Chapter 6: Naming Stitch Stitch.

Chapter 6: Naming Stitch Stitch.

~Spike and the girls all head-on in the forest again, the critter was trying to keep up with them, but then felt a weird pain in his stomach. He alerts Fluttershy, who then informs the girls to stop for a while.~

"What's wrong, little one?"

"Me think, me have to go."

"Now?" Lightning asked, rather annoyed.

It nods roughly.

Lighting sighed. "Alright...be quick."

~With Lightning's reluctant approval, the critter scurries off behind a rock to do his business. He also made sure and girls look away when he does, with some help from Spike, tugging on everyone's shoes in the other direction. Lightning crosses her arms and taps her foot constantly on the ground. She was getting antsy and wanted to find Karly soon. Suddenly a mysterious voice was heard from in the forest and it made everyone gasp.~

"Hello."

"What the…? Hello?" Lightning tilted her head to the left and right.

Applejack also turned around. "Who's there?"

~The voice sounded deep and creepy-like. Lightning started glaring through the trees to try to find out where the voice came from and whose it was because it sounded very close. But no one was there. Lightning and Applejack were about to turn around when a pair of yellow, derpy eyes opened up from inside the trees. A tall person then stepped out into the open for the girls to see. He had his arms stretched out so his body was in the shape of a religious cross. Over 10 birds were also perched on his open arms and more creatures were hooked onto his legs. Both Lightning and Applejack stared in fear and confusion as this forest man approached them. The rest of the Rainbooms also turned to see this man walked crookedly to them.~

"We've been watching you. We thought you were going to die. But then you didn't. That creature protected you."

"Yeeeaaahhh…" Lightning responded unsurely.

"Why?" He asked without showing any emotion.

"He was...sympathetic towards us…" Twilight answered. "We're looking for a friend." She then said.

"Yes, have you seen a girl with blue eyes?" Rarity asked.

Lightning stepped in. "One of them is cyan, the other is sky blue." The Rainbooms look at her weirdly. "Karly has heterochromia iridium." She explained to them.

"She is also wearing a dark pink shirt…" Sunset added.

One of his birds chirps in his ear. "Good idea. We want him." He then said, ignoring their questions.

"What? Why?" Lightning inquired.

"Cause it's terrifying out here! He can protect me. Like my friends."

~The man slowly turns and points to a gecko hanging on his right hand.~

"This is Fury. He protects me from the creatures that crawl in the night."

~He then turns down to a fox below his feet.~

"This is Destroyer. She protects me from mosquitos." He points to a beaver. "This is Toother. He protects me from having nightmares." He points to a bird. "And this is Debby…" Debby chirps. "Yes...We need him. What is his name?"

Lightning was a little confused. "A name? He hasn't got a name. I still haven't thought of a name yet."

Twilight goes over to Sunset and whispers. "What is he? Some sort of pet collector?"

"Maybe." She replied.

The pet collector blinked slowly. "I will meditate on this. Hmmm...I name him I keep him. Hmmm...Killer!"

~Everyone turns to the blue dog to see if he responded. He didn't. The strange man continues to meditate.~

"Hmmm...Beast! Hmmm...Murderer!" The collector continued humming.

Twilight went over to Lightning. "Lightning, quick! Think of a name or we'll lose him!"

"Ok, ok! Um...Let me think of a name. I always liked names that started with 'S', so...uh...Spot!" Lightning and the collector kept yelling out random names.

"Funeralplanner!"

"Slinky!"

"Hmmm...Hammerarm!"

"Squirt!"

"...Freak!"

"Stinky!"

"Maniac!"

"Santa!"

"Violet…"

"Spike!"

Spike turned to Lightning. "Really?"

"Digger!"

"STITCH!"

"Wh-What...?"

~The critter responded! Confused though. He bounces over to Lightning when she called. Fluttershy also smiles at the name. Twilight too.~

"Stitch. Stitch! Come here, Stitch!" Lightning slapped her thighs as he reached her.

"He is named. You clearly are connected. Good for you. On your path to find your friend, that creature will keep you safe." The collector said.

Rainbow suddenly frowned. "Are you saying we can't keep ourselves safe?"

He ignored her. "Don't ever lose him." He weirdly smiled but then Debby chirps and srtas to attack. "No. No! Debby! Y-You can't have him, Debby! No! No! Debby!"

"The bird has gone nuts! Run for it!" Rainbow yelled.

~Lightning swarms and runs away in a random direction while the rest follow her. The pet collector also chases them, but only to obtain his bird again.~

"Debby! Stop! You're better than this! No! Come back! Debby!"

~The collector runs past a big rock to get his bird and the girls peek out from behind it, escaping the guy and his pets.~

"That was close." Spike sighed in relief.

"Yeah, haha…" Lightning laughed.

"Good thinking of hiding behind this rock so we'd lose that bird, Lightning." Twilight smiled.

"Again, it was quick thinking. You're welcome." Lightning said modestly.

"Stitch…" The dog looked at the ground and began to think.

Lightning looks down to face him. "Yeah, what do you think?"

"Yeah. Me like it. My name Stitch now." Stitch said proudly.

"Close call, Lightning." Twilight said.

"Well, we're fine now." Lightning reassured everyone that was around her.

"Wait, Stitch? What kind of name is that…?" Rainbow then asked, also thinking about the name.

"Well, I panicked. And besides, Stitch was the name of my favourite Disney Character, so naming him after that character is pretty cool." Lightning shrugged.

"I like it." Fluttershy smiled.

"Well, that's your choice." Rainbow shrugged, thinking nothing of it.

"It suits him! Come on, Dashie! Admit it!" Pinkie smiled, nudging her.

"I guess it does." She sighed.

"Yay!"

"Alright, y'all, it's great that we finally got a name, but we are still lost and in search of Karly Crystal here." Applejack said, getting everyone back on track.

"Yes, and that guy didn't give us much help in finding her." Sunset said gloomly.

"Might as well continue on looking." Twilight shrugged.

Lightning nodded. "Right. Come on, Stitch."

~Stitch gazed up at Lightning and smiled when she called him that name. He happily jumped to her side and at first Lightning looked shocked, but tried to give Stitch a small smile, it ended up crooked but it worked.~

~Sometime later, the girls and two pups climbed over a large hill, passed a gophers burrow, and under more moderately sized trees. Soon enough the night rolled in, everyone was tired and it was too dark to continue walking.~

"We should rest up." Applejack panted.

"But where?" Fluttershy asked.

"Hm...hey, how about that cave?"

~Lightning picked up an old stick and aimed it at a built-in open cave.~

"All it needs is a few comfortable twigs, leaves and...other stuff." Lightning stated, waving the stick around in the air.

"...You know what? It's perfect." Twilight smiled.

Lightning also smiled before Rarity stepped in.

"Can I at least be the one to search for the items we need and perhaps use some for blankets and pillows? Because I am not just sleeping in a cramped cold cave!" She then asked, feeling uncomfortable.

"Go for it! Take Applejack too, you know, for carrying it if it's going to be a lot…" Lightning suggested.

"Good idea, Lightning, darling! Come along, Applejack!"

Applejack nodded. "Alright…"

~Rarity and Applejack both walk off in the forest, collecting clean sticks and leaves along the way, leaving the rest to clean the cave.~

"Ooo! You know its really good when Rarity calls you 'Darling'!" Pinkie cheered.

"It means she's trusting you." Sunset smiled.

Lightning was a little impressed and surprised. "Really? Wow, this adventure is really helping us trust each other."

"Well, it still may be a while for all of us to trust you." Twilight clarified.

"I already trust you, Lightning!" She rapidly slid over to Lightning's side. "Helping us defeat the Dazzlings when they teamed up with your evil enemy got you in my Trust book! And that's not even a metaphor!" She then shows Lightning a book that read 'Trust book' and showed her name written in it.

"Heh. Thanks, Pinkie." Lightning thanked.

"That's true. If it weren't for you and Karly, I don't know what would have happened. You really are a good person."

Lightning smiles and blushes at the compliment.

~It seems as Twilight was now trusting Lightning, and she was happy about it, but Lightning did know she still had three more of the Rainbooms left to get on her good side. Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie, and Twilight were what she had so far. Hours passed by and everyone was trying to rest on the uncomfortable leaf beds, but it just wasn't working well. So, they decided to make some small talk with each other until they eventually dozed off.~

"Hey, y'all. Look at the fireflies." Applejack pointed up and the fireflies that lit up the sky.

"They're beautiful." Fluttershy said, admiring them.

"Truly outstanding." Rarity said as she gazed up.

"Hm...I remember my dad showing me fireflies…" Lightning softly smiled.

"Dad?" Applejack questioned.

"I-It was a long time ago. I didn't say anything!" Lightning quickly stuttered, looking away.

Everyone looked at each other in shock.

"Lightning...are you ok?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yes, Fine! I just miss Karly and family and friends back home."

"Hm?" Stitch tilts his head.

"You know, Stitch. Family. A mother and father. Maybe brother and sister."

He still remained silent.

"You don't understand…?" Lightning asked in small shock.

"Goodness…" Rarity also says in small shock.

~Stitch stares into the night sky for a second before scurrying off. He comes back with a claw full of sticks and he places each of them upright on the gravel. One of the sticks was large. Two of them were medium-sized and the last two were small.~

"What?" Lightning softly stated.

"Family. You said, Family." Stitch whimpered.

"Yeah. That's it." Lightning said, sounding a little proud.

"Hm. Ih. That's my...dad. My uncle. My two sisters and...me." Stitch explained. His paws suddenly got droopy.

"Your owners…" Lightning pointed out.

"How is it that you are by yourself then?" Sunset asked.

Fluttershy gasped. "Did you get separated from them?"

"No…"

~Stitch then knocked over all the sticks resembling his family and buried them in the gravel, only leaving one of the small sticks standing.~

"Oh…" Lightning softly groaned, realising what happened.

He sighed and sniffed. "Me miss them."

~Everyone looked at each other in sympathy and started to feel quite sad about it. But then they saw Lightning getting more emotional than they were, almost starting to cry.~

Twilight reached out for her. "Lightning?"

"Yeah?"

"You sure ya okay?" Applejack asked with a sad face.

"Yeah…" She sniffed.

Rarity wasn't convinced. "Is your family-"

"We are not talking about my family!" Lightning suddenly interrupted with an angry voice.

"...Lightning...you don't have a family, do you?" Twilight asked sadly and calmly.

"No-Of course I have a family, my life is not that depressing!" Lightning got angrier and angrier by the second.

"Then why don't you talk about them?" Rainbow asked.

"Why do you want to know that badly?" Lightning glared.

"Because we need to trust each other." Twilight answered, feeling emotional.

Lightning's face changed but she glared again after a second. "...I don't talk about them. End of discussion." She firmly confirmed.

~Lightning turns away and tries to fall asleep without any success. The Rainbooms do look in grief but ignore Lightning now since they didn't want to make her more upset than she was already. So, they also attempted to get some sleep. Spike snuggled between Twilight and Fluttershy and Stitch went to sleep beside Lightning, she did allow him to sleep under her arm, but temporarily though, because she turned to the other side back and forth until she was comfortable enough, but Stitch didn't mind, he was just happy to be with her, trusting her.~