Hearts of Harmony

by Legrio

Chapter 19: Return to Traverse Town

Twilight sighed in relief as she landed the Gummi ship in Cid’s garage in Traverse Town. The whole trip back had been quiet. Too quiet. Not a single Heartless had attacked them on the way back. She rolled her neck around, releasing some tension. Expecting an attack for hours while piloting the ship was pretty nerve wracking, after all. “Well, we’re here,” the unicorn announced, pressing the open button for the hatch.

“That was so boring!” Rainbow Dash complained as she leaned back from the laser Gummi controls. “Where was the action, the excitement?!”

“Um, I thought it was kind of nice and peaceful,” Fluttershy softly said, picking up her few belongings.

Meanwhile, Twilight was disconnecting the special Gummi under Gadget’s careful directions. “Alright, carefully detach the last aetheric tether, good!” The small mouse excitedly said, leaping onto the unicorn’s back. “Now, let’s show Cid!” Smiling at her engineer’s enthusiasm, Twilight levitated the cube beside her and followed the rest of her friends outside, where Cid was waiting for them.

“Hey, nice to see you all back in one piece! And hey, I see you’ve found a few of your friends, go-” Cid froze mid sentence as he noticed the glowing Gummi block at Twilight’s side. “Where the heck did you find that?!” he exclaimed, pointing at the artifact.

“We encountered Nightmare Moon on a world called Monstropolis,” the keyblade wielder began.

“Never heard of it,” Cid commented, getting out one of his cigars. A glare from Gadget quickly put an end to that. Putting away the cancer stick with a sigh, he asked, “Well, what kind of world was it?”

“Well, the part we saw was a big city,” the yellow furred pegasus began, “The people there look like monsters, but they’re actually just people.”

“Hm, kinda sounds like that one world I once heard of. Hallow Town or something like that?” Cid mused. “Oh, what was your name, miss...?”

“Um, I’m Fluttershy,” the mare quietly said.

“And I’m Rainbow Dash!” the other pegasus exclaimed, flying up into the engineer’s face.

“Uh, yeah, nice to meet you,” the man said, a deadpan expression on his face as he pushed the excited mare out of the way. “Now, about this Gummi cube?” Rainbow huffed at being ignored.

“Well, Nightmare Moon incapacitated the people with us and talked a bit, calling me her apprentice and all that. Then she gave me this hairpin,” here she floated out the darkly glowing accessory, “And the Gummi block. She said she used them in ‘the old days’, so I guess they’re from way back when her and Celestia went on their adventure a long time ago.”

Cid hummed in thought. “Well, either way I need to run some tests on here, see what exactly this thing is. It’s gonna take me a while to analyze this thing, so you might as well go waste some time in town.”

“Thanks Cid!” Twilight called as they began to walk towards the exit.

“Oh, hey, wait!” Cid suddenly shouted. “I almost forgot in all my excitement, but Sora, Donald, and Goofy are somewhere in town. They brought in a special Navi Block too. Not as unique as yours, of course, but not your average Gummie either. I think they said something about waiting at Merlin’s place.”

“Ooh, maybe I could get Merlin to teach me some new spells,” Twilight said, a look of acquisitive glee coming over her face.

“Oh no you don’t, we need some more supplies before we go gallivantin’ all over town. ‘sides, the others wanted to get some stuff too,” Applejack said.

“Yeah, and I wanted to see if Marie has anything good baking!” Spike spoke up.

“Oh alright, I guess I can wait,” Twilight sighed before brightening. “Come on, girls, Spike, the sooner we get done shopping the sooner I can get to learning!”

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“I’m Huey!” a small, duck-like humanoid wearing a red shirt and cap waved as the group of Equestrians walked inside.

“I’m Dewey!” another in a nearly identical set of blue clothes said from atop his perch on a shelf.

“And I’m Louie!” the final green clad one introduced himself from where he was manning the store’s cash register.

“And welcome to the Scrooge McDuck Item Emporium!” they shouted as one.

“Now, what can we do for you?” Louie asked.

A small smile pulled at the corner’s of Twilight’s mouth. “Oh come on, there’s no way that wasn’t rehearsed,” she thought to herself. She opened her mouth to speak, when her pegasus friend beat her to it.

“Oh, that was very well done!” Fluttershy exclaimed, clapping her little hooves.

“Aw, it wasn’t anything special,” Huey said, waving a feathered hand.

Dewey rolled his eyes. “Yeah, it’s not like Uncle Scrooge had us practice that for hours or anything.”

“Did your Uncle leave you to tend the shop all by yourselves?”

“Yep!” Huey chirped. “We’ve done it before, so it’s no big deal.” He hopped down from the shelf, landing on the countertop. “So, what can we get for you?”

“Well, let’s see,” Applejack drawled. “We need another couple o’ them sets of adventurin’ supplies, two saddlebags, and some potion ingredients, Ah think...” she trailed off, looking meaningfully at Fluttershy.

“Hm? Oh, right. I’ll need some elfroot, kingsfoil, glowshrooms” the yellow pegasus began, rattling off a rather detailed list as the ducks scrambled to keep up, gathering packages of herbs. “And, um, deathbell,” she finished.

“Uh, seriously, deathbell? Doesn’t that sound kind of, I don’t know, dangerous?!“ Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

Surprisingly, Fluttershy just nodded. “Oh yes, it is, but it’s also a very useful catalyst when brewing a large variety of potions.”

“Well, if you say so. I don’t really know much about potions, just that they keep me up and ready to fight!”

“And ya wouldn’t need so many of ‘em if ya weren’t so gosh darn reckless!”

Smiling at her friend’s good natured bickering, Twilight drew out her bulging munny pouch with a tug of magic. “So, how much does this add up to?”

“Let’s see,” Louie began, ringing up their purchases on the register. “Two saddlebags, 75 munny each, two sets of basic adventuring supplies, 50 munny each, and a large selection of potion ingredients.” There was a long pause as the young duckling rang them up. “That comes to a total of about one thousand munny.”

“One thousand munny?!” Applejack exclaimed. “Are ya’ll serious?! Ah know herbs don’t cost that much, I grow a bunch of ‘em on the side at mah farm!”

“Um, sorry, but that’s just what it says here,” Louie nervously explained. “Uncle Scrooge sets the prices, not us.”

Twilight let out a sigh as she began counting out the multi-colored orbs. “It’s okay, Applejack, we can pay, we’ve got the munny.”

“But that’s not the point!” the mare angrily stomped a hoof. “Ah hate to see price gougin’ like this, it ain’t right.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, there’s hardly anyone buying this stuff these days anyways. Not many people left around here know how to make potions.”

“Yeah, Uncle Scrooge’s old alchemy set has just been sitting around in the back room for ages. I don’t even know why he bought that thing, none of us know how to brew potions.” Dewey chimed in.

Twilight’s eyes lit up as she got an idea. “Hey, can Fluttershy here use that? She’s a really, really good potion maker.” The aforementioned mare blushed at the praise. “No point in just letting it sit around unused, after all.”

“Well, I don’t know,” Louie trailed off in thought. “Uncle Scrooge might not approve of people using his things without his permission.”

“Well, how about we sell ya back a few extra potions,” Applejack bargained. Seeing the young duck hesitate, she decided to sweeten the deal. “At cost for the ingredients!”

“Uh... one sec! Huddle!” The trio of boys whispered back and forth for a few moments before breaking up. “Alright, we agree, on one condition.”

“Name it!”

“Whoever’s not minding the store gets to watch the brewing.”

“Hm. Fluttershy, are you okay with that?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, um, I don’t mind,” the mare replied. “But you three have to promise not to touch anything, okay?”

The brothers nodded at her stern admonishment. “Okay, it’s a deal!”

“Right. Alright, see you later Fluttershy. We’ll be at Merlin’s if you need us,” Twilight said, bidding her friend goodbye.

“Um, right,” Fluttershy replied. “Don’t worry, I’ll have plenty of healing potions ready by the time we leave!”

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“Ooh, little Spike, you’re back!” the somewhat portly woman cooed, patting the diminutive dragon on the head. “Now why don’t you go check on the croissants in the oven? Remember, they’re supposed to be cooked to a golden brown, no darker!”

“Yes ma’am!”

“Thanks again, Marie, for watching him for me,” Twilight said, watching her assistant disappear into the back room of the small cafe. “It’s really too dangerous outside of the First District to take children, I really don’t know what I was thinking that first time.”

“Oh, it is no trouble at all!” the woman replied, waving her hand dismissively. “He’s really quite good, so long as he remembers not to eat his ingredients before baking them!” She tittered.

Laughing lightly, Twilight bid the cafe owner goodbye before she walked back to where Rainbow Dash and Applejack were waiting by the gate to the other districts. “Hey, where’s Spike?” Rainbow asked.

“I left him behind with Marie,” the unicorn replied, her horn glowing as she telekinetically tugged the large door open.

“A’yep, that’s a good idea, Twi’,” Applejack grunted as she helped to push the door shut after the trio had stepped, or in Rainbow Dash’s case, flown, through.

The aforementioned pegasus landed lightly beside her two friends. “Are you sure? I really didn’t like the looks of some of the people back there, especially the way they were glaring at us.”

There was a loud thud as the door slammed back into place. “Marie hasn’t done anything but help us ever since we arrived. I trust her,” Twilight said, the glow fading from her horn. “Besides, from what I’ve heard, the people around here have had a really hard time of it. They used to be able to live anywhere in this city before the Heartless came. I don’t blame them for being a little suspicious.”

“Well, if you say so, Twi’,” Rainbow Dash said. The trio fell into silence as they walked through the abandoned district, passing smashed storefronts and overturned carts. Eventually, the mare spoke up. “Okay, where’s all the Heartless?!” she shouted.

“I don’t know,” Twilight shook her head. “Maybe they’re distracted or...” she mused as they walked around a corner. Just then, something that was hard to describe, a feeling, maybe, made her manifest her keyblade beside her. A pitch black claw screeched against the thick shaft of the Olympia before Twilight blasted the creature with a bolt of lightning that sent it flying back.

“Or maybe they were settin’ up this big ol’ trap we all just walked into,” Applejack grimly finished for her, drawing forth her wickedly spike tipped rope while Rainbow Dash raised her hooves and Twilight angled her keyblade. Before them in a darkened alley, a legion of what looked like the most basic of Heartless, Shadows, awaited. But these had become something more, as if everything about them had been enhanced to make them ever more deadly. Remembering the simple Scan spell Merlin had taught her, Twilight cast it with but a flicker of her magic. Neoshadows Chancing a look, she saw more of them rising from the ground behind.

“Bindra!” the keyblade wielder quickly cast, hoping to trap the beasts, but they simply merged into the shadowed pavement, flowing under the purple chains that erupted from the street.

“What in tarnation?!” Applejack exclaimed as the creatures circled around them, still merged into the ground. Whipping her rope around, she struck out at one of the Neoshadows, only to have the spiked tip crunch into the cement, leaving the Heartless unharmed. Grunting as she pulled her weapon free, she barely had time to dodge a retaliating punch. “How the hay do we fight these things?!”

“It’s like trying to hit your own shadow!” Rainbow Dash growled as she dueled with one of the creatures, trying to strike it before it could vanish into the ground once more. All of them now were rapidly diving in and out of the ground and the nearby shadows, disappearing and reappearing in a complex pattern so that one never had enough time to land a solid blow before you had to deal with another kick or slash. “A little help would be nice, Twi’!”

“I need to slow them down somehow!” Twilight thought, her keyblade whipping around to block the deadly claws of one of the Neoshadows before it vanished back into the shadowed ground. “If I could cast a light spell, I could make it so they’d have nowhere to hide, but those have been so hard lately! Stupid necklace! Stupid Nightmare Moon!” Her eyes widened as she had an idea. “Nightmare Moon, that’s it!” Taking advantage of a momentary lull in the fighting, the unicorn drew out the jeweled hairpin she’d been given. “Oh, please let this work!” Letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, the unicorn quickly stuck it into her mane. A sensation like liquid ice flowed down her spine as she felt the darkness around her. It was different from when she’d used the darkness before, purer, stronger, with that power at her command. With a thought, she expelled the Neoshadows from their refuge in the dark. They tumbled out onto the ground with a hiss of anger, the first sound she’d heard from the creatures.

“Dark Thundaga!”

Bolts of pitch black electricity burst from the tip of her keyblade, vaporizing the Neoshadows before her. The ones behind leapt at her flanks, but her weapon blazed to meet them like an ebony comet, smashing them into dust.

“There, that should be the last of them,” Twilight said, letting her keyblade vanish. She turned to face her two companions, who were watching her in a sort of stunned silence. “What’s wrong? If you’re worried about me using the darkness, it’s way different with Nightmare Moon’s hairpin on. I feel like I’m in control, not the other way around.”

“Twilight, your eyes and horn...” Applejack trailed off.

“What?”

Wordlessly, Rainbow Dash spun her around to look in a miraculously unbroken store window. There, staring back at her, was a reflection of herself. Her eyes were glowing a bright yellow, with wisps of dark energy flowing off of them. An oily, pitch black fluid bubbled up around her horn. And worst of all, the corrupted element around her neck glowed with a dark purple light. Slowly, Twilight raised a shaking hoof and the image in the storefront did the same.

“No! I won’t become that! I won’t!”

With a shriek, the mare shattered her reflection with a fireball before practically ripping the hairpin off. She slumped to the ground, crying. Moments later, she felt the warm forelimbs of her friends slide around her shoulders and pull her close. “Shh, Twi’, it’ll be alright. Ah know ya don’t want to become like Nightmare Moon. Ya did what ya had to do. If ya hadn’t used that darned hairpin, we’d have been in a big heap of trouble.”

“Hey, I think it was really awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “You forced ‘em all to stop hiding then zapped ‘em with that super black lightning! How cool was that?!”

Twilight sniffled slightly and nodded. “I’m sorry for crying like that, I, I just wasn’t prepared for seeing myself like that, I guess. Using the darkness just felt so right while I was wearing this stupid thing,” she said, holding the piece of jewelry in her magical field. “It was so different from before, where it felt like I was fighting for control ever step of the way.”

“Maybe we should ask Merlin about it?” Applejack suggested. “After all, if ya could do all that safely, it’d be a big help.”

Twilight nodded before putting the hairpin away in her pack. “Yeah, let’s do that.”

As the trio walked further down the alley towards the Third District, a small, inconspicuous crow flew above, keeping them under careful watch...

Comments

[BronyPonyMan]

this just gets better and better!