My Little Pony: Sora's Misadventures in Equestria

by Codex92

The Descent of a Heartless Angel

Deep in the Everfree Forest in the middle of the night, the usual dangerous fauna within the wild woods prowled for their prey. The only place where not many animals roam around the forest is at the Castle of the Two Sisters, long forgotten ruins of a castle meant for Celestia and Luna more than one thousand years ago. Though it has recently been trekked by Twilight and her friends many times and attempted to be rebuilt for the Princess of Friendship's castle, the idea was scrapped when she got her own castle courtesy of the Tree of Harmony gifting her and her companions a new castle made of crystal. There was nothing but rubble, old, rusted suits of armor, broken or weathered windows and banners, almost forgotten by time during the birth of Nightmare Moon.

In the main foyer of the castle, a huge gaping hole in the roof left from the battle between Nightmare Moon and Celestia a millennia ago let the moonlight shine down in the empty room of rubble, stone, and tattered carpet. The light was soon obscured by a mysterious glyph appearing over the shattered roof. The glyph unleashed a brilliant flash of light, sending it down to the foyer in yet another flash. The light faded seconds later as an ominous figure stood up from their entrance. Curious, they looked at their surroundings.

"This world...How strange..." Looking down at themselves, barely phased, they let out a small grunt. "Even stranger." Not bothering to question their form, they glanced up toward the opened ceiling. Leaping high, they bounded up to the tallest tower that remained standing on the ruins, their silhouette revealed behind the full moon. Observing their surroundings, they could see a town in the distance and a castle made of crystal near said town, some mountains in the opposite direction, nothing notable that gave them any interest. "Did he wind up here as well? If so, a new location will not matter." From their right, a giant wing shot out that spanned as tall as them, scattering loose feathers behind them, though his left side was bare of having a second wing. "He will give in to the darkness. As well as the ones who reside in this world."

---

The Young Six stepped out from The Land of Departure after their scheduled training for the day. With nothing else to do today, they decided to pay the School of Friendship's headmare in the throne room. Twilight was going over some future tests and quizzes for her students as the school year was close to ending in another couple months.

"Hiya, Professor Twilight!" Silverstream greeted. "Or...Princess Twilight? Master? Headmare?...There's so many titles that I can't think of which one's the right one to call you by."

Twilight giggled, setting her papers aside. "I'm not exactly a Keyblade Master just yet, but you can just call me princess outside of school."

"Oh! That makes it so much easier then!" the hippogriff said.

"What brings you six by?" Twilight asked.

"We were done with training for today, but we have nothing else to do today," Sandbar said.

"Speaking of, we haven't seen you do any training or fighting since we started," Smolder pointed out. "You got any cool magic stuff to show us?"

"I'm...a little busy with the end of the school year. I haven't had much time to get some training in this year," Twilight said. "And no, I'm not going to provide any 'cheat sheets' for final exams."

"Who said we were gonna ask about that?" Gallus asked. "We were kinda relieved we got to retake our Equestrian history test after our...extended study binge that night."

"Yes. Cozy explained what happened, and I'm...a little surprised that she nearly brought your friendship to tear apart over your difference in species," Twilight mumbled. "My school was supposed to help teach every creature about friendship, regardless if others think other species can't learn it. Or, worst case scenario from Chancellor Neighsay's beliefs, use friendship as a weapon."

"Speaking of, is he going to...check in on the school again?" Ocellus asked nervously.

"He is in charge of overseeing the educational system in Equestria," Twilight said. "I'm not entirely sure, though. Last I saw him, he seemed so smug and confident believing Flim and Flam could run a better friendship university and accredited them just to spite us. I doubt he's too happy learning in the news how they scammed their students with free tuition, but paying for the lessons and assignments while also embezzling those funds for their hotel definitely got under his fur."

"Wow. And I thought we dragons were greedy," Smolder said in awe.

"And Sora despises them for what they did to Applejack and her family," Twilight added. As she was about to explain why Sora dislikes the FlimFlam Brothers so much, the map suddenly got her attention when they saw a black dot appear in the Everfree Forest, and was making its way toward the outskirts of Ponyville. "What the? A Heartless is nearby?"

"Just one?" Gallus questioned. "They're supposed to appear in groups. Is it really just one?"

"Maybe we can take it on!" Silverstream exclaimed. "I've been wanting to try to fight one since we started training!"

"Yona can beat one Heartless easy!" Yona agreed.

"Wait, we don't even know if it's a mere Shadow or something even more-!" The Young Six all rushed out of the room to go after the stray Heartless, all but Ocellus cheering and hollering to hype themselves up. Twilight growled at their hastiness, jumping over the crystal table and flew after them. "Hey! The most important rule against any foe is to not underestimate any opponent, especially if they're alone!"

Ignoring the princess as most of the Young Six were eager for some action, they rushed out to the fields where the Heartless was roaming about. "I wonder if it's something that'll give us a challenge!" Smolder wondered aloud.

"I think Master Aqua said something about certain types of Heartless that aren't as aggressive or violent," Sandbar said. "Like one of those mushrooms."

"Ooh, or maybe it's the one that's like a funny gumball machine with lots of prizes!" Silverstream cheered. "Free goodies!"

When they reached the location where the Heartless was headed, they looked all over for it. "Where Heartless!? Yona wanna smash it!"

Twilight landed harshly in front of the six teens, glaring at them with an angry snort. "Has everything Aqua taught you just gone right over your heads!? The map shows what kind of enemy is out there, but that doesn't tell us what it is! What if it could be something worse!? Like a Stealth Sneak!? They're like chameleons; they can make themselves invisible, and they are incredibly aggressive! I ran into one before!"

"And you fought it?" Gallus asked.

Twilight opened her mouth, but she paused, stammering slightly. "...N-No. T-That was before I became a Key bearer. Kairi did, and then Sora finished it off when it overpowered her."

"Umm, if this Stealth Sneak was around, shouldn't it have...arrived by now?" Ocellus asked.

Twilight was a bit startled by Ocellus's question. She did have a point; from the rate of travel the Heartless was moving and the Young Six racing off to bar its path, it should have arrived while she was berating the young apprentices by now. Estimating where they were standing and the trajectory of the Heartless's travel path, either they were a little off or spot on, but there was no sign of danger.

"...That's...odd," Twilight uttered. "It should have."

"Maybe it knew we were coming and got scared?" Silverstream asked.

"The Keyblade is supposed to be the bane of the Heartless, and a beacon to lure them to attack their biggest threat," Twilight explained. "I hope it's not the humanoid one that caused Sludge to turn into an undead, poisonous monstrosity."

Smolder grimaced, recalling just what that creepy Heartless did to the lazy dragon making her sick to her stomach. Looking around more for the mysterious Heartless, Sandbar spotted something approaching them in the distance.

"Is...that it?" he asked, pointing to the direction of where the Everfree Forest was.

As the others looked in that same direction, they noticed what the stallion was looking at, though it didn't seem like a dangerous threat as it seemed to be getting closer. It looked like another pony simply on his way to some unknown destination; a stallion judging by his build, though his long, silver hair that stretched far down his back with bangs that framed his face. His fur was a darker silver, but he wore some really dark clothing, though if they were meant for traveling, the tattered look along the bottom of his coat seemed to not be so functional for exploration. The collar of his coat stretched up to near halfway up his head, his upper chest slightly exposed with two red straps overlapping, a pair of silver pauldrons on his shoulders, and metal ring bracers around his wrists, though the sleeve on his right front leg had a dark red and black ring protruding from the side. Twilight seemed a bit wary from the way this stallion's clothes looked, or how his eyes seemed to be staring intently at them as he walked right toward them.

"Who's that?" Gallus asked.

"And what's with his clothes?" Silverstream asked. "I think Professor Rarity would freak seeing something so...gaudy."

He continued approaching them a minute later, then stood several yards away from them. His blue eyes glanced at each of them, silently examining them as if he were judging their appearance. Unsure what this stallion wanted, Twilight cleared her throat and smiled, hoping this pony wasn't looking for trouble.

"Uhh, hello, sir," the alicorn greeted. "Are you...lost?"

"Just taking in the scenery," he answered, neither wielder expecting such a deep and foreboding voice come from a stallion like him.

"...Ok. Uhh, are you by any chance an explorer?" Twilight asked. "A traveler who has...a very interesting style of fashion?"

The stallion looked left, then right, raising a brow curiously. "I'm actually looking for someone," he said. "Though I haven't searched this way since I arrived here last night."

"Maybe your friend might have gone into town," Twilight suggested. "Probably a smart idea to stock up on provisions if you're traveling with somepony."

"Hmph. Calling him a 'friend' is an understatement." Growing concerned about who this stallion was searching for and not affiliated with them, Twilight grinned awkwardly, hoping he wouldn't cause any trouble. "Where am I, exactly?"

"Uhh...You're just on the outskirts of Ponyville," Twilight said. "Oh. I'm Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship. Nice to meet you, Mr...?"

"...Sephiroth," he said.

"That's a weird pony name," Smolder mumbled.

Ignoring the dragoness's comment, Twilight continued trying to be friendly with the mysterious traveler. "Well, Mr. Sephiroth, there's a little predicament we discovered not that long ago. There's...uhh...something dangerous that's coming this way, but we haven't seen hide nor hair of it just yet."

"Oh? And what would that be?" Sephiroth questioned with a curious smirk.

"We're hunting down a Heartless!" Silverstream exclaimed, startling the others as Gallus quickly clasped his claws around the hippogriff's beak.

"Heartless...So they appear in this world, too." Shocked, everyone stared at the long-haired stallion.

"You...You know about the Heartless?" Twilight asked. "H-How?" Sephiroth didn't respond. "...Are...Are you...a Keyblade wielder?"

"...You know about the Keyblade as well," he spoke, highly curious. "...Tell me. Have you met someone named Sora?"

"How do you know him?" Sandbar asked as the Equestrians were suddenly growing cautious around Sephiroth.

"I wanted to know who he was, and his unique 'sword' of his he wields," Sephiroth explained. "I wanted to see how strong he truly was."

"And you got your butt kicked by him, right?" Smolder gloated.

"...He had skill, but not enough to defeat me," Sephiroth said. "And if you know of him, then that must mean you all must also have these Keyblades as well?"

Twilight didn't like this. This Sephiroth knows about Sora, the Heartless, and even about the Keyblades. It was obvious now that he wasn't a native of Equestria; Sephiroth came from another world, and she didn't know who it was he was searching for, but if it was Sora, she had to warn the others. She wanted to play dumb, but seeing how Sephiroth guessed that they had Keyblades, she didn't want to cause any trouble.

"We do," Gallus said, he and Smolder showing off their Keyblades to the stallion. "I bet even we could show you a thing or two."

"...Then show me," Sephiroth goaded as his smirk widened a bit.

"G-Gallus, Smolder, I don't think this is such a good idea," Ocellus whimpered. "S-Something doesn't feel right with...M-Mr. Sephiroth."

"What do you mean, Ocellus?" Twilight asked the changeling.

Gallus and Smolder walked past Twilight, despite her wanting to protest to the two brash wielders. "T-The Heartless...it came from the same direction he was, wasn't he?" Ocellus questioned.

The alicorn's eyes widened. From where Sephiroth walked, it came from the same direction where the Everfree Forest was. The Heartless's destination started from there, and was walking forward out of the forest and toward this general area of the fields. The only one they could see that came from the forest was Sephiroth, and they haven't spotted a single Heartless since it was discovered by the Cutie Map.

"Wanna go first, Smolder?" Gallus offered.

"Fine by me. I'll show him something he's probably never seen before." The dragoness held her Keyblade in front of her, and in one smooth motion, mixed her elemental firebreath and imbued it to her blade. A mix of fire, ice, and lightning breath shrouded the blade, smirking cockily as she slowly waved it back and forth. Sephiroth wasn't all that impressed, stepping back slightly while his right hoof reached down to his left side. "Scared already? Must not be so confident if you claimed Master Sora couldn't beat you. I bet he owned you into the ground."

"Smolder, hold on a second," Twilight warned. "Something's not right. The Heartless we saw that was coming here, what if-?"

Sprinting forward, Smolder let out a battle cry as she closed the distance between her and Sephiroth. Sephiroth let out a small grunt, his smirk never wavering. Just as Smolder began to swing, Sephiroth suddenly dashed forward, a powerful slicing sound ringing out in the air as he now wound up near Gallus. Stunned, they didn't even realize he moved before they could blink, and from his right hoof, Twilight's pupils shrunk when she saw his weapon: a katana with a thin width, but the blade seemed to be twice the length of any normal sword of that kind. And it appeared the moment he struck, no hilt or scabbard to carry it anywhere on his person. Gallus's confidence quickly faded, his gaze shifting between the stallion and his insane speed and Smolder's frozen stance.

Sephiroth slowly moved his sword, giving it a swift flick down. Out of nowhere, Smolder was struck by several sword slices as her body was knocked around by the invisible slashes. After the last blow, Smolder let out a pained yell and was sent flying forward, dropping her Keyblade and the elemental breaths she coated it with. She hit the ground, unmoving, her Keyblade disappearing in a flash of light.

"Smolder!" everyone but Gallus cried out.

Completely shocked, Gallus stared at Smolder's unconscious form, then turned his head to stare at the frighteningly powerful stallion. Slowly, Sephiroth turned his head to look back at him, still holding that cold, intimidating smirk. Suddenly sprouting out from his right side, Twilight and the other apprentices stepped back when they saw a massive black wing flare out, scattering loose feathers that faded into darkness. Sephiroth stood on his hind legs, bringing his katana in front of him and held it with both hooves, perfectly balancing on two legs despite his quadrupedal form and without a second wing.

"Care to match your friend's bravado?" Sephiroth asked.

Sweating profusely, Gallus growled, refusing to give up. Standing on his own two legs, he got to his stance, though he knew he was completely outmatched by this highly experienced swordspony.

"Gallus, don't!" Twilight warned.

"You just got a lucky shot!" Gallus roared and flew toward Sephiroth. Thrusting Griffon's Pride forward, the griffon missed as the one-winged stallion teleported behind him centimeters before he was struck. Staggering forward, Gallus quickly turned around, getting frustrated and went in for another strike. He didn't teleport away, but Sephiroth swiftly dodged the griffon's swings without even blinking. "Just! Hold! Still! You! Warping! Cow-!"

Sephiroth warped from another slice, reappearing beside Gallus, and gave him a swift kick in the stomach. Gallus gagged as he was bent over Sephiroth's outstretched left leg. Gallus lost his grip on his Keyblade, surprisingly still conscious despite finding it very hard to breathe and his ribs still intact from the powerful kick to his gut. Sephiroth slowly removed his leg from his abdomen, letting him fall on his side as he clutched his abdomen.

The stallion turned his sights on the other remaining wielders, ignoring the gasping griffon at his hooves. "Anyone care to show me their strength next?" Sephiroth asked, half-heartedly pleading for some kind of competition.

Reacting in defense, Twilight, Sandbar, Silverstream, Yona, and Ocellus summoned their Keyblades, though they doubted they could even stand a fraction of a chance against someone like him. "L-Look, w-we didn't want to fight you," Twilight pleaded.

"Those two said otherwise," Sephiroth reasoned. "Besides, if you learned how to fight from Sora, then I want to see all of your potential. If you have any."

Refusing to fall for any of his tactics, Twilight brought a hoof to her ear. "Aqua, get everyone and bring them outside Ponyville. Now," she uttered desperately.

"Twilight, what's going on?" Aqua asked.

"Somepony named Sephiroth is attacking us, and he's knocked Smolder and Gallus out," Twilight said.

"SEPHIROTH!?" Ventus exclaimed.

"V-Ven!? H-How do you know-!?" Her question was cut off when Sephiroth swiftly teleported in front of her, his free hoof snatching the mare's earpiece before reappearing back where he stood earlier.

"Calling for backup?" Sephiroth asked. The crystal accessory suddenly shattered to pieces in his hoof, somehow managing to break it without even stomping it. "Not very wise. For you or your comrades."

"He...He moved so fast!" Silverstream exclaimed.

"How is he so strong!?" Sandbar questioned.

"I-I-I...I think...he's actually the Heartless that the m-map saw," Ocellus whimpered.

Sephiroth let out a small laugh as he brought his left hand back to the hilt of his sword. "How right you are," he said. "I'm the darkness of a man named Cloud Strife. Try as you might, he is the only one who can vanquish me."

Despite their odds, Twilight had to fight Sephiroth until backup arrived and give the others enough time to escape and evacuate Ponyville if he planned to take the battle elsewhere. "Then I'll find a way to vanquish you," the alicorn said, tapping into her H-Links to increase her abilities. "Guys, get back to town and warn everypony."

"What about Professor Twilight?" Yona asked.

"...I'll manage," Twilight lied.

Hoping Twilight can last longer than Smolder or Gallus, Sandbar nodded and led his other friends back to town. They didn't want to leave Smolder and Gallus here, but he ignored the beaten wielders and focused on his next target. Sephiroth watched them, then warped in front of their path.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

Startled, the four remaining Young Six jumped back. As they kept their distance from him, Sephiroth raised his left hand up, surrounding himself in pillars of non-elemental flames that burst from the ground. There was a powerful gravitational force that began to suck in Sandbar, Yona, Silverstream, and Ocellus, bringing them closer to get struck by the dangerous spell. Twilight flew in, casting a Gravity spell to help keep them all from getting pulled in, but it barely worked as they continued getting closer to the flaming pillars. She tried firing Blizzaga between the gaps to hit Sephiroth, the ice instantly evaporating in the flaring energy.

His magical assault finally ended, but he didn't give them a break. Teleporting between them, he spun swiftly, slashing his sword and knocking them back, coming to a halt and focused his attention on Silverstream. He lunged forward, the hippogriff gasping as she flapped her wings and took to the air.

"Hah! Try and catch me while I'm in the air, you big jerk!" Silverstream mocked. As smart as it was to outfly a one-winged pegasus, or whatever Sephiroth was, her hopes were dashed when he flexed his wing and shot up in the air after her. He stopped as she reached the height she "safely" hovered at, hovering with ease with his singular wing. "...That's not fair."

Without any chance to react, Sephiroth teleported behind Silverstream and began slashing her. His sword was a blur, giving her no time to try to put up any defense. He then slammed the butt of his hilt into her chest, sending her flying back down to the ground. Twilight managed to catch the unconscious hippogriff in her aura, baffled by the versatility he had. Gallus grunted, looking up when he heard Silverstream cry out in pain. Seeing her knocked out with several cuts all over her body boiled his blood, he grabbed his Keyblade and glared at the hovering stallion.

"You stupid...smug...monster," Gallus snarled. Taking aim, he poured all his anger into the growing fireball at the tip of his Keyblade. "Nobody...hurts my friends! EAT THIS!!!!!!!"

Gallus released his enraged Fire spell, causing him to stagger back from the amount of force it unleashed. Sephiroth looked down as he heard Gallus, eyeing the massive fireball heading toward him. He didn't move, letting the spell strike him as it exploded around him. Panting heavily, Gallus smirked as he landed a direct hit, hopefully incinerating every last feather of his black wing along with his body. When the smoke cleared, everyone gasped as they saw the stallion was still alive, not a single scuff or burn on his body as he nonchalantly brushed off some soot on his shoulder.

"M-Magic...didn't hurt him?" Ocellus shuddered.

"How invincible is he?" Sandbar uttered.

Gallus was speechless. He dropped his Keyblade, regretting it as Sephiroth teleported behind the griffon, then slashed upward, knocking him up into the air. Following up with more upward slashes to knock Gallus higher and higher in the air, warping up to the next peak of his ascent, Sephiroth then rushed forward and gave the griffon several more rapid slashes. With the final swing, he sent Gallus slamming back down to the earth. Twilight caught Gallus before he hit the ground, getting more and more worried that neither of them were going to make it out of this alive, not even Aqua, Terra, Ventus, Lea, Xion, or Riku.

Sephiroth floated back down to the ground, waiting for the next wielder to test their luck. "This is bad. Really, really bad," Twilight muttered.

"Is this all the bearers of the Keyblade are capable of?" Sephiroth questioned.

Yona snorted, stomping her hoof into the ground to prepare to charge the deadly stallion. "Stop hurting Yona's friends!"

"Y-Yona, I don't know if we can really hurt this guy," Sandbar said, trying to pull the stronger yak back to avoid seeing any of his other friends getting demolished. "If Master Sora fought him and didn't land a scratch on him, we don't stand a chance."

"Yona no care! Yona smash evil pony and smash wing off his back!" Yona yelled and rushed forward, Keyblade held tightly in her teeth as she lowered her head to headbutt him.

Sandbar lost his grip as he fell forward, unable to stop her. Sephiroth stood his ground, loosening his stance and stood straight up, his katana held backwards at his right side. Yona bellowed and sprinted hard, shaking the ground beneath her. Slowly, Sephiroth raised his left hoof and held it out in front of him. Yona made contact with his hoof, crashing hard into it, but despite her yak strength and the speed she charged him, she was stopped dead in her tracks, barely nudging the stallion as he easily stopped her. Yona grunted, her head stinging as it felt like she rammed her forehead into solid steel, but she refused to go down and tried to push the stallion back. Her hooves dug grooves into the earth, struggling to push forward, Sephiroth still remaining where he stood and refusing to budge.

Grunting in amusement, Sephiroth flicked Yona's forehead, launching the heavy yak with such force as she rolled across the ground back toward Twilight, Ocellus, and Sandbar. Ocellus and Twilight grabbed Silverstream and Gallus, flying out of the way to avoid getting bowled over by the tumbling mass of brown fur. Sandbar dove out of the way before was flattened into a pony pancake, watching Yona finally slow down and slide across the ground on her stomach. Her eyes spun deliriously, a painful bruise appearing on her forehead from Sephiroth's hoof.

"Yona!" Sandbar called out, getting back on his hooves and rushing over to her aid. "Yona, are you ok!?"

"...Yona...head hurt...really bad," Yona whined.

"If you don't want these children to get hurt, I suggest you don't hold yourself back and fight like you mean it, princess," Sephiroth said to Twilight.

The alicorn growled, grasping her Keyblade as Sephiroth began to walk toward her. As she was about to pull out all the stops, a pair of chakrams suddenly slammed down between the stallion. He stared at them curiously, watching them suddenly spin and combust into flames as they spiraled around him, followed by a massive pillar of flames that engulfed him. Racing onto the field, the other wielders, Donald, and Goofy had finally arrived to help them. Terra ran over to grab Smolder while the others grouped up with Twilight, weapons at the ready.

"Twilight, why weren't you responding!?" Riku asked, heavily worried as he stood in front of Twilight to protect her.

"He snatched my communicator and destroyed before I could respond to Ventus's reaction," Twilight explained.

"That explained why you weren't talking. That, or you were probably fighting this Sephiroth guy," Lea said. His fire pillar finally subsided, Sephiroth emerging and still completely unharmed as he eyed the additional bodies that came to their rescue. "Wow. This guy's really tough. Not a single scorch mark."

"Ven and Xion told us what Sora experienced when he fought Sephiroth," Aqua said.

"We even saw Sora fight Sephiroth one-on-one, and he gave Sora a run for his Munny," Goofy said.

"We tried to help when he challenged Sora, but somehow, Sephiroth shoved us aside, leaving us no choice but to watch on the sidelines!" Donald added. "He's really powerful, and he says only Cloud could stop him!"

"I think trying to incinerate him to distract him seems like a pretty big giveaway, Quackers," Lea commented.

Terra kept an eye on Sephiroth, making sure to keep his distance from him as he made his way back to the others with Smolder on his back. Sandbar helped Yona back on her hooves, keeping her steady as she was still dizzy from the rapid tumble. When they regrouped with their other mentors and beaten friends, Xion cast Cure on them, healing the injured apprentices' injuries. Gallus, Silverstream, and Smolder were still knocked out, but they were at least physically ok. Yona's head finally stopped pounding

"Guys, hurry back into town and stay in the castle," Aqua advised Sandbar, Yona, and Ocellus. "Keep the entrance locked, and don't leave for anything."

The three apprentices nodded, each of them carrying one of their unconscious friends and hurried off to safety. This time, Sephiroth didn't try to stop them again, observing each of the new wielders who could attempt to give him a better challenge.

"There are more than I expected," Sephiroth said. He noticed Donald and Goofy, recognizing their faces on their Equestrian bodies. "...You two...If you're here, then Sora must be nearby."

"Tough luck! You won't find him here!" Donald squawked.

"He's busy at the moment, but that doesn't mean we can't fill in for him!" Goofy added.

"I see," Sephiroth said. "I was hoping to see if he managed to get any stronger. But, even if he had, he would still be no match for me." Raising his hoof, Sephiroth aimed it toward the knight and wizard. "I only used a fraction of my true power against him. Just as I had to the other wielders."

"A fraction?" Twilight uttered.

His hoof began to glow a dark blue, ominous aura. "Descend, Heartless angel."

Xion and Ventus gasped, recognizing the incantation Sephiroth was casting. "No! Someone stop him! Now!" Xion shouted.

It was too late. A dark aura appeared around Donald and Goofy's chest, surprising them, but they had no chance to react as it felt like their hearts practically imploded. They both yelled out and were sent flying back, crashing to the ground with their weapons flung out of their hands.

"W-What was that?" Twilight asked.

"That gravely injures you and drains you of all your mana," Ventus explained. "Sephiroth's sadistic when he's only toying with us."

"You seem to know about me, but I have no idea who you are," Sephiroth said.

"Doesn't matter! We'll kick you out of this world!" Ventus tapped into his D-Links, using Thorax's Link as he transformed into his light-bearing changeling form. "We're stronger than you think! Cloud can't be the only one who's supposed to take you out!"

Ventus dashed forward, spreading his illusionary powder from his flapping wings around him and blew it toward Sephiroth. Barely flinching, the one-winged stallion curiously glanced around him, shrouded in the magic dust.

"Sephiroth!" Behind him, he heard what sounded like his other half. Looking over his shoulder, he could see what appeared to be Cloud as a pony appearing through the enchanted powder. Easily recognizable with his blonde, spikey hair, blue eyes, his black attire, and wielding the massive buster sword wrapped in bandages in his maw, his equine form had dark orange fur. "Finally found you. Time to put you back where you belong; in my memories."

Sephiroth raised a brow, letting out a small laugh. "I will never be a memory," he said. As "Cloud" crouched with his blade gripped tightly in his teeth, Sephiroth's ear twitched. Swiftly thrusting his left hoof to his side, he grasped tightly, hearing Ventus gag as he caught the younger pegasus by the neck. "A good trick, but you can't fool me so easily."

Giving his wing a hard flap, he blew the fog away. Everyone gasped when the air was cleared, finding Ventus held in Sephiroth's hoof, unaffected by the pegasus's D-Link illusion spell. Ventus struggled to break free, kicking his hind legs as his free hoof tried to pry Sephiroth's hoof away from his windpipe.

"Ven!" Aqua cried out.

"Damn it! Let him go!" Terra roared, both him and Aqua running forward to help save their young friend.

Sephiroth threw Ventus at the couple. Terra skid to a halt to catch him while Aqua continued, letting out a yell as she teleported the rest of the distance between them and reappearing in front of him, thrusting her Keyblade forward. Sephiroth leapt to the side, bringing his katana back in front of him as he dodged or blocked Aqua's swings. Slamming her Keyblade downward, she missed as Sephiroth backflipped away, but she used her magic to turn the grass around her in a wide radius into ice. Sephiroth landed gracefully on the ice, avoiding slipping, quickly blocking Aqua's next strike as she zipped across the ice toward him.

Terra lowered Ventus down, making sure he was ok before they went back in to assist Aqua. Ventus cancelled his D-Link since illusions weren't going to help them, casting an Aero spell around Terra. The stallion was lifted slightly in the air, and with a heavy flap of his wings, Ventus sent Terra flying across the ice and straight toward Sephiroth like a living bullet. Aqua skated to the side as she spotted him coming right at them, leaving Sephiroth wide open. Terra yelled, his Keyblade in his mouth as he began spiraling along with the wind around him, increasing the power of the whirlwind and turning it into a deadly cyclone.

Sepiroth quickly faced Terra, blocking the incoming physical tornado. His hooves slid against the ice, but he remained upright while continuing to guard against the rapidly spinning earth pony. Just as his hooves reached the end of the stretch of ice, he flapped his wing, jumping over Terra and right into Ventus as he charged into him. Ventus swung his Keyblade, trying to fly around Sephiroth to get a hit on him, but Sephiroth was just as quick as he either blocked each blow or weaved his body as he dodged, even his wing as it stood out from his frame.

Terra slammed his hooves to the ground, sliding to a halt as he turned to face the dueling flyers. He and Aqua looked at each other, both of them nodding silently. As Aqua ran over to him, Terra slammed his Keyblade into the ground, causing a small quake that shook the earth and shattered the frozen patch of ice Aqua made. He let out an exerted grunt, using his blade like a shovel as he dug up a massive sphere of earth. Hefting the heavy mass, Aqua jumped on top of it, crouching low as Terra roared, throwing the giant earthy sphere toward Sephiroth. Ventus dove to the ground, confusing Sephiroth until he looked behind him, meeting Aqua riding on the rock ball headed straight toward him.

Aqua stabbed her Keyblade into the sphere, building several cracks that webbed all over it. Rolling herself backwards, as she was on the opposite end where Sephiroth was, she pulled out her Keyblade, and with a force of magic, shattered the earth to pieces and sent them flying point blank at Sephiroth. In a flash, Sephiroth's katana-wielded hoof sliced through the debris, turning them into dust harmlessly flying past him. Looking down, he dove down after Aqua, but Terra intercepted as he dashed toward him, slamming his Keyblade down on him, which was immediately blocked by Sephiroth's incredibly sturdy katana.

While both stallions swung heavily in a literal power struggle, Aqua growled at Sephiroth's speed and power. Using her magic, she aimed her Keyblade at Ventus, creating an icy trail and a board of ice under his hooves. Ventus rode the trail, guided by Aqua's levitation, lifting him higher and increasing the density of her Blizzard spell. She tossed Ventus high into the air, leaving the pegasus to grab onto the board tightly, then dove down while flipping rapidly toward Sephiroth. Terra and Sephiroth's blades clashed, the earth pony barely nudging his opponent backward, noticing the growing ice heading toward them. Backing off and dashing away to safety, he watched Ventus's downward spiral, then jump off as the board of ice slammed into Sephiroth.

"Finally. Something managed to hit him," Riku said.

"Maybe we can keep this guy as a frozen popsicle until-" Lea's comment was interrupted when Sephiroth's supposed icy prison was immediately shattered. Unaffected, Sephiroth flicked the shards of ice off his body, startling the wielders. "Ok, what is this guy made of!? He doesn't burn, can't freeze him, I'm also betting a lightning bolt won't even paralyze him!"

"I think he's immune to magical damage," Twilight said. "Nothing can hurt him."

"Damn it. Only one thing left to try," Aqua growled. "Terra! Ven! Together!"

Both stallions nodded, all three of them rushing Sephiroth again. Sephiroth remained still, watching them suddenly stop in front of him in a triangular formation. Combining all three of their magic, Aqua, Terra, and Ventus lifted their Keyblades up, aiming over Sephiroth's head as six glyphs made of light appeared around them, the trio of bearers standing in one with an empty glyph on each side.

"Trinity Limit!" Aqua, Terra, and Ventus shouted simultaneously.

Above them, a ball of light began to form and expand. In a bright flash of light, the sphere shot out and blinded the area in an explosion of pure light. With Sephiroth caught in the center of it, it would have caused some serious damage to him while Aqua, Terra, and Ventus would come out unscathed. As everyone's visions returned, their triple attack failed to harm the stallion. He was a Heartless, but even their power with the light barely injured him.

Before the three wielders could blink, Sephiroth dashed through all three of them with one swing, unleashing several swift slashes in the brief delay that struck them a second later. Aqua, Terra, and Ventus cried out in pain and were sent flying, covered in cuts and hitting the ground unconscious.

"Ok, this is clearly not good here," Lea uttered.

Sephiroth teleported in front of the remaining four wielders, startling them as they backed away from him. "Commendable. But still no use," he said. He waved his left hand, summoning dozens of dark blue orbs that surrounded Lea, Xion, Riku, and Twilight. "Give in to the dark."

The orbs then shot toward their targets. Twilight quickly cast a small barrier around them, deflecting them away as more appeared and continued to circle them. Thinking quickly, Lea, Xion, and Riku smacked the orbs away before they could fly into them. Distracted by the incoming orbs, Sephiroth appeared behind them, unleashing his circle of flare pillars and sucked the other wielders in. Caught completely off guard, they fought back against the gravitational pull, all while slashing away the continuous stream of energy orbs appearing around them.

"Totally unfair!" Lea exclaimed. "Fine, I'll fight fire with fire!" Calling his chakrams to his side, Lea let the force of gravity send him flying toward Sephiroth. His chakrams ignited in flames, his Keyblade held in his mouth as his old weapons circled around him. "Burn, baby!"

The ground beneath Lea turned into a puddle of magma as a veil of flames began to expand around the growing coals. Sephiroth's pillars died down before Lea was struck by one as he sidestepped away from the incoming unicorn stallion. He looked down at the lava pool beneath him, then behind him as Lea came rushing back, leaving a trail of fire pillars in his wake. With a swift elbow, Sephiroth nailed Lea in the stomach, making him gag from the impact. The one-winged stallion then warped above Lea, kicking him down to the ground as he shot himself up in the air, past the barrier of fire only Lea could freely pass through. With Lea winded, his fire trap immediately disappeared, struggling to get up on his knees.

"Descend, Heartless angel," Sephiroth said.

Without any warning, Lea's chest began to glow an ominous dark aura, his eyes widening seconds before the incantation took effect. "Y-You're s-such a cheap bas-"

Lea's chest imploded, letting out a pained yell as he was sent flying back. Sephiroth swooped down, giving Lea another harsh kick in the side, doing the unicorn in as he was sent tumbling across the grass, his weapons clattering several yards away from him.

"Lea!" Xion cried out. Sephiroth began to float up into the air, a dark aura beginning to billow around him as he raised his left hoof up into the sky. The whole field suddenly turned dark, including the sky, but there were barely any clouds big enough to blot out the sun as it was still visible. Xion knew what was coming next; behind Sephiroth were large voids that appeared briefly, and exiting them at a high velocity were several giant meteors. "Run!"

Scrambling, Xion, Riku, and Twilight ran to avoid the raining meteor shower Sephiroth summoned. They crashed to the earth, releasing an explosion of fire and powerful shockwaves to harm the remaining wielders. Xion wasn't so lucky as she avoided one, but the shockwave shoved her into another that struck her directly, taking the full brunt of the explosive blast and immediately knocking her out. Riku and Twilight took to the air to avoid the meteors, but when they thought it was over, Sephiroth called one more, this one far bigger and massive. As it began to fall toward them, the couple flapped their wings hard and fled, Twilight using her magic to teleport their fallen friends back to town, where they hoped the explosion didn't reach Ponyville.

The amount of force in the large meteor shook the world, almost threatening to destroy it as it struck the ground. The impact sent a wide shockwave that reached the fleeing couple, knocking them out of the air and sent them flipping wildly back to the earth. They avoided getting hit by the blast, barely escaping, and barely able to believe that the entire world had survived, let alone themselves. Hitting the ground, they both tumbled across the grass, trying to get their footing back as they came to a stop.

"He...He can summon...meteors," Twilight uttered in disbelief. "Is he still holding back or is he finally showing us his true power?"

"You would know if I was going all out." Behind them, Sephiroth slammed his katana between them, barely nicking their wings.

Twilight screamed as she fell back and scrambled away, Riku jumping away as he was also surprised by his swift teleportation. Not backing down, Riku lunged forward and attacked, both stallions' blades clashing and sparks flying. Riku was barely able to dodge the quick swipes coming from the katana's impossible length, only able to get a couple slashes in himself before being forced back on the defensive. Twilight stood up, swallowing her fear and flew into the fray. She was about to strike him from behind, but Sephiroth teleported out of the way, startling her and Riku as they came charging toward each other. Their blades clashed into each other as the one-winged stallion appeared beside them.

Getting frustrated, Riku growled as he and Twilight faced Sephiroth. "I'm sick of seeing that smug grin on your face!" he exclaimed. "Instead of toying around with us, why not just finish us off!?"

"You truly wish for me to use all my strength?" Sephiroth asked curiously. Riku and Twilight didn't respond, the former just wanting Sephiroth to stop messing with them while Twilight did not wish to see how strong he really was. Chuckling, Sephiroth willing obliged. "Very well. Just so you know, I haven't been using my dominant hand all this time."

"Dominant hand?" Twilight questioned. She'd seen Sephiroth using his right hoof to wield and hold his katana. Swapping his weapon in his left hoof, his stance was much more lax, confusing Riku with the sudden change in his posture. "You...You use your left hoof to...? But how different would-?"

Her question was answered when Sephiroth shot himself forward, barely swinging his weapon, yet Twilight and Riku were both struck hard by a few slices they weren't able to see. Knocked back, they winced from the pain and looked at Sephiroth, now incredibly worried now that he wasn't "holding back". The fact they were still conscious told them he was still toying with them, but he was deadly serious now.

Warping in front of Riku, Riku grunted in shock, but he thrust his Keyblade forward. Sephiroth blocked it, then swung upward, his swing causing a small cyclone of slashes to hit Riku and send him flying back across the field. Lifting his right hoof, he turned to look at Twilight as magical energy began to build up in his hoof. It glowed a dark red, then he swung his leg, releasing a medium-sized fireball that came right for Twilight at high speed. Flinching, Twilight summoned a barrier to shield herself with Kindness's power, the pink shield managing to stop it and unleashed a wolf head to lunge out and bite Sephiroth. He sliced the ethereal canine in half, countering the shield's unique counter.

Behind Sephiroth, Riku yelled and leapt down to slam his Keyblade down on him. The stallion turned quickly, swinging his blade and knocking Riku back, then dashed all around him and knocked him repeatedly back and forth. Twilight tried to help Riku, but Sephiroth knocked her back, then looked back at Riku as he landed on the ground, hunched slightly. Riku looked up, his eyes widening with a gasp as Sephiroth dashed toward him again, thrusting his blade at the pegasus.

Twilight landed with a grunt, glancing up in shock when she heard Riku let out a startled yell. What she saw horrified her; watching the two stallions from a sideways view, Sephiroth had thrust his katana into Riku's upper chest, straight through while suspending the pegasus by the tip of his long blade. Riku's mouth hung open in a pained, silent gasp, his body hanging limp while Sephiroth continued wearing that snide grin, easily holding his katana despite Riku's added weight at the other end. Twilight thought Sephiroth had run his sword through her coltfriend's heart, but the tip of the blade was visible behind Riku's back, yet there wasn't a drop of blood coating it. Confused, she had no idea what happened until she saw Riku finally shift his eyes down to where he was "impaled".

Sephiroth had aimed a bit higher, nearly grazing the skin of his shoulder and ran it through the back of his jacket. His heart raced, terrified from the close call of the katana possibly running through a vital artery or organ that could have slowly killed him. Too scared to move while suspended in midair, Sephiroth let out a grunt, charging more magic into his right hoof. The sky darkened once again as clouds began rolling in to turn the landscape into a gloomy setting fitting for a battle against such a deadly warrior of darkness. The aura in hoof grew as it went from red, to purple, but then shrunk to a small white and black sphere before he flung it off to his right. Before Riku could try to free himself, Sephiroth swung around, flinging Riku into the slowly traveling spell.

As soon as he made contact, the spell erupted into a massive, dark explosion. "Riku! No!" Twilight cried out, watching Riku's unconscious form fly out of the smoke and hitting the ground with a thud. Hearing Sephiroth's wing flap averted her attention toward him, the powerful Heartless slowly making his way toward her. Her hold on her Keyblade wavered, backing away from him, knowing she really stood no chance against him now. "S-Stay back...D-Don't you dare...!"

She blinked, and Sephiroth had suddenly disappeared. Panicking, Twilight looked around, finding no sign of him aside from the shedding black feathers that were left upon him vanishing. Unaware of looking above her, Sephiroth reappeared through the clouds and began falling down toward the alicorn, his katana aimed down at her back. Hearing his wing flap to increase his descent, Twilight slowly looked up. Time around her slowed as her pupils shrank, unable to escape in time as Sephiroth gradually grew closer to her and feel his blade pierce through her spine. She shut her eyes, bracing herself for the eventual pain that would either kill her, leave her frozen in agony, or paralyzed for life. The tip of the blade struck her back-

---

Gasping, Twilight sat up in her bed, sweating profusely and panting heavily. She didn't remember falling asleep, but that dream felt far too real to be a scenario crafted by her subconscious. Feeling rustling beside her, Twilight yelled and jumped out of bed, summoning her Keyblade and telekinetically shoving the bed sheets over the side. She heard a surprised yelp from Riku, the stallion groaning as he was woken up by the abrupt shove off the bed. Sitting up, Riku rubbed his head, his eyes squinting at her, still half asleep.

"Twi? What's wrong?" he asked.

"W-What...? What is...?" Confused, Twilight looked out the window, flying over to it and opened it. Looking out at the fields far from Ponyville, though it was the middle of the night and the land illuminated by the moonlight, she couldn't see any signs of conflict or craters of fallen meteors that crashed into the earth. "But...What is going on? What happened to Sephiroth? What about the others!?"

"Who the heck is Sephiroth?" Riku questioned.

"W-We were all fighting him! Out there!" Twilight exclaimed. "He attacked our students, none of us could stop him, or even hurt him! We were powerless to a Heartless that could potentially rival Xehanort's strength!"

Riku tiredly walked up to the window to see what Twilight was looking for, but he couldn't see anything. "You sure you weren't just having a weird nightmare?"

"It felt too real to be a nightmare! I woke up just as I felt his sword strike through my-!" Twilight paused, her ears twitching as she knew someone who could explain the strange dream. "Luna! She might have an explanation for what I saw!" Surprising Riku, she pulled his face toward hers and gave him a kiss on the lips, waking him up a bit more while confusing him more all at once. "Thanks, Riku! I'll be right back!"

Twilight then teleported out of the room, off to Canterlot Castle, leaving the baffled stallion behind. "...I think I'm going to make her some tea to calm her down when she returns..."

---

Luna walked about the castle doing her usual routine during her time ruling over Equestria in the night. Replacing the dried and withered lavender in the sconces with fresh ones, she finished her rounds in the halls, pushing her cart filled with the dead flowers to the garden to have them mulched and fertilize the soil for the next large batch of lavender for tomorrow night.

"There. Another night of pleasant dreams," Luna said to herself. "I'd prefer the scent of lavender than smelling a variety of species of roses for a competition." With her patches of lavender tended to, Luna flew back up to her tower. She landed on her balcony, ready to plunge into the dream world with Sombra to protect her subjects from Nightmare Dream Eaters or help solve their natural nightmares crafted by their own fears or insecurities. Just as she was about to dive into the dream realm, Twilight appeared in her room, surprising the alicorn princess. "Oh! Twilight. How...unexpected."

"Good evening, Luna!" Twilight greeted. "Did I come at a bad time?"

"I had figured you were asleep at this hour," Luna said. "I was about to enter the dream realm."

"Oh. I see," Twilight mumbled. "But...Sombra is still roaming around there, right?"

"There is not much he is able to explore beyond the realm of dreams. What seems to be the matter?" Luna asked. "Has something happened?"

"Well...I don't even know where to begin with this weird nightmare I had. And neither you or Sombra came to my aid when it was the WORST dream I've ever had!" Twilight exclaimed. "Even worse than being banished to the sun by Celestia for being tardy!"

"...You truly think my sister is the kind of pony to banish her subjects, let alone her prized pupil, for being tardy?" Luna questioned.

"...I still think that's a possibility?" Twilight sheepishly answered.

Luna just shook her head. "Oh dear...What exactly transpired in your nightmare?" Twilight went through every single detail that happened within her nightmare involving Sephiroth and how badly the strange sword-wielding, one-winged pegasus whooped them. Despite how real Twilight believed it was and never recalled going to sleep before her morning started today, or yesterday, Luna was incredibly shocked by the devastation left behind by this nightmare of a warrior. Dreams could become anything in a sleeping pony's subconscious, whether on its own or as a manifestation of their anxiety, fears, concerns, etc., but Twilight claimed this nightmare didn't feel like a dream. "...Was this...a vision you saw while you were asleep?"

"I don't know! If it is, then all of Equestria is doomed!" Twilight exclaimed. "Did I not mention how he can SUMMON METEORS THROUGH DIMENSIONAL VOIDS!?"

"I did not forget, but if you claim you have not gone to sleep and experienced something this vivid, the only explanation I can think of is this being an ominous vision," Luna said.

Twilight let out a worried groan, hoping beyond hope that it wasn't a vision of the future. "Was Sombra in Ponyville's dreamscape while I was...'asleep'?"

"I believe so. I'll ask him." Luna closed her eyes, channeling magic into her horn to transport her consciousness into the dream world.

"I want to find out, too!" Twilight said.

"Twilight, I am unable to bring others physically into the dream world," Luna said. "If you are asleep and dreaming, I could."

"But I'm far too anxious to go to sleep after something like this! I don't know if I'll ever sleep again if this is meant to be a vi-!" Twilight paused, remembering that she did have a way of entering the dream world. Holding out her hoof, she summoned her Keyblade. "...Wait. I actually can."

"Ah, yes. I have forgotten that Sora has the ability to travel through dreams," Luna said. "It has been a while after he and Starlight tried to settle a matter between myself and my sister from arguing who had an easier time ruling over the day and night."

"Ha ha! Really!? You two fighting that could cause history to repeat itself and cause havoc in Equestria!?" Twilight laughed nervously. "It's a good thing the map chose Starlight and Sora to help nip that problem in the bud!"

"Sora mentioned you were eavesdropping and only made the problem worse for Starlight to handle and suggested the idea for us to swap roles," Luna said with a blank expression, turning to her side and pointed at her cutie mark. "Including our cutie marks and our powers."

Twilight wide, fake smile quickly deflated into an awkward frown. "...I'll just...meet you in the dream world."

Quickly aiming her Keyblade to the side, she unleashed a beam of light that created a portal, which Twilight quickly went through. Luna rolled her eyes, re-channeling her magic and dove into the realm of dreams.

---

Sombra waited patiently at the edge of Ponyville's dreamscape, keeping an eye out for Nightmare Dream Eaters that dared to enter the dream doors. It was a particularly peaceful evening patrol, even as he had some of the Spirit Dream Eaters patrolling other regions of Equestria. To his left, an Aura Lion approached as it walked down the starry path toward him. The majestic, brightly colored lion creature sat before him and gave a few growls.

"Ah. The Crystal Empire is faring well with dreams tonight," Sombra said aloud, followed by a sigh. "Hopefully the nightmares revolving my darkness traumatizing them has finally faded from their memories. Now that there is a new crystal princess born in the empire, the kingdom shall proper as it had a millennia ago." He glanced up at the ethereal blue sky, feeling a bit homesick, but he didn't wish to show himself in front of the crystal ponies who had been banished along with him and the kingdom and create new nightmares to frighten them. When he glanced back at the Aura Lion, the lion seemed to be holding a paw up, like it was begging despite the serious expression on its face. Sombra rolled his eyes with a laugh, flicking his hoof and created a dream cupcake. "You're becoming quite a glutton with your rewards, Leo."

Ignoring the quizzical head tilt the Spirit gave him, Sombra tossed the cupcake up in the air. Leo jumped up and chomped down on the bright and colorful sweet. It let out a delighted purr as its eyes seemed to close in joy, then bowed its head to thank Sombra before heading back through the realm to his post. Sombra just shook his head, silently wondering if he and Luna were spoiling all of the helpful Spirits with dream sweets. A flash of light shimmered beside him, revealing Luna as it faded away.

"Apologies for the delay, my love," Luna said. "I had a surprise visit after placing my lavenders around the castle."

"It's fine, my dear moon," Sombra said. "Nothing eventful this evening. All the dreams throughout the land are peaceful and nightmare-free." Luna looked a little concerned after her conversation with Twilight. Twilight claimed to have a nightmare, but Sombra didn't notice anything awry within Ponyville's dreamscapes. "Who did you speak with?"

Above them, they heard a scream and looked up, finding Twilight literally diving down into the dreamscape with her Keyblade. The alicorn was flailing about, flapping her wings to try to slow herself down, but her speed remained constant. She was about to slam into the ground, but she finally began to slow down several dozen yards from the ground. Her screaming ceased, blinking in confusion as her body rolled to land on her hooves. Sombra and Luna stared at the baffled alicorn, with Twilight wearing her dream apparel consisting of a vest with a six-pointed fuchsia star with each arm a different color, matching the fur of the Mane Six.

"...I got used to freefalling in the waking world when I got my wings," Twilight grumbled. "And every time I physically dive into wherever, in a heart or on my own in the dream worlds, I'm not going to get used to gravity tricking me like that."

"Princess Twilight Sparkle," Sombra greeted. "Next time you wish to enter the dream realm, make the entrance a bit closer to the ground."

"I can't control where it sends me! I've barely done anything involving the dream world after the Tantabus!" Twilight exclaimed. "Since I became a princess and opened up my school, I've been too busy to do any advanced training involving the Keyblade. I'm basically learning as the situation thrusts me into it."

"Similar to Sora when he had first begun his adventures with the Keyblade?" Luna implied.

"...Yes. But I'd like to know in advance before actually doing it so I don't make another mistake like dropping into this realm thousands of stories high." Ignoring the frustrations of understanding the numerous tasks and methods Keyblade wielders can really do, Twilight got back to what was important now. "Anyway, Sombra, I was wondering if you could help resolve what I came to Luna for."

"And what might that be?" Sombra asked curiously.

"Well, I don't recall going to bed tonight, but I had a strange nightmare involving a very dangerous sword-wielder beating everypony with intense power and magic that could slaughter a fully grown dragon without breaking a sweat," the Princess of Friendship explained. "Luna thinks it's a vision, but I'm really hoping it's not because I don't think any of us are prepared to face somepony like that."

"Not even Sora?" Sombra questioned.

"He...W-Well, I don't know," Twilight said. "He and Kairi weren't there. They're still...enjoying their honeymoon, so...I'm not even sure if all of this really happened or I'm going crazy."

"I see..." Sombra hummed curiously, then looked down the starry path and let out a whistle. Appearing in a bright flash was a Peepsta Hoo, a colorful owl Dream Eater. "Owlette, you were flying down Ponyville's dream district not that long ago, correct?" The Dream Eater hooted and gave the stallion a nod. "Good. And, of all the dreams, did you by any chance see Princess Twilight's among them before she woke?"

The Peepsta Hoo looked at Twilight and flew over to the alicorn. After getting a closer look at her, the dream owl hooted and nodded to Sombra again. Twilight knew very little of the Dream Eaters aside from Riku calling a couple to help stop Sora's Vanitas in his heart to quell the darkness of his Anti-Form, though seeing one in the form of an owl, she was curious to know what other creatures the Dream Eaters could be.

"It seems as though you were asleep after all," Luna said.

"...But I don't know how," Twilight mumbled. "This doesn't make any sense...Was I really dreaming?"

Owlette hooted, getting the ponies' attention as it seemed to look concerned as well. "You entered her dream?" Sombra asked. The owl Spirit nodded, then shrugged their feathers with another hoot. "But...the dream was empty?"

"Empty?" Twilight repeated, confused.

She and Sombra looked at Luna, the only one among them more experienced with the different dreams that were experienced. "That is...odd," Luna mumbled. "Many ponies would be unaware of their dreaming until they awaken. Some may be lucid to know they are dreaming and remain asleep. Though to have a dreamless sleep is incredibly rare to have."

"Like...having a vision while asleep?" Twilight asked nervously.

"No. Even when a premonition of something terrible comes, the vision foreseen is played out like a dream," Luna explained. "When Tirek was roaming about, Celestia and I both experienced the same one. She was asleep at the time, but she foresaw the vision as a nightmare."

"So, did something happen to Twilight earlier in the evening?" Sombra asked.

"I don't even know what happened last night before I was somehow in bed after nearly getting impaled!" Twilight shrieked. "I was probably grading papers or studying something! Or cuddling with Riku before going to bed! I wasn't doing anything strenuous or life-threatening that could make me feel like I was in a small coma!"

"This is a mystery I'm not sure we can help you solve, Twilight," Luna said. Barely reassuring the young alicorn princess, Twilight was about to have a full-blown panic attack. "I cannot say for certain if what you experienced was real, a probability of a vision that would come true or not, or a figment of subconscious creating a scenario of deadly proportions, but as a precaution, it is best to warn the others should it come true."

"And if it does!?" Twilight shrieked. "None of us made it out! I think I was going to die! And why weren't Sora or Kairi there as well!? If it was a vision, shouldn't they be in it, too!?"

Sombra and Luna looked at each other, neither of them able to provide a definitive answer to the panicking alicorn. "Then...I suppose all we can do is hope that the vision is false and this supposed villain does not show himself," Luna said.

"And if he does, Equestria's doomed!" Twilight exclaimed. Owlette hooted and flew up to Twilight, giving her face a few light smacks with its wings. Startled by the wake-up slaps, the Spirit hooted at her, like it was scolding her. "W-What was that for?"

"Owlette's advising you to calm down, and the only way to distract you was...a few like smacks," Sombra said. "She is right, though. If worse does come to worse, panicking will not help. If the events unfold later in the future, you all will be much better prepared for when the deadly swordspony does appear."

As scary as it was, Twilight knew Sombra was right. She still didn't feel quite ready to handle someone as tough as Sephiroth, though she barely had a chance to even fight him before he dove down and impale her with his katana. She sighed, looking down at the dream owl.

"...You're right. I...I just have to keep training," Twilight said. "I may need to...shift around my daily schedule and get stronger. Thanks for that, Owlette."

Twilight pet the Peepsta Hoo's head, hearing it let out a coo before sparks of light suddenly shout out from its body. Startled, Twilight removed her hoof, and when its eyes opened, what were once green, they turned yellow. Seeing her reaction, Luna and Sombra both chuckled.

"Do not fret, Twilight," Luna assured. "The Dream Eaters do that if you pet or cuddle them. It changes how they battle Nightmares and grants them different abilities depending on their disposition."

"And which disposition it is relies on their eye color," Sombra added. Owlette flapped and perched itself on the stallion's outstretched foreleg, noting the difference in the owl Spirit's eye color. "Her green are now yellow, changing her disposition from a Patroller to a Sweeper."

"...Oh...That's...interesting," Twilight mumbled. "Although, a little warning would have helped so I didn't feel like I was accidentally hurting it."

"It'll take more than a little head rub to inflict any pain on Dream Eaters," Sombra said as he scratched the Spirit's belly. "They even enjoy special types of sweets crafted within the dream world to help them grow stronger. But they can be pretty gluttonous if they love a certain treat too much."

Owlette let out a startled hoot at Sombra's words, trying to smack the stallion's hoof away. Luna chuckled at the Peepsta Hoo's reaction while Sombra teasingly prodded the owl's belly to prove his point. The poking caused Owlette's eyes to change again, this time turning a light blue color.

"Ok. Well...thanks for trying to help," Twilight said. "I'll just head back home...and try to get back to sleep."

"Would you like Owlette to oversee your dreams this evening and update us on what happens if something else goes wrong?" Sombra asked.

"I appreciate it," Twilight said.

The Peepsta Hoo gave the lavender alicorn a small bow, then flapped off to meet Twilight's dream door as it appears. With a disappointed and worried sigh, Twilight summoned her Keyblade, summoning a portal of light to transport her back into the waking world and return home.

---

Riku walked down the hall, carrying a small tree with two cups of steaming hot tea in his hoof. He stifled a yawn, returning back to his and Twilight's bedroom, waiting for his girlfriend to return. Just as he walked inside, Twilight appeared in the middle of the room in a flash.

"Well, looks like I made the tea right on time," he said. Setting the tray down on their nightstand, he grabbed both cups, hovered over to her, and handed her one. "A little something to help settle your constantly frazzled nerves."

Twilight grumbled a bit, accepting her cup of tea. "You're one to talk, Riku," she uttered. Taking a sip, the soothing warmth rushed down her throat. "Thanks, though."

As Riku took his own sip, he sat beside the alicorn. "So, find out what was going on in your mind?"

"...Luna thought that what I saw was a vision," Twilight said. "I really hope it wasn't. So I went into the dream world with her to talk to Sombra if he's seen anything strange with my 'dream'. It turned out I really was asleep, but I was in a dreamless sleep."

"...That's weird," Riku mumbled. "So, you dreamed something...but dreamed nothing?"

"I don't really know anymore," Twilight mumbled. "I'm still worried that it might happen. Neither of us are ready to face somepony that powerful. He's even stronger than Xehanort."

"Then, until the time comes, we're just going to need to improve our skills and be even stronger," Riku said. Wrapping his wing around her, he held Twilight tightly. "Nothing can stop us if we work together, right?"

"I know. But even teaming up on him ended with everypony getting blown away like a piece of paper trapped in a twister," Twilight said.

Riku startled her by planting a kiss on her cheek. "Let's not think about that and try to get some sleep. We're gonna get back to some more training early in the morning."

Rolling her eyes, Twilight couldn't help but grin a little. "Yes, master," she said. After the couple finished their tea and placed their cups back on the tray, they soon got back into bed and get settled for some more sleep. "...Hey, Riku?"

"Mhmm?" Riku mumbled.

"...Do you...know what you were dreaming about?" Twilight asked curiously, the lingering feeling of Sephiroth's attack still weighing heavily on her mind.

Riku looked up at the ceiling, trying to recall what he was dreaming about before Twilight forced him awake. "...Uhh...Let's see...I was...with you, back on Destiny Islands. We were just enjoying a day on the beach. Nothing too crazy or out of place happened, just a normal beach day."

"...Oh...Ok," Twilight mumbled.

"Why do you ask?" Riku asked.

"Just...making sure I wasn't the only one who had a dreamless sleep, I guess," she giggled sheepishly.

Concerned with her response, Riku moved closer to Twilight and gently held her in his hooves. "Everything will be fine, Twilight," he assured. "Whatever happens, we'll all get through this together. Ok?"

Assuaging her worries, Twilight gave Riku a small nod. The two shared a light kiss and cuddled a little, Twilight's head gently resting against Riku's chest as the couple began to drift back to sleep.

---

Earlier that day...

Panicking, Twilight looked around, finding no sign of him aside from the shedding black feathers that were left upon him vanishing. Unaware of looking above her, Sephiroth reappeared through the clouds and began falling down toward the alicorn, his katana aimed down at her back. Hearing his wing flap to increase his descent, Twilight slowly looked up. Time around her slowed as her pupils shrank, unable to escape in time as Sephiroth gradually grew closer to her and feel his blade pierce through her spine. She shut her eyes, bracing herself for the eventual pain that would either kill her, leave her frozen in agony, or paralyzed for life.

Just as the long, thin blade was about to pierce her back, a swift black form slammed into Sephiroth, knocking him back before the katana grazed a single centimeter of Twilight's fur. Twilight fell over with a yell, caught by surprise by the sudden save as she hit the ground with a grunt. Spehiroth flipped back on his hooves, staring down who had gotten in his way. When Twilight looked up, she gasped when she saw a pony figure wearing a black coat like the Organization, their features concealed by the outfit and the hood over their head.

"Ok, kids. Fun's over," the savior said, a familiar voice Twilight heard before.

"...M?" she uttered.

The stallion turned his head, bringing a hoof up to his lips. "Shh, don't worry, Your Majesty. I'll take care of the big, bad, One-Winged Angel. You just go beddy-bye now." Before she could ask what was going on, M waved his hoof, casting a deep sleeping spell on the alicorn, instantly conking her out. He then turned back to Sephiroth, laughing eagerly. "Well, I didn't expect you to be giving them a beatdown that swiftly. No wonder the only one who can even harm you is Cloud."

"...Who are you?" Sephiroth questioned.

"Oh, just a little someone who was curious to know if the others were able to fight you," M explained. "Sadly, being the superboss that you are, you're on a whole 'nother level. I don't know how Sora was strong enough to last as long as he did against you, but he is important to this story for a reason."

"So you are acquaintances with them," Sephiroth said. "Maybe you can offer a better challenge."

Sephiroth rushed forward and thrust his katana at M, but the cloaked stallion quickly grabbed the tip of the blade in both hooves. Without dropping his stoic expression, Sephiroth raised a brow curiously at the swift movement and incredible strength this stallion had.

"Yeah, I don't think so," M said. He then suddenly appeared behind Sephiroth, summoning his signature Keyblade as the blade was held at Sephiroth's neck while he remained in his thrusting stance. "I'm not called the Master of Masters for nothing, Heartless. One wrong move and you'll die faster than you can say 'oops'."

Amused, Sephiroth smirked, believing the stallion's threat despite his personality after witnessing his speed. M moved his Keyblade away and dismissed it, both stallions turning to face each other.

"I'd rather have my fate in the hands of my other half," Sephiroth said. "But I will not let him take my life so easily."

"Of course not," M chuckled. "You want to cause as much despair to his heart as much as you can, though that's a bit rough considering he has the support of his friends. Especially Tifa. However, I have a little confession to make involving your presence here in this world."

"Hmm?" Sephiroth grunted.

"You see, as I stated before, I wanted to test the gang to see if they can handle you, but you're much stronger than they anticipated," M explained. "From your last clash with Cloud, I forced your next location to be brought here, and Cloud is presumably elsewhere looking for you to continue your never-ending battle. You won't be finding Cloud here in pony land. Though it would be pretty funny watching a pony-transformed Cloud running around slicing foes with a giant Buster sword. It's adorably deadly!"

"Then my search would have been fruitless from the very beginning," Sephiroth uttered.

"Precisely!" M confirmed. "Fret not, though. I know exactly where your other half is at the moment. I'll send you there to him and you can resume your little spat for dominance and kill each other...or just warp to some other world and continue fighting endlessly." With a wave of his hoof, he surrounded Sephiroth in a glowing light, which then zipped him off into the sky, sending him off to where his mortal foe was currently residing. Sighing in satisfaction, M looked around the battlefield, grimacing slightly at the scorched earth and dreary sky. "Ugh. A little too messy than I expected. Eh. Nothing a little magic can fix."

Tapping his hoof into the ground a few times, the blackened grass and craters from the falling meteor spell healed like nothing happened. The skies began to clear, rejuvenating the land, and the extra magic reached out to heal the injuries sustained by the Key Bearers who got the worst of Sephiroth's attacks. Even Twilight communicator was restored back to the way it was, enchantments and all. Making sure everything looked as good as new, M glanced at Twilight, the alicorn still fast asleep from his spell, then to the unconscious Riku a small distance away. Whistling a little tune, he walked over to the stallion first, hoisting him on his back, then went to pick up Twilight, settling her comfortably on top of Riku. Passing the crystal earpiece, he snagged it, wiped off any dirt on the enchanted device, then placed it daintily back in its spot in Twilight's right ear.

Heading back into Ponyville, the stallion casted Stopza around the town, freezing everyone present in place as he casually strolled down the road. Making his way to the Castle of Friendship, he playfully knocked on the door, waiting for someone to answer the door, but shrugged and let himself inside anyway. In the foyer, he saw Sandbar, Yona, and Ocellus in a panic, trying to wake up their fallen masters while Gallus, Smolder, and Silverstream were still unconscious. Casting another sleeping spell on everyone, the effects will eventually hit them as the Stop spell comes to an end, he carried each wielder, new and experienced, into their respective rooms in the castle and back at the School of Friendship, letting them take the rest of the day off from their misadventures. Erasing their memories of ever meeting or fighting Sephiroth, M let out an exhausted sigh as he began to waltz out of the town.

"Whoo boy. That's enough work for the day," he said to himself, creating a portal of light to return him back to his own time and realm. Returning to his study, the master sat at his desk with a loud groan, kicking up his feet and leaned back. "Besides, the real excitement is about to start once Sora gets back from his little honeymoon getaway with his beloved Kairi. Including...if his answer to my question is truly the right one." Knowing what'll happen next, M let out a sigh. "And if he's willing to go through with the toughest thing a person like him can do..."

Comments

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

As soon as I saw the title for the chapter, I knew Sephiroth was gonna make an appearance!

And hoo boy... he absolutely wiped the floor with everyone...

[MLPFanForever]

Whoa...! I honestly have no words for this one!

On the other hand, I'm happy to see some Twilight and Riku together moments again. It's been a while.

[Postwarmonkey50]

Whoa, Sephiroth?
I have to admit, I didn't see that one coming.

[Battwell]

That was phenomenal, as soon as I saw the title I literally screamed in joy. Luckily I was on break at work otherwise that could’ve ended badly lol.

Anyways, worth the 4 hour wait to read this. Well done!

[Garuda IV]

Sees the story was updated: Sweet. A new chapter.

Reads the new chapter title: ... oh $#!t.

Man, that was a bit of a nailbiter. Bad enough Sora wasn't there to help, but Twilight being a hair's length from getting the Aerith treatment was just... yikes.

[DeathRider2021]

I don't know. I know kingdom hearts is supposed to be continuing the legacy of the final fantasy franchise, but i'm not so sure if I like the idea of adding them to this story. Because to me it's sounded like they were changing the story.

[karmathewriter]

Sephiroth is literally that guy. He is the guy who would play with his food, and has the power to back that up. Also I'm now a little nervous to see what M has in mind for sora

[Jedi0765]

This bitch Sephiroth, I only know him from SMG4, but I already hate him, and seeing what he did to the others, ugh hate that guy, anyways is M you for the story or is he, you know what never mind. But good chapter hate Sephiroth for what he did to Desti.

[Moonlight_Mist]

11692421
I'm going to guess based on your comment that you're not at all familiar with Kingdom Hearts. No M is not an author avatar, he's the Master of Masters. The Master of Masters is a canonical character in Kingdom Hearts, the first ever Keyblade Wielder and Master. He's a pretty big deal even though nothing is known about him. Not even his name has been revealed yet.

[Moonlight_Mist]

His hoof began to glow a dark blue, ominous aura. "Ascend, Heartless angel."

"Ascend, Heartless angel," Sephiroth said.

The quote is actually Descend, Heartless Angel. Also, the attack Heartless Angel marks the target with a red halo over their head.