Chapter 9: The Heart of Silver

After much thought, Okari's brain caught up with her heart. She did love Ienzo. Perhaps she always had. But seven years and she'd never realized it?

"Wow, I'm dense," she thought.

She tried to find time alone with him, so she could confess. She wanted to know his feelings. But the castle had gotten busier because Hemera's baby was going to be born any day now. As a result, privacy was harder to find. One day Okari ran into Ienzo, quite literally.

She looked around, squinting through the crowd filtering through the hall. Where could he be? Then suddenly Okari collided with another body, which was running at top speed. She nearly fell over, but stood her ground at caught the arm of the person who had just ran into her. Well, that was one way of finding him. Ienzo flushed in embarrassment.

"Are you all right, Ienzo?" she asked him.

"Yes, but I'm sorry. I have something really important to tell you." He looked around suspiciously at the people in the hall and whispered it into Okari's ear in order to thwart any eavesdroppers. "Hemera's baby is born."

Okari eyes widened and without another word they hurried to where Hemera was. Once before they got there a very excited nurse greeted them.

"The baby is born," she kept saying. Okari and Ienzo smiled.

"Can we see her?" asked Ienzo. The nurse disappeared into a door behind her. She came out a few seconds later and nodded.

Ansem, Aether, and a few others were in the room. In the center of the room was Hemera, lying in a white-sheeted bed. A different nurse came in from another door, holding a bundle. She gave it to Hemera.

"Congratulations, Your Highness, a perfectly healthy baby girl," announced the nurse. A smile was plastered on everyone's faces. Hemera looked down lovingly at the bundle. Okari and Ienzo walked forward slowly and caught their first glimpse at the heir of Radiant Garden.

The baby was tired and her skin looked slightly bluish: she getting used to her newly working heart and lungs. Instantly they saw that she had Hemera's red hair and Aether's brilliant blue eyes and rounded ears. Hemera held her close.

"My beautiful child… I will name you…"


Ienzo stared at the door to the underground laboratory. His hand rested on the doorknob. Was this right? There were many reasons why he shouldn't trust him. If he did this, it would confirm that he was still his follower. But he must have trusted him. He trusted him enough to have him come along for Okari's birthday, didn't he? And, as far as he knew, Xehanort had never really hurt him. Ienzo took a deep breath and opened the door.

He descended the long, dark staircase. As he suspected, Xehanort had been researching. Xehanort looked up from his papers and then stood up.

"Yes, Ienzo?"

"Xehanort, I believe I have found one of the ones of pure heart you have been looking for. Her name is…" Ienzo hesitated.

"What is her name?" he asked firmly.

"…Her name is Princess Kairi of Radiant Garden."

A wide, wicked grin spread across Xehanort's face.


"Ienzo!" called Okari. It was late at night, and the crowd all but disappeared. She could talk to him privately.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I need to talk to you," she said. There was no one around. The silence was nearly stifling.

"What is it?"

Her large eyes peered like silver mirrors of emotion into his dark blue ones. She compulsively took his hand in hers.

"Seven years, I'm such a fool. I never thought… It's just I…" Her face flushed. Her mind forgot what to say.

Her lips remembered.

"I love you."

His lips answered.

Their first real kiss was soft like the flowers in the courtyard. This was a silent reply, but it certainly was an answer that was understood. Ienzo loved her. Okari felt it in her bones. It felt as if a heavy burden was taken off of her shoulders. They separated, and kissed again, this time more passionate. They let out the feeling that had been caged inside of them for years.

Okari threw her arms around him, pressing their bodies together like she wanted to meld them into one. Ienzo's hands reached around her. One hand ran through the black locks of her hair and the other pressed to the small of her back. Eventually they had to part. They both gasped for air. They held each other and cooled off.

"I never realized, either," whispered Ienzo.

"When did you find out that you loved me?" she asked into his shoulder.

"When you fell," he said. His muscles tensed. He had still not gotten over that.

"I found out when I kissed your cheek," she said. That was a happier memory.

Ienzo murmured, "I guess love develops in different ways. Sometimes it comes in a few days or a few months. Then there's the fairy tale love at first sights. And then sometimes the seeds are planted and love takes years to bloom."

Okari grinned. "Where did that come from? That was almost poetic."

A wide, joyful grin spread across Ienzo's face.


Three more years passed. Ienzo and Okari's relationship was slow, but steady. They now lived together. These were happiest years in their lives. The toddler Kairi was the joy of anyone around her. She slept in the room where Okari first slept when she arrived at the castle. A new princess was painted on the moon.

One day, 24-year-old Okari ran to her room. She opened the door and excitedly looked for Ienzo. As usual, he was in the study bent over piles of papers.

"Ienzo! Something wonderful has happened today!" she said. Ienzo sighed and got up from his chair and sat down on the sofa, where Okari sat down right next to him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I got promoted to General!" she said. Genral of the Castle Guard was the highest rank.

"That's wonderful. Congratulations," he said cordially. Okari smiled. "Now there's something else." From a pocket he produced a small box.

He looked into her eyes and it was like that evening three years before, but on the opposite side.

"I didn't get a ring but I made this myself with magic…" Ienzo opened the box and revealed a necklace. Okari's eyes sparkled with joy.

"Okari, will you marry me?" Okari nearly knocked him over with a hug.

"Oh yes! Of course I will," she said. They kissed deeply and then Okari put her necklace on. "I'll never take it off. Thank you so much." Okari calmed down than looked at Ienzo. Ienzo's hands rested on her shoulders.

"I love you," whispered Ienzo. They kissed again and Okari clenched her necklace.

The necklace was of a thick black string and a pendant.

"I have no doubt that our future will be happy," Okari whispered. She looked down at her necklace. The pendant was a heart of silver.

But, of course, things often take an unexpected turn.


A/N: Wow, an actual A/N. Sorry this chapter is tremendously short!