"Alright," Flynn huffed, "this is the final stretch. Just over this hill, and we should be out of the forest and on the bridge to the kingdom."

Sora ran past them all and had already made it halfway up the hill when he called back, "Come on guys! Day's not gonna last forever!"

Kairi took a deep breath and willed her feet forward. Walking half the day had taken its toll on everyone except Sora apparently, who'd had the privilege of napping on Maximus for a few hours.

"We're almost there," Rapunzel said with a shaky breath as they all neared the top.

"Atleast it's all downhill," Kairi sighed.

"Just watch your step, the grass can make it kinda slippery," Flynn said.

As she rounded the top of the hill, she discovered why. The steep hill had no dirt path, only damp grass and blossoms. A tall canopy of trees was their only guide on where to go. She paused, awestruck by the grass and flowers that decorated the hillside. It was one of the most beautiful scenes she'd come upon throughout this journey, and the last thing she wanted to do was step onto it.

Sora came up beside her, and based on his expression, he felt the same way. He looked to her and smiled before glancing back at the others. With a nod, he took the first step down and almost immediately began slipping. Kairi grabbed his hand to steady him, which only caused her to be dragged down with him.

"Woah!" they both called out.

Kairi's stomach rose to her chest. She knew that trying to stop at that point would only result in painfully tumbling all the way to the bottom, so she just went with the motion. With each other's support, they found their balance as they slid down the neverending hillside. She released his hand as their momentum drew them apart, and they looked to one another and laughed. Based on the excited shouts behind them, Flynn and Rapunzel had followed their lead.

"This is so fun!" Rapunzel cried out.

They stumbled through the trees at the base of the hill and were immediately greeted by the scent of salty air. Soft sand broke her momentum, and Kairi soon found herself standing on a small shore.

In the not-so-distant horizon, a modest yet resplendent castle town filled a sizable island. Kairi could only assume it was their destination. the Kingdom of Corona. Quaint buildings of unified colors peppered the landscape, and a grand castle took center stage at the top of the hill. Despite how compact the kingdom appeared, the island it resided on still contained plenty of greenery. The kingdom had been built to accommodate the land, not the other way around.

Her and the other first-time visitors must have been standing in silence for too long, for Flynn stood in front to disrupt their view. "I know, it's alot to take in the first time."

Kairi thought Radiant Garden had been beautiful - a spring of life in the middle of a rocky landscape. Yet the kingdom before her seemed to pop right out of her grandmother's fairy tales. She managed to tear her eyes away from the kingdom and look to Rapunzel, who was still entranced with a beaming smile on her face.

"It's...magnificent," Rapunzel muttered.

"Just wait til you get inside," Flynn gestured ahead, where a large stone bridge connected the kingdom to the mainland.

Kairi turned and caught Sora staring at her. "What?" she giggled, "was my face that bad?"

"N-no!" he rubbed the back of his head, "I'm just excited to see it together."

"Then let's go," she smiled.

The castle seemed to grow larger as they crossed the bridge. Even the mountain behind their town on Destiny Islands hadn't seemed that big. No doubt, from the highest tower, one could see for miles in every direction.

The sounds of a bustling town became louder as they approached: people shouting and cheering, carts being pulled through the busy streets, animals of all kinds making their presence known. No one questioned or paid the newcomers any mind with the excitement of the festival looming all around, but Kairi made a note to avoid the guards' attention for Flynn's sake. Perhaps having an imperial horse with them would help. Lea's influence on her showed itself in her search for potential escape routes.

But all of her planning and strategy took a backseat the moment she crossed under the large archway.

"Woah." She stopped in the middle of the street to take in everything.

The place was filled with people of all ages - festival goers, vendors, and carefree children alike. Not a single face in sight bore a frown. Above her, purple and gold ribbons criss-crossed all the way down the street. Now that she stood up close, she could see that the town was built on different levels, from the lower docks with all of the shops, to the center level staggered with welcoming homes, to the very top where the castle overlooked them all. The layers of buildings filled her whole vision. Everywhere she turned, she'd find more of the kingdom to see.

Sora stood beside her, equally in awe. Rapunzel could only let out a squeal of delight.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Flynn broke their silent trance. "I'll tell ya, that castle is a nightmare to get up to by rooftop, but riding down is all the fun."

Max grunted and sent him a knowing glare.

"Flynn!" Rapunzel nudged his shoulder. "Is that how you got-"

"Hey, shush," he put a finger over her mouth, "we can't blow our cover now." He put a hand on her back and guided her forwards, "Not when you haven't even gotten to enjoy the festival yet."

The horse followed closely behind, unlikely to let either of them out of his sight all day.

Sora was less insistent, instead just facing Kairi and gesturing forwards. "We came all this way. Ready to have some fun?"

In truth, she'd been having fun since they'd found each other again, but she decided against verbalizing those thoughts.

She nodded, "Let's go."

They hadn't even walked a cart's length into town before Rapunzel's hair became tangled. First it was over someone's foot, then by the claws of a playful cat. By the time it caught around another person's ankle, they knew it'd be hard to manage. Flynn walked behind her and gathered up what he could, but there was no way she'd be able to enjoy the festival this way. The fact that her hair had even made it all the way through the forest in one piece was a miracle.

"Well, this won't do," Sora said. He pulled at one of his hair spikes, "I wish I knew more about long hair."

Kairi had managed Lea's spiky hair before, but Rapunzel's was a whole new level.

A quick glance at the local decorations gave Kairi hope. "There are ribbons, flowers, and braids in every girls' hair. We'll find something."

Flynn pointed out a group of young girls braiding one another's hair. Simply pointing out Rapunzel's long golden hair was enough to get them to help. By the time they'd finished, her seemingly endless hair merely came down to her ankles in a festive braid. Kairi didn't want to know how heavy it all felt, but Rapunzel didn't seem to care as she spun around and showed it off.

She turned to Kairi, "What about you?"

"Me?" Kairi asked. "My hair's way too short for a braid."

"But it's red!" one of the girls shouted. "Like ours!"

The four little girls circled Kairi, whispering amongst themselves before running back to their basket full of flowers. Their hands worked quickly, and before Kairi knew it, they'd assembled a flower crown made of alternating pink and white chrysanthemums.

"Oh, it's so lovely!" Kairi exclaimed.

She knelt down to take it, but the girls pulled it back. "You don't do it yourself, silly!" the eldest giggled. Instead, she held it up to Sora. "A princess never crowns herself."

"Uh-" Sora froze at the gesture, but quickly returned the girls' sweet smiles. Likewise, the blush she loved to see made its return. "Well, if you say so."

Kairi giggled, trying to hide her own bashfulness. "Such a gentleman," she curtsied low.

He chuckled, and she soon felt the soft petals resting on her head. She straightened up and met his gaze.

"Princess Kairi," he said, "Has a nice ring to it."

If Sora was trying to get revenge on her for making him blush, it nearly worked. She just giggled and brought a hand up to hide her face.

"As you say, Sir Sora."

They filled the afternoon with as much as they could. With all the town had to offer, it seemed impossible to get to it all. Despite how much she'd selfishly wanted to be alone with Sora before, she was grateful for Flynn and Rapunzel's company. A festival like this was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and who knew the next time they'd get to see their new friends again.

Just based on the free samples they'd gotten from each vendor, Kairi never knew there were so many ways to make cheese. She couldn't decide on her favorite. Every type of fruit was available as well. Max had even managed to charm his way into getting a few free apples.

Kairi picked up a map when they passed a cartographer's table. She likely wouldn't get to explore the whole world, but having a reference never hurt anyone.

As they walked, they noticed that colorful chalk drawings lined the street on all sides.

"Oh! Art!" Rapunzel grabbed Flynn's arm and began following them to find the source.

Sora and Kairi took their time to look at each drawing. Many of them reminded her of the drawings in the secret place, only the ones back home had been done with simple carving rocks instead of fancy colorful chalk. She found it amusing how similar children and their imaginations were across worlds, regardless of location or resources.

What she wouldn't give to be back home at that very moment with both Sora and Riku. They could revisit the secret place together and reminisce about each drawing they'd made. She still remembered the day they'd first led her into the cave when they were little. How welcomed and accepted they'd made her feel. Back then, she could tell Riku had been hesitant to let the new girl into their secret place, but it had only made earning his trust and friendship that much more special and important to Kairi.

Letting her into their friend group had been Sora's idea first. His smile and kindness had been with her for as long as she could remember. She looked to him as her most recent drawing came to mind and failed to notice the giant mural in front of them.

"Hey," Sora pointed to it, "doesn't that kinda look like a baby Rapunzel?"

"Huh?" she blinked, bringing herself back to the present moment. Sure enough, a large tile mural stood before them, depicting the king and queen standing as a happy royal family. In the queen's arms rested a blonde baby girl with the biggest green eyes. "She really does, doesn't she?"

A mother and child approached the mural and placed a bundle of flowers at its base. "It's for the lost princess," the mother explained.

If the royal princess had been lost, and Rapunzel had lived isolated in the forest all her life…? No, it couldn't be. Rapunzel had told Kairi about her mother, and she definitely wasn't the queen. It had to just be a coincidence, Kairi told herself.

Speaking of which, Rapunzel had found the children responsible for all of the chalk drawings and eagerly joined them.

The more Kairi observed Rapunzel and Flynn together, the more it confirmed her theory about them. If this had just been a job escorting her to the Kingdom, then Flynn had held up his end of the deal. Yet he stayed, and likewise Rapunzel made no move to leave his side. Judging by the way he watched her enjoying herself, Kairi knew she'd been right.

They liked each other. Alot.

While the couple was distracted with chalk, Sora grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the crowd.

She giggled, and he read her unspoken question.

"They'll be fine as long as they're with each other," he said. "I thought we could have some fun of our own."

"Oh?" she teased, "and how's that?"

He didn't answer her with words, but continued to lead her down to the market. The smell of freshly baked pastries reminded Kairi how long it had been since she'd eaten a proper treat. She didn't try to hide the growl in her stomach and was relieved to find Sora just as infatuated with the warm scent.

She'd spent the last of her munny buying Lea his hood, and was prepared to walk past the food or get what free samples she could. Atleast, that had been her plan until Sora pulled out his munny pouch.

"Pick anything you like, Kairi, it's my treat!" He topped off his pun with a wink.

"Oh," Kairi giggled and averted her gaze, "thank you."

Was she looking too far into things, or was Sora treating this like a date?

There were so many options, from fluffy muffins to cheesecake to sliced lemon bread, it was hard to decide. Once a rich chocolate cupcake caught her eye, however, she couldn't deny her instincts. Holding it in her hand, she almost didn't want to ruin its beautifully piped frosting and arranged strawberry slices. If it weren't for the warmth, the smell, or her own watering mouth, she might have resisted longer.

Carefully peeling back the paper protecting its shape, she took the first savory bite. A rich taste danced around her mouth. Dark but not bitter; savory but not too sweet. She hummed in delight before she could stop herself and realized she'd had her eyes closed. All eyes had been on her, Sora who'd been half-paying attention to his own pastry and the baker who seemed very pleased with his satisfied customer.

She gulped down and continued in mild embarrassment. "Mmm, these are amazing!"

Sora mumbled incoherently with his mouth full, but she got the message.

They shared a moment of silent bliss as they each finished their treats, focusing on the savoriness. They thanked the baker on her way out, and Kairi vowed to learn to bake more once she returned home.

A few more minutes of wandering and admiring brought them to the docks. They were just as busy and festive as the rest of the town, though the open water did help Kairi feel less claustrophobic. There was no sandy shore like on the other side of the bay, just a drop straight from the edge of the street into deep water. Kairi leaned over. The fish reminded her of the ones back home that would swim right up to people.

Sora caught her attention when he handed her a fishing pole.

"You want to fish?" she squinted at the little worm wriggling on the hook. "But I don't know how."

Atleast, she didn't know how to do it that way. On the islands, they'd always used nets or good old-fashioned bare hands.

He pointed to his chest with pride. "But I do!" He guided her to the end of the wooden dock and stood beside her. "I learned in one of the worlds I visited. I'll show you."

In one big arching motion, he cast the line into the water far ahead. She mimicked his movement, but her bait only landed a few feet in front of her. She pouted.

Sora laughed, "That's okay, it doesn't need to be that far out." He turned his attention back to the water. "Now, just hold it steady and wait for a bite. You can tug on the line a little, but not too much."

She held her grip steady and watched the line bob up and down in the water. Truthfully, his excitement over teaching her made her plenty happy regardless of what he wanted to show her. There were so many things she wanted to show him too, like her new armour and Keyblade rider, the wonders of Twilight Town she'd helped investigate, or the sailing she'd learned with Moana. Their time together so far hadn't been long enough to tell everything.

Tension on her fishing line brought her mind out of its daydream. It nearly pulled the rod out of Kairi's loose grip, but she managed to react just quickly enough.

"Ah!" she panicked. "What do I do?"

"Relax," his tone was more amused than anything, "hold the reel so you don't lose the line any more."

Indeed, the reel was spinning as the fish tried to make its getaway. She quickly stopped it with her hand, planting her feet firmly in place to balance.

"Good, now reel it in."

She began rotating it in the opposite direction before the line broke, sending her stumbling backwards.

Her pout must have returned, for Sora began laughing again. "It's okay, you'll get it with practice."

She looked over to realize Sora was already pulling in his own catch. He made it look so easy, and she wondered how much practice he'd needed. With a splash, a decently sized fish was pulled from the water.

"So," she paused, "what now, once you've caught it?"

Sora's eyes went wide. "Um, good question."

"Does fishing like this hurt them?" she asked.

"It's probably not pleasant," he held its body and removed the hook from its mouth. "We can set it free, unless you want to cook it," he joked.

She giggled, "I'm honestly craving more of those cupcakes from earlier."

"That we can do." He knelt down and set the fish back into the water.

In a split second, it disappeared far below the surface. She wondered whether it would be weary of free food in the future, or if it would forget this experience by nightfall.

Sora's smile fell, and Kairi could almost read his thoughts.

"Thank you for showing me," she reassured him, "can we practice again sometime?"

His spirits lifted again, along with his smile. "I'd like that."

Together, they strolled down the street facing the water and stopped to admire each vendor's wares. Still just as festive, the stores on the waterfront sold food and accessories to match. Fish, crustaceans, seaweed, and even several types of sea shells. No thalassa shells were in sight, however, and Kairi swelled with happiness to know that those would remain something special between herself and Sora.

Suddenly, a commotion rose from the center of town. After a brisk walk up the stone pathway, they found a crowd of people huddled together. It hadn't just been a commotion, but a combination of music, dancing, and cheers. Kairi looked to Sora and smirked; they didn't have to guess who'd started it all.

Sure enough, Rapunzel was prancing around the square to an upbeat fiddle. Every few steps, she picked someone out from the crowd and pulled them in to dance with the rest. Total strangers danced with each other, and Max even managed to bump Flynn into the cluster.

"There you are!" Rapunzel spotted both of them and made her way over to her next targets.

Both Sora and Kairi laughed, neither needing much coercion to dance. Kairi skipped and spun, weary of the flower crown on her head. She caught a glimpse of Sora, who'd been much more creative in his use of the environment while dancing. He hopped onto the nearest street post and spun around. The crowd cheered more loudly as more and more people joined in.

Sora's hair was severely lacking in decoration, so next time Kairi twirled past a flower pot, she plucked one and hid it behind her back. He blushed when she skipped up next to him, but became completely taken off guard when she seamlessly placed the flower into one of his spikes.

She giggled at his expression until someone bumped into her and pushed them close together.

Their bodies collided, and Kairi froze. Her hands felt aimless and stiff. They soon found a place - within Sora's - which only caused the knot in her stomach to grow. His own eyes were wide.

Before she could open her mouth, to speak, to apologize, he was leading her back into the melody. At the same time, the music picked up pace, and the world around her faded away.

He'd gotten so bold. But how? Since when? His closeness was obviously past the point of a happy reunion of friends.

Maybe he had seen her addition to the drawing in the secret place.

Maybe this was his way of saying he was ready.

But ready for what, exactly?

Her chest flared, and the heat crept up her neck all the way to her face. Luckily their dancing was fast-paced enough that she could blame the exercise. He kept one of her hands in his own, but brought his other around her waist.

They weren't dancing on their own any longer, but acting as one. He spun her in circles while keeping her grounded, and she showed her trust when she lifted her feet.

He felt like a dream, and something told her this fulfilled something deep within himself as well. Whether it was the sparkle in his eyes, the smile that beamed even brighter, or the contagious laughter. She didn't even notice the sun begin to set, or the music climax and signal an imminent end. So when the melody abruptly stopped as a crier announced the lantern ceremony, she wished she could hold onto that moment for eternity.

The crowd around them dissipated. They dropped their hands, but held each other's gaze.

Sora huffed like it was the first breath he'd taken all day. "Meet me at the docks, okay?"

She nodded, and he ran off into the crowd. The walk back down the path they'd come felt much colder even with the extra people around her.

One by one, the boats departed into the bay. Several had offered to let her board, but she'd politely declined. She managed to catch Flynn leading Rapunzel out in a quaint row boat, never looking more nervous. She shot him a wink for good luck.

Minutes later, no one but her was left at the docks. The sky grew dimmer with the setting sun, and Kairi passed the time by dangling her legs over the stone wall. All became quiet, contrasted with the liveliness of the town earlier. Peace washed over her as she leaned her head back to take in the night sky.

A minute later, familiar footsteps approached, and Sora stood behind her. Her companion for the day. Her dance partner. Her...friend.

She stood and dusted herself off to face him. He hadn't come empty-handed, but beared a cylindrical paper lantern.

"Sorry I took a while," he shrugged. "I wanted to get you something."

She gently took the lantern from him, but it was too dark to see any details on it yet.

"Thank you, Sora," she smiled even though he couldn't see her face, "how will we know when to light it?"

"I guess we just wait," he said as he stepped closer. "Hey, listen. There's something I want to say before it starts."

"What is it, Sora?"

"I'm sorry for...suggesting to take you back," his voice was low in both tone and volume. "No matter what you decide, I won't tell anyone. I just hope you know that you can trust me."

"Of course I trust you, Sora." At her words, his eyes finally met hers amidst the dark night. "I hope you trust me too. To fight."

"I do," he smiled. "Especially after these last couple days."

"Good," she teased, 'because I'll always have your back."

They stood in peaceful serenity until the smallest orange light caught the corner of her eye. Her head turned more quickly than her mind could register it.

There it was.

A single glowing lantern ascended from the castle balcony, holding the attention of every eye in the Kingdom. For a few moments, it was alone, like a single bright star in the night. But soon it was followed by another. Then another. Then a dozen more. She lost count quickly as more and more floated into the air from the rooftops and boats.

"It's beautiful," she said, taking in the night sky, "like hundreds of stars."

She peeled her eyes from above and back to the lantern between her hands. With the additional lighting, the elegant sun design finally revealed itself. Though she had no way to light it, the boy beside her did.

Bashfully, she extended her arms towards him, "Together?"

A smile crept across his face, "Yeah."

For the first time since they'd arrived, he summoned the Kingdom Key and pointed it under the wick. The simple incantation of a base fire spell was whispered, and the tip of his Keyblade glowed red. The wick barely needed a touch to set it ablaze. Once lit, Kairi felt its gentle vertical tug on her hands, as if it were politely requesting to be released. The filtered light gave off a soft orange ambience like a tiny sun.

Holding it with both hands, she faced Sora. His face glowed under the warm light, and the amber contrasted beautifully with his blue eyes. He placed his hands over hers on each side of the lantern, warming the outsides of her own in the process. Kairi hadn't realized how calloused his hands had been from battle until then. She welcomed the coarse touch, though, and fought back a blush. If his features were more vibrant, then that meant hers were too.

"On three," she said, positioning the lantern in between them.

He nodded. "One," he said softly with his gaze transfixed on her.

"Two." Her gaze darted between his eyes, trying to read his thoughts.

"Three." He finished, and they slowly lifted their hands.

In one slow, fluid motion, they set the lantern free. Her gaze followed the light as it ascended and joined the scores above them. She tracked it until its light clustered indistinguishably with several others.

"You know," she said, "it's almost like witnessing Destiny Islands being restored all over again. There were so many lights flying all around me." She pictured it. Some of those tiny lights became stars, others came down and sprung her small island home back to life. "It's beautiful."

Her hands fell to her sides, but were stopped midway by granular palms. She looked down at his hands still encompassing hers. His eyes were still fixed above, but soon shifted down to rest on her.

"Yeah," he replied, "it is." The corners of his mouth lifted into a soft smile as he firmed his grasp on her fingers.

Sora had gotten really bold, and it turned Kairi to a pile of nerves. She was positive that her quickened heartbeat had become audible to the whole kingdom. In that moment, the allure of the illuminated night sky paled in comparison to the boy - no, young man - in front of her. Her hands curled into his.

She knew not what came over her, only that the space between them began to close. She didn't care where they were or who was around them. A gravitational force pulled her in to do what she'd always wanted to. Once she felt him follow her movement, there was no fighting it.

She moved until her forehead pressed against his, aware that their whole relationship would change once they proceeded forward. Not that it'd be replaced entirely, just another layer added to the foundation they'd built. Soft spikes of hair tickled her temples. A hand came up to tuck her hair behind her ear and lingered on her jawline, as if to meekly encourage her forward.

It was all she needed. Before she could act on her thoughts, however, her ears were overwhelmed with the sounds of shouting and clanging metal. Both had been unaware of several palace guards hastily making their way past them. It would have been nothing more than background noise, had not one of them unintentionally pushed her aside. The sudden force sent Kairi stumbling to the ground. Sora, though taken off guard, quickly reacted.

"You okay?" he extended a hand to her; the same hand that was intimately against her face moments ago.

"Y-yeah," she accepted his offer, and was pulled back to her feet.

She'd come so close to perfection, and her heart sank at the realization that the precious fleeting moment had been ripped right from under her feet - literally. She blushed and averted her eyes from him.

The guard had the courtesy to stop. "Oh my goodness, miss, I am so sorry! It's just - there's been an emergency!"

"Where's the fire?" Sora replied sternly. If looks could kill, the one Sora sent him would've made whatever he was running to the least of his problems.

The guard was taken aback, "Actually, there's been a sighting of a criminal, Flynn Rider." Both keybearers' eyes widened at the name. "Sound familiar?" the guard continued, "Then you must be aware of the urgency of this situation. Now, please excuse me. I really am sorry." He awkwardly bowed and continued on his path before either could reply.

Kairi looked to Sora with concern. His expression mirrored hers, and she knew they shared the same heartbreaking thought: that they'd have to wait.

They'd always have to wait, so it seemed.


A/N: Thank you so much for reading, and happy Valentine's Day! I wrote the scene at the end of this chapter so long ago, and it's so satisfying to finally make that scene a part of the story! The fact that this chapter lines up with Valentine's Day is pure coincidence, but I hope you all enjoyed the little SoKai moments nonetheless :)