Kingdom Hearts of Harmony

by steel soul

Two to Three

The morning sun painted the sky in hues of pink and orange as Twilight Sparkle stirred in the soft embrace of her guest bed at Canterlot Castle, slowly edged from a dreamless sleep. Feeling the warmth of the beams, the lavender mare yawned and stretched, feeling the remnants of a restful sleep clinging to her as she did so. The young mare was only slightly confused on where she was before the other day's events replayed in her mind.

Slowly, she slipped from the bed, her hooves gently touching the warm wooden floor, and made her way towards the personal washroom built adjacent to her room. As soon as she did, she was greeted by a large marble vanity adorned with golden fixtures. The mirror reflected her image back at her, revealing a slightly disheveled mare. She splashed some cool water on her face, attempting to shake off any remaining grogginess as her mind replayed the events prior.

Her meeting with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna the other day had been more than a little eventful, at least in her eyes. While her initial reason for being in Canterlot was shot down by Celestia herself, she couldn't help but find renewed purpose in the fact that she would be helping with whatever it was that the Diamond Dogs rulers had been having trouble with. If their problems had something to do with the Heartless then she will give what knowledge she has to the situation. She couldn’t be allowed to make any mistakes now.

After freshening up a bit more, making sure her wild bed head was fixed, and teeth brushed with the complementary toothbrush provided to her, Twilight quickly made her way to the door, only to open it and find Princess Luna standing before her, raised hoof as if she was just about to knock upon it.

“Oh, it seems mine sister’s worries were not warranted.” The princess of the night mused as she tilted her head at the lavender mare.

Startled, Twilight took a step back and quickly bowed to Princess Luna, her horn nearly hitting the floor as she did so. "Princess! I... I didn't expect to see you here, I...um...Good morning I mean!"

The moon princess gracefully lowered her hoof and offered a polite nod. "Good morrow, Twilight Sparkle. I hope thou had a restful night within our castle," Luna greeted with a regal tone.

The lavender mare straightened herself. "Ah...Yes! I mean Of course Princess. Even though it has been a while, the guest bed was just as comfortable as I remember. Thank you for asking."

The moon princess’s expression softened, and a gentle smile played on her lips. "Ah yes. I do tend to forget that thou were once a student of my older sister sometimes. It would be only natural that you have stayed within the walls of our castle when you were just a foal."

Twilight chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head. "Yes, well, being a student of Princess Celestia did come with its perks back then." Coughing into her hoof she looked up towards the slightly taller mare. "I...um...Not to sound insensitive...but is there a reason that you here?"

Princess Luna shook her head. "Thou do not sound insensitive, Twilight Sparkle. In truth, mine sister had sent me to waken you. She seems to think that your tendency to read though the nights in what she calls...what was the phrase again...your...Twilight Hours...Yes. That is the word. She was afraid that your Twilight Hours of reading and studying would lead to your oversleeping and missing out on the day's tasks."

The smaller mare couldn't help but blush in embarrassment at Luna's words, a sheepish grin forming on her face. "Twilight Hours? I guess she has a point. I do get carried away with my studies sometimes."

"Fear not, Twilight Sparkle. Many a scholar has fallen victim to the allure of the written word and I for one would not hold it against you." The princess reassured her "However, today's tasks require thy full attention and she wanted to make sure you were well rested for what is to come."

Twilight nodded. "I understand...and thank you for the wakeup call Princess Luna. I'm sure that you must have been busy with other fairs."

"But of course. I have many things I must do. And this was well out of the way of where I needed to go for the day." The princess agreed much to the little unicorn's shock.

"You went out of your way just to wake me up?" The unicorn mare squeaked, looking away. "I appreciate it, Princess Luna. I didn't mean to make you go through any trouble."

Princess Luna offered a warm smile. "'Twas no trouble at all, Twilight Sparkle. And forget not," she pointed to her horn, "I can traverse where I will with this. So it was no trouble really."

Twilight Sparkle blinked, her cheeks coloring with embarrassment a second time, suddenly remembering that the Princess's could indeed teleport where they wanted within the castle if they needed to.

Rubbing the back of her head, the mare smiled sheepishly at the princess "Oh! Well, yes, but I never considered...ahaha. I mean, it requires a significant amount of magic for me to perform that spell so I couldn't , but..." quickly regaining her composure, Twilight gave the best smile she could muster in light of the situation. "A-Anyway, thank you again for the wake-up call, Princess. I assume Princess Celestia is in her study?"

"Indeed she is," Luna replied. She turned to leave but hesitated before doing so. "Oh, and... we've received word from Trottingham."

"You mean from the girls and Sora!" Twilight gasped. "Are they okay? Is... Trottingham okay?"

"Many events have, indeed, transpired, but 'tis best that you hear the details from Celestia," Luna said with a reassuring smile. "I can assure you, though, that Sora and your friends are indeed safe and sound."

"That's...That's good." Twilight couldn’t help that her voice wavered with relief, knowing at the very least everypony was okay. "I'll get going now. Thanks again Princess."

"Anytime young Sparkle. I pray thee a good marrow." With that the princess of the moon vanished in a pop of magic, leaving Twilight alone.

Not wasting any more time, Twilight made her way to Princess Celestia's study, her thoughts, all the while, racing with a mixture of anticipation and concern. The reassurance from Princess Luna about her friends provided a much-needed sense of relief, but something about how she said it lingered in the air. As she reflected on Luna's words, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story.

Even now, thinking about it, the princess seemed kind of...sad? No... it wasn't sadness that she had sensed from Princess Luna, but something deeper. There was a profound emotion, a weight carried in Luna's words. It was clear that Luna knew more than she was letting on, that something did happen in Trottingham, and it heightened Twilight's curiosity about what Princess Celestia had to reveal.

It didn't take long for the young mare to reach the study, the young mare bowing softly towards the guards standing at attention in front of the door before gently allowing her hoof to knock against the wooden barrier. "Hello? Princess?"

"Twilight Sparkle?" Celestia spoke from behind the door, her voice calm as it was muffled by the barrier of the door. "Come in, my faithful student."

Upon entering the study, Twilight found the Princess of the Sun seated at her regal desk, the only thing that had changed since the last time she was hear being the scrolls and books that surrounded the white alicorn. Celestia, having heard the door open, looked up, her expression warm yet filled with a seriousness that mirrored the weight of the impending discussion to be.

"Good morning, Twilight. I do hope you slept well last night.”

The unicorn mare nodded, taking the seat that sat on the other side of the table. "Yes, Princess. And thank you for sending Princess Luna to wake me up. She mentioned that you have something important to discuss with me."

"A few things actually." Princess Celestia leaned back in her chair, her gaze steady and focused. "I do want to discuss how we shall be doing things soon, but first, I wanted to address the situation in Trottingham with you."

"Princess Luna told me that my friends were safe and sound." the lavender mare told her. "But...something tells me that isn't all there is to it."

"I figured you would think that," the princess praised her student before her magic lifted a note with the royal seal upon it, the letter slowly floating towards Twilight. "It is best that you hear it from Captain Lightning's own account from what everyone had told her. It's a detailed report Luna had received late last night when she was doing her nightly duties."

Twilight accepted the letter, her magic opening it before her eyes quickly scanned over the words within it. As she read further down the detailed report, her eyes widened in shock and horror when she had reached a particular part she had not been expecting. A gasp escaped her lips, and she couldn't contain the burst of emotion that surged within her as she pretty much yelled three simple words.

"Sora got what?!"

"I take it you reached the part where our young Keyblade Wielder was stabbed...in the chest." Princess Celestia's voice held a somber tone, matching the gravity of the situation. Twilight's heart pounded in her chest, her hooves trembling as she processed the information before her.

"I... I can't believe it," Twilight stammered, her voice barely above a whisper before looking towards her Princess. "Is he... Is he going to be alright?"

"If you read on, you will find out."

Quickly nodding, Twilight continued reading the report, her eyes scanning the words frantically. The further she got though it, however, the more nothing made sense. "Rainbow summoning her Element of Harmony? Her and Fluttershy talking to some boy within Sora's heart...and...that boy being another Keyblade Wielder? Just what the heck happened in Trottingham?!" As the studious mare delved deeper into the report, the events in Trottingham unfolded like a fantastical tale that defied logic and expectation—each revelation left Twilight more perplexed than the last.

"Okay…okay…let's take this one step at a time…," Twilight muttered, her brow furrowed in confusion, deciding ot tackle the most fantastical part of the story first. "A boy within Sora's heart? How is that even possible?"

"The connections between hearts are intricate and often defy our understanding, Twilight." The princess spoke, leaning back in her chair. "I can say, however, that the boy Fluttershy and Rainbow said they saw, the one named Ventus, seemed to have had taken up residence within Sora's heart long before he became a Wielder of the Keyblade, if you can believe it."

"I don’t…is what I would have said if it didn’t have anything to do with that goofy stallion named Sora…" Twilight began before trailing off. If that was the case and Sora had this...this other SOUL inside of him all this time the…what did it mean…. "Just...what is Sora?"

"That...I cannot answer for you, Twilight." The princess sighed. "Because I do not even know. I knew he was special, a boy who was chosen by the Keyblade instead of granted one…but...he may be more important than even I had realized."

Twilight absorbed the weight of the revelation, her mind buzzing with the magnitude of the mysteries that surrounded Sora. The enigma of his existence deepened, and she couldn't help but feel trepidation for the path that lay ahead.

"Does...any of this bother you Twilight?" the princess asked. "I mean about Sora."

"Of course it bothers me, Princess." the lavender mare's voice growing louder the longer she spoke "But it isn't the whole other soul in his body thing...it's not even him being able to use magic like he does...which I knew he could do but my mind is still swirling knowing he can actually do so...no...It's the part where he got hurt. Sora is not just a friend; he's like family to me and the rest of the girls now." She lowered her head. "And poor Fluttershy must be beating herself up for her part in Sora getting hurt...even if she was controlled. Neither her or Sora...they can't be in a good headspace right now after everything..."

"That is true…I can only imagine the turmoil they must be experiencing." The princess sighed again. "And then there is Grogar...a name I have not heard of in a very long time."

Twilight's eyes widened in recognition at the mention of Grogar, a name that resonated deep within her memory. She had come across it in her studies of ancient Equestrian history, but she never imagined that it would be relevant in her lifetime.

"Grogar..." she whispered it back, shivering softly, her voice filled with trepidation as if she was about to summon a devil. "The ancient goat sorcerer known for his dark magic and thirst for power. I thought he was just a legend, a story to scare foals."

"Legends...are usually made with a grain of truth, Twilight Sparkle." Princess Celestia's voice held a weight of caution to it, something Twilight had heard before but was never used to. "Grogar was once a very real threat to Equestria, and even after dearly wishing that it wasn't the case...it seems my fears for his return were well founded."

Twilight nodded slowly before looking down at the letter once again. "What...do you think will happen to those ponies? The one's Grogar took."

Princess Celestia's gaze softened, her expression reflecting a mix of concern and determination. "We will do what we can to save them but I cannot lie and say I do not fear for their safety, Twilight. We must remain hopeful even in these dire times. It is why we are reaching out to our fellow creatures around Equestria. To prepare and make sure nothing like this ever happens again and to gather help in finding the missing ones.."

"I...I understand princess." Though the lavender mare's voice wavered, the princess could feel her determination. "Though...what's to stop him from attacking us now?"

"I suspect...he isn't ready." The Princess of the Sun responded. "Grogar, in the past, lost to a mare who was able to steal his bell, the source of his powers. Where she hid said bell is something even I do not even know." The alicorn mare leaned back in her chair. "From Captain Lightning's account, he had no such bell on him so I am to assume that he has yet to find it."

As Twilight absorbed the information about Grogar and the bell, a thought nagged at her. She hesitated for a moment before voicing her concern. "Then..,.Princess, shouldn't our main focus be on finding Grogar's bell then? If we can locate and secure it, we could significantly weaken him, right?"

The princess smiled softly. "That is a good question Twilight, and while finding the bell is indeed crucial, we must be cautious. Grogar is a master strategist, and by directing all our efforts solely toward the bell, we might inadvertently play into his hooves."

The lavender mare furrowed her brow, a hint of confusion in her eyes. "What...do you mean Princess?"

The princess leaned forward, her gaze intent on her student. "Grogar is cunning and manipulative. If he senses that we are actively searching for his bell, he might use it as a diversion. While we're focused on finding the bell to weaken him, he could be executing a larger, more dangerous plan—one that we might not see until it's too late."

Understanding soon dawned on Twilight's face as what her princess was actually telling her. "So, he could be leading us away from his true intentions, making us vulnerable to a different threat."

"Exactly," Princess Celestia affirmed. "We must tread carefully and gather information on both fronts. Focus on gathering our strength by uniting the other races. Focus on finding him after that. That is what we need to do right now so that even if he does find the bell before we start looking for it ourselves, it won't even matter."

"I understand, Princess. Then we will keep doing what we are doing now. And that starts with talking to the two rulers of the Diamond Dogs."

The princess of the sun smiled, her confidence in Twilight evident. "That's the spirit, Twilight Sparkle. I have faith in your abilities. Like always." The princess smiled. "On that note, I do believe we will have a visitor coming in soon to help with our little situation in about...now."

There was a gentle rap at the door to the study, and a very familiar voice could be heard from the other side—one that made Twilight Sparkle's ears perk up with recognition.

"Princess Celestia. I hope I’m not interrupting you? May I come in?"

Celesita smirked, watching Twilight’s reaction. "Indeed you can. we were just about to discuss things so your timing couldn't be more perfect."

The door swung open, revealing Princess Cadance standing in the doorway. Without missing a beat, Twilight Sparkle's eyes lit up with delight, and she wasted no time in rushing towards Cadance.

"Cadance!" Twilight exclaimed as she jumped out of her chair, enveloping her sister-in-law and former foalsitter in a warm hug, who, in turn, couldn’t help but smile as she returned the gesture. Quickly pulling away each other, both mare's went right too it.

"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake!" Twilight began.

"Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" Cadence finished, giggling as the two ponies completed their traditional greeting. "It's so good to see you, Twilight. It feels like it's been forever!" Both mare's laughed softly again, the lividity of the prior conversation all but gone. The pink pony princess smiled as she gently rubbed the top of Twilight's mane. "And this is from Shiny. He told me to tell you hello."

"Please, give him my love and tell him I miss him too," Twilight replied, giggling softly. "But...what are you doing here? I thought you and Shining were dealing with things back at the Crystal Empire. When did you even get here?"

"I just got in early this morning." The princess of love answered. "Auntie had sent a letter to me asking for a representee from the Crystal Empire. Shining thought that out of the both of us, I would be the best fit for it since I have a bit more training when it comes to matters of the state."

"I guess you would be the logical choice is that is the case." Twilight replied. "Still, I'm glad to see you all the same...though I do wish it wasn't because Equestria was in danger. What...Does this make it the second or third time?"

Cadence sighed, her expression growing somber. "I think this would make it the third time, Twilight. It feels like we just finished handling one crisis, and now we have to face another."

"Tell me about it. I kind of miss the week by week friendship problems honesty."

"Indeed." The Princess of love slowly made her way to a nearby chair, sitting down upon it. "Auntie Luna told me what happened in Trottingham as soon as I came. I can't believe someone like Grogar is real." She looked towards the widow, watching a bird fly by,. "My caretaker would often tell me stories about him as a foal."

Twilight joined the pink princess in the somber mood, taking a seat as well. "And you would do the same for me…It's a lot for me to take in too. Though if Nightmare Moon was real...then I guess why wouldn't he be."

Cadence nodded, a pensive look on her face. "True. Still...We've faced incredible challenges before, and each time, we've come together and found a way to overcome them. I know that we can do the same." She paused before looking towards the mare she used to watch over as a filly. "Guess you haven't had a chance to write to your friends yet? They are on their way back by train but it is equipped with magical fire to send letters. That's how auntie Luna got hers from them."

"I just found out everything this morning so no...I haven't..." Twilight shook her head. "Do you think I should. I can write something up now and-"

The princess of love placed a hoof over her friend's lips, quieting her, "No. I think they need time to think. And to rest." She smiled softly. "When they do come here, however, be there for them. Especially Fluttershy and Sora. I'm sure out of all of them, they are hurting the most right now. At the very least...I know if I was Fluttershy I would be blaming myself for my part in Sora' getting hurt...especially knowing how she feels about him."

The lavender mare's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "Wait! You know Fluttershy has a crush on Sora?"

"She does?" Celestia asked, equally surprised before turning to Twilight. “Wait! You knew?”

“I…well…I only found out before my train ride here.”

Cadence chuckled softly, a knowing smile playing on her lips as she looked between the two mares. "Oh, you two are the same as ever. It doesn't take the Princess of Love to see the affection Fluttershy has for Sora. Even if it was just for a little while back at the barn party, could tell right away how she felt. The gentle way she looks at him, the extra care she takes, and the way she always seems a bit more flustered around him—it's the telltale signs of a budding crush."

Twilight's eyes widened, her cheeks flushing with realization. "Geeze...first AJ and then you...guess I don't know my friends as well as I thought I did."

Celestia chuckled, her regal demeanor momentarily replaced by a warm, motherly amusement. "Sometimes, my faithful student, even the most astute observers, like myself, can overlook matters of the heart. Still...If they can make it work then I shall give them my fullest blessings."

"In any case, matters of the heart can wait, at least in turns with anything not dealing with the Heartless." Twilight interjected. "Right now we have Diamond Dogs to meet in a few days. So..." She turned to her friend. "Are you with me Cadenza? I’m sure we could use your help."

Cadence smiled at Twilight, her eyes filled with determination. "It’s why I’m here, Twilight. Right Auntie?"

The princess of the sun nodded. "Of course.” Smiling between the two mares she had raised liked daughters, Celesita gently pounded her hoof upon the wooden table in front of her. “Now that the three of us are here...let the first meeting of the Equestrian Three commence."