Locksmith

by QuartzScale

12. Return

Author's Note:

You may be wondering where chapter 11 is. That will be posted later when it is worked on. It's a collab chapter but I can still write the story without it included. When it is included then you'll get more info. Sorry for this but I can't control other people's lives and they have to have free time to work on it. So when we do manage to find some time you'll get that chapter as quickly as we can write it out.

In the grand scheme of things while I will do more collabs the story will try to be as stand alone as possible so the collabs will only affect the story if they come out before I get the next chapter out. I'll be fixing the ordering as well when it's time to add the new chapter. Thanks for reading and enjoy this chapter.

Too much pain in my side… Everything feels numb… Cure spell might help… Legs are numb and jaw feels stiff. I think I’m dying or something. Nope… it’s dying. Definitely dying. If I can cast a cure spell maybe I can get back up. Wings are not moving… This was a horrible idea. Should have accepted the help I was offered. Ok, jaw listen to the remains of my will… please?

The keyblade was summoned in front of me… then fell on my head.

“Ow…”

I focused my will on the part that hit me and willed a cure spell. It took a lot longer than I thought and I was stuck writhing in a pool of my own blood for at least ten minutes. It felt like a day had passed since the moon was shining… wait how am I seeing the moon. Jeez where did that hole come from. Okay cure spell was successful I think. Still can’t feel my hooves but I’m not feeling anemic at least.

“Okay foot you will obey my…”

I start shivering and writhing as the pins and needles attack every section of my hooves. All my hooves are prickling and I’m feeling utter agony. Must keep moving or the feeling will win.

“Stop with the feeling! This is the worst pain ever. EVER!”

After a couple of minutes I finally settled down. My wings don’t have holes in them anymore and my legs stopped bleeding. Now the only problem is that I’m all red and sticky from blood. Nope, nevermind, my legs still feel like jelly.

It takes several minutes for me to find the staircase and my constant stumbling over every single step isn’t helping in the least. Every step feels as though my legs are burning and the use of cure spells isn’t making it any better. I think I liked it better when I was still having delusions. At least then I would be able to walk for more than a few minutes. The constant harshness of my breath is a constant sound in the ruins of the old castle. By the time I reach the top of the stairs from the basement the moon has fully dipped back down below the horizon. This is not ideal but I can’t fall asleep again. I’m not going to accept it.

Another cure spell and my legs are still feeling weak. It isn’t working and this is starting to become unsettling. Do my wings even work at this point?

“Well better to try something rather than nothing,”

The first flap makes me wince. The pain isn’t intense but the constant strain is harrowing. After several moments I’ve worked my way into a rhythm. My flight is shoddy and slightly off kilter but I think it would be sustainable. Of course that’s pushing even my own will. I stumbled outside into the morning sun and squint my eyes just to even see through the light. This is not a good thing. I need sunglasses… and maybe a doctor. A really good doctor. I hope they don’t have glue factories around here.

The remnants of the throne room show shadows of scuffs on the floor from other ponies rushing around. That must mean that someone dealt with Nightmare Moon while I distracted the heartless. The ponies around here have no way to fully defend themselves though anything can destroy the heartless.

The keyblade purifies the hearts and also kills the heartless. They would reform from the ambient darkness and remain lost to the shadows without intervention of a keyblade. From what I can tell almost all the other wielders and masters decided to give the heroes of this world a keyblade but why does it feel for completely arbitrary reasons. I will have to choose some to follow me into this lifestyle but I’d rather not.

“If anyone ever finds out about me I’ll just make them a keyblade wielder as well. At least they’ll have to keep me a secret. God that is a horrible idea especially when I don’t have much in terms of fighting skill. I’m untrained and didn’t accept help. Pride why you do this to me!?”

Before I moved on I frowned when I noticed that a keyhole was shining over the remnants of the thrones. It took several minutes of maneuvering to even line myself right. The beam of light shot out of my keyblade and locked the seal hiding the keyhole from any heartless. I’m still feeling annoyed by how my body is acting.

My mock anger froze over as I remembered exactly who we had talked about. A being only known as Core. I offered a service but luckily that won’t come for a while. There are still things I have to do before that day happens. I need to try out the use of my gummi ship. Maybe I can finally see a save point. Also that ship is gonna be my new home hopefully. I may need to find more gummi blocks to make more adjustments mostly cause I remembered that you never needed wings and they could just look like bricks with engines on it.

“Gotta have some style maybe…”

The entire time I’ve been flying I’ve had to stop on tree branches to catch my breath and it’s been slow going. I don’t have any idea why this is happening. I should really get to the hospital. Does Ponyville have one? Gotta look for one again and hope I don’t run into another pony just yet. That would be awkward.

I think it’s been over five hours and the sun has barely reached noon. I don’t see much of a weather patrol right now so that means everything is still going fine then. There are a few ponies off in the distance… wait. I’m covered in blood still...Stream… stream… stream. Water need now before I make it there.

“Let’s see… ah there one is. Ok… I just barely edge in and hope no one can see me. I still feel numb so I can’t get into the deep end. Remember that brain and we’ll be fine.”

I see a small cottage off in the distance. That’s… someone who’s important. Yeah I think so and no one is around. I slowly lower myself near the edge of the stream and dip most of my body while keeping my wings flapping. God this is uncomfortable. Let’s see ears peeled and luckily nothing is approaching.

‘This is really hard… is there a water spell yet in the Kingdom Hearts series or is only ice. Maybe I could use the sitar instead. I’ve gotten a few more ideas what happens in Kingdom Hearts thanks to god’s deal and I know more or less what happens Equestrian wise as well. I think hindsight is telling me I should have also asked if there are side effects to using this much magic to heal wounds.’

It took a few minutes but enough blood at least washed off so that I wouldn’t be stared at for too long. I also finally noticed that the wounds that I now do see are still healing only slower than I thought they would be. I don’t think my body can handle this much strain. As soon as I can I’m gonna find the Mysterious Tower and see if he’ll be my master. But… I would need him to do something to train me quickly… I hate asking others for help.

“But I’m running out of options. I can barely take out a Large Body and that had me eating a stone wall after one sucker punch. First things first though and that’s a hospital. Besides… this is the last day before heartless will show up.”

I think so long as I can lead them somewhere else it should be fine. They instinctively come after keyblade wielders due to their need for strong hearts. I know I have one even if it feels… muted. I flap my wings harder and float out of the water and back on the solid ground. My entire body still feels as though I’m suffering through some weird acupuncture ritual. My legs are spasming as I let the water dry off. I can’t effectively shake myself dry just yet. I had enjoyed the shower so much and less than a day later I needed three more.

“This is going to be hard to explain to anyone. Gray, just get it over with and stop fucking procrastinating.”

I look around and only notice animals. Though there is this little bunny looking at me for some reason. It’s staring into my soul forcing me to crane my head around to make sure no one else is around. It looks important and it seems to be sitting on a bear. Right… that’s something important and they stay with… the yellow one. Crap…

I quickly flap my wings and jerk my head around. I already notice that the stream has a lot of globules of red floating down it. Let’s see… hospital… hospital…

“Town hall… no… Library… no… farm… NO… Ah there it is!”

I zoom off in the most uncoordinated way possible keeping somewhat low so that if my wings do lock up I won’t instantly die. I’ve also noticed that there’s been this weird rainbow trail flowing around. I think it’s been following… me… Double crap! I manage to make it to the hospital and flap inside. I think the orderlies started to yell at me about not flying in a hospital when they noticed that my head was covered in blood. Then one of the nurses fainted and the other ran off for the doctor.

‘This is my life now. Causing mares to scream whenever I make an entrance.’

I wonder if this is what my father meant when he said I would knock the ladies out of their socks. Now none of the ponies wore socks but this was close… probably. That’s kind of depressing if this is what he meant. Either way I sat on the floor attempting to get my legs to stop being numb. Fat chance of course but I was nothing if not persistent. The doctor finally came in, took one look at me, and screamed for the orderlies to do their job. I was instantly wheeled into emergency and I think they wanted to sedate me…

“Wait… what?”

A cyan mare glided around outside of the hospital followed by a yellow mare. Each kept flapping almost in perfect tandem to remain at their height. The latter had seen the injured stallion and noted that he was covered in blood and hid beneath Barry the bear. When he flew off she managed to get someone’s attention. Fluttershy was mortified that somepony was in that condition while Rainbow Dash was just surprised he managed to fly at all.

“Flutters did you see what happened to him? Nopony gets those wounds just by flying around. He must have been in a scrap. Not even I’ve ever gotten to the point where I look like that. Though, of course, I’m too awesome to be hit that badly.”

“I-I-I don’t know. Angel just told me something was wrong in the stream and when I went out with Barry to check we all saw him just trying to clean up in the stream. He couldn’t move his hooves either the entire time so I thought his legs were broken. It was horrifying.”

“Don’t worry I doubt he would have done anything bad especially if he looked like that. Though do you think we should tell somepony about it?”

“Why? He hadn’t done anything wrong.”

“Oh I know that but I remember hearing that one mare… what was her name? Uh… Octavia. Yeah that mare. She was asking the guards about a thestral if I remember right.”

“Really? Well I suppose it couldn’t hurt.”

“Okay then I’ll go stop by their house before I go check over on Applejack. I think she’s having that new girl over today at Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Should we tell our friends about it?”

“I guess. It just doesn’t seem that important though. But if you think we should.”

“Oh I don’t mean we should if you don’t wanna. I understand. Sorry.”

“Flutters one of these days we’re gonna get you to be more confident.”

“I know.”

“Don’t be like that. Look you’re braver than you know. You can do it.”

“Thanks Rainbow. I’ll try.”

The two mares said goodbye as Fluttershy got ready to head into town to buy her own groceries while Rainbow Dash zoomed straight to Octavia’s house. Luckily the mare in question was home. When she gave her the news Octavia’s eyes flew wide open. She rushed back inside grabbing Vinyl who was still lounging around gathering inspiration for her next gig. The two raced off somehow managing to close the door and leaving Dash confused and dizzy. While the two couldn’t find Sunshower because she was working over in Cloudsdale to get ready for the impromptu rain later that day. And all throughout that entire debacle Gray assumed that he was still in the clear while he laid unconscious and waited for the doctors to finish whatever they were attempting to do.

Comments

[Lorddarkrai2000]

I'd say he's lucky to feel that pain.
Wings do help on the gummie ship...Ok, I admit that I built a ship that had more weapons on it than any other block type. But it was a cool ship. It was called OverKill, very fitting name.

[QuartzScale]

8140282 Yeah he is lucky I knew making him suffer for that chapter would work out for the best.
We all made sure to put as many weapons on our ships cause we knew we would need to firepower to get every type of blueprint. So now begins the next arc.