Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's sequels and characters.

Author's Note: This is my first story, and I don't know if it sucks or not. So I'm asking for your opinions. Since I'm still new to fanfiction, I would really appreciate some advice. Thank you. And now, I give you my story.

Chapter 1: A Royal Ball and How to Dig Your Own Grave

"Kairi, who are you taking to the royal ball?" Kairi snapped out of it and looked at her best friend, Namine.

"Oh, uh… no one…" Kairi said quietly, looking away.

"KAIRI! YOU CAN'T TAKE NO ONE! YOU'RE THE PRINCESS! IT'S A CRIME TO NOT TAKE ANYONE IF YOU'RE THE PRINCESS!" Selphie's voice was heard from outside the study room.

"Selphie…" Kairi said.

Selphie busted down the door, her sister Yuna with her.

"I agree with Selphie." Yuna said. Kairi stared at the two. Yuna never agreed with Selphie.

"Me too." Namine, the shy girl, whispered.

"Aw, come on! I thought you at least would agree with me, Nami!" Kairi complained.

"Too bad, Kai. That's two against one! Er… three against one!" Selphie never was the sharpest tool in the shed.

Selphie, Tidus, and Yuna were triplets, and one of the guard's children. Kairi, however, was the princess. Namine was Kairi's sister, but wasn't treated like any kind of princess. She never got the pretty dresses, the large room, nothing. Namine was treated very poorly at their castle.

"Well, then if I have to go with a boy, then maybe I just won't go!" Kairi said.

"KAIRI! You so can't do that! You are the PRINCESS! You have to go; you have to have a date!" Selphie cried.

"I need to be alone." Kairi said, walking out of the room and up the stairs.

Moonlight shined in through the windows, making the stairs shine like silver as Kairi walked up them. When she reached her door she opened it slowly.

Kairi's room was huge. She had a huge bed, a walk in closet, her own bathroom, her own balcony, and a huge T.V. Half of Kairi's room was empty, but she liked it that way.

Kairi stepped out onto the balcony and rested her head on her arms, which were currently resting on the railing. She saw the guards, tracking the city.

Kairi sighed. The guards always walked around, then found some innocent person, accused them of something they didn't do, and arrested them under the king's orders. Kairi didn't know why her father did that, but he did.

King Axel and Queen Larxene were the rulers of the kingdom. Princess Kairi was to inherit it all, and Princess Namine was to get nothing. Kairi had never seen her parents, and didn't really want to.

Kairi saw the guards crowd around one spot and knew that they had arrested someone. She looked closer and saw that it was two teenage boys; one that was Kairi's age and one that was Namine's age. Namine was just one year younger than Kairi.

Kairi saw that the one boy was a brunette, and the other was a blonde, but they both had spiky hair.

"Kairi, your friends told me that you ran off, and one of the maids told me you came in here. Are you upset about something?"

Kairi groaned. It was the boy she grew up with, and hated since he was born. The most annoying, player-like boy in the old public school: Ventus.

He'd had a crush on her since they were in sixth grade, and he kept trying to weasel his was into her life.

Ventus walked over to Kairi and put his arm around her.

Kairi gritted her teeth. "Ventus…"

"C'mon, babe. Ventus is so formal. Just call me Ven." Ventus said, giving her his player grin.

"Fine, Ven. Two things. One, don't you EVER call me babe again. Two, get away from me, before I call Castle Security!" Kairi yelled at him.

"Calm down, babe! Don't deny that you like me." Ventus said, running planting a quick kiss on her lips.

Slap. Ven put his hand on his cheek where Kairi had slapped him.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Room!" She screamed. Ventus turned around and ran out of Kairi's bedroom. Kairi smirked before turning around and heading into her bathroom.

She looked at herself in the mirror. Her long auburn hair reached just below her shoulders. A long and puffy pink dress reached down to Kairi's feet, covering her small pink heels. She had white gloves on that reached just below her shoulders.

Kairi picked up the outfit next to her and changed into it. It was a guard's uniform, only with a hood on it. The hoods only went on the guards-in-training uniforms. Kairi pulled the hood up and left her bedroom.

She went down the main floor before grabbing a bucket and heading down to the dungeon. When she reached it, she dismissed the current guard with a flick of her hand and walked further in. She pulled her hood off and opened the bucket.

Inside were cookies that she had bought from the bakery downtown. She handed one to each of the prisoners like she did every day before walking to the jail cell that had the two boys from earlier in it.

"I am Princess Kairi. Since my parent's ways are cruel enough to lock up innocent people, I bring cookies down here every night to the prisoners. Enjoy!" She explained, looking up and handing a cookie to both boys.

"I'm Sora, and this is my best friend Roxas." The brunette said.

"Nice to meet you, Sora. Roxas." Kairi said, opening the door with a key. She opened up the gate and walked inside.

"W-what are you doing?" Sora said.

"Duh, Sora! She wants to hang out like a hot dude like me instead of that mean daddy of hers!" Roxas said, grinning.

"I'm leaving." Kairi said.

"No wait, Kairi! I was kidding! I'm not a jerk!" Roxas cried.

Kairi turned around and sat on the bench right in-between them.

"You'd have to come one at a time, but do you want to head out for a little bit?" Kairi asked.

"Um, sure!" Sora said. "Roxas can go first."

Kairi grabbed Roxas's hand and walked outside. Roxas saw the moonlight and gasped.

"What?" Kairi asked.

"It's just… the moonlight is so beautiful… kind of like you." Roxas said. Kairi would've blushed if she hadn't met Ventus. Now she just rolled her eyes. When she first met Ventus, they went outside and watched the sunset, and he said the same corny thing.

"Roxas, that is so…" Kairi's eyes widened as she was interrupted. Roxas couldn't have just said something to stop her. He just HAD to kiss her. Kairi backed away. She didn't want a relationship.

"I think it's Sora's turn to come out now." Kairi said, walking back inside. She and Roxas both stayed silent the whole way back. When she got there, she opened the door, put Roxas inside, and brought Sora out.

"So… where do you want to go?" She asked.

"Um… you pick." Sora said. Kairi blinked. When she asked Ventus that, he'd say somewhere like the beach, so he could try to hit on her. Sora just told her to pick where they went.

"Um… how about the castle garden?" She suggested.

"Sure."

Kairi led the way to the garden and slowly walked in. She sat on the bench that was next to the roses, and gestured for Sora to sit next to her.

"The stars sure are beautiful tonight." Sora said, looking around. Kairi blinked again. This was the first time a boy said that something was beautiful without saying she was beautiful as well.

"You know, Sora. You're the first guy that has ever NOT complimented me on my looks, and NOT tried to hit on me. I thank you for that." Kairi said.

"You probably said that to Roxas too." Sora said, still not looking at her.

"No… actually he said that the moonlight was beautiful, and then told me it was kind of like me. Then he… kissed me." Kairi said.

Sora stayed silent, then looked at her. Kairi looked into his eyes and couldn't look away. The first guy I've ever ACTUALLY been attracted to… she thought. What was she thinking? But it was too late. Her emotions had control of her; she dug her own grave. She had a crush on Sora.