Chapter 14 - Ways to Unlock

More than a week had passed since Mina and Rainbow had discovered the mysterious hideout of the ancient Keyblade Wielder that had lived on Equis, Azus, and recovered his mysterious chest and books, which the two girls had brought back to the library that evening, just as Twilight and Spike had returned from their trip.

The following day, Twilight officially got down to studying the mysterious chest, uncovered in Azus' hidden lair in the Old Castle of the Royal Sisters, along with finding a way to break the dark magic protecting the lock on the chest. Of course, that was easier said than done and so far she had no successful luck in accomplishing the task, which annoyed her a lot.

She searched for a solution in different books about curse-breaking but found little to no help since the dark magic keeping the lock from being unlocked was quite ancient. Azus was no amateur and he knew exactly what he was doing when he set this barrier. Whatever was hidden inside he did not anyone to find out and learn.

Twilight however was determined to do whatever it took to repel the dark magic barrier and allow the chest to be unlocked. However, Mina and Spike took it upon themselves to keep an eye on their mental health since they noticed that she was becoming a little bit cranky and… scary.

They still brought her food and drinks as well as suggesting to take a small break from breaking the dark magic barrier but she refused to listen and kept working on it.

It was now Saturday and Mina was lying on the couch and reading the journal that had once belonged to Azus. Not only did he chronicle his entire stay on Equis but also included some personal notes about the characters that he had met.

Right now, she was reading pages 5 through 6 and it was detailed as follows:

More than a month has passed since my faithful arrival in the world of Equis and so far it has been quite a learning process! The magic that keeps this world alive is unlike anything I've ever experienced before… and I find myself being intrigued by it every second of the way. So far I've found no evidence of Heartless activity being at an all-time high nor any signs of the creatures of pure darkness (this is either good or troublesome news, but in my case, I'll accept the former for the moment). As for my current place of residence, the rulers of the land offered me shelter in their castle. Although a bit reluctant at first due to my eventual return to Daybreak Town, I nevertheless accepted the offer.

I was given a room in the castle for personal use and writing in my journal so I'll be able to get some peace. At least it's better than the cave I had been using as a temporary shelter for the past month. Anyway, I'm too tired to continue… will resume more in the morning. I'm eager to learn all there is about this world from the princesses.

Azus.

Mina paused for a moment to process the contents of this journal entry before nodding to herself and continuing. "Interesting. Let's see what happens next." She told herself.

Flipping the page, she located Journal Entry No. 6 and got down to reading the following:

Today's events were mostly spent on answering the questions that came from the princesses, Celestia and Luna. Who I was, what my intentions were, and how long I was planning to remain on Equis. Simple questions that I gave truthful answers to. When it came to asking for information, I had learned that they were the keepers of the Sun and Moon respectfully. Not only that but they were both responsible for ensuring that Equis thrived and its inhabitants kept safe from harm.

They also inquired about the weapon that I had been using, the Keyblade, so I told them the important bits along with what my job was. The youngest seemed understanding yet the oldest… well, I couldn't exactly determine what her expression was. She had a casual look yet I could easily tell it was a mask. I had to wonder what exactly was going through her mind. She seemed a bit nervous when the topic of the Keyblade had been brought up.

The youngest however was more relaxed and fascinated around the stories and legend. In fact, we spent the rest of the time chatting and talking about ourselves. It feels kind of nice to have someone to listen to and share information with. Truth be told, this is the first time I've ever acted calm around someone else unlike the other Wielders of Daybreak Town.

I'm growing rather fond of Equis.

Azus.

Her brows had been raised at what she just learned - Daybreak Town and a small hint as to how Azus felt about other people. It led her to wonder if he had any friends at all.

"Should continue learning more. There's more to this than meets the eye." Mina told herself.

And hopefully, she'll eventually learn where Azus had gone or if he left Equis completely. Perhaps this journal could provide a clue as to why there were Heartless on this planet.

Flipping the pages, she began to read the-

*ARRRRGH! WHY WON'T YOU BREAK!?* An enraged and tired roar came down from the basement.

Mina shook her head and rubbed her eyes. She was still trying to find ways to break the spell!? Has she even gotten any food or sleep at all since they had found the chest…?

No, no… that does it. She had enough! It didn't matter if that chest was booby-trapped or if there was a curse around it! It was no reason for Twilight to go completely crazy!

Mina put the book down but remembered where she had left off and then got off the couch. She began weighing her options:

Number 1 - Talking with Twilight calmly and convincing her to get some food and sleep or

Number 2 - Use force.

Option one was the most obvious reason since she hoped that Twilight would calm down easily. Mina wasn't eager to start any sort of fight whatsoever. But it all depended on how she handled the situation.

With a deep breath, she stopped in front of the door leading to the underground laboratory basement and put her hand on the handle. Then she paused and put her right ear against the door.

What exactly is she going to hear…?

From the insides, she could hear angry growls; muttering that was loud enough for her ears to understand, and maybe something being thrown. Mina had no clue but she wasn't about to allow Twilight to kill herself over this.

Right then, time to snap Twilight back to reality and make her get some rest from trying to bust open the lock. Twirling the knob, she slowly opened the door and recoiled before the black smoke could collide with her body. What has she been doing down there exactly!?

"Twilight! Twilight! What the hell are you doing!?" Mina demanded in an angry tone.

What exactly has she been doing down here and why is there so much black smoke!? Has she been overcooking eggs or something!?

Mina wiped her hand as she began to create a path down the stairs while keeping her mouth intact from inhaling any poisonous smoke. If Twilight has overloaded a machine or something…

Taking small steps and flapping the smoke away, she was careful to avoid tripping and crashing down. This entire basement was filled up with poisonous smoke all around… she had covered her mouth with her jacket-hoodie and kept flapping about.

When she reached the bottom, she looked around and immediately was disgusted by what she saw. The entire laboratory was a complete mess! Beakers were thrown all around, glass was shattered and misplaced all over the floor… scribbles and paper were thrown about. Holy mother of…

"WHY WON'T YOU BREAK!?" A familiar scream of anger as Mina looked forward.

To her horror, Twilight was a complete mess with her hair looking the worst for wear. To make matters worse, she was trying to destroy the lock with some sort of a jackhammer while several wires and jumper cables were connected to different machines that were overloading and releasing dangerous smoke in the air.

But that was nothing to how Twilight was looking right now - she was not only angry but also looking like she hadn't gotten any sleep at all since they had discovered the chest. Mina's eyes did notice a couple of dirty dishes that were lying around… well, at least she hadn't forgotten to eat or drink.

More smoke came out from the machines as Mina immediately recoiled back before it could penetrate her lungs. Was Twilight really about to overload her analysis devices for a simple lock? Was she that obsessed with breaking it?

No, nope! That does it! It was time to take a small break before Twilight did something that she would regret. Mina walked over to the outlets and began to turn them all off before they could overload and cause a catastrophe or worse, destroy the entire library!

Twilight raised her sledgehammer to prepare to bust the lock when she noticed that her analysis machines had someone who ended up sending data to her. What was-

She then saw Mina finishing turning off the outlets and then rushing forward to open the basement windows so that the black smoke could be cleared out of the basement. Twilight's angry look immediately became one of rage. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" She demanded an answer from Mina.

Mina cleared away the black smoke before turning to look at Twilight. "Saving you from doing something stupid! And give me that!" She demanded and took the hammer by force.

Twilight was stunned and became even more angry. But as she was about to charge forward, Mina was the first one to do so and pinned her to the ground. "You're getting a nap for your own good!" She ordered her friend.

"WHAT!? ARE YOU CRAZY!? LET ME GO!" Twilight demanded yet was held tight by the brunette.

"Not likely! Twilight, snap out of it and look around!" Mina demanded.

Twilight, in her insomniac and crazed state, just stared at her messed-up laboratory and got angry. "I don't care! THAT DARK SPELL NEEDS TO BE UNLOCKED! IF YOU HAD TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND HELP ME THAN READING, THEN YOU COULD HAVE-"

"Twilight!" Mina harshly scolded her as Twilight gave her a glare without backing down but the brunette Keybearer continued. "Listen to yourself! You've been down here for the entire week, trying to bust a damn lock that's been protected by a spell cast more than a thousand years ago! You haven't slept at all, you smell completely, you only ate minorly! Look at yourself, you're pathetic!"

"I'M NOT PATH-"

"Yes, you are… you overloaded your machines, you've ignored our advice and you've gone completely mental." Mina stated the cold truth.

"I'M NOT MENTAL NOR AM I TIRED! THIS CHEST IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE!" Twilight stated.

"And Spike? Or your friends? How would you react if they were gone?" Mina asked.

Twilight froze and couldn't find an answer to that question. Her gaze was directed at the machines that were spewing out smoke… Mina was right. They had indeed been overloaded from a five-day use. Another couple of hours and the whole library would have been caught in a fire.

Plus, there was that awful aroma coming from her body… not to mention wearing her pajamas that now smelled terrible. Her hair was a complete mess too.

Was Mina right? Was she going too far…?

Mina let go and got up before helping her friend get on her feet. "Snapped out of it by chance?" The brunette asked.

Twilight, giving a shameful nod, now replied calmly. "Yeah… I… I didn't mean to… were you and Spike worried about me?"

"Yeah. We were… I mean, when was the last time you slept in your bed or even taken a shower?" Mina inquired.

Twilight sniffled herself and recoiled in disgust. "Maybe… the evening after I returned. Ugh… I need some sleep." She admitted and blocked a yawn.

"Clearly… Look, I care about opening that chest… but I don't think your machines are helping or your skills. Maybe we should approach it from a different perspective?" Mina suggested.

"Maybe… I just… I'm worried that this chest might cause more trouble than it already is. I mean… what if it's a beacon to attract the Heartless to Ponyville? Or something worse?" Twilight asked and blocked another yawn.

"Possibly… but we're stumped on how to break the spell keeping the lock intact. What about the journal that belonged to Azus? Maybe that's the key inside… or something like that." Mina suggested the idea.

Twilight thought it over before shrugging. "Worth a try… Let me get some rest first. In the meantime, you can read and see what you find." She said to her friend.

"I'll do my best… but for you, a meal and then bed… and maybe a shower first." Mina reminded her.

"A shower and food… then bed. And… thanks. For snapping me out of my crazed state. Did I make you nervous with my angry look?" Twilight asked worriedly.

"Lots. You scared me, Twilight." Mina admitted.

Twilight flashed a small frown. "I shouldn't have snapped… sorry, Mina." She apologized.

Mina nodded as they both headed up back to ground level. Hopefully Twilight won't start going mental on them again… some food and a nap out to help calm her down.

Plus, while she rested, Mina could get back to the journal and read some more. If brute force or science could not dispel the dark essence keeping the lock from breaking, then perhaps they were looking at it from the wrong point of view.

Maybe the answer lay inside his journal. Could be the key to dispelling the damn essence without the use of brute force. The only way to progress was by reading more of the entries.

"Say, Twilight?" Mina spoke as a thought came up in her mind.

"Yeah, Mina?" Twilight replied while rubbing her eyes.

"Is the chest dangerous if we leave it alone? Will the spell start spreading and corrupting everything in sight?" Mina inquired.

Twilight shook her head. "From the little data I gathered, the dark spell is just a security measure. Nothing else… it won't spread all around Equis. Listen… you snapped me out of my crazed state and I'd rather get some rest than spend another hour with the mysterious chest while going crazy. Don't concern yourself with it for now. I'm scared you might end up in my shoes if you get involved in trying to break the spell by force." She admitted.

"Shouldn't I be saying that to you?" Mina asked with a raised brow.

Twilight got a look of sadness as Mina felt guilty for her comment. "Sorry, didn't mean to…" She trailed off.

"No, no… don't worry. You're right… I took it way too far. I should have listened to you and Spike about cutting it down before it got crazy… yet I ignored you both. Oh, no… I gotta make it up to Spike later. After my sleep…" Twilight replied with a yawn.

"In the shower first and then some food before bed," Mina told her.

Twilight nodded. A good night's sleep would hopefully restore her energy so she could take things slower next time and plan more carefully.

(The next day…)

Twilight was still asleep and didn't show any signs of waking up soon. It made sense due to being stuck in her laboratory for the entire week and working nonstop. Mina knew that she was serious about getting some rest.

Mina was glad to see that Twilight was taking this seriously and not going back to her crazed state. Once her friend was rested, they could resume their task of trying to break the spell that was guarding the lock.

…If they could find any sort of clues, to be honest. After putting Twilight to sleep yesterday, Mina returned to reading Azus' journal a little bit longer but couldn't find much information besides detailing his everyday experiences on Equis and its inhabitants.

However… a couple of sentences and pages detailed some rather interesting moments that Mina could only label as 'intimate'. Focused entirely on Azus and the younger princess. Very interesting.

On the following day, she took a small break and decided to go out for a walk. Hopefully to clear her head and process what she had learned from reading the journal.

Scratching her chin, Mina kept walking away from the town and kept her gaze following the dirt road down. Hmm, what should she do today besides wandering around aimlessly?

"I could go and help someone… although, with what to be honest?" Mina wondered and scratched her head again.

Maybe she should go and see how AJ is doing at the farm. Check out the fences and the farmhouse to see if any progress has been made.

Keeping up with her walk, she didn't notice where she was going and bumped into someone which resulted in both Mina and the stranger crashing on the ground.

Groaning, Mina shook her head and looked forward at the one whom she bumped… it was Fluttershy who was rubbing her head.

"Oh, jeez…" Mina admitted and got up as she extended a helping hand. "Sorry about that… didn't know where I was going." She apologized.

Fluttershy recovered and just nodded meekly. "I… it's okay… Mina, right?" She asked.

"Yeah… the one who saved your friends from the Heartless," Mina replied truthfully.

"W-with that key of yours, right?" Fluttershy asked.

Mina nodded again before speaking. "Sorry again for bumping…"

"It's okay… but are you okay? You seemed… troubled." Fluttershy admitted, having just read the look on Mina's face.

Mina nodded. "Just under a lot of stress at the moment. Dunno what to do right now." She answered.

"Help Twilight out in the library?" Fluttershy suggested.

"She's asleep entirely… for the past week, she's been trying to break a spell keeping a lock protected. We found this dark and ominous-looking chest at the old castle and Twilight's been trying to break it with minimal success, unfortunately. Yesterday, I had to snap her out of her crazed state before she killed someone." Mina explained.

"And you're having trouble trying to break the spell?" Fluttershy asked.

"Sadly… figured this walk would clear my head a little. But I dunno what to do at the moment… so bored." Mina sighed.

Fluttershy gave a nod in return. "I see. Hmm, maybe you should do something else to take your mind off things at the moment. Say, are you free right now?" She wondered.

Mina nodded with Fluttershy continuing to speak. "If you're alright with it, I'll need a helping hand in carrying some supplies… veterinary stuff for the pets I'm caring for right now. But if you're busy, I understand."

"Well… not really. I can spare some time and help you out with getting some supplies." Mina replied.

Fluttershy nodded with a satisfied look and they proceeded down the road, heading back to town.

(Later…)

Holding both bags in her hands, Mina proceeded down the road alongside Fluttershy who was also pulling her weight as well.

"Thanks again for the assist… I appreciate it." Fluttershy told her, balancing her body while holding the boxes in her hand.

"It's fine… although, I have to ask - how many pets are you taking care of at the moment?" Mina wondered.

"Do you really want the answer to that question? If I told you, you'd have to make a huge list." Fluttershy replied with a small smile.

Mina deduced that it was a large list of animals and decided not to pry an answer then. They continued walking and switched topics.

"Perhaps I could help you out with your problem?" Fluttershy wondered.

Mina shook her head. "Sorry, but I doubt you could help with the problem, to be honest." She replied.

"Are you sure though? I could be of great help if you're okay with it." Fluttershy replied back.

Her reply made Mina pause as she contemplated her words. She wouldn't mind getting some help in solving the huge problem that was plaguing her but with what exactly could Fluttershy be willing to assist with?

The shy girl wasn't a magical expert like Twilight even if she was one of the Elements of Harmony. So… how would she be able to lend a hand?

Mina didn't want to be rude and turn her down since she seemed eager to assist but…

"Hmm… well, if you insist… I guess I wouldn't mind asking for help. Though I'm not sure what you can do, to be honest. This situation is complicated enough as it is." The brunette replied in a gentle but honest tone.

"I understand. But I'm not willing to back down from this… you seemed very troubled and I don't want one of my friends to be like that." Fluttershy stated firmly.

Her tone caught Mina off guard. Friends? Her? But… why? Was it because she had saved her and the rest of Ponyville from the Heartless?

A batch of pink formed on her cheeks as she turned her face away. "W-well, okay… let's just drop off the supplies at your house and we'll head over to the library. If you have any sort of answers, I'll appreciate them."

A smile formed on the shy girl's lips. "I'll do my best, Mina. You can be sure of that."

They continued down the dirt route and headed out of the town to reach her cottage.

(Mid-afternoon at Twilight's…)

"Quite a heavy sleeper… and she's been working non-stop for the entire week?" Fluttershy asked while sitting on the couch and re-reading some of the notes that Mina acquired from the basement laboratory.

Surprisingly, the chest had not reacted in the slightest nor did it unleash any sort of dark-like spell… safe for the darkness that was guarding the lock.

"No sleep and minor meals. Spike had been afraid of her as she had snapped at him whenever he would ask for her to take a break. Luckily, I managed to make her get some rest before she did something real stupid." Mina explained.

Fluttershy gave a nod and continued reviewing the notes while Mina just leaned on the wall. "Say… are you a science expert like Twilight or…?"

The Element of Kindness gave her an amused look. "If I was, I'd be cramped up in a laboratory like Twilight… No, I'm not a science expert. I'm just examining and reading the reports she made." She replied.

"Anything in there yet?" Mina wondered.

"Just bits and pieces. Can't really make any sense… also, some of her sentences are a bit of a garbled mess. I'm guessing it's due to the lack of sleep when she was writing this…" Fluttershy guessed.

Mina nodded. "Sleep can make a person quite cranky… any episodes by chance?" She wondered with an amused look.

Fluttershy allowed a small smile to form. "Maybe… but you'll have to ask her. Hmm, actually…" She paused and went silent.

Before Mina could ask, Fluttershy raised a hand for her to remain quiet while she kept reading. The brunette wisely obeyed and waited patiently.

A minute had passed, then another…

"Hmm… this is interesting," Fluttershy commented.

"What is…?" Mina wondered.

Fluttershy, putting the note down, turned to Mina. "Besides the chest, what else did you find? According to some of the words that Twilight wrote on these pieces of paper, she might have discovered a vital clue on how exactly to break the spell protecting the lock. She wrote about some sort of journal as well…"

"Yeah… and some other books too. I've read a little bit from the journal but it details the everyday activities of its owner… and some pretty close moments with the younger princess of the night." Mina revealed.

Fluttershy nodded. "Is that so…? Could I have a look at that journal please?" She questioned.

Wasting no time, Mina handed over the book to Fluttershy and remained leaning on the wall. However, the Element of Kindness looked at her. "It might take a while… do you have anything else to do in the meantime?" She asked.

Mina thought it over… before shrugging and leaving. Might as well practice with her Keyblade, Equinox. Maybe on trees that were old and on the verge of dying.

Fluttershy gave a nod. "I'll try and have this completely read by the time you're finished. Don't stay away too far, alright?" She requested.

"I won't. If you need me, I'll be outside… practicing with my Keyblade." Mina responded back and left the library.

For Fluttershy, there were definitely a lot of words to cover in this journal… but she was certain of one thing: if the contents in the research notes and Twilight's writing were anything to go by, then it was possible that this might be the clue that Mina and her friend had failed to discover.

One thing was certain: Fluttershy definitely had lots to read if she wanted to find out how the dark barrier could be broken. And so, she opened the first pages and began to delve deep into the contents of the journal.

Author's Notes: *swims back on this story after a full year!* Wow... a full year. My, how time flies, doesn't it? *gets simple cricket noises* Anyone? Please? *just pure silence.* Yep, figured as much...

Guess I owe you all a huge apology for making you wait an entire year for the next chapter! Sorry about that... life tends to get hectic and well... writer's block is a huge pain in the ass. Not to mention personal reasons... sorry about that.

I'll try and write some more whenever possible... plus, have to get back to writing my manuscript as well. I'm really sorry about not giving you an update in a long time. But yeah... the story of Mina the Keybearer will continue. Have to go back and re-read the chapters to see what I wrote.

I promise that the next chapter will come soon... just don't know when. I wish you all a happy reading and enjoyment! I don't own Kingdom Hearts nor My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. They are owned by their respective companies and owners. I only own the idea for the story, my OCs and ideas I can claim for my own.