The little girl in the white dress who brought him flowers captivated Ventus. Not to say that he was infatuated with her in some twisted form of romance. He was, just like the rest of the people of the Radiant Gardens, enchanted by her sweet nature, kind heart, and cute face. And he would, like any other royal knight to the kingdom, protect her with his life.
He was 15. She was 7.
The first time he met her, she was alone near the palace fountain, picking small clumps of weeds and pretty orchids that grew along the sides. She had wanted to pick a cluster for her grandma but when he strode over somewhat curious and concerned to see her all by herself, she had given them to him instead.
He grinned warmly and put a hand to his chest. "I'm Ven," he said friendly and she giggled. She told him her name was Kairi.
After that, they were fast friends, in the way older brothers adored their little sisters and little girls developed cute crushes on the big boys.
But then a terrible storm came onto the Radiant Gardens one evening. Ventus and the other knights were called to defend the east section of the kingdom where a swarm of monsters had flown in through a strange, dark portal. They called on their strength and teamwork to take them down. Ven thought of nothing but the battle, and in his blindness, let Kairi slip through his fingers.
When the battles ended and the storm vanished, her grandmother was in tears as with other loving civilians. "She's gone! Kairi's gone!" she would echo and the words would resonate with the kingdom folk.
Ventus fell to pieces… he was not aware how much such a tiny girl with a squeak in her voice would affect him so.
Years past, and while the Gardens would continue to lament and dream about the little girl with the flowers, they moved on. Ventus grew up from the cheeky, good-looking teen into a more reserved, handsome young knight. He spoke little but still smiled, and would relax by the flowerbeds when he wasn't pushing his body to peak strength in the battlefield.
It would be ironic then that one day while he stood, gazing away in deep thought onto the fountain that something dark and large would open up behind him. Ventus turned and summoned his blade with fire in his eyes, ready to fight and defend against whatever would fly through that portal as it did many years ago. He glared when a figure began to step through.
A girl, in her teens with dark red hair, blues eyes and a womanly figure peeked through, careful and shocked. She gazed around her with a wistful expression until her eyes landed on him. A moment of confusion passed, then...
His mouth his fell open, blue eyes wide with fear. "...Kairi?" At the name, she started - and he knew that it was she. He didn't make a move and instead waited for her move, as a true knight would do.
The girl tilted her head with beautiful, fearful eyes. Who was this man? So tall, so proud ...so familiar. With his casual pant-shirt uniform bearing the crest of the kingdom, his broadsword, and an armoured plate adorning his left shoulder, she knew a knight when she saw him. And yet... his spiky, blonde hair that wisped to the right and his ocean, blue eyes...
And then she saw the white and yellow flowers around him. And she saw...
"Are you… Is it... the knight from my...?" Normally Kairi never stuttered, she was too mature and sure of herself to do so; but this man, with his dark-blonde hair and soft expression, seemed to unravel her.
He pulled up from his battle stance and dismissed his sword in a flourish of light as the portal closed and vanished behind her. It was only them two now in the quiet of the garden. He stared at her with a mouth still hung open slightly. When she didn't finish, he furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head slightly.
"Talk to me," he asked through perfect white teeth. She frowned as she found herself staring into the natural, sun-kissed tan of his skin and his handsome face. And when the sun behind him hit him just right... she finally knew.
"The knight... Ven."
As soon as it left her pink lips, she began walking towards him with confident strides and a tight expression, still unsure if any of it was real. She'd been lost for so long, trying to find her way back to her home, to the people she cared for and who promised to protect her. He was one of them. Now that she might have made it, she would not let slip him through her fingers.
Ventus watched until she was almost right under him. She had grown a lot, but he had too considerably, and his height defeated her chance at perfect eye-level. He smiled softly as he watched her cheeks heat up pleasantly. Why did she suddenly look so... beautiful now? She was only a kid when they became friends. He was several years older, so he shouldn't feel this change in attraction for her. And yet, he did.
She placed her hands on his broad shoulders and he noticed the way hers were slender and curved down in that gentle, womanly slope. He frowned slightly and she caught it.
Here was the boy she knew, years before, who was her age as she was now, so cheeky and handsome that she sometimes girlishly imagined them getting married. Now he was older, with features more defined and a face that had seen everything. But then again, hadn't she, when she'd been taken into that portal? She was wiser, more soft-spoken, and liked to observe things with a greater eye. And in the way, she touched his shoulders she knew... she might truly have returned home.
"Is any of this real?" she asked as she looked onto the cloth of his uniform. "Are you really...?"
And Ventus smiled, because he really did not know how to answer her. So he thought nostalgia would work instead and bent down, picked a flower, and gave it to her.
"Kairi, I'm Ven. It's nice to meet you." And when she looked up and smiled.
The little girl in the white dress who brought him flowers was home.
Only now, he was 23. She was 15.
Much love, Abby~