Riku Finds Romance
Riku sat at an empty table near the cafe, though he didn't want any breakfast. He stared at the paopu fruit Sora gave him last night, the star shaped fruit grown on their home that held a legend that came true for his best friend and the love of his life. Even before they made it come true, they fulfilled its prophecy, their hearts combined as one and their relationship stronger than ever. The couple only just now shared the fruit last night, only to see how it tasted compared to re-fulfilling the legend again.
Now it seemed Sora was going to get his revenge from Riku teasing him about Kairi, just looking at the paopu fruit making him miserable. "I guess I really am jealous of Sora now. He saved several worlds, made hundreds of friends, saved me and Kairi...and he got together with her and is a lot more happier than ever." The pegasus sighed sadly, poking the fruit in front of him. "I end up becoming the anti-hero: turning to the darkness, nearly killed my best friend, unleashing my darkness to turn me into the Heartless that took control of my body, but somehow redeemed when I know I shouldn't have been...I became a stupid kid to try and fulfill the legacy of another Keyblade wielder, focusing more about finding other worlds and fighting the darkness, yet I turned to it and trusted the wrong people.
"And there's no chance of me having a love life if I tell her I turned into a psychopath who almost had a hand in helping destroy the universe and shroud every world in darkness. I can just see it now on a date. 'My name's Riku. I'm an emo psychopath who used the power of darkness to almost destroy the worlds, and I almost got my friends killed because I was jealous and listened to an evil witch who only used me. My interests are causing trouble, being an unintentional jerk, while also saving the world with a dark past on my head. What kind of hobbies do you have?'" Riku groaned and slammed his head on the table, knowing he would be forever alone with his past forever haunting him.
"Are you feeling ok, Riku?" The stallion lifted his head up and looked behind him, finding Twilight, who had been standing behind him for the past few minutes. "Were you talking to yourself?"
"...Yes...Yes I was." The unicorn walked around the table and sat across from him, leaving Riku a little embarrassed as someone heard him ranting. "...How much did you hear?"
"From how jealous you were of everything to your pick-up line for a date." Riku groaned and lowered his head on the table.
"So everything in my soliloquy. That's great," Riku huffed.
"At least your practice with finding a significant other was far better than what I did to Sora, and that was when I was being controlled by my own inhibitions," Twilight said, unable to repress that horrible memory, even after making amends with Sora and herself. "I felt like such a sick pervert under my dark desire's control."
"Just be thankful you haven't turned into a villain and attempted to hurt everyone out of jealousy," Riku said, only making Twilight feel worse.
"...I kind of did...temporarily..." The pegasus groaned, shutting his mouth before he ends up causing more problems. Twilight noticed the paopu fruit sitting in the middle of the table, levitating it with her magic as she brought it closer and examined it. "What kind of fruit is this? Never seen anything like it in Equestria."
"It's a paopu fruit," Riku explained. "Sora brought a couple of those from Destiny Island yesterday. One for him and Kairi to finally tie that knot in its legend, and he gave me one to tease me after I did it to him before."
"Oh..." She lowered the paopu back down on the table, recalling the same legend Sora told her, Rarity, and Applejack during her very first sleepover. "Sora mentioned the legend before. He said that if two ponies who shared a close connection with each other shared the paopu fruit, their hearts become intertwined and will remain inseparable for the rest of their lives."
"That's pretty much it," the stallion said. "But that's not gonna happen with me."
"Have you even tried?" Twilight asked.
"What would be the point in trying?" Riku asked back. "Sora's explained everything about his adventures and mentioned Kairi and I to you guys. I'm still haunted by my past, and even though Sora and everyone else forgives me, I can't forgive myself. I may have been as likable as him, but eventually, I'm going to have to tell my future girlfriend everything about me. No hidden secrets. No bits of past left in the dark to cause a rift in a relationship."
"...I guess that's true. At least, from what I've read in that book when I was...pining for Sora..." Twilight groaned, remembering every single word that came from the book and how dumb she felt while harboring feelings toward Sora. "It was...really cheesy, and I couldn't act on their details around him. But, I'm sure females from your world had a thing for you."
"Sure they did. Even if they had, I didn't notice since I was too busy with what I had planned until the islands were swallowed by darkness." Riku really did seem to ignore most of his social life back on Destiny Island, only sticking around with his friends on the island they played on and with no other girls except for Selphie and Kairi. "...Well, there was another girl with us when we hung out, but she's just a friend."
"...Wow...I guess we're both a bit socially awkward," Twilight giggled, Riku joining her at the odd similarity between them. "Except I was more shut in and read books every day, and you had friends to hang out with."
"Yeah. You're pretty much a bookworm." The unicorn leered at the pegasus, the teen ignoring her gaze as he grabbed the paopu fruit. "And about this thing...I think the legend on it is just a rumor. Sora and Kairi had their hearts intertwined before they both shared a paopu fruit, making the legend possible without it. I really don't think some star shaped fruit can actually make two people forever stay connected unless they have an unbreakable bond. Besides, several of these grow on the tree every few months if it's supposed to be a legendary fruit."
"...That does sound true. And I really do doubt that food, magically infused or not, can do something like that. It was probably a coincidence Sora and Kairi wound up together by destiny." The two looked at the questionable legendary paopu fruit, both of their stomachs growling at the food in front of them. "...But, I don't think something like this should go to waste. I'm a bit curious to know how it tastes."
"Same here, and none of us dared to take a bite of one back home." Using her magic, Twilight sliced the paopu fruit in half, giving them both an equal portion of the fruit. "Here's to being the awkward members of our friendship groups."
"Hehehe. To awkwardness." The two took their halves and took a bite, savoring the delicious tropical fruit's flavor. "Mmmm. It's really sweet. And not too tart."
"Mhmm," Riku nodded, taking another bite.
"So, Riku, you need to go off and save any other worlds from the Heartless?" The stallion shook his head, too busy chewing on his breakfast. "You think you can assist me in a little outing this weekend? I want to study some flora out in Whitetail Wood, and a little field trip could do me some good. I kind of need to get out of the library a little bit, and I could use some company."
Riku swallowed his mouthful, licking his lips off of any juice that squirted out from his bites. "Eh, what the heck? Sounds better than just waiting for something exciting to happen."
"Great!" Twilight cheered. "Once we're done eating these, we'll head back to the library, grab some camping gear and a botany book to identify the safe and dangerous plants, and we'll head out."
After finishing the paopu fruit, Twilight and Riku headed to the Golden Oak Library and gather her supplies for a weekend of exploring the wilderness and enjoying nature. But, for the lavender bookworm's case, studying on an educational trip for any new flora she wishes to see in the environment. With her saddlebags in tow, along with writing materials to jot down her findings, the two headed off to Whitetail Wood. It was odd that Twilight would go off somewhere without Spike on anything like this, but he was a bit busy taking his own little vacation as the unicorn's number one assistant, reading the new comics he had bought the other day. The baby dragon does work hard keeping the library clean and re-shelving the books once they were done being read, though Riku thinks he deserves more of a break when Twilight can use her magic to instantly clean up her messes.
They soon reached the entrance of the forest, Twilight immediately pulling out her notepad, pencil, and three different botany books as she wandered around the path, examining each species of flower as she skimmed through the books to find the matching flower she was seeing. "You know, the whole point of an 'outing' is to relax and enjoy the scenery, not do homework."
"Unlike you and Sora, I am a scholar, and I love studying and learning new things," Twilight said, ignoring Riku's teasing. "Besides, Zecora wants me to find some types of herbs out here for her new potions she's been making. The green ones that Sora used from...wherever they were made are similar to what she's made, though it's not as instant with very serious injuries. And she's starting to make potions to help rejuvenate a unicorn's mana if they use too much for spells. My brother could use those if he ever needs to create his barrier again."
"Zecora's making Potions and Ethers, huh? Only more for healing than immediate relievers..." Riku began to think, pulling out one of the potions he kept in his pocket, in case he needed a quick heal in the middle of combat. "I kind of wonder how our variations are actually made, aside from dropped materials the Heartless drop. Like, real ingredients."
"Materials?" Twilight asked, growing curious as she flipped her notepad to a blank page. "What does that mean?"
"You've seen those orbs they drop when they get destroyed, right?" The unicorn nodded, remembering seeing the green, clear, and Munny orbs when Sora defeated them, but they were always gathered up by him in milliseconds before she could even ask what they were. "They can drop any specific orb. Green ones are for health, clear ones for magic, the yellow and blue diamonds are Munny, a universal currency for a specific shop-keeping species that set up shop in different worlds, and they can also drop other items or synthesis materials to make new items from those shops.
"Sometimes, they may drop Potions or Ethers as well, but there's only a small chance that defeating one will yield a dropped item." Twilight nodded her head as she wrote down everything Riku said. Every single word. "But, sadly, if you want to synthesize creations, you need to have a recipe for the desired accessory or potion, and it needs to be created by the shop-keeper since their kind can actually blend those materials perfectly."
"What exactly are these species?" Twilight asked.
"They're called Moogles. But, I don't think there's any that have set up a shop here in Equestria. We may need more supplies for emergencies, and flying to the nearest world with a Moogle shop would be a waste of time." They soon heard an odd sound come from some of the bushes not too far from them, making Twilight yelp in surprise.
"W-What was that!?" she asked, huddling close to Riku in case it was an odd Heartless noise.
"Well...speak of the devil," Riku said as he approached the bushes where the sound came from, pushing through the branches as he revealed what was behind it. "Looks like they do have one here...though out in the forest is pretty quesitonable."
"Finally! Customers, kupo!" Inside of a glowing blue, translucent circle, hovering over a blue orb while a blue balloon with the word "SHOP" in bold yellow, an odd creature Twilight had never seen before bounced with glee. It looked like a small white stuffed bear with its eyes closed, a pair of bat wings fluttering on its back, a big nose, and a red, fluffy pom pom antennae on its head. "I have been waiting for so long to finally get a customer to pass by, kupo! And even when I do see them, they keep running away whenever I alert them to my shop, kupo!"
"...What...is...that?" Twilight asked, her pencil in her aura scribbling erratically as she sketched out the new holographic creature.
"That is a Moogle. These guys are in charge of selling goods from across the universe and synthesizing materials for better items," Riku explained, the Moogle nodding his head in agreement. "But, why exactly are you out here in this forest?"
"I thought this would be a good place to set up a store for adventurers who know of our business practices, kupo, but...I guess it's not if you're the first two customers I've had in years."
"You've been in Equestria, in Whitetail Wood, for years!?" Twilight excalimed in shock. "And nopony's even mentioned the odd noise you make when they pass this pathway!?"
"Well, I'm not that scary, kupo," the Moogle grumbled.
"Maybe you should try to set this hologram shop up around a town where it's possible for you to be seen by potential customers, and not in a forest off the path," Riku suggested.
"...Ohhhhhh...THAT makes a lot more sense! No wonder everyone here avoided me! They thought I was some kind of monster!" The Moogle grabbed his head and shook it, making the same "kupo" noises out of frustration. "And Stiltzkin told me to make sure we're in a conspicuous position when we aren't supposed to be seen by the other worlds' inhabitants. I took that too literally, kupo kupo. I'll try to move this shop to that town not too far from here. There is a neat looking library shaped like a tree. That should bring good business, kupopo."
"Good luck with that," Riku said, the Moogle pressing something on his side of the holographic image, warping his shop elsewhere near the Golden Oak Library. "Majestic creatures, the Moogle. Though they are smarter than they seem and are very talented in their craft." He looked over at Twilight after pretending to sound like he was narrating a nature documentary, the unicorn still staring at where it once was. "...Uhh, Twilight?"
"...You think they sell other things besides potions?" she asked, slowly turning her head toward the stallion, her eyes shimmering as her sketch of the Moogle had thousands of hearts around it. "I want a stuffed doll of it."
"...Uhhh...I don't think they do...Why?" Riku dared to ask.
"Why not!?" Twilight squealed. "Look at it!" The unicorn shoved her notepad with her sketch of the Moogle in Riku's face. "It's so strange looking! It's cute! It's mysterious! The others would have a field day if they saw it, especially Fluttershy! Who wouldn't want to have a toy designed to look like a Moogle!?"
"...Now I know why they decide to mostly use their holographic shops in other worlds," Riku pondered. "To avoid getting crushed to death by girls."
"Wait, are you saying the female mind always goes crazy when they see something cute and fluffy!?" Twilight exclaimed as the pegasus walked away from her. "Hey! Answer my question! Don't you walk away from me!"
"And your reaction answers your own question." He chuckled as Twilight stomped after him with an annoyed glare, continuing on their trek through the woods.
Through the rest of the day, Twilight inspected more flowers, trees, and bushes, making sure any berries or hanging fruits were safe to eat as they were and not risk getting poisoned for a later snack. As the sun began to set, the unicorn and pegasus set up a campsite near a lake in the middle of the forest. Riku gathered firewood for the fire while Twilight sat near the shore of the lake, reading through a section of any aquatic plants found in the lake. After setting the wood down, he sat next to Twilight, dipping his hind legs into the water.
"Already got the firewood?" the unicorn asked.
"Yup. Plenty for the next couple of days." Twilight put away her botany book in her saddlebags.
"Perfect. And with the lake being directly in the center of Whitetail Wood, we can search through different sections of the forest and go through every blade of grass throughout the weekend," the unicorn said with glee as she clapped her hooves together, Riku rolling his eyes at her nerdy enthusiasm. As Twilight rummaged through her saddlebags, she tried to find something she packed, but couldn't feel around for it. Flipping her bags upside down, she levitated what she had inside: her books on foliage, her writing materials, a map of the forest to point out the safe routes in Whitetail Woods, her canteen to fill with fresh water, and bags with the berries they found as they hiked. Her eyes widened, having forgotten one other important part of camping. "Uh oh..."
"'Uh oh' what?" Riku asked.
"...Hehe...I...forgot to pack a tent," she said. "I was so excited with my outdoor learning experience that I left the tent out of the supplies we need. Oops."
"Just be lucky I can be prepared for emergencies." The stallion pulled out a couple tent orbs from one of his pockets, only to grimace as there were only two on him. "...Or not all that prepared. I only have two on me."
"Well, two's plenty," Twilight said.
"These orbs are actually limited," Riku explained. "Each tent has one use, either used for camping experiences or healing injuries when no danger is present. And they disappear once all of the party leave that one tent." He put the orbs back in his pockets, his cheeks turning slightly red as he looked away from Twilight. "...That means...we're going to have to share a tent for tonight and tomorrow."
Twilight's cheeks began to burn at the new information, even though it was new knowledge about magical orbs that can create a tent out of thin air. "...Oh...Sleeping in the same tent with a stallion...I've had pretend camping moments with Shining Armor in our backyard and snuggled with him since he's my brother, but..." She wasn't making things easier for her or Riku as their cheeks blushed more heavily by the second. Twilight quickly shook her head, her brain scrambling to find another topic to ease the awkward tension. "Uhhhh...Should have really paid attention with bringing my own tent."
"Not helping," Riku uttered. He began to think this was a bad idea, but he agreed to it, needing a bit of relaxation from all the stressful thoughts in his mind of his past. He was brought back to reality as he felt the cool water soaking his hind hooves, the water cold enough for a swim in the summer air. "Uhh, do you know how to swim?"
"...I have," Twilight said. "I had to learn how, and I found it more fun to read about swimming than doing it...I kept getting water up my nose, and I hated those floaties I had to wear."
"Can you swim well enough to tread water?" Riku asked, having received an answer that was longer than he wanted it to be.
"Yes," she simply answered.
"Good, cause I'm gonna take a dip and get my mind off of sharing a tent with someone of the opposite gender. No offense." Riku stood up and began to take off his vest, not wanting to get it soaked. Twilight watched the stallion stripping out of his only article of clothing, getting a better look at his body, her blush intensifying as her eyes scanned every inch of him. He was a lot more muscular than Sora, and not quite as lanky as he was, but he was still pretty skinny enough to be as agile as he can be in a fight. She watched every muscle in his limbs and torso flexed as he stretched to prepare himself to dive in. Riku noticed Twilight staring at him, or more specifically, his body. "...Uhh, what are you doing?"
His voice snapping her out of her daze, Twilight quickly tossed her saddlebags with her packed supplies over near the campsite to keep them from getting wet, leaping into the water like a frog and splashed into the water. "AHH! COLD!" she screamed as she popped back up above the surface, shivering as she didn't get used to the water.
"...Was she actually staring at my body?" After a moment of wondering what the unicorn was doing, he brushed the thought out of his mind and leapt up high over the water, diving in the center of the lake.
While they swam, Riku was the only one swimming laps from one end of the lake to the other, Twilight just lazily floating around to cool her head. It didn't help that she kept watching the pegasus stallion swimming around, unable to get rid of the partial image of his pecs. At least thinking about Riku brought her mind away from her affections of Sora in the past, though it was still bad as she always seemed to fall for the heroic kind of stallion with good looks and a great personality. Riku may be a bit of a loner, but he's as good a friend like Sora is, only more serious and mature.
They both got out before the last of the sun's light disappeared behind the trees, Riku setting up the fire the old fashioned way as they slowly dried themselves through the heat of the flames. More awkward silence came between them, knowing that at some point, they would have to go to bed, and share one of Riku's tents. Only the sounds of the crackling fire, owls hooting, and chirping crickets echoed around them.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of silence between them, Riku broke it. "...So, uhh...Do you do anything besides study?"
"...N-Not really," she said. "I always stayed inside and read my books most of the time...Though, whenever I was with my brother or Cadence, I did have fun outside with them. I didn't really have any other friends when I was a filly."
"You really were a shut in, huh?" Twilight nodded, the pegasus feeling a bit sad for her.
"I thought that making friends would just be a waste of time and drag me away from my studies," she said. "Being Princess Celestia's pupil, I'm expected to know so much and pass every test thrown at me with flying colors. I learned every single spell I could, read every book I could get my hooves on, but I never even noticed how important it was to have friends and why I'm studying it now. If it wasn't for Sora and my friends, I would have wound up turning into a hermit in my old library back in Canterlot after the Summer Sun Celebration."
"You know, friendship isn't something you study, right?" Riku asked. "There are different things in life you learn that can't come from a book, no matter how descriptive it can be. Making friends can't truly be explained. It just comes to you, kind of like how I first met Sora when we were kids.
"We got into a little fight in school over something stupid, and we got in a lot of trouble. As strange as our meeting was, we instantly became best friends and rivals, competing against each other while having fun doing so." He began to laugh as he recalled those fond memories. "Sora began to pick fights and try to challenge me in anything he could think of, always keeping track of who won what and trying to push us to our limits, but at the end of the day, it's all in good fun. You never know what kind of friend you'll meet, whether they become friends or rivals at first glance."
"...That is true. I didn't expect to be friends with any of them the first time I came to Ponyville, but after traveling through the Everfree Forest to stop Nightmare Moon, I realized how important they were to me." Twilight began to giggle, remembering how annoyed she felt after meeting them the day before the Summer Sun Celebration, only to get to know them a lot more as they walked through a dangerous forest that could have gotten them killed. "It's so weird how they were more of a bother to me at first, but then I become friends with them on a dangerous adventure. And the strangest thing is that Rainbow Dash's sonic rainboom she pulled off when all of us were fillies connected us in some way, helping us find our cutie marks, and a sign that would have eventually brought us together as best friends."
"Like destiny brought you together." Destiny had an odd way of bringing others together, or even an important job handed down to them to save the world, or worlds. Riku's destiny as a Keyblade wielder was given to him so long ago, touching the hilt of a mysterious young man's Keyblade, never knowing who he was or where he came from. Too bad his heroic efforts started in darkness, but thanks to Sora saving him and bringing him back to the light, he's able to fulfill the destiny made for him, even gaining a little control of his weakest of dark abilities. It soon began to get late, Riku approaching his folded up vest, pulling out one of his tents. "I think I'm going to get some sleep. It's starting to get pretty late."
"Is it?" Twilight looked up at the moon, seeing it hovering above them at the apex of its ascent. "Oh...I guess it is." She looked back at Riku, watching him throw the orb nearby. In a flash of light, a tent appeared in the orb's place, big enough to fit a couple grown ponies inside. "I have got to figure out how that works."
"You're not experimenting with the last one I've got." Riku grumbled as he stepped inside the tent. "If that Moogle didn't leave so soon, I would have actually bought some more tents. Not exactly a smart business practice to find your first customers, then leave before they have a chance to buy anything."
Twilight walked inside the tent, feeling a little nervous sharing a tent with Riku as he laid down on one side. "Are...Moogles really intelligent, or was that one that didn't think clearly?"
"They are, but that one was the only one I've met so far that messed up where he set up his shop. Let's just hope he's as good at synthesizing materials than he is at selling his wares." Riku soon fell asleep, Twilight slowly and nervously laying down on her side with her back turned to him, blushing heavily as she stared at the side of the tent.
"Stop freaking out, Twilight," she whispered to herself. "You're just two friends, on a little camping trip, sharing a tent for shelter. It was kind of your fault for not packing your own tent, and it's not like he likes you that way..." She looked over her shoulder, Riku's back turned to her as he slept. Her brain began to play back the scene of him stripping out of his vest and flexing his muscles, though more intentionally at her with a gaze that asked "Like what you see?" Her cheeks burned, quickly turning back around as she tried to slow her heart rate. "What is wrong with me!? Why does this have to be so complicated!? Riku's not interested in me, and he's from another world!" Her ears drooped, sighing sadly. "...Why does love sound more difficult to have than making friends?"
Twilight tried to get to sleep, but couldn't get Riku out of her mind. Even if they were from different worlds, her romance novels involving two lovers, both either from warring kingdoms or different races, liking each other for who they were and their personalities could happen in reality too. Sure, he may have made some mistakes in the past, but he repented for his transgressions and fights alongside his friends to protect the innocent from darkness. He even shared with her how his past still troubles him, but knows that he's got a friend like Sora to help remind him he's better than what he used to be. Even after hearing him talk to himself about how he would never find anyone who would love him, she didn't think about maybe seeing where it would go between them until tonight.
Not wanting to get her hopes up, she closed her eyes and tried to put the stallion sleeping behind her out of her head, though that seemed to be an impossible feat with her dreams helplessly filled with the silver-haired pegasus.
The next morning, Riku woke up, his internal clock telling him the sun was rising, and so must he. He stretched his limbs and rolled over to get a bit more sleep before he was fully awake. He forgot that Twilight was in the same tent, his eyes widening and waking him up as his muzzle was mere inches from hers. She was still asleep, thankfully, remembering they were sharing the tent before he went into a full blown panic. Just seeing the unicorn this close, fast asleep as she lightly snored, it was hard for Riku to deny that Twilight looked cute while she slept, though, being in a world filled with colorful ponies with big eyes would be difficult for any tough man to ignore for long.
He blushed, realizing what he was thinking as he slowly shuffled away. He couldn't blame Sora for taking a liking to their pony friends after being here for a year, along with his ability to quickly make friends no matter who they are. Kairi immediately fell for them all, unable to contain her childhood fantasy in a world that was made for little girls to enjoy and roam freely. Riku was the kind of person who doesn't take a liking to a lot of childish or cute things after a couple years traveling on his own: escaping from the Realm of Darkness and winding up in the basement of Castle Oblivion, fighting off Ansem from taking over his heart once and for all, forcing himself to wear the black coat the Nobodies of Organization XIII wears and a blindfold to conceal his darkness while retrieving the rest of Sora's memories from Roxas, and even assisting Sora in the fight against the Nobodies while in the form of the Heartless that once took control of him while staying away from him. He's faced many threats, received many kinds of injuries, faced his own darkness, and none of them made him bat an eye; however, his defenses fall at the sight of a purple unicorn sleeping soundly, her ear, tail, or hooves twitching slightly as she dreamed.
Riku quietly exited the tent and headed for the lake, splashing some water on his face to cool the burning redness on his cheeks. "Why does this world have to have colorful horses that look far cuter than the real ones back home?" After getting his face and hair wet, he slapped his cheeks, forcing his brain to think of something masculine and not on the lavender unicorn. "Come on, Riku. No cute stuff. Competitions. Messing with Sora. Sports..." He paused, slapping himself on the forehead. "Ugh. Maybe I've finally lost my mind. Why am I acting so weird?"
After trying to ignore the morning sight in the tent, to no avail, Riku just did his usual morning stretches to warm up for any Heartless attack that could happen at any moment. He didn't have to wait long for Twilight to wake up, the mare tiredly exiting the tent with a yawn.
"Morning, Riku," she said. The tent disappeared after she was completely out, making Twilight yelp and waking her up a little. "...I really need to study these. These could really help campers or explorers, easing the loads they carry in their bags for other important supplies like food and water."
"First of all: you are such a nerd," Riku teased, making Twilight pout at the comment. "Second: you are not going to experiment with my last tent."
"...You know, I can see why Sora has a bone to pick with you most of the time. You love to instigate a fight, which is why you like teasing your friends." Twilight approached the smirking stallion, nudging him out of the way to splash some water on her face. "And now you're picking on me. I'll have you know my intellect has helped solve problems numerous times before you arrived for my brother and sister-in-law's wedding."
"It's not my fault you're an adorkable unicorn." Riku quickly slapped his hooves over his mouth, unsure why he even said that out loud.
Twilight slowly turned to look at the shocked pegasus, her cheeks turning red at the strangely given comment. "...What...did you call me?"
"...Uhhhhhhhh..." He darted his eyes everywhere, trying to find an excuse to get out of the odd predicament he got himself in. "I uhh...Hey, is that a Heartless over there!? Better go kill it!"
Riku sped off in a random direction in the forest, a terrible excuse to make as he forgot to summon his Keyblade, but it was good enough for him to avoid talking with Twilight about the accidental comment he blurted out. As soon as he was out of sight, the unicorn's blush grew as she thought over the endearing compliment's meaning.
"...'Adorkable'?" she questioned. "...Did he call me a dork and adorable at the same time???...I don't know if I'm supposed to feel insulted or not, but...he thinks I'm...adorable?" Twilight's face turned completely red, thinking that Riku might actually like her as more than a friend. She quickly shook that thought out of her head and groaned. "No! Don't get swept into a crush! Don't overthink things and believe he's thinking the same thing you are!...M-Maybe he said that because I'm...just cute...as a different species compared to him..." She sighed and fell on her stomach, whining in annoyance as her emotions can't stay in her control. "I don't know how I was able to suppress these feelings while growing up. If Princess Celestia didn't send me to Ponyville, I would have forever remained friendless, or even experience falling for somepony...I would have grown to be a grumpy old mare, only fascinated with books, learning, and perform new spells like my idol, Star Swirl the Bearded...
"...I mean, I do think Riku's a likable stallion, given his past." Twilight rolled over onto her back, looking up at the sky as she thought back to Sora describing Riku and what he told her about his past. "He chose the wrong path to take, but it was more out of fear of being neglected...A fear of being alone...Kind of like me when Discord turned my friends against each other, and I felt so helpless when they all left...Riku's strong and puts on a mask of bravery...but he's afraid, hiding his true feelings to not look weak. Which means...he's terrified of being in a relationship, thinking he'll ruin everything as he's haunted by his mistakes." Finally understanding Riku a little more with his issues with his friends and finding a future lover, Twilight sat up with a determined look. "Even if we're from different worlds, and if Riku does like me that way, I'm willing to give it a chance. If it doesn't work out, then we can still be friends. I can show him there's at least somepony out there who cares about how he feels, and won't fault him for any mistakes that he managed to learn from."
Twilight levitated her notepad and pencil out of her saddlebags, carefully tearing out the page with her Moogle sketch and storing it back in her bags. On a fresh page, she began to list out her plan to help Riku open up to her, and if possible, start a relationship and be his marefriend, being sure to go slow and not rush it like her book on dating stated. While she was busy coming up with her plan, she was unaware of something peering at her beyond the trees, a skinny grayish arm slowly moving forward as it pressed against one of the tree's trunks, two black bands around its arm that pulsated small bits of light inside them.
"I can't believe I just called her adorkable!" Riku shouted as he paced around the trees, finally stopping after getting far enough away from Twilight. "Why did that come out of my mouth!? Now she thinks you're an idiot! Sora is going to have a laughing riot when he finds out I called Twilight adorkable and tease me for the rest of my life!...Then again, maybe he should for all the times I teased him with Kairi..." The teen sighed, smacking his head into a nearby tree in frustration. "What the heck is going on with me? Why am I acting like this?
"...Is it because of this world? With all the ponies here?" Riku groaned, unable to keep hold of his masculinity card and finally give in to what he really thinks of Equestria, aside from his first visit being trapped in a cocoon of green slime made by a crazy bug/pony queen. "...I will die in embarrassment if I said this to anyone else...I like the ponies in Equestria, especially when I met those three Crusader fillies...No one can't avoid going 'dawww' with those big eyes on a small, colorful horse..." His thoughts began to drift to Twilight. After the wedding and getting to know a little bit about Ponyville, he didn't think much about the unicorn except as a friend who's quite intelligent, curious with how their magic works, and had a few similar problems he's experienced with darkness and being manipulated by Maleficent's persuasive speeches. He began to notice that yesterday morning, after splitting the paopu fruit, he could have said no to joining her out here in Whitetail Wood, but instead said yes without so much as a second thought. "...I am so confused..."
As he tried to figure out why he can't get Twilight out of his head and why he's been acting so odd around her now compared to months ago, his ears perked up when he heard her scream. "Twilight?"
Twilight fled for her life, running through the trees as she was chased by strange creatures that weren't native to Equestria, or even considered Heartless. While she was working on her plan to bring hers and Riku's friendship to another level, her ears had stood up as she heard an odd sound come from behind her. The moment she turned around, she saw a strange gray flexible monster flying toward her, instinctively teleporting out of its path. It stopped its odd, rubbery flying and stood upright near the edge of the lake where she once stood. When it turned to face her, it revealed its "face", a strange cross symbol on its head, though its mouth seemed to be covered by a zipper.
The zipper moved on its own, opening its maw to reveal sharp gray fangs inside. Twilight began to back away in fear as it began moving toward her, its flexible limbs menacingly stepping closer. In a panic, she defended herself by casting Blizzard, but its body slumped to the ground in a heap, avoiding the spell and began slithering at her like a snake. She began to run away, unable to fight back against whatever it was that decided to attack her, only to be blocked off by more of them, appearing from the air in a flash of gray light.
She screamed and tried to teleport away, but the first one that slithered after her leapt onto the unicorn, smacking her horn hard with its tendril-like hand. The painful headache it brought her kept her from casting anymore defensive spells, taking the opportunity to wrap itself around Twilight and try to strangle her. The mare didn't give the disturbing predator a chance to choke her out, slamming down hard on her side, stunning it as its head was slammed to the ground, temporarily going slack. Twilight quickly ran away before the rest of the group of monsters could grab her, running into the forest as more and more kept appearing out of thin air as they chased her in the same slithering fashion through the air.
"What the hay are these things!?" Twilight asked as she tried to weave her way through the trees. Her method to give them a slip failed as they managed to curl their way around the trunks and branches, their bodies seemingly made up of stretchy rubber. "And why do they have to be like snakes!? I HATE SNAKES!"
As she ran deeper into Whitetail Wood, she stopped as she heard a swift slash echo through the air in front of her, watching one of the trees in front of her slowly falling over as it was cleanly cut through with a blade. Twilight thought that it was Riku coming to her rescue, only to stare in horror at the creature that appeared behind the tree looking similar to the gray snake-like monsters chasing her, bearing the same symbol from their heads on its sleeves. Its body looked like something a wandering samurai would wear, the only part of it not as gray as its clothing were the black feet and hands. Its head was concealed by a darker gray helmet with six slits running diagonally across the face, three running down left and three running down right. Hovering around it are two gray swords, one of them in its hand, having used it to slice the tree, while the other remained in its sheath.
Twilight tried to flee, but the new gray monster teleported in front of her, pulling out its other sword and swiped at her. She quickly ducked and backed away from the sword-wielding creature, running off in another direction, farther away from the campsite. She dared to turn her head and looked back as she ran, watching the being that nearly cut her in half chasing after her, the slithering monsters chasing her following it as they all began to catch up to her. As soon as she turned back to pay attention to where she was going, she yelped and skidded to a halt, finding herself in a small clearing and trapped between the monsters and a tall cliff. She turned around, but found any chance to escape blocked off as the slithering monsters landed around any points she could try to slip by, leering at her with their sharp fangs visible underneath their hooded mouths.
She began to back away until she hit the wall, the sword bearing monster slowly approaching her in the same flexible nature as the ones behind it, slowly pulling out both of its swords. She tried to cast a spell, any spell that could help her escape or fight back, but the hard smack to her horn earlier still left her completely useless with her magic. Twilight began to cower, her eyes unable to look away from the gray blades rising up to slash through her. She couldn't even find her voice, scream for help, hoping Riku was close enough to hear her. She finally managed to move, curling into a ball and hiding her face under her hooves, waiting for her inevitable end.
As the creature slashed downward at her, Riku flew at blinding speeds down in front of Twilight, blocking the sword with his Keyblade and making it stumble back, reflexively making it shift into a meditative stance. The other creatures slithered forward to assist their stunned comrade. Twilight peeked from behind her hooves as she heard the sound of steel clashing with steel, gasping as she saw the stallion had come to her rescue. There was a glint of light that came from the meditating being, issuing a risky challenge, which Riku quickly agreed to as the other monsters got closer to them.
The creature immediately stood up, the sound of a flute playing a sharp note coming from out of nowhere as time seemed to slow to a crawl between it and Riku. Twilight and the other monsters couldn't move, but she could still see, watching as both weapon wielders held a their blades out, a light shining down on both of them as the world dimmed out around them. Rose petals began to float across the battlefield in an invisible wind, showcasing the standoff between two sword duelers like it was a final clash in the finale of an epic battle.
By an unheard signal only Riku and the creature could hear, Riku reacted first and appeared behind it with his Keyblade held out as if he had slashed through it in less than a millisecond. Not only did the attack hit the sword-wielding being, the force of the slash also struck the others, causing them to flip around and contort into large, stunned balls. The stallion quickly slashed his stunned opponent before it came back to it senses, one final thrust through its chest causing it to explode into grayish light.
Some of the others recovered from their daze and slithered up to Twilight to attack her. "Oh no you don't!"
Riku cast an Aeroga spell around the cowering unicorn, the powerful gusts of protective wind repelling them away. They soon cast their sights on the difficult threat than their easy prey, surrounding the pegasus. Before they could attack together, floating up in the air, then back down to headbutt him, he swiftly slid around to one of their backs, the Reversal causing all of them to freeze and plant their feet on the ground, twisting their heads around as if they were confused and lost track of him. With them being distracted, Riku slashed through all of them, snapping them out of their confusion while being unable to break free of the devastating combo of swift strikes. They didn't last much longer, quickly being destroyed as they disappeared into explosive gray light.
Finding no more in sight, or appearing in more numbers, Riku relaxed and dismissed his Keyblade. "Great. Now Nobodies are here in Equestria. Even with Organization XIII completely gone, they're acting on their own and finally showing themselves." He walked up to Twilight and helped her back on her hooves, making sure none of the Nobodies injured her. "You ok, Twilight?"
"...Y-Yeah. Thanks." The unicorn controlled her breathing, now safe from the dangerous threat. "What were those things? Were they Heartless?"
"No. Those were Nobodies. More specifically, dozens of Dusks and a Samurai." The last one Riku mentioned to Twilight did match its style of combat and design, though the Dusks should have been called "Slithering, Boneless Snakes". "I'm sure Sora told you about Nobodies while he was here."
"Yes. They're...the shell of a living being with a strong heart, after they turned into a Heartless," she recited. "But...those things were more like giant forms made out of stretchy elastic material, not a physical, solid body."
"It's kind of like they're the skin and form of who they once were, completely boneless and flexible without a heart." The thought of the explanation made Twilight sick to her stomach as she imagined how she would have turned out if she turned into a Heartless and created a Nobody. "Yeah. Pretty gross. And what's worse is that they're smarter than Heartless, making their actions more unpredictable as they attack, and they can appear in larger groups with tougher variations with the small fries." Riku draped his wing over withers, making the unicorn blush as his feathers brushed over her back. "Let's get back to the campsite. And...not stay too far away from each other...Just in case there are more."
"R-Right." The two walked back through the forest together, unsure if there could be another ambush of Nobodies waiting for them in the bushes or trees.
After returning back to the camp, Twilight decided to skip her planned schedule and route in Whitetail Wood to find any flora to examine and record in her little notepad. Nearly getting wrapped up and strangled by a Dusk, running for her life from a horde of the Nobodies, and nearly getting sliced up by a Samurai was enough of an outdoor experience for her for the next year. Through the rest of the afternoon, they both stayed around their campsite and the lake, Twilight staying within a few yards from Riku, just in case something else decided to show up and try to kill them.
As it grew dark, Riku started the fire, lighting up their camp along with the glow of the moon above them. The two were pretty silent, mostly out of caution if anymore Nobodies were around, spying on them and waiting to jump them. Neither had any idea what to say, or even speak first. Unable to take the silence anymore, Riku, once again, broke the silence, just like last night.
"...So, you sure you're ok?" he asked. "Not too shaken up or hiding any injuries from me?"
"I'm fine. Just my horn, but mostly out of blocking my magic." Twilight rubbed the base of her horn, the pain gone and able to use her magic again. "Unicorn horns can hold a lot of magical potential, but any magic cast while it's flicked or smacked, and it can cause a slight headache. It's a pretty sensitive part of us, like pegasi with their wings."
"Good." More silence. Riku rubbed the back of his neck, his thoughts racing. After hearing Twilight scream for help like that, he began to panic, worrying if anything had happened to her. Now he was being a bit protective, making sure she was fine, she wasn't completely terrified, and overly cautious for anything else that could attack them. It didn't help that he held his Keyblade out when he heard rustling come from near the camp after they got back, only to scare a curious rabbit away. "...Are you sure?"
"Yes, for the hundredth time," Twilight said, sounding annoyed. "You realize I've faced worse besides the Heartless and those Nobodies, right? Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis, even Maleficent...even though she was actually being attacked by teenage dragons and we had to help her."
"...W-Well...You and the others aren't able to truly defend yourselves from the Heartless, and without Sora, or any of us, Equestria would have fallen victim to the darkness." Riku knew he was just making up excuses, but if his odd behavior around Twilight these past two days were exactly what he was thinking it was, he didn't want to believe it was true.
"I know. Without you, or Sora and Kairi, Equestria is sure to easily be destroyed by the Heartless. But you don't have to keep worrying about me every single second," Twilight said. "Sora, Kairi, and Donald showed us the kind of magic you use, and I'm still learning the basics of the easy leveled spells."
"You probably could have taken care of those Dusks since you're magical strength is pretty high," Riku scoffed.
"I didn't know those things were actually that flexible and could avoid spells when I aimed them," Twilight countered. "And maybe if my horn weren't the source of my magic, unlike you, where you just wave your Keyblade around, say a spell, and poof! Instant fire or ice shooting out of your weapon like it was a magic wand!"
"Oh, excuse me, miss unicorn! As if you're a master of magical spells when you're still considered a student under your ruler's gaze!" the stallion shouted. "In fact, you weren't even supposed to know about us: the Keyblade, the Heartless, other worlds, everything that you can't help but find out by force when something peaks your interest or makes you suspicious!"
"I figured out a dangerous villain from our world, who was Princess Celestia's little sister corrupted by darkness, so pardon me for being suspicious about Sora and thinking he was some alien planning to take over our world with unknown magic none of us had ever seen after he took Nightmare Moon down!" Twilight growled, having an argument with Riku over something she wasn't supposed to know already passed, her and her friends promising not to tell anyone else and try and keep as much of the world order as they can. "Why are we arguing about this? At some point, we were going to find out, so why are you bringing that up? We know the consequences of blurting out who you, Sora, and Kairi are."
"With all that knowledge on what's happening to other worlds, how many close calls have all of you had when Heartless showed up?" Riku questioned. "How many times have you all nearly gotten killed if we weren't around to save your defenseless hides!?"
"Why are you being so hostile about this, Riku!?" Twilight asked. "Why are you freaking out about what could have happened when we all knew you three would come to save us all!?"
"Because I was afraid of losing you!" The whole forest seemed to grow silent, Riku's anger slowly ebbing away to worry. Twilight stared at him, watching the stallion as he looked down at the ground, quite surprised to hear him so concerned about her safety and assumed the worst if he didn't make it in time. He had practically blurted out how he felt, about her, scared to know if something worse would happen if he was nowhere around her. "...I-I...I don't...want to be responsible for losing anyone...Not again..."
"...What do you mean, 'Not again?'" Twilight asked.
Riku brought a hoof up to his head, his legs trembling as he tried to keep his composure. "...Sora..." Watching his best friend sacrificing himself began to play back in his mind, unable to do anything while trapped inside his own heart, taken control of by Ansem. He lured Sora to Radiant Garden's castle, before called Hollow Bastion, threatened to kill him when he lost his friend's Keyblade that he took away from him in a dangerous, Heartless filled castle, and brought his friend to turn into a Heartless to wake Kairi and the other six Princesses of Heart. "...It was my fault Sora lost his heart..."
"Riku, Sora sacrificed himself to save Kairi," the mare reassured.
"But I made him give up his heart..." His guilt during their separation from Destiny Island began to creep back up, being the cause of everything. "It was my fault all this happened to him...To Kairi...Every single world caught in the battle against darkness...There was a door back on our island, which was the gateway to its heart, and I stupidly opened it, bringing the Heartless to our home and destroyed it." Tears began to well up in Riku's eyes, being the cause to everything that brought him and his friends so much pain. "Kairi lost her heart, all of us got separated on different worlds...I was afraid...
"I began listening to that witch, and I believed her like the stupid pawn I became. I found Kairi's body, I fought against my best friend, and a Heartless took over my body, that I willingly gave after I lost to him! I heard and saw everything inside my heart, shocked to hear Kairi's heart was in Sora's the whole time, making me realize if I killed him, then I would have killed Kairi too!" Twilight stayed quiet and listened to Riku vent, the pegasus choking back a sob as he couldn't hold back his emotions for much longer. "I even held that Keyblade that unlocked any heart, made from the hearts of the six other princesses...And I watched Sora stab himself with it, all to release her heart and give it back to her...It was practically assisted suicide, and I was the cause of him turning into a Heartless...I killed my best friend..."
"...But you've been forgiven for your mistakes. You're not like that anymore," Twilight said.
"Everyone may have forgiven me, but I can't forgive myself. And I never will!" Riku buried his face in his hooves, struggling not to break down and bawl in front of Twilight, the unicorn slowly walking over and sitting next to him. "I've always felt so miserable, thinking being alone would keep me from getting anyone else hurt, but Sora ended up finding me after a year of hibernation, trying to bring his memories back after he went through Castle Oblivion, and he still thinks I have a chance of keeping my friends after hurting them and destroying our home...Even if I still have him, I'll always be jealous of him, no matter what he does...
"...Heh...I'm even jealous of him being in a relationship with the girl of his dreams." The stallion sadly chuckled, making fun of himself for his loveless life. "I was too stupid to even pay attention to what life had for me, focusing on what my destiny had for me and not being a teenager...I want to be like Sora, even with all his faults, but I know I'll never have someone to love with what I've done...But now?...I don't know if I'm losing my mind, or desperate, but I can't stop thinking about you for the last couple days, Twilight."
"Huh?" Twilight blushed, hearing Riku admit he began to have a crush on her, which explained why he began arguing against her for no reason.
"I got so confused...I don't even know what love is supposed to be like, yet I want it all at once...Maybe it is me being desperate, part of me wanting to find someone, and doesn't care who or what it is..." Riku looked at Twilight, his face matted with tears, but he didn't seem happy with his feelings. "I don't even know why I began to feel this way...But, after hearing you scream...I thought I wouldn't be able to see you again..."
"...Y-You mean...You actually...?" Riku hesitated for a moment, but he nodded his head.
"I probably didn't even notice until now, and the fact we're from different worlds...I thought it would be too strange and awkward...but I don't think I care anymore. Even if it's wrong, I know I wouldn't have a chance with any other girl back home." He wiped his tears with his hoof, sniffling a little, still feeling miserable even after letting out his thoughts, anger toward himself, and his sorrows. "I still don't deserve love, though."
"Stop saying that," Twilight said. "I felt the same way you are right now after I was freed from my own darkness after Maleficent cast a spell on me. Kairi and Sora saved me, even after I hurt them, and they still wanted to be my friend after doing something so awful to them."
"But you-" Twilight pressed her hoof against Riku's lips, silencing any excuse he had as she continued talking.
"But every worst case scenario I had where I'd think all of my friends would leave me after having my darkness control me was all just my paranoia," she said. "Princess Celestia and Sora helped me realize that what I did wasn't in my control, and my friends wouldn't think anything differently of me." Twilight's cheeks began to turn pink. "...And whoever does love you wouldn't care about your past either, knowing you weren't yourself and followed someone who had tricked you. If they turn their back on you when you tell them what you've done, then they don't deserve somepony like you at all."
She lowered her hoof away from Riku's lips as he absorbed her lecture. "...Y-You like me too?"
"Mhmm. Yesterday near the lake." Her blush deepened at yesterday's awkward ogling before they swam. "At first, I didn't think much about it when I stared at you when you took off your vest and stretched, but, before I was attacked earlier today, I knew there was a lot about you I wanted to know better. Just be glad I didn't start falling for you a day after meeting you and being saved by you so many times like with Sora. The only thing about love I've ever gotten close to understanding is in romance novels I've read, and I'm a sucker for the strong, heroic types."
"...You really read those cheesy stories?" he asked as he grinned slightly.
"I love books. Fiction and non-fiction. And yes, most of them were cheesy, but I like tales of a heroic knight saving his damsel in distress, where the hero saves the day, and also has a backstory that I can sympathize with in any hardships he's come across to be who he is." Twilight moved a little closer to Riku, both of them unaware of how close they were getting to each other. "You're strong, brave, and even knowing you've made so many mistakes that would have cast all the worlds in darkness, I still think you're a great friend to have. You knew what you did was from terrible choices, unsure what to do out of fear and believed the closest one you were able to trust while you were by yourself...You were given a second chance when Sora saved you, and you've done a lot to make up for your mistakes."
He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck at the compliments Twilight gave him. Even though he had been miserable, keeping the blame on himself once he was freed from Heartless Ansem and fought against him to regain control of his heart while escaping Castle Oblivion, he tried to fix his mistakes, hunting down Organization XIII and helping wake Sora back up. After hearing Twilight believe that no matter what he does, his true friends would never see him for what negative actions he's done and focus more on the positives, the same to be said for who he would fall in love with. And Twilight was willing to share his affections, even if they were both different species from different worlds, the only problem he would have is being made fun of by Sora if he found out they were together as a couple.
Riku turned his head back toward Twilight, but before he could utter a single word, telling her what he admired about her like she did to him, the unicorn had swiftly pressed her lips against his and began to kiss him. He was frozen solid, feeling her muzzle pressed against his, staring at her with surprised shock as her eyes were closed, blissfully unaware that she decided to lock lips with him. But he didn't back away, or feel disturbed by the fact he was sharing his first kiss with a sentient pony from another world. It somehow felt pleasant to him, as if they were meant to be.
Twilight began to slowly open her eyes, quickly opening them fully as she realized what she had done, pulling away as her face burned brightly. "Oh my gosh...I-I didn't mean to do that. I was just...caught up in the moment, and I moved on my own and...I'm rushing and just possibly ruined what could have been the start of our relationship, all because I can't control my-"
Riku quickly silenced Twilight's rambling, surprising her this time as he kissed her. She squealed a little in her shock, turning into soft moans as she closed her eyes again and kissed him back. While they were lost in their first, blissful kiss, Riku slowly and gently wrapped his forelegs around Twilight's waist, pulling her even closer to him. The unicorn leaned into his embrace as she deepened their kiss, moving her hooves up until they were wrapped around the pegasus's shoulders. As enjoyable as it was for the two, their lungs demanded air, pulling away from each other slightly as they stared in each other's eyes.
Once they both began to recover from their highs experiencing their first kiss, Riku's eyes grew wide and blushed heavily. He looked away from Twilight, who also looked away as they both processed what had happened. The stallion quickly unwrapped his hooves from the mare's waist, staring out at the forest as he fidgeted, feeling her side lightly pressed against his.
"...Uhh...Sorry," he apologized. "...Don't know what came over me..." They both fell silent again. Another awkward moment shared between them. Neither pony knew what to say, unsure if whatever they say or do next will be even more awkward. They both looked at each other, then down at their hooves. "...Well...This was a little...sudden."
"Mhmm..." Twilight looked back at Riku, feeling a little scared that they may have rushed things after he had an emotional moment. "...Did I...mess up?"
"...I'm...not sure," he said, unable to control his blush as he ran his hoof over his bangs. "...It wasn't that bad...and you caught me off guard. But...I guess I got you back."
"Yeah...It felt...wonderful," she said, Riku nodding his head in agreement. "...So...Does this make us a couple? Or...a heat of the moment thing?"
"Maybe both...But, I guess I needed that." Riku gently grabbed Twilight's hoof, staring at her with a small smile. "I keep forgetting I'm already forgiven, but because of my guilt and...keeping my problems bottled up to not burden anyone, I can't forgive myself. I don't know when I will, but...maybe in time I can. And...I guess, if you want to go through with this, I'll give us going out a shot."
"Really!?" Twilight squeaked, but before she could leap on him and kiss him again, Riku pressed his hoof against her snout.
"Easy," he warned. "If we're going to be dating, then we're going to go slow. No rushing."
"...R-Right," the unicorn giggled nervously, reminding herself not to blow it and go overboard. "...Are hugs allowed?"
"By hugging, you mean cuddling?" Riku asked, Twilight sheepishly nodding her head. "...Eh, what the heck?" He stretched his forelegs out, allowing Twilight to huddle close and nuzzle his shoulder as he hugged her. "Hey, Twilight?"
"Mhmm?" she asked, her head resting on his shoulder as she felt his hooves gently rubbing her sides.
"...I know this might sound a bit selfish and mean, but...you think we can keep our relationship a secret from the others? I do want to tell them after a while, but I know Sora's going to endlessly tease us if he finds out, and Pinkie would end up throwing a party and tell the whole town we're dating." The unicorn nodded her head and yawned, the excitement from today finally catching up to her. "Thanks. I'm not really one to keep a reputation, since I've...you know, I was once bad and all that. I'm not really one to express my emotions all that much. Maybe I'll open up with time, but for now, just keep us on the down low until I'm confident enough to actually drop the hardened mask I wear, ok?" He waited for a response, but didn't hear a sound coming from his new girlfriend. "...Twilight?"
He looked down at her, finding her fast asleep, resting her head on his shoulder. Riku silently chuckled and shook his head. Figuring it was time to get to sleep, the pegasus carefully lifted Twilight onto his back, making sure not to wake her up. He dug around in his vest pockets and pulled out his last tent, tossing it in front of him and making it appear in a flash of light. As soon as he walked inside, he gently laid the sleeping mare down, laying down beside her. She squirmed closer to him, sighing softly as she buried her face into his chest. Riku wrapped his forelegs around her, never feeling as lucky as he was to be given his second chance after the trouble he had helped cause a few years ago. He closed his eyes and fell asleep with a content smile, happy to know there was someone out in the worlds, whether or not they were human like him, would care about him as much as his friends.
The next morning, Twilight and Riku headed out of Whitetail Wood, ending their little camping trip early, the unicorn no longer concerned with studying the forest's flora. She did manage to find some herbs that Zecora would want to use for any of her potion making, reminding herself to stop by her hut in the Everfree Forest after putting away her bags. She wanted to walk very closely to Riku as they entered Ponyville, but she understood he wasn't fully ready to break out of his shell and tell everyone they were going out together, knowing how awkward it would be for two sentient inhabitants from completely different worlds to be in love with each other. She had those same thoughts when she had a crush on Sora, but had put it all aside when she found out about Kairi and received help from Celestia. In time, they'll be able to tell their friends, and they know they'll accept their relationship.
"Hey, Riku!" Sora flew above the skies and hovered down in front of them as he spotted them. "I was wondering where you went to."
"I was just on a little study outing with Twilight for the weekend," Riku said. "Found a bunch of boring flowers and hundreds of trees. It was really exciting."
"Hey, you wanted to come along, Mr. Sarcastic," Twilight scoffed, knowing he was just teasing her and hiding the really exciting moment between them. "I'm actually glad you did too after I was attacked."
"Attacked by what? A bear?" Sora asked.
"More like Nobodies." The tan pegasus's jaw dropped, now having to deal with Nobodies and Heartless in Equestria. "We only encountered Dusks and a Samurai, though. But, it's best we stay prepared in case more Nobodies decide to show up after spying on us."
"Oh great. More trouble." Sora sighed and slumped his shoulders, quickly lifting his head up. "But, at least there's some good news. There's a Moogle shop near the library, and it just opened yesterday! I can finally restock on any items we might need, and maybe do a little synthesizing with all the stuff I nabbed from the Heartless. The others have already met it, and Fluttershy went crazy as soon as she saw it. She begged it to sell any plushies of it, though I doubt they sell toys...Or do they?"
"Well, lucky me. I had to use the tents I had on me for our shelter since Twilight forgot to pack hers when she seemed prepared to go out in the woods the others day, and I need to buy some more." Out of the corner of his eye, Riku saw Twilight pouting in his direction, constantly reminding her of forgetting an important rule in camping, and it's having a tent with her belongings at all times. "I better see if he's got any in stock. I'll see you later tonight, Twilight."
The white pegasus walked past his best friend, only confusing Sora with what he meant. "...Why is he meeting up with you tonight, Twi?"
"Oh, he's just going to help me with some research on the floral species I recorded while in Whitetail Wood," Twilight answered, pulling out her notepad. "And ignore him saying it was boring. He enjoyed it as much as I have, and we got plenty of notes. Now, I'm off to drop my stuff off at the library, head to Zecora's and drop off some herbs we found for some of her potions, and get myself ready for a night of studying. See ya, Sora."
Twilight headed into town, leaving Sora alone as the teen scratched his head, deep in thought and growing curious. "What fun could those two have had out in the forest and looking at plants?"
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oh riku and twilight huh so is the birth princess twilight sparkle next?
Totally saw this coming (this show has made me incredibly aware of best ships lol) good chapter looking forward to seeing what you do with the nobodies.
hmm... getting close to princess twilight, will you be doing Equestria Girls or are you just gonna pass over them?
7509026 I'd want to "see" that and Riku VS Flash Sentry though both would end pretty quickly, lol.
I just want to make another account to i can press like again.
Well... better than twilight and flash. Can't wait to see the next chapters.
I had a feeling this was gonna happen. Hmm...I wonder how this will go since Magical Mystery Cure has to be next...I think.
7508974
7509607
Gotta introduce the Equestria Games being hosted in the Crystal Empire first. Then we got to Magical Mystery Cure and Princess Twilight Sparkle.
7508983 Yes, Equestria Girls will happen.
7509678 lol I forgot about the games. I suppose you can't really ignore it even if it ultimately went nowhere in the show.
7509678 Oh yeah...nice to see moogles though. Love to have Pinkie and a moogle hang out. I can just see Pinkie walk around saying 'Kupo!' all day.
A few things I gotta address from this great new chapter:
The situation refering to the status of the world order is a little more critical in Equestria than Riku has let on. Ponies are the biggest blabbermouths in this version of the Kingdom Hearts universe from what I've seen so far; and it doesn't help when after Sora defeats any enemy using his Keyblade, the ponies always want to know everything about Sora, his abilities and other worlds and spread it amongst themselves.
With Twilight the risk is even greater since her notetaking can ultimately prove to be very dangerous for Sora, Riku, and Kairi. When Twilight documents anything about anything from outside of her own world, she gives any dark enemy an advantage on how to defeat Sora and his friends. Or by Celestia spreading news of their presence (case in point the stained glass of Sora in Canterlot or the Sora action figures in Manehatten), you run the risk of drawing masses of dark enemies towards Equestria and places that Sora isn't currently protecting. And the newest risk being; the Moogle in Twilight's library. We can only hope he can keep his tiny mouth shut about anything from off-world and keep both his synthesizing process and his items a secret from Twilight and the others.
My overall point is that it has been stated by Leon himself that the Heartless are drawn to the Keyblade and its weilder; and it doen't help when everypony around Sora and his friends (the Mane Six included!) are forcing them to make their presence known.
Sorry about the really long comment, I like to get into detail when I talk about something I like
7511228 I can see some of your points though. And since Kingdom Hearts has a mixed up storyline to tell in their games, I had gotten mixed up with a few things in the story's lore and progression through the story with some of the certain bad games I hadn't played when they were released, and when I did play them, the gameplay sucks the immersion out. The prequel was good and set up a lot of what had started the series and answered some questions, like why is Roxas Sora's Nobody when they don't look alike, but Roxas is more of a clone of Ventus, his heart merging with Sora's once it was broken after defeating his own darkness, Vanitas, where a part of Ventus is seen in Roxas physically, though Roxas is his own person, who's actually Sora, and-
...Still so confusing, even while I tried to explain that...
Also, in Birth by Sleep, the only time we've ever seen the Heartless run around in worlds was in one cutscene with Xehanort and Ventus in the wastelands, and the final chapter in the Final Mix version where Aqua runs around trying to find a way out of the Realm of Darkness. So, Leon's statement on the Heartless being drawn by the Keyblade, during that game, was pretty much debunked. They could have shown up along with the Unversed, darkness and negativity clashing as both sides tried to take out their banes of existence, but nope. Just Unversed.
And, maybe I do see a reason as to why having the ponies know of Sora's existence in their world and his feats can be a bad thing, but so far, the only villains that showed up that weren't Heartless are Maleficent and Pete. But the thing is, there's lots of different kinds of magic in Equestria, so the Keyblade being wielded by a pegasus, able to shoot out magic as well as fight like a veteran for being a teenager, he's considered a powerful hero with enchanted clothing and a key shaped weapon, also enchanted. And Celestia's able to stretch the truth about the new hero alongside the Mane Six and his friends from outside of their world, thus keeping the world order secure for her subjects with a new form of magic that had been discovered since Sora's arrival.
And don't worry about making your comments long. You have some good points, though with how KH is pretty heavy on its confusing lore, though not as complicated as the Legend of Zelda timeline, it can be confusing to tell which statement or action is really true or just tossed aside because of plot. You show you're dedicated to the series, and I am such a person as well.
There are some really fun plants.
Still though neither Twilight or Riku do things halfhearted.
Still as soon as the paupu fruit was given to Riku I knew this was gonna happen. The Nobodies are concerning though. Are they simply just doing reconnaissance on foes that are the biggest threat or do they have new masters able to plan something more elaborate among their ilk?
"...I know this might sound a bit selfish and mean, but...you think we can keep our relationship a secret from the others? I do want to tell them after a while,
The Popue fruit strikes! OMG it's ultimate shipping device!
"Riku draped his wing over withers, making the unicorn blush as his feathers brushed over her back."
Um Codex, don't you mean for it to say "Riku draped his wings over her, making Twilight blush as his feathers brushed over her back."
cause I notice that small error and was not sure if you caught it or not. I didn't catch it too til I read it a few times. just wanted to let you know.
Well, he didn't fall for pinkie. At least twilight finally found someone and same for riku. Now hoping sora finds out soon
While the original Organization XIII is (or at least was) defeated, the True Organization was revealed at the end of Dream Drop Distance. Xemnas and Xigbar can lead Nobodies
as well as a few other members we only learned about thanks to teasers and eventually Kingdom Hearts III's release...does this mean Xehanort has found Equestria?The Moogles will return?
What fun indeed?