Hello, fellow readers! Welcome back to Harmonic Hearts! So, what do we have:
johannvanguard: We're about to find out.
Nisha: I seriously appreciate the in-depth analysis, I always enjoy reading those types of reviews. I'll be sure to keep writing like I do, if it means getting more of that.
Thanks for the feedback! With that said, let's finish this!
Visit 2-4: Bonds from the Stars
The group reach the amphitheater, where the finals will be held, as Sora and Sunset finish up their side of the story. Twilight had some questions while the others were just processing the events:
"So, you have powers like before?" Twilight asks.
"I guess. I still don't know how it happened." Sunset admits, "But the real problem is them knowing about our counter spell."
"Cause of that Vanitas fella that's spying on us?" AJ mentions.
"You don't think he's listening right now!?" Pinkie questions, frantically looking around.
"I'll check." Sora then goes to scour the place as Sunset shifts the topic:
"Twilight, is that song ready yet?"
"U-Uh, almost! Just a little more time to finish it!" She answers.
"Great! Let's set the stage!" Rainbow exclaims as her and the others did just that.
It took a bit to set up their instruments and all, finishing with checking the stage equipment. Rainbow checks the mics for their volume:
"Check one, two. Testing, testing." She taps it on top of that, but it barely got feedback.
Sunset goes to raise the volume up, which got results:
"Testing-"
The place suddenly echoes from the insane feedback the mic had, making Sunset immediately put the volume back:
"Sorry."
Sora comes running back to see what's up, "Everyone all right?"
"Yeah! Sunset just had the mic too high!" Rainbow shouts, due to her ears still ringing a bit.
"Oh." He simply said before hopping onto the stage, "Well, I checked everywhere and no signs of Vanitas."
"Good. That'll give us time to practice." Sunset adds.
"Don't bother."
The group turn to see Trixie and her band members on the stage too, somehow not hearing them coming.
"What are you doing here, Trixie? Pretty sure the losers go to where the cheap seats are." Rainbow jabs.
"The Great and Powerful Trixie is the most talented girl at CHS!" She exclaims, "I deserve to be in the finals over you cheaters, and I will NOT be denied!"
With a snap of her fingers, one of the band members pulls a lever nearby, opening the floor beneath the Rainbooms. Sora and Sunset were luckily on the side as the others fell to the floor below.
"Girls!" Sora calls out.
"I wouldn't worry about them."
The two turn to see Vanitas just as he holds his hand out, summoning a portal underneath the two to fall through. Closing it, he casually walks over to the opened floor to see the Rainbooms getting up:
"Talk about a fall from grace!" He jokes, getting their attention.
"You!" Rainbow exclaims before noticing who was missing, "Where's Sora, and Sunset!?"
"I figured your group was getting a bit big, so I decided to cut the filler out."
"If you harmed a hair on Sora, I'll-" Rarity threatens, but gets cut off:
"HA! A bit too late on that! The boy barely held out!"
Twilight immediately fears the worst, "What did you do to Sunset!?"
Vanitas takes this chance to really screw with them, "Oh, NOW you care!? If anything, ya'll should be grateful she's gone! She was just getting in your way, wasn't she?"
"...No..."
"And it even seemed like she had changed." Vanitas coldly states, "But why weep? Like the Dazzlings said, no one will remember her when they're done."
"See ya never!" Trixie adds before the floor closes back up, trapping the Rainbooms.
As her band goes to set up their equipment, Vanitas sees the Dazzlings at the entrance and reaches them in one massive leap, landing in front of the trio:
"I decided to soften them up for you. By the time the finals come, they should be done mourning. That despair will be quite fruitful."
"Oh my, that's dark!" Adagio gasps before smiling, "How delightful. Keep the other two busy, but be sure to have them show. It'll be nice to see their faces when they see their friends have failed."
"Now you're speaking my language." Vanitas agrees, "Tell you what. If I finish early, I'll show my face to them. The added rage would be a dessert."
"You spoil us, but we'll be dumb to refuse. Now go have fun."
"Certainly." With that said, the masked boy vanishes into a portal.
Falling out of a portal, Sora and Sunset were quick to land on their feet. Looking around, they find themselves on one of the smaller skyscrapers downtown.
"He really wants us to not interfere." The latter points out.
"Doesn't matter, we can still make it back in time." The former assures her.
"Really now?"
The two turn as Vanitas drops down from the portal, it closing soon after as he lands on the skyscraper with them:
"I'd like to see you try, since I'm done waiting!" He confirms this by summoning his keyblade.
Sora summons his keyblade as Sunset summons her rapier, with the former quickly warning her:
"Sunset, don't hold back. I know he won't."
"From what you told me, I believe you." She agrees.
"Good, I want a challenge!" Vanitas exclaims before getting into his battle stance.
Objective: Defeat Vanitas! (BGM: Enter the Void)
A barrier surrounds the roof they stood on as he goes on the offensive. Sora and Sunset went at him simultaneously, trying to catch him off guard. Surprisingly, Vanitas proves to be rather nimble, blocking and deflecting with ease.
Sunset goes for a thrust, which he sidesteps and kicks her away before blocking Sora's swing:
"Come on, you know you can't win like this!" He gloats, pushing him back. "Those Drive forms might prove a challenge!"
Sora pushes back with just enough force, getting him off before jumping over a retaliating slash, smacking him away. Sunset joins back in, landing a quick combo that ends with Firaga pillars around herself. Dusting the embers off, Vanitas shoots a fireball at her that soon splits off.
She quickly fires Blizzaga icicles, stopping the fireballs with the rest homing in on Vanitas. The masked boy casually jumps over them, charging Thundaga before swinging his keyblade for a wide sweep attack. Sora takes this chance to attack as Sunset dodges the lightning, the two catching their foe in midair with their own Thundaga.
Despite the bolts striking him, Vanitas manages to retaliate. Leaving an afterimage, he reemerges from a portal below, launching into the air to rain down fireballs. The duo leap back and tries sniping him with Blizzaga, only to miss as he drove back down.
Reemerging again near Sunset, he spins himself horizontally to swing, firing a crescent energy wave. She sidesteps it and rushes in as he lands, but he tricks her with another afterimage. Zooming around her, he summons sharp crystals for a trap:
"Sora!"
Sora swiftly slides in just in time, using Reflega to block and shatter the crystals apart. And just like history repeating, the shards became shadow clones that went on the attack!
"Not this time!" Sora calls out, instinctively activating their limit.
The two's teamwork prove to rival the clones, matching their speed with Raging Demon and taking them out with Swift Raids. The remaining clones were taken out by Reignited Light, blasting them with a combined elemental Ragnarok. Once they finished though, Vanitas refused to wait:
"Gotcha!"
He attacks with Dark Spiral, launching towards them keyblade-first. Sunset slams against the barrier as he came back for Sora, who quickly blocks it. The knockback was enough to send him flying, which Vanitas took advantage of. Sora tries fending him off, but the masked boy overwhelms him, smacking him back to the ground.
He quickly recovers to his feet, now seeing Vanitas was approaching Sunset, and hurries to reach the two. Sunset manages to recover to her feet, seeing Vanitas hold his keyblade towards her:
"You know you have no chance?"
"What's your point?" She retorts, holding her blade steady.
"This."
He goes on the attack, overwhelming her as she tries to parry, only to get pushed back to the wall. Swatting her sword away, he points his keyblade right in her face:
"The funny thing is, you did have a chance."
Sunset was put off by that comment before Sora jumps in, swinging at Vanitas from above:
"Saw that!"
The masked boy disappears and reappears above Sora, who quickly dodges the Blizzaga warp slash, before the two went at each other. Sunset joins the fray soon after, the three engaging in a flurry of slashes and swipes.
The duo soon lock weapons with Vanitas, who proceeds to clarify:
"Think about it, why do you think I'm dealing with you two now?"
Sora was a bit confused while Sunset makes a good point:
"Cause we can put up a fight against you!"
"Yeah sure, that's one theory." Vanitas laughs off before slowly pushing them back, "Here's another. Your friends need you to even function, much less use that counter spell!"
"Then we're ending this now!" Sora calls out before the two shove him off, "Sunset!"
"Right!"
The two activate their limit again, which Vanitas just sighs at:
"Yeah, no."
Putting up a dark barrier around himself, the two try to break through with their moves. Despite their combined power though, the barrier proves to be quite durable, lasting way after the limit ends. Upon landing on the ground, the barrier suddenly bursts from a power wave:
"Show me anguish!"
Vanitas channels energy into his keyblade before dashing in. The duo were too slow to dodge this time, getting hit by a X-shockwave before he swings at Sunset, sending her flying. He then does two quick swipes, sending a X-Slash towards Sora who blocks it.
Vanishing again, he tries to overwhelm him with Dark Splicer, warping in and out while slashing at his opponent. Sora proves to be patient, blocking each time before using Counterguard, opening Vanitas for a retaliating combo. Ending it with Guard Break, the masked boy vanishes again:
"There's no escape!"
Crystal shards soon surround Sora, morphing into shadow clones to attack en masse! Guarding will prove futile and Reflega can't be repeatedly casted fast enough, which leaves one option:
"Light!"
Sora activates his Drive, the shockwave dispersing the clones as Vanitas smirks under his helmet. Sunset gets up to her feet in time to see what happened, recognizing the red color of Valor Form on Sora. He twirls his two keyblades before getting into his battle stance, rushing in on Vanitas.
The two engage in fierce combat, the masked boy proving his skill by keeping up with the dual-wielding Sora. However, even skill can't outmatch the speed boost of Valor Form, allowing the young hero to get some good hits in. Eventually, Vanitas leaps back to gain distance, firing a fireball at Sora.
The dual-wield hero slices through it, running in to engage up close again. Vanitas tries leaping again, but was caught off guard by Sora's High Jump, allowing him to overwhelm him with a midair combo. The masked boy was launched upwards by Sonic Strike, followed by Sunset using Thundaga for added damage.
Vanishing again, he reappears behind Sunset, who quickly ducks under his swing and retaliates. To her shock though, her rapier went through him before revealing it was a shadow clone:
"You're getting on my nerves."
Before she knew it, she was trapped in a dark sphere as Sora turns to see what happened:
"Sunset!"
"How about a little game, Sora?" Vanitas proclaims, "If you want to free her, you just need to make me move."
"There's a catch, isn't it!?" Sora jabs, which was correct:
"You catch on quick."
Vanitas then desummons his keyblade, using his now free hand to channel darkness before jolting it to the side. The darkness was given form as Sora sees Vanitas' appearance change. Now his bodysuit changed to black and white, with the blue and red shifting to the doppelganger, who has the Unversed insignia on its helmet.
It soon summons its own keyblade as Vanitas resummons his, the latter now being black and white as well:
"Those Drive forms are potent, but can't last forever! Let's see how long you can survive!"
Sending the doppelganger at Sora, the two battle as Vanitas then turns to Sunset:
"Oh, you wanna know something?" She was put off by that question, but is a bit curious:
"What's that?"
"I spoke to your 'friends' before coming here. When I said I cut you two out of the picture, they seriously thought I meant I took you out."
"What!?"
"Yes, so I ran with it. Believe it or not, they shed tears for you. How touching."
"You- Heartless!"
"No, Unversed." His joke only made her glare, "Come on, that was funny."
Meanwhile, the doppelganger was engaging with Sora in close combat. Much like before, Sora proves faster and lands some good hits before it sidesteps, firing a point blank fireball. It hits dead on, knocking Sora back as it follows up with Dark Splicer.
Sora refuses to be stalled any longer, changing to Master and retaliates hard. Reflecting back the attack, he follows up with a strong combo, ending with Master Strike to send his foe flying. He made sure to keep up the pressure, using Thundaga to surround it.
The doppelganger proves to be nimble, dodging the bolts before Sora casts Blizzaga, firing homing icicles upon it and lunges in with Firaga. It landed great damage, but it proves tough as it retaliates, trapping him with sharp crystals. Using Reflega, the barrier bursts on impact, making the shards morph into shadow clones.
Well prepared this time, Sora casts Magnera right before they morphed, sucking in nearby clones as he performs his Disaster finisher. The clones try to attack, only to get trapped in his magic as he spins faster and faster. Once the clones were trapped, he unleashes a powerful burst, taking them all out.
The doppelganger soon reappears behind Sora, channeling energy in its keyblade to fire a beam right at him. Sora quickly blocks it, his second keyblade spinning like mad to act as a shield, as he was pushed back before dispersing it with Reflega. Once he did, it reappears next to him and swings, knocking him down to the ground.
Sora lands safely as the doppelganger lands soon after, channeling energy into its keyblade for a strong attack. Seeing it rush at him, he was ready to counter:
Using Reflega again, he deflects the attack before switching back to Valor, quickly performing Brave Shot to hit the doppelganger dead on.
The narrow shockwave fades, revealing dark wisps as its keyblade flew into the air and lands near Vanitas, stabbing itself into the concrete. Vanitas glanced at it, that moment was all Sora needed as he leaps at him right before reverting.
Vanitas guards with his keyblade, but Sora proves it was a feint, landing his foot on said keyblade. Catching Vanitas off guard, Sora swings down hard, slamming his keyblade right on the helmet. The impact was enough to release Sunset, who adds her Piercing Lights finisher on top of that.
Vanitas tries to retaliate, still stunned by the attacks, but Sora was swift to counter. Landing a fast and strong combo, he uses Guard Break followed by Explosion, ending the fight.
Sora stops to catch his breath as Vanitas lands on the ground, weakened by that last attack. Sunset notices the doppelganger's keyblade fade away, but had a feeling he was still conscious:
"You're faking, aren't you!?"
A chuckle came out from the cracked helmet, "Looks like I let my guard down once again..."
"So you can be beaten."
"Yeah, yeah. 'No one's invincible', and all that noise."
"I never asked before, but..." Sora wonders, "Why did you side with the Dazzlings?"
"...They're why I got my form back." Vanitas eventually admits, "I absorbed the negative energy they created with their powers, so I guess you can say I felt obligated to repay them. By the way, I recommend you hurry. The sun's already set."
The duo notice how fast time flew, as the sky was already showing the stars.
"Come on!" Sora exclaims as the barrier disappears, "We'll take the fast way!"
"Fast way?" Sunset repeats, putting away her rapier before he grabs her hand.
Sora lead the way as the two took the express elevator, also known as jumping off the building. Sunset was panicking a bit, but Sora kept calm as before they reach the street, he uses Aerial Dodge to stop momentum. The two land inside someone's car, which Sunset recognizes the driver as a CHS student:
"Hi. Sorry for dropping in, but we're in a hurry. Can you drive us to the amphitheater?" Sora asks her.
Despite the headphones over her ears, she gives a thumbs up to his request.
"Great, thanks!"
As they headed to their destination, Vanitas stood on the roof watching them leave:
"And now, the curtain call." He soon warps away towards the same place.
Back at the amphitheater...
The Rainbooms heard Trixie's band playing above from the storage room, giving away that the finals were underway. Ever since they've been trapped, they were silent as Vanitas' words echo in their minds. Well, mostly silent as Rainbow shoulder tackles the locked door for the umpteenth time:
"Consarn it, Rainbow! You've been doing that for hours, it ain't gonna open." AJ points out.
"I'll... keep trying..." Rainbow pauses to catch her breath before continuing, "That masked freak took our friends away, he won't get away with it!"
"And how are you gonna take him on?"
"I-I don't know, but we can't just sulk in here! We have to defeat him and the Dazzlings!"
"We don't even have the counter spell." Fluttershy mentions.
"What?" Rainbow turns to Twilight, "Twilight! You have the counter spell, right!?"
Twilight raises her head from her knees, dried tears on her face as she eventually answers:
"N-No, I never did. I'm sorry..."
That was heavy to hear as the others felt dread start to seep in. Silence held over for a good minute before a dark portal appears, revealing the source of their troubles:
"Have you wipe those tears away yet?" Vanitas mocks the group, who immediately got to their feet:
"YOU!"
"Yes, me."
"You have some nerve showing your face around here!" Rarity exclaims.
"Can't be if I'm hiding it." He retorts, pointing at his helmet.
"Not for long!"
He sees Rainbow rush him, quickly deflecting each punch and kick she tries to land on him. He then swiftly counters with a palm strike, knocking her back. AJ managed to sneak up from behind during that, tying him with one of the long cords lying around.
She held him down, allowing Rainbow to land some serious hits. He didn't stay tied for long though, easily ripping the cord off before grabbing Rainbow's fist, swinging her to smack into AJ. The two fell on the ground stunned as he turns to the others:
"Can't tell if you're smart or cowards." He taunts.
"Why did you even come back? Haven't you done enough?" Fluttershy questions.
"Nope. I only came to see how the 'heroes' are gonna fight back. That's how it usually goes, doesn't it? Come on, where's that counter spell?"
"Never had it." Twilight admits, "I-I couldn't write one for us to sing."
Vanitas actually pauses, processing what she just said:
"Wait, what?"
"Yup!" Pinkie answers before throwing confetti over him, "Congrats, Vanitas! You and the Dazzlings won!"
"...What?" He strangely repeats, "No, you're messing with me!"
"As strange as it sounds, you have won. We entered the competition in order to use our special song, but we never had it." Rarity clarifies.
Vanitas then does the most unexpected thing they saw him do:
Throw his arms up in frustration.
"You CAN'T be serious! I was waiting for you idiots to pull it out by now, but it was just a tease!?"
"S-Sorry?" Even Pinkie was confused by this.
"Where's the fun in this!? I want a big final battle to cement your defeat! Like really, no other song you had would have worked!?"
That was a big epiphany for the girls. He notices the gears turning by their expressions and smirks:
"Yeah, there you go. Now get out there and give me a proper battle!"
"Um... we're trapped." Fluttershy points out.
Vanitas notices the door and goes to open it, by pulling.
"Are you KIDDING me!?" Rainbow shouts from hours of shoulder damage, which he loudly laughs at:
"You all are idiots! Better be ready to get your butts kicked!" With that said, he casually leaves.
"...Well, that was weird." Twilight understates.
"It was helpful." AJ points out as she and Rainbow get up to their feet.
"Then if any song will do, which one should we use?"
Fluttershy shoots her hand up, "Oh, oh, oh! I have one!"
"Then that's what we'll use." Rainbow surprisingly agrees.
"Yes!"
"Wee, let's do this!" Pinkie exclaims.
"Wait, we need to be properly prepared." AJ mentions before turning to Rarity, "And do it in style, don't you think?"
"I have the perfect ones for this occasion!"
Meanwhile, the Dazzlings were already on stage performing their set. Thanks to Vanitas, they were able to feed off the negative emotions from the Rainbooms, indicated by the surrounding mist they absorbed. The masked boy sat on top of the saddle-shaped roof as their song officially starts:
[Adagio]
Welcome to the show
[Aria and Sonata]
Ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
[Adagio]
We're here to let you know
[Aria and Sonata]
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
[Adagio]
Our time is now
[Aria and Sonata]
Ah-ah-ah-ah, ah
[Dazzlings]
Your time is running out
Ah-ah-ah
Vanitas then notices a car, parking on a hill across from the amphitheater, which he recognizes from earlier:
"Took them long enough." He mutters.
Where the car was, Sora and Sunset saw what was happening before seeing movement from the side of the theater. The former hops out of the car upon seeing them:
"It's them, they got out!"
"Wave them over!" The latter tells him as she also hops out, which he does.
The two saw the Rainbooms sprint across the hills, reaching them with such relief and joy:
"You're alive!"
Sora finds himself in a group hug, which he knows why as Sunset explained it on the way there, before they break it off:
"Yeah we are, but we need to stop those Dazzlings before it's too late."
"Right. We have our counter spell song now, we just need to play it." Twilight agrees.
"Good, cause we have our ace." Sunset adds, gesturing to their new CHS friend.
The student then presses a button on her dashboard, transforming her car into a full-fledged music machine. Needless to say, they were impressed before they heard the Dazzlings echo their voices:
Feel the wave of sound
As it crashes down
You can't turn away
We'll make you want to sta-a-a-ay
Red sonic waves pulses throughout the crowd, putting the students in a deep trance. The trio then start to float, emitting the same red glow before transforming:
We will be adored
Tell us that you want us
We won't be ignored
It's time for our reward
Now you need us
Come and heed us
Nothing can stop us now!
The trio shatter the red veil surrounding them, revealing their new forms that resemble their Siren forms. At the apex of their verse, they were interrupted by a rapid drum riff from afar. Looking out, they saw the Rainbooms on the hill overseeing the amphitheater:
[The Rainbooms]
Oh-oh, oh-whoa-oh
I've got the music in me
Oh-oh, oh-whoa-oh
[Twilight]
Don't need to hear a crowd
Cheering out my name
I didn't come here seeking
Infamy or fame
[The Rainbooms]
The one and only thing
That I'm here to bring
Is music, is the music
Is the music in my soul
The song was working, the spell on the students was weakening as the girls shine in a white light. At the end of the verse, they burst into their pony transformations:
Gonna break out (Out!)
Set myself free, yeah
Let it all go (Go!)
Just let it be, yeah
Find the music in your heart
Let the music make you start
To set yourself apart!
The Dazzlings held a confident grin on their faces as Adagio accepts the challenge:
"So, the Rainbooms want to make this a real Battle of the Bands? Then let's battle!"
The trio then took the song back, along with the crowd's attention:
[The Dazzlings]
What we have in store (Ah-ah)
All we want and more (Ah-ah)
We will break on through (Ah-ah)
Now it's time to finish you!
The trio then pulse a red aura before their eyes turn red, soon summoning their real Siren forms from their gems. The group weren't expecting this as Sora and Sunset summon their weapons, ready to fight while the Sirens flew around them. A barrier soon forms, surrounding the amphitheater and the hills they stood on, while also forming one above the crowd.
"Any ideas?" The latter asks him, who thankfully did:
"Yeah, I just need to get up there."
"I got you!" Pinkie exclaims before performing a drum riff.
Sora was quick to catch on before jumping up high, catching the sound waves from the speakers to hop on. The Sirens disperse from the sound waves, which Sunset takes this chance to snipe with magic. The others also take this chance for something similar.
"Now the fun begins." Vanitas said.
As for Sora, he activates Master Form just as Vanitas jumps into the fray. The two lock in combat, where the latter reveals he can fly, holding a bit of an advantage.
Sunset soon fires off Blizzaga as Rarity plays, the latter sending a barrage of diamonds that converge on Aria. Sunset then switches to Aeroga, summoning a tornado that Fluttershy uses, combining her butterflies with the current to surround Sonata. With the two distracted, Twilight takes this time to send out a starry sonic wave at Adagio.
Not one to back down, Adagio sings a sonic wave right back, the two waves colliding as their notes get higher and higher. The group was holding their ground as the other Sirens try not to get blown back. The keyblade wielders still fought, barely fazed by the deafening sound of the waves, except for one effect:
Vanitas' cracked helmet started to break more, shards flying off to reveal what's underneath.
At the apex of their notes, the two finally break away as the waves blast a shockwave, stunning whoever was caught in it. The burst was enough to shatter the helmet as they lock blades, revealing-
"Wha-!?" Sora refuses to believe what he's seeing, cause it couldn't be-
"What's the matter?" Cold red eyes stare back as Vanitas smirks, "You never looked in a mirror!?"
He pushes Sora back, who quickly recovers to stay in the air. The unmasked boy kept up his pressure, firing spells to try and surround Sora, who quickly casts Reflega. As soon as Vanitas tries diving in after the fact, he uses his double jump, gaining extra height and smacks him downward.
The Rainbooms eventually recovered right before the Sirens, where Rainbow quickly plays a solo to keep up their momentum, soon followed by Applejack playing her bass. The two fire magic from the neck of their instruments, lightning and earth respectively, towards the Sirens to push them back.
Sunset uses Thundaga to keep on the pressure, allowing the others to add on top of that. Vanitas sees this and decides to turn the tide, swooping in to surround them with crystals. Thinking quickly, Sunset casts Aeroga to disperse them.
Sora casts Thundaga as Vanitas approaches, the latter swiftly dodging them and counters with his own. The former dodges, leaping over by using his second keyblade for a foothold, and casts Magnera to trap his foe. He manages to get some damage in, but Vanitas breaks out to counter, only for Sora to pull a reversal and keep up the pressure.
The Rainbooms were keeping the Dazzlings at bay, but the crystals from before came flying back, morphing into the clones to attack them. That made them focus on them, but it was a feint as they fade soon after. That moment left an opening, which Adagio takes and sings a powerful wave at them.
They were hit, but managed to hold their ground before the Sirens gather for a team attack. Sora sees this, but Vanitas locks blades with him again to prevent his interference. The latter attempts sneaking a kick in, but Sora not only dodges it, he grabs his leg and uses the momentum to throw him at the Sirens.
Adagio felt something hit her back as Sora pushes off his second keyblade, switching to Valor and performs Brave Shot on said back. Swiftly switching to Wisdom, he performs Quick Run as Sonata turns to try biting him, only to wedge his keyblade in her maw. Using the momentum from that, he spins her around and launches himself towards Aria, who just sees a blue missile before he slams her head with his keyblade.
Bouncing right up into the air, the Sirens were stunned and lined up for one more strike. He charges up a strong swing-
"Nope."
Only for Vanitas to stop him, hard. He lands a solid blow on Sora's abdomen, knocking the wind and Drive form out of him, before he slams into the hill below. He slid a bit before stopping in front of the girls, who were shocked at the sight:
"Sora!" Sunset calls out.
"He's the least of your concerns." Vanitas calls out, now floating above them.
They let out another loud gasp upon seeing his exposed face. The unmasked boy looking down at them was... Sora? Despite the face being the exact same, he had red eyes and spiky jet black hair. This was also when they finally notice his suit was black and white now.
"Why do you have his face!?" Pinkie was the first to shout that.
"The better question is why he has mine, but you won't know the answer anyways." He then vanishes, revealing the Sirens had recovered.
Sora regains consciousness just as they sang, casting Reflega to protect the group from the sonic waves. Despite his efforts, the barrier was starting to crack rather fast. The Sirens only had to increase their pressure, shattering it and knocks the band off their feet.
They fell to the ground with their instruments and weapons, the Sirens float above victorious with Vanitas slightly higher. He watches the group struggle to get back up, where they wonder what's happened:
"Despite... throwing everything at them... it wasn't enough." Twilight admits.
"We have... the spell. What are we missing?" Rainbow wonders.
Twilight looks around for her mic, soon finding it laying near Sunset. The sight made her realize the answer:
"Sunset, we need you!"
Sunset was confused for a moment. She looks at Twilight before turning to the Dazzlings. She sees their sinister grins as they watched, expecting them to stay down. She looks back at Twilight, now with everyone else staring back with hope... as she picks up the mic.
Getting up to her feet, she decides to remove her jacket, tossing it on the grass. The student helping them starts a beat for her to sing with:
[Sunset]
You're never gonna bring me down
You're never gonna break this part of me
My friends are here to bring me around
Not singing just for popularity
During this verse, Sora pushes himself back to his feet, soon casting Curaga on the group to bring them back up. He stood in front, ready to fight as the band continue the song:
[Sunset and Twilight]
We're here to let you know
That we won't let it go
[The Rainbooms]
Our music is a bomb and it's about to blow
"Still have some fight, huh!?" Vanitas mocks before diving in, the Sirens doing the same to attack as they enter the next part:
[Sunset and Twilight]
And you can try to fight
But we got the light of
[The Rainbooms]
Friendship on our side!
Sora braces himself for their assault, only to feel a power coursing through his heart. Focusing on it, he holds his keyblade back as light courses through it:
Got the music in our hearts
We're here to blow this place apart
And together, we will never
Be afraid of the dark
He unleashes his attack as the enemy closes in, blowing them away as the Rainbooms pulse their own power outwards. The wave snaps the students out of their trance and depowers the Sirens significantly. Sora finds himself back in Limit Form again before seeing Sunset start to glow:
Here to sing our song out loud
Get you dancing with the crowd
As the music of our friendship
Survives, survives!
Sunset gains a transformation of her own before the others start to float with her, Sora being raised the highest as seven lights surround him. Following his instinct, he holds his keyblade out for the lights to cloak it in their energy. Swinging it back, he points it upwards, shining the light through the clouds above:
[Everyone]
Got the music in our hearts
We're here to blow this place apart
And together, we will never
Be afraid of the dark
The Dazzlings couldn't find enough strength to fight back, but Vanitas wasn't having it:
"Give me what you have!"
Floating adjacent to the hill the Rainbooms are on, he also points his keyblade, absorbing the remaining negative energy. The Sirens' true forms faded, along with the Dazzlings losing their transformations.
Vanitas surrounds himself in a dark aura, dark blue and red wisps surrounding his frame, as he sees what Sora had:
A rainbow sphere, charging at the tip of a transparent alicorn's horn as its head and wings surround the Rainbooms. He then just notices the crowd singing along:
Here to sing our song out loud
Get you dancing with the crowd
As the music of our friendship
Survives, survives, survives!
At the apex of the verse, the two sides fire their beams, the impact shattering the barrier away. The two beams were briefly at a stalemate, but Sora's quickly gained ground:
"NO!"
Vanitas puts everything he has into his beam, which manages to start pushing the rainbow back. The Rainbooms were really concerned, hoping for Sora to pull through:
Rarity: "Come on, you got this!"
Fluttershy: "Just a little more!"
Rainbow: "Beat that faker, Sora!"
Applejack: "Give it all ya got!"
Pinkie: "WE BELIEVE IN YOU!"
Twilight: "This is our friendship!"
Sunset: "This is..."
All: "OUR POWER!"
Sora heard it all, and unleashes every ounce he's got! Vanitas saw it rocket right for him, destroying his beam and blasting him away! The Dazzlings were caught in the crossfire, their gems quickly shattering from the blast!
The magic soon fades, leaving a heavy silence in the amphitheater as the Rainbooms saw Sora falling. They quickly saw his trajectory, which was strangely towards the crowd, who thankfully manages to catch him:
"YEAH! Three cheers for Sora!" The really muscular student shouts.
Sora then finds himself crowdsurfing, tossed up every now and then as they cheer his name:
"Hip hip, HOORAY! Hip hip, HOORAY! Hip hip, HOORAY!"
The Rainbooms couldn't help but chuckle at his predicament before seeing the Dazzlings. Vanitas was nowhere to be seen though, which was a concern. The trio was salvaging what remained of their pendants as Sunset puts her jacket back on:
"Come on."
She leads the way as they went to see what's going on. Sora was carried all the way to the stage, safely put on his feet as he thanks the students before hearing Adagio shout:
"YOU! You destroyed our pendants!"
The Dazzlings look rather angry, even ready to throw down. Sora readies himself before seeing a dark portal below, quickly sidestepping a slash from a rising Vanitas. Upon landing, he launches at Sora with a thrust, who quickly counters with Zantetsuken.
The two briefly pass, soon revealing Vanitas got severely wounded as he drops a knee and his keyblade:
"Why..."
Sora soon reverts to normal as the Rainbooms got on the stage:
"Sora, you all right?" Twilight asks him.
"Yeah, no worries." He assures them before turning to Vanitas, who was pushing himself back on his feet:
"So, why do you look like me?"
"...All right, I'll tell you why." He eventually answers, turning to face them before asking:
"Does the name 'Ventus' sound familiar?"
Sora takes a moment to think. He isn't sure how, but while he doesn't recall the name, he felt like he did. But then, was it something he forgot?
"I might have, maybe once a long time ago."
"That... is my other half. He's the light, while I'm the dark. If we share the same face... then we're connected by him." He then lets out a laugh, which unnerves the group:
"What's so funny?" Twilight questions.
"The last time we saw each other, face to face, he defeated me in our final battle. Yet here I am, the one with a body, while he has you for his heart to hide inside."
"And here you are defeated again." The group hear Sora say, who was strangely surprised he did.
Vanitas notices this and smirks, "Ventus, was that you?"
"I may be a heart, but Sora's why I'm still here." 'Ventus' spoke through Sora's voice, "And most likely why you're still around."
The Rainbooms, and the Dazzlings, were rather confused on what was happening as Vanitas retorts:
"Ha! You underestimate me, Ven! This body of mine is merely a remnant of what I once was. You and those girls just got lucky."
"Funny, wasn't it you that wanted us to fight?" Rainbow gloats.
"Talk about a sore loser." AJ adds before Fluttershy shifts the topic a bit:
"Um, do you need help with your wound?"
Vanitas just turns his head away, "Tch, I don't need your pity."
Summoning his keyblade back, he casts Curaga to heal himself before opening a portal:
"We'll meet again, so watch your backs." With that said, he takes his leave.
"He didn't have to be rude about it." Sora points out.
"Rude is putting it mildly, considering what he's done." Rainbow states.
The group then turn to the Dazzlings, where Adagio clenches her fists:
"What? You expecting an apology or just wanna rub it in?"
"The former, please." Sora answers.
Sunset sees their shattered pendants on the ground and picks a shard up, "So without these, you have no powers."
"Did you really have to break them? They're three of a kind." Sonata points out with a pout.
"You really think they care?" Aria questions her, "They destroyed them!"
"Which is unfortunate, they looked rather beautiful." Rarity admits.
"Yes, they were." Adagio then takes a deep breath, "Now if you would, we will leave while we still have our dignity."
The group lets them do just, the trio exiting the stage to their left. Once they were gone, Trixie pops up next to Twilight and Sunset:
"You may have vanquished the Dazzlings, but you will never have the amazing, showstopping ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie!"
Right at the end, she throws a smoke bomb down to hide her escape. Once the group recover from the smoke, Pinkie was the first to speak:
"She's gone!"
"Nope, she's there." Sora points to where Trixie was.
She reached the top of the seats before failing to vault over the railing, making her fall. The group heard the impact before hearing:
"Trixie's OK!"
With that out of the way, Rainbow realizes something:
"You know, Twilight is gonna return home soon, which leaves a spot in our band. Would be nice to have someone help Fluttershy on vocals."
Sunset sees what she's getting at before seeing a guitar at the corner of her eye. With a small smirk, she picks it up and plays a short sweet riff. The group was surprised as she just plays it off:
"I also play guitar."
"Nice!" Sora compliments, which Rainbow follows up on:
"We'll see."
The girls suddenly get her in a group hug, which Sora smiles at before getting dragged in himself. Thankfully, his face wasn't seen by them as it was rather red.
After a night of rest, and a small celebratory party, the group stood in the courtyard as they start their farewells:
"Sure wish you two could have stayed a bit longer." Rarity admits.
"Me too, but I have responsibilities back in Equestria. I can't be gone for too long." Twilight mentions. "Besides, thanks to Sora, the portal is open whenever we need it. I'll come visit when I get the chance, don't worry."
"Same here." Sora agrees, "Plus, I did promise Spike I'd visit Equestria. I'll even bring my friends along too, I know they'll enjoy it!"
"I'll be sure to tell him. Until next time!" With that said, Princess Twilight takes her leave as she enters the portal.
"So, how are you getting back?" Rainbow asks Sora, who just realized that:
"Oh! Guess I'm here until Donald and Goofy show up-" He stops as the group sees two lights warp in, revealing his buddies:
"Sora!" Donald and Goofy exclaim, running over to give him a big hug.
"Donald! Goofy!" Sora cheers as the trio share a moment. Once that passed, the duo look back towards the Rainbooms in gratitude:
"Thanks for looking after Sora for us!"
"No problem. Where did you two go, by the way?" Sunset wonders.
"That masked boy sent us to this barren wasteland." Goofy answers, "It was rather creepy too."
"But that's a story for another time. Where did that boy go?" Donald questions.
"You two missed a lot, and I mean A LOT!" Pinkie answers.
The two were a bit concerned on that, which Sora assures them:
"Don't worry, I'll tell you everything. But right now, we have to go find our friends and stop the Organization."
"Alrighty!" Goofy agrees with the decision, "Sorry for missing out, we'll be sure to catch up with ya'll properly sometime!"
"No worries, guys! We'll be seeing you!" AJ assures them.
With a big wave goodbye, the trio took their leave as they warp back to the Gummi Ship.
And done! Wow, this was a surprising twist of events! Once again, let's go down the list:
A) Most of this chapter happened how it did because I just realized something, Vanitas has yet to talk to the Rainbooms. He's talked with the Dazzlings, Sora and even Sunset, but not them. Once they had their conversation, I kinda altered the Rainbooms' conflict a bit from the original. Then again I didn't want to just retread the finale, as much as I love it, as that would be rather boring.
B) It was shown that Ven's heart could somehow speak through Sora in KH3, so I decided to expand on that for him and Vanitas to exchange words a bit.
C) There were a bunch of ideas I left on the cutting room floor, mainly because I felt it would either pad the second visit out, were altered, or just forgotten about until now. These include but not limited to:
1. Car chase with Vinyl: Where Vanitas gives chase instead of just warping away. Sora holds him off with Wisdom Form, magic shots abound as Vanitas tries slowing them down.
2. Shine Like Rainbows: As this is my favorite of the four credit songs from the movies, I was thinking of an encore where the Rainbooms sing this with Sora and the like. But I felt it would pad the end out too much.
3. The Dazzlings' underlying tension: I kinda foreshadowed this in the second chapter, where Vanitas takes note of their tension. I was debating on having more scenes with them that includes Vanitas taking advantage of it, but I just never did them.
4. The original starting point: No joke, this second visit would have started with the trio showing up in Equestria, not the parallel world. However, it was during this time I remembered Vanitas, and decided to rewind to when the Dazzlings arrived to include him.
5. Summon Cameo: During the final battle, I was thinking of Sora summoning Genie to help out. While it would be really cool, I felt it would have undermined what I was going for. This visit is focused on Sora's character and how he affects others, even when he's alone in another world. Plus, I don't think there's a story reason on how he uses summons.
6. Second Round with Vanitas: While I did mention Mimic Master and the excluded labyrinth, I was originally gonna have Vanitas fight the duo after the Dazzlings taunted Sunset. There were a bunch of ideas I had on that alone, including a powerless Sunset fighting him, but that eventually changed to what we got. Speaking of Sunset...
7. Sunset's unexpected powers: To clarify, the Unversed were described as 'negative emotions' that's usually created by Vanitas. However, there's one exception to that, which was the Cursed Coach that apparently came from Lady Tremaine. But since she was caught in the crossfire, we never knew if it would return to her or just disappear. So here's my logic, Hati returned to Sunset upon defeat, which reawakens the powers she had as the antagonist during the first visit. That's all it did, so don't expect her to summon Unversed or anything.
Other ideas were reduced to just existing scenes being slightly different, but those are the main ones off the top of my head.
With ALL of that said, what's next? Well, this is way too good to just end now, so of course I'm continuing this! But next time we meet, we'll be having an interlude as it'll help set up future chapters.
So until then, I'll see you next chapter!