Friendship is the Key
Chapter 5: Treacherous Sands (Part 3)
by Appending_fic
Rainbow Dash was still digging through her packs for the Element of Loyalty (and trying to dispel the echo of Rarity's nagging reminder that well-organized luggage was useful as well as attractive) when thundering footsteps rattled past the door.
She poked her head out to investigate, only to be nearly run over by a pack of guards rushing by.
"Hey! Watch it!" she snapped.
One of the guards turned to her, face twisted into a tight scowl. "You'd better stay close, ma'am. The princess has gone missing." He then turned and sprinted to catch up with his brethren. Rainbow watched with narrowed eyes. Disappeared? She'd bet her wings (if she ever got them back) this was the doing of the Heartless. Twilight had said Aurora and Snow had been hiding from something. And that meant it had to be time for a rescue. Rainbow glanced back at her packs and sighed. She turned them upside-down, emptying the contents onto the floor. She grabbed the ruby-studded necklace that was now easily visible in the mess and sprinted out of the room. If the girls didn't know about the princess' disappearance yet, they had to hear about it so they could find her and kick the tail of whoever was responsible!
When she burst into Twilight's room and announced the news in what she'd assumed was properly dramatic fashion, however, the response was underwhelming.
"We're going to need a plan," Twilight announced.
"A plan? We've got the Elements of Harmony! We'll just trot in there, wham, bam, bright rainbow show, and no more Heartless problem!"
"As usual, a very...succinct thought," Rarity said. "But one fraught with complications. First, where are we going? Second, do you know how we're supposed to use the Elements? That entire Nightmare Moon episode was such a strain, and I'm still fuzzy on the details."
"Plus, I don't know how we're going to manage if we have to fight anyone," Applejack added. "These hands are too soft for an honest day's work, and kicking with these legs is right out."
"Ah, about that..." Everypony turned to Twilight, who was smiling weakly, cheeks reddening. "I talked to Belle - the woman we met in the library - and she told me what happened. She said I must have...subconsciously tried to blend in, and cast a transformation spell on us. There was a book there that had the spell in it, so I can make us ponies again."
"Why stop at ponies?" Pinkie demanded. "You could turn us into hundred-foot tall colossi so we could stomp the Heartless into submission!"
"I'm afraid not," Twilight replied. "This spell can transform us into the shape of the dominant species, or it can turn us back to our old forms."
"Still, it was a helpful thought," Applejack said. "Do you have any tricks that could give us an edge?"
"Probably not," Twilight said. "Remember, we don't even know where we're going."
"I might be able to help you with that." Pinkie Pie gasped at the voice. Rainbow Dash spun, just in case Pinkie was actually startled, and not just making sure she reacted appropriately to a newcomer. Prince Ali stood in the doorway, hat clenched in his fists. He looked tired and wouldn't meet any of their eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Rainbow demanded.
"Making a head count, to make sure no one else is missing," Ali replied. "Goofy said it'd be a good idea, especially after we couldn't find Jafar or Riku. Is anyone missing you came with?"
Twilight shook her head. Rainbow, however, felt something snap inside. Riku missing at the same time as the others? No one had listened to her when she'd complained about him, and now he'd kidnapped...half? three-quarters? A lot of the leaders of this city for some nefarious purpose and they were going to have to fight him, something they wouldn't have to do if she'd been allowed to knock him off of something high when they'd first met.
She abruptly realized Ali was still talking, albeit almost done, it seemed.
"-the Cave of Wonders. People say it's guarded by a fantastic monster called Kurt Zisa - the Coming of Death - and that all the world's secrets are hidden there."
"Why didn't you go with Sora when he went after Jasmine?" Twilight asked. "You're here to marry her, right?"
"It would be exactly the sort of gesture to win a lady's heart," Rarity added.
Ali dropped his gaze to the floor. "Look, I...Goofy said someone had to keep things in order here, and I - they all think I'm royalty, so they'll listen to me. If the Heartless attack the city, someone needs to be in charge."
"I think..." Everypony looked at Fluttershy when she spoke. She wilted back a step, but then straightened her shoulders and met Ali's eyes with a firm gaze. "I think she'll be more impressed you looked after her kingdom, than if you'd run out after her. Even if..." She finally ducked behind Rainbow to avoid everypony's gazes. "Even if you're...not a prince." This last part was delivered in what even Fluttershy would consider a quiet voice; even though she was standing next to Fluttershy, Rainbow could barely hear it.
Ali laughed. "Not without Genie - I think Riku swiped the lamp when I saw him earlier. So you're going to have to watch out for him. Who knows what he could have wished up?"
"So I guess that leaves one last question," Twilight said. "How are we going to use the Elements?"
The others fell silent, except for Ali, who tilted his head to take in each of the elements - Applejack's apple-shaped pendant, Fluttershy's delicate butterfly opal, Pinkie's blue balloon, Rarity's diamond-shaped amethyst, Rainbow Dash's necklace, and the tiara balanced on Twilight's head.
"What are those?"
"Rainbow magic," Twilight said. "Powerful embodiments of all that's good and right in a world. They're called the Elements of Harmony, and we defeated one creature consumed by darkness before with them."
"And you think that will stop the Heartless?"
"Of course!" Rainbow snapped. "It's pure light magic. What else is it going to do to the darkness?"
Ali flushed. "Right. I guess that makes sense. But you better get going. I lent Sora and his friends Carpet so they could get there as fast as possible."
"Carpet?" Twilight asked.
"It's a...flying carpet," Ali said slowly. "It's magic."
"Magic, eh?" Twilight said, her eyes taking on a dangerous gleam. "Girls, I've got an idea."
It didn't take too long for Twilight, armed with three books of magic, to enchant her bed, large enough to comfortably sit twelve humans, to hover awkwardly above the floor. Rainbow stared at it suspiciously.
"Can't you just change me back to a pegasus pony first?" she asked. "I don't think I trust that thing."
"Yeah, if earth ponies were supposed to fly, they'd have wings," Applejack said, shying away from the floating furniture.
"Oh, don't be silly, girls! Pinkie Pie, bouncing on the center of the bed, said. "Look!" She wobbled as hard as she could, and the bed remained stable. Rarity and Twilight delicately climbed on, and Spike clambered up as well, leaving only Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Applejack on the ground.
Applejack was the first to give in. "Well, if you're certain it's safe," she said, and got on, moving as far away from the edges as she could manage.
Fluttershy glanced at Rainbow, and she felt as if the other pegasus was waiting for her. She looked at the bed and swallowed nervously, still remembering the last time she'd been airborne under the influence of something other than her own wings.
"Look, if you're scared, Dashie-"
"I'm not scared!" Rainbow snapped, cutting off Pinkie. She took a running jump and landed heavily on the bed, causing Pinkie Pie to giggle madly while Fluttershy climbed on behind her.
"All right, if everypony's ready..." Twilight steered the bed to the balcony and, with a little bit of awkward maneuvering, forced them out into the night sky.
And then they were off, the bed sailing majestically beneath the stars. It would have been impressive if Rainbow Dash couldn't move faster, longer, and with a better view. Still, it was sort of nice not to have to pump her wings just to keep aloft. As long as the bed held.
"Um, Twilight?" Twilight didn't seem to hear Fluttershy; her face had been twisted into an intense look of concentration ever since they'd taken off. Rainbow tried not to look at her, because it reminded her just how easily they could fall. "Twilight?"
"Don't bother her!" Rainbow insisted, the shout making Fluttershy shrink back. She immediately felt her heart twist in pain. "Sorry, Fluttershy," Rainbow said. "I just..." She glanced at the edge of the bed and shuddered. "I'm a little nervous."
"Oh, that's normal! You just need to laugh it off, Dashie!" Pinkie tried to rock the bed again and Rainbow, glad for the moment that she had hands instead of hooves, gripped the mattress more tightly.
"Pinkie, please don't do that," Rainbow said with gritted teeth.
"I don't think...laughing is what Rainbow Dash needs right now," Applejack said. "Don't worry. We're all watching out for you, and if we fall, we'll catch you. Right, girls?"
Rainbow wanted to protest that it didn't matter if someone caught her if they were all still going to hit the ground, but Applejack's assurance did make her feel a little better. And it wasn't like she could leave her friends to face Riku alone. She didn't know what he wanted with Jasmine, but she couldn't leave the princess to that fate.
"Um, do you mind if I say something, Rainbow Dash?"
Rainbow looked at FLuttershy, who was eyeing her nervously, which managed to make her feel even worse. "Go ahead, Fluttershy. Say whatever."
Fluttershy smiled at Rainbow before turning to everpony else. "I was just thinking...about the Elements. When we used them before, we'd just proven how we embodied them. I think...it seems that maybe if we focus really hard on what our elements mean to us...that might make it happen again." When nopony replied, Fluttershy dropped her head. "I'm sorry. That's a stupid idea."
"Not...that...stupid," Twilight muttered, face still contorted with her concentration. "It's the best...idea...I've heard."
"Darling, you might want to take a rest," Rarity said, putting a light hand on Twilight's shoulder. "You look exhausted."
"I'll be...fine. Won't need...much...if we're just...using the...Elements," Twilight added. "Besides...we're almost...there."
The bed dropped suddenly, catching a few feet later, but Rainbow could see, less than a half-mile away, a tiger head made of sand rose from the dunes. "All, right," she said, heart racing with the prospect of battle much closer, "bring us down!"
The bed fell another dozen feet in a sudden drop, and Twilight smiled at all of them weakly. "Sorry. Just give it a moment..." The bed shuddered, nearly dislodging Pinkie, who'd been bouncing aimlessly, and then fell another ten. "Whoops!"
"Rarity! Help her keep us stable!" Applejack snapped.
Rarity nodded and placed her hand over Twilight's. The bed started dropping again, but it wasn't a plummet any more. It would have been overly charitable to call what happened a landing, but they were on the ground, and nopony had died, so Rainbow considered it a win. She scrambled off of the bed, just before Applejack. Behind her, Rarity starting arguing in hushed tones with Twilight. Rainbow glanced back, and felt some of her sense of triumph drain away. Twilight looked half-dead, face covered in sweat and resting in Rarity's loose embrace.
"I'm fine," Twilight said. "Just give me a second, and we'll all be back to normal-"
"You'll kill yourself!" Rarity snapped, but to no avail. Twilight spoke a word, and the night flashed with green light. Rainbow felt suddenly unbalanced, and fell to all fours; her back itched with an almost painful feeling, and then she suddenly felt as if she'd had a really good stretch, her back feeling loose and relaxed. When the spots cleared from her eyes, Rainbow could see five other ponies scattered around the now-landed bed, and Spike, of course, unchanged. She grinned at Applejack's familiar orange form, but the earth pony's attention was on the bed, and Twilight Sparkle.
The purple unicorn was curled up on herself, her breathing labored. The small part of Rainbow Dash that handled all the worrying noted that at least Twilight was breathing, although it hastened to add that how long that went on nopony knew.
"Is she all right?" Applejack asked.
"Probably," Rarity said, carefully untangling her limbs from Twilight's. "Eventually. But she's in no state to fight, and certainly in no state to do any magic."
"Does that mean the Elements of Harmony plan is out?" Rainbow asked. "Because I'm fine if I just get to kick things."
"No, I'm fine," Twilight said, struggling to her feet. "I just needed a second."
"You are not fine!" Rarity snapped.
"I-"
"No," Rarity said. "You may convince yourself you can stand, but you're to do no magic, and if I tell you to stop, you stop. Understood?"
Twilight looked like she wanted to argue, but when she moved her head, it wobbled noticeably. "Fine," she said at last.
"All right. That mean we're ready?" Rainbow asked. "Then let's go kick some Heartless to the moon!"
The Cave of Wonders failed to meet Rainbow's expectations. Sure, there was a lot of gold and jewels, but even Rarity declared the whole thing tacky. When it came right down to it, Rainbow had expected something a lot cooler than room after room stuffed to the gills with gold, gems, ridiculous monkey statues, and the occasional piece of furniture. The high, vaulting ceilings, however, were perfect for Rainbow to revel in her renewed freedom to take to the air.
"Hey! Stop fooling around and get down here!" Applejack snapped. Rainbow rolled her eyes and dropped down to join the others at ground level. They were in yet another room full of treasure, this one branching out three ways. "I was just saying that there's something weird about this place."
"Other than it being hundreds of rooms full of treasure hidden underground in the mouth of a magical tiger made out of sand?" PInkie asked.
"Yeah, beside that!" Applejack said. "Do you realize we haven't seen anypony in here?"
"So? Seems pretty normal for a deserted cave," Rainbow said.
"Not a deserted cave that's supposed to have the heart of the world in it," Applejack said. "I find this whole thing mighty suspicious."
"And I'm starving," Spike muttered. He reached weakly out towards a stack of emeralds.
"And I told you," Twilight said sharply, tugging Spike back with her magic, "that these might well be cursed, and that'd at least give you a stomachache."
"Oh!" Fluttershy's pained cry made them all turn. She was shaking from her hooves to her ears, like she was having a Pinkie Sense of her own.
"Sugarcube, you all right?"
"It's so...we don't have much time!" Fluttershy said. She froze and then bolted down the rightmost path out of the room. Rainbow took off after her, and she heard the others galloping along. If this was a trap, they were fully committed to it.
Rainbow passed Fluttershy and thus was the first to erupt into a huge, unfinished cavern with a doorway set high up into the far wall, one that opened into a blank wall. Jafar stood far below it, holding a huge key in one hand. A net of dark ribbons was wrapped around a huddled group of people next to him, and the vizier was flanked by a huge floating blue man and-
"Riku! You're not getting away with this!" Rainbow charged into the fray, only to be slapped back by an invisible force. Jafar glanced up from the key - Keyblade - and smirked at Rainbow.
"I was wondering when you were going to make an appearance," he said. "We're all quite miffed about what you did to Cruella. She was...useful."
"Cruella got exactly what she deserved!" Rainbow Dash snapped. "Right, Fluttershy?"
Behind her, Rainbow heard the slight rustling of wings as Fluttershy shifted nervously. "I don't think she...deserved it, exactly. Acting the way she did, though, was wrong. She shouldn't have."
Jafar chuckled. "Such harsh words. And look. The gang's all here." Rainbow Dash grinned. This was it. She heard the others shifting behind her. "It looks like you're even outfitted for a party. I warn you: no mere jewelry can contend with the power of darkness. And certainly not with the powers of the lamp Riku so kindly assisted me in acquiring."
"Wait - you're behind this?" Spike demanded. "We thought Riku kidnapped you!"
"And where's Princess Jasmine?" Rainbow asked.
Jafar shook his head. "Do you assume the masters of darkness cannot work together? A foolish mistake. The boy saw need of the genie's powers, and graciously allowed me the use of it afterwards. And then, he was instrumental in allowing my servants to acquire...this." He brandished the Keyblade. "Maleficent will be pleased to see it. Moreso when I give her a bearer for it. But enough talk. Genie, these, too, are interlopers; deal with them as you did the Keybearer."
"Mrhlphrh!" Donald shouted; the shadows clung to him, Goofy and Sora, making speech, and even movement, impossible.
The blue man, however, nodded, eyes downcast as he swept a hand in an arc that grabbed Rainbow, and if the yelps behind her were any indication, everypony else, and threw her to the side against a wall. When she struggled to her Feet, Rainbow saw the cavern was now swarming with small, black-skinned creatures that hopped on four legs and probed the air constantly with small antennae. Above them towered huge blue-and-red-dressed creatures that moved ponderously under their spherical bellies. Lurking among them were creatures whose heads were wrapped in white cloth, who carried wickedly-curved blades.
"All right, ladies!" Pinkie shouted. "Let's show them how we do it in Equestria!"
Rainbow bowed her head, and thought furiously on how hard she needed to fight to protect her friends, to rescue Sora and Jasmine, her new friends, and show Riku what she thought of people who betrayed others. She heard faint murmuring around her, and then a surge of warmth, comforting although she'd felt it only once before, rose in her chest, gathering just behind the necklace she wore.
A startled sound almost broke Rainbow's concentration. But light gathering next to her heart kept her focus on the thoughts of loyalty, of friendship.
With all of them working together, once again Twilight Sparkle stood at the center of a swirl of color that erupted into a Rainbow of Light, which engulfed Jafar. The rainbow spun around him, imprisoning him in a cage of color. Rainbow felt a grin force its way onto her face in anticipation of seeing what the rainbow would do to the vizier.
Jafar cut through the rainbow with a slice of the Keyblade, dissipating it with no effect. He gave them all a thin smile.
"I don't know what you thought that would accomplish, but I'm certain it was a waste of time. My servants? Take them."
Rainbow leapt into the fray with a vengeance, kicking and biting any creature that drew near. The little black things were easy enough to knock aside, but the rotund ones seemed to absorb any frontal assault, and they moved deceptively fast to keep Rainbow from hitting them from behind. Rainbow heard a shout, and caught sight of Fluttershy desperately trying to get away from several of the creatures with swords, and a pair of floating creatures in bell-shaped robes that seemed to summon fireballs the other pegasus was barely managing to dodge.
"Oh, hay, no!" Rainbow snapped, and circled around the nearest pot-bellied Heartless to pursue Fluttershy and her attackers. The genie, however, suddenly loomed in her path, shrugging helplessly.
"Sorry," he said, grabbing both of her wings in one huge hand. Rainbow struggled against him, but he had such a tight grip that the only way she'd get out was by dislocating her wings. She could only watch helplessly as a fireball caught Fluttershy's wing, sending her spinning to the ground, where she landed in a circle of the small black creatures. One of the pot-bellies stomped towards her eagerly, and despite knowing it was hopeless, Rainbow struggled and twisted harder. The thought of sweet, kind Fluttershy having all the goodness sucked out of her and replaced by some sort of mindless hunger - it didn't bear thinking about.
The pot-belly loomed over Fluttershy and swung its whole body, its arms swinging around in deadly arcs.
Rather than hitting her, the arms slammed into something between the pot-belly and Fluttershy.
Rainbow Dash blinked and ceased her struggles to escape, instead craning her head to see what had just happened.
Riku, swaying on his feet, held one of the pot-belly's arms with both hands. The creature peered down at him before wrenching its arm free. It then launched itself into the air above Riku, ready to pile-drive the human into the stone floor.
A startled cry drew Rainbow's attention away from Riku for a vital second. Jafar was no longer holding the Keyblade. When she looked back at Riku, he was swinging the legendary weapon at the descending pot-belly, impossibly slamming it up and away from him. He jumped into the air after it, making a few strikes at its exposed backside before slamming it back into the ground. The creature evaporated into streamers of shadow.
Rainbow's jaw dropped. This couldn't be Riku. He'd helped Jafar get the lamp. He'd been dabbling in dark magic; Aurora and Snow had told them. He was an insufferable jerk.
And yet...Aurora had said he'd tried to shield Fluttershy from the darkness. He'd done well enough that Aurora's worries about the fate of Fluttershy's heart had been proven false. And he'd jumped between Fluttershy and a Heartless.
"Genie, get him!" Jafar cried.
The genie tossed Rainbow aside; she caught herself mid-flight and took only a moment to reorient herself. She didn't need to think about what to do. She didn't like Riku. She didn't want to be his friend. But he'd risked his life to protect one of Rainbow Dash's friends.
She was going to help him.
Rainbow Dash's cutie mark sparked and warmed, and for the second time in a place and time she could identify as real, she felt that electric warmth climb through her. She reached out with her mouth and caught the Keyblade as it materialized in front of her. In her dream, and when Rainbow had first summoned the weapon to fight Cruella's rats, it had looked much like the simple key Jafar had been holding. But now, the teeth of the key were the color of the rainbow and radiated out from the end of the key in nearly a full circle. The handle was a pale blue circle shaped much like a crown of laurels, and the blade itself was a flowing mass of pure rainbow. It was, Rainbow Dash thought appreciatively, much like what she'd imagine her heart would look like, if it also had to look like a weapon.
"Another one? Impossible!"
Rainbow Dash ignored Jafar's shout and put on a final burst of speed. She hit the genie from behind before it could attack Riku. It was turning slowly to strike back at her, but holding the Keyblade, she felt faster and stronger than she normally did, and got in a few more hits before the genie could even take a swing at her. And then?
She was Rainbow Dash, thank you very much.
Rainbow saw Riku cutting a swath through the Heartless, aiming his way towards the shadow cage Sora and his friends were likely imprisoned in. She ducked under a clumsy swing from the genie, and saw a flash of red near the ceiling.
A blast of lightning cut across the battlefield. If Rainbow Dash weren't the fasting thing alive, she might have been hit. Given that, it was still a close thing.
Jafar was hovering ten feet in the air, his staff, a long golden thing topped with a red-eyed snake with a small blue jewel caught in its teeth, pointed at Rainbow Dash.
"I hoped I wouldn't have to trouble myself," he said. "I hoped my servants would prove capable enough to handle this on my own. But it seems there is no substitute for getting one's hands dirty." Flames suddenly erupted from the walls, forming a deadly circle around the battlefield. The genie caught Rainbow unaware, and this time, he wrenched the Keyblade from her mouth, as well. Rainbow glared at the genie, and once again, its stare was wide-eyed and sad.
"You brute!"
Jafar glanced down at Rarity, who, crouched on the ground below him, glared at him with fiery eyes.
"Are you upset by the prospect that dirt will be involved in your demise, my little pony?" he asked. "I promise you, fire is a very...clean death."
Rarity didn't seem to respond to the taunt; she just stood below Jafar, teeth gritted and horn glowing.
Glowing? Rainbow Dash looked for some hint of what was about to happen. There was nothing, except the distant roaring of something, probably the stupid tiger head again.
"What? No reply? Are you the...dumb one? Or just a common mule?"
Rarity finally looked up at Jafar. Rainbow, positioned as she was, could only see a corner of Rarity's eyes, but they were glowing with pure white light.
"You picked the wrong place to pick a fight with me," Rarity announced. "A pony's cutie mark tells you their special talent. And when you're a unicorn, that special talent manifests itself in your...magic!"
The roaring was louder. Rainbow looked to the entrance to their cave, and panic surged through her. "Down!" she shouted at the genie.
It dropped to earth, covering Rainbow's body with its own, so Rainbow didn't see what happened next. But she could imagine. Every room they had passed on the way to face Jafar had been filled with gold and...jewels. Wherever Rarity's strength had come from, it had been enough to pick up...enough, and drag them through the Cave of Wonders to form a unicorn-aided assault on Jafar.
"Hey! Give that back! Genie!"
The genie lifted away just in time for Rainbow to see Rarity hop from a pile of gems ten feet high towards the ground below, Jafar's golden staff clenched in her jaws. Jafar was just beginning to fall from his airborne position next to the pile of gems, one hand reached out towards the genie.
And then Rarity hit the ground, the staff's serpent head pointed down to take the full brunt of the fall. The staff shattered, drawing out an inarticulate scream of rage from the vizier.
Rainbow saw the flash of red high above, too small to be one of the little bell-things with the fireballs. She blasted off before Jafar could think to order otherwise, pushing her wings to max her acceleration. Jafar's stupid parrot hadn't even noticed her until it was far too late, and by then, they had collided, the lamp tumbling from the parrot's grip and spinning down towards the cave floor.
"Get the lamp!" Rainbow howled, as she suddenly had a faceful of enraged bird, which was at least twenty percent as much of a problem as a faceful of cat.
Fluttershy tried to take to the air, but her injured wing still held her ground-bound, so it was Pinkie Pie, bouncing around Heartless in a manner that rendered her nearly untouchable, and Riku, already near the far end of the lamp's tumbling arc, who seemed the best chance to grab it.
Rainbow struggled to get the bird off of her as Pinkie bounded into a pot-belly that seemed ready for her, as it bounced her in the opposite direction, colliding with Applejack. Riku stabbed one of the sword-wielding Heartless and kicked one of the small ones aside, leaving the space around him completely clear.
Rainbow held her breath as the lamp landed in his hands. He'd saved Fluttershy, sure, but she still had no idea what to expect from him. Maybe he'd just leave all of them here to fight for themselves. She knew she'd be tempted to get as far away from this mess, if she weren't a born-and-bred fighter.
Riku rubbed the lamp and looked to Jafar. "Genie...I wish you were free."
"You think that will save you?" Jafar demanded. "The Keyhole is here before me! You stand among a sea of Heartless! And now..." He grinned, eyes wild. "Come to me, Lord of the Desert! By the strength of my darkened heart I call you! By the blood of my enemies I implore you! I summon thee - KURT ZISA!"
The air was rent with a rising chorus chanting in a foreign tongue. The cavern began to shake and rumble with a bone-jarring rhythm. Rainbow felt her heart quaver uncharacteristically. Sure, she'd be willing to fight the thing. But maybe...she'd prefer not to fight a creature named the Coming of Death. Maybe after a little more practice with the Keyblade.
Suddenly, a huge...thing appeared in the center of the cavern with a thunderclap.
It must have weighed tons. Some fifteen feet or more tall, the creature had eight limbs, six of them ending in vicious-looking claws. White sleeves capped in gold covered each limb, and a cobra's head protruded from its top. A turquoise sash marked with a spiked, hollow heart-shaped emblem was wrapped around its waist. And two huge silver crescents had landed point-first next to it, embedding themselves in the floor next to the monster's...inert body.
"Is it alive?" Applejack wondered.
Slowly, the creature's body began to dissolve into tendrils of mist, and a huge crystal heart rose from the corpse before evaporating, as well.
Rainbow Dash kicked the parrot away from her and, diving towards Jafar, hoped she'd guessed right about what Riku had done earlier.
Indeed, as she flew, righteous fury building in her heart, the Keyblade reappeared in Rainbow's mouth.
Jafar's mouth was open, halfway through the word, "Imposs-" when Rainbow Dash hit him.
He flew back, but instead of hitting a wall, he seemed to meld into his shadow, vanishing from view.
"Watch out!" Rainbow tried to turn at Pinkie Pie's warning, but was instead hit with a sphere of darkness. Jafar stood on a high pillar, hands engulfed in a familiar corona of light around pulsating darkness. It was exactly like that creature with the hole in its chest.
Rainbow Dash launched herself at Jafar, intent on stopping him for good, but he vanished before she could reach him. Expecting the same trick, Rainbow did a barrel roll, and was rewarded by a shout of anger, followed by one of shock.
The genie had entered the battle. Something about the blue creature firing short rays of blue energy at Jafar seemed subtly wrong, but Rainbow didn't have time for that. She had a fight to win. She began a swift circuit of the battlefield, trying to swing around behind Jafar's blind side.
"Hey, boss, on your six!" Jafar vanished at the cry from his parrot, and Rainbow cursed as she ducked another energy blast. She paused to asses, and almost swore again when she realized she was on her own in this one. The genie couldn't do more than lay down cover fire, and Jafar was well out of reach of the others. Riku had cut open the dark cage, and Sora was helping everypony hold off the Heartless on the ground. Everypony except...where was Fluttershy? Rainbow didn't dare look, but she'd seen healing magic in use, and that meant she could be...
Rainbow Dash dropped low and began circling low, building up speed on subsequent circuits of the cave. Jafar was holding off the genie by his rapid teleportation and occasionally ensnaring the genie in ropes of darkness. He seemed...to be expecting the bird to keep watch for him. Still, Rainbow wasn't taking any chances.
She was nowhere near Sonic Rainboom speeds, but Rainbow knew it was fast enough. She made one last circuit and rose like a firework behind Jafar as he reappeared after avoiding another attack from the genie. There was no warning cry, but still, Jafar seemed aware, as he turned his head when Rainbow drew close. He raised his hand, trying to summon the shadows to drag him out of the way, but he'd lost just enough time, and Rainbow was just fast enough. She hit him full-on with the blade, and the blow carried with it an extra punch, an explosion of multi-colored light that engulfed the cave. Jafar hit the ground in an undignified heap as an expanding ring of rainbow light swept through the cave. It was enough to daze most of the Heartless, and the fighters below took ruthless advantage.
Rainbow landed next to Jafar, who hadn't moved since he landed. He didn't look too bad, except, Rainbow realized with a start, for a long, multi-colored gash across his chest. Something black oozed deep within the wound, smoking at it reached the glowing edge of the injury.
He grinned at Rainbow Dash. "What will your...friends...think of you...now?" he asked. "Now that you've...killed?"
Rainbow took a step back from Jafar. "I didn't - anyway, you were going to hurt us!"
Jafar chuckled, voice weak. "Keep reminding yourself of that. But...would you like...to know a...secret?"
"What?" Rainbow asked uneasily.
"It won't...work. Not against...us." Jafar threw his head back and laughed madly, and at last, his body succumbed to the inevitable and evaporated into black smoke. No crystal heart rose from where he'd once lain, just more smoke. And an uncomfortable tingle ran down Rainbow's spine.
Rainbow glared at the empty space and kicked at it nervously. He'd been trying to upset her. It wasn't like defeating a Heartless was like killing. And even if it was, she'd done it protect the others. They couldn't see anything wrong with that, could they?
"Rainbow Dash?"
Rainbow jerked away from Fluttershy's voice. "Don't sneak up on me like that, Fluttershy!"
Fluttershy stepped away from Rainbow, eyes down. "Right. Sorry."
Rainbow sighed at seeing the other pony, well, shying away from her. "It's my fault, Fluttershy. I'm just a little...I killed him."
Fluttershy's eyes flicked to the empty stone and then up to Rainbow Dash. She stepped towards Rainbow Dash. Rainbow stepped away nervously. Fluttershy narrowed her eyes and took a larger step forward, and Rainbow, uncertain, stayed where she was. Fluttershy rubbed her muzzle against Rainbow's. Rainbow, having expected anything but the gentle caress, started and stumbled back.
"What the hay was that for?" she demanded.
"You're not a monster," Fluttershy said. "You saved Riku, and I know you don't like him. You did your best to protect everypony. And I...I knew what you'd do if I used the Stare to distract Iago."
"Iago?"
"Jafar's parrot," Fluttershy said. She let her gaze drop and her mane shield her face. "Anyway, if you're a monster, so am I. I helped you."
"Flutter-"
"No, don't say anything. I'm not," Fluttershy said. "The Elements of Harmony, they turned Nightmare Moon into Princess Luna. He just laughed at them. There...isn't any reasoning with them, and there won't be any turning them back." She looked up and met Rainbow Dash's eyes, her aquamarine ones taking on an icy hue. "We're going to have to find Tremaine, Grimhilde, and Maleficient and destroy them, and anypony like them." She gave a curt nod and then turned to trot back to the center of the room. "Anyway, Sora was looking for you. Sorry for not mentioning it earlier. I think he and his friends might need a minute, anyway." Rainbow glanced briefly towards the others; Donald was flailing at Sora, and even at this distance, Rainbow could hear a furious squawking. Sora tapped Donald's beak; the duck folded his wings and muttered something.
Fluttershy nudged Rainbow and began trotting back towards the others.
Rainbow stared after Fluttershy, mind awhirl. It seemed inconceivable kind little Fluttershy could say something like that. But then again...the Elements of Harmony hadn't had any effect on Jafar. To have gone so far that things like kindness, generosity, even laughter didn't mean anything to you...maybe having someone kill you would be a kindness.
Rainbow hurried to catch up with Fluttershy. "Look, I want you to know, if I ever get like that-"
Fluttershy whirled on Rainbow. "You listen to me, Rainbow Dash. Your heart could be consumed and locked in darkness for a thousand years, and you'd be nothing like Jafar! If you were taken, I'd throw everything good about you back in your face until you remembered and came back to us. You'd never be so far gone there wasn't hope." Her voice dropped again. "I'm sure of it."
Rainbow kept walking, but she couldn't focus. Of course she'd this sort of fierceness in Fluttershy before, but it hadn't occurred to her, even when hearing about the Heartless, how the plague might awake it. She couldn't keep the grin from splitting her face as she followed Fluttershy. If even Fluttershy could get into this, there was no way they could lose.
Sora and his friends were standing with the others near the base of the large platform on which sat the door frame with no door in it. The duck kept giving her odd looks, but Goofy kept shushing him when he tried to say something.
"Great thinking on breaking that staff, Rarity," Rainbow said.
"Oh, thank you, darling," Rarity said with a toss of her head. "But there was more to it than getting rid of his magic." She summoned a small blue bead that hovered in front of Rainbow.
"A gem?" Rainbow asked skeptically. "We passed hundreds of thousands of gems on our way here!"
"Look closely."
Rainbow did, peering into the depths of the bead, gasping at what she saw. There was a creature, barely the size of a pinhead, inside the bead. It was a six-legged thing with blue skin, antennae, and a slavering mouth. It looked quite a lot like the small Heartless with antennae.
"You said Aurora told you hearts could seek refuge from the darkness in the form of crystal spheres," Rarity said. "These...people seem just the type to try to take advantage of poor, lost hearts."
"So that's somepony's heart?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Probably," Rarity replied, tucking the bead back away in one of her small saddlebags. "I'm going to hang onto it until I figure out how to free the dear and send him home."
"That's great," Sora said, "but we've got a bigger problem to worry about." He pointed to the door frame, where a keyhole was set. "That's the door to this world's heart. The Keyblade can...lock it, prevent the Heartless from coming back."
Rainbow snorted. "Lock the heart away?" she asked. "Is that what you've been doing? Locking hearts?"
"It's the only way to keep the Heartless out!" Donald snapped. He gave Goofy a sidelong loon before snorting. "Some Keybearer you're turning out to be. Stand to figure a pony wouldn't be much good at it."
"So you want to lock the world away from everything?" Rainbow Dash shouted. "I know I'm terrible with...mushy stuff, but that's the stupidest idea I've ever heard. Do you think you're helping, hiding these worlds from everything?" She waved at the Keyhole, heart still pumping from the energy of the battle. "Sure, the darkness can't get in, but-"
"Neither can the light," Twilight said.
Sora looked between Donald, whose arms were folded in stubborn determination, and the ponies, who almost all had nervous eyes fixed on the Keyhole. Rainbow just stared at him, and shook her head. She didn't know if worlds had minds, as well as hearts, but the thought of a heart locked, so she couldn't feel that surge of protectiveness when somepony threatened her friends, or the joy when she succeeded at something amazing, chilled her to the very...heart.
"Do it," Riku said, startling Rainbow. She'd all but forgotten about him in the heat of the moment. But his gaze was fixed on Sora, hands clenched in tight fists. "You can't leave this world open to the darkness. That's how worlds fall."
"You want him to lock your heart, too?" Rainbow demanded. "You want to keep out the big, bad darkness?"
Riku tried to hold Rainbow's gaze, but he hold it no more than a moment, eyes hooded as he glanced down. "Maybe," he muttered.
Rainbow dropped to the ground with a sigh. "Then go ahead. I'll risk a bit a bit of darkness rather than live without any emotion. That's almost as bad as not having a heart."
Sora looked at Riku, who waved his hand at the Keyhole. "Lock it," Riku said.
Sora nodded and raised his Keyblade. A beam of light shot from the blade, connecting with the Keyhole. A strange, almost-chorus seemed to echo through the cavern, and there was an audible click, like that of a lock catching. Everypony watched with awe, except Rainbow. She watched everypony else; Riku's face was clouded as he watched, whether with anger, envy, or something else, Rainbow couldn't tell. When it finished, Rainbow shook her mane and scrambled back to her feet.
"Well, let's get going, not that anyone listens to what I have to say," Rainbow growled.
"Um, Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy nudged Rainbow's wings. "I think, maybe, you might have forgotten something. Unless you didn't, and you forgot to tell us. It's just...did we find Princess Jasmine?"
"Nah, Jafar took care of her before you showed up," Iago piped up. Everypony turned to glare at him, and he wilted under the attention. "I mean..."
"What did he do to Jasmine?" Applejack demanded.
"Well..." Iago shifted nervously on her perch above the Keyhole. "The thing is, Jafar's got something big going on. And he needs these young ladies...sort of...I don't know the specifics. There's something special about them, anyway."
"He didn't hurt her, did he?"
"Ah, that depends on what your definition of hurt is." Iago preened his wing nervously. "She's probably alive. But you don't wanna go looking for her. I've been to Hollow Bastion once, and it's not a good place for anyone!"
"Hollow Bastion?" Rainbow asked.
Iago took a step sideways. "I shouldn't have said that. Hollow Bastion's a nightmare, full of Heartless. You don't want to go there. Maleficient'd tear your hearts out-"
"Maleficent?" Twilight asked.
"Oh, jeez," Iago muttered. "Look...I'll give you a warning, because you're nice folks and I feel a little embarrassed helping Jafar snatch that lamp. The kid'd have the genie out of the game earlier if we hadn't grabbed it first."
Rainbow glanced at Riku. She was beginning to worry she'd misread Riku. He annoyed the hay out of her, but this was at least three times he'd gone out of his way to help somepony. Rainbow knew she wasn't the paragon of kindness, so maybe...she should stop being so hard on him?
"Don't fight her," Iago said. "She's holed up in that castle, and she's been draining everything out of that world the Heartless didn't take. Money, magic...she's hoarding it. And she was nasty enough before she had those things following her."
"We'll take that under advisement," Rarity said. "But for now, I think we ought to bring the news back to the sultan. Let's see. Do you have room on that carpet you've got for a pony...or four?"
Sora shook his head. "I can't hold all of you."
"So Fluttershy can drag Sora back to Agrabah, and I'll take Riku," Rainbow said. "There. Problem solved."
Riku gave Rainbow a skeptical look, but at that point, a loud cough drew everypony's focus. The genie waved a big blue hand at them.
"Hi," he said. "I must say, this is a novel situation, people needing something difficult done and not immediately thinking of asking the genie. But just this once, I think I'll be helpful for the sake of it." He snapped his fingers, causing the treasure room to dissolve and the great hall of the palace to appear in its place. The sultan, who was currently sobbing into Prince Ali's shoulder, looked up at their arrival.
"Oh! Sora! And...some ponies! Goodness, a unicorn!" He stood and hurried towards them. "Did you find Jasmine? And Jafar? Oh, goodness, Riku, good to see you're all right. Well?"
Sora glanced back, shoulders tense, making Rainbow wonder if he'd had to explain this sort of thing before. It was Applejack, whoever, who stepped forward.
"Look, your majesty, we found Jafar, and it turns out he...was a real snake-in-the-grass. He'd been using the Heartless to find a way to plunge your whole world into darkness. We took care of him, but...he's sent your daughter elsewhere. We're going to find her, I promise you, your highness, and..."
"Oh." The sultan drooped, letting his head fall onto his chest. "Well. I'm glad you tried your best. And...I would appreciate to hear from you if you have any word." He glanced back at Ali. "We'll be keeping down the fort, here." He scratched his head. "Although, I suppose with Jafar gone, I'm going to need another vizier..."
"And I think we're going to be taking our leave, your majesty," Sora said.
"The best of luck to you. And I do hope you find my daughter."
"Time for us to get going, too," Twilight said to the Equestrians.
"Then give me a second," Rainbow said. Riku and Sora were talking in a corner, leaning close together. She ambled towards them, only for the boys to break apart when she approached. "Hey," she said amiably.
"It was great meeting you, Rainbow Dash," Sora said, reaching out with one hand, only to pause before actually patting Rainbow's shoulder. "I thought I was the only Keyblade bearer out there."
"Well, it's natural I'd have one of those things myself, on account of me being so awesome," Rainbow replied. "Even if my chest's been itching ever since we beat Jafar."
Sora glanced over towards Donald. "That must be magic!" he said in hushed tones. "I got a gift of magic from my Keyblade, too. Let's see...there should be some sort of emblem on your Keyblade..."
Rainbow Dash called the weapon forth. It wasn't the flashy shape from before, but the drab form of Sora's. Sora turned the Keyblade over and at last pointed at the handle, where a set of three parallel lines, the middle line offset slightly, were carved.
"Huh. I never saw that before," Sora said.
"That's all right. I'll ask Twilight. But I actually wanted to see Riku, here."
"Oh." Sora nodded and then pulled Riku into a tight embrace. "You keep an eye out for Kairi, and we'll look, too. Okay?"
Riku grinned at Sora. Although Rainbow could see Riku's eyes were damp, and slanted sadly, Sora just patted his friend's shoulder and went to join the duck and dog.
"You're not going with them?"
Riku shrugged. "It's easier to find our other friend if we split up. And..."
"You want to keep an eye on Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked.
"What? No!" Riku snapped, cheeks flushing red.
Rainbow stepped around the boy, who was trying to avoid her gaze, and met his eyes. "Look," she said. "I realized that I've been...unfair to you. You protected Fluttershy from the worst of the void. That parrot said you were trying to free the genie before Jafar got it. And you jumped in front of that Heartless to keep Fluttershy safe. And I never thanked you for any of that. I'm...sorry. And thanks."
Riku rolled his eyes and patted Rainbow's shoulder. "Sure. So, we ready to go?"
"That's all you have to say?" Rainbow demanded. "I'm practically pouring my heart out here, and you just say 'sure'?"
Riku shrugged. "I didn't do it to impress you. I did it...for other reasons. Okay? So I don't need you to tell me I did good, and I don't need Sora to tell me look for Kairi, and I don't need a stupid Keyblade, all right? Now let's get out of here!"
He stormed back towards the ponies, and Rainbow watched him leave, irritation sparking in her chest. She didn't know what she'd been expecting; obviously, the girls must have gotten to her, because she'd almost thought for a second Riku might have seen her thanks as an offer of friendship.
She shook out her mane, letting the thoughts go. She didn't need to be Riku's friend, just tolerate him. She needed to keep her friends safe, and, like it or not, Riku was going to help with that. Still, it seemed she could let up on him a little.
"Say, does anyone have any idea what happened to that Kurt Zisa thing?" Pinkie asked.
;;;:::::{-]
"How many are we missing?"
"The librarian's still missing, somebody managed to lose track of her only house-servant, and...you told us not to worry about the last one. Despite the trouble she's been causing."
"Yes, I have plans for her. And if we're lucky, the last Princess will come with a...little bonus."
;;;:::::{-]
For those wondering, Rainbow Dash's keyblade comes from Axwrend's deviantart, and the awesome art that goes along with it. Go give Ax kudos for the awesome idea!
Also, I'm really glad for the reviews I've been getting (even some of the negative ones over at ED, which helped me push some stuff in a new direction). I'm glad bronies out there have been enjoying this.
Questions about the future will be studiously ignored unless it amuses me. And actually, I'm planning to post an interlude/side-story next rather than the next actual chapter. That shouldn't take too much time, but look out for Tales of Equestria, Secondary Adventures
You might, if you're wandering, notice some differences between what gets posted at ED and this; the first round of criticism actually pushes me to do a little editing, continuity and whatnot.