Chapter 14 – Celebration

The middle of a war was, in some ways, a really bad time for a party. But it was also the best time for a party, because who knew when or even if they'd get another chance? The Restoration Committee had insisted on it, so they'd all trekked to Radiant Garden for the big event.

And besides, they were long overdue for some fun and merriment. Aqua, Ven, Naminé, Roxas, and Xion had all been saved, and that required a celebration. Terra still wasn't with them, but given the circumstances surrounding his situation, everyone knew rescuing him had a high chance of creating the χ-blade.

In a way, this was one last hurrah before that final conflict. And that fight was coming very soon. Aqua and Ven had told the others about where they thought Terra was being held.

"How'd ya know for sure?" Mickey had asked, not entirely convinced.

Ven shuddered. "The darkness. It was oozing out of the place."

"Well, that and we were attacked by a firebird-turned-Heartless when we tried to investigate. Kind of made it clear," Aqua muttered.

It was the best lead they had to go on, at any rate. A rescue plan had been hatched for the day after tomorrow. They would storm the mountain, fight the firebird, and try to get inside the volcano in waves of 3-4 people. They'd search for Terra after that. If Xehanort used them to create the χ-blade, which he probably would, at least there would be a few people left to stop him.

Aqua looked at herself in Kairi's mirror. She wore a sleeveless blue dress for tonight's party that hugged her figure, the skirt short in the front and long in the back, and she'd paired it with black heels and silk gloves.

It was exactly the sort of outfit that Terra and Ven would tease her about for being too girly, with all its frills and fluttery fabric. But Kairi had insisted, and Aqua had always loved girly things anyway, so she was quite pleased with the final result.

Kairi emerged from the bathroom, where she and Xion had been doing Naminé's hair, and stopped and stared.

"Aqua, you look stunning."

"You too, Kairi." Aqua smiled at her. Kairi's red hair was done up in an elegant twist. She wore a sleeveless purple gown, the material of the pleated skirt fluttering just above her knees with violet slippers to match. Aqua made a mental note to be around when Sora saw her. For a moment, it really did seem like their biggest concern was choosing what to wear for the party.

When was the last time I could think about such small things? I don't even remember.

But that's what we're fighting for, isn't it? For all of the worlds to be at peace. Then we really will have something to celebrate.

Kairi looped a pair of gold hoops through her ears. "Something on your mind?"

"It's just been ages since I've gotten to dress up like this," Aqua said. "I'd forgotten what it feels like. Weird, huh?"

Kairi's expression softened. "No, not at all."

Naminé and Xion came out of the bathroom next. Naminé's hair had been braided, and her dress was light blue and yellow with a sweetheart neckline and short sleeves. She saw herself in the mirror and smiled, smoothing her bangs back behind a headband for the finishing touch. Xion had slipped a barrette into her pixie cut that matched her adorable red number, which had a poofy skirt and white polka dots.

"This is the first time I've ever worn a dress before," she said, staring at herself in the mirror as she turned this way and that. "I like it."

And with that, Aqua could see why Kairi had made such a big deal about this whole thing.

"You look lovely, Xion," Aqua said. "You too, Naminé."

Kairi looked at the four of them in the mirror and nodded her approval. "Absolutely. We all look great." She wiggled her eyebrows and giggled. "The guys won't know what hit them."

It was time for the party to begin.

Merlin had really outdone himself with the massive ballroom he'd created for the occasion. They'd discussed having the party in the castle, but for safety they'd moved it to the Time Chamber instead. He couldn't be here (something about Bermuda), but the other members of the Restoration Committee were all there, and someone had even convinced Cloud to come. He sulked in the corner, but he was there.

Kairi searched for Sora, excited to see him. He was standing by the refreshments table, and she smiled when she saw him. He wasn't usually one to dress up, and he looked good no matter what, but man, nice clothes suited him. She strolled up to him and cleared her throat.

"You should wear a suit more often," she said. "It's a good look."

He turned around, and his expression completely changed. His mouth opened slightly, his eyes traveling up and down her figure as he took her outfit in. Then a smile lit up his face and softened his features.

"Kairi, you look amazing."

She giggled, pleased he thought so. "So do you."

He set down his plate of food and offered his hand. "May I have this dance?"

She nodded and took it. "I thought you'd never ask."

He led her onto the dance floor. Ever since they'd started fighting together, the joint fighting style they'd developed was something like a dance anyway. But it was nice to dance for real, the worries of defeating enemies out of their minds for tonight at least.

He put his hand on her waist and pulled her closer. She took a deep breath and met his gaze, then placed her other hand on his shoulder. With that they began.

The music was a slow waltz, unfamiliar to Destiny Islands but native to Radiant Garden. The world around them faded away as they twirled to the music. Once she adjusted to his rhythm, it was easy to follow his lead. He was a good partner, clearly signaling what to do and smoothly guiding her through new steps. Without anywhere else to look, she found herself staring into his eyes.

And the way he was looking at her right now was making her head swim.

"Where… where did you learn how to dance so well?" she finally managed. Her grandmother had taught her how to dance, long ago, and she'd picked it back up recently, but when had he learned?

His eyes flickered upward as he recalled the information. "I asked my friends Rapunzel and Eugene to teach me." He looked at her again, smiling shyly. "I wanted to be ready for when we could finally dance together." He led her into a spin and back into his arms, and she tried with great difficulty to slow the pounding in her heart.

Sheesh, did he have any idea what kind of effect he had on her? It wasn't fair. Times like this, when he expressed his feelings so openly, so sweetly and sincerely, reminded her why she'd fallen for him in the first place.

This was the Sora she knew. He was acting more like himself tonight than he had for the last several weeks, and she wanted to make the most of it.

"Well, all your hard work has paid off," she said, her voice sounding breathy even to her.

Their movements slowed. Sora's palms were sweaty, and Kairi tried to control her breathing. So far, they'd both been reserved about displays of affection in front of other people. But Kairi wasn't sure if she could take this much longer. And this was their first dance. It really would be a pity to let the moment go to waste.

She licked her lips, wondering if his were as soft as they looked.

Sora stopped. "Kairi?"

"Yes?"

"I…" He swallowed. "I…"

"Y-yes?"

He looked at her for an agonizing moment. The tension in the air was palpable.

"I… I'm really glad you're here."

She examined him closely. Was that really what he'd wanted to say? There was a smile on his face, but his eyes were sending her mixed messages. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"I'm glad you're here, too."

An idea came to her. She found his hand and dragged him off the dance floor. Maybe talking wouldn't help, but there were other ways to get his mind off whatever was troubling him.

"Kairi, where are you taking me?" he asked.

"There's a garden outside. Well, it's not technically outside, but you know what I mean. Let's go out there and get away from it all for a while, okay?" Surely he'd get the hint. Maybe, if they were away from prying eyes—

He stopped and refused to budge. "But the party just started."

Kairi sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers. "Sora, this isn't about the party, is it?" She forced down the stinging feeling of being unwanted. That couldn't be it, not with the way he looked at her tonight, or how he responded to her touch.

He hung his head. "Okay, fine. It's not. But for tonight, let's just forget about everything and have fun. I'll… talk to you about it tomorrow, okay?" He gave her his puppy dog eyes, and it was all over. She was such a sucker for those eyes and he knew it.

Still, he'd finally agreed to talk about what was bothering him. That was victory enough.

"It's a promise." She bopped his nose and smiled. Her eyes traveled to his tie, which had come askew during their dancing. She straightened it and smoothed the fabric, adjusting his jacket along the way. When she looked up into his eyes again, he was looking at her with an almost pained expression. "Sora?"

He hugged her tightly. She welcomed the contact, the warmth of his body pressed against hers, but… but…

Ah, well. She had his word he'd talk to her about it tomorrow. She hugged him back. Whatever it was that was eating away at him, she willed it to go away. Their hug was lasting a lot longer than what propriety would allow, but whatever.

When he finally let go, he was smiling again. "May I have this dance?"

She returned his smile. "I thought you'd never ask."

"Riku?"

Riku nearly dropped his cup of punch. He'd never seen Xion in anything other than her black Organization coat or the clothes Kairi had given her, and he had to admit, she looked good in a dress.

"Uh, hey. If you're looking for Roxas, I think he's over there." Riku nodded towards the refreshments table, where Lea and Roxas were engaged in a sea-salt ice cream eating contest. From the looks of it, they'd corralled Ven and Yuffie into joining them. Naminé was watching from the sidelines with an amused smile on her face, and Aqua was cheering Ven on.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you." Xion smiled and took a sip of her punch. "Enjoying the party?"

Riku swallowed. "Oh, that. Um, the food's pretty good, I guess." He took a swig of his punch and frowned, wondering what Merlin had put inside it this time. "How about you?"

"Well, it's my first one, so I don't have anything to compare it to, really. It seems nice though."

A long, awkward silence followed. Riku cleared his throat, knowing he couldn't delay the inevitable any longer.

"Listen, Xion, I'm sorry about what happened. I never should have talked you into rejoining with Sora. You deserve to be your own person as much as he does." He stared at his feet, fiddling with the cup in his hands.

"You make it sound like I didn't have any choice in the matter," she said softly, swirling her straw around her drink. "And Sora really wouldn't have woken up if I hadn't. I don't blame you for what you did, Riku."

She really did take after Sora and Kairi. She was forgiving to a fault. In some ways, she was more like the two of them than their own former Nobodies were.

"Um, thanks. But it doesn't excuse what I did."

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Maybe not, but I'm grateful that I met you all the same. You were there for me when I needed someone to talk to about what was happening to me. I never should have existed in the first place, but you tried to treat me like I was my own person, even though you wanted me to rejoin with Sora."

Riku sighed. Xion was one of those people who could find the good in anything. Considering how her life had gone so far, maybe it wasn't surprising, but still.

"Xion, we have got to get you some better memories than that. I get what you're saying, but for most people, being treated like a person is really scraping the bottom of the barrel."

She smiled. "Well, then how about we start from now?" She set her cup on the table and grabbed his hand. "Dance with me."

Riku blanched. "I don't know how."

"Well, that makes two of us. C'mon, we'll figure it out together. You said it yourself. I need to make some new memories."

Xion dragged him out onto the dance floor. The only other people dancing were Sora and Kairi. Riku watched as Sora dipped Kairi nearly to the ground before effortlessly lifting her back up and twirling her around.

"Pffft, showoffs."

"I heard that," Sora shot back. Kairi laughed and winked at Riku as they spun by. Riku ignored her and turned his attention back to Xion. He held his hands out palms up, but she didn't take them.

"Hmmm, that's not how Sora and Kairi are dancing."

Riku coughed and put an arm on her waist, and she put her hand on his shoulder. He offered his other hand again, and this time she took it.

"Now what?" she asked.

Riku strained his neck to see what Sora was doing. The basic step didn't look too hard. He stepped forward, and Xion backward a moment later. Then he stepped to the side, and she mirrored him.

"I think you're supposed to step forward now," he mumbled.

"Oh, okay." She did, but Riku didn't step backwards in time. She stepped on his foot. He winced, and her delicate features twisted into an apologetic expression.

"Sorry!"

"It's fine, we just need to try again. We'll get the hang of it."

Several minutes of stepped on toes, not knowing where to look, and all around awkwardness later, and they had finally managed to do just that.

At some point Sora and Kairi, inspired by Riku and Xion's example, had found Naminé and Roxas and were dancing with them. Naminé practically floated on air as Sora spun her around, and Kairi was showing Roxas how to lead.

Even Lea was out on the dance floor, Yuffie having towed him along with her. They bounced around far more than the music would require, but at least they were having fun. Aerith had somehow convinced Cloud to dance, too, and his expression was marginally less grumpy than usual. He looked like he might even smile eventually.

Donald and Goofy and Mickey watched from the sidelines with big grins on their faces, and Aqua and Ven were dancing together, too. While Ven certainly seemed like the dancing type, Riku didn't expect Aqua to enjoy it so much. She was always so serious, but seeing her now, Riku wondered if that was more a result of her circumstances and not her choices.

What would she be like, in a world where she wasn't constantly fighting? What would they all be like? The only people in this room he'd known before all this started were Sora and Kairi. What a normal life would look like for everyone else was a mystery.

Riku's gaze traveled back to his partner. Her cheeks were flushed from all the excitement, a few strands of dark hair escaping her barrette and brushing against her face. Her eyes were wide with wonder as she took it all in. They made eye contact, and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Too bad the song was winding down. Dancing was actually kinda fun. As the last note of the song played, he remembered to bow, and Xion curtsied.

"Thank you, Riku. This was really fun."

"Of course. Keep making memories like that, okay?"

Her smile was disarmingly sweet. "I will."

She wandered off to go find Roxas and Lea, and it wasn't till Kairi and Sora came up to him that he realized he was still staring after her.

"Like what you see?" Kairi asked.

Riku wasn't sure how to answer that. Xion was pretty – he'd be blind to deny it – but surely their history made things a little weird for her, right? And until Xehanort was defeated, he didn't have time for that sort of thing anyway. He told Sora and Kairi as much, and they both laughed.

"Always the responsible one," Sora said.

"Well, one of us has to be."

Sora went to get them more food, and it was just Kairi and Riku on the dance floor.

She cleared her throat. "Now that you know how, Riku, may I have this dance?"

"Sure, why not?"

They swayed to the music, their focus more on the conversation than on the dancing.

"How's he doing?" Riku asked, his voice low. "I've been so busy training Naminé lately that I haven't really gotten the chance to talk to him."

"He's better. He was acting weird earlier, but he agreed to talk to me about what's bothering him tomorrow. He's been pretty happy ever since." Riku held up his arm like he saw Sora do earlier, and Kairi twirled, once, twice, then went back to the base position.

"Good. I thought a party might cheer him up."

Kairi blew a puff of air that sent her bangs flying. "Still, there's something I..."

"What is it?"

"I don't get it, Riku! He still won't kiss me. I know he wants to. I can see it in his eyes." She frowned, and Riku knew what she was really wondering about.

"Well, knowing Sora, he's probably waiting for the perfect moment." He'd always been a romantic sap, after all. "Of course, what he thinks is the perfect moment might not come before you turn thirty."

Kairi sighed and shook her head. "I think there's more to it than that. Our first dance together would have been romantic enough. Something's holding him back."

"Well, why don't you just kiss him instead?" This wasn't a difficult problem to solve. Riku didn't understand why she hadn't tried already.

"Oh." Her cheeks flushed. "I guess I could, huh? I just… I want to make sure nothing's holding him back. I want to know he's ready."

"Trust me, that isn't the problem," Riku said. Sora had been crushing on Kairi for years. Kissing her would be like a dream come true.

"Thanks, Riku. I know you probably didn't want to get involved in our relationship troubles—"

Riku chuckled. "Too late for that. I just hope you guys don't break up. If you do, I really will have a mess on my hands."

Sora returned with their requested food. Riku sampled the little quiches Sora had loaded up his plate with. They were delicious.

"Hey, Kairi?" Sora said. "I've got an idea."

He shared it with her, and she smiled and nodded. They went to enact their plan, and Riku grinned and searched for his punch. He wasn't one for parties, usually, but this one was different. The people they'd rescued were finally getting to experience the normal things in life the rest of them took for granted. He couldn't think of a better way to spend the last of their time together before the final fight against Xehanort.

"Speech time!" Sora and Kairi shouted, their voices magically amplified. The guests, Aqua included, had no choice but to listen.

Kairi started, thanking everyone for coming and making the party a success. She went on to thank the Restoration Committee for hosting, then opened the floor up to anyone else who wished to speak. What followed was a round of thank yous and I'm-glad-to-be-here's and inside jokes and shoutouts to friends. Aqua waited patiently for her turn. She wanted to hear what everyone else had to say first.

"Aqua? Any words?" Kairi finally asked her.

"Yes." She turned towards her fellow guests. "I'd like to thank everyone here tonight. Without you, I wouldn't be here, and neither would Ven. And… I know saving Terra won't be easy, so it means the world to me that you're all willing to help."

And they were. Not one person in the room had backed down. Everyone had volunteered as soon as the words had left Aqua's mouth. Donald, Goofy, Mickey. Ven, of course. Roxas and even Naminé. Lea and Xion, too. And Riku, Kairi, and Sora. Her eyes rested on him. Everyone had helped, of course, but he had done the most of all. She grabbed a glass from behind her and raised it in the air.

"A toast. To our friend Sora, who has given his all in restoring us to each other." She paused to smile at him. "I dedicate this celebration to you tonight."

Her speech was met with deafening applause. Sora was shocked speechless. He just stood there, his mouth hanging open as they cheered his name. Then his eyes misted over and his lip trembled. He took the floor, and everyone fell silent.

"Hey guys," he said, struggling to control his voice, "I know I say it a lot, but I wouldn't be who I am today without you." He paused and swallowed. "Thank you. I'm lucky to call you all my friends, and I—I love you."

Aqua didn't miss the anguish in his voice. The words were meant for everyone, of course, but he'd chosen to lock eyes with one person in particular. Kairi stared back at him, about to come undone herself. And now he was crying, unable to control his feelings any longer.

Everyone was dead silent. Perhaps because no one had expected such an open display of emotion, so unashamed in its affection for them. With a start, Aqua realized her eyes had misted over, too.

They all waited, as if under a spell, for the right person to break the silence.

And she finally did. Not with words, but with an embrace. Kairi held Sora as he wept, her own eyes filled with tears. He clung to her like his life depended on it, and perhaps it did. Riku came over and put a hand on his shoulder, and then the rest of them joined in, hugging him, tousling his hair, patting him on the shoulder, and otherwise showering him with physical affection.

"Gawrsh, Sora, are you really that worried about us goin' up against Xehanort?" Goofy asked, a concerned look on his face.

"It'll be a tough battle, but we can handle it!" Donald said. "C'mon, Sora, cheer up!"

Mickey likewise tried to encourage him. "If we all work together, we'll save Terra, I just know it."

Ven told him not to worry, that they were all ready for the fight ahead of them. Roxas promised that they'd all trained hard, and Xion stuck a small sunflower behind his ear, its vibrant yellow petals contrasting nicely with the warm brown of his hair. Naminé gave him one of her drawings, a picture of everyone together again, happy and smiling. Sora smiled through his tears, and that was when it hit Aqua.

They were comforting him, and they didn't know why.

He hadn't said a single thing.

Sora slipped inside Kairi's room long after the party had ended. She slept soundly, unaware of his intrusion. He swallowed. Maybe it had been a mistake to come. Watching the steady rise and fall of her chest, the strands of red hair that tumbled over her peaceful face—

I can't leave you. But he had to. With trembling fingers, he took her diary out of his pocket and placed it in her outstretched hands. Part of her quilt blanket had slipped off her shoulder, and he carefully tucked it back around her.

His face was only inches from hers now. He warred with himself for an agonizing moment, wanting nothing more than to wake her up, to bring her perfect lips to his and—

No. He couldn't do that. If he did, his whole plan would be ruined. He had to go now before he gave in to the part of himself that fought tooth and nail against what he'd set his mind to do.

With a great deal of effort he finally tore himself away from her and straightened, reminding himself that he was doing this for her sake as much as he was for everyone else's. It was the only way he'd gotten his heart to agree to it.

"Goodbye," he whispered, allowing himself one last glance before he closed the door behind him. Without her soothing presence, the full gravity of what he was about to do hit him, and he slumped to the ground. The door was hard and unforgiving against his back, blocking him from the one person who could comfort him better than anyone else.

He refused to cry in front of his enemies, refused to give them the pleasure of seeing his fear and anguish. So he silently wept at Kairi's door instead. His stomach churned and his heart was filled with dread at what he knew was coming.

How can I do this? Everything inside me is screaming at me not to—

But then he thought of his friends. He thought of the way they'd comforted him tonight, though they hadn't known what was troubling him. They were always there for him, supporting him in his lows and celebrating his highs, just like true friends should.

Do it for them, Sora.

He straightened and wiped his eyes. His resolve had returned. He cast one last glance at Kairi's door, then turned away from it for good.

"I'm coming, Terra."

A/N: So, um, next week's chapter. Yeah. It's not an easy one to read, as you might have guessed by the way this one ends.

In my opening author's note, I mentioned that this story is darker than Dear Sora, and we're getting into that darker material. At the beginning of the next chapter, I will include some content warnings. If you don't want spoilers, please skip them because they will be spoilery.

On a more lighthearted note, awkward Riku (who we caught a glimpse of in DDD) was a lot of fun to write in this chapter. And of course I wanted Sora and Kairi to finally have the chance to dance with each other, since Sora's been dreaming about it since KH2.

As always, thank you for reading!