My Little Pony: Sora's Misadventures in Equestria

by Codex92

The Last Crusade

Sora reclined in his throne, gathered with the other Key Bearers, Donald, and Goofy. He was incredibly bored, lazily watching Aqua scroll through the Galactic Map for any signs of Heartless or Nobody invasions. Twilight and her friends were called to Canterlot by Celestia and Luna for a little assistance to better fortify the castle's defenses. It was more of a competition between Twilight and Shining Armor for a childish, innocent rivalry between the two as Sibling Supreme, but after Canterlot castle was invaded by numerous attacks, they were in need of better security and defensive strategies. Sadly, where it would be fun to test the different defenses, Shining Armor thought it wouldn't be fair if he or his friends used their abilities and Keyblades to spoil the challenge.

"Mrph. Bored," Sora groaned.

"How about you take a walk instead of whining like a baby about your boredom?" Riku questioned.

"Ignoring you and your dumb suggestions," Sora grumbled. He slid over the edge and landed on the ground, then proceeded to drag his chest and stomach across the floor as he used his hind legs to push himself forward. "Bored. Bored. Bored. Bored. Bored."

"I think Sora's been hanging out with Donald and Goofy too long," Ventus snickered.

"Hey! We're not THAT crazy!" Donald complained.

While Sora continued acting like a bored toddler with nothing to do, he slid up to Kairi, brought his hooves to the crystal table map, lazily pulling himself up to lay his head on it. "It's not fair," he pouted. "The girls get to test out the new security, and we can't join in to play spies because we're 'too skilled'. They all have Keyblades, too! Why not invite us!?"

"Why are you even so interested in testing getting yourself kicked out, Sora?" Kairi asked, unamused by her husband's silly and unwarranted whining. "You got arrested by the royal guard over a false accusation."

"First, Rainbow Dash couldn't stop accusing me and realize she was in trouble," Sora argued. "And second, I would have turned myself in to avoid that situation and cause more problems. Did you not see what Shining Armor put in his notes on the security!?"

"Giant fans to avoid an aerial assault, guard watch is doubled with each one carrying enchanted guard medals to access high-priority locations like the throne room, treasury, the massive library in the castle, et cetera, pieces of Chrysalis's old throne to prevent teleporting inside the castle's perimeter, secret entrances around the city permanently sealed, and they also have angry geese stationed in the halls that honk louder than a basic alarm system, AND can also bite back if they aren't part of the guard or someone of royalty," Aqua listed.

"EXACTLY! I would have loved to test them on my own!" Sora cried.

"Don't forget a secret trap door in the throne room that'll trap you in the dungeon," Terra added.

Sora's face drooped as he gawked at Terra, missing that bit of information Twilight explained to everyone before they left. "Trap door!? Just like the ones at the old castle in the Everfree Forest!?"

"You can fly out of trap doors," Riku reminded Sora.

"I WANT TRAP DOORS!" Sora whined, flailing his hooves around erratically.

Kairi let out a sigh, wondering just what made Sora's mind snap in his boredom to regress back to being a selfish five-year-old. Aqua switched the map's geography back to Equestria, her eyes growing wide when she saw some black dots appearing close to Ponyville.

"Uh oh. Heartless activity just outside of town," she said.

Sora stopped his complaining to look at the map, a wide grin growing on his muzzle. "FINALLY! SOMETHING TO DO! ICALLDIBS!"

He leapt over the table and flew out of the throne room to take care of the Heartless invasion. "I have no idea what's up with him today," Kairi muttered.

"You married him," Lea chimed in.

"I know. Crazy goofball," Kairi sighed.

Aqua looked back at the map with a shake of her head, but when she went back to watching the spawning Heartless, she gasped when something strange started happening. "What the hell?" The others looked at the map to see what was going on, shocking them. There were two glowing white dots that suddenly appeared, moving around and slaughtering the black ones. Neither of those were Sora, his location only halfway away from where the battle was taking place. "Someone's already there taking care of the Heartless?"

"It can't be our students," Terra grunted. "They're in class right now."

"Uhh, friends or foes?" Lea asked.

"...Hopefully friend."

---

After helping another pony discover their talent and cutie mark, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo decided to take a little break from their crusading. They headed on the outskirts of town, though one of the three fillies was far from ready for a little relaxing.

"Ya still want to try to fly?" Apple Bloom asked Scootaloo.

"Yeah. I have to eventually...right?" Scootaloo asked.

"You just might be a really, really late bloomer," Sweetie Belle said. "I didn't know how to control my magic all that well until a couple years ago."

Scootaloo stopped, glancing down at her wings. She always put out hope that they'll grow in eventually and be strong enough to help give her more lift with her flaps. The speed she could flap them to gain speed while on her scooter was one thing, but her pegasus biology wanted her to at least stay airborne for longer than a few seconds.

"I don't even remember if my foster parents mentioned if I flew around a lot when I was a baby," Scootaloo said. "Pound Cake flies better than I do, and he's only a toddler."

"Just don't try to practice too hard like ya did when we tried out as the flag bearers for Ponyville at the Equestria Games," Apple Bloom mentioned with a smirk.

Scootaloo snorted, rolling her eyes. "I'm not gonna be that stubborn like last time," she assured as all three fillies giggled at the events that unfolded. "Maybe I need something that'll give me that fight or flight instinct thing. Something scary that'll pump some adrenaline in me to get me jumping off the ground!" Fate gave Scootaloo her answer, and it wasn't a good one. Dozens of Heartless suddenly appeared around the Crusaders, startling them as they huddled together in fear. "Not like this!"

"Why do we always find ourselves getting into trouble when we barely do anything!?" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

Soldiers and Large Bodies blocked them from trying to find an opening to escape through, not like they had any intention of adding more Heartless to their numbers. There was no way anyone could get help in time. The Soldiers jumped in the air and to pounce on the trio, making them scream in terror. Just as they dove down to hurt them, a sudden, powerful tornado appeared around the Crusaders, sucking the Soldiers up and sending them skyward. The Large Bodies looked up, unaware of something slamming them into the vortex with their smaller comrades.

Confused, the fillies looked up, thinking it was Sora who came to their rescue. Within the eye, they saw what looked like a pegasus fly overhead, their body concealed in a cloak of white and pale green. They then dove down, spiraling in the opposite direction of the whirlwind. Multiple slashes rang out as their savior cut down the Heartless trapped inside, even dragging them back down against the tornado's powerful lift. From the ground, they heard someone run in, spotting a larger figure diving in and riding the wind, slamming into each Heartless and gathering them into a massive pile. The warrior above them then dove down, scooping all three fillies in their hooves, then heard the flash of a spell being cast as they yelped, diving away as the tornado immediately dispersed.

Landing out of harm's way, the fillies looked back, watching the mass of Heartless hovering in midair, along with another pony who came to their aid. This one was concealed under an ash grey cloak, but unlike the pony who hovered over them, this one's build was slightly bigger, and in their hooves, raising it over the Heartless, was a Keyblade.

"A Keyblade!?" Apple Bloom gasped.

"No way..." Scootaloo looked up at the pegasus who rescued them, spotting some feminine features on her muzzle beneath their hood. She then glanced at the mysterious mare's hoof, which just so happened to be holding a Keyblade, too. Hers was a light green, the teeth shaped like the wings of a majestic phoenix, the guard shaped like the claws of an avian predator, and the chain had a small pegasus wing on the end, colored orange like Scootaloo's fur. "There are others?"

Her attention was drawn back to the fight when they heard the other pony let out a mighty yell, deep and masculine. The stallion slammed his blade down on the Heartless, sending them crashing to the earth, launching pillars of sharp rocks up into the trapped Heartless, killing them all instantly. The rocks even pierced through the thick armored fronts of the Large Bodies who landed belly first. The mass of earth quickly disappeared as the hearts flew off, the stallion coming out unscathed as he lifted his Keyblade. The CMC could see his Keyblade was dark gray and rugged like it was made of stone, the teeth shaped like sharp, two-pronged fangs, the guard shaped like a coiled reptile's scales in dark greens and black, and the keychain bore an image of a cragodile's head.

"Nothin' but small fry," the stallion scoffed, his voice carrying an accent neither of the fillies have ever heard before. He dismissed his Keyblade and approached the CMC and his partner. "The kids alright?"

"Thankfully, not a scratch," the mare assured, sounding relieved. Scootaloo's ears twitched, finding her voice familiar in some way. "And it was only a small group this time."

"I'd love to have a go at some Invisibles. Cheap buggers don't come around often since the worlds began disappearing," the stallion said, as if he expected a much bigger or stronger group of Heartless to attack Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. The mare leered at him, her eyes darting down to the fillies. "...But, er, thank goodness there weren't any?"

"Uhh, thank y'all for savin' us," Apple Bloom said. "But...who are you two?"

"And why do you have Keyblades?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I thought the only ones who had them were-"

"HEY!" Running toward them, everyone looked to see Sora rushing in, Keyblade at the ready to slay the Heartless. He slowed down, disappointed that there weren't any and it was a false alarm, though he began to grow suspicious of the two ponies draped in cloaks, and being in close proximity to the Crusaders. "Uhh...Who are you two?" He glanced around, finding no sign of any Heartless. "...Where are the Heartless?"

"They saved us," Apple Bloom said.

"And they're Keyblade wielders like you, Sora," Sweetie Belle added.

"H-Huh!? Keyblade wielders!?" Sora exclaimed. Shocked, he stared at the two ponies, unaware that there were other Equestrians who were Key Bearers. He thought that Twilight was the very first Equestrian wielder with the Young Six being the next few. "...You...took care of the Heartless? And...saved the girls?"

"I know you're suspicious of us, but we're not your enemies," the mare assured.

Sora looked at her, tilting his head, hearing her voice before. "...You...sound familiar?" he uttered.

"Well, this is the first time we've met, but we've heard a lot about you, Sora," the mare said. "Saving countless worlds from the darkness."

"And bringing them back when they were fading out left and right for nearly a decade," the stallion added. The pair looked at each other, nodding slightly, then pulled their hoods back to reveal their faces. The stallion had brown fur, his mane a dark cerise, and bearing some stubble of the same color on his chin. The mare's fur was a light tangelo color, her long, two-tone gold hair tied in a ponytail. "I'm Snap Shutter. And this is Mane Allgood, my partner in more ways than one."

Snap Shutter winked slyly, hinting at Sora that the mare was more than just a partner in combating the Heartless. "I...see...Well, you know who I am...and what I've done in the past...How?"

"We'll explain everything with your friends," Mane said. "There's quite a lot the bearers of this realm aren't aware of. And our masters sent us to invite you to where we reside."

"Where you...? Wait...Are there...more Key Bearers?" Sora questioned. "Besides us?"

"All your questions will be answered soon," Mane assured with a small laugh.

Scootaloo stared at Mane Allgood, still bothered by how familiar her voice was. "Excuse me, Miss Allgood? Have...Have I met you before?" she asked nervously. "I...I don't know why, but...you sound like somepony I'm...supposed to know?...If that makes any sense..."

Mane and Snap looked at each other, smiled, then looked down at Scootaloo. "Well, you might have," Mane said. Her hoof went to rub Scootaloo's head, brushing a lock of her hair as she inspected the pegasus filly. "Although...you were only a baby."

"Huh?" Scootaloo mumbled, confused as Mane cupped her cheeks in her hooves.

"...You've grown so much since I last saw you," Mane said, her breath hitching as tears started to well in her eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Sora uttered. "Since Scootaloo was a-?" As Snap Shutter stepped closer and rubbed Scootaloo's head, the small, subtle hints started to connect. After knowing Rainbow's parents, he and Scootaloo saw a past memory from the filly's heart, where she was delivered to a foster family by her mother, who wasn't able to properly take care of her. The way Mane was gazing at Scootaloo lovingly, her voice matching with the mare who was from that memory, his eyes grew wide and his jaw slowly hung open. "...No...No way..."

"W-What do you mean?" Scootaloo asked Mane Allgood.

"We're your parents, Scootaloo," Snap Shutter said. "Your real parents."

Mane silently nodded as the couple let it sink in. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were shocked by the incredible news, and they had confirmed what Sora had guessed. Scootaloo, however, was at a loss for words. Her eyes darted to both wielders, her biological parents, unable to believe what she heard was too good to be true. She had wanted to meet her real parents for so long. She felt happy, but the fact that her birth parents were Key Bearers, it was still so much for her frazzled mind to process.

"...M-Mom...? Dad...?" Scootaloo mumbled. As she gazed at her parents, Scootaloo couldn't hold back her tears. Her body trembled, anxious and elated all at once, reunited with them after so many years wondering if they still loved her and wanted her back. "Y-You're...You're really my parents..."

Mane was afraid Scootaloo would have hated her for abandoning her, but she was proven wrong when she hugged her tightly. Mane held Scootaloo just as tightly, never wanting to let her go again. Snap Shutter embraced his wife and daughter as the family was completely whole again. Scootaloo had so many questions to ask, so many things to talk about, but she was too happy to utter even a squeak as she hugged her mom and dad tightly.

Baffled, Sora silently watched as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle backed away and sat beside Sora. They had no idea that the couple who looked after Scootaloo were her adoptive parents, and though it was a touching moment, the fact Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood were Key bearers brought up so many questions. Apple Bloom was a little bit jealous, not knowing her parents since she was a baby before they weren't around anymore, but she still had her family, unlike Scootaloo until now.

"Sora, what's going on?" Aqua asked through his communicator.

Still dumbfounded, Sora reached a hoof to his ear. "...Uhh...A lot right now?" he answered.

"Like...what?" Aqua questioned. "There's no more Heartless. There are two unknown wielders who took them out, and you're having a casual conversation with them? Who are they!?"

"...I'll...bring them to the castle. You guys are...in for a shock," Sora uttered before ending the transmission.

---

As Sora promised his friends, they were all highly shocked by who it was that jumped in to stop the small invasion of Heartless. If the two wielders being Scootaloo's parents weren't enough, the fact that there existed other Equestrian Key Bearers blew everyone's minds. Riku was kind of grateful Twilight wasn't around at the moment, most likely to feel incredibly disappointed that she wasn't all that special being the first pony to become a Keyblade wielder.

"...Unbelievable," Aqua uttered. "There are other wielders besides us...But how?"

"One important rule that every wielder always follows; not to meddle in the affairs of other worlds," Mane explained. "And for us and what role we play from our realm, there are far more secrets neither of you are meant to know. Until now."

"But with how much notoriety Sora's gotten from all his accomplishments, he's got the makings of a master despite any lack of formal training," Snap Shutter added.

"Just how many more of you are there?" Terra asked. "And...are there-?"

"More ponies who bear the Keyblade?" Snap guessed, letting out a small laugh. "Oh, none of ya know the half of it."

"I can't believe my parents are Keyblade wielders," Scootaloo uttered. As excited as she was to know her parents were just as epic as Sora and his friends, her smile waned as a terrible thought bubbled in her mind. "...But...why did you leave me?"

Snap and Mane grimaced as they looked at their daughter. They were clearly regretful of their decision, but they knew Scootaloo had a right to know. She was old enough to understand, and with her knowing about the Keyblade, she had the right to know about them leaving her in the care of other ponies.

"We both understand if you're upset that we did that to you, Scootaloo, but from what you've seen earlier, fighting the Heartless can be very dangerous," Mane explained.

"Yeah. We know," Apple Bloom interjected.

"But Sora always comes to our rescue," Sweetie Belle added.

"Well, except a moment ago," Scootaloo said. Sora flinched, wilting morosely. If he had known Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were surrounded by them, he would have arrived sooner. "I guess I see why. But...if you could use Keyblades...could I if I was old enough?"

"You do have your mother's stubborn spirit," Snap Shutter said. "I think you could in time."

"I'm sorry, but care to remind everypony how we first met?" Mane questioned her husband. "I think the stubbornness runs in your family."

"You mean you two were rivals?" Ventus asked curiously.

"Actually, this was before we were...recruited by our masters," Snap admitted, startling the group.

"Recruited?" Lea repeated.

"Snap and I were actually born in Equestria," Mane said. The couple lifted their robes, revealing their cutie marks on their flanks. Snap Shutter's was a map with a camera beside it, a bright flash depicting a picture being taken. Mane Allgood's was a compass with a curl of wind underneath and rising up. "Our talents involved exploring Equestria and mapping dangerous territories nopony dared to traverse."

"And documenting dangerous creatures never recorded in history," Snap added. "Mane and I bumped into each other while we were adventurous teens, searching for excitement and danger as we were noting our respectable discoveries."

"We fought over who was going to discover more and made it into a competition," Mane giggled. "It got really heated. But that rivalry became something a little more after bickering about who's been in the most dangerous locations in Equestria. We went from talking about swamps and dangerous caverns, and someone slipped out an 'aggressive' compliment about my navigational skills, then we began making out like we were under a love spell."

"At least it was true love, not a poisonous potion some lovestruck princess made that made her and her love interest into mushy nutcases who NEVER looked away from each other." Snap's description of the love poison brought back some awkward memories for Sora, Kairi, and the Crusaders. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo giggled sheepishly, muttering nonsense over how silly it would be if someone actually did that. "Although we got together and enjoyed each other's company while exploring, things went from wild to almost deadly when we came face to face with our first Heartless."

---

Deep within an uncharted forest in Equestria, a younger Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood explored the thick foliage without any fear. Snap had a black hat with teeth from different types of predators he found embedded around it with a white open-collared shirt while Mane wore a lime green shirt, fitting for roughing it through rough terrain. They each had saddlebags of supplies with tents, food, water, and writing materials to chart out their routes of the geological terrain and documenting the wild creatures within.

"What do you think we'll find around here?" Snap asked. "I'm gonna guess a new type of plant species that lures its prey with a sweet smelling ambrosia, then chomps them whole."

"Not likely in these woods," Mane said. "It's probably another variant of timber wolf, or maybe a cute furry critter who's actually a very dangerous predator, masking their deadly prowess through its adorable features."

"Like a winterchilla? I love those, but only when it's during the day." The couple laughed in agreement. Hearing the sound of panicked cries, Snap and Mane paused, perking their ears up to hear clearer. "...Sounds like a normal wolf. But...there haven't been anything dangerous around here. Yet."

They flinched when they heard it whine, and it was surprisingly close to where they were. "It came from that direction," Mane said, pointing to their left.

Ignoring the threat that could be looming around, the adventurous pair snuck through the foliage to see what was happening. They got closer to the wounded animal's cries, peeking through the leaves to find the wolf that was in peril. It tried to crawl away from a creature neither pony had seen before. Its body was black, had crooked antennae, sharp claws, and from the side, they could see its blank eyes glowing an ominous yellow. Astonished by the discovery of what looked like a rare creature in Equestria, their excitement quickly faded when they saw it lunge toward the wolf, stabbing its claws through its chest. It let out a painful howl before falling limp, a glowing heart flying out of its chest as its body disappeared in a flurry of lights.

"What in the hay?" Snap uttered.

"It...disappeared?" The heart was suddenly engulfed in a dark aura, it's ascent quickly reversing as it floated back to the ground. Within seconds, the heart was consumed, and popping out of the dark sphere was a canine creature. Its skin was blue and bore the same yellow eyes as the other creature, but it's physique made it seem much more deadly than it appeared. "Oh no. I think we better leave."

"For once, I think coming out here was a bad idea." The newly born canine twitched, looked in their direction, then started barking wildly. Suddenly rising up from the ground were several more of the same deadly creatures that killed the wolf. "Yup! Bad idea! Run!"

Snap and Mane quickly bolted, rushing through the thick woods as quickly as they could. They could still hear the new, mutated dog barking like mad as they gave chase. The two thought they could outrun them, but more appeared from the ground like shadows, trying to block them from fleeing and add them to their deadly horde. Mane leapt to the air and flew over, but she didn't want to leave Snap Shutter behind. The stallion skid and leapt aside, remembering their path and avoiding the monsters that continued to spawn from the ground.

The canine managed to catch up and leap at Snap, barely avoiding it, but its sharp fangs snatched his hat. He was upset he lost his favorite hat, but his life was worth more than that or the numerous fallen teeth he'd collected on his travels.

"Snap, they just keep coming!" Mane shouted, looking back to see more and more continuing to grow in number. "What are these things!?"

"I don't know!" Snap said. "Just get out of here! I'll lure them away!"

"I am NOT leaving you to die here after all this!" Mane yelled.

"And I don't want YOU to die with me!" Snap argued.

He charged out of the woods, but from avoiding the creatures and arguing with his marefriend, Snap winced and skid to a halt. Somehow, he lost track of where they were and almost wound up running off the edge of a cliff leading down to a chasm. There was no possible way for him to climb down without breaking his legs, and he had no place to run to as he looked behind him, surrounded by dozens of them and the hyperactive, deadly mutant canine. It growled and tore Snap's hat, still in its mouth, reducing it to nothing but shreds and bits of teeth.

Mane wanted to help, but she wasn't physically strong enough to carry Snap to safety. And if there were more around the area, they could just sink into the shadows and reappear where they thought was safe. She wasn't going to leave him here, and if he was going to get killed by these monsters, she was going with him. She flew down and held him, startling him, but he knew there was no use trying to argue with her. The two faced the monsters slowly stalking them, bracing themselves for a painful death.

As they waited for their untimely end, bolts of lightning suddenly struck the ground, startling the couple and watching the lightning strike and destroy the dangerous creatures. There wasn't a cloud in the sky for lightning to strike down, but they had no clue where it came from. Suddenly dropping down in front of them, a pony concealed in a white and pink robe with a crimson red cloak came to their rescue. Facing the monsters, the pony lifted their hoof, which sparked with electricity, then thrust it forward, unleashing a barrage of lightning bolts down on the rest of them. Each one exploded in a puff of smoke, and the unfortunate canine burst and released the heart that was taken by the wolf.

Struck with awe, Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood saw their savior turn to face them. They wore an avian mask the likes neither explorer have seen before, hiding most of their face while it left their muzzle exposed.

"Either of you injured?" Snap was surprised to hear a mare's voice come from such a powerful lightning spellcaster, but she didn't have a horn, nor did she have wings. The couple were dumbfounded, unable to find their voices after what they had just witnessed. "I'll take your silence as a yes."

She began to leave, but paused when she continued staring at them. "...What...What did you do to those...things?" Mane asked.

"And what WERE they?" Snap asked.

Their hero let out a sigh, sounding annoyed, but her initial plan to up and leave wasn't going to happen. "They're called Heartless," she said. The couple pondered the name given to the shadow monsters, but the masked mare held out her hoof, summoning a weapon in a flash of light that startled them. The sword was nothing like they ever saw; shaped like a key, but lacking the teeth at the end as it had etched grooves on both sides, nearly similar in shape to a razor sword, the guard metallic with one end near the base curved to look like the hammer of a gun, and the keychain was a crystal rose of bright pink. "You two have a hidden potential. If you want to know more-" She aimed her weapon to her side, firing a beam of light a few yards forward, which expanded into a portal of light. "-then step through and enter a realm beyond what you thought exists."

The prospect of seeing a new place excited Mane and Snap, and all their questions would be answered after walking through. They both nodded to each other, taking this special opportunity and walked together through the portal, with their new master following and closing the portal behind them.

---

"Since that day, our training began as apprentices," Snap said, enthralling everyone in the room with their story. "Our master was very strict, but we proved to her we had that potential to be something far greater than just reckless explorers on the search for new lands and exotic animals."

"So Twilight really isn't the first Equestrian to be chosen as a Keyblade wielder," Riku uttered.

"And you two are masters as well?" Aqua asked.

"We are," Mane Allgood answered. "As masters, we have the freedom to go wherever we please. As well as stopping the Heartless from harming the worlds."

"Well, not without a startling realization after we 'celebrated' passing our Mark of Mastery exam," Snap added, hinting to the group about conceiving Scootaloo. "Before, if we had Scootaloo while we explored the world's most dangerous terrain, it wouldn't have been safe for a foal. And as wielders...It would have been much worse if we thought of taking her everywhere with us."

"I'm just so glad I get to finally meet you two," Scootaloo assured her parents. "That's all I ever wanted."

"And, if you want, you can stay with us so we can be a family again," Mane said. "I'll have to visit your foster family and tell them the good news. And hope they won't be too disappointed."

"What about this invitation your masters wanted to give us?" Sora asked.

"Oh! Right!" Snap laughed nervously, almost forgetting. "Got caught up explaining how we got to where we are, we're probably keeping them waiting!"

"Best not keep other masters with higher authority than us impatient," Terra said.

"Umm, mom? Dad?" Scootaloo glanced at Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, then to her parents. "Is it ok if...my friends come along with us? We promise not to tell anypony."

"Yeah! We're great at keepin' secrets!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.

"More like causing trouble while keeping secrets," Xion corrected.

"But we can really keep this secret!" Sweetie Belle assured. "We didn't tell anypony else about who Sora was, or that he's actually a human and he's taller than us by a hundred feet!"

"Hey, I'm not that giant!" Sora complained, eyeing Donald and Goofy as they snickered at him.

"How much do you three know about the Keyblade and the worlds beyond Equestria?" Mane questioned the fillies. They mumbled, clearly knowing more than they rightly should. "...Well, I don't think there's any harm in bringing your friends along, Scootaloo."

"Yay!" the Crusaders cheered.

"Is that a good idea?" Kairi asked. "Wouldn't bringing others who aren't bearers get you in trouble?"

Snap and Mane frowned as they glanced at each other. "...It would, but considering what everyone knows about Sora...He might be getting a few choice words about his...meddling."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it," Sora sighed.

"So, how exactly are we getting to this new realm?" Ventus asked.

Mane and Snap stepped back, summoned their Keyblades, then turned and aimed their weapons at the entrance to the throne room. Both their blades gathered light and fired two beams, connecting together before they struck the door, creating a portal of light.

"Wow. Flashy," Lea commented.

"Right this way, everybody," Snap Shutter said.

"Is it...safe?" Apple Bloom asked cautiously.

"Of course it's safe," Mane assured.

"You'll all be in for a surprise when you see where we're going," Snap added with a grin, waiting to see their reactions once they pass through.

Scootaloo decided to go first, wondering what her actual birthplace was supposed to be. She walked up to the portal, hesitating slightly, but she shut her eyes and stepped through. She felt the light wash over her, keeping her eyes closed until she passed through, leaving the castle and winding up somewhere outside. Squinting her eyes open, her mouth hung open in a gasp, moving a bit closer to the hill where the portal's exit appeared. The others soon came through one by one, struck with awe as they could see the realm where Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood resided.

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed.

Ahead was one of the biggest and grandest cities the Key Bearers and Crusaders had ever seen in their entire lives. The entrance to the massive realm had a few farms while the rest of the mass of buildings was surrounded by a vast ocean. They could see each level of the multiple buildings rising higher and higher, making it seem that there were no streets separating them from the angle of the view they had. The beaches around the perimeter of the city had glowing green crystals scattered on the sands, in shards or small stalagmites that rose from the ground. Many of the buildings had similar crystals that grew from the taller buildings scattered around, swirling and curling in unique arches. While the city was phenomenal to gaze at, from the farms down below and entering and exiting the city, they were shocked to see people there, along with other creatures who were from Equestria as well; ponies, a minotaur, griffons and hippogriffs, abyssinians and diamond dogs, and many, many more.

"Welcome to Valhalla!" Snap announced.

"...This place is...incredible," Aqua muttered. "...How have I never heard of this place?"

"You think Master Eraqus or Master Yen Sid knew, but didn't tell us?" Ventus asked.

Terra could sense Eraqus's amusement within him. He must have known, but perhaps there was a reason why he didn't tell him or Aqua about this world, and the knowledge of other Keyblade wielders beyond the worlds they've known.

"You and Aqua never asked," Eraqus said to Terra. "Although, I've never been in this realm. I trained in Scala ad Caelum with Xehanort and Yen Sid. It's much more...claustrophobic than where I lived."

Down in the several hundred acres of land down below, Scootaloo gasped when she spotted some giant yellow birds grazing or running around at incredible speeds. "Whoa! What are those down there!?"

Everyone turned their attention down to the large pasture down below. "Ah. My personal favorite creature I am lucky enough to have met," Snap said. "Those are chocobos."

"Chocobos?" Riku asked.

"Think of them like an ostrich, only much bigger with fluffier down, and they can sprint faster than a cheetah twice over," Mane described.

"I think Rainbow Dash might meet her match with birds like that," Xion said.

"And Fluttershy would also have a heart attack seeing them," Kairi added. "It is too bad the girls are all missing out on this."

"Can we go see them!?" Apple Bloom asked excitedly.

"Why not?" Snap replied, making the fillies cheer as they ran down the hill to see the chocobos up close.

The others followed, getting a closer look at the large avian species. They had yellow feathers, a curved-down orange beak, some of their plumage sticking out of their head were different lengths while some had strands of feathers that hung down the sides of their face that looked like dreadlock bangs. They stood twice as tall as Terra's height, standing on powerful legs with sharp talons to dig into the earth and push off for more speed. As they approached the fence keeping the chocobos in, the guests all suddenly recoiled and gagged, catching a whiff of a horrible smell.

"AGH! W-What in the heck is that stench!?" Lea gagged as everyone sans Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood covered their noses.

Snap inhaled deeply through his nose and let out a long, pleased sigh. "THAT is the stench of a chocobo's natural musk," he said.

"That's not natural!" Sweetie Belle grimaced. "It smells like a hundred skunks in a dog pile!"

"It's not as bad as it smells," Mane assured. "You get used to it after being around them for a while."

"How long? A century?" Riku questioned.

Snap Shutter hopped over the barricade, then let out a shrill whistle for the pasture to hear. One chocobo lifted its head up, then turned to the sound and began letting out its cry as it raced over to the stallion.

"There he is! There's my special buddy!" Snap laughed. The chocobo skid to a halt, cawing excitedly as it hopped around and nuzzled him. "Hey, I wasn't gone for that long, Boko! Settle down, boy!"

"You mean dad has one of these chocobo things?" Scootaloo asked.

"Raised him since it was an egg," Mane said. "Boko's a bit of a clingy one, but all the chocobo in the ranch are tame and friendly."

"Blugh. Unless you count their smell," Apple Bloom stated. "Ah've cleaned the pig pen back home on mah family's farm, and they smell better than them."

"Agreed," Sora said.

Once Snap Shutter got Boko to calm down enough, everyone climbed over, or slipped through the gaps for the Crusaders, to meet the chocobo up close. "Atta boy. Down," Snap ordered, which Boko obeyed as he lowered and sat himself down, fluffing his wings as he looked down at the new people and ponies. "Never could go anywhere without him getting all excited like a giant puppy."

Scootaloo was the first to approach Boko, reaching her hoof out to touch his side. She was in awe at how soft his feathers felt, even softer than a cloud. Boko loved the attention as he let out little "Kwehs" as everyone else pat him or felt his down.

"It's so fluffy!" Sweetie Belle squealed. "Rarity might make some neat dress ideas with enough of these feathers!"

"Just as long as they don't have weird side effects, like temporary deafness when handling phoenix feathers," Riku said.

"Not a smart idea, even if phoenix feathers are pretty to keep as a lucky memento," Mane advised.

"Speaking of, when Spike when through that dragon molt, was his stench worse than a chocobo's?" Ventus asked curiously.

"...I think they both smell equally terrible," Riku said.

"I'd like to see a dragon molt myself," Snap said. "Too bad our work here is a bit more important, but Mane and I love exploring Equestria." Boko lowered its head and gazed at Scootaloo, giving her light nips to her mane. "Hah. Seems like Boko's already taking a liking to you already, Scootaloo. Wanna go for a ride?"

"Hay yeah, I do!" Scootaloo cheered.

Snap dug into his robe, pulling out a harness fit for the giant bird. After placing it on Boko's neck, he picked his daughter up, placing her on the chocobo's back, then climbed on up with her sitting in front of him.

"Alright. Hang on tight!" Snap advised. Boko stood up with a squawk, flapping his wings as his legs tapped the ground, ready for a run. "Let's go, bud!"

Boko let out a caw, then sprinted off. They could hear Scootaloo laughing and cheering, reaching speeds faster than she could on her own scooter as Boko raced around the field.

"They really are fast," Donald said.

"Can they fly?" Goofy asked curiously.

"Not exactly, but with their speed, they can glide pretty long distances with their wings," Mane said.

"Hey, you think we can all try a ride on one of them?" Sora asked.

"If you can handle holding onto the reigns on these speedy birds!" Coming from the direction of the barnyard, the guests of Valhalla all turned to see a man walk over toward them. He had shoulder-length black hair, green eyes, wearing a blue jacket, a white undershirt, brown pants, and black boots. He greeted them with a wave, glancing out to the field where Boko was running around with Snap Shutter and Scootaloo. "Thought I heard that familiar whistle. And it seems like you and your husband finally brought our honored guests."

"That wasn't really the issue, Laguna," Mane said. "Everyone, this is Laguna. He runs the chocobo ranch."

"Pleasure meeting the hardened wielders keeping the worlds safe," Laguna praised with a grin.

"You really know a lot about us?" Aqua asked, still unnerved how their heroics reached the likes of this world and with them having no knowledge of other Key Bearers besides them.

"Of course! Especially Sora," he said, pointing to Sora. "Your name's spread all throughout Valhalla the moment the worlds started returning."

"Really? That long?" Sora asked curiously.

"A kid with no experience using a Keyblade, fighting Heartless with barely any experience, and yet you manage to save worlds faster than any of the other masters who grew up here. Definitely master material," Laguna praised some more.

"Are you a Keyblade wielder?" Apple Bloom asked.

Looking down, Laguna laughed, squatting down to get a closer look at her and Sweetie Belle. "Oh, I wish. But I didn't really have the makings to be one. Luckily, I'm content handling these giant fluffballs and enjoying the peaceful side of things."

Boko came running back, slowing to a halt next to everyone. "That was awesome!" Scootaloo whooped.

Laguna eyed Scootaloo as he approached Boko. "Well, if it isn't Scootaloo!" he said. Scootaloo looked at the man, who then rubbed her mane. "You've gotten so big!"

"You know who I am?" Scootaloo asked.

"Of course. Though you were just a little baby when I last saw you," Laguna said. "I guess your parents thought it was a good time to bring you back home. You are gonna love this place."

"Huh? Bring me back home?" Startled, Scootaloo looked at her dad, then to her mom and all her friends. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle frowned when Laguna seemed to have spoiled a surprise Snap and Mane wanted to tell Scootaloo. "...Wait...I'm...going to be staying here? With my parents?"

"Hmm? They didn't tell you?" Laguna asked curiously.

"No..." As happy as she was to meet her parents, Scootaloo didn't want to just up and move so suddenly back with them. To another world where she was born in, nonetheless, and be away from her friends and the ponies she'd known in Ponyville all her life. She didn't want to be apart from Sora, either, seeing the dejected expression on his face, clearly upset by the "wonderful" surprise. "...I...I HAVE to move?"

"We were going to wait until after our master's spoken with our guests to tell her that, Laguna," Mane grumbled through gritted teeth.

"...Oh...Uhh...My bad?" Laguna chuckled sheepishly. The potential fun the group would have had with the chocobo was soured by Scootaloo's parents deciding to take her back home and force her to move back with them, leaving everyone and all the memories of Ponyville as well. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were understandably upset, so was Sora after everything he'd been through with all three of these fillies. The Cutie Mark Crusaders wouldn't be a team without Scootaloo. Laguna glanced around nervously, sensing the looming dread over the group. "...So! Who wants to see the adorable chocobo hatchlings at the barn!? They're all cute and chubby and cuddly!"

Thankfully, Laguna's idea to cheer up everyone was quickly shot down when they heard the cry of another chocobo heading their way. Approaching them was another chocobo, but this one's feathers were a bright white, the plumage on its head grown out into a mohawk style with dreads reaching longer than any of the groomed ones in the ranch. Riding on this one's back was a person wearing a white and pink robe with a red cloak flapping in the wind, but as they got closer, they couldn't see their face as it was concealed by their hood and a mask that looked just like a chocobo's face, colored white, but the eyes of the mask were pink.

The white chocobo reared back as its rider pulled back on the reigns, slowing down as they got closer. They hopped off their mount once it stopped, patting the bird's side once before closing the gap between them.

"Master..." Mane Allgood quickly lowered her head in a bow, Snap doing the same as he hopped off Boko, leaving Scootaloo on the back of his chocobo while everyone else stared at the veiled Keyblade Master.

"Having too much fun?" The master's voice was feminine, but her tone was heavily strict and devoid of sympathy. "You're late."

"S-Sorry, master," Snap apologized. "We were just...showing everyone around. Can't say no to hanging out with chocobos, right?"

"She has a white-feathered chocobo?" Xion uttered.

"Pretty fancy bird of another color," Lea said. He approached the chocobo, who eyed the newcomers with a stern glare. "Betcha this one's also as cuddly as Boko, huh?"

He tried reaching his hand out to it, only for it to caw aggressively and bite at Lea. Lea yelped and backed away, far, far away from the stomping avian.

"Odin!" the master barked, quickly calming down, but still kept its gaze on them, then glanced at Lea. "I suggest you not try to put your hands on him. He isn't like the rest of these chocobo."

"Heh. D-Duly noted!" Lea squeaked, slinking behind Terra and Aqua to hide from the aggressive chocobo's sight.

"Hey, Light, cut them some slack, will ya?" Laguna suggested. "They're guests. You and the other masters invited them personally. Let them see the sights and take a load off every once in a while."

The wielder let out a groan, leering at Laguna through her mask. "You're name's Master Light?" Ventus asked.

Sighing, she lowered her hood and pulled down her mask, revealing her face. "It's Lightning," she corrected. Her hair was a wavy pink color, slightly messy, and though it reached past her shoulders by a couple inches, it stays draped over her left shoulder. Her eyes are also a pale aqua in color, though her gaze was stern and cold. "And I'm more than just a Keyblade Master; I'm the current Foreteller of Valhalla."

"What's a 'Foreteller'?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Ignoring the question, Lightning stared at the visiting wielders, along with the three additional fillies her pupils brought along, knowing Scootaloo was their child. "Where are the rest?" she questioned. "The 'Elements of Harmony'?"

"They're busy with something else at the moment, ma'am," Aqua explained, bowing her head in respect to the seasoned master.

"...Great," Lightning sighed in annoyance. "Whatever. We're wasting time." She headed toward the fence, jumping over it, then began heading down the road toward the main city. "This way."

The others looked at each other, their first impressions not looking too well with someone who's a master of much higher authority. "Don't let Light scare you," Laguna assured. "She's always like that."

"Well, we'd better not slow her down and get her more upset," Mane said. She picked up Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, lifting them and setting them down on Boko's back with Scootaloo. "You three just enjoy the ride while looking at the sights."

"O-Ok," Apple Bloom mumbled.

The fillies were still shaken up by Scootaloo being forced to move back to Valhalla. Their fun exploring a brand new world was no longer there, their time together as friends about to come to an end if they'll never see each other again. Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood guided the group to a gate to let Boko out and followed Lightning. Laguna frowned, not only feeling bad for spoiling such a big surprise Snap and Mane wanted to tell Scootaloo, but the depressed expression on their daughter's face was lost to the couple.

He flinched when he heard Odin let out a low rumble, slowly turning his head to see the irate chocobo leering at him. "...Uhh, I'll tag along! Bout time for my break anyway!" he called out. He scrambled over to the fence and hopped over, then turned back to frown at the angry bird. "You need to take a chill pill. You and Light."

Odin made no response, watching Laguna run off to join the others.

---

The streets of Valhalla were busy with vendors and residents going about their days, doing some errands, or chatting with other people. Many of the residents who wandered around wore different colored, most likely a hint for the visiting group that those who bear the Keyblade are given one as a sign of their ability to wield the Keyblade. Others, especially the humans, who weren't wielders like Laguna, wore some uniquely designed apparel of this realm. Though each level was lined wall to wall with buildings, the streets weren't as close as they may have thought.

Along the way, many onlookers watched the pair being led by Lightning and her apprentices, the other wielders bowing their heads to the master. When they caught sight of Sora, they all stared at him, in awe. Sora was a little nervous gathering all this attention, mostly due to how much praise he got from the ponies in the Crystal Empire. Thankfully, none of the young women or teens around his age squealed and tried to rush him to get an autograph, but their curious stares still made him just a tiny bit cautious.

It was still a shock to them that some of the wielders of this world belonged to Equestria, whether they were found by an outsider like Snap and Mane, or were born residents of this realm. It was as if the world they tried to bring peace between all nations and species already exists, and they were several steps behind. There were griffons selling wares, not being stingy on prices and being outwardly friendly. Some dragons roamed around, though they didn't seem as young as the teenage dragons in the Dragon Lands, clearly more mature and responsible. Their magic as a Key Bearer might have something to do with keeping them at a younger stage in their lives to avoid accidentally smashing the buildings in such a clumped up city. They could even spot a couple of them sparring, showing off their unique Keyblades as they strove to better themselves.

With Laguna taking the rear, he was busy casually greeting everyone, knowing them all by name and asking about their relatives. While Lightning was considered a leader, Laguna felt more like her right hand man as the friendlier neighbor of the city. While it was an interesting world to be in, it wasn't a mini vacation for them; Lightning wanted to speak with them about certain matters that may involve the fate of the worlds.

They finally arrived at the central skyscraper of Valhalla, entering through the large double doors. Sora helped Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo down from Boko's back, the latter clinging to him for a moment before she let him go. Snap ordered Boko to stay outside, patting his avian companion and assuring him they'd be back in a moment. Passing through the lobby, the only place in the small lobby was a crystal glowing with green energy, a ring of metal etched with odd symbols slowly orbiting and tilting left and right occasionally. Lightning approached it, reached her hand out, then disappeared in a flash of light.

"W-Where did she go?" Kairi asked.

"To the top," Mane answered. "Just hold your hand out to the crystal, and it'll do the rest."

Sora decided to go first and approached the crystal. He held out his hand, as instructed, watching the crystal glow before he felt his body being engulfed with light. He gasped, feeling himself jumping at light speed, which only lasted for a few seconds before he reappeared, staggering forward in surprise. Slightly similar to unicorn/alicorn teleportation, but without any nauseating effects. The crystal transported him to a massive council room, where Lightning continued walking toward a crystal throne at the far end, though this type of crystal was a clear, translucent blue, almost like ice. On the sides, there were other wielders seated and watched their guests' arrival. All of them were highly experienced by their ages, donning robes of different designs with some concealing their features or revealing them to the public. One such master that eyed them was a large, black-scaled dragon with red eyes and long, sharp, curved back horns, his arms crossed as he was seated on the right side of the bigger throne, which Lightning took as her spot as the superior master among the others despite being half the other seniors' age.

"So, these are the bearers causing a ruckus beyond this realm," the dragon beside Lightning said. "And the child with the spiked hair is the one with 'potential'."

"Uhh...Am I really that popular?" Sora asked.

"Hmph. To the youths around your generation," the dragon grunted.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Lea questioned. "You Lightning's dragon assistant? Our friend Twilight has one, but he's-"

"I am not Foreteller Lightning's assistant!" the dragon interrupted with a snarl. "I am a Keyblade Master, and you will do well to still your tongue! I am Bahamut! You respect your superiors, no matter their appearance!"

"Ease yourself, Bahamut," one of the elders chastised. The dragon growled, but he relaxed his stance, keeping his gaze on Lea and his disrespectful attitude. "Excuse Master Bahamut. He's been around for the last several generations, though his temper is still as heated as his dragon fire."

"The other new bearers residing in Equestria could not make it," Mane Allgood announced as she and her husband stepped forward and bowed their heads to the council of masters. "They had other important matters revolving their home to see to."

"I even heard a new generation of young bearers were also in the midst of being trained by our guests," another spoke up.

"Yes. They are primarily my pupils, but we are making sure to properly train them," Aqua said, hoping to appease any doubts with some of the judgmental stares from Lightning and Bahamut.

"Let's get on to why we requested an audience with you," Lightning said. "Our first topic of discussion is actually something that's troubled us in Valhalla, and been a right pain in the ass for the last couple years to resolve."

"Hey, Light, come on! Watch the language!" Laguna interjected as he kneeled behind the Crusaders and gently pressed their heads together, trying in vain to cover all three of their ears. "There's little fillies present!"

None of the other masters were bothered by Laguna's presence, though Lightning sneered at him with disdain. "Out of the three of them, two of them shouldn't even be aware of anything beyond their world."

"They're just as involved in this as we are," Ventus stated.

Bahamut quietly growled, keeping his peace, though he and Lightning weren't in a good mood. "What exactly happened that requires us if you can't solve it?" Terra asked curiously, getting them all back on track.

Laguna let go of the fillies' heads, giving them all a small head rub before he stood back up. "We had a problem with an apprentice here in Valhalla," Lightning said. "A new apprentice I took in. She had as much potential as anyone, and had much more to give than we thought. Despite her size, she mastered everything I could teach her far faster than either of us expected."

"She would have been the youngest wielder to have ever been called a master without any need for the Mark of Mastery, except for one flaw that gave all of us great concern," one of the elders on the side pointed out. "She wanted more power to wield. We did not see a drive to better herself; it was a greed, and begetting that greed could have spread darkness upon Valhalla."

"She refused to back down and insisted on growing even stronger," another added on the other side. "We tried to take her Keyblade away and punish her for her outbursts. Sadly, Lightning had trained her far too well, and she overpowered the wielders who tried to stop her."

"She vowed to find a way to gain the power of Kingdom Hearts and show us how wrong we were for denying her what rightfully belonged to her," Bahamut said. "Many wielders were injured from her escape, and we lost track of her. We searched around many worlds to find and apprehend her, but she's clever and managed to hide herself from us well."

While listening to the issue Valhalla had, Aqua had a sinking feeling the personality from the power-hungry wielder was someone they know. Though the wielder was female from their tale, she glanced at Sora, gulping nervously as she decided to speak up.

"...What...was the rogue wielder's name?" Aqua asked.

"...Cozy Glow," Lightning said.

The moment her name was mentioned, all the wielders, Donald, Goofy, and the CMC reeled back in shock. "What!? Cozy Glow!?" Riku exclaimed, their reactions startling the masters, even Lightning and Bahamut.

"Wait, you SAW her!?" Bahamut questioned.

"Uhh, a stunted pegasus who's older than her young appearance claims to be, pink fur with curly blue hair, and a cutie mark of a queen chess piece?" Xion listed. Surprised, the council muttered to each other, Lightning and Bahamut left speechless. "...I take it that description matches with the filly who nearly destroyed all of Equestria's magic?"

"Where is she now?" Lightning demanded.

"Locked up in Tartarus," Terra said. "We managed to stop her before she succeeded in ridding Equestria's magic forever within the heart of the world." He then looked back at Sora, who was still astonished, but it slowly turned to sorrow. Kairi gently held his hand, reassuring him that he did the right thing in the end. "...Sora bested her in a duel. And he destroyed her Keyblade."

As relieved as the Valhallan masters were, they were also impressed by Sora's prowess even further along with his prior achievements in the past. Lightning clenched her fists, her expression sinking back to her stone-cold, stoic pout, leaning back in her seat with a grunt.

"I find that impossible," Bahamut said, voicing his gripes with Sora. "Several of us tried to stop her, all of us highly trained veterans of the Keyblade as well. She slips right out of our grasp, but you somehow took her down, single-handedly, AND destroyed her Keyblade and left her powerless in an underworld prison?"

"We didn't know her intentions until it was almost too late," Kairi said. "She could have killed us along with Equestria's magic. And he didn't stop her alone; our apprentices helped while Sora did most of the work. They were the only ones who could have stopped her."

"She fooled all of us into thinking she was a lost filly who mysteriously gained the power to wield a Keyblade," Aqua explained. "She betrayed us...Especially Sora, whom he had a close bond with the Cozy Glow we thought she was at first glance."

"...So long as her Keyblade is shattered in a million pieces, then we no longer have to worry about her," Lightning said. She barely showed any sympathy, losing a prized student who lost themselves down a path of power, nor any remorse for training such a monster. Once the rest of the masters went quiet, no longer worrying about the rogue mare, the foreteller continued with their meeting. "Next, tell us all how much you know about the history of the Keyblades."

"Not much where we trained," Terra answered. "We know about the Keyblade War, and it happened hundreds of thousands of years ago. The aftermath left a world barren and devoid of any life, leaving behind thousands of Keyblades from those who were killed in that gruesome war."

The room was silent, the masters all waiting for anymore the others had to say about the Keyblade's history. "...That's all?" one of them questioned.

"That's...all we know," Aqua confirmed.

"Oh boy. You guys have no idea what else happened," Snap mumbled. "Both before and after."

"Bahamut," Lightning called, the dragon smirked with a small chuckle.

"Glad to do the honors." Bahamut stepped forward, stretching his arm out and summoned his Keyblade. Appearing in a crackling energy of light, the dragon's blade was thick and as black as his scales, the teeth in the shape of a dragon's wing, the guard golden and circular as the metal wire connected with the hilt to form a sigil of an unknown glyph, and his keychain was the face of an open-mawed dragon, but with soulless eyes. "Prepare for your history lesson; history grubs like you would never know elsewhere beyond realms like ours."

Aiming up, Bahamut launched a beam of light to the ceiling. Above them was a crystal that jutted from the surface, the light piercing it and causing it to glow brightly. Releasing a flash of light, it expanded and crawled down the walls of the room. While the Valhallans watched the illusion take place, their visiting guests watched in awe as the stone walls and the floor beneath them turned into a massive visual representation of the past. They gasped when they saw another city in the magical vision, the smaller buildings dwarfed by a towering structure that was like a castle, yet also served as a clock tower with its intricate time-telling design between the towers.

"Wow...What is that place?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"It looks...peaceful," Scootaloo mumbled.

As Ventus stared at the town, he found it somehow familiar, but he didn't recall where. "Many, many years ago, the worlds were once connected as one, massive world," Bahamut announced. "This city you see before you is part of the graveyard where the Keyblade War was held: Daybreak Town." The room flashed, "transporting" everyone to the town square. Sora and his companions jumped when they saw people walk right through them, many of them young men and women, and they all wandered around with Keyblades. "This was the birthplace of wielders who fought to keep the light safe from the darkness."

There were so many wielders thriving within Daybreak Town, many of them having their own conversations or racing off to who knows where. What startled the visiting group as they watched the recreation unfold was that Heartless appeared around the town, but neither of them were deterred, summoning a massive variety of new Keyblades, and joined forces to eradicate them. As the battle against the darkness ended swiftly, the scene transition to another section of town with a fountain, and standing before them were five robed wielders, each of their outfits' hoods bearing appendages or shaped to match the masks they wore, unlike how Lightning's was.

"Who are they?" Riku asked.

"These are the first Foretellers of ancient history," Bahamut explained. "All five of these skilled masters were trained by the first ever Keyblade wielder to have ever existed. None knew his name, nor his face, but to them, he was entitled 'Master of Masters'." Hearing the name of the first ever Keyblade wielder startled Sora's group. They knew M was a formidable wielder who assisted the Pillars of Equestria, and inscribing his title in the Heartless mask he carved at Mage Meadowbrook's home, but to think that he was truly the first master and trained these five apprentices hundreds of thousands of years ago was astounding. One by one, each apprentice of M's were zoomed in, along with a symbol appearing over their heads. "These five masters followed in the Master of Master's footsteps and trained other future wielders under a Union they presided over.

"The first is Ira of the Unicornis Union. Then Aced, who led the Ursus Union. Invi, leading the Anguis Union. Gula, a young boy who led the Leopardis Union. And finally, a young girl who led the Vulpeus Union, Ava." Each of the wielders named had their symbols matched with their apparel: unicorn, bear, snake, leopard, and fox. The late masters disappeared, and in their place was a tome with unknown symbols etched on the front. "Each of them were given the title 'Foreteller' by the Master of Masters, not only to carry out his wishes before he disappeared, but to also hold a valuable copy of events the Master of Masters had foreseen in the future. These copies are known as the Book of Prophecies."

"Foresight?" Aqua uttered, realizing that the crazy wielder they've seen and heard was actually a master from an ancient time, and he decided to grace them with his presence through a means of time travel, which must have been the same kind of spell Sora had discovered and used multiple times.

"Though their books were the same, the Master had given each one a specific task to carry out. To prevent the war that was foretold in his visions and in their copies, they realized one among them planned to betray them in order to spark the inevitable Keyblade War," Bahamut continued as the vision shifted to the young girl, Ava, standing before several other wielders, and giving a speech to them. "Ava's task was important, and one you lot should be thankful for."

"Thankful?" Ventus repeated, confused.

"The Keyblade War was going to happen, as it was prophesized, but if that war were to wipe out every bearer, neither of you would even have yours to this very day," the dragon said with a conniving smirk, then pointed to the vision of Ava. "Foreteller Ava gathered wielders across all Unions, not just her own, to form a new alliance. The spark that kicked off the war was wielders from other Unions confronting their competition, rousing ire and hatred that turned scuffles into massacres as time wore on. But as she spoke to these wielders, they would be a Union of peace among themselves, where their alliance once stood not defining who they were supposed to be: protectors of the realm of light, and vanquishing the darkness that dares to consume the light.

"Thus, these new members in this 'alliance' were known as Dandelions. Though Ava could not join them, the wielders vowed to carry on the legacy of the Keyblade and remain neutral as the war waged. When it ended, just like a dandelion's seeds blowing in the wind, their power as Key Bearers will continue to pass on through generation after generation." The vision began to fade away into a flurry of lights, returning the room to normal as the crystal's glow from the ceiling began to fade out. Bahamut spread his arms, emphasizing the whole of the council, all of Valhalla, was more special than just another realm of light. "WE are descendants of those very same wielders who chose to refrain from fighting that war. WE are Dandelions, keeping the light strong when darkness comes to try to snuff out the now scattered worlds."

It was still so much for them all to take in. Though the history lesson was brief, the fact that the first Keyblade War actually started because of wielders of light began fighting amongst each other. And that aggression brought darkness to their hearts, thus the stories of wielders of light and wielders of darkness were locked in a battle to the death, destroying that peace, scattering the worlds while also leaving behind the aftermath of the deadly war in the Keyblade Graveyard. From how the story ended with Foreteller Ava leaving the surviving wielders in the Dandelions as she went to attempt to fight in the battle, it sounded like none of the Foretellers had survived.

Laguna clapped his hands, which made the draconic Keyblade Master glare at the man. "You should try your claws in theatrics. Maybe be a bard and sing out a story like that with a little harp," he complimented, which didn't amuse Bahamut.

"Shut it, farm boy," Bahamut growled. "If it were not for Foreteller Ava, none of us would be here."

"So...why is Lightning a Foreteller?" Scootaloo asked. "Can she see in the future, too?"

"It's just a title, though it does represent my superiority among other Key Bearers," Lightning said. "Many generations ago, there were those chosen by the first Foretellers to act as their second in command should anything happen to them. Sadly, the copies of the Book of Prophecies were lost thousands of years ago, but to uphold tradition, a Foreteller would name their successor, and we don a hand-crafted mask that represents our traits as a wielder of light."

"And yours is a chocobo? I figured something a little more moody or explosive would fit you, like a snake or something," Lea pondered aloud.

"Master Lightning is certainly headstrong, unlike our Foreteller before her, who was quite the opposite," one of the elders said. "Speaking of, where is she? She was the one who was most eager to greet our guests."

"Perhaps she got sidetracked tutoring the newest of our young generation of bearers," another said, then laughed as they crossed their arms. "She does have a way with children. Even with those as rowdy as our current Foreteller when she was a child."

Lightning breathed out her nose while closing her eyes, ignoring the snide comment. While there were more than enough Keyblade wielders here in this world, the sheer number they could have against Xehanort and his Organization XIII would end a second war much sooner. Despite the good news, however, Sora had so many more questions to ask these other masters. Unfortunately, those questions, after learning what they were supposed to do as a long-lasting Union meant to preserve the light of the worlds, weren't so hopeful for what they've been fighting for.

"Any questions about all this knowledge before moving on?" Lightning asked.

Aqua was desperate to learn more, whether from the mouths of other masters or even a library with books full of information. She was about to speak up, but Sora stepped forward, startling her while all eyes were on the young man who was seen as a celebrity among Valhalla.

"You guys are meant to help protect every world under attack by the Heartless, right?" Sora asked.

"Yes. That is what we're meant to do," Lightning answered.

"...So...if that's true...then why did neither of you show up to help us?" Sora questioned. This got a bit of a shock from the masters, aside from Lightning and Bahamut. "When the worlds were fading out and dragged into the darkness, why didn't you try to save them?"

"Uhh, Sora? Maybe we should be asking more of the ancient Keyblade wielders?" Aqua reasoned nervously.

"And what about what happened to Aqua, Terra, and Ven?" Sora added. "Sixteen years ago, they were caught in the middle of a battle to the death against someone who's about to start another Keyblade War. Xehanort schemed and plotted, using them to obtain what he needed to summon Kingdom Hearts and forge the X-blade. He almost succeeded, but they almost lost their lives in the process! If you were meant to protect other worlds, then why didn't you help them!?"

Taken aback by Sora's enraged questioning, Aqua rushed over and grabbed his shoulders, reining him back. "I-I apologize! Sora's always one to jump in headfirst! I'm sure he didn't mean any offense toward such wise, powerful, IMPORTANT wielders of light who-!"

Sora shrugged Aqua's hands off of him and stomped over toward Lightning. "What about what happened to my home!? Destiny Island was attacked by two storms of darkness; one when I was five, where my dad and his friends lost their hearts while out at sea, and nearly ten years later when this one destroyed it, cast it into darkness, and I lost Riku and Kairi! Where were any of you when everyone else I knew, including my own parents, practically died!?"

"Now you listen here, runt!" Bahamut warned. "We were trying to figure out what was going on when the worlds started fading out left and right! And if the Heartless found the heart of your world, it's gone forever!"

"I stopped the monster responsible for it with my friends!" Sora exclaimed, pointing to Donald and Goofy. "I only wanted to find my best friend and my wife, who just so happens to be a Princess of Heart! But, like the good-hearted person I am, I couldn't let the worlds suffer when they were under attack! And I brought those worlds that were lost back when we sealed the Door to Darkness! No thanks to any of you doing your part to 'protect the light from darkness', like you're supposed to!"

Bahamut growled, snorting out steam as he brandished his claws. "You dare talk back to me like that, you disrespectful-?"

"Let him talk, Bahamut," Lightning interrupted. He looked back, watching Lightning calmly stand up from her seat, stepping forward while eyeing Sora, her expression stoic. "I want to hear more about what he thinks of us."

With her left hand resting on her hip and her tone barely hinting of any sarcasm, the look in her eyes immediately told Bahamut, Laguna, and the other masters her buttons were already pushed. "Uh oh. Sora, maybe you better tone it down a bit," Snap Shutter warned nervously.

"By all means, let this 'hero' keep running his mouth," Lightning insisted. "Though actions do speak louder than words. And to be frank, this kind of stunt you pull when you meddle in the affairs of other worlds, you constantly break the number one rule to preserve the world order."

"What world order!? What's already been broken that couldn't get any of us into anymore trouble, huh!?" Sora questioned. "Xehanort's done that plenty of times, and none of you bother to find him and scold him about what he's done! He and his followers have attacked several worlds, harmed my friends, kidnapped Kairi, and as you just sit on your fancy crystal throne doing nothing, you're most important task was trying to find Cozy Glow, and you couldn't even bother finding her!"

"Ok, Sora, I think you've said enough!" Goofy said.

"Maybe he needs some more fresh air," Donald suggested.

"If you and the other masters in this room know exactly what I've done, what I've suffered through to save everyone, EVERY WORLD, doing all of your jobs, then why don't you do something useful and help us fight Xehanort before he starts another Keyblade War that will destroy everything!?" Sora angrily exclaimed, breathing heavily as he glared at Lightning.

The masters looked at each other, neither wanting to upset Sora further. They do know all his feats, both positive and negative, though from what they didn't know about Cozy's whereabouts, it was more likely they stopped obtaining that knowledge several months before Cozy Glow's attempted reign on Equestria and sealing all of its magic. Lightning didn't back away, barely intimidated by him.

"...Did you forget what the Dandelions weren't meant to do?" she asked back. "The first Keyblade War, they were the last rays of light, staying as far from the battle as possible so future generations of wielders can continue protecting the light. We know what Xehanort's been planning from what you know, and if he's going to start another war, we cannot be a part of that or risk darkness completely taking over."

"Y-You can't!?" Riku exclaimed.

"You're telling us we've got a huge advantage, but none of you are willing to join in and protect every world from what could possibly be the worst case of universal genocide in history!?" Lea questioned, shocked.

"We must abide by these rules," Mane Allgood stated. "The world order must be preserved, and we cannot intervene if a war among wielders transpires."

"That's...That's just not fair," Kairi uttered.

"After all we've been through, when we all could have used your help, none of you came to our aid," Terra grumbled. Even Eraqus was perturbed by the Dandelions' "neutrality", whether they had a valid excuse in protecting the world order, or just outright letting fellow wielders unaware of their realm or any other secret Key Bearers fend for themselves. "I wouldn't have followed Xehanort's orders. Ven wouldn't have lost half of his heart to create Vanitas and be used as a conduit to forge the X-blade. Aqua wouldn't have had to throw her life away in the Realm of Darkness to save me and be left stranded in there! All of this could have been avoided if you helped us!"

Scootaloo looked at her parents, unable to believe that they actually chose not to do anything unless it was absolutely necessary. They may have rescued her and her friends earlier, but when she was in trouble, Sora was always the one who came to her rescue. Sora always worked hard protecting everyone he cares about, no matter what. The hear this realm of wielders refused or did nothing angered her. If she was able to bear a Keyblade, if her parents believed she had the potential within her to, she'd rather stay in Equestria and learn from Sora and his friends.

"These rules have been passed down for eons," Lightning explained. "Without those rules, neither of you would have your Keyblades. You wouldn't even exist." She stared at Sora, who grit his teeth and grunted bitterly at her. "Why complain about this now when you clearly do a much better job than us?"

"Because I never give up on anyone," Sora said. "I never leave anyone in need of help to suffer. And if you refuse to help us, then maybe none of you are as strong as you think if your own apprentice was able to beat you when she escaped from this world."

Lightning's eyes suddenly flickered, her muscles tensing as her glare deepened. The masters were stunned in silence, shifting their gaze between the Foreteller and the young man with incredible potential.

"And he just signed his death warrant," Laguna mumbled.

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Xion questioned.

Lightning was eerily calm, staring her down as Sora did the same. She shut her eyes, slowly took in a deep breath, but before anyone could blink, she shot forward, kneeing Sora straight in the gut. Gasping, unprepared for the swift blow, he was sent flying past his friends, landing with a grunt by the crystal they all transported to. Without warning, Lightning warped over to the downed wielder, grabbed his hair with one hand while using the other to reach out to the crystal, transporting the both of them out of the room.

"W-What is she doing!?" Kairi exclaimed in shock.

"Sora practically challenged her with that insult involving Cozy Glow," Bahamut chuckled. "He thinks he can take her on, he's got another thing coming." Leaving the council with concern, Bahamut made his way toward the crystal, walking past their stunned visitors. "Can't wait to see this kid get his ass kicked."

"Hey, language, buddy!" Laguna reminded the dragon.

"Shut up and get over here so we can watch the action," Bahamut grunted.

Too dumbfounded by the masters not saying anything in response to Lightning's sudden sucker punch, Scootaloo was the first to run up to Bahamut. "Sora's not gonna lose! He's a whole lot stronger than you and Lightning combined!"

Bahamut just smirked as he looked down at Scootaloo. "Then let's not waste time, kid."

He then transported himself and Scootaloo away, the filly's boldness startling her friends and parents. "She really does look up to him," Snap Shutter uttered.

"They have no idea just how strong our master really is," Mane said.

---

Down in the streets of Valhalla, the brief calm as the denizens of the realm was immediately shattered when Sora let out a yell, flung out of the building housing the most powerful of Key Bearers. Hitting the ground, Sora tumbled across the road, sliding to a stop on his back, just getting the oxygen back in his lungs. Lightning walked out, a deadly leer plastered on her gaze, which alerted everyone nearby and gave her and Sora plenty of space, others running off to warn the rest of the people in the city to watch out for the oncoming battle.

"You're going to regret your words, Sora," Lightning warned. "You don't bring up my own failure compared to yours or your friends. And if you think you can challenge me, you're only digging yourself a deeper hole."

Sora winced, sitting up while holding his stomach. Behind Lightning, Bahamut and Scootaloo walked out of the entrance.

"Come on, kid," Bahamut said, picking up the pegasus and placing her on his shoulders, then flapped his wings and flew higher. "We'll get a good view of the fight from up here."

"He's not gonna lose," Scootaloo said, feeling confident in Sora's skills.

Bahamut just chuckled, letting the battle speak volumes and change her mind over who she would be looking up to as her hero. The others soon followed as Sora was getting back on his feet.

"Master Lightning, I swear Sora means no disrespect to you or the other masters!" Aqua tried to reason, but the Foreteller wouldn't be persuaded.

"If either of you get in my way, I'll make sure it's as painful as what I'm going to give to him," Lightning warned without glancing back at Sora's companions.

"There's no use changing her mind when she's got her buttons pushed," Laguna advised the others, each of them eager to jump in to try to get Sora out of the mess he got himself in.

Sora wasn't going to apologize. Nor was he going to back down. After doing his part protecting the worlds, he was going to show Lightning how dependable he was as a bearer of light, and why M believed he had more power than either of the masters of Valhalla.

"Well, you guys don't know how stubborn Sora can be when push comes to shove," Riku said.

"Hmph. That's one thing those two share in common at least," Laguna agreed with a smirk.

"I suggest you stay down. Unless you want to do this the hard way," Lightning said.

"Then we'll do this the hard way," Sora growled. He summoned his Keyblade and crouched in his stance. "I'll show you how strong I am."

Lightning's expression never wavered, nor did she seem amused. "...Suit yourself."

Grasping her robe from the right shoulder in her left hand, Lightning pulled it off her, revealing her clothing and physique underneath. Wearing what looked like a female soldier's uniform, the vest white with some pockets for small item storage, dark tan short shorts with a detachable burgundy pocket strapped to her left leg, blue fingerless gloves, and black and brown combat boots. On her left shoulder was a pauldron colored a pale green with golden etching on it. Bringing her right hand forward, she slowly rose it higher as if pulling out a sword from its scabbard, light shimmering within the space before her. In a flash, she grasped her Keyblade, then brought it behind her as she turned to her side with her left arm raised up to her abdomen, almost matching Aqua's stance, but carried more aggression from the relaxed posture.

Slowly, Sora and Lightning began to circle each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. After a minute of anticipation, Lightning finally struck, dashing forward with speed as swiftly as her namesake. Sora was prepared this time and blocked her strike, but he wasn't ready for the amount of strength she put into it. He staggered backward, quickly bringing his blade to block her onslaught of slashes. Sliding around her, Sora slammed his Keyblade down on her, but she managed to block it without looking back at him. Lightning then ducked, sweeping her leg against Sora's, tripping him up, then slammed the hilt of her Keyblade into his chest. Slammed to the ground, winded once again, he managed to roll away from her boot, missing him as she stomped the ground where he laid.

Sora got back to his feet and charged this time. He swiped at Lightning, who easily weaved around his slices, moving faster than he thought. He sliced horizontally, watching her miraculously lean back, vaulting off her hands and spiral flipping away. While midair, she aimed her Keyblade at Sora, firing a beam of light smaller than what he launches, and it flew at a higher velocity like the bullet of a gun. He yelped as he was struck in the middle of the chest, staggering back before another struck his right hand, knocking his Keyblade out and away from him. Lightning landed, crouched down and aiming her weapon at him, prepared to fire more light bullets.

Growling, Sora's Kingdom Key disappeared in a flash, but he refused to give up. Swinging his arm to the side, he summoned his newest Keyblade, gifted by the Tree of Harmony herself. The brilliance of crystal wires and the longer length compared to Sora's own Keyblade impressed the audience watching them, but Lightning wasn't deterred.

"Whoa! When did Sora get that Keyblade!?" Scootaloo asked.

"Tsk. Who cares? Changing to another Keyblade ain't gonna change the outcome," Bahamut said, earning a smack on the back of his head from the filly he offered to ride.

"Yes it will!" she argued, making Bahamut growl.

"Hey, I can just drop you off and let you fall to the ground," he warned.

"Then my mom will kick your scaly butt instead," Scootaloo argued.

Ignoring the filly, he focused on watching Sora humiliate himself further. Sora rushed Lightning, casting Fire spells at her. She avoided the fireballs, catching what he tried to do to trick her. As he got closer, she cartwheeled to the side, aiming and firing a light bullet at him point blank. He surprised her, suddenly disappearing, missing him, and he suddenly appeared behind her, dropping onto her with a dive kick. She grunted, knocked back from the counter as she flipped back on her feet.

"Nice trick," Laguna complimented. "Too bad that's probably the only hit he's gonna land on her."

Lightning clicked her tongue in annoyance as she stared Sora down. "Not bad," she said. "But no fancy movements will save you from me."

Clenching her left hand, she quickly swung it, sending a barrage of Fire spells back at Sora. Startled seeing her casting magic without using her Keyblade, Sora dodged the fireballs as they swerved toward him. Lightning then began casting Thunder spells, the bolts striking swiftly upon Sora. He got hit by the barrage, stunned, leaving him wide open. She then raised her hand, a gust of wind billowing from her hand, then swiped her arm, launching an Aeroga spell that turned into a powerful tornado as it made contact with Sora.

He was flung into the air, Lightning sprinting at him and launching him even higher with an upward slash. Jumping after him, Sora managed to recover and block her as she reached him. The two exchanged strikes, blades clashing and sending sparks flying. Lightning was slightly impressed to see him matching her and not holding back, but not enough to gain any respect for his arrogance earlier. Parrying his new blade, she flipped over him, then back heel-kicked him, sending him dropping toward the roof of the buildings down below.

Sora grunted, flipping himself upward, then let out a yell, unleashing his new Keyblade's form. He landed on the roof as his body flashed in a brilliant light, the shockwave startling everyone and even sent Lightning flying back in the air a little bit. Barely phased, she eyed Sora as she descended, his clothing shimmering like a rainbow, but on his chest was a clear, translucent tree with bright pink leaves. His Keyblade split into multiple pieces and began orbiting around him, his feet lifting off the ground as he began hovering, then shot forward, heading straight toward the master.

"Did he just go into his Harmony Form?" Ventus asked.

"No. His hair hasn't grown to make a pony tail, and he doesn't have the ears or pegasus wings either," Kairi said.

Lightning was ready to blast Sora point blank out of the sky with her magic, but he suddenly teleported, making her grimace as she actually lost track of him. Sora reappeared behind her, the shards swiftly gathering in his hands as he raised them up. As they were formed, streams of light shot from them and connected with each point, acting like stars of a constellation, except they manifested into a physical object. What they became startled Sora's companions; a replica of the massive party cannon from the Element of Laughter's second Formchange transformation.

"Surprise," Sora said, shocking Lightning as she turned around, only to get blasted point blank by ethereal confetti and sent flying back down to the ground from the explosive force.

Growling, Lightning snapped her fingers, which echoed loudly and caused the gravity around a massive section of Valhalla to change. Bahamut kept his wings still the moment Lightning changed the realms gravitational field, making Scootaloo yelp as she clung onto the dragon as her weight suddenly felt much lighter. While the rest of Valhalla was prepared, their new guests weren't as they almost lost their footing.

"S-She can change the gravity with a snap!?" Riku exclaimed.

"Ahh! Ah'm floatin' away!" Apple Bloom squeaked as she and Sweetie Belle flailed, unable to get back to the ground.

Boko ran over and caught them, letting out a chirp as he let the two fillies cling onto his neck. "Good catch, pal," Snap Shutter said to his bird buddy.

Lightning flipped herself around, landing on the ground, then pushed back up with all her might to retaliate for the cheap shot. She snapped her fingers again, launching several pieces of earth from the ground all around the city, making them float in the sky, using them as stepping stones to get back to Sora. Sora shifted the shards to his hands and feet, mimicking the Element of Honesty's gauntlets and grieves, then dove down to clash with Lightning again. They both hopped around, fists and blade exchanging blows as they zipped past each other, moving further from the center of Valhalla as their battle went from the air, to the ground, and back in the air some more.

"He's able to use all the Keyblades of Harmony's forms with that Keyblade?" Xion uttered.

"His skills using Formchanges are incredible," Mane Allgood said.

"And I thought his Drives were a spectacle to behold," Snap said.

"They're getting further away!" Scootaloo called out. "Come on, you big dragon! I'm not missing Sora show Lightning she can't beat him!"

"You want to try flying in near-zero gravity!?" Bahamut exclaimed, getting fed up with Scootaloo's complaining.

Mane glanced up, scowling at the dragon, then jumped up to meet with them. "Bahamut, that's my daughter you're yelling at," she warned.

"So teach your kid to respect me or else she'll be eating more than just the dirt in a second!" Bahamut roared.

Mane squinted her gaze, then dashed into him faster than he could blink. Scootaloo was knocked off, hovering slightly as she flailed about, but she quickly corrected herself, watching her mom slam the elder dragon into the side of the masters' council building.

"Do I need to remind you how you disrespected my husband and I, and you wound up with your face buried in the sand by the shores?" Mane asked. "You have more discipline than the dragons back in my home world, but I've run into a couple unruly teenage dragons who thought I was easy prey. And that was BEFORE I was chosen by Master Lightning to be her apprentice. BEFORE I met Snap Shutter. I sent them home crying with their tails between their legs, and I can make an old dragon like you do the same."

While Bahamut argued with Mane, Scootaloo looked out to where Sora and Lightning were fighting. She didn't want to miss the look on the Foreteller's face when she got whooped by her older brother. Flapping her wings, she managed to propel herself forward, shaking slightly as she experienced flight in a different sense on her own, following the two dueling wielders' example to push off against the floating land or the buildings down below.

---

The sound of children laughing in the park around the far northern end of Valhalla could be heard. Humans, colts and fillies, gryphon and hippogriff chicks, young minotaurs, and more enjoying the fun game of tag. Watching them from a bench across the way was their chaperone, wearing a pure white, high-end sundress with a red sash around the abdomen, white heels, and a white sunhat with transparent silk as a strap to keep her elegant piece on her head.

"I'm gonna get you!" one colt laughed as he chased a human girl ran from him.

"Can't catch me!" the girl giggled.

The woman's rosy lips curled into a smile, however, it turned to a frown when she felt the energy shift in Valhalla. The kids all slowed and nearly stumbled as they almost leapt off the ground. Hearing metal clashing coming from the city, they all grew curious and rushed over to what was happening without accidentally rising too high from the park. The woman stood up, the lighter gravity barely phasing her as she joined the children.

"Whoa! Is there a battle going on!?" a young zebra asked.

"Who's fighting!?" a diamond dog pup asked, his tail wagging excitedly with anticipation.

The sound of clashing grew louder as the pair battling approached the park. Glancing up, the woman spotted the two wielders jumping and flying through the air. Sora constantly shifted his Keyblade's weapon forms to throw Lightning off, but she didn't waver and countered him when either of them caught up with each other. Using the Element of Generosity's rapier form, Sora expected the enhanced dexterity would help. Sadly, it did nothing as Lightning narrowly dodging his thrusts, then rained down lightning spells on him. He slammed into a floating rock, then heard Lightning snap her fingers, causing the gravity of that very stone he was planted on to plummet to the ground. And he was about to crash land into a park, where several children and a woman watching them were going to get struck as well.

Shifting his body, he angled himself downward, pushing himself off, and shifting the shards to form Honesty's hammer form, he let out a yell and smacked the apple-shaped head into the underside of the falling boulder. Shattering it to pieces, he then shifted the shards to create Kindness's shield, expanding it and protecting the group from the falling debris. Amazed, the kids all stared at Sora in awe, neither of them knowing who he was, but his skills with his Keyblade definitely got their attention.

"That was awesome!" a gryphon chick cheered. "Do it again!" Sora didn't hear them, glancing back at Lightning as she dove further down, then flew after her, disappointing the kids. "Aww man."

"Who was he?" one of the human children asked.

"Is that the spiky-haired guy dad said who saved the worlds?" another asked.

The woman watched Sora catch up to Lightning and continue their fight, then focused on the children. "Alright, I believe that's enough fun for today," she said, her voice as posh as her attire, but kindly, yet firm. The kids all groaned in disappointment, as she expected. "Now now, enough of that. Clearly it's not safe if someone uses the entire city as a battleground for a sparring match. Let's go. Spitspot." Without any arguing with their chaperone, they obeyed, getting in a single-file line and followed her to somewhere safe. Turning her head to the ongoing confrontation, she had a feeling she was going to see the man who managed to go out of his way to save the kids while in the middle of a fight. "I'll be glad to have a little chat with him soon."

---

Scootaloo landed on the roof of the many similar buildings, panting slightly as she couldn't seem to keep up with Sora or Lightning. As fun as it was to see what it felt like to fly, she worried Sora wasn't going to win. Her ears twitched when she heard spells being cast up ahead, reaching the western shore of the realm. As she ran toward the edge of the roof, she yelped and jumped back, avoiding clear magic bubbles zooming down the street. Sora and Lightning sprinted down the road, having a ranged battle with spells, light bullets, and Laughter's bubble guns and continued making their way to the beach.

As Sora fired his energy bubbles, the ones that missed Lightning began to gather above her. She seemed unaware of the growing mass while chasing him down and dodging the stray bubbles as they both leapt and ran along the walls. Any of the residents they raced past were aware enough to stay out of their way, but Lightning's lack of care for a group of children that wound up caught in the crossfire to knock him down a peg showed just how selfish the so-called "master" was to her own people. Once enough bubbles accumulated, he holstered the ethereal guns, sending them all falling down on Lightning like a hail of meteors.

The first several impacts created a dustcloud that spread over the buildings and down the street. The shards returned to orbit around Sora, thinking he won, but a sudden gust of wind blew the dust away. Lightning was still standing, unharmed, and she was only getting started.

"Don't get cocky, Sora," Lightning said, holding her Keyblade out in front of her. "You're not the only one who can use Formchanges." Her Keyblade began to glow, the crystal rose on her keychain shining brilliantly as rose petals began to swirl around Lightning. Her clothing didn't change like Sora's does, but her Keyblade changed its form, gripping the hilt with both hands, then split them apart. The two blades grew longer and curled inward, sharp points jutting out from the outer edge of the blades to look like pinions of a wing. The light faded as they changed from a gun-like blade to twin swords, their hilts able to connect to turn them into a massive, dual-blade staff. "You and your friends are decades behind when it comes to using your Keyblades."

"I'm not scared of you," Sora growled.

"You will be." With a yell, Lightning slammed her swords to the ground, sending a barrage of lightning raining toward him.

Sora leapt back to avoid the incoming lightning storm. Lightning combined her blades and spun them, launching a whirlwind at him that shot at Sora faster than the slowly charging thunder strikes. With another hop back, Sora held his arms forward as the shards gathered to form Magic's bow, launching an arrow into the wind and dispersing it with his own Aero magic. He took aim and shot several arrows through the thunder spell, letting each one get struck and returned back to Lightning to give her a taste of her own power. She spun the blade, deflecting the arrows, then leapt up as Sora did the same.

Scootaloo watched them duke it out, Lightning's longer, sharper swords almost knicking Sora, even as he used the bow as a makeshift shield. Sadly, Sora wasn't able to keep up with the experienced wielder and her Formchange. As she struck, a bolt of lightning from her swing struck Sora and stunned him, leaving him open to get slashed wildly. Lightning lunged forward, kicking Sora hard in the chest, sending him flying across the rooftops, straight down to the beach down the hill. Scootaloo blinked, and Lightning was already zipping off after Sora, striking him again before he had a chance to recover and shocked him with a powerful bolt of lightning. She gasped, hearing him cry out and get flung back toward the water, watching him tumble and splash across the shallows until he came to a stop on his back.

His clothing reverted back to normal, his new Keyblade reappearing in its original form beside him. "...Sora?" Scootaloo uttered. She jumped and floated down to the beach, the others catching up as they rounded the corner of the adjacent road. Lightning kept a close eye on Sora, letting out a disappointed grunt. "...No way he can't lose...Sora! Get up! You got hit by worse! Keep fighting!"

"He's down and out, kid," Bahamut said. "Lightning's outmatched him. Even with that fancy Keyblade of his, he's lost before the fight even started."

"He always finds a way, no matter what," Kairi said. "Whether he's down or on top of the world, he won't quit."

Bahamut opened his mouth, but a sudden spark of light caught everyone's attention as they looked out at the shore, where Sora was currently laying. The water around him began to part and splash away from him, his eyes shooting open as his body floated back upright, then yelled as he unleashed a powerful shockwave of bright light that shrouded his body. Lightning turned her head before she was blinded, the others covering their eyes as they waited for the light to die down. When they could see, the sphere of light around Sora faded, revealing his newest form and the power radiating from him, to Bahamut's distress.

"...What in the name of my great uncle Tiamat is this?" Bahamut muttered.

"Is that a new Drive Form?" Sweetie Belle gasped in awe.

"When did he get this form?" Snap uttered in surprise.

"Not that long ago," Terra said. "When King Sombra returned, neither of us could stop him. This power was bestowed upon him by the Tree of Harmony; the same tree that was meant to keep Equestria safe from the darkness." The elder dragon gawked at Terra while he smirked and crossed his arms. "Someone who called themselves 'M' helped the Pillars of Equestria plant it. He was a Key Bearer who assisted the Pillars, and seemed to have entrusted Sora as a grand savior of the worlds. And, I'm not sure if it may be this same 'Master of Masters' in history who trained his five Foretellers, but he did inscribe his name on a mask while with one of the Pillars, which was also 'Master of Masters'."

"W-What!?" Bahamut exclaimed. "That's impossible! The Master of Masters disappeared before the Keyblade War began! He wouldn't even be alive today!" He growled, refusing to believe these wielders with little to no knowledge were that blessed to be graced by a legendary wielder's presence, or his assistance from hundreds of thousands of years ago. "It can't be...There's just...no way..."

Lightning's eyes widened slightly at Sora's new form, his hair now flowing and pure white, his clothes bearing the silver crown matching the necklace he wore and the Elements of Harmony in different segments, and his opened eyes shimmered like a rainbow before turning gold. His Keyblade returned to his hand, and when he crouched a bit, he sped off toward Lightning, spreading and kicking up the water on the shallow shore as he flew across the surface. Lightning twirled her blades, launching vortexes at Sora to slow or stop him, but Sora teleported from side to side, closing the distance, and very quickly.

She split her blades and tried to slash down, but he parried her with his own Keyblade, making her stagger back, to her surprise. Sora slashed upward, sending ethereal Keyblades rising up and striking the Foreteller in a spiral pattern. Before another set of ethereal blades struck from above her, Lightning dropped to the ground and flipped out of the radius of the swirling blades. Once she landed, she was on the defensive when she was shot at by multiple beams of light around Sora, deflecting the beams or somersaulting and flipping away while Sora continued to hover closer. The barrage finally came to an end, and she found her chance to drop a powerful Thundaja spell on him.

Sora watched the electrical energy appear in a ring around him, gather to the center where he floated, then looked up as the bolt shot down on him. He teleported away, the lightning strike causing the sand to kick up from the impact. He reappeared behind Lightning, launching her up in the air with an explosion of light, following her up while zipping past her at blinding speed while slashing repeatedly. Lightning was shocked that she was actually taking so much damage after she had been besting Sora throughout the whole fight, but her frustration only grew, failing to counter or retaliate while being tossed around like a ragdoll.

"Yeah! Go, Sora!" Scootaloo cheered. "Kick her butt! Show her you're the greatest hero ever!"

"I can't believe it," Mane uttered. "No one's ever managed to last this long against Master Lightning. Not even myself or Snap Shutter when we worked together."

After the relentless onslaught of slices, Sora appeared above Lightning, aimed down as light began to build up at the tip. More lights began to form behind him, each one a different color and matching the respective Elements they belong to. After the light was built up enough, Lightning saw images of the Mane Six behind him in the same pose as Sora was for a brief moment before a rainbow beam of powerful light was unleashed. Blasted, she let out a grunt as she was sent back to the beach. It was a painful blow, but she wasn't going to go down like this.

She managed to slip out of the beam, using her Aero magic to fling her off to a floating stone nearby. Digging one of the blades inside, she used her momentum to flip herself around, then launch herself back to Sora. Flipping one blade backhanded, rose petals flew behind her as she closed the gap between the two, then she stretched her arms out and spun rapidly.

"Zantetsuken!" Lightning shouted as a spiral shockwave appeared around her swords, slicing the air around her, and through Sora.

Grunting, Sora held his hands up, hearing glass cracking as he let out a strangled gasp, feeling the air cut through him. When it shattered, he felt the impact as he barely had time to register it, sent crashing back down to the sand, losing his form the moment he hit the ground. His Keyblade disappeared in a flash of light, his sudden defeat shocking his friends. Even Scootaloo. He had her on the ropes, but Lightning shot her down with a single, powerful blow.

"He's out," Laguna said. "He put up a good fight, though."

Lightning landed, wincing slightly, but she stood tall, the two sharp blades disappearing as her Formchange ended. "...That was cutting it close," she mumbled as she approached Sora. He was still conscious, squinting his eyes as he struggled to sit up, but Lightning pushed him back to the ground with her foot, planting it on his chest. Recalling her Keyblade, she aimed it at Sora, panting slightly. "But you still pale in comparison to my strength."

"...I...had you," Sora grunted.

"You were just lucky, like you have been since the Keyblade first chose you," Lightning scolded. "Your accomplishments were all made thanks to your luck. When you gave up your heart for Kairi, a Princess of Heart, you were lucky to make it back thanks to her light guiding you back from the Realm of Darkness, where you should have stayed." Sora winced as the claim that he was lucky throughout the last six years as a Keyblade wielder stung him. He did think that some of his success was chalked up to a bit of dumb luck, but at least he managed to do something to stop the threats that were destroying the worlds, unlike the wielders of Valhalla. "And these abilities, these forms you use in combat, all of it was sheer, dumb luck. And your luck has completely run out with a master of superior strength and skill compared to yours."

Out of nowhere, a beam of light shot right at Lightning, striking her dominant hand. She winced, barely seeing it coming as her Keyblade was knocked out. Growling, grasping her injured limb, she turned to whoever attacked her, her attitude quickly shifting when she saw who struck her.

"That will be quite enough of that." Stunned, everyone looked at the assailant ending Lightning and Sora's battle. Sora vaguely recognized the woman who was with those children whom he rescued earlier. In the woman's hand was a Keyblade, another wielder, but the reaction on Lightning's face made him think she was a highly revered Bearer, even higher than her despite being a Foreteller. Her Keyblade was dark black, but the teeth were petals of a red rose. Around the base of the blade meeting the guard were small wires that covered the upper half of the guard like a closed umbrella, where the guard was perfectly round, platinum in color, and the keychain hanging off the end was shaped like a parrot's face. Bahamut, Laguna, Snap Shutter, and Mane Allgood were shocked by this woman's presence as they all watched him untie the silk straps of her hat and took it off. Though she was clearly older than Lightning with short, grayed and tied in a short bun, but her facial features make her look like she's still a woman who hadn't even crossed her thirties. Planting her Keyblade in the sand and placing it on the guard like a small hat rack, she casually approached the Foreteller. "You two have clearly caused quite a stir. I expected much better of you, Claire Farron. Especially when you almost dropped a large chunk of earth on top of a group of children minding their own business and playing together at the park."

"C-Claire?" Sora uttered, glancing up at the woman who beat him, and was wilting with a scowl by this woman's calm chiding.

"Yes. Claire Farron; 'Lightning's' real birth name," the woman explained. "No matter what alias she chooses, she will always and forever be acknowledged by her real name around me." To Sora's surprise, Lightning didn't argue with this woman, nor correct her on who she wanted to be called. He was still shocked that someone as powerful and hardcore as Lightning actually had a normal name to begin with. "Count yourself lucky this young man has his heart set on the safety of bystanders than his own."

"...Yes, master," Lightning responded.

"'Master'?" Sora uttered, stupefied. He glanced at the woman, then back to Lightning, and back to the posh woman. "...You trained her?"

"Yes. Who do you think passed on the role of Foreteller to her?" the woman asked.

"Who is that woman?" Ventus asked.

"That's no ordinary woman," Bahamut mumbled, his voice low and suddenly less gruff with this master's presence. "That's Lightning's mentor, and the Foreteller before her. Master Mary Poppins."

"Whoa. That woman dressed like some rich, upper-class noble was the last Foreteller?" Lea asked, astonished.

"She may not look like it, but she was the real deal before passing the torch to Master Lightning," Mane said.

Mary waved her hand, which glowed a faint light, where the same glow appeared around Sora. Able to move again and no longer feeling any pain, he was able to sit up more, amazed by the healing spell she cast on him.

"Now, I believe it's time for tea," Mary said. "And, considering these are all guests of our realm, I think they deserve a much better welcome than getting into a fight and putting others in harm's way." She turned her head and glanced at Lightning, a silent, stern glare that made Lightning grimace, averting her gaze from her mentor. "Claire, go on ahead and put some tea on and set up the garden. And make sure that everything is-"

"Practically perfect in every way," Lightning sighed, as if she was being lectured as a teenager.

She began to take her leave, but Mary gently grasped her arm. "Ah ah ah. Are we forgetting something?" she asked. Lightning looked up, stifling an annoyed grunt, then snapped her fingers, reverting the gravity from her spell back to normal. The large chunks of earth floated back down, safely so no one else got injured. "Thank you." Lightning made no response and continued onward. Mary looked down at Sora, who was still baffled by what he was witnessing. "Come now. You should be perfectly fine getting back up on your own feet," she chided like an overbearing mother, yet expected her child to be able to do things on their own. "Up you go. Spitspot."

"Uhh, o-ok?" Sora got up, brushing off the sand on his clothes while Mary Poppins began to head back to the mainland.

"Come along, everyone," Mary said, taking her hat and grasping her Keyblade before she dismissed her weapon. She walked over to the group, approaching Bahamut and giving him her hat. "Be a dear and carry this for me. Thank you." The dragon grumbled, but he did as he was told, holding it carefully in his claws. "Don't dawdle, now."

Not wanting to keep the elder master waiting, they followed her back to the mainland.

---

Mary Poppins led her guests to a manor on the eastern side of Valhalla. The estate was well-tended by her personal servants, some of them also Key Bearers and apprenticed under her. A minotaur wearing a black tuxedo guided the master's guests around to the back of the manor, where they seated out in a luxurious garden with different hedge statues of Mary Poppins scattered about. There was a wide dining table that could be fit for a banquet of over a hundred guests in the middle of the courtyard, decorated with a variety of flower bouquets, white tablecloths, and an illusion spell over the table with different creatures flying or waltzing by in an aurora of bright colors.

As everyone took their seats with Mary at the head of the table, Lightning soon came out with a cart filled with several pots of hot tea, complete with silverware, teacups and saucers, milk and sugar, and a bevvy of teacakes. It was so odd to see Lightning acting like a servant, still garnering her attire and obeying her mentor's orders despite her higher rank that her mentor passed down onto her.

"Wow. Fancy spread," Laguna said with a whistle. Lightning grumbled as she set down a tray near him with Xion, Ventus, and Mane Allgood within arm's reach. "If I had known you'd cool down with Mrs. P breathing down your neck, I would have called her to maybe help settle Odin down, too."

Lightning clenched her eyes with a growl, then a harsh thwack rang out as Laguna let out a yelp, winced, and clutched his left leg. "Another one of your 'leg cramps'? Better walk it off, Laguna," Lightning scoffed and continued laying out the other trays.

"Augh!...Not...cool," Laguna squeaked, rubbing his sore leg.

"Claire, if you are quite finished, I do not want to see you acting violently at my home," Mary Poppins scolded. Lightning scowled, but she behaved herself. Once she was finished placing the trays around the table and placed one in front of her master with portions only for her, she walked over to a pillar of curling vines nearby and leaned against it, avoiding any social interaction with the others. "I must apologize for her behavior. Claire was a troublesome young woman before finally growing up, but when I trained her, I taught her respect for her elders, her fellow Bearers, and the people of Valhalla. Sadly, it appears that stubbornness still lingers, and it shows."

"Hmph," Lightning grunted.

Mary began to pour herself some tea, adding in some milk and a sugarcube to sweeten it. "I must also apologize for not being present upon your arrival. Since I retired my position, I've been watching over many of the little ones for their families. Young, aspiring minds with potential, a lot of them bearing that same spark in all Key Bearers to be future apprentices." She eyed her guests as she took a sip of her tea, focusing more on Scootaloo while she nibbled on a teacake. "Snap Shutter, Mane Allgood, your filly definitely has that potential to follow in your footsteps. It is a pleasure seeing her again."

"Y-You know me, too?" Scootaloo asked.

"When we made the decision to...leave you in Equestria, we asked for her approval," Mane answered sadly. "And, when you were old enough, we could bring your back home."

"So, Mrs. Poppins, is Scootaloo really able to be a Keyblade wielder?" Apple Bloom asked. "Like Sora, or the others?"

"Of course," Mary said. "Inside every heart is a small spark. It's rare to experience, but if you look closely enough, that spark of light has just the subtlest of difference in strength, where it can grow and grant them the prowess of a Bearer of light."

"...Do we have that spark?" Apple Bloom asked. Though it was a stretch, she hoped that she and Sweetie Belle could also be future Key Bearers like Scootaloo so the CMC wouldn't be separated. Unfortunately, Mary shook her head, which disappointed the three fillies. "...Oh."

"I think if your sisters found out you could be potential Keyblade wielders, they'll throw a fit," Xion said.

"Granted, the Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony will grant those without that very spark a chance to become a Bearer as well," Mary explained. "But don't get your hopes up if your relatives refuse. Combating against the Heartless is dangerous, after all." The CMC knew it was too good to be true. Even Sora didn't want them trying their hooves at being wielders like him when they were searching for their cutie marks back then. "Now, before getting sidetracked, please inform me of what you've all learned from the others."

While the information was still so much for them to comprehend, Aqua spoke up first. "Well...The Keyblade War wasn't how we actually thought it was from what little knowledge of the ancient past of wielders long before us. There were five separate factions, each one led by a master who was trained by someone named the Master of Masters...And...it may be hard to believe, but...I think we've...met him."

"Impossible," Lightning interjected. "The Master of Masters disappeared long before the first Keyblade War. He left the world to his pupils, and theirs after. Even with all of them having a copy of the Book of Prophecies, they couldn't prevent the war from happening. And the Master of Masters foresaw everything that was written down in that very book."

"So, you kept tabs on all of us, but there's certain moments you didn't bother to stick around and find out what happens next?" Terra questioned.

"And what proof do you have?" Lightning questioned back, but Mary held her hand up, silencing anymore of her outbursts.

"I am actually quite curious of your claim," the elder master said. The group nodded, and presented to the curious woman and the two doubtful masters present with their evidence through a memory ornament. They brought up their first encounter with the Master of Masters, or M as he entitled himself, from his comedic and snarky banter to the influence he's had in Equestria. The moment his Keyblade was visible, the very same Keyblade that has existed for millennia after millennia up until the current owner, which happened to be Xehanort. Though Sora had more involving the true master, he kept his mind shut to those one-to-one moments between them. Mary slowly nodded her head, acknowledging this news and the influence of light within Equestria all due to the person with as much power as he had. "...Intriguing indeed."

"I still feel like this is all just some stupid joke," Bahamut grumbled.

"But the proof was also within Sora," Mary added, startling the dragon.

"What!?" Bahamut barked.

"That brilliant form of his when he and Lightning took their battle to the beach, where no casualties would be counted," the master added, making Lightning growl in disdain. "The light he unleashed, along with all those ethereal Keyblades that rose and fell as he commanded them to attack. Tell me, did either of you find those Keyblades in any way familiar?"

"How was I supposed to tell when it came at me like a raging twister?" Lightning grunted. "I could feel the different shapes of the teeth slicing me like I was being attacked by several wielders at-" In her tirade, as Lightning thought back to the faint glances of the Keyblades' designs, she suddenly realized what Mary Poppins was asking her. Confused, everyone looked at her. "...The Keyblades of the fallen wielders in the war..."

"W-What?" Ventus uttered.

As Aqua played back Sora and Lightning's last moments in combat, she slowed down the playback when Sora struck. Though the details on the Keyblades were faint, she could see some resemblances to a few unique ones she did see when she was in the Keyblade Graveyard, both before their battle against Xehanort in the past and when she officially met with everyone after escaping from the Realm of Darkness.

"A very faint light came from all those Keyblades," Mary explained. "Rumors say that the last flickers of light from those fallen warriors in that very war might still be out there, trying their hardest to continue protecting the light from darkness. Wherever Sora was gifted this special form of his, along with such a beautiful, yet powerful Keyblade, the light that radiated from him was like a shining beacon; a ray of hope, gathering the fallen light of those with that same hope to aid him in a time of struggle...In fact, if it has no name, I'd prefer calling it 'Ray of Hope'. Because, you, Sora, are that ray of hope for all those worlds you saved a few years ago."

While Mary Poppins smiled and praised Sora, the others were astonished by the discovery. Everyone knew how powerful Sora was, but with the assistance of those with light who had died in the Keyblade War finding their way to him with the use of the new form and Keyblade he was gifted by the Tree of Harmony, now named Hydaelyn, who was given life by the Pillars of Equestria and M, the light imbued to the seedling must have also connected with these very same wielders who died for the light. Lightning was at a loss for words; here was Sora, in her master's presence, who broke so many rules and spoke out of turn against her, was being praised and encouraged by her master by being a very powerful wielder, and he isn't even considered a master himself.

Sora should be grateful for the kind words, but what the wielders of Valhalla failed to do while he was given words of appraisal by a master of incredible strength, it still rubbed at him the wrong way. "...Is that why neither of you helped us during that time?" he questioned.

Aqua immediately glared at Sora, acting up again despite having her own personal grievances with the other wielders' lacking presence and having the common sense to keep them to herself. "Sora, what is wrong with you!?" she exclaimed.

She was about to apologize profusely, even the rest of their friends, but Mary Poppins silently raised her hand, calmly, then looked at Sora. "Everyone has a right to speak their mind, good or bad," she stated. "And I can see in your eyes the knowledge you were given has struck a nerve."

"It has," Sora said. "I only focused on searching for Riku and Kairi when our home was taken by a dark storm, but as I searched for them with Donald and Goofy, I couldn't let innocent people suffer from what was happening in their worlds. Whether or not it involved the Heartless, I wasn't going to just stand by and let it happen, just like when Destiny Island was taken into the Realm of Darkness. Even when Donald kept telling me I shouldn't get involved in another world's affairs, but I don't care if I break that rule so long as I know everyone I've met who needed my help was safe." Everyone was waiting in anticipation for Mary Poppins to interrupt, talk down to Sora and reprimand him, but she remained silent and continued listening to Sora's grievances. "If you all knew about me and what I've done...was I just being tested by all of you? Just waiting to see if I would succeed or fail? There were so many times where I actually believed I failed.

"I lost my dad to that very same storm that took his life and the lives of his friends out at sea. I went back in time with a spell I found in Equestria to prevent it from happening, but it still happened, despite me intervening. I watched my own father turn into a Heartless, and took his life to keep him from suffering. I took on the Organization when they were just Nobodies, and they blackmailed me by holding Kairi hostage. I gave up my heart to wake her from a heartless coma when I finally found her. I've fought villains who I couldn't even beat on my own, where others' lives were in danger, and if I lost, who else would come to their rescue when they depended on me?" Scootaloo's ears drooped, reminded of Marluxia kidnapping her and all the foals in Equestria just to get to Sora. Even when he was losing, she never gave up on him. Sora then stood up, placing his hands on the table and leaned forward, glaring defiantly at Mary Poppins. "...Why did none of you help us when we needed it the most? Not just me; all of my friends..."

The tension was so intense, a pin could drop, and it could make Mary Poppins snap. The woman remained calmly stoic, finishing her cup of tea, building up more anticipation for the rest of the guests on her property. The light clatter of china connecting made even Bahamut grimace and lean back as she looked Sora dead in the eyes.

"Has anyone explained about the Dandelions?" she asked, taking Sora aback by her question.

"...Yeah. Created by Foreteller Ava, she gathered wielders from all five Unions who were willing to remain neutral and avoid getting involved in the Keyblade War," Sora answered. "Without the Dandelions, we wouldn't be here."

"Precisely," Mary Poppins said.

"...What does that have to do with my question?" Sora demanded.

"You have already answered it," she explained.

Frustrated, Sora clenched his fists, but when he looked back at Aqua, Terra, and Ventus, the vague response from the elder slowly made him understand it clearly. Fifteen years ago, Aqua, Terra, and Ventus got involved trying to help each other and stop the Unversed, which escalated in them confronting Xehanort. He had planned to spark another Keyblade War, pitting a battle between light and darkness to forge the X-blade and summon Kingdom Hearts. The three of them were met with unfortunate fates, with no one to help them but themselves. Then, the worlds began to die out from Heartless attacks, which resulted in Xehanort's Heartless, Ansem, trying to open "Kingdom Hearts", which was actually the Door to Darkness, to unleash the infinite void and spread them throughout every world and cast the cosmos in darkness.

Then, there was Organization XIII, led by Xehanort's Nobody, Xemnas. He enlisted twelve other Nobodies, forming a group with the goal of creating Kingdom Hearts through the stolen hearts of the Heartless, which they used Roxas for that goal and to "gain" hearts of their own. In a way, it was like another war was brewing, only with the foe against the light being creatures between both realms. Though they weren't with the darkness, the Nobodies had their own power that could have spelled doom with the universe if their initial plans really succeeded. And now with the real Xehanort back and his new Organization XIII, the second official Keyblade War was upon them, which meant the Dandelions couldn't interfere, even if they wanted to. The never could; a rule they were all bound by, all for the sake of the future of the Keyblade and its next generation of wielders fighting for the light.

The rest of Sora's companions began to realize they're hopes in assistance from other wielders was a lost cause. Despite her brutal honesty, Lightning explained to them all exactly what Mary Poppins had hinted at. Dejected, Sora's shoulders sank as his muscles relaxed, staring down at the table, where his silverware was left untouched.

"...So...if worst came to worst...you couldn't help at all," he mumbled.

"If we must, we must," Mary Poppins assured. "But because of the threat of balance between light and darkness risking the lives of others, sadly, we must not." Sora didn't sit down, barely acknowledging the master trying to let his disappointment down gently. "I know you are upset, angry, frustrated, overly pressured thinking everything has to fall on your shoulders. You have proven to do the impossible, and you have pushed your limits to doing whatever is necessary for your friends and family. I see the makings of a master in you, Sora. You could have beaten Lightning if you wanted to."

Lightning's eyes shot open, glancing at her mentor with shock as she grimaced in doubt. Sora didn't believe Mary Poppins; he knew he stood no chance. She even witnessed it herself. Giving up on himself when it came to his friends needing him was what brought him down to a whole new level of failure. Even with his new Ray of Hope form and an upgraded version of his Ultima Keyblade, he stood no chance against a powerful wielder like Lightning.

"...I think I need a walk," he mumbled, excusing himself and started to leave the garden.

"Sora? Where are you going?" Kairi asked.

"...I don't know," he said, not looking back. "Just...I need to clear my head..."

Sora left the garden, ignoring one of Mary's servants to help escort him. Everyone watched him leave, passing Boko as the chocobo waited patiently for his owner outside the manor grounds, letting out a saddened chirp as he sensed Sora's troublesome state.

"He really does feel like everything depends on him now," Riku mumbled.

"I know this is not the response you wanted to hear, but know that we of Valhalla do have confidence in Sora as one of the best wielders in your generation," Mary Poppins said. "I suppose tea time is over. In the meantime, why don't you all enjoy what we have to offer. You're welcome to peruse our library for some more historical knowledge, and I would love to meet the newest of wielders from Equestria one day, both your apprentices and the Elements of Harmony." Silently, the master's guests all stood up and began to leave to properly explore more of Valhalla. Aqua froze, turned around and opened her mouth to speak, but Mary Poppins stopped her. "Master Aqua, please stop apologizing. I've seen temper tantrums from a spoiled toddler that are far worse than an instigated fight from two stubborn warriors. Just as long as no one else was hurt, no harm done."

"...R-Right," Aqua mumbled, hesitating as she respectfully bowed, then hurried off in her frazzled, flustered state.

"She needs to relax a little more," Mary mumbled with a titter.

"...You're not phased by the fact that boy admitted he can travel through time?" Bahamut questioned.

"I still can't believe you're letting them get away with this," Lightning scowled. "They've broken far too many rules. The world order is practically broken, and they're making it worse by getting involved in every single world they've visited. And you thought Sora could beat me!? He's lucky I didn't send him flying further out toward the ocean and drown him for telling me I'm weaker than Cozy Glow!"

"Speaking of, have you gotten any news from your runaway pupil?" Mary asked.

"Sora managed to put a stop to her," Laguna said, still present at the table. "Broke her Keyblade and dropped her spoiled, power-hungry tail to a lifetime sentence in Equestria's prison for evil monsters like her."

"Don't you have a stable to run!?" Lighting shouted. "Or anything better to do than butt in on matters that don't concern you!?"

"I'm just answering Mrs. Poppins's questions that you're evading to keep that pride of yours from dwindling." Lightning grumbled in response, itching to give Laguna another painful blow to his other hamstring muscles.

"Well, that is some very good news," Mary Poppins said with a nod. She stood up, signaling to her servants to clear the table. As they got to work, the master approached the disgruntled, sneering apprentice of hers. "Perhaps it was better for Sora to do the job for you instead. You taught her everything, much like I have taught you everything. If he defeated Cozy Glow, I'm sure he would have found a way to knock you into the sand if you didn't get 'lucky' with your Zantetsuken." Lightning growled, rolling her eyes with her arms crossed. "Laguna, a pleasure seeing you again."

"Always a pleasure being in your presence, ma'am!" Laguna said. "And don't worry. I'll make sure Lightning doesn't cause anymore trouble."

Mary gave them a nod, then turned and began to head off into her manor. The moment she was out of earshot, Lightning used her speed, swiftly dashing toward Laguna and back while giving him a harsh kick into his other leg. Laguna let out a yell and crumbled, clutching his other limb as he hissed and massaged the aching muscle. Lightning walked off, needing to cool down, leaving Bahamut to look down at the man slowly getting up, wincing as he limped slightly.

"You've been asking for it," Bahamut muttered.

"...Kinda worth it, but also not. Agh..." He limped away with the dragon following suit.

---

As day turned to evening, things only became more and more frustrating for Scootaloo as time passed. Even though her parents were excited to show her around, it was still unsettling how Sora and Lightning's fight was just easily brushed off by the rest of the Valhallans as if this was normal. They were more worried about how she felt being left in Equestria for her safety to not realize how upset she was about being forced to move and live incredibly far away from the friends and family she had known growing up. Despite the transportation a simple walk through a portal of light, it was the fact that she would never hang out with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle and have to start a new life and several new relationships in a city where she doesn't feel at home.

She had enough of her Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood's "exciting" tour around their favorite locations and ran off. She also needed some time alone, wanting to spend as much time with her friends as long as possible before moving, but couldn't because of how upsetting it was for her friends as well. They didn't understand that she was already at home in Ponyville, growing up without knowing who her birth parents were, and was perfectly content with who she knew all her life. She was happy with her friends; with Sora.

When she found herself back on the western beach where the battle's end took part, down on the sand of glowing crystals lighting up the shore, Scootaloo spotted Sora sitting by the still waters. If she was going to have to move away, she wanted to spend what little free time she had left with her older brother. As she walked across the sand, her mind kept wandering to the defeats she'd witnessed, both from earlier and the Christmas before last year. She still refused to believe he could lose, even if those doubts constantly bubbled up no thanks to Xigbar terrifying and taunting them.

Scootaloo sat down beside him, his hand reaching out to gently rub her head when he heard her footsteps crunching the sandy shore. "Too much excitement for one day," he said.

"Mhmm," the filly agreed. They sat in silence for a moment longer, quietly listening to the calm ocean of this realm as not a single wave lapped at the several dozen yards of sand from the mainland. "...I thought you had her..."

"Me too..." His fingers gently scratching behind her ear did nothing to soothe her misery as he tried to reassure her. They could both tell this was nothing how they expected their time meeting Snap and Mane, or even enter a realm with hundreds of other Keyblade wielders. Picking Scootaloo up, Sora gently placed her in his lap, sighing heavily. "At least we got to meet your parents...That's...one good thing about all this..."

"I know...But, I'm not even excited anymore," Scootaloo said. "They want me to be with them...I want to, but at the same time..."

Sora frowned, hugging the pegasus filly tightly. "I get what you mean. Even if we're allowed to visit this place...it wouldn't be the same." Scootaloo nodded, her lips quivering as she tried not to break down in tears. "...Did you tell your parents?"

"How can I? They were so happy to see me again," Scootaloo said. "I'm happy I got to know them, and as much as I want to be with them...I don't want to just throw away everything I've known all my life to start it all over again. It's just not fair..." Squirming herself around in Sora's arms, she buried her muzzle in his chest and hugged him tightly. "...If I could be a Key Bearer, I want you to train me instead. I want to stay in Ponyville...with all my friends...With you..."

The surrogate siblings silently embraced each other. Unaware of the seemingly quiet shores, Sora and Scootaloo were being watched from atop the cliffside where they sat. Mane Allgood and Snap Shutter panicked when Scootaloo was nowhere to be seen, but their search didn't last long when they found her walking over to Sora and watched the two talk. They didn't understand; Scootaloo was happy to meet them, she loved seeing Valhalla, but now she was more miserable than they thought she would when they revealed themselves as her biological mother and father.

"She's really bonded with Sora this tightly, hasn't she?" Startled, Snap and Mane looked behind them to see Laguna. He stepped closer and looked down where Sora and Scootaloo sat, ignoring the confused looks on the couple's faces. "I know I spoiled the little surprise you wanted to give her, but maybe I spoiled it at the right time."

"What do you mean?" Mane questioned.

"You couldn't tell from the look on her face after I blurted out how you two were going to move her back with you two to rekindle more than a decade of lost time with your daughter?" Laguna asked. "How would she have reacted if you told her at the last moment, when they all go back to Equestria, and you drop that bomb on her? The excitement and energy she had when you approached the ranch is immediately gone."

"But we thought she would be so much happier being back in our lives," Snap uttered. "We're happy."

"But Scootaloo isn't," Laguna reminded the confused pair. "I may not be a parent myself, but I do have a way with kids. Not as well as Mrs. Poppins, but more than enough to see that spark of joy in a kid's eyes." He sat down by the edge with a grunt, letting his words sink in to the couple. "Even her friends are upset. Their bond is going to be strained by such a move, and they're all afraid they won't see her again, just like Scootaloo's afraid of the exact same thing."

"We could let her go back to visit everyone in Ponyville," Mane reasoned.

"By bringing her yourselves?" Laguna asked. "Knowing you two, you're going from world to world, creating a massive bestiary of Heartless that have been popping up since you became Key Bearers. And while you two were exploring your home world for thrills and chills, did either of you feel homesick after spending time here?" They started to see his point from Scootaloo's perspective. Though they also had families in Equestria, they were much older than Scootaloo when they encountered Lightning and were given the opportunity to do more than simply explore uncharted terrain. That impact wasn't as severe as it seemed to be for Scootaloo, who was currently clinging onto Sora as if it were the last time she would ever see him again. "Your daughter is still a kid. You both love her and want what's best for her, right?"

"Of course we do," Mane said. "I didn't want to put so much pressure on her, but...I was just so excited to reunite with her, I never even realized what we thought was good news was stressful for her." Seeing how close Scootaloo was to Sora and her two friends, she was forcefully driving a wedge between her family and the ones who ARE family to her. As sad as it was for her to leave her as a baby for her own safety, she didn't want to upset Scootaloo more by taking away the happiness she already had over what they wanted to give her. "...She already has a home..."

"Yeah. I guess we can't take her away from her family," Snap agreed. His ears perked up, getting an idea. "I think I know what'll make her even happier."

"How?" Mane asked.

"Introducing her to some more family," the stallion said with a grin.

---

After spending the night in Valhalla, the visiting group were up as morning came and ready to head back. Surprisingly, Mary Poppins came to see them off, as well as Lightning, the Foreteller wearing her robe again with the mask hanging around her neck. Mane Allgood and Snap Shutter instructed how they created their portal connecting to Valhalla, which was incredibly simple with them knowing of its existence and being present to travel between the realms with their Keyblade's light.

Exiting the portal outside of Ponyville, Scootaloo dreaded the inevitable. If she wasn't going to see her friends again, she might as well spend as much time as possible with them while packing up her things. She started to head into town, but Mane pulled the filly back with one of her wings.

"Where are you going, Scootaloo?" she asked.

"...To...pack my stuff?" Scootaloo said, confused.

"We've got plenty of time for that later," Snap said. "There's something else we want to show you."

"Another world with other Key Bearers you know?" Scootaloo grumbled.

Mane and Snap chuckled in response. "It's actually here in Equestria. This world was our home before we became wielders."

"And they'll be in for a little surprise, too," Snap added. "I'm gonna get an earful from her, though. Haven't written to her in a couple years."

"'Her'?" Scootaloo questioned.

"You'll see." Mane then looked at Sora, who overheard their family conversation. "Sora, will you join us?"

"Uhh...Sure, I guess," he said. The others didn't know what else Mane Allgood and Snap Shutter wanted to show them, but whatever it was, they hoped it wasn't more news that'll make their situation worse. They all headed back to town to tell the Mane Six about what happened yesterday, and brace themselves for the shock they would experience. With Sora alone with Scootaloo and her parents, he was a little concerned about what else they wanted to tell him personally. "So, what exactly did you want from me?"

Snap pulled out a blue crystal from his robe and held it up. "Gather round. It'll be much quicker getting there, but if they agree to what I have in mind, it might be a lengthy trip back."

Scootaloo started to grow curious, first being mentioned about "her", and now a "them". As Sora stood beside the reunited family, the crystal began to glow, then with a bright flash of light that encased them, they found themselves from Ponyville's outskirts to a forest somewhere in Equestria. Since Sora was still a pony, he wondered just where the crystal teleported them to. Before he or Scootaloo could ask where they are, Mane and Snap started taking off their robes and folded them. Beneath their Bearer attire, they still wore their adventurous clothing from when they were younger.

"What's going on?" Scootaloo asked.

"They don't know about what we actually do," Mane explained. "To them and everypony who knows us, we're always somewhere throughout the world, exploring new terrain and new creatures never recorded or studied."

"We embellished the truth a little bit, but it's kinda the same," Snap said. "But...we've hidden the fact we had a foal from them in my letters. So, I suggest bracing yourself when we see them."

With their robes stowed away, Snap and Mane led Sora and Scootaloo through the trees until they found a dirt trail. Following it, they arrived at a small clearing with a cottage, a simple wooden fence marking the perimeter of the land. They approached the door, Snap Shutter giving it a few knocks as he took a couple deep breathes, feeling somewhat nervous. The door opened, where a pegasus mare with pale yellow fur, arctic blue and light cyan hair, wearing a light purple turtleneck sweater greeted them. She seemed to look a bit older than Snap and Mane, and when she saw who it was at her door, her eyes widened, then she smirked at the stallion.

"Well, well, look what the manticore dragged in," the mare greeted with a laugh.

"Hey, Loft," Snap greeted, rolling his eyes.

"You're in for an earful, mister," the mare said, then turned and faced the direction of the kitchen inside the cozy cottage. "Holly, you'll never guess who's finally showed up at our doorstep after going AWOL!"

"Oh boy, you ARE in for it, aren't you?" Mane teased her husband.

"Who is it, Lofty?" Another mare stepped out from the kitchen doorway, bearing the same kind of accent Snap Shutter has. As Lofty stepped aside, revealing the other resident as an earth pony with light, pale gray amber fur, scarlet and tangelo hair that was far longer than Lofty's shorter mane and tail, and she had blue flower earrings and a light blue scarf around her neck. The moment she saw who it was, her eyes lit up and she ran over to the front entrance. "Snap! Little brother, you're here!"

"Brother?" Scootaloo uttered in shock, watching the mare suddenly snatch her father in her forelegs and hugged him tightly. "Wait...that means she's...my aunt?"

After Snap's sister let him go, she clonked him on the head, making him wince. "Three years and no letter. I know you like adventuring and running into trouble, but you can't find any time to relax or write something to let me know you're alright?"

"I-I got caught up in my work, Holiday," Snap apologized while rubbing his noggin.

"Well, stop working," Holiday scolded. Ignoring her sibling, she greeted Mane and hugged her as well. "Mane, so nice to see you again."

"It's good seeing you and Lofty again," Mane said.

When the two mares noticed the other two additional guests at their door, they immediately recognized Sora. "Wow. I didn't think you knew of this young celebrity," Lofty said.

"Uhh, I'm not that famous, am I?" Sora asked sheepishly.

"Are you kidding, kid!? Your name's all over Equestria!" The mares let their guests inside as Lofty hurried over to a stack of quilts in the corner of the living room. Grabbing one, she unfurled it, revealing a checkered pattern of white and black, but each square had different colored Kingdom Keyblades that contrasted with their respective square. "Even got a little inspired making a few quilts with that fancy weapon of yours."

"Uhh, neat," Sora mumbled.

Scootaloo stepped closer to Lofty and stared at the quilt's design. "Wow. Those are really good," she said.

"And who's the little squirt?" Lofty asked curiously, ruffling Scootaloo's mane. "Didn't think you had a little sister."

"Actually, there was...a little something I forgot to mention in my letters, but on purpose," Snap Shutter said. Holiday and Lofty stared at Snap, then to Scootaloo as the stallion picked his daughter up. "This is Scootaloo. She's our daughter, and your niece."

Both mares' jaws dropped, astonished to hear of this news after more than a decade. "You had a foal!? Why didn't you say anything!?" Holiday exclaimed.

"Uhh...well, there was...a lot going on?" Snap answered sheepishly.

Holiday sighed heavily, wanting to give her baby brother another clonk on the head to get his brain back in place, but she didn't want her biological niece caught in their sibling spat. "I swear, growing up, you do the craziest things and leave out so many details that gave our parents heart attacks."

"Didn't you mention one day where your brother brought home a baby cragodile and scared your mom right out of her fur?" Lofty asked.

"Yes. And he named the dangerous little thing Marshmallow," Holiday mentioned.

Snap laughed sheepishly at the memory. "I still miss that little guy."

"We didn't," Holiday grumbled. "So, care to explain why you didn't tell us I was an aunt and I'm just seeing Scootaloo now?"

"We had our reasons," Mane said. "Because of how dangerous our work was, we didn't want Scootaloo to get caught in the middle of something that could have gotten her seriously hurt. So, to keep her safe, we left her to be adopted by a friend of mine I knew in Ponyville." Mane bit her lower lip, still feeling the guilt from all those years ago that night. "...Anonymously, but I've kept in touch with her and her husband through letters, keeping in touch with how things were going."

"I'm surprised Scootaloo isn't all that mad at you for leaving her with some other ponies and showing up now to tell her, 'Hey, we're your mom and dad! Nice meeting you! Now let's be the family we should be!'" Lofty said.

"...Well, I was surprised," Scootaloo said. "I wanted to know who mom and dad were, and meeting them was enough for me. And...now I have some aunts, too, so that's...a little better."

"Doesn't sound like it is," Lofty said.

"Well, mom and dad want me to come with them," Scootaloo said. "I'm gonna have to say goodbye to everyone in Ponyville."

Snap and Mane looked at each other, ready to give Scootaloo another, much better surprise. "Actually, we've done a bit of thinking," Snap said.

"It better not involve raising another cragodile," Holiday scolded.

"No dangerous critters, I assure you," Mane said.

"We were wondering if you're interested in moving to Ponyville," Snap said. His idea made Holiday, Lofty, even Sora and Scootaloo gawk at him with curiosity. "There's a property for sale, and I'll buy it for the two of you if you want to watch Scootaloo for us."

Shocked, Scootaloo looked up at her dad, then to her mom, her aunts, and Sora, who seemed just as surprised as she was. "W-What?"

"You're offering to buy us a new place and spend more quality time with the niece we never knew we had?" Holiday asked, feeling a bit skeptical as she and Lofty glanced at each other.

"Well, after we showed her around where she'd be staying with us at Shire Lanka for our next job, we almost didn't notice just how hurt our filly would have been if she moved away from all the friends she had made growing up in Ponyville," Mane said. "We both wanted desperately to be together as a family again, but at the expense of her happiness. I didn't want to take that away from her, or the choice to live where she wants to."

"...B-But...But what about...?" Scootaloo was at a loss for words. She wanted to be with her parents after meeting them yesterday, she didn't want to leave her friends, and now her parents introduced her to relatives she didn't know she had, AND was willing to let her stay in Ponyville while letting her new aunts take care of her. She didn't care about whatever lie they made up to Holiday and Lofty to hide their actual occupations; she wanted to know what made them change their minds after they were happy to have her back in their lives. "...Y-You're really...? Why?"

"Somepony from Shire Lanka had better eyes than we had," Snap said.

"And we were so blinded by taking you back in that we were taking you away from the 'family' you knew more than us." Mane tilted Scootaloo's head, focusing her gaze on Sora, one of those very "ponies" who were Scootaloo's family. "While we weren't around for you for over a decade, Sora was one of them for half that time. You look up to him the most, and it wouldn't be fair if we brought you home with us and never got to see your 'big brother' for a long time."

"You can catch up with your aunts, and when we have some free time, we'll come by to see you," Snap added. "And, whenever you feel like you're ready to stay with us, you let us know."

Scootaloo was still baffled, flipping on a wild roller coaster of emotions and stress, looking back at her parents. "I-I...I didn't want to leave, but...I didn't want to be apart from you two," she said. "I didn't want to disappoint you. After we just got together again..."

Snap and Mane pulled Scootaloo closer, gathering her in for a group hug. "We were afraid you would reject us after leaving you in somepony else's care," Mane said as she got teary-eyed. "We regretted that for so long just to keep you safe, but in the end, it turned out to be the best thing for you in the end."

"All that matters to us is that you're happy, Scootaloo," Snap said.

Their worries were quashed when their daughter embraced them, shedding tears of joy. All she ever wanted was to meet her real family, to know them, and they were ok if she stayed in Ponyville with the friends back home who were also a part of her family. Sora had been afraid of losing Scootaloo as well, but with Mane and Snap leaving their child in the care of her aunts had relieved him of seeing the pegasus filly upset for the rest of her life.

"I don't want to break up such a beautiful moment, but about getting us to move to Ponyville?" Lofty interjected.

The parents and foal glanced at the other two mares, though both of them were happy about their situation and the inclusion of a niece in their lives, Lofty gestured to their furniture, framed pictures, her quilts and materials for her crafts, kitchenware, and the rest of their belongings. "We do have quite a lot of things," Holiday agreed. "It could take about a week moving everything from here to Ponyville. It's quite a distance away."

"Why else did we ask Sora to come along?" Snap said.

"Wait, that's why you asked me to join you and meet more of Scootaloo's relatives?" Sora asked, taken aback by being dragged along as a guest, but also for last second labor. Granted, working on the Apples' farm, he didn't mind helping since Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood were allowing Scootaloo to stay in Equestria with her aunts. Despite his questioning, he couldn't hide his grin. "...I guess I can handle something like this."

"Are you sure he's able to lift much?" Holiday asked curiously.

"He works on one of my friend's apple farm," Scootaloo said. "Sora's really strong. He can lift more than twenty barrels full of apples without breaking a sweat."

"I'd pay bits to see that," Lofty said.

"So, what do you say, sis?" Snap asked.

Holiday hummed in thought, looking at Lofty in silence for a moment, then back to her little brother. "Alright. But when we're settled in, you're coming to visit two times every month after not hearing anything from you the last couple years."

"Deal," Snap agreed.

---

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle moped in their treehouse, barely paying any attention to any other cutie mark conundrums to help resolve around town. Though no one was in need of their assistance at the moment, they weren't in a good mindset for helping others without the third member of their group present.

"Ah guess...this might be the end of the Cutie Mark Crusaders," Apple Bloom mumbled. "It ain't the same if Scootaloo's not gonna be around."

"Yeah...But, should we at least be happy to know she's gonna be back with her parents?" Sweetie Belle asked. Apple Bloom groaned, planting her face against their podium. Sweetie Belle grimaced, forgetting that Apple Bloom had never known her own parents, even though she still has a loving family who cares about her. "...This is a horrible day for the Cutie Mark Crusaders."

A moment of wallowing silence passed until they heard a set of hooves racing up their ramp. They were about to tell a potential pony with a cutie mark problem they weren't up for solving said problem, but their door shot open with Scootaloo barging in.

"I'M NOT MOVING!" she cheered.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle nearly jumped out of their fur, barely processing Scootaloo's announcement while she ran inside the clubhouse, snagged them both, and hugged her best friends tightly. "W-What!? What's goin' on!?" Apple Bloom asked, trying to break free from her pegasus friend's grip.

"Mom and dad brought me to visit more family! I have two aunts!" Scootaloo said. "Well, one's my dad's sister, Aunt Holiday, but Auntie Lofty's...her roommate? I don't know, but who cares!? I have two aunts!"

"...And how does that make you so happy when your parents are taking you back to Valhalla?" Sweetie Belle questioned.

"Because my parents are allowing me to stay! To live with my aunts! And they along with Sora are helping them move their stuff to the new house my dad just bought them!" Surprised, Scootaloo hugged her friends tightly as their moods shifted from miserable to ecstatic. "The Cutie Mark Crusaders are not splitting up!"

"No foolin'!?" Apple Bloom squealed.

"Come on! I'll show you!" Scootaloo released her friends and ran out of the clubhouse, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle rushing after her. The earth pony and unicorn were barely able to keep up with their pegasus companion as they raced into town to see Scootaloo's new home. Weaving around ponies, they finally arrived at home that was recently bought, Sora and Snap Shutter moving in some of Holiday and Lofty's furniture inside. Despite the time crunch, Sora was able to deliver all of Scootaloo's aunts belongings with a sizeable wagon he borrowed from the Apple family, only taking a few trips through the air without overwhelming it like Big Mac had on their road trip to Goldie Delicious's when it came to Pinkie and Applejack's families being related. Outside, instructing the two stallions where to put everything, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle saw the two mares that were her new aunts as Scootaloo ran over to them. "Aunt Holiday! Auntie Lofty!"

"There you are!" Holiday said.

"Heh. I've got the title of 'Auntie'," Lofty gloated, earning a light bump on the flank from Holiday's.

"Oh, hush. Don't you go being a bad influence on her," Holiday chided, making the pegasus laugh in response.

"I want you two to meet my very best friends: Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo introduced as her friends approached her aunts. "We work together to help other ponies discover their cutie marks or figure out what their cutie marks really mean to them."

"They're also little troublemakers," Sora added as he hefted a couch from the wagon. "She didn't explain that while you all got caught up with her on the train ride over?"

"No, but I could see that same glint of troublemaker in her eye that her father had when he was a colt," Holiday said.

"I wanna hear about every single misadventure that made them little rascals," Lofty said, ruffling Scootaloo's mane. "And seeing those similar cutie marks of yours, I've got another batch of inspiration for some new quilt designs."

"So, is Scootaloo not pullin' our tails?" Apple Bloom asked. "Are ya gonna watch Scootaloo when her parents are busy with...their work?"

"Mhmm. Mane's getting Scootaloo's things from the ponies who she left with her so we can all get settled in," Holiday said. "And you two are welcome to hang out, just as long as none of that trouble comes into the house."

"Heh. We're trying to grow out of that," Sweetie Belle sheepishly responded.

"Well, let's head inside and hear all about it!" Lofty said. "Holly's made some delicious cookies yesterday from our old cottage that we brought with us, and I don't think my sweet tooth can handle more of her delicious recipes."

Lofty and Holiday guided the CMC inside to share some exciting stories. Sora set down the couch, letting out an exhausted sigh as the work was nearly done. Mane soon arrived a moment later with some of Scootaloo's things, setting them down so Scootaloo can sort out her stuff in her new bedroom. Day went to evening, the new house fully furbished for the new residents. Commemorating Scootaloo's continued stay in Ponyville, the CMC decided to have a sleepover, which suited Holiday and Lofty fine so long as they don't make a mess.

With the fillies upstairs, Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood said their goodbyes to the two aunts, not wanting to be late for the last train to Shire Lanka. Holiday made sure to remind the stallion to visit his sister and regret it if he missed the set date. The couple set off, Sora following them as he said his goodbyes to the new Ponyville residents while also reminding them to watch out for Pinkie Pie and a surprise party she'll throw for them. Once they were far from town and any prying eyes, Snap and Mane put their robes back on before they returned to Valhalla.

"So, you two really are ok with this?" Sora asked.

"Sort of, but we know Scootaloo's in good hooves with such amazing friends," Mane said.

"And with a strong young man like yourself always keeping an eye out for her," Snap said. "I think, for now, it's best if we try to build our relationship with Scootaloo one step at a time. And, if she's ready to be chosen by a Keyblade, she's got the perfect teacher to show her the ropes."

Sora grimaced, knowing how well he did teaching Cozy Glow, but he knew Scootaloo well enough to know she's not that kind of pony. "Y-Yeah. Still not sure I'd like her fighting something as dangerous as the Heartless...but I'll do my best if I take her as another apprentice."

"We know you'd do an incredible job." Before the couple left, Mane surprised Sora with a hug. "You always keep her safe. Scootaloo's lucky to have you in her life."

Mane released him, both her and Snap fully entrusting Sora as a guardian for their daughter. Sora smiled and nodded his head, feeling he was the lucky one to have met Scootaloo and bonded so closely with her. The couple called a portal of light back to Valhalla, giving Sora a wave before they walked through and the portal disappearing behind them. Sora turned and made his way back into town. Though he and his friends were free to enter Valhalla, he was still disappointed in the wielders of the realm for following a rule that's been made for hundreds of thousands of years. Mary Poppins believed he was strong enough to stop Xehanort, but his battle against Lightning told him he was still far from ready. He was going to have to train even harder, and when he ends the second Keyblade War, he's going to give Lightning a rematch she's not going to forget.

---

Lightning stared down a young boy who was beginning his training as a new Key Bearer. He was incredibly nervous, gripping his Keyblade, his stance shaky and the position of his feet uneven, lacking any confidence in himself. She did give him the first move to gauge how he fights, finally moving after several moments and charged at her. As he closed the gap, he tripped over his own feet and faceplanted to the ground at Lightning's feet.

"Ugh..." The boy grumbled, rubbing his face while Lightning let out an annoyed sigh.

"This is going to be a long day," Lightning uttered. From the corner of her eye, she saw Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood wincing at the boy's faceplant. Coming from down the street, Lightning spotted her master going on a stroll and came over toward them. "Mane. Snap. Show him the basics."

Both ponies nodded, running over to help the kid up and guide him over to some training dummies to continue his training. Dismissing her Keyblade, Lightning was dreading hearing another lecture from her retired master.

"You need to have a more gentle touch when training a new wielder at their young age," Mary Poppins lectured.

"If they can't steel their nerves, they won't stand a chance with an actual threat," she reasoned. "Is there something you want from me?"

"I think you know exactly what I wanted to talk with you about." Lightning grumbled, still miffed over Mary's claim that Sora could have bested her the other day. "Understandably, they had a right to be cross with us about keeping our nose out of the conflicts currently ongoing beyond the realm."

"If he wants us to die for a cause that's impossible to grasp, then he's lost his mind," Lightning griped. "If another war is happening, we need the light to stay alive. He can bicker with me all he wants, but I am keeping my foot down for the safety of every single wielder in this realm. He should have had his Keyblade taken away from all the world orders he's broken JUST from his presence and constant meddling."

"...Indeed, he should," Mary Poppins agreed.

"So then why didn't you say anything?" Lightning questioned. Without a word, Mary pulled out a slip of paper. It was heavily worn from the passage of time, but it was kept in decent condition. "...What is that?"

"This piece of parchment was, allegedly, a part of the Book of Prophecies," Mary explained, causing Lightning's eyes to widen in shock. "Judging by how worn it is, I genuinely believe that this might have come from that very book, or maybe it was copied by a chosen Foreteller way before our time. When I was named Foreteller, my master passed this on to me when the time was right." She held out the paper to Lightning with an amused smile. "I think now's the time for you to hold onto it, and see what was written."

"And you're telling me this now?" Lightning irritably asked. As much as she wanted to snatch it away and look at it, she didn't want to risk destroying it as it was an important piece of history. Taking it, she examined the paper, then found the words that were written on it by a Foreteller that passed it down from generation to generation. "This better say something interesting..."

Light and Darkness, constantly at war with each other, an endless cycle where both sides cannot coexist without the other. One war against Bearers had taken many lives due to accusations among who would betray whom, and another war will come between Light and Darkness once more in the years to come.

However, what disaster the second Keyblade War could bring would be far worse. Every life may lose their lives, and the prospect of a second life when Darkness succeeds may or may not be a reality. But this war will spare the majority of casualties of the first. Darkness may try, but they will not prevail, even when they threaten to snuff out the Light, letting Darkness prevail with Kingdom Hearts swayed in Darkness's favor, but to immediately wipe out any existence of Darkness for a new world filled with nothing but Light. Either outcome, there would be no surviving side, the worlds restarting in an era that may spell doom, regardless of which side succeeds.

While reading the words to herself, she glanced at her mentor. It sounded like a prophecy of the second Keyblade War, which Sora and his friends had mentioned when they explained what they had experienced against Xehanort and his Organization. And if it's describing what Xehanort was planning in this new war he's starting, then their assumptions to what he's planning may be accurate.

"Keep reading," Mary instructed. "You may be surprised by the end."

Grunting, Lightning looked back at the paper and continued on.

The next Keyblade War will not end in bloody death. For the instigating wielder of Darkness shall meet his match against a wielder of Light, who is more powerful than any in the years to come. A strong heart will lead the realms to victory, keeping the balance between Light and Dark, even if this one's heart may seem weak. With an unwavering goal, bearing the weight of all the lights of those he's encountered on his journey to grant him the strength to prevail, he shall wield the power, preserve Kingdom Hearts' power, save all the realms and the lives of those dear to him.

This wielder's name...is Sora...

As Mary Poppins expected, Lightning was shocked by whom the prophecy said would prevent the end of the second Keyblade War. "...It mentioned...Sora???" she uttered. Speechless, she gawked at her master, who only nodded her head silently in response. Lightning couldn't believe this prophecy had to be real. Sora had broken so many rules involving the world order. He's fended off foes who resided in those worlds, revealed his Keyblade to a mass of people, even befriended allies who fought alongside him. Sora would end the war, because of the amount of people he bumped into and stupidly revealed himself as an outsider, yet he would be strong enough to stop Xehanort because his heart was stronger than her own. "...What the hell is this? There's no way this was from the Book of Prophecies!"

"The wear of the parchment does depict it being in existence for hundreds of thousands of years," Mary assured. "We are even aware of his accomplishments."

"As Key Bearers, we cannot meddle in the affairs of other worlds, nor should we even tell them anything about the Keyblade, the Heartless, anything!" Lightning argued. "This thing is telling us that the fate of all the worlds, and if it does include us in Valhalla, rests on HIS hands!? He's a novice compared to the likes of me, and he shouldn't even deserve to bear that Keyblade of his! Nor either of his friends!" Mary remained stoic while Lightning continued shouted her grievances to what she just learned. "How do you explain something like this even IF this prophecy comes true in the end!?"

"...Well, first of all, Claire, I will be quite clear with you," Mary said, pausing for a moment, then grinned at her pupil. "I don't need to explain anything."

Stunned, Lightning grit her teeth, watching her master begin to walk off. "There has to be some kind of explanation!" she exclaimed, rushing forward and getting in her master's path. "What else are you hiding from me? What else about this...this...forged nonsense are you withholding!?"

"Nothing," Mary stated. "But, like you, I had so many questions about what this meant. What I can say is that, however you interpret it, you cannot deny that what Sora showed you, it is obvious he is more than capable than he seems." She walked around Lightning, the Foreteller still fuming, but only growing more confused as this revelation had transpired. "He may break the rules as a Key Bearer...and though I do abide by following rules to keep order among worlds..." She paused, then looked back at Lightning as she did the same. "For the sake of every world...I suppose some rules don't matter when his heart tells him exactly what should be done. His heart must be why the Master of Masters appeared before him and his friends in Equestria."

Leaving Lightning to muddle over that thought, Mary Poppins resumed her walk. Lightning grumbled bitterly, glancing back down at the old piece of paper in her hand, the words of the second war's prophecy scanned repeatedly for any discrepancy. While lost in her thoughts, she completely forgot about Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood with the new wielder not too far from where they were training him. The couple overheard them, along with the little bit of secretive information Lightning revealed in her tirade. They looked at each other, wondering what they should do when the second Keyblade War will eventually come.

Comments

[Postwarmonkey50]

"I am not Foreteller Lightning's assistant!" the dragon interrupted with a snarl. "I am a Keyblade Master, and you will do well to still your tongue! I am Bahamut! You respect your superiors, no matter their appearance!"

Bahamut, where have I heard that name before. It sounds so familiar, but I can't remember from where I've heard it.

[Postwarmonkey50]

"...Cozy Glow," Lightning said.

Holy...that's where she was from?!!

[Postwarmonkey50]

"That's no ordinary woman," Bahamut mumbled, his voice low and suddenly less gruff with this master's presence. "That's Lightning's mentor, and the Foreteller before her. Master Mary Poppins."

Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins. SERIOUSLY?!!

[LordKioshi]

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Dungeons and Dragons maybe? It's the only other place I've heard the name

[Postwarmonkey50]

11813782
Now I remember.
The name Bahamut was from one of Wildcard's stories, High School dragon.

[Postwarmonkey50]

As Mary Poppins expected, Lightning was shocked by whom the prophecy said would prevent the end of the second Keyblade War. "...It mentioned...Sora???" she uttered. Speechless, she gawked at her master, who only nodded her head silently in response. Lightning couldn't believe this prophecy had to be real. Sora had broken so many rules involving the world order. He's fended off foes who resided in those worlds, revealed his Keyblade to a mass of people, even befriended allies who fought alongside him. Sora would end the war, because of the amount of people he bumped into and stupidly revealed himself as an outsider, yet he would be strong enough to stop Xehanort because his heart was stronger than her own. "...What the hell is this? There's no way this was from the Book of Prophecies!"

Wow, looks like Sora is meant for greatness after all. And you know what, now I really like Marry Poppins as a Keyblade wielder.

[Matthais Unidostres]

I'm predicting that Lightning will willingly become a Heartless just so she can kill Sora and prevent him from fulfilling the prophecy. She has no respect for Mary Poppins and defies everything she tells her. Lightning doesn't care about lives and would gladly see them both killed to preserve her idea of balance. Lightning may join Grogar's Legion of Doom to sacrifice Equestria to kill Sora. It's just one world out of millions, thats no big deal to Lightning.

[Princespeedywhooves]

That was an amazing and sad chapter I have read I love it 😭❤️

[MLPFanForever]

OMG! This is an amazing, badass chapter! Outstanding job!

[SoraFan23]

I really didn't like Lighting in this chapter. She was very rude and didn't seem to care about Sora's accompishments. I still don't know when Sora is going to be a "Keyblade Master". I know Yen Sid said a while back that Sora's really test is to defeat Xehanort but I don't know if Sora knows about this or maybe he just expects Sora to learn about on his own by following his own Heart.

I also hate whenever Sora doubts himself and whenever someone has to remind him how much good he has done in the world its almost as if everyone has to rely on him now which is now becoming a huge burden, but I know he knows that his friends will be there to support him no matter what others say. I just wish he wasn't being talked down upon just because some disgruntled person like Lighting was saying to him despite him showing off how great he was at battling.

[Codex92]

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11813852

If you know anything about Final Fantasy 13, well, Lightning was known to be incredibly stubborn and bitter for a good portion of the first game. She does tone down her harsh, strict demeanor and does her damnedest to protect the world on her own in the sequels. Considering the position within this story, she has the best interests of everyone in Valhalla and is concerned for their safety, even the other worlds as Xehanort's plans would come to fruition, but they all have to abide by the rules the Dandelions have marked for the sake of the light, whether they want to or not. And being the current Foreteller of Valhalla, much like her original characterization in FF13 as soldier, she dedicates more of her time focusing on her role rather than any pleasantries with everyone, even as Mary Poppins mentioned how stubborn she was while she trained her.

She may have heard of Sora's accomplishments and seen the good he's done, but under the rules all wielders should follow, whether they're from Valhalla or one of the other secret realms of light the Dandelions had created throughout the millennia, she was concerned about more Heartless roaming about the worlds he's saved when the people he's helped and rescued know of their existence. Not to mention how her own master sees just how powerful he was compared to her, even though she won their duel, made her question herself and how she could have lost instead of she wasn't the one who was lucky enough to win. That small scene where Mary Poppins is first seen with the children, and their conflict would have caused a few casualties if Sora didn't act, ignore Lightning, and save them from getting crushed by the earth she manipulated to make Valhalla their own low-gravity battlefield. And she's struck with even more disbelief with the ancient page depicting the second Keyblade War, Sora's name being mentioned, and how the Master of Masters, the very first Key Bearer many years ago, appeared and spoke to Sora in Equestria.

She won't be too much of a hardass when we see her again, and she'll eventually understand the subtle hint as to why Sora's rule-breaking is able to be brushed aside when she discovers what really makes him so important and powerful. I also wanted to include a few more new FF characters, and I thought Lightning would be another person Sora could go toe-to-toe with than Squall (Leon), Cloud, Yuffie, Tifa, or Sephiroth (also, as weird as it seems and others might not agree, but I wanted to include Mary Poppins at the very least. She's iconic, and in the KH universe, I'd think she'd be a revered master with powerful magic spells and unnatural magic talents she claims "aren't" magic).

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

Figured Lightning would show up one point or another since KH has had characters from multiple Final Fantasy games pop up quite a few times, although is she based off the FF XIII-2 version or the original XIII? As for Mary Poppins, knew she'd show up since she's pretty much one of the most popular Disney characters out there.

[Xepher-Cross]

I can't deny it any longer, even after three times re-read. I don't like this chapter. What was the bases of the mlp episode turns into some overhaul of creative ideas that are hard to process. (for me at least) Sadly, I could make a list of points I dislike from this chapter. Plus, I LOVE Lightning from FFXIII but her as a key bearer? No... Honestly I feel the FF characters are better as there default selves and their original weapons while in the KH universe. Plus, the Lightning for this chapter is way too cruel, doesn't acknowledge his accomplishments and I just don't like. Combat still good. Music love but preferred Desperate Struggle or Test of the L'cie. Blinded by Light still a great choice. Overall, I don't like this chapter at all... Sorry Codex. 😕😔

[Xepher-Cross]

11814061
Glad I'm not the only one who notice Lightning was written very off. Her being completely cruel and disregards Sora's accomplishments is off putting.

[SoraFan23]

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Guess I never played Final Fantasy 13 to understand her character. I only know of Final Fantasy since people pointed out how other characters like Cloud for example were from Final Fantasy and the thing is I've never even played the Final Fantasy games to understand the story. I can see where you're coming from with Lighting where she might over time re think her stance and reflect upon what makes Sora special. The one thing that I just want to say is that it becomes a bit of running gag whenever Sora is doubting himself its always "Don't ever think that way" Like come on we get the point the already. I know that sounds a bit harsh but I already know Sora is a great character and he's done a lot of good stuff. He had to be reminded so many times by his Mother and his friends of how much great he has done. Guess maybe after the Cozy Glow incident it hit him the hardest than anything else.

I still enjoy still fanfic but I am just being honest.

[Postwarmonkey50]

11814116
I can see what you mean by her.

Imagine if Sora were to face both Bahamut and Lightning, Sora would play mind games with the both of them:

Bahamut: Just stand down.

Sora: I don't know what's sad and pathetic. *Points at Bahamut* The fact that you, think that your big fat dragon body makes you look like a tough guy...!!!

Bahamut got angry and attacked:

Sora: ...*points at Lightning* Or the fact that you, could master all the spells and skills in the world, and you're still going to be a weak wuss if you can't beat someone like Cozy Glow!!

Lightning: We'll see about that!!

*Reference to Atomic Puppet, if you wonder the scene was familiar*

[GrimmWolfDragon]

Amazing chapter, loving the story.
The only problem I have is that, Sora friends is falling behind in the strength and power category to me, but overall great chapter.

[DeathRider2021]

What's coming up in your next chapter? I hope it's part 1 of the Caribbean adventure. I don't know how much longer I can wait!

[Codex92]

11826688
Soon. Maybe soon. Maybe later. Nobody knows. Not even me, and I'm writing this damn story.

[TimerWolf43]

"That's no ordinary woman," Bahamut mumbled, his voice low and suddenly less gruff with this master's presence. "That's Lightning's mentor, and the Foreteller before her. Master Mary Poppins."

When I heard her name, I lost all sense of tension from this moment... Like h-how do you expect me to take this seriously?? I-I-I can't. I just can't! 😆