//------------------------------// // Chapter 04: Magical Mystery // Story: KINGDOM HEARTS: Fractured Friendship // by KHXhero //------------------------------// Chapter 04: Magical Mystery Meanwhile... back in Canterlot... The halls of Canterlot were pretty quiet today, as Princess Celestia made her way to her chambers. News of the Changeling Invasion and the wedding cancellation were spreading like wildfire as many ponies were trying to recover from the craziness that had accord. No doubt many of them were traumatized by how the changelings snuck in and managed to invade the city. Many of the populace of Canterlot were demanding answers. According to the tabloids, some of them blamed Princess Celestia for how she knew there was a threat and did nothing to call off the wedding. If anything, most of the scrutiny was placed on Shining Armor, who was now placed under observation for the role he played in letting the Changeling Queen in. It was ruled that he was completely mind control, but after facing the press about it, he couldn't help but wonder. He remembered the details of how he talked down his sister like that. Was he truly in control when he kicked his sister out, so was he under mind control? Princess Cadance has refused to comment on the invasion, nor did she allow anyone to talk to her. And Princess Luna, while she was shocked at how Celestia abandoned Twilight, and lectured her older sister about the subject, she did eventually apologized and told her that she would handle the press, and make sure no pony would have continuous nightmares about the whole invasion. But yet, that wasn't enough to put the elder sister's mind at ease. The Sun Monarch was thinking to herself as she continued to walk. If anything, she couldn't help but allow the guilt to claw at her mind. Her faithful student... or her now ex-faithful student was furious with her, and she knew why. Twilight was the only one who knew something was wrong with the fake bride, but Celestia didn't listen to her, nor did her friends, or her brother. But in the end, Twilight was right all along. She was always right. Maybe not right all the time, but 99% of the time was enough. And now, she was still hurting from the treatement the sun monarch and the ones closest to her gave her, abandoning her in her time of need. If anything, they were grateful that the Changeling Queen only sent her down below into the Gemstone Caverns, which was now being investigated. But the worse part was... Twilight said that nopony would ever find her... What if she was right? What if she had never found the real Cadance, or found a way to escape? And worse, what if the Changeling Queen took the opportunity to... kill her? Celestia couldn't help but let these thoughts flow through her head. Her faithful student, the pony she loved like a daughter, killed because of her own fault? "This is my fault." Celestia said. "I should've listened to Twlight's concerns about the fake bride's behavior. She had known Cadance more than anypony, more than me. To think that she was jealous, but in the end she was trying to warn us. And we didn't believe her... I didn't believe her." She sighed, and glanced out the window, seeing ponies gossiping and comforting each other. It seems her subjects were still healing from the invasion. But that didn't matter now. Right now she had to make things right with Twilight. But how? Perhaps she could ask her if they could do something together. Maybe take a stroll around the town, read a book, or maybe teach her something new while having a nice gossip. Though, Twilight might not be in the mood to do so. "Princess!!!" A voice called out from outside. Looking at the window, she saw Rainbow Dash, flying toward her. "Princess! Princess!" Rainbow Dash called out as she zipped right toward the royal monarch, only to be halted by a magical aura colored in very light gold. The pegasus looked to see the Princess, who's horn was glowing the same color. "Good day, Rainbow Dash." Celestia said. "May I ask why you are flying in a state of panic?" "Princess, Twilight's gone!" Rainbow Dash shouted. The princess froze, giving a surprised gasped, her magic evaporating around her horn and Rainbow Dash, causing the rainbow-maned pegasus to fall onto the floor front first. "G...Gone?" Celestia asked. "What do you mean gone?" "She's gone!" Rainbow Dash shouted, getting to her hooves immediately, and flapped her wings anxiously. "She... she just vanished! We went to check up on her, but we found Spike and he had a note and... She's gone!" Before anymore could be said, a knock came from the door. "Princess, we have an emergancy!" Rarity's voice called out. The Princess then opened the door, revealing Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, bolting into the room. "Princess, we got a big problem!" Applejack said. "Twilight is gone!" Pinkie Pie shouted. "Yes... I've been told." Celestia said, still shocked that her student... eh... former student had up and left. The girls quickly stepped aside, allowing Spike to approach the Princess. He handed her the note, and after reading it, the Solar Princess was unable to speak. Twilight was in so much emotional pain, and she caused it. "So... what do we do now?" Fluttershy asked. "Do we... panic?" "Is that the only answer you got?!" Rainbow Dash asked. "Twilight's gone and all you want to do is panic?!" "Twily's gone?" Turning to the source of the voice, the girls saw Shining Armor, with a shocked expression on his face. "Oops..." Rainbow Dash said, cursing silently at her big mouth. The captain of the Royal Guard approached the girls, and the Princess, who silently handed him the note. As he read it, his face showed more guilt than he had yesterday. His little sister ran away... No... he chased her away, and it was all his fault. "No... Twily..." Shining Armor said. "So... what do we do, Princess?!" Spike asked, looking back at the Princess. "Yeah, what do we do?!" Rainbow Dash asked, all of them anxious and ready to do something. The royal monarch looked at the six ponies and dragon, all of them looking up to her, and asking what they should do? But... the princess didn't have answer, nor any clues to where Twilight could be. She gave a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry... but right now, there is nothing we can do." She spoke. "WHAT?!" Everypony, Shining and Spike asked. "But... but we have to do something?!" Spike said. "Yeah, we can't just sit here and do nuttin'!" Applejack said. "We have to find Twilight!" Fluttershy said. "Now girls, I understand that you are all worried about Twilight, and so am I." Celestia said. "But we have no leads, no idea where Twilight could've gone to. And believe if I did know, I would be there instantly. But until then, all we can do is wait." The girls lowered their heads. To be honest, the Princess is right. They don't have any clues or knowledge of where Twilight could be, so, they had no choice but to play the waiting game. "Alright... I guess we'll wait then." Applejack said. "I don't like it though." Rainbow Dash said, feeling reluctant. However, all attention was drawn to Spike, who showed disappointment, mostly to Princess Celestia. "Well, guess we can't rely on you to do anything." He said with venom in his voice. This caused the girls to almost gasp, as the baby dragon headed back for the door. "Spike..." Celestia said. "If you won't find Twilight, then I'll go find her myself." Spike said. "Now, Spike." Rarity said as she was about to approach the baby dragon, only to be with a face of anger from the dragon. "Don't tell me what to do, Rarity." Spike said. "Oh, I'm sorry... Miss Rarity." As he stormed off, the fashionista stood there, feeling hurt by the dragon's response. She gave a heavy sigh, and lowered her head in shame. Poor Spikey-Wikey, she thought. To be fair, he had every right to be angry with her too. She left the pony who raised him over some stupid wedding, and she chased the poor girl away. She lost her friend, and now she lost him. "It's alright, Rarity." Applejack said. "He'll come around." Shining Armor only lowered his head in shame. His sister was gone, somewhere out there all alone. Giving a shake with his head, he headed straight for the door. "Where are you going?" Fluttershy asked. "I'm gonna go find her, and tell her that I'm sorry." Shining said as he went out the doorway. "Captain, you should re-" Celestia said. "No, don't stop me." Shining said. "This is all my fault. I need to make this right." In a split second he rushed out the room, to go find his sister. Rainbow Dash only glanced at the floor, and gave a scuff. "I'm going too." Rainbow Dash said as she made her way back to the window, flapped her wings and flew out the window, to find Twilight herself. "Um... should we?" Fluttershy asked. "No, let Rainbow handle her own." Applejack said. "C'mon girls, we better go tell Princess Cadance." "I don't think she'll want to talk to us either." Rarity said. "Well, let's just try." Applejack said as she, the fashionista, and Fluttershy walked out, while Pinkie Pie slowly followed. "I miss Twilight." She spoke as she left the room. The only one left inside was Princess Celestia, who then closed the door with her magic. As the doors slid shut, the royal princess turned her head and closed the window. Suddenly, her straight face began to melt away, as tears began to drop down her face. Giving a sigh of exhaustion, she collapsed to the floor, and began to cry softly. "Oh Twilight... I'm sorry..." She spoke to herself. "I'm so, so sorry..." As she continued to cry, she began to recall the moment Twilight destroyed the entire rehearsal hall in anger, from all the pain she had experienced. The scene of the lavender unicorn walking toward her, ready to attack without hesitation. Celestia has lost another student... she failed her... she failed again... "You failed Celestia... You've failed again..." Celestia froze as she heard that voice. Looking up, she saw a silhouette of a unicorn, a familiar unicorn with the red flaming mane and tail, staring down at her. "You're a failure... you're a useless, incompetent, failure..." The unicorn spoke, as Celestia watched in fear. -BANG- The sudden loud bang from the window caused Celestia to jump in surprise and horror, only to see a light bluish gray pegasus with a pale, light apple green mane and her eyes being the same color but brighter and darker, and a bit cross eyed too. There's only one pony with crossed eyes and a cutie mark consisted of two large bubbles surrounded by five smaller ones, and that was Ditzy Doo, or Derpy as many ponies would call her. She was also the occasional mailmare, sending letters to other ponies, though it seemed that she accidently crashed into the Princess's window... or did she. "My bad... sorry Princess..." Ditzy said. "Oh, it's quite alright, Der... I mean, Ditzy." Celestia said, rising from the ground, wiping the tears from her eyes, and keeping a straight face. "What seems to be the trouble?" "Actually, I have mail for you!" Ditzy said as she reached into her bag and pulled out a letter, with the royal alicorn taking it with her magic. "Have a good day!" She said as she flew out the window, with a sudden crash being heard from the distance. Hearing that made Celestia form a smile, though it wasn't enough to heal her heart. She glanced at the letter, but then her eyes widened as she saw the seal. The seal was of a crescent moon, with a couple of stars near it. "Yen Sid...?" Celestia asked. Her time living, she had known about the outside worlds, and she would always right letters to King Mickey, and he would do the same. Aside from King Mickey, she too had met Yen Sid from time to time. But this letter, from the great Sorceror Yen Sid! This could mean something very important... or disastrous. Opening the letter, she read it. Dear Celestia, It has been quite a while since we last met, but I write to you because I sense something terrible is transpiring in your world. For you see, the magic in our universe is somehow not working properly. From what the three good fairies had told me, the magic seems to be fading away. And the source of this is coming from your world. I have seen the stars that surround your world, and the one in the center is dying out. The Element of Magic is losing it's power, and I feel that your student, Twilight Sparkle, is now walking a path that evil lies at the end of it. I am fully aware of what had happened at the royal wedding, with how your student knew something was wrong and no pony, not even you, believed her. But, I do not blame you, nor do I believe it is your fault. The Changeling Queen, who was thought to be imprisoned in the volcano outside Equestria, had manipulated the events and the ponies around her to further her goal. But regardless, your student has now gone astray. Do I believe this is connected to the magic dying, I cannot be sure. But all of this is happening at a worse time. I have sensed a great magic up in the Frozen North of your world, along with a dark spirit that is waiting to be unleashed. This could only mean one thing. The Crystal Empire has returned. Much sooner than we expected it would. So, I have decided to send you help to solve this crisis. I will be sending my former pupils, King Mickey, Riku, Sora and their friends to help you deal with the Crystal Empire and find Young Twilight. You may know Sora pretty well, for he had helped your student and the other bearers save your sister from the darkness. They will help you face this disaster, and we better pray it's in time. Yours in Confidence, Yen Sid The Sun Monarch's eyes widened when she read the letter. The Crystal Empire! That must be the powerful surge she felt when Princess Cadance and Captain Armor sent the Changelings away. But the Empire wasn't suppose to come back for another few months! It seems that the broken connection between the Elements of Harmony must've caused this to happen this soon. And it was her own fault. No, she thought, shaking her head. She must not lose hope yet. Yen Sid is sending his keyblade students to help, one of them that she knew well. Sora. The boy who helped Twilight save her sister from the Nightmare. Sora can fix this. She quickly made her way out of the chambers to tell Luna what has happened, and she must gather the other Element bearers, Captain Armor, and Princess Cadance. They're gonna need everyone to save the Crystal Empire. But more importantly, they must find Twilight! And they better pray, they find her in time. MYSTERIOUS TOWER In a beautiful starry night with many of them gleaming in the background, floating amongst the clouds was a small countryside with several hills seeping through them. On the small island floating above them was a tall surrealistic and crooked, golden-brown tower. The tower itself is topped with blue cone-shaped turret roof, decorated with moons and stars, similar to Yen Sid's hat. At the top of the tower, inside the Sorceror's Loft was Yen Sid himself, sitting at his desk, speaking with two other keyblade wielders. The short one was King Mickey, the King of Disney Castle, and the taller human boy was Riku, Sora's best friend. Riku had silver hair with bangs and bright blue eyes, and he possessed a muscular build. His hair appears more spiked up in the back, almost similar to the main character Yozora from Verum Rex. His attire consists of a black, hooded jacket with short sleeves and gold buttons. The lower part of his jacket had a unique checkered pattern at the hem. Underneath his jacket was a white V-neck shirt. He wore blue cropped trousers that are hemmed with the same checkered pattern as the jacket, black glovelettes, and high-top boots. King Mickey Mouse was the anthropomorphic mouse with black fur, long thin tail, the skin colored muzzle, and of course the iconic big round ears and white gloves. His attire was a bit similar to Riku's, but with different coloring. The black hooded jacket had silver buttons and a checkered pattern at the hem,. But his shirt was grey, and his trousers were red cropped, hemmed with the same checkered pattern. His shoes were grey at the back, and yellow at the front. The two were speaking to Master Yen Sid about what has happened back at Radiant Garden, with the magic being unresponsive and the heartless attack. Luckily for them, the master was quite aware of the magic going out. "I see." Yen Sid said. "The magic isn't working for both of you either." "No." Riku said. "Not at all. All elemental magic spells are not working, not even Time or Magnet spells." "It's almost as if the magic in dying." Mickey said. "This has never happened before. But I did see the stars in the sky while at Radiant Garden, and one of the stars in the Equester Alignment was going dim." Yen Sid began to stroke his beard. "Hmmm... this is definitely the first that has happened in many, many years." He said. "The six stars in the sky, one of them is losing it's light. It seems that the Elements have been rifted." Mickey's ears perked up in surprise. "Wait, you mean the Elements of Harmony?" He asked. "The Elements of Harmony?!" "Yes, the same ones." Yen Sid said. "I'm sorry, but what are exactly the Elements of Harmony?" Riku asked. -Knock Knock Knock- All eyes were turned toward the door. It opened up, revealing Sora, Donald, and Goofy coming inside. "You guys made it." Mickey said. "Sorry we're a little late." Sora said, though his face showed that he was feeling down, much to Riku's notice. "Is everything alright?" he asked. "No." Sora said. "Kairi got attacked while we were preparing the Friendship Festival at Twilight Town... She's got this strange scratch on her arm, and she wasn't feel well either. She's with Aqua right now, and she's trying to figure out what's going on." "Aww...poor girl." Mickey said, as Donald and Goofy gave worried nods of their own. "But there's something else though." Sora said. "Our magic isn't working right. All Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, Aero, Water, not even Stop or Magnet spells are working." "Uh huh." Goofy said. "Donald even passed out when we were fighting one of those heartless towers." "You don't need to mention that." Donald said. "Well, it got us worried though." Goofy said. "It seems all magic in the world is not working correctly." Yen Sid said. "Perhaps it is the sign of something terrible happening. And it has happened at a worse time. The Elements of Harmony are losing their power, the magic is dying, and an ancient kingdom a thousand years old has resurfaced." The spiked hair boy turned his head, hearing the worlds Elements of Harmony. He has heard those words before, from his previous adventure in Equestria. They were the six artifacts that he and his friends from Ponyville used to defeat Nightmare Moon. "Elements of Harmony..." Sora said, getting Donald and Goofy's attention. "The Elements of Harmony are losing their power?" The sorceror gave a nod. "Yes, nd as for what they are, I can happily explain if you two wish to know." Yen Sid said, to both Sora and Riku. "Yes sir." The two said in unison, as Mickey, Donald, and Goofy stood aside, as the sorceror prepared to explain what they are dealing with. "A long time ago, before even the Keyblade War took place, there was a land where peace and harmony roamed for more than thousands of years..." Yen Sid began. "A mystical land that is known as... Equestria." With a wave of his hand, the book before him opened up, and then, a magical holo-gram appeared from within, showing a projection of the land of Equestria, and it's many towns and cities, including pictures of many ponies. "A land inhabited by magical ponies, unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies, who all lived together in tranquility. This land is far more different than the worlds that you all have visited, for it is a world that exists in the very core of the Realm Between. It acts as a barrier that prevents too much darkness from entering the realm of light, depending on the state that it is in. And it is protected by the magical forces known as the Elements of Harmony, magical elements of pure energy that keep the world in balance. There were many times they were used to safeguard the land from dark and evil forces. They were first used by the two Royal Sisters of that world." The next projection displayed the two royal sisters, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna. "They were two powerful alicorns, ponies that had the strength of the Earth ponies, the wings of a pegasus, and magic of the unicorn. The oldest is Celestia, the elder, the Princess of the Sun, and the other is Luna, the younger, the Princess of the Moon. They had used the Elements of Harmony to stop various threats, some that were quite bigger than the ones you all have faced, such as Discord, the God of Chaos, and Nightmare Moon, the Mare of Nightmares... But overtime, their connection to the elements have weakened, and so they were passed onto six different ponies of today's generation." As the project disappeared, a new one appeared, showing six crystals in the shape of objects, one orange, one red, one purple, one yellow, one blue, and one magenta. "There are six elements in all... The first is Honesty, the element in which one tells nothing but the truth, no matter the consequences. The second is Loyalty, the element where one is devoted to support and stand by those that matters to them. The next one is Generosity, the element in which one helps and gives to those for nothing in return. The other is Kindness, the element of those who are kind and gentle to many, even to the most dangerous creatures. And there is Laughter, the element in which one brings happiness and joy to those who are sad. Together, those elements, when ignited by the spark in everyone's hearts, it creates the sixth element..." Sora glanced at the last crystal shown, the magenta one in the shape of a six pointed star. "The Element of Magic." He said with a smile, getting more surprised looks from Donald and Goofy. "Yes, that is correct." Yen Sid with a nod, and a knowing smile. "Wait... how do you know about tha-" Donald said. "Shhhh..." Sora said. "The master's talking." The duck was about to speak, but Goofy covered Donald's mouth with a nod, who grunted, as Mickey gave a smile. "For you see, the Elements of Harmony appear to be losing it's power, as something has caused a rift within them." Yen Sid said. "A rift?" Sora asked. "He means a conflict caused the elements to stop working right." Riku said. "Oh, I see." Sora said. "Yes, and it has happened at a worse time." Yen Sid said. "For an ancient kingdom has arisen in the Frozen North of Equestria, along with a dark being who wishes to conquer it." "An ancient kingdom?" Riku asked. "What kingdom?" Sora asked. Before he answered, the sorceror closed his eyes. "The Crystal Empire..." He said. "The... Crystal Empire?" Sora and Riku asked, looking at each other, and then glanced at the king, who gave a shrug, not knowing either. "Unfortunately, the knowledge of the Crystal Empire is very limited." Yen Sid continued. "But yes, it has existed, before Luna's banishment. Though not much is known about it, it contains a very powerful magic, almost as powerful as the Elements of Harmony. The Crystal Empire was once a magnificent city that belonged to the Crystal Ponies, ruled by the beloved Princess Amore, a regal unicorn who spread the magic of the empire across the land." His hand giving another, the book turned another page, and a special projection flashed from it, revealing the crystal city, so beautiful and radiant, and sparkly too. Probably because it was all made of crystal. "A thousand years ago, there was a unicorn, a unicorn whose heart was black as the night, who took over the Crystal Empire." He continued. "And his name was King Sombra..." The book then showed a glyph of a growling black unicorn with red eyes, while his sclera was glowing green with a purple mist around them. "With his powerful dark magic, he turned Princess Amore into crystal, shattering her, and conquered the beloved city with an iron hoof." The projection showed King Sombra, transforming Princess Amore into crystal, and then shattered her with a dark lightning bolt. The next scene showed him on the balcony of the castle, witnessing many crystal ponies chained up to each other, and excorted into the dungeons. Seeing the sight of the distraught prisoners only made Sora sigh. "Luckily, the Royal Sisters managed to defeat him, transforming his body into a shadowy spirit, and banished him within the ice of the Arctic North." Yen Sid said, showing the next projection of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, using their magic to defeat Sombra and turning him into a shadow, as he was pulled into the icy abyss, while he screamed with rage of defeat. "Whoa..." Sora said. "But before he was, he placed a terrible curse upon the Empire..." Yen Sid continued. "A curse that caused the entire kingdom to vanish into thin air, along with all of the crystal ponies..." The last scene showed the entire Crystal Empire fading away until nothing remained but snow, and the projection disappeared as well. "Gosh..." Sora said. "So... the empire disappeared for a thousand years? But... if there is not much history of it, then where do the stories come from?" "That is a good question." Yen Sid said. "The only pony who would know more of this would be Starswirl the Bearded, the mentor of the Royal Sisters. But he has disappeared a while after Nightmare Moon's banishment. No one else knows much about the Empire, or Sombra, nor what dark deeds drove him to do such terrible things." "I think I can imagine..." Riku said. Riku has had experiences wth the power of darkness before, when he sided with Maleficent to save Kairi. However, he embraced it too much and it nearly cost him his life, that is until Sora and King Mickey saved him. "So, how do we stop this King Sombra?" Sora asked. "Luckily for us, King Sombra has yet to be free from his prison." Yen Sid said. "It will take time for him to recover, and it will give us enough time to find the source of the Crystal Empire's magic. The Crystal Empire is very important, for it's magic also affects the land of Equestria. For example, if one rules it with a heart of purity, such as friendship, hope, and love, these emotions are reflected across the land. But if one with a dark heart of negativity rules it, then darkness will cover the land, and lead it to ruin." Donald and Goofy gasped with worry as they heard that. "Ok then." Sora said. "So, all we have to do is go to the Crystal Empire, find the power source, and then we defeat Sombra and be back in time for the Festival!" "Maybe, but we also have to get the Elements of Harmony working again." Riku said. "Without them, it's gonna be harder for us to stop Sombra." "Don't worry." Sora said. "I know just who to talk to." "Who to talk to?" Goofy asked. "Yeah, I know someone from there." Sora said. "You... do?" Donald asked. "Wait, you went to Equestria?!" "Of course I did, while I was training." Sora said. "I met someone who can wield the Elements too. She and her friends used them to defeat... Nightmare... Moon..." Sora halted as he realized what he was telling them. That little adventure that he said was secret. He then scratched his head nervously. "That... was my little secret." Sora said. "How did you get there?" Riku asked. "Can't say." Sora said. "I probably took a wrong turn when I was leaving the Realm of Dreams. "Oh, that's right." Goofy said. "That explains why you were gone for so long." "But how come you didn't tell us?" Donald asked. "Because, I wanted to keep it a secret." Sora said. "Plus, I wanted it to be a surprise should I ever have to go back there with you guys." He then began thinking. "Come to think of it, it's been a while since I last saw her. I hope she's doing ok down there." "Actually..." Master Yen Sid spoke. "Sora, I want to speak with you in private." "Huh?" Sora asked, his head tilting to the side a bit in confusion. "Somebody's in trouble..." Donald said with a sneaky smile. "Donald, you and Goofy should listen in too." Yen Sid said, making the duck gasp in surprise. "Wait, what did I do?!" Donald asked. "Nobody's in trouble, Donald." Mickey said. "Me and Riku will get the Gummi-Ship ready. You guys talk with Master Yen Sid." "Ok." Donald said, while the king and Riku headed for the door. "We'll be out when you're ready." Riku said. "Ok." Sora said with a wave as Riku and the King left the room, leaving Sora, Donald, and Goofy alone with Master Yen Sid. "What is it, Master?" Sora asked the sorceror. "Sora, I have tasked Riku and the King to head for the Crystal Empire." Yen Sid spoke. "But I have assigned a different task for you." The boy stood in surprise. "What?" Sora asked. "So, I'm not going to help Riku and the King?" "No... not yet at least." Yen Sid said. "Aww c'mon master!" Sora complained. "I can help." "Sora!" Donald spoke out. "Don't pester him like that!" "Sorry, but I really want to see Twilight again." Sora said. The two tilted their heads in confusion. "Twilight?" they both asked, while Donald's eyes widened with realization. "Wait... Twilight Sparkle?!" Donald asked. "The Princess' Prodigy?!" "Isn't Twilight Sparkle Princess Celestia's student?" Goofy asked. Sora then froze and covered his mouth. "Uh... yes." Sora said with a nervous smile. "Do not fret, Sora." Yen Sid said, getting the trio's attention. "You are going to Equestria too, but your assignment there is much more important." "Oooh, ok." Sora said with a smile. "But is it more important than stopping a crystal king from ruling an empire?" "Very more important." Yen Sid said. "Your mission... is to find Twilight Sparkle." The boy froze, hearing the name. "What?" He asked. "Wait, Twilight's missing? Is she in some sort of trouble?!" "Wait, how do you know Twilight Sparkle?" Goofy asked. "Because I met her." Sora said. "She's the one who can wield the Element of Magic. I met her, and I helped her make friends while I was there." "Wait, so you were hanging out with a magical horse?!" Donald asked. "Hey, she's not a horse!" Sora said. "She's a unicorn pony." "Well actually, a pony is pretty much a smaller version of a horse, so does that mean the same thing?" Goofy asked. "Well, you should've told us about it!" Donald said with an angry look. "I told you, it was a secret!" Sora said. "I was going to make it a surprise!" "We have important matters to discuss!" The voice from the sorceror caught their attention. Seeing that he had things to say, the three quickly got back into place. "As I had just said, Sora, I am sending you to Equestria to find Twilight Sparkle." Yen Sid said. "For you see, her star has grown weak, and I cannot find any trace of her at all." "W...what?" Sora asked. "What do you mean?" "Apparently, there has been a... series of unfortunate events happening just recently, very bad, indeed." Yen Sid said, turning his head towards the window, seeing the six stars in the sky, with the magenta one still blinking weakly. "And now young Twilight has disappeared without a trace. And I'm afraid... she may be on the path of darkness." The boy's eyes widened with a gasp. "NO!" Sora shouted, slamming his hands on the table, startling Donald and Goofy. "Don't say that! Twilight is a good pony. She would never cross the road of darkness!" The sorceror only had his eyes closed as the boy spoke. He then opened them, turning back at him. "I wish I could say so, but it appears the Elements and the Stars are not giving me the whole story." Yen Sid said. The boy lowered his head. No. It couldn't be true. Twilight is gone, and is now making her way down a very dark road. "It can't be..." He said. "Well, she is a smart pony." Goofy said. "Princess Celestia said that she's pretty studious, so maybe she's searching for knowledge not knowing that it's darkness." "Yeah, and there was the whole Discord incident a while back." Donald said, getting the boy's attention. "Discord?" Sora asked. "Some crazy deity who was trying to bring chaos all over." Donald said. "He nearly turned Twilight's friends against her." "Yeah, but Twilight and her friends were able to stop him, trapping him in a stone prison." Goofy said. The boy began thinking, and began to grasp that Donald and Goofy know about Twilight and Equestria. "Wait, how did you guys know about Equestria?" Sora asked. "The King told us." Goofy said. "Princess Celestia is his pen pal. Well, they've met a few times in person, but they've always exchanged letters." Donald gave a nod, verifying the answer. Oh yeah." Sora said. "She even told me that herself." Donald quacked in surprise. "Wait, you actually met her in person... or pony?!" Donald asked. "Yep." Sora said. "And her younger sister Luna. I still can't believe they're a thousand years old. Yet, they look so young and youthful." "Hey!" Donald shouted. "What?" Sora asked. "I said young and youthful." He then turned his head to Master Yen Sid. Something in the boy's gut was telling him that the sorceror somehow knew that Sora had been to Equestria. "I take it she told you that I was there?" Sora asked. "Yes, she mentioned it in a letter." Yen Sid said. "Saying how a boy who's bright smile helped her student make friends, and defeat the vicious Nightmare Moon by meddling." The boy nearly blushed as he heard the word meddle. "I wasn't meddling." Sora said, scratching his head. "Well... not on purpose I think." "If anything, you always have the desire to help those in their time of need." Yen Sid said with a smile. "If you were a pony yourself, that would be your special talent." "I guess so." Sora said. "If anything, I've always imagined Sora could be a pegasus." Goofy said. "Well, I didn't turn into a pony when I went to Equestria, though." Sora said. "That's because we weren't with you." Donald said. "Yeah." Sora said, though his focus wasn't on Donald's comment. His mind was focused on Twilight Sparkle. She was lost out there, somewhere alone without her friends. He knew that she needed help, and fast. "Don't worry, Master." Sora said. "I'll go find Twilight, and bring her back home safe and sound." Hearing those words made the sorceror smile. "Then get ready to depart with Riku and King Mickey." Yen Sid said. "Go to Canterlot and speak with Princess Celestia and Twilight's companions. They were the last ponies that Twilight had last spoken to, so they may have answers." The boy gave a nod in response. "And Master Yen Sid!" Donald said. "We'll go with them!" Goofy said. "After all, the three of us make a pint and a half!" "Very well." Yen Sid spoke. "I will leave the rest to you." "Alright then!" Sora said as he gave a smile. "Hey, Wait!" a voice called out. "Don't forget about me!" Suddenly, hopping up onto the table was a small anthropomorphized cricket, though he had no resemblance to a real cricket whatsoever! His skin was olive, he had thin black eyebrows and four-fingered hands, and he wore white gloves like Goofy and King Mickey. For a cricket, he dressed very formally, wearing a blue top hat with an orange band near the base, a red vest with a single pink button, a yellow ascot, a black blazer, and a high-collared white shirt. He also wore tan pants and yellow shoes with black tips, and he held a journal in one hand, and an umbrella in the other. Cricket was his name. Jiminy Cricket at their service! "Jiminy!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy called out. "That's right." Jiminy said with a tip of his hat, and jumping onto the side of Goofy's. "I'm coming along too. You guys wouldn't know where to go without me." "Oh boy!" Donald said. "Well, You guys ready to go?" Sora asked. "Yep, but just don't go fooling around again." Donald said. "U-hyuk, this is gonna be fun!" Goofy said. "Ok, but remember." Sora said. "This is a very important mission." The two gave a nod, and placed their hands together. Raising his own, Sora stacked his hand onto their's. Soon, they stood together and gave a salute. "You can count on us!" The trio said confidently, as the sorceror gives a nod. "Before you depart, I have a special gift for you, Sora." Yen Sid spoke. With a wave of his hand, an object appeared right in front of Sora and landed in the boy's hand. It was a hexagon shaped trinket with a white glowing crystal at the top. Sora has seen something like this before. It's a heartbinder, a powerful token that can allow Sora to summon a friend he met into battle. "A... Heartbinder?" Sora asked, examining it. But he noticed something was different about it. Like all the other heartbinders, they had a symbol that specify which world the friend came from. But the symbol in the middle was an outline of a heart, with the tips curling inward at its top. And in the middle of the heart was a crown, that matched the same shape as Sora's crown necklace. "It is not just any heartbinder like the ones you have." Yen Sid answered. "It is a very special one that connects with everyone that you've met, and even summon the light from long ago. When you are in such dire need Sora, use the heartbinder and everyone you know will lend you their power in the most imaginable way possible." Clunching the heartbinder in his hand, he gave a nod. "Ok then." Sora said. "Thank you, master." "Are we ready?" Donald asked. "We're ready." Sora said as the three stood side by side, and gave a bow. Before departing though, the three leaned in a bit, with their ears to the sorceror, who closed his eyes and spoke the traditional words keyblade wielders have said across generations... "May your hearts be your guiding key..." Soon, the trio made their way down the steps of the tower, having a conversation about Sora's previous visit to Equestria. He was telling them all about it, how he met Twilight Sparkle, helped her make some friends, and defeated Nightmare Moon and saved Equestria from an Eternal Night. Both Donald and Goofy were quite impressed, especially since he was underpowered due to him being stripped of most of his power when he fell into a deep sleep. "Garsh Sora, you helped Princess Celestia's student make lots of friends?" Goofy asked. "Sure did." Sora said. "It wasn't easy since she was more concerned about Nightmare Moon's return, but the journey to the old castle helped her become more comfortable around them." "You went to the Castle of the Royal Sisters?" Donald asked. "Sure did." Sora said. "What's so special about it, anyway?" "The Old Castle of the Royal Sisters was the originally the home of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna." Gooy said. "That's right." Jiminy said as he opened his journal. "According to Equestria History, the castle lies deep in the Everfree Forest, where it was built by the princesses themselves, along with Melvin the Manticore, and Starswirl the Bearded, the most important conjurer of the pre-classical era and the Princesses' mentor. The two sisters lived in that castle a thousand years ago, until it was destroyed when Princess Luna turned into Nightmare Moon." "Say, Jiminy, how do you know so much about Equestria?" Sora asked. "Well, the King told me all about it." Jiminy said. "He visited Equestria a couple times, even after Luna came back." "So, who are these friends that you helped Twilight befriend?" Donald asked. "Hmmm..." Sora said. "Well, there are five of them. One is Applejack, a farmpony, and the Element of Honesty. Next is Rainbow Dash, a fast flyer and the Element of Loyalty. The other is Rarity, a fashion designer and the Element of Generosity. The fourth is Fluttershy, a shy animal caretaker and Element of Kindness, and there's Pinkie Pie, the party planner and Element of Laughter." "They sound pretty nice and fun if you ask me." Goofy said. "They sure are." Sora said. "Come to think of it, everypony in Ponyville sure are friendly too." "Everypony?" Donald asked confused. "Well, yeah, they are ponies, right?" Sora asked, as Donald only gave a shrug. As the group continued on, Sora noticed a door on the right slightly opened. He came to a full stop as he glanced at it. "You guys go." Sora said. "I'll be right down." "Ok!" Donald and Goofy said as they continued down the stairs, leaving Sora to approach the slightly opened door, glancing inside. In the room was Kairi, sleeping on the bed, with the scratch on her arm covered in bandages. But she didn't look too good. She was breathing a bit raggedly, and her breaths sounded like she was in pain. Sitting on the side of the bed was another girl, roughly around eightteen. She was tall and slender, with her blue hair was a medium length, mostly parted to her left. Her eyes were the same color as her hair, and she wore a black and navy blue high-collared halter top, with a black corset with two pairs of white laces and black shorts. She had two pink straps intersecting over her chest with a silver badge. On her arms were white bell-sleeves and tan fingerless gloves. On each of her upper arms were small segmented pieces of armor. She wore black stockings reaching halfway up her thighs. There were two strips of blue cloth draped over each ofher hips, along with a smaller white stripe around her waist holding the two stripes together. Her bots were silver, pointed and armored, with a sharp hook like edge on the outer side of each. "Aqua..." Sora said, getting the taller woman's attention. "Sora?" She asked. "You ok?" "Yeah, I'm just getting ready to go." Sora said, but looked back at Kairi, who looked a bit pale, and breathing slowly. "How is she?" he asked. "She's resting... though I can't say that she isn't in pain." Aqua said as she got up. "She's developed a fever, and the effection seems to be spreading... "The magic isn't working." Sora said. "And she's one of the Seven Pure Lights. Could the magic failing be connected in some way?" "I can't be sure." Aqua said. "I've never seen anything like this, nor do I think anyone has." The boy only lowered his head, feeling guilt. He promised to look after her. What a good job he's been doing. "I should've been by her side." Sora said. "I promised I would keep her safe." "You did what you could, Sora." Aqua said. "Don't let it eat at you." The boy only turned his head in shame. The girl tilted her head, knowing that something else was bothering him. "You seem distressed." She said. "I feel more than distressed." Sora said, looking at the ground. "Are the nightmares... still bothering you?" Aqua asked. The boy lifted his head a bit. Out of everyone he knew, Aqua is the only one he's told about his nightmares. "Yeah..." Sora said. "I nearly suffered another panic attack today. One of those Demon Towers attacked Twilight Town. Donald collapsed in front of us, and it brought back that memory when he passed out using that dangerous magic. I've tried to focus on preparing for the festival, but... that didn't work either." "Have you told the others?" Aqua asked. "Not even Donald and Goofy?" "No..." Sora said. "I didn't want them to worry about me. And I thought that maybe the dreams would go away. It's been months now... and... they haven't." As the two continued their conversation, they were completely unaware of Kairi, who was opening one of her eyes, listening in. "You should never be afraid to tell them what's bothering you." Aqua said. "I know..." Sora said. "But... right now that's the least of my problems. There's someone out there that needs my help. She's someone that I've met, while I was training. I helped her make friends, and saved their world from an Eternal Night. I promised that I would see her again. But... I've been told that she's on a dark road... and I'm beginning to worry. If I couldn't protect Kairi, how will I save Twilight?" He only gave a heavy sigh. With everything that's happened today, the festival, the heartless attack, the mental breakdown, and Kairi getting hurt. This was almost too much for Sora to bare. The keyblade master before him placed her hand on his shoulder, showing a smile. "You'll save her, Sora." Aqua said. "I know you will." "How so?" Sora asked. "You were able to save me." Aqua said. "And you were able to save Ven, and Terra, too. You even cheated death to save all of us from a grim fate. If you can do all that, I'm sure you can save Twilight as well. What is broken can be fixed. What's been cleaved apart can be cleaved together. And whatever is lost can be found again." Hearing those words of support brought a smile of hope to the boy's face. She was right. Sora saved Aqua, who was trapped in the Realm of Darkness for more than a decade. He saved Ven, who's heart was residing within his own, and he saved Terra, by helping him get his body back from Xehanort. If he can pull that, then he can save Twilight. "Thank you, Aqua." He said, before giving her a hug. "Look after her, ok?" "I will." Aqua said as she stroked the boy's head. Seeing her friend having lots of encouragement brought a smile to Kairi. "Thank you..." She spoke silently as she continued to rest. "Equestria?! You guys are going all the way to Equestria?!" The question came from Ventus, the sixteen year-old boy, who looked like Roxas, though his hair was slightly longer and more blonde. His attire consisted of a jacket that was white on the right side and black on the left side, almost reminiscent of the Yin and Yang symbol. The collar was red and pleated, almost similar to Roxas's own jacket. Underneath, the boy wore a grey vest with a single button and several white angular patterns on it. A third layer under it was a plain high-necked black shirt. His pants were similar to Roxas's, but they close up about halfway down his legs, and are colored with shades of grey, black, and white. A black and white checkered wristband with white edges were on his left, and his street shoes, shading with dull green and grey were armored. Like Aqua, he also wears two criss-crossing straps on his chest, with a silver badge in the middle. On his shoulder was dull green and grey piece of armor. Next to him was Terra, a taller and muscular young man, approximately 20 years old. His brown hair reached the base of his neck in the back and styled into rather messy, vertical spikes, and bangs that frame his face. His skin was slightly tanned and his eyes were blue. Like the boy next to him, he wore two intersecting straps over his chest, though his red ones drop much lower own and resembles criss-cross suspenders. And the gold badge was not on the straps, but on his belt, tied like an obi-sash. He also wore a skintight black high-collared shirt, and hakama, which are traditional samurai pants distinguished by the large pleats, colored dark grey at the top and tan with a lighter stripe at the bottom. He wears a a plain black wristband on his right wrist, while a black fingerless glove was on his right hand, with his left arm significantly covered with dark grey and red armor, with a piece of armor on his shoulder identical to the one on Ventus's shoulder. The two are also close friends with Aqua, as they have been friends for almost fifteen years, if you count the decade where they were... frozen in time in some extent. They all nearly suffered a horrific fate from Master Xehanort's plan, where Aqua was stranded in the Realm of Darkness, Ventus's heart was damaged and he was placed in a comatose state, and Terra lost his body as Xehanort used it as one of his vessels. But thanks to Sora, they were saved and reunited, and have managed to move on from the ordeal. They also arrived and spoke with Yen Sid about the magic suddenly weakened, but were also surprised that Equestria was the reason why. Unfortunately, they were told to stay on the sidelines and only help when it is necessary, much to Ven's disappointment. "Yep, we sure are." Goofy said. "Wow, you guys are so lucky." Ventus said. "I wish I could go with you guys." "Sorry, but Master Yen Sid is sending only us." Donald said. "Awww..." Ventus said a little disappointed. "I really wanna help you guys." "I know, but we just got you guys back." Goofy said. "We don't want anything bad to happen to you guys like last time." Hearing that made Ventus sigh, but soon he was given a friendly head scratch by Terra. "Don't sweat it, Ven." Terra said. "There'll always be another time. And who knows, maybe they might call us if they're desperate." "You worried about us already?" Riku asked. "Nah." Terra said. "I'm confident that you guys got this." "I sure hope so." Riku said. "As long as Sora points us in the right direction." "And not be reckless." Donald said with a sly smile. "Actually, he doesn't think ahead." Jiminy said from on top of Donald's head. "That's the problem." "But with Riku and the King coming with us, I'm sure Sora will be able to think and listen." Goofy said. "I heard that!" hearing Sora's voice, the duck turned to see Sora right behind him with a raised eyebrow. He and Aqua just exited the tower as they were talking. "Well, it is true." Donald said. "You can be reckless." "True, but at least I'm not hot headed like you are." Sora said with a sneaky smile, making the duck quack in surprise, and everybody laughed at the comment. "Well, we're all packed and ready to go!" Mickey said. "Ok then." Sora said, making his way to the edge of the small island. Right before him and the group below, emerged a massive red spaceship, with white wings, thrusters, and some firearms below it. This was the Gummi-Ship, a cool ship that Sora, Donald, and Goofy use to travel to many worlds, made from Gummi-blocks, which are said are pieces from the walls that surround the worlds to make it impossible for outsiders to visit, except for keyblade wielders though. "Our Gummi-Ship!" Donald said. "Let's get going!" Goofy said as he and the royal wizard headed into the cockpit, with Mickey and Riku joining them. Sora turned back to see Terra, Aqua and Ventus. "Well, here we go." He said. "You guys take care, and stay vigilant." Terra said. "Equestria is not like any of the other worlds that you've been to." "It may be peaceful, but there are dangers out there, even in the uncharted outlands." Aqua said. "Be careful." "We will." Sora said with a thumbs up, and leaped up into the Gummi-Ship. "You guys have fun!" Ventus called out. "And come back safe, alright?!" "You got it!" Sora called out as the ship rose into the sky, as Ventus, Terra, and Aqua watched them leave. As he got into the driver's seat, Sora looked back to see the others. "Everyone ready?" Sora asked. "Sure are!" Donald and Goofy called out, with Riku and Mickey giving nods of assurance. "Ok..." Sora said as he summoned his keyblade. "Let's do it to it." He then pointed it forward, opening the gateway to Equestria, and their adventure has begun... KINGDOM HEARTS III Epilogue: Fractured Friendship Far outside Radiant Garden... In the crystal-like valley of the Dark Depths, there was a massive fortress with a huge heart symbol at the top. The Villain's Vale was the headquarters of many villains from the outside world... at least until they disbanded after losing Radiant Garden to the Restoration Committee. It was now the home of an evil witch, who was watching the night sky and the six stars in the sky. The witch had fair and green skin, with her shining yellow eyes heavily shadowed with violet makeup, and her lips were painted red. Her head is topped with a black-horned headdress, and she wore a long tattered black robe with a purple trim and maroon edges that flared out. In her hand was a staff with a glowing green orb at the tip. The evil Maleficent has been in this fortress for quite some time. She used to have a nice black castle back in the Enchanted Dominion, until she traded it for the castle that used to be Hollow Bastion when Xehanort did experiments and plunged the world into darkness. But after her defeat at the hands of Sora, she retreated to this old place. This crumbling fortress was all that was left, especially since her other castle was useless too. But finding a new castle was the least of her worries right now. She was staring at the sky, seeing the Equester Alignment. She could sense a powerful surge coming from it. A weak splotch of light, and a powerful brink of darkness. "Say, Maleficent!" A voice came from the stairs. Climbing up and coming into the room was a large portly, black furred, anthropomorphized cat, though it was hard to tell since there was no sign of his tail. He wore a huge assortments of pouches, zippers, and armor on his suspenders and shirt. This was Pete, Maleficent's lackey and assistant, though he's more of a servant so to speak. Pete used to be captain of a steamboat, until he eventually became greedy and wanted to overthrow Disney Castle and cause mayhem, that is until King Mickey and his friends stopped him many times. A while later, the king ended up banishing Pete into another dimension a long time ago. But he got out with Maleficent's help, who promised him freedom and riches beyond his wildest dreams. Unfortunately, that's not happening anytime soon. "A chandelier is tangling on it's side." He said. "Is it suppose to do that?" There was no answer however, for the witch was still looking at the sky. "Um... Maleficent?" Pete asked. "What'cha lookin' at?" Soon, the witch gave a smile. "Ahhh... now I see..." She spoke. "See what?" Pete asked. "Why the magic is suddenly not working properly." Maleficent said. "Huh?" Pete asked confused. "Equestria..." She said. "A magical land that is inhabited with ponies. It seems that a dark disturbance has happened upon the land, and that is why the magic is no longer working." "A magical world... filled with ponies?" Pete asked. "Yes." Maleficent said. "Ponies consisted of unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies, a world ruled by the graceful Celestia, the Princess of the Sun." "Really?" Pete asked. "A world that has talking horses?" "Of course..." The witch continued. "And it seems Equestria is now in the wake of the Crystal Empire's return..." "The... Crystal Empire?" Pete asked. "What's that?" "If I recall, there was a unicorn who ruled the empire with an iron hoof." Maleficent continued. "He was known as King Sombra, one of the darkest unicorns to ever walk the land. He used the power of darkness to take over the kingdom, that is until Celestia and her younger sister Luna defeated him. But right after he was, he placed a curse upon the Empire, making it disappear for a thousand years." "Whoa... for that long?" Pete asked. "I don't mean to sound practical, but that kinda sounds like an old fairytale." "True, but the Book of Prophecies isn't a fairytale, so why should the Crystal Empire be one?" Maleficent said. The former steam boater began thinking. "You make a good point there." Pete said. "But why are you suddenly interested in that place, anyway?" "Because..." The witch continued. "The Crystal Empire possesses a powerful magic, magic that can shift the reflection of the land depending on who wields it. For example, if someone with a pure heart has it, it will spread positivity across Equestria... but if someone with an evil heart uses it, it will spready negativity, and darkness shall consume the world. With that power in my own hands, nothing can stop us." "Wow, I think we're on to something very big here, Maleficent!" Pete said with a laugh. "So... are we gonna conquer it and take their home as our own?" "Quick gawking you fool." The witch said. "Equestria is not as simple as all the other worlds we've been to. We will need to find the appropriate way to conquer it." The big bumbling minion only gave a sigh. "Do you need some help?" The new voice in the room caught their attention, making Maleficent and Pete turn their heads. "Who goes there?" The witch asked, her staff readied in her hand. In the direction they were facing, they saw a corridor of darkness at the end of the room. Emerging from it was a mysterious man wearing a black coat, one that is worn by the members of Organization XIII, followers of the late Master Xehanort. "Sorry to intrude your castle." The stranger said. "But I couldn't help but overhear your desire to conquer the home of the Royal Sisters." Pete took a good look at the guy, and there was concern on his face. "Ummm Maleficent, that guy has the coat of those crazy dark dudes." Pete said. "Do you think we should trust him?" "Don't be ridiculous you baffoon, the old man is gone." Maleficent said, then turned her head to the hooded man. "But I am curious though. Why are you suddenly interested?" Though his face was shrouded, a smile was seen on his face. "Let's just say I have my own business with that world." The man said. "There is something... and someone there that I'm looking for that I believe is in that world. And you seem to be interested in wanting to rule it, so why not kill one bird with two stones?" "Don't you mean two birds with one stone?" Pete asked. "Equestria is the bird, and we are the two stones... or three stones counting you." The man said. "In fact, I may happen to know who exactly can help us." The witch raised an eyebrow. This mysterious man in the organization coat was generously offering his help? This does seem odd, for she knows much about Xehanort enough to know that uses people for his own agenda. Neverless, she smiled, seeing this as an opportunity to take over the world. "Alright, you peeked my interest..." She said. "Explain more..."