Locksmith

by QuartzScale

7. Journey

I woke up to a massive headache and a grumbling stomach. I really should have gotten food before I slept but it was very late or early depending on your views I suppose. When my eyes finally opened I saw the night sky and the moon shining over me. There were four stars surrounding it which utterly confused me. Ignoring that I looked back down at the city and looked for the first restaurant I could find.

I took something to go and ate that quickly. I didn’t know what it was only that it stopped the gnawing pains in my stomach. I flew back to my cloud and thought really hard about what I wanted to do. I spent one day in the hospital and three days as an impromptu weather patrol member. Another day was spent searching for what happened to the guards who went missing meaning I spent five days here and there were less than two days till the Summer Sun Celebration.

“Best I get over there and figure out what to do there. I’m sure something bad will happen there.”

I lost myself to mumbling as I kicked the cloud dissipating it as I made my way towards the train station. After the entire time in Baltimare I still had about 147 bits left on me. When I reached the train station I noted that ponies were congregating on the platform waiting for the last train of the night. The ticket master gave me one of the last tickets they had for a reasonable price… I think. Must go over economics of Equestria in case I was taken advantage of. 137 bits left to my name… my very fake name. Crap, was I becoming pensive?

“Stupid memories…”

I kept my voice low while I stood around waiting for the train to start boarding. Every once in awhile I felt very pointed stares but I was always a minute too late to figure out where from. Eventually I ignored the stares all together. Though for some reason I felt two of those stares remain transfixed by my presence.

‘Ignoring it… Ignoring it… Ignoring it… Ignoring it… Can’t Ignore it… Can’t IGNORE IT…'

“All aboard!”

Shaking my head I got on the already packed train and made my way towards one of the seats near the front with my ticket at the ready. I still felt really tired though. I had kept my wings tucked and close to my side and hidden by my seat. I still felt the pointed stares though only this time there were three sources. I know two were behind me but not how far away while the other one was staring at me from the darkness. I heard myself gulp as I tried to calm my mind. It would take another six hours before we would reach Ponyville. This was going to be a long ride and I decided to catch up on my sleep.

My mind was a haze of ideas at that point and I decided to sleep away the annoyances. That might have been a mistake though because I was forced to open my eyes again only to find myself on one of the platforms that appeared in those dive to the hearts that all protagonists seem to go through… lovely.

“So… exposition? Concerns? Or all of the above?”

As if in response the platform lit up revealing six figures on the platform but they weren’t the ponies I saw being followed within the show. Instead on the platform were all the villains who appeared in the show appeared. I finally recalled their names as well since my niece was very into following the serious episodes. I think there were more figures on the edge but all of them were shadowed.

In the top left section was Nightmare Moon, the mare who wanted to bring Equestria into darkness. In the top right was Discord, spirit of chaos and disharmony. On the center left was Queen Chrysalis, leader of the Badlands Changelings. On the center right was King Sombra, Umbrum ruler of the Crystal Empire. On the bottom left was Tirek, the scourge of Tartarus. On the bottom right was Starlight Glimmer, cult personality and time destroyer.

“Well… this is a thing… What the hell do they want me to do about any of this. History should be fine so long as I stay out of things. Though now that I said that out loud I’m sure it’s going to twist fate into making me part of the story in some way. Damn you Murphy’s Law.”

A spotlight appeared on two points of the platform indicating something strange. On the farthest one was the outline of a door while the closest one held a treasure chest. Reluctantly, I opened the chest and found several notes. Each seemed to detail synthesis creations and each of them seemed to be keyblades of some sort. The ingredients could be found by defeating heartless, nobodies, and unversed if those existed. Though for each style I needed something specific. All of them were orbs of something and I had no idea how to actually get any of the ingredients that were being detailed with the pages.

The door finally solidified and allowed me to open it… only to be knocked back by a tide of darkness. Inside that darkness was the shadow of a large pony with both horns and wings. I think they were alicorns from what my niece told me and I could only groan at the fact I remembered that… also the crushing by darkness. That was unpleasant.

The keyblade immediately shined into my mouth allowing me to at least knock back the darkness. The shadow alicorn responded to my defiance by shooting a bolt of lightning through my keyblade and through my body. Convulsions riddled my body as the volts took their toll and nearly cooked me to a charred slab of meat. With great pain the cure spell was cast and kept me from dying out right. It just chuckled and summoned more shadows to surround me.

I was certain I was only within my mind in the representation of what my heart looks like if viewed in an awakening station. Everything still hurt though meaning it was real… right? Shaking my head clear I took off before the shadows struck and flew around switching my keyblade to my hoof but for some reason it felt loose in my grip. Well it would have been had both my forelegs not been numb. The alicorn kept shooting lightning at me always trying to steer the bolt to the keyblade. To stop that I would de-summon it before it could find its mark before summoning it back to my hooves.

At the pace I was going I managed to cast another cure spell on myself healing the numbness still plaguing my body even though it shouldn’t affect me in the real world… hopefully. Sucking up whatever courage I had, I charged for the alicorn blade ready after she finished another barrage. The blade struck her horn and a clash actually happened.

'COME ON! How fucking strong are you!'

Using my momentum from another clash I swung around her head and slapped her on the back of her head with the teeth of the keyblade forcing her forward. She raised her back legs and bucked me towards the door forcing me onto the ground. Forgoing any kind of strategy the alicorn raced at me and attempted to stomp my head into pulp. Unwilling to get crushed I forced my body to roll out of the way smacking her again with the teeth against her lower chest, right between her front legs. She reared back and fell onto her back allowing me some time to catch my breath.

Something strange happened throughout the battle. I noticed that the alicorn’s horn kept glowing as if trying to grip something but it would fizzle out. Every couple of seconds I would feel something grip around my neck but falter at the last minute. I think holding this particular keyblade gave my minute immunity to telekinesis or any type of pony magic that would kill me outright. Then I felt the remains of the chest being chucked at me make contact with my side knocking my wing out of its socket.

“SHIT!”

Ok… not being able to fly might be a problem. The alicorn charged forward and attempted to skewer me on her horn. Then a triangle button appeared in my head when she got too close. Instinctively I pressed the button in my mind and watched my body move as if it was on a track. The keyblade parried her head allowing me to jump on her back and slice her horn off with one swipe before grabbing her wings and twisting them as far as I could until they stopped being able to move. For the final action I kicked her into the door frame knocking her to the floor.

When my reaction command attack came to an end I fell to the floor with a still broken wing and the severed horn of a shadow alicorn which promptly vanished in a puff of darkness. After some trepidation I immediately fell to my side and popped the wing forcefully back into place and cast a cure spell. I know that I won’t have the wounds on the outside but it feels just as horrible as it looks. My adrenaline shot I sat down and watched the shadow alicorn dissolve like all other heartless alongside the shadows that had surrounded me.

Obtained the power of lightning. Thunder is now available.

Goody… A spell that make me visible if I use it outside. Wonderful. Really I can feel the random number gods really loving me right now. All I had to do to earn that was be struck by enough lightning to almost kill me. Not even good enough to learn the second level as well. Well at least I didn’t almost die… why am I sinking…?

The darkness pooled under me trying to take me just like Sora’s did. God damn you cliches. God damn you to hell.

My eyes reopened only to note that the pointed stares I had received were now coming from in front of me. On the left was a white coated unicorn with an electric blue two tone mane and piercing red eyes. Her shades were hanging of her horn while she glanced at me waking up. She elbowed her neighbor to get her attention.

The other pony was an earth pony and had a light gray coat with a gray brown mane. Her eyes were a shade of purple I think. I didn’t know enough about shades of purple mostly because blue was the color I heard about most from my friend… damn him to hell. She was startled awake and looked at me looking at her. She coughed into her hoof and nervously started to fidget around. Neither actually started to talk making that nervous chill run up my spine.

Before I spoke I checked my wings and moved them slightly relaxing when I found them not broken and glad I believed in my own flawed reasoning. I looked at the two ponies before me and was about to say something when another voice rang out from the ticket taker.

“PONYVILLE! ATTENTION ALL RIDERS WE ARE NOW ARRIVING IN PONYVILLE! PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR BELONGINGS IN ORDER AND TAKE CARE FOR THE SUMMER SUN CELEBRATION!”

I looked at the two mares who seemed annoyed that I was interrupted and got their things ready seemingly disappointed. I knew this particular train would also go to Canterlot, I think it was called, but I was getting off in Ponyville. I hadn’t taken my saddlebags off throughout the trip and waited until the train came to a stop at the station. When the two ponies were getting off the train I followed after them. I don’t think they noticed because they only looked back when we reached the platform. I’m pretty sure they both blushed and fidgeted more if their mumbling was any indication.

“If you’d like to talk I wouldn’t mind. I was coming here for a reason anyways.”

Author's Note:

So where do you think the story is going?

Comments

[Fluffy-Boi]

So where do you think the story is going?

In my brain.. XD. Can't wait for more pal.