RE: Been a while, but KH3 really lends itself to FF, doesn't it? I couldn't stay away. Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 1: We'll Go Together
Aqua roamed the dark and quiet halls of the castle, running a hand along its cold and pristine marble walls. Though only a few days had passed since the end of the war and her return from the Realm of Darkness, her time roaming alone was already beginning to feel like a far-off memory. The unknowns that haunted her for so long were gone, and she, Terra, and Ven were home, safe and sound.
She stopped by an open window, admiring the sprawling courtyards below. Not too far was Master Eraqus's keyblade, their Wayfinder charms glistening under the lamplight.
Aqua placed her hand over her aching chest. The castle was never crowded or bustling with activity, but she found it strange how one fewer resident could make it feel so much emptier.
The castle, which for so long had protected Ven from the darkness that relentlessly sought him, was quick to remind her that it wasn't empty. If anything, it was livelier than it had ever been in the last ten years. The sound of knocking from the dormitories reverberated through the halls, and Aqua followed it to its source, finding her friends in a spirited conversation.
Terra stood at the doorway of Ven's room, his arms crossed and a stern look on his face. "Ven, it's late. If you're not going to sleep, then you at least need to be quieter."
"But Terra," Ven whined, "I've already slept enough to last the next decade! And this stupid game is—I'm pressing the buttons when I need to, so why does it keep killing me?" Ven growled and threw himself back onto the bed, clutching his gummi phone tightly.
"Where did you get that thing, anyway? You've been playing on it all day. Soon enough it'll rot your brain."
"It will not," Ven protested loudly.
Aqua couldn't help but laugh, catching the attention of her two companions. Terra gave Ven a look. "See? You even woke up Aqua."
She waved them off before Ven could utter an apology. "Don't mind me. I was already awake."
"You were?" Terra asked.
"Yeah. Just went for a walk around the castle is all," she explained quickly. She and Terra had many one on one conversations about their experiences in the last decade. It quickly became evident that he was taking Master Eraqus's last words seriously. Perhaps she'd have to talk to him about dialing it back. He didn't have to be such a worrywart.
"See, Terra? Just because you're tired doesn't mean we all have to go to bed."
"Was he always this annoying?" Terra asked Aqua.
She shook her head. "He's only like this because he missed you so much."
"Not true," Ven said, his ears turning red. "Terra's the one who's changed. What's next? Are we going to have to wake up before the sun rises too?"
Terra rolled his eyes. "All of this coming from the kid who hasn't grown an inch in twelve years."
Aqua stepped back to avoid the scuffle, walking into Ven's room to pick up the gummi phone he had discarded. While she didn't particularly agree with Terra's take on the device, she couldn't deny that Ven was spending a lot of time playing the Classic Kingdom games. Perhaps she'd ask the research team if they could remove those from Ven's phone—or at the very least, add a time limit.
She almost dropped it when it began to ring. She answered the call, now face to face with Riku.
"Oh, Master Aqua," Riku greeted her formally. "That's weird, I thought I called Ven's phone."
"You did. He was just a little busy." Bemused, Aqua stepped aside to show Terra and Ven, who stopped mid-fight when they realized they had an audience.
"Hey, what's up?" Ven asked, jogging to get in the frame next to Aqua.
"I'm fine. Good to see you're all doing well, though I do feel a little bad for calling so late."
"No, don't worry about it. We're all awake, though I think Terra would rather we all be sleeping," Aqua said.
"Is that so?" Riku smirked. "What's the matter, old man? Past your bedtime?"
"Excuse me? Old man?" Terra stepped into view and put Ven in a headlock for laughing. "Watch yourself, kiddo. This old man could still run circles around you."
"Okay, boys, settle down," Aqua said, turning the phone so only she was left in the picture. "Riku, you called us for…?"
"Oh, right. I need some help from all of you. Got time to do me a big favor?"
"A favor?" Aqua raised a brow. They owed their return much in part to Riku. If anything, she still felt like they owed him. "Sure. Anything you need."
"Great." Riku looked relieved as he fell into the pilot's seat of his gummi ship. "I need all of you to meet me at the Destiny Islands tomorrow. Do you have a way of getting there?"
"Of course. Should we be prepared for anything?" If she'd need a keyblade, she would have to stop by Master Yen Sid.
"Yeah," Riku said. "A day at the beach."
Roxas swung his legs and leaned back, basking in the warm light of Twilight Town's sun. Given the circumstances of his return, he didn't have much time to relish the finer details of being. The warmth on his face. The breeze through his hair. The firm stone of the clocktower beneath him. Funny how he could feel so grounded when he was so high up.
"Oh? And here I thought I was early," Axel said, announcing his arrival at the clock tower. He took a seat next to Roxas, bringing one knee up so he was more comfortable.
"Nice threads," Roxas said, acknowledging the new outfit. Despite all the time they spent together, it was the first time he saw Axel without the cloak.
"Thanks. Courtesy of some good fairies and Master Yen Sid. I probably should've worn them before the big battle, but then we wouldn't have matched. And if we didn't match, how was anyone supposed to know you, me, and Xion were friends?" Axel asked.
Roxas shook his head. Axel always seemed to say some strange things like he knew things nobody else did. Clearly it wasn't a result of his position in the Organization. Maybe he was just a weird guy.
"So, what brought you here so early? Contemplating the meaning of life?" Axel asked.
"Not exactly," Roxas said. "I guess I'm still trying to process everything that happened… and now, what comes next."
"I'm sure you have a lot of questions for Ven—"
Roxas snickered. "Not that. I've already accepted that I'll ever get a satisfying explanation for that." His expression softened. "I'm talking about Kairi."
"Ah." Axel tapped his fingers on his knee, searching for the right words. "They'll find each other. I spent a lot of time with Kairi when we trained. She's got an unshakeable resolve that stems from her belief in Sora, so I know she's ready and waiting for him."
Roxas placed his hand over his heart, painfully aware of his connection to Sora. "Yeah. He's always felt the same way. It's different now, though."
"How so?"
"He's always been willing to do anything for her, but I think he truly understands why now. Like, he gets it. I don't know. It's a feeling I can't put into words, especially since it's not really mine." Roxas smiled, leaning forward just enough to look at the ground. "You know, before I joined up with him, I met Kairi in what I thought was a dream. It didn't stick out to me before, but one of the first things I did when I met her was out him."
"Hmm?"
"'You're that girl he likes,'" Roxas recited. "It was like the first thing I said when I realized who she was. In my defense, I was a little out of it."
"Heh. Don't sweat it. I think everyone but him already knew that, including Kairi." Axel placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "They'll come back. Sora's got a pretty good track record. We're here, after all."
Roxas and Axel admired the sunset in silence, content to enjoy a moment that they thought might never happen again. It wasn't long before Xion joined them—she took a seat on Roxas's left, sighing as she settled in.
"Oh, nice clothes. You pick those out yourself?" Axel asked.
Xion nodded. "Does it look okay? I didn't really know what would look good on me, so I just went with what I knew."
Axel popped his collar. "Good choice. Black is always in style."
"Yeah, you look great!" Roxas complimented.
Xion looked away, hiding her face. "W-What about you, Roxas? The king gave you munny too, right? Didn't feel like updating your wardrobe?"
Roxas scratched his cheek. "Uh, funny story about that…"
"Don't tell me you lost it." Axel groaned.
"I didn't! I just… spent most of it already."
"Was it Le Grand Bistrot?" Xion asked excitedly. "It always smells so good there, and Donald said we could eat there at a discount if we tell the owner we're Sora's friends! Apparently he and the chef were really close."
"Uh, no, but now I'm wishing I had." Roxas smiled awkwardly. "I actually ended up buying this Easter Island tissue case."
Axel and Xion gave him nothing but blank stares.
"The... tissues come out… they come out of the nose."
His confession was met with silence.
"I don't know why I bought it."
As Xion started to laugh, Axel sighed in defeat. "Things to get memorized: Roxas is an impulse spender."
"I wouldn't go that far."
"Oh yeah?" How much was it? Was it worth it?" Xion asked, laughing more when Roxas playfully shoved her. "Maybe it'd be a good idea to let Axel hold onto your munny."
Roxas shook his head. "And never see any of it ever again? No thanks."
"Hey, I thought it was a great idea," Axel said. "I'd be able to buy all the ice cream I'd ever want."
Roxas and his friends settled into a comfortable banter, taking turns ganging up on each other until they were satisfied. He missed this. Though it saddened him that he ever forgot the moments like these they used to share, he now had a new appreciation for his friends. He knew he'd never take these moments for granted again.
Just a few minutes later, Isa joined them at the tower, surprising all of them with sea salt ice cream. Roxas accepted it gratefully and looked in Axel's direction. Axel might've been even more excited than Isa himself regarding his recompletion. It was good to see Axel reunited with his old friend.
Roxas found it easy to like Isa. He still came off as stoic and serious, but he had a dry sense of humor and a mean knack for sarcasm that made Axel, who used to be the wittiest one, look like an idiot. He was relieved to find that Xion, too, got along with him. They didn't see eye to eye in the past, but nowadays they seemed like they'd eventually be good friends. Whatever prejudices Saix held, Isa seemed to lack.
Roxas was about to take his first bite of ice cream when he heard three new voices join them.
"Yoohoo! Got room for three more?" Olette called out as she and her group greeted everyone.
"Hey!" Roxas nearly lost his balance in excitement. He had never even dreamed a moment like this could happen, but here were his friends from the Organization and his friends from Twilight Town, all gathered together.
"Sorry we're late. We had another job to finish, but now I think we've finally got enough to get to the beach," Pence said proudly.
"Wait, did someone say something about a beach?" Axel asked.
Before anyone could answer, the wind picked up. A gummi ship settled right in front of them, casting its shadow over the entire group.
His Organization friends—save Axel, who looked almost nervous—were curious. His Twilight Town friends, however, were stupefied.
Hayner was the only one who could put his feelings into words. "What the f—"
They flinched at the sound of sharp feedback before a familiar voice greeted them. "Attention sunset watchers: this is your captain, Riku, speaking—"
"Oh, it's Riku!" Xion said, waving at the ship.
"Boo! Get out of the way!" Axel said. "You're blocking the view!"
"...Axel, why does it look like no one was expecting me?" Riku asked.
"It's a spaceship!" Hayner yelled, shaking Olette and Pence out of their stupor. "It's a freaking spaceship!"
"Riku, what's going on?" Roxas asked, standing up.
"Axel didn't tell you?" Riku sighed into the loudspeaker. "Figures. So much for getting it memorized. Stand back, everyone. I'm bringing her a little closer."
The loading ramp of the gummi ship deployed, and it inched closer until it met the edge of the clocktower. Riku appeared from within the ship, casually walking down to meet them. He gave Axel a disappointed look.
"I… might've forgotten to mention it!" Axel admitted. Isa facepalmed behind him.
"Yes, that is abundantly clear to me now, thank you." Riku turned to Roxas. "I need a favor from everyone here. Axel was supposed to fill you in, but he can now do that along the way. You all mind coming with me?"
"Uh, even us?" Pence asked. "Who are you again?"
"A friend of Sora's," Riku replied. "Though if you don't want to come, that's perfectly—"
"Nope! We're doing this. Free ride in a spaceship? Friend of Sora's? I've heard everything I need to. We're in. Right, Roxas?" Hayner turned to Roxas.
Roxas cast an accusing glance at Axel, who held his hands up in defeat. He scratched the back of his head. "I guess it's fine if we're all going."
"I promise to have you back by sunset," Riku joked.
Xion giggled.
Roxas rolled his eyes. It wasn't that funny. "Where are we going anyway?" he asked curtly.
"It's a party," Axel answered for him. "We're meeting everyone at the Destiny Islands, right?"
Riku nodded. "Yeah. Bring that ice cream along. We've got one more friend to pick up."
Axel, as the only person with a gummi phone in the Twilight Town group, was supposed to tell them all that Riku was swinging by to whisk them away to the beach.
He did not.
Xion made him hand over the phone. Until they could all get one, she'd be taking the calls. If information flowed through her, then there wouldn't be surprise spaceships appearing in the middle of the day.
No one seemed to have any issues spontaneously boarding the ship though. To everyone's credit, this was nowhere near the weirdest or most surprising thing to happen to them in the past few days.
Xion slunk off to the cockpit, hoping for a chance to catch up with Riku. Were there rules preventing her from sitting with the captain? If there were, surely he wouldn't enforce them. He always seemed to have a soft spot for her, probably because she looked so much like Kairi.
She found him alone, looking out into space. His hands idly held the controls before him. Xion quietly settled into one of the copilot chairs behind him, hesitant to pull him from his thoughts. What was he feeling right now, knowing that his two best friends were somewhere he couldn't reach? Riku was strong, but he was still human. If he was hurting, would he show anyone?
"The view from here is a lot better from here than in the crew's quarters, isn't it?" Riku asked quietly.
Startled, Xion sat straighter in her chair. "Sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you."
"No, don't apologize. I actually appreciate the company," Riku said, turning to look at her. "Oh. I'm liking your new look, by the way. It suits you."
Xion smiled warmly, smoothing out her blouse. "Thank you. I um… I like your haircut."
"Oh, thanks. I suppose the Heartless were good for something after all." Riku smiled, but didn't elaborate.
"How are you holding up?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject.
He chuckled. "I'm fine. Happy to see that everyone's adjusting well to being back. I just checked in with Mickey and the other keyblade wielders who will be meeting us at the Islands."
"Have you spent a lot of time at home? I know it can't be easy without them."
Riku's expression softened. "No. When Xehanort summoned Kingdom Hearts, the darkness started to spread before we could fully seal it off. I've been traveling to different worlds that needed help. Suits me just fine though. It's hard for me to sit and wait. I guess I know how Kairi felt now."
""Is that why you're rounding us up? Feeling lonely?"
"Yes and no." Riku shifted in his seat and shared his hypothesis. "When Sora and I were trapped in the Realm of Darkness after defeating Xemnas, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were able to bring us back. And you know how we were able to follow Sora after closing Kingdom Hearts on this side?"
"Right. We followed our hearts."
"Exactly. I don't know where Sora and Kairi are and I know it's a long shot, but if all of us who wish for their return are gathered together, maybe it'll make it easier for them to find their way back to us."
Xion placed her hand on his shoulder. "I've always admired your resolve and how far you're willing to go for your friends. Sora and Kairi… they're lucky to have you."
"Thanks, Xion." Riku relaxed in his seat. "Enough about me though. How's the normal life treating you?"
"It's peaceful. Better than I was expecting. We've been extremely busy, but we always take time to watch the sunset at the end of the day. You know if you ever feel lonely, you're always welcome to visit us. We could always use some help in cleaning up that old mansion," Xion said.
"Wait, you're staying in the mansion?" Riku asked.
"Yeah. So are Isa, Axel, and Roxas. We couldn't impose on Hayner, Pence, or Olette, so using the mansion was the best option. Helps that there's a computer Isa can use to stay in contact with the other folks from the Organization in Radiant Garden. We've gotten enough done to make it comfortable, but… it's a mansion. There's plenty left to clean."
"Well if I ever feel like working for free, I suppose I'll drop by."
"I'd make you dinner!"
"You can cook?"
Xion hesitated. "No… but I could learn."
"I will gladly visit when you've proven that your cooking won't kill anyone then," Riku said. He laughed, blocking Xion from tickling him. "Oh, you don't want to go there."
"You took it there when you insulted my cooking skills."
"What cooking skills? Hey!" Riku yelped and hopped out of his seat when Xion managed to poke his side.
Xion smirked. Perhaps it wasn't fair, but she already knew his weak points thanks to her connections Sora and Kairi. There were plenty of memories she could exploit. Little known fact about Riku: he was very ticklish, a fact he hid so well that not even Sora truly knew the extent. Only Kairi understood the gravity of it, and she'd sworn to never use it against him.
Xion, however, made no such promises.
"Not so tough now huh, Keyblade Master?" she taunted.
Something about the way Riku looked at her made her realize she might've bitten off more than she could chew.
"Sorry, but I can't let you get out of here alive to spread the secret on how to beat me," Riku said.
Why did Kairi swear to never use this fact against him again? Xion's eyes widened.
It wasn't a promise made from the goodness of Kairi's heart. It was a permanent truce.
"Now wait, Riku—Riku!" Xion shrieked, laughing in terror as Riku's fingers found her sides. She turned her back to him and tried to run, but it only meant open season on her neck.
Why did she have to inherit Kairi's flaws?
"I'm sorry!" Xion yelled between bouts of uncontrollable laughter. She managed to slow Riku's attack and quickly retreated to the other side of the captain's seat. "I said I was sorry!"
Riku shook his head and made a move toward her. Like a dance, Xion moved in turn, the two orbiting the chair. "Too late. You brought this onto yourself."
One read feint was all it took for Riku to get her. Xion endured a relentless tickle assault until tears formed at the corners of her eyes. It took all her strength and will to grab Riku's hands and stymie the onslaught.
"No more," Xion said, breathing heavily. She managed to pin him against the console, her arms shaking as they held his at bay. "Truce!"
"Promise not to—"
"I promise!" Xion pleaded. "I can't handle anymore. No more."
"Alright. Works for me." He relaxed, letting Xion hold his hands down. "You can let go, you know."
"I'd rather not take any chances."
"Suit yourself," he said, nudging her with his knee. "It wasn't the best decision you've made, but thanks for cheering me up."
Of course he saw right through her. He was sharp. She looked up to meet his eye and realized how close they were. He was practically sitting on the controls, his stance wide to make room for her.
"I know I'm not Kairi, but I want you to know that I'm here for you too. We all are," she told him.
"Am I interrupting something here?" Roxas asked, appearing at the doorway.
Xion spun and practically threw Riku back into the pilot's seat. She quickly put some distance between them. "H-Hey, Roxas! What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you," he answered, warily eying the back of Riku's chair. "It was loud enough up here that we could hear it from the cabin. Everything okay?"
Riku turned to Roxas with a smirk. "Yeah. Xion was just complaining how you never take her to the beach."
"I was not!" Xion blushed. "Riku was just… joking around. We were… refueling the ship."
Riku gave her a weird look.
"Don't gummi ships run on happy faces?" Xion asked.
"Is that what you've heard?" Riku laughed. "I always thought that was something Donald and Goofy said to trick Sora into smiling all the time."
"Oh. Now I feel silly…" Xion's cheeks burned with embarrassment.
"You might be right! Every ship is different, right? Sora, Donald, and Goofy told me they visited a world powered by laughter, so a ship powered by happiness isn't impossible. I know for a fact that this one runs on something else. The King had this one specially designed for me."
Roxas, who hadn't moved from his spot, spoke up. "So you get this one to run by what? Brooding?"
Xion froze. It lasted only for a moment, but the silence was deafening.
"This one absorbs light for fuel, actually. Though if it was powered like that, I suppose we could traverse the known universe now that you're on board," Riku stated, smiling sweetly.
Roxas forced a smile in return, his jaw obviously clenched. "Is that so?"
Xion's eyes darted between the two boys before she collected Roxas and left the cabin in a rush.
What the heck was that all about?
Riku smirked when he heard Xion start scolding Roxas before they were out of earshot.
It was probably unfair of him to tease Roxas like that, but Riku couldn't help himself. Seeing Xion and Roxas reminded him of his younger years with Sora and Kairi. Sora was such an easy target, and Roxas was no different.
"Whatever. Just make it up to him," Riku told himself. He opened a portal to Radiant Garden with his keyblade. With the world in sight, he called the lab. Ienzo was the one to answer while Ansem and Even worked in the background.
"Hey, Ienzo. Is Naminé ready to go?"
"I believe so. We've been monitoring her the past few days and everything looks good."
Riku raised a brow. "Monitoring her? Why?"
"Naminé's return was a bit… different than everyone else's. It took her heart a little longer to settle into the replica you provided us."
Riku frowned, reliving the moment he lost one of his best friends. Stay strong, he reminded himself. They'll be back. "I see. But she's okay now?"
"One hundred percent. Even her powers remained. A surprise, to be sure, but a welcomed one." Ienzo stepped out of the lab and lowered his voice. "I think she'd appreciate being with friends closer to her age. She's expressed her discomfort to us for, as she put it, 'babying her.'"
Riku chuckled. "Well, make sure someone tells her to wait outside. I should be there very soon."
Landing the gummi ship in the courtyard outside Ansem's lab was no easy feat, but Riku deftly handled the challenge. As he felt the landing gear touch the ground, Riku wished Sora was around to see it. Nobody else would've been able to appreciate the maneuver like him.
Riku quickly left the cockpit, passing his friends along the way.
"Haven't been here in a long time," Axel said, peering out the window of the passengers' cabin. "Should we be getting off?"
"I feel the need to inform you that this is not the beach," Isa added dryly.
Riku smirked. "No kidding. We won't be here long, so just stay on the ship. We're picking up one more friend, remember?"
He left the ship and stepped out into the sun, shielding his eyes from the light. Petals from the blooming trees danced all around him, and at the edge of the courtyard stood Naminé, as real and as alive as ever.
It was time to make good on a promise.
The walk over felt longer than the time he had gone through since he last saw her. A wave of insecurity flooded his thoughts. Should he have prepared a speech? Maybe he should have picked her up first. Was everyone watching them from the ship?
She was right in front of him now. Riku extended his hand.
"Hey."
Naminé gave him a lopsided smile as she took his hand. "Hi."
"Your chariot"—Riku paused to pull a petal out of his mouth—"your chariot awaits."
Naminé giggled, tightening her grip. "Smooth."
"I've heard that you've been treated like a princess here," he said, lightly swinging their hands. "Figured I'd keep that trend going."
"Do people treat princesses like they're made of glass and need everything done for them? If so, then yes. Between you and me though, I could really go for something normal right now."
"Rest assured, fairy tales about princesses usually have a happy ending, and it usually starts with the appearance of a prince." Riku winked.
"Are you calling yourself a prince, Riku?"
He shrugged. "You can think what you want. I'm just here to take you to the beach."
Naminé and Riku spent some time chatting in the cockpit. He had offered to bring her over to the group, but she declined. She didn't belong there. She probably didn't belong here either, but Riku was familiar. Plus, she wasn't sure how to act around the organization. What would they think of her being there?
What would Roxas think of her now that he remembered Xion?
The anxiety was paralyzing. It was easier not knowing what he thought than learning that he hated her.
He had his friends now anyway. He didn't need her, and that was probably a good thing.
"You sure you want to sit up here instead of the back with everyone?" Riku asked, setting a course for home.
"I don't want to interrupt them. They have their own dynamic, I'm sure, so I don't want to get in the middle of it."
"You say that like they don't want you to be a part of it."
"Why would they?" Naminé asked quietly. "After what I did—"
Riku rushed over to her, placing his hand on hers. "No. We all did things to hurt each other, Naminé. It's not even in question whether they forgive you. Do you really think me, Sora, and Kairi are the only ones who wanted to see you again?"
Naminé looked into his eyes. "I don't deserve to have a friend like you."
"You deserve to have more than just me." He knelt so their faces were level. "I know you've been told that you're a Nobody, that you can't feel, or that you don't have a right to exist. But all of that was wrong. Ansem and his team worked hard to bring you back just to prove that to you. You deserve to be happy."
Naminé released a shaking breath she didn't know she was holding. She managed to smile as a tear streaked down her cheek. "Thank you, Riku. You really are the best."
He brushed his thumb across her cheek. "I get that a lot," he said, smirking. He pulled her into a tight hug before returning to his seat. "We're almost there. Last chance: you absolutely sure you don't want to hang with the Twilight Town crew? You'll need to be seated when we break into the atmosphere, so it's either in your current seat or in the passenger cabin with everyone else."
Before she could answer, someone knocked at the door. Riku pressed a button on the armrest of his seat, opening the door without confirming who was on the other side.
It was part of the group from Twilight Town—namely, former members of the organization. In the middle of them was Roxas. His eyes widened when they found hers.
Naminé shot to her feet.
"Naminé?" A smile slowly spread across her face. "Is it really you?"
Naminé felt small. Had this many people ever looked at her at once? She was not used to this attention. She turned to Riku, hoping for support.
And he slowly raised the gummi phone to his ear, pretending to take a call with a grin.
Thanks for nothing. She turned back to the group in front of her and gave them a small wave "H-Hi…"
It was about all she managed before Roxas engulfed her in a hug. After getting over the initial shock, Naminé returned it. She couldn't help but breathe in his scent.
"Naminé! Where have you been?!" Roxas held her at arm's length. "It's so good to see you again."
"It's good to see you too, Roxas." She looked around him to the rest of the Organization. "It's good to see all of you."
"Likewise, kiddo," Axel said.
"Glad to see you in one piece, believe it or not," Isa said, nodding in her direction.
"I'm happy you're back," Xion said, hugging both her and Roxas. "It's wonderful to see that you're doing alright."
"You too, Xion."
"Wait, you two met?" Roxas asked. He turned back to Axel and Isa, who shrugged.
"Yes. We... talked about you a lot," Xion said, giving Naminé a knowing look.
Roxas tilted his head. "What about?"
"That's a secret," Naminé said, holding a finger to her lips. Xion giggled.
"Hate to interrupt the reunion, but I'll be bringing it in for landing soon," Riku said. "Naminé, why don't you follow them back to the cabin?"
"Subtle," Naminé mumbled. She looked at Roxas and Xion and knew immediately that she couldn't say no to them. "If you guys are okay with it, I guess it's fine."
"Great!" Roxas said, snatching her hand.
"We'll just be borrowing her, if you don't mind," Xion said, nudging Riku in the shoulder.
He waved them off. "Just get your butts in those seats. And make sure to wear your seatbelts, got it?"
Axel gave him a mock salute as he ushered his friends out. "Aye aye, captain."
RE: Thanks for reading. I want to thank xoKyorii for creative input, proofreading, and helping me wrestle with some ideas on this chapter. Always helps to have a friend and fellow writer who'll let you bounce ideas for something as trivial as fanfiction. If you haven't read any of her work... where have you been?
I'd love to hear your opinions on KH3. I'll leave some of my thoughts on it in my profile (along with some of the "why" behind the creative decisions in this fic), and I invite you to message me if you want to discuss it! Overall, I know it's not flawless, but I loved it.
You can already guess that next chapter is going to be about the beach party. The cutscene doesn't start until sunset, so there a whole day of character interactions that we didn't see enough of in-game that I'm excited to write.
Take care, y'all. I'll see you around.