Years gone by (Part two)

Note: this a fan fiction based off of the Netflix series "Unicorn Academy". This is in no affiliation with the actual show and is entirely made up. If you dislike it, then why did you waste your time in the first place. Please enjoy, and if you don't, then I don't care. 

The Sapphires sit around the main room, watching Rory as he flits through the dorm, taking in everything for the first time he remembers.  

"Woah! Who's room is this? Wait, which one is mine? Oh cool!" 

Val and Is share a worried glance, only broken when Rory starts making for Val's room.  

"Hey! Stay out of there!" 

Val then stormed off after him as he declines to heed her warning. 

Layla and Sofia pour over every library book that they own on the Imagin to find a way to reverse its effects as Ava paces around the room with it in hand. Sofia glanced up at Ava, then looked back down to her book. 

"Be careful with that, Ava. We can't risk it getting any more damaged and destroying those memories forever." 

Ava's cheeks reddened and she set it back down on the table.  

"I'm sorry! I'm just so nervous. What if we can't fix it?" 

Is shifted her attention away from Val (who was dragging Rory away from her door by the ear). 

"I promise we'll fix this. And besides, if we don't, then I won't mind watching Rory annoy the stew out of Val all over again."  

Sophia sighed and tossed the book in her lap onto the table in front of her. 

"This is a waste of time. Let's just tell Ms. Primrose so she can fix the Imagin and Rory can get his memories back. The longer we spend on trying and failing to fix the Imagin is more time we can be spending looking for Skywind." 

Val glances back at Sophia from the hallway for a moment before continuing to drag Rory away from her door. 

He tugged free of her grip and rushed back to the main room with the others, cackling. 

"So. Let me get this straight. Magic is real and the past three or four years of my life have been erased due to a glowing ball?" He inquired as he picked up the Imagin from the table and tossed it from hand to hand. 

Layla bolted off of her seat and snatched the Imagin from him. 

"Careful, Rory! We can't risk this thing getting any more damaged." 

He put his hands up in surrender. 

"My bad, my bad. This just sounds a little... ridiculous. I mean, this place is cool and all, but that doesn't prove your point. How do know this isn't one of Gabby's pranks?" 

Is tried going up to put a hand on his shoulder, but he flinched and moved away, his teasing facade slightly flickering. She caught the gesture and moved a step back. 

"I know this sounds crazy, but this isn't a joke. I promise. I mean, you saw Storm, who is YOUR unicorn. What more proof do you need?" 

He rolled his eyes and scoffed. 

"Anyone can put a plastic cone and a string on a horse's head. And even if magic is real, which i'm not saying it is, why should I believe you? I mean, you were the ones who said that my memories were erased. How do i know that you didn't erase it on purpose? How do I know that you were actually my friends?" 

Ava flinched, and the others cast their eyes downward. Sophia was the first to speak up. 

"I don't have a ton of proof, but I promise we are. You were the one who saved the unicorns' magic when Grim magic infected the water supply." 

"You were the one who filled an entire classroom with jelly and somehow didn't get caught for it." Ava piped in. 

"Let's not forget that you were also the one who nearly scared us all half to death during our last stakeout with your dumb stories." Layla added. 

"And of course you were the one who almost got expelled because you kept taking your jokes too far." Is put in teasingly. 

"You're our friend. Whether you remember or not." Val finished quietly. 

Rory's guarded expression had flickered, but went quickly back up. 

"Okay. Say I believe you; answer me this. If this is all real, then where is Gabby? She got the same invitation I did to come here. So why isn't she?"  

The others looked to each other in concern. Layla took a tentative step forward. 

"We don't know. In all honesty, we had no clue you even had a sister. You never told us. We though you didn't have any siblings." 

He flicked his attention to her. 

"She's my only sibling, and she's supposed to be here." 

His tone was cutting, indicating that the conversation was over. Sophia didn't take the hint. 

"Well, I don't know why she isn't, but there isn't anyone named Gabby at this school. I've seen the full roll for all the grades, and I don't think I ever saw that name in the records." 

His eyes flashed in anger. 

"Then you're mistaken. If i'm actually here, then she is too." 

Sophia continued to press on. 

"I'm not sure i am. Are you sure she got the invite?" 

"Yes!", he exploded. "If I am here, then so is she! She would just not come! You're wrong!" 

With that, he stormed out of the room, anger written on his face, but a flash of fear in his eyes. Layla caught it before he slammed the door behind him. Is breathed a long sigh. 

"You know, Rory can be pretty intimidating when he wants to be." 

Ava plopped down on the couch. 

"I dont think i've ever seen him like this, even before we became friends. He was always this nice guy, even if he was a prankster." 

Layla spoke up. 

"I'd expect him not to act his normal self because of the stolen memories. Every experience over the last three years has made him into the person he's supposed to be today, and without going through any of that, then... he's a completely different person." 

Val gritted her teeth and turned to Sophia.  

"Why were you pressing him like that? He's probably completely lost and confused right now, and you're only making things worse. Now he's roaming the school grounds with no memories of the place and is probably gonna get himself in trouble. You knew you were only stressing him out, so why didn't you shut up?"  

Val's voice had risen to a yell. Sophia glared at her. 

"Why do I have to explain myself to you? 'Cause you're one talk about causing trouble." 

Val scoffed, still burning with irritation. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

Ava looked anxiously between the two, and Layla took a step back from them. Sophia's hand twitched in anger.  

"Sophia-" Is tried to interject, knowing where this is going, but Sophia ignored her warning. 

"Oh, so you just forgot the fact that Solaira is the reason Skywind and all of Unicorn Island are in danger, and that Serena nearly destroyed all of Unicorn magic? At this rate, how am i supposed to know that you aren't gonna betray us next? After all, it was you who used Grim magic to cheat a test, you who tried to stop me from rescuing my father, and you who gave Serena that Fairy Gemstones! How is anyone expected to trust you?" 

The room filled with silence following her words. Val took a step back, dumbfounded at the ease that Sophia shattered her trust. Ava closed her hands over her mouth, and Layla let out a soft gasp. Realization at her words dawn on Sophia's face, but she didn't make an effort to correct herself, simply stood there and shifted her weight uncomfortably. Is tentatively took a step towards Val and put her hand slowly on her shoulder, but Val jerked away from her touch. 

"I'm going to find Rory." Val said quietly, before walking slowly out of the dorm. Sophia began to move after her, but stopped herself with a sigh. Is began to speak, not looking at Sophia, no malice or anger in her voice, just cold indifference. 

"You'll apologize to Val the first chance you get. You know she struggles with that, and you had no right to use that against her just to win an argument. She trusted you with that. And she's right. Nothing would have been accomplished by getting in Rory's head." 

Is sharpened her gaze onto Sophia, before sighing and heading out the door after her. She paused in the entryway and angled her head back. 

"Layla, figure out how to fix the Imagin and restore Rory's memory. Ava, you're with me. Sophia..." 

Is turned to look at her, and smiled. 

"Don't worry. We'll get this sorted out. Together." 

She beckoned Ava over and the two of them headed out after Rory and Val. Layla hesitantly turned to Sophia. 

"I..." 

Sophia sighed. 

"I know, Layla. I shouldn't have snapped like that. Val was just looking out for him, and I shouldn't have let my personal heated emotions take over me like that. I don't blame Val for her family, and I do trust her. She just... aggravates me! Like everything that goes wrong is my fault! But... that isn't really... wrong? Technically, the only reason Grimoria is back is my fault, and when she blames me, I can't help but think that she's... right." 

Layla began talking quietly. 

"This isn't your fault. But its not hers either. The two of you need to stop blaming each other for the problems we can't help. Right now, the focus is helping Rory. I know how much you value Rory as a friend, but to Val, Rory is like a brother. Her whole life, she had to live up to the Furi name, and when that belief was shattered, it... makes things hard for her. But Rory is always there to annoy her and make her smile." 

Layla smiled softly to herself before continuing. 

"Without Rory having his memories, then he isn't that person to her. And she needs someone like that. We all do." 

Sophia smiled to Layla, sharing a quiet moment of understanding. Suddenly, Layla gasped. Sophia's expression turned to alarm. 

"Layla, what is it?" 

Layla began reaching for the books on the couch, picked up one and flipped immediately to a bookmarked page. 

"Of course! Shatter! In order to free his memories, we need to shatter the Imagin!"

Layla tossed the book aside and grabbed her coat. Sophia hurried after her.

"Wait! Are you certain? What if... he loses them forever?"

Layla paused to face her.

"I promise this will work. Trust me. Now all we have to do is just-"

Layla was cut off as she slammed her knee into the table in her haste to return to her task. The contents on the table shifted, and the Imagin began to roll off.

"Grab it!" She shouted to Sophia, who was making a mad dash for it, but she was a second too late. The Imagin hit the floor and cracked again, the soft blue magic inside coming alive. Layla grabbed Sophia's arm and pulled her away. Suddenly, a huge plume of magic roiled up from it, and transformed into a scene. A younger Rory and a girl sat at a table together, surrounded by other people. They sang the older children "Happy Birthday" and the two of them blew out their candles together. The scene shifted to a package arriving at the door, inviting the two of them to Nuncior Academy, and the two rejoicing. The scene shifted once more to the two running around outside.

"Slow down, Gabby! You're too fast!"

The girl cackled in delight.

"Then you better run faster!"

The pair ran around for a while before plopping down in the grass, completely out of breath.

"I can't believe it, Rory! We're finally thirteen!"

Rory gave a small laugh.

"Yeah!"

The girl, Gabby, cocked a grin and turned to face him.

"You wanna prank mom? I happen to know of a particular neighbor who just so happens to have some baby ducks that I bet Mom would love in her room."

Rory sat up in the grass to face her.

"I don't know. Doesn't pranking seem... wrong?"

She rises to her feet and scoffs.

"Please. You need to lighten up. Come on! It'll be worth it!"

She extends a hand down to him. He mulls over it for just a minute before smiling and reaching for her outstretched hand. The image freezes right before he reaches her. The laughter dies, and is replaces with a faint echo of what sounds to be a faint coughing, right before it fades into silence, and the magic returns to the Imagin. Sophia and Layla stand a few feet away, stunned. Sophia found her voice first.

"That was a piece of Rory's past. And that's his sister."

Layla tentatively reaches forward to gently pluck the Imagin off of the floor, now that the magic had settled.

"Sophia... why did he never reach her? I.. I've seen her photo in his room, but she's this age. Why doesn't he have one of her when she's older?"

She looks to Sophia for an explanation, but Sophia doesn't have one to give. Layla stares at the Imagin in her hands before giving a sad sigh.

"At least now we know hwy he doesn't like his birthday."

Sophia stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on. Let's go find him and the others..."

Rory sulks down the corridor, Val not far behind him. Is and Ava catch up to the two and go to their respective person. The faint sounds of Ava chatting endlessly to Rory fades as Val and Is stop walking. Val doesn't meet her eyes.

"Val. I'm sorry. You know Sophia didn't mean that."

Val glanced up at her before turning to walk in the opposite direction.

"Doesn't mean it's not true."

Is frowned deeper and hurried after her. Val ignored her and kept walking. Is grew irritated and got directly in front of her, not letting Val pass.

"Don't say that. Serena made a mistake, and we don't even know why Solaria did what she did. But I do know this."

She took a step forward a clasped Val's hands in hers.

"I trust you entirely. And that will never change."

Val smiled softly at Is. A moment of tense silence past between the two. Val took the slightest step closer, before pulling away at the sound of Sophia's and Layla's arrival. They approached with somber faces. Layla spoke first.

"Is Rory with you?"

Is frowned again and faced her.

"He's with Ava. Did you find a way to fix the Imagin?"

Layla cast her eyes downward.

"Yeah. In a way."

They headed off in the direction of Rory and Ava. Sophia paused.

"Val?"

She turned to her, wary but curious.

"Yes?"

Sophia hesitated.

"Nevermind."

"What are we doing in the middle of the woods?" Rory asked in utter confusion. The others all stood there, but at a slight distance. Layla stepped forward with the Imagin.

"Giving back your memories."

He inhaled softly, but allowed Layla to approach. She paused in front of him.

"I'm sorry."

And with that, she raised the Imagin over her head and shattered it on the ground in front of him. The soft blue magic burst forth and surrounded him. Images quickly flashed as the memories returned. Gabby going for a doctor's visit and not returning for three weeks. Rory getting bold and pranking everyone in town just to make her laugh. Rory bringing Gabby a box of baby ducks to prank the hospital nurse, a wicked grin on her face. Rory getting kicked out of his old school for pulling pranks. Gabby surprising him for Christmas. The images slowed to a final scene, with Rory walking with a small birthday cake and prank materials into Gabby's hospital room. "Happy Birth-"

The room was empty.

The remains of the Imagin flickered and died, and the blue mist faded. Rory stood with his eyes cast down to the broken pieces. Layla walked forward to stand in front of him.

"Do you..."

A single tear hit the glass shard next to his foot.

"Yeah."

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for part three! (note: please comment on whether you even want a part three, cause this took a hot minute and I don't want to waste my time if you ain't gonna read it)