Hello, fellow readers! Welcome to my redux of Harmonic Hearts! I know what you're thinking, what's with the slight change for the title? That's simple:
I wrote the original mainly for one reason, which was figuring out certain character dynamics. Now that I have done that, I'd rather do something a bit different and more reasonable to realistically make. As in, if this became a new KH game in the future, it wouldn't be so awkward in its own continuity.
The original story took place during KH2FM, which was made... more than a decade ago... Wow. Anyways, I'm making this redux take place after KH2FM instead. It will allow me much more freedom with the narrative, especially since this version involves the show along with the movies.
Speaking of the show, this story will include mainly the premieres and finales. The episodes that are connected to them in some way will also be included.
I might not do all the episodes in general as I know from experience, that will just end with me losing motivation, so I'll work that out as we go. From there, I'll be combining both sides into a grand narrative, so don't expect a simple retread.
Now for those wondering, why the redux in the first place? Two BIG reasons and it goes like this:
One: I have a REALLY BAD habit of bringing in more characters too fast, when I know it's best to take it slow and flesh them out more. Those interludes factored into the direction I thought I wanted, before realizing I should have thought it through more.
Two: All these years of writing MLP stories without ANY of them putting in the fight I want to do the most! But in order to make it right, I want to build up to it with the emotional stakes just as high, and I plan to do just that.
Real quick though, what reviews do we have from the previous story:
Nisha: You're right about the backgrounds, I'm always more focused on which characters are on the scene. I'll be sure to work on that in the future. And now that I think about it, the farewells really do sound like that. Guess I'm just that accurate now, which... is that good or bad? Anyways, I hope you're here too, as I always like having actual feedback to help me improve.
johannvanguard: Glad that you enjoyed it. But hey, the end of one journey is the beginning of another. Hope you join us on this one as well.
mcarr4105: Uh... I appreciate that you like my work, but I honestly think you should try writing. Trust me, I did NOT start out great AT ALL. But the more I worked at it, the better I got.
And I know the feeling of having grand stories, but not finishing them. Most of my stories are proof of that. All you gotta do is start small first, get your writing style down and your interpretations of the characters. Then after some practice, climb up to those grander stories.
It will take a lot of time, but trust me when I say it's worth seeing your stories become reality with your own hands.
With all that said, let's do this!
Prologue: A World of... Friendship?
The Mysterious Tower was quiet as Master Yen Sid stares out one of the windows, stargazing to find that an important event is about to come. Speaking of which...
Knock Knock
The wizard allows entry into his study, "Enter."
The door opens to reveal a familiar silver-haired teen, one that Yen Sid deduces is one of Sora's friends:
"You must be Riku."
The teen was kinda surprised at that, "How did you know that?"
"Sora has mentioned you before. What brings you to my tower?"
The wizard sits down at his table while Riku walks over, the latter soon stopping in his thoughts. Yen Sid notices the silence and decides to lead the conversation:
"It's clear you show some hesitation, despite the importance."
"...Well, yeah. It's about my strength."
"Seeking power? For what purpose?"
Riku takes a breath to calm himself before speaking his piece, "Throughout my time traveling the worlds, I've come to terms with the darkness in my heart. But in order to keep myself in control, I must keep my heart strong. After our battle with Xemnas, I noticed my power was weakened in some way."
The retired master listens intently and narrows down the problem, "And now your concern is focused on balancing the two sides in tandem."
"Yeah. I came here to request some training, like a trial of sorts."
Yen Sid strokes his long beard, pondering on what options will allow such training. Eventually, he recalls one world from back when he traveled:
"There's a world far off in another galaxy, one rich with light. I'd go to say that it's a beacon, but the brightest lights can cast the darkest shadows. Some that even the Heartless fear."
Riku widens his eyes a bit at that last part, now kinda curious on what could lurk there as the wizard continues:
"The world is named Equestria, a land of colorful creatures and powerful magic. Some say that the bonds made there between friends and allies can grow into a powerful force. Ruled by two sisters that represent the sun and the moon, the land's flora and fauna is controlled by the ponies who live there, unlike the worlds you've been to before."
"Whoa." The teen mutters.
Yen Sid shows a small smile at his reaction, "I believe this world will help you find a way to achieve what you seek, and even bring out the potential you have within your heart. Of course, should you find its keyhole, lock it with your keyblade to stop the Heartless from taking the world."
Riku was now full-blown curious about this 'Equestria', eventually asking just one question:
"How can I get there?"
The wizard waves his hand, conjuring an interesting device that Riku catches in his hands. He recognizes it as a phone, one with a special case that has a crown design at the top.
"Chip and Dale were working on a device that allows for long-distance communication. With that, you can contact them and request a Gummi Ship for personal use. You'll need it as the keyblade only allows you to travel between worlds you've been to."
"Got it. Thanks for the help." With that gratitude, Riku exits the study to head off to the new world.
"All right, it should be around here."
Riku looks around at the starry void he's flying in, having entered the other galaxy where Equestria was located. However, he didn't see a world anywhere like the other ones he's been to.
"Or it should be."
"These are the coordinates Master Yen Sid gave us." Chip mentions over the video call.
"Wait, I got something!" Dale blurts out, "It's northwest of your position!"
Riku looks to where he said, only to see a white glowing sphere in the distance. Not a star, but a planet-sized sphere that was glowing all kinds of colors.
"I see it!" The keyblade wielder was on the move, flying his Gummi Ship right towards it.
However as he gets close, the ship suddenly goes into auto-pilot. The chipmunks saw his confusion and clarifies:
"We programmed the ships to hover when they get into orbit!" Chip tells him.
"That way we can keep them out of sight!" Dale adds.
"Gotcha. Thanks by the way, for the ship and stuff." Riku brings up.
"No problem!"
"Any friend of Sora's is a friend of ours!"
Riku smirks at that, "Of course."
Seeing the coordinates screen, he sees them alter their own numbers for a moment. That was also clarified by Chip:
"The coordinates is also how you'll teleport into the world, for obvious reasons."
With a simple nod, Riku then presses the button to teleport to the world. Unbeknownst to them though, one of the coordinates was off by one number.
In the courtyard of a high school, its horse statue stood tall as the sun shines down from the clear sky. Next to said statue, a flash of data particles appeared to signal a visitor, fading soon after to reveal Riku. The keyblade wielder was understandably confused at what he's seeing, as he was expecting something less...
Bland.
"A high school?" He mutters, "Are the ponies as advanced as us too?"
No answer came, but a sound did. A strange one was heard nearby, making him turn to the statue. From the side facing the school, he sees a human come out of a portal inside the statue, soon falling onto the concrete.
Making sure he saw that right, he walks over for a closer look. The human was noticeably more colorful, her hair and even skin colored like she was a crayon or paint. Pressing his hand against the statue, the surface ripples from his touch like water.
"Well OK then." He shrugs off before tending to the girl, "Hey, are you all right?"
Gently shaking her shoulder, it took a bit before he hears a small groan. She moved rather slowly, likely to get her bearings, and eventually pushes herself up onto her knees. Her eyes looked around at the two-story school, showing hints of confusion.
That confusion soon turns to shock upon seeing Riku, making her yelp and fall on her butt. The keyblade wielder remains calm, even holding his hands up to show he means no harm.
"Take it easy." He gently said, "I didn't mean to surprise ya."
She adjusts herself before noticing her hands, then arms, then the rest of her body. Her face was turning to panic, which he notices and connects the dots:
"Easy, easy. It's not everyday you get changed into a different form."
The girl immediately stops and stares at Riku, processing what he just said before finally speaking:
"Different form?"
"Yeah. You're from another world, right?"
"...What makes you think that?"
"Well, it's not normal to come out of statue portals." His gesture to the statue made her glance back, giving her a better picture:
"Oh. I suppose you're right."
"I'm Riku. What's your name?"
"...Twilight Sparkle."
He stands up and holds his hand out, making her stare at it for a moment. Looking at her clenched hand, she unfurls it and places it into his hand. He then pulls her up, making her realize...
She doesn't know how to stand.
"Whoa-AH!" She lost her balance fast, but Riku was quick to keep her steady. "O-Oh yeah, kinda forgot about my new legs."
"Don't worry, you'll adapt with practice." He assures her, "I'll show you."
For the next few minutes, he shows her the basics of walking and even running. There was a lot of failed attempts, but Twilight managed to figure it out. During this time, she asked him the main questions on her mind:
"So you're from another world too. Does that mean you have a different form as well?"
"No, this is my real self." He casually answers, "What about you?"
"I'm actually a pony. Specifically an alicorn, but I used to be a unicorn."
That made Riku realize what happened. The coordinates still sent him to the world, just to a different part of it. Noting that for later, he continues:
"Sounds pretty special. I bet you're also a princess?"
"Y-Yeah, how did you know?"
"Lucky guess. I'm also guessing you have a kingdom?"
"Oh nonono! I-I became princess just recently. Even then, I'm still not used to that yet."
"Ah. Sounds like a lot happened."
"Yeah..." She drifts off a bit at the end, which he notes for later as he shifts the topic:
"Then what brings you to this world?"
"A former student of Princess Celestia's took my crown and retreated to this mirror portal with it. I need to get it back so that me and my friends can protect Equestria."
"Sounds good enough for me. Let's get it back."
Twilight was honestly surprised, "Wait, just like that?"
"Yeah. Friends help each other out, right?"
"Right. Thanks."
The two head up to the entrance to enter the school, where Twilight tries to enter by opening one of the doors... without her hands.
SMACK!
"Huh." She casually shrugs off, until realizing a key component was missing. "My horn, it's gone!"
"Yeah, humans don't have them." Riku said before showing his hand, "That's why we have these."
He then casually grabs the handle to pull the door open, which Twilight notes for future use. The two enter into the foyer, currently empty of any students, as banners of horses and horseshoes shaped like the letter C was hanging from the upper walls. She then sees one of the display cases and goes to investigate:
"Hmm, are these also what she stole from Equestria?"
"Doubt it." Riku answers upon walking over, "Those name plates say otherwise."
He was right, the plates said the school's name as the winner of the trophies. She backs up a bit to think before noticing her own reflection in the window, becoming fascinated by just how different a human was from a pony. Before she can ask any more questions though, the two heard the school bell ring:
Along with a flood of students entering the halls.
"Stay close." Riku was quick to react, grabbing Twilight's hand and leading them somewhere less crowded.
As they walk down the halls, she couldn't help but observe the other students by the lockers. The way they move their bodies, the way they interact with each other, as well as some of the strange devices they used. To her own surprise, she recognizes some of the faces as ponies from her world, like the CMCs and Bulk Biceps.
The duo finally stop at a rather secluded corner, where Riku asks an important question:
"Forgot to ask earlier, but who's the culprit we're looking for?"
"Her name is Sunset Shimmer. I haven't seen her around here yet, but-" She cuts herself off upon hearing a familiar voice:
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't know it was y-yours."
Riku also heard the voice as the two turn the corner, seeing a confrontation. It was two girls, one standing near the lockers as the other had her hands on her hips. The latter boldly spoke up to talk down to the former:
"Well it was, until you decided to do a 'good deed'! You shouldn't pick up things that don't belong to you."
"I-It doesn't belong to you either-"
SLAM!
"Excuse me!?" The bold girl slammed her hands against the lockers as she shouted, scaring the shy one.
The latter was rather intimidated, sliding down to the floor without uttering a word. Twilight got peeved at this and steps in to confront the bully:
"How dare you speak to her that way!"
The bully stood there for a moment before turning around, "What did you say!?"
"I said, how dare you speak to her that way!" Twilight repeats, the two now approaching one another.
Riku walks over as the two stare each other down, until the bold one shows a smirk. She even flicks Twilight's nose to get her to back off:
"You must be new here. I can talk to who I want however I want."
"Tch, ego much?" His comment gets her attention, which made her do a double take.
"And I'm guessing you must be a friend of hers?"
"That's right. Sunset Shimmer, correct?"
"Who's asking?"
Riku narrows his gaze, "Just someone who can see through your facade."
Sunset pauses at that, but quickly saves face. "Oh please, like you would know me at a glance."
"I might, I might not." He casually retorts, "Bullies are a dime a dozen nowadays."
She just rolls her eyes and walks off, "Whatever. I'm not wasting my time with this."
As she turns the corner, Twilight had watched their exchange and wonders aloud. "Facade?"
"Trust me, I've seen her type before." Riku clarifies.
"T-Thank you." The two turn to the shy girl, who has gotten back up from the encounter. "I can't believe you two did that."
"We couldn't just stand there." He points out.
"I guess no one stood up to her before?" Twilight questions.
"Other than my friends, no." The shy girl answers before introducing herself, "I-I'm Fluttershy, by the way."
"Twilight Sparkle, and this is Riku."
"Nice to meet you two. Are you transferred from another school by chance? I don't recall seeing you around CHS before."
Riku pauses for a moment before answering, "Yeah, out of town. On another note, what was Sunset confronting you about?"
"Well, I was handing out flyers for the local animal shelter earlier today, when I felt something hit my head. I heard it hit the ground and saw that it was a crown, kinda like the one we usually have for school dances. I thought it was misplaced, so I returned it to Principal Celestia. I guess Sunset didn't like me doing that..."
Twilight couldn't help but repeat a specific part, "Principal Celestia? Is that another way to say 'Ruler'?"
"I guess you can say that, her and Vice Principal Luna are the ones who come up with the rules."
Riku couldn't help but point out the word choice, "Funny you mentioned 'Ruler', that Sunset certainly thinks she owns the place."
"Oh she does." Fluttershy admits, "She makes life awful for anyone who stands in her way."
"Is there a reason why?"
"No one knows. All we know is that when she wants something, she gets it. Especially when it comes to the school dances."
"Dances?" Twilight repeats.
"Uh-huh. Whenever she gets that crown placed on her head now... it's disturbing. Just ask any of the groups in school, they'll say the same thing."
The duo were now a bit on edge, with Twilight having an inkling of where it's going:
"Where is Principal Celestia right now?" She blurts out.
"Probably in her office. It's down this hall, third door on your left."
"Thank you!" With that said, her and Riku went on their way.
Unbeknownst to them, Sunset was eavesdropping from around the corner. Her eyebrows furrow at this, as not only did her replacement follow her here, but she has practically nothing on this new guy following her. Still, a minor setback isn't enough to halt her plans.
The duo soon arrive in front of the door to the principal's office, which Twilight was about to knock on before Riku pulls her back:
"What's your plan?"
"Plan?"
"...You do realize the situation we're in, right?"
Twilight was confused as he clarifies, "What do you think her reaction would be if you told her you're from another world?"
She didn't take long to get the picture, "...Oh. Right. Well, do you have any ideas?"
"Honestly, I'm winging it so far."
"What!? I thought you were experienced in this!"
"In traveling worlds, not interacting with its people!"
Twilight gets where he's coming from, funny enough, but moves back on topic. "OK, so how do we 'wing it' here?"
"We'll figure something out."
Riku was the one to knock on the door instead, which a voice on the other side answers:
"Come in."
The two enter as he holds the door open for Twilight, who he notices was entering in a bowing position. Once the duo was standing in front of the desk, Principal Celestia spoke from behind a folder she was reading:
"How may I help you?"
"Sorry for the interruption, but we're new here. I'm Riku and this is Twilight Sparkle." He gestures to who's who, which Twilight simply smiles.
The principal puts the folder down to give them her full attention, "Is that right? So what brings you here?"
"We heard from Fluttershy that she gave you a crown?" Twilight blurts out.
"Yes." Celestia answers as she puts the folder away, "I had Vice Principal Luna take it for safekeeping. No idea how it ended up on the front lawn. I take it you're interested in the Fall Formal?"
Kind of a stretch, but it helped Riku get an idea to improvise on. "Yes actually. We also heard about that from Fluttershy and came to ask if new students like us can join."
"Yes you can. All students are welcome to join in any activities we have to offer."
"Would that also include who gets picked for the crown?"
"Yes it does. The students are the ones who vote for the winner of the crown."
That was when Twilight connected the dots, "W-Where do I sign up for it!?"
"You need to speak to the Head of the Party Planning Committee for that. Anything else?"
"Nope, that was everything." Riku answers, "Thanks for your time."
The duo then exit the office, the door being closed by Celestia as they walk down the hall:
"Well, that was pretty convenient." He mentions.
"True, the timing was odd." She adds, "Still, looks like in order to get my crown back, I have to win the Fall Formal."
Riku was about to continue, only to notice three portraits on the wall up ahead. The two stop as they recognized who was on said portraits:
It was Sunset Shimmer, dressed in three different dresses with a crown on her head. Strangely enough, they can see a progression of sorts with each one.
"Fall Formal, Winter Wonderland, Spring Fling..." Twilight reads from the name plates on the bottom, "These must be those events she won."
"This is weird." She hears Riku mutter, who was studying the pictures. "You can see her become more... monstrous."
Twilight can tell he was right. From left to right, she goes from genuine, to self-assured, to self-absorbed. It was honestly kinda creepy.
However, Riku finds himself staring at the first one. If the order is correct, then Sunset was at some point not the bully she is now. Yet if she won the crown fair and square, then what caused her to change so drastically? Was it the crown, or perhaps...
His thought process was interrupted as screams were heard in the distance. The two quickly follow the sound, eventually arriving at the cafeteria to see the students panicking. The reason why was clear:
Heartless had spawned. Mostly Shadows and Soldiers, from the looks of it.
"Twilight, take cover!" Riku orders as he summons his keyblade, soon jumping into the fray.
He goes for the ones that were closest to the students, swiping them away as he dashes by. A couple of Shadows on the tables leap at him, which he easily dealt with swift slashes. He then notices a Soldier diving right at him, sidestepping the attack to counter slash the heartless.
With the rest of the swarm focusing on Riku, it allowed the students to get out of the way. The keyblade wielder wasn't fazed, simply holding his keyblade firm as he goes on the offensive again. The Shadows were easily dealt with, soon followed by the Soldiers.
Another swarm came in soon after, now entirely comprised with Neoshadows. The first thing they did against him was using the environment, starting by throwing the nearby chairs at him. Riku was quick to put his barrier, blocking the coordinated attack as the chairs bounce off.
Deciding to return the favor, he swiftly delivers a flurry of stylish kicks to send the chairs right back, disorienting the swarm for the moment. Warping in with Dark Aura, he fires a volley of Dark Firaga to keep them stunned. Some got hit as the rest escape, diving into portals they created.
He slashes the stunned ones to take them out before sighing, "Here comes the fun..."
From a safe distance, Twilight was processing what she was seeing. This boy was fighting these shadowy creatures, clearly skilled at this as he held his own against the ambushing monsters. Despite the questions rising in her mind, those were interrupted as she felt a tug on her backpack.
She turns around not to a student, but one of the shadows crawling from a portal in the wall!
"AH!" She screams, quickly taking off her backpack to get away.
The Neoshadow just throws it away, focused on its prey as she grabs a nearby chair. Like an animal tamer, she jabs the chair's legs against the shadow to push it back. It was working for a little bit, until it got the bright idea to grab said chair.
As the two got into a tug-o-war, Riku was finished with the ambush before seeing a table fly at him. He was quick to grab it, soon tossing it to the side to see the thrower. It was a Novashadow, which was just a larger Neoshadow.
The large shadow then threw two more tables at him in quick succession. Riku was faster though, using the nearby pillar to leap over the first table, landing on the second one to then leap off of it towards his target. He didn't waste his chance, channeling energy into his keyblade to manifest a larger blade and swings for the head!
SLASH!
...Direct hit. The Novashadow fades as he lands, the energy blade soon dissipating off his keyblade. His victory wasn't warranted just yet as he hears Twilight yelp from afar, turning to see a strangely silly sight.
Twilight eventually charges towards the remaining Neoshadow, pushing the chair into it before slamming it against the wall. The force was strong enough to stun it, which Riku warps in to finish the job. Once he scans the area for anymore, he dismisses his keyblade:
"You all right?"
"Y-Yeah." She answers, "May not have my magic, but I managed."
Their small exchange was then followed by loud cheers, all from the students in the cafeteria. The two were taken aback by this, mostly Riku as he wasn't used to being in the spotlight. That eventually dies down as they see Principal Celestia approach them, along with who's most likely Vice Principal Luna:
"Trouble on your first day, you two?" The former asks, "Or am I missing something here?"
"Well, it's complicated." Riku admits.
The principals brought the duo back to Celestia's office, where Riku admits the truth. Though to make sure Twilight can still run for Fall Formal Princess, he alters that part of the story by saying that she was the first student he met upon arrival. To his intrigue, the principals were believing his story, further proven by some students recording the cafeteria fight.
"So if I'm hearing this right, you're not from our world?" Luna clarifies.
"Yes." Riku answers.
"These Heartless are capable of destroying worlds, which you combat with your keyblade?"
"Yes."
"And you came here to a high school... for training?"
"That, as well as finding the world's keyhole to stop the Heartless."
He knows it sounds ridiculous, but that's what happens when you're covering up a huge plot hole in your story.
Celestia eventually lets out a small chuckle, "If it wasn't recorded, we would think you're crazy."
Riku smirks at her honesty, "It certainly does."
"Despite that, I have no reason to believe you're lying. In fact, this isn't the first time this happened in our world."
Riku and Twilight were surprised as the latter couldn't help but ask, "Really? Was there another keyblade wielder?"
"It depends." Luna answers, "The story goes that long ago, Starswirl had met a keyblade wielder on his travels. Some sources say that the wielder was a peaceful one, enjoying the world's wonders. Other sources say that the wielder was a wild card, creating chaos wherever they went."
"All the sources ended the same way, with the wielder disappearing without a trace." Celestia adds before looking right at Riku, "I apologize for this, but may I make a request?"
He listens intently for what it could be, "What is it?"
"If possible, I want you to prioritize the safety of our students. I don't want them getting caught in the crossfire."
"Of course." No hesitation was in his answer, assuring the principals.
"Thank you. You're dismissed."
Riku and Twilight were starting to head out, only for the latter to realize something:
"Oh! I forgot to ask earlier, do you know where the head of the Party Planning Committee might be?"
"At this time? Most likely in the gym decorating it for the dance." Luna answers.
"Gym, got it. Thanks!" Now the duo headed out, going right to the gym.
The duo eventually found the gym, entering inside to see the decorations strewn about. Though that wasn't their main focus as they see four girls doing the decorating, all of which Twilight recognizes.
"Pinkie, do you have any more streamers?" The elegant curly-haired girl asks.
"Right here!" The pink party girl pulled some out of her hair, tossing them to her.
"Come on Fluttershy, blow harder!" The rainbow-haired athlete encourages.
The two see Fluttershy take a deep breath before blowing into a balloon, getting it just big enough before her friend takes it and ties the string to keep it inflated. However Fluttershy was rather winded after that, which the athlete took notice:
"Good job, take a break."
The duo approaches the group, who Pinkie recognizes with a loud gasp. "No way! It's you two!"
"Us?" Twilight repeats as the new faces walk over.
"Why yes! You two are the ones Fluttershy mentioned!" The elegant girl clarifies.
"AND the ones who kicked those monsters' butts in the cafeteria!" The athlete adds with great enthusiasm, doing some fighting poses in the process.
"Well to be fair, Riku did most of the fighting." Twilight admits.
"True, most of the video is focused on Riku." Pinkie mentions, "By the way, did you two know that the video went viral?"
"Viral?" Riku repeats.
"Yep, the views are already in the millions!" This was further emphasized by her showing the two said video from her phone.
He wasn't sure how to feel about that. The idea of popularity wasn't really his thing, yet here he is being the talk of the school. His thought was soon cut short as he sees the athlete hold her hand out:
"Name's Rainbow Dash, by the way!"
He casually shakes her hand as he returns the gesture, "Riku, and this is Twilight Sparkle."
"Hi." Twilight simply said.
"I'm Pinkie Pie, and this is Rarity!" The pink party girl adds, "Applejack is also here helping, but she went with Big Mac to get the refreshments."
Twilight couldn't help but smile at this. Despite the differences in this parallel world, she's glad that there was still something familiar here.
"Nice to meet all of you. We came here cause I was planning on running for Fall Formal Princess."
Right after she said that, you can hear crickets from the sudden silence. A long moment passes before Pinkie suddenly grabs her by the shirt collar:
"ARE YOU CRAZY!?"
"H-Huh!?" Twilight was beyond confused.
Rarity pulls Pinkie away and straightens Twilight's collar, "Sorry about that, darling. Going off of Pinkie's outburst, it's not a good idea to run against Sunset Shimmer."
"Why not?" Riku questions.
"Well for one thing, that Sunset will fall to dirty tricks to win." She then starts to grumble angrily, "I know from personal experience..."
"Figured as much. Clearly more brains than brawn."
Twilight was undeterred though, "Even then, that won't stop me from running. I have to win that crown!"
"Hold your horses there!"
The group turn to see two more students enter the gym, both putting down crates of cider nearby. The one who spoke was the cowgirl named Applejack as she walks over:
"Did Ah just hear ya say you'll be running?"
"Yup!" Pinkie answers, "She wants to run for Fall Formal Princess!"
"Great, it's gonna be that Spring Fling fiasco all over again..."
"Don't remind me." Rarity mumbles in annoyance.
"OK, so let me get this straight." Riku speaks up, "Sunset is practically winning these without any competition?"
"Not when she ran the first time." Fluttershy answers upon walking over, "She actually was nice when she first came here, but-"
"After that, she went crazy!" Rainbow chimes in, "That girl became obsessed with that crown! Even demanding to be called 'Your Royal Highness'! As if!"
Twilight couldn't help but notice a pattern with Sunset and royalty. Taking her crown from Equestria definitely means some grand plan beyond just winning a dance. She then came back to reality as she hears Riku continue:
"Either way, her tyranny has to be dethroned. That's why Twilight is running against her, so I'd appreciate it if she can get all the help she can get."
The others were clearly hesitant about this, leaving them in silence until they heard the bell ring, which the girls took as their lunch period.
"At least think about it." He adds while they were going out.
As the girls were heading to their lunch period, Pinkie realizes something. "Oh! Almost forgot!"
The party girl zooms over to the duo before pulling out a clipboard, "You still have to sign up!"
Twilight was about to take the clipboard before remembering a crucial detail about her new body:
She doesn't know how to write with her hands.
"Hey, Riku. Mind helping me with this?" She asks him.
"Sure." He answers, fully knowing why as he takes the clipboard and pen.
Once he wrote her name, he hands them back to Pinkie who puts them back in her hair.
"Okie dokie, good luck!" With that said, she was off to go eat lunch.
The duo were now alone in the gym as Twilight lets out a heavy sigh.
"You all right?" Riku asks her.
"Honestly... I just need some time to figure this out." She admits.
"Understandable. It's not easy adjusting to new worlds."
"Yeah... I just hope there's a library around here. Be nice to have some peace and quiet."
"There should be. Let's get going."
The duo took some time to find the library, entering it to soon head on up to its second floor, eventually finding a secluded spot. Sitting down on some beanbag chairs, they took some time to recuperate as Twilight was sorting out her thoughts. Her new form, the counterparts of her friends, and what Sunset might be planning. That last one is where she's hung up on, thinking about one thing:
Why would Sunset take her crown to someplace with no magic?
Hitting a dead end, she starts up a conversation to her second mystery:
"So, what's your world like?"
Riku was kinda taken aback by the sudden question, but didn't mind answering:
"My hometown is named Destiny Islands. Not much to say about it. Just a town near the sea, along with an island not far off that me and my friends go to often."
"Is it like this world? In like its customs and people?"
"Funny enough, pretty much. As I got older though, the islands got so boring that I wanted to just go anywhere else. But that's a long story."
"Please tell! We got time." Her excitement seeped through as she was ready to listen.
Seeing this, Riku makes a proposition. "OK. If I tell you, you'll have to tell me about yourself."
"Of course!" Twilight didn't hesitate as her curiosity has peaked.
From then on, Riku tells her about the events after he left the island. He was honestly expecting her to be shocked or even show discomfort, yet she only showed more intrigue. From him working with a group of villains, fighting his best friend, his time at Castle Oblivion, all the way up to his reunion with his friends and returning home. Upon reaching the present day, she was floored:
"Wow... that's quite the rollercoaster."
"Well at least I'm not boring." Riku casually comments.
"Oh no, you're FAR from that! Honestly, I was kinda expecting some grand heroic journey."
"No, that's my friend Sora." He quips before shifting focus, "So, what about you? What's your world like?"
Once he asks her that question, he was in for quite a tale. Thankfully, she did her best to give him the abridged version. First was her tutelage under Princess Celestia, doing her best to keep up with studying and magic. Then the Summer Sun Celebration, where she met her friends and stopped the return of Nightmare Moon. From there, she mainly kept it to the main events:
The Grand Galloping Gala, the return of Discord, the Canterlot Wedding, the Crystal Empire, the reformation of Discord, and her final lesson before becoming a princess.
After covering the events leading up to her coming into the parallel world, she finishes her tale as Riku was left completely bewildered:
"...Whoa. All of those threats were in Equestria?"
"Yup! I've yet to see those Heartless over there though." She tries to recall.
"If they showed up here, they're bound to arrive over there sooner or later."
Hearing that made her worry, "I guess you're right..."
Noticing the tone shift, he tries to lighten it by shifting to a normal conversation. "A-Anyways, what do you like to do?"
Twilight honestly couldn't help but be a little snarky with her answer:
"Well if the scenery didn't give it away, I really like books. History, adventure, mystery, I like most genres."
"I don't mind a good book every now and then. Just never really had the time to sit down and read a good story."
"Lucky for you, I live in a library back home. Will certainly help you learn about Equestria."
"A bookworm through and through, ain't ya?"
She giggles at the remark, "Been awhile since I've been called that. My friend Rainbow back home usually says 'egghead'."
He had a small chuckle slip out after hearing that, "Same. Don't take it personally, it just means you're smart. Nothing wrong with that."
While the duo were conversing, they were unaware of a certain someone eavesdropping on them. With a grin on her face, she takes her leave as she has heard all that she needed to hear.
The duo eventually left the library after their extended break, noticing that it was now late in the afternoon. With the students out and about, they decided to go find the girls from earlier. One problem with that, which was them not knowing the school's layout yet.
The duo soon find themselves at a dead end hallway, one with a couple of open lockers and even the light flickering on for a moment. Before they could turn back, a familiar voice addresses them:
"So my replacement did follow me after all." It was Sunset, casually leaning on the lockers with a smirk.
"Replacement?" Twilight repeats.
"Duh. Though of course the princess couldn't find someone else of my calibur, no matter how hard she tries. Just one of her many mistakes."
"Don't talk about Princess Celestia like that!"
Twilight's aggressive walk towards Sunset was stopped by Riku, who knew the game the bully was playing. However, Sunset continues to press that button:
"Whoa! Judging by your reaction, I'm detecting a delusional case of hero worship."
"Matched by your own delusions of grandeur." Riku quips.
"Ha! No, I just know what I'm capable of."
"Like making scenes?"
Sunset rolls her eyes, "You mean earlier? I just wanted to know where my crown was."
"It's my crown!" Twilight corrects.
"Ugh, please! You really think you deserve it!?"
"Why wouldn't I? You're just a bully, doesn't take much to be better than that."
Sunset was now starting to get frustrated, but tries to keep it from surfacing. Though the two were keen to notice, she plays it off:
"Is that so? Then it doesn't take a genius to see how Princess Celestia failed both of us."
"Take that back!" Twilight growls.
"Seriously? That hurts your feelings? Grow up."
Riku was now getting annoyed and steps in, "Just admit it already! It's clear as day that you want to prove you're better than them."
"I AM better than them!" Sunset suddenly shouts back, "They don't have what it takes to rule properly! If you'd knew Princess Celestia, you'd see that she never listened to anyone!"
"She DID listen! YOU didn't listen to her!" Twilight shouts back.
"About what? Ruling with friendship!? Have you looked around when you got here? Everyone's in their lane, not causing any problems that can even TOUCH MY authority!"
"Something that works DOESN'T make it RIGHT!"
"Says the princess WITHOUT a kingdom!"
"ENOUGH!"
Riku's shout silences them both, even echoing in the hollow hall for a moment. Sunset just glares back, watching as he takes a couple of steps towards her. Once he stops, he speaks without doubt in his words:
"You said your piece, now you're listening to mine. Your tyranny over this school only shows your jealousy and arrogance. If you wanna cling to the past like this, it's only a matter of time before you lose everything you have."
"Says the one who got jealous of his best friend." She shot back, expecting to get him angry.
That alone gave away that she eavesdropped on them in the library. Despite that, Riku couldn't help but smirk:
"You're right. But unlike you right now, I've moved on with my life. It's not too late for you to do the same."
Twilight wasn't expecting him to turn this around, much less seeing Sunset briefly falter before turning her back towards them:
"...Don't bother."
The duo watch the bully walk away from them, now knowing her motivations. As she goes out of sight, Twilight couldn't help but wonder aloud:
"Was the princess really like that with her..."
"Everyone makes mistakes, Twilight." Riku answers, "You either learn from them or have history repeat itself."
"...Then, you really think Sunset can change?"
"If I'm anything to go by, it's not impossible. Now come on, we have work to do to get your crown back."
"Right." With her agreement, the two headed off to find the girls.
And done! Decided to have this be a bit longer than my usual chapters, as I wanted this to end with them confronting Sunset. Now to break down what I'm doing with the redux:
The biggest change here is our protagonist, who's not Sora this time, but Riku! Like I said before, the original timeline was written to figure out certain character dynamics. Now, I just want to write with my personal favorite character in the lead.
I believe that there are more ideas to explore with Riku beyond his struggle with darkness. One idea I wished they did was him using his light, leading to him learning how to balance both sides. KH2 points out that the two are fundamental to each other, so that will further hammer that home.
For those concerned about this approach, I'm not leaving Sora and the others out entirely. I just find it easier to start with a smaller cast.
Now to the chapter itself, I moved the starting point to earlier in the movie. Considering the changes that came from that, it worked out pretty well. Most of them is mainly removing most of the high school cliches that were in the movie.
The main focus is now clear, which is what I interpreted from what the school represented. Twilight and Sunset have different ways to rule a kingdom, the latter's shown clearly with her iron fist. The former comes to get her crown back, but has to show how she rules in order to earn it back.
This also plays into the parallels between Riku and Sunset, which I'll fully admit that this plot point alone makes this much more interesting.
By the way, if you have read the original timeline, the girls will still be using the designs I gave them there. But of course, that's just my suggestion.
With all that said, I hope you guys like this new timeline as there's much more to come. Thanks for reading and I'll see you next chapter!