001
May Your Heart Be Your Guiding Key Side Story: The Sunset of a New Universe
By SoulboundAlchemist and Alvasa
001
Overview
Sunset Shimmer, former warrior of light and keyblade master of a now nonexistent universe had managed to survive the total destruction of her universe thanks to the massive sacrifices her friends made to invade her in a crystal of Stopza magic. She had been rescued from the embrace of the void by the void wandering Crimson Sage, Edward Elric and taken to a new universe of Keyblade users not too much unlike her old one. With the help of the resident princess of light and X-blade wielder she was freed from the crystals and outfitted with prosthetics as well as cyber enhancement graphs on the left side of her body to replace what she’d lost before he crystalizion was completed.
Thanks to Edward she survived with the help of Kairi and her friends, Sunset was able to find the drive to keep going and a reason to keep on fighting. She wasn’t going to was this chance or see another home consumed by darkness. Thanks to the training and rehabilitation with no shortage of help from the Sage’s vast array of knowledge and power she was able to master her new abilities in a short amount of time. She was also taught by Edward’s wise to wield her recently awaken alicorn power of light and darkness.
Sunset was no longer a simple keyblade master but a warrior in the coming battles against the Armies of this New Universe under the leadership of Tash and his void sent and sin eaters. Edward had informed her of his finding in recent events hat were somewhat tied to Tash but were also superheated from his own attacks. With this info Sunset felt that her powers were better used out in the universe fighting what they couldn’t see instead of focusing on the more immediate threats Kairi and her team faced.
Sunset was also told her own keyblade mentor, Master Xerra, had managed to survive their universe’s destruction and to find his way here on his own power by the Sage. Her missions were clear: find out what this side group was and fight them back and find out their plans while also finding her master.
One week Later…
Sunset came out of the newly refitted training simulator covered in dust, scratch, and cuts.
“Time for a much-needed bath…” She scratched her head. “Hmmmm….” she felt her hair. It had grown to the middle of her back due to the last year she spent under Ed’s training in his Time Chamber. “I liked my long hair back home but… is just too much of a hassle to maintain, especially after fights.”
She walked through the floors of Midday Tower until she came to the room she’d chosen to stay in while she was there. Walking over to the mirror she looked herself up and down a couple of times, her attention mostly being drawn to her the scars the darkness had left her with on the left side of her body.
“I think it’s time for an overall new look,” She remarked as she flicked her hair, causing a small cloud of dust and debris to come out. “But first, that bath is calling me.”
She gathered up her clothes and bathing essentials and head out one more into the tower to the new open area hot spring-style bath the alchemist had installed. She honestly preferred the freedom it allowed over the cramped one in her room, and she was barely modest about anything when she was there. Honestly, Sunset was not one for modesty in many aspects of her daily left either, but she still preferred very revealing clothing as opposed to running around in just a bikini top and short-shorts. This was a trait Rarity, both her human friend from her universe and the pony version of the current one she was in found simply appalling as they said.
She walked on in silence until she heard footsteps from the opposite hall and saw Kairi and Sumire headed her way.
“Hye girls,” Sunset called out, “Were you two headed to the bath too?”
Sumire nodded with a smile. “Yep! I’ve loved onsen style baths for years, so you better believe I’m gonna make use of ours!”
“Agreed, though I will admit that I’m still somewhat uncomfortable with it, but it's still quite relaxing.” Kairi agreed with a blush.
“Or is it the fact that you don’t like being fawned over by an older woman?” Sunset smirked as Kiari’s blushed deepened, “You really are too cute when you blush! AHAHAHA!”
“You realize that before ending up here, I was a guy, right?” Kairi mumbled in embarrassment.
Sumire winced. “Now that you say that, it makes a lot more sense why you seem so shy around other girls.”
“Why does it matter?” Sunset slyly smirked again, “You were a guy that liked girls but now you’re a girl that likes girls. The way I see it, you have an advantage cause as a girl you know what a girl's turn-offs can be but as a guy, you've gained experience from asking girls out and playing the field. You have the experience and advantage to see things from both sides,” she shrugged as they arrived. “We’re hereeeee!” she sang as she opened the door and immediately started stripping, causing the others to turn bright red as the doors hadn't even shut.
“Now that’s the spot….” Sunset let out a sigh of relief as she dipped into the water.
The two redheads took a couple more seconds to join her.
“Seriously Kairi, it still astounds me that you insist on wearing that in the bath.” Sumire was grumbling over Kairi’s choice to wear a swimsuit into the bath
“Look, I’m still body shy, alright!” Kairi snapped, her blush having deepened, against all odds.
“Kinda defeats the purpose of a bath though.”
“I could leave, you know.”
Sumire paused, before raising her hands in defeat. “Point taken.”
“Embarrassment is natural to all Sumire, even men,” Sunset remarked as she floated by. “They all talk a big game but many of them would've turned an even brighter red than your hair if it came to bathing with three gorgeous girls like us. You two are still teens too, so you’re still growing, biologically at least.”
Sumire huffed, crossing her arms. “I know, but I still say it should be treated like an actual bath, not a pool or hot tub.”
“Different culture, Su-Chan,” Kairi chuckled.
“She’s still right,” Sunset agreed with the thief as she walked over to the side and grabbed her comb, and started running it through her hair. “But Ed made this place so it could be more than a bath but a place to also have fun as well Sumire. So let's just enjoy it as that's what we're supposed to do here.”
After she finished combing the knots and debris from her hair Sunset went over to the shower area and started to scrub down before returning to the main area. She sat in one of the chairs there and relaxed while Kairi’s eyes looked over her body. Most of the attention was directed toward Sunset’s scars and the pendant around the master’s neck.
“Uh, I assume most of those scars came from the war that took your universe?” Kairi asked, awkwardly looking away.
“Where else would I get them,” Sunset said with closed eyes. “I don’t mind the staring little girl but if you want to know something then ask it.”
The older redhead took a breath, before looking Sunset in the eye. “What exactly caused your universe to be destroyed?”
“Xehanort’s overall wish,” Sunset growled, “I won the fight but lost the overall war.”
Kairi nodded. “So, do you think we have a chance in the battle that’s coming?”
“You already have a lot more powerful allies than I did so I say you've got a shot,” Sunset stood up and crossed her arms under her breasts, “But I’m not going to say you can for sure either. It all depends on all aspects. Which is why I wanted to tell you,” she looked at the redheads, “I think they're more out there I can do than just fight alongside you guys. Ed told me…. My master is still alive and he could be here in this universe…”
“I’m going to find him,” Sunset said with determination. “He’s the only person I can call family I have left from home but I also think he has a reason for not being here with us, and…. I think I should be out there going to worlds and looking as well as fighting on the frontlines with my own group.”
Sumire looked a little more than put off by that last statement while Kairi knew exactly what Sunset was trying to get across.
“Are you against me going out and having my own base?” Sunset eyed Kairi.
The older redhead blinked in confusion. “Of course not, why would I have a problem with that?”
“I was expecting a bit of resistance,” Sunset pouted a little, “At least a little, Stay, you just got here, you need to rest. I was hoping to tease you a little at least.”
Kairi shot her a flat look. “I learned how to spot being baited into being teased LOOONG before I ended up here.”
“Is that why you end up getting teased by Melissa so often?” Sumire asked with a smirk.
“I let her tease me,” Kairi replied with an eye roll. “Especially 'cause I end up teasing her right back. All in good fun.”
“Somehow I don’t believe that,” Sunset put her hand on her hip with a smirk. “The tech chick is hot. Why don't you ask her out? You two clearly have chemistry.”
Kairi giggled. “She’s already taken, ironically enough, by another Displaced Kairi, though she seems to be a younger version of me.”
“So you two are dating technically,” Sunset smirked, causing Kairi to blush a little at the realization. “I honestly hope you find someone. I also hope… you don’t lose them…” she looked down as she clutched the crystal pendant.
Kairi’s smile slowly fell, as she watched Sunset, before climbing out of the bath and wrapping her in a hug. “You’ll find someone again. I know you will.”
“The thought is nice Kairi,” Sunset rubbed her head before pulling away. “But I don’t intend to find anyone for a very very long time. Unless they have immortality most are going to have a hard time keeping up with an alicorn after all.”
She walked over and grabbed a towel. “I do plan to make regular check-ins so if you could have hot stuff whip me up an earpiece as well as a few extra items for a small base, I’d appreciate it. I’ll be heading out in a couple of days. I still need to get some other stuff cleared up. I gotta tell pops and…. His crew… I think that'll be the hardest thing to do…”
She sighed and got dressed. “Thanks for everything you've done for me since I got here,” she sincerely said before walking out.
It had been a few days since her bath with Kairi and Luna. Sunset was on one of the few open balconies of the tower looking into the massive expanse of her new universe. She was just sitting on the railing and thinking.
“So similar yet so different,” she sighed. “But if he’s out there I need to find him. If he’s on our side then I know we’ll have a better chance at things. Besides,” she stood up and reached out with her prosthetic left arm and activated her dark power, her left side shifting into demon form, “I can feel it. Someone else is out there working in the dark to unseal the worlds’ keyholes.”
Sunset reverted and turned before walking into the tower’s tea room.
“Everyone here is too busy with Equestria and I can’t pull them away to deal with things that may be,” Sunset said, “Or to help me find my former teacher. I need help though… I need my own people…. And there's only one person I know I can turn to go with me for sure in this universe right now. It just so happens he lives in the first world I’m going to search for clues for Master Xerra.”
She opened the doors and headed out, “I need to see the Doc and see if the ship is ready for departure first off.”
Sunset headed for the Doctor's lab immediately but stopped as she noticed both Kairi and Luna outside, staring at a strange green orb of energy.
“You noticed too, huh?” Sumire’s voice spoke up right behind Sunset. She whirled around to find the Phantom Thief leaning against the wall, watching the two outside. “That orb they’re looking at appeared in the exact spot that Ed left from. They think its something that can be harnessed.”
“And you don’t?” Sunset replied with a raised eyebrow.
Sumire shrugged. “Honestly, it doesn’t matter one way or the other for me. I have my Persona, and the training Ed gave us, and that’s more than enough for me.”
Their conversation came to an abrupt end when a dull “THUMP” was heard, right before Kairi’s body impacted the wall right beside the two.
“Ugh,” the redhead groaned, pulling herself out of the crater she created. “Note to self, don’t do that again.”
“Ya think!” Sunset yelled. “Pops is the one who left it, so he obviously meant for us to use it for something but neither you nor blue butt can handle that power without understanding yourself better first.”
“That’s not exactly the case,” Luna chimed in as she joined the group. “We understand ourselves just fine. Our problem is that we’re still hesitant to use the Darkness, and by extension, this new power that Ed left behind.”
“And why the hesitancy?” Sumire questioned. Kairi and Luna exchanged a look for a moment, before turning back to Sunset and Sumire.
"It’s a bit difficult to explain," Kairi explained, choosing her words carefully. "Neither one of us has ever truly been comfortable using the Darkness." Sumire opened her mouth to say something, only to be cut off by the red head. "Don't be fooled, my Shadow Dragon Slayer magic affects shadows, not true Darkness."
"We've more or less been sticking to Light magic," Luna picked up the explanation. "And we've been doing that because, for most of our lives, we've seen Dark and Light as antagonists. We believed that we, as well as anyone else who wielded the Light, were the champions of good, simply because we had the Light. If, as Ed told us, these are not moral forces, if they are not opposites, what are they?"
"A simple, yet complex question, to be sure," Kairi nodded in agreement. "From my own observations, Light generates natural life, physical transformation at a molecular scale across whole planets. We see it in the Earth Ponies' Green Magic all the time, as it entices plant life to grow. This really should have been our first hint towards the true nature of Light and Dark: the domain of the Light is the domain of the physical."
"Whereas the Darkness is then revealed in many facets," Luna took over once more. "Dreams and nightmares. Emotions. Pain. Memory." The young Alicorn gestured towards the green tangle of energy. "The nature of this new power, this 'Strand', confirms this line of thinking. Darkness is something entirely apart from Light."
Kairi nodded in agreement, turning back to the energy mass. "It’s a paracausal union, conjoining intangible conscious realities, discursively linking to-"
"That sounds suspiciously like the river of souls." Sumire cut in thoughtfully.
All eyes snapped onto the Phantom Thief. "River?" Kairi asked.
The girl nodded. "It's a story that's been passed down through my family for generations. Since before history, there's been this raging river. As the story goes, some try to divert the river. Others try to build a dam. But nothing stops it. Many in my family believe that we either sink in the water or learn to swim.
Luna tilted her head in confusion. “Don't we though?”
Sumire smirks. "And that's the real wild part, we ARE the river! We decide how we flow, how we connect to each other!"
“I see it as we are the parts that make us,” Sunset shook her head. “Light or dark. Both are good but yet both are evil. It's like pops said, darkness gives birth to light and eventually, that light will be consumed by a new darkness that the light itself birthed. Life comes from both aspects in its own ways. At least that's how I see it. You can either be afraid of the darkness inside you and deny it,” She held up her prosthetic and let the darkness erupt from it, “or embrace and become the whole state of being as you were meant to be,” she added as the darkness turned into a steady flow before trickling out. “Which is it for you two?”
Kairi and Luna looked at each other again, before turning back to the orb of Strand energy, which, upon closer inspection, looked like a tangle of threads. The two reached their hands towards the orb, allowing threads of the energy to wind around their arms.
“I think they got it,” Sumire nodded with a smirk, before noticing the dark energy that Sunset had been channeling had slowly turned green and thread-like as well. “Looks like you did as well.”
“Hmmm…..” Sunset looked over her arm and concentrated a moment. “Something called titan. What did that old fart leave us exactly?” She looked at the sisters now. “Titan, what does that mean?”
Kairi’s eyes widened. “Of course! Why didn’t I think to structure this power like a Guardian?” She quickly gathered energy into her arm, before channeling it into the ground, creating a pool of healing energy. “Warlock, of course,” she nodded in satisfaction before turning back to Sunset. “Try to channel the energy into a barrier of some sort.”
“Barriers aren’t hard for me to do…” Sunset did as she was told and created a green barrier, not noticing the green shockwaves that it generated as she did. “I was taught by my… mother and Shining Armor and I would compete on whose was stronger…”
She started to feel the pain in her heart again, “I’m going to stop talking for a while..” she lowered her barrier and walked off to the side, and leaned against the wall.
Kairi sighed. “Basically what I’m saying is that a Titan is known for their defensive abilities, as well as their large-scale attacks. I’m a Warlock, which is basically the scalpel to the Titan’s hammer, if that makes sense.”
“I wonder if the old man could take a hit from me now?” Sunset muttered.
“Oh he could,” came a new voice.
Everyone turned to look at the source with it being none other than the Chibi their benefactor left for them. “It would still knock his body on his ass for a good minute though.”
“Sounds like a casualty-type attack then,” Sunset said as she looked at Kairi, “Or something all those lines right?”
“Paracausal, actually,” Kairi replied. “Abilities, events, or entities that seem to violate causality are referred to as paracausal, which is exactly what Strand is.”
“So he gave us each a weapon to fight on par with him, or at least do some real damage to his existence,” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “I mean I know pops is an op as all get-out guy but why would he give us stuff like this if he knew we could use it against him let alone our enemies? Unless…” She thought. “Does this mean the Sin Eaters and Voidsent are on that level now?”
“Doubtful,” Kairi frowned. “More likely, it's to deal with Tash. That thing is 100% a paracausal entity.”
“I wanted to ask,” Sunset looked around, “If this guy is THAT powerful then why not call pops him and let the old man wipe everything out in one go. I mean… we all saw and experienced what a small portion of his true self can do during training,” as she said that everyone became a bit unnerved as they recalled the horror that came from the Gate of Truth, “Something tells me you girls are still hide a big thing about the old man from me.”
The redhead paled. “Uh, I REALLY don’t want to talk about it…”
Luna’s eyes were blank. “So… Cold…”
Sumire and Sunset exchanged a glance before Sumire shrugged. “Don’t look at me, I have no idea what they’re talking about.”
“What happened to you two?” Sunset looked at them and then the Chibi who’d mysteriously vanished. “Doubt he’d tell me anyways…” She groaned.
“Nope, we are NOT explaining it!” Kairi and Luna exclaimed, Kairi throwing a green grenade that pulled Sunset into the air, spread eagle, while Luna threw a green rope with a blade on the end that wrapped around her throat. “You can’t make us talk!”
“You two better back off!” Sunset easily broke free as she turned into her demonic alicorn form before returning to normal. “I was asking because I’m your friend and was concerned, not to torment you! I get that you have secrets and are entitled to keep them but don’t you ever tie me up and hold a blade to my throat again unless you plan to feel a major pain in your spare tire of an ass!”
“Easy guys,” Sumire cut it. “If you guys have forgotten, Darkness stems from emotions, you guys said so yourselves. I think you need to exercise a higher level of control, otherwise, situations like this happen.”
“You mean like with Raven in the Teen Titans?” Kairi asked.
“Exactly, though not to the same extent as her,” the Phantom Thief nodded. “Just be aware that heightened emotions can trigger certain instincts, and don’t bottle everything up and you should be fine.”
Kairi nodded, then turned to Luna. “That then brings us to you, Luna. I was gonna ask what sort of abilities you had now, but I think we can safely say you got the Hunter skill set.”
The blue filly nodded. “Yep.”
“If we’re done with this shit show I think I’ll be leaving for now as I’ve thoroughly had my fill of you two for the time being,” Sunset said while directing her annoyance and anger at the sister while she started back on her way to the Doctor’s area.
It didn’t take long for Sunset to make her way down to see the doctor.
“Yo doc! Ya here or did you blow up again?!” She called out. “I’m here to check on things and see if my ship is ready for when I gather my crew.”
The Time Lord popped his head up from behind a pile of seemingly useless junk, before pointing towards a modestly sized glider-like craft. “Oh, your ship’s been done for a while now. I hope you don’t mind, but I made it bigger on the inside.”
“Handy,” Sunset crossed her arms and raised and eyebrow. “At least we’ll have space and won’t have to waste munni on an inn in any world we go to. What other stuff did you add in and aren’t telling me about my dear Doctor? Pops told me all about the timelords and their little timey-whimey wibbly wobbly nonsense, and trust me when I say I’m censoring myself?”
“Oh, my dear Sunset,” The Doctor chuckled. “Of course there’s more to it. First, and most importantly, is the Cameleon Circuit. Essentially, this allows your ship to disguise itself automatically to suit the world you’re in. Just don’t forget where you parked. Second, is the computer. That Chibi-Ed duplicated itself to integrate into the ship, becoming the computer.”
“Great,” Sunset rolled her eyes, “Well… at least it gives me a direct line to good ole ma and pa. Anything else? Weapon systems?”
“What do you take me for?” The Doctor scoffed. “Absolutely not. If you want weapons, you’ll have to find those yourself and have Melissa install them. I don’t do weapons.”
“You do realize me and anyone else on board are fighting a war against soul and heart-stealing creatures of light and darkness that can also attack us when we go to and from worlds right?” Sunset’s gaze narrowed on the small pony who was now tugging at his bowtie, “Urrrr…..” she rubbed the bridge of her nose, “Look doc I know you’re not the biggest fan of mot sorts of violence but we’re literally at war right now and I’m fighting behind the scenes here. I mean throw me to the wolves type of stuff dude! You can’t not outfit this thing with a lazer beam or something?”
The Doctor rolled his eyes. “Of course I’m not sending you in undefended. What do you take me for? I’m sure you’ve heard one of my counterparts mention that for all intents and purposes, nothing can get into my TARDIS uninvited, except for the Daleks. I’ve added the same type of shielding to your ship, as well as stealth tech, allowing you to go right through without any of them knowing you were there. Just, you know, don’t bump into anything.”
“Don’t worry,” chibi popped up. “I’ve already taken the liberty of installing several other countermeasures in the form of offensive capabilities that can be utilized in case such opportune moments should arise.”
“Can the damn thing shoot lasers or not?” Sunset asked bluntly.
“Yes,” the chibi and doctor said at the same time though in very different tones of voice.
“Thank you eggheads for the much simpler answer,” Sunset threw up a hand. “Doc, this thing can be remote-piloted too right? Not that I don’t trust you mini pops but what if you’re out of commission?”
Chibi just stuck out his tongue and popped into confetti.
“To answer your question, yes, yes you can remote pilot the ship,” The Doctor sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in annoyance.
“Was it the lasers?” Sunset asked.
“That, and his childish antics,” he replied tiredly. “Anyhoof, ready to take it for a spin?”
“Not right now. It’s for when I get my crew together thus the need for a separate ship,” Sunset threw up her hands. “I can barely handle my new glider outside combat sims right now. And can you really blame the little fella? He’s supposed to be a part of a larger network but doesn't really have a whole lot of other counterparts as large as us that make use of him as much as we do, not to mention you’re not unknown for your own antic Doctor?”
“Point taken,” the Time Lord shrugged. “Anywho, there’s a strange temple just outside I need to investigate. Stay out of trouble!” And with that, the Doctor disappears.
“Yea, you too,” Sunset rolled her eyes. She held her left arm up and a holo-display appeared over it, “Cross reference data from all of the KH series games and materials no matter what its source,” she ordered. “I need as much info as I can get. There’s something else going on out there alongside all this, Tash bs. I don’t know if he started it but it needs to me stopped. We can’t afford to have even a single keyhole reopened and we need as many keyblade wielders as we can to join our side before it's too late.”
She walked over and looked at her ship, “Don’t worry girl,” She smirked, “You’ll be out of the place soon enough,” she turned, “I better let everyone know it's time I head out,” she walked out of the room and off to the outside to the flight deck, “hey guys and girls,” she called out over the coms, “If you wanna see me off into the wide blue yonder then make it here quick!” She smirked and cut the feed and waited.
Time slowly crept by.
“Been an hour and nobody showed up,” Sunset sighed as she dangled her feet off the edge of the platform, “Oh well, we all have our own shit todo,” she said as she easily backflipped with her new arm. “Still not used to the super strength,” she looked at her hand as she opened and closed it then summon her new keyblade.
“You know, you forgot to press the button on the comms,” an amused voice spoke up behind her. Sunset turned around to find Melissa, Kairi, Luna and Sumire just entering the room. “You’re lucky I happened to be watching the cams in the room.”
“I did press the button,” Sunset said as she showed everyone her arms, and she had indeed pressed but not all the way. “I’m a bigger idiot than the spiky-haired one is sometimes aren’t I?”
Melissa shrugged. “We all have our moments. Anyway, stay safe out there. We’ll be here when you return.”
“Hopefully it'll be with more help and a solid lead on this shadow group pops told us about,” Sunset scratched her head. “Mmmmmm… I think I’ll start there after all,” she smirked, “The Destiny Islands. It was Master Xehonort’s homeworld, not to mention Sora and Riku’s too. Maybe I can even recruit them to our cause. You’re here meaning they never met Kairi in this universe though…” Sunset thought, “Would they even be keyblade wielders?”
Kairi shrugged. “Only one way to find out. Besides, you’d be able to bestow them with their own Keyblade if they don’t have one already.”
“You know better than anyone the blade chooses its wielder,” Sunset added. “I may have achieved the rank of master but I am not going to bestow that ability on anyone. Keyblades are just as much a curse on us as they are a tool to fight back. I can’t and won’t let it reach any further than myself. If they do have the ability then that means Aqua, Terra, and even Ventus are here though. Maybe… Master is looking for them in teh Realm of Darkness… Thoughts for another time,” she summoned her keyblade and threw it out, turning it into its glider form before dawn her armor.
“Thanks for seeing me off and thanks for taking me in,” Sunset looked around her, “It's time for me to fight my own part in this war. I won’t lose another home or another family,” she said as she jumped onto her glider, “Next stop, Destiny Island! Later guys!” She waved as she zoomed off and through a portal.