Chapter Six:

Rally


Kairi couldn't remember the last time she was at Dusky Cinemas. She was pretty sure she hadn't been this nervous. She searched the theater lobby, and the knot in her stomach unraveled once she saw Sora and his friends had yet to arrive. Both relieved and disappointed, she decided to buy some popcorn: might as well contribute something, right? Plus she was a little hungry.

The doors to the theater opened, distracting her from her newly established objective. A couple entered, chatting animatedly.

"-looks like we're the only ones on time again."

"It's barely eight, Roxas." Said the blonde walking beside the boy Kairi recognized as Roxas. She sounded reprimanding, but her smile betrayed her. The blonde glanced absentmindedly at Kairi and did a double take, eyes widening as she let go of Roxas' hand to stare at her.

The unraveled knot in Kairi's stomach tied back up again. "Naminé?"

"...Kairi?" Naminé had grown taller, Kairi noticed. Her outfit was by no means provocative, but it was a lot less conservative than the clothes she used to wear. Her hair was longer and her eyes were happier, almost twinkling underneath the bright lights of the cinema lobby. She was almost unrecognizable.

Almost. But Kairi would recognize Naminé anywhere.

"H-hi." Hit with a surge of joy, Kairi smiled, then forced her mouth to behave even though all she wanted was to hug the living daylights out of the girl in front of her. "Naminé, how've you-how've you been?"

"Wait, Naminé, you know her?" Roxas interrupted just as Naminé opened her mouth to respond. She glanced at him curiously.

"Do you?" She asked.

Roxas rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah, sort of. Remember I told you how Ven invited...someone else for this?"

"Yeah...oh! You mean-"

"That was me," Kairi said eagerly. "I didn't think I'd see you here-not that I'm not glad! It's really great to see you."

Naminé did not respond.

Kairi bit her lip. She couldn't tell from Naminé's stoic expression what was going on in her mind. Not that she ever could. The blonde somehow was always able to maintain a calm composure, even as a child. The redhead thought back to the last time she had seen Naminé at the age of fourteen. She had been pale and shy but infinitely kind and honest. She carried her sketchbook with her wherever she went (a habit she appeared to have dropped) and sketched whatever caught her fancy no matter what else was going on. Quiet, but one of the loudest presences in Kairi's life, until her mother's death.

Kairi, after her mother's death, had withdrawn from almost everyone in her life, including her best friend. She had tried to offer her support, but she'd been brushed off repeatedly. The newly made orphan noticed Naminé sitting by her lonesome at school, but she was too caught up in her own grief to approach her. Months passed, and then Kairi was enrolled at Radiant Garden's prep school. The two hadn't seen or talked to one another since.

Hit with a gnawing sensation of guilt, Kairi took her gaze off of Naminé's blank face. She'd never meant to drift away, and Naminé always had trouble making friends. How must it have felt to be utterly alone and abandoned by your best and only friend? Kairi had gone through a similar experience of loneliness, but she'd chosen to leave. Naminé had been left. Still, though, she seemed to be doing fine right now; going to the movies with friends and an apparent boyfriend, a small but firm smile on her face. This information soothed Kairi's worries, but did nothing to assuage her guilt or fear or rejection.

Roxas, for his part, was unaware of her inner turmoil. "Seriously," he frowned at Naminé. "What's going on?"

It took exactly two seconds for his girlfriend to answer. "She's my best friend," she said, and Kairi wanted to cry with relief. "Right, Kairi?"

She smiled shyly at Kairi who rushed over and hugged her. She hadn't done this for so long, a spark of warmth sputtered within her stomach: Naminé was as skinny as ever.

"I'm so confused," Roxas muttered under his breath as he shook his head.

"What's there to be confused about?" Naminé let go of Kairi and raised her eyebrows at Roxas. "I told you, Kairi's my friend."

Kairi beamed. "We've known each other ever since we were little kids, and we've been friends for just as long. Friends forever, as a matter of fact, no matter how cheesy that sounds. Right, Nami?"

"Right." Naminé giggled.

"She's really your friend?" Roxas asked.

"What is so hard to believe about that?"

"No offense, Kairi," Roxas said hastily. "It's just-you know what, never mind. Good to see you again. I'm glad you made it."

Naminé shook her head. "I can't believe you're really here," she said to Kairi. "I missed you so much, Kairi. I thought about calling so many times, but I could never muster up the courage, and now you're here. This is just so amazing."

Kairi's response was to envelop Naminé in another hug. Naminé laughed, and Kairi was surprised by how she didn't stiffen with surprise or discomfort. Naminé had tended to shy away from physical contact when they were younger, be it from her or from her own mother. Now, she was holding hands with boys in public and returning Kairi's hugs as if it was second nature. It made Kairi both happy and nostalgic.

"I got caught up in some stuff," Kairi murmured. "But that's no excuse. I shouldn't have left like I did. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Naminé assured her. "All that matters is you're back." She smiled. "And you're hanging out with us tonight! Again, amazing."

"And so narrative," Roxas said, which meant nothing to Kairi but apparently meant something to Naminé. She slapped him on the shoulder and frowned disapprovingly at him.

The others showed up not too long afterwards. Aside from Ven and, of course, Sora, there were about a handful or so other guests. The only other brunet in the group, a young man named Terra; A woman with blue hair by the name of Aqua; Xion, who flashed a peace sign at Roxas; Axel, surprisingly enough, who winked at Kairi's shocked expression; a silver haired boy who barely looked at her before returning his attention back to Sora and the others. His name was Riku and he was the guest of honor tonight since this outing was to celebrate his return from university.

Kairi flushed, feeling ever the intruder. Aqua placated her with a smile and assured her they were happy to have her. Sora agreed almost immediately, a large smile on his face, before he turned red and fell into silence. There was no time to dwell on his suspicious behavior, however: they had a movie to watch.

First things first, deciding which movie to watch. "Let's watch Guardians of the Galaxy!" Ven suggested.

Kairi perked up alongside Roxas and Sora. She gushed, "I love that book! I haven't had the chance to see the movie version, but I bet it's awesome."

"Kairi loves superheroes." Naminé explained. "The Marvel ones especially."

Xion beamed. "I love Marvel. Isn't Spider-Man the coolest?"

"What about The Hulk? He's all 'Hulk smash!' and he can destroy almost anything with, like, a single punch. I love him."

"Yeah, Bruce Banner is pretty cool. His entire character arc revolves around self-control and hidden depths. Like, just because he looks like a homicidal maniac doesn't mean he is one, you know? It's a classic not judging someone until you get to know them."

"Exactly!" The two broke out into simultaneous chuckles.

"Riku should pick. This is his homecoming party, after all." Aqua said, after watching in amusement.

That sounded fair, although Kairi couldn't help the pang of disappointment she felt. She nodded to hide her disappointment, while Ven and Sora pouted exaggeratedly. Riku's response was to bonk Sora on the head. "Let's see," Riku drawled, smirking while Sora hissed and rubbed the crown of his head. "I'm in the mood for some action, so...how about Jurassic World?"

"Is that the one with the dinosaurs?" Naminé frowned.

"I saw it last week," Axel grinned predatorily. "That Owen is pretty hot."

"And how was the guy's acting?" Roxas asked.

Axel shrugged. "No clue."

"Well, I'm sold," said Xion sarcastically. She sighed mournfully and fixed Riku with a stare equally woeful. "Riku, can we please watch Guardians of the Galaxy?" Her lower lip jutted out so that her lipgloss shone from the ceiling lights above.

Riku took a small yet noticeable step back. "Uh-"

Sora snickered, to which Riku responded with a shove to the shoulder. "Hey!" With a scowl Sora moved towards Riku, and Aqua stepped in between the two boys.

"Let's just go get our tickets, okay, boys?" She regarded them with reproach. She looked minutes away from grabbing them by the ears. Riku muttered a "yes" while Sora blushed and meekly nodded.

Kairi couldn't help it; she laughed.


They ended up watching Jurassic World in spite of Xion's efforts. It was okay enough, although the Owen/Claire subplot felt forced upon the audience, if you asked Kairi. She sat down next to Sora, who she noticed spent almost the entire movie tense. They caught each other's gazes at some point during the movie, and she offered him a small smile in what she hoped was a comforting manner. His smile back was hesitant at first but quickly grew into the one he'd had on when they first met. Warm, kind, and bursting with life.

It was a brief moment, but it caused Kairi to blush when she thought of it later at dinner. Shaking her head, she returned her attention back her meal. After the movie the group had decided to hang out at thee Lucky Cat Cafe, mostly since Sora and Aqua were employees, which meant discounts. They occupied no more than three tables. Kairi, Naminé, and Xion sat near the large window, which gave them a closer view of the city evening. It was almost completely dark out with the sun more than halfway sunken into the ground. The stars were blighted from sight by the streetlights, but their soft illuminating glow did more than compensate. This, along with Naminé's presence, gave Kairi a peace she hadn't felt since her mother had died.

"So," Kairi started as she played with her food. "You guys seem close."

Xion and Naminé exchanged glances. Xion grinned sheepishly. "I guess you could say that," Naminé said with a soft giggle. "We do hang out a lot."

"Not all at the same time, though," said Xion. "All of us hanging out like this-we only do that on special occasions."

"It was Sora's idea," Naminé explained. "He'd hang out with all his friends at the same time if he could, and he has a lot of them. But for stuff like Riku coming home from college, he usually just invites us."

"'Just' you guys, huh?" Kairi said amusedly.

"He has a lot of friends," Naminé repeated.

Kairi laughed. "I'm glad I got to hang out with you guys, then."

Namine frowned. "You sound like it was a one time thing. Why wouldn't you hang out with us again?"

"Well, I-" Naminé's frown was tense and fragile with a twitch of her lower lip. Suddenly, Kairi could see the Naminé from four years ago, quiet and doubtful and afraid. She fumbled and hurried to explain, "It's not that I wouldn't, I just-you guys seem so close and I'm-"

The frown was swiped clean, replaced with a sympathetic and understanding smile. Firmly, Naminé interrupted her. "-one of my best friends, You're practically family." A pause. "Plus I hear Sora absolutely ruined your outfit. He owes you."

Xion frowned. "He's in enough debt as it is," she said, quiet as if she hadn't meant for anyone else to hear her.

Kairi blinked. "Sora's in debt?"

Xion winced and chewed on her straw. "Not in debt, per se. It's more like...he got accepted into this crazy expensive college, and his family aren't exactly the Starks, you know? He has until the week before classes start to pay the tuition. He's got some munny saved up, but..."

"He needs more." Naminé shook her head. "Even if he works 24/7 the entire summer, there's no guarantee he'll make it...It's his dream school. Riku's a student there, too. He has to make it..."

"That's too bad..." Kairi frowned. She looked at Sora sitting a few tables away, laughing and horsing around with Riku, Roxas, and Axel. He didn't look like someone whose entire future was on the line. He was so cheerful, so carefree, so giving...But, then again, looks were deceiving. She knew that. She took a bite of her salad and, fork still in her mouth, thought for a minute.

Kairi slipped the fork out of her mouth. "Aren't there any scholarships he could apply for?"

Naminé bit her lip. "Sora's not exactly..."

"-smart." Xion said resignedly. "He's not stupid, but he's not really qualified for a scholarship."

"Well, then, what about contests? Aren't there any-I dunno-art contests he could enter?"

Xion chortled. "Art is so not his thing. Naminé tried to teach him, it didn't end well."

"Although..." Naminé said, slow and thoughtful. "There is a Struggle tournament coming up. He could sign up for that. The grand prize is a ton of munny, more than enough to pay his tuition."

Xion considered the idea. "That might work. He's pretty good at Struggle."

"So..." Kairi didn't bother to hide the smile on her face. "Struggle tournament?"

Xion and Naminé nodded in perfect sync. "Struggle tournament." And the three of them toasted their victory.


Ugghhhhh! First of all, Happy New Year! Second of all, SORRY. This chapter took too long to be uploaded. No excuses, only apologies. Updates might be slow, but they will happen until the bittersweet end. This chapter is edited, not by my beta but by me. It's my first time editing my own work. It was...cool. In other news, those D23s. BIG HERO 6, BABIEEZZZ. Hiro and Sora interaction! Possible Tadashi mention! New music based on the movie! AHHH!