Chapter 23: Forgiveness
Chapter 23: Forgiveness
"Riku?.... Riku, wake up!" Mickey's voice rang in his head. He moved his head and squeezed his eyes. He opened them, and saw Mickey, who had a blanket around himself, but he was very relieved to see him. Next to him was Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.
"Riku, you're ok!" Mickey said relieved. Riku looked around, seeing that he was in a room, while it looked dull, some of the linings on the wall was crystal. He must be in a room in the Crystal Empire. He slowly lifted himself up, realizing that he was in bed.
"You feel alright?" Mickey asked.
"Yeah, I'm ok." Riku said. "Are you alright?"
"I'm still a little cold, but I'll be alright." Mickey said. "Cadance was able to get my out of there just in time."
"Good." Riku said. "I'm glad you're ok, Mickey."
"We're glad that you're ok." Shining said. "We almost lost you out there."
"Well, thank you for helping me back." Riku said to the stallion, then turned his attention to Cadance. "And thank you for getting Mickey to safety."
"You're welcome, but I don't think it's us you should be thanking." Cadance said.
"Hey, you're alive." A voice said in the room. Riku turned his head and saw a familiar man with brown hair, black clothes, and a line scar across his head and between the eyes.
"Leon!" Mickey said with excitement as Riku gave a smile. The man gave a salute, and behind him appeared a girl with short black hair and a ninja attire.
"Hey, don't forget about me!" She said. "Oh, and Aerith and Cid is here too." She stood aside revealing Aerith and Cid, both happy to see Riku and the King.
"These four managed to help you get out of the snow." Cadance said. "Are they friends of yours?"
"Yeah, but they're mostly Sora's friends." Riku said.
"But we're all still part of one big circle of friends!" Yuffie said.
"Well, it's been a short while." Cid said. "How ya feelin' kiddo?"
"A bit better." Riku said, but then he just realized that they're here. "Wait, how did you guys get here?"
"Funny you should ask." Leon said. "We met some of those friends you and Sora were looking for, and we all came here to help you guys out, seeing that you guys need it."
"Really?" Riku asked. "Thanks." But then Sora came to his mind. That's right! Sora! At that moment outside, his spark went out, but then it came back!
"Sora!" He said.
"What about him?" Mickey asked.
"He's alive..." Riku said.
"Huh?" Mickey asked.
"What do you mean he's alive?" Yuffie asked.
"Well before that heartless showed up, I felt Sora's light going out all of a sudden." Riku explained. "I wasn't able to sense him. At that moment, I thought that he wad dead. But then when that heartless was about to strike me down, I heard his voice. And we both managed to take down that heartless together. Before I collapsed, I sensed his spark again. He's alive." Cadance suddenly turned away and gasped. For a moment, she felt a powerful magical surge, a sparkle of light from the far distance.
"Cadance, what's wrong?" Shining asked.
"It's Twilight..." Cadance said.
"What about her?" Shining asked.
"Her darkness... it's gone." Cadance said. "Whatever that darkness was, it's gone! I think Sora saved Twilight!" Shining's eyes widened with surprise.
"He... he did?" Shining asked, his heart filled with hope.
"So... the others managed to make it just in time." Leon said.
"Of course they did." Yuffie said. "I knew they and Sora would be able to handle it!"
"No, you didn't." Cid said. "You looked scared as a sheet when you saw those dark clouds."
"No, I wasn't!" Yuffie shouted.
"So if Sora was able to stop this darkness, then that means the magic must be working again." Aerith said.
"Well, that leaves us with one less threat we'll need to deal with." Riku said. "I just hope Sora makes it here safe and sound."
"Captain Armor!" a voice called out, getting their attention. Turning around, they saw a stallion wearing Canterlot royal guard armor. The stallion had a gamboge coat with vivid blue eyes and his mane and tail had two tones of sapphire blue. His cutie mark was a two-toned blue shield behind a yellow lightning bolt.
"Sentry?" Shining asked. "What's the matter?"
"There's something outside the entrance." The guard said. "Some kind of strange dark cloud." Hearing that made Shining and the others gasp.
"The Unicorn King?" Cadance asked. Riku and Mickey quickly gave a nod. No doubt it was King Sombra. They knew they had to get everything ready.
"Ok, it's time that we shift our focus here." Mickey said as he discarded the blanket from his shoulders. "We need to protect the Crystal Empire."
"Well, if you're gonna protect it, then so will we." Cid said. "I just hope our other contacts find their way here."
"Others?" The royal guard asked. "Actually we did see a strange set show up at the entrance. I don't know how to describe them, but they seem a bit different."
"Then that must be them." Yuffie said with a nod. "I knew they wouldn't ignore our calls."
"Then I should go to the station and wait for Sora." Riku said as he got out of bed.
"Are you sure?" Shining asked.
"Don't worry, we'll back him up if he needs it." Leon said with a thumbs up.
"Ok then, in the meantime I better make sure the castle stays protected." Mickey said as he made his way towards the door.
"How?" Cadance asked, with the mouse looking back at them.
"Well, let's just say I'm gonna do something I haven't done in a long long time." Mickey said.
Back on the Balcony in Canterlot, Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were watching from afar. They couldn't see the battle, but they saw the dark clouds disappearing from on top of Foal Mountain. The terrible darkness, which grew into a greater force, was finally snuffed out, signifying that Sora and company were successful.
"Whoa... what just happened?" Apple Bloom asked.
"The darkness has finally lifted, little crusaders." Luna said. "Sora, your sister, and their friends were successful. They have stopped the ritual, and I sense the familiar darkness that was in Twilight's heart has finally been cleansed." Hearing that made the fillies smile.
"Alright!" Scootaloo said. "I knew Rainbow Dash could do it! She's so awesome!"
"Yeah, and let's not forget Sora, Applejack, and the others!" Sweetie Belle squeaked with a happy face.
"And your sister, right?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Oh yeah, her too." Sweetie Belle said. As the three fillies cheered, the two princesses couldn't help but smile.
"The keyblade master has succeeded, sister." Luna said. "Now all that remains is to deal with the Crystal Empire." Celestia glanced forward and began thinking. Was that all that is left to do now? She couldn't help but think about the moment before all this started, when Twilight lashed out and attacked her. She couldn't help but still show a face of guilt.
"Perhaps..." She said as she turned away, but her guilty face was spotted by her sister.
"Sister?" Luna asked.
"Even if all of this is taken care of, will Twilight find it in her heart to forgive me?" Celestia asked herself as she went back into the tower. Her sister only watched, feeling sorry for her. That is right, Twilight and Celestia still have a lot to talk about. A lot to talk about.
ACT IV: The Crystal Siege
The three musketeers joined together in a group hug, happy that Equestria was safe for now. As for Sora, a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders. Not too much, but enough to make him feel relieved. They saved Twilight. They defeated Nightmare Moon. And they saved Equestria. For now, that is. Because there was another threat they have to deal with. But that didn't matter now. Right now, they're seizing the moment. They soon turned around and saw Ventus, Terra, and Aqua alive and well.
"You three ok?" Sora asked.
"Yeah, we're good." Terra said.
"That was awesome, Sora." Ventus said.
"You did great." Aqua said.
"Thanks." Sora said with a smile. "We did do great." Donald then noticed that Sora was feeling a lot more chirpier than ever.
"Sounds like you're in a good mood again." Donald said.
"Yeah." Sora said, realizing what that he was indeed happy. "It feels like it's been forever since I felt this happy."
"Maybe it's because we saved Equestria." Goofy said as Donald nodded in agreement. Sora was about to agree, but then he began thinking.
"No... maybe it's because I told you what was wrong with me." Sora said, as Goofy and Donald tilted their heads. "With everything that we've been through, I almost forgot to smile as I used to. But you guys giving your support and comfort proved to me that I don't have to face my problems alone." He then reflected on how he told Donald and Goofy to go help their King and Riku, and forming that barrier up to prevent them from going in. Looking back on that, that was pretty stupid.
"Guys, I'm really sorry for leaving you behind like that." Sora said. "I didn't know what I was thinking. I guess I was still afraid of losing you two."
"Oh it's ok, we understood what you were thinking, Sora." Goofy said. "You were just lookin' out for us, and making sure Riku and the King get the help they needed."
"Yeah, but it was still stupid of me." Sora said.
"It probably wasn't the smartest thing you did." Jiminy said as he hopped from behind Goofy's hat. "But you had good intentions, making sure we were ok."
"Just don't do something that crazy ever again." Donald said.
"Don't worry, I won't." Sora said. "Next time, I'll just tell you guys what's wrong with me. That really helped before."
"Yep." Goofy said. "It's ok to share the pain with the ones you love."
"Because we can face it together." Donald said.
"Yeah..." Sora said with a smile. He then embraced his friends in a warm hug, as they did too. Twilight watched the three hug it out. A smile formed on her face, happy to see Sora smile.
"Twilight!" a recognizable voice called out. Turning her head, she saw Spike rushing up toward her.
"Spike!" she called out. She galloped toward the little draik and hugged him tightly.
"You're ok!" Spike said, hugging his adoptive mother.
"Oh Spike... I'm so sorry." Twilight said. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"No Twi, don't be." Spike said. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I wasn't there for you when you needed me. Maybe if I had stayed with you, you would've never-"
"It's ok Spike." Twilight said. "Like I said, I had no grudge over you. You'll always be my number one assistant. Always..." Hearing that made the baby dragon hug her once more, allowing the two to nuzzle against each other.
"Um... speaking of grudges..." Spike said, turning his head back. The lavender unicorn then turned to the direction he was facing. There approaching them were Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and of course Pinkie Pie. All of them... well, it was hard to describe. They tried looking happy, but all of them appeared to be nervous too. For once, Twilight couldn't blame them. With everything that she did, and everything they did and didn't do, there was some awkwardness.
"Hey Twi." Applejack said as the others waved.
"Oh... Hey..." Twilight said, sounding unamused. The six friends just stood there, silent. No words to say, while Sora, Donald, Goofy, Ventus, Terra, and Aqua watched from the distance. There was a lot to go over... and a lot of emotions and words that needed to be said and shown. Pretty soon, the silence was broken by Applejack.
"Um... Twi..." Applejack said.
"We... uh..." Rainbow Dash said.
"Actually... eh..." Rarity said.
"Emmmm..." Fluttershy whimpered.
"Uuuuuhhhh?" Pinkie Pie spoke with her mouth open, giving a little drop of drool to try and figure out what to say.
"No." Twilight said, her hoof up and her face showing a little stern. "Don't speak." The girls then saw this as a bad sign. She probably... wasn't ready to talk to them... until she spoke to them.
"I just want to say... you're all off the hook." She spoke. Their ears perked up in confusion at what she said.
"Huh?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I... I now know the truth." Twilight said, looking down at the ground. "I know you girls went looking for me, but then you had your memories erased and manipulated into getting back to the wedding. So, I commend you for refusing to go to the wedding and deciding to look for me."
"Really?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"But, I haven't forgotten that you all abandoned me instead of taking my side back at the rehearsal." Twilight said turning her head away, her mood now shifting to a bit of anger. That right there, made the girls dampen a bit.
"We know, Twi." Applejack said. "We know. We should've stayed with you back there. We should've known something was wrong right at that moment."
"We all promised that we would take things seriously if something was not right." Rarity said. "But we forgot."
"And that's no excuse either." Fluttershy said. "But, after we left you, we did feel really bad for leaving you."
"Yeah." Pinkie Pie said. "I guess we're also party poopers at being friends."
"And I left you hanging." Rainbow Dash said. "So that was completely un-awesome of me."
"But all we can say is this." Applejack said. "We're sorry."
"We all are dear." Rarity said.
"Sorry for being bad friends." Pinkie Pie said.
"We understand if you don't want to forgive us." Fluttershy said.
"We deserve it." Rainbow Dash said. "We were wrong..." Twilight looked straight at her friends, all of them showing that they were truly sorry. She then turned her head, glancing at Sora. She then glanced forward and started thinking.
Sure her friends did mess up for leaving her in her time of need. But, looking back, she now realized that she wasn't acting very mature at the rehearsal. The way she tried to expose the bride, that was pretty foolish, and she acted completely childish, like a jealous little sister. So that definitely gave them a reason to leave her.
And not only that, her friends did go looking for her afterwards, only to learn that the bride was an imposter, and they believed that she got rid of their friend. They went to stop her in Twilight's honor. And that resulted in getting their memories erased. They may have not been there for her, but that was because she was acting like a jealous little sister. And in the end, they did choose her over the wedding. They chose her, their best friend.
Twilight looked down at the ground, now fully understanding that they weren't completely in the wrong after all. She took a deep breath.
"I was wrong too." Twilight said. The girls lifted their heads up in surprise.
"Huh?" They asked.
"What you girls did, abandoning me in my time of need, it hurt." Twilight said, though her tone was shifting from some anger, to guilt. "But, if anything, I didn't make a good case when I tried to expose the bride. And what I did to you all... berating you... attacking you... it hurt even more. Just thinking of what I did, it hurts me a lot. And I shouldn't have done that." The girls continued listening, while Twilight continued to speak, where her tone was now getting even more guilty than she just was.
"Twilight..." Applejack said.
"I know you guys are gonna tell me that it wasn't me, it was Nightmare Moon, or whoever it was." Twilight said. "But most of that was me... I allowed her to manipulate me into betraying everything that I once stood for. And I was in so much pain, that I felt like I needed to hurt somepony back. But... it was wrong. It was wrong of me to hurt you all like that. I shouldn't have done all this, but I did. Maybe because... part of me thought... What happened at the wedding... What if I was wrong?" The girls kept listening, though they noticed Twilight was starting to shed tears. She was trying to keep her emotions in, but she couldn't.
"What if I was wrong about everything?" Twilight asked. "What if it was Cadance having a bad day due to pre-wedding stress? What if I was... overreacting..." Tears began to drop as the dam inside her began to break apart.
"Then... I'd deserve to be abandoned." She continued, struggling as the tears began to increase. "I deserved to be kicked out of the wedding... and... and... I would've lost you all for good." She cringed, and the dam inside finally broke. The poor lavender unicorn began to cry, letting all the tears out. Everything she had done, she deserved what was coming for her.
Her friends however, only looked with guilt of their own. She's blaming herself for everything that happened. She shouldn't have to. It was their fault all this started. Well technically it was the Changeling Queen and that Chancellor, but the girls were also to blame. They abandoned her in her time of need. How could she feel guilty for her actions when they helped caused it? They couldn't take it anymore.
"I'm sorry.... please don't hate me-" Before Twilight could finish her sentence, she was met with a big hug by Pinkie Pie, who nuzzled the unicorn with her head.
"Wh... what are you doing?" Twilight asked.
"Giving you a hug, silly." Pinkie Pie said, showing some tears of her own, but a comforting smile on her face too. "Because that's what every friend needs. A hug." Twilight's eyes widened, as tears continued to drop.
"You... you still think of me as your f...friend?" She asked, choking on her words.
"Of course, Twilight." Pinkie Pie said. "Why else would we come all the way out here? We love you, Twilight. Always." As the party pony hugged her, Twilight's eyes widened with surprise. She's still considered their friend? After everything she did, after berating them and turning them away? Tears began to fill the unicorn's eyes. With her hooves, she wrapped Pinkie Pie in a warm embrace, crying her heart out.
"It's ok, Twilight..." Pinkie Pie said, a smile and tears of joy on her face. "We're here now. We're here for you... always." Seeing the tears, the rest of the mane six gathered around the two ponies and hugged it out, giving their friend a warm loving embrace.
"Shhh… it's ok, sugarcube." Applejack said. "It's alright."
"We're not going anywhere darling." Rarity said.
"You'll always be our friend." Rainbow Dash said, hugging the lavender unicorn tightly.
"We love you, Twilight." Fluttershy said, joining in the crying, not wanting to leave their friend. The mane six continued their embrace, finally finding solace in each other as the tears they shed were not of sadness, but of joy. A smile formed on Twilight's face. Having her friends near her, feeling their embrace. It felt good. Really good. All that negativity, all that anger, and all that heartache was being lifted off from her heart, as their comfort healed her wounds. She was happy, happy to have them back.
In the background, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were watching with a smiles. Finally seeing his friend safe and sound, the boy began to rush toward them, as did Donald and Goofy.
-SWOOSH-
Suddenly, before they could get close enough, a black circle suddenly formed around the trio. Surprised, they stopped in place, just as the circle closed around them. Then before they knew it, everything froze around them. Time had just stopped. The girls and Spike were frozen stiff.
"What?" Sora asked.
"What's going on?" Goofy asked. Suddenly, a dark misty corridor appeared before them, revealing a mysterious hooded man, wearing a black coat. To their surprise, it was the same kind of coats worn by Master Xehanort's old followers of seekers, Organization XIII!
"Organization XIII?!" Goofy asked in shock.
"No way!" Sora said.
"But... I thought we got rid of them!" Donald shouted. The trio were ready for battle, But the mysterious stranger, the man who was gathering all those baddies, and helping Maleficent and Pete, wasn't facing the three, but straight at the mane six.
"Well, what do you know?" He said. "Their friendship returned her heart from the darkness to light. It seems that Friendship is quite powerful after all." Sora looked at the man, his face shrouded in the hood. He recognized him from back at Canterlot, right after they took down that Rock Troll when they first arrived.
"Wait... I remember you!" Sora said. "You were that guy I saw back at Canterlot! I knew I wasn't imagining things!"
"He has an Organization coat?" Goofy asked.
"Is he a wannabe member?" Donald asked.
"Wannabe? " The hooded man asked. "Of course not! This is actually mine... Well, actually it belonged to someone else and I took it from them, but that's not what's really important. The important thing is that I'm not this Organization XIII you speak of..." The boy only gave a glare as the man smiled under his hood. Ventus, Terra, and Aqua moved forward to face the hooded man.
"Why are you here?" Aqua asked
"Oh, nothing personal." The man said, showing his laidback personality. "I'm just here to see this unicorn's heartwarming reunion with her friends. Now is that just... wrong?"
"Only if you sound too interested." Terra said.
"A lot too interested." Ventus said.
"What do you want?" Sora asked. "And why are you suddenly interested in Twilight?"
"What, you don't know?" The man asked. "C'mon, it's so obvious. That girl over there has a great power inside her, a power that no one has ever possessed before. In her moment of weakness, her heart nearly gave into the nasty darkness, but the love from her friends and the power of friendship filled her heart with light. Funny... it's as if she is a new Princess of Heart." The boy's eyes widened by the man had said.
"Princess of... Heart?" Sora asked. He then remembered, when he visited Corona and Arendelle, when he met Rapunzel, Anna, and Elsa, where Xehanort and the Organization were targeting them, as they were the New Seven Hearts, in case if Sora hadn't assembled the Guardians of Light.
"But... that can't be." Sora said. "Twilight can't be one of the New Seven Hearts." The hooded hoodlum gasped.
"I never said that..." He spoke. "I said that she had a pure light within her, but also a great darkness that was... suppressed by the light of friendship. Why else do you think she is named Twilight Sparkle?"
"Wh...What?" Sora asked.
"What is he saying?" Donald asked.
"Um... let's see." Goofy said. "I think he's saying that Twilight's heart is pure of light, but it is also pure of... darkness? That could mean that her heart has light and darkness."
"Almost..." The man said. "But that light and darkness is what also channels her magic..."
"Magic?" Sora asked.
"Yes... keep going." The man said with a creepy face, with the group feeling more confused.
"Princess... of Magic?" Donald asked.
"Yes, now you're getting it!" The man said with a thumbs up. "Points for you!"
"Uhhh..." Sora said.
"Hmhmhm..." The man said. "Let me explain it better. Light and Darkness, Day and Night. Merge both of them together, and you get Dawn... or... Twilight. Where the sun meets the horizon, light and darkness together makes a greater power. Her name isn't Twilight Sparkle for nothing. She possesses raw magic that she has learned to control throughout her lifetime, magic that is far superior to the Royal Sisters. You saw what she was capable of. But that was only because her heart was left in the shadows. But when she uses it in the light, her magic is calm. But, her magic is strengthened by the balance of both light and darkness inside her." Sora then began thinking, but then realized something. This was the same thing Riku always did, since he had better control of the darkness in his heart.
"Wait, I know about this." Sora said. "Riku can use both light and darkness."
"Yes, yes, you're getting warming." The man said.
"So does that mean, Twilight can too?" Sora asked.
"Exactly!" The man said, glancing back at the lavender unicorn. "She can harness her magic through both light and darkness, an equilibrium where both forces are balanced, allowing one to wield such incredible power. I can see why that Sun Monarch wanted to make that unicorn her pupil. Such great power she has... very interesting, don't you think." The boy couldn't help but notice the man's strange behavior. He sounded very comical and like his words are jumbled into riddles. But yet, he could sense something very dark about him though. He seemed to be very interested in Twilight... Too interested if one would say.
"What's that suppose to mean?" Sora asked.
"Let's just say that she holds the key... to something very extraordinary." He said. "Something that would definitely make a hinder to my... plans." Hearing those words only made Sora grunt.
"Oh no, you don't!" He shouted as he pointed his keyblade forward. "I don't know what you want with Twilight, but whatever you have planned for her, I'm not gonna stand by and let you do whatever you want to her." The man glanced back at the boy.
"Oh, don't worry." He said. "I don't intend to." The boy was then even more confused.
"Huh?" Sora asked. "You're not?"
"Of course not... yet." The man hissed playfully. "It would actually be too easy, so why not just lay back a bit and watch what happens. You all are already far too busy dealing with the threats of this world, so the time is not right. Besides, you've done me a good favor getting rid of that crazy cosmic psychopath. She would've been a big issue to deal with."
"A big Issue?" Sora asked. "Who are you?"
"Well, let's just say that Xehanort's One-eyed Sharpshooter isn't the only guy who's a sneaky ancient warrior from the past." The man said. Sora tilted his head. Sharpshooter. He was talking about Xigbar, the creep with the eyepatch and the two arrowguns that can turn into a Sniper Rifle.
"You mean Xigbar." Sora said.
"Yeah, that was his name, but he was known by a different name, however." The man said. "Unfortunately, he got himself handed and now he's gone. Me, I'm nothing like him though, but years and years before that."
"Huh?" Sora asked, as everyone else was just as confused. The man only smiled.
"I... am D, which is the word for Darkness." The man said. Sora raised an eyebrow. D? That's his name?
"So, you're like... Darkness?" Goofy asked.
"Like... Vanitas?" Ventus asked.
"Well, not like that." D said. "But I do happen to be... an accomplice of a witch you know very well."
"Maleficent!" Donald shouted. Hearing that name made Ventus, Terra, and Aqua gasp.
"The witch!" Aqua said.
"Her I do know." Terra said, remembering his encounter with Maleficent, who controlled him against his will ten years ago for something pretty nasty.
"Wait... We did see Maleficent and Pete here in Equestria back at the mountains." Goofy said.
"Why are they here?!" Sora asked.
"What else!" D asked. "They're the bad guys, remember? They're here to claim this little land as their own, and I'm just doing the pleasure of helping them... of course I have my own business to attend to. They're already in the Freezing North to the Crystal Empire. So you all better hurry along, or who knows what will happen to your king and comrade. Why, the Shadow King that once conquered that land might be free and roaming around." Sora was about to grunt, but a smile only formed on his face.
"Oh please." Sora said. "You don't even know who you're working with. Maleficent and Pete are usually one step behind us."
"Yeah, plus, you're too overconfident!" Goofy said. "And overconfidence is your weakness. We were able to save Twilight and stop that crazy nightmare demon, so what ever you guys throw at us, we'll toss it right back."
"Yeah, you tell him, Captain Goofy!" Donald said.
"And besides, it's not like Sombra is already released from his prison." Sora said. "Master Yen Sid told us that he's still trapped in his icy cage." D only smiled.
"Oh, funny you should mention that." He spoke. "We let him out a while ago." The group froze and gasped upon hearing that. They let him out?!
"Wait... he's... out?!" Sora asked. D, who's face was still shrouded in his hood gave a smile.
"The clock's ticking, Sora..." he spoke as he swayed his finger. "You better hurry... Time's running out..." He gave a playful yet sinister chuckle as a dark corridor appeared behind him. He stepped backwards in and disappeared along with the portal, leaving Sora, Donald, and Goofy surprised and shocked, as the black circle around them began to disappear, and time resumed once again.
"Maleficent and Pete released King Sombra?" Sora spoke in shock. "Then, if we don't make it to the Crystal Empire quick, Equestria is doomed." He only lowered his head, trying to seep in what he heard.
"Sora..." Aqua spoke, getting his attention. "Don't let him get to you, ok?"
"Yeah, he's just trying to mess you." Terra said.
"But what if..." Sora said.
"It'll be ok, Sora." Goofy said. "Like we said, we defeated the Nightmare and saved Twilight."
"And if we can do that, we can save Equestria." Donald said.
"But... we don't know that." Sora said.
"We will, if we believe." Goofy said. "Besides, Twilight and her friends are strong enough."
"And now, it's our turn!" Donald said.
"That's right." Ventus said with a smile. "We got this!" The boy lifted his head up, seeing Twilight and her friends still embraced in a massive group hug. Seeing Twilight's rejoiceful smile brought a smile to his face too.
"You're right." He said. "We do got this. And they have each other again." Only a little bit more of silence remained until the Mane Six broke the hug.
"We're so sorry, Twilight." Applejack said. "With everything that happened back at the wedding, we should've listened to you."
"No, you don't need to be sorry." Twilight said. "It wasn't your fault. That monster fooled all of us. And that Chancellor, he erased your memories to make you forget."
"It didn't matter if she fooled us all or if our memories were erased." Applejack said. "We promised to take your worries seriously, and we didn't."
"Yeah, that was twenty percent un-cooler of us." Rainbow Dash said.
"I know you all didn't, but you realized it soon after." Twilight said. "You realized that you left me alone and you were doing what you could to make amends. You even finished what I was doing, exposing the imposter for being evil." The lavender unicorn than took a glance at the ground and started to think.
"If Cadance wasn't an imposter and if I was wrong about her being evil, would you all still forgive me?" Twilight asked. The girls were surprised to hear that.
"Now what kind of a question is that?" Applejack asked. "Of course we would forgive you if you were wrong. We know you were just looking out for your brother. If Big Mac was getting married and I didn't like who he was marrying, I would've done the same thing if I were in your hooves."
"We all felt bad leaving you at the rehearsal hall." Fluttershy said. "We even went looking for you to make sure you were ok. Even if we did find you and Cadance wasn't evil, we wouldn't go to the wedding if you weren't welcomed."
"Absolutely." Rarity said. "Sure being part of a Royal Wedding is a once in a lifetime thing, and I spent a lot of time making those dresses, but I would never stay and go to a wedding that our friend was kicked out of."
"Same here." Rainbow Dash said. "Sure the Wonderbolts were at the wedding too, and it would've been awesome to meet them, but I wouldn't leave a friend hanging. Besides, looking back, the Wonderbolts did a horrible job dealing with those Changelings, and I'm not really a big fan of weddings."
"Yeah, and I would've skip the wedding if you weren't welcomed!" Pinkie Pie said. "I may love planning parties, but I would leave one party go unplanned for the sake of my bestest friend!" Twilight tilted her head. They were planning to give up their parts in the wedding for her?
"You... you would all give up all that for me?" Twilight asked.
"Of course." Applejack said as she placed her hoof on the lavender unicorn's shoulder. "You're not just our friend Twilight, you're also family. You're more important to us than anything in this whole world." Twilight glanced at the farmpony, the most honest and dependable of all ponies. Just by looking at her, she could tell that Applejack was indeed telling the truth. They were all telling her the truth. They would give anything and everything for her, even their own lives. She never realized how much she truly mattered to them. She couldn't help but tear up, this time with happiness.
"Thank you, all of you." Twilight said. "Seeing how much you all went through to save me, than... I forgive you." The girls were taken back with surprise. She forgave them?
"You do?" They all asked.
"Well, you only made a small mistake, and I've made a big mistake turning you away." Twilight said. "So yes, I forgive you. But... can you all forgive me, and... would you still accept me as your friend?" The five only smiled at her.
"We already have, sugarcube." Applejack said. "No matter what happens, you'll always be our friend."
"YAAAAAY!!!!" Pinkie Pie cheered as she hugged Twilight and Applejack. "Oh, I almost forgot! Speaking of cake, I even have an I'm Sorry We Hurt You cake for this special occasion!" She then suddenly held up a freshly made cake with magenta and purple frosting decorated in Twilight's cutie mark, showing the words We're Sorry, Twilight! The girls looked at the party pony.
"How did you have that all ready?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Well duh, it's been in my oven the whole time." Pinkie Pie said. She then dug into her balloony tail and pulled out a small cooking oven, which was surprising since the cake was a bit larger than that. The girls looked at each other, but they found the urge to laugh, even Twilight. It felt good. It felt good to smile again. The lavender unicorn turned her head, and saw Sora and the others. That's right! Sora! She turned and approached him.
"Hey..." She said.
"Hey." Sora said with a smile.
"You came back..." Twilight said.
"Of course I did." Sora said. "I promised ya, didn't I?" The mare smiled, but she was struggling. The scenes of her fighting him, throwing him out that window, breaking his keyblade, and him almost dying still lingered in her head. The boy realized this. He knelt down and opened his arms.
"You need a hug?" He asked. Twilight was a bit surprised, but her face soon turned to sadness and guilt. She rushed forward and jumped into his arms, hugging him as she began to cry. Though he was a bit surprised, he quickly gave a smile and hugged her.
"I'm sorry...." Twilight whispered through her tears. "I'm so sorry..."
"It's ok." Sora said. "I'm so glad you're back..."
"Yes, but I wouldn't be back without you." Twilight said. She then noticed something different about Sora. And it wasn't just the new duds, but his spikey hair.
"Did... you cut your hair?" Twilight asked. The boy figured out quickly what she meant. It's been a few months since they last saw each other. Back then Sora had his old outfit, and his hair was a bit wildly spikey, but it wasn't now. He gave a smile.
"Yeah, kinda went with a more sleek look." Sora said. The lavender unicorn gave a chuckle.
"Yeah, but you're the same dork we know and love." She said as she gave him a soft boop on the nose. Hearing that made the boy smile. Then he just realized, he never introduced her to the others yet.
"Oh right." Sora said as he got up. "Twilight, I'd like you to meet my friends." He glanced back at the others.
"This is Donald and Goofy." Sora said, introducing the royal wizard and the knight captain, then the Wayfinder Trio. "These three are Terra, Aqua, and Ventus."
"And don't forget about me!" Jiminy said as he popped out of Goofy's hat. "Jiminy Cricket at your service."
"Yes, and Jiminy too." Sora said with a chuckle.
"Hello." Twilight said nervously.
"Hello, Twilight." Donald said.
"Nice to meet you." Goofy said.
"Good to meet you too." Twilight said. "I'm... sorry for the rude introduction back at the Tower."
"It's ok, Miss Twilight." Goofy said. "No harm done."
"Any friend of Sora's is a friend of ours too." Donald said with a happy smile. Hearing that made the unicorn form a hopeful smile. She then turned to the Wayfinder Trio.
"And you three, thank you so much." Twilight said. "And I'm sorry for... you know."
"It's alright." Aqua said.
"You're not the only one who was controlled by darkness." Terra said.
"Besides, we're all friends too." Ventus said with a thumbs up. The lavender unicorn was a bit surprised. Even though she fought them, they still forgave her and saw her as a friend. She gave a smile.
"Hey Twi." Rainbow Dash said, her hoof over Twilight's shoulder. "I gotta admit, you really know how to fight when you were... evil and all that. You should do that fighting more often... without the evilness of course."
"Nah, I'm not much of a fighter." Twilight said.
"Well that's not what we saw." Applejack said. "You were really good with it."
"Yeah, you were like POW! SHOOT! WHACK! KICK! BOOM!" Pinkie Pie said, using her body to make all kind of sound effects, until she fell flat on her head. Seeing Pinkie Pie being silly made everyone laugh, including Twilight. For the first time in a while, Twilight actually was laughing again. This time in joy. Something Pinkie wanted to see during that while too.
"See, that's the Twilight we know!" Pinkie Pie said. Hearing that made Twilight blush, but a smile formed on her face. The six friends came together and formed another hug, happy that their friendship is saved. Seeing Twilight happy again with her friends brought a smile to Sora too. But then he turned his head, seeing a lonely draconequus sitting on the set of stairs, facing away from the group. But his face was showing that he was sad. His epiphany of what he had been doing was now daunting his mind, making him think over everything he had done in the past. The boy approached him, followed by Donald and Goofy.
"You alright?" Sora asked. The draconequus turned his head to look at the boy, but then looked away in shame.
"For the first time in my life, I'm starting to realize everything that I've done." Discord said, then glanced down at his paws. "When I would do chaos, it was really fun. I didn't actually think I was hurting anyone. But now seeing it through the perspective of my victims, I see now that I've done nothing but hurt people."
"Now he does?" Donald asked, only for Sora to swat him in the back of the head, making the duck be quiet.
"I may have been a villain and all that, but I know where I stand when I go too far." Discord said. "I never wanted to hurt anyone, not even kill anyone. But now I see that when I do things my own way, it's not fair and someone does eventually get hurt. To think that Twilight Sparkle was the only one who managed to impress me, but no. I was wrong. You really surprised me, young boy, you and Little Fluttershy."
"Thank you." Sora said.
"Uh Huh." Donald and Goofy said.
"Regardless, I still need to be punished for the part I played in all this." Discord said. "I only have one thing to say... well, two things actually."
"And what's that?" Sora asked. The draconequus lowered his head in shame.
"I'm sorry." He said. He then lifted his hands up together joined by the wrists, ready to be arrested. The trio looked at him with confusion.
"Aren't you going to cuff me?" Discord asked. "Put me in a choke hold? Or blind me with pepper spray or anything?"
"Pepper spray does sound tempting." Donald said, which got him a swat in the back of the head, by Goofy this time. "Hey!"
"No, we're not gonna do that." Sora said. "And hey, it's ok."
"Why?" Discord asked. "Why are you willing to forgive me?"
"Because you realized what you did was wrong, and you fixed the damage you've done." Sora said.
"You also saved us and helped us save Twilight." Goofy said. He and Sora glanced at Donald, with the royal wizard giving a sigh.
"Ok, maybe he did save us." Donald said.
"And besides, you said that you were sorry." Sora said. "And that's good enough for us." Hearing that surprised him. They were willing to forgive him, despite everything he did?
"So, you forgive me?" Discord asked. "You're willing to accept me as a ...friend?"
"Of course." Sora said.
"Everybody deserves a chance to be friends." Goofy said.
"But... I don't know what friends do." Discord said. "I don't even know how to be a friend."
"That's ok." Sora said. "There's a lot to learn about friendship. And a pony I know can help you do know it." He glanced back at Twilight, who gave a smile and a nod. She then ignited her horn, and then suddenly, Discord felt himself being lifted off the ground, and was brought between the Mane Six.
"Welcome to our circle of friends, friend." Twilight said as she and the other girls embraced the draconequus in a big hug. He was taken back by this. But it felt good. It felt really good, being in the arms of friends. Touched, he wrapped his arms around them too, sealing their hug.
"Wait, since we're friends, does this mean I get a cool necklace like you guys?" Discord asked.
"Um... I don't think you'll need a necklace since you're not an Element of Harmony." Fluttershy said.
"Oh, yes, silly me." Discord said. "But what do friends do anyway? Do they do something for each other?"
"Well, you don't have to do anything to be someone's friend." Sora said.
"Yeah, it's just simple." Ventus said as he joined the conversation. "Friends hang out and spend time together, and as long as they have fun, that's all that matters."
"Right, just like how me, Donald and Goofy have fun together." Sora said.
"Say, what exactly do you guys do for fun anyway?" Terra asked.
"We do this!" Donald said as he and Goofy began to make funny faces.
"Make funny faces!" Goofy said as the two showed their funniest face. Looking at them, Terra couldn't help but feel confused.
"That's not actually what I meant." Terra said.
"It's just their shtick." Aqua said.
"Oh, they're making funny faces too?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Oh, let me try!" She then performed her own funny face, sticking her tongue out and crossing her eyes. That made Donald and Goofy laugh.
"Now that's one funny face!" Goofy said. Pretty soon, everyone, even Discord was laughing at the silliness. Sora was very glad that everyone has made peace and was having fun again. But then thought about Riku and the King, as well as Kairi.
"You ok?" Donald asked.
"Yeah, I'm ok." Sora said. "I just wish Riku and the others were here to enjoy this moment too." But then, he widened his eyes with realization.
"Oh!" He said in a panic. "Riku and the King's still up in the Frozen North!" Donald and Goofy quickly gasped in a state of panic.
"The King!" They both shouted.
"Oh, that's right!" Aqua said. "Riku and the others are up in the North!"
"The North?" Twilight asked. "Why are they up in the Frozen North?"
"Well, they went up there to look after the Crystal Empire." Sora said. "We were more focused on finding you to even think about it." Twilight's eyes widened with surprise.
"The Crystal Empire?" Twilight asked. "The Crystal Empire is back? I thought the kingdom vanished a thousand years ago."
"Well, it just got back." Goofy said. "And now the King and Riku are up there against Faust knows what." Donald raised an eyebrow with surprise, hearing that name.
"That's the first time I've heard you say anything about Faust." Donald said.
"Well, I'm sure this Crystal Empire will be fine." Rainbow Dash said. "Seeing Riku and that King in action, I'm sure they have it taken care of."
"I don't think so, Rainbow Dash." Twilight said. "The Crystal Empire is a very important place. I don't know much about it, but I've read that whoever rules the land can reflect their emotions across Equestria, even those who are evil." Rainbow Dash then formed a frown on her face.
"Ok, maybe it won't be fine." Rainbow Dash said.
"We better get to the Crystal Empire and meet up with the King and Riku." Goofy said.
"Right." Sora said.
"We'll go too." Aqua said as she, Ventus, and Terra joined them.
"Ok." Sora said.
"Sora." Twilight spoke as she approached him. "I'm going with you too." The boy was surprised.
"Are you sure?" Sora asked. "We just got you back."
"I know." Twilight said. "But you're going to need more than just the keyblade to protect the Crystal Empire. You were willing to help me find the Elements of Harmony, and you saved my life. So I'm want to return the favor." Hearing that made Sora.
"Alright." Sora said. Twilight turned back to her friends.
"You girls head back and tell the Princess everything that's happened so far." Twilight said. The girls looked at each other and shook their heads.
"Sorry, Twi." Applejack said. "But we're not letting you go alone. If you're going down there, then so are we." The lavender unicorn raised an eyebrow with surprise.
"Girls, you don't need to." Twilight said.
"Of course we do." Rarity said. "You're our friend, and we'll stand by your side till the very end."
"Yeah." Rainbow Dash said. "No way we're leaving our friend hanging now."
"Absolutely Positively Astronomically True!" Pinkie Pie said.
"Right!" Fluttershy said. Seeing her friends ready to help her brought a smile to her face.
"Ok." Twilight said with a nod.
"I'm going too!" Spike said. "After all, you might need your number one assistant."
"Thanks, Spike." Twilight said as she nuzzled her little dragon.
"Alright then!" Sora said with a confident smile. "Let's get going!" He then made his way towards the pathway, while everyone else just watched. He stopped, and then scratched his head. He just realized that they're surrounded by stone ruins, and no where near a train station at all.
"Uuummm... anyone know how to get there?" Sora asked.
"Now he asks that?" Donald asked.
"Oh, I have an idea!" Discord said as he appeared behind Goofy and the royal wizard. "I can get us there in a flash."
"Really?" Sora asked.
"Of course." Discord said. "But you're all gonna have to hold on tight, because it's going to be a bumpy ride."
"Bumpy ride?" Twilight asked.
"You're gonna carry us there?" Ventus asked.
"Carry you?" Discord asked. "No, no, no, that would be too much work, and I'll have to make a few trips. We'll take the VIP Shortcut." He then snapped his fingers.
-POOF!-
Suddenly, before they even knew it, Sora, Twilight, and everyone else were suddenly placed into seats, which were attached to what appeared to be a big blue rocket with a red nozzle and wings. The side of it said the words; The Big One!
"Wait, WHAT?!" Sora asked with everyone realizing that they're tied to a rocket in confusion.
"Discord, what are you doing?!" Twilight asked.
"Don't worry, this flight is accident and explosion free." The draconequus said as he ignited a match and lit the fuse. The fuse began to spark as the draconequus slithered on and hopped on the rocket.
"I dunno about you guys, but this is AWESOME!" Rainbow Dash said as she strapped on in with a smile of excitement.
"Sounds like she's excited." Goofy said.
"Attention all passengers." Discord said wearing a airplane pilot suit and captain's hat. "Please keep all hooves, feet, hands, and wings inside at all times. There will be no bathroom breaks, no snacks, no drinks, but chaos."
"Wait, what do you mean no bathroom breaks?" Spike asked.
"No time!" Discord said as he pointed upwards and tilted the rocket to fly upwards, with the fuse about almost out. "Next Stop, Andy!"
"That doesn't even make any-" Sora said as the fuse went out, and the rocket began to launch, quickly shooting upwards into the sky, with everyone screaming for their lives as they hung on, except for Rainbow Dash, who was cheering with excitement, and Pinkie Pie, who was laughing and giggling as the rocket flew onward to the Frozen North, so they could meet up with Riku and the King, and protect the Crystal Empire.
Little did they know, that there was a mysterious figure watching from afar, but he wasn't human or pony. Whoever and whatever he was, was writing down something in a small book. As he closed it up, he gave a nod.
"May my heart be my guiding key." He said, and then he took off in the direction they were going.
It was only a minute after the group departed... or flew all the way towards the Frozen North. The remains of Ponhenge was awfully quite. However, there was a small hole in the ground, a hole formed from Sora's keyblade when he jabbed it into the ground when he refused to fight Twilight... or Midnight in that fact. Suddenly, the hole began to glow, and the ground started to crack up, while flashes of light began to erupt from underneath. The cracks made their way towards the center... and then...
-BOOM-
The entire ground broke apart, and the Stone Structures began to tip over, as a black colored orb began to slowly float from the ground, while six lights quickly flew up to the sky, and the black orb began to transform into a large black demonic alicorn… It was... the Pony of Shadows.
"Free... At Last...!" It spoke, before taking up to the sky and a dark flash shook the forest.
Stats
Page generated in 0.025 seconds
Total duration
819 users online
1,136,569 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Hmm...interesting turn of events.
I can already imagine that black coat figure and Pony of Shadows are gonna join forces together, and then make an ultimate form together when Sora, Twilight and the others defeat Pony of Shadows But the figure helps him by letting him fly into his heart creating a form for him
Nice work using that toy story reference and the frozen reference of the whole larunzxe encounter thing traping them in the darkness and freezing up time and after the talk the dark circle around them vanish.
I gotta say this will be a very interesting encounter with the Pony of Shadows since this will be entirely different. Besides the obvious crossover, Twilight's still a unicorn and Starlight & the Equestria Pillars aren't involved in this.
10153467
Just did. Thanks for noticing! ^w^
Nice use of the Grinch and Toy Story reference.
Also, I've enjoyed this whole story so far. It's nice to see plot points being addressed that the show couldn't due to it's intended audience.
Not only for not taking Twilight's worries seriously, but even manipulating her life so that she can take your place as the next leader of Equestria? Yeah, that's gonna be one heck of a roller coaster ride.
Your imagination knows no bounds. This chapter really captured my heart. I cried a couple of times when I read the part where Twilight forgave her friends, as well as Sora. I'm also glad to see that Leon and the gang are also in this story. But my big questions, who is D? And who is the one that was spying on them? Who is S? I also laughed at the part where Discord made them ride the rocket that was the Toy Story 1 reference. But what would've been more funnier, if Discord were to sing "Dashing through the snow, in a one man open slay, la-la-la-la-la, laughing all the WHEEEEEEEEE!!!". That one was from the Joker, riding a rocket on Christmas eve whilst singing that song. I pictured that he'd sing something like that. But I say again, keep writing this amazing adventure, I'm at the edge of my seat and I'm loving every minute of the story.
10162430
That is very true, my imagination seems to know no bounds whatsoever.
Thank you.
Wait till you see the next chapter, which will be up real soon!
They’ve truly earned her forgiveness
A chapter without a musical number? That's actually refreshing. But sadly those things are coming back.