Chapter 4: An Additional Factor
Sora had to reread the magic journal again, because it was too amazing to be true. Traveling to several worlds had prepared him for some weirdness. Sacrificing himself to save his friends and appearing at Canterlot High School was another day in the life for him. Though, reading the words of Twilight Sparkle - a different Twilight Sparkle - was something to behold. Especially as it wasn’t any heart or body manipulation like with Xehanort.
“So, this Twilight is from another world?” Sora asked, tearing away from the open journal on the couch.
“Mm-hm,” Sunset confirmed from within the mini fridge. She shuffled around cans and jars, clattering every so often. “We keep in touch with that magic journal. Any time I need advice, I can write to her.”
“That’s amazing,” Sora said in a hush. The Gummi Phone made communication between worlds trivial, but a book that utilized magic was on a whole other level. The urge to write a greeting had him futilely grasp for the nearby pencil. His hand passed through the cushion and Sora nearly followed after it.
Then letters scribbled onto the page, illuminating the couch in a lavender glow. It distracted Sora enough for him to fall through it. The question of why he didn’t fall through the ground was raised and quickly dashed as he hurried back to his feet. It was from Twilight, but a different person in a different world, and Sora couldn’t control his giddiness.
“She’s writing something!” he said. Sunset pulled back to peer over to him. There was a touch of interest in her features before an amused smile emerged. She pulled out a bag of carrots and opened it.
“Read it aloud,” she said.
“All right,” he nodded, squinting. “Uh, ‘Sunset! I hope my last message went through, I haven’t heard back from you. I’m letting you know that the phantoms may have something to do with a strange visitor. Princess Celestia and I sent letters back and forth all day to figure it out. Apparently somepony’… Somepony?”
“Keep reading,” Sunset said, snapping off the point of a carrot.
Sora looked at her funny but returned to the book, “‘Apparently somepony paid her a visit, but couldn’t form himself properly, coming out as a sort of ghost entity. He vanished through the portal to your world long before either of us were her students. It isn’t a lot to go on, I’m afraid. Let me know what you’ve been doing.’”
Sunset grunted, “I should probably do that before she gets stir crazy.”
“This is so cool,” Sora said with a swing of his arm. “I have so many questions- Oh wait, there’s more.” The light died down when he leaned back over the book. “‘Also, I’m not sure if you read yesterday’s message, so be sure to do that.’ Why’s that? You trying to ignore her?”
A half-eaten carrot flew through Sora. He gazed at the vegetable before setting his hands on his hips with mock disappointment.
“Don’t be wasteful,” he said. “The place is a mess as it is.”
Another carrot sailed through him. He brandished a smile and chuckled. Sunset threw the refrigerator door closed, a carrot hanging in her mouth, and weaved past the pole supporting the loft. Sora still couldn’t believe she lived all alone. He wouldn’t have gone a night without a friend or family member nearby. He eyed the journal again. She wasn’t completely alone.
“How’d you meet Twilight?” Sora asked. “The one from the journal, I mean.”
“It’s a complicated story,” Sunset said. She tapped a carrot to her chin before munching on it. Sora was familiar with stories like that. If she had asked him about Xehanort, he wasn’t even sure where he would start. Sunset swallowed, hesitated, then smoothed out the already smooth page. “I’m actually from the same world Twilight’s from.”
“Oh, nice,” Sora said. Sunset stared at him, narrowing her eyes before pulling her head back. He merely blinked. “What?”
“I know your situation probably makes you numb to outlandish revelations,” Sunset said, gesturing a carrot to him, “but I just told you I’m from another world. As in, not from here. As in, you should be a little wary.”
Sora laughed, “I’m from another world too.”
Sunset widened her eyes, straightening herself. Sora could hear Donald scream about the World Order in the back of his mind. Enough travels had etched that phrase into his head. It never accounted for other travelers like Merlin, so Sunset had to be an exception too.
“Oh,” she said simply. “Then, before you became a ghost…”
“Yep,” Sora nodded. “There are loads of other worlds out there too. I was originally from Destiny Islands until-”
He cut himself off. While the two did come from other worlds, the Heartless was an entirely different entity. It was hard to say whether Sunset knew or not, but Sora swallowed any words he had on the subject. It was a peaceful place. No need to bring unneeded worry.
“Until you arrived here?” Sunset finished with a tilt of her head.
“Something like that,” Sora said, scratching his head. Sunset had a look that read everything he didn’t say, and it irked Sora to keep something from her. She was open to him about being from another world, and that was meant to remain a secret.
Sunset drew her gaze back to the journal before falling onto the couch. She set aside her carrots in favor of a pencil and pulled the journal up. She wrote a few words before looking to Sora. It bore into him, making him cringe, until she smiled and nudged her head to the seat beside her.
He eased into the seat, finding it was as solid as the desk at Canterlot High School. The way his physics worked, there was no way to understand how it was possible. It didn’t concern him too much. Watching Sunset fly through the page, he caught certain parts about phantoms and himself, but didn’t read into it.
“In my world, we’re ponies,” she stated. She paused to look for a reaction before slowly returning to her writing. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna rule over Equestria as the Royal Sisters. Some time ago, the portal to this world was discovered, and during my studies under Princess Celestia…” She pursed her lips, bowing her head. Her hair fell to hide her face. Sora studied her, hoping to pick something out of it. He really wished he was good at reading others. She jolted back and moved her hair behind her ear. “I decided I’d live here. Twilight Sparkle keeps me up to date in Equestria. She’s a princess too, so she has her own responsibilities, but since she’s the only contact I have to home, she makes time for me.”
She flourished the last letter before clapping the book shut.
“Now, homework.”
“Homework?!” Sora balked. Sunset rolled her eyes as she reached out for her backpack. Even as she dragged it over, Sora had to register he had heard right. “You tell me you’re from another world and still have to worry about that? And what about Twilight? Don’t you want to read her response?”
“She’s a princess,” Sunset reminded offhandedly. She extracted her math book. Opening it revealed enough equations and numbers to give Sora a headache. “She’ll keep herself busy before I write back. And as for homework, if I want to live here, I have to follow its rules.”
“I can’t imagine doing that everyday,” Sora sighed, resting back against the couch. His hands naturally found themselves behind his head. His foot kicked up to set on top of the other.
“Honestly, I can’t imagine you doing it for one day,” Sunset said, already writing out problems.
“Say that again!” Sora said, sitting up. His irritation was given away by his playfulness. Sunset couldn’t stifle her giggles. It was nice to hear. To see her relax was even better. She returned to her work, and Sora daydreamed.
He daydreamed about his friends, about Kairi and Riku. About the events leading to the defeat of Xehanort. Then how he ended up here, seen only by Sunset Shimmer - until Twilight could too. He took comfort in their meeting and their mutual goal. There was a lot he had to make up for, but the two were in good company. The scritches of Sunset’s pencil filled the stagnant air.
Like a switch, Sora really wanted to do something meaningful right then and there. Something significant. Anything to continue the good vibes, so they wouldn’t dry up. All that came to mind were activities he couldn’t do as he was. His muscles tensed, then eased themselves. What he wouldn’t give to have his body for a minute.
The night was lonely when one couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t a fact Sora was happy to learn. It was more akin to waiting than resting for the next day. Lying on Sunset’s couch was like lying back in his bed in Destiny Islands. Before they would set sail. Before the Heartless. His eyes traced over the metal pipe rattling every so often and the suspended bulbs. In his mind’s eye, he saw the wooden toy boat hanging by threads. Two sailors, smiles stitched to their faces, stared back.
It was weird to think on that time. A world-ending event that led from one crazy adventure into the next until he ended up at Canterlot High School. Always around friends, even when he was nearly swallowed by darkness. Even here, Sunset slept in the loft above, barely even out of sight. Yet the night was long, dark, and he had hours to mull on it.
The window framed it all perfectly. A blanket of black encompassing the world, pricked with lights. Other worlds, other people, nearly destroyed by Xehanort. A scary concept that wormed into his head. It hit him hard to see his friends defeated and gone. To imagine all the worlds share the same fate was unthinkable. It made Sora vulnerable suddenly, powerless, useless. He turned to his side to push the thoughts away. Sunset was with him in the same room. That was all he needed.
“Sora?”
It nearly made him jump to hear Sunset call from her loft. He hesitated to answer, but couldn’t pretend to sleep. He was a ghost! Then, pondered why he even had to hesitate in the first place. His nerves mellowed and allowed him to speak without a stutter.
“Yeah?” he asked. There was a period of silence, as though the two appreciated their presence.
“What’s your world like?”
Sora was glad she asked. It opened up tons of memories. He smiled fondly, “Lots of beaches! Me and my friends would go to another island to spar and play around. Exploring, games, and then watching the sunset before heading home, heh. It felt like it’d never end.”
“Sounds fun,” Sunset said with a quiet chuckle.
“You gotta visit sometime. The sound of the waves are unforgettable. And the Paopu fruit! They say that if you share it with someone, your destinies are intertwined or something like that.”
“Really,” Sunset said. It was thoughtful, but also curt. It got Sora to recount the snippets of what he learned about her. Lots of friends, working hard for them and herself, helping a stranger like him. Nothing really on her. So many conversations on their connection, and he simply knew she was from another world, as a student. That was it.
“Sora?” she asked, much more somber.
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you’re real.”
His heart leapt into his throat. He wasn’t one to read too much into things, but this was heartfelt. He was tempted to step up to her loft, to see her and remind themselves that they weren’t alone on this night. In the past, he could apply his guilt to help others, fix problems. It came naturally to him, and it worked. Instead, he stayed distant, unable to make a difference.
He shook off the mindset, and managed a smile.
“I’m glad too.” He reiterated the promise he made with Twilight. “Hope you sleep well.”
“No promises.”
A whole day since they had met and Sora wanted nothing more than to know more about her.
“So, let me get this straight,” Sora said. Sunset broke away from her phone to see him scrunch his face, conflicted. Waking up late had made the morning frantic. She wasn’t surprised he needed clarification. The walk was erratic too, finding herself stride ahead or fall behind with short steps when her phone chimed. Sora had to pace himself to stay beside her. “We’re going to talk to your friend, Rainbow Dash, then go through school, then detention, then the yearbook club, then see Twilight again?”
“Yeah,” Sunset said hurriedly, glancing to her phone for a reply. “Rainbow is the most willing to believe in ghosts, so we can try out the theory of believing in your existence, the yearbook needs a new slot for the Fall Formal and I don’t want Wallflower to do it alone, and we need Twilight to run more tests on you as soon as possible. Did I miss anything?”
He stopped long enough for Sunset to reach the next intersection, then ran to catch up. Still no word from Rainbow Dash. It put Sunset into a tizzy. A simple confirmation was all she needed, it couldn’t be that hard. At the same time, she wondered if her other friends had put her off. There was no word from Fluttershy about her interview, and Sunset hadn’t spoken to Pinkie Pie and Rarity since their episodes. Applejack came to mind, and Sunset wasn’t even sure where she stood. An exhausted sigh escaped her throat.
“You should take it easy,” Sora said. Her eyes snapped to him. There was no flinch, no apologetic smile, just sincerity. She sagged her body, but still drew back to her phone. Nothing. Her legs carried her as she raked her mind for a proper response to Sora. “Come on, you practically woke up with all that worry.”
“Cause there’s a lot to worry about,” Sunset said with a dull shrug. The way that came out was too instinctive, as though it explained everything. She sighed again. A headache formed in the side of her head. Sora stepped a little ahead of her and leaned in, face to face.
“I know I’m not making this easier for you,” he said, scratching his cheek. Sunset averted her gaze. “Why not skip trying to get me seen for a day? Like you said, my phantoms already caused enough trouble. You deserve a break.”
Her head was too clogged with assignments, preparations, and relationships to even consider a break. She rubbed her head, and almost yelled at Sora that he didn’t have to worry because he didn’t have to do anything. Her heart ached at even thinking about it.
“I’m too busy,” she said as the school came into view. She was glad, both as a way to sort out her responsibilities and not having to drive more guilt into her gut. She couldn’t bear to see his reaction.
She sent one last message to Rainbow to meet her in the lobby. Whatever kept her busy had to be important if she didn’t reply right away. Sunset could work on other projects until she arrived, or until classes started. She sorted them out in her head, passing the school foundation and across the front lawn.
“Sunset,” Sora hissed. It was urgent, and Sunset ripped herself out of her mind to face him. The foundation had his attention, and for the first time, he showed genuine anger. The marble was untouched, smooth and flat with immaculate edges. Nothing out of place. She kept her vigilance. Sora was on edge for a reason.
“What is it?” she asked, narrowing her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
Sora turned to her, brow furrowed deeply, hands clenched, “Maleficent.”
“Who?”
“She’s there,” he pointed to the same foundation. There was a fire in his eyes, far more intense than Sunset wanted to see from him. It was like he turned into a different person. Sunset pulled away to focus on the point, stepping lightly. The portal wasn’t affected, as far as she could tell.
“I don’t see…” she started before a figure faded in, “anything…”
The figure was transparent, but towered over them. Her charcoal cloak hung down to the ground, dragging along the concrete path. Two horns jutted out her head like a beast. Sunset shivered. Seeing the stand-out features already made her fearful. This was Maleficent, and Sunset understood the name a little more.
Maleficent threw out her arm to brandish her staff. It was wooden and topped with a sickly green orb. She brought it close to the portal with a certain glow Sunset only associated with magic, and the portal came to life, swirling around within the marble. To reveal it put a jolt of fear in Sunset, and when Maleficent reached for it, Sunset acted without a second thought.
“Stop!” she barked, loud enough to hurt her throat. Maleficent retracted her hand and turned with the curiosity of a millionaire bearing down on the poor. Her face was a pale lime, framed within a black hood. Every small twitch of her lips or eyes stood out. Sora stuck close to Sunset. She had no idea what Maleficent was about, but she trusted Sora, and her own judgement.
“Oh my,” she said with more inflection than necessary. “What have we here? A small child full of herself? Your tantrums will do you no good.”
“What do you want with the portal?” Sunset demanded.
“It isn’t the portal I desire,” Maleficent waved off. Her hands were thin with long, pointed fingernails. “It’s what lies on the other side. What does it matter to you?”
“That’s my home,” Sunset growled, “and I’m not going to let you waltz in.”
“I appear for nary a minute, and already marred by empty threats. You have a knack for perceiving darkness, I will give you that.”
Her voice oozed with sarcasm. She saw Sunset as a bug to shoo away. The fact Maleficent sought after Equestria twisted her stomach into a knot.
Maleficent chuckled lowly, “Ah, even you recognize your own futility. Such a pity too, but allow me to indulge you. Your world was shrouded from both light and darkness. However, that shroud fractured to reveal this world, and I followed through it to find your ‘home.’ And what does it have? Friendship.” She spat out the word, revolted at the very sound of it. “The source of all friendship, no less. This world kept it secret, but no longer.”
“What are you going to do?” Sunset quivered with hate. She hadn’t felt like that in a long time.
“You’re a smart one,” Maleficent huffed. “Figure it out. I gave you a treat, now quiet down like a good girl. I have business to attend to.”
“Whatever she’s up to, it’s no good,” Sora stated, somehow keeping his voice level. Sunset wasn’t sure she could speak without shouting. “I’ve run into her before. She’s tried to pull the worlds into darkness.”
Sunset clenched her teeth. “Darkness” was ambiguous, but Maleficent fit the description perfectly. After all, Sunset had seen people succumb to their darker sides, herself included. A ray of light broke through her clouded rage. Maleficent could be another person locked behind their own darkness. It dismantled all of the pent up aggression Sunset had accumulated, leaving her exhausted. It was a sudden swerve from her first impression, and she berated herself for falling for it.
There was a brief flash of light from the portal. Maleficent held her hand close as though burned.
“Blast!” she cursed.
“Why are you after the Magic of Friendship?” Sunset questioned. Every fiber burned to get Maleficent away from the portal, but she had given plenty of people a second chance.
“Magic of Friendship?” Maleficent grunted. “Fascinating. It would explain why the darkness is still too weak here. Moreover, why so soft, my dear? Have you recognized-?”
She halted upon scrutinizing Sunset. There was recognition in her otherwise passive expression. It irritated her more than anything.
“Radiant, bright, unparalleled,” she said with a hum. “Yes, I thought the light here was familiar.”
She hovered her hand in an arc, and from the grass, dark beings arose. They were hunched, little monsters, rising no higher than the waist. Two antenna writhed with a mind of their own. Sunset took a step back when she caught the two lifeless yellow orbs that were their eyes.
“Heartless!” Sora cried.
“Heartless?” Sunset repeated, trying to face Sora while keeping her gaze firmly on the monsters.
“Eliminate her,” Maleficent said flatly, pointing straight to Sunset.
The Heartless stalked her like predators to prey, crawling or lurching closer. She counted a dozen of them, all exactly the same, and all with sharp claws. Defenseless, that was what she was. Unlike Maleficent, there was nothing to humanize from these things, and she had nothing to defend herself.
“Get back!” Sora yelled, lunging forward. His hand glowed and a large key flashed into existence. He swung with all of his might at the closest Heartless. It passed clean through with no change. They spread out, flanking Sunset on either side. “What? I can’t attack them either?”
Sunset had no clue what he meant. The giant key threw her off. In fact, a lot of things were happening pretty fast. Her breathing increased. She couldn’t move, couldn’t get her legs to get away. Dread welled up in her. One of Heartless pounced, too quick to react to.
“Sunset!”
A white barrier blinked into existence. The Heartless slammed into it and toppled onto the ground. It took a second for Sunset to realize she was saved, and another second to recognize the jewel-styled shield defending her.
“Good heavens,” Rarity gasped for air. Both her palms were held out, the geode hanging from her necklace glowing white. “No more ‘just in time’ rescuing. Sprinting in a dress is awful!”
“Nice save!” Sora cheered, thrusting a hand into the air. Relief flooded through Sunset.
Maleficent tightened her hold on her staff. The Heartless attempted to strike the shield, but their effort made no impact. They weren’t the brightest, but they were persistent. Sora sidestepped the Heartless to return to Sunset.
“These are Shadows,” he informed, gesturing to another Heartless scratch the shield. “They’re not too bad on their own, but she needs to make sure they don’t swarm her.”
“Rarity?” Sunset asked. From the way he spoke, he handled them before, enough to have a strategy.
“Yeah, tell her,” he said firmly.
Sunset spared a second to discern his tone, and Maleficent spoke up first.
“Heartless, turn your attention to the other girl,” she exclaimed. “Overwhelm her!”
The Shadows obeyed instantly, turning tail and charging to Rarity. She was fazed, but set up a shield without hassle. More emerged from behind her, and with a quick wave of her hand set up a wall around herself. Their claws tore portions off, and some clung to the top, nearly dropping inside.
“Don’t let them swarm you!” Sunset warned. Rarity managed a nod before pushing her shields out. Heartless tumbled to and fro before getting back to their feet.
“Erm,” Rarity hesitated a moment, throwing up another barrier. “Would you know how to stop these… monsters?”
“She has to destroy them,” Sora said, plopping a fist into his palm. Sunset balked, and Sora quickly shook his head. “No, I mean it! They’re beings of darkness. It’s not hurting anyone.”
“U-Use…” Sunset said, trying to wrap her head around what was happening, and yelled inwardly to focus. “Use your barriers to destroy them!”
“What?!” Rarity exclaimed. “Surely there’s-” a Shadow smashed its head through the barrier, swiping his claws to reach her. Rarity recoiled. “Ah! Back, you horrible beast!”
With another barrier to her side, she shot it like a frisbee and sliced through the Shadow as the barrier vanished. It dissolved into black mist, vanquished. Sunset wasn’t expecting that, and neither was Rarity as she tilted her head to the side. Shaking it off, she repeated the process and threw two more barriers. A pair of shadows were defeated.
“Only a fraction of their power,” Maleficent grumbled. Sunset caught her back away, barely staving off her anger. “Darkness needs time to take root and fester.” Their eyes met briefly, and a shiver ran up Sunset’s spine. “I did learn some valuable information.”
Emerald flames erupted around her. They burned high enough to conceal her, and when they died down, Maleficent was gone. Scorch marks sullied the pavement. Sunset was convinced it was magic, but none that she had seen. In fact, none that even Princess Twilight had seen.
“Gah, there’s too many,” Sora said. He had his fists up as though he would rush over again.
The Heartless surrounded Rarity. Her barriers came up when one came too close. On the defensive, with no end in sight. Sunset searched her brain for anything, something, to help. With another surge of her shields, Rarity made an opening through them and took it.
“Stay back!” she cried, searing another barrier through a nearby Shadow.
“Any more advice?” Sunset asked Sora desperately.
He studied the scene, turning his head from the foundation to Rarity to Sunset. He lit up.
“Call for backup!” he said. “Friends help each other.”
“And the geodes,” Sunset nodded, filling in the blanks. She got her phone out just as Rarity reached them. A barrier separated them from the mass of Heartless, dotting the lawn. They swarmed the shield, climbing atop one another to no avail.
Sunset hurried through the menus on her phone until she reached the messages. Then her heart rate spiked. There was plenty of friends to call or message, but they wouldn’t reach them in time.
Rarity grunted, struggling. The Heartless relentless beat against the barrier. Their lifeless eyes hungry.
Rainbow Dash was fast, she could get her, but she hadn’t even messaged her back!
“A plan would be- gah!” Rarity buckled, but remained standing. Her arms shook. “A plan would be good right about now!”
Sunset had no choice. She sent a message, short and to the point.
We’re in trouble! Help!
Rarity couldn’t hold it. Sora watched with clenched teeth, just as worthless as Sunset. It hurt them both. Yet Sunset was real. She was a target too. And it clicked in her head. She wasn’t worthless.
She broke off from Rarity and Sora. A few Heartless did the same, giving chase. Rarity called after her, but her thoughts were too loud to hear. Thoughts that bounced from her insanity to turning back to keep running. Until she was far enough away to catch a glimpse of a good number of Shadows on her heels.
A lot happened. Rarity was able to slice through the few Shadows that lingered. The ones chasing Sunset were too much to count. And above all, to her surprise, Sora ran to keep by her side. There was determination, not fear for her life or anger for risking it, but an expression that told her all she needed to know.
He was used to this.
A rainbow blur zigzagged down the road, and Sunset felt her heart swell. With her backpack, Sunset whipped around and knocked the closest Shadow away. Just in time for a soccer ball to crash into it midair.
Rainbow Dash retrieved and launched the ball through three more by the time Sunset registered it. She zoomed by her, hair billowing from the speed, and looped around the Heartless to confuse them. Finally, she stopped by Rarity, tossing the soccer ball to herself. Rarity moaned on wobbly legs.
“Wish Sunset texted me about this sooner,” Rainbow said, softening.
“Enough talk,” Rarity replied curtly. She pulled herself up, needlessly brushing her skirt.
“Yeah, these things aren’t the waiting type.”
Rainbow dropped the ball into a kick. It blazed through a line of Shadows before Rarity put up a shield to ricochet it through another set of Shadows. Sunset was always amazed how well the girls worked together in a crisis. Rainbow got the ball to a high enough speed, and Rarity simply redirected it to take out so many Heartless at once. And there she was, on the sidelines.
“Way to go!” Sora cheered, leaping into the air. Sunset stared at him, then to the girls. They couldn’t see him. He caught her reluctance, and smiled warmly. “Hey, I can give my support. Heartless aren’t pushovers.” He winced slightly, crossing his arms. “Buuuut, I could use some help showing it.”
“Get a dome ready!” Rainbow Dash cried. “Leave some space for the ball.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Rarity said, shifting her feet.
She kept her stance wide, and with some effort, crafted a dome of barriers around the remaining Heartless. They immediately scrambled to the edges to scrap their claws for freedom. Rarity gritted her teeth, sweat glistening on her forehead.
Rainbow was several yards away, the ball set between her and the dome. The hole provided was just big enough as she lined herself up.
Sunset tensed, but remembered Sora’s request, and ran a few steps ahead. She took a deep breath.
“You got this, Rainbow!”
As though on cue, Rainbow surged forward and kicked the ball. The speed sent it rocketing through the opening. It bounced wildly within the dome like a pinball machine. A few splashes of black and white while the Shadows were taken out, one by one, in quick succession. By the time the ball rolled to a stop, there was nothing left.
“All right!” Sora yelled. Sunset chuckled, though it was more from relief.
Rarity sank to her knees. Her breath was erratic, and her arms hung limply at her side. Rainbow was winded, but had a grin that showed her enjoyment. Sunset was just glad they were alive. Even taking a deep breath couldn’t calm her nerves. Maleficent came out of nowhere, and the Heartless even more so.
Sora hurried to Rainbow and Rarity, gesturing Sunset to follow. Her muscles protested, but she ignored them. Seeing her friends alive gave her enough energy.
“What was that?” Rarity said with a big gulp of air. Rainbow offered her a hand and she took it, shakily getting back to her feet. Her legs looked like they would crumble again.
“I was thinking the name ‘Thunderdome,’” Rainbow said, a hand to her chin.
“Thunder…” Rarity muttered before groaning. “No! Not that attack, the monsters! Are you not the least bit concerned that they tried to hurt Sunset?”
“Well, of course,” Rainbow shrugged as Sunset joined them. Sora stayed back, merely listening. “But she’s fine. We took care of them without a scratch. No harm done.”
“And I really do appreciate it,” Sunset said, mustering a smile. It fell away as she scanned the battlefield. There was upturned dirt and grass across the lawn. “But I don’t think those things are the last of them.” Sora nodded, and she momentarily wondered how he knew about them. “Actually, they’re definitely not the last of them.”
“What were they?” Rarity questioned. She held a hand to her chest to ease their breathing. Her eyes flicked to Sunset. “They wouldn’t happen to be your, um, phantoms, would they?”
“What!?” Sunset and Sora said simultaneously.
“Of course not,” Sunset said with a swipe of her hand.
“Oh thank goodness,” Rarity said quickly. She held the back of her hand to her forehead. “They were absolutely dreadful. And now that I recall, you did mention he was a person.”
“Always jumping to conclusions,” Rainbow said with a roll of her eyes to the school. The windows caught her attention and she nudged Rarity. “By the looks of it, half the school saw that battle.”
The windows had a handful of students spread out, either staring wide eyed and scared, curiously, or even nonchalantly. There was enough raised phones for Sunset to figure that the Heartless would be across the internet in less than a minute.
“To answer your question, Rarity,” Sunset spoke up. She choked, long enough for the others to raise their brows. She glanced back to Sora, though she didn’t know what she wanted from him. Encouragement, confirmation, or support. Maybe all three.
Though, he did know about them, and her face grew grim. He knew about Maleficent, about the Heartless, and possibly more, but never once brought it up. They had nearly killed them. Sora picked up on her mood, scratching the back of his head.
“Actually, I need to introduce you to Sora first,” Sunset said, tempering herself. One step at a time. She held her arms out to him like a car salesman. “He’s the phantom that’s been, well, used to bother me.”
“That’s awesome!” Rainbow spoke over Rarity, who looked both unconvinced and a little peeved at the change of subject. Rainbow stepped closer to Sora, but like the rest, stared right through him. “Is he here? How do you know his name? Is he really back from the grave? You gotta give me the details. This is important!”
“So you believe he’s really here?” Sunset asked hastily. Her expectations were influx, assuming Rainbow both could and couldn’t see Sora. “You believe he exists?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?” Rainbow said, puffing out her chest, proud as could be. “They have to exist, and this Sora guy is no different. Though, maybe he should have a different name. Sora is so lame.”
“I’m right here,” Sora said, turning away with his arms crossed. There was no indication that Rainbow saw him nor heard him, and Sunset groaned. Sora dropped his head. “Still, guess it wasn’t based on belief, huh?”
“That obvious?” Sunset snapped. Her anger flared up again. First Maleficent and Heartless, then still finding no concrete way to get him seen. It was plain infuriating how things turned out. “Are you going to explain what those Heartless were? Or Maleficent?”
“Who are you talking to?” Rarity asked, setting a hand on her shoulder. Sunset had to stop herself from shoving it off.
“Duh, Sora!” Rainbow said, resting her elbow on Sunset’s other shoulder. “He’s gotta be right here. So did he summon those things? What did you call them, Heartless? Are they his underlings?”
She was pretty peppy about the idea that Sora was the one behind the attack. They might as well be, given he knew about them. She shook off her aggression. As much as Sora deserved some rebuke, he wasn’t the one responsible. It didn’t cool her head, however.
“Well, Sora?” she asked, trying and failing to keep a calm voice.
His head jerked back an inch. Not much but noticeable. It stung him, and he tore away from her to look to the school. There was a sense of anguish, and it left him melancholy and hesitant. His eyes closed, and with a sharp turn, summoned that large key again for Sunset to see.
A square, yellow guard with a silver blade. A cut-out crown sat at the end as the teeth. A key chain hung by the handle: three circles angled to represent… something. If Maleficent, Heartless, and darkness puzzled her, then the sword-like key was a complete mystery.
“I’m a keyblade wielder,” he stated. That same determination from before returned. “And if Maleficent’s here, then I really need to get my body back.”
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oh dang,
its. going. down.
Thank you for this. The game was wonderful, but it ended too soon...
I know this isn't exactly closure, but it's an excellent chapter.
MORE!!!! This is so good
Oh snap wasn't expecting trouble so soon.
Maleficent is here for this story, huh?
That wor… 🙀WAIT A MINUTE... WHERE'S PETE!?!?! HE'S ALWAYS SEEN WITH MALEFICENT!! AND THE IDEA OF HIM BEING ALONE HERE IS... CONCERNING!
Things are getting serious. When will Sora get his body back? The situation must be tearing him up!
Maleficent is pretty much in character. And it seems she has taken an interest in both Equestria and the Equestria Girls.
Also, didn't expect the revelation of Equestria being the very source of Friendship of all worlds, and Canterlot High's true purpose as its cover.
9576823
if Pete wasn't.... Pete, I'd be guessing that Maleficent is offering herself as the distraction of her latest plan while Pete gets things done.
Another great chapter. Eager for more.:D
Oh, I could see this happening too: "So... those with darkness in their hearts can control these heartless?" "Umm.... sort of? It's more like... they obey till their master shows a moment of weakness. They seek strong hearts, both light and dark. Once the heart shows weakness, they pounce."
9577766
That's what I'm afraid of.😨
A dark faerie makes her way to equestria i wonder now what will come next. Equestria is a perfect setting for a KH world
Enjoying the opposing idea that Equestria is hidden by the human side, and not vice versa as we are led to believe. The question is, what do we call the world if it is not primarily Equestria? Also curious to see how the boy with the Key retains said Key with no heart to speak of.
OH BOY
I wasn't sure if you were gonna add Heartless at all! I thought it was just gonna be Sunset and Sora story, BUT SIGN ME UP FOR THIS INSTEAD
Im hype
“You gotta visit sometime. The sound of the waves are unforgettable. And the Paopu fruit! They say that if you share it with someone, your destinies are intertwined or something like that.”
“I’m too busy,” she said as the school came into view. She was glad, both as a way to sort out her responsibilities and not having to drive more guilt into her gut. She couldn’t bear to see his reaction.
Maleficent chuckled lowly, “Ah, even you recognize your own futility. Such a pity too, but allow me to indulge you. Your world was shrouded from both light and darkness. However, that shroud fractured to reveal this world, and I followed through it to find your ‘home.’ And what does it have? Friendship.” She spat out the word, revolted at the very sound of it. “The source of all friendship, no less. This world kept it secret, but no longer.”
Awesome story so far! Loving it!
9584135
Hey, thanks! I don't know why I've been having trouble with "your" and "you're" lately. I'm usually good at catching them. But I fixed and edited them. Thanks again.
9586142
No problem mate.
Do not fear, but embrace the
darknessbees, Sunset! Become aheartlessbeekeeper!Couldn't help but think of this and a virtual cookie to anyone who gets that reference. For those that don't, here's a >link<.
While I look forward to more of the story and love the games, I can't help but admit the linked video makes a few good points
.
9578656
If the author is using the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic official name for the world rather than a name to distinguish it in the fanfic than the world is named Earth like our world as it too was named after the ground.