I sat across from them… all SEVEN of the anthro pony women. Number seven was getting water at the time I woke up. They were fully clothed, finally, and even though I recognized most of them, I let them tell me their names so I didn’t stir suspicion. I still couldn’t believe the ones I recognized though. Both princess Celestia and Luna, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash… The last two were named Rune Spell, the one I freed from the machine outside the castle, and Hearts Care, otherwise known as Button Mash’s mother.
I cleared my throat. “So… why were you all hugging me naked while I was out cold? And how long was I out?” Thank god they have clothes on now.
“Well,” Luna started. “You have been out for close to a week, the children freed my sister and I from these strange metal and glass flowers in the dungeon, and managed to get those devices off of the others.”
“I was so happy to see my Button.” Hearts Care spoke. “When I was dragged away I thought it was the end for me. I can’t thank you enough for finding the children and giving them the power to protect.”
“Yeah! Scoot’s is a tough kid, but a little heat never hurts either.” Rainbow blurted.
“They explained everything to us, and I must say I am beyond fascinated such items exist!” Twilight said, curiosity filling her eyes.
“Still not explaining why you were all hugging me naked while I was out.” I repeated.
“Well, given the state of our world, we felt it was a good introduction into your reward.” Celestia said.
“Reward?”
“It’s something that has been law since Luna and I were foals, even when our parents were foals as well. If a hero shall save the kingdom and it’s ruler, he is given the princess's hand in marriage.”
I nearly fell out of my seat. “What the hell kinda rule is that?!”
“Old and gender specific.”
“Look, I helped you, not just out of worry, but it’s my job.” I summoned the X-blade, to which Twilight responded by pulling out a notepad and started taking notes. “When I took my Keyblade, I accepted the role of Balancer. I keep the worlds in balance, to this world, I created and played a role of hero, but to others I will have to create and play the role of villain.”
“Must you?” Fluttershy asked weakly.
“Yes. A world falling into darkness needs light, I will give it light. A world blanketed in light will face it’s shadow… I will be that shadow… If I don’t, the world will be swallowed into darkness… or corrupt it’s light and fall into darkness anyway.”
“Does that mean if you create villains to take a world away from darkness you will have to create heros to keep it in the light?” Luna asked.
I looked at her. “I never really thought about it that way.”
“Your ‘job’ is not as black and white as you make it seem.” Celestia said. “Even in the darkness of my sister’s night, there is light, and in my daylight, there are shadows.”
I chuckled. “Guess nothing is ever black and white like that… still… why were all of you naked hugging me if that law only says the princess is offered?”
“Well… as wrong as it sounds we aren’t offered, we are flat out given. No return policy or receipt. As for why all of us were with you… it was all Hearts Care’s idea really, I’m just surprised everyone agreed.”
“Agreed to what?”
“A herd marriage!” Hearts Care shouted.
“A what?”
“Basicly all seven of us are now your wives.” Twilight explained.
I blinked. “First off, that’s called a harem where I’m from, and second… WHY?!!?!?!?”
“Well… for one, everybody in this castle is literally all that’s left…” Luna said, tears trying to form in her eyes. “My travels into the dreamscape have showed me that only fifteen realms of sleep exist… out of millions… only fifteen.”
“Luna, you… your serious…” I felt like garbage… worthless. Millions of pony people are gone! BECAUSE OF THAT BASTARD! … “I know they say you can’t save them all… but… maybe we can save the ones who survive.” They all looked at me. “I know this place, a world, well, more like a town, people who lost their worlds to darkness often find their way there if they didn’t get displaced somewhere else, might still have people.”
“The point?”
“Well… I don’t know if the people who were lost will be able to come back, but this world shouldn’t be left empty. If we’re able to bring them back, then they will come back, but until then… maybe we can give those that lost their worlds a home.”
“I agree, after what we all have been through it would be flat out evil of us to reject those who have also lost everything. But before that, I have a favor of you to ask.”
“What is-” I was interrupted by Celestia as she tossed a scroll at my face. I was confused, but when I opened it it became clear and my face turned cherry red. It was a marriage certificate, but with all their names on it already… Wow, these things come ready to add husbands and wives after there are already some there? I looked at all of them, nervously. I always felt good guys should get a fitting reward if they risked their life to save somebody and such, but this… My life will turn from Balance keeper to a harem anime… and it’s only been a week… THAT I WAS OUT COLD FOR THE MAJORITY OF! “I… I need to think for a while.”
“Take your time, there is no rush.” I left the certificate on the table and left the room. I grew up with the idea of a Disney family, but seeing my own families true nature made me never want one, despite, corny enough, being a dad was more a dream of mine than anything.
My own dad wasn’t too bad… if you like a retired hitman that every time you set foot in the door you gotta dodge a knife being thrown at you. My mom was only slightly better, she at least used rubber bullets. They never wanted to hurt me, really, it’s just how they are. A family of criminals and psychopaths gives you quite the personality. They are nice people, good people if you look past their combined body counts.
I found myself in what looked like a dining hall of sorts, Dinky and Button were at a large table with some other kids, one I recognized, the other was fuzzy and two were babies. “Zeke!” Dinky said, running up and hugging me around my waist. “You’re awake!”
“Yeah, and I kinda wish I didn’t go out cold so I can say I never saw what I saw.”
“What?”
“Nevermind. Who are those two and the babies?”
“Oh, that’s Snails and Diamond Tiara. They had those machines on them too! Though Diamond Tiara hasn’t said much since she had it removed. The babies are Pound and Pumpkin Cake.”
I looked at Diamond Tiara for a while… she looked like a sad, wet, kicked puppy. “So what have you all been doing while I was out?”
“Training, exploring the castle, looking around the city. Ever since you beat that guy controlling the Nobodies they haven’t been showing up at all.”
“Mind if I talk to Diamond Tiara and Snails for a while?” Dinky nodded and let me take a seat next to Tiara and across from Snails. “So… you two know Dinky and them?”
“Yes sir!” Snails said. “We used to hang out from time to time before those Nobodies showed up.”
“Nice, and what about you Diamond Tiara?”
She glanced at me for a while before speaking. “I was… a bully.”
“Was is who you were, who are you now then?”
“... Pathetic…”
“And why do you think that’s what you are?”
“The whole reason that crazy person kept me around for so long was because he told me that my heart dark… that I could be like him.” I remained silent and Diamond Tiara took the hint to keep talking. “After he put me in a cell, I reflected a lot on my life… and he wasn’t wrong. If I kept up like that then If I was just a few years older and crueler, I would have turned out just like him. He asked me if I wanted to help him, to rip people’s hearts out and drown them in darkness… I just cried til he left.”
“Go on.”
“He ripped out my parents hearts, my best friend’s heart, and turned them into Nobodies. Right in front of me.”
“What happened to their hearts?”
“He just let them float off into the sky.”
“... Then they might be out there.”
“You’re just saying that.”
“Look, a person can come back if their heart is free and their Nobody has been destroyed. Where they come back though… I’m not sure. Guess it’s wherever the two reunite.”
“But…”
“But what?”
“I just wanna find Silver Spoon.”
“Why don’t you want your parents?”
“My mom is the whole reason I acted rude to others… in her eyes if you weren’t a person of high standing you were worthless. My dad mostly ignored me in favor of business. The few times we did talk it was just to give me my allowance to spend on whatever while he was away.”
“Well… I can understand bad family. Thought my parents were alright, my aunts, cousins, uncles, they were horrible.”
“How so?”
“I was four when I met my grandpa for the first time I can remember. He was always angry, he stabbed my dad, his own son, in the arms because he didn’t tell me what the “family business’ was yet.”
Diamond Tiara, Snails, Button, and Dinky all looked at me shocked. “That’s uh, pretty bad.”
“That’s nothing. When I was ten I met my cousin, Victor, for the first time. He was from my mom’s side of the family, he murdered a guy right in front of me. Then another, and another… and four more after that. Long story short I know seven ways to kill a person and dispose of the body.”
“What kind of family do you come from?!”
“Criminals, hitmen, murderers, psychopaths, sociopaths, drug dealers, and everything inbetween. That’s my family. Out of all of them… I was the only one who never did anything wrong, so I was the black sheep in the family.”
“How did you not turn out like the rest of them?”
“Not sure… Never really thought about it, maybe I was destined to be what I am now.”
‘Well… how does this relate to me?”
“Cause even though my family can be summarized as evil, I know them, they are still people. Cousin Victor will drop anything to chase an ice cream truck, grandpa loves to watch the sunset, and my mom and dad kept away from how dark my family really was for years. As evil as they may be, they are still people. And if my family can have nice and fun qualities, then people like your parents can have them too, plus with the world the way it it they might change and be better.”
“Maybe… so… you married to those seven?”
I almost fell out of my seat. “I uh, haven’t signed anything yet. Kinda want to think it over and I guess get to know them all.”
“You gonna give them Keyblades?”
“Sooner or later I guess… you and Snails can get them now though.”
Snails practically jumped over the table in excitement. I laughed a little and Called the Keyblade that chose Snails. I didn’t recognize it, but the name that came to mind was Aubade. I gave it to Snails and he and Button started practicing nearby. I looked and Diamond Tiara and wondered what kind of Keyblade would choose her. Calling her Keyblade proved… stubborn to say the least. I know it chose her, but it didn’t want to come. Finally, that flash of light appeared and it was another Keyblade I didn’t recognize… The oddest part was that I couldn't hear it say it's name.
When I handed it to Diamond Tiara, it glowed a little as she took it. “What’s it called?”
“It didn’t say.”
“It didn’t say? Keyblades have minds of their own?”
“They choose their wielders, I just summon them for you.”
“So it’s nameless?”
“No name.” I said, shrugging.
“No Name… I kinda like that.” She said as she looked at it for a while. “Wonder who had this before me?”
After a small meal I met back up with the girls in Celestia’s room. I was still thinking about the whole marrying them thing. Any other brony would have written their name down in blood if they were in my shoes. I don’t think I can get out of this, so I can try and make the best of an unusual situation.
I explained that I won’t just sign and marry them without knowing them, so we decided that I would spend a week with each to get to know each of them. The order was going to be random, names written on paper and pulled out of my pocket after. We would start that tomorrow, since it was actually a monday tomorrow… I’ve never even been on a date, now I gotta got on seven week long dates with seven different women… this shit never happened to Sora, save for fanfiction, but I that’s irrelevant.
Now, I was ready to give them all Keyblades, best they get them now and train some with them. First up was Celestia, and as I called the Keyblade that chose her I felt an odd rush of power as I did.The Keyblade that appeared was. In my opinion, one of the hardest ones to get in the game of Birth By Sleep… Royal Radiance. I felt a little jealous, but shrugged it off.
Twilight was next, calling her Keyblade was easy. It was one I’d never seen before. It’s handle was something like a pen, with ink flowing out to form the hand guards, the blade was pages of blank paper, and the top was an open book with three colored tabs sticking out of the pages near the book’s end. The keychain was an open book and the name it gave me was Knowledge Seeker.
Rune Spell got a strange one, it was another one I had never seen. It looked like it was made from stone and the top of the blade was decorated with three ruin marks. The Keychain was a small blank stone rectangle and the name it spoke was Old Magic.
Fluttershy… I wasn’t all that surprised with the one she got, but it was the weakest Keyblade to ever exist as far as I know… Sweet Memories. Kinda makes sense though, a Keyblade that doesn't add to attack for a person that doesn't fight.
Luna was eager to receive hers. What appeared was another I didn’t know by it’s appearance alone, but I knew it was from 358/2 days. Darker Than Dark… Felt a little ironic she would get a Keyblade with that name.
Rainbow Dash was contemplating what Keyblade she would get, and I was kinda with her on it. The fastest flier in Equestria, what Keyblade would choose her? I recognized the Keyblade instantly, Fairy Stars, an early get in Birth By Sleep. Rainbow was disappointed in the name, but at least it matched her mane?
Lastly was Hearts Care, the one who came up with the idea for this ‘herd marriage’. God what Keyblade has chosen her? I nearly dropped my jaw at what appeared, I wasn't even sure how? This was Sora/Roxas specific… right… Two Become One.
“What’s so special about it?” Hearts Care asked.
"Well… I can’t really explain. But it’s name says it all just about.” I never played Final Mix, so I really didn’t know anything. There’s a lot I still don’t know and perhaps I should consult an expert about this.
“So then, are these just going to be for show or are we going to learn how to use these?” Celestia asked, waving her Keyblade around like a rapier.
“Sure, let’s head to wherever the guards used to practice, should be plenty of room there.”
The rest of the day was all of us, save for Fluttershy who just watched and looked after the Cake Twins, practicing and training with their Keyblades. I was rather proud when Button managed to knock Celestia on her butt, we all had a good laugh at her expense. She just shrugged it off and we continued late into the night.
After Luna raised the moon and Celestia lowered the sun, we all went to be, where I found myself yet again being hugged by them all… at least they have clothes on this time...