"Poooooh!?" "Poooooh!"
Sora and Ruby felt almost as if they'd been walking and calling the bear for hours. One might have suspected they were walking in circles...which may very well have been the case. But at the very least, it was in a peaceful, safe, and easy-going world, so Sora and Ruby didn't have to worry about getting attacked. Eventually, they found themselves in a clearing marked by a muddy path. A large bush, two elevated bits of land bridged by a fallen tree, another tree hollowed out at its base, and of course the detail that caught their eyes most of all. "Pooh?"
Just as Ruby said, the little bear seemed to be walking circles around the bush. The reason: he was following a set of tracks. "What're you doing, Pooh?" Sora spoke up, drawing Pooh's attention. "Shhh. Quiet, or they'll get away!" Pooh whispered out loud. Ruby and Sora blinked with confusion at Pooh's request. "Who?" Sora asked as Pooh cautiously looked around the area. "The people who took them away. See their footprints?" Pooh said, gesturing to the muddy tracks which...seemed to loop around the bush and back again. "We were all sticking together to make sure no one got lost again. But then I saw some footprints that needed following, so I did. Suddenly, everyone was gone. Bad people must have taken them away!"
The worry in Pooh's voice was evident, but...probably over something he needn't have worried about in the first place. "Uh, Pooh..." Ruby started, struggling not to giggle at how silly Pooh was being. "Actually, Pooh, I think those footprints are...Um..." As much as Sora wanted to, he didn't have the heart to tell Pooh whose footprints those really were. But amusement could wait. "Anyway, we'll help you look for your friends." Sora said, pounding his fist confidently against his chest. "Yup. We'll have em found in no time." Ruby assured, giving Pooh a pat on the head. With that, they began their search for Pooh's friends.
It didn't take long to find one of them, as within the thinnest part of the large bush, they found, "Eeyore?" "Hello." Eeyore said with the same sullen expression when seeing Sora and Ruby walk up to him. They were beginning to wonder if Eeyore was EVER in a good mood. "What are you doing?" Sora asked curiously. "Oh no. You didn't lose your tail again, did you?" Ruby asked with worry.
"Nah. Not this time," Eeyore said with the very slightest small amount of assurance. "I'm look'n for sticks to build my house...again." Sora looked around the bush with confusion. "Sticks for your house? This place already feels like a house..." As Sora said that, an idea clicked in Ruby's mind as she looked around the bush surrounded clearing. "This might make it a great spot to gather everyone once we find them. We could have them all meet here." she suggested. "Good thinking Ruby." Sora said with a nod. Now they just had to find everyone else.
And it seemed they would find another sooner than expected as right to their left as they exited, they noticed something forcefully hitting against one of the tree roots on the top edges of the muddy path's circular ground walls. As they went to investigate it, they saw Roo in that area and approached. "Roo? What're you doing up there?" Ruby called out to get his attention.
The little marsupial looked down and smiled at the familiar sight of his two new friends. "Oh, hey Ruby. Hi Sora," Roo said before hopping down next to them. "I tried bouncing as high as Tigger. I was so busy tryin' to bounce, I forgot to watch where I was bouncin'." Sora and Ruby looked at each other in the wake of Roo's explanation. The recklessness of youth, one might say? "Roo. Can you head into the bush there and wait for us to come back?" Sora asked. The little marsupial nodded. "Sure. Okay." and hopped right into nearby shrubbery which fortunately was in the direction of the place where Eeyore was.
A moment later, Sora and Ruby turned in the direction of the same woodknocking sound rang out from another area. Across a log that connected the gap of two ledges near an old well was Tigger, bouncing back and forth in a pace while he looked around. Ruby ran right up when using her semblance to cut him off in the middle.
"Oh, heya Ruby!" Tigger said when stopping and waving to her. "I saw Pooh walkin' away, so I bounced after him! Then I bounced a bit too high and I lost sight of ol' Pooh Bear!"
Ruby had a sneaking suspicion that Tigger may have also gotten to preoccupied with his bouncing to look very hard. But at the very least, they found another one of Pooh's friends. "Hey Tigger. Think you could go over to that bush and wait for us?" Her request made the bouncy feline scratch his head. "Eh? Just sit in there for a while? Why? Doesn't look like there's much bouncin' room." he said. "I know, but don't worry. Everyone's going to meet up there. Sora and I are helping Pooh find them." she explained, making Tigger's face brighten with clarity. "Ooooh, gotcha. Alright then!" Without any more questions, Tigger bounced off toward the bush to join Eeyore and Roo. Ruby couldn't help smiling and shaking her head. If ever Nora and Tigger were to somehow meet...goodness gracious, she feared for the Hundred Acre Wood's safety from them than she did the Heartless.
Looking down from the log, she noticed Sora and Pooh had found another one of the lost friends. It was Rabbit...who seemed too distracted searching for something to even notice them at first. "Uhhh, Rabbit?" That is until Sora called out to him, snapping him from his thoughts. "Oh! Sora, it's you. And Pooh!" He was certainly relieved to see them again. "What were you doing in those holes, Rabbit?" Sora asked. "Owl looked so intently at something, well I just had to follow him!" Rabbit's expression changed as if suddenly realizing how silly that must have seemed. Especially since he was wandering through three holes trying to find something that possibly wasn't there. "Oh well. At least we found you too, Rabbit. By the way, think you could go over and wait in that bush? Everyone else is there. We've just got to find Piglet." Rabbit scratched his chin thoughtfully at Sora's request. "Hmmm...I suppose that makes sense. Alright. Best of luck." he said, walking over to the bush to join Eeyore, Roo, and...much to his chagrin, Tigger..
Once Rabbit entered the bush, Ruby perked up at the sound of wings flapping. At the highest edge of the cliff side area was Owl, descending to a set of bushes he inspected once on the ground. The redheaded youth rushed to him and tapped his shoulder to get his attention. "Oh, hello Ruby. I thought I'd better have a word with Roo about his bouncing. The next thing I knew, quite to my surprise, I was lost too!"
Fighting the urge not to snicker or chuckle, Ruby smiled to the avian. "Most of your friends are at that bush over there. Meet them all and wait for me and Sora, okay?" Owl nodded, liking the clever idea and fluttered off while saying. "Very well. If we're all in one spot, it'll be easier for us all to regroup." And with that, Owl joined the rest of Pooh's friends in the bushes.
"Pooh!"
Sora's exclaimed words made Ruby perk up as she walked over to the edge. They both looked upon Pooh who was floating upward with the aid of a gathering of butterflies on the end of a flower held. Fortunately he stopped only at the nearest edge of the cliff where a collection of flowers were. By the time Pooh realized he and Sora were separated, it was too late. "Oh, bother."
"Pooh, stay where you are. I'll come to you." Sora said though also wondering how. Even with his higher jumping ability, the edge was too high for him to go up. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard wind... coming right out the well. There was so much of it, he could see leaves and specs of dirt flying directly up. Just standing near it was enough for Sora to feel the flow of air. That gave him an idea as he leaped over it and much to his surprise as much as Ruby's, he was floating. He had the higher level and once he thrusted himself one way, he came to the spot where Pooh was.
"Did I hear Pooh?" a tiny, fearful voice behind Ruby said, catching her attention. As she looked inside a crevice of a large tree, sure enough, there was Piglet. Ruby smiled, having found the last of Pooh's friends. Walking to the edge, she called out, "Sora. Piglet's up here."
Ruby's notification drew Sora and Pooh's attention immediately. Immediately, the young Keyblade wielder led Pooh toward where Ruby was standing, and sure enough, within the hollowed out base of the tree, was Piglet...looking at a wall. "So this is where you've been, Piglet." Sora said, though the poor little guy was so fearful and frightened, he didn't dare look behind him. Waddling over to the large tree, the bear looked to see his timid friend facing the wall within the tree, as if afraid to turn around. "Hello Piglet." Pooh greeted. Piglet, though fearful as ever, at least managed to respond to the voice of his dear friend. "Pooh! Where are we?" "I don't know where we are either, Piglet. But if we go back the way we came, we're sure to find home." Pooh said, reaching forward and taking Piglet's hand. Piglet grasped Pooh's hand and followed him out of the tree.
"What were you doing in there anyway, Piglet?" Sora asked as they made their way to the bush. "I got scared when everyone disappeared, so I hid." His response drew a small, "Aww, Piglet. You poor thing." from Ruby. Thankfully, they found him and everyone else and brought them all to the now crowded bush.
Now all of Pooh's friends were back together and all accounted for. "Alright everybody. Let's get out of these woods." Sora said, leading the way out of the trees with Ruby beside him. Both of which couldn't help letting out a mutual laugh at what nice, cozy, lazy, peaceful, silly day this had been. The farthest cry from anything they had experienced ever since they met.
By the time they got out of the woods, the sun had already vanished and night had fallen. "Whoa. Were we really here for that long?" Ruby asked as the stars began to light up and twinkle in the sky. The cavalcade of friends made their way over a small bridge and up onto the elevated ridge where they met Eeyore and propelled Pooh with a swing. There, the nine friends sat together, looking up at the night sky. "I'm so glad we're all together again." Piglet said with a happy chuckle. Though that ended up fading as he fearfully remembered their previous circumstances. "I didn't know what to do what to do when I was all alone..."
Like most of his friends, Tigger looked up at the starry sky but glanced to their littlest companion to address what he said and give some encouragement. "Aw, Piglet. You gotta be brave." Tigger had been as alone as the rest of them yet he showed no signs of fear. It certainly was a surprise to the timid Piglet as he asked, "You weren't lonely at all?" "Lonely? Are you kiddin'?" Tigger said as he hopped up in front of them all and spoke more proudly. "I'm a Tigger! The most wonderful thing about Tiggers is I'm the only one." Chipper and proud as he was of that fact, one look at all the others around him made Tigger smile even more fondly. "But I do admit, friends are awfully fun, too!"
"They sure are." Ruby said with a small giggle, feeling that fuzzy warmth spread through her as she looked at Pooh's friends and at Sora who smiled just as happily back at her. After everything that happened back in Traverse Town, seeing her smile like this was...Well he didn't think he'd be able to do it justice.
"Think, think. Think." Pooh's mumbling drew Sora and Ruby's attention. Both of them looked over at him, seeing him perform the same gesture in the same pose as when he and Ruby first met him. "Hey, Pooh. What are you thinking about now?" Sora asked curiously.
"Oh, well, I'm just thinking about what to think about."Sora wanted to laugh so much at the comment but kept it mostly contained with a soft huffing laugh, as Ruby did. Still, as much as they were enjoying the warm, cozy, peaceful world within this book, they knew they couldn't stay forever. Everyone else was waiting for them. So..."I think it's time." Ruby said to Sora, who nodded in agreement. They still had much to do, after all. "Yeah. We're off."
"Sora, Ruby. Where are you going?" Piglet said when seeing them start to leave. The pair turned to look at their new friends, with Sora saying, "I'm gonna go look for my friends. They're waiting for me." "And I'm helping him do that. Just like we helped you all find each other." Ruby chimed in, smiling as she and Sora looked at them all one final time.
"Bounce on back again. Ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo." Tigger said merrily, eager for the time they got to bounce around together again.
Piglet smiled to them just as merrily as he timidly called out "I hope you find your friends."
Together, Sora and Ruby leaped off the edge then walked down the path that would lead them home. Once everyone watched them from the edge, the two waved goodbye and their new friends did so as well.
As they waved to one another, smiles abound, Pooh lowered his arm and called out to the departing youths. "Sora, Ruby, don't forget...We shall always be here. If you'd like to visit again, that is." That fond farewell was the last thing Sora and Ruby heard from Pooh as they vanished in a veil of sparkling lights. Thus, Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, Tigger, Eeyore, Owl, and Roo were left by themselves, staring out to the horizon as a radiant shooting star trailed across the sky. A beautiful bookend to the reparation of Pooh's book and the forging of new bonds of friendship.
And thus, with their departure, the book would close once more, but now...the blank cover showed something more. A most heartwarming sight of Sora, Ruby, Pooh, and Piglet walking hand in hand, with Tigger bouncing beside them. With the book restored, the little keyhole upon the strap that secured it whenever it closed vanished in a stream of light. The Hundred Acre Wood was restored and protected, thanks to the boy and the girl and the bear who forged a simple but wonderful friendship in this peaceful land untouched by the influence of light or darkness.
Sad as they were to leave that wonderful world within this book, Sora and Ruby knew one thing. Wherever they go, and whatever happens to them along the way, within that book leading to that enchanted place atop the forest, a little bear will always be waiting.
