San Fransokyo Part 1
With the winter holidays coming to a close, the Young Six returned back to Ponyville to continue their training and schooling. Though snow still littered the town, spring would soon arrive in the next couple weeks. They reunited at the school, discussing their days and how their holidays went. Since Gallus and Sandbar had gone with Silverstream and Yona respectively, they talked about their views on the hippogriffs' and yaks' holiday customs as their guests. Sandbar got to know Yona's family and participated in a lot of smashing. Gallus enjoyed some of the cuisine Mt. Aris had, though compared to the "food" he's eaten in Griffonstone, he'll eat anything they had to offer. He was even introduced to Queen Novo and her daughter Skystar, the princess's personality almost on par with Silverstream's if not more energetic. He heard Novo was much older than she appeared to be and asked her if she knew of Griffonstone's last king before it fell into disarray. All he got in response was an annoyed huff and a change in subject.
"I never thought seaweed could taste that good in so many dishes," Gallus recalled to Sandbar as he unpacked his bags back in their dorm room. "I didn't want to leave. Too bad I couldn't bring home some of that awesome salmon juice for Silv and I to share with you guys."
"Salmon juice?" Sandbar questioned. "Doesn't sound appetizing."
"Eh. Maybe it's off-putting because you're an herbivore," Gallus shrugged. "Bet the yak food wasn't what you expected."
"It was actually pretty interesting," Sandbar said. "I actually tasted some of that stew Yona made for the dance. It smelled so much better when her folks cooked it."
"Oh. So Yona isn't that great of a cook," Gallus grimaced. "Maybe Professor Pinkie can do some more baking classes the rest of the year."
They heard a knock on their door before it opened up. "Welcome back, boys," Aqua greeted. "I wouldn't get settled in just yet." Gallus let out a small groan, but he didn't want to get sloppy after spending the last few weeks feasting and relaxing. "It's nothing strenuous. At least, not for today."
"What are we doing?" Sandbar asked.
"You'll see. Let's go." Aqua went on ahead, leaving Sandbar and Gallus to wonder what was going on.
The girls across the hall filed out, too, getting the same instruction to join their master. Following her out of the school and out toward the snowy fields outside Ponyville. Their other teachers were waiting for them as well, and spread out in a row an equal distance apart were blocks of metal, one for each of the Young Six.
"Ooh! Are we doing an arts and crafts project?" Silverstream asked.
"Not exactly," Aqua said. "But those blocks are going to be used for something important." Stepping forward, Terra, Ventus, Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Twilight got the Young Six's attention. Aside from Terra and Ventus, neither of them noticed the others were wearing armored pauldrons on their shoulders. Together, all six wielders smacked their pauldrons, causing them to shimmer and unleash a blinding light. Squinting their eyes, the Young Six had no idea what was happening until the lights faded. Once they could see, they gawked in awe as their mentors were now fully suited up in their armor. "Today, you guys are going to learn how to forge your Keyblade armor and how to transform your Keyblades into your own gliders."
"Aww, yeah!" Smolder cheered. "That is awesome!"
"Best lesson ever~!" Silverstream sang, already eager to make her armor.
"You're not the only ones who are going to learn this," Twilight said. The other mares of the Mane Six walked over to join the Young Six and stand in front of one of the many metal blocks laid out before them. "If there ever is a probability that multiple worlds need our help, taking a Gummi ship may not be the fastest method possible. Especially with some of us unable to really control them with our hooves."
Ocellus looked at the blocks, feeling confused by their forging material. "Umm, how exactly do we...make it with a single block? Doesn't forging involve heat and smelting? Or did I read the methods of old fashioned forging wrong?"
"How you're going to do it is much different, since this is armor that will mold to your body structure and summoned by your power," Aqua said.
"In other words, our Keyblades?" Gallus asked.
"Yes, but also from the light within your heart," Aqua added. Once the Young Six, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy stood before their chosen block, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Terra, Ventus, and Twilight dismissed their armor. Looking over to Lea and Xion, she was a little curious why they didn't want to join in. "Are you two sure you don't want your own armor?"
"I...sort of have my 'armor' already," Xion said.
"I prefer not wearing something that's considered a 'uniform' after wearing that coat for so long," Lea added.
"Fair enough, I suppose." Though it didn't seem mandatory for all of them to be given armor for their own protection, it is a handy precaution just in case. "Alright. Close your eyes and focus on your light deep within your hearts."
Doing as instructed, the wielders getting their new armor closed their eyes and began to focus. Each one was able to find that spark of light within their hearts. They were able to see what their armor would look like, their respective extremities summoning their Keyblades and taking aim at the metal sitting before them. Several lights shimmered around their Keyblades at the tips, launching a beam of light into their forging materials with multiple bright flashes. Seconds passed and the lights soon faded, each piece of their new armor resting where the metal blocks once sat. Opening their eyes, they were eager to see what they would look like fully suited up.
Picking up their pauldrons, they attached them to their limbs, some having a little trouble like Yona with her mass of fur making it a bit difficult to put hers on. After checking them to make sure they were in place, together, they all pressed or smacked their armor, unleashing bright lights that suited them all in full-body, flexible armor. Each of them matched their respective fur/skin tone in a slightly lighter or darker shade. Rarity's, Smolder's, Ocellus's, and Yona's helmets melded around their helmets, keeping their unique shape while still covering every inch of their heads. Those with wings were able to freely flex or flap them without any hindrance to their armor.
While the rest of the Mane Six's armor looked identical in detail, the Young Six's had some unique differences with the shape of the visors around their helmets' armor. Sandbar's was similar to his pony teachers', Yona's had a much wider visor to help her better see around her with her larger frame, Gallus's, Silverstream's, and Smolder's had jagged segments that gave the appearance of claws, and Ocellus's was just two oval-shaped eyes, detailing a fitting resemblance of her insect-like species, yet it didn't hinder her vision at all.
"Whoa. Yona covered, but not feel trapped," Yona admired, shifting around side to side to see how mobile she is under her protective armor.
"Kinda surprised your armor ain't as fancy as any designs ya make, Rares," Applejack remarked.
"I decided to go with simplicity for something meant to aid in protecting my body," Rarity reasoned. "Nothing extravagant about a suit that will end up getting dinged or broken after a fight."
"Aww! I thought our helmets would be as fancy as the others!" Pinkie whined. "Curse you, Codex! You got lazy!"
"Wow! Our mask things look so cool!" Silverstream said, pointing out to Gallus and Smolder's shape of the visors. When she looked at Ocellus's, she let out a startled shriek, causing the changeling to wince. "Oh my gosh! Ocellus, I think yours is broken!"
"I-Is it?" Ocellus mumbled. "I don't think anything's wrong. I can see everybody just fine."
"Your mask just has big eyes," Smolder explained. "Is it weird to say it suits you despite the eyes making you look like a giant fly?"
"As long as its functionable, that's all that should matter," Aqua said.
While Sandbar looked over his armor and saw the others, he felt a little despondant with how similar his looked like their pony teachers. His friends had unique helmets, albeit the only things that stood them out aside from their species. They each even had unique skills they specialized in when it came to fighting with their Keyblades. Yona could create an aura barrier when she runs to knock back foes. Gallus had a powerful Cure spell that rejuvenates and heals any manner of ailments with the drawback of needing time to cast it. Smolder can use her dragon breath to breathe different elements, using them on their own or merging them with her Keyblade to add a bit more pain in her strikes. Silverstream could manipulate the elements around her depending on the weather and terrain. Ocellus could transform and perfectly mimic either of them and use the same techniques, fighting styles, even magic spells to gain her an edge while also throwing off her opponents. Despite being able to match Yona in strength, Sandbar hadn't figured out what skill, spell, or technique he came up with that made him stand out among his peers.
As they were about to move on to the next lesson, Spike had suddenly dropped down in front of everyone. "Hey, guys, we've got a situation with the map!" he said.
"A friendship problem?" Twilight asked.
The newly suited wielders dismissed their armor as the ponies instinctively looked at their flanks. "No one seems to be glowing," Lea pondered curiously.
"It's more a Heartless problem, but there's a lot of activity in a new world," Spike reiterated.
"Looks like the holidays are over for the side of darkness, too," Sora said.
"Hey, at least Sandbar's finally gonna get to go somewhere and save the day," Gallus teased.
"Then I'm definitely coming along!" Rainbow said. "I haven't gone anywhere, and I'm itching to knock a few heads in!"
"Ooh! Oooh ooh ooh! I wanna go again!" Pinkie volunteered, bouncing up and down while waving her hooves around.
"I need to see what world's in trouble before we decide who else is gonna go along," Aqua said. "We'll postpone the glider lesson for later. Sandbar, get yourself ready."
"Yes, Master Aqua," Sandbar said. He hurried off to the school to gather his belongings, hearing some of his friends complaining about the next awesome lesson they were going to learn after getting back from winter break. Planning to meet Sora, Donald, Goofy, Rainbow, and whoever else would join them to this new world, Sandbar reached the school and headed toward his dorm room. Stepping inside, he closed the door, letting out a sigh. "I haven't discovered anything new or cool to show off my power. Not even during summer break."
Hoping he'll find something he could do that the others couldn't while out in the field, Sandbar gathered his saddlebags, checked over his curatives for emergency use, then headed out once he was all prepared. Rounding the corner in the hall, he grunted as he accidentally butted heads with Yona as she also came around.
"Sandbar all ready?" Yona asked, barely phased by the light bump.
Rubbing his head, Sandbar uttered a small groan. "Yeah. A little nervous, though."
"Sandbar do great!" Yona praised. "Sandbar smart and strong. Yona might not be back at school if Sandbar not trick Neighsay."
"I still feel a little bad doing that just so I could get some help," Sandbar said.
"Yona already forgive Sandbar. All friends forgive." Assuring the young stallion, Yona leaned forward and planted a kiss on Sandbar's lips. "Sandbar help friends when in trouble. We all different in our own way, but Sandbar never saw friends as anything else."
"Yeah...different," Sandbar mumbled. Hiding the frown that was forming on his muzzle, he readjusted his bags. "I better not be late if this world's in dire need. Wish me luck."
"Sandbar no need luck," Yona giggled, pulling the earth pony into a yak hug.
He felt like he was going to need it. He continued on his way after Yona released him, psyching himself to help out a new world, and eventually discover what his special skill would be.
Snow covered the busy streets of Twilight Town as people went about their business. At Scrooge's cafe, business had been booming with all the popular dishes made by Remy, Little Chef to those who are unaware of the famous chef being a rat. Sitting at one of the tables sipping on a special blend of hot chocolate crafted for the season, Hayner, Pence, and Olette hung out and enjoyed the winter air.
"Man, that Little Chef is amazing," Pence sighed, sipping his hot chocolate, which had a few tiny marshmallows and a sweet cream that floated on the top that was once carefully crafted to look like a chef's hat. "I can't imagine just how many recipes that little guy can make up on the fly."
"As long as we don't tell anyone who he is, business will just skyrocket," Olette said.
"Thankfully, because Scrooge knows us, we've got unlimited reservations with Sora and the gang," Hayner said, lifting his mug to his two friends. Pence and Olette did the same as they clinked their mugs together. As they drank to their friendship, the trio began to wonder about how they were doing since Sora and Kairi's wedding. One person in particular, whom they never had any relationship with, yet had one with other versions of them, began to float about in their minds. "...Does it...feel weird to be missing someone who should be here with us?"
"You mean Roxas?" Pence asked. "Sora's Nobody?"
"Yeah. I mean, we don't know the guy...but when we first met Sora, there was some...strange feeling like we DID meet him before somewhere," Hayner pondered aloud.
"It was weird," Olette agreed. "Xion was friends with Roxas. How come he hasn't come back yet?"
"Maybe because Nobodies are the bodies of people who turned into Heartless, Sora can't be himself without Roxas inside him," Pence theorized. Humming curiously, he tapped the side of his mug, glancing out to the direction where the abandoned mansion lied outside of the city's walls. "Maybe there's something in that computer we didn't notice when they came around to get some information."
"Like a way to bring Roxas back?" Hayner asked.
"I thought they got everything for that young scientist to unravel," Olette said.
"Maybe not," Pence said. "Let's see what we can dig up."
"Ok. I'm sick of just sitting around waiting for any news from them while they're off having a blast in other worlds," Hayner said with a smirk.
The trio finished their drinks and paid for their bill, then hurried off through the sewers to reach the woods where the mansion was hidden. With how cold it was, there was a bit of ice that formed in the underground sewers. Reaching the exit, they strolled through the woods and found the entrance of the manor's property beyond the grove. Just as they were about to break through the trees, a portal of darkness opened on the path to the front gate. Hayner, Pence, and Olette quickly hid behind some trees, watching Ansem the Wise stepping out, followed by the Heartless Ansem. Forced to keep moving toward the mansion, Ansem the Wise grumbled, emotionally and mentally exhausted by the Organization's demands and the reminder of his curiosity involving his studies on the heart and other worlds.
Hayner, Pence, and Olette tailed them, being careful not to let the crunching snow beneath their feet catch either man's attention. As both Ansems entered the main courtyard, the trio hid behind the wall and peered around, watching them begin to enter the mansion. Ansem the Wise suddenly stopped, causing the Heartless half of Xehanort to turn around.
"What now?" the Heartless demanded.
The scientist's memories replayed all of the horrible crimes he had committed over the years. All for the sake of science, he wound up hurting so many just to unravel mysteries he shouldn't have gotten himself involved in. Gazing up at the second floor's left window, where white curtains hung and shifted weakly in a small breeze creeping inside, two Nobodies he mistreated as nothing came to the forefront of his mind.
"What more could you possibly need of me?" Ansem questioned. "I've created enough victims."
"Yes, you have," the Heartless stated without a hint of concern. "All of those children sacrificed in the name of your research. Now's your chance to make things right."
"I told you I did not take her," Ansem the Wise argued. "Her disappearance was why I put a stop to the research."
"'Her disappearance'?" Pence whispered. "What did this guy even do?"
"Is that blonde-haired guy this Ansem who made that secret lab in this mansion?" Hayner wondered.
"And you believe that makes you honorable?" the Seeker of Darkness questioned. "You used Roxas and Naminé and threw them away. I doubt there's a merciful bone in your body. You took the girl and hid her away."
Ansem the Wise closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "...If there is a reason I still draw breath, it is to atone for what I did to them...All of them..." With them mentioning Roxas, Hayner, Pence, and Olette had to do something to help Ansem from the Heartless Ansem. The regretful scientist opened his eyes and glared at the being who dared used his name for his nefarious plot years ago. "Even if you do find the girl, what is it that you expect will happen?"
"The child's memory holds a mystery to unravel; one concerning the battle we seek between light and darkness," the Heartless Ansem said. "You know something. That is why you stopped your experiments."
"...You are completely deluded, Xehanort," Ansem grunted.
"We shall soon see." Xehanort's Heartless approached Ansem and grabbed his shoulder, forcing him go inside the mansion and retrieve what the Organization was searching for.
The Twilight Trio executed their plan with Olette making her way around the wall to find an opening to enter the courtyard. Pence stepped out, acting like he had been running around while searching around frantically.
"Yoo-hoo!" he called out, causing both Ansems to pause and glance back at Pence. "Excuse me, sirs, can you help me?"
"What do you want?" the Heartless questioned irritably.
"I'm, uhh...looking for a friend who lives around here," Pence lied, but he wasn't going to fool Seeker of Darkness Ansem that easily.
"No one lives here. Begone," he ordered.
While pence kept him distracted, Olette found a way inside, hiding behind one of the broken pillars. While the Heartless stepped forward, trying and failing to shoo away Pence, she found her opening and grabbed Ansem the Wise's hand.
"Quick! This way!" she said as she pulled the man to safety.
Hearing the snow crunch around the pillar, the Heartless turned toward Ansem, watching him fleeing with Olette. Before he could go after them, Hayner ran out and rushed him.
"Hey, loser!" he shouted, pulling out his Struggle bat and leapt forward, preparing a hard overhead swing to the back of his head. Far more agile than Hayner expected, the Heartless swiftly turned himself around, grasping the bat, and with a powerful clench of his hand, he snapped it in half. "...Or not."
"Insolent child. You have no idea who you're messing with." Hayner backed away nervously, but he still needed to give Olette some more distance from this Ansem. He threw his busted bat aside, then tried to kick him, but failed as he was nabbed by his heel. "Do not interfere!"
Spinning around, the Heartless man swept Hayner off balance as he was flung hard toward the wall. Pence gasped, unable to help his friend. Just as Hayner was about to crash painfully into the stone wall, he was suddenly rescued by a Swashbuckler leaping in to catch the young man, cushioning the impact as they hit the wall and fell to the ground. Hayner was helped back to his feet, both him and Pence recognizing the Nobodies who once jumped in to help save them a couple years back.
"These guys are here?" Hayner uttered.
More Swashbucklers appeared, surrounding the Seeker of Darkness. The Nobody who saved Hayner looked at the duo, gesturing for them to get away. Taking the hint, Hayner and Pence turned tail and sprinted back into the woods.
"What is this?" the Heartless questioned. "These are his Nobodies. This is treason." The Swashbucklers didn't care as they charged Ansem, but he teleported out of the ambush circle, then unleashed a dark flare beneath them, eradicating them. The single Swashbuckler remaining disappeared, making Ansem sneer in disappointment. "...So, still defiant, even with the looming threat held over your head."
Ansem the Wise and Olette panted after sprinting as fast as they could, hiding out within the sewer way. They weren't followed, and no Heartless or Nobodies chased after them as they relaxed. Hayner and Pence caught up with them, coming to a halt as they panted heavily.
"Oh man, I thought I was gonna be splattered all over the wall," Hayner uttered.
Once the young men caught their breath, the trio focused on Ansem. "Are you alright, sir?"
"Yes, but why...?" As he got a better look at them, he was surprised to see that Hayner, Pence, and Olette were the exact same duplicates in the digital Twilight Town he set up for Roxas to return Sora's memories back to him. "...You three are...Roxas's friends."
"Yeah. Well, kinda," Pence said. He pulled out the picture Sora gave them from what was given to him during the old Organization XIII's attack on Radiant Garden. It had the Twilight Trio standing before the mansion with the gate closed behind them, but alongside them was Roxas. It was uncanny how the same picture they took had them all in the same pose as this copy from Roxas's Twilight Town. "We're the flesh and blood alternates of his data friends. Sora showed us this a while back."
"It was so bizarre that neither of us was sure if this was true," Olette added. "They even had a second blue gem that was part of the Struggle trophy that's one of a kind, and the one in our world still had it on the trophy."
"Yes. I had based the data realm where Roxas was imprisoned by me around the real Twilight Town," Ansem explained. "Even recreations of the people who live in this world." In his quest for vengeance, Ansem had abused Naminé's power and mistreated Roxas as nothing. Though the rest of the older Organization deserved no sympathy, to tear a Nobody who's appearance was only a child from those he believed were his friends made him feel like a monster. As if his prior experiments in the past weren't humane already, the betrayal he felt from Xehanort made him lose his sense of morality, especially when he enlisted Riku to helping him search for the missing pieces of Sora's memory to return his memories back to the way they were. "I fear I've done too much damage to everyone involved. All for science, or revenge. No amount of redemption will bring back the reputation I've squandered."
"Then why don't you make things right?" Behind them, a portal of darkness appeared, startling Ansem and the Twilight Town trio. As it faded, they were surprised to see Kaito taking the portal's place, his remaining Swashbuckler in the ambush warping back to his side. "You three aren't hurt, are you?"
"Huh? It's Sora's dad?" Pence uttered. "Er, I mean his dad's Nobody. Uhh..."
"We're good," Hayner assured. "Your Nobody saved my skin back there."
Ansem stared at the Nobody, confused by his actions. "Kaito...What are you doing?"
"Giving you an out," Kaito said. "But it wasn't my idea." Pointing his thumb behind him, another portal appeared and disappeared, revealing Vexen. "It was his."
Hayner, Pence, and Olette were wary of seeing another guy in the same black coat, but Ansem was shocked to know the one who instigated a rescue operation for him was one of his subordinates. "Even?"
Vexen stared at Ansem, then after a long moment of silence, the Nobody scientist bowed his head. "Master Ansem, I am glad you're ok." Taken aback by his pupil's concern, Ansem looked at Kaito, who only shrugged his shoulders in response. "I had given up a normal life to plant myself within the Organization. I didn't know what became of you, but when you were brought in by one of Xehanort's alternate selves, it was a perfect opportunity to reunite with you as well."
"He's part of the Organization?" Hayner questioned, and after knowing Kaito had assisted Vexen in freeing Ansem from the Organization, he, Pence, and Olette stared at the Nobody.
Vexen lifted his head, his eyes no longer holding an egotistical persona, his personality as the Organization's scientist merely a facade. "For you see, Master, I, too, wish to atone." Ansem was at a loss for words. After hearing his former subordinate overreacting to the failures of their equine vessel being stolen right under their noses and his excitement in the research for these vessels, he didn't think Vexen would ever go back to being who he formerly was as a human. Vexen turned to Kaito, giving him a grateful grin. "Thank you for doing this, Kaito."
"After you treated me like crap, I don't owe you anything," Kaito grunted. "I know I'm going to get in a whole lot of trouble for this...but if they kill me for this kind of mutiny, all the better to thwart Xehanort's plan."
"Mutiny?" Olette uttered.
"Wait, you mean...Are you with the Organization!?" Pence exclaimed. Kaito turned his head away from the Twilight Town trio, grimacing slightly. His response startled Hayner, Pence, and Olette. After how he came in to save them a couple years back from the Heartless and Nobodies, they didn't realize he was actually enlisted and was acting like a double agent. "...No way..."
"I don't believe this one bit!" Hayner shouted. "You're part of them!? For how long!?"
Kaito just shook his head, giving the young group a dejected glance. "...Don't tell Sora," he said before disappearing through a portal of darkness, his Swashbuckler teleporting after him.
"W-Wait!" It was too late to get more answers from him. Dumbfounded, Hayner, Pence, and Olette turned to Ansem and Vexen, both of them knowing Kaito more than they did. "What did he mean, 'Don't tell Sora?'"
"I'm sorry, but if we waste too much time standing around, we're likely to be found by the Organization," Vexen said. Holding out his hand, he created another portal, but where it would take them was a mystery. "This way, Master Ansem."
"Hey, you're not leaving until you tell us what the hell Sora's dad is doing with those guys!?" Hayner exclaimed.
"His dad's Nobody," Pence corrected.
"Semantics, Pence!" Hayner argued.
As much as Vexen wanted to rush his mentor to get him to safety, they both looked at each other. They won't know if Sora will be back to Twilight Town and bump into the trio anytime soon, but if they do tell him how they managed to "recruit" Kaito, they would try to warn him.
"...He was blackmailed into joining," Ansem said. "One of them recognized him as a Nobody who was supposed to be part of the original Organization XIII, but knew better and escaped."
"Blackmailed?" Olette asked. "What did they do to threaten him? Hurt Sora?"
"A dumb reason if he can take a few hits from the likes of them," Hayner grumbled skeptically.
"They know Kaito is the Nobody of his father," Vexen added. "...They are also aware of where Sora's mother resides. And they threatened her life if he did not comply or heed their orders." Shocked, Hayner, Pence, and Olette gasped at the blackmail. "This may be why he doesn't want Sora to know he's forced to betray everyone for his mother's safety. Didn't help that Demyx was the first one to chance an encounter with her, twice, only for her relation to Sora now known, along with Kaito's true self. I don't know if they're still holding that threat over his head, but after asking for his aide in this situation, they may hold true to their promise."
"Xehanort still needs Sora," Ansem stated. "Regardless if they have their numbers, Sora is still a major catalyst in his plot. But for what at this point, I'm still not sure."
"We have to warn him about this!" Pence said. "If his mom's in danger-!"
"Then he would have far more to worry about than he should," Ansem interrupted.
They knew he was right. Sora always fought to protect everyone, but to know he would have to fight his father's Nobody on top of worrying about Manami's safety, he was going to be emotionally overwhelmed and be an easy target. They didn't have any way to communicate with them anyway, but without this info, they're most likely going to find out the truth later, which would only make things far worse for Sora.
"Let us hurry," Vexen rushed his mentor.
"Right. Let's go," Ansem said.
Both scientists stepped through the portal, Hayner, Pence, and Olette watching them leave as the portal closed behind them. "...This sucks," Hayner grunted.
"Sora can help him find a way out of this...right?" Pence asked.
Hayner and Olette were silent, doubting Kaito even has a chance from how miserable he looked. Unable to do much for the others, they solemnly returned to town.
Sandbar stared at the vast emptiness of space as the Gummi ship flew toward its destination. They passed by a few other worlds that looked interesting, but his was still upset being the dull and uninteresting member of the rest of his friends. They each had something special with their abilities. Sandbar knew more about how friendship worked through their lessons as a pony, and he tutored them with anything they didn't understand. He could match Yona's strength, he's got a good grasp on magic spells, his endurance is on par with his masters'. The Mane Six were able to Formchange their Keyblades of Harmony, something he wasn't sure if he was able to do. He tried to figure out what truly made him special, but nothing came to mind, nor could he come up with something unique and powerful against his foes.
"Sandbar, you doing ok?" Twilight asked, snapping the teenage colt out of his thoughts.
"Uhh...Y-Yeah. Just...can't wait to see what this world is gonna be like," Sandbar uttered nervously.
"Why couldn't we just warp there like any other place?" Rainbow groaned, slumping in her seat as she fidgeted anxiously. "If that glider training wasn't interrupted, we could have just gotten there much sooner.
"We're almost there," Donald said. "Should be just up ahead in a moment."
"From the map, it looked like a huge city," Goofy mentioned. "Lots of tall skyscrapers with alleyways that would be perfect hiding spots for Heartless to sneak around."
"A good place to practice using our gliders if we got to that lesson?" Sandbar asked curiously.
"I think it's best not to resort to flying around on a glider in plain view of the city," Sora answered. "If Heartless or the Keyblades breaking the world order is bad enough, watching someone flying around on some strange alien air ship would instill a greater panic."
"And if anyone catches sight of our Gummi ship?" Donald questioned curiously.
"Uhhh...We're lucky no one's spotted a blocky spaceship yet?" Sora said with a sheepish grin.
"Let's just hope the people there don't panic or think it odd seeing a couple ponies wandering around," Twilight said. "I was kind of lucky back in Olympus when pegasi sort of exist there...even though there was only one of him."
Not too long after, they could see the world up ahead. It was one of the strangest and unique worlds out of any that Sora, Donald, and Goofy had seen, where the world was actually sitting on a "platform" that had a bridge-like highway with red arches. A three-way street made up the surface, and among the upper hemisphere were several skyscrapers of varying heights, along with large fish-like turbines floating above the tall buildings.
"Whoa. That's...new," Rainbow uttered.
"Are those supposed to be wind turbines or...parade floats?" Twilight questioned as she stared at the odd fish-shaped turbines.
"That's new to me," Sora said.
Flying the ship down toward the bridge, shifting through the thick clouds and coming out to enter the world's atmosphere. The city was much, MUCH bigger than what it appeared to look like upon arrival; a large river separated the city of towering buildings with the same highway bridge crossing over it to reach the city and more land on the opposite end. Hovering far enough back from any civilians that could see the Gummi ship, Sora landed at the one end of the highway far from the city. It would be a bit of a walk to get there via the bridge, but if it meant keeping the world order as best as possible, they wouldn't want to risk it.
Once they got on the bridge, it was like the highway was completely abandoned. Several vehicles from small cars to one or two semi-trucks were left in the middle of the lanes, or worse, flipped or tilted over with some terrible collateral damage from something that rammed into them.
"Whoa. What are these strange metal carriages?" Sandbar uttered in awe, approaching one of the cars curiously.
"I think I've seen these in the human Equestria world through the portal," Twilight said. "They're called...'automobiles'?"
"The hay are they meant to do?" Rainbow asked.
"They're like carriages or wagons back home, but they can be driven without being pulled," Twilight explained. "And not by magic, either."
"These giant hunks of steel can move on their own? What, like a train?" Rainbow questioned skeptically.
"You're questioning a car as if you've forgotten about the Gummi ship?" Donald questioned back.
"Ok, that is much different than these things since Gummi ships fly," Rainbow argued.
Sandbar was about to touch the surface of the vehicle he went over to investigate, only to be startled when they heard an explosion coming from further up the suspension bridge. From the smoke, several small purple, rounded "machines" were flying around, launching missiles at something they were attacking. Glimpsing at the Heartless emblem on them, whoever was in their sights were in danger.
"Heartless! Come on, guys!" Sora called out as everyone summoned their weapons. They began to charge in to help, only to duck when something flew over Sora, barely sending him crashing to the ground. Looking back, watching what came hurtling at them hit the ground and tumble a few feet appeared to be a young woman in a yellow suit. A few thin, rounded discs clattered from her person and rattled to the pavement. "Oh, that's not good."
"Go Go!" Flying over them, the visiting heroes spotted a red object fly over them and approach the unconscious woman. Hovering to a stop and floating to the ground, the object was a large, red-armored being with glowing flames of rockets on its feet and retractable wings. On its back was someone smaller in similar purple suit like the young woman's, but he was only a teenager, far too young to get involved in this mess. Hopping off his armored companion, he hurried over to check on his unconscious ally. "Baymax!"
The armored being called Baymax shifted their head, a scanning ray peering from its eyes trailed up and down Go Go. "Go Go's suit has shielded her from major injury, but the blow she sustained to her head has caused a mild concussion," Baymax said, his speech robotic, though not lacking in too deadpanned of a tone. "We should take caution and not move her until we can fully stabilize her head."
"Is that thing...human?" Rainbow asked.
"I think it's a robot," Sora corrected. As the armored duo turned around, the larger "man's" face was actually just a pair of big beady eyes with a black line connecting them, but it was able to blink. While Twilight, Rainbow, and Sandbar were a little unnerved by Baymax's face, Sora's suspicion was confirmed. "Yeah, that's a robot. And a cool crime-fighting one."
Baymax then lifted his right hand, giving it a small, circular, robotic wave. "Hello. I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion," he greeted.
"'Healthcare companion'?" Twilight parroted. "In armor?"
"Sorry, but if you're looking to come into San Fransokyo, we've got a little issue on the bridge," the teen advised.
"Looks like you could use a little help taking care of them," Sora said. "Name's Sora. And this is Donald, Goofy, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Sandbar."
The teen took a look at the group, noticing the three ponies that accompanied the spiky-haired wielder, a bipedal canine with a shield, and a stout bipedal duck with a wand. "Are those...colorful miniature horses?...With wings?"
"Hey, kid, we're ponies!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"And can talk?" Twilight grimaced, scowling at Rainbow for already breaking the world order, but instead of freaking out, the young teen seemed fascinated by them. "They must be cybernetic equines. But how is that blue one able to fly without rocket thrusters to keep it airborne like a real pegasus's?" Stunned, Twilight and Rainbow glanced at each other, but if this kid believed they were robots, they decided to roll with it to keep the world order. Hearing more explosions back in the center of the bridge, there were more important matters to deal with. "R-Right. Introductions later. Baymax, go help get rid of those things! I'll stay with Go Go!"
"Affirmative," Baymax said.
Activating his thrusters, Baymax flew back into the fight. Even if the savior of the day was a robot, he might not be able to fully stop a Heartless attack. Sora led the charge with his friends while leaving the young man with his companion. As they reached closer to the central point of the Heartless attack, Pole Cannons popped in on the pavement and abandoned vehicles, some extending to a higher vantage and began firing at them.
"Take cover!" Donald screeched.
Ducking behind other cars to avoid getting shot, Sora dove and slid toward the next car, firing light bullets at the Pole Cannons to clear the way. They moved forward, launching spells and diving to cover to reach Baymax and help him with the threat. Using her speed, Rainbow was able to fly around the Pole Cannons, slashing them as she zipped around in a rainbow blur to help clear their path more. She got a little too cocky, chuckling and waving her Keyblade around.
"This is way too easy," she gloated. "I wanna fight a huge Heartless!"
While she wasn't paying attention, the biggest threat let out a menacing roar, then a powerful slam as multiple vehicles' horns went off from the impact. A yellow car was flung and came hurtling toward Rainbow Dash, the sound alerting her as she turned around, yelling in surprise and braced herself to being crushed. The others were too slow to react, but zipping to her rescue, Baymax got in front of the pegasus and managed to catch the car. They were impressed by how strong the robot medic was, even as he effortlessly threw the car aside, revealing another Troll heartless, only this one was covered in metal than stone.
"Whoa. That Baymax thing is really tough," Sandbar said.
Baymax turned around as Rainbow squinted her eyes, feeling a little sheepish for having her back turned. "My scanners indicate you are unharmed. However, Hiro's description of your physical body is not accurate. You are flesh and blood like any ordinary human, yet you are a tiny winged horse; a pegasus of ancient Greek mythos."
"Uhh, maybe your scanner things are wrong?" Rainbow uttered nervously.
"Running diagnostics," Baymax said, a variety of different machine whirring sounds coming from him before it stopped. "My scanners are fully functional. No errors or malfunctions detected." Hearing the Metal Troll roar, Baymax turned around, watching the Heartless rushing toward them with its ax reared back. "Oh no."
Right as it swung its ax, a massive fireball struck the Metal Troll in the face. It roared out in pain, staggering backward before it couldn't keep its balance and fell on its back. Dropping in, Twilight landed in front of Rainbow and Baymax, Harmony and the Keyblade of Magic in its wand Formchange held in her aura.
"Do we need to teach you how to pay attention when there are tons of Heartless around, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight grumbled.
Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Sandbar grouped up, fighting off the new Heartless that were flying around earlier called Tireblades. They shifted into flight or grounded modes, revving their tires and charging at them or launching rockets at them.
"Sandbar, stick with Donald and Goofy and take care of the small fry!" Sora said.
"Yes, sir!" Sandbar said, slamming his Keyblade down on a Tireblade while Sora ran over to assist Twilight, Rainbow, and Baymax with the Metal Troll, the giant Heartless climbing back up on its feet. "Well, you got your wish, Rainbow; a giant Heartless to fight."
"I didn't want to get crushed!" Rainbow exclaimed. "I'm gonna teach this giant not to mess with the fastest pegasus in Equestria!"
With a grunt, she threw her Keyblade into the pavement at the Metal Troll's feet. Lightning struck, piercing the Heartless while Loyalty shot up in its Formchanged shape. Rainbow flew after it, grasping it in her hooves, then dove down onto the Heartless and thrust her spear into its back, unleashing a powerful bolt of lightning to shock it some more. With it stunned, Baymax launched forward with his thrusters and began performing some swift, but stiff kung fu strikes, managing to knock the Heartless back while being a third its size.
Sandbar grunted, swiping at the Tireblades as he leapt out of their way as they charged at him. More Pole Cannons appeared and began to fire at them, Goofy blocking the shots with his shield with Donald zapping them with Thunder spells. One Tireblade shot several missiles toward the trio with Goofy's back turned, but Sandbar jumped in, deflecting them right back and blowing itself up.
The Metal Troll shoved its ax over its face, letting out a roar as it went into an armored frenzy. It charged after Rainbow Dash, but she flew up and out of its reach while Baymax flew up to it, holding out his left fist.
"Rocket punch," he announced, his armored fist detaching from his armor, then launched out at blinding speed with powerful thrusters.
It struck the Metal Troll straight in the face, getting knocked back with a stunned grunt, its armor slightly cracked from the powerful blow. "Ok, that was pretty cool," Rainbow said. "But how about this!?"
Spinning her spear, Rainbow's weapon began to conduct electricity, picking up speed and sending deadly sparks spiraling around her. Once charged, she let out a whistle, getting the Heartless's attention, then zipped down and began banking all around it, leaving behind an electrified rainbow trail that lingered in sharp zigzag patterns. She phased through its body with such blinding speed, moving far too fast for it to catch up to even spot her among the sparking trail surrounding it. Rainbow zipped to the ground and skid, turning around with a smirk, then flung her spear like a javelin, striking its chest, causing the jagged lightning around it to spark, constrict the Metal Troll, and then unleash a powerful bolt of lightning from the sky. The lightning strike scorched the pavement, even shattering the Troll's ax, leaving it defenseless and without its deadly weapon.
"That move was, indeed, cool," Baymax commented.
"No, this move is." As Twilight interjected, she hovered her Formchanged wand and connected it to Harmony, enhancing her magical power as it shimmered brilliantly. With a swing, she sent a Blizzaja spell toward the Metal Troll, the contact immediately freezing the Heartless in a giant ice block in the shape of a six-pointed star. Another wave launched a Firaja spell, exploding powerfully against its side, shattering the ice and sending the Heartless flying off the bridge and into the water with a huge splash, its heart slowly rising up into the sky as it drowned. "How's that for a cool move?"
"Pth. Showoff," Rainbow scoffed.
"I learned from the best," Twilight teased.
"I wonder if that's a good thing or a bad thing," Sora remarked.
"I was talking about you, Sora," Twilight stated.
Rainbow frowned at the remark and glared at the alicorn. While Rainbow was being picked on, Sandbar had noticed his pony mentors pulling off incredibly unique attacks on the Metal Troll. He grumbled, unable to do anything spectacular against the smaller Heartless. He began to brainstorm some ideas, forgetting there were still Tireblades swerving and flying around them.
"Sandbar, look out!" Donald squawked.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Sandbar turned around, only to get struck by an incoming Tireblade spiraling wildly. He yelled as he was hit, feeling the edge of its tire scuffing against his face, leaving behind a painful scratch. He hit the ground, rubbing his cheek, then glanced up to watch the Heartless start to divebomb him. He flinched, holding out his Keyblade in defense, but Baymax swooped in, roundhouse kicking the Tireblade, knocking it into the railing of the bridge as it poofed out of existence, releasing its heart.
With all the Heartless fully dealt with, the others relaxed while Baymax turned around and faced Sandbar. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"Ugh...I-I'm good," Sandbar grumbled. "Most important rule I broke; never get distracted in the middle of a fight."
"You have a first degree scrape along your left cheek," Baymax noted as his eyes scanned over Sandbar and his injury. "On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?"
"Uhh...I don't know. A six, I guess." Baymax lifted both his hands, his right one grabbing Sandbar's hoof and moving it away slightly. His left hand's gauntlet retracted slightly, showing off a puffy white arm as he pointed one of his fingers at Sandbar's face. Baymax sprayed an antibacterial mist over the stallion's wound, making him grimace from the burning sting as it made contact. The pain quickly subsided as his injury slowly faded, startling Sandbar with how swift the robot's healing capabilities were. "...Whoa. Thanks. But I thought you were some sort of fighting machine."
"My programming is primarily based on providing healthcare to patients, but Hiro has also downloaded different styles of ka-ra-te to assist in fighting crime," Baymax explained, his left hand covered back up by his armor.
"Hiro?" Sandbar looked back down the bridge where the teen had been riding on Baymax's back. "You mean him?"
"Correct," Baymax said.
"Sandbar, you alright!?" Sora, Twilight, Rainbow, Donald, and Goofy rushed over to check on the teenage colt.
"I'm fine," Sandbar assured.
They hurried back to Hiro and Go Go, the young woman waking up, but still lost in a daze from the painful blow she took. "You shouldn't be moving around, Go Go," Hiro said.
"I've had worse spills than this, Hiro," Go Go grunted. She held her head, but she remained conscious, noticing their new backup along with Baymax. "Who're they?"
"They helped us stop those monsters," Hiro said. Go Go nearly lost her balance, but Sora rushed forward and helped her stay on her feet. "Let's get back home. I think we all need a breather after dealing with them for the last week."
"A week?" Sora asked. "Who else is fighting the Heartless with you guys?"
"Heartless?" Hiro questioned. "Is that what they're called?"
"I think we can try to explain everything with your team," Twilight said.
Hiro nodded, leading the way while Sora helped Go Go with some aid from Goofy, making their way toward the huge city of San Fransokyo.