I can't think of anything to say about this... sorry...

Sora flopped down into the sand, breathing heavily. "I'm exhausted!" he moaned. "Tidus beat me for the tenth time this morning! I just- I can't beat him!"

"I don't get why you guys do this," Kairi said, glancing down at Sora as he flopped down onto his back.

"Do what?" he asked, putting his hands behind his head.

"Beat each other up with toy swords," she answered.

"'Cause it's fun!" Sora laughed.

Kairi merely shrugged. "I think it's kinda stupid," she muttered.

He sat up slightly so he could get a better look at her. "Really?" he asked, bewildered. She nodded. He made a face. "But- but even Selphie fights-" he stuttered.

"Well, I'm not Selphie," Kairi told him firmly. "And I don't like fighting. I mean, seriously, what's the point of it?"

"To fight off the monsters," Sora replied matter-of-factly.

Kairi laughed. "What monsters?"

"You know, the monsters!" Sora exclaimed, as if it was obvious. However, when Kairi didn't show any signs of understanding, he sighed and flopped back down onto his back. "Never mind…"

"Exactly. Stupid," Kairi muttered.

Sora was silent for a moment, thinking about something. "If you didn't think it was stupid," he said after a moment. "I could teach you how to fight." He sighed exaggeratedly. "But… since you think it's stupid-"

"It is!"

"Fine then," Sora laughed. "When the monsters come, and you can't fight them off, I'm going to laugh."

Kairi raised her eyebrows. "Would you really?"

He was quiet for a bit, as if thinking about it. Finally, he shook his head. "Nah, I wouldn't," he told her. "You know what I would do?"

"Hmm?"

"I'd make sure you stayed safe," he whispered, and then grinned up at her. "Since you don't want to learn how to fight and all."

She blushed slightly. "Thank you, Sora."

He shrugged. "Sure thing," he replied. "It's kinda cool, anyway. It's like you're the princess who shouldn't be fighting 'cause, well, she's the princess. And then I'm the knight who protects you." He was silent for a moment, and then sighed wistfully. "I've always wanted to be a knight."

Kairi glanced over at him. He wasn't looking at her, but at the sky. His eyes weren't entirely focused, like he was deep in thought. She smiled slightly, and then reached for Sora's toy sword. Sora didn't even notice. He did notice, however, when Kairi rose to her feet and dragged him with her.

"Kneel," she commanded, gesturing with the sword.

He stared at her for a moment, but then slowly knelt down.

"As Princess of this Island," Kairi said, trying to make her voice sound as princess-y as she possibly could. "I hereby knight thee-" She tapped Sora first on one shoulder with the toy sword, and then tapped him on the other. "Sir Sora!"

Sora looked up at her in shock. Then he broke out into a grin and hopped to his feet.

"Kairi!" he said, practically laughing in his excitement. "Thank you!"

Before she could respond, he had pulled her into a hug. She laughed, and then hugged him back.

"No need to thank me, Sora," she said, resting her head against his chest. "It's not like that was even real. Besides, I'm sure you'd be a wonderful knight."

"You think so?" he asked, pulling away slightly so he could look down at her.

She smiled.

"Of course, silly."

XXX

"Sir Joseph, stand down!"

Sora (who was playing the part of Sir Joseph) turned to her, exasperated, but did not lower his sword. "Princess Janine," he said, trying to sound reasonable. "This man is a thief and a menace to the kingdom, we can't-"

"I think he deserves a second chance," Kairi (who was playing the part of Princess Janine) interrupted, placing her hands on her hips.

Sora turned back to Tidus (who was playing the part of the theif: Tobias) and grimaced, but then lowered his sword.

"We'll take him to my father," Kairi said. "He'll know what to-"

A phone rang. Everyone turned to the director, who was fumbling to answer his ringing phone. He motioned for them to keep going.

"What to do with him," Kairi continued, a bit shakily, not recovering well from the interruption.

"Thank you, Princess," Tidus said. "I-"

"Hold up kids!" the director called, stopping him. "I'm sorry, you guys were doing great and I hate to stop you, but I've got a family emergency that just came up and I have to cut practice short! Sorry."

Almost everyone spoke up to tell him that it was fine.

"Thanks for understanding!" the director said, heading for the door. "See you guys tomorrow!"

Sora sighed, stretched, and then went backstage to put his sword away. Selphie was back there, chatting away with another stagehand about the original version of the story. Apparently, the play adaption was much different, and Selphie wasn't too happy about it.

"You were great today… sir Sora," Kairi said.

Sora smiled and turned to her. "It's fitting, isn't it? You're the princess, and I'm the knight."

She laughed.

He grinned.

"I'm so glad you managed to get the part," he said, placing his sword in its place. "I was afraid you weren't going to get it."

Kairi slowly frowned.

"Did you think I wasn't good enough or something?"

Sora paused and turned back to her. He started to say something, and then stopped and grimaced. "Well…" he said, slowly. "You didn't seem very sure about your lines when you practiced your audition with me…"

Kairi's frown quickly became a scowl.

"You don't think I'm good enough for the part!" she accused.

Sora started to form a reply, but didn't get the chance.

"Yeah, in the original version, Sir Joseph and Princess Janine kissed," Selphie said, and then sighed wistfully. "It was sooo romantic!"

Both Sora and Kairi turned to her in shock.

"What!" they exclaimed, almost simultaneously.

Selphie glanced over at them. "Hmm? You didn't know?" She frowned in confusion. "I thought you said you knew this story, Sora!"

"I said I'd seen the play before, that's all," Sora replied.

"Oh!" Selphie laughed. "That makes much more sense! The play isn't like the original story at all! No wonder you're confused!" She shook her head. "I still think the original version is much better."

Sora made a face.

"I like the play version," he muttered.

Tidus (who had just joined the conversation) snorted. "I bet he's only saying that because he doesn't want to have to kiss Kairi!"

"Hey!" Sora protested. "I didn't say that!"

"No, but you were thinking it!"

"Was not!"

"I bet you thought it would be gross, too!"

Sora's face was red with embarrassment by this point. He glared at Tidus, then threw a glance at Kairi, then glared at Tidus again. Kairi folded her arms over her chest and blew a strand of hair out of her eyes in annoyance.

"Sora," she said. "If you really did have to kiss me, would you do it?"

He made a face.

"Well… I- I don't know…"

Her eyes widened with something between shock and anger.

"You don't like me!"

Sora scowled in confusion, not quite sure how he had gotten himself into this mess.

"What!" he exclaimed. "No, I- Kairi!"

She pointedly turned away from him. He stared at her for a moment, and then grimaced. What was he supposed to do now?

After a moment he grabbed her by the shoulder.

"I- of course I like you, Kairi," he said. "But you're my best friend! I couldn't kiss you! It'd be too weird!"

Slowly, she turned to him, and then smiled.

"Yeah," she agreed. "It would be weird…"