Kingdom Hearts of Harmony

by steel soul

Entrapment

Kingdom Hearts of Harmony

By Steel Soul

Entrapment

Trottingham

Underneath Town Hall

As soon as Sora and Trixie crossed the entrance, the big doors shut behind them with a yelp from Trixie. She rushed to get close to Sora, as if he were her bodyguard, both pony's eyes watching the walls as each and every candle began to light, illuminating the room and cold and eerie glow.

The room itself seemed to look like the inside of a tree out of someone's nightmares, broken roots twisted and turning, reaching from the floor to the ceiling, as if grasping to be let out. Along the walls were shelves upon shelves of books, adding a musty scent of old tomes and parchment papers to the dank air that surrounded the pair.

"A-And Trixie thought she was the one for theatrics." The showmare muttered, her voice quivering ever so slightly. Despite her joking tone, Sora could detect a hint of fear in her voice. After calming down, she moved carefully towards one of the shelves and reached a hoof up to touch one of the books upon it. "Trixie didn't recall there being a library like this beneath City Hall before..." She paused. "Though admittedly, Trixie hasn't been back in town for quite a few years."

The Keyblade Wielder's gaze fell to the shelves around him as well, noticing how a lot of the texts were written in an unfamiliar tongue. He couldn't help the feeling of Deja Vu. The place reminding him of the library at Hollow Bastion...or Radiant Garden as it is called now. "This place is bringing back major memories..."

Trixie raised an eyebrow at the stallion. "Is it? How so?"

"It's a...bit of a long story." The stallion answered truthfully, rubbing the back of his head. "In any case, a place like this feels like major bad news in my experience."

"Trixie takes it, it is not your first time in a deep dark dungeon."

Sora chuckled at Trixie's statement. "You could say that," he replied. "I've been in some pretty scary places before, but this one gives me the creeps. More so than usual."

Making his way over towards a nearby table, the stallion picked up one of the scrolls that laid upon it. He unraveled the parchment and was met with many strange markings he couldn't quite make out. He scanned it for a moment, trying to find...something, "All of this looks important, but I have no clue what any of this means..."

Trixie marched over to the table, her eyes examining the scroll within Sora's grasp. "Well, Trixie HAS spent some time at the School for Gifted Unicorns. It very well could be a magical spell not comprehendible to somepony of your level. Let Trixie see." She grabbed the scroll out of Sora's hooves and studied it carefully, scrutinizing every corner of it before giving it a blank stare. "How can anypony read any of this?!" She huffed as she shoved the parchment back into the stallion's hooves. "It's in Equine, but whoever wrote this had worse handwriting than Trixie's doctor! Trixie can make only make out two words. Three tops."

Sora frowned before looking at the parchment again. With a sigh, he would slip that scroll, as well as a few more into one of his two pouches. "I'll take them to someone who might be able to make heads or tails of it then." The stallion turned towards the only other doors in the room that wasn't where they had come from. "Right now we need to keep going. Rainbow is still out there and I don't want to leave her alone with those Heartless any more than I need to.

With a sigh, Trixie nodded her understanding, and the two of them continued further though the laboratory. As they walked, the stallion, despite the stillness of the room, couldn't help but feel his back hair stand on end. He scanned the shelves, looking for anything out of place, finding nothing weird...and yet he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

Glancing over at the mare trotting next to him in silence, the Keyblade Wielder saw that she seemed just as anxious as he was. He knew that was to be expected, being in the thick of Heartless territory as they were. If he knew that she would be safe if he left her alone, he would have told her to stay behind and let him handle everything from here, but obviously that was out of the question.

Still, with how nervous she was, he could at least comfort her. If not that, at least distract the poor mare.

Upon reaching the door, he would open it for her to walk though. "So, Trixie," Sora began, breaking the silence as she past by, "I don't think I ever asked you. You said that you were from Trottingham, right?"

The Showmare jumped at the sudden interruption to their quiet, casting a glare at the stallion. "That's right. But you already know this. Besides, why do you care where Trixie comes from?"

Sora shrugged, slowing his pace so that he was walking alongside her. "Just curious, I guess. I'm a bit of a world traveler myself so I get to see a lot of new places. Just wanted to know more about where you came from?"

Trixie let out a small sigh, her eyes downcast as she thought about her past. "Well...Trottingham isn't exactly the most exciting place in Equestria," she admitted, "but it's where she grew up. Trixie was just a little filly when She discovered her love for spectacle magic."

"Like...sleight of hand...ah...hoof stuff?" the Keyblade Wielder asked. "But...aren't you a unicorn? Don't you already do magic?"

Trixie huffed at his question. "Oh, it's much more than that. Spectacle magic is all about the presentation, the showmareship. Making the audience see something that they know can't possibly be real but still believing in it anyway." She smiled at the memory. "It's what I, Trixie, was born to do, really. And it's what brought Trixie to Ponyville all those years ago."

"Guessing that's where you know Rainbow and Rarity from then...though...you guys didn't seem to be on good terms."

Trixie's smile faded at the mention of Rainbow and Rarity, being replaced by a deep scowl. "Yes, well...That's complicated," she said, her voice growing a tinge cold. "They...didn't really understand my magic. Thought Trixie was just bragging for bragging sake." She stopped her hoof. "So what if she was though?! Is Trixie not allowed to tell ponies how great and powerful she is? Even if its just for show?"

Sora raised an eyebrow at Trixie's sudden outburst. "What do you mean?"

"Those two and a few more of that mare, Twilight's, friends started heckling me first. Just because Trixie was...in their words...boasting about her abilities."

Sora could sense that Trixie was still holding onto a lot of hurt from the past, and he couldn't blame her. Not with how his friends had hurt him before. He...didn't hate them. But...

Shaking the thought from his mind, he smiled at the mare beside him. "I...could be a bit bias...seeing as I'm friends with them, but...everypony makes mistakes." He smiled. "I'm sure if we all talked it out, we could all come to an understanding. After all, I think everypony deserves a second chance if they are willing to look for it."

Trixie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Easy for you to say. You don't know what it's like to be laughed at and dismissed by your peers."

Sora rubbed the back of his head. "That's...not true. When I got the power of my Keyblade when I was younger, there were many who questioned if I even deserved that power. Pretty sure I got called ordinary more than a few times. But I didn't let that stop me. So...I think you shouldn't let it stop you either." He smiled at the mare, but she seemed to go quite at that, looking away.

With a sigh, the stallion changed the subject. "So...ah...How did you get to being chased by those Heartless anyway...back when we first met."

Trixie's eyes cut over to him, looking at the stallion from the side. "Trixie was coming here to look for something. She was in the woods when that black down formed. When Trixie actually got to the town, the only other ponies around were the two colts I found wandering on their own - Zidane and Kuja."

The stallion nodded in understanding. "And it was then that the three of you were found by the Heartless and chased...right?"

Trixie nodded solemnly. "Yes. Trixie hates to admit it but she was lucky to have stumbled upon your group. Otherwise, she'd be a goner by now." She shuddered at the thought before looking up at Sora. "We talked a lot about Trixie. What about you? Where do you come from, Sora?"

"That's a bit of a longer story." The stallion admitted. "But to make it short, I come from a place called Destiny Island. Its where I was born and raised."

"Trixie sees..." She paused. "And...are all pegasi from your island able to use that...key magic like you there?"

He paused. "Well...I'm kind of a special case." He told her, leaving out the fact that he was a human turned pony. She didn't need to know that. "And it's mostly the weapon that does the magic. I can just use it."

"Trixie had never heard of...what was it called again? Keysword?"

"Keyblade." Sora corrected her. "And yeah...That are kinda rare to see here in Equestira." Also not a lie.

Trixie let out a sardonic laugh. "If you can locate one, then Trixie sure she can as well," she stated confidently. "Imagine the power of my magic if Trixie had such a blade! Ponies from around the world would come to witness the magical might of Trixie Lulamoon!" She said with an air of grandeur, puffing out her chest proudly.

"You did mention you do magic shows before." The stallion mused softly.

Trixie lifted her chin. "Ha! What Trixie does isn't just any old simple magic show. She is the master of prestidigitation. Why, ponies come far and wide just to see me at work!"

"Then when this is all over, I'd like to see one of your shows."

The showmare nearly stumbled in surprise at the stallion's words, looking at the stallion in disbelief as she pulled herself back together. "You...ah...would?"

The stallion enthusiastically smiled as he exclaimed, "Yeah! Wouldn't mind being dazzled if your show is as good as you say it is."

Trixie's cheeks turned a bright shade of red at the compliment, and she looked away in embarrassment. "Well, Trixie will have to make sure that her next show is the best one yet! She'll show you and everypony else just how great and powerful she truly is! Why, Trixie is in such a good mood, that she will even allow you to invite that prissy mare and the blue one."

"I'll be sure to tell them! But first we gotta save Trottingham and make sure the Rainbow and the rest are okay." The stallion told her with a determined nod. "So don't worry, stay close to me, and we'll get though this. Promise ya."

Trixie nodded, the confidence that had been wavering within her restored by Sora's words. She was still scared, there was no doubt about that, at least to herself, but...this mysterious stallion's stupid smile. Was it crazy of her to follow him just because of that?

She had been doing crazy things all day today already so what's to stop her from doing any more at this point?

The mare fell into step beside him as they continued down the dimly lit hallway. The silence between them was filled with the sound of their hooves against the cold stone floor.

It took some time, but soon, Sora and Trixie would finally reach the end, where they found a set of stairs leading further down. The stallion looked at the mare and nodded before they both descended the stairway, their hooves echoing off of the cold stone steps.

As they reached the bottom, they found themselves in a dimly lit chamber. The air was thick with the smell of burnt magic, and Sora could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. In front of him, was something he had seen before. Something that looked akin to that weird machine he had seen way back before he had first faced off with Ansem's Heartless. A machine, with the emblem of the Heartless upon it.

"This...I know this..." Sora said softly, a growing pit within his belly forming.

Trixie spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper. "What is this place? It feels...like something is creeping up Trixie's spine the longer she is here."

He cocked an eyebrow at the mare. "Don't you remember? Back at the camp when Lightning was asking you all those questions. I'm pretty sure I told everyone that Heartless can be created and this," He gestured to the contraption. "If I remember correctly is how they do it."

The Showmare frowned b efore exhaling loudly. "Trixie has no recollection of any of that since Trixie wasn't able to make out what anyone was saying. Everypony's lips were moving but no sounds were coming out. All Trixie could hear was her on voice!"

The Keyblade Wielder gave an embarrassed chuckle as he scratched the back of his head. "Oh...yeah," he said, almost sheepishly before perking back up, a frown forming on his face. "What I said before still stands though; it looks like someone has been creating Heartless here for some time. If they were able to set all this up then...I...I don't know what it means but its bad in any case..."

Trixie nodded in agreement, her gaze casting towards said machine. Looking a little past it, the mare would notice a faint blue glow coming from somewhere down a black hallway. Nudging the stallion next to her she pointed towards it.

"Sora, look," Trixie whispered, pointing towards the hallway. "There's something down there."

The stallion's eyes followed the showmare's hoof, squinting to see through the darkness. Out of curiosity, he decided to head down the hallway towards a faint blue light at its end. As he took his first steps forward, the sound of metal hitting the floor behind him made him freeze in place.

Trixie and Sora both spun around to see a weird looking pot falling, clanging across the floor and spinning in time with its echoing sound throughout the room, sending shivers up their spines.

Trixie tensed and Sora prepared for combat as the pot fixed itself in an upright position. Then, all on its own, the pot's lid popped open, and two beady yellow eyes peered out from the inside. Sora could feel his heart pound against his chest as he summoned his Keyblade within his maw.

The pot seemed to react to that fact as it suddenly came to life, a feline like head popping out from the top as the bottom half of its body slipped from under it. it seemed like it was struggling to keep itself from toppling over, giving it an almost comical appearance.

"Awwww... Look at it." Trixie mused as she made her way towards the strange pot-cat. "And how did you get in there? Aren't you just an adorable little guy."

Trixie..." Sora called out to the showmare, his tone imploring her to stop before she got too close. He kept his gaze on the strange being, concerned for both their safety.

"Are you worried over a cat?" The mare asked, with a scoff as she turned her head to face the stallion. "Look at it. The most it looks like it could do is-"

“Trixie, watch out!” His fast movements enabled him to grab her tail and pull her back before a large claw emerged from the pot and made a swift swipe at her, the mare squeaking just as it missed her by a hair.

She fell back behind the stallion as soon as she regained her balance, looking from behind him as she glared at the creatures. "What the hey is your problem?! Trixie was trying to be nice!"

The stallion shook his head. "Its Heartless Trixie. Its not able to be nice back Trixie," Sora said, his Keyblade at the ready. "Its a Heartless for a reason."

Trixie nodded, her eyes fixed on the Heartless in front of them. Sure that metal dragon was strange and those black Heartless were unnerving, but to think that even a creature that looks as harmless as a cat could be a Heartless as well. Just what else could they turn into. Despite the danger it posed, she couldn't help but feel a strange fascination towards it. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before, and she had seen her fair share of strange and unusual things during her travels as a showmare.

That fascination would soon turn to horror however as more then a few of the creatures slowly began to appear around the room, the Pot cats slowly surrounding them.

Sora's grip tightened on the Keyblade he held within his maw as he took a step forward, positioning himself between the Heartless and Trixie. "Stay behind me," he warned, his voice firm and commanding, unlike his usually playful tone. "I'll take care of these guys no problem."

Trixie nodded, her eyes fixed on the feline-like Heartless as they inched closer and closer. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she watched Sora charge forward, his Keyblade flashing in the dim light of the chamber. She knew she had to do something, anything to help, but what could she do? She was just a showmare, after all.

The stallion moved swiftly, launching himself over a sweeping claw. As he landed in the center of the group, He brandished his blade and spun around, sending some of them toppling into those behind them. Now with a little room to breath, he closed in on the nearest Heartless, slashing upwards and launching them into the sky. Grabbing it by the tail with his teeth, he spun in the air before launching it away, causing it to crash into a nearby wall, destroying the creature and releasing the crystalized heart within it.

Trixie watched in awe as Sora continued to fend off the Heartless with ease. She knew that the stallion was skilled. she had seen it when He Rainbow and that other mare had faced off against that giant metal dragon, but seeing him in action was still a sight to behold. She couldn't help but feel useless in comparison.

Still, even with his quick reflexes, the Heartless seemed to slowly be swarming the stallion. If it was just one on one, in such a tight space, there was no doubt that he would win. But being where they are, and how little movement he could adjust to, more and more of the creature's strikes were coming close to actually landing.

Trixie clenched her hooves tightly, her eyes searching for something, anything that could help them. Knowing that she wasn't the best when working under pressure, she took a deep breath and tried to focus. And then she saw it - a lever on the wall just behind Heartless. She followed the line of it, seeing just what it was connected to.

"Okay...Trixie...We don't want to die...and if Sora loses, we just might...Okay...Okay...You can do this Trixie!"

With a determination set in her eyes, the showmare darted past Sora and the Heartless, making a beeline for the lever. As she got closer, the Heartless began to converge on her, their feline forms snarling and hissing as they prepared to attack the mare.

Trixie let out a small shriek, as it did so. She closed her eyes only to feel something brush past her and the sound of metal smacking against a ceramic pot. Opening them, she found Sora, standing in front of her.

"Trixie?! What are you doing?! Didn't I tell you to stay back?!"

The showmare shook her head pushing her remaining fear down as she called out to the stallion. "G-Get them all in the middle of the room...or...at least most of them. Trixie has a plan and she needs to get to that lever!"

"Trixie I..." Sora hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Trixie before nodding his head in agreement. He understood that she had an idea, and they needed to work together to defeat the Heartless. That was enough for him.

With one giant swing, he let loose his Keyblade, the spinning weapon cutting a path all the way towards the mare's destination by knocking more then a few of the creatures out of her way. Seeing said way was clear, she quickly got back onto her hooves before rushing forward once again. Knowing that he needed to buy her some time, the stallion resummoned his Keyblade before allowing it to glow brightly within his maw.

"I'll get it done! You do what ya gotta do." With that, the stallion went back into the fray, once again gaining the Heartless's attention.

Trixie stumbled back as she barely avoided the attack from the rolling pot Heartless, which had a cat's head sticking out of the top. "Ugh! Trixie would rather not deal with you," she said. "But if you won't move then let me show you some of my magical skills!"

She reached into her cape, before pulling out two small orbs. Without hesitation, she threw then on the ground, blast of colored smoke forming just as she did so.

The Heartless stumbled back, the creature disorientated by the sudden explosion of glitter and bright colors. Trixie took this opportunity to dart past them, giving the pot a hard kick to its back and sending it sprawling to the ground away form her. Grasping the lever, she looked back to where Sora was before looking upwards. She had to wait. Wait for the right moment.

The stallion, meanwhile, had complied with the girl's orders, slicing at the Heartless crowd pushing them closer to the center of the room. In his need to getting the task done however and with him being in such a small room, he couldn't stop himself from betting hurt ever now and then, the creatures slowly beginning to land blow after blow, the creatures slowly beginning to pick up on his tricks. He kept going despite the pain.

"Sora! Get out of there!"

The mare's words had barely left her mouth before something clicked. Acting on instinct, the stallion leapt away from the center of the room. As soon as he landed on the floor, a loud crash sounded behind him. Porcelain shattering and metal hitting the ground echoed through the air.

Sora turned to face what had just happed. As the dust settled, the sight of a giant broken chandelier could be seen, as well as the crystalized hearts that the Heartless would release after being defeated. Slowly, he was beginning to put two and two together. He would look from the broken ceiling ornament and towards the showmare, who had something akin to a haughty and proud look on her face.

"You did that?" Sora asked in disbelief. "You brought the chandelier down on them?"

Trixie grinned, her chest puffed out with pride. "Yes, yes I did. Trixie knew she had to do something to stop them, and that seemed like the best option."

The stallion was awestruck, not being able to stop the laughed that escaped him. "Well, I have to admit, that was pretty impressive, Trixie."

Trixie giggled. "Well, one could expect nothing less from the Great and Powerful-"

The laughter stopped abruptly as something sliced into Trixie's back, her blood spilling onto the floor. She stumbled forward, crashing into the ground hard before he could even catch her. In the place she had been standing was a single pot cat, its porcelain body broken to pieces.

Sora's eyes widened in horror, a strangled gasp escaping his throat. He had been so distracted with Trixie's victory that he had let his guard down. How could he have been so careless? As he looked down at the showmare, his heart sank. She was so still, her breathing shallow and her eyes closed.

The stallion roared, and his Keyblade materialized in his mouth again. He was on top of the Heartless almost instantly, slashing downward with one well-practiced stroke. The creature vanished like all the others before it, but this victory did not give him a sense of peace.

Without hesitation, he ran back towards Trixie, his heart racing with fear and anger. He knelt down beside her, his hoof hovering over her wound, unsure of what to do. "Trixie? Trixie, can you hear me?" he called out, his voice desperate. Carefully, he grasped and turned the mare over, lifting her head up as he did so.

Trixie's eyes fluttered open, pain etched on her features. "S-Sora...what happened?" she murmured weakly.

"You were attacked by a Heartless, Trixie. You're hurt," he replied, his voice laced with worry.

The showmare winced, her hoof instinctively moving to the wound on her back. "I-I see. Trixie was...careless she guesses."

"Just...stay with me okay? I...Darn it!" He closed his eyes. "My magic! I have to use my magic." He tried to reach within himself, trying to remember the feeling of using magic like before.

"Heal...Heal...Heal...Come on! Heal!" Sora's frustration was palpable, his attempts at using magic failing time and time again. His magic was still blocked for some god forsaken reason! "Why can't I use my magic!"

Trixie looked up at Sora with a weak smile. "It's okay, Sora. Trixie will be fine."

"No, it's not okay!" Sora's voice rose slightly in panic. "You're hurt and I can't even heal you! This is all my fault. I-" He paused. "That...I can us that!" Carefully he reached for one of the bags on his legs, pulling out a weird looking yellow object, spherical in shape. "I can use this."

The showmare looked up at the object in confusion. "W-What is...it?"

"It'll help you." He glanced at the item in his hoof, a yellow vial. "An Elixir. It's a type of item that can heal completely, but it may take time for your body to adjust to it. I had to use one myself, and I was out for days. This is the only one I have; Riku gave it to Twilight to gave it to me with specific instructions to use it only in an emergency for myself." He sighed. "But when have I ever listened to him?" Softly, he pressed the object against the mare's body.

"I...If its that important...then...D-Don't..." she began but was cut off by the stallion.

"You said you were gonna dazzle me remember. Promised a show and everything. So no way you are taking that back now." He pushed the sphere into her, the Elixir dissipating as soon as he did so.

The mare’s eyes widened as the Elixir began to take effect and the pain in her back dissipated. However, a wave of drowsiness quickly overcame her, and she whispered softly, “Sora...I'm so…so…sleepy…” before drifting off into slumber. The stallion was about to panic until he heard her snoring fill the room, indicating she had simply fallen asleep.

Heaving a sigh of relief before quietly chuckling, he carefully lifted her up and laid her against the closest wall. It was unfortunate that he had to use such a rare item, but he didn't care as long as she was safe. The stallion felt guilty for what nearly occurred, for how she had nearly died due to his carelessness. He couldn't dwell on it long though, Rainbow was still in trouble after all. He had to finish up here and help her.

"Stay here for now Trixie." He told her, though he knew that she could not hear him. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't worry. And...I'm sorry..."

The stallion took a deep breath before summoning his Keyblade once more charging towards the source of the blue glow. As he got closer, he could feel the ominous aura emanating from the room, causing him to shudder involuntarily. He pushed though it though, rushing though a pair of doublewide doors.

As he made it into a dark room, he looked every which way for any signs of trouble before looking forward, his eyes widening by degrees. "T-That's"

As the magic of his Keyblade faded away, he stared in wonder at what lay before him. In the center of the room was a blue bubble that enclosed a bright orange unicorn stallion he'd never seen before. The pony stayed suspended in mid-air, as above him there was a crystal heart with a thin thread connecting it to the stallion.

Comments

[AllenVth]

bright orange, unicorn, stallion. The only one I can think of is Sunburst himself, but if that's the case, then dick move on Starlight's part.

At least Sora reignited the hope inside of Trixie. Sora is the master or raising someone's friendship meter higher than normal.