My Little Pony: Sora's Misadventures in Equestria

by Codex92

The Maud Couple

It had been a couple days since Aqua's Keyblade academy had officially opened up. So far, the training for the Young Six went well, though training with the light orbs made it only seem hilarious when Gallus didn't pay attention and got smacked upside the head by the harmless targets. The rest of their training went by smoothly as they practiced their own styles, getting some tips from the other wielders to avoid simply flailing their blades and anticipate their enemies' movements to strike at the right moment.

After training ended for the day, Aqua sat in the throne room, mulling over the Black Box Luxord informed her about. She stared at the card with the chest, tapping it gently against the crystal table. While figuring out where the chest might be hidden, she was unaware of a tuft of pink, curly hair poking out from the doorway. Pinkie slowly peeked inside with a grin, then silently slithered along the ground like a snake toward the unicorn mare. Once she was behind Aqua, Pinkie got up on her hind legs, quietly inhaling a big gulp of air with her hooves rising over her.

"Hi, Pinkie," Aqua said.

Pinkie puffed out her cheeks in surprise, blowing out a disappointed raspberry, then bounced onto the table. "Aww! How'd you know it was me!?" she asked.

"The smell of strawberry cotton candy and vanilla frosting," Aqua said, putting the card down and looked up at the awestruck mare. "What do you need?"

"...Are you busy tonight?" Pinkie asked curiously.

"Not really. Why?" Aqua asked.

"Because Pinkie wanted to know if you wanted to join us at the comedy club tonight." Aqua yelped and leapt away from the voice behind her.

Turning around, she was startled by Maud, barely hearing the emotionless earth pony come in after Pinkie. "Oh. Maud, you startled me," Aqua sighed.

"Aww! Maud got you, but you knew I was behind you!?" Pinkie whined with a pout, but forgot about her failed attempt and grinned at Aqua. "So, do you wanna come with us?"

"Uhh...To a comedy club?" Aqua asked. "I...can't say I've been to one. I guess I could use a bit of a break. Is it just going to be us three?"

"We asked the others, but Terra and Venny were the only ones free tonight," Pinkie said. "They're meeting us there, but to complete the trifecta, I wanted to ask you!"

Aqua looked at Maud curiously. She knew Pinkie would have enjoyed a comedy club, hearing all sorts of jokes from random stand-up comics, but Maud going was a little baffling. She figured a poetry club was more the blank earth pony's taste. But after knowing Maud for a while, she's got a lot more personality to her than someone who's more expressive than Pinkie when trying too hard to be expressive.

"I suppose a bit of fun won't hurt," she said. "I've got nothing better to do besides wondering about the obvious."

"Then let's go go GO!" Pinkie cheered, zipping on ahead, leaving Aqua and Maud to follow slowly after her.

"I have no idea how you and your family can handle her," Aqua giggled as the two mares walked out of the castle.

"We didn't at first either, but we're used to it," Maud said. "She livened up our dull, rock farming lives for the better."

"I could hardly tell," Aqua joked.

"...That was funny," Maud said, though her deadpanned tone made it hard to tell if she was being genuinely honest or sarcastic. "You should try doing a bit of stand up tonight. I'm going to, even if it's a bit short."

"Oh, I don't think I'm that funny," Aqua said. "Sora might be better suited as a comic than me. Or Ven. I just want to relax and have a nice evening after a day of training."

"I heard about you and your academy from Pinkie," Maud mentioned. "Are there going to be more of those monsters with the dog shields running around? I'd rather not break my hooves off those again."

"I'm not sure, but I hope we don't see anymore rampaging in town," Aqua said. "But my students are pretty quick learners. They'll learn the ropes. I just want to be sure they don't get too exhausted since they're also enrolled in Twilight's school."

The two reached the comedy club, making it in time before it was opened for some ponies to make the audience laugh from hilarious stories or jokes. Aqua and Maud found Terra, Ventus, and Pinkie over at a table, taking a seat with them. The first few performances were a riot, though where everyone was laughing, Maud just watched in silence with her usual emotionless expression. After the last performer left, the host of the club got up on stage to introduce the next pony.

"Please put your hooves together for your next performer, Maud Pie!" he announced as Maud came up on stage, getting some applause from the audience.

Maud stood before the mic once the MC stepped down, giving the mic a small tap with her hoof before starting her little comedy routine. "What do you call an alicorn with no wings and no horn?" she asked the audience. "Earth pony." The whole room was silent aside from Pinkie being the only one laughing. No one seemed to get the joke but her, not even Aqua, Terra, or Ventus. "But seriously, being an earth pony isn't so bad. We've got magic powers, too. Like walking around and picking stuff up with our teeth." The audience glanced at each other, confused by where the funny bit in Maud's "hilarious" statement. "That's sarcasm, by the way."

Pinkie was laughing uproariously, making the wielders feel awkward as everypony looked at their table. "It's funny, because it's true!" Pinkie said as she tried to catch her back.

"Uhh...I don't get it," Ventus mumbled.

"Me neither, and I'm an earth pony," Terra added.

"My favorite thing to listen to is clastic rock - the accumulation of sediments over millennia forming to create sandstone, shale, and breccia," Maud said, continuing her routine despite her audience not getting her jokes. "It sounds something like this." She leaned her muzzle against the microphone, accidentally tapping it and causing a little feedback. Everyone waited for her to make a noise or something to follow up with her rock joke, some even leaning over their tables to try to hear if there was a faint sound Maud was making that the mic couldn't pick up. She opened her mouth, about ready to do something, but she moved her muzzle away from the mic. "And that's my time."

The whole building was speechless from Maud's very brief comedy routine. Even the MC began to wonder why someone like Maud tried to be comically entertaining when her personality seemed to be as dull as a rock. Pinkie zipped up onstage to join her sister, the ONLY member of the audience who cracked up at her jokes.

"Isn't my sister Maud the most hilarious, entertaining, amazing comedian ever!?" she asked the crowd.

Everyone stared at Pinkie, then finally began to burst out laughing. Aqua, Terra, and Ventus grimaced a little when Pinkie was smiling obliviously.

"Oh no, Pinkie," Ventus groaned, bringing his hooves to his face. "They're not laughing with Maud...if she ever does laugh."

After Maud's performance, the last few guest stand ups brought the laughter back before the club was going to close up for the night. The trio of Keyblade wielders and the two Pie sisters exited the building and walked down the road.

"Well, that was...quite a show, Maud," Terra said.

"It sure was!" Pinkie agreed, though she remained ignorant of the lack of hilarity everyone else experienced. "Her jokes, her hilarious delivery, her...everything!"

"How was my...timing?" Maud asked, purposefully pausing to emphasize her "comedic timing".

"Oh, I think you hit the nail right on the coffin," Ventus mumbled, earning a slight nudge and a warning glare from Aqua.

"I'm sure if your routine was better practiced, you'd...knock your audience dead," Aqua said nervously.

"Come on, Maud! Let's go and celebrate a perfect comedy show sister-style!" Pinkie cheered, making the wielders glance at each other blankly. "We can get matching stickers that says 'Eyes on the Pies'-" Pinkie then pulled out a custom made sticker set, each sticker on the paper a pair of eyes looking down at a pie with the phrase she came up with written above the eyes. "-then show them off at the Ponyville Sticker Convention that I could plan for tomorrow if you want."

"Actually, I'm busy tonight," Maud said.

"Aww, that's what you said yesterday," Pinkie whined. "And the day before that. And the day BEFORE the day before that."

"Maud has plans?" Terra mumbled under his breath, earning a harder nudge from Aqua.

Pinkie sighed, sadly putting away her funny stickers. "We haven't hung out in a really long time because you always have other plans," she said to Maud. "Even when you promised to build whipped-cream pyramids with me."

"I know. I'm sorry, Pinkie," Maud apologized. "The reason is I have a-"

Pinkie shoved her hoof in her big sister's mouth, silencing her, though making Aqua, Terra, and Ventus a bit curious to what Maud was about to say before Pinkie interrupted her. "Apology accepted, as long as we get some serious sister time before your birthday," Pinkie said.

"Wait, Maud's birthday is coming up?" Aqua asked.

"It's in a couple days," Maud said.

"Oh. Well, happy birthday," Terra said.

"Let's just hope Maud's birthday party didn't end up in a party battle for mine and Rainbow's when Cheese Sandwich came around," Ventus mumbled.

"Actually, I don't-" Maud tried to say, but was interrupted by Pinkie.

"It will DEFINITELY not be like your double birthday war, Venny!" Pinkie said. "Just a normal birthday for Maud. Nothing too special or extravagant!" She didn't sound convincing as the pink earth pony shifted her eyes back and forth, which meant she was definitely planning something special for Maud. "So, Maud, you want to hang out tomorrow morning?"

"Ok," Maud said.

"Yay! Just you and me. Best sister friends forever!" Pinkie cheered.

"Best sister friends forever," Maud repeated in her normal, deadpanned tone, but she truly expressed how excited she is in her own way.

"I can't wait for tomorrow to be today!" Pinkie bounced away squealing excitedly, returning to Sugarcube Corner as her high-pitched squeal faded as she disappeared around the corner of a building.

As soon as Pinkie was out of sight and earshot, Maud let out a monotone sigh. "She's going to throw me a surprise party. Again," Maud said.

"I think it was kind of obvious," Aqua said. "You don't want a surprise party this year?"

"Not exactly, but I can never get a word in before Pinkie interrupts me," Maud said. "I just want a small party this year with her and a few close friends. But I don't want to hurt Pinkie's feelings. She did bring joy and happiness to our family on the farm after seeing that exploding rainbow in the sky."

"Dash's sonic rainboom from back then," Ventus stated. "But I can see your point, Maud. Seeing a depressed or insanely depressed Pinkie..." The pegasus shuddered after witnessing Pinkie's first surprise birthday party through Sora's eyes. "I'd rather deal with an angry Pinkie than a dejected Pinkie."

"So what else do you have planned for tonight?" Terra asked curiously.

Maud's eyes slowly shifted left to right before blankly staring at the Keyblade wielders. "...I'm...going to see somepony."

"You made a new friend in Ponyville?" Aqua asked.

"...You could say that," Maud said. "Maybe you'll see him tomorrow in town."

"Is it a giant boulder?" Ventus asked with a small laugh.

"He's a pony, actually," Maud said. "But if it was a big rock, I don't want Boulder getting jealous."

"Uhh, who's 'Boulder'?" Terra asked.

"Maud's pet rock," Aqua and Ventus answered.

"Ah. Right," Terra mumbled, putting the pieces together between Maud and her fascination for the earth and its minerals.

"I'd better get going. See you all later," Maud said before heading off to meet with her friend.

The wielders made their way home, too, curious to meet this new friend of Maud's. Aqua and Terra entered their room, ready to turn in for the night.

"Well, that was quite a...strange night of hilarity," Aqua said.

"I still don't get that earth pony magic joke," Terra mumbled, sitting in bed while staring at his hooves. "I know you guys warned me about Maud being a bit different than Pinkie Pie. Just not that much."

"Tell me about it," Aqua giggled as she climbed into bed with her lover. "We didn't understand her like Pinkie did, but she genuinely loves her little sister with all her heart. She even broke a Defender's shield when Pinkie got stuck in that rock mountain for that obstacle course she made that match the favorite things we all like."

Terra's eyes widened and his jaw clenched, slowly glancing at Aqua. "...A Defender's shield???" he questioned. Aqua nodded her head, biting her lip to stifle her giggles after seeing his reaction. Terra looked down at his forelegs, which were much more bulkier than the emotionless mare. Not even his own power could dent a Large Body's round, armored chest plate, and he could wield a heavy Keyblade that would require an averagely fit person to simply lift with both hands. "...I need to ask her how I can get that strong."

"Working on a rock farm all your life?" Aqua suggested.

"Or maybe just farming altogether," Terra added. "Applejack's pretty strong for her stature. But not as strong as Maud, though." He then clapped his hooves together, feeling a bit determined to train harder and match Maud's insane strength. "I'll start benching two ton boulders first thing in the morning."

"Seriously!?" Aqua exclaimed, then laughed when she saw that he was dead serious. With a playful scowl, Terra grabbed Aqua, surprising her as he pinned her down on the bed. She gave him a seductive smirk, trailing a hoof against his chest. "I'm sorry. Did I make fun of your masculinity, Mr. Strong Man?"

"No. I think you're right. I should start off with lighter weights." Terra inched his muzzle closer to Aqua's, their noses gently touching. "With something soft. A little chatty to motivate me to push harder. Maybe even cheer for my accomplishments after breaking my limit."

"Hmm. And just what are you suggesting at this moment?" Aqua asked coyly as her hooves moved up to rest on Terra's shoulders.

Their lips soon pressed into a light kiss, lasting only a brief second before Terra pulled back slightly, brushing his muzzle against Aqua's cheek until he reached her ear. "I'm looking at her," he whispered.

Aqua's ear twitched slightly, squirming a little as her lover moved down to her neck, peppering her ear and cheek with small kisses as he did so. She stifled a moan as she felt Terra gently nip at her neck, one hoof clutching his shoulder while the other played with his long, spiky hair. Her horn lit up while Terra was distracted teasing her, her first spell teleporting both their clothing, then the next swapping their places with Aqua straddling on top of a surprised Terra.

Grabbing his hooves, she moved them over his head, keeping them held firmly as she pressed her muzzle against his, gazing longingly in his eyes. "You should have stuck with the boulders," Aqua teased. "I'm much more intense than a giant rock if you're looking for a workout at this time of night."

Terra blinked a few times, then grew a sly smirk. "Oh, I think I can manage you without breaking a sweat," he said, then grasped her hooves tightly, lifted himself up and quickly pinned Aqua back on her back, making her yelp. She was about to switch themselves back around to her dominating him, but a hard nip on the tip of her horn disrupted her spell. "I don't think you'll need a handicap."

"N-No fair, you-!" Aqua was quickly silenced, Terra lunging his muzzle and catching her lips in a deep, powerful kiss, taking the mare's breath away.

Aqua struggled to break free, but Terra overpowered her in strength, completely pinned between the mattress and his muscular chest. She quickly gave in, not that she minded having him holding her down and let him take control. Although, if she really did want a night or two to hold her man down, she would need to find some really good restraints that he won't be able to break out of, but won't chafe his skin or give him too much discomfort.

---

The next morning, Aqua felt so much more refreshed than any visit to the spa in the past. Her new outlook on life to being her old self, along with one of the most passionate nights she's ever had with Terra, she gave her students the day off and went for a morning stroll through Ponyville. She took in a deep breath, inhaling the fresh, morning air, along with the scent of some recently baked pastries wafting from some of the bakeries and restaurants in town. She decided to sate her hunger by going into Sugarcube Corner for a little breakfast.

"Morning, Aqua," Cup Cake greeted, working the register while her husband was in the kitchen. "You seem to be a bit chipper today."

"I sure am," Aqua said. "I need to take a break from my work a lot more often. Last night, Pinkie and Maud invited Terra, Ven, and I to the comedy club, and I will admit, it was actually a fun evening...Well, aside from the awkward bit of Maud's stand-up."

"Oh. Her jokes weren't funny?" Cup Cake asked nervously.

"Well...maybe to Pinkie. But to everyone else, if rocks were sentient, the whole earth could crack up." That made the mare baker snort a little at Aqua's pun. "Just don't tell Pinkie I said Maud wasn't funny."

"Yes, I'm aware of her sister's personality. Not what I expected myself after everything Pinkie told me about her," Cup Cake admitted. "But with Pinkie, I just don't question anything anymore. Did you want to order something?"

"I'm craving some cream-filled doughnuts today," Aqua said. "I'll take a half-dozen variety to go." She placed some bits on the counter, which the baker accepted and placed in the register. "Speaking of pastries, is Pinkie Pie in her room?"

"Actually, she left to head to her sister's a few minutes ago," Cup Cake said, then gave Aqua a nervous grimace. "Ever since she got back, she was squealing excitedly all night, and even when she woke up." Aqua blinked, a bit baffled by the mare's lung power if she had started squealing last night after splitting up from the group, in her sleep, then waking up before the sun rose to reach Maud's home. "Luckily, the twins are used to their Aunt Pinkie's antics. I just hope they don't try to mimic everything she does."

Aqua grimaced as she recalled what happened the last time she was here. "Uhh...I hope that my...panic attack didn't cause to much trouble the other day," Aqua said. "I kinda wasn't...myself."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Aqua. The twins are fine and nopony in the store got hurt," Cup Cake reassured. "Carrot and I were worried about you. The comfort eating and your expression hinted us that something was troubling you."

"I'm alright now. Thanks for your concern." Within minutes, Cup Cake had Aqua's order ready. The wielder thanked the baker and continued her stroll, licking her lips as she opened her box of cream-filled doughnuts. "Hello, delicious, delectable goodies." She took out a chocolate-frosted one, biting into it to let the custard filling explode in her mouth and stain her muzzle with thick white cream. "Mmmmm...So good."

Just as she was about to take another bite, Aqua was suddenly tackled by a pink blur, she and her assailant tumbling across the ground before coming to as stop with the tackler sitting on top of her. Aqua quickly snatched her box of doughnuts and her bitten one with her magic before they hit the ground, then looked up to find Pinkie Pie smooshing her face against hers.

"Hi, Aqua! Have you seen Maud?" Pinkie asked.

Aqua sighed, levitating Pinkie off of her and sat up. "Hi, Pinkie. And no, I haven't seen her since last night," she said, taking another bite of her first doughnut. "Isn't she in her cave home?"

"I went there first, but I thought she was playing hide and seek with me, so I went around Ponyville, looking all over for her, even in Discord's dimension and got to meet Dizzy, then Yakyakistan, and the castle where I asked Starlight if she found her or was hiding her in a closet, which she suspiciously says she does not have," Pinkie explained, rubbing her chin skeptically at the last bit of her long-winded tangent.

Aqua silently ate the last of her first doughnut as she listened to Pinkie's rant, licking off the custard cream filing remaining on her muzzle. "Ok. And after Starlight said she didn't see her, you came running to find me to help you find her?" she asked.

"Nah, Starlight said she'd help search for Maud for me while I go off to get the baking supplies I need to bake Maud's special birthday cake," Pinkie said.

"...Ok then," Aqua mumbled. "You probably don't have to worry about Maud. She can take care of herself."

"But she promised we'd do something tomorrow, and today IS tomorrow," Pinkie whined.

"She might have let it slip her mind and uncovered some new rock formation around her cavern home," Aqua reasoned.

"Hey, that's exactly what Starlight said," Pinkie said suspiciously, then slowly leaned over to the unicorn, glancing at her box of doughnuts for a brief moment. Aqua rolled her eyes and opened her box, showing Pinkie the remaining doughnuts inside. "No Maud. Ok, you check out, too."

Aqua just chuckled and shook her head, grabbing another doughnut and bit into it, this one with strawberry icing with a cherry jelly filling. "I know you love blowing things out of proportion, Pinkie, but I'm sure Maud's not in any trouble. How about I help you get some of the supplies for Maud's party so you can keep your mind off of freaking out over where she currently is?"

"Okie dokie loki!" Pinkie said. "I'm gonna need some new baking tins for Maud's cake. Follow me!"

Pinkie bounced on ahead while Aqua followed her, savoring her half-dozen breakfast as she walked. They reached a shop selling all sorts of baking materials, from baking sheets to decorative tips for frosting bags. Pinkie bounced over to the counter, passing a skinny gray earth pony stallion who was already in line. His two-toned gamboge hair was in a bowl-cut style, his cutie mark a twig sticking out of a puddle of mud. Aqua noticed how the stallion didn't seem perturbed by being cut in line, just blankly staring at the clerk while Pinkie paid him no mind.

"Uhh, Pinkie? I think he was-" Aqua tried to say, but Pinkie was too busy with her task on prepping her older sister's birthday party.

"I've gotta get very important ingredients for a very important pony's cake," Pinkie whispered to the clerk. "And it's gotta be tippy-top super-duper secret."

The stallion tapped Pinkie's shoulder, getting her attention. "Technically, it's not your turn yet."

"Oh. I'm sorry. Didn't mean to cut in front of anypony." Pinkie hopped behind the stallion to wait for her turn. However, after about ten seconds of nothing but silence from the stallion, she and Aqua wondered what he was even doing before they walked in. "Um, whatcha doin'?"

"I am currently speaking to a pony at a baking supply shop two minutes before it closes for lunch," he stated.

"...I think we can see that," Aqua mumbled, finishing up her last doughnut while getting familiar vibes from a certain mare lacking emotion.

Pinkie was getting a bit impatient, and annoyed with his response. "Ok. But, I'm kinda trying to plan a party here, and the clock is ticking, so...What ARE you doing anyway?" Pinkie asked the stallion.

"I am currently speaking to a-" Pinkie grumbled as she was about to get the same answer, quickly interjecting.

"I mean, can I help you move this along?" Pinkie suggested. She then grabbed some of the random baking utensils, juggling them while showing him what he might be interested in. "What are you looking for? Rolling pins, cupcake tins, cookie cutters with tails and fins?"

The stallion glanced at Pinkie with a deadpanned gaze, seemingly looking annoyed, though it was hard to tell if he was actually getting annoyed before turning back to the pony awkwardly standing behind the counter. "Goodbye," he finally said.

Pinkie blanched, dropping the items, then zipped up to the counter beside the strange customer. "THAT'S what you've been standing here all this time to say?" Pinkie questioned.

"I was deciding between 'goodbye' and 'see you later'," he explained.

"But...they mean the same thing," Aqua stated.

"Technically, they're very different," he said, turning to Aqua with a raised hoof. "'See you later' implies an event in the near future wherein we see each other. 'Goodbye' expresses good wishes where parting or at the end of a discussion."

Aqua stared at the know-it-all stallion before squinting her eyes at him in slight annoyance. "Basically the same thing," Aqua restated.

"I will not apologize for speaking with precision," he said, completely unaware that Pinkie had been struggling to push him out the doorway while he was talking to Aqua.

"In that case, apology not accepted," Pinkie said. "Goodbye, later, see ya - same thing!" After kicking him out of the store, Pinkie closed the door on him before he tried to correct her. "Ugh! Can you believe that guy!?"

"He was just completely harmless, Pinkie," Aqua said, trying to calm the irritated party pony down. "Although, he didn't have to act like such a smart-" As she looked back at the counter, she paused when she saw the pony running the store was gone, and an "Out to Lunch" sign was sitting on the counter. "...And we lost our chance to get our baking supplies."

"What!?" Pinkie looked back at the counter, letting out an exasperated groan, then slumped out of the store bitterly. "That's just perfect. No Maud, no cake, no anything! And how annoying was that pony? Who takes that long to say goodbye? Or was it 'see you later'? AGH! Now he's got ME doing it!"

"Just don't worry about it. Both of them mean the exact same-" Pinkie and Aqua suddenly bumped into someone, both mares falling on their flanks.

To their surprise, the pony they walked into was Maud. "Maud! We found you!" Pinkie cheered.

"Hello, Pinkie Pie, Aqua," Maud greeted, immediately bracing herself as her little sister jumped toward her into a quick hug.

"I have no idea how you just show up out of nowhere like that," Aqua mumbled to herself.

"Yay! Now it's my turn to hide!" Pinkie was about to run off, but Maud quickly bit her tail and dragged her back toward her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't around this morning," Maud apologized.

"Oh, pth! What are you apologizing to ME for? I'm not upset, you silly-willy!" Pinkie said.

"The reason is I met somepony-" Maud tried to explain, but once again, Pinkie's over-excitement made her interrupt her sister.

"Wanna hang out right now? I mean, I can see you're not doing anything with anypony else," Pinkie said. "Unless they're invisible, or reeeeaaaally-"

Aqua sighed heavily, lighting up her horn, and quickly shutting Pinkie's muzzle with her aura. "Pinkie, stop talking for one minute and let Maud finish her sentences," Aqua scolded. She dispelled her magic aura once Pinkie calmed down enough. "I know you love Maud a lot, but she's her own mare. I think she'd like to do some things without you, but not in a way that means she's going to neglect you forever. That's why she couldn't hang out with us longer last night because she's made plans with a friend that night."

"Oh. Really?" Pinkie asked curiously.

"Yes, I was," Maud said. "The reason I've been so busy lately is because I have a coltfriend now."

"There, see? She's been hanging out with her-" Aqua paused, her gentle smile quickly changing into shock. Pinkie matched her expression as both unicorn and pink earth pony gawked at each other, then looked at Maud like she grew a second head. "...I'm sorry, a what?"

"A coltfriend," Maud repeated.

"A whaaaat!?" Pinkie asked.

"A coltfriend," Maud repeated again.

Aqua was speechless while Pinkie let out another high-pitched squeal in excitement. "This is amazing! My sister, in love!"

"Technically, we're in 'like'," Maud corrected.

"Uhh...Wow," Aqua said, snapping out of her shock. "I mean, I'm glad for you, too, but...I'm kind of curious to know who your boyfriend is."

"Me too! You have to tell us everything!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Who is he? What's his favorite color? Does he like ice cream? If he were a bird, what kind of bird would he be?"

Pinkie constantly bombarded Maud with random questions, the silent, monotone mare waiting for her sister to eventually run out of breath. Or questions. Whichever came first.

"I think you two will like him," Maud said once Pinkie finally took a break. "We have a lot in common."

"Oh, so he's also a big geological expert like you?" Aqua asked.

"Not exactly, but I think you'll see what I mean when I introduce you to him," Maud said.

"Well, I love you, so I know I'm gonna love your coltfriend!" Pinkie cheered. "I can't wait to meet him!"

"You don't have to." Maud then looked over at a nearby boulder, making Aqua grimace a little.

"Oh boy. Ven was just kidding, but...I guess I shouldn't have been all that surprised," Aqua mumbled sheepishly.

"Your coltfriend is a rock! And you love rocks, so it's perfect!" Pinkie said, then gasped, looking around cautiously before sidling up to Maud. "Is Boulder jealous?"

"No. He's behind the rock," Maud said, correcting the mares from their assumptions. "Mudbriar, are you back there?"

Aqua and Pinkie looked back at the rock, watching Maud's new coltfriend step out, and to their shock, it was the same stallion they just ran into at the bakery supply shop. "Technically, not anymore."

"A wha-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?" Pinkie shrieked in shock.

"His name is...Mudbriar?" Aqua questioned.

"M'yes," Mudbrair responded with a curt nod.

"You're...going out with Maud?" Aqua questioned the know-it-all stallion.

"M'yes," Mudbriar answered again with the same tone and gesture.

Aqua looked at Pinkie, who was still in shock, then to Maud, then back to Mudbriar. "...Uhhhh...Wow, Maud...You...sure know how to...pick them," she said. After learning from meeting Maud with the others, she decided to give Mudbriar the benefit of the doubt, even with his technicalities. "Nice to meet you, Mudbriar."

"Technically, we already met," the stallion said.

"...Right, but I mean-" Aqua stopped herself, letting out a sigh before extending her hoof to Mudbriar. "Never mind. I'm Aqua. And the pink pony is Maud's little sister, Pinkie Pie."

Mudbriar just stared blankly at Aqua, barely acknowledging her hoof. "I know."

Aqua's eye twitched, already getting frustrated. "...Ok..." She quickly turned to Maud, telling herself not to let Mudbriar's smart aleck personality ruin the start of her best day ever. "So, how did you two meet?"

"At a rock show," Maud said.

Pinkie snapped out of her shock as she looked at Maud. "Wait, so he actually is into rocks?" she asked quizzically.

"No. I like sticks," Mudbriar stated.

Aqua leaned to the side, glancing at Mudbriar's cutie mark. "Gee. I couldn't tell," she muttered as the stallion walked over to Maud and stood beside her. "If you like sticks, then why were you at a rock show?"

"It was a petrified wood show, which technically makes it a stick show," Mudbriar stated.

"Except that in the per-mineralization process of petrification, all organic material is replaced with silicates; i.e., rocks," Maud said as she and Mudbriar looked at each other, but to Aqua's surprise, Maud actually sounded a bit happy explaining her side, and had a small smile on her face as she looked at her coltfriend.

"While retaining the original structural elements of wood; q.e.d., it was a stick show," Mudbriar countered, but he, too, was smiling at Maud, their argument more like playful, romantic banter, albeit in a sort of dull tone.

It was rare to see Maud crack a smile around anyone, but Aqua could see in the mostly emotionless gaze of the gray dark gray earth pony mare that she was happy around Mudbriar. And though Mudbriar expresses a lot more in the way of words than Maud, she had a funny feeling of deja vu when she met Maud for the first time.

"...That was...the strangest, most adorable thing I've heard," Aqua said.

Pinkie, however, was absolutely baffled. "Umm...I'm...into sticks too!" Pinkie chimed in, getting her sister and her new coltfriend's attention. She pulled down a smiling, star-shaped piñata from a tree branch out of nowhere, along with a stick to whack the candy out of the piñata with. "They're great for whacking piñatas!"

Mudbrair grimaced in utter shock, his half-lidded eyes growing wide in horror. "Pinkie," Maud chided, stopping her sister before she whacked the piñata.

"Oh! Did you want to go first?" Pinkie asked, offering Mudbriar the stick.

"That is stick abuse," the stallion said with disdain at the "morbid" act.

"It is?" Pinkie questioned. Aqua cleared her throat, using her magic to levitate the stick out of the party pony's hooves and gently placed it down in the grass on the side of the road. Getting the hint, she giggled sheepishly at Mudbriar. "I'm sorry. This is awful. I'm not being a very good sister. How about we start over? I'm Pinkie Pie, and that's Aqua! Nice to meet you!"

"Technically, we've already met," Mudbriar said.

Pinkie frowned, hating how technical the stallion was. "You should introduce Pinkie and Aqua to your pet," Maud said to her coltfriend.

Mudbriar nodded, pulling out a small twig. Pinkie stared at the small stick, but Aqua could see that, if Mudbriar had a lot in common with Maud, then that twig really was his pet.

"Oh! Your pet likes to play fetch?" Pinkie asked.

"This IS my pet. So no," Mudbriar stated.

He set his "pet" down on the ground while Maud set Boulder down next to Mudbriar's twig. "Aw. Look at Twiggy and Boulder playing together," Maud said as the couple watched their pets "playing".

"They're adorable," Mudbriar commented.

Aqua giggled, amused by the couple's chemistry, but approved of them being such a perfect couple. "Wow. This is incredible," she uttered to herself.

Pinkie didn't find Aqua's sentiments the same, leaning toward the wielder. "It's just a stick," she whispered, startling Aqua.

"Pinkie, what's wrong with you?" Aqua questioned. "Don't be rude."

"I'm sorry, you're right," Pinkie sighed, approaching Mudbriar and extending her hoof out to the stallion. "One more time. I'm Pinkie Pie. Nice to meet you."

"Technically, we've already met," Mudbriar repeated once more, stating the technicality of Pinkie starting their first greeting off rather than having another do-over to get on the right hoof.

Pinkie was clearly getting frustrated, growling irritably at the dull stallion dating her sister.

---

"Wow. I never thought Maud would find a significant other," Ventus said. Aqua returned with Pinkie back to the castle later that evening, the unicorn relaying the good news about Maud to the other wielders sans Lea and Starlight in the library. "And I actually thought she would have dated a rock."

"I'd rather Maud be dating a pebble than that stallion!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"I thought you'd be happy for Maud, Pinkie," Kairi said.

"I was before I met Mudbriar, which we've 'technically' met several times!" Pinkie grumbled, pacing back and forth before her friends. "How could she like someone so weird? He has an inanimate object for a pet!"

The wielders and Starlight stared blankly at each other, then back at the huffy, pacing pink pony. "...So does Maud, Pinkie," Riku said.

"Boulder has ten times the personality of some random stick!" Pinkie shrieked, getting in the white pegasus' face as if he insulted her sister. Riku leaned back nervously, breathing a sigh of relief when Pinkie went back to pacing. "Mudbriar, too, for that matter. He's not like Maud at all! Maud is hilarious, friendly, caring, and easy to talk to!"

"Yep, that's Maud," Starlight said.

"But THIS guy is awkward, quiet, and kind of...strange," Pinkie continued.

Again, everyone glanced at each other, overwhelmed by Pinkie's obliviousness to a similar situation they all faced when meeting Maud for the first time. "Pinkie, Maud is like that, too," Sora stated.

Pinkie turned to glare at Sora, only to laugh and bounce over to him, patting his spiky hair. "That's funny, Sora, but Maud is NOTHING like Mudbriar."

"Pinkie, do you not see exactly what's going on?" Sora questioned, grabbing the mare's hoof and stopping her from randomly patting his head. "Remember when you first introduced us to Maud?"

"Yeah! It was the greatest time ever!" Pinkie said.

Sora facehooved, dragging his hoof down his muzzle with an annoyed growl. "More like the complete opposite," Kairi corrected.

"Maud wasn't like how you described her, and to us, she was awkward, quite, and took a lot of things literally," Ventus added. "It was hard for us to find something in common with her until we saw how much she cared about you, and finally got some of her oddities when she was paired up with us."

"And now YOU'RE the one with the same problem we had," Aqua said.

"But you seemed ok with that stallion after his annoying 'technicallies'," Pinkie grumbled to Aqua.

"Because I noticed similar characteristics from him that Maud had. Except for being a know-it-all brainiac who takes everything literally," Aqua explained. Pinkie just silently stared at Aqua, still in disbelief. "...And you can't see it because you're going to be a stubborn little Pie, aren't you?"

"Yes, indeedily-do!" Pinkie said, making the others groan.

"Ok. Then how about you spend some time with him tomorrow and get to know him a bit more," Terra suggested. "You might have something in common with him."

"I doubt it, because we don't have ANYTHING in common!" Pinkie argued.

"Yes you do: you both care about Maud," Aqua said. Pinkie groaned, crossing her forelegs while pouting like a filly. "He might help you plan Maud's party."

"Hmm...Maybe," Pinkie mumbled.

"How about we help keep Maud busy while you and Mudbriar plan the best surprise party for her?" Starlight suggested.

"...Ok. I'll try to get along with him, then," Pinkie said. "But I probably won't like it."

After giving into peer pressure to give Mudbriar a chance, Pinkie headed back home to Sugarcube Corner. Aqua let out a sigh, recalling how Maud wished Pinkie didn't throw her a huge surprise party this year. She had to make sure she didn't do anything too crazy with Mudbriar that could end up hurting the stallion, but she also needed to keep track of her apprentices and their training after deciding to give them a day off today.

"Terra, do you think you and Ven can watch the Young Six tomorrow for their training?" Aqua asked. "I think Pinkie'll need my help before she explodes and scares off Mudbriar."

"No problem," Terra promised.

"We'll put them through the wringer in your stead," Ventus added teasingly.

"Ven, they're still learning the basics," Aqua warned the young pegasus. "You weren't so great yourself when you woke up from the state you were in."

"Ok, ok, no tough stuff," Ven swore.

---

The next morning, Aqua arrived at Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie was already gone to get Mudbriar, but she came back with the intellectual, stick-loving pony. Pinkie bounce over to the stairway, her cheerful expression giving Aqua the hope that Pinkie is willing to give her sister's coltfriend a chance and find some common ground to get along.

"Ok, you two, Maud's birthday is tomorrow, and there's no time to waste," Pinkie announced. She reached her hoof out to the ice cream cone-shaped railing before looking at Mudbriar. "You're not afraid of slides, are you?"

"No. Why-" Pinkie pushed one of the ornate toppings on the wooden rail, a secret button that opened a trap door underneath Mudbriar and make him fall in. "-yyYYYYYYY!?"

Aqua balked as she stepped away, standing mere inches from the secret passage Pinkie had placed. "Oh, no reason," Pinkie said. Aqua leered at the party pony for the horrible prank she pulled. "What? This is one of my secret entrances to my party cave. It even has a fun slide!"

Pinkie hopped in the opening with a cheer as Aqua watched her sliding down, then wincing as she heard Pinkie crash into Mudbriar at the bottom. "Please save your antics for someone who deserves to be annoyed to death, Pinkie," Aqua groaned, the jumped in and slid down after the duo.

She slowed herself to a stop at the end of the slide, avoiding creating a pileup of pony limbs with Pinkie already squishing Mudbriar underneath her. While the earth ponies recovered from Pinkie's high-speed crash, Aqua stared in awe at Pinkie's party cave, even though this was the second time she's been here, where the first time was by complete accident during Prince Rutherford's visit to Ponyville and Pinkie disappeared as she tried to find a way to make the Yak dignitary and his subjects feel welcomed in Equestria. A huge plethora of party decorations, candies, games, and even festive furniture for certain events were scattered around the massive room that should be considered the Cakes' basement. But no one would ever expect Pinkie to be very organized when it came to party planning with rows of file cabinets filled with all her friends' likes, dislikes, favorite foods and snacks, just about everything about them to plan out the best party or random celebration for the VIP of the day.

"Welcome to my party planning cave!" Pinkie said to Mudbriar, bouncing off the stallion's to reach her assortment of file cabinets.

"Technically, due to the speleothems growing from the ceiling, this is more of a cavern than a cave," Mudbriar corrected with a grin. "Maud taught me that."

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Pinkie grumbled as she rummaged through one of the cabinets, searching through hundreds of folders with ponies' names or cutie marks. She found Maud's file, and somehow managed to pull out an assortment of party supplies fitting for the birthday pony. "Here's what I'm thinking for her surprise party: edible rock candy plates, gem-shaped ice cubes, a pebble piñata." The moment she pulled out the paper mâché rock, Mudbriar looked horrified at the mention of there being a piñata for Maud's party, one that'll get whacked with a stick, and shaped like a rock. Realizing her error, Pinkie giggled nervously, putting the piñata away. "Uhh, we'll skip that one."

Aqua shook her head, already seeing that this wasn't going well. "Might I make a suggestion?" Mudbriar asked.

"Oh. Suggest away!" Pinkie said, closing the cabinet drawer while still clutching Maud's folder. "That's why you're here! You, me, and Aqua in the background! Planning together!"

"In the background?" Aqua questioned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Pinkie pulled the unicorn over to her, getting out of earshot of Mudbriar. "I thought this was supposed to be about me and Mudbriar trying to bond, so I said you're 'in the background' by helping us plan the party, but keeping out of our time to get to know each other better," Pinkie whispered.

"I don't know if I should find that insulting or not," Aqua grumbled.

"It's not," Pinkie assured the Keyblade Master, then bounced back over to Mudbriar. "So, suggest away!...For real, this time."

"I have a vision board of everything Maud loves," Mudbriar said. "And, unfortunately, as you believe, none of those things you suggested are on it."

Pinkie grumbled, but she was willing to see what Mudbriar thought would be perfect decor for Maud's party. "Fine. Let me see this 'vision board' of yours."

"It's not a physical thing. I'm envisioning it," the stallion said as he pointed to his head. Mudbriar then went into a sort of trance, his eyes closed as he hummed with hooves moving, pointing at, and rearranging his 'mental notes'. Aqua and Pinkie glanced at each other awkwardly, then back to the stallion as he mumbled to himself. "I enter through the large door of my mind palace and enter to the back, where I have all of my books and possessions, and what do I encounter? The Maud Room. None of those things are there." Breaking out of his trance, Mudbriar opened his eyes, glancing at Pinkie. "Just as I thought. Maud doesn't like surprises."

"Huh!? Where does it say that?" Pinkie questioned, walking around the stallion, trying to see his vision board despite it being in his head. "Maud loves surprise parties!"

"Actually, Pinkie, Maud doesn't," Aqua said. Her response made Pinkie stop circling Mudbriar and stare at her, jaw literally dropping like an anvil in disbelief. Aqua used her magic to lift Pinkie's mouth back up and closing her mouth before she had another random spastic episode. "The other night after we left the comedy club, after you left, Maud told me, Terra, and Ven that she had a feeling you would be throwing her another surprise party for her birthday. She just wants a small party with a few guests, with no surprises."

"WHAT!?" Pinkie shrieked, nearly damaging Aqua and Mudbriar's eardrums. "Maud's never told me that!"

"It sounds like Maud was protecting your feelings," Mudbrair said. "She's very caring that way."

His response made Pinkie growl, quickly snapping her head in his direction. "Stop acting like you know my sister better than me!" Pinkie exclaimed, then turned back to Aqua and pointed at her. "You, too, Aqua!"

"Technically, we never said that," Mudbriar stated, not helping with Pinkie's anger.

"Well, technically, I don't care! And since I've been best sister friends forever with Maud my entire life, I think I'M the expert here!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"You might not know everything about someone if they're hiding skeletons in their closet," Aqua tried to reason.

"Technically, having a pony skeleton in an enclosed space like a closet is the most unorthodox location to-" Aqua quickly zipped Mudbriar's lips with her magic.

"It was a figure of speech," the unicorn uttered with a deadpanned leer toward the know-it-all stallion.

Pinkie stammered, getting more frustrated that other ponies knew more about her older sister more than her. "Ok, fine. If neither of you believe me, let's ask her!...But we have to be super-sneaky about it."

"Why should we be sneaky about asking her a question?" Aqua asked.

"Because it's personal!" Pinkie shrieked, then grabbed Aqua and Mudbriar, dragging them up the slide and out of Sugarcube Corner to find Maud.

---

Outside town, Starlight, Maud, Sora, Kairi, and Riku hung out on some hilly fields as the former two flew some kites in the wind. "...and if you keep your back to the wind, the kite will continue remaining aloft and not end up crashing to the ground as long as you don't jerk the string too much," Starlight explained excitedly. Maud seemed uninterested, mostly because of her neutral expression, though the other three ponies were amused by Starlight's fascination for kites. Starlight giggled sheepishly, momentarily lost in her glee. "I...I really like kites."

"No. Really? I thought you were talking about clouds," Riku replied sarcastically, he, Sora, and Kairi laughing at the mare's embarrassment.

"I don't think I've ever flown a kite myself," Kairi said. "Although, with the ocean breeze, it might be hard to gauge the wind's speed changing without a moment's notice."

A moment later, Starlight spotted Pinkie in the distance, along with Aqua and Mudbriar, the two finally able to walk after Pinkie let go of them halfway in her search for Maud. "Hey, Pinkie," Starlight greeted. She, Sora, Riku, and Kairi got the chance to see Mudbrair for the first time, able to see how similar he was to Maud as an awkward, hard to understand sort of pony. "And you must be Mudbriar."

Mudbrair said nothing, silently staring at the group, which bugged Pinkie when he didn't bother to greet Starlight or the three Keyblade wielders. "Mudbriar, I want to introduce you to our friends: Starlight Glimmer, Sora, Riku, and Kairi," Aqua said, gesturing to each pony she introduced to the stallion.

"Nice to meet Maud's unexpected love interest," Sora joked, letting out a small laugh, but he didn't get a reaction out of Mudbriar. "Huh. He is like Maud."

"So, how has the bonding been?" Starlight asked curiusly.

"Oh, I think Mudbriar and I have just started to become besties!" Pinkie said, barely being subtle with her sarcasm. "Except we have one teensy-weensy disagreement that maybe you can settle, Maud. You see, Mudbriar, and even Aqua, seem to think that you don't like surprise parties!" She started laughing, playing it off like it was a big joke between Aqua and Mudbriar, but everyone could see her eyes expressing her frustration, annoyance, and disbelief. "Isn't it funny how WRONG THEY ARE!?"

"...I like surprise parties," Maud said. Feeling like she won, Pinkie glanced back at the Keyblade Master and stick-loving stallion with a victorious smirk. "Because I know they make you happy when you throw them for me."

"Hah! See!? I knew I was-!" Pinkie blanched as her sister's words finally processed, slowly turning back to Maud, looking pale as a ghost. "...W-Wait, what did you say?"

"I'd rather just do something small for my birthday this year," Maud said. "With you, Mudbriar, Boulder, Starlight,-" Maud glanced over at Aqua. "-and maybe Aqua if she isn't busy with her work."

"Huh!? We're not invited!?" Sora exclaimed.

"She said a small party, not a party crasher," Riku said, making Sora growl and squint at his friend.

Kairi just sighed, preemptively grasping Sora's jacket collar in her white aura if he was about to tackle Riku. "I swear, I need to put a magic leash on you two so you can stop acting like barking dogs," she mumbled with a shake of her head.

Pinkie was astounded, hurt that her sister only liked her surprise parties when she threw them, not surprise parties in general. "N-No party? No party!?" Pinkie exclaimed. She sputtered, frustrated and distressed before she could finally find her words. "Did they set you up to this!?" Maud shook her head, but Pinkie didn't seem to believe her. She approached her sister and lowered her voice to keep the others from hearing her. "Maybe you should consider, I don't know, taking things a little less serious with Mudbriar because he's kinda sort of... IMPOSSIBLE TO LIKE!?!?!?"

Everyone except Maud and Mudbriar grimaced after Pinkie's outburst, clearly seeing the tension coming to a boiling point for the party pony. "Uhh, hey, Mudbriar, have you ever flown a kite?" Starlight asked the stallion, luring him away from the sibling argument, mostly away from Pinkie and her judgmental behavior toward him. "Let me tell you all about it. See, the first thing you should do is-"

"I just can't believe you would choose sitting around with him over a party with your own sister!" Pinkie sadly proclaimed.

"Pinkie, I think you're overreacting a bit too much over this," Kairi said, trying to calm the distraught earth pony before her mane deflated in depression. "Did you even give Mudbriar a chance?"

"She tried, but she just got more frustrated learning less about her sister than her boyfriend," Aqua said. "I don't think I did much help either, but she was going to find out eventually, and it would have hurt her feelings more."

"Pinkie, I didn't choose either of you," Maud explained to her little sister. "Technically, I said I wanted to be with both of you."

Pinkie gasped in shock. "'Technically'!? Ugh! You even like the way he talks!?"

Maud looked over at Mudbriar, who was given a lesson on flying a kite, and to Sora, Riku, and Kairi's surprise, they saw her smiling as she eyed the stallion. "Everything about him makes me happy," she said, a hint of happiness in her monotone voice.

Sadly, where Maud or the wielders thought Pinkie would have been at least glad to know her sister had found a special somepony, Pinkie took that statement the wrong way. She teared up, believing Maud was done hanging out with her and wanted to be with Mudbriar more.

"...T-Then I guess you don't need a best sister friend forever anymore," Pinkie whimpered.

She began to run away, startling her sister slightly. "Pinkie," Maud called out, concerned with her sister's emotional state as she reached out to Pinkie.

The wielders were just as shocked, including Starlight as she overheard the Pie sisters. "Wait, Pinkie, let's just slow down and talk about this."

"NO!" Pinkie cried out, continuing running away as she sobbed.

Maud, Mudbriar, Starlight, Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Aqua watched Pinkie as she fled in sadness. "See you later!" Mudbriar called out, earning a harsh glare from the wielders and Starlight. "...Technically, we will be seeing her again at another point in time. If I were to say 'goodbye' instead-"

"Mudbriar, not now," Maud interrupted, her blank stare slightly turning into a disappointed leer at her coltfriend, getting the stallion to shut up before his intellectual corrections got him in more trouble. "My sister is very sensitive and takes things much more seriously than I do. And when she gets this upset, she's desperate to try to make things right, or truly thinks there's no hope that it'll go the way she wants it to."

Mudbriar grimaced, then frowned, giving Maud an apologetic look. "I was just trying to help make sure your birthday would be perfect with what you wanted to your specifications," the stallion said.

"I know you are, but I really hoped you and Pinkie would get along so well since we're both so much alike," Maud said. She stood beside her coltfriend, giving him a small, affectionate nuzzle, even though her neutral expression made the gesture seem awkward. "Maybe I should have told her sooner so she didn't overreact."

Mudbriar draped a foreleg around Maud's shoulders, nuzzling her back. "...That is the most awkwardly romantic thing I've ever seen," Kairi uttered.

"Those two are definitely a perfect match," Riku added.

Aqua began to trot down the hill, needing to find Pinkie before she thought about running away from town. "I'm gonna check on Pinkie. I can only hope she'll calm down enough to understand Maud doesn't want her out of her life."

Aqua teleported away to catch up with Pinkie, leaving the others up on the hill. "...So, Mudbriar...how exactly did you get together with Maud?" Sora asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

---

Pinkie didn't know where she was going, but she was so confused and upset, she didn't care where she was going. She wound up on the other end of town, slowing to a halt on the bridge over the river.

"I don't understand! How could Maud like Mudbriar!?" Pinkie asked. "Is it Opposite Day!? Nothing makes sense!"

In her overactive imagination, she envisioned all of her friends' heads floating by her, though they weren't as normal as her frazzled and sensitive mind wanted to believe. "Friends?" Sora's head questioned in the mare's head, then blew out a raspberry while bearing a cocky grin, Pinkie's interpretation of his opposite side. "Who needs friends when I'm so overpowered? They just weigh me down!"

"I'm not shy, and I hate animals!" Opposite Fluttershy said in such a cheerful tone as her head floated by Pinkie.

"Light is my enemy!" Opposite Kairi exclaimed. "I'm the Princess of Darkness, and I will spread darkness throughout the worlds!"

Opposite Kairi's head floated by Pinkie with a maniacal laugh, which was soon followed by Opposite Rarity. "Fashion!? Not for me, darling!"

"I'm a broody, angsty pretty boy who should have been the main hero of the story," Opposite Riku droned, lacking any emotion with a blank stare.

Opposite Applejack stuck out her tongue as she appeared next. "Peh! An apple a day is downright disgustin'!"

"I'm not really Terra," Opposite Terra said next, though Pinkie's mind created him as Terra possessed by Xehanort with the silver hair, even having the Heartless Guardian's face hovering behind the imagination pony head. "I am Xehanort. And when their backs are turned, I'll stab my 'friends' in the back to obtain ultimate power! Mwahahahahaha!"

"Slow and steady wins the race!" Opposite Rainbow appeared after Terra-Xehanort's echoed cackling faded away, her head moving slowly along with how she spoke.

"I have an identity crisis!" Opposite Ventus cheerfully said, his mane changing between his style and Sora's constantly. "Am I Ventus? Am I Sora? Am I Roxas? Who am I, and where did I come from?"

"I never learned to read!" Opposite Twilight chimed in.

Pinkie was losing her mind, getting more upset as she questioned what else she had been wrong about her friends after all these years. Just before she envisioned what Aqua's opposite self would say, the unicorn found the earth pony and ran up to her, noticing the intense amount of stress she was currently undergoing in her thoughts.

"Pinkie?" Aqua called out, unaware of the party pony hearing her friends' opposite selves loudly talking in her head. "Pinkie, are you ok?"

"What if I don't like cupcakes!?" Pinkie shrieked.

"Pinkie!" Aqua tried to shake Pinkie out of her manic daze, but the party pony zipped away before she was able to touch her. "Wait, come back!"

Aqua called out and ran after her, unable to catch up as Pinkie ran as fast as Rainbow's fasted flight speed. She lost sight of her, slowing down as she stared at the fading dust cloud ahead. Aqua knew no one would understand Pinkie thoroughly, but she knew enough about her that she takes making friends very seriously, and she adores Maud too much to have them split apart over someone else. All she could do is hope Pinkie didn't get herself into any harm wherever she was going.

She headed back into town, wondering where Pinkie could have gone. As she worried about Pinkie's safety, Aqua yelped when she stepped on something that let out a squeaky squawk. She jumped back, raising a brow as she ended up stepping on a rubber chicken. And it had the number two in red on its body.

"Boneless 2! Where'd ya go, you silly rubber chicken!?" Aqua recognized that voice. Looking up, to her surprise, she spotted Cheese Sandwich scouring the streets and vending stands looking for his rubber chicken companion. "If you're around here, squawk once! If not, squawk twice!"

"Cheese Sandwich?" Aqua called out, catching the stallion's attention.

"Oh, hey! Aqua!" The party stallion trotted up to her, letting out a laugh, then gasped when he found Boneless 2. "And there you are, B2! I swear, you're a lot more mobile than Boneless 1." Cheese flung the rubber chicken above them, flipping a few times before landing perfectly on his back. "Long time no see, Aqua!"

"Uhh, same here," Aqua said. "Even though it's been a few months."

"Pth. Feels like almost two years, more likely," Cheese scoffed playfully. Aqua gave the stallion a confused stare, having no idea what sense of time he was thinking of when they last saw him on a date with Pinkie on Hearts and Hooves Day this year. "Ah, inside joke. But it has been a few months."

"...Right. Anyways, what brings you here to Ponyville? Again?" Aqua asked curiously.

"My Cheesy Sense told me there was gonna be a big party for somepony around here again," Cheese said. "I had some free time, and I thought I'd also see Pinkie again. Give her a little surprise like last time." He then huffed irritably with a scowl. "Too bad nopony else reading this would get to hear the song in that link no thanks to algorithms, copyright claims, and take downs."

"...What are you talking about?" Aqua questioned.

"Another inside joke," Cheese said with a sigh, then perked back to his cheerful self. "So, how's everypony else doing? Did Sora and Kairi finally get hitched yet?"

"Er, the wedding's still being planned, but they said they found the perfect spot," Aqua said.

"Great! I can't wait for the big day! Pinkie and I will make this wedding something they will never forget!" Cheese said. "Have you seen her anywhere? I tried Sugarcube Corner, but I can't find hide nor hair of her poofy mane there or anywhere."

Aqua winced. "...Uhh...I...don't know where she ran off to," she admitted.

"Oh. I just missed her. Is she on one of those friendship missions she's mentioned in her letters?" Cheese asked. Aqua told Cheese about what has happened the last couple days between Pinkie, Maud, and Mudbriar. He seemed to know about Maud thanks to Pinkie's numerous letters, sharing just about everything she knew and events that happened around her, but when Aqua mentioned how upset Pinkie got while being frustrated from trying to bond with Mudbriar, her running away made him worry as well. "...Oh. If only I arrived sooner. Sounds like Pinkie's in need of a party."

"I really think she tried, but Mudbriar can get a bit annoying when he points out the logical aspects of a normal conversation," Aqua said.

"I'm sure he's not that bad," Cheese said. "Maud sounds like a lot of fun in Pinkie's letters. How could their relationship be NOT perfect?"

"There you are, Aqua." Cheese let out a high-pitched scream, jumping high in the air in fright.

He landed in Aqua's forelegs, clutching her tightly while shaking like a leaf from getting startled by whoever snuck up on them, Boneless 2 landing on the unicorn's head, comically looking like it was holding onto her. The pony who scared Cheese was Maud. Maudbriar, Starlight, Sora, Riku, and Kairi weren't with her, which meant Maud was probably worried about Pinkie and went off to search for her.

"Hey, Maud," Aqua greeted.

Cheese ceased his shivering and glanced at the deadpanned earth pony mare. "Maud? Maud Pie?" he asked.

"Yes. That's me," Maud answered, her lack of emotion barely deterring the stallion.

"Ha ha! What a coincidence!" Cheese leapt out of Aqua's hooves, leaving Boneless 2 on the unicorn's head as he went up to officially greet Maud. "Pinkie's told me a lot about you. The name's Cheese Sandwich, Equestria's premiere party pony. And wherever there's a party in need of the best, most fun planning around-" He then put on his sombrero, covering his face briefly before tilting it up slightly with a serious expression. "-I'm your pony."

"Pinkie told you about me?" Maud asked. "Are you a friend of hers?"

"Oh, I'm more than just friends," Cheese chuckled as he took off his sombrero. "I'm her coltfriend!"

Maud's half-lidded gaze manage to lift slightly in surprise. "Her what?" she asked.

"Her coltfriend!" Cheese answered ecstatically.

"Her whaaat?" Maud asked again, her lids rising a slight bit more while her tone remained deadpanned.

"...Her coltfriend?" Cheese answered with a bit more confusion.

"Her whaaaaat?" Maud asked once more, this time with her eyes wide open, showing the greatest amount of shock Aqua's ever seen on the mare.

"...Er...her...colt...friend?" Cheese shifted his gaze, feeling a bit awkward needing to explain to Pinkie's sister that he was dating Pinkie. He looked back at Aqua, who just now noticed Boneless 2 and took the rubber chicken off her head. "Does Maud...look like she doesn't trust me? I can't exactly tell."

"Pinkie exaggerated how 'fun' Maud is when describing her," Aqua said. "She's the exact opposite of Pinkie, and doesn't show her emotions all that much...At least, whenever it involves Pinkie or her new boyfriend."

"Ah. I guess that makes sense," Cheese said.

Maud's eyelids drooped back down to their usual half-lidded stare. "Sorry. I didn't know Pinkie was dating anypony," she said.

Her response startled and confused Aqua and Cheese. "Huh? Pinkie didn't tell you?" Aqua asked, to which Maud shook her head. "But...Cheese was around Ponyville on Hearts and Hooves Day a few months back."

"I was busy exploring the caverns of my new home to do anything that day," Maud said. "There were a lot of new places I didn't explore when Starlight helped find my new residence."

"So how come Pinkie didn't tell you about me?" Cheese asked. "She's talked about you a lot in her letters."

"I'm confused, too. Pinkie shares everything with me," Maud said. "How long have you two been together?"

"Oh, quite a while. We make a long-distance relationship work when I travel all throughout Equestria throwing super party bashes," Cheese said. "Although, if I never left my home as a colt and stumbled on a party thrown by her in Ponyville, I never would have found my true calling in life."

"So, you're just like my sister?" Maud asked. Cheese nodded his head nervously. "...Ok."

"...Err, 'ok'?" Cheese questioned.

"I don't mind you being Pinkie's special somepony," Maud said. "Just as long as you make her happy." Cheese let out a relieved sigh and nodded much more confidently, only to balk when Maud approached the stallion, her emotionless gaze piercing through his. "But if you upset my little sister in any way, I have my own kind of sense to find the one who gets Pinkie very distressed."

Gulping nervously, Cheese shuddered and saluted to Maud. "Y-Y-Yes sir-Er! Ma'am! I mean, Miss Pie, ma'am, sir, commandant!" he stammered.

Maud blinked, backing away from Cheese. "That was a joke, by the way," she said, baffling the worldwide party planning stallion. "You seem like a nice stallion to let anypony down."

Cheese Sandwich went cross-eyed, confused while trying to figure out where in Maud's tone or blank expression told him she was only messing with him. "...And there it goes...Yup. My brain just stopped."

Aqua chuckled, placing Boneless 2 on the stallion's back. "Maud's got her own sense of humor. And in the right circumstances, she can be hilarious."

"Oh. That's gonna take some getting used to, then," Cheese said, then let out a sigh. "I just hope Pinkie will be ok."

"If only I could catch up with that pony on foot with that random burst of speed she has," Aqua said.

"I think I might know where she might have run off to if she was that upset," Maud said.

Cheese tilted his head with a hoof to his chin, Boneless 2 mimicking the same head tilting motion as its owner as he pondered in thought. "Hmm...Where would that be?"

"Home," Maud answered. Cheese was about to respond, but Maud held her hoof up to silence him. "Not her current home. I checked Sugarcube Corner. She wasn't there."

"You mean she went back to your family's rock farm?" Aqua asked.

"Maybe," Maud said with a shrug.

"If only I had the map working to help us find more than just Heartless, or have it pinpoint the location of the next friendship mission with whoever it chooses to solve it," Aqua mumbled.

"I think we should give Pinkie some space so she can clear her head," Maud said. "I can tell she's trying to get along with Mudbriar, but she's too stressed trying too hard and getting easily frustrated by his mannerisms."

"Hopefully not for too long," Aqua said nervously. "Sora told me about what happened when everyone tried throwing her a surprise party a few years ago. It didn't sound pleasant."

"Oh yeah. The whole deflated, drooping, flat hair, grayer pink fur, and losing her mind to the point where she talks to inanimate objects, where THOSE are better friends than her current friends trying to be sneaky throwing her a party," Cheese summarized. Maud and Aqua stared at the stallion, the former with her usual deadpanned gaze while the latter's was quizzical. "I read the synopsis on that episode. And from season one up to season eight currently. Ha ha ha. Aw, man. How the time flies?"

Maud slowly blinked at Cheese. "...You and Pinkie definitely are the perfect pair," she said.

"Thanks!...Uhh, that was a compliment, right?" Cheese asked, Maud answering with a silent nod. "Ok, cool! So, since my Cheesy Sense guided me here for a birthday party with you, Maud, let's say we get all the decorations set up for-"

"I just want a small party," Maud interjected, making the party stallion deflate a little in shock. "Nothing big or flashy. Or surprising. I kinda don't like surprise parties."

"...Uh huh. I see." Cheese blew a raspberry, slightly disappointed, but for any of his birthday clients, he was willing to do whatever they requested to make their parties perfect. "Well, this is gonna be a challenge. I usually go all out with the decor, props, games, and food."

"You can help Mudbriar if you want," Maud said. "He and Pinkie were going to set it up, but since my sister needs some time to herself, you can back him up with the party advice."

"Sure. Can't wait to meet him!" Cheese said enthusiastically.

---

The next morning, after staying the night at the Castle of Friendship, Cheese met up with Mudbrair as described by Maud in the center of town. The stick pony was in the middle of wrapping up some small logs with colorful wrapping paper, but doing so terribly as the paper kept undoing itself as he moved a hoof away while grabbing some tape to seal it.

"Hey there, buddy!" Cheese greeted. Mudbriar glanced at him, then back to his wrapping as he fumbled with the paper again. "Looks like you could use some help there."

"Technically, I almost had it until you interjected me with a greeting," Mudbriar said.

"Then let me apologize by helping you wrap that...log." Cheese hopped up to the table Mudbriar was working at, his hooves a blur as he quickly wrapped up the log with ease. Every part of it was wrapped perfectly, even with a purple ribbon wrapped around it. "Ta da! One perfectly wrapped up gift."

"...Thanks," Mudbriar said.

"The name's Cheese Sandwich!" the party stallion greeted. "You must be Mudbriar, right?"

"How do you know my name?" Mudbrair asked.

"Your marefriend, Maud," Cheese said. "I'm a certified party pony, and the most famous one in all of Equestria, and my Cheesy Sense told me about an upcoming birthday for this specific mare. And don't you worry about correcting me about what Maud likes; she just wants a simple party, and to help you out with any party advice you might need to make her birthday perfect."

"Technically, Pinkie was the one who wanted to help throw Maud a party," Mudbriar stated.

Unlike Pinkie, Cheese wasn't perturbed by Mudbriar's know-it-all attitude and dull personality after meeting Maud. "I know. I heard about her...'episode' yesterday. Which involved you." Mudbriar seemed to look disheartened, feeling responsible for making Pinkie freak out and think her own sister didn't want anything to do with her anymore. "Hey, don't look so down...Or, more down than you already seem? Pinkie takes a lot of things very seriously. Especially parties." Cheese Sandwich chuckled, leaning against Mudbriar with a foreleg draping the gray stallion's withers. "When I was here last time for a double birthday bash, Pinkie thought I was taking away her job as the bestest party pony in Ponyville, and she challenged me to a goof off to see who would be the host for Rainbow Dash and Ventus' birthday party. I thought it was all in good fun and entertaining everypony, but she admitted defeat, proclaimed me as the winner, and she was going to move away."

"Technically, if you are a famous party planning entrepreneur known throughout Equestria, you clearly have more experience throwing parties for ponies than Pinkie Pie is," Mudbriar stated. "It would have been an unfair 'goof off' regardless."

Mudbriar didn't hear Cheese make a remark from his technicality, but before he prepared himself for a verbal lashing, Cheese Sandwich suddenly burst into laughter. "'Unfair'!? We were practically even!" Cheese said. He let go of Mudbriar, nearly falling over from guffawing, confusing the stick-loving stallion with his response. "In fact, Pinkie could have wiped the floor with me in that goof off because,-" Cheese then messed with his mane, making it as dull and bowl-shaped like Mudbriar's, even matching his deadpanned expression. "-technically, I never would have been a certified party pony if I didn't stumble on a party thrown by Pinkie Pie when I was a colt, thus making her the true party master while I became inspired by her fun and cheerful celebratory function to be like her." As disturbing as it was for Mudbriar to see a stallion acting just as strange and silly like Pinkie when she wasn't glowering angrily at him, it was more so when Cheese could pass off as his brighter-colored twin with how perfectly he mimicked him. Cheese regained his goofy smile, blew into his hoof to inflate his mane back to its floofy style. "We made up after I told her my origins as a party pony, and after I left, we kept in touch. We're even in a romantic relationship, and I feel like the luckiest stallion going out with a filly who helped me break out of that shy, timid shell of a colt I used to be."

"Cheesy?" Cheese Sandwich's ears perked up, hearing that familiar, bubbly voice making his heart leap. Turning around, he and Mudbriar spotted Pinkie Pie, who was surprised seeing her coltfriend in town. "You're back in Ponyville?"

"Pinkie!" Cheese zipped toward Pinkie, snatching her in a hug and spun her around. "I'm so happy to see you again!"

As grateful as she was seeing her coltfriend again, Pinkie planted her hooves in the ground, slowing the stallion's spinning until they stopped. "Me, too. But...why are you here?" she asked.

"Cheesy Sense," Cheese said. "Can't ignore throwing a good party."

"Ah. Gotcha," Pinkie nodded.

"And I heard you didn't seem to like your sister's coltfriend all that much and ran away yesterday," Cheese added, making the pink party pony wince. "And, surprisingly, your sister had no idea who I was, nor did she know that you and I were going out with each other when I introduced myself to her."

"W-What!?" Pinkie exclaimed, then laughed nervously. "M-Maud...I-I wrote to her about you lots of times! Heh! S-She, uhh...M-Maybe she lost that letter?...Or two?" Cheese raised a brow, giving his lover a skeptical leer. Pinkie's nervous grin quickly faded as she let out a sigh. "Ok, so I...kinda sorta didn't want to tell Maud about you because...she might not like your hyperactive energy, silly and goofy personality, and your cheesy jokes, both corny and involving different types of curdled dairy."

"Technically, you two are alike in every way," Mudbriar commented, making Pinkie grumble slightly.

"She didn't seem to mind me at all," Cheese said. "We got along pretty well. Even though she's not as fun-loving as you described in your letters."

"You did?" Pinkie asked, surprised. Cheese nodded his head with an assuring grin, easing Pinkie's worries about her sister liking him. "I guess I have a lot more apologies to make." She turned to Mudbriar, the first pony she needed to apologize to. "Mudbriar, after some time back at home, and a surprising lesson learned from my other two sisters, Marble and Limestone, I want to say I'm sorry. I was too busy focusing on who you were on the outside to notice what my sisters sees in you on the inside. I realized that you make her happy, just like the others said, and that should be all that matters to me than freaking out and getting angry with your weird, bland personality." Pinkie pulled out a small branch, holding it out to Mudbriar. "And I even brought an olive branch to further extend my apology. I was unfair to you, and I'm ready to listen to your ideas for Maud's birthday. If you still want to plan it together."

Mudbriar took the branch and examined it. "Technically, this isn't even an olive branch; it's a quercus, most likely castaneifolia."

Pinkie's eye twitched, tossed back into getting frustrated with the stallion after trying to apologize to him. "Oh, come on!" she exclaimed, breathing heavily while trying to compose herself and not blow up on him again. "Sorry. Keeping it together..."

"And I love a good quercus," the stick pony added with a grin, placing his new stick on the table and held his hoof out to Pinkie. "Friends?"

Pinkie grinned right back, shaking Mudbriar's hoof. "Friends," she said back.

Cheese got between the two ponies, catching them in a group hug. "Glad to see you two patching things up," he said. "Now, let's get back to the planning. Anypony got any ideas?"

"Hmm...There is one," Mudbriar said, both party ponies leaning closer to him to hear his suggestion.

---

After several hours of planning, Maud's party officially began as the sun was beginning to set. In the center of Ponyville, the area had several tables lined with food, balloons and streamers decorating town hall and any nearby buildings, even a bit of an added Cheese Sandwich flair, which everyone was excited for after his last visit throwing Rainbow and Ventus's birthday with Pinkie.

"I thought that we weren't invited to Maud's birthday party," Sora said, confused, but didn't question it much as he dug into a slice of cheesecake.

"And Maud said she doesn't like surprise parties," Ventus added. "Did she give in to Pinkie's pleas or something?"

Soon, the front door to town hall opened as everyone yelled out, "Surprise!" Although where Ventus expected Maud to come out and act surprised, it was just a piece of cardboard cutout of the birthday pony coated in a light blue aura as it floated out of the building. Starlight came out as well, her magic levitating the cutout, confusing the young pegasus Keyblade wielder.

"...Well, that's...actually kind of clever?" Riku questioned. "I think..."

"So, where's Maud really at?" Kairi asked.

"Looks like the party's going pretty well down there." The wielders nearly jumped when they heard Aqua's voice coming from their communicators.

"Huh? Aqua?" Ventus called out, looking around for the unicorn. "Where is she?"

The other's looked around until Terra spotted something off in the distance. Outside of town, on top of a tall hill overlooking Ponyville, there were five ponies watching the surprise party from afar. He saw one of them wave down to them as he noticed them, wearing a familiar outfit with blue fur and short blue hair. Terra chuckled and waved back.

"It's a huge hit, Aqua," he said through his communicator. "How's the view from up there?"

"Very nice," she answered back. "Just don't miss me too badly. We're having fun up here, too."

"'Fun'? I didn't know 'fun' was in your vocabulary." Terra heard Aqua huff, but she knew he was only teasing her. "Just be back at the castle before sundown, missy."

"That's an hour away!" Aqua playfully whined, making the stallion laugh. "Ok, fine. But you're gonna get your own curfew, too."

"Sounds fair," Terra said, then turned back to his friends. "Aqua's with the birthday mare and her own private guests. They're watching the party on a hill."

"That sounds boring, but I guess that's something Maud would want to do," Sora said. "But we still got a huge party, and set up by both Pinkie and Cheese again."

"They're definitely going to make our wedding reception a surefire hit," Kairi giggled.

---

Up on the hill, Maud, Mudbriar, Pinkie, Cheese, and Aqua watched the partygoers down in town. Mudbriar may have an annoying sort of intellectual, but his genius idea of hosting a surprise party for Maud with her watching and "attending" from a distance worked both for his marefriend and for Pinkie's profession of throwing parties. Aqua was glad to see Pinkie making amends with Mudbriar, though Pinkie's explanation of how she looked past Mudbriar's dull shell from her other sisters disturbed her. It was a decent metaphor: looking at Mudbriar like a rock, but inside, Maud sees him as a gem, but Pinkie almost interpreted that as smacking Mudbriar upside the head with a rock. Pinkie may be a tad silly and random when taking things seriously, but she really needs to think a bit more logically with most things to avoid confusing herself and others.

"This is my favorite party ever," Maud said with a subtle hint of happiness in her dull tone.

"And it was all your amazing coltfriend's idea," Pinkie said.

"You know, I'll admit that trying to create a small, normal party nearly drove me nuts last night when I helped pick up where Pinkie left off," Cheese said while running his hooves roughly against his mane to emphasize his stress. "Mudbriar really is a genius! Best gift for Maud ever: throwing her a surprise party that she didn't have to go to!"

"Technically, it wasn't a surprise because she could see the pre-party preparations from up here," Mudbriar stated.

Pinkie twitched and slowly turned her gaze to Mudbriar, giving him an annoyed leer. Aqua and Cheese grimaced, Pinkie and Mudbriar's relationship already going back to being strained.

"Technically...you're right!" Pinkie pulled her sister and Mudbriar into a group hug, relieving Aqua and Cheese when she accepted the stick pony's logical statement.

Cheese also gawked when he thought he saw Maud crack a smile, only able to see no other reaction from her besides the neutral frown and uninterested gaze that was supposedly permanently etched into her face. "I-Is...she actually smiling?" Cheese asked. "I'm not imagining things, right?"

"Nope. She's definitely smiling," Aqua confirmed. "It's pretty rare, but I guess Mudbriar and Pinkie bring her neutral frown slightly upside down."

Pinkie laughed as Aqua used her own phrase to get ponies to cheer up from a crummy day with a Maud twist. "Hey, maybe you should have tried stand up a few nights ago, Aqua!" Pinkie said.

"That was pretty funny," Maud agreed. She then glanced at Pinkie after she let go of her and Mudbriar. "Speaking of funny, Pinkie, why didn't you tell me you were dating Cheese Sandwich?"

Pinkie winced, biting her lower lip while twiddling her hooves sheepishly. "Hehehe, umm...I...I guess I kinda...sorta...was afraid you wouldn't like him?" she said.

"Why wouldn't I like him?" Maud asked. "Cheese Sandwich is a nice pony. And he's just like you. Unless you thought he would have taken all your attention and we wouldn't have our sister time together if he was around. Or, maybe, you'd think I wouldn't understand his personality and quirks like you did with Mudbriar?"

Pinkie gave Maud a surprised frown at her second guess, bringing up the possible parallel scenario Pinkie had in her mind. "...W-Well...I-I guess," Pinkie stammered. "I didn't know if you could handle another pony just like me. I-I know I can be a bit too much for a lot of ponies sometimes, and...I can annoy you sometimes, even when you don't show or tell me I'm being much too silly than I should be."

As Pinkie looked down in shame, Maud surprised her by pulling her little sister into a comforting hug. "Pinkie, you're my sister. I'll always love you, even if your silly pink head comes up with crazy things."

Pinkie hugged Maud back with a relieved grin. Of the three other ponies witnessing the sisterly love, Cheese was the more emotional, grabbing a tissue and blowing his nose with an annoying horn honking sound.

"This is...so touching!" Cheese exclaimed. "I wish I had an older sibling to share sibling bonds with."

"I concur," Mudbriar said. "I am technically grateful to have made up with Pinkie Pie and wish to experience a future step-sisterly relationship with her if Maud and I's becomes more steady."

"Oh! You see what happens in the future between me and Pinkie?" Cheese asked curiously. Mudbriar, for the first time, looked baffled, raising a brow at the party stallion. "You know, right at the end of the-"

"Cheesy!" Pinkie shrieked, zipping up to her coltfriend and shoved her hoof in his mouth before hissing into his ear. "Spoilers!"

Cheese let out a thoughtful hum and slowly nodded his head, spitting out Pinkie's hoof. "Oh, right. Forget what I said."

"...I have no idea what you mean, but if Maud told me not to question Pinkie Pie, I refuse to question you as well, Cheese Sandwich," Mudbriar said before his expression returned to its neutral frown and stare.

Pinkie, Cheese, and Aqua laughed at his response while Maud gave another small smile. As it got late and the party started to wind down, Aqua left the two odd couples to themselves as both mares and stallions bonded some more. She returned to the castle, making her way back to the throne room and climbed into her seat. It was a crazy few days, but she didn't expect less when it came to hanging around Pinkie Pie. It was a fun few days despite Pinkie's skepticism toward Mudbriar, and the distraction was well-needed to break her monotonous stress of keeping the worlds safe and watching her apprentices train.

Her little vacation now over, she pulled out Luxord's card, examining the black chest on it, wondering where the Black Box might be hidden. She mindlessly searched through the Galactic Map, but her mind slowly came up with a possible idea where it might be. Leaning closer in her throne, Aqua flew through the different worlds and stars in the holographic map until she found the one she had high hopes for locating the mysterious chest the Organization and Xehanort was looking for.

---

At the dark, foreboding castle in the Enchanted Domain, Maleficent sat impatiently on her throne, staff in one hand while the other tapped her fingers slowly against the stone armrest. She stared at the wall of her throne room with disdain. Her many attempts to try to take over Equestria either ended in failure, Sora or his friends able to thwart her and Pete, or dealing with ponies she underestimated as naive, innocent creatures and quickly proven wrong by sensing incredible power, or with Starlight Glimmer, having her powers stolen from her by one single spell. Even creating a portal connecting to the Realm of Darkness to summon the most powerful Heartless she'd ever seen or trying and failing to enlist the dragons in Equestria to do her bidding. The last several months left her bored and irritated as she tried to come up with something or find anything within that world to shroud the world in darkness and take it over as her new domain.

Just as she stood up while going back to her contingency plan before discovering Equestria, Pete walked in with a confident gait, making the sorceress grumble in annoyance just from the smug grin on his face. "Oh Maleficent~ I think you're gonna like what I've got in store for you~" he said, wanting to build up suspense for the frustrated witch. "I heard through the grapevine in that pony world that there's a-"

"Spare me any of your nonsense with that equine world," Maleficent interrupted. "I don't want anymore part of making another futile attempt taking over a world that looked so simple, yet I have clearly underestimated how powerful some of them can be."

"Uhh, do you mean when you tried to convince that one unicorn who ended up-?" Maleficent immediately slammed the bottom of her staff into the ground, letting out an echoed smack as a powerful bolt of lightning struck Pete's feet. The minion yelped and backed away, quickly shutting his mouth after nearly getting zapped and seeing the menacing glower on his boss's face. Laughing sheepishly, he tried to change the subject, a bit disappointed that Maleficent wouldn't hear the news while he wandered around Equestria on his own. "Err...What I meant to say was...How was your evening?"

"Insufferable oaf," Maleficent muttered. "Forget that world. There is no point any longer. Not when Sora and his meddling friends are practically living there. Even those other wielders I thought had disappeared long ago have made a return, only bringing worse problems for us. We're going back to what we originally planned on doing before discovering the so-called 'innocent and harmless' equine world."

"The...Black Box thing?" Pete questioned. "I don't know. You think that something that existed hundreds of years ago would still be around?"

"It was said that it was around during the Keyblade War a thousand years ago, and whatever lies inside that box must hold incredible power," Maleficent said.

"But there's thousands upon thousands of worlds out there! It might just be a myth in some legend, and we'd be going on a wild goose chase," Pete said. "Even if there was someone who was able to live more than a century old, who would we even talk to to give us even the slightest bit of a hint to where it's possibly located?"

"Oh, I believe I know someone who fits that criteria very well," Maleficent said with a smirk, then took her leave while Pete scratched his head quizically. "We'll be leaving in the morning to visit an old friend."

As Pete watched Maleficent retire to her chambers, Pete hummed curiously, wondering just who the sorceress was talking about. "What friends? You had acquaintances who were more expendable after they refused to group back up with ya," he mumbled to himself. "But who could she be talking abo-?" Pete's eyes widened, finally figuring out who Maleficent planned on meeting. "Oh no. Not that hothead. Why him?"

Comments

[shining paladin]

awesome chapter i cant wait for the next chapter and for kairi to become a seapony

[MagicLover2128]

It's odd that Maleficent considers Hades an old friend; although a lot of fics have them being former romantic partners.

[JesusG0987]

Okay that was a funny and awesome chapter there, and it was interesting and awesome there. And what Maleficent had in mine is gonna be bad news for the heroes and exciting to read in the next chapter! But great job, keep up the great work and please update soon, because this is the best story.

[XLR8 Fox]

Nice, I share he frustration at Pinkie through that episode, Mudbriar is so frustatrating with his technicalities

also I see your going towards Kingdom Hearts 3 worlds now!

[Master of Ice]

Huh i guess I miss this episode I didn't even know maud had a coltfriend.

[Bronyshot2020]

10465436
........ what

[MLPFanForever]

Awesome! Keep up the good work.

[Sora Hikari]

Ah yes Hades is coming back? Sweet it's been a while since we last saw him in this story.

[MagicLover2128]

10466354
Yeah, didn’t you know?

[Bronyshot2020]

10466456
No I honestly didn't

[iAml3g3nd]

10466765
Neither did I. I just thought it was Descendants 3.

[Bronyshot2020]

10467784
HEY I still have to watch that one lol

[iAml3g3nd]

10467791
Sorry.

[Bronyshot2020]

10467802
Eh it's fine

[Kreotre]

Awesome job Codex92 😎👍

[Vakama95096]

I don’t like Mudbriar so much and I still don’t!

[TheFVguy]

Ok, so let's go.

---

Honestly, this chapter, as a whole, felt pretty tame. It wasn't bad or anything, but it wouldn't say it was great either. In fact, it felt more centered on the episode's plot with the KH characters there, and the appearance of another character, which I will get to later.

Overall, this chapter isn't anything to really write home about. It was cute, but that's really it.

---

"Cheese Sandwich?" Aqua called out, catching the stallion's attention.

"Oh, hey! Aqua!" The party stallion trotted up to her, letting out a laugh, then gasped when he found Boneless 2. "And there you are, B2! I swear, you're a lot more mobile than Boneless 1." Cheese flung the rubber chicken above them, flipping a few times before landing perfectly on his back. "Long time no see, Aqua!"

I was so pleased to see Cheese Sandwich in this chapter, honestly, it felt so right to see him again. His interactions with Maud and Mudbriar were the highlight of the chapter. Seeing Maud having his sister's same reaction was also really cute.
I don't know if this was planned from start, or did my post of my hopes for season 8 inspired this? Eeeeehhhhh?
Maybe not.

---

"It was said that it was around during the Keyblade War a thousand years ago, and whatever lies inside that box must hold incredible power," Maleficent said.

This is a huge continuity issue.
So, to explain why this is, we have to back to KH lore.
It has always been confirmed that before the Keyblade war, there was only one world, Daybreak Town or at least a section of it called Daybreak Town (Port Royal/The Caribbean situation). All the "other" worlds you explore during the events of KHX are due to the Book of Prophecies, casting illusions from the far future. This is why we see various characters that shouldn't be there in the timeline, such as Donald and Goofy being there, when they shouldn't have been bored yet.
The Keyblade war was a massive catastrophic event because it's outcome basically restarted the entire universe. After Darkness consumed the one world, the hearts of children, meaning the Dandelions led by Ava, brought light into the new universe.
Eventually making what the Kingdom Hearts universe is today.
This is the reason why the main villain Xehanort has to be stopped, as he wants to start a new Keyblade war, which would cause the reset of the entire universe so that light and darkness can be in perfect balance in the way he wishes.

But all of this makes no sense in this continuity. Equestria has existed way more than a thousand years old. This implies that Equestria already existed during the Age of Fairy Tales (Where KHX takes place), but that makes no sense, since there ever only was ONE world.
Not to mention, this makes the event of the Keyblade War have less impact, since it basically implies that the war only affected its own world, and not the whole universe, basically stripping down he actual gravity of the situation, on how it should not only be bad for the worlds of Sora and co., but the entire universe as we know it. It also retcons established KH lore. I'm well aware this is an AU, but this change seems to be more of the fault unawareness and not by an artistic choice. Am I wrong?
Unless there going to be some twist that Equestria was always a part of the first world, than maybe it would be acceptable, but than again, it should have been destroyed when the war happened, and there wouldn't be a reason for the Master of Masters to tell Star Swirl that there are multiple worlds, since there AREN'T ANY YET.
I'm sorry if I'm rambling a bit here, but this is an issue that seriously needs to be called out on.

Personally, I think it makes more sense that the Keyblade War took place eons ago, since there is no determined time when the war took place. I mean, it was this universe's big bang, who would know.
The Master of Masters have been using the book to time travel further into the future, that was always the idea. I mean, it's not like we was there with Celestia and Luna, in PRESENT time, right?.... Right?
I know the KH timeline can be pretty hard to follow, and yes, the idea that it was a thousand years ago is a possibility. Ventus apparently was a resident of the first world, which is just another can of worms I don't wish to open here.
However, in this continuity you created, it logically doesn't make sense, and honestly, I hope this is fixed or retconed of some kind. Unless, you're going to blow our minds with huge twist that Equestria is some special world among others that existed in some parallel reality far from the universe where the war took place, only for a thousand years for that world to migrate itself into the KH universe.

I swear to god if that's the explanation, I'll-

---

"But who could she be talking abo-?" Pete's eyes widened, finally figuring out who Maleficent planned on meeting. "Oh no. Not that hothead. Why him?"

Holy crap, are we getting the story of KH3 to be set in motion already?
This is exciting, and I cannot wait to see what you in store. One thing is clear about Sora in KH3 is that we need to develops his powers of waking, not to mention regain his abilities and experience he lost during the event KH:DDD. But your Sora is well experienced and pretty powerful already. My theory is that he's training to finally achieve becoming a keyblade master and also master his new ability of waking. It's definitely going to be fun, and a part of me hopes that we'll see the pony characters alongside his journey. My hope is that Twilight becomes a new companion to Sora journey, since I believe she'll want to be keyblade master too, and see her archive her journey into various worlds sounds pretty exciting.
Part of me hopes Sora is bombarded with ALL his friends, that would be way too many characters, but we'll see.

---

So yeah, that's about it.
It wasn't much, a major continuity issue therm but I hope the next chapter is more exciting.
Shine on!

[TheFVguy]

10465436
They worked together during the events of KH1, so I'm sure romance has nothing to do with it. LOL

[MagicLover2128]

10471458
Yeah, probably; it’s just a popular fan pairing a lot of fic writers do when they get the chance.

[AetherToast]

7449691
That is a version of Mary/Gary Stu that I don't quite see really being workable with being a vague as you put it (didn't watch the video). Looking back on the entire thread though after all this time.... yeah you are a lot more right then I am.

[Codex92]

10471456
I think it was fault unawareness when it comes to the actual time period during the events of KHX and this story of mine. I tried to get into KHX by playing through the mobile game, only to get stuck at a point because I don't want to spend money collecting better medals to pass the tougher worlds and upgrade a bunch of stuff, and even though I could just watch the more important cutscenes on youtube, for this kind of game series, I prefer playing through those games and seeing everything with my own eyes and experience it for myself. I honestly have no clue about everything involving KHX's storline aside from the important parts involving the Foretellers, Luxu, and the Master of Masters through the movie in 2.8's bundle. Nor do I even know where I'm going with the huge amount of lore through KHX messing up what I want to write for this story. Along with coming up with future plots, figuring out which season episodes to put in for continuity, and looking back at previous chapters to remember what I had written to keep from making those errors, I've got work tiring me out, other stories I'm working on or have planned, and helping edit a friend or two's stories for them seems to drain my brain more with how I want to keep to the KH source material to make my story as accurate as I can with twists of my own. Despite this story being an AU, there doesn't seem to be a specific date of time spanning the Keyblade War and the present. It could be eons, a millennia, or even a few decades, but it's so uncertain, and I don't even know where I'm going with this since I knew, as I wrote that chapter, I was going to make a continuity mistake somewhere and feel like an idiot for not looking into the KHX story more thoroughly. It's vague in my mind, with how the wielders of the past protect the "worlds" by traveling through future visions, and I'm already getting frustrated while writing this and trying to process the random bits of lore that elude me because it's a story that keeps on going, and I'm already lost with where I got stuck at in game, the story with the Foretellers in the movie, and I have no knowledge of what happens in the events after the war. Basically, all I need to care about in my story for "continuity" is just the events leading to the Keyblade War, the Foretellers and the Master of Masters, the Black Box and the mysterious "power" that's locked inside it, and what I had going for the moments a thousand years in the past with M being involved in Equestria and interacting with Celestia, Luna, and the Pillars of Harmony and keeping things in the present on track.

Sorry if I'm rambling, but I just kept getting more irritated thinking about the minor details from a mobile game that's supposed to be connected with the main games history, and the fact that I hate being wrong when I thought I knew everything and I see or hear someone showing more than I know and making me feel stupid. It doesn't help that I know more about the main series than a spin-off that keeps spouting more lore that makes it look like a constant re-writing of history, only to keep changing it over and over again after I constantly try to imprint what was already said before and frustrate the hell out of me. I get your point on this, I'm glad to know you're excited about some future chapters involving KH3's story (even though I technically started it several chapters ago when we went back to Twilight Town to gather Ansem the Wise's data from the mansion), but I have no idea where the hell I'm going with Equestria's involvement in something that was considered "important" to the KH universe's creation, and it's going to eat away at me until I can figure out why or just say, "Screw it. Equestria was part of the universe. Screw the convoluted story in KHX's timeline and all the crap Nomura pulls out of his ass, because I'm practically doing the same damn thing with this story, but I can't come up with any logical reasoning as to why this or that happens because I have no creativity."

Apologies in advance for the ranting and being bitter. I'm exhausted, I should be sleeping when I have work in the morning as I write this, and I just want to try to finish this story with a decent bang and maybe think of future events in a possible sequel.

[TheFVguy]

10474849
Hey man, It's cool.
I'm sorry for my message making you stressed out, that was never my intention.
If you ever feel too stressed out from this story, it's totally fine to take a break from it now again, there's no need to overwork yourself like this.

As for the continuity issue, I think it's easily fixable in my opinion. The chapters that involve Master of Masters in the past never felt like present time to me, I was felt like he was just time traveling to the future, so it never felt like he was there in present time.
I saw him doing these changes because of his visions of the future, and as he plays by the book of prophecies he has written, he assures that they happen, so he goes to the future to make sure they do.

Even if this wasn't your original intention, that was a great case of Fridge Brilliance.

The only moments I have issue with are when it's addressed that it happen about a thousand years ago, that's it. I think just changing to "eons" make more sense, since it means an "indefinite or undetermined period of time" So it does make more sense.

Again, don't over-stress yourself, you're not stupid, its just something that you were unaware of from a game in the series you were not that interested in, it's fine man, don't beat yourself over it.

[Codex92]

10475545
I've had this problem with my head where I see something that everyone else considers as a tiny issue and isn't all that bad, but I treat it like it's a big deal, only growing more frustrated when no one hears me out as to WHY I'm bothered by it. And I've had an issue with someone's comments years ago when I was in seasons 1-3 of this story, constantly pointing out me not following KH's actual source material with references or some other random junk I can't recall since it's been years since I've heard from him. I messed up a few enemy names, mostly the Heartless mages because of their colors and musical terms fitting their names, and he kept putting me down as a dedicated fan and screwing up the KH cast's personalities, lore, etc. when he can't seem to understand the definition of the word "interpretation". Even when I try to defend what he's calling me out for, he ignores what I say and continues telling me I'm wrong or I don't know what I'm doing. I hate not being able to speak my mind when no one listens to me, and even when I shout to the point of losing my voice, I'm still not heard. I just want to write a story to entertain. Screw perfection. I even mentioned to someone through a comment, if I remember correctly, that I wasn't going to be including EVERYTHING from some of the KH games if I haven't played them myself, because it's a better experience playing it yourself than watching a video and spoiling everything, including a lot of stuff from KHX. I can barely write nowadays no thanks to my crappy minimum wage job, other stories I want to make, friends asking me to edit the next chapters of their own stories, and trying to relax from the stress at work as I end up getting stuck there for 2-3 hours longer than when my shift ends because 1: there's not enough people for certain days that come in on the next shift to eventually relieve me, and 2: customers just constantly keep coming without pause, barely giving any of us a break from the constant rushes. I may get overtime, but that's not worth it when there are points where my coworkers don't do a damn thing to help, either wandering around the store, finding excuses to not do any work, don't show up on time for days they're supposed to be in, or are always on their damn phones while on the clock, and an incompetent manager who acts more like the teenagers, never takes anything seriously, takes forever to come up with an idea or makes the stupidest decisions that mess up everything, has no priorities set for work and her own life, and any time I ask her a question that requires a simple yes or no answer, she goes on a freaking tangent EXPLAINING her answer, and not giving me the answer I want while frustrating the ever living hell out of me. There were so many times I just wanted to walk out of the store if she was there and kept screwing things up, and I'm shocked that all of the screwups she DID do several times in the past, she hasn't gotten fired or demoted yet, because the other managers are just as frustrated with her as me and several others. And I did do that once when it was her shift, but it was all the constant remakes of food I had just done, or them constantly asking where an item for an order a few spots down was when I haven't even gotten to the other ones that were ahead of that specific order. I hate incompetence, I hate lack of attention and focus, and I hate impatience, and that day, I was basically by myself making the food while no one else bothered to help or assist me in any way.

And I need to stop before I keep ranting about everything else in my life in a comment where I could just put this in a blog post...which I doubt a lot of people will end up reading anyway since it's not about my stories, future stories in mind, etc. I need a vacation from everything in my life for a whole year...

[TheFVguy]

10476361
Jeez, sounds hard man.

The best advice I can give is to take a break from your projects for a bit, also being an editor.

It seems you are really busy with a lot of stuff, and I can understand the stress. I'm sure the authors you're working with will understand. If you don't want to take a break, try scheduling your time, some days, you work on stories on your free time, another for editing stories.
Setting yourself a schedule might help.

[EbayUserGreen]

10476361
Wow, I suggest taking a break from writing stories and editing stories if its making you this stressed out man. If I were you I would just make a little comment saying "I'm going to be taking a break to destress" (Or something similar to that) and come back when I'm calm and or have a clearer mindset.

I myself do mind how long you take since I forgot about this story a few months before 2020 lovingly kicked off XD. Sorry man

[iAml3g3nd]

10483149
You might be right. I posted that comment before I played KH2.5

[AetherToast]

It is really morbid to think about, but Pinkie is wrong about sticks being inanimate objects. They are basically corpses or at least dead body parts of other living things.

[SpiritD3t3ctiv3]

"Pinkie exaggerated how 'fun' Maud is when describing her," Aqua said. "She's the exact opposite of Pinkie, and doesn't show her emotions all that much...At least, whenever it involves Pinkie or her new boyfriend."

It may seem like an exaggeration to others. But not to Pinkie. Because that's the way she sees and feels about her. And I think in the end, that's all that really matters

[GlitchyFox]

10556649
i mean if we go back far enough most of the stuff around us has been a part of a living thing at one point (exept in the case of things from space or deep underground but most things that could have made up a living thing before has)

[SpiritD3t3ctiv3]

"Technically, you two are alike in every way," Mudbriar commented, making Pinkie grumble slightly.

Maybe so, but I do see SOME differences. For one, Cheese Sandwich is a wanderer, and Pinkie's most content in her base of operations in Ponyville.

[SpiritD3t3ctiv3]

"Technically, you two are alike in every way," Mudbriar commented, making Pinkie grumble slightly.

Not EVERY way. There are SOME differences. For example, Cheese is never in one place for very long. It's kinda his thing