Kingdom Hearts: The Path of the Heart

by Tetsuya Kintame

Episode 3: Starting a New Life

It had been two weeks since the Kairi and her friends went into the Everfree Forest to retrieve the Elements of Harmony. After the Summer Sun Celebration came to a close, Princess Celestia had given Twilight Sparkle a new mission in life; to continue to study and discover more about the magic of friendship. She even moved into the Golden Oaks Library so she could stay in Ponyville, which pleased the purple unicorn to no end. The princess also decided that since the Elements were not going to be needed for the foreseeable future that she would place them in a vault inside Canterlot Castle. Kairi felt this was probably for the best, having the Elements in a town without any real security was asking for trouble.

During her time spent in Ponyville, Rarity lived up to her promise in the forest, and allowed Kairi a place to stay within her boutique. Despite being in the same building that had clothing in it, she found it to be quite a cozy home. It had been an awkward first day because she had to explain her unease to Rarity. The unicorn had offered to make her an outfit to help her feel more relaxed, but Kairi kept turning it down, saying it was okay, and that she could get used to the fact she didn’t need to wear clothing all the time. She knew it would take a long time, but she could certainly handle the awkwardness.

But as she lay on Rarity’s couch early in the morning, she was starting to feel like a slouch. Having nothing to do except watch Rarity make dresses and suits was starting to weigh on her mind. Not to mention she felt like she was leeching off of Rarity, which she definitely didn’t like. She had spoken up to Rarity about this, and had asked if there was something she could possibly do around the building to make up for living there. Rarity was swift in dismissing that concern of hers, saying she wasn’t any trouble at all, and she rather liked Kairi’s company. Even though Rarity said it was okay, Kairi still felt she needed to do something at least.

When Rarity called out that breakfast was ready, Kairi got up from the couch, and made her way to the dining table. She sat down in a chair, and watched as Rarity levitated the food on to the table. Her little sister, who she had met during her stay, Sweetie Belle came in, and also sat at the table too. “Morning Kairi,” the sweet little filly said. Her coat was just as white as her older sisters, but her curly mane and tail had a two tone color of pink and light purple. Her green eyes sparkled with the excitement of youth as she smiled at Kairi. Just like Apple Bloom, she also didn’t have a Cutie Mark.

“Good morning, Sweetie Belle,” Kairi said, responding with a smile of her own. As she looked at the plate of a single bagel and some scrambled eggs, her stomach growled from hunger. This caused Sweetie Belle to giggle at the sound, and made Kairi give a sheepish smile. She picked up the bagel in between her hooves, and began to eat while Rarity placed Sweetie’s plate in front of her. Rarity joined them as well, and they ate in silence. After about a minute, Kairi broke the silence, “So I’ve been thinking that maybe I should get job somewhere.”

Rarity swallowed what she had chewed first, before speaking, “Dear, is this about you staying here?”

“A little bit, but it’s more than that now. Without something to do, I’ve been feeling like a bit of a slouch. I’ve also felt like I’m taking more than giving back as well,” Kairi replied.

“I assure you Kairi you’ve been no trouble at all. In fact, I’d say you’ve liven up my home quite a bit already,” the unicorn said, trying to ease Kairi’s concern.

“That’s nice of you to say, Rarity. Still, I can’t shake this feeling that I’m being a burden.”

“Perish that thought, my dear. However, if you still feel this way, then I’m certainly not going to stop you. Perhaps you just like being more active than you have been.”

“That’s probably it too, though I’d still like to help out around here, even if it is to help out with the groceries.”

“Hmhm, you are quite stubborn about this, aren’t you?”

“I can be sometimes, but I’m sure there are others who have more of a stubborn streak than I do.”

Rarity giggled hearing that. “Well, alright then, if you’re this insistent about it, I’ll let you help out as you see fit. But really, you haven’t been any trouble at all. I’m happy as long as I can help you settle in on our world.”

“Thanks Rarity, it really means a lot to me, and I really do appreciate you letting me stay here.”

Having finished off her apple, Sweetie Belle decided to join the conversation. “If you’re going to be walking around Ponyville today, I think you might want to talk to Rainbow Dash, Kairi.”

“Oh, why’s that?” Kairi asked.

“She was flying around all day yesterday swinging something around. I think I heard her say something about magic,” Sweetie replied.

Kairi put her bagel down, and placed a hoof on her face, “Oh for crying out loud. I told her she needs to be more careful than this. She knows I was going to teach her soon, but she’s so eager to learn it herself.”

“That sounds like our Rainbow Dash alright,” Rarity said, “It might be best if you go ahead and teach her first this morning before you look for a job.”

“You’re probably right, it would be best to catch this by the tail before she accidentally hurts somepony,” Kairi agreed. She sighed, knowing she needed to postpone her plans for this. The next few minutes passed in silence as they finished their breakfast. As soon as Kairi finished, she made her way towards the entrance.

Before she was even half way into the main lobby however, she felt something being strapped to her barrel. Encased in Rarity’s magic, she saw saddlebags meant to carry things. “It’s just in case you find yourself picking up anything. You can never be too careful,” Rarity said. The strap and bags were both red to match her mane, and on the bags was a stitched design of her Cutie Mark.

“Oh Rarity, you really didn’t need to make this,” she said, smiling at the gift.

“Nonsense, I just happened to have a spare, and decided it would look good on you. Now go on, and enjoy your day dear. And good luck on finding a job,” Rarity said, smiling happily that Kairi loved her gift. Kairi nodded, and walked outside to start her day. First things first, she needed to locate Rainbow Dash.

Since it was still early in the day, she figured the rainbow maned pegasus might still be in bed. She had been by Rainbow’s cloud house a couple times now, so she began mildly trotting in that direction. She was glad it was at least close by to Rarity’s home. Within a few minutes she found herself looking up at the cloudy home, and wonder briefly what it felt like to lie on clouds.

“Hey Rainbow, are you awake?” she called up, not really expecting an answer.

“Yeah, give me a minute. I’ll be right out!” she heard back, thankful she didn’t have to keep yelling to get Rainbow’s attention. Before a minute even passed, Rainbow Dash flew out and hovered in front of her. “Yo, what’s up Kairi?”

“Well, I wanted to talk to you about something I heard you were doing yesterday. Why were you flying around with your Keyblade out?” she asked.

“Oh, that, right. Well, I’ve been trying use magic like you did, but I haven’t been able to do anything. I’ve tried levitating stuff, or making fireballs rush around me, but nothing works,” Rainbow replied.

“Rainbow, trying to use magic with your Keyblade without knowledge in doing so is really dangerous. What would have happened if you accidentally hit somepony with a spell?”

“Oh…You have a good point there. I guess I should have thought about that first.”

“It’s okay, from the sounds of it, you haven’t managed to do anything yet. This is why I’m going to teach you.” This being said, the look on Rainbow’s was ecstatic with happiness until Kairi raised her hoof. “But don’t get ahead of yourself yet. I can only teach you some basic spells I know so far. I haven’t advanced too far myself. My master only ever taught a few spells to attack with and defend myself and others with. I’m still practically a greenhorn as well.”

“That’s okay, any magic I can learn will be good enough for me. So what do the more advance spells look like, do you know?”

“From what I’ve seen before, they pretty much look like bigger and stronger versions. Most spells I know have a sort of, I guess you could say, evolutionary growth.”

“Sounds pretty cool to me. So are we starting now?”

“Well not here, that’s for certain. I’d rather not have a stray spell hit your house. We’ll go to an empty field so you can learn without endangering others. Why don’t you gather some nearby clouds so we can use them as targets?”

“Sounds like a plan, there’s an open field near the Everfree Forest. I’ll be there when I get those clouds,” Rainbow said, and flew off to gather some targets. Kairi watched as she flew around, and started moving clouds around. She went ahead, and walked towards the entrance to the forest, sitting down while she waited for Rainbow Dash to finish up.

When it looked like she gathered up enough clouds, Kairi called out to her, “Bring some of them closer to the ground, Rainbow.” She saw her nod in confirmation, and moved several of the clouds down to ground level. When she was done, she flew up to Kairi, who stood up at her approach. “Okay, let’s start with a helpful spell first. I’m going to teach you how to use Cure.”

“Yeah, no offense but healing spells are a little lame to me. I can’t really see myself needing to use one anytime soon,” Rainbow said, rubbing the back of her head.

“No, you underestimate the Heartless. Sooner or later, we’re going to start encountering lots of different types, and some are going to be able to fly as well. You’ll lose your air advantage then, and you might even get hit as well. Some are even deceptively fast when they don’t look like it, and even have attacks you wouldn’t expect from them. Being able to heal yourself while in battle is definitely a good thing to have,” Kairi explained, wanting to dispel Rainbow’s laid back view on the Heartless.

“Wait, so besides the ones we saw two weeks ago, there are even more versions of Heartless?” Rainbow asked. Now knowing that there were stronger, more dangerous Heartless, this knowledge was definitely sinking in.

“Yes there are, which is why you should learn this spell first. You never know, it might save your life when you least expect it,” Kairi said, smiling that Rainbow seemed to accept this fact.

“Alright then, so how do I cast it then?”

“First, a demonstration, so watch closely,” Kairi said as she stepped back a bit. She then summoned her Keyblade, and gripped the handle with her teeth. Closing her eyes, she focused on the spell she wanted to use. A small green glow emanated from the tip of her Keyblade, before turning it up towards the sky as she raised her head slightly. Green leaves appeared above her as she used Cure on herself, the green glow flowing around her for a second before disappearing. Since she was already as healthy as could be, she didn’t feel much of a change at all except a soothing warmth. She then placed her Keyblade in her leg, and looked up at Rainbow Dash.

“That is the Cure spell; it heals all wounds, and dissipates any dark flames you might receive from a Heartless hitting you,” she said.

“So it’s pretty obvious when somepony is hit by a Heartless?” Rainbow asked.

“It is because the area of your body that is hit sprouts a little black flame. It doesn’t burn, but you will definitely feel cold in that one spot. Take multiple hits, the flames will start to add up, and put more strain on your heart. Knowing your own limits is important, but you will definitely know when you’re about to have your heart stolen. Before that happens, you need to heal yourself before you’re turned into a Heartless as well. Fighting the Heartless will never be a game, it’s quite serious.”

“Right, I’m a little more eager to learn this spell now. So do I just to need to make the glow, or am I supposed to say a little chant?”

“No, nothing like that. The magic comes from your heart as well, but the Keyblade helps to focus the energy. Now, summon your Keyblade, and hold it with both of your hooves in front of you,” Kairi instructed. She watched as Rainbow summoned her Keyblade, The Rainbolt, and held it out in front of her. “Good, now close your eyes, and focus on yourself. Let your Keyblade guide you, it will show you the way.”

For a long moment, Rainbow hovered in the air by the flaps of her wings, her eyes closed as she did as Kairi instructed. A few times, Kairi had thought she saw a small spark of green, but it went away before it could be used. She stood there watching her friend try to summon up the magic inside her, the seconds passing by the longer she waited. She then saw Rainbow’s ear flick after at least eight minutes, and over the passing few seconds she saw the green glow.

“That’s good, now just raise your Keyblade, and focus on yourself,” Kairi instructed. Just as before, Rainbow did as instructed, and she too felt a soothing warmth rush through her body. “Not bad for a first time. Now that you have felt what it takes to use magic, it will come to you a lot easier now.”

“I could have done without the length of time it took me to do it, but I guess that’s because I’m not used to doing something I've never used actively. On top of that, I feel a little winded now,” Rainbow said, landing on the ground now. She made it look so easy to keep holding her Keyblade in her hoof.

“That’s normal, the cure spell uses up near all of your new mana power, or mp if you want to shorten the term. It restores itself over time, so you just have to wait a little bit,” Kairi said.

“Sounds like it could be a double-edge sword in that regard.”

“Only if you don’t move the second after you cast it, and with practice you’ll be able to cast spells far more quickly.”

“Well that’s good news then. I’d rather not be a sitting target when casting.”

“Well then, I guess you’ll like to hear you can incorporate spells into your Keyblade to give it more strength in a single strike.”

“Whoa, seriously?! That’s so cool! I could make Keyblade have a literal fire edge!”

“Yeah, though it takes a lot of practice to do so. I’m sure you can handle it. You do train your flying every day after all.”

“Yep, no doubt, I’ll be master of it before you know it!”

Kairi nodded, and moved to continue Rainbow’s training. “Alright, so which spell would you like to learn first; Fire, Blizzard, or Thunder?”

Rainbow thought for nearly only a second, and said, “Let’s go with Thunder first! It’s sound pretty cool!”

Kairi nodded, and said, “Alright, then stand back a bit. I don’t want to hit you on accident.” Rainbow did so as Kairi gripping her Keyblade with her teeth. She didn’t close her eyes as she managed to build up the spell fairly quickly, before flicking her head as best she could. The effect was immediate, a yellow bolt traveled down the length of her weapon, before shooting straight up into the air. It then spread out about meter around her in a circle, before several bolts of lightning struck the ground. She then held her Keyblade in her leg again as she spoke, “As you can see, Thunder affects the area around you, and can strike multiple enemies at once. Heartless shocked by the attack can often be dazed for a short moment, and give you a chance to escape if you find yourself surrounded.”

“That is really cool, Kairi! Why haven’t you used it before now?” Rainbow asked.

“Like I said, it affects the area around you, making it difficult to control. None of the bolts will ever hit me, but I also can’t direct them either. Using it recklessly might get somepony hurt. That’s why I refrained from using it before; I didn’t want to chance it hurting anypony. Besides, my Reflect spell was just as useful in the long run.”

“Makes sense now that you explained it. By myself, of course I’d use it without much worry,” Rainbow said, flying up about meter from the ground. “Alright, I guess it’s going to feel like a tingly sensation then.”

“A little bit, but remember to raise your Keyblade above you as quick as you can once you feel the magic start. You might accidentally shock yourself if you don’t.”

Rainbow nodded, and held her Rainbolt in front of herself like before. Now that she had a taste of what magic felt like, it took Rainbow considerably less time to draw on it, though it still took her a couple minutes. Just as she did feel the magic start, she smirked in the time that she was supposed to raise her Keyblade, and managed to actually shock herself a little bit. Her hooves flew apart to stop touching the other, and held her blade in her right hoof. “Ow, that hurt!” she exclaimed.

Kairi giggled, and said, “I told you to raise your Keyblade as quickly as possible. You smirked and didn’t react in time, and that’s what caused the back fire. Try again.” Rainbow huffed, resuming her form again. As she focused, she realized too late she had drew on her magic far faster than she thought she would, too fast for her to react, and shocked herself again. She growled loudly, a little angry she had been caught off guard. “You’re getting used to using magic pretty quickly. You seem to adapt pretty quickly, so when you try this time, expect to draw on your magic even sooner.” Rainbow just barely listened to Kairi through her anger, but nodded that she understood. She attempted to cast Thunder again, and managed to raise her Keyblade about halfway before getting shocked again.

“Oh come on, I had it going up that time!” She yelled to the sky, as if it were responsible for her error. She was taking it all with a grain of salt, mad that she couldn’t perform the simple, yet surprisingly complex spell. Kairi had made it look so easy too, and she didn’t even need to point the tip of her blade at the sky. As if snapped out of her anger, she felt the warmth of a healing spell cast on her, but she didn’t use Cure. Looking down, she saw Kairi having finished casting the spell on her.

“You were still taking some damage from the back fires. It may be your magic, but it can hurt you as well. How about you shift to a different style to cast Thunder, find a movement that helps with your speed and reaction time,” Kairi instructed. “I’ll keep healing you while you keep trying, but make sure to give my magic time to regenerate.”

“Okay,” Rainbow simply said, and calmed herself down to focus. She was letting her anger take control, and she knew well enough that anger usually slowed her movement. Holding her Keyblade to her side in her right hoof, she drew on her magic quickly enough. She moved her leg up to raise her Keyblade, but was shocked before it even reached halfway up the arch. She grunted from the small amount of pain, calming herself before she got mad again. She then brought the blade in front her, the tip already pointing at the sky. As soon as she felt the magic surge, she thrust it up skyward. The effect was immediate for her, watching the bolt zip up the length of the weapon, and shoot out into the sky before spreading out to crash back down to the ground. She was stunned momentarily, before throwing her legs out, and shouting, “YES! Rainbow Dash casts her first Thunder spell!”

“Good job, Rainbow. I knew you would get it eventually. It took me a little longer to get Thunder down myself,” she said as the pegasus floated down in front of her to land.

“Yeah, but now I feel beat. I don’t think I like spells back firing on me all that much,” she said, sitting down on her flank.

“I assure you, no one does. I think you should keep practicing with this spell for now. Go ahead, and use it on the clouds you gathered here,” Kairi said, letting her Keyblade vanish.

“No more spells today?” Rainbow asked, a little bummed out she only got to learn two spells.

“No more for today, it’s far more taxing than you might think to learn so many spells in one day. Two is a good limit for now. Besides, practice makes perfect, so for now you have homework until next time. We’ll pick this back in two days. How’s that sound?”

“Sounds good to me,” Rainbow said, smiling proudly.

“Good, now while I’m not supervising, make sure to use Cure on yourself in case any back fires happen. You won’t have to worry of it backfiring,” Kairi said as she got ready to take her leave. Before she could turn to walk away, Rainbow pulled her forward, and gave Kairi a hug.

“Thanks for the lessons, Kairi. I really wanted to learn this stuff,” she said, sounding genuinely happy.

Kairi blinked at the thanks, before smiling as she returned the hug, a tint of pink on her cheeks. “You’re welcome Rainbow. Just promise you won’t practice your spells in town.”

“Deal. I’ll see you later then,” Rainbow said, letting go of Kairi, and flying back up into the air to practice her new spells. Kairi turned to leave Rainbow to her training, and further into town now to search for a suitable job. She was thinking about heading to Fluttershy’s cottage if she had something she could do. But now that she thought about it, it seemed the shy pegasus already had everything taken care of. She doubted there would be anything she could do except help with what the pegasus could already do easily on her own.

The next best thing she could think of was heading over to Sweet Apple Acres. Surely Applejack might have some chores she could do, even if it was heavy lifting. With a destination in mind, Kairi started heading towards Applejack's home. Who knows, maybe the farm pony managed to summon her Keyblade without having to fight Heartless in order to do so. That would always be good news to hear.

When she looked up at the sky, Kairi could tell the day had grown in to the late morning. It looked like teaching Rainbow how to use magic took a little longer than she thought it would. She felt happy that Rainbow was being more careful about using her Keyblade and new magic, and a little happier that she managed to successfully use two new spells. Looking back down to the path in front of her, she was beginning to close in on Sweet Apple Acres, but something in her path made her smile fade.

She jumped back at the sight of a pony, but she wouldn’t have looked so seriously if this pony was wearing familiar clothing that belonged to a certain organization. The black trench coat draped over its form looked remarkably like that of Organization XIII’s, and its hood was pulled up to hide his face. “Good morning to you, Princess Kairi.”

She looked shocked for a moment, surprised this unknown pony knew who she was. His voice sounded pretty light, but it held a slight edge in tone. “How do you know who I am?” she asked. She was prepared for a fight, but this dark pony gave no indication of starting one.

“Settle down, I’m only here to talk, nothing more,” he replied, attempting to calm her.

“You’ll forgive me if I stay on guard. You should have worn something else if you didn’t want me on edge,” she said back. She didn’t trust this pony at all. There was no way he could expect her to relax.

“Very well, have it your way. How do you like this world, princess? It is quite peaceful here isn’t it? It certainly doesn’t seem like a place for darkness to reign, now does it?” he asked. Kairi cocked an eyebrow at the pony, not sure if he really was trying to converse with her, or just throw her off with an unexpected ambush.

“It’s… a nice place, and I certainly wouldn’t like to see darkness destroying it,” she responded. She didn’t let up her guard, but curiosity begged her to see where this was going.

“Of course, I’d certainly expect you to defend it from such. I’m also certain you would do everything you could to defend your new friends as well,” he said calmly.

“If you’ve done something to Applejack I swear-“

“Calm yourself princess, like I said I’m only here to talk. You really shouldn’t jump to conclusions like that. I would like to confirm whatever suspicion you do have right now. Yes, there are more of us on this world that do seek to darken this world’s light. There are just so many powerful hearts here, their light is quite a fair bit brighter than the many among all those other worlds.”

“So what, are you saying you’re trying to open the door to the heart of all worlds from here? Stronger people than you have already tried and failed in doing so,” she said defiantly. She was ready to summon her Keyblade to stop this pony’s plans right then and there.

“Please, you’re thinking too small princess. You need to think a little bit bigger than that,” he said, and Kairi could almost feel the smirk he was hiding under his hood. “Any way, I’ve said what I wanted. I’ll leave you to your new life style. We aren’t ready yet to make our move, but you will know when we do. Until then, you should keep training. I hope you have all that memorized.” He said, and vanished into a portal of darkness, leaving a stunned Kairi standing in the middle of the road.

Several thoughts whipped around in her head, one constantly coming back to her over and over. ‘No, it can’t be him. I don’t think his travels would have brought him this way,’ she thought, shaking her head. Now she had even more worries on her mind, whomever these beings were that were now a threat to the world. She knew he said his group wasn’t ready to act, but that could have been meant to throw her off. Looking up to the sky, she wore a worried expression as all her thoughts weighed on her. Was she really expected to deal with these coming trials all on her own? What would Sora do in her place?

And just like that, her smile returned as she closed her eyes. She could just see it now, he would press own with a carefree attitude like he always did, and wear that same bright smile while he walked his path. She shook her head as she pressed on towards Applejack's home. She needed to take this information in stride, and not let it weigh her down. For now, she needed a job.

Walking up to the barn, she saw Applejack carrying a couple baskets of apples down into the cellar. She re-emerged just as Kairi approached the doors, and said, “Well howdy Kairi, what brings ya’ll this way today?”

“Well, I was hoping you might have a job opening that I could fill, or possibly some chores I could do for money. I’ve been staying at Rarity’s without anything productive to do, and it’s been rubbing me the wrong way for a while now,” Kairi said.

“Ah can understand that, it don’t feel right just taking it easy all the time,” said Applejack, “Let’s see, me and Big Mac have been pretty busy gathering up apples. I guess the garden needs a plowing, so let’s get you hitched up, and see if you can tackle that. If not, we’ll ask Big Mac if you can take his place, and he can do the plowing.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” she said, though she wasn’t exactly eager about pulling a plow. She managed to remove her saddlebags, in an odd way admittedly, and set them next to the barn before following the farm pony over to the garden. Applejack had grabbed her yoke, and slid Kairi’s head through the hole to place it on the girl. The thing was heavy on her, and she briefly wondered how Big Mac could move with his on. But she thought better of it, he'd probably been wearing one for most of his life, and it must have helped build his muscles up. Once they were in the garden, Applejack instructed her to stand in front of the plow while facing away. It took Kairi a few seconds to decide which end was the front before she took her place, and then felt her friend tie a couple ropes to the metal prongs on the yoke, which were already tied to the plow.

“Alright, go ahead and give it a pull,” the farm pony said, and Kairi did as told. Only to scrape her hooves across the ground, and not even make the plow budge at all. For the next minute, Kairi continued to try and pull the farm tool, but it never even moved at all. Finally giving in, Kairi sat as she panted from the exertion, feeling a little sore even though she hadn’t done anything at all.

“Well, I guess that’s a no go then,” Applejack said, freeing the ropes, and taking the yoke off of Kairi. “Let’s get you saddled up then so you can help me instead.”

“Sure, as long as you’re willing to let me help out, I’ll do anything I can,” Kairi said. With a short glance to the plow, she felt like kicking it, but decided the pain wasn’t worth it. She then followed after Applejack, who had gone into the barn to retrieve a spare saddle with metal hooks on the sides. She let Applejack strap the leather saddle on to her as Kairi still hadn’t figured out how to do it on her own yet. They then went out into the orchard where most of the baskets and tubs filled with apples waited to be transported, and saw Big Mac on his way back with baskets at his sides.

“Hey Big Mac, why don’t you go ahead, and get started on the garden. Kairi wasn’t strong enough to pull the plow, and she still wants to help out. You think it will be okay if she helps me out for a little while?” she asked her big brother.

“Eeyup,” he simply replied, and moseyed on to drop off the apples he was carrying first before he went to plow the garden.

“He’s a stallion of few words,” Kairi commented, a giggle escaping her.

“Yup, and he always will be I reckon. Alright, you know how to pick up these here tubs?” she asked, turning to look at Kairi, who had already picked up two tubs with her saddle.

“Does this answer your question?” Kairi asked back, smirking back at Applejack.

“Alright missy, no need to be a smarty pants,” Applejack replied with a knowing grin.

“Hehe, sorry, it looked pretty simple to do. At least I cut down time on explanations,” she said, replying with a sheepish grin of her own.

“Heh, I let it slide this time, sugarcube. Go on, and take those to the cellar doors, and place ‘em next to there,” Applejack instructed as she picked up a couple of baskets. The tubs Kairi carried were fairly heavy, but if it hadn’t been for her earth pony body’s natural strength and endurance, she would have collapsed far sooner. For the next hour, she went back and forth from the barns cellar to the apple orchard, taking her time carrying tubs and baskets of apples. On the last trip back, she decided to break the silence that fell between her and Applejack.

“So Applejack, have you managed to summon your Keyblade yet?” she asked.

“Nah, not yet, but Ah have been tryin’ at least. Sometimes I see a little flicker of light, but other times it’s just nothing at all,” the farm pony replied. She hid the fact that it didn’t bother her much, but her tone held just a tiny shred of disappointment.

“I’m sure you will soon enough. Maybe you just need to focus on your Element to do it,” Kairi suggested.

“Heh, maybe yer right. Dash managed to call hers out when she saved our friends back in the Everfree Forest. Perhaps ah just need to do the same. Speaking of the forest, Ah been meanin’ to see ya, and ask ya what yer thoughts were about then,” Applejack said.

“You mean about Nightmare Moon not calling those Heartless to distract you?” she asked, receiving a nod back, “It’s definitely puzzling to say the least, but-“ She stopped, causing Applejack to turn to her with a questioning look.

“What’s up, something happen lately?” she asked, sensing something off about Kairi’s quizzical look. When she looked up, she saw some worry as well.

“Look, I don’t want to worry everypony, but I think I should tell you about this. Probably Rainbow as well just to give her a heads up,” Kairi said. In truth, she wondered if she should keep it to herself.

“Hey, if somethin’s bothering ya, you can count on me to keep it to mahself. We’re yer friends, and we’re here to help ya when ya need it, Kairi,” Applejack said, reassuring Kairi.

She nodded, and breathed deeply she said anything. “Okay, before I got here, I was approached by a pony.”

“Well that’s none too surprisin’. Plenty of ponies in Equestria after all.”

“I would say the same too, but he was wearing a black trench coat that looked similar to certain organization that kidnapped me once.”

“Hold up, you mean to say somepony was here to cause trouble? Because Ah’ll buck them sooner than they can try anythin’.” Applejack looked obviously angry about hearing this, but Kairi just shook her head.

“No, I don’t he was here to cause any trouble…yet. The most he did was just talk to me. Of course, I didn’t drop my guard around him, obviously, but he did leave without doing anything after we talked for a bit.”

“Well that’s good to hear, Ah guess. Still, Ah think you should have at least shouted to catch somepony’s attention.”

“Trust me, in other case I probably would have, but I didn’t feel anything malevolent coming off the guy. Still, some of the things he knew and said have me a little on edge.”

“Like what?”

“Well, he knew my name, and even called me by a title that I’m not entirely used to yet. He also talked as if this world really shouldn’t be having any Heartless problems. And I’m certain he’s right, I haven’t seen any Heartless at all since Luna was purified of her darkness.”

“Well, Ah can tell ya that night was the first time I ever seen or heard of Heartless.”

“Right? This world just seems so full of light and peace, I didn’t even think it was possible during my first day here until Nightmare Moon showed up. But what he mentioned after that is worse than I thought.”

“What could be worse than that?”

“He said there were more of them here in this world, and they’re plotting something dangerous. It seems like it has something to do with the hearts of the ponies of this world. I thought he was talking about them trying to do something specific, but he cut me off saying that wasn’t it, that I needed to think bigger.”

“Well they’re going to get a fight before they can try anything dangerous around here. We’ve got the Keyblade after all, surely we can do something to stop them.”

“Yes, we’ll stop them for sure, but I can’t help but worry about this. I really do wish my friends were here to help me, but for now I’ve got to rely on myself and my new friends here.”

“And we won’t let ya down, sugarcube. As long as we stick together, nothin’ can beat us,” Applejack stated matter-of-factly. Where she got this confidence, Kairi didn’t know, but she wanted to borrow it for a while. Hearing her speak so confidently was encouraging to hear at least.

“Yeah, no dark pony can take us out. We’ll stand strong no matter what they throw our way,” Kairi said, letting Applejack’s confidence infect her.

“That’s the spirit. Now come on, let’s go drop these apples off, and head off to lunch.” Kairi looked to the sky, before immediately regretting her decision as she shielded her eyes from the bright glare of the sun. She then followed after Applejack while she made her way towards the barn.

“It’s already lunch time? It doesn’t even feel like that much time has passed,” she asked. Had time passed her by so easily she hadn’t noticed?

“Yep, it sure has. Time flies when yer on yer hooves doin’ somethin’. Didn’t expect it go by so fast, now did ya?”

“No, not all. I wonder if this will happen often.”

“Probably, and I reckon ya figured we’re not always gonna have something for you to do. You’d be right in assuming such.”

“Yeah, I did think that. I might need to continue looking around town for something solid.”

“Well don’t you fret none, Ah’m certain there’s somepony in Ponyville who will always need an extra hoof. Ah’m sure you’ll find somethin’ to yer likin’.”

“Thanks Applejack, and thanks for letting me help out around here for a little while.”

“Heh, don’t mention it. Ah’m sure adjustin’ to our little world hasn’t been all fun and games.”

“There…have been some slight adjustments, yes. Embarrassing to talk about adjustments, but yeah, they are definitely adjustments.”

As Applejack neared the cellar, she turned and ask, “Embarrasin’? How much so?” Kairi blushed a little as she stopped, and unhooked the baskets she was carrying.

“Well, humans don’t walk around without clothing for specific reasons. I’ve pretty much worn clothing for my entire life up until two weeks ago. At first, I didn’t let it bother me too much, but when I first met Rarity, and she guided Twilight and me into her boutique, that specific reason was at the front of my mind the entire time I was in her home,” Kairi explained.

Applejack just blinked, already picking up what Kairi meant. “Wow, that does sound pretty embarrassin’. So, ya haven’t even asked Rarity if she would make you somethin’? I think she’d do it for free for ya if ya just asked,” Applejack asked.

“I already feel like a slouch and a leech. Rarity’s been generous enough just letting me stay. I really don’t want to feel like I’m taking advantage of her,” Kairi said. The thought of knowing Rarity might actually make something for free feeling like an uncomfortable thought. Her expression showed her concern.

“Yeah, I can see why you’d feel like that. But ya are still new to Equestria, so I think ya could forgive yerself for a little bit so ya can ease some of your stress,” Applejack said. She had a good point, Kairi was still new to everything in Equestria. It still didn’t stop her from thinking otherwise. “In any case, you go ahead and get your saddlebags back on. Granny’s probably russlin’ up some grub still, so you might want find a place to eat at sooner rather than sticking around here. Ah just need to check on somethin’ real quick.”

“Okay, take your time. It’s going to take me a while to figure this out,” she said back, and began struggling taking off the saddle. While Applejack was away, Kairi kept trying to use her hooves to unstrap herself. After a few minutes, she gave up with using her hooves; without fingers this was going to be impossible. She then thought back to how she always used her teeth to grip her Keyblade, and decided maybe that would be the next best thing. She would have thought of this earlier, but being used to moving hands and arms, which were now hooves and fore legs, was more familiar to begin with. She found this was far easier to do in the long run, though she made sure not to grip the strap too tightly so she didn’t leave teeth indents. With an idea now of how to work with straps, she found strapping her new saddle bags on was far easier now.

This took her long enough to do before she saw Applejack approaching with an average sized sack being held in her mouth. Before she could ask what it was, Applejack had already placed it in one of her bags. “Payment for yer hard work. It has a total of twenty-five bits inside it. Should be more than enough to buy lunch somewhere in town,” Applejack said, answering Kairi’s unspoken question.

“Oh, thanks, I wasn’t-“

“No worries, ya worked pretty hard all things considered. I thought that since you were still new, ya’d have a little more trouble than ya did,” Applejack interrupted, “Guess ya’ve gotten pretty used to your body quicker than Ah thought.”

“Hehe, yeah I’ve have gotten used to walking around on all fours now. I can gallop for a decent amount of time that I don’t trip anymore,” Kairi said.

“That’s good to hear. You come back whenever ya feel like it, okay? Even if it’s just to spend time with us here, yer welcome whenever ya feel like dropping by,” Applejack said.

“Of course, I’ll be sure to drop by more often. I’ll see you later then,” Kairi said as she moved to leave. With a final goodbye, she bid the farm pony goodbye as she made her way back in to town. As she found herself walking into Ponyville proper with a few minutes, she took her time looking at all the different buildings, and take in her surroundings for moment. The next minute she found herself entering town square, and wandering around a little bit while her belly began to grumble. Just before her thoughts could be distracted as she looked at Town Hall, Pinkie Pie came bouncing up to her as cheerfully as ever.

“Hi Kairi, how’s your day been?” she asked. She stopped just in front of Kairi as if she had no forward momentum at all. Kairi kept finding herself being surprised by these antics of Pinkie Pie’s, sometimes wondering to herself if she actually even did follow the laws of physics.

Shaking her head of her thoughts, she said, “I’m doing pretty good, but I am getting kind of hungry. You wouldn’t happen to know any place I could go to get something to eat, would you?”

“Sure do, you could always go to Sugarcube Corner. They have the best treats all around!” Pinkie replied instantly.

“Uh, I don’t think I want eat something sweet for lunch. Maybe later though. Would you happen to know of any other places?” she asked, hopeful of a different answer.

Pinkie then brought her hoof up to rub her chin as she thought for a single second, then replied, “Well, you could always go to the Café. I’ve heard they serve some good food, though I don't go there much myself. I’m sure you could get something to eat with how much Applejack gave you.”

“Sounds like a good pla- Wait, how did you…” Kairi said, pausing twice in her sentence. She was sure she hadn’t said anything about helping Applejack. “Never mind, you probably saw me earlier or something. Anyway, I think I’ll head there to eat.”

“Okie dokie loki, just head past the towards Golden Oaks Library, and it should be easy to spot at the fork in the road,” she said, giving Kairi a some directions.

“Hehe, thanks Pinkie Pie, you answered what I was going to ask before I could even ask it. I’m guessing you’re going to Sugarcube Corner then?”

“Yep yep yep, I love eating sweets, they’re the best things ever,” Pinkie said, almost drooling a little.

“Well okay then, I was going to ask if you wanted to join me, but it seems you already have your heart set on- Oof!”

“No way would I pass up eating with a friend!” Pinkie said, cutting off Kairi when she pulled her into a hug. “I may not eat there much, but it’s more fun to have lunch with friends than all alone!”

“Oh! Well okay then. Let’s get going before my stomach starts a revolt,” Kairi said, prying herself out of Pinkie’s hug, and walking in the direction Pinkie pointed out. Pinkie bounced happily right alongside her.

“Oh don’t be silly Kairi, your stomach wouldn’t do that, it would just be really grumpy for a while until you fed it something yummy. Like a cupcake, or muffins, or cookies…” Kairi blinked as they walked, listening to Pinkie Pie continue to list more and more sweets. If there was one thing Pinkie Pie seemed to like to do more just throw parties or enjoy sweets, it was that she liked talking on and on and on. At some point the pink party pony branched off to talking about what sort of sweets and games she liked putting out when she did throw parties.

‘Pinkie can sure talk a girls ear off.’ She thought to herself. Still, she supposed it was a good sign Pinkie did talk to her as much as she was doing. It made her feel trusted. She giggled a little when Pinkie said she liked putting up a game called ‘pin the tail on the pony’. “I remember a game like that that I used to play as a little kid, but it was called ‘pin the tail on the donkey’ instead.”

“Oh really? It’s pretty convenient that there’s a game like that. Guess I won’t need to teach how to play. You already do know how to play. Because the two games sound the same, it has to follow the same rules with a picture of a pony or a donkey, and a tail on a push tack to pin the tail on the picture. What other way could there be to play a fun little game. Oh, I also like playing checkers and bobbing for apples, and so many other games too.”

“Do you do anything different when you’re throwing birthday parties?” Kairi asked. She was probably going to get an earful about this, but it was something she wanted to ask any way.

“Oh of course, I always make sure a birthday cake is presented, and make sure I ask the age of the pony I’m throwing the party for. If they don’t tell, I’ll just put a single candle on the cake. Some ponies don’t like having their age revealed, so I always make sure to be polite about that. I also make sure I set out a table for the presents, but a birthday isn’t about getting presents, it’s about celebrating the birthday and spending time with friends. Oh, and also bright smiles too. And, of course, you can't have a proper party without having fun!”

“Wow, you really take this party stuff seriously, but it does sound like you to want to make everypony around you happy,” Kairi said, her head aching a little as she kept up with every word Pinkie said so rapidly. She wondered if the pony ever needed to breathe when she started talking about things she liked. She then noticed they were approaching the café Pinkie Pie mentioned as she started up again.

“Of course, I want to spread as much happiness as I can. It’s no fun being a gloomy Gloomerson all the time. How sad would it be if you didn’t smile every once in a while,” Pinkie said, taking a seat at a random table. Kairi sat across from her, thinking about Pinkie’s statement.

“I guess it would be a little depressing having nothing to smile about. I’ve had a few days a long time ago where I didn’t smile much at all,” she said, reflecting a little on her past. “You know, you’re right Pinkie, we all need to smile more to keep up our spirits.”

“You said exactly what I was thinking Kairi. You must be psychic or something. Do it again, do it again,” Pinkie said excitedly, looking at Kairi expectantly.

Kairi blinked once, before simply saying, “Um, cupcakes?”

“Ooh, you’re good at this,” she said, clapping her hooves together happily. Kairi couldn’t help but laugh, Pinkie’s excitement of her random guess was somehow charming to watch. She hadn’t realized it before, but now she noticed she really needed a good laugh, and had Pinkie Pie to thank for it. Before she knew it, a waiter with a fancy suit came up to their table and handed them menus. Kairi opened hers, and looked at the list of lunch items the café had to offer. “I’ll have a daisy sandwich with extra cucumber slices today with a glass of strawberry milk.” From the sounds of it, Pinkie already knew what she wanted to eat.

“Do you happen to serve ramen?” Kairi asked, looking to the waiter. When he returned a puzzled, she said, “Noodles boiled in a broth, and served with sliced vegetables or other ingredients?” The description made a little more sense, but ultimately he shook his head. “No? Then I guess a crunchy peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich will be good then. Oh and cherry juice please.” Truth be told, she was a little disappointed, but she guessed it couldn’t be helped.

“Ooh, ooh, I know what she’s talking about. It’s a Neighpanese dish. You should totally have your kitchen staff do a little research sometime. Some of the things I’ve heard sound really good,” Pinkie Pie said excitedly, earning a surprised look from Kairi. She hadn’t expected Pinkie to actually know what it was she really did want. It surprised her even more that somewhere in this world was a place that might actually have some of her more favorite foods. The waiter nodded, took their menus when offered, and went to place their order.

“There's a place like that in this world?” she asked Pinkie.

“Yeah, but I guess it would be a bit of a surprise to you of course. You’ve only been here for a total two weeks. You couldn’t have known,” Pinkie replied. That made a lot of sense; there were still new things she was discovering every day so far. She began to wonder if maybe the culture was different as well. “I wonder what ramen like taste anyway.”

“Well I don’t want to go into too many details. From what I remember about ponies, you’re all herbivores, and humans are omnivores. We eat both plants and meat,” she said, hoping she wasn’t making Pinkie too uncomfortable with this knowledge.

“Wow, I guess you’re diet is going to be totally thrown off here in Equestria,” the party pony said. She didn’t seem uncomfortable about the topic at least.

“Heh, a little bit yeah. It’s been an adjustment for sure. I even had to tell Rarity this about humans, though she didn’t take nearly as well as you did. She got a little nervous, and thought I might actually try to eat her. How silly is that?”

“Pfft, pretty silly, I know you would never eat your friends, or any other pony here.”

“Heh, that’s good to hear, Pinkie. Thanks.” It was then their order arrived, and Kairi’s hungry belly grumbled angrily, which caused Pinkie to giggle at the sound.

“Wow, it sounds like you worked quite the appetite, Kairi,” Pinkie said as she picked up her sandwich. She began to eat before Kairi even lifted her own.

“I guess teaching Rainbow Dash how use her new magic, and carrying all those tubs of apples made me hungrier than I thought. Who knew looking for a job today would be such hungry work,” she said. She then took a bite of her sandwich, and savored the taste for a little while as she chewed, before finally swallowing her first bite. “I think it’s just me, but the food in Equestria seems to taste a little better for some reason.”

“It’s probably just you, hunger makes everything taste far better,” Pinkie said, giving Kairi a smile. Kairi nodded, and agreed that was probably it. This still didn’t stop her from enjoying her sandwich and juice, which she noted tasted one hundred percent cherry juice. Powdered drinks didn’t seem to be a thing in this world either, which she was actually glad for. Powdered drinks always seemed to taste odd to her, even when she was a child. When they finished their meals, Kairi felt pretty good. Pinkie was right, eating with a friend was much more enjoyable than eating all by herself.

“So, where do you think you’re headed next? Got any ideas of where you might search for a job?” Pinkie asked as she set her glass down.

“Well I’m still new to Ponyville, technically, but I haven’t got any set directions yet. I thought I would wander around for a while, and see what looked appealing,” Kairi replied, admitting she wasn’t really sure what to look for.

“Well, if you’re up for suggestions, I have a few you could listen to,” Pinkie said, and when Kairi nodded before tipping her glass to drink the rest of her juice, she continued. “Let’s see, Barnyard Bargains seem to be doing pretty this lately, but I’m sure Filthy Rich wouldn’t mind an extra helping hoof around.” Kairi had to hold back her laughter while she gulped her juice, almost having spat it back out.

She still had trouble keeping herself from giggling at the pony’s name. “Oh my gosh, please tell me you’re not being serious about that name,” she said, struggling to keep her voice straight.

“Nope, it’s all true, that’s his name, Filthy Rich,” Pinkie Pie said, though she could tell Kairi was on the verge of laughing.

And she continued to struggle not to make a scene. She couldn’t help herself, hearing Filthy Rich’s name was just too hilarious. “I-I’m sorry, I’m trying not to laugh because it’s rude. I’m sure he’s a good guy, but I can’t help find his name funny,” she said, tears in her eyes.

Pinkie just giggled hearing this, and said, “It’s okay, he gets teased by Granny Smith because of his name. If you meet him today, you should call him Rich so you don’t accidently burst into laughter. Now, let me think about other places that could use an extra hoof. Ooh, I bet Time Turner’s Clockworks wouldn’t mind a little help. He’s a tinker pony, and is always making wooden toys, clocks, and anything else he comes up with. Though from what I’ve heard, he has a bad habit of keeping things organized on his shelves, and prices his wares oddly. If you think can handle it, he could probably use an extra hoof around.”

For a while as she listened, Kairi breathed deeply to calm herself down so she wouldn’t laugh. As she listened, it sounded like this Time Turner did need some help around his shop. “Sounds like a good place to start for me. I’ll head that way first then. Where’s his shop located?” she asked. She was actually intrigued on what she would find at this shop.

“It’s a little bit from the Quills and Sofas shop over there. You’ll see the sign, you can’t miss it,” Pinkie replied happily. The waiter came up to their table when he noticed they had finished eating, bringing with him their bill for the food, and taking with him their plates and glasses. Deciding to split the payment, Kairi fished out the satchel Applejack had tossed into her saddlebags, and counted off her part of the payment. Pinkie had put her payment of the gold coins on the table, and Kairi did the same as well. She was glad the monetary system of this world was simple to understand.

“Alright, I’m gonna head off for now. Don’t forget to have fun, Kairi,” the party pony said, waving to Kairi as she left her at the café.

“Sure thing Pinkie, I’ll see you later,” she said back, waving her friend off before heading towards her next destination. And Pinkie Pie had been right, she was in front of the store within just a few minutes of travel. There was no out to lunch sign up, so she went right on in. The doorbell rung, and the first things she saw were dozens of knick knacks, clocks, and all sorts of wooden toys. She was impressed, but a closer look told her some of the items had been sitting on their shelves for a little while, and had collected some dust.

“Just minute, I’ll be right out,” called a voice from the back. With a little time to herself, she continued to look around, not really paying attention to the white tags yet. The work she saw seemed pretty well crafted to her, and she soon found herself wondering why no pony bothered to buy much of anything. “Ah, a customer, and it’s the new pony in Ponyville. How can I help you today?”

Kairi turned, and saw the stallion who spoke, his accent sounding quite different from the rest of the Ponyville ponies. Perhaps he had traveled to Ponyville himself some time ago, and had decided to settle down. His coat was a light shade of brown, while his mane and tail were a deeper shade of brown, and even messy enough to look slightly spikey to her. His eyes were a pretty blue color, and on his flank was an hourglass Cutie Mark. He seemed like an ordinary earth pony to her. His words relating to her however made her smirk, and asked, “What makes you think I’m new to Ponyville? I’ve probably been here longer than you think, and we just never met. It’s possible, the town is big enough.”

“True, but I know you’re new to Ponyville. I saw you at Town Hall during the Summer Sun Celebration, and literally everypony was there too. That is until Nightmare Moon showed up, scared more than half the town out of the building, and trapped the rest of us inside with those dark little creatures of course. I even saw you using that nifty little weapon to defend everypony with. And you certainly had knowledge of them, almost as if you’d encountered them before. You really shouldn’t try to hide it, it’s quite as plain as day to me at least,” he said, giving Kairi a knowing grin.

Kairi had a raised eyebrow the entire time, still smirking back at him. “Alright then, I’ll admit, I’m not from around here,” she said, letting an honest smile grace her face. “I’m not really here to shop any way. I’m actually here to see if you might have a job opening. According to my friend, it sounded like you don’t get too much business around here.”

“I get some business. Well, some business, well maybe not a whole lot, but that suits me just fine. I’m can be a bit of a busy pony sometimes, and I’m out of my shop pretty frequently,” he said. It honestly sounded more like an excuse to Kairi.

“Still, you should at least be trying to sell some of your merchandise. Your shelves seem to be holding several items that have collected some dust.”

“Yes, you’re right, I should probably get to dusting them sometime soon, wouldn’t do to have dusty stuff cluttering everything. Oh, but where are my manners, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Time Turner, but I have a few nicknames some ponies call me,” he said, offering his hoof to her.

Placing her hoof against his, she shook it as she introduced herself as well. “My name’s Kairi, though I don’t have any nicknames you can call me by. Mind if I ask what ponies sometimes call you though?” she asked.

“Certainly, no harm in asking at all. Some call me Turner, Turn-turn, Mr. Smith, though that one has always been a bit funny too me. Some ponies even call me…” he said, pausing for a moment as if to add dramatic effect, “The Doctor.”

Kairi raised an eyebrow, not really impressed herself, though she thought he was expecting her to be. “The Doctor? Kind of an odd nickname if you ask me,” she said.

“Yes yes, I suppose you could see it that way,” he said, almost as if nothing happened. “Well, I’m not really looking for hired help at the moment. If you want to look around for a bit, be my guest, but I’m not really hiring.” Kairi nodded, and looked around the shop for a bit. She was a little disappointed that was how he felt, but she couldn’t help it if he wasn’t looking to hire. However, when she looked at the price one of the toys, her eyes nearly bulged out of her skull.

“Holy…!” she exclaimed, not really believing the price herself. She took the toy, and walked back over to Time Turner, her expression being fairly serious. “Please tell me you’re kidding with this things pricing? A thousand bits for what looks like a simple little toy?! Are you crazy?!” She then placed the toy on the store counter, her serious expression not faltering.

He simply blinked at her outburst, not exactly sure what to say in return. “Er, well, you see, it’s kind of like-“

Before he could probably make up an excuse, Kairi cut him off, “No, no excuses, it’s no wonder you don’t have any business. Seriously, I don’t blame the other ponies for not coming in to buy things. I may not be from around here, but even I know that this is way too expensive for a toy. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were actually trying to keep ponies from entering your store.”

“W-well, like I said, I’m a fairly busy pony myself. Sometimes I really just can’t open the store. Surely you can understand that?” he asked. He was acting like this was the first time he encountered this sort of problem.

“That just sounds like a lame excuse now. Pinkie was right, you really do need some help around here. I can’t just walk out of here, knowing you’re purposely trying to keep ponies from buying anything you make,” she said, her serious expression turning to one of concern.

“What are you proposing exactly?” he asked, sounding a little curious where Kairi was headed with this.

“Look, I don’t mind being hired for minimum wage. For all I know, I might be staying Ponyville for the next few weeks, or maybe even for a full year. I don’t quite know myself yet. But since I am here, and I do need a job, why don’ yout just hire me. I can help get this place running far better than just letting you handle everything on your own,” Kairi said, almost if she was giving no other choice.

“Oh please, I don’t need any help here. Besides, if you need a job, there’s bound to be a dozen more places that need the extra hooves you could provide,” he said. His tone said he was serious about this.

“You don’t understand, if you don’t hire me, your little shop that’s not bringing in any money is going to be closed down quickly. You can’t expect to hold a shop, and not make anything to keep it afloat. Look, it’s quite simple, you just let me handle pricing and selling, and you can handle accounting and other stuff. You can even make new stuff to put out for sale too. You’ve made all of this stuff already, right? Why wouldn’t you want to share your work with other caring ponies?” she asked.

“Look, I can understand that you care enough about this to not want my shop fall apart, but really, I don’t need the help. I’ve got everything perfectly under control here,” he said, evading her questions.

One look at the interior later, Kairi was giving the stubborn stallion a deadpan look. She wasn’t impressed at all of his ‘control’ over the situation. Time Turner actually looked a little mad about his current situation, before deciding to finally give in. “Alright fine, but if I’m hiring you, I’m laying some ground rules for to follow explicitly and to the letter,” he said. His tone was a little rude, but Kairi really couldn’t care less.

“Sure, I’ll follow them, just tell me what they are,” she said.

“One: Do not go into the back area. It’s off limits to all ponies except those I allow back there. If you need me, knock first, and wait for me to answer. If I don’t answer, then you return to work, and tell me later when next you see me. Two: Any and all pricing you decide on must get by me first, and make a list for anything you manage to sell every day. And three: Don’t ask about why I’m letting any other pony or ponies into the back. It’s alright if you talk to them yourself, but don’t go asking them anything that they can’t answer about. Are we clear?”

Kairi nodded, but then said, “Okay, but I have a couple of my own rules for you.”

“I make the rules around here, not you,” he said.

“Ah-ah, no back talk, Doctor,” she said. She found it surprisingly easy to call him that nickname for some reason. “One: You have to trust me about the prices I come up with. I’m afraid you won’t let me make any changes if you don’t have any trust in me. And two: No fussing, and don’t be rude to any of your customers. How can you hope to keep attracting customers if you aren’t a little nice to them?” She then held out her hoof for him to shake, as if this was a deal between the two of them. He had to think about this for a moment, and the moment dragged on for what seemed like a few minutes. Her fore leg was starting to get a little tired from her holding it out for so long. It was only after four minute that he finally shook her hoof.

“Alright, you win then. You’re hired, but I don’t want you starting immediately. Why don’t you go ahead, and explore a little more the town. You can come back on Monday to start your new job,” he said. While he kept an even tone, it was obvious he was a little down that he had to hire her.

“Thank you, Doctor. You won’t regret this, I promise. I’ll see you bright and early on Monday then,” she said brightly as she opened the door to leave. Once she was outside, she cheered loudly, and started galloping toward the town square. Despite having been heavily against it, Time Turner really couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face having witness her joy.

From behind a door that lead to the back of the store, a pegasus mare peaked her head out, and asked, “Is she gone Doctor?”

“Yes Derpy, she’s finally gone,” he said back, turning to meet the mare as she stepped out into the store proper.

“Whew, I thought she’d never leave,” she said. She had a gray coat and blonde mane and tail, with six bubbles representing her Cutie Mark. However, her most notable feature were her off center yellow eyes and ever present smile.

“Yes, well, she certainly was persistent in getting a job. I’m sorry about asking you to stay back there for so long,” he said.

“It’s okay, I’m just glad you hired her. It sounded like she really wanted to work here. And no offense, but your prices are kinda high, Doctor,” Derpy said. This earned a slight groan from him, which she giggled a little from hearing this.

---

Kairi had slowed her galloping into a happy trot as she made her way to the town square, humming a little song as she went. Before she knew it, she saw Twilight Sparkle and Spike heading the same way as her. “Hi Twilight! Hi Spike!” she called out.

Both turned when they heard their names called out, a little surprised like they had been talking for a little bit. “Oh, hey Kairi!” Spike called back.

“Hi Kairi,” Twilight said. She waited until Kairi was closer to them to talk to her, and the first thing she noticed was her incredibly bright smile on her face. “My, you certainly look very happy today. Did something good happen?”

“Beyond good, Twilight,” Kairi said, and began happily bouncing a bit around the two. “I got a job, I got a job!” she happily exclaimed.

“That’s pretty cool, congratulations,” Spike said.

“Yes, congratulations Kairi. It’s good to hear that you’re settling in already. So where are you working, and when do you start?” Twilight asked.

“I start on Monday working at Time Turner’s Clockworks,” she said, finally having worked out her excitement as she walked next to Twilight.

“Time Turner’s Clockworks? Isn’t that the shop with the ridiculous prices on everything? Why are you working there of all places?” Spike asked, sounding a little confused. Twilight was also interested in hearing this as well.

“Yeah it is, but trust me those prices won’t be so outrageous now that I’m going to be there. I couldn’t just let all that work he went through go to waste, and let his shop close down before it got a chance. He’s…a little rough around the edges, but I’m sure I can help out quite a bit. I just need to know how pricing works here, and I’ll be golden,” Kairi said, sounding confident about what she could possibly do.

Twilight smiled at hearing this, and said, “Well I hope it all works out for you then. I’m sure you’ll do just fine-“ She was cut off as a random firework exploded in the sky when they reached the town square. They looked around a little, and saw a group of ponies gathered nearby.

“Huh, I wonder what’s going on?” Spike asked.

“Let’s check it out,” Twilight said, and both Kairi and Spike followed behind her.

Author's Note:

This one took a little while to write. I was on and off brainstorming some ideas. All in all, I like how it came out. I hope every pony here likes it too.

If any of you see any mistakes or missing words, let me know, and I'll be quick to edit. I would also welcome some light criticism too.

If anyone wants to make some fan art, be my guest, just send me a link through pm so I can see it. ;D

Comments

[Dapper Guy]

Few things, just gonna throw it out there. While I like having the elements as wielders, I'm not to sure about Rainbow Dash. She's a competent pony, don't get me wrong. It's her brashness and tendency to jump into action that makes me worry. Keyblades do chose powerful hearts but I wonder if this new power could change her in the foreseeable future?

Also, this world still has a keyhole that needs to be sealed. Perhaps a certain sun princess knows where it is. So, why hasn't she told Kairi to go and lock it up yet?

[Cosmic Flare]

Good good this is going really good like it very much.

[Lord Nopony]

Lol! Looks like Kairi and Time Turner shall have quite...the relationship! Although not in THAT way of course! LOLZ.

Getting good!