Episode 1: An Unexpected Journey

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At the gates of Traverse Town, a bright flash of light appeared from seemingly out of nowhere. As the light vanishes, a young woman was left in its place. Stretching her arms out above her head, she soon begins walking towards the shop plainly visible from the giant wooden doors. Before she even comes close to her destination, she hears someone call out to her from her right.

“Hey Kairi, over here!” shouted a young man with spikey brown hair, and beside him stood another with blue-silver hair.

Smiling, Kairi made her way to the guys. It had been a long time since she had last seen them. As soon as she closed the distance, she pulled the two into a big hug.

“Sora, Riku! I’m so glad to see you two! It’s been so long!” she said, unable to contain her happiness.

“Yeah, it sure has, hasn’t it?” Riku responded, hardly able to suppress his own smile. He and Sora returned the hug as well, though admittedly he had been caught off guard by it. “You seem to have been doing well this past year.”

“Thanks,” she said, finally releasing her friends. “I’ve been doing my best.”

“So, what have you been up to? Up until recently, we haven’t heard much from King Mickey on how you’ve been doing. All I got was a letter saying you would show up here,” Sora said, honestly curious as he placed his hands behind his head.

“You’re not the only one curious, Sora. Remember, Yen Sid asked me bring her to his tower,” Riku added, “It’s been bugging me ever since.”

Kairi smiled a little, and let a giggle escape her, touched her friends had worried about her for so long. “Come on, I’ll tell you as we walk.”

As they made their way towards the second district, Kairi began answering Sora and Riku’s questions, and filling them in about all the training Yen Sid had her doing. The looks on their faces when she told them that had been priceless to see.

The conversation had soon turned towards Sora’s and Riku’s own journeys across the many worlds they visited. It had been so long since she had heard their voices, the time spent away from both of them having been just as hard as the times she had been separated from them. She was glad to be spending time, and catching up with them.

As they entered the second district, however, all three were alerted to a scream being issued across the way. As if it were common place, Sora and Riku were dashing off towards the sound, with Kairi following close after them. What they saw next was a disturbing scene as a little girl was surrounded by many Heartless.

“Hold on, we’re coming!” Sora shouted, jumping right into the middle of the group surrounding the poor girl. A second later, he drew his Kingdom Key Keyblade out of thin air, and readied himself to protect her. “Stay close to me! I won’t let them harm you.”

Riku, on the other hand, began attacking a few of the Heartless with his own Way to Dawn Keyblade already, and dwindling there numbers a bit. “Always jumping in head first, Sora. You’ll never change,” he said, earning a grin from his friend.

Unaware to him, one of the heartless managed to sneak around behind Riku, and prepared to attack him. Just as it was about to lunge for him, it exploded into shadows from Kairi's Destiny’s Embrace Keyblade. Looking behind him, he saw her there smiling confidently. “Don’t get too relaxed, Shadow Heartless are still dangerous after all,” she said.

With a grin back, he nodded, and the three quickly finished the small group of Heartless effortlessly. Once the figurative smoke cleared, they all breathed easily, letting their Keyblades disappear from their grips. Sora then turned to the little girl he had been protecting, and placed a hand on her head. “Hey, are you okay? They didn’t hurt you, did they?” With a short shake of her head, Sora smiled happily they had got to her in time. “Alright then, you go on home then. And be careful, okay?”

She nodded softly, smiling back at Sora before she sprinted off towards her home. But the happiness was short lived, and Kairi looked around her. ‘What was that? I know I felt something dark just now,' she thought to herself.

“Hey Kairi, are you alright? You look like you- Kairi!” Sora had said, before shouting her name.

Without any warning, a pool of darkness spread out under Kairi, and she had already sank a few inches into it. She immediately began struggling against it, trying to free herself from the constricting tendrils of shadows. She stopped however when she saw her two friends attempt to aid her. “Wait, stop! Don’t come any closer guys!”

Riku had hesitated when she told him not come near her, but Sora rushed past him but only stopped at the edge of the darkness. Reaching out to her, he managed to grab her hand. “No way, I’m not letting you go!” That was enough incentive for Riku to come to her aid as well, grabbing her other hand. They pulled as hard as they could, but it seemed their struggles were only worsening things. The darkness had now managed to pull her down to her waist.

“Guys, let go! It is okay!” she yelled, relieved they had finally let her hands free. With a look at both of them, she could tell how worried they were for her. Managing to calm herself down now, she spoke as calmly as she could. “Okay, this does look pretty bad, but I think I’ll be fine in the long run. As far as I can tell, it doesn’t feel exactly sinister.”

“Well, we can’t just let the darkness take you away,” Riku said.

“Yeah, we just got back together in over a year! We can’t just let this take you to who knows where!” Sora exclaimed, a look of shock and horror crossing his features.

“I know, and I don’t want to go. But it’s obvious whatever this is, it isn't going to let me go so easily,” she said, sinking further until the darkness was above her belly. The situation was pretty hopeless, especially since Sora and Riku were strong in their own right. If they couldn’t pull her out, then whatever force that was pulling her down had to be fairly strong itself.

“Listen guys, I know our reunion was short lived, but I’m still glad we met up. Where ever this thing is taking me, I know you two will find me again,” she said, putting on a brave face for them as the darkness pulled her down to her shoulders.

“Argh, this isn’t fair!” Riku shouted, angered at himself for being useless.

She was shocked at Riku’s outburst, though she knew it was because he wasn’t able to pull her out. “It’s okay, really. I’m not afraid. Riku, Sora, just do your best, okay?” she asked them. After a moment, she earned two slow nods from them. “Okay, until we see each other again, guys. And stay safe,” she added, before being pulled completely into the darkness.

“KAIRI!” both Sora and Riku shouted, watching as the pool of darkness vanished without a trace. They stayed stock still, hoping that what just happened had been a joke, and Kairi would reappear before them. Moments passed by, before the two finally moved, both on their hands and knees at where Kairi disappeared in front of them.

Another moment passed, before Riku shook his head, his face showing far more determination than ever. He stood up slowly, before picking up a still shocked Sora. “Sora, come on. We can’t just stay here, and hope she pops back up.”

Shaking a little, and more than just angry at his own uselessness, Sora shook himself out of his stupor. “You’re right, Riku,” he said, looking up at the never-ending night sky, focusing on the stars. Kairi had to be on one of the worlds out there now. “Come on, we’ve got to go find her!” With that said, he began running back towards the first district, with Riku right behind.

They were determined to find Kairi, now more than ever.

With a short groan, Kairi finally came to. She felt a little sore all over her body, and a little disoriented. How long had she been out? She couldn’t tell if it had been 5 minutes, or probably close to an hour as she opened her eyes.

And she immediately regretted the action, blinded slightly by a bright sun. Groaning again, she rolled on to her front, which seemed odd to her at first, but quickly pushed the thought aside for now. She was still recuperating from being pulled in to darkness like that. Opening her eyes slowly this time, she found herself on a plain of sorts, and just in the distance was a town. ‘Good, at least I’m close to civilization,’ she thought to herself.

Closing her eyes again, she breathed deeply, hoping to ease some of the soreness in her body. Now she was realizing something else felt off. No, scratch that, a lot of things felt off. She hadn’t felt her fingers or toes yet, and it felt like her hair was far longer than usual. And there was something else.

Twitch

Her ears seemed to be picking up just the slightest of noises.

Twitch. Twitch.

And something seemed to be extending from her rear.

Twitch. Twitch.

She felt a little scared of what she might find when she next opened her eyes. Steeling herself a little she opened them slowly, and held out her hands. No, scratch that, those weren’t hands at all. Those were hooves!

She gasped, shocked at what she saw, not having expected it at all. She came close to screaming, it had shocked her so badly. Looking around quickly, she located a small creak with a small, arching bridge over it. Stumbling up on all fours, she shakily walked over to the stream of water. Or was she trotting? No, not trotting, she was stumbling too much for it to be called that.

It had taken a good minute, but she finally managed to get to the creek, and looked at her rippled reflection. What she found, she half-expected, but still surprised as her face look completely equine now. She then noticed that the smooth, short fur covering her face looked beige in color, and her hair, no wait, mane still sported her red coloring. Another feature that drew her attention was her big, blue eyes that, while looking surprised, looked quite peaceful were she calmer. She also noticed her ears, while perched on top of her head, were lying flat against her head.

After a minute of staring at her new reflection on her shaky hooves, she finally did start calming down, and attempted to take it all in stride for now. She remembered when Sora had told her he had once become a lion cub when visiting the Pride Lands, Simba’s home. If he could take that in stride, then she could do the same now.

“This feels so awkward though,” she said, almost complaining. It wasn’t taking much for her to start missing her fingers already. Deciding to push those thoughts aside, for now, she turned her head to look herself over completely.

She found she had a tail now, which explained the twitching sensation she felt earlier. However, her attention was quickly drawn to her ru-, flank. She had to remind herself she was some sort of equine, possibly a pony. On her flank was a mark of sorts, which was kind of strange to look at. It looked like a heart with thick, blue lines on her beige coat. Inside the hollow heart was a keyhole, on top of it sat a gold crown and white wings on either side of the heart.

It looked pretty, but a question rose from her lips. “Who tattooed my butt?” she asked, but no one was around to hear her question. Turning her head to look at the other flank, she found the same mark there as well. “Okay, tattooed on both sides. This is going to be a little awkward. I wonder what I should tell Sora and Riku.”

And instantly, her face fell to sadness, remembering the last moments she had seen them. She wondered for a moment if the same had happened to them after her vision was clouded by darkness. Shaking that thought off, she sat down with a soft thump, and looked at her reflection again. For a while, she stewed in her sadness, until something flew overhead.

Looking up, and behind her, she saw what she thought was a chariot being pulled through the air. She blinked, hardly believing the sight herself at all. The creature pulling it, it was definitely a pony, but it had wings. Surely she must have imagined it. Before she could contemplate any further, the chariot had turned and was coming back. And heading her way!

She scrambled to her hooves to try and get away, only to fall face first on to the ground again. That was going to get annoying really fast if it happened again. Looking up, she saw the pony with wings stopped on the ground a good yard away. Her attention was soon drawn to a pair of creatures hoping off the back of the chariot and heading her way. Taking her time, she managed to sit back up.

The first was a purple pony, with an even deeper purple color for its mane and tail with a pink stripe. Its eye color was also purple, instantly thinking the pony a triple purple pony. A feature this pony had differing from the winged pony was the horn protruding from its head. A quick glance at its flank revealed the pony had a tattoo as well, though it had a starburst with five smaller stars around it. She wondered briefly why it had a horn, before turning her attention at its smaller, purple and green companion, whose eyes looked an emerald green with slits for pupils. She was confused on what it was. Was it a lizard? It couldn’t have been, lizards didn’t grow that large. At least she hoped they didn’t.

She was pulled from her thoughts as the pony spoke up after closing the distance a bit. “Hi, are you from the town over there?” she asked, that voice was definitely female for sure.

Kairi blinked for a second, before replying, “Oh, uh, not… Not exactly. I’m kind of new here myself.” The fact the pony in front of her talked had thrown her off guard for a good moment.

“Oh, well that’s okay. I’m new to the town myself as well. I’m here to do re-oof!” she said, before being interrupted by a nudge from her companion. “I mean, I’m here to make sure preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration are going smoothly.”

“Summer what?” Kairi asked, thinking that a festival like that sounded a little odd, and yet sounded pretty fun to take part in.

“The Summer Sun Celebration. You know, the holiday that takes place on the longest night of the year, symbolizing Princess Celestia’s triumph over Nightmare Moon?” the strange, horned pony said. She had a confused look on her face to match her own.

“Oh, uh, right. That Summer Sun Festival! Completely slipped my mind,” she said, an uneasy smile on her face. Who was Princess Celestia? And what in the worlds was a Nightmare Moon?

“Are you okay? If you don’t know what the festival is, it’s okay if you just say so. Nopony will judge you for it,” the little creature next to the pony said, almost as if he was trying to reassure her. Though it was a little difficult to tell, his voice sounded like a young boys at least.

“Heh, guess you saw right through me. Sorry, I’m just a little confused about some things right now, and possibly missing some information at the moment. My heads kind of hurting still,” she said. Looking at the way they nodded, and their understanding expressions, she felt calmer already.

“Well, let me introduce my friend and myself. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is my number one assistant!”

“Spike the dragon,” the little dragon introduced himself. Kairi smiled, nodding softly. So he was a dragon, she felt little guilty now for mistaking him for a lizard.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you two. My name’s Kairi,” she said.

“Kairi, huh? Sounds like a pretty foreign name to me,” Twilight responded, rubbing her chin with her hoof.

“It probably is, since I’m not really from around here,” she said, looking off to the side. She knew too well her name might be foreign considering Twilight’s name. She had a funny feeling she was going to meet lots of ponies who were aptly named. This was something she could easily get used to though.

“Well, we were on our way to Ponyville. If you’d like, you can tag along for a while until we get there,” she said.

Without a second thought, Kairi shakily stood up, and was eager to move. “Sure, I’d like a little company right now.”

Before they even moved though, Twilight held out a hoof, and easily noticed just how shaky Kairi looked on her hooves. “Are you going to be okay walking there? You seem quite shaky on your hooves.”

Kairi looked down at her own hooves, realizing just how badly she was shaking. Looking up with an embarrassed smile, she said, “I’m fine at least physically, though I probably just need to walk off this shakiness. I probably bumped my head a little harder than I thought.”

For a moment, Twilight looked thoughtful, before an idea came to her. “No worries, I’m sure we can help. Spike?” she said, turning to look at her number one assistant. “Do you mind helping Kairi get steady on her hooves?”

With the salute, that made Kairi giggle, Spike responded firmly, “Of course I don’t mind!” Turning his attention to Kairi, he continued, “Alright, Kairi, let’s start slow, and have you walk over to me.” That said, he walked to Kairi’s right a few feet, and stood still as he faced her. “Whenever you’re ready!”

Looking down at her hooves, Kairi felt a little nervous. With a gulp, she attempted to walk forward, but unfortunately for her, she fell on her side quickly as she moved both her right foreleg and hind leg at the same time. She grunted when she collided with the ground, feeling rather uncomfortable using so many appendages to move. Sora must have had an easier time doing this as a lion cub. At least he had paws instead of hooves.

“Wow, I guess that bump was harder than you thought. You moved the wrong legs at the wrong time,” Twilight said, noticing just how badly Kairi was at walking. It was like she was completely new to the motion.

“Yeah, I guess so,” she said, getting back up on her shaky hooves. She had to admit, this seemed impossible to do.

Seeing her start to give up, Twilight moved to stand next to her. “No giving up, okay. It’s quite easy once you get the hang of it. Now start by moving your right foreleg and your left hind leg this time,” she instructed. This would probably take a while.

Kairi did as instructed, but slowly enough she didn’t trip herself up. Twilight walked right beside her, catching her a few times so she would hit the ground. Slowly, but surely, they made their way to Spike, who had been patiently waited for them. The goal had seemed like a tall obstacle at first, but now she felt a little bit used to the movement.

Spike ran about a yard away this time, heading a little closer to the town in the distance. “Alright, now try to make your way to me on your own this time,” he said to her.

Taking a deep breath, Kairi did as instructed again, and soon found her limbs responding much more easily this time. Over the course of the next ten minutes, Kairi would reach Spike, and he would move closer towards the town again. She found herself less and less shaky on her new hooves each time. The next five times, she found herself moving at a much more practical pace than before. They both had been very patient with her the entire time as she learned to walk under her own power.

For the last few times Spike had moved, she was asked to try galloping towards him. While she wasn’t confident enough to move at that speed, she did manage move at a fairly brisk pace, almost as if she were jogging if she were human. She guessed this would be called trotting, though she honestly didn’t know. She couldn’t recall all those terms off the top of her head.

“Looks like you’ve made a lot of progress in such a short amount of time. We’re already in Ponyville now,” Twilight said as she walked up behind her.

“What?” she asked, before looking around. She just noticed the buildings off to the sides when Twilight spoke up. She had already walked so far from where she was at by the creek. She felt so happy, she felt like shouting to the world. Before she caught herself, she pushed herself up onto her hind legs, before falling back due to the unfamiliarity. “Whoa!” she yelled out, before giggling afterward.

“Are you okay?” Spike asked, though the smile on his face said he wasn’t too worried.

“Yeah, I’m great!” she said, before rolling over and getting back up on her hooves. As she turned around, she giggled a little from the excitement. “I got a little bit too excited there.”

“It certainly looked like it. Well, I guess this where we part ways. It was nice meeting Kairi,” Twilight, turning to walk further into Ponyville.

“Actually Twilight, why doesn’t she just stick with us? Kairi said she was new here as well,” Spike spoke up, looking at Kairi with a smile.

“Spike, we’ve got more important things to worry about. Besides, we have to rush as fast possible to check in on the preparations for the celebration so we can get to the library. We’ve still got a lot of research to do,” Twilight responded.

“But Kairi is still new to Ponyville like us. And you still have to make some friends. Princess Celestia said you should,” he retorted.

“Please, Spike, I don’t need to make friends. I need to hurry up with the preparations, and then hit the library to find out where the elements are. The fate of the world depends on it.”

The fate of the world? That sounded pretty serious to her. She had thought this world wasn’t troubled by any darkness, but hearing that made her not so sure of her quick assumption. “This ‘fate of the world’ stuff kind of sounds serious. Maybe I can help?” Kairi asked.

They both looked at Kairi, her words having stopped the impending argument between them. “Well, I guess I could use an extra set of hooves. Just try to keep up with us, okay,” Twilight, turning to march on.

“Sure thing, Twilight,” she said, following them along the streets.

As they marched on, Kairi felt a little bad that Twilight had said she didn’t need friends. She wondered if the pony sheltered herself. “At least try to make friends Twilight. That way you can tell Princess Celestia you at least tried,” Spike spoke up after a while. “Maybe the ponies here in Ponyville have interesting things to say. Look, here comes somepony now.”

Around them, Kairi had noticed the different ponies of the town now, wondering why all of them were so colorful in the literal sense. No way could genetics pull off this many vibrant colors. And approaching them now was a pink pony with a slightly darker pink mane and tail, not to mention how gravity-defying the style of it was. She briefly wondered if she could get her own mane and tail to do that. She also noticed this pink pony’s eyes were sky blue in color, and a quick glance at her flank revealed a tattoo of three balloons.

‘Who gets a tattoo of balloons? The star-burst I could understand, but balloons?’ Kairi thought to herself.

“Come on Twilight, just try,” Spike said, trying to get his friend to attempt to make a friend.

There was a slight pause as the pink pony stopped in front of them, a smile on her face. At least, Kairi believed the pony was female; she couldn’t imagine a pink male pony anyway. Twilight looked at the pony as well, and hesitantly asked, “Uh, h-hello?”

In the next few seconds, the pony gasped over-dramatically while lifting up in the air somehow, and suddenly zipped over them at speeds Kairi knew would have caused herself whiplash. ‘What in the worlds? How fast was that?!'

Twilight looked just as shocked as well, before saying dully, “Well that was interesting alright.” She turned towards their next destination, and walked on to pretend the small event never happened. Kairi followed after her with Spike beside her, wondering why that pink pony had reacted like that.

A few minutes of travel found them walking along a dirt path that looked like it was traveled quite often. Spike then spoke while holding a piece of parchment. Where he got it from she didn’t know, but decided not to question it. New worlds often had different rules after all. “Summer Sun Celebrations Official Overseer's Checklist. Number One: Banquet Preparations; Sweet Apple Acres.” They soon walked under a white wooden archway, which led into an apple farm, complete with a barn and cozy little house.

In the distance, they heard a loud “YEEHAW!” Turning to where it came from, Kairi saw an orange pony with a blonde mane and tail tied up at the ends, who wore a stetson hat on her head, and had three apples on her flank. A quick at look at her eyes showed them to be brilliant green in color. At first, she thought the pony was going to ram into the tree she was running at, but the second she was close enough she had turned to hit the trunk with her hind legs. The apples hanging from the tree seemed to easily come off their branches, and all of them landed perfectly into wooden baskets under them. Kairi looked wide-eyed at the display, not even sure she had seen that right, but the apples were all there, not a one having rolled away on the ground. The pony then crossed her right leg over her left, ending her little show.

“Wow, that was pretty impressive to see,” Kairi commented, a smile of amazement spreading on her face.

With a sigh, Twilight began walking over to pony, and said, “Let’s get this over with.” As they approached the farm pony, as she obviously had to be, Twilight spoke to the mare, “Good Afternoon, my name is Twilight Sparkle.” If she was about to say more, she was cut off from as the farm pony caught her hoof in between hers, and start shaking it up and down rapidly.

“Well howdy doo, Miss Twilight. A pleasure makin' yer acquaintance. I’m Applejack. We here at Sweet Apple Acres sure do like makin' new friends,” Applejack said. She then looked at Kairi, and asked, “Whose yer friends?”

“Friends? A-a-actually I-uh,” Twilight barely managed to say.

“I’m Kairi, I’m new around here. I’m helping out Twilight at the moment,” she said, introducing herself.

“And I’m Spike, Twilight’s number one assistant.”

“So, what can I do ya for?” Applejack asked, having let go of Twilight's hoof. Unfortunately for the purple mare, her hoof kept moving up and down as if her hoof was still being shaken. Spike caught her hoof for her, and helped her stop, both him and Kairi chuckling a little at the scene. Twilight gave a small glare at Spike, before returning her attention to Applejack.

“Ahem, well I am in fact here to supervise preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. And you’re in charge of the food?” Twilight said.

“We sure as sugar are! Would you care to sample some?” Applejack asked.

“Well, as long as it doesn’t take too long,” Twilight replied, though noticing how fast Applejack had at the slightest notion of a positive, she had a feeling it really would take a while.

Next came the loud ringing of a triangle, before the farm pony called out loudly, “SOOOUUUPPSS ON EVERYPONY!” Before they knew it, Kairi, Twilight, and Spike had been picked up, carried over, and set down at an outdoor table. Looking around, Kairi saw several ponies around them, all wearing kind smiles.

Applejack quickly popped up next to Kairi, and said, “Now, why don’t I introduce you to the Apple Family!”

“Thanks, but I really need to hurry,” Twilight said, trying to steer away from oncoming introductions, but was met with failure as a pony came up next to her with an apple treat on her hoof. Kairi took special note of how she was balancing a plate like that, figuring it was probably an easy thing to do.

“This here’s Apple Fritter.” The pony put the plate on the table, and stepped away as another came up to the table with an apple covered in caramel on sticks. Applejack then introduced her as well, but the list of names with the introductions escalated far too fast for Kairi to keep up with, as well as the towering amount of food that began piling up in front of her.

Near the end though, Applejack gasped for breath for the last few introductions. “Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, aaaaannnndd Granny Apple Smith.” This time Kairi looked at each of them now that she had time to catch up. Big Macintosh, quite obviously, was a male pony, or stallion as she corrected her thoughts. His coat was a brilliant red color with three white circles on his cheeks, and figured they were supposed to be freckles. His short mane and tail were orange, and his tattoo looked like a large green apple. It was hard to tell, but she guessed the apple had a slice took off because she could see the core seeds. His eyes matched Applejacks with their green color. Around his neck he carried a yoke. It looked pretty heavy, she wondered if he hefted that everywhere he went.

Looking at the smallest pony among them, the one Applejack introduced as Apple Bloom, she noticed that her mane and tail was a lighter shade of red than Big Macintosh’s. Her coat was a pretty yellow, certainly easier on the eyes than most yellows she’d seen. Her eyes had quite a nice amber to them. But she noticed quickly that the filly didn’t have a tattoo like all the others so far. It made sense, she looked like a child still, and tattoos on children just didn’t sit right with her. Looking over to Granny Apple Smith sleeping in her rocking chair, she noticed this mare was definitely an elderly, but she had obviously lived a good life so far. Her coat was green, but her mane and tail were white as snow. Around her neck was a kerchief with a red apple pattern and orange background.

“Up and at’em Granny Smith,” Applejack called out, stirring Granny Smith from her slumber in her rocking chair. The elder pony mumbled something as she got out of her chair, and walked over to the table. With her eyes open now, she saw the older mare’s eye color had the same amber color as Apple Blooms. Kairi, who hadn’t caught a single bit of what the elder pony said, turned her attention to Twilight, who had an apple stuffed into her mouth when Applejack introduced her granny.

“Why I’d say yer already part of the family,” the farm pony proudly stated, which caused Twilight to spit a bit of the apple she hadn’t chewed and swallowed yet.

“Ah hahah, okay, well I can see the food situation is handled, so we will be on our way,” the lavender mare stated.

“Aren’t ya gonna stay fer brunch?” the little filly asked, putting on an adorable pouty face. Kairi herself couldn’t look away without wanting to cave in at the sight.

“Sorry, but we have an awful lot to do,” Twilight said, having a hard time herself trying to turn down the filly. At that moment, all of the ponies said “Awww…” Looking around, Kairi felt she didn’t want to leave yet, they were all such nice ponies after all. Not mention she felt her belly rumble a little bit. How long had it been since she last ate anyway?

“Well, I am feeling kind of hungry Twilight. It wouldn’t hurt to have something to eat at least,” Kairi said, looking at Twilight with a little plead on her face. Looking around once more, Twilight caved in.

“Okay, we’ll stay,” she said. Her response was met with immediate cheering. “But only for brunch, no later,” she pointedly stated, the other ponies around her seemingly accepted the response with ease.

The better part of the next half hour was spent with Twilight, Spike, and Kairi eating the delicious baked apple treats on the table. Kairi couldn’t remember the last time she tasted such scrumptious food, it seemed like it had been a long time ago. She was rather enjoying herself the entire time.

By the time they left Sweet Apple Acres, the hungry feeling in her stomach had completely vanished as she walked alongside Spike; with Twilight bringing up the rear. “The food is all taken care of. Next up is the weather.”

“Ugh, I ate too much pie,” Twilight complained.

“Well, you didn’t have to eat the entire thing. I’m sure they could have put any leftovers away,” Kairi said. At that statement, Twilight simply face-hoofed for not having thought about that. “Still, those were the best apple dishes I’ve ever tasted.”

“Yeah, they were pretty good,” Spike piped in while checking the list again. “Hmm, there’s supposed to be a pegasus pony named Rainbow Dash clearing the clouds.”

Both Kairi and Twilight looked up, and saw clouds still hanging around up in the sky. ‘Okay, so they are called pegasus ponies, and they can apparently evaporate clouds. Sounds kind of like weather manipulation, but I thought that sort of magic wasn’t possible. This world has something new around every corner, it seems. I can’t wait to tell Sora and Riku about this place when I see them again.’

“Well, she’s not doing a very good job, is she- Oomph!” Twilight said, about to finish her sentence before a rainbow blur suddenly crashed into her. She groaned with her face in the mud with said pegasus on her back. Kairi snerked, not meaning to laugh, but the situation just seemed silly.

Rainbow Dash soon got up off of Twilight, her eyes looking at the pony she just crashed into, and gave a slightly sheepish chuckle. Now that Kairi got a good look at the pegasus, she saw the winged pony’s coat was cyan, but her unkempt mane and tail were all the colors of a rainbow. It did her name justice. The last few things she noted were her magenta eyes, and her tattoo being that of a cloud and a rainbow lightning bolt. It looked like a lightning bolt anyway.

The pegasus flew into the air after saying something Kairi missed, noticing just how easy she made it look just moving through the air. With another chuckle, Rainbow hovered over Twilight, and said, “Here, let me help you.” She flew a short way, and came back with a cloud. ‘Weather manipulation confirmed then,’ Kairi thought to herself.

Rainbow had placed the cloud over Twilight, and before anyone could say otherwise, started jumping on the surprisingly bouncy fluff. The effect poured water down on top of Twilight, who was now a soaked mess instead of dirty now. Rainbow couldn’t help but chuckle again, and said, “Oops, guess I overdid it. Um, uh, how about this!”

Twilight looked shocked for a split second as Rainbow began flying around at quite an impressive speed, and before Kairi could question how it was possible a small rainbow-colored whirlwind surrounded the horned pony, it was gone, leaving Twilight spinning for a moment longer with her mane and tail a mess. “My very own patented Rainblow Dry. No, no, don’t thank me. You’re quite welcome,” the rather brash pegasus said as she floated back down to the ground. But one quick look at Twilight's new ‘mane style’ had the pony struggling to keep her laughter to herself, before just falling back and letting it out anyway. Spike was quick to join her, and even Kairi had trouble keeping her giggles to herself.

Twilight didn’t look too impressed at all, rolling her eyes at the ponies and dragon. “Let me guess, you're Rainbow Dash,” She stated rather than asked. It was pretty obvious to everypony who the mare was.

Bouncing up to her hooves, Rainbow said, “The one and only! Why, have you heard of me?”

“I’ve heard you’re supposed to be keeping the sky clear,” the purple mare replied, sighing afterward. She forced a small smile, and continued. “I’m Twilight Sparkle. My dragon friend is Spike, and the earth pony is Kairi. The princess sent me to check the preparations for the celebration.”

In the time it took Twilight to inform Rainbow Dash of who they were, the pegasus had already flown up to an extremely low hanging cloud, and was currently kicking back as if she were about to take a nap. “Yeah, yeah, that’ll be a snap. I’ll do it in a jiffy, just as soon as I’m done practicing,” Rainbow replied.

“Practicing for what?” Kairi asked, feeling a little curious now.

“The WONDERBOLTS! They’re going to be performing at the celebration tomorrow, and I’m gonna show’em my stuff,” Rainbow had stated, as if she were sure they’d notice her without any doubt. Just for good measure, she even did loop in the air, before landing on a cloud.

“THE Wonderbolts?” Twilight questioned.

“Yep!”

“The most talented fliers in all of Equestria?”

“That’s them.”

Scoffing, Twilight said, “Please, they’d pick a pegasus who couldn’t keep the sky clear for one measly day.”

Somewhere in Twilight’s sentence, Rainbow believed she heard a challenge in it, and replied firmly, “Hey, I could clear this sky in ten seconds flat.” She hadn’t stated it; she knew she could do it.

Kairi saw that knowing grin on Rainbow’s face, and said, “I don’t know, that seems like a tall tale. Prove it.” Seeing this new pony she’d never met before issue the challenge, all bets were off. In the blink of an eye, the rainbow maned pegasus zipped through the sky easily, and was busting clouds left and right as if it were the easiest thing to do. Kairi had started counting in her head while she watched, amazed at how quickly this mare was flying. Before she knew it, Rainbow was back on the ground, and all the clouds that had been in the sky were gone. And Kairi had counted ten just as she landed.

“See, ten seconds flat. I’d never leave Ponyville hangin,” she said, pride in her ability practically radiated off of her, but it was her words that Kairi paid attention to. Yes, what she did was simply amazing to her, but she didn’t ignore those words, wearing a grin of her own.

“You sound like you’d make for a very loyal friend, Rainbow Dash. I’m glad I got to meet you,” she said, Twilight and Spike themselves were snapped out of their stupor from what the pegasus achieved.

Rainbow blinked at Kairi’s words, a little caught off guard by the compliment. “Oh, of course! No doubt, I’m as loyal as most ponies come,” she said, smiling back at Kairi. She then stretched her wings for a good second, before speaking, “Well gotta fly, I’ll catch you guys later!” With that she took off, probably to keep practicing for the Wonderbolts.

“Wow, she’s amazing,” Spike said, pointing to mare that flew off.

“Yes, even I have to admit it. She did what I thought she couldn’t do,” Twilight replied, ready to move on to the next destination on the list.

“Despite her brash nature, I’d say she’d make a very good friend for you Twilight. You should really hang out with her,” Kairi said, wearing a smile of her own to match Spike’s.

“Er, maybe some other time. Now come on, we need to hurry up,” she said, leading the way.

“Does she always have a hard time making friends, or is she just choosing to ignore a request from your Princess,” Kairi asked Spike as they walked a little further behind Twilight. By now, Kairi managed to recall that horses with horns were usually called unicorns. She had been fumbling around in her mind to find that term, and thankfully just remembered before she asked what would admittedly be a stupid question.

“I’m not entirely sure myself. I think it’s just when she focuses on one thing, she usually ignores something else that might seem unnecessary. And right now, she thinks the world is in danger because of a prophecy,” Spike replied, sharing a little more insight on Twilight. “I’m actually surprised she let you tag along with us.”

“I guess she sees me in a similar light to herself, though that really is just a guess. Now, about this prophecy you mentioned. What’s that about?”

“Oh, it’s just an old pony story. A thousand years ago, Princess Celestia apparently had a sister named Princess Luna. I don’t know the exact details myself, but it seems Princess Luna got jealous of Princess Celestia, because ponies would love her sisters day, and not her night. It all came to a peak at one point, enough that Luna wouldn’t lower the moon to make way for the day. Princess Celestia pleaded to her sister to lower the moon, but Princess Luna ignored her. And then, the Princess of the Night suddenly transformed into a terrifying entity known as Nightmare Moon.

“According to legend, Princess Celestia managed to banish Nightmare Moon to the moon about a thousand years. And apparently the prophecy states that on the thousandth year of her imprisonment, the stars will aid Nightmare Moon in her escape, and return to terrorize Equestria again.”

Kairi thought on what Spike explained to her, about how Luna became Nightmare Moon and the prophecy. The transformation Luna went through sounded a whole lot like how darkness took over a person with an evil heart. It didn’t actually sound like Nightmare Moon was a Heartless though, like she managed to retain her individuality. Perhaps she was a Nobody then? No, that didn’t sound right at all. Maybe the transformation was because the darkness reacted to her jealousy of her sister then. Guessing like this was beginning to give her a headache.

“Yeah, and that’s why Twilight wants to hurry this up. She believes it, and wants to do research on something called the Elements of Harmony, whatever those are.”

“Elements of Harmony? They sound important enough, but what are they?” she asked.

“No clue, but apparently they’re supposed to be super powerful artifacts. Beyond that, I don’t know,” Spike answered. “Why so interested all of a sudden?”

“Well, I don’t have a lot to go on, but what happened to Princess Luna sounds a whole lot like what I’ve encountered a couple times myself,” she replied, it being her turn to answer few questions.

“Oh yeah, how so?”

“Well, it’s a bit difficult to explain, but I’ll give it my best shot. From what you just described, it sounds like Princess Luna let the darkness in her heart take control of her. But maybe not completely though, because something else would have happened to her instead of a physical transformation. There’s probably a good chance that Luna is still somewhere inside Nightmare Moon, that is if this prophecy does come true anyway.”

“Huh, that sounds reasonable enough. You really think Princess Luna is just trapped in her own darkness then?” Spike asked.

“That’s most likely the only explanation. In any case, if this is all true, then the Elements are probably the only best shot at restoring Princess Luna to her normal self. I mean come on, Elements of Harmony? They sound like magical artifacts meant to purify darkness.”

“Heh, I guess you’re right, they do sound like it,” Spike agreed. Kairi smiled, knowing things like this ahead of time, made dealing with events so much easier in the long run.

Looking around the town again, she noticed the ponies going about their usual lives. It was quite relaxing being in such a peaceful world. Though, one thing was still gnawing at her mind. “Hey Spike, promise not to over react, but do all the ponies have to have tattoos on their flanks?” she asked.

The reaction was immediate; Spike nearly tripped over himself when she asked that question. “Tattoos? You mean you don’t remember what a Cutie Mark is?” he answered her question with another question.

Now she knew this information was already common knowledge, but his reaction just hammered the nail in further. “Sorry, I really didn’t know what it was called. When I said I was new here, I really meant it.”

“So wait, when you say you’re new here, what are you really meaning?” he asked, looking confused.

“New enough that I couldn’t walk on all fours at all,” she said truthfully. He seemed smart, maybe he would accept this a lot better than she expected.

Spike blinked, letting that bit of information sit in his head for a while. He then looked back at Kairi, and asked slowly, “So, uh, does that mean you’re some kind of alien?”

If she had hands, she would have face-palmed. Instead, she just hung her head a little lower, and her ears drooped down to the sides. Sighing, she replied, “I guess in technical terms, yes. Let me explain myself before you get any more scared.” She then began telling him what she had been doing before she arrived in Equestria, all up to the point where she was pulled down in to a pool of darkness. When she finished, she looked at Spike, and hoped he didn’t look scared. She was surprised instead to see he wore a look of sympathy.

“Wow that sounds terrible. So that means you’re stranded here until your friends find you,” he said finally.

Looking down again, she saw the wooden floors of Town Halls porch. They must have arrived at their destination already. “Yeah, pretty much. No worries though, if I know those two as well as I do, they won’t give up until they find me.”

“They sound like pretty capable guys. Okay, so to answer your question, Cutie Marks are what fillies and colts get when they discover their special talent. Whatever your talent is, it must be pretty special. You’re Cutie Mark looks like it’s one of a kind,” he said, answering her finally. “Looks like we’re here already.”

With a quickened step, he moved up next to Twilight with his checklist in hand. “Let’s see. Decorations is up on the list.” He looked up from his checklist, and one word left him. “Beautiful.”

It seemed Twilight had tuned Spike and Kairi out the entire time they walked to Town Hall, because she didn’t seem to give any indication she overheard anything they had conversed about. “Yes, the décor is coming along nicely. This ought to be quick. We’ll be at the library in no time. Beautiful indeed,” she said.

“No, not the décor. Her,” he said, his voice trailing a little bit, almost like he was love struck or something. Looking in front of them, Kairi and Twilight saw the beautiful mare unicorn who Spike was talking about. Her coat was a near white alabaster color that it almost hurt to look at, and her long purple mane and tail were stylishly curled to near perfection that it accentuated her looks. Her blue eyes sparkled as she worked her magic with the decorations, and on her flank, Kairi saw three diamonds as her Cutie Mark.

“She certainly is beautiful, I know I’d have a hard time styling my h- mane and tail like that,” Kairi said, giving her own compliment as well. She had almost said her hair, knowing she was likely going to have to get used to living in this world for a while.

As the busy mare examined ribbon after ribbon, Spike asked, “How are my spines? Are they straight?” Kairi gave a little giggle at his question, finding his reaction to the unicorn’s beauty cute. Twilight blinked once, then rolled her eyes with a knowing smirk that he had been hit by a figurative love arrow.

As they walked to the unicorn, Twilight said, “Good Afternoon-“

Suddenly cut off, the mare responded while barely looking back, “Just a moment please. I’m in the zone, as it were.” Sorting ribbon after ribbon again, she finally settled on a sparkling red ribbon, and added it in as part of the décor in the room. “Oh yes, sparkle always does the trick, does it not? Why Rarity you are a talent.” She finally turned to face her guests, her eyes blinking as she spoke to the three in front of her. “Now, um, how can I help yoouuuuhahahhaaahh!”

Kairi’s ears flopped down against her head, Rarity’s exclamation when she caught sight of Twilight’s new ‘mane style’ having hurt her eardrums a little. That seemed a little unnecessary to her. Sure, Twilight’s messed up mane and tail were, well, a mess, but it certainly didn’t deserve such a reaction. Maybe this mare just really didn’t like ridiculous looking manes.

“Oh my stars, darling! What ever happened to your coiffure?” Rarity asked, sounding more than a little shocked by what she saw.

“Oh you mean my mane?” she asked, “Well, it’s a long story. I’m just here to check on the decorations, and then I’ll be out of your mane.”

“Out of my mane? What about your mane?” the alabaster pony asked. She jumped next to Twilight, and started guiding her out of the building, apparently taking her somewhere much to the purple unicorn’s surprise. Kairi blinked, not even sure what was happening anymore. This pony really did seem like she had an eye for style. Without hesitating though, she followed after the two, with Spike somehow floating off the ground and following as well.

Barely any time passed as they exited Town Hall, and suddenly found themselves inside another at least partially nearby. The interior was exquisitely decorated, Kairi noted in her head. Those assumptions of this pony seemed true to her as she immediately went to work styling Twilight’s mane and tail, as well as having her try on various outfits. Kairi watched from the sidelines, not wanting to be dragged in as well. And just seeing Rarity put outfit after outfit on Twilight, she was starting to feel far more uncomfortable, but not because of the dresses themselves. She had noticed early on she had been wearing no clothes since she met Twilight, but now she was bearing a bright blush on her cheeks.

She was perfectly willing to accept it as a fact of the world before, but now that she knew clothes were a thing in this world, she could not distract her mind from the obvious anymore. Throughout a decent portion of the town, she had walked around literally naked. She had been fine before, but now her human instinct to wear something had crashed over her hard. She was never a pervert at all, but even this was beginning to get overbearing if she had to watch Twilight be forced to wear another dress.

It seemed the seamstress had found something that might make Twilight shine amongst the crowd, and even styled her mane back to the way she had it before they met Rainbow Dash. It looked like she’d put a pretty saddle on the purple unicorn, and it did make her stand out a little more because of it. “Now go on dear, you were telling me where you’re from,” Rarity said, grabbing a strap in her teeth and began pulling. Hard.

Struggling to breath, Twilight said in short breaths, “I’ve…been…sent from…Canterlot…to…-“ That was all she got out as the straps were released suddenly, and snapped back into place, the result sending the two ponies flying away from each other.

And just like that, Rarity went off about a bunch of things Kairi barely paid attention to, still a little too absorbed in her own mind to her current ‘no clothes’ situation. She really wished she was wearing something.

“Oh I can’t wait to hear all about it. We are going to be the best of friends, you and I,” Rarity had said. Twilight felt a little more than uncomfortable at that point. Rarity then looked at the chest of the saddle, and said, “Emeralds? What was I thinking? Let me get you some rubies!” And like that, she was off to scour from her gem drawer.

Taking off the saddle with her own magic, Twilight used her magic to set the saddle down on a nearby table, and began making her way to the door. “Quick! Let’s go before she decides to dye my coat a new color!” she said, doing her best not to be too loud, and draw Rarity’s attention. And like that, Kairi agreed, using her mouth to grab Spike by his largest spike, and followed after Twilight just as quickly as she could. She would be amazed at the fact that she was galloping another time; she didn’t want to spend another moment in the boutique.

A short while later, when they finally slowed down enough, Kairi set Spike up on Twilight’s back, and let her carry him. He still seemed to be lost in his love daze still. She then walked beside Twilight, though the blush on her face still hadn’t cooled off yet. This was certainly not something she was going to tell the guys about, there was no way she was going tell them she had been walking around naked in a town filled with talking, colorful ponies. She knew if she did, she’d never hear the end of it.

Twilight finally noticed the blush across Kairi’s face finally, and asked, “You okay, you look little red across the cheeks?”

Shocked out of her stupor, the blush that was fading returned with a vengeance. “I’m fine, thank you though. I’m just not used to a few things, that’s all.”

Twilight blinked at this, and could only guess the reason. “Did you come from a place where ponies wear clothes all the time?” It was a honest question, and she wasn’t a foal, she knew there was more to this mare than met the eye.

Wide eyed, Kairi stared back at Twilight, surprised she knew what was bothering her. After a silent moment, she replied, “Yeah, pretty much. I’m not exactly used to…not wearing clothes. I…had accepted the fact that it wouldn’t be a major issue before, but…yeah, I’m feeling kind of naked right now. Both figuratively and literally.”

“Hey, no worries, okay. After all this is sorted out, I’ll help you get some clothes once we’re done. How does that sound?”

Kairi gave a slight smile, nodding softly. “Thanks, I’d really appreciate it. I’ll try to keep my mind off not wearing clothes until then. I’d rather not walk around with an incredible blush on my cheeks.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty noticeable with your coat color. Try not to think too hard on it. It will probably be a difficult adjustment to get used to.”

“No kidding,” Kairi said, shaking her head a little to try to shake off her thoughts. “So about the Elements Spike told me about. Do you really think they exist?”

“He told you huh? Honestly, I’m not sure, but I’m definitely hoping they are. They will be our only hope to fight Nightmare Moon.”

“You’re pretty convinced this Nightmare Moon is real. What makes you think it isn’t an old pony tale?”

“A few reasons, but mostly because I’ve done a ton a research on the subject. And with some mathematical calculations, I’ve determined Nightmare Moon will make her escape tomorrow. Everything I’ve looked into and researched all points to that single conclusion,” Twilight had said, sounding pretty sure of herself.

“Well, if she does show tomorrow, I’m sure we’ll find the Elements. Now then, what’s next on the list Spike?” Kairi asked, turning her attention to Spike.

“Oh what? Oh right, ahem, let’s see here. Music, it’s the last one on the list,” he replied, finally breaking out of his love stupor. Almost on cue, a soft musical rendition could be heard a little ways away. As they approached, they found it was a choir of song birds making the beautiful music. All except one bird was singing off key, looking like it was enjoying its own tune a little more.

In front of said birds was a butter-yellow pegasus flapping her wings softly as she oversaw the song bird choir. Her long mane and tail was pink in color, and on her flank were three butterflies with aquamarine bodies and pink wings. As she saw the gentle flap of her wings, she already came to the conclusion this pegasus was going to be very kind in nature. The music that had been heard was stopped as the pegasus flew up to them, and though it was hard to hear from the distance, it sounded like she was instructing the blue bird on it's singing.

Just as the music was about to start up again, Twilight loudly said, “Hello.” This had caused the birds to fly away, and Twilight realized she made a mistake. “Oh no, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten away your birds. I was just checking up on the music, and it sounded wonderful.” As she spoke, the yellow and pink pegasus landed on the ground, but her head turned away, acting rather shy. She glanced at Twilight and Kairi, and then looked away again. With an awkward smile, Twilight introduced herself and Kairi, though she still didn’t receive a reply. Stepping forward a little, she then asked for her name.

When she responded it was almost too soft for Kairi to hear. This pegasus really was shy, almost to an extreme as Twilight said she hadn’t caught it the few times she muttered it, her voice managing to get quieter every time. Kairi was impressed at how quiet the timid mare got. She knew this encounter needed a different touch.

With a calm tone, Kairi stepped forth, and said to Twilight, “Here, let me give it a try.” Nodding, the purple unicorn stepped back, and let Kairi try. With a soft clearing of her throat, Kairi then lowered her head a little, and spoke as softly as she could, “Hi, my name is Kairi, and this is Twilight Sparkle.” She would have introduced Spike, but he had decided to stay back this time. “We really did enjoy your song bird choir. You must have taught them very well. Where I come from, it’s near impossible to get a bird to land on my f- hoof.” The entire time she spoke, Twilight had to strain her ears to hear Kairi.

It seemed that this was exactly the right touch, as the pegasus spoke a little louder. “Oh my, I couldn’t imagine that sort of place,” she said.

“It’s actually quite peaceful, the birds just like to keep their distance,” Kairi said, smiling softly still.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. If you want, I can tell you how to get a bird to land on your hoof. I mean, if you want any way,” she said, though the soft smile Kairi got back proved to her the pegasus was opening up at least a little bit.

“Really, I’d definitely love learn that,” she replied. For the next minute, after the song birds had come back, Kairi had learn the pony’s name was Fluttershy, and was currently showing her how to hold up her hoof, even saying that it was important to stay absolutely calm. She noticed just how kind her teal eyes showed, definitely a sensitive, yet very caring pony. For the next moment, Kairi held up her right hoof in front of her, keeping her breathing calm as she waited patiently for one of the birds to fly on to her hoof. It was very trying for her, not used to staying so still for so long, but she did not go unrewarded.

One of the birds, a purple feathered bird with a lighter purple chest fluttered over, and gently landed on her held out hoof. Her smile grew wide in excitement and happiness; she had never managed to hold a bird, much less get one to land on her fingers. “This is so amazing,” she said, struggling to keep her voice down, the happiness in her tone clearly showed. The bird tweeted happily a little, and then flew back to the branch it had been on, and Kairi let her hoof back down. “Thank you so much for teaching me this Fluttershy, I really appreciate it,” she said, looking over at the pegasus. She smiled back as well, happy she could help.

Twilight, having learned she might have been just a bit too loud when she talked before, soon spoke as quietly as she could manage, “Well, it looks like your birds are back, so we’ll take our leave. Keep up the good work.” Fluttershy looked over at Twilight, and nodded with a soft smile. Before either could move to walk away though, Fluttershy caught sight of Spike behind Twilight, and was instantly in front him without warning.

“Oh my gosh, a baby dragon! Oh, I’ve never seen a baby dragon before! He’s so cute,” she exclaimed. Now Kairi was thinking maybe Spike should have let himself be seen in the first place.

“Well, well, well,” he said, looking at Twilight and Kairi with a smug smirk.

“Oh my, he talks too. I didn’t even know dragons could talk. It’s just incredibly wonderful, I just don’t know what to say,” Fluttershy had said, her voice a little easier to hear now. At that moment, Twilight used her magic to levitate Spike on to her back, and began walking towards the library now. Despite being finished with checking the preparations, Twilight was wondering just how much she wanted to hear from Spike, rolling her eyes a little when she said she wanted to hear everything. Kairi had managed to catch up with them, smiling softly as Spike had so easily managed to get Fluttershy to come out of her figurative shell.

‘He sure can talk a lot. He seems to have had a pretty interesting life so far,’ she thought while walking alongside Twilight. Overhearing Spike a little bit, she learned that Twilight was actually Princess Celestia’s personal student, to which Kairi thought was pretty cool. She now wondered what these princess’ actually looked like. She idly wondered if the princess was a pony too since, save for Spike, the majority of sentient inhabitants she'd seen and met so far were ponies too. The way Princess Celestia was talked about, it seemed like she was a benevolent ruler of this land.

As time passed by, and the sun was starting to set, they were finally closing the distance to the library. Kairi had expected it to look like one of the buildings in the town. What she saw instead was a large, fairly thick tree with a door, windows, and a couple of balconies. It was impressive to say the least; she hadn’t expected the library to be a literal tree house. And yet, the idea sounded just right. As they approached the library, they turned to talk to Fluttershy. “I guess we’re here, so I guess we’ll be seeing you later tonight.”

Fluttershy nodded, before she perked up suddenly, almost like she remembered something important. “Oh well, if you don’t mind, I need to go in first. I was going to check out a library book earlier, but I haven’t had the chance today.”

“Oh, well okay, go on ahead, we’ll be right behind you,” Kairi replied, earning a soft nod from Fluttershy as she entered the building. They followed her inside, but what happened next surprised all three of them. The pitch black interior suddenly lit up, and a loud “SURPRISE!” was shouted out by several ponies, including Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. Fluttershy had said surprise too, but hers was far quieter, and hadn’t been heard over the other ponies. At the front of the large group was that same pink pony from earlier.

“Whatthe-!?” Twilight exclaimed, but immediately groaned when she realized she really wasn’t going to have any time to do any research on the Elements of Harmony. Before she could react any more, the pink pony was suddenly in front of them. Wait-

Kairi looked around, noticing she was right beside Twilight. She knew was she still by the door, and Twilight had walked a little further inside. How did she get moved next to Twilight without noticing?

“That’s not important right now. However, what is more important is if you were surprised. I bet you were surprised. Hi, my name is Pinkie Pie, and I’m the self-proclaimed party pony expert of Ponyville,” Pinkie had said. All of it. In one go without needing to breathe. How many words had she spoken to even be able to do that?

“That was thirty-six words! But anyway, I hope you enjoy the party that I threw just for you two. So were you surprised?” While Twilight answered Pinkie’s question, Kairi had attempted to count off the number words she had said before, only to stop as it hurt her head just trying to remember it all. She was going to take it like she had been right. But, wait, how did she know what she was thinking? Her eyes grew wide, suddenly having a disturbing feeling. ‘I’d best tread lightly for now. I think she can read my mind.’

As if picking back up where her mind left off, Pinkie continued to talk while Twilight started to walk away. Kairi decided to just walk with them for now, noticing Spike must have went to join the party. “You see, I saw you when you two first got here, remember? You were all ‘Hello’, and I was all like ‘gasp’. You see I’d never saw you before, and if I never saw you before, it means you must be new. Because I know everypony, and I mean everypony in Ponyville. And if you’re new, you hadn’t met anypony yet, and if you hadn’t met anypony, you must not have any friends. And if you don’t have any friends, then that means you’re lonely. And that made me so, so sad. So I had an idea, and then when I went ‘gasp’. I just wanted throw a great, big, super ginormous, spectacular welcome party, and had to invite everypony in Ponyville. See? And now you have lots and lots of friends.”

The entire time Kairi was doing her best to keep up with Pinkie as she talked and talked, not even bothering to pour herself a drink like Twilight had. She was just stunned at how many words the pink pony had spoken in such a short amount of time. Without taking a single breath again! Seeing all the other ponies gather up around her, Kairi just smiled and nodded, before speaking, “Uh, thanks for the heartwarming welcome party Pinkie. It really is a touching thought. Not to be rude though, I could barely keep up with everything you said. If you don’t mind, can you slow it down a little for me next time?”

As if it were water off a ducks back, the party pony replied, “Sure, no problem. We are friends after all.” It was at this moment after sucking up a few sips of her drink through the straw that Twilight turned around, her cheeks bloated and red as if she were trying to hold her breath in.

“Twilight, are you alright?” Kairi asked, her response from the purple mare being her jumping in the air, her legs moving like she was trying to run, her mane and tail looking like fire, before running off to find another drink.

“Aww, she’s so happy, she’s crying,” Pinkie said.

Kairi highly doubted that. Looking at the table, Kairi discovered the bottle of hot sauce Twilight had accidentally poured. “Oh, hot sauce. I wonder why she didn’t look at what she was pouring?”

Pinkie Pie picked up the bottle in her mouth, and poured a large amount on to a cupcake, and then ate said cupcake in one bite. Kairi and the other mares looked at her, earning a response from the pink pony, “What? It’s delicious.” Kairi just simply smiled, taking it all in. She had met several ponies today, learned how to walk as a quadrupedal pony herself, and had been having a pretty good time so far.

She decided to go ahead, and partake in the party for now, putting aside her worries for the moment. Nothing bad was happening yet, and she was not going to let her worries ruin a good time. A few hours later, Spike went up the stairs Twilight had used to retreat to the second floor. Kairi felt a little bad for the unicorn, knowing she was worrying herself a lot over what might come soon. She did hope Twilight would learn to relax a little, and she knew it wasn’t helping anybody, or well, anypony at the moment.

Time seemed to fly as the Summer Sun Celebration began to draw near. Kairi decided to rejoin Twilight and Spike as they made their way to Town Hall, where the celebration was supposed to start. As soon as all the ponies were inside, silence began to fall as the mayor walked up on the stand in front of everypony. Pinkie had started talking again, and Kairi tried to keep up, but her attention was pulled to the mayor. Suddenly, Fluttershy’s song bird choir began singing in tune as the spotlight descended to shine on the mayor.

“Mares and gentlecolts, as mayor of Ponyville it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!” Cheers came from all the ponies around Kairi, and she couldn’t help but join as well. It had been a single day, and she already felt like a part of the crowd. She knew better of course, but it didn’t stop her from cheering anyway. “In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this the longest day of the year.” It sounded kind of silly to her, but if what she heard about Princess Celestia was true, it was quite the feat in magic to move both sun and moon at the same time. She wondered briefly why this world had to have a pony move the celestial bodies.

Twilight on the other hand was still worried, looking up at the night sky through the skylight. She saw stars moving towards the moon, gasping softly as she nudged Kairi. She looked back, only to look up when Twilight directed her attention. She saw the same thing too, and the silhouette of a pony on the moon’s surface disappear. That looked ominous already, returning the same worried look Twilight had.

The mayor had continued to talk through all this. “And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day. The good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria. Princess Celestia!” Just as this was said, the birds began singing as the curtains on the upper balcony above were pulled apart. But where Princess Celestia was supposed to be standing, there was an empty space as the spotlight shone on the place where she was supposed to be. Rarity gasped, not knowing what was going on.

A few gasps and few whispers could be heard through the crowd of ponies. “This can’t be good,” Twilight said to herself, Kairi picking up on what this might mean as well.

The mayor attempted to keep the ponies currently nervous to remain calm for a moment, knowing there had to be a reasonable explanation. Pinking piped eagerly, “Ooh, ooh, I love guessing games! Is she hiding?” She then began looking around, as if trying to find the princess hiding somewhere among them.

Rarity came back from searching further beyond the balcony, but only to say, “She’s gone!” She had been quite surprised herself. At this news, everypony gasped loudly, but none more so then Pinkie Pie.

“Oh, she’s good,” she said.

“Pinkie Pie, I don’t think Princess Celestia is hiding,” Kairi said to her, though she kept her voice down. Despite how scared the ponies around her got, she stood ready for anything that was about to happen. She knew she had to; she was only one who knew how to fight. Admittedly now in a pony body yes, but she still retained the knowledge.

Pinkie then screamed as a purple, sparkly mist began to emanate from the balcony, making Rarity quickly retreat from the area. It grew bigger with each passing second. “Oh no,” Twilight said under her breath. Before them all, a pony began to form, but this one was far taller than the rest. Even more differing was she had wings and a horn. Her coat was a deep black, and her blue mane and tail waved in an almost ethereal way, the shimmering specks it held reminding her of the night sky. And those piercing, slit-like teal eyes of hers even sent a shiver down Kairi’s spine. After fully revealing herself, Spike fainted and fell from Twilight's back, and all the ponies stepped back in fear.

This had to be Nightmare Moon, Kairi just knew it. The darkness she felt coming off her was dense. She barely managed to stop herself from summoning her Keyblade, knowing now was not the time to draw it. The tall mare then finally spoke, “Oh, my beloved subjects, it’s been so long since I last saw your little sun loving faces.”

Rainbow Dash suddenly spoke up. Whether it was bravado or naivety, Kairi couldn’t tell. “What did you do to our princess?” Had she been given enough time, she would have flown up to give the black furred creature a swift kick. Thankfully, Applejack had stopped her by biting on to the end of her tail.

With a sinister chuckle, the pony on the balcony spoke again. “Why? Am I not royal enough for you? Don’t you know who I am?”

Pinkie spoke this time, “Ooh, ooh, more guessing games. Um, Hokey Smokes? How about Queen Meanie? No, Black Snooty! Black SnooMMmm!” Once again, Applejack interrupted by stuffing an apple into Pinkie Pie’s mouth, still holding on to Rainbow’s Tail.

“Does my crown not count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years?” The black coated mare asked. Her ethereal mane waving a little more as she gazed among the ponies below her. “Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?”

Suddenly from within the group, one mare spoke up finally. Twilight looked up at the figure, quite bravely in fact Kairi admitted. “I did, and I know who you are. You’re the mare in the moon, Nightmare Moon!” Kairi didn’t back away as Twilight declared the name for everypony to hear. She gazed at Nightmare Moon as well, itching to move, to at least summon the weapon. But she couldn’t, not yet, not until Nightmare Moon gave some reason to do so.

All the ponies gasped at the name mentioned, hardly believing their eyes as they learned that old pony tale had been true all along. “Well, well, well, somepony who remembers me,” Nightmare Moon spoke, “Then you also know why I am here.”

The bravado Twilight had displayed was slowly, but surely shrinking as she replied. “You’re here to…to…” She just couldn’t finish the sentence, it was too frightening for her to mention. Before she tried to slink away, Kairi placed her hoof on her shoulder, reassuring the slightly quivering mare that everything was alright, forcing her biggest smile to help encourage that fact.

With a sinister chuckle, Nightmare Moon spoke aloud, “Remember this day little ponies, for it was your last. From this day forth, the night shall last forever!” With an evil cackle, her mane and tail swirled around the upper portion of the building, lightning cracking in the building from nowhere that could be seen. When her laughter died down, she looked down on the little ponies that hadn’t left due to sheer fright, many having left the building due to her declaration. “Before I go, let us part with a farewell gift. A play date with my minions of darkness!”

Below her on the balcony, on the small stage the mayor had been standing on, several shapes began to form out of the floor. Almost as if they were created from the shadows themselves. And that is what they were, shadows with beady yellow eyes that stood there, waiting for the order to be given. “Have fun, my little ones.” With that said, Nightmare Moon disappeared in a veil of purple mist. Rainbow Dash, having escaped Applejack's grip, zoomed up to the balcony, but was too late as the Mare in the Moon was already gone.

Kairi knew the creatures she had summoned all too well, knowing exactly what she had to do now as a barrier was erected along the buildings interior, and prevented any more ponies from the leaving the building. “Everypony stay away from those creatures. Don’t let them attack you!” Kairi shouted, gathering everyponies attention, “Those things can steal your heart if they hit you!” And just like that, the remaining ponies in the building gathered behind Kairi, shaking in fear as the creatures came ever so slowly closer. Well, everypony except Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie anyway.

“Kairi, do you know what those things are?” Twilight asked, fear in her tone.

“I do, Twilight. I’ve fought them a few times myself now. Those things before us right now. Those are Heartless!” she said. And just like that, the creatures attacked when she called them what they were.

Episode 2: Elemental Discovery

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As the Heartless lunged at them all, Twilight believed this was where her life was ending. She couldn't even think of a spell to get rid of these things. Her own panic was keeping her from acting to protect herself. Her eyes shut tightly as the creatures came ever closer through the air. She could imagine the pain she would be feeling any second now. . . . Any second now. A few more seconds ticked by, and still she didn't feel the sting of pain. Opening her eyes finally, she looked up and found that not only had the Heartless been stopped, but some kind of barrier with multiple hexagonal shapes was surrounding all of them. It didn’t last long as the barrier disappeared, but it had at least kept them all safe.

But that just made the unicorn even more curious where it came from. Her thoughts were interrupted as Kairi galloped forward with something in her mouth, and brought the object down on at least three of the stunned Shadows before they managed to recuperate. From the defeated Heartless, Twilight saw shining pink hearts floating up, and then disappearing from her view. The object Kairi was holding looked like a sword she supposed, but it looked like it was fashioned to the liking of flowers, and it didn’t seem to have an edge. She then noticed Kairi looked like she wasn’t used to moving her head around like that to swing it very good.

Backing up from the group of Heartless, Kairi readied herself to throw up another Reflect spell in order to protect herself and the other ponies in the building with her. Just before another Heartless made to lunge, it was kicked away much to her surprise by Rainbow Dash with little effort on her part. “Hey, thought you might want an extra hoof in dealing with these bozos,” she said.

Kairi nodded, holding her leg out, and letting go of her Keyblade with her mouth. She managed to balance it on her leg, before looking back up to Rainbow. “Thanks, I could really use the help. Fighting like this feels kind of strange,” she admitted.

“It looked like it to me too. Too bad you don’t have wings, you could keep a grip on that thing in your hooves if you did,” The rainbow mare said.

”I think you’re right. Okay, if you can keep them off my back, then I can attack them to release the hearts they’ve captured. Defeating them without this would be pointless, they’d just come back again.” With that, Kairi gripped the handle in between her teeth, and readied herself for another attack.

“Sure thing. Hey Applejack, make sure these shadow things don’t attack anypony,” Rainbow called out, and kicked another Shadow as it made to lunge at her. Kairi made quick to attack it while it was downed, but the action itself caused another to attack as well. Luckily for her, an apple hit it in the side of its head, and knocked it off balance enough to miss. The opportunity was not wasted as Kairi hit it as hard as she could with her Keyblade, and released another heart from the grasp of darkness.

The group of ponies stayed huddled together as Applejack went around, and bucked a few of the creatures away to protect them. Their numbers were slowly dwindling, but she was hard pressed to be able to keep this up for much longer. She had seen Pinkie throw an apple towards a Heartless that had been about to attack Kairi, thinking it might be a good idea to team up with her. “Hey Pinkie, Ah need a hoof over here! Ah can’t keep up with this all on my own!”

“Okie dokie loki!” the party pony replied, and began assisting Applejack with protecting the others in her own unique way. Out of her mane, she pulled out a fairly large candy cane, with which she smacked the Heartless back when they tried to attack.

As the minutes pressed on, Kairi and Rainbow Dash were managing to slim the Heartless numbers. Several times now, Rainbow had kicked away one of the Heartless that tried to attack both her and Kairi, and Kairi would quickly follow up with a swing of her Keyblade. Soon, only five Shadows were remaining, and getting closer to finishing this battle. As Rainbow kicked another away when it attacked, and Kairi had moved to finish it off, she was surprised as a small purple beam blasted another Heartless away as it was about to jump on her back. Confused, she looked to where the dark creature lay stunned, and then back to where the beam came from. And saw Twilight with her horn aglow with her magic. With a smile, she nodded her thanks, and then hit the Heartless while it was down.

With only four left now, Applejack and Pinkie could relax as those Heartless that were left were now focusing on the two ponies responsible for eliminating a majority of them. With a look around herself, Kairi noticed the Heartless were ready to strike all at once. And she smirked, moving her head in a way to tell Rainbow Dash to back up. Seeing this, Rainbow was slightly confused, before catching on to the signal. While she wasn’t ready to just abandon the strange pony, the smirk on Kairi’s face told her she knew what she was doing. She nodded back, and flew upwards to give her some space. And that’s when the all four Heartless jumped at Kairi.

The split second it took for the Heartless to lunge at her, Kairi had already swung her head to the right, and swiftly turned her head to the left while lowering it as well. In her mind she called to a spell, and the effect was immediate. Fireballs swirled around her as if in orbit, and hit all four Heartless at once, the magic of the Keyblade releasing the hearts they held. As the fireballs vanished, so did the barrier on the Town Hall interior, and everypony that noticed this immediately vacated the building for fear of another attack.

With a sigh of relief, Kairi let her Keyblade vanish, and give her mouth some space to talk again. “Well, I didn’t expect this to happen, but I’m glad I was here to help,” she said, mostly to herself. Her eyes widened suddenly as Rainbow Dash landed in front of her. She looked pretty serious about what she was going to say.

“That. Was. Awesome!” she said, catching Kairi by surprise. “How did you use magic? Was it because of your odd weapon? Where did it go anyway? Could I get something like it as well, but twenty percent cooler?” The near rapid-fire questions, as well as Rainbow's close vicinity had Kairi leaning her head back, and unable to form a proper sentence.

“Settle down sally, give her some breathing room,” Applejack said, approaching both mares with Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy.

“My, my, that weapon you wielded was quite beautiful. I’d say it suits you my dear,” said Rarity.

“That was pretty cool, but your execution in using it was kind of sloppy. I’m sure if you practiced a little more, you could use it quite easily as a pony,” Pinkie had said. With all these mares giving her attention about her Keyblade, she wasn’t exactly sure where to start in answering Rainbow Dashes questions.

Thankfully though, she had noticed Twilight and Spike were gone, which gave her enough time to think as she said, “Okay, I’ll answer your questions, but I need to get back to the library. I’ll explain on the way.” With that said she moved past Applejack, and gave a soft smile to Fluttershy, who had decided to keep quiet for the time being. “I think you should come too, Fluttershy. I think I might need your help later,” she said, following her intuition.

The shy mare nodded slowly, but returned the smile as she followed Kairi out of the building, with the rest behind. Except for Rainbow Dash, who had flown up next to her, and was waiting to hear her answers. With a small smirk, she explained aloud so everypony could hear. “Okay, so answering the first two questions, yes I can use magic, but it's not because of my weapon though it does help me cast spells. It’s called a Keyblade, and it’s a weapon that is used to free hearts from the grip of darkness. It can also be used to lock and unlock anything that could use a key, but I would never and shall never use it unjustly. I’ll only ever summon it if I need to protect someb- somepony,” she said, correcting herself once when she was about to say somebody. “As to where it goes after I let it vanish, I've never really found out. As to getting one of your own Rainbow Dash, I kind of need to keep it a secret on how to obtain a Keyblade, but yes; it is possible for you to get one. Keep a strong heart, and I might show you how.”

“Aww, I could totally help if I had a Keyblade,” Rainbow complained.

“I know you could, but it really isn’t as simple as you think. I just need a little time to make sure before I can make a serious decision like this. In the wrong hooves, the Keyblade can be a really dangerous,” Kairi explained.

“Just how dangerous could a Keyblade be in the wrong hooves, sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

Kairi really didn’t want to answer that question. She really didn’t want to scare her friends. She still decided it was better to hear it now rather than later though. “…Dangerous enough that it could cover this world in darkness, and the bright lights in any pony's hearts would be lost for a while,” she said, trying to keep the grim tone from sneaking in to her voice.

“Oh my, it sounds like quite the responsibility you have to bear, dear,” Rarity commented, sounding awestruck.

“It is, but I can handle it. On the plus side, the Keyblade can be used for a lot of good too. You all saw it just a moment ago back at Town Hall,” she said, far more happy she could admit that.

“Of course, you stood up in front of everypony, and protected us all. It saddened me that those creatures needed to be hurt like that, but I couldn’t even see any emotion in their yellow eyes. It was like they were just husks or something,” Fluttershy finally spoke up, admitting how she felt about the situation.

“For the most part, they pretty much are. Trust me when I say this Fluttershy, it isn’t easy to fight them, and especially a large group like that. Without Rainbow Dash's help, and Applejack and Pinkie Pie making sure nopony were not attacked, we all would have had our hearts stolen, and turned into Heartless ourselves.” She wished she could have said that a little more gently, but it was the truth.

“Well, Ah’m just glad you were here when ya were. It don’t sit right with me hearing those things can steal our hearts like it was nothing,” Applejack said, and Kairi could tell she was being honest.

“So, anyway, why do you need to go the library? What’s there that’s gonna help us kick old moon flanks butt?” Rainbow asked.

Kairi had just noticed they were getting closer to the library when Rainbow asked her question. “Well, for starters, Twilight is there, and she's looking for a book to help her locate some powerful objects that can help. I think we should help her.”

“Hey you’re right, she seemed to know an awful lot about Nightmare Moon,” Rainbow Dash said, and the tone she carried sounded accusing, something Kairi didn’t like.

“She should, she’s been doing research on her, and from what I can tell, she sounded like she wanted to stop Nightmare Moon from even getting free in the first place. Though I guess the only thing she ever turned up in her research was a way to beat her.” Kairi said, hoping to remove whatever accusations Rainbow had.

“Wait, seriously? Then what are we waiting for then? Let’s hurry it up then.” Before she could even stop her, Rainbow had already opened the door to the building, and was approaching Twilight inside. They all followed her in as well, and heard the rainbow mare say, “Look, we want to help, so what are the Elements of Harmony?”

“Honestly, that pegasus can be so eager sometimes,” Applejack commented, though low enough that Rainbow didn’t hear.

“It is okay, Twilight, they’re here to help us,” Kairi said when Twilight looked her way. Twilight nodded, before closing her eyes a brief second as she organized her thoughts.

“When I read all about the prediction of Nightmare Moon, some mysterious objects called the Elements of Harmony were used a thousand years ago to banish her, and they are the only things that can stop her. But I don’t even know what they are, where to find them. I don’t even know what they do!” Twilight had said, sounding more and more concerned as she spoke.

“The Elements of Harmony: A reference guide!” Pinkie Pie spoke up, looking up at a book shelf. She was promptly bumped out of the way as Twilight rushed over to look at the book, easily picking it up in her magic.

“How did you find this?” she asked.

“It was under Eeeeeeee,” Pinkie replied simply in a sing song tone, bouncing by happily. Twilight had replied with a simple “…Oh,” And started reading through the book until she found what she was looking for.

“What does it say about the Elements, Twilight?” Kairi asked, glad they had so easily made another step forward in progress.

“Ok, there are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known; kindness, laughter, generosity, honesty, and loyalty. The sixth is unknown, and is a complete mystery. It is said that the last known location of the five elements was in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. It is located in what is now…” Twilight paused, afraid to say the next few words, “The Everfree Forest!”

At this everypony gasped, except Kairi since she had no idea why they were afraid of the forest to begin with. “Well, at least we now know where the Elements are. Now all we have to do is go get them,” she said. But something else bugged her mind about this. Out of the six ponies around her, she noticed four of the Elements seemed to ring true for most of them; namely Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. She supposed Rarity had a generous side as well. She did take time out of her own busy schedule to style Twilight's mane. She didn’t even ask to be paid. So all of them held the same virtues as the Elements, and she wondered for a moment if that meant something. She was soon shaken from her thoughts as Rainbow Dash spoke up.

“Well, the night ain’t getting any younger. Let’s go everypony,” she said, but was stopped when Twilight spoke up to her.

“Wait, as much as I appreciate the offer, I can’t just ask you all to come with me, and especially not into the Everfree Forest. I’ll go alone, and come back with the Elements,” Twilight said.

“You are definitely not going alone,” Kairi said, sounding serious herself. “You saw what Nightmare Moon did back at Town Hall. If she summons any more Heartless, then you’re going to need me around to help.”

“Kairi, as much as I appreciate it, I just simply couldn’t ask you to come along. Especially when you’re still figuring out how to move around,” Twilight responded. That statement left the rest confused about what Twilight meant.

“Then how are you going to protect yourself from them? You seem quite learned in magic, so you must have barrier spells. But what happens when you’re magic runs out? How are you going to respond then? Sometimes you can’t run away from a battle, especially when one comes with an impenetrable barrier,” Kairi said. Despite opening and closing her mouth a few times, Twilight couldn’t think of a single retort.

“In any case, we’re all going with ya, Twilight. There’s no way yer gonna change our minds, yer stuck with us,” Applejack said, bearing a bright smile at Twilight. Twilight really didn’t like this idea, especially when all this ‘friend making’ had gotten in her way before. Sighing in defeat though, she finally admitted to let them come along.

With everything settled, they all made their way to edge of the forest, and even though Kairi couldn’t feel any outright darkness from within, she still received a sense dread just looking at it. “Alright girls, let’s head on in. No use in standing around looking at it,” Kairi said, taking the first few step forward, “Keep your eyes peeled for anything too out of the ordinary.” Considering the ponies of Ponyville, and how peaceful it seemed, this place was probably far more extra-ordinary to them.

“Like she said ya’ll, let’s head on in, and find them Elements,” Applejack said. And with that, the group began their trek into the Everfree. It didn’t take long for their fear to be known, and even Kairi felt a little unsafe. The forest was so dark, she could barely see ten feet in front of her at all times. She wondered if eyesight would be better if the day was out.

“So, have any of you ever been in here before?” Twilight asked after about ten minutes walking. It was hard to tell, but Kairi definitely noticed they were walking along a wide cliff-side. And she was thankful for that, any narrower, and she wouldn’t have been able to continue.

“Of course not, just look at the place. It’s dreadful,” Rarity said, quite a bit fearful of the forest, though obviously the ‘charm’ of the Everfree wasn’t helping.

“And it ain’t natural. Folks say it don’t work the same as Equestria,” Applejack added, some of the fear she had been hiding being heard in her voice.

“W-What does that mean?” Twilight asked, sounding a little frightened.

Rainbow Dash, sensing a good scream coming everypony, decided to add to the creepiness factor. “Nopony knows,” she said in her best creepy voice. This had the rest scream a little, and earning a chuckle from Rainbow.

“That wasn’t very nice, Rainbow,” Kairi said, obviously not approving what Rainbow had done. But before she could say anything else, she could sense darkness somewhere, and it felt malevolent. Seeing Kairi hesitate to continue, Rainbow kept going.

“You know why? Because everypony who’s ever came in has never. Come. Out!” she exclaimed loudly, shocking Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity. But what was even more shocking was that the ground underneath them gave out for some reason. As she fell, Kairi spotted a purple, sparkly mist rise up into the sky, and knew exactly why the ground gave out. But for now, her current thought was her screaming as she slid down a steeper slope. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew after them all to attempt a rescue. Rainbow managed to grab, and lift Pinkie into the air, while Fluttershy flew as fast as she could towards Rarity.

Kairi really wished she had hands and fingers now. She could at least grab on to something then. Thankfully, she managed, to her great surprise, to stop just a few feet from a ledge. Looking to her right, she saw Applejack keeping Twilight from falling. How she was holding on to Twilight, she didn’t know, nor cared at the moment. She just knew they were both safe for the moment.

“Applejack, what do I do? I can’t hold on,” Twilight asked, not even bothering to hide her fear now. For a brief moment, Kairi looked around to try and find something to help, but then she saw Fluttershy and Rainbow flying back with their hooves empty.

Applejack must have seen them too, because she said calmly to Twilight, “Let go.”

“Are you crazy?!” Twilight replied, sounding rather agitated that that was her response.

“No I ain’t. I promise, you’ll be safe,” Applejack replied just as calmly as before.

“That’s not true!” the purple mare said, not believing a word of it. She knew what would happen if she let go. She would end up getting severely injured if she fell from a height like this.

“Now listen hear, what Ah’m saying to you is the honest truth. Let go, and you’ll be safe,” the orange farm pony replied, giving Twilight an honest smile. The unicorn just knew something bad was going to happen, but Applejack's words felt like they rang true. Battling with herself, she promised that if she did end up getting hurt, she was going to return the favor ten times over. And she let go, screaming as she started falling from the ledge, only to be cut off as she was caught by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

“I’m glad she trusted you, Applejack. I don’t think I would have been able to convince her if I had said anything,” Kairi said, still struggling to keep her position.

“And now fer you, Kairi. Ah need ya to trust me on this. You can make it to the ground safely. Ah got a look over the edge, and saw some rocky ledges that you can jump on,” Applejack said.

“No, I think I can hang on for a little bit-“ Kairi started to say, but when she slid another inch, she was quick to whimper. She was facing the edge, and was scared of even thinking of jumping. She was steady on her hooves while walking; jumping like this was a bit too much to ask of her already.

“Kairi, listen to me,” Applejack said calmly, even though she noticed her friend having slid an inch forward. ”You can do this, I know you can. You’re an earth pony now. So just listen with your heart, and follow your instincts. They’ll guide ya safely to the ground.”

“How can you be so sure I won’t mess up?” she said, completely missing her words out of fear of falling from such a height.

“Because you stood up for us when we thought Nopony was there to save us from them Heartless. Ah’m being completely honest Kairi, I know you can do it,” Applejack replied. Kairi trembled a little, forcing herself to stay calm. Applejack’s words felt greatly encouraging, and felt a little calmer for it, but she still felt scared. For the briefest moment, she closed her eyes as she imagined what Sora or Riku would do in her position. And then she opened them, knowing exactly what they would do.

Determination shown in her eyes, and let herself slide the rest of the way off the edge. She saw the rocky ledge Applejack mentioned, and braced herself for impact. Following her heart, she let instincts take over, and landed far easier than she thought she would. She immediately jumped for the next ledge, and landed safely on it, some of her fear draining away. And with each ledge she landed on, her fear kept fading until nothing was left, and she landed safely on the ground with Applejack landing right beside her.

For a few seconds, Kairi couldn't believe she actually managed to do all that. But then she shouted loudly into the air, a cheer of happiness escaping her, before laughing at how silly she had felt before. When she finally calmed down, she turned to Applejack, and said, “Thanks, I really needed that encouragement.”

“Heh, yer welcome for it. No way Ah was gonna let you sit there alone until Rainbow came and got ya. And Ah knew ya could do it, too,” she replied, smiling happily back.

Now that she had a moment to think, she remembered Applejack’s words, and asked, “So, quick question; what made you say 'I’m an earth pony now?'”

“You mean besides the Keyblade, the magic, and everything else?” Applejack asked back. Kairi blinked, realizing that could have caused some suspicion, but nodded anyway in confirmation. Everypony was listening in on the conversation by now, the topic having sparked some curiosity. “Well, along with that, Twilight said you had been learning to walk back at the library. I may not know about all the hard stuff there is out there, but if ya add all that up, then it could only mean one thing. You’ve only been an earth pony for at least a day.”

Kairi was quite surprised that Applejack was able to figure it out so easily. Then again, Kairi hadn’t actually been trying to hide it. She just never said anything about it. “Guess the cats out of the bag then. You’re right Applejack; I’ve been a pony for about a day now. I never said anything because I thought everyone would think it was too far-fetched,” she said, admitting she wasn’t a pony.

“So, what are you exactly? And is your name even Kairi?” Rainbow chimed in, now far more interested in who Kairi was.

Kairi giggled, sitting down as she prepared to tell them all who she was, “Well, let me start with saying my name really is Kairi. In order to explain what I used to be, I need to tell you where I’m from.” She paused for a moment, letting them absorb that knowledge first before continuing. “You see, I’m not actually from this world at all. My world is out there among the stars, and I used to be what’s called a human.”

“I think I’ve actually heard of those from somewhere, maybe from the Princess I guess. So, why are you here now? It seems a little fishy to me,” Twilight asked, curious about why Kairi was even in Equestria to begin with.

“That, I have no idea. You see, before you found me Twilight, I was actually with my friends on another world. We had just defended a little girl from a bunch of heartless, but then I was caught by surprise when a pool of darkness appeared under my feet, and started pulling me down into it. My friends tried to pull me out, but the strength of the darkness just pulled me in even more. I blacked out when I was pulled in all the way, and the next thing I remember was finding myself in that plain outside of Ponyville,” Kairi explained.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry that happened to you, Kairi. I don’t know what I would have done if that happened to me,” Fluttershy said, feeling bad that Kairi had been pulled from her friends.

“Thanks, Fluttershy, but it’s okay. If I know my friends as well as I do, I’m sure they’ll find me here eventually. They’re the type who never gives up on a friend,” she said, smiling happily.

“That sounds mighty nice. And while everything ya said sounds unbelievable, it don’t sound like you’ve been dishonest with us at all. If ya say yer from another world, I believe ya,” Applejack said, the smile on her face showing she really did believe her.

“Heh, coming from a whole other world just sounds all kinds of awesome, and you’ve been pretty cool already. I’d love to hang out with you some more after this whole thing is done with,” Rainbow said, the look on her face saying she wanted to hear everything Kairi knew about all the other worlds.

“From what I’ve heard so far, it sounds like you might be waiting for a while, and have no place to call your own. Since that is the case, I’ll welcome you into my home, and I won’t take no for an answer. Mi casa es su casa,” Rarity said, and looked like she had already made the decision for Kairi.

“Oh my gosh, I totally need to throw a ‘Welcome to Equestria’ party for you now! I know I’ve already done a ‘Welcome to Ponyville” party, but this one will be totally better! I’m sure you’ll love it, because you enjoyed your party earlier, and it looked like you had a lot of fun,” Pinkie said, and continue to talk on and on for the next few minutes.

Kairi had just decided to let her continue when Fluttershy came up to her, and said, “And you could always come to my house, and learn a little more about animals. I mean, if you want…” Fluttershy looked away, rubbing her left hoof over her right.

“Thanks, Fluttershy, I’d really enjoy that,” Kairi said, finally getting a word in edgewise. She was so touched by all these ponies, and knew they cared about her.

It was then Twilight walked up, her head hanging a little low as she was thinking about something first. She then looked at Kairi, and said, “You know, when I first found you in that field, I did think that maybe you weren’t from around here. And that assumption grew stronger when I watched you learning to walk. I wasn’t really sure what to think of you this entire time, but now I can see you’re really just trying your best in a new world. And looking back on today, I guess I can see why Princess Celestia wanted me to make friends. I’ll admit now I wasn’t really trying before, but after what just happened, I’ll give it a better shot. We’re all probably going to need to work together in order to get to the ancient castle.”

Kairi nodded, and stood up from where she sat. She was ready to continue, and said, “Well then, let’s not waste any more time then. We need to find those Elements.”

“Alright, come on everypony!” Rainbow Dash loudly said, leading the way. They hadn’t traveled very far, at least a good distance from the cliff-side, before a new threat appeared. A large creature stood in their way, and it looked mad. It had the body of a lion, but its tail looked like a scorpion’s tail, and it had bat-like wings.

“What is that?!” Kairi exclaimed.

“It’s a manticore!” Twilight replied, and looked scared for a second. But she remembered that they needed to get to the castle as quickly as possible. Looking determined, she boldly said, “We have to get past him!” Before another action could be taken, the shadows around the manticore formed, and appeared to them as Heartless. The next second, a barrier formed around them, and prevented them from leaving the immediate area.

“Great, just what we need. Can you guys handle the manticore?” Kairi asked.

“Yeah, no problem. Go ahead, and take out those Heartless, we’ll handle the big guy,” Rainbow said, already dashing off to face the beast.

“Wait,” Fluttershy has said, but was ignored as everypony moved to fight. Kairi galloped forward, and summoned her Keyblade with a short movement of her head, gripping the handle in her teeth. Looking at the numbers, there weren’t that many at all, at least six in total from what she could see. While the others were distracting the manticore, she busied herself taking out the Shadows one by one, even having to use her Reflect spell on Rarity once.

What happened next when she finished off the last Heartless was an oddity to her. The barrier that had trapped them all just disappeared, and allowed them a way to escape. ‘That’s never happened before. I thought the manticore was being controlled by darkness,’ she briefly thought. She decided to try and join their struggle now, but was stopped when she heard Fluttershy yelled, “Wait!”

Everypony stopped in their tracks, with Fluttershy in their path to stop them. With everypony calmed down finally, she approached the manticore carefully yet calmly. The manticore looked it was about to swipe her away, but she said sweetly, “Sshhh, it is okay.” She then nuzzled the back of its lowered paw, and sniffed softly. Kairi was surprised to see this creature react to Fluttershy’s gestures, lowering its raised paw, and revealing a rather large thorn in the palm of the other. How it managed to step on something so large, Kairi really didn’t want to find out. Somehow, sensing things were going to be alright, Kairi let her Keyblade vanish.

“Aw, you poor little baby,” Fluttershy calmly said.

“Little?” Rainbow Dash asked rhetorically.

“Now, this might hurt for just a second,” the animal care taker said. Gripping the thorn in her teeth, she yanked hard, and pulled the thorn out. The manticore roared loudly because of the pain, and for a second it looked like it might hurt Fluttershy.

Kairi joined the others in yelling, “FLUTTERSHY!” But what happened caught them all by surprise as the manticore held the pegasus in its forelegs, and began licking her affectionately, almost a like a domesticated cat. With a giggle, Fluttershy continued to pamper the creature. Seeing this chance to move on without further fighting, everypony decided to walk past the manticore. Kairi, for good measure, kicked the discarded thorn away into a nearby brush as she passed it.

Twilight turned around to watch the manticore put Fluttershy down, and then watched as it went on its way to find someplace to rest. “How did you know about the thorn?” she asked as Fluttershy walked passed her.

“I didn’t, sometimes we all need to be shown a little kindness,” she replied. Twilight smiled when she heard this, and followed after her. Unbeknownst to them however, the thorn Kairi kicked away spun in place, and evaporated into a sparkly mist. That mist then went on to follow after them secretly from the shadows.

Time passed fairly quickly as they traveled silently through the forest, but still not seeing any further in thanks to how dark it seemed. Kairi was glad the moon provided at least some light. She could only hope they were drawing nearer toward the ancient castle that held the Elements. Soon enough though, Rarity broke the silence.

“Nuuhhh, my eyes need a rest from all this icky muck,” she said. And almost as if it were jinxed while they pressed on, any sort of light they did have was swallowed as they passed under a thicker canopy. Now Kairi couldn’t even see two meters in front of her.

“Well, I didn’t mean that literally,” Rarity said, though a little quieter.

“That ancient ruin could be right in front of our noses, and we wouldn’t even know it,” Twilight said.

“It is okay girls, as long as we stick together, we’ll be fine. Admittedly though, I wish I knew some sort of illumination spell. This darkness is hard to travel through,” Kairi said, being honest with them. In the darkness though, just out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw just the barest glow of some sort of mist.

“I-I wish y-you did too,” Fluttershy spoke up shakily.

“Oops, Ah think Ah stepped in something,” said Applejack, trying to look at her. Barely a second passed before Fluttershy screamed. Looking at Applejack, or what she could see anyway, the mud on her hoof did suggest something else. “Calm down, it’s just mud. Oomph!” Without knowing it, she bumped into what she thought was a tree. But Nopony would have thought that when they looked up, and saw what looked like a glowing monster. Before she knew it, more and more began to appear around them. Fright having guided her, she called out her Keyblade as everypony screamed behind her.

In her panic, she thought they were under attack again, but as a few more seconds passed, her panic faded as she thought something wasn’t right about this scenario. And just like that, her thoughts were proven when she heard Pinkie Pie start laughing and giggling at what was around her. Apparently when everypony had retreated behind Kairi, Pinkie thought these were nothing more than a hoot to laugh at. She then began making faces at the supposed ‘monsters’ to have a little more fun.

“Pinkie, what are you doing?! Run!” Twilight called out.

“Oh girls, don’t you see,” Pinkie said, moving in place. But that’s not what caught Kairi’s attention. Looking around, she was trying to find out where the sudden music was coming from.

When I was a little filly and the sun was going dooooown.

“Tell me she’s not?” Twilight asked.

The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me froooowwnn.

“She is,” Rarity answered. As this continued, Kairi kept her eye on Pinkie Pie, giving up on locating where the music was coming from. It sounded like it was already in her ears like she was wearing earphones. She really couldn’t understand how Pinkie could hover like that, and stretch her neck so far. She was starting to think this mare could bend physics.

I’d hide under my pillow from what I thought I saw.

But Granny Pie said that wasn’t the way to deal with fears aaalllllll.

By now Pinkie was bouncing around them as she sung in tune to the music. She then heard Rainbow ask, “Then what is?”

She said ‘Pinkie, you got to stand up tall. Learn to face your feeears.

You’ll see that they can’t hurt you. Just laugh and make them disappeeear.

“Ha. Ha. Ha,” Pinkie simply said during a break in the song. The scary face that, now that Kairi could see it a little better, was on the glowing tree poofed, and just vanished like it wasn’t even there to begin with. They all gasped at what happened, figuring out that their fears had gotten away from them, and joined in laughing while Pinkie continued the song.

Soooooo giggle at the ghosties. Guffaw at the grossly.

Crack up at the creepy. Whoop it up with the weepy.

Chortle at the kooky. Snortle at the spooky.

And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna... hahahaha... heh...

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuugh!

At the end of her song, Pinkie just continued to laugh with her friends. Kairi couldn’t believe she had gotten scared at a bunch of scary looking trees to begin with. The idea of it all just made her laugh with everypony for a while longer. Soon enough they all had to get to their hooves, and continue on, but at least for now the silence was taken up with laughter.

With higher spirits, they continued on while laughing until Pinkie came to a stop in front of a raging river. “How are we going to cross this?” she asked. Just then they could hear wailing a little further up, and decided to check on it. What they all saw was a tall purple scaled serpent going on about something. Kairi missed a little bit of it, but it seemed he was in trouble about something. A closer look told her that this serpent likes keeping himself groomed, his hair was styled back quite expertly, and his mustache seemed to be too. Though another look said otherwise as the hair on his right looked like it had been cut off.

Twilight stepped forth, and asked “Excuse me sir, why are you crying?”

“Well, I was just minding my own business, when this tacky little cloud of purple smoke just whisked past me, and tore half of my beloved moustache clean off. And now, I look simply horrid,” the serpent said, resuming his wailing.

“Oh, gimme a break,” Rainbow Dash commented.

“That’s what this fuss is all about?” Applejack asked rhetorically.

“Why of course it is! How can you be so insensitive?” Rarity said, simply stating rather than asking. While she wasn’t one for extreme fashion, Kairi kind of understood what the serpent was going through, though not as much as Rarity understood as she stood in front of the sniveling creature. “Oh, just look at him. Such lovely, luminescent scales.”

He sniffed, before saying, “I know.”

“And you’re expertly quaffed mane.”

“Oh, I know, I know.”

“And your fabulous manicure.”

“Oh it’s so true.”

“All ruined without your beautiful moustache.”

“It’s so true! I’m hideous!” he exclaimed and began wailing again. This was getting a little ridiculous for Kairi. Surely this serpent could wait until his ‘moustache’ grew back. It wasn’t the end of the world.

“I simply cannot let such a crime against fabulosity go uncorrected,” Rarity said. She then reaches her head forward, and plucked off one of the serpent’s scales.

“Ow! What did you that for?” he asked. His answer was for Rarity to lift her head up, as if she were about to swing the scale. It looked like it was sharp to cut something too.

“Rarity, what are you-“ Kairi had begun to ask, but was cut off as Rarity moved her head to slash. The serpent made to look like he fainted, like the sight of what Rarity did was something gruesome. And it probably was for him. She had simply cut off a large amount of her tail hair. Tossing the scale away, she lifted her cut off tail, and moved it to the half to the serpents face, using some magic to meld the ends together.

Seeing his completed moustache again, albeit one half being purple, the serpent cried out in joy. “My moustache!”

Rarity considered her work for just a second, before saying, “You look smashing.”

“Oh, Rarity, your beautiful tail,” Twilight said, feeling a little bad Rarity had done something like that to help out a complete stranger.

“Oh, it is fine my dear, short tails are in this season. Besides, it will grow back,” she replied.

Kairi walked up next to Twilight, and said, “So would the mustache.” They both exchanged small smiles, but then Twilight noticed the raging river was now more like a calm stream.

“We can cross now! Let’s go,” she said. She moved to cross, but the serpent cut her off before she made it to the water.

“Oh please, let me assist you all so you don’t have to get your hooves wet,” he said. He then turns, and used his body to make a sort of ‘hopping stone’ bridge. Or maybe a better term was hopping coils. Either way, they began hopping from one coil to the next to cross over. Bidding their farewells to the serpent, who they learned was named Steven Magnet, they continued on further into the forest.

And just within a few minutes, Twilight caught sight of the ruins of the ancient castle on the other side of a large gorge. “There it is, the ruin that holds the Elements of Harmony. We made it!” She started to run forward, but Kairi stopped in her tracks by grabbing hold of her tail with her teeth. “Ow, what was that for?”

Kairi let go, and pointed forward at what caught her eye. “The bridge is out. I didn’t want you falling into the gorge,” she said. As if it missed her in her excitement, Twilight looked to where the bridge was, and it indeed was out.

She looked back at Kairi with a sheepish smile, and said, “Eheh, thanks Kairi. I guess I was getting a little ahead of myself.”

“No worries, I’m sure we’ve all let our excitement get away from us once or twice,” she said, smiling back. She then approached the posts where the bridge was supposed to be tied to, and was thankful to see the bridge hadn’t snap in two. It was still hanging in one piece on their side of the gorge. “Looks like the bridge is still in working order, but somepony is going to have to fly down, and then across the gorge to tie the rope back up. Rainbow, you think you can do that?”

“Think? Hah, there is no think, Kairi. I can do it. Be back in a flash!” Rainbow said, and was already flying to do the job. It wouldn’t take too long now, and soon they’d have the Elements in their possession. Now if only-

Kairi looked around, sensing a faint darkness nearby as the fog of the gorge blocked their view of Rainbow Dash on the other side. Without warning, a new barrier surrounded them, and it was large enough to cover both sides of the gorge. “Everypony, on your hooves. We’re under attack!” Kairi exclaimed. And just in time too, looking at the path they walked to where they were she saw at least eight Shadow Heartless, but they came with a couple new friends.

The two she saw kind of looked like Soldier Heartless, but they looked more like ponies instead of their bipedal form. If these were here, than that meant there was an extra objective. But what could- Of course! “Applejack, Pinkie Pie, keep those two pony Heartless from striking the bridge posts! They’re going to focus on them!”

“Hear ya loud, and clear Kairi!” Applejack replied with a mock salute.

“Okie dokie loki!” Pinkie said, and they both took position.

“Twilight, make a barrier around yourself, and Rarity and Fluttershy. I need to focus on the fight here,” Kairi, turning her attention to Twilight.

With a glow of her magic, Twilight erected a solid, translucent barrier around herself and the others. “Be careful, Kairi.” Kairi nodded in confirmation, and galloped to Applejack and Pinkie Pie.

“Okay, listen girls. Those pony Heartless aren’t like the weaker Shadows you’ve seen. They can charge right at you, and you will be hit if you aren’t careful. If they do charge, try to counter them. I’m fairly sure they are like they’re bipedal form,” she quickly instructed. She then summoned her Keyblade, gripping it firmly in her mouth.

“Thanks for the info, Kairi. I’m sure we can handle it from here on out,” Applejack said, ready to defend.

With that said, the Heartless she had mentioned immediately charged forward. She jumped forward, and hit the one charging at Pinkie back, but the other got passed her fairly quick. Apparently it wasn’t too quick though as Applejack managed to turn, and buck it backwards hard, sending it flying a few meters.

“Nice hit, Applejack!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Now that she knew they had things under control, she focused her attention on the Shadows surrounding Twilight's barrier. She rushed at them, and took out at three least of the Heartless, jumping back when one lunged her. She briefly wondered what was taking Rainbow Dash so long, before jumping back in, and taking out two more. Her attention was pulled away when Applejack yelled, “Behind you!” She knew what that meant, and almost as easily as it came to her, Kairi spun on her hind legs, and then swiped her head down as she landed on her forelegs. The motion hit the Soldier Pony out of its charge, and she followed up the attack by jumping forward shortly while swinging her head the other way. That did the trick, and heartless boomed out of existence, its captured heart now free floating away. She turned her attention back the Shadows again, taking out two more with her attacks. Little by little, she was growing used to fighting like this.

Applejack and Pinkie Pie made busy keeping the remaining Soldier at bay, knocking it back to protect the bridge. Their attacks weren’t damaging it much, but they were at least holding it back for now. Unfortunately, during one of its charges, it managed to slip past them both. They moved to catch up, but were surprised when it was sent flying back again. Looking back, they saw Rainbow hovering with a flap of her wings. “Oh no you don’t! I’m not about to let you break the bridge!” She proudly stated.

Hearing this, Kairi looked back as she mopped up the last of the Shadows, and saw Rainbow Dash had stopped the Soldier from attacking the bridge posts. She smiled, glad they have such a loyal friend backing them up. She then turned her focus on the stunned Soldier Pony Heartless, and moved to strike it down before it got back up. Her attack sent it up into the air, and she followed after it, jumping up while swiping at it with her Keyblade. Having taken enough damage, the Heartless exploded into purple clouds, and released the heart it held captive. With the last of the Heartless gone, the barrier surrounding the area vanished.

But this time, Kairi didn’t let her Keyblade vanish, and balanced it on her leg. She looked up at the ruins of the ancient castle, and already knew things were going to get a little more dangerous. While it was against principle, she knew at least two of them needed to be able to protect the rest against the Heartless. And as Twilight lowered her barrier, Kairi made her decision. “Well, I know for sure I can’t protect all of you at once.”

“Well, ya seem to be doing a pretty good job so far,” Applejack said as she approached Kairi. Looking around, she saw the rest were walking to her as well.

She sighed, knowing the compliment was well meant, but she knew she had her limits then and there. “Maybe, but what’s to stop the Heartless from attacking you if you can’t defend yourselves from them? I can’t keep asking Twilight to use her barrier to protect everyone all the time. There’s also going to be times when I’m not around to protect you,” Kairi said, sitting down as she explained her position, “I need at least two of you to have your own Keyblades. Before I do this though, I need you all to promise to never reveal how this is done, and also to never show others how to get their own unless you are one-hundred percent certain of their character.”

The ponies looked at each other, but Pinkie was the first to reply, as well do a few motions to show how serious she was, “No problem. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”

Kairi looked at Pinkie, and said, “What was that?”

“It’s a Pinkie Promise. It’s a promise that you can’t break, no matter what,” she replied.

Taking that as a sign, she nodded, and looked at the rest. Everypony exchanged looks with each other, before agreeing as well, even performing Pinkie’s Pinkie Promise. “Okay then, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, please step forward,” she said, both ponies did as instructed. “Do you swear you will only use your Keyblades for the defense of the innocent and weak?”

“Totally!” Rainbow said with excitement in her voice.

“Of course, sugarcube,” Applejack replied, her honesty without match.

“A simple yes is fine, but thank you. Do you swear to only strike down darkness if it strikes first?” Kairi stated, almost as if she was testing their resolve.

Both nodded, and said, “Yes!”

“And do you swear to use your Keyblades to defend your world from those that would seek to darken its horizons?”

“Yes!”

Kairi nodded, and stood as she let the blade fall to the ground, cradling the handle in her hoof. “Very well, Rainbow Dash, please step forth and grasp my Keyblades handle,” she said. Rainbow did as told, and made it look easy to grasp the handle with her hoof. For a few good seconds they waited with nothing extraordinary happening, but Kairi knew all too well that that was supposed to happen. Taking her hoof back, Rainbow looked it with a puzzled look. “Please step back. Applejack, please step forth, and grasp my Keyblades handle.” Rainbow did as told, and Applejack repeated what the pegasus did. When told to step back, she did so as Kairi spoke again, “Applejack, Rainbow Dash, from this day forth, may you both protect the ones care for, and defend your world from harm. I name you both Keyblade Wielders.” She let her Keyblade vanish, and then put her hoof down.

For a long minute, Kairi simply stood there with a smile, and waited for the first question. “So, was anything supposed to happen, because I don’t feel any different?” Rainbow asked.

“Nope, and that was the point. If it was flashy, it would have drawn unnecessary attention. It’s best that it isn’t flashy any way,” Kairi answered. She then watched Rainbow move her hoof around as if trying to draw something out of the air.

“Considerin' Rainbow isn’t pulling out a Keyblade, Ah'm supposin’ it don’t come to us automatically then,” Applejack said, watching Rainbow try to summon her Keyblade.

“Yeah, I wish that wasn’t the case. Don’t worry though, as long as you keep your hearts strong, you’ll summon them soon. In fact, I didn’t even know I could wield a Keyblade until I was given mine. Let me explain that one a little bit. A long time ago, I met woman who was a Keyblade Master. She saved me from some nasty creatures as well, but when she had her Keyblade out, I accidentally touched it while she was holding it. Right then, I inherited the right to wield a Keyblade,” Kairi explained.

“Well, I hope I don’t need somepony giving me my Keyblade. That would be totally lame,” Rainbow said, putting her hoof down finally. “So all we need to do is keep our hearts strong, and eventually it will come to us. I hope it’s soon, I don’t want to walk around in there, and have Heartless jumping at us.” She turned to look at the ruins of the castle, a little concerned about walking into a trap.

“Don’t worry, I think Nightmare Moon is out of traps to spring on us,” Kairi simply stated. This earned a few gasps from the ponies around her.

“What makes you think Nightmare Moon has been setting traps?” Twilight asked.

“Because she has been this entire time at every stop we’ve had. The cliff-side suddenly giving way when we all don’t weight that much was not natural, not to mention it was a large portion of the ground too. Just shy of a second after it gave way, I saw a purple mist rise up into the sky. The trees that had scary faces meant to keep us from advancing any further. It was too dark to see, but I’m fairly sure I saw some mist again. And then the serpent by the river; he was thrashing about because a, and I quote, ‘tacky purple cloud of smoke’ ripped off his moustache. I think it’s safe to say that same purple mist was responsible for the thorn in the manticore’s paw,” Kairi explained.

“The Shadowbolts suddenly appearing out of nowhere, and interrupting me with a deal to join them. They told me if I wanted to join them, I’d need to leave you guys behind. But I turned them down because I couldn’t leave you all hangin’,” Rainbow added, telling everypony what had kept her from coming back immediately.

“She’s been trying to slow us down every step of the way,” Twilight said, it all making way too much sense now. “Of course she’d try and stop us. We’re trying get the Elements, the only things that can stop her. Her actions are genuine proof that they are real.” She turned towards the ruins, and said, “Come on everypony, we’ve got to get to those Elements!”

With that said, they all followed Twilight across the now repaired bridge, and into the castle ruins. Upon stepping through the doorway, they saw a large stone pedestal not too far from the doorway. It seemed important enough, because on the stone branches surrounding it were five stone orbs, each with what looked like gray jewels popping out of the surface.

“These are the Elements of Harmony? I guess not being used for over a thousand years turned them to stone,” Kairi asked. While she wasn’t sure about it, she thought she felt something coming off of them. A passive aura, residual magic, it could have been any number things.

“Yes, these are the Elements of Harmony, we found them,” Twilight said, possibly giddy about the discovery. While Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash lifted the Elements off the stone branches, Pinkie Pie went ahead and counted them off.

“There’s only five, where’s the sixth?” she asked.

“According to the book, when the five are together, a spark will cause the sixth element to be revealed,” Twilight replied.

“Well what in the hay is that supposed to mean?” Applejack asked.

“I’m not sure, but I have an idea. Stand back, I don’t know what will happen.” With that said, Twilight began focusing on her magic.

“Come on now ya’ll, she needs to concentrate,” Applejack said, leading the way back outside. Kairi, on the other hoof, decided to stay nearby just in case. She stepped back of course to give Twilight some room, but she didn’t trust this place enough to leave her all alone.

And just like she thought, she felt that same darkness from before arrive. Only this time it wasn’t wasting any more time as the purple mist surrounded the Elements, and began making some sort of vortex of magic to carry them away. “Ah!” Twilight yelped when she noticed what was happening.

“Twilight, she’s trying to take them away from here!” Kairi yelled back, galloping up towards the swirling vortex. Just before it disappeared, both of them jumped in, and were carried off someplace. As the others came back into the ruins, they saw all this happen.

“Where’d they go?!” Rainbow exclaimed.

“Look, there’s light coming from a nearby tower!” Rarity called out, noticing the flashing light outside a window.

“Come on everypony! Twilight and Kairi need us!” Applejack said. But before they could make their way towards said tower, a barrier covered the room, and prevented them from leaving.

“Oh no, this means that-“ Fluttershy said, before turning around to face the room. As they all looked on, they saw several Heartless Shadows forming around the large pedestal that held the Elements. They all backed away from the group, knowing they were under attack. Applejack and Rainbow exchanged looks with each other, before taking the front.

“We may not be able to bring them out yet, but we can at least out last these varmints!” Applejack said, “Ah’ll try to corral them, and then you try to take out any that slip past me, Rainbow!”

“I’m on it! With my speed, they won’t even lay a claw on anypony,” Rainbow proudly stated. With their battle plan laid out, both ponies charged forward to protect their friends.

Coughing and a little disoriented, Twilight and Kairi took in their surroundings. And before them, holding the Elements in her wispy mane was Nightmare Moon, chuckling evilly as she stood on a raised platform. “Nightmare Moon,” Kairi said quietly. Though fear was in the pits of their stomachs, they readied themselves to charge at the mare in the moon.

“You’re joking. You’re joking right?” she asked, not impressed at all. And as they charged forward, Twilight's horn lit with magic. Meeting their challenge almost half-heartedly, Nightmare Moon charged forward as well, but left the Elements on the ground behind her. Just before they collided, Kairi jumped to the side to get past the tall mare, while Twilight's magic teleported her to the Elements.

“Twilight, you do your thing. I’ll keep her back as long as I possibly can,” Kairi said, facing towards Nightmare Moon. Despite her earlier hesitation back at Town Hall, she summoned her Keyblade, and faced down the opposing pony. But a dark chuckle emanated from the mare, and she stepped further back.

“I’m not worried. In fact, why don’t I summon another Heartless for you to fight, Keyblade Wielder,” she said. With a light glow, the room was quickly enveloped by a barrier, but from her shadow rose a far more menacing creature. When it finally formed, it was at least twice as tall as Kairi with orange tipped claws, and menacing looking fangs. On its head were horns, and the yellow glow of its eyes were hard to stare at for any given amount of time. With a quick glance, Kairi noticed just Nightmare Moon, the Heartless, and herself were inside the barrier. It seemed like it had stopped just before the raised platform, and Twilight was busy building up her magic. She looked back, staring down this menacing Heartless with determination.

‘Okay Kairi, you can do this. You just need to believe in yourself. You can take it down,’ she thought to herself. Shaking off the fear she felt, she readied herself to move, and let this boss type Heartless take the first move. It was quick, bringing its claw up, and slashing at Kairi after it charged forward. Quick to dodge, she jumped up over the attack, and brought the weapon on its elbow. ‘First hit!’ As she landed on her hooves, she immediately ducked down as the Heartless drew its clawed hand back, barely dodging the movement. With its hand raised, it tried to smash Kairi into the floor, but that move was easily seen. Kicking with her left legs, she rolled herself off to the right, and brought herself up to her hooves just as it smashed its hand on the empty space.

Taking this chance to score a few hits, Kairi moved in on its wrist, and managed to get three hits in before it brought its hand back. Before she could get away, she took a sucker punch to her side, and was knocked off her hooves, the attack creating a small dark flame that was proof she had taken damage from a Heartless. She used the movement the punch sent her, and righted herself on her hooves, barely getting out of the way as the Heartless lunged at her. She kept herself on the move, and galloped behind the creature, before jumping on to its back. From there, she delivered several blows while it was busy trying to reach her with its claws, she moved out of the way each time, continuing to do as much damage as she could. Getting mad now, the Heartless threw itself up, and threw her off in the process, the action managing to lose her grip on her Keyblade.

Chancing a moment to watch Kairi, Twilight saw her being thrown off the creatures back, and lose grip of her Keyblade. When Kairi landed on her hooves, it looked like she ignored her Keyblade to evade a smash from the Heartless. Twilight questioned why she wouldn’t try to get her weapon back, but that question was answered as the blade vanished from the floor, and appeared back in Kairi’s mouth. ‘She can call it to her even if she’s not holding it. What a clever design!’ She then returned her concentration to her magic, attempting to create the spark to make the sixth element to appear.

After that the Heartless attempted to smash her again, Kairi decided it was too risky to jump on its back again after she called her Keyblade back. Instead, she rushed forward as it faced her, and began to grab at her. Without fear, she poured more speed into her gallop, moving past the claws, and hitting its legs as she ran under it. Turning around quickly, she jumped again, and slashed at its lower back. The momentum in the air helped her to spin, and as she began to drop, she brought her Keyblade down on its lower back once again. Having just about enough of this, it tried reaching behind itself to make a grab at her again. Kairi wasn’t having none of that, galloping under it, and hit its legs again, before continuing out its reach.

She was surprising herself with how well she was doing so far. She thought she would have a little more trouble. It looked like Nightmare had summoned something that was just slow moving enough that Kairi could react accordingly. Maybe her earlier assumption was correct, perhaps Princess Luna was still somewhere inside the form she was currently taking.

She couldn’t think any more on that though as she faced the Heartless once more. She was expecting it to have just managed to face her, but was caught off guard with another punch that sent her flying again. This time though, she managed to keep her grip on her Keyblade, and while in the air she used her Cure spell. The spell rid her body of the new dark flames, as well as the ones that were on her side. Landing on her hooves, she saw the Heartless attempting to smash her into the floor. An old trick that was easily out-maneuvered, and it just kept using it for her to manipulate. She jumped forward as hard as she could, and avoided the clawed hand easily, before galloping under its towering form once more. Behind it once more, she turned as quick as she could, and jumped onto its back again, unleashing strike after strike. It again tried to grab at her, and she moved out of the way to prevent that from happening. She knew what was coming next, and she jumped and spun in the air just as it tried the throw her off again. With a muffled yell, she brought her Keyblade down on its head, striking its horns first before hitting it square in the face.

It gave a loud roar as she landed on her hooves again; jumping back to keep herself out of danger, but it wasn’t needed. It froze in place after its roar, almost like something was freezing it in place. From its exposed chest, a heart emerged from the Heartless, and floated away as the shadows that formed it exploded into dark smoke. The barrier that surrounded them faded away, and Nightmare Moon gave a short chortle. “Congratulations are in order, I suppose, but too bad it did little in the long run,” she said, simply walking by Kairi confidently.

Just as she approached the platform, Twilight managed to cast a spark on the Elements. But Nightmare Moon continued to act confident as if her victory was assured. As the orbs glowed, the only thing that happened was the spark back firing, and sending Twilight off the platform. The glow around the Elements faded as Kairi approached the purple unicorn, who looked perplexed as to what happened. “But, that should have worked. A spark would reveal the sixth Element.”

“Foal, do you really think things would be so simple?” Nightmare asked rhetorically. “I’ll admit, you’ve all impressed me for making it this far.” As she spoke, she reared up on her hind legs, and stomped on the stone floor, the shockwave breaking the stone orbs that were the Elements. “But you were all little foals, thinking you could defeat me! Now you will never see your princess, or your sun. The night shall last forever!” Nightmare laughed mightily, enjoying her own merriment.

Kairi scowled at these turn of events, knowing they were so close to victory. It tasted sour that Nightmare Moon had seemingly won so easily. But then both Twilight, and her heard voices over the laughter. It seemed the others had finally arrived, and the thought they were so close brought a small smile to her face. But looking at Twilight told her something else was happening in her mind. For just a brief second, Twilight's large eyes widened, and Kairi thought she saw a twinkle in her pupil when she gasped. ‘Did she figure it out? Does she know how to reveal the sixth Element?’ Kairi questioned in her mind.

“You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that?” Twilight stated as she turned to face Nightmare Moon, “Well you’re wrong, because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!” She declared this proudly as she finally called Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Kairi her friends in her heart. The shattered stone pieces of the Elements began to glow, and floated up into the air before zipping over to the ponies.

“What?!” Nightmare Moon said quietly. She looked a little scared about what was happening.

Looking at Applejack, Twilight continued, “Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the Spirit of Honesty!” As if on cue, the stone shards of Honesty orbited around Applejack.

“Fluttershy, who tamed a manticore with her compassion, represents the Spirit of Kindness!” Twilight said as the shard of Kindness went to Fluttershy.

“Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by laughing in the face of danger, represents the Spirit of Laughter!” The shards of Laughter zoomed over, and orbited around Pinkie Pie as she bounced happily.

“Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, represents the Spirit of Generosity!” Kairi watched as these shards of Generosity whipped over to Rarity, and circled around her in a soft glow.

“And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own hearts desire, represents the Spirit of Loyalty!” Rainbow Dash looked happy and proud as the shards of Loyalty orbited her.

“The Spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us!” Twilight said proudly.

“But you still don’t have the sixth element. The spark didn’t work!” Nightmare Moon said, knowing that without the sixth element, they would not succeed in banishing her again.

“But it did, it was just a different kind of spark,” Kairi said, knowing exactly where this was going. It really was a different kind of magic. She looked to Twilight with a bright smile, who returned it just as well before turning to the others.

“I felt it the very moment I felt just how happy I was to hear you, to see you. How much cared about you. The spark ignited inside of me when I realized that you all…” She turned towards Nightmare Moon and said proudly, “Are my friends!”

Kairi stepped back as a light shined above the six mares, the sixth element finally revealing itself. It then floated over Twilight, dubbing her the sixth Spirit of Harmony. “You see Nightmare Moon, when those elements are ignited by the… the spark that reside in the hearts of us all, it creates the sixth element. The Element of Magic!” When Twilight finished speaking, the bright light shined even brighter, the shards floating around each pony shining as well before morphing into golden necklaces with gems of their Cutie Marks in the center of each. The sixth Element above Twilight shined as it morphed into a tiara, the gem on top taking the shape of her Cutie Mark as well.

The light glowing brighter, making it harder for Kairi to watch, but she saw all her friends floating a short ways up off the floor before rainbow beams shot out of the center of their circle. It spiraled further up into the air like a double helix, before joining, and then flying straight at Nightmare Moon. The Mare in the Moon cried out as the light of the rainbow hit her, the rainbow swirling around her like a tornado as the power of the Elements of Harmony began purifying her of her darkness. The resulting bright light made Kairi flinch, and close them her to protect her vision.

By the time she managed to open her eyes, she saw her friends lying on the stone floor, and moved over to them as they groaned from the experience. “Ooh, my head,” Rainbow said, being the first to get her hooves. She rubbed her head with her hoof, though her headache was already fading quickly.

“Everypony okay?” Applejack asked, getting up as well. Everypony else managed to do the same, but Rarity remarked happily about something before anypony answer Applejack

“Oh thank goodness,” the white unicorn said.

“Why Rarity, it’s so lovely,” Fluttershy said, obviously meaning her Element necklace.

“I know, I’ll never part with it again,” Rarity said, waving her regrown tail about.

“No, you’re necklace. It looks just like your Cutie Mark,” Fluttershy corrected this time.

Looking at the necklace, then at her flank, and finally noticed that little detail. She then looked at Fluttershy’s necklace, and said, “Why so does yours.”

Pinkie bounced around happily before landing next to Applejack, saying, “Look at mine! Look at mine!”

“Aw yeah!” Rainbow exclaimed as she looked at her own necklace. Twilight was smiling as she looked at her tiara, happy that everything had turned out alright.

“Looks like Princess Celestia was correct in telling you to make friends, huh?” Kairi asked, smiling at her friend.

Twilight giggled as she looked at Kairi, and replied, “Yeah, I should have known not to doubt her words. I was just so worried, I didn’t even think she was subtly trying to guide me.”

“Looks like everything turned out alright in the end, isn’t that right Princess Celestia?” Kairi said, turning on the spot to face the window.

“Indeed it has, my new subject,” said a gentle voice. Outside through the window, they saw the sun beginning to rise above the distant mountains. And with it came a bright light that shined brightly as it came inside the tower room. Once the light faded, a tall white pony with wings and horn stood in front of them all. Her lighter shade of a rainbow mane and tail flowed just as ethereally Nightmare Moon’s had. She wore some sort of large, golden looking cloth with purple gem at its center around her neck, golden shoes on her hooves, and a golden crown with a purple gem as well on her head. She had a smile on her face when she appeared, her lighter purple eyes gazing happily at all the ponies in the room. On her flank was a large sun Cutie Mark. Everypony kneeled before the princess, but Twilight walked toward her teacher happily. “Princess Celestia!” Twilight said, before she nuzzled up against her teacher, glad to see her safe

“Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student, I knew you could do it.” Princess Celestia said, her smile never faltering for a second. She then looked over to Kairi, and being seen in her gaze, she bowed her head to show respect. “I’ve been watching over both of you today, and I’m quite happy you are here, Kairi. You kept my faithful student and her friends safe from harm this entire time. Even putting yourself in harm’s way to protect others. I can tell that one day you will make for a fine Keyblade Master.”

“Heh, thanks, but I think I’m still a ways away from getting there just yet. I’ve still got to keep training if I’m ever going to be one,” she said, a little flattered at Princess Celestia’s compliment.

“Princess, you told me that the prophecy was only an old pony tale,” Twilight said, interjecting to try and erase what lingering doubts she had.

“I told you that you needed to make some friends, nothing more,” Princess Celestia replied, addressing Twilight’s doubts. “I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon’s return, and I knew you had the magic inside to defeat her. But you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart.” Twilight looked to hers, and smiled happily at them, and especially at Kairi. “Now if only another will as well.”

At these words, everypony turned their attention to where Nightmare Moon was, and saw shed husks of the once fearsome mare surrounding a much smaller pony with wings and horn. Her coat looked a night blue in color, and her mane and tail were and lighter blue. On her flank was a blur-black splotch with a crescent moon as her Cutie Mark. She wore the same clothing as Princess Celestia, but the color was the same blue-black color on her flank, and the crescent moon was seen on her at the center of the cloth. She was also wearing shoes on her hooves, and a smaller crown on her head. “Princess Luna,” Princess Celestia said.

The pony gasped at the name, opening her teal eyes in shock as she watched her sister approach. “It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this,” Princess Celestia said gently, kneeling in front of Princess Luna. “It’s time to put our differences aside. We were meant to rule together little sister.” It looked like she was trying to comfort the worry Princess Luna might still have after being purified of her darker side. “Will you accept my friendship?”

For a long moment, everypony waited as Princess Luna had time to think. They were literally on the tips of their hooves, especially for Pinkie Pie when she lost balance, and fell forward. For those few moments, Kairi hoped Princess Luna accept her sisters offer of friendship. Jealously may not be vanquished as easily as that, but without the darkness’ influence, perhaps now she had the chance to think clearly for once. Princess Luna looked confused for a moment, not sure of exactly what to do, but in the end she began following her heart. With tears, she jumped up to embrace Princess Celestia, and said, “I’m so sorry, I missed you big sister.”

Princess Celestia shared her own tears as well, and said, “I’ve missed you too.” For a long moment, the two shared tears of happiness with each other, the silence taken with Pinkie crying her tears of happiness, though her tears came out like garden hoses were left. This pink pony just kept on surprising her.

She then gasped, and said loudly, “You know what this calls for? A party!” And just like that, she was already making-

Out on the center of Ponyville, the biggest party that the brilliant party pony could possibly throw was being held-

Wait, what the? I didn’t write that.

I did silly!

Pinkie, stop breaking the fourth wall! I’m writing this story, let me tell it my way.

Aw, I was just trying to speed you up.

Thank you for the thought, but I’ll scene change when I need to. Go back to walking out of the room please.

Okie dokie loki! Just hurry, this episode is dragging on way too long.

I know that. Alright now where was I? Oh right.

Pinkie Pie was already bouncing her way out of the tower, obviously off to throw the party she declared. Her statement drew the Princess’ out of their reunion, smiling at the party pony’s antics. “Well, it looks like we need to get to Ponyville as quick as we can then,” Princess Celestia said.

“Of course, but there’s one thing that is still bother me Princess,” Kairi said, turning to look at Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “What took you girls so long to find us? It doesn’t look like we traveled very far when we vanished with Nightmare Moon.”

“About that, we were about to follow after you, but a barrier sprung up around us. And then a bunch of Heartless showed up, and started attacking us,” Applejack replied.

Kairi looked shocked when she heard this, but calmed herself down as she looked at them. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to help. But it does look like you all managed to handle yourselves,” she said.

“Oh yeah, thanks to this baby, we managed to handle everything just fine,” Rainbow said, holding out her hoof as she flew up. Bright light shined, and she gripped the object in her hoof easily as it appeared. The guard around the handle looked like clouds, and the length of the blade was a zigzagged rainbow bolt with another cloud to take up the tooth. The keychain attached at the handle looked like a metal cloud with a rainbow bolt.

“You summoned your Keyblade!” Kairi stated, “That’s wonderful news Rainbow Dash!”

“Yep, and I think I get this strong heart stuff too. When I saw a Heartless about to lunge at Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity, I just instantly flew over to try to protect them. It all happened so fast, but I think I was letting my heart guide me. Before I knew it, I just swiped my hoof down, and I hit with the Keyblade that appeared. It took out that Heartless in one strike. After that, I just starting mopping up the rest,” Rainbow explained.

“I’m very proud of you, Rainbow. Not only did you protect your friends, you followed your heart in order to do so. You’re a true Keyblade Wielder now,” Kairi said, smiling up at the rainbow maned pegasus. She then turned to Princess Luna, and asked cautiously, “Does…that mean Nightmare Moon summoned them then?”

Princess Luna had looked shocked the entire time she heard all of this, but shook herself out of her stupor when Kairi asked her question. “No, my darker side was far busier watching your battle at the time. I don’t know where those Heartless came from,” she said.

And just like that, Kairi felt a pang of fear in the pit of her stomach. ‘If Nightmare Moon didn’t summon them…then who did?’ she thought.

Silence fell in the room, the grim tidings this news meant weighing heavily on them all. The silence would have lasted longer if Pinkie Pie didn’t show back up, and shout, “Hey, if you all don’t hurry up, you’re going to miss the party.”

They all blinked at the party pony, and the giggled softly. “Perhaps we will need of your assistance further in the future, Kairi. For now though, let us enjoy the party your friend wants to throw,” Princess Celestia.

Kairi thought about what the princess said, then nodded softly. She was right, without any more leads there really wasn’t much she could do but wait. Besides, after the victory today, she was more than willing to relax a little bit. Princess Celestia lit her horn as all the ponies gathered around her, and in a flash teleported them all into Ponyville.

From the shadows of a still standing pillar in that very same room, a pony figure walked out into the light. It looked at the place where the ponies vanished from, and a smile crept up along its features. “Soon, darkness will cover this world, and with it will come a new age of this land. Let’s see how you handle the challenges presented to you, Kairi, Princess of Heart.” The figure spoke softly, yet its deep voice held an intimidating tone. It then chuckled darkly as it vanished into a portal of darkness.

Episode 3: Starting a New Life

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It had been two weeks since the Kairi and her friends went into the Everfree Forest to retrieve the Elements of Harmony. After the Summer Sun Celebration came to a close, Princess Celestia had given Twilight Sparkle a new mission in life; to continue to study and discover more about the magic of friendship. She even moved into the Golden Oaks Library so she could stay in Ponyville, which pleased the purple unicorn to no end. The princess also decided that since the Elements were not going to be needed for the foreseeable future that she would place them in a vault inside Canterlot Castle. Kairi felt this was probably for the best, having the Elements in a town without any real security was asking for trouble.

During her time spent in Ponyville, Rarity lived up to her promise in the forest, and allowed Kairi a place to stay within her boutique. Despite being in the same building that had clothing in it, she found it to be quite a cozy home. It had been an awkward first day because she had to explain her unease to Rarity. The unicorn had offered to make her an outfit to help her feel more relaxed, but Kairi kept turning it down, saying it was okay, and that she could get used to the fact she didn’t need to wear clothing all the time. She knew it would take a long time, but she could certainly handle the awkwardness.

But as she lay on Rarity’s couch early in the morning, she was starting to feel like a slouch. Having nothing to do except watch Rarity make dresses and suits was starting to weigh on her mind. Not to mention she felt like she was leeching off of Rarity, which she definitely didn’t like. She had spoken up to Rarity about this, and had asked if there was something she could possibly do around the building to make up for living there. Rarity was swift in dismissing that concern of hers, saying she wasn’t any trouble at all, and she rather liked Kairi’s company. Even though Rarity said it was okay, Kairi still felt she needed to do something at least.

When Rarity called out that breakfast was ready, Kairi got up from the couch, and made her way to the dining table. She sat down in a chair, and watched as Rarity levitated the food on to the table. Her little sister, who she had met during her stay, Sweetie Belle came in, and also sat at the table too. “Morning Kairi,” the sweet little filly said. Her coat was just as white as her older sisters, but her curly mane and tail had a two tone color of pink and light purple. Her green eyes sparkled with the excitement of youth as she smiled at Kairi. Just like Apple Bloom, she also didn’t have a Cutie Mark.

“Good morning, Sweetie Belle,” Kairi said, responding with a smile of her own. As she looked at the plate of a single bagel and some scrambled eggs, her stomach growled from hunger. This caused Sweetie Belle to giggle at the sound, and made Kairi give a sheepish smile. She picked up the bagel in between her hooves, and began to eat while Rarity placed Sweetie’s plate in front of her. Rarity joined them as well, and they ate in silence. After about a minute, Kairi broke the silence, “So I’ve been thinking that maybe I should get job somewhere.”

Rarity swallowed what she had chewed first, before speaking, “Dear, is this about you staying here?”

“A little bit, but it’s more than that now. Without something to do, I’ve been feeling like a bit of a slouch. I’ve also felt like I’m taking more than giving back as well,” Kairi replied.

“I assure you Kairi you’ve been no trouble at all. In fact, I’d say you’ve liven up my home quite a bit already,” the unicorn said, trying to ease Kairi’s concern.

“That’s nice of you to say, Rarity. Still, I can’t shake this feeling that I’m being a burden.”

“Perish that thought, my dear. However, if you still feel this way, then I’m certainly not going to stop you. Perhaps you just like being more active than you have been.”

“That’s probably it too, though I’d still like to help out around here, even if it is to help out with the groceries.”

“Hmhm, you are quite stubborn about this, aren’t you?”

“I can be sometimes, but I’m sure there are others who have more of a stubborn streak than I do.”

Rarity giggled hearing that. “Well, alright then, if you’re this insistent about it, I’ll let you help out as you see fit. But really, you haven’t been any trouble at all. I’m happy as long as I can help you settle in on our world.”

“Thanks Rarity, it really means a lot to me, and I really do appreciate you letting me stay here.”

Having finished off her apple, Sweetie Belle decided to join the conversation. “If you’re going to be walking around Ponyville today, I think you might want to talk to Rainbow Dash, Kairi.”

“Oh, why’s that?” Kairi asked.

“She was flying around all day yesterday swinging something around. I think I heard her say something about magic,” Sweetie replied.

Kairi put her bagel down, and placed a hoof on her face, “Oh for crying out loud. I told her she needs to be more careful than this. She knows I was going to teach her soon, but she’s so eager to learn it herself.”

“That sounds like our Rainbow Dash alright,” Rarity said, “It might be best if you go ahead and teach her first this morning before you look for a job.”

“You’re probably right, it would be best to catch this by the tail before she accidentally hurts somepony,” Kairi agreed. She sighed, knowing she needed to postpone her plans for this. The next few minutes passed in silence as they finished their breakfast. As soon as Kairi finished, she made her way towards the entrance.

Before she was even half way into the main lobby however, she felt something being strapped to her barrel. Encased in Rarity’s magic, she saw saddlebags meant to carry things. “It’s just in case you find yourself picking up anything. You can never be too careful,” Rarity said. The strap and bags were both red to match her mane, and on the bags was a stitched design of her Cutie Mark.

“Oh Rarity, you really didn’t need to make this,” she said, smiling at the gift.

“Nonsense, I just happened to have a spare, and decided it would look good on you. Now go on, and enjoy your day dear. And good luck on finding a job,” Rarity said, smiling happily that Kairi loved her gift. Kairi nodded, and walked outside to start her day. First things first, she needed to locate Rainbow Dash.

Since it was still early in the day, she figured the rainbow maned pegasus might still be in bed. She had been by Rainbow’s cloud house a couple times now, so she began mildly trotting in that direction. She was glad it was at least close by to Rarity’s home. Within a few minutes she found herself looking up at the cloudy home, and wonder briefly what it felt like to lie on clouds.

“Hey Rainbow, are you awake?” she called up, not really expecting an answer.

“Yeah, give me a minute. I’ll be right out!” she heard back, thankful she didn’t have to keep yelling to get Rainbow’s attention. Before a minute even passed, Rainbow Dash flew out and hovered in front of her. “Yo, what’s up Kairi?”

“Well, I wanted to talk to you about something I heard you were doing yesterday. Why were you flying around with your Keyblade out?” she asked.

“Oh, that, right. Well, I’ve been trying use magic like you did, but I haven’t been able to do anything. I’ve tried levitating stuff, or making fireballs rush around me, but nothing works,” Rainbow replied.

“Rainbow, trying to use magic with your Keyblade without knowledge in doing so is really dangerous. What would have happened if you accidentally hit somepony with a spell?”

“Oh…You have a good point there. I guess I should have thought about that first.”

“It’s okay, from the sounds of it, you haven’t managed to do anything yet. This is why I’m going to teach you.” This being said, the look on Rainbow’s was ecstatic with happiness until Kairi raised her hoof. “But don’t get ahead of yourself yet. I can only teach you some basic spells I know so far. I haven’t advanced too far myself. My master only ever taught a few spells to attack with and defend myself and others with. I’m still practically a greenhorn as well.”

“That’s okay, any magic I can learn will be good enough for me. So what do the more advance spells look like, do you know?”

“From what I’ve seen before, they pretty much look like bigger and stronger versions. Most spells I know have a sort of, I guess you could say, evolutionary growth.”

“Sounds pretty cool to me. So are we starting now?”

“Well not here, that’s for certain. I’d rather not have a stray spell hit your house. We’ll go to an empty field so you can learn without endangering others. Why don’t you gather some nearby clouds so we can use them as targets?”

“Sounds like a plan, there’s an open field near the Everfree Forest. I’ll be there when I get those clouds,” Rainbow said, and flew off to gather some targets. Kairi watched as she flew around, and started moving clouds around. She went ahead, and walked towards the entrance to the forest, sitting down while she waited for Rainbow Dash to finish up.

When it looked like she gathered up enough clouds, Kairi called out to her, “Bring some of them closer to the ground, Rainbow.” She saw her nod in confirmation, and moved several of the clouds down to ground level. When she was done, she flew up to Kairi, who stood up at her approach. “Okay, let’s start with a helpful spell first. I’m going to teach you how to use Cure.”

“Yeah, no offense but healing spells are a little lame to me. I can’t really see myself needing to use one anytime soon,” Rainbow said, rubbing the back of her head.

“No, you underestimate the Heartless. Sooner or later, we’re going to start encountering lots of different types, and some are going to be able to fly as well. You’ll lose your air advantage then, and you might even get hit as well. Some are even deceptively fast when they don’t look like it, and even have attacks you wouldn’t expect from them. Being able to heal yourself while in battle is definitely a good thing to have,” Kairi explained, wanting to dispel Rainbow’s laid back view on the Heartless.

“Wait, so besides the ones we saw two weeks ago, there are even more versions of Heartless?” Rainbow asked. Now knowing that there were stronger, more dangerous Heartless, this knowledge was definitely sinking in.

“Yes there are, which is why you should learn this spell first. You never know, it might save your life when you least expect it,” Kairi said, smiling that Rainbow seemed to accept this fact.

“Alright then, so how do I cast it then?”

“First, a demonstration, so watch closely,” Kairi said as she stepped back a bit. She then summoned her Keyblade, and gripped the handle with her teeth. Closing her eyes, she focused on the spell she wanted to use. A small green glow emanated from the tip of her Keyblade, before turning it up towards the sky as she raised her head slightly. Green leaves appeared above her as she used Cure on herself, the green glow flowing around her for a second before disappearing. Since she was already as healthy as could be, she didn’t feel much of a change at all except a soothing warmth. She then placed her Keyblade in her leg, and looked up at Rainbow Dash.

“That is the Cure spell; it heals all wounds, and dissipates any dark flames you might receive from a Heartless hitting you,” she said.

“So it’s pretty obvious when somepony is hit by a Heartless?” Rainbow asked.

“It is because the area of your body that is hit sprouts a little black flame. It doesn’t burn, but you will definitely feel cold in that one spot. Take multiple hits, the flames will start to add up, and put more strain on your heart. Knowing your own limits is important, but you will definitely know when you’re about to have your heart stolen. Before that happens, you need to heal yourself before you’re turned into a Heartless as well. Fighting the Heartless will never be a game, it’s quite serious.”

“Right, I’m a little more eager to learn this spell now. So do I just to need to make the glow, or am I supposed to say a little chant?”

“No, nothing like that. The magic comes from your heart as well, but the Keyblade helps to focus the energy. Now, summon your Keyblade, and hold it with both of your hooves in front of you,” Kairi instructed. She watched as Rainbow summoned her Keyblade, The Rainbolt, and held it out in front of her. “Good, now close your eyes, and focus on yourself. Let your Keyblade guide you, it will show you the way.”

For a long moment, Rainbow hovered in the air by the flaps of her wings, her eyes closed as she did as Kairi instructed. A few times, Kairi had thought she saw a small spark of green, but it went away before it could be used. She stood there watching her friend try to summon up the magic inside her, the seconds passing by the longer she waited. She then saw Rainbow’s ear flick after at least eight minutes, and over the passing few seconds she saw the green glow.

“That’s good, now just raise your Keyblade, and focus on yourself,” Kairi instructed. Just as before, Rainbow did as instructed, and she too felt a soothing warmth rush through her body. “Not bad for a first time. Now that you have felt what it takes to use magic, it will come to you a lot easier now.”

“I could have done without the length of time it took me to do it, but I guess that’s because I’m not used to doing something I've never used actively. On top of that, I feel a little winded now,” Rainbow said, landing on the ground now. She made it look so easy to keep holding her Keyblade in her hoof.

“That’s normal, the cure spell uses up near all of your new mana power, or mp if you want to shorten the term. It restores itself over time, so you just have to wait a little bit,” Kairi said.

“Sounds like it could be a double-edge sword in that regard.”

“Only if you don’t move the second after you cast it, and with practice you’ll be able to cast spells far more quickly.”

“Well that’s good news then. I’d rather not be a sitting target when casting.”

“Well then, I guess you’ll like to hear you can incorporate spells into your Keyblade to give it more strength in a single strike.”

“Whoa, seriously?! That’s so cool! I could make Keyblade have a literal fire edge!”

“Yeah, though it takes a lot of practice to do so. I’m sure you can handle it. You do train your flying every day after all.”

“Yep, no doubt, I’ll be master of it before you know it!”

Kairi nodded, and moved to continue Rainbow’s training. “Alright, so which spell would you like to learn first; Fire, Blizzard, or Thunder?”

Rainbow thought for nearly only a second, and said, “Let’s go with Thunder first! It’s sound pretty cool!”

Kairi nodded, and said, “Alright, then stand back a bit. I don’t want to hit you on accident.” Rainbow did so as Kairi gripping her Keyblade with her teeth. She didn’t close her eyes as she managed to build up the spell fairly quickly, before flicking her head as best she could. The effect was immediate, a yellow bolt traveled down the length of her weapon, before shooting straight up into the air. It then spread out about meter around her in a circle, before several bolts of lightning struck the ground. She then held her Keyblade in her leg again as she spoke, “As you can see, Thunder affects the area around you, and can strike multiple enemies at once. Heartless shocked by the attack can often be dazed for a short moment, and give you a chance to escape if you find yourself surrounded.”

“That is really cool, Kairi! Why haven’t you used it before now?” Rainbow asked.

“Like I said, it affects the area around you, making it difficult to control. None of the bolts will ever hit me, but I also can’t direct them either. Using it recklessly might get somepony hurt. That’s why I refrained from using it before; I didn’t want to chance it hurting anypony. Besides, my Reflect spell was just as useful in the long run.”

“Makes sense now that you explained it. By myself, of course I’d use it without much worry,” Rainbow said, flying up about meter from the ground. “Alright, I guess it’s going to feel like a tingly sensation then.”

“A little bit, but remember to raise your Keyblade above you as quick as you can once you feel the magic start. You might accidentally shock yourself if you don’t.”

Rainbow nodded, and held her Rainbolt in front of herself like before. Now that she had a taste of what magic felt like, it took Rainbow considerably less time to draw on it, though it still took her a couple minutes. Just as she did feel the magic start, she smirked in the time that she was supposed to raise her Keyblade, and managed to actually shock herself a little bit. Her hooves flew apart to stop touching the other, and held her blade in her right hoof. “Ow, that hurt!” she exclaimed.

Kairi giggled, and said, “I told you to raise your Keyblade as quickly as possible. You smirked and didn’t react in time, and that’s what caused the back fire. Try again.” Rainbow huffed, resuming her form again. As she focused, she realized too late she had drew on her magic far faster than she thought she would, too fast for her to react, and shocked herself again. She growled loudly, a little angry she had been caught off guard. “You’re getting used to using magic pretty quickly. You seem to adapt pretty quickly, so when you try this time, expect to draw on your magic even sooner.” Rainbow just barely listened to Kairi through her anger, but nodded that she understood. She attempted to cast Thunder again, and managed to raise her Keyblade about halfway before getting shocked again.

“Oh come on, I had it going up that time!” She yelled to the sky, as if it were responsible for her error. She was taking it all with a grain of salt, mad that she couldn’t perform the simple, yet surprisingly complex spell. Kairi had made it look so easy too, and she didn’t even need to point the tip of her blade at the sky. As if snapped out of her anger, she felt the warmth of a healing spell cast on her, but she didn’t use Cure. Looking down, she saw Kairi having finished casting the spell on her.

“You were still taking some damage from the back fires. It may be your magic, but it can hurt you as well. How about you shift to a different style to cast Thunder, find a movement that helps with your speed and reaction time,” Kairi instructed. “I’ll keep healing you while you keep trying, but make sure to give my magic time to regenerate.”

“Okay,” Rainbow simply said, and calmed herself down to focus. She was letting her anger take control, and she knew well enough that anger usually slowed her movement. Holding her Keyblade to her side in her right hoof, she drew on her magic quickly enough. She moved her leg up to raise her Keyblade, but was shocked before it even reached halfway up the arch. She grunted from the small amount of pain, calming herself before she got mad again. She then brought the blade in front her, the tip already pointing at the sky. As soon as she felt the magic surge, she thrust it up skyward. The effect was immediate for her, watching the bolt zip up the length of the weapon, and shoot out into the sky before spreading out to crash back down to the ground. She was stunned momentarily, before throwing her legs out, and shouting, “YES! Rainbow Dash casts her first Thunder spell!”

“Good job, Rainbow. I knew you would get it eventually. It took me a little longer to get Thunder down myself,” she said as the pegasus floated down in front of her to land.

“Yeah, but now I feel beat. I don’t think I like spells back firing on me all that much,” she said, sitting down on her flank.

“I assure you, no one does. I think you should keep practicing with this spell for now. Go ahead, and use it on the clouds you gathered here,” Kairi said, letting her Keyblade vanish.

“No more spells today?” Rainbow asked, a little bummed out she only got to learn two spells.

“No more for today, it’s far more taxing than you might think to learn so many spells in one day. Two is a good limit for now. Besides, practice makes perfect, so for now you have homework until next time. We’ll pick this back in two days. How’s that sound?”

“Sounds good to me,” Rainbow said, smiling proudly.

“Good, now while I’m not supervising, make sure to use Cure on yourself in case any back fires happen. You won’t have to worry of it backfiring,” Kairi said as she got ready to take her leave. Before she could turn to walk away, Rainbow pulled her forward, and gave Kairi a hug.

“Thanks for the lessons, Kairi. I really wanted to learn this stuff,” she said, sounding genuinely happy.

Kairi blinked at the thanks, before smiling as she returned the hug, a tint of pink on her cheeks. “You’re welcome Rainbow. Just promise you won’t practice your spells in town.”

“Deal. I’ll see you later then,” Rainbow said, letting go of Kairi, and flying back up into the air to practice her new spells. Kairi turned to leave Rainbow to her training, and further into town now to search for a suitable job. She was thinking about heading to Fluttershy’s cottage if she had something she could do. But now that she thought about it, it seemed the shy pegasus already had everything taken care of. She doubted there would be anything she could do except help with what the pegasus could already do easily on her own.

The next best thing she could think of was heading over to Sweet Apple Acres. Surely Applejack might have some chores she could do, even if it was heavy lifting. With a destination in mind, Kairi started heading towards Applejack's home. Who knows, maybe the farm pony managed to summon her Keyblade without having to fight Heartless in order to do so. That would always be good news to hear.

When she looked up at the sky, Kairi could tell the day had grown in to the late morning. It looked like teaching Rainbow how to use magic took a little longer than she thought it would. She felt happy that Rainbow was being more careful about using her Keyblade and new magic, and a little happier that she managed to successfully use two new spells. Looking back down to the path in front of her, she was beginning to close in on Sweet Apple Acres, but something in her path made her smile fade.

She jumped back at the sight of a pony, but she wouldn’t have looked so seriously if this pony was wearing familiar clothing that belonged to a certain organization. The black trench coat draped over its form looked remarkably like that of Organization XIII’s, and its hood was pulled up to hide his face. “Good morning to you, Princess Kairi.”

She looked shocked for a moment, surprised this unknown pony knew who she was. His voice sounded pretty light, but it held a slight edge in tone. “How do you know who I am?” she asked. She was prepared for a fight, but this dark pony gave no indication of starting one.

“Settle down, I’m only here to talk, nothing more,” he replied, attempting to calm her.

“You’ll forgive me if I stay on guard. You should have worn something else if you didn’t want me on edge,” she said back. She didn’t trust this pony at all. There was no way he could expect her to relax.

“Very well, have it your way. How do you like this world, princess? It is quite peaceful here isn’t it? It certainly doesn’t seem like a place for darkness to reign, now does it?” he asked. Kairi cocked an eyebrow at the pony, not sure if he really was trying to converse with her, or just throw her off with an unexpected ambush.

“It’s… a nice place, and I certainly wouldn’t like to see darkness destroying it,” she responded. She didn’t let up her guard, but curiosity begged her to see where this was going.

“Of course, I’d certainly expect you to defend it from such. I’m also certain you would do everything you could to defend your new friends as well,” he said calmly.

“If you’ve done something to Applejack I swear-“

“Calm yourself princess, like I said I’m only here to talk. You really shouldn’t jump to conclusions like that. I would like to confirm whatever suspicion you do have right now. Yes, there are more of us on this world that do seek to darken this world’s light. There are just so many powerful hearts here, their light is quite a fair bit brighter than the many among all those other worlds.”

“So what, are you saying you’re trying to open the door to the heart of all worlds from here? Stronger people than you have already tried and failed in doing so,” she said defiantly. She was ready to summon her Keyblade to stop this pony’s plans right then and there.

“Please, you’re thinking too small princess. You need to think a little bit bigger than that,” he said, and Kairi could almost feel the smirk he was hiding under his hood. “Any way, I’ve said what I wanted. I’ll leave you to your new life style. We aren’t ready yet to make our move, but you will know when we do. Until then, you should keep training. I hope you have all that memorized.” He said, and vanished into a portal of darkness, leaving a stunned Kairi standing in the middle of the road.

Several thoughts whipped around in her head, one constantly coming back to her over and over. ‘No, it can’t be him. I don’t think his travels would have brought him this way,’ she thought, shaking her head. Now she had even more worries on her mind, whomever these beings were that were now a threat to the world. She knew he said his group wasn’t ready to act, but that could have been meant to throw her off. Looking up to the sky, she wore a worried expression as all her thoughts weighed on her. Was she really expected to deal with these coming trials all on her own? What would Sora do in her place?

And just like that, her smile returned as she closed her eyes. She could just see it now, he would press own with a carefree attitude like he always did, and wear that same bright smile while he walked his path. She shook her head as she pressed on towards Applejack's home. She needed to take this information in stride, and not let it weigh her down. For now, she needed a job.

Walking up to the barn, she saw Applejack carrying a couple baskets of apples down into the cellar. She re-emerged just as Kairi approached the doors, and said, “Well howdy Kairi, what brings ya’ll this way today?”

“Well, I was hoping you might have a job opening that I could fill, or possibly some chores I could do for money. I’ve been staying at Rarity’s without anything productive to do, and it’s been rubbing me the wrong way for a while now,” Kairi said.

“Ah can understand that, it don’t feel right just taking it easy all the time,” said Applejack, “Let’s see, me and Big Mac have been pretty busy gathering up apples. I guess the garden needs a plowing, so let’s get you hitched up, and see if you can tackle that. If not, we’ll ask Big Mac if you can take his place, and he can do the plowing.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” she said, though she wasn’t exactly eager about pulling a plow. She managed to remove her saddlebags, in an odd way admittedly, and set them next to the barn before following the farm pony over to the garden. Applejack had grabbed her yoke, and slid Kairi’s head through the hole to place it on the girl. The thing was heavy on her, and she briefly wondered how Big Mac could move with his on. But she thought better of it, he'd probably been wearing one for most of his life, and it must have helped build his muscles up. Once they were in the garden, Applejack instructed her to stand in front of the plow while facing away. It took Kairi a few seconds to decide which end was the front before she took her place, and then felt her friend tie a couple ropes to the metal prongs on the yoke, which were already tied to the plow.

“Alright, go ahead and give it a pull,” the farm pony said, and Kairi did as told. Only to scrape her hooves across the ground, and not even make the plow budge at all. For the next minute, Kairi continued to try and pull the farm tool, but it never even moved at all. Finally giving in, Kairi sat as she panted from the exertion, feeling a little sore even though she hadn’t done anything at all.

“Well, I guess that’s a no go then,” Applejack said, freeing the ropes, and taking the yoke off of Kairi. “Let’s get you saddled up then so you can help me instead.”

“Sure, as long as you’re willing to let me help out, I’ll do anything I can,” Kairi said. With a short glance to the plow, she felt like kicking it, but decided the pain wasn’t worth it. She then followed after Applejack, who had gone into the barn to retrieve a spare saddle with metal hooks on the sides. She let Applejack strap the leather saddle on to her as Kairi still hadn’t figured out how to do it on her own yet. They then went out into the orchard where most of the baskets and tubs filled with apples waited to be transported, and saw Big Mac on his way back with baskets at his sides.

“Hey Big Mac, why don’t you go ahead, and get started on the garden. Kairi wasn’t strong enough to pull the plow, and she still wants to help out. You think it will be okay if she helps me out for a little while?” she asked her big brother.

“Eeyup,” he simply replied, and moseyed on to drop off the apples he was carrying first before he went to plow the garden.

“He’s a stallion of few words,” Kairi commented, a giggle escaping her.

“Yup, and he always will be I reckon. Alright, you know how to pick up these here tubs?” she asked, turning to look at Kairi, who had already picked up two tubs with her saddle.

“Does this answer your question?” Kairi asked back, smirking back at Applejack.

“Alright missy, no need to be a smarty pants,” Applejack replied with a knowing grin.

“Hehe, sorry, it looked pretty simple to do. At least I cut down time on explanations,” she said, replying with a sheepish grin of her own.

“Heh, I let it slide this time, sugarcube. Go on, and take those to the cellar doors, and place ‘em next to there,” Applejack instructed as she picked up a couple of baskets. The tubs Kairi carried were fairly heavy, but if it hadn’t been for her earth pony body’s natural strength and endurance, she would have collapsed far sooner. For the next hour, she went back and forth from the barns cellar to the apple orchard, taking her time carrying tubs and baskets of apples. On the last trip back, she decided to break the silence that fell between her and Applejack.

“So Applejack, have you managed to summon your Keyblade yet?” she asked.

“Nah, not yet, but Ah have been tryin’ at least. Sometimes I see a little flicker of light, but other times it’s just nothing at all,” the farm pony replied. She hid the fact that it didn’t bother her much, but her tone held just a tiny shred of disappointment.

“I’m sure you will soon enough. Maybe you just need to focus on your Element to do it,” Kairi suggested.

“Heh, maybe yer right. Dash managed to call hers out when she saved our friends back in the Everfree Forest. Perhaps ah just need to do the same. Speaking of the forest, Ah been meanin’ to see ya, and ask ya what yer thoughts were about then,” Applejack said.

“You mean about Nightmare Moon not calling those Heartless to distract you?” she asked, receiving a nod back, “It’s definitely puzzling to say the least, but-“ She stopped, causing Applejack to turn to her with a questioning look.

“What’s up, something happen lately?” she asked, sensing something off about Kairi’s quizzical look. When she looked up, she saw some worry as well.

“Look, I don’t want to worry everypony, but I think I should tell you about this. Probably Rainbow as well just to give her a heads up,” Kairi said. In truth, she wondered if she should keep it to herself.

“Hey, if somethin’s bothering ya, you can count on me to keep it to mahself. We’re yer friends, and we’re here to help ya when ya need it, Kairi,” Applejack said, reassuring Kairi.

She nodded, and breathed deeply she said anything. “Okay, before I got here, I was approached by a pony.”

“Well that’s none too surprisin’. Plenty of ponies in Equestria after all.”

“I would say the same too, but he was wearing a black trench coat that looked similar to certain organization that kidnapped me once.”

“Hold up, you mean to say somepony was here to cause trouble? Because Ah’ll buck them sooner than they can try anythin’.” Applejack looked obviously angry about hearing this, but Kairi just shook her head.

“No, I don’t he was here to cause any trouble…yet. The most he did was just talk to me. Of course, I didn’t drop my guard around him, obviously, but he did leave without doing anything after we talked for a bit.”

“Well that’s good to hear, Ah guess. Still, Ah think you should have at least shouted to catch somepony’s attention.”

“Trust me, in other case I probably would have, but I didn’t feel anything malevolent coming off the guy. Still, some of the things he knew and said have me a little on edge.”

“Like what?”

“Well, he knew my name, and even called me by a title that I’m not entirely used to yet. He also talked as if this world really shouldn’t be having any Heartless problems. And I’m certain he’s right, I haven’t seen any Heartless at all since Luna was purified of her darkness.”

“Well, Ah can tell ya that night was the first time I ever seen or heard of Heartless.”

“Right? This world just seems so full of light and peace, I didn’t even think it was possible during my first day here until Nightmare Moon showed up. But what he mentioned after that is worse than I thought.”

“What could be worse than that?”

“He said there were more of them here in this world, and they’re plotting something dangerous. It seems like it has something to do with the hearts of the ponies of this world. I thought he was talking about them trying to do something specific, but he cut me off saying that wasn’t it, that I needed to think bigger.”

“Well they’re going to get a fight before they can try anything dangerous around here. We’ve got the Keyblade after all, surely we can do something to stop them.”

“Yes, we’ll stop them for sure, but I can’t help but worry about this. I really do wish my friends were here to help me, but for now I’ve got to rely on myself and my new friends here.”

“And we won’t let ya down, sugarcube. As long as we stick together, nothin’ can beat us,” Applejack stated matter-of-factly. Where she got this confidence, Kairi didn’t know, but she wanted to borrow it for a while. Hearing her speak so confidently was encouraging to hear at least.

“Yeah, no dark pony can take us out. We’ll stand strong no matter what they throw our way,” Kairi said, letting Applejack’s confidence infect her.

“That’s the spirit. Now come on, let’s go drop these apples off, and head off to lunch.” Kairi looked to the sky, before immediately regretting her decision as she shielded her eyes from the bright glare of the sun. She then followed after Applejack while she made her way towards the barn.

“It’s already lunch time? It doesn’t even feel like that much time has passed,” she asked. Had time passed her by so easily she hadn’t noticed?

“Yep, it sure has. Time flies when yer on yer hooves doin’ somethin’. Didn’t expect it go by so fast, now did ya?”

“No, not all. I wonder if this will happen often.”

“Probably, and I reckon ya figured we’re not always gonna have something for you to do. You’d be right in assuming such.”

“Yeah, I did think that. I might need to continue looking around town for something solid.”

“Well don’t you fret none, Ah’m certain there’s somepony in Ponyville who will always need an extra hoof. Ah’m sure you’ll find somethin’ to yer likin’.”

“Thanks Applejack, and thanks for letting me help out around here for a little while.”

“Heh, don’t mention it. Ah’m sure adjustin’ to our little world hasn’t been all fun and games.”

“There…have been some slight adjustments, yes. Embarrassing to talk about adjustments, but yeah, they are definitely adjustments.”

As Applejack neared the cellar, she turned and ask, “Embarrasin’? How much so?” Kairi blushed a little as she stopped, and unhooked the baskets she was carrying.

“Well, humans don’t walk around without clothing for specific reasons. I’ve pretty much worn clothing for my entire life up until two weeks ago. At first, I didn’t let it bother me too much, but when I first met Rarity, and she guided Twilight and me into her boutique, that specific reason was at the front of my mind the entire time I was in her home,” Kairi explained.

Applejack just blinked, already picking up what Kairi meant. “Wow, that does sound pretty embarrassin’. So, ya haven’t even asked Rarity if she would make you somethin’? I think she’d do it for free for ya if ya just asked,” Applejack asked.

“I already feel like a slouch and a leech. Rarity’s been generous enough just letting me stay. I really don’t want to feel like I’m taking advantage of her,” Kairi said. The thought of knowing Rarity might actually make something for free feeling like an uncomfortable thought. Her expression showed her concern.

“Yeah, I can see why you’d feel like that. But ya are still new to Equestria, so I think ya could forgive yerself for a little bit so ya can ease some of your stress,” Applejack said. She had a good point, Kairi was still new to everything in Equestria. It still didn’t stop her from thinking otherwise. “In any case, you go ahead and get your saddlebags back on. Granny’s probably russlin’ up some grub still, so you might want find a place to eat at sooner rather than sticking around here. Ah just need to check on somethin’ real quick.”

“Okay, take your time. It’s going to take me a while to figure this out,” she said back, and began struggling taking off the saddle. While Applejack was away, Kairi kept trying to use her hooves to unstrap herself. After a few minutes, she gave up with using her hooves; without fingers this was going to be impossible. She then thought back to how she always used her teeth to grip her Keyblade, and decided maybe that would be the next best thing. She would have thought of this earlier, but being used to moving hands and arms, which were now hooves and fore legs, was more familiar to begin with. She found this was far easier to do in the long run, though she made sure not to grip the strap too tightly so she didn’t leave teeth indents. With an idea now of how to work with straps, she found strapping her new saddle bags on was far easier now.

This took her long enough to do before she saw Applejack approaching with an average sized sack being held in her mouth. Before she could ask what it was, Applejack had already placed it in one of her bags. “Payment for yer hard work. It has a total of twenty-five bits inside it. Should be more than enough to buy lunch somewhere in town,” Applejack said, answering Kairi’s unspoken question.

“Oh, thanks, I wasn’t-“

“No worries, ya worked pretty hard all things considered. I thought that since you were still new, ya’d have a little more trouble than ya did,” Applejack interrupted, “Guess ya’ve gotten pretty used to your body quicker than Ah thought.”

“Hehe, yeah I’ve have gotten used to walking around on all fours now. I can gallop for a decent amount of time that I don’t trip anymore,” Kairi said.

“That’s good to hear. You come back whenever ya feel like it, okay? Even if it’s just to spend time with us here, yer welcome whenever ya feel like dropping by,” Applejack said.

“Of course, I’ll be sure to drop by more often. I’ll see you later then,” Kairi said as she moved to leave. With a final goodbye, she bid the farm pony goodbye as she made her way back in to town. As she found herself walking into Ponyville proper with a few minutes, she took her time looking at all the different buildings, and take in her surroundings for moment. The next minute she found herself entering town square, and wandering around a little bit while her belly began to grumble. Just before her thoughts could be distracted as she looked at Town Hall, Pinkie Pie came bouncing up to her as cheerfully as ever.

“Hi Kairi, how’s your day been?” she asked. She stopped just in front of Kairi as if she had no forward momentum at all. Kairi kept finding herself being surprised by these antics of Pinkie Pie’s, sometimes wondering to herself if she actually even did follow the laws of physics.

Shaking her head of her thoughts, she said, “I’m doing pretty good, but I am getting kind of hungry. You wouldn’t happen to know any place I could go to get something to eat, would you?”

“Sure do, you could always go to Sugarcube Corner. They have the best treats all around!” Pinkie replied instantly.

“Uh, I don’t think I want eat something sweet for lunch. Maybe later though. Would you happen to know of any other places?” she asked, hopeful of a different answer.

Pinkie then brought her hoof up to rub her chin as she thought for a single second, then replied, “Well, you could always go to the Café. I’ve heard they serve some good food, though I don't go there much myself. I’m sure you could get something to eat with how much Applejack gave you.”

“Sounds like a good pla- Wait, how did you…” Kairi said, pausing twice in her sentence. She was sure she hadn’t said anything about helping Applejack. “Never mind, you probably saw me earlier or something. Anyway, I think I’ll head there to eat.”

“Okie dokie loki, just head past the towards Golden Oaks Library, and it should be easy to spot at the fork in the road,” she said, giving Kairi a some directions.

“Hehe, thanks Pinkie Pie, you answered what I was going to ask before I could even ask it. I’m guessing you’re going to Sugarcube Corner then?”

“Yep yep yep, I love eating sweets, they’re the best things ever,” Pinkie said, almost drooling a little.

“Well okay then, I was going to ask if you wanted to join me, but it seems you already have your heart set on- Oof!”

“No way would I pass up eating with a friend!” Pinkie said, cutting off Kairi when she pulled her into a hug. “I may not eat there much, but it’s more fun to have lunch with friends than all alone!”

“Oh! Well okay then. Let’s get going before my stomach starts a revolt,” Kairi said, prying herself out of Pinkie’s hug, and walking in the direction Pinkie pointed out. Pinkie bounced happily right alongside her.

“Oh don’t be silly Kairi, your stomach wouldn’t do that, it would just be really grumpy for a while until you fed it something yummy. Like a cupcake, or muffins, or cookies…” Kairi blinked as they walked, listening to Pinkie Pie continue to list more and more sweets. If there was one thing Pinkie Pie seemed to like to do more just throw parties or enjoy sweets, it was that she liked talking on and on and on. At some point the pink party pony branched off to talking about what sort of sweets and games she liked putting out when she did throw parties.

‘Pinkie can sure talk a girls ear off.’ She thought to herself. Still, she supposed it was a good sign Pinkie did talk to her as much as she was doing. It made her feel trusted. She giggled a little when Pinkie said she liked putting up a game called ‘pin the tail on the pony’. “I remember a game like that that I used to play as a little kid, but it was called ‘pin the tail on the donkey’ instead.”

“Oh really? It’s pretty convenient that there’s a game like that. Guess I won’t need to teach how to play. You already do know how to play. Because the two games sound the same, it has to follow the same rules with a picture of a pony or a donkey, and a tail on a push tack to pin the tail on the picture. What other way could there be to play a fun little game. Oh, I also like playing checkers and bobbing for apples, and so many other games too.”

“Do you do anything different when you’re throwing birthday parties?” Kairi asked. She was probably going to get an earful about this, but it was something she wanted to ask any way.

“Oh of course, I always make sure a birthday cake is presented, and make sure I ask the age of the pony I’m throwing the party for. If they don’t tell, I’ll just put a single candle on the cake. Some ponies don’t like having their age revealed, so I always make sure to be polite about that. I also make sure I set out a table for the presents, but a birthday isn’t about getting presents, it’s about celebrating the birthday and spending time with friends. Oh, and also bright smiles too. And, of course, you can't have a proper party without having fun!”

“Wow, you really take this party stuff seriously, but it does sound like you to want to make everypony around you happy,” Kairi said, her head aching a little as she kept up with every word Pinkie said so rapidly. She wondered if the pony ever needed to breathe when she started talking about things she liked. She then noticed they were approaching the café Pinkie Pie mentioned as she started up again.

“Of course, I want to spread as much happiness as I can. It’s no fun being a gloomy Gloomerson all the time. How sad would it be if you didn’t smile every once in a while,” Pinkie said, taking a seat at a random table. Kairi sat across from her, thinking about Pinkie’s statement.

“I guess it would be a little depressing having nothing to smile about. I’ve had a few days a long time ago where I didn’t smile much at all,” she said, reflecting a little on her past. “You know, you’re right Pinkie, we all need to smile more to keep up our spirits.”

“You said exactly what I was thinking Kairi. You must be psychic or something. Do it again, do it again,” Pinkie said excitedly, looking at Kairi expectantly.

Kairi blinked once, before simply saying, “Um, cupcakes?”

“Ooh, you’re good at this,” she said, clapping her hooves together happily. Kairi couldn’t help but laugh, Pinkie’s excitement of her random guess was somehow charming to watch. She hadn’t realized it before, but now she noticed she really needed a good laugh, and had Pinkie Pie to thank for it. Before she knew it, a waiter with a fancy suit came up to their table and handed them menus. Kairi opened hers, and looked at the list of lunch items the café had to offer. “I’ll have a daisy sandwich with extra cucumber slices today with a glass of strawberry milk.” From the sounds of it, Pinkie already knew what she wanted to eat.

“Do you happen to serve ramen?” Kairi asked, looking to the waiter. When he returned a puzzled, she said, “Noodles boiled in a broth, and served with sliced vegetables or other ingredients?” The description made a little more sense, but ultimately he shook his head. “No? Then I guess a crunchy peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich will be good then. Oh and cherry juice please.” Truth be told, she was a little disappointed, but she guessed it couldn’t be helped.

“Ooh, ooh, I know what she’s talking about. It’s a Neighpanese dish. You should totally have your kitchen staff do a little research sometime. Some of the things I’ve heard sound really good,” Pinkie Pie said excitedly, earning a surprised look from Kairi. She hadn’t expected Pinkie to actually know what it was she really did want. It surprised her even more that somewhere in this world was a place that might actually have some of her more favorite foods. The waiter nodded, took their menus when offered, and went to place their order.

“There's a place like that in this world?” she asked Pinkie.

“Yeah, but I guess it would be a bit of a surprise to you of course. You’ve only been here for a total two weeks. You couldn’t have known,” Pinkie replied. That made a lot of sense; there were still new things she was discovering every day so far. She began to wonder if maybe the culture was different as well. “I wonder what ramen like taste anyway.”

“Well I don’t want to go into too many details. From what I remember about ponies, you’re all herbivores, and humans are omnivores. We eat both plants and meat,” she said, hoping she wasn’t making Pinkie too uncomfortable with this knowledge.

“Wow, I guess you’re diet is going to be totally thrown off here in Equestria,” the party pony said. She didn’t seem uncomfortable about the topic at least.

“Heh, a little bit yeah. It’s been an adjustment for sure. I even had to tell Rarity this about humans, though she didn’t take nearly as well as you did. She got a little nervous, and thought I might actually try to eat her. How silly is that?”

“Pfft, pretty silly, I know you would never eat your friends, or any other pony here.”

“Heh, that’s good to hear, Pinkie. Thanks.” It was then their order arrived, and Kairi’s hungry belly grumbled angrily, which caused Pinkie to giggle at the sound.

“Wow, it sounds like you worked quite the appetite, Kairi,” Pinkie said as she picked up her sandwich. She began to eat before Kairi even lifted her own.

“I guess teaching Rainbow Dash how use her new magic, and carrying all those tubs of apples made me hungrier than I thought. Who knew looking for a job today would be such hungry work,” she said. She then took a bite of her sandwich, and savored the taste for a little while as she chewed, before finally swallowing her first bite. “I think it’s just me, but the food in Equestria seems to taste a little better for some reason.”

“It’s probably just you, hunger makes everything taste far better,” Pinkie said, giving Kairi a smile. Kairi nodded, and agreed that was probably it. This still didn’t stop her from enjoying her sandwich and juice, which she noted tasted one hundred percent cherry juice. Powdered drinks didn’t seem to be a thing in this world either, which she was actually glad for. Powdered drinks always seemed to taste odd to her, even when she was a child. When they finished their meals, Kairi felt pretty good. Pinkie was right, eating with a friend was much more enjoyable than eating all by herself.

“So, where do you think you’re headed next? Got any ideas of where you might search for a job?” Pinkie asked as she set her glass down.

“Well I’m still new to Ponyville, technically, but I haven’t got any set directions yet. I thought I would wander around for a while, and see what looked appealing,” Kairi replied, admitting she wasn’t really sure what to look for.

“Well, if you’re up for suggestions, I have a few you could listen to,” Pinkie said, and when Kairi nodded before tipping her glass to drink the rest of her juice, she continued. “Let’s see, Barnyard Bargains seem to be doing pretty this lately, but I’m sure Filthy Rich wouldn’t mind an extra helping hoof around.” Kairi had to hold back her laughter while she gulped her juice, almost having spat it back out.

She still had trouble keeping herself from giggling at the pony’s name. “Oh my gosh, please tell me you’re not being serious about that name,” she said, struggling to keep her voice straight.

“Nope, it’s all true, that’s his name, Filthy Rich,” Pinkie Pie said, though she could tell Kairi was on the verge of laughing.

And she continued to struggle not to make a scene. She couldn’t help herself, hearing Filthy Rich’s name was just too hilarious. “I-I’m sorry, I’m trying not to laugh because it’s rude. I’m sure he’s a good guy, but I can’t help find his name funny,” she said, tears in her eyes.

Pinkie just giggled hearing this, and said, “It’s okay, he gets teased by Granny Smith because of his name. If you meet him today, you should call him Rich so you don’t accidently burst into laughter. Now, let me think about other places that could use an extra hoof. Ooh, I bet Time Turner’s Clockworks wouldn’t mind a little help. He’s a tinker pony, and is always making wooden toys, clocks, and anything else he comes up with. Though from what I’ve heard, he has a bad habit of keeping things organized on his shelves, and prices his wares oddly. If you think can handle it, he could probably use an extra hoof around.”

For a while as she listened, Kairi breathed deeply to calm herself down so she wouldn’t laugh. As she listened, it sounded like this Time Turner did need some help around his shop. “Sounds like a good place to start for me. I’ll head that way first then. Where’s his shop located?” she asked. She was actually intrigued on what she would find at this shop.

“It’s a little bit from the Quills and Sofas shop over there. You’ll see the sign, you can’t miss it,” Pinkie replied happily. The waiter came up to their table when he noticed they had finished eating, bringing with him their bill for the food, and taking with him their plates and glasses. Deciding to split the payment, Kairi fished out the satchel Applejack had tossed into her saddlebags, and counted off her part of the payment. Pinkie had put her payment of the gold coins on the table, and Kairi did the same as well. She was glad the monetary system of this world was simple to understand.

“Alright, I’m gonna head off for now. Don’t forget to have fun, Kairi,” the party pony said, waving to Kairi as she left her at the café.

“Sure thing Pinkie, I’ll see you later,” she said back, waving her friend off before heading towards her next destination. And Pinkie Pie had been right, she was in front of the store within just a few minutes of travel. There was no out to lunch sign up, so she went right on in. The doorbell rung, and the first things she saw were dozens of knick knacks, clocks, and all sorts of wooden toys. She was impressed, but a closer look told her some of the items had been sitting on their shelves for a little while, and had collected some dust.

“Just minute, I’ll be right out,” called a voice from the back. With a little time to herself, she continued to look around, not really paying attention to the white tags yet. The work she saw seemed pretty well crafted to her, and she soon found herself wondering why no pony bothered to buy much of anything. “Ah, a customer, and it’s the new pony in Ponyville. How can I help you today?”

Kairi turned, and saw the stallion who spoke, his accent sounding quite different from the rest of the Ponyville ponies. Perhaps he had traveled to Ponyville himself some time ago, and had decided to settle down. His coat was a light shade of brown, while his mane and tail were a deeper shade of brown, and even messy enough to look slightly spikey to her. His eyes were a pretty blue color, and on his flank was an hourglass Cutie Mark. He seemed like an ordinary earth pony to her. His words relating to her however made her smirk, and asked, “What makes you think I’m new to Ponyville? I’ve probably been here longer than you think, and we just never met. It’s possible, the town is big enough.”

“True, but I know you’re new to Ponyville. I saw you at Town Hall during the Summer Sun Celebration, and literally everypony was there too. That is until Nightmare Moon showed up, scared more than half the town out of the building, and trapped the rest of us inside with those dark little creatures of course. I even saw you using that nifty little weapon to defend everypony with. And you certainly had knowledge of them, almost as if you’d encountered them before. You really shouldn’t try to hide it, it’s quite as plain as day to me at least,” he said, giving Kairi a knowing grin.

Kairi had a raised eyebrow the entire time, still smirking back at him. “Alright then, I’ll admit, I’m not from around here,” she said, letting an honest smile grace her face. “I’m not really here to shop any way. I’m actually here to see if you might have a job opening. According to my friend, it sounded like you don’t get too much business around here.”

“I get some business. Well, some business, well maybe not a whole lot, but that suits me just fine. I’m can be a bit of a busy pony sometimes, and I’m out of my shop pretty frequently,” he said. It honestly sounded more like an excuse to Kairi.

“Still, you should at least be trying to sell some of your merchandise. Your shelves seem to be holding several items that have collected some dust.”

“Yes, you’re right, I should probably get to dusting them sometime soon, wouldn’t do to have dusty stuff cluttering everything. Oh, but where are my manners, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Time Turner, but I have a few nicknames some ponies call me,” he said, offering his hoof to her.

Placing her hoof against his, she shook it as she introduced herself as well. “My name’s Kairi, though I don’t have any nicknames you can call me by. Mind if I ask what ponies sometimes call you though?” she asked.

“Certainly, no harm in asking at all. Some call me Turner, Turn-turn, Mr. Smith, though that one has always been a bit funny too me. Some ponies even call me…” he said, pausing for a moment as if to add dramatic effect, “The Doctor.”

Kairi raised an eyebrow, not really impressed herself, though she thought he was expecting her to be. “The Doctor? Kind of an odd nickname if you ask me,” she said.

“Yes yes, I suppose you could see it that way,” he said, almost as if nothing happened. “Well, I’m not really looking for hired help at the moment. If you want to look around for a bit, be my guest, but I’m not really hiring.” Kairi nodded, and looked around the shop for a bit. She was a little disappointed that was how he felt, but she couldn’t help it if he wasn’t looking to hire. However, when she looked at the price one of the toys, her eyes nearly bulged out of her skull.

“Holy…!” she exclaimed, not really believing the price herself. She took the toy, and walked back over to Time Turner, her expression being fairly serious. “Please tell me you’re kidding with this things pricing? A thousand bits for what looks like a simple little toy?! Are you crazy?!” She then placed the toy on the store counter, her serious expression not faltering.

He simply blinked at her outburst, not exactly sure what to say in return. “Er, well, you see, it’s kind of like-“

Before he could probably make up an excuse, Kairi cut him off, “No, no excuses, it’s no wonder you don’t have any business. Seriously, I don’t blame the other ponies for not coming in to buy things. I may not be from around here, but even I know that this is way too expensive for a toy. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were actually trying to keep ponies from entering your store.”

“W-well, like I said, I’m a fairly busy pony myself. Sometimes I really just can’t open the store. Surely you can understand that?” he asked. He was acting like this was the first time he encountered this sort of problem.

“That just sounds like a lame excuse now. Pinkie was right, you really do need some help around here. I can’t just walk out of here, knowing you’re purposely trying to keep ponies from buying anything you make,” she said, her serious expression turning to one of concern.

“What are you proposing exactly?” he asked, sounding a little curious where Kairi was headed with this.

“Look, I don’t mind being hired for minimum wage. For all I know, I might be staying Ponyville for the next few weeks, or maybe even for a full year. I don’t quite know myself yet. But since I am here, and I do need a job, why don’ yout just hire me. I can help get this place running far better than just letting you handle everything on your own,” Kairi said, almost if she was giving no other choice.

“Oh please, I don’t need any help here. Besides, if you need a job, there’s bound to be a dozen more places that need the extra hooves you could provide,” he said. His tone said he was serious about this.

“You don’t understand, if you don’t hire me, your little shop that’s not bringing in any money is going to be closed down quickly. You can’t expect to hold a shop, and not make anything to keep it afloat. Look, it’s quite simple, you just let me handle pricing and selling, and you can handle accounting and other stuff. You can even make new stuff to put out for sale too. You’ve made all of this stuff already, right? Why wouldn’t you want to share your work with other caring ponies?” she asked.

“Look, I can understand that you care enough about this to not want my shop fall apart, but really, I don’t need the help. I’ve got everything perfectly under control here,” he said, evading her questions.

One look at the interior later, Kairi was giving the stubborn stallion a deadpan look. She wasn’t impressed at all of his ‘control’ over the situation. Time Turner actually looked a little mad about his current situation, before deciding to finally give in. “Alright fine, but if I’m hiring you, I’m laying some ground rules for to follow explicitly and to the letter,” he said. His tone was a little rude, but Kairi really couldn’t care less.

“Sure, I’ll follow them, just tell me what they are,” she said.

“One: Do not go into the back area. It’s off limits to all ponies except those I allow back there. If you need me, knock first, and wait for me to answer. If I don’t answer, then you return to work, and tell me later when next you see me. Two: Any and all pricing you decide on must get by me first, and make a list for anything you manage to sell every day. And three: Don’t ask about why I’m letting any other pony or ponies into the back. It’s alright if you talk to them yourself, but don’t go asking them anything that they can’t answer about. Are we clear?”

Kairi nodded, but then said, “Okay, but I have a couple of my own rules for you.”

“I make the rules around here, not you,” he said.

“Ah-ah, no back talk, Doctor,” she said. She found it surprisingly easy to call him that nickname for some reason. “One: You have to trust me about the prices I come up with. I’m afraid you won’t let me make any changes if you don’t have any trust in me. And two: No fussing, and don’t be rude to any of your customers. How can you hope to keep attracting customers if you aren’t a little nice to them?” She then held out her hoof for him to shake, as if this was a deal between the two of them. He had to think about this for a moment, and the moment dragged on for what seemed like a few minutes. Her fore leg was starting to get a little tired from her holding it out for so long. It was only after four minute that he finally shook her hoof.

“Alright, you win then. You’re hired, but I don’t want you starting immediately. Why don’t you go ahead, and explore a little more the town. You can come back on Monday to start your new job,” he said. While he kept an even tone, it was obvious he was a little down that he had to hire her.

“Thank you, Doctor. You won’t regret this, I promise. I’ll see you bright and early on Monday then,” she said brightly as she opened the door to leave. Once she was outside, she cheered loudly, and started galloping toward the town square. Despite having been heavily against it, Time Turner really couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face having witness her joy.

From behind a door that lead to the back of the store, a pegasus mare peaked her head out, and asked, “Is she gone Doctor?”

“Yes Derpy, she’s finally gone,” he said back, turning to meet the mare as she stepped out into the store proper.

“Whew, I thought she’d never leave,” she said. She had a gray coat and blonde mane and tail, with six bubbles representing her Cutie Mark. However, her most notable feature were her off center yellow eyes and ever present smile.

“Yes, well, she certainly was persistent in getting a job. I’m sorry about asking you to stay back there for so long,” he said.

“It’s okay, I’m just glad you hired her. It sounded like she really wanted to work here. And no offense, but your prices are kinda high, Doctor,” Derpy said. This earned a slight groan from him, which she giggled a little from hearing this.

Kairi had slowed her galloping into a happy trot as she made her way to the town square, humming a little song as she went. Before she knew it, she saw Twilight Sparkle and Spike heading the same way as her. “Hi Twilight! Hi Spike!” she called out.

Both turned when they heard their names called out, a little surprised like they had been talking for a little bit. “Oh, hey Kairi!” Spike called back.

“Hi Kairi,” Twilight said. She waited until Kairi was closer to them to talk to her, and the first thing she noticed was her incredibly bright smile on her face. “My, you certainly look very happy today. Did something good happen?”

“Beyond good, Twilight,” Kairi said, and began happily bouncing a bit around the two. “I got a job, I got a job!” she happily exclaimed.

“That’s pretty cool, congratulations,” Spike said.

“Yes, congratulations Kairi. It’s good to hear that you’re settling in already. So where are you working, and when do you start?” Twilight asked.

“I start on Monday working at Time Turner’s Clockworks,” she said, finally having worked out her excitement as she walked next to Twilight.

“Time Turner’s Clockworks? Isn’t that the shop with the ridiculous prices on everything? Why are you working there of all places?” Spike asked, sounding a little confused. Twilight was also interested in hearing this as well.

“Yeah it is, but trust me those prices won’t be so outrageous now that I’m going to be there. I couldn’t just let all that work he went through go to waste, and let his shop close down before it got a chance. He’s…a little rough around the edges, but I’m sure I can help out quite a bit. I just need to know how pricing works here, and I’ll be golden,” Kairi said, sounding confident about what she could possibly do.

Twilight smiled at hearing this, and said, “Well I hope it all works out for you then. I’m sure you’ll do just fine-“ She was cut off as a random firework exploded in the sky when they reached the town square. They looked around a little, and saw a group of ponies gathered nearby.

“Huh, I wonder what’s going on?” Spike asked.

“Let’s check it out,” Twilight said, and both Kairi and Spike followed behind her.

Episode 4: Boast Busters

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Kairi, Twilight, and Spike moved their way to the front of the crowd, and got a look at some sort of miniature house on wheels. Kairi knew there was a proper name for it, but she couldn’t remember it off the top of her head. This was probably going to bug her for a little while, or at least until she forgot about it. It had red roofing with yellow wooden walls, and where the windows should be were small wooden doors to open with purple hearts on them. It certainly made for an interesting house, though it looked like it would be quite cramped inside.

She was pulled from her thoughts as a voice suddenly called out from somewhere. “Come one, come all! Come witness the amazing magic of The Grrrreat and Powerful Trixie!” To her surprise the wall fell open, and folded out as legs came out to support it, presenting a decent sized stage to walk on. The two sides of the walls and roof open back, revealing trumpets and decorations that she supposed was to create some sort of mystical vibe. A puff of smoke erupted from the center of the stage, and once it cleared, a pony wearing a wizards cloak and hat appeared in a shower of sparkles.

From what she could tell, this Trixie’s coat color was light blue, her eye color was purple, but her two-toned mane was two shades of even lighter blues, it was almost impossible to distinguish the colors apart. At this display the crowd oohed at her appearance, though Kairi was still a little confused. Was this pony supposed to be a magician? “Watch in awe as The Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!” Trixie exclaimed, raising up on her hind legs as she threw out hooves. Several things happened at once that Kairi couldn’t keep up with most of what happened, but she knew fireworks went off despite lacking the scent of gunpowder, and some green flames erupting out of nowhere from the edge of the stage. Thanks to Trixie’s billowing cape, she got a good look at Trixie’s magic wand with sprinkling pixie dust Cutie Mark.

“My my my, such boasting.” She heard from her left, and saw it was Rarity. In fact, a quick look around showed her friends were all here as well.

“Come on, no pony’s as magical as Twi-“ Spike said, before noticing he was talking to Rarity. He mumbled a little bit before clearing his throat a little. “Oh, uh hey Rarity. I uh…mustache!” He looked a little nervous, and zipped behind Twilight from Rarity’s view.

“Huh, wonder what that’s about. Hi Rarity, I hope you had a good day,” Kairi said with a smile.

“I did, but it looks like somepony is happy about something. You can tell me all about it when we get home,” Rarity said, returning Kairi’s smile. Twilight walked over to the two of them to ask a question, a worried look on her face.

“There’s nothing wrong with being talented, is there?” she asked.

“Nothin’ at all, except if somepony goes showing it off like a school filly like she has fancy new ribbons,” Applejack said, looking at Trixie when she conjured a bouquet of flowers. Even though she knew this world had some extraordinary magic, Kairi was still impressed the pony did so, and figured this Trixie was just hiding her horn under her wizard hat. The pink magical aura that produced the flowers certainly suggested such.

“Just because one has the ability to perform lots of magic does not make one better than the rest of us,” Rarity added.

“Especially when you got me going around being better than the rest of us,” Rainbow said, about to chuckle. When Applejack gave her a hard glare, she thought better about she just said. “I mean, uh, magic shmagic. Booo.” She looked back at Applejack, hoping that sufficed as an apology.

“Well well well, it seems we have have some neigh sayers in the audience,” Trixie said.

Kairi cocked an eyebrow, and said, “Wait, did she just-“

“Who is so ignorant as to challenge the magical ability of The Great and Powerful Trixie? Do they not know they’re in the presence of the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria?!” Trixie more or less stated rather than asked. Kairi was starting to understand her friend’s position with Trixie now; she certainly was quite boastful to declare herself as the most magical unicorn.

“Pfft, just who does she think she is?” Rarity asked rhetorically.

“Yeah, especially when we all know that Twilight is-“ Spike said before Twilight interrupted him. Kairi then watched as she moved Spike away from the crowd, and decided to follow after her.

“What? What’s wrong?” he asked once they were far enough from the crowd.

“Did you see the way they reacted to Trixie? I don’t want anypony thinking I’m a showoff,” Twilight answered, obviously bothered by this.

“I highly doubt you need to worry about that, Twilight. You don’t seem the type to show off for attention,” Kairi said, having overheard her worries.

“Still, I don’t want-“ Twilight had started to say before being cut off by noise from the stage. It was just Trixie showing some more of her magic again, earning a frown from Kairi. What was the point of doing that?

Rainbow flew up in front Trixie’s face, and asked, “So Great and Powerful Trixie, what makes you think you’re so awesome anyway?”

“Heh, why only The Great and Powerful Trixie has magic powerful enough to vanquish the dreaded Ursa Major!” Trixie stated boldly. An explosion of magic from the trumpets flew up into the air, and created what looked like a neon sign of a bear with an eight pointed star on its head. Kairi heard from somepony in the crowd say “What!” or “No way!” when this was stated. “When all hope was lost, the ponies of Hoofington had nopony to turn to! But The Great and Powerful Trixie stepped in, and used her awesome magic vanquish the Ursa Major, and send it back to its cave deep within the Everfree Forest!” As Trixie describe her ‘supposed’ victory over the Ursa Major, Kairi saw the neon light figure of Trixie holding a wand in her hoof, joined by more of the same magic but with a different color overlaying the bear. Its light flickered before bursting in a show of sparkling magic.

From in the crowd, she heard two colts say, well, rather dumbly, “Suh-weet!” Rejoining the crowd herself, she saw the two colts who had spoken standing in front of the stage.

“That settles it,” said the one with the blue coat and orange mane.

“Trixie truly is the most talented, most magical, most awesome unicorn in Ponyville,” said the colt with the brown-orange coat and green-blue mane. To Kairi, these two sounded far too easily impressed, and Trixie’s story seemed more like a tall tale. This unicorn certainly had a big mouth, and she was making it known rather well, though the rest of the ponies in the crowd didn’t seem to pay attention to that fact.

“No, in all of Equestria!” the first colt added.

“How do you know? You didn’t see it. And besides, Twi-!” Spike had started say, before Twilight zipped his mouth shut with magic. Kairi couldn’t believe there was such a spell to do that.

Trixie just chuckled at Spike’s outburst, and said, “It’s true my enthusiastic little admirers. Trixie is most certainly the best in Ponyville.” This statement was followed by silence among the crowd of ponies. “Don’t believe The Great and powerful Trixie? Well then, Trixie challenges you Ponyvillians, anything you can do, Trixie can do better.” Kairi believed that was a bold claim, there had to be a few ponies in Ponyville who could out show this showoff. “Any takers? Anypony? Or is Trixie destined to be the greatest equine who has ever lived!” Her stage flared to life again when she finished her sentence. If Kairi gave her any credit, she certainly timed her magic well with her dramatic flairs.

Spike unzipped his mouth, and begged Twilight, “Puh-huh-lease, she’s unbearable! You just got to show her, you just gotta!”

“There’s no way I can use my magic now Spike, especially since-“ she said, looking back up the unicorn who has scanning the crowd. Kairi saw her friends hesitation, and wondered why she just wasn’t going to teach Trixie a lesson. It certainly seemed the mare needed one.

“Hmm, how about…” Trixie said, still looking for a Pony show up, before looking in Kairi’s and Twilight’s way, pointing towards them. “You!” Twilight audibly gulped, and Kairi just raised an eyebrow. What, did she really want one of them to demonstrate their talents?

“Well, is there anything you can do that The Great and Powerful Trixie can’t?” she asked rhetorically. Twilight stammered a little before Trixie added, “Well, little hayseed?” Kairi blinked, and looked her left, and saw the unicorn had been addressing Applejack the entire time.

“That’s it, I can’t stand for no more of this,” Applejack said loudly, and hopped up on stage to show up Trixie’s obnoxious attitude.

“You show her AJ!” Spike called out.

“Can yer fancy magic do this?” she stated more than asked, and started showing off her lasso skills using her tail. Kairi was far more impressed at this. She didn’t even know Applejack could perform such a trick, and with her tail no less. Kairi and several other ponies began cheering the farm pony on. At the end of her routine, she managed to snag an apple from a nearby tree, and it zipped into her mouth easily, gulping it down in one bite.

“Woohoo! Way to go AJ!” Kairi yelled.

“Top that missy,” Applejack said, crossing her left foreleg over her right.

“Oh ye of little talent,” Trixie said, her hat glowing as she raised it off her head, and finally revealing her horn. “Watch, and be amazed at the magic of Trixie!” Her horn glowed with the same pink aura, and the length of the rope Applejack used was easily enveloped. One end moved smoothly in front of Applejack, moving in way a serpent would, and holding her attention. The other end of the rope moved to grab another apple from the same tree. Before Applejack knew what happened, she was hog tied easily, and the apple had been stuffed into her mouth. The crowd laughed a little, and oohed at what had happened as Applejack hopped away while still tied up, obviously sour about how Trixie showed her up instead.

“Once again, The Great and Powerful Trixie prevails,” Trixie said, as if proud of her accomplishment.

“There’s no need to go strutting around, and showing off like that,” Rainbow said as she flew up to Trixie. She was apparently going to be her next challenger.

“Oh?” the blue unicorn said.

“That’s my job!” Rainbow said, zoomed off towards the windmill. Using the windmills wooden blade to help her accelerate a little more, then launched fast into the air, and punching holes through several clouds. In the bright sun, she posed proudly for a second, then flew back through the clouds, and was quickly followed by water droplets. She used the windmill again, only this time to launch herself back at the stage, and came to full stop when she landed on the wooden platform. The water splashed against Rainbow when she stopped, and created a rainbow above her. During her little show, Kairi had missed when Rainbow brought her Keyblade out, but couldn’t stop what happened next when the rainbow mare used her Thunder spell. This caused several smalls jolt of lightning to strike close around her, adding quite the flair for the dramatic. Just as quickly as she summoned it, she unsummoned her Keyblade as she spoke, “They don’t call me Rainbow and Dash for nothing.” Her little stunt earned her quite a few cheers from the crowd. Kairi kept herself quiet, a little upset Rainbow used her Keyblade spell in such a way, but she did see that her friend had gained some control over the spell. She was going to get a lecture later, but she appreciated Rainbow’s effort.

Trixie was just a bit stunned at first, but quickly regained her confidence. “When Trixie is through, the only thing they’ll call you is loser,” she said, lighting her horn to cast her magic. The rainbow above Rainbow Dash began swirling around her, and spinning her around in circles before being thrown off the stage. She was still spinning for a few seconds after, and she felt fairly dizzy after the ordeal.

“Ugh, I think I’m gonna be sick,” she mumbled, and laying done properly as her head showed just how dizzy she felt. Kairi felt some anger at the display Trixie made of her friend, though she was thankful nopony was laughing this time.

“Seems like anypony with a dash of good sense, would think twice before tussling with the Great and Powerful Trixie,” Trixie said, her horn lighting up again. What Kairi saw next was a black thunder cloud conjured up behind Rainbow, before it struck her on the flank with a flash of lightning.

“Ow!” Rainbow cried out, rubbing her sore flank.

“That does it!” Kairi shouted, sounding fairly angry at this display. She jumped on stage, and her expression showed just how miffed she was at seeing her friends treated. Twilight blinked as she watched, not sure what Kairi was going to do.

“I could stand watching up until now, and only be angry at seeing my friends humiliated. I would have been just fine staying out of this. But when you struck Rainbow with a lightning bolt from behind her, that’s where I draw the line!” she said, almost raising her voice.

“Oh please, what kind of challenge could you give Trixie? I’ve already bested an earth pony before you. What could you possibly do to offer a new challenge?” Trixie rhetorically asked, not even bothered about how mad this new pony was that was challenging her.

With a smirk, Kairi simply stated, “How about a magic duel. I bet you wouldn’t mind that.”

At this Trixie was silent for just one second before bursting into laughter. This continued for the next few seconds, some of the ponies in the crowd joining in a little. When she finally calmed down, she said, “You, challenge me to a magic duel? How absurd, you’re an earth pony, you can’t use magic.”

“Oh, I can use magic alright, don’t you fret. Just ask the two ponies you’ve shown up till now. They’ll back me up,” Kairi said back, her smirk never faltering.

“It’s true, she really can use magic. Ah seen it mahself,” Applejack said.

“Yeah, of course she can use magic. How do you think I learned to cast that lightning spell?” Rainbow added.

Trixie cocked an eyebrow at the ponies that spoke, before returning her attention back to Kairi. “Trixie doesn’t believe it, but if that’s what you want, Trixie will accept. What are your terms?”

“First rule: Only the basic Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder spells. You can perform those, right?” Kairi asked, though her determined look never left.

“Of course, but those are offensive spells. Why only use those spells when we should outdo each other?”

“I have my reasons. Second rule: No magic while the other has their back turned, or casting magic from behind. We wait until we’re facing each other to cast magic, and always from the front. No cheating using a fireball to attack me from behind while I’m facing you.”

“If you insist, and what is your last rule?”

“Third rule: If one us gives up, or falls off the stage, then they are the loser. Any objections?”

Trixie thought about this for a second, before saying, “Nope, just bring your best, but the Great and Powerful Trixie will obviously win.”

“Good,” Kairi said, moving to the edge of the stage for a second. “Twilight, do you mind starting us off. I need to teach Trixie a lesson? And do you mind holding onto my bags, Rarity?”

Rarity nodded without a word, and used her magic to retrieve Kairi’s saddlebags. Twilight then approached hesitantly, looking at Trixie the entire time, before asking Kairi, “Are you really sure about this? What if the others start hating you because of this?”

“Trust me, Twilight, you’re thinking about this all wrong. I know my friends won’t hate me because of what I’m doing. And you shouldn’t either,” Kairi said, hoping to dash some of Twilight's worries about her, and especially about herself.

“Well, alright then,” Twilight stepped back, and Kairi retook her place on the stage, facing Trixie with determination. “Alright girls, keep this magic duel clean. Ready.” Trixie gave Kairi a grin, but then she blinked when Kairi seemed to conjure some sort of large key shaped object from nowhere. Kairi gripped her Destiny’s Embrace firmly between her teeth, and was ready to get this magic duel started. Trixie’s grin came back, despite not knowing what was going on. Perhaps the earth pony in front of her held some truth after all. “Set,” Twilight called out, and both ponies positioned themselves to start flinging spells around. A bead of sweat ran down Kairi’s cheek, itching to move.

A silent moment passed before Twilight finally called out, “MAGIC!” Instantly, the first few spells were flung, a fireball rushing at Kairi while a chunk of ice flew towards Trixie. Both countered the others spell perfectly with a defensive fireball wall around Kairi, while Trixie struck the ice with a few bolts of lightning. Kairi was the first to strike after she recovered, and sent a fireball towards the unicorn. Trixie jumped to the side, and shot her own fireball towards Kairi. She was quick to dodge as well, before running forwards at Trixie. The unicorn was surprised by the forward approach, conjuring a chunk of ice to fling at her, but Kairi jumped back as the ice struck the stage where she had been. Trixie sent two more at Kairi to make her back off, and she did so, and managed to fling a fireball towards Trixie after the second ice chunk struck the stage. Trixie barely managed to block the fireball with another chunk of ice, causing a small, yet dramatic show of exploding magic and sparkles to shower to the floor. Both paused for a moment, both collecting their breath.

‘Okay, I’ll give her credit, she does know her stuff. I thought I’d have an advantage by now, but I think we’re still evenly matched,’ Kairi thought.

“Trixie has to say, she wasn’t expecting this sort of challenge from an earth pony. Congrats, you’ve impressed Trixie, but only a little bit,” Trixie said, “But you’re going to have to do better if you want to beat The Great and Powerful Trixie.” Trixie said confidently.

Kairi really wanted to wipe that smug grin off of the unicorns face, only managing to make it fade after a few spells was not enough. ‘I’ll show you better.’ Jumping to the side, Kairi fired off a fireball to distract the unicorn. She then jumped forward, and flung a chunk of ice at her when Trixie dodged the first spell. Kairi moved forward, attempting to force Trixie further back on the stage, planning to make her fall off the stage. Trixie made this harder by dodging left or right, but slowly she was being pushed towards the end of the stage, and Kairi was getting closer with each spell. Being forced to move so much between spells, Trixie didn’t have enough time focus a spell to retaliate, it was only too late before she realized Kairi’s plan, and she was almost right on her. Now within range, Kairi charged a quick Thunder spell, attempting to make Trixie jump off the stage to avoid the spell. However, Trixie caught sight of this, and instead jumped and rolled past her far enough to avoid the spells lightning strikes.

Kairi was surprised when she saw this happened, turning to face Trixie fast enough to see the Blizzard spell she was about to cast. With a last ditch effort, she cast her own Blizzard spell at Trixie’s hooves, making the mare jump back before flinging the ice at Kairi. Just at the last second, Kairi jumped over the spell, gaining some distance from the stage edge, but now she dodged ice chunk after ice chunk Trixie was flinging her way. She even had to block a few with a defensive Fire spell to keep from getting hit. The entire time, the stage floor was gaining spots of slick ice on it because of Trixie’s magic. Deciding it was time to end this, Kairi jumped over one spell, then jumped again once she landed, and managed to spin in the air in the process, able to spin twice when she did. And each time she spun, Kairi flung her own Blizzard spell, and managed to freeze Trixie’s hooves to the stage floor. It was only when Kairi landed on her right front hoof that she realized her mistake, and instantly slipped on the slippery surface of ice. The motion managed to make her tumble right off the stage in front of everypony, and landed with a soft thud on the hard ground.

Kairi blinked several times as the action replayed itself in her head, and how she managed to forget to take in her surroundings as it changed. She sighed, feeling defeated as her Keyblade vanished from sight. The crowd had stayed silent for a little while, before cheering up a storm, not because of Kairi’s loss, but because of the dramatic display of magic they saw. “Hmph, Trixie told you didn’t she? Nopony can beat The Great and Powerful Trixie. Was there ever any doubt?” she said, before taking her leave behind the purple curtains, apparently having managed to thaw herself from the floor. Her stage quickly folded back up into the mobile home it looked before.

“Aw come on, that wasn’t fair. Kairi slipped on the ice, that shouldn’t count!” Spike said as the crowd dispersed.

“No, it’s fine Spike. I fell out fair and square, and only because I didn’t keep an eye on the floor,” she said, not minding the turn out of the duel. She was sure she had seen Trixie’s panicked face at some point during her spinning jump, and that was enough for her.

“You were totally awesome, Kairi! Way cooler than what I did,” Rainbow enthusiastically exclaimed.

“Thanks Rainbow, but you’re not escaping my lecture. Oh yeah, I’m going to talk your ear off about your little stunt,” she said, grinning at Rainbow Dash, who only returned a sheepish smile of her own.

“I gotta say, I knew you were plenty good with yer magic, but I didn’t expect such a show. I could barely keep up with all them spells flying around,” Applejack said.

“Wait, you guys aren’t mad at her for using her magic like that?” Twilight asked, now a little confused.

“Why of course not, Twilight. Whatever made you think we’d be mad at Kairi for trying to teach that boastful pony a lesson?” Rarity asked. She had been in awe just as much as every pony that had been in the crowd.

“It’s just, you were all against Trixie when she was showing off her magic. I just thought-“ Twilight was going to continue only to be interrupted by Rainbow.

“Whoa whoa whoa, is that what this is about? Trixie’s just a loud mouth, and bragging about what she could do. Kairi was just coming to our defense, Twi,” Rainbow said, “Is that why you didn’t try to show up Trixie yourself? You thought we’d hate you if you used your magic?” Twilight paused for a moment before nodding slightly.

“Oh sugarcube, ya didn’t have to worry about that. There ain’t no way we’d stop being yer friends because you could use a lot of magic. And I’m sorry if Ah made ya feel that way,” Applejack said, wrapping her leg around Twilight's shoulders.

“That’s what I said, but you didn’t listen to me,” Spike said, grumbling a little bit after.

Twilight just smile, and pulled him into a hug. “You were right Spike, I shouldn’t have doubted you. I’m sorry.”

“Heh, alright, apology accepted,” Spike said, returning the hug. Kairi finally stood up, smiling at Twilight.

“I’m glad your worries have been put to rest Twilight,” she said.

“Yeah, I guess you were right earlier. I was worrying about nothing. Well, I need to get back to the library. I need to look up some information that’s just come to light,” Twilight said. With other reasons being brought from the others, they bid each other a small goodbye, and left the town square in different directions, with Kairi walking alongside Rarity as she still levitated her saddlebags in front of her.

“Thanks for holding my bags Rarity, I needed as much weight off of me to move around more,” she said.

“You’re quite welcome Kairi, and I must say you looked amazing up there on the stage. Why, I’d say you were having a lot of fun,” Rarity commented.

“Yeah, it was kind of fun flinging spells around. I guess it has been awhile since I moved around that much.” Kairi smiled as she said this, positively beaming.

Rarity giggled softly, and said, “Well I’m glad you had a little fun then. Now, how was your day? Before this whole Trixie business, you looked extremely happy.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right! I got a job! I’m going to be starting on Monday at Time Turner’s Clockworks!” Kairi said excitedly.

“Time Turner’s little shop, why there of all places? Last time I was there, his prices were quite outrageous,” Rarity said, remembering that detail.

“Nothing about the prices has changed, but with me on the team, I’ll make sure most of those prices drop to a considerable range. I mean, who sells a toy for a thousand bits? Seriously, I would understand maybe ten, but a thousand? That’s just over the top.”

“My goodness, I dare say the prices are worse than they were the last time I was there. I’d like to know how he’s managed to keep his shop open for so long. I know he makes sure the clock tower in working order, but even that isn’t a lot of a work. Well I don’t suppose it is anyway,” Rarity said.

“I have no clue, all I know is I’m going to bring more business whether he likes it or not,” Kairi said, giving a little chuckle.

“Well it sounds like you have a plan to tackle the situation at his shop. I hope you do well on your first day,” Rarity said.

“Thanks, so do I,” she said, before pausing in her step. “Oh, that reminds, I need to learn what average pricing ranges are here. The universal monetary system being used on some of the other worlds out there is very different than it is here.”

“Oh, I know all about pricing, darling. I can give you a few tips on what you should be looking out for,” Rarity said, “That said, I think Twilight has a book that’s a little more accurate than my accounting experiences. You might be better off heading towards the library before you return.”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” she said, turning to head back towards town square. She was stopped when Rarity strapped her saddlebags back on her.

“Just in case you come back with a book or two,” Rarity said.

“Heh, thanks Rarity. I’ll see you a little later,” she said, and made her way towards town square. As she moved through the square, she saw the same colts attempting to interact with Trixie. She rolled her eyes, kids could be so impressionable. She then noticed Spike making small talk with the two colts when Trixie obviously dismissed them as she walked past, wondering what he would be talking to them about. Perhaps she should ask once she saw him at the library. That was where he lived with Twilight after all.

It took Kairi the better part of fifteen minutes to find her way to Golden Oaks Library, her memory of the way a little fuzzy because she hadn’t visited much. She decided she needed to get out a little more often so she wouldn’t forget where the place was. Once she stepped up to the door, she knocked three times, and backed up a little. She heard Twilight’s voice calling out that the door was open and went inside. Seeing the interior of the library, she couldn’t help to feel some nostalgia from her past.

“Hi Kairi, I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon after today,” Twilight said from the small table at the center of the room.

“Well, I was talking to Rarity on the way to her house, and I realized that I’m not too familiar with the pricing here. The universal monetary system I’m used to doesn’t exactly translate well to this world’s currency,” she said as she closed the door behind her.

“Well I’m sure I have a current book somewhere. Just give me a minute to look around,” Twilight said as she got to her hooves. Flexing her magic, Kairi saw her horn glow with a purple aura, and several books began floating around the library.

“I don’t think I’ll ever stop being impressed by that. I think levitating things with my Keyblade is a bit beyond my reach,” she said, watching as all the books moved through the air as she made her way to the table.

“Really? Well that’s no good, then again it kind of makes sense. I’ve only seen you use a type of barrier spell, three different kinds of offensive magic, and a healing spell,” Twilight said while sorting through the books she was looking at.

“Most of the magic I’ve used are just basic spells though, and they have a type of evolutionary chain. With practice and training, I can be able to use more powerful spells, and the name slightly changes with it.”

“Hmm, sounds like the magic you use is similar to the magic that was used before Equestria was founded, ones that have a simple make up without taxing the mana reserves of the body too much. Unicorn magic has evolved in lots of ways since those times, but the Keyblade only seems to help with connecting a pony into their mana more directly, which could explain why Rainbow was able to make that lightning. It doesn’t seem like it can accurately direct magic like a unicorn’s horn can, only help draw from the pool to form the magic needed. Maybe that’s why you don’t think levitation would be possible, you don’t have the knowledge yet to utilize it,” Twilight said. Kairi just blinked, somewhat lost to what Twilight had just theorized.

“That…sounds plausible I guess. Huh, I guess I never really thought about it before. I shouldn’t really be surprised, Merlin can teleport to anywhere he pleases,” Kairi said. The idea that the Keyblade helped its wielder tap into magic seeming to make sense. But then why was Merlin able to use magic? Was he just naturally gifted?

“Who is Merlin? I don’t think you’ve mentioned him before,” Twilight asked, not taking her eyes away. She knew she had a book on accounting somewhere, she just couldn’t remember where she placed it.

“He’s a wizard I know, and he’s helped Sora out a few times in the past. He’s always been a good friend, and he helped teach me magic when I was in training,” she said, answering Twilight’s question.

“He sounds like a good guy,” Twilight said. As she looked at the covers for the books she was levitating off and on to the shelves, Kairi spotted one that had an interesting cover. Reaching up with her hooves, she plucked it out of the air, and out of Twilight’s magical grip.

“Huh, what’s this? Daring Do and the Sapphire Stone?” Kairi questioned.

“Oh, it’s not what you’re looking for, but it’s the first in a series of books published by A.K. Yearling, who writes about the fictional adventures of Daring Do. She’s a pegasus who’s an adventuring archaeologist, and she travels to dangerous places to recover precious artifacts,” Twilight answered, finally finding the book she had been searching for. She levitated the book over to Kairi while simultaneously returning all the books she had plucked from the shelves with her magic.

“Hm, sounds like an interesting read,” Kairi said, putting the book down for the moment. “Book rental doesn’t cost much does it?”

“Why would it cost anything, it’s the late fee you only have to worry about,” Twilight said with a smile. Kairi smiled back glad to know that checking out a book from a library was the same no matter where she was. Twilight had then enveloped the Daring Do book in her magic, and levitated it up with the other book for Kairi. “I’m pretty sure I can trust you to bring both back on time,” she said.

“Hehe, well alright then, though I don’t know if I’ll be able to get around to it,” Kairi said, though she wasn’t expecting to go home with two books.

“I have the series myself, and they really are a great read. I hope you enjoy it,” Twilight said. She then walked over to one of the book stands, her magic retrieving a tan slip of paper, and placed it on the hard surface. “If you have five bits, I can give you your library card. I’m going to guess you haven’t learned to write yet.”

“Considering I’d be writing with my lips and teeth, it isn’t the first thing I want to jump into doing just yet,” she replied, not really eager about holding a quill in her mouth.

“You got to learn sometime though. I’ll just fill in your name for you then.” Twilight went ahead, and started writing on the card as Kairi retrieved the satchel from her saddlebag. Before she knew it, Twilight had already levitated it from her grasp, and pulled five bits out to add the library’s funds. She then blew softly on the card to dry the ink faster, before slipping it into one of the books. She then placed the satchel and books in Kairi’s saddlebags while smiling, and said, “Well, that’s that, I hope you enjoy the books.”

“Thanks Twilight, I really appreciate the help,” Kairi said back.

“It’s no problem at all, I’m just happy to help out. Have a good evening, Kairi.”

“Thanks, you too Twilight,” Kairi said as she opened the door, and left the library. Just as she closed the door, and began walking away, she saw Spike coming towards her. “Hi Spike.”

“Oh, hi Kairi,” he replied, though he wasn’t very enthusiastic when he said it.

“What’s wrong? Still upset about the whole Trixie thing?” she asked.

“Yeah, a little bit. You did really well in your duel against Trixie, it was amazing to watch. I just wish you beat her,” he said.

“Yeah, I was really trying hard to win myself, but I’m pretty satisfied all the same. I’ve gotten pretty good dodging on my hooves, and if it hadn’t been for that one spot of ice, I’m sure I would have won,” she said. In truth, she was a little sore for not keeping an eye on her surroundings, but that was the only thing that bothered her about it.

“That’s why I think it’s unfair. She won on a technicality, not through her own ability,” Spike said. He made some sense, but ultimately she did fall off the stage.

“Really Spike, it’s okay. Think of it this way, I fell out because I didn’t keep a better eye out, not because she managed to push me out,” she said.

“Yeah, I guess you have a point. You didn’t technically lose to her at least. That’s at least worth something.”

“Mmhm, it is, and I’ll know better in the future. Speaking of Trixie, what were you talking about with those two colts earlier?”

“Oh, Snips and Snails? Just that they shouldn’t believe everything Trixie says. I mean no one actually saw Trixie vanquish an Ursa Major, and I’m sure we would have heard something about one rampaging in Hoofington by now.”

“Good point, though I’m not sure how big an Ursa Major might be. I get the feeling I don’t want to know either.”

“I’ve heard about them, but not much though. I think I heard that they are pretty big though, maybe bigger than a house.”

“Oh, definitely never want to see one then. Knowing that is enough knowledge for me.”

“Hehe, yeah. Well, I should probably get inside, and help Twilight with whatever she’s doing,” he said, and walked past Kairi. “See you around Kairi.”

“See you around Spike,” she said as Spike walked into the Library. She then began trotting back towards Carousel Boutique, eager to start learning more about the monetary system in Equestria.

Five hours later

Kairi had her face down in the couch cushions, groaning as her head hurt from her read. Paragraph after paragraph was just buried under text that, while she tried to make sense of it, was just hurting her brain more by the minute. She had settled down on the couch in order get comfy for a long reading session, but now she was just struggling to get through a paragraph.

Rarity entered the room, and saw Kairi’s predicament. “Is something wrong Kairi?” she asked. After she got a mumbled mess as Kairi talked into the cushions she raised her head, and sighed heavily.

“This book has so much text, and it’s so detailed that I can’t make heads or tails out of it. Why can’t it just be explained in a simpler manner?” she said. She then dropped her head on the cushion, causing the book flop down on her face. Despite Kairi’s circumstances, Rarity couldn’t help the little giggle that escaped her.

“Perhaps you’re just pushing yourself too hard. I’m sure a little more exposure will help just as much. And in any case, you do have three days before Monday comes around, so perhaps a small break will help you,” Rarity said, “Besides, dinner is ready.”

Kairi lifted her head, the idea of having some food in her belly sounding like a good plan at the moment. Memorizing the page she was on, she lifted the book off her head, put it down on the coffee table before she followed Rarity to the kitchen, and sat at the dining table. “It is sort of hard to focus on an empty stomach,” she said.

“As I thought, you’ve barely moved from the couch since you got back. You must have worked up an appetite by now, so I prepared something I think will be quite delicious for the both of us,” Rarity said. She then levitated two bowls to the table, setting one in front of Kairi, and the other for herself as she sat at the table. Kairi saw the sliced up fruit in the bowl, and a fork stabbed into a sliced strawberry.

“Oh, it’s looks great Rarity,” Kairi said, before looking at the fork. She was instantly reminded of her body’s form, and sighed softly. “I really do miss my hands sometimes. Oh well, I need learn to use these hooves somehow.” For a moment, it looked like Rarity was about to say something, but Kairi cut her off before made her offer. “It’s fine Rarity, you don’t need to help. I can learn to use a fork with my hooves…”

Even though Kairi said it, she was rather doubtful she could use her hooves like she wanted. She reached forward with her right hoof, and carefully bent it enough to feel the metal press against her leg. She then tried picking it up, only for it to fall, and clatter in the bowl, the sound made was none too pleasant to hear. She frowned as Rarity watched, who wasn’t eating while Kairi hadn’t. Over and over again, she tried picking the utensil up, only to drop it though thankfully it never left the bowl.

“Rrr, how does Rainbow Dash make it look so easy? She can hold her Keyblade with ease, but I can’t pick up a simple fork,” she said angrily to herself. She stared daggers at the utensil, as if blaming it for not working for her.

“Well, Rainbow Dash has had a longer time to learn to hold things in her hoof. This is your first time trying, Kairi, so it’s not going to come to you so easily,” Rarity said.

“I know, I’m still getting used to some things. Just got to keep trying until I get it right,” Kairi said, and continued to pick up the fork multiple times again. It was only until several minutes passed by before she laid her head on the table, looking defeated. Rarity just could not find the right words to say to cheer her up, try as she might.

“I really miss having fingers right now. If I had some feeling in my hoof, I’d at least know how hard to grip it,” she finally said after a minute of sulking.

“Perhaps that’s where you’re thinking wrong, darling,” Rarity said. This caught Kairi’s attention, her ears swiveling up and towards her friend. “Perhaps you’re not gripping it hard enough. Silverware is specially made to be extra durable, so don’t worry about bending the metal.”

Lifting her head, Kairi looked at the fork with a raised eyebrow, and reached for it one more time. As she bent her hoof around the handle of the utensil, she used a little more strength to grip it, and found that had indeed been the problem all along as she lifted it up. “Huh, well I feel silly now,” she said, giving a slightly sheepish smile.

Rarity just smiled back, and said, “Instead of feeling silly, why don’t you go ahead fill that empty belly of yours.” With a nod, Kairi leaned her head forward, and plucked the strawberry off the end, not yet trusting herself to keep a firm grip yet. She did however managed to stab several more slices, and found herself enjoying the taste of the blue berries, mangoes, bananas, and other fruit in the bowl a lot.

However, dinner was soon interrupted by the sound of a loud, growling roar coming from outside. Kairi had never heard that sound before, and looked at an equally shocked Rarity across from her. “What was that?” she asked. When Rarity shook her head, they both left the table, and decided to peak outside through the front door of the boutique. What they saw was a gigantic starry bear stomping its way after two little dots in the distance. Kairi caught a glimpse of a pointed star on its head, and instantly realized what it was. “That’s an Ursa Major?!”

“Oh my goodness! It’s positively huge, there’s no way Ponyville will be safe if it wreaks havoc in town!” Rarity said, obviously frightened.

“Well we can’t just stay here, we need to warn everypony!” Kairi said, opening the door wider. She managed to dash a few steps before something else caught her attention. “No. No no no NO! Not now! Why are they here now?!”

“Kairi, what’s wrong?” Rarity asked, sounding even more frightened.

“Urgh, long story short, I can sense darkness, and I just felt several Heartless popping up! And they’re in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres, probably even trying to attack the Apple family!” Kairi explained.

“Oh no, this just can’t-“

“Don’t say it, or you’ll jinx it!” Kairi said, cutting her off, “Look, can you warn everyone else? I can’t just leave them alone to deal with the Heartless.”

“Of course, I’ll do what I can to help. You just be careful, Kairi,” Rarity said.

“Sure thing, and you stay away from the Ursa Major as best as you can. See you when I see you,” she said, before leaving Rarity behind. She galloped as hard as she could in a mad dash to get to Sweet Apple Acres. “I hope they stay safe until I get there. I don’t see a barrier yet, which is always good news.” Kairi couldn’t help but think the entire thing with the Ursa Major and Heartless wasn’t a mere coincidence.

“Get back ya filthy varmints! Ah ain’t a lettin ya near mah family!” Applejack yelled. She stared at the numerous Shadows that suddenly popped up when she and her family stepped outside to see what the commotion had been about. Now they were pinned up against the side of the barn. Each time one had come close enough to strike at them, either her or Big Mac would buck them back into the crowd. Out the corner of her eye, she saw another making another attempt to attack her little sister, and she was there to buck it back again. “Ya’ll best give up now, ‘cuz we ain’t a family ya’ll want to mess with!” She yelled angrily.

“Eeeyup!” Big Mac yelled just as angrily, swiping another Heartless away before it got the chance to attack Granny Smith. He was easily holding his own, and made sure none of the Shadows had struck him. But the Heartless just didn’t understand the fact that they wouldn’t claim any hearts attacking one at a time, and kept trying to sneak past the two adult ponies. The first time they had tried this, the Apples had quickly caught on, and made short in bucking them back into their group.

This was the sight Kairi saw as she galloped up the path to Sweet Apple Acres, and she was quick to yell out her arrival. “Applejack! I’m here!” she yelled, though she should have stayed quiet.

This was not a distraction Applejack could afford as she looked at the oncoming pony, and was about to call out to her before she was interrupted by a scream behind her. The sound traveled chillingly down her spine, turning just in time to see one of the Shadows had snuck past her, and was about to lunge at Applebloom! “HEEEEELP!” the little filly screamed.

Applejack stood frozen as time stood still for just one second. Big Mac had his own distraction to deal with, and she couldn’t expect Granny Smith to do anything in her old age. Kairi was too far away to do anything as well. She didn’t know what to do; the Shadow was far too close to buck it away from Applebloom, and she wasn’t sure if she could retaliate if another decided to attack her then. If she was honest with herself, she was rightfully scared for her family. That little spark of honesty in her heart sparked a sensation in Applejack that she could only describe as sudden confidence as she turned on her hooves, and jumped at the attacking Heartless.

In the second Applejack jumped for the Heartless, she bared her teeth as a glow surrounded her, and swung her head hopefully. The Heartless exploded into harmless shadows as its heart was released, and the Keyblade that formed in Applejacks mouth glowed softly before the light dimmed. Just as another Shadow had attempted to strike Applejack from behind, a blast from a fireball quickly halted and destroyed the Heartless effortlessly. Turning around, she saw Kairi had jumped right into the middle of the crowd of Heartless, and fired off a spell to protect her. She breathed easily, gave the weapon in her mouth a quick glance. It very much resembled an apple tree, with the handle and guard made of strong roots, the blade itself forming the trunk with a bunch of metal leaves and apples at the tip, and the tooth being a fairly large apple. The keychain attached to the handle was an apple as well, but it looked like a jewel rather than metal like Rainbow Dash’s.

“AJ, go help Kairi deal with these ruffians! Big Mac can handle protecting us both,” Granny said. And she looked like she wasn’t going to take no for answer. Turning to look at Big Mac, he just simply nodded as he knocked another Heartless away. She nodded back, and charged straight into the crowd where Kairi managed to take down another of the offending dark creatures, taking out a few on her way.

“Ah’m here Kairi, what’s the plan?” she spoke around the handle, almost as if it wasn’t hindering her speech at all. Kairi showed the plan she had in mind, and attacked one of the Heartless when it lunged at Applejack. “That’s mah kind o’ plan!” She lifted up on her hind legs, and shouted, “YEEHAW!” With that, she began attacking just as harshly as Kairi was, dropping the numbers of Heartless easily within a few minutes.

It was only when their numbers began dwindling that new heartless emerged, and Kairi counted off at least six ponified Soldier Heartless. She cringed a little when one managed to charge her from the side, and hit her by surprise. A small flame of darkness sprouted where she was struck, and she would have been hit again if Applejack hadn’t hit it away from her. “You varmints just don’ learn yer lesson, do ya!” While Applejack had been preoccupied, another of the Soldiers charged at her, and Kairi managed to see it just in time to hit it with a Blizzard spell. Looking at where Kairi had fired her spell, she saw the Heartless knocked off its hooves. “Thanks, but what about you?”

“I’ld fe vide,” Kairi said, knowing she sounded weird talking past her handle. That was the only reason she never talked when she did have her Keyblade out. She quickly cast Cure on herself, before striking away another of the Heartless. They were starting to become a little bolder, and Applejack could sense it as well. This needed to end now and fast. She had an idea, something she had been wanting to teach Rainbow Dash a little later, but she was pressed for time as it was. “Kab boo ubertad be?”

“A little bit, yeah. What’s up?” Applejack asked.

“Wed Ah shay bow, chabel yer adacks wib bide,” she replied. They had all of the Heartless attention now, and it was just a matter of waiting for the right moment to strike back. She then saw the Heartless start to move, and that’s when she yelled, “Bow!” At the same time, the two ponies were enveloped in a white and yellow aura, and both spun with their backs to each other as their Keyblades struck the first few Heartless that had launched an attack on them. Applejack then tensed her muscles as Kairi hopped on her back, standing on her hind legs with Keyblade pointed to the sky, and shot several beams of magical energy from the end to strike at their foes. When she hopped down, they moved further into the crowd of Heartless, and struck again as they spun like a circle, with climbing on top of Applejack to strike with her magic again. They repeated the cycle several times, reducing their opponent’s numbers drastically every time.

It was then in between their attacks that the Heartless attacked all at once, but this too was trumped as Kairi and Applejack connected their weapons at the blade. Applejack shouted, “Honesty’s Judgment!” and bright light emanated from the both of them, the magical energy exploding outwards, and wiping out the remaining Heartless.

It was silent for the next minute as the light faded from them, the Apple family awestruck with what they had witnessed. Both of them panted the entire time, looking over the area again and again, making sure the place was cleared of all Heartless. Sensing no darkness from the area, Kairi breathed a sigh of relief as she let her Keyblade vanish. “Okay, it looks like it is all clear now. And a terrible time for them to show up out of nowhere, and in such numbers too,” she said.

Applejack did the same in letting her Keyblade vanish, and turned to Kairi, “Ah’ll say, but as long as mah family is safe, then Ah’ll be happy,” she said, her expression hardly changing from how serious everything was. “How did ya know to come here anyway? I’m not lookin’ a gift horse in the mouth or anythin’, but there was no way any of us could get away to tell ya,” she asked.

“Short answer is I can sense the darkness, and I felt the Heartless pop up when-“ She was cut off by a loud growling roar in the distance. “Oh shoot, the Ursa Major! Come on, we got to hurry, and warn the rest of Ponyville!” She exclaimed, and started galloping down the path back into town. Applejack had been shocked to her exclamation, but followed shortly after her.

Before they had galloped far from the homestead, they soon heard soothing music playing over a gentle wind. They both looked at each other, and both wondered what was going on. They then saw what Kairi believed was the towns metal water tower floating in the air without the tower. It more or less looked like a metal bottle now, and it was engulfed in a purple magical aura. The sight of this stopped them both in their tracks, and followed its path through the air to watch it dump its liquid content in a nearby creek. It then floated towards a barn, and the resulting moos Kairi heard in the distance made her believe it was being lived in by cows. When it floated out of the building, and watched the top pop back on, Kairi asked, “What in the world is going on?”

“Ah have no idea, but Ah think that’s Twilight’s magic being used,” Applejack said, before looking towards town square. She saw the Ursa Major with its blue starry glow, and how it was wobbling on its legs. And in front of it was a unicorn, her horn glowing brightly as she continued to cast her magic as she lifted the now drowsy bear up into the air, and started rocking it as the metal container was brought up to it. Its lips was easily around the narrow tip, and was sucking on it like a baby bottle as it was levitated out of Ponyville back to where it belonged. Kairi had seen this all happen as well, and she still couldn’t believe it happened.

They both walked towards town square, and saw the light of magic finally dim down as the pony responsible for saving the town start panting from using so much magic. And they both saw it was Twilight sitting there, catching her breath. She was brought out of her composure when she heard cheering from the gathered ponies of Ponyville, all who had seen Twilight’s magnificent feat of magic. “Golly, Ah knew you had ability, but Ah never knew ya had that much,” Applejack said as she and Kairi approached.

“That was awesome Twilight, I think you could give some of the wizards I know a run for their money,” Kairi said, wearing as bright a smile as Applejack.

“Eheh, thanks, but I was just doing what I could to help. I-I wasn’t even sure I could do all that myself,” Twilight said, giving a sheepish smile. “You girls really don’t mind my magic tricks then?”

Before Kairi knew, Rainbow had flown in from whatever cloud she had been on when she watched Twilight work her magic, and said, “Are you still nervous about that? Like we said before, you have nothing to fear if you want to show us some of your magic tricks.”

“Sugarcube, yer magic is a part of who you are, and we like who you are. Ah think Ah speak for all of us when Ah say we’re mighty proud to have such a powerful unicorn as our friend,” Applejack said.

“And after vanquishing that ursa for us, I’d say we’re even prouder,” Rarity said. She had been among the crowd as they watched Twilight, and only now stepped forward to walk up next to her friend.

“You are?” Twilight asked, feeling genuinely happy as she spoke.

She heard an affirmation to her question from her friends, smiling as they did. Then Spike spoke up, “Wow Twilight, how did you know what to do with that Ursa Major?”

“That’s what I was doing when you came into the library, Spike. I was intrigued by Trixie’s bragging that I did a little reading up on them,” she replied.

“It is possible to vanquish an Ursa Major all by yourself?” Spike asked, sounding intrigued where this was going.

“That wasn’t an Ursa Major; that was just a baby, an Ursa Minor,” Twilight explained.

“That was just a baby?!” Trixie said suddenly, earning herself a couple of glares.

“And it wasn’t rampaging, it was just cranky because somepony woke it up,” Twilight said, turning her eyes to the two responsible for bringing the Ursa Minor into Ponyville. Kairi followed her gaze, and saw the same two colts from earlier in the day, the ones Spike named Snips and Snails. Considering the short, blue chubby colt had a scissors Cutie Mark, and the tall, brown-orange lanky colt had a snail Cutie Mark, it was safe to say who was who. Kairi just facehooved when she learned this bit of information. As mean as it was, she was now convinced these two had simple minds.

“Well, if that was- You know what, nevermind. I don’t want to know. I’d rather not imagine something any bigger than an Ursa Minor. I like my peaceful sleep,” Kairi said, shaking her head while earning a couple of giggles from the ponies around her.

Even Twilight giggled a little before saying, “Trust me, you really don’t want to know.”

“Humph, you may have vanquished an Ursa Minor,” Trixie said as she approached Twilight. Despite what must have happened during the commotion, she seemed to bounce back with her usual ‘mightier than thou’ attitude. “But you will never have the amazing, show stopping power of The Great and Powerful Trixie!” She rose on her back legs as she said all this, and then stomped down on the ground, causing a small smoke cloud to erupt. When it dispersed she was already several feet away.

“Wow, what got under her fur, and bit her?” Kairi asked.

“She’s probably sore that her house-slash-stage got crushed during the commotion,” Rarity said.

Kairi blinked, and watched Trixie’s retreating form before she vanished out of sight. “Wow, that’s got to be an ego hit since it was her own bragging that caused this to happen,” she said, feeling just a little bad for the mare now.

“Well, just let her go for now. Maybe someday she’ll learn her lesson,” Twilight said, “Now, about you two.” She was quick to prevent Snips and Snails from doing their own disappearing act.

“Uh, we’re sorry about waking up the Ursa Minor,” Snips said.

“We just wanted to see some awesome magic,” Snails said.

“Yeah, and the way you vanquished that Ursa Minor was awesome!” Snips exclaimed.

Seeing Twilight’s un-approving face made them quick to deflate their happiness.

“We deserve whatever punishment you give us,” Snails said, both him and his friend low to the ground as the full weight of their irresponsible behavior bore down on them.

“For starters, you can clean up this mess,” Twilight said, looking over to Trixie’s busted home. “And what do you think Spike. Should I give them number twenty-five?”

“Ooohh, twenty-five, yes, and I think I deserve it too,” he said. This caused the colts to wonder loudly what the two were talking about.

“I think you’re right,” she said, and ignited her magic. The two colts looked scared about what their fate was about to be, closing their eyes to receive whatever pain was coming their way. Kairi would have stepped in by now, but Spike was standing next to them, and was pushing his head up and out, as if expecting something different to happen. Seeing his actions, she waited to see the outcome. She did not expect Twilight's magic to give each of the boys a different style of mustache. She found herself giggling, her worry having been unfounded. Each of the boys had said “Sweet!”, and with that the crowd of ponies began returning to their homes to turn in for the night.

Looking around, Kairi noticed this, and said, “I think everypony has the right idea. I’m beat after today.”

“Yeah, it’s definitely time to hit the hay. I’ll see you girls in the morning. Night,” Rainbow said, taking to the air, and heading for her home.

Snips and Snails had already started heading home, deciding to leave cleaning for the morning, and commented on each other’s mustache. Spike on the other hand, walked up to Rarity, and asked her, “So, Rarity, how do you like my mustache? It’s pretty cool, right?”

She just giggled, and patted him lightly on the head, “I think you look fine, Spikey-Wikey, but it just isn’t you. You look better without it.”

“Aww…” he said. Kairi couldn’t help but giggle, it was just too adorable watching him trying to impress Rarity.

“Well, I think Kairi and I will take our leave then. Twilight, Applejack, have a good night the both of you,” she said. She nodded her head to direct Kairi’s attention as she turned to leave.

“Yeah, good night you two,” Kairi said, and followed after Rarity.

They heard their friends wish them a good night as well as they left. Once they were out of hearing range, Rarity asked, “I’m glad you got to Applejack in time.”

“So am I, but I’m far more proud at both Twilight and Applejack,” Kairi said, feeling a little drowsy now.

“Oh, is that so? I know why you’re proud of Twilight, darling, but why of Applejack?” the fashionista asked.

“Because, Applejack summoned her Keyblade tonight. I would have liked it more if it didn’t happen because of the danger her family was put in, but I’m happy that she did so to protect her little sister,” Kairi explained.

“Oh, that’s wonderful news. This means you will need to teach Applejack magic as well, right?”

“It does, but right now the only thing I can focus on is a bed,” Kairi said as yawn managed to escape her. Whatever worries she should have could wait for the morning. A bed was calling her name, and she was far too obliged to answer that siren call when they got to Rarity’s Carousel Boutique.

Episode 5: Working with Anger

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With a slam of his fist on the arm of the Gummi Ships chair, Sora groaned from the pain he caused to himself. He felt far too frustrated to keep any of his anger in check. The outburst had actually made Riku raise an eyebrow from the display of his friend. He understood of course, he was just as frustrated as his best friend. “Two weeks, Riku… It’s been almost two weeks, and we still can’t find her. Where could she have been taken to…?” Sora finally said after a moment of silence.

“I don’t know, but I just hope she’s staying safe,” Riku said.

“We’ve visited ten worlds by now. We should have at least picked up some sort of trail by now,” Sora said, a hint of sadness in his tone.

“Don’t give up, Sora. We’ll find Kairi, no matter what,” Donald said, trying to cheer his friend up. After Kairi had disappeared into darkness, Sora and Riku felt it best to go to King Mickey for advice. However, when they arrived they had found out that the king had already left, and had left a note behind saying something about a new threat approaching. When they had made to leave, Donald and Goofy had insisted on traveling with them.

“Sora, I know you feel bad about what happened. I’m sure we would know if something had happened to Kairi by now,” Goofy added.

“I know guys, but I can’t help but feel useless about this. We’ve taken care of any Heartless problems that came up with each world, but we still met dead ends trying to locate her. I just wish I knew for sure she was alright,” Sora said, placing his left hand over his heart.

“Well, we’re not going to discover anything just sitting around. Maybe going to all these worlds wasn’t the approach we should have taken,” Riku spoke, adding his own thoughts.

“What do you mean, Riku?” Donald asked. What Riku had just said also intrigued Sora and Goofy too.

“True, we’ve been helping out where we’ve gone, but I’m starting to think that we’re going about this all wrong to search for Kairi,” Riku said, and continued before Sora could say anything. “What I’m saying is we’ve been blindly looking for her because we believe she’ll be in danger. We weren’t thinking clearly before, but I think if we calm down, we’ll think of a new approach to do this.”

“What makes you so sure about this?” Sora asked.

“Just a hunch, I guess. I know you’re worried about her, Sora, but she did handle herself pretty well when we saved that little girl in Traverse Town. If she had to, I’m sure Kairi can hold her own for a little while longer,” Riku replied.

Sora looked like he wanted to argue the issue, but everything Riku said had a good point. Kairi was able to take care of herself on her own now. He had to have faith she could continue to do so. “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, I’m just frustrated.”

“You don’t have to be sorry Sora. We understand,” Donald said.

“Yeah, we can’t blame ya for wantin’ to find Kairi,” Goofy stated.

“I certainly can’t, I’ve been just as frustrated as you,” Riku added.

After a moment, a slight smile grew on Sora’s face. “Thanks guys. Okay, so a new way to approach finding Kairi. Anyone have any ideas?”

A long moment of silence passed as they tried to come up with an idea. Sora was calmer for it, but ultimately was drawing a blank. The same could be said for Donald and Riku, both not coming up with any ideas of their own.

Goofy then broke the silence as he said, “Hey, why don’t we go talk to Yen Sid? I betcha he could give us a clue where to start. And if he doesn’t know anything, maybe Merlin could give us a hand.”

“That’s not a bad idea actually. Even if Yen Sid and Merlin don’t know where Kairi is, they could probably point us in the right direction,” Riku said.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Donald added.

“Okay, then let's go see Yen Sid,” Sora said as he grabbed the control for the Gummi Ship. “Kairi, we’ll come find you, and that’s a promise. Just hang on for a little while longer.” Sora spoke to himself as he flew the ship towards Twilight Town.

Darkness was all around her as she came to her senses, and the feeling of her human body, as well as her clothes, came quickly to her mind as she descended into such darkness. Further and further she drifted down, unsure how far she had fallen. As more of her senses came to her, Kairi soon noticed the multi-colored stained glass pillar coming into her view. Six images of her newest friends were captured in circles in the upper portion the stained glass, as well as her oldest friends and three five pointed stars in three different colors were stained around the edges. In the center was her own likeness almost curled up with her knees bent, she was holding her Destiny’s Embrace Keyblade in her right hand, and Oath Keeper being held in her left. The background within the crescent part was an image of old home, of the flower gardens in Radiant Garden.

Once her feet touched down on the glass, she looked at her surroundings, but only saw an endless void of darkness. How there was any light where she was, she didn’t know. She took a step forward, and away from the edge. “Where am I? What is this place?” she asked, as if expecting an answer from the darkness.

And the response was almost chilling as an inaudible, yet somehow recognizable unseen voice answered her. “A princess, who’s lost her way, yet wishes to help those around her. You may not know why you are in such a peaceful world yet, but with time things will become much clearer.”

“Who’s there?” she asked. She felt in the back of her mind a small twinge of fear, yet something inside told her this voice was friendly somehow.

“Do not fear for things yet untold. You shall make sense of it soon enough. Now, step forward to the center so that your path may unfold before you.”

Kairi wasn’t sure what to make of her situation, but she did as told since there were no other options open to her yet. Once she reached the center of the room, three pedestals erupted from the floor through shining lights. Above the pedestals, three items appear, and float lazily in place; A shield, a mages staff, and a sword. “Power sleeps in all sorts of forms, and you must be the one to give it form. Choose wisely.”

Kairi took note of her options around her, wondering what the voice was talking about. In front of her floats the sword above its pedestal, and slowly she steps forth towards it. “I wonder what this is all about?” she wondered to herself. When her hand soon grasped the blade, the voice spoke again.

“The power of the warrior. Insurmountable courage. The power to strike your foes down. Is this the power you seek?” Kairi reflected on the words spoken to her, but the description wasn’t what she had been thinking. It was something more than just defeating enemies to her, it was a weapon that could be used to protect. She nodded her head, and the sword flashed in her hand before disappearing. The sight had surprised her a little bit, before turning to the last two items. “Your path becomes a little clearer. Now, what will you sacrifice in return?”

“Sacrifice? What does that mean?” she asked, hoping to receive an answer. For a moment, she was met with nothing but silence. How was she supposed to know what the voice meant? Looking at the shield and staff, she supposed it meant she needed to choose one of the two to give up. But for what purpose, she didn’t really know. Looking to each, she found herself walking to one of the pedestals, and grabbed the item from its lazy levitation.

“The power of the guardian. A wall of defense. A shield to repel evil. Do you give up this power?” Kairi nodded slowly, and watched as the shield shattered to float up in to nothingness. The pedestals then sank back into the floor as Kairi’s choices had been made. She took a step back as this happened, hoping something bad wasn’t about to happen. For another long moment, nothing did. Looking around a little more, she found a narrow path of stained glass bursting into existence. It was leading to somewhere, and with nowhere else to go, she took a hesitant step onto the path laid out before her. She found it was solid, and wasn’t sinking under her weight. With that worry off of her chest, Kairi continued forward on the path.

As she continued walking on the winding path, Kairi saw a new pillar coming into view. As she neared it, the color scheme of the stained glass was vastly different from the previous pillar. Instead of the multiple colors that matched her friends before, this one seemed to have three different shades of pink and butter yellow color to the glass. She wondered what would happen this time as she looked around while stepping towards the center. Behind her, the path of stained glass she had walked had vanished, leaving her stranded on the huge column.

“You have gained much knowledge in defending yourself, but there is still more to learn that can’t be taught. Finding your own way will be the challenge that lies before you. Now, take up your weapon, and defend yourself.” This was the only warning Kairi got before she found herself surrounded by Heartless. With practiced ease, she brought out her Keyblade, Destiny’s Embrace, and readied herself for the fight.

Like slipping on a pair of old shoes, she wielded her Keyblade with practiced ease, blocking one attack, and counterattacking with a series of combos against her enemies. Shadows were easy to predict and fight for her by now, easily dodging their attacks and striking back. Her fighting style almost looks like she is just dancing around the Heartless, and as the last of the Shadows were defeated, she breaths in a deep lungful air as her confidence returned full force. Her confident stature only lasted a few seconds though as darkness spread out underneath her feet, and is quickly pulled in.

Her vision is blacked out in the darkness as she struggles to free herself from its confines. She felt like she was suffocating in the pitch black void, until she felt something against her back. Her eyes flew open as she found herself lying on another column, taking a few quick breaths to steady her beating heart. Once she sat up, she looks around to see the color scheme of the stained glass has changed again. The edges surrounding the pictures were a rainbow of colors while the central images were colored orange and gold. Kairi soon stood up, wondering what was going to happen next.

As she walked to the center of this pillar, she heard that same inaudible voice. “The heart is strong, yet at the same time also weak. It can be easily influenced by the simplest things.” Around her, her friends suddenly appears wearing smiles on their faces. She was about to call out to them, but then she notices that their bodies looked different, almost as if they were ghosts. “When nurtured, the light can grow very strong. But the opposite is also true.” At these words, she saw darkness engulfing the ghosts of her friends. She wanted to do something, anything to stop what is happening, but she didn’t know what she could do. In the few seconds they were engulfed, solid Shadows were left in their places. “In order for the heart to be strong, you must nurture it with your own light.”

A moment of hesitation from her gave one of the Heartless enough time to strike from behind, leaving a small flame of darkness. Shaking off her hesitation, she brought her Keyblade forth, and struck back at the Heartless, vanquishing it back to the darkness. Despite having seen these Shadows coming from images of her friends, she knew they weren’t really them. Something inside her told her to strike out, that everything was going to be okay. With this in mind, she continued to do battle against the Heartless until every single one of them is gone.

Breathing heavily, she uses her cure spell to heal her injuries, and remove the flame that had sprouted on her back. She never liked that feeling. Even though it is a flame, all she could feel from it was a cold blank sensation every time. Once more she looks at her surroundings, and found a door on the other end of the pillar she stood on. “Along your path, many doors will appear. The obstacles that lay beyond are for you to overcome. Now step forth, and open the doorway in your path.”

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on anytime soon? I feel like I’m being led astray here.” Kairi stated. She still felt a little disturbed at the display she just witnessed. Even though she was hesitant to continue forward, she found her feet guiding her towards the door. Inspecting the door for a moment, she reaches her hands out, and grasps the handles to pull on them. As the door opened, a bright shining light erupts past its frames, causing Kairi to squint just to look inside. The light from inside the door was quite the intriguing sight, and Kairi found herself walking into it.

Long moments passed as Kairi walks forward, no real destination in mind. She soon finds herself on another pillar as the bright light quickly vanished. She notices something quite different about this pillars image. The color scheme had changed again; a white border surrounding the images which are colored three different shades of purple, with a touch pink here and there. However, instead of herself and her friends being portrayed, she sees instead Celestia and Luna in the center, and new faces glaring pretty evilly at the sisters. One of the faces disturbed her as its horns were mismatched, with tan fur on his face, white eyebrows lining eyes with yellow sclera and red irises, and one large tooth poking way too far from his lip. Another of the faces seemed fairly bug-like as it glared at Celestia, her green eyes sending a chill down Kairi’s spine. The horn on her head was fairly long, as well as looking jagged twisted too. The other face Kairi saw looked to be a unicorn pony. His fur looks fairly gray, and his mane is a deep black. His horn seemed to curve slightly upwards, turning red towards the tip, and the crown on his head completed his evil appearance.

Just like before, translucent images of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna appeared in front of her. This Luna looks older in appearance, standing almost as tall as Celestia, and her colors seemed much darker than the first time she saw her. Her mane and tail seemed to billow gently in some unknown breeze as well now, and looked like the night sky. “Like all inhabitants, many will appear very strong, and may give you a sense of safety. Some however will turn to darker intentions. You’ve seen the outcome when one is ruled by negative emotions.” A third image appears next to Luna, and one Kairi didn’t expect to see. Before her was Nightmare Moon in all her past glory, wearing a frown on her features. Before she knew it, the images and Celestia and Nightmare Moon faded away, leaving only Luna. But why was she the only image left? Doing a double take on Luna, Kairi realized she looked a little more solid now. Was this one actually going to turn into another Heartless?

“Hark thee, Miss Kairi. How doth this night find thee?” Luna greeted. Kairi had to blink for a second, and closed her eyes to rub them. Opening them again, she realized this was the real Luna.

“Princess Luna? How did you get here?” she asked, quite obviously confused about what was going on.

“Thee is in a dreamlike state, tis more lucidly. We dost guard the dream world in by gone times, and We shalst continue to do so.” Luna responded.

Kairi had to scratch her head a little, not really sure she caught what Luna had said. The princess notices this easily, and blushes a little. “Ahem, sorry, We are still adjusting to this modern time speaking. It has been quite a chore to learn.”

“It’s okay, I’m just not used to that sort speech. I get that I’m sort of asleep, though a bit more lucidly. I think if I understood correctly, you said you guard the dreams of others as they sleep?” Kairi asked.

“Verily,” Luna responded quickly. She quickly corrected herself as she said. “Truly, that is what We do. However, there are so many peaceful dreams tonight, We felt a little break was okay.”

“That’s good to hear. I have been curious where I am though. Do you know what this place is?”

Luna took stock of her surroundings, and finally the flooring on which she stood. A hint of unhappy recognition flashed across her face when she looked at two of the portrayed evils glaring at herself and Celestia, though it left her as quickly as it came. “A look around, We would assume you have performed a Dive to the Heart.”

“Dive to the Heart? I think Master Yen Sid said something about that once, but I can’t recall what it was.”

“Allow us to refresh thine memory then. It is world a within a dream, and the dreamer’s heart is reflected in the stained glass we stand upon. However, what happens here will have a real effect on thee in the waking world. And sometimes, the stained glass may even give foreboding meanings to thee. I see two recognizable faces here, though the third is a mystery to us. The structure we stand upon is also a representation of your heart.”

“So you recognize them? But I don’t know who they are. Why are there faces of others I don’t know, but you know be here?”

“Like I said, a Dive to the Heart can sometimes give a foreboding meaning. You might encounter them in the future, you might not. Only time can tell you for certain.”

“Then, it’s probably a good idea that I know who they are.”

“Normally we would agree, but it feels like we would be forcefully shoved from your dream if we were to do so. After all, this is your dive, We should not be playing an active part in it at all.”

“Then, why are you here?”

“Simply, We wished to let you know We are cheering you on from outside. You seemed quite troubled, so we believed you needed a little help to continue.”

“Then, that wasn’t your voice I’ve been hearing this entire time.”

“No, it wasn’t, but We have a fairly good idea whose it was. They are watching us even now, waiting for you to continue.”

“But, there’s no-“ Before Kairi could finish her sentence, a new narrow path of stained glass began shining into existence behind Luna, and is leading further up in this world she found herself in.

“Have no fear, Kairi, We are certain you will do well. No matter what you may face, be confident in your ability.”

As Kairi moved past Luna, and looked up at the winding path, a nagging question came to her finally. She back at Luna, and asked, “How did you know it was me? I’m not a pony right now.”

A few seconds passed, before a soft smile spread on the princess’s lips. “You look remarkably like your pony form. It was easy to tell who you are.” This answer caused Kairi to smile, and she watched as Luna fade away, possibly to continue viewing her dream. Knowing she had Luna’s support, she moved forward on the path set for her. As the pillar behind her vanished from sight, a new one appeared as she came closer. As soon as she stepped off the path, it too vanishes, but in a brilliant shine of light.

This new pillar was just as different as the one before it, but it seemed to come with a darker theme. Several cloaked ponies, at least nine in total from her count, surrounded what looked like a keyhole, and six ponies she recognized as her friends. The cloaks the ponies wore resembled that of Organization XIII’s, and Kairi felt a deep foreboding as she too felt what this meant to her. From what she saw on the stained glass, it looked like her friends were bound by a spell, and looked like they were asleep. “Well…this can’t mean anything good…” she spoke to herself. She wondered briefly what this meant, but the disembodied voice returned.

“Light can be very strong, but as it grows brighter, so does the shadow become deeper.” Kairi blinked, before turning to look at her shadow as it followed her movement perfectly. But then it lifted itself up from the floor, and slowly stood upright. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing; her own shadow had seemingly given itself a body, and stood at exactly at her height. She backed away from it when it seemed to form a weapon in its hand, resembling her Destiny’s Embrace Keyblade. Sensing a fight, she called forth her own Keyblade, and readied herself to counter her shadows movements. “But don’t be afraid…”

The shadow made the first move, and lunged towards Kairi wickedly fast. She barely parried the attack away from her before striking at her own shadow. The yellow glow of its eyes was unnerving as the fight continued. Both Kairi’s struck at each other, only to be parried or blocked by the other, sometimes even dodging to avoid being hit. The two seemed evenly matched against each other, neither giving the other an inch. After one clash, both jumped back a distance away from each other, eyeing the other to determine a better plan of attack.

‘This has been an odd experience from the start. So, how do I beat this shadow? It’s obvious this thing is more than just a normal Heartless. It reacts almost perfectly to my own movements.’ Kairi thought to herself, still catching her breath. She didn’t know what exactly was going on, but it felt like this whole thing had been a test for her right from the start. If that was the case though, what was she being tested on? It made no sense to her why she needed to do any of this. And then she remembered some of the disembodied voice’s words.

“You have learned much knowledge in defending yourself, but there is still more to learn that can’t be taught. Finding your own way will be the challenge that lies before you.”

She realized now that this was indeed a test for her, and she realized something she didn’t expect to find in herself.

She had felt doubt. Doubt that she could handle things on her own without her friends, Sora and Riku. Doubt that she was strong enough to do anything helpful for her newest friends. She smiles; it seemed so silly, holding such doubt when she had done so much already. She lowered her stance, feeling a little happy that she could hold doubt.

Seeing this, her shadow moves in to strike, raising its shadow blade up to strike down Kairi. However, in one swift movement, Kairi strikes at the blade hard, and knocks the weapon from its grasp. It lands several feet away, and explodes into a shadowy burst. With a quick glance at its destroyed weapon, the Shadow Kairi returns its attention back to Kairi, but she’s not even attempting to strike it down.

“I get it now. I won’t let my doubt hold me back,” she said softly, her Keyblade vanishing from sight. The moment is silent for a while, before the shadow melds back into floor, becoming Kairi’s shadow once more. Looking up, Kairi finds herself with a few thoughts, but she at least she knew one thing for sure. Whatever was coming her way, she was not going to back down from the fight.

“Don’t be afraid.” She heard this, listening closely to the voice. “For you have the key to shape your path. Walk with confidence into your future.” Kairi closed her eyes as the area slowly became brighter.

Kairi yawned as she woke from her slumber, the sensation of her pony body returning to her. She felt ironically well rested after the dream she had, and began stretching her limbs a little to help wake her up. As she woke, she noticed a small shift of the bed she rested on, and when she opened her eyes, she saw the sweet innocent smile of Sweetie Belle staring back at her.

Kairi would have been shocked and surprised out of bed by this if this had been the first time the little filly had done this. This had been the fifth time now the young unicorn had waited for Kairi to wake up. “Good morning Kairi, did you sleep well?” she asked.

With a gentle smile, Kairi raised her head up as she replied, “Yes Sweetie Belle, I did. You know you don’t have to wait for me to wake up. You can always shake me if I’m sleeping in too much.”

“But I don’t want to be rude, and you don’t sleep in all that much in the first place.”

“Heh, alright fair enough. Give me a second to wake up a little more,” Kairi replied, a gentle smile spreading across her lips.

“Okay, I’ll go tell Rarity you’re up. Breakfast should be almost ready by now,” Sweetie Belle said. She hopped off the bed, and exited the room to let Kairi wake up.

“She’s an adorable little kid, for sure. She probably wants to hear more about where I come from,” she said to herself. Slowly, she rose up from under her sheets, and gently down off the bed as well. The dream she had was still fresh in her mind, almost as if it was a real experience. Making her way out of the room, Kairi walked down the steps towards the first floor, and then made her way to the kitchen, another yawn escaping her as she entered.

“Oh my, sounds like somepony’s still trying to wake up,” she heard. Looking to her left, she saw Rarity almost finished putting breakfast on to three separate plates.

“Yeah, a little bit. I feel plenty rested though. A few more minutes, and I should be active,” she says as she takes her seat at the table. The aroma of food in the air certainly helped to keep her from slumping down on the table. Usually Kairi felt far more awake by now, her thoughts drifting back to her dream.

As Rarity placed Kairi’s plate of eggs and toast in front of her, she too took notice of Kairi’s tired look. “My my, you look like you didn’t get enough sleep last night, despite you feeling rested.”

“I feel like I ran a marathon in my dream last night. Doesn’t help that I fell asleep pretty late as well,” Kairi said as she picked up her fork with her hoof. She was still getting used to using utensils with her hooves, but the past couple of days had been good practice.

“Oh, that’s right. You start your job today, don’t you?” Rarity asked as placed Sweetie Belle’s plate of pancakes in front of her.

“Yeah, I felt so anxious last night that I could barely sleep. And when I did fall asleep, the dream I had was a little scary.” Kairi paused for a second to eat a bite of her eggs before continuing. “It was weird; I was in some sort of dark world on these massive pillars with stained glass jutting up from a dark abyss, and I was fighting a lot of Heartless there. I think I even fought with a shadow version of myself. Princess Luna even showed up there.”

“Sounds like you had a trying experience in your sleep; like you were fighting whatever darkness you might have,” Rarity said. She gave Kairi’s dream a little more thought before joining them at the table.

“You think Kairi might have darkness in her?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Sweetie, everypony has darkness inside of them. I highly doubt Kairi is exempt from this fact.”

Kairi had been about to say something at first about not having darkness in her heart, but then she thought on the subject a little more as Sweetie Belle asked another question. “So, are you saying even I have darkness in me? But I’ve never thought of anything bad.”

“Even if you haven’t, that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. But where there is darkness, light is also there as well. You simply can’t have one without the other.”

“Oh, well that makes me feel better. So what happens if someone is completely filled with light or darkness?” Rarity paused before she answered, and gave the question Sweetie asked some deeper thought. Kairi wasn’t quite sure how to answer it either. What would happen if the heart was completely encased in light or darkness?

Rarity could tell Kairi didn’t have an answer either, and said, “I’m not quite sure what would happen. It certainly isn’t something I would want to try though. For all we know, removing either from your heart could probably have some terrible effect on your body. Now, enough talk about darkness. You both need to eat, especially you Kairi. I dare say, you might need the energy for today.”

“Right, I’ve got a job to get to. But, how do know so much about darkness already?” Kairi asked, now a little curious about the knowledge Rarity knew.

“It’s pretty much basic education ever since Equestria was founded. I think the reason is because how magic can be miss-used, but I believe Twilight would be able to answer your question more thoroughly. I only learned some basic stuff about darkness and light because I don’t have the talent for higher end spells. Twilight, being an advanced magic user, might know a little more since learning more spells comes with new territory. Princess Celestia might have even lectured her on the subject.”

“I see, that makes some sense actually. I guess I can ask Twilight about this sometime later,” Kairi said as she began eating again. The topic was definitely provoking her to think a little deeper on the subject. She remembered what she had been told about how Namine was born as her Nobody. This begged her to ask a question about herself: Did her heart contain no darkness because she is a princess of heart, or is there a chance she really did have a little darkness as well? Perhaps the other princesses of heart also have some darkness as well, but were it because there was just so little of it in them that they could be considered to have hearts filled with light? Was that the reason they were used to open the keyhole in Hollow Bastion, now known as Radiant Garden, because they had mostly pure hearts?

As she dwelled on her thoughts, Rarity saw a shift in Kairi’s expression, and decided to snap her out of it. “Kairi, are you alright?” Kairi looked up instantly, and blinked in confusion. “You were so deep in thought that it seemed to have been bothering you.”

“O-oh, I’m fine. Just…some serious things I was thinking about,” she explained, hoping to avoid talking about it. Though, maybe she should talk about it anyway. She never told her friends more about herself yet.

“Well, if you want, I wouldn’t mind listening to what’s on your mind.”

“Yeah, whatever it is, we can probably help,” Sweetie Belle piped up.

Smiling at them both, she laughed happily because of how sincere they were being. She then looked at the clock, and noticed how late it had gotten. “Maybe tonight, I’m going to be late at this rate,” she said, before wolfing down the rest of her breakfast. As soon as her plate was clean of food, Kairi took her plate to the sink to wash them.

“Oh, don’t worry about washing them, Kairi. I’ll get to them when Sweetie and I are done,” Rarity said. Kairi nodded in her thanks, and went to lobby to get strap on her saddlebags. “Have a good day, Kairi,” she heard Sweetie Belle call out from the kitchen.

“Thanks, see you girls this evening,” she says back, before leaving the Rarity’s boutique, and made her way towards Time Turner’s shop. Hopefully the stallion had dropped his prices over the weekend.

Late in the afternoon

It was through true restraint that Kairi didn’t just slam the door open and closed when she got back, her face scrunched in pure anger. With a short growl, she made her way to the couch, and slumped hard onto the cushions. Hearing the commotion, and witnessing Kairi’s seething anger, Rarity peeked in on the human turned pony. “Oh my, I’m guessing the first day was pretty bad.”

“More than just bad, that pony is absolutely frustrating! It was a chore just getting him to back down from keeping the prices low! Every time I turned my back after put a new price tag up on something, he goes and replaces it with the old one! Not to mention changing all the inventory around on a whim! Said something about making sure dust didn’t pile too much! Well it wouldn’t pile up so much if you actually SOLD SOMETHING FOR ONCE!” Kairi screamed the last words towards the front of building, almost like she was trying to make him hear her. After ranting, she slumped back down on the couch, feeling a little better letting her anger out. “…Sorry about that.”

“No no, it’s quite alright dear. I think I’d have had a meltdown long before now from what you said. It really doesn’t sound like a pleasant way to spend a day.” Rarity could sympathize with Kairi, some of her clients really did get on her nerves sometimes. She carefully stroked a hoof down Kairi’s head, hoping to ease some of her anger a little. To Kairi, it actually felt kind of good, though the hard hoof kept her from enjoying the feeling too much. Randomly, she thought about Sora doing the same with his hand, before blushing as she shook the thought away.

“As much as it’s going to be a chore to do, I’ve got to make sure he doesn’t switch the price tags on me, and make sure he doesn’t switch everything around on me again.” Kairi said, sighing heavily.

“Why not go find another job? Surely there must be something else. It’s obvious you don’t like working there.” Rarity wondered why Kairi would even consider continuing working at Time Turner’s shop.

“Guess I’m just stubborn that way. In any case, I’ll make sure he doesn’t try to weasel out of this. I’m going to make sure that shop actually sells something, even if it costs me my sanity.” Rarity giggled as Kairi raised her hoof up into the air dramatically.

“Well, I guess I should make something for us to eat then. I’m sure after such a trying day, you’d like something pleasant filling your belly.” With a nod from Kairi, the alabaster unicorn made her way to the kitchen to start dinner.

Noon of Tuesday

Kairi rubbed the temples of her head as she felt a headache approaching. Time Turner was up to his tricks again, having taken all the clocks in the store into the back to tune them, and only after she had managed to put the lower price tags down. She already expected him to put his original price tags back on them again. “He’s going to ruin my health if this keeps up….” she said to herself.

She had opted to stay behind the counter while he had been collecting a number of clocks from the shelves, not so much to stay out of his way as it was to keep herself from arguing with him again. Now that he was in the room leading to the back of the store, she wandered about the store with more labeled price tags in her mouth just in case she needed to re-reprice the hoof made toys. Thankfully, it seemed he finally left things alone, not a one seemed to have been messed with. She sighed silently, heading back to the counter once again. “Finally, may be now I can draw some customers in.”

The ringing of the store bell caught her attention a moment later, and she turned to face the customers who had come in, to find it was Snip and Snails. “Hey guys, you two been keeping out of trouble?” she asked.

“Yeah, we’ve been on our best behavior,” Snails said happily.

“We came by because we heard you started working here,” Snips piped up, looking around the store for a moment.

“Good to hear you’ve been behaving. So, how can I help you today?”

“Well, we wanted to see if maybe you could cut the prices down on some of the things in here for us. A few of the wooden toys in here look cool, but it’s way too expensive for us to afford,” Snips said.

“Yeah, it’s like Mr. Turner doesn’t want to sell his stuff,” Snails added.

“Don’t worry guys. I’ll be making sure the prices are kept low for Ponyville. Go ahead, and look around for anything you might like,” she responded with a smile. Almost as fast as they could move, the pair of colts dashed around the store to browse through what was still up on the shelves. Kairi watched them go, giggling a little at their enthusiasm. Maybe she could drum up some business by word of mouth through them if they bought something. At least that headache she felt was no longer threatening to spoil her day.

A few minutes had barely passed by before the two colts with a toy they wanted. It looked like a rocket ship up close, smiling as she hoofed the amount of bits needed on the register. “That will be five bits please,” she said happily. When the two colts gave her the money, she placed the bits in the drawer, and pushed the register drawer closed. “Alright, all paid in full. You two have fun.”

“Thanks Kairi,” Snails replied as he took the toy shakily in his magic.

“Yeah, see ya later!” Snips exclaimed, and both colts left the shop without incident. Kairi watched them as they left, before pumping her foreleg.

‘Yes! First sale! Now when Mr. Turner brings those clocks back out, I’ll make sure to put the appropriate price tags on them. It’ll probably be the fifth time I done it, but it will be worth it if I can keep selling stock,’ she thought to herself. She was glad she had sold something, and hopefully the two colts would spread word about her working in Time Turner’s shop. If they did that, a few more ponies might actually show up as well.

She then heard the door to the back room open, watching as Time Turner wheeled out the clocks he had taken back out in to the store proper in a wagon. He gave Kairi a glance, and noticed the smile she had before she frowned at him. “Somepony seems rather chipper. Anything happen while I was in the back?” he asked her while he put the clocks on the shelves.

Deciding to follow him this time with the pre-written tag she had made, she walked behind him, insistently handing him one of the tags. Begrudgingly, he took them as she handed them to him, sighing in defeat. “Yes, I managed to sell one of the toys. I finally made my first sale here,” she said, her smile returning.

“Oh, good job then. I guess congratulations are in order,” Turner said, placing another clock on the shelf. “I don’t suppose you want to continue to stay here-“

With a knowing smirk, Kairi interrupted him, “Nope, sorry Doctor. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me until closing time.” She heard him mutter something, deciding to ignore it for now. It was starting to aggravate her that he didn’t seem to want to sell any of his creations, despite having set up a store to do just that. “Okay, I don’t really understand why you keep changing to price tags, especially when you agreed you would let me price them to the best of knowledge. I studied Equestria’s monetary system all weekend just so I could be prepared for the job. Don’t you trust me to handle the bit pricing?” she asked.

For a long moment it looked like Turner was getting angry, but his anger deflated long before he gave it voice. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Kairi. I guess when I opened this shop I never really took in to account just how I would feel if I ever sold anything. You understand, right? I don’t have to get into the touchy feely stuff?”

Kairi blinked, having expected to start arguing with Time Turner again. She cleared her throat, before looking at him as she said, “Yeah, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Sorry for being so hard to work with. I just really want to make this work.”

“I can hardly blame you for being so eager. I should be apologizing for going back on my word,” he said. He placed another clock on the shelf just as another pony entered the shop. Kairi looked back towards the door, then back at him. With a sigh, he held out his hoof. “You get to the register, I think I can figure out which tag goes with which clock.”

Kairi nodded as she hoofed over the tags, before moving back behind the counter. The pony she saw that entered was one she hadn’t formally met yet. Her mint colored coat went well with her brilliant cyan mane and tail with a white streak, and her sunny yellow eyes looked around the shop to find anything interesting. Kairi saw her cutie mark is a lyre, soon beaming a smile at the pony.

“Hi, and welcome to Time Turner’s Clockworks! I’m Kairi, how can I help you today?” she said to welcome the pony.

The pony smiles back, and said, “I’m Lyra Heartstrings. I just moved to Ponyville, and I was wondering if you had an alarm clock I could buy. My last one got busted on the move here to Ponyville”

“Hmm, I know we have clocks here, but I’m not sure about alarm clocks. Mr. Turner is putting clocks back on the shelves right now. I’m sure he can help you find what you’re looking for,” Kairi replied.

Looking around, Lyra found the stallion in question, and said, “Cool, thanks for the help.” She then walks down the aisle towards Turner, and asked him her question. After a moment of Turner looking through the clocks he had in his wagon, he picked up one of the clock, and showed her how the alarm is set. Before Lyra could take the clock in her magic, which glows with a golden aura, Turner had placed one of the tags Kairi gave him on the clock. Lyra then brought it up to the counter, and placed it down on the surface gently. “You guys going through an inventory check or something?”

“I guess you could say that,” Kairi said as she checked the tag. She mentally sighed in relief when she saw the tag really was one of hers. She quickly hooved the amount on the register, and said, “That’ll be twenty-five bits, please. Mr. Turner had actually taken the clocks in the back to make sure they were all in working order. He finished only a few minutes ago.”

With her magic, Lyra levitated a sack of coins, and moved each bit onto the counter one at a time to count them out. “Sounds like I arrived in time then. There we go, twenty-five bits,” the mint unicorn said with a smile. Kairi had counted with her in her head, popping the register open to hoof the gold coins in before shutting it.

“Alright, all paid. Thank you for your purchase. Please come again if you need another clock!” she said happily to her second customer of the day.

“Thanks, I think I’ll tell my friend about this place. I’m sure she’d like a clock of her own,” Lyra replied as she smiles back. She then took the clock in her magic again, and made her way to the door.

“Have a good day!” Kairi said just before the shut behind Lyra. She then looked over to Turner, who nodded to her with his own smile. She then walks up to him as he places another clock in one of the aisle shelves. “She was the second pony to buy something today. If this keeps up, we should probably expect more of Ponyville coming to buy something. Think you can keep up if demand starts rising?”

“I’m sure I can, it is my special talent after all. Now, since you have some free time, mind helping me put these clocks back where they need to be?” he asked.

“Sure, I don’t mind,” she said, and began helping him out. It was only a half an hour later she realized something as she placed the last clock on a shelf. “Ah jeeze, I shouldn’t have got mad yesterday or today.”

“Why is that, if I might ask?”

“I thought the reason why you kept putting the prices back to their absurd amount was because you really didn’t want to sell anything. Now I realize you were inspecting everything yesterday, and the original price tags were just to keep anypony from buying anything. Were you up all night cleaning the toys off?”

Time Turner turned a sheepish smile to Kairi as he replied, “Well, yes I was. Wouldn’t do to sell dusty toys now would it? And yes, I was inspecting the clocks yesterday too. This was why I took them all into the back. I was making sure they worked properly before they could be sold.”

“And here I thought you were just making excuses. I really should have realized that sooner.”

“You couldn’t have known. I really didn’t make an effort to tell you what I was up to. I had spent my weekend looking at all the things I made with my hooves, and I was preparing myself to part with them. It’s why I everything was still covered in dust when you came in yesterday.” Turner scuffed hoof over the wooden floor, looking a little guilty for not explaining everything earlier.

Kairi shook her head, feeling bad about not realizing what he was doing sooner. “It looks like if we’re going to be working together, we should at least attempt to communicate better. I was getting mad for no reason.”

“I wouldn’t say that. I didn’t tell you what I was really doing. You have every right to be a little angry.”

“It still isn’t a good excuse.”

“A good point, I suppose. Well then, from now on I’ll let you know first hoof when I start doing something around the shop so we can avoid any future complications. That sound like a good idea?”

Kairi looks at him as he held his hoof up to her, then smiles. “Okay, and I’ll come to you if I need to ask you any questions. And instead of the absurd price tags, how about you put up a little sign that says ‘Not for sale yet’ for anything in the future?” When he nodded, she placed her hoof against his, and they shook on the agreement.

The rest of the hours passed without any more customers, but Kairi felt much happier now then she had been earlier. While it was fairly boring waiting for anypony that might come in, she passed the time with the Daring Do book Twilight let her borrow. She had started reading the book last night, and had found it quite the captivating read. She was so engrossed in the book, she didn’t even realize it was time for Time Turner to close the shop for the day.

She said her farewell as stuffed the book into her saddlebags before she strapped them to her barrel, and soon made her way to Rarities boutique. Along the way, she saw several ponies about town breaking branches off of trees, and wondered what was going on. She soon saw Rainbow Dash flying above her, and called out, “Hey Rainbow! What’s going on?”

Hearing somepony calling for her, she saw Kairi below, and zipped down to her. “Hey Kairi, we’ve got almost all of Ponyville preparing for a big storm. See, we in the weather team missed a small rainfall the other day, so we’re making up for it with a storm,” the rainbow maned pegasus explained.

“Oh, that makes sense then. Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked, wanting to be of some help.

“Actually most of the work is already done. The storm will probably start pretty soon, so you might want to get to Rarities as quick as you can. I’d carry you there myself, but I’ve still got a few more clouds to move before I can head home myself.”

“Alright then, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow after I get off work. You, Applejack, and I should start training together so we can be prepared for anything else that might pop up on us. I’ve also got to teach Applejack how to use magic with her Keyblade.”

“Sounds like a plan! I’ll see ya tomorrow Kairi!” And with that, Rainbow Dash was off to continue her work. Watching her fly off, Kairi then made her way quickly to Rarities home. She didn’t want to be caught out in the middle of a storm. Luckily for her, it had only just begun to sprinkle as she stepped into the boutique.

“Rarity, are you home?” she called out as she made sure to wipe her hooves first outside before stepping inside the building. If she knew Rarity as well as she did, the white unicorn would not like it if she tracked dirt anywhere. Instead of her friend’s voice, she met with another’s.

“Rarity isn’t back yet, Kairi. She’s probably still helping out in town.” She recognized the voice as Sweetie Belle’s, and entering the living room, saw the little filly laying on the couch.

“I hope she gets here soon. The rain is starting to come down now,” Kairi said, looking at the window. She saw the wind was beginning to pick up now, and rain was coming down more. The crack of thunder didn’t help the matter. “She’s probably going to be upset she got wet.”

“She’ll be fine. A little water never hurt anypony,” Sweetie stated.

“A good point. How about I try make something to eat until she gets here?”

“Sure, can I help?”

“Sorry kiddo, but Rarity has told me what happens when you try to make anything edible. Let’s see what I can do before we just settle on eating an apple.”

Unfortunately for Kairi, she was probably just as bad as Sweetie Belle when she tried cooking. She wasn’t even sure how she burned toast, chalking it up to having hooves. Looking at the mess she had made, she decided it was probably better not to try any further, and retrieved a couple of apples from the fridge.

“Wow, I think you’re as bad as I am,” Sweetie said, adding salt in the wound.

“Yeah, I’d probably do better if I still had hands.” Kairi frowned at her attempts to cook, before looking out into her main area of the boutique. “She’s still not back yet. I hope Rarity found somewhere to stay for the night. It looks like this storm will last until morning.”

“I hope so too.”

Meanwhile at Golden Oaks Library.

“What in tarnation?!”

Applejack found herself trotting in Twilight’s home, only to find Rarity spreading a mud mask on Twilight’s face. Feeling a bit peeved at having wash her hooves, she said, “Now wait just a gol’darn minute. Ya make me wash the mud all over mah hooves, but it’s alright to have mud all over yer faces?”

Rarity dismissed Applejack’s attitude, and replied, “Silly, this is called a mud mask. It’s to refresh and rejuvenate your complexion.”

“We’re giving each other make overs! Eee!” Twilight exclaimed, having a hard time keeping her excitement contained. “We have to do it. It says so in the book.” The purple unicorn then levitated the slumber party book to Applejack for her to see.

“Slumber 101, everything ya-“ The farm pony stopped in the middle of the sentence, a shocked look on her face. “Oh hey, would ya look at the time. Ah gotta skedaddle on home. Ah’m powerful late for,uh... for something. Good night!” She didn’t make it very far to the door before a lightning strike sounded outside. She zipped back over to her friends, a sheepish smile on her face. “Or maybe I’ll set here for a spell.” She knew one thing for certain. She was going to have a hard time getting along with Rarity if she was going to be staying the night.

As the few hours passed, Kairi indulged Sweetie Belle with telling her more about where she came from, and the friends she met in her life. The little filly eagerly listened calmly to as much as Kairi told her. Soon though, it was time for the little filly to go to bed, but the lightning strike outside made Sweetie squeak in shock.

Kairi hid a giggle, and said, “Maybe you’d like to sleep with me in my bed tonight. The lightning and thunder might keep you up if you’re all alone.”

“Yes please,” Sweetie said, and followed Kairi to her bedroom. As they both settled down for the night, Sweetie looked over to Kairi and asked, “Do you miss your friends, Kairi?”

She responded with a sad smile, and replied, “Yeah, of course I miss them. But I’ve got good friends here, and a sweet filly like you to keep me company.” She said, nuzzling the fillies head.

“And you really believe they will come find you here?” she asked, giggling when she was nuzzled.

“You bet, I’d be scared for whatever got in there way. Now, it’s time to sleep. Good night Sweetie Belle,” she said softly, laying her head on the pillow.

“Good night Kairi. Sweet dreams.”

“Sweet dreams.” Kairi watched Sweetie close her eyes first, and slowly drifting off to sleep. She glanced out the window, thinking of her friends, and of good times as she herself fell into her own dreamland.

Episode 6: Sonic Rainboom

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The Sunday morning air felt great on Kairi’s coat as she trotted her way towards Twilight Sparkle’s home, which coincidentally is also the town library. Her saddlebags were filled with the books she had borrowed previously, and she was on her way to return them. She also wanted to check in on her friend, and see how she is doing. Trotting beside her is Rarity, who decided to take a break from making dresses for a day to catch up with her friends.

The rest of the week had gone by so fast with Time Turner’s store picking up some popularity, and getting a few more customers over the past few days. It seemed word had spread quickly around Ponyville of the new low prices, and though it hadn’t brought too many customers in, it was enough to make her feel like she accomplished a lot.

Kairi knocked on the door of the Golden Oaks Library, and is greeted with a “Come on in, the door is unlocked.” As Kairi and Rarity entered the tree library, they saw books scattered on the floor, and Twilight was looking over several books in her magical grip before she sorted them back on to the shelves. They also saw Applejack and Pinkie Pie helping Spike sort through the books too. “Whoa, it looks like a storm blew through here,” Kairi commented.

“My word, this is quite the mess you all have made,” Rarity said with a hoof to her chest.

“Rarity, Kairi, it’s great to see you two! Come on in, we’re just re-shelving all the books,” Spike said excitedly as he set down a book to greet them.

As Twilight sorted another pair of books, she looked over to the new arrivals with a smile as she said, “Yeah, I had a crazy study session this weekend, and I kind of lost track of the time.”

“Yep, Pinkie Pie and I decided tah come see Twi. Guess ya’ll reckoned doin’ the same, huh?” Applejack asks.

Rarity nodded, and said, “Yes, it has been a few days since the last time I was here, and I needed a small break from work anyway.”

“Since we’re here already, we should lend a hoof as well. Good thing I came by today. I wanted to return the books I borrowed too,” Kairi said as she moved to start help with the re-shelving of books.

“Oh, you’re already done with them?” Twilight asked as she shelved another book.

“Yeah, I’ve got a pretty firm grip on how the monetary system works here now, and I could barely put down the Daring Do book without wanting to read more. I had my nose buried in it any time I had a break at the store,” Kairi replied.

“Oh yeah, I heard you guys brought in a few customers over the week. Sounds like you really helped turn Time Turner’s store around,” Spike said with a grin.

“Well, I was just doing what I can to help. I am glad that I helped make a difference,” she muttered, and was blushing a little.

“There’s no need to be modest about it darling. It’s alright for you to feel proud about what you were able to do. I’ll admit, I was a tad worried you were going to be unhappy working for Mr. Turner last Monday,” Rarity chimed in as she used her own magic to levitate a book on to a shelf.

“Heh, I guess I did come home pretty angry, but it’s all in the past now. So how have you girls been doing lately?” Kairi asks, hoping to cast the figurative spotlight elsewhere.

“Same old thing fer me. There hasn’t been much change with me other than the sudden sleepover earlier last week,” answered Applejack. “Applebuck Season will be here in the next few weeks, so Big Mac and I have been getting ready for the harvest.”

“What’s Applebuck Season?”

“Ooh, ooh, ohh, it’s the time of the year Applejack’s family harvests all the apple trees in the orchard. Only her and Big Mac have been around to do it, but they’ve both managed to keep up no matter what!” Kairi blinked as she listened to Pinkie Pie explain excitedly what the season was.

“That sounds like a lot of work for just the two you. Would you mind accepting some help from us?” Twilight asked as she looked over the title of another book.

“No can do, Twi. It’s an Apple family tradition, and it wouldn’t feel right if Ah just asked ya’ll tah help me, ‘specially when you girls have your own busy schedules tah worry about,” Applejack replied.

Heh, didn’t she tell Twilight and me that we were practically part of the family when we first met?’ Kairi thought with a smirk.

“Well alright, but if you feel you want the extra help, just come by to ask me,” Twilight stated, purposely leaving the offer in the air. Applejack rolled her eyes as Twilight put the last book on the shelf, the library floor once again visible. “And that’s the last one. Thanks for all the help girls. I really appreciate-“ She was then interrupted as they heard a tomboyish yelling approaching the library.

The next moment, Kairi was on her back as somepony crashed into the library, and was buried under a pile of books. Picking herself up, she poked her head up from under the pile. “R-Roll call…” she simply said, a little dizzy from the impact. She heard several groans from the others before she managed to get to her hooves. Twilight soon spoke up for Spike, saying he just passed out from the shock of the moment as she set him in a more comfortable position. The newest addition to the library, Rainbow Dash, grunted as she slid off Kairi, and onto the floor, which was completely covered in books again.

She then heard a soft flapping of wings, before Fluttershy said softly from the window, “Rainbow Dash, you rock! Woohoo!” She then looked shocked at the state of the library. “Did my cheering do that?”

Kairi could only giggle in response as Twilight replied, “No, it was Rainbow Dash crashing inside the library.” She then mumbled something under her breath, likely the fact that the books needed to be re-shelved. Again.

“Heheh, sorry about that ladies…” Rainbow offered in an apologetic tone. Her gaze then turned to book covered floor, and said aloud, “That was a truly feeble performance.”

“Actually, it wasn’t all bad. I particularly liked it when you made the clouds spin,” Fluttershy said, making a circular movement with her hoof.

“I’m not talking about my performance. I was talking about yours. That feeble cheering,” Rainbow Dash argued back.

“What are you guys arguing about?” Kairi asked.

“Were we arguing, I’m sorry,” Fluttershy said.

“Uh, I wish you guys could come to Cloudsdale to see me compete in the Best Young Flier's competition today,” Rainbow said to them all.

Before any of them could ask what the competition was, Pinkie Pie once again spoke up to explain. “It’s where all the greatest pegasus fliers get together to show their different flying styles. Some are fast!” She then began zipping around the library making motor sounds with her mouth. How she knew what a motor sounded like, Kairi could not explain at all. “Some are graceful.” As she said this she stood on her hind legs, and tried to look graceful herself, only to start wobbling before falling into the piles of books.

“Wow, sounds like a pretty cool competition. Wish I could come to watch you compete, and show your stuff,” Kairi said.

“Yeah, I wish you guys could be there. Fluttershy’s a good support, but her cheering isn’t exactly inspirational,” Rainbow replied back. Kairi could understand why Rainbow would think that as Fluttershy was usually really quiet. If her entrance to the library was anything to go by, she could see why Rainbow felt as such.

Pinkie popped out from under the books, and excitedly spoke, “Ooh, I’d love to see you make a Sonic Rainboom! It’s like the most coolest thing ever, even though I haven’t actually seen it, but come on it’s a Sonic Rainboom! How not cool could be possibly not be!?”

“What’s a Sonic Rainboom?” Kairi asked, thinking the term sounded kind of silly.

“The Sonic Rainboom is legendary!” Pinkies said as she bounced up and down. “When a pegasus like Rainbow Dash gets going so fast-“ With one particularly high jump, Pinkie fell and dove under the books, before popping back up again. “Boom! A sonic boom and rainbow happens all at once!”

“And Rainbow Dash here’s the only only pony to pull it off,” Applejack added.

“It was a long time ago, I was just a filly,” Rainbow said, sounding a little nervous.

“Wow, that actually sounds really awesome. And you’re going to do that in competition?” Kairi asked as she looked to Rainbow. The pegasus looked at Kairi when she asked her question, looking unsure of how to answer. That is until her pride spoke for her.

“Are you kidding me? I’m the greatest flier ever to come out of Cloudsdale. I can do Sonic Rainbooms in my sleep!” the pegasus said with confidence. However, her earlier uncertainty left Kairi a little bit skeptical. She shrugged it off though, believing that Rainbow was just nervous about performing in front of a bunch of ponies.

“Wow, if you pull that off, you’ll win the crown for sure,” Twilight commented.

Rainbow then looked over to Twilight, and excitedly said, “The grand prize is spending a whole day with the Wonderbolts! A whole day of flying with my lifelong heroes. It’ll be a dream come true!” The look on Rainbow Dashes face was something to behold as the starry eyed look she had made her seem adorable.

“Yay!” Fluttershy exclaimed in her soft voice.

Rainbow glanced over at Fluttershy, not very impressed with her cheering. She then turned back to everypony, and said, “I’m gonna go rest up for the competition. I don’t wanna over prepare myself you know, hehe.” She then rounded on Fluttershy with a serious expression. “You on the other hand better keep practicing. I need a cheering section to match my spectacular performance.” With that, Rainbow made her way to the balcony on the second floor, and took off towards her home to rest.

Fluttershy watched as Rainbow disappeared up the stairs, before turning to her friends. “She’s practiced that move a hundred times, and she hasn’t even come close to doing it. I don’t know if my I can cheer loud enough to help her,” she said, before following after her fillyhood friend.

Twilight then turned to look at the mess that Rainbow had caused, and sighed in defeat. Before she could say anything though, Kairi asked, “Isn’t there a spell that could help us get up to Cloudsdale?”

Twilight just blinked her eyes, not even sure why Kairi was asking in the first place. “I don’t know, I guess so? It would take me forever to find the book in this mess. Besides, why are asking?”

Rarity had picked up on where Kairi was going with this easily, and said, “Isn’t it obvious? She may not have looked it, but Rainbow Dash is definitely nervous about the competition.”

“Are ya sure we heard the same mare, Rarity? That pegasus was tootin’ her own horn louder than the brass section of a marchin’ band,” Applejack said, making Kairi giggle with her country-isms.

“Puh-lease, I have put on enough fashion shows to recognize stage fright when I see it. We have got to find a way get into Cloudsdale, and a flight spell is the only solution.”

“A flight spell? One second!” Pinkie Pie said, diving back into the books. She popped out again with one book in her mouth, and tossed it in Twilight’s direction. “Page twenty-seven.” Twilight immediately flipped the pages to the one Pinkie Pie said once she caught it in her magic.

“How’d you do that?” Kairi asked, baffled the overly pink mare had found it so easily.

“It fell on my face when Rainbow crashed,” the energetic party pony simply stated. Kairi really couldn’t believe the amount of dumb luck that followed this mare around.

“Here we go, a spell that will allow earth and unicorn ponies to fly for three days. Oh, it looks really difficult. I’m not sure I can do it,” Twilight said, looking uncertain.

“You’ve got to try, Twilight, for Rainbow’s sake,” Rarity said, turning up the drama a bit too much for Kairi’s tastes.

“Well okay, but I’m gonna need somepony to test this on,” Twilight said, looking at her friends. She was sure none of them would willingly volunteer when she wasn’t sure she could perform the spell herself.

Kairi looked around at her friends, not sure if she even wanted to have magic tested on her. Instead, she quickly said, “Notgoingtovolunteer! Onetwothree, not it!”

“Not it!” Pinkie followed up.

“Not it!” Applejack said quickly once she caught on.

“Not- oh pony feathers…” Rarity said in defeat. Brushing her hair aside, Rarity stepped in front of Twilight. “Well, I was going to volunteer anyway. Let’s get this over with.”

“Okay, well here goes,” the purple unicorn said uncertainly. Giving the formulae for the magical matrices another glance, Twilight started to gather magic in her horn, and making it glow purple. She strained loudly to build up her magic, and soon Rarity was surrounded by a thick blue mist as it lifted her into the air while wrapping around her like a cocoon. At the tip of Twilight’s horn, a blue ball of magic formed as she strained to focus on the spell she was casting. The ball then left her horn to float a couple of inches away in front of her, before it burst fantastically, sending Twilight backwards. Kairi was quick to catch her so she didn’t get hurt.

The blast of magic blinded everypony for a moment, and the shriek Twilight made, followed by sound of bursting magic was finally enough to wake Spike from his impromptu slumber. Shaking his head, he looked around, and saw the many books on the floor. “I’m gonna have to clean all of this, aren’t I?” However, as soon as he said that, his attention was drawn to Rarity as she floated above the floor, and he gasped in surprise of what he saw.

Kairi and the rest of the mares saw this too, though Twilight was exhausted from the effort she put into the spell. “I think it worked,” she said with a small smile.

Rarity looked at her new butterfly wings, and smiled as she took in their beauty. The translucent colors sparkled in the small amount of light that filtered in through the window. “Oh my, they are just simply divine!” she exclaimed, flapping her new wings gently.

“They really do look nice, Rarity,” Spike said, though confused about the why she had wings in the first place. “Somepony want to explain to me why Twilight gave Rarity wings?”

“Rainbow Dash is competing in a competition in Cloudsdale, and we’re going to go cheer for her,” Pinkie quickly explained.

“Oh, well that makes sense then,” he said as he looked over to Twilight. “Um, I don’t think Twilight will able to do that four more times.”

“What, you don’t want to come with us Spike?” Kairi asked.

“No, as much fun as it sounds, I think I’ll keep my feet firmly on the ground,” he replied, “Besides, someone has to clean this place up.”

“Actually, ah think Twilight needs a little more time tah rest herself. That spell looked like it took a little more out of ya, sugarcube,” Applejack said stepped up next to the wobbly unicorn.

“Yeah, that might be best. If you girls don’t mind, can you help Spike clean up the mess Rainbow made?” Twilight asked while remaining seated after exhausting herself.

“Of course, darling, we’ll get this place cleaned up in a hurry,” Rarity said as she hovered in the air. “Perhaps while we clean, one of us can find an easier spell for you to use that will get the rest of us into Cloudsdale.”

As everypony got to work cleaning the mess of books up, Kairi skimmed the books she picked up in order to find such a spell. However, her thoughts interrupted shortly as Pinkie had already found a book with another spell that looked useful. When questioned how she was so lucky, she replied, “I don’t know, it just happens. Then again, the writer is obviously using me as a plot device to push the story forward.” It took only a short moment for everypony and baby dragon to exchange looks.

“What?” they all asked simultaneously.

Early Afternoon

Rainbow Dash sulked as she walked along the cloudy streets of Cloudsdale with her friend Fluttershy, feeling quite nervous about the upcoming competition. She’d never admit it to anypony, but she was rather worried she’d make a foal of herself if she didn’t pull off the Sonic Rainboom. “Oh I’ll never be able to pull it off at this rate. Maybe it was just a one-time thing…”

“This is unlike you Rainbow Dash, I’ve never seen you this nervous about anything. You’re usually far louder than any pony, and just brimming with confidence in yourself,” Fluttershy said as she looked at her friend with a worried expression.

“I guess I really haven’t been myself, Flutters. This competition is so important to me because it will really boost my reputation. I mean, what if I do fail?! The Wonderbolts will never let loser like me join! Princess Celestia might banish me to the Everfree Forest! My life is ruined!” Rainbow nearly scream, the thought of failing in front of hundreds of ponies getting the better of her. Fluttershy wasn’t sure of what to say exactly, but then her attention was grabbed as she saw somepony hovering behind Rainbow.

“Rare…” she said, having a hard time believing what she was seeing.

“Rare? The Sonic Rainboom is way more than rare. I only got lucky that I managed to do it when I was a filly!” Rainbow said, her temper starting to return a little.

“Rarity?” the meek pegasus questioned, and pointed behind Rainbow Dash. Following the hoof, she looked behind her, and saw Rarity with her butterfly wings. The unicorn was hovering just about a meter above the clouds. Gently she flew over to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, setting down next to them.

“Do you like them? Twilight made them, and I simply adore them~,” Rarity said as she looked at their shocked faces. “Why so shocked? We couldn’t just leave our best flier without a big cheering section.”

“We?” Rainbow questioned. As if to answer her question, a pink air balloon broke through the clouds, and in the basket were the rest of her friends.

“Hi Rainbow, glad we could make it before the competition started,” Kairi said as the balloon set down. Without even waiting, she made to jump out of the balloon with confidence.

Seeing this, Rainbow reacted by shouting, “WAIT!” But it seemed she had nothing to fear as Kairi impacted softly on the cloud, and tilted her head at Rainbow’s shocked expression. “W-bu-wha-huh? How are you doing that?!” she exclaimed.

“What, you didn’t think we’d come up here just to be cooped up inside the balloon basket, did you?” Kairi answered with a smile as Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack hopped out as well, and stood firmly on the cloud fluff as well.

“But I thought only pegasus ponies could walk on clouds,” Fluttershy said, seeming just as shocked, but not beyond being speechless.

“Well when you girls left, Pinkie found a book with a spell to make temporary wings. But it was too difficult for me to do more than once. We then found another spell in a different book that let us walk on clouds,” Twilight explained as Pinkie cartwheeled past the two pegasi.

“That is so cool!” Rainbow exclaimed, “Now you girls can see me compete. Heh, to be honest, I was getting the teeniest bit nervous. But now I feel a lot better now that you all are here.”

Having taken a second to really get a feel of the fluffy surface she was on, Kairi sprawled out on her belly. She felt some moisture, but overall the surface of the clouds was the softest thing she’d ever felt. “Definitely wish I was a pegasus right now. I would love to have a bed made of clouds,” she said, earning giggles from her friends.

After Rainbow’s giggles settled down, an idea hit her. “Hey, since we’ve still got some time before the competition, how about Fluttershy and I show you girls around Cloudsdale?” she asked. She received positive replies from them all, and soon both Fluttershy and she were leading the way around the cloud city. For a small moment as the girls took in the sights, Rarity became distracted with her own reflection in a mirrored surface.

After a while of traveling down the cloud streets, Kairi had become quite fascinated with the cloud architecture of Cloudsdale. She saw several houses and buildings made from the fluff, and an occasional rainbow arching from structure to structure. It amazed her how pegasi could mold clouds like they did. The mirrors Rarity had been looking at herself in had apparently been a type of cloud as well.

“Y’know, Ah’ve always wondered how the weather is made. Ya think we can see how it’s all done?” Applejack asked after while.

“Hey, great idea, the weather factory is this way,” Rainbow said as she lead the way.

Rarity flew gently above them as they traveled, and Kairi really couldn’t blame her. Flying had to feel so freeing to the mare. She just wished her friend wasn’t showing off her wings so much as she heard a few catcalls aimed at the butterfly winged unicorn.

Twilight looked up at Rarity, a little worried she was overdoing it. “Be careful Rarity, those wings are made from gossamer and morning dew so they're very delicate.”

“Oh, I don’t think they’ll get worn out from too much attention, Twilight. Everypony just adores them after all,” Rarity replied back. Kairi made a frown as she heard this.

“Don’t forget, we’re here to cheer Rainbow on,” she said as a remainder.

“Well of course darling, I haven’t forgotten,” Rarity said, and looked a little offended.

Just before they entered the rainbow factory - which had taken a good five minutes to get to – they had been informed to wear white coats and hard hats. Kairi had to have a little help getting her own coat on as she never put on clothes yet as pony, and Rarity, who had been insistent on making her some clothing over the passing weeks, had never pushed her into wearing any of the clothes she made to be sold. Kairi had wondered why her friend never asked her to model for her, but she had found herself glad she never did.

As they entered the Winter Control Room of the weather factory, Rainbow Dash spoke in a surprisingly low tone, “This is where all the snowflakes used in winter are made.” Looking around, Kairi saw several hanging snowflakes in the chilly room, and assumed the temperature was to keep the ice crystals from melting. She also noticed many of the ponies working diligently yet carefully to make more.

Rarity had decided to fly up to some of the hanging flakes, taking in the appearance. “My, they certainly do look better up here. The designs are quite beautiful,” she said as her flapping wings sent a steady wind through the area. This had caused several of the hanging snowflakes, as well many on several tables to start flying around the room.

“Rarity, quit flying around for one second, and come down here!” Twilight tried to exclaim while keeping her voice low. With a blush, Rarity landed beside them as Rainbow lead them on again. She didn’t want Rarity’s sudden urge to fly to ruin winter and cause a drought, and mentioned so as they moved to leave the room.

They soon entered another area of the weather factory, this place seemingly where rainbows were made. They saw several pools of rainbow colored liquid in large bowls situated in a way that made the prismatic arches travel from one to the other, and getting lower with each one. As Kairi looked into one, Pinkie had decided to give the liquid a taste. What happened next had her making several faces as each flashed a color on her head that made up a rainbow.

With a few deep breaths, she said, “S-Spicey!” and immediately bolted away from the prismatic pool.

“Hehe, yeah, rainbows aren’t really known for their flavor,” she said. Looking at her friends, she noticed Rarity wasn’t among them, and turned her head to try catching her in her sights. What she didn’t expect to see was three stallion pegasi complementing Rarity on her wings. “Rarity! What are you doing hanging with these guys?!”

“Oh, they were just admiring my wings Rainbow Dash,” Rarity replied as she posed in midair.

“You should forget about the Sonic Rainboom, and get yourself a pair of wings like hers, Rainbow Crash,” said one of the stallions.

“It’s not very nice calling others names, you know,” Kairi said while trying to keep her cool. She wasn’t always so quick to anger, but Rarity showing off like she was had made her a little upset. “And Rainbow ‘Dash’ doesn’t need to trade in her wings. She’ll do just fine during the competition, Sonic Rainboom or no.”

The brown stallion that had spoken up replied, “Pfft, whatever, the Sonic Rainboom is nothing but an old mare’s tale. She can’t pull it off even if she wanted to.”

“Says you! I can pull it off so long as my friends are there to cheer me on!” Rainbow exclaimed as she pressed a hoof into the stallion’s chest.

“No, you can’t, because it’s impossible for anypony to do it,” he argued back, and his friends agreed along with him.

“Hmph, then I’ll show you! Come to the cloudiseum to watch the competition, and I’ll make you eat those words,” Rainbow boldly declared. To which the stallions laughed.

“Oh don’t worry, we’ll be there to watch you fail miserably. See you then, Rainbow Crash!” And with that, the stallions flew off to get back to work, and laughing as they left.

“It’s Rainbow Dash, jerks!” Kairi yelled at them. Shaking her head, she muttered under her breath, “Calm down, Kairi. They’re just a bunch of jerks. They aren’t worth getting mad over.” She took a few deep breaths to help calm herself, before looking back at Rainbow.

While the rainbow maned mare was shocked that Kairi had gotten mad for her sake, she had already been given a front row seat when Kairi had lectured her a week ago that it wasn’t a surprise. “Thanks for trying to stick up for me Kairi, it really helps.”

“Well, that’s what friends do for each other, right?” she asked rhetorically. She gave Rarity a sideways glance, noticing the mare had attracted even more attention with her wings. She gave a groan, and rolled her eyes.

“Hehe, yeah, but now I’m even more worried about the competition. I’ve only been able perform the Sonic Rainboom only once, and that was when I was filly. I don’t know how I’m going to pull it off now,” Rainbow expressed with more than a hint of nervousness. She then felt a hoof on her shoulder, and looked at Kairi.

“Hey now, that’s not the boastful Rainbow Dash I know. You’ve never let anything get to you before, so why start letting it now?”

“It’s because this is a once in a lifetime chance to really show what I can do in front of the Wonderbolts. What happens if I blow it? I might have to wait even longer to get another chance that may never come again. All of my dreams will be ruined.” It was clear this was eating at Rainbow far more than she was letting on, and Kairi felt pretty bad that she didn’t know what to do help. An idea then came to her, and she smirked because of it.

“Hey, there wouldn’t happen to be any large open cloud fields near here, would there?” she asked.

Blinking in confusion, Rainbow nodded her head. “Yeah, there’s a few in Cloudsdale, and I know of one that’s relatively close by. Why?”

“And how long will it be until the competition begins?”

“In about two more hours. Why?” Rainbow repeated her question.

“Perfect, that’s just enough time to help you unwind. Fluttershy, can you finish the rest of the tour without us and Applejack?” Kairi asked of the butter-yellow pegasus.

“Wait, what? Why me?” Applejack asked.

“Um, I-I guess so. What are you planning to do?” Fluttershy also asked with curiosity.

“I’m calling in an emergency sparring session. Come on Rainbow, lead the way,” Kairi finally answered, looking to Rainbow.

“What, sparring? Right now when it’s so close to when the competition starts?” Rainbow asked in shock.

“Aren’t ya gettin’ yer priorities mixed up, Kairi?” Applejack questioned.

“You girls are just going to have to trust me. Now lead on to the closest area, Rainbow. The sooner we start sparring, the better,” Kairi simply stated as she still wore her confident smirk.

Rainbow shrugged at Applejack, not sure what was going through Kairi’s mind, but started flying as she lead Applejack and Kairi out of the weather factory. They left their coats and hats as they left, and it only took five minutes for the three to reach a fairly large area that looked to be a track area. It was the perfect size for their short training session.

“So why are we sparring just before the competition, Kairi? It might make sense in your head, but I need a little more of an explanation to understand it,” Rainbow asked. It was totally not like Kairi to suddenly hold a training session with something so important closing in.

Applejack had wondered too for a while, but she came to a conclusion that Kairi knew what she was doing. “It will make sense here soon, Rainbow. For now, summon your keyblade and let’s get started,” Kairi said and shortly summoned her keyblade in her mouth with the blade held out on her right. Applejack and Rainbow did the same, The Rainbolt held loosely in Dash’s right hoof, and Strong Bonds was gripped firmly in Applejack’s teeth.

Kairi stood a fair distance away from her friends as they readied themselves. Applejack stomped a hoof into the clouds while Rainbow Dash loosened herself up a little as she used to her wings to hover. Kairi shook her withers while eyeing both of her friends. In a true burst of speed, all three charged towards the center of their little triangle, with Rainbow swinging her keyblade in an overhead strike, Applejack guiding hers from a low to high swing, and Kairi choosing to swipe hers horizontally. And all three clashed together, held there by their strengths for a solid moment. They each grunted in effort, before Rainbow broke the clash of keyblades, and followed her attack up by swinging at Kairi, who easily dodged the swipe by rolling off to her left. Applejack took her chance to attack Rainbow while she was distracted, but the pegasus managed to parry the attack away just before it could connect. Kairi saw Applejack use the motion of Rainbow’s parry to her advantage, and aimed her next attack at her, both earth ponies clashing for just a brief second before Kairi skidded back a bit from the force.

Rainbow flew around Applejack at high speed to knock Kairi off her hooves, but the girl managed to backflip over the attack by using her own momentum from Applejack’s previous attack. As soon as her hooves touched down on the cloud, she sent two fireballs at both ponies. Applejack managed to counter the spell sent her way with a single shard of ice, which exploded in a brilliant show of sparkles in midair. Rainbow Dash had decided to block the fire ball sent her way with her keyblade instead, the force of Kairi’s magic attack forcing her back a bit while she hovered in the air. With her wings, Rainbow commanded great control of the battle field, but Applejack’s natural strength could parry and block anything thrown at her, and be able to send an attack back with more force. As long as Rainbow and Applejack worked together, Kairi was going to be hard pressed to fight back against them. However, Rainbow decided to aim her next few attacks at the country girl instead, and Kairi was quick to join in on the flurry of attacks as well. Despite being the slowest of the three, Applejack managed to block and parry each attack sent her way, and only having to take one step back with each blow. Rainbow’s forelegs soon became heavier while trying to keep up the onslaught, still not entirely used to swinging them around like she was, and quickly backed off so she could recuperate her strength. Both Kairi and Applejack saw this, and decided to team up on Rainbow this time. Kairi would swing her keyblade in a streak of combos, then switched with Applejack for her to try and deliver a strong blow. However, they could not connect their attacks on her as Rainbow used her natural agility, as well as her wings, to weave and dodge between the attacks. Being the fastest among them, it was almost foals play to dodge them even with her restriction to keep as low the surface. It wouldn’t be fair if they couldn’t reach her while she was high up in the air.

Soon the sparring battle reverted back to each girl attacking the others in random order again, none of them gaining or giving an inch of advantage over the others. As the battle raged on with a clash of metal and magic, Rainbow found herself completely focused on the spar she was having with her friends, and her earlier nervousness forgotten in the heat of the moment. She was enjoying herself as her self-confidence came rushing back to her, letting out a battle cry as she swung her keyblade at Kairi, who clashed hard into her attack. They held the position as they pushed against each other, both giving each other determined glares. Applejack broke them apart as she swung up in between them, making both back away from each other. For a short moment, all three took the chance to catch their breaths, and planned their next moves.

However, Kairi sat down as she let her keyblade vanish, feeling beat after the exercise. “Whew, it is tough keeping up with both of you,” she said. Sensing this was the end of their spar, Rainbow and Applejack let their own keyblades vanish as well.

“Ah’m guessing yer trainin’ is about the only thing helpin’ ya. Ya’ve been in Equestria for a good three weeks now, and gotten pretty stable on yer hooves. Even Ah’m impressed since yer still new to bein’ a pony,” Applejack said, her honesty showing as she approached Kairi.

“I’m just lucky that I’m a quick learner. So Rainbow, do you feel better now?” Kairi asked as she turned her attention her pegasus friend.

And now that she thought on it a little, she replied, “Hey yeah, I do feel a little better. I’m still nervous, but not as much as before.”

“I was hoping you would. You’re always so confident when you have your keyblade out. I gambled that a little sparring would help you relax.”

“Ah knew ya had a plan. So that’s what ya were thinkin’,” Applejack said with a grin.

“Heh, thanks Kairi. Who’d have thought me relaxing would have me moving around so much,” Rainbow said with a smirk.

“It was just a small guess, really. Besides, you looked like you were on the verge of breaking down back there. I couldn’t possibly ignore that,” Kairi said with a smile of her own. “So do you want to keep going for a little longer? I’m sure we have plenty of time before you need to go get- Whoa!”

Kairi’s eyes shot wide open as she summoned her keyblade, blocking a surprise attack from Rainbow Dash, and then jumping away when Applejack tried to hit her when she was occupied with the rainbow maned mare. Despite them trying to get the upper hoof on her, Kairi found the next hour and a half to be rather fun.

Outside the Cloudsdale Cloudiseum

“SHE DID WHAT!?” Kairi yelled in anger. Normally she’d have questioned how her voice reached such a volume, but the actions of her friend, Rarity, were a little more important to approach. Rainbow Dash looked like she was fairly angry as well, but not as much as the beige earth pony.

Having covered her ears from the outburst, Twilight rubbed her head a little as she replied, “Hey, watch the tone and volume. I know you’re upset about Rarity competing, especially since she was the one who said we had to come cheer Rainbow on.”

Kairi placed her hoof on her face, not really believing Rarity’s actions. “That mare has let those wings get ta her. Ever since she got ‘em, she’s been gettin’ a swelled head,” Applejack spoke her thoughts.

“But if her head did swell, wouldn’t it pop to let loose a bunch of confetti?” Pinkie asked. Kairi, along with the rest of her friends, looked at the pink party planner questionably.

“We tried to talk Rarity out of it, but she just wouldn’t listen, saying something about a graceful routine. She was far too absorbed in herself to listen to us,” Twilight said, rubbing her right hoof over her left foreleg.

With a sigh, Rainbow finally spoke up, “It’s alright girls, I’ll just have to perform better than I have been during my practice sessions. What’s one more competitor, even it is a friend? Anyway, I gotta go sign in, otherwise I can’t compete. See ya in a bit.” Rainbow took off as quickly as she could into the main lobby.

“Anyone else feel like she’s trying ta hide her feelin’s?” Applejack asked in concern. Seeing the rest nod their heads, she was about to head in to talk to Rainbow.

“Applejack, let’s leave her alone for the moment,” Kairi said, stopping the farmer pony.

“But why? We’re her friends, and we should be supportive of each other,” spoke up Pinkie Pie.

“And we already are, but this is something Rainbow has to deal with on her own. Any one of us would feel betrayed if it happened to us, and I speak for myself when I say I’d want to be alone for a moment,” Kairi explained to her friends. Each one seemed to think on it for a bit, before a solemn nod came from each of them.

“Ah guess you have a point Kairi. Still, it don’t sit right with me, leaving Rainbow alone,” Applejack commented with more than a hint of concern.

“You’re not the only one who feels that way,” Kairi muttered. Sure enough, a glance around showed her friends held the same concern and uncertain expressions on their faces. Everyone except Pinkie Pie; she seemed to be thinking about something else.

Before they could discuss the topic any further, Rainbow had come back with two pieces of paper with the number fifteen on them on her flanks. “Hey, I’m back. I thought I’d tell you girls I’ll be competing last. I would have been going sooner, but I guess we spent a little too much time sparring earlier, Kairi,” she said as she scratched the back of her head with her hoof.

“Well, you know what they say; Always save the best for last,” Kairi said with a smile. Rainbow smiled in return at the overused saying.

“Heh, you got that right. I’ll blow past all of the competition!” she enthusiastically stated.

“Rainbow, are you going to be okay? I mean, what happened with Rarity, we really di-“ Twilight had started to say until Rainbow cut her off.

“It’s alright Twilight, I’ll get over it. It’s a bitter sting, but it’s probably all that attention she got over her wings. She probably let it get to her head.”

“Rarity was the last pony I expected to get a swelled head,” Kairi said. She still couldn’t believe Rarity had entered the competition.

“Well, it happened, and I just have to roll with the punches,” Rainbow said, turning to face Kairi and Applejack, “Kairi, AJ, thanks for the spar earlier. It really helped me loosen up. I think I’ll be okay from here on out.”

“Anytime, sugarcube,” Applejack replied with a slight smile of her own.

“I’m glad to help. Break a leg out there, Rainbow,” Kairi nodded.

“Heh, you know it. See you girls in the cloudiseum!” Rainbow shouted as she flew off towards the lobby for the contestants. Once she was out ear shot, Twilight looked over to her friends.

“Well, it looks like she’s over the worst of what could be expected. Still, I’m little worried about her.” The purple unicorn felt she was right to be so.

“Then I guess you didn’t get a good look at her eyes then,” Kairi said with a grin.

“What about her eyes? Was there something different about them,” Twilight asked. Now she was curious if she did miss something.

“Ah’ll say, she wasn’t just tootin’ her own horn this time. If Ah had to guess, she looked like she was rarin’ to win the entire thing,” Applejack grinned as well.

“If she’s going to be okay, then what are we waiting for? Let’s go find some seats to watch the show!” Pinkie loudly exclaimed, galloping ahead of them. Shrugging their shoulders, Kairi and Applejack followed after her, followed by Fluttershy. Twilight stood for a moment outside the cloudiseum, contemplating everything that just happened. With a small smile, she began trotting inside as well, believing to have learned a new lesson in friendship.

A few minutes later, when all the ponies in Cloudsdale were currently seated in the cloudiseum, a portal of darkness came into existence for a short second, before fading away again, leaving a pony shaped, cloaked figure behind. It wasn’t very big, probably a little shorter than most mares as it began to walk into the large cloud structure, a sinister smirk dancing on its features hidden under the hood.

It had been almost a good half hour into the competition; pony after pony showed off their skills in flying as the girls watched from their seats. All of them had performed quite well; even the ponies who had a hard time performing their routine had entertained them.

Kairi was fascinated with how all of them had flown around the stadium, showing off their talents as they flew. One mare even managed to end her routine with a burst of flower petals showering down on the audience, to which Kairi felt she was going to be a hard act to follow up on. “The competition this year seems pretty steep for Rainbow. Number 8 performed pretty well,” she said.

“I like number 7. Doing fifteen barrel rolls in a row can’t be easy,” Twilight said.

“My favorite is number 10, she just looked like such a nice pony,” Fluttershy said with a nod.

“Ah wonder why we haven’t seen Rarity. She did sign up fer this pretty early, didn’t she?” Applejack asked.

“She’s probably dressing herself up since she can’t fly fast with her butterfly wings,” Pinkie answered, “She probably plans to do some sort of aerial dance or something.”

“That would make sense. She just got those wings today so she doesn’t have any real training with them.” Twilight added.

“How is she staying up in the air anyway? I would imagine learning to fly being fairly hard,” Kairi asked out of curiosity.

“It’s because the wings are mostly magic holding the gossamer and morning dew together. The same magic is also helping her stay balanced while flapping the wings for her, which is why she’s able to stay in the air without crashing down,” Twilight answered.

“So she’s pretty much cheating at flying then,” Pinkie added.

“Well, in simpler terms, yes she is.” Twilight muttered.

“Doesn’t that mean it’s against the rules for her to compete?” Kairi asked.

“I think they let her in because…um, it would only be a one-time thing, and Princess Celestia is attending the event this year,” Fluttershy answered meekly.

“Oh, I guess it makes sense to allow it just this once then.” While Kairi didn’t like it, it did sort of make sense when she thought about it in another light. If she were a judge, and her ruling princess was watching the event, she would probably allow one or two things to slide as long as they promised a good show. And considering the way Rarity had been flaunting her wings, a good show was likely to be had.

“Hey, Ah see Rainbow Dash coming out now. Looks like it’s her turn…and apparently Rarity’s as well?” Applejack said, pointing a hoof at both ponies.

Looking at the exit that all the competitors had flown out of, Kairi indeed saw Rainbow Dash making her way towards the center of the aerial stadium, and with Rarity flying at a slower pace behind her. The outfit Rarity was wearing was definitely not anything she would ever wear more than once, and she was certain Rarity had only put it together for a one time showing as well. Having picked up a little of the fashionista’s sense of style, Kairi was pretty sure it wasn’t even meant to be overly aerodynamic either.

They all began cheering for the both of them, though Kairi admittedly cheered for Rainbow a little more. She still felt sour towards the flying unicorn. It was hard to tell what Rarity and Rainbow were talking about from so far away while they hovered in position, but the look on the cyan mare’s face said she wasn’t happy about something. Once the two started demonstrating their skills, Kairi now knew the reason why Rainbow looked so sour. The music selected definitely wasn’t matching her current routine while she zigzagged between the set up cloud poles.

As she came out the other side of the cloud poles, Rainbow gave the briefest of glances up towards Rarity. She had just spun in place for a second, before the flap of her wings made her look to be jumping into the next part of her aerial dance.

“She’s not too bad, I guess. The music isn’t really helping me though,” she said to herself. She then look away, and over to the clouds that had been set up for her. “Right, on to phase two!” she said to work herself up. Blocking out the music, she flew up to the three clouds, and began flying in tight circles around each one separately. She barely managed to avoid a stray cloud puff flying at her as it broke off from the third cloud she flew around. Needless to say, the smirk that formed on her face as she performed showed she was just getting started to strut her stuff. She was fairly certain if Kairi and Applejack hadn’t been here, she would probably be a bundle of nerves by now.

With another small pause as she broke away from the clouds, she saw Rarity begin to ascend higher in the sky. This is exactly the direction she needed to be going now. “And finally, now for phase three; The Sonic Rainboom,” she said to herself. That small bit of anxiety returned for a brief moment, making her hesitate before she began flying up, and ascending past Rarity. ‘I’ve tried this so many times in practice, and every single time I failed. How am I going to pull this off? It just seems so hopeless.’ she battled in her mind. With a small glance to her friends, she saw them cheering for her as she ascended even higher. Her smile returned, as did her gaze towards the sky. ’I’ll pull it off somehow. This time for sure! I just know it!’

“Wow, they’re both getting some height up there,” Pinkie said loudly. It was true, both Rarity and Rainbow Dash were above the stadium, with Rainbow gaining even more distance.

It was only now that Kairi decided to look in Rarity’s direction, having a hard time keeping her eyes on Rainbow’s shrinking form. And then Rarity spread her wings, and lit the stadium in several colors. She was hard pressed to say, but the sight was quite the spectacle. With Rarity in front of the sun, it was hard not to look at her. But that was when something invaded her thoughts. “Twilight, how fragile did you say those wings were?” she asked, looking to the unicorn beside her.

It seemed this question had snapped the ever studious student out of her gaze to look at her friend, giving Kairi a worried expression. “Incredibly fragile, as in she’s too high up without protection from the suns light!” she exclaimed as she stood.

As they both looked back up, it seemed Twilight’s words held true as Rarity’s wings burned up almost instantly. “Uh-oh,” they both said, and watched as the unicorn started plummeting towards the ground, screaming along the way.

“Twilight get ready to catch her in your magic!” Kairi nearly yelled.

“I’m already on-“ Twilight was in the middle of saying, her horn ignited with a purple glow. However, she was not able to finish what she was about to say. For just as she had ignited her magic something bumped into her from behind, and rather forcefully as well. The momentum she was now put under kept her from stopping herself as she careened over the side of the cloud, and fell along with Rarity from Cloudsdale.

“TWILIGHT!” Pinkie and Fluttershy shouted.

Kairi’s attention was elsewhere, having only just now sensed a burst of darkness behind them. She was too late to react as she saw Twilight being shoved off their cloud. For her, time seemed to slow down as everything just happened all at once. She heard the screams of Rarity and Twilight as they fell, the panicked shouts of Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, and she saw the cloaked pony that had caused Twilight’s current descent running away. So many thoughts ran so fast inside her head, one of which was a past discussion with her master, Yen Sid.

Several months ago

“Wait, so Aqua could summon some sort of vehicle with her keyblade?” Kairi asked. Given the information, it sounded incredible.

Yen Sid gave a short chuckle to Kairi’s question, waving a hand to gesture her to calm down. “She didn’t summon this vehicle out of thin air, no. Her keyblade became the vehicle. There are many things about the weapon used to fight the Heartless that even I do not know, but I have it on good faith from a lost friend that it was possible once.”

“Was? Shouldn’t it still be possible?” she asked, wondering why he worded his sentence like that.

“Perhaps, but I do not know how to teach you this ability, nor can I contact my friend so he can do so. The only information I do know is that those three would throw their keyblades into the air, and their vehicles would materialize for them,” he answered patiently.

“So then, why are you telling me this? It seems kind of pointless,” she stated more than asked. It was rather confusing to her.

“It would appear so, but I have a feeling that you might be able to awaken this ability. Whether in times of calm, or in times of stress, it will be up to you. Now then, let’s return to my lecture, shall we?”

“Of course, Master Yen Sid,” Kairi replied.

Present time

It was now or never: Both of her friends were falling to their deaths, and she only knew one way to save them. She turned to Applejack as a light appeared in her mouth. “Applejack, after them!”

“On it!” the farm pony said, summoning her keyblade. She was already chasing after the cloaked figure.

Kairi turned back towards the edge of the cloud, her keyblade materializing in her mouth. She moved her head to the left, and flung it to the right, tossing her weapon into the air as she sprinted forwards. With light in her heart, and determination written over her face, Kairi jumped off as she performed a backward somersault, starting her nosedive down to Twilight and Rarity.

Rainbow had flown so high up that she was surprised she managed to hear anything at all, let alone the screaming that drew her attention. She looked back while still ascending, and fear gripped her heart as she saw both Twilight and Rarity plummeting through the air toward the distant ground. She immediately stopped her ascent, and dove down as fast as she could, shouting, “I’m coming girls!”

As she flew down with spectacular speed, she wondered why the Wonderbolts, or even Princess Celestia, hadn’t done anything to help her friends. A glance towards Kairi and the others, she saw Applejack chasing after somepony in a black cloak, and- “WHAT IS SHE DOING!?” she yelled at the top of her lungs. She had just saw Kairi leap off the cloud while somersaulting after throwing her keyblade up high, and start a nosedive towards Twilight and Rarity. Now she had three-

Suddenly a bright flash of light erupted above Pinkie and Fluttershy, and something new flew with speed towards Kairi. Within a single second, Rainbow saw it as a pair of metal wings designed with floral patterns at the ends. Once they had reached Kairi, they locked into the place, and saw her friend looking back at her with mixed glee and determination.

Seeing this, and only guessing it at the moment, Rainbow shouted ahead, “Get Twilight! I’ll rescue Rarity!” She saw Kairi nod her head, before looking back to the purple unicorn with the plan in mind.

With a last fleeting glance, she saw the Wonderbolts make their way towards where Applejack disappeared. She now cast her gaze at Rarity, picking up even more speed since the white unicorn already had a decent lead towards the ground.

The sensation of free falling like that was about as exhilarating as anyone could expect, and Kairi got a big dose of adrenaline pumping through her in thanks for it. The few seconds that she fell were moments she’d rather never relive again if she could help it. She felt butterflies in her stomach as she fell, and the sense of dread over what she had just done weighed down her. Still, even as she fell, she kept that spark of light alive as her heart called for her keyblade to become a vehicle that could fly.

When she finally did look back, it was only because she felt something metal click around her barrel, and onto her chest. She saw the metal wings that her keyblade had become, the glowing orbs within the floral patterns at the ends while long, thin golden metal melded into the harness that secured itself onto her body. And then she saw Rainbow Dash catching up to her, to whom she smiled happily at, and heard her shout for her to rescue Twilight. She nodded, turning her eyes to her falling friend.

With a mere thought, Kairi began zooming through the air toward Twilight with a single purpose, the metal wings helping her keep a steady balance as she flew forward. She noticed quickly enough that Twilight had her back facing the ground below. Kairi managed to close the distance between her and Twilight within a few seconds, but she was flailing around too much for her to grab her.

“Twi, you have to stop flailing! I can’t catch you like that!” she yelled as loud as she could. The air whipping past her made it hard for her to hear herself.

By sheer luck, Twilight managed to open her clenched eyes at hearing something nearby, and saw Kairi actually flying around her. Her mind working fast now instead of panicking, she saw they had plenty of airspace left to work with. She struggled as she tried to force her body to fall at a vertical angle, managing to roll over in the air, and start nose diving towards the quickly approaching ground.

Kairi saw what Twilight was doing, almost instantly knowing what she planned to do. ’I need to fly under her!’ the thought shouted in her mind. Obeying her thoughts, her body maneuvered around Twilight, and picked up speed alongside her, flying right up under her friend. The very second she felt Twilight wrap her hooves around her, she pulled up as sharp as she could, and bringing Twilight’s death fall to a halt.

Her thoughts were now on Rarity as she slowed down through the air, and turned to find where Rainbow was. She had thought Rainbow had passed her up a long time ago, but apparently that was not the case. And Rarity was far closer to the ground than she first saw as well.

“She’s still falling!” Twilight called out right next to her ear, making Kairi wince in pain. The slower air speed made it easier to hear now.

“I know, I’m headed-“ she was about to yell back, but she was interrupted by the sound of a large boom. She then saw the rainbow trail heading straight for Rarity at unbelievable speeds, barely even able to believe her eyes as the resulting rainbow shockwave passed over her. “Whoa! Is that the Sonic Rainboom!?” she yelled out instead. It was a spectacular sight to behold as the colors of the rainbow expanded outward from the point of origin. Kairi really had no words to describe what she felt as she saw this magnificent display.

Both ponies were astonished with the sight, and watched the rainbow trail their friend left behind in her wake easily caught up to Rarity, snatching her just a moment before she would have collided with the ground. Rainbow Dash pulled up from her dive at a much harsher turn than Kairi had, and ascended high above the cloudiseum, leaving a rainbow over the stadium. The erupting cheers Kairi could hear sounded incredibly positive, soon making her way back as well.

“This is far too much excitement for one day. I’m going to flop down in my bed the moment we’re back in Ponyville,” Twilight said, sounding fairly exhausted.

“I was thinking of doing the same thing. Hopefully Applejack managed to corner the pony who shoved you off,” she said. With a thought, she flew right into the stadium from underneath, and over to some solid clouds. Once she touched down, Twilight slipped off her back, and the wings her keyblade became vanished in a small show of light. She then flopped onto rump, much like Twilight had done, and both ponies began to settle down after the adrenaline rush faded away. Now that she was in the stadium again, she was quite certain now that she could hear Fluttershy cheering her head off over Rainbow Dash performing the Sonic Rainboom.

“Goodness that was certainly frightful to witness. Are you okay, Twilight?” said a familiar voice behind them. Turning around, they saw Princess Celestia standing there with a worried look on her face. They both stood, and bowed to the princess quickly, before Twilight moved up to her mentor.

“Yes, I am, and all thanks to Kairi,” Twilight said, “How did you make those wings appear? I struggled giving Rarity hers.”

“It was my keyblade. When I saw you fall, I remembered a brief discussion I had with my master. He said it was possible for it to become a vehicle once, but he didn’t know how to teach it to me. I’ve got to be honest, I pretty much followed my heart just then,” Kairi answered sheepishly.

“And I thank you deeply for doing so, Kairi. I was so shocked by what happened that I hesitated to act,” Princess Celestia said, turning her attention to Twilight again. “I’m deeply sorry for my hesitation, my faithful student.”

Twilight looked a little shocked herself when Princess Celestia admitted she had hesitated. She then shook her head, and said, “It’s alright, princess. It all happened so unexpectedly, I think any one of us would have hesitated. I’m just glad Kairi managed to do what she did.”

Kairi smiled sheepishly, but then she turned serious towards Princess Celestia. “Did Applejack manage to corner that cloaked pony?” she asked. This was the second sighting of a cloaked pony now, and she knew this one’s build was far different from the last. It had to be a different pony.

“Ah would like ta say I had, but they got away from me. Used some sort of black thing to vanish on the spot,” Applejack said as she approached followed by the ponies in uniform. Considering how heavy she was panting, the pony she was chasing had to have given her a run for her bits.

By this time, Rainbow had landed nearby, and two of the three Wonderbolts flew over, and lifted Rarity from her back. “Thank you Rainbow Dash. You saved my life.”

“Heh, it’s no problem Rare. Next time though, don’t let things get to your head, alright?” Rainbow said back, giving the alabaster unicorn a forgiving smile.

“Oh, definitely, I’m so sorry for all the trouble I caused,” Rarity said back. She was done with flying for quite a long time after her own experience.

Rainbow nodded, then turned to Kairi and Twilight, and saw Princess Celestia standing near them. “So what happened Twilight?”

“I got shoved off the cloud by a pony in a black coat. The same black cloak that Kairi mentioned another pony was wearing,” Twilight responded. The look that spread over Rarity’s and Rainbow’s faces were not happy ones. However, Princess Celestia was only one who retained a neutral expression, a mask to hide her true feelings.

“Captain Spitfire, is this true? The one you were chasing with Applejack vanished?” she asked of the remaining Wonderbolt.

Stepping forth, the Wonberbolt pushed up her goggles, revealing her orange eyes to everypony. “It’s true, your highness. We made pursuit once we were sure the two ponies could be rescued, and assisted in backing the culprit into a corner. However, as Miss Applejack said, she managed to get away from us through some sort of black portal. I say she because she said her farewells before disappearing.”

“I see, then this may not be the only time we see her again.”

“There may be more of these ponies too,” Kairi said aloud. She only just realized she spoke out loud when everyponies eyes was on her. “I don’t have any proof, but it’s just a hunch I have right now,” she clarified. With another look around the stadium, she couldn’t feel any darkness nearby. Hopefully that meant there was no more danger.

It was then the tension was broken as Pinkie practically tackled Twilight in her attempt to hug her. “Oh my gosh, I was so worried about you Twilight. I mean, I was worried about Rarity too, but you were pushed off the cloud, and then you were falling. I was so scared for you, but then I was scared for Kairi when she just jumped off like that, but then her keyblade turned into those wings, and it was awesome and cool, and another thing-“ Pinkie rambled on, expressing her concerns and happiness that Twilight and Rarity were both alright.

When Fluttershy stepped up to Kairi, she whispered, “I’m really glad she didn’t tackle me this time.” This caused Fluttershy to giggle with a smile, and the rest of her friends to laugh.

Fluttershy then turned to Rainbow, and said excitedly, “I’m so happy for you Rainbow. You finally did the Sonic Rainboom!”

“Hehe, yeah, I really did, didn’t I. I saved Rarity, and performed the best aerial stunt! Best day ever!” she exclaimed as she pumped her hoof. She was then interrupted as Princess Celestia’s guard ponies brought the hot air balloon Kairi had rode in down into the stadium. Rarity was soon set down inside the basket, thanking the ponies in return.

“Seeing as the tension has settled down, I think it’s time for me crown this year’s winner of the Best Young Fliers Competition,” Princess Celestia said. She then stepped up in front of Rainbow Dash, who immediately bowed in her presence. “Rainbow Dash, for your outstanding act of courage and loyalty, and your spectacular Sonic Rainboom, I present to you this year’s grand prize of Best Young Flier!” As she said this, a pony with the gold crown of competition presented it to Princess Celestia, who quickly placed it on Rainbow’s head with a cheer from her friends, and everypony in the cloudiseum.

“Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” Rainbow said with increasing happiness as she was carried away by Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Applejack.

Turning to Rarity, Twilight -finally released from Pinkie’s hug-, and Kairi, Princess Celestia asked, “So Twilight, have you learned anything about friendship from this experience?”

“I did Princess, but I think Rarity learned even more than me,” Twilight replied, looking at Rarity now.

“I sure did. I learned how important it is to keep my hooves on the ground, and be there for my friends when they need me. I’m never forgetting that for as long as I live,” Rarity said, looking relieved that Rainbow Dash had forgiven her.

“Splendid, very well done, Rarity,” Princess Celestia said with a smile. She then turned her attention to Kairi. “And congratulations to you, Kairi, for summoning your Keyblade Glider. I take it this means you want to leave our world now?”

Kairi was taken completely aback by the sudden question after being congratulated, not having even expected it. The moment passed, and replied firmly, “As much as I’d really like to, I think it’s best if I stick around for a while longer. After what happened earlier, I’m afraid of what could happen if I weren’t around to help.”

“I see, then your continued stay is welcomed with open hooves Kairi. If you will excuse me, Kairi, Twilight, I need to return to Canterlot,” the princess, turning to take her leave.

Now that she had the chance to bring it up, Kairi spoke up, “Wait, your highness. I have a question I’ve been meaning to ask you.” She almost expected the princess to continue her leave, but was pleasantly surprised when she turned to hear her out. “I’ve been wondering this for a while now, but how do you and Luna know about the Keyblade? And how did you know I was a keyblade wielder?”

A long moment passed after Kairi finished her question, her eyes watching Princess Celestia carefully. However, the alicorn never dropped her mask in front of her, wearing the same smile as she responded, “I have lived for more than a thousand years, Kairi. You are not the only one to wield a keyblade that has visited Equestria. As to how I recognized you as one wielding a keyblade, you have this certain posture that keyblade wielders and masters seem to have. When you live as long as I have, you pick up certain things. If that is all, then I will take my leave now.” Turning away, she spread her wings, and took off from the stadium to make her way to Canterlot.

Kairi watched as Princess Celestia flew away with her two royal guards, before turning her attention to Rainbow flying off with lifelong heroes, the Wonderbolts. “I guess that answers your questions then. It does make sense that other keyblade wielders might have visited Equestria before and probably in times of crisis,” Twilight said as she hopped in the hot air balloons basket.

“Yeah, it does. But now she said something that raised another question,” Kairi said while sitting down.

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” Twilight asked. She hadn’t noticed anything that would raise more questions.

“How does she know what a Keyblade Glider is? I didn’t even know what it was called, and she already knew that,” Kairi stated. This answer silenced Twilight as well, now thinking somewhere along the lines of what Kairi had in her mind.

“Now, now ladies, it’s obvious she has her own secrets. I’m sure when the time is right, she will tell us everything. Let’s just have faith in her decision for now,” Rarity finally spoke up, breaking Twilight and Kairi out of their thoughts.

“I guess you’re right, Rarity. I’ll just have to wait for a proper answer,” Kairi said after another long moment. She then hopped in the basket as well, waiting for their friends to arrive so they could return home. After the events of the day, Kairi was looking forward to some peaceful sleep.

Episode 7: Dragonshy

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The past couple of weeks passed by for Kairi without any major incident, to which she was thankful for. As the following week after the Best Young Flier’s Competition progressed, she and her friends kept up a constant watch as they continued their daily activities. Yet, nothing out of the ordinary happened, to which they were all thankful for.

Two things did happen during those two weeks though. Pinkie had thrown a welcome party for Rainbow Dash’s fillyhood friend, Gilda, a rather rude gryphon. However, the two ended up separating on bad terms thanks to Gilda tripping every prank Rainbow had set up.

The following week had them befriending the zebra who lived in the Everfree Forest, Zecora. This had been a bumpy road at the start, but Kairi had managed to talk some sense into her five friends. Twilight had been on her side the entire time, even when she was a target of the poison joke. Kairi didn’t even want to know what the poison joke would do to her.

After things settled down a little from the previous week, Kairi decided to pick up the second installment of the Daring Do books, and was currently laying sprawled out on Rarity’s couch. She was on the last few pages of the book even now, enraptured in the adventures of Daring Do.

“Hey Kairi!” a high pitched voice sounded next to her. The suddenness of the noise sent Kairi jumping from her place, and flopping on to the floor with a loud yelp.

“Are you okay?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Yeah, I’m good. You just scared me, Sweetie,” Kairi replied, groaning a little from the pain in her back. “Did you want something?

“Not really, I just wanted to see what you were doing. What are you reading?”

Kairi climbed back onto the couch, re-taking her original position again as she read the words in her head. “Daring Do and the Gryphon’s Goblet. I read the first book, and I liked it a lot. I didn’t have a lot of time the past couple of weeks to borrow this one from Twilight, but I found some time earlier this week to do so.”

“Is it any good?”

“It depends on what you like to read, but I think fiction stories have always been fun to read.”

“How do you know its fiction? Couldn’t the stories be real, but placed under fiction to hide true events?” Sweetie asked.

Kairi rolled her eyes a little at the naivety of the idea Sweetie Belle presented. “That is a good point, but I would think somepony writing about her events like this might be a little too dangerous, especially since Daring seems to have a few enemies. It just doesn’t seem like a good idea to do.”

“I guess you’re right, but it’s still possible,” Sweetie said in confidence. It seemed reason wasn’t going to change her mind. “Anyway, I was kind of hoping I could ask you a favor.”

Pulling her eyes away from the book, Kairi gave Sweetie Belle her full attention. “Ok, so what do you need?”

“Well, you know school is starting soon, and I’m a little nervous. Rarity said that a week after school starts that the teacher will ask us to bring something or somepony to show and tell.”

“So you want to bring me along to show and tell?”

“Yeah, I’m sure it will be fun, and I’m pretty sure everypony would want to know more about you.”

“Heh, I don’t doubt many ponies do want to know more about who I am. Still, I don’t know if it’s such a good idea. I’m not really supposed to tell anyone I’m from another world.”

“Well, even if you can’t say much about where you’re from, or about other worlds, you could talk about your sword. The, uh, oh yeah, the keyblade!” Sweetie exclaimed excitedly.

“I’m definitely not going to reveal more about my keyblade than what’s already known.”

“Aw, why can’t you talk about it?”

“The keyblade can be a force of good, but it can also cause a lot of chaos as well at the same time. I’d rather not think about what could happen if the keyblade fell into the wrong hands, er, hooves. Also, I’m afraid I’ll attract the Heartless if I bring it out too often.”

“Your sword attracts the Heartless?”

“It because it’s a symbol of a strong heart, and the Heartless thrive on captured hearts. The stronger the heart, the more powerful the Heartless born from that captured heart.”

“And even more reason for you to not talk about what it can do, if I’m correct,” came Rarity’s voice as she entered the living room. Kairi turned her head away from Sweetie, and nodded at Rarity. “Sweetie Belle, why don’t you find something else to do?”

“Okay. But you’re still going to go with me to show and tell, right?” Sweetie Belle asked Kairi expectantly.

Kairi, for the life of her, could not bear looking at Sweetie Belle’s pleading face. It was just too cute to turn down. “I’ll try to answer as many questions as I can, but okay,” she finally said.

“Yay!” Sweetie exclaimed, before running off somewhere in the boutique.

“Children are always so excitable,” Rarity said as she watched Sweetie go. She then turned to Kairi, who had returned her attention to the book. “I’m sorry she bothered you so much.”

“It’s okay, children just like asking questions about things. I remember asking my surrogate father lots of things when I was her age,” Kairi replied as she flipped a page.

“Oh my, I had no idea you were adopted.”

“Oh no, you’ve got it all wrong. He took me in when I arrived on Destiny Islands, and gave me a home to live in,” Kairi spoke fast as she turned her attention to Rarity.

“Oh, so then you aren’t an orphan,” Rarity breathed a sigh of relief.

“No, I’m not. I don’t know where my parents are though; I got separated from them when my world was almost consumed in darkness. But I’m sure they’re somewhere among the many worlds out there.”

“Well, I’m sure they are doing just fine. They’re probably incredibly worried about you though.”

Kairi nodded her head in agreement. “I don’t doubt that. I would be too if I was in the same position.”

“Mmm, so when you said you’re world was almost consumed in darkness…”

“It came close to falling into the darkness before I was pulled away from my home. A special door kept it from being consumed though; a door that can only be opened by seven special hearts.”

“What kind of special hearts?” Rarity asked. Her interest was piqued now.

Kairi had to think about how to tell this to Rarity, not really sure if it was a subject she wanted to talk about. She’d likely have to tell this to Twilight as well if she did talk about it. “You don’t have to say anything if it’s too sensitive a subject,” Rarity said, interrupting Kairi’s thoughts.

She thought on it some more, then said, “It’s alright, I don’t think it will hurt anyone if I talk about it. I do think I should talk about it with Twilight around though. She’ll likely hunt me down if you said anything about this to learn more.”

Rarity giggled at this, “You have a point there. Are you almost done with your book then?”

“Just about, I’m on the last page right now,” Kairi said as her attention returned to the book again. After another minute, she closed the hardback book, and said, “And done. I wonder what Daring’s next adventure is like.”

After packing the book into her saddlebags, and strapping them on her barrel, Kairi and Rarity then made their way toward Golden Oaks Library. It was only when they stepped into the library/home when they saw their friend running about in a hurry.

“Twilight, what’s all the rush about?” Rarity asked as she watched Twilight yank several books down off their shelves.

“Hi girls! Sorry for the mess, but something majorly important has come up just a few minutes ago! I’m getting every source material I have before I make an announcement to Ponyville! I already sent Spike to notify Mayor Mare to call an immediate town meeting, and to let the others know somethings come up!” Twilight hurriedly spoke as she skimmed a few books before tossing them away with her magic.

Kairi and Rarity exchanged nervous looks, wondering what happened. “Is this something you’re going to need my help with?” Kairi asked worriedly.

“If we’re still on the lookout for strange ponies messing up our world, then I think it would be best if you came along on the trip,” Twilight spoke, finally finished with her search of books. She levitated a few in her personal saddle bags, as well as few other things like rolled up maps.

“We’re going on a trip? Where are we going exactly?” Rarity inquired.

“Take a better look at the sky, and you’ll find out. I need to get a few more things first, and then I’ll meet up with the rest of you at Town Hall,” Twilight said as she ran up the stairs to the second floor, “Just leave your book on the table Kairi, and go pack for the trip!”

The two exchanged looks again before watching their friend leave the room. They then looked out the window, wondering what Twilight had meant as she obviously seemed too busy to explain things better. What they saw was a thick line of black clouds covering the sky.

“Wait, are those clouds? Rainbow Dash didn’t say anything about a storm for the next few days. She usually lets us know about stuff like that sooner,” Rarity said.

Kairi looked at the clouds as closely as she could, noticing these clouds seemed to be moving a little differently. “I don’t think those are clouds. It looks more like smoke, and the fact that it is traveling in a wavy line from somewhere just makes it more obvious now.”

“But where is the smoke coming from? I didn’t smell anything like wood burning on the breeze outside.”

Twilight silently came back down the staircase carrying a compass in her magic, and stuffed it into her saddlebags. “So, we’re going to wherever that smoke is coming from?” Rarity asked when she noticed Twilight was in the room.

“Yeah, and it’s a serious threat. I’ve already asked Spike to tell the others to pack for a trip as well. He might be on his way to your home, Rarity, so you and Kairi should head back to prepare as well,” Twilight answered quickly. She was already strapping her saddlebags on as she made for the door. “I’ll be informing Ponyville about the danger soon, so be quick to get ready.” With that, she was out the door, and on her way to Town Hall.

“If she’s moving this fast, then it must be serious. Let’s hurry back so Spike isn’t banging on the door for too long,” Kairi said. Before they left, she took out the book she had borrowed, and left it on the table in the middle of the room. After that, Kairi ran out the door, followed by Rarity shutting the door on her way out.

It didn’t take them long to return to Carousel Boutique, and meeting Spike just as he was about to leave. “Oh, there you are. Where have you two been?” he asked.

“We were visiting Twilight, and we know she has something important to say in town square,” Kairi replied.

“Oh, well I guess I didn’t need to come out here to tell you then. Well, everypony else knows to pack for the trip, so I’m going to head over to Town Hall. Twilight is probably about to let Ponyville know what’s happening on the mountain close to here.”

“So it’s not a forest we’re going to, but hiking up a mountain?” Rarity asked.

Spike was momentarily lost as he gazed at Rarity before shaking himself out of his stupor. “Oh, uh yeah, the dragon is trying to take a nap at the top of a mountain nearby.”

“A dragon!?” both ponies exclaimed.

“Oh, I guess Twilight didn’t tell you about that,” he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. “Well, I can tell you since you two still need to get ready.”

“Alright, let’s hear it then. What is this about a dragon now?” Rarity asked as she opened her door. Once inside, Rarity set to work on getting the necessities they would need for a hike up a mountain.

“Okay, Princess Celestia sent a letter to Twilight saying that it came to her attention from one of her Royal Guard that there was smoke rising from a mountain in the distance from Canterlot. When she saw the smoke herself, she knew it was a dragon, and that it was about to take a nap,” Spike explained.

“Okay, so that answers one question, but why is smoke coming from it?” Kairi asked.

“It’s snoring. Matured dragons tend to snore as they sleep, and the smoke is coming from its snoring. A dragon’s smoke doesn’t dissipate as fast as normal wood smoke, and it probably won’t if it continues to sleep.”

“Well that sounds unhealthy for the environment,” Kairi said.

“At least it isn’t snoring fire. What are we supposed to do about it? I’m assuming we’re going up there to confront the dragon,” Rarity asked as she stuffed a couple of scarves in Kairi’s saddlebags.

“I could imagine Rainbow saying we need to fight it,” Kairi muttered.

“Princess Celestia said that there’s a possibility the dragon could be asked to move to another place to nap so that his snoring doesn’t hurt the environment,” Spike answered as he helped Rarity pack.

“Whatever do you do mean, Spikey-Wikey?” Rarity asked.

“Like I said before, dragon smoke doesn’t dissipate easily, especially if it continues to snore without end. If left alone, the smoke will manage to cover all of Equestria.”

“Now that doesn’t sound good at all. How long do mature dragons nap then?” Kairi asked, fearing the answer Spike might give. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too-

“About a hundred years, give or take. So it’s really important we encourage the dragon to move somewhere else.”

“Right, that’s really bad,” Kairi stated, “Ok, here’s an obvious question. Why didn’t the princess send someone in her Royal Guard to talk the dragon into moving?”

“Her letter said she was going to mobilize the Royal Guard to the other towns and cities to keep everypony calm, and have the Guard help with the evacuation efforts if we do fail. From what she said in her letter, it sounds like she has complete faith that we’ll succeed.”

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t want to disappoint- Wait, you keep saying ‘we’. Tell me you aren’t going to be coming with us, Spike?” Rarity asked. She was finished packing things for the trip, mostly a couple of scarves and other accessories.

“Well yeah, Twilight thinks any help to talk the dragon into leaving will help out in some way. If Fluttershy can’t talk to the dragon, then I’ll have to try. Twilight knows a bunch of shield spells, so I think we’re in the clear on safety at least. She even mastered the one she saw you use, Kairi.”

Rarity went on to comment on how dangerous it would be for Spike to tag along, but Kairi’s mind was somewhere else. Over the few weeks, Kairi had gotten to know Fluttershy at least well enough to know the butter yellow pegasus was jumpy, and practically scared of anything and everything. She even saw her hide from her own shadow once. She didn’t doubt her friend’s ability in handling animals. She doubted that Fluttershy would be able to stand up to a fully grown, fire breathing, very scary dragon. If she were shaking in her hooves at attempting to talk one into leaving to find a new home, she didn’t have to imagine Fluttershy’s reaction to even considering walking to the mountain.

“Kairi, dear, are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Rarity said after a few minutes.

“Yeah, you aren’t looking too good. Are you going to be alright?” Spike questioned.

“I-I’m fine, I just a little bit scared about our chances with a dragon, especially for Fluttershy’s sake,” Kairi answered, shaken out of her stupor a little.

“Why so much concern, darling? Fluttershy is a top notch animal care giver. I’m sure she can handle anything a dragon might throw her way,” Rarity confidently spoke.

“Maybe, but she’s never dealt with a full grown adult dragon before, only a baby dragon. The two are quite different from each other, and from what I’ve learned of Fluttershy, she isn’t exactly the bravest of ponies.”

For a moment, both Spike and Rarity stood in silence to Kairi’s comment, understanding why Kairi felt worried. After a moment, Spike broke the silence, “I’m sure Fluttershy will come through for us when we need her. She doesn’t have to be the first to try and talk the dragon into moving after all.”

“Of course, we’ll each give talking to the dragon a try, at least to convince him to find a new home. I assume that’s what Twilight is planning anyway. There’s no need for brash decisions after all,” Rarity spoke. Kairi felt a little envious that her friends could be so confident about the matter. She only hoped things would turn out well.

“I guess since you two are done packing, we’ll just skip Twilight informing the town then. We did pass by the town square after all,” Spike mentioned, only just now realizing that fact himself.

“Right, let’s go wait for everyone at the edge of town then,” Kairi said. With that said, all three filed out of Carousel Boutique with Rarity trailing behind to lock up behind her.

Kairi continued to stare at the mountain in the distance, watching as more black smoke drifted up into the atmosphere. She could already see that the smoke was blocking out much of the sunlight that was trying to shine down on the area. “Wow, that has to be some thick smoke to do that,” she said aloud.

“Since it’s coming from a snoring dragon, I’m not really surprised,” Twilight spoke from the front of the group. She was pouring over a map as she, and her friends walked towards the mountain in the distance, checking, double checking, even triple checking the route she had decided was the quickest to their destination.

“Ah still don’t see why a dragon wouldn’t nap among other dragons,” Applejack commented. The cowpony seemed to have packed fairly lightly, only having her lasso and a few other things in her saddlebags.

Spike began to speak his mind next, “I think it’s because he or she is protecting their hoard of gems and gold. Most adult dragons that have been spotted in caves had a huge pile they’ve hoarded. I’m not sure why though; well except that gems are pretty tasty.”

“I guess that makes sense. You can’t exactly guard something if you’re asleep anyway,” Kairi commented. She looked around to see all of her friends’ confident faces about their mission. Well, everypony but Fluttershy anyway. She seemed far more timid than all of them about tackling a dragon.

She couldn’t blame the soft spoken pegasus. She was feeling almost as timid as Fluttershy normally would be. If anything were true about the stories of dragons, then this would inevitably end up in a fight to kick the dragon out of Equestria, rather than kindly talking it into relocating its nest. ’I can’t believe this is happening! This will be my second big fight as a keyblade wielder, and it’s against a freaking DRAGON! How am I supposed to fight that?’

Almost as if she were sensing her distress, Rarity asked, “Oh that’s right, you were about to tell me something this morning, Kairi. Something about your world I believe?”

Kairi felt her thoughts being pulled from the dismal place it had been in, looking at Rarity with some confusion before she remembered what it was she was talking about. “Oh right, that. I completely forgot we were talking about the world I was born on,” Kairi said.

“Ooh ooh! I can’t wait to hear me about Kairi’s world! I even have popcorn!” Pinkie exclaimed while holding a bucket of popcorn in her hoof. Where it came from, no pony really knew, and Kairi had stopped questioning her antics a long time ago. It was far more a relief on her brain in the long run.

Rainbow flew up to Kairi, and got a little too close to Kairi’s face for her comfort. She then said, “Hey yeah, we don’t ever hear about the worlds out there, Kairi. You’ve always been training me and Applejack when we get together, or just plain hanging out. Which is cool and everything, but it’s so much cooler that you’re from another world. I’d like to hear more about what’s out there!”

Applejack shoved Rainbow away, and giving Kairi some space. “Now Dash, you could ask her nicely about that, and not be up in her face. As much as I’d like to hear more myself, it’s not polite to pry unless she wanted to tell us more.”

“It is okay, AJ, I have been a little eager to explain a bit more about myself. I just couldn’t find the right timing, really,” Kairi said. She saw the expectant faces of her friends, even Fluttershy herself looked curious. “How do I start this off? Well, I was born on the world called Radiant Garden, but I was raised on Destiny Islands after my home world was covered in darkness. A short time before that, its name was changed to Hollow Bastion.”

“Oh my, that’s such a dreadful sounding name, Hollow Bastion. I much prefer Radiant Garden. It sounds more beautiful than the other,” Rarity stated.

“It sounds a little too peaceful to me. A place called Hollow Bastion sounds more like a place with lots of stuff happening there,” Rainbow Dash commented.

“Dash, isn’t that just a little insensitive?” Applejack questioned her friend.

Rainbow had to think about it for a little bit, before turning to Kairi while flying backwards...somehow. “Sorry Kairi, but it really does sound more exciting.”

“Heh, it’s alright Rainbow. Radiant Garden is slowly being rebuilt after all the damage that was done to the city, and with everyone there is working hard to make it better than it was a long time ago,” Kairi said, “Anyway, before my world fell to darkness when I still lived there, it was a governed by a man named Ansem the Wise.”

The corridor of the old decrepit castle was beyond dusty, though thanks to the new residents that had taken it up as their base the cloaked pony had little trouble breathing as he skulked on through. He could smell the musty old books on the floor as he passed them, not paying them any mind while his hooves met the rug on the stone flooring. Much like the castle, the fabric of the rug and what remaining tapestries there were was in such disrepair that it would be pointless to restore it. That was fine to the cloaked pony though. If it didn't impede his plans, the place could stay a rotting fort.

As he passed a broken, stained window, he looked out into the black sky. The overhanging black clouds never moved despite what the season, setting the untamed courtyard outside to look just as depressing as the inside. He continued on, attempting to find one of the members that he had a shaky alliance with. Truth be told, he really could care less about her attitude. A rumble in the dark clouds was made outside, another testament to how far the near collapsing castle had fallen. It was possible that the place used to look quite grand once, when the inhabitants of the world used to live here. But now it was only a broken reminder of what had befallen it. If the ancient scribbles on some of the odd parchments that littered the floor could be believed, it certainly made sense with the small grove of a particular blue flower managing to endure endless hardships over many generations. It was fairly likely that flower found its origin point here.

With a sneer, the cloaked pony walked away from the broken window, and continuing his search for the insufferable Nopony he was looking for. "Wretched little witch, she better turn up soon..." he said in a low, dangerous tone.

Almost as if summoned by the insult, a Corridor of Darkness appeared several feet behind him, and dissipated away to reveal another cloaked pony. However, her hood was down to reveal the slicked back bright blonde locks of her mane, with two long strands sweeping as if they were stylized antennae. Her fur reflected a darker yellow along with the electric aura she seemed to carry with her. Her cyan eyes gazed upon the cloaked pony with a piercing, underlying fury, almost as if she were calculating if she should attempt an assassination or not. She stayed her hoof however as she flared her wings a bit, stretching them out as she approached. “Well, did someone summon little old me? You do realize why I was nicknamed The Savage Nymph, right?”

“Tis merely a title our illustrious superior gifted you with, along with your name, Larxene,” was the response she was met with. This caused her to scowl at the pony, who didn’t even decide to face her while speaking. “And yes, I did call for you. And also notably, you ignored it until I started looking for you.”

Her gaze tightened on the pony in front of her, before giving an exasperated sigh. “If you think I was ignoring you, then you should think again. I was busy stretching my wings. After that assignment you put me on a couple weeks ago, I felt like I was getting rusty. Heh, though, I did get a kick out of that girls face,” she spoke, sounding rather gleeful as she recalled the events of that falling unicorn. “Why did you want me to do that anyway? Surely we aren’t here just to mess with these innocent ponies. If it weren’t for your order to stay my ground, I would personally be taking them out myself, one city at a time.”

“Then you clearly underestimate the diarchy of this world,” the cloaked pony spoke, turning his head cast his eye on her. “They are more powerful than you or I. If our presence were more known to them, you can be assured we would be eliminated before our plans came to fruition. Now tell me, did the princess we brought do as we thought? You are two weeks late on your report.”

Larxene expressed her annoyance as a soft humph before answering him. “Yeah, she did exactly like you thought she would. After I shoved the purple unicorn off the cloud, she jumped off as well after throwing her Keyblade into the air. She managed to materialize her glider which took the form of metal, floral wings. I hope you have a good excuse for why I was given such a ridiculous assignment. Considering it meant revealing us, we could already be targets of the princesses of this world,” she explained with hint of sass in her tone.

“A risk that needed to be taken and she thought better of leaving to find her friends, considering the reports I’ve heard from Ponyville.”

“That reminds me…” Larxene spoke, an undertone of rage behind her words. “How can you trust that traitor?! Because of him, all our plans in Castle Oblivion were completely ruined!” With her statement, electric bolts flew off of her form with her show of rage.

“Hmm, you truly are a savage nymph. Your title justifies your personality,” the cloaked pony all but mocked, causing her anger to rise higher. He finally turned to face her for the first time, his hood hiding his features. “Because he’s a good pawn right now, and unlike Marluxia, I’m not underestimating his actions.”

“Talking about me, I see. You really shouldn’t talk about somepony behind his back,” spoke an echoing voice, which soon materialized the owner out of another Corridor of Darkness a few feet away from Larxene. Sporting a long, spikey red mane with dark brown fur, and bright emerald green eyes, Axel appeared before the two, a mocking smirk aimed right at his ex-comrade. “You should be ashamed Larxene; it’s not nice to talk so badly about one another. You’ll make me cry if you keep that up.”

Her jaw tightened as she looked at Axel, restraining herself to not lash out at him. No, she wanted to wait for the right moment to end his life. Now wasn’t that time yet. “Axel, you’re back from Ponyville so soon? I thought you were enjoying your assignment there.”

“Now I really am hurt. I guess that means you really don’t like me,” Axel responded with mock hurt, though the grin he wore spoke anything but.

“Step a little closer, and I’ll show you just how badly I can really hurt you,” she snarled, her wings flared as if anticipating a fight.

“That will be quite enough you two. We’re adults here, and shouldn’t be squabbling about like children,” said the cloaked pony, his calm tone suggesting something far more sinister to befall them if they broke out in a fight.

“Heh, sorry boss, I couldn’t help but tease a little,” Axel quickly said, raising a hoof to rub behind his head. “Anyway, I have a short report before I get back. Apparently a dragon has taken to nesting in a mountain nearby the village. Figured you might want to know, and have someone do something about it.”

“There’s a dragon near that village? What’s the big deal about that?” Larxene asked, managing to school back her anger.

“You don’t know? Guess you didn’t study this world as much as I did. I’ll explain it once, so you better keep this memorized, Larxene. When a dragon separates from the rest, they’re seeking a place to hibernate, and sleep for about a hundred years or so. They’re notorious snorers as well, which causes them to exhale lots of smoke that takes a long time to dissipate. From the mountain this dragon has taken to nesting in, we can assume that if it stays asleep, all of Equestria will be covered by a dense layer of smoke. And without any sunshine for all the plants to grow from…”

“It means there won’t be any food to grow at all,” Larxene finished, “So then the dragon needs to be taken care of if anything is going to get done. Fine, I can handle a dragon on my own. Since you came crawling back like a dog with his tail between his legs, I guess you just couldn’t summon the courage to face it.” She turned to leave before Axel piped up again.

“A little eager to get out of the house, aren’t you? You should know dragons aren’t push overs.”

“And your point is? At least I won’t have to listen to you for a while.”

“Actually,” the cloaked pony spoke up, “I have a much better idea. Is that all your reporting about, Axel?”

“Actually, as a side note, the princess and her new friends are on their way to deal with the situation themselves. I don’t see how they’re going to accomplish that though,” Axel mentioned, with some doubt being heard.

“Then this will be fine. Larxene,” the cloaked pony gazed with golden eyes under his hood. Turning her head to look at him, Larxene waited for the pony to speak. “I think you will enjoy this little assignment. You will arrive at the summit of that mountain, and wait for the princess and her friends to arrive.” He briefed her of the plan he came up with, watching her expression turn from puzzled to vicious excitement.

As soon as he finished briefing her, she summoned the darkness to create a portal. “I think you’re right, I really will enjoy myself. Don’t wait up for me!” she said in a near sadistic singsong tone before disappearing into a Corridor of Darkness.

Axel watched as she left, not exactly thrilled with this plan. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to send her out? She’s bound to have some sore feelings towards the princess,” he asked the cloaked pony.

“Never fear, if she wants to keep existing, she won’t risk any lethal damage. She knows the price she’ll have to pay if she does. Now, return to Ponyville, Axel, and keep me updated if anything else should turn up,” he so ordered, casting a cold gaze on Axel.

“Alright then, I’m sure Kairi will manage to hold her own then,” he said, about to create a portal back to the village. His words caught the cloaked pony, stopping him from turning back down the corridor.

“Actually, now that I think about it, perhaps there is something you can do for her,” he spoke, his tone belying the genius in his mind.

By the time the group got to the base of the mountain, Kairi had managed to explain a little of Sora’s journey, though she focused mostly on her world, and how different it had become after being consumed by so much darkness. She had explained as much as she really knew about Ansem the Wise, most of which was what she heard from Sora, Riku, and King Mickey. Even growing up in Radiant Garden, she didn’t quite know the man herself, just that he governed the world.

“I have to admit, what happened to your world is a really chilling thought, Kairi,” Twilight finally spoke up after a while. One glance in her direction told the human turned pony that thought disturbed her a little. “I don’t even want to think what would happen to Equestria if it were consumed in darkness.”

“Yes, it is quite the terrible thought, isn’t it? I shudder to imagine what sort of plans that cloaked pony from the competition has running through their head,” Rarity spoke, just as easily disturbed.

“Ah do have a question for ya, Kairi,” Applejack said.

“Yeah, what is it, Aj?” Kairi asked.

“When Ah think about it, you were describing a lot of what Sora went through, as much as ya told us, almost as if you were there personally. So, Ah hate to ask something personal, but how do you know about the parts you weren’t there for?”

Kairi hesitated for a second, almost missing a step as they walked right up to the steep slope of the mountain before stopping. “Oh, right, I forgot to explain what happened on Destiny Islands. Well, the short version is that when the Darkness consumed the islands, my heart kind of left my body, and took refuge inside Sora without him knowing,” she explained, a slight blush on her cheeks as she rubbed the back of her head with a hoof.

“Oh my! Your daring knight unknowingly keeping your heart safe as he searches for you across the worlds! How romantic!” Rarity said with near envy like any sucker for romance would.

“R-Rarity, please, I was barely even thinking about that sort of thing,” Kairi said in her defense, even as her blush deepened.

“Yeah, I don’t think the mushy stuff is necessary, Rarity. Besides, I’m sure she had other things to worry about,” Rainbow interjected.

“Maybe so, Rainbow, but it does sound absolutely romantic. Who wouldn’t want a knight in shining armor protecting them from all sorts of dangers?” Rarity questioned her friend.

“Well me, of course. I’m not one for that mushy romance stuff. I’d rather be kicking flanks, and taking names any day!”

“Yes, well I guess you aren’t a mare who would appreciate the ‘mushy’ stuff. I, on the other hoof, would simply swoon if I had a stallion who would dash to my rescue.”

“In any case, girls, we’re here at the mountain,” Twilight finally spoke up after a while, “I’ve marked the shortest route up to the summit, so we should be up there in short order.”

“Um….Twilight… W-Would it be okay i-if I just stay down here?” Fluttershy asked, hiding most of her face behind her long mane.

“Wh-what? But we need your help, Fluttershy. You’re the only one of us who is good with animals that I could trust talking to the dragon,” Twilight pointed out, causing the skittish pegasus to shrink even more behind her mane.

Fluttershy’s only response was to whimper as she looked up the steep cliff of the mountain. Her eyes then fell to the ground, muttering something so quiet that most of them couldn’t hear what she said. It was pretty obvious what she was trying to say though. “To be honest, I’m not quite so confident about tackling a dragon, Twilight. Any sane pony would be right to fear a fully grown dragon,” Kairi spoke up.

“Well I’m not afraid of it!” Rainbow exclaimed. To this, Kairi barely held back rolling her eyes, giving the brash pegasus a hard glare.

“You… You’re scared Kairi? But you’re still standing here, and not staying back home. Why would you w-want to come with us?” Fluttershy asked, quickly rethinking her sentence, “Y-You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.”

Kairi shook her head with a smile on her face. “But I want to be here with you girls. I mean, facing a dragon is scary, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let that stop me from coming along. I’d feel bad if I turned back now.”

“She’s right darling, and you have made it this far. Wouldn’t you feel better if you came along, and went back home knowing you faced some of your fears?” Rarity asked Fluttershy. The timid pegasus spared the pristine unicorn a glance before her gaze went back to the ground.

“B-But… I only managed that because I got to listen to Kairi talk about the other worlds. Even the brief mention of that scary world was nice to listen to,” Fluttershy managed to respond. As much as she was afraid to admit, hearing about all the worlds Kairi had talked about had stoked some inner desire to visit said worlds. She’d especially like to meet the monkey Kairi mentioned.

“You really liked hearing about Sora’s adventures, huh? Okay, well-“ Kairi was then cut off mid-sentence by loud, roaring sound coming from atop the mountain that shook the landscape around them. The sound had been so loud that Fluttershy had retreated to the inside of a nearby bush. “W-Was that…what I think it was?” Kairi asked, feeling rather timid herself suddenly.

“Eheh, yeah, that was the dragon snoring alright. Wow, that was pretty loud… Uh, hey wait, where’s Rainbow Dash?” Twilight said, only just noticing that Rainbow had disappeared. Blinking a couple times, Kairi looked around as well, but didn’t catch sight of the prismatic mare.

“I’m in the tree!” came Rainbow’s voice, flying out from beyond the leaves. “Wow, that snore was powerful enough to knock me away! Now I’m super pumped to fight it!” Kairi wanted to bring her hoof to her head, still astounded by Rainbow’s ego. She only managed to stop herself because she heard a slight snicker coming from Applejack, low enough that the prismatic mare couldn’t hear above her own voice.

Deciding to leave the issue there, Kairi went over to the bush that Fluttershy was hiding in. “I have to admit, that was pretty quick of you. You can come back out now, Fluttershy, it was just a snore. There’s nothing to be worried about right now.”

Fluttershy didn’t respond immediately, her eyes becoming visible through a hole in the leafage as she looked out towards her friends. “A-Are you sure? I-It’s not about to breath fire on us?”

“None of us are on fire yet, so I think we’re in the clear for now,” She reassured the skittish pegasus, and helped her out of the bush. She then looked up the steep cliff side, seeing it was just barely passable to walk up.

“Well, in any case, there’s a path up this steep cliff. If we climb here, we’ll be able to cut our travel time up to the summit decently. The faster we get there, the sooner we can keep certain doom away from Equestria,” Twilight said. She was ready to start the trek up.

“Is there another path up?” Kairi asked before the purple unicorn could even take a hoofstep forward. Turning, she faced Kairi when asked such an odd question.

“Well, yes, there is. But why ask when we can just…Oh,” she said, striking her question from her head. One look at Fluttershy, and she understood why the question was asked in the first place. She saw her friend still shuddering in fright next to Kairi, unable to stretch out her wings due to fear.

“You girls go on ahead then. You’ve got the way up memorized, Twilight. I can use the map to take Fluttershy around the long way, and we’ll meet up further along up the mountain.”

“Whoa, hold on. Fluttershy can fly up, there’s no reason for us to go on ahead,” Rainbow declared. She then ushered Fluttershy to open her wings, and start flapping them, only for her wings stay clung to her sides as she tried really hard to unfold.

“I-I’m sorry,” she said softly with her head hung low. Rainbow could only groan while hiding her face behind her hoof. Shaking her head, she leveled as soft a gaze at her as she could.

“Look, just don’t take too long, okay? I don’t want that smoke getting any worse,” Rainbow said before taking the lead up the steep cliff side.

“We’ll see both of you up at the higher path before it becomes too steep to climb. Be careful while walking up, okay?” Twilight asked. Kairi gave sharp nod in response, and motioned for Fluttershy to follow as the rest began making the trek up the steep slope.

Kairi brought out the map at once, and studied it after a minute, finding a path that lead up the mountain on the west side. Putting the map away in her saddlebag, she then told Fluttershy which way they were headed, and the two began making their way around the base of the mountain.

It took a few minutes for them to locate the path up the mountain, and began to make the trek up to meet back up with their friends. The journey was mostly quiet, though Kairi was thankful that she didn’t have to drag the butter-yellow pegasus along the ground, something she thought she would have to do.

A look back, she caught Fluttershy shaking like a leaf while looking down at the ground. She looked to be on the verge of breaking down in fear. Kairi turned to look forward, keeping an eye on the narrow path so she wouldn’t misstep and fall. “You don’t have to force yourself to keep going if it’s too much. I certainly wouldn’t blame you for going back home right now,” Kairi finally said after a long moment of silence.

She didn’t immediately get a response, save for a fearful sigh behind her. She stopped in place as she looked back at Fluttershy again, this time the butter yellow pegasus having done so already. “M-maybe…I would definitely feel a lot better hiding under my bed right now. B-but I just couldn’t live with myself if I went back now, especially since everypony is depending on me,” Fluttershy spoke quietly, at least loud enough for Kairi could hear her.

Kairi nodded, but said, “If you want to, we can stop here for now until you can gather more courage. Even if we are pressed for time, I’d rather-“ She was cut off as her friend moved passed her, a bit surprised that she even did so, despite still trembling.

“I can keep going. W-We can’t keep everypony waiting for us just because I’m scared,” she said, “B-Besides, you’re here with me, Kairi. After everything with the Heartless, I-I’m not too scared because I know you’ll protect me.”

Kairi smiled at that, and followed after her friend. “Alright, but only because you’re being brave about this.” A loud snore from high up on the mountain echoed for miles again, drowning out the any nearby noises for a good minute. Once things were silent again, Kairi asked, “I don’t suppose you know anything about dragons, do you?”

“N-No, I don’t. Nopony really does since d-dragons usually keep to themselves and their own kind. A-Any pony who have tried to learn more are usually frightened back to the nearest town or city. My only exposure is Spike,” she replied.

“That’s what I thought. Let’s hope the dragon is as nice as Spike then.”

Silence fell between them again as they traversed the narrow path. It had been pretty linear, only ever turning when hardly walked path made sharp curves up the steep mountain side. Near half an hour later, they finally regrouped back up with the rest of their friends, earning a surprised “You guys got here a lot sooner than I thought,” from Rainbow Dash.

Twilight took the map Kairi offered back, unfolding it to assess their path once more. “I’m glad you two didn’t have any problems getting here. For a while, I thought you might encounter Heartless or something,” Twilight expressed her concerns.

“Nope, nothing out of ordinary other than the snoring. We should get moving though. The sooner we take care of the dragon, the better,” Kairi replied.

Everypony and dragon was ready and moving once Twilight was satisfied looking at the map, and traveling on the path again higher up the mountain. “So, you were saying before we got split up, Kairi?” Rarity asked after a minute.

Kairi had to think for a minute before she remembered where she left off. “Right, so after Destiny Islands was consumed in darkness, my heart took refuge in Sora, and my body sort of drifted around in nothingness, I think. I’m not really sure what happened after that,” she explained.

“Wait, how does that work? Wouldn’t your body become a Heartless since your heart wasn’t in it?” Rainbow asked. Out of all their training sessions, Kairi was glad something she explained did stick to rainbow-maned pony.

“It’s…complicated. And the complications don’t stop there once Sora got to Hollow Bastion. I think it would take me most of the day explaining everything that did happen. To keep it short, Riku had found my body, and had brought me there. However, he had been steeping his heart in Darkness at the same time while working for an evil witch named Maleficent. She had him kidnap certain girls to be brought there as well. When Sora confronted him, they fought each other, and Riku lost their duel. Shortly after, a powerful Heartless known as Ansem possessed him, and he forged a new keyblade from the hearts of the girls who were kidnapped: a Keyblade that could unlock hearts.

“The way Ansem used it, he unlocked the darkness in others hearts, and he did this to Maleficent, and so much power turned her into a huge black dragon. Sora managed to defeat her though, ending her plans for me and others. Of course, there was still Ansem to deal with. Sora fought Ansem/Riku again in the Grand Hall of the castle. That was when Sora learned my heart was inside him, and how I learned just how special I was. They needed me and six other special girls. Girls with hearts filled with Light: The hearts from the Princesses of Heart.”

Twilight muttered something under her breath as she listened, but otherwise didn’t say anything. Kairi had been so engrossed in telling her friends what she knew and experienced, that she hadn’t even realized they all had made a small jump to another path up the mountain. Even Fluttershy had made the jump, too absorbed in the story to really care of how high they were.

“So what happened next?” Spike asked while sitting on Twilight’s back, “And why was your body brought there in the first place?”

Kairi smiled, and continued, “Ansem/Riku explained to Sora why I couldn’t wake up, at least my body anyway. And if I woke up, he could accomplish what he had set out to do. And then they fought. Sora fought hard against Ansem/Riku, but he managed to beat him. He even managed to relinquish the keyblade Ansem/Riku had been fighting with. Of course my heart was still trapped inside Sora. And he did the most reckless thing he could to free me. He stabbed himself with the keyblade Ansem/Riku had been fighting with, and unlocked his heart.

“And it worked, better than I suppose he expected. He freed my heart, and destroyed the keyblade as well, releasing the other princesses hearts as well. Our hearts went back to our bodies, and I woke up. And then Sora disappeared in front of me before I could reach him. But I didn’t have time to feel sad since with my waking, the room began filling with Darkness. Goofy, Donald, and I had to leave the Grand Hall quickly to keep from being overrun by Heartless, with them protecting me the entire way, and with one Shadow Heartless dogging our trail.

“We got so far, only to be surrounded at the exit of the castle, and that one Heartless still there. It took me a moment to figure out it was actually Sora’s Heartless. When the rest attacked, I just held on to him as tightly as I could to try and protect him. And he came back in a flash of light that got rid of the Heartless there.”

“Oh my goodness!” Rarity started. It was clear she was near ecstatic with the drama of Kairi’s story, and on the verge of going on about how romantic the last parts had been.

“Keep it to yerself, Rarity. I think we all know what you want to say,” Applejack said, cutting her friend off before she could start. She then said, “Still, Ah’m mighty impressed with this Sora fellow. Ah’d like to meet him if we ever get the chance.”

“Totally! He sounds pretty cool, even with the mushy stuff going on!” Rainbow exclaimed.

“Uh-oh, this doesn’t look right,” Twilight said, rechecking her map. Every one’s attention was suddenly on her, having interrupted the current conversation.

“What’s wrong?” Kairi asked.

“This part of the path is supposed to be an avalanche zone, but it looks like it already happened,” she replied, pointing a hoof toward the large mounds of dirt and rock covering what should have been a less-than-traveled road.

“With all that snoring, I’m not really surprised, dear. I would be amazed if an avalanche hadn’t happened yet,” Rarity said, making a good point.

“I guess you’re right, but I was kind of hoping we wouldn’t have to walk over an avalanche made hill. At least we’re almost there now. Let’s keep going, but stay silent for now just in case. I’d rather we not cause another one,” Twilight directed as she put the map away. As they made their way over the hill, no one noticed the broken, yellow object hiding behind a stray rock nearby.

It took them a while to traverse, but they were soon over the small rock littered hill. It was an even shorter trip from there to the mouth of the cave that the dragon resided in. Now that they were there, each of them were hesitant to go inside.

“Right, time to talk a dragon into leaving,” Twilight muttered. Turning to her friends, she spoke up, “I believe Fluttershy, Spike, and I should head in first, and try to convince them to leave. You girls get a little rest and keep look out.”

Fluttershy began shaking in fear again, remembering it again now that they had come so far. It seemed Kairi’s life story had been enough to distract her up until now. “A-A-Are you s-sure you r-really need me? C-Can’t somep-pony else go in?”

“You’re the only one I can count on, Fluttershy. Please, if not for us, then for Equestria? Lots of ponies are counting on us,” Twilight pleaded. It seemed like her plea had done the opposite until Kairi and Rarity rested their hooves on her shoulders.

“Have no worries dear, we’re right here when you need us. I know you can do this,” Rarity said encouragingly.

“That’s right, we’ve got your back, Fluttershy. I’ll come in if-“ Kairi stopped, looking towards the cave entrance. Having focused on Fluttershy that instant instead of her fear, she now felt something inside. It felt dark, and it felt sinister. And worse, she hadn’t heard any loud snoring since the avalanche area. It had been frequent enough before, but now it had stopped. Then she felt it. Darkness.

“Applejack, Rainbow Dash! Follow me!” she said urgently, galloping inside quickly. The ponies barely hesitated as they ran in after her, followed by the rest out of sheer curiosity.

What they found was worse than they could have imagined. The dragon they were sent to kick out was awake and standing up, its brow furrowed dangerously. It had brilliant red scales and pink fin-like spikes running down the back of its head, with a rich yellow front. Or at least it would have if its colors didn’t look muted. And standing in front of the dragon with a hoof outstretched to it was a cloaked pony, channeling darkness into the dangerous creature.

Kairi jumped in immediately with a yell, calling her keyblade into her mouth, and swiping her weapon at the pony, breaking off the channeling of darkness. With nowhere to go, the cloaked pony stood there facing Kairi behind the dragon now. Her friends stood behind her with Applejack and Rainbow having summoned their keyblades as well.

“Kairi, what’s happening to the dragon?” she heard Fluttershy ask.

Holding the keyblade with a leg, she replied, “This pony has channeled darkness into him. If I’m right, he’s just barely being controlled.”

“Right on, a clever little deduction, princess,” came the words from the cloaked pony, the hood hiding her face. The voice, Kairi knew that voice, but she couldn’t recall where though. Just hearing it made her fur stand on end though, and a little flinch crossed her face. “Oh? You look like you’ve seen some ghosts, or at least one anyway.”

“Who the hay are you?!” Rainbow called out, sounding angry about the slight growling din of the dragon.

“Hmm, I dunno if I should really tell you. I mean, I am supposed to keep a low profile, but really, the only one here who would even be able to recognize me is our dear little princess here,” the cloaked pony replied, her words like a dagger as she spoke about Kairi. Seeing no reaction from the ponies, she continued, “Hmm, guess she’s spilled the beans on being a princess if you lot aren’t acting surprised.”

“I do know you from somewhere, but I don’t think we’ve really met before, have we?” Kairi asked. She wasn’t sure how she knew. She just did for some reason.

A soft, pregnant pause lingered in the air for what felt like an eternity before the pony responded. “Well, we have met before, but haven’t met yet.”

“What kind of answer is that?” Applejack asked.

The pony turned her head towards the group, holding off attacking with the dragon just yet. Oh but how she so wanted to. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to reveal my face,” she said. She reached up with her hoof, and pulled back the hood of her cloak, revealing the blonde, slicked back mane with two antennae-like strands sweeping back, darker yellow fur, and cyan eyes that pierced with an underlying rage and anger.

Kairi gasped as the face she witnessed brought memories that were not hers to her mind. The memories of her Nobody, and her time spent with this individual in Castle Oblivion. “You? But how? Sora defeated you, didn’t he?” she asked.

Those cyan eyes squinted just enough to express her anger towards the name of the one who had managed to one-up her. She huffed slightly before saying, “Yeah, he did, but neither he nor that girl realized that I faked my death. Before his final attack on me, I managed to replace myself with a doll to be taken out in my place. Didn’t help that I was too weak to re-engage Sora, and finish him off. I had to retreat from that castle, and hid myself here in this disgusting world ever since. Ugh, too much light everywhere, and too many happy songs for my liking.”

“I feel we’re missing some context here,” Rarity said, promptly ignored by the Nobody.

“So, I hear you and Naminé rejoined, princess. Congrats on your little reunion,” the blonde-maned pony said, “I guess since you recognized me, that means she's still knocking about in that head of yours. Not that I really care, but I do owe a little revenge for what she pulled.”

“I guess that means you're going to take it out on me then?” Kairi asked, but the question went unanswered. The smirk she received was enough to be one.

“So wait, you actually know this pony, Kairi?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, her name is Larxene. Nicknamed, The Savage Nymph,” Kairi answered back. She then glanced at the dragon, and sensed the darkness pervading from it. “Good. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, listen up! The dragon hasn’t been converted into a Heartless yet! We got here just in time to prevent that! You two need to fight it to try and break the control she has over it!”

“What?!” cried Rainbow.

“Have you lost yer mind?!” Applejack asked, bewildered at Kairi’s statement. “This is a full grown dragon! We can’t beat it!”

“You don’t have to, you just have to fight long enough break her control!” she informed.

“Oh, this is precious! You really think they can handle both me and the dragon?” Larxene asked.

“They won’t have to, because I’ll be fighting you,” Kairi said before she jumped into action. Gripping her keyblade in her mouth again, she charged at Larxene. With a smirk, the Nobody jumped back into the air, her wings unfurling from the hidden flaps at her sides, and flapping them to keep herself in the air.

At that moment, the dragon lunged with a hand with razor sharp claws in an attempt to rend the ponies. “SCATTER!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she ran away from the claws. Fluttershy followed after her with a shout of her own while Twilight teleported herself, Rarity, and Spike out of the cave. Rainbow flew up and above the claw, and Applejack ducked and rolled under the sweep, barely managing to avoid getting torn apart. From under its arm, she swung her keyblade against its scaly hide. The impact barely fazed the dragon as it loomed over her threateningly. Rainbow then swooped in, and hit it across the face, earning a loud roar for the attack.

Kairi had to dodge out of the way as Larxene began flinging daggers from her hooves, avoiding the lightning tipped weapons as best she could. She tried to get in close to her opponent, but every time she jumped up to attack, Larxene easily evaded away and countered by throwing another dagger. Their fight soon became a game of cat and mouse, each trying to get the advantage on the other, but neither gaining much ground if at all. The only reason Kairi held her own was because she was mixing spells in with her dodging, flinging ice and fire magic at the Pegasus Nobody.

Back with the dragon, it was clear that Rainbow held a home advantage over the creature. The tight confines of the cave were just spacious enough for her to move around, and avoid any lunges or sweeps it made at her. She was easily keeping its attention while Applejack maneuvered around on hoof, landing a blow whenever she could. Yet with all the attacks the two ponies made, whether it was keyblade strikes or magic, nothing would have much effect on the dragons tough scales. “It’s like I’m trying to hit a tree with a stick! I can’t keep my speed up enough to land a harder hit!” Rainbow yelled out.

“Ah’m not having much luck either, Dash! We have to distract it somehow, or we’re never gonna end this!” Applejack called back.

Off in a corner, huddled behind a rock, Pinkie and Fluttershy watched as their friends fought with the full dragon and a dark being from another world. The sight was something to behold as the three keyblade wielders fought against the Darkness. “Oh, if only there was something I could do to help,” Fluttershy muttered.

“What are you talking about, Flutters? Of course there’s something you can do to help,” Pinkie said.

“No, I really can’t. I’m too weak and scared to be of any good.”

“That is absolutely. Not. True! Even if you are scared of your shadow most of the time, and you have trouble speaking to new ponies, you’re one of the bravest ponies I know Fluttershy! You made it this far with us, haven’t you?”

“But…” Fluttershy looked away, eyeing a particularly interesting bare part of the ground. “I only got this far because of everypony, and Kairi’s stories.”

“So? That just means we helped bring out your courage. It’s always been in you, Fluttershy. You just have a hard time seeing it. And you can definitely, absolutely, most certainly be able to help Applejack and Rainbow Dash right now! You’re the only of us who has experience speaking with other species! Why not try to talk to him to help our friends?”

“That doesn’t sound like a very good idea, Pinkie!”

“And what else does? There’s not much I can do except cheer them on, and you want to be helpful. I can cheer you on from back here!”

“B-But…”

“No butts, no fuss, no coconuts, Fluttershy! I know you can do it! Now get out there, and do anything you can do to help AJ and Rainbow!”

Fluttershy shook in fear even as Pinkie urged her on to go help, swallowing the lump in her throat. Yet somehow, for whatever reason she couldn’t fathom, her wings unfurled, and started flapping herself into the air. She got closer to the battle as Rainbow and Applejack continued to hit the dragon, despite how useless it seemed to be. She soon noticed that it was struggling to keep its mouth closed, and she could feel heat wafting away from it. She gasped as realization came to her, and flew up to the dragon with purpose.

Rainbow gasped when she saw Fluttershy getting so close, however she was interrupted by a clawed hand swiping up at her, causing her to dodge further away. It took only a second for the dragon to catch the butter yellow pegasus in his sights, growling as it started to swipe at her. Without really knowing what else to do, her gaze hardened as a shout left her throat, “STOP!”

The sudden shout, and power behind it stunned the dragon, looking at her with surprise. The dullness of its scales seemed to brighten a bit. Shaking from her stupor, Applejack charged in, and landed a solid hit against the dragons torso, causing it to flinch back a bit. Rainbow caught this immediately, and went in as well, stringing together several combos together on the dragons scaly hide.

Fluttershy herself was a bit stunned as well, amazed her voice had held so much power at that moment. “Did I do that?” Behind her, she could hear Pinkie cheering her on, and felt encouraged to do what she could to help.

Back with Kairi, she had managed to land a Blizzard spell on one of Larxene’s wings, and grounded her for the rest of the fight. The fight was quickly becoming one-sided in Kairi’s favor, but The Savage Nymph wasn’t going to let her have a victory without a fight. She proved to be quick on her hooves as well, managing to dodge away from Kairi’s attacks, and sometimes having to use her daggers to make her back off. It was clear that she was losing the fight and fast.

“Well, you certainly adapted to being on hooves rather fast! You’re actually putting up more of a fight than I thought you would!” she exclaimed as she flung a dagger at Kairi. She rolled away from the projectile, and back up a little to eye Larxene’s next attack. “What’s the matter? Can’t talk with something in your mouth?” Kairi replied in kind with a low wicker, stomping a hoof on the ground. “Heh, that’s good, at least I don’t have to hear you make a redundant hero speech in the middle of a battle!” She flicked a dagger at her opponent, not expecting the block Kairi made to send her own attack back at her. She hopped out of the way, only to have to keep moving when Kairi closed the distance, and started swiping her keyblade at her.

However, it had barely been a minute since Kairi started this attack that Larxene felt her control over the dragon waver dangerously. A half glance showed her that the butter yellow pegasus stunning the dragon with a shout of something, and then two keyblade wielding ponies channeling light into their weapons. Dodging away from an attack, she attempted to flick one of her daggers at the timid pegasus, but it was sent upward into the stone ceiling as Kairi hit her leg with her weapon.

“Please! Control yourself, Mr. Dragon!” Fluttershy shouted, stunning the dragon once more. Ever since she joined the battle, she managed to help Applejack and Rainbow Dash in breaking the control of Darkness. And now her friends were channeling something through their keyblades as the dragon slumped to the ground, and bright lights shone from the ends of the blades. They then swung their blades high, and the light burst brilliantly over the creature, purging the shadows from it. Its scales returned to their brilliant sheen, and he let out a low breath.

She flew in, and then pet his long snout, and asked softly, “Are you alright? Do you have control of yourself now?” She received a slow nod, which made her smile warmly at the dragon.

Finding herself standing triumphantly over her opponent, Kairi held the keyblade at Larxene, daring her to make a move. She was panting hard through her mouth around the hilt and her nose, glaring dangerously at the Nobody. And yet, she was still smirking back at Kairi. “Wow, congrats on the victory, even if it’s not much of one.”

Larxene glanced behind her, seeing the ponies approaching, and the dragon glaring a thousand deaths at her. Before any of them could respond, Larxene moved her hoof an inch, and a portal opened up underneath her. “Until the next battle, princess. Enjoy this victory while you can, because you won’t be so lucky in the future,” Larxene said with a sharp tone. And just like that, she was gone. An empty spot took her place in the cave. Kairi didn’t dare unsummon her keyblade for a long moment, reaching out with her senses to try and find any hint of darkness nearby. But she found none at all. Slightly satisfied the Nobody was not coming back, she let her keyblade vanish.

“WOOHOO!” came a loud cry of happiness. Before Kairi knew it, she found herself tackled and squeezed in the near death trap that was a Pinkie Pie hug.

“P-Pinkie….too….tight…!” she barely managed to say. She was grateful as she sucked in air into her lungs as Pinkie Pie went on and on without end about the battle in excruciating detail. She was still catching her breath when Twilight, Rarity, and Spike made their way back in after hearing the chaos finally settle down.

“Is everypony okay?” Twilight asked with some concern.

“There’s probably a bit of bruising, but we’re otherwise alright, Twilight. Nothin’ a little rest can’t cure,” Applejack replied.

“Yeah, but we certainly kicked some tail today!” Rainbow exclaimed, riding her high on her ego.

“Good job, girls. I knew you could do it,” Kairi said as she focused on AJ and Rainbow.

“Well, we couldn’t have done it without Fluttershy’s help. If she hadn’t flown in when she did, we might still be fighting the dragon,” Applejack pointed out as she looked at her timid friend, who was tending to the dragons injuries. She was fussing over him like a mother hen.

Noticing they were the subject of the conversation, the dragon spoke low enough to not rattle the stone cave, “Thank you for breaking that despicable woman’s grip on me. Had I been myself, I would not have attacked without provocation.”

“Shoot, Ah understand. Besides, Ah think Ah speak fer all of us that it didn’t sit right seeing what she was doing to ya,” Applejack spoke proudly, earning nods from everyone else.

The dragon then turned his attention back to Fluttershy as she fussed over a small bruise. “And thank you for showing such kindness to me. Is there anything I can do to repay you?” he asked.

“Well, now that you mention it, before this all started we were on our way up to ask you to find new place to sleep. You were snoring an awful lot, and the smoke you were making is covering our home. If it’s not too much to ask, can you move to someplace where your snoring won’t be a health hazard to other creatures?” Fluttershy asked.

“Of course, you can consider it done. I only settled up here to rest my wings anyway. It was a good thing you were headed up here anyway. I’ve been known to drift off to sleep when I’m tired,” he admitted, rubbing a claw behind his head.

Twilight beamed as their goal was accomplished, and thankfully without anypony getting seriously hurt. “Thank you for understanding, Mr. Dragon,” she said.

As the dragon moved to pack up his hoard, Rarity finally caught sight of the glittering gold and gems in the pile. “Oh my, it really is true. A dragon’s hoard really is an amazing sight to behold,” she exclaimed, before a gasp left her. “Ideeeaaaa!” Lighting her horn with a light blue aura, she lifted a notepad, quill, and inkpot enveloped in the same aura out of her saddlebags, and began drawing up a new design for a dress. “Inspiration can hit a pony anywhere.”

Kairi watched as the dragon left the cave, happy that things had settled the way they did. As they all began to leave as well, Fluttershy began telling them that she had noticed the dragon had been trying hard to hold back in the battle. She was thankful for that, knowing that the dragon never really wanted to hurt them, and was actively fighting against the control Larxene had forced upon him.

And then there was Larxene herself. In Naminé’s memories, it seemed like it was so impossible that the psychopath had managed to survive. And yet she was there, in that cave channeling darkness into the dragon in order to control him. She shuddered, hoping that she managed to do enough to the woman that she wouldn’t be acting up anytime soon. ’I’ll have to be more careful in the future. I don’t think Larxene is done with this world yet.'

Kingdom Hearts: The Path of the Heart

by Tetsuya Kintame

Episode 1: An Unexpected Journey

Episode 2: Elemental Discovery

Episode 3: Starting a New Life

Episode 4: Boast Busters

Episode 5: Working with Anger

Episode 6: Sonic Rainboom

Episode 7: Dragonshy