Kingdom Hearts: Friendship’s Turmoil
Chapter 13: One and Done
Though Sora had woken up many times before in his life, he wasn’t nearly as excited as he was at that moment. With his eyes shooting open, he instantly jumped out of his bed, slamming a palm on the button for the ramp and running right through and onto the roof of the school. Remembering how everyone reacted last time, he avoided jumping off the roof, and opted to take the stairs.
When he reached the hallways again, he was somewhat surprised to find them full of students getting ready for another day of school. That dream felt like it had only lasted a few minutes, yet hours seemed to have passed. Ignoring that fact for the time being, Sora searched the hallway intently, keeping his eyes open for the person who entered his dream, even though he didn’t really know what he looked like.
Whoever was in that Nightmare Armor would be in the school. The person had said so himself. Sora wondered if there was some factor determining when he would appear, like a certain time frame had to pass before hand. If that was the case, then he was wasting his time, but for the time being, there was still a chance to meet his new ally, his new friend.
Taking off down the hallway, Sora wondered how this person was connected to him. He had said that he would be meeting him again, but Sora had no recollection of ever meeting someone like him. A person sounding like Roxas, but at the same time, wasn’t Roxas? It was mind boggling to say the least.
Sora shook his head, knowing he was getting ahead of himself. Once he found this person, he was sure to get the answers he wanted. With his focus back on to his sprint, Sora glanced around his surroundings, and noticed a few things that were very confusing. For one, everyone was giving him weird looks, ones that ranged from mild anger and irritation to uncertainty and sadness. It was a really mixed bag, and to top it all off, everyone was giving him a wide birth, like he would strike them at any moment if they were too close.
By the time Sora reached the lobby, he was worried that something had happened as he slept, something that was very important. Standing in the center, he scanned the room, hoping to come across some clue as to everyone’s sudden odd behavior, but found nothing.
With a bit of a frown, Sora turned his eyes to the floor. “What happened?” he asked himself, “Was it something that Sunset did? She did say she had something planned for me today…”
“Darling!” the voice of Rarity said, catching Sora’s attention as he quickly turned around. Rarity ran up to him, looking short for breath as she simply stared at Sora for a moment. Sora was a bit more perplexed by this, since he expected her to speak.
“What’s up, Rarity?” he asked, worried what the answer might be.
“Sora,” she said, her tone fairly quiet, and her expression looking saddened. “You don’t… know?”
“Know what?” Sora questioned, “I just woke up a few minutes ago. And school only just started.”
“Sora, it’s lunch time,” she revealed bluntly, “You’ve been gone the whole morning.”
“What?” Sora said, his face in shock as his jaw fell open. How could he have been asleep for so long? Either he was way more tired than he had anticipated, or the dream had affected him in some way. However, if that was the case for Sora, Roxas would be in the same situation. Shaking off his bafflement, Sora leaned forward a bit as he said, “Where’s Roxas?”
“He’s in the library,” Rarity explained, still looking at Sora like she was afraid he would disappear again. “He was still asleep when we last left him with Twilight. We’ve been searching for you nearly all day.”
Sora didn’t like that he had worried his friends so needlessly. He knew if they had an idea of where he was sleeping, they wouldn’t be so anxious. With resolve, he told himself that he would show them the Gummi Ship later, and put their minds at ease, even for a little bit.
“I’m sorry, Rarity,” Sora apologized, rubbing the back of his head with a small smile, “I guess I didn’t realize that you guys would be so worried. I mean, I haven’t told any of you where I slept, but the way you acted, I figured something-”
“Sora,” Rarity interrupted, making the smile Sora had to drop instantly, turning his face to concern, “You truly don’t know?”
At that point, Sora was very troubled by Rarity’s actions, as he said, “What do you mean?”
Rarity looked off to the side, seeing the other students still looking at Sora with judgement. “It’s probably best if I show you at the library,” she said, turning back to Sora, “Fluttershy and Applejack are an absolute wreck.”
At the mention of the state of two of his friends, Sora jerked back like he had been struck, gaping at Rarity. “Well, come on then,” Sora said determinately, gesturing towards the direction of the library, “Let’s get going!”
Rarity nodded and turned to lead the way, but stopped a moment before facing back to Sora, a smile on her face. “I knew you weren’t that type of person, Sora,” she said with a sigh before taking off down a hallway. Sora was slightly stunned by those words, wondering what Rarity could mean by them. Then, he shoved those thoughts away as he followed after her, knowing he would find out soon enough.
***
Roxas wasn’t feeling so good. His limbs were heavy, and the noises around him were so disorienting that he wished they would stop. Opening his eyes slowly, all he saw were blurs, a mush of colors that strengthened his headache.
“Roxas?” Twilight asked, and suddenly Roxas was back in reality, all the blurs focusing instantly to reveal Twilight looking at him with worry. She was kneeling down next to him with a hand on his shoulder. “Are you awake?”
Roxas blinked a few times before closing his eyes completely as he shook his head. His brain wasn’t functioning properly at the moment, and he couldn’t recall where he was when he had fallen asleep. “Does that mean he’s not awake?” Pinkie asked somewhere in the room, “Because I’m preeeety sure he’s awake.”
Roxas remembered that was in that dream, and he finally knew the name of that girl…
“Pinkie,” Twilight’s voice said with surprise, “I thought you were out looking for Sora.”
Roxas’ eyes shot open, his previous thoughts erased as he frantically pushed himself to his feet. Twilight got up as well, backing away to give some space as Roxas looked around at his surroundings. He was in the library, when he was helping Twilight with her research. He saw that Twilight and Pinkie were with him, but that hardly mattered as he rounded on Twilight.
“What do you mean ‘looking for Sora’?” he questioned, his uneasiness building as he looked between Twilight and Pinkie. The former was scared, as she looked away from Roxas’ gaze, but the latter gave a large smile, though it was quite obvious that it was forced.
“Rarity just texted me,” she announced, holding up her phone as she pointed at it, “she found Sora and is bringing him here.”
“Okay, that’s great,” Roxas said, hoping his tone didn’t sound hostile, “But why was he missing in the first place?”
“We hadn’t seen him all morning,” Twilight explained, with a shake of her head, “And you were asleep the whole time.”
Roxas wasn’t really surprised by that, figuring that was the case regarding that strange dream. “Well, I’m awake now,” Roxas said, allowing a small smile to emerge, even though he was still a bit on edge with his dream, “There’s nothing to worry about.”
PInkie sighed, showing genuine sorrow, which caused Roxas to frown. “I wish that was it,” she said, looking to the side where Roxas couldn’t see, “But something else happened.”
Roxas took a few quick steps to see what Pinkie was facing, only to find Applejack and Fluttershy sitting at a table. They were near the verge of tears as their heads hung low, and Fluttershy was quivering slightly. Their hands were placed on the table, like they couldn’t figure out what to do with them. Spike sat underneath them, his head resting on the ground as he pouted adorably.
The sight was depressing, and Roxas felt a pit in his stomach as he looked at them. Eventually, he tore his gaze away, turning it back to Twilight, who must have been feeling the same as himself, if not worse. “What happened, Twilight?” Roxas asked desperately, gesturing a hand towards Applejack and Fluttershy. “Why are they acting like that?”
It was at that moment when Rarity rushed into the room, a worried Sora following just behind her. Everyone stared at him a moment, even Rarity, and Sora felt a bit uncomfortable because of it. “Is everyone alright?” he asked, “Did the Organization do something while I was asleep?”
Before anyone could reply, Fluttershy pushed off the table and ran over to Sora, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. Sora, blushing, was startled by the move, but didn’t push her away as she tightened her hold on him. Whatever happened must have been pretty bad to have her react in such away.
“You were asleep the whole time too?” Pinkie asked, her cheerfulness not present in her voice. “Maybe all that fighting yesterday got to you.”
“Wait…” Sora drawled, glancing around the room, “Where’s Rainbow Dash?”
“At practice,” Rarity answered, “She said she couldn’t bare to be here. But don’t take it personally, it’s just her way of dealing with her anger.”
That sounded like Rainbow, but that only made Sora and Roxas more curious about what was going on.
“Sora, Roxas,” Twilight said, stopping them before they could speak up again. When she got their attention, she took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to do. “Sunset Shimmer… she uploaded a video on the internet.”
Sora’s assumption was correct; Sunset Shimmer did have something to do with what had been happening. And considering the state of everyone in the room, it must have been pretty bad. “Show us,” Roxas requested, his expressions barely suppressing his anger. Sora would have probably felt the same, if he wasn’t feeling bad for how the girls were behaving.
With a nod, Twilight went up to the computer center, which sat directly in the middle of the library. Sitting down in front of a computer, where Sora could see the screen without moving, Twilight typed and clicked a few things before scooting away, allowing the video to play. Leaning close, both Sora and Roxas payed attention to what was being displayed. Unbeknownst to either of them, Applejack rested her head on her arms, trying to keep the noise of the video out as much as possible.
The first thing that was shown was Sunset Shimmer herself, having a grin that held only evil intentions. “As many of you may know,” she said, pushing her hair back in a way to look both prettier and powerful. “A new student had joined our school, one that had sent a wave of admiration and attention towards himself.”
She scowled for a moment before pushing it to the side, her snide grin returning in full. “But all of that has been misplaced,” she went on, as the screen changed to where Sora and Fluttershy were with each other at the library, on the second floor. “Sora took advantage of an innocent girl, Fluttershy,” Sunset continued, “The symbol of kindness itself. He forced her to clean the floors of the school for whatever reason.”
The next scene shown was Sora and Fluttershy both having mops as they cleaned the hallways. It was followed by Sora putting a hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder as she looked away from him. It did seem like Sora was trying to get her to do something from an outsider’s perspective, even though the two knew the real truth.
“Another thing about this new student,” Sunset said, reappearing on screen with a hand on her hip, “is that he likes that country girl, and we all know what she’s like. Think about it; Sora, forcing one student to help him mop, while going out with a girl that is more ridiculous than any other student before.”
To solidify this claim, the screen showed Sora and Applejack hugging fondly in the lobby, neither of them moving an inch as students looked over with odd looks. “And to think,” Sunset said, as it switched back to her, having a mock distressful look. “You all thought it was so cool to have him jump off the roof of the school. But you all failed to look at him for what he really is. I hope this educated all of you. And Sora, if you’re watching this, I hope you feel sorry for what you’re doing.”
(Stop music)
And just like that, the video ended. Everyone was at a loss for words, even for those who had already seen the video. Fluttershy held on to Sora even tighter, her shoulders shaking in subdued sobs as she leaned her forehead against Sora’s chest. Applejack buried her face in her hat, hiding anything that would describe how she felt. Twilight, Pinkie, and Rarity simply stared off into space, not really looking at anyone.
Roxas was frustrated that Sunset had the audacity to make a video like that. Sora was his friend, as was Fluttershy and Applejack, and the way she projected them to the school was obviously having a negative effect on them. Clenching his hands into fists, he marched right over to the door, and he would have left if Twilight hadn’t spotted him.
“W-Where are you going?” she asked, taking a few careful steps towards him.
“I’m going to find Sunset Shimmer,” Roxas announced over his shoulder, “And I’m going to teach her a lesson.”
“As much as I’d like to see that,” Rarity interjected, stepping beside Twilight, “You mustn’t do that. Sora is already in a bad light, and having someone like you do that will only make matters worse.”
Roxas whipped around to face them, throwing an arm to the side as he shouted in anger, “I can’t just sit here and let her get away with this! How can anybody even believe this?!”
Twilight and Rarity flinched from his volume, making Roxas realize just who he was yelling at. He relaxed his body, dropping his head down as the room filled with silence. It wasn’t until Pinkie looked over to Sora, noticing that he hadn’t done a thing. For something that was directly targeted at him, Sora hadn’t really reacted as much as the others had.
“Sora?” she called, making everyone turn to her before facing Sora, who still hadn’t moved.
The quiet atmosphere continued on for a while, until Sora tilted his head up, staring at the ceiling above. After which, he looked down to Fluttershy who was still clutching on to him, a few stray tears in her eyes.
“Don’t cry, Fluttershy,” Sora requested gently, lifting up a hand and placing it on her shoulder. His soft touch and tone made Fluttershy open her eyes in astonishment, before turning them up towards Sora. She found only a smiling face, and just then, she realized how close she was to him.
With a blush, she hastily stepped back, hoping she hadn’t gone too far. Sora didn’t really mind, his smile brightening if anything. “Sora,” Fluttershy whispered, fearing that speaking to loud would make his mysterious happiness disappear. “H-How can you be smiling about this? Don’t you feel… bad? I mean, Applejack and I made you look bad, even if it was accidental.”
“But that’s the thing,” Sora said with an idle shrug, “It only made me look bad. We all know I’m nothing like what Sunset says I am. As long as we know the real truth, we shouldn’t have to worry about it.”
Applejack lifted her hat up slightly, her cheeks having a small blush as she faced Sora with a frown. Though the video clearly gave false information, the implementation that Applejack and Sora were a couple made her feel embarrassed. Maybe it was the fact that she never even thought of having a boyfriend before, and added that it was Sora made it worse. Fluttershy had a thing for him anyway, so even if Applejack was interested, it wouldn’t happen. The recent events made her wonder if she would get a boyfriend at all.
“You alright, Applejack?” Sora asked, having a concerned expression. The sudden attention made Applejack jump a little, her blush growing as she waved her hands hastily.
“No, I-I’m alright,” she answered before adding, “It’s just that… I’ve already gotten a lotta teasin’ because of that there video, and…” She tightened her hold on her hat as Sora’s sadness grew. “I guess I’m just tired of it is all.”
Everyone was saddened by that, and it prompted Sora to speak up again. “What exactly has everyone been saying about you?” he asked carefully, not wanting to upset her further.
Applejack looked away from Sora, the present blush getting even redder. “About…” she said hesitantly before whispering, “us bein’ a couple.”
Rubbing the back of his neck was the only way Sora could display his discomfort about the topic. He didn’t look at Applejack in that way, but it did make him wonder why that would bother her the most. Glancing over to Fluttershy, Sora noticed that she was in thought. In fact, everyone was pretty quiet, and the atmosphere was pretty heavy on everyone.
“Maybe we should get some lunch,” Pinkie spoke up, looking around for someone to agree with her.
“Yeah,” Roxas said, taking a few steps forward, “We’re all hungry, and some food will do us some good.” He looked over to Sora, “But I need to talk to Sora for a moment.”
“Alright,” Rarity nodded, “But during lunch, Sora, can you please explain where you sleep?”
“You got it,” he said with a pump of his right arm, “Me and Roxas will meet you there soon.”
With that said, everyone filed out of the room, with Twilight allowing Spike to hop into her backpack. When the room was empty, Sora approached Roxas, ready for whatever he wanted to bring up.
“Do you remember the dream last night?” Roxas questioned, crossing his arms.
The reminder got Sora’s brain working again, flooding his mind with what had happened only a few minutes ago, or at least that was what it felt like. The new events had been temporarily driven it out of his mind, and he faced downward as he closed his eyes. “Yeah,” he said slowly, “There was that girl and that one guy in the armor.”
“The girl’s name was Xion,” Roxas explained, making Sora turn back to Roxas with a raised brow. That’s when he noticed that Roxas was relieved of that fact. “I’m glad I still remember it.”
“You’ve met her before?” Sora asked, tilting his head to the side.
Roxas nodded, “Yeah. I can’t remember when or where, but I know her.”
The thought of Xion made Sora remember the other figure he had fought, the one who would potentially become an ally. And that sparked an idea in Sora that made him give a large smile. “Hey, maybe she can help us with the Organization. That armored guy said he would join us.”
“He did, huh?” Roxas asked, his voice sounding doubtful, but Sora didn’t pick it up, “Well, I’m afraid she can’t… she’s gone. She said she made me whole.”
“Whole?” Sora repeated, looking at Roxas from side to side, “But you were already whole, weren’t you?”
“I don’t know, Sora,” Roxas replied, suddenly feeling tired again. “Let’s just get lunch. Like I said, some food will do us some good.”
Though he wanted to discuss the other figure that sounded like Roxas, Sora nodded, and the two of them walked out of the library. There was plenty of time to learn from each other later.
In the hallway nearby, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo hid behind a set of lockers. Though they didn’t overhear the conversation being held within, they were very disappointed when everyone simply left.
“Sora and Fluttershy didn’t even see it,” Scootaloo said with a sigh, stepping over to the entrance of the library..
“I’ll say,” Apple Bloom nodded, crossing her arms as she looked at the piece of greenery hanging above the doorway. “It wasn’t easy hangin’ up that mistletoe either.”
“We still have a few other ideas,” Sweetie Belle piped up, standing amongst the other two as they looked up at the mistletoe above. “But right now, we should probably take that down.”
Scootaloo sighed, “Alright, I’ll get the ladder.”
***
Sunset Shimmer’s leg tapped on the carpet floor of the empty classroom, giving off a rhythmic muffled beat. She just couldn’t contain her excitement, and the wide grin she had on her face was proof of that. On the desk she was sitting at was her laptop, replaying the video she had uploaded that morning.
She couldn’t believe how well her plan worked. A few videos here and there, and suddenly Sora was an outcast. She didn’t have to worry about him, what with his reputation utterly destroyed. It was remarkable who gullible the students were, they’d believe anything, even if it came from her. She did have a history of exposing people for who they really were, not lying about it, but it hardly mattered. With a satisfied sigh, she closed her laptop, sitting back comfortably.
“That’s what you get when you mess with me,” she proclaimed, nodding her head slightly.
“My, my,” an eerily familiar voice echoed in the room, causing Sunset to jump, “It seems you have everything planned out.”
Whipping her head around, Sunset glared at the witch that she had spoken with not too long ago. There stood Maleficent, holding that confident smile that Sunset had remembered from the last time they had met. With a huff, Sunset pushed off of the desk, turning around to face Maleficent fully.
“And just what do you want?” Sunset snapped, crossing her arms. Maleficent merely chuckled darkly, taking a few steps forward.
“Just to congratulate you on your success,” she explained, “Even if it is trivial.”
“Whatever,” Sunset waved off, rolling her eyes at the same time. She had won, and it hardly mattered what Maleficent said. Actually, Sunset had no reason to involve herself with Maleficent. With that thought, Sunset smirked, “It looks like I didn’t need your help after all.”
“We’ll see,” Maleficent replied, taking more steps forward. Sunset frowned at the response, somewhat irritated that Maleficent was acting all high and mighty around her. When Maleficent was close enough, she leaned forward and put her hand under Sunset’s chin, lifting it up in fascination. “You remind me of when I was younger. So devious, and yet so fetching.”
Sunset jerked away, knocking the hand away at the same time, “I sincerely doubt that.”
Instead of feeling insulted like Sunset had anticipated, Maleficent chuckled some more, placing both of her hands back on her staff as she stood up straight. “If you say so,” she said with a final grunt of amusement, “I came here for another reason as well: You mustn't underestimate Sora. He has proven to be far more troublesome than any other I had encountered. He is quite determined and resilient.”
From the way Maleficent spoke, it sounded like she had experience with Sora before. It made Sunset hesitate, suddenly finding Maleficent's advice very valid. “Wait,” she said slowly, raising an eyebrow, “Have you dealt with Sora before?”
“Oh yes,” she said with a nod, “And my words still stand.” With that said, she turned away from Sunset, walking away from her. “But you have nothing to worry about now. After all, you have a victory to celebrate, do you not?”
Sunset had reached her limit at that point. Maleficent was almost mocking her for how she had crushed Sora like a bug, and it was getting on her nerves. “Mind your own business,” she exclaimed as Maleficent faded away and disappearing completely. Sunset glared where Maleficent last was for a while. She had beaten Sora at her own game, yet it didn’t feel complete. She was missing something…
Whatever it was, she could probably do without it, so she briskly picked up her laptop and left the room. She wasn’t going to let Maleficent's words taunt her. She had won.
***
Xigbar smiled smugly. It was too good to be true. It was so unbelievable that he had to suppress a laugh from how absurd it was. Even if it was true, it would only make him fill up with even more mirth. Crossing his arms, Xigbar looked over to his side, and saw that Saïx did not change in appearance whatsoever. If anything, he was even grimmer than before.
Standing in the middle of the soccer field, Xigbar turned back to the hooded figure in the black coat, his silence speaking volumes. “So…” Xigbar drawled, failing to hide a few chuckles, “You really want to face Sora and the others without us? Can’t say that’s very smart.”
“And you’re an amature in that perspective,” Saïx muttered sarcastically, closing his eyes a few seconds before opening them again at the figure. “Your actions go against the orders of our Master. You do realize this, correct?”
“How little you know,” the figure retorted, not sounding hostile yet not at all friendly either, “Have you no faith in those of higher status?”
“Higher status?” Xigbar laughed, holding up a hand horizontally above the figure, “If you were a higher status, I think you’d be a few inches taller.”
Ignoring Xigbar’s comment, Saïx narrowed his eyes, “I have plenty of faith, but not in you. If you were not related to our Master, I would pull you out for treason.”
“But that is not the case,” the figure said simply, remaining unmoving, “And you’d very well listen. What I have planned does not concern either of you.”
“Whatever you say,” Xigbar shrugged, “If you beat ‘em, good for us. If you fail, well, it’ll be entertaining to see you crash and burn.”
Saïx stared at the figure for a few seconds longer, contemplating whether the figure could really handle it himself. He had proven himself useful in the Dream Worlds, but his secrecy was what truly made Saïx question his motives. If their Master had concealed the figure’s true mission, then neither Xigbar nor Saïx had no sway in the task.
“Very well,” Saïx said at last, “But do not disappoint our Master.”
“I wouldn’t be able to if I try,” the figure stated, and if his tone wasn’t so monotone, it would almost sound like he was bragging. The figure was encompassed in darkness before disappearing altogether, leaving Saïx and Xigbar alone.
“Wow-wee,” Xigbar said, his smile still on his lips, “He really is like Xehanort. Has the superiority complex and everything.”
“I would have to agree,” Saïx said with a single nod before turning away.
Xigbar raised an eyebrow at his partner’s statement, his grin intensifying. “I thought I’d never see the day,” he said with a laugh, lifting up both of his hands to point at Saïx, “You agree with me and think that little guy is as annoying as the old coot? That’s a double whammy if I ever heard one.”
“It’s merely an observation,” Saïx said with a glance over his shoulder, “Nothing more. Now, come along, let’s see how this plays out.”
“And now you want to watch what Sora and the others will do?” Xigbar said, following behind. “I must really be a bad influence.”
***
Practice did nothing to drive away the angry thoughts Rainbow had in her mind. And stopping it early only made it worse. Trudging through the halls with her soccer ball in hand, Rainbow gave a slow shake of her head, wondering how the others were doing. They were most likely at lunch, which is where she was heading. She had received a text awhile ago that Sora was found and Roxas was awake, but nothing more than that.
It didn’t surprise Rainbow that they weren’t texting her details about how Sora and Roxas were doing. Before she had left for practice, Rainbow had gotten a good look at how Applejack and Fluttershy were behaving from watching the video. It didn’t feel good to see her friends in such a way, especially for Applejack, who had taken it the worst. She was probably as athletically fit as herself, and to see her so down in the dumps made Rainbow Dash really dislike Sunset Shimmer.
With a heavy sigh, she looked off to the side, wondering how Sora and Roxas were taking the news. As she passed another hallway, her eyes caught something that made her stop in her tracks. A figure stood there with his back to her, standing quite tall. He had on a black coat, with a hood covering his head. It was exactly what the Organization looked like.
The figure was admiring the area, looking around like he had no other reason to be there. Luckily, Rainbow knew the real reason, and growled angrily. The video was already making her mad, but to see one of the Organization members walking around pushed her passed the limits. Without really thinking, she dropped her soccer ball and kicked it hard. The ball sailed through the air before hitting the figure directly in the back of the head. The figure flinched from the impact, whipping around with his hand out, like he was going to summon something. However, upon seeing Rainbow, the figure lowered his hand, shaking his head instead.
“That was uncalled for,” the figure quipped, his male voice being somewhat softer than Rainbow expected. The figure knelt down to pick up the ball near his feet, studying the object a while.
“Yeah, right,” Rainbow said, tightening her hands. “Just take your Organization and leave us alone.”
“Organization, you say?” the figure asked, tossing the ball between his hands, “I’m no longer part of them. Though, I am curious how I ended up in a place like this. It reminds me of the years before I became a Nobody, but I’ve never been here in all my life.”
“Don’t try to trick me!” Rainbow shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at him. “All you want to do it take our friendship away or whatever. Well, we’re not going to let that happen.”
The figure grunted, tossing the ball back to Rainbow, which landed on the ground and rolled towards her. “Say what you will,” the figure said rather calmly, “I want no part in this conflict as of now. I only just got my body back, and I’d rather keep it this time.”
Rainbow’s furrowed brow allowed a single eyebrow to rise, wondering if this figure really was speaking the truth. The ball rolled up to her, and she stopped it with a foot, still keeping her eyes on the figure. “So, if you’re not going after friendship,” Rainbow said, tilting her head to the side, “Then… what are you doing here?”
The figure shook his head, “Nothing. As I said, I am not involving myself with any of these parties. The keybladers, the Organization, Maleficent, Vexen and Zexion; they all vie for the same thing. If anything, I’m a spectator. But if you want me gone, then that’s what I’ll do.”
Turning around the figure walked away, just like that. Rainbow had half a mind to follow him and see where he went. But she knew she had to tell Sora and Roxas. They knew about these guys more than her, and they would know what to do. Nodding to herself, she picked up her ball and took off for the cafeteria, leaving the figure alone.
***
When Rainbow arrived at the cafeteria, in a time she would have been proud of if she had kept track, she scanned over the room before her eyes landed on her friends. Weaving her way over to them, she was able to overhear what they were talking about.
“So that’s where you’re sleeping?” Rarity asked in disbelief, sitting across from Sora, “A space ship?”
That made Rainbow pause.
“Yeah,” Sora answered with a smile, “The Gummi Ship. It’s how I got here in the first place.”
Rainbow’s eyes widened as a smile grew on her face until she was expressing pure excitement. “That is awesome!” she shouted, her previous encounter forgotten. After all, if he was going to do something, Sora and Roxas would stop him no problem. Her yell made everyone turn over to her, a bit startled by her sudden appearance.
“Rainbow,” Twilight called with a smile, “Glad you could make it. How was practice-?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Rainbow waved as she quickly took a seat next to Sora, facing him with joy, “Tell me more about this space ship!”
Sora laughed, as did a few others, at Rainbow’s conduct. It had lightened up the mood considerably. And with the thought of a party tonight, everyone’s moods had risen dramatically.
***
“I don’t think this is going to work,” Apple Bloom deadpanned, holding a grape in one hand, “Like at all.”
“Don’t be so negative,” Scootaloo said, watching the group of friends hang out at a table. “All we have to do is to get that grape on Fluttershy’s plate, have her eat it, pretend to choke, then have Sora kiss her to help her. What could go wrong?”
Sweetie Belle sighed, “That plan seemed a lot better on paper.”
“Yeah,” Apple Bloom nodded, “This is just getting ridiculous. I mean, our last idea was to dress up as aliens and force them to kiss.”
“Oh come on, guys,” Scootaloo scolded, turning to them with an expression of hurt, “I thought we wanted Sora and Fluttershy to love each other.”
“We do,” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle replied simultaneously, looking a bit distressed.
“It’s just that we don’t know the first thing about love,” Sweetie Belle explained, “so how are we going to get them together?”
Scootaloo tapped her chin, thinking about someone would be an expert on love. That’s when an idea struck her, causing her to smile brightly. “Follow me, guys,” she said walking towards the exit, “I think I know someone who can help us.”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle glanced at each other with uncertainty. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust Scootaloo, but that she tended to put them in bad situations a lot of the times. With a hint of reluctance, the two chased after Scootaloo, leaving the cafeteria behind.