I Told You So!
Summary: Sora has a hard time proving to Riku and Kairi that Santa is real. The funny thing is – he's not lying. But Riku and Kairi don't exactly believe him.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts! Although it is Christmas…I apologise in advance for any OOCness…this story has been rated T due to certain things said about Santa that might (or then again, might not) upset children in the K+ range.
This story is dedicated to everybody who has reviewed to 'Of Snowcastles and Angels', to everybody who has me on Author or Story Alert or has any of my stories on their favourites and to my friends!!
Merry Christmas to all of you! And have a very Happy New Year!
This story has been edited on the 26th March 2008 because my usual four-dash scene divider no longer works.
Riku always knew that he'd picked a bunch of rather strange people to hang around with. But he liked it that way. Really. Over the years he'd got used to how each of his friends worked. He knew what made them tick, what upset them, what they liked and disliked. Everything that friends knew.
It was because of that he was only slightly freaked out when, in the middle of a perfectly normal conversation about fishing, his best friend Sora burst into fits of laughter.
Riku sighed. "Are you going to stop long enough to tell me what's got you?" He asked. Sora gulped and looked at him, the corners of his mouth twitching. Riku raised an eyebrow and Sora lost it again, doubling over.
Riku groaned and stopped, waiting patiently.
Sora seemed to be choking on his laughter, and for a few minutes incoherently spluttered stuff. "Ha!…you……..exist! HA! I…..S-SEE…NHGA…!!"
"Are you going to get to the point or can I go home now?" Riku asked. Sora closed his eyes and calmed himself down. He grinned at Riku, opening his eyes.
"Santa's real!" He exclaimed. Riku blinked.
"What the-"
"He is!" Sora cut in. "I've seen him!"
"Sora, how old are you?" Riku asked. Sora scowled and didn't answer, so Riku did it for him. "You're fifteen years old Sora, almost sixteen. Aren't you a bit old to be caring about Santa's reality?"
Sora's eyes widened and he looked frantically around. "Shush! Or he'll hear you!"
Riku raised an eyebrow. "Yes…HE'LL HEAR ME SAY THAT HE'S NOT REAL!"
Sora uncharacteristically kicked him in the shins and put a hand over his mouth. "HE DOESN'T MEAN IT!"
"He doesn't mean what?"
Sora grinned. "Heya Kairi!" He exclaimed, waving with the hand he'd wrapped around Riku's neck. Riku glared. The girl slowly approached the two boys, a confused look on her face.
"Sora…why are you smothering Riku?" She asked tentatively. Sora laughed sheepishly and released Riku. The older boy spluttered.
"Sora says Santa's real," Riku explained. Kairi took on a sympathetic look.
"Now Sora…haven't we all been through this before?" She asked, patting the Keybearer gently on the shoulder.
Sora glowered. "I've SEEN him!!"
Kairi and Riku shared glances. Kairi nodded slowly. "I'm sure you have Sora…"
Sora glared at her. "You don't believe me. Do you?"
Kairi bit her lip. "Well-"
"Nope," Riku replied offhandedly. "I think that because it's your first Christmas back on the island's your mind has reset to its childish state,"
Kairi shot him a confused look whilst Sora groaned. "I've seen him!! When we were separated!"
"Convenient…" Riku muttered. Sora stepped on his foot.
"He was in Halloween Town!"
"What was Santa doing in Halloween Town?" Riku asked, rubbing his now-sore foot. "Has he decided to give everyone presents on Halloween now?"
Sora waved him off. "Noooo the world of Halloween Town," He stopped. "They should call it Halloween World or something else instead…anyway, he was actually in Christmas Town instead…"
"You're confusing me…" Kairi said. Sora groaned.
"The point is I've seen him!! Red suit, big white beard, has a toy workshop and everything. That Santa!"
"As opposed to the black dress, blue bearded, cardboard box living other Santa we've all heard of," Riku mumbled. Sora swung his school bag at him. He ducked forward and glared at the younger boy. "Stop that!"
"I'll stop it when you start believing me!" Sora cried. He rounded on Kairi. "You believe me!? Right?!" He begged, his sky blue eyes wide and pleading. Kairi nodded slowly, although her eyes were doubtful. Sora didn't notice and stuck his tongue out at Riku.
"At least Kairi believes me! As long as some people believe in Santa, he'll never go away!" He exclaimed. He then skipped off down the road, leaving Kairi and Riku to stare at him.
"…What has his mother been feeding him?" Kairi asked, her eyes never leaving Sora. Riku rubbed his neck.
"Santa's a pixie now?…"
"Sora…what are you doing?" Kairi asked her friend the next morning. Sora was seated on the dock and was fervently writing something down on a crumpled piece of paper with a pencil. He looked up at her.
"Oh hi Kairi!" He grinned. "I'm writing to Santa!"
Kairi glanced up at the sky and counted slowly to 10 in her mind before replying.
"Um…why?" She asked.
"So that he can come and show Riku that he exists," Sora replied innocently.
Kairi sat down next to him. "How are you going to send that to Santa?" She asked. "Doesn't he live on a different world?"
Sora deflated. "Oh…yeah…" He replied sadly. Kairi cringed, immediately feeling guilty for making her friend sad. She patted his shoulder.
"You could always see if you can get Donald and Goofy to send it to Santa for you," She suggested. When Sora's previous travelling companions and friends had left the Destiny Islands for Disney Castle they'd left Sora with a device that he could use to contact them. Sora shook his head.
"Christmas is in two days," He said. "By the time Donald and Goofy get here it'll be Christmas…"
"Santa doesn't need to come on Christmas," Kairi said. "He can come any other time too,"
Sora shrugged. "He must sleep for ages after travelling around the worlds all night delivering presents…I would,"
Kairi looked thoughtful. "But doesn't he need to make millions of presents for millions of people?" She questioned. "So he can't really afford to take a day off,"
"So he can't really come after Christmas…or before Christmas…"
"Or on Christmas,"
Silence.
"Why are we discussing this again?"
"When have I ever lied to you?" Sora questioned Riku as they sat in the older boy's bedroom. Both were wrapping their presents to their friends. Riku paused, his hands on some festive wrapping paper.
"Well…there was that time when you swore to me that you hadn't eaten the last cookie…" Riku replied. "But in fact you had…"
Sora raised an eyebrow. "No!! I mean, when have I ever lied to you about something serious?"
"Like Santa's existence?"
Sora narrowed his eyes. "You don't have to be so sarcastic about it," Sora muttered.
Riku rolled his eyes. "Dude, he's not real,"
"Dude I've SEEN him!!"
Riku rolled his eyes at him. "Sure you have,"
"He's REAL!!"
Riku sat back on his hands. "Hey Ki!" He called. His older brother Kiyoshi stopped in the doorway and raised an eyebrow.
"What twerp?"
"Is Santa real?" Riku asked. Kiyoshi snorted.
"No,"
"Thanks, you can go now,"
Kiyoshi shrugged and disappeared from view. Riku looked at Sora.
"See?"
Sora sighed. "That doesn't prove anything," Sora replied. "Your brother's full of lies,"
"My brother doesn't lie,"
"Oh really? Remember when he told you that if you brought sand into the house the sandman would come and kidnap you in your sleep?"
"No…"
"Or the time when he told you that the tooth fairy was really an elf out to steal your shoes?"
"Nah…"
"Or the time that-"
Riku threw a roll of cellotape at him before groaning and falling forward into a pile of wrapping paper, bows and stickers.
Sora sniggered, then his eyes went wide. "Oh! Jiminy's Journal!!" He exclaimed. Riku lifted his head, a decorative bow stuck unnoticed in his hair. "Jiminy recorded everything from our travels into his journal!"
"It's too bad Jiminy isn't with us," Riku muttered. Sora threw the roll of cellotape back to him.
"He gave me a copy when we came home," Sora stood up and brushed stray paper off him. "It has a whole chapter dedicated to Halloween Town!" He grinned and stepped over a pile of presents to the door. He then chuckled and turned to Riku.
"Nice bow by the way," He sniggered before leaving the room. Riku blinked and ran his hands through his hair. He picked out the bow and growled.
"That doesn't prove anything," Riku stated. Sora let out a wail of annoyance and threw the journal at him.
"Read it!" He yelled. "It says, MULTIPLE TIMES, that SANTA IS REAL!" He snatched the journal back, flipped through the pages and shoved it in Riku's face. "PICTURES!"
"It still doesn't prove anything!" Riku replied. Kairi groaned and, with surprising strength, pulled Riku onto the sofa beside her.
"Just say that you believe him Riku!" She hissed into the silver-haired boy's ear. "Please!!" Riku's eye twitched.
"No!!" He declared. Kairi groaned and pushed him off the sofa. Sora glared at them both and clutched his journal protectively.
"What do I need to do to make you believe me?!" Sora cried dejectedly. Riku shrugged.
"Nothing you can do will make me believe,"
"I HAVE PICTURES!" Sora yelled. "WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT!?"
Kairi put her face in her hands. "Oh dear Merlin…"
"SANTA'S NOT REAL!"
"I HAVE FREAKIN' PHOTOS! LOOK!"
"NEVER!"
"IF I HAVE TO SHOVE THIS JOURNAL DOWN YOUR THROAT TO MAKE YOU LOOK AT THESE PICTURES THEN I WILL!"
"IF YOU SHOVE IT DOWN MY THROAT THEN I CAN'T SEE THE PHOTOS 'COS THEY'RE IN THE JOURNAL! OH! AND I'LL PROBABLY DIE!!"
"GUYS!" Kairi screamed, standing up. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!" She yelled. "You're acting like a bunch of children!"
Sora and Riku had the decency to look ashamed.
"Now, it's Christmas Eve," Kairi breathed. "We don't want to be falling out tonight," She sat back down. "Especially over something so stupid as this,"
Riku stood up. "Yeah whatever. I'm leaving," He stomped over to the front door before stopping. He turned to face Sora and Kairi. "Wait, this is my house. You leave,"
"Joy to the world! The teacher's dead! We barbecued her hhheeeaaaddd!!"
"Skye! If you must sing that song sing it with the right words!"
Sora chuckled and rolled over in his bed. His eyes snapped open.
"IT'S CHRISTMAS!!" He yelled, falling out of bed. Sora blinked and pulled himself to his feet, sparing a quick glance out of the window at the snowless outdoors, before rushing out of his bedroom and down the stairs. His younger sister, Skye, was rushing around excitedly. She noticed him, squealed and dragged him over to the sofa.
"PRESENTS!" She cried, diving at the Christmas tree.
About 3 hours later the Evani family had finished opening their presents and were about to tuck into their Christmas dinner when the telephone rang. Sora elected himself to answer it and greeted whomever was on the other end with a cheery 'Merry Christmas'.
"Heya mate," Riku replied. "Merry Christmas to you too,"
Sora grinned. "Has Santa been?" He asked. On the other end of the phone Riku seemed to struggle.
"…I'm not sure…"
Sora chuckled. "I'll be over later,"
"Thanks…"
Sora, with a stomach full of Christmas dinnery goodness, strolled down to the beach and up the lane that led to Riku's road. He was outside the silver-haired boy's house when he bumped into Kairi. She smiled.
"Merry Christmas!" She cried, hugging him tightly. "Riku called you too?" She asked. Sora nodded and opened the gate for her.
"Yeah, he thinks Santa's been,"
Kairi bit her lip sceptically and delicately rang the doorbell. Voices could be heard on the other side of the door and after a moment or so Riku appeared. He looked nervous.
"Heya guys…"
"Soooo…what did Santa get you?" Sora asked excitedly. Kairi raised an eyebrow to Riku. The older boy ushered them inside.
"I think it was Santa…as my parents deny getting one…"
"Getting one what?"
"WOOF!"
Silence in the hallway as the sounds of scampering feet could be heard within the house. Then…
"He got you a dog?!" Kairi squealed excitedly. Sora blinked.
"A dog?"
Riku laughed nervously. "Yep, he got me a dog," He led the bewildered duo into his living room where his youngest sibling was hugging a tiny Dalmatian puppy enthusiastically. Kairi squealed happily and joined the little girl in admiring the puppy. Sora smiled and looked at Riku.
"Now do you believe me?" He asked smugly. Riku breathed deeply.
"You did this, didn't you?"
Sora raised an eyebrow. "Riku, do I look like I have the munny for a puppy?"
"You did earn a lot of munny when you were out saving worlds…"
"Like I'd be nice enough to buy you a puppy for Christmas,"
Kairi appeared, grabbed Sora's hand and dragged him away before Riku could reply. Riku sighed and sat down on the sofa.
"I can't believe he was telling the truth…" He muttered, picking up a card that had been placed on the side table. "I don't know why I'm so surprised actually," He smirked, discarded the card and went to join his friends and sister in playing with the puppy.
- Riku
With a little acceptance comes your heart's greatest desire.
- St. Nicholas
This turned out to be another rush job…:P I started in early November and finished it on Christmas Eve…but I like it. )
If anybody's interested, the puppy Riku received came from Pongo and Perdita's second litter. It's their way of thanking one of the boys who saved the worlds…Santa was just acting as a delivery service! And again, if anybody's interested; In my Kingdom Hearts world Sora has an older brother (who's away at college, that's why he hasn't made an appearance) and a younger sister, whilst Riku has an older brother, two younger brothers and a younger sister...I get bored sometimes so I just make up random relatives...
I think this has been my first story all year…I'm sorry if any of you have been waiting with baited breath for a new story…if you have then I'm sorry…I've been bogged down with coursework and mock exams for the past year or so!!
I'm sorry for any typos, yet again both my betas are off and away somewhere…I guess it can't be helped!!
Anywho! Again I hope that you have a Merry Christmas!! I'll hopefully be having a Merry Christmas too!! Albeit snowless…:P