Sora woke the next morning in Ventus's tomb, one arm around Aqua and the other separating his head from the glass beneath him. Kairi, on the other side of Aqua, was still asleep. Sora sleepily noticed Ventus underneath him, looking peaceful and serene, and absently tapped the glass while yawning "Come on Ven... Gotta get up..."

Sora then paused as his sleep-numbed mind processed yesterday's events. Greif hit hard. His throat seized shut. His eyes started watering. As peaceful as Ventus looked, his death was nowhere near it. He pulled out his tarot card, stared at it for a moment, then ripped it to shreds.

"Hmm... Sora...?" Kairi stirred. Noting his expression, she calmly stood, stretched, and then wrapped him up in a tender embrace. "Hey, it's okay..." She backed away, smiling "Come on, lets go get some breakfast!"

She paused as the charm Sora received so long ago from Santa fell out of his jacket. Kairi stared at it, eyes wide and a blush forming. She reached over to pick it up "I-I'm sorry, this is-"

"Mine." Sora and Kairi's hands touched, one on top of another, and their voices said the same thing at the same time.

Sora grabbed the charm "Um... Santa gave it to me-"

"I lost that forever ago!" Kairi protested, tugging the cord to her "Dad brought me to the beach and I found all these shells-"

"Thalassa shells were on YOUR beach?! I thought they only were found on the islands!" Sora let go of the charm in shock. Kairi nodded "Yeah, they washed up awhile after I arrived here..."

She traced the shells, adding softly "This was supposed to be for someone special..."

Sora then asked "Who? Your boyfriend?"

Kairi glared at him, then turned away "You wouldn't believe me."

Sora thought a moment, then scooted closer and pointed at the drawing on one point "... me?" he asked quietly. Kairi shrugged "I've had this dream since I was really young of a boy around my age... always falling into the ocean and drowning... I can barely remember what he looks like now because the dream's gotten so routine, but I think I had a clearer image when I was younger."

She then turned to him and smiled a little "Maybe it is you." she placed it in his hand "I guess you can keep it, if you want."

They walked out of the tomb, deciding to let Aqua rest, and soon they were on their way to the kitchens to grab some breakfast, and trying to ignore the cloud of depression that loomed over the castle.

But there was another thing off... People were throwing dirty looks at Sora, and appalled ones were tossed at Kairi. Some murmured in other's ears, frowning with distaste. A few were heard "...disrespectful...no sense of judgement...scandalous...brat..."

"Hey Kairi, what's up with-"

Kairi and Sora froze in their tracks when one maid approached and said harshly "Miss Kairi! what are you doing with HIM?!" She then pushed them apart "I thought you knew better than to be around his type!" She glared at Sora, her voice rising "YOU, young man, should be ashamed of yourself!"

Sora leaned away, blinking. His expression was lost and beared confused guilt. His hand reached for Kairi, but the maid slapped it away "Don't you even THINK of touching her! You disrespectful, shallow BRAT!" Sora was tearing up now, wondering why he was being treated like this. He had finally found someplace to call home, somewhere that tolerated him- "Quit playing the sob-story card! We all know what you did! We all feel this way! You holed yourself up in your room, not bothering to grieve, too busy celebrating to mourn! We all know it was crocodile tears so don't go-"

"ELSA THAT IS ENOUGH!" Kairi stepped in front of Sora, her expression dark with anger. The halls hushed, everyone staring at the drama that had unfolded. Kairi gently turned to Sora, grasping his hand, wiping a few tears away and asking "Hey, are you okay?" Sora nodded lightly. Kairi turned back to Elsa, hissing "How DARE you say such slander! He didn't do anything CLOSE to what you claim!"

"Oh really?" She replied "Then say that to the whole castle! News gets around quickly! several people have gone by his room, if you need proof!"

Kairi let her fury escalate in her expression for the briefest moment before she said icily calm "And WHO has been spreading this rumor?"

None replied.

Kairi then said "I shall have you all know I found Sora in his room, yesterday, but he was NOT celebrating ANYTHING." She gave pointed glares at anyone who seemed to doubt her "I found him bawling his eyes out just as much as the rest of us! Feeling guilt! Feeling PAIN! Pain he STILL feels! And now you're just driving the stake in deeper!" She shook her head disappointedly "I thought that you all knew better than this! You're just preying on him because he's at his weakest!"

Kairi took a deep breath, composing herself and letting her anger sink away "Now, I understand that Ventus's passing has left a huge wound in our family here, but this doesn't give ANYONE ANY RIGHT to treat others like this." She took a shuddering breath again, as if surprised by the ruthless assault "I... I am very disappointed in that behavior. Just stop it."

She seemed finished, deciding to take Sora somewhere where he wouldn't be so persecuted, but added "If I EVER hear anything like that again... I am not going to hold myself responsible for whoever is on the receiving end of my wrath."

As the halls resumed their hustle and bustle, Sora dazedly watched Kairi leading him elsewhere. She looked sad, furious, dumbfounded. He then said softly "Um... T-thank you-"

"You don't need to thank me." She said, voice choked with tears "No one should suffer that."

Sora then halted "I'm serious Kairi, Riku is the only person who's stood up for me like that... You..."

He finished with a sincere smile, hoping she would understand. She smiled back, saying "You look really handsome when you smile like that... And when you act nice like this."

Sora mumbled incoherently "You look beautiful all the time." He pulled away a little later, but still lingered closer than he used to "Kairi, I'm really really REALLY sorry for acting like such a jerk."

She pressed her nose against his "Apology accepted."

They sat there, together, warm, feeling a secure buoy of kindness amidst the torrents of sadness. They hardly noticed the servants that paused to stare, the hunger that started to steadily rise, they just sat there with their arms around each other and not knowing any better feeling. For the moment, the world was nothing. The pain of Ventus leaving seemed like a ghost now.

There was a small cough, and they jumped away to find Mickey giving them an amused look. "Say, is everything alright? I just got a message that things weren't working out so well."

Kairi then backed up from Sora, shrugging "Things... Things are getting better."