Kingdom Hearts: Friendship’s Turmoil
Chapter 21: Power of Deceit
The Dusks surrounding Zexion were ready, standing still as stone as they had done for three days. He could hardly believe he had pulled it off, frantically flipping through the pages of his Lexicon. It wasn’t that he believed he wouldn’t finish the plan Vexen had set in motion, but rather that it came about so easily. Despite his vigilance scanning the pages, he found nothing that could contradict his completed work. He truly was finished.
Standing to his feet inside the chalk circle, Zexion held his open book close to himself as he gazed around to the newly formed Nobodies. Though they were once Dusks, they had changed enough in appearance and ability that they deserved a different name. They were the same size and shape of a Dusk, but their suits were lighter, almost pure white, with their opened mouths containing a gray interior. The once blue veins that ran up the side of them had different colors from one Nobody to the next. Yellow, red, blue, and green, each pulsing with energy.
Seeing his creations sent a wave of pleasure in Zexion, smirking as he shut his book with one hand. Just as he did, the doors leading to the rest of the basement swung open, revealing Vexen with his hand behind his back, grinning maniacally.
“So,” he asked, slowly stepping into the room with barely contained excitement. “Are they ready?”
“Yes,” Zexion answered with a nod, “The process came out better than expected. Each one contains a certain element that can wreck havoc on our enemies. They also house the special talent you specifically requested.”
“Excellent,” Vexen said, his grin growing as he studied one of the new Nobodies from where he stood, “I, myself, have been doing some reconnaissance. The blubbering fools with keyblades have distanced themselves among a few of the magic of friendship. With your illusions and my cunning, it will be easy to separate them and squash them like bugs.”
Zexion grew serious as he glanced off to the side, and the act caught Vexen’s attention as he grew upset at his lack of enthusiasm. “What is the matter?” Vexen demanded, “Have you grown soft?”
Zexion shook his head, “My work has given me ample time to think about our purpose.”
“That is unimportant,” Vexen waved off, walking closer, “With the keybladers out of the way, we can-”
“Can what?” Zexion snapped, turning his dagger-like eyes on Vexen, who halted in his approach with surprise, “Gain the magic of friendship? Take over the worlds? If we have no purpose, why do anything?”
Vexen scowled, pointing a finger at Zexion, “You know exactly what we were meant to do. We already know our purpose, and our current course will set us closer to achieving it.”
“Have you no free will of your own?” Zexion asked, turning to the Nobodies, “I tricked the Nobodies into following us, and created these Nobodies with nothing more than a few incantations. But for what reason do I follow the orders of those no longer in power?”
Vexen growled, not liking Zexion’s constant questioning. It was already bad enough they had to wait such a long time to strike, but to have him bring up such insignificant qualms on the brink of their attack was outraging, to say the least. If Zexion wasn’t a key figure in controlling the Nobodies, Vexen would have been done with him a long time ago.
“You listen here,” Vexen hissed, clenching his hands closed as he grew closer to Zexion, grabbing his coat when it was within reach. Zexion was hardly fazed by his aggression, staring blankly at Vexen like he had dealt with it so many times before. “We were created for one purpose and one purpose only: to eradicate the enemies of our creators. We have no other meaning to exist than any other Nobody, and with this task we have our direction. If we so much as diverge away from that, we lose everything. Do you hear me?”
Zexion narrowed his eyes, “It seems you are withholding information from me.”
Vexen shoved him away, crossing his arms with a growl. He showed no indication that he was going to give any response to that statement. Zexion brushed where Vexen had grabbed him, closing his eyes in acceptance.
“Very well,” he said, “I will hold my tongue before I speak ill of our creators.”
“Thank you,” Vexen exhaled in a dramatic way, his grin returning in florish as he held out his arms to gesture to the Nobodies, “Now, prepare these Nobodies - these… Nightbreakers - for the upcoming battle. With their new abilities, and their special talent, they will truly and utterly destroy our enemies.”
With a nod, Zexion held up a hand, his palm presented to the door Vexen had entered through. Like their predecessors, the Nightbreakers stretched their legs in a walk, with Zexion following behind them. Just before he could pass Vexen, Zexion stopped beside him, who at that point held a hand up to his chin in a thoughtful pose. There was no doubt he had a plan already blooming inside of his head, and Zexion was almost afraid to hear about it.
“We may have surprise on our side,” Zexion started, staring straight ahead as Vexen turned to him with a raised brow, annoyed. “We may have the Nobodies under our command, and we may have these newly evolved Dusks, but there will come a point where we ourselves will have to combat the keybladers. And so I ask of you…”
Zexion nudged his head a bit towards Vexen, just enough to shoot him a small glare. “What worth is it to attack the magic of friendship?” he asked. Vexen narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but Zexion didn’t back down as he steeled his gaze.
Vexen smiled confidently, almost like he approved of Zexion’s question. It made Zexion uneasy, especially since Vexen was the one who came up with the plans. Though his confidence got in the way some of the time, Vexen didn’t do anything without a good reason, and it was high time Zexion learned of that after working with him for this long.
“The magic of friendship connects everyone,” Vexen explained, slowly stroking his chin like his ego had been given the same treatment, “Even those with the darkest hearts will feel its loss once it is taken care of. I surmise that Xehanort, Sora, and everyone who follows one or the other will perish from the aftermath. In one fell swoop, we will have completed our one true goal.”
“And what becomes of us?” Zexion asked, almost fearing the answer.
“Who knows,” Vexen shrugged off as he turned around to head for the door, “And who really cares? In the end, we will have completed our task, and will have no purpose anyway.”
The response was what Zexion had predicted, and though Vexen was correct, there was still uncertainty on what would become of the worlds. That was if they succeeded, and if things did not go as planned, Zexion needed to come up with a plan of his own. What it would be, and how he would even implement it, would be challenging, but in the mean time, he would occupy himself with the Nobodies. The battle ahead would be grand indeed, and he would need his strength.
***
A hooded figure rested against the side of the statue in front of the school, his arms crossed in impatience. Though his master was the one in charge, the figure was always irritated when he had to wait for his appearance. It was almost like he wanted to appear late, just to mess with him. From the way his master handled his enemies, it would come as no surprise if that was the case.
At last, a Corridor of Darkness erupted just to his left, near the empty street. Master Xehanort stepped out with his hands held behind his back as always. His eyes rose to examine the school that sat in front of him, taking a deep breath. The Corridor behind him collapsed as he took a few more steps, passing the figure without so much as a glance. After which, he halted, and the figure turned his head towards him.
“You must feel the eminent battle,” the figure said cooly, “How the darkness has fluctuated in the school. Yet you have us stand by and let the bearers of light fight them. To what purpose does this serve? Surely our intervention within the chaos would enable us to gain a foothold.”
Master Xehanort chuckled deeply, “All too true. But you must have patience. If all goes according to plan, Sora will play his little game of heroism, and we will be one step closer. As my younger counterpart has said, the magic of friendship is crafty, but predictable as well. In time, you will come to realize what it is I have planned, and you will be more thankful for it.”
The figure bowed his head, hunching his shoulders in silent disagreement. Though Master Xehanort failed to explain his plan involving the magic of friendship, at least he knew what he was doing. The figure knew that eventually he would come to learn of the plan, just as Master Xehanort said he would.
“As you wish,” the figure said gruffly, his tone darker. He was then engulfed in darkness before disappearing altogether, leaving Master Xehanort alone. The quiet atmosphere gave Master Xehanort a moment of contemplation. His plans were quite elaborate, and every chance he got, he considered the multiple scenarios that could play out. However, there was one part in his plan that needed no consideration, since it was as predictable as the sun’s movement.
“I eagerly anticipate how you shall use your powers of time,” he chortled, before turning on his heel, proceeding away from the school. The students and faculty would arrive shortly, and the attack would begin soon afterward. He didn’t want to interrupt such a momentous occasion after all.
***
The sun had just risen over the horizon behind an overcast sky when Sora emerged from the Gummi Ship, stretching his arms over his head with a yawn. With Monday starting, the school would be opening soon, ushering another week of education. It wasn’t something Sora was looking forward too, but he had to keep up appearances. Besides, he wasn’t really worried about the classes themselves, but rather the students. The rumors of his ‘terrible’ actions were still top news, and there wasn’t anything Sora could do about it.
Breathing in the morning air, Sora reflected on his weekend, none to pleased with how he had spent the last day off of school. Sure, it was another restful day, but it was too restful, even by Sora’s standards. Having Riku and Roxas so upset had brought his mood down a tad. And as much time as he spent sparring with Lea, Sunday was still a boring day. He couldn’t bring himself to visit the other friends he had made in this world, since he wanted to keep Riku and Roxas company during their distant behavior.
Though Sunday had been lacking in terms of commotion, he was somewhat glad school would be starting again. It would force Riku and Roxas to leave the Gummi Ship and deal with whatever was plaguing their minds. It also gave Sora another chance to speak with Fluttershy, and just the thought of that made his heart flutter. This would be the day he would find out what Fluttershy really thought of him. Just imagining hanging out with Fluttershy again, after what had happened in the club, would be a tremendous relief.
Holding up a fist, Sora declared, “Time to get this show on the road.”
He shot back into the Gummi Ship, where his friends were still sleeping. It was strange how Sora was able to wake before them, even Riku. Disregarding those thoughts, Sora gave a mischievous smile before cupping his hands around his mouth. “Wake up, guys!” he shouted, causing Riku, Lea, and Roxas to jerk awake, looking around frantically. Afterwards, they all groaned when they realized what had happened, and Sora laughed at their expense.
“Gah!” Lea grumbled, holding a hand over his eyes to shield them from the light, “I already went through school, why do I have to do it again?”
Riku shook his head, hopping out of his bed with a sigh. “Everyone needs to be alert in the school,” he stated idly, “Even I’m enrolling. Trust me, I’m not too thrilled about it either.”
Roxas was oddly quiet as he slipped out of his bed, already heading for the ramp out of the Gummi Ship. Sora would have chased after him, but his despondent attitude from yesterday showed that he wasn’t ready to interact with him yet. Maybe a day through school will give Roxas time to speak with whoever he was having troubles with.
Shaking out his thoughts, Sora pointed outside eagerly, a smile on his lips. “Come on, you two,” he said joyfully, “You guys gotta check out the school. It’s not as bad as it looks.”
Lea grunted, sitting on the edge of his bunk tiredly, “Says the kid who’s energetic about everything. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who was happy to go to school.”
Reluctantly, Riku and Lea followed Sora out of the Gummi Ship, with Roxas no where in sight. Sora could only surmise that he had already entered through the school via the roof entrance. It was unlike him to just leave behind Lea like that, which made Sora believe whatever was bothering him was worse than he had thought. It was probably in his best interests that he find Roxas before classes officially started, just to make sure Xehanort or someone else hadn’t gotten to him.
“So,” Sora said turning to Lea and Riku who simply gazed off to the side, blinking in the sunlight. “Where are you guys going first?”
“Principal Celestia’s office,” Riku answered immediately, putting a thumb in his pocket. “I need to get a report about the situation at the school, especially if she had been in contact with the King. Then I can sign up for classes.”
“Guess I’ll be tagging along,” Lea stated, jabbing a thumb to his chest. “I need to get into classes too.”
Sora crossed his arms, his eyes glancing to the sky in thought, “Aren’t you kind of old for school?”
“We’ll just have to see,” Lea replied back with a shrug, not thinking too far ahead. The thought of going back to the miserable days of listening to teachers prattling on about one subject or another did not fill Lea with confidence. On the other hand, he would be able to hang out with Roxas more, if he shared the same classes. It made the thought of school much more bearable, since they would be suffering together.
“Let’s get a move on,” Riku ordered as he made his way to the roof access, with Lea and Sora not too far behind.
***
The day was cloudy and gloomy, and as Apple Bloom looked above, she wondered if it would rain that day. They seemed dark enough, and it had been a while since there had been a downpour. The water would be good for the apple orchard, especially with all the loose dirt that had been popping up.
“Apple Bloom, focus!” Scootaloo exclaimed, shaking her shoulder vigorously, “You can day dream after we figure out what to do today.”
Shaking her head, Apple Bloom glanced to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, who walked beside her along the sidewalk. “Ah, sorry,” Apple Bloom apologized, “It’s just I’ve been worried ‘bout my sister.”
“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle spoke up, “Rarity was saying something about Applejack. Something to do with Riku.”
Scootaloo groaned loudly, putting the attention back on her. “Guys, come on!” she whined, looking disappointed, “We know Apple Bloom already got a chance to see a keyblader in action.” She shot a mild glare over to Apple Bloom, who shrugged with a sorry expression. “But I say we find Mrs. Cadance first. She’ll be booked for the whole day if we don’t.”
“Aww,” Sweetie Belle said with a shake of her head, “But I really, really, really wanted to see Roxas with two Clash bats.”
“Yeah, me too,” Apple Bloom concurred with a nod.
“Hey!” Scootaloo said, pointing a finger at her, “You don’t get a say!”
“Yes, I do!” Apple Bloom argued.
“No, you don’t!”
Sweetie Belle heaved a heavy sigh as her two friends bickered back and forth. She didn’t mind it too much, but it always detracted from the main subject. As the three of them closed in on the school, Sweetie Belle gazed lazily around, tuning out her friends as she looked for something to keep her entertained. It wasn’t until they reached the doors did Sweetie spot Roxas walking through the lobby.
Gasping excitedly, she rushed inside, and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo took notice as they watched her hasty entrance. Sweetie hurried over to Roxas before sliding in front of him, startling him a bit as he stopped, staring down at her.
“Oh! Oh! Roxas!” she said, hopping a bit with each word as she held her arms close to her chest, “Could you show us your moves now? Please?!”
He frowned as he stared at her eager face, “I-”
“Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo scolded, making Sweetie wince as she turned to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, who had just reached her, “We’re still debating, you can’t just go off on your own!”
“Sorry, you three,” Roxas interrupted, not wanting to start a fight on his expense, “I’m not in the mood to be showing off. Maybe another time.”
He gave a weak wave before continuing on his walk, heading for the nearest hallway. Apple Bloom drummed her fingers together in nervousness, unsure if they would get another chance, based on how Roxas was feeling. Charging after him, Apple Bloom grabbed his arm, giving it a tug as he looked back with surprise.
“Please,” Apple Bloom whispered, “We won’t bother ya ever again. We just want ta see ya do some awesome tricks.”
How tight Apple Bloom gripped him made Roxas believe she truly wanted to see it. And gazing over to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo showed they shared the same feelings. With a long sigh, Roxas knew he couldn’t disappoint them, especially with the way they were looking at him. Besides, the exercise might distract him from what Twilight said to him the day before.
“Alright,” Roxas said lowly, forcing a smile as the three of them grinned widely, “I guess it couldn’t hurt.”
“Yay!” the three of them cheered loudly, causing Roxas to cover an ear with a hand. Apple Bloom then pulled harder and dragged him through the lobby in the direction of the gym. Roxas could only compare the moment to how Twilight had dragged him around town to get to school, and the memory, though fond, did leave a tinge of despair. He hoped his performance for the three would keep his mind away from Twilight, at least until he could confront her again.
***
With her heart heavy, Twilight walked through the hallways of the school. She barely registered her surroundings, moving along subconsciously. What she had said to Roxas still played before her like a haunted dream, reminding her of the damage she had caused. Spike trotted beside her, dragging his paws with each step with sorrow.
Twilight was really upset with what Young Xehanort had done. Ever since he had ruined the party Pinkie had arranged, nothing had been the same with her. He had filled her mind with various memories, which probably belonged to someone else. Twilight still had no idea who that other person was, but she knew her friends were holding something back, seeing as those images had shown them as well. However, with all of this going on, Twilight had never considered if Young Xehanort had simply given her false memories, just to mess with her. It was more than likely the case, considering what she had seen had shaken the very foundations of her life. He must have meant to confuse her and turn her against her very friends, and she had fallen for it.
But before she came to this conclusion, she had pushed away the one friend she cared about the most, the one she wanted to be with. She had spouted such vile things to him, things that couldn’t be taken back by a simple apology.
“What was I thinking?” Twilight berated herself, slipping a hand over her face. “He was only trying to help and I just flat out tell him he doesn’t know anything about friendship.”
Spike rubbed against her leg affectionately, and Twilight felt calmer with him around. As distressed as she was of the whole situation, at least she could count on one friend to always be there for her. Glancing down to him, she gave a warm smile which Spike recipitated with a bark.
“Thanks, Spike,” she said with a nod. Suddenly, Spike looked forward, baring his teeth as he growled menacingly. Remembering the same behavior around the Nobodies, Twilight whipped her head over to see Roxas standing at the end of the hall. His arms were crossed and his eyes were closed like he was in deep thought, hardly stirring at all.
Just the sight of him made Twilight incredibly anxious, her breath quickening and her heart beating faster. She had a chance to do what she could to gain back her friend, but she had no idea how things would go if she did speak with him. An angry bark from Spike snapped her out of her thoughts, showing that he was still on edge.
“Calm down, Spike,” Twilight soothed, gesturing for him to settle down, “It’s just Roxas. You remember Roxas.”
Despite her coaxing, Spike remained vigilant, growing more unruly if anything. It was very unlike him, especially since he had been so friendly towards Roxas. Ignoring Spike for the time being, Twilight turned back to Roxas, hurrying over to him.
“Roxas,” she said, having trouble finding the right words, “Listen, I… wanted to apologize. I-It’s not right for me to-”
“Stop,” Roxas snapped, silencing Twilight instantly, “I just wanted to speak to you before I head with Apple Bloom and the others to the gym. And I just wanted to say, you are the worst friend I’ve ever had.”
Twilight’s heart broke.
Roxas grunted, eyeing Twilight with an icy glare, “If you were even a friend to begin with.”
His words were horrible, and Twilight felt that she deserved it, no matter how much it hurt her. Finding the strength leaving her legs, Twilight leaned against the wall of lockers, unable to tear her gaze away from Roxas. Spike never stopped growling at him either, like he was defending her against the harshness Roxas pushed against her. Giving a shaky sigh, Twilight tried her best to hold back the tears that were welling up.
“R-Roxas,” Twilight choked up, her breathing becoming irregular, “Please, I-I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Roxas said as he turned away, “Just leave me alone.”
Twilight slid down the lockers until she was sitting down, resting her body as she covered her eyes. Despite her effort, tears leaked from her eyes as she sobbed quietly, unable to completely break down.
Roxas stared back at her for a moment, his eyes softening before he sighed, stepping away from her. Spike didn’t let his guard down, staring down Roxas until he was out of sight. When he was gone, Spike turned back to Twilight, his hostile stance gone as he whined. Walking closer, he nudged Twilight’s arm with his nose before lying his head on her legs.
Slowly, Twilight reached her hands towards him and lifted him up, hugging him tightly. “S-Spike,” she cried, her voice just below a whisper, “I’m an awful person…”
***
Of all the people Sora could have run into during his stroll through the school, it had to be Rarity. He couldn’t really complain, however, as she showed extreme excitement over him reuniting with Fluttershy. As she walked alongside him, her eyes wide in anticipation as she held her hands together, Sora couldn’t help but chuckle at her enthusiasm.
“Come, come, Sora,” she said, creeping closer to him, “You must tell me how it went between you and Fluttershy!”
Her curiosity didn’t wane very much on Sora, putting his hands behind his head as he relaxed. He felt much happier after his talk with Fluttershy the other day, like nothing bad would happen. Not even Rarity’s constant prying could annoy him, though that was yet to be truly determined.
“Why don’t you ask Fluttershy?” Sora asked with a raised brow.
“Already did,” Rarity responded in a bored tone, waving a hand, “As usual, she was too shy to even reply.” She perked back up as she got in front of Sora, stopping him in his tracks. “But you are the type that can’t let a friend feel so left out.”
She stuck out her lower lip in a pout, giving Sora puppy dog eyes for added effect. It might have worked if Sora hadn’t heard from her about Fluttershy being in the school. Giving a big smile, Sora leaned closer to Rarity, who backed just far enough away, realizing what it must be like to have someone be so close.
“You saw Fluttershy?!” he asked, “Do you know where she is?”
Suppressing a groan at not getting her questions answered, Rarity sighed, “I’ve only texted her, darling.”
“Oh,” Sora expressed, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, “Right.”
Rarity could easily tell Sora and Fluttershy were growing very close, faster than she had anticipated. As much as she wanted to know everything that was happening between them, how Sora was behaving was ample proof that he didn’t really know where they stood either. They were friends, that couldn’t be denied, but they were on the brink of taking it further, and Rarity couldn’t help them pass that point if she didn’t know what had been going on between them.
An awkward silence settled between the two of them, neither knowing what to say to break it. The subject of Fluttershy got Sora thinking, a faint blush on his cheeks.
“Rarity,” he asked quietly, “Do you think Fluttershy really likes me?”
The question was so absurd to Rarity she nearly laughed, luckily she reigned in her humor as she smiled sweetly. It was a reassuring sign that Sora took with confidence as he reciprocated the smile, already knowing the answer. He found it kind of ridiculous that he had to ask someone. Maybe he just needed to hear it from someone else.
“Sora,” Rarity said with a giggle, amused by his question, “I can say with the utmost confidence that…”
She trailed off, tilting her head to the side with a thoughtful expression. Sora was puzzled until he heard something just a few hallways away. It was mournful, but the walls muffled the noise, making it hard to discern completely. Turning to face down the hall, Sora knew it was close enough to investigate.
“You hear it too?” Rarity asked for confirmation, staring down the same hall.
“Yeah,” Sora nodded, narrowing his eyes. The sound unnerved him, making him shiver slightly. “Come on, let’s check it out.”
Sora took off with Rarity right behind him, streaking past the lockers and occasional student. By the looks of the people they passed, everyone was uncertain with what the noise was, but at some point, Sora instantly recognized the sound: crying. Deeply emotional crying.
Nearing a corner, Sora and Rarity saw a few students cluster around each other, whispering and gossiping as they gestured down the hallway. They circumvented them and got a peek down the hallway, spotting Twilight sobbing as she rested against the lockers. The sight made Sora and Rarity gasp, freezing for a moment in bewilderment at seeing their friend in such a state.
Rarity broke out of her shock as she ran over to Twilight, kneeling down to her. Twilight paused for a moment, sniffling as she glanced up to Rarity before breaking down again. Rarity rested an arm around her in comfort, bringing her body closer. Sora watched with his heart feeling sore, his earlier happiness gone. The sounds of the gossiping students brought him back to the situation, and he turned to them with anger.
“Will you give it a rest!?” he exclaimed, waving a hand as if it would drive them off. The students regarded him with annoyance, reminding Sora of his standing at the school. He wasn’t exactly in the best position to be ordering others. Nonetheless, the students - after quietly calling Sora a few names - scattered through different hallways, leaving the three of them alone. After furrowing his brow at the students, Sora turned to Twilight and Rarity as his gaze softened.
“Twilight?” Sora asked, but gained no response. Spike pushed out of Twilight’s hold, allowing Sora and Rarity to notice him. He was just as affected by Twilight as Sora and Rarity as he pawed at her gently, whining. Walking over to join his friends, Sora knelt down, resting an arm on his leg.
“Roxas…” Twilight finally managed to say, ceasing her crying for a moment to talk, though her breathing was still sporadic. “He said… I wasn’t… h-his friend.”
“Roxas!?” Sora repeated in surprise, “But why would he do that? It doesn’t sound like him at all.”
“I said some things…” Twilight explained, gripping Rarity’s arm tightly, “Some things I… I can’t take back.”
“Even still, darling,” Rarity said with a shake of her head, “How did Roxas even speak with you? Last I saw him, he was on the other side of the school with Sweetie and her friends, heading for the gym, of all places.”
The news halted Twilight’s pitiful state immediately, looking to Rarity with wide eyes, “W-What? B-But I was sure I saw him!”
Sora bowed his head in thought, wondering what Twilight could have seen. If Roxas was no where near Twilight, than who did she see? Whoever it was really hurt Twilight, and that wasn’t alright in Sora’s book. It was possible that she could have been seeing things, but Twilight was a person of reason. She couldn’t have just hallucinated the whole thing.
A bark from Spike caused everyone to look to him, seeing him hopping around, his paws smacking the floor like he was trying to get their attention. That thought got Sora thinking as he saw Spike continually bark as he jumped back and forth.
“I think Spike wants us to follow him,” Sora deduced, standing back up as Spike trotted down the hallway before stopping and repeating his actions again. Twilight stared at him for a moment before shakily standing to her feet, Rarity doing the same.
“I think so too,” Twilight said, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down.
“I don’t know,” Rarity said as she put her hands on her hips, “I don’t suppose there are any wells Derpy could have fallen down, is there?”
“Derpy?” Sora muttered to himself in confusion before shaking it off. There was no time thinking about an odd name. Spike was obviously trying to lead them somewhere, and it had to pertain to what Twilight had seen. “Let’s see where he wants us to go.”
Twilight nodded, standing tall with a brave face, “Lead the way, Spike.”
With a final bark, Spike sniffed the floor before heading around the corner. The three hurried after him, not wanting to lose him. A bit of hope had entered Twilight’s heart, and if there was even the smallest chance who she had spoken with wasn’t Roxas, than she would take it. She had to make it up to him, but for the time being, she was going to find out if someone had tricked her. Just the thought of that made her unbelievably upset. She could have been tricked for the second time.