Here we go, the 26th chapter of Tower of Trials, brought to you this winter by the substance known as "snow".

Disclaimer: Usual disclaimer Pollock. Kingdom Hearts is owned by Disney and Square-Enix.

-A-D-

The Tower of Trials

Chapter 26: Destiny Trio at the Lusty Wench

Riku blinked rapidly as he saw his friends reaching his and Sora's designated Wednesday night meeting spot. He was a little tired and sore from his own training—but only a little, as almost every day involved P.T. of some kind along with weapons and horsemanship training with the Proving Grounds boys—but he felt nothing like how Sora looked. He had skin discolouration from bruises that had yet to come into full swing and he was limping to one side from what Riku guessed was muscle strain. He also wasn't standing up straight, his back hunched over in what his body was probably making him do to protect something bruised in his abdomen. Kairi was with him, and she wasn't looking any better than her boyfriend. She wearily plodded along beside him, hair that had grown longer these past couple of months askew and frayed. Her body moved from side-to-side as she walked, not quite able to go in a straight line.

"You guys look like a pair of shambling zombies," Riku said as they reached him. "Did magic practice with those summoning spells seriously leave you guys that drained today?" The two shook their heads.

"No. Worse," Sora croaked.

"Enjoy your freedom while you can, Riku," Kairi said, her voice raspy from apparently having shouted her vocal chords to ribbons, "it'll be your turn to endure this hell soon enough."

Riku's face paled. What kind of training is Yvette putting them through, and what does she mean I'm next?

He coughed, bringing his thoughts back in order. "Right, we agreed you could tag along today, didn't we? Well, I guess if we're going to go we should go." He turned around and started leading the way through town, glancing back occasionally at his two friends. He'd asked Yuffie if she wanted to come along too, and maybe turn this into some kind of double-date thing, but she'd declined.

"Maybe some other time. It's been a long time since you three got to hang out together as just the three of you, even if it is in a bar that has a more 'adult' atmosphere, but I trust you. So go and have a good time with Sora and Kairi."

For a while he figured he was going to be the third wheel here because he was without Yuffie, but both of them seemed so completely out of it right now that it was probably better that his fiancé wasn't here. Riku smirked and fell back to where they were and placed himself between them. "Here, let me help." He lowered his body and placed his arms beneath each of their shoulders, letting them use him as some support.

"Thanks Riku," Sora said as Riku truly began leading them through town to their destination.

"You're the best," Kairi agreed.

"Yeah, I am pretty great," Riku concluded, helping the two of them walk forward. "So, what kind of hellish training did Yvette put you through to make you guys look like you took one too many body slams from a Large Body?"

"Not Yvette," Sora told him, shaking his head. "Definitely not Yvette."

"This is all Sora's doing," Kairi said. Riku looked to his right at where he was supporting Sora quizzically.

"You beat up Kairi…and yourself?"

"No! Nothing like that!"

"When Sora was casting the spell he'd been having trouble with, the one Yvette had given us to summon creatures called cosmos wolfs from another plane to fight for us so that we could compete in Conjuration Combat, he flubbed it," Kairi said. "But he hardcore flubbed it so bad that his heart broke through the barrier keeping our Keyblades locked to us and he managed to summon the spirit of the Kingdom Key into the material plane instead. She put Yvette to sleep, announced that she'd train us all to be Keyblade Masters, and then spent the next five hours beating the tar out of us."

Riku gasped and looked at Sora in wonder. "You managed to summon your Keyblade?" Sora nodded his head. "Can you do it right now?" Without a word, Sora called the Kingdom Key into his right hand, and Riku couldn't help but stare at it for the few seconds Sora held it before making it disappear again. "Wow. I wonder if I'll be able to do that soon."

"But all of my strength didn't come back when I got it back!" Sora complained. "I tried to cut a rock in two, but all I was able to do was whack it and my Keyblade bounced back, and then she punched me in the head for being weak! You remember when we used to be able to cut whole skyscrapers in two with a single slice, right?"

"Whoa, slow down, Sora," Riku chuckled. "Let's at least get to the place and put a few drinks in you first before you turn into a sobbing wreck."

"You can cut a building in half in one blow, yet you can't hurt a Large Body or Fat Bandit from the front," Kairi argued. "What kind of bullshit logic is that?"

Riku surrendered with a smile as his two friends began a tirade of complaints in their weakened states while he led them onwards. He remembered situations like this from long ago; being the eldest of the trio having the two younger ones complaining to him about every little thing like he was some wise and enlightened sage. It was good to know that some things never really changed.

"Alright, alright," he said as they arrived outside their destination. "You two ready to go in?" He let go of them so that they might stand on their own, and the pair straightened up a little. Kairi cast a little magic to heal up their injuries, surprising Riku that she hadn't already done so and making him wonder if they'd purposely not healed themselves in order to attract his sympathy, and the trio looked up at the building in front of them. Riku had seen it several times of course, as he had been inside of it on at least two occasions. It was a three-storey well-constructed wooden building with a well-manicured lawn out front. The main entrance was a pair of double doors nestled between overhangs supported by ivy-encrusted stone columns. Some of the windows on the upper floors were open and the curtains were pulled back, letting in the bit of a breeze blowing at the present and giving the three teenagers and angled view into the cozy interior decorations of the rooms.

"You know, I think tonight's the first time I've even seen a glimpse of the upper rooms," Sora said.

"I thought this place was supposed to be seedy," Kairi wondered aloud, surprised. "But it actually looks kinda nice." She looked at Riku and then at Sora. "Okay, yes, I'm ready to go in. Nobody's going to think I work here, right?" She looked down at what she was wearing first. She wasn't in the regular white garb she normally wore as an apprentice paladin, but had exited the temple this morning in a pink kirtle that fit her quite well with a white long-sleeved chemise. The kirtle's skirt reached down almost to her ankles, only revealing her boots to the eyes of anyone passing by.

"Yeah, you'll be fine," Riku told her. "Let's go."

The trio entered through the front doors into The Lusty Wench and found themselves in a mudroom where they were greeted by a sign instructing them to wipe their footwear well on the mats that they were standing on. At first glance it was a tavern pub, but a well-decorated one. The wooden tables, chairs, and floors were high quality and were well-varnished with loving care, the brass taps on the giant kegs were polished to a high shine, a merry fire was burning brightly in the fireplace by a large area left open and free of tables, and the whole pub was brightly lit by the large number of candles that adorned four opulent crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. The back wall with the fireplace was built with colourful bricks, and the parlour tables were surrounded by seats with red velvet cushions. Two staircases, one on either side of the room, led up to the upper levels. It was all very nice, with plenty of room to move between the circular tables that dotted most of the floor space and the square tables that were placed against the brick wall.

All in all, the atmosphere and aesthetic of just the decor and interior design of the pub was very nice, Kairi had to admit. However…

"Atmosphere, my ass," Kairi accused the boys. "The girls here are just wearing tight bodices that aren't even halfway to their bellybuttons and shorts. Shorts, Sora, and they're short-shorts! This is the first time I've even seen shorts in this world!"

Sora looked carefully at Kairi's face as she exploded. "Do you want some?"

"Yes! I want some! Summer's coming up; it's going to be hot!"

Riku raised his eyebrows. "But you've normally worn skirts or sleeveless dresses with short skirts. Why the shift to shorts?"

Kairi made a noise of disgust and placed her forehead between her splayed fingers. "My fashion options are limited here, guys. Any variety to my wardrobe is appreciated. Besides, I do like shorts, you know." She looked up and gave them both a small smile. "Well, anyway, the sign says to seat yourself, so let's get a table so you can order us that first round of drinks, Riku."

"So you're not upset at us?" Sora asked when they found a free table near the fireplace. Kairi sighed.

"Well… I can't say that I'm not a little upset," she admitted. "I mean, we're dating Sora, and yet you and Riku are coming to a place like this. On the other hand, you're hot-blooded teenage boys. I can't blame you for going to a place where you get to freely ogle women who are showing off what they've got. So long as you're not having sex with them too I guess I don't have much of a problem."

"Welcome!" the trio looked up as a server approached their table. Her eyes were bright green beneath the bangs of her neatly parted golden-brown hair, which was styled into a pair of twin tails accentuated by little black bows. The bodice containing her generous chest was a burgundy red in colour, with her hot pants matching. "My name is Samantha and I'll be your hostess tonight. How are you all doing today?"

"We've had a bit of a rough day," Sora said. "Know anything good?" She looked at him and Riku and gave them a flirtatious giggle.

"I have been told that I give very good massages," she said. "If you're all roughed up from a hard day's work, I would love to show you my technique."

Kairi coughed. "How very bold of you," she said. "However, these two are off the market."

Their server giggled and hid her smile behind her hand. "Oops. I guess it was a little naughty of me to offer my services right from the beginning. Can't blame me for trying though, the both of them are pretty handsome." She giggled some more. "I actually remember you two from the last time you were here, Sora, Riku, but you didn't want anything then either; we wondered if you didn't find us pretty enough to have fun with."

Sora sensed the hellfire behind Kairi's eyes and knew that even if she had just said that she didn't have a problem with this that he needed to diffuse this bomb before it blew up in his face. Kairi was already in a foul enough mood from Cosmos' appearance. "No, no, nothing like that," he said, holding up his hands. "You're definitely pretty; the twin tails are really cute, it's just that I just can't do anything like that with you. I already have my light, and so long as she's with me, she's all I'll ever need."

He looked at Kairi, half-expecting her to be smirking at him with some kind of 'you're darn right I'm all you'll ever need' look on her face, but she wasn't. She was smiling at him; a warm, soft smile on her face that reached the depths of her eyes. His words had touched her, and the smile she gave him flooded his heart with affection. And why wouldn't they have touched her? He may have said them as a reassurance to his girlfriend, but they were words straight from his heart.

"Aww…" Samantha said, looking between the two of them. "You two are so in love it's adorable."

"Yeah, they are," Riku said with a smirk. "I also just got engaged, so I'm afraid I won't be able to take you up on the massage offer. Drinks are still two copper a pint tonight? I'll get three of the Bearpaw lagers, and can we see a menu of what you've got cooking tonight?"

"Absolutely," Samantha replied. "The kitchen's been smoking a couple of pigs all day, so we're bound to have something good coming from that. Oh dear," she sighed. "Looks like some of the other girls heard what he said."

There were several working women at varying distances away from their table, but they were all staring at Sora and Kairi with tears in their eyes. One of them had even been about to start pouring wine into a customer's glass, but was now incapable of looking away.

"That was so romantic!"

"They're adorable together!"

"I wish a man would say something like that to me!"

"I want a boyfriend who'll treat me like that!"

A loud clap interrupted their fawning over the couple's romantic moment and also snapped Sora and Kairi out of making their own little world as they gazed at each other. "Ladies!" declared a big, burly woman with sailor's arms, a broad chin, and walnut-brown hair done up in a finely netted bun braid. She wasn't dressed quite as provocatively as the other women, wearing a low-cut blue dress instead of the small and tight bodices and shorts, but she exuded an aura of power and authority that the other women simply did not have. Evidently this was the boss. "Please, remember to be proper hosts and see to the needs of your own clients."

"Yes ma'am," chorused the women who had paused in their own duties before returning to their original tasks with even greater enthusiasm and charm.

"So… this is the little lady that's kept you from taking one of my girls upstairs, eh?" she said, coming up to Sora and placing a big meaty hand on his shoulder while sporting a toothy grin. She placed her hand on Kairi's chin and got her to look up at her. "Hm… pretty eyes, nice hair, good cheek bones; fair complexion too." She let go of Kairi and laughed. "Yes, I see. I see. You want to come work for me? I can tell that you'd be pretty popular with my customers."

Kairi blushed instantly and Riku laughed while all the redhead could do is splutter. She finally scrunched her eyes closed and nearly shouted. "I'll have to decline! I'm a trainee paladin, not a whore!"

"Who said anything about being a whore?" the boss asked with a big grin. "All you'd have to be is a hostess like Samantha or Envy over there. Flash the boys a smile, sit down and make chit-chat while they eat and drink and convince them to keep spending more money, maybe get felt-up a little if you feel that adventurous, and then go home to this fine young man here all hot and bothered so he can rock your world all night long! Plus you get paid well. Not a bad deal if I say so myself."

"I still have to decline!" Kairi said, sounding and looking even more embarrassed while Sora placed his head in his hands and buried them in the table. Riku tried to stifle his raging laughter, but it was really starting to hurt his gut. "I'm in training for the King's Challenge! I don't really have time for a part-time job!"

"King's Challenge? Don't tell me. You're the brats who took down that dragon that had the whole castle in an uproar the other day!" cried the boss lady. She laughed a great booming laugh and clapped both Sora and Kairi on their shoulders, nearly sending the two of them through the table. "Well I'd never. We have celebrities in our midst. Have what you want, on the house, and I'll even hook you up with a room for the night for the two love-birds to sweeten the deal."

Riku finally got his laughter under control, no matter how much it hurt his stomach, as the boss lady left them alone for a moment. "So, are you guys going to take advantage of the room or what?"

"RIKU!"

"I'd be way too embarrassed," Sora said, his ears hot and red. "I don't want everyone to think that we went out to a love hotel or something."

"They already know we came here," Riku said. "I bet right now they're taking bets on whether or not you'll get a room."

"Stop betting on our sex life!" Kairi said, still with her eyes screwed shut as her fists childishly banged the table. A noise of metal rapping against wood caused her to open her eyes, and she saw a tankard of the beer Riku had ordered in front of her. Kairi instantly snatched it up and started to drink as their hostess placed another tankard in front of Sora, and then sat on Riku's knee as she gave him his drink.

"So," Samantha said smoothly, placing a menu in Riku's hand while running her finger down his chin, "is there anything else I can help you dragon slayers with right now? If you can't think of anything, why don't you tell me how you took down that big, mean, dragon while you order?"

Riku imagined a chibi Yuffie flailing her arms around with X marks for eyes if she could see this. "Well, you see…"

-A-D-

"…and then she said that from now on, I must wear Goth Lolita clothes whenever I'm training!" Kairi complained. She took another few pulls from her drink before placing her tankard down again. Kairi stabbed her fork into a piece of the smoked pork shoulder she was eating. "Why Gothic Lolita? Why? She was wearing a yukata!"

"Why are you upset?" Riku asked. "Didn't you say an hour ago that you were looking for wardrobe variation?"

"Well, yeah, I did, but…"

"And you'd probably look good in Goth Lolita," Riku continued. "What's the issue?"

"It's black, Riku!" Kairi said, pointing her fork that was full of pork at him. "It's black. I don't wear black, I wear pink. There is no such thing as pink Goth Lolita. Uhhhgh! I'm doomed!"

"It's not going to be that bad, Kairi," Sora said, trying to comfort her as he placed a hand on her back. His girlfriend placed her head in her hands as her elbows dug into the table.

"No. It is. Jiminy's going to have pictures of me wearing some weird bell-shaped black petticoat. Everyone's going to see me training in that thing and all of their opinions of me are going to change. I'll be a laughingstock!"

"It really isn't going to be that bad, Kairi, trust me," Riku said. "You may get some weird looks, but it can't be any worse than what Naminé had to suffer through with Ur."

Kairi lifted her head to glare at him. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

"Training in her underwear in the snow."

Kairi grinned a little. "I don't suppose you have any pictures of that, do you? Or was all of this done in total secrecy?"

"Well it wasn't total secrecy since I'm aware of it," Riku told her, "but even if I did have pictures, they would have been burned. Besides, you remember how she was acting before, right? How she was unconsciously stripping because she felt too hot?"

"You're right, she did do that," Sora realized. He chuckled. "That would definitely be more embarrassing than wearing some cute Gothic Lolita clothes, right Kairi?"

Kairi glanced away from him while stuffing her fork in her mouth. "Well, maybe…"

"And if you got cat ears and a tail like a nekomata then that would be even cuter," Sora continued. "Honestly, if you ended up wearing something like that I might die." He took a swig from his drink. This was the group's fifth round of beers already; their storytelling about the dragon and Crafthall had taken some amount of time, and their hostess had plied all three of them with glowing compliments that had honestly inflated all of their egos a bit, especially with the alcohol in their systems. "Ah, catgirls are the best!"

"Should we find a catgirl club for us to visit next?" Riku asked, smirking at Sora. "I bet there's plenty of magic items that'd let someone change their appearance into one."

Kairi's ears seemed to perk up at that mention.

"Let's find one, Riku," Sora said enthusiastically. "Even you have to admit that catgirls are super cute. And we'll bring Roxas with us. It'll be a ball."

"Hey, don't leave me out of this!" Kairi reminded them. "Naminé and Yuffie whatever, but I'm not about to let you boys go drinking and clubbing without me anymore." She drained what was left in her tankard and made a satisfied gasp as she finished her drink. "Hey, Samantha! Another Bearpaw, please!"

"You sure you're up for another, Kairi?" Riku asked her with a smirk. "Want to be our man in the drinking contest?"

"You mean woman in the drinking contest, Riku," Kairi grinned. "And beer doesn't really bother me, not since Gaston made me chug a whole keg at once and Crowning Flame taught me how to use my inner light to burn away poisons, even if I did end up burning away my clothes at the same time."

"Nope, you're drunk, Kairi," Sora told her, smiling. "Stop trying to deny it."

"Whaaat? I am not drunk, Sora, I'm just happy. Say, if Cosmos is going to force me into wearing a Gothic Lolita outfit, what do you think she'll make the other girls wear? Personally I hope she makes one of them wear a bunny suit."

"B-bunny suit?" Riku asked, blushing. He immediately started thinking of Yuffie. "You mean…"

"With the black dress, the bow-tie collar, and the bunny ears and tail and fishnet stockings and heels," Kairi elaborated.

"Nah," Sora said. "If it's Naminé she'd be in a white one."

"That's true. White looks much better on blondes. Yuffie would definitely be in black, though. If she puts Jenny, Jastra, and Melbil through this, though, Jenny would be in white and she'd fill it out really well. What about Jastra and Melbil, though? Copper and scarlet hair…"

"No! Deep midnight blue on Jenny!" Sora said, snapping his fingers.

"Oh yeah! That'd be fun! And maybe a soft pink for Jastra, but Melbil's hair is as red as mine. What do you think would work?"

"Yeah, Kairi, how'd you do that with your hair anyway?" Sora asked. "Have you been dying your hair without us noticing?"

"Huh?"

"Well, your hair," Sora said, pointing at it. "It's, like, changed shades of red three times since we were building the raft." Kairi raised her right arm and made a fist while pulling back her sleeve and clenching her bicep with her left arm.

"It's only gotten redder as I've built up my red-hot fighting spirit!" she proclaimed proudly. "And I can say the same thing about your hair, Sora. It's gotten lighter. It used to be a dark brown, but now it's a pleasing light brown."

"I think it's a side-effect of Donald having to cure Sora one too many times," Riku chuckled.

Sora scowled. "Not a chance. I love Donald. He's one of my best friends, but he's only ever healed me once." He started to drink some more.

"And maybe he stopped because he thought he'd turn your hair white if he kept doing it," Riku teased. Sora slammed his empty tankard down on the table.

"Like you can talk. If we didn't make you get a haircut you'd probably grow it out until you look like Sephiroth."

"Ew. Don't compare me to the guy who almost killed my betrothed."

"Would you prefer Sora compare you to Ansem or Xemnas?" Kairi giggled.

Sora coughed and then started to speak. He deepened his voice about an octave too far, but he went with it anyway. "So you have come this far, and still you understand nothing. Darkness is the heart's true essence. Kingdom Hearts! FILL ME with the Power of Daaarkness!" He switched it up, trying to make his voice more gravelly, but it still left his two friends struggling to compose themselves. "Heed me, Kingdom Hearts, lend me your power so that we may be complete. The power to erase those that oppose us. Hearts quivering with hatred! Hearts burning with rage! Hearts scarred by envy! That fool Ansem said the heart's true nature was beyond his understanding, but it's not beyond mine! Hearts are the source of all power!"

"Oh come on, Sora," Riku laughed. "I don't speak in melodramatic monologues like that. That's more up your alley."

Kairi clapped. "Very nice, Sora, very nice. I got chills. You sounded so much like Xemnas there."

"Are you mocking my Xemnas impression?" Sora asked. "I thought it was pretty good. I even tried to get that weird echo-y quality of his voice down."

"Don't quit your dream of being an innkeeper Sora," Riku said with a preceding chuckle. "Roxas has a much better Xemnas impersonation than you'll ever be capable of."

"You wanna go?" Sora asked, pulling up his sleeve and placing his right elbow on the table. "Because I'm ready."

"Bring it!" Kairi accepted the challenge. "Hope you won't be upset at losing to your girlfriend in front of Riku."

"Sora, if you lose this arm-wrestling match with Kairi, you are turning in your man card for forever," Riku teased. Samantha returned to the table to take the empty tankards and place new ones on the table. Sora and Kairi locked grips with one another as they shifted positions to get into a more advantageous arm-wrestling position and Riku placed his hands atop theirs. "Ready? Go!" He let go, and he could immediately see the strain in the arms of his two friends as they battled.

"My money's on the girl!" someone from another table shouted.

"Don't give up, boy! Show her who's boss!"

"Don't listen to those guys, Kairi!" Samantha cheered as she returned and sat on Riku's knee again. "Show everyone what a lady can do!"

Both combatants were grinning like mad as they stared each other down. Riku had initially figured that this match would be over in seconds, with one of them the clear winner, but he was rapidly realizing that that was not the case. Muscles hidden beneath the skin of his friends' formerly skinny arms were making their appearance as they bulged and twitched. Each of them had a tight grip on the other's hand, and their arms moved only centimetres in either direction as the battle struggled to indicate who was actually on top. Whether this was a disappointment in Sora's strength, or a grand revelation of Kairi's in a simple contest, Riku could not say; all he did know was that both of them were also gripping the wood of the table with their left hands tightly, forcing them to stay in place while their arm-wrestling raged. It looked like their grip strength was phenomenal, as the wood looked like it was cracking under the strain.

"Heh, as expected, you're strong, Kairi," Sora said.

"If you don't get buff training to be a paladin then something's wrong," Kairi remarked. "But to be having this much trouble against you, I guess that's to be expected of our leader."

"You can give up anytime, Kairi. I was expecting Riku to take me up on this, not you."

"Give up? Please. I may have to live with embarrassment for the rest of my life if Cosmos goes through with this threat on the new training, but if we can become true Masters then there's no way I'm giving up. If I can get the strength I need to keep you safe, then I'll take any humiliation, even Gothic Lolita!"

"Keep me safe? Yeah, you will; and I'll keep you safe, Kairi," Sora answered, the muscles in his neck twitching as he tried to pour more strength into his arm. Very slowly, gradually, incrementally, he began to gain the advantage over Kairi as her right arm started to bend back. At the sign of movement the cheers around them grew more excited as everyone began egging them on even harder. Riku was laughing into his fist. These two were being so serious even as they'd just mutually declared to protect each other through thick and thin. Kairi's face showed her strain as she tried to hold Sora back and reverse this direction, and it looked like her left arm was straining even harder against the table as she did all she could, and for a moment it looked like she managed to halt Sora's progress.

Then all at once her face softened and her determined grinning glare fled, and she viewed Sora with nothing but contentment and affection. "Gods, when did you end up becoming so handsome?"

"Huh?"

BAM!

"I WIN!" Kairi shouted, jumping to her feet as with one motion she slammed Sora's fist to the table beneath her own.

"Gah! Sora, you blinked!" Riku berated him. Even while he was speaking, though, he and everyone else was slow in noticing how the sudden end to the arm-wrestling match upset the balance of the table they were sitting at. Normally, the round table with its central stand was sturdy, but the cosmic forces involved in the ending moment of the match destroyed that perfect balance. The full tankards of beer that Samantha had just placed went flying into the air as the table flipped along with whatever scraps of food were left on the clay plates they had been eating from; and Kairi, in her celebratory jump, placed herself directly in the line of fire. Just as she was shouting her declaration of "I WIN", her pink kirtle was splashed with two full pints of lager and pelted by bits of smoked pork.

Kairi shrieked in surprise as her clothes suddenly became wet with beer, and Riku quickly backed up his chair to avoid the stand as he belatedly recognized the table flipping onto its side. Sora just stood there, wide-eyed in shock as everything happened quickly before raising his hand in Kairi's direction as she stood there, frozen in place. "Uh… congrats on the win, Kairi? You okay?" She whipped her head in his direction and stared at Sora for a few seconds as her brain finished a manual reboot before a laugh burst out of her lips. She took his hand in hers with the anticipation of shaking it, but then Sora impulsively pulled her in tight and kissed her.

"Ah! He loses, but still wins," someone said, and a cheer rose up again as the customers raised their glasses and began drinking again.

"More wine!"

"Nice fight! I'll buy you two another round!"

Even as they cheered and watched, Sora continued the kiss. It kept going, and going, as Kairi's body bent over backwards as he went deeper and deeper. Even the girls working found themselves turning red in amazement as Kairi just went completely limp in Sora's arms. Eventually the boy finally pulled away from Kairi, and she inhaled deep breaths that caused her chest to visibly rise and fall while her face was enraptured with infatuated hunger.

"Wow…" she purred.

"Hey, sir," one of the girls said to her client she was sitting next to in a nearby parlour booth. "Kiss me like that."

"Sure thing miss, but only if we get to do it upstairs," he laughed.

"Done," she replied, to his wonder, and she began dragging him to the stairs. "I'll make sure I make it worth your coin." In a flurry of activity and noise the downstairs tavern emptied as almost everyone flooded to the stairway, caught up in the chemical concoction of liquor, poor judgement, and the look on Kairi's breathless face. Sora and Kairi themselves seemed not to notice the commotion they caused, as Kairi placed her right hand upon Sora's cheek and requested another, to which he happily obliged.

Riku felt something in the pit of his stomach stirring, and he began to feel that their night on the town was getting close to being done. They'd had dinner, they'd had some drinks, but now it looked like the two in front of him were getting hungry for a different kind of dessert, and he was honestly feeling like rushing to the Boar's Tusk to see if he could find Yuffie there before she returned to the barracks. It was just good manners to pound his beloved into the mattress in a private room instead of the communal barracks.

They heard the booming laughter as the boss lady returned to their overturned table, taking in a good look at what had transpired. Sora and Kairi reluctantly removed themselves from each other as they recalled that they had company, and were just decent enough to appear embarrassed about their conduct. "Uh, sorry about that," Sora said bashfully. "It was… kinda spontaneous."

"Spontaneous or not, y'all are making me money without even working for me," she said with a big grin. "You got my girls and their clients in the mood, which means big tips for them and a nice cut for me." She pulled out a key. "Here, the room I told you about earlier. It's yours for the night if you want to use it. If you don't that's fine too, but I suggest you at least let the lady use it to get changed. Beer-soaked clothes aren't the most comfortable things to be wearing, right miss?"

Kairi blushed and it looked like the mess that she and Sora had inadvertently caused caught up to her. "I'm really sorry about this." The boss lady waved off her concerns and placed a top and shorts in her hands.

"Ah, don't worry about it. I'll just make sure to charge you extra next time you come by, since I'm being nice and treating you on the house tonight. Here, change into these for now. It's just one of our uniforms, but it should fit."

"Um, thank you very much," Kairi said, now shy and demure. "I'll go get changed right away."

"Want some help?" Sora asked as Kairi started to leave towards the stairs. Kairi turned around and flashed him a flirtatious smile.

"If I wanted you to peek I'd have asked," she giggled. "Don't worry, I'll be right down." She left Sora standing with a dopey smile on his face, making the boss lady chuckle. She clapped him on the shoulder.

"Well, now that the tavern's opened up, why don't you move into that booth over there?" she suggested. "It's much more comfortable, it's cozy, and it's got room for more girls to cuddle up close."

"Sure, why not?" Riku agreed. "Hey, Sora, how much longer are we going to stick around for?"

"Aw… are you not having fun with us Riku?" Samantha asked, shifting her position on his lap in the chair he was still sitting in so that her chest was pressing against his. He glanced away from her cleavage and tried to pull off a nonchalant smile while looking at her face.

"Oh I am having fun," he said, "but all this fun is making me want to run off to my fiancé."

Sora slapped him on the back. "Oh c'mon, Riku. Yuffie told you to go out and have fun with us, right? Live a little more."

Riku shook his head and smiled at Sora. "I think you're a little drunk too there, Sora."

"Well yeah, of course I am," Sora replied, cheekily grinning as he pulled Riku over to the booth. "I've got five beers in me, so I'm bound to be somewhat intoxicated, but tonight I have no intention of sobering up. Why? Because I survived day one of Cosmos' Station of Awakening Boot Camp of Pain and Torture!"

"You guys have really been playing up how murderous this training is," Riku chuckled. "I'm starting to think that you're exaggerating it."

"Sounds rough," Samantha said, cuddling up next to Riku. "My massage offer still stands…" she said, tracing her finger along his collarbone.

"Sora's the one who could really use the massage, not me," Riku replied, "but I'll bet he and Kairi will be taking care of massaging one another later."

"You should probably take her up on it anyway, Riku," Sora remarked with a grin. "Weren't you complaining the other day that Yuffie really has no idea what she's doing when she tries to give you a massage?"

"Hm… you have a point," Riku admitted. "She's decent with shoulder rubs, but the rest is really hit or miss."

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Samantha enticed him. "I promise I won't try to seduce you, but I will get you all nice and loose and ready for whatever bedroom action you want with your sweetheart tonight."

"That does sound tempting," he acquiesced. "Maybe after another drink."

"Sure thing," Samantha said, rising from his side. "More Bearpaw, or something else to finish things off with?"

"Let's go with something sweeter and fruity," Sora requested.

"Sweeter and fruity? Hmm… how about a nice refreshing pear cider?"

"Sounds delicious. We'll take three of those." Samantha nodded and skipped off, the two boys watching her go. "Be honest, did you want the cider because you were tired of beer, or is it to surprise Kairi?"

"Little bit of A, a bit more of B," Sora answered. "She's much more of a cider girl than she wants to admit."

"You've got that right," Riku agreed. "So, about what we talked about the other day, you confirmed it?"

Sora's laid-back demeanour disappeared and he leaned forward. "It's still just hearsay from the travellers in the tavern, but this merchant doesn't seem like the kind of guy to tell tall tales. I'm positive that what they're talking about is true. About three day's travel southwest of here near the border there's this group of barren hills that apparently used to be sacred burial grounds for barbarian tribes that used to wander this region. Recently there have been reports of animated skeletons in the area around the place. It's in the wild hinterland, so nobody really goes there much, but doesn't that sound an awful lot like some kind of necromancer raising the dead to you?"

"Probably. Skeletons don't usually just climb out of their graves on their own. I don't think that the baroness has done anything as of yet about it, or if she has it's not something that we have been told about yet. What do you think we should do?"

Sora sat back and folded his arms while looking down at the table. "I'm guessing you already have an idea, but you're asking for my opinion before you tell me yours. Well… I'd like to help out Lensar on our own. Last time with the dragon we accidentally stumbled into helping out the barony, but this sounds like something we can do by ourselves. The skeletons I'm not really concerned about, but the necromancer… I don't think we're ready to handle someone who can wield that kind of magic." Sora looked down at his hand. "My magic's not that strong yet. I may have just gotten the Keyblade back and I know a few tricks, but I can't even manage something as strong as a base thunder spell yet. Against someone powerful enough to raise a lot of skeletons, going up against them without knowing more is too reckless."

Riku nodded. "I thought so too. I'd like to help, but against someone like that it's too dangerous for us as we are now. And we don't know if Adelwine has already entrusted one of her retainers or hired another adventuring party to handle things. We should just concentrate on our training for the King's Challenge for now."

"Yeah…"

"What are you two doing moping like this?"

Both of them looked up at the voice of Kairi, having returned after apparently very quickly changing into the borrowed Lusty Wench uniform. The bodice she wore was a faded evergreen in colour, two brass buckles crisscrossing over her bosom showing an enticing gap between each globe, tied with black string in the back just loose enough for them to sway a little as she moved. The shorts covering her rear were white, and fit well enough to emphasize every nice bit of curvature she had. Her socks, which neither of them had been able to see before due to her kirtle, were nothing especially special, just grey fabric that covered up to a few inches past the top of her shin-high leather boots.

Riku wolf-whistled and Sora's previously forlorn expression turned into a wide grin at Kairi's appearance. She slid in next to him and got very close to her boyfriend. "You look amazing, Kairi," Sora complimented.

"He's just being polite," Riku teased. "You look hot in that outfit, Kairi. I can really see why the boss wants you to work here."

"Hot as all the other girls?" Kairi asked, batting her eyes at Sora. He laid a kiss on her cheek.

"Even hotter." His right arm wrapped around the back of her shoulder, putting his hand down by her waist, and Kairi snuggled in a little closer so that she was quite nearly sitting on him.

Riku pointed a finger at them as he sat on the opposite side of the table from them. "You two are very flirty when you're both drunk. Have you noticed that before? I mean, you're always somewhat affectionate with one another anyway, but you're very flirty when drunk."

"Says the guy getting married," Sora countered.

"We're just happy to be together Riku," Kairi said. "You guys had a betting pool on when we'd get together anyway, so what's the issue with us being happy being together?"Riku just shook his head.

"Here we are!" Samantha said upon the hostess' return, carrying with her the three tankards of pear cider. "You look gorgeous, Kairi," she said as she placed one in front of the redhead. She seated herself at Riku's side. "Are you sure you don't want to work with us? You'll be very popular in no time."

"Ah, that's a 'no' for now," Kairi replied and picked up her drink. She barely glanced at it before placing it up to her lips. Her eyes went wide as she tasted it and looked down at it before looking up at Sora. "Pear! This tastes like pears!"

"Pear cider, Kairi," Sora told her. "You're welcome."

"Anyway, Kairi, to answer your question," Riku said. "We were just talking about something going on to the southwest."

"Oh, you mean the undead problem kinda close to Orzon in the Barrow Hills?" Kairi asked.

"You've heard of it?" Riku asked her.

"I'm an apprentice paladin, Riku. Sir Anthony and the senior paladins and clerics have been talking about it," she replied. "Right now they're speculating about it being the work of a powerful necromancer. I haven't been able to hear much, but I heard something about… uh, two hundred skeletons and other undead having been raised."

"Two hundred?" Samantha gasped.

"Where'd you hear that number?" Sora asked.

"A ranger from the Watchful Grove slipped into town yesterday. I overheard her talking about it to Keegin Lunbaleze when I was on my way to morning prayers this morning," Kairi explained.

"Two hundred?" Riku said under his breath. He took a deep drink from the cider.

"Yeah, that's a no-go area for us, then," Sora agreed with Riku's unspoken words. "We can't handle a necromancer who can control two hundred undead."

"Well, not yet anyway," Kairi said, sipping her cider. "I mean, if the Temple of Light or the baroness asks us to do something we'd probably be able to help in removing the undead problem while the people who are better skilled in evil mage hunting take out the necromancer."

Despite what Kairi said, Sora felt that her skin was growing a bit colder and he glanced down at her. "You okay?" She shivered.

"I don't like the thought of walking skeletons very much," she replied quietly. "Can we talk about something else?" She buried herself in her drink and Sora casually ran the backside of his fingers up and down her side.

"Why don't you two talk about whatever you like?" Riku suggested. He lifted his pear cider tankard to his lips and the other three watched as he chugged the whole thing. He sighed when done and then belched, to which the others chuckled. "I am going to take Samantha up on that offer for a massage, and then I am going to go find my blushing bride-to-be, and fool around a little."

"Or a lot," Sora said with a grin, watching as Riku and their hostess got up and began to leave the booth. He looked down at Kairi, and his hand strayed north to her chest. "I like Riku's idea."

Kairi grinned as the tracks switched and Sora's hand blatantly fondled her right breast through the fabric of the bodice. "Bold of you to make a move so quickly, Sora," she said, blushing. "You've barely seen me in this, and I have the feeling that you already want to see me out of it."

"I love you in whatever you're wearing, Kairi," he softly answered, snuggling his nose into the hair on the back of her head, "but you're at your best when you're wearing nothing at all." Kairi felt her heart skip a beat at Sora's words and she knew that they were going to be taking advantage of that room after all. She turned around to sit in his lap facing him, and this time she was the one to initiate a deep kiss.

"Finish your drink, now," she ordered, climbing off of him. She grabbed her own tankard and drank it down as quick as she could as Sora rushed to polish off his cider. Kairi was a little unsteady as she walked towards the stairs, but Sora was right behind her, catching her and giggling as she led the way up to the room that they'd been provided with. They saw the boss lady winking knowingly at them as they passed by, along with the girls at the bar.

There was a lot of kissing and groping and giggling as they headed up to the third floor for the room, and Sora kicked the door closed behind him and barely had any time to react as Kairi jumped into his arms and began kissing him again. Her fingers ran through his hair, and he felt as intoxicated with her scent as he felt from the alcohol. There was a dull haze in his mind, but every sensation felt amazing as he kissed his girlfriend, touched her skin, felt her teeth make small bites at his neck. Sora didn't even pay attention to the room's furnishings besides the nice bed as he placed Kairi on it and then knelt in front of it, looking up her long legs to see her smiling face. She lifted one leg, letting his eyes roam up and down her form, and wiggled her booted foot a little to emphasize what she was asking of him.

Sora did not hesitate for a moment. Grinning as a fool in love he unlaced her boot and slipped it off of her foot. He tossed it aside before starting on the second. Once it was gone he ran his hands up and down Kairi's left leg, feeling her through the sock before peeling each of those off as well. Now barefoot, Sora playfully kissed Kairi's toes, eliciting delightful squeals from her as he spent several minutes just playing with her feet before moving further up her body.

Kairi almost couldn't believe this was happening, but if it was a dream she didn't want it to end. They had fooled around like this before, never making it to actual sex, and each time it was absolutely amazing just kissing and groping and cuddling and using their mouths and hands to stimulate one another. Sora was plying compliments on her body, both with honeyed words he somehow managed to produce as well as with the physical actions he was taking to make her feel good. The minutes continued to pass, Sora worshipping her body as her last few articles of clothing came off, and she truly felt like a princess with an adoring knight who was absolutely loyal to her with how the Keyblade bearer doted on her.

He ravished her with lips and teeth and fingers and tongue, Kairi unwilling to contain her mewls and gasps and moans of pleasure and encouragement as Sora kept going. Her body was on fire, mind melting from the ecstasy as he brought her to her peak three times using just those things on all the places he could reach. Her legs were locked around the back of his head as she reached heaven for the third time, calling his name in bliss while her hands clutched at the bunched-up sheets of the bed. The sweat that beaded on her was cool against her hot skin, and when she came back down she tilted her head towards the young man she loved with all her heart and soul, ready to tell him to claim her for his own and gift to him her first time—and take his first time for herself as well.

Something was amiss, though. Sora's grip on her hips and buttocks was no longer firm; his tongue had stopped delving into her core, and he was just…there. Kairi unhooked her legs and sat up, looking down at him in concern, and then she heard it: the faint sound of her beloved lazy bum sleeping.

"…FUCK!"

-A-D-

So that was a bit of filler now wasn't it? I needed SoKai fluff in my life, so I did some SoKai fluff, and a little bit of smut-light for SoKai as well.

Hope you all enjoyed it!

May the Grace of the Valar Protect You

Shire Folk