Hey, long time no see!
So yeah, the entirety of the chapter you're about to read was originally attached to the previous one. You'll probably see why I decided to split them up.
Pretty much all of this chapter will be catching up on the confidant lines, which as you'll find out, will take some inspiration from my favorite episodes of MLP and putting a little Persona-esque spin on it. I'm sure the hardcore fans will figure out which ones.
Once again, thank you all for supporting this story and the work in general, I've been a bit too busy to read some reviews, but if possible I'll try getting around to responding to y'all. But enough about that.
LET'S GET ON WITH IT!
Disclaimer: I don't own any assets from the Persona series, or MLP, they're owned by ATLUS and Hasbro respectively. Also any shadows that are references to other series, I don't own those either.
Canterlot High - Soccer Field, November 15th: 6 Days Till The Fall Formal
At 9:30 AM, Akira, who was now dressed in his workout clothes, arrived at the soccer field and was already starting to get nervous at the sight of Rainbow Dash. She must have gotten here much earlier than him, as she was getting her stretches in and doing laps around the field to warm herself up. Akira took off his bag, setting it down on the nearby bleachers, which allowed Morgana to hop out and find a nice spot to settle.
Rainbow Dash still hadn't seemed to have noticed him yet, so he took advantage of the little time he had and got in a few leg stretches, but he could already tell it wasn't going to be anywhere near enough. He walked out onto the field, where Rainbow Dash was now playing keep up by herself with the soccer ball, until she eventually noticed him.
"Heyo! Thanks for making it!"
"I told you I'd be here." Akira took a deep breath as Rainbow Dash started to dribble the ball to one side of the field, which meant she claimed that side as her own.
"Ready to get this thing started?" Rainbow Dash asked with a cocky glare, Akira gave a light smile in return.
"As ready as I'll ever be…" Akira replied, taking his place near the opposite goal. Rainbow Dash then kicked the ball over to him, deciding to start off fair, unlike the beginning of her match against Twilight.
"Same rules as before, first to five wins. Your ball, dude!" Rainbow Dash said. Morgana over on the sideline was starting to wish he had some popcorn to watch what was about to unfold.
As the ball rolled up right to Akira's feet, he looked forward to the challenge ahead of him. Surely there was no chance he could win this, right? He's overcome odds way worse than this, and if anyone could do it, it's the leader of the Phantom Thieves…
A Few Minutes Later
However, this wasn't the Metaverse.
The match was currently at a score of zero to four, in favor of Rainbow Dash of course, after Rainbow Dash had passed the ball straight through Akira's legs and was running around him for an easy go ahead score.
Throughout the match, Akira had tried some of the tricks that had worked well for him in their initial match, however it seemed that Rainbow Dash had learned from her mistakes and didn't take the bait, and pretty much embarrassed him in the process, which provided a lot of entertainment for Morgana to watch.
Akira had the ball back, and he was fairly out of breath at this point from all the running that Rainbow Dash had forced him to do up to this point. However, he still wasn't going to give up, and all the running had given him an idea.
Rainbow Dash waited on the other side of the field, bouncing up and down, very proud of the current result.
"Just one more…" She whispered to herself before turning her attention back to Akira. "What are you waiting for? I'm falling asleep here!"
Akira took another breath as his plan came together in his head. Rainbow Dash had been sticking close to him all game so he couldn't pull another delayed move or surprise attack, so he had to use that to his advantage. He dribbled the ball onto Rainbow Dash's side of the field, causing her to move up and start to press up close to him to keep him from moving.
Akira started to dribble towards the right of the field, keeping a steady dribbling pace and moving slightly forward, but not too much so that Rainbow Dash could steal the ball. Rainbow Dash lightly stuck her leg out to try and knock the ball away, but Akira was ready for it and kicked the ball back to his left leg and started to run the other way, with Rainbow Dash not far behind.
Akira kept looking for the opening he wanted, letting Rainbow Dash catch up to get that. And once she was basically side by side with him, Akira put his plan into motion.
Instead of dribbling the ball more, he instead leapt over the ball as it was rolling, keeping him, and Rainbow Dash moving. Rainbow Dash saw then that Akira jumped and pivoted on his right to charge up a kick with his left foot. Rainbow Dash tried to quickly change direction to dive towards the ball, but didn't have her feet quite set, making her feet slip out from underneath her as the ball sailed past her and rolled into the goal.
There was a brief silence as both competitors looked on in disbelief at what just occurred. Akira smiled towards Rainbow Dash and spoke in between heavy breaths.
"Four to one…" Akira stated as he started to walk back towards his side of the field. He got slightly concerned as Rainbow Dash started to growl, even slamming her fist down on the ground before standing back up and grabbing the ball. "Um…Dash, you ok?" The boy asked, noticing the serious glare that appeared on the jock's face as she set the ball down.
"Yup, four to one…" Rainbow Dash replied with an uncharacteristic frown. Akira had never seen Rainbow Dash be serious like this and his concern only grew, not just for Rainbow Dash, but for himself as she started to dribble the ball at immense speed towards him.
Akira tried to go up and play defense, but the athlete started to dribble the ball quickly between her two feet, almost faster than Akira's eye could track. Rainbow Dash then faked a shot towards the left, nearly making Akira fall before faking another shot towards the right, which he tried to move to defend against as well. Rainbow Dash saw how off balance the boy was and moved back to the left, and with barely any footing underneath him, Akira tripped up and fell on his back. With Akira down, nothing stopped Rainbow Dash from sprinting up to the goal, and with a loud yell of frustration, shot the ball into the net with such power that the net nearly ripped upon contact, and with that, the match was over.
Akira looked up at the sky, the sun beating down on him as beads of sweat rolled down his face. The sun was eventually blocked out by Rainbow Dash standing over him, holding out a hand with a conflicted look on her face.
"Five to one…" She said solemnly, as Akira took her hand and she pulled him up to his feet. Once he made sure he was upright, he tried to lighten the mood by admitting defeat.
"Well, you got me again..."
"You still got one off of me though…" Rainbow Dash replied, looking down into the dirt. Akira still couldn't quite see what was wrong.
"But you still won, and that's what matters in the end, right?"
"I know I won! But I could have done better!" Rainbow Dash suddenly shouted back, making Akira jump slightly at the raised tone. Rainbow Dash realized what she just did and looked back down before rubbing her arm. Akira knew then something was weighing on her mind.
"Dash, what's wrong…?" Akira questioned. The rainbow haired girl looked back into his eyes with a sad frown.
"Just some old repressed memories, I'm sure you don't want to hear about it…" Rainbow said, picking up the soccer ball. Akira had been in this situation plenty of times, and he knew what to do.
"I've got time." Akira sat down on the grass, inviting her to sit alongside him. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but chuckle at the cliche reply, but she obliged as she lightly punched his shoulder.
"You dork." Rainbow said as she sat down.
"So what's this about "I could have done better"? that's not like you." Akira asked with a concerned gaze. Rainbow Dash sighed as she recalled memories of her childhood.
"Back when I was a little kid on the junior sports teams, I'd try way too hard to impress the teachers and the other kids. I'd do all kinds of insane stunts and tricks to try and show off…and well…half of them ended up with me crashing into stuff…" Rainbow Dash looked back into Akira's gaze, noting how he was intently listening in to her story. "And there were these…three little jerks that thought they were super clever by giving me a stupid nickname, so if you ever hear someone say Rainbow "Crash", you know where that came from…" Rainbow explained with a light smile and kicking some dirt nearby. "So I kept pushing myself to get better and better until there was no question I was better than them…"
Akira had dealt with plenty of bullies before, and heard a lot of bad nicknames in his life, but he was surprised as it had seemed Rainbow Dash had risen above that.
"But look at you now, you're the star player on each team, I think you won in the end."
"That's what I would have thought, but even after I separated myself from them, they'd still call me that name after every little mistake. Missed a shot? Rainbow "Crash". Let up a point? Rainbow "Crash"! Anything other than perfection? Rainbow Freakin' "Crash"!" Rainbow shouted into the dirt. Akira was quick to put a hand on her shoulder and give a comforting rub. "Sorry you had to see that, it's just frustrating…"
"I know, and I hate to say it, but if you let that nickname define you, that's all you're gonna be." Akira stated matter-of-factly. Rainbow Dash turned to him with surprise.
"Huh? What the heck do you mean by that?" Rainbow questioned angrily. Akira calmly explained himself.
"Dash, if you let this one stupid nickname bother you and be one of your main motivators, then you're slowly going to lose your love of what you do." Akira stated, and Rainbow Dash wanted to fight back, but put her head back down, knowing in the end he was right "And these three idiots that keep making fun of you, have they accomplished anything close to what you've done?"
"Pfft no! I'm pretty sure they could only score in a video game." Rainbow Dash laughed. Akira then stood up and in a reverse situation, held out his hand to help Rainbow up.
"So if you want to keep getting better, do it because you want to." Akira said. Rainbow Dash smiled and slowly took his hand before being pulled up. "And if you want some help with that, I'm always down for another rematch."
"You might be onto something, and I'm always down for a round three!" Rainbow Dash said before suddenly pulling in Akira for a small hug, which surprised the boy as he didn't think Dash was one for close contact. "Thanks a lot, bro. I mean it." Akira leaned into the hug and patted her on the back with a mutual grin.
"Anytime, Dash."
'I sense a newfound resolve from Rainbow Dash…'
CONFIDANT RANK UP - Rainbow Dash: The Chariot, Rank 3
The two separated from their hug, no words being spoken as a silent appreciation for one another became very apparent. Morgana was still sitting on the bench, smiling at the sight, but none of them noticed another presence watching them and walking closer.
"Never thought old Rainbow Dash would be one for romance!" A gruff female voice shouted out. Rainbow Dash jumped backwards at the sound of a new voice, and at the idea of romance, accidentally hitting Akira in the face in the process.
"W-What? Who-? We're not-" Rainbow Dash yelled out in surprise, until she saw who the taunting had been coming from.
"Hahahaha! Oh you shoulda seen the look on your face, Dash! I was just joshin' ya!" said a fairly tall girl with pale skin, and white hair with purple dyed tips.
This girl was also wearing a brown leather flight jacket padded with cotton. Rounding out the ensemble was a pair of dark jeans and some brown leather boots. As soon as Rainbow Dash recognized the voice, she smiled very wide.
"Gilda! I almost forgot you were coming today!" Rainbow Dash ran up to the girl, now identified as Gilda, and did some kind of handshake where Rainbow put her fist in Gilda's open hand, before they bumped fists.
"I tried texting you earlier, but from the looks of it, you were a little busy!" Gilda said as her golden yellow eyes then settled on Akira. "Speaking of that, who's this dweeb?" Gilda pointed at the boy, and with her furrowed eyebrows, Akira couldn't tell if being called a dweeb was a joke or not. Rainbow Dash then led Gilda over towards the boy.
"Gilda, this is my friend Akira, and Akira, this is Gilda! She's one of my earliest childhood friends! One of the few that wasn't a huge jerk…" Rainbow Dash introduced the two. Akira held his hand out for a handshake.
"Nice to meet you, Gilda." Akira said as Gilda reached out her own hand to shake.
"You too." Gilda said with a smirk, gripping his hand. Akira noted her strong grip, along with her fairly long nails that were starting to dig into his hand. He took away his hand, trying not to show any sign of pain as Gilda looked back to Rainbow Dash. "Anyways Dash, you still on for that race?" Gilda asked, wrapping an arm around her old friend.
"Oh yeah, I did promise you one! Well if you're ready to get beaten, I'm ready to go when you are!" Rainbow Dash said, before realizing she had never told Akira about this. "If that's alright with you, bro?" Akira waved off her concern.
"Go right ahead."
"Thanks, man! Alright Gilda, beat you to the track!" Rainbow Dash said before grabbing her stuff quickly and booking it towards the school's track.
"Oh, you are so on!" Gilda shouted back, but before she took off, she met Akira's eyes and gave him what seemed like a death glare. "You heard her, beat it."
"Huh? Wait what?" Akira wasn't sure if what he heard was right, he wanted to confront Gilda about it, but she had already taken off after Rainbow Dash.
'Well that was strange…' Akira thought to himself as he watched the two disappear around the corner. Akira walked back to his bag, where Morgana had been sitting. One look at the cat could tell that he had heard the same thing.
"This Gilda person rubs me the wrong way…"
"You're telling me."
"But hey, you didn't get totally blown out against Rainbow Dash, so I'd consider that a success!" Morgana teased his partner, who glared back at the feline.
"Oh hush." Akira replied as he then heard another beep from his phone, signifying he got another text.
"Even in this world, it seems you're pretty popular."
"Once again, hush." Akira pulled out his phone to see who the text was from, and was definitely surprised to see Fluttershy's name on his screen.
Fluttershy: Akira? Are you busy at the moment?
Fluttershy: I'm trying to gather donations for the animal shelter, if you and Morgana could help, that would be wonderful.
Fluttershy: Only if you want to of course!
Akira could hear the stuttering from Fluttershy's voice just from reading the text. Once again, Akira showed the text to the cat, who read it once over and gave a prideful grin.
"Fluttershy needs my expertise? Well it would be unlike my gentlemanly self to deny her of it!" Morgana tilted his head up towards the sky. Akira rolled his eyes.
"She probably needs an animal on display to help get people to donate."
"So she needs my devilishly good looks, eh? That works just as well."
"You're real optimistic, you know that?"
"One of us has to be." Morgana said, as Akira turned back to his phone to respond to Fluttershy.
Akira: We'd be glad to help, where do you want us to meet you?
It didn't take long for Fluttershy to respond.
Fluttershy: Oh thank you so much! I'm at the Canterlot Mall, just inside the food court.
Akira: Would you believe me if I told you I had no clue where that is?
Fluttershy: Oh, sorry about that, I'll send you the address.
Akira: Thanks, Fluttershy. I'll be there as soon as I can!
Akira took note of the address that Fluttershy would send seconds later, and after finding a spot to change clothes, he made his way to the Canterlot Mall.
Canterlot Mall
When Akira met up with Fluttershy, he sat down behind the table she had set up for donations, sat Morgana down right on top of it, and instantly got to work. Fluttershy had already been doing decently well, getting in dollar donations here and there, but Morgana may have been right about his charms, as the money started rolling in as time went on. Morgana smiled at his partner, rubbing in the idea he was right.
After about an hour had passed, Fluttershy turned to Akira and gave him and Morgana a small grin.
"T-Thank you both again for doing this, the a-animals will surely appreciate it!"
"Don't mention it, Fluttershy. We're happy to help."
"Yeah! And it seems that my charms have really helped rake in the money!" Morgana bragged, which made Fluttershy laugh, which Akira had to admit was just the cutest thing.
"I-I had a feeling it would, that's why I got you a thank you gift from the sushi restaurant here." Fluttershy replied, and Morgana's head instantly turned at the word sushi. Fluttershy reached into her bag and pulled out a to-go box, opening it up, and revealing two big pieces of red fish draped over some white rice. Morgana instantly recognized the dish.
"F-F-Fatty Tuna!" Morgana yelled out, diving into the dish, already chewing on the fatty fish. Akira chuckled as he watched, but now he was even more confused about the dietary rules of this world. Morgana's head poked back up, fish still being chewed. "You're da best, Fwuttershy!" Morgana said, the fish in his mouth distorting his words.
"Hehe, y-you're welcome, Morgana!" Fluttershy replied, giving the cat some head pats as well, adding on to the feeling of euphoria. Akira had another thought on his mind as he looked at the donation bucket.
"Say, Fluttershy, usually they get a few more people to take care of donations. Why is it just you? Does the shelter have any other volunteers?" Akira asked, leading to a surprised yelp from Fluttershy.
"O-Oh, yes…there are plenty of o-other volunteers that w-work for the shelter…a-and it was just me here because…" Fluttershy trailed off, semi embarrassed, hoping Akira or Morgana wouldn't make fun of her. But one look into the boy's calming gaze made her realize she could trust him. "The shelter is starting to get c-crowded, so I wanted to raise money to build a s-sanctuary…" Akira and Morgana were silent at the initial revelation, but after a few seconds, Akira opened his mouth.
"Fluttershy, that is…" Akira started to speak and Fluttershy braced for the worst kind of response as her thoughts started to run wild in panic.
'I knew it, this idea was stupid…I shouldn't have even bothered to call him here.'
"Incredible."
'Wait, what?' Fluttershy was absolutely flabbergasted at Akira's positive reaction. He and Morgana were beaming at her.
"That's a really good idea!" Morgana replied in tandem with his partner. Fluttershy felt her heart swell with pride. Akira's look then shifted to one of concern.
"Wait, you said it's just you on the project? That's gotta be a lot of work for one person…"
"I-It would have been, but I took your a-advice! I asked our friends if they knew a-anyone who could help build the sanctuary, a-and Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and R-Rarity all knew some e-experts that were willing to help out!" Fluttershy said with a light smile. Akira smiled at the strides that Fluttershy had made in just one day.
"That's great! And how's it going?" Akira asked, Fluttershy's smile fell a bit as she looked at her phone.
"W-Well, Wrangler, Hard Hat, and D-Dandy all sent me their ideas…it's just that their plans s-seem to be quite d-different from my own…and they don't seem to want to c-change their ideas." Fluttershy said, putting her phone down and her eyes reaching the floor. "But, I-I guess they're the experts, and they know b-better than I do…"
Akira shook his head, and turned his chair towards the shy pinkette.
"Fluttershy, that's not how that's supposed to work." Akira stated, his tone growing more firm. Fluttershy turned back to him with surprise.
"I-It isn't? I always thought t-that the adults always knew w-what to-"
"And that's how they get you…Stubborn adults will always tell you that they know better. Why? Because they're older?" Akira said, getting a little agitated at the thought as this is something he had to deal with a lot back home, and was the main goal of the Phantom Thieves. Akira turned back to Fluttershy, who was really surprised at the sudden outburst. "Just because someone is older, or knows how to do something, doesn't mean they get the right to decide on something for you."
Fluttershy wasn't quite sure what to do with this information, she felt like he was right, but wasn't sure if she could follow through.
"M-Maybe, but even so, I'm not sure that they're going to listen to me…" Fluttershy muttered just loud enough so Akira and Morgana could hear. Morgana had decided to stay out of the conversation, mainly to continue eating the sushi Fluttershy had provided. Akira sighed as he formed his response.
"They won't with that attitude. The only way that they're going to listen to you is if you put your foot down when it comes to what you want for this sanctuary." Akira then pointed right at Fluttershy's phone. "This is your project, Fluttershy, don't let anyone, and I mean anyone else tell you what your vision should be."
Fluttershy slowly grabbed her phone again, and pulled up the plans that had been sent from the three adults. She looked at the blueprints and drawings that showed cages, cut down trees, and random lavish designs, and shook her head. None of these ideas focused on keeping the animals happy, healthy, and safe, which is what this sanctuary would need.
"Y-You're right. This is about what's best for the animals!"
"Exactly, and I imagine you know more about what the animals need than these three."
Fluttershy turned back towards Akira with a big smile appearing on her face, and more laughter coming through as she watched Morgana finish off the last piece of tuna.
"Thank you, Akira…"
"Of course, Fluttershy. And if you need help talking sense into those three, you know where to find me." Akira said as he held out his hand for a fist bump, which Fluttershy slowly, yet firmly accepted.
'I feel like Fluttershy is growing even stronger…'
CONFIDANT RANK UP - Fluttershy: The Priestess, Rank 3
Suddenly, a buzzing sound could be heard from Fluttershy's smartphone. The animal lover quickly checked it, and her eyes went wide.
"Oh my goodness, I nearly forgot!" Fluttershy started to panic, quickly cleaning up the donation table. Akira stood up and asked about the rush.
"Forgot about what?"
"S-Since the school is closed for the weekend, Twilight is s-staying at my house until the school is open again. I told her I'd take her to look for a p-phone today, so she can keep in touch with us." Fluttershy quickly explained. Akira had to admit that wouldn't be a bad idea…if Twilight can figure out how to work the thing. "I'm so s-sorry, Akira, but I told Twilight I'd go meet her soon!"
"No worries." Akira said, picking up a few of the remaining items on the table and handing them to Fluttershy. "Say hi to Twilight for me."
"Of course! I'll s-see you later, Akira!" Fluttershy replied as she gathered her things and walked off towards a different section of the mall, Akira assumed it was towards a tech store. Morgana finished picking his teeth clean of the sushi and turned to his partner.
"So, we've got a little bit of time. What's the plan?" Morgana asked, hopping back into Akira's bag. The leader found a map of the mall, and as his eyes glanced over a grocery store, an idea came into his head.
"You know…It's been a week since we've had any curry…" Akira said, already walking in the direction of the grocery store. Morgana sighed.
"Even in another world, we can't escape it. Boss has you whipped…" Morgana joked, which Akira couldn't help but chuckle at.
He knew that time was passing slower back home, but he had hoped that Sojiro was doing ok. The old man had been through the ringer this year, and after spending as much time learning under him as he had, he had come to care a lot for the man.
'Hope you're holding up right now, Boss.'
Café Leblanc
Back in Yongen-Jaya, Sojiro Sakura, a taller, middle aged man was getting set to close down his café after a slow day. He wiped down the front of the counter as his eyes stared back towards the painting that was hanging up on the wall, the Sayuri being a gift from Akira's friend, Yusuke.
"Still can't believe that kid decided to just leave that here…" The smooth, yet grizzled voice of Sojiro said as he finished wiping up the counter. His thoughts then wandered back to the boy that has been in his custody for the past year.
Their relationship started off tense to say the least. Sojiro was very cold to a boy that had been wronged by the system, and even he had to admit he went a little far in his strictness. But as the year went by and the boy got more comfortable here, along with helping out at the store, the two had started to become real close as they faced many close calls. The kid even risked his neck for him standing up to Futaba's uncle. Akira now felt like part of the family.
He admitted there were a few recent times where Sojiro nearly called him "son" accidentally. Sojiro thought a bit more on the word as he picked up his white hat and jacket and headed towards the door.
"Heh, that's got a decent ring to it…" Sojiro said as he pulled out his phone to send a message to Akira about the shop and his whereabouts.
Sojiro: Business was slow today, so I closed up shop early. Make sure you lock the door once you get inside.
And once the text was sent, Sojiro put on his hat and jacket, and walked towards the door. Just before Sojiro was about to put a hand on the doorknob, he felt his nose start to itch, and bad.
Sojiro let out a big sneeze into his sleeve, thankfully nothing got on the door so he didn't have to clean anything else up. He shook his head in surprise, he hadn't felt sickness at all today.
"What the heck was that about…?" He thought of the sneeze, before shrugging his shoulders, opening the door, and walking back home.
Sweet Apple Acres
Akira was surprised he didn't think of this sooner. Sojiro had told him once that apples were a great secret ingredient in curry, and low and behold, the farm had plenty of apples available. The results seemed to be speaking for themselves, as Akira turned around to see Applejack and Big Mac with their own plates of the sauce and rice dish. The two siblings were shoveling spoonfuls of curry into their mouths by the second. Akira couldn't help but laugh.
"You two like it?" Akira asked as Applejack finished up her plate.
"Like it? Sugarcube, that was incredible! Don'tcha think, Mac?" Applejack asked her brother, who just finished off the rice with surprising enthusiasm.
"Eeyup!" Mac replied, followed by a burp. Akira was really glad they all enjoyed it as they returned their plates.
"Where'd ya learn to make somethin' like that?" Applejack asked. Akira happily shared his knowledge.
"Back home, my Da-uh, I mean, my caretaker taught me." Akira replied, nearly letting the work dad nearly slip out of his mouth. It sounded cliche at this point, but the time he and Sojiro spent together this past year, along with a very absent father back in his actual home, it was only natural that he would think of Sojiro as a father figure. Applejack found the idea touching.
"Sounds like a cookin' genius to me! Make sure you save a plate for Granny and Applebloom!" Applejack said as she washed her hands. "And make sure they don't eat too much, we're having flapjacks in the morning." Akira nodded at the information. Just then, they heard the door open and Applebloom quickly entered the room.
"Ah'm home, everyone! The market was awesome!" Applebloom said, entering the kitchen, carrying a basket full of goodies.
"There ya are! Did ya get the syrup?" Applejack asked her younger sister, who reached into her bag and grabbed a mason jar full of what looked like maple syrup.
"Sure did! And I got somethin' else to try!" Applebloom replied, grabbing another mason jar and showed it to her sibling. The contents of this jar took on a much more yellowish-green hue, but had syrup like consistency.
Applejack looked closer at the jar, and as soon as she identified what was in it, she started to freak out.
"Pear jam!?" Applejack yelled out, making both Applebloom and Akira jump backwards. Big Mac also seemed to be just as worried as his middle sister. Applejack quickly snatched the jar from Applebloom's hands before tossing it to Mac. "Quick, hide it, Mac!" Applejack yelled at her brother, causing him to run around the room, thinking of places to hide the jar. Akira was just as confused as Applebloom. Morgana also popped out of the bag to see if his partner knew anything.
"Any clue what this is about?"
"None whatsoever…" Akira said to the cat as they both watched the chaos unfold. Applebloom tried to stop her siblings.
"What's the matter with y'all? It's just pear jam!" Applebloom attempted to reason with Applejack, who kept on panicking.
"The matter is that there's a long standing feud between the Apple family and the Pear family!"
"Eeyup!" Mac added on for emphasis. Akira was surprised how a family feud could start between Apple and Pear farmers.
'I guess people have fought over less…' Akira thought to himself as he watched the family scramble.
"A feud? Why?"
"Why? Why!?" Applejack seemed like she was about to answer, then suddenly backpedaled. "A-Actually, Ah'm not really sure…You have any idea, Mac?"
"Uhhh…Nnope." Mac answered. Akira thought of an easy solution to the problem and voiced his opinion.
"Why not ask Granny? She's bound to know why."
"Ask me what?" A voice from the doorway said.
Everyone spun on their heels to see Granny Smith standing in the doorway with a raised eyebrow. Mac took the jar of pear jam and hid it behind his back, hoping Granny's eyesight was bad enough so she wouldn't notice. Applejack then came up with a quick fib.
"Oh! We were gonna ask if ya wanted to try some of Akira's dinner that he made?" Applejack said, gesturing towards the plates the boy had started to set aside for her and Applebloom. Granny's eyes were wide open at the sight.
"Ya made dinner for us, kid?" Granny asked Akira. He looked towards Applejack, who was gesturing for him to follow along, even though she technically wasn't lying.
"Yeah. You've provided so much for Morgana and myself, so I thought I'd make a little curry from back home." Akira explained as Granny got a good look at this dish in front of her. She took a sniff, and although she thought she smelled something off, it was masked by the scent of the curry.
"Well Ah'll be, that's awfully kind of ya, sonny. It smells wonderful, lemme just go wash up and Ah'll give it a try!" Granny said with a smile, walking outside towards the nearby water pump.
As soon as Granny was out of sight, Applejack and Big Mac wiped their brows.
"Now that there was close…"
"Eeyup…" The two siblings said as Applebloom, Akira, and Morgana each shared a look of confusion.
Sweet Apple Acres - Akira's Bedroom
After a long and somewhat awkward dinner with the Apple family, Akira laid down to get some rest for the night.
After Granny had gone to sleep, the other members of the Apple family decided they were going to go on a little journey tomorrow to find out more about the feud between their family and the Pear family. Akira was invited along, however he had gotten a text from Rarity right beforehand.
Rarity: Darling! How soon are you able to visit the boutique?
Akira: Anytime in the morning tomorrow, probably. Why?
Rarity: Something incredible has happened and I need to show you!
Akira: Okay?
Rarity: It will make sense once you see it!
Akira: Alright, I'll be there around 10 or so.
Rarity: Thank you, Darling. I shall see you then!
After he agreed to see Rarity again, Akira told the Apple family he'd meet up with them once he was done with whatever Rarity needed him for. Applejack seemed a little disheartened, but knowing he'd try to meet up with them seemed to raise her spirits. Morgana curled up onto the bed and gave a loud yawn.
"So much for a restful weekend, huh?" The cat said, curling up next to Akira's leg.
"Well you know what they say, no rest for the wicked."
"Mwehehe, can't argue with that…" Morgana replied, starting to drift into his own thoughts. "This world is pretty great, don't you think?" The feline asked, making Akira raise an eyebrow.
"I mean…yeah, I'd say it's good. What makes you say that?" The boy questioned, leading Morgana to put his head down.
"Well for one, the people here are awesome, with the exception of Sunset. They've got great food, a nice school, and since Palaces exist here, there's plenty of Phantom Thief work, I'm sure…" Morgana's tone made Akira start to worry.
"You aren't suggesting we stay, right…?" Akira thought, hating the idea of leaving the other Thieves alone in Tokyo, along with people like Sojiro, Kasumi, Ms. Kawakami, or even Dr. Maruki. Morgana quickly dismissed the notion.
"What!? No! I just…I hope we'll be able to come back and visit once this is all over." Morgana said while thinking about the friendships they've made at Canterlot High. His thoughts were interrupted by Akira patting his head gently.
"The portal goes both ways, so I'm sure we can." Akira reassured the feline, who leaned into his touch. "I told Applejack we'd try and visit sometimes once we're back home."
Morgana knew Akira was a man who kept his promises, and with how close he and Applejack had already become, he was certain that Akira wouldn't dare breaking that one.
"Alright, I believe you."
"Good. Now let's try and get some sleep."
"Stop stealing my line!"
Carousel Boutique
Akira stood outside Rarity's place of work, looking at his phone. Rarity had sent him another text in the morning that told him to come in whenever he arrived. Both he and Morgana stared at the front door with curiosity in their brains.
"What do you think Rarity wants to show us?" Morgana asked. Akira shrugged as he tried to think of something.
"No clue, but there's no point thinking about it out here."
Akira grabbed onto the door handle and opened the door, breathing deeply before looking inside the shop.
"Alright, Rarity. What is it you wanted to show…me…" Akira trailed off as he saw the interior of the boutique, after that, his mouth hung open.
Displayed all over the boutique, and especially around Rarity's workstation, were more than a dozen mannequins, each of them displaying the dress that he had seen in the shop Friday night. They were set up everywhere around the shop. He then saw Rarity's head pop up over the counter of her station. Her hair was all over the place, dark circles were under her eyes, and her clothes all wrinkled, a look Akira never thought he would see. Once her eyes made contact with his, her stressed frown flipped to a smile.
"Ah! There you are!" Rarity walked out from behind her station and gestured all around her. "Well, what do you think?"
"I…when did…how-?" Akira tried to sputter out, baffled by the sight before him. Rarity couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of their leader being left speechless.
"I decided to take your advice! After you left on friday night, I decided to spend the night putting the finishing touches on the dress. We set it out for display the next day, and we already have about twenty orders for it!" Rarity said with excitement, and Akira couldn't help but feel excited for her.
"That's great, Rarity! I knew you could do it!"
"It's all thanks to you…" Rarity said, doing something that he never thought she'd do, and that's willingly giving him a hug. He then noticed her disheveled hair and ragged appearance again and decided to question her.
"Um, how long have you been here working on these?"
"Oh, since last night."
"Oh, well I guess that makes sense-WHAT!?" Akira shouted in surprise. Rarity laughed nervously as Akira glared at her.
"N-Now I know that sounds bad…"
"You think?" Akira put a hand to his head, sighing. "Rarity, I shouldn't have to tell you to not overwork yourself." Rarity quickly put her hands up to defend herself, the dark circles under her eyes becoming more and more apparent.
"I know, I know!" Rarity then gestured to all the mannequins displaying her design. "But look at this! I finally made something of note, something that's been noticed! Something I can finally feel proud of creating."
Akira looked out at the row of similar dresses aligning the storefront. While he was proud of Rarity for working so hard over the night and finding success, however he can also see the physical toll it's taking on Rarity, and the mental toll of believing she has to create a masterpiece to survive.
"I'm not saying you can't be proud of this. Heck, I'm really proud of you, this is incredible work you've done." Akira said, making Rarity turn around to face him, a smile on her face.
"Thank you, Darling."
"But now that you've done what you wanted to do, just don't forget why you were able to do it in the first place." Akira said with a more calm tone, reminding her of their conversation last night. Rarity took a deep breath and approached one of the dresses, running her hand over the fabric.
"Of course, I won't forget." Rarity turned around again to face him with a sigh. "The only problem with that would be-"
Suddenly, before Rarity could finish her sentence, a door from the upstairs area of the shop flung open, and a woman with light blue skin with orange hair, orange eyes, a black jacket, and heavy makeup stepped out.
"Rarity! How comes the progress on the Princess Dresses?" The woman asked, her eyes darting back and forth between Rarity and Akira. Rarity quickly stepped up to answer.
"About eighteen orders have been finished so far, Sassy!" Rarity yelled back, and a big smile appeared on the woman, now known as Sassy's face.
"Excellent! But make sure to get back to work once you finish with your…" Sassy looked back over to Akira and scowled. "Little break. We just received fifteen more orders that need to be done as soon as possible!" Sassy shouted, and at the new number she'd been given, Rarity flinched back.
"F-Fifteen more!? Sassy, I've been working all night, and it's not called the Princess-" Rarity tried to plead, but it seemed like Sassy wasn't listening.
"Oh I can already imagine it, this being the grand start of Rarity's own fall collection!" Sassy said to herself, the mention of her own collection causing Rarity to seize up.
"My own collection..?"
"Oh, my bad, did I say that out loud?" Sassy replied, with a small smile. Akira glared at Sassy with disgust. He could clearly see what Sassy was trying to do with Rarity, and he could only hope she saw it as well. "Anyhow, we've got plenty of more orders coming on the Princess Dresses, so keep up the good work!" Sassy yelled again before shutting the door to what Akira assumed was her office.
As soon as she was out of sight, Rarity's head hung low. Akira was now too curious, and slightly agitated for his own good.
"So, who was that?" Akira asked with a raised eyebrow.
"That was Sassy Saddles, my manager…" Rarity picked her head back up and walked back over towards her work station, picking up a pair of scissors and going back to cutting fabric. "She came into the store this morning, saw my dress, and put it out on display without telling me, along with giving it its name." Rarity said, shaking her head in anger. "Princess Dress…how dull…"
Akira felt like he had seen this before. The Phantom Thieves run in with the "artist" Madarame, who had plagiarized his student's work, including their dear friend Yusuke. He remembered how much he had despised how Yusuke had been treated by his adopted father, he wouldn't let anything like that happen to anyone else.
"Sounds to me like she's trying to steal your work." Akira claimed, which made Rarity's head snap up towards him.
"What?"
"She put it out without your permission, changed the name you gave it. Are you getting any of the profit?" Akira asked, and Rarity once again froze up.
"I-I…She hasn't brought it up at all." Rarity responded, clearly under distress, Akira took a deep breath, realizing he might have taken it too far too soon. He walked up to Rarity and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Sorry, Rarity. That might have been a bit much." He apologized as their eyes met. "Just remember what it is that you want, and you shouldn't settle for any less."
The words sat within Rarity for a moment, she knew he was right, but she had an opportunity in front of her, and what would it do to her if she let it go to waste, no matter how bad Sassy Saddles treats her.
"I'll…I'll think about it, Darling."
"That's all I ask." Akira and Rarity gave each other a knowing look.
'I feel like I understand Rarity better…'
CONFIDANT RANK UP - Rarity: Temperance, Rank 3
With the conversation now past them, Akira gave a nod to Rarity as she went back to work, and he walked out of the boutique. As soon as the door shut behind them, Morgana popped out of the bag, having stayed silent through that entire ordeal, probably having taken a nap for most of it, and with a yawn, spoke exactly what was on both of their minds.
"Seems like this world has its own fair shareof awful people in it." The feline said, facing back towards the boutique with a growl.
"Yeah, first what happened with Gilda, now this?" Akira wanted to continue this discussion further, until he remembered that he had promised Applejack he'd meet up with them after he and Rarity met. Akira quickly pulled out his phone and messaged the farmgirl.
Akira: I'm all finished here. Where should I meet up with you all?
Akira didn't have to wait long for a reply as his phone got a message within a few seconds.
Applejack: We've been on a bit of a goose chase here. We're coming up on City Hall right now.
Akira: City Hall? The feud goes that deep?
Applejack: Tough to explain over the phone, I'll tell you everything once ya get here.
Akira quickly put the location of city hall into his navigation system, and once he had directions, he answered back fast.
Akira: Got it, I'm on my way!
Applejack: See ya soon, Sugarcube :)
And as soon as he put his phone away, Akira looked back to Morgana, who nodded and tucked himself away in Akira's backpack as he walked towards City hall.
Canterlot - Outside City Hall
Akira looked closely at the map on his phone screen, noting how he was supposedly right outside Canterlot's City Hall. He looked up and saw a three story building with a red spire roof.
"Ok, that must be City Hall…now I just need to find…" Akira started to say as he looked back down towards the doors, but noticed the people he was looking for sitting on a nearby bench. "Huh, that was easy." He said as he noticed the forms of Applejack, Applebloom, and Big Mac all sitting down. From what Akira could see, they seemed to have looks of sadness and frustration on their faces.
From the way Applejack said it over text, it seemed like everything they'd learned so far had been taking an emotional toll. Akira took a breath as he approached the young members of the Apple family.
"Hey, everything alright?" Akira asked, and everyone's head turned up to him, sorrow still plastered on all of their faces. "Sorry, dumb question."
"No, you're fine, Sugarcube. It's just…we've learned quite a lot today." Applejack replied, putting her head between her hands. Applebloom was curled up right next to Big Mac as she looked in Akira's direction.
"And that this whole feud involves our parents as well…" Applebloom mentioned.
"Eeyup." Affirmed Big Mac.
Akira had to admit he was surprised. He had always wondered why these three had been living with their grandmother and not their parents, but noting his current living situation back in Japan, he figured it wasn't that strange. Akira noticed there was an open spot on the bench next to Applejack, so he put on a friendly smile and sat down next to the cowgirl.
"Do you mind if you run it by me?" Akira asked as Applejack looked back into his eyes. Akira knew the idea was a newly sore subject, so he wanted to make sure Applejack was comfortable. "You can say no if it's too personal." Akira stated.
'Those darn eyes…' Applejack fantasized as she blushed and stared into the two steel traps in front of her. She herself was having a hard time processing what she had just learned about her mother and father, but the way Akira had been helping her ever since he arrived in her life, and had continued to help and support her family, she felt like she owed him way more than just her family's story, but she did say she'd explain it to him.
'Why did Rarity have to be right?' Applejack thought to herself, before sharing the story with the boy in front of her.
A Few Minutes Later
Applejack told Akira the entire story. The beginning of the feud between Apple and Pear families, their father being a member of the Apple family, while their mother was a member of the Pear's, the constant bickering between Granny Smith and their grandpa, named Grand Pear, the story of their parents love and marriage, and how their mother left the Pear's to be with their father. While Akira found the story of the two star-crossed lovers very touching, he understood why that must have been a lot to learn in one day.
"And Ah think that's everything…"
"Wow…Applejack, that's…I'm sorry you're only learning about this now."
"It's alright, Sugarcube." Applejack replied with a sad smile, putting her hat in front of her heart. "Ah guess Ah just wish we could ask either Grand Pear why he left or Granny Smith why they kept on fighting…" Applejack said with gritted teeth. Akira looked around at the other members of the Apple family.
"Why can't you?" Akira simply asked, making the others turn to him yet again.
"Come again?"
"Why can't you just talk to one of them?" The question seemed to stump both Applebloom and Mac, but Applejack seemed ready to defend their inaction.
"Granny would just deflect any of our questions! And Grand Pear, he's not even…" Applejack's eyes widened at a realization and with a gasp, turned towards her sister. "Wait, Applebloom, you had said ya bought that pear jam from Grand Pear?"
"Uh, yeah? He was at the market yesterday." Applebloom responded. Applejack quickly stood up and gestured down the street.
"The market should still be open! Let's head over and ask Grand Pear 'bout all this!" Applejack yelled, grabbing Akira by the arm and pulling him to his feet. Big Mac and Applebloom quickly stood up with a look of surprise on their faces.
"R-Right now, Applejack?" Big Mac asked, looking tired from running around all day. Applejack gave her brother a stern glare
"No, Ah was thinkin' thursday. Yes, right now!" Applejack responded, pulling Akira by the arm and running down the street.
"Applejack, slow down!" Akira yelled in response. Applebloom and Big Mac turned towards each other with raised eyebrows.
"Suppose we should go after her, huh Mac?"
"Eeyup…" Mac simply replied with a big breath as both Apple siblings took off after their other sister.
Canterlot - Marketplace
Akira and the Apple family made their way into a crowded street filled up with tents and booths on either side. The crowd seemed to be leaving for the day as most of the vendors that had set up at the market were starting to close up shop for the day. Applejack, Big Mac, and Akira were looking over the tops of people's heads, trying to spot anything while Applebloom led the way through the crowd.
"We still headin' the right way, Applebloom?" Applejack called out to her little sister, who was weaving her way in between people. She briefly turned around and called back to the group.
"Shouldn't be much farther now!" Applebloom yelled back as she kept going. Akira was trying his best to follow Applejack's lead as he looked around at all the new scenery that this part of Canterlot had to offer, he was used to the hustle and bustle of Shibuya, but something about the city of Canterlot felt more inviting and welcoming than any place he'd been in Tokyo, well, other than LeBlanc.
'I wish the others could see this…' He thought to himself as Applejack continued to pull him along. Eventually the group of four made it to a spot where it wasn't as crowded with people. Applebloom put her hand above her eyes, looking out for the person she had met the day prior. The young girl then spotted an older gentleman, wearing dirty blue jeans, a white and blue checkered shirt, with a green bandana tied around his neck, gray hairs overlapping a few dark brown ones. He seemed to be stocking a few crates into the back of a truck, getting ready to tear down his tent for the day.
"There! Over there!" Applebloom cried out as she sprinted over to who Akira had to assume was Grand Pear. The other three didn't have time to think as they followed after the youngest Apple sibling.
Applebloom stopped in front of the green tent while Grand Pear still hadn't noticed them. Applebloom tried to call out to their newly-realized grandparent, but no words were coming out. There was so much she wanted to say and ask that it all got caught in her throat. Applebloom's eyes started to water as she watched her grandpa work. She started to back away, until Akira caught up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
Applebloom looked up at the boy who'd been staying with them for the past few days with surprise. With one look into his eyes, she instantly felt calmer as her eyes ceased their tears. Applejack and Big Mac also stood beside him, looking down at their sister with a smile.
"You can do this." Akira whispered to her with a smile. Applebloom felt a burst of confidence run through her as she wiped her eyes.
"Thanks, Mister…" Applebloom said, returning his smile, before turning over to Grand Pear. After clearing her throat, Applebloom walked forward and spoke up. "Excuse me! Grand Pear?"
Applebloom's calling made Grand Pear stop and turn around at the small, feminine voice. As soon as he made eye contact with Applebloom, and the two other Apple siblings, Akira could see Grand Pear's face recoil. Grand Pear shook off the surprise before looking back at Applebloom.
"Hello there again, Applebloom! What brings you back here today?" Grand Pear replied, his eyes darting over to Akira, Applejack, and Big Mac. Applebloom cleared her throat before responding.
"Well, Ah…or Ah guess we wanted to ask you something…" Applebloom looked towards her big sister, who stepped forward and put her hat over her heart.
"Nice to meet ya, Ah'm Applejack, and this is my brother, Big Macintosh…" Applejack gestured to her brother before looking back to Grand Pear. "But you already know who we are, don't you?" Applejack asked, as they all looked Grand Pear in the eyes.
Grand Pear took a deep breath, analyzing every face in front of him. He briefly closed his eyes before looking his grandkids in the eyes.
"Sure do…it's nice to finally meet you." Grand Pear replied, walking up to Big Mac and looking him up and down. "Mac, you look so much like your father…" Grand Pear's comments caught Big Mac off guard. He then looked over to Applebloom and Applejack. "And you two, you both remind me so much of your mother…" Grand Pear's words made the members of the Apple family choke up at the mention of their parents, Akira couldn't blame them. Speaking of Akira, Grand Pear was now looking him over, top to bottom.
"Pardon me, young man. I don't think I caught your name?" Grand Pear said, holding out a hand for him to shake. Akira quickly took a hold of it and shook.
"Akira Kurusu, Sir." The boy responded as Grand Pear raised an eyebrow at the boy. Applejack swooped in to explain his presence.
"Akira's been staying with us for the last few days at the farm. He's been…mighty helpful to us." Applejack said with a small blush that did not go unnoticed by Grand Pear. He smiled before lightly slapping Akira's shoulder.
"I see, welcome to the family, son."
"Huh?" Akira questioned, but he would not get his answer as Grand Pear turned his attention back to Applejack.
"So…what is it you wanted to ask me?" Grand Pear questioned, having a feeling he already knew what it was. Applejack cleared her throat before looking her grandfather in the eyes.
"We've learned all about the feud…our parents, the pears moving…we know why y'all fought…but after all these years, why'd ya come back?" Applejack asked. Grand Pear took another hitched breath at the question.
Moments passed by as the Apple family awaited an answer from Grand Pear, who was trying to find the right words.
"I…I just…" Grand Pear tried to say, but was interrupted by a flow of tears coming suddenly from his eyes. Suddenly, Applebloom burst forward and wrapped Grand Pears legs into a hug. Grand Pear's eyes went wide as he looked down at the young girl, who was looking up at him with a bright smile.
"It's ok. You can do it." Applebloom said, repeating the same words Akira said to her moments ago. A lone tear streaked down Grand Pear's cheek as he finally found the words he wanted.
"A-After your mother told me she was choosing to be with the Apple's, I…I just lost control. I got angry, and just so sad that I had pushed my daughter so far away…" Grand Pear started, putting a hand on Applebloom's head. "She always wrote to me though…she mentioned that I had a grandchild." Grand Pear said, looking up and Big Mac, then to his granddaughters. "And then another, and then another…but I felt even worse, knowing I couldn't see them." Grand Pear explained, but Applejack was quick to cut him off.
"But I'm sure our parents would have let you come visit…" Applejack said, making Grand Pear's head drop.
"That's just the thing, they were going to." Grand Pear solemnly spoke. Akira had a feeling he knew where this was going next. "But as I was getting ready to pack up my truck and come see you all…I got another letter, this time, from Granny Smith." The tears were now freely flowing from Grand Pear's eyes, and the Apple children were all starting to feel the same effect. "When she told me the news about your parents…I felt that same anger I felt all those years ago, I knew if I even saw your faces, I might have gotten even angrier..."
Akira watched as Grand Pear's legs started to wobble and he slowly knelt down, looking Applebloom in the eyes as what he truly wanted to say came out.
"I'm…I'm so sorry. You kids deserved more-" Grand Pear tried to say before Applebloom wrapped him up even tighter.
"It's all in the past, Grand Pear…" Applebloom replied.
These few words allowed any bit of tears that Grand Pear, or even Applejack and Big Mac were holding back, to flow freely. Grand Pear was at a loss for words as he embraced his youngest grandchild. Applejack and Big Mac quickly walked in and joined in on the hug. Grand Pear felt a smile come to his face as he was surrounded by the things he now treasured the most.
"Thank you, kids…thank you so much."
Akira watched the beautiful moment between the family take place, with Morgana even popping out to get a look at the scene.
"Wow, beautiful isn't it?"
"I couldn't agree more." Akira said as they watched the grandfather and his grandchildren reconnect.
A Few Minutes Later
After a few more questions and answers were shared between the ground and Grand Pear, the elder farmer decided to retire for the night, promising to visit the family sometime soon. The Apple family, plus Akira, decided to walk their way home for the night. Applejack and Akira stayed in the back as they remained silent for most of the walk, until Applejack suddenly turned her head and spoke to the boy.
"Thanks for your help today, Sugarcube…" Applejack said. Akira looked over her direction and raised an eyebrow.
"Me? I didn't do anything, this was all you guys." Akira laughed as he downplayed himself. Applejack responded with a laugh of her own, but quickly fought back.
"Just you being there with us meant a lot to me. Ah'm sure it meant a lot to Mac and Applebloom as well…" Applejack replied, looking off to the side. Akira rolled his eyes, refusing to take any credit. "But no matter what, Ah'm just glad Ah got to meet him…" Applejack said, referring to Grand Pear. The smile that appeared on Applejack's face in this moment made everything worth it to Akira as he watched Applejack walk with her head held high.
'I sense a newfound resolve from Applejack and her family…'
CONFIDANT RANK UP - Applejack: Strength, Rank 4
Suddenly, Applejack felt a buzzing coming from her pocket. She pulled out her smartphone and quickly looked at the notification she received. Applejack stopped in place as another smile crept onto her face. Akira stopped walking as soon as his friend did, and he had to admit he was curious.
"Something wrong?" Akira asked. Applejack looked back up at the boy and shoved her phone back into her pocket.
"Oh! It's not much, just realized Ah still got some errands Ah need to run." Applejack said before calling ahead to her siblings. "You all go on ahead, tell Granny Ah'll be back in a bit."
"Ok, Applejack! Just don't stay too late, ya wouldn't wanna miss any pie, right Mac?" Applebloom said, looking towards her brother.
"Eeyup!" Mac replied as he and Applebloom continued to walk back home. Applejack nodded to her siblings and turned back to Akira, who raised an eyebrow at her.
"Well, what are we waitin' for? Come on, partner!" Applejack gestured for Akira to follow her as she started to jog the opposite direction. Akira still didn't quite understand.
"You want me to help run some errands?"
"It'll be real quick, Ah promise. And Ah can show ya a bit more of town." Applejack stood a few feet away from him, holding her hand out for him to take. After seeing the downtown area of Canterlot, Akira did want to see what else this town had to offer, and spending a bit more time with one of his friends was always a plus.
"Alright then, lead the way." Akira replied, grabbing Applejack's hand. Applejack's smile grew even larger at the contact as she turned to jog the other way.
"It's not too far from here, partner!" Applejack said, pulling Akira along, smirking as Akira had no idea what was awaiting him soon.
Canterlot - Suburbs
Akira stared closely at the houses he and Applejack had been passing by. The simple two-story houses lining both sides of the street gave Akira a sense of nostalgia that he hadn't felt in a while. He was starting to recall memories of his hometown to the point where he stopped in the middle of the street, looking at a house that reminded him of his small town upbringing. Applejack turned around at the sudden stoppage, watching Akira gaze upon the house in front of them.
"You alright, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked, making Akira's head swiftly turn back to her. He gave a small chuckle, realizing he'd been caught daydreaming.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just reminds me of home." Akira replied as Applejack took a step closer, as she remembered a few details he had shared about his own world. A question came into her mind.
"Say, Akira, before you were uh, sent away…what was your home like?" Applejack curiously asked, he had told her a little bit about the big city, but she hadn't heard anything about his actual home.
Akira looked back towards the house with a sigh, he hadn't really told this story to anyone, not even Morgana, mainly because no one asked. But for some reason, he really felt like he could trust Applejack with this, even though Morgana was also about to hear it secondhand.
"I wish there was more to tell about it. It's a quiet little spot, everyone knows everyone, not much going on. The most attention we had gotten was through a string of unexplainable murder cases, and a nasty bit of fog rolled in around that time as well…" Akira recalled the story from his youth. "But other than that, it's a nice little town. It's hard to call it my home anymore though." Akira said, thinking about his parents, and his former friends. Applejack quickly put a hand on his shoulder for comfort.
"Ah gotta imagine that's tough, especially knowing how Grand Pear felt leaving Canterlot…" Applejack said, looking at the same house he was. "But ya know what they say, "home is where the heart is", and it seems like ya found a good one."
"Probably more than one." Akira added on, making Applejack turn back to him. "You, your family, and everyone has made us feel welcome here." Akira then turned to face the girl who he'd spent the past few days with. "Thank you, for making this world feel like home."
Applejack felt another round of heat come to her face as the two looked into each other's eyes. The genuine smile Akira had on in front of her brought a sense of joy she hadn't felt in a long time.
"Of course, Sugarcube." Applejack said as they stood for another few seconds, before Applejack realized their whole reason for coming out here as the sun was starting to get low. "Now come on, we don't wanna be late."
"For your errands?"
"You'll see when we get there." Applejack waved him over as they continued to walk.
After another few minutes of walking, where Akira and Applejack continued to talk and crack jokes with each other. They eventually ended up outside another two-story house, lined with pink walls, and a small rock guardian outside in the front lawn. Applejack started to walk up to the door, leaving Akira on the sidewalk.
"Stay put for a bit, Sugarcube, Ah'll be back soon." Applejack said as she knocked on the front door, which opened slightly after a few seconds of waiting, allowing Applejack to quickly squeeze through the door, leaving Akira alone on the sidewalk. Well, not alone, as Morgana decided to make his presence known again.
"Seems like you and Applejack are getting along pretty well…" Morgana teased his partner, but Akira didn't seem to understand the joke.
"Yeah, they've done a lot for us, and she's a great person, why wouldn't I get along with her?" Akira asked, looking back in the cat's direction. Morgana brought a paw to his face, wanting to retort, but he figured it was hopeless.
"You know what, you're right." Morgana replied as the two failed to notice another person approaching them.
"Akira? Morgana?" The person asked. Akira and Morgana quickly turned around to see two familiar faces, as Twilight was standing on the other side of the sidewalk, with Spike also peering outside of her backpack.
"Twilight? Spike?"
"Hey guys! What are you two doing here?" Spike asked, happy to see some friendly faces out this late at night. Akira walked towards the two, gesturing towards the house.
"Applejack said she needed to run some errands, and she brought us here."
"How about you two?" Morgana asked back. Twilight and Spike looked towards each other in confusion before looking back at Akira.
"That's strange. Fluttershy told us to meet her around here, but I'm not seeing her at all…" Twilight said, looking around, trying to find any trace of Fluttershy or Applejack. Morgana put a paw to his chin.
"Well maybe Fluttershy went inside, like Applejack did?"
"Let's check it out then!" Spike yelled out. Both Akira and Twilight shrugged their shoulders, not having any better idea. The two teens made their way up to the front steps of the pink house, Twilight making a brief stop to admire the rock garden in front of them. Twilight then stepped up to the front door, Akira right behind her. Twilight looked back at Akira, who gave a nod before Twilight knocked three times on the door.
After moments of waiting for a response, the door to the house slowly crept open, with no inside light on, leaving the view in front of the two shrouded in darkness. Twilight's legs started to tremble, while Spike cowered in Twilight's bag.
Akira cautiously stepped forward as well, standing side by side with Twilight, trying to see into the darkness of the house. Twilight then held a hand beside her mouth and called out into the dark.
"H-Hello? Fluttershy, are you in there?" Twilight asked, but was met with no response. Akira was feeling deja vu as he remembered a moment like this when he had first met Futaba. Akira moved in front of Twilight in a protective manner. Akira took a step into the house as he called out to the void in front of him.
"Applejack? Anyone?"
Akira started to reach for his phone to use its flashlight function, but he was beaten to the punch as he and Twilight were suddenly blinded by the sudden turning on of lights. They all shielded their eyes from the blinding light until they were used to it.
As soon as they lowered their arms from their faces, they were shocked by what they saw in front of them.
"SURPRISE!"
Twilight and Akira instinctively recoiled from the noise, but as soon as their fight or flight response ceased, they looked out into the room, looking at their friends spread throughout the room, who had been hiding behind various objects, or in Pinkie Pie's case, behind the door. Akira noted the many balloons and streamers throughout the room, just signifying that the decorations were all Pinkie Pie's handiwork, even the refreshment table at the end of the room was filled with her signature cupcakes.
While Akira was looking at everyone in the room, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, Twilight took a deep breath and walked further into the room.
"Oh my gosh! Girls, you shouldn't have!" Twilight yelled while greeting each of her friends with a hug. Akira stood by, still confused as to what exactly was going on.
"I'm sorry, but what's happening?"
"Surprise party! Duh!" Pinkie Pie replied, putting a noisemaker in her mouth and blowing into it, making the rolling end of it extend out and boop Akira on the nose.
"Yeah, as ya know, parties are kinda Pinkie's thing." Applejack said, handing a cup of punch to Akira with a sheepish smile on her face. "Sorry for trickin' ya, Sugarcube."
"I was worried Applejack was going to spoil the surprise early, but it seems she has quite the acting chops." Rarity added on, putting a hand to her chin and looking Applejack up and down. "She definitely has the look for it, what do you think Akira?" Rarity teasingly looked at the boy while Applejack glared at her friend. Akira didn't get a chance to answer as Rainbow Dash started to laugh out loud.
"Oh, you should have seen both your faces! That was priceless!" Rainbow Dash pointed at the two while putting her hands on her knees. Fluttershy then blushed as she looked back towards Twilight.
"S-Sorry for scaring you b-both…"
"It's ok, Fluttershy. I'm just glad this is what you were up to!" Twilight laughed with the group. Akira and Morgana were still looking around the room.
"A surprise party? What for, Pinkie?" Morgana turned his head to the pinkette, who gave a toothy smile to the two Phantom Thieves.
"Since this week has been so CRAZY, I thought we'd properly welcome you guys to Canterlot, and I guess this world as a whole!" Pinkie explained as she started to jump up and down. "Plus, my parents were out of town and I haven't had a party in so long so I wanted to host a party and what better occasion to host a party!"
"Whoa, alright Pinkie, I think I get it now." Akira laughed as he took a sip of the punch Applejack had handed to him. Spike then jumped out of Twilight's backpack and took place in the center of the room.
"What are we waiting for? Let's party!" Spike shouted, making most everyone in the room cheer in celebration.
Akira and Morgana looked back to each other, both giving a shrug, not bothering to argue as they both joined in the night's festivities.
1 Hour Later
The Pinkie Party was still in full swing after an hour passed by. The team stocked paper plates full of snacks and baked goods. The group was now sitting on Pinkie Pie's couch, watching as Rainbow Dash and Applejack were in the middle of a match of Super Mash Brothers. The two had been doing a best of three rounds, with Rainbow Dash and Applejack each having won one game each.
"Oh you're going down, AJ. When the game's on the line, I'm in my prime!" Rainbow Dash taunted as she selected her character. Applejack smirked as she picked her own fighter.
"Don't count me out yet, Partner!"
The others laughed as they watched the rivalry between the two unfold, with Morgana residing on Fluttershy's lap, and Spike of course residing on Rarity's. Akira then looked around and noticed that the host of the party herself was missing from the current arrangement. He looked around and noticed Pinkie Pie lightly walking away into the kitchen, Akira noticed a tear running down her face.
'That can't be good…' Akira thought as he stood up, drawing a bit of attention to himself. He quickly waved off the attention.
"I just need to use the bathroom, I'll be right back." Akira said, turning the corner and beginning to walk away.
"Well I hope you're back in time to see my victory dance!" Rainbow Dash replied, blowing a raspberry to Applejack, who growled in response.
"In your dreams, Dash! Today's the day Ah finally beat ya!" Applejack responded as they hit the start button and their game began. Akira rolled his eyes as he turned the corner and walked away towards Pinkie Pie's location.
Akira poked his head into the kitchen, seeing Pinkie Pie putting on oven mitts, while a few tears ran down her face. He heard her sniffles loud and clear as she grabbed a nearby napkin and loudly blew her nose. Akira couldn't help but laugh at her antics, which alerted Pinkie Pie to his location.
"Whosawhatsithuh!?" Pinkie yelled out, flailing her arms. Once Akira stepped out of his hiding spot and Pinkie spotted him, she quickly caught her breath. "Oh, it's you, Aki. Why aren't you out there enjoying the party?"
"I could ask the same to you, you're the host after all…" Akira said as he walked a bit closer to her. "That and you seemed upset." Pinkie Pie gave a confused look to Akira.
"Upset? What gave you that idea?" Pinkie replied in between sniffles. Akira raised an eyebrow at her words.
"Uh, the sniffles, the tears…are you not upset?" Akira questioned, and was met with Pinkie Pie's laughter, adding to his confusion.
"No, silly! I'm just…s-so happy!" Pinkie said as a few more tears started to fall from her eyes. Akira recoiled in surprise at the news.
"You're happy?" Akira said in surprise as he watched Pinkie Pie open up the oven door, and pull out another batch of her homemade cupcakes. Pie set the cupcakes on the counter and looked at them lovingly.
"I'm VERY happy! It's been forever since I got to have all my friends over and party!" Pinkie Pie sat down at one of the nearby chairs and continued to explain. "When we had all separated, we all wanted nothing to do with each other, which in hindsight was totally ridiculous. But now, after a few days, we're back to the way we were. Rarity and Fluttershy even came over earlier to help me set this thing up!" Pinkie said with a big smile on her face. Akira's smile matched that of Pinkie's as he sat down near her.
"That's great, Pinkie! I'm happy everything's worked out for you girls." Akira said, patting Pinkie Pie on the shoulder. Pinkie lightly blushed in response.
"You know…it's all thanks to you, Aki!" Pinkie told the boy. Akira simply rolled his eyes at the phrase.
"People have gotta stop saying that." Akira said, and Pinkie recoiled at his words.
"WHAAAT? B-But you and Twilight saved our friendships! You brought us back together!" Pinkie stood up from her seat. Akira smiled, finding it funny that this was the discussion they were having.
"Pinkie, Twilight and I may have gotten you all in the same room and showed you how Sunset Shimmer interfered, but since then all of you have done the rest of the work. You've gone out of your way to mend those bridges between you all." Akira explained to the pinkette, who looked back out to the living room, seeing all her friends having fun.
She then looked up at all the decorations that Rarity and Fluttershy had helped her put up, and thought about how last week she wouldn't have even considered that. Akira joined her as they watched everyone cheering on the game between Rainbow Dash and Applejack.
"You may think we helped you and the others find your strength, but you've all had it within you the entire time. And Pinkie, you've all shown me over the past few days just how strong you all are." Akira then looked over to Twilight and gave a small laugh. "Heh, maybe the Magic of Friendship really does have some merit."
Suddenly, Pinkie Pie turned around and pulled Akira into a tight hug. After his initial surprise, Akira returned the hug.
"Thanks, Aki, you may be right."
"Of course, Pinkie. Just keep being you, alright?" Akira broke the hug and held out his fist for a fist bump. Pinkie quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and bumped Akira's fist back.
"You got it, Aki!"
'I feel a newfound strength from Pinkie Pie…'
CONFIDANT RANK UP - Pinkie Pie: The Fool, Rank 3
Akira and Pinkie Pie laughed as they stepped away from each other, but as they heard shouts of excitement coming from the other room, Akira looked back to the host of the party and gave another smile.
"Should the host make her reappearance?" Akira joked, getting another laugh out of Pinkie.
"I suppose so, as long as the reason we're having this party comes back!"
"You got me there, Pinkie." Akira said as he and Pinkie Pie walked out of the kitchen and back into the room, just in time to watch Applejack celebrate a win over Rainbow Dash, who had her arms crossed.
"Told ya not to count me out, Dash!"
"Oh come on! Best three out of five?" Rainbow Dash complained as Applejack continued to celebrate.
"Actually, can we call next?" Akira asked, making the room turn to both him and Pinkie Pie. Pinkie looked back up at Akira with surprise, but that surprise quickly turned to a competitive grin.
"Oh you are so going down, Aki!" Pinkie Pie rushed past the couch and sat down in front of one of the controllers. Akira moved around to the other side and picked up the other controller, hoping that this game was a lot like the fighters he and Futaba would play in the LeBlanc attic.
Before selecting his character, Akira looked around at everyone in the room. Applejack, celebrating her win with Rarity, who seemed to be looking towards him and whispering in Applejack's ear. Rainbow Dash trying to strategize with Twilight on how to beat Applejack in their rematch, and Fluttershy, who had both Morgana and Spike curled up and comfortable on her lap. And Pinkie Pie, who had a look of determination on her face as she picked her character.
Over the time of his stay in this world, he's been constantly moving about, either through Sunset's palace, trying to repair friendships, or forging new ones in this world. But for the rest of the night, just this night, he was going to take some time for some rest and recreation.
Akira Kurusu was going to enjoy his night.
But he had no idea of the trouble tomorrow would bring…
Canterlot High - Courtyard
Sunset Shimmer paced back and forth, a hand to her chin as she set her plan in stone with her two minions, who were standing by with boxes of materials. Sunset then quickly turned back to Snips and Snails with an anxious glare.
"Do you two understand your duties tomorrow?" Sunset angrily asked. Snips and Snails responded by giving a left hand salute to Sunset, nearly letting the boxes in their hands fall and spill their contents. "Good. You both have already failed me too many times, so this is your last shot. Got it?"
"Yes, Sunset!" Snips yelled out in affirmation. Snails rummaged through the box in front of him, pulling out a camera and holding it up to his eyes, looking at Sunset Shimmer through the lens.
"Hehehe, we're gonna get those two good!" Snails laughed as he messed with the camera. Sunset growled and lowered the camera from his face with her hand.
"Remember, we're trying to get rid of Twilight and that Akira guy for good! Don't leave anything up to chance, if you think you've gone far enough, go further! I. Need. That. Crown!" Sunset yelled, grabbing Snails by the collar. Snips ran up to her side and tried to calm her down.
"Don't worry, Sunset. Snails and I have a few ideas…"
"With you two, that worries me. But I'll trust you two for now. And you both remember where to stake out in the morning?" Sunset questioned.
"Yup! We'll be in perfect position!" Snails responded, as Sunset finally let go of his shirt. Snails stumbled backward as Sunset let him go, looking at the two boys with a wicked smile.
"Good…" Sunset turned her back to her two grunts, looking between the portal to Equestria, and the school itself.
'After tomorrow, Twilight…you and your little coltfriend are going down, and this world will soon be mine!'
AND DONE!
Man, writing interesting dialogue is hard. It's hard to judge if it's good or not, in the end it's up to you.
I'm glad this is finished, apologies to all the people who've been waiting for this for months now, I hope that you enjoy the results of the wait since you got two new chapters!
I'm gonna get to work on the next one as well, so y'all can see just what Sunset Shimmer has up her sleeve. It's gonna be different than her plan for Twilight.
And for the Persona fans, I'm sure Akira's hometown sounds a bit familiar…
But anyways, thank you to those who have been standing by and waiting for an update to this story! We're coming through the home stretch, so strap in, it'll be a bumpy ride!
See ya later!