My Little Pony: Sora's Misadventures in Equestria

by Codex92

Campfire Tales

It was a grueling couple weeks after Sora's met Pear Butter and Bright Macintosh, and it didn't involve the harsh punishment Aqua gave him for using that spell and risking tampering with the past and change the future, even if he was supposed to be there just like with his father. While out in town, Twilight helped settle a fight between two fillies, giving them a lesson that sounded quite familiar to her. After returning to the castle, the alicorn searched through her massive library of books and found the old journal she and her friends used to write in, detailing all the lessons they each learned before the Golden Oaks Library was destroyed by Tirek. It had miraculously survived the explosive blast, and she showed everyone as they reminisced on some of the lessons they learned. Even though it was old, Starlight had a spell she learned that not only restored it to its undamaged state, but created copies of them for everyone to look through. It didn't help that she admitted using this spell before when she was on the run and tried to change the past from Rainbow's first sonic rainboom.

Twilight had a bright idea to spread these lessons to help other ponies with their friendship problems, mass producing the friendship journal to book stores all over Equestria, and they were sold out before anyone could blink. As great of an idea as it was, the journal didn't exactly give the message Twilight wanted to give to her subjects. Even though everyone bought a copy, they blew the lessons out the window and focused more on the ponies who wrote their lessons, including the Keyblade wielders when they were mentioned in some of those lessons.

Rarity's businesses have declined heavily as ponies judged her as a diva in her lessons, selfish, and egotistical. Her clients canceled their dress orders, driving her emotionally unstable as an angry mob demanded others to boycott her business, and no one understood just how generous of a pony she really is. Pinkie Pie was indeed funny, but everyone kept laughing at everything she said, even if it wasn't a joke or lame pun. She's hilarious because she makes ponies smile and makes them happy, not because she's the town jester acting like a goof to give people a laughing good time. Ponies constantly hounded Fluttershy about her timidness, questioning why she takes forever to grow a spine and assert herself more. They don't understand that it took her a long while to break out of that shy, nervous shell of hers, and despite being a lot more confident in herself now, there are still moments where she still needs to improve in her self-confidence, and even when she did stand up for herself to those ponies, they didn't know how they felt about this change. Rainbow's lessons were completely ignored, mostly by the excitable children when they read her lessons. They followed her like fans, wanting to hear stories about what tales she's already told in the journal, and, to everyone's shock, Rainbow HATED this much attention despite ALWAYS craving it from someone just to show off her flying skills. She's already a Wonderbolt, so expecting crazy fans like this shouldn't be an issue, but she couldn't go anywhere without a fan being in her personal space. Applejack had so many ponies forcing themselves into her family, claiming reading her lessons made them feel like part of the family. They freeloaded around Sweet Apple Acres, driving the Apples nuts with their insistence, and Applejack couldn't just say no and kick them off their property for fear of losing business like ponies did with Rarity.

Sora, Riku, Kairi, Ventus, and Aqua were unable to escape any mention of them as well. Terra was miraculously safe since he didn't join the group after Tirek's defeat, but he was highly disappointed at how far everyone went when talking about his friends, from their flaws to what they expected them to be like a crazy fanbase nitpicking every single detail while missing the point of the lessons written in those books. Even Twilight wasn't safe when a journalist, who claimed he read cover to cover, thought her character would have been better if she stayed in Canterlot. That got under the alicorn's skin, further proving how everyone thought it was a fictional story with themselves inserted into the many "tales", completely ignoring the lessons that were supposed to be taken in with similar situations they may have experienced.

Since he was the only one free of the backlash, Terra slammed his Keyblade hard into the ground before the crowding mob that day, creating an earthquake that finally shut everyone up, then berated everyone for glancing over what was important in those pages. He demanded every single pony who had a copy of the book to place them on the ground in front of him to end this madness, and when they refused, he showed his tremendous strength by creating another quake. They didn't argue with him further, even the dumb fans who wanted to keep them as priceless souvenirs with the Princess of Friendship's signature and NEVER read a single word inside of it, and once they were gathered, he burned all the books in a massive bonfire with a Firaga spell. He ignored the diehard fans wailing in despair, giving them a speech about everyone having flaws they had and that not a single pony was perfect, even himself when he exclaimed he went down a dark path that almost cost him his closest friends' lives.

Thankfully, the crowd dispersed, taking in one lesson that didn't even come from the friendship journal, and things went back to normal within a few days. Despite the chaos, the two fillies Twilight helped actually read the lessons and grew closer as friends. They even asked Terra if they could tell them stories about lessons he learned that weren't in the book. He agreed, but left out the gruesome details to avoid scarring them.

---

Sora hefted his saddlebags, packed with camping gear as he stood outside the castle. "Alright, I think I'm ready for roughing it in the woods," he said.

Donald and Goofy came out a moment later, each of them carrying some supplies as well. "Ready to go, Sora!" Goofy called out.

"Great! Let's meet up with the other girls at Sweet Apple Acres." Sora lead the way with Donald and Goofy beside him.

Jiminy jumped out of Sora's pocket and on his shoulder. "Where are we going, exactly?" the cricket asked.

"We're gonna go on a mountain hike up to Winsome Falls," Sora explained. "I took over for Rarity to take Sweetie Belle with Applejack, Apple Bloom, Rainbow Dash, and Scootaloo a couple years back, but I wasn't able to do much after Trixie beat the crap out of me using that Alicorn Amulet. I was still recovering after that day, but I was strong enough to go along with them."

"Sounds like fun!" Donald said. "Is Rarity going to stay behind again?"

"I'm not sure." As they reached the farm, Sora saw Apple Bloom and Applejack all ready to go, Rainbow flying in with her gear, Scootaloo rushing up to Sora excitedly when she saw him, clearly eager to have him join them. Down the road, Sweetie Belle was going to come along, and with Rarity as well, the unicorn only bringing a couple suitcases on the hike, which her little sister was carrying on her back for her. "Rarity? You're actually going to come with us?"

"I want to spend some time with Sweetie Belle this time. Plus, I've been in need of some R&R after that horrible incident with our friendship journal," Rarity said.

"Yeah, that was a mess," Sora agreed. "Hope you brought the essentials for the hike and not your hundreds of pounds of makeup."

"Oh ha ha. Very funny, Sora," Rarity sarcastically said, sticking her tongue out at the pegasus.

Once everyone was ready, they began their trek to Winsome Falls. Unlike last time, they made it a lot farther on the trail after a whole day's worth of hiking. With Sora's recovery back then, he wasn't able to move as quickly as the others, along with Scootaloo freaking out after being scared of Rainbow Dash finding out she wasn't as brave as she was. They made a good stopping point and began setting up their tents and a campfire. Rainbow went out to scrounge up some berries to snack on along with whatever food they brought for the trip, Applejack and Apple Bloom finished getting their tent up, Rarity and Sweetie Belle set up several lanterns on the tree branches for extra lighting, Sora, Donald, and Goofy returned with some firewood, and Scootaloo read through a survival guide, still a bit wary about the dangers of the forest.

"Now remember, Donald, we're roughing it. So no magic to light the fire, Donald," Goofy advised.

"Yeah, yeah," the griffon said irritably.

Rainbow came back, carrying an armful of pale-pinkish berries. "Look at the haul I brought! And they look pretty delicious."

"No, wait!" Scootaloo exclaimed, stopping Rainbow before she tried to munch a few of her scavenged berries. "According to my book, those berries are extremely poisonous!"

Rainbow grimaced, dropping the berries when Scootaloo showed her the page with the same berries. The filly breathed a sigh of relief, a leaf slowly falling from the nearby trees landing right on her snout. She yelped in surprise, backing up into a twig, the snapping sound making her scream and run from the sound like a spooked deer. When she turned around, her face sunk when she stood near the mouth of a nearby cavern where they set up their campsite, letting out a terrified scream before zipping over to Sora, nearly toppling him over while he tried to start the fire while holding him tightly.

"Doing ok, Scoots?" Sora asked.

"I-I heard something, I stepped on something, a-and...I saw that...creepy cave," Scootaloo said, shaking in fright. She calmed down when Sora rubbed the filly's back, reassuring her she was fine. "Sorry. I'm still a little scared out here after last time."

"Don't worry, kid," Rainbow said, helping comfort Scootaloo. "You've got both your big sister and big brother here."

"And if Nightmares come to haunt you, I'll hack 'em down to size," Sora added.

Scootaloo giggled, relieved to have two guardians watching out for her. Once camp was all set up, Rarity laid out a picnic blanket and spread out some snacks for the group to munch on. Everyone gathered around, but as Sweetie Belle was about to eat a carrot dog, a little bug decided to fly itself down on her food. It looked like a strange type of fly, but it also had features of a spider, its body green with two red dots and a line circling its head and down the back of its thorax. Right before she tried to shoo it away, the "insect" shot a stream of web at her face, making the unicorn filly shriek.

"EWW!" she exclaimed.

"Huh?" Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy looked at Sweetie Belle, seeing the mysterious web splattered on Sweetie's face making them grimace in shock. "What the-!?"

They all soon heard a loud buzzing sound, a swarm of the same arachnid/insect hybrids flying over them. "What in the world are THOSE things!?" Jiminy exclaimed.

"Flyders!" Applejack said, the swarm swooping down on the campers as they all screamed in surprise.

Jiminy quickly hopped back in the safety of Sora's pocket while everyone else tried to swat the flyders away. The little buggers were persistent, getting all over their food and tents, even latching onto them and biting their flesh, leaving small welts that itched as bad as a mosquito's bite.

"Who brought the bug spray!?" Goofy asked, letting out a yelp as several of them began biting his face.

"I got your bug spray right here!" Donald called out his staff, whacking the flyders away before aiming the end at the swarm. "Fire!" he shouted, shooting a fireball, making the hybrid pests scatter. "Ha! That oughta show them!"

Donald's gloating stopped when the flyders all latched onto him, covering his whole body in a mass of flying wings and spraying webs. The griffon mage let out a shriek, quacking in a panic as they all bit him and running around like mad, unable to see as the flyders also covered his eyes.

"Ok, fire is NOT a good idea to get rid of them!" Sora stated. "It only makes them more mad!"

"W-What do we do!?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Over there!" Rainbow called out, pointing at the nearby cave.

"N-Not the spooky cave!" Scootaloo begged, then yelped as more flyders began biting her.

"We got no other choice, Scoots! Hurry, guys!" Sora said, summoning his Keyblade and began casting Aero on everyone to keep them from being constantly bitten. While helping them flee, one of the flyders shot a web at his hind legs as he leapt around, managing to tie them together and make him trip. He hit the ground with a grunt, staring at the swarm bitterly. "Clever little buggers."

As soon as everyone made it inside, Scootaloo clinging onto Rainbow Dash in fear, Sora cut his bonds with his blade, then fled into the cave. "Is everyone ok?" Goofy asked as he scratched some of his irritable bites.

"Wait, where did Donald go?" Rarity asked.

Hearing squawking outside, they saw Donald still running around, covered in flyders. Sora quickly cast Aeroga in Donald, scattering the bugs off the heavily bitten griffon. Once he could see, Donald made a mad dash to the cave, tripping over his legs and slid inside, panting heavily.

"Uhh, I think you got them mad, Donald," Goofy pointed out, earning a harsh glare from the mage.

"Where did those things come from?" Sora asked. "I didn't see those on our last trip."

"Flyders are from the Luna Bay area," Applejack explained. "Never seen 'em this far east, though. Must have gotten attracted to the food."

"I guess we're stuck here until they decide to leave," Sora muttered, watching the swarm devour everything in their camp.

"Oh, apple rot! What are we supposed to do now!?" Apple Bloom whined. "We had games to play and marshmallows to roast at camp! In here, we got nothin'!"

"Well, that's not entirely true. We have each other," Rarity said, pulling her little sister closer as the siblings shared a hug.

"And there's also campfire stories we can tell to pass the time," Goofy suggested.

"Yeah. Lots of spooky campfire stories," Donald said, letting out a sinister cackle while rubbing his hands together.

Scootaloo gulped, not liking the look on the griffon's face, but Apple Bloom was still a little miffed. "And how do we do that if we don't even have a campfire in here?"

As everyone thought of how to get firewood out there with all the flyders, all eyes slowly fell on Sora. He looked around, letting out a disgruntled sigh as he leered at his friends and siblings.

"Really? Me?" he questioned. "...Fine. Be right back." Calling his Keyblade, Sora cast Aeroga on himself, then walked out in a huff. The flyders swarmed him, thankfully batted away by the protective wind barrier, but they were persistent trying to break through the small cyclone to eat at the pegasus's flesh. He found it hard to see where he was going, almost like he was in a fog of buzzing wings, tiny insect/arachnid bodies, and sticky webbing shot out from said tiny bodies. "Geez! Buzz off, you blood-sucking things!"

Finally finding some of the firewood left on the side for their actual campfire, Sora picked them up, but his spell wore off after trying to navigate around the camp in the swarm cloud. The flyders immediately flew on him, making him yelp as most of them managed to bite him some more. Zipping off back to the cave, he shot a few Blizzard spells to keep them away, hoping the chill from the magic would repel them. It thankfully worked, screeching to a halt before his friends, his face a little puffy from the new bites.

"Better than I would have done with my speed," Rainbow said.

"You all owe me for being fodder to those things," Sora said. He looked back, the Blizzard spells barely getting the flyders to flee as they went back to ravaging the camp some more. "Not even ice can chill them out. If those things were Heartless, I think we'd all be screwed."

Goofy placed the wood around a circle of rocks, then started the fire, lighting up the cave. "Uhh, we're not going to tell any scary stories, are we?" Scootaloo asked nervously. "While...in here?"

"Of course we are! It's the perfect place to tell scary campfire stories!" Donald said. Everyone leered at the mage, Sora especially as he crossed his forelegs across his chest. "...What?"

"No scary stories, Donald," Sora warned.

"Ah got a good story," Applejack said. "It's a legend Apple Bloom and Ah love to hear."

Apple Bloom gasped with glee. "You mean Rockhoof!? Ah love that one!" she cheered, bouncing up and down excitedly. "He was so strong, and when he-!"

"Apple Bloom, don't spoil anything!" Sweetie Belle interrupted. "None of us haven't heard of that story!"

"Neither have I," Sora agreed. "And I've been around you for the last few years with no mention of this Rockhoof."

"Then you're gonna learn about him today," Applejack said. "Like Apple Bloom said, he is pretty strong, but Rockhoof didn't start out that way. He was actually a tiny fella, the son of a farmer."

"Just like us!" Apple Bloom chimed in, a bit to eager to tell everyone and spoil the whole story.

"Alright, you, come here before you bounce up to the ceiling," Sora said, snatching Apple Bloom and sat her in front of him, playfully placing a hoof on her head with enough pressure to keep her from fidgeting around like a coiled spring ready to shoot off the ground. She growled and tried to move, but Sora held her firm as he looked at Applejack, ignoring his little sister's grunts. "Proceed."

"Rockhoof lived in a village that sat at the foot of a gigantic volcano, the village guarded by an elite group of guard ponies called the Mighty Helm," Applejack began, telling the story of Rockhoof's origins and legend.

---

At an island village with a volcano looming in the background, the pony villagers, all of them earth ponies, watched as their elite guard, the Mighty Helm, were impressing them as they showed off their strength in different ways. Some wrestled each other for dominance, dueled with spears, or tossed heavy axes at targets, trying to aim for the bullseyes on the stumps used for target practice. The Mighty Helm wore silver armor with the helms bearing wings on the sides while the villagers wore cloth tunics, some of their outfits including some fur to keep them warm in the climate they thrive in. Many of the ponies have their manes and tails tied or braided in certain styles, some of the stallions who had beards braiding them as well with the impressive lengths some had. Both mares and stallions who had the strength to be a part of the village's elite wore the Mighty Helm's armor, and despite their rough and tough style of training, they always had a good laugh and treated their comrades like brothers.

Rockhoof watched the Mighty Helm with awe, but he wasn't the type of pony Applejack had described. His coat was a light cyan with an even lighter shade on his muzzle, his hair a gamboge brown with a gold stripe with his short beard lacking the highlight, the end of his lengthy mane and tail tied near the end, wearing a brown tunic, a gray bandanna, and brown cloth wrapped around his legs to keep them warm, and his cutie mark was a piece of metal crossing in a pattern that made it looked like a trio of triangles were linked and interconnected with each other. Unlike the stallions, Rockhoof was quite small and skinny. He also wore a circular plate over his chest, trying to match the same piece that's worn on the Mighty Helm's armor used for protection. It was obvious to anyone, even those outside of their village, that he yearned to be a part of the Mighty Helm.

Wanting to show them he could be one of them, Rockhoof went over to an embedded ax that was recently tossed at a target and grabbed the hilt with his teeth. He tried to pull it out, but he wasn't strong enough to pull it out a centimeter from the stump. Pulling harder, he lost his grip, flying off and landing on his back, right in front of the guards who watched him with amusement. They began to laugh, embarrassing and discouraging Rockhoof, even as one of the mares in the Mighty Helm hefted him back on his hooves without any effort.

"Rockhoof, just what do ye think you're doin'?" one of the Mighty Helm asked.

"I-I...I want to be part of the Mighty Helm," Rockhoof said.

"Ye can barely lift a small ax without so much as strainin' yer back, laddie," another said. "If ye wanna be like all of us, yer gonna have to work on...this," he added, waving his hoof to all of Rockhoof's scrawny body.

"...Ye just gestured to all of me," Rockhoof pointed out dejectedly.

"Exactly!" the same stallion said.

Rockhoof lifted a foreleg and tried to flex, proving the Mighty Helm he had some muscle in him. Unfortunately, that bit of muscle wilted, turning his leg into a wet noodle, which only made the guards laugh harder.

"I donnah think he can beat my newborn son in a hoof-wrestlin' match, and the lad's only a few months old!" a mare in the guard said, further dejecting Rockhoof.

"Ye should just stick to what ye know, Rockhoof," the first stallion said, tossing the scrawny stallion a shovel, the only type of tool he was able to wield without much difficulty. "It might take a little farmer like yerself decades before ye get strong enough to join the Mighty Helm."

The soldiers walked off, the first stallion giving Rockhoof a noogie before continuing their training while leaving the small, scraggly stallion with his dreams dashed by his idols. Despite being let down, he stared at his reflection in the spade of his shovel, glaring intensely. He was going to show them he'll make it one day. All he needed was the opportunity to prove it, regardless if he was strong or weak.

Later on in the day, the villagers went about their days while Rockhoof was busy with his shovel, digging up new latrines outside a couple homes. At the docks where their grand viking-like boats were anchored, a visitor in a small boat rowed up to the boardwalk, tethering their small vessel with a rope to one of the posts. Some of the dock workers stared at their guest, unable to tell who they were with the black coat concealing every part of them, leaving them wary with their mysterious presence.

"Hey, laddie, what business have you here?" a Mighty Helm guard questioned skeptically.

"Relax. I'm not here to cause trouble," the cloaked figure said, his voice masculine underneath the hood. "Just a wayfarer wandering the world for adventure." The guard hummed, remaining cautious as he returned to his post. "Glad to see someone so dedicated to protecting their homeland." The figure walked past the guard, still feeling watched as he made his way into town. His head tilted up, staring at the volcano hovering over the land, smoke starting to billow from the mouth of the ticking time bomb. "It's gonna erupt soon. Where's that pony at?"

Continuing wandering around, passing by colts and fillies who stared at him and his mysterious clothing curiously, he found the pony he was searching for. Rockhoof grunted, somehow able to dig holes with ease, but he was disappointed in himself for being so weak that he couldn't pull an ax out of a stump. He stopped to take a break, surprised to see someone standing by the hole he was currently digging after wiping his brow.

"...Uhh, hello?" Rockhoof greeted nervously.

"You must be Rockhoof," the mysterious stallion said, confusing Rockhoof as someone clearly an outsider from his home knew his name.

"...Aye...? What...business do ye have with me?" Rockhoof asked.

"An opportunity of a lifetime," the stallion answered. Baffled, Rockhoof just stared at the stranger questioningly.

"Huh? What are ye talkin' about?" the scrawny stallion asked.

"You'll find out. In five...four...three...two..." The stranger then pointed to the volcano as he silently finished his countdown.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake and a rumble from the volcano grew louder and louder. Rockhoof looked up in shock, spotting the volcano begin its eruption as it shot lava out from its mouth. The lava splattered around the side of the mountain as it began to pool out, running down the craggy surface and began heading straight for the village.

"AHHH! The volcano's erupting!?" Rockhoof screeched. "W-We gotta leave before we burn to death!"

Rockhoof scrambled out of his hole, but the mystery stallion stomped down on his tail, causing the scrawny stallion to yelp and fall flat on his back. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Where's the fire, buddy?"

"Travelin' down the mountain! What's the matter with ye!?" Rockhoof exclaimed angrily, his cheeks turning pink after being overpowered by someone outside his homeland.

"I think this is the perfect time for you to show everyone you're just as strong as those guards down there," he said. Helping Rockhoof up, he showed the weaker stallion what was going on in town. The Mighty Helm was trying to evacuate the villagers, unable to think of another way to save their home. Sadly, the villagers were refusing to leave, arguing that this place was their home and they shouldn't leave. And to Rockhoof's shock, the Mighty Helm gave up trying to convince their neighbors, getting onto their vessel and sailing off like cowards. "Oh, wait a minute. They're just going to leave everyone to burn alive while the village is going to be engulfed in lava...Awkward."

"Well, we donnah want to leave. It's our home," Rockhoof said. "Our ancestors built this village many moons ago."

"Then what do you want to do?" the stallion asked. "I have a small boat that can get us far enough out at sea to avoid getting burned. You can leave with me, or you could stay and try to stop the lava from reaching your village." He gave Rockhoof a moment for his suggestions to sink in. The native of this village was just as stubborn as his brethren, unwilling to leave, but he didn't want to lose his home regardless. Looking down at his shovel, Rockhoof had an insane idea. Even if it wouldn't work, he was going to at least try to save his home where the Mighty Helm couldn't. Grabbing his spade in his mouth, the scraggly stallion raced off toward the base of the mountain, the adventurer grinning underneath his hood, pleased by his answer. "Good choice."

Looking up, his grin faded to a grimace when he saw something shooting out from the top of the volcano. It wasn't lava rocks or balls of magma about to rain down on the village; they were Flame Cores. Letting out an irritated sigh, the mystery stallion rushed after Rockhoof, leaping from the rooftops of the houses to catch up before the Heartless dive-bombed toward the future savior or the villagers in a ball of flames. He spotted Rockhoof up ahead in the middle of digging a trench, but at the rate he was going, there was no chance he could make one big enough to make a small pool of it stop reaching the village.

"Urgh! Gotta...keep...digging!" Rockhoof exclaimed, determined to save his home. He looked up after tossing back a spade full of dirt, gaping in shock at the flaming Heartless headed straight toward him. "W-What in the name of the motherland!?"

Before they reached him, the mysterious stallion dashed in, swinging his hoof as a flash of light materialized a sword Rockhoof had never seen before: shaped similar to a key, black and white in its blade, guard, and chain's design, along with
blue reptilian eye-like gem set at the end of the blade. The stallion thrust his weapon forward, unleashing a blast of ice that froze the Heartless while also dousing out their fire.

"Just keep digging, Rockhoof!" he said, then swung his weapon, creating a huge slash of wind that sent the frozen Flame Cores against the base of the volcano, some shattering to pieces while others were dazed, but still kicking. "I handle the flaming creatures!"

"...R-Right!" Quickly snapping out of his stupor, Rockhoof continued digging while the stallion slowly approached the stunned Heartless.

"Of course, you things keep causing trouble no matter where I go," the stallion said to himself.

As he finished off the Heartless, Rockhoof struggled to save his village. He heard some of his neighbors spot him on the hill near the base of the volcano, telling him to flee before the lava reached him. He ignored their pleas and kept digging, wishing he had the strength to dig faster. His wish was granted when his shovel struck something in the trench he was making, which unleashed a bright light that blinded the scrawny stallion. He was then engulfed in the mysterious magical light, turning the small and skinny earth pony farmer into a bigger, muscular warrior. When the light faded, Rockhoof looked down at himself, shocked at this new form the light gave him, feeling so much strength welling in his body that he felt like he could move mountains.

"What in the world-?" Rockhoof gasped, his voice sounding much different as well with his deeper tone than his former self's more high-pitched version. "What happened to me?"

The mystery stallion turned around, seeing the new and improved Rockhoof, but when he felt the heat from the lava getting closer, he cast ice and water spells to try to stop the flowing magma from reaching them. "Worry about your new body later! Don't you have a village to save!?"

Rockhoof noticed the lava, wincing as he nearly forgot. "Right! I have to save my home!"

Taking his shovel, Rockhoof dug with lightning speed, creating a much bigger trench as he pushed and tossed dirt aside like it was water. The visitor backed away, slamming his blade into the ground and shifted the earth, creating a slope to guide the rest of the lava down into the trench. Letting out a sigh after almost getting singed, he watched the now brawny stallion continue digging, the lava flowing several meters behind him. Rockhoof never tired, thanks to this new body, reaching the edge of the cliff on the island and dug the end of the trench, then quickly hopped out as he let the lava run down into the ocean below.

The villagers watched Rockhoof save their home, cheering for his bravery and impressive shoveling speed, along with his suddenly new change. Those in the Mighty Helm who attempted to escape didn't really set sail, but they were stunned with mouths agape at the swiftly made trench. The hero of the village leapt over the trench of lava, landing with a heavy thud with his trusty shovel gripped in his much stronger maw, his new look shocking the elite guards.

"R-Rockhoof?" one of the stallions in the Mighty Helm uttered. "I-Is that...really you?"

"Aye, it is," the stallion, now towering even the biggest of the guards, replied, giving them an intimidating leer.

"W-What happened to ye?" another asked.

"Not sure myself, but the village is safe now," Rockhoof said. "Some of ye tried to flee, but I wasn't gonna let my home burn." The Mighty Helm wilted, feeling guilty for thinking abandoning their friends and neighbors when they didn't want to leave their homes. "I know ye weren't left with much of a choice, but we're a stubborn bunch, and I know none of ye would abandon what our forefathers built for our families."

"You're right, Rockhoof," the first stallion said. "But, ye did this all on your own. And you've definitely gotten stronger...and bigger."

"If ye wanna join the Mighty Helm, we think ye got what it takes now, lad," the other stallion said.

Rockhoof gave his idols a deadpanned stare. "I don't know what to even say," he muttered with a sneer. The Mighty Helm feared he was going to refuse after they teased him when he was scrawny, but the strong stallion suddenly beamed, snatching them and gripped them in a massive bear hug. "I'd be honored to join the Mighty Helm! And ye lot can make me your new captain!" The guards all murmured nervously, making Rockhoof laugh uproariously at their reaction. "Just kiddin'!"

The rest of the Mighty Helm joined Rockhoof's laughter, grateful seeing he harbored no ill will toward them after making fun of him. They wouldn't decide making him their new captain just yet, but with his newfound strength, he was sure to lead a better example as a leader than they would. As the villagers celebrated Rockhoof's heroic efforts and his joining the Mighty Helm, the cloaked stallion watched from a distance, giving a little nod before making his way back to the docks, his work done.

"That was an impressive burst of magic he dug up," he said to himself with amusement. "Rockhoof's definitely going to make a name for himself."

"Hey!" The stallion stopped, turning around to see Rockhoof running toward him. Still getting used to his new body, Rockhoof nearly stumbled and tackled the visitor as soon as he reached the wooden dock. "Where are ye goin', laddie!? Leavin' the party before it's started!?"

"Sorry, but I've got places to be, explore new ones and all that," the stallion explained with a shrug. "But have a round for me, ok?"

"Must ye go? I barely know ye, and ye helped save our home as much as I have," Rockhoof said. "At least let me know your name, lad."

The stallion let out a small laugh and shook his head. "...Alright, then. You can call me...Master."

"'Master'?" Rockhoof questioned. "A master of what?"

The stallion remained silent, the veil of his hood masking the wide grin he had on his muzzle. "...A Master of Masters." His response still didn't answer Rockhoof's question, the earth pony raising a brow skeptically. "We'll meet again soon, Rockhoof. I may not be able to answer all of your questions now or later, but you're definitely gonna go down in history."

Unsure what his new friend meant, Rockhoof wished the mystery stallion safe travels, holding it to him that they'll meet again sometime.

---

Once Applejack finished the story, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo cheered at the incredibly epic tale. Apple Bloom interrupted the legend of Rockhoof a couple times with her excited squeals, and Sweetie Belle did point out how the legendary earth pony stallion was able to dig that trench on his own as a little guy before discovering the strange magic.

"Wow. That must have been quite a tough earth pony," Goofy commented.

"Maybe even stronger than Terra?" Sora asked. "He's got some pretty raw power as a pony."

"Ah love this story no matter how many times Ah hear it!" Apple Bloom squealed, her excitement dwindling as Sora repeatedly booped her snout with his hoof. "Sora, what are you doing?"

"Trying to figure out where your off button is for your eager meter," Sora said, getting a laugh from everyone as he teased the young Apple. "Still can't find it after the first attempt. I know it's gotta be right here."

Apple Bloom huffed, swatting Sora's hoof away, then stuck her tongue out at him. "How about we see if it's safe to head back to camp?" Rarity asked.

"Uhh, I don't think there IS a camp to go back to," Sweetie Belle said as she pointed outside.

Everyone looked out at the camp, which was completely decimated by the flyders during Rockhoof's story. The tents were torn to shreds, all the food had been long gone and devoured, and the swarm of flyders were still hovering around eating the rest of what remained.

"Wow. Nasty little bugs, aren't they?" Jiminy uttered.

"All our hard work is ruined!" Sweetie Belle whined.

"And a lot of money on our camping gear gone to waste," Donald grumbled.

"Don't worry, Sweetie Belle," Rarity said, patting her little sister's back to reassure her.

"How? Our camp was so pretty, and this cave is so...not," Sweetie mumbled sadly.

"Why, that is not true in the slightest. There's beauty in everything," Rarity said. "Even these blah rocks aren't really 'blah'." Emphasizing her outlook, Rarity brushed off some dirt on a nearby rock, revealing some shimmering gold embedded in the cavern wall. "If you look closely, you can see flecks of gold in them. And the way the firelight dances on the cave wall, shadow and light?" She then performed some shadow puppets, which looked impossible with hooves, but Rarity made it work as she created a shadow of a ballerina, which almost looked like Twilight to Sora when she pried in on his and Starlight's friendship mission with the princesses. "It's absolutely gorgeous!"

"And this is coming from someone who didn't like getting dirty in places like this," Rainbow mumbled.

"Sweetie Belle, have I ever told you about my favorite legend?" Rarity asked.

"No. I didn't know you had one," Sweetie said, growing curious about what legend she's heard of, but she hadn't.

"Her name...was Mistmane," Rarity said, adding an air of mystery to the mare's name.

"Mistmane???" Rainbow questioned skeptically. "Isn't she the old wrinkly sorceress with the flower?"

"Yes, but did you know she used to be the most beautiful unicorn in all the land?" Rarity asked back, but Rainbow's deadpanned response told her no, and was expecting this legend to be less exciting than Rockhoof's.

"So what happened to her!?" the Crusaders asked eagerly.

"Mistmane was a very promising young sorceress," Rarity began. "She was as talented as well as beautiful and kind. Everypony loved her and missed her when she was sent to the finest magic school."

---

In a town overlooked by a palace, the architecture taking a more cultural outlook than Rockhoof's simple village, Mistmane stood near the entrance of the town, her neighbors and close friends seeing her off as she was about to head off to study more at the pristine magic school she was enrolled in. Mistmane and the village's inhabitants were unicorns, though their horns were all curved upward slightly, making their country's ponies quite unique compared to the average unicorn. The legendary mare was tall and beautiful, her fur a light mulberryish gray with lighter shades at her hooves and the tips of her horn and ears. Her mane and tail were in gradients of opal to turquoise while the lower and higher ends were gradients of turquoise to a light gray spring green, and unlike her family and friends' hair, it was flowing in a gentle breezed that didn't seem to exist, similar to how Celestia and Luna's hair flowed. She wore a short light blue kimono with an ascot tied in a ribbon over her chest, and her cutie mark was what looked like a cloud of mist.

"Good luck out there," a neighbor said, wishing Mistmane luck on her studies.

A colt ran up to Mistmane and caught her by surprise with a hug, letting out a small laugh and hugged the foal back. "Come back soon when you're done, ok?"

"I promise I'll return," the mare promised.

She then waved them goodbye and headed off down the road to the magic school to advance her studies. Months passed after she arrived, being around other scholars or visitors across the world as they browsed their library of differing topics. Mistmane had advanced far in her studies, especially on floral biology, magic, geology, everything she wanted to learn about the beauty the earth gave to the world. While engrossed in an experiment involving a few herbs, someone in a black coat mindlessly walked along the building, reading a book on different unicorn spells.

"Hmm...Not much different from what I know," the stallion muttered to himself, walking past Mistmane. "I really do love Asian cultures, especially in another-" He paused, freezing in place when he finally took notice of the unicorn mare with the flowing mane. He backed up, retracing his steps until he stopped where Mistmane sat, turning his head to get a better look at her. "...Humina humina..."

Closing his book, the cloaked stallion placed it down on a nearby desk, then slowly, yet comically, slid closer to Mistmane, staring at her hair magically blowing in the wind. While muddling the herbs together to brew a potion or some sort of tea, she paused when she felt eyes on her. She didn't need to look at the gawker, subtly rolling her eyes with an amused grin, not a complete stranger to a stallion awed by her beauty.

"Is there anything I can help you with, sir?" Mistmane asked.

"...Your hair," he finally managed to say.

"Yes?" she said.

"...How's it doing that?" the stallion asked, reaching a hoof out to touch it. "It's so...wavy...but there's no wind."

"Obviously, it's magic," Mistmane said with a giggle, gently batting the stranger's hoof away. "It's been like this for years due to my latent magic, a subject I grew fascinated with as a filly. I mostly prefer magic that comes from nature. Many types of herbs and plants are used in medicine, and they hold much more importance to the world than any material goods some ponies take for granted." The stallion didn't seem to pay attention, still staring at her mane. "...And if you're too enamored by my hair, the answer is no."

"Huh? No what?" the stallion asked, snapping out of his daze.

"I know what you're going to ask, but I'm going to decline your offer to asking me out," Mistmane said.

"Oh! What!?" he exclaimed, blowing out a raspberry while laughing at the odd claim. "I mean, don't get me wrong, if looks would kill, beauty would definitely be a weakness. Which you most definitely are, miss." Mistmane rolled her eyes, impressed by his flattery, but not enough to consider getting to know this stranger. "As immaculate as your looks are, I, too, am married to my own kind of work. I was just curious about your hair. Wish mine could do that."

"I see," she said, finding his reasons hard to believe as she went back to her work. "And what work do you do that requires what this school's library has to offer?"

"Ooooh." The mysterious flatter took in a deep breath through his teeth, feigning disappointing Mistmane as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah...Sorry, miss, but my line of work is kept strictly hush-hush. Secrets and stuff I shouldn't tell you...at least, not yet, anyway." Mistmane hummed and slightly shook her head. "But, if I may be so bold, may I ask what the name of such a goddess is?"

"I believe a gentlecolt should give his name to a mare first to receive theirs," Mistmane said snidely.

"Madame Mistmane, a letter for you," a mail carrier said, handing the mare a scroll.

She might not be able to see his face, but Mistmane could tell the stallion under the hood was giving her a grin. Since he found out her name, she took the letter, ignoring the lovestruck stranger and read what was delivered to her in her head. The stallion loomed over her shoulder, skimming over the letter before he felt a vine suddenly grab one of his hind legs and hoisted him upside down in the air. The mare's horn sparked after creating that very same vine, smirking when she heard him yell and strangle out of her enchanted flora spell.

After going through her letter, she was surprised to hear her friend back home, Sable Spirit, became the crowned empress while she was gone. "What good news," she said. "I must hurry and finish my studies if I wish to see her as empress."

"Your friend, Sable Spirit?" the stranger asked, startling Mistmane.

"How much of my letter did you peek at?" she questioned.

"Just the first sentence," he said, sounding genuinely honest, but his tone said otherwise. "You and Sable were best friends, even though she's technically a princess to a royal family back at your home." Mistmane grumbled, now getting fed up with him, his flattery no longer attempting to win her over if he was secretly a stalker. "Maybe you should see how she's doing and take a little break from studying. This school you go to gives summer breaks, right?"

As much as she wanted to throw the stallion out, his suggestion didn't sound like a bad idea. Mistmane was getting a little homesick, and she could use a little break, seeing how well she's done in each of her classes. Putting her little experiment on hold, she left the library, along with the stranger hanging upside down, ignoring his pleas to help him down. Leaving the city where her school was held and down the road, dropping down from the trees and startling her was the same black-robed stallion.

"Ahh!" she screamed. "H-How did you-!?"

"You know, that wasn't right leaving me hanging like that," the stallion whined.

Sighing heavily in annoyance, her horn lit up, creating a magical venus flytrap to chomp down on the crazy stalker. "Leave me be, unless you wish to be punished further for stalking me," she warned.

Suddenly, the plant's cheeks began to bulge with steam coming out from its closed mouth. It opened up and spat out a burst of flames, the stallion leaping out with a mysterious weapon Mistmane had never seen before, then slashed the stem of the giant, pony-eating plant, making it disappear in a flash of magic and ashes. His escape scared the mare, but realizing how much of his true strength he showed to her, the cloaked stallion dismissed his weapon and held his hooves up to reassure her.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on. I'm not gonna hurt you," he promised. "I just didn't want to be plant food, that's all." Still uncertain what to think of this stalker/warrior/stranger/whatever kind of pony he was, Mistmane kept her distance. "I'm sorry. We got off on the wrong hoof, but I really don't mean you any harm."

"Are you certain? After...that?" she questioned, gesturing to her magical creation he just destroyed.

"Yes. But, if you want to know the truth, I'm looking for...specific ponies," he explained. "I didn't realize it when I saw you, but you're one of those ponies. And as strange as it may sound, I'm here to help you with what you'll be facing soon."

"...What do you mean by that?" Mistmane asked.

---

When Mistmane, accompanied by the mystery stallion, made it back home, she stared in disbelief at the devastation in her town. The walls around the village were cracking and ready to fall apart, along with the homes and walkways, trees were barren of any leaves despite the fact it wasn't even close to autumn, and the air around them felt desolate and empty with barely anypony around. What was once a bright and vibrant town, it was now lifeless, with barely anything colorful or lively.

"Oh...Oh my goodness," Mistmane uttered.

"I tried to warn you," the stranger said.

She approached one of her neighbors as he raked up the dead leaves. "What happened here?"

"The Empress happened," the stallion said. "She makes everypony work day and night on her palace. We don't have time to take care of anything else."

"But that can't be," Mistmane said. "I know her! She would never do this."

The straw that broke Mistmane's back was what she saw next. The same colt who she promised to come back after her studies were done ran, holding a flower protectively in his magic aura. There was a carriage veiled with a black tarp nearby, another aura snatching it away from the colt and hiding it away inside, then commanded the guards driving it to make their way back to the palace. Mistmane recognized that aura as her friend's, Sable Spirit, the new empress in their kingdom.

"Why don't we have a word with your friend and find out just what she's doing?" the stallion suggested.

"For once, I agree with you," Mistmane said, leading the cloaked warrior to the palace where her friend rules.

The guards tried to stop them at the front doors, but the stranger made short work of them, knocking them out with his hooves, giving Mistmane and apologetic look for harming those who were her friends. Making their way through the halls, they arrived at the throne room, where Sable Spirit sat in her luxurious throne, wearing a black empress's robe with red clouds patterned at the end of the dress and sleeves, a red and black floral-designed headdress, and a veil concealing her face, her fur a pale pink with white and gray-striped hair. Throughout her whole palace and her throne room, Sable Spirit kept all of what was beautiful in town all to herself, from all sorts of plants to even jewelry and gold.

"Sable, is that you?" Mistmane asked.

"Don't tell me you don't recognize your old friend," Sable said coldly, glaring at Mistmane through her veil.

"I don't. My friend would never work our families and friends to the bone for something as silly as a palace," Mistmane said.

"Silly? My palace is a beacon of beauty!" Sable proclaimed, getting up from her throne and slowly approached the duo. "Anypony who passes will be in awe of its majesty!"

"They won't be in awe when they see the town they have to walk into first," the mystery stallion responded.

"And just who are you?" Sable questioned.

"My name's not important to you," he stated. "I'm here to help this pony save her home from a jealous, royal brat."

"Jealous?" Mistmane questioned, but when she looked back at her friend, the body language she gave her told her what he "guessed" was actually true. "Sable, why are you making everypony miserable? My...acquaintance has a point. What good is a beautiful palace if it hides the misery of its subjects?"

"Because beauty is everything! YOU taught me that!" Sable exclaimed, confusing Mistmane. "You were always the pretty one. You got to go to the best magic school. Everypony missed you. Everypony loved you! I was jealous, just like this oaf claimed,-" The stallion grunted in response at the comment. "-so I tried to perform a spell that would make me beautiful. You can see how well THAT went!"

Lifting up her veil, Mistmane gasped in shock while the stallion let out a horrified gasp, seeing an elderly mare behind the voice of a young mare around Mistmane's age. "AGH! KILL IT WITH FIRE!" the stallion exclaimed.

"I found if I couldn't have beauty, I would TAKE it," Sable Spirit said, ignoring the rude, comical remark Mistmane's new friend made. "I wasn't chosen to be empress, you know. I took it! Just like I'm going to take everything else."

"I cannot let you do that," Mistmane growled.

"'Let' me?" Sable questioned, letting out a dark laugh before lowering her head and blasting Mistmane and the stallion's hooves with a beam of magic.

The stallion quickly leapt away as a coil of dark green vines shot up, wrapping itself around Mistmane and trapping her inside. "Looks like you and Mistmane enjoy a bit of geomancy," the cloaked warrior said. Suddenly, popping in from the ground around them were several variants of Plant Heartless: Creepers, Dires, Fires, Blizzards, and Poisons. The guards panicked as the unknown, monstrous plants grew from the stone floors out of nowhere, fleeing the room while avoiding the seeds they shot at them. Sable Spirit stared at the mysterious plants, distracting Mistmane enough to blast her way out of the cocoon of vines with her magic, making the mare gasp in shock at the dangerous plant Heartless surrounding them. "And I know these aren't either of yours, I guarantee."

"What are these flowers?" Mistmane questioned.

One of the Plants fired a seed at Mistmane, but the stallion quickly dashed forward, summoning his blade and reflecting the projectile back at it, kiling it with its own as it released a heart from its defeated body. "Let me worry about them. You have a little 'heart-to-heart' with your friend."

Mistmane nodded, trusting this pony to keep them from being harmed by these unique, but deadly plant monsters. The stallion dashed off with blinding speed, slashing through them as they focused on him and his key-shaped sword. The two mares stared each other down, then unleashed their magic against each other. Sable's magic burned like fire in her envious rage toward her friend's more successful life and the attention she's gotten, while Mistmane's calmer aura flowed like water, wanting to quell her friend's ire toward her and save her home. Through both of their auras, they created serpentine dragons, one fire and one water, both ethereal dragons crashing headfirst into each other over and over.

The cloaked stallion flipped and dove around the fired seeds, avoiding the Dires', Fires', Blizzards', and Poisons' seeds and their added effects if they hit their mark. Seeing them spread about, he decided to bring them over to him instead of running around to each one while also keeping the fighting mares in the center of the room from getting struck. Thrusting a foreleg into the ground, he grasped onto the connected roots of all the Heartless plants, all of them twitching in surprise before they all sunk into the ground, the warrior pulling his leg up hard along with the remaining Heartless. Sending them flying in the air, he leapt after them, performing a quick spinning slash, destroying the last of them in one fell swoop.

As he landed, he watched Mistmane and Sable Spirit's battle. The empress grunted, struggling to focus while trying to beat her friend, but the sorceress remained calm, her water dragon wrapping itself around the fire dragon, then squeezed its foe before making it dissipate in a puff of steam. The ethereal water dragon shot itself at Sable Spirit, quickly leaping to the side to avoid it as it struck a flower pot, spilling soil on the ground. Before Sable could gloat, the magic within Mistmane's spell affected the soil, unleashing enchanted roots to shoot out toward the empress. Sable didn't notice as she marched toward her friend, quickly ensnared by the roots and forcibly trapped inside the cocoon it formed into.

With the duel over, Mistmane stared at the cage of roots, feeling guilty for causing her friend to turn this way. It wasn't her intention to make Sable Spirit jealous. She had to fix this: her home, her friends and family's lives, and Sable Spirit's appearance after her botched attempt to be as beautiful as her. The cloaked stallion watched curiously as she took the flower Sable took from the colt, then headed out into town with him following after her.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Making things right, and showing my friend what true beauty really is." Mistmane planted the flower in the ground, and sparking her horn to life, she cast a spell on it, pouring her magic in that one flower.

In an instant, more flowers began to bloom, spreading out through all of the village along with a blinding light. The stallion shielded his eyes, catching a glimpse of Mistmane's face slowly aging before he was blinded. As the light washed over everything, the town had returned to its colorful and vibrant self in mere moments where it would take months or years for it to return to normal. It even affected the palace, more specifically in the throne room. The roots flashed brightly from inside, then slowly wilted away, freeing Sable Spirit as she stepped out, confused at first before expressing shock when she looked at her hoof.

When the light faded, the stallion peeked beyond his raised foreleg, letting out a gasp when he saw Mistmane now. Her sacrificing her own beauty caused her to age to an elderly mare, her smooth skin now wrinkled and her fur and hair were a slightly darker shade.

"...Whoa," he uttered, surprised by the amount of magic the young, or rather old, sorceress had. Mistmane looked at him, barely exhausted from using such a spell, not even the least bit disappointed giving up her beauty to save her home. "...Well, at least now you don't have to worry about someone like me trying to hit on you now."

Mistmane chuckled with amusement, but unlike Sable Spirit, her voice had also changed to that of an elderly mare's too. "At least it would get you to stop," she said.

"M-Mistmane?" The duo turned to see Sable Spirit, now back to her real, youthful self as she stepped out of her palace. Her original fur and hair were a bright orange and two shades of striped fuchsia respectively. "Did...Did you do all this? And...m-my youth...?" The sorceress nodded her head, making the empress choke up, struck with disbelief after how awfully she treated everyone. "B-But...I was so cruel to you, and everypony else...I-I don't-"

Mistmane interrupted Sable, shocking her with a hug. Sable Spirit's voice caught in her throat with a whimper, accepting her friend's embrace and hugged back, shedding tears, undeserving of her forgiveness, nor her sacrificing her own beauty to bring hers back. With everything back to the way things were, Sable Spirit promised Mistmane she would follow in her example, making it up to the ponies she wrongfully overworked and mistreated from her jealous tendencies. After seeing there was no ill will from their friends and her friend ruled with kindness and compassion, Mistmane made her leave, her new friend accompanying her before the two went on their separate ways.

"So, what are you going to do now?" the stallion asked. "Gonna go back to your studies?"

"After what had happened today, I decided to go on a journey across Equestria and spread beauty throughout the land," she said. "Helping bring it back to places where nature cannot revive it alone. I have learned much in my studies, so going back won't be worth much to me anymore."

"I see." The two stared at each other, confusing Mistmane as she tilted her head curiously. "You know, they saw that real beauty comes from within. Outside appearances are one thing, but it's really what's on the inside that counts. That was a great sacrifice you made, and despite looking like an old mare, you still have a beauty inside you that no one else can match."

Mistmane blushed, but grinned, nodding in agreement with his beliefs. "You know, you never told me your name," Mistmane said. "Still rude, you know."

"Heheheh...You're right. My name..." He paused, humming in thought as if he was trying to remember his name. "...You can just call me...Master of Masters." Mistmane raised a brow, unamused at the avoided response he gave. The stallion chuckled sheepishly, rubbing his head awkwardly. "I know. It's odd. But, like with my occupation, I'd like to keep my true name a secret, too. So, berate me, tie me up in a thorn bush for being such a-"

Mistmane approached the stallion as he rambled, immediately silencing him with a peck on the cheek. "You're quite an odd stallion, but it was nice of you to help me," she said. "Thank you, 'Masters'."

She headed on her way to spread beauty throughout Equestria, leaving the Master of Masters stiffly waving to her. "...I'll...be seeing you," he uttered before wobbly melting to the ground, a dopey grin hidden in the shadow of his hood.

---

"And any time you go out of your way to brighten somepony's day by doing something like giving them flowers, you're following in the hoofsteps of Mistmane," Rarity said, ending the legend of Mistmane to the others.

"Gawrsh. Someone making such a big sacrifice like that to help a whole lot of ponies," Goofy said in awe.

"Reminds me of a certain moron who almost made it permanent when he did his own kind of sacrifice," Donald said, giving Sora a look.

"Hey, I thought it was a good idea," Sora argued, giving a sheepish giggle.

"I actually liked that legend," Sweetie Belle said. "I think it's my favorite one, too."

Sweetie Belle huddled up to Rarity and hugged her, but the moment was ruined when a spray of webbing flew into the cave, landing on the campfire and put out the fire. Everyone quickly turned to the mouth of the cave, the swarm of flyders done eating up the camp and began flying toward their next meal, the ponies, diamond dog, griffon, and cricket they harrassed earlier. Scootaloo screamed in terror while the others were shocked to see such a dangerous swarm being this aggressive.

"These flyders just don't quit!" Rainbow said. "What do they want from us now!?"

"Like it or not, we're food to them, too," Applejack stated.

"I don't know if the strongest brand of bug spray can get rid of them," Sora said. "I bet they'd eat it for dessert after getting a better taste of pony flesh."

"They're getting closer!" Scootaloo exclaimed, then quickly hid behind Donald, pushing the mage over to the incoming swarm. "Eat Donald! He's more juicy than me!"

"Hey, what's the big idea!?" Donald squawked angrily.

"I've got this!" Rainbow flew up to the ceiling near the entrance of their new campsite, kicking it hard and causing a cave in, blocking the entrance along with their exit with fallen rocks. Feeling proud of her accomplishment, Rainbow turned to expect several thanks, only to be given several unamused leers and an even more freaked out Scootaloo. "What? They can't get us now."

"Yeah, and we can't get out either," Sora pointed out.

Scootaloo began hyperventilating and screaming, running to the rubble as she tried to find a loose enough rock to pull out and squeeze through the tiny hole. "How are we gonna get out of here!?" she asked, breathing heavily, scared out of her mind.

"Scootaloo, calm down." Sora quickly flew over to the pegasus filly, picking her up while trying to calm her down, settling down back around the doused out campfire. He cast Fire, reigniting the wood and lighting up the cave again. "I can bust us out of that cave in, no sweat. We just have to wait for those flyders to get bored and find something else to munch on. But I would have seconded using Donald as bait so we could escape."

"HEY!" Donald shrieked, though his joke didn't seem to help relax Scootaloo any.

"B-But how long are we going to wait in here!?" she asked, looking around nervously and shook like a leaf. "Don't bears live in caves!? What if it's an ursa major's cave!?"

"Relax, squirt. You gotta get your mind off the creepy stuff definitely not going to happen," Rainbow said.

"L-L-Like what?" she asked.

"How about another story?" Rainbow suggested.

"Let me guess. It's about you?" Applejack asked, seeing how egotistical the prismatic pegasus was about to boast about telling a far better story than the last two.

"Practically. It's about MY favorite legend, Flash Magnus!" Rainbow said.

"There sure are a lot of legends out there in Equestria," Jiminy noted. "I may need to look around the library and see what other famous figures there were that had stories of their greatest triumphs."

"Wait, isn't Flash Magnus the pony who took on the dragons?" Apple Bloom asked curiously.

"D-Dragons!?" Scootaloo squeaked, gulping nervously. "Big, s-scary, mean ones or like Spike?"

"Oh, these were DEFINITELY the big, scary, mean kind!" Scootaloo whimpered, zipping off to Sora, then crawled up in his shirt and hid behind it like a blanket while shivering against his chest. As cute as that looked, Sora glared at Rainbow Dash, slowly shaking his head for causing their little sister to panic more. "...Uhh, but not too scary?"

"Dumb down the scary parts, Rainbow," he warned. "Or tell a different story."

"Fine," Rainbow huffed, muttering a little to herself for taking out the best part of her favorite legend's story, but she didn't want to frighten Scootaloo again like their last camping trip. "A long time ago, before the Wonderbolts were even founded, Flash Magnus was a lowly cadet in the Royal Legion. The Legion needed to fly over the Dragon Lands to get to their comrades on the other side..."

---

Flying over the vast ocean, a group of pegasi in armor soared across the sky, heading east to reach their battalion's location. Their armor was similar to the kind used by the pegasi before the Hearth's Warming event, only with a bit less protection, the helmets sporting a pair of wings at the top near the mane of the headgear, and the pegasi had only one hoof guantlet worn on their front left hoof. In the center of the group was the stallion recruit in the tale, grinning confidently while flying with his squad. Flash Magnus had a bright amber coat, dark red mane and tail, and the cutie mark underneath his armor was a feather over a sideways bolt of lightning.

Even though Flash Magnus was a recruit, he felt like he was ready to take on the world as a soldier of Equestria's military, along with a couple of his friends from basic in the same squadron. The pegasi reached the Dragon Lands, flying through heavy clouds of smoke coming from the volcanoes in the dangerous territory.

"Curse this smoke!" the commander of the squad exclaimed. "Can't see a thing! Everypony, blow away the smoke together so we can get our bearings!" Following their leader's order, the pegasi flapped their wings hard and blew away the thick smoke. A big mistake as they had unveiled the worst kind of threat hiding within: two dragons loomed over them, one of them being the former dragon lord and Ember's father, Torch, and a green dragon. The ponies looked up, startled by their presence as they blew flames from their maws. "RETREAT!!!"

The pegasi scattered, avoiding the dragons' fire, claws, and tails as they attacked their prey. Flash Magnus was far more agile than his comrades, even with his armor weighing him down slightly. He saved one of his friends from getting sideswiped by the green dragon's tail, but failed to when a massive green claw lunged out from the smoke beneath them, narrowly avoiding it while his friend got caught in its grasp. Flash searched around desperately to find him, unable to see through the thick smoke. When he heard two of his comrades crying out for help, he turned to see the two dragons with both of his friends. Not willing to leave them or lose them to the monstrous creatures' stomachs, he tried to fly off to save them, only for his commanding officer to grab him and force him to retreat. Flash watched the dragons flee with their next victims, the smoke clearing away to reveal their cave nearby as the recruit was helplessly brought back down to regroup with the others.

"Commander Ironhead, we need to rescue our comrades!" Flash said.

"I appreciate your loyalty, Flash Magnus, but getting past those dragons is going to be impossible," Commander Ironhead said. "Not one pony is capable to taking down a fully grown dragon and lived to tell the tale."

"But they'll die if we don't do something!" Flash argued.

"It's too late for them, Flash," one of the other soldiers said. "Forget it. We'll all meet our end if we confront them."

"HEY, DRAGONBREATH!!!!" The pegasi winced, hearing someone shouting in the distance. Climbing up on a rocky ridge, they saw what looked like a stallion, but the black coat he wore concealed every feature of him, making his kind of pony unknown along with his fur and hair. "Come out, you big sissy! You think you can steal something from me and hide like a pansy!? I've been looking for that rock for a long time, and I'll make sure your death is PAINFUL when I take it back from your cold, heartless-!"

Commander Ironhead quickly flew toward the crazy adventurer, snatching him from the cliff and tossed him down to ground level before pinning the lunatic. "Who the hay are you!? And keep your voice down! We're in dragon territory, you idiot!"

"Well, if this is how you treat your first dates, I suggest you make sure the landing is on something soft," the stallion joked. "And of course I know where I am. I'm hunting a dragon who took away an important jewel I was searching for."

"And you're mad enough to call one of those monsters out to get back one stupid gem!?" Ironhead hissed. "Dragons hoard gems! Why would you try to steal something from them!? Do you have a death wish or something!?"

Through the shadow under his hood, the stallion blinked, then slowly began to giggle, which turned into an amused, uproarious chuckle. Unnerved by the mystery pony, Ironhead backed away, thinking he's completely lost his mind and could be a threat if he tried attacking him or his troops.

"Y-You thought that...THOSE dragons!?" the stallion said through his laughter, only to burst out laughing while trying to stand, falling on his back while kicking his legs in the air. The battalion looked at each other nervously as the stallion's laughter began to die down, getting back up while panting heavily. "H-Hold on. I haven't laughed that hard since I was a little girl. Thank you." Taking in a few deep breaths, letting out all his giggles, he turned to face the commander with a deadpanned gaze. "Buddy, you have no idea what kind of dragon I'M hunting. Sideswiped me and did a hit and run while stealing a diamond far more priceless than you can ever imagine."

"Worse than the two that captured our comrades?" Flash Magnus asked.

"Like it can tear your heart out from your chest and devour it in the black, empty void that's called its stomach," the adventurer explained. He turned to face Flash, but unlike the others who cringed at the thought, the recruit wasn't deterred in the slightest. Smirking, he approached the brave pegasus, getting a closer look as Flash watched him study him. "...You look like you've got an itch for action. And a greenhorn, no doubt."

"You know I'm new to the army?" Flash asked.

"Written all over your face, kid," the stallion said. "You want to save your friends, right?"

"I'm not going to leave any of my comrades behind, even if it kills me, too," the young stallion said, his tone filled with confidence, not cockiness.

"Then let's go save them!" Ironhead balked, watching this stranger take his youngest recruit in his squad with his foreleg draped over his withers, guiding him toward the hill.

"Now hold on a second!" Ironhead stepped in front of their path, standing defiantly against the insane pony they just met. "If you think you can just take one of my soldiers, let alone a recruit, to do something suicidal, I'll make sure you suffer
a life sentence behind bars for upholding my authority over my own troops!"

"And losing two recruits already in the clutches of two dragons is worse than one who has the potential to not only save said recruits, but also fly circles around two massive, fire-breathing behemoths?" the stallion asked. Before Ironhead could protest further, the cloaked pony pulled out a letter from his pocket, waving it in front of the commander's face. "Maybe this will help convince you otherwise, and maybe have a little faith in a future hero."

Ironhead grumbled, snatching the letter from the stallion. When he looked at the insignia on the front, his eyes widened in shock, quickly opening the envelope and read the letter it held. His jaw dropped, staring at the stallion after skimming through it, who he could tell was giving him a smug grin, relishing the expressions on his face.

"...H-How do you know-?" The stallion swiped the letter back and stuffed it back in his pocket, getting the clearance he needed from the commanding officer.

"That's a story for another day," he answered vaguely, which made the others curious about who wrote that letter. "So, sport, you got an idea that can help save your friends?"

"I think I know what will work," Flash Magnus said. "We might not be able to overpower a dragon, let alone two, but I think I can outfly them. If I lure them out of the cave, you and my squad can sneak into their lair and retrieve our friends before they return."

"A bold move...but I love it!" the stallion cheered, pulling Magnus into a tighter embrace, encouraging the pegasus.

"Flash...Are you...willing to take that chance?" Ironhead questioned, still in disagreement with this mysterious stallion, who somehow has far more authority than he does.

"I am, sir," Flash said without hesitation, giving his leader a salute.

Ironhead grimaced, but he admired Flash's bravery. Any recruit fresh out of basic training would easily crumble under the pressure, but not Flash Magnus. It was like he was born to be a soldier, acting without hesitance and wanting every single soldier he works alongside to come back home safe and sound. Ironhead reached behind his back, pulling out a small bronze kite shield, both sides with circular indents curving the defensive guard. Etched on the front of the shield was a diamond star with a pair of wings and twin tails spread out.

"Then you're going to need all the help you'll get," he said, offering the shield to Flash.

"Is that...Netitus, the fireproof shield?" the recruit asked in awe.

"It has protected Legion heroes for generations. And today, I can't think of a worthier flank for Netitus to protect." Flash's jaw hung open, shock turning to pride as he accepted the shield. He attached the Netitus to his hoof, feeling quite honored to hold this legendary shield. "Good luck, soldier," Ironhead said, saluting to Flash Magnus along with the other soldiers as he returned the salute.

"Alright, men, let's save us some hostages!" the cloaked stallion cheered.

Flash nodded, flying ahead while the others headed over to a good enough spot to hide and rescue the captured recruits. Hovering before the mouth of the two dragons' den, Flash Magnus banged his hoof against the Netitus to get their attention.

"Hey, fire-breath! Come and get me!" he mocked, continuing banging on his new shield. "Fresh meat for the taking! If you think you can catch me!"

Torch leered at the stallion from inside his den, blowing a powerful blast of flames at him. Flash held up his shield, protecting him from the searing heat. Amazed at how powerful the Netitus was, Flash Magnus continued taunting the dragons, getting them agitated enough to leave their cave to shut the pegasus up once and for all. Once both dragons flew out and went after Flash, Ironhead and his soldiers flew in the cave to save their comrades. The stallion was about to help, only to hear a different roar in the distance that didn't come from the two dragons chasing Flash Magnus.

Looking out in the distance, there was another dragon, but this one was the one he had been searching for. It was more like a massive wyvern, its body brown with a tan underbelly, its shoulders, feet, and tip of its tail black, orange talons and spikes on its feet and tail respectively, and despite its massive size, its small wings were able to help it fly across the horizon. On its chest was the symbol of a Heartless, far more dangerous than the dragons Flash Magnus was leading away. Growling, he held up his hoof, summoning his weapon, getting the wyvern's attention as it sensed a bane to its life.

"Found you, you sneaky, slithering, stealing sack of a salamander," he uttered to himself. Watching it fly closer to the Dragon Lands, he waved his blade around as if taunting the Heartless. "That's it, Dustflier. Come to papa." The Heartless let out a roar, getting close enough for the stallion. Looking up at the top of the dragons' den, he dashed toward a spire on the mountainous cavern's peak, leaving behind a trail of light behind him as he reached the top, then pushed off toward the wyvern at blinding speed. "Open wide and say, 'AHHH!!!!'"

One swift and hard strike in the head caused the Heartless to screech in agony, the impact sending the cloaked stallion soaring high in the sky. Flipping around, he dove back down, avoiding fireballs the wyvern shot out of its mouth, landing on its back with another hard slam from his blade. The Heartless roared and flew off, twisting its body and doing quick somersaults to throw the stallion off. He wasn't going to let go and either get flung in the air or fall into the water below, stabbing his weapon in the Heartless's back repeatedly.

Flash panted, weaving around the fire-breathing dragons, using his shield to block the flames aimed at him. "Come on! Is that all you got!?" he taunted. "My grandmare can spit more accurately than you two!" As he flew up, the green dragon noticed the wyvern out in the distance thrashing about. Its temporary cease on catching the pegasus gave the Heartless plenty of time for it to notice the second air battle going on. Flash heard the wyvern let out a shriek, turning to see it and gasp at what it looked like. "Is that the other dragon that pony was talking about?"

The hooded pony noticed his prey stop and let out a cry, seeing what it did and let out a gulp. "Uh oh. Not good." The wyvern thrashed some more, then sped off toward the two dragons. "Hey! No! Bad dragon! Focus on me, the one with the weapon that'll kill you! STOP! HEEL! DESIST! FREEZE! ANYWHERE BUT-!" While his protests failed, the Dustflier managed to loosen the stallion's grip, then with a harsh flip, sent him flying toward Torch, the green dragon, and Flash Magnus. "-THEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRREEEEE!!!!!"

Flipping wildly, he was headed toward Torch, who opened his mouth, ready to eat the flailing stallion. Flash quickly swooped down, catching his ally before the menacing dragon chomped down on him. Flying at a far enough distance, both stallions watched as the two dragons fought the Heartless wyvern, flames and fireballs launching at each other as claws were swung and the Dustflier rapidly spinning while charging through the two beasts, injuring them more than anything else could.

"What is that thing?" Flash asked, feeling nervous seeing such a monster. "That dragon...It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen."

"I need to kill that thing before it takes those dragons' hearts," the stallion said.

"What does that mean!?" Flash questioned.

"Trust me, something that has THAT emblem, you should NEVER face unless you have the right weapon to slay them." The pegasus looked at his ally's hoof, curious about the odd design of such a sword, but wondered where it came from when he didn't have it on him when they first met. While looking down, Flash Magnus noticed his battalion succeeded in rescuing their captured comrades. He flew down to regroup with them, the cloaked stallion landing and quickly turning to see the dragons fighting. "This isn't good. That Dustflier is the toughest of all the wyverns I've faced. If that kills those two dragons, then we might see two more of them after it takes their hearts!"

"Is that some sort of cursed beast or something!?" Ironhead asked.

"Worse." The ponies watched as the two dragons were quickly knocked out of the sky, both of them crashing to the ground with an earth-shaking thud. Quickly raising his blade, the mysterious warrior fired a barrage of Blizzard spells to get the Dustflier's attention. The pegasi ignored the fact he could use magic as the wyvern shrieked, now focused back on the stallion with the key-shaped sword. While thinking of a quicker, more powerful way of ending the Heartless, the stallion noticed the storm clouds floating around the area. "I've got an idea. Kid, how much lightning can you tolerate?"

"Why?" the recruit asked. The stallion whispered his plan to Flash Magnus's ear, which perked up before facing him with a determined smirk. "You kidding? I eat that for breakfast!"

"That's the kind of spirit I was expecting!" The stallion turned to the other pegasi. "Commander, you and your men gather up a ton of storm clouds and surround Flash and the Dustflier! I'll finish it off once it's been cooked and fried with lightning!"

"Understood!" Ironhead said with a nod. "You heard the stallion! Gather those clouds!"

"YES, SIR!" the soldiers obeyed, all the pegasi flying off with Flash Magnus heading straight for the wyvern.

"Just keep your distance and use that shield to bounce off its fireballs!" the stallion called out.

Flash heard him, zooming around the Heartless to get its attention. His speed outmatched that of the Dustflier's, avoiding its tail and flurry of kicks, and thanks to the Netitus, it was able to deflect the Heartless's fireballs, keeping him safe from getting burned by the powerful orbs. While keeping it distracted, Ironhead and his battalion collected the storm clouds and packed them together, trapping both the recruit and wyvern in the electrical storm ready to discharge at any moment. Once they were fully concealed, Ironhead looked down at the stallion, wondering what he was going to do from the ground.

"Are you sure this will work!?" the commander exclaimed.

"Oh, it's gonna work! Just stay back!" Standing on his hind legs with both hooves holding his weapon, the stallion grunted, building up magical energy as his blade began to spark and crackle with electricity. Through the thunder rolling in the cloud, they could see silhouettes of Flash and the Dustflier in the brief flashes of light, the other pegasi worried about the well-being of the young recruit. After building enough energy, the stallion thrust his blade high into the air. "THUNDAZA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

From the heavens above the mass of storm clouds, a large ring of light appeared and began to shrink, pinpointing down to the dark clouds the stallion aimed for. Once the ring created a point on the cloud, a massive bolt of lightning shot down faster than the speed of light, creating a blinding flash and zapped the cage of storm clouds. The lightning bolt supercharged the clouds, unleashing a volley of dangerous lightning bolts inside, shocking the wyvern and pegasus inside repeatedly. Flash Magnus was shot out after one bolt, flying toward his comrades, who quickly caught him, still miraculously alive, but greatly singed. The Heartless wasn't so lucky, still getting zapped until the clouds couldn't handle the overcharging they got.

The wyvern was paralyzed in midair, its body twitching as electricity surged all throughout every limb. The pegasi were stunned by what this strange stallion was capable of with magic that powerful to rival that of Star Swirl the Bearded. Seeing the Heartless wasn't done yet, the cloaked warrior dashed toward it, bouncing off of any remaining bits of storm cloud that got scattered at an incredible speed. With one final slash running through the Heartless, the wyvern let out one last cry before it twitched and began falling, releasing a massive heart from the emblem on its chest as it faded away. From its insides after being slain, a gem began falling to the ground, which the stallion dive-bombed down to catch it, landing safely with his treasure returned. Holding up the diamond, he checked to see if it was eroded by the Heartless's intestines or cracked in any way, its solid form translucent in the small amount of sunlight peeking through the thick smoke in the Dragon Lands' air.

Seeing it was still in pristine form, he pocketed the very valuable gem in his pocket, then raced back to regroup with the Royal Legion. Flash Magnus was awake after getting knocked out by the powerful lightning strikes, his fellow soldiers cheering for his tenacity and courage. The hooded stallion watched as Flash tried to return the shield back to the commander, but Ironhead refused, letting him keep it, then gave the brave recruit another salute. After such a terrifying and exhausting event, the Royal Legion battalion continued on their way to their destination.

"Quite a shocking finale," the stallion said to himself, letting out a chuckle at the pun he made.

---

A week after the incident in the Dragon Lands, Flash Magnus polished the Netitus in the barracks. Word of his courage spread throughout the different military factions in Equestria, hailing him as a hero, and even being promoted to First Lieutenant. At this rate, he could be a commander within a few short years.

"How's it going, hero?" Looking up, Flash saw the same stallion he met that very same day standing in the doorway.

"It's you," he said. Gently placed the Netitus down on his bed before getting up to greet the pony who helped him and his friends. "I almost forgot about you when we left."

"Ouch. You wound my heart," the stallion said, acting dramatic while expressing his sarcasm.

"I was mostly wondering what happened to you when you didn't follow us or leave the Dragon Lands," Flash rephrased. "Did you get back your treasure that strange dragon stole from you?"

"Yup, back with me where it belongs," the stallion said. "Just came by to congratulate you on your promotion."

"Thanks," Flash said. Just as his new friend was about to leave, the pegasus stopped him, though the hooded warrior rolled his eyes, taking a wild guess as to what the soldier was going to ask him. "By the way, I never got your name."

"Of course...Just call me Master of Masters," the stallion said.

"'Master of Masters', huh? Quite an odd name, but if fits after seeing you wield the strength of an earth pony, unicorn, and pegasus against that dragon," Flash said. "But...what kind of pony are you?"

Letting out a hum, the Master of Masters lifted his forelegs and stood in a thinking pose, tapping the side of his head while deep in thought. "...You know...? I'm not really sure myself," he said. Flash wilted, wondering how this stallion thinks, or even if he wants to give a straight answer. "Well, we'll meet each other again. Maybe then, I'll finally figure out what the answer is." The stallion chuckled, leaving Flash confused as he made his leave. "The world's gonna need someone with your courage, Mr. Magnus..." He pulled out the special diamond, examining it with a grin. "And they'll have another later on in the future..."

---

Even though Scootaloo hid under Sora's shirt, she comically poked her head out from under his chin while listening to the Flash Magnus's legend. She did eventually climb out, despite the amusement on the stallion's grin as she acted like a small puppy, which only made the future daredevil look more cute than fearless.

"Wow. I did like that ending," she said.

"I told ya, squirt!" Rainbow said, giving the filly a noogie. "He always inspired me to be my brave and awesome self."

"No wonder you act so cocky all the time," Applejack teased.

"At least Flash Magnus thought of a plan before charging headfirst toward a dragon," Rarity added. "Like when we had to make that one dragon leave Ponyville so his snoring didn't fill the air with his smoke."

"Well, nothing you guys were doing worked, so action had to be taken!" Rainbow reasoned. "Besides, you were more interested in that dragon's hoard to even try kicking him out of that cave."

Rarity frowned and grumbled, feeling embarrassed for deterring from Twilight's plan with her "persuasive" talents. As they sat in silence, they didn't hear the sound of tiny wings buzzing beyond the cave in, just their breathing and the crackling fire.

"I don't think I hear them flyders anymore," Goofy said.

"Good riddance," Donald said. "Let's get out of here."

Sora approached the cave in, summoning his Keyblade, then struck the rocks out of the way. Just as he managed to breach through, the ceiling under him began to collapse, forcing him to jump back as the blockade was rebuilt.

"Well, that's not going to work unless we want to get crushed by a collapsing cave," Sora said. "We might have to try to find another exit."

"Y-You mean...g-go further in the s-spooky, dark cave!?" Scootaloo asked, panicking as she stared further down the dark cavern.

"Scootaloo, just remember the story," Rainbow said. "Gotta be brave like me and Flash Magnus."

Reassuring Scootaloo more, Rainbow hugged the filly, which Scootaloo gratefully returned. "And like me, right?" Sora added enviously.

"Well, obviously you too, Sora," Scootaloo said, hugging her older brother.

Sora grinned, patting Scootaloo's head. Leaving the campfire behind, everyone headed further through the cave, Rarity leading the way with her horn glowing to add some light. Scootaloo stuck close to Rainbow and Sora, feeling much safer with them by her side, looking around nervously for any dangerous creatures that might be sleeping deeper in the cave. After a bit of walking, the ponies' ears perked up when they heard something further down.

"That sounds like running water," Jiminy said. Up ahead, they found a river flowing through the cave. "If we follow the stream, we just might be able to find our exit."

"A-Are you sure it'll lead to an exit?" Scootaloo asked nervously.

"Only one way to find out," Goofy said.

"Let's all jump in on three," Rarity said and began counting down. "One, two-"

"THREE!" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle simultaneously shouted, both fillies jumping into the water and let the river carry them downstream.

"Well, ya didn't say together," Applejack said with a chuckle, then jumped right in, holding onto her hat while floating behind the other two crusaders.

Rarity followed after, then Donald, Goofy, Sora, and Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo following behind, Rainbow floating lazily while Scootaloo sat on her abdomen, using her as a raft. The water began to pick up speed, the tunnel making it feel like a water slide at a theme park, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's whooping and hollering echoing throughout the cave. After sliding down some twists and turns, they made it out and passed through a waterfall outside, dropping safely into the lake below. They fell out in pairs, but Sora and Rainbow hovered over the water, Scootaloo being carried by Rainbow Dash as they met with the others on the shore. And as luck would have it, they ended up at their destination faster than they expected: Winsome Falls.

"Well, would you look at that? That cave had a shortcut to Winsome Falls," Sora said.

"This place sure is purdy," Goofy said, giving his signature chuckle as he and Donald took in the sights.

"This place has never looked anymore beautiful," Scootaloo said, relieved to finally be out of that cave for the last couple hours.

"Well, almost." Rarity gathered some flowers and vines hanging in the nearby trees, creating wreaths and placed them on the Crusaders' heads.

"So much for a fun campin' trip," Applejack said. "Sorry about it wasn't what y'all hoped it to be."

"Are ya kiddin'!? This trip was awesome!" Apple Bloom cheered, her friends agreeing with her.

"It was?" Rarity asked. "I thought it was a disaster when those flyders attacked us."

"But we got to hear legendary stories and go on an adventure," Sweetie Belle said.

Confused, Rarity and Applejack looked at Donald and Goofy, both of Sora's close friends not even the least bit dissuaded by the terrible camping experience. "We've been through a whole lot worse on just a regular trip through a world than a swarm of flying spider bugs," Goofy said. "Disaster always comes to us when we help, too."

"Mostly to Sora," Donald said with a snicker.

"Hey, that's not true!" Sora complained.

"It kinda did when Heartless decided to find you when you first got here," Rainbow mentioned, proving Donald right as Sora stammered, unable to come up with an argument.

Everyone laughed at the flustered stallion as he let out a sigh. "Do I really cause trouble wherever I go?"

"Yes," Donald, Goofy, and even Jiminy said, which only made the fillies laugh more.

Sora wilted, hanging his head with yet another sigh. After poking fun at him some more, the Crusaders talked about what they can do for a real camping experience now that they were at Winsome Falls. Seeing they wanted to stay, Applejack, Rainbow, and Rarity helped set up a new camp with what they can scavenge around the falls. Sora, Donald, and Goofy stuck around as well, helping make a new shelter set up under one of the tall trees.

"Hey, Sora, do you know any legends?" Scootaloo asked curiously.

"Legends...Hmm..." Sora tried to think of any he knew of, but there weren't many stories he recalled while growing up back home. "...Well, I don't know of any legendary heroes from Destiny Islands, but I do know heroes that became legends in other worlds."

"Cool! Like who!?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Oh, there's plenty," Sora said. Once their new campsite was set up, the fillies sat around their new campfire, eagerly listening to the next story. "Let's start with a woman named Mulan, a woman who impersonated a male soldier and saved her empire from a warmonger named Shan Yu. With our help, of course..."

---

In an expansive study at the top of the massive clock tower overlooking the town, the Master of Masters hunched over his desk as he worked on a very important project. He hummed a little tune, his desk littered with all sorts of gem cutting tools, which sat on pages of different nonsensical notes he wrote himself. Despite being known as THE master of the Keyblade, he's not considered to be the responsible, focused, and wise man others believed him to be. He may have his serious moments, but most of the time, he behaves like a huge man-child, fooling around and telling jokes, and doesn't bat an eye when Heartless threaten to attack the huge town.

"And just a little bit more off the top," he mumbled to himself, carefully using a specific gem carving knife in one hand while holding the translucent diamond in the other. "...There we go." Slowly turning the gem around, carved out in a heart shape, he nodded in approval at his craft. Grabbing a box nearby, he gently paced the special gem inside, making sure it was comfortable and safe, giving it a light pat before closing it for safekeeping. "The perfect gift for the brave warrior to give his beautiful princess." Standing up from his chair, cracking his back after sitting awkwardly while working on the gem, he took the box and hid it on a bookshelf. When he returned to his desk, he moved around a few papers before finding a specific list, taking a quill and checking off one of the names written on it. "That's three down, and only two more left to find before returning to ol' beardy with his kingdom's future protectors."

Hearing the door to his study open, the Master of Masters quickly stuffed his list in his pocket. "Permission to enter, master?"

Turning around, he was met with another of his apprentices: a young woman who wore a similar style of robe Ira wears, but the tassels on her robe were turquoise along with the tied ribbon on her cloak, her hood concealing most of her head aside from her mouth as she wore a pale blue snake mask, the tail draping down the left side of her face like a set of bangs despite her hair being concealed. "Invi, my dear. How's your faction coming along?"

"Uhh...everyone is...doing fine," Invi said. "But you've been gone for some time...Again."

"Aww, come on. Do I look like I need a babysitter?" the man asked jokingly. "I'm a big boy. I can handle myself while going off on my own adventures."

"I mean no offense, master, but you should let us know where you run off to," Invi reiterated, trying not to insult her teacher's age with his skills as a Keyblade wielder.

Sighing in defeat, he approached the young woman, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Ok. You win. I promise I'll warn you guys if I have to be somewhere for a little fun. Will that ease the worry in your bones?" Invi nodded her head sheepishly. "Good...And, speaking of, I gotta run some errands. I'll be back...whenever I decide to come back."

"O-Ok, master," Invi said.

The Master of Masters patted the young woman's shoulder, the made his leave and began heading downstairs. He greeted Ira and his other apprentices as he walked past them, the other three being one young man and a teenage boy and girl. The other man's outfit was tan and light brown with black embroidering and gold tassels while wearing a dark gray bear mask, named Aced. The teenage boy's outfit was a pale yellow and yellowish-tan with dark gray embroidering and light blue tassels while wearing a white leopard mask, named Gula. And the teenage girl's outfit was a pink cloak, a light purple shirt and sash, and white robe with light green tassels while wearing a white fox mask, named Ava. While his apprentices wondered where he was going, at the bottom of the stairwell, the Master of Masters was met with the last of his apprentices, wearing a similar black coat like his that concealed any physical features.

"Going off to this 'Equestria' again?" the apprentice asked.

"Just to do a few more 'errands', but it's just a couple more," the man said. "Why don't you join me, Luxu? I can assure you it's a fun place to be at."

"I think I'll pass," Luxu said.

The master shrugged and continued on his way. "Suit yourself," he said. As soon as he left the clock tower, he strolled down the road, walking past other Keyblade wielders chatting with each other. "But you'll definitely be there, Luxu. Maybe not soon, but you will..."

Comments

[shining paladin]

awesome chapter keep up the good work what epsiode is next cant wait for mlp movie and season 8 and 9

[zachary12]

nice work

[Megaskullmon]

Ooo nice way to handle the books and that episode that a lot of people got insulted by.

[MagicLover2128]

Aw man, can’t wait for the Rest of the Pillar’s to show up.

[everydaygamer]

Really doubling down on MoM despite the fact that he seems to be being built up as the next big bad in the actual series. But I suppose it can't really be helped if that's how you planned it out.

[RainbowAnime]

Can't wait for see the next chapter!

[Sora Hikari]

I can't wait for your story to hit #3 in Longest Story category!

[TheFVguy]

I really love your take of the master here. I mean, he pretty much knows everything that's about to happen, even his death and the complete restructuring of the KH universe. He's pretty much the chess player, setting up the events of which to come. So yeah, it's pretty safe to say he also turned Sombra into who he is today.
Overall, this was a pretty decent chapter, loved the characterization of the Master and sets up the upcoming season finale.

Also, what the fuck was in that letter.

[Ashtorn]

"Ye can barely lift a small ax without so much as strainin' yer back, laddie," another said. "If ye wanna be like all of us, yer gonna have to work on...this," he added, waving his hoof to all of Rockhoof's scrawny body. "...Ye just gestured to all of me," Rockhoof pointed out dejectedly.

Nice reference to a good Dreamworks movie.
Also, props to you for making this series over the past 4 years, they are great!

[John steffens II]

Can't wait for the next episode

[SharpNote the FABULOUS]

"What in the world-?" Rockhoof gasped, his voice sounding much different as well with his deeper tone than his older self's more high-pitched version. "What happened to me?"

usually previous means younger