The Core Four

"Owww," Dawn whined as she hit the ground after falling from the top floor. Dawn landed with a loud thud, she sat up to look at her surroundings. The room she was in looked different from the floor she was previously on. 

The room had four open blue luminescent pods with bedding inside each of them. The first pod had a pillow and blanket designed with geometric shapes, the second was covered in bubbles of different sizes, the third was designed with multiple kinds of plants and the last one was covered in clouds. Dawn got up and began to walk around the room looking around, she saw a table with a chess board sitting on top of it. Upon closer expectation, Dawn could tell that the game wasn't finished. As she looked at the board she heard something move she quickly turned around trying to find the source of the noise. 

"Who's there?!" she asked scared. 

"We could ask you the same thing," a stern voice said. "let's not mix up our roles, which one of us fell through the ceiling?" 

"It wasn't me!" an enthusiastic voice said. 

"Shut up," the stern voice said. "anyway back to you, what do we owe the pleasure of the monarchy coming to see us?" 

"Um," Dawn said looking around trying to find the person speaking. "I came to talk with the Core Four?" she said confused. 

"Oh my god, people still call us that?" a soft voice said. "I always hated that name," 

"What's the point of hiding us if you guys are just going keep fricking talking," the stern voice asked. Several light blue see-through geometric shapes appeared in front of Dawn revealing a teenage girl with silver hair and round glasses. 

"W-wait I know you," Dawn said excitedly. 

"No surprise there," the girl sighed, her voice still sounding stern. 

"You're that pop star, Prism!" Dawn said getting closer to her, the girl flicked her finger at Dawn creating a blue see-through rhombus as tall as Dawn that pushed her back. 

"Yeah, don't stand too close," Prism said as she held her finger out. She then waved her hand revealing 3 other people behind her. A red-headed girl, a blue-haired girl with freckles, and a brown-haired boy. 

"I know all of you," Dawn said as her eyes lit up looking at familiar faces. "You're Phoneix; the famous athlete, you're Lana; the famous painter, and you're Silas; the famous Earth activist," Dawn said pointing at each of them as she recalled. 

"Way to blow our cover, Scarlett," the blue-haired girl; Lana said. 

"Sorry sorry, it was just so tense," Phoenix said in a cheery tone. "I just had to lighten the mood, you know," 

"Now's not the time for jokes," the brown-haired boy; Silas said. 

"Shut up, Scarlett," Prism said still keeping Dawn at bay. "Seeing as we all know each other it should be easier to get to the point so start talking," she said glaring at Dawn.

"Oh, uh" Dawn said stuttering. "Long story short, I want all of us to be on good terms, you know, friends maybe even?" Dawn said looking past the barrier. 

"No," Prism said flatly. 

"What? Why?" Dawn asked.

"We don't really trust you," Lana spoke up. 

"None of you guys? Didn't you hear my speech?" 

"You mean your empty words?" Prism asked. 

"My words aren't empty!" Dawn yelled.

"Oh really? Then tell us what have you done for Tormentors?" Silas asked.

"As royalty?" 

"Before or after, it truly doesn't matter when," Lana said. 

"Uh," Dawn thought but she couldn't come up with anything. 

"Just as I thought, not a damned thing," Prism said. "So what? Did you just want us to take your empty words at face value? The older generations love to hear shit first and wait for results but we don't take that crap," Prism said lowering her finger. "You can leave now,"

"What?" Dawn looked at Prism shocked. "I can't leave yet, I need your support," 

"We don't just blindly support anyone," Lana replied. "We each have our causes and we can't place our fate in the hands of some random person who rose to royalty for whatever reasons," she explained. 

"That would be reckless," Phoenix said scratching her head. 

"Very reckless and frankly stupid, what's to say you aren't just a gifted plant?" Prism questioned Dawn. 

"What?" 

"Prism has a point, it's not like you've been around for long," Lana said. "You came out of nowhere and immediately got close to Queen Alessia then six months later she...passes away and all of sudden you're the next princess? Pretty suspicious if you really think about it," she said hiding behind Silas.

"I guess you guys have a point," Dawn said defeated. "I can't just ask for the people's support and expect to get it, I-I guess I'll go then," Dawn said as she walked past the four to a door. 

"You'd just leave like that?!" Phoenix yelled shocked holding out her arms. 

"Scarlett," Prism called her. 

"You got up in front of all those people and now as soon as you have to do a job you walk away with your tail between your legs?!" Phenoix questioned her. "Some Princess you are, Queen Lyla my ass. She at least did whatever it took to help her people, if you really want to be like her then you should step up to the plate and do what you need to do. A few harsh words from those three and you're ready to quit? If that's the case then you shouldn't be Queen, let alone a Princess," 

"What do you want me to do?!" Dawn yelled.

"Prove to us that your words weren't empty and prove to us we can trust you," Pheonix said. Prism rolled her eyes, Lana looked annoyed and Silas just looked at Dawn. Dawn watched the four of them and turned back around to face them.

"How can I prove it to you Phoenix?" Dawn asked her looking into her red pupils. 

"Are you sure you want to choose me first?" Phoenix asked with a smirk. 

"You seem to be the only one willing to give me a shot right now, so yeah," Dawn said looking determined.

"Alright then, my request is simple," Phoenix said. "WIn against me at a game of dodgeball," 

"W-win?" Dawn asked. 

"It's not too late to back out if you don't wanna," Phoenix said in a teasing tone. 

"N-no, I need- I mean I want to," Dawn said correcting herself. 

"Great, let's get the field in order and we'll play," Phoenix said looking at Prism, who had her arms folded.