The Kingdom of Corona (Part 3)
Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Maximus walked through the woods, waking up bright and early the moment the sun peeked its rays through the branches. "Gallus! Rapunzel!" Sora called out, hoping to hear them nearby and they didn't go too far ahead. "Hey! Where are you guys!?"
"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Donald asked.
"They have to be somewhere away from the newly filled lake," Sora pointed out. "Wherever that secret passage was in that cave, it had to be in that direction."
Donald just sighed, unsure whether to always trust in Sora's navigational skills when they're in a new world they haven't explored yet. Maximus warily eyed the trio, making sure they weren't considered criminals should they arrive anywhere near the capital. While cautiously walking beside them, his ears perked up, hearing a familiar masculine voice in the distance up ahead. His target not too far away, Maximus snorted, then galloped ahead, startling Sora, Donald, and Goofy.
"Whoa! Hey, Maximus! Where ya goin'!?" Goofy called out.
"Maybe he found the others!" Sora said.
The trio of friends chased after the stallion, falling a bit behind as the horse sprinted off like his life depended on it. Up ahead, they heard what sounded like whinnies and a man screaming in surprise, which happened to sound a lot like Flynn. Sora, Donald, and Goofy sprinted down the path and arrived at a clearing, luckily finding Rapunzel and Flynn, though Flynn was cowering away from Maximus while Rapunzel was between them, trying to calm the seething stallion down.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy, boy!" Maximus glared at Flynn, ignoring the young girl trying to protect him. He was going to ignore her, but Pascal, who was sitting on Rapunzel's head, calmly gestured for him to relax. Baffled, and slightly annoyed, Maxmius slowly lowered his haunches to sit, hesitating slightly before giving up and plopping his hindquarters on the ground. Satisfied, Rapunzel brought her hands to the horse's face, then surprised the horse by petting the bridge of his nose, making his tail wag in the process. "Oh, you are such a good boy! Yes you are. Are you all tired from chasing this bad man all over the place?"
Maximus nodded sadly, admitting his frustration and exhaustion chasing Flynn yesterday. "Uhh, excuse me?" Flynn questioned, appalled that Rapunzel was taking Maximus's side over his. Flynn glanced behind Maximus, spotting Sora, Donald, and Goofy, who were a bit curious as to what Rapunzel meant saying Flynn was a "bad man". "Oh, thank goodness. My sidekicks have come to save me."
Maximus snapped out of his daze from the affectionate coddling Rapunzel gave him, shifting his head back to look at the trio, then back to glare at Flynn, silently questioning how those three are in cahoots with him. "Now now," Rapunzel gently chided the horse. "Today's is probably one of the biggest days of my life, and the thing is, I need you NOT to arrest him." Maximus let out a confused grunt at Rapunzel's request, then quickly shook his head. "Just for twenty-four hours, and then you can chase each other to your hearts' content."
"I'm sorry, who would be chasing whom? I'm the one who was being chased," Flynn grumbled.
"And why is that?" Sora asked, making Flynn grimace as the truth already came out. Sora, Donald, and Goofy eyed the man who called them his sidekicks. "You some kind of wanted criminal?"
Flynn sighed in defeat, standing up while being cautious of Maximus, who was still giving him a death glare. "I'm a thief. And this crazy horse was one of the steeds who's one of many mounts for the royal guards of Corona. He was chasing me before those monsters came after me."
Sora, Donald, and Goofy hummed in thought, then glanced at Rapunzel and Maximus. Rapunzel approached Flynn and Sora, taking them closer to Maximus, who immediately looked away when Flynn tried to offer his hand to the horse to shake on a temporary truce.
"And today is also my birthday," Rapunzel reminded everyone with an innocent smile, her eyes shifting between the thief, the horse, and the warrior. "Just so you all know."
Maximus's ear twitched, silently mulling over this deal, though Sora, Donald, and Goofy were surprised to know it was Rapunzel's birthday today. "Wow. Didn't know it was your birthday," Sora said. He glanced at Flynn, still wary of Maximus, even with his hand out. "Well, Flynn doesn't seem like much of a bad guy, Maximus." The stallion silently shifted his gaze to Sora, then quickly toward the forest, far away from Flynn. "At least, from what I know when we ran into him. So, for now, he's ok in my book."
Maximus glanced back at Flynn, then to a tree away from the man's position, finally giving in with a sputtering sigh. Giving Flynn a hard glare, Maximus raised his hoof out to Flynn, which he took, and the two shook. Satisfied, Rapunzel walked away, but out of her line of sight, Maximus quickly thrust his hoof and punched Flynn hard in the gut. Flynn wheezed as he fell to the ground, the horse snickering as he gave the man a little payback for the many slips he made from him yesterday while Sora winced.
"Low...blow," Flynn gasped as Sora helped him back on his feet.
"I don't think you deserved it either, but depending on what you took, it probably was deserved," Sora said. He looked around the clearing, finding no sign of a certain teenage griffon who was supposed to be with Rapunzel and Flynn. "Hey, where's Gallus?"
Rapunzel stopped, slowly turning to face Sora with a look of sadness. "...Uhh...Well..." She bit her lip, worried about telling Sora about what happened to his charge while they got split up. "...A lot happened when we got separated."
Confused, Sora, Donald, and Goofy heard what Rapunzel and Flynn had been through since they split up yesterday, including mentioning Rapunzel's magical hair. Learning of the golden, healing length of hair on the birthday girl's hair wasn't what startled the trio, even Maximus, though the horse stared in disbelief after witnessing the magic the adventurers had. What startled Sora the most was what nearly happened to Gallus, which explained how his bag was left behind on the road, along with what he did upon discovering Rapunzel's hair healing his wound, and now he ran away, getting lost in the forest and having no other way of leaving this world without the Gummi ship. They left out Gallus's panic attack when they got trapped in the cave in, knowing Gallus probably didn't want anyone to know about his claustrophobia.
"...This is bad," Sora uttered. "He can't survive on his own out here. Not with Nobodies around." He looked out to the expanse of trees down the road, then back to Rapunzel and Flynn. "Which way did he go?"
"From where we set up camp last night, he headed that way," Flynn said as he pointed down the road. "Luckily, that's the same direction as the kingdom capital."
"We need to hurry and find him," Sora said. "I just hope he didn't get any farther away." While Rapunzel and Flynn hitched a ride on Maximus's back, Sora immediately ran down the path with Donald and Goofy tailing him, along with Maximus once his riders were settled on his back. With no way of knowing where he was from his end, Sora reached a hand to his enchanted communicator. "Aqua, I need you to guide me to where Gallus is?"
"Why? Did you head in the wrong direction?" Aqua asked.
"Long story short, Gallus ran a bit farther ahead. And not in the good way," Sora explained.
He heard Aqua mutter something, already getting worried as she seemed to rush to the throne room and access the Galactic Map. "...Ok, I've found him. He's standing still. Just keep going down the path you're taking."
"Gotcha. There any Heartless along the way?" he asked.
"No, and I'm working on getting the map updated to locate Nobodies as well," Aqua added. Sora nodded and was about to cut off the call, but she spoke up again. "And Sora?"
"Yeah?" Sora asked.
"Please make sure Gallus comes back safely," she begged. "This was supposed to be an experience for all of the Young Six to help them learn. Getting hurt is part of it, but not when they get separated from a more experienced wielder."
"Right. I'll try to get him back in one piece," Sora promised. "I just hope Marluxia doesn't try to split us up again."
Birds chirped and tweeted, fluttering around in the trees or the grass, enjoying their avian neighbor's presence and greetings or pecking the ground for some worms for breakfast. A pair of small birds landed on a branch, though they were curious why it felt a lot softer than the bark along the limb. They glanced down at chirped quizzically, hopping all over the fuzzy branch. One of them gave it a small nip, making the mass shift as a grumble startled the pair of birds to fly away.
Gallus grunted as he opened his eyes, sitting up with a wince as he felt his back stiffen with his movements. "Agh. Jeez. I already miss my bed back at the dorm." Gallus cracked his back with a pop, sighing in relief as he then let out a yawn and scratched his side. Once he was wide awake, everything last night came back to him. Leaning against the tree, Gallus rubbed the bridge of his beak, questioning his morals while chastising himself for being so selfish. "Master Sora might as well just take me back to Equestria. If they can find me."
Deciding to wait until he was inevitably chewed out by his mentors, Gallus looked at his surroundings. Since it was dark, he didn't care where he fled to, but he seemed to have traveled pretty far through the woods. Below him, there was a small glade with a dirt path leading toward what appeared to be a rocky area, while the other end had a steep slope filled with flowers. He flapped his wings, flying over the forest canopy to see where each path led. The rocky area seemed to also be a quarry, spotting some mine entrances in the distance, which he wanted to avoid at all costs. The other path, to his surprise, led toward the Kingdom of Corona, and it wasn't too far from where he stopped last night. He saw the castle standing tall over the village, which was set around a massive lake, and a stone bridge connecting the town with the mainland.
At least he found the kingdom, though now he had to wait until the others caught up, assuming Sora, Donald, and Goofy found Rapunzel and Flynn. Gallus hovered back down onto his perch, sighing impatiently, but he didn't mind waiting long if it meant he had to avoid getting scolded and reprimanded for his actions. The birds that landed on him returned and perched on his head, making the griffon grumble slightly.
"I'm not a branch, you dumb birds," he muttered, gently shooing the birds away. As he looked at his waving claw, he lowered it and stared at it with a morose frown. Gallus summoned his Keyblade after a minute of silent contemplation, slowly tilting it around while examining its design. Aside from the entire blade mimicking the features of a griffon, the one thing that bothered him was the keychain, which was a perfect replica of how the real Idol of Boreas was sculpted in the stories Grandpa Gruff told over and over for the umpteenth time. What was once a treasured piece of gold that made the griffons a prideful race in a respectful way, it was forever lost in the Abysmal Abyss after the Arimaspi stole it from the kingdom centuries ago. "...What did they all see in me? Why me, out of any other griffon, was I chosen to be a Keyblade wielder? Why me...when all I am is just another greedy griffon?"
Gallus continued to stare at his Keyblade, questioning his moral self for who knows how long. He didn't even care about the curious birds fluttering and hopping on and around him. He was definitely the 'perfect' candidate to represent Griffonstone to unite Equestria with his kingdom in friendship. At this rate, he was sure that Equestria would quickly denounce griffons as friends and his training as a Keyblade wielder would end and he'd lose his weapon in a heartbeat. Gallus dismissed his Keyblade, barely frightening the birds roosting on him, resting against the tree while waiting for the inevitable.
"Gallus!" Hearing his name, Gallus snapped out of his spaced out daze. Looking down at the road, his moment of reprieve was over when he spotted Sora, Donald, Goofy, Rapunzel, Flynn, and Maximus approaching the clearing, and they were looking for him. "Gallus, where are you!?"
"If you're hiding, you can come out!" Goofy called out. "You're not in any danger no more!"
Gallus sighed heavily, his movements finally shaking off his new bird friends, alerting the group down below when they heard rapid flapping in the treetop. Gallus dropped down from the branch, spreading out his wings to lazily glide onto the grass.
"Gallus! There you are!" Sora said as he ran up to the griffon teen, the others sans Maximus relieved as well as they rushed up to Gallus, too. Sora kneeled down and examined Gallus to check if he got hurt after Rapunzel healed him last night, although Gallus just looked disgruntled, waiting to get scolded by his mentor. "Thank goodness we found you. We almost went on a wild goose chase looking for you."
"Hmph," Gallus grunted.
Donald approached Gallus, holding out his lost bag. "We found this on the road," he said. "Rapunzel told us you got hurt pretty badly by one of those Nobodies. I fixed the strap enough for it to hold, but Rarity can probably fix it good as new."
Gallus stared at his bag, swiping it from the mage, startling Donald from the swift motion. Gallus didn't bother checking the strap's temporary stitching, nor did he care if all his Potions were still intact inside his bag as he placed it back over himself. He was already miffed that Rapunzel told them what happened to them, which also included what he tried to do last night to her.
"I guess they told you every single moment from when we got split up by those Nobodies?" Gallus questioned irritably.
Confused by the griffon's anger, Sora glanced at his friends, then back to Rapunzel and Flynn before looking at Gallus again. "...Well, yeah. As much as that was a bad idea, you surprised us by how well you could handle yourself," Sora said. "Luckily, Rapunzel's hair had incredible healing powers. Without that, your Potions, or any other medical supplies, that nasty slice on your side could have gotten-"
"Whatever," Gallus interrupted. "Just get to the part where you yell at me for attempting to attack someone innocent."
"Yell at you?" Sora repeated.
"Yes! Stop going easy on me and just scold me, write me up, tell Master Aqua, whatever you want to do just to punish me!" Gallus exclaimed. Before Sora could ask why he would want to punish Gallus, the griffon was unable to keep his beak shut as he kept ranting. "I risk my life to help them, and when I found out about Rapunzel's hair and what I could do with it, out of SELFISH GREED, I was going to just steal her hair! I was going to steal HAIR! How pathetic is that!?"
Seeing his distress, Rapunzel hopped down from Maximus's back and approached him to try to talk to him. "Gallus, I'm not upset with you about that anymore," she tried to explain. "I understand why you wanted my hair, and it's obvious no one else would know what would happen if-"
"That doesn't excuse me for being such a petty thief!" Gallus shouted, startling Rapunzel, but she didn't back away. "I wanted to be better than my kind, but it seems like I'll always be a greedy griffon no matter how much I try to change!"
"Gallus, it's alright," Sora said, trying his hardest to calm Gallus down. "It was a mistake. You realized what you were about to do was wrong-"
"Don't try to make me feel better!" Gallus interrupted once more, pointing a claw at the Keyblade wielder. "I have NO excuse for cutting off her hair, all because I can't use Cure! I tried to find a shortcut, and THAT was the dumbest idea I've ever had, and I was going to hurt someone who couldn't defend themselves just to take what didn't belong to me, nor do I even deserve it!" Gallus summoned his Keyblade, shaking it around in front of Sora. "I don't even deserve this or anything you, Master Aqua, or anyone else should teach me! I don't deserve to be part of the School of Friendship after what I did!"
"Gallus, it was just an accident," Goofy spoke up.
"Yeah. You learn from your mistakes, not let them weigh you down," Donald agreed.
"Well that's a lie, because griffons never learn a darn thing!" Gallus argued, then flew toward Sora aggressively, pointing at his Keyblade as he held the blade up against his mentor's face. "Tell me why I was chosen! Why do I 'deserve' this when griffons cause more trouble than one single dragon!? Why do I try to learn about helping others when I can barely help myself!?"
Barely giving Sora a chance to respond, Gallus yelled and threw his Keyblade, sending it spinning through the air until it struck itself into the trunk of a tree. He then flew off with a heavy huff, only to pause when his Keyblade returned to his claw in a flash of light. Enraged by its return, Gallus sucked in a deep breath and let out a mountainous lion roar in frustration, shaking the trees and scaring off every single creature within several hundred yards from him. Even Maximus got spooked as he reared up with a startled whinny, sending Flynn falling off the steed's back as everyone stared at the griffon. Gallus forcefully dismissed his Keyblade again, then flew off down the hill with a yell.
"Gallus, wait!" Sora called out. Gallus kept flying, not looking back. While Sora tried to figure out what made Gallus blow up in his angst, the others stood beside Sora, staring down slope filled with flowers that Gallus fled down. "I don't get it. We all understand he messed up, but it's alright. No one got hurt..."
"I hope he didn't go too far again," Donald mumbled.
"Luckily, he probably doesn't want to go too far," Flynn said. "Just down this hill, we'll find the kingdom in the distance. I doubt he'd want to be by himself with a bunch of people around and crowding him. Especially those with crossbows, swords, and spears."
"Let's make sure he didn't get any farther and lose track of him again," Goofy said.
Everyone silently nodded in agreement, following the trail as they carefully slid down the long slope. Maximus was a bit more cautious unlike the more confident adventurers, knowing how easily he could slip up and go for a long, painful tumble with his heavier body, and he had enough dangerous run-ins with monsters and near-death predicaments for one day. The slope changed from a grassy hill to a dirt road, slowly flattening out into a normal path as they finally made it out of the woods. They could see the town and the castle across the large lake, hearing the faint sound of the townspeople as they were setting up for the festival. And right by the shore, thankfully not getting too far, was Gallus, sitting in the sand while staring at his reflection in the water.
"There he is," Sora uttered.
He was about to walk toward Gallus and try to talk to him again, but Flynn quickly grasped his shoulder, stopping him. "Uhh, maybe it's best you don't try to say anything to him when he kind of exploded earlier," Flynn said.
"But he can't keep hating himself because of his species' horrible lifestyle and what he did to Rapunzel last night," Sora reasoned.
"Yeah, I get that. We both saw the remorse on his face when she told us the magic in her hair would be lost if it gets cut," Flynn explained, then pat Sora's shoulder as he stepped forward. "Let me have a word with him. I kind of have a feeling he's not as confident as he seemed to be back at Rapunzel's place."
Flynn approached Gallus while Sora tilted his head, wondering what of the griffon's confidence was lacking aside from his hopelessness in casting Cure. Flynn stepped onto the sand, letting out an exaggeratedly exhausted grunt as he sat down beside Gallus. He didn't move or flinch, but Gallus could see Flynn in the water's reflection as the man casually relaxed by the water with him.
"...If Master Sora told you to talk to me for him, I don't want to talk," Gallus grumbled. "I want to be alone."
"What? No. Can't I relax and take a break after running through the woods while being chased by monsters and crazy horses?" Flynn asked. Gallus didn't believe him, letting out a huff as he scooted himself away from Flynn. Flynn just moved closer, draping an arm over the griffon's back, making him flinch and grumble even more. "Ok, that's half true. I do want to talk, but just between us. No hand-off messages. No yelling or arguing. And after yesterday, I could definitely use a bit of a breather. That horse gave me a pretty bad gut check after we formed a temporary truce to get Rapunzel here."
"Hmph...Whatever," Gallus mumbled.
The two sat in silence as they stared at the water for a moment before Flynn finally spoke up. "You ever wonder why I changed my name from 'Eugene Fitzherbert' to 'Flynn Rider'?" he asked. That peaked Gallus's interest, but only slightly when Flynn noticed the griffon's eyes shift over to him for a brief second in the clear lake's reflection. He took that as his cue to continue. "When I was a kid, there was this story I read many times over. The tales of Flynnigan Ryder: swashbuckling rogue, richest man alive, and not bad with the ladies, either. Not that he'd ever brag about it, of course."
"So he was a thief, and taking interest in this fictional character, you became one, too," Gallus muttered. "Clearly, you're neither of those things."
"...Ouch. Harsh," Flynn winced, feigning offense at the comment. "But no. Flynnigan Ryder had enough money to do whatever he wanted. He could go wherever he wanted to go..." Flynn let out a sigh, moving his arm away from Gallus's shoulders. Curious, Gallus glanced at him, seeing the man's face go from sly and cocky to sad and regretful. "...And for a kid, with nothing...It seemed like the better option."
Gallus's eyes widened, slowly understanding the short but informative bit of backstory toward the real Flynn Rider, or Eugene Fitzherbert, and his youth. "...You mean...Were you...?"
"An orphan," Flynn responded. "Lived a more roguish lifestyle and resorted to stealing to get that little island home I've dreamed of to enjoy an early retirement."
"So you're a petty thief," Gallus uttered.
"Hey, at first, I did what I had to to survive, especially when I was desperate enough to steal food to keep my stomach full," Flynn reasoned as he looked at Gallus. He caught a small twitch on the griffon's beak as his eyes had a glint of familiarity, and from how much he claims to hate his own kind, along with his panic attack in the cave, Flynn could read Gallus like an open book. "...I had a feeling you did the same when you were a...cub? Chick? Hatchling?"
Gallus flinched slightly, his shock from Flynn's very educated guess turning to sadness and remorse as he looked down at the water. "...Younger griffons are called cubs," he sadly corrected. "...I was alone, too...How'd you-?"
"The two of us aren't quite so different, but I had a hunch. You might be a few years younger than me, but you're still a kid," Flynn said, gently placing a hand on Gallus's shoulder. "Hard to put on a brave face or think you can do everything by yourself when you really can't when faced with something scary."
Gallus grunted, removing Flynn's hand off of him before standing up. The others, who had watched from a distance, feared Gallus was going to hurt Flynn with whatever their conversation was going. Sora tensed up, ready to jump in and really reprimand the griffon if he decided to go too far, but Rapunzel grabbed his arm, keeping him held back and silently pleaded for him to let Flynn just talk to him.
"You don't even know me," Gallus argued, staring down the surprisingly calm man, who remained seated on the sandy shore. "You have no idea what my home looks like, how I lived. How can we be even remotely similar? You at least had some sort of childhood. I had to learn how to survive in Griffonstone, a rundown, empty shell of a civilization that used to be proud of who they were. We don't even care about each other as we struggle to make ends meet, or just swindle others to 'survive'! We have no pride anymore! I have no pride!" Gallus poked his talon against Flynn's chest, leering angrily as his pupils shrank as he got more and more intimidating. "If we're so much alike, you would probably have done just the same exact thing I did to Rapunzel last night if it was YOU who got seriously hurt and she healed you!"
Still calm, Flynn gently grasped Gallus's claw, shifting himself up so he was kneeling on one knee, staring right back at the upset griffon teen. "I would have, but unlike many greedy thugs worse than me, I'm not heartless," he said, then pointed Gallus's own digit toward his own chest, confusing the griffon as he looked down, then back up at Flynn. "Neither are you."
"...I tried to take-" Gallus's argument was quickly interrupted by Flynn's finger pressing against his beak.
"We know. You tried, because you wanted to gain the power to heal others when your own strange magic can't," Flynn reiterated. "But, if you claim to be as greedy as your brethren in wherever Griffonstone lies...then why did you stop and feel regretful after Rapunzel explained what happened if you cut off just a few strands of her hair?" Gallus blinked, letting the question sink in. Flynn moved his finger away from Gallus's beak, giving a friendly smirk as the griffon thought long and hard for his response. "And if your were so selfish to only think about yourself, why did you risk your life against those monsters for us when you could have just flown away to save your own skin? That doesn't sound like the kind of personality Gallus the griffon has in my eyes. And certainly not in Rapunzel's."
Giving a slight nod, Flynn gestured Gallus to look at the group watching them. Gallus's eyes shifted over to his teachers, Maximus, and Rapunzel, though he lingered on the young woman more to gauge her reaction to his gaze. She didn't show any fear or spite toward him. She was worried and concerned about him, even after trying to cut off her hair for a fruitless endeavor. Gallus looked back at Flynn, trying to come up with an excuse for his questions about who he truly was.
Gallus had nothing to retort. All he knew growing up was how awful Griffonstone was, as well as his fellow griffons in their homes or on the dirty, dusty paths. He hated being a griffon because of how selfish and uncaring they were, toward other species and toward their own kind. Not even Grandpa Gruff, who was supposed to be his guardian after choosing him to represent the griffons to learn about friendship at Twilight's school. But since he arrived in Ponyville, he thought making friends was a ridiculous idea for a griffon because of his livelihood, and he was proven wrong when he met his new circle of friends and became a Keyblade wielder. He might not be willing to fully open up to everyone about himself, but he does want to see where his friendship lessons will lead him toward the future, along with his training to protect the light from darkness.
And Flynn reminding Gallus about his displays of selflessness yesterday made him think about Silverstream. It might not have been a serious threat at the time, but when he and his friends were getting attacked by those controlled orbs of light at the start of their combat training, Silverstream was the unfortunate one to be attacked first. He did like her, despite the hippogriff's energetic quirks, but he didn't even think twice before diving in to save her. His affections might be incredibly obvious as he's never interacted with a female he had a big crush on, but part of him was willing to get hurt in Silverstream's place. It was almost like how Sora would do anything for Kairi, except if he was put in a situation where he had to give up his heart for Silverstream, Gallus was going to be much more hesitant.
Gallus turned his head to the lake, letting out a small sigh after what felt like an eternity of deep thought. "I don't get how you guys can just brush that off and forgive me," he said.
"Well, if Rapunzel told us much sooner, I'm sure you wouldn't have ran off, continued guilt-tripping yourself, and blowing up like that. Besides, you're still in the learning phase of life. At least, I think you are in griffon years." Gallus was still in disbelief, but if it meant everyone would get off his back trying to forgive him, he just silently nodded his head. He did need to apologize to Rapunzel, as well as Sora, for his behavior toward both of them. Gallus was about to walk to the others, but Flynn quickly placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning closer and whispered in his ear. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone you're an orphan, too. Guys like us have a reputation to keep if they make us feel a bit weak toward everyone else."
Flynn gave Gallus a small wink, having his back no matter what. Gallus gave a small scoff, but he did appreciate Flynn keeping his word. He was sure the thief's real background was probably found out by Sora, Donald, and Goofy as they reunited, questioning whether or not his mentors cared or not. Then again, even if Flynn was a criminal, he never did seem like the type at first glance.
Gallus joined the others with Flynn behind him, coming to a stop in front of Sora with his head hung low. "...Sorry for talking back to you like that, master," he said, making Sora giggle sheepishly as he was entitled as a master to the young apprentice.
"Hey, it's no big deal," he reassured the griffon. "We're all just glad you didn't get too hurt."
Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement, expressing their relief to simply having him back in one piece. Gallus nodded slightly, then glanced over at Rapunzel. He approached her, his head still hanging low before he stopped in front of her. Before he opened his beak to apologize to her, Rapunzel surprised him as she quickly knelt down and hugged him. She didn't need to say it, but the gesture alone told him she forgive him. When she finally let go, Gallus sighed, keeping his gaze away from her incredibly long hair.
"Hey, let's not keep moping, Gallus," Rapunzel said. She pointed to the stone bridge leading to the village in the middle of the lake. "We all made it in time for the festival. We'll get to have fun and I'll finally see those lanterns light up the night sky."
"I agree. We all deserve a break after yesterday," Flynn said. Maximus snorted, getting the man's attention as he gave him a skeptical leer. "Hey, relax, ya big lug. I'm not gonna cause any trouble." The horse's gaze went deadpanned, tilting his head to show a wanted poster on a tree behind him. There was Flynn's face and his name again, but like the one Gallus spotted, it showed the man with a comically ugly nose, ruining his chiseled image of masculinity. "Oh, not again! That nose is even worse! Who draws these things!?"
"At least you'll blend in since that looks nothing like you," Sora teased with a smirk.
"Oh, ha ha. You're a comedian," Flynn said, seething with sarcasm.
As tempted as he was to just tear the poster down and tear it to pieces, everyone began to make their way toward the bridge and enter the town. Flynn sighed, letting it slide, hoping everyone will mistake his more handsome features for the "real" Flynn Rider from the image. Rapunzel began to slow down, her joy and excitement slowly fading to worry and nervousness as she stared at Flynn. Biting her lower lip, she pulled out something she hid from everyone: Flynn's satchel. She stared at the bag, knowing what was inside it and why Flynn panicked when he asked where she hid it. She shook the thought aside, along with who gave it to her and their doubts about Flynn's honesty, eager to enjoy her first festival in this grand village.
After Gallus flew off, Flynn and Rapunzel were stunned by how he reacted after questioning his morality. He was too quick for either of them, and with it too dark to see, they were sure to get lost without any light. All they could hope was that he was safe wherever he ran to. The two sat by the fire in anxious silence, feeling worried about Gallus. Flynn decided to see if he didn't get too far while finding some more firewood for the fire, leaving Rapunzel alone.
"Well, I thought he'd never leave." Rapunzel gasped as she heard that familiar voice.
Looking behind her, she was surprised to see her mother, Gothel, standing behind her, wearing her travel cloak as she lowered her hood. "Mother?"
"Hello, dear," Gothel greeted as she approached Rapunzel.
Rapunzel was swept in a hug, stammering as she still reeled in shock. "H-How did you find me?"
"Oh, it was easy really," Gothel said, running her fingers through Rapunzel's hair more than physically holding the young woman. "I just listened to the sound of complete and utter betrayal, and followed that." Rapunzel sighed, finding it hard to believe that her own mother was talking so poorly about Flynn, or Gallus if she had been waiting in the darkness for a long while. "We're going home Rapunzel. Now."
Gothel pulled away from Rapunzel and grabbed her wrist, gently ushering her back to their tower home in the secluded glade. "Mother, wait, you don't understand," Rapunzel quickly said, stopping her mother from dragging her away. "I've been on the most incredible journey. I learned so many new things, and I even met some new friends who helped me."
"Ah, yes, the wanted thief," Gothel said with a hint of sickly sweet sarcasm. "I'm so proud. Now, come along, Rapunzel."
"But mother, I can't leave," Rapunzel said, stopping her mother again, beginning to irritate the older woman. "One of them ran away in the woods, and he could be lost or seriously hurt. He saved me from some strange monsters that attacked us today."
"Monsters? Well, all the more reason why you shouldn't have left the tower," Gothel said in an exasperatedly worried tone.
"He got badly hurt by one of them and used my hair to heal him." Gothel flinched, giving her daughter a cold leer. "H-He...He even tried to cut it, but when I told him-"
"He tried to cut your hair!?" Gothel exclaimed. "I knew this would happen! That so-called 'friend' who tried to help you just tried to use you to try to steal your precious, magical hair! We are leaving this instant!"
This time, Gothel tried to pull Rapunzel away more forcefully, but Rapunzel yanked her arm back, giving her mother a defiant stare. "No!"
Gothel stared at Rapunzel in shock, which slowly turned into a sneer of disapproval. "No?" she repeated. Seeing Rapunzel not backing down disappointed and angered the older woman. "I see. So, you think you know what's best for you? Little Rapunzel's all grown up and knows more than her own mother!"
"T-That's not what I-" Rapunzel began to regret defying her mother, but Gothel continued to berate her with what she knows compared to what she just recently learned of about the world.
"Well, if you think you know about your friends so much, then why don't you give the little thieves this!?" Gothel pulls out Flynn's satchel, surprising Rapunzel. She then pulled out what was hidden inside Flynn's bag, which happened to be a very expensive tiara fit for royalty. "This is why they're sticking around with you! They're deceiving you!"
Gothel flung the tiara toward Rapunzel, who quickly caught it as she struggled to believe her own mother over her new friends, especially Flynn. "I trust them!" Rapunzel said.
"No, trust me, dear. They will leave you in a heartbeat when you give them that tiara," Gothel warned as she approached Rapunzel, swiftly placing the satchel around Rapunzel's shoulder. "If that roguish man has caught your heart so badly, go ahead and put him and his band of thugs to the test." Gothel began to walk away, leaving Rapunzel stuttering, trying to reason with her, but the older woman wasn't going to listen if her daughter thought she was able to handle herself out here so perfectly in one day. "And if he's lying, don't come crying to me. After all: Mother. Knows. Best."
Gothel disappeared through the darkness of the forest, Rapunzel left alone once more with confliction weighing heavily in her heart. Sure, Gothel warned her about the fears of the outside world, but she was also wrong about what she's been told of for so long. Flynn may have been a thief, but he wasn't as bad as her mother described thieves. Even Gallus, even though he felt awful trying to take her hair for himself. Her heart and mind were at war with each other over who was actually being honest with her. She even thinks that Flynn might like her in a more romantic way despite only meeting him earlier today. She had no idea who to trust anymore: her mother, who told stories of how awful the world outside the tower was, or Flynn, a thief who actually has a good heart, along with the other four wandering adventurers who seemed just as kindhearted as the supposed thief.
Sighing with confliction, Rapunzel stuffed the tiara back in Flynn's satchel, making sure to keep it hidden well from the others. She never went back on her promises, and if Flynn helped her see those lanterns, then she would give back his satchel. Part of her hopes her mother was wrong about him. She sat back down by the fire, Pascal having camouflaged himself to hide from Gothel and witnessing everything as the chameleon climbed up her arm and perched on her shoulder with a worried grumble. It didn't take long for Flynn to return, a bit more firewood under his arm as he promised, but no sign of Gallus following him.
"I think the kid flew a bit too far ahead," Flynn said, lowering the bundle of wood next to the log they used as a seat near the fire and sat beside Rapunzel. "...I'm sure he'll be ok on his own. He's tough enough to handle those weird monsters."
"R-Right," Rapunzel mumbled, subtly checking to make sure Flynn's satchel was carefully hidden. "I really hope he'll be ok on his own..."
Rapunzel stared in awe as she wandered through the town, amazed seeing so many people all in one place. From the entrance gate to the main plaza, there were vendors selling different wares from fruits and veggies to baked goods and meats, the vendors calling out to customers about their products being of great quality. Banners and small flags of purple with a golden sun etched onto each one lined the light poles, awnings, and rafters for the festival today, and the streets were definitely crowded with locals going about their business and travelers coming to experience the festival later in the day.
"Wow! This is amazing!" Rapunzel said.
While Rapunzel continued marveling at the first ever town and castle she's in, Gallus was more wary, being the only one out of place from the hundreds of humans in the kingdom's capital. "Ok, this is weird," he mumbled. "No one else is freaking out seeing a griffon wandering around their town?"
"Maybe everyone will mistake you for being a tamed lion wearing a costume," Sora said, hearing the griffon teen's mumbling.
"Seriously?" Gallus questioned, finding his mentor's logic very skeptical. He glanced at Donald and Goofy, who seemed to be casually mingling with the townspeople as they examined the vendors' wares. "Donald and Goofy aren't even human, and no one's batting an eye at them."
"Uhh...Yeah, that...is a bit weird to think about," Sora said. "Never really thought about that. But, so far, no one in any other world seemed to mind."
"Flynn and Rapunzel freaked out when they saw me," Gallus huffed.
He let out a startled squawk when he felt something brush against his side. Quickly turning his head, he saw a little girl with braided blonde hair petting his right side, feeling his soft blue fur.
"Big, pretty kitty," she cooed.
"...Uhh, do you mind, kid?" Gallus asked, startling the little girl, but her gasp of shock turned to awe when she heard him talk.
"Talking kitty!" the girl squealed with glee, then latched onto Gallus's neck in a bone-crushing hug.
Gallus gagged slightly, his neck forcefully yanked down for the excited little girl to nuzzle. He could hear Sora snickering at the cute sight, but he kept his claws in check. He didn't want to scare off a little girl or make her cry by forcing her to let go.
"I am so glad Sandbar and Smolder aren't here to see me in this embarrassing situation," Gallus muttered under his breath.
The girl let go of Gallus, but his relief quickly turned right back to confusion as she grabbed one of his arms and tried to lead him away. "My sisters gotta see you!"
"Uhh, I-I don't think-" Gallus stammered as the little girl yanked his arm with a hyperactively excited grin.
"Hey, maybe a little playtime would do you some good, Gallus," Sora said. Before Gallus could utter a screech to respond to a ridiculous idea, Sora knelt down beside him and the little girl, giving the "talking kitty" a pat on the head. "Just be nice with him. He's got a bit of a bite to him."
"Ok, mister!" the little girl said with a nod and a delighted cheer.
Gallus gave Sora a deadly glare, but the little girl ushered him impatiently to follow her. Sighing, Gallus gave in and followed his guide toward the plaza.
Flynn whistled, having watched the hilarious scene. "Is that supposed to be this punishment thing he desperately wanted?"
"Not really, but I thought it would be a good distraction for him," Sora said.
"Still sounds pretty harsh. He's gonna get patted to death if she's got sisters," Flynn said.
"At least I know he can behave himself," Sora said, giving the thief a warning glare. "Try not to cause any trouble."
"Hey, I'll be on my best behavior. Trust me." Flynn gave Sora an innocent, yet sly grin, but the Keyblade wielder crossed his arms over his chest, giving him a skeptical look with a quirked brow. Flynn then heard a snort, which came from the stallion who had hunted him down yesterday. Looking at Maximus, the horse also gave him a quirked brow, silently chiding him and promising he won't get away with petty theft on his watch. "What? I will! Can't trust a guy, knowing what his occupation is in this day and age, can you?" He began to walk further into town, only to trip over Rapunzel's trailing hair. He thankfully caught himself before faceplanting into the cobblestone road. Following the trail to the wandering Rapunzel, Flynn gathered up her hair to keep it from getting tripped over by the other townsfolk. "First things first, we need to find a way to bundle all this hair before she causes a traffic jam."
He rushed up to Rapunzel, gathering more and more of her hair as she made her way toward the main plaza. Maximus sputtered, not amused by Flynn's claim, but gave him the benefit of the doubt. For today. He did promise Rapunzel not to arrest Flynn until a full twenty-four hours passed.
Up ahead, Gallus grimaced and whined. He followed the little girl to her sisters, unaware that she had a few more sisters than he expected. Now, the teen was surrounded by four girls, the youngest one who found him and guided him toward her siblings being around five while the oldest was maybe eight or nine, all of them wearing matching yellow and pink dresses while their hairs were all braided and tied in different styles. Gallus felt hands brushing and patting his fur and feathers, commenting how adorable he is, making him feel more humiliated as onlookers barely paid him, as a mythical creature of their world, no mind, which only made his embarrassment worsen.
"What kind of kitty is he?" one of the girls asked.
"Maybe he's a puma!" another said excitedly.
"These wings feel so real. How's that possible?" the oldest questioned as she examined Gallus's wings.
"And he can talk!" the youngest added while cuddling against his chest fur.
"I want to go back in the woods and get mauled by Nobodies right now," Gallus mumbled to himself.
Thankfully, his saving grace came from Flynn and Rapunzel, the former hefting the lower half of the young woman's long hair while she held up the rest. Seeing their stylish braids, and the anguish on Gallus's face, the duo walked over to them.
"Excuse me, little ladies?" Flynn called out, getting the girls' attention. He held out Rapunzel's bundle of hair for them to see. "We've got a bit of a hairy situation. Mind giving her a new look?"
All four girls gasped in awe, wide grins growing on their faces. They ignored Gallus and rushed over excitedly to help Rapunzel fix up her hair. Given the amount of room in the plaza, it was the perfect spot for these girls to work their magic as Rapunzel knelt down and waited patiently. While Gallus was relieved to be freed from getting cuddled and pampered with all the attention, he was surprised watching those four siblings working as one, taking strands of Rapunzel's hair and going under and over while twisting and braiding up her hair. If these four were ponies, he would definitely see cutie marks in anything involving hair on them.
"And you have been spared from the dreaded cuddle monsters," Flynn said, snapping Gallus away from the show he and a few other onlookers were watching the sisters giggling and having fun braiding the longest amount of hair they've ever done. "You're welcome, by the way."
"I don't think that'll distract them for long," Gallus uttered.
Within a few minutes, the girls were all done as they admired their handiwork. Rapunzel twirled around, feeling much more free without her hair getting all tangled and having to carry it in different ways to avoid it getting caught on anything. With it all braided, her hair reached down to her upper ankles, and was adorned with flowers to make it look much more captivating. It surely worked on Flynn as he grinned, awestruck, and thankfully, Gallus was too busy staring in awe at Rapunzel's new hairstyle to tease him.
"Wow, thank you so much!" Rapunzel said.
"How'd you get your hair so long?" the oldest of the sisters asked curiously. "And how'd it stay so soft and not get any knots?"
"I take quite a lot of good care of it," Rapunzel said.
Gallus approached Rapunzel, laughing a little at the girls' handiwork. "Finally won't have to drag all that back to your place after tonight, huh?" he asked. As he glanced past Rapunzel, he noticed a mural on one of the walls surrounding the main square. Rapunzel caught it in her peripherals as well, staring at it curiously with the griffon. There were other people around and eyeing it, which was a portrait of who appeared to be the king and queen of the kingdom with a baby girl held in the queen's arms. The design was a mosaic, colored tiles embedded in the stone wall that almost made it seem like a painted portrait from a distance. "Wow. Fancy. Who are they?"
"That's the king," the youngest girl pointed out. "And that's the queen. And that's the princess who went missing a long, long time ago."
"'Lost'?" Rapunzel asked.
"Yeah. No one knows who took her or where the princess could be," the oldest said. "Today's the lantern festival, which is dedicated to the princess. The king and queen start the festival by releasing their lantern first, then everyone else lets theirs fly, hoping the lights will help guide their daughter back home."
Rapunzel and Gallus frowned at such a sad story and what the festival was about. "That's...awful," Rapunzel uttered, feeling sorry for the king and queen that such a terrible monster would snatch their daughter away.
"Yeah. Fun story to hear on your birthday, Rapunzel," Gallus added, half-heartedly joking, but he also felt bad for the princess. When he looked at the infant princess on the wall, he squinted slightly, finding something odd about the princess. Her parents both had brown hair, but the princess's hair was blonde, and she had the same green eyes Rapunzel had. "...Huh. That's weird. She kind of looks like..." When he turned to look at Rapunzel, she was already off with Flynn to see the rest of the town. "...Maybe it's a coincidence."
He looked at the mosaic a bit more before a gentle tap to his side diverted his attention. "Umm, kitty?"
The little girl and her older sisters patiently waited, but the looks on their faces showed how badly they wanted to keep giving him all their attention. Sighing, he faced them, sat down, and held his arms out.
"Alright, you win," he said, followed by a surprised grunt as the youngest sister tackle hugged him, knocking the wind out of him. "Ok! Ok, ease up on the crushing hugs!" His plea fell on deaf ears as the other sisters crowded him. While the four little girls continued petting and hugging him, Gallus looked back at the mosaic. Even with the princess taken away from the royal couple, he felt a bit jealous of her. "At least her parents worry enough to care about her safety...Even guide her back home..." Subconsciously, he lifted his claw, gently patting the little girl nuzzling against his chest on the head. "...Lucky little princess..."
Through the rest of the day, Gallus got used to the little girls being around him. They showed him around the town, and he even let them ride around on his back along the route he was taken. He ran into Sora, Donald, and Goofy as they did their share of exploring, mostly to ensure the castle town was safe from any Heartless or Nobodies. They teased him about the griffon's entourage, but Gallus took it in stride.
They partook in some of the food for the festival and greeted the locals of the world, which were quite a delight compared to the chefs in Equestria. They soon heard music playing back in the plaza, where Rapunzel was getting everyone around the town to join in to dance to the upbeat music played by a few musicians. A crowd left a wide enough circle around the center, where there was a sigil permanently marked with the same sun symbol on the banners, which must have been the Kingdom of Corona's unique sigil. The group squeezed their way through the crowd to get a closer look as everyone clapped in time with the beat or joined in and danced in pairs: men and women locking arms with the same gender as them and skipping along or with the opposite in a more energetic ballroom dance as they spun and moved about the "dance floor", occasionally switching partners as they passed other pairs.
Wanting to take part, Sora laughed and joined in hopping around until he found himself a partner and matched the dancing. Donald and Goofy cheered him on as they watched and clapped along with the crowd. Gallus got into the rhythm of the music, his hips and tail swaying in time as he enjoyed what appeared to be one of the many highlights of the festival. The dancers soon began to gather around the middle and circled around the line that made up the sun on the stone floor, Sora and Rapunzel leading the conga line as they hopped and spun around.
They soon split up and continued their random paired jigs, although a couple others joined in along with the rest of the town. Flynn had been watching with amusement with Maximus, though the horse knew the thief had his eye on Rapunzel. He hip-checked the man, forcing him into the dance area as he stumbled forward, getting picked up by a passing woman as they held hands and danced about. Flynn gave Maximus a dirty look before he eventually went with the flow and really joined the dance. Goofy and Donald had the same idea, whispering to the girls to help give him a nudge and send him stumbling into the crowd as well. Gallus was about to voice his complaint, only to get swept up by Sora, locking his arm with the griffon's, causing him to stand upright and skip along with the wielder.
Gallus was a bit anxious as the crowd watched them, but none of them were perturbed at his appearance and, in a strange way, accepted it. Sora gave Gallus a reassuring grin, then spun him off to a random woman as she got him to dance with her. Gallus didn't really have that much experience with dancing in his life, but the song and the rhythmic clapping helped guide him, and for the first time since they got here, he was starting to have some real fun. He had never felt so carefree, so whimsical, and this dance bringing the whole kingdom together started with Rapunzel's optimism and enjoyment to the things beyond the walls of the tower she grew up in.
The music picked up as it came to its end, the sun beginning its descent to bring about the evening. Throughout the dance, Rapunzel and Flynn had tried to share at least one dance with each other, only to get swept up by a different partner as they were inches from each other's grasp. Right at the end of the last note, Flynn and Rapunzel finally got together, ending the dance holding each other's hands. The town erupted into cheers at a splendid performance, passing the time in the best way before the lanterns would be released tonight.
As announcements were made about the lanterns, everyone dispersed and found themselves a good spot to release their lanterns, watch them float and light up the night sky, or both. While Rapunzel and Flynn hurried off, acquiring a boat to enjoy the view from the lake, but not before Flynn bought a bushel of apples for the stallion for giving him a break. Maximus found the gesture fishy, thinking he stole them to be bribed, but Flynn assured the horse he bought them, and he eventually dug into the succulent fruit.
Down by the docks, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Gallus sat at the edge of the pier as they waited for the lanterns to fly. "Well, that sure was quite a dance party back there," Goofy said.
"Of course Sora had to show off and get involved," Donald teased.
"It looked like a lot of fun! How can you not just jump right on in and watch on the sidelines!?" Sora said with a laugh. "It was like Pinkie's random song out of nowhere when we went into the Everfree Forest to find the Elements of Harmony. I couldn't help but just sing right along." Sora glanced over at Gallus to comment on his dance moves, but the fun chatter came to a stop when he saw the look on Gallus's face. He stared at the water with a sad look, even after seeing just how much fun he was having with and without the little girls who grew attached to him. "What's up, Gallus?"
Snapping out of his daze, Gallus looked at Sora, realizing how upset he looked as he looked back out to the lake. "N-Nothing. Just...thinking."
"About what?" Sora asked. "Yesterday?"
"No. I...It still bothers me a little, but it's not that," Gallus said, shaking his head. "...That was actually...the most fun I ever had in my whole life. Besides coming to Ponyville and going to Princess Twilight's school, I never felt...free? Happy? I...don't really know how to describe it, but I'd rather be anywhere else than back home."
"Back in Griffonstone?" Sora asked. Gallus nodded silently. Sora blew out a puff of air, knowing what the griffon meant. "When we first met, did Gilda tell you much about me, Riku, or Pinkie aside from Rainbow Dash?"
"...She mentioned how you got back at her with a bunch of pranks when she tried to get back together with Rainbow Dash," Gallus said. "And you're...weirdly chipper all the time."
"How about when we came to Griffonstone?" Gallus nodded in response. "Yeah. I can see why you don't want to be in Griffonstone. Twilight told us it was a great kingdom, but when we arrived for a friendship problem to solve, it wasn't like how history books depicted it today."
"Yup. Just a miserable dump with dead trees, barren soil, and rundown homes, with no other griffon caring about the state of our kingdom," Gallus said bitterly. He took a moment to calm down and avoid blowing up in anger again, having done enough aggressive venting earlier today. Slowly, he glanced at Sora. "...I'm not sure if you guys did much to help Griffonstone. We probably won't be back to the glory days without the Idol of Boreas."
"Our friendship problem was more with Gilda alone, but helping her seemed to the spark needed to spread friendship to the griffons," Sora said. "I guess if that didn't happen, then Grandpa Gruff might not have decided to send one of you to Ponyville to learn about friendship and help spread it more."
"Then that makes me the lucky griffon he picked," Gallus huffed, laying down on his stomach and plopped himself on the ground. "He probably just wants to get rid of me because he doesn't want to take care of me."
"I doubt that-" Sora paused, giving Gallus a double take while Donald and Goofy leaned over to look at the griffon curiously. "...Wait, is Grandpa Gruff your actual grandpa?"
Gallus grumbled, feeling a disgusting taste in his mouth at the idea. "He's a horrible guardian and only cares about himself. I'd rather watch that old coot choke on his own lungs than have him berate me for doing nothing for him." Sora grimaced, not getting the answer he wanted, but if his family life was complicated and very personal, he didn't want to push Gallus too far about them. He dreaded to know about his real parents if Grandpa Gruff was just an old, selfish grump who rambles about the good ol' days of Griffonstone. After calming down for a second time, Gallus sat back up with a frustrated sigh. "...Why was I chosen to be a Keyblade wielder?"
Sora looked at Donald and Goofy for a moment before looking at Gallus again. "Well...your heart had a strong light inside. Strong enough to be chosen by your own Keyblade."
Gallus held out his claw, summoning his Keyblade, and gave it a once-over. "But why did it have to be me? Why not any other griffon?"
"Uhh..." Sora scratched his head, trying to figure out an answer that would help Gallus. Even when he first started out as a wielder years ago, he always wondered why the Kingdom Key chose him. "...I'm...not really sure, but like I said, it has to be your heart." Gallus groaned, ready to argue that he didn't have a heart, much like his own kind. "When we shook hands, or hoof and claw, I practically felt the potential you had on contact. You might not believe it, but maybe your destiny has led you to come to Ponyville, to learn about friendship, and be chosen by the Keyblade to become much more than what Griffonstone's done to keep it held back; it was fate for you to make friends with the others and learn and fight alongside us to protect the realm of light."
"...Even when I can't cast Cure?" Gallus asked as he looked at Sora. Sora gave the griffon teen a nod, even Donald and Goofy. They believed in him, and so did Aqua, Sandbar, Silverstream, Smolder, Yona, and Ocellus. He held up his blade and tried to cast Cure, but like the many times he's tried, the magic spell just wouldn't happen. With a heavy sigh, Gallus dismissed his Keyblade, burying face in his talons. "I don't get it. What am I doing wrong? I've tried relaxing, I let out all of my anger in the forest, I had fun throughout the whole festival...Why does it never work?"
"You just have to keep trying," Donald said. "You can't give up if you keep thinking you'll always fail."
"Right. And when you fail, you pick yourself back up and do it again," Goofy added.
Gallus just shook his head. "What's the use? Even when Master Aqua told me I might have some sort of magical disability or whatever, I'm going to fail her..."
Sora, Donald, and Goofy grimaced, their words unable to help cheer up the disgruntled griffon. They believed it was possible for him to be one of their successors, but he needed to boost his own confidence and stop beating himself up by questioning his failures and mistakes and learn to grow from them. As Gallus peeked through his digits to stare at his reflection, his eyes widened when the dark sky suddenly had a glowing light float across the water's surface. Looking up, he spotted one of the lanterns being let go, the first one sent off by the king and queen from their castle balcony.
Moments later, more lanterns were released and sent flying into the sky, brightening the dark, clear night air with bright lights. Rapunzel's little mural back in the tower definitely described the lantern festival as floating stars rising to the heavens, and it was an awe-inspiring view to see up close. Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked up when they saw the sky light up, watching the show in awe like the griffon and the rest of the kingdom. It wasn't just the sky the grew brighter; the lake did as well, as if the reflection on the surface was a second sky, only enhancing the wondrous scenery.
Gallus glanced across the water, spotting Rapunzel and Flynn out on their boat, Rapunzel nearly rocking the small vessel as she headed to the bow to try to get a closer look. She glanced back at Flynn, who held two lanterns for the two of them to release with the others together. Gallus had no idea what they were saying or doing from this distance, but his thoughts drifted with the glowing lanterns setting what would be the most perfect romantic setting in any story. Even if romantic mushy stuff wasn't his thing, he could see himself doing something like this to Silverstream, assuming he had the guts to ask the hippogriff out.
His daydream had the two out on a lake like this, floating lanterns lighting the sky, further accenting Silverstream's fur and feathers in the soft glows of the flames through paper lanterns. Gallus and Silverstream would only focus on each other, him being more confident and suave than the bundle of nerves he was feeling from imagining this scenario, and her batting her eyes, giggling coyly as she fell for his charisma. He would be the heroic knight to protect his damsel from the darkness, and he would risk his life for hers and face down any opponent with his mightiest of blows and his strongest magic spells. And if his beloved were to ever get hurt in the ensuing battles ahead, he would use the strongest of Cure spells to heal not just her, but the ravaged land around them for miles. While lost in his fantasy, he thought back to what Silverstream said, her advice to him echoing in his mind.
Instead of focusing on casting the spell, I just think about stuff that makes me happy. If anyone else got hurt, healing them with magic makes me happy, too, because it feels good doing something nice for someone.
"...What makes me happy?" Gallus mumbled to himself. Luckily, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were too busy watching the lanterns to hear him. He didn't pay attention to Flynn or Rapunzel as their boat moved toward the shore on the other side of the town, staring down at the water and the floating lanterns escaping over the forest. While staring at his reflection, he tried to think of anything that made him happy. Sadly, his frown only deepened, scarcely any memories he can recall where he was genuinely happy or what made him feel warm in his heart. He thought about the friends he made at the School of Friendship, learning how to fight under Aqua's tutelage, even his crush on Silverstream, but despite how good those felt to him, it didn't do much to raise his spirits from his miserable past. "...Maybe that's why...I can't use Cure...I...I don't have any..."
Suddenly, the four warriors heard something behind them; a familiar void-like entrance, spoiling Sora, Donald, and Goofy's mood while Gallus gasped in surprise as he turned around. "Of course," Sora grumbled as he stood up, brushing off his pants, then turned around as they saw their interlopers: Nobodies. Dusks and Reapers appeared on the stone docks, staring down the Keyblade wielders, mage, and knight. Luckily, all the people were elsewhere in town for the lantern show, sparing them from saving any casualties in the crossfire. "You guys couldn't have picked the worst possible time to ruin a nice scene!"
Sora, Donald, and Goofy summoned their weapons and charged forward, avoiding the barrage of rose petals the Reapers unleashed on them. "Not now," Gallus whimpered. "I could barely handle one of those things, let alone half a dozen."
Sora glanced at Gallus as he held back a Reaper's scythe with his Keyblade. "Gallus, get to Flynn and Rapunzel! There could be more out there!"
"W-What if one of those comes after me!?" Gallus exclaimed, pointing to the Reaper he was clashing with.
Sora pushed the Reaper back, then blasted it point blank with Firaga, sending it twitching as its body was severely burned. "You know how to use Fire! Those Nobodies are weak to that spell!" he instructed. "Now hurry! Rapunzel needs to be kept safe!"
Sora finished off the incinerated Reaper, then moved on to his next target. Gallus looked back across the lake, then back to the battle. Gulping nervously, he flew off, flapping his wings as hard as he can to reach Flynn and Rapunzel in time. He swerved around the lanterns, avoiding bumping them and causing them to burn up or burn himself and ruin the show for the town. Halfway across the water, he was suddenly divebombed by a group of slithering Dusks, smacking into him and constricting themselves around him.
"Agh! No! Get off of me!" Gallus roared, summoning his Keyblade as he tried to slice them off of him. They were much slippery than thought, feeling them wrap tightly around his limbs and his torso. Gallus began to plummet toward the water, only to be saved from drowning at the last second by a Reaper. "L-Let me go! Fight me like real monsters, not with cheap-!"
One of the constricting Dusks shoved one of its limbs in Gallus's mouth, gagging him while they hovered over the water and toward the shore. He spotted Rapunzel down by the boat she and Flynn were on, but there was no sign of Flynn near her. Gallus continued to struggle as the Nobodies lowered him to the ground, but when they let go of him, aside from the one still gagging him, ropes of thorny vines shot up from dark red voids from the ground, wrapping themselves painfully around Gallus as his screams were muffled by the Dusk's tendril hand. They wrapped around his limbs and torso, keeping him grounded and forcing him to stay completely still, or else he would have gotten more scratched up from the sharp thorns. He tried to cast Fire, only to freeze when he saw a dark portal appear before him, along with someone stepping out to stand before him.
"Well, well, well, seems like my Nobodies weren't kidding." Marluxia smirked as he watched Gallus, bound and gagged while trembling in shock. The griffon didn't know who this pink-haired man was, but he recognized the black coat; the very same one Luxord wore back at the Castle of the Two Sisters. Marluxia pulled out something from his robe, revealing one of Gallus's old feathers. "A perfect match. To think that a griffon would exist in this world." The scythe-wielder then glanced down at Gallus's Keyblade, still clutched in his claw, trying hard not to move as the thorns buried themselves deeper into his skin. "...And with a Keyblade...So, it seems as though Sora and his friends are gathering new allies to aid them, and with creatures from Equestria.
"I wonder how many more of you exist besides Princess Twilight Sparkle." Marluxia stepped closer to Gallus and kneeled down to his eye level. Gallus tried to glare defiantly at the Nobody, but his trembling body showed just how nervous and terrified he was. "You'd best not scream or call out for help, otherwise those thorns will leave more than just painful pricks on your body." Gallus had no choice but to comply. He didn't want to get torn to shreds and be forced in some interrogation. With a wave of his hand, Marluxia dismissed the Dusk gagging him. Gallus spat at the ground, disgusted from the actual rubber taste that came from the Nobody's tendril. "Good. At least you're more compliant than Sora is."
"When he gets here, he's gonna-" The vines around Gallus's body tightened, making him grunt in pain as the thorns dug deeper into his flesh.
"That's not how this works," Marluxia warned. Once Gallus got the message, Marluxia loosened his vines a little, keeping him bound, but enough to keep him from fighting back. "Now, seeing another creature from your world in this one, and with a Keyblade no less, there have to be other new wielders like you out there."
Gallus grunted, breathing through the sharp pain as he leered at Marluxia. "Is that all you want from me?" Gallus questioned. "You should already know. Your pal with those playing cards should have told you all about us."
"Luxord?" Marluxia questioned. Gallus was confused by Marluxia's response. The Nobody glanced away for a moment in thought before looking back at the bound griffon. "...When did you encounter him? He was gathering intel not even near your species' kingdom."
"...Wait...You mean he...didn't really tell you?" Gallus asked. Marluxia glowered bitterly, though that intense stare wasn't directed toward Gallus. The griffon realized he spilled the beans if Luxord really did keep his word back then, gulping nervously as he stammered. "Uhh, I-I mean...Heh heh...oops..."
Marluxia stood up as he looked up toward the sky. "That gambling lunatic knew, yet he did not inform Master Xehanort. What is he planning?" Raising his hand, he summoned his scythe in a flurry of rose petals, making Gallus flinch at the size and sharpness of the curved blade. Marluxia looked back down at the mortified griffon teen, moving his scythe to let it hover over Gallus's head. "How many more does he know? Or is it just you?"
Swallowing the lump of fear in his throat, Gallus didn't want to reveal his friends as wielders, wanting to keep them safe from other Organization members if they plan to hunt them down. "I-It's just me!" he blurted out. "I-I'm the only one!" Marluxia silently stared the griffon down, intimidating him, though the scythe ready to swipe down and behead him was enough to scare the daylights out of him. "I-I swear! I-It's just me! I-I just started learning how to fight!"
"...Is that so?" Marluxia questioned, his deadpanned sneer lifting into a smirk, lowering the blade closer to the back of Gallus's neck. "You seemed to fight pretty well when my Nobodies chased you and your friends down back in the woods." Before Gallus could ask how he knew, Marluxia could already tell as he chuckled. "You slayed one of my Reapers, and they chased you down and destroyed the dam to drown you out. Nobodies are much smarter and strategic when it comes to hunting down prey."
"...Y-You knew where we were?" Gallus uttered. Then a thought occurred to him as he looked around. "Wait. Where's Flynn? What did you do to him!?"
Marluxia lifted his other hand and snapped his fingers. In response to the command, a pair of Dusks slithered out, carrying an unconscious Flynn between them. "He's alive, though I think it's fitting for a thief to pay his dues for stealing something quite valuable to a royal family." Another Dusk slithered toward Marluxia, who was holding Flynn's satchel, pulling out what he had stolen. Gallus was shocked to see what it was that Flynn was proud of snatching, which happened to be a tiara fit for a princess. "But he couldn't have gotten away with it without an accomplice."
Gallus suddenly felt the vines around him disappear, sparing him from feeling more pain, but his confusion lasted for a brief second before Marluxia flipped his scythe around to the blunt side, smacking it hard against the back of his head. Gallus let out a startled grunt before falling over and knocked unconscious, his Keyblade disappearing in a flash of light. Marluxia laughed, unimpressed with Gallus's strength. He then commanded a few Dusks to move both Flynn and Gallus's bodies over to a nearby sailboat docked near the bridge. While a few dragged Flynn up to the helm, the others stuffed Gallus in a huge burlap sack, leaving one of his talons hanging out before tying it up. Flynn's body was tied up against the mast, his hands bound to the wheel with one hand "grasping" the stolen tiara. They then tossed in Gallus, placing his freed claw on the rail, making it look like he was relaxing against the stern in the dark of the night now that the lanterns have gone. Once they were all set, they pushed the boat out and sent it drifting back toward the town.
Rapunzel waited by the boat anxiously. She gave Flynn his satchel back, but he promised he would be right back. Part of her hoped he would give back the tiara, or leave it for the guards near the town entrance and come back to continue enjoying their evening. She even assured Pascal he would be back when he felt unsure when he began focusing more on his bag.
Somewhere in the growing fog, Rapunzel squinted as she spotted a boat drifting toward the town's port. She gasped as she caught sight of Flynn controlling the ship, unaware that he was actually tied up through the darkness. Even Pascal did a double-take as he rested on her shoulder.
"Eugene?" The fog lifted slightly around the boat, revealing the unconscious man to Rapunzel. Mortified, she also caught a glimpse of a familiar talon resting on the railing. "Gallus? W-What...? Eugene!"
"Oh dear. Seems like they've run off with the crown, and he's forgotten all about you." Rapunzel and Pascal looked behind them to find Marluxia appearing behind them.
Despite how disheartened Rapunzel felt, she still believed Flynn didn't abandon her. "No. He wouldn't," she said to the Organization member. Feeling a sinister presence, her bravado quickly faded as she nervously backed away from Marluxia. "W-Who are you?"
She quickly looked back at the boat, hoping Flynn and Gallus would see her in serious trouble with this stranger who actually fit the description of an untrustworthy person. "Forget Flynn Rider," Marluxia said. "You know where you belong, and it's not with him."
He summoned a couple Reapers, startling Rapunzel as they hovered menacingly closer to her. They weren't coming to her rescue, not even Sora, Donald, or Goofy, wherever they were. With no choice, she ran away with the Reapers slowly creeping after her. Marluxia watched with a grin, glancing over his shoulder, then gave a small nod before he warped away from the scene.
Rapunzel panted as she ran away, trying to get back to town to call the guards for help. She leapt over a log on the path, but the end of her braided hair got caught in a thick root, reeling her back and trapping her. She began to panic, tugging desperately to get her hair unstuck without attempting to rip it off. While trying to free her hair, she paused after hearing whacking sounds behind a large boulder, obscuring her view of the curved path.
"Rapunzel!" cried out a familiar voice.
"...Mother?" Rapunzel called out.
Carefully pulling her hair off the root, Rapunzel stepped over the log and walked around the corner. To her surprise, she found Gothel with large stick, panting heavily after hefting it, and the Reapers who were chasing her fading away into gray rose petals.
"Oh, my precious girl!" Gothel exclaimed in relief, seeing her daughter safe.
"Mother..." Rapunzel ran up to Gothel, immediately hugging her as the older woman did the same.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Gothel asked, checking her for any injuries the Nobodies inflicted on her.
"M-Mother, h-how did you-?" Rapunzel was pulled into another tight embrace as Gothel interrupted her.
"I was so worried about you, dear. So I followed you. And I saw them attack you, and..." Gothel dragged her fingers through Rapunzel's hair, subtly wincing at the braided hairstyle and flowery accents. She let out a huge sigh in relief, holding Rapunzel close, glad to see her unharmed. "Oh my. Let's go. Let's go before more of those vile monsters show up."
She grasped Rapunzel's hands and led her back to the forest, but Rapunzel let go as she looked behind her. She watched Flynn and Gallus continue drifting across the lake, her heart broken as Flynn betrayed her. And she was just as hurt seeing Gallus accompanying him, thinking he would fly to the shore and help her when she was chased by the Nobodies. Rapunzel glanced back at Gothel, who had a lantern glowing an ominous green light to light up their path, holding her arms out to her. Rapunzel broke down, completely heartbroken, running to her mother and held her tightly. Her mother had been right all along; the world was full of thugs who would only use her, then dump her the moment she was of no use to them. Sadly, she walked alongside Gothel, making their way back home, and Rapunzel vowed to never leave the tower ever again. She didn't want to be hurt by anyone else anymore.
Sora grunted as he sliced through the last few Dusks surrounding him. Finding no more, the wielder huffed, dismissing his Keyblade as he rolled and stretched out his right arm and shoulder.
"Any time there's something special going on, Heartless or Nobodies just have to spoil all the fun," he said. He looked back to Donald and Goofy, who weren't any worse for wear with their own groups they fought off. "The town should be safe now. Let's catch up with Gallus and hope he's not in too much trouble."
"Right!" Donald and Goofy both said with a nod.
The trio raced down the docks and made their way to the town entrance, running across the bridge to the shore. Neither of them noticed the drifting sailboat floating beside the bridge halfway through, focusing more on meeting up with Gallus and taking out anymore Nobodies that might be around. Once they reached the shore, they searched around for Gallus, Rapunzel, or Flynn, but it was unsettlingly quiet and neither of them were around. Down the path, Sora spotted a green light heading deeper into the woods, and through that light, he saw Rapunzel with Gothel.
"Rapunzel? Where's she going?" Sora muttered to himself before running after her. "Hey! Rapunzel!"
He barely got a few yards before Marluxia warped in front of him with a sly grin. "Show some decorum," he chided coyly.
"Marluxia!" Sora summoned his Keyblade, quickly getting in his stance while Donald and Goofy called forth their weapons.
"The girl has found her dear mother," Marluxia said. "You should let them be."
"And why is that?" Sora questioned.
"Because Rapunzel is far too important," the Nobody stated. "Atop her tower, she must remain out of sight, and live out her days with Mother Gothel."
"And never let her see anyone else?" Goofy asked.
"That's awful!" Donald squawked. "She's just going to be treated like a prisoner!"
"Exactly," Marluxia agreed, shocking the trio. "Rapunzel's hair holds the powerful magic of healing. And yes, Mother Gothel wants it for herself. As do others. And, if Mother Gothel's actions will protect Rapunzel, preserve her...then she is doing the Organization a favor."
"A favor?" Sora questioned. It dawned on him by what Marluxia meant. "Wait, you know she's a new Princess of Heart?"
"Yes, though I am surprised you managed to figure that out." Sora growled in response for the insult toward his intelligence. "Though it seemed to be obvious with the little alicorn princess Dark Riku tried to lure away from the real Riku, wasn't it?"
"So you're going to plan on taking all the new princesses like Maleficent had!?" Sora exclaimed. "When I tell Riku you're going to kidnap his future niece again, he's gonna tear all your nonexistent hearts to pieces!"
"We have no means of acquiring the New Seven Hearts at this time," Marluxia assured the angry Keyblade wielder. "The others are still a mystery, but Kairi still retains her innate abilities with the power of light as a Princess of Heart. For now, they'll be held on the backburner while we stick to our current plan."
"You'd better stay away from Kairi! I'm not letting her get taken away from me again!" Sora said. "And why do you even care about Rapunzel at all!? You're using her just as badly as her own mother!" Sora dashed forward, having enough of Marluxia's smug face and what else the Organization has up their sleeves for backup plans. "I'm going to end you right now!"
In a flurry of rose petals, Marluxia summoned his scythe, swiftly blocking Sora's swing. "Struck a nerve with your beloved, I see," he mocked. "I figured you would end up causing a scene." He pushed Sora back and took a swing back at him, but Sora backflipped away, leaving him wide open. With his free hand, he gathered his power, then thrust it toward Sora, releasing a gust of pink wind at him. "Lights out."
Sora landed, ready to lunge forward again, noticing the wind too late as it struck him. He gasped, the magical wind barely strong enough to shift his close, but it left an aroma that permeated around him, and it had an effect on him. Sora's eyes began to droop, his limbs growing weak as he felt sleepy. He struggled to fight back, but it was a losing battle. He lost his grip on his Keyblade, disappearing in a flash of light as it hit the ground, and he passed out on his back.
"Sora!" Donald and Goofy called out as they ran up to Sora.
"Don't worry. I'm just helping him sleep away his stress," Marluxia said, getting nasty glares from Donald and Goofy. "Though I would be much more concerned about your other little friend if you dragged him away from his own world to assist in your endeavors."
Marluxia pulled out Gallus's feather that he found back at the tower, making the mage and knight gasp in shock. "Gallus!? What did you do to him!?" Donald demanded.
"He's a little busy with Flynn Rider at the moment, but he is still alive," Marluxia said, letting go of the griffon feather. "Who to worry about more should be your top priority, not me. Save Rapunzel, wake Sora, or search for the missing griffon."
A portal of darkness appeared around Marluxia as he disappeared, leaving Donald and Goofy flummoxed with what they should do. "What are we gonna do now, Donald?" Goofy asked.
"Uhh, I-I don't know!" Donald exclaimed. Unable to decide, Donald hastily picked waking Sora, grasping the sleeping wielder's jacket and tried to shake him awake. "Sora, wake up! Gallus is in trouble!" The spell on Sora had him in such a deep sleep that he didn't feel his body get forcefully shaken, or even hear Donald's squawking voice. Grasping his staff, Donald held it over Sora. "Esuna!" he called out, releasing a bright light around Sora, but whatever spell forced him to stay alseep was not any normal magical status ailment. "Oh no! It didn't work!"
"That Marluxia guy was able to put some sort of curse on Sora back in Equestria when he lured him away. What if this is another one?" Goofy asked nervously.
"This is bad. And we can't just leave him alone!" Donald said. "Marluxia might be back to take him away again!"
Donald and Goofy continued trying to come up with a plan, staying by Sora so the scythe-wielding assassin didn't attempt to kidnap Sora again.
Down by the docks, a couple soldiers inspected the area when they saw scorch marks along the stone floor. Hearing a light thud coming from the water, they rushed over to investigate the noise. Shining their lanterns, they found a boat gently tapping against the wall, and to their surprise, they found the wanted thief, Flynn Rider, manning the boat. And in his hand was the tiara he swiped from under their noses, along with a sack behind him that had an eagle claw sticking out from the tied opening.
"Well, well, well, look who we have here," one of them said, waking the slowly stirring thief as he groaned.
"W-Wha...? What...happened?" Flynn mumbled. Once he finally came to, he looked at his bindings, squinting his eyes when the soldiers' lanterns shone on his face. Feeling something wrapped against his right hand, his mouth dropped when they saw him holding onto the tiara he stole, his eyes shifting between the stolen royal headpiece and the soldiers who know him all too well. "Oh, this is not my night."
"Nice to see you again, Flynn," the other guard said as he and his partner climbed onto the boat, keeping him restrained while cutting him from his bindings and taking back the tiara. "And someone delivered you to us all gift-wrapped. Must be my birthday today."
"Wait, hold on, guys." Flynn tried to explain, but the guards weren't going to hear any of his excuses.
"You're facing much more serious charges than your petty thieving in the past," the first guard said. As his partner apprehended Flynn, the soldier noticed the burlap sack with him on the boat. "How much more loot did you take from unsuspecting travelers when we lost track of you?"
"Look, I can explain! I'm being framed!" Flynn exclaimed, telling the truth, but it was obvious the soldiers didn't believe him. "I don't even know where that bag came from! Someone knocked me out, and-"
"Save it, Flynn. You're under arrest, and your sentence will be given swiftly come morning." The second guard harshly shoved Flynn onto the docks, keeping a firm hold on both of his arms behind his back as the truthful thief struggled against his hold.
The first guard grabbed the sack and hefted it over his shoulder with a grunt. "Oof! This thing's pretty heavy!" He felt no hard solid surfaces, but he did notice the talons sticking out. "No gold, but some illegal game to sell for some cash?"
"I am not a hunter!" Flynn exclaimed. "What makes you think I'd want to kill animals and sell them on the black market!? That's not what I do!"
"You're already going to receive a death sentence for stealing from the royal crown. This is just another crime to add onto your head, but that won't mean much when we chop it off." Flynn gulped, wishing he was able to grab his neck as he winced at the horrible way to die.
He tried to figure out what was in the sack that had this so-called hunted game the guards claimed was inside, but any time he turned his head, the guard keeping him restrained forced him toward the castle, where he was going to be sent to the dungeon until the morning. He shouldn't have left with his satchel and the tiara. Rapunzel must have seen him on that boat while he was unconscious, and she thought he must have left her with the tiara when he planned on leaving it in a spot for the guards to find and return to her. She trusted him, and he wound up in a sticky situation where she had no faith in him anymore. He knew it was too good to be true. He wanted to give up his old dream of living the lavish lifestyle by himself with all the money in the world for a new one; to be with Rapunzel, the girl who won his heart and saw him for who he really was, not what he became to chase a fleeting daydream he wished for as a child.
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Alright new update. And Gallus is starting to get what is holding him back to achieve his true potentional, the thing is that he is afraid and detrusted, and he feels like he will forever be alone without anyone close to him. Gallus is never alone, and with a little bit of Silverstreams words, it got him to understand his error. And awesome job there, and I might know what comes next, keep up the great work.
awesome chapter mate keep it up can't wait for the next chapter personally I like the game version of he's a bad horse that the movie version it make me LOL more
Oh No! Marluxia knows The New Welders 😱😱😱
Well shit...
Looks like things went a bit pear shaped there...
Xanianort is going to take Sora's wife from him and complete the x-blade. 😥😥😥😟
10892174
not if sora stop it first
Nice chapter.
Also possible question but would The doors in Monstropolis lead to Equestria? Since we do know that they can access other world since in kh3 when Vanitas is being yeetedby Sulley you can get a glimpse of Arendelle and San Fransokyo through said doors, would that mean Sulley and Mike know about Equestria if there are doors that lead to Equestria?
10892174
Well, codex did say he's planning on making a sequel to this, which btw man your crazy yet you gotta give him respect too. So maybe the sequel will be based on sora's kids, so the premise would be based on them looking for their father with the help of the main six's kids. Or I'm just thinking this way too deep
10892388
In the movie they were very explicit that they were scaring the human world, so probably not worlds like Equestria.
10895899
Would that cross out the human equestria?
Awesome chapter!
Binge read the whole fic, not even that big of a KH fan and still loved the whole ride. Keep up the awesome storytelling!
I am so happy
I could go on all day how utterly great this chapter is, but honestly, I really don't have much to say other than I love it. I will say few things, but know that after gathering my thoughts, it's going exactly as I hoped it would be, and that makes me so incredibly happy, the way everything is set up and presented, and how this story will reach its conclusion. Let's talk about some important things first.
I cannot wait for Malurxia's reaction to discover that Rapunzel is not a Princess of Heart, if we're going with Expanded Tangled canon. If true, it would be so funny to see his utter defeat, it's kind of what he deserves for kidnapping all those children. yeah, he got beat up by Sora, but he deserves this complete humiliation.
God, we all know exactly how this is going to end, and it's going to be so good when it happens. I'm so excited for Part 4.
And that's about it, I could talk more, but I think this chapter speaks for itself.
The conversation between Flynn and Gallus was something I theorized, and turned out to be true. And it really cemented how perfect it is for Gallus to travel to this world.
The Monsters Inc reference with a girl yelling "kitty!"
Sora taking a backseat in this arc.
There's so much great stuff in this arc, I absolutely love it.
After this arc end, I'll speculate which of the worlds each of the Young SIx will travel to, if that's the plan.
Continue this great story, and shine on!
You've done a good job on this.