Author's Note: I wanted to write something Christmas-sy, so here's my little story! I am finally putting a story up! Yay! Anyways, thankies to everyone for taking interest in this! (Walks away singing, "Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat! Please put a penny in the old man's hat...")
Disclaimer: What are the chances that I own Kingdom Hearts? About zip. And would I be writing this disclaimer or fic if I did? I do not own Kingdom Hearts. I also don't own the name of The Three Musketeers.("If ya haven't got a penny a hay-penny will do-oo-oo!...Wait....What's a hay-penny?")
The Magic of Three
Chapter 1: The Three Musketeers
"Kairi." In her mind, she would sometimes hear him whisper her name. In her world, he had never left. He was always there...in her own little world...
Her heart would speak to him at times. Sometimes she would talk to Riku too. She'd laugh with them, even if there wasn't anyone to listen. She loved both of them so much. She wanted to see Riku...and Sora.
She spent most of her time either in the Secret Place, strolling down the beach, or gazing at the sunset on the dock. She would always sit by herself, talking to him...talking to her best friends.
"Everyone is growing up so fast," she'd sometimes say. "Did you notice?" Whenever she asked either of her friends a question, she'd allow a long pause to linger in the air, just in case that maybe...maybe...she'd get an answer in return.
Her third Christmas without them was coming up. It was her third year without her two best friends. But this year would be different. It would be different.
"Hey, Kairi!" Selphie shouted upon seeing Kairi seated on the dock, her legs dangling over the edge.
Every Christmas, it seemed that Kairi had the word 'loneliness' etched all over her face. She still had her hopes, but she was still so lonely. No wonder...her two best friends were gone. This year however, Selphie wanted to change all that.
"Kairi," she said as she sprinted towards the auburn-haired girl. "What're you doing way out here? The festival on the main island's going to start at dusk. You should be getting ready!"
Kairi averted her gaze towards the sea. "I was going to...sit in the Secret Place like last year."
Crossing her arms, Selphie sternly stated, "Nuh-uh Kairi. Not this time. This year, you're coming with me!"
Selphie probably wouldn't accept any excuses. But maybe...
Kairi blinked. Should she.....?
"Could I have a minute then?"
A tinge of excitement creeped onto Selphie's face. "Okey-dokey! I'll be waiting over at Riku's tree!"
Riku's tree.
That's where the three of them would watch the sunset. They would talk and dream of other worlds. How she wished that the three of them could do that just one more time.
"Sora...Riku...should I go? It would be the first year at that festival without you guys. Or do you think I should just stay in the Secret Place with you two?
"Of course you should go to the festival, Kairi!" she'd imagine Sora say, seeing those sapphire eyes urging her to go.
"It'll be fun Kairi. And why'd you say 'without you guys'? We'll go too. Right Sora?"
"Yup."
Kairi smiled. Too bad her imaginary conversations couldn't take a life of their own.
What she'd give to see them just once. To see Sora...
Finally, she dusted herself off and went to fetch Selphie. She'll go this year. Maybe it was a sign. "I guess three is a magic number...right guys?"
"Awww...How sweet...Those three are just perfect together."
"They were just meant to be together."
"It'd be terrible to have them separated. How heartbroken they'd be."
"The adults are talking about us again," an eight-year-old Riku said, an odd smirk forming on his pale face.
The trio was passing through town, hoping to reach the main island's dock. Sora and Riku were going to show Kairi the 'secret place' that they had found a week earlier.
"They're calling us the three musketeers. Dont'cha think that's kinda dopey-sounding?" Sora said as he placed his hands on the back of his head.
Giggling uncontrollably, Kairi shuffled to a stop.
"Huh? What's so funny?" Sora scratched his head while Riku began to snicker.
Kairi tucked some strands of hair behind her ear, finally able to suppress her giggles. "You were the ones who announced to the adults that we were the 'infamous three musketeers.'"
"Oh yeah." And they all began laughing.
"Look at those three..."
"Having so much fun...What a shame it would be if they were split up."
"Huh? What did you say?"
Annoyed at Kairi's constant daydreaming, Selphie took a deep breath and repeated, "I said, this year they decided to have a parade and a concert and a guy in a Santa Claus suit. Isn't that cool? Are you even listening to me Kairi? Kairi!!"
"Yeah, I heard you. Santa Claus guy, concert, parade..."
At the moment, they were in Selphie's room. The brunette had insisted on lending Kairi some clothes, so there they were, looking through some outfits.
"How's this?"
Kairi sapphire eyes rose to the dress in Selphie's loose grip. It was one of Selphie's famous yellow dresses. "Um, no thanks. Maybe something else more festive would be better?"
Selphie examined it herself. "Yeah, you're right...You know, maybe I should change too..." Sighing, she flung it over her shoulder and proceeded back to her closet.
Kairi flopped on Selphie's fluffy, golden bed. She had slipped into one of her daydreams again. It was a habit of hers. If there was people around, she couldn't just talk to herself. No, she had to have a memory playing in her head instead. Perhaps it was an unhealthy thing to do, to constantly think about the people whose absence was cutting into her heart.
Perhaps having her 'conversations' were taking a toll on her too. But she could never stop thinking or talking to them. Doing those things gave her hope.
This particular memory was a dear one to her. They were acting like the silly children that they were meant to be. That 'three musketeers' moment was when in her mind, she concluded that three was her favorite number. Her lucky number. Maybe that's why she had so much faith in this year's Christmas.
"How about this, Kairi? This looks really festive."
Having her train of thought interrupted, she glanced back up at Selphie. An enormous yet evil-looking grin was plastered on the yellow-clad girl's face.
What she was holding was a light brown tank-top shirt, khaki-colored capris with a fuzz-ball sown in between the two back pockets, reindeer antlers and...a red foam nose.
"There is no way I'm going to be Rudolph-the-Red-Nosed-Reindeer!" she said as she scurried off the bed and slowly inched towards the door.
Selphie pouted, conjuring up a hurt look on her face. "Oh, why not Kairi? Pretty pleeeeease? For me?"
"No...way," Kairi breathed quietly.
"Tch. Fine. Then I'll wear it," Selphie said quite smugly as she retreated down the stairs. "You could of had fun dressing up, but nooooooo."
Kairi shrugged and let out a "whew" before seating herself back on the bed.
She didn't want to look silly on her first year back to the Christmas festival. She wanted to wear something...nice....just in case one of them might come...She wanted to look nice for him.
"Kairi!"
The auburn-haired girl's head snapped up. Selphie had returned and was waving something purplish in her face.
"Does this look any better? This one has to be perfect for you. It was supposed to be your Christmas present, but I'll give it to you early so you can wear it at the festival."
This outfit consisted of a lavender blouse with a knee-length skirt. On the edges of the skirt and top, sapphire designs were stitched intricately in a way to make you wonder how something so pretty ended up on a few articles of clothing. Within the designs, several aquamarine stars were scattered about. In Selphie's left hand was a pair of slip-ons with the same awe-inspiring design.
What a coincidence. Selphie picked an outfit that reminded her so much of Sora, Riku, and....herself. It had the color of their eyes...and her favorite color as a child.
"Yes..." Kairi said softly. "It's perfect."
This year was going to be different. She knew something was going to happen. Maybe she'd see them...or him.
Author's Note: Welp, that's it for now! It's not really that good, but at least I'm practicing, right? (Gack. I'm not good at describing clothing. Oh well.) I'll update as soon as I can since I hate leaving stories unfinished. (Arrgh...I hate it when I do that..)
Anyways, the School House Rock "Three is a Magic number" song was playing in my head, and I was feeling Christmas-sy, so I just had to write this down. I just hope I finish this story before Christmas....If I don't, forgive me!
Anywho, comments are welcome. Hope to see you soon! (Now I must do that before-Christmas cleaning that I was meaning to do! Yayness for no school!)