Twilight Sparkle's Story

"Don't worry, Tails, I'm sure we wouldn't leave without you!" says Peach as she boards Luna.

"Let us away, then!" Luna said as she and Celestia took off, flying to Harmonia with Mario and Peach in tow.

Xi and the three winged ponies were about to leave...

"So...I take it all went well in there?"

The four paused at this voice. Turning, they saw Zeta leaning against a nearby rock spire.

"(!) You again?!" Twilight exclaimed.

"(!) Don't tell me THIS is the guy that nabbed you!" Rainbow Dash growled, leering down Zeta. "Well, have I got some choice words for - !"

"Wait!!" Xi shouted, holding Rainbow Dash back by her tail. "...Sorry about that, brother. She's a bit...well, less likely to relinquish a grudge."

"Understood," Zeta commented. "But I really shouldn't waste any time. It seems that something is about to emerge."

"Emerge...?" Fluttershy responded. "Oh my...What's going to emerge?"

"Xi...I think you know what I'm talking about. What was destroyed in Haven's midst...Its kin are in dire risk as well."

"Its kin...?" Xi asked.

"You two...." Zeta said to Twilight and Rainbow Dash, "you might have seen something similar, I take it? Well, what I speak of is on a grander scale than those little shards of the Bell Tower."

"Grander scale...?" Twilight responded.

Nothing's to stop Leilanie from going there.

-----

Meanwhile, at the surface...

"Like I said, I have to leave soon," Zeta said. "We can only hope that the other seven won't be harmed..."

"Wait!" Fluttershy called. "What happens if the other seven are...?"

"...Well...with one gone, it's said the destroyer can observe all in the world. Two gone...I don't even want to think of what will happen then..."

And with that, Zeta vanished in a blur of solar light.

"(!) Wait - !" Xi cried out...but was too late.

Leilanie began training at the facility by throwing her shurikens at the training dummies. Some of the dummies have a picture of the ex-ruler of Hellborne, Satan. Ever since he was banished, his former minions posted pictures of his mugshot as the faces of the dummies. They just love to ridicule him for his lack of common sense. Most noticeably, it was because of the tug-o-war challenge he lost years ago.

"..."

Xi was at a loss for words about what Zeta said, and his sudden leave.

"Xi..." Twilight started, "he seems to be saying...you might remember something that happened in Haven. What could it be?"

"I...well..." Xi was trying to think on what Zeta was getting at...

...

{screams} Lemme go!!

Mommy! Daddy!!

Heeeeelp!!

XI!! MICHAEL!! TSA - !!

"!!!" Xi limbs locked up, paralyzed in what could best be described as sheer terror. Her voice could only give off subtle pained gasps. This startled the three ponies.

"Uh, Xi? You're...kinda freaking me out here!" Rainbow Dash said nervously.

"A - Ah - !!" Xi's visor flashed with yellow and blue, with very minute traces of red flashes before just blinking out completely as she fell unconscious.

"(!) Oh my - ! W-We need to get her a comfy bed, pronto!" Fluttershy exclaimed.

"At this time...let's see, closest would be...Pitresco!" Twilight said, lifting Xi onto her back. "C'mon, girls!" With that, Twilight led Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to Pitresco.

"Hey, big guy." Leilanie called the Thug Leader, "Why is Satan's picture on the head of the dummy?"

"Why don't you ask Shu and find out. But right now, Keep training!"

With morning having come, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy got up early and freshened up. It was a rough flight from Hellborne Valley to here the other night. As for Xi, she was still out cold, but at the very least, her visor showed faint light, indicating that she'll pull through soon.

"M...Mo...Mommy..." she mumbled, in a worried tone.

Meanwhile, that same fisherman was still sitting at the pier, not moving at all.

Suddenly, an explosion was heard from the direction of Bacaina Shrine. This alerted the ponies...and the fisherman, whose pole quivered.

"(!) W-Was that a bomb just now??" Rainbow Dash stammered.

"A bomb?! Oh no oh no oh no...!!" Fluttershy muttered, covering her face.

Xi seemed to be disturbed during her sleep. She suddenly woke up in a sweat, her visor flashing yellow.

"NO - ! {pauses and looks around} ...Where...?"

"We're in Pitresco right now," Twilight explained. "It wouldn't have been safe to rest in Hellborne, so..."

"...Oh," Xi responded.

"So? What made you black out like that?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"...A...key."

"Key? Wait, you mean like the ones we hunted for for the Bell Tower?"

"No, bigger. In my home, there was a big key in the deepest floor. My father said it and seven other keys were keeping something contained."

"Keeping something contained?" Twilight asked. "Like what?"

"I don't know, but...one day, several years ago, a bunch of terrorists came in, looting the place and destroying whatever was in their way. They didn't listen to my father's protests and... {sad tone} and they...destroyed the key, too...!"

"They WHAT?!" Rainbow Dash said in shock and anger. "What else did these scumbags do?!"

"They...I think they took me and my brothers. They subdued our father, too, and...our mother, they..." Xi couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence, only able to give off sobs at this point.

"Oh my..." Fluttershy said, uncovering her face and returning to Xi's side. "I'm...sorry."

"{hic} I...I don't know why they did that...They didn't have to break that key just to take us...!"

"Wait...if what I fear is correct, then..." Twilight Sparkle realized something. "(!) That bomb might have hit the Bacaina Shrine! That's where one of the keys is located!!"

"What - ?!" Rainbow Dash responded with surprise.

"I remember now! The lore of the King of Unity and his seven disciples! After the great war, eight keys were secured to keep the calamity in check," Twilight explained. "One key was at Hierophant, and another was at Bacaina. And if these keys are being broken, then...!"

"(?) Wait..." Fluttershy spoke up. "Wasn't someone at that pier not too long ago?"

Indeed, the fisherman is gone. Unless he just melted into water, there's no way he could have disappeared so suddenly.

"In that case," Rainbow Dash spoke up, "we gotta have a word with whoever launched that bomb - in physical form!"

"No, what we should do first is inform Princess Celestia about this!" Twilight insisted. "Come on, we're heading back to Dream Valley."

With that, Twilight and Rainbow Dash glided off for Dream Valley. Xi was still on her knees, deep in thought.

"..."

"Um, Xi?" Fluttershy said to her. "I...I know you must have suffered a lot, and...I completely understand if you just want to forget about all th - "

"No..." Xi responded.

"Hu - ?"

"I'd rather endure all that pain...than forget that I had a family," Xi continued. "I know that...doesn't sound pleasant, but I think...that's the price we have to pay...in order to hang on to greater happiness."

Xi's words made Fluttershy reflect on her own past...to which she could affirm them.

"...I guess so," Fluttershy said with a smile. "Better to be happy than to feel nothing, right?"

"Right. Okay...let's go."

Xi activated her anti-gravity wings, flying along with Fluttershy to Dream Valley.

Meanwhile, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Xi arrived to the front of the castle. The two unicorn guards were initially wary of Xi.

"Halt!" "State your business!"

"(!) U-Um..." Xi stammered, surprised by this hold-off.

"She's...with us," Twilight explained. "Don't worry, she won't mean any harm."

"Well...we'll hold your word on it, princess." "Sorry about that. Proceed."

With that done, the four enter, heading to the throne room. They're likely to run into Tails here.

Meanwhile, a green blur leaped in through a window to a room leading to the throne room...

"What brings you here?" Tail asked Twilight and the others.

"Tails! We've got trouble! Big trouble!" Twilight exclaimed. "Haven just blew up the Bacaina Shrine, and now something worse might be happening because of that!!"

"What?!" Tails screamed, "Are they out of their minds?! Why would they--?"

Kirby then interrupted the conversation by bumping into Tails. Kirby looks up to Tails before he tilts his head.

"Poyo?"

"Please, explain."

This voice came from Celestia, whom had just brought Luna.

"Please, do," said Goemon, from the window.

"Well..."

So, Twilight explained what happened - the bombing, the fate of Bacaina's key, what happened to Xi's home and how it relates...

"This is more serious than I thought... They could bring wars all across Unita." Tails replied, "Unita is supposed to be a world where everything is united. But Haven wants more."

"Oh dear..." Celestia said. "First two renegades have gone loose from the Dream Dimension, and now Haven declares war on another nation...I fear the worst may be over the horizon."

"Well, with the Day of Unity approaching, the world's leaders will be called for a conference soon," Luna pointed out. "When that time comes, we will ascertain Haven's intent."

"Do you think Haven's leaders will listen...?" Xi asked.

"They better!" Rainbow Dash responded.

"In the meantime, we better check out Senzai Villa," Twilight said. "No telling what will - "

"(!) Shhh!" Fluttershy said. "...Do you hear that?"

Fluttershy's attention turned toward where Goemon is standing, just behind a window curtain.

Kirby is tilting his head over the confersation. Toadsworth is very concerned about the war in the future.

"Oh, I really hope they listen to us," Toadsworth feared, "If we failed to convince Haven's leaders that what they're doing is wrong, then we have no choice but to fight back. We cannot allow Haven to do anymore damage in the future."

"I'm sure we can convince them to stop this war!" remarks Peach. "I have the utmost faith!"

"Let's hope so..." Twilight said.

Xi and Fluttershy both looked to the window nearby - Goemon was standing there. It was only half a second they had him in their sight before he quickly sprinted past Kirby, placing the pink gem into his hands as he did.