen announced, Kaito turning around to find his exit blocked by the rest of the Organization members. They had their weapons at the ready, prepared to stop him at all costs. "No use running away! You're surrounded and outmatched!"

"Look, man, it's no use trying to flee what you got yourself into," Axel advised. "Just apologize, and maybe Xemnas will let you off by turning you into a Dusk for a while."

"So, he's willing to turn his strongest members into a lesser Nobody if they disobey his orders or stand up to him?" Kaito asked. "I have a feeling he just wants it his way, or the highway. But, personally, I'd rather hitchhike on out of here."

"Even with those Nobodies assisting you, you don't stand a chance," Zexion said.

"True...but I've had more experience than the lot of you when it comes to fighting." Kaito lifted his cutlass up, turning the solid blade into water, retaining its blade-like form. "You know how many Heartless I've slain while in the Realm of Darkness?" He heard Xigbar fire another shot at him, but Kaito quickly turned around and swung his sword, releasing a wide beam of water at the sniper. The water went through his bullet, slashing it to nothing but energy particles, shocking Xigbar as he teleported out of the way. The other members' jaws dropped at the amount of power Kaito unleashed to reach the sniper from down where they were. Kaito then turned his head, leering at them with a serious expression. "I've killed thousands. Within minutes."

The blade began to fill back in place as he was about to slash them, but as they prepared to defend themselves, he faked them out and instead spun and swept his leg, releasing a torrent of water that slid across the ground. As soon as he got their boots wet, he vaulted up into a flip, slamming his cutlass down and sent the Organization members flying in the air as they were launched by a geyser from the water he splashed on their feet. With none of them blocking his way, Kaito continued fleeing, his Swashbucklers following suit as they ran into the abandoned city set outside of their base. Heartless seemed to have made this place their home as Shadows and Neoshadows popped up from the ground to try to stop them, but the group of Nobodies slashed through them as they continued fleeing.

As soon as Kaito was far enough away, he lifted his hand and summoned a portal of darkness, getting him and his Nobody crew out of there as they charged through. They soon appeared on the other side in another world, the group stumbling out and falling on top of each other. Kaito panted, the Swashbucklers climbing off him as he let out a small laugh after showing the Organization his power. As he stood up to thank the Nobodies who came to his rescue, he was shocked to see them bowing to him, as if they saw him as their leader.

I owed the Swashbucklers my life when I decided to leave the Organization. I may not have been given a number like the others, but that didn't matter when I felt sick to my stomach when I heard Xemnas telling me about his plans. I learned I was a Nobody, I wasn't supposed to have a heart, and the memories I saw were of someone I used to be. I found it hard to believe I didn't have a heart when I felt a lot of emotion in the memories involving Sora and Manami. I had managed to escape and stay out of their way, though I am glad to hear they were killed off.

The next few years, I spent wandering the worlds using the portals of darkness I learned to use trying to figure out where I came from. I made sure to steer clear of some worlds with people around, considering I'd stand out like a sore thumb and I look incredibly shady wearing that coat. In order to figure out the answers to my questions on my own, I went by the memories to see if I was in the right location. Some of those worlds I recall were what I once went through in the Realm of Darkness, where I discovered those worlds were swallowed by darkness back then, and they had returned brighter and brimming with life. The meadow and tent I once used to run through in the Realm of Darkness had a cute little animal who seemed to like me, a little brown deer and an elephant with really big ears...who could fly with them. It was almost like I was familiar to them, but I don't remember meeting them.

After a while of searching, I finally found Sora in that town, but it wasn't the world I wanted to be in. I wanted to help when that poor excuse of a father was about to blow up part of that town, but when Sora looked at me like that, I had a bad feeling he wasn't in the mood to talk. After seeing his skills on that boat in what I thought were the real Kaito's last memories before losing his heart, I knew I wouldn't last long if he wanted to kill me. I was afraid to show him who I was because, in that moment, he had already lost his father after putting the pieces of the final moments Kaito had, along with his age, appearance, and the emotional state he was in. So, after I escaped his wrath from his distress, and wound up in Destiny Islands later that evening, where I found what I was searching for the last few years.

As Kaito revealed his face to Manami when she confronted him at her door, she gasped in shock and dropped the groceries she held. "...N-No way...I-It can't be..." He remained motionless, letting Manami approach him as she walked over the scattered fruit she had carried in her dropped bags. She cupped her hands against his cheeks, staring at him as if she was looking at a ghost as her fingers ran against his rugged facial hair. "...Kaito???"

"...Is that what my name is?" he asked.

Manami was speechless, shocked by her late husband's appearance after being told he was killed by a storm out at sea several years ago, the real truth of his death by the claws of a Heartless in that storm, and now he was back with amnesia, having no idea what his name was. "...H-How is this possible?" Manami asked, not expecting a response as Kaito didn't have any idea either. Tears began to well in her eyes as she pressed her head against his chest and held him tightly, feeling his heart beating and let out a choked sob. "...This is real...I'm not dreaming. It's really you..."

Kaito was a little confused at first, but felt a warmth in his heart that was familiar to him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as memories of him with Manami flashed through his head. The pleasantness of the memories prevented him from getting a migraine, gently rubbing the woman's back as he smiled, happy to be reunited with her despite not knowing much about her. Sadly, his smile faded, knowing he wasn't the man she really missed, even though he looked just like Kaito.

"Manami," he said to get her attention, but he wasn't able to tell her the bad news when she tilted her head and kissed him on the lips. His eyes widened in shock, never in his life had he ever been kissed by anyone since he was "born" or in any of the worlds he's been in. Manami soon parted her lips from his, Kaito blinking his eyes after the surprisingly pleasant feeling from the kiss passed through him, making the scene more awkward as she felt disappointed not being kissed back. "...Uhh...wow...That was...strange."

"Kaito?" Manami said, confused.

The Nobody sighed, rubbing his neck nervously. "...I think there's a lot of explaining I need to do..."

The couple went inside and Kaito explained to Manami what had happened to him and who he was. He expected her to freak out after realizing she kissed a Nobody, but she was surprisingly calm about this, like someone told her about the Heartless, the Nobodies, everything outside of this island that no one else knows about. Sadly, Manami was disappointed to know that the man before her was not really her husband, but regardless, she didn't care.

"Well, if you look like my husband, sound like my husband, and have his heartbeat, even if you're his Nobody...I'm just happy to know part of him is still alive," she said.

"You don't find this awkward in the slightest?" Kaito asked. "I mean, I never even had a name. These memories I see aren't even my own. I'm a copy of your husband."

"I know..." Manami sighed sadly, knowing full well that this man is technically another person, even though he looks and acts so much like Kaito. She can now see the slight differences between Kaito and his Nobody, the man before her a bit more serious than her husband, but he still had his charm and kind heart. "...I made things so awkward earlier. I guess...I was desperate for affection, and raising Sora alone put the thought of dating someone else far back in my head...Maybe I was still afraid of finding someone else because Sora wouldn't accept him as a future stepfather. And, with you...I guess I kissed you because...well..."

"I get it," Kaito said. "I completely understand, Manami." They sat in silence, Kaito letting Manami take this all in. He wanted to make them happy, whether it was because of his true self's memories or not. If anything, he had a feeling that the real Kaito would have wanted him to keep his wife safe and encourage his son to continue his training and be a hero to everyone. He gently grabbed her hand, snapping the woman out of her thoughts. "Manami, I don't know if you really want to do this, and you can so no if you want. I can't help but feel a part of me, a part of Kaito that seems to be left in me, I want you and Sora to be happy. I can't fill in his shoes and pretend I'm taking over, but I won't be satisfied unless I'm with you, that I protect you, and make sure Sora doesn't stray from his goals as a Keyblade wielder."

"R-Really?" Manami asked in shock. "I-I...I honestly don't know if I feel like I'm betraying Kaito...You are him, but not at the same time..." She let out a grunt and rubbed her head with her free hand, the other gripping the Nobody's. "Agh! This is so much more complicated than learning what the hell Sora, Riku, and Kairi have been up to for the last few years since this whole craziness started!"

"Let's not call it 'betrayal'," Kaito suggested. "I think Kaito would have wanted you to be happy no matter who you were with. Even if it's just the empty shell of his former self."

Manami snorted, nearly breaking out into laughter at the casual explanation he gave her. "You know, that would sound like something he would say," she said. "But, maybe you're right. I'm lonely, and I miss Sora keeping me company now that he's a responsible adult and saving worlds...Maybe this can work...until my Kaito does come back." The Nobody nodded his head, having a feeling that it will work, though he wasn't sure if Sora would accept him. Manami began to smirk, tapping her fingers against his hand. "So, did that mean I stole your first kiss, Mr. Nobody?"

"...Uhhh..." Kaito stammered, feeling nervous as he began to blush.

"Oh gosh, I did," Manami said, then laughed at the Nobody's embarrassment. "Oh, it's like being a teenager all over again, but instead of you taking my breath away, I took yours!"

"I, uhh...I did?" Kaito asked. "Or, he did? Those memories are pretty vague, but-"

Manami shushed him, pressing a finger against his lips. "Relax. I'm just teasing you," she said. She then stood up, walking around toward Kaito, grabbing his arm and standing him up, guiding him into the living room. "I think I know a way we can jog your memory and catch you up on some things you missed."

So, she showed me pictures of herself, Kaito, and Sora, all the memories throughout the years that I didn't have while I was off on my own. They really didn't come to me as much if I recalled anything in the past before Manami and Kaito were married and conceived Sora, but I felt the happiness and joy after seeing them.

---

As Kaito finished telling his story, Manami rested her head against his shoulder, having finished her plate while everyone silently ate while listening to his tale. "I spent more time getting to actually know Manami, not letting the connection I had as Kaito's Nobody immediately get us into a romantic relationship."

"He was so awkward, always fascinated by feeling love and got nervous when I picked on him," Manami added. "But, I think he's got the hang of being a normal person after being with me the last couple months."

"A little, but yes. I've learned more from the real Kaito's memories than anything else since I was 'born', but I'm kinda glad I was a lone Nobody," he said.

"Wow. So, Xemnas tried to recruit you as a member of Organization XIII?" Ventus asked. "You would have ended up being the ninth member...Maybe that's a good thing Demyx stepped in and you escaped, otherwise Sora would have had to fight you instead, right, Sora?" Everyone looked at Sora, expecting him to be a little relieved that Kaito wasn't a member of Organization XIII, but the pegasus stallion had his head hung low, his spiky bangs covering his eyes as his lips remained curled in a frown. His plate was still bare as well, not even getting anything to eat as Kaito regaled his birth up until now. "...Sora?"

Slowly moving his hooves onto the table, Sora sat himself up, keeping his head down as he huffed and began to leave the dining room. "Sora, where are you going?" Kairi asked worriedly.

"I'm going out," he grumbled.

"You haven't eaten breakfast," Manami said.

"I'm not hungry." Sora slammed the doors open, then slammed them shut, making everyone wince at his passive aggressive attitude.

Kaito sighed, getting up from the table as he began to chase after him. "Kaito," Manami uttered.

"I need to talk to him," he said. "He's still mad...I just hope he doesn't do anything rash..." Leaving the dining room, he ran to the entrance of the castle, where one of his Swashbucklers had his coat ready for him, quickly dressing himself in them and hurried after Sora. Kaito spotted the furious wielder up ahead, making a dash toward him. "Sora, wait!"

Sora growled, then flapped his wings, speeding off to get far away from the Nobody. Despite his first day being a pegasus, Kaito unfurled his wings from inside his coat and took off after him. Sora didn't listen as Kaito called out to him, trying to get away from him and avoid talking to or seeing him again.

"Stop following me!" Sora shouted, flying past a snow cloud and bucked it toward Kaito. Unfortunately, since snow was made of frozen water, the Nobody was able push himself through the cloud unlike normal pegasi as they would get stuck halfway through. "Get away!"

"Sora, I just want to talk to you!" Kaito exclaimed. "You're acting like a baby!"

"I don't care!" the younger stallion shouted back.

Frustrated with chasing Sora around Ponyville several times, he shifted the water vapor in the clouds around them, creating a blockade of solid clouds around them, Sora slamming headfirst into it and stopping him in his escape. "Sora, please, I just want to talk to you. I know you're upset-" Pulling his head out of the cloud, unable to destroy it by punching or kicking it, Sora tried to fly up, but Kaito concealed them both in a giant sphere of solid cloud. Sora flew around like a fly randomly trying to figure out how to escape, trapped by the Nobody's power over water. "I'm not letting us out of here until you calm down and talk to me!"

"Never!" Sora yelled, summoning his Keyblade and diving down to strike at Kaito.

Kaito called his cutlass and blocked Sora's downward swing, the younger stallion's power overwhelming his as he was sent falling down to the bottom of the cloud prison. He quickly landed on his hooves, then looked up as he heard Sora scream as he dove down again. Standing no chance fighting against him in combat, Kaito used his magic, sending tendrils of water from the clouds and snatching the Keyblade wielder's limbs. Sora struggled, even slashing through some with his Keyblade in his mouth when his forelegs were tied by the aquatic tendrils. Kaito's magic eventually won the angry pegasus, completely entangling Sora in several ropes of watery tendrils, keeping his body completely still, especially his neck as he tried to flail about and cut himself free.

"Sora, please," Kaito begged. "I just want to help you, son."

Sora stopped struggling, his pupils shrinking as Kaito accidentally blurted out his plea. "...I'm. Not. Your! SON!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Incredibly furious, Sora activated his Drive Form, his anger forcibly shifting the light that exploded around him and destroyed the tendrils into darkness. Kaito grunted from the sudden surge of power coming from Sora, though he didn't expect him to be shrouded in darkness. The form Sora took startled Kaito, making him fear for his life as this wasn't something he expected from the first time his true self witnessed him use this power. Now in his Anti-Form, Sora growled like a demon, his claws gripping his dark Keyblade with enough strain to almost break the hilt and guard. A brief memory suddenly struck Kaito, his vision slightly blurry, but through it, he saw this similar form, though Sora wasn't so violent as he stared down at him with yellow glowing eyes. Tears rolled down his face, struck with grief and sorrow as he stared down at him. Then, in a sign of mercy in the blurred memory, Sora stabbed him with the Keyblade, which actually caused Kaito to grunt and stagger backward, almost like he felt the blade thrust into him as he clutched his head.

"W-What the hell...?" He didn't have any time to contemplate what he just saw, feeling Sora's darkness rising. "...I'm in a lot of trouble, aren't I?" Sora roared and dashed toward him, the intent to kill Kaito clearly evident from his face and growing power. "Curse my fat mouth!"

Kaito quickly slashed upward, creating a geyser of water to send Sora flying up in the air. It didn't do much to give him time as Sora quickly recovered, then dive-bombed just as fast as soon as he righted himself up. Kaito quickly raised his hands, sending more water as he tried to contain Sora in a sphere. He grunted as Sora fought back, straining to keep the liquid sphere together and keep him still so he could try to reason with him. Sora growled, managing to break free as he slashed at the water at mach speeds, breaking free and causing Kaito to yell as he felt the backlash of his sphere shatter, raining water down on them.

Sora dove in, not giving the Nobody a chance to retaliate as he tried to defend himself, moving too fast for him to even see him as he was sent flying back and forth while struck by both blade and claws. Kaito tried to protect himself in a barrier of water, but no matter how strong he made it, Sora pierced through his defenses, the aquatic shield rippling and splashing out as he was struck. With one last, powerful charge, Sora sent Kaito sailing, smashing him through his cloud barrier that kept Sora from running from him, his hold on them broken as the clouds dispersed and blew up into a flurry of snow. Kaito smacked the ground like a bullet, painfully bouncing several yards across the fields outside of Ponyville as the first landing nearly caused a slight quake that would have alerted the town and sparked a panic for a natural disaster.

He stopped after skidding to a tumbling halt half a mile away from the Castle of Friendship. Kaito groaned, struggling to stand up while fearing his life would come to an end before he could even try to convince Sora he wasn't his enemy. As he got to his hooves, his ears perked up when he heard someone calling out to him. From the direction of the castle, he saw the others running up to him after hearing him crash to the ground, probably to help bring Sora back for him.

"Kaito!" Manami called out.

Before they reached him, Kaito winced as his ear twitched, looking up to see a black blur speed toward him. He couldn't get out of the way in time as Sora slammed into him, pinning him on his back while leaving him in a massive crater and sent snow flying everywhere.

"What the hay was that!?" Applejack asked in shock.

"Was that a Heartless?" Twilight asked.

Kairi felt a chill run down her spine, sensing a familiar darkness she didn't want Sora to use. She ran ahead and stood at the edge of the crater, gasping in shock when she saw Sora in his Anti-Form standing over Kaito, one of his hooves clutching the Nobody's neck as he pinned him while the other held the black Keyblade, poised to run it through the older pegasus's chest. When the others joined her, they were just as shocked when they saw him in his newly upgraded dark form.

"Oh no, not again," Fluttershy mumbled, trembling in fear as she hid behind Rainbow Dash.

"Great. He's got so mad that he tried to kill Kaito with his Drive Forms, only for it to backfire and turn him back into something impossible to even tire out!" Riku said.

"Wait, something's different," Aqua said, stopping Riku before he could try to knock Sora away from Kaito. The blue unicorn spotted the black Keyblade, the drastic change in Sora's face in that form, and even though he was enraged, it looked like he was able to control his darkness as he held himself back from killing Kaito too soon. "What is this? This form isn't supposed to be able to wield a Keyblade at all..." She then looked at Kairi, the worry on her face more on the pinned Nobody than Sora's Anti-Form. Just like before, she knew something the others didn't about this enhanced form of darkness, and this time, only the two of them kept them in the dark about it. "...Kairi, what's going on? What do you know?"

"You think we can figure out what's going on AFTER we stop my son from killing his father!?" Manami shouted. She slid down into the crater, ignoring the others' warnings as she only cared about the two stallions getting along and their safety, one about to be killed by her child while the other could be corrupted by darkness at any moment. "Sora, get off of him!" she pleaded, grabbing Sora's foreleg holding Kaito down and tried to pull him away. "You're going to kill your father! Can't you see that!?"

"He's not my FATHER!!!!!!!!!!" Sora smacked his mother off of him hard with his wing, sending her tumbling a few yards across the ground. "It's not him! Why can't you see that!?" He then growled, looking back at Kaito and tightened his grip on the older stallion's neck. "Unless you're manipulating her, controlling her mind with your stupid water magic. If you can trap someone in a ball of water, I bet you can rearrange someone's brain with the water in our bodies!"

"I-I would never...do that," Kaito gasped, trying to push Sora's clawed hoof off his neck to breathe, but his dark form was much too powerful and his swift blows greatly weakened him. "Sora, just listen to me..."

"He's definitely in control of himself," Terra said. "But I'm starting to worry that darkness might get to him and corrupt him."

"...He said he was fine when he showed me," Kairi said.

"He did what!?" everyone exclaimed.

"When did he show you THAT new look!?" Rainbow questioned. "When he was showing off to impress you with some new move!?"

"...Before he left to Disney Town to see Donald and Goofy, the day before we were called to Las Pegasus with Applejack and Fluttershy," Kairi said. Looking back at Sora, her fur stood on end, trembling at the terrifying dark power welling from within him in that form, far worse than when he was just calm. "...It's even worse than when he wasn't able to control it...His light's strong...but his darkness..."

"It's just as strong," Aqua said. "Sora, you need to calm down! You're going to lose yourself if you don't relax!"

"I'm not going to let him live," Sora growled. "He doesn't belong with us! He's a Nobody! He's not my dad! And we can't trust him!"

"H-How...can I...make you believe me?" Kaito asked desperately.

"YOU CAN'T!" Sora yelled, gripping his Keyblade tightly and raised it up to run it through Kaito's chest. "You may fool everyone else, but you're not tricking me! Not even by pretending to be my dad! If you're one of Xehanort's new seeds of darkness, I'm not going to fall for it and have you kidnap me when I let my guard down, forcing me to be one of his vessels!"

"I-I...don't...know...what you're...talking about," Kaito grunted, choking more as Sora's grip tightened around his neck. He didn't want to summon his Swashbucklers to help him and hurt Sora, but there was snow sprinkling down on them. Tapping his hoof, he churned the snow around them, changing their form to make them sharper, then sent them flying straight for Sora. Even though he blocked them with his Keyblade, it gave Kaito the chance to break free, launching them both into the air with a geyser, but he swam down through it and reached solid ground. Sora recovered once the geyser ceased, Kaito gasping and coughing as he grasped his neck, feeling Sora's dark nails had dug deep into his skin. Recalling his cutlass, he looked up and watched Sora as he slowly descended back into the crater. "Why would I want to kidnap you? Why would I ever want to trick you and your mother when I really do want to help you? I don't even know who this Xehanort is!"

"SHUT UP!!!!!!!" Sora screamed, swinging his Keyblade and unleashed a wave of darkness.

Kaito tried to counter with his own water shockwave, but Sora's was far stronger as it sliced through his, striking him as he grunted in pain while raising his hooves up in defense, sliding back a couple feet. "Sora...I know you're hurting...I know I'm not your father, and I don't want you to think your mother's keeping me around to replace him. I can't fill in his shoes, but that doesn't mean I don't want to dishonor his memory if it means I can promise him I can keep you and Manami happy."

"If you wanted me to be happy, you shouldn't have tried to help me in Disney Town!" Sora exclaimed. He roared and dashed at a blinding speed, Kaito gasping and holding his sword up in defense, raising it just as Sora slashed down and their blades clashed with the younger stallion pushing him back and slamming him into the slope of the crater. "Why did you have to show up and make my life more of a living hell!?"

"Because...I wanted to know who I was," Kaito explained, struggling to push Anti-Sora back while his body left an imprint in the slope. "Your father's memories came to me, the more memorable ones I can recall where I felt the same emotions he had: the day you were born, teaching you how to use a sword, playing with you and your friends, everything involving you when I first saw you in that memory of his demise years ago, when you struggled to fight the Heartless on his ship, trying to save your father and his crew."

Sora grunted, recoiling at the recollection of that painful moment in the past he was a part of, reminded of his failure to save his father and his friends. "Y-You...You're lying," he uttered. "You...You can't-"

"He's telling you the truth, Sora." His ears perked, looking to his left, letting out a shocked gasp when he saw his mother. She had some scuffs on her after being slapped hard by Sora's wing, a Swashbuckler helping her walk as she limped, one of her forelegs sprained from hitting the ground pretty hard when she was smacked away. "When he told me about what he remembered on that boat, I filled him in on what you told me when you were in the past. He may not be your father, but he may as well be, even if he's someone who shouldn't exist. He shares his memories, the happiness he had looking back on the past that shows up in his mind, and if anything, all Kaito wants for us is to make us both happy."

"B-But...Mom, what if he's-?" Sora flinched when Manami threw snow at him, putting an end to his excuses.

"If he was against us, he would have killed me months ago when we first met!" Manami scolded. "For goodness sake, he's just like your father in every way except for his heart! I know he's a different person, a Nobody, but it doesn't matter to me! And he's not here to replace your father; he's here to fulfill what he believes is his purpose when he had your father's memories rush in his head!...He wants to be the father figure you needed when you were younger...and it's my fault I never found you one when you were so upset when your father died..."

"...A...father figure...?" Manami nodded her head, tears welling in her eyes, failing to tell him why she wanted to show the Nobody to him earlier last night.

Sora's ears drooped, part of him finding that hard to believe, but she did have a point. Kaito would have probably kidnapped his mother and dragged her off as a prisoner to who knows where Xehanort was by now, but she was safe, and, oddly enough, dating the Nobody, never seeing her this happy in his life before losing the real Kaito. He looked at Kaito, still pinned in the imprint of his body, greatly conflicted as he stared at his father's Nobody.

"Sora...after you turned into...this,-" Kaito gestured Sora's body, the dangerous aura that was around him diminishing now that he was calmer. "-I...saw something before it disappeared...I saw you turn into this, and your expression showed a lot of pain, anguish, depression...Was that...when your father lost his heart? When he turned into a Heartless?" Sora blanched in shock. He stammered, amazed to hear that Kaito vaguely recalled that moment, and it came to him when he turned into his Anti-Form. The Nobody didn't need a response when he saw the stallion lower his gaze. "...You took your father's life to spare him from losing himself...and he accepted his fate, both in his sacrifice...and saving him from completely falling into darkness..."

"...I...He..." At a loss for words, Sora backed away, dropping his Keyblade as it disappeared in a dark light, dismissing his form and returned to normal.

No longer pinned, Kaito grunted as he pulled himself out, groaning in pain from the injuries he received from the deadly form. "From what I learned, Nobodies are created when someone loses their heart, their bodies left behind as an empty shell...Did you know I would be born when he lost his heart?" he asked.

"...N-No," Sora mumbled. "I-I didn't...I didn't think his heart was that strong..." He hung his head shamefully, tucking his tail between his legs. "...I had accepted the fact dad was gone...I accepted the fact I had failed trying to save him, barely even changing the past at all and got him and all of his friends killed...I don't even know who else is working for Xehanort, and if I did believe a Nobody of his like you existed...I was afraid he'll use that knowledge as leverage to trick me and make me his last vessel..." He could feel everyone's eyes from the top of the crater on him, lowering himself to the ground and buried his face in his hooves. They all knew of his enhanced Anti-Form now, all because of his paranoia, barely giving his father's Nobody a chance to prove he was truly on their side and almost tried to kill him, and now he was probably heading back to square one on his role as a Keyblade Master, his mother was going to hate him for smacking her away and hurting her, and the darkness of his Anti-Form with that much animosity was sure to have terrified Kairi enough to strain their relationship. "...Why is my life getting worse after I saw those futures without me around...?"

"You're under a lot of pressure," Kaito said. "That conversation you had with your father during the calm in that storm on his ship, I could hear the stress you were going through and the fear of what you knew would eventually happen." He gently rested a hoof on Sora's head, the pegasus flinching at his touch. "I don't blame you for disliking me and hoping you'd warm up to me right away. You had grieved your father's loss once as a child, and did so again while haunted by your experiences with these alternate futures. Your mother told me about each of those different timelines...None of those fates should befall you, but we're all glad they were not the true result of all your hard work for everyone you met."

Sora sadly looked up at Kaito, the Nobody's grin expressing no hard feelings between them, even after his life was threatened. He didn't deserve to be around him, or his mother after he could have done worse to her in his own rage. Brushing Kaito's hoof off him, Sora stood up and walked past him, climbing out of the crater in shame and disappointment in himself. He looked at the others, he kept his head hung low as he approached Aqua.

"Sora? Are you alright?" He didn't respond. Sora held out his hoof and summoned his Keyblade, Aqua's confusion soon turning to shock when he took her hoof and gave him his Keyblade. It was like signing a resignation letter for Keyblade wielders, and having Sora give up without giving a reason as to why as he walked past her and wandered off, concerning her and the other Keyblade wielders greatly. "Sora!?"

"Why did he give you his Keyblade?" Twilight asked, the Equestrians having no clue what was going on.

"He's turning in his Keyblade," Terra said, the mares and baby dragon gasping in shock.

"You mean he's quitting!?" Spike asked. "Why!?"

"Was it because of what he turned into?" Starlight asked.

"What he saw in the past?" Applejack added to the many questions going through everyone's minds.

"That he realized he was going to kill his daddy again, only not out of mercy but for absolutely no reason!?" Pinkie exclaimed. "We gotta talk some sense into him! He can't give up his Keyblade, otherwise Kingdom Hearts 3 won't exist! We need to throw him a party!" Pinkie began to zip off after Sora, only to have a Swashbuckler appear in her path, making her yelp and skid right into the friendly Nobody. "Ok, this is getting old! Are you really on our side, or do you like getting in our way because it's funny to spook us? Because now is not the time, mister!" She looked down, rubbing her chin curiously. "Or are you a mister? Do lackey Nobodies have a gender?"

"Let me talk to him," Kaito said, helping his Swashbuckler carry Manami out of the crater.

"Oh, sure, great idea," Starlight said sarcastically. "Talk to your real self's son who tried to kill you a moment ago. A good talk will DEFINITELY make him feel better."

"You know Manami told me about the reason why he's behaving this way is because of your meddling with time and killing him in multiple timelines by changing one moment in the past, right?" Starlight blanched, the dead serious expression on the Nobody's face making her grin nervously, regretting her sarcasm when she was not only dealing with Sora's father's Nobody, who could pass as his father by his somewhat similar nature, and the fact he has a sword, power over water, and had an army of Nobodies he specifically commands that could have been cutthroats if they weren't tame. Seeing Starlight hide behind Terra, he looked back at Manami. "Are you alright?"

"I've been kidnapped by a minotaur and was close to having my own heart torn out when Sora wasn't able to control that Anti-Form of his, so this is nothing compared to that." Manami let out a sigh, Kairi approaching her and Kaito with her Keyblade out, healing their injuries with her magic. "I really thought Sora would be happy to have you around...I didn't want him to think you were taking his place. Or even thinking you were an enemy...I guess he's still worried about what'll happen to everyone if something were to happen to him, or he wasn't able to prevent something from happening to us."

"I think he needed some time to vent," Kaito reasoned. "I didn't want to be on the receiving end of his rage, but he's probably calmed himself down a little after letting it out." He draped his wing around Manami, letting the mare nuzzle him while helping comfort her. "I did warn you that he wasn't ready to see me after I told you my first meeting with him almost going south."

"Sora's really not going to quit being a Keyblade wielder, is he?" Fluttershy asked.

"He can't," Riku assured, though his own assurance waned a little after seeing the defeated look on Sora's face as he walked past them. "...He isn't giving up, right?"

"He's not," Kaito said confidently. "He's worked this hard to get this far, and I'll be damned if his real father were here to see him give up doing what he does best at." Grabbing the Kingdom Keyblade from Aqua, the unicorn was about to inform him of the Keyblade's ability to return to its owner when separated by another holding it, but he encased the weapon in a sphere of water, not physically touching it and not returning to Sora, or Aqua if he really did give it up. "I'll meet you all back at the castle."

As they watched Kaito walk off with the Kingdom Keyblade floating alongside him in the aquatic sphere, Kairi hesitated, wanting to help Sora, knowing he was self-conscious about everyone's opinion on his new, controllable Anti-Form. She forced herself to stay with the others, to her chagrin, this issue needing to be resolved by Kaito alone so Sora can trust him and they can at least be friends. Aside from Naminé, Kaito's Nobody seemed just as pure with his intentions in his existence as her unlike most of the other Organization XIII members.

---

Out in the apple orchard on Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo giggled as they ran around, having themselves a snowball fight while using the trees as cover. Since the farm had no use for apples in the middle of winter, they were perfect for snowy warfare, the trio throwing snowballs left and right to see who get hit each other more than the other. Even Winona got in on the fun, yipping excitedly as she chased after the girls, shaking herself if she got hit in the crossfire.

"Apple Bloom, let's call a truce!" Scootaloo called out. "Let's team up on Sweetie Belle!"

"What!? That's not fair!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, using her magic to toss several snowballs at the pegasus filly.

"Uhh, yes it is! You've got magic!" Scootaloo argued. She yelped when she was suddenly buried under an avalanche of snow Sweetie Belle levitated over her in retaliation to the two-on-one snowball fight. "...That's why it's unfair for US!"

Winona barked, digging Scootaloo out of the snow to help her out. While Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were fighting, Apple Bloom snuck around one of the trees, giggling mischievously as she planned on getting her friends in a sneak attack. She patted up a small piled of snowballs and prepared to open fire, but out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Sora sadly wandering around the orchard.

"Hey, Sora!" Apple Bloom called out, but Sora didn't respond as he continued his depressed stroll. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle heard the young Apple sibling and saw their surrogate older brother as well. Winona yipped and ran ahead to chase after the stallion while the Crusaders regrouped, ceasing their snowball fight. "Uh oh. He looks upset again."

"Is this a running thing for Sora to get miserable during winter around Hearth's Warming?" Scootaloo asked. "First was when we were on the train to Canterlot to see the play, then what happened when Apple Bloom and her family went to Pinkie's family's place when they didn't get along, now today after a fun party at the castle last night."

"What happened this time?" Sweetie Belle wondered aloud.

"Maybe we should find out," Apple Bloom suggested. "And we can cheer him up! He can't resist us if we lay down the cuteness on him!"

"Are we ponies or cats?" Scootaloo questioned.

"Well, to him, we've got our perks at bein' adorable," Apple Bloom reasoned.

"I am NOT adorable!" the pegasus filly argued. "I'm cool and awesome like Rainbow Dash!"

"Girls, let's go before we lose track of Sora!" Sweetie Belle interjected, slapping snow on her friends to cease their fighting.

The unicorn filly ran after Sora, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo shaking off the snow before chasing after her. Up ahead, Sora found a tree and sat down under the bare branches. Winona pounced on him, panting and wagging her tail excitedly, but her happiness waned when she noticed his face. She let out a whine to get his attention, getting him to look down at her, then earned a pat on the head. While the collie curled up beside him to keep him company, Sora dug into his pouch and pulled out a small black box, opening it up to reveal the enchanted heart-shaped diamond he bought from Las Pegasus for Kairi. He grabbed the band with his hoof, the gem still shimmering and translucent with his touch, having expected it to be tarnished and turn black after what he did today.

"Still pure," Sora mumbled, sighing sadly as he gently put the ring back in the box. "Don't know why. I'm probably going to stay stuck as an apprentice with how many stupid things I've done...Kairi probably won't want it after I swore I wouldn't use it unless I was desperate...She'll probably dump me..."

"Sora!" The Crusaders ran up to him, but when they got to him, they stared in awe at the ring he was holding. "Wow. That's a pretty ring."

"Is that for Kairi?" Sweetie Belle gushed as she eyed the sparkling diamond. "I think she'll love it!"

"Is that her Christmas present, or Hearth's Warming present!?" Apple Bloom asked.

"...I'm not sure anymore," Sora said morosely, putting the box down in front of him.

"What happened?" Apple Bloom asked, then let out a gasp. "Did she break up with ya!?"

"I don't think Sora and Kairi would ever break up with each other," Sweetie Belle said.

"Applejack told me they had a big fight when they went to Las Pegasus for a friendship problem," Apple Bloom said. "Did it get worse last night? Or this mornin'?"

"We...didn't fight, but our relationship might as well be over after how I acted today." While he moped, Kaito found him with the Crusaders after following his hoofprints.

"Is that all you're really upset about?" he asked, surprising the filly trio as he approached them. They gasped when they saw him in his black coat, bearing similar features Sora had like his eyes, fur, and hair color, and the sphere of water hovering beside him that held Sora's Keyblade inside that was being controlled by him. "Or are you upset that everyone is disappointed in you for being angry when you're still in a very heavily emotional state?"

"Who are you?" Scootaloo asked. "I didn't see him at the party yesterday."

"He looks a lot like Sora," Sweetie Belle noted. "They have the same eyes...similar mane color..." Looking past the rugged facial hair, the unicorn filly gasped when she compared the two stallions. "Oh my gosh! Are you Sora's dad!?"

"Well...close, but not really," Kaito said. His response confused the trio, but he would gladly explain it fully to them after he helped Sora. He walked past them, ruffling Scootaloo and Apple Bloom's manes and pat Sweetie Belle's as he did, then sat in front of the moping pegasus stallion. "Sora, what do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like?" Sora grumbled. "Aqua's going to take my Keyblade anyway. They all know, and I abused my Anti-Form, tried to kill you, and I hurt mom." Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle gasped at the mention of Sora's most dangerous Drive Form. "It's pointless trying to be a Keyblade Master if I keep making so many stupid mistakes..."

"You in a terrible emotional state, and venting your problems instead of hiding them from everyone is only going to frustrate you more," Kaito said. "I can understand you hating me. I get that. I look like your father, and I'll never be your father, but that doesn't mean you can't go on without having someone in your life to look up to like a father-figure."

"So you spent most of your life in the Realm of Darkness, hung out with Xemnas and what members were in Organization XIII at the time, then wandered around other worlds trying to figure out 'who you are'!" Sora argued. "You sound more like a deadbeat dad, or more like a deadbeat uncle who pretends to be my dad!"

"Why won't you give me a chance?" Kaito asked, pleading for the truth for Sora's reasons.

"Because your existence reminded me of my failure trying to save him!" Sora shouted. Kaito's eyes widened, the two staring at each other in silence. The Crusaders had no clue who or what Sora was talking about, the younger stallion gritting his teeth as tears ran down his cheeks. "...I couldn't save dad...I don't even know why, either. I fought millions of Heartless by now, faced worse foes that were smarter than them...but I...I panicked, and got him and his friends killed by the Heartless..."

Sora took in a shuddered breath, burying his face in his hooves with a sob. Winona whined and nuzzled Sora, helping to comfort him while not only did Kaito take in the truth behind Sora's disdain toward him, but his response worried the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

"...W-Who did ya fail to save, Sora?" Apple Bloom asked.

"...His father," Kaito responded. He gestured the fillies to come closer as he sat down, letting Sora cry himself out while the Crusaders approached the Nobody. "When Sora was a little boy, his father had supposedly died in a mysterious storm out at sea back in his world."

"He...lost his dad?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yes, and the loss had depressed him greatly," Kaito said, nodding sadly with a sigh. "He had gone back in time to discover what had happened, but it turned out that it was not a natural storm. Heartless had invaded the boat Sora, his father, and the crew that were on board. Sora tried to fight them off, but their numbers along with the amount of casualties were high, all of the men unable to be saved as they lost their hearts, they too turning into Heartless to join the harsh storm. When the storm was at a calm, Sora had one final moment with his father, but one Heartless, a Pirate, was lurking in the ship after he revealed he was from the future and knew of the man's fate. Sora didn't see the Heartless, but his father did, and as it attacked, his father pushed him out of harm's way, the Pirate's blade running straight through the man's heart, taking it and turning him into a Heartless as well."

The fillies' jaws dropped, Kaito noticing Sora flinch and sobbed harder the more detail he gave to the Crusaders. "Oh, Sora," Sweetie Belle uttered sympathetically, tears welling up in hers and her friends' eyes, neither of them able to know how painful it must have been to see one of their parents die in front of them. Apple Bloom may not have known her parents, but she couldn't bear to see them fall to an unknown fate they didn't deserve. "But...how do you know about what happened? Were you there, mister?"

"Physically, no, but I have the memories of that gruesome incident," Kaito said. "You were half right about me being Sora's father, little one. I am not really his dad, whose name was Kaito, but I am his Nobody; the empty shell of Kaito and was born the moment Kaito had lost his heart that horrible evening."

"'Nobody'? I-Isn't that...what those grey rubber monsters who invaded the Crystal Empire during the Equestria Games?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yes, but I'm a...special kind of Nobody," the stallion explained. "When someone with a strong heart loses it to the Heartless, there is a chance the shell that's left behind will actually turn them into the person who they once were. Who you see before you is what Kaito looks like...well, as a pony, but you get the point. A Nobody is not truly a shell of their former self; they can have hearts of their own, different personalities, likes and dislikes, emotions, and even special abilities they never had as their old selves." Kaito showed off his water magic, swirling the snow around the fillies as he melted them into water, creating a stream in a figure-eight. They were surprised, now seeing how the sphere of water holding Sora's Keyblade inside it was formed and who was really controlling it. "The one thing about Nobodies is that we start off learning like a child beginning to process the world around them. Along with that, they sometimes recall memories of their past lives that come and go, some forgotten like a dream, while others linger and plague their mind and make them wonder what happened in that moment.

"For me, ever since I saw Sora in one of his father's memories, I couldn't stop thinking about him, or his mother when she began to appear as well. We have memories of our own we can make, but a part of who we were still exists in us, almost like we're the half that's missing in the grand puzzle that is our true selves." Kaito safely manipulated the water flow to the ground near one of the trees, the fillies warming up to him with his cool magic even if he wasn't really Sora's dad. "I had no idea what I was meant to do in my life, but after experiencing the happiness Kaito had with the memories of Sora from his birth until his final hours, I had found a purpose that I knew he would want someone to make for him. I wanted to be there for Sora and his mother. Kaito would have wanted this, but unlike Manami, Sora didn't really seem to accept me...Now I know why; he didn't want to lose his father again, and learning his Nobody was created now after so many years, I'm a reminder of the result of his failure as he grieved from witnessing his death."

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were still a little confused, but they at least understood why Sora was upset. There was already a lot of information about the Heartless and Nobodies, and most of it kept flying over their heads because they were more worried about staying away from them than learning their origins. And to know Nobodies could like the person the used to be while having their own lives only brought more confusion, as they could look like anyone if their hearts were strong enough. When Apple Bloom looked at Sora, she both pitied him and was also mad at him, finding it hard to believe he could hate Kaito when he had a chance to be around his father again, even if it was his Nobody. If she were in his shoes, she would have have her parents return as something else despite being their own ponies with her parents' memories. But she couldn't be angry with him for long, considering he had tried to save his dad and wasn't successful, which was probably the worst feeling to watch one of his parents die and disappear in front of him.

"...Maybe there are a lot of things we shouldn't know after all," Scootaloo said. "My head already hurts learning about all this."

"So, you are his dad, but not really," Sweetie Belle summarized.

"Right," Kaito said. "I'm kinda like...the long-lost uncle Sora never had and his father's twin he didn't know existed."

"Like Roxas?" Scootaloo asked. "He's Sora's Nobody...but he looks more like Ventus...Does that actually make THEM the twins???" The pegasus filly went cross-eyed as she tried to figure out the logic between Sora's Nobody with Ventus's similar appearance. "Gah! Ok, I don't want to think anymore! I just want to enjoy winter vacation!"

Kaito chuckled, ruffling Scootaloo's hair. He then looked at Sora, who had calmed down a little, holding Winona while the collie was content being held and keeping him company. When the Nobody approached them, Winona squirmed out of Sora's hooves, walked up to the older stallion and sniffed him curiously, letting out a yip as she didn't find him dangerous, earning a pat on the head from Kaito. Levitating the Kingdom Keyblade over to Sora, Kaito grabbed Sora's hoof, lowering the sphere of water down on his foreleg until the hilt of the blade was grasped in his hoof, dissipating the water until he was holding it on his own. Before Sora could protest, Kaito grabbed his hoof with both of his, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Don't give up because of the past," Kaito said, giving him a lecture as if he was Sora's father. "Dreading on your failures and constantly fearing what results from those mistakes are going to make you create even more mistakes that you'll keep regretting. Your mother wants us to get along, but I understand if you hate me because you were under a lot of stress trying to save your father and his friends on that boat. We don't have to get along. I can accept that. But don't resign your role as a Keyblade wielder, because everyone relies on you."

The Crusaders gasped in shock hearing that Sora was going to quit being a Keyblade wielder. "He was gonna what!?" they exclaimed.

"But...I can't-" Sora looked down, but Kaito lifted his chin up, keeping him from looking away from him.

"You can," Kaito said. "I may not know you personally, but through your father's memories and what your mother has told me, you've done a lot of great things. Not just for your friends at home, or here in Equestria, but everywhere. You saved other worlds from the Heartless, from the Organization, putting your life on the line to save new friends you meet. You even gave up your own heart for Kairi, who I know, even without Kaito's memories, that you love dearly just from looking at the two of you." He then placed his hoof on Sora's shoulder, continuing his speech as the Keyblade wielder began to tear up again. "You have a strong heart, Sora. You have so many friends that are there for you. That's where your strength lies. You face the odds when you're on your own, but even when things get tough, everyone is there with you." His other hoof pointed at the young stallion's chest. "In here. Including your father."

"And us," Sweetie Belle added, the Crusaders joining Kaito as they surrounded Sora, placing their smaller hooves over his heart.

"Yeah," Apple Bloom said. "Ya helped us when we were all down, and we want to help you, too."

"You're the big brother we never had," Scootaloo said. "...Well, Apple Bloom does have a big brother, but not one as awesome as you."

More tears rolled down Sora's face, absolutely touched by the Crusader's faith in him, placing his hoof over theirs and Kaito's. Kaito's words felt like something his father would say as they finally reached out to him, everyone's reliance on Sora was because of their faith in him and his abilities as a Keyblade wielder. He wiped his tears away, then swept Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle into a group hug, Kaito stepping back and watching as he could see Sora was starting to feel a little better. Once he let go of the fillies, Sora stood up, dismissing his Keyblade now that it was returned back to him and he no longer resigned, lowering his head apologetically as he faced Kaito.

"...I'm sorry," Sora apologized. "You...probably won't trust me all that much after how I acted. I've been having a pretty stressful year, and what futures I saw when Starlight went mad...they kinda hit me pretty hard. And, seeing you-"

"Made it worse," Kaito said, finishing Sora's sentence with an agreeing nod. "But, now that you're in a better mindset, do you believe I'm on your side now?"

"You're actually dating my mom?" Sora responded, giving Kaito a serious glare.

"...Uhh...Maybe?" Kaito said with a nervous grin.

"...And you're making her happy?" Sora questioned, making the fillies giggle as the role between him and his Nobody's father seemed to have reversed.

"Yes," Kaito said.

Sora continued to leer at the Nobody, crossing his forelegs against his chest, unnerving Kaito more as the silence lingered for a while. "...Alright, then," Sora finally said. "I guess I can accept this...but if you so much as hurt mom, I'm gonna do even worse to you than what I did earlier. WITHOUT going into that form."

"I know better than to tick Manami off. First time we met, I was terrified of what she'd do to me when she thought I was a stalker." Sora couldn't find a reason to counter that logic, both stallions shuddering as they both knew not to push Manami's buttons.

"Ok, you have a point there," Sora said. "Never cross mom, or else."

"Or else what?" Scootaloo asked.

"...You don't want to know, Scoots," Sora said, Kaito shaking his head with a grimace as they both looked at the filly with utter fear. "Let's find everyone and tell them we've come to a truce."

"Wait! Don't forget Kairi's ring!" Sweetie Belle said, using her magic to levitate the enchanted ring to Sora.

"Oh! Almost forgot about this." Sora took the box, putting it away in his pouch after closing it to keep it safe. Once it was secured in the surprisingly indestructible bag, he looked at Kaito and the Crusaders. "None of you say anything about that ring to Kairi or anyone else. I want to surprise her with it."

"So it is a Christmas present?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Not really," Sora said. "But seriously. Don't. Tell. Anyone. Pinkie Promise me."

"Cross our heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in our eye," the Crusaders simultaneously chanted, performing the motions of Pinkie's patented Promise to Sora, excited to know how Kairi would react to the ring, though not as a simple gift as they assumed.

Sora then looked at Kaito, expecting him to do the same. "Alright. I promise I won't tell anyone about your gift," Kaito said, mimicking the fillies, only to end up poking himself in the eye with his hoof. "AGH! That is the worst kind of promise anyone has ever made up."

"That's why you close your eye, Mr. Sora's dad's Nobody," Sweetie Belle said.

"You can call me Kaito," he said while rubbing his eye. "I was never given a name until Manami kept calling me her husband's name."

"Maybe we can come up with one, like Roxas's name is Sora's, but jumbled around and with an 'X'," Apple Bloom said. "Hmm...How about Toxika?"

"That sounds like a girl's name," Sweetie Belle said. "Ooh! What about Kaotix?"

"That makes it sound like he's insane, and Discord's already someone with a chaotic name," Scootaloo said. "Sora's dad doesn't even look like a psycho."

While the fillies continued coming up with ideas for Kaito's name, the Nobody simply chuckled at their enthusiasm. "Girls, Kaito's fine," he reassured them, scooping all three fillies up in his hooves and hugged them. "And if you look at Sora like an older brother, I guess that makes you three my surrogate half-daughters." Sora let out a groan, immediately regretting making amends with his father's Nobody, seeing how he had similar ways of making something he thinks is funny not funny. "What? I can't have three fillies as my fake kids? Maybe nieces instead. I can be the fun uncle."

"Yeah! I want a fun uncle!" Scootaloo cheered, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom cheering in agreement.

Sora sighed and gave up, flying on ahead to regroup with everyone. "...You're too much like my dad," he muttered to himself. He looked back when he heard the Crusaders laughing, Kaito speeding by him while using his water magic to make Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle surf through the air beside him, the waves beneath their hooves wide enough to keep them balanced and from falling off. Sora frowned, feeling guilty for going off on the Nobody without getting to know him. Kaito was more like his father than he thought, and instead of listening to him to prove he was not a threat, he focused more on what he could have been without any definitive proof aside from the black coat, where the identity of the remaining seeds of darkness are still unknown to him. "...Maybe I did need to meet you after all..."

---

After returning to the castle, Kaito explained to the others that Sora wasn't resigning and that both stallions were on good terms, if only a little bit. Sora expected his mother to lash out at him for what he did, and for hurting her, but she surprised him with a motherly hug. She wasn't mad at him, apologizing for making his anxiety worse and bringing back memories of his failures being unable to save those he was desperate to save, not just for himself, but for others who pleaded him to rescue their loved ones from their fate. It was a triangle of apologies between the three pegasi, arguing like the family they sort of were as they admitted their faults, but Kairi managed to get them to stop as she used her magic to push all three of them together and hug each other. It was awkward for Sora at first as he hugged his father's Nobody, but he did it to avoid further embarrassing himself in front of everyone.

They soon began to officially celebrating Hearth's Warming Day together, no more tension or anger from Sora and Kaito. The party wouldn't be complete without it being planned by Pinkie Pie, a party to cheer Sora up while also being festive and full of holiday spirit. It did help Sora a little bit, though like a little kid, he did find it weird when his mother danced the the Nobody with the music playing in the foyer, snuck in a kiss or two during the slow songs, or just holding him and nuzzling into his neck when they relaxed. Manami was happy at least, but Sora still had some lingering doubts about Kaito. He left to clear his head, already done picking out reasons to be upset with the Nobody and headed for the top of the castle, Kairi noticing his departure and followed him.

Sora sat on the edge of the roof of the castle, looking down at Ponyville as snow continued to fall around them. He was surprised no one in town freaked out when they saw the sphere of clouds above them earlier that morning, or even his darkened form after slamming Kaito all the way out of town. Everyone probably slept in after partying too hard last night, so there wasn't much of a panic unless any foals like the Crusaders were out playing in the snow, but thankfully, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo didn't see what happened despite learning what had.

"Already partied out?" Kairi asked. Sora looked back as he heard her voice, watching her approach him and sit beside him. "I thought you were a lot more fun than that."

"Oh, ha ha," Sora sarcastically laughed. "Very funny." Kairi giggled, teasing Sora while sticking her tongue out at him. "You act more like Riku, I'm going to have to tackle you down into the snow and show you how fun I can be."

"Well, then, challenge accepted." Kairi wrapped her hooves around Sora, "trapping" him in a light hug while laying her head against his shoulder. "Wanna start now? I can teleport us to the ground."

"Mmm...Maybe later," Sora said, his playful tone gone in an instant, which worried Kairi. He gently grasped her hooves in his, gently pulling her forelegs away from her embrace. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Kairi asked, lifting her head off his shoulder to look at him. "What's wrong?"

"I promised I wouldn't use my Anti-Form unless it was necessary...but I tried to use it against that No-" Sora paused, letting out a sad sigh. "...I mean, against Kaito...I have no excuses for how I overreacted. I threw a temper tantrum like a five-year-old, I lashed out because I wanted to avoid the truth and what should have been the greatest thing to ever happen having my dad back...but not his shell, who's someone else with his memories, and abusing my Drive Form because I was afraid of believing this was really happening and that Kaito was planning to betray us if we let our guard down."

"...Well, I know you've been going through some things," Kairi said. "You never really put much thought into what happens to every world out there until now because you wanted to save them. Every world where you made friends with who lives there, you only focused on helping them without even thinking about how you might think it would go if you weren't successful." She grabbed his hoof, gently squeezing it. "Traveling through time was a pretty harsh reality check, but you don't have to worry about the future. You need to relax and focus on the present; let Future Sora deal with what'll happen next."

Sora couldn't help but snort in laughter, then laughed as he recalled the crazy lesson Twilight learned about worrying about the future. He was so lax about the crazy week, and in the end, after trying to prevent Equestria from being destroyed by some dangerous future, they changed nothing as Future Twilight meeting Past Twilight failed to warn herself not to overreact about what the future holds. His situation was different and more life-threatening, but it took a longer while to get it in his head after the experiences he had with the alternate timelines, discovering his father's fate, and the stresses of being a Keyblade wielder while worrying about the lives that rested on his shoulders.

"...Yeah. You're right," Sora said. "Maybe we should take another trip to Las Pegasus. Just the two of us. Or maybe somewhere tropical since it's the middle of winter."

"You really want to go back to Las Pegasus?" Kairi questioned. "With the FlimFlam Brothers running Gladmane's hotel?"

"Somewhere else," Sora quickly said. "I'm not letting them swindle us out of a lot of money, or have me used for promotional use to bring in more business." Kairi giggled, understanding his reasons after getting hounded by mares who nearly tore him apart. "But...in all seriousness, I am sorry about how I was behaving today, and what I did earlier...So, can you forgive me?"

"Sora, I wouldn't be sitting here with you right now if I didn't." Kairi leaned forward, giving Sora a soft kiss on the lips to assure him he was forgiven, then gently rested her forehead against his. "Our hearts are intertwined, and I wouldn't be happy without you in my life. I would have been as miserable as the me from the changeling timeline...but with less physical scars and mostly miserable than painfully hurt and angry." Sora smiled, mostly at the fact their hearts were one, and he knows it'll stay that way until the day they die. Wrapping his hooves around her, Sora pulled Kairi closer, bringing them into another kiss. Both their eyes closed in passion, Kairi lifting her hooves up and around Sora's neck, holding him closer and deepening their kiss. They slowly parted with a light smack of their lips, staring into each other's eyes, their loving gazes never blinking as time didn't seem to matter to them. "I love you, Sora."

"And I love you, Kairi," Sora said, giving Kairi another light peck. "More than anything."

The couple cuddled as they sat, content to be alone together for a while longer before going back to the party. Little did they know was that someone had been spying on them. Kaito watched from the stairwell, keeping his head low as he watched them. He grinned, then headed back downstairs, leaving them be as he returned to the party.

"There you are!" Manami called out. She grabbed the collar of Kaito's cloak as he walked up to her, nearly bumping her head into his with a playful glare. "And where did you go off to, mister?"

"Exploring," he said.

"Yeah, I'm not buying that for a minute," the mare said, moving her hoof up to the Nobody's ear and tugged it, making him yelp. "What were you doing?"

"I was following Sora!" Kaito admitted, wincing in agony as Manami kept a hold of his ear. "He didn't seem like he was having fun, but Kairi was the first to tail him, so I followed them and overheard them talking!" Manami leered at the Nobody for a moment before letting go of him. Kaito rubbed his sore ear, grinning sheepishly as he wanted to avoid getting into any further trouble. "I guess he still doesn't trust me completely, but it's a start."

"He's probably watching out for me," Manami said. "He has a way with the ladies after all." She laughed at the little joke, although Twilight overheard Manami, biting her lower lip nervously before dragging Riku away from earshot of the mare while her coltfriend yelped and flailed about, questioning where she was taking him. "Speaking of, what was he doing up there with Kairi? I'm sure there appears to be more than 'talking' between them."

"Just kissing, snuggling with each other under the gentle sprinkles of snow while looking over a beautiful view that screams romance," he said with a grin, his cheesy description making Manami roll her eyes. "I think they're just making up...Well, Sora is. And, I think he's got a little surprise for Kairi."

"A surprise?" Manami asked curiously. "Why? Did he show you what he's going to give her?"

"While I talked to him, yes." Kaito looked around, making sure no one was close enough to hear him before leaning toward Manami's ear. He opened his mouth, but he barely got a word out as he spotted Pinkie Pie leering at him with a gaze that warned him not to say anything. The party pony then slowly shook her head, further emphasizing her warning before slowly, menacingly taking a bite out of a cookie, chewing just as slowly. "...Uhh...What is she doing?"

Manami turned her head, Pinkie quickly changing her behavior and waved happily to the mare. "Pinkie's just standing there," she said. When she looked back, Pinkie went back to glaring at Kaito, her waving hoof pointing at her eyes, then pointed at him, letting him know she was watching him. "Now, tell me what Sora has planned."

Feeling nervous about what Pinkie of all ponies would do to him, he decided not to tell Manami, Pinkie somehow able to read his mind as she happily bounced off to continue partying. "...Actually, I made a promise to Sora not to tell anyone."

"Aww, not even to me?" Manami whined with a pout that would make any tough man's heart stop from the adorable look she gave.

"I have a feeling if I do that, I'm going to face Pinkie's wrath, not Sora's," Kaito reasoned.

"Pinkie's?" Manami wondered why, figuring it out after a moment when she thought about what kind of promise the stallion made. "Ohhhh. You made a Pinkie Promise. That explains it."

"Yeah, but what the heck is that?" Kaito asked. "I ended up poking my eye, just going along with whatever those fillies did."

"I haven't made one myself, but Pinkie told me about it," Manami said. "It's a special kind of promise you keep to someone once you make it, and you intend to keep it. Break that promise, and you lose that person's trust."

"FOREVER!!!!!!!" Pinkie's voice echoed throughout the foyer, her finishing statement making Manami laugh as she surprised and confused Kaito as he tried to look for her.

"What she said," Manami said.

"...Right...And I already just got Sora's trust, if somewhat slim," Kaito uttered. He let out a sigh, rubbing his facial hair at the ironic twist fate gave him by making such a huge promise. "Better keep my big mouth shut, then."

"Then let's stuff it with some sweets to keep it occupied." She giggled, dragging Kaito over to the small buffet table for a snack before getting back to another dance. "But, is it a big gift, or a little one?"

"Do you want me to get in trouble again?" Kaito questioned with a leer.

"Ok, ok, fine. I'll stop," Manami promised.

"Make it a Pinkie Promise," the Nobody insisted.

"Aww, but I want to know so baaaad!" Manami whined, but Kaito growled, deadly serious as he just got Sora to like him moments ago. "...Oh, fine. Pinkie Promise. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye..."

After the mare performed the Pinkie Promise, Kaito grinned, no longer being pestered into being pressured telling anyone about Kairi's ring Sora got for her. Whatever it was for, he knew that it was going to be given for a very special occasion. Only time would tell what that occasion will be, and it was going to be quite a surprise for Kairi when she sees it.

Comments

[KingJoltik]

Stop being a tease and make foals with her already Sora! AUGH!!!!!

[Vakama95096]

Sora is such a klutz when you get to know him.

[Imayaruk]

9069671
because it's to perfect of an engagement ring, the only question is WHEN

[Megaskullmon]

Just ask her to Marry you already Sora.

[Kye Belmont]

Thee romance is in thee air!

[Sora Hikari]

I was thinking on Kaito bringing Ariel as a summon ;)

[Archivist Nightwatch]

I am so ready fr the proposal.

[Garuda IV]

I really hope Sora and Kairi go on that vacation. Apart from Sora needing it pretty badly, the romantic atmosphere would also be great for Sora to pop the question. Especially if his mom and dad are still in Equestria when they return.

[Noctis Prism]

Give her the ring so I can plan the wedding there key boy!

[HB_DS2013]

Kaito’s definitely like Sora, but at least he’s not a deadbeat like Jecht. On a very random note, though... grandchildren? Grandchildren~

[BenictheHedgehog]

This was a great way for a chapter. Though if Sora goes on a vacation with Kairi, I have a feeling that Twilight & Riku will tag along since those two could use a bit of romance alone time too. Plus, I am sure as the Princess of Friendship that Twilight would really want to make sure Sora is ok since his strength is Friendship and Friendship is also her strength in her Magic.

[Ryuu dragon]

Love your story, would like to see more summons like Bambi, simba, dumbo, chicken little and mushu.

[Codex92]

9089779
Well, aside from Chicken Little, even though I have no idea why he was a summon at all from Kingdom Hearts 2, the others' worlds had returned after Sora defeated Ansem, so their summon gems disappeared as their lives returned. I know KH3 showed Simba as a summon, I don't know how that is until we know in the game, but sadly, the only ones who can be summoned are the ones with the charms from KH2. And yes, Genie and Tinker Bell were summons as well, but their a magical wish-granting being and a fairy respectively, so they had some magic that allowed them to appear and aid Sora in combat at that time, they were also summon charms as well, no longer straining Sora's MP. Chicken Little wasn't all that great of a summon anyway, just used as a Magnet to suck in enemies, and his Limit wasn't helpful, so he might not make an appearance, though I did reference his charm way way back in the earlier chapters.

[Magos Xenos Disathairne]

Considering a Nobody is the body and mind of a person with a strong heart after their heart becomes a Heartless, Kaito's situation is more along the lines of getting cool powers but also gstting amnesia, rather than an identical twin with cool powers.

[AetherToast]

Dang, you really made a KH version of some Jerry Springer stuff going on.

[SpiritD3t3ctiv3]

Man, and I thought things couldn't get anymore surreal. His father's Nobody....I'm surprised Sora hasn't completely snapped at this point.