//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: How to Cast a Shadow // Story: Lend Me Your World // by Superdale33 //------------------------------// Adagio Dazzle bit into her hot dog. The taste of unidentifiable meat and bland bread made her gag, but she swallowed it down. Food was scarce, and she wasn’t going to waste another meal because of her pickiness. Even if the hot dog was nothing more than rubber to her tongue. The other Dazzlings were no better. Aria Blaze had set aside her hot dog, gazing off across the park. Sonata Dusk held her stomach and grimaced. The hot dog didn’t agree with her either. Their bag sat at their feet, and Adagio opened it up to sift through it. A few wads of cash ruffled inside along with enough coins for a vending machine purchase. She growled, throwing the bag aside to lean back against the bench. “That’s all he had on him?” Adagio said, kicking up her leg to settle over her knee. “He was a hot dog vendor,” Aria said, crossing her arms. She glanced to Adagio before turning away. “He’s not exactly rolling in dough. Maybe next time, you grab the cash. Then you wouldn’t be so snippy.” “I get to be snippy,” Adagio said, pressing her hand against her chest. “It was my plan to begin with.” “It was a good plan,” Sonata said, sitting up straight. She held her hot dog in both hands. An overly big smile spreading across her face. “Stealing from a clothing store would be nice though. These sweatshirts are itchy.” Adagio had a long rant rumble in her throat. Wearing those sweatshirts and sweatpants for months gnawed at her pride. No money meant no replacements, no place to sleep, and no food. She chewed her hot dog, and a scrap lodged itself in her throat. She hacked and coughed until it came loose, and something in her snapped. She flung the rest of her food into the park, pushing herself to her feet. “I am sick of this!” she yelled, stomping her foot. “Yeah, I’m tired of hot dogs too,” Sonata said. She gently set the hot dog on the pavement with her tongue out in disgust. Adagio quivered, clenching her teeth. “She’s talking about our situation,” Aria said with a roll of her eyes. She flipped one of her pigtails and adjusted the collar of her sweatshirt. “You know, living in garbage, eating garbage, and being garbage.” “I’m not garbage!” Sonata said with a raised fist. “If anybody here is garbage, it’s definitely you.” “No, you are.” “Enough!” Adagio screamed, storming across the nearest knoll. The terrible food, bickering, and sleepless nights finally got to her. Enduring all that for no other reason but to survive. Nothing more than girls. It grated in her head, mocking her. “We wouldn’t be here if those girls at Canterlot High hadn’t destroyed our pendants.” “And whose idea was it to feed there?” Aria said, holding up a finger. “Um…” Sonata said, pressing her hands together, scrunching her face. “Adagio?” “Scratch that,” Aria said, getting in Sonata’s face. “It’s your fault.” Another back and forth Adagio couldn’t stand. It blended together to make a white noise that she promptly ignored as she had always done. Her mind dropped back to that one memory. That fateful night months ago. It was one memory that clung to her every day. She bristled, her heart rate spiking as molten lava coursed through her veins. Then a feeling passed through her. It was an odd, almost comforting feeling. The kind she had felt at the band finals, when they were on top of the world, when everyone bowed down to her. It set off a beacon in her mind. She had to find the source. Her anger soothed enough for her to set off, head full of hope. “Uh, Adagio, where are you-?” “Quiet,” she hissed with a glare hard enough to pierce rock. Aria broke her gaze, wilting. The feeling was too faint to let the girls distract her. Adagio beckoned them to follow. A groan from Aria and a mutter from Sonata were meaningless, not when there was something more to gain. Past scattered trees and the occasional person, they made their way through the park. The feeling widened with every step, inch by inch, and it enriched her very being. By the time they reached the street, a malicious grin manifested. She came to a stop at the sidewalk, and the others did the same. A gremlin stalked the street, paper arms sweeping side to side. It leapt onto a car before shaking and launching off. It smashed back into the car, setting off the alarm. It garnered attention from the bystanders. The gremlin shook before it flung itself at the closest man. He stumbled back with a yell, and the thing bounced around to crash into the side of another parked car. Everyone yelled and screamed, fleeing the scene. Adagio, Aria, and Sonata remained, the latter two watching with wide eyes. The gremlin crushed the engine of another car and bounced through the window of an antique store. Glass burst into the air as more screams echoed within. “What in the world is that?” Aria asked. Her tone struck a chord in Adagio. It was clear as day what it was. Sonata squirmed, “Does it just make havoc for fun?” Neither of them understood. Adagio wanted to slap them, but huffed instead, crossing her arms. Getting this close had revealed that feeling. It wasn’t Equestrian magic, but equally powerful, if not more. Darkness reeked from that gremlin, and she had to wonder how she hadn’t felt it before. “That, girls,” Adagio said, leaning back on one foot. Her heart soared at the taste of Darkness, at the opportunities. She took in a deep, refreshing breath. “That is our ticket to ruling this world.” “Wait, so, Pinkie threw a party, made up with you, and then she could see Sora?” Sunset nodded, amused, and Twilight tilted her head back. Her eyes squinted as though lost in a reverie. Sunset rested her hands on either side, propping herself on the choir stands. She almost enjoyed how baffled Twilight was. It made no sense back when Sunset had seen her first phantom, and she didn’t expect to grasp the intricacies any time soon. Off in the corner of the music room, Sora and Pinkie huddled close, each beating a fist to their palm until they stopped. Sora retained his fist and Pinkie ended up clapping a hand flatly. Sunset giggled, glad to see them get along so well, even if Sora didn’t lose gracefully. “Best three out of five!” he said, holding up three fingers. Pinkie Pie laughed like a super villain, her expression madly evil. “You underestimate my power!” Pinkie said. She hunched forward with hands at the ready. Sora mirrored her, determined. “Because I used strength boosts before this encounter.” “Like that’ll help,” Sora said, stomping a foot. “Let’s finish this.” Sunset didn’t see the results. Twilight had her eyes closed, reclusive. It was odd to see her that way. The last few days had forced Sunset to reevaluate her perspective on magic. Then when they take another step forward, it was Twilight who was lost in thought. “I know that face,” Sunset said. Twilight opened her eyes, blinking at her. Sunset smirked. “You’re trying to figure something out.” “I have a face for that?” Twilight asked, almost hurt. Sunset waved it off, “It’s not a bad thing. What’s on your mind?” Twilight twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, smiling sheepishly, before stepping over to sit next to Sunset. Twilight sighed, that same concern returning. “I’m trying to figure out…” Twilight said, shaking her head. There was a flash of sadness before she stamped it out. Sunset didn’t like that look at all, leaning forward to better see her face. She brightened, sitting up straight. “Figuring out how Pinkie saw Sora.” It didn’t sound like the real reason, but Sunset knew Twilight. She would bring it up when she was ready. Sunset focused on Sora, playing yet another round of rock-paper-scissors. His competitive streak caught her interest, but she shelved the detail. It wasn’t important at the moment. “That did cross my mind,” Sunset said, setting her hands on her legs. “And you’re not curious?” Twilight asked, narrowing her eyes. It came off as callous. A tone Sunset hadn’t heard from her in a long time. “Of course, I’m curious,” Sunset said, watching Sora drop his head in his hands. Pinkie had her fingers intertwined, holding them up in victory. The sight calmed her. “The Heartless could pop up whenever Maleficent feels like it, and we’re not qualified to fight the Darkness ourselves.” “Depends on your definition of qualified,” Twilight noted. “Look, I’m just glad Pinkie can see Sora,” Sunset said quickly. Twilight got into tangents if she found a loose thread. “I had to meet Wallflower Blush before coming here, and I couldn’t stop thinking of how to get the others to see him.” “Did you come up with anything?” Twilight asked. “Nothing significant. It is Pinkie Pie after all.” Pinkie emerged from behind them, wrapping her arms to bring them close. “Obviously,” Pinkie said with a small giggle. “It’s a sign to raise Sora’s sugar intake. That and I promised to throw him a party.” “When did you promise that?” Sora asked, stifling his laughter as he approached them. “Just now!” Pinkie said, throwing confetti into the air. They rained down onto them, and Sunset swept them out of her hair, thinking about that promise. The idea wasn’t too far fetched. Even Twilight fell back into her thoughts, humming. “I’m guessing you have a theory, Twilight?” Sunset asked. She brushed the confetti off her shoulders, and picked a few that had stuck to Twilight's hair. She smiled at the gesture before giving a subtle nod. “What I got so far,” she said, “is that I saw Sora when I truly believed he existed. We figured that was all it took. Or at least, that was the original theory.” “Right,” Sora said. He held up a fist to rest his chin on and pursed his lips to what Sunset inferred was his thinking pose. “It didn’t work for Rainbow Dash when we ran into her, and Pinkie didn’t even consider it.” “That means there’s a different link,” Sunset said, standing to her feet. She studied Sora, from his clothes to his hair. He did the same, twisting and angling himself to get the full picture. “There’s a pattern we’re missing.” “You and Pinkie did reconcile before she saw me,” Sora added. He tugged at his sleeve, eyeing Pinkie who held her arm. “Maybe it involves that.” “I don’t see how that involves you though,” Sunset said. She raked her mind, thinking about Twilight back at her lab. She was upset she hadn’t fully believed Sora, but there was more to it. There had to be. “Pinkie did mention throwing you a party before she could see you. Both times, you were the topic. The connection starts at you.” “Oh!” Pinkie said, leaping up to rest on Twilight’s head, to her chagrin. “We should get the others to interact him! If that’s the pattern, then they’ll see him in no time.” Sunset took a deep breath. Having her friends interact with Sora was the challenge, but perhaps that was why it had been accidental the last two times. They stumbled through the conversation and Sora simply popped into existence for them. Sunset and Twilight met each other's eyes. That sense of hope was clear as day in her, though with its fair share of doubt. “It’s worth a shot,” Sunset said with a shrug. “Not sure what to have the girls do to ‘interact’ with him.” “Have Rarity make him an outfit?” Twilight asked. Her tone proved she wasn’t too keen on the suggestion herself. “Get Applejack to open up to him?” Pinkie asked. That broke the dam, and a wave of thoughts washed over Sunset. She furrowed her brow, walking to the side. The pieces came together. Small bits that crafted a clearer picture of the puzzle. “Come to think of it,” Sunset said, “the Elements of Harmony could be the key.” “Elements of Harmony?” Sora asked. “In Equestria, the Elements of Harmony were six artifacts that represented facets of friendship: honesty, generocity, loyalty, kindness, laughter, and magic. My friends here shared this magic with their counterparts. Essentially, they represent the Magic of Friendship.” Realization dawned in Sora, giving a small hop. “So that’s why your world has that magic!” Sora said. Sunset tilted her head. “The reason Equestria is the source of all friendship is because of the Elements of Harmony.” “Sort of,” Sunset nodded slowly. “Didn’t I tell you?” “Nope.” “Oh,” Sunset said, scratching the back of her head. “Guess I forgot.” “Don’t hold it against her,” Pinkie said, hands on her hips. She had a smug look that got a chuckle out of Sora. “She forgets a lot of things.” Sunset smirked, giving a smug look of her own, “I didn’t forget that your full name is Pinkamena Diane Pie.” “It is?!” Sora said, mouth agape. The other three laughed, the kind of laughter that was good natured, the kind Sunset hadn’t had for a while. Even as they died down to snickers, Sunset appreciated the moment, however small it was. The comforting blanket of friendship draped over her shoulders, and she would snuggle that close. Sora faced each of them, working it out in his head, and Pinkie shuffled up to him. “Don’t worry, Sora,” she said through fits of laughter, “Sunset didn’t know either.” Sora beamed. That same blanket warmed, and Sunset fully appreciated having everyone in the room. She recited the words that formed the banner at her party in her head. “With what we have so far,” Sora said, a hand on his hip while the other gestured to her, “you think the Elements are what we need to get me back?” Sunset shook her head, the warm feeling fading a tad, “From what Princess Twilight told me, the Elements were destroyed. She and her friends are the ones who hold the magic now. Even then, the Elements don’t, or didn’t, work that way.” She snapped her fingers. “However, we share a form of the Magic of Friendship here, in this world.” She let it set in, a chance for them to piece it together as she had. They glanced to one another until Sora scratched his cheek. His smile contorted into a grimace. “Meaning…?” he said. Sunset held back a sigh, her eyes half lidded, “Meaning we may actually need to have our friends interact with you. It might be the solution we’re looking for. “Great!” Sora said, rolling his arm. He bounded left to right, energetic. “Then let’s find your friends and try it out. I’m itching to really meet them.” “Too late for that,” Sunset said, holding out a hand to the clock on the wall. Well into the evening, and if that wasn’t enough, the windows presented a very beautiful sunset too. The late hour didn’t pertain to her too much. She could already imagine herself brainstorming plans well into the night. “Man,” Sora said, crossing his arms and bowing his head, “foiled by time again.” “I’m not a fan of it either,” Sunset said with a shrug. “We’ll get on it tomorrow after school.” They shambled to get their bags against the wall. The toll on Sunset weighed on her the heaviest. Her books and utensils were feathers in comparison. She hadn’t mentioned the invisible time limit that hung over her head, ticking down to another attack by the Heartless. It wound her up, and if Pinkie hadn’t seen Sora, exhaustion would have won out at the end of the day. Twilight opened her bag to find Spike gone. She glanced around to find him sniffing near the choir stands, eyeing every corner with suspicion. “What’s wrong, Spike?” she asked, stepping closer with her bag in her hands. “I thought I smelled…” he said. He padded the stand before turning to Twilight. There was discrepancy between Spike and her, the former cautious and curious while the latter was merely confused. A reversal that stuck out to Sunset. She couldn’t shake it off. “Ah, never mind. Sitting in your backpack is making me smell things.” Sunset pulled the door handle with all her might. It was futile, and she knew it, but her frustration refused to accept it. There was no reason to lock the animal shelter in the middle of the day. The door was stuck, and she didn’t want to believe otherwise. Grunting, she set her boot against the wall for leverage and used every muscle she could muster. “I think it’s locked,” Sora said behind her. Sunset halted, frowning at Sora who stood idly behind her, expression blank. “I’d prefer solutions,” Sunset said, giving another tug, “not the obvious.” A thought struck Sora, and he stared at his hand. His fingers opened and closed before he held out his arm, palm open. Sunset broke away from her attempts, more than a little curious. His keyblade appeared, and he held it aloft to study it. “You sure that can open any lock?” Sunset said. After everything, the size of the keyblade made it difficult to see it work on a half inch keyhole. Sora smirked, and Sunset saw his competitive nature. That cocky side of him that rarely emerged. “Stand back,” he said lightly. She would have said it wasn’t the time for games - her insides still boiled from being denied entry - but stepped to the side with her arms crossed. Sora flourished his keyblade and pointed it to the door. Light gathered at the tip before a thin beam shot to the door and splashed against it. Waves of light permeated the surface as the lock clicked. When the light died down, Sunset approached and tested the handle. The door slid open, and Sunset couldn’t muster the courage to face Sora. “Open any lock, huh?” Sora said, pleased with himself. Sunset had a ghost of a smile. There was no activity inside the lobby. She wasn’t surprised, given she couldn’t see anyone through the windows. The animal shelter didn’t have too many workers at one time, even a receptionist. There wasn’t a lot to look at either. A few empty animal carriers clustered by the door, a cardboard box of assorted animal toys at the desk, and the hamster room in the corner. There was skittering, rapid and fast, but Sunset couldn’t pinpoint where it came from. Sora squinted, perking his ears as his eyes danced. He recognized that sound. “Fluttershy?” Sunset called. A wave of deja vu washed over her, but couldn’t think on it when Fluttershy peeked from the room across from them. “Who is it?” she asked, just above a whisper. Her eyes frantically scanned the floors and ceiling. “Just us,” Sunset said before glancing to Sora. “Me and Sora, that is.” “Oh, um, hello,” she said. She had yet to face them fully. Even as she walked out, carrying a net of all things, the walls had her attention. “Is she all right?” Sora asked. Fluttershy whipped around to the desk, net shaking in her grasp. “Yeah, this is normal for Fluttershy,” Sunset said, motioning him to follow her. Fluttershy jumped and held the net back as though to catch Sunset. There were dark bags underneath her eyes. “Eh, maybe not really normal.” Fluttershy retracted her net, her shoulders easing, and swallowed. A shiver ran through her every so often, but she wasn’t on the verge of tears, so not terrified. Sunset had a jolt of panic when she wondered if the interview had gone poorly. It wasn’t hard to attribute it to herself, and her stomach sank. More skittering broke her out of her self-loathing. Once again, there was no discernible origin. “Did an animal get loose?” Sunset asked with a forced laugh. Fluttershy shied away, and Sunset dropped the act immediately. “Fluttershy, did the interview…? I mean, you haven’t been to school in two days, and everyone is worried.” “Interview?” Fluttershy asked, raising her head a tad. “The one for the pet shop?” “Yeah, that one.” “I never got a call back,” she said. Sunset felt as though an ice-cold pick stabbed her heart. It was difficult to swallow. The only reason it hadn’t made her completely numb was from how nonchalant Fluttershy was on the matter. She was distracted, but the interview was all she had focused on for a week. She wouldn’t have brushed it off so easily. Sunset allowed herself to breath, if just to avoid a hasty conclusion, “I’m sorry you didn’t get the job. Maybe if I didn’t push off our practice sessions…” “Uh-huh,” Fluttershy said, eyes darting to the back room. Sora walked to it carefully, twisting his head to angle his ears closer. “There it is again,” he said. He reached the door frame and peered inside. “Uh, did you see something?” Sunset asked before Fluttershy hastily covered her mouth with both hands. A few mumbles escaped Sunset, taken aback, and Fluttershy hushed her as gently as possible. They listened, catching the small sounds from their shifting feet and the muffled engines from passing cars. Sora moved subtly, though it wasn’t from caution like Fluttershy. There was too much interest, no real stake in his actions. His eyebrows rose and made his way to the receptionist desk. His footsteps were thunderclaps, and Sunset tensed. He checked behind it, paused, then leaned back with a shake of his head. Sunset sighed through her nose and pulled Fluttershy’s hands away. “What’s going on?” she whispered. “I’ve never seen you-” “I found this on my way to the interview,” Fluttershy interrupted, holding up a trinket. It was shaped like potion bottle. A yellow glass piece encased in silver. A futuristic blaster, the kind seen in old sci-fi films, was pictured. Sunset studied it, reaching out and holding it carefully. It was light and as big as her palm. Turning it over revealed no stamps or text to indicate its creator. “It was laying on the sidewalk,” Fluttershy said, tapping it but still keeping a watchful eye. “When I picked it up, it… um, well, I don’t think he likes being called an it.” “He?” Sunset asked. Sora looked over her shoulder, “Wait, that’s a-” A inquisitive grunt came from above, and everyone froze. The three lifted their gaze to a dog-like creature clinging to the ceiling. Its brilliant blue fur stood out the most, besides his big, curious eyes blinking at them. Its ears flattened as it took another step and overreached, causing him to lose balance. It tumbled down with a mix between a growl and a howl, and the three jumped back as he landed in a heap. “Stitch!” Sora cried. “It’s really him!” The creature known as Stitch collected himself, hunched down, and leered at Sunset and Fluttershy. The more she studied him, the more Sunset was sure he wasn’t a dog. Some of his features were off, and not like Spike, but more like a monster. She couldn’t take his size for granted. Climbing on walls was already bizarre enough. “Easy, boy,” Fluttershy said, already quivering. Stitch eyed her with a glower. It was the first time Sunset had seen any animal despise her. Fluttershy took baby steps towards Stitch, slowly drawing her net back, but her grimace made it seem like she would toss it away instead. “It’s great to see him again,” Sora said, stars in his eyes. “I wish I could talk to him. He’s always bouncing off the walls, literally!” The tension was nonexistent to him, even as it crept ever upward for everyone else. Sunset took the moment to sidle to Sora. No sudden movements. He still had his sights on Stitch, though his excitement waned. She cleared her throat to draw his gaze to her, confused. “How come he’s so aggressive?” Sora asked. Sunset had to resist snapping at him. “How do you know him?” she asked back. Stitch swiveled one of his ears to Sunset. “I get you travel a lot and meet a ton of people, but I figured they’d be… friendlier.” “He is friendly,” Sora said firmly. A few seconds passed before he sagged his arms. “Sometimes.” “Gaba ika tasoopa!?” he said, his language disjointed. “I’m sorry!” Fluttershy said, dropping the net in fright. It clattered to the ground before Stitch plucked it and spun it overhead like a staff. All that registered to Sunset was that he had a weapon. She dove at him, but he pushed off the floor with the net, propelling outwards. She slid across the ceramic floor with a growl, and Stitch bounded across the room and onto the wall. The net rolled off to the corner. His cackle would have came off as lighthearted if Sunset didn’t want to pelt him. A few stammers from Fluttershy was all Sunset heard as she rushed to her feet, charging to Stitch. The first step was to pin him, and she could figure out the other steps later. Stitch ducked under her grab and bounced to the floor. It was Sora who spoke, but Sunset still didn’t listen. Stitch had curled himself up into a ball and zipped along the floor as though on ice. Sunset gave chase, always out of reach, and the two crashed into a cardboard box by the desk. Her boot ripped a corner as toys spilled onto the floor. She kicked forward to catch herself and launched Stitch into the air with a yelp. Her arms stopped her from colliding with the floor and a number of toys. A set of toy blasters rested underneath her sight, so close that she could see the polish in the metal. Fluttershy whimpered. Stitch stood on the top of her head. If Fluttershy was hesitant to move before, then she was paralyzed at the moment. Even her eyes remained motionless. “His blasters!” Sora said, far more cheerfully than Sunset felt. He knelt down and pointed to them. “Give them to him.” “The toys?” Sunset asked, finally drawing breath after holding it. She didn’t even realize she held it. “They’re real.” “And you want me to give them to him?” she asked, incredulous. It was a different leap of faith than she was ready to do. “Trust me,” Sora said. He was determined, his blue eyes gave it away, as they always have. Sunset would have said it was insane and denounced Sora for implying it would work. But there was that smile again, the one that came from the heart. Sunset grumbled, her mind protesting, but scooped up the blasters and strode to Fluttershy, Sora by her side. Stitch turned around and around, perplexed. He growled and hunched down again when Sunset stood before him and Fluttershy. She clutched the blasters, having second thoughts. Sora shifted to face Sunset properly. “He won’t hurt you,” he said. His tone, his expression, everything about him comforted Sunset. “You can count on it.” She gazed at the blasters one last time before raising them to Stitch. His eyes popped and snatched the blasters. “Ikata!” he exclaimed, hopping in place before pushing off of Fluttershy. She fell back with a squeak. Sora reacted before Sunset and caught her by the wrist… The three of them balked. Sora physically caught her. Fluttershy dangled from his grip, almost intrigued as she squinted. Sora looked every which way as though an explanation would write itself somewhere. “Is that Sora?” Fluttershy asked before she collapsed to the floor. Sora winced, holding his hands up. “Sorry, didn’t mean to…! ” he trailed off, at a loss of words, “to… do that?” Their haggard breathing filled the empty room. Fluttershy lifted herself up to sit on her legs, turning every which way, baffled. Sunset wasn’t any better. It had to set in. She didn’t understand what happened, let alone what it meant. “Where’d he go?” Fluttershy asked. It snapped Sunset back to her, sitting dejected as though abandoned. “I thought he appeared like he did to you and Twilight.” “You can’t see him anymore?” Sunset asked, hurrying to her and helping her to her feet. Fluttershy shook her head. Sunset sighed. “Add another mystery to the list.” “I think it just means what we’re doing is working!” Sora said, hands in the air. He found the positive side once again. Stitch giggled to himself, admiring his blasters and tossing them to himself. It was as though a switch had been flipped, turning him into a bundle of joy instead of a bundle of trouble. At least, that was how Sunset viewed it. “It’s all so much,” Fluttershy said, holding her hands together. “How’d you know he wanted the toy blasters?” “They’re real,” Sunset said. Fluttershy jerked back to hide behind Sunset. Stitch held his blasters out. With a twirl, he spun them in his hands before pretending to holster them to his side. “Sora says he’s good. I don’t think he’ll turn them against us.” Fluttershy shuddered, eyeing the trinket that Sunset had dropped during the tussle, “The creature popped out of nowhere when I held it.” “Stitch,” Sora and Sunset corrected. “Stitch?” Fluttershy asked. Two days with him, and she hadn’t learned his name. It was very unlike her. “My name Stitch,” the creature himself said, stilted yet firm. His blasters were set aside in favor of a ukulele, carefully twisting the knobs to tune it. “Where did he…?” Sunset said, pointing to him as he strummed the strings. A chord was still out of tune. “Pinkie left it here,” Fluttershy explained. She stood by Sunset, curious and open like she was around other animals. “So strange. He was so overwhelming a minute ago.” Sora nudged his nose, “That’s Stitch for you. I was able to summon him with that trinket. It’s called a Heartbinder.” “So, a Heartbinder,” Sunset said, picking it up. There was no sign of damage, thankfully. “This belonged to Sora, and that means…” “My stuff must have scattered,” Sora nodded. “Probably when I appeared in this world.” Sunset was afraid of that. Fluttershy brought over a tiny demon soothed by having two blasters and a ukulele. There was no telling what Sora’s other possessions were capable of. Not to mention where they could have ended up. Finding them was yet another item on the checklist. Sunset rubbed her forehead. Fluttershy rested a hand on her shoulder, giving a comforting squeeze. “I… appreciate you helping, Sunset,” she said. As expected, her kindness was genuine, though Sunset didn’t need to remind herself of that. A smile eased onto her lips. “He’s been a ball of energy for days, I didn’t think anything could calm him down.” “Oh, no no no,” Sunset said hastily, waving her arms in front of her. “Sora is the one you should be thanking. He’s the one who knew Stitch and how to calm him down. I just followed his instructions.” “Oh, that’s right,” Fluttershy said. Sunset shook her head, her smile widening. Fluttershy glanced across the room and past Sora before fixating on a point. Her cheeks reddened, but still held a pleasant smile. “That was very sweet of you, Sora.” His eyes widened in wonder. Sunset recognized the same expression from Twilight’s lab, thoughtful and inquisitive. “Heh,” Sora said, glancing to Sunset. “She reminds me of Kairi.” Fluttershy gasped, and Sunset almost wanted to laugh. She didn’t need to ask her. Relief flooded through Sunset. Their theory had merit. Sora had shown kindness and Fluttershy had acknowledged him. The pattern was set in stone, a course of action was present, and they could get Sora back. All of this ran through her head. It was a rush of idealism pushing back the few traces of reluctance, and it felt good. “Sora!” Stitch cried. Sunset peered over to find Stitch ditch the ukulele and jump to Sora. No one got a word in before Stitch flew through him and face planted onto the floor. A groan escaped him. Fluttershy was too shocked to say much of anything. Stitch fumbled to his feet with a curse under his breath, holding his head, and made his way back, tilting his head. “This is Sora?” she asked. He nodded and crouched down to Stitch, grinning ear to ear. “Hi-ya,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry about earlier. Should’ve warned you that I’m a ghost right now. Glad to see you’re staying fluffy though.” “Ih,” Stitch grunted with a curt nod. His head bobbed side to side, studying Sora before sticking his hand through him. He retracted as though burned, and his ears folded down. “Is Sora gone?” Sora smiled, though strained, “No, nothing like that. Just… some troubles. That’s all. You know me!” His rebounding optimism never failed. Sunset and Fluttershy drew closer, the latter raising a brow with a hand to her chin. “He seems shorter than I expected,” she whispered. Sunset giggled. “How come you’re out so long?” Sora asked, standing to his feet with his hands on his hips. There was frustration in his expression, but to Sunset, it was more like a pout. “He only appears for a minute when I summon him.” Stitch hopped like a toddler in a candy store, pointing to Fluttershy, “Saari isa bootifa Achi-baba!” Fluttershy gave a small smile, “Oh my! What a sweetheart. You’re a good friend too when you behave yourself.” “Oh yeah!” Sora said, lighting up. “Sunset mentioned you could talk to animals.” Stitch growled at him. Sora chuckled nervously. “Not that you’re an animal, little guy.” “Fluttershy is one of the Elements of Harmony,” Sunset said. “Her magic must give her the ability to summon him herself and maintain that summon for longer periods of time.” “Makes sense to me,” Sora said, jabbing a thumb to his chest. “That must be how Stitch can see me too.” Sunset tapped her foot, “Now the question is how does Fluttershy dismiss him?” “Yeah, yeah,” Stitch said, stepping briskly to Sunset. His blasters were back in his hands, and had longing in his eyes. Curiosity struck Sunset, furrowing her brow. She crouched down to him, arms crossed over her knees. “Stitch return to Lilo. Lilo is Ohana.” “Lilo is your friend?” Sunset asked, a smile creeping up. Stitch nodded. Separated from his friends in a foreign world. Sunset couldn’t resist a glance to Sora, who stood like a proud parent. “We’ll get you home, buddy,” Sora said, holding up a fist. “In the meantime, listen to Fluttershy, okay?” Stitch pouted, whined, and even bowed his head. A far cry from his his rambunctious self. The similarities between him and Sora were uncanny. “Okay,” he said, sulking to Fluttershy. No one found the words to cheer him up. Sunset rose, solemn. The whole matter with Sora - from his appearance, the interview falling through with Fluttershy, and Stitch - stemmed from her pulling him through. She didn’t regret it, but there was a lingering doubt, especially with Maleficent and the Heartless appearing the day after. She looked to Sora for support, for that comfort she felt earlier. His stature was relaxed, easy going, and nothing broke him away from Stitch. Both were stuck in the same boat. Her uncertainty deepened, and her stomach flipped. She needed to talk to Princess Twilight.