Their ballots cast, Twilight and her friends began their walk back to the boutique. They had only a few hours to prepare for the Fall Formal. In only a few hours, Twilight thought, I'll have my crown back. I'll be able to go back to Equestria. Sora and Donald can go back to their world...
Twilight realized she didn't want to see Sora go. Why? she wondered. He and Donald nearly lost my crown! But...I guess they were just trying to help. Maybe I was a little too hard on them...
Twilight was so distracted she barely noticed Applejack catching up with them outside the boutique.
"I still can't believe we pulled that off." Fluttershy remarked at her arrival.
"I can! We're awesome!" said Rainbow.
"Enough chatter, girls," Rarity interrupted. "We need to get ready, and we need to look fabulous!"
* * *
With that, they began to prepare for the Fall Formal. Fluttershy wavered for the longest time a green and orange dress while Pinkie tried on one gaudy ensemble after another, each different from the last and none of them satisfactory.
Rarity dressed Rainbow Dash up in a frilly dress with puffy sleeves and a pink bow in her hair. She would have moved on to pinning and fitting had not Rainbow fixed Rarity with her fiercest glare. Rarity smiled sheepishly. "Maybe hair first, then. Twilight?" She shoved Rainbow off the fitting dais to where Twilight stood, in front of a set of mirrors.
Twilight picked up a comb and got to work on Rainbow's tangles, but most of her mind was occupied with other thoughts. Getting the crown back is my responsibility, Sora shouldn't even be here... but if it wasn't for his help, I probably wouldn't have gotten as far as I did, especially with those Heartless creatures running around and that organization he was talking about... and saving Rainbow Dash's life. Twice, even... now I don't even feel like a princess OR a good friend... I have to make things right with Sora, and Donald too... I just hope they're not too upset to talk to me after the Formal...
Twilight was brought back to reality by Rarity jangling a chest full of accessories. Pinkie picked a pair of blue and yellow balloon earrings, Rarity a diamond necklace, Rainbow pink wings for her boots, Applejack a red rose for her stetson. Twilight applauded their choices, awkwardly aware in the back of her mind that she hadn't even dressed up yet. Fortunately, Rarity pulled her into a fitting room. "Try this, darling. I picked it out myself. Nothing but the best for our princess"
She left Twilight alone to try it on. It only took a minute, but Twilight could hear her friends gathering excitedly outside, just like this morning when everything seemed like it was going to go wrong. Well, everything had changed. Everything was going to go right: her dress, the Formal, Sora, everything. Full of confidence, Twilight pulled open the curtain and struck a pose. Her friends gasped and grinned with glee as they took in the sight of her, a vision in pink, purple, and sequins.
As if on cue, the limo Rarity had hired pulled up outside and honked its horn. "Oh, I do hope Sora and Donald will be able to make it," she said, gathering up a last few odds and ends.
"About that," Applejack said, "Ah'm meetin' Sora at Fall Formal, so Ah'm sure he'll make it."
Twilight's smile disappeared when Sora was mentioned. He's still coming? After what I said? I know I've got to make things right, but at the Formal? When he's with Applejack? Wait, APPLEJACK?
Rarity gasped. "Sora is your date to the Fall Formal!?"
Rainbow pounded Applejack on the shoulder. "Way to go, AJ! I never would've thought you and Sora had a thing for each other!"
"Oh, I'm sooo happy for you, Applejack! Not everyone can say they had a date with a Keyblade wielder! Or can they? Could there be other Keyblade wielders in town? Eh, probably not."
Twilight was still process the situation. Sora...Applejack's date?... When did this even happen? To buy herself time to think, she gestured toward the door. "I-I'm really happy for you too, Applejack. B-but can we get going, please?"
Rarity cleared her throat. "Yes, of course."
* * *
The moon shone brightly in the night sky, accompanied by three shimmering stars. The students of Canterlot High were approaching the school, all dressed in formal attire, excited to attend one of the biggest events of the year. But even as Vice Principal Luna observed the promenade, something nagged at the backs of her mind.
"Sister, I fear that something terrible may happen tonight." Her voice quavered, like she didn't want to speak an uncomfortable truth.
"So you feel it too, then," Celestia said. "A dark presence, similar to what we've encountered before."
"But those days ended a long time ago. Why now?"
Celestia closed her eyes in thought. "Hmm...I need to make a call."
Luna followed Celestia into her office.
"Whom are you calling, sister?" she asked, as her sister picked up the phone and pushed a few buttons.
"An old friend." Celestia pushed the last button, for speakerphone.
brinng...
brinng...
"Hello?"
"Good evening, my friend."
"Celestia? Gosh, I never thought I'd hear from you again!"
Celestia giggled. "Indeed. It's been too long...Your Majesty."
* * *
As the night wore on, one boy and his duck sat by the school, watching the other students pile in.
"I wonder where the girls are," Sora said.
"Aw, they're probably just getting ready." Donald waved his wing dismissively.
"I know, but it's been a while. They should've been here by now."
"You've got a lot to learn about girls, Sora."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
Before they could really start bickering, however, a black limo drove up in front of the school and Twilight and her friends and a dog stepped out.
"Hey guys!" Sora waved happily.
Most of the girls smiled excitedly, but Twilight crossed her arms. "What are you doing here?"
"I know you said I couldn't help you, but you didn't say I couldn't come and support you." Sora smiled.
"No, what I said was that you've done enough." Sora's smile swiftly disappeared, and he bowed his head. "But..." Sora perked up, "it was really sweet of you to come, even after what I said."
"Look, Twilight, about the gym—"
"It's okay. I understand you were trying to help. I was trying be responsible a princess should be, but I wasn't being a good friend."
"Still...I'm sorry—"
Before Sora knew it, Twilight had him in a caring embrace. Caught off guard by the sudden affection, It took him a moment to get his arms to stop hovering at his sides and slowly wrap themselves around her.
"Awwww!"
Twilight and Sora quickly let go of each other, their faces a bright crimson.
"Well, I...um..." Twilight stuttered.
"Y-Yeah, uh..."
"WAIT A MINUTE!"
They turned to find Rarity gawking at Sora's usual outfit, a mixture of panic and horror on her face.
"You can't go the Fall Formal dressed in that! You don't even match Applejack's dress! Oh, this will not do, this will not do at all! There's no time to fix any of this! Why Me-he-he-he-he-he!?"
"I have an idea." Sora said.
"Oh, really? What?"
"Just... stand back."
The girls, Spike, and Donald stepped back as Sora crossed his arms in front of his chest. He began to float off the ground, and summoned his Keyblade in a burst of light. When it subsided, the Sora's clothes had turned from black, red, and yellow to black, blue, and silver, and blue flames had appeared on the cuffs. Donald was nowhere to be seen.
"Oh, goodness..."
"Wow-wie!"
"Looking good, Soar!"
"Ain't that somethin'!"
"Oh, my... the color, the design, it's so... so..."
"Amazing? Dazzling?" Spike said.
"Yes! Exactly!" Rarity exclaimed.
"Sora...how...I mean, what is..." Twilight tried to find her words.
"It's the good fairies' magic. They gave me these to help fight Xemnas and the Organization." Sora let his Keyblade dematerialize, walked up to Applejack, and held his hand out. "Shall we?"
Applejack blushed and hesitantly reached for Sora's hand. "Y-Yeah, let's go."
* * *
The two walked up the steps into the school. Twilight and the others started to follow, but a black car with lightning bolts on its sides and hood pulled up, and Flash Sentry opened the driver's side door. "Twilight!" he called.
She turned her head as Flash ran up the steps. "Look, I know you said 'no' about going to the Fall Formal with me, but would you reconsider and at least have one dance?"
Flash blushed as Twilight gazed at him.
"I didn't say 'no!' I mean, I did, but...I didn't mean 'no' to you." Twilight could feel herself blushing as well. "I was... Well, what I mean is... yes. I'd love to dance with you."
Flash and Twilight linked arms and started toward the door, lost in each others' eyes. Flash was so lost he walked into a closed door. Embarrassed, he put his hand to his head, waving Twilight inside when she tried to see if he was okay. She did go in, and he soon followed, but not before Rarity pulled Twilight aside.
"What are you doing, Twilight!? You have to make a decision right now!" she whispered.
"What decision?"
"Sora or Flash? You can't have both of them."
"I know, I just don't know who to choose!"
"Well, you better do it soon, before Sora's taken."
"Right..."
* * *
Flash left Twilight early to play with his band, but she didn't seem to mind, waving every now and again to Flash whenever he finished a solo. In between songs, she would scan the gym. "Anybody seen Sunset Shimmer?"
"Maybe she was too embarrassed to show!" Rainbow had to shout to be heard as the music started up again. "She's gotta know you won by a landslide!"
"Maybe..."
Applejack swung Sora around, his new form making him magically light on his feet. It also, however, drained his energy, especially when he had to keep up with the music. "Hey, AJ, I'm gonna get a drink," he finally had to shout. "You want anything?"
"Alright!"
Sora skimmed over to the punch bowl, poured himself a cup, and finished it in seconds. As he poured two more, Flash's banned thrummed their final chord, and Principal Celestia took center stage. "First off, I want to say how wonderful everything looks tonight. You all did a magnificent job pulling things together after the unfortunate events of earlier." Vice Principal Luna walked onstage, a chest in her hands. "And now, without further ado," Celestia said, "I'd like to announce the winner of this year's Fall Formal Crown!" Luna opened her chest to reveal it.
Sora could see Twilight staring at the crown, and hoped for her sake that she won it after everything she's been through.
Celestia took an envelope from Luna and continued. "The princess of this year's Fall Formal is..."
Twilight and Spike started to tremble.
This is it... Sora thought.
Celestia opened the envelope. "...Twilight Sparkle!"
Every student in the gym cheered for Twilight. She and her friends hugged each other in celebration. Sora jumped for joy and pumped his fists.
Yes! She did it!
Unfortunately, two Dual Blades accompanied by a robed Barrier Master wearing a tall hat and levitating a giant spell book, snuck in under the cover of the celebration. As Twilight walked across the stage, they snuck up behind Sora.
"What the—"
They knocked him to the ground and started dragging him by his ankles.
* * *
"Congratulations, Twilight." Celestia placed the crown upon her head. It sparkled as she looked out at her friends, drinking in the pride on their faces as she waved to the exuberant crowd. It feels like nothing can go wrong…
...Until it did.
"Sora!?"
She could barely see him being dragged out the gym, struggling against the Heartless, flailing his Keyblade uselessly. "Ugh! Let go of me! UGH! TWILIIIIIIGHT!"
SLAM!!
"They've got Sora!!" Twilight shouted as she ran after them.
She ran out into the hallway, sliding on the slippery floor and smashing into the lockers. Her friends rushed out after her. They found the doors outside hanging off their hinges, and stepped through to find the Heartless holding Sora by the horse statue, the portal to Equestria. Sunset Shimmer appeared from behind it, holding a sledgehammer. Twilight and her friends stopped when she raised it up above her head.
"That's close enough!"
To Be Continued...
