//------------------------------// // Apologies // Story: My Little Pony: Sora's Misadventures in Equestria // by Codex92 //------------------------------// The sun began its slow descent upon Equestria, the moon rising up in its place, the figure of the mare staring down at the world. Sitting on one of the clouds above Ponyville was Rainbow Dash, having watched the sun set as she thought about what she did. She was admitted out of the hospital, her concussion not that severe since she had a lot of bad falls during her time practicing her tricks. As hardheaded as she was with arguing, her skull was like steel from a crash into a wall or tree. The mare sighed heavily as Applejack's words rung in her ears, along with the bruise stinging her chest from when the farm mare struck her. "There's no way he's a simple pegasus...I know he saved me, but that doesn't excuse how the hay he can use magic. Or call that weird key thing..." Rainbow rubbed her bandaged head, groaning in misery as she flopped on the cloud. "I'm just trying to keep Ponyville safe...Though, those black monsters seem more dangerous...He had to have called them. How else could those things have shown up?" While she pouted, her ears perked up as she heard something behind her. She expected another one of those monsters, not wanting to be attacked by them for a third time. Feeling the cloud shift a little from her attacker's weight, she thrust her hind legs into them with a powerful buck, only to yelp as she was flipped on her back, her back legs flung up by the monster. As she landed on her back, she was about to lash out, only to see Sora standing over her. "You know, you're a pretty easy pony to find at any time of the day," he said with a grin. "...Y-You escaped?" Rainbow asked. "More like let off after a misunderstanding. I spoke with Princess Celestia, told her what really happened, and she let me go." He held out a hoof to the mare, feeling a little skeptical. He didn't have his weapon out, and there was no sign of those weird monsters around. Reluctantly, she grabbed his hoof and he helped her up on her haunches. "I was a little surprised at how tall she was. And I thought she was a queen! She has the attitude of one, only without being all sinister and conniving." "...Wait. Aren't you supposed to be mad at me?" she asked, questioning Sora's confusing personality. "I got you thrown in the dungeon!" "Yeah, well, I think that wouldn't have gone so badly if you didn't attack me first back at Applejack's house." Rainbow was about to retort, but quickly shut her mouth. "And maybe if you listened before you decided to tackle me, I wouldn't have had to knock you out to save you. Again." "But you-" Sora quickly pressed his hoof against Rainbow's mouth, surprising her at how fast he was able to move while he kept her quiet. "I get it if you don't trust me, but I'm not the one calling the Heartless." He knew he was going to regret this, but if Rainbow Dash didn't get what he was trying to say and be discreet about it, he had to tell her a few things. "Those creatures are Heartless...They steal the hearts of living beings like you and me. And once they take it from your chest, you'll turn into one of them as well. "That's why I told you to forget about what happened the other day. That's why I told you to run if they come anywhere near you. They're clearly dangerous, and if you kept me from stopping them, I wouldn't have saved you or Apple Bloom!" Sora looked down, breathing deeply to calm himself down as he lowered his hoof from Rainbow's mouth. "...I would never forgive myself if I let a filly like her have her heart turned to darkness by them..." "...Applejack told me what happened...when you knocked me out..." She rubbed her sore chest, still feeling Applejack's hoof nearly crack her ribs when she defended Sora. "...The school also saw what happened...Word's been spreading around about you stopping those...Heartless..." He looked up at her, having forgotten there were other foals and teachers that saw him, too concerned with keeping Apple Bloom from getting hurt. "...I know I messed things up, but I was freaked out by that magic you used! Pegasi can't do any of that stuff, and I thought you were going to destroy Ponyville. "...I guess I did deserve it...and Applejack added a bit more for you when she defended your innocence...I was doing what I thought was right, but I only saw what freaked me out and...didn't listen...So...I'm sorry," Rainbow said, lowering her head in guilt. Sora gently rested a hoof on the mare's shoulder, looking up to see him smiling at her. "Hakuna matata." Rainbow raised a brow in confusion. "Hakuna what???" "Ha-ku-na ma-ta-ta," he said slowly, still confusing the pegasus mare. "A little something I learned. It means no worries." "Then why didn't you just say 'Don't worry about it'?" she asked. "Hakuna matata's more fun to say. It also means to put the past behind us. So, how about we start over?" Sora held his hoof out to Rainbow Dash. "I'm Sora." "...And you are the weirdest stallion I ever met in my entire life." He still had his hoof out with the goofiest grin on his face. "...You're actually serious about really starting things over between us...Have you been hanging out with Pinkie Pie?" "I met her, though I haven't really spoken with her that much after the other day when I did Applejack's errands. Though, I may get an earful from her later when she throws me a party." Sora began to think about what Pinkie Pie was making in the kitchen at Sugarcube Corner, licking his lips at whatever confectionery delicacy she made behind that curtain. "Speaking of, I'm really dying to try one of those sweets in Sugarcube Corner." As if on cue, his stomach began growling loudly, not having eaten anything all day today. "Yeah, well, Sugarcube Corner's got some good treats there...How about I buy you something to make up for acting like a jerk?" "...I'm sorry, but ponies I don't know I can't trust," Sora said as he crossed his forelegs together and looked away, unable to hide the smirk growing on his face. "...Seriously?" He held out a foreleg, Rainbow groaning in annoyance, indulging the weird stallion and shaking his hoof. "Hi. I'm Rainbow Dash." "Hello, Rainbow Dash!" The mare grumbled, her eye twitching at Sora's upbeat attitude, even after he looked miserable after being worried about their safety. "What do you recommend at Sugarcube Corner? I'm starving!" "You're even weirder than Pinkie Pie, and she reeks of weirdness." Rainbow leapt off the cloud and down to Sugarcube Corner, Sora following after her as his stomach begged for food. After Rainbow Dash bought some pastries for Sora at Sugarcube Corner, immediately gobbling the delicious muffins he wanted to try, the two went their separate ways. Even though they had a bit of a rocky start at first, Rainbow can trust Sora, and she really did promise to keep the names of the Heartless and what they do a secret. And if she ever spotted any of them in Ponyville, she'll find him and he'll handle them, not wanting to risk making him feel guilty if he didn't save anyone. He arrived at the farm, wondering how worried the Apple family was to know he was arrested. They'll be a little surprised to see him back so soon. As soon as he walked into the front door, Winona heard him and yipped excitedly, leaping at him to lick his face. As he pet the hyperactive collie, Applejack stepped in the living room from the kitchen, gasping in surprise as she saw Sora standing there, her dog wanting more attention from him. "Sora!?" She ran up to him and wrapped the teen in a death-grip of a hug, squeezing out all the air in his skinny frame. "Ah'm so glad ya'll are ok! What happened!? Did ya escape!?" "N-Nice to see you, too, Applejack." The mare let go of him, Sora taking in a huge gulp of air. "And I thought your brother was the muscle." "Will ya quit actin' like a goof and tell me what happened?" Applejack demanded. Sora told her what had happened, though he left out the part about Celestia knowing about the outside worlds when he spoke with the princess. She was a little shocked to know that the princess had let him go just for being honest with her, but at least he wasn't as bad as Rainbow thought he was. "Ah can't believe ya spoke casually with the princess like that. Ah'd be too scared to be in her presence." "I actually thought she was some sort of queen at first, but boy was I surprised to know that she was a princess," Sora said, petting Winona as she curled up next to him. "Uhh, what kind of pony is she anyway? Aside from being taller than us, she had wings and a horn." "Princess Celestia is an alicorn. She sort of represent the unity of all three pony tribes into one," Applejack described. "And she's powerful." "Huh...Well, better than calling her a winged unicorn...or a horned pegasus." Sora let out a yawn, a lot more tired than he thought he was. "I'm a little exhausted. I'm gonna need a shower, then I'm gonna crash." "Ya'll sure could use one. Ya'll are filthier than a pig in a mud hole." The teen shook his head, taking off his shirt and jacket. "And ya need more laundry done than anypony else in this house." "Well, if I'm going to be staying here, then I should get down and dirty with the family, right?" Sora asked, giving Applejack a cheeky grin. "Just get upstairs and clean yourself up, or Ah'm gonna place Winona in your room while you take her doghouse." The pegasus responded by sticking out his tongue and pranced over to the stairs. "And Sora? When you're done, Ah think ya'll should check on Apple Bloom...She was really upset when she saw ya get taken away." Sora dropped his goofy antics, nodding to Applejack, then headed upstairs to the bathroom. Inside, there was a tub, but no shower head for a quick rinse off. He shrugged his shoulders, deciding to take a quick bath instead, getting rid of the dried off mud that covered his body and hair. After he was fully cleaned, he drained the murky water down the tub, then dried himself off using one of the towels stored in the bathroom's cupboard. With his towel draped over his head to dry his hair, he walked through the second floor hallway, finding Apple Bloom's room, the filly laying on her bed, looking out her window. Sora hated to see someone as adorable as Apple Bloom so miserable. She must have been scared when the Shadow nearly got her. And seeing him get carried off as he fell unconscious must have made her worry about him greatly. He quietly approached her bed, sitting next to it, the filly unaware of his presence. Reaching a hoof out, he gently nudged her to get her attention. "Hey, don't tell me my mobile alarm clock's all broken." Her ears perked up at the sound of his voice, turning over to stare at Sora with wide eyes. "I don't want to get a new one, now do I?" "Sora!" Apple Bloom lunged at him, wrapping her little forelegs tightly around his neck as she wept, happy to see him again. Sora held her tightly as she cried, gently rubbing the filly's back. "It's ok, Apple Bloom. I'm not going anywhere." As she calmed down a little, she looked up at Sora with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Ah thought Ah wasn't gonna see ya again...D-Did ya escape?" "The princess let me go once I got to the castle. You will not believe the terrible service those guards gave me when we arrived in that city...Uhh, I don't think I got the name of it," Sora said sheepishly, rubbing his wet hair. "Canterlot," Apple Bloom said, unable to hide back a smile as Sora joked around. "Canterlot! I was just going to say that!" That got the filly to giggle a little as he tousled her mane. "But yeah, those guards were rude. Thankfully, Princess Celestia knew I was innocent all along." He leaned closer, as if he wanted to tell a secret to the filly. "Did you know the princess was taller than us? And by tall, I mean massive. She's at least three times bigger than me." "Maybe," the filly said, earning another noogie from the teen. "Oh, sure. 'Maybe?'" Sora flopped his wet towel over Apple Bloom, the filly pushing it off her. After a little bit of messing around with the youngest Apple to lift her spirits up, he gently rubbed the filly's head. "You doing ok?" "Mhmm," Apple Bloom said, nodding her head. "You sure?" Sora asked. "I know seeing those monsters were kind of scary. Believe me, the first time I saw them, I was scared out of my mind." "But, Sora...what were they?" she asked. "How did ya beat them? And...when could ya use magic?" Sora tried to think of something to tell Apple Bloom, but he didn't want to risk upsetting the world order. But, where Rainbow Dash and Celestia were adults, the former ignorant to most of the details and the latter knowing a lot though promising to keep everything a secret, Apple Bloom was only a kid. Would it be too much for her to take in? Can she keep a secret to the source of his abilities? It would be difficult to hide what he was capable of after today, since many of Apple Bloom's classmates had watched him rescue her and used his skills to destroy the Heartless threat. Maybe the adults might not believe the foals as they were probably excited to see what else he could do, but if Heartless keep appearing in the middle of town, he would have no choice but to break this important rule to keep Ponyville from panicking. As he looked down at the curious filly, he just couldn't lie to a little pony giving him that sad look. He took in a deep breath and sighed heavily, giving into the cuteness. "...Alright. I'll tell you, but if I do, do you swear you'll keep what you hear a secret?" "Ah promise," Apple Bloom said, her tail wagging in excitement as she tried to keep quiet in case her siblings would hear them. "Alright. Now, let's see...I guess I should explain what I used to defeat the Heartless. That's the name of those monsters, by the way," Sora added as he held out his hoof, summoning his Keyblade in a small flash of light. Apple Bloom stared in awe, now knowing how it appeared out of nowhere back at the school. "This is what I call a Keyblade. And yeah...it's also a giant key." "It's like your cutie mark..." Her eyes trailed down to his flanks, both his mark and his weapon a similar match. "...Does it also unlock big things?" "Actually, it unlocks everything that has a lock." The filly gasped, looking around for something in her room that has a lock. Sora chuckled, watching Apple Bloom find something to see if what he said was true. She finally found something, a small chest under her bed, locked with a familiar shaped keyhole the teen had seen plenty of times on the random treasure chests he found laying about in the other worlds. The chest's design seemed to fit Equestria's theme to blend it in, colored pink and blue, but on the top of the chest were six gems similar to the ones Sora saw on the murals in Celestia's castle. "Well, that's a peculiar chest." "Ah found it a couple weeks ago out in the orchard one day," Apple Bloom said. "It was just lyin' in the middle of the field, and it didn't have anypony's name on it. Ah couldn't open it, cause it was locked, but nopony didn't seem to know it was here. Ah took it and hid it away so Applejack and Big Mac won't take it away if it did belong to somepony, but it doesn't. Soooo...Can ya open it?" "No problem." Sora twirled his Keyblade in his hoof and smacked the top of the chest with the tip of the blade, the chest opening up to reveal its contents. Apple Bloom's jaw dropped in bewilderment. "...H-How!? Ah thought ya'll were gonna stick it in the keyhole!" "It's not like any other key, Apple Bloom. But, I do that only for chests. There's another way I can unlock, or lock, things." Sora held out his Keyblade, pointing it at the wall. "This way of opening specific locks, I fire a beam of light into them, and it locks or unlocks, depending on what I want to do with that lock." As he looked down at the chest, he spotted a piece of paper that rested at the bottom of it. "Looks like there was something inside." "A borin' piece of paper?" Apple Bloom sighed dejectedly. "So much for gettin' a cutie mark as a pirate." "Why would you want to be a pirate?" Sora asked, laughing at the absurd idea, imagining Apple Bloom dressed like Hook back in Neverland. As he looked down at the paper, there was an image of a blue popsicle with a recipe on how to make it. It was a recipe for Sea-Salt ice cream. "But, it doesn't look like your little treasure hunt was all for nothing. It's a recipe to make a delicious ice cream treat." "Ice cream!?" Apple Bloom snatched the page and looked at the image of the popsicle. "Easy there, little filly." Sora grabbed the page before Apple Bloom could drool over it as she imagined how it would taste. "It's already getting late, and you're not going to have any sugar before bed. We'll think about making some tomorrow." "Aww...ok." Sora dismissed his Keyblade, picking up the filly and laying her down in bed. "One more thing, Apple Bloom. Don't tell your family everything I talked about with you tonight," the teen said. "I know the Heartless are scary, but I don't want to have anyone else freak out. If you see anymore of them, stay away from them and come find me. I'll make sure to protect you and everyone else in Ponyville." "Ok, Sora. Ah promise." Apple Bloom yawned, Sora gently tucking the exhausted filly under her covers. "Maybe Ah can get a cutie mark in Heartless findin'." "Hey, don't get too carried away." He poked her muzzle, then gently patted her head. "Good night, Apple Bloom." "Night, Sora." As Apple Bloom fell right to sleep, Sora gently closed the chest and pushed it back under her bed. He quietly exited the filly's room, closing the door softly. He headed back to his own room, unable to stifle his yawn as he was ready for bed too. While he laid down on his bed, Sora pulled out the recipe for Sea-Salt ice cream, staring at the ingredients needed to make it. "Hmm...I wonder if I can ask Pinkie if she can make this." Shrugging his shoulders, he placed the page on his side table, rolling over onto his side and fell asleep. "What a day..."