Kingdom Hearts: A New World, A New Way

by gfr091702

Royalty

Chapter 4: Royalty

It’s been a few days since the Keyblade Wielder known as Sora had arrived in Equestria and the ponies and Pokémon got quite used to the spiky-haired human. At first, his sudden appearance set everyone off a bit, but once they got to know him, he was quickly being treated like any other member of Ponyville society.

At the moment, Sora was enjoying a peaceful sleep. Pleasurable images waltzed through his head like a breathtaking ballet.

But a dark cloud started to loom over his head, planning to shatter the solitude of his dream. And that cloud was in the form of two shadows, which belonged to two Ralts. They crept into the room, leaving the door open just enough for them to see, and approached him.

One of the Ralt’s held out his hand. He counted down each digit: 3…2….1. And they pounced right on top of him. Sora felt the sudden air leap from his mouth, and he sat up in a panic.

"Ahh! It got me! It got me! It-"

Sora felt the panic drain from his body upon realizing that he was in the safe comfort of the bedroom. And once he saw the Ralt’s grinning faces, that feeling was replaced by annoyance.

"Was that really necessary?" Sora asked.

"It totally was," One of the Ralts said.

“You should have seen your face!” The other Ralts said.

Sora then started to smile, before the three of them burst out laughing.

“Sora, Rose, Robby! Breakfast!” Gene’s voice called out, as the three of them went downstairs and saw Gene and Belle standing in front of the stove. Gene was holding a spatula and whistling as he flipped pancakes and Belle was setting the table, with the utensils and plates floating into place.

“Good morning, Sora,” Belle greeted the boy when she noticed him. “I am guessing that commotion from upstairs was you?”

"Oh, there was a commotion alright," Sora said, jokingly, pointing to the two Ralts, now known as Rose and Robby. "It was the sound of my nightmares coming to life."

"We just woke Sora up with a good old dogpile," One of the Ralts said. "Beats drinking coffee any day."

“Well, while you were asleep, someone made the paper today.” Gene said, as he showed everyone what was in today's newspaper, which had a picture of Sora, Donald, and Goofy fighting the Heartless a few days ago. Over the picture was a headline that said, “HUMAN KID SAVES PONYVILLE FROM DESTRUCTION!”

Gene chuckled, as he flipped the last pancake off of the stove and onto the pile. “Breakfast is served.” He said with a smile, carrying the plate over to the table.

Sora looked at it, and his mouth almost watered. He hadn't had pancakes in a very long time. He quickly sat down and took the utensils next to it.

The sounds of someone gobbling up their food like an animal made Belle stifle a laugh. Seems like somebody's been running on fumes for a while. “Sorry,” Sora nervously said, causing everyone else to chuckle, before continuing breakfast and getting ready for the day.

—-------------

Korrina walked out of the Apple’s House as the sunlight of Equestria’s star greeted her, she took in a deep breath as she readied herself to tackle the day.

“And a long day this is going to be.”

“Ready Korrina?” Lucario said as he stepped outside.

“Ready partner.”

Both Aura Pokémon clasped paws and made their way to the center of town. They sat at a bench as they waited for a group they were supposed to meet up with.

“Want me to go get us something to eat?” Lucario asked

“Oh no you don’t have to.”

“Korrina, it's gonna be a long train ride to Canterlot. And I don’t think your body would want to wait to eat food there no matter how good it is.”

As if on cue, the former Gym Leader's stomach used growl. “Okay, get me a sitrus berry smoothie.”

Lucario nodded and went to a nearby Pokémon Berry Smoothie stand.

Korrina smiled as Lucario went to get her food, leaving her to think back a moment. They were taking their relationship slow for now, ever since the kiss and the World Summit where Lucario confessed his feelings for her partner and trainer, Korrina had been unable to process just how their friendship might change going forward. On one hand, if she didn’t love Lucario, then it might have caused an awkward strain on their relationship. When she became a Pokémon, Korrina was one of many who wanted nothing more than to be human again. But as the days and weeks went by, that seemed like less and less of a possibility. A few months later Korrina was starting to accept the fact that he would remain a Pokémon for the rest of her life. And even though she wasn’t exactly a fan of Pokémon/human relationships, her opinion slowly changed overtime. So with that acceptance, she began to see her partner Pokémon Lucario as maybe more than just a friend.

‘Life moves on as they say. You have to work with what you got.’ Korrina thought to herself.

“Did someone order a sitrus berry smoothie?”

Korrina snapped out of her deep thought to see Lucario holding a cup to her, he himself had gotten a Wepear Berry Smoothie..

“Thanks partner.”

“No problem.”

As they both drank their drinks, it did not go unnoticed that both Lucario’s had moved closer together.

You know, maybe this won’t be so bad.

A few minutes later, the Pokémon and the former human heard a familiar voice.

“Hey guys!”

Korrina looked and saw a group that consisted of Sora, Gene, Belle, Rose, Robbie, who had bags packed for Canterlot.

“I see that everyone is ready.” Korrina concluded. “I kinda wish we all weren’t getting together for only one day.”

“Yeah,” Belle said. “The World Summit was really the last time when literally everyone got together from all over the world.”

“Even so, let's all take joy in the fact that we’re coming together to celebrate our bonds and friendships, as opposed to deciding if Pokémon will get to stay here,” Lucario pointed out.

Gene nodded. “Alright, let's not keep Twilight and her friends waiting.”

Soon everyone made their way to the train station where 6 technicolor Ponies and one dragon were waiting.

“Alright everyone is here!” Rainbow Dash said enthusiastically, “Are you all ready to experience the Summer Solstice?!”

“YEAH!”

Soon everyone was on the train, and the long ride to Canterlot began.

—-------------

Celestia sat in her throne room as aides and advisors ran back and forth getting everything ready.

“Princess Celestia, we need your signature for that delivery of cake ingredients that was just dropped off.”

“Very well,” Celestia said, signing the form with her quill.

“Princess Celestia, Captain Seth Crescent said that all final sweeps inside the castle are done, and that he will be moving to survey the castle walls now.”

“Good, tell him after he is done to take a break, he’s earned it.”

“Yes Princess.”

“Princess Celestia, we have received word that Emperor Carapace will dock in 2 hours. Empress Victoria and Empress Serva are estimated to follow shortly after.”

“Understood, make preparations for when they land.”

Soon there was a gap in the line of Ponies needing to talk with the sun Princess. Celestia took this opportunity to take a breather.

“This is almost as busy as when I was preparing for the World Summit, and that was not too long ago even.”

Princess Celestia steeled herself, took a deep breath and sat back in her seat. Technically she had no one to blame but herself.

It was her idea in the first place for the world leaders to attend this year's Summer Solstice. As well as make it a celebration of the Pokémon and the friendships that had been made between two different worlds. Although it might have been more fitting to do a celebration of the Pokémon on the anniversary of their arrival, or the day they were made citizens of Equus, Celestia believed that the first Summer Solstice with Pokémon should be a special one.

Most of the World Leaders had accepted her invitation, the only ones that couldn’t make it were Golden Horn and King Trotankhamun.

Golden Horn wasn’t coming for obvious reasons, being practically the only one who voted no when it came allowing the Pokémon to call this planet home, he became somewhat of an outcast among the world leaders. The Minotaur Emperor didn’t seem to care much, only caring about if or when the Pokémon will usurp him from his seat of power. And while he couldn’t exactly kick them out of his country, he did nothing to quell the resentment and indifference towards Pokémon in land.

It was boarding on discrimination. So it was no surprise why he didn’t want to partake in a celebration meant for Pokémon.

Celestia shook her head. She prayed to whatever god that was out their that Golden Horn would become more tolerant.

King Trotankhamun on the other hand, had completely different reasons for not coming, much sadder reasons.

Almost as soon as he returned home, several tribal leaders of Zebrica declared war on those who remained loyal to the King, claiming that his handling of the Pokémon(for allowing them to stay) and his young and inexperienced role as a king made him an unfit ruler. Since this was an internal conflict very few world leaders other than Celestia sent support in an effort to end the war.

Arceus of course made it aware a few times that he would like to go and resolve the conflict himself since the outcome of the war would determine the future of Pokémon living in Zebrica. Of course Celestia told him to wait until the conflict escalated to a point where his intervention was necessary.

Fortunately no intervention was needed as the war ended a few weeks ago, but it was nearly a pyrrhic victory. Much land was devastated, and many lost their lives on both sides. The kingdom was in a weakened state that any of its enemies who were hiding in the shadows had the perfect opportunity to strike.

“I never did hear about whether or not the last Thirst was dealt with,” Celestia shuddered. Scared at the small possibility that the witch could undo the seal on an ancient evil that was banished long ago.

Zebrica needed its King now more than ever, so there was no way Trot was going to leave his people in their time of crisis to attend a celebration…

Which is why Commander Sev was going in his place.

Celestia let out a long sigh, hopefully that snake had mellowed out since she last saw him, or maybe the war only served to bring out his more impulsive nature.

Fortunately, the commander seemed to respect Princess Luna, even reworked the PLA to give praise to her as well as Arceus.

“I should talk to her about it, that way she can reign him in if he ever goes off on another one of his propaganda speeches.”

As if on cue, a certain blue Alicorn walked through the doors, a smile of satisfaction on her face.

“Good Afternoon dear sister, I have come to inform you that all of the preparations I had assigned have been completed. Also the ‘All Night Gala’ shall be ready to commence as soon as I raise the moon.”

“Very good Luna, now we just need to wait for Twilight and her friends to arrive, as well as the world leaders.”

“Fufu, to think that it has been 8 months since the Pokémon have arrived. So much has changed, thankfully mostly for the better.”

Celestia couldn’t agree more. Even though the appearance of Pokémon caused many problems upon their arrival, and will no doubt cause many problems in the future, the pros far outweigh the cons in many cases.

Crop production had increased tenfold with the assistance of many Grass, Ground and Bug type Pokémon. Many countries also now had means of controlling and distributing water due to Water and Ice type Pokémon. Flying Pokémon helped control the weather and avert natural disasters caused by high winds. In a way many nations now had some of the same benefits and abilities Ponies used to better Equestria.

“It is good to see that the works of Pokémon have helped them become more accepted by others.”

Princess Luna smiled, but then that smile became a frown as she remembered a certain pony who was not accepting. “Speaking of which, did you invite all the nobles to this event?”

Celestia looked puzzled for a sec. “I only invited the World Leaders Luna, as for any other citizen of Equestria, they are allowed to attend a public celebration such as this. Much less the nobles who can come and leave the castle as they please.”

“Yes, but I am referring to a certain stuck up noble who had the gall to interrupt a wedding out of petty spite.”

Celestia immediately understood. “Oh.” She closed her eyes and thought for a second. “Despite his inexcusable behavior during that day, Prince Blueblood has not done anything illegal or offensive enough to warrant a ban from the castle grounds. Much less attend a public event.”

“Still, I would keep an eye on him if I were you.”

“Actually, after that little trip I sent him with Twilight and her friends to Griffinstone, his behavior seems to be improving.”

“.....We are talking about the same Blueblood right? I mean you may have known him longer than I have, but that selfish stuck up noble does not seem like the type of pony to change.”

“Anypony can change Luna, they just need the right experience and means to grow up and be better.”

Princess Luna thought for a second, her sister was always the forgiving one. While Luna was still learning to adjust to modern standards and society. The methods of ruling she imposed could be seen as dated to some ponies, and Luna was more impulsive when it came to how she did things.

But then again, there was a reason why Aegislash chose Celestia in the Everfree that day. Why despite the fact that we were meant to be equal co-rulers, everyone goes and sees you as the “Head Princess” sister.

“Very well sister, let's just hope it doesn’t come to a point where Arceus will disable his vocal cords again, or worse.”

The solar Princess chuckled. “Hopefully not.”

—-------------

Within the train car, everyone conversed and talked amongst themselves, catching up and making plans about what to do in Canterlot. The newborns however ran up and down the car as they chased each other.

“You can’t catch me!” Robby said to his sister.

“Just you wait!” Rose expressed as they jumped from seat to seat in a game of cat and mouse.

“Well I’ll be darned,” Applejack said. “These fellas are getting bigger and faster every time I see them.

“Indeed,” Rarity said, “Rose looks more and more like her mother everyday.”

Belle blushed, “Aww, thank you Rarity.”

Gene nuzzled his wife, “Perhaps one day she may grow up to be as beautiful as her mother.”

“Perhaps.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the car Twilight sat with Spike and Sora as she talked to a quadrupedal canine Pokémon covered in thick, luxurious golden-white fur about the Equestrian Ranger Union.

“So Abby, it's been 6 months since the Ranger Union opened. How do you think it's doing?”

“Oh it's going great Twilight. Ever since it opened, former Rangers from all over the world have been signing up in order to protect Pokémon once again. We have had over 100 missions so far with a 97% success rating,” Abby’s smile faded for a bit. “We can’t save everyone and not every mission will be a complete success, but trial and error is expected when you start the Ranger Union anew in a new world.”

“Well, nothing in life is perfect, and there will be a few kinks to work out. I trust the veteran Rangers adjusting to their new environment and how the New Union works?”

“Well most of them to be honest.”

Twilight raised a brow at that, “Most?”

“Unfortunately there were a few old Rangers who preferred how things were run back on Earth, those who still followed Hastings lead.”

“Hastings?” Sora asked “Wasn’t he that guy who came to Ponyville and tried to arrest Gene, Belle and you two?”

Abby nodded sadly. “Yes, those Rangers still believed that Pokephillia is wrong and that we should be making rounds arresting those ‘disgusting lawbreakers’.”

Spike blew a raspberry, “Apparently they didn’t get memo, they have no power here and Pokephillia is not a crime in Equestria. I hope you chased them out the door.”

“Oh, nothing of the sort. I just told them to get over it and change, or I would be arresting them for attempting unlawful imprisonment and discrimination.”

“Heh, that works too.”

Abby took a deep breath and did a mental sigh. She could count on one paw how many former Rangers she met who still clung to the old ways. It was minuscule, but it still made her upset that good people like them still were stuck in their old ways like Hastings was. For all his intolerance, the man still did much good back on Earth. Even though Abby believed Pokémon were better than humans in many ways, she still wished for everyone to get along and find happiness in this new world. Not try to take away the happiness of others.

“I just hope they don’t end up like Hastings or worse.”

“Speaking of Hastings.” Twilight said “I may not like the guy, but how is he doing?”

Abby looked down a bit. “Mostly the same, he’s been getting therapy but the doctors say he’s still not well enough to be reintroduced into society.”

“Well, maybe one day he will be.” Sora said.

“I hope so, I still want him to be part of the new Ranger Union. To continue to do good like he did back on Earth.”

Conversations continued until the Friendship Express arrived in Canterlot. The moment the train came to a stop, Pinkie Pie burst through the doors in barely contained glee.

“Alright Let's Get This Party Started Everypony!”

Everyone else filled out of the train as Twilight used her magic to hold Pinkie in place. “Easy there Pinkie. It may be the afternoon, but there's still some time before the All Night Gala begins. Let's just get to the castle for now.”

“Oki doki loki!”

As the group made their way through Canterlot, they passed by the recently built Pokémon district. The area itself was hewed out from the side of Canterlot Mountain, with support pillars carved in as precautions. Everywhere they looked, Pokémon walked, worked and played. Sometimes they spotted a pony or two, but the majority of residents in this place were of Pokémon ethnicity.

“Wow, it's hard to believe this place wasn’t here a while ago,” Belle said.

“Princess Celestia spared no expense in giving Pokémon their own place to live in Canterlot,” Twilight explained. “She wanted them to feel at home as best as she could.”

“I even heard Princess Diancie has made her home in the caves underneath Canterlot. Apparently she’s ruling over a community of Carbink there.” Abby said.

“I was trapped in those caves once, not a fan. But I’m glad someone enjoys it down there.”

Soon the group made their way to the castle, where they were met with the sight of a Royal Guard composed of both Ponies and Pokémon. While some gave Sora a shocked look, they decided to try and ignore it to not draw attention to themselves.

“To think that over a year ago the Royal Guard only had ponies in it,” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash added. “Now it's boasting a Pokémon division that only an idiot would try and take on all at once.”

"You idiots! What in the world are you playing at?"

Everyone jumped and turned to see what the cause of the commotion was. “Uh-oh! The commander is gonna explode.” Abby said, seeing one of the new commanders of the Royal Guard, seeming angry at two of the pony guards.

The commander was a quadrupedal Pokémon resembling a fully-grown lion, wearing Royal Guard armor, and had an intimidating mustache. While its face, hind legs, torso, and the back of its front legs were blue, much of its body was covered with shaggy, black fur. The fur was longer around the shoulders and the base of the tail, and formed a mane on its head. It had yellow eyes with red sclerae, a blunt muzzle, and rounded ears with yellow insides. There were three yellow half-rings on the back of each foreleg. Its long, thin tail was tipped with a yellow four-pointed star.

"Crashing the mobile artillery into a house?" Commander Vangarre was livid, his eyes filled with anger as he glared at the two soldiers standing in front of him. "How long have you been in the force?"

Ever since the Heartless attack, they had been working on new weaponry to use in battle, though by the way it seemed, things weren’t looking too good.

"Sorry, Sir." One of the guards began. "I- It's just that we were trying to go as fast as we could, like you ordered..."

"But it's impossible to get back to the Military District in only 40 seconds." The other guard finished.

"I don't want any excuses!" yelled the Commander. "Champions don't whine, they win!"

"Yes sir."

Commander Vangarre continued with his rant. "You're a disgrace to the uniform! Are you forgetting the shame you brought on this force during joint maneuvers with the other squads in training?" He scowled at them. "Stick your back into it, maggots! Move it!"

"Yes, sir." The guards straightened up.

"Get the artillery back to the Military District, double time!" Vangarre ordered. "Then I want a million push-ups from both of you! And you better not stop until your biceps explode!"

Exchanging a grim expression with his companion, one of the guards said, "Commander. We can't move the artillery."

"What?" the commander growled. "You'd better give a good reason why!"

"Sir! The impact of the crash damaged the ether conduction cable!" The guard explained. "The ether fuel proceeded to leak out, and now the cylinder is empty!"

"Well, change the cylinder then!" Colonel Vangarre couldn't believe what he was hearing; they were like children! "Can't you even do something as simple as that?"

"The auxiliary cylinders have all been used up." The guard replied. "It'll be three days until more come in, Sir."

"I told you to keep a stock of fuel in reserve!" The commander was becoming more and more infuriated.

"Sorry, Sir..."

"You're nothing but slackers!" He yelled as he began to use Thunderbolt on one of the guards, as everyone looked away so he wouldn't have to see the pony get hit.

"Same old commander," Abby muttered.

"Yeesh, at this rate, the men will all be dead before they see any action." Korrina stated, worried.

“Let’s… just get to the docks.” Sora said, as everyone left before they could draw attention to themselves.

The group then made their way to the Princesses, who smiled at their arrival. Though he couldn’t help but notice the shorter sister, seemed to replace that smile with a puzzled look on her face when she finally got a good look at Sora. ‘Huh? What‘s with her?’ She immediately picked that up and then gave a smile that seemed a little forced as if, to hide her staring form earlier.

The taller of the two, Celestia was the first to speak. “Greetings everyone, I’m glad to see you’ve all arrived here safely.”

“Sora!” Sora heard a sort of whisper yelling behind him. He turned back to see the others were now bowing to the princess, and Twilight glaring at him hoping he got the picture. To which he did. But mostly on how Twilight at that moment reminded him of how Donald would constantly tell him to show respect to Yen Sid whenever they had to go speak with him.

“Huh? Oh, Right!” he turned back to face the Princesses and mimicked his friends in bowing.

Twilight rolled her eyes, as the Princesses gave a small laugh before calming down. “Please rise, everypony. We have much to discuss” As soon as they did Twilight walked past Sora and went to nuzzle Celestia.

“It’s great to see you again, Princess” Twilight said then looked at the darker Alicorns with the same big smile. “And you as well, Princess Luna” To which the younger princess simply returned the smile and dip of her head.

“We are glad to see you again as well, Twilight Sparkle” Luna replied. Sora picked up the difference in how she spoke compared to her sister. She seemed to give more effort in making herself sound as what royalty should sound, Well that was what Sora thought anyway. “And to all as well-” However, Luna soon cut herself off as she as well as her sister noticed Sora waving right at them. The princess's eyes widened a bit as they saw the human for themselves.

Sora in turn looked back at the royal sisters and them and examined them a bit. They definitely looked royal with the crowns and special jewelry they had. Also, their manes. Even though he's only seen the mane's of the ponies in town and the Mane Six's own manes, the sisters mane's seemed special with the way they blew in a non-existent wind.

"My name is Sora. It's nice to meet you both." Sora said politely, having experience in dealing with Royals as he's met a few Kings, Queens, Prince's, and Princess's sometimes when he visited other worlds during his adventure.

"Sora?" Celestia asked as she soon gave the boy a smile as that name clicked with Celestia almost instantly. "Oh, you're the one that Twilight mentioned in her letter."

"Yep, that would be me." Sora said as he held his hand out to the sun princess. "It's very nice to meet you."

Celestia simply held her hoof out to it with Sora softly grabbing it and shaking it in greeting. "It's very nice to meet you too, Sora. I would like to apologize for your arrest the other day. I wasn’t expecting a human to randomly appear out of nowhere.”

“Oh it’s fine your majesty. I’ve dealt with worse, and I got to meet these guys” Sora turned to the group who all smiled as well at the acknowledgement.

“Yes, it turns out that event became more of a benefit then I had imagined.” Celestia smiled and gave a nod, before seeing Rose and Robby. “Oh, and who might those three young ones be?”

“Princess Celestia, these two twins are mine and Belle’s, their names are Rose and Robby.” Gene said.

“Oh my they’re simply just precious. Hello there, my name is Princess Celestia, welcome to Canterlot.”

Robby greeted Celestia with ease, but Rose seemed to look away from the alicorn's imposing figure.

“It's okay sweetie, Princess Celestia is a nice pony. She was at mommy and daddy's wedding.” Belle reassured her daughter.

Gene put his hands on his daughter's shoulders, “It's alright Rose, you can say hi.”

The Ralts then managed to let out a small greeting, “Hi nice to meet you.”

Celestia smiled, “Nice to meet you too.” Celestia smiled, before turning her attention back to Sora. “Sora, may I ask you something.”

“Uh, sure?” Sora said uneasily, wondering where this was going.

"Just a few days ago, I saw a shooting star from my balcony. I felt a strong light emanating from that star. Tell me, was that shooting star you by any chance?" Sora nodded in response to Celestia's question, "I must ask, however did that come to pass?"

Sora's face slumped, he didn't know how he ended up in Equestria, but he did know the circumstances that led him here. He remembered those events clearly as day, events he would like to forget. Thinking about it puts a strain on his heart.

"I was rescuing someone important to me," Sora relayed a heavily abridged version of what happened, and he spoke with sadness in his voice, "But my heart was damaged in the process. I ended up fading away. Next thing I know, I'm on the Apple farm. Apparently I fell from the sky." He finished, as Gene put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

“Your Highnesses!” A guard sprinting at full speed before skidding to a halt in front of them and quickly bowing in front of the Royal Sisters.

“Yes?”

“I hate to disturb you, but the first delegate is arriving!” The guard said as an airship approached Canterlot.

“Ah, Victoria it is then,” Luna said with a nod.

The Griffin airship was larger than most Equestrian ones, and was marked with the Griffins insignia, a silver Griffin standing on its hind legs, wings spread behind it and claws in striking position, on both sides of the ship.

As the airship approached the city, cries of awe, and a few of alarm, could be heard from the city below. Celestia wasn’t sure what the alarm was about, since she had announced the upcoming meeting the day before.

“They won’t attack me, will they?” Sora asked, knowing how much the residents in this world hate humans from what they learned.

“Don’t worry. They were notified of your appearance yesterday. Everything will be fine.” Celestia said, as the ship decreased in speed as it approached the castle, coming to a stop above the landing platform. ‘I hope.’

The ship then dropped several ropes from either side, which fell to the sky dock below the ship.

“How are they going to anchor it?” Sora asked.

His question was answered for him when six Griffins leapt from the ship and glided to the dock below.

It wasn’t long before the Griffin airship was safely secured in the sky dock. Once the final ropes were tied off, the side door opened and a ramp slid out, reaching the ground below it.

First out of the airship were another half dozen Griffin guards, each one armed with a sword, a spear, or a crossbow.

The twelve Griffins, including the ones who had tied down the ship, lined up on either side of the pathway as another Griffin exited the airship. “Announcing the arrival of her Majesty,” He stepped off to the right and bowed as he finished his line. “Empress Victoria of Griffinhiem.”

A solitary female Griffin exited the airship, her feathers a pure royal white save her wings, which were blood red, her fur was a silvery gray and aside from the silver crown atop her head, she wore silver armor over a red tunic.

As Empress Victoria walked and approached the end of the ramp, each of the guards bowed before her as she passed, the Empress’ didn’t seem to notice, as her gaze was locked directly on the Princesses.

Everyone was so focused on the Empress, that they almost missed the next beings to exit the ship. First was another Griffin, again female, with a mustard yellow coat and white feathers, though not as pure as the Empress’ her feathers were mottled with purple chick-like dots and two tufts of feathers hung from her head, almost like pigtails.

Behind her were two Pokémon, a Bisharp wearing a metal battle skirt, a sword on her waist, and a female Lopunny.

Bisharp was a bipedal, humanoid Pokémon. It had a round, red and black head, similar to a war helmet, topped with a golden, double-headed axe blade with white edges. Its face was primarily yellow with a black outline. The helmet shrouded most of its yellow-and-black face, although its triangular eyes were visible. Resembling shoulder pads, Bisharp's red shoulders projected slightly over its arms and had a thin yellow line where they met its black torso. It met white, metallic hands that resembled gloves, with retractable, horrifically sharp blades attached. Encircling its torso were two blades, which created the impression of a ribcage. Its thighs were red and became progressively thinner as they connected to the knee. Both of its feet were metallic and split down the middle, resembling cloven hooves. These hooves were also similar to steel war boots or possibly leggings.

Lopunny was a bipedal, rabbit-like Pokémon with dark brown fur and a short, round tail. She had pink eyes with black markings on the inner edge, long tufts of cream-colored fur above her eyes, and a small, pink nose. Similar tufts of fluffy cream-colored fur covered her wrists, lower legs, and the ends of her long ears, which bend shortly above her head.

“Greetings Princess Celestia, Princess Luna,” Victoria eyed Twilight for a second before adding. “Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Empress Victoria,” Celestia greeted. “It is good to see you again.”

“On that we can agree,” Victoria said. “You remember my claw maiden Grizelda,” Victoria indicated the younger Griffin behind her. “And this is Shredder, and Roll, I hired them and the rest of their guild, Checkmate, to serve under my crown after they assisted Miss Do during an incident involving some Diamond Dog rogues.”

Celestia had to repress a smile. While Twilight looked shocked that apparently both rulers knew about Daring Do, it did explain a few of her mentor's cameos in the books.

“Guards! Show Empress Victoria and her company to their rooms.” Luna said. The Princesses had an entire portion of the castle coordinated off for the visiting royals and their guards.

One Lunar and one Solar Guard stepped forwards and waited for the Griffins to follow them, after a quick glance back at the Empress and a nod, the Griffins began following the ponies.

“See you soon Princess,” Victoria said as she followed her guards, Grizelda, Roll, and Shredder following behind her.

Everyone watched the Griffins until they had all entered the castle. “She seemed... nice,” Sora ventured.

Celestia sighed. “Victoria feels inexperienced compared to me when it comes to ruling, I think she might feel a little inferior.”

“Oh,” Sora commented.

It was only a short while before the next arrival was made known, once again when an airship entered Canterlot airspace.

The approaching ship was smaller than the Griffins, but still fairly large. It was dark silver and black, with bright green markings resembling a crescent moon with what appeared to be an ocean tide coming out, the markings of the Changeling Empire.

Celestia smiled as the ship docked in much the same way the Griffins had, several Changelings flying to the ground and tying off the ropes. Although there had been a... rough patch, after Chrysalis had invaded, Celestia still looked forward to seeing Carapace again.

Once the ship was tied down and the doors opened, several Changeling guards stepped out and got into a formation much like the Griffins had. Unlike the Changelings who had invaded Canterlot, these Changelings had different colored wings, manes, tails, and chitin saddles. “Announcing his Majesty,” The Guards said together. “Emperor Carapace, ruler of the Changeling Empire.”

A few seconds passed before an older looking Changeling exited the craft, unlike the guards, who had more or less the same build, he was of a slightly bulkier build and a slightly taller stature. His mane and tail were silver, with a lighter streak running down them, and his wings were a warm but translucent grey. His chitin saddle was also grey, but lighter and warmer and his horn, while crooked, curved softly instead of sharply.

A small smile on his face, Emperor Carapace made his way down the ramp and towards the Princesses, another two Changelings, one with bronze coloring and one with white coloring exited after him.

They, in turn, were followed by several Pokémon. First a Chesnaught wielding a tan and green spiked hammer, he was followed closely by a Heliolisk and a Trevenant, both females. A few steps behind them came a Zoroark, male and... the ship appeared to be shaking as something within approached the door.

Chesnaught was a bipedal, mammalian Pokémon with some plantlike features. There was fluffy white fur on its belly and fringing its face like a beard. It had a small, pink nose with a three-pointed patch of brown fur extending up its short snout, and four pointed teeth. On top of its head was a plate of beige armor, similar to a helmet. It possessed a prominent domed, armor-like shell similar to that of a chestnut. The armor was beige with four large spines jutting out of the back. The armor was trimmed with red and green bands; the green was on the outermost edge. There was an additional spine protruding from the armor over each of Chesnaught's shoulders, which were connected by a green breastplate. Its body was colored similarly to the shell, and its long limbs and tail are banded with plates of armor. The top surfaces of the tail and arms were protected by green armor, and each arm had two small spines. It had three brown, clawed digits on its hands and feet.

Heliolisk was a bipedal Pokémon that resembled a yellow lizard. Its head was mostly black with a yellow lower jaw. It had blue eyes with a pointed spike over each. Covering its neck was a black frill with orange spikes around the rim. This frill could be raised to frame its head if needed. Its hands and feet were black with three digits each and there was an orange band with triangular markings around each leg. It had a long, tapering tail that was orange and then black at the tip.

Trevenant was a ghostly Pokémon resembling a slender brown tree. Its shadowy black body was visible through gaps in the tree, and a single, red eye was visible through a hole near the top. There was a wavy, horn-like branch on either side of its head, both dotted with small, green leaves, and a smaller branch on its forehead. On top of its head was a cluster of green leaves. It had two arms with gnarled branches similar to its horns on the elbows. Around its wrists were cuffs of green leaves and it had three claw-like fingers on each hand. Instead of legs, it had six roots similar to a spider's legs.

Zoroark was a bipedal, slate gray, fox-like Pokémon with crimson and black accents. It had a pointed snout and ears with red insides. It also had some red rimming its eyes and mouth. Zoroark had a large, red, voluminous mane with black tips, tied into a ponytail, as a teal bangle down its length separated a mass of the mane from the lower portion. It had a black ruff on its upper body, pointed at the shoulders from which its arms extend. Its upper arms were thin, whereas its lower arms, while still slim, were bulkier. The arms had spiky extensions of fur at the elbows, and it had red claws on its hands and feet. Zoroark's eyes were red-rimmed with light blue irises.

The gathered beings gasped as a red and orange head peeked through the doorway.

The Tyrantrum squeezed through the doorway, its frame barely accommodating the Dragon-type. He roared as he exited, the sound echoing throughout the area.

Tyrantrum was a bipedal, dinosaurian Pokémon that resembled a large theropod. It was predominantly brownish red with scaly patterns on its skin and scattered orange highlights on some scales and ridges. Tyrantrum's head was proportionately large with a blunt, ridged snout and powerful jaws. It had black around its eyes and a light gray lower jaw covered by a beard of white, primitive feathers. Several sharp teeth are visible in the lower jaw, while the upper jaw was lined with orange-tipped, tooth-like projections. Over its eyes was a row of five spikes resembling a crown. Around Tyrantrum's neck was a feathery white ruff that extended over its shoulders similar to a cape. Its underbelly was gray with white borders and there were two orange spikes near the tip of its long tail. Its small forelimbs had only two black-clawed digits each, but it had powerful hind legs with three black claws each. Plated, armor-like ridges covered its knees, back, and the top of its tail.

“Belle?” Sora whispered. “What is that?”

“Tyrantrum,” The Gardevoir answered. “It’s a prehistoric Pokémon, and aside from Genesect, probably the most dangerous.”

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Carapace greeted, turning to Sora, he smiled. “And you must be Sora.”

“Yes... your majesty,” Sora answered nervously.

Carapace smiled warmly, then turned to Celestia. “It is good to see you again, especially since our last ‘incident’ wasn’t under the best circumstances.”

“Nor is this one, I’m afraid,” Celestia said. “But I’m glad to see you as well. Would you like the guards to show you to your rooms or...”

“That won’t be necessary,” Carapace said. “We’ll be sleeping on the airship for the duration of our stay.”

Celestia nodded sadly, after Chrysalis’ invasion, fear of Changelings had skyrocketed, and the Princess could understand if Carapace wished to be cautious. “Very well, feel free to look around the palace, but do be careful,” Celestia said. “The meeting starts around three.”

“Of course Princess,” Carapace said before heading towards the palace, his guards and the Pokémon following him.

“Look! A ship!” Pinkie shouted, pointing out the airship on the horizon.

It was smaller than the other two, and was light brown in color, with golden metal on its rims. The sails had a symbol of a slashing sword, the cutie mark of the king, on them.

“Oh no.” Gene said. Twilight had told him before how Commander Sev was coming instead of the Zebra King due to the civil war in Zebrica. Gene sighed, hopefully he won’t be as loud or as talkative as he was last time.

The ship was soon docked, and once it was. Out stepped a Lucario and a Charizard.

“Announcing the arrival of the glorious Commander Sev, chosen of Arceus, of Trotankhamun, of Princess Luna herself.”

The night Princess turned red at that last part.

Sev then slithered off the ship, followed by his entourage, which included pony and pokemon guards.

Sev was a serpentine Pokémon that is usually depicted scrunched up like an accordion. He was mostly covered in black scales, but he had several markings on his body. He had yellow hexagon markings that run from his head to his tail, small yellow bumps where it touches the ground, and various purple scar-like marks. He had elongated red fangs that protrude from his upper jaw and fierce red eyes. His tail was partially red and has a blade-like shape.

“Nobody panic, I! AM! HERE!”

The whole docking area went silent.

“Nobody is panicking, Sev.” Luna said as she rubbed her forehead.

“You’re right, nobody is panicking. Because the panicking stopped the moment I arrived! No need to praise me, I do this for the people. For what good is a leader who shines as bright as the sun if he is not as warm and kind as the sun?”

There were some in the room who did not know if that was meant as a jab directed at Celestia, not even Celestia herself knew.

“Anyway Sev, I think it's best if I personally showed you to your room.”

“Of course Princess, how could I refuse the very pony of whom the Pokémon Liberation Army worships. Praise be your name Luna, you are ten times the pony that Arceus will ever be.”

At this point Luna used her magic to grab Sev by the ear (“does he even have ears?”) and dragged him off the dock, followed by his group.

As soon as he was gone, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

“Well, at least this time he wasn’t spewing propaganda about how he will bring justice upon human heads.” Gene said, as Sora let out a sigh of relief.

“Yes, thankfully that was briefer than the last time he was here,” Celestia said. “Now let's see who is next to arrive.”

The next airship, which was the most peculiar thus far. First off, it was completely sealed and the sails were set on either side. It had twin balloons above the body of the ship, keeping it aloft, and a large pair of windows at the front, the rudder, at least, was still set in the same place at the back.

What was truly peculiar was all of this gave it the appearance of a fish someone had tied balloons to.

Rainbow snorted as the ship landed, and an actual anchor dropped to the dock.

The side door opened, allowing some of the water inside the ship to spill out. “So... Hippocampi?” Pinkie asked.

“As if the fish ship wasn’t already enough of a clue?” Rainbow replied.

This time, instead of a ramp coming from the ship, a walkway made of water created a slow decline to the ground.

The Hippocampi who exited the ship was a mare with a coat as white as Celestia’s, her tail was a brilliant sea green and whenever the scales caught the sunlight in the right way they would shine like a rainbow, she also wore a golden circlet atop her head. Furthermore, she was almost as tall as Celestia, and stood a bit taller than Princess Luna, or... she would’ve been, had she been standing.

Queen Oceania was surrounded by a clear sphere of water, suspended several inches above the ground.

Behind the queen, a small contingency of four guards followed after her, like the ponies to Celestia, they were smaller than their Queen. All of them were encircled in their own spheres of water.

They, in turn, were followed by a pair of Milotic, one with the normal red and blue colors on her tail and Dorsal fins, while the other had pale blue Dorsal Fins and a gold and red tail. The Shiny one sported black and yellow clips on her Dorsal Fins.

“My word,” Rarity exclaimed. “They’re magnificent!”

Gene smiled. “Yep, those are Milotic for ya. It’s no exaggeration that they’re considered the most beautiful Pokémon by most people.” He turned to Belle and smiled gently. “Though not by me.”

“Why are they different colors?” Sora asked.

“Because one of them is a Shiny Pokémon. They’re basically the same as normal Pokémon, except they have different coloration.” Belle explained

“I see,” Sora said with a smile.

“Greetings, your highnesses,” Queen Oceania said as she approached Celestia, Luna and Twilight. “I’m glad to see you all are well,” she smiled at the younger Princess. “Especially you, Princess Luna.”

“Queen Oceania,” Celestia greeted with a smile. “And I’m glad to see you’re in good health as well.”

“Yes,” Luna agreed. “It has been... quite some time since last we laid eyes on you.”

Oceania, along with Carapace, were the only world rulers, and some of the only beings, who remembered Luna from before her fall from grace. Changeling rulers were long lived beings, and Oceania was tied to the forces of the sea the same way Celestia and Luna were the Sun and the Moon.

“Allow me to introduce my advisor for these meetings, Lady Cynthia,”

The Milotic went up to the Gardevoir and Gallade as they hugged her, and she did her best to return it by wrapping her tail around them.

“How have you two been?” She asked. “It’s been too long since we last talked.”

Gene smiled and pulled away from his friend. “It’s a long story.”

“We’ll catch up later,” Belle said.

“Looking forward to it,” The Sinnoh Champion said with a smile.

“Yes... well... I assume you’ll be staying on your ship for the duration of your stay...” Luna began. “Or would you like us to prepare rooms for you and your guards?”

Oceania smiled. “Our ship will be just fine, thank you though. I would like it if I could have a guard to show me around, it’s been quite some time since my last visit.”

“But of course,” Celestia said, motioning forward to one of her guards.

“See you soon Princesses,” Oceania said as she followed the guard.

Cynthia turned to Gene and Belle and waved using her tail before following after the Queen.

Celestia smiled. “So far so good,” She said. “Next to arrive would likely be the Deer… Though I don’t know if they will be arriving by train or by airship. After them would most likely be our good friends from Saddle Arabia. They shall be coming in by air… Then the Diamond Dog, and finally the Buffalo. Though I don’t know when Arceus is coming, nor Cadance for that matter.”

Twilight was about to say something when Luna interrupted. “It would appear our next visitors have arrived.”

Celestia and Twilight turned to see another airship arriving. This one was more streamlined and elegant than the others, the metal from which it was crafted shined brightly in the sunlight.

“Ah, that would be the Deer,” Celestia said.

It took a few minutes for the Deer to anchor their ship but once they were safely secured to the sky dock, a half dozen guards, Does and Stags, exited and announced the arrival of Empress Serva of Stagland.

Serva was a tall, thin Doe, she wore a wooden crown that resembled antler as well as flowing green robes. Walking beside her was a Lucario. A peculiar looking Lucario with very large eyebrows, and also looked notably older than Korrina and Lucario.

“Grandpa, it's good to see you again.”

“Likewise Korrina, you know I really should visit sometime outside of these gatherings. So how have things been going for you and Lucario since I last met?”

Both the gym leader and her partner looked at each and then back to the Mega Evolution Guru.

“Well, things are now longer awkward between us.”

“Yes, me and Korrina have never been happier.”

The elderly Pokémon noticed that the two were now clasping paws.

“Ah, I see. Well I am happy for the both of you.”

“Empress Serva, it is good to welcome you back to Equestria,” Celestia said

“Likewise Princess Celestia, I look forward to this celebration as much as anyone else. Although I hear that Golden Horn isn’t able to make it?”

Celestia shook her head. “No, I believe he said and I quote ‘I have much better things to do than to attend a celebration of Pokémon. Besides I don’t think I would feel very welcomed’.”

Serva smiled a bit. “Well, you can’t win them all Celestia.”

The princess nodded in agreement. Despite everything, she had hoped that Golden Horn would have come to a realization that Pokémon were not a real threat and tried to actually get along with them. But it looks like that won’t happen anytime soon.

‘Hopefully he isn’t planning to do anything rash, the fact that he has been awfully quiet lately does not help.’

“Well no use, dwelling on those with little tolerance in their hearts. Let me put down my things and then we can talk about some real good work that we have been doing.”

Celestia shook her head, as Serva and Gurkinn left, though Gurkinn sensed something wrong in the distance, as he whispered to Serva, who nodded to let Gurkinn go and investigate.

While Celestia was wondering where Arceus was, as well as who would be arriving next.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the next airship arrived. This one was gold and royal purple, with an intricate design and silver rimming. A silver star over a horizontal golden crescent moon was set on the sails.

“The Saddle Arabians,” Luna stated. “As extravagant as always.”

The ship landed and was anchored just like the rest and the guards who exited the ship announced the arrival of King Faris and, to Celestia’s surprise, Princess Amira.

The first to exit the ship was an elder stallion with a light silver coat and a mane of a slightly darker gray, the saddle he wore across his back was gold and royal purple, just like the coloration of his ship. And he wore a golden crown with purple gems set in it.

Twilight was surprised to see that the mare who was apparently the Princess was the same mare who had come to watch her perform in Ponyville. Looking closer, Twilight noticed the stallion who had accompanied her standing at the front of the guard contingency.

The Princess wore the same blue and purple outfit she had worn the last time Twilight had seen her.

“King Faris,” Celestia greeted. “I’m glad you could make it.”

The stallion nodded. “Yes well, I found it necessary to come and speak out against what has been forced onto us by this Arceus,” Faris glanced at the Pokémon. “I felt compelled to fight for our way of life.”

Celestia nodded, then smiled at Amira. “Princess Amira, what a wonderful surprise, I did not expect you to come.”

“I figured it was about time my daughter start learning the finer details of ruling a country,” Faris explained.

Amira sighed. “It’s good to see you as well Princess.”

Celestia smiled, she had been working to set Amira up as a ruler who would bring about change to the old traditions of Saddle Arabia, as while there was nothing wrong with traditions, it would be bad for a nation to remain completely unchanging, especially when the rest of the world was changing, and she didn’t just mean the Pokémon.

The rulers exchanged a few more pleasantries before Faris excused himself and his daughter, saying that they were going to go speak about the situation in private before the meeting.

“That just leaves the Diamond Dogs, the Buffalo, and Cadence,” Luna said. “I do hope our niece isn’t in too much trouble, I would have thought she would have arrived by now.”

“I hope so too,” Twilight said under her breath.

The group didn’t have to wait long before another airship appeared on the horizon. What struck out about this one was its simplicity, it had no vibrant colors, instead it was a light gray, the only thing that stuck out about it was the design on the sail.

A mountain, with a paw holding aloft a crown underneath it.

“I was expecting something more... flashy,” Twilight admitted.

“Why is that?” Luna asked.

“Well, I know that the Diamond Dogs are largely a mining based culture, and I assumed they would use the gems they mine to decorate their ship.”

Celestia nodded. “A good prediction of Twilight, but let me ask you this,” She smiled and turned to Twilight. “What would be your number one fear if you brought a gem ladened airship to another country and left it unattended, even if it was in a castle?”

Twilight opened her mouth to answer, then laughed. “I guess I didn’t think of that.”

The Princesses watched as the ship was anchored into place and a half dozen Diamond Dog guards filed out of the ship. The last one to exit held a scroll in his paws.

“Announcing the arrival of his majesty, King Grimm Halfpaw, the king under the mountain.”

As the introduction was completed, a single Diamond Dog with a light brown coat exited the ship. He wore a suit of light blue armor, which had a blue starburst gem set in the chestplate. At his side hung a broadsword, a red gem ladened in its hilt. His most distinguishing feature, however, was that he was missing two fingers on his left paw.

“Princess Celestia, what a pleasure it is to see you again,” Grimm said with a smile. “And likewise to finally meet you Princess Luna, as well as you Princess Twilight.”

“Glad to see you as well King Halfpaw, how go things in Canida?” Celestia inquired.

The King under the mountain waved his paw. “Eh, a few incidents with these monsters on the first few days but for the most part order has been kept.” The Diamond Dog gritted his teeth.

“I hope no one was injured,” Celestia said.

“Hmph, nothing fatal, but almost Princess, almost.” The king shook his head. “Anyhow, we’ve had a long flight so I think I’ll rest up a bit before the meeting.”

“Of course, I’ll send a guard to fetch you before we begin.”

“Much obliged.” With that, the Diamond Dogs left for the castle, but he decided to add a little bit of good news on his way. “But for all its worth, this isn’t the worst that’s happened before.”

Celestia smiled at the news as the king continued towards the castle.

“Well, I must say he was quite the gentle... dog,” Rarity said, finishing with an awkward smile.

Celestia nodded. “The Diamond Dogs of Canida are nothing like the ones you’ve encountered.”

Twilight nodded and was about to say something she had learned about Canida when a ruckus in the streets below drew her attention.

From this height, she was unable to hear what the ponies below were saying, but she did manage to make out one word. Stampede.

“Princess?” Twilight began. “I think the Buffalo are here.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow and looked down at Canterlot, she could just make out a faint dust cloud drawing nearer the castle.

“Ah Thunderhooves, right on time.” Celestia’s horn glowed gold for a second before she used a teleportation spell.

Once the light from the spell cleared, the group found themselves standing in front of the castle gate.

“Open the gate,” She told the guards bowing behind her. “We’re about to have more guests.”

Celestia watched for a moment as the dust cloud rounded a corner and came barreling towards the castle.

The guards tensed when the Princess didn’t move out of the way of, nor did she seem to worry, the cloud barreling towards her.

When the dust cloud was only a dozen or so feet from the Princess, and the guards were all but ready to push her out of the way. The cloud just stopped.

It took a moment for the dust to settle, but once it did Celestia was finally able to see the beings who had caused it.

“Chief Thunderhooves,” Celestia greeted with a smile. “Glad you could make it.”

The Buffalo snorted. “Princess Celestia,” He said with a bow. “We bring good tidings from Appleoosa, and I too am glad to be here.”

Celestia looked over the half dozen or so Buffalo warriors Thunderhooves had brought with him.

“Why don’t I have my guards show you and your bulls to your rooms? I assume you must be tired after such a long journey.”

“You are most gracious, your highness,” Chief Thunderhooves said.

“It’s no trouble Chief,” Celestia had only met with the Buffalo tribes a few times, but she noticed their leaders always held her in high esteem.

Celestia motioned for one of the guards to take the Buffalo into the castle, once that was done, the Princess sighed and flew back to the landing platform where her sister and the others were waiting.

“Sorry about that,” She apologized. “But the good news is that everyone’s here now except Arceus and Cadence.”

“You would think a being like Arceus would be able to show up on time,” Luna said.

Celestia was about to respond when a flash of gold illuminated the platform. Sighing, Celestia turned to see that Arceus had appeared in the center of the platform.

“Greetings all,” Arceus said, approaching the Princesses. “I am Lord... oh, hello Princess, where are the other rulers?”

Celestia glared at Arceus. “Inside, and I thought we agreed you wouldn’t do anything like that.”

The Alpha Pokémon thought for a second. “Let’s see, no intimidation, no showing off, don’t erase anyone from existence... nope, nowhere was it said that I couldn’t announce myself.” He said, before turning to Sora. “So, you are Sora. I have heard great things about you.” He said, shocking everyone else. They expected he was going to attack him from him being human, but he was doing the exact opposite. "You sacrificed your very being for one you cherish above all else. Rest easy, and know that help is on the way." Sora smiled, knowing that his friends are looking for him.

“Well, with you here we’re only waiting on my niece,” Celestia said. “She’s running a bit late, so I think we should go wait for her at the train station.”

“Yeah, let’s get to the station.” Sora chimed in.

—-------------

(Play Kingdom Hearts Master of Masters Theme)

Meanwhile, not that far from Canterlot, a man in an Organization XIII coat was sitting on a rock being approached by a pony, also in an Organization Coat.

When the approaching hooded man approached the one sitting on the rock, there was a moment of silence, before the one sitting asked, "So?"

The second one removed his hood before revealing his face, Blueblood. He smiled as he observed the coat, "Yeah. It wards off darkness. It's useful."

"Told ya!" The hooded man beamed before asking, "So, how'd it go? The tour?"

Blueblood walked up to the mysterious hooded man before he sat beside him, "I learned... the reason for my existence."

"Ooooh," The man seemed intrigued, "Tell me more."

"All around the world, Ponies and Pokemon live seemingly peaceful lives," Blueblood explained as the mysterious man listened, "They believe themselves to be moral and virtuous, but it's all an act. Darkness lurks in the pit of everyone's heart. Their light is a total farce."

"Sounds like your trip around the world opened your eyes," The hooded man commented, "...but you got a bit more than you anticipated. Must've seen a lot of darkness."

Blueblood leaned back as he looked to the sky, "Those who are weak, or who desire great power, simply strip the strong of their power, and convince themselves they've earned it. That's how others get tainted by darkness. They believe what they want to believe, using hollowing reasons as justification. They repeat the cycle, and their darkness grows."

"So you're saying that the weak feel the need to justify their actions to maintain a sense of self." The hooded man shrugged and threw his hands up. "Can't let that slide?"

"No, it's better they be ruled by darkness. People carry delusions of having power, but it's a lie," Blueblood answered him, "They are like sheep pretending to be wolves. Though I admit, I can understand why."

The hooded man faked a shocked tone humorously. "Oooh, I've never heard that one before. A Prince wielding to the side with the darkness?" He uses a deep funny voice wagging his finger and deadpanning, "Why not just let them be until the darkness consumes them?"

Blueblood leaned forward, "Because left alone, the world would fall to chaos. There needs to be order."

"Are you sure about that? Why not just sit back and watch it play out?" The hooded man asked him while standing up and pacing with his hands behind his back.

"Understanding hearts is difficult, more so the emotion within," Blueblood told him, "I simply realize that it's easy to dismiss what you don't comprehend."

The hooded man hung his man back and groaned a little, "All right, all right... The world needs you, I'll grant you that one."

"I don't know what I can do," Blueblood admitted, "...but I will act. What comes next is too important."

"I suppose letting false light dictate the future might be a... pretty lousy move." The man stated before turning back to Blueblood, "So? You can make a change, you have that power. What do you want for the world?"

"Power, eh...?" Blueblood repeated before shrugging, "Who knows? The Summer Solstice is not far off. Maybe I can get some clarity then."

"You're letting the celebration decide?" The hooded man asked as he shook his head humorously, "Listen to me, that doesn't matter. You believe the world needs you. Sounded like you know where you're headed."

Blueblood smirked, "It's funny. Somehow, I can sense where I'm supposed to go, and what I'm supposed to do." He then stared at his black-gloved hoof in realization, "Yes, even this coat, it's as if I'm meant to wear this."

Just then, the hooded man hummed, getting Blueblood’s attention, "Hmmm... No... you'll ditch it soon."

"What do you mean?" Blueblood wondered.

"I mean that one day you're going to outgrow it," The mystery man explained.

Blueblood then asked, "How so?"

"If you truly possess great power, the darkness can't control you," The man continued to explain, "You won't need a silly old coat to keep you safe. In fact, you'll be the one controlling the darkness instead." The hooded man then chuckles humorously, "Me, on the other hand, I'm too much of a scaredy-cat to ever take mine off."

Blueblood then leaned in curiously at the man, "Who are you really? Some kind of fortune-teller?"

"Well, I could lie to you and tell you that's what I am, when I'm actually a brilliant artist, or even a scholar," The man stated as he turned away, "I could tell you I dream of world peace, when I'm actually planning its destruction. The truth is what you see with your eyes, not what you hear."

After a moment of silence, Blueblood simply smirked, "So, your name?"

The man in the Organization coat turned to him completely dumbfounded, "What did I just...?!" He then sighed and shook his head, "Never mind, I guess there's no harm. My name is..."

But just then his name was blurred out to Blueblood much to his shock, "Huh?!"

After a moment of silence, the master simply shrugged, "I'm a Lost Master."

"A Lost Master?"

The hooded man simply turned away before telling Blueblood, "May your heart be your guiding key."

(End Kingdom Hearts Master of Masters Theme)

Blueblood thought about what he said before he shrugged it off, as he looked up at a train heading towards Canterlot. “Well, you heard him.” He said as a teenage girl, who was covered in red armor and wore a strange red helmet on her head, walked up next to him. “I am ready when you are.” He stated, as a red infinity symbol glowed in his right eye.

“Yes. Let the game begin.” The girl said, with the same symbol glowing in her left eye.

Author's Note:

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There were some fun moments in this chapter that I liked writing. I hope you enjoy

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Comments

[nightshroud96]

Looks like Blue Blood is up to no good.

But then again, there was a reason why Aegislash chose Celestia in the Everfree that day. Why despite the fact that we were meant to be equal co-rulers, everyone goes and sees you as the “Head Princess” sister.

I really feel like that is a problem for Luna that shouldn't be left hanging.