Keyblades in Equestria

by Zeryurijin

The Past

Canterlot was safe. For now. With the retreat of the Heartless and Nobodies with Nightmare Moon's defeat, those who survived the assault, now began to pick up the broken pieces. Within the fractured castle walls, Celestia and her sister Luna (whose illness had disappeared the moment the dark alicorn escaped), watched as the mane six searched the corridors and rooms for any survivors and hopefully any royal guards still alive. There was the three by the door who were in bad shape when it was torn down and now under the care of Fluttershy who was nursing them back to health. There was also the painful matter of finding the other who was thrown out the window, something the alicorn had feared the worst had happened. No pony should die, even if they bravely protected their princess. No life was worth being lost, all for the sake of her survival.

Zavier was among them, doing her best to aide in the healing and recover of the princess's soldiers. Every now and then when she returned to the throne room, she would pause to take note of her companion's status. He had awoken during the search and rescue and was now in a state of mediation. The bound chains were removed, but the barrier brought up remained. He never stirred, never moved from where he sat, merely breathed. Finally as Zavier settled to take another break, she felt the presence of the alicorn standing before her,"Child. . . why does he meditate? Is it to quell the rage within him?"

She glanced around to see Mych there, arms folded, hands pressed palm against palm and legs in a lotus position,"Its. . .complicated your majesty." Celestia glanced to follow her gaze and then turned to look down,"We have time for now it seems. Perhaps. . you can fill me in on who you both are. And how you came to my lands." Zavier looked up to her and then nodded, rising to her feet as she dusted off her over alls.

With the mane six and Luna gathered around, Zavier gave them the full story. Of where they hailed from. What they did. What Heartless were. The power of the Keyblade. What gummi ships were made for (Pinkie Pie thought they were made of gum drops and chewing gum. It was hard to explain to the bouncy pink pony, that in fact it was more like building blocks with special properties.) and traveling between worlds. As the subject of Nobodies came up, Celestia and Twilight had trouble on this,"So. . .those silver creatures are called. .Nobodies? Sounds as strange as the Heartless." Zavier brushed some hair from her eyes,"Remember when I mentioned that as the heart succumbs to the darkness, the body is lost and a Heartless is born?"

The unicorn nodded as she had kept track of all of this. Zavier continued,"There is more to it. When a strong heart succumbs to the darkness, a Heartless is indeed born. But the body remains. That body becomes a Nobody. Its a shell of that person. And they possess the memories of their former lives. An old saying goes,'A Nobody never truly exists.' Since they lack the heart, they have no feelings, no emotions. Its why they are deemed Nobodies. What you have witnessed are weak version of Nobodies. But there are powerful ones as well."

Celestia was absorbing all this as Luna joined her side,"We ask then was that big one a strong Nobody stranger?" Zavier waved her hand with an eeh sound,"It fairly tough. . .but there are stronger ones. Years ago. . There was a Keyblade wielder named Sora. He had a couple of close friends, Kairi and Riku. Together they battled a powerful group of Nobodies, whose strength and power were far greater then the ones we've encountered. These Nobodies were known as Organization XIII. Their mission was to create Kingdom Hearts and use its power to become complete." The alicorn spoke up,"Kingdom Hearts? Is this a place where you receive your orders from, your tasks?" Zavier ummed then shook her head,"No. . .its. . .hard to explain. Kingdom Hearts. . it is a place. A strong Heartless named Ansem once sought its power, thinking it held darkness and he hungered for it. The truth is.. Kingdom Hearts is Light. The light in a person's heart."

Twilight stopped writing and then looked up,"What I felt. . .from the Keyblade. .was that.. ."Zavier gave a nod,"The warmth you felt.. .feel in your heart and from your friends. . .that is what Kingdom Hearts is like to many." The purple unicorn placed a hoof on her chest,"Its like the Elements of Harmony. The power of friendship." Zavier looked to Twilight and was about to speak when the pegasus, Fluttershy spoke,"It's. .. kinda sad really. You have these. . nobodies. . .that just want a heart of their own. . to be complete."

A voice startled them as it came from the hallway,"There is no sympathy for Nobodies, Fluttershy. You may think they deserve pity, but with no feelings comes no remorse for their actions." Eyes cast down to Mych who, up to this point was silent. He looked from afar still behind his "prison","Organization XIII used the Heartless to gather countless hearts across worlds. Then they lured Sora into releasing those hearts. They captured these hearts and then used them to help make a doorway to Kingdom Hearts. Can you imagine Fluttershy... imagine Equestria de-void of ponies everywhere? Whose hearts are freed only to be enslaved by a Nobody seeking to be whole? While their bodies wander as its soldiers?"

The pegasus squeaked and looked down, fidgeting with her hooves as Rarity came to stand by,"That was unnecessary you know. Fluttershy is innocent and pure. You can't expect her to think negatively of things from your world." Mych closed his eyes,"I'm sorry you think that Rarity, but its the truth."

Celestia turned to Zavier,"What became of this. .Organization XIII?" The "mare" dusted her hands a little before replying,"During Sora's earlier travels, he encountered half of them in a place called Castle Oblivion. The effects the castle had on any one who entered, was to strip away their memories. The Organization were using a Nobody named Namine' to slowly take Sora's memories apart and re-make them in their image." Rainbow Dash landed upon entering this conversation and shook the dust from her wings,"What were they doing that for?" Zavier tapped her head,"They were trying to manipulate Sora and the Keyblade into working for them. It never worked out. Their plan failed and the one in charge was ultimately destroyed along with the rest of them."

Applejack entered the throne room, carrying what looked to be a pegasus's body. The princess looked up as pain graced her face at the sight of the guard. Silence hung in the air as the earth pony gently laid him down before Zavier, eyes brimming with tears that never fell,"Is he. . . .?"

"Ah'live. . .. .jes barely. Found em in a rose bush by the gardens. Both wings broken.. . was ganged up after. Put up one heck ova brawl before he went down. Had to work delicately, fraid ah might make things worse." Zavier nodded and immediately began using the Cure spells to heal the wounds inflicted,"Ah heard ya'll talkin bout some castle Oblivion and a Sora. Been meanin ta ask bout his memories.. ya said he was losin them and new ones were bein made. . he ever get them back?"

Mych cleared his throat to get their attention,"He eventually got them back. But he had to remain in slumber for over a year, while Namine worked on breaking down the fake memories and restoring his old ones.. it was a hard task for her. But she got the job done once they were able to obtain his Nobody."

A collected gasp went up and Twilight was there at the edge,"His Nobody?! You mean this Sora was lost to the darkness and became a Heartless?" Mych looked up,"Yes. ..and no. During his early journeys, he was looking for his friend Kairi. This brought him to many worlds and he met their inhabitants. Helped seal the doors and make them safe. But he was never able to find her. Until he entered Hollow Bastion. There it was revealed that Riku was working with the darkness and sought to take the Keyblade from him. It worked. . .for awhile. But Sora's heart proved stronger and Riku failed. Defeated he retreated to the inner sanctum and there he met Ansem. In exchange for his body, Riku gained much power. . but in the end Ansem took control and sought to use the Princesses' hearts to open Kingdom Hearts."

Rarity whispered,"Oh my. . .that sounds dreadful." He nodded and continued,"Each world that was sealed held a Princess. Ansem sought their hearts to create a way into Kingdom Hearts. Kairi's was the the only one left. But when Sora lost his world, he lost Kairi as well. Unknown to him as a way to protect herself and deny Ansem the way, she hid her heart within Sora. He learned this from the possessed Riku who wielded a Dark Keyblade. A battle ensued and Sora won. But Kairi would not awaken. See Keyblades seal and lock doors. . and hearts. The Dark Keyblade did the opposite. Sora sacrificed himself to awaken Kairi, released her heart and was lost. He wound up becoming a Heartless. But since he had a strong and just heart, he also created a Nobody."

"Nobodies were not known and were working in secret back then. So while Sora recovered, his Nobody worked for the Organization. And since he could wield the Keyblade it was the perfect plan for them. His Nobody didn't know any better. All he wanted was to find some purpose."

"Ah ha! So. . what you said is not entirely the truth! You said Nobodies had no feelings, no emotions for their actions. And yet what you told us about Namine shows that there is falsity in them." Rarity spoke out. Mych nodded,"What makes it hard for most of us to understand is. . Nobodies carried memories of their former lives. And while many of them lacked emotion.. .a tiny percent did. So what I said is still mostly true. That a Nobody cared not for their actions, so long as they got what ever they wanted. Namine and Sora's Nobody was the exception to this. . and one other."

Their princess nodded and then asked,"What ever became of Namine.. .and Sora's Nobody?" Zavier rose upon finishing healing the guard and left him in the care of Fluttershy,"Sora's Nobody rejoined him and the last of his memories returned. Namine, as it was later learned, was Kairi's Nobody. She helped in her escape during the final moments in the Organization's headquarters. The rest of the members fell and the worlds were saved thanks to Riku and Sora." Pinkie Pie hmmed and then shook her head,"But that makes no sense. Mych said Riku was a bad person and was causing all sorts of trouble. And he an icky Keyblade to do it. How could he help him after all the bad things he did?"

"Redemption. Riku was nearly lost to the darkness. He struggled with it. Learned to control it. To use it for good. To make amends for the things he had done."

Twilight jotted this down,"So. .its possible then. That when a Heartless and its Nobody are defeated, that pony comes back completely. And those with strong hearts can survive as well. But there is also the risk that until their Nobodies are gone, the hearts will remain with Kingdom Hearts. And. . .Keyblades can be used for dark purposes, just as they are used for good."

"Twilight?" Celestia asked. The unicorn nodded,"Your majesty, Equestria has a door and it needs to be locked. So to end the threat we are facing, Mych and Zavier need to find this keyhole and seal it. Problem is, I don't even know where to look. You two mentioned they were well hidden. It could be anywhere. It could be in the dungeons of Canterlot. Or buried deep in Ever Free forest. It could very well be on the moon for all we know. Or stored safely away on the sun." She shook her head,"It also doesn't explain what happened to me and how I was trapped within Mych's mind when we teleported." Her eyes glanced over to him,"I felt. . anger.. rage. . .hatred for what Nightmare Moon was doing to Celestia. . .and. .something in you fueled it. . . like a raging fire."

The unicorn came closer and pointed,"You were lost too, wern't you Mych? Lost to the darkness as either a Heartless or Nobody. And Zavier sought to bring you back together.. and it worked. But something else came back as well didn't it?" Mych just nodded,"As Sora's Nobody wielded the Keyblade, he bestowed him with the power to wield two. Just as Riku was able to control and use the darkness for his own means, I too came back with some. . new abilities. But it was not without its dangers."

Rising to his feet, he tapped the barrier with a couple of fingers, the walls shattering like frail glass and faded. Twilight stumbled back as he stepped over the circle,"Sora and Namine' were the exception to the outcome that a person could not return completely until both the Heartless side and Nobody side was defeated. Sora managed without his as did Kairi's Nobody."

"I re-gained my heart thanks to Zavier's efforts on tracking it down all over the worlds. And while I am whole again, I am. . lacking. Without getting my Nobody back, the balance of the scales are tipped unfavorably and I pose a risk of unleashing a terrible rage within. A rage that can only be quelled by the training I've done or. .by getting what I lost back. Until then, I must remain calm and focused. For if I allow my feelings or emotions to tip over, things get way out of hand." Gesturing with his hand, between him and the unicorn Mych went on,"The power of the Keyblade temporarily trapped you within my mind. . and your emotions were the tinder that boiled the pot over. Thus unleashing that fury upon Nightmare Moon. Granting me a Keyblade that was heavily magic focused, shattering her defense like it was nothing and countering every thing she threw at me."

Zavier tossed him his Keyblade and the weapon faded as it touched his palm,"So what do we do you ask? Easy. We find the Door and seal it away." Celestia shook her head slightly,"But in the lands of Equestria, it would be difficult for you as if it is well hidden, the search would be hard." Mych just wagged a finger,"Not nessesarily. Keyblades can act like homing beacons to your door. So all me and Zavier need do is point them and be guided in the right direction." Zavier tugged his arm,"Your only thinking of half the problem. The other half is who Nightmare Moon is working for. There is no doubt that it. . or they are on to us now. She escaped and is no doubt back to where ever they are residing. Secret is out, they know we are here and will attempt to stop us from here on out." He snorted and waved a hand,"C'mon Zavier, since when has that ever stopped us before?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Deep in Ever Free forest, within the ruins, a pale white castle stood on high. The towers and spire were so high, that it could challenge Canterlot in terms of size and awe. It would have been easily recognized, where it not for the veils that hid it from the rest of Equestria. Here, Nightmare Moon carried her self with some difficulty up the corridors and down the vast hallways. Even she was still impressed with how quickly this place grew when her master started his work here. Still. .. he could have made it less of a pain to travel up so many inclines and ascending stairwells. Finally, a panting Alicorn paused before a huge set of doors. Few entered here, for it was the master's private sanctum. Nightmare Moon was torn between telling him the truth and facing the consequences. Or simply not reporting to him at all about her failure and face even far worse punishment for her cowardice. She chose the first. The door opened and she passed through only to emerge into a completely different setting: A huge moon hung in the sky its pale glow casted shadows off the railings. It was shaped like a heart however, and even then small floating hearts gathered at the center. Standing on the balcony the being in the black cloth was there, hands clasped behind his back as he looked on.

Limping forward, she stopped just before the small bridge and bowed out of respect of his power. A voice spoke and though it held no emotion, Nightmare Moon could feel its disappointment in her,"I trust that seeing you here in the poor state that you are in and without Princess Celestia and Princess Luna as your captive warrants an explanation?"

Shivering she stuttered,"I. . .I'm beg f. .forgiveness master."

"That you should." A dark pool rose around Nightmare Moon and a strong claw grasped her by the throat, her gasps cut off as painful sparks arced through out her body. Soft, whimpering sobs echoed over empty air,"A simple task was it not? Invade Canterlot and bring the goddess princesses back here. And yet I do not see either. Only a pitiful Alicorn whom was more then capable enough of brushing her former sisters aside like dying leaves. I ordered you not to let your vendetta get in the way did I not? So tell me why is it. . .that you return empty handed?"

"M.. master please!. . . I.. I had them both. . . She was ours as was Luna. . . .I was going to bring them back. . . but some her damned student Twilight and her meddlesome friends interfered. . .along with some new strangers, I swear that I am not lying to you. . .aagggghhhh!. . . ." The grip tightened as the arcs of power intensified, the pain growing more unbearable as she hung there. Footsteps crossed the bridge as her master lowered her so they were at eye level. He rose a hand, two fingers poised at her head, the alicorn trembling,"P. . .please. . .master." He pressed them to her temple as she cried out, her memories of what happened flashed before her in quick succession.

He hissed as she dropped suddenly, the claw fading back into the pool as it faded, leaving her choking and gasping for air as he whirled around, a deep anger bubbling in a calm voice,"So. . . . them again. Of all the chosen it had to be them to come here. And here I thought we would have seen the last of each other. Apparently not. My old friends once again are at work, trying to end all that I am seeking to make. . and undo my hard work. . this will not do."

Comments

[Castform5]

yay history!
I have played 358/2 days, kh1 and now i'm replaying kh2. But i really should get chain of memories just for all the background info, especially about naminé.

[Zeryurijin]

220812

Chain of memories has mixed reviews from the fans. All due to its "Card System." If you can manage the card system, then you'll enjoy it as well.

[Castform5]

220870
Well i have been thinking about the card system and how does it work, but thats why games have tutorials

[Öthnæar]

I am definitely enjoying the story. I've played through KH1 and KH2, but unfortunately I lack the devices needed to play 358/2 days and chain of memories.

chzbronies.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-brony-untitled5.jpg

[Ghost-091]

There is one thing I noticed that wasn't mentioned in the explination of the KH universe. Nobodies are created when the person who lost his or her heart had a strong will or soul (not heart). In the KH universe, every living being is made up of three parts: the body (the physical manifestation), the heart (the emotional capacity), and the soul (the will and desire). Nobodies are made up of the body and soul, with the soul being so strong as to be able to operate without the heart.

There are a few other things that I'd like to mention, but they are fannon and debatable, the above is cannon. The story where I got most of the fannon things I'd want to mention (ex: Dark Keyblade versus artificial Keyblade) is called "Interference" on FF.net by Newbie-Spud. I'd recommend reading that for ideas on how to explain some things that are cannon (he did an amazing job, one of the few stories that get a 5/5 from me in several categories).

[fenril]

Namine and Sora's Nobody was the exception to this. . and one other."

please tell me that was an axel reference

[SlashAttack321]

will sora make an appearance in this fic like an actual appearance appearing in equestria in his physical form? you probably won't do it

[Ulteelectrom]

This is good but I am noticing some kingdom hearts mistakes, for example: the keyblade that Ansem-Riku used was not a dark keyblade, it was a key of heart. Other than simple things this is pretty good.