Tired and with a dreamy look on her face, Kairi stared into the night sky.
It was past midnight, but she found no peace in the bed of Master Yen Sid's guest room. Too many things went through her mind that caused her worry and grief. They would soon meet Master Xehanort. She sensed that. The others probably didn´t suspect anything, but she didn´t want to worry them. Not yet, that is. She admired Riku and Sora for being able to fall asleep so quickly and peacefully, despite the upcoming final battle. Maybe she just overreacted and shouldn´t paint everything in black immediately.
A strained sigh escaped her throat and she sat down in the soft grass. She bend her legs, gripping them with her arms around and support´s her chin on her knees.
What did she really fear? What was she really afraid of?
Of many things ...
Inwardly, she counted her fears and noticed, that they are very harmless fears, like spiders and the darkness.
But her biggest worry and fear was, that one day, she would be left all alone or even lose her dear friends.
She shook her head. She shouldn´t think of something like that. Why did she see everything so pessimistic at the moment?
She sighed again, making a long face.
"Can´t sleep, Kairi?", startled, she turned around to the voice.
"Sora?! Oh, um. No, ", she confessed and he sat down next to her.
"You don´t seem to either.", she stated and he nodded, head-scratching.
"Donald is snoring so loud, he could completely cut down Destiny Island." He joked and she let out a giggle. Her eyes had once again stared to the starry sky.
"And you? Why couldn´t you fall asleep? ", he wanted to know curiously and Kairi pulled the corners of her mouth to the side.
"I ... so many thoughts are going through my head lately."
"Which ones?", she looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Some, I guess? ... But it's not that important. ", she waved off, not to elaborate on the topic. She hoped, that he didn´t push it any further. Out of the corner of her eye, she looked over at him as he puckered his face thoughtfully and he apparently made no move to urge her furthermore.
His expression brightened suddenly as he jumped up, outstretching his hand to her and warbled happily:
"Are you coming with me, Kairi?", Irritated, she looked up at him.
"Huh? Where to? "She asked confused, accepting his hand anyway.
"You´ll see. Come on. ", He pulled her onto the spaceship, where Donald, Goofy and Sora always traveled together.
As she took a seat on one of the large chairs, she looked uncertainly at Sora.
"Do you really think that's okay? What about Donald and Goofy? " Sora waved his hand weakly.
"They won´t even realize that. Are you ready? ", She nodded hesitantly, as Sora started the ship, rose into the air and rushed through a portal.
During the short flight, the two exchanged no words with each other. But that was fine for her. She didn´t want to disturb him while driving, so she enjoyed the view she got.
In the next moment, they were in a forest, as Kairi could tell, as Sora slowly and safely brought them to the ground.
"We arrived! And it's late afternoon here! ", He rejoiced and jumped up from his seat.
Before Kairi could find out where exactly they had landed, he took her hand in his again and practically dragged her out of the ship.
After a ten-minute walk through the woods, they came through a gate and in front of them, a whole kingdom stretched ahead.
"Wow ...", she breathed in astonishment and Sora grinned over both ears.
"Corona is wonderful, isn´t it?"
"Corona?" Kairi prompted and Sora nodded affirmatively.
"Yeah. It´s the home of Princess Rapunzel and Prince Eugene. The two are really super nice people. You should get to know them! ", Euphorically, he told her about his first visit here in Corona. How he met Rapunzel and Eugene and how he helped them to their happiness - more or less.
As they moved through the streets of Corona, many scents hit her. But one thing was very distinctive and it smelled like.-
"Waffles !", Sora literally mouth-watered and Kairi chuckled, as some saliva dripped from his left corner of his mouth.
"Come! Let´s get some waffles! ", Sora hurried to the waffle stand at the corner of the intersection, which released a large marketplace.
Overwhelmed by the size and beauty of the place, her mouth hung open and her eyes sparkled with excitement. She had never seen anything like that before.
"Here!", Sora handed her a curled waffle filled with hot raspberries. Although, she didn´t really have an appetite herself, she couldn´t possibly refuse the offer.
"Thank you, Sora.", She gratefully accepted it and bit into the soft dough with relish. She grimaced for a moment.
"Ho-hot!", She hissed and Sora laughed.
"Sorry. I should´ve warned you. ", He looked apologetically at her.
"Nhm. Don´t mind it. I was overzealous, "she said instead, smiling at her haste. He smiled back, the smile that always made her heart beat a little higher, and embarrassed, she bit off a small piece of her dessert.
Together they sat down at the edge of the stone font. Behind them, the font spat small fountains up, but that did´t bother them much. Sora, who was the first to finish the waffle, rubbed his hands and stood up jerkily. Curiously, she looked at him while she was still eating. He looked around, like he was searching for something. She swallowed down her chewed food.
"Everything alright, Sora?", She wanted to know and looked around herself. Almost caught, he turned to her and grinned.
"Could you wait here for a moment? I just have to clarify something. I'll be back with you immediately. So please wait for me. "Before she could reply, he sprinted off and disappeared into the next corner of the street.
She sighed. Of course she would wait for him here. But what was he doing? Sometimes, she didn´t get smart out of Sora.
"Achem ...", a petite voice cleared her throat and her eyes fell on three little girls, who looked at her with glittering eyes.
"Oh, um. Hello. Can I help you somehow? ", Kairi spoke to the children in a friendly way while they nodded eagerly up and down with their heads.
"May we brush, braid and decorate your hair?" The youngest child asked and each of the three girls held up a suitable object with which they made their plans clear to her. Perplexed, Kairi blinked at them.
"Um, of course. But my hair is pretty short, so ... "
"It doesn´t matter! It looks so beautiful and soft! "Said again the youngest of the three, who held the brush in her hand and knelt on the stone edge of the fountain. The other two girls agreed with her and joined her.
After it felt like an eternity, the girls were done with their creation and Kairi risked a look at the church clock. Sora had been MIA for half an hour now.
"So cute!"
"No, pretty!"
"Neh-uh! She´s beautiful! ", The girls argued about Kairi's appearance as she gently scanned her hair with her hands.
She turned to the fountains and looked into the water of her reflection.
In each side, the children had braided two strands on their right and left and fastened them with clasps at the back. In the interweaving, they have decorated pure orchids and on the left side near her ear stuck a white lily. She had to admit, that the kids knew what they were doing.
"Thank you very much. That looks really enchanting. Thank you. ", She thanked the children, who were just giggling embarrassed and whispered among themselves.
Kairi didn´t understand why they behaved like that, but she was happy. With an amusing smile she looked again into the reflection.
She opened and closed her eyelids two or three times, when she suddenly saw Sora's face next to hers. She smiled gently and touched with her finger the image of Sora, which blurred, then returned back to the original form.
Surprised that the - for her - hallucination was still present, Kairi tilted her head to the side and blinked again a few times.
"You look breathtaking.", Kairi spun around when she heard Sora's voice from the right side and he almost blinded her with his radiant smile.
"So-Sora! How long have you been here? Where have you been? "
"Ah ..." Sora started, scratching his head.
"That's a secret," he blinked with one eye, holding his index finger in front of his mouth.
"That's unfair, Sora. I'd like to know. ", She protested, as she got up and walked towards him with both hands on her hips.
Defending, Sora raised his hands and waved. And as if Kingdom Hearts were on his side, music sounded a few feet away from them. Some village people stepped into the middle of the square and danced with each other exultantly. Among them were many couples, as Kairi discovered. Sora, who now took advantage of the distraction, took her by the hand and led her also to the center.
"Wait, stop Sora. What are you planning to do? ", She asked a little in panic, as they stood in the middle between the whirling couples. It made her nervous and exciting at the same time. Doesn´t it affect him one bit?
She let her gaze wander over to him and he seemed to quarrel with himself for a moment, before he enchanted her again with his charming smile. A slight shade of red appeared on her cheeks and she felt the blood rushing to her head.
"Would you like to dance with me?", He held out his hand again and from the inside Kairi burst with joy.
"I ... I'm not a good dancer or anything. I'll most likely step on your feet, which is why I'll apologize for that right now, but ... ", he shyly rubbed his neck and his gaze had turned away from her.
"... I wanted to dance with you like for a while." With these words, he stared into her eyes intensely and she was afraid, that her face now resembled one of the color of a red nocturne. She then lovingly smiled at him and carefully grabbed his outstretched hand.
"With pleasure, Sora.", Sora's face shone joyfully, as if he just found Christmas presents under the Christmas tree.
He briefly watched the other dancers, before clasping their hands together tightly and spinning her around in a circle with him.
Both of them had a big grin on their faces, as they moved in a circle more awkwardly then to go with the rhythm of the music.
Startled, that their hands were torn apart and were now in smaller hands, they stopped. With dachshund looks, the children looked at the two of them, in hopes to dance together with them. Sora and Kairi exchanged glances for a moment before taking the little ones' hands and closing the circle.
Laughter, happy music and clapping filled the square and the streets of Corona.
The circle grew larger and larger as people joined and the crowd drifted the two apart like the sea and sky.
The large circle broke almost as if on command, and the people each grabbed a partner who was near or available to them.
As Kairi danced with a Baker's boy, she tried to find Sora in the crowd with her eyes and it didn´t took long for her to spot him. He just beamed with pleasure and fun. Unconsciously, her heart beat wildly in her chest and she herself began to smile from one ear to the other.
At that moment, she had forgotten all her worries and sorrows that were haunting her at the back of her head.
Instead, she linked her arm with other villagers to the beat of the music.
She laughed happily and before she could link her arm with Sora, who was within reach, her hand was taken by a maid and they danced away from him, galloping in the opposite direction. Almost apologetically, he watched her as she lifted her shoulders weakly and smiled.
The rhythm got faster and faster and the dance wilder, until the music stopped and Kairi was swung in Sora's arms with the last twist. Both of them stared at each other out of breath, while around them people began to applaud loudly, whistling and laughing.
She blushed briefly under his gaze, then giggled and took a step back.
"Well, so much for dancing with you.", Sora mumbled slightly disappointed and folded his arms behind his head.
"Hey. At least you didn´t step on my feet. ", she tried to cheer him up, which she succeeded, as his broad grin beamed against her.
Sora then looked up at the sky, which slowly but surely darkened. She also looked after him.
The evening started.
"Kairi? I have to show you something else. " He gripped her hand firmly and she stared at him with excitement.
"Oh? What else is there to see that is more exciting? ", He pulled her with a big smile behind him.
"You should see that with your own eyes.", He replied mysteriously and together they dived towards the pier.
Kairi looked around curiously. The sun had disappeared behind the mountains of the kingdom of Corona a few minutes ago. Only the pale lights on the pier and houses gave them brightness. She herself sat in a boat with Sora. Sora paddled ambitiously and purposefully to the other side of the river. He still hasn´t told her what he really wants to show her. She was upset and folded her hands impatiently. They came to an abrupt stop as the muzzle of the boat struck land.
"We are there. Hurry up, ", he urged her and climbed out of the boat. She didn´t need to get asked twice and ran after him, until she came to a stop behind him.
"Wait here.", She looked at him suspiciously.
"You won´t let me sit here alone for another hour, will you?" Confused by her statement, he frowned.
"No! Of course not. Please give me a minute. ", He said and disappeared in the thicket of the forest.
She sighed and took a seat on an old fallen tree trunk. She sat tensely and saw the fantastic view of the castle and the village below.
Corona was really a beautiful and magnificent kingdom, she thought. She often thought of that today and noticed it, while wandering through the village.
When she thought about it, she had spent a wonderful day here with Sora.
She came here to other thoughts. Happy thoughts, if she could correct herself.
And it´s all thanks to Sora.
Again she turned red around the nose. As soon as he appeared in her flow of thoughts, she became... different. Not in a negative way. But on the contrary. Although, this constant change of hot and cold inside her body was making her insane.
The reason for that was obvious to her, but she didn´t want to risk her friendship with Sora, because of such trivial feelings.
It's better this way too.
A smile cradled her features. As long as he was happy, she was too. That was the only thing that was important to her.
Her smile faded as she realized that all the lights were going out from the palace to the jetty, tapping her in total darkness.
Slowly, panic rose in her, as she looked around searching and no trace of Sora was sighted.
Did Xehanort and his people invaded this area again?
Where are you Sora?
Her gaze was directed back to the kingdom, and she widened her mouth slightly in surprise. She rubbed her eyes to make sure that her eyes didn´t deceive her.
First one, then two, and all of a sudden, there were too many small lights to pinpoint the number that flew high up in the air.
What in the world was going on?
A rustle behind her startled her and her heart calmed down again, when she saw Sora. With an apologetic smile and his hands behind his back, he walked towards her.
"Oh, it already started.", She stared at him in confusion by his statement.
"What do you mean?"
"The lanterns.", He said and pointed with a nod upwards. She looked back into the sky, where many small luminous dots - lanterns - floated through the air and illuminated the landscape.
But why?
She turned her attention to Sora, who now held out a lantern to her.
"I ... I do not quite understand.", She mumbled as she took the paper lantern from him and held it protectively.
"Why.-"
"You looked so dejected and sad earlier. I ... I just wanted to see you happy, I guess. ", With one hand he rubbed the tip of his nose in embarrassment and with the other he pressed his own lantern closer to him. Due to the pressure, his lantern got small dents, which Sora noticed and kept embarrassed it away from him.
"That's why I was so long absent in the village." he pointed to the lantern in his hand.
"I had to go and search for Rapunzel and Eugene for my plan to work, for the rising lights, you know? Actually, they're sent to the sky for Rapunzel's birthday. But ... ", he grinned shyly.
"They made an exception for me, so I could cheer you up. I ... I hope you like it. "
"Oh. Oh my god. ", Speechless and moved, she looked at him.
"You only did that for me? Just to cheer me up? ", He nodded hesitantly and shrugged, as if it hadn´t been a big hassle at all.
"Thank you, Sora. Thank you very much. ", She smiled at him and somehow found her feet more interesting than anything else around her.
"S-Should we send them up, too ...?" He stuttered suddenly and raised his lantern briefly.
"Oh, eh. Of course.", She hastily agreed with him and Sora lit the candles in the lantern bowl with fire magic.
Carefully and thoughtfully, they each gave their paper lanterns a slight push and leisurely they flew upwards.
Kairi looked after their lights. It was just a magical sight as all the lights whizzed around in the now-deep black night sky. With admiration and a smile on her face, she watched the dancing lights. A breeze from the west drove the lanterns towards the sea and Kairi rubbed her arms shivering, in the hope of warming them. She felt light weight on her shoulders and heat eroded around her back and arms.
Surprised, she looked to her right, where Sora gave her a caring grin.
"But ... aren´t you freezing yourself then?" She asked worried as Sora handed over his vest and crossed his arms behind his neck again.
"Nah, since I was in Arendelle, I'm pretty hardy."
"Arendelle?" Kairi prompted and moved interested closer to him.
"Yes. It is the home of Princess Elsa and Anna. What I told you the other day before? "
"Oh yeah. Where the whole kingdom was covered with snow, right? I haven´t seen snow for a long time. ", Kairi said lost in thought.
"Next time, I'll show you Arendelle! You will love it! But then, we have to take scarf, gloves and thick coats with us. ", Sora shuddered for a moment, when a bad memory in connection with cold struck him.
"And a sled!", he added loudly and Kairi laughed softly.
"Okay. We'll do that. ",she said shortly. Afterwards, she snuggled into Sora's vest and buried her face into it.
It smelled so confidential after him. To be honest, she couldn´t put the scent into words. It was a kind of chemistry, if she could say so. Who dimmed her senses and almost made her spin, like a kind of spell.
Kairi nodded to himself. Yes, a spell was more likely.
Sora yawned extensively and stretched his limbs. He looked over at her.
"Kairi? It's pretty late and I think we slowly should go back. ", She nodded and took a step forward.
But she wasn´t that lucky, when she stumbled against a stone hidden and anchored in the sand. Unable to keep her balance, she fell forward, her arms had already reflexively lurched forward and her eyes widened in shock. But what she didn´t expect was with Sora, who reacted faster than lightning, if it was possible.
But by the swift and rapid movement, both fell to the ground, rolling. He wrapped his arms around her body and head, and they came to a halt shortly before they reached the lake.
It was quiet, you could only hear the chirping of the crickets and now and then the splashing of the water.
Carefully, Sora took his hand behind Kairi's head and prop up on the sides.
"Are you hurt?", Kairi, who had previously closed her eyes, opened them blinking and looked into sky blue eyes, which studied her attentively.
And there it was again.
That smell, that belly-tingling sensation, her heart beating too fast, the irregular in and out breathing and ... him.
"I ... am fine," she whispered, staring into his eyes in fascination. Almost as if she were under a spell she couldn´t escape.
"G-Good.", Sora quickly got off her, brushing the sand off his clothes and lending her a helping hand.
Kairi hesitated for a moment to take his hand. Not because she didn´t want to, but because she didn´t know how to act. She really wanted to pull him down and ...
She hesitated.
Well, what would she do then?
She was a little ashamed of her thoughts, so she turned her head to one side and gratefully accepted his hand.
"Thanks.", Sora shook his head.
"Don´t worry. I'm just glad you're alright. "He grinned at her, as so often, and again there was a desire to put her friendship on edge. But she stayed silent and together they started to return to the ship.
As soon as they arrived at the Mysterious Tower, Kairi handed over the vest of Sora, which he had lent her.
"Thanks again," she thanked sincerely, as he slipped it over.
"For you anytime, Kairi.", A slight red glow fell over her cheeks again.
She bit her lip for a moment and did something, that she earlier was supposed to prevent, but but her desire was stronger.
She reached with both hands to the sides of his hood, pulled him down to her with full force and closed the distance between them.
Completely taken by surprise, the Keyblade wielder eyes widened, before he closed them with relish and returned the pressure on his lips.
As fast as she pressed herself against him, she broke away from him and stared at him with a crimson head.
"I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this great day, Sora," she affectionately told him and Sora himself got a suspiciously red face. Before he could even answer her, she pulled his hood over his face.
"H-Hey !?", Kairi whirled her own hood over her head and hurriedly ran up the stairs of the tower. There, she was already expected by Riku and Lea, who were standing in the corridor.
"Where were you?", Riku asked at once imperiously, while Lea made a kissing face and smooch noises to tease her.
"They were definitely too engrossed in kisses and.- OWWW!" Lea interrupted his sentence as Kairi thundered her elbow into his ribs and slipped past them both.
"Hey! Kairi, where is.- ", Riku paused himself in his sentence and turned to Sora, who was out of breath as he reached the top of the stairs.
"Sora. Can you please explain to me where you guys were? ", Embarrassed , Sora scratched his neck.
"Ah. I just showed Kairi Corona and- ", Sora paused as he saw Lea crouching on the ground.
"What's up with him?", Riku strained his hair.
"Doesn´t matter now. I hope you two are aware, that you only have two hour´s of sleep left?"
"Um ... yes?", Sora rubbed his chin innocently, while Riku shook his head implausibly.
Kairi, however, had slammed the door behind her shut and leaned against it.
Her heart was racing like crazy and she carefully opened the door a crack, to peer out of it.
She recognized from the distance how Riku was blaming Sora and Lea sitting on the ground in agony. The latter deserved it, as she found.
How Sora smiled or waved off at everything Riku told him, and suddenly his gaze was lingering on her. She pulled the door shut again. She was just hopeless.
Simply hopeless like the sea who falls in love with the sky.