Awwwwww, its time for what I like to call Keys' Valentine's Day Special! This chapter really is nice change of pace; a sweet, soft bundle of fluff to give us all a break from the angst this story's been so rife with lately. I really like how it turned out and how cute it all came together to be, so I hope you all think so too! Enjoy! 3


Chapter 38: So This is Love

So this is love, mmm
So this is love
So this is what makes life divine
I'm all aglow, mmm
And now I know (and now I know)
The key to all heaven is mine

The call each of the Keys to the Kingdom carries is a clear, distinct one. They beckon to the heart in an unspoken voice, whispering in worlds where those Keys lie waiting, though never telling how exactly to find them. It's a call, a feeling, that Sora has felt many times now-eight times to be exact. And it's something that he decidedly isn't feeling as the entire collection of the guardians of light venture into the new world Aqua and Ventus insisted they travel to.

"Um… guys?" he decides to speak up not long after they arrive. He trails alongside Donald and Goofy, near the back of the group as they head down a lightly wooded road. The path stretches toward a sizable town up ahead, and, resting even further beyond that, a towering, radiant castle, practically glowing against the early evening sky. "What are we doing here?"

Aqua and Ventus exchange a brief glance at this question as they continue leading the way. Ultimately, Aqua is the one to offer an answer to it. Or at least, make an attempt at doing so. "Well, we're, um… We came here to…"

Ventus can only shrug apprehensively when she looks to him for help. Fortunately, Mickey manages to fill in with a fitting explanation, something they're both lacking, just in the nick of time. "That's easy," the king says with a bit of a small chuckle. "We're back on the hunt for the rest of those Keys, remember?"

"Ok, great, but one problem," Sora points out with a frown. "There isn't any Key in this world."

"Uh… how do you know?" Ventus asks. He tries as best as he possibly can to make his smile not come across as nervous. To not let their scheme be seen through before it's even truly begun.

"Well, I have this sort of… Keys Instinct that's been helping us find them so far," Sora explains. "I don't really know how to describe it, but it's like this… feeling, I guess? Point is, it's something I've felt in every world where we've found a Key, but I'm not feeling that here, so…"

"So maybe we should just move on then?" Kairi infers, finishing off where he leaves off.

"We can't leave yet!" Ventus exclaims, perhaps a bit too intensely. He backs down a bit at the curious glances most of the others send his way. "Um, w-we can't leave without… at least looking around, right?"

Ventus falters under the incredulous look Sora sends his way when he says this. He has a pretty good idea about what's behind that look too, a reason neither of them can really say, as much as Ventus might want to. And of course, what Sora says next is nowhere near close to that. "We can always look in some other world where there actually is a Key," he stops short, preparing to turn back toward the ship and hoping the others follow suit. "I don't think it's a great idea to be taking a shot in the dark in a place where we might not even find one in the first place. Not when the Organization's out there looking for them too."

"Actually," Riku speaks up, his tone cool and even. "I think Ventus has a point. There's no harm in checking, just to be safe."

"B-but… my Keys Instinct…" Sora protests earnestly. And for that earnesty, Riku approaches him, placing a steadying hand on his shoulder.

"I trust that instinct, just like I trust you," he assures with a soft smile. "But we need to be thorough just as much as we need to be fast. What if there is a Key in this world, but it's just so well hidden that your instinct didn't pick up on it?"

"It would pick up on it though," Sora insists. "That's… just how this works. Right, you guys?"

Donald and Goofy both nod when Sora glances back at them for support. "Yeah, yeah, it's worked so far," Donald waves his hand dismissively.

"With every Key we've found yet," Goofy adds much more affirmatively. "And after finding 8 of 'em, we should know."

"I understand that," Riku acknowledges the pair before turning back to Sora. "And I'm not saying you're making a mistake by not sensing one here. But I still think it's worth our while to take a look anyway. After all," he pauses for just a beat, sparing the briefest of intentional glances between Sora and Kairi, standing nearby. "You never know what we might find if we do."

"...Well, whatever we find, I doubt it's gonna be a Key," Sora muttered, not following the hint.

"So what's the plan here?" Axel pipes up. "Are we staying or are we heading out?"

"We're staying," Aqua asserts before any further protests can be made. "Ven and I actually have a few friends here we'd like to catch up with. Better yet, they might even be able to help us out if we ask."

"They can help us find a Key?" Kairi asks, curious.

"...Something like that," Aqua mutters, turning back toward the road ahead with a small, knowing smile. At the same time, Ventus mouths a subtle 'thank you' to Riku as he passes by, a thanks that comes from pushing their plan along. A plan that, outside of the two of them and Aqua, none of the others have a clue about in the slightest.

Sora narrowly stifles a frustrated sigh as the rest of the group continues to move on. He eventually does the same with some silent urging from Donald and Goofy, though he's far from happy about it. Searching for a Key in this world is a fool's errand; he knows that, even if the others don't believe it. They're wasting precious time embarking on that search here, time that would be much better spent elsewhere, better spent actually finding Keys where they actually are. Time that Sora knows he doesn't have much on his side anymore to stop a longstanding conflict that's waging violently against him from the outside in.

Time that's quickly running out to stop his heart from slipping into the shadows before anyone else can suspect a single thing about it.

Aqua can't help but smile as the group ventures into the village itself. Families stroll down the lamp-lit streets, children cheerfully run by, enjoying the crisp summer night, shopkeepers sell their wares to the last of the day's customers. This town, this very world, stands as a far cry from the dilapidated state she'd seen it in during her stint in the Realm of Darkness. Instead of standing silent, abandoned, and broken, everything is loud and bright and alive with activity now. And Aqua finds the sight overwhelmingly comforting; that someplace-that someone--that had been lost in the darkness for so long, could finally find their way back to the light. That with a little work and effort, they could finally return to everything they used to be. It's something that's rung true for this world and Aqua hopes that, eventually, it might finally be able to ring true for her too.

"So who are these 'friends' of yours anyway?" Axel asks Aqua and Ventus. By now, they've bypassed the village, embarking on the path that ends at the castle itself.

"Well, they're-" Aqua quickly stopped short upon noticing the scattered sparks of light surrounding them. Sparks that soon begin to congregate together in front of the mostly confused group just shy of the castle gates. "Actually," Aqua smiles in recognition of what's happening. "Here's one of them now."

As that mysterious light converges, an older woman appears, clad in a lavender cloak with a pleasant, inviting smile on her face. Though most of the group is stunned by her unexpected, downright sudden arrival, a handful of them immediately recognize her on the spot.

"Oh! Excuse me, everyone," the woman says, her smile turning a bit apologetic. She holds what appears to be a long white wand in both hands as she looks between the group warmly. "I certainly didn't mean to startle you. If you're not expecting magic, it can be a bit of a surprise."

"Fairy Godmother!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy exclaim in equally amazed unison at the familiar sight of the kindly fairy.

"Ah, hello, dears," Fairy Godmother bids the trio brightly. "It's good to see you again. You as well, Aqua." For her part, Aqua returns her cordial nod. "I'm glad to see you found your way back to this world."

"It feels good to be back in this world," Aqua says, though her next statement is said much more softly. "Back in any world in the realm of light, really."

"As for the rest of you, I am indeed the Fairy Godmother," she greets the others. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."

The rest of the group returns her tidings just as cheerfully, though before any sort of conversation can continue, Sora cuts in, eager to prove his previous point. "So, uh, hey, Fairy Godmother?" he begins, stepping to the front of the group. "We're here looking for this special Key and we're sort of in a rush to find it. Do you know anything that might be able to help us out with that?"

"You've come all this way looking for one of those legendary 'Keys to the Kingdom', hm?" Fairy Godmother taps her wand against her open hand thoughtfully. "Well, I'm sorry to say that I'm not so sure if there is one he-" She cuts herself off suddenly as she spares a brief glance over at Aqua and Ventus. The pair silently, yet pointedly shake their heads, offering her the unspoken plea to not confirm that this world really is bereft of any sort of Key at all. And fortunately, she heeds them just in the nick of time, even if she doesn't quite understand why they might want her to. "I-I… I'm not so sure there is one… here outside!" she swiftly rebounds. "There certainly is one in this world. Perhaps you might want to try searching inside of the castle instead?"

"Wow," Kairi muses, impressed. "It turns out there really is one here after all."

"But… that doesn't make any sense…" Sora mutters, shaking his head. His Keys Instinct has never steered him wrong before, so why would it start doing that now of all times, when they're so close to finding the rest of them?

"Ok," Riku beckons the others forward. "Let's search the castle then."

"Wonderful!" Fairy Godmother does quick work of unlocking the gate with her magic. "You know, even though you are here on 'business', I'm sure Cinderella and the prince will be pleasantly surprised to see you all."

"Gawrsh, Cinderella lives here?" Goofy asks.

"Why, yes," Fairy Godmother nods as she leads the way across the front courtyard to the castle proper. "As a matter of fact, you've all come on a very special night. The prince is holding a grand royal ball to celebrate the anniversary of the night they first met." She playfully waves her wand around as she offers the group a sly wink. "I may or may not have had something to do with that."

"A ball?" Ventus perks up with an excited smile at this. "That's perfect!"

"Ven! Shh!" Aqua whispers swiftly. Still, it's not quite enough to take back what the others just heard.

"Huh? Why's it perfect?" Kairi asks, confused.

"Uh… b-because…"

"Because, the Keys show up in connection to emotions, don't they?" Riku glances back at Sora when he asks this. The most Sora can do is simply nod, still absolutely baffled about his reliable instinct suddenly being wrong. "Well, there's bound to be plenty of different kinds of emotions at something like a ball."

"Very true," Fairy Godmother agrees. "A ball is a place where dreams can come true, where real romance can be realized. And if you don't believe me, then just take it from someone who's had that happen for them firsthand." She nods towards the nearby castle steps, or more specifically, toward the figure hurrying down them: a young woman, glad in a beautiful, glittering white ball gown.

"Fairy Godmother!" she calls with an elated smile. She stops short, however, as she happens to lose one of her shoes, a flawless glass slipper, on the steps on the way down. Fortunately, the dashing, well-dressed young man trailing after her catches it, and the couple shares a fond laugh as he slides it back onto her foot before they continue ahead to meet the group below. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

"Oh, dear, you know I wouldn't miss such a special occasion for anything in the world," Fairy Godmother beams as the girl hurries to her. "By the way, I hope you don't mind that I brought a few guests."

"Oh!" the girl gasps as she takes in the sight of the group gathered before her. And the several familiar faces within it. "Not at all!" She catches Aqua and Ventus off guard first, catching the pair in a friendly embrace as she greets them brightly. "Aqua, it's wonderful to see you again!"

"It's good to see you too, Cinderella," Aqua chuckles as she returns the princess's hug.

"And Ven, you look… taller than you were the last time I saw you," Cinderella notes, still keeping her smile as she raises an incredulous eyebrow.

"Uh… yeah," Ventus rubs the back of his neck, remembering how oddly miniscule he had been during his first visit to this world. "I guess you could say I hit a bit of a growth spurt…"

"I'd certainly say so," Cinderella laughs. Her cheery manner remains as she waves to another familiar trio among the group, two thirds of which are more than happy to reciprocate her greeting in full.

"Howdy, your Highness," Goofy says with a bit of a respectful bow.

Donald mirrors that bow as he offers an upbeat hello of his own. "Long time no see."

Compared to his companions, Sora is really only able to muster a halfhearted smile as he returns the friendly wave Cinderella sends his way. Still, if any of the others have noticed his melancholy over the way their mission has suddenly, strangely shifted, they don't speak to it. Instead, their spirits are generally much higher, especially Cinderella's as the prince comes to stand alongside her.

"So, darling," he addresses his wife with an affection grin. "Are you going to introduce me to all your friends here?"

"Oh! Where are my manners? Of course," Cinderella links arms with her prince as she goes through the group. "There's Aqua and Ven, Sora, Donald, and Goofy, and… um… oh my..." Her steady smile finally fades into a small, somewhat awkward frown. "This is embarrassing… I don't believe I've ever met any of the rest of you…"

"I'm Riku, your Majesties," Riku kicks things off, inclining his head in homage to the royal pair.

"And I'm Mickey," the king introduces himself cheerfully. "Nice to meet you both!"

"The name's Lea," Axel salutes the couple. "How ya doin'?"

"And I'm Kairi," she finishes off with a small curtsey, though she goes a step forward by addressing Cinderella. "Your dress is beautiful, by the way."

"Thank you," the princess smiles. She glances down at her shimmering gown briefly before leaning a bit into her prince's arms. "It's the same one I wore on the night the two of us first met."

"And you still look just as stunning in it now as you did back then," the prince says, landing a gentle kiss on his wife's cheek.

"You're too much," Cinderella chuckles as she returns her husband's kiss.

While the others get a good bit of amusement from watching the couple playfully flirt with each other, Kairi can't help but pay a bit closer attention. To their easy smiles, their earnest laughter, the gleam in each of their eyes as they look at each other, a gleam that reflects nothing less than absolute affection and endless adoration. She finds her gaze soon drifting away from the happy couple and over to someone else among their own group, over to Sora. The royal pair's rapport reminds her of her own relationship with him, but only to a certain extent. Because despite how loose and lighthearted they can be with each other, there's still something missing. There's still something that's been held back, somewhere they haven't gone yet. Somewhere she's been longing to go with him for quite some time now… even if she's never quite had enough courage to take the first step there.

"Since you're all here," Cinderella says to the group after a beat or two has passed. "Why don't you stay for the ball? We'd be more than happy to have each of you there."

"That's right," the prince soundly agrees. "The more the merrier, I always say. Especially at a party."

"Uh, thanks," Sora says somewhat apprehensively. "But we really can't-"

"We'd love to stay," Riku suddenly cuts him off. "Thank you for the invitation."

"...What?" Sora stills, completely caught off guard for what feels like the hundredth time this evening alone.

"Wonderful," Cinderella clasps her gloved hands together in delight. "The other guests should be arriving soon. We still have a few last minute preparations to take care of, but feel free to make yourselves right at home until the ball begins."

"I'd better help you with tying up those last few loose ends, dear," Fairy Godmother raises her wand, waving it around a bit. "We all know how much faster hanging all those banners is with a bit of magic to help speed things along."

"I-I'll help too!" Aqua suddenly volunteers. "And so will Ven. It's the least we can do to thank you for your hospitality."

"Uh, yeah," Ventus nods, having an idea about where Aqua might be going with such a plan. Cinderella and the prince thank them for the offer and lead the way back inside the castle, though as they head up the stairs, Aqua keeps pace alongside the princess all the while. And once the group is out of earshot of the others, she discreetly whispers their plan, not just to her, but to Fairy Godmother as well. Both of whom, upon hearing what their aim really here is, are more than happy to jump on board with it, ready to do whatever they can to help it happen.

And yet, for those out of the loop of this plan, the situation seems far too strange for comfort, or at least it does to Sora. And he doesn't hesitate to mention his misgivings with it as soon as the royal couple is gone. "Riku, we don't have time to just hang around for some ball," he begins pointedly. "We need to find that Key, remember?"

"And we'll look for it," Riku assures. He manages something of a small, coy grin in an attempt to ease Sora's clear derision at this turn of events. "I've gotta admit, I'm not used to you trying to keep us focused, Sora. Usually that's my job."

"Yeah," Kairi chimes in with a small chuckle of her own. "Normally you'd be the one most excited about getting to go to a party like this. But now… you're acting like you don't even want to be here at all…"

"N-no, that's not-I just-this isn't-" Sora cuts himself off as he looks between the pair. As he quickly begins to crumble under the scrutinizing stares they're both sending his way, practically tempting him to say something wrong, to let some sort of secret slip out. "I-I just… thought we were supposed to be buckling down when it comes to looking for the Keys," he says carefully. After all, it's far easier to lean on that excuse than it is anything else at the moment; at the very least, it's an honest one for a change.

"Don't worry, Sora," Mickey pipes up with an encouraging grin. "We've still got plenty of time left to find the rest of the Keys; plus, we've still got a pretty good lead over the Organization when it comes to how many we've found so far."

"Yeah, I'd say we're more than due for a break after how hard we've been working lately," Axel remarks, embracing the idea of such a break with a long, lazy stretch. "I can't speak for the rest of you, but to me? A night of rubbing elbows with the glitzy and glamorous sounds like kinda nice."

"Yeah, it could be fun!" Goofy adds brightly. "There's gonna be music, dancing-"

"And all sorts of fancy food," Donald says, clearly tantalized by the thought.

"Yeah, but… the Key-"

"Finding the Key is important," Riku counters Sora's lingering concern evenly. "And we will look for it. But after everything that's happened lately, I think we can afford to take at least one night off for ourselves, don't you, Sora?"

Sora hesitates at this, his heartbeat picking up as everyone's eyes suddenly land solely on him. He wants to tell them all no, to insist that they get back to their mission, that they find the final Keys before it's far too late. But between the easy, almost eager expressions Riku and Kairi in particular are sending his way, he finds himself saying anything but that. "Um, s-sure!" he forces a tight, falsely excited smile onto his face. A smile laced with thin impatience for this seemingly pointless evening to be over as soon as possible. "It sounds like it'll be a… great time…"

"I'm sure it will be," Kairi agrees, her own smile much more upbeat and genuine.

Riku barely stifles a laugh at this as he eyes the pair before him knowingly. He passes by them to lead the way into the castle, though not without muttering something else only to himself. A statement of satisfaction that everything is falling perfectly into place, exactly as planned. "You two have no idea…"


It doesn't take long for the first few guests to start streaming in to the ball. They pull up to the castle in elegant horse-drawn carriages, nobility and gentry coming from near and far to celebrate with Cinderella and the prince on such a special night. Couples young and old stroll arms-linked into the castle's grand foyer on their way to the ballroom, their regal suits and luxurious dresses speaking volumes to their opulence and wealth.

Kairi and Axel stand along the sidelines of the palace's entryway, watching this procession in a tide between fascination and indifference, respectively. Kairi's eyes are wide and practically starstruck as she takes in the sight of every graceful guest that passes by, all of them on their way into the party that she's still too anxious to properly enter herself. Or rather, to enter it without a certain someone by her side.

"Look at them all, Axel!" she exclaims, clearly in awe as another pair marches by. "Have you ever seen so many gorgeous outfits all in one place?"

"Eh, I'm less impressed by the clothes and more amazed that they can pack so many pompous peacocks into one castle," Axel snarks, hands on his hips. "Look at some of these clowns coming in here wearing their hoop skirts and powdered wigs; what, do they think they're making some sort of statement dressing up like that?"

"C'mon, Axel," Kairi lightly elbows him for such a remark. "I thought you were looking forward to hanging out with the 'glitzy and glamorous'."

"I would if they weren't so boring," Axel huffs. "This is supposed to be a party, right? 'Cause if it is, it's about the stuffiest shindig I've ever been to."

"Well then, what would your idea be for livening a party like this up?" Kairi asks with a challenging grin.

"Well, for starters, everyone would dress down to something a bit more casual," Axel begins. "I'd pick up the pace of all that slow dancing that's going on in there, and of course, I'd walk in with Isa-" He cuts himself off abruptly at this, flinching as he realizes he's let himself ramble off too much, as he let himself wish for something he knows he can't have anymore. And as he watches Kairi's own smile fade into confusion upon hearing it, he quickly tries to right himself. To forget that wish for something, for someone, that'll never come true. "I, uh… I'd walk in with… s-someone special. Y-ya know, some real looker hanging on my arm the whole night through, o-or somethin'."

"Axel?" Kairi frowns in newfound concern. She'd clearly heard him before, despite his awkward attempt at backpedaling. And really, the wistful look on his face as he glances away from her and the unfolding line of party guests says far more than words properly could.

However, before she can even make an attempt at comforting him, their conversation is cut short by the sudden arrival of some of their friends. "Oh! There you two are!" Cinderella calls as she hurries over to them. Aqua and Ventus trail not too far behind her. "We've been looking all over for you and the rest of your friends."

"What are you guys doing out here anyway?" Ventus asks the pair.

"Oh, we were just watching all of the guests arrive," Kairi explains with a small smile.

"It's quite a sight, isn't it?" Cinderella concurs as she joins in on spectating the procession. A handful of guests offer the princess respectful bows and curtsies when they spot her, and she regards them with friendly nods before they move on to the ballroom. "I'll never forget the first time I got to be a part of all this. It was the night all of my dreams finally came true…"

"Really?" Kairi asks curiously. "How did it all happen, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I certainly don't," Cinderella grins nostalgically as she glances back over the foyer. "It's an incredible tale, a real rags to riches sort of story-in my case literally. And it all began when I was still living with-or rather, working for-my stepmother and stepsisters."

As Cinderella begins to tell her story, Kairi settles in to eagerly listen, and Aqua and Ventus do too, despite being quite familiar with their own parts within it. That is, until Axel discreetly catches their attention instead. "Psst," he whispers to the pair, urging them to keep their voices down as he asks his question quietly. "Alright, you two, spill it; what are we really doing here?"

"Uh… w-what do you mean?" Ventus asks, exchanging a nervous glance with Aqua.

"You heard what Sora said earlier," Axel crosses his arms, leaning against the nearby wall. "There's no Key in this world; you both knew that already, before we even came here, didn't you?"

"...If we had known that," Aqua begins, her tone every bit as calculated as Axel's as he meets his knowing look squarely. "Then maybe you should assume that we brought everyone here for just as good of a reason."

"And that reason is…?"

Despite Aqua's stern manner in keeping that reason secret, Ventus is far quicker to cave under the pressure. And under Axel's scrutinizing stare. "W-we just wanted to thank everyone for helping us!" he bursts out. Fortunately, his voice is still quiet enough as not to disrupt Cinderella and Kairi's nearby conversation. Nor is it loud enough for either of them to hear him.

"Ven!" Aqua scolds, shaking her head disapprovingly.

Even so, Ventus keeps going, flustered as he decides there's no real harm in being honest with Axel about this. Even if Aqua had intended to keep it within as small of a circle as possible. "We wanted to show our appreciation for all the hard work you guys put into saving the two of us," he explains, glancing down. "And we figured a nice, fun trip to a world we really liked last time we were here would be a perfect way to do that. So… here we are."

"That's it?" Axel arcs an eyebrow. "That's the big secret you guys have been trying to keep from the others all night? Tch, that's nothing."

"Well… that's not entirely the reason why we came here…" Aqua mutters. Her gaze subtly drifts over to Kairi, still completely engrossed in Cinderella's recounting of her first ball to the point that she's all but unaware of the hushed conversation unfolding right behind her.

At first, Axel doesn't get it, though after a moment or two, he manages to piece it all together when he spots Ventus looking in the exact opposite direction of Aqua. For while she looks at Kairi, he stares past the castle doors, to the courtyard where Sora had last been spotted. And just like that, the true extent of their actual plan finally falls into place. "Ohhhhhhhh," he smirks, catching Aqua and Ven's startled attention. "I see what's going on here…"

"Oh, you do?" Aqua retorts, fixing him with a sharp look.

"Yup," Axel's grin widens. "You two cooked up a scheme to play matchmaker for our resident 'puppy love' pair, right? Well, if that's your game, then I want in. I've been saying for months now that those are basically destined to wind up together sooner or later. 'Course every time I do say something like that, Kairi always makes me pay for it by shoving her elbow right into my sore spot."

"I do what now?" Kairi glances over her shoulder.

"Uh… nothing," Axel waves his hand dismissively. "It's nothing, forget it."

Kairi's curious gaze lingers on him for a moment or two, but ultimately she turns back to Cinderella, allowing the other ongoing discussion to continue. "So you want to help us, Lea?" Ventus asks with a hopeful smile. Aqua is quick to shush him however, prompting him to repeat the question in a much softer voice the second time around. "Whoops! Sorry, I mean -you wanna help us?"

"Sure," Axel shrugs. "Whether it works or not, it's bound to be good for a laugh."

"It will work," Aqua counters confidently. "We just need to put all of the right pieces in place, and then they'll take care of the rest. Though…" she smiles, albeit a bit mysteriously. "It never hurts to have a bit of magic to help it all come together…"

While quite intrigued, Axel doesn't get the chance to press for an explanation as Aqua and Ventus turn back toward Kairi and Cinderella, just in time to hear the princess bring her romantic tale to a close. "And of course, the slipper fit perfectly," she concludes, showing off the one of the very glass slippers she was currently wearing. "The prince and I were married, and well, we've been living happily ever after ever since."

"Wow… That really is incredible..." Kairi muses, aptly amazed by such a magical, miraculous story. One of helpful mice friends, pumpkins-turned-carriages, and believing in dreams even when they seem impossible, in love even when it seems unattainable. And yet, Cinderella had managed to not only follow her dreams, but live them, and through those dreams, found the love of her life. Which is why Kairi can't help but wonder and hope, that perhaps if she continues chasing her own dreams down life's twisting paths, then maybe someday she'll reach the exact same thing too.

"Say, Kairi," Aqua interrupts, stepping closer to the pair. "It sounds like the ball is just getting started in there." She nods down the foyer hall towards the ballroom, where the grandiose music of the first dance of the night is swelling from afar. "Wouldn't you like to go see it for yourself?"

"O-oh," Kairi frowns, glancing between the encouraging smiles both Aqua and Cinderella are sending her way. "Well, I would, but… after watching everyone come in, I… think I might be just a little… underdressed." She lets out a small awkward chuckle as she skims the hem of her skirt. While she's quite fond of the outfit she received from the three good fairies, she can't deny that it's a far cry from any of the radiant gowns she's seen so far this evening.

"Worry not, dear. I believe I can help you take care of that!" In a burst of sparkling light, Fairy Godmother suddenly appears before the group, catching only some of them off guard. Even so, Cinderella and Aqua send her discreet nods of greeting, knowing she's right on time for the next part of their decided plan.

"You can?" Kairi asks her as she pulls out her wand.

"Why of course," Fairy Godmother happily nods. "Who do you think created Cinderella's lovely gown here?" Cinderella twirls her skirt around a bit at this, clearly proud of her Fairy Godmother's talented craftsmanship. "Now let's see here…" She takes the liberty of circling around Kairi, inspecting her current attire thoughtfully. "Hm… Familiar. Tell me, your dress wouldn't happen to be the work of Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather now, would it?"

"Yes, it is," Kairi nods. "How did you know that?"

"The three good fairies are very good, very old friends of mine," Fairy Godmother chuckles. "I'd be able to spot their handiwork anywhere; the protective magic they've woven into these garments is certainly strong, but…it doesn't exactly do much to impress as much as it does against the forces of darkness. So for tonight, I'll need to come up with something truly special for you, my dear."

"Oh, y-you really don't have to," Kairi backpedals, suddenly flustered by all of the attention.

"Oh, but I insist!" Fairy Godmother counters warmly. "It is your first royal ball after all-you deserve to enjoy it to the fullest. Still, before I begin, it might be worth my while to get in some practice first… Aqua, dear, do you mind?"

"Um… I guess not?" Aqua shrugs, not entirely sure where she's going with this. Even so, she steps forward, allowing Fairy Godmother to carefully look her over before she steps back, magic already starting to stir over the tip of her wand.

"Alright, let's get started," Fairy Godmother raises her staff, aiming her magic at Aqua as she casts her go-to spell. "Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!"

A shower of shimmering light briefly shines over Aqua's body, and when it clears, it reveals her outfit has changed entirely. Her usually light, battle-ready attire has been switched out for something much more grand and glamorous. She's now clad in a midnight blue chiffon gown, with a wide, floor-length skirt accented by flowing strips of sheer cobalt silk hanging from her white cloth belt. The dress is clipped in place by a metallic strap over one shoulder, her other left bare. A simple silver band graces her right wrist while her neck sports her treasured training pendant, now turned into a shining necklace. Aqua gasps at the sight of the gown, absolutely stunned by it as she gets a feel for both it and the high, yet surprisingly comfortable silver heels on her feet. She's seen plenty of beautiful outfits in the past, at this very party alone even; but to be wearing one herself is something else entirely, something completely unfamiliar, yet more than welcome all the same.

"Oh, Aqua!" Cinderella hurries over to her. "You look absolutely gorgeous!" Aqua can't help but think that the princess's own iconic white gown is by far more radiant than her own, but she accepts the compliment warmly all the same.

"Thank you," she smiles, catching a glimpse of her own reflection in a nearby mirror. While her blue locks have remained largely untouched, she does note a subtle, fitting hint of sapphire eyeshadow to compliment her attire. "And thank you for the dress," she says to Fairy Godmother. "It's lovely."

"Yeah, Aqua, you look great!" Ventus chimes in with a bright grin.

"At least you're the only one of us here who looks like you could actually fit in at a party like this," Axel jokes, catching the dry scowl Aqua sends his way with a playful smirk.

"Now, now, boys, don't think I'm forgetting about either of you," Fairy Godmother quips, readying her wand once more. "Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!"

Ventus and Axel are both caught off guard as her next burst of magic strikes them. In its wake, they're both left with similarly fashionable suits that they can't help but be impressed by. Axel wears a long, short-collared burgundy coat over a wine-red dress shirt, with tight black slacks, tall brown leather boots, and gold-buttoned cufflinks to bring it all together. Ventus' outfit also sports a long suit coat in the same colors as his usual jacket hanging over a grey and cream waistcoat, his shoulder armor simplified and his own training pendant keeping a white puff tie in place against his collar. Both sleek, yet sophisticated outfits that show that Fairy Godmother's talents lie in more than just making dresses.

"Hm," Axel grins as he puffs the sides of his new coat up a bit. "Now this is more like it… Compared to most of those stuff-shirted squares in there, I've gotta be a shoe-in for one of the best-dressed guys here, easy."

"Not next to Ven, you're not," Aqua teases as she lightly ruffles Ventus' hair. "You look so handsome! And so grown up too."

"Aw, Aqua!" Ventus chuckles as he gently pushes her hand away, his cheeks flushing bright red all the while. "Cut it out-you're embarrassing me!"

"Well, I think you all look fantastic," Kairi says to the three of them, completely captivated by their upscale clothing. Even if she feels even more undressed by comparison than she had before.

"Yes, they do, but I believe I've saved the best for last…" Fairy Godmother sends her a sly wink. Realizing that it's her turn, Kairi stands up as straight and tall as she can and closes her eyes, eager to see whatever she might come up with for her. And fortunately, Fairy Godmother already seems to have something perfect in mind. "Bibbidi-bobbidi… bibbidi-bobbidi… boo!"

Kairi can't believe her eyes when she opens them a second later. Her own amazed gasp is mirrored by those from Aqua, Axel, and Ventus alike as they all take in what she's now wearing. A gown that, as far as she's concerned, is nothing less than one of the most beautiful things she's ever seen.

"I… I can't believe it…" she whispers with a widening, emerging smile. "I-I look like-"

"A princess," Cinderella finishes with a warm, affirming grin.

"And so you are, my dear," Fairy Godmother reminds her gently. "A princess, through and through." A princess, albeit not one by royal birth, but by the purity of her heart. By the powerful light coursing through her very veins. And tonight, for the first time ever, she finally gets to not only play the part, but look the part too. "But there's still something missing..."

"Oh?" Kairi frowns, unsure of what could ever possibly be missing from such a picturesque ensemble. "What is it?

Fairy Godmother's steady smile widens as she begins to make her way towards the castle doors, lightly beckoning Kairi, and the others, to follow. To find that final missing piece that will bring it all together, once and for all. "Your prince."


"Would you just relax already?!" Donald lets out an annoyed huff, one that Goofy echoes, albeit much less harshly. The pair stands along the edges of the castle courtyard, where Sora's been pacing practically non-stop for the past hour or so, his impatience towards their current situation more than clear from that alone. "You're making this into a much bigger deal than it actually is."

"Oh yeah, because us standing around here wasting our time with some dumb party while the Organization could be out there finding those last few Keys isn't a big deal," Sora retorts dryly as he spins around to face the pair.

"Shucks, Sora, I don't think I've ever seen you get so serious about finding any of the Keys before…" Goofy notes with a worried frown. "Is it because of… ya know," he drops his voice down into a whisper. "What's happenin' to your heart?"

"Of course it is!" Sora exclaims, knowing there's no use in trying to hide the truth. At least not with his companions that already know the bulk of it. "The sooner we find the rest of the Keys, the sooner we might be able to stop all this!"

"We could probably find a way to stop it even sooner than that if you'd just tell the others about what's going on already!" Donald scolds, crossing his arms.

"We can't," Sora insists. Even if he knows his arguments for doing so are starting to become much less solid as time goes on. "And we don't need to either. I mean, it's not like it's gotten any worse lately, right?"

"Gee, it's kinda hard to tell thanks to that glamor spell…" Goofy points out.

"Maybe I oughta undo it so we can see how you're really doing…" Donald smirks as he pulls out his staff.

"You wouldn't," Sora challenges. Even so, he takes a nervous step away from the magician, just in case.

"I might if you don't stop being so stubborn and just be honest with everyone for a change!"

Sora flinches at such a threat, one that Donald could easily make good on if he really wants to. And if he does, then there will be no more hiding the truth, no more hiding what's really happening to him, what he's truly turning into. No more hiding all of the shame and fear and lies he's tried to keep locked away inside himself for so very long.

"I-I will tell them," he assures. His voice is still unsteady as he tries his best to make it sound like he actually means it. Like it isn't yet another lie to add onto the mountain of them he's already standing on. "I'm just… I'm still trying to figure out the best way to tell them. I mean, it's not as easy as going up to everyone and saying 'hey guys, turns out Xehanort's plan to turn me into his vessel actually worked after all and I'm running out of time to stop it and I don't even know how to stop it in the first place!'"

"...Sounds pretty easy when you say it like that…" Goofy mutters to Donald, aside.

"Hey, Sora!" Riku's sudden call is more than enough to elicit a loud, startled gasp out of Sora, especially in light of what he'd just said.

"I-I didn't mean it! It was just a joke!" Sora exclaims as he hastily spins around. When he does, however, he can see that Riku's greeting came from clear across the courtyard as he strolls over to meet the trio with Mickey trailing alongside him. Which means neither of them were likely to hear the preceding conversation, something that Sora can't help but consider that to be a small miracle in and of itself.

"What was?" Riku asks as he and the king approach.

"Um… it was… a-a… a knock-knock joke!" Sora forces on a fake, nervous grin. All the while he doesn't notice Goofy wince and Donald facepalm behind him.

"Well, let's hear it then," Mickey encourages. Riku nods in agreement.

At the same time, Sora mildly panics, but does his best to hide it behind his wavering grin as he desperately tries to come up with something on the spot. "Ok, so uh… knock knock?"

"Who's there?" Riku plays along with a bit of a wry smirk.

"Uh… ball!" Sora quickly fills in as he glances over to the nearby castle.

"Ball who?" Mickey presses for a punchline that Sora only barely manages to think at the last minute.

"G-gee, aren't we all having such a ball at this ball!"

A long bout of awkward silence falls over the entire group following this. Still, Riku makes the effort to break it by offering a small chuckle, one that's clearly out of pity above anything else. It takes every ounce of self control Sora has to not let out a relieved sigh when he hears it, realizing he's somehow dug himself out of a hole that could have gotten much deeper if he hadn't gotten so lucky.

"So what are you guys doing all the way out here anyway?" Riku asks, fortunately striking up an actual conversation.

"Yeah, fellas, we're at a party!" Mickey exclaims brightly. "You oughta be inside enjoying it. After all of the hard work you three have been putting into looking for those Keys, you deserve a chance to kick back, relax and have a bit of fun."

"Wow, your Majesty, what a great idea," Donald says, though his pointed tone is more aimed at Sora as he does. "We should definitely listen to you and do that!"

"We would do that," Sora huffs as he crosses his arms. "If we still didn't have a Key we should be looking for instead."

Riku lets out a soft, relenting sigh upon hearing this, knowing that he can't keep this act up forever. Not that he really needs to for much longer anyway. "I… guess I should come clean," he says, glancing away as he scratches the back of his neck. "You were right before, Sora. There isn't any Key in this world."

"...What?!" Sora asks sharply. He takes this revelation just about as well as Riku's been expecting him to, really. With all of the appallment and frustration he doesn't hesitate to share now, despite Riku's best attempts at reigning him back in.

"Now, hold on-"

"I said there wasn't any Key here-"

"Sora-"

"But you said we should stay anyway-"

"Just hear me out-"

"Just so we could all go to to some dumb party?!"

"Aw, Sora, it wasn't like that," Mickey clarifies earnestly. "Aqua and Ven just wanted to thank all of us for saving them, so they-"

"You knew about this?" Sora looks to the king incredulously before turning his fierce focus back on Riku. "What, so you just decided I was the only one who you'd keep out of the loop? What happened to that whole lecture you gave me about all of us needing to be honest with each other, huh?!"

"This is different," Riku asserts calmly. "We wanted to surprise you-"

"Well, consider me more than surprised," Sora scoffs as he angrily turns to leave the courtyard-and the castle-entirely. "If you need me, I'll be back at the ship, waiting until the rest of you are done messing around so we can get back to doing something actually important."

"Leaving so soon?" Sora stops short, startled, as Fairy Godmother suddenly appears in a bright, shimmering flash, blocking his way forward. "You'll miss the party, dear!"

"Sorry, but I'm already all 'partied' out…" Sora mutters as he tries to step past her.

"Oh, nonsense, child," Fairy Godmother is quick to turn the tables on him; a burst of her magic abruptly sweeps him off his feet, catching him off guard as it carries him right back to his former spot beside Riku. "You can't be partied out at a party that's only just begun! Besides, you boys are all due for your fitting anyway."

"Fitting?" Riku asks, unfamiliar with this part of the plan.

"Mm hm," Fairy Godmother nods as she pulls out her wand once more. "Your Highness," she addresses Mickey. "Might I begin with you and your loyal aides here?"

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy exchange a curious glance at this, though ultimately the king complies. "Sure," he shrugs while his captain and magician mutter to each other, aside.

"What do ya suppose is about to happen?" Goofy whispers as they step forward to join the king.

"I don't know, but it seems important," Donald replies. They soon receive an answer to their wonderings, however, as Fairy Godmother's next spell suddenly hits both them and Mickey squarely, transforming all three of their outfits in an instant.

"Wow!" Mickey exclaims, aptly impressed as he looks his new attire over. It's certainly an ensemble regal enough for a king: a long-tailed black suit coat with gold-trimmed cuffs over a buttoned white waistcoat, crimson slacks, black shoes, and, to top it all off a white-rimmed red cape pinned in place by a bright yellow bowtie. "I haven't gotten this dressed up since the last ball I went to with Minnie at our castle. Thanks!"

"It's my pleasure," Fairy Godmother grins, proud of her fine handiwork.

"Oh my gosh! Look at you guys!" Sora breaks into a huge, amused grin, his former impatient manner immediately diminished as he heads over to Donald and Goofy. Their own outfits have received quite an upscale upgrade, from Donald's sharp blue suit coat and complementing red bowtie, to Goofy's slick black vest, dark orange pants, and thick white gloves. And the matching element between them both, the long feathery plumes pouring out from the tips of their hats. "I've never seen you two look so fancy before," Sora chuckles as he comes to stand between the pair. "Nice feathers, Donald." At this, he playfully flips the magician's blue plume over the top of his hat down in front of his face before hurrying away before he can face any sort of retaliation.

"Hey!" Donald scolds, shaking a fist as he petulantly readjusts his hat.

"Guess that must have been payback for a little while ago," Goofy mutters with a small, amused laugh.

"Hmph, he shouldn't push his luck," Donald grumbles grumpily. "If he keeps it up, I might just end up undoing that spell anyway."

"Now, now," Goofy chastises, still smiling. "Be nice, Donald."

"Alright then, Riku, you're up next," Fairy Godmother continues as cheery as ever. "If you don't mind standing still for a moment for me, please."

"Of course," Riku easily complies, despite overhearing Sora snicker in excited amusement.

"Oh, this I gotta see," he grins, more than ready to get a good laugh out of Riku's new outfit too. However, the attire Fairy Godmother grants him with has almost the exact opposite effect on him. Because as soon as the glow of her magic fades, Sora finds himself absolutely awestruck by what he sees.

Riku's evening wear is simple, yet stylish. The colors of his usual clothes are retained in his low-cut light blue undershirt, its long sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms. It's largely covered by a long grey vest, with a high collar and yellow trimming, strapped securely by a black belt. His dark blue pants are now sleek slacks of the same shade, and his black boots are raised just a bit higher. Overall, it comes together to create a finely-crafted, formal look that suits Riku perfectly. A look that Sora is all but helpless to tear his gaze away from.

"W-whoa…" he speaks somehow. His voice comes out soft, stunned even, as he struggles to so much as get another word out. "Riku, you… you look-" He catches himself suddenly, his face flushing bright red when Riku meets his mystified stare. As he smiles coyly in response to it. "I-I mean… you, uh… you clean up really nice."

"Thanks," Riku's grin widens a bit at this awkwardly flirtatious remark. He startles Sora even more, however, by gripping him by the shoulders and lightly spinning him around. "Now it's your turn to do the same."

"W-what?" Sora flinches, confused.

"Ah yes," Fairy Godmother steps forward. "Here we are, last but certainly not least, with you, Sora. I believe I have something truly extraordinary in mind for you tonight." Her wand glistens with her usual brand of magic, and Sora finds himself tensing up at the sight of it. Normally, he wouldn't mind, usually, he wouldn't care, but with the appearance-altering spell that already hangs over him now, that's been hiding his true features away for some time now, he suddenly fears what a similar kind of spell might do. What might happen if the magical arrival of a few pieces of new clothes might be what somehow uncovers the white in his hair and the gold in his eyes. And even worse, what Riku might say if he sees that happen right here and now.

"Uh, n-no thanks," Sora says hastily, anxiously. "I'm good." He tries backing away, only to step right back into Riku, who looks down at him with a perplexed frown.

"Sora, come on," he urges, placing a supporting hand on his back. Sora tenses up at the gentle touch, his face burning even brighter red than it had been before. "I know you're not that happy about being here tonight, but please, just give it a chance. You never know; if you stick around, you might actually end up having a really good time."

"O-ok, fine, I'll stay!" Sora swiftly concedes as he pulls back from Riku a bit. "But I really don't need a new outfit. I'll just go like this, it's fine!"

"It positively isn't fine!" Fairy Godmother scoffs as she circles him critically. "You can't possibly go to a royal ball dressed like that. True, this may be some of Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather's better work…" she muses as she thumbs the edge of Sora's jacket. "But it's much more at home on a battlefield than it is in a ballroom. Which is why it's up to me to fix that."

"N-no, really," Sora protests once more, not catching the concerned looks Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are all sending his way. "It's ok, you don't have to-"

"Sora, it's ok," Riku quietly reassures him. But Sora practically falls to pieces when Riku shifts his hand from his spot on his back to rest on his shoulder instead. "It's nothing to worry about; I'm sure however it turns out, it'll look great on you."

Sora almost lets out a tight, terrified laugh at the irony of such a statement. Because certainly, Riku will think that his hair turning white and his eyes glowing gold will look anything but "great" when he sees it. Not when he realizes what the awful connotations behind it all are.

And yet, he doesn't get another chance to contest the matter any further before Fairy Godmother suddenly lets her last spell loose. "Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!"

Sora gasps as the burst of magic lands on him, closing his eyes and expecting the worst, expecting the glamor to be all but gone, expecting the truth, as terrible as it is, to be laid bare, clear and out in the open, for all to see. But when he opens his eyes a moment later, the first thing he checks is hair, grabbing a short side lock of it only to see that it's still brown, just as it should be. And when he glances back at Riku, the smooth, genuine grin on his face is enough to inform him that his eyes must not be yellow, that the glamor must not be gone after all. That it's all still a secret, that he's still safe, for now.

"Well?" Riku asks him expectantly. "What do you think?"

The fact that his clothes have changed has barely even registered before now. When he glances down to take a look, he can scarcely believe the outfit he's wearing even exists, much less that he's the one wearing it. It's a predominantly black ensemble, a long sleeved, well cut suit coat, short in the front to reveal the scarlet cumberbund around his waist, and long in the back as it trails against his pleated, red-trimmed slacks. The coat is closed across its plaid-adorned, wide lapel by a set of gold buttons and short yellow strips, and his treasured silver crown necklace remains, resting against the high collar of the white dress shirt underneath it. His hands are covered by a pair of comfortable black gloves, his dark leather dress shoes equally breathable. But the best part of the entire outfit by far, the piece that elevates it to an even higher level of grace and class, is the long crimson cape draped over his padded shoulders, flowing light and free behind his back. "I think…" Sora begins, smiling as he lifts the edge of the lengthy stretch of fabric to properly admire it. "I could get used to the cape."

"So could I…" Riku muses, grinning wryly as he takes another approving look over Sora's downright stately outfit.

"There," Fairy Godmother lets out a satisfied sigh as she finally puts her wand away. "Now, isn't that much better, dear?"

"Yeah, you know what?" Sora admits as he fully settles into the new outfit. Even if he still largely focuses on the cape more than anything else. "I'd say it is."

"Nice cape, Sora," Donald jeers. He gets even for earlier by suddenly yanking on the edge of said cape, nearly causing him to fall backwards entirely.

"Hey!" Sora snaps, shooting him an annoyed glare.

Donald merely replies with a triumphant snicker, one that Goofy joins in on, albeit briefly. "Gawrsh, Sora, that outfit sorta makes you look like a prince!"

"Yeah, it's definitely a step up from how much of a mess you usually are," Donald remarks with a broad, teasing smirk.

"Knock it off, you guys!" Sora huffs, easily embarrassed by both claims.

"Actually, they might have a point," Riku interjects. His coy, casual grin only serves to fluster Sora even more. "It is a step up for you, though maybe not a huge one. And it's true; you really do look like a prince."

Sora takes in a breath that's somewhere between a gasp and a laugh when he hears this. "R-Riku!" he exclaims, his face practically as red as his cape as he gives Riku a small, playful shove. They're both chuckling warmly as it happens though, at least until Fairy Godmother cuts in once more.

"You know," she begins, offering Sora a wide, wizened grin. "Even if you do look the part of a handsome prince, there's still one thing no prince is truly completely without… His princess." She steps aside but nods up towards the castle entrance nearby. By now, the continual procession of arriving guests has ended, but someone emerges from the tall open doorway anyway, stepping out into the clear evening air at the eager behest of the group behind her. And, the second Sora so much as catches sight of her, time itself seems to freeze perfectly in place.

Kairi descends the castle steps slowly, a simple sort of poise in each and every step she takes. Her already short scarlet hair is tied up into a simple, appealing updo, though a few loose curls frame her face quite nicely. As for her face, it's dusted in a light rose blush, a fitting match for the redder shade her lips are now painted in and the deep pink eyeshadow matching her dress. That dress itself if nothing less than magnificent. A flowing pink ball gown, accented by a large sweep of black silk draping down her right side, pinned in place at the waist by a silver pendant to accompany her similarly-constructed earrings. It's bereft of any sleeves, and its simple neckline is also etched in black at her chest, her bodice trimmed in dark pink. Her usual pearl necklace is still in its spot on her neck, and a set of long white gloves trail up the lengths of both of her arms, their hands and tips a more gentle shade of pink to complement the pale silver designs embroidered into the soft fabric. It had taken her some doing to get used to her tall black heels, but she strides in them confidently now, walking with all of the refined elegance of the princess she appears to be. The princess she is, in more ways than one.

In a word, she looks magical, like something out of a dream, to the point that Sora can't help but wonder if he's actually seeing her at all, hoping that she is, yearning for her to be real. He's yearned for her before, when he'd been trapped by chains and torture and fear. He'd yearned for her to be by his side and comfort him and carry him away to somewhere better, somewhere safer. And he yearns for again now, when they're both dressed in splendor under the stars, when he's free and safe and stunned into silence by the mere sight of her; only now, he yearns for her in a different way than he ever has before.

And when her gaze finally falls upon him, he can't help but yearn for her even more.

She gasps, a wide, elated smile filling her already radiant features as she spots him, as she sees his own posh evening attire. Her pace quickens as she hurries down the rest of the stairs, practically running across the length of the courtyard, her heavy skirts in hand, to meet him. She does slow down a bit, however, just before reaching him, calming her excited manner down into something a bit more demure to reflect her regal robes. But when he steps forward toward her, she finds herself suddenly speechless as she gets a better look at him. As she sees just how broad that suit coat makes his shoulders, just how much taller his long slacks make him seem, just how much his ruby cape brings out the sapphire shade of his eyes. As she wonders just how long she's spent her time looking at him before… but never managed to notice any of this before until now.

"S-Sora," she whispers softly. She whispers somehow, despite how much of a feat even breathing seems to be right now.

"Kairi…" he returns every bit as quietly. Yet he smiles, and when he does, it's almost enough to knock her out entirely. It's always almost enough to knock her out entirely. But what he says next just about finishes the job and then some. "Y-you… you look beautiful…" When she weakly, foolishly draws in a gentle breath, it ends up breaking whatever trance she must have had him under. Because suddenly, he catches himself, he retracts, backpedals. And just like that, the magic of the moment is broken completely. "Uh, I-I mean, you don't just look beautiful now, y-you always look beautiful, b-but now you really look beautiful-beautifuler-uh, more beautiful? T-than you usually-"

"Sora," Riku fortunately steps in, placing a silencing hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. You don't have to keep talking, you know."

Kairi manages to let out a small chuckle as she grounds herself back into the present, allowing herself a moment to admire Riku's dashing attire as well. "Thank you," she says to Sora. She can only hope that the magical makeup that came with her dress is enough to hide the blush that's been burning on her face for what feels like ages now. "You look very handsome too, Sora. And so do you, Riku."

By now, Aqua, Axel, and Ventus have also made their way into the courtyard, though they mostly take to the sidelines alongside Mickey, Donald, and Goofy in order to observe the trio. After all, by all accounts it appears as though all their plans are just about ready to finally reach their end. At this point, there's only one thing left that really needs to be done. Or rather, only one question that still needs to be asked.

The sound of a new song swelling from the ballroom soon catches everyone's attention, even out in the courtyard. "Well, I do believe you're all more than ready for this evening's festivities," Fairy Godmother concludes, clearly pleased with all of her handiwork. Even so, she focuses her attention on Sora and Kairi in particular as she prepares to take her leave. "Have a marvelous time. Especially you two."

And with that, she disappears in a flash of sparkling light, leaving a very confused pair behind. Though before either Sora or Kairi can question what her last statement meant, Riku cuts in on a seemingly different tangent entirely. "Sounds like the party's in full swing in there," he notes, glancing over at the castle. "Sora, isn't there anything you'd like to ask Kairi?"

"...What?" Sora blinks, absolutely oblivious. Riku responds subtly, by nodding toward the ball and then back to Kairi, who's also focusing on the distant sounds of the party with a soft, wistful smile on her face. She lightly sways to the music, but she does so alone, and as Sora watches her, he soon gathers exactly what both her and Riku want him to do. "Oh… Oh!" he gasps, gathering his composure as much as he's able to. "Um… hey, Kairi?"

"Yes?" Kairi turns back toward him. His breath catches in his throat when her ocean blue eyes, practically shining in the lofty moonlight, catch his. Her expectant smile is eager, inviting, but he can't bear the thought that it might lose its lovely luster if he says the wrong thing.

"Uh… I-I was wondering if you…" he trails off, suddenly anxious. He's fought countless Heartless, faced off against the worst the Organization has to offer, he's even battled against his own twisted phantom. But right now, conquering this simple challenge seems far more difficult than any of those daunting feats combined. "If you wanted to…" he's unable to finish once more, and this time, he looks to Riku for help. The most he offers him is a small, encouraging nod, and though it's meant to prompt Sora onward, when he does continue, he ends up turning down the wrong track completely. "I-if you wanted to watch me and Riku dance!"

"What?!" Riku exclaims, baffled. The rest of the group still spectating on the situation lets out a round of various disgruntled groans and deflated sighs as it all shifts gears. But Riku is even more caught off guard when Sora suddenly grabs his hand in both of his, looking at him with a tight, pleading, practically desperate smile. "Sora, what are you-"

"Um… alright, I guess?" Kairi suddenly speaks up, every bit as confused as Riku. But with that confusion comes clear disappointment. Her soft smile is suddenly gone, her ruby lips pressed into a thin line as she looks between the pair before her. The pair that'll get to go together while she gets left on the sidelines; just like always, she supposes.

Still, she concedes gracefully enough, even if Riku wishes she wouldn't. Instead, he finds himself caught between Kairi's muted dejection and Sora squeezing his hand almost anxiously, mouthing 'please' to him as he does. Even even though he knows he shouldn't, Riku quickly realizes he has no choice but to give Sora exactly what he wants.

"Fine," he whispers somewhat sharply. His expression is stern, disapproving even, as he slips his hand out of Sora's, instead opting to link arms with him to escort him inside. "But you owe me for this."

"Thanks!" Sora replies just as quietly, his apprehensive smile turning a touch more genuine. It quickly falls, however, as him and Riku proceed to make their way toward the castle entrance, Kairi trailing a noticeable distance behind them. Her gloved hands are folded in front of her dress, her downcast gaze set on the ground, at least until she notices Sora glancing back over his shoulder at her. Their eyes meet only for a second, a second that communicates absolutely nothing as they both tear their sights away from each other before anything can be said through words or through anything else. As they tear their sights away from everything they both want... but won't allow themselves to have.

The grand ballroom is massive, yet somehow still packed to the brim with its graceful assemblage of guests. Multiple couples, including Cinderella and her prince, grace it's marble floors, dancing to the pleasant melodies echoing across the hall as the orchestra performs them proudly. Almost as soon as the trio steps into the ballroom, Kairi splits away from Sora and Riku, almost hurrying to stand along the wall so as not to interrupt them. There's a lingering sense of remorse between both boys as they head out onto the floor by themselves, but they still pull themselves together into the proper positions just in time for the next song to begin.

Riku leads, mostly since Sora can't even think about trying to at a moment like this. His expression is rife with worry as they twirl in time to the lofty waltz unfolding around them. And each time Riku spins him around enough for him to catch a glimpse of Kairi, standing alone and awash in quiet despondency, that worry only continues to grow.

"Sora," Riku breaks his focus, or rather, pulls it back towards him. "Why exactly are you and I dancing around now?"

"W-what, you're saying you don't want to dance with me?" Sora asks. But Riku isn't having his meager attempt at humor, not right now.

"Of course, I do," he rolls his eyes. "But I think there's someone else who wants to even more…" He nods back over at Kairi and when he does, Sora only scarcely resists the urge to glance back at her again.

"I know…" he groans, embarrassed. "I was going to ask her, but then I guess I just sort of… panicked and asked you instead. I made myself look like an idiot out there and I'd probably just make everything worse by trying to bounce back from it…"

"You're over-exaggerating," Riku shakes his head. "This really isn't that hard. Just ask her; it's not like she'll say no."

"That's not what I'm worried about…" Sora mutters, sighing.

"Then what's the problem?"

"I-I… It's just… I care about her, Riku," his voice wavers as he admits it, as his words completely fail to convey how he really feels about her. "I care about her so much…"

"I know," Riku smiles softly. "You always have. She knows that too; there's no way she wouldn't after all this time."

"Yeah, but… I'm… I'm still scared anyway…" Sora admits. His voice is so quiet that it's barely audible when he says it, but Riku catches it all the same. Even if he doesn't quite understand where that fear is coming from.

"Of… telling her how you feel?" he infers but even then, he knows its a weak guess. After all, if there's anyone who always wears his feelings fully on his sleeve for all to see, it's Sora.

"No, of course not," Sora corrects. He pauses as he spots an unknown, well-dressed young man, around his own age, approach Kairi along the side of the ballroom. He bows to her, extends a hand out to her in offering, but despite the kind smile she sends him, she ultimately refuses it, along with what must be his invitation to dance. Sora can't help but let out a sigh of relief when she does, knowing that he hasn't lost her, at least not yet.

"I think… what I'm scared of is what happens after tonight is over…" he says to Riku after a moment of thoughtful silence. "There's still so much we have to do; we have to find the Keys, fight the Organization, stop Xehanort-" And of course, so much more beyond those simple, straightforward goals that Sora can't say, so much more that he refuses to say even though he knows he should. "It's… so much…" And indeed, it's too much really; too much to the point that he wonders how much longer he can even hope to bear it all. "I just… don't know if I can make any room for anything else right now…"

Riku says nothing for quite some time upon hearing all this. The ongoing music, light and airy and free, seems ill-fitting to fit the tone of such a weighty conversation as it fills in between them. As their dance starts to slow, even as other couples continue at a much more appropriate momentum around them. "Sora," he finally speaks and when he does, his voice is soft, yet steady. "I think you're selling yourself short. Your heart has a lot more room than you realize and that room shouldn't be taken up by what we need to do or who we need to fight. It should be saved for something-someone much more special."

"S-someone… like Kairi? And like you?" Sora ventures, hopeful at the very idea. At the thought that maybe he can still hold onto the people he treasures most. That he can still be with them, that he still has a future with them, even when so many other signs seem to say otherwise.

"Whoever you want," Riku laughs lightly, warmly. His smile widens as he sees Aqua wrapping up the consoling conversation she's been having with Kairi, one that ends by the master urging the younger girl to venture out onto the floor herself. "But for tonight, I want you to try to forget about the Keys, and the Organization, and Xehanort, and everything else we'll have to eventually face. Instead, just think about being here, about what's happening right now instead of what might happen later, just for tonight, ok?"

"I think I can try that," Sora chuckles, though his levity soon sinks into slight shame. "Um… I'm sorry for blowing up at you earlier... I gotta admit, this whole thing is turning out to be a pretty good surprise after all…"

"Well, don't look now, but I think it's about to get even better," Riku stops their already diminishing dance completely as someone just so happens to tap his shoulder from behind.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," Kairi's smile is warm and playful as both boys turn to face her. Sora feels his heart begin to pick up again as he gets another glimpse of her radiant appearance, though the question she asks next sends his thoughts spiraling in about a thousand different ways once more. "Mind if I cut in?"

"Not at all," Riku politely pulls away, offering Sora a courtesy bow in the process. And yet as he returns it, Sora prepares to step back into the shadows of the ballroom, believing the next dance to be meant for Riku and Kairi, a dance he won't get to have any part of. Only for Kairi to extend an inviting hand out to him instead.

At first, he freezes up once more, unsure of what to do. But once again, Riku is the one who urges him onward, gently elbowing his arm as he passes him by. It's enough to prompt Sora into motion and his hand finally falls into its proper place in Kairi's. And they pull themselves together, her other hand resting on his shoulder, his against the small of her back. And the next song begins, slow and sweet and soothing.

And they dance.

None of the other countless couples similarly spinning around them notice them at first, but several standing along the edge of the ballroom do. Riku lets out a tired, yet satisfied sigh of relief as he joins the rest of his team, chuckling as Mickey only narrowly manages to quiet Donald and Goofy's excited cheers down. Ventus watches the pair embark upon their gentle waltz with a warm, wonder-filled smile, while Axel smirks, caught somewhere between amusement and mild envy.

"Well, look at them finally go. Must be nice…" he muses softly, somewhat sadly as he tries to imagine himself out on the floor alongside a special someone of his own. Someone that's been lost to him for such a long time now, though if he could have just one more dance, one more moment with him, it would be enough. It's a silly thought, he knows it is. But he's spent so long missing Isa already, and on nights like this, he can't help but miss him even more.

It turns out Axel isn't the only one watching the young couple wistfully. Aqua smiles proudly as Sora and Kairi pass by in their steady, yet graceful dance, though that smile falters a bit as soon as they've moved on. As she thinks about who's still glaringly missing from what would otherwise be a perfect evening.

"It really is all coming together, isn't it?" Aqua flinches, startled, until she turns to see Fairy Godmother standing beside her. She'd been so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't even noticed her no doubt magical arrival.

"Yes," Aqua nods, her smile returning as her gaze lands on Sora and Kairi once more. "Thank you for all your help, by the way. We could have never pulled any of this off without you."

"You're very welcome," Fairy Godmother smiles, though it soon turns a touch sadder. "If only I had the power to give you the night of your dreams too, dear."

"What do you mean?" Aqua glances over at her. Even so, she has an inkling about what she might mean.

"Come now, child," Fairy Godmother says, her tone awash in sympathy. "If there was anyone in any world that you want to be here with you tonight, who would it be?"

The answer is obvious, so obvious it makes Aqua's heart ache when she says it. And in doing so reminds herself of just how far away that answer truly is, in more ways than one. "Terra…" she whispers. Her hand skims her heart, trying to suppress the painful longing brimming from deep inside of it. It doesn't work in the slightest.

"You know, I met Terra when the three of you first came to this world," Fairy Godmother notes. "He's a kind, brave young man, completely undeserving of the cruel hand he was dealt by fate. Then again, it seems fate wasn't very kind to you or to Ventus either."

"No…" Aqua sighs, shaking her head. "It wasn't… And it's still not; Ven and I found our way back, but… Terra is still lost to the darkness…"

"Lost for now, yes," Fairy Godmother admits solemnly. "But not forever. If you continue to search for him, if you have faith that you will be together again, then your heart will lead you to him. It might take a little time, and perhaps a little magic," she winks, briefly holding up her wand. "But someday soon, I'm sure you'll see him again. All you need to do is believe."

Aqua smiles at this, her hands still pressed against her heart as she allows it to hope, as she allows it to dream of a day, perhaps not so far off in the future, when Terra can be by her side once more. That they can be together again, that everything can indeed go back to the way it used to be; or maybe, if they're lucky, even better than that.

"I do believe…" she whispers, mostly to herself but also to Terra. Like a promise, a vow she's made to him before, one she's made before, but holds onto every bit as closely now. A dream she'll continue to hold onto until the day it can finally come true. "I believe in him… and in us…"

"Then you have everything you need," Fairy Godmother assures just shy of taking her leave. Aqua is left alone when she does, but she hardly feels anywhere near as lonely as she had before. The ball continues unfolding in all its royal splendor before her, couples twirling elegantly to and fro to the beautiful music. And for the first time, Aqua lets herself happily imagine herself and Terra somewhere among them. As she imagines the dance they'll somehow, someday share when nothing can stand between them anymore.


She can't believe how long she's spent dreaming of this moment. It's such a simple sort of moment too, to the point that she feels silly that she's longed for it for so very long. A girlish, childish fantasy she's been clinging onto ever since they were both little, buried at the back of her mind by distance and time, but never once forgotten. But now that it's finally, actually happening… it's far more than anything she could have ever dreamed of.

He takes the lead, apprehensively at first, but he eases into it when she smiles at him, when she sends him the unspoken message that she trusts him, more than anyone else really. They both follow the music, majestic and flowing, as they fall in sync with it and with each other. Sora has plenty of practice when it comes to dancing, he's told her that much before, but she's never gotten to see his skill for herself until now. Kairi expects him to be well-versed in much more lively sort of steps, but it seems he knows a thing or two about slower dances too as he guides her in a smooth, careful spin. Her gown sways gently, gracefully as they twirl together, his cape waving out behind him in time to their motions in much of the same way. Their hands stay softly in place against each other, their faces close to the point that the distance that still lingers between them seems like it's still too much and not enough all at the same time.

It doesn't take long for the other guests to take notice of them: the beautiful young lady in a stunning pink dress and the handsome young man in a dashing black suit, a picturesque pair to say the least as they unwittingly conquer the center of the ballroom together. Just about none of the other noble couples, young or old, know the unfamiliar duo, but they can only assume they must be royalty. A prince and a princess, finding each other, falling for each other, another fairy tale coming true, just like another one that happened in this very castle not so long ago.

But despite all of the eyes currently on them, Sora and Kairi only have eyes for each other as they glide together across the floor in perfect harmony with each other, smiling warmly all the while. Eventually, their dance starts to lead them away from the more crowded section of the ballroom, and all of the crowds spectating on them within it. As the focus of the other guests begins to drift from them, they find themselves in a largely empty part of the hall, where the lights are turned down a little lower, where the music sounds just a bit softer. Neither of them notice any of it though, for as captivated as they are with each other, nothing else really seems to matter. Not the ballroom itself or any thoughts of anything that might await beyond it. Nothing outside of the two of them and this moment they have the privilege of sharing together.

That moment hardly ends when their dance finally does. Because their hands remain entwined as they venture out into the castle gardens, eager to get a bit of solitude and a piece of privacy from the much more bustling ball inside. The evening air is warm and pleasant, crickets chirping as the melodies from the ballroom still echo quietly in the distance. The stars in the vast, dark sky above seem to shine just a bit brighter than usual as they stroll together through the lush lines of trimmed topiaries, across a bridge over a babbling stream that eventually leads them to a secluded fountain on the far end of the grounds. Its round and wide and flows peacefully against a backdrop of flowered shrubs and glittering fireflies, and it's where Sora and Kairi decide to take a seat together to enjoy such a soothing scene, as well as each other's company.

A comfortable sort of silence lingers between them as they sit upon the fountain's edge, with only the pouring water and the faded music filling that silence in. But they smile sweetly as they look to each other with a deep sense of contentment and affection that doesn't go away, even when one of them finally dares to speak.

"Sora," Kairi begins, her voice light and serene. "Thank you…"

"For what?" Sora asks, still smiling as he arcs an eyebrow at her.

"For tonight, silly!" she laughs and the mere sound of it alone is enough to nearly make his heart soar. "Dancing with you has been… well, let's just say it's been… sort of a dream come true, f-for me at least…"

He flushes bright red at this, letting out a nervous chuckle to fill in for the fact that he has no idea what to really say. Still, he somehow comes up with something all the same. "You know, I… wasn't really that happy to be here at first…" he admits, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wanted to keep looking for the Keys and I thought we were just wasting our time with all this, but then…" He pauses, taking the opportunity to place his hand over hers as they both rest upon the edge of the fountain. It's enough to make her face turn the same shade of red to match his own fading flustered hue. "You and Riku changed my mind. I can't think of any other place in any world I'd rather be than right here… with you."

Kairi can scarcely suppress the rush of immense joy that fills her upon hearing this, upon feeling him squeeze her hand ever so slightly. "Same here…" she sighs blissfully. "It's so nice, you know? To just… enjoy being together like this. It always feels like we're being split up or separated somehow. You and Riku going to take your exam, me going off to train… we never just get to be with each other like we used to anymore. I-I miss this…"

"You won't have to miss it anymore." There's a gleam of excitement in Sora's eyes that Kairi can't help but find adorable as he says this. "Riku unpunished both of us; that means we can travel together to look for Keys again!"

"I know. He told me. It's just…" her smile fades slightly at this, worry starting to overtake what's left of it. "Even when we are together anymore, something always manages to tear you away from me. No matter how much I might want you to stay…"

"I-I will stay this time," he assures her, largely without thinking. "Whatever might happen next doesn't matter; I'll be right here with you for it all. I'm not going anywhere. I promise." He promises, even though he knows it's a promise he might not be able to keep. Even though he knows that he could be torn away from her at literally any moment, that at any second, the darkness of his heart could rip him far away from the light filling hers. That so very soon, he could become someone she'll never want to see again, someone she'll have to stand against to save the worlds, someone she'll despise.

But he promises her anyway, because it's something he wants, both for her and for himself. To stay by her side, to support her, to be with her, in battlefields and in ballrooms and even back on the beach they both call home. He wants it more than he's ever wanted anything else; which is why he promises it in the hopes that he can somehow make such a lofty, lovely promise come true. For her.

She accepts that promise, beaming brightly as if it's the best thing he's ever said to her. She slides in a bit closer to him, flattening her wide skirt out a bit as she adjusts her gaze up to the twinkling stars above them. "Once everything is over," she says, still smiling. "Once we've gotten the rest of the Keys and saved all of our friends and stopped the Organization, I hope things will be like this all of the time. Just you and me-and Riku too, of course. The three of us, finally together again, to stay this time, just like you said. Just like we're supposed to be."

Sora stays silent for quite some time upon hearing this, focusing on the first part of what she said above all else. "Once everything is over"... It's such a simple statement, but it still seems so strange to him all the same. The idea that all of their troubles could end, that they could put this ongoing conflict behind them someday, that they could all finally be free… it all sounds too good to be true that he can barely even begin to imagine it. He's grown so used to fighting, so used to facing one fearsome foe to the next, to dreading what horror might await him beyond any given turn that the thought of not having to do any of that anymore is an incredible, impossible one. The future as a whole seems just as shadowy, just as unknown as his own fate does at this point… but if there's any chance he might get to share that future with her, then that's a chance he's more than ready to take.

"Yeah…" he finally says, his heart warmed by the thought of such a future. Of a life beyond all of the pain and the fear he's spent so much time suffocating in. A life that's even just a little bit calmer, and a little bit brighter than the one he knows now. A life spent with her by his side. "I hope so too…"

The conversation starts to fade out at this, but the pair relishes the peace that comes along with it all the same. Kairi slowly leans in to rest her head against Sora's shoulder as both of them stare up at the stars, their thoughts drifting in entirely different directions as they do. Kairi's are warm and content as she aims to capture this wondrous moment in her memory, wanting to hold onto the sight, the sounds, the sensations all around her for as long as she's able. Wishing that it never had to end and hoping that she can still savor every second of it even long after it's over.

Sora, on the other hand, finds his thoughts filling in with a sudden sense of deep remorse. While he's certainly cherishing their precious time together too, there's still something tainting that time, even if it's something only he knows about. He should tell her the truth, he knows he should, he knows she deserves to know what's happening to him just as much as Riku does. She deserves to know just how much of a risk she runs of losing him completely, despite her desire for him to stay. And yet… to tell her the truth now, to tear such a perfect night apart at the seams right in front of her like that truth so easily could… is something he can't possibly bear to do. So instead, he takes a different route entirely. Instead, he steers away from the truth, just like he always does. "Kairi?" he begins, his voice only barely above a whisper.

"Yeah?" she replies just as quietly.

"T-there's… so much I want to tell you…" So many awful, terrible things that would certainly break her heart if he did. So many things that would make her hate him for his weakness, for his dishonesty, for the very darkness flooding him more and more each day. "I just… don't know where to even start with any of it…"

Despite the hint of anxiety in his tone, Kairi mistakes his meaning for something completely different. Her smile softens as she sits up, gently placing her free hand against the side of his face. "It's ok. Whatever you want to say, I'm right here to listen. No matter what it is…"

He nearly spills the truth right then and there upon hearing this. Because maybe if he tells her, she will listen, maybe she would understand why he's been keeping this from her for so long. Maybe she could finally be the one to save him, both from Xehanort and from himself. And yet… as he looks into her eyes, blue and bright and beautiful as they glisten in the light of the full pale moon, any words he might have said suddenly fall short. All at once, his heart swells with affection for her and sinks in grief for lying to her. This isn't how this moment should be, he shouldn't have any doubts, he shouldn't even need to think twice about this, but then-

Then he thinks about what Riku told him earlier. To put the thoughts of all those threats and fears out of his mind, if only for one single, solitary night. To forget about the danger that awaits him, to let everything that's still holding him back finally go. To make room in his heart for her… and all of the feelings he's been harboring for her for longer than he can truly tell.

And so, that's exactly what he does.

He says nothing more. Instead, he starts to lean forward, letting his heart lead him above all else, even despite how weak and frail and fragile as it might be. Her eyes brighten as she realizes his intent, and she follows suit, closing hers as she draws in closer too. They pull in toward each other slowly, as if being guided by gravity itself. Their lips soon hover only inches away from touching, inches away from a moment that could very well change everything in all the best of ways-

At least, until they fall.

It starts when Sora's hand accidentally slips off its perch against the inner side of the fountain wall. The sudden shift throws his balance off completely, shattering the intimate moment between the two of them completely. He falls towards the water, and despite Kairi's best attempt at catching him before it's too late, her tight hold on his arm ends up dragging her down with him. They both splash into the shallow pool, drenching both of their elegant outfits in the process. When they surface seconds later, they're both largely left shell-shocked and soaked, their eyes wide as they stare at each other in disbelief.

And then, they laugh.

They both erupt into a loud, heavy gale of laughter at practically the exact same moment. What just happened is so ridiculous and hilarious that there's little else they can do but let the joy it brings spill out of them freely. But somewhere between their spirited chuckles, something happens. A spark suddenly blooms to life between them, one that soon blossoms into a small, yet vibrant flame before flourishing into a crisp, all-consuming fire that fills both of their hearts with its radiant warmth. That warmth is what prompts Kairi to push forward once more, any doubts or fears she might have once had completely gone as she bravely, brazenly falls against Sora.

As her lips suddenly fall into place directly against his.

He freezes up entirely, his body and mind spending several seconds stunned as they try and fail to make sense of what's happening. He's seen plenty of other couples kiss before in his journeys between various worlds, but somehow the thought of someday experiencing such a thing for himself has never crossed his mind. It's always seemed like such an 'adult' thing to do, something well beyond his years, even now that he's 16. It's always felt like one of those things that he'd only ever get to witness, but would never get to know firsthand. Until right now, when suddenly, it's happening to him.

Because she's kissing him; Kairi is kissing him, and someone, miraculously enough, he figures out how to finally kiss her back. His hand, for as sopping as it currently is, finds a place against her back, his other hand skimming gently through her dripping-wet hair. Her arms lazily drape over his shoulders, her fingers lacing themselves lightly together somewhere between his shoulder blades. They stay like that for what feels like ages, that bright, beautiful fire swelling over them both, filling them to the brim with elation and adoration and everything in between.

They kiss once and cross a line. And as they do, they both know it's a line they never want to look back behind. Not when everything before them seems so incredibly bright.

When they finally pull apart, they stay close all the same. They retain their gentle embrace, their foreheads touching as they both let out a light, loving laugh. He brushes a stray soaked lock of hair out of her face and she lightly traces a feather-light finger against his jaw, both of them cherishing each other in actions far more than words ever could. Sora is the first to speak, even if it's something of a struggle between how breathless they both are. But for once, finding the words to say is easier than it's ever been before. "We really just did that…" he chuckles, making sure that it wasn't just something out of a dream.

Fortunately, Kairi is quick to confirm that isn't the case. "Yeah," she sighs sweetly. "We did. In a fountain of all places."

"Well," Sora smirks playfully. "It'll make for a good story to tell the others, at least."

"Boy, I'll say." The couple jolts, startled as they turn to see Riku sitting on the edge of the fountain. As distracted as they had been mere moments ago, they must not have heard him approach. Still, he offers them a wide, knowing grin knowing as he looks down at the pair still sitting in the fountain before him. "Having fun, you two?"

Kairi gasps, absolutely mortified. "Riku!" She doesn't hesitate to send a sharp splash of water his way, one that he easily blocks the bulk of with his hand.

Meanwhile, Sora tenses up, every bit as flustered as Kairi is, despite his best efforts to play it cool. "H-how much did you see?"

"I saw enough. And so did everyone else."

Sora and Kairi peer out of the fountain to the rest of the garden, where the rest of their fellow lights peek out from behind various pillars, shrubs, and trees. "Congrats to the happy couple!" Axel calls, snapping a photo of the pair on his Gummiphone. "Oo, this one's a keeper."

"We're very happy for you guys!" Ventus cheerfully exclaims. He starts to step out into the open, only for Aqua to quickly pull him back in.

"Ven!" she scolds sternly. "Give them some privacy!"

"It's about time you finally worked up the nerve to kiss her, Sora," Donald teases from his and Goofy's hiding spot.

"Aw, c'mon, Donald, you're embarrassin' him!" the captain chastises as Sora swiftly glances away from his companions.

"Uh, why don't we head back inside, fellas?" Mickey urges the duo as he practically pushes them back towards the castle. "I think Riku's got it covered from here."

As the others all head out, Sora flops back into the fountain with a loud, exasperated group, willingly dousing himself all over again as he facepalms tiredly. "They're never gonna let us live this down, are they?"

"Probably not…" Kairi mutters, wringing the water out of her hair.

"Cut them some slack," Riku laughs lightly. "They're just excited about how everything went according to plan."

"...What plan?" Sora sits up, confused.

"Wait…" Kairi starts, far faster at putting the pieces together than Sora is. "Don't tell me… you all set all this whole evening up for us so this would happen?!"

"We… might have pulled a few strings to pull it all together..."

"So you were in on it too then?" Sora huffs, shooting him an insincere glare.

"Well, of course," Riku admits point-blank. "Aqua and Ventus asked for my help, and it's not like I could have said no, even if it'd wanted to. I have been expecting this to happen for the past two years now, after all, so thanks for making me wait so long to see it."

"M-making you wait so long?!" Kairi scoffs, appalled. "Are you seriously-"

"Now, hold on, Kairi," Sora interjects, his tone seemingly even and rational. "We shouldn't be getting mad at Riku for setting us up like this. If anything, we should be grateful that he went to all this trouble just for us, don't you think?"

Kairi is quick to catch his drift when she notices his mischievous grin, when she sees him inch just a bit closer to Riku as he sits on the fountain's edge. "You know what?" she smiles just as impishly, ready to follow through on an unspoken plan of their own. "I couldn't agree more!"

Riku has no time to stop either of them as they both suddenly lunge up, each of them latching onto one of his arms to pull him into the fountain along with them. He falls into the water every bit as clumsily as they had before, and when he sits up, his own outfit is just as soaked as theirs as they both laugh mirthfully on either side of him.

"Thank you, Riku," Kairi teases, planting a playful kiss on his cheek. It manages to catch him off guard even more than his fall into the fountain had, but what Sora does next stuns him on an entirely new level altogether.

"Yeah, thanks, Riku," he grins just shy of kissing Riku's other cheek himself. Despite Sora and Kairi's previous embarrassment, now it's his turn to turn bright red, groaning loudly over their ridiculous antics before he lightly shoves both of them back into the water.

"What am I ever going to do with the two of you?" he smirks, pinching the bridge of his nose in faux exasperation.

"Kiss us back already, you grump," Kairi challenges with a brazen smirk. And so, Riku does exactly that, starting with her before doing the same for Sora, both of them receiving short pecks on the cheek just as theirs for him had been. They respond by surprising him yet again, enveloping him and each other in a tight, fond embrace. They nearly fall back down into the fountain again in the process, but Riku manages to keep all three of them upright, though just barely. All the while, their bright, jubilant laughter rings clear into the evening, all three of their hearts light and blissful over the exact same thing.

Over the three of them finally getting a chance to be together, in so many more ways than one, each more wonderful than the last.


Cinderella invites the entire group to stay the night at the castle once the ball comes to an end much later on. By the time it does, they're all far too tired to turn the offer down, so they take to the plentiful collection of guest rooms the castle has to offer, each of them claiming one of their own. And yet, it doesn't take long after they all turn in for the night, for two of those rooms to turn vacant.

Before Riku even has a chance to settle into bed, Sora and Kairi both show up at his door, neither of them even needing to ask what they want to do. So he lets them in and they tuck themselves under the same wide plush blanket, lying close enough that they can hold onto each other in a way that leaves all three of them comfortable and warm. Not too many words are exchanged between them aside from some soft-spoken good nights, and within the hour they're asleep. Or at least, two of them are.

Sora stays awake as Riku and Kairi drift off, a drowsy, yet content smile on his face as he lays snuggly between them. Kairi's head is perched lightly against his chest, Riku's arm wrapped loosely around his shoulder while each of his own arms rests gently against either of them. They've spent nights like this together before, back on the islands when they were much younger and much more innocently oblivious. But now, sleeping here together in the sweet, secure embrace of each other's arms seems to be so different now.

Now, it feels like it all means so much more.

Sora's still smiling as he looks between Riku and Kairi, both of them fast asleep on either side of him in the peaceful silence of the room. He's nearly set to join them, ready to let delightful dreams of the beautiful evening they spent together carry him away. And yet, there's still one persistent, pestering thought keeping him awake. The thought that so very soon he could be torn away from all of this, torn away from them.

The grim idea easily pulls him down from the lasting happiness he's felt since that kiss at the fountain. Despite the fantastical fairy tale he had the chance to live within tonight, it's something that can only ever be brief at best. Because tomorrow they'll have to return to reality, return to searching for the remaining Keys, return to preparing for the dangerous war that's drawing near. He'll have to return to dreading any future encounters with his foes, return to wondering just how much time he truly has left, return to fighting a battle he's not so sure he can win. And of course, return to keeping it all hidden from all his friends, even from the two people who deserve to know about it most.

"They'll hate you when they find out what you've been hiding from them," his phantom had said, his own voice ringing back at him cold and cruel. "You'll break Kairi's heart, you'll lose any respect Riku still has for you. They'll both be terrified of what you're turning into. And when it's all over, they'll take you down just like they would any other member of Organization XIII." They'll hate him, they'll be terrified of him, and, once he's lost himself completely, they'll take him down like the monster he may very well end up becoming. And when that happens, then moments like this, scarce moments of bliss and love and comfort, will be nothing more than faded, fleeting memories meant to be lost right along with him.

And yet… maybe it doesn't have to be like that.

Because it's not over yet, he reminds himself, he has to remind himself, lest he lose hope completely. There's still time to stop this, still time to save himself, still time to set himself free. Still time for him to find a way to stay with them, to make sure that they'll never be torn apart again.

After all, he'd made a promise to Kairi that he's going to stay, that he isn't going anywhere anytime soon. And since he's never broken any earnest promise he's made to her before, he sees no reason to start now.

So Sora finds himself smiling again as his eyes finally slip shut, as he reaffirms that promise, to Kairi, to Riku, and to himself. There's still enough time to fight this, to maybe even beat it, to win that future he wants to have with them both so badly. So that's exactly what he'll do. It won't be easy, he knows that much already. But if it means he'll get to stay with the two people who always light his way back home even when he's lost in the darkest of shadows, the two people he would gladly, readily do anything for, the two people he knows he can't possibly live without… then it'll be more than worth the effort to try.


Awwwww I'm such a sap for soft romantic stuff like this entire chapter. And honestly, if canon won't give us a Sokai kiss already than dammit I will! Either way this one was really fun to work on, and if you wanna check out the designs I drew up for everyone's outfits from it, check out my deviant art page: minijen/gallery/68479159/kingdom-hearts (just post that after the deviant art main URL, is weird about links :| Anyway, next time around we'll be back on schedule with our usual Disney world romps, and we'll be focusing on a movie I'm quite fond of, so get yourselves ready for a trip to the bayou ;) But until then, please feel free to let me know what you thought in the REVIEWS PLEASE! Until next time :3