//------------------------------//
// 27 The Fifth Crusader/The Crystal Empire 
// Story: Ponies & Keyblades 
// by GoneGuy 
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	"And with that, we now name you an OFFICIAL Cutie Mark Crusader!"
"Thanks girls. Now, what say we got find out about that pony with the keyblade on my first official mission of the Crusaders?"
"All right!"
"Sounds good."
"Let's go, Kairi!"
The 5 Cutie Mark Crusaders walked out of the clubhouse on their way to Ponyville, and were soon galloping rapidly through Sweet Apple Acres. As they made their way to the front gate, they grabbed a few apples to munch on during their adventure.
They had soon arrived in Ponyville, and began asking everypony about where Smashing Light and Candy Something lived, but nopony knew.
Suddenly, they heard a few hoofsteps behind them.
"That's what I thought. Just couldn't wait for me to find you, eh? Alright, I'll explain, but you'll need to follow me."
Far on the other end of Equestria, the group of friends had regrouped back in the castle throne, 8 ponies, Spike, and Discord all stood side by side discussing what they had found out. It was at this time that Riku finally decided to reveal what he had seen earlier, the dark "claw" scratching on the bubble of Cadance's magic that was protecting the empire. Twilight had found in a book about something known as the Crystal Heart which bathed the empire in light and love. It had long been missing since the evil King Sombra had ruled.
The group decided to try to find the crystal heart and to hold the Empire's great celebration, the Crystal Fair, to try to restore the Empire to it's former glory and destroy the monstrous king's spirit once and for all. Discord, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all began to set up the festival, while Riku, Spike, and Twilight began their search of the former king's dark castle. Sora stayed behind to help Shining Armor keep Princess Cadance strong, and in case any Heartless should attempt to come after her.
Twilight, Riku, and Spike had searched for a long time before stumbling upon a secret passageway underneath the former King's throne, which they promptly began to walk downward into the dark depths of the cavern. They found a door at the bottom, and a mirror. Riku looked into the mirror, and saw a horrible sight, of Sora and Kairi and Donald and Goofy and the King, all abandoning him. In a blind fit of rage he attempted to smash the mirror with his hoof, but only ended up hurting himself.
He heard a voice, almost in the distance.
"Riku! Riku!"
"Twilight..."
He awoke from his trance-like state, and drew his keyblade, smashing the mirror into a thousand pieces. Behind the mirror was a door, But before they could enter, several dark entities formed around them. Heartless of every variety.
With a few quick strikes of his blade, the Heartless were all gone, but he brought up the rear as they passed through the door so as to keep his friends safe in case more attacked. They found themselves looking amidst a large tower, with a spiraling staircase leading up to the top, which was not visible. Twilight attempted to teleport herself up the stairways, but for some reason she could not, and Riku deduced their must be a powerful dark magic protecting it. They began to climb the spiraling staircase up.
On the other side of the empire, the fair was in full swing. All the crystal ponies were having fun and enjoying themselves, happily celebrating. With each passing moment, however, the darkness just outside the Princess' magic bubble grew stronger. The crystal ponies were blissfully unaware, but Applejack and the others all took notice. Twilight had explained the power of the crystal heart to them, they knew what it could do. But the crystal heart they had prepared, covered by a tarp in the festival's center was a fake, nothing more than a carved boulder. Tension began to rise amongst the friends as they discussed what would happen if the bubble broke.
Sora was inside the castle, protecting the princess and prince Shining Armor, waiting in a battle-ready stance in case something would attack.
And something did.
Several Heartless began to rise from the floor, and he drew his blade, as Shining Armor came down to assist him, casting a spell of protection over Cadance. Then, they heard a chilling laugh, and a green flame appeared in their midst.
"Maleficent."
"Yes, Sora. I have returned once again. Heartless! Get the Princess!"
Several Heartless bounded up, attempting to make the jump over Sora and Shining Armor, but only ended up getting blasted by a barrage of magic or a keyblade into the gut. The group of monsters would not fade back, however, and kept coming in an onslaught of attacks. Somehow, a few managed to make it past the daring duo, and were preparing to attack the mystic bubble protecting Cadance. But then, the witch spoke again.
"Enough! I grow weary of this little game."
She transformed, not into the form of a dragon, but into her original self, the dark fairy Sora knew all along was on the inside, now returned to the outside, and she smashed her staff into the bubble, shattering it and making Cadance pass out.
And the bubble protecting the Crystal Empire broke, as the darkness began to seep in, little by little.
Twilight saw from her perch high amongst the tower as the bubble broke.
"Ugh! Riku, we don't have much time!"
"I know. Hmm. We don't seem to be getting anywhere. You think Sombra may have cursed this tower so going up only leads to nowhere?"
"It's possible, but he'd have to have really dark magic to do so."
Riku began to walk downward, and soon enough he was walking upside down, to which Twilight and Spike somehow were able to follow.
Then, there it was. In plain sight, the Crystal Heart sat suspended upon a crystal pedastal. Twilight went to grab it, but Riku shouted at her.
"NO! Wait! It's probably a trap!"
But it was too late. She already had grabbed it, and the dark crystals began to form around her in a tepee-like manner, forming a small prison to which she could not escape.
Riku tried to bash the dark crystals with his blade, but to no avail.
On the ground outside the Crystal Castle, Sora and Shining Armor ran down the steps, Princess Cadance riding unconscious on Shining Armor's back. Maleficent had disappeared for now, alongside the Heartless, but now an even greater threat was advancing upon the empire.
Heartless were, however, popping up in various places. Five ponies all looked deep into their own hearts, and each brought forth a blade showing their true inner selves, and Discord began to clash with Heartless with his arms and legs and tail, slaying as many as he could, working alongside the 5 ponies to protect the Crystal Ponies.
Sora began to run as fast as he could toward the dark cloud which was fast approaching.
"Sora! Wait!"
"No Shining! Protect Cadance! Help the others! I'll be fine!"
Sora reached the dark cloud, as greenish eyes began to form in it. The cloud dissapated, revealing a large, armor-clad unicorn, black as night, with a menacing red horn.
"It is good to be alive once again." the former dark king said, "and who might this young colt be, come to challenge me? Ah, yes, I know you. The young key-bearer. Prepare to meet your doom, little colt."
"No Sombra. Prepare to meet YOUR doom."
"I see somepony wants to fight. Very well, my little pony. But be warned, I may not show mercy and let you live once I defeat you. I think the Keyblade would look very nice in MY maw."
The dark king and the boy-turned pony stared each other down in what seemed like a time-slowing moment, before running at each other at high speed. Sora drew his blade and prepared to strike, but metal hit metal as he struck the monstrous king's heavy armor, and he bounced back, ready to try another strike.
"You'll have to try harder for that. I am giving you a sporting chance, after all. I want a nice, challenging fight against you. Don't make it too easy on me, hmm?" the dark king rebuffed against the strike as he fired a red blast from his horn, which Sora easily dodged.
"Hm. Very quick, athletic. I like that. Makes me feel like I AM going to get a challenge after all. HEARTLESS! Come to my side now!"
With those words, several heartless came to his side per his request, and began to fuse with him, forming two large scythes upon his back, and his eyes glowed a yellower shade of their normal green.
Sombra swung the scythes toward Sora, but he was unable to make a hit upon the boy. Sora got in close enough, and leaped - landing on Sombra's back, he used his blade to sever the dark scythes from his back, making them disipate into nothingness. Sombra shouted in pain, as if those had been a part of his body. Adding  injury to injury, Sora swung his blade in an arc, hitting Sombra's horn, stunning him and allowing himself to launch a flurry of strikes, knocking Sombra into a building close by.
And as he prepared to lay another barrage of strikes, he heard a yell.
Riku and Spike were gliding down into the center of the crystal fair, with a magnificent crystal in Spike's hand. They landed, and Spike placed the Crystal Heart, the true Crystal Heart, onto the Pedastal. A magnificent wave of light spread outward from the crystal, destroying the Heartless and the dark crystals that had formed, and transforming the Crystal Ponies back to themselves once again. As the wave of light reached Sombra, he began to fade from existence, screaming as he faded away, back to his own time period.
Sora found his way to the Crystal Fair and was greeted by his friends, who were also now made into Crystal Ponies. Even Spike, Discord, and Riku had all changed into crystal beings. 
But Sora noticed one pony wasn't there.
"Where's Twilight?" he asked.
Riku explained the story of what had happened, and Sora and all of his friends started to cry. But then, they heard a voice.
"What are you all crying about?"
"TWILIGHT!" They all shouted, giving her a large hug.
"Thanks everypony, but I don't think it's quite time to celebrate just yet...."
A large swarm flew above, headed straight in the direction of Cloudsdale, Ponyville, and Canterlot.
"Was that-?" Applejack began.
"It was," Twilight exclaimed, "Queen Chrysalis. C'mon everypony! We need to catch her, and quick!"