//------------------------------//
// The Times They Are A Changeling 
// Story: My Little Pony: Sora's Misadventures in Equestria 
// by Codex92 
//------------------------------//

On the express train heading north to the Crystal Empire, Twilight was overly excited to visit her brother, sister-in-law, and her niece, Flurry Heart. Riku sat beside her, trying to keep her from bouncing around too much, and joining them were Sora and Starlight, the former nervous at meeting the newborn alicorn filly again and be her new living rag doll again despite her magic somewhat sealed by the spell Sunburst found for her, while the latter was excited to see the crystaller again, the two friends keeping in touch with each other via mail just like they promised.

Before the ride, Sora and Lea had told everyone about their experience in Sora's heart and about the mysterious girl who was there when they took on Vanitas. Riku was actually surprised to hear that he had actually met Xion before, but the reason why he had no memory of it was because when she was killed by Roxas, the memories of her who were close to her or close to Sora with the memories she had had disappeared along with her. Lea was annoyed that Riku didn't suffer the same headaches he had, mostly due to the fact Riku didn't have any fond memories with Xion, just encountering her and helping her defect from Organization XIII. When he was told that he had actually talked down to her on their first meeting after defeating her in combat, Riku felt bad for emotionally distressing Xion when she wasn't even a real Nobody like the rest of the Organization. Maybe one day he can make amends with her, though it would be awkward apologizing to someone who looks a lot like Kairi but is basically a remnant of Sora. Even though all she is now is a memory, Pinkie had suggested maybe bringing Roxas and Xion out of Sora via the Mirror Pool and increase their numbers to save the worlds from the Heartless, but everyone who knew of that incident immediately denied going through that again if Pinkie was going to secretly clone herself again.

"I am so excited!" Twilight exclaimed with a wide grin. "I just hope Cadence and Shining Armor don't think it's too soon for me to come back to the Crystal Empire to visit. But I know Flurry Heart's grown so much already! I wonder if I'll recognize her."

"Twilight, it's been a couple months since we've been to the Crystal Empire," Riku reminded his overly-excited girlfriend, keeping his hooves firmly pressed on her shoulders so she didn't flap away with how much her wings were twitching against her sides. "I doubt a baby's grown that much in less than a year."

"You shush!" Twilight scolded. "I'm an aunt, and I wanna see my favorite niece!"

"She's your only niece," Riku added, earning a growl in annoyance from the alicorn.

"We know how much you want to see Flurry again," Starlight said. "I'm also excited to see Sunburst again, but I don't want to fall behind on my friendship lessons."

"You know, you don't have to stay in Ponyville twenty-four seven to learn about friendship," Sora said. "You learn about it anywhere with anyone who's willing to give you a chance. Take it from me since I have tons of friends from different parts of the galaxy. Right, Spike?"

Sitting at the other end of the car was Spike, who was apparently disguising himself in a trench coat, hat, a pair of glasses, and held a newspaper to try to conceal his identity, which was impossible considering he was the only dragon on the train. "Spike? Who's Spike?" Spike said with a deep voice to mask himself.

"...Why are you wearing all that, Spike?" Starlight asked.

The baby dragon groaned, his cover blown, even though he had no cover to blow in the first place. "Come on, guys! You're ruining my cover! How'd you know it was me anyway?"

The ponies gave each other a blank stare, then looked back at Spike with the same expression. "Because you're the only dragon here, and the fact we're the only ones on the train," Riku stated, showing the rest of the empty seats in the train car.

"...Oh. Right," Spike mumbled.

"Why do you even need a disguise?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Well, considering Spike and I end up getting mobbed when we're in the Crystal Empire, I think I can see why he wants to go incognito," Sora said. "I probably should have worn something myself...Or borrowed one of Pinkie's fake mustaches. Those always work."

"Plus, this is supposed to be a family visit," Spike added. "Last time was different because of the baby and the Crystalling. I don't want the presence of Spike the Brave and Glorious turning our visit into a circus."

"At least I've got the females coming after me, which I can easily avoid thanks to being a pegasus," Sora said, patting his wings gratefully. "Thank you magic transformation."

"Spike did save the Empire with Sora a couple times," Twilight recalled. "But still, I don't think both of your presence will cause too much havoc on our visit."

"Not if I find the right disguise, it won't," Spike grumbled, digging through his trench coat and pulled out a few other accessories to help him hide in the open more, putting on a red, curly wig under his hat.

"Spike, just stop," Riku begged while Sora snickered as Spike continued trying to make the perfect disguise. "It's not even worth it."

Spike didn't have much of a choice but to stick with the disguise he was wearing now, the train already arriving at the station in the Crystal Empire. The group of five disembarked, the train chugging off as no other passengers were onboard, but where they had expected employees at the station or even a few crystal ponies expecting new arrivals, the area was barren.

"Well, I don't think you'll have to worry about being mobbed, Spike," Starlight said. "Nopony's even here."

With how quiet everything was, they suddenly grew worried about something bad had happened here without their knowledge. There was no way Heartless could be involved with the barrier keeping darkness at bay, but it could be Nobodies again, or something else entirely. Sora, Riku, Twilight, Starlight, and Spike headed into the city, the two stallions leading the way as they cautiously kept an eye out for any impending danger sneaking around the Empire.

"What's going on here?" Sora asked. "The Empire feels like a ghost town."

"I guess I don't need my disguise," Spike said, stripping out of his "disguise", but as he did, the crystal ponies had peeked outside their windows and saw their two saviors walking down the street.

"It's Spike the Brave and Glorious!" a mare called out. "And the Warrior of Light!"

"They're here to save us!" another cheered as several dozen ponies ran out, swiped the heroes off their feet, hoisting them above them while chanting their names, and away from Twilight, Starlight, and Riku.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on!" Sora said. "Save you from what!? What's going on!?"

He didn't get an answer as the crystal ponies continued praising them. The chanting began to slow to a halt when a couple mares noticed the three ponies left out as they wondered what the matter was.

"It looks like Princess Twilight, her pupil, and her noble guard," one of the mares said, making Riku grin at being considered Twilight's "noble guard".

"But how can we be sure?" another asked.

"We can't!" a stallion gasped. "Either one of them could be...you know!"

The crystal ponies suddenly began to panic as they looked up at their two heroes, one mare letting out a shocked gasp. "What if those two aren't the real Spike or Sora!? Everypony, run!!!!!!"

They shrieked with fright and ran back in their homes, dropping Sora and Spike, the pegasus flipping back on his hooves while the baby dragon wasn't as lucky and plopped on his behind.

"Ok, something really strange is going on here," Twilight stated.

"No kidding," Riku said. "What were they mentioning about that they're so terrified of?"

"Let's see if Shining Armor and Cadence know what's going on around here," Sora suggested, picking up Spike as they hurried off to the castle for some answers.

Upon reaching the crystal palace's entrance, the guards standing at attention, crossed their spears in Sora's path, denying him entry. "Halt!"

"Whoa! Easy guys," Sora said, backing up slightly. "Everything's cool. Spike the Brave and Glorious and the Warrior of Light are here to save the day."

The two guards looked at each other, seemingly skeptical and didn't believe the pegasus. "Hmm...How can we be sure you're really the Crystal Empire's greatest heroes?" Sora's confident grin turned into an irritated frown, holding his hoof out and summoned his Keyblade, clearly proving himself as the real hero and not a fraud. "...I'm not so sure."

"Oh come on!" Sora exclaimed. "Who else can call something like this out of thin air who isn't a unicorn!?"

Twilight, Starlight, and Riku finally arrived, hearing Sora's complaints about being an impostor and be denied entry into the castle. Behind the guards, Cadence, Shining, and Sunburst came out to investigate the commotion, the crystaller levitating a comfy looking baby bed that Flurry Heart was laying in. Shining Armor was wearing his royal guard captain's armor, clearly as on edge as his guards to whatever was planning on invading the Empire.

"We'll take care of this," Cadence said as she passed her guards.

"Cadence!" Twilight greeted, though her excitement dwindled as she seemed to look just as skeptical as her guards. "What is going on?"

"We can explain, Twily," Shining said. "...If it's really you."

Cadence approached Twilight and began to test her to see if she really was her sister-in-law. "Sunshine, sunshine-" she said, doing a small prance as she began her and Twilight's usual greeting ever since she foalsat for the alicorn.

"-ladybugs awake!" Twilight joined in as the duo continued their greeting. "Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"

Satisfied with the response as only Twilight and Cadence knew their little dance, the two sisters hugged, which assured Shining Armor that it was his little sister and her friends and coltfriend. "It's alright, everypony. They're good."

"Oh sure, the little happy dance is enough, but not my Keyblade!?" Sora complained. "What's the deal, guys!?"

Before anyone had a chance to explain, Flurry Heart's giggling got everyone's attention as the baby alicorn flapped her wings and fluttered out of her special seat. She flew toward Riku, the white pegasus catching her in his hooves as she babbled happily in her future uncle's forelegs.

"...She's not gonna drag me around, is she?" Riku asked, something Sora hoped would happen after his "playtime" with the newborn filly a couple months ago.

"Nope. The Fledgling's Forbearance spell is still in effect," Sunburst said, bringing the bed over to Riku for him to place Flurry back in. "Just the usual magic bursts a regular baby unicorn experiences and flying around like baby pegasi. No magic beams breaking through ceilings or walls and less strength when dragging heavier objects, or ponies."

Riku chuckled as he saw Sora fall over in exasperation, though he was relieved he wouldn't be flung around by a baby with out of control magic powers and can drag a full-grown stallion with her hooves and larger than average wings. "So, if Flurry's not the troublemaker this time, then who or what is causing trouble?"

Shining and Cadence looked at each other, greatly worried to hear their reaction, but Sunburst answered for them. "We spotted a changeling nearby."

"A changeling!?" Twilight, Riku, Sora, and Spike exclaimed in shock.

"Changelings are like ponies, although they have a more...insect-like build and nature to them," Sunburst explained to Starlight. "They feed off of love. And ever since Flurry Heart's Crystalling, the Empire's filled with more love than anywhere else in Equestria."

"And after Queen Chrysalis impersonated Cadence to take her place in marrying me and invade Canterlot with her army, we were not going to take any chances," Shining added.

"She even tricked me and Sora," Riku said. "The moment I arrived in Equestria, I was knocked unconscious by Chrysalis while she was disguised as Cadence and put in a green cocoon in the crystal mines in the mountain Canterlot was built on."

"And she pretended to be Kairi, sapped away my mind and love, forcing me to be her mindless warrior slave to help her and almost succeed in her invasion," Sora said angrily, still seething at what the heartless queen had done to Kairi in the changeling timeline if he wasn't around.

"So that explains all the extra guards, and checking everypony's identities," Starlight concluded, Sora angrily waving his Keyblade around in the two guards' faces, making sure they know exactly who he was by his unique weapon.

"I'm really sorry, Twilight," Cadence apologized. "Flurry Heart really has been looking forward to seeing you again."

"More like me since I was the first one she came to," Riku stated, but Twilight ignored him as she approached her niece as she gurgled, grabbing the lavender alicorn's hoof.

"We'll do all we can to help keep her safe," Twilight promised. "But, where exactly was the changeling spotted?"

"Some of the ponies said they saw it inside the city," Sunburst said. "From what we do know about the barrier created by the Crystal Heart, it's meant to keep the harsh tundra weather out and the likes of Heartless at bay, but how something like a changeling got in is a mystery."

"It probably snuck through while disguised as something innocent to fool the Crystal Heart," Sora guessed. "Or it would be like the Nobodies, where it can't sense changelings at all...If that's the case, then this kingdom might be easily overrun by Chrysalis's hive."

The guards whispered something to Shining Armor, the prince nodding his head in agreement. "The royal guards were wondering if Sora, the Warrior of Light, and Spike the Brave and Glorious would like to join them in search of the changeling."

"Really?" Spike asked, both curiously and a little excitedly.

"Uhh, what about me?" Riku asked. "If it's a changeling we're dealing with, Sora and I can take care of it. I'm just as capable of a wielder as Sora, and I'm a Keyblade Master!"

The crystal guards raised their brows, finding it hard to believe that Riku was just as skilled as their Warrior of Light. "...Were you there when Sombra tried to take back the kingdom again?"

"Yes," Riku said. "I helped save you guys when the Heartless came in to hurt everyone."

"Did you join the Warrior of Light confront Sombra?" one of the guards asked.

"...N-No, but that's not the point!" Riku exclaimed.

"Riku, I don't think you can convince them if you don't have the skills Sora does," Twilight said. "You even lost to him in his Final Form when he was under Chrysalis's spell, right?"

Riku's ears flicked down as he let out a disgruntled growl as Twilight wasn't helping his credibility. Sora knew Riku was just as strong as he was, and he didn't find it fair to hear these guards talk down to him as if he doesn't have any experience fighting anything they've never confronted themselves.

"Guys, Riku is my best friend," Sora said, defending the irritated pegasus. "He's just as powerful as I am, but he knew he couldn't stand up to Sombra back then. Neither could I."

"But with your power of light-" one guard tried to reason, only for Sora to interrupt him.

"Ponies like me and Riku were able to feel the darkness that came from Sombra," he continued. "It was so powerful, we all knew there was no way we'd be able to stand a chance, even if we worked together. Besides, Riku is right; he's a master in the way of the Keyblade...I'm not." The guards gasped in shock, but they remained quiet as they heard their humble savior continue. "Yeah. Shocking, isn't it? Your 'Warrior of Light' isn't a master at his skills, but that's only because, of the two of us, only one of us could become a master. I clearly failed after I screwed up and almost got myself taken over by the darkness. I'm still learning, but one day, I'll retake my test and prove I can be a Keyblade Master.

"So don't leave my other friends out of anything when they pulled their own weight protecting the kingdom as well. Especially when we're dealing with a changeling wandering around the Crystal Empire." The guards wilted, silently apologizing to Sora. "So Riku's coming with me and Spike to search for the changeling. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Warrior of Light," the guards quickly responded with a salute, then left to round up the rest of the guards in their search.

Riku stared at his friend, a bit surprised as he scolded the stallions and admitting he was better than Sora. Sora gave Riku a grin, having his back despite the rivalry between their strengths and skills as wielders.

"You didn't have to do that," Riku said.

"I had to. Without you, or Kairi, the Crystal Empire's citizens would have been turned into Heartless before Sombra got to them," Sora said. "All the glory belongs to all of us, not just me and Spike. Besides, I'm the only one who can talk about how much better I am than you."

"Gee, thanks," Riku uttered blankly. He sighed and shook his head as Sora gave him a wide, teasing grin, then turned to Twilight and Starlight. "You girls ok watching the castle in case the changeling sneaks through?"

"Sure," Twilight said, feeling Flurry squeezing her hoof between hers, looking forward to playing with her niece while protecting her. "But are you sure Spike should go with you two?"

"Come on, Twilight," Spike reassured. "This is Spike the Brave and Glorious you're talking to. Have you ever known me to run from danger?"

"There are Heartless you can't fight," Twilight stated. "Changelings might not be as worse, but they can still be dangerous."

"Don't worry, Twily," Shining assured his overprotective little sister. "He'll be safe with our guards."

"Or will they be safe with me?" Spike asked, earning a light slap on the back of the head by Sora.

"Don't let your Brave and Gloriousness get to your head, Spike," Sora scolded. "We don't need another Rainbow Dash in the group."

"Yeah, we already have two, and that's bad enough," Riku added.

Sora nodded his head, only to stop when he leered at Riku, the white pegasus smirking as he managed to trick him. "...That's the last time I watch your back when someone else talks down to you."





With the royal crystal guard gathered, they joined Sora, Riku, and Spike as they stood outside the barrier of the Crystal Empire to begin their search for the changeling. Some of the other guards wondered why Riku was with them, but after being told by the guards Sora had scolded over his best friend's skills, they quickly shut up to avoid angering the Warrior of Light.

"Alright, guys! Listen up!" Sora announced. "A big warning about the changelings: these guys can transform into anyone and anything, so be cautious when you see anyone suspicious! They're tricksters and highly credible actors if they studied who their disguised as incredibly well! We're going to split up in groups and do a full sweep of the area inside and out!"

"What if a changeling is disguised as one of us, Oh Warrior of Light?" one of the guards questioned.

"Then we'll need to establish a code word so we can tell who's friendly and who's an impostor." Sora hummed as he thought of a perfect phrase to use, suddenly finding a good one that would be impossible for a changeling to even guess. "Got it! When you run into someone, the first who says 'hakuna', the second has to say 'matata'!"

"'Hakuna matata'?" the guards all questioned simultaneously, brows raised as they looked at each other.

"What does that mean?" one of them asked curiously.

"It means no worries!" Sora said proudly. "And it's such a wonderful phrase!"

Riku facehooved and let out a groan. "You couldn't have come up with a better code phrase?" he grumbled.

"What? It's perfect," Sora said. "What kind of changeling can guess that kind of response?"

Riku sighed and shook his head. "Alright. Hakuna matata it is..."

The guards grouped up in pairs, scouting off in different directions to widen their search for the intruding changeling. "So, we're grouping together, huh?" Spike asked.

"Actually, Spike, Riku and I are going to split up and do a sweep around the perimeter of the Empire," Sora said. "You should stay around here and keep an eye out for the guards if they come back."

"In other words, stand here and do nothing?" Spike grumbled. "I'm a hero, too, you know."

"Yes, but checking in on the guards when they return from their search is just as crucial," Sora reasoned. "Plus, if the changeling comes around, you can get our attention with your fire breath if you spot it." Spike raised a brow skeptically at the excuse, knowing full well why Sora didn't want him to be a part of a search party. Sora let out a sigh, unable to convince the baby dragon. "Ok, honestly, this is a really dangerous job. You may have your fire breath, but those changelings are incredibly dangerous."

"Alone, maybe not unless it's an elite member of Chrysalis's army," Riku pondered. "But if there are more out there, their numbers can easily overwhelm you. We really don't know if Chrysalis is here and planning to invade the Crystal Empire, so it's best to be safe than sorry."

Spike groaned, but he understood the circumstances despite feeling left out. "...Alright. I'll stay and keep watch..." Knowing that he would stay put, Sora and Riku flew up and split up, flying around the Crystal Empire's barrier to keep a lookout for the changeling. Spike looked around the empty, snowy fields, not finding any potential hiding spots for a changeling to hide in. "I guess there's no way a changeling can hide out here..." He then looked at a nearby rock, curious to know if changelings can not only turn into creatures and be any kind of inanimate object as well. "Unless that rock IS a changeling.

"Ok, rock. How do I know you're not really a rock?" Spike questioned the boulder, glaring at it intensely. Only kidding himself due to boredom, he let out a frustrated grunt and kicked the rock, a big mistake as he hurt his foot. "Ow! Razza frazza-WAHHH!!"

While bouncing on one leg while holding his injured foot, Spike ended up jumping down into a hole concealed by the snow, screaming as he slid down the mysteriously hidden tunnel. He slid down into a cavern that was under the snowfield, yelping as he was about to helplessly slide into the crevice in the middle of the cave. Quickly grabbing onto a stalagmite, he stopped himself from falling to his death by mere inches, letting out a huge sigh of relief as he kissed the spire of frozen ice in gratitude.

"That was close," he uttered. "I think that's enough excitement for Spike the Brave and Glorious. Time for me to head back and, uhh, keep a lookout for-YAHH!" As he turned to a section of the cavern, he freaked out as he saw himself mimicking his panicked expression. He moved, which his reflection did as well, feeling silly as he got scared over the mirror created by what he thought was a wall of ice. "Oh. It's just my reflection."

Spike turned to make his way back out of the tunnel he fell in, but his "reflection" didn't mimic his movements. Feeling superstitious, Spike turned around and faced the "mirror", making all sorts of movements to make sure what he was facing was a mirror. He made silly faces, jumped up and down, and did several goofy things just to be absolutely sure he was watching himself look like a fool. Convinced, he chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"I guess I'm just imagining things." Spike turned and headed back to making his escape, only to pause as he heard something slip and fall on the ground behind him. Quickly turning around, he gasped when he realized what he wasn't looking at wasn't the reflection of an icy mirror, seeing himself get up after slipping on the icy ground and brushing the snow off himself. His "reflection" looked up, looking shocked before a pale blue aura surrounded him, revealing himself to be a changeling, the one seen by the crystal ponies. It was like the smaller drones Chrysalis accompanying her during her invasion: black chitin skin, translucent evergreen insect wings, holes in its legs, a slightly upward-curved horn, blue eyes with a faint whiteness that acted as its irises from the slight shift in its sight, and sharp fangs meant to make them look intimidating. Stocked still in shock and fright, Spike stammered, trying to jumpstart his brain to his feet to get away from the dangerous shapeshifter. "Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changeling!"

"No, wait!" the changeling pleaded, but Spike didn't listen as he ran. Unfortunately, he looked back at the male changeling as he fled, smacking into the same stalagmite that saved him from falling, knocking the wind out of him as he stumbled toward the crevice and fell. Spike screamed, closing his eyes as he awaited his inevitable demise, but the changeling dove down and saved the baby dragon, catching him by the tail with his mouth. Spike looked up at the supposed enemy, confused by his heroism as the changeling hovered back up to safety, dropping the baby dragon and looked concerned at him. "The ice is pretty slippery...I didn't want you to get hurt because of me."

Spike stood up, brushing the snow off his scales as he stared at the surprisingly timid changeling who saved him instead of watched him fall to his death. "You...saved me?"

"It's ok," he said, feeling disappointed as he turned away. "I know you don't wanna be friends."

"Wait!" Spike quickly exclaimed, stopping the changeling as he looked back. "I don't understand...I thought changelings were supposed to be evil...but, you saved me...Why?"

"W-Well, I never wanted to be evil," the changeling said. "All I've ever wanted was a friend, ever since I first split out of my egg back in the hive..." He winced as memories of his birth came to him, being unlike the rest of his hive. "I was even there during the invasion in Canterlot at the royal wedding. I never saw true friendship like that when I saw those ponies fighting the rest of my kind like that, especially that white stallion and pink unicorn...I...also saw how strong that pegasus my former queen mind controlled was when he fought his friend." He shuddered when he recalled the incredible power Sora had, being forced to watch the one-on-one duel between the two pegasi back at the chamber where the Elements of Harmony were once kept by Celestia. "I see why she wanted to keep him. He was so powerful, and a lot of love around him."

"Did you say 'former queen'?" Spike asked. "You ran away?"

"Yeah," he said with a nod. "After the invasion failed, I knew I couldn't live with my kind anymore. I set off looking for love to share, but..."

"But...what?" Spike asked.

"I'm starving!" the changeling whined. "I tried to find good places where there would be love to eat. I was even at a wedding that was held in Ponyville about a year ago, where those strong ponies with those strange swords lived, but I fled when I thought I saw that tan stallion who my queen controlled spotted me."

"Sora saw you? At a wedding?" Spike thought back to any weddings, the only one he knew of that was in Ponyville that year was Cranky and Matilda's. Sora wasn't there, but Ventus was since he was the only Keyblade wielder around at that time. "Oh! That wasn't Sora; that was Ventus!"

"Ventus?" the changeling asked.

"Yeah. He and Sora look alike, but Ventus was the one at the wedding," Spike explained. He paused, then gasped when Ventus spotting the changeling finally processed in his head. "Wait, Ventus caught you at the wedding!? Undisguised, AND he didn't tell anypony!?"

"I thought so, too, but luckily, I escaped before he alerted anypony else," the changeling said, sighing miserably as he rubbed his empty stomach. "And there's so much love in the Crystal Empire right now. I felt it when I was trying to find somewhere to have a snack, but I avoided it at first when I saw that terrible storm and strange black monsters surrounding the kingdom."

"Oh. That must have come from the royal Crystalling that happened a couple months back," Spike explained. "It's a pretty huge event in the Crystal Empire where there's a giant outpouring of light and love for a new baby. And that storm and those monsters, they're called Heartless by the way, was caused by the very same baby when her crying shattered the Crystal Heart."

The changeling suddenly lunged at Spike and hissed at him, making the baby dragon jump back in surprise as his serpentine tongue flailed about from his maw. "Agh! Sorry!" he apologized. "I'm just really hungry. If I had a friend, maybe the love we shared would be enough to sustain me, but I don't think the crystal ponies want to be friends with me."

After recovering from being hissed at by the starving changeling, Spike began thinking of a way to help him from starving to death. "What if there was somepony they respected and admired so much, he could convince them to give you a chance?"

"If only that were true,"  the changeling said pessimistically.

"It is!" Spike said. "I mean, I am! It's me, Spike!" Waiting for a response, the changeling gave none as he stared at the baby dragon. "Spike the Brave and Glorious? I'm sure you've heard of me. Or seen the statue made in mine and Sora's honor?"

"Nope," the changeling said with a shake of his head, making Spike sigh and slump his shoulders in exasperation. "But I was raised by an evil queen. I'm Thorax," he introduced himself, holding his hoof out to Spike as he shook it. "I can't believe you want to help me."

"Why? Hasn't anypony ever just been nice to you?" Spike asked curiously, only to be responded by another hungered hiss from Thorax.

"Gah! S-Sorry!" Thorax apologized. "Kindness like that kind of brings it out...Do you still want to be my friend?"

"Of course!" Spike assured the nervous changeling. "And I'm one hundred percent sure I can get the entire Empire to be your friend too!" Thorax hissed again, making Spike back away in surprise again, but the changeling quickly covered his mouth before he startled his new friend again. "Uhh, maybe I should just talk to them first." Thorax nodded, staying put as he watched Spike make his way to the exit. "Sora might help me if he believes me."

"W-Wait, you mean that pegasus Queen Chrysalis controlled?" Thorax asked, trembling in fear. "Ohhh, I don't know if he'll like that."

"I'm sure Sora will understand when he hears there's a changeling who's actually friendly," Spike assured. "He makes friends really easily, and he'll look past who you are on the outside and focus more on you on the inside."

Spike climbed his way out of the tunnel he accidentally found, unaware of the changeling gulping nervously as he took his new friend's meaning as something else, his cheeks turning a pale green. Back on the surface, Spike climbed up out of the hole, making sure to remember where it was as he hid it back under the snow. He didn't have to leave where he was left behind as the split up guards returned from searching out in the different sections of the frozen wasteland.

"Spike the Brave and Glorious!" one of them called out excitedly, only for their superior to stop him as he gazed at the baby dragon suspiciously.

"Hakuna?" he asked.

"Huh?...Oh, right, the code thing," Spike muttered. "Matata."

"Ok. That's the real Spike the Brave and Glorious," the superior commander said, making Spike roll his eyes as his title from the crystal ponies began feeling like a mouthful after being called that numerous times. "We have not seen any sign of the changeling, and we have searched through every single rock beyond the Crystal Empire."

"Has the changeling passed by you, Spike the Brave and Glorious?" another guard asked.

"Well...not exactly," Spike lied, making sure to keep himself and the crystal guard away from the tunnel entrance. "But, as much as defeating a changeling would be brave, do you know what would be glorious?"

"Defeating two changelings?" one stallion asked.

"Defeating ALL of the changelings!?" another asked, getting the group of guards excited about the idea.

"Not having to fight the changelings at all!" Spike answered. "Because I made friends with him!"

Spike was met with silence as the stallions stared at him for a moment, only to burst out laughing at the ridiculous idea. "Oh! Oh wow!" one of them said after calming down a little. "For a second I thought you were serious!"

"Could you imagine!?" another asked, unable to stop his snickering. "Friends with a changeling!?"

"I AM serious," Spike insisted, annoyed by the guards thinking he was joking. "He wants to be friends!"

They only laughed even harder, some falling and clutching their sides as if it was the funniest joke in the world. Spike grumbled, but his hopes of having Thorax proven to be friendly rose when he saw Sora and Riku fly back around from their perimeter search and land beside them.

"Hakuna?" Sora asked, but the soldiers were too busy laughing to pay attention. "Uhh, guys?"

"Matata," Spike grumbled. "They're all legitimate guards, not one of them a changeling. I checked."

"Ok..." Sora and Riku looked at each other, then to the guffawing guards. "What's so funny? Did Riku put a note on my back that says something about me?"

"That's childish, and I wouldn't have any time to pull a dumb prank like that," Riku said.

"Not only are you Spike the Brave and Glorious, you're also Spike the Brave and Hilarious!" a guard said, continuing laughing along with his fellow crystal guards, which began bothering the baby dragon as they didn't take him seriously.

"I'm not joking!" Spike exclaimed. "The changeling is nice!"

While the guards only laughed harder, Sora didn't find Spike's claim funny. Everything he experienced with the changelings, both during the invasion with his mind being controlled by the sadistic Queen Chrysalis and in the timeline where they had succeeded, took over the world, and abused Kairi in that time flashed through his head. His ear twitched as he sneered at the guards making a mockery of Spike claiming to meet a friendly changeling. Just the thought of having one of those shapeshifting insects ever being nice seemed like an impossibility for Sora, not after what he had witnessed as the emotionally broken Kairi was all he could think about.

Riku noticed the sudden tenseness coming from Sora as he appeared frozen, about to ask what was wrong before he jumped back in surprise, the enraged pegasus summoning his Keyblade and slammed it down hard on the snow. Sora caused a quake, even sending the snow a few feet around him flying away from him, covering the guards as they stopped laughing and stared at their Warrior of Light, confusion at first that turned into fear.

"You think that's funny?" Sora growled. His tone terrified the stallions, even Spike, having not expected Sora, someone who makes friends so easily, get upset by meeting a changeling who didn't want to cause trouble. "Maybe your prince has forgotten to mention how Princess Cadence, his wife, was impersonated by that succubus of a cockroach, Chrysalis, during the planning of their wedding back in Canterlot, put a spell on him, AND me, and almost took over the kingdom using both the amount of love she stole from the two of us! You think that's hilarious now!?"

"N-No, Warrior of Light!" the guards immediately responded as they stood at attention.

"Sora?" Riku called out nervously, barely seeing this side of his friend unless he was really ticked off, or traumatized like when he and Twilight stopped Starlight while traveling through those different time periods.

"Now, I suggest you get back to searching for the changeling, the spy who's here and might try to kidnap Flurry Heart, or I'll report you to Shining Armor and have all your plots reprimanded for goofing off when the enemy was right in the front yard of your kingdom, and you're not doing a damn thing about it!" Upon being issued the warning, the guards scrambled off and continued their search, fleeing from the angered stallion. Sora was far from unleashing his rage as he turned to Spike, the baby dragon rearing back as Sora stomped over to him. "Spike, this had better be a joke. And if it is, it's a bad one."

"B-But, I-I was just-" Spike stammered, but Sora interrupted him with a hard pound to the ground with his hoof.

"Did you completely forget what that monster did back in Canterlot!?" Sora exclaimed. "Chrysalis USED me, wiping my mind and used me as a tool, made me hurt my best friend under her power, and tricked everyone into thinking she was Cadence and take over Equestria! She's a manipulator, and so are her little soldiers!"

"Sora, calm down!" Riku got between his friend and Spike, but Sora shoved Riku aside and picked up Spike, making sure he was looking him straight in the eye.

"Do you have any idea what she even did to Kairi in the changeling timeline when Twilight and I tried to stop Starlight?" Sora growled. "Chrysalis tricked her. She violated her: mind, heart, AND body. She used Kairi and actually succeeded in taking over Equestria. Without me, she was already distraught when I died, and it only got worse for her while she was here, tricked and manipulated by Chrysalis to help her win, and when she served her purpose, she and the rest of her hive abused her while still under that wench's spell. Put that in your mind, and you tell me if you think those black bugs can be trusted at all." Spike swallowed the huge lump in his throat, utterly intimidated, but getting the picture of what Kairi had been through in that alternate timeline. "There is no such thing as a 'nice' changeling."

"R-Right," Spike stammered. "I-It was...just a bad joke...Sorry, Sora."

Sora dropped Spike, grunting in anger, but satisfied with Spike's response. Riku stood back up, quickly grabbing Sora's shoulder as he was about to march back to the Crystal Empire to cool off.

"Sora, what is wrong with you?" he asked. "You didn't have to take all that out on Spike. He's still just a kid."

"In case you forgot, Riku, Chrysalis is still out there somewhere," Sora reminded Riku. "That barrier that pushed the changelings far from Equestria didn't exactly kill them. Just knowing that one of these changelings are close to us is bad enough, and even worse when Spike made a joke about them being nice! Oh, and they're nice alright; nice enough to stab us in the back when we're not looking after pretending to be nice!"

"I had a hunch, but don't go lashing out at everyone," Riku calmly said. "...You're still upset about what happened to you in the timeline jumping you, Twilight, and Starlight were in, aren't you?"

"I'm perfectly fine," Sora tried to assure, but his anger didn't convince his friend.

"Are you going to hide your problems again? Just like when you tried to hide your Anti-Form from me and the others?" Sora winced at Riku's questions, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Sora, Twilight's still suffering from what you two had experienced. She may not tell you, but she tells me...She's even worried you'll lose yourself to your darkness again if you get emotionally overwhelmed...just like when Sombra showed you Kairi's heart."

Sora rubbed his forehead, taking in a deep breath as he struggled to control his emotions. He didn't want to lose himself like that again, and it still shocked him to know that it was Xehanort in the Sombra timeline that snapped him out of it before it consumed him.

"...I hate what Chrysalis did to Kairi in that time," Sora said. "I hate how everything falls throughout all the worlds if I'm not there. Everyone I know and care about will either die or suffer without me to save them all. Out of all the villains in Equestria I've faced, the ones I can forgive are Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Sombra: Luna turned to darkness when no one cared about what she did, Discord's misunderstood, even if he does get on my nerves, and Sombra was tricked by someone in the past who forced his heart to be swallowed by a darkness he couldn't win against. Tirek wanted to destroy everything when he stole every single pony's magic, so there was no chance in Tarterus he's ever getting redeemed for what he's done.

"Chrysalis doesn't deserve any mercy at all. I don't even care if she gave us some sob story about her past, because it'll only be a lie in the end. Even if there was a chance that she did win that invasion, and I was still kicking, she would do the exact same thing that other Chrysalis did, not just to Kairi, but to everyone." Sora paused in his reasons to let it sink in to Riku and especially Spike. Riku did understand, dreading to know what they would have done to Twilight, though it would have been before the two ever started dating. "I am not going to let that giant, love-sucking mosquito, or her little minions, anywhere near anyone I care about. Especially Kairi. I will not let her go through that same psychological, emotional, and physically traumatizing experience as that other Kairi, and even still, I'm worried about the other Kairi after I left; I don't know if she's won her fight or lost, or if someone came to her rescue."

"I get it, Sora," Riku said. "Glad you're opening up with this frustration with me instead of bottling everything up like you always do so you don't get everyone upset when you are." He pat his friend's shoulder, feeling him relax slightly, but he was still tense knowing there was a changeling out there, though not too far away from them while Spike knew of his hiding spot. "Let me handle leading the search with Shining Armor. You need a break before you break all the crystals in the Empire." Sora reluctantly nodded and slowly made his way back to the Crystal Empire, needing a distraction from the hatred of Chrysalis boiling him mad and what she could be planning or doing at this moment. Riku looked back at Spike, who was still a bit shaken up from Sora's manhandling him. "You ok, Spike?"

"Yeah. I'm good," he said.

"Maybe you should head back to the castle," Riku suggested. "I know you've gotten a bit bolder, but with how serious this situation is..."

"I get it," Spike said. "Just...give me a moment to calm down a bit more." Riku nodded, flapping his wings and resuming his search. As soon as both pegasi were out of sight, Spike let out a sigh, his initial plan failing before he even got a chance. "So much for that...I think Shining Armor would probably react the same way Sora had."

He searched for the hole, thankfully undiscovered as it was farther away from where Sora was when he exploded in anger, and slid down. He stopped, not sliding as fast as he had when he accidentally fell in, finding Thorax pacing nervously before looking over at Spike excitedly.

"So? What did they say?" Thorax asked. "How many new friends do I have?"

"Uhh...Well...it didn't go all that well," Spike sadly answered, dashing the changeling's hopes as his ears drooped. "Sora...doesn't really want anything to do with changelings, unfortunately."

"Was it because of what Queen Chrysalis did?" Thorax asked.

"That, and something else she did, but in another timeline." Thorax tilted his head in confusion at that. "...Ehh, long story, but it involved what she did to Kairi, Sora's marefriend. It wasn't...pretty."

"Oh. I see..." Thorax let out a disappointed groan, feeling dejected as he scuffed the ground with his hoof. "I understand. Thanks for trying, but I guess it's not surprising. How can you expect ponies who look like this-" Thorax used his magic and transformed, the magical aura around him fading as he now looked like a colt from the Crystal Empire with a coat of light blue and two-tone grayish blue hair with a headband around his head, the cutie mark on his flank an intricate-looking vase. "-to trust something that looks like this?"

He turned back to normal, emphasizing his point. Spike brought a claw to his chin, getting an idea that was sure to work. "I think I have an idea!"





Thorax walked beside Spike while disguised as the colt he turned into earlier in the cave, already nervous as his new friend's plan involved him fitting in with the Crystal Empire while in disguise. What was worse was that they were walking through the halls of the castle, being sneaky to avoid being suspicious or running into anymore guards who might be protecting the royal family. Their luck seemed to be going well, only for it to run out when Twilight walked out of a nearby room while searching around.

"Spike, you're back!" Twilight said, making the baby dragon and disguised changeling freeze as they looked at her. "If you're done searching for the changeling, Starlight and I could use your help. We're working on a protection spell for Flurry Heart, and nopony can take great notes like you can!"

"Uhh, actually, Twilight, I...wanted to introduce you to my friend!" Spike said. He stammered as he tried to figure out a name to give to Thorax, though he hoped the disguised changeling would come up with one on the spot since changelings were meant to be pros pretending to be other ponies. Spike looked around, the only significant objects in the room being the crystals that made up the palace, which also acted as a unique, natural bit of decor. "Uh, Crystal..." Growing desperate to add onto the name, he looked at Twilight, more specifically at her hooves. "Hoof! M-My good friend, Crystal Hoof!"

"N-Nice to meet you," Thorax greeted nervously, both dragon and "colt" grinning nervously as they hoped Twilight would buy it.

"Oh. Well, it's nice to meet you, too," Twilight said. "How do you know Spike?"

"Uhh...Well, Spike and I go way back," Thorax answered.

"To the Equestria Games!" Spike quickly added, trying to make their story believable. "That's when we met. We've been pen pals ever since."

Twilight seemed to look excited at the mention of Spike having a pen pal. "Pen pals? Spike, you could have been using my pen pal quill set! Why didn't you tell me?"

"W-Well, I only...write to him when you and Starlight are...studying," Spike lied, thankful that Applejack wasn't here, or else he would be caught red-handed with Thorax in a heartbeat.

"I like to brag to all my friends about my letters from Spike the Brave and Glorious," Thorax said, Spike vocally agreeing as the duo laughed nervously.

"Well, I think Starlight and I can manage if you want to spend some time with your friend," Twilight said.

"Great! Because Crystal Hoof was going to show me around the city," Spike said, "Crystal Hoof" nodding as he played off their lie.

"Sounds like fun. Just be careful if you see that changeling." Twilight made her way down the hall, and once she was out of sight, Spike and Thorax sighed in relief.

"Oh boy, that was close," Thorax uttered. "I don't do well under pressure."

"At least it worked. Now, let's relax and make you some new friends." Spike lead Thorax out into the Crystal Empire to help make some friends and feed his empty stomach.

Despite the crystal ponies' fears of a changeling lurking around their kingdom, seeing Spike the Brave and Glorious assured them that everything is under control. As many of his fans met him, Spike introduced "Crystal Hoof" to them, being called a close friend to the heroic dragon immediately winning them over. Thorax was bewildered by the amount of new friends he was making, feeling a little bit of love coming from them that was slowly filling his belly, and it felt a lot more satisfying than forcefully taking a pony's love. He even got to see more of the Empire when he wandered in as himself. Their trip lead them back to the castle, where Spike wanted to introduce him to the newest princess, Flurry Heart, where all the love from the crystal ponies was focused on.

"This place is everything I've ever dreamed of!" Thorax exclaimed in awe, only to look worried as he looked down at his disguised form. "But, I can't keep pretending to be a crystal pony forever, can I?"

"Relax," Spike reassured the changeling. "You're winning them over. Pretty soon, nopony will care if you're a changeling." As they entered the throne room where the royal family were, along with Sunburst, Starlight, and Twilight, but to Spike's and Thorax's surprise, Sora and Riku were in the room as well, the former making Flurry Heart giggle with a bunch of silly faces while trying to get his friend to join him. "Uh oh...Maybe not Sora..."

Cadence noticed Spike and "Crystal Hoof", curious to know where Spike had been with his new friend. "Spike, there you are. Twilight told me you were off with a friend." Spike nodded his head, chuckling nervously. "And any friend of Spike the Brave and Glorious is a friend of mine," she said, bowing to the disguised changeling.

"T-Thank you," Thorax said. She let them by as Spike introduced her to Flurry Heart, nervously getting around Sora as he let them see the baby. Flurry saw her dragon uncle and new pony, reaching her hooves out to them for attention as she continued giggling. "Oh, she's so beautiful." Thorax's smile suddenly faded as she felt the incredible amount of love coming from the infant, his hunger making him shudder as he struggled to control himself from feeding. "T-There's so much...love around her!"

"Well, she is a baby," Sora stated. "Everyone goes crazy for babies, especially cuties like this one." As he pet Flurry's mane, Thorax grunted as he backed away, which began worrying everyone in the room, especially Spike. "You ok, kid?"

"I-I...I can't-!" Thorax's eyes released a blue aura, his spell failing as he ended up reverting back to his normal form, unable to control his hissing and flickering tongue as he tried to hold himself back from lunging toward Flurry Heart and the love radiating from her. His appearance shocked everyone, Sora, Riku, and Twilight immediately calling their Keyblades as they prepared to defend the newborn alicorn princess. "I-I'm s-s-sorry!" Thorax grunted, hissing all the while as he backed away, fearing getting beaten by the three wielders. "I-I can't...s-stop!"

"Spike, get away from the changeling!" Twilight exclaimed, grabbing the baby dragon in her aura as he tried to help Thorax.

"No, wait!" Spike said, pulled away and behind Twilight, Starlight, and Sunburst, the latter two staying beside Flurry Heart along with Cadence and Shining Armor. "You don't understand!"

"That changeling swapped places with your friend just to get close to the baby!" Sora said, keeping his glare on the hissing changeling. "That thing tricked you to feed off a helpless infant! What other reason could there be for it being here!?"

"I..." Spike didn't know what to do. He was caught between choosing two different sides, and both scenarios could lead him losing something. Looking at Thorax, the changeling still hissing as he hooves danced around trying to hold himself back, he could defend him and prove he wasn't dangerous, but that would lead to everyone hating that decision and be constantly scolded by his friends that it was stupid trying to befriend a changeling. He could lose his respect as a hero in the Crystal Empire as well. But if he denied being friends with Thorax, he'll still be Spike the Brave and Glorious, but Thorax wouldn't trust him to help him anymore. Spike sighed as he came to a painful decision, looking down at the floor. "...I don't know..."

Thorax's hissing stopped, his ears drooping as he heard Spike. Tears welled up in his eyes, feeling betrayed that the first friend he ever made outside of his hive, though he barely had any back in his own home, had lied to him about everything. No longer hungry despite how empty his stomach was, he ran away, barging through the throne room doors as he escaped.

"Hey! Get back here, you shape-shifter!" Sora shouted as he and Riku gave chase, some guards that were nearby as they spotted the changeling joining as they hunted Thorax down.

"I hope your friend's ok, Spike," Cadence uttered, but she couldn't be more wrong as his friend was just stabbed in the back by him.

"...Yeah...Me too..." Spike felt lower than he had ever been in his life, tears welling up in his eyes as he betrayed the trust of a friend and put his heroic role over Thorax.

He slumped beside the levitating bed Flurry was in, regretting his decision. Flurry Heart peeked over at the upset baby dragon, flicking her hoof against his spines playfully to get his attention, but Spike ignored her. He was too miserable to care, even when she managed to climb out and latch onto his head, babbling at him to play with her. After several moments, Sora and Riku came back into the throne room, unfortunately without Thorax in custody.

"We lost it," Sora growled. "Must have transformed into a smaller bug than it is and slipped past us."

"We've got every single guard searching everywhere for it, but it couldn't have gotten far," Riku added. "We haven't even found a trace of your friend, Crystal Hoof, Spike."

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to see me anyway," Spike mumbled. "He probably ran far away from here..." He perked up a little, having a gut feeling he knew where he ran off to. "But I know where he might be. I'll be right back!"

"Spike!" Twilight called out as Spike ran off. "What if you run into the-!?"

"I'll be fine!" he said, running through the halls and out of the castle to find Thorax, hoping to fix the mistake he made.





Sliding back down into the cave again, Spike searched around for any sign of Thorax. "Thorax! Hello!? I just want to apologize!" Spike called out. "I should have stood up for you...I know you're in here!"

As he walked past a rock, it was suddenly shrouded in a blue aura as Thorax revealed himself, glaring spitefully at the baby dragon. Spike turned around as he heard the changeling's magic, but instead of being relieved to find him, he backed away as Thorax lunged his head toward the dragon's.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted, his intimidating hissing, this time out of anger instead of hunger, made Spike reel back, getting too close to the edge of the crevice.

Spike yelped as he fell over, quickly grabbing onto the edge as he hung on for dear life, unable to find any footing to help push himself back up. "A-A little help?"

"Why should I help you!? I'm an 'evil changeling'!" Thorax said as he leered down at the helpless dragon.

"Because you're my friend," Spike said, giving Thorax an apologetic gaze. "I just wish I had been one to you..."

Spike suddenly lost his grip, scrambling to grab back onto the ledge, only to yelp and scream as he went falling down the crevice again. Just like before as he expected to fall to the bottom, he didn't expect Thorax to come to his rescue yet again after betraying his friendship earlier. Clutching his hand with both forehooves, Thorax carried Spike back up to safety, his grudge against Spike gone as he felt the genuine love of friendship from the baby dragon.

"It's ok, I know it's hard," Thorax said. "Everyone in the Crystal Empire loves you. I couldn't ask you to give that up for me."

"You don't have to," Spike said, shocking the changeling.

"What are you gonna do?" he asked.

"What I should have done in the first place. Come on, Thorax. We're heading back to the castle. And we're going to show them the real you." Thorax gasped, swallowing the lump of fear in his throat as he followed Spike out of the cave, the duo making their way back to the castle without the changeling in a disguise.





Back in the throne room, Sora, Riku, and Twilight stayed with Shining, Cadence, Starlight, Sunburst, and Flurry Heart in case the changeling returned. Shining Armor ordered the guards to constantly search for Thorax, keeping the castle under heavy guard.

"I know it's bad that a changeling is around, but is all this really necessary?" Starlight questioned as she watched some of the guards running around checking every single nook and cranny.

"We're not taking any risks," Sora said. "If one of them is here, then there might be an army lying in wait. Chrysalis was by herself until she unleashed her siege on Canterlot. She might be out there waiting for the right moment to attack us while we're caught off guard."

"This is all just getting out of hoof," Twilight stated.

"I know," Cadence agreed with an exhausted sigh. "But this seems to be all we can do. I just don't know what else we can do to prevent this."

"I do!" Spike announced as he stood in the doorway, Thorax beside him and fully revealing his true self to everyone.

Shocked, the Keyblade wielders called their Keyblades and stood before everyone, the crystal guards circling the royal family, Sunburst, and Starlight. "Spike, get away from the changeling!" Riku said.

"No," the baby dragon said in defiance.

"What did you do to Spike, you love-sucking monster!?" Twilight exclaimed.

"He didn't do anything to me!" Spike said, getting sick of everyone looked down at Thorax when they never really got to know him.

"That thing must have manipulated him with its magic," Sora grumbled. "Once I chop off that horn, that should snap you out of whatever spell it put you in!"

Sora charged forward, but before he even got halfway toward them, Spike took in a deep breath, his fire powered by the Crystal Heart as he green flames turned white. Sora skid to a halt and leapt away from the wall of white fire, startling everyone as Spike tried to attack him. Even Thorax was a bit shocked, knowing dragons could breathe fire, but nothing as bright and powerful as those white flames. As the fire died out and everyone finally stopped bad-mouthing Thorax, Spike readied himself, prepared to lose everyone else's faith in him to defend Thorax.

"I am not under any spell. I am perfectly sane," Spike said. "And he is not a 'thing'! His name is Thorax...and he's my friend!"

The entire room was filled with gasps, all but Flurry Heart baffled and struck with disbelief over Spike's claim. Sora only grew more miffed, but he didn't want to risk getting burned by Spike's enhanced fire breath while they were in the center of the kingdom, possibly above where the Crystal Heart sat outside of the palace. Thorax looked nervous, but Spike assured him that everything will be alright despite how nervous he was with what he was about to do. Spike walked up to everyone, music filling the air as, to Sora's chagrin, Spike was going to sing to try to convince everyone.

"Please tell me he's not going to sing," Sora begged.

"With that sad tune...he is," Riku confirmed, making the tan pegasus grunt in annoyance, but kept quiet and humored the baby dragon, not letting a song win him over if it did for the other ponies.

[Spike]
Would you say I'm a hero
Glorious and brave
If I told you something you wouldn't believe?

That sometimes I'm scared
And I can make mistakes
And I'm not so heroic, it seems

But if day can turn to night

The room suddenly grew dim as a light shined down on Spike.

And the darkness turn to light

As the room brightened back up, Spike had gestured to Riku and Starlight on that line, the meaning metaphorical as they had lost their way on a dark path and found their way back to the light, which made Riku raise a brow while still remaining skeptical.

Then why can't we imagine a changeling can change?

No two ponies are exactly the same
No two snowflakes ever match their design
And I thought I was strong
But I was nothing but wrong
When I forgot to be friendly and kind

But if day can turn to night
And the darkness turn to light
Then why can't we imagine a changeling can change?

Would you say I'm a hero
Glorious and brave
If I told you something you wouldn't believe?

Spike looked at Thorax, gesturing him over to join him. Despite his nerves, just knowing Spike was doing all this for him made him feel special. An outcast of his own hive treated by someone who should have treated him as such would be enough for him, even if none of the ponies would accept him. Out of everyone in the room, Twilight's gaze softened toward the changeling as Spike was doing something so risky to keep one friendship that would cost him his heroic title.

This changeling, it seems
Knows the real me
And would stay by my side 'til the end

So if day can turn to night
And the darkness turn to light

Upon that one line in Spike's chorus, it finally got to Starlight when she realized the meaning behind it. Before her drastic change from an innocent filly to a cutie mark-stealing dictator, her joy faded when Sunburst left, dragging her down a dark road that isolated her thoughts and beliefs, turning it into one of the dumbest and dangerous things she's ever done. And thanks to Sora and Twilight, that dark path she took was severed as they helped her see the light of her ways, given that second chance and start her new life over. They saw her as evil because they didn't know why she did those things until she finally showed and told them what happened. The same could be said to someone of a race or species considered evil for past deeds, but maybe there was a chance few of them didn't have the same ideals as their peers or leaders.

Then why can't we imagine
Just why can't we imagine
Then why can't we imagine a changeling can chance?

Spike wilted, seeing how his song didn't seem to convince everyone as it ended. He at least had Thorax, even though it didn't help him feel better about himself as he took this big risk. No one said anything, just silence as everyone contemplated Spike's song. Twilight tried to step forward, but Riku quickly flared a wing out in front of her, stopping her in place.

"I'll handle this," he said. Twilight wanted to protest, having no clue what her coltfriend was thinking, but she trusted Riku would go easy on Spike. Riku approached Spike and Thorax, the changeling whimpering as he shrunk under the stallion's gaze, fearing the sharper-looking Keyblade in his hoof. "Spike, as much as you want to stick up for this changeling, he's an enemy of the entire kingdom. You know what they've done to Canterlot, and what they could have done if their invasion succeeded."

"I know, but Thorax isn't like the other changelings," Spike tried to reason. "If he was evil, he would have attacked me when I was alone with him. He wouldn't risk entering the kingdom and lose himself when he's around Flurry Heart."

"But there might be others out there that he's with, waiting for the chance to ambush the Crystal Kingdom when their guard is down," Riku argued.

"I-It's only me," Thorax spoke nervously. "I...left my hive."

"How can we be sure you're not lying through your fangs right now and be pulling a fast one?" Riku questioned. Thorax didn't answer, understanding why he could be trusted when his kind could shapeshift into anyone and anything, and if they're masters in their skills, they can act their way out of any situation with a bit of research on the creature they mimic. "Exactly. We can't tell if you're being honest with us. And trusting you is very slim since the invasion. And if Sora's not happy being friends with a changeling, then we have some problems."

"Damn right, we do," Sora said, earning a hard punch in the arm from Twilight, warning him to keep quiet before she did anything worse.

Thorax's ears drooped as he looked down at the floor dejectedly. "However," Riku said, forcing the changeling to look back up at him. "I did bring something with me to see if you can prove you're as innocent as you're behaving, and you're really being honest with us about being nice." Digging a hoof into one of his vest pockets, he pulled out an ornament, one of those same enchanted decorations that hung from the tree chandelier in the Castle of Friendship. Sora, Twilight, and Spike were surprised that he took one of them, or if it was an extra leftover from helping the Princess of Friendship feel at home. "We'll use this."

"You took one of the memory ornaments?" Spike asked.

"After what happened with Applejack's friend, Rara, and her sleazy manager, I figured these might also be helpful to call out any other suspicious types who cause any mischief," he said. "...That, and maybe to look back on some decent memories of back home if I'm away for too long and get homesick. But know this, changeling-"

"His name's Thorax," Spike corrected a bit aggressively.

"...Right...Thorax, this is enchanted to show your real memories, whether they're happy, sad, whatever," Riku explained. "Any fake memories you try to make up on the spot won't work. Believe me, I've tried imagining dominating Sora in every duel we had with no losses, but it clearly didn't work when I saw some...serious losses I took in the past." Riku could tell Sora looked surprised at first and was now leering at the back of his head. Looking back at Twilight, he ushered her to join him so she could let them all see Thorax's past. "If you want to prove your innocence, then you will show us your past. If you aren't like the other changelings, we'll consider letting who you are pass and accept you. But this is your only chance to prove yourself, so if it's all a facade, you're gone. Understand?"

Thorax silently nodded, clearly understanding his demands. He focused on his past while Twilight used her magic to enhance the fake gem's image for all of the throne room to see. The magically created screen was dark at first, but there was some slight movement as the sound of an egg cracking echoed from the memory. The top cracked open as they saw from Thorax's point of view of the day he hatched, poking his head up as they saw what appeared to be the inside of a craggy cavern, where thousands of changeling eggs rested in what appeared to be the nest of the changeling hive.

"Oops. I think I went too far," Thorax uttered apologetically, more eggs cracking as they saw what the hatched changeling larvae looked like, their bodies white and covered in black spots with cute-looking faces, tiny horns, and stubby forelegs. "S-Should I move further ahead?"

"No!" Twilight and Cadence both exclaimed, everyone turning to the two alicorns in confusion.

Twilight was the first to react at her outburst, flustered as she grinned nervously. "I mean, no, let's keep playing this memory. We need...every single crucial bit of your past to prove you're really innocent and not like your...brethren?"

"You want to take notes on changeling infants," Riku paraphrased, knowing Twilight long enough to see that glint of excitement when she desired to learn about something new.

"What!?" she asked, blowing a raspberry with a wave of her hoof. "No! Of course not! That's not the reason why at all!"

She didn't make it convincing when she had been hiding a quill and a piece of parchment behind her, "subtly" taking notes on the larvae changeling anatomy. Riku rolled his eyes, both for Twilight's overly-eager need to learn and why she didn't bother bringing a simple notepad to make taking notes easier and lighter to write than several scrolls of blank parchment. Everyone then turned to look at Cadence, the pink alicorn's eyes shifting slightly before she shrugged her shoulders.

"They're adorable," she simply stated.

They soon heard the other baby changelings hissing, gone were their cute and curious faces as their aggressive instincts kicked in, barring their fangs as their tongues lashed about. "Yeah, by 'adorable', you mean 'disgusting grubs already prepared to suck the love out of anything it squirms onto'," Sora said, stating his opinion on the "grubs", even as they heard Thorax whimper at how aggressive his brothers and sisters were.

"I love babies, and that includes all creatures, not just ponies," Cadence said. "And I think the changelings are cute when they hatched, hissy faces or not."

"If we end up having another alicorn baby like Flurry Heart, I'm going to have to pass, Cadence," Shining said, which made Cadence gasp in shock, then whimper and give him a sad look to try to guilt him into reconsidering for another foal. "Yeah, not gonna work this time, hon."

"Aww...Oh well, I tried," Cadence uttered.

They soon heard an all too familiar chuckle as larva Thorax looked to where the laugh came from. Standing taller than a tower at the infant changelings' size was none other than Queen Chrysalis, watching the new breed of changelings for her army being born. Some of them crawled their way over to her, climbing up her legs as they worshiped their queen, Chrysalis taking one of them in her magic and gave it a pet while smirking deviously.

"What a powerful group of hatchlings," she said to herself. "We're going to have some very big plans for Canterlot when the time is right. Make sure to grow big and strong so we can take over all of Equestria, my pretties. We'll have all the love we could ever feed on and rule the land."

The memory flashed forward to several years as baby Thorax tried to hide back in his shell, now viewing him hovering over Canterlot as his brothers and sisters, all of them fully grown as they smacked into the barrier and crashed through once it was weak enough. Unlike how the other changelings were dive bombing down on the city, Thorax slowly hovered down, nervously looking around as he felt guilty hurting the ponies and scaring them all. They all tried diving down on the Mane Six, Riku, and Kairi as they ran through the streets to reach the location where the Elements of Harmony were being held at that time. The guards were highly impressed as they managed to defeat the massive wave of changelings that tried to stop them, especially Riku and Kairi with their unique magic spells. That hope was tarnished when they made their way inside the building to find hundreds more lying in wait for them.

"Come on," one changeling said, forcing Thorax down into the building as he yelped in surprise. "You're going to see some real fighting. Maybe that'll inspire you to grow a tougher carapace."

While being dragged by his fellow changeling, this one's eyes and wings a dark purple instead of blue like Thorax's and the several thousand changelings around them, they headed inside the building, where the mind-controlled Sora was revealed to the group of eight. Riku knew what happened next as the barrier appeared around them, splitting him from the girls as they immediately got swarmed, and he and Sora wound up in an inescapable duel where only one of them would come out the winner. The purple-eyed changeling pulled Thorax up close to the barrier, joining their swarming brethren as they watched the battle unfold. They put up quite a struggle, but Sora unleashed his Final Form, easily dominating Riku and knocking the stallion out cold, the magical barrier fading away as their queen's mind-controlled soldier was victorious.

"Wow, this pony is really powerful," of the the changelings said in awe, though Sora grimaced as he got a look at how he had beaten Riku that day.

"At least Her Highness had placed him under her spell," another said. "He could have done a lot worse with those other two."

Thorax in the memory gulped, somewhat grateful that Sora was on their side, but he still didn't like what they were doing. In the end, the memory changed as it started at the end of the invasion, where all the changelings were flung out of Canterlot by the power of love from Shining Armor and Cadence and the power of light from Sora and Kairi. More memories flashed to Thorax's days after leaving the hive, wandering around Equestria to feed on any love, without getting into any couple's relationships through trickery. There was even the moment in Ponyville during Cranky and Matilda's wedding, but what shocked Sora, Riku, and Twilight was the fact that Ventus had spotted the changeling as he looked around in his seat, and he didn't tell anyone about his presence after they returned from the Mysterious Tower. Sora was going to give Ventus an earful for not telling them that a changeling was in Ponyville, right in front of the entire town, even Shining Armor and Cadence when they were somehow invited to the wedding.

Everyone's thoughts on Thorax's memories were perplexing; the changeling had never shown any signs of hostility to anyone he met, wasn't like his brothers and sisters in the hive, he never even attempted to fight the Mane Six, Riku, or Kairi during the invasion. Even during Cranky and Matilda's wedding, he may have looked intimidating, but he never once used his transformation abilities to mimic someone, get involved with a pony's lover while knocking them unconscious, or took love by force if he was desperate. And these were all real memories he had experienced, too.

Then came the earliest moments that happened when Spike stumbled upon Thorax's hiding place while unable to leave due to the love in the Crystal Empire. He ended up revealing himself after Spike thought he was looking at a mirror, and to everyone's shock, mostly Twilight's, Spike stumbled off the crevice after smacking into the stalagmite, and Thorax caught him. That same moment happened again, where Thorax was heavily upset at Spike for denying his friendship when he lost control of his disguise when he got close to Flurry Heart, and yet again, Spike was saved by him after admitting how wrong he was for betraying him. Even after being hurt like that, the changeling still saved him, clear proof that there wasn't a single piece of evil intentions in his heart.

That was the last of Thorax's memories as the screen faded, the changeling hoping he showed enough proof. There was no secret plan made between him and Chrysalis to scout out the Empire, no evil desires to steal the love from Flurry Heart or any of the crystal ponies. Thorax was legitimately kindhearted, pacifistic, and wanting to feel included among the ponies despite how much terror his kind had made in Canterlot. Sora didn't like it, but he lowered his Keyblade, proven enough to know Thorax wasn't a threat.

Riku placed the enchanted ornament back in his pocket, satisfied with Thorax's past while Twilight grabbed Spike and hugged him. "Spike, I'm so proud of you."

"You are? For what?" Spike asked in confusion.

"You're a celebrity here in the Crystal Empire, and risked all of that for a friend," Twilight explained. "I can't imagine anything more brave than that." She then turned the others, the guards, Shining Armor, Cadence, and Sunburst all no longer showing hostility as their opinion on Thorax had changed from what they saw. "As the Princess of Friendship, I try to set an example for all of Equestria. But today, it was Spike who taught me that a new friend can come from anywhere."

"I thought Sora was the first one to teach you that," Riku said, giving the alicorn a light nudge with his shoulder.

"Well, maybe, but it's more about a friend who was considered evil because of their race," Twilight corrected.

"Zecora," Sora stated, reminding Twilight how she and the other mares instantly called the zebra out as an evil enchantress when they didn't know anything about her.

"Considered evil because of the actions of their own race in a past event, only to be a misconception when not all of them are bad!" Twilight recorrected herself with an annoyed huff. "Anypony else want to ruin my speech, like it always does!?" Many shakes of the head were made, though Shining and Cadence couldn't help but chuckle a little at the flustered alicorn's irritation. "Good. Now, as I was saying, everypony still has a lot to learn about friendship, including me." Twilight turned back around to Thorax, offering her hoof to him. "And if Spike says Thorax is his friend, then he's my friend, too."

Overjoyed, Thorax took Twilight's hoof and shook it. "Thank you!"

"On behalf of the Crystal Empire, I would like to extend my hoof in friendship, and I'm sure all of my subjects are eager to do the same," Cadence announced, the guards agreeing as they all cheered, welcoming Thorax to the Crystal Empire.

Thorax approached the prince and princess of the Crystal Empire, feeling the love of friendship radiating from them and subconsciously fed on it. He was given hoofshakes by the guards, even Riku after walking past him and Twilight. Cadence even held Flurry out to Thorax, the infant cooing as she already grew a liking to what most kids should see as a scary monster, but the changeling was elated to sense no fear in the baby as he pat her head. When he turned to Sora, his grin faltered at the neutral expression on the pegasus's face. He could practically sense the disdain coming from him, despite the acceptance of allowing Thorax to stay in the Crystal Empire.

"I'm not as happy as everyone else is about you, Thorax," Sora said. "I understand you're not as evil as the rest of your hive. You showed no hostility toward anyone, you didn't physically harm anyone, or steal love by turning into someone...I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, mostly because of my own experiences that had recently happened to me."

"W-Was it...because of what Queen Chrysalis did...? To your marefriend?" Thorax asked. Sora's eyes widened as he grimaced, startling the changeling. "S-Spike told me about it. He said it was a long story, but...I kind of had a feeling I know what she would have done...He said it happened in some...other timeline?"

Sora looked back at Spike, who looked away after he told who was once an enemy a brief description of his time in the alternate timeline with the changelings ruling the world. He looked back at Thorax, letting out a sad sigh.

"...Yeah...It is a long story," Sora admitted. "...If Spike didn't stick up for you, I would have killed you right on the spot when you showed yourself." Thorax whimpered, gulping nervously after seeing just how strong he was just from fighting his friend during the invasion while under his former queen's control. "...But it's not in me to kill anyone who never had evil intentions to begin with, or if there was a good reason why they did what they had done in the first place..."

Sora silently stared at Thorax for a moment, letting his reasons sink into the changeling as he felt a bit of relief. The stallion then raised his hoof up, offering Thorax a hoofshake, which the changeling nervously took as they both shook hooves. Even thought Thorax was able to be trusted, he knew it would take a long while for Sora to be his friend. Starlight grimaced as she was to blame for that tense moment between them, her time traveling shenanigans almost destroying Equestria several times over. Shining Armor approached Thorax, taking off his helmet now that there was no need to don his armor.

"Welcome to the Crystal Empire, Thorax," he said. "Sorry we didn't take the time to get to know you. Maybe we can change that now."

"That would be amazing!" Thorax exclaimed excitedly. "I want to know all about friendship, and maybe one day, I can take that knowledge back with me to the Changeling Kingdom! If my kind learned how to create love for one another, maybe they won't have to take love from others!"

"I doubt Chrysalis would accept that," Sora muttered to himself.





With Thorax now a friendly resident in the Crystal Empire, the kingdom celebrated their new changeling friend and welcomed him with open hooves. After that, the visiting group left the Empire and made their way back to Ponyville. As much as their visit wanted to last longer, mostly for Starlight to hang out with Sunburst and strengthen their relationship a bit more before they really decided on being a couple, there were many things the Keyblade wielders needed to do, especially report to Aqua about an enemy who was now on their side.

Inside the castle, Sora, Riku, Twilight, and Starlight gathered everyone in the throne room and relayed what had happened in the Crystal Empire. Most of them were surprised to know that Thorax was now considered an ally among them, but Sora mentioned that Ventus was the first one who spotted the changeling back in Ponyville a while back and called him out on it.

"Why didn't you try to subdue him if you saw him!?" Sora exclaimed. "You know what the changelings did as much as I do!"

"He wasn't doing anything!" Ventus argued. "What, did you want me to cause a scene in the middle of a wedding ceremony!? That changeling-!"

"Thorax," Pinkie corrected. "He has a name, and he is a friend of ours now, so it's mean to just call him by what he is."

"Not the point right now, Pinkie," Ventus grumbled. "Anyway, Thorax wasn't even hurting anyone. He was just sitting there."

Sora let out an irritated huff and slouched in his throne, pouting like a whiny three-year-old. "Sora, he was there before we found out about him," Spike said. "Can't you just drop it? You shook Thorax's hoof."

"I said I would give him the benefit of the doubt," Sora stated with a growl.

"Sora, are you still paranoid over what happened to the other me?" Kairi asked.

Sora flinched, his anger ebbing away to sadness. "...M-Maybe..." He sat up and pressed his hooves against his face. "...Chrysalis is out there somewhere...She could be planning something, and we don't know what she's doing...She might do the exact same thing to you, Kairi."

"It won't happen," Kairi assured. "All of us, together, can stop her if she shows her face again."

"But it could!" Sora exclaimed. "What if I'm not here!? What if I go to another world, and Equestria crumbles!? Or what if every other world falls to darkness because I'm not there to save them!? Without me being here, everyone would suffer, die, fall into darkness, whatever it is that destroys everything I've been trying to protect for all these years!"

Sora panted heavily, fear greatly expressed on his face as tears welled up in his eyes. Starlight noticed him glancing at her, a slight glare that disappeared every so often, silently asking her why she had to try to change the past. More guilt welled up inside her, having just made amends with Aqua and her own paranoia about trusting her, and now she's made it worse as the stallion who was willing to give her a chance to change was now paranoid about the outcome of the future without him around, living or dead. Kairi teleported into Sora's throne, holding him tightly and consoled him.

"You were holding all of that in," she uttered, not stating it as a question, but she knew that part of him was still bothered by their time-jumping spree. "Sora, how many times do I have to tell you not to hide anything from us if something like this scares you to death?"

Sora held Kairi, letting out a depressed sigh. "...I just...don't want anything to happen to any of you...It's like everything will fall if I'm not around..."

Aqua felt sympathy for Sora. She had those same exact fears when things started to escalate between her, Terra, and Ventus, and after escaping from the Realm of Darkness, she believed she was the only one who could stop Xehanort and bring peace back to the worlds. But his fears were different than her own; Sora's death in the alternate timelines was the result of the sonic rainboom from being prevented several years ago. And with no sign of the other mares within those timelines as well, it could only be assumed that, prior to Rainbow Dash's first attempt at the sonic rainboom, all seven of them were what helped keep every single world in the universe from falling either to darkness or someone of evil intentions.

"Sora, don't think that everyone's lives rest on your shoulders," Aqua said. "I felt that way out of sorrow, thinking I was the only one out of me, Terra, or Ven who knew of Xehanort's plans and needed to stop him. We all know you're important to everyone: your skills outmatch all of ours, combined, you've faced the worst of what Xehanort had to offer, his Heartless, Ansem, and his Nobody, Xemnas, and that strength that helped you get this far was the power of friendship. All the friends you've made in every world you've been in, all the help you've done for them when, as travelers from another world, it shatters the balance of the world order for getting involved in other worlds' affairs, but despite that, you didn't care when your heart told you what to do.

"You are everyone's hope when all else fails. When WE fail. You are connected to that very same rainbow of friendship Twilight, Rainbow, Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack are a part of, but even they haven't been able to get this far without you there, too." The Mane Six nodded in agreement.

"She's right," Rainbow said. "It's not just you; it's all seven of us who help keep everything right...Though, can I say that it was all mostly me, since I'm the one who made the sonic rainboom in the first place?"

"Ignore her ego, sugarcube," Applejack said. "But Rainbow Dash has a point. When we took on the likes of Discord when he was bad and Sombra, ya couldn't have won by yourself."

"As odd as it felt when we joined our power with yours when you first used your Harmony Form, it was what we needed, darling," Rarity said. "What YOU needed."

"I mean, maybe we could have beaten those baddies by ourselves with the Elements of Harmony, but this is a crossover fic, so we do need you for more than helping us save the day!" Pinkie said, confusing everyone by what she meant. "Hey! Maybe I should have the Keyblade Inheriting Thingy and help Sora! I make lots of new friends, so that would mean I'd be super-duper-ultra-looper strong!"

Aqua brought a hoof to her chin, closing her eyes in thought. "Oh, come on!" Rainbow whined. "You're actually considering Pinkie to have a Keyblade, but not me!? That's a load of horseapples!"

"I'm not," Aqua said. "It's an even worse idea to give someone like Pinkie a Keyblade. I find it amusing to hear you complain about it."

"Eh. Worth a shot," Pinkie said with a shrug while Rainbow sulked as she grumbled under her breath.

"As odd as Pinkie's idea of a pep talk is, you can rely on all of us to help you," Twilight said, Fluttershy nodding silently in her seat. "I know the six of us needed you when we faced Nightmare Moon, Discord, Sombra, Chrysalis, and even Tirek."

"I lost against Tirek, I barely survived facing Sombra, and I almost helped Chrysalis win the invasion while under he spell, when I thought she was really Kairi," Sora said. "I sure won those fights when I either screwed up or can't do it. If all of you are expecting me to take on Xehanort, how am I supposed to win when most of my battles against the toughest of them were won by luck?"

"Because you are not ready," Yen Sid said, surprising the group as the wizard stepped into the room. "At least not yet."

"Hey, the old coot's being a snoop," Lea commented from around the corner, walking into view with a smirk on his face. "Scandalous."

Ignoring the red stallion, Yen Sid approached the table and looked up at Sora. "You do show the potential you have to stop even the most powerful of Heartless. Your strength is something Xehanort wished he could have. That was why he wanted to choose you as one of his thirteen vessels. Little does he realize that that power comes from your friends, your drive to fight for and alongside them. With the lack of experience wielding the Keyblade when it came to you, you stopped Ansem, a powerful Heartless that not even I or Eraqus had ever faced. You have taken down Heartless as massive as a Groundshaker without so much as backing down."

"But I didn't fight by myself," Sora reiterated. "I was with-"

"Sora, whether alone or with allies, you cannot doubt yourself," Yen Sid interrupted. "You boast about your skills, yet you are humble when you're serious. You goof off, but not enough to be distracted, whether or not you are in the middle of combat. Destiny may link you as the key to the worlds' peace and safety in the light, but destiny is just a written prophecy that only serves to make the destined worry and panic. Your destiny with these six ponies are important, but do not let what the possible futures showed you when it failed make them the future you expect because of your fears. Make the future you want, and leave those past possibilities cloud your judgement, and your heart."

Sora was stunned silent at Yen Sid's lecture. He still worried about what Chrysalis was planning after the failure of her invasion, but the alternate timeline was still very real and could have happened should he have died to Xemnas. In his heart, he wanted to do everything in his power to protect the ones he loved: his friends, his family, and even Kairi especially. As his master waited his response after giving him his lecture on not losing himself, Sora nodded, understanding the wizard.

"There is one good thing that has come from befriending Thorax, Sora," Aqua continued, Sora's ears folding against his head upon mentioning the changeling "befriending" them. "He does know the location of the Changeling Kingdom, along with where the hive is located and what lies inside. I may have to visit the Crystal Empire myself to speak with him and learn more about him and his kingdom. We might not get any plans from the queen since he left after the invasion, but we could plan out an ambush and catch her by surprise. If we were to take her and any other followers in, would that ease your worries a little?"

"...I guess so," Sora mumbled.

"Good." Aqua stood up from her seat and leapt down, looking over the map. "It's hard to tell where exactly the Changeling Kingdom resides. That, and I have no way of pinpointing where other enemies aside from Heartless would be found. Tomorrow, I'm going to take a little visit to the Empire to have a chat with Thorax personally."

"You also want to go because of the Crystal Heart and the baby, right?" Terra asked with a grin.

"It is purely for business, not recreational," Aqua said, though Terra knew she was lying, spotting her ear twitching slightly as she looked away from him slightly.

"You definitely want to go to see the baby again," Terra paraphrased his girlfriend's "reason", crossing his forelegs across his chest with a sly smirk.

"Not true!" she denied. No one else bought her excuse either since no one could resist being around a newborn baby, especially when it was a baby pony for the Keyblade wielders. "...Ok, maybe a few minutes seeing the baby, but that's all! I swear! I will go straight to talking to Thorax!"

"And we'll come along with you," Ventus said.

"Just me," Aqua heavily insisted, getting slightly annoyed as most of the group laughed at her flustered state. "I'm going to bed early so I can be at the Empire at the crack of dawn." Terra was about to jump out of his throne to join her leaving, but she held him back in his seat. "You're sleeping in another room, mister. You are not distracting me tonight."

"Alright. Whatever you say, Aqua," Terra said with a chuckle.





Later that evening, as everyone headed off to bed, Sora was wide awake while Kairi slept beside him. Her head rested on his shoulder, her gentle breathing softly rustling the fur on his neck while his hoof subconsciously rubbed her back. Though he opened up to everyone about how he felt after going through the alternate timelines, he barely felt any better as so many thoughts, so many unknown questions plagued his mind on what else could have happened aside from what he and Twilight experienced. One of those questions he figured Kairi or Riku from the alternate times could answer him they knew or not: was his father still alive after he saw that rainbow star, the sonic rainboom Rainbow Dash made many years ago?

Slight changes could have been made when filly Rainbow was kept from performing such a feat, and Sora's father still being around could have been a possibility as well. He was more bothered by what had happened to Equestria and his fate more than anything else, and though that still bothered him, he was starting to lose his restraint in keeping to his own mental promise not to misuse the power of time magic and use the Reverse/Forward spell.

He shifted his thoughts on something else, but it came back to Thorax. As dangerous as he appeared, Thorax wasn't really the aggressive type. If anything, he behaved just like Fluttershy, all timid and nervous, and he probably wouldn't even harm a fly if one of his changeling brethren turned into one. Despite being proven that he was nice and his memories were testament to that, but he still had a bad feeling that there was an incredibly slim chance that Chrysalis might now what Thorax did by leaving the hive. Then those thoughts drifted to the changeling timeline's Kairi: her scars on her face and body, the loss of hope in her eyes, her body constantly tense as if waiting for an ambush twenty-four seven, and her dulled Keyblade signifying her despair under the angry, merciless expression on her face. He nearly woke his Kairi up as his foreleg holding her began to squeeze her tightly to his body, making her mumble and shift a little before getting more comfortable in her slumber.

Sora sighed, unable to sleep anymore now that his mind is bothered by the past. Gently moving Kairi's head away from his shoulder without waking her, he quietly got up out of bed and exited the room. Making his way out of the castle, he ran out into the fields where no one in town could see him, then pounded his hoof into the pauldron on his shoulder. Once changed into his Keyblade armor, he summoned his weapon, tossed it high in the air and transformed it into his glider. He leapt onto it as it flew down, ascending up into the sky and out of Equestria, his form changing back into a human as he sped off through the cosmos, heading straight back home to Destiny Islands.